Skip to main content

Gourmet Garbage


My wife created this great expression one day, when we were filling our trash bags for collection. We had clam shells, lobster shells, shrimp shells and shells from mussels. Gourmet Garbage.  

Just for now, let's drill down and think about the idea of gourmet garbage. Basically, it's trash that speaks for the food that you eat. In our case, it showed that we ate quite a bit of shellfish. What else would be in gourmet garbage? Well, how about  skins, peels and stems from fresh vegetables? How about peels and rinds from fresh fruits? Or even shells from escargot.

Pizza boxes, boxes that held frozen prepared dinners, or boxes used to make mac and cheese are, in my opinion, not gourmet garbage. They also speak of a diet that's high in fat and sodium.

Sometimes we don't eat shellfish. Sometimes we have bones from lamb chops or the occasional T-bone steak. Sometimes it's the frame or skeleton from fin fish. Or even the shells from pumpkin seeds or peanuts. . .Or the shells from edamame beans. You get the idea.

The point is, that the better and more healthfully you eat, the more gourmetlike your garbage will be. Strive to produce the snobbiest, most gourmet garbage on your block!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The "Nondiet Diet?"

At the ripe old age of 74, I've certainly seen and most likely participated in any number of diets. Including fad diets. Many fad diets. Lately, there's a lot of talk about something called intuitive eating. I still don't know very much about it, but it seems to be guided by logic, rather than mere number crunching. While most fad diets rely upon some measurement or distorted measurement of some nutrient or calories, intuitive eating depends more on good, healthful choices, eaten in moderate portions, guided to a great extent by mindfulness or slow eating, as well as a measure of hunger versus fullness. This last attribute is, perhaps, the most important. Many of us of my generation were taught to clean the plate. Much of that, of course, was generated by parents who did not have reliable refrigeration open to them. Food was prepared freshly, served quickly, and anything else needed to be thrown away. Nowadays, of course, we have reliable refrigeration, as well ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The World Was Not Prepared

When I look back, over the last few months, I see nothing but a global screwup, of astronomical proportions.  If the world's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic isn't the quintessential example of  Murphy's Law, I don't know what is.  From the early mischaracterization of the virus as not being a global threat, to nations and local areas not having the resources, it's been a mess. To make all this worse, it's clear that no one has set a long term communications plan, to report updates.  For example, here in the NY-NJ area, we typically get three, lengthy press conference style updates every day.  Each lasts anywhere from an hour, to an hour and a half.  Much of it is meant to be gracious, thanking the almost endless list of front-line personnel, to other government agencies, to individual patients.  A truly effective, long term communications plan would do three things: Set a reasonable, bite-size time limit, for each daily presser. Set standard ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Organ Meats

Before  You make a face, consider that organ meats are never eaten in large quantities. Not only that, but they're also mixed in with potatoes and vegetables and other things.. Lastly, the way organ meats are prepared before cooking can make all the difference in the world. I'm not urging you to eat organ meats, but I am suggesting that you give them a try, if possible.Although I have always liked kidneys, I hadn't had them until recently at a local sichuan restaurant. That same restaurant also prepares things like tongue and tripe, pork intestines and beef tendon.They're all highly seasoned and absolutely elicious, in small quantities and only occasionally.
Post a Comment
Read more