Just 3 foods meant to be shared

Eating with others is just more fun

Emeril Lagasse, the flamboyant American celebrity chef, says, “Food is meant to be shared, especially with friends like you." Although not universally true of all food, some foods are, indeed, meant to be shared and have the power to bring us together with friends—old and new. Besides some of the obvious choices, such as chips and dip, pizza, and fondue, the irresistible and tantalizing aromas of certain foods seem to invite us to enjoy eating them with others. Other foods are simply too much work to make for one person. Here are just three:

1. Homemade bread: There’s a good reason we use the phrase “break bread together.” Especially when it comes hot out of the oven, bread satisfies just about everyone I know. But it’s the “Mmms!” all around that makes eating it so pleasing and that makes everyone feel they have their own personal piece of deliciousness.
2. Popcorn: Some would argue popcorn isn’t really a food; it’s merely a snack. Regardless, this ubiquitous fare, by design, can feed a crowd of any size. Even if you buy your own popcorn at the movies, there’s a certain understanding that you should at least offer to share it.
3. Homemade ice cream:* Not only is this treat better shared but its preparation should also be a collective effort. Imagine making homemade ice cream just for yourself, and you’ll imagine a very lonely person. Understanding this explains, perhaps, why my friend still uses an old-fashioned, hand-crank ice cream maker. This method gives lots of people a chance to “own” the final product.

Of course, the list goes on. What would you add?

*As a side note, one of our family’s favorite treats is Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. Occasionally, to have a shared food experience, we buy several pint containers of different flavors and then pass them around the table for everyone to share. Everyone, that is, except for me. While the rest of the family has the courtesy to eat the equivalent of about one-half of a container, I am loath to give up my pint of Crème Brûlée. When it comes to that particular flavor, I simply have no self-control (and I mean zero, zilch, nada). Instead, I’ve been known to shamelessly down a whole pint in one sitting. Worse yet, if anyone dares to leave leftovers of the same flavor in the freezer, I hunt it down and devour it.