Show #266

Hello Friends of the Garden,

I'm sure my Mom was channeling
her as she plotted the next casserole!

When I was a kid I never had the chance to be a picky eater. My Mom did her best to be a June Cleaver clone. She would do her very best to try corralling me and my brother and sister to a “regular” sit down at the table family dinner. I didn’t always like what Mom would make but there was an unwritten rule about finishing things on your plate. This led to a strange dynamic that is so commonplace all over the world.

At least three ingredients that should
never touch each other would be a
standard my Mom used after she wore
us down!

The battle of wills was set and the battlefield was the dinner table. It felt like some kind of cruel and unusual punishment to smell an unidentified, unrecognized green, white or orange thing steaming in a pot; knowing full well that soon that substance would be staring me in the face from my plate! Each week would be filled with some gastrointestinal challenge from liver and onions to innumerable casseroles concocted from at least three of the least likely ingredients!

Insult to injury! The ultimate indignation
the dreaded "Onion Crisp" topping never
helped much!

The beginnings of learning to strategize are found at urgent times like these! What is the best way to get this over with? Should I eat it first, quickly? Should I once more try the waiting game that always failed before and had consequences equivalent to eating the vile substance in the first place? Maybe I could take little bites and mix it in with something else? I could just close my eyes and swallow, at least I wouldn’t see it. Eventually, the offending food must be confronted.

These days there are a myriad of excuses that recuse adults and kids from eating certain things. Lactose intolerance, peanut allergies, glutens or whatever Dr. Oz has declared “bad”, are all reasons at the ready to avoid the punishment of the unpalatable. Just look at all the alternative menus available now to accommodate the afflicted!

I guess it seems funny until it's you!

Have you ever gone to dinner with a person saddled with the burden of dietary prerequisites? In adulthood, being a picky eater can be cumbersome. It seems like there is always one person in a group that has particular needs, like having a party at a barbeque joint and what to do for your one vegan friend. I can understand if the results are the source of violent illness. I don’t know how people deal with this, I’m glad I don’t have to.

There is another odd thing that arises from having particular eating habits. I have witnessed people that are incapable of ordering from a menu as it is written. I almost cringe when I know some poor waiter or waitress is about to be inundated with a plethora of specific requests. Then I discovered an underground of unknown menus. 

The infamous "Dr. Carlos's Cartel Shrimp Cocktail"! I wish I
was there to try it! Sorry Dr. Carlos!

My first exposure to this was In and Out Burger’s “Animal Style”. There is apparently a host of restaurants that have many offerings not on any menu. The latest example of this has come to my attention through a group of people that listen to my show. The “Brotherhood of the Back Table” gather regularly at my favorite watering hole to listen to my show together. My friends are sometimes are accompanied by Dr. Carlos, who orders a “Cartel Shrimp Cocktail” to share with the group. Huh?

It’s strange how this happens. I would never expect a restaurant to improvise on my behest. I suppose it comes from the limited choices of my youth, you get what you get, no arguments! It’s clear that there are distinct groups of people, the catered to and the not catered to. It also appears to me that the catered to are growing in numbers far greater than their counterparts. Sometimes it feels like not being particular means you simply are not used to getting your way. Settling for something somehow seems like it’s a bad thing. Do you suppose this attitude extends beyond food?

On to Show #266 The first hour starts with a great Band tune and is followed by one distinctive voice after another. There are all kinds of singers in the first hour to enjoy. I believe you’ll like the assortment. The second hour is the crazy part of the show. Apparently, this is the last weekend for Dr. Carlos to be in town (I’ve never met Dr. Carlos) and I wanted to record and hang with the guys during the show so I could meet him. Unfortunately I was unable to get done in time for the deadline. So, the entire second hour has some kind of doctor, medicine, or health reference in it, some of it pretty funny too. This is my tribute to Dr. Carlos, someday we’ll meet up for some “Cartel Cocktail”!

Thanks Jerry and Robin for all you do to help this show continue to grow!

Thanks to all you listeners that call in (thanks Bob Sharp) or text in during the show! It means so much to connect with you guys in any way I can. I know doing my show has been an awesome experience for me and I hope has been for you too!

Peace and love to you all!

Mike