What happened to elegance in eating? When did the concepts of “eating-on-the-go” or devouring plastic-wrapped or boxed meals become appropriate methods of dining? How did eating in front of the TV or in the car become alternatives to the dinner table? Our modern lives are often hectic and mindless; jumping from work to family to social and community obligations. Running down the long to-do list, barely crossing each item off, even exercise has to be scheduled. Many of us have lost touch with what food is and what it does. For many, it is merely a means to quench hunger, rather than to nourish. Our health and meals have sadly become an inconvenience.
Elegance in dining brings to mind fresh, whole foods and ingredients and the time to touch, smell, and taste flavors. Chopping, slicing, cooking, putting love into your foods is elegance. Presentation on a plate with silverware and cloth napkin at a dinner table with candles and the scent of flowers in a nearby vase is elegance. Spending time and nourishing yourself and those you love is elegance. Welcome back elegance and mindfully prepare and eat your next meal.
Photo credit: Jun Belen
