"If there were no scarcity, there would be no economics"

Our newly discovered Photoshop toy — the "paint daubs" filter — transforms a quartered cauliflower atop the kitchen counter into a vast, glacial landscape with no anthropogenic melting in sight (cf. unretouched photo below).

Dr. Sanity's commentary yesterday on Thomas Sowell's column on why voters don't listen to economists — they want quick fixes and someone to blame, not solutions — afforded a eureka moment [Or was it an instance of crackpot theorization?] regarding the preference of the BMI-challenged among us for magic pills and fad diets over sensible eating habits. Dr. Sowell:

Is there anything complex about the fact that with two countries — India and China — having rapid economic growth, and with combined populations 8 times that of the United States, they are creating an increased demand for the world's oil supply?

The problem is not that supply and demand is such a complex explanation. The problem is that supply and demand is not an emotionally satisfying explanation. For that, you need melodrama, heroes and villains.

It is clear that many people prefer to blame President Bush. Others prefer to blame the oil companies, who have long been the favorite villains of the left.

Cauliflowerets -- AKA cauliflorets -- unfiltered. Cutting the head into quarters first makes it easy as pie to remove the stems and leaves to make Silky Cauliflower Soup (recipe below). 

Dr. Sanity takes it from there:

This is what passes for heroism these days: finding new and creative ways to avoid reality; exploiting and empowering the inner 'victim' of people who don't want to deal with the real world by changing their own behavior.

I know all about this because I deal with people like that every day in my profession …  They want a pill to make themselves feel better so they can keep on doing what they have always been doing no matter how destructive or irresponsible or counterproductive it is.

Photoshopped image of steamed, puréed cauliflower in the Cuisinart calls to mind the putti in William-Adolphe Bouguereau's The Birth of Venus.

"They want to hear about how their political heroes will stop the villains from 'gouging' them or 'exploiting' them with high prices," continues Dr. Sowell in Part II of his essay today:

Least of all do voters want to hear about the most fundamental reality of economics — that what everybody wants has always added up to more than there is.

That is called scarcity — and if there were no scarcity, there would be no economics. What would be the point, if we could all have everything we want, in whatever amount we want?

Ironically — despite artificial scarcities produced by government mandates — overweight Americans would seem to have the opposite problem: too much of everything they want to eat. "Knowing that another meal was just a few hours later is really important," emails our svelte sister Sue, quoting one of the comments to that WSJ  article we cited in our previous post on "mindful eating" and referencing her own experience:

When I was in college and weighed a hundred boop-boop, I used to eat five full-sized candy bars at a time, as though, after that glutton session, there would be no more cakes and ale.

We are blessed to live in this land of plenty, where our larders remain full, and we can say "yes" whenever we actually feel hungry and not have to hoard and stuff every meal.

The trick, of course, is to recognize when we "actually feel hungry."

A midday Cold Turkey Cookbook plateful of small portions of a variety of good things to eat. Clockwise from left: Silky Cauliflower Soup, Chelsea Baked Beans half sandwich with mayo, half an orange and plain yogurt with a dollop of puréed ready-to-serve prunes.

Silky Cauliflower Soup

Chop cauliflower into quarters, cut out and discard core and leaves, break up into medium-sized florets and rinse in a colander.

Steam florets, together with five chopped roasted -- or fresh -- garlic cloves, in the top of a steamer about 20 minutes until tender.

Purée in a food processor and return to pan (bottom of steamer). Add 1 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth, a few sprigs of chopped chives and freshly ground pepper to taste and slowly bring to the boil, stirring to blend. Serve hot or cold.

lt's what's for lunch.

Comments

[Elisson]

I had to chuckle when I saw those puréed prunes with yogurt. Once upon a time, Dannon sold "Prune Whip," which was nothing less than yogurt with puréed prunes in the bottom of the cup. Stir and enjoy.

I miss Prune Whip...but I can make my own, neh?

[Gayle Miller]

Yum! Guess I'll be adding cauliflower to my shopping list.

[Teresa]

I don't do cauliflower nearly often enough. I like it, but I'm lazy and as I like it best paired up with other veggies, it doesn't get cooked often. Must rethink that.

BTW - what Photoshop do you use? I keep forgetting to ask and these are some fun pictures.