BACK IN 2003, I found my first copy of edible Hawaiian Islands and literally fell in love; here were all of my passions bound together in one beautiful magazine. Fast forward to 2019, and, as we begin our 16th year of publishing, it seems that both nothing and everything has changed in food, Hawaii and the world. The term farm to table may be passé, but the fundamentals – to gather, cook and share – have remained the same.

The theme for this summer issue is COOK, and I want to share a story that I hope will illustrate how important I think it is for families to share the tradition of cooking and eating together. Back in 2003, I was married and had two children: my son Noah was five years old and my daughter Lily was three years old. Back then, I made a habit of preparing homemade meals and having the whole family eat together as often as possible. I knew that with this foundation my children could survive just about any hardship. The pleasure of cooking and caring for my children was immense.

In January 2019, Lily had just completed her first semester of college and came home for the holiday break. She mentioned she wanted to cook dinner for me, and proceeded to go shopping on her own, cook everything herself and serve dinner to me. It was the most profound meal I’ve ever eaten, not to mention delicious. As she served the dinner, she thanked me for everything I’ve done to support her and I was overcome by emotion. I knew all those family dinners had real meaning and were marked in her memory. And my son Noah – who I don’t see much these days and miss him in the best possible way – I hear he often makes dinner for his girlfriend Jazmine and his own family. I can’t help but think that cooking and eating together has benefits that stretch beyond the kitchen.

In addition to cooking, reading is another activity that I hold dear. Please take some time to read edible Hawaiian Islands together with your family. Consider showing additional support by becoming a subscriber.