Oh how happy

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

I've stopped trying to deny it: food makes me happy. Salty, crunchy, savory, gooey, glistening, fragrant, tart, sour, even sweet--they all make my heart sing with joy. Is this a childish and hedonistic indulgence? Sure!

But what's so wrong with that?

So long as I am not tearing the spoon from my neighbor's hand, I see nothing morally amiss about reveling in the joy of a good meal. To that end I have created this blog to log my dining experiences. Most of them will be in eastern Washington where I live, work and play, but I do make occasional treks across the pass (Snoqualmie that is), so I will review a few Seattle area restaurants as well.

What you should know about my tastes before you read this blog:

1. I strive to consume the most healthful diet I can. For me that means carb-conscious food. You will not find me tucking into a bowl of oatmeal or munching on a French fry. Your tastes--and impressions of restaurants--may thus clash wildly with mine.

2. I am gluten intolerant, so wheat, traditional soy sauce, rye, barley and most oat products are off my menu.

3. I do not eat unfermented soy unless it's all-but-an-emergency. I'm not here to lecture on health topics. You can google soy and make your own decisions in this area.

3. Strange as this may sound coming from a formerly devoted vegetarian, the above three facts mean it is Pretty Darned Hard for me to dine at veggie restaurants. The vast majority of veg establishments use soy or wheat gluten as the main protein in their meals. While I can typically find food options at lacto-ovo-friendly veg restaurants, strict vegan restaurants are a big challenge for me. This saddens me because I have dear vegan and veg friends and love nothing more than eating out with them. I hope one day to find a restaurant that can serve us all.

4. Chocolate is my One Thing. I never actually find chocolate dishes I can eat at restaurants since they all contain sugar, but if I ever did? Oh what a wonderful day that would be.

A Blissful Diner,
~L