For the longest time, I've been cooking for friends. Every Friday. Sometimes Saturday. Not every week, but close enough that people count on it.
We do themes. Portuguese, French, Afghan, Italian — whatever we're feeling that week. I make the main course, my wife makes the salad, my daughter makes the drinks, my son makes the dessert. Everyone has a job. Everyone shows up.
The biggest Fantastic Friday was a backyard BBQ for 200 people. The smallest has been 1 or 2 guests at the kitchen table. The size doesn't matter. The ritual does.
Friday is already the best day of the week. Jummah in the afternoon, then the grocery store, then a few hours in the kitchen, then dinner. The cooking is the part I look forward to most.
I kept it going through the building years, even when everything else was chaotic. There's something about having people over for a meal you made yourself that forces you to be present in a way a startup never lets you be.
If you're in Toronto and want to come, reach out.