Eat the Day

I often have days that revolve around a certain topic or theme, such as music or family. Today was concerned with all things food. Everything I ate today felt as if it carried with it an enormous significance. The burdens that came along with these foods resulted from a number of factors: personal preparation of the food, others' reactions to the food, or a variation upon a certain food to which I felt unaccustomed. Food was the driving force of my day, and, in the process, provided for memorable experiences which I won't soon forget.

My day truly began in the kitchen of the HUB. Our lentil soup-making has been the most enjoyable experience I've had in the class thus far. The only soup I've ever made has come from a can; finally making a soup from scratch gave me a deep sense of satisfaction you just can't get from an aluminum can. Lentil soup was especially significant to me, as it is often made by my sister when she's home from college. It reminded me of sitting in the kitchen with her, eating the soup until we couldn't possibly eat anymore.

Patiently waiting for the water to boil, dicing the vegetables, watching the soup simmer and thicken with every added ingredient - everything had a concrete sense of deliberate purpose and meaning. You had to muster concentration and self-control for each aspect of the process. What resulted was a hearty, delicious, and nutritious meal of which everyone in the class could be proud.

The pizza we made in the cob ovens in the afternoon generated similar feelings. I found the situation incredibly humbling with everyone silently and patiently idling by the picnic table with his or her pizza clutched securely in both hands, as if it were a prized stuffed animal and they children. I wouldn't expect much more out of a place like Seattle, a modest city compared to the conceited behemoth of Los Angeles from which I hail. It was a wonderful experience. Not only was my pizza tasty and satisfying, but the whole scene seemed to emanate a wonderful sense of community and togetherness. It seems we stood there smiling and saying little, happy just to be in each other's company.

Aside from self-prepared meals, there were two instances throughout the day where I ate food made by another person. The first occurred right after eating the soup. Still hungry, I purchased a slice of pizza from the pizza joint in the HUB. I felt slightly guilty, especially when the professor accusingly (yet politely) exclaimed something along the lines of "Eating food prepared by another's hands!" Caught in the act...how embarrassing. The second instance happened in the evening at the University Village. I purchased a "peanut butter & stuff" sandwich (the stuff being cranberry sauce, apple slices, and bananas) at a sandwich shop. It was quite good and was an interesting variation on a common snack. If you haven't noticed already, peanut butter is a staple of my diet. I felt a little better about this sandwich as opposed to the pizza due to its nutritional value as well as the fact that it probably wasn't in any way made of corn.