Mealtime Inspiration

"There are so few opportunities for pleasure in life and food is the only one we can rely on. Three times a day we are able to take some joy for ourselves - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why would anyone waste that chance, throw it away on unsweetened coffee and dry breadsticks if he could afford to eat anything he chose?"

(An excerpt from Nicky Pellegrino's When in Rome.)

I have a confession to make...

I do not get along well with food.

Yes, I know that's weird.

I've never written about it here on my blog.

I guess it's because I don't feel anyone would care to know.

But the truth is, eating gives me stomach aches.

I've lived this way for many years so I am used to it.

I try not to let it affect my relationships and my family, so I've always thought my long standing disagreement with meals never hurt anyone but me.

And I can live with that!

But conviction (and also inspiration!) can come at the most unsuspecting times, and in the most random of ways!

I began a new book yesterday.

A friend recommended When in Rome by Nicky Pellegrino, and I dove into it just yesterday.

I do not read books, I devour them.

I'll have it completed in no time, I'm sure.

One portion of it in particular really intrigued me, and left a gnawing inside of me. A feeling like maybe I've missed out on something really special in life.

It was this...

"Food is one of our strongest memories. When I look back on my life what I recall best are the meals I ate. I grew up in a village in Campania and we didn't have much but in the winter there was always soup to warm us, heavy with beans and pasta, usually flavored with a hock of ham. In the cellar my papa cured prosciutto and in the summer we ate it with the sweet juicy melons that grew in the garden. I remember the cake my Nonna made for my twelfth birthday, honeyed and dense with almonds. And the feasts she'd cook on Sundays. She would blister red peppers over hot charcoal and serve them with a scallopine of veal. At springtime she fried courgette flowers in the lightest batter and then when the weather was cold she made stews of oxtail and celery. In my family eating was love and comfort. It was how we made each day different from the last."

I do not feel this way about food.

But what a beautiful description! 

I can picture a warm and loving kitchen, fragrant with wonderful cooking smells. Maybe a little green plant sitting on a sunny windowsill by the family table, and a cat curled up sleeping in the corner.

'Nonna' would have her hair pulled back and she would be wearing a faded work apron, of course.

Yes, this book transports me into their world when I open it.

And reading this made me wonder if my kids will suffer from my total disregard toward meals.

I do feed my children everyday. But I confess I have often viewed mealtime as a burden... as an interruption... as something I want to hurry through in order to get on with the day.

I want to do better with that!

So today I decided to use my new food inspiration for good, and make a nourishing meal for my family.

It was a delight, and I enjoyed the process.

I boiled eggs and placed them in a bowl of salad.

I made chicken in a skillet of butter, parmesan and garlic, and had mashed potatoes on the side.

For dessert, Elsa helped me make a fruit crisp and we whipped up real cream.

It was a lot of work and a lot of cleanup, but I think it was worth it.

Interesting how a fiction novel (that is really not even about food) could prick me in this way.

It reminds me that inspiration can present itself at any time, and we would be wise to follow it! 

Stomach ache or not.

(*wink)

What about you, friends?

What types of meals do you make for your family?

You are welcome to leave a comment.

Maybe I can learn something from you.

xo,

~ Courtney ~