Every Sunday, for as long as I can remember, my grandfather prepared a huge pot of pasta sauce and assembled the family. I missed this tradition terribly when I moved away. As if to compensate, I found myself compulsively gathering friends and strangers around makeshift tables. In India, plates were set over a discarded door while sauce simmered on a camp stove. In Costa Rica, card tables formed our banquet while I tried out the newest recipe taught by the Frenchman who lived up the hill. These moments have come to define my life.

As my guest list grew, I noticed conversations would get caught in little pockets. Strangers would fumble through the awkwardness of small talk and those who knew one another migrated to each other. In search of a remedy, I began researching traditions and rituals from around the world that might help facilitate connection.