Not simple because I'm a gluten who loves to devour delicious goodies all day but because of the power of food. On many levels food can affect the way we live, act, communicate, love, our moods and our health. Ever curled up with chocolate cake when your feeling down? Made a special meal to mark an occasion? Eaten a bag of kiwi fruit cause you feel a cold coming on? Eaten an apple a day to keep the Dr away? Made soup to cheer up a poorly friend?.........
We are what we eat is a common saying but I think we are how we eat too. Do we eat alone, with others, by the TV or sharing round a table, round a fire on winter on the deck in summer?
I rarely watch TV in the day but last week I found myself tiered and needing a little comfort. So I whipped up some chocolate custard and a steaming mug of freshly brewed coffee complete with frothy milk and curled up with one of my dogs to indulge. I turned on to a talk show where the host was trying to tell an Italian woman that she had a problem.
She was a "Food Pusher"!
Her parents lived down the road and her sister next door. Most evenings they would all get together bring dishes of meatballs and pasta, stews and pizza for a pot luck meal. The meal would take a couple of hours where the woman would keep offering food and adding it to the peoples plates. The host accused her of making her family unhealthy with all these long indulgent meals and asked her where she 'learnt' this behaviour issue. She pointed out her father who happened to be in the audience and the host shifted his attack to the father who blamed his mother. "she loved food, meals where a big time, its the Italian way and it was so unhealthy she lived to 103"! Well that shut up the host! He seemed to miss the point that in today's fast paced world 3 generations still gathered together to share a meal regularly.
For those 3 family's gathering together each day life happens at the table. The day is discussed in a safe environment with many people to offer help, advice, to laugh at the funny stories and to create lasting bonds. Its a teaching environment for children and a window into a younger world for the grandparents. Stories are passed from generation to generation and traditions are honoured. Wow! What a wonderful thing!
Where I live many of us don't have extended family close by. We seem to adopt each other though and build our own community. This Saturday we had a meal together that lasted 7 hours! There is a hill in our little harbour that runs down to our local country pub. And so at 2.30 people started together at a house at the top of the hill. The house owner had adopted one or two other locals and together they provided a small selection of finger foods for 30 odd people. After 52 minutes (its was careful organised by a detail obsessed scientist who even let us have 8 minuets walking time between homes) we moved to the next house down the hill where the host and their adopted locals put on more food. And so the afternoon carried on into the night. Children through to the young at heart came together to share stories, their week, memories, song and cream pie fights over some delicious nibbles and a glass or two of wine. It brought us together and for a moment one community became a big extended family.
At our home we often will eat together. Our children and young and we encourage them to share. We play the "best and worst" game where each person shares the best and worst bit of the day. It gives us an insight into their lives, provides a safe place for them to share problems and often ends with laughter at someones best bit.
A friend of mine when she was a student really wanted to do a special dinner for her boyfriend but funds were very low. So she found an empty wine bottle in the cupboard and filled it with juice. She got a bag of fish and chips and lit a fire. The pair of them had a picnic on a blanket in front of the fire. Her simple gesture created a memory that they can still share from their poorer days!
If your a good cook, or a can only cook one thing don't worry. This week make sure you share at least one meal with others. Have a pot luck lunch, or ask some friends at work if they wanna have sandwiches outside for a picnic! Lets build our communities one cake at a time!
Happy sharing
Anna
Me slicing melon at our progressive lunchPIG IN A DAY
This weekend we also had another successful Pig in a Day Workshop. We had a great and very interesting group of people this time. Is also been wonderful to hear from some people who have been on the workshop and are now putting their knowledge into practice!
We still have places available for August. to book visit http://www.preserved.co.nz/
Don't forget to order a voucher for your dad this fathers day!, it makes a great present for all your foody dads, aspiring chef dads, meat loving dads and hunter out there!
Daytime TV eh? Sounds like the host think they should be sitting down to a small salad and water before the 2 hour jog - yuck! I miss the good old days when I too sat with 3-4 generations to eat, it was wonderful. I think I'll have to adopt some locals. You on the other hand come come to dinner anytime :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheri, would love to come to dinner!
ReplyDeleteAdpot some locals. Thats what we do as we donthave extended family here. Go for it. :)