The Atkins Diet

[lollardfish]

Yesterday, I went with my girlfriend and our friend Nicole Emery to see Alton Brown talk and sign books at a local (Har Mar) Barnes and (ig)Nobles. It was a stellar Q&A period, with Alton being both eloquent and quick. He talked about how he's self-taught regarding the science he uses in his show, how he doesn't like gadgets that do all the work for him (and hence prefers to build stuff out of everday household appliances), and other such things. When asked about the low-carb diet, he said, "Dr. Atkins is dead!"

Then he described the Atkins diet and other similar plans as 'hacks.' They are ways of hacking the body's system into losing weight. I really like the metaphor.

Shrimp risotto tonight was fabulous. The girl and I are getting better at cooking together, rather than for each other.

Comments

[jbru.livejournal.com]

I'd hoped to get there with my sweetie, but the snow did us in; me from shoveling the front walk and her from not being able to get her wheelchair out the back because I was too tired to do the back. Ah, well, catch him on the next book tour, I guess.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

B&N were very well organized, I must say. Yes, you had to get there very early to get a seat. We arrived sometime after 5:00 and decided to eat dinner rather than sit until 7. Still, once you arrived they handed you a calendar day from a day-calendar (we had Feb 14th, awwww), and then lined you up for the signing in that order.

The moral of the story is for big-author book signings at B&N, go around 1 in the afternoon to pick up a day.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I've seen that done for large signings. It's a good idea, and about the best use for those page-a-day desk calendars.

B

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

"Shrimp risotto tonight was fabulous. The girl and I are getting better at cooking together, rather than for each other."

When are you entertaining?

B

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I like to think I am generally entertaining.

When are you coming to dinner in Northfield!

What did you think of the "Atkins diet as hack" theory?

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Northfield won't be until February, at the earliest. We're just real busy with all sorts of things.

I like the Atkins-as-hack theory. It makes sense, and -- more importantly -- it's a good sound bite. But hacks are not necessarily bad things, just like the diet.

B