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Fine dining is an occasional treat for most people.

I think fine dining should be part of the community where it is, more than just for the people who are going to make a special occasion.

Sharing the same meal reaffirms kinship.

Dining should be something that isn't always taken extremely seriously.

I grew up with that farm-to-table dining before it was sweeping the nation. I do think there's some value to really throwing yourself into food and embracing where it comes from.

Food is about communal togetherness. Our family does sit at the table. I think it's a great tragedy if a family doesn't have a table, as there is such an atmosphere of good will and warmth when we have eight people sitting around it.

I used to love fine dining, but I lost my appetite for it to a degree because sometimes it is too much about the effort and too little about the result.

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.

You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.

Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room. For most, meals were informal, a kind of rolling refueling; often only the men sat down.