I'd rather be cooking than lawyering. Can't boast about my talents in the kitchen, but I am know past the half century mark and started cooking around the age of five when my widowed mother would leave me with the housekeeper and, in my neurotic way, believed I could make better food than she could. I was right. And I can still make finer food than most. I know that self-praise is no recommendation, but someone asked the question. I will not delve into the effects of cultural differences on a person's outlook towards food when that person is from Québec, as opposed to the ROC or the US of A. I can only say God bless to James Beard, Michael Field, Craig Claiborne and the great Julia Child for leading the way and saving the US of A from what was a vast wasteland food wise. Now everybody and his uncle is a "gourmet". It's good that fine foods are available almost everywhere. What is not so good is the great number of people offering phoney haute cuisine. I still think that simple foods, well prepared, will win my vote any day. I wonder if anyone has read a book titled "The Adventures of a Happy Eater". I tend to agree with the author's philosophy. Not to belittle any other group, I think that the contribution of the Italian, the French and the Chinese to fine food in North America should also be mentioned. I hope no one is seriously trying to make a parallel between food and drink and stereos. It just does not work.
