The more events I curate, the more I am uncovering the complexity of food. It is the center of a dinner party, the beauty of a spread. The food table is a place to seek refuge during a moment of unease at an event. Yet, at the same time it is a piece of the puzzle that is coated in confusion. Think of the number of desserts you see go untouched at a luncheon. Or the bread we simply can't waste our calories on. I was recently speaking with a girlfriend and we both agreed our method of social eating is to take one less bite than the person next to us.
Asking why we are this way is of course a loaded question. One full of past quip comments and hidden digs in the pages of magazines. It is not lost on me the pain (most) associate with food. I once dated a man whose primary reason for cheating on me was because my arms were not skinny enough and my sides were home to slight love handles.
And while I still spend much more time than needed examining myself in front of a mirror, I have also made the effort to change my views on food. I want food to be a moment wrapped in love. Like the dress you wore on a night you will never forget. To begin a party with a small dose of nerves and a matching bite of nosh. Followed with the ease of conversation with a plate full of mains. Lastly a moment shared with someone new over a dessert you will eagerly remake together over bouts of nostalgia in years to come. "Do you know what I'm craving? That cake we had the night we met".
May each day bring a small sliver of this. A pastry over coffee with an old friend, lunch served to your aging grandparents, or a tiny bite of something sweet for you and your loved one before bed.
May we all begin to redefine food as something we love to enjoy, over something we fear to indulge in.