Dinner for One, With Book

I figure that eating as a social activity is pretty much a cornerstone of civilized family and community life. I believe it promotes the habit of rational discourse, the art of story-telling, humanitarian behaviour, and good humor in children and adults alike. It is tremendously satisfying to join a group of my favorite people sitting around a dinner table, talking, laughing. quibbling and happily consuming good food. I am fortunate, being a person who lives alone, to have regular dinners with friends twice a week, and a bunch of chatty coworkers to eat lunch with daily.

Gracie, the delightful 7 month old baby who is a recent addition to our long standing Friday night suppers, sits with us in her infant seat at the table, waving her zweiback teething biscuit and her feet, and practicing conversational noises. From time to time she grows a bit bored with us, but mostly, she appears pleased. She is, after all, kind of a guest of honor. It seems she is not so averse to the attention of a bunch of adults willing to make goofy faces, or do whatever dopey thing it takes to make her smile. She is a diner-in-training, with a natural aptitude for it..

Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that there are some real advantages, from time to time, to being on one's own. I have grown enormously spoiled in this regard, since I generally do exactly what I want, unless I am at work, and work (lucky me) is usually not too terrible anyway. When I am eating supper alone, I nearly always have real food, and mostly eat it at a set table. Often I eat eccentric, unbalanced meals, because I can, with no one to reprove me. Or I might get obsessed with some combination, and have it over again, several times. I figure, along with MFK Fisher, that as long as the diet is balanced out, more or less, over time, it is perfectly fine to eat a bunch of tomatoes and corn, and nothing else for supper, when the season is upon us.

Every once in a while, though, I make an entire semi-formal meal, just for me, and eat it slowly with some wine and a book. (Which is still a guilty pleasure- reading at the table having been verboten- quite rightly- when I was growing up.) Last night I had the fat veal chop (extravaganza of expense-and worth it) with radicchio, rosemary and white beans you see above. This is a very simple recipe from epicurious, which tastes really terrific, in a fancy restaurant sort of way. It looks a bit odd, but it was wonderful. Preceded by farmbox tomatoes with basil and buffalo mozzarella, and followed by some pineapple, it was a major league treat in (and with) my book. Which reminds me of the recent publication of the excellent Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant- a collection of essays about eating by yourself, and alot of other related stuff about people, which you should really go read now, I think.

Comments

[Tanna]

Yes, I'm putting it on my library list now!
I think you've got the company and the alone ideas (food & people) just about right! Both are right wonderful with good mixing!

[Joanna]

I keep reading about this book, but you're the first person who's made me want to read it ... glad you don't have to eat alone too often, and your Friday night dinners sound like fun

Joanna
joannasfood.blogspot.com

[baking soda]

Oh yes, reading while eating was totally verboten when I grew up and I try to install this in my children too...but the pleasure of good food and a good book! It's the kids and me at the dinnertable (DH usually comes in when it's all over and done with)and I must admit that at times I rather guiltily long for a dinner date with a book, sometimes you get tired of teenager quibbling... It helps to invite their friends over for dinner, then we have "conversation".