“It’s not just cooking. We are starting a revolution, and the ladies [from Break Bread Break Borders] who cook are my chosen sisters. In creating job opportunities, we are amplifying voices that don’t usually get heard and celebrating women. They practice English and talk to people from all spaces in life. Their community is not just their physical neighbors. We are building community and celebrating differences too.”
“Our regional, local food system is based on this movement. I think that’s pretty incredible. The ethos of the organization exists beyond the organization itself… Slow Food chapters are the body of what Slow Food USA is doing. People have a keen interest now in understanding their food, especially because of climate change. Food goes well beyond just diet.”
“This is the time and place for the Indigenous food movement. The Western perspective may see us as a trend or a fad, but we’ve always been here; we’ve just been overlooked. Not only did our ancestors survive colonization, but so did our ingredients.”
The immigrant and refugee women who cook at Comal are participants in that experience, not simply hourly workers in a cafe. They are cultural ambassadors to the surrounding community, sharing recipes, techniques, and stories. They cook food that humanizes and equalizes.
The message is to slow down. Gather around the bread making or the smell of sautéing onion. Let that capture your attention, get involved. It is innate within you already.
“Food sovereignty is reconnecting to and celebrating one’s roots and ancestry and not needing to ask permission to feed yourself, your family and your community foods that are culturally appropriate.”
