"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." --Michael Pollan
"On the highway, do your best and don't overthink it. Stay calm, bring picnics & snacks or enjoy junk food, and continue with your life at your destination."--Lesliedit
As a chef, I have dealt with many real food allergies and sensitivities as well as fake ones. I am sympathetic to the former and glad to know about them. The latter are as annoying and grating as fingernails on a chalkboard. Restaurant and catering customers will literally corner a waiter and make him find out all the dishes on the menu that contain, say, garlic. Then this person will often order one anyway, announcing "I am just slightly allergic. I think I will be okay." This is not an allergy; this is a need for attention.
I had to laugh. When our son married his first wife who was Japanese (the wedding was there) the guests were divided evenly between Caucasian and Japanese people. All of numerous "food issues" that required deviation from the menu came from the white people, except for the bride herself who was vegetarian. But probably the funniest was that some members of our family were completely freaked out by the little fish flakes (katsuobushi) that are put on many dishes in Japan that wave in the breeze.
As one who is gluten intolerant and dairy doesn’t feel good either and who also feels compassion for the billions of animals we slaughter, often with unmitigated cruelty, this poem feels like a pot shot of unkindness toward millions who are doing their best not to suffer physical pain or inflict it. You seem pleased with yourself. Smug, even.
Dear Gayle, I hope I am never smug. We all have our things. The poem is meant to be about Ginia Bellafonte's piece, which is about gentrifying food stops on the Thruway.
Class consciousness does not override common sense: eat for good health. Veggies galore, ; compassion helps. Composting too . Or is that smug ?
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." --Michael Pollan
"On the highway, do your best and don't overthink it. Stay calm, bring picnics & snacks or enjoy junk food, and continue with your life at your destination."--Lesliedit
As a chef, I have dealt with many real food allergies and sensitivities as well as fake ones. I am sympathetic to the former and glad to know about them. The latter are as annoying and grating as fingernails on a chalkboard. Restaurant and catering customers will literally corner a waiter and make him find out all the dishes on the menu that contain, say, garlic. Then this person will often order one anyway, announcing "I am just slightly allergic. I think I will be okay." This is not an allergy; this is a need for attention.
I had to laugh. When our son married his first wife who was Japanese (the wedding was there) the guests were divided evenly between Caucasian and Japanese people. All of numerous "food issues" that required deviation from the menu came from the white people, except for the bride herself who was vegetarian. But probably the funniest was that some members of our family were completely freaked out by the little fish flakes (katsuobushi) that are put on many dishes in Japan that wave in the breeze.
we are all so crazy (!!!)
As one who is gluten intolerant and dairy doesn’t feel good either and who also feels compassion for the billions of animals we slaughter, often with unmitigated cruelty, this poem feels like a pot shot of unkindness toward millions who are doing their best not to suffer physical pain or inflict it. You seem pleased with yourself. Smug, even.
Dear Gayle, I hope I am never smug. We all have our things. The poem is meant to be about Ginia Bellafonte's piece, which is about gentrifying food stops on the Thruway.