The Comforts of Queer Baking
July 15, 2019 6:59 AM   Subscribe

"One way to preserve that sense of home is to bring it with you, wherever you end up — a recipe, a memory, a confrontation with homophobia in search of something better." "Bread pudding was the first thing that I baked after I came out to my parents: one batch, for myself (because holy fuck), and, later, one for my mother." "As if these hours of blending, rolling, baking, stirring, spooning, freezing, spooning and freezing again were not sufficient workout for a lanky, depressive teenage girl with hormones to burn, there was still the meringue." Queer baking stories galore, and if you're hungry when you're done, maybe you'll find something appealing in this round-up of cookbooks with LGBTQIA+ authors.
posted by Stacey (6 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is fantastic. Whenever we have potlucks at the theater I volunteer/direct at, it's interesting to see who brings what. I'm generally one to bring at least one baked good/dessert. And now I have a new bread pudding recipe to try for the next show!
posted by xingcat at 7:12 AM on July 15, 2019


One of the things that concerned my (cishet) husband when I came out as trans was whether he'd still know me, whether I'd like the stuff I cared about before, like baking, and the answer is yes. Baking gives me a literal way to nourish people and support and comfort them. It gives me a way to show my friends and comrades that they are important to me, that I want to take time and care to provide them with something that will help keep them going. I'm not a vegan, I'm not even a vegetarian, but I do a lot of vegan baking for time I spend in leftist/anarchist spaces which I occupy with many other people who are queer or trans. It's a way to demonstrate to people "I see your needs and I am showing up for you". It's a way to turn the idea of creating community and caring for one another into the action of creating community and caring for each other. Also, I have a ton of mental health issues and the concrete, creative but systematic process of baking reassures me. I spend so much time doing abstract work for an organization about which I don't care that making something real, something that reifies my love for my community, is about as nourishing to me as the food I make.
posted by an octopus IRL at 7:55 AM on July 15, 2019 [8 favorites]


From the first link:
Homophobia is born out of misogyny, and we cannot tackle one issue without addressing the other.
You know, I've always known that deep down, but I had never seen it spelled out so succinctly that it registered in my conscious brain.

One of my favorite things about baking is that it's both a nurturing and creative act. And there's a sort of magic feeling about combining the ingredients in a certain way, like a potion, and then later pulling a brand-new loaf or cake out of the dark, hot, hidden chamber. Hey presto!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:24 AM on July 15, 2019 [2 favorites]


Oh, my heart! After San Diego Pride, my baby gay little heart is so full. I can't wait to read this. Thank you so much for posting it!
posted by meemzi at 1:04 PM on July 15, 2019


❤️🧡💛💙💚💜
posted by EvaDestruction at 2:00 PM on July 15, 2019




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