Our culture tends to forget that food does have transformative powers when it is placed in a context and forms the underpinnings of a relationship.
It is Julia Child motivating Julie Powell to change who she was as a person. It is connecting with someone who is hungry when you volunteer for Harvester's. And it is the New York Times' story of Thomas Keller, chef/owner of The French Laundry, reuniting with his father late in life over the dinners Keller cooked for him:
Memories are what Mr. Keller strives to create with all his food. And food memories are something he said he cherishes about his last years with his father. Especially that last meal.Keller also has a new cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home, that is earning praise for its casual and playful tone despite the fact that Keller is known for being exacting and focusing on food that requires extensive preparation. It is how the introduction ends that suggests why a meal can transcend the dinner table:
"When we eat together, when we set out to do so deliberately, life is better, no matter your circumstances."So eat together. And cook together with your friends and family. It doesn't matter whether you cook well or opt for takeout, it makes life better.
