The table is like your altar. You are the priest. Your plate of food is the sacrifice. Then, you perform the ritual of washing your hands, say a blessing, and immerse yourself to make those carbohydrates and proteins a divine experience. This is the Hasidic definition of eating.
Some instructions on washing hands before eating.
1) It is only done when eating matzah bread. The bread is considered the main food.
2) Before the ritual washing of the hands, they must be clean, free of anything that might obstruct the flow between the water and the skin. Netilat Yadayim is a spiritual ritual, not a hygiene practice.
3) Rings must be removed, unless they are never taken off.
4) Fill a container with water and pour it three times over your right hand and three times over your left (left-handed people do the opposite). The water should cover your entire hand up to your wrist. It is customary to use plenty of water, a symbol of God's abundant blessing.
5) After the washing, the blessing printed in the prayer books is recited.
6) The hands are dried and no one speaks until the blessing of the bread has been recited and the first bite of it has been swallowed.