“Being Slow means that you control the rhythms of your own life.”
- Carlo Petrini
There are certain people who not only change cultural mindsets, they create meaningful global movements. Carlo Petrini was one of those people. He was a food philosopher and preservationist who led with his appetite and gathered his followers around the table.
In 1986, Slow Food was founded by Carlo in response to a fast-food chain opening near Rome’s iconic Spanish Steps. It was not only as a protest to convenience food descending upon this ancient city, it was a call to protect long standing cultural rituals. It was an opportunity to promote “good, clean and fair” food.
What made his movement and mantra so compelling was that the pleasure of eating always led the cause. A ripe peach eaten in season, a loaf of bread shaped by human hands, a lingering lunch shared with friends. Food for the senses. Food of the earth. Food that is harvested by people who are valued for their efforts. Food not only nourishment, but as a conscious way of living, to savor the small pleasures that sustain us.
With his passing this week, it feels fitting to pause and reflect upon his vision, one which resonates with me deeply, both personally and as a foundation of my company, Bella Cucina Artful Food. Although Carlo’s mission was focused first and foremost on food, he asked us to consider not only eating better, but to live more beautifully.
In a culture obsessed with acceleration, efficiency and endless consumption, Carlo believed that beauty, biodiversity, craftsmanship, ritual, and human connection are not merely luxuries, but necessities for living a good life. He believed that gathering around a table was an act of remembering what it means to be human. That a meal made with care and consideration is not an indulgence but an opportunity to savor the small pleasures that sustain us.
“Slow Food unites the pleasure of food with responsibility, sustainability and harmony with nature.”
The art of eating, in his mind, should never be hurried, industrialized, or disconnected from the land. Like many of the culinary icons I admire, he understood that our longing for better food is not simply about satiating our hunger, it’s about satisfying our desire for deeper connection. To slowdown and participate in the simple pleasures in life. To reclaim a rhythm of living that begins and ends each day at the table.
As you start your day, your week, think about how you show up at the table. Remember that food has the power nourish our lives, and the lives of others, well beyond the table. Next week, I’ll share a personal experience of another inspiring person that has touched my life recently in a similar way.
Until then, may you enjoy the simple pleasures of preparing, sharing and lingering over a beautiful meal.
xAlisa