Stunning writing, as always. I find when I’m on vacation for longer than 10 days, I get a cooking itch that must be scratched. I don’t know what my life would be without cooking. I have never gotten to your level, but my simple weeknights dishes bring me joy. I started baking a bit more and love that I am on a journey with that long avoided wheelhouse. While cooking is a love language for so many, love yourself too. Keep cooking for you my friend, you deserve it.
I love your realizations, your descriptions of the relationship struggles you went through with your daughter and how you resolved them, and I support you in your alignment! Now I want to try making a weekly meal for friends—but I think I'll have to make some more friends if I'm going to keep the supper gatherings going. Incentive! I love connecting authentically, personally, and improvisationallly probably as much as you love cooking and all its sensory experiences. Thanks!
I love all your writing, Kim. But no one writes about food the way you do! Your instagram posts on cooking with your family and community always made me hungry and happy. Looking forward to more!
I didn't know you had another writing available on Kindle. I bought it and will spend the next few days reading it. I was looking for something to read while I waited out my isolation in house. I went out to dinner with the fam on my birthday and two days later, I have covid. Dang it. At least I got my vax about 3 weeks prior so it won't be so bad but to keep the rest of the people in the house from getting it -- I'll be in the in-law suite reading to my heart's content. I may even read Meth Lunches again. If i can't cook -- at least I can read about it!
Yes. I know a woman who loves to bake cakes. She must wear gloves as she mixes them up because she has such a horrible reaction to sugar that even touching it causes irritation; she'll never eat one bite. One friend says they're the best cakes she's ever tasted. Do what fills the spirit. Glad you've found ways to share and enjoy.
I have such fond memories of reading about your cooking, how the girls just got up in all that and made a mess, and made memories and learned about food and love. I envied having Kian so close by, wishing I could have been part of that teaching, eating that beautiful food. Cooking for me is also a way to wrap a bubble around myself and forget anything happening outside the kitchen. The rhythms, the sensual aspect, the repetitive chopping, stirring and tasting ... it all supports calm and my own alignment, now with my granddaughter running in to the kitchen wanting to help, asking questions and jumping for joy when I announce that dinner is ready. I love how her eyes sparkle when I set down her plate, her excited 'Ooooooh' at what I've prepared for her, how she happily digs in to her meal. I'm glad you've found your spark again, and I hope you keep posting your food inspirations.
Great piece! I wasn’t sure I would be able to relate to it - I am a terrible cook - but I just read the whole thing whilst walking through town and it is absolutely beautiful! A really poignant piece about art, time, and relationships - and it also got me thinking about my own family and food, which I hardly realised had any content, until now. Anyway - thank you - and I look forward to more!
I can so relate to this column. I've felt misaligned recently. My husband and I have always shared a love of food: I cook well and widely: Mexican, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, American comfort food. He has always enjoyed what I cook, and eating together was our primary source of mutual pleasure, one of the few interests we share, after being together for 55 years. He's into birdwatching, art, and watching sports on tv. Other than cooking, I write, sing, act, watch movies, and go to the theater, usually by myself. He started getting depressed about his body, back problems, etc. and became obsessed with the idea of using one of the new GLP drugs to lose weight. He's been on Zepbound for 6 months and has lost 35 pounds so far, and it isn't at all clear how long this will continue. Lots of miserable GI side effects, he's miserable but undeterred. Worst is his loss of interest in eating. He'll take two bites of dinner I've cooked--something he said he wanted me to make--and then after two bites, he'll say: "can't eat anymore of this." The unanticipated consequences of these new drugs aren't being talked about enough.
