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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Mastering the Art of Enjoying Food.

I love good food.

I feel that it's important to get that out of the way right at the onset.

There are many books on cooking, and food, and concepts of "food therapy," sensory memory, etc. I don't really have any desire to compete with any of those venues, because, honestly, I have neither the time, nor the inclination, nor, in the more scientific areas, the educational background.

What I do have, though, is the firm belief that good food needs to be not simply eaten, but enjoyed. Everyone has a favorite dish (or several), or a style of cooking that is particularly appreciated, be it apple pie that their grandmother used to make or a spicy Korean side dish that can burn through solid steel and yet tastes like a piece of heaven solidified.

The point is, for a food to be truly memorable, it needs to be more than just good - it needs to evoke something, a pleasant memory of a sunny Saturday long ago or a general feeling of contentment.

So my advice (and take it with a grain of salt) is that the next time you take a bite or a sip, or even a healthy slurp of something that makes you go "Wow, this is really good," take a moment, close your eyes, let your mind drift, and take the next bite; what is the first thing that pops into your head, the first thought, or emotion, or image?  Exhale deeply (though preferably through the nose, so that you don't spray the people near you with half-chewed delicious food), open your eyes, and for another moment think about how you feel.

Enjoy your meal.

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