Thanksgiving has a great deal of meaning to me. It was the first holiday I was on my own. Nearly twenty years ago, I had a falling out with my maternal side of my family. Holidays were always special with my aunts and cousins. We used to congregate at my aunt’s big white house up on the hill and food and drinks were aplenty. She invited her friends and their kids to the big shindigs. Even though I’m an only child, I never felt lonely.

I was determined not to feel alone on my first holiday without them so I began my annual Friendsgiving tradition. I learned family comes in more forms than just the traditional sense. In some instances, my longtime friends have become the siblings I never had. I wanted to start celebrating with those who had helped me on my journey. Over the years and decades, the circle of friends at my Friendsgiving has evolved as life naturally does but the spirit of giving and sharing remains.

I decided to recreate the festivities in my own home. I wasn’t adept at cooking for large groups, but I luckily had Martha Stewart aiding my journey. Thanks to her very detailed recipes and cooking shows, I quickly learned how to set the table, how to roast a moist and delicious turkey and how to make the creamiest mashed potatoes.
Nearly two decades later, I still use her as a guide, but I’ve made my own modifications through trial and error. This year will be my first all-organic Thanksgiving and that makes me very happy and proud as not only will it be a gift of friendship but also a gift of health. Hopefully, I will pace myself a bit better today and not stress out too much as the process of creating this Thanksgiving feast is what gives me the greatest joy.

I’m starting off my day, as I do everyday, by heading to the gym, to workout, shifting my focus internally. It helps clear my head and work out any aggressions I may have. Afterwards, my annual Thanksgiving tradition will begin, with preparing and eating breakfast while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. After the most important meal of the day is completed, then the roasting, the boiling, peeling and baking begin. That’s when I hope the magic will happen, when I will begin, as I did 19 years ago, and create a feast to celebrate love, friendship and gratitude for the special people in my life.

The first time I heard about organic food was when Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney’s first wife, was diagnosed with cancer. I was still naive, inexperienced and ultimately clueless at the time but Paul McCartney was in the Beatles and my dad was a huge fan of the group so their music made an indelible impact on my childhood taste in music. Anybody affiliated with them had the golden ticket into my heart and soul. I wondered if Linda had made a change in diet and health in her youth if she would still be alive today.

Years and years later, after a few minor health risks of my own, I had been practicing yoga for about a dozen years and eavesdropping on the many conversations about plastic vs glass, switching to a vegetarian or even vegan diet, going on cleanses, etc. None of that, except for the glass water bottle and Tupperware discussions resonated with me until people started talking about organic. The movement and conversation became more compelling aka I eavesdropped more about how it changed people’s health and ultimately their lives.

Not wanting to take random yogis advice to heart, I did my own research and experimentation. I borrowed “Organic, Inc.” from the library. It was not at all what I expected. First of all, farmers deserve so much of our respect and admiration because their lives are so arduous and very routine with little room for error. Secondly, never ever, and I mean never, eat non-USDA certified organic strawberries. Each one, when tested, has up to 20 pesticide residues. Spinach comes a close second. My husband eats quite a bit of strawberries and I love my daily 4 p.m. spinach salad snack! I was horrified that we were essentially poisoning ourselves on a daily basis.

I had to evaluate and ultimately make the decision that any and all food that I cook from scratch had to be USDA certified organic. Side note, regular organic without the USDA seal essentially means that the soil has not been sprayed with pesticides for 3 years and that essentially, it was in transition. Quite a bit of Whole Foods’ produce has that label. I veer away from those but in times of scarcity, I will acquiesce.

Though I cannot say that my mostly organic diet has kept me as slim as I was in my 20’s and even in my 30’s, I am quite healthy. I eat organic eggs everyday and don’t have any issues with my cholesterol. I squeeze my own organic grapefruit juice every morning. I have my organic 4 p.m. spinach salad with organic Persian cucumbers and organic salad dressing. I even end each evening with a double bag cup of organic Moroccan mint tea.

Most things work perfectly on any given day. Everybody has their off day depending on stress, weather and sleep patterns. I can’t guarantee the tenacity of my system to resist any and all ailments but I do feel I am investing in myself, my health and my longevity by choosing organic food as a primary means to feed myself and that alone helps develop my mindset and gives me the energy and positivity to do it all over again tomorrow and each day after that.

Eating is a journey to a different time and place. Our food can be traced back to the migration of people and the intermingling of cultures and traditions. Noodles were brought from Asia to Italy which evolved into pasta. Olives and olive oil originally came from the Middle East. What is known in Mexico as al pastor originated from Lebanon’s version, the shawarma. Chicken tikka masala was a British adaptation of India’s butter chicken. These recipes and more exemplify how through adaptation and assimilation, we truly are a global community.

My first introduction to Anthony Bourdain was during my earlyish years working at Fox. We had optioned the rights to his book, “Kitchen Confidential.” All I knew was the book was about the underbelly of kitchen and restaurant life, all of its inner workings and sordid and despicable details with lots of profanity thrown in for kicks. To this day, I’ve never read it. The studio at Fox produced the series for one season so I saw Bradley Cooper portray Anthony Bourdain while I, and other coworker friends, mooched off the craft services offerings as it was literally down the fire escape stairs outside of our offices. I loved the show but the general public didn’t so off the air it went. Clearly this was before online streaming. Sadly, the timing of the series was too early. Now, especially with his passing but more importantly with the infusion of the foodie culture which has exploded on all platforms, the current environment is ripe for a show about him based on real life kitchen experiences. I began watching his earlier shows on Food Network, Travel Channel and eventually CNN. I found him gruff and offensive initially but he grew on me to the point that at the time of his passing, I wept and had moments of ugly crying while watching old episodes of No Reservations on the Travel Channel a day after his death. Anthony Bourdain literally took viewers to Parts Unknown. I still remember watching the Lebanon episode and how real life broke out in Beirut and he stepped back and let history speak for itself. His gift was his ability to be inclusive and make you want to partake in the food and culture despite its possible controversial or questionable past. He compelled us to learn and appreciate other cultures so that we can grow as individuals and as a society through the experience of food. All of his shows were thoroughly researched with cultural and historical reference so it seemed as if we were in class but with sensory teachings. I didn’t realize how much he impacted me until he passed. I had created an Instagram account to document my food and travel finds and started a food and travel blog to help others find their way. But for Anthony Bourdain, I would not have even thought of that possibility. He is my hero and he has left us. My heart is broken. I am crushed but he leaves a legacy and we each must do our part to get his voice and message heard. To travel and eat is to live. I honor and pay homage to his life’s work and legacy by sharing my journey. I am angry and beyond crushed that he is gone but I will continue my path that he has inspired. I will forever miss his gift of storytelling but I will continue to eat and travel to keep his inspiration and memory alive.

“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” – Anthony Bourdain #theanthonybourdainmovement 

Anthony Bourdain was an inspiration to many. He taught us how to appreciate other cultures through food and travel. His impact on how we see the world is indelible. He will be missed. #rip #saddened #heartbroken