Recent Thoughts

More than usual I've had food on the brain recently. I guess it's because of the holidays. Being with the people who inspire me. And eating a lot, A LOT. So here's some of my thoughts:

• O, olives...I love them, but I usually stick to three kinds: picholine, Kalamata, and oil-cured black. This year I want to branch out. And I also want to make my own marinades for store-bought ones. I've been thinking about a citrus marinade, an herby one made predominately with Greek oregano, a spicy one maybe involving sriracha or harissa, and a smoky one with a vinaigrette that includes bacon fat.
• Fresh, local, natural, organic, seasonal, sustainable... They're not just buzz words. They're words to live by. I'm trying my best, and when I fall down, I get back up and try even harder. Why? Because I want to know where my food comes from and the people who provide it.  And I want my children to know, too. This includes eggs, milk, and meat. I want to eat the way my grandparents ate. Hopefully my kids won't have to look that far back.
• I thought it prudent to note that even though a number of the recipes on this site serve two people, this is not hard and fast. I tend to cook for two, but I think the recipes are pretty fluid so definitely experiment with increasing quantities to feed a family or a crowd.
• I was going to sign us up for a CSA this year, but I decided that with all of the local farm markets, I'd hold off. After all, I've only been here a few months so I haven't experienced all the seasons at our markets. I doubt I'll find them lacking. Though maybe one day when I have less time to browse, and want the convenience of a weekly CSA basket, I'll sign the dotted line.
• I realize I haven't ever discussed techniques or kitchen tools/utensils, so that's coming up this year. (KFW just celebrated its first anniversary last week so...yay!)
• In case you haven't noticed, desserts are not my thing--cooking them, I mean. Eating them's a different story. I prefer to leave the hard science of baking to someone else. Though maybe this year I'll whip up a few recipes--easy ones.
• There aren't many things I won't eat. In fact, the only one I can think of is Jell-O. Just thought I'd share.
• I'll end with a quote I fell in love with recently: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." --J.R.R. Tolkien
  

For Those Who Aren't Lucky Enough To Be Italian...

...check this out on scungilli (as a follow-up to my last post).

Raging Rudolph: Is Nothing Sacred?

Apparently not. This clip's a bit disturbing and maybe even sacrilegious to those of us who worship Yukon Cornelius and bow down before Sam the Snowman. (Thank God King Moonracer didn't make a cameo appearance.) No but seriously I actually think this is gut-bustingly hilarious. I'll never think of Rudolph the same way again. Cute and innocent my foot. Happy Holidays :)

Weeknight Dinners

I'm forever thinking about how to cook yummy yet healthy meals using fresh (not boxed, canned, or otherwise packaged or processed) food on weeknights. Every time I walk through the stalls at the farm market or the aisles at Whole Foods I think: What looks good? What am I in the mood for? What haven't I had in a while? That's how I pick out my main ingredients--usually proteins, but sometimes not. Then I decide on side dishes--frequently a greens salad gets into the mix, but on winter nights I like braised greens or steamed squash. But the entire time I'm also thinking: This has got to be fairly quick and easy.

Here's some of the dishes I plan on making in the coming week:

• Cod or haddock poached in a bouillabaisse-type broth, meaning tomatoes (fresh if greenhouse-grown locally, canned if not), fennel, leeks, etc.
• Ground lamb burgers topped with whipped-up-in-a-flash tzatziki
• Vegetable soup--everything but the kitchen sink--eaten with crusty Portuguese rolls or a side of cheese, olives, and pickles
• Braised rainbow chard, topped with a bit of butter, garlic, and lemon zest
• Mashed root vegetables, mixed with the tiniest pinch of saffron and some fresh herbs
• Spiced carrots, roasted or steamed and jazzed up with whatever spices move you that day--smoked paprika, Moroccan seasonings, or even Grains of Paradise (flowery and citrusy yet peppery, too)
• Steamed-in-the-microwave acorn squash, scooped from its peel, then sauteed with brown butter, brown sugar or maple syrup, and lots of salt and pepper

A Cartoony Anthony Bourdain Coming Soon

This is gonna be good. The six-part animated web series arrives in 2010. And, no, this isn't jumping the shark--by a long shot.