Cooking and eating good food together, regardless of location, provides a plethora of opportunities for discovering and experiencing and learning new things; in short, having an adventure.
Chopping together, setting the table, finally hearing “a tavola!” (to the table!), gathering, taking a deep breath, looking around at those gathered (whether it’s two or 20), saying grace if that’s your habit, raising glasses, then passing the dishes or waiting for the chef to carve or serve, going back to the kitchen for the salt and pepper you forgot, beginning a conversation, wandering through topics, controversial or not, sharing books, ideas, travails, joys, sipping something appropriate all the while… and then it’s time to clear the table, wash the dishes (or leave them ’til morning), linger over good-byes, take another deep breath and head upstairs with a bit of a smile thinking of that funny thing Walter said, the one you were so glad was available because he never fails to provide a moment of merriment, then thinking of what Lou said about the cool new thing happening at the university in your own community, or Nancy’s children who live on another continent or Debbie’s latest update on his son in the military far, far away.
Since Mark is such a great cook, and the things he makes are so pretty, I’ve been taking photos and posting a few things of my own on a loose and not-well-monitored cooking blog called Chard, Etc. Since it’s a sort of filing system for myself, I’m afraid it looks like my desk – it needs cleaning up. But I’ve never worried much about cleaning up before people come over – they aren’t here to inspect my house, they’re here to enjoy some time together. The little messes can be ignored and I’ll get to most of them eventually.
Hither, Yon and Skies 