Six Weeks with Extending the Table: A Move in the Right Direction

Ben and Heather Kulp’s 6-week challenge to cook from
Extending the Table Cookbook.

Change has always been a constant for the two of us during our time together. We moved to Chicago seven years ago and immediately immersed ourselves in my orchestra job, and Heather’s trip through law school. Heather was very involved in our church council after work, and I started a not-for-profit chamber orchestra group. Although we were “leaning in,” life, at its core, was not satisfying. There was always something else to stay up and accomplish, and we realized on our honeymoon that it was the first vacation we had ever taken with one another in the three years of our relationship.

This past week we moved from one side of Boston to the other. We lived for the past two years in the Allston neighborhood by Boston University. There is an unlimited amount of youthful energy in the neighborhood, and this would continue late into the night as we, and our young son, were trying to sleep.

Our new place in West Medford is quiet, spacious, and it feels like the first time we are living in an adult apartment. The nights are quiet and dark, and there is a minimal amount of noisy people. Fearing that we were losing part of the coveted energy of our 20’s, the two of us reflected a great deal on the past seven years of our relationship. There were many constant themes through our relationship, and one of them was that the two of us have had some of our best memories around food and meals with one another. So, we decided that we were going to use Extending the Table to help us recreate some of these memories.

For anyone that has spent more than an afternoon with Ben, you will know that good coffee is just an expected part of life. It’s not to the point of measuring the grind, water temperature, and using a pour over like you would see at a hipster coffee shop, but the beans do need to be good and freshly ground. Thankfully, the days of drinking two full pots in the morning are behind him, but the taste of a fresh cup of coffee still inspires many ideas and extended cello practice sessions.

The Cinnamon Coffee (p. 38) was Ben’s choice of drink for the first morning in the new apartment. Although boxes were sprawled as far as the eye could see, Ben had reserved a special spot for his bags of coffee. Next to the coffee box was the box labeled “spices,” and the cinnamon was easy to find. Sugar was conspicuous as well in the large tin container in which it is kept. We put the cinnamon stick and sugar in the pot before the coffee started brewing. As we sipped our coffee and bounced our baby boy, we both meditated on what this new phase of life means for both of us.

“Did we not have an entirely stocked fridge and pantry at our previous apartment?” This question has been asked many times over the past week as we have unpacked in our new place. The carefully planned meals have gone to the wayside while we figure out our new kitchen; as we try to cook our meals from Extending The Table, we look to the beautiful simplicity of the recipes in the cookbook for our inspiration.

The Creamy Carrot soup (p.79) was a favorite this past week. The carrots, butter, and curry powder (from the same box labeled “Spices” where we found the cinnamon) were items easily dug out of the pile of cardboard U Haul boxes. The soup, again, provided us with a quiet and contemplative meal.

A challenging part of our move, as it relates to cooking, was that between Heather’s extended work hours this week, and cooking for the steady stream of people that have come through our new apartment in the last several days, is that it is easy to default to ordering take out. Admittedly, we did order pizza for everyone at the end of eight hours of moving boxes and furniture. After eating the leftovers from take out, it left us with a slightly stuffed and unpleasant feeling. We craved nothing more than the fresh fruits and vegetables that cleanse your mind and body. To remedy this situation, we made the Tomato and Basil Salad (p. 110). We had been able to go to the local store and pick up fresh vegetables, and it felt wonderful to feast on tomatoes and basil. We began to feel our old selves return with the nourishing and healthy food.

As most of you who have been reading our blog know, hosting friends is something that means a great deal to both of us. We are excited to have our friends and family over to our new apartment and treat them to meals from Extending The Table. More on our meals for friends next week in our blog!

To buy the new edition of Extending the Table with many recipes illustrated with color photos, click here. 

Ben Kulp is a cellist, Suzuki cello instructor, and entrepreneur. Heather Scheiwe Kulp is the Clinical Fellow at the Harvard Law School Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program. Along with a son born February 2014, they live in Boston, Massachusetts, and attend the Mennonite Congregation of Boston. Together, they enjoy hiking, listening to live music, and enjoying good food with friends.

Look for their posts each Wednesday thru June 11, under the special series category, Six Weeks with Extending the Table. Or sign up to receive all Mennobytes posts by subscription from the SUBSCRIBE button on the right side of the blog.