In Praise of Food

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AussiePam
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In Praise of Food

Post by AussiePam »

I love food.

There's a few threads around right now about how food makers are ruining our health. Bollocks. Food is awesome, and should be treated accordingly. We are in charge. We are really lucky. We can choose what we eat and how we eat it. We can refuse to be manipulated. Surely we all at least have a race memory of how good it feels to eat well... how good it feels to fit your clothes... how good it feels to be able to run up stairs and not need a little cart to take us around shopping malls because we're just too fat to walk.

I think a lot of the obesity problems are caused by disrespect. Food should be savoured, not gobbled.

Eating is a social event, when you sit down with friends, or with your family and relax and enjoy the bounty of the earth, and each other's company. This is civilised.

It's not about bolting something in the car on the way to work, or swallowing a hamburger whole (because it's so soggy you can). It's not about grazing nonstop as you watch a movie or television, or a ballgame It's an event.

When a cook takes the time to prepare something decent, you owe him/her and the food the respect of looking at it, tasting it, savouring each mouthful. It's not a race. Restaurants that just want to move you on fast so they can fill your seats with the next punters etc should be avoided like the plague. Eat and have a conversation. Take an hour.. why not. It's something like 20 minutes before your stomach registers it's full... take at least that to eat.

Cost??? It is amazing how economical it can be to buy fresh food in proper proportions. Not 16oz steaks each for example but 4 oz of steak per person with mushrooms .. perfect, boiled potato, some steamed carrots and broccoli or green beans, perfect. That's the meal. It's enough. Add a glass of wine and put a carafe of tap water on the table.

:-6
"Life is too short to ski with ugly men"

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along-for-the-ride
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In Praise of Food

Post by along-for-the-ride »

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

Adelle Davis (1904 - 1974)

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.

Adelle Davis (1904 - 1974)



:-6
Life is a Highway. Let's share the Commute.
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Lon
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In Praise of Food

Post by Lon »

AussiePam;1269743 wrote: I love food.

There's a few threads around right now about how food makers are ruining our health. Bollocks. Food is awesome, and should be treated accordingly. We are in charge. We are really lucky. We can choose what we eat and how we eat it. We can refuse to be manipulated. Surely we all at least have a race memory of how good it feels to eat well... how good it feels to fit your clothes... how good it feels to be able to run up stairs and not need a little cart to take us around shopping malls because we're just too fat to walk.

I think a lot of the obesity problems are caused by disrespect. Food should be savoured, not gobbled.

Eating is a social event, when you sit down with friends, or with your family and relax and enjoy the bounty of the earth, and each other's company. This is civilised.

It's not about bolting something in the car on the way to work, or swallowing a hamburger whole (because it's so soggy you can). It's not about grazing nonstop as you watch a movie or television, or a ballgame It's an event.

When a cook takes the time to prepare something decent, you owe him/her and the food the respect of looking at it, tasting it, savouring each mouthful. It's not a race. Restaurants that just want to move you on fast so they can fill your seats with the next punters etc should be avoided like the plague. Eat and have a conversation. Take an hour.. why not. It's something like 20 minutes before your stomach registers it's full... take at least that to eat.

Cost??? It is amazing how economical it can be to buy fresh food in proper proportions. Not 16oz steaks each for example but 4 oz of steak per person with mushrooms .. perfect, boiled potato, some steamed carrots and broccoli or green beans, perfect. That's the meal. It's enough. Add a glass of wine and put a carafe of tap water on the table.

:-6


I could not agree more with your post.:)
jmoore
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In Praise of Food

Post by jmoore »

That is a beautiful tribute to the wonder of food and the way it should always be. It is also excellent advice for maintaining your health.

Pam I love your avitar-I have that picture in a frame in my home.
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along-for-the-ride
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In Praise of Food

Post by along-for-the-ride »

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.

Calvin Trillin

US columnist (1935 - )



:wah:
Life is a Highway. Let's share the Commute.
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Bryn Mawr
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In Praise of Food

Post by Bryn Mawr »

along-for-the-ride;1270445 wrote: The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.

Calvin Trillin

US columnist (1935 - )



:wah:


I remember reading that you used to be able to buy leftovers from hotels - don't know how true it is.

As to the OP, agree with 99% of it - excellent post. It is difficult, though, to make it a social occasion when you're on your own - that's why I'm sitting down to my meat and two veg sitting in front of my computer with my friends from the Garden :-6

Also, I'm a glutton - I prefer an eight ounce steak to the four ounce :wah:

As to being in and out of a restaurant within an hour - no way. An hour and a half to two hours maybe but no less.
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