SNAP Irony: Eating Well While Struggling to Eat at All

I have always been food insecure.

My father worked in law enforcement through the ’80s, but after a heart attack and a stroke (sound familiar?), he died a poor man, leaving my mother with three hungry kids, lots of resentment, and little money for groceries. My teen years were held together by barely-filled peanut butter sandwiches, dollar-store pasta we called a treat, and big pots of vegetable stew with elbow macaroni – an Indigenous staple that could stretch for days.

Over the years, I became a cult food critic.