Four Must-Haves for a Meaningful Food Experience

Four Must-Haves for a Meaningful Food Experience

by Brittany Pruess

The table is set and the flowers are placed;everything has been perfectly planned,curated, and prepared for the guests. Peoplearrive, they dine, they leave; and you are leftto reflect on the moments captured. Realityhits, you spent the last month planning forthis event, slaved away over the meal, andkept everyone full and satisfied throughoutthe dining experience; so why do you feel sodepleted and empty?

When defining the details of a meal consumesthe experience and leave you starving forsubstance; you are left with an aestheticallypleasing event, but very little else. Thissummer I encourage you to set the stagefor a memorable dining experience full ofconnection and seasonal spontaneity.

Here are the key ingredients to create such anexperience:

1 Planning the Meal

One fantastic way to switch up the diningexperience this summer is to head to thelocal farmer’s market BEFORE you beginplanning the meal. This may seem a bit foreignif you are used to planning a meal weeks,or even months, in advance; but I promiseyou creating a meal this way adds an extraelement of enjoyment to your preparation.

Consider waking up with the sun, preparing your morning beverage, and slowly making your way toward your local farmer’s market with one of your favorite people by your side.Hand-select what appeals to you, and then let your senses take over and inspire the dishyou will prepare. You should embrace the process slowly and intentionally. Europeans understand this concept better than anyone.They will often start with their favorite artisan bread, local wine, or seasonal produce to center a meal around. The food is seen not only as a way of nourishing the body, but also as a luxurious treat to be enjoyed around the table.

2 Include Your Guests in the Preparation of the Meal

Many hosts want their guests to relax and simply enjoy the meal prepared for them.However, when you allow guests to come together and get involved in the meal prep,you open the door to deeper connection,conversation, and a sense of lightness to be shared.

For your next dining experience, consider asking a few of your closest friends and family over to help prepare the meal. Have someone open the bottle of wine, another select the music, one can slice and dice, and share in the experience of getting creative in the kitchen together. The preparation of food is paralleled to the preparation of meaningful conversation; both require nurturing,observation, and sensing what needs to be added.

3 Setting the Stage for the Experience

As mentioned previously, aesthetics most certainly do play a role in curating a memorable dining experience, but it is in how you establish the details that take away from or add value to the meal before you. This summer remove what is trending from your décor arsenal; and fill it instead with the simple and the understated. Let the food and the conversation be the focus; the décor should enhance the purpose of the feast, not disguise its value. Your décor should tell a story of the people gathered around it.

4 The Secret Sauce of Letting It All Go

If you find yourself stuck in the planning mindset, there is a secret sauce to truly embracing spontaneity around the dinner table this summer. Let it all go- the planning, the preparation, the decorations, the cleaning. Call up your favorite people, pick a local spot with patio seating, and let the restaurant take care of the food so you can truly immerse yourself in the conversation and the amazing people before you.

Although a few celebrations do require a month’s worth of planning, many occasions do not. When we put our energy into the fluffy details, we often neglect the depth of the meaningful experience around the table. This summer opt for seasonal selections, bring everyone into the kitchen, embrace the beauty of spontaneity, and soak up the experience before you. Highlight the moment with simple, yet intentional, décor and let the rest go. Get excited about and be inspired by the conversation you find around the table.