Random food dorkiness

Over the past few weeks, I've begun to notice more and more use of a word that for some reason, I've never really paid attention to: cloying. I'm seeing and hearing it all over the place- on egullet, on food network, in various wine descriptions. Where have I been?

Cloying is defined as "To cause distaste or disgust by supplying with too much of something originally pleasant, especially something rich or sweet" or "overly ingratiating or sentimental." Brilliant, I can use the same word to describe a god-awful chardonnay as well as my family.

Really, where have I been on this word, because I could have been using cloying all over the place these past years, and not only about food and wine. Is cloying the new word amongst "those who know"? I have no idea. What I do know is that the next time I'm out wine tasting, I'll be sure to drop it into random conversation and act all smug about it.

Note- I almost found myself writing "drop some knowledge" in the above sentence. I may not be above using cloying, but I certainly am not so far down as to use "drop some knowledge." I have some standards.

The other thing that I want to point readers to is an article in today's Washington Post about Chipotle using locally raised pork products for their restaurants. The focus of this article is Chipotle's Charlotteville, Virginia operations and their relationship with Polyface Farm (the subject of a chapter in Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma," which I highly recommend to everyone). The article notes the difficulties many restaurants have in working with these small, sustainable farming operations and getting meat that meets their own safety standards (read: refrigeration). It's nice to see such a large outfit like Chipotle attempting to be even more aware of their food supply and make an effort to use local products without being cloying.

I'm so happy with my new found word, and I don't even think I will write about all the whining going on about fire trucks have too loud a siren (really, isn't that the point?) or the Board of Supervisors passing a law that will fine people for paving their front lawn. Ok, maybe I will say something- I look forward to the day when we do have a water shortage, and someone will think, hey, if I just pave over my front lawn, I don't have to worry about, then gets smacked with a fine for trying to either save water or not let his front lawn die. If someone is so intent on paving over their front lawn, they must either not care about the front lawn or are too lazy to do anything about it, in which case, you end with a dead mess in the front or an overgrown forest- which the city will probably fine you for having a messy front lawn. Oh yeah, once again, the City is intent on running people's lives by telling them what the can and can't do with their own property. I should just put that on auto-text.