When I’m at My Most Self-Indulgent
December 17th, 2010 by Michael Kwan
There are few better ways to spend your money than on your stomach (and on the stomach of your loved ones). I realize that this comes with a fair deal of first-world guilt, as there are countless people around the globe who are not as privileged, but there is definitely something to be said about having a nice sit-down meal. Fine dining, by its very definition, is an indulgence. You don’t need to have perfectly seared scallops to feel nourished. You don’t need foie gras on a $60 burger to be satiated.
Now, this isn’t to say that I throw caution (and logical thought) to the wind when I sit down with a menu in front of me. I am very much conscious of the “value of a dollar,” so to speak, so I still choose what I eat carefully. By the same accord, I typically only have one drink (maybe two) with dinner, because I know that the markup on drinks in restaurants is quite high and I could just as easily enjoy a bottle of beer or a glass of wine at a much lower price at home. I don’t really indulge in that respect.
I will indulge, however, in a nice steak. Yes, I could go out to the butcher (Windsor Meats, next to Happy Pho on Main Street, has always been one of the best) and get a fine cut of beef, but there’s no way that I would prepare it quite as well as professional chefs. Others may disagree, but those “others” probably have more culinary skill than me too. This is also why I’m more inclined to order things off the menu that I would not (or could not) make myself.
Beyond the dollars and cents, I do find that I indulge in food that may not be the healthiest option. Go ahead. Load me up with saturated fats and excessive sodium. Is this prudent? No, not really, but it certainly can be delicious.
What is your greatest indulgence? Fresh shucked oysters? A giant slice of chocolate cake? A snazzy new outfit for your New Year’s Eve party?
Tags: eating out, guilty pleasures, restaurant
Filed under Food and drink.
Well, I’d like to eat everything you have in this post, but for me our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of lasagna is what I crave. My mom makes it so good with just the right flavor, crusty edges and garlic bread!
How many more days?????
I love lasagna too! The crusty, slightly burnt cheese at the edges really makes it.
oh yes! the cheese and crust are the best part.
Micheal,
I agree! If I’m going to “indulge” in something, food is my #1 choice. I just make sure I don’t over indulge.
This is Western food. After eating some Western dishes on some occasions, my definition of Western food now is: its is a cuisine in which totato is totato, shrimp is shrimp and they seem never to appear in one single dish, and everything can be eaten raw or near raw!
That is sometimes the problem with Asian cooking. Everything is in one dish and you can’t taste the individual items.
I love all kinds of food, but there are times when I want a Steak by itself, or shrimp by itself.
Maybe that’s where the difference between the two cooking styles lies. The Chinese eaters feel that tomato and shrimp cooked together produce a flavor that tomato or shrimp cooked individually cannot. In Chinese cooking, combinations can produce flavors you can never imagine in single-ingredient dishes.
I don’t think I can eat a steak all by itself. I need some thing else. Maybe some veggies or a carb such as potatoes or rice.
What is a “totato”??? Some exotic dish?
Sorry, I meant to say tomato..
Actually I thought it was potato.
A Chinese cook will try to combine some of the ingredients in one single dish!
I indulge in pretty much everything. Whether it’s fine dining or fast food. Latest tech or hottest video game.
I recently purchased a 32 gb iphone 4. I’m waiting for an unlock
What is a “totato”??? Some exotic dish?