I love Thursday nights.  In fact, anyone who eats dinner with me on a Thursday night, inevitably hears me remark about how much I love Thursday nights.  Why do I prefer this particular evening?  You have almost the entire week behind you and the entire weekend ahead.  What a great moment in time with many things to look forward to.

I think part of my enthusiasm for Thursday nights goes back to my life teaching at a boarding school.  Wednesday nights were my dorm duty nights so I basically worked until midnight on Wednesdays, doing sign-ins, proctoring study hall and enforcing lights out.  Having a Wednesday night like that made Thursdays even more amazing.  Also, by Thursday evening I was usually finished with athletic events for the week as well as Dean’s meetings, advisory events, and all of the other things that come with dorm life.  Glorious Thursday nights…

I savor cooking dinner on Thursday nights because I can just relax and enjoy my time with David and whoever else we have in our home.  When I came home from work yesterday, my arms full of fresh vegetables, I smiled to see David on our tiny porch smoking his pipe.  (Yes, my husband occasionally smokes a pipe.)  I joined him on the porch for awhile, chatting and enjoying the fact that it was…Thursday.  Nowhere to be, nothing to do.

Going with the “laid back, chilled out” Thursday night theme, I roasted a bunch of vegetables for dinner, including summer squash, carrots, and onions.  I served them with sautéed yellow snow peas and red quinoa.  A perfect meal for leading into Memorial Day weekend.  So easy.  So simple.

Simply Sauteed Snow Peas:

Snow peas are great for cooking because they can stand up to heat well and still maintain their crunch.  David likes to eat them raw, but I prefer them sautéed, with garlic.

• 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed (I used yellow this time, but green are great too)
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for a minute.  Add snow peas and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Snow peas will still be nice and crisp.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

I hope your Memorial Day Weekend is full of relaxation, cooking, and delicious food.

There has been no shortage of rain this year in Atlanta.  In fact, it has rained since we got here.  But I’m hopeful that we’ll start seeing the benefits from the down pours we lived through last fall and early this spring.  Flowers, vegetables and fruit galore.

Spring is in full bloom and I couldn’t resist posting some photos of these gorgeous flowers from Crystal Organic Farm.

Don’t they just make you want to play outside?

From now through the end of the summer, gorgeous bouquets like this can be found at The Local Farmstand.  Isn’t nature amazing?

There are many great things about living in Atlanta.  Being surrounded by Top Chef superstars and not sharing my residence with 65 teenage girls are both at the top of my list, but another benefit of being in the dirty south is that spring and summer vegetables are ready to be harvested a little bit earlier here than back up in Virginia.  I feel spoiled already having access to summer veggies, like asparagus and snow peas, so early in the season.  In the last couple of weeks I’ve even been the beneficiary of beautiful strawberries from Woodland Gardens in Winterville, Georgia.  After enjoying these bites of goodness, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to purchase strawberries in the grocery store ever again.  I had no idea that strawberries could be so fragrant.  My entire kitchen smells of this fruit when left on the counter for an afternoon.

I could eat these strawberries by the pint.  It’s a shame they’re so pretty, only to be devoured by me.  I’ve been finding as many different ways as possible to use my strawberries. There have even been days where I’ve managed to consume them at each meal: on my cereal at breakfast, mixed with yogurt and granola at lunch, in my salad at dinner, finished off with strawberry cobbler for dessert.

Yes, I said strawberries in salad.  For people like my brother, who work hard to keep everything on their plate from touching, the following recipe might not make your mouth water at first glance, but I promise…If you haven’t tried this yet, you must.  A great side dish that will make your plate beautiful.  I’ve been using fresh arugula because the sweetness of the strawberries goes perfectly with the ‘bite’ from the arugula.  Of course the goat cheese, sunflower seeds and homemade dressing provide added flavor and texture to the salad.  The final combination creates a perfect mix of salty and sweet.

Strawberry Arugula salad (Serves 4)

Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Pepper

Salad:

• Bunch of fresh arugula
• Goat cheese
• Sunflower seeds
• Fresh strawberries, chopped or sliced

Combine ingredients for dressing in a bowl and whisk.  Set aside.  On individual salad plates assemble your salad.  Use the arugula as your base and top with strawberries, clumps of goat cheese and sprinkle with sunflower seeds.  Drizzle with salad dressing.  If you want to toss all of ingredients in a large bowl, you can.  It doesn’t look as pretty but tastes just as delicious.

