"Passende," An Appropriate Amount
This illustration is part of my Collective Food Wisdom series, for which I asked people across different languages and cultures to share a nugget of food wisdom or advice they’ve received that they continue to carry with them in their kitchen, garden, or life.
This first piece comes from perhaps the most apt of places: my mother, Tracy Penrose.
What is the most useful piece of food wisdom or advice you have ever received?
Bjarke: The answer to any question in the kitchen is: "An appropriate amount!" ("Passende" in Danish)
Who gave it to you?
Bjarke: My mother, when I was younger and didn't have much experience. I thought it was a horrible idea then, but now, with just enough prowess in the kitchen, it is becoming more and more useful as I start to experiment.
How does it show up in your life?
Bjarke: It is about caring less about a recipe and going more with your gut (and tastebuds).
This wisdom is especially "appropriate," as I made it on the day Bjarke and I submitted our application to move to Denmark.
With immigration, there are so many hopes and so many unknowns.
There are ever changing laws, endless paperwork, and unexpected fees. There are nerve-wracking interactions with border patrol. There are heart-stopping moments in which you realize you might not be able to see your family.
Most of the time, it's out of your hands. You try to cross all of your t's and dot all of your i's and pay all of the fees and hope that law doesn't change in the middle of it. After that, all you can do is close your eyes, cross your fingers, and submit to the process.
In the midst of this, I believe in the power of food. How can we use it to extend compassion to those experiencing the uncertainty and fear the immigration process may bring?
To sink your teeth into more Collective Food Wisdom, and perhaps even hang a reminder of it in your own kitchen, head on over to my shop. Sometimes I sell the originals, too, so make sure you're signed up for my monthly inspiration email to be notified next time they go on sale, and you can snag your favorite.