The Omnivore's Delight

My wife Suzanne and I are in a book group that has recently been reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. This past Sunday night we met to discuss it further at Devotay, an Iowa City restaurant owned by Kurt and Kim Friese, who know Pollan.

Some discussion about the book, about the slow food movement, and a few recipe insights made for a delightful evening. A plethora of Tapas, small plates of food, like Aceitunas—assorted grilled olives, Dátiles — bacon-wrapped dates with pimentón BBQ sauce, and a most amazing Paella—with saffron, Iowa organic, pasture-raised chicken, chorizo sausage and shellfish, caused the salivary glands to work overtime.

There is something soul-satisfying about slowing down and enjoying epicurean delicacies while discussing the nuances of food production and preparation. Slow, succulent, and satisfying.

I can't help but wonder why life in general tends to be so much in opposition to a great meal. We bandy about life hurried, harried, and feeling a bit dessicated. What if we celebrated life more like the feast it was intended to be?

And, when life is at its end, just as a meal must eventually cease, raise a glass of fino sherry declaring it all to have been perfecto!