I love writing.  Each day I try to write something, not just emails or incessant lists, but something with more substance.  It’s never brilliant or earth shattering, but each day I return to my computer, ready to write something new, not always sure in which direction I’m going.  Even when I fear I have nothing to say, I hold myself accountable to write.

Occasionally I think to myself, “What am I doing?”  Why am I writing each day?  The answer is, I’m not totally sure what or why.  I will never pay the bills by doing this, but in my writing, I’ve discovered that I love creating, exploring and putting thoughts into words.  Two years ago, I would never have told you I love to write or even imagine that I would have a blog that receives a significant amount of my time.  This blog and my discovery of writing have been unexpected blessings of my celiac diagnosis.  Who knew that a disease would result in good things?  It does and it has.

I’m particularly excited about my writing today because this week, my first magazine article is “hot off the presses.”  (Yes, I can be a cheesy writer too.)  My article, “Atlanta Restaurants Offer Many Options for Gluten-Free Diners” can now be found around town in Atlanta’s Finest Dining Magazine and for those of you non-Atlantans, you can check it out at this link.

I’m thrilled.  It makes me smile to see it.  It makes me want to write more.

“E.L. Doctorow once said that ‘Writing is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.”

- from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing & Life

This year, David and I put a ban on purchasing cookbooks because we have very little space in our Atlanta apartment and we already have so many.  For the first few months, I strictly followed our self-imposed restriction, but I couldn’t resist purchasing Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors.  I love cookbooks that tell me a story.  As I flip through the pages of Madison’s Local Flavors, she takes me across the country to different farmers’ markets of all climates, shapes and sizes.  From Santa Fe, to Atlanta, to Alaska, this beautiful book transports the reader to places and seasons that allow you to connect your own local produce with delicious recipes.  The glossy pages in Local Flavors make the photos shine.  You can see every crevice and twist in each green and every seed in a sliced tomato.

Local Flavors organizes its chapters by the type of food, as opposed to most cookbooks who separate by course.  Some of the chapters include, “Small, tender fruits,” “Roots & Tubers,” and “Eggs & Cheese at the Market.”  Doesn’t it sound amazing?  Let me tell you, it is.  If you love beautiful photos, stories and delicious recipes, you should add Local Flavors to your collection.  It’s worth splurging on this beautiful treat.

When I go to The Local Farmstand, I look up any new produce that arrives in the index of Local Flavors to see what recipes Madison suggests.  Recently a shipment of green garlic and leeks came from the farm and as I flipped to the index, I soon found a risotto recipe using both leeks and green garlic.  Lovely.  I followed the recipe strictly the first time I made this dish, but the next week I found myself craving quinoa.  (In warmer weather, I tend to turn towards quinoa, while wanting risotto in the winter months.)  So I tweaked the recipe a bit substituting quinoa for the risotto, but stuck with leeks and green garlic.  This recipe can be a side dish or a main course.

Leek & Green Garlic Quinoa (adapted from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors)

• 4 medium leeks, white part only
• 3 large heads green garlic
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup white wine
• s&p

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (if instructions on box say to)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 cups GF chicken or vegetable broth (plus extra if needed)
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh lemon thyme (or other fresh herbs)
• s&p

Wash leeks well.  Make sure that you get the grit out from between each layer.  (I cut slits in the bottom to get more water in between the layers for better cleaning.)  Cut leeks in half, lengthwise, then crosswise, then into ¼ inch slices.  Finely chop the bulbs/white parts of the green garlic.

Melt butter in a sauté pan on medium heat.  Add leeks and garlic, stir to coat.  Then add the wine and cook on medium-low heat until leeks are tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a wide pot on medium heat.  Add the quinoa and stir to coat.  Cook on medium heat, while stirring for one minute.  Add wine and let absorb, stirring occasionally.  Add broth, ½ cup at a time and cook on medium, stirring as the liquid is absorbed.  This should take about 15 minutes.  Quinoa cooks much quicker than risotto which is a plus.

Once quinoa is cooked, transfer quinoa to pan with leeks and garlic.  Turn to medium-low heat and add parmesan cheese.  Stir and serve warm.  Enjoy!  I admit, it’s not the most colorful dish I’ve ever made.  That’s why I like to serve it as a side to accompany a plate of bright and vibrant veggies, such as roast carrots and mixed greens.

