à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Food
A Camino Pilgrim Visits Costco
When I went to Costco many years ago, with my sister-in-law, I couldn’t wait to evacuate. The harsh lighting and din bothered me. The mountains of merchandise and the super sized containers turned me off. As someone who appreciates thoughtfully designed displays in specialty shops, ideally uncrowded ones, I found nothing visually pleasing, enticing or artisanal about the experience. Costco seemed designed for … Continue reading
Dear Gluten: I Need to Separate
Dear Gluten: You’ve been in my life for almost as long as I can remember. Stalwart and faithful, you were as proper and unassuming as Sugar was sexy and alluring. Often the two of you made joint appearances in cakes, muffins and cookies; you showed up in pressed khakis, Sugar in black leather. I confess, I gave Sugar the credit … Continue reading
How to Feldenkrais Your Food
About an hour before cycling to a Feldenkrais class with Five Lines Boulder yesterday afternoon, I ate what was meant to be a light, late lunch. I prepared a small salad with hummus and chips on the side. The hummus container was about 2/3 full when I started. The more I ate, the more I kept eating. … Continue reading
Road Trip as American Camino: Finding “Finisterre”
Finisterre means “the end of the earth”. This town in Galicia, perched on a rocky outcropping, overlooks a seemingly eternal ocean. To explorers, it must have seemed like the end of terra firma, and it marked the terminus of my pilgrimage along El Camino de Santiago in Spain. At the Finisterre lighthouse, pilgrims burn a personal item from … Continue reading
The Perils of Travel (and Food) Snobbery
Comparison is the thief of joy. – Theodore Roosevelt As a fairly well-traveled person with an educated palate, I once took pride in having sampled authentic cuisine in dozens of places around the world. Too much pride, at times. Having tasted what I thought was “the best” or “the truest”, I couldn’t comprehend how many Americans enjoyed meals that … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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