“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well”- Virginia Woolf
We believe that food and eating well can be a respite in a world that demands so much of us. Let us take care of your needs so you can spend time taking care of yourself.
Why the Name Sweet Potato Tooth?
Sweet potatoes are a staple food in American cuisine and a year round crop in North Carolina. The sweet potato offers the nourishment, comfort, and nutrients that make it a perfect food. A food that brings us to the earth in appreciation and to the table for us to feel at home.
Whole foods are earth’s candy. They satisfy us with their sweetness, spice, warmth, and diversity. Eating food like sweet potatoes can give us long-term satisfaction, rather than a quick fix. Sweet Potato Tooth is a reflection of where we call home and is an appreciation for the mountains that we tuck in to. We acknowledge the route that the sweet potato has taken to be on our tables, and the roots that it has embedded in American cuisine.
My name is David, I am the founder and chef at Sweet Potato Tooth. I have had a long and ever-altering relationship with food and all that it entails. Starting at a young age in my Bubbe’s kitchen on the Lower East Side of New York, tippy toes on a step stool and a weathered wooden spoon in hand, stirring a pot of her lip-smacking split pea soup. From there it was pizza restaurants, cafes, fine dining, and finally my own business where I am able to collaborate directly with clients to cook dishes tailor-made to their dietary specifications and preferences. Over the years I have gotten a good sense of what food can share with us–an appreciation of the earth, each other, and ourselves. I am diligent and persistent about bringing smiles to people’s faces–cooking, eating, and connecting over a table is a warm way to feel joy in the world. It is this interpersonal intimacy with people and food that brings me back to the kitchen every day.
What We Pride Ourselves On
Food as Healing:
Food is love. We specialize in working with people who are in search of a way to heal through food--whether that is postpartum cooking, Crones, autoimmune disease, diabetes, post surgery/procedure, or whatever else you may be experiencing at this time. Food holds so much power and has the ability to impact our physical health, mental well-being, and overall existence. We are here to help.
We sometimes see healing as a way to respond to a stresser, but there is also healing for our well-being and groundedness. Food can be integral to our mental health, something to promote our mindfulness and appreciation and gratitude for our life in this world. Eating is a time to be mindful, slow down, and connect to our bodies. This is something that we are in such need of as a collective.
Food is Seasonal:
We tap into the geography and character of Western North Carolina to supply our clients with food that glows with the green and beauty all around us. We have relationships with local farms and growers to get to know what the earth is putting forth season to season. Simply put, eating with the seasons is good for our health. Our bodies and bellies shift their cravings with the natural rhythms of the earth, and the food that we cook is a representation of that. In summer we cook up grilled veggies and pick sweet watermelon, in autumn we coat savory squashes in warming spices, winter blows in bringing soups and stews to warm us on cold nights, and in spring the greens come back tender and bitter, bringing dreams of crisp dishes and warm sides. We invite you to eat in this way and notice how this can shape your relationship to your body, spirit, and place.
Food as Community:
Eating is a holistic experience whether shared with others or with oneself, an intimate time for us, and a time that ought to be cherished and enjoyed. Sharing a warm meal together with old friends and new is an experience that we as humans delight in. A warm meal goes a long way in making us feel good, and when this is shared with those we love it can feel even better.
Our sense of community grows when we delight in the local food of our surroundings. Running Sweet Potato Tooth has allowed us to connect deeply with where we live. SPT is so excited to share relationships with local growers. And in working with those who grow our food, as well as those who eat it, we become a parkway between the two. We hope that you will become a part of this community of growers and eaters.