I often find myself planning my meals around what side dishes I want to serve.  Last week when I was greeted at The Local Farmstand by the arrival of this beautiful asparagus, I knew I had to make it that night for dinner.  Yes, spring is finally here!  When Nicholas dropped off the asparagus, I immediately started planning what I could make that would go well with the asparagus and I thought of our staple weeknight-dish, honey mustard chicken.

I’ve written about honey mustard chicken before, but I just couldn’t resist taking a few photos of this family-favorite last week.  Honey mustard chicken is another entrée that’s perfect for entertaining.  Minimal labor and no work once the guests arrives.  The combination of sweet honey, spice mustard and the kick of curry make a great trio.  I usually serve this dish with a veggie and a grain of choice.  Last week I used leftover quinoa with leeks and green garlic…stay tuned for that recipe.

A last minute dinner idea turned into a delicious feast.  So easy and so delicious.

Honey Mustard Chicken

• 2-6 boneless chicken breasts (depending on how many people you’re trying to feed)
• ½ stick unsalted butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ½-1teaspoon curry powder

Preheat oven to 325. Melt butter over low heat. Remove from burner.
While melted butter is still warm, stir in honey until it mixes with butter. Repeat with mustard. Stir in curry powder.
Place chicken breasts in a Pyrex dish. Pour mixture over chicken. Put in oven and let cook (uncovered) for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. If mixture gets a little sticky, just add some water.
Remove from oven and serve with rice or another grain. Use the sauce from the dish on the rice as well.

Roasted Asparagus (Serves 3)

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• S&P

Preheat oven to 375*. Snap off tough asparagus ends and discard.  Put on baking sheet and gently toss to coat in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for about 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Cooking time can vary with asparagus, depending on how crispy you want it to be.

*Note: I put the asparagus in the oven towards the end of the chicken’s cooking time, so used a 325 degree oven instead of 375.  Once I removed the chicken, I cranked up the heat to 400 for another few minutes.  They turned out delicious.

Enjoy!

Earlier in the year I went to Two Urban Licks and enjoyed a delicious meal at this trendy, happening, Atlanta spot.  The owners of Two Urban Licks also run One Midtown Kitchen.  Since I’d eaten a yummy meal at Two, I decided to give One Midtown Kitchen a try.  Even though One and Two share ownership, the two restaurants have uniquely different vibes and culinary perspectives.  It’s clear that Chef Drew VanLeuvan’s personality and creativeness shines through in One’s menu and the taste of each dish.  There’s nothing ‘chainy’ about either of these restaurants and VanLeuvan’s ever-changing menu uses fresh, seasonal ingredients with a culinary flair.

We arrived a little early for our reservations with plans of ordering a drink at the bar.  The atmosphere at the restaurant was more relaxed and a bit of an older crowd.  While I liked the event of dining at Two Urban Licks, I quickly got the feeling that One was going to be more my type of dining experience, more of a laid back fine dining vibe as opposed to “see and be seen,” and maybe have some good food too.  One Midtown Kitchen’s wine selection is anything but lacking as they offer you a huge selection of wines by the glasses.  The wines are divided into price categories and you can choose from the different price categories.  There’s also the option to select the ‘bottomless’ wine glass from one category and you can sample as much (or as little) of each of the wines in that price bracket.  Seems a little dangerous to me, but I love the idea!

One of my favorite parts about One Midtown Kitchen’s cuisine were the flavor combinations they used.  While there’s a lot of action on the plate, the components work and they work well.  (Keep reading for more details.)  When David and I sat down the waitress had been fully briefed by the chef about the naturally gluten-free items on the menu.  I must first mention the plethora of appetizer options I found.  Hands down, One Midtown Kitchen’s menu offers the most naturally gluten-free appetizers that I’ve ever found in a restaurant.  Usually we gluten-free diners must stick to boring salads that I could easily make at home.   Overwhelmed by the many choices, I ultimately went with my waiter’s advice and decided on the Georgia Shrimp.  This dish is not just a plate of shrimp, but a beautiful mélange of ingredients displayed on the plate.  It really looked like a piece of art.  The components of the dish included marinated ruby beets, avocado, basil, and a mango gelatin, with a lobster vinaigrette.  Sounds like a lot, maybe even too much, but I tell you, it was perfect.  There’s no way I could recreate this in my kitchen, and the combination of complexity with great flavor is exactly what I’m looking for when I go to a restaurant.

