OUR FOODWAYS

Christina Zani makes and sells pasta through her Instagram account @p.a.s.t.a_n.i.g.h.t. She celebrates old school recipes and distribution methods, in a new school and contemporary way by using social media to share her offerings, communicate with neighbors, and arrange in person pickups.

On March 19, 2023 friends and neighbors of the Cesar Andreu Iglesias Garden, a north Philly community space, gathered together for a pre-equinox celebration by spending the day cooking together in the traditional methods of many of their homelands.

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. Few places display this as succinctly and eloquently as the luncheonette. Larger than a corner deli, more compact and cozy than a diner, the luncheonette is an unpretentious, diverse, and delicious slice of life from each block–each a micro-universe unto itself.

Traditionally in Poland, preparations for Wigilia begin weeks before December 24th. Most of December, leading up to Christmas Eve, is then dedicated to recipes that take longer to make such as piernik and pierogi. The pierogi recipe that I use has been passed down by my paternal grandmother.

The Livengood family is deeply involved in the Lancaster to Philadelphia foodway connection that thrives in farmers markets and CSA boxes across the city and region, and they are now forging new directions in regenerative farming and permaculture. The Livengoods welcomed me to the farm to talk about their family’s farming story.

My first fishing experience is one of my most vivid memories of my childhood. I was fishing in Lenapehoking, using one of our traditional foods as bait, and I caught an animal that is sacred not only to Lenape people but to many Indigenous People all over North and South America.

Mallory Valvano is the force behind Party Girl Bake Club. Her cakes are instantly recognizable and have become a bit of a hot commodity in South Philly. Mallory and I took a dive into the past to see what family traditions lurk beneath the technicolor frosting dreamscapes you can see on her popular Instagram page.

The Clark Park Farmers’ Market on Baltimore Ave and 43rd St happens every Saturday from 10:00am to 2:00pm year round. The vendors always arrive to provide a touch of small-town, farm-fresh magic to the big city. I had the chance to chat with a few of the stand owners to learn more about the motley crew that comprises this particular outdoor market.

The Southeast Asian Market at FDR Park, run by the Cambodian Association of Philadelphia in partnership with various community organizations, started as an informal meeting place for Southeast Asian immigrants to buy and sell their cultural foods. I talked to two of the many young people who work at the market, to find out what the market means to them.

food is love///family dinner is an experimental poem honoring the lives of loved ones who have since transitioned. Being raised in Philadelphia as a vegan-vegetarian in the 90s fostered deep and meaningful connections around family recipes and fellowship.

If there’s one thing Philadelphians love as much as their cheesesteaks and sports teams, it’s the pretzel. Yep, that doughy, twisted treat that researchers say is the earliest popular snack item in US history. And for good reason.

My family has a New Year’s tradition so strict, it transcends the bounds of custom and enters into the realm of rule: On New Year’s Day, we cook and eat pork and sauerkraut. We’re not alone in this. A New Year’s pork and sauerkraut meal is common among the people of Pennsylvania.

South Jersey is known for its tomatoes. Something about the sandy soil just makes for the perfect tomato- one that, for any local, tastes like home. Growing up with garden-fresh tomatoes readily available, there was never a question that I would eventually try growing my own. The question was, how would I manage it?

“I remember the glorious time we had on the bay. My oldest brother let us use his rowboat. One time we went crabbing and filled the boat so full there was no room left for us. We just swam the boat back to shore.”

Drew Hanson is a licensed teacher of the Urasenke Tradition of Japanese Tea. He demonstrates the Japanese Tea Ceremony throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, and teaches students at Boukakuan Japanese Tea House and Garden in Columbus, New Jersey. I sat in on a couple of his lessons at his tea house, and we talked one afternoon about the tradition.