Table Talk
Over the past few months I have been building. Building confidence, character, skills, and actually constructing things too. I am in a new house and was in need of new furniture and thought I might as well build it myself. This week I want to talk about what being at the table means to me and how much more I appreciate the act of dining when it's atop of something I created with my own hands.
Eating is a communal act, it brings people together and having a good table to sit at to enjoy good food and drink brings a foundation to the experience. A table gives you the ability to create focal points whilst not obstructing the view of your guests. It is the centerpiece behind the centerpiece; the biggest supporter and also the star.
When I considered building my table I took many factors into consideration: dimensions, colour, type of wood, and framing. I don’t have a lot of space and wanted something that could be transformed to fit the atmosphere of the room. I chose something not to big and not to small (4ft x 3ft), a nice medium stain for colour, a good hard wood, and a ¾ box frame. All fairly simple decisions based on my own preferences and space allowance, but how to make it transform? I decided that with the space restrictions a collapsable table would be perfect; a table that can accommodate dinner guests and casual friends. My table collapses from a height of 30 inches to a height of 16 inches and it’s a simple transformation. So now I have a table that does not just adjust to the atmosphere, but can completely change it. From casual living space to elegant dining room.
Dinner at the table was not a big deal for me growing up it was just something that happened whenever supper was ready. As I got into my later teen years and family suppers became less frequent I began to reflect and realized how important that time was. Even when no one really spoke it was just good to be with my family. Holiday gatherings always consist of bringing multiple fold out tables and chairs and scrunching everyone together. Seeing a meal shared bring everyone together helped further solidify that cooking and food are what I love.
And now, I love nothing more than cooking a meal, making a drink, and sharing the experience with my friends and family, and now with you too!
I am so glad that I am able to share these brief notes about my life with all of you. I would love to know what you think of dining at the table and hear stories of wonderful meals (or horrible ones). Please let me know in the comments or e-mail me at s2cooks@gmail.com to share your story. Also, if you have any suggestions for future blogs or recipes you can send those to my e-mail as well. As always, it's been a pleasure and I am looking forward to the rest of the year with all of you!
-amuse bouche
S2