A great man once said, “Art is long, but time is fleeting.” That is, surely, very true but have you ever thought about the fact that in order to live through the fleeting moments you need food to survive? The best thing about food is that it is available in many different styles and cuisines all over the world! If we consider this aspect, then it would be no sin to accept the fact that many of us don’t just eat to live… We live to eat and love to eat!
Have you ever looked at a plate full of Mac and Cheese and wondered, “Come here, you’re my first love!” or have you ever taken a sip of hot chocolate on a cold winter morning and felt that all the other good things in life can never even come close to matching the pure bliss of molten chocolate in your mouth or have you ever looked at a large helping of Fish and Chips and thought that no matter how generous you may be feeling at that moment, it is just not enough for you? And my favourite moment is with my steaming cup of coffee as I sit to watch the sunset every evening. Honestly it is the coffee that completes it for me as I marvel at nature’s wonders. And I must say that I am very particular about my coffee as I always ensure that I source it from an artisanal coffee roaster.
If you connect with any of the thoughts above then the chances are, my friend, that you love to eat, and drink of course! You can certainly categorize yourself as a foodie in this world where people keep forgetting the pleasure of living to eat! But wait. Do you think that being a foodie in the present world is nothing short of an insult? Then let me prove how big a mistake such kind of conceptions are.
Photo by Mohit GuptaTo start with, you are not a simpleton – you are not a run-of-the-mill glutton who gorges on any and every thing that comes his way. You admire the culinary skills that go into crafting the perfect meal, you appreciate a decent fare, and you may even like your food to be loaded with some extra sauce for added taste but none of it should ever provide another person with the license to be an acrimonious judge of your tastes.
You love food and that is something that you should be proud of! Yes! Have you not heard what the great playwright George Bernard Shaw said? He said: “There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” You should rejoice in the fact that out of all the kinds of love that exists on the planet, your love of edibles classifies as being the purest! At least in my universe.
Let’s face it…. Why should food lovers not celebrate their love of food? Simply because some people really do not know how to eat. Yet those very people who criticize foodies at every step, turn to them when they need some really good suggestions to cook a wonderful dinner or pick out an affordable yet splendid restaurant to go for a wholesome meal.
Photo by Mohit GuptaThere is another aspect that should be spoken about in this regard. There are many who might opine that countless people in the world have to go on an empty stomach every day. To speak about the love of food when such problems exist in our world is distasteful! It needs to be mentioned in this respect that loving food or eating your fill never stands out as being distasteful. On the contrary, a person who loves food pays a dish its due homage by appreciating and respecting it. What’s distasteful is the fact that many who choose to eat a certain amount of food in a given meal end up wasting much of it when they feel full or when they just don’t feel like eating any more! A true food lover will never do something as despicable as wasting food!
Food is the fuel that gives us strength and keeps us alive. Not loving food is a disservice and I most certainly admire every person who loves the food that is on their plates. Lovingly cooked and accepted with prayer and gratitude, that is how I love my food.
Aha to my coffee moments.
Written By Mohit Gupta
Week 7, February 2021
