| | Myself, I would rather have a dill pickle than a doughnut. I am not much for sweets. But I did have a slice of each of the glutin-free desserts: pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and blueberry cheesecake.
We take food for granted. As members of grocery co-ops everywhere we have lived - and having served on a board - we see a lot anti-GMO propaganda. But these huge honey crisps, as organic and locally grown as they are, are not at all like the wild apples of only a few thousand years ago. (See Shrinking the Cat by Sue Hubbell.) Corn (maize) remains a mystery. We now no longer believe that it was the result of cross three different grasses, one of which had a different number of chromosomes. Now, we think that all had the same number... And we have these huge, yellow ears of sweet corn, all organic and natural, and locally produced...
My wife made the crust of her pumpkin pie without wheat flour by crushing peacans and almonds with amarinth flour. Her choice, but it was very exotic when you stop and think about. I am a big fan of the Middle Ages. It was not worst of times that Objectivists make it out to be.The European Middle Ages were far in advance of ancient Athens. But that said, as rich and lavish as were the Great Fairs with imported goods and consumer treats, we are lightyears beyond. We do not have to pickle, salt, or dry food to preserve it. We can eat it fresh whenever we want... grapes from Chile, red bell peppers from Holland ... I can be choosy about olive oil... My wife and I have different coffees. She likes dark roast. Mine is labelled "Red Dawn." She will not drink my Earl Grey. She has her own English breakfast tea. She likes apples. I prefer oranges.
If you stop and think about it, to other peoples in other times and places, our lives would seem fantastic and miraculous.
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