The broccoli drowning and other crimes of passion.

They say that love cures all that ails you, but what if love is your disease?

I have had so many interesting (and some not so interesting) conversations with people over the past weeks regarding my ongoing story.  There is one discussion that keeps coming back...coincidentally, usually started by skinny people.  Why do you eat so much?  Why can't you just stop when you are full?  It's easy...just don't eat unless you are hungry...

Ahhh...so simple.  Well, here's a lesson in psychology for you people that I hate but am trying to become. 

Food never says no.
"Hey sweet stuff - feel like a little action?" Chris says to the eggs.
No reply.
"Good...egg yolks meet sugar, sugar meet egg yolks.  I'm going to beat you over a bain-marie and you are going to like it...."

No back-talk, no headaches, no problem.
Zabaglione is a great breakfast or snack with strips of toast to dip into it, and it, like anything else you can taste, chew and digest, is always ready and able to satisfy your needs.

Food always approves of your conduct.
Remember the time your glass of Merlot scoffed at you and shook it's head in disapproval of you having another?  Me neither...'nuff said.

It's 3am.  You are drunker than Peter O'Toole at a Polish wedding and wandering the downtown streets of Montreal...  What'll it be?  Poutine?  Shish-taouk?  Pho noodles??    All open 'till 5am and all willing to serve you whatever you want.  No matter what you end up ordering, I promise you that whatever is in your plate or bowl will not argue with you for eating it.

And most importantly, food always loves you.
Ever been rejected by a white-chocolate truffle?  A tagliatelle ever treat you like a miserable jerk?  Has a Filet-Mignon ever slapped you in the back of the head for dropping some water on the tablecloth?  Didn't think so.
Not only does food always love you, but it loves you the exact way you want to be loved.  You want it slow and sensual?  Light and fluffy?  You want it rough ?  You set the tone and it follows your lead.   Food is a dirty, dirty one and it likes it any way it can get it....mmmmm....come to papa.....STOP IT!  ok...ok


Food always loves you.
Did I mention this already?  Oh...my sweet,sweet, sweeeeeeet love.
Cook some broccoli, thinly sliced onions and small cubes of  Romano cheese in red wine until the flowerettes become imbibed with wine and are so tender they wilt and turn slightly brown.  Now that's loooooove....  It's called Broccoli affogati...affocati meaning 'drowned' in Italian.

          "But officer," Chris pleads with the policeman, "I didn't mean to drown the broccoli..."

          "Of course you didn't," mumbles the officer as he puts Chris' wrists in handcuffs.

          "It was a crime of passion ...IT WAS ASKING FOR IT!"

But seriously...ice cream never tastes bad.  And the last bite always tastes as good as the first!  

Food triggers the same activity in your brain's dopamine receptors as drugs.
More and more studies are pointing to clinical proof that the development of compulsive eating follows the same neurological pattern as those who develop compulsive drug use, gambling or other addictions.  In the brain of a compulsive eater (which I am) the binge is a fix, pure and simple.  So while you are passing the bong, I would rather be passing the pizza box...

Now while I am not trying to use this clinical data as an excuse, it certainly points to the challenges that lie ahead for me.  Beating any addiction is a lifelong process and a never-ending fight.  While habits can be broken and retrained, the underlying addictive needs never truly go away...  I quit smoking 10 years ago and still crave a good cigarette once in a while.

What am I thinking....I kicked smoking...shouldn't that be enough?  Why shouldn't I be allowed to just eat and drink my way out of this world?  Oh, that's right...my wife and kids want me around longer than that.  Oh well then, back to it.