When you’re making food together with another, it’s literally a combining of culture.

Food is intimate. It’s what we put in our bodies - and many of us are careful and thoughtful in our food preparation. Imagine that person who needs to command and control the kitchen, or the one that is a total disaster. But when we invite others to cook with us, we momentarily set aside those differences to make something together - a blend of culture, taste, and traditions.

Solve interpersonal people problems by making food together.

And if you don’t want to be literal, imagine all of the things you can do that are like that:

• Solving a problem - puzzles, strategy games, an actual work problem;

• Make music (if you have that skill);

• Listen to music;

• Take a hike and perhaps forage;

• Exchange books that you genuinely intend to read and discuss;

I’m not trying to suggest trite and light activities. I’m suggesting any activity where there might someone might have developed a set way of doing things - a culture. The activities could even spark controversy - discussing religion, politics, or sports.

The goal is to find activities that allow you to suspend judgment and deeply see the world from someone else’s eyes. For me, it happens to be cooking food.