Organizational Culture: Does Food Have an Impact?

It's a question that I don't frequently contemplate, but more recently I have. If you read one of my posts in November, I talked about cooking my delish stuffing for our staff thanksgiving potluck. I am naturally drawn to share food with them when I can. I have found that particularly challenging meetings can be oh so much more productive and fun with the addition of some home-cooked goodness!

So two months ago at our monthly all staff meeting, we were recruiting for staff to spearhead the Thanksgiving Potluck and the Annual Holiday Lunch. Several staff volunteered for the Potluck, but when the Annual Holiday Party came up, there was silence... I was one of the staff who had volunteered to be on the Thanksgiving planning committee, but not as lead. So when no one at all volunteered for the Holiday Party, I volunteered to excuse myself from the Thanksgiving committee and be the lead on the Holiday Party. After all, it is my favorite time of year...

Still only one reliable friend and colleague volunteered to work with me on the committee... I didn't take that personally because of what happened next! Another staff member and dear friend shouted " I will be on the committee if Colleen can be the caterer!!" Still warms my heart when I write it. And after our empowering and innovative leader said: "That would be left up to the committee!," several staff signed up.

So when things got a bit on the busy side at work and the party planning was a bit behind because of it, I struggled with thinking how I could possibly start my first catering gig of 35-40 in my small kitchen with little to no time to responsibly be away from work. How do I not over-commit myself and not let my second family down? Fortunately, since it is second family it was much easier to excuse myself from the main dish, as they were more than willing to have me be the dessert caterer!

My personal honey badger (if you have not seen the You Tube video, please do!), who is both a colleague and dear friend, told me a story this week that really felt good, and made me think about the title of this blog: Does food have an impact on organizational culture?

She was conversing with several staff members and reminiscing about a potato rosemary quiche I brought to a 9:00am Monday morning meeting: Not an easy space to spark creativity and excitement ... Well, the staff were so enticed by her description of this quiche she responded with, "You gotta get in on those meetings with Colleen!" It was perfect timing given that I spend my evening baking for my second family, and hoping that it is one of the ways I show them how much I care and appreciate their unending commitment, creativity, accountability and just plain quirkiness that makes us Catalyst!

So on to the dessert menu: My famous rum cake, a Black Russian cake (chocolate version of White Russian drink in cake form), peanut butter toffee brownies, and oatmeal dark chocolate chip cookies. One of the things I love about this time of year is the space it creates to appreciate those all around you. You all know who you are and I love you. Thanks for supporting and encouraging me to share my gifts of creativity.

So the answer to my question is....YES! But it is not simply about food. It is about sharing the individual gifts we have with our Second Families (at work). While many might think food would have nothing to do with my role as the Chief of Organizational Leadership at our nonprofit Catalyst Miami, I think you would find many of my second family members would beg to differ.

What's Working?

Funny that I drafted the title last night, even before I facilitated two "what's working" sessions today at work. I am not gonna lie. I wrote this blog Monday evening after returning home from work at 5pm and already feeling like the week kicked my ass... Why? Well I could identify several reasons. But why focus on that, I prefer to reflect on what is going well. Coming home after a long day to cook dinner with a soothing glass of Benessere Sangiovese, has finally put me in the space to even recognize what is working! Believe it or not, I did not make one home cooked meal last week. Sigh.. But I did cook for Staff Thanksgiving potluck though, if that counts for anything.

What I have recently been more aware of is that finding the time and space for our expression of our individual gifts is both therapeutic and balancing. One week away from the kitchen for cooking can be quite damaging for this girl!

There is a nut to crack: Why is it that when life gets busy and tough it is precisely those activities, the ones that balance us, which are the ones we are willing to sacrifice?

As if that helps us to be more grounded and productive? When actually, it is just the opposite, especially when this pattern exists for prolonged periods.

