MAR’ 19
8
I have developed something of an obsession with cafe menus. I love poring over them. Their tightly curated offerings. The simple and spare language used to describe menu items that are, at once, both familiar (and, therefore, comfortable) and exciting; wholesome and decadent; deliberately prepared and unfussy. They are an invitation to take a meal that is savored yet not too time-consuming. At the heart of their appeal for me is the possibility they tender of experiencing an eternal moment in a sip of coffee or tea, a bite of pastry, or an artfully-prepared plate. Also, assumed in the menu is the promise of a physical space where I feel free to be present either alone or in the company of a good friend, possibly two.
I want to capture all of these qualities in the meals that I prepare at home. I want to cultivate a space and menus that draw us out of our inner, private worlds and into a shared space and into one another’s company. Now, that would be an accomplishment.