The Food Philosopher: Our Food Philosophy

OUR FOOD PHILOSOPHY

THE GREAT COMMON DENOMINATOR IN LIFE IS FOOD. HUNGER, AND THE
need to consume food, exists at a universal level. It is common to all of us. How we think and feel about it exists at a personal, psychological level. What we do with food and how we do it is sociological, strongly related to how and where we were raised. These levels are separate, yet blend together to form the intricate stew that makes up one of the most important ingredients of our lives: what and how we eat. According to Dr. Robin Fox, University Professor of Social Theory at Rutgers University, people have to eat; people like to eat. “Eating makes us feel good. It is more important than sex. To ensure genetic survival, the sex urge need only be satisfied a few times in a lifetime. Hunger must be satisfied everyday.” We think how that need gets satisfied helps define who we are and how we live.

UNIVERSAL LEVEL

What foods will give us strength? What foods will keep us healthy?

PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL

What foods make us feel good? What foods remind us of special moments?

SOCIOLOGICAL LEVEL

What do we serve on holidays? What foods are “romantic’ in our culture?
What kinds of foods do we associate with everyday meals?

Yes, there is much to think about when the subject turns to food. Sometimes the questions to be asked are almost as interesting as the answers that present themselves. Sometimes it appears that there can rarely be a simple answer to any food–related question. But still we ask questions. We search for answers. We are Food Philosophers.

Our own search has led us to lay a foundation of ideas on which we can build. Over two thousand years ago, the Greek philosopher Epicurus explored the various pleasures enjoyed by people, food included. The Epicureans believed in living well by seeking to enjoy the simple things in life. In addition, Epicurus encouraged his followers to seek what would bring them the most pleasure in the long run, even if they had to abandon short–term pleasures to do so. We like this line of thinking. Food, its preparation and enjoyment should be stimulating and fun for the senses and the mind (psychological), it should connect us to those around us (sociological), and it should provide us with healthy fuel for our bodies (our most basic universal need). We should strive to achieve all this even though it may require some thought and effort on our part in the short–term. But as Epicurus intended, food, its preparation and enjoyment should also be simple and not consume us.

Along with embracing the simple things in life, Epicureans rejected the idea of fate. They felt we could affect our lives with the choices we made. As it relates to food, we like to take this one step further. With a little extra thought, creativity, and effort, our hunger can be satisfied in ways that will marginalize the strains of our day. We can help to make our lives better in little ways. There are some parts of our lives that we can effectively manage to make ourselves happier, healthier, and perhaps even more interesting. What and how we eat is one of them.

But most important, if you, like us, enjoy sitting down around a table with friends and family to eat and delight in each other’s company, then the recipes in our book and the insights for making food–related decisions can help to make your life more harmonious and balanced. You will also find that the collection of our favorite recipes presented there can be added to your own repertoire of recipes. They can be personalized and updated for years to come.

An excerpt from The Food Philosopher’s® Guide to Epicurean Delights by Claudia Pillow and Annalise Roberts

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