Food, glorious food

You may think I'm obsessed with food, as I talk about it so often, and it may not be far from the truth; it is not, however, the whole truth.

I love food, of that there is no doubt. It plays a hugely important part in our lives, giving us essential energy and helping our body to function properly, thereby ensuring and safeguarding our good health.  We need certain essential nutrients to survive and thrive, without which we would wither and develop all sorts of problems; most of these should come from our everyday diet, the foods we eat every day on a regular basis.

Food is also an essential part of social life, whether it's the family gathered around the table to share a meal or friends getting together for a meal; wine can often be the ingredient that completes the picture and helps make tastes, textures and people gel. There is, in my view, no better pastime than sharing food and drink with people you care about, talking, laughing, bonding, whether it's just a couple of people or a group. It can also be excruciating, of course, if it involves mismatched groups of people, family obligations or an excess of alcohol and, I'm certain, we all can remember a few occasions like that.

Food can also be an interest, a hobby, something to play with, tinker with and enjoy the results. Seeking out interesting food can become a consuming (ha-ha, pun intended) endeavour that leads us hither and thither, trying, tasting and learning new things. It needn't be precious or pretentious, though, as simple food can be equally interesting to elaborate stuff if you look properly; then again, complex recipes can yield majestic symphonies of texture and taste, surprising and beguiling. The idea, though, that being a food enthusiast means that all you care about is fancy, expensive, fussy food is patent nonsense - any true enthusiast will tell you so. Every plate of food is, at least for me, a challenge to taste, assess and appreciate, whether eating at someone's home or in a restaurant, from snacks (like sandwiches, kebabs or what have you) to fillet steak.



We are all different, granted, with different tastes and, indeed, different interests and priorities in life, but I feel we miss out greatly if we care not a bit for the food and drink in our lives, when we allow meals to be solely about sustenance and rarely about pleasure. Many of my most treasured moments have been spent around a table with friends, breaking bread and sharing convivial, warm minutes, even hours, talking, drinking, bonding. Food, real, good food, in any form can be glorious and has the power to make us feel so too, raising our spirits and adding real pleasure to our lives.

Let me also make abundantly clear that, while I am a meat eater I abhor inflicting cruelty to animals during their lifetime; battery farming, intensive rearing, boxes, small cages are all horrific things humans have contrived to cruelly exploit animals and we have a duty to ensure they are not allowed to survive or, heaven forbid, continue to thrive. We owe respect to our animals and should treat them well during their life, whether at the farm or in transport. We, as consumers, have immense power to instruct the market forces as to what is acceptable or, indeed, desirable.

And I can tell you for sure that all those who have no interest whatsoever in food (yes, and wine!) or see it through prejudiced little eyes have no place in my life, none at all. They are unwelcome, unwanted and I would be grateful if they kept their distance.