or, I guess I kinda missed cataloguing all the food and stuff after all
June 8th, 2011 |A while ago, right around the time I was hitting the year mark on doing this comic, I was wanting to revamp it a little and thinking very seriously about giving up the food diary part of it. At the beginning of the project, I told myself I was keeping the food diary in order to give myself a closer awareness of what I was eating, and after a year went by I didn’t feel like it was necessary anymore. I had a better handle on eating better, and cataloguing the food had started to feel like a little bit of a chore. But enough people said they really liked it, so I – reluctantly, at first – kept it in.
Then – and I’m going to explain this poorly, I think – but someone commented that I’m not obligated to explain to anyone why I’m a size 14 and not a size 6, and I don’t owe it to anyone to rationalize it. That comment has actually stuck with me ever since, and I’m afraid I’m not going to be very articulate in explaining why. I think at least part of me was keeping the food diary as a way to shout to the world, HEY, maybe I’m overweight but I’m not a pig, I eat responsibly, it’s not because I’m eating 14 big macs every day, look at my diet, I don’t eat that poorly at all, I think it’s unfair that I am the size I am when I eat like this. It was important to me that people knew that. And now, I think something in my brain has really shifted about this whole thing.
I needed two weeks of NOT doing the food diary. In the beginning I was pretty precise about listing amounts and serving sizes, but that’s no longer as important to me. I don’t need to justify myself or my habits to anyone anymore, because I’m happy with what I eat. But in the end, I found myself really missing the act of sharing it. Niles and I ate a perfectly sumptuous dinner at Longman & Eagle, and during the whole meal, my brain was subconsciously keeping track of each dish and planning out a lovingly rendered drawing later, even though I wasn’t going to draw it. As it turns out, I really, really, really love food, and I love talking about it, and I love sharing it with people when I’ve had something truly wonderful to eat. I missed it. I actually thought it was kind of a shame, I felt sad that I wasn’t going to draw our entire meal. I could still draw it, I guess. I needed a break from drawing the food diary to separate out my love of food with my feelings about size and weight, I guess.
Oh. The crab was Longman & Eagle, of course, and it was perfect. The burger was from Bad Apple, and it was amazing – but I had a few bites of their Wagyu burger too, and that blew me out of the water.
Anyway. I’m sorry I don’t quite remember who made that comment, about how I’m not obligated to explain myself. I should dig through the comments and find it, because whoever wrote it? I have been struggling for a way to respond to it for months now, but you should know that it seriously shifted my thinking, in a good and positive way. Thanks. :)
How was the porter marinade applied to the burger?
Mmmmmmm pork bao <3333 I haven't had those in ages….
When it doesn't feel like an obligation, sharing what you've been chomping on is fun (and it's interesting to read and gives me ideas on stuff I can make which is awesome because I'm always looking for new recipes)
That’s a good question, Jordan. Now that I think about that, is that even possible? Maybe I mis-read the menu. But the burger definitely was “made with” Edmund Fitzgerald Porter… somehow… :D
Ha! I was just going to ask if it used Edmund Fitzgerald, or if you had one with it- I love that beer.
Sarah, one of the things I have always loved about Sauceome is that you clearly love food. Good food. You eat well, and I’ve enjoyed reading about it. I’ve always been pretty food-obsessed myself. (And the body image stuff, well, I totally relate to that as well.)
I mean look at that homemade taco salad! I am so hungry now.
Oh, and the porter burger? I bet you could marinate the patty in the porter, maybe for an hour or so, and then take it out, pat it dry, and grill or fry it. I bet that would work.
MAybe they basted it while it was cooking? Or applied a leeeetle bit into the binder at the mixing stage? My vote is on a reduce marinade to baste with
That burger looks/sounds amazing – and now I’m sitting here looking at the Bad Apple burger menu and beer menu and wishing I could magically transport that restaurant to Brooklyn.