Did you know that today is “Good Riddance Day”?
Here’s what it’s all about: "Good Riddance Day was inspired by a Latin American tradition in which New Year’s revelers put artifacts or bad memories from the previous year into dolls and set them on fire,” said Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance. “Here in Times Square, we might not be starting a bonfire, but we do encourage all New Yorkers and visitors alike to join us in the shredding of forgettable memories from this year."
Some of the food memories that would be best left in 2017 are:
Unicorn and/or rainbow food: Maybe I should back that up a bit and say any food that was created for Instagram. Food is supposed to nourish us. After that, tasting good is definitely a plus, and while good looks and aromas play an important part, I’d rather have something that tastes great and maybe isn’t the prettiest dish on the planet. And this may be an important trend for 2018-- Food & Wine’s January issue has a 10-page article on “Ugly Delicious”.
Back to the rainbow…Can we all agree that rainbow hued bagels, cookies, frappuccinos and pizzas are just bad? "I hate the unicorn and rainbow trend," Gail Simmons told The Feast. "Unicorns and rainbows aren't food — that's all I have to say. Yeah, I'd like to see it end... it's sort of made for Instagram but not necessarily delicious." And while I may look like I’m totally out of step here, I always thought a unicorn was supposed to be a pure white beast.
Kale: Every year is supposed to be the end of kale, but it keeps coming back. Let’s put on our thinking caps and come up with another healthy vegetable that we can beat into the ground. Cauliflower rice anyone?
Poke: It’s just tuna tartare in bigger pieces with bigger price tags. Let it remain in Hawaii along with Spam sushi and hula dancers.
Spiralized vegetables: Please tell me where the dignity is in calling something a zoodle? If you want spaghetti from a vegetable, get a spaghetti squash. And if you want really great pasta that happens to be made from spaghetti squash, try the Vegetarian Spaghetti & ‘Meat’ Balls at Crabtree’s Kittle House.
Salads and other things layered into Mason jars: Okay, they look pretty, but why do you want to be schlepping the extra weight and dealing with a breakable jar? Besides, when you add the dressing the layered effect is lost.
Towering burgers: If you need a knife to cut the thing in half, and then you need a steam roller to press it down so it fits in your mouth, it’s too big. How about a really good hand-made patty on a toasted bun? Cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle as you wish, but hold the fois gras, egg, fried green tomato etc.
What foods would you like to say “good riddance” to?
Check out the site next week, as we check out what we’re looking forward to in 2018!
Happy New Year!
