Issue #1 - The Way Food Sparks the Senses

Poems galore on smells, sounds, and tastes. The doors of the kitchen are officially open!

Note from the Editor

Fellow chefs, foodies, and fans of gastro writing, welcome to the inaugural issue of We Have Food At Home! In the past week, I have been overwhelmed by the incredible response you have all sent my way. Whether through a subscription, Instagram follow, or mind-blowing writing submissions, you have truly made my week. We Have Food At Home will release a new issue every Wednesday, and guess what today is?

I am honored and proud to present to you the first issue of this blog / online literary journal / experiment of my heart and stomach / anything I/you/we want. Because it’s the first issue, we have poetry from not just one, but two incredible writers who remind us of the way food tickles our senses. I am grateful to both Ashley and Claris not just for their contribution, but for the amount of love and care and nurture that they put into these pieces.

I hope you sit with these and let them take you to a time of tea sipping, cast iron cooking, or pancakes at 1 a.m.

Thank you for cooking with us. Please enjoy your stay.

Warmly,

Padya (wehavefoodathomeblog@gmail.com)

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Ashley Lauren

Since her childhood, Ashley Lauren has discovered a home in her passion for writing and storytelling where talking seemed foreign to her. This passion has rooted itself in the foundation of her work and has bloomed into pieces compiled of poetry, novels, memoirs, and essays. Ashley is a young, Black author that touches on the topics of love, race, and womanhood.

cast iron melodies

you hear that sizzle?
the same sssizzz that 
birthed steam to feed those hips
warm pillowed cornbread?
those same melodies
carried through generations 
like  hymns, 

                              recipes passed down
                              like the cheekbones
                               your mama’ 
                               gave you.  

you hear that hiss? 
that same hissss that 
brought you poke - chops, 
that made those bones
tough enough to carry 
your grandma’s burdens?
those same melodies 
that clashed with gas 
stoves, echoed down
the street, and brought 
the neighborhood knockin’. 

                                                  you know that “mmm”?
 that same mmm that made you remember home and 
          everything that made it safe to stay another day.

hot cakes (three a.m.) 

i want pancakes.

it’s one am, and as i lay still, mind moving faster than my beating heart and starving flesh 
— the only thing i can speak with the top of my tongue is “hot cakes.”

the only thing i can think about is prancing around a dimly lit kitchen — 
courtesy of the moon’s grace mixed with the orange tint of a tungsten light, draped in a t-shirt that isn’t mine. 

it’s your’s.

one hand dusted in buttermilk mix while the other caresses the cheek of someone i hold tighter to me than the spatula sitting in my palm. 

it’s one am and i pancakes,

 your love, or whatever makes me feel warmer than i do right now.

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Claris Lam

Claris Lam (she/her) writes poetry and fiction. Her poetry and short fiction have been featured in several collections and projects. Her first novel, Winner Takes All, was published in June 2022, and the sequel, Engagement To Die For, will be published in June 2023. You can learn more about her work at https://clarislam.ca.

Teatime

The fragrance of tea,
mild yet persisting with peace,
wafting through the air,
warming our bodies within
savouring every graceful sip.

Cravings

A savoury scent
tickles my nose, my tongue just
tastes the meal to come
to eat, to feast, to meet with
succulent, tasty goodies.

Spice

Kicks of heat hit my 
tongue, warmly growing sparks and
prickling my throat with
unwavering spices, still
lingering post-consumption.