Young Adults: What Feels Like Home
September 8, 2008
I've known Julia since she was five. Now she's a twenty-something living in New York City. Every Sunday evening, you will find her at "family dinner," even though her family lives two hundred miles away.
This year, Julia's sister has lived in New York. But "family dinner" pre-dated that. Julia's fiancée, a couple of childhood friends -- as well as, occasionally, a friend's boyfriend or visiting sibling –- these make up the general cast of characters.
The person who's hosting provides the main course; others bring salad, side dishes, drinks. In the small New York apartments, the food gets set out buffet style, and everyone digs in.
"It's been really grounding," Julia says. "You don't have to get dressed up, you don't have to spend a lot of money. We share things that are more personal than you would share in a restaurant. It also alleviates that Sunday night feeling – you have something to look forward to at the end of the weekend.
"Everyone definitely calls it family dinner. I guess we all kind of think of it as a family. We all hang around and talk until we all need to go."
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. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
