When I was preparing the lamb earlier this month, I looked at the bottle of wine that I needed to pull out for the recipe and came to a decision: I would make a nice place setting, dim the lights a little, and give my meal some ambiance. Topped with a side serving of Henry Miller, I had an amazing meal. A rare, amazing meal. But while the food was great, it rests in my memory banks more for the experience.
The dinner got me to thinking -- even those of us who spend much of our days thinking, talking, making, or writing about food don't always give it the attention it deserves. Think about it -- you taste something, you moan, you devour, but you also get sidetracked by diversions -- television, conversation, busyness. It's quite easy to appreciate, but not really concentrate, on a dish.
But we should, at least a little more. A simple and nice place setting invokes similar responses and feelings to one set for a bigger deal. A wine or flavored water will touch the tastebuds in a way cola can't. Running a paper napkin across your lips is nothing like cloth. But more than all of that, it's the feeling the whole package evokes -- time to relax, enjoy, and savor your food. The spotlight has been turned on, and directed towards your plate.
If you find a quite night in the middle of holiday stress, slow town, take a moment, and make yourself something special. We put so much care into picking our food, why not how we plate and eat it? Sometimes it makes all the difference.
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