WE DUST off the artificial pumpkin decorations and pull orange and purple wreaths from storage. We pull out rakes and sweaters as the weather drops like the leaves do. The weather feels therapeutic and makes you want to go for a walk on your lunch break instead of sitting in a car with the air conditioner on full blast. Along with the flannel and pumpkin spice latte, we bring out the dinner plates. And this time, it’s the heavy hitters: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie. You may even sit in the gentle breeze on the front porch with your favorite aunt and carve pumpkins together. We make memories that still pop up every time we taste pumpkin seeds and sweet potatoes.
Our taste is just one of our five senses, but it’s oh so powerful. It can make your mouth water and your stomach growl. It can bring back cherished memories. Hands of love gently merge spices and ingredients together. It makes its way from the pot to paper as a recipe that lasts generation after generation, creating a new cook to take the throne as Nanny with a recipe no one can beat.
We took food from just something to give us energy and keep us alive to something that brings us together. It gives birth to much more than just a tasty dinner; it creates what we’re all looking for: connection.
This issue of Good News is a special food edition. We’re featuring cooks, generations of family, the connection between cook and customer, and hard-working business owners who give us delicious food options on every street in our towns… Life’s short. Eat dessert.
