starter culture.
A series of prompts, our starter cultures are an extension of our table. An extension of the desire to collaborate in shared space. To tell our stories, in our own ways. Whether these prompts spark a conversation, produce a journal entry, inspire a doodle, or turn into a full blown article, we want to inspire food writers, creators, and artists from every corner. We welcome you to our discussion. Come. Take a seat.
PORTMANTEAUS
PORTMANTEAU. HYBRID. MISH-MASH. MASHUP. FRANKEN-FOODS. PORTMANTEAU.
What other food-related portmanteaus are in your world? And, perhaps more interesting, how did this mashup come about? How do portmanteaus blur the lines between distinct foods? How are food mashups held in public perception? To what extent does a food’s hybridity enable or hinder that food to be eaten, desired, or sought after? If you could create the perfect food mashup, what would it be?
Taking the idea of ‘portmanteau’ in all its meanings, this prompt explores the linguistic and material smashing together of distinct foods.
NEST
NEST. NESTING. SETTLING IN. GETTING COMFY. MAKING HOME. NESTING WITH FOOD. NESTED FOODS. LAYERED FOODS. NEST.
How do we use foods to nest and ‘make home’ for ourselves? Which foods, in particular, are part of your nesting reflex? Extending the proverb, “home is where the heart is,” how or what defines and locates your kitchen? What was the process by which you nested in your most recent kitchen?
Taking the idea of nested/nesting in all it’s meanings, this prompt explores the process of making home, how one surrounds oneself with the things one loves, and finding meaning in the unlikeliest of places while nesting. What is the art of nesting and how does nesting define who and where we are?
EXTREME
extreme. extremities. extreme opposites. extreme climates and geographies. foods in extreme conditions. -est foods. Extreme.
Why do we pay attention to these extremes and how do they define us? How does food survive in extreme conditions, and how can that give us clues about how to live in extreme circumstances? How do we tend to our outermost extremities to care for our innermost? And, how do we counter extremes without evoking another extreme?
SOLID
Solidarity. Solid foods. Liquid to solid. Foods that coalesce. Foods as sites of resistance. Solid.
What brings things together in a way that successfully coalesces? How does this transformation bring about positive change? How do solidity and food intersect? What makes up solidarity foods? How can foods become sites of resistance?
All submissions can be made through our contact page or by emailing pastamadreparadigm@gmail.com
Banner illustration "Sourdough" by Molly Reeder.