By Sarah Golibart Gorman, contributor
Foodie Q&A is a series showcasing the Harrisonburg food community. Food enthusiast and storyteller Sarah Golibart Gorman interviews food and drink makers behind the Friendly City food scene. You’ll read about their origins, creative processes, aspirations, and go-to spots in town. Fresh articles drop the second Tuesday of each month from June 2024 to June 2025.
This month, Gorman sat down with Melissa Lapp, Friendly City Food Co-op’s deli manager, to discuss memories of her Amish grandmother, Melissa’s cheesemaking skills, her love of baking and so much more.
Gorman: Can you tell me where you grew up and about the food you grew up eating?
Lapp: I was born in Belize and adopted. My family had a mission down there. I grew up in a small town in New York near Buffalo, Cassadaga, New York. We were a part of a very religious community, and their belief was that you need to be able to grow and provide everything for yourself and not depend on outside sources. So I grew up around food. We grew all our own vegetables and raised animals for food. I learned how to butcher chickens, cows, and pigs.
Gorman: When did you begin cooking and who taught you?
Lapp: My cooking experience came from my grandma. She was seventh-generation Amish. She and my grandfather left the Amish church in the 60’s and started their own group, which then kind of morphed into this cult-like community that I ended up leaving.
My grandma was all about simple cooking. She would always talk about how you can have simple food, but the way you present it is everything. I remember her roast chicken and perfectly whipped mashed potatoes always served with a green vegetable, whether it was asparagus that we harvested or a dandelion salad that she sent us out to gather.
In the winter, my grandmother would send my cousins and I out to harvest Brussel sprouts in three feet of snow. It was so much fun, we loved it. Every fall, we’d cover the carrots, beets and Brussels sprouts with straw and then we’d dig through the snow to harvest them. It was like a treasure hunt.
The funniest memory I have is my grandma teaching me and my cousins how to blow pork intestines for making sausage. After the pig was butchered, we’d soak the intestines in saltwater and then blow through them to see if there were any holes. Then we’d fill them with ground pork and wherever the hole was, we’d cut it and start another sausage. It was so funny to see her do it.
Gorman: What brought you to Harrisonburg?
Lapp: My family in New York believed that their group was the only right group and that everyone else was condemned. In my early 20’s I realized there were a lot of things that I didn’t agree with, so I chose to leave. My mom came with me, not knowing what the future held. It was very challenging because I lost everything and a lot of my family disowns me to this day for leaving. I had to start over from the ground up.
I had an uncle in Harrisonburg. I didn’t know anyone other than him. I had $500 that a friend from the outside gave me when I left.
Gorman: Can you share about some of the places you worked before the Co-op and the lessons you learned?
Lapp: When I first moved here, my first official job was working for A Bowl of Good, they were just starting off. That really helped me learn about how a business grows. I grew up in a very strong business family. My family had a ton of businesses, like retail produce, a dairy, breeding horses and dogs, but this was the first time I worked in a serious food establishment. Then I worked at Bella Gelato as a baker. And then from there, the Co-op.
Gorman: I know you have a passion for baking. How does that fit into your life now?
Lapp: People will reach out and hire me to make cupcakes for a birthday party or a wedding cake. I have some recipes that I’m very proud of like my Concord grape apple pie. I know an apple pie sounds basic, but I’m very proud of my recipe. I like to include a surprise ingredient. That’s how a lot of my cooking is.
Gorman: What’s a day in the life of Melissa the deli manager?
Lapp: I’m in charge of scheduling, ordering, hiring, firing, making sure that the food in the deli case, hot bar, and salad bar is up to the Co-op standard. In a grocery store, you do get a ton of customer interactions and feedback so I’m constantly listening to people, trying to make them feel like they’re being heard and served.
Gorman: What do you like to do in your free time?
Lapp: I like to run. It started as a way to take my mind off work, challenge myself, and not get stagnant in my life, something to help me believe that I could do something when others were telling me I couldn’t. I’m training for a Spartan Race in Massanutten in the fall. I’m not sure what the course will be like. They usually have a 5k or 10k and then obstacles you have to go through. So, I’m working on strength training right now. I like to work out at Burn Boot Camp, it helps me stay in top shape mentally. If I’m not doing well mentally, then I’m not a good boss.
I also love doing humanitarian work. I’ve been to Greece twice to volunteer at a refugee camp for people who have been displaced. I’ve sorted clothes, handed out food, and put care packages together. It’s been really impactful for me. I feel like it helps me get perspective on how much I have. And some of the best food I’ve had is in a tent in the middle of a refugee camp. One time, a family welcomed me into their tent and served curry chicken cooked over a flame, rice, and fresh tomatoes. We sat on the dirt floor and ate together. We didn’t speak the same language, but the food spoke for us.
Gorman: You’ve worked at the Co-op for 10 years now. What has your experience been like?
Lapp: It felt good to reach that milestone. When I started at the Co-op, I only planned to work there for a year. But 10 years just flew by. I love using fresh ingredients. That’s key for me. That’s from my upbringing. I love the fact that the Co-op works with so many local farmers and other local businesses, even cheese makers.
I was a cheesemaker for five years back in New York. I taught myself by reading a lot of books and a lot of trial and error. The community built a small cheese making facility with a cheese vat imported from the Netherlands, a cheese press and a cheese cave.
I made cheddar, fresh mozzarella, and feta using the milk from my family’s dairy. I even won awards for my feta and cheddar recipes at a cheese conference with the American Cheese Society. I love clothbound aged cheddar, it just has a really unique taste.
Gorman: What aspirations do you have for the future? What’s next for you in your food journey?
Lapp: Long term, I would hope that I would be either at the Co-op or at another business bringing people together through food. I will always welcome the opportunity to provide culinary experiences where local ingredients and the seasons dictate the menu.
A long-time dream of mine is opening a bakery for women in recovery. I’d like to provide a place for women who are struggling because they were formerly incarcerated or any other reason. I find that kneading dough and punching dough is such a stress reliever. I’d like to help other women on their healing journey.
Gorman: What are some of your go-to spots in town to eat or drink?
Lapp: I love The Ridge Room. I find the chef’s food to be very simple and so good. It reminds me of home. I also love Mashita.
Gorman: Who would you love to cook for? Anyone in the world who you admire.
Lapp: Chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen. Or Anthony Bourdain, I know he’s passed, but I really admire the way he traveled and experienced food culture.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You can find Melissa’s food in the deli case, salad bar, and hot bar at the Friendly City Food Co-op, open all week 8am – 8pm. You can follow Melissa’s baking and running adventures on social media here.
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