I’ve been trying to be more mindful about reading, or rather remembering to read. I know that sounds silly, but it is so easy to get caught up in other things and simply forget to pick up one of several books I have on my nightstand. My “to read” queue currently consists of a mixture of yoga books and food writing. I suppose that tells you all you need to know about my interests or perhaps what kind of person I am. Or perhaps not.
My current read is MFK Fisher’s An Alphabet for Gourmets (originally published in 1949). I’ve been taking it outside on the patio with my breakfast and tea to enjoy the cool weather before it dissipates for the day, being replaced by uncomfortably warm sunshine and an absence of clouds.
I’ve been underlining various passages or sentences that speak to me in one way or another and wanted to share one from the chapter “J is Juvenile Dining”. She is comparing our relationship with food to that of our forefathers through a description of how different our bread is from that of our ancestors in terms of both quality and our the attitude towards it:
After I initially read that passage, I re-read it, underlined it, then re-read it again. In just those two sentences she made a statement that was just as true in 1949 as it is today. Generally speaking, our relationship with food has changed immensely through time. As humans we tend to have a “go, go, go” mentality, always in a hurry to get somewhere or get something done. This carries over into meal times and the decisions we make concerning food. We grab for pre-made convenience items without really thinking about what is in them and where they have come from. Without delving too far into this topic (I could go on for hours about this issue in particular), I think the take-away from this statement is to be mindful of what you buy and what you eat. Your body won’t thrive on chemicals, stabilizers, and preservatives.
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