Setting the Scene

So I started thinking about what makes a meal an experience. To me, setting the scene seemed integral. I am sucker for the beautiful (Oooooooh - so preeeeeeeety!) and so I decided to take a learning from one area of my life and see if it applied in the kitchen. About six months back, I was having a hard time falling asleep at night, and we couldn't figure out why. Eventually the insomnia went away, and a few weeks later I had an epiphany after a particularly restful night's sleep. I realized that I slept better when the bed was made in the morning. Now, I'm pretty sure that this is not based on any scientific facts and sleep could have come from anywhere, but I think it's because it just feels freaking great to get into a beautifully made bed at the end of a hard day. Whether or not it's the nighttime ritual or the appreciation of beauty, it works for me. That being the case, I wondered if eating at a "set" table could possibly make the food taste better? I decided to test my hypothesis on my poor, unsuspecting husband. I made his fave (chicken parmesan) and we ate our good food in front of the tv, precariously perched somewhere between the sofa's edge and the coffee table. No complaints, all gone. Fast forward two weeks -- chicken parm night again. This time, I have him put out the plates and silverware at our "grown-ups" table. Not the good wedding stuff, but the everyday plates. Fork on the left, knife on the right, with paper napkins folded in half. I tell you truthfully - he may have licked the plate when I wasn't looking. Went back for seconds. And my favorite line of the evening, "This is like a restaurant meal! We must have saved thirty bucks tonight!" Just a slight change of venue and setting the table elevated eating dinner to dining. Even simple little touches, like treating yourself to paper napkins instead of half-torn sheets of paper towels (c'mon, we ALL do it) can elevate the everyday. Happy Cooking! -B