Confessions of a Feeder

by Diana Laskaris

I know, I know, I’m a feeder. I’ve heard that since I was in college and learned that cooking helped my popularity rise. Whenever I had a party, my friends would bring their friends, family members, and even people they barely knew. They’d stuff themselves into my small apartment and then stuff themselves with whatever yummy stuff I made for them to stuff themselves with while they were there.

I remember one particular party that was so well attended and such a happy time that I finally went to bed at around 3 am and told everyone to let themselves out when they were done. Of course, many were still there at 8 am and wondering what “we” were making for breakfast. “We” made lots of fluffy eggs, French toast, freshly squeezed orange juice, and one or two “hair of the dog” drinks for those who enjoyed a little too much the night before.

Food is love to a feeder. Food is communication to almost anyone who eats. I know this because I have traveled the world and spent countless hours finding ways to learn about the culture of those I meet. It always and easily comes down to food. Food and drink allow us to take a shortcut to understand people in their homeland. The spices of India are vibrant. The bounty of rice in Japan is ubiquitous. The scent of fresh fruit in Brazil is undeniable. These are the portals through which we can enter a new culture.

When we travel away from our home, we bring those sensibilities with us. Think about all the recipes from all the grandmas and grandpas that are still being made today – sometimes in the homes of descendants who now live half a world away.

When Sue Reddel (notably more an eater than a feeder) and I started Food Travelist, it was with the hope that we could bring people around the world together using food as our common language. In fact, we even wrote a chapter about Food and Drink as Communication in the new handbook of the Food Tourism Industry, aptly called “Have Fork Will Travel.”

We hope you use Food Travelist to meet other people all over the world who also love food and that you exchange stories, experiences, and ideas with them. Along the way, whether eater, feeder, or just an observer, we think you will feel enriched by the wonderful variety of Food Travelists you meet here. And learn that what brings us together is far more important than what keeps us apart. Especially where wine and bread are involved!

THE QUICK BITE: Food is communication to almost anyone who eats. We hope you use Food Travelist to meet other people all over the world who also love food and that you exchange stories, experiences, and ideas with them.