1 They've pulled that already, of course. But the part I found really funny was "steak and potatoes -- bland is best." Fer sherr none of 'em has ever eaten at our house, and Northeastern Editor Jack Kemp will attest to that. We use different marinades on our steaks, and use various ways of preparing our potatoes, but you can be assures that "bland" is a word that is never associated with either -- or anything else emanating from our kitchen!

2 Someone who thinks steak and potatoes is bland is someone who has never eaten a decent one, for sure Dana!

It should be pointed out that spicy foods are generally found in hotter climates because they help you to sweat, thus cool. It's idiotic to try to call that "whiteness"; try eating in Spain, or Italy, and tell me they eat bland foods!  It's just that in colder climates you DON'T want to sweat.

3 That last statement of your probably explains the trueism one hears in this neck of the woods about how a Scandinavian couple is given a jar of mustard as one of their wedding presents and it ends up being buried with the first one of them to die.

Steak and potatoes CAN be bland... There's a guy who used to bunk here on occasion, who refuses to use any seasonings ever, of any kind, on anything. Cooks his steaks (absolutely no salt or pepper) at medium-low temperature in a skillet with unsalted butter and his potatoes cut up in little pieces in another one, likewise. The only time he'll season anything is, he'll cook Portabella mushrooms in butter with Madiera wine. He won't even stay in the house if we're cooking using garlic, which is about 80% of the time. And this guy insists he's a gourmet!

4 The man should be a cook in a hospital! Yeesh; that is as bad as my heart failure diet!