Do most people think of healthy foods as indulgence? Oysters, fish, and nuts aren't foods I would think of as indulgence. Not that there are any right or wrong answers, just curiosity.

Is indulgence interpreted as unhealthy, expensive, both, something else?

I actually looked up the word just now, and it comes from indulgent which means overly generous. So with food, I think it's something that you really enjoy to an extensive amount. For me, caramel M&M's would be something I would eat just because they taste so good, and I would continue eating them until I was full. Not because there is really any reason, or because they are "healthy" for me. (I REally wish they were ) but it's something I totally enjoy. That's how I think of indulgence food.

I do not have a sweet tooth for cakes, cookies, or candies. I could pass all by without a second look. However, I do love chocolate ice-cream. But, it has to be a good brand to be worth the calories (e.g. Ben and Jerries New York Super Fudge Chunk). A local ice-cream place does a great Nutella flavored ice-cream . Thankfully only 1 month a year.

However, my body craves salty food. So my indulgence food would be fries. Not horrible skinny ones like you would get at McDonalds. Thick beefsteak fries. I could eat fries all day everyday, so we cannot have them in the house. But when we rarely do, it is bliss. That said, I now use potassium chloride to salt them with rather than sodium chloride, as the former lowers blood pressure while the latter raises blood pressure.

Neither of which is indulgent in a financial sense, just a you-are-being-naughty-and-should-know-better sense. I do not crave any expensive foods, ever. I am a cheap date.

I just read "indulgence food" as a food that you allow yourself enjoy every once in a while. Indulge means "allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of".

Out of all other desserts, you crave chocolate ice cream?! Hmmm…chocolate ice-cream is my least favorite dessert. Now chocolate-cookie dough on the other hand…I could definitely have a big bowl of that.

Johannian said: I just read "indulgence food" as a food that you allow yourself enjoy every once in a while. Indulge means "allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of".

This is interesting to me and makes me more curious because you said trout above. Why do you only allow yourself to enjoy that once in a while?

Any kind of cheese cake, with Key lime and chocolate turtle at the top.

Tom, that sounds great!

purpleinopp said: This is interesting to me and makes me more curious because you said trout above. Why do you only allow yourself to enjoy that once in a while?

Well, he only catches it once in a while. maybe that's why, although we still get store bought quite often. I think he might be talking about freshwater trout…?

purpleinopp said: This is interesting to me and makes me more curious because you said trout above. Why do you only allow yourself to enjoy that once in a while?

Because I usually only catch it every two or three months. Even though we have a lake ten minutes away that has trout, we just don't go that often, and I don't have my driver's license yet so I have to rely on the parents for my transportation. Although in the summer we do go more often.

And yes, as Abigail said, I was specifically speaking of freshwater rainbow trout, not the saltwater steelhead from stores.

Fieldsof_flowers said: Did you paint that, Chip?

I wish. It's by Gustave Caillebote, a 19th century French painter whose garden paintings I've posted on the Garden Art thread.

sallyg said: They have oysters in the Rocky Mountains, but, no thanks

When I worked for sheep and cattle ranches, I had both sorts. During a branding or docking (when calves and lambs are cut) they get tossed in a bucket, then taken to the kitchen for cleaning. They're served at the post-branding lunch or breakfast the following day. Those from sheep are much larger and tastier.

The Rocky Mountain oyster bit is a tourist thing. Ranchers call them lamb fries and calf fries.

Fieldsof_flowers said: Out of all other desserts, you crave chocolate ice cream?! Hmmm…chocolate ice-cream is my least favorite dessert. Now chocolate-cookie dough on the other hand…I could definitely have a big bowl of that.

Well, I do like chocolate-hazelnut mousse cakes (light and fluffy). But I would have to go to another country to get that. All cakes of all types I have tried in the USA are terrible. Really really bad. It seems no bakery knows that cream is something you make from dairy, not chemicals (hydrogenated vegetable oil is what they use to make 'cream' from a can). So if I was in France or Italy or Germany, I might indulge in real desserts. Made with authentic ingredients. As I said before, the calories must be worth the taste or I am not interested. Here, I have enjoyed cannolis from our Italian section of town, but I would not go out of my way to buy them.

And for a person that loves salty food, I detest it in sweet things. All American recipes use a ton of salt in them, even for desserts! If I am baking at home I usually cut down the salt to about 1/10th what any American recipe will recommend.
That is also why I hate Oreos. Like licking a pile of salt. Even thinking about Oreos makes me mentally retch inside.

Wow, Oreos are some of my favorites too. You and I completely disagree in desserts. I DO agree that almost all cakes in stores are extremely processed/way too sweet and not even worth buying, but I think homemade cakes are very good, as long as they are made well. Donuts are one thing I really don't like, except for the plain but glazed ones and the mini chocolate. I'm not a huge fan of powdered, but I can deal with it.

