Has anyone ever asked you, "What's your flavor story?"

I was a student in Christina Tosi's baking class when introduced to this question. She had us think about moments in life and how we would describe those moments through taste, through food.

The beginning of any good recipe is the story behind it.

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During cake week I thought about my birthday and realized there was more to it than just Carvel Ice Cream Cake. There was often Pavlova and there was always special people to share it with.

This was the beginning of a new flavor story.

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How can I transform a feeling of love, comfort and growth into cake?

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Pavlova Cake - Vanilla Cake, Whipped Cream, Merengue Cookie, Lemon Curd, Strawberry Crumb, Milk Soak, Fresh Raspberry, Blueberry & Blackberry, Garnished with a Mint Leaf

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I had a much deeper understanding of food and its ability to bring us back to a moment after tasting just one bite of this new flavor story creation.

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Flavor Story - Exploring Adoption Through Taste

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This concept comes from my experiences around dinner tables. Dinner tables surrounded by adoptive family, dinner tables full of chosen family, and the wonder around what it would be like around my birth family table. This concept comes from my favorite place in any home, the kitchen.

My experience in preparing food, sharing food and being in rich conversation. 

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This concept comes from my love for baking as a self-care tool and the only thing I loved about India growing up, the food. It was difficult to think about India as a kid. I was scared to understand what it really meant to be an adoptee. The only time it wasn't hard for me to connect with India was when I was tasting the food.

My order was always Chicken Tikka Masala, Naan and White Rice.

Food was my safe way into learning about my birth country. 

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So I'd like to explore this new idea with you all. Merge my passion for baking and food with my love of the expressive arts as a therapeutic tool to help us understand our adoptee identity. I know I'm not the only adoptee who has explored their birth country through food, and I'm excited to hear all about your experience.

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Within this program, you'll find coloring pages which I've drawn from my food diary that I welcome you to print out and color! You'll find recipes from around the world, perhaps your birth country that you can try out at home! You'll find restaurant recommendations our community has recommended for authentic flavor story, cultural food! You'll find videos of me baking which I encourage you to follow along to,

as we explore the idea of baking as a therapeutic tool!

This is just the beginning and...

 

I invite you to reach out and share your recipes and flavor stories with me!

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Enjoy exploring! More to come!

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