Relax And Go On A Picnic

The word "picnic" conjures up images of families and food - spread out together on a patchwork of blankets or feasting at tables - under a brilliant azure canopy.

Alex Heminway co-wrote the new book "Picnics" with his mother, Hilary. He says the definition of a picnic is pretty straight-forward.

"A picnic is an excursion with food, and to picnic is to eat outside, outside the house, but also outside your daily routine," he told Early Show national correspondent Tracy Smith. "Picnicking is about slowing down and taking time to pay attention to the food and to each other … communing with nature."

The word "pique-nique" - loosely meaning to "pick a thing of little importance" - originated in 17th-century France. Edouard Manet's controversial masterpiece, "The Luncheon on the Grass," captured the country's naked passion for dining outdoors, though in reality, most did it fully-clothed. "Peek-neek" became the English word "pic-nic" - first appearing in print in 1748 in a letter from the Earl of Chesterfield to his son.

"He writes to his son, this is a great line: 'I liked the description of your picnic intended more to promote conversation rather than drinking,'" Heminway said. "So, I love that idea, that image of the picnic as a catalyst for conversation or as an excuse for conversation and discourse. I think we would have fewer problems in the world, if we forced our world leaders to picnic together."

In fact, in 2000 millions in France took part in a 600-mile picnic to celebrate Bastille Day and France's newly-appointed position as head of the European Union.

As a political device to bring people together, few meetings work as well as a picnic. President Bush has played host to picnics.

Picnics used to be extravagant, stylish affairs, especially favored by the British.

"They were mostly the upper classes, and they would take the whole day and they would be there in all their finery," Heminway said.

While times have changed, you can certainly still find a feast fit for a king. The Blue Ribbon Bakery market in New York's Greenwich Village packs a gourmet picnic that would be a five-star meal under any roof.

"We have cole slaw, fennel slaw, cole slaw made out of fennel," Bruce Bromberg (who owns the market with his brother, Eric) said. "We have country pate. We have fresh-churned butter that we get from fresh cream upstate and we churn our own butter. It's $175 for four people for this basket. And it comes with two bags and all the drinks. And it even comes with the knife and a corkscrew. So really, a lot of the items are reusable and things you can use again and again. You're not going to wipe out this entire picnic."

For the most part, though, picnicking has become quite simple. While most people think picnics are appropriate only in the summer, Heminway says that isn't necessarily true.

"You can picnic at your desk, if you have a quiet half-hour with nobody to bother you or shut your office door for a half-hour," he said. "You can picnic by the fire at home. You can picnic under an umbrella, if it's raining. You can picnic on an airplane. Anywhere."

But it's tough to beat the great outdoors, and there is almost no limit to what can be packed inside a picnic basket.

"And you can have an ample meal with the simplest ingredients," Heminway said. "A fresh loaf of bread … You know, most everybody eats cheese, although not everybody eats every kind of cheese. So bring a selection of cheeses and some salami. And then, to end the meal on a high, a nice bar of dark chocolate. It's a good way to end."

So never mind if you are picnicking with the simplest of rations or an extravagant spread - it's the company, the peace, your surroundings that make having a picnic one of those memorable moments in life.