Bread and Wine

Preparing food is a form of art, I think.

It is an art that I don't possess. To me, the act of making food is a task. Just another part of my day as mom.

I recently read the book Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist that changed my perspective. It made me look at meal making as more than a task. Throughout the book she reminded me of the beauty of sharing a meal. She impressed on me the art of making food (which does not mean the food is made perfectly) and of creating something to share with those you love around a table.

In one of the last chapters she writes,

This is what I want you to do: I want  you to tell someone you love them, and dinner's at six. I want you to throw open your front door and welcome the people you love into the inevitable mess with hugs and laughter. I want you to light a burner on the stove, to chop and stir and season with love and abandon. Begin with an onion and a drizzle of olive oil, and go from there, any one of a million different places, any one of a million different meals. 

Gather the people you love around your table and feed them with love and honesty and creativity. Feed them with your hands and the flavors and smells that remind you of home and beauty and the best stories you've ever heard, the best stories you've ever lived.

I love that. I love the reminder that making a meal along with hospitality are acts of love that are really more about the people you are sharing them with than the food you are preparing.

In my last post I shared my desire to invest in relationships more. Shauna's book inspired me in one way to act this out. I want to follow-through on what she asked, to invite people to meet around my table, to share food, and life and love.

I may not be able to create meals that others consider art; but if I make them with love and a willingness to share, I think that will be more than enough.