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What's my beef?

OK, I’m mainly a vegetarian (a little chicken or fish every now and then, but not often), and being here in Texas, aka beef country, is getting to be a little tough. While everyone raved about the steaks at last night’s reception, I was left with some very nice roasted vegetables and some tomatoes with mozzarella. Which would have been fine, if you added a roll. But the only starch in view was very thin slices of what must be something very trendy, but tasted to me like really stale white bread. Having just had a salad for lunch (no rolls, just croissants by the time the bread basket came around to me), I was still starving when I left the reception. Fortunately, I found a convenience store with some potato chips, which helped to put out the fire.

This isn’t a slam on HCEA—I’ve noticed that most of the meetings I’ve gone to this year have been heavy on the meat (especially beef), and light on the carbs. But would it kill ya to keep us veggies in mind, too? Woman cannot live by asparagus and salad alone, no matter how well done. At least toss me some nuts, tofu, or some rice—anything with a little more substance to it.. At this rate, I might actually lose weight before I get home—and that’s the antithesis of what meetings are all about, right? (Said with tongue firmly in cheek, of course!)

And what’s with the salsa on everything, from yesterday’s luncheon salad to this morning’s scrambled eggs? I happen to love the hot stuff, but not everyone does…which for some reason reminds me of a conversation I had with a woman from Sweden at the CME Congress I went to a few weeks ago in Toronto, who has a theory that the colder the climate you come from, the blander you like your food. I’m from New England—a case in point, being the land of the boiled fish dinner--but I think I’m an anomaly. I noticed that folks from the northern climes at my table this morning were scraping the salsa off their eggs, while the southerners were scarfing it up. Hmm. I’ll continue my less-than-scientific research on this and get back to you by meeting’s end, since I’m sure there will be more salsa (and beef) on the menu as this conference goes on.

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