on my love of food.

there is just something about food.
to me, even an ordinary dinner can speak volumes.  at least that is my perspective.  i know not everyone can understand this,  but some of my most intimate and involved relationships have revolved around food.  to me, cooking and eating together = love.
i have always taken pride in our family dinners.  as the years have passed the dinners have changed.  we no longer have the chaos of a young family, which was both wonderful and maddening, and it is something i have sorely missed. we still have dinners together just not as routinely as we used to.  but it means a lot to me that i have taught my children how important it is to take some time to enjoy a meal together and i am grateful to have had the opportunity to instill this ritual in our family.

i feel eating connects people in such a good way.  perhaps it goes back to my childhood where my mother always saw to it that we sat down to a proper meal each evening.  we learned a lot about each other around the dinner table. my memory of my own family growing up is that of a full dinner every evening with a million friends, a phone that was always ringing, a lot of plans, dinner parties, coffees, and people stopping by just because.  one of my mother’s many gifts is her immediate and expansive warmth, the genuine way she welcomes everyone into her life.
she taught me you can experience a  whole country through food without ever having been there. cooking has always been my easiest way of understanding the world.  i can relate to food-  it's just that simple.

there are still so many things in life i want to do and experience -  food and travel are at the top of that list. when i have travel thoughts in my head they usually consist of a huge table filled with all sorts of dishes from wherever i am dreaming about traveling to.  when i visited france i was truly amazed at the government decree that children spend a minimum of 30 minutes at the lunch table. meals aren't just about eating but also about socializing with friends.  teaching children to patiently sit thorough meals and enjoy conversations with loved ones is such an important skill in life.
when we visited italy all my dreams came true.  the food, the people, the connections, it was everything
i ever thought it would be. and of course, food was at the center of it all.

so maybe for today you can take some time to plan and enjoy a special meal with someone you love.
i think candles, tablecloths, and special dishes make things magical.

"all great change in america begins at the dinner table."
Ronald Regan

love sent, xo