Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging - July 12, 2024

A Community of Cooks

by Barbara Chapins, IT Support Coordinator and Abigial Hanlon, GHA Music Therapist

" Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you who you are." – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Food is an integral part of our daily lives, yet its routine nature can sometimes make us take it for granted. How often have you come home from a long day at work feeling too tired to cook? Or stared at a piece of chicken and thought, "Not chicken again!"

Despite this occasional monotony, food remains inescapable and profoundly significant. It is often the centerpiece of family gatherings and a source of comfort when we are unwell. We celebrate with potlucks, Sunday brunches, Thanksgiving feasts, and Fourth of July barbecues—the list is endless. Moreover, food's cultural importance is ever-present. It carries traditions like baking cookies every Christmas, Matzo Ball Soup for Jewish holidays, lentil soup during Ramadan, black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, turkey at Thanksgiving, sugary sweets to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, and even chicken noodle soup for a cold. These traditions are embedded in our cultures.

More importantly, food has the power to unite, transcending backgrounds and experiences. It tells the story of our identities and origins, bridging the gaps between nationalities, regions and generations. The aroma of a dish can transport us to a cherished childhood memory or remind us of a journey to another country.

We’d like to each share a story of how food played a role in our childhood.

Barbara: I'll never forget the time when I was a little girl and my grandfather was about to remarry. Having never met my biological grandmother, who passed away before I was born, I felt quite shy about meeting Amanda Jeanne, my soon-to-be grandmother. I remember walking into her kitchen and seeing what had to be 50 pounds of strawberries sitting on the counter. I'm sure I'm exaggerating; I was a little girl, after all.

She had just come from strawberry picking and asked me if I would help her clean and destem them for her "world-famous" strawberry jam. We spent the next few hours talking and getting to know each other while cleaning and cutting. I watched her prepare the strawberries and eagerly anticipated the fresh strawberry jam I’d helped create.

It's a treasured memory of mine, one I think about every time I have a strawberry. Amanda Jeanne may be gone now, but a part of her remains with me, and the rope that tethers us is food.

Abigail: Growing up in an Italian household, food was at the center of all our family gatherings. We told stories (some of them embellished), across tables filled with food our family had been making for generations.

However, at the center of the table at every family gathering was a huge, steaming pot of risotto. The pot was usually so large that we couldn’t pass it around the table, but instead passed our plates to the center to be served.

This risotto was a labor of love usually performed by my grandfather or my mother. It requires long periods of standing by the stove, carefully watching the rice grains tenderly open and become soft. Tubes of tomato paste squeezed out, several cloves of garlic minced and tossed into the pot, the chicken broth added a ladleful at a time, all while the measuring spoons and cups stayed nestled in the drawers.

The recipe has remained mostly the same throughout generations in our family, however, each chef has their own spin, some adding chicken, others adding vegetables. No matter what variation is on the table, the big pot always has its place in center, and my family is always gathered around waiting to tell their embellished stories.

I'm sure we each have a cherished memory with food at the heart of it, and this is the essence of the community cookbook we're creating. Food is a universal language that unites us all. We can promote greater understanding, respect and inclusion by celebrating the diverse culinary traditions within our communities and homes. Remembering the rich tapestry of flavors and stories that food offers is a delicious way to honor and appreciate the cultural diversity represented at Goodwin Living.

This is why we want to hear from you. We are creating a cookbook highlighting the diversity at Goodwin Living and need your stories and recipes to make it happen. Whether it is a cherished family dish passed down through generations or a new favorite that brings joy to your table, we want to showcase it.

Let's embark on this culinary adventure together. By sharing your recipes and the stories behind them, we can co-create a cookbook that truly reflects the unique culture of Goodwin Living. Each dish you contribute brings us one step closer to our shared goal.

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Goodwin Living DEI Committee: Statement of Purpose: Educate, Embrace, and Empower team members, residents, members* and all served by Goodwin Living to support Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

Goodwin Living DEI Committee Desired Outcome: The Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Committee (DEI) will seek open and honest communication and collaboration that will inform and celebrate the age, culture, ethnicity and sexual orientation of team members, residents, members* and all served by Goodwin Living without bias. *Members include Priority Club members and Goodwin Living At Home.

Questions or comments? Please contact us DEI@GoodwinLiving.org.