Music and food are two key elements to a full and complete life. Whatever power their solo projects hold, however, music and food tap a similar vein as a certain peanut butter cup: they are two great tastes that taste great together. More importantly, music and food are significant defining qualities. Just ask any sociologist or anthropologist about how to define a group culture, and you will quickly hear of the importance of food and music. What is true of national cultures is equally true of subcultures and countercultures. Obviously music differentiates the punks from the shoegazers from the college rockers. Food creates its own groups, with one clear line of demarcation the number of dead animals one is willing to tolerate in the production on the way to one's food consumption. Interestingly, these food and music groups are rarely self contained, overlapping and criss-crossing in fascinating and sometimes surprising ways.

Music and food do more than define groups; they also define selves. The old standby, "You are what you eat," has been updated by the youth culture mantra, "You are who you listen to." But it is as much about becoming who you want to be as it is about being who you are. If music marks the first coming of age, it is food and cooking that often marks the next major milestone: living on one's own. Traditionally, this has been the moment in which people get pulled back into the mainstream and settle down into domestic bliss. But as food becomes increasing corporate and commodified, cooking for oneself offers a viable way to continue one's life in the underground.

Moments, whether momentous or quotidian, are marked by how they combine music and food. The marriage of the two at special occasions is the stuff of clichés: the happy birthday song and birthday cake or the romantic meal with quiet music in the background. These are the clichés that corporate chain restaurants play with such skill, piping the right music into the dining room to give their food the sense of authenticity. More important still, it is often music and food that help us to define, and to create, the pleasures and joys of everyday life. Combining two passions, and doing so in new and creative ways, can more than double the pleasure of either one.

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain argues there is a distinct "link of sin" between music (especially "rock and roll") and food: both are about making people happy, involve sensual pleasures, and, uh, well, are tied to people's yearnings to get laid at the end of the night. He maintains that in the English-speaking world, there's always been an uptight contingent that viewed both the gourmands and the rockers as an evil and threatening presence in society.

But is entirely possible to make your food, your music, your life your own, and being happier and more satisfied because of it. A noble goal, but to get there we must not only have a destination, you need a vehicle. Neither gravy train nor chuck wagon, our vehicle for this trip is the rock star. Climb aboard; let's get this show on the road.

Kay Bozich Owens has been published in Morbid Curiosity and Fazed, an international youth culture magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Sociology. Lynn Owens is a sociologist. The authors live in Burlington, Vermont.

Thai Sweet Potato Soup
(Contributed to Lost in the Supermarket by Belle and Sebastian)

Belle and Sebastian really need no introduction: They are one of the most critically acclaimed bands of our time. And this soup, like the band, seems to please all. It has so many layers of flavor—the end result is a beautifully textured and complex soup. The ingredients used to seem exotic, but you should be able to find them at your local grocery store.

Ingredients
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2-inch chunk of fresh ginger or galangal, peeled and chopped finely
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3-1/2 cups good vegetable stock (such as Swiss Bouillon)
1-3/4 cups coconut milk
Juice of half a lime
4 or 5 dried Kaffir lime leaves (optional)


Preparation
1. Start by frying the onion with the ginger, curry paste, and lemongrass. Fry until soft.
2. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and the stock.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is soft.
5. Add the lime juice, lime leaves (if using), and the coconut milk, and liquidize.
6. If you like it hotter, add a red chili (seeded and chopped) at the start (along with the onion).