Storytelling

People often ask me why I tell stories in the blog. Why don’t I just focus on the food? Why do I have to talk about all these weird and crazy things going on in my life?

The answer is actually in a movie called “Broadway Danny Rose.” A former co-worker of mine insisted that I watch it – it was an essential part of my film education that I see at least one Woody Allen’s movies, and that was his favorite.

Even though my favorite Woody Allen movie is “Annie Hall,” there is a very special moment that connected with me in the former film. The movie begins with a group of men meeting over a meal, laughing and talking about a variety of stories. “Hey, do you remember when Danny Rose…” and the men would laugh after they tell it. They ate and they shared stories about the wild and wacky things that were going on.

I was entranced by the magic of this concept, simply because it was so real. There are many ways to get the story going in a movie, from the fairy tales book a la Disney classics to wicked and wild voiceovers giving important backstories. And it answers the questions above: For me, it’s not just about the food, but what happens when we consume it.

Yes, the food is good, and often they leave impressions on us. But with those foods come the stories. Life connects us with our food, including the weird and unusual tales that are related to when we consume our meals.

For example, to sit down with a Jeff’s Gourmet Sausage is not just eating a sausage – it’s telling the story of how last summer, I brought a huge insulated bag and bought $50 worth of hot dogs and sausages from them to take with me to a Huntington Beach Bonfire for Gesher City Long Beach. I had an insulated bag worth of delicious goodies that we opened and were completely gone by the end of the night.

As I eat dessert, it’s not just a sweet treat, but the sweet and hilarious story of my grandmother’s rice pudding and the entire family trying to make it just like Nony (as far as I’m concerned, I have come the closest to the original flavor. I just need the texture right). It’s also remembering Nony running her spoon along the bottom, trying to get that little drop of pudding on her spoon with the burnt edges along the bottom, and trying to teach me to do it, too.

When I eat watermelon, I flash back to Washington, D.C. I was an intern hanging out with a friend of mine, whose roommate got kicked out of our program. She said, "Dude, she left a watermelon." The girl didn't have a knife, so I was forced to carry it to my apartment at Georgetown. Her apartment (and hence, the watermelon) was so cold that in the humidity it fogged up my glasses, and she had to lead me up the stairs. I cut it and when I ate it, it was one of the sweetest watermelons I ever had. It is a story that Ari still loves to hear.

And a Shabbat dinner at my friend Merav’s house? The special stories that come out, whether people discover that I can actually sing, trying desperately to make a birthday cake with Merav or passing a camera around the table for all of us to take pictures with. The food is great (and I am going to figure out her Honey Mustard Curried Chicken and post the recipe), but what makes it special is that we all my Orange County family is together and celebrating just being with one another and smiling and laughing. Not unlike the men in "Broadway Danny Rose."

It’s amazing what food does for us. It can not only nourish our bodies, but can also fill our souls. It gives our minds memories to cherish in addition to full tummies. There are so few things in this world that fulfill us in so many ways. My heart could just explode thinking about the beauty of it.

So as we head into Shabbat, I wish you memories and stories to tell around the table. I wish you laughter and joy as you eat your challah. And above all, I wish you the bliss of delicious food and everything that comes with. P'tayavon!