I’ve always longed to be around a fire. It could’ve been alone in the woods or with friends by a Friday night bonfire. Fire brought reflective comfort when alone and the greatest sense of community when gathered with others.
In the summer of 2020, I learned I could take this archaic obsession and use it to cook for myself and those around me. As I started to cook more, I found myself always on the search for wood. In that same summer, a thunderstorm took down a white oak tree in the front yard of my family home. Knowing we wanted to use the wood, my dad and I dedicated a few days to splitting it.
Sweet aromas started to fill the air around us as logs and limbs turned into firewood. Every nearby bee and bug drew in close to a new scent in the air. I couldn’t blame them. It was then when I understood what one tree could mean.
For over 150 years, it sheltered my family. It was home for countless animals. The shady spot for our tire swing. A stoic symbol of resilience. Every snowy winter and sweltering summer was stored in the wood we were splitting. Even after it’s end, the oak tree was still serving us by being fuel to cook our food. Still bringing us together.
For millennia, fire has brought together strangers, friends and family to banquets of sustenance and congregation. With One Oak Barbecue, it is my hope to bring that same meaningful gathering to others through wood fired foods.
