Dinner for Two

I love to sit down at the end of the day to a home cooked meal. Day-to-day cooking gets me down sometimes but I am fortunate in that my spouse and I share responsibilities. Sometimes I cook, sometimes he cooks and sometimes we cook together. Chopping, slicing, and other preparatory work doesn't feel like work when accompanied by conversation. And a few sips of wine help too ;-).

Out of the Oven

Out of the Oven, originally uploaded by susanvg.

We had a family dinner on Saturday - not always easy to organize with people's busy lives and out of town work. It was so good to be together. And there is something about sharing a meal - taking time over food, sharing laughter and stories. I love the inter-generational chatter with guests ranging in age from their 20s to their 90s. And it is delightful now to have assistance with my son carving the turkey, my daughter and her friend making the gravy, my cousin bringing salad. Help was at hand ahead with all the preparations. No "Little Red Hen" syndrome here!

Day 219: Chez le Portugais

Day 219: Chez le Portugais, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Dinner out at a Portuguese restaurant, we sampled petiscos - the Portuguese version of tapas. Delectable, delicious, tasty - we lingered over this feast, savouring every morsel, sipping on white Portuguese wine and enjoying the music of fado playing in the background. An evening on the Mediterranean right here in Montreal.

Day 99: Eleven for Dinner

Day 99: Eleven for Dinner, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Holidays bring family together. Tonight we were eleven for dinner. Along with the immediate family there was my nephew who came in from Ottawa just for the evening. My wonderful 91 year old cousin was here. Our grandmother had been married twice. Her mother was the oldest from the first marriage; my mother was from the second marriage. She and my mother were only four years apart. Although our ages are quite different, our relationship is very close. She tells wonderful stories and brings a sense of history to the table. She is a connection to my mother long ago in Russia. Her son and friend joined us from Boston. Another cousin was here - we are distant in terms of the way we are related, but close in terms of our feelings. It is not blood or close family ties that makes a family. Both our mothers came over "on the boat" together. We share history, travels, and many life events.

The family shrinks and grows. While at this time and always, we miss those who are gone, our family is enriched by those who now share our holiday meals - those new relations and relationships that are now family. The warmth we share, the caring for each others' lives, the shared laughter and tears - that is what makes family!

Day 73: Sit down to dinner

Day 73: Sit down to dinner, originally uploaded by susanvg.

The end of a day and no photograph worthy of posting. Food always makes a good subject.

Sitting down to dinner is so much more than eating. Food is so essential to our lives. It gives sustenance and for those of us fortunate enough to live in places of plenty we revel in the variety of colours, tastes, aromas and textures. A meal shared is more than the food - it is the conversation, the sips of wine. Slow food. The stir fried chicken is in a pottery dish made by a potter whom I know. Each time I fill it with food, memories of shared times at CAMMAC, a music camp in the Laurentians escape. The items on the table add to the experience - their beauty, memories and even functionality create an ambiance which sets this time aside from the rest of the day.

So much more than the sum of the parts and so much better than fast food.