Good Food Feels Good

Tutto finisce a tarallucci e vino.

It all ends in biscuits and wine —

In Italy, where great food, beautiful ingredients, and flowing wine are abundant, there is a certain kind of magic that bubbles about when the time is taken to savor. Each flavor, each ingredient, each color, and the way it all comes together in a symphony of taste not only tastes good on the palate going in, but also sparks something powerful in our minds and our hearts, reminding us of the glorious experience of eating delicious food. Of course, the chemical reaction occurring is a release of endorphins caused by the pleasure we experience through devouring the meal in a slow and ritualistic way. As is often the case, however, in the Western ideology of eating our meals, savoring, taking the time to cook, and actively stepping away from life to share an intimate moment with the sustenance we all need, is often pushed aside in favor of fast meals, helping us to get on with the other, more important, aspects of our lives.

What if, the most important aspect, though, is actually the ritual of eating itself?

I challenge you, to carve out some time in your life some Saturday or Sunday night, to experiment with the pleasure of eating. Find a recipe that excites you, do the work of going to whatever grocery store is necessary in order to find the correct ingredients, and set aside an evening (or a morning if you are one of those elusive breakfast lovers) to cook, eat, and truly enjoy yourself.

Put on a playlist of tunes that fit with the mood, or the type of food. Andrea Bocelli for Italian; classical guitar for Mexican; C’est si bon for French. Pour yourself a drink. Put on an apron, and cook. Take the time to taste the flavors as you’re adding ingredients. Thinking about how each one changes the way you feel as you work to create a cacophony of magic in a dish.

When it’s all finished, grab a beautiful plate, arrange the meal like a professional, sit with a candle and the music still playing, and eat. Avoid the television, the computer, the phone, or any other distraction designed to remove you from the all encompassing experience of savoring the flavors and textures of what you’ve created. Take small bites. Listen to the music. Gaze into the flicker of your candle. Ponder how the food changes the space in your body. Just be there with you and your food.

Given the chance, you may just discover that good food really does feel good.