Hey Guys,

I guess it might just be that time of the evening, but as I was lying
in bed reading the last few pages of my latest Jodi Picoult novel, I
started TO think about all the glorious types of food I have been
fortunate enough to sample over the years as a result of my travels
across the globe. In a way, some favourite meals ARE kinda like my
kids in that if someone was to pressure me into naming my favourite
dish of all time, well, I probably couldn't do it. As a matter of
fact, I don't see why one should have to have just one favorite anyway
- I mean, why can't we have several dishes that stand out in our mind.
Who's to say there is one dish that stands out so much more than
another anyways!

To be honest though, there are times when I get to thinking about a
particular dish which I have not tried for several years, and I
sometimes say to myself, "hmmm, I wonder if that dish would still
taste the same to me now"? Don't GET me wrong, I don't think there IS
anything wrong with reminiscing about a dish we've loved previously,
and in some cases, I actually think IT is healthy to remember back to
particular situations when you felt 'at one' with the dish you were
consuming.

Gaining an understanding of who we really are, particularly in a
spiritual sense, is valuable to one's sense OF identity and self-
worth. In my case at least, food is the one staple that has helped me
grow both as a human, and sexual being, and I don't think folk should
be too proud or too ashamed to admit that. If we can begin to develop
and nurture our relationships with food, surely then our relationships
with people will be enhanced also as a direct result of the emotional
growth gained from better understanding the impact of food on all our
lives.

For me, food IS more than just eating. It is about using all our
senses to discover the joy we can all gain from letting food into our
lives and embracing the concept of 'food relationships' as something
which IS normal and positive for us as human beings. I think it is a
terrible waste when I walk past fast food establishments and I see
folk gorging away on their food like they are in a race to see who is
first to finish their burger! What's the rush people?!

What IS wrong with caressing our food, and making love to it in a
metaphorical sense? Hasn't anyone else had tingles up and down their
spine when they are just about to dine at their favorite restaurant,
or when they are taking their first bite of a particular meal which
they have been looking forward to eating all day? To me, there is
nothing better than looking deeply at my dish in the brief moment
before I devour it. Sometimes I take the plate and place it and myself
on the floor where I can feel closer to it, and at the same time, feel
something like I imagine a hunter-gatherer would have felt just before
he clubbed a wild saber tooth tiger and dragged the carcass home for
his family to feast upon. The way I feel before and when I eat kinda
depends on the particular dish I guess also. For example, when I eat
rustic, home-cooked style dishes, I usually feel an overwhelming sense
of being transported back to my childhood and I can imagine the
tastes, sights and aromas of days spent without a worry in the world.
In contrast, when I consume a dish which contains strong, or spicy
flavours, I sometimes feel over-powered by a force greater than me,
and all I can do is lie on the dining room floor and let the
experience totally consume me - both physically and emotionally.

Well, I know I have rambled on a bit this evening, but it is just
something that has been on my mind over recent days and I feel
supported enough here on the group to be able to dislose thoughts such
as these.

Would be interested to hear other folk's views and opinions.

Kind Regards and have a Wonderful Candlelit Dinner wherever you are,
Brian