www.cameronbooks.com
Do you want to know one of the reasons I love San Francisco? We produce guys like Robert Cameron. A helicopter riding, photo taking, meat eating, drinkin' man of the 1960's who wrote the “Drinking Man's Diet” diet book.
You want brandy and a hollandaise sauce smothered steak, followed by some pate and champagne (all imbibed while snuggling up to a giggly little thing in a wiggle dress?) Then this is your diet! Years before Dr. Atkins, Robert Cameron was touting the health benies of bacon for breakfast and vodka for happy hour.
Don't get me wrong, even in 1965 Time Magazine had issues with the “diet,” but I just love the whole bon vivant-ness of it. It IS very San Francisco to be concerned with cocktails as the cornerstone of your diet. It really, really is. I mean... just check out the sample dinner menu, there are no less than 5 glasses of booze involved! Mmmmmm dinner on the rocks.
Dinner:
Martinis or highballs, if you desire (trace)
Hors d'oeuvres of 2 stalks of celery stuffed with pâté (5)
Shrimp cocktail (4)
Beef, pork, lamb, veal chicken or turkey (0)
Green beans, 1 cup, brussels sprouts, 1/2 cup, or cauliflower, 1 cup (6)
2 glasses dry wine (trace)
1/2 avocado with French dressing (8)
Cheese: Roquefort, Camembert, Swiss or cheddar (trace)
Coffee or tea (0)
Brandy (trace)
Total grams of carbohydrate: 33
While there were certainly detractors, his idea has lived on in the likes of French Women Don't Get Fat and the Fat Fallacy. Making the closing note in Cameron's book still relevant to all of us lushes... um I mean 'dieters'...
"So, drinkers of the world, throw away your defatted cottage cheese and your cabbage juice; and sit down with us to roast duck and Burgundy. You have nothing to lose but your waistlines."
Glasses up!
EB
Very interesting blog (especially for those who have never been to San Francisco!). Thank you for making me discover Robert Cameron. I don't need to be told how to lower my carbs but it's such a relief to read about someone who doesn't flagellate himself with every cocktail or glass of wine! So rare in our modern world. I think I will buy the book.
And thank you for visiting my blog!
Posted by: Sissi | July 08, 2011 at 11:08 AM