Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Gratitude Project
Day 18 – Food
Today was my actual birthday. I am now 40. Phew. The thing I look forward to most on my birthday is food! I give myself permission to eat anything I want on my birthday. This tradition started when I was a child. My family’s birthday deal – as I’m sure it was for many people – was that my Mom would make my favorite meal for dinner. From about the age of 10, the meal I requested was filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes, and probably green beans. Yeah, I know, pretty bourgeois for a 10-year old. Of course, my sister’s favorite meal was lobster. I think I had béarnaise sauce (a rich, creamy, savory French sauce) at a fancy restaurant with my grandfather once and decided it was the pinnacle of taste sensations. It is a bitch to make though – lots of whisking. More evidence of my mother’s tremendous devotion and patience.
Today’s meals weren’t quite as fancy as yesteryear’s, but still plenty tasty. Bacon and bread w/ honey for breakfast. Roasted leek soup, Croque Monsieur, and heirloom tomato salad for lunch (c’mon, this is California afterall). Indian takeout and chocolate cake for dinner. A whole day full of serious yumminess.
And not only am I grateful for the feasts of the day, I’m grateful that I have such unlimited access to high-quality food. Recent reports indicate that 37 million Americans (or 1 in 8) have unstable access to adequate food. I have no idea what the numbers are worldwide - although my sister does. She used to work for an organization called Bread for the World, whose focus is on advocacy and policy to end world-wide hunger. Check it out. Most of us are richer than we know in so many ways. It’s good to feast. And it’s good to remember that others need help to find their place at the table.
Photo: Shamima Desai
Labels: Gratitude Project
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