While guns fire, Americans pither about with Coles Notes quips of this and that food.

Food was once a necessity, with presidential campaigns less than a century ago promising a chicken in every pot.

Now that the staples are readily available, eaters seek a thrill, an experience, a story, to enliven their experience.

Food pornography has never been more desired yet never more unsatisfying.

How many cooking shows are about stories rather than snobbery.

A restaurant in Modena, Italy, won the top prize Monday night as the 2016 edition of the influential World’s 50 Best Restaurants list was unveiled at a New York City gathering attended by hundreds of chefs from around the world.

That’s nice.

The Times reports that since it began in 2002, the list has proved its power, making international stars of chefs. It has become so popular (and profitable, with the opportunity for multiple sponsorships) that sub-lists — 50 Best Restaurants in Asia, 50 Best Restaurants in South America — have been established, with more to come.

This was the first time since the awards began that the event took place outside London, a move intended to highlight haute cuisine’s increasingly global and decreasingly Eurocentric focus. (Next year’s awards ceremony will be held in Melbourne, Australia.)

Similarly, at a time when more chefs are interested in food policy, the environment, health and leadership, a group of them descended on the Yale campus in New Haven this week to talk about food issues.

Called the MAD Yale Leadership Summit, the gathering is an outgrowth of MAD, the Copenhagen-based nonprofit organization — spearheaded by the chef René Redzepi of Noma — that holds events around the world.

For this event, which began with a dinner June 13 but is not open to the public, chefs like Mr. Redzepi, David Chang, Kylie Kwong, Jessica Koslow, Alex Atala, April Bloomfield and Rosio Sanchez are attending lectures and salon-like discussions on topics including fermentation, law, food security, agriculture and gender.

Safety is notably absent.

Some of the happiest friends I have, as they age, return to what they love with an emphasis on basics, while continuing to explore and experiment.

They don’t care about lists, they don’t care about poses, they nurture, produce and create with experience and passion.

Many of them love food, and they don’t make people barf.