What I love
And the hallmarks of what make me write
Recipes, recreating my favorite dishes, family meals and exceptional moments sharing food together with loved ones. Memorable meals that mean “home” to me. Good food belongs to a time and a place.
These posts are about the holidays and the everydays, the romantic and mundane meals for two, the big seated dinners with so many of us squeezed around our little table – the moments both big and small that revolve around sharing of seasonal food with the people I love.
Seasonal Eating
Like field notes or a map of life I’ve lived through taste, sound, and sight. Bookstores tucked between city streets, markets bustling with color, the thrill of live music echoing through the streets long after the last note. Therefore, the places I love to visit most when I travel are bookstores, coffee shops and local food markets. While I'll never part with my beloved New York, some of these posts are about my beautiful experiences straying from home, whether it's visiting my sister who moved halfway across the country to Denver, flying to Colombia, the land of my heritage to see family and traverse creative cities, beaches and rainforest, spending a long weekend in Boston or Virginia Beach to celebrate with memorable sights, coffee and market grazing.
Some of these posts are simply just moments in between. The moments I hold on to and linger on the joy and connection they bring.
Here, I collect the people, places and experiences that make life feel full and unforgettable, and remind me why showing up matters.
Collected Moments
Live Shows
Music is embedded into all of my memories. Concerts, live music, plays and festivals are reminders of how meaningful it is to gather, often serving to fulfill specific communal purposes and sharing joy, breaking free from the monotony of daily life, strengthening bonds, and forging new friendships.
These posts are about holding on to these moments for just a little longer, and remembering the thrill of experiencing artistic expression, feeling connected.
About the Writer
Samantha Lopez is a content and personal essay writer based in New York City. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Hunter College in 2012 and has since contributed to various publications. Passionate about analyzing culture, from politics and music to the food we love to eat, Samantha is routinely focused on how this information is relayed through media.
Outside of work, Samantha’s interests include taking photos with her Nikon, cooking and/or baking while perusing playlists with (too many) songs on her Spotify, searching for the next book to be immersed in, and going to as many concerts as possible. Ideally, music is playing all the time and there is always a recipe to practice. Her culinary credentials include growing up in the incredibly diverse borough of Queens, as well as deeply appreciating, learning and reading about food and how it brings all of us together.
