What's the Point of Eating - Part 1?

Good food is not just about getting some fuel into your body. It's a social experience.

Here are a few hints to get the best out of your meal whether its a fancy gourmet menu or a bowl of pasta with pesto and tomatoes.

• Eat at a table rather than in front of the television. If the tv is in the same room turn it off!
• Put your smartphone to one side and don't be tempted to glance at it from time time. Be daring and turn the sound off or switch to airplane mode.
• If you're with someone else talk to one another - its called conversation. 
• Although it may be unrealistic to chew each mouthful 30 times, do eat more slowly. Savour the flavour.
• Posture is important for good digestion.  A straight back is not necessary but slouching over the table impairs proper digestion and will cause "wind" and "gas". A good eating posture will also help you to avoid IBS.
• Even if you're drinking a shake give your digestive system time to recognise whats going down to reduce the sudden impact.
• Appreciate the "cook" whether they have spent an hour or more preparing the food or rushed the a simple meal onto the table after getting home from work.
• Eating is not just an interruption to other leisure activities.
• Follow these simple guidelines even if you're eating alone.
• If you're part of a family or house-share group try and eat together as much as possible.

Cook & Chefs of Influence

As I begin my posts on my enjoyment I have in cooking and share recipes I think I should point out that I don't generally watch tv chef programmes.

Some annoy me with their extravagant playing around with food and who make cooking into an art form that is removed from daily life or even for that special meal with friends.

Although these programmes are immensely popular I get the impression that few actually get people cooking well on a daily basis. 

I'm sure there are exceptions; perhaps aspects of Jamie and Delia meet my concerns, but I do wonder whether watching is preferable to actually cooking  for most. 

Consequently I have to say that I have not been influenced greatly by the tv cooking "names" and would prefer to see normal food produced by normal people but made primarily with taste and nutrition in mind. 

Some would say that many of my recipes  are far from normal but I would dispute this on the grounds that I generally use easily obtainable ingredients only adding a different or special ingredient to enhance the basic underlying taste.

I do, however, have time to think a little more than most about recipes and accept the lack of time is probably the biggest deterant; again I would endeavour to make things that don't require hours of preparation except for perhaps artisan breads and curries or chilies that are best allowed to "steep" to improve flavour.  

First Post

I have been cooking for family and friends on an occasional basis for some years but more recently, with time away from full time employment, I have been able to make this a much more regular feature of my week.

As I look forward to 2014 I thought I could make my weekly creative culinary adventures more available to share with the wider community as I often choose recipes with slightly different ingredients or create traditional ones with a twist of my own.

Hence this blog.

But why the name?

I am now a grandfather! One of my sons and his wife has produced two children, so far, and when the first was born there was the usual debate about "what shall we call Dad".

Since Grandad had already been "bagged" by my daughter-in-law's father and I didn't really like "Pops" I thought "Papa" would be quite trendy and so I became "PapaJ". My name is Jim.

I also have this thing about making things sound more grandiose than they really are so when I started cooking for one particular family I used to send over some basic instructions in a menu format under the heading of PapaJ's Kitchen.

Welcome.