It started with a glass of wine at lunch, a small juice glass of red wine, and thinking to myself, “if it was good enough for my grandfather and my father, it is good enough for me”, and before long the wine, always red, became a routine part of my noon meal.
For as long as I can remember lunch has been an important part of my day. Regardless of where I was or what I was doing I made every effort possible not to miss that meal. I suppose one reason might be that I rarely ate breakfast, but for the past 5 or 6 years I have made it a point to do so, and lunch still remains a necessary event in my day. It usually consists of whatever I find in the fridge, leftovers, a sandwich, or maybe a salad.
Gradually things began to change. For many years I’ve been aware of my growing interest in recapturing the spirit of my mother’s kitchen and the meals she prepared for our family of 3. In the course of the past few years I have assumed all of cooking for my wife and I. Of course we eat a lot of pasta and things Italian…I love the food, and it is my way of staying connected to my roots.
More recently my attitude toward lunch has begun to change; it has become one of life’s simple pleasures., and several times a week I make the time and effort to prepare what I consider a most delightful and elegant meal for myself (and dear wife when she is home). The meals are simple with little cooking required, and generally revolve around ciabatta bread , olive oil,, lemon juice, and cheese, accompanied by a fruit or vegetable. And yes, a glass of wine, knowing that my father is looking down at me with a big smile on his face and a small glass of wine in his hand. How wonderful it is to have lunch with him again.
