the oozing excitement

[gfrancie]

Michael Pollen came out with a book awhile ago of "rules for eating". You know, something nice and reverent so people can feel satisfied when they bite into their locally sourced legumes and garnish of heirloom porcine product. (pork'n'beans!)

Rules for food/eating and the vainglorious attitude that can go with it make me hesitate. It seems that people miss out on something significant. The pleasure of cooking and eating. That is probably my big rule. Sure I likely subscribe to many aspects of mindful eating but I don't want it to be the primary driving force when I walk into the kitchen or sit down at the table. When I cook for family and friends I want them to experience joy and contentment. I put forth much of my love when I cook for people and I equally take love back when they like what I make. When I eat something someone else has made I appreciate their effort and again there is the pleasure I take from what they did.
There is no prize at the end of the day for having the most rules for food. It is like a person with disordered eating issues creating a very narrow framework to eat. All that control and you miss out on true living. Auntie Mame is indeed right. Life is a banquet and most poor bastards are starving.

Comments

[coneycat.livejournal.com]

You get the Icon of Triumphant Awesomeness for this post. Yeah. At its best, cooking for people is serving them love on a plate. Why ruin it by getting all precious about it?

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Why thank you!

[bovril.livejournal.com]

You are so right. In the context of a beautifully made Gennie dinner, the rules are silly.

And 'rules' is the wrong word, lets try 'guidelines'.

But there is another context where the guidelines should be seen: if somebody eats Ho-Hos and Cheeseburgers for *every* meal, they should be told that their life and health will suffer, and that following some of these rules will improve their life and health.

Its like the calorie counts and cigarette warnings. People have the right to choose, but they should know what they are doing.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Should should should... How parental.

[bovril.livejournal.com]

Well yes. People *should* be told that cigarettes are bad for them. And that Ho-Hos and french fries *should* be eaten in moderation. Call me a nanny-state socialist.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I am fine with people being given the information and told, "hey those starbucks drinks are lard with straws" and all that jazz. But I am more at odds with the fundamentalist/orthodox sorts who look down on a person for having the occasional frito.

[far-gone.livejournal.com]

Seems like another flavour of turning food into medicine and chemicals - ie, no I can't have carbs... I really need protein -- I've never heard a french or italian discuss whether or not they need carbs or protein (or how precious their beef is)! I love what you say about the love. That's what it's all about isn't it! This is why the highly technical stuff doesn't do it for me (tho I am experimenting with macarons today) - it's not work, it's love-making!!

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Yes. That is it.

[evilbearhunter.livejournal.com]

Maybe I am just an unapologetic Pollan fangirl, but he does say explicitly and repeatedly in his book that he is similarly uncomfortable with the ideas of "rules" for eating, thinks that a form of eating wherein we try to gain the most points (through gaining nutrients, avoiding carbs/fat/sugar/whatever) is fucked up, and frames his suggestions as "guidelines" rather than hard and fast rules.

[kitchenwitch.livejournal.com]

*joins Fangirls of Pollan Defense League*

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

hey I have no problem with Pollan. After all he is a man trying to make a buck and all that jazz. Its the fundies that get my panties all bunched up

[sahara-harp.livejournal.com]

No rules. No guidelines. No recommendations. No shoulds. Just education and awareness and enjoy your damned food.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

a-fucking-men.
This is why I love to eat donuts with you.

[ms-pooka.livejournal.com]

just finished reading some more O.D. moments ago. haven't read the other yet.

in defense, i will say that as someone with a lot of "rules" about what i eat and what i won't, many people with no "rules" don't understand how i can be happy forgoing little debbies and chicken strips and cubes of cheese, etc. however, i feel many more doors have opened for me, foodwise, and knowing that i'm not participating in pain for another creature and am not stuffing myself with nasties that have been strategically marketed to me makes me feel pretty awesome. it's a different kind of food adventure.

aw, look. violet has just climbed into a box!

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

The thing is with your particular set of dietary restrictions it doesn't seem to stop you from the act of pleasure when it comes to eating. That is my major point. Sometimes some people miss the pleasure when they are so busy showing off how holy they are.

[ms-pooka.livejournal.com]

it is true that little could ever come between me and my enjoyment of eating. even bad food.

[kiran59.livejournal.com]

The main thing I learned at school was everything in moderation.

People who have such strict guidelines....generally are also the ones to gorge. Its the people who understand that you know by having an oreo they arent committing a crime, I find are generally more healthy.

[meowlet.livejournal.com]

I say rules are fun as long as they're fun. When that stops, food has turned into something ugly. In other words, I AGREE.