From Insipid to Intrepid

OUR ADDICTION TO CHICKEN BREAST

Chicken breast seasoned with (literally) a pinch of salt and pepper served with a side of broccoli: Peter’s go-to meal. He would have the same meal day after day. For him, food exists purely as a life-sustaining force, a necessity to nourish his physical body. But for so many others, including myself, food is sustenance for my physical and mental wellbeing. I lovingly remind him that if or when we have kids, we (they) would require a much more robust armamentarium of recipes.

I do understand the appeal of his meals—they’re efficient, healthy, low mental effort, consistent. And because of these qualities, I often would eat similarly, though usually with more seasoning. I remember when I first had him over for dinner: he stared confusingly at the sprig of rosemary that lay atop the chicken, an entirely alien concept to him.

This isn’t to say that Peter cannot appreciate various types of food, but he normally is not compelled to deviate from chicken and broccoli. To him, meals with more flavor are extravagant and indulgent. For me, I can tolerate the monotony but would prefer otherwise.

To solve our approach to food, Peter devised a random-number generator which we call our “food randomizer.” We created several categories to cover the major food groups: protein, carbs, fats, vegetables, and fruits. Under each category, we listed all our favorite foods, each with a specified chance of rolling. For example, our protein category consisted of chicken at 60%, beef 20%, and shrimp 20%. We actually have two vegetable categories so we could get variety in our meals.

The food randomizer would spit out a list of ingredients to use throughout the week. This forced us to experiment with different combinations of foods instead of resorting to the same recipes repeatedly. However, because we only put foods which we enjoyed or would be open to eating, it still allowed us some control over our diets. This paved way for adventure and experimentation in a manner that is not entirely foreign to us. It maintained a lot of what Peter values in food preparation: efficiency, predictability, and health consciousness.

Nutritionally, we agree that it’s actually superior in some ways to his chicken and broccoli because it introduces a wider array of vegetables and fruits. I take care of most of the cooking and planning with the RNG results, so the food randomizer bears almost no negatives for him. It has been a bolus of positive results for the both of us.

We’ve been keeping track of some of our favorite recipes to revisit from time to time. We do not have any appreciable skill in the kitchen, so the food may be enjoyable only to us. In the process of utilizing this tool, however, we continue to improve our cooking skills. We also set aside time each week to prep the ingredients together, so Peter can play an active role. It’s become a bonding activity which excites us both.

We have quixotic visions of one day becoming proficient in the kitchen. This food randomizer is but one tool we’re using to help us hone those skills. Hopefully one day we can prepare food that is as tasty as it is nutritious. Until then, we will continue with chicken and broccoli for half our week.

XOXO,

Howard and Peter