One of my greatest joys is food. Or should I say food experiences? I am warmed remembering great times with family and friends that were shared over dining-fine and otherwise. My first time at Patsy's in New York with my mom, dad and brother after the theater, Mr. Chow with my girlfriends in Los Angeles during the Academy Awards, the best barbecue sandwich I've ever had, which was purchased from a stand vendor in Austin, Texas, during the Austin City Limits music festival-it's never only about the food. It's about the people and the experiences.
That's a big part of the reason that I also love to cook, because, let's face it: cooking can be exasperating, time consuming, stinky, messy, expensive and labor intensive. But managing all those things and coming out with a product from one's labor that provides nourishment for others and draws people together to that sacred venue for relationships and laughter-the meal-it's hard to think what could be better than that.
One of my favorite family traditions began long before I was "a twinkle in daddy's eye," as my mom used to say. I know it from my own experiences growing up, but I also know it from a photograph kept by my grandparents. A large group of people is jammed around a dining room table. Some of the diners I recognize as Sabatinos-my relatives-others must be spouses, friends or neighbors. The dining area looks like it's been extended with the crude addition of a card table on one end. Plates, bowls, casseroles and glasses litter the middle of the table and the food and beverages therein are in various stages of consumption. I don't know who captured the scene. Everyone is engrossed in conversations and laughter. They seem oblivious to the camera and focused only on one another. It's bliss. It's what I always imagined my grandparents were referencing when they talked about Sunday family dinners.
We had our own, too, as I was growing up and I often took them for granted, sneaking with my brother and cousins off to the back bedroom as soon as dinner was finished to watch TV while the adults talked. Nowadays I partake in the food and the fellowship of family time. And it was fun to see this special time from the outside when I took my husband-to-be home for his first full-on Sabatino Sunday dinner.
In my opinion there is nothing more special, more bonding, more pleasant and more fulfilling than sharing a meal with people you love, and I hope that I always carry that tradition and conviction.
On another note, it is my pleasure to announce that, beginning in December, my colleague Robbie Clark will assume the role of editor of the Chevy Chaser and the Southsider. Robbie has been an invaluable part of the Smiley Pete team since 2006, serving as editor of W Weekly and media director for Smiley Pete Publishing. His community interest and involvement will ensure that the Chevy Chaser and the Southsider continue to be the best community magazines in Lexington.
Though I'm happy for Robbie to step into this position, I'd never leave it without good reason. This past year has been a most treasured personal and professional experience and I have loved being in such close contact not only with the people with whom I work, but also with the entire community in Lexington, which I have called home for nearly 10 years. I will continue to work with the Chevy Chaser and the Southsider through the January issue, at which time I will officially leave Smiley Pete and Lexington to live abroad with my new husband, a native Lexingtonian. We hope someday to return to Lexington and our friends and family here.