Rhiannon Rees is a mother, friend, humanitarian, healer, homeopath, pschic, teacher and writer who enjoys all of life's gifts. Please connect with her at her local Whistler Spa,
Nibbana Healing Spa. (604) 935-5772.
Sharing a meal is one of my favourite things. I love the smell of spice simmering away. The heady steam rising from a finished pot. I love wee, small hands that need to put flour into pots and water into bowls all mixed up and not in the right place. I love the crowd and commotion in the kitchen. The lines of chopping and reading and adding to the pot at the right time. I love the action and the discussions that arise. Sharing a meal is communing with people. It is a peppered mix of love and art with a handful of passion and laughter sprinkled on top with gay abandon. It is rejoicing in all the things that you can be thankful for and it is sharing in the senses of sight, smell, taste and touch and sound. What is better than great company and great food? Well, great sex of course, but one does seem to follow the other don’t you think?? My 2 favorite meals are one on one with a dear friend and a family gathering. I don’t know which one I prefer. But, with holiday season upon us, it is time to think about sharing around a beautiful turkey or tofurkey for the vegetarians among us. (yuk) However, even vegetarians would not touch tofu at Christmas. It is almost a sin.
I was never a great cook, but in recent years, this has begun to change and these days, I enjoy cooking just as much as eating. Cooking for someone is like saying “I love you.” I care. It’s as simple and as beautiful as that. My Mum is a phenomenal cook (thanks) and my brother was an award winning chef. I couldn’t hold a candle to either members of my family. But, I like to do things my way, with the skills I have. One of my most memorable meals was at a Japanese/French fusion restaurant called Tetsuya’s in Sydney , Australia . They have a 9 course set meal. Every tiny morsel is a taste bud explosion. You can’t believe that food could taste this great. I was fortunate enough to be taken to this restaurant three times. I will remember, always.
With the busy lives that we lead, we often forget the importance of sharing a meal with friends and family. Why not try to set a special theme night for your kids once a week and make the evening meal into a spectacular show they look forward to each week. You could have Mexican night and have them wear sombreros while playing castanets and ukuleles. You could drink virgin margaritas and fill yourself up on nachos and fajitas. We have the opportunity to turn completely mundane functional activities into truly special occasions with only a tiny little bit of effort. Why not take some time to think about this opportunity of giving and sharing I am sure the rewards will be phenomenal.
Also, take your children into the kitchen and let them help. There are many cookbooks for children out there and this togetherness between mother and children is something special. Young children look to their parents, especially the mother for guidance, to imitate, to be close. The warmth of the cooking, the importance of doing something with mum will stay with them always. That is love. Besides, in times gone past, the kitchen was the most important room in the house. The family revolved around grandmother, mother, children all milling about, talking, drinking, belonging. Once in a while there even was the odd man, specially when it came time to eat.