Gloria Steinem, the influential feminist activist and writer who died on September 2 at the age of 92, was known less for her culinary skills and more for her belief in the symbolic and political power of shared meals. While not a cook herself, Steinem used the act of gathering around the table as a tool to build relationships, foster dialogue, and advance social causes.

Steinem’s approach to food and dining was pragmatic and unpretentious. Friends recall her Upper East Side apartment kitchens as sparse and often devoid of food. Padma Lakshmi, food writer and television personality, who was a close friend, noted that Steinem’s gatherings typically relied on takeout or catered platters, with the food largely serving as background rather than focal point. Vegetarian Indian dishes occasionally appeared, reflecting Steinem’s culinary influence from her two years living in India after college. However, Lakshmi emphasized that “eating wasn’t the point” for Steinem; instead, she sought to keep conversations at the center of her gatherings.

Steinem regularly hosted events in her multi-level apartment, using the space to bring together a diverse range of people who might not have otherwise met. Amy Richards, a media producer and longtime collaborator, described how Steinem employed the idea of dinner as a platform for dialogue and political organizing, famously protesting the exclusion of women from restaurants and bars during the 1960s.

In addition to private dinners, Steinem maintained friendships through regular communal meals. Beginning in the 1980s, she joined a group of feminist authors—including Marilyn French and E.M. Broner—in what she called a “coven,” meeting at least quarterly on solstices and equinoxes. Carol Jenkins, the group’s sole surviving member, recalled their first dinner lasting from early evening well into the following morning, highlighting the significance of these gatherings as spaces for reflection on personal and collective experiences.

Steinem’s political activism extended into food-related causes. She took part in farmworker rights marches alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and participated in demonstrations challenging gender-based discrimination in public dining spaces. In 1969, she joined the National Organization for Women in a “drink-in” protest at a men-only bar in Chicago and helped publicize an “eat-in” at New York’s Plaza Hotel Oak Room, which at the time barred women from weekday lunch service. The hotel rescinded the policy months later.

Beyond activism, Steinem linked food rituals to broader societal structures, noting how familial mealtime customs often reinforce gender hierarchies, such as who is served first and who receives larger portions. Yet, she ultimately saw gatherings around tables—whether at home, in workplaces, or social spaces—as vital for fostering open dialogue and mutual understanding.

In her 2015 memoir, “My Life on the Road,” Steinem described the importance of “portable community” through talking circles, which she defined as groups engaging all five senses to enable shifts in consciousness. For her, these conversations, often held over shared meals or informal breaks, were a cornerstone of connection and empowerment.