Words, as anyone who has said bumfuzzle aloud can tell you, are funny. How they came to be and where they came from can be amusing when not just strange.
Consider dessert – as, of course, we hope you often do- that word comes from a French word, dessevir, meaning to remove what has been served or, easier on the tongue, to clear away the table. In fact in the third person desservir takes on a familiar form: il dessert (or he clears away). Which isn’t particularly funny if you haven’t finished your dessert before he clears it away. Sacre bleu! What a tragedy that would be.
Other folks say that the meaning of desservir is more akin to “un-serve”. Which, in dessert parlance, is the worst thought ever. Who would have a heart black enough to un-serve dessert?
Of course, no one we know, especially not the French, would un-serve dessert or take post prandial candy from babies of any age, but as we celebrate National Dessert Day it seems worthwhile to linger over our coffee and consider the vagaries surrounding the sweet spot of the meal.
I grew up in a home with lots of sweets, but not many desserts. That is to say that we rarely had a final course to the meal; cookies and milk might come later, but they were never served at the table. It was a rare and special occasion when Mom would have something sweet that we would eat together after dinner. Usually it arrived in a footed, faceted dessert cup which I have forever since associated with chocolate pudding (my favorite treat from back in the day). It was an indulgence that never got old because it never came too often – so you couldn’t get used to it or take it for granted. It was mother’s whim and a delight.
That’s why, perhaps, to this day dessert remains a completely separate experience from grabbing a quick bite of cookie. The very idea is a comfort – just think of clearing the table for a last sweet moment of communion over a bit of food that you can enjoy in small bites thus facilitating the especially fine conversation that comes from the good mood of the well fed.
Because it is more than nourishment, and follows essential eating, dessert contributes to the feeling that life is good. Whenever I feel discontent or worried about the budget or the Jones’ new car, I remind myself that in the grand scheme of things I’m a rich man. I have food daily and dessert often.
Dessert’s pretty special at The Tomato Head – it’s made with the same care and careful selection of ingredients as everything we serve. And, thanks to the delectable work of Flour Head Bakery, our dessert case is almost an embarrassment of riches, and one that’s accessible, too. What good is a wealth of sweet stuff unless you can share it? We take pains to make sure that our vegan and gluten free options are as appetizing to the eye and as scrumptious to the tongue as every other treat we serve. And, as a general rule, we’d never un-serve dessert – we’re just good like that.
Happy National Dessert Day! Be sweet to someone you love – or even someone you don’t: a little sugar goes a long way…