La Bella Cucina - Viana La Place - Hardcover - 1 ED

La Bella Vita What is "la bella vita"? It is the good life. But what constitutes a life well lived? Our conceptions of what is needed to live well have changed. We now look to other cultures -- with envy, with wistfulness, romanticizing perhaps -- feeling deep within ourselves that the life we lead is lacking some of the most basic human needs. Most often, it is to Italian culture that people look to discover what it is to live well, to live la bella vita. I' ve always felt that one of the most damaging facets of American society is an aching loneliness that so many people feel at their core. The day rushes along, many hours spent at work or in the isolation of suburban homes or city apartments. Where is our sense of community, once so prominent in American life? Where is the family that, in the past, provided a sense of belonging, or made us feel we were a part of something bigger than ourselves? Children are occupied with after-school activities and spend precious little time at home. Men and women in the work force are gone all the live-long day. Arriving home tired, they assemble a quick meal and inevitably migrate toward electronic entertainments -- television, videos, computers. This is where Italy enters into our imagination, with the imagery of la bella vita. We picture the extended family gathered at a long table, most often under a grape arbor, on a terrace surrounded by geraniums, with a view of the sea or a vista onto the countryside. This type of scene transforms Italy into a place that is unbearably desirable. But think carefully about this picture. What are the elements that compose it, that make it so enviable? Imagine what is placed on that table you've conjured up so vividly: large serving bowls of pasta with tomato sauce, platters of brightly colored vegetables, a bowl of tender salad greens from the garden, glistening olives, dark and crusty peasant bread, bottles of wine and mineral water, a bowl brimming with fresh fruit. This vision of joyous abundance reflects a generosity of spirit that many of us feel is acking in our lives; it speaks of a desire to share with others what we have. Look now at who is seated at this table: generations of family and friends eat in each other's company. Eating is basic to human survival, and is generally repeated three times a day. To engage in something so necessary to survival in the company of others is a comfort and a joy. Look again at the picture and you'll notice that everyone at the table is seated in nature -- not observing it, but actually in or very close to it. The olives come from the nearby silvery trees; in the garden, herbs flourish, fava beans take shape, and tomatoes hang on the vine. We see an intimate connection with nature, a sense of merging, of belonging to and being part of this earth. These are heady images that represent our deep longing to return to nature. We see wine on the table, for ages a symbol of happiness, a magic elixir that in Italy always accompanies meals, but is never drunk to excess. It is but one of the many components of the meal, but it adds a sense of well-being and enjoyment-gioia di vivere, the joy of living-to daily rituals. Another symbol of life, and for good reason called the staff of life, is the bread on the table. It is heavy and crust -- you could live on it. Bread like this truly provides sustenance. In the bread you are aware of the hand of the baker, another person connected to your life. We all want to be seated at this table that sustains body and soul. Another image of la bella vita that is deeply etched on our collective consciousness is that of an idle hour or two spent at an outdoor caffI. We can imagine ourselves sitting and watching the world go by, observing the others as they pass. By studying people, by observing them closely, we feel more connected to our own humanity. Gradually we realize we are basically no dLa Place, Viana is the author of 'La Bella Cucina - Viana La Place - Hardcover - 1 ED' with ISBN 9780609605189 and ISBN 0609605186.