FOOD FOR THOUGHT, NOT FOR EATING

It’s a funny thing about writing a column. A lot of times you start out with one idea, and the column turns into something entirely different.
This is one of those times.
My original idea was to write about some recipes I have seen in newspapers and magazines lately. It seems as if the people who came up with them have possibly lost their minds. The combined ingredients are mind-boggling to say the least. Why would you use beets in a dessert? Or make cauliflower bread? Seriously? (Disclaimer: I need to admit here that I don’t even like to be in the same room with cauliflower.)
And when did quinoa replace perfectly good rice as a side? Rice comes in white, brown, and wild – that’s plenty of options. Let’s face it, a lot of people can’t even pronounce quinoa, never mind recognize it when they see it.
But the more strange recipes I ran across, the more I realized that a new culinary standard was coming onto the food scene. I suspect the millennials have something to do with this. Who else goes around taking photos of whatever they are eating so they can share them with everyone they know?
Personally I don’t need to see photographs of what anyone else is eating. That seems to be a little over-the-top obsessive. But then I’m not a millennial. I’m a baby boomer. Most of us grew up eating junk food: burgers, fries and milk shakes. Cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts didn’t make the list.
This new style of eating became painfully clear when we went out for dinner with several friends a while back. A restaurant formerly known for delicious seafood and other specialties had become a trendy foodie dining place. The menu was unappealing to most of us, and just finding something to order was a big challenge. When our meals arrived, eating what was on our plates was a much bigger challenge. Several selections were not even recognizable, and overall none of us enjoyed our meals. I personally haven’t been back to that restaurant since then.
The point of this column is just to warn you that the millennials and the foodies are out to change eating as we know it. We need to prevent this by supporting eating places that have no interest in being trendy. Beware of tofu and quinoa and stick with the four basic food groups: sugar, fat, fried and spicy. Down with cauliflower!