Delicious UK - (01)January 2020

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 21

food for thought.

Addinga senseofoccasionto

mealtimesisa gifttoourselves

(Iadmit,I amfascinatedby

whatthefamiliesintheshoweat

astheywatch:withMaryand

Gilesit’snothing,obviously,as

howdeeplyuncouth;thecheerful

Malonefamilytuckintoendless

platesofjamtarts,fairycakesand

fondantfancies;sistersIzzi

andEllie,wellit couldbeanything

Deliveroo-able,fromchicken

nuggetsandpizzato,onone

memorableoccasion,a piesandwich,

AKAa Wigankebab).Weeatour

Fridaynighttakeawaywatching

themontelevisioneatingtheir

takeawaysandwatchingtelevision.

It’sthecircleoflightentertainment.

Havingsaidallthat,ina recent

JohnLewisreport, 41 percentof

thosesurveyedsaidtheywantedto

eatontheirlaps,orwhilewatching

television,lessoften.Anda 2013

studyshowedthatfamilieswhoate

atthetablehada lowerBMI.This

isn’t just because sitting up straight

makesit easiertodigestyourfood

(andit’snotbecausethetable-eaters

werericherandatemorehealthily).

It’sbecausewhenyoueatin

company,youeatmoreslowlyand

ultimatelyeatlessbecausethesocial

aspectis asimportant,possibly

moreimportant,thanthefood.

Whatgoesonaroundthetableis

moresignificantthanwhat’sonit.

Families,whetherthosewegive

birthtoorthefamiliesofourhearts,

areformedatthetable.Perhapsthis

yearweshouldresolvetoditchthe

traysa littlemoreofthetime?Use

thegoodchina(whatareyousaving

it for?),thegoodlinen,thenice

glasses.Addinga littlegentlesense

of occasion to mealtimes is a small

dailygiftwecangiveourselves.
Invitepeopletositdownwith
you,oldfriendsandnewones.
It doesn’thaveto be a smart or
grandevent.
Thoseincidentalconversations
andobservations,thecasual
remarksandsharedjokes,formthe
safetynetsandthespringboards
forourlives.Family,inwhatever
formthattakes,is liketherapy–
thewaywemodelourinteractions
withthewiderworld.Let’smake
roomforit,evenif it isn’t in a
ILLUSTRATION: WHITEMAY/GETTY IMAGES dining room.