For my entrée, I ordered the leg of lamb with cauliflower, lambs’ tongue and a parmesan cake.  (Again, a lot of things going on, right?)  I love lamb and it tends to be my splurge when going to a nice restaurant.  This was my first time trying lambs’ tongue and I enjoyed the flavor and texture, mixed with the other components of the dish.  Unfortunately, the lamb itself was very tough and I had trouble cutting it.  I don’t think that I would order it again unless they changed their preparation of the lamb.  I will say, though that the accompaniments, the polenta cake and cauliflower, went nicely with the dish and yet again, One did a great job combining flavors and ingredients.  I also ordered a side of garlic mustard greens and kale and oh, how I love garlic and greens!  The side dish did not disappoint and it was nice to add a little green to my plate, even if it couldn’t be Brussels sprouts.

David ordered the pork chop special and he said it was the best pork he’d ever eaten.  (I believe this dish was gluten-free too.)  This statement is quite a compliment because, in my opinion, David makes the best pork chops I’ve ever eaten.

On to dessert…just like the appetizers, the dessert menu held more GF options than most restaurants.  David and I could not resist the caramelized peanut butter with toffee and chocolate.  We’re suckers for peanut butter sweets.  Amazing and fabulous.  Very rich but oh so worth the richness.  Just a few bites satisfied my sweet tooth.

David and I enjoyed a delicious, relaxing meal at One Midtown Kitchen and we didn’t feel rushed, which can be a rarity at restaurants on a Saturday night.  If you go to One, make sure you check out their bathroom.  Definitely the coolest restroom of any restaurant I’ve ever been to.  There are televisions in ‘waiting lounge’ which was convenient since the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament being televised during our meal.  It’s always nice to be able to check on the scores while you wait for the restroom, right?

Final verdict: One Midtown Kitchen’s menu offers many gluten-free options and the staff is eager to accommodate our GF needs.  The menu changes so make sure to inquire and ask questions based on the most recent menu.  One Midtown Kitchen’s a great spot for a Saturday night dinner date, or just a drink at the bar.  If you’re looking for a more ruckus spot with live music, stick to Two Urban Licks, but for unique, delicious food and a laid back, yet trendy scene, give One Midtown Kitchen a try.

One Midtown Kitchen – 566 Dutch Valley Road Northeast – Atlanta, GA 30324-5331 – (404) 892-4111

The other night, David and I enjoyed a simple vegetarian dinner brought to us by local farms, Crystal Organics and Love is Love.  Nothing fancy, yet so delicious.  Here’s what we ate:

Roasted carrots, beets and sweet potatoes

Sautéed Savoy Cabbage

• 1 lb. head of cabbage, coarsely chopped into strips (cut off the end and any wilting outer layers)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• s&p

Heat butter in large pan on medium heat.  Once melted, add cabbage, turn heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cook until tender enough for your liking.  Before serving, add honey and balsamic vinegar to warm pan with cabbage.  Toss to coat.  Sprinkle with s & p

Risotto with sautéed onions and parmesan cheese

• 1 cup aborio rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper

As I’ve said before, risotto can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.  For this dinner, I just chopped an onion, sautéed it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, for about 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add 1 cup aborio rice (risotto) to pan and stir for one minute.  Lower heat to medium-low.  Add one cup chicken broth, stir.  Add broth as it evaporates, one cup at a time, and stir occasionally so rice doesn’t burn.  (You’ll use about 4 cups of broth total.)  If you’re not going to be near the stove, put the heat on low to ensure that it won’t burn.  Add s & p to taste.  Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese before serving.

Enjoy!

(We used the leftover risotto for dinner the following night, with cooked sausage.  Just heated the sausage on the stove and added risotto to the pan.  Great flavors as the sausage seeps into the risotto.  It made sort of a sausage-risotto cake.  Pretty yummy for a last minute dinner.)

I’m a little quirky; I know that.  My quirkiness factor shines through when I talk about my passions.  Three of my favorite things are fresh produce, folk music, and local celebrity chefs.  Yes, it’s an odd assortment but those are some of my loves.  Well, Sunday evening I got to be part of an event that involved all of the above favorites.  Can you believe it?  What a lucky girl I am!

