As those who know we will testify, good food is an important part of my life.
By good food I mean fresh and healthy food that is not significantly processed and which contributes to a robust and energetic life.
The topic of food and what we eat is very contentious at the moment.
Vegetarianism, veganism, the local sourcing of foodstuffs and the issue of food air miles have all become heated issues recently. This is partly due to the influence of the internet, of course, but it is also to do with the individualistic and personal age we live in.
Go back a generation or two and the priority for most western families was in putting food on the table that got the family through a challenging day. The intervention of science and consumer capitalism turned this responsibility into a more pleasure-orientated and choice-led enterprise.
Which in itself is not such a bad thing.
For most of us in the West today we have more choices and convenience where what we eat is concerned than at any point in history. We are also more aware, in the information age, about what we eat, what we should eat and the impact of our choices on the planet and the people who produce our foodstuffs.
As a result, and like everything in modern life, it’s all a balancing act.
But what makes us most happy when we eat?
Is it what we taste, how much we pay for our food or how we prepare our meals?
For myself pleasure in food comes from all of these priorities and in balancing them for a healthy life. However, I do take great satisfaction in preparing meals from natural ingredients and being involved in the creation of what I eat.
This is because I believe food is not merely a consumable, but also a process. Without this process and the investment we make in what we eat any meal is incomplete and our satisfaction from them is only partial.
By preparing our food and by making choices about it each step of the way (and not just when we eat) we own the act of cooking and enjoy our meals more because of that fact.
So, put aside dependence on pre-prepared food and embrace the creation of great meals. You’ll be more satisfied for doing so and you’ll also be healthier and happier as a result of making this particular choice.
Julien