Diet & Fitness

By Katherine Tate
eDiets Contributor

A friend of mine called last night as we were preparing to sit down to dinner. "So, what are y'all having?" he asked as he boastfully let on that he was pulling out of the Frank's Pizza parking lot.

I proudly divulged, "a delicious curry sweet potato and lentil stew."

I heard a "glad it's you not me" giggle. I pitied him; he pitied me. We were both engaging in food snobbery.

I also get the raised-eyebrow from a co-worker and food enthusiast. She feels sorry for my family. She thinks I feed them alfalfa sprouts and soybeans. That's OK; I think she's feeding her family Hamburger Helper and green bean casserole. Food snobbery.
Food snobbery is not a simple distaste for a particular food. It is not about expensive or "fancy" versus inexpensive. It is having a stronger-than-usual emotional response to food that may or may not transfer to the person consuming it. It is not only disliking something, but also wanting to roll your eyes when someone else likes it. Here's my list of most commonly "snobbed" foods.

-- Healthy Foods. Many regard any food that may possibly be good for them as inferior and revolting. "If it tastes good, spit it out." I must hear this a hundred times a day. They probably grew up without having to try their vegetables.

-- Fruit and Meat. Now, I love the delectable combination of different sweet and tart flavors accentuating the savory meats. Who doesn't like cranberry with turkey, apples with pork or beef with a pomegranate reduction sauce? Apparently there are a few out there who do not share my fondness of fruit-meat pairings. They scoff at my recipes and hold me in contempt. Go ahead slathering your meats with your salty, lard-o gravy.

-- Sweets. Have you ever heard someone say that they weren't a sweet eater? No, they eschew desserts of all kinds in favor of another helping of mashed potatoes. I bet if I held up some flourless, dark chocolate torte under their nose they'd scarf it up.

-- Coffee and Tea. Do you like coffee so strong it could stand up, walk to the store and buy a pack of Marlboros? Then you probably look with disdain at the delicate china teacup with the string hanging over the side. Then again, tea snobs are a class all to themselves, snickering at the tea-bag people while spooning their imported loose tea leaves into tea balls, presses and other accouterments. And some want it black, others add sugar, artificial sweeteners and honey. It's not so much what you put in your beverage, but how much.

My husband and I stare with horror at his father who adds to his coffee, several packs of Equal, heaping spoons of sugar, topping it off with honey. Meanwhile, same husband cannot possibly understand why I must put in the three-quarter of a pink package into mine.

-- Steak doneness. Eyes roll whenever someone orders their steak medium or, worse, well done. Ewwww! Even the chef may poke his head out with an are-you-sure glare. Ask for some A1 or ketchup while you're at it. By the way, I like my pork and tuna pink, too.

We all like different things, but perhaps we could have a little respect for others. May the sausage-biscuit eaters stop laughing at the bran eaters. The sushi eaters could sit with the fried flounder eaters. White Zin and Pinot Noir drinkers could forever bond. Heck, I've even learned to eat a chicken wing occasionally -- with a wonderful ginger orange sauce.

Curried Sweet Potato Stew
This is a truly scrumptious stew from Cuisine magazine. I will be making this again and again. It's not Hamburger Helper, but it'll do.

1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup carrot, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 bay leaf
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sweet potato, peeled, cubed
1 tsp. curry powder (I used more)
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained (didn't drain them)
1/4 cup brown lentils
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt to taste (I also added a pinch of sugar)
plain yogurt of sour cream (used light sour cream)

Saute onion, carrot, celery, ginger, bay leaf and pepper flakes in oil in a pot over medium-high heat until soft, eight to 10 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and curry powder; saute one minute. Add wine; simmer until almost evaporated, then stir in broth, tomatoes and lentils. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until lentils and sweet potatoes are tender, 30 minutes or so. Off heat, stir in 2 Tbsp. cilantro, lemon juice and salt. Garnish with sour cream and remaining cilantro.

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Katherine Tate of North Carolina is a registered dietitian by trade, pretty good cook, busy mom of young boys and an avid runner.

Labels: food, fun, recipes

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