On Sunday night, Slow Food Atlanta put on this incredible ‘family dinner’ at Watershed Restaurant in Decatur.  Slow Food founder, Carlo Petrini, was the guest of honor and other important ‘Slow Food’ folks attended. This event was a great way to conclude the Georgia Organics weekend and brought many amazing people from Athens back to Atlanta.  Even a couple of speakers that I heard at the Georgia Organics Conference attended the dinner, including Michel Nischan of Wholesome Wave Foundation and Diane Harris of the CDC.

Not only was this an amazing culinary event, but the money raised from the dinner went towards Slow Food’s Terra Madre Foundation.  What is Terra Madre?  This international foundation works to “bring together different players in the food chain who together support sustainable agriculture, fishing, and breeding with the goal of preserving taste and biodiversity.”  I love the emphasis put on taste and biodiversity.  For example, it’s good to have many varieties of apples and potatoes, not just russet and golden delicious. Agricultural variety is beneficial to all of us because it encourages local farming, develops our taste buds, and allows us to enjoy better and healthier foods, packed with vitamins and tasty goodness.  If we support small, local farmers, we’ll be ‘preserving taste and biodiversity.’  Petrini and Terra Madre believe “eating is an agricultural act and producing is a gastronomic act,” therefore we need to be followers of both farming and flavor.

How did I get to be at this incredible event?  Unfortunately I was not a paying customer, but I participated as a volunteer server and greeter for the night, allowing me to enjoy the festivities and be a part of the action. This was my first experience waiting tables and let me just say, I have a whole new appreciation for the food service industry and all of the work involved in getting a plate of food in front of the diner.  Watershed’s kitchen is pretty small (at least it seemed small to me) and there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen, trying to complete their dishes and get food out to the tables.  The menu for this meal was created by the chefs, and each course represented a meal from that chef’s childhood.   One of the things I enjoy most about cooking is the memories that taste can trigger.  Each of these chefs poured their heart and stories into their dishes and every plate looked absolutely gorgeous.

If you’re like me and love all things foodie, you’re asking yourself, “who were the celebrity chefs?”  The list is long, with an extensive number of James Beard nominees in the group.  So while I was already star struck from shaking hands with Carlo Petrini when he walked in the door, being in the same kitchen with all of these celebs just about put me over the top.  I could care less about Johnny Depp or any other movie star, but chefs fascinate me and I’m awed by their talents.  Chefs for this family dinner included Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene, Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill, Steven Satterfield of Miller Union, Kevin Ouzts of The Spotted Trotter, Billy Allin of Cakes & Ale, Scott Peacock of Watershed, and Cathy Conway of Avalon Catering.  Ridiculous, right?  To have all of these guys and their cooking entourages in the same kitchen, with me carrying out their incredible food, I felt like I’d died and gone to food heaven.  I didn’t even get to eat the food, but I didn’t mind at all.

I was so busy once the guests arrived that I did not get to take photos of the actual event or the beautiful food.  I’ve included some photos of Watershed and the room before the family dinner.  Now just visualize it packed with people, amazingly presented food, chefs wandering the room talking to the diners, and us servers in our white button downs.  Highlights of the meal were the Kevin Gillespie’s ‘One Dish Hog Dinner’ served in individual cassoulet dishes, and Steven Satterfield’s roasted oysters, Savannah red rice, served family style with Kevin Ouztz’ biscuits.    Here’s a look at the program and menu so you can get a better picture of the event since there are no photos to document it.

Menu
Cocktails
Woodford Reserve Mint Julep
Prepared by: Mark Williams, Slow Food Bluegrass
Daniel Morrison, Watershed
NV Bodegas Matilde Totus Tuus Brut,
Cava; Spain
Red Brick Blonde Ale;
Atlanta, Georgia

Hors d’oeuvres
Scott Peacock, Watershed

Music
Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls

Beet Salad
2005 Domaine du Viking Sec Tendre,
Vouvray; France
Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene

One Dish Hog Dinner
2004 Kluge Albemarle “Simply Red” Bordeaux Blend;
Charlottesville, Virginia
Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill

Roasted Oysters, Savannah Red Rice
with Andouille Sausage & Shrimp
served with
Green Salad and Angel Biscuits
2006 Domaine de la Chevalerie ‘les Galichets,’
Bourgueil; France
Steven Satterfield, Miller Union
Kevin Ouzts, The Spotted Trotter

Applesauce Cake with
Calvados-Vanilla Cream and Caramel
Cafe Campesino Coffee
Cathy Conway, Avalon Catering

Each chef is listed with the item he/she created and presented to the diners for this special meal of memories and good food.  You can also click on this link to see the entire program, read about each chef’s culinary inspiration for his dish and learn the evening’s recipes.  You’ll notice that a lot of these dishes are entirely gluten free!  Doesn’t it make your mouth water just looking at it?I also loved that Charlottesville’s Kluge wine was represented on the menu.

