Rogue Bakery Says…

I really don’t. I often run into people who hate cafeteria/institutional food. When I ask them about what they don’t like, their reasons are, funny enough, not food related; it’s experience related. “I hated sitting in the school cafeteria, at a table of strangers…” or “It took so long to wait in line to get food.” All throughout elementary school, I always ate a packed lunch, because my school didn’t have a cafeteria. Any chance I had to eat in a cafeteria-like setting, I was ecstatic. “So many choices! People handing you stuff on a plate, or a tray with cool indentations! How fun! I can choose between different kinds of desserts? Am I in heaven??” Maybe I am easily amused.

Some night last week, while I was out at Press Grill with some friends (I had no idea they had a $1 Taco Night that *wasn’t* on Tuesday), I received a text from my sister:

“I’m in the hospital. They found a tumor in my brain. Can’t use left arm.”

My sister and I are pretty close, and as is evident from this text, we’re pretty straight forward. I mean, last November, I typed out a text while strapped to a stretcher on I-270 East saying “In terrible car accident. I think I’m okay. Taking me to the hospital.” Anyway, I got swept up in a whirlwind of events and planning, and after super early morning deliveries last Sunday, I drove with my mother to Charlotte, North Carolina. If it’s appropriate to “yada yada yada” the story, surgery was on Tuesday, things went well, my sister is fine. Strangely fine and normal. As her friends have said “You just had a hunk of your brain removed, and it’s like you’ve never even gone in for surgery.” She’s out of the hospital now, and we’ve been hanging out. Probably headed back to Columbus this weekend, so no deliveries on Sunday, October 2nd. I know, deliveries have been spotty the past month. But I promise things will be more regular in October.

Oh, so cafeteria food. The cafeteria in the hospital was awesome. There’s was some sort of fake Subway™-like sandwich station in there, along with a fake Sbarro™. And of course the requisite burger & fries station, and the hot food section. Since this is the South, there’s always collard greens and fried okra. And unexpected, they had a sushi station. Anyway, the food was pretty good. Now, compare this to the food my sister was given. Oh, that’s right, you can’t, unless you want to compare “crap” with “gold”. While I was having collard greens and corn bread, she was having turkey roll slices, with an egg-yolk colored gravy, gray green beans, and canned pear halves. Of course, it didn’t help that I was raving about the cafeteria food, and here she is, getting a bunch of crap on a plate. To remedy the situation, I got her a bunch of sides from the cafeteria: greens w/cornbread, mac & cheese, and rice. [Note: my sister hates okra. She gets freaked out by the sliminess.]

So what’s the deal? Why is the food so good for people who aren’t in the hospital, but for those admitted, it’s terrible? How does that work? I have no idea. But someone should do something about that.

Other Stuff

If any of you guys aren’t busy tomorrow, check out the Yummy! Art Show tomorrow at 7pm-11pm at Brother’s Drake Meadery. In it’s third year, the art show will showcase food-themed artwork by local artists as well as raise funds for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and promote Local Matters‘ Local Foods Week. I was planning on going, but can’t, so someone should go cuz it’s a cool thing to do. And I *know* you guys are cool, right? Right??