December 14, 2005

• A deep discussion of gastronomy

  I've always had an interest in gastronomy.  It really gets one
  thinking about the immensity of the universe and the omnipotence of God:
  
  Gazing into the stars can truly make one ponder, like the psalmist David:  "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4)     Gastronomy:  "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1)
  
  
  The staggering splendor and magnificence of the heavens makes one
  wonder how any gastronomer could fail to acknowledge the existence of
  God. Yet amazingly, we find in the Bible that this omnipotent and
  majestic God cares deeply about even such small, lowly individuals as
  you and I.  Gastronomy.

  ...Uh, wait...I think I meant astronomy. 
  Amazing what a difference one little "g" makes!  So what is
  gastronomy, then?  Let's see...my Webster's dictionary defines it
  as "the art or science of good eating"...so under that definition my
  opening statement still stands:  I've always had an interest in
  gastronomy.
  

  Gooseberry Monster, circa 1974.

  And while food may not be majestic, the variety of delicious foods
  found in nature are a testament to God's great creativity. 
  The
  art of preparing meals from these many foods can be in some very small
  way an echo of that creativity.  We're clearly meant to enjoy
  food, and there's nothing wrong with taking pleasure in it as long as
  we realize its proper place and don't make it an idol.  The
  apostle Paul reminds us "'Food for the stomach and the stomach for
  food'-but God will destroy them both" and cautions the Phillipians
  against being like those whose "god is their stomach", obsessed with
  earthly pleasures (see Phillipians 3).

  There is also the struggle to keep a balance between tasty foods and
  nutritious foods, fast foods and healthy meals that usually take longer
  to prepare.  As a compromise, I recently bought a couple packets
  of Adiposely-Challenged Viands (chicken primavera), which heat up
  quickly in a skillet.  Interestingly, step number 3 on the
  instructions reads:  "Use your imagination by adding 1 clove minced garlic or 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 to 2 Tbsp. white wine."  Use your imagination by doing exactly what they suggest?  How imaginative is that?

  I've been on the verge of coming down with a cold for the past few
  days, so I'm hoping to avoid it happening just in time for the play I'm in this weekend based on the famous
  Christmas poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas":

              'Twas the Night before Christmas and all through the house, not a    
              creature was stirring, except me coughing a lot.'

  ...Probably wouldn't work very well, so I've been trying to get plenty of
  rest, desperately and neurotically ingesting all sorts of foods and beverages
  recommended to stave off illness:  Total cereal, a daily
  multivitamin, green and black tea, blueberries, broccoli, zinc &
  vitamin C lozenges, tangerines, pomegranite juice (chock full of
  anti-oxidants)...and...(a paramount example of humankind's tendency to warp good things like proper nutrition and healthy eating)...GREEN JUICE!

  
  
  
  GREEN JUICE* contains many different fruit juices and ingredients which in themselves may be quite tasty, but when put together form
  perhaps the most repulsive beverage known to man!  However, since
  it
  is high in zinc and many other vitamins I have forced myself to guzzle it and the
  slightly less disgusting pomegranite juice down as well.  So far
  it seems to have worked.  I just hope my health holds through the
  weekend or all this unpleasant beverage-drinking will have been for
  naught!
  
  * Actual product name withheld to avoid litigation
                 
                
                
                
                
         
                 
           
  Slain fly (windowsill) discovers too late the power of green juice.
  

  And now I'm off to bed.  I'll ponder the stars another night.
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  • 10:26 pm
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