A Friday Buffet

No. 025 Never Not Hungry and the trend I chose to skip.

Mar 31, 2023

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Hello!

Weekend mornings now include a flat white - at home!

During a regular, non-specific conversation recently, the topic of favorite activities came up. Without even a pause, my immediate response was “eating.” One of my favorite activities is eating food. I cannot decide if that’s bold, boring, or just a bit strange. However, it is a fact about me: I love food! I love to eat and pretty much the majority of activities I enjoy most include food in some form or another. As the title of today’s letter noted, I am Never Not Hungry (podcast to come - maybe).

Who knows the science behind it, maybe someone does, but I have been incredibly hungry my entire life. As an infant, I was fed through a G-tube and did not eat by mouth until I was almost one year old (long story short: I am OK!). Maybe that’s why, when I finally did eat - by mouth- like everyone else, I just couldn’t stop. I love flavor! I love the experience of eating and everything it represents: nourishment, joy, happiness, and health.

Perhaps that’s why I have written, and talked, about food for so many years or why every conversation turns into one of where we’re going to eat tonight, where I think you should eat tonight, or what to cook for dinner tonight. I was taking Polaroids of the inside of the refrigerator when I was little, never really hated grocery shopping, and could discuss in detail every salty/crunchy snack on the market from a very young age. A Snack Connoisseur if you will - a title I’m happy to have these days as well.

During college, one of my favorite creative writing classes had the assignment to create a guide of some sort. Now, this was back in 2006, and the internet was not what it is today. So, like any reasonable 20-year-old living in NYC, I decided on writing a guide to restaurants. Food. My favorite topic!

Zagat books were all the rage so I made my own version by creating a guide to my favorite NYC spots all over the city (walking to every single one uptown and downtown), writing long descriptions of the food and atmosphere and including a photo of the exterior which I took on whatever camera I happen to have back then. I printed all of the pages, made a fancy cover page using art supplies I bought at a local shop, and put it all together in a three-ring binder. Ha!

This type of project today would essentially be a single blog post (or a reel on Instagram) titled “Where I’m Eating in NYC Right Now.” I’m not sure such a project would even be assigned in a current-day creative writing class. My oh my have the times changed. However, my passion for food - eating it, sharing it, discussing it - has not changed one bit.

While my lifestyle changed slightly upon receiving my celiac disease diagnosis ten years ago, I took that as a sign to not only take charge of my health, but to dive further into my joy of eating. I wanted to make sure I was still able to enjoy my favorites without causing internal damage; Gluten Free Mollie B (pre-marriage) came to be in 2013. I’m still Never Not Hungry, but I now make sure whatever I’m eating or seeking is gluten free.

Beyond the obvious reasons for enjoying food - it’s delicious - it also brings people together. Whether it’s a specific holiday, someone’s birthday, or just a regular night out with friends, food is always at the center of a celebration or gathering as it should be. Nothing makes me happier than when I’m with friends eating great food together or when I recommend a restaurant to someone and they have a wonderful experience. Food is for fun and fun should be a primary goal throughout one’s life.

Upon second thought, I am not embarrassed at all that eating is one of my favorite pastimes. Food has brought me immense joy throughout my life and my most cherished memories - almost all of them - include food. Eating hot dogs during a whale watch with my family in Maine (I was 5?), eating every food available at Fenway during Red Sox games to keep me entertained, enjoying the greasiest Mall Food Court food during weekend trips to the mall as a teen, devouring our awesome GF wedding cake, scouring NYC with Seth for the best GF options during our visits, or planning dinners at home every week that feature fantastic flavors. Food is a really important part of life’s best moments and memories. I’m sure it is in yours, too!

If you’re skeptical that my claiming to be Never Not Hungry is a bit exaggerated/dramatic, I don’t blame you. But I can assure you that it’s entirely true.

Best Bloody Mary in Back Bay @ Faccia a Faccia. It comes with a snack!

Spring Style File

I’m sticking with well-fitting (straight leg) black jeans and platform sneakers.

Let this be a gentle reminder (to you, to myself) that one is not required to purchase all trends one sees online (read: learn from my mistakes). Last week I fell prey to ‘Horseshoe jeans’ which sound just as ridiculous as they turned out to be.

See them here: Citizens of Humanity Horseshoe Pant in Dorian

I loved the color and they looked so cool (fun?) on the model. I was convinced that I would look just as cool in them as the influencers boasting about their comfort and perfect-pairing with flats for spring. Spoiler alert: I ordered the pants and I have already returned them.

Turns out this horseshoe style is primarily for the tall folks who don’t mind walking around in absurdly wide-leg pants. I didn’t mind rolling the cuffs (a lot), but I did not exactly feel cool, chic, or much like myself when I had them on. Seth was not a fan, either. Oops.

Annoyed that I had to do the whole returning-of-things song and dance, I was mostly disappointed in myself for not recognizing the issue a mile away. One doesn’t have to buy trendy items to dress well or be stylish, which is something I’ve always subscribed to. I dress in a way that’s comfy for me and makes me feel my best when I walk out the door. Low-key, timeless pieces work best and if I’m in the mood for a trend…I’ll look for one that may actually work for my height.

Certain trends do turn into long-lasting styles, which is fantastic, but certain pieces, like horseshoe pants, may just be for a select few for a brief moment in time. I tried!

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In other news, I’m loving the fashion on Succession and the concept of ‘Quiet Luxury.’