If you’re new to my Substack, welcome and thank you so much for coming along this gastronomic journey with me! Food has been central to my life since I was a child, and as I’ve ventured into my 20s, I’ve uncovered how much good food and quality time around the dinner table mean to me. I’ve been blessed with frequent travels to Italy since I was 1 month old and have learned A TON from being around my Italian family. When it’s time to eat, everything else is put on hold: your work, your worries, your to-do list. THIS is the number 1 priority: the wonder of a slow meal.
Over the span of the three and a half months I recently spent in Rome, I often went to my aunt’s house for il pranzo della domenica, a weekly occasion dedicated to family and sharing a meal. These were moments I treasured because I was participating in a key component of Italian culture that forced me to slow down, disconnect from the busyness of daily life, and be fully present as I ate.
The dining table is set (or not), family is in the kitchen making the final preparations, someone brings dessert, and one piece after another, lunch falls into place. When everyone is present and ready, there is always a cheers, with water or wine, and a buon appetito before taking your first bite. The meal begins only once everyone is seated because there is respect for the company you are with and for the food you are about to eat. Because Italians care so much about food, there is almost always a comment on what you are eating immediately after the first bite. Different ways to make the same recipe, how the cook made this dish in particular, or similar meals that remind you of this one… it could be a simple “how delicious!” or “how did you make this sauce?” before discussing other everyday topics. Either way, attention is brought to the food, giving it importance and a main role throughout the meal.
After the last bites and sips of coffee and dessert are taken, a quiet calmness and lounging follow. In Spain, this is called sobre mesa, the act of talking and relaxing at the table after having finished a meal. There is no running away after a meal in Italy, no “this was nice, but I have to go”, especially on sacred Sundays. Eventually, with no rush in the world, everyone slowly gets up, helps to put the dishes away, and then you either go on a walk, play games, or simply continue chatting and enjoying each other’s company.
Whether it’s Sunday Lunch or a lunch break in the middle of a long working day, nothing dares take away this sacred moment of detachment from your daily tasks and nourishment of the body and soul. During my most intense working days this semester, my coworkers and I would either cook something or head out to a nearby restaurant for pausa pranzo. A minimum of one hour was spent genuinely enjoying our meal. Then, a quick stop at the bar for an espresso to charge up before heading into the second half of the day. There was no such thing as a 30-minute lunch break or, even worse, eating in front of the computer; we fully packed our work away, set the table, and entered a lunch state of mind.
THIS is what I want to bring back to my city, Boston. In a fast-paced environment where work is prioritized above everything else, it is even more crucial to stop and give your meal the attention it deserves. I get it, it’s hard to stop that flow, but there will ALWAYS be something to do, ALWAYS an excuse to keep going. If you don’t set aside your tasks, you are teaching your body and mind that it is OK to continue without a break, that you live to work, and that eating intentionally is a luxury, not a necessity.
Do you pay attention to what you eat? The flavors? The effort taken to make the food?
Do you set the table? Even when you are eating alone?
Do you put aside at least one hour to eat?
Do you share your meals with those around you? (friends, coworkers, family, roommates)
Incorporating slow dining into your routine reveals that having a proper meal, even on your busiest days, will bring you back to your roots and ground you for the rest of the day, allowing you to live a slow, intentional, purposeful life.
Grazie mille and wishing you the best food adventures,
Nadà
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