Carrot Top

Yes, I realized that much at least - that it *was* written by a homeopathic group. It seemed to bring me deeper and deeper into the Alice-in-Wonderland world that was started by looking at that scary original photo and the startling story about the zebra milk and the guy. That paragraph about prescribing zebra milk to someone because they came in dressed all in black and white was uh. . .impressively surreal to me. But then again, as they say "whatever floats your boat". Phew. Still, I love this topic. I'm so glad it was posted.

Jennifer, There's a topic on that subject somewhere here. . .I do not know the title, but *do* remember that jkonick started it. You can search for it by clicking onto her topics, perhaps, or even searching for "food writing" topics. ..................................................... As to the subject of not writing unless it's for money, well. That's the way many chefs feel about cooking.

That line about Bobby Flay's shirt will remain in my memory *for ev er*.

A new vocabulary word. Thank you, Maggie. I'll try to use it as much as possible. That contest was a hoot. I think every single entry deserves a prize and a round of applause. I haven't laughed so hard in ages.

Wow. Maybe not humor. I got curious so looked up "zebra milk" in the Cambridge World History of Food. Although there were entries on many milks: alpaca, camel, cow, donkey, goat, human breast, llama, mare, reindeer, sheep, water buffalo, and yak - there was nothing on zebra milk. I actually dreaded looking it up on the internet, fearful a bit of what sites might fall under the category. If you know what I mean. Phew. But I did, and found that it appears that zebra milk is being considered (apparently, I am never really sure of fully understanding anything that is written about science or medicine) in cancer cures. Here is one site that discusses this:Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients Wow. Now I am completely flummoxed. I have no idea what to think.

I'd have to agree with you there. Still, it's quite possible that the story *was* actually not (entirely or factually) true. The British have a marvellous, fine-honed touch with how parody and life often can seem to intersect each other.

BBC report on bushmeat in London Aside from the fact I think it quite possible for someone to become as passionate about eating something difficult to procure (often this is about p o w e r) there is an active trade in London in bushmeat, which would lead me to believe that zebra milk *might* also be possible to procure.

I initially wanted to disbelieve the story based on the photo, which looked as if it were taken at a Wax Museum. But yes, I do believe it. ........................................... P.S. Actually, if that story were to be published in The Onion, I don't think anyone would even blink an eye. They just might not think it was "as funny" as it "should have been" - but it *is* quite close to parody. Still, yes, I believe it. Lovely the stories life sends us.

Did you put these two thoughts on the same line because there is some direct or indirect correlation between the size of a man's steak and the size of his er. . ."physical accoutrements", Steve? Might be a good topic to explore. (Thanks for sharing, as always )

Thanks, adegiulio. I guess maybe we can share a couple of cannolis rather than a couple of twinkies if ever we cross paths.

If you weep, I'll weep, and I weep easily so please don't weep. But thank you.

Interesting article here about "The Meaning of Food", which includes some discussion of "food as symbol". People tend to be loyal to the symbols that represent them within their cultures. In our culture, the USA, we have choices, often, as to what our personal symbols (including foods) will be. It is a wonderful society in that way, in my opinion. Sometimes, if you look at a finely woven carpet or tapestry, the gold threads strike the eye first as the most beautiful part. Then perhaps the rich wools, the jewel-tone colors. It could be, though, that the woof and warp of that piece of art is made of poor twine or cotton. Yet it still is a part of the whole. Canned foods, fast foods, frozen foods - they are all part of the "whole" of our culture. They may not please the connoisseur's eye, but they will remain as a working part of the whole. Perhaps one may not be pleased, either, by the notion of parents who feed their children "fast food" or even eat at different times. My own mother, a single parent, did feed me canned food. And she did not insist we always eat at the same time. There are incredible burdens today on working parents and on single parents in many ways. Yes, I am *still* loyal to my own mother and her canned spaghetti. It would have been nice to have seen someone hold a hand out to help her, as she struggled to do the best she could, the best she knew how (or, if not a hand of help, at least a smile of acceptance). . .rather than to know that what was said was "Bad mother, that. Bad mother." If there are women who lie about what they feed their kids in order to be "part of the group", I can actually understand it. Sometimes the contempt of others can be heavy, and the silence heard when truths are expressed out loud that don't fit the "norm", deafening.

