“I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
- José Andrés
Why is there something so special about our relationships with our nieces and nephews?
Maybe it has something to do with not having to actually “parent” them. Or maybe there is something downright magical in the nexus of being both an “adult” and yet a “friend.”
I made a decision very early on that I wanted to have real, authentic relationships with my niece Maya and my nephews Eli and Cole.
So, I began having “special nights”: overnights at my place from 5:00 p.m. until noon the following day.
If you know anything about me, you won’t be surprised those monthly events orbited around new, boundary-pushing, memory-making experiences … and, of course, FOOD.
Together, we did glass blowing, surreptitiously broke into a Vance Joy concert by watching from a bridge overhead, visited local landmarks in the cover of darkness when no one else was there.
But there were never more gasps and giggles than when I took them to Chinatown for a real dim sum brunch … and ordered a plate overflowing with chicken feet for the table.
When the plate arrived, chicken toenails glistening in the restaurant’s fluorescent light, the kids howled.
And when I pulled one out and popped it in my mouth, the howls turned to screams of laughter and disbelief.
The foods we choose to eat can keep us in a box.
Or they can light us up.
And when we approach it with a sense of bravery and adventure, it can be create indelible memories. And it can spur on courageous acts we haven’t even contemplated.
Those chicken feet lit me up.
They woke me up to experience in my OWN life when bravery and food collided.
When I ate something so different and powerful that I literally wasn’t the same again.
Like, at 2:00 a.m., when my mouth and my brain exploded simultaneously while eating spicy veal hearts in pita at Jasmino on a darkened stretch of Allenby Street in Tel Aviv.
Or when I landed, bone-tired and hungry, in Denpasar, Bali, and launched into my inaugural bite of durian’s stinky-cheese funk.
Or, when I let myself loose lustfully into the oh-so-British trifecta of marrow bones, Welsh rarebit, and pigeon at St. John in London’s Smithfield Market.
Eating can be an act of sustenance.
Or, it can also be a courageous act of living life to the fullest.
The gasps and giggles that arose from a plate of chicken feet are proof.
Eating can be an outrageously important and enlivening act.
We just have to choose our adventure.
This Week’s Challenge: Eat Your Way to Adventure
“To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.” - Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain, by Miller Mobley
Food has always been associated with courage and strength. Whether it’s the food we eat to fuel our bodies, or the dishes we use to celebrate a special occasion, food has the power to touch our hearts and connect us to one another.
But how can we express courage through food?
1. First, understand how you eat: Do you have specific ruts or rituals that you rely on? Do you choose similar foods or cuisines for yourself or your family?
2. Make a statement: Whether it’s exclusive to you or you are feeding others, make this week a fun, adventurous experiment. Choose - in some way - to pick a cuisine or a food that sparks laughter and interest.
3. Support local: No matter where you live, there is probably a local or ethnic market or restaurant close by. Seek it out. Ask their people who work there to recommend something unique. Follow their recommendations.
4. Be bold: Try something you have NEVER tried before.
Enjoy every morsel of this week’s challenge,
Something big, big, BIG is coming up …
Sharing your Success
What new practice did you pick up? Share your journey and let us know what you thought of today’s challenge on Facebook and Instagram, or just email us! Use hashtags #scareyoursoul and #mycouragemoment.