MY VIEW
Some food for thought as Thanksgiving nears
Whenever I think about the mouth-watering aroma of some special meal cooking in the oven, I have to wonder at all of the meals I have consumed and appreciated in the past. At age 59, I must have eaten enough food over the years to provision the Chinese Army, during a monthlong maneuver.
There were times, when finances were tighter, that I appreciated the simple things. A baked potato, served piping hot and smothered in butter, often made my mouth water. Mashed potatoes awash in gravy even now make my taste buds perk up to listen for their stimulation. But then, when you are of Hibernian extraction, the fascination with potatoes is both genetic and culturally ingrained.
And those other times, when lobster and salmon and many beautifully presented “others” sat waiting for me to devour them? What of them? Funny, but I can scarcely remember them. My memories of food are “two dimensional,” sort of flat and sketchy. I can’t seem to grasp the full gustatory onslaught that is the imposing assault on the senses of a real “belly stretcher.”
It is the memories of associative events that I most remember. Holiday meals with the family or many delightful evening soirees, with my charming wife, Mary, in scores of venues in many far away places. For these are the “three dimensional meals” that give shape and substance to the food that I have eaten on these occasions. The laughter, warmth and affection are complementary to the food consumed, enhancing its pleasure immeasurably.
Maybe it was the silk chocolate pie of Maxim’s in Paris, or some delightful ice cream concoction in George’s on the Via Venetto in Rome. Or was it the lobster in any number of Caribbean islands that I most remember? And it is because of the joy that I experienced with them, that I remember these foods. In and of themselves, I seem to have little remembrance of the actual taste of the food item, however artfully constructed. It is sort of like watching a color television that conveys a picture in black and white. You get the basic picture and it is sort of the same thing, but not quite as rich or enjoyable.
And were I, like many of our brethren across the globe, hungry and forlorn, then any crust of bread or bowl of soup would seem like the most heavenly meal I could ever experience.
And I, too, would enjoy watching them eat their fill. The smile on their face would make me long remember that special meal as well. Like most things I guess, food has to be considered in the context in which we receive it and how we then appreciate the bounty that we are given.
So, when you sit down to a table- groaning spread of multiple culinary delights on Thanksgiving Day, remember the blessings that you receive and the spirit in which they are given. Remember, too, that many do not share this bounty and make do with what to us would be crumbs from our table. Share with them in any way that you can. It will enhance your meal immeasurably.
And when we say grace before the meal and thank the Lord for that which we are given, try to be appreciative all of the blessings that we receive. And in this spirit, remember all of the meals that we share as one more occasion to celebrate life. There are no better memories of food to harbor than that.
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