LasagnaLove.org
I am officially a Lasagna Mama! Just before Christmas, my friend Colleen read about an organization called Lasagna Love and passed along their website to me. My friendship with Colleen deserves its own blog but suffice it to say, she knows me and this recommendation (like so many others) went right to my heart. The idea is simple – sharing love through lasagna or other home-cooked meals to people/families that are in need. One mom’s idea at the outset of the pandemic has sparked a national grassroots movement. My registration with Lasagna Love may have made my Lasagna Mama status official but candidly, the lasagna love runs deep in my family.
My matrilineal heritage is Mexican American; like many cultures, food equals love in my family. Whether it was my grandmother and aunts gathered for tamale prep – their masa production outmatched only by their story-telling – or our annual cookie day tradition that continues (virtually this year) to the next generation, I have learned to live the adage that cooking done with care is an act of love. As a young woman, my mom lived just outside of DC with her oldest sister, Tillie. They had the good fortune of living in the apartment next to Abeba Haile, an Ethiopian woman with a fascinating life and amazing culinary skill. Perhaps the most lasting legacy of their friendship was the lasagna recipe Abeba shared with my mom and aunt. To this day, I thank Abeba when I make her lasagna. I think of her as my Fairy Lasagna-Mother… I never knew her but it turns out she planted a seed for this Lasagna Mama many years ago. When I learned of Lasagna Love, I immediately texted my mom and sisters with six simple words: Abeba’s lasagna was made for this.
Want to try out the recipe yourself? My mom compiled it for me (us) and you can grab that recipe here.
I love the simplicity of Lasagna Love and that it is an idea born out of love and the belief that one person, one small act can make a difference. To learn more about Lasagna Love or become a Lasagna Mama (or Papa), visit lasagnalove.org.