Introvert and extrovert is a known dichotomy. In simplified terms, introverts are drained by social interactions while extroverts thrive in them; hence, their preferences for being alone or with company. This carries over to the social experience of eating—but must it be such a clean-cut boundary? It can be a soft line in the sand—to be crossed and moved at one’s comfort or sense of adventure.
When my best friend’s husband got COVID, he of course had to isolate with zero contact until he officially had a clean bill of health. As someone who used to work in a hospital and with health issues to manage herself, no one knew better than my friend how crucial it was to stay separated. Nonetheless, it frustrated and annoyed her endlessly—she wanted to eat with her husband. She seemed just a little appeased when I suggested they eat together through a video call.
This is the same person who, from her school days to today, prefers spending breaks by herself, enjoying the freedom and peace of solitude. Friends and co-workers have accepted that catching her at lunch will always be a surprise.
Food should be enjoyed—but how it should be enjoyed is individual and personal. Only one thing is certain: there’s no one way about it, even for any single person.
As you like it
Recently, I ventured to cooking pasta for the very first time. It was nothing ambitious: just a one-pot recipe for mac and cheese. Its ingredients and instructions were simple and few, which was perfect for someone as unexperienced in the kitchen as I am. The result was equally unexciting if a little worrying at first; even I knew mac and cheese wasn’t supposed to be soupy, but it eventually reduced and cooled to a gooey, cheesy pot of pasta. The taste was passable, yet the experience—the adventure—of cooking it myself and alone somehow enriched my novice dish.
Would it have been better to get the help of a more experienced cook? Absolutely, and there were at least two of them in my house. Yet, like my best friend, I relished the freedom and peace of cooking and eating by myself. If there was too much cheese—who was there to judge? It’s both comforting and empowering to dictate the nuances as you like it, as a meal made just for you.
Though, after I enjoyed my happily quiet meal, I wasn’t above telling friends and family of my accomplishment. To my surprise, my youngest sister liked my mac and cheese after having a bite of the leftovers. I shared the recipe with her—which was given to me by our other sister—and found myself promising to make it together. We went even further, scrolling through (seemingly) easy-to-make foods online; after pasta, we wanted to try making onigiri.
Even if preferred alone, eating is a universal experience, and food is a bridge between anyone—to be crossed however you like it.
For sharing
I’ve heard it said that eating alone can be miserable. As an introvert, I certainly say that’s a valid opinion, and one I’ve felt myself.
Whether it’s in cooking or eating, company over food offers the comfort of sound. It’s the guidance of experienced hands showing you how to chop, season, and wait patiently; a soundboard bouncing opinions and suggestions as they mull over taste between spoonfuls; the stream of chatter, ranging from world news to local gossip, that adds an extra spice of excitement to the meal from kitchen to table. Even the mere sound of movement in the clinking of tableware speaks to the presence seated with you. It can be a welcome kind of commotion.
From that pleasant din can also come discovery. At the office, my team often orders food for lunch. Other times, we decide as a group to indulge in someone’s craving or adventurously try something new. It was during these team lunches that I first had the Vietnamese sandwich banh mi and tried the savory sweetness of spiced honey over pizza. For the sake of our writing, we visit food events together, and there—though I previously disliked them—I discovered types of sake and sushi I actually enjoyed. Even in the middle of a hectic production, a teammate taught me how delicious cheese with champorado is; one of many products lined up for our photo shoot.
Food is a bridge, indeed—it’s a two-way kind of crossing. Even when not sharing a meal—when I’m eating alone, no less content—the conversations we had over many breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and the occasional dinner and drinks sometimes linger in my mind. It could be the tasting notes we shared or a food featured in another’s story, it sparks curiosity all the same. And, sometimes, that’s enough for me to dare to eat something new—or try my hand at cooking pasta for the very first time.
Everybody eats. Yet, the experiences and preferences surrounding it are so incredibly varied, that there’s hardly any right or wrong way about it. Simply eat the way you enjoy it best and however many or few are seated at the table with you, it’ll change by the meal anyway.
Make Joel’s Place a destination in your forays into exciting food. You can call ahead to reserve a table at any Joel’s Place branch so you can wholly enjoy your meal in peaceful ambiance. If the craving strikes you suddenly, stop by and browse our grab & go selection; every dish is ready-to-eat and ripe for the picking. We also take and deliver special orders of charcuterie boards, baked goods, and other Joel’s Place specialties to eat at your leisure in the comfort of home.
