Photos provided

Aliya's day job as the Gallery Manager at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery (which is part of the Cook County Historical Society), is fitting. "When I went back to school, I fell in love with the field of anthropology (the study of human behavior and culture). Food is so deeply ingrained in every facet of our lives: pleasure, politics, religion, health, and war. When we look back in history, food is interwoven in most major events and cultural defining points.  The very development of mankind as a species is centered around how we accessed food, including the shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture," she said. As an example, the first issue of Table for One focuses on Ramen, and "Covers how food was used as a propaganda and control tool by the US military during the post-WWII occupation of Japan."

Marxen paired that love of history, human behavior, and culture with her passion for food, which started at a young age. Eventually, she realized that cooking was what she was meant to do, which she explains was an "oh duh" type of moment. She got into the culinary industry and stayed for a few years. However, in 2016, she left and moved back to Cook County, with the concept of Table for One in mind. "Even though it didn’t become my forever career, much of what I do in my free time still honors that [food]," she added. 

Since then, Marxen has been creating and developing Table for One. Thanks to community support and a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council which she says was a "game changer", she released the first issue in March. 

As for why it's called Table for One, Aliya said: "I knew I wanted to work predominantly in one or two-portion meals. Coming from a family of 6, I had a hard time adjusting to cooking for just one person when I left home. I keep my recipes small: it can be easier to scale up for a big family than to break something into a tiny portion."

A lot of work goes into each issue, as one may imagine. Marxen shared that she spends hours researching "Books, scientific articles, academic lectures, and documentaries" about the specific food item. After she feels enough information has been collected, she spends "several weeks" whittling it down. Writing the issue begins afterward. And if that's not enough, she's also simultaneously creating recipes and taking photos. "Once the content is worked out, I start building the issue online. I go through 3 or 4 drafts before forcing myself to be done, crossing my fingers, and sending it off to the printers."

So, what can readers expect as far as topics in the future? How are specific foods selected?

"Two of my 2024 topics, Ramen and Oysters, were easy choices for me. When I started sharing images of the food I was cooking, my ramen bowls always got people interested the most. It is sort of a thank you letter to everyone who encouraged me to share more over the years. And then oysters are one of my favorite foods. When I cooked, I worked predominantly at a raw bar and shucked hundreds of oysters every weekend. I learned a lot about their varieties, flavor profiles, and anatomy. Later, when I began looking into their role in history, I was floored by how important they have been to ancient populations all over the world – including here in America."

The two other topics for 2024 are Tomato and Potato, which she says were "More thoughtfully chosen". The tomato came from a time when she says she was enjoying some heirloom tomatoes from the Cook County Coop, and became a natural choice for the summer issue. Potatoes were selected because "I wanted to clear their name: they’re not fattening, bad for you, junk food! Potatoes are incredibly nutritious, and have been important to cultures around the world."

Table for One is available digitally or as a physical item, and can be found via Marxen's Patreon subscription service, which has different payment tiers where subscribers can receive different rewards every month, or as a one-time purchase of a digital copy. 

You can also follow Table for One on Instagram here.