The Ripple Effect

“Tell me what you eat and I shall tell you what you are,” written by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in The Physiology of Taste is one of my favorite insights into the gastronomical universe. Anthony Lane of The New Yorker wrote that “It takes someone like Brillat-Savarin to remind us that cooking need not be the fraught, perfectionist, slightly paranoid struggle that it has latterly become. His love of food is bound up with a taste for human error and indulgence, and that is why The Physiology of Taste is still the most civilized cookbook ever written.” It was first published in France in 1825.

I have been fortunate enough to view every aspect of food and eating as a source of joy and have been afforded the luxury of pondering the philosophical and cultural aspects. I enjoy planning meals, gathering what is needed to prepare and serve, the act of cooking itself, and even the process of cleaning up, as it is restoring a sense of order to my surroundings. In each step, there is comfort in the familiarity and predictability of knowing that if I do this or that, I will undoubtedly get a desired result. My favorite part, however, is the sharing; I love watching others experience joy in food. Food and the act of eating is immensely powerful. It unites, creates memories, comforts, is an expression of love, an act of compassion, and a source of joy. Not everyone is afforded these same luxuries, however, and food insecurity is a growing issue, even in today’s world. As our response to this we have incorporated community service and support into this mission; we give back where we can and hope it extends outward from there.

Food is one of the most impactful ways we can take care of each other. Everything about food carries such weight and meaning, we all share the common need, and we can each bring our own unique story to the table in the process. Hearing of someone’s struggles or of a tragic event makes me want to be softer and kinder and pray for a ripple effect. For years I have made popovers when I feel the need to console or be consoled. Popovers are the ultimate comfort food, as they are warm pillows of perfection that also double as vehicles for ushering indulgent amounts of butter to your mouth in a socially acceptable and insanely satisfying manner. Butter is comfort, therefore popovers are comfort and my ideal ripple is laden with popovers.

In a world where we seemingly can’t control very much, we can place more focus on what we can control. We can control how we take care of each other; how we feed each other literally and figuratively. One act of kindness and compassion can set off another, which can set off another, and another. The Community Support page here is a good place to start looking if you are in need of food and a good place to start rippling if you are not. We are in the beginning stages of planning a series of community Farm to Table dinners with a portion of the proceeds donated to our local food pantries. We envision lots of people, lots of long tables, lots of food, music, and laughter. Let us know if you are interested and what you envision. Tell us what you like to eat and we shall tell you when to come for dinner.

Peace, love, and popovers.

Mindi Murphy