Tolkien and food

On today's date, September 2, in 1973, J. R. R. Tolkien passed away.   Tolkien, as almost everyone knows, wrote The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and some marvelous short stories, poems and essays.  If you've read the three works I've mentioned but want more, try Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, and Farmer Giles of Ham, all among my favorite short stories from any author.  There are still others I haven't mentioned, too.  Tolkien created an entire world in his stories and left behind many unpublished notes and writings that give more details and history about Middle-Earth which is where The Lord of the Rings is set.  Thankfully those notes and writings have made their way out to the world via a series of volumes organized and published largely due to the efforts of his son Christopher. 

Why do I mention the anniversary of his passing on this food blog?  Well, I remember so vividly the first time I read his books how he wrote about how all hobbits loved food, and celebrations, and had more than the typical three meals per day that seems so normal now.  There was talk of seed cakes, second breakfasts, and the appreciation of food in general as one of the luxuries of life to be most enjoyed.  That stuck with me from the time I was 13 years of age which is when I first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.   

I love the concept of enjoying food.  Sure, we all talk about how we love certain foods.  But this world moves at such a fast pace that I think many times people are too consumed with the idea of consuming food quickly and without thought.  (How's that for interesting phrasing?)  We all have to eat.  We might as well enjoy it, truly savor it, honestly revel in our favorite foods.  I don't mean we should eat in such a way that we become less healthy.  I simply mean that we should endeavor to make food more than just a simple function of life.  It should be a joyous part of life.

The foods which I put on my menu are always my favorites.  I don't put anything out there that isn't something I personally enjoy immensely.  So when I get to share these foods with all of you, it is a personal thing for me, something I am happy to do.  And it makes my enjoyment of my favorites more complete when I get to serve them to people who will enjoy them, too.