Rant: Breaking Food "Rules"

Banana Cream Pie for breakfast?

Last Friday morning, I enjoyed a tasty breakfast at the Agawam Diner in Rowley, an 85 year old restaurant that's also well known for its home-made pies. I opted for steak and eggs, with home fries and toast, and afterwards, I decided to go a non-traditional route, and order dessert. 

Our server certainly didn't ask me if I desired dessert. And I've never had breakfast where my server asked me if I wanted dessert. I had to ask for it, although my server didn't hesitate when I asked. 

I ordered a slice of their Banana Cream Pie. I've previously raved about their Cream Pies, and I wanted a slice, even though traditional food "rules" assign dessert to after dinner. This is an artificial division, a tyranny of the plate, where people have been conditioned to follow unwritten rules about what's proper to eat at different times during the day. Forget those rules!

I call for a revolution of the plate, calling on other rebels who seek to cast down the old food rules, and ignore the authorities who try to dictate what we eat and when we eat it. It's time to destroy these silly barriers and embrace freedom where we can choose to eat any food we want, at any time of the day. 

With all of the sweet breakfast dishes that are often available, such as pancake stacks topped by sweet fruit compotes and whipped cream, or icing-covered cinnamon rolls, its certainly not a stretch to embrace a slice of cream pie. It's more of a psychological issue, where conditioning prevents some people from considering pie, or dessert, appropriate for breakfast. 

In a similar vein, I enjoy traditional breakfast dishes for breakfast and dinner. I should be able to have a waffle or bacon and eggs at any time during there day. There are no valid reasons why such foods must be relegated only to the morning. Let us rebels enjoy them in the morning, afternoon, and evening. 

Break these food "rules" and free the plate!