Uprooted

Uprooted was a meal designed to reflect the hosts’ sense or feeling of Uprootedness in the context of Americanism and the Thanksgiving holiday tradition. Pertinent words were letter pressed using squid ink onto root vegetables (inspired by Marije Vogelzang) that adorned the center of the table, while others were stenciled with spices or written with icing on the tops of pies, puddings, and bread. The guests’ place cards were vintage postcards with the original sender’s messages on them, the napkins were made from antique rice and flour sacks, and the food served came from family recipes that were passed down but tweaked with each generation. Each guest was given a handmade, silk-screened box of the dinner recipes, each lovingly letter pressed, as a gift to take home. The root vegetables were turned into a delicious stew later in the week by the host.