"A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness!" by Elsa Schiaparelli"

Wow........have I been busy so long in the kitchen that I must make a real effort to re-connect with the rest of the world once again? How amazing that I can lose myself in the all the chopping, sauteing and stirring of the pot. I'm stunned by the colors of the summer fruits and veggies and the intense pleasure of the aromas that keep me prodding through the cooking process until finally I have the finished product. The table is set to perfection, soft music is playing, and smells waifting from the kitchen are gloriously delicious. Everyone is seated, the wine is poured and the first course begins. I listen to the dinner conversation and I learn something new. Maybe a political fact I didn't know; maybe something about a celebrity, a charity, or a country. Maybe just a secret about personalities and the people connected to them, which is maybe life's finest lesson in itself. Soon the table is deep in conversation or laughter is erupting around the table. The group is connected on a very deep level now.........eating, drinking and sharing the camaraderie of the table together. Nothing else seems to really matter.... who you are, how much money you have. People are relaxed and enjoying one another and this special moment in time of the particular evening. This is the magic of the table at it's best that I know....... The sounds of chatter and happy laughter and oneness of spirit centered around the table are what keep me in the kitchen through it all.