What does food mean to you?

Saranak

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Ciao everyone,

I have often wondered what does food mean to people, simply a means to survive or something more. Do we just eat for the sake of eating or do we explore, expand and simply try other flavours?
I have been personally very guilty of sticking to the cuisine of my birth, Naples. I suppose it is because I am comfortable with what I know, Not long after we married my husband introduced me to Indian food, he was very patient with me as my English then was almost non existent. However I found some of the dishes to my liking. And in the early eighties there were very few Italian restaurants where we lived. I tried to make the food I grew up with however many times I found myself frustrated.
I have learned over the years.
I would love to know what others feel about this?

Sarana x
 
It is a palate pleasing entity! We love the new flavors and aromas we experience on or culinary adventures. We rarely have the same dish within 2 months. There are only a couple of Italian restaurants near us that we consider good. No pizza, have to make reservations and usually drop $200.00 to $300.00 each time. The service is excellent and the food is superb. We only go there a couple times a year. Seafood, forget about it. I only cook it at home, because I'm a seafood snob!
 
It is a palate pleasing entity! We love the new flavors and aromas we experience on or culinary adventures. We rarely have the same dish within 2 months. There are only a couple of Italian restaurants near us that we consider good. No pizza, have to make reservations and usually drop $200.00 to $300.00 each time. The service is excellent and the food is superb. We only go there a couple times a year. Seafood, forget about it. I only cook it at home, because I'm a seafood snob!
There is nothing snobbish I have found many restaurants that serve seafood are not good. Nothing worse than over cooked fish, this can be understood in say Birmingham where our fish is not as fresh as we would like however, I cannot forgive when it is a coastal place. have a number where I live and I hate them all. I did once attempt to explain and said I would show them; I was dismissed like I did not know anything? My husband said that I was from Naples the man looked at him and showed no understanding, he simply said this is Dominoes and ours are the best? My husband then said where were Pizza originally made? The idiot said London!!!
Craig, the thing we came away with was like a Duvet spread with God knows what, just the smell put me off, whatever that was it was no Margarita . I appreciate that food should evolve however, with something like Pizza keep the traditions, wafer thin base, the best quality sauce and toppings.
I recently tried Greek food during a holiday and I did enjoy; I had a dish that was called Shrimp in red sauce. It was lovely the Shrimps were large and well cooked, the sauce was delicious. I will try just about anything but I always go back to my roots.
Sarana x
 
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Food is one of the great pleasures of life to me. It brings joy to me every day, and I've seen plenty of people experience the same. Food can connect us to each other, and tell a story. When I share my family's recipes with someone I am just getting to know, it is a way to share where I come from and who I am. Food also tells me a lot about who other people are and even what a culture is like.

Food and life are intertwined, wihout food there is no life and without life there can be no food because food is a living thing. I can say without apology that I live to eat, not eat to live. Food is a daily joy for me and I hope I can enjoy it until the day I die.
 
Food is one of the great pleasures of life to me. It brings joy to me every day, and I've seen plenty of people experience the same. Food can connect us to each other, and tell a story. When I share my family's recipes with someone I am just getting to know, it is a way to share where I come from and who I am. Food also tells me a lot about who other people are and even what a culture is like.

Food and life are intertwined, wihout food there is no life and without life there can be no food because food is a living thing. I can say without apology that I live to eat, not eat to live. Food is a daily joy for me and I hope I can enjoy it until the day I die.
A person after my own heart! Food can bring people together and can be an immediate indicator where a person is from. I am from Naples and I also live to eat as do my children and husband now, meal time used to be one of the few times that we got together as a family. My children are all grown up now and have families of their own and I am pleased to say have a similar philosophy as I. Indeed my eldest Son Luca has moved back to Naples with his wife and two sons (His wife is from Rome) And she loves to cook for her family as do I, I believe that a wife and mother has a duty to provide her family with the best food she can. That may not sit well with some however, Napulitano women are brought up to believe that.
Food should always be a pleasure and a joy, even the preparation, not a chore. Some of the most animated and passionate conversations I have ever had has been about food, everyone does and should have an opinion I may not particularly agree with them but I will respect their right to have that opinion.
Sharing recipes from my family and home is the reason that I joined this site.
When I share a recipe I do so with the hope that the person gats the same pleasure from it that my family do; my daughter Maria still loves to join me in the kitchen to make food for the family.
My husband and I have travelled widely over the forty years that we have been married and I have tried a great number of food from all over the world however, I still return to my roots yet, I have discovered some ingredients that I have adopted and include in some of the dishes that I make.

Sarana x
 
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[Mod Note: A number of posts have been deleted from this thread as they refer to an original remark which has now been deleted by the poster However, this remark was obviously still visible in quoted replies. The original poster has apologised for any offence caused.

I have edited out the offensive words I managed to find out how to do so. In future I will seriously consider my words before I post anything.
Again my apologies
Sarana x
 
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Ok, here we go:

What does food mean to me? Well, I'm not going to get too touchy-feely about it and go on and on about family and togetherness and all that, because that's really not me. I grew up that way, with 10 or so people around the table, but I'm not good with crowds, so now as an adult (I'm 53), I like small, intimate meals with my wife. Easy to do because we don't have kids.

For me, the act of cooking is as pleasurable as eating. I love a good meal, no doubt, but I love prepping ingredients, stirring sauces, frying things and having all that come together into a good meal that's somehow more than just the ingredients.

I look forward to cooking as much as I look forward to eating.

Now, just as importantly, things I don't like or things that food doesn't mean to me:

I don't like entertaining. I don't like cooking for others except my wife. I don't like cooking in a hurry (though I have to quite often).

I don't like rules regarding cooking. If I make a mistake and I break a cheese sauce, fine, you can tell me I made a mistake. But if you just don't like something I made or think that it breaks some rule or tradition and tell me I made a mistake, I'll gladly point you to McDonald's, wish you well, and shut the door in your face. :)

I have a very strong belief that the cook is in charge in the kitchen. One boss. That's me. I don't want anyone else in the kitchen at all when I'm cooking. I absolutely will not cook with someone else. When I'm cooking, stay out! Eating may be social, cooking is not in my house.

That means I also set the menu. MrsTasty is free to make requests, and I frequently honor those (as in last night's meal and tonight's), but ultimately, what we have is up to me, and if I don't want to cook something, I won't, and if I do want to cook something, I will, and my wife has to adjust accordingly. There's rarely an issue, though, and never a fight about it. If I make something she doesn't want, she just has a bowl of cereal or a bowl if ice cream.
 
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