Meal Culture Quotes

Eating without conversation is only stoking.

When [my friend] had her kid, she was like, "9:30?! I'm not living in Barcelona. I need dinner at 6." I never got that until now. Four years ago, when I met her, I thought that was extreme. I was like, "I love Barcelona!" Now, I'm so mad when someone suggests an 8 pm reservation because that means we won't eat until 8:30 or 9 pm. Forget it!

Life for the Italians was what it was, no more and no less, an interlude between meals

My mother always cooked, every day, proper food. We didn't have fast food. It was probably pretty much meat and two veg, but as time went on and new things came into the culture, she embraced all of that. I grew up with mealtimes and sitting around the table with proper cooking and eating.

In England and America people tend to graze all day long, but I think it's such a waste to be constantly picking at food because you then can't enjoy a proper full meal when the time comes.

The old injunction 'Don't talk with your mouth full' is based on the presumption that, however multifunctional a mouth may be, it should only perform one job at a time. Humans have found a way around this limitation in the form of food writing.

You never see a French person eating alone.

The American does not drink at meals as a sensible man should. Indeed, he has no meals. He stuffs for ten minutes thrice a day.

The fact that most kids aren't eating at home with their families any more really means they are eating elsewhere. They are eating out there in fast food nation.

Civilised adults do not take apple juice with dinner.