Food, Family, and Togetherness: The Power of Food

From Valentine’s Day to Thanksgiving and Christmas, there are countless holidays where food holds a quintessential role. Being a foodie myself, I strongly believe that food has the power to bring any two people together, regardless of differences in culture, religion, political beliefs, etc.

In a world that seems to focus so much on convenience and fast food, we've lost some of the power that food has in bringing people together. In today’s world, it seems that we eat out of necessity rather than to enjoy food and the company around us. So just how powerful is food in bringing people together? Read on to find out.

In today's world, dinner parties are on the decline. Fewer and fewer people want to entertain at their house, and I don't blame them. Putting on a party takes significant work, from cooking the food, setting the table, and cleaning. With rising grocery costs, the barriers to dinner parties are significant. To me, though, all the extra effort is worth it. Forgot the drive-through at your nearby fast-food restaurant, being surrounded by friends and family is far more powerful. 

With my family spread out across the country, gathering everyone in one place is often difficult. But when we do, it's always around food. We talk, laugh, and catch up together. This is especially true during holidays, when I embark on an extensive Christmas dinner. Everyone looks forward to coming and sitting around one long table as a family, being together in one place with fantastic food. It is my personal culinary Super Bowl, if you will.

Dinner parties often carry a negative connotation in movies or TV shows. They often start with grandpa bringing up politics, and later lead to arguments about money and religion. But this need not be the case. Step back in history to Plymouth, one of the first European settlements in what would become the United States. As the pilgrims struggled to adjust to their new home, the Native Americans came in to help them, and thus started the American tradition of Thanksgiving. Two groups of people, with innumerable differences and separated by a language barrier, came together to enjoy one another’s company. Surely if they came together, we could do the same today without heated arguments about politics, religion, and money.

Instead of hot topics, let’s come together over the food being served. Whether it be how the dish was made or where the ingredients came from, there are countless topics to discuss. Sharing your expertise about food is a fantastic opportunity to help others find joy in cooking.

Entertaining large parties at a formal dinner party is far from the only way to share in the power of food. A few months ago, I made a French Silk Pie for one of my good neighbors; she shared a portion of it with one of her friends, who gave some to her daughter, who is soon to be married. After a few bites, her daughter wanted me to cater the desserts for her wedding. Just one pie has the potential for someone to fall in love with food. On a day when love is celebrated, at one's wedding, the love of food brings people together. 

Even something as small as a strawberry or raspberry has the power to bring people together. When I was younger, my grandfather had a beautiful house with a yard filled with raspberry bushes, strawberry bushes, and apple trees. He would often pick me up from daycare, and we would take a look to see if any berries had grown. If they had, we were in luck! We would harvest what was ripe, bring it inside, and make smoothies together. We would sit on the front porch and talk with one another while we drank our smoothies and rocked back and forth in the swing on his porch. It was the raspberries and strawberries that made our relationship even closer.

I once worked with an exceptional chef who immigrated from Mexico. He could make almost any dish from almost nothing, but it was one ingredient that was most important to him. He would often ask people, "What's the most important ingredient?" he would pound his chest and say, "Love." I couldn’t agree with him more. When you cook for and/or with those you love, the power of food can strengthen relationships and bring people closer together.

I’ve also worked with several Filipinos who have immigrated to the United States. They knew I loved to cook and try new food, so they would often cook massive amounts of food and bring it to work for me to try. Two cultures separated by countless cultural differences and unique in their own ways came together over good food. Food represents one's culture; the most prevalent ingredients differ from country to country and region. If you genuinely want to get to know another country, immerse yourself in its food. Talk with locals about their traditions around their food, and you'll be surprised by how much you can learn about their culture.

Whether it be the recipes on this blog or recipes from a late family member. Cook with those you love and share what you’ve learned in your own culinary journey. When families come together, there is no need to argue about politics, religion, and money. Enjoy the cooking, baking, and food with one another.

So, what's the moral of the story here? Food brings people together, from holiday dinners and pies to freshly picked berries; food is limitless in power. It can bring those far from us close and those close to us closer. So, whichever occasion you’re celebrating, cook for someone close to you, sit at a table, and talk to one another. There need not be a five-course dinner before you; even the simplest of foods has power.

Cheers,

Chef Olson

“The Flying Chef”

Do you have a story about how food has brought you closer to someone? A story or memory about cooking with those you love. I’d love to hear how food has impacted you! Please comment down below or send me your story at chefolson@thewoodenspoonchefs.com.