The rituals centered around food that I’ve developed with my husband Rob and son Gabriel impart so much joy and meaning to my life. . We walk to our local market on a Thursday, talk to the producers and pick up our vegetables #mercatointransizione . Every two weeks we walk to meet Flavio and collect the meat, fat and offal from animals he’s cared for in the local hills @valledelsasso . At the weekend, we grind grains using a hand-crank grinder whilst reading books together. . Every few days, I prepare bread ingredients and hand them to my son, who’s mixing and kneading skills grow week on week. . In the morning, I commune with all my ferments – stirring what’s bubbling, sometimes the Scottish sowans, sometimes the Turkish boza, sometimes the ancient beer. They are ready to do their work for another day and so am I. . And, lastly for this post, as pictured, every 6 weeks or so we render lard. These are my husband’s hands chopping the back fat. It’s his job. I sat by him and chatted as he meditatively worked through the supply. It goes in the slow cooker. For a day our house smells delicious and there are bowls, sieves and containers everywhere. And then, in the evening, we get to eat the crunchy fatty cracklings. My son calls them ‘niblets’. . I think, not so long ago, our lives revolved around rituals like this. And having immersed myself in them, I can taste and feel in my body just how grounding, gratitude-inducing and joy-giving they are. . Let me keep going in this direction. It’s a good one. . I’d love to hear about one of your most enjoyable kitchen rituals…