As I’ve pointed out before, one of the greatest luxuries is taking time for yourself. And what more decadent or better way to do that than to take a proper lunch break. And by that I mean one not ruled by the clock. This will be difficult for those of you used to eating at your desks or toiling under the half-hour lunch break rule. Even an hour may not be long enough. so I recommend that you begin on a weekend or holiday.
This whole idea will take some getting used to. Like meditation, you may find yourself actively trying to derail your luncheon with thoughts of what has been left undone or what happened at yesterday’s staff meeting.
Ignore yourself.
Better yet, order a 1/2 carafe of wine and concentrate on the illicit pleasures of a calming drink during lunch for God’s sake! Now would be a good time to contemplate the menu, either the restaurant’s or the ideas that are stirred when you look into your fridge. Is it a salade niçoise kind of day? (Drink a good rosé.) A ham and cheese on crusty bread (very light red like a pinot noir from Camelot, and small green salad…..)? A simple omlette with herbs, salad and crusty bread? Plowman’s Lunch (beer)? Tarragon Chicken Salad (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)? Moules Frites (Sancerre)?
The possibilities are endless, but the sheer joy of making a good, light lunch last for a hour or more over a small glass of wine is a finite pleasure that you shouldn’t deny yourself. Especially if you can dine outdoors.
With the right company, luncheon may segue right into cocktails before dinner…. What an elegant end to a perfect day.