My daughter says I write about food a lot. Is that any surprise to you? After all, we eat a lot!!!
We also think about food a lot. And talk about food a lot. In fact, it seems the only time we’re not talking about eating is when we’re talking about -‘not eating’!! You know like: ” I need to go on a diet.” “I need to stop eating so much.” “Shevuoth killed me out, I ate way too much!” I just started the best diet “.
It’s funny, we want to go to the wedding with the most fantastic catering, a kiddush with the most delicious food, and a restaurant with the most well flavored delicacies. Yet, at the exact same time, we totally do not want to be there!
The only place we feel we can have real control of our diets is at our own home. That is -until something gets in the way:
– For example:
If we even feel one iota of stress – All bets are off. Then all food cabinets are fair game!
-Or If we serve dinner to our kid and then they leave some left overs on their plate. How can we resist Gd’s perfectly constructed french fry? And what’s a french fry without a dip in the ketchup, and of course a bite or two of the hot dog respectfully accompanying it?!
I’m not saying I don’t have the discipline to eat a salad. I do. But if you partake in anyone’s but your own it’s highly suspect these days. The problem is the greens are just a cover-up. There are more fattening items floating around in today’s salads than are served in any desert. And at least with desert no one tricks you by calling it a salad.
There are croutons, caramelized nuts, terra chips, potato sticks, bread crumbs, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and more Nuevo-vegetables. There may even be some cake, candy, and ice cream floating around in there, everything goes. They call it a salad, you eat it, and then 50,000 calories later you suddenly get it, that just because they threw some leaves into a virtual candy store it does not make it a salad Bar!
Don’t get me wrong, I love food just as much as the next guy. Though, I didn’t as a kid! In fact, I’d like to get my hands on the person who straightened me out! In those days food was irrelevant to me. I’d eat a bar of Philadelphia cream cheese and I was good for a week. Now if it’s not enhanced by being wrapped around a cheese cake, who even looks at it?!
They say Jews are about the food and Non-Jews the drinking. But then they seem to miss out on the fun of talking about it – Probably cause they have no memory of the event. On the other hand -We can reminisce for hours!! “That appetizer…. was it good! It was so amazing, some sort of meat and caramelized onions in a pie crust and that sauce…. What about that soup encrusted and delivered in an edible bread basket? Oh yes I did! Ate every last bite of that bowl! And the main dish…what a marsala sauce. And what was that desert- hot mouse or chocolate soufflé?! Whatever!!! I was just too stuffed to eat another bite!! What do you mean there was a Viennese table??? Where? When? Why didn’t I see it?!! ”
Though, I did get to take a steaming hot chocolate chip cookie from the lobby for the ride home. You know, I had to, what if we hit traffic?!
I’m not saying there’s no other topic that people talk about. Sometimes, for example, we do discuss, business, politics, kids, and clothing. But, in all honesty, I’m just pointing out the obvious, all that just seems to be an intermezzo -between talking about one eating experience and another!
Is this a bit of an exaggeration? Probably! How I like to think of it is, as us demonstrating “appreciation” for all the wonderful taste sensations our creator brought into the world. And not just once in a blue moon, but over and over and over again! Wow look at that, what an amazing group of people we are?!
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com<mailto:rivki@rosenwalds.com