![]() ![]() The recent episode of ‘Ann’s Direction’ is just one of many in which the characters’ food affinities come together as a narrative tool. From planning to cook a mac’n’cheese pizza for their romantic night in (DREAM!), to presenting her with an L-shaped éclair during their courtship, he knows that the good stuff is both adorable and edible. Ben could author a relationship advice book called The Way to a Woman’s Heart is Through Her Stomach and Other Romantic Non-Clichés. Likewise, Leslie’s paramour Ben (Adam Scott) is a super-sweet guy, whose relationship with food mirrors his endearing character. ![]() (It should be noted that her other favourite food is whipped cream – it’s featured so often it should have a star credit.) BEN WYATT They say you are what you eat, and in the case of sweet, golden, comforting Leslie - a waffle personified - it’s true. She openly celebrates Waffle Days with friends, wears a scented waffle necklace, owns a waffle purse, and is JJ’s favourite customer because she spends “over a thousand dollars last year on waffles alone” (the internets calculated it translates to roughly 300 waffles a year). Leslie’s hatred of salad and love affair with waffles are defining characteristics of her personality. If there was a Parks and Recreation cookbook I’d order it immediately, based on its variety alone. Like a mixed bag of lollies from your local milk bar circa 1991, the Pawnee Parks Department are a colourful and assorted mix: of food-based idealism, ignorance, health awareness, hipsterdom and gluttony. Each character has a strong identification with specific foods and practices, which function as revealing markers of their personalities. In the same way you know which of your friends are pescetarian, lactose intolerant, vegan or love chocolate, over the past five seasons we’ve gotten to know the dietary requirements of the Parks and Rec family. Leslie may prevent another Paunch Burger franchise from opening (‘Two Parties’) but she still very much loathes salad. It’s an important societal subject that’s played for both awareness and laughs while the Big Gulp debate might have been satirised in Parks, the irony of sugar-binging Leslie imposing a topical tax on child-size (“literally the size of a child”) sugar drinks in ‘Soda Tax’ is not lost.
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