Good food is special. Maybe there are places where all food is good food--nourishing and satisfying and prepared with care and attention--but I expect they're few and far between. Here in the U.S. all too few of our meals fit into this category. We're always on the go, always trying to save a few minutes here and there so we can cram more into our days. But in so doing, we end up feeding ourselves poorly. We consume processed foods that are quick to eat and that fill our stomachs, but that fail to deliver balanced nutrition or satisfy our senses. We almost forget what a really good meal tastes like, what it feels like. But when we do eat one, the difference is stark. The flavors jump out with clarity and simple potency. The multiple facets of our hunger, physical and mental, are satisfied, filled, relieved. Our bodies feel energized rather than bloated, light rather than sluggish, alert rather than lethargic. I had a really good meal tonight when the place where I work held a benefit dinner. A barbeque pit master from South Carolina prepared a whole pig, cooking it all day long until the meat was extremely tender and juicy yet not greasy or heavy. Local chefs prepared sides: pinto beans, cornbread, collard greens, pickled vegetables, and coleslaw, each traditional yet vibrant and with a fresh twist. There was rich yet fluffy pound cake, the best banana pudding I have ever tasted, peanut bar cookies, and multiple kinds of wine and beer. It was a really good meal not because of the selection of dishes, but because of the quality of the ingredients, the imagination with which they were combined, and the care with which they were prepared. After eating I felt sated in all regards, not just full in stomach, but full of life.
