Sunday, August 21, 2011

Love Letter No. 1

Eating delicious food is one of those sensuous experiences that no one wants to skip in this life, but they do, for one reason or another. As women, we hear a litany of accusations that keep us in the safe region of salad, too afraid to traverse the lands of good carbs, sumptuous desserts, good meats and—the ultimate taboo—butter. And if you're a Los Angeles woman like I am, liposuction, tummy tucks and 70-year-olds who have a hotter racks than you do pile on the pressure even further.

However, I have decided to (gasp!) give up on the guilt, though it may require an extra workout or two to give in to my food love affairs, which are chocolate, cheese and bread. Out of the three, I have to admit that my first love is bread: the lovely, warm, whole wheat kind that allows butter to fall in it crevices, like a silk dress clinging to a woman with the best body ever. It has been a love affair that has existed since the pigtailed days of my youth, when Wonder Bread toast with butter and a good book was the best treat in the world.

Hence you have the birth of Dolce Far Niente, my ode to good cooking, good dining and good eating. It is usually around the table that I have found the pleasure of doing nothing, basking in the quiet knowledge that a meal of my hands has brought pleasure to those sitting at the table. It is when I up to my elbows in flour or my latest concoction that I can seize every naughty moment, like a little girl who eats chocolate chips one at a time. And when the smell of my food wafts into my room, it tells me that it's ready, and present. And reminds me that I am a present as well.

So come with me. Travel with me into the land of good recipes, and honor me with yours. Every so often, I will throw in a local restaurant or cafe that inspires me with its creativity or ability to give me a quiet time in the midst of quiet Los Angeles.

Doing nothing and eating. Such a lovely concept.