A hidden treasure exists in Napa Valley in the form of a twelve-inch piece of cooked dough produced by R+D Kithcen’s take-out menu. Better known as Hawaiin-style pizza, this masterpiece of American-Italian fusion displays a pillowy, yet structurally sound, dough that has been meticulously measured out by the R+D culinary team that creates an identical product each time I visit their pick-up location. Thick slices of pineapples, slightly toasted ham, thinly sliced red onion, and cilantro sit atop a platform of creamy, tangy cheese. Between the cheese and dough resides a barrier of sauce I’ve yet to identify featuring a tomato sauce base of flavor, yet still has touches of mustardy-vinegar-like acidity that ties the masterfully engineered cooked dough with the harmonious display of toppings creating a majestic soiree of flavors gallivanting along the tastebuds. Whenever I open up the small pizza box, the aroma kept inside streams toward my nose producing an olfactory escapade triggering a hedonistic pleasure that is set to ensue in a few moments. Needless to say, this pizza won’t last long if put in front of me. While I perceive the R+D take-out Hawaiin-style pizza as a form of gold, it creates an issue. It’s easy to get your hands on.
A few other miracles of culinary genius that gracing our world offer us an eating experience like no other include French fries, ice cream, and beer and wine. The art of frying 3-inch long, quarter-inch thick potatoes has risen to a mass-produced food product that can be found anywhere from fine dining restaurants, to fast food institutions, to the frozen bags present in the freezers at grocery stores that immediately hit our kitchen tables in a matter of minutes. Cream and milk are constituted in the form of a cold and spoonable morsel that can effortlessly be scooped out of an ice cream quart putting some of the most sought-after food pleasures easily accessible within a few yards from our freezer to our sofas. Furthermore, humans enjoy a sense of relaxation and laughter after a long day of work. This is where a bottle of beer or glass of wine can immediately create the environment to escape the grasp of our stressful work lives and enter into a whimsical world of relaxation and indifference after pouring a glass of our favorite wine or cracking the cap off of our favorite beer.
A combination of starchy potatoes, salt, and the texture of a crispy exterior fresh out of the deep-fat fryer scratches our junk food itch in a matter of minutes. The cold, creamy, and sweet composition of ice cream can easily bring us back to the nostalgia of having ice cream after we reluctantly forced down steamed veggies at the dinner table when we were youngsters. Pleasant feelings of relaxation, smiling, and laughter are linked to having a glass of wine after a stressful day. While all of these culinary pleasures produce rapture and joy, consuming too much of them in a short period can create the potential for suboptimal health outcomes of increased fat storage, metabolic diseases including diabetes and cardio arterial disease, and loss of energy. Add the ability for us to get our hands on these products in a matter of minutes by venturing to a fast food drive-through, sitting down at our favorite restaurant and producing a table full of a glass of beer and a plate of food, or perusing down the freezer aisle to get a frozen pizza or a quart of ice cream, we further compound the detrimental effects of our societies ability to give us whatever we want whenever we want.
Taking a trip back in time to the 1920s when our predecessors lived in an era where fast food restaurants and Door Dash didn’t exist and a million wineries producing some of the world’s best wines weren’t a stone’s throw away, we can imagine how people of that era didn’t have the resources to acquire their culinary guilty pleasures as prevalently. Instead, cake and ice cream showed their faces at special events like birthday parties. Meals at restaurants were reserved for extravagant and special occasions, such as wedding anniversaries or visits celebrating an out-of-town relative. One could imagine the technology to produce a cake wasn’t as sophisticated as today’s ovens and kitchen equipment. Additionally, it’s safe to say restaurants weren’t as prevalent back in the 20s when compared to the slew of fast food restaurants in strip malls. Therefore, treats such as desserts, alcohol, and food prepared by a restaurant team were considered something as a rare occurrence. One could say making a cake or sitting down at a restaurant was a sacred experience that should be cherished and taken in as a rare event one would be lucky to participate in.
What would happen if we reverse-engineered our tactics of using our phones to order DoorDash, make an online pick-up order, or sit down for a restaurant meal to reserve as a special experience in which we can only participate one to two times a week? Maybe we could make more meals at home that we plan and take control over what ingredients go onto our plates. Society exists in the golden era of instant satisfaction when it comes to food acquisition. However, if we utilize our ability for instant gratification too much, we might experience negative side effects. Focusing on our ability to make our meals and taking a break from the privileges of immediate food acquisition for two or three nights a week can produce health benefits to assist us in living happy, healthy, and strong lives.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
