Between the time I began writing this cookbook, and when I finally finished it, we were set upon by a world-wide pandemic. People were sheltering in place. Jobs disappeared, families began to struggle, and food became more than just a way to bring people together. Many families faced food insecurity for the first time. As a Kitchen Witch whose family was not put in a great hardship by the pandemic, I felt a deep need to take up my cauldron and start making some magic.I started the Kitchen Witch Food Train. My goal at first was to make 100 weekly boxes of food for families in need. Each box would have at least one meal per day for the family. I blew past that goal very quickly, and eventually stopped keeping track. Protests rocked our nation, and I found myself dropping food off to community organizers. Non-profit shelters needed help supporting their residents. Families continued to need support.And I, in my one tiny corner of the world, made the casserole an act of love. I put on my mask and haunted the discount grocery store for dry goods. I bought the ugly vegetables from the farmers' markets. My friends chipped in with donations of storage containers, gas cards, and grocery money. One dear friend started making baked goods for my food boxes. And, together, we have been able to create hundreds of boxes of food. Without my Village of like-minded do-gooders, this would never have been possible. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.And that, my dear friends, is Kitchen Witch Magic. Food and love and community come together to make the world a better place. Wherever you are, I hope that this troubled time brings you a chance to connect with your own magic. I hope that you are touched by love and wonder, even when things look dark. Until the day we can all sit down across from the table with the people we love, and break bread together, I remain, With great love (and a belly full of magic), Aimee Andrichak AKA The Kitchen Witc
