Happy Friday, everyone.
I am writing this to you at 3:03 a.m., in my phone’s gentle light. Life hit me with the stomach bug this week and the thought of writing about food was damn near impossible. So, unless you want to know how bland toast is cooked, I have nothing for you.
“With Salt” is the more popular part of this newsletter. It makes me smile to think the recipes I’m sharing are being cooked in households and enjoyed during catch-up conversations and the quiet moments of our bustling lives.
With Salt, while recipes, is really rooted in time too. Cooking is about making memories, passing on traditions, and gathering. It’s more than just “a meal”- it’s the sustenance of the soul. Everything we feed our bodies outputs how we navigate life. Yesterday, I was reminded of this.
My mom is one of five sisters, and one of her sisters is entering end-of-life care. We spent yesterday cleaning out her home, sorting through photos, and keeping all the good times at the forefront of our memories. Knowing the heaviness of what they were feeling, I thought we could use a night of just wine and cooking, so I invited them over to our apartment afterward.
We spent the night seamlessly working around Penny, Marco, and each other in the kitchen with the soft sounds of Frank Sinatra playing in the background. We whipped up four different dishes from whatever we had in the fridge, never leaving a wine glass empty, and gathered in our living room at the too-big-for-the-space coffee table, laughing and eating. I sent them home with leftovers, a bottle of wine, and girl scout cookies- but, what we all left with is a sense of love amongst the heaviness. The day became lighter and new core memories were formed.
Days, weeks, or months from now, we won’t remember the meal we had or the specific region the wine was from. We won’t remember emptying closets or the deep sense of loss and confusion that accompanies preemptive grief. Instead, we will say “Do you remember that time we went to Lea Leas’ new apartment and cooked up a storm? What a day that was.” (and, yes- my Aunt Susan is the only person on this planet allowed to call me lea lea), and smile at the memory.
That’s the power of food. It has the ability to override the bad, simply by being prepared. And, it’s my hope that these easy, delicious, written-like-we-’re-together recipes bring you core memories, too. Time is the most powerful gift we can give, after all.
My apologies for the double dose of Soul this week, but I hope today’s little piece reminds you to go into the weekend with gratitude. Being sick for the entire week has put me behind on pretty much everything- which is a nagging feeling I absolutely hate. However, my best friend and I are driving down to Pennsylvania this weekend to visit our other best friend and see her new home! This little weekend away will serve as a beautiful reset, and I’m looking forward to a road trip.
As always, thank you for being here. As a reminder, my little passion project, “Love Yourself Space” has some new drops including this embroidered sweatshirt that I absolutely love. It’s fun seeing items being favorited and more views over in that space. Feel free to check it out and wear your self love on your sleeve.
In some exciting news, Salt with Soul is going to have its first merch drop soon! I’m just figuring out some technical tings, specifically, where my mind was when I bought a domain back in June 2022 when I thought of this. I usually do everything through Squarespace, and yet, for some reason I bought www.saltwithsoul.com through bluehost? Thats how you know I was everywhere and nowhere.
ANYWHOOOOOO, Here’s a teaser!
Enjoy the weekend! As always, feel free to follow along with my adventures @leannegelish and I’ll be back Monday.