In looking at the economy, and the changes that people are making in their lives as a result, I started thinking about ways that people are going to economize.  One of the first things that's going to get hit, I think, is eating out a lot.  But people are still going to want to socialize, and they're still going to want to socialize over food. 

Back in my younger days, when all of my social group were just starting out, had young uns, and didn't have a lot of extra money, we still got together weekly, and we still ate together every week.  We just did it in each other's houses.  Not formal dinner parties, though.  No, we got together in each others' kitchens and cooked a meal together, and sat down together at the dinner table and shared what we had cooked.  One week at my house, another week at someone else's, and so on.  I look back on that time fondly and wonder why on earth we fell away from doing it as we became more prosperous. 

Today, I organize a Meetup group, the Central Texas Food-Centrics, here in Austin and Central Texas.  We go to restaurants, trying to stick to local businesses rather than national chains.  We go to foodie events.  But we also have potlucks, in our case revolving around a different theme each month (Moroccan, Argentinian, Appetizers, Casseroles, etc.), hosted by a member of the group.  We bring the food that we've prepared in our own kitchens, but the camaraderie and the sharing of food is the same.

I wonder if this form of entertaining, of socializing, will experience a resurgence in these times.  I wonder, if so, what that will do to the kinds of houses that people will be looking for - will a country kitchen that four or five people can use at once be more desirable? Will the dining room experience a resurgence, or will people want something more casual but still large enough to seat six to eight people when required?  How about covered patios, suitable for eating out of a summer evening?

The more I think about it, the more I think that this may just be a silver lining to the current economic downturn.  If so, hopefully we can hold on to it this time as things get financially better.