The Tao of Burritos
Mexican food is like a really wild multi-vitamin. Clearly, it's really good for you and healthy to eat on a daily basis, much like a multi-vitamin, and so the initial comparison is a no brainer. But, also like a multi-vitamin, it can mess you up something fierce.
Have you ever woken up in the morning and taken a vitamin on a completely empty stomach? If you haven't, give it a try. It's the worst feeling in the world, especially if it's a good, hearty vitamin. I'm not talking about Flintstones Kids vitamins; I'm talking Centrum or One-A-Day, bare minimum. First you feel weak and clammy. Within 30 seconds you start feeling nautious and may begin dry heaving. The whole process lasts about three minutes, and once it's over you feel fine, but those three minutes are awful.
Mexican food can be similar. I hadn't eaten anything since like 5:00pm yesterday and just loaded up at a little known (but delicious) El Segundo Mexican eatery called Chile Verde.
Long story short, downing two chicken enchiladas, rice, beans and some nachos on an empty stomach has pretty much the same effect as the vitamin scenario. So, Mexican food, much like vitamins, is both good as well as evil.
The double-edged sword that metaphorically represents chicken enchiladas is yet another reminder of the duality of life by its very nature. The idea that Mexican food is inspired by Taoism, though, is hardly new. For generations, Mexican cuisine has imparted the teachings of the East through various combinations of rice, beans, cheese, corn and meat.
The wu wei, or "going with the natural flow of things" as modern translations would put it, is the central tenet Taoism, as well as burritos. Just as the reed bends in the current of the river, so does the tortilla fold gently over the warm, spicy innards of a burrito.
Just as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa said, "It is better to die on your feet, than to live a lifetime on your knees," Lao Tse, the father of the Tao, was famous for having said, "Dude, I could fully go for a burrito right now... fully."
In fact, I've acquired a rare depiction of Lao Tse on one of his nightly bull trips to Taco Bell after getting hammered at the local saloon. You may think that the idea of Lao Tse getting sloshed with his buddy Pancho Villa is absurd both because Lao Tse was known for moderation and because Pancho Villa lived literally thousands of years after his Chinese drinking buddy.
You'd be wrong though. As Ron Burgundy said, "It's science."
Anyway, after a tough night of drinking rice wine, eating killer tostadas and discussing the merits of Eastern spiritual philosophy and Mexican culinary philosophy, Lao-dog and Panch (as they called one another) would often wake up with gnarly hangovers.
Realizing how depleted his system was, Lao once had the bright idea of taking a multi-vitamin when he woke up. Pancho was frying up some breakfast burritos in the kitchen when he heard someone fall in the next room over.
Lao, doubled over in agony from the vitamin-induced fits was kneeling over the toilet gagging. It was then that Pancho said, "Lao Tse, my friend, it is better to die on your feet, than to live a lifetime on your knees. That's why you never pop a Centrum first thing in the morning." Then he extended his great frying pan and said, "Here, grab one of these guys."
Lao Tse, starting to feel a little bit better smiled and said to his lifelong compadre, "Dude, I could fully go for a burrito right now... fully." Unfortunately for Lao, he proceeded to eat too many burritos and fell to the same fate of feeling like total ass.
Pancho, on the other hand, went on to lead the Chinese revolutionaries in a successful revolt against the powerful Chinese Public Broadcasting System that had been secretly taking $0.75 of every $1.00 pledged during telethon-style fundraisers for over 4 years.
So let us all learn from this anachronistic tale of gibberish and historical blasphemy. I know I didn't. That's why I ate way too much Mexican food earlier today and am doomed to Lao Tse's terrible fate.
My stomach hurts.
Have you ever woken up in the morning and taken a vitamin on a completely empty stomach? If you haven't, give it a try. It's the worst feeling in the world, especially if it's a good, hearty vitamin. I'm not talking about Flintstones Kids vitamins; I'm talking Centrum or One-A-Day, bare minimum. First you feel weak and clammy. Within 30 seconds you start feeling nautious and may begin dry heaving. The whole process lasts about three minutes, and once it's over you feel fine, but those three minutes are awful.
Mexican food can be similar. I hadn't eaten anything since like 5:00pm yesterday and just loaded up at a little known (but delicious) El Segundo Mexican eatery called Chile Verde.
Long story short, downing two chicken enchiladas, rice, beans and some nachos on an empty stomach has pretty much the same effect as the vitamin scenario. So, Mexican food, much like vitamins, is both good as well as evil.
The double-edged sword that metaphorically represents chicken enchiladas is yet another reminder of the duality of life by its very nature. The idea that Mexican food is inspired by Taoism, though, is hardly new. For generations, Mexican cuisine has imparted the teachings of the East through various combinations of rice, beans, cheese, corn and meat.
The wu wei, or "going with the natural flow of things" as modern translations would put it, is the central tenet Taoism, as well as burritos. Just as the reed bends in the current of the river, so does the tortilla fold gently over the warm, spicy innards of a burrito.
Just as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa said, "It is better to die on your feet, than to live a lifetime on your knees," Lao Tse, the father of the Tao, was famous for having said, "Dude, I could fully go for a burrito right now... fully."
In fact, I've acquired a rare depiction of Lao Tse on one of his nightly bull trips to Taco Bell after getting hammered at the local saloon. You may think that the idea of Lao Tse getting sloshed with his buddy Pancho Villa is absurd both because Lao Tse was known for moderation and because Pancho Villa lived literally thousands of years after his Chinese drinking buddy.
You'd be wrong though. As Ron Burgundy said, "It's science."
Anyway, after a tough night of drinking rice wine, eating killer tostadas and discussing the merits of Eastern spiritual philosophy and Mexican culinary philosophy, Lao-dog and Panch (as they called one another) would often wake up with gnarly hangovers.
Realizing how depleted his system was, Lao once had the bright idea of taking a multi-vitamin when he woke up. Pancho was frying up some breakfast burritos in the kitchen when he heard someone fall in the next room over.
Lao, doubled over in agony from the vitamin-induced fits was kneeling over the toilet gagging. It was then that Pancho said, "Lao Tse, my friend, it is better to die on your feet, than to live a lifetime on your knees. That's why you never pop a Centrum first thing in the morning." Then he extended his great frying pan and said, "Here, grab one of these guys."
Lao Tse, starting to feel a little bit better smiled and said to his lifelong compadre, "Dude, I could fully go for a burrito right now... fully." Unfortunately for Lao, he proceeded to eat too many burritos and fell to the same fate of feeling like total ass.
Pancho, on the other hand, went on to lead the Chinese revolutionaries in a successful revolt against the powerful Chinese Public Broadcasting System that had been secretly taking $0.75 of every $1.00 pledged during telethon-style fundraisers for over 4 years.
So let us all learn from this anachronistic tale of gibberish and historical blasphemy. I know I didn't. That's why I ate way too much Mexican food earlier today and am doomed to Lao Tse's terrible fate.
My stomach hurts.
posted by US Rovers Fans @ 2:56 PM
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