The Value of Exercise

I've just returned from two days at the Cape courtesy of my brother the gourmet cook. Any pretense at keeping to my diet was a shambles from the moment I walked in. The food, as ever, was delicious, but I swear I have never seen anyone cook with so much butter (and I do mean butter, no substitutes). Butter disappears by the stick in every pot - frequently blended with generous quantities of extra virgin olive oil - it's like a revival of James Beard or something.

So you would be forgiven thinking that my brother and his family suffer from the same weight fate as I do - but it's not so. How so? Well his wife jogs and swims before breakfast (in winter I think it's cross country skiing before breakfast), his two teenage boys lift weights (frequently with my brother) and are active in sports from baseball to skiing, and his daughter is an avid dancer with her own group. And they all ride bikes everywhere (except of course when my wife and I come and cars are used in respect of our advanced age, or something). Anyway, there's not a chubby one in the bunch, quite to the contrary (well, maybe my brother could jog an extra lap or so.)

So there you have it folks - the value of exercise!

[In addition to cooking, my brother runs his own small gourmet food company, and in a shameless plug, I recommend you go here and see for yourself. His sauces are award winning and his zesty garlic mix - well, as they say, it can't be beat!]