foraged
stories of place + culinary identityforaged is an exploration of how place (placement/displacement) informs our culinary identities. Through close examination of where we came from, where we’ve been and whether we had a hand in choosing either, we can tell the stories of our creative nourishment.
In thinking of “place”, we can think beyond the geographic or the spatial to consider our place in time: Where were we once, where are we now and where are we going? How did growing up in a suburb of Orlando or in a small Pennsylvania town shape your understanding of eating? Of cooking? Of personal history or sweeping global shifts? How did moving to and through new cities influence how you feed yourself and others? What have you grown bored of? What do you fondly maintain? What do you seek through experimentation? Pore over your pantry and your saved recipes, your dinnerware, your utensils, your tablescapes, your counter space and even your guests. What is indulgence in a moment of crisis? What becomes palatable in times of scarcity? If you were a meal, how would the rest of us feast?
Consider everything about your culinary practice and food traditions today in the context of place.
If you’d like to share your story, please email me at francescabonifacio.work@gmail.com. ︎
Francesca Bonifacio is a creator, design strategist and researcher based in Baltimore, MD. She was born in Manila to Filipinx parents and grew up in Chicago. She looks forward to shared meals with her chosen family, sitting cross-legged on the living room floor.