“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.” – Cesar Chavez
My grandmother loved to cooked. Come to think of it, what she really loved was to feed people.
Not unlike other Italian-Americans, she took great pleasure in preparing a feast and then sharing it with someone special.
In fact it didn’t matter what time of day it was, if you uttered the words “I’m a little hungry”, she’d be rummaging through the refrigerator or pantry to whip you up something you’d enjoy.
I especially appreciated how she always took the time to plan and prepare food items she knew you’d enjoy. Some of my fondest memories of my grandmother were spent around the kitchen table talking and laughing and loving – and eating.
My wife shares in my grandmother’s love of cooking – and equally her love of feeding people. And I’m happy to be a recipient of that hobby.
I enjoy watching her in the kitchen – more of an art form than simply throwing something together. There’s a level of detail in each and every step – an understanding of techniques and fluidity in the execution.
I love to see her sitting on the couch intently reading one of her cooking magazines or books – lost in the wonderment of a new recipe, a new ingredient or a new application.
But what I love most is watching the joy on her face after preparing a feast and then sharing it with someone special – giving you her heart, not just her food.
Shauna Niequist writes, “I think preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them.”
So take time to slow down your busy schedule, invite someone special to your home and remind them that “the people who give you their food give you their heart”.
