PASSIONATE RATIONS

I have a penchant for home-decorating shows. While I lack a great wealth of cable channels at home, at the gym I have access to HGTV, TLC, A&E and scores of other networks to satisfy my closet-designer desires. So, as I attempt to work off the extra calories I imbibed while trying a new recipe for vegetarian paella (not an oxymoron, it happily turns out), I engross myself in the wonders of do-it-yourself design.

Why, you ask, am I discussing home design when I should be talking about food? Because, I answer, I realized that my favorite design shows reflect what I like the most about food.

To me, the best thing about the art of food is its accessibility. Everyone has to eat and we probably each have a much better chance of scraping together enough money for a fabulous meal as opposed to, say, a Ferrari. This is particularly so given the fact that fabulous meals can come in humble packages. My biggest thrill comes in finding the best food for the best value. No pretension, please.

So, too, with design. We all need shelter and, if we can bring up the level of our shelter a notch through fine design, why wouldn’t we? I don’t watch the shows like “Designing for the Sexes,” which often features the over-posh redesign of multi-million dollar homes, since anyone with enough money can change their interior design as often as they change their clothes. Boooooring!

The real creativity and flair of design comes with making do with what ya got and what you can afford. Not to mention that most people I know, rich or not, really love a bargain. So, my favorite shows are HGTV’s “Freestyle” (where they redesign your interior for no $$) and “Design on a Dime” (where they do it with only $1,000 to spend). Even the huddled masses can come home to delicious design. So, why wouldn’t we?

So too, I ask the world, why eat mediocre meals? Demand more of yourself and the purveyors of provender!

In this way, we can make the world a better place to live and eat.