There is a tiny, thoughtfully curated bookstore on a North-west corner of San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood. I was a few minutes early for a lunch nearby and couldn’t help but pop in for a quick browse. Five minutes later I walked out with Lunch at the Shop: The Art and Practice of the Midday Meal. It is an inspired volume by long-established Seattle book store owner Peter Miller celebrating the simple pleasures achieved by taking and appreciating (what I consider) a proper lunch. The emphasis is firmly put on food that is simple, fresh, thoughtful, and often communal. Said another way – lunch doesn’t need to be complicated or elaborate to be meaningful.

Taking time for lunch. This book struck such a note with me because there are few things that can make more of a difference in your day than this gesture. It’s something I believe in, and something I do my best to put into practice whether I’m sitting down by myself, with a few friends, or with many. There is something incredibly positive and optimistic about this small volume with the happy, tomato-red cover. On a practical level it is filled with thoughts and advice on how to eat well, pace your day, and stock your work pantry…but it comes together into something beyond the sum of its sections and chapters. I love that it exists as a reminder of how important this break in the day can be – how it can help relationships grow, how it can help energize, nourish, and revive, and how in-sourcing lunch can bring a bit of magic to a work environment.

I made the Lentils folded into Yogurt, Spinach, and Basil. A double batch, in fact. It was enjoyed on walnut bread, tartine-style, for multiple days. Friends that can’t handle wheat or gluten can enjoy this combination on appropriate crackers or wrapped in a sturdy, fresh leaf of romaine lettuce. It has lentils, loads of spinach (arugula is great too), herbs, and Greek yogurt – a hearty, healthy, satisfying line-up of ingredients that set you up strong for the rest of the afternoon!

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