“La Mesa Para Comer”
by JoAnne Pavin
Carolyn, my world traveler, bi-lingual, multi -cultural savvy friend and I were discussing the color and beauty of good food. I sit down, in her Chicago studio, to Roma red tomatoes snug against snow white fresh mozzarella, silken pink prosciutto, olives of the Tuscan palette with crackers and bread of the international variety. The Aperitivo is never complete at Carolyn’s without Manchego cheese, her favorite La Manchan delight. Our salivary glands are preparing for this sensational snack. She pours a crimson glass of pinot noir, and we indulge our senses, all five senses.
As we listen to Van Morrison, serenading us softly in the background, we are talking about the food, where she bought it, at what temperature to serve, how to present it, etcetera. The aromas from the wine and cheese dance beneath our noses, our eyes entertained by the artful edible display before us. We reach for mozzarella, feeling the smooth texture, our stomachs anticipating fulfillment. We relax in comfortable chairs around her coffee table. We are aware, content and physically and mentally ready to digest nourishing food and good conversation.
We savor each bite and discuss how we both could be totally satisfied and satiated on the ample amount that is before us, and how many times dinner to follow is way too much. But here in America, the land of abundance and excess, we are trained for the courses, the 4 more to come; the soup, the salad, the dinner, and the desert. We both agree that in other countries, these courses exist, however they don’t seem to be as big.
After my recent travel overseas, I share with her my realization that the meal is really the center of many cultures, rich or poor. The day revolves around gathering fresh food, preparing and sharing. Whether it is Indian people cooking chapatti in the streets of Delhi, or the daily 2-5 pm lockdown of commerce for the European lunch break, the meal is a time to prepare and share. She has lived in Spain. She agrees. The “eating on the run” concept, although not as prevalent, is creeping like a virus into India, China and Europe. Clearly demonstrated, when her Spanish friend Paco visited Starbucks in the U.S. for the first time, outraged that he must drink his expresso from a paper “to go” cup. What is this “to go”? “I stay, I sit, I drink from a ceramic saucer and enjoy.”
Carolyn's time in Spain involved teaching English. She described a time when she was teaching her Kindergarteners vocabulary for the home. She searched for props that would assist her with the lesson. She found a tin doll house at a local market, which included furniture for every room inside. She said that it was perfect, because when she lifted each of the pieces, she could have them say the word in Spanish and she would follow with the word in English. What was interesting to her was that when she lifted “a table” from the home, the answer was not, “la mesa”, but all together, excited to know the answer, the children shouted out “la mesa para comer!!!” A table to eat at.
A table to eat at! They knew that the table was not for collecting mail, newspapers, dust or for a makeshift office, they knew that the Table was for eating, something we have forgotten in America. This book is to help us remember.
