The Shared Meal
Several months ago I attended a workshop at our food incubator located in Chicago, The Hatchery. I always love trekking down to those events filled with inspirational food artisans. I’m never sure, who I will meet or what interesting new food I will taste. So I was intrigued when Paul Sippil, Founder of Community Dining, approached me after an event to share his idea about how to create stronger community.
Through our conversation I learned that Paul’s idea, of creating an organization to bring people together to eat locally sourced food, was resulted from researching ways to address his own health issues.
It sounded like a familiar story for it was through my challenges as a failed home cook, that led me to co-create a business to help other home cooks find success and a little Zen in the kitchen.
And with our mutual dream of encouraging people to slow down to find time to connect, I asked him to share his journey:
“I used to love reading the sports section of the newspaper, watching the Cubs game, or just hanging out with my friends. I remember being completely absorbed in these experiences, especially those with my friends. Our plans to meet never had any purpose. They had real purity without the slightest thought given to the future. We never cared about using our friendship to create future business or social connections or get ahead in life in some way.
Which leads me to my story…
For over eight years I have been unable to sleep through the night which, has greatly affected me financially, emotionally, and physically. I am naturally inquisitive and enjoy research and investigation, and therefore was highly motivated to find the root cause of my sleep issues. And yet the more I searched, the more futile the effort felt. Along the way however, I did develop a strong interest in health, wellness, and nutrition. This led me to compile an extensive list of venues throughout the Chicago area that have at least some focus on local and/or sustainably grown food.
Over time, it occurred to me to use this new interest and list as an opportunity to connect people through shared meals. I realized that Community Dining could represent more than simply nutrient-dense and sustainable food, but rather an unparalleled shared experience with real substance.”
I was so inspired by Paul’s story and his heartfelt desire to bring people together, that I did a little research into the value of eating in community. In her book Eating Together, Alice Julier argues that “dining together can radically shift people’s perspectives: It reduces people’s perceptions of inequality, and diners tend to view those of different races, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds as more equal than they would in other social scenarios.”
Last, but not least, I want to share my own personal experience attending one of Paul’s events. As soon as I arrived on a cold January evening I was greeted warmly by a group of unfamiliar faces. As I settled in for the evening with a glass of wine, I took solace that on the heels of a very challenging week I experienced the simple comfort of breaking bread with new friends, hearing their stories and sharing a meal.
So this month we are encouraging you to invite someone new to your table and look forward to hearing how the evening unfolds and the discoveries that await.
Author’s Note…
We would love to see you during our upcoming “un Zen-like” weekend!
On Friday, we will be sampling our Italian Bean Soup at the Elmhurst Whole Foods Market between 11-1 pm. On Saturday, we will be slow cooking once again at Chicago’s Fabulous Green City Market at 10:30 am located inside of the Peggy Notebaert Museum and finally at 12:30 pm-2:30 pm sampling our Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread at the Gold Coast Whole Foods Store!
Zen Moment
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
-Virginia Woolf
