food of friendship

“I don’t know where you’re from, but I know your middle name and how you fell in love,” reflected Daniel, a guest at the first monthly Chez Heureuse dinner party. Upon moving into our apartment, my roommates and I began hosting monthly, themed dinners in order to bring together each other’s friends and expand our own communities in the city. After our first meal – a New Year’s-themed affair centered on tales of resolutions we kept and resolutions we failed – the group lauded the success of the meal, forging friendships among men and women who otherwise would never have met.

cultureKendall VandersliceMay 19, 2015gastronomy, commensality, ethnographyComment

full circle

This time last year I wrote an essay after deciding not to attend culinary school. I quoted a prayer from Thomas Merton, a prayer which I repeat almost every day. I share it again today, remembering the fear of changed plans in the past and savoring the beauty that came out of those decisions. In the same way, I look to the journey ahead with excitement, trusting that this too is a step into the journey which God has ordained for me beforehand:

cultureKendall VandersliceSeptember 1, 2014gastronomy, school, anthropology, ethnographyComment