Even living in Italy, a country with a bonanza of splendid, healthy, artisanal foods, I occasionally crave something from my childhood in America. Recently I awoke in the middle of the night, convinced I was eating fried onion rings. In my dream state, the memory cells in my brain were teasing me with tastes and smells of this food, which incidentally seems to top every list of Unhealthy Things to Eat.

I’ve had a lifelong aversion to surgical procedures. There’s a word for that fear: tomophobia. It’s from the Greek word tome, meaning incision. Don’t let that friendly-looking little Tom at the front of that term fool you — in my personal experience, surgery has been no friend.

It started innocently enough. I watched a short video on YouTube called Carebonara: The Origins of Carbonara, which I highly recommend. It’s a fast-moving explanation of the origin of the classic Italian dish Carbonara. (The reason for the play on words with the extra e in “Carebonara” is revealed in the end credits.) The film’s handful of scenes tell a story about how food brings us together across cultures, the importance of creativity and collaboration. Quite a lot to pack into a film less than 10 minutes long. It even comes with a sweeping, Spielbergian score.

After moving to Italy, we encountered a seemingly endless series of challenges that had to be overcome.

Most of my life I have gravitated toward unique objects that are made by human hands. Perhaps that’s one reason I pursued architecture as a career. But certainly, buildings aren’t the only thing that can be crafted by personal skill with beautiful results. Everyday items can lend themselves to that as well. However, in the last 200 years of industrialization, automation, and recently simulation, hand-crafted things are more difficult to find. That very fact makes them precious and valuable.

I confess to having a love affair for several years now. We meet twice a week and exchange furtive intimacies, me perusing succulent flesh, savoring the moist texture, my tongue dancing excitedly at the impending prospects. My lascivious innamorata always opens herself up to me as I approached, inviting me to explore her delights with a long, loving sense of seduction. We are totally brazen; the intimate exchange occurs in broad daylight. Lust knows no shame.

“They discovered feelings they didn’t think they were supposed to have.”  This line was delivered by Tom Hanks in the recent film “Elvis,” in which his character refers to the reaction of teenage girls to first hearing and seeing the famous performer. They could not help but squeal with unrestrained delight.

A Lesson in Economics - Not Everything is About Money

Mark L. Hinshaw, OCTOBER 2, 2021

Chicken fried steak, in case you were wondering