Sunday, May 24, 2020

Food for the Soul

My friend Trina sent me an email on Friday and she talked about Food for the Soul. I have missed being in the kitchen, so today, I spent my day cooking.


I mostly learnt how to cook from my maternal grandfather. He was a chef in the military and then ran food service for an old age home. Sundays as a child meant church and then to their house for a visit and always, always food. In my mother's family, food and family and love are all mixed together in a big bowl and served up in hearty portions.

My father was a line cook and was more french trained. Smaller portions and never much leftover, you cooked for the pleasure of eating. He was a cook at the science station in Alert Bay for 6 months, and I bet that suited him well, as his cooking was scientific.

Cooking for me if like putting love on a plate. I love food, and I love flavours and I love to eat. Part of our tour business always includes a home made lunch for that reason. There is something nurturing about having someone make food for you. Nurturing for the soul, not just the body.

Ralph's Peanut Butter cookies.
Soul Nurturing.


Mostly I wanted to be back in the kitchen today because I wanted to make a care package for my friend Martha who lives here in Oaxaca. Martha and I's routine is to go for lunch or brunch and get caught up on life. Seeing as there is no place to go for lunch or brunch, I have dropped off a care package a few times. She is vegetarian and so I am practicing some menu ideas for the new vegan restaurant I will open.

On the menu in Martha's Care Package:


  • Nut-free Pesto
  • Quinoa Vegetable Salad 
  • White Bean and Orzo Soup
  • Whole Wheat Loaf (use this recipe generally but with warm water, and substitute flours, never more than half of the flour being non-white)
  • Half of a Rye loaf, because it would be impossible to choose 
  • Dark chocolate espresso cookies
Now I get to be excited to eat all week.




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