This blog post comes from Food Action Committee volunteer, poet, and farm kid at heart , Mary Ellen Sullivan. 

Sometimes at the market you are introduced to a friend you are yet to meet.

  Sometimes you look at the cover and title of a book and realize you and the author would be great friends, maybe even relatives.  That’s what happened when I spotted Mary Sue Waisman’s book, From the Heart of The Kitchen: A Daily Journal – 365 Inspirations to Feed Your Soul on the counter at Foxhill Cheese House’s booth at the Seaport Market.  Richard Rand of Foxhill told me that Mary Sue is a friend of his and his wife Jeanita.  The back cover told me she is a dietician, and has published three cookbooks.

In this sturdy, coiled book – meant to be well-used – she shares her daily meditations, reflections, and sometimes a food-treasure hunt.  Entries range from “Do you know there is actually a marshmallow plant?” (July 20.) to “Have you ever been to a Festival of Forgotten Skills?” (Aug 26.)  I love the image of being aware of a farmer’s strong grip as he shakes your hand – my dad had huge farmer hands.  One of my favourites is “My dad grew up on a farm. When my children were very young, he always told them farm stories – true stories with hardship.”  (July 2.)

And Mary Sue leaves a daily space for the thoughts, memories, and actions she sparks.

This is a book that I like to keep close to our dining table – a lovely way to bring family, meals, and thanksgivings together.

My wee verse for Mary Sue:

Meal-time reflections

From the heart of the kitchen

Kids at the table

– Mary Ellen Sullivan