Party food
I was at a party recently and not knowing anyone, I joined a group of shy people who were hovering at the side of the room. Introductions were made, glasses handed around, and we all admired the view from the picture window. After an awkward silence, I tried to break the ice by making a comment about the latest political headline but this only led to a few muttered grumbles and a general feeling of despondency. I’d forgotten my mother’s advice – if you want to make friends, don’t talk about politics or religion.
A waiter appeared with a tray of canapés and at that moment a woman could be heard asking, “Are these gluten free?”. All of a sudden the atmosphere in the room changed and the party really got started as everyone launched into an animated discussion about food. It started with food intolerances, moved on to the advantages of ancient grains and lingered for a while on whether blueberries could stave off dementia. I learnt something new - apparently cauliflower is the new kale and we can expect to see a lot more of it this year in everything from purees to pizzas.
It was only seven years ago that MasterChef seduced us into thinking we could all be maestros in the kitchen and Jamie continues to insist that we can whip up a gourmet feast in 15 minutes. An endless string of celebrity chefs on television keeps us abreast of the latest culinary techniques while it only takes a few keystrokes on the computer to find a recipe for anything. Television and Google have made us all food experts; in theory at least, if not quite in practice.
I have been interested in food for a long time. I grew up in a household where meat and three veg was the formula for most meals, albeit adorned with olive oil and lemon to please my Greek father. I was a teenager when I began to make the connection between diet and health as I simultaneously discovered mung beans and flared jeans. When my father was diagnosed with cancer, my mother, having read about the miraculous benefits of carrot juice, bought a large noisy juice extractor which took pride of place on the kitchen bench.
I embraced health food with a vengeance causing my mother much angst as I filled the fridge with cottage cheese and alfalfa sprouts. Determined to save the world through food I went to university planning to become a dietitian, but my stomach for the course disappeared in the third week when I realised just how much science I would have to digest. I abandoned dietetics for literature instead and I’ve been devouring books ever since.
When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 26, the Pritikin Diet was all the rage and some people claimed it could help people with multiple sclerosis. It seemed to me that its main premise was that you shouldn’t eat anything that makes food taste better – no salt, no sugar, no fat, no alcohol, minimal meat, and only the white of eggs. I stuck to it for nearly a year.
The climax came one miserable night when out for dinner with friends, I sat bleakly picking at a lettuce leaf while watching all sorts of gourmet delights appear and disappear around me. I spent the evening hungry and unhappy, unwillingly at the centre of attention as I repeatedly tried to explain to my amazed dinner companions why I was not eating. I gave up the diet after that.
I don’t know if the Pritikin Diet helped reduce my multiple sclerosis symptoms. I didn’t enjoy it, but despite its stringency it was good for me in a roundabout way - I learnt a lot about myself that year, about my relationship with food and how to be in control.
Diets and food fads have come and gone. Back at the party my new friends and I knew them all, casually scattering our expertise through the conversation like Celtic sea salt. We deftly distributed our knowledge of cholesterol, carbohydrates and calories alongside minutely described anecdotes of our digestive health. Clearly people are more comfortable talking about food than politics and I soon knew more about their colons than their careers.
As I sipped my champagne and nibbled on a nori roll, I reflected on how glad I was not to be worried about what I was eating. So long as food is fresh, tasty and generally good for you, I will eat it. I’m fortunate that I don’t have a weight problem and my appetite is in sync with what my body needs to stay healthy.
These days I have gone back to my Greek roots and follow what I like to call the Aristotle diet. It was he who is credited with first saying,“Everything in moderation.”. And, if I might add, washed down with a glass of wine. It’s the only way to go.
Ros' dedication, advocacy and commitment to MSWA left a lasting impact, and she will be fondly remembered for all her contributions and legacy. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and everyone whose lives she touched.