We met up for lunch with old friends of my husband the other day. Four of the seven of us were taking those meds. They didn't eat much, said food didn't interest them much anymore - in a city known for its food! Their conversation focused on losing weight, how they felt, what impacts, that I eventually tuned them out and turned to the other people present, listening to them. When I did turn back, the topic remained. I enjoyed my "barbecue" shrimp po'boy, the sauce being garlic, black pepper, and TWO sticks of butter, cooked together then poured into a hollowed out baguette. It's impossible to finish but I enjoyed every bite I did eat, and my husband finished it off. The heaviest person at the table was not on the meds, and fun. I agree, those meds seem to flatten out more than the body.
OMGGGGGG, I felt this so much. Yes, it's great he is doing that for himself (Yay self care!) but I feel your pain. Whenever we do something, there are changes that ripple and you are right that these little shifts in our lives, experiences and relationships don't get discussed. They happen in the dark. Thank you for this. Also big congrats on 55 years together. Amazing.
I've been saying for a long time, that for us, at our ages, food is what sex used to be. Cooking and eating continue to give me pleasure -- a GLP has been suggested to me, to treat my type 2 diabetes, but I think about living with nausea, constipation, cramps, diarrhea, hiccups, like he is, and I can't do it to myself. I'm overweight, but doing ok on oral meds. But I can no longer give him as much pleasure with my cooking skills, and the mutuality is so diminished. His is solipsistic -- weighing himself and tracking his weight loss on his electronic devices.
Zora - I'm happy he is on a weight loss journey even as I completely get your frustrations. David is a salad bowl wth roasted veg, something fermented, a protein, I mean it's hard to get excited about it, even though I try! And I hear you about the food and sex thing! They are so similar in terms of desire and satiation. One thing I will say this - I'm on mounjaro and because I lost what I neeed to lose, I now do a micro dose every week and it helps me stay on track but it doesn't kill the love for food. I suggest talking to his doctor about a "maintenance plan" and this might also work for you. I found that after a month or two all the gastro stuff calmed down and now i dont have any weird pains and aches or nausea, Maybe it's good to explore (as I am in terhapy) why you are resisting? And how you can bring back the cooking joy whle also being engaged in health manageent. This is certainly my challenge!
Stunning writing, as always. I find when I’m on vacation for longer than 10 days, I get a cooking itch that must be scratched. I don’t know what my life would be without cooking. I have never gotten to your level, but my simple weeknights dishes bring me joy. I started baking a bit more and love that I am on a journey with that long avoided wheelhouse. While cooking is a love language for so many, love yourself too. Keep cooking for you my friend, you deserve it.
I’ll be there on 11/1.
I love your realizations, your descriptions of the relationship struggles you went through with your daughter and how you resolved them, and I support you in your alignment! Now I want to try making a weekly meal for friends—but I think I'll have to make some more friends if I'm going to keep the supper gatherings going. Incentive! I love connecting authentically, personally, and improvisationallly probably as much as you love cooking and all its sensory experiences. Thanks!
I love all your writing, Kim. But no one writes about food the way you do! Your instagram posts on cooking with your family and community always made me hungry and happy. Looking forward to more!
I didn't know you had another writing available on Kindle. I bought it and will spend the next few days reading it. I was looking for something to read while I waited out my isolation in house. I went out to dinner with the fam on my birthday and two days later, I have covid. Dang it. At least I got my vax about 3 weeks prior so it won't be so bad but to keep the rest of the people in the house from getting it -- I'll be in the in-law suite reading to my heart's content. I may even read Meth Lunches again. If i can't cook -- at least I can read about it!
Yes. I know a woman who loves to bake cakes. She must wear gloves as she mixes them up because she has such a horrible reaction to sugar that even touching it causes irritation; she'll never eat one bite. One friend says they're the best cakes she's ever tasted. Do what fills the spirit. Glad you've found ways to share and enjoy.
