I am hungry. I am incorrigible. I am man.

I can't say I really understand how certain foods have been given gender. How, exactly, did the term "chick food" come about? What is it about tofu and sushi that screams woman?

I just saw the Burger King "Manthem" commercial again in which a young man ditches his hot girlfriend at an upscale bistro and storms out onto the street where he is joined by a screaming horde of men extolling the virtues of being a primitive carnivore, in song - of course. I first saw this commercial late last summer and remember being slightly amused. In the past few weeks, this commercial has been stalking me. It seems like Comedy Central (the station of choice in my apartment) runs the spot every other commercial break. In case you haven't seen it yet, I present it to you now for your viewing...pleasure:



The commercial harks back to a time when men were required to hunt down their food. In those ancient times, a man's worth was determined by his skills as a hunter. That was man's ultimate concern. In those days, eating quiche would mean you could not make the kill to provide for your family. Understandably, quiche would have been an emasculating entree in those days.

However, in this modern day of instant gratification, man no longer has to chase down and kill his dinner. Choosing to eat quiche should be of little relevance to a man's masculinity. Man can just as easily throw some steak on the grill once he finishes his delicious quiche. I see no reason why he would, as quiche is quite filling - but I'm trying to make a point. Choice of entree should not reflect on manliness in our society. A double whopper is not a reward for the long and grueling hunt to kill that cow. Man should not be rewarded for driving up to a window and whipping out a credit card. If a man is expending such little effort to procure his meal, he can suck it up and eat quiche.

For all you manly men out there - a challenge.

YELLOW SQUASH AND MOZZARELLA QUICHE WITH FRESH THYME Recipe at Epicurious.com