Fat Man in Paradise FMP: Friend or Enabler

Phoenix eating Miso soup; his favorite

Umm, the aromas of fresh garlic, basil and oregano lingering in my kitchen, tantalizing my taste buds and conjuring up images of good buddies laughing and drinking the night away. I love to dine with friends, for me; there is nothing better than socializing over a good meal.

Big eater

My eating style today is a fusion of Asian and Western; everyone samples the variety of dishes served and orders individual main entrees. Eating this way I can enjoy a wide range of plates and not overeat. I am happy to visit any type of restaurant; Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, Mediterranean, French, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Moroccan, Swedish, Dutch and Japanese; their all good and Italian is my first choice.

Multi Nationals

A quality meal for me will have my favorite pasta, chicken, fish, salad and dessert. I love Fettuccine Pescadores; the combination of fresh crab, calamari and shrimp in tomato and white wine is sensual. Pasta is amazing; short tubes like Penne that is used in Vesuvio, a spicy dish with hot chili, bacon, onion, tomato and basil is perfect in size and texture. Spaghetti used in Carbonara with its creamy bacon and onion sauce, offers a completely different palatable pleasure. My favorite main dish is Chicken Coriander, a simple dish of chicken and spice; turmeric, pepper, coriander, garlic and lime juice. The thin, wood oven pizzas are excellent starters. My number one dessert is Tiramisu; a coco powdered cream cheese, rum, coffee cake that goes seamlessly with cognac and espresso

good meals in Bali

When I Go to dinner with friends that enjoy dining as much as I do the meal will consume the entire evening, we may sit down at 7:00 p.m. and close the restaurant well after midnight. Pizza, pasta, meat, fish, soup, salad, cheese, fruit and alcohol can add up to as much as 3,000 or 4000 calories.

Vito, Belinda and Lee they know food.

I have found that when I participate in outings of this sort I don’t eat much more than 2,000 calories including wine and alcohol. These happenings are more about sharing quality time with close friends. The meal is healthy, fresh and balanced and as long as I watch my quantities I walk away from the table with no weight gain.

J. my crazy dutchman

I have another type of friend that I dine with; typically we are kindred spirits in weight and size. We are big people with big appetites. When I eat with this group of friends, there is very little talking, the mission at hand is to consume mass quantities of food; the last time I ate out with this gang we were asked to leave the Chinese buffet. I still remember the owner screaming: “You go now! You eat too much food!” Good times and good fun and In all honesty, thankfully I do not remember the last time I ate like that; it is a thing of the past.

Sunday brunch

There is one friend that has always been my best friend to eat with, we sneak into the kitchen late at night, being careful to not get caught and raid the refrigerator. We go to fast food joints and order more food than any one person should eat and hide in the car as we consume every last bite and sometimes go back for more. I really love this guy; he always knows what I am craving and helps me satisfy my urges and I also hate this man. He is my demon, he is my enabler and he doesn’t stop me from stuffing myself full of garbage and I cannot live without him; he is me. . I love to eat and I love to dine out with my friends and loved ones, this will never change. The way I eat and what I eat has changed and I am better for it.

success grilled, fried, mashed, and fresh

At the end of the day it is easy to place blame on situation and circumstance and it does not make things any better. There is only one person responsible for me, there is only one person I can blame, and there is only one person I can hold accountable for my success and failures; myself. As a Fat Man in Paradise I made a commitment to be my best friend and enabler to a healthy long life and I am better for it.