Dining With Desire

The special day dedicated to romantic love, friendship, and adoration is fast approaching. Why must Valentine’s Day get a bad rap by some? Alert the media because I adore it wholeheartedly as it is one of my love languages. Whether you choose to celebrate it or not, dining out with your boo has become a societal response to celebrating V-day. Who doesn’t enjoy those moments of a beautiful, shared meal? Placing Valentine’s Day aside for a moment, my main focus for this post is about the art of Dining With Desire. Manifesting thoughts, experiences, and emotions with loved ones around the table should be celebrated every single day.

‘Remind me to tell you about the time I looked deep into the heart of an artichoke’ – All About Eve (1951)

Some of my favorite movies are just that BECAUSE of the food scenes. Chocolat, Julie & Julia, Soul Food, Like Water for Chocolate, The Hundred-Foot Journey are only a few films that have inspired me throughout my culinary explorations. The scene in Chocolat in which they commune around the table, laughing, eating, and smiling gets me every single time. Their speechlessness and expressions on their faces as they relish in the flavors of a chocolate-centered meal are pure gold. And when Meryl Streep tastes her first bite of a pan-fried fish in Julie & Julia, I connect with her inability to understand the deliciousness of her meal. That’s dining with Desire, my friends. You “foodies” out there KNOW what I mean. Although I no longer eat animal products, I still recognize those moments of bliss during a fantastic meal. Watching films such as these makes my Desire for food soar.

But, are our desires our own?

When we desire, we think those desires are our own, but, often, they’re not. What we have are mimetic desires. We find them from others. Philosopher, René Girard, explains that when we start to like something, it is because someone else likes it. Then their desires become our desires. Let’s take Instagram, for instance. When I see a gorgeous photograph of the most colorful and bountiful buddha bowl in existence, I want it, and I want it now. The Desire for that bowl becomes something I want but didn’t want a second before I stumbled upon the photo.

My point is this: how do we make our passions our own? We can take those mimetic desires and use them to inspire us to create our own! Whether it be in the realm of wearing the latest fashion, living a more healthy life, wanting beautiful things, or needing a fancy meal, take those desires and make them your own. Wear that dress because it speaks to you and your confidence, not because Leggy Peggy has one. Be healthy because you want it for yourself, not because social media is fat-shaming you into some crazy fad diet that will leave you miserable in the end. And more importantly, take those recipes you desire and turn them into inspiration. Elevate them to another level of awesomeness using your creativity. Share yourself in all your beauty through self-expression, self-love, and a wonderful meal with others.

Dining with Desire: reasons to share a meal

• It encourages gratitude. I love seeing a table covered with a family-style spread presenting bounty and love. Great food and great company is a joyful thing, you guys!
• It is a chance to connect. Stack your phones on top of one another and sit with your tribe. There is no substitution for real-time conversation and bonding. Enjoy the time you have with the ones you love face to face, not through Facebook Messenger. A game I like to play when dining out with friends is whoever reaches for their phone first pays for everyone else.  
• Eating together is a great way to create memories. Tell stories from the past, or share older memories with new friends or younger souls.
• Dining together can be a destresser for a long day. When you eat alone, you either work through dinner, sit in front of the boob-tube, or multitask on your phone. Take your mind off the day, relax, and be present with others.
• When dining at home with family or in a dinner party setting, we tend to eat healthier. For me, it is so much fun planning and preparing a meal for a large group dinner. It makes me more conscious and intentional about what goes on the table and into our bellies. 

Bangin’ Bangers with Rutabaga Mash

This recipe for Bangin’ Bangers with Rutabaga Mash is my Desire this Valentine’s holiday. And let me tell you, I love it too much, I think! I am committed to expressing love through what I create in the kitchen. I also understand that respecting individual needs and preferences is essential in my job. But, what gives me the greatest joy is nourishing others, and providing a way for people to send love to those they love through the food and recipes I share. My recipes are just starting points for you. Any method can be reworked, changed, or adapted to fit your liking. I want to inspire your desires!

Enjoy your day of love with good people and good food. Here is my It Must Be Love playlist for you to enjoy while you’re in the kitchen, creating your magic! It is the perfect embellishment for dining with Desire! 

*Featured photo by Lex Sirikiat