The common act of eating is often overlooked, but it is nonetheless important on many levels. During the author's two-year experience as a volunteer in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky, food played a large role in relationships with other volunteers and with native Kentuckians. The meal, a basic element, is a symbol for the way that each person looked at life and at others. It is also a way that groups were able to relate to one another around a common table. Through oral interviews, this author explores relationships, ideology, and culture that are all symbolized through meals and eating. (Jessica Roseberry)