Hello! I am Amanda Leavitt and one of my most profound passions is food. What you’ll find in my writing is this: food is deeply intertwined in every facet of human life. From sustainability to equity, to romantic and family life, food and the food system play an integral role.
For most of my professional career, I have been involved in the Food Industry including large and small food retailers, restaurants of all sizes, suppliers, and nutritionists.
Food is family and community. It is tradition and the drive to innovate. It is a reflection of a culture and its relationship with the surroundings. Food is nutrition and delight. Food is a vitamin and a medicin. Food is to be celebrated and enjoyed. Food is to be available to every human being in the planet.
I am currently based out of the South Shore, MA, but I was raised for a large portion of my youth in Naperville, IL – a suburb of Chicago. My family moved to the west side of Puerto Rico when I was 12 years old but remained connected to the US food scene through long stays in academic camps in Chicago and during my undergraduate studies in Boston.
But my education and taste in food are not limited to where I have lived. I have been fortunate to have traveled extensively through Europe including England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, France, Sweden, Iceland, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, and Germany. I have core food memories and experiences in each of these places. I loved trying regional plates and learning the philosophy of chefs from around the world about local sourcing, respecting the environment, and the balance between tradition and innovative thinking.
A Mom’s View
As a mom, I am viewing food through the lens of a parent.
How can I teach my son about food? and how can I help him find his love for food? While I am a huge fan of oysters, pig feet, and sweetbreads, I can’t assume he’ll share that with me, but I can share the benefits of shopping seasonally and locally.
How it is critical not to take seafood for granted as the oceans warm? And how to approach everyone’s food choices with grace, devoid of judgment? These are questions I asked myself, and I’m excited to share my evolving take on food as a parent.
This blog is going to take you down different paths in the food world, and I hope you find new ways to think about how we grow, eat, share, and engage with food. You’ll find my academic work, but of course some fun food stories and trains of thought, too.