30 for 30: Part VI

11) I had one of my favorite suppers after church tonight. Yesterday at lunch, the family and I joined my parents, aunt, uncle, and sister at a restaurant in Baldwin County. Yesterday's meal: Mahi-Mahi tacos. I like fish tacos and was really looking forward to these. Grilled fish, corn tortillas, black beans, cheese, cabbage, and a spicy crema all combined for a meal that was, in all honesty, just pretty good. Tonight, I had a hot dog and it was divine. I like food, in all its many varieties, but the older I get, the more I'm drawn to simple flavors. Perhaps the problem is that my palate isn't sophisticated enough to enjoy 43 different flavors at one time, but I found myself wanting to deconstruct my fish tacos. Taste bud confusion overwhelmed me. My hot dogs (with chili and cheese) caused no such problems. I know that many of my more cultured readers (who am I kidding, none of my readers are cultured!) may have a negative attitude toward the hot dog, but I'm a big fan personally. I don't know that I could have been more satisfied by a ribeye than I was by my hot dog. Maybe all of that stuff about the simple things in life is right...

12) I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about the issue of contentment. I'm not good at finding contentment. I want to make things better or have more or improve things. Nowhere is this more evident than in my cooking. If a little bit of salt and pepper is good, then a lot of kosher salt and cayenne pepper would be better. When I cook, excess is the name of the game. On the plus side, when I cook we never run out. On the negative, sending me to the grocery store is a nightmare. Suzanne does her best to send me with specific instructions, but anything that catches my eye is up for grabs. I can't begin to tell you how many things I've snagged without my wife's consent. (We have a pack of couscous in a drawer at our house. It moved here with us. I saw couscous on sale and decided that I would cook it. The only problem with this plan was that I don't particularly care for couscous.)

Perhaps I should learn from my excess. Would I do well to enjoy more hot dogs and not invest in the Mahi tacos? Can I embrace the simple tastes and pleasures that I find more fulfilling? Will I learn moderation, after 30 years of roundly rejecting it? These questions and more, to be answered in my next 30 years!