 So as I mentioned in my previous post, the work is driving me--like a dog! Thankfully I love so much of what I am doing and work with precious people who I treasure like family. That said, I still felt like yesterday should have been Friday. And while all I wanted to do when leaving work on Monday was to go home, snuggle up on the couch in my PJ's, cuddling with my two favorite dudes (the dogs-Odysseus & Phinneus)... I knew that was exactly what I should NOT do. I needed some ME time in the kitchen!

I decided on some comfort food. A dish inspired by one of my favorite restaurants: Mandolin. A spinach pappardelle, grass fed sautéed ground beef in Vidalia onions, Compari tomatoes, fresh garlic, parsley and thyme and baked in a béchamel sauce with fresh Parmesan on top. Rich? yes! Fattening? Yes! Comforting? Yes! Delicious!!! 

While the dish is all those things, I am still challenged by thinking about and cooking with meat... I hope all my vegetarian and vegan friends are suspending judgment, and trust that soon enough I will be experimenting with a vegetarian version! Not going to get into what is on my conscience... These days I need a little bit of comfort minus the self-judgment...
Though a statement I was told yesterday really sums up where I am at with the issue of cooking and eating meat... Consciousness is a Bitch! And that is a story for a whole other post.

So what is working?
1. Regular sessions in my kitchen to create and innovate.
2. Taking the time to cook for myself and loved ones even when I am stretched thin and tired.
3. Take time to reflect on what is working in my life, for there is so much that is even on a week that my Mac of almost 10 years has crashed... :( But what works there is the possibility of a new Mac companion!

Under or overachiever....The dish that raises the question?

So I have not been able to follow through with my goal of four posts a month :( 
But hoping I can do 50%, and succeed at two times a month. Let's be real... 
I was never a straight A student until college.

Interesting start to a food blog titled Colleen Cooks, huh? Well since I started 
the blog in early October, I have taken tons of pictures of great dishes and had 
creative ideas for many posts, even some drafts. But life takes us by the neck and 
drags us where we need to be. Or so I like to believe. So at least I showed up 
again. I am happy about that.
So why the title?  Well, my work life has really been in the driver's seat, and 
cooking has taken the back! Until today, when I realized our staff 
Thanksgiving pot luck is tomorrow! I had signed up for my usual sourdough, 
artichoke, mushroom, rosemary, parmesan stuffing. So delish!  But also so time 
consuming.  That comment gives me great concern for even thinking it...What has 
happened to me during the month of November that cooking is getting the back 
seat? Note: Something to explore and employ strategies to not have that happen 
again.

So I signed up for this dish, yes. But do people really expect that I have the 
time to actually make this from scratch? That is the question when we are in 
leadership roles and get too busy that we forget what is important to us as 
individuals, and ultimately lose touch with what makes us, us.....
So my colleague and dear friend, suggested I cut corners on the dish, at a 
minimum using stuffing croutons. And sadly I am ashamed to say that it actually 
crossed my mind. Yeah I was in a moment of stress so I felt prey to other 
demands that were nibbling away at me. But all too soon, I was at my desk 
responding to tense email exchanges, thinking WTH, why on earth would I want to 
combine delicious, healthy ingredients with packaged/processed foods? I am not 
Sandra Lee host of Semi-Homemade; not dissing her techniques, just not my style. 
So what did I do? Head straight to the grocery store after work, walk the dogs, 
and start on my favorite stuffing recipe. 

After all, the peeps you work with are 
family, given that you spend more time with them than your own blood usually, 
and so they deserve nothing other than the best. Of course, this is also about 
me. Is it me being an overachiever? Making up for lost years with perfected 
cooking? Or an effort to encourage others to not take the easy route and rather 
take the "you are what you eat" philosophy. And I think that the latter is what drives me 
tonight at 10pm cooking for my colleagues. Or at least I like to think so!
Special thanks to Foppiano Chardonnay who saw me through the task! 



 

99% Delicious for the 99%!

So I had planned for my "Portland Inspired Pinot Palate" to be my next post, but was side swiped by a more pressing story. The Pinot can wait... So grab a glass of Cab!

