'Shouting' is a cultural thing for most Aussies.
I don't mean the yelling-out kind, but sharing among others-as in, 'It's my shout!' or 'Can I shout you a drink?' or 'Do you want to join-in the shout?' Not so across the Tasman.
I remember my first trip to New Zealand, where drinkers in a bar would buy their own jug of beer and consume it while they were chewing the fat with their mates.
'No shouting here, bro', was the explanation I received for what I thought was strange behaviour.
The social aspect of drinking and eating is not new.
The Greeks, for example, were clear that, at dinner, the mind as well as the stomach must be present.
The French emphasise that we should eat well (Il faux bien manger), and that invariably included 'good' company.
My Latin is a bit rusty, but I think the origin of the word 'companion' is someone you share bread with, and 'symposium' was an eating-and-drinking party with good conversation.
Good food and good friends are important parts of life.
So, combining those two essentials whenever possible seems like a good idea.
In the words of W.
S.
Gilbert: 'It isn't so much what's on the table that matters as what's on the chairs'.
Keep in mind, however, that any indifference to the food in favour of the conversation will not by itself guarantee an excellent dinner.
The quality of what's presented is always going to be important.
I find it fascinating that cookbooks are such good sellers; especially seeing that very few of their buyers claim to have ever tried-out the recipes.
It's as if it's a version of Rene Descartes', 'I think, therefore I am'.
'I've bought the latest Jamie Oliver cookbook, so this will qualify me as an accomplished cook'.
Maybe cookbooks are really selling conviviality rather than mere cooking instructions? If you cook these recipes you will be rewarded with good times, brilliant weekends, and big smiles all around the table.
Not only is breaking bread with good friends important, but the practice also contributes to a longer, better life.
It takes effort, however, on your part.
More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle reckoned one and a half bushels of salt needed to be consumed together before a friendship became solid.
That's more than the occasional dinner party, eh? And, at about the same time, Epicurus emphasised the importance of who was at the table rather than what they were served or consumed.
Friendship, to him, was numero uno in the Importance Stakes.
And much, much later, the pseudo-philosopher Alain de Botton claimed that he preferred to feed his guests ready-made meals so that he could spend the maximum time with them and engage them in conversation.
(I wonder if this self-proclaimed atheist 'borrowed' that idea from the Bible's Martha and Mary story?) It'll come as no surprise to you, that research studies are now starting to confirm what we've known all-along.
The quality of what we eat, and who we eat it with, adds to life-quality-and the food tastes better, too.
Even junk food, we're told, can taste better when friends are involved.
And one of the additional benefits is happiness.
Epicurus regarded simple sustenance and friendship as essential conditions for happiness.
There's a Scottish Proverb that says, 'Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead'.
Here's to good food and friends, important ingredients in the pursuit of happiness.
I don't mean the yelling-out kind, but sharing among others-as in, 'It's my shout!' or 'Can I shout you a drink?' or 'Do you want to join-in the shout?' Not so across the Tasman.
I remember my first trip to New Zealand, where drinkers in a bar would buy their own jug of beer and consume it while they were chewing the fat with their mates.
'No shouting here, bro', was the explanation I received for what I thought was strange behaviour.
The social aspect of drinking and eating is not new.
The Greeks, for example, were clear that, at dinner, the mind as well as the stomach must be present.
The French emphasise that we should eat well (Il faux bien manger), and that invariably included 'good' company.
My Latin is a bit rusty, but I think the origin of the word 'companion' is someone you share bread with, and 'symposium' was an eating-and-drinking party with good conversation.
Good food and good friends are important parts of life.
So, combining those two essentials whenever possible seems like a good idea.
In the words of W.
S.
Gilbert: 'It isn't so much what's on the table that matters as what's on the chairs'.
Keep in mind, however, that any indifference to the food in favour of the conversation will not by itself guarantee an excellent dinner.
The quality of what's presented is always going to be important.
I find it fascinating that cookbooks are such good sellers; especially seeing that very few of their buyers claim to have ever tried-out the recipes.
It's as if it's a version of Rene Descartes', 'I think, therefore I am'.
'I've bought the latest Jamie Oliver cookbook, so this will qualify me as an accomplished cook'.
Maybe cookbooks are really selling conviviality rather than mere cooking instructions? If you cook these recipes you will be rewarded with good times, brilliant weekends, and big smiles all around the table.
Not only is breaking bread with good friends important, but the practice also contributes to a longer, better life.
It takes effort, however, on your part.
More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle reckoned one and a half bushels of salt needed to be consumed together before a friendship became solid.
That's more than the occasional dinner party, eh? And, at about the same time, Epicurus emphasised the importance of who was at the table rather than what they were served or consumed.
Friendship, to him, was numero uno in the Importance Stakes.
And much, much later, the pseudo-philosopher Alain de Botton claimed that he preferred to feed his guests ready-made meals so that he could spend the maximum time with them and engage them in conversation.
(I wonder if this self-proclaimed atheist 'borrowed' that idea from the Bible's Martha and Mary story?) It'll come as no surprise to you, that research studies are now starting to confirm what we've known all-along.
The quality of what we eat, and who we eat it with, adds to life-quality-and the food tastes better, too.
Even junk food, we're told, can taste better when friends are involved.
And one of the additional benefits is happiness.
Epicurus regarded simple sustenance and friendship as essential conditions for happiness.
There's a Scottish Proverb that says, 'Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead'.
Here's to good food and friends, important ingredients in the pursuit of happiness.
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