Shared Food is the Best!

What are your favorite types of foods?

“Shared” Food. I am not sure “shared food” is really a type of food; however, sharing food with others changes the experience of the food- it is a type of food for me. I am nourished by the connection food can bring.

While I eat alone (often at least once daily), my favorite foods are the ones I share. I enjoy coffee with my wife almost every afternoon after she returns from work on weekdays or around 4 on the weekends. I also enjoy meeting folks for coffee. I enjoy dinners with my family, lunches with friends, breakfasts with colleagues. There is something about “breaking bread” together that makes food better for me.

Simple Food. If I am not necessarily going to be sharing a meal, my go-to foods are simple ones. I enjoy foods that are simple to prepare and contain simple ingredients (relatively simple, anyway). I love a simple bowl of whole-grain oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup. I enjoy black beans and rice, where the black beans are prepared with sautéed peppers and onions, a little cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic. I love fresh gluten-free yeast bread, baked in my own oven. I love a summer, vine-ripened tomato. I enjoy fresh fruits of all kinds. I love foods where the flavors are invited to speak for themselves, where I can relish each “voice” in the chorus rather than being overpowered by the loudest one!

Shared and/or simple, I believe eating is an experience in itself. I try not to treat eating as a means to get to the “next thing” in my schedule. Instead, I try to be mindful of each bite, to enjoy each shared conversation. Mostly, I am thankful that I have food to eat and share.