I have such fond memories of reading about your cooking, how the girls just got up in all that and made a mess, and made memories and learned about food and love. I envied having Kian so close by, wishing I could have been part of that teaching, eating that beautiful food. Cooking for me is also a way to wrap a bubble around myself and forget anything happening outside the kitchen. The rhythms, the sensual aspect, the repetitive chopping, stirring and tasting ... it all supports calm and my own alignment, now with my granddaughter running in to the kitchen wanting to help, asking questions and jumping for joy when I announce that dinner is ready. I love how her eyes sparkle when I set down her plate, her excited 'Ooooooh' at what I've prepared for her, how she happily digs in to her meal. I'm glad you've found your spark again, and I hope you keep posting your food inspirations.
Great piece! I wasn’t sure I would be able to relate to it - I am a terrible cook - but I just read the whole thing whilst walking through town and it is absolutely beautiful! A really poignant piece about art, time, and relationships - and it also got me thinking about my own family and food, which I hardly realised had any content, until now. Anyway - thank you - and I look forward to more!
I can so relate to this column. I've felt misaligned recently. My husband and I have always shared a love of food: I cook well and widely: Mexican, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, American comfort food. He has always enjoyed what I cook, and eating together was our primary source of mutual pleasure, one of the few interests we share, after being together for 55 years. He's into birdwatching, art, and watching sports on tv. Other than cooking, I write, sing, act, watch movies, and go to the theater, usually by myself. He started getting depressed about his body, back problems, etc. and became obsessed with the idea of using one of the new GLP drugs to lose weight. He's been on Zepbound for 6 months and has lost 35 pounds so far, and it isn't at all clear how long this will continue. Lots of miserable GI side effects, he's miserable but undeterred. Worst is his loss of interest in eating. He'll take two bites of dinner I've cooked--something he said he wanted me to make--and then after two bites, he'll say: "can't eat anymore of this." The unanticipated consequences of these new drugs aren't being talked about enough.
We met up for lunch with old friends of my husband the other day. Four of the seven of us were taking those meds. They didn't eat much, said food didn't interest them much anymore - in a city known for its food! Their conversation focused on losing weight, how they felt, what impacts, that I eventually tuned them out and turned to the other people present, listening to them. When I did turn back, the topic remained. I enjoyed my "barbecue" shrimp po'boy, the sauce being garlic, black pepper, and TWO sticks of butter, cooked together then poured into a hollowed out baguette. It's impossible to finish but I enjoyed every bite I did eat, and my husband finished it off. The heaviest person at the table was not on the meds, and fun. I agree, those meds seem to flatten out more than the body.
OMGGGGGG, I felt this so much. Yes, it's great he is doing that for himself (Yay self care!) but I feel your pain. Whenever we do something, there are changes that ripple and you are right that these little shifts in our lives, experiences and relationships don't get discussed. They happen in the dark. Thank you for this. Also big congrats on 55 years together. Amazing.
I've been saying for a long time, that for us, at our ages, food is what sex used to be. Cooking and eating continue to give me pleasure -- a GLP has been suggested to me, to treat my type 2 diabetes, but I think about living with nausea, constipation, cramps, diarrhea, hiccups, like he is, and I can't do it to myself. I'm overweight, but doing ok on oral meds. But I can no longer give him as much pleasure with my cooking skills, and the mutuality is so diminished. His is solipsistic -- weighing himself and tracking his weight loss on his electronic devices.
Zora - I'm happy he is on a weight loss journey even as I completely get your frustrations. David is a salad bowl wth roasted veg, something fermented, a protein, I mean it's hard to get excited about it, even though I try! And I hear you about the food and sex thing! They are so similar in terms of desire and satiation. One thing I will say this - I'm on mounjaro and because I lost what I neeed to lose, I now do a micro dose every week and it helps me stay on track but it doesn't kill the love for food. I suggest talking to his doctor about a "maintenance plan" and this might also work for you. I found that after a month or two all the gastro stuff calmed down and now i dont have any weird pains and aches or nausea, Maybe it's good to explore (as I am in terhapy) why you are resisting? And how you can bring back the cooking joy whle also being engaged in health manageent. This is certainly my challenge!