What's Old and What's New
September 7, 2009
Have you heard about the chic new bar food? Sliders are mini-hamburgers, often using different kinds of chopped meat, presented in a series on a long narrow dish.
I have to laugh when I see them. I thought that the mini-hamburger was something I invented long ago when my children were little. When their schools held pot luck suppers, I would buy a package of tiny dinner rolls, and make baby hamburgers to fit. A small child would eat one of them. I felt that, along with the carrot sticks I sometimes included, this was a reasonable meal.
I still remember those meals on the playground getting to know the other parents in a more relaxed way; spending a bit of time with the teachers when you're not dropping off or picking up. Friendships formed on the playground can be long lasting - for parents as well as kids.
Eating, talking, socializing. It's not rocket science. It's human, it's rewarding. It's do-able. It's fun.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today.