On Beauty

So, I am constantly around food. All. The. Flippin. Time. I worked at a restaurant. I currently bake at a cafe. I love to cook, experiment, shop at farmers markets, and when I'm feeling social: entertain. I grew up in a family where we talked about the next meal while we were enjoying the current one. Dinner parties are my favorite types of parties, other than pajama parties.... with sundaes of course. And for the most part, I feel as though I have (after a long and hard battle) a good relationship with the wonderful stuffs that fuel me. (note: this does not include McDonalds) And lately, I have been wondering how I got to this place. How is it that someone can go from having a completely terrible relationship what with is suppose to nourish them, to actually nourishing their mind, body, and taste buds?

It really turned a corner when I moved to Paris. Ah, Paris. (cue delightfully European Jaques brel melody) Paris, with its supreme hold and expertise on the senses and how to utilize them, taught me to appreciate beauty. And not just beauty in the Louvre or the fantastic lighting that creates the most brilliantly unmistakable back lit Parisian nights. No, it was more than that. Paris taught me to open my eyes and see what was always in front of me, and while living in Paris that was often times a croissant au buerre. Everything that was created, had so much sense of pride, so much focus and attention to detail, that it would have been a crime to not take your time and enjoy every second of every meal. And, well, not just meals! Even a tiny espresso at a cafe made me feel like some royal family member. It was the passion of the people, and it wasn't something to be taken for granted or to be overused. I began to examine the cups and saucers, the people around me, the pastries and their incredible rich flavor.... and most importantly: myself.

I soon began to realize that these breaks in my day left me recharged and my senses restimulated. I stopped grabbing things and eating on the run. I stopped not paying attention to what I was eating. Eating became a social hour, it became the beauty of my day. While it was almost always stunning visually, it was beautifully tasting, feeling, and socializing with others while I did all of this. We talked about flavor, about art, about life and how what we were experiencing was really what many of us were missing in our daily lives. Seeing the beauty in everything we did.

So, I challenge you, take some time for yourself, to make something beautiful. It might be by creating a spot that you love and enjoying a scone all to yourself. It may be by arranging your dinner beautifully on a place and enjoying it with nice silverware while having a nice glass of wine. But in these sometime hectic times, remember to treat yourself by taking time and focusing on everything that is beautiful. It really is wonderful. That's one of many lessons Paris had for me. We all have to eat, so why not love every second of it? C'est tres manifique. Oh la la....