2.07.2011

"i wish they was mine"

last summer i met some cool people from here and from afar that moved here and it was decided we would start a weekly food-based eating event at each other's houses and we'd take turns and there were a few families that were interested and that we'd call it sustain-a-table. on weeks when i work all week with my contracting and then work on top of that with my knitwear designing and then work on top of that with something else or go to a meeting or am doing something else for someone or whatever and i honestly dont see anyone but the folks at starbucks, my baby, my husband, my mom, or my daycare provider, which seems like a lot of people, but it's not. and then friday comes and i get to knit  (!!) and then i'm just ramped up because on Sunday (sunday!) i get to see my sustain-a-table family and eat food at someone's house or cook my ass off for them (and love every minute of it). if you've known me at any time in my adult life then you know that i will cook for you and your family and love doing it. i will perhaps even force you to come over. epic food cooking pasts have included the cabbage roll dinner at our crack-duplex on vine in PG
dinner!
the north-american sushi night i hosted at my flat when i lived in akayu
DSCF1439
or the wine tasting party, or even that v-day dinner i cooked the lovelies when i lived in burnaby on capital hill in 2003 or 2004. with the heart shaped roasted beet salad? yep, that was good.

anyway, sustain-a-table is the perfect answer for my constant need and desire to cook you food. i really like doing a theme meal, cooking way more dishes than seems possible, and spending my whole weekend putting it together. it's also my way of thanking the other lovelies/families for feeding me for the past 4-6 weeks: i appreciate the "day off" more than you can imagine.

last night was no exception, of course! we hosted a small handful of adults and kids (maybe 12 all together? small compared to the 20 at hanukkah) and i made a series of rural-style japanese dishes including a roasted sesame and tofu broccoli salad, a miso dressing'd braised cabbage, teriyaki tofu, and tempura (even with squash!). yum!

teriyaki tofu
cabbage with miso dressing
broccoli with roasted sesame and tofu dressing

i wanted to share this with you because i wanted to impart the importance of communal or community eating upon you. if you don't once a week eat at someone else's house or have someone outside of your immediate family eat at your house that same week you must do it. it's as simple as finding another person you dont normally have a hang out routine with or a new person and say, "let me cook you dinner".  and the best part is that they always reciprocate. be sure to remind them of an instituted NO PRESSURE approach. all you're doing is making a few more servings of something you make all the time to start and then you can work up to multiple dishes you've never tried (trust me you'll want to!) i am always searching for food/cooking inspiration and am a dedicated cookbook aisle of my local library reader: i just randomly grab books and cook from them, even just one recipe.

anyway, the point is you too can start your own sustain-a-table! a half year in we've also got two new book clubs starting and a farmer's market table (amongst girls night out!). it's been an incredible way to build a community here and to develop strong relationships with amazing educated forward thinking and creative, crafty, passionate families. !! go forth !! have fun !! (or even just move here and you can join ours, wink wink). XO

1 comment:

Megan said...

so sorry to have missed your night... acually, every 2011 night so far! alas, I'm either sick or at hockey. But was especially disappointed to miss the Japanese fare. looks delish!
ttys.