Well then. My children's lunches are made, and I have driven each child to their respective school. One of the children likes to be kissed on his cheek before he gets out of the car, the other only likes to hear kisses thrown to her. One child took hummus with crudites and pita, water and a fruit roll-up. The other took canned spaghetti-o's with apple juice and some cookies. Both kids seem to be doing okay. Good grades, very healthy, etc etc etc. But I will be watchful. Who knows what might happen to this one in the future who likes canned spaghetti and packaged cookies?

There are lots of folks who feed the younger children early, and eat while the child plays after dinner. Its more a convenience than snob thing. ← I only want to point out that the emphasis I tried to make was that the article was from an English periodical. There are aspects of English culture that escape most of us...one of them being that the "posh" people do not eat with their children. Children are served separately and, if they're posh enough, in a separate room! I've run into the English class system in another of my hobbies and it's not always rational. ← One of the things that parents *are* actually advised to do by "parenting experts" in the US is to have younger children eat separately, for the purposes of maintaining "intimacy" in the marriage. (I don't invent the news, I just report it, ma'am. ) P.S. *Whatever* can maintain intimacy in marriage, I'm all for it. Intimacy is a good thing.

Could be these women might need coachamatic.

Jelly Beans and Ketchup. God forbid. I can not even *believe* I have to put these two things in the same sentence, Daniel. It makes my head, heart, and stomach hurt, all at the same time. But excuse me for a moment, I have to go make the kids' lunches for school. Somehow, I forgot to say "just say no" somewhere along the line.

Speaking of bad... Wasn't it the Reagan administration that classified KETCHUP as a vegetable?? ← Great catch-phrase. . .that dinner table thing. . .wonderful to roll around on the tongue and there is such a sense of Family Values that sort of land on one while doing so! Ahhhh. . .wonderful feeling. But to me, it doesnt seem to hold up to close examination. Maybe if they'd added a word or two here or there. . .sort of to prove it. But then again, too much ketchup could have left their brains fried. One never knows.

Wow, this *is* one of those "blast from the past" threads. I'm glad to read of your successes, Andrea. Congrats, and wishes for more to come!

It comes to mind to wonder if Molly O'Neill's theory on Food Porn might have anything to say in ways about "foodie kids/fibbing moms". . .

I wanted to, Barbara. Really I did. But then I was becoming so impassioned while thinking of it that I didn't want to sully it by talking about it.

Here's a bit more from Rachel Lauden's "Culinary Modernism": and

Nah, I won't start in on the moong beans, Milagai. As long as you promise not to start in on the canned spaghetti. I don't know what "health food types" eat. All I know is that many of the health food stores that I've entered in my lifetime have seemed to have hired people that looked like they were not particularly healthy nor happy as compared to the other places I've shopped for food, usually the ubiquitous supermarket. What can I say? This does not encroach on any particular cultural legacy, as far as I can see. Maybe it's just a style thing, a style thing that is not to *my* particular taste. But that doesn't mean I'm going to say "my way is better than theirs". I do know many people who dislike even the idea of "health food" though, because of this apparent style thing.

Could be so. Yet another thing to worry about.

Perhaps. And I've seen grocery stores in both poorer rural and urban neighborhoods that did not have the buying options in terms of many items that its average middle-class equal would have. But as far as developing bad health from food, *if* what you are alluding to is obesity, I'll have to say that I've seen as many gourmands walking round the streets with what used to be called avoir-dupois as I've seen poor people of the same shapes who are assumed to be without the means or access to "finer food". And as far as the "health food" types, they often may be thinner, but often also appear depressed or otherwise weedy to me. Most of the people I've happened to see in my own sphere of life who do maintain their shape and their health seem to do so by some form of physical fitness regimen.

It's possible that I've done a very poor job of expressing myself, Daniel, but if you read what I've posted so far, my sympathies indeed have been with the poor as well as with several other groups. But the poor of yesteryear that created some of those great dishes you hint at are not the poor of today, in ways. Those dishes were created for the most part in agricultural economies that produced certain items that certain groups within the economy then had access to. Neccesity being the mother of invention, and human beings being a peculiarly inventive breed, and one of those groups being the woman in the kitchen with what was sitting before her that needed to be made into a meal, some absolute marvels were wrought. I'm not sure that I read in the original article that children were eating canned spaghetti and crap *alone*, but it may be there by inference. What bothers you most about that scenario - the fact of the "canned spaghetti and crap" that is being eaten by kids or the fact that kids are eating alone, or that the parents are eating something else. . .(?) I'm curious to find what seems the worst to you in this picture. . .