For those of you aware of yesterday's world wide Occupy movement and I preface it for those who know as I learned today that not all do... You know who you are and are loved and accepted anyway. Well locally, yesterday following a protest, approximately 100 courageous individuals Occupied Miami and pitched tents at Government Center.

Well I love camping as much as most or some, OK to an extent. I would like to note to the reader, that I am proud to be the only woman I know that chose to have her batchelorette weekend be a camping and tubing trip down the Itchatucknee in north Florida, oh and in August! Funny thing that 2 of the 3 girls that joined me on that trip have been Occupiers in Miami and New York. Caitlin and Lori, this piece is for you two!

So while I wish I could say that I am the kind of gal that would be in for camping at Government center on the weekend (which mind you Miami's downtown shuts down Friday evening through Monday morning), I am just not her. So I had to figure out how I could support those who could do that sort of thing... And what better way than to feed them! Not many people would turn down free, fresh and tasty food while sitting in the rain with no grocery or open restaurant nearby, unless you consider 711 a place to dine (and it turns out it was and is the place to use the restroom though!).

While pondering on the perfect dish to bring to a bunch of protesters in the rain, I thought it was critical that it be a no-harm dish and decided on vegan (since food justice is a passion-sometimes obsession of mine). But we also needed cake! After all this is a celebration of democracy, right? I wish I could say I went for vegan cake, but I didn't. I was drawn to my infamous rum cake in honor of the no-alcohol zone that the Occupiers had agreed upon (an effort to peacefully remain in the lawn without a permit-small price to pay). 

       BEFORE                                                      AFTER

So with love and appreciation I started on one of my favorite Colleen dishes, which remained nameless for years, and now has a name "99% delicious". It must be after a woman who admitted she was not fond of tofu (and this  IS a TOFU dish), asked me what it was called after she tasted and where she could order it. Seems there might/could be a future for me in food. Anyway, back to the dish which is showcased with a before and after shot! A delicious mixture of tofu, onions, green/yellow/orange peppers, tomatoes, carrots, avocado and mushrooms. But my secret ingredients that perfectly compliment most all my dishes: olive oil, champagne vinegar, and Sazon Complete Seasoning (which if you do not live in Miami can be challenging to locate!). So there, the secret is out! I hope this doesn't blow my chances at selling this one day. 

So my 99% delicious dish will always remind me of the people all over the world that protested and after all I am of the 99%. Thank you for having the courage and determination to hang tough. Peace

The Beginning

My first entry is years in the making... My love affair with food and wine 
started a decade ago. Funny given I can remember so clearly a time I didn't cook 
anything but ramen noodles when I was in college. But that's the beauty of age, 
life does get sweeter and more delicious. A good cab is evidence of that. I 
don't know how I realized my passion for food, though I do know precisely how it 
began for wine, (which you will hear more about). Perhaps it will surface during 
my writing with you?


I recall starting to explore working with edible elements (a switch from paints) 
in my mid 20s. I suppose my painting hobby inspired my cooking. Oh how I loved 
mixing basic colors into exotic and intense new colors that expressed emotion 
and life in a way words cannot.  I feel the same way about food and wine. 

Since I have started on history, I should say that I have spent the last 16 
years working in the nonprofit sector. While I start this blog with a lens of 
food and wine, it is from my connection to humanity and life that this piece of 
myself has flourished. I have played a role as a nonprofit professional in the 
fields of mental health, grantwriting, child welfare, advocacy and leadership 
development, I have learned so much. One of the greatest gifts of my time with 
this work has been recognizing the power of our individual spirits and gifts.  
We all have them, it's a matter of recognizing them, and then committing to 
embracing and nourishing them.  For years I have had nearly every loved one in 
my support system tell me that I need to follow my passion for food and wine and 
share it with others. I regularly share it with them through weekly invitations 
to experience my creations and will continue to do so in the intimate space of 
my kitchen, where my creativity exudes... I am now committing to sharing my 
passions with you and seeing where it takes me. Here we go. Are you in? The good 
news is you can join at any time and catch up.