Writing about: Family and Food
Getting Started: Introduction
Step 1: Read the introduction to immerse yourself in the essence of this workshop and discover what it has to offer.
In this workshop, we will consider some of the roles of food in our family experiences.For example, howhas food helped to define family events and places? How do we associate certain foods with specific family members? What special roles do certain foods play in holidays and rituals? How have our relationships withs pecific foods changed over time?
SomeResources:
- Apps, Jerry. Food and Memories. Wisconsin PBS.
- Apps, Jerry. Old Farm Country Cookbook. Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2017.
- Berkeley, Ellen Perry, editor. At Grandmother’s Table: Women Write about Food, Life, and the Enduring Bond between Grandmothers and Granddaughters. Minneapolis: Fairview, 2000.
- Bloom, Lynn Z. Recipe. Object LessonsSeries. Bloomsbury Academic, 2022.
- Family Dinner. Andrew Zimmern’s food show on The Magnolia Network.
- The Lost Kitchen. Erin French’s show on The Magnolia Network.
- Martin, Janet Letnes, and Suzann (Johnson) Nelson. Cream Peas on Toast: Comfort Food forNorwegian-Lutheran Farm Kids (and Others). Caragana Press, 1994.
- No Reservations. The lateAnthony Bourdain’s food/travel show.
Exploring Perspectives: Reading Quotations
Step 2: Read the quotations below and reflect on the ones that resonate with you, drawing connections that inspire and deepen your understanding.
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
James Beard, American author
“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart.”
Cesar Chavez, American activist
“Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup?”
Judith Martin (MissManners)
“We dare not trust our wit for making our house pleasant to our friend, so we buy ice cream.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher and writer
“Life expectancy wouldgrow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”
DougLarson, American journalist
“I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.”
Erma Bombeck, Journalist
Reflect and Express: Discussion and Writing Questions
Step 3: Begin exploring your family’s past and weave it into a captivating story—one that brings cherished memories, untold experiences, and generational wisdom to life. Use the questions below to guide your storytelling.
Which of the quotations above resonate with you most? Why?
What are some favorite family foods?
What is your very favorite family food? Why?
What is the recipe for your favorite family food?
What are your earliest memories of food?
When you were a kid, what foods were you served when you were sick? Flu? Cold?
What family members do you associate with that food? Why?
What family places come to mind when you think about that food? Why?
What family events come to mind when you think about food? Why?
What food item makes you think about a specific family member? Why?What are those thoughts?
What food item makes you think about a specific family event? Why?What are those thoughts?
What food item makes you think about a specific family place? Why? What are those thoughts?
What food items make you think about a specific holiday? Why? What are those thoughts?
What are the cultural origins of that food? You may need to do some research.
If your ancestors emigrated from their country of origin to the United States, did food play a role in that?If so, what was that role? You may need to do some research for this.
To access the complete workshop materials click on Download