At the moment I am finishing a manuscript for a book about the Porta Palazzo market. I think the hardest part of writing about food is feeling hungry all of the time. I can’t stop asking myself what I will cook for my next meal. I have yet to understand how food writers balance their love of food with a healthy lifestyle. Some people think I am a slacker for taking a few hours in the morning to run and swim, but it is absolutely essential for getting through the day.
Hungry all the time. Yes. But sometimes it is more curiousity than hunger. “What does that taste like?!?” my brain screams. What is an authentic 13th C Persian pilau like? What is the flavor of those eggs Michael Pollen is eating in The Omnivore’s Dilemma? Why did the Romans like garum so much? What is the subtle difference between garum and liquamen? What does mastic add to a recipe?
The funny thing is that after all that, sometimes when I get to the point of making dinner, I dont want anything at all. LOL.
It happens to me as well. But on the other hand, as Andrew said, I often don’t feel hungry at the end of the day. Just like when I spend a few hours cooking: hunger disappears. It’s a sort of curiosity, somewhat, a “taste-craving”. Fortunately I’m good at controlling myself at table!