May 15, 2006

• rich women don't get fat

  (quick fixe versus prix fixe)

  pick one from each row:

  entrée

  

  legumes
  
  

  soupe

  

  plats principaux

  

  dessert
  
  

  the popular book French Women Don't Get Fat, by
  Mirielle Guiliano describes the phenomenon of the american binge diet;
  because food is eaten as substinence instead of enjoyment, and often
  consumed in vast amounts, people don't generally feel satisfied, and
  therefore eat a LOT to compensate.

  in the States, it's not just
  that we eat bigger portions..we eat portions saturated with fat and oil
  because they're underspiced and overcooked (sigh). i've noticed in the
  dhall people getting trays and trays of dinner with 3-4 entrees in
  effort to make up in quantity what they can't get in quality...(eg. not
  just a parm chicken, but parm chicken plus macaroni plus meat loaf plus
  emerald beef) even after they're full they go back and get more because
  the meal just wasn't satisfying. if we just had one satisfying,
  delicious entree i think most of us wouldn't have gotten our freshman
  25.

  pierre bourdieu's theory:
  people of differing social classes prefer different types of sustenance
  anyway, due to differing expectations. people of a lower socioeconomic
  class would prefer things like big chunks of meat/heavy cheese because
  the guarantee of the next meal is not 100%. people of higher
  socioeconomic class tend to prefer things that are lighter (spiced
  fishes, for example, instead of beef stew, or in our case, salad
  instead of mcdonalds)

  in some way i feel like it applies
  here; most of the "movie star diets" you hear about in Vogue and Cosmo
  require 1. personal chef 2. ingredients from places more upscale than,
  say, Whole Foods and 3. mucho preparation. in the days i'm trying to
  save money in the science center, i tend to get the $2 pizza rather
  than the $7 large sushi. a 3-minute snack can either be a Peet's almond
  pound cake ($2) or a burdick's pastry ($4), a marginal difference but
  one that adds up after awhile...the gourmet pastry is much more
  satisfying, while the pound cake just...well...makes me crave more.

  anyway, what was the point of showing you all that food? it's funny; despite the fact that most of us are probably upper middle class, i'd really rather eat the "lower class" options (that onion in particular looks fantabulous). sometimes you just gotta have the quick fix you know?

  ~*~*~

  anyway, i'm very proud of this recipe...it tastes fantastic ;D
  1 contemplative salad (dhall style)
          dark greens
          pinch of gorgonzola cheese
          purple onions
          2 pieces canned pear
          half handful broken walnuts
         
  dressing: 2 parts balsamic vineger to 1 part pineapple or lemon juice,
  splash of organic olive oil, generous amount of oregano, pinch of
  garlic powder
  2 slices pita bread
  1 grilled chicken

  • 9:29 pm
  • 2 Comments