Trendy, Shmendy It's All Food To Me.

Larry Olmsted, of Forbes, has a new rant in which he examines what he considers America's 8 Worst Food Trends.  For the most part I agree with Olmsted, but I differ in his response to some.  Specifically, I don't think I am as snobby as he.

Let's start with food trucks.  Generally, I agree, they are mostly nothing new and offer nothing you could not get at a bricks and mortar kind of place.  Also, they do tend to steal customers from rent paying establishments. And, yes, they are hipster trendy.  But, so what?  Sometimes I don't want to sit and eat and just want something I can hold in my hand and eat while I walk or enjoy some quiet outdoor area.  Many of the foods that trucks serve are not as convenient to take out in restaurants simply because it is hard to do eat in and take out well simultaneously.  Also, I differ on the issue of what Olmsted calls the "wanna-be chefs".  Again, so what if they are?  Many trucks are run by people who are trained in culinary arts, have owned or worked in restaurants and wanted a change, or are following a passion in hopes of making the money needed to open a bricks and mortar establishment.  Like any free enterprise, either the product is worth paying for or it isn't.  If it isn't, they won't be around for long.

House cured meats: if it contains spices and fat then I want to try it. Period.  One of the best things about being an adventurous eater is that I never know what I will get in any given meal.  Some are not that great, but that just makes the good that much more enjoyable.  But, what really bothers me about his views here, is the implication that there is only one standard for cured meats and it's his (or some agreed-upon-by-food-critics-standard).  Either way, I usually resent being told what to like and not like by so called experts with 15 years experience.  Really, just 15? Dude, I've been stuffing my fat ass with great food for most of my 51 years!  And while I may not have travelled the world and eaten in all the fanciest "look-at-me" places, I have been exposed to some great cooks from various cultures all pushing out their own cured meats, preserved foods and even homemade wines.  I would have missed out on a lot of great food if my standards were set that high.

The rest of the article I agree wholeheartedly with, but especially Olmsted's view on TV Cooking Competitions, or any reality cooking show for that matter.  But, you all know my stand on that by now.

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