Reasons To Be Thankful

I was going to write another bit on our evolving forecast—we reported on the third-quarter public company numbers last week in FER Fortnightly if you missed it (click here)—and John Muldowney and I have had several back-and-forths since.

But you know what? We’ll get to that next week (not that it’s bad.). It’s Thanksgiving week, so let’s talk about what’s good about our world. It’s a harvest festival and what’s not to like about that? (As long as the harvest comes in with something in the basket.)

We have lots of problems to solve—humans always do—but let’s remind ourselves that we Americans live in the best place, in the best time, in the history of the world. Those who know me well know my line about “We live better than the kings of France.” I’ll be happy to prove it to any doubter. Our basket is generally very full indeed.

For one thing, compared to France circa 1685 (Louis XIV time), our food is better. And that’s on every level of comparison, wherever you go. I’ve had Carolina pulled pork on a picnic table in Gullah South Carolina;  pheasant consommé in a pastry crust prepared by Jean Banchet at Le Francais (with one whiff of the aroma, I understood haute cuisine); and world-class strip steak at Smith and Wollinsky’s. Not to mention many Burger King Whoppers. (No offense to our friends at any other burger concept. I’ve seldom met a hamburger I didn’t like.) I can remember the first time I tasted hoisin sauce in mu shu pork. I actually dreamt about it.

And I’m not a foodie, really. I’ve just been lucky enough, as we all are, to make my living in this wonderful space called the foodservice industry.

So enjoy the harvest this week with friends and family. Share it with someone less fortunate. Be thankful we can make a living helping feed people. I’m thankful I get to hang out with all of you.

Cheers,

Robin Ashton

Publisher

rashton@fermag.com