The Social Aspect Of Eating Together

If you are a self taught cook and hung out in your grandmother’s kitchen growing up, or graduated from the CIA or Kendall and have taught the great art of food preparation, the story is still the same.

More families are eating together at home as a result of this recession. While the family meal is changing and becoming more relaxed, the social significance of eating together remains. The draw of the family dinner comes not from the food but from who’s at the table. The benefits that come from family dinners are significant.

In numerous instances in Biblical history, when people entered into a deal, they then shared a meal together. The covenant meal preserved their relationship just as it does with a lot of sales people today.

Deborah Krasner, CCP, is the author of the James Beard Award-winning book, The Flavors of Olive Oil. She recently emailed me and explained her understanding that came from teaching people to cook at her residential culinary vacations:

“I feel like the experience makes a big difference in people's lives, both in terms of a heightened consciousness about local and seasonal foods, and also by realizing the great social benefits of cooking and eating together.”

When I think back about sharing great meals, they have all been around the grill of my brother Terry, who has mastered the art of the BBQ and my brother-in-law Phil cooking his famous Italian cuisine. Together, they have brought the art of cooking and eating to a whole new level in my family.

What are the things that you do to make the social benefits of eating together almost as celebrated as the food you cook? Email me and I’ll be using them in future posts.

Bon Appétit