Monday, June 19, 2006

More Pie, Mr. President? + Our National Eating Disorder -- NY Times

Thought these two articles about the Amerian Diet were quite interesting...

More Pie, Mr. President?
By JACK HITT
Published: October 17, 2004
Good political food -- it should be obvious -- must be democratic. The barbecue, the clambake, the chili contest, the fish fry, the hamburger cookout, the pancake social, the fried-chicken potluck, the spaghetti dinner -- these are the great entrees of American politics precisely because almost anyone can cook them and pretty much everybody likes them. Sure, the exact recipes differ from place to place, like accents, but that's the point. Political food contains the core contradiction of America, our profound differences and essential sameness all on one plate. Nothing puts a politician more at ease than being able to sing our national unity and diversity at the same time. And what says E Pluribus Unum as literally and zestily as a bowl of four-alarm chili? ....
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/17REDBLUE.html

Our National Eating Disorder
By MICHAEL POLLAN
Published: October 17, 2004
Carbophobia, the most recent in the centurylong series of food fads to wash over the American table, seems to have finally crested, though not before sweeping away entire bakeries and pasta companies in its path, panicking potato breeders into redesigning the spud, crumbling whole doughnut empires and, at least to my way of thinking, ruining an untold number of meals. America's food industry, more than happy to get behind any new diet as long as it doesn't actually involve eating less food, is still gung-ho on Low Carb, it's true, but in the last few weeks, I can report some modest success securing a crust of bread, and even the occasional noodle, at tables from which such staples were banned only a few months ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/17EATING.html

ooo[clip]ooo ooo[general]ooo ooo[food]ooo