I called it a “grief dinner,” but it was more celebratory than sad. Everyone brought a dish that reminds them of someone they love and have lost. I prepared sardines for my father, my mother’s “sloppy chicken,” my sister’s salad and chocolate chip cookies for my teenage daughter, gone much too soon. We said our loved ones’ names and let food be the gateway to their stories. The people who weren’t there were just as important as the ones who were. I invited eight people for dinner, but there were 20 of us around the table. — Jessica Fein