Sunday Sightings: Lemon Twist

Togetherness

It is beautiful how food brings people together. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate, reminisce, discuss, imagine, familiarize, entertain, postulate, create....

Or simply just be in each others' presence.

Some of the best memories of my college years were times spent in the kitchen preparing a feast with friends. We typically attached a holiday to our feasts. There is always some reason to celebrate, right? The end of midterms, a saint's feast day, the beginning of a new season, the completion of a term paper, a fresh haircut, the arrival of a care-package, the purchase of a bar of chocolate. I tell you, we could come up with just about any reason to eat and procrastinate.

I was part, then, of an informal Breakfast Club. Those of us who were early birds would gather in the Commons before the breakfast line even opened, teasing each other, sipping our warm cups of tea, avoiding last-minute preparations for class. We would speak of absorbing current events, argue perennial questions, relate the happenings of relationships on campus, debate the effects of various wars on our country. Motivation for an early wake up call more often than not came from a desire to find something a bit more nutritious and filling than the standard cafeteria fare -- which did not always come in the form of physical nourishment.

I still crave these moments of togetherness. The moments in the day where we nearly stop the pull towards sunset which seems taut and rushed. It is a deliberate moment, albeit often spontaneous. A moment of ingenuity, if just the smallest spark. These moments are quintessential in the lifespan of a human existence.

I find those moments now again as I construct gingerbread houses with mini wheat tiled roofs alongside my brothers, slice into half moon raviolis during an Italian festa with my mother, mix inventive cocktails with my fiance, sip tea and nibble shortbread with a friend, can steaming jars of apple butter with a patient team.

The collaborative creation of a meal and the communal enjoyment of it. Opportunities for togetherness.  

M.I.A.

I've been rather infrequent the past two weeks with posting. I'm in the midst of transitions and preparations -- moving things into a new apartment which will be our home after the wedding and, of course, finishing up those last minute details for the wedding itself (24 days!). Minutes to eat and relax have been scarce, and I don't have much to say right now in terms of creativity.

But please don't scurry away. Although postings will be infrequent over these next few weeks, I promise a few will pop up here and there. And then, after all is settled, I'll jump back on the bandwagon baking and cooking and writing to my heart's content.

Thank you for reading.

Sunday Sightings: First Crop of the Season

Kinfolk Magazine

I am absolutely in love with this magazine/journal. They had me at 'hello.' It is about simplicity. About savoring the moment that you are in, whether that be alone, with another, or with a group. The experience of preparing the meal, the experience of sharing the meal, the experience of consuming the meal. It is so human. It is so true. Plump full of essays, interviews, and beautiful photos that give you a glimpse into these experiences.

After reading through their first volume, I couldn't wait for this one to come out. Be sure to snatch up a copy asap as they sold out quickly of their first volume upon initial publication.

It is best enjoyed from cover to cover with a large cup of tea in hand. It is one of the few things that has truly given me a sense of rest and relaxation over this past month of holiday preparations and wedding planning.

And don't miss their online journal with frequent postings.