About

Joseph Resendes

This Is My Journey Through Food

I am a trained Chef and certified Nutrition Consultant.

I was inspired to start this website to be able to share and chronicle all the amazing food and recipes that bring me so much joy, love and nourishment.

Preparing a meal is one the most satifying and intimate expressions of love you can share with someone. This is an opportunity for me to share with you my culture and my world through food.

As a product of a Portuguese immigrant family and raised in southeastern Massachusetts, I was fortunate enough to have grown up with a mother that worked a full time job, but still made it a priority to always have fresh food on the table. It’s a memory I have treasured all of my life. There was always the comfort of warm soups, stews, and vegetables which were often grown in my dad’s garden. I also remember all the creative ways my mom came up with preparing eggs that were fresh from our very own chickens.

As a young child trying to assimilate to a new culture, having a backyard garden and a small amount of livestock was something that made me cringe. I just wanted a lawn, like Billy next door. I’ll never forget when my father once asked if I was willing give up all the fresh food that came from his garden for a grassy back yard and offered to plant grass, if I preferred to eat grass. I couldn’t understand why he felt the need to plant a garden when we could just go to the grocery store and buy anything we wanted at any time of the year.

Many years later, I realized that having a backyard garden was not a necessity for them, as there was suddenly an abundance of commercial food sources available. It was purely a great mix of comfort for the traditions they once had become use to back in their native island of the Azores.

I now realize what a valuable experience to have had back then. It really taught me, not only how to grow food but to have a greater appreciation for the care and nourishment that came with eating fresh unprocessed food.

In our ever busy world, some of us have lost sight into the importance of preparing home cooked meals. In many cultures, sharing a meal was regarded as a sacred moment. These moments were often a time to regroup with one’s family and friends, sharing thoughts/ideas, coming up with resolutions, making special announcements and the occasional passionate conflict that was typical in my Portuguese family.

No matter what the situation, there was always a story centered around the dinner table that came with great food, a side of love, compassion and resolve.

We all have our own personal journeys and stories around food and all of them unique to each person’s individual experience.

Although, I am certain this website will evolve with time, I suppose the best way to describe it in the present moment is; “This is my journey through food.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Feel free to post your fondest memories around food and your different experiences. I look forward to hearing from you.