I love these posts, mosaic and Allison.

There's so much potential joy in food, having enough to eat, getting to choose what delicious items to make and enjoy. It's great to get to that place.

Mosaic, your delight in food has always come through in this forum. I always smile reading your posts, even when I don't know what some of the foods you mention are. I've learned a lot of Brit food terms from you!

One of my food passions, besides eating it , is making "special needs" foods for people that they like. When people can't eat sugar, dairy, hot spices, gluten, meat, that's my favorite kind of challenge.

JoEllen

: posted about this before, but Fiona's
: last post really brought it home
: to me - about going and trying all
: those foods again and feeling how
: it didn't work...…. a familiar old
: repeat pattern for me over years
: with this and that diet.

: I realise I had been afraid of food
: pretty much all my life . It had
: such power over me --. is this
: hard to believe?----- I knew this
: from being about five years old.

: If there was an event six months
: hence I would worry over it. I
: would worry about todays dinner!

: and people would talk about finding
: their passion in life. I wanted
: that wonderful thing. I had loves
: and dreams and great pastimes and
: hobbies but, what *was* I
: passionate about ? There was a big
: huge missing chunk.

: the answer in the end, unexpected,
: but there - all the time

: its food

: and it changed when I was eating the
: right things and looking to the
: behaviours that changed my brain
: chemicals. Right from the biggest
: worry and stress to the biggest
: delight and satisfaction. Not
: immediately, but a mend here, a
: soothe there, a new pathway built,
: a new approach made.

: A few weeks ago I had dinner in a
: restaurant. We were given the best
: seats by the harbour, looking out
: at the boats. It was really
: wonderful ! Last night I thought,
: I will play and recreate that
: dinner.

: So in the day I made duchesse
: potatoes to pop in the oven. Got a
: spinach watercress and rocket
: salad waiting

: then I drew an oval of pesto loosened
: with olive oil on the dinner
: plate. Filled it with ratatouille.
: Then on top balanced some ghee-
: pan-fried flattened chicken
: thighs. Artfully placed some tiny
: cubes of feta cheese A tiny
: drizzle of balsamic on top.... a
: little garnish of
: watercress...……..

: it looked absolutely amazing

: ( and I think I will do it for my
: girlfriends next time, with
: halloumi for my vegetarian)

: the lovely thing ? I look at the
: food, I anticipate, but I also
: remember. The food is a device
: that replays all my memories of
: that entire day. Its still that
: powerful but in the nicest way

: and it gives me the greatest joy to
: say, yes food IS my passion - it
: always was.

: Balanced food passion though ? can
: not really describe it . Happy
: satisfying achieving encompassing
: all memories and hopes, future
: plans, past loves.