Perhaps the best and most direct way that we care for
ourselves is by paying attention to the quality and nutrition of the food we
eat, as well as how we eat it. Indeed, we must remember to chew our food 32
times whether we are eating flaxseeds or collard greens. Please do not swallow your food until it has turned into a sumptuous, watery paste.
Of course, for me, and about 100 million others, the most important food day of
the year is today—Super Bowl Sunday. Many of us spend weeks planning a very precise
menu of what we will shove down our gullet for four straight hours as we watch
several dozen large men commit countless legal acts of violence against one
another.
I find the best method of preparing for this important food holiday is to come
up with a theme. Should you go with pizza and wings, burgers and hotdogs, or a smorgasbord
of fried appetizers? One year we went with the “nuthin-but-chips” menu. We had
sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar, barbecue, and of course, my favorite—plain.
(I think we may have cheated that year and had pretzels too, as I wanted to
make sure we had a well-balanced menu.)
This year we have decided to go with a Mexican-themed menu. We will have burritos
for our main course, accompanied by a mélange of tortilla chips with three
choices of dip: salsa, nacho cheese, and guacamole. For dessert I wanted to
make flan to keep with the theme, but then I realized three crucial things: 1)
I don’t know how to make flan; 2) I’m not 100% sure what flan is; and 3) I have
a vague recollection of tasting flan in a restaurant about 15 years ago and not
liking it. We will have store bought chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
I hope you have found this primer on the importance of Super Bowl foods
helpful, especially if you are one of those last minute types who didn’t have
the sense to start planning your menu for the big game on New Year’s Day. But
remember, whatever you decide to gorge yourself on today—even if it’s just Bud
Light—make sure to chew 32 times.
