When a French friend of mine first moved to London, she found one local tradition utterly mystifying. It wasn’t the English penchant for talking about the weather, or for apologizing when someone else steps on their toes. It was that Londoners eat while walking down the street. “Devouring a Niçoise salad and dodging pedestrians at the same time is not a sign of civilization,” my friend told me, with Parisian hauteur. “It’s a sign that you need to slow down.” She had a point. In the modern world, the art of eating mindfully has been sacrificed on the altar of speed and efficiency.  Everywhere, industrial farms pump out cheap, low-caliber food. Cooking by microwave then adds insult to injury. The act of eating has become a race against the clock. One study found that the average meal in the United States lasts just 11 minutes. Breakfast and lunch can be …