As a child growing up
in a Mennonite home, I learned the importance of meal times as we gathered with
our family - and often neighbors, friends or relatives – around a table every
night on the farm. Lively conversations sprinkled with humorous storytelling kept
time with the passing of bowls as we heaped our plates with food Mom and I had
prepared. After marriage and a family of
my own, I carried on this tradition of gathering around the table. Out of this culture of food and fellowship
sprung spontaneous dinner parties with potluck-style meals served in beautiful
dishes as we pulled up chairs - children and adults alike - to enjoy an evening
of laughter in between mouthfuls of delicious food. Now, these evenings of warm
dinnertime rituals have grown to include a widening circle of friends as we set
up tables under trees, in backyards, around fireplaces and in dining rooms
pursuing a simple culture of cooking great food and sharing it with those we
love.
The smell of fresh bread permeates the room as a roast slowly
cooks in the oven and a pot of potatoes bubbles on the stove. A cherry pie cools on the counter, the dining
room table is set and on the sideboard a spread of appetizers awaits hungry
guests. Does this sound like a scene from your grandmother’s kitchen? It could
be. Or it could be the home of a 20-something’s couple who, in this modern age
of fast food and frenzied schedules, joins a swelling trend in reviving an
older generation’s value of simple living.
Appropriately called “The Slow
Movement,” this cultural shift focuses on cooking with local and fresh foods
while taking time to enjoy family and relationships around the dinner table. It
emphasizes the importance of appreciating the present and offers a refreshing reprieve
from the grind of life as we know it. From backyard cookouts to small apartment
potlucks to gourmet dinners people are slowing down to experience life. While
candles flicker, faces around the table are warmed by food and fellowship as china
clinks, glasses are tipped and second helpings are passed in a setting that
promotes community, builds friendships and nurtures families.
While Europeans have long placed an emphasis on slowly
cooked meals and drawn-out dinners the reviving trend in American homes of
gathering around the table has been sparked by movements such as Kinfolk, an
independent lifestyle magazine founded in 2011 by Portland based editor, Nathan
Williams, featuring the art of slow living.
Kinfolk’s monthly dinner parties and workshops have been hosted in multiple
cities around the world since 2012 inspiring creative professionals to simplify
and beautify their lives while cultivating the value of time spent with friends
and family.
Also on the table scene is Sunday Suppers, a food and design
community based in Brooklyn. Their popular food blog and subsequent cookbook of
market-inspired meals and stunning photography has been vital in reviving the
art of home cooking and has modeled the beauty of sharing simple food around a
communal table.
In The Kinfolk Table:
Recipes for Small Gatherings, Nathan Williams states, “Entertaining looks
different for each of us, but as long as we’re cooking and inviting people into
our homes with a genuine interest in connecting, conversing and eating
together, then the way we do these things will ultimately come naturally. A burned dish or a missing serving piece
becomes trivial. The humble soup or homely bread becomes a feast.” Whether we host a spread reminiscent of
grandmother’s style or choose the laid-back approach of a buffet, the rewards
of inviting friends for dinner are many. With well-planned effort and a dose of
creativity we can cultivate relationships as we ease into a slower pace and
gather around our tables to share life.
By Naomi Gingerich, featured in the May issue of Winston-Salem Monthly Magazine
Copyright 2015
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