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Every story is different, every relationship is unique.
Our experiences with grief are as individual as those we’ve loved and lost. We all face it at one time or another, and yet, navigating grief is complex and complicated. There’s no roadmap or guidebook, no one showing you the way forward.
Grief is isolating and painful.
It leaves you feeling hopeless and alone.
You may want to rush through, hide it away, or ignore your painful feelings. True healing comes from the courage to move through grief in your own way, in your own time, to find healing, joy, and love.
"Through the tears of grief and the sweetness of love, food becomes the language of healing, speaking volumes without uttering a word."
- Anonymous
Redefining “Comfort Food”
Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time will nourish your mind, body, and soul.
Compassionate guide, Peer Grief Specialist, and author, Patti Comeau-Simonson, leads the way as she guides you to find inspiration and hope.
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Make sense of complicated and confusing feelings no one else seems to understand
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Find the light to navigate a dark and lonely path
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Anchor yourself in calm and comfort when everything feels out of control
No matter your age or stage of life…
Whether the pain of your loss is recent or a weight you’ve carried with you for years, whether you’ve lost a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or best friend, you’ll find your story within the pages of Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time.
You’ll know you’re not alone and begin to find the strength and courage to move forward.
“Hope can begin when the mind begins to see a different future.”
- Excerpt from Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time
Not Your Typical Cookbook
This book invites you into a deeply personal journey of resilience and renewal. It weaves together the raw truths of loss with the quiet, nourishing power of food as a companion in healing.
More than just a cookbook, this is an empowering self-care gift for yourself or someone you love!
Whether you’re grieving, supporting someone going through a loss, or simply enjoy the soulful comfort of cooking, Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time is for you!
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About the Author
Patti Comeau-Simonson, Peer Grief Specialist
Hello! I’m Patti!
It’s said that when you lose someone you become a member of the club no one wants to be a part of.
Isn’t that the truth?
Despite being something we’ll all experience at one time or another, despite being part of this so-called “club”, navigating the uncharted path of grief is a lonely endeavor.
My story is one of losing multiple family members within a matter of several years
In my mid-40s, I faced the death of my young husband, David, who I lost to colon cancer, my brother-in-law, and my mother. It nearly swallowed me whole with hopelessness and pain.
Forced to find my own map and way forward…
I found the courage to begin my healing journey. In the months and years following David’s death, I leaned on my faith, perseverance, and community. As I grew, I began guiding others, teaching and supporting the fellow bereaved.
I volunteered at a local hospice in 1995 and became a member of their bereavement department a decade later. I attended Mt. Ida College to obtain my Certificate in Thanatology and from there, created a peer facilitator training program to train others to provide support for the grieving as well. In 2012, after working with over 200 families and training dozens of peer facilitators, I spoke at the Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts. In 2013, I received the American Red Cross Healthcare Hero’s Award for the development of my program.
Since I was a young girl, I’ve always loved cooking.
I found it to be a balm for my soul, providing me with presence, calm, and comfort. When David died, it took me a long time to find my way back to the kitchen. Caring for myself and even feeding myself felt impossible. But, because you can only take so many chips, dip, and pan lasagnas before you hit a breaking point, I finally found the courage to cook again.
It was in reconnecting with simple, delicious, and comforting foods that I began to heal and rediscover love, joy, and hope.
Telling my story is part of my purpose and commitment to helping others endure the pain of uncertainty and loss. I hope this book offers you the warmth, grace, and nourishment you need to courageously navigate your own healing journey.
"Good food is very often, even most often, simple food."
- Anthony Bourdain
Let this be your guide and support you to find hope, love, and joy
Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time
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Patti’s mother’s signature Clam Chowder with fresh clams and rich broth provides savory warmth and comfort
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David’s mother’s decadent Sunday Gravy will nourish and relax
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Anna's Zucchini and Sweet Sausage is a simple and easy dish so you can support yourself
So many more recipes await (just not lasagna)
Reconnect to flavor and awaken loving memories through your tastebuds.
For more informational resources, as well as personal stories and inspiration, check out my Blog here.
