italian meals

Yesterday I listened to an NPR report about the state of the family meal in America.

This was the scene of one family that was interviewed. At 6:02 p.m., three children sat down to supper. The mother and father did not eat with the children (they planned to eat later). The father wasn’t at the table. He was checking his phone. Grandpa was nearby looking at his iPad. The TV was blaring in the background. The meal lasted for eight minutes.

In Florence, as everywhere in Italy, dining is a celebration of life.

A few years ago on a research trip to Rome, I connected with Giuliana, the former neighbor of an American friend who had lived in Rome for a while. We agreed to meet one spring evening at the Spanish Steps.

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Anyone who has spent time in Italy knows that meals are about so much more than the food. Meals are daily opportunities for fellowship between family and friends. To promote that life enhancement here in the U.S., Barilla has launched “Share the Table,” the Barilla Family Dinnertime Project.

By registering on the site and making the promise to improve the time you spend with your family around the table and join the Share the Table community, you’ll receive a “Guide to Making Family Dinnertime More Meaningful” with exclusive recipes from Chef Mario Batali, as well as access to online information and support.

For each person who promises to “Share the Table,” Barilla will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels Association of America–up to $150,000–to support senior nutrition programs serving more than one million meals per day.