Simply Irresistible

I was pretty bummed out the other week. I’m in a period of flux, and it has put me into a grumpy funk. I was having trouble turning my frown upside down, so I decided to go to the farmer’s market about it. The farmer’s market is a new development in my life. I like it. I like walking around, trying fruits I’ve never had before. I tried and purchased gooseberries this summer. I didn't know they existed before I chowed down on one. I’m constantly purchasing mushrooms that aren’t sold in big box food stores. It is fun. I’m not a big fan of shopping, generally. I went through 13 years of Catholic school, and it has permanently kneecapped my ability to establish a personal style. I wore only plaid for years! I don’t know what colors match one another if they aren’t in a tartan.

I love whipping up a recipe to share with my husband and the occasional friend. I like the social element of food. I love sharing recipes in my group chat (named #GirlBoss) with my mother and sister. Food is how I connect.

But I love food shopping. I love finding an ingredient or condiment I’ve never seen before. I love whipping up a recipe to share with my husband and the occasional friend. I like the social element of food. I love sharing recipes in my group chat (named #GirlBoss) with my mother and sister. Food is how I connect. And the farmer’s market is part of that connection. Upset, frustrated and frowning, I braved the Sunday shoppers. I pitched my 900 promotional tote bags over my shoulder and was determined to walk around until I felt less irritated. I scowled for twenty minutes straight until I heard a voice. “Katie?” I heard. I looked up to see Charles, a man I know. My scowl immediately vanished. My grump departed. The clouds opened up, and I think I could hear birds singing. (Not really, but—honestly—I was thrilled to see him.) The joy of running into someone you know in a city as large as Los Angeles cannot be overstated. It makes you feel as if the city is all yours. You live here, you think to yourself. Of course you’d run into someone you know. Thirty minutes later, I left the farmers market. I had issued Charles an open invitation to eat dinner with my husband and I while his partner was out of town on business. I purchased at least seven handfuls of cherry tomatoes and tried a slice of passion fruit. I went home feeling connected to the world around me and fulfilled by the life I’ve created. It’s a wonder what one shopping trip can do.