Thursday, February 23, 2012

Dining Out








I love the social aspects of dining out-- I enjoy the atmosphere, the social gathering, the lights, the decor, etc. I could, however, do without the food. I could do without paying extra (GF food is always pricer than the regular menu items) to be sick--without fail... every single time. No matter how "gluten free friendly" a restruant is, most meals out just don't work for me. I've accepted it, and I'm really not complaining here, just stating the facts. There are many health and financial perks in avoiding eating out. I've learned to love simple healthy food. I love trying new recipes, and making things that even "normal" people "actually" enjoy;)

We enjoyed a lovely evening out with Danny's family over the weekend. The food tasted very good and I appreciated the efforts of the restraunt staff to make it gluten free; nevertheless, it still wasn't a dining out success in terms of health. While everyone else was busy eating and enjoying their meals, I decided to snap some photographs of the lovely dining scene. I may no longer be able to eat the bread and pasta, but I can still appreciate their asthetic value!

I love these black and whites... That first shot of the water glasses and menus takes me right back to a quaint little italian bistro we visted in Paris. (Those were very happy dining days.) I love the crowded feeling of the glasses and condiments on the table; they so perfectly depict the story of a large family gathering to dine together.

The shot with the bread and butter actually evokes a lot of emotions for me. Interesting how very tied to our emotions food can be. Just last night while watching a favorite local television show, The Food Nanny, I cried listening to the host talk about baking bread with her mother and grandmother. Tears. Serious tears. Interestingly enough, it's not the food itself that I miss anymore, it actually runs a lot deeper than that. I suppose in part, feeling excluded from the traditional family meal has brought about a loss of sharing and connectedness. I guess that's why I enjoy cooking and sharing the food that I can eat with others. It gives me back some of those moments that celiac took away.

For the most part, it's really just best for me to avoid eating out, but now and than it's nice to remember that feeling of holding a menu in my hands, being waited upon, and enjoying the company of friends and family in a lovely dining setting away from home.

Evidenlty, blogging these photos was also rather theraputic;)

L

3 comments:

Stephanie said...

I remember that Paris bistro! Those were happy dining days indeed. At least we can still appreciate the art of dining in Paris, if not the actual taste of the food, right? :)

Whitney said...

This post made me so sad for you. The connectedness of food and socialization is probably often overlooked by most people. At least it is something that is probably taken for granted. The photos are lovely though. It made me homesick to see a big family gathering since those are so rare for us these days.

Unknown said...

You have made any tasty GF items that I have tried. I give your efforts to help all of us be a little more healthy two thumbs up!