I grew up in a family of seven, the youngest of five children. Every night, we ate dinner together, as a family. My mother needed help, of course, to cook for a crowd this size. For reasons only she knows, however, over time Mom gradually “fired” my older siblings. Instead, she enticed and gradually enslaved me as her preferred kitchen assistant.

I didn’t mind. In fact, some of my earliest, happiest memories are of unpacking bags of groceries Mom and I hauled home together from the supermarket. I probably knew how to make meatballs before I could spell “meatballs.” I learned to multiply by doubling and tripling recipes. Eventually, I grew comfortable with, and became comforted by, the task of preparing large quantities of food.

Fast forward: I am now a freelance journalist, writing about food, travel, and design for a variety of newspapers and magazines (visit stephenhenderson.com). I live with James LaForce, my husband of two decades, in New York City, where our apartment has a chef’s kitchen.

And, the problem is…? Well, since you asked, it’s that I don’t have enough mouths to feed.

James and I like to eat, and we love entertaining our friends and families. Of late, though, with America’s worsening economy and increasing numbers of people in a bad way, I’ve wished my pots and pans were simmering for those who truly need a good meal. So, I am launching this website to find new opportunities for culinary charity, and to learn more about other people who, like me, enjoy cooking for others.

If you know of someone, or a place, or a tradition of gastrophilanthropy that might make an interesting addition to the archive of stories you will find here, please contact me: stephen@cookingforothers.com. Thank you.

Let’s stir the pot…and fill some empty stomachs!