Growing up in Russia watching mom, two grandmothers and a great grandmother prepare and serve meals formed my food palette, healthy food choices and habits around cooking in general.
Here, I will share a couple things that have always been natural to me at home, or when visiting one of the grandmothers as a kid.
Maybe those seem old fashioned, but I think, they make sharing a meal with someone or dining alone more conscious and special - something we could all benefit from 😉
👵 Wash your hands and face before a meal
👵 Sit down, turn off TV, remove books, devices, newspapers
👵 Look at each bite before putting it into your mouth
👵 "When I am eating, I am deaf and mute" - Russian proverb suggesting that talking with a mouthful is not the healthiest / most tactful
👵 "Chew long - live long" - another proverb advising to chew food slowly, thoroughly and many times before swallowing
👵 At the center of the lunch or dinner table is a large bowl with fresh vegetables from the garden peeled and cut to have with meal (instead of bread/ chips)
👵 Russian lunch typically includes "the first" - a stew, "the second" - a grain /starch (buckwheat, potatoes, millet) with a side of protein, plus a veggie side, and "the third" - tea or a small dessert
👵 Clean up as you cook
👵 Meals are hot
👵 After a meal people who dined together thank each other - regardless who cooked, whether they are dining at home or not
What are the ways your grandmother used to serve meals that made it special?