This past weekend my Facebook friends were shocked by The Husband’s Facebook post:
Some of our mutual friends were shocked that his wife would dare let him choose to make a dish with the “rendered fat of hogs”. Granted, lard is not something that I choose to eat on a regular basis, but the biscuits he made were well worth the “nutritional risk”, as he called it…in a word delicious! But it got me to thinking about the reactions that he received for looking for his not-so-politically correct ingredient.
The Husband grew up in the Deep South, and has lived here all his life. I am proud to have married someone who has such strong roots and culture. The Husband grew up eating Southern foods, fried, buttery, sugary and cheesy, and still loves them to this day. I even purchased the cookbook for him where he found the biscuit recipe, as the cookbook was written by head chef of one his favorite restaurants (Scott Peacock formerly of a Watershed in Decatur, GA…a must visit if you are in Atlanta!!). When we first started dating, I turned my nose up at a lot of his favorite foods, but soon tasted them and remembered why Southern food is synonymous to comfort food: it tastes REALLY good, people!
I know what you are thinking: You’re supposed to be a role model! How could you say lard is ok? I’m saying lard and butter and sugar, and all of those other formerly known as “bad” foods, should actually be called use in moderation ingredients, or (if they are full of really harmful nutrients, such as trans fats) use rarely ingredients. Now if you are a vegan or vegetarian, I can see how using lard would be a no-no on another level. But from a nutrition standpoint, lard has a right to be in someone’s diet, just as much as fruits and veggies, if said lard is the diet in small quantities and eaten on rare occasions.
One thing I really enjoy and respect about the various cultures of the USA and of the world is our variety of foods. No one should feel as if they should be ashamed of their heritage, just because the ingredients their grandparents used for recipes are now being abused by overeaters and non-exercisers. Food is as much our culture as our regional football teams, our accents and our alma maters. Any one ingredient shouldn’t be shunned, especially if it holds a special connection to your past and ancestors. Lard isn’t the cause of our obesity epidemic- poor overall nutrition, lack of physical activity and an unbalanced relationship with food is to blame for that.
What foods have you added back onto your “I can’t eat that!” list, and why did you choose to include it back into your diet?
