A is for dining Alone — Food

"This much thou hast taught me: that I should learn to take food as medicine. But during that time when I pass from the pinch of emptiness to the contentment of fullness, it is in that very moment that the snare of appetite lies baited for me."

"Plato [had never written] a cookbook, but in The Republic he gave us one of the most enduring images of food in history. He described what he called the “healthy city,” a community sustained not by luxury but by simple meals shared among citizens. Instead of feasts and banquets, he pictured a table of barley bread, olives, cheese, beans, onions, and a little wine. It was food that nourished without excess, and for Plato, it symbolized justice itself. Food in this vision was not a distraction or [an] indulgence. It was a foundation. Families would gather to break bread and share conversation, strengthening the bonds of community. Plato saw this simplicity not as poverty, but as the proper diet of a people who lived in harmony with themselves and with nature. A healthy city was built on humble meals and steady moderation, not extravagant banquets. By beginning with food, Plato signaled something larger. He understood that the way a people eats reflects the way a people lives. His ideal diet was more than sustenance. It was philosophy on a plate."

"What is sufficient for health is not enough for pleasure. And it is often a matter of doubt whether it is the needful care of the body that still calls for food or whether it is the sensual snare of desire still wanting to be served. In this uncertainty my unhappy soul rejoices, and uses it to prepare an excuse as a defense. It is glad that it is not clear as to what is sufficient for the moderation of health, so that under the pretense of health it may conceal its projects for pleasure."

"Based on the safety and nutritional assessment you have conducted, it is our understanding that Monsanto has concluded that corn products derived from this new variety are not materially different in composition, safety, and other relevant parameters from corn currently on the market, and that the genetically modified corn does not raise issues that would require premarket review or approval by FDA...."

"Severe food insecurity is one extreme of the scale, but even moderate food insecurity is worrisome. For those who are moderately food insecure, access to food is uncertain. They might have to sacrifice other basic needs, just to be able to eat. When they do eat, it might be whatever is most readily available or cheapest, which might not be the most nutritious food. The rise in obesity and other forms of malnutrition is partly a result of this phenomenon. Highly processed foods that are energy-dense, high in saturated fats, sugars and salt are often cheaper and easier to come by than fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating those foods may mean your daily requirement of calories is met, but you are missing essential nutrients to keep your body healthy and functioning well. In addition, the stress of living with uncertain access to food and going periods without food can lead to physiological changes that can contribute to overweight and obesity. Children facing hunger, food insecurity and undernutrition today may have a higher risk of overweight, obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes later in life. In many countries, undernutrition and obesity coexist and both can be consequences of food insecurity."

"You can tell any story through food. Take , a country in that not many know much about outside of that region, but in Red Sands (2020), I use food to talk about unusual things. I go to the , and that’s a way to talk about our climate emergency because they haven’t had good harvests there for a very long time."