As a soul is blown into a recipe...

Whenever I open my mouth to appreciate someone in my neighborhood, especially for the food they make and share with us, my partner would say, “neighbor’s wife is always beauty”. This is her way of saying that her own version of the same often goes underappreciated. However, there are a few dishes we get offered that she too can’t help admitting her admiration for. The one in this shot is just one among those few. The food diplomacy among neighbors living closely together has a lasting impact.

 “Please add a little water into the curry you made for yourself and offer a share to your neighbor”. It was a famous saying of the Prophet on those days of less prosperity. Now most of us don’t have to dilute in order to have enough to share but can cook as much for both households. Thank God, we are living in one of the best times in history, though many may  disagree.

Food has always attracted people, kept the folks together, and helped people to show they care. We know that food is tastier when shared with good friends. Every culture has its own unique food-sharing culture, traditional dishes made to share, endearing histories behind, and a lot of interesting stories of sharing and care. And offering a portion of one’s food is not only an act of intimacy but a universal habit shared by all the people staying intimately together. Cesar Chavez put it more succinctly, "The people who give you their food give you their heart.”