The evening’s program was not just about food.  Slow Food Atlanta’s, Judith Winfrey, opened the evening with a beautiful welcome, followed by a performance by Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, one of the owners of Watershed, hence rounding out the evening for me by adding some folk music to the event.  Saliers sang two songs, including the crowd pleaser, ‘Galileo.’  It was a lovely way to start the evening.  To hear her play the guitar and sing, just her, in such an intimate setting was incredible.

When Carlo Petrini spoke to conclude the night’s program.  he addressed world wide agricultural issues and the importance of supporting farmers in all countries.  Petrini believes in the importance of connecting and collaborating with all parts of the food system, including chefs, farmers, and consumers.  As we listened to Petrini’s words, it was incredible on to be surrounded by incredible chefs and farmers as we celebrated slow food and mother earth.  When Petrini talks about ‘the pleasures of the table’ and enjoying cultures through food, you feel like you’re there with him, tasting the cuisine and enjoying the people he’s describing.  Petrini has an incredible ability captivate an audience, speak to our hearts, and allow us to feel his passion.  These are rare talents for public speakers in general, but Petrini has to speak through a translator and you still feel his love, energy and enthusiasm for good tasting food.

Many people worked hard and were involved to pull off this incredible evening and I’m so glad I got to play a (minor) role in the event.  Was I exhausted afterwards?  Yes.  Do I ever want to be a full time server?  Never.  Did I love every second of this event that combined my favorites: local food, celebrity chefs, and folk music?  Absolutely.

My final workshop of the day at Saturday’s Georgia Organics Conference, was called “Family Dinner: The Real Happy Meal.”  Emory Psychology professor, Marshall P. Duke, began his presentation making the disclaimer that he’s neither a foodie, nor a farmer.  Despite this statement, Duke gave a lecture that grabbed directly at my ‘food-heart’ about the value of food, especially preparing and sharing meals.  Duke spoke about the importance of families eating dinner together and the correlation between children’s resiliency and whether or not they eat family dinner.  When I taught at a day school I was always amazed by how few of my students actually ate dinner with their families at night.  We lead such busy lives, that people and children often eat meals on the run or in the backseat of a car.  As you know, David and I love sharing meals together, with friends and family.  We enjoy the time that we have with people around the table, ideas shared and insights learned.  We hope to one day do the same with our children.

Duke works and researches at the Center for the Study of Myth and Ritual in Family Life and he spoke about his findings in regards to the importance of families creating rituals and memories as a family.  If you gather at the table together, as a family, you share stories and memories, as well as create your own.  The study began with asking children questions about their family history and those that knew the answers tended to be more resilient and likely to avoid cigarettes, alcohol and other destructive behaviors.  It turns out that it’s not knowing the answers to these questions that makes children resilient, but HOW they learn the answers to these questions.

So how do children learn about their family history?  It turns out that these stories are shared around the dinner table.  Conversations at the table allow children to identify with their family history, especially the ups and downs of past generations.  Duke said that those children who are provided with an ‘oscillating memory shape’ (one that shares both the good and bad) will be more likely to identify with those stories of resilience and overcoming obstacles when they encounter their own life hurdles.  By sharing family stories, you send the message to your children that they belong to a family that transcends and overcomes.  When a child then encounters a tough situation, they are more likely to cope with it positively because they know that family members have previously dealt successfully with difficult times.  Duke said that family dinner is the variable within our control that affects our children the most.  Such a simple change that can provide such positive outcomes and be fun.

I believe that food has the power to transform situations.  We’re vulnerable at the table.  We sit facing one another, breaking bread together and sharing who we are.  Even simple conversations connect us. If you’re interested in reading more about the importance of family meals, check out Miriam Weinstein’s book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals. So put away the Iphone, turn off the TV, and give the family meal a try.