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According to Hofmann: Hacking up your food

By Mark Hofmann mhofmann@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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During one of my regular trips to a certain fast food drive-thru to engage in death by super sizing, something caught my eye: they’re allowing customers to hack their menu.

I wasn’t surprised by the concept — itĢƵ been around for years. I used to request special combinations at my local ice cream shop, which, at the time, was frowned upon.

“I’d like a cheesecake-cookie dough ice cream, please,” I’d say.

“Sir, we ask that you not play God in this establishment,” was the normal response, followed by, “Okay, okay! We’ll do it! Please stop crying!”

Still, I was surprised that the fast food restaurant 1.) promoted menu hacking and 2.) found some of the suggestions disgusting.

Don’t get me wrong, some hacks, like putting a hash brown inside a breakfast sandwich, sounded pretty tasty.

On the other hand, they also offer a Frankenstienian creation combining a beef sandwich, a chicken sandwich and a fish sandwich together into one.

The idea is to bring together animals that can occupy land, sea and air, but it sounds like something a pregnant woman with midnight cravings would come up with.

Now, people who know me may be shocked to read that the idea of such a thing is a turn-off to me and, to be quite honest, I was a bit surprised to find myself repulsed by it as well.

I mean, I’ve been a staunch advocate of the turducken for years.

If you don’t know what a turducken is, you probably eat and love bean sprouts and kale, but I’m here to corrupt you.

A turducken is a turkey that is stuffed with a duck that has been stuffed with a chicken, baked and served at an insane asylumĢƵ Thanksgiving dinner.

I always wanted to try a turducken, but the price tag for such a beast that doesn’t exist in nature is too rich for my cholesterol-tainted blood.

I know what you’re thinking because I’m about to write it: “Mark, you grand titan of terrible food, how can you be for a turducken and against the Land + Sea + Air menu hack? Are you stupid or something?”

I may be a lot of things, but an “or something,” I am not.

But when you think about it, a turducken isn’t foul because itĢƵ pretty much all fowl.

I’m not an animaltologist by any stretch of the imagination but when you start combining animals from different species and ecosystems in each bite, you’re asking for trouble on both a molecular level and a moral level.

Of course, there are exceptions like bacon-wrapped shrimp or bacon-wrapped turkey.

I think two different animals is acceptable from land, sea and air, but three is what triggers the negative response of “ga-rosssss”.

With that being said, I have to say I’m disappointed in the fast food chainĢƵ menu hacks as I thought they were better than that. It is, after all, the same place that gifted us with a breakfast sandwich that uses pancakes injected with syrup for buns.

That was genius, and I sure hope the pregnant woman who came up with that isn’t the same pregnant woman who came up with the Land + Sea + Air combo.

I just hope her supervisor gives her a hard time about it.

“What happened to you, Julia? You used to be inventive, dynamic and resourceful! We went forward with these menu hacks out of our blind faith in you. But, like Icarus, you built your wings on the laurels of your past and your unflinching hubris took you too close to the sun. I’m sorry, Julia, but we’re going to have to let you go.”

“Wait! I have an idea! We wrap the hack menu items in bacon!”

“…I’m listening.”

So, folks, the next time you’re in the drive thru of your favorite fast food restaurant, just remember that some menu hacks were never meant to be…unless you cry about it, then itĢƵ all good.

According to Hofmann is written by staff reporter Mark Hofmann of Rostraver Township. His books, “Good Mourning! A Guide to Biting the Big One … and Dying, Too” and “Stupid Brain,” are available on Amazon.com.

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