Thought of the Day – 5/29/2014 – Nutella Like It Is

Our household has been on a bit of a Nutella kick.  The kids like to ask for a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich at meal time.

Sure, Nutella can call itself a “hazelnut spread”, and tout its quality ingredients like as skim milk.

But let’s be honest here, gang:

Nutella is rich chocolate and hazelnut frosting that is socially acceptable to be eaten as part of a meal.

Personally, I think it gained that social acceptance for the way it can help transform everyday breakfast foods into one-off versions of yummy treats.

Nutella on bread?  A poor man’s cake.

Nutella on toast?  A non-fried, chocolate iced donut.

Nutella on bacon?  An experience not of this world.

Nutella on a spoon?  A utensil that will be licked clean.

Not that I would know anything about that last one…

Mmm, really thin cake (Photo credit: ninacoco)

 

Thought of the Day – 12/30/12 – Chopsticks

I have an irrational disdain for chopsticks.

Not the beginner’s piano song (although that is kinda annoying too), but the stick utensils people use when they eat Chinese food.

I think the practice is dumb.  Why?

You don’t use chopsticks any other time.  Why not whip out the ol’ sticks at your favorite Mexican place?  Or when mom makes her meatloaf with mac & cheese?

Why is that?  Is it because the utensils you normally use are superior for the task of transporting food from plate to pie hole than chopsticks?  Yep, they sure are.

It is incredibly impractical.  For the non-dexterous among us, eating with chopsticks is very tough (unless you employ the “stab” method).  Even if you can catch a fly in midair Miyagi style, good luck cleaning your plate without using your hands.

Chinese food does not taste any better when eaten with bamboo (or plastic) sticks than it does with a metal (or plastic) fork.  Now I can understand if you are actually IN CHINA, or maybe even the Chinatown* area of a major city that you would use chopsticks to get the full cultural experience.

*In my travels, Chinatown districts still have a fork waiting for you on the table.

It begs the question:  If I’m in China and I go to a restaurant that serves Italian, Mexican, or some other non-Chinese cuisine, do they provide forks for the locals to use?