In her book Eating Together, Alice Julier contends that eating together can fundamentally move individuals' viewpoints: It lessens individuals' impression of disparity, and burger joints tend to see those of various races, sexes, and financial foundations as more equivalent than they would in other social situations.
It hasn't generally been the situation that Americans don't organize eating together and eating gradually. In 1950, Elizabeth David, who was perceived as the kind of soul-blending American culinary evangelist du minute,Food Product Reviews as maybe Alice Waters or David Lebovitz is today, distributed A Book of Mediterranean Nourishment.