I'm curious…do you like pancakes? (I consider pancakes to be a breakfast dessert)

It would be a toss up between cheesecake and chocolate. Any kind of chocolate. Cheesecake for when I'd want something more filling, chocolate at all other times. It's been reported that the antioxidants in chocolate, especially in dark chocolate, may lead to longer lives. I figure I should be good to at least 250 just from past consumed chocolate!

Fieldsof_flowers said: Wow, Oreos are some of my favorites too. You and I completely disagree in desserts. I DO agree that almost all cakes in stores are extremely processed/way too sweet and not even worth buying, but I think homemade cakes are very good, as long as they are made well. Donuts are one thing I really don't like, except for the plain but glazed ones and the mini chocolate. I'm not a huge fan of powdered, but I can deal with it.

I'm curious…do you like pancakes? (I consider pancakes to be a breakfast dessert)

I only eat pancakes on pancake day (Mardi Gras/shrove Tuesday), just out of tradition. They are great fun to make, but like eating oily styrofoam. Waffles, too.
Now, sit me down with a jar of Nutella and a spoon and I am all set. No pancakes, waffles, or any breads required.

I do like challah bread or brioche, but honestly never buy them as they cost a fortune. Chocolate croissants are OK, too. Or almond-paste croissants.
Like you, I also do not like donuts (taste like oil). However, I do like cinnamon buns which are essentially donuts with cinnamon and a glaze. So, not sure how that works. Perhaps the cinnamon masks the oil taste or something. My fave cinnamon bun memories actually come from Ikea, bizarrely.

lol, Nancy!

Dark chocolate is really good for you. I've heard that from trainers in exercise, and they say that should be the sweet to go to rather than fat saturated foods. Well, it's a bonus! I adore dark chocolate, and it's good for me. Some people really hate it though…

plasko20 said: I only eat pancakes on pancake day (Mardi Gras/shrove Tuesday), just out of tradition. They are great fun to make, but like eating oily styrofoam. Waffles, too.
Now, sit me down with a jar of Nutella and a spoon and I am all set. No pancakes, waffles, or any breads required.

I do like challah bread or brioche, but honestly never buy them as they cost a fortune. Chocolate croissants are OK, too. Or almond-paste croissants.
Like you, I also do not like donuts (taste like oil). However, I do like cinnamon buns which are essentially donuts with cinnamon and a glaze. So, not sure how that works. Perhaps the cinnamon masks the oil taste or something. My fave cinnamon bun memories actually come from Ikea, bizarrely.

IKEA had some good food, actually…at least I thought so when I was younger.

Murky said: It would be a toss up between cheesecake and chocolate. Any kind of chocolate. Cheesecake for when I'd want something more filling, chocolate at all other times. It's been reported that the antioxidants in chocolate, especially in dark chocolate, may lead to longer lives. I figure I should be good to at least 250 just from past consumed chocolate!

Dark chocolate is also known to lower blood pressure.

plasko20 said: All cakes of all types I have tried in the USA are terrible. Really really bad. It seems no bakery knows that cream is something you make from dairy, not chemicals (hydrogenated vegetable oil is what they use to make 'cream' from a can).

If the place where you went is using that stuff, it's not a real bakery. There must be a real bakery or two in such a big city as Boston. I would never bake with stuff like that. If a recipe requires whipped cream, I would whip real cream. Most of the cooking I've been around in peoples homes over my lifetime has been the same way. Otherwise, if you want junk, just go to a chain restaurant where the SYSCO truck pulls up to unload the processed garbage.

plasko20 said: That is also why I hate Oreos. Like licking a pile of salt. Even thinking about Oreos makes me mentally retch inside.

Anything in a package like that is just junk. Not really food. Please don't compare packages of crud like this to actual food made with unadulterated ingredients.

plasko20 said:So if I was in France or Italy or Germany, I might indulge in real desserts. Made with authentic ingredients.

I believe your opinion must be based on fast-food chains or there's something wrong in Boston. There are fine restaurants all over the country with excellent food made from the finest, freshest ingredients. I hope you have an opportunity to visit some of them soon. Don't bother going to any that you have heard of before, go to places where there is real, inspired & unique cooking going on. Just because a restaurant is in US doesn't mean the recipes are. I would think Boston would have very authentic restaurants with cooking being done by people from all over the globe, in the traditions of their lands of origin. Your complaints sound like they are from 20 yrs ago. There are so many farm-to-table restaurants out there lately, raw food restaurants, strictly organic, anything you can think of. So much more than what you describe.

I totally agree with you that restaurants of any type in the US, as a trend, most but not all, use too much salt. If you know this ahead of time, you could order your dish without extra salt. Send it back if it is too salty. Ask your server if people complain about saltiness for the dishes you are considering. Be proactive, seek & ask for what you want. Reduced salt is a very popular option/menu designation.