My family recently asked me about my food preferences. This is in anticipation of me recovering from surgery late next week and they are coordinating bringing over some meals. Thank you!!

I wrote up a quick description of the foods I liked and, surprisingly, I liked what I wrote. While it may be of no interest to you, I am posting it here anyway. Y’know, in case any readers wanted to ship Depot Dad some freeze dried meals. (hinta hinta)


To whom it may concern,

Here is a list of Depot Dad’s food preferences...

I never met a meat I didn't like. My favorites? Roast lamb, followed by pepper steak, and then a good ol' cheeseburger and then maybe a juicy polish sausage. (Not in one meal of course, unless my brother-in-law is visiting.)

I prefer brothy (soy or chicken based) soups to creamy soups. Usually. My favorite? White bean and chard soup with a bit of hard cheese on top. Heaven!

Dark leafy vegetables like chard, kale, and broccoli.

Nuts nuts nuts. Love em. But not many tree nuts which give me canker sores. Peanuts, almonds, cashews, yes. Walnuts, pecans, no. My rule? If it is a bumpy nut, I stay away from it. Smooth nuts are good.

All salads are great. I'm not big on dressing (maybe an occasional blue cheese) but mostly I like only lemon juice on salads.

There is no meal that an onion can't improve somehow.

I love desserts, but am substituting sweet fruits for pastries and cakes right now. A bowl of crisp snappy grapes or sweet berries will suffice for dessert. I will not give up an occasional ice cream, however. But I'm cutting WAY back.

Bread. Yum. I like the form and texture of baguettes best. Sliced healthy breads are fine too, but I don't eat them as often.

Beans? Mostly only eaten in a burrito or similar dish. Rarely as a side dish on their own.

Cheeses? There is no cheese I will not eat. Food of the gods.

One of my clients has recently sold me on the benefits of uncooked (raw) foods. I'm convinced. I've been eating a lot more raw foods lately. They taste great.

Juices. Smoothies, etc. All good as long as the sugar content is low.

Snacking? I love popcorn (a whole grain!) and for convenience plus no harmful ingredients, I have actually found a great microwave brand: Orville Redenbacher's Tender White. No Trans fat and no added ingredients. And it tastes awesome! Curiously, my son realized, correctly, that while it tastes great, it smells awful! Go figure.

Roasted (small) potatoes (preferably cooked with the meat, like a roast chicken or pork tenderloin. Yum yum) And nothing beats garlic mashed potatoes.

All sea food. I love all of it. and Sushi? Yes.

Okay okay, but what do I avoid?

overcooked vegetables
creamy sauces
complicated dishes with more than 5 ingredients
Anything that looks like it might be a favorite at a midwest family reunion. (Pre-frozen breaded shrimp, iceberg lettuce with thousand island dressing, and ambrosia salad for dessert. What are you trying to do, kill me?)

My guilty pleasure? Salt.
If I have to cut this out, I will be sad. It makes all good foods gooder.
If no one was looking, I might be tempted to put it on a chocolate cake.

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