The essay — one of 40 in her new book, “Bite by Bite” — isn’t just about her son, or vanilla. Each chapter of “Bite by Bite” focuses on a food — everything from apples to butter to the Filipino dessert halo-halo. But food is one big connector, so I really wanted to focus in on that. Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty ImagesI really wanted to kind of celebrate, again what nourishes us, what brings us together. I used to be so creative, and I don’t know what to do.

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Persons: Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Nezhukumatathil, Edmond Albios, Nezhukumatathil’s, It’s, it’s, ”, —, “, ” Nezhukumatathil, deliciousness doesn’t, Nezhukumatathil doesn’t, There’s, Menahem Kahana, there’s, That’s, ’, we’re, ‘ I’m Organizations: CNN, Getty Locations: Spain, Philippines, Portugal, India, American, New York, Concord, AFP, New York City, San Antonio