Broccoli Obama

When my sister asks her son, my four year-old nephew, who our president is, he replies, "Broccoli Obama". He's serious, every time, no matter how many times she or anyone else asks him. I called him the little vegetarian, but I think he might actually have something, possibly a slogan for our first lady or maybe a recipe...Michelle Obama is penning a book at the moment on healthy eating and her white house garden. I have a title for her: Barack "Broccoli" Obama's Victory Garden, not bad if I say so myself...with my nephew, of course. I think it would be an encouraging title, especially making an impression on kids, that's if he has a good sense of humor. Remember those old Saturday morning public service announcements, Hankering for a Hunk of Cheese - Time for Timer? Well...I would say that kids would definitely remember Broccoli Obama, if Michelle had a recipe for it in her book! I'm thinking, I'm thinking...help me out here!

Accentuate the Good

Yes. It's all good. But once in a while you bite into something that makes you close your eyes and think of nothing else but all the senses you are feeling as you taste it. The pleasure consumes you. And when you think of it again, your senses arise. There is a good-o-meter inside of each of us. The good that is familiar and you think nothing of it and the good that is uncommonly good and we remember it with desire. We all know this. There is everyday good and there is good that we know we deserve occasionally that we look forward to. Someone once asked me where I wanted to go eat, and I replied, 'Somewhere good', and I was mocked by the reply 'as opposed to something bad?' Retreating, I didn't feel like putting out the energy to explain myself, and in the end I was not particularly happy with where we ate, even though it was my idea. The damper was on my enthusiasm even before we left. Being in the company of someone who cannot accept another person's point of view as different yet equal to their own left my soul feeling undernourished. I will never forget that bowl of Pad Thai, which was good...just good.

Burnt Cheese Phenomena

My sister is not into the culinary arts, but she has taste in food and clothes; good taste. Recently, we were on the phone talking about our day when she told me she was making burnt cheese. What's that? I asked. Take a handful of shredded cheese, anything mild, similar to cheddar will do, put it into a a skillet and let it melt to the middle, turn it over like a pancake, cook it til it's crispy. A few days later, on the phone with her, again, she was making it again and I had to do it. So I sprayed a little Pam on my cast iron skillet and put a handful of grated mild cheddar in the pan. It didn't take very long to be able to turn it over and get it crispy. I was eating it, amazed at how crispy and nutty it got, it was addicting, when she asked me, 'It's good isn't it?' I have to admit it was one of those wonders of the world, why hadn't I thought of it? It's some good stuff.

It Starts At Home

Childhood Obesity...I believe everything starts at home. Childhood obesity starts at home, also, but the cure for it is, also, at home. From giving our children fast food and processed microwave meals, to changing our routine and serving them home cooked meals at a table. In a way this is the gift of television, set-your dvr to the food network, learn something, let your kids learn something. Cook from scratch. Learn to cook foods you and your family will enjoy eating and making. Part of eating is preparing and thinking ahead. Look at your child's generation. Do they know how to choose ingredients and prepare the foods they love? Better question: Do you? Childhood obesity is totally curable. Limit the video games, enjoy the outdoors and cook real healthy food from your home kitchen.

http://www.letsmove.gov/

Green Thumb?

I see the seed catalogs coming out. Beautiful pictures and inspiring ideas to make a kitchen garden. Every year in some way or another I make an attempt. Last year I planted some tomatoes and a few herbs. I was able to use the herbs but a sudden frost killed my tomatoes; I picked the green ones but it was too late.
I don't have a green thumb. I try, and maybe some day I will be successful. My grandmother could grow anything as could her father. My mom and I had a garden once, it grew beyond our control, it seemed all we did was plant and water and it just grew, as did the weeds. It was fun, though, so I know I could be capable, if I really had to be. Having lived most of my life in a city, I have no intention of being a real 'country-girl'. I just want to be a resourceful and thoughtful human being. But if the markets closed and I had to grow my garden to survive, I know I could do it...somehow, someway. And as soon as the ground thaws, I will give it a try again with just a few plants. Maybe I'll try something I know grows well without human assistance, like zucchini...LOL.

Elizabeth Taylor Loved Food

Over the years I've read that Elizabeth Taylor loved food. Recently, I have seen questions come up: How will you remember Elizabeth Taylor? Her Beauty? Her Charities? Her Movies? I will remember she loved Chasen's chili and she ate food with gusto. Classic. Classy. Legend. Legendary. A hungry man's appetite, Joan Rivers, famously quoted as saying her favorite food was 'seconds'. Good for her. No one should be afraid to eat and enjoy it. Her life sets the example that a woman can be beautiful, talented, outspoken and love life and food. And to hell with you if you want to criticize me for it.

One Dish Wonders

Ahhh the casserole! I call mine One Dish Wonders because they are never the same, always wonderful and somehow I cannot ever get a repeat performance. Rice and pasta are great starters(leftover, of course), leftover meats or beans, leftover vegetables, toss in a can of soup, cheeses on top and bake until the cheese on top melts. Also, it's one of those things you can't wait to eat since it makes the house smell really good and it only took about five minutes to get into the oven. They always turn out good, it's just the nature of their game.

Afraid of Food?

Somewhere between Culinary School and doing a lot of thinking afterward, and finally moving to a place where fast food is extremely limited, I stopped being afraid of food. I have always loved food and the whole process of cooking, but from the age of about 15 to 40, I was sure that every bite would add a bulge or a pound on the scale. I always knew in the back of my mind that it was how I was looking at eating and not so much what I was eating. Self discovery has helped immensely; finding it is ok to be hungry, for knowledge, for love, and for food. In the receiving of knowledge, love and food we should enjoy the process and we must be thankful. In the fast food world our needs must be instantly gratified, and although we might feel gratified, there are certain parts of us that we are not acknowledging whose needs must be met. Like the ritual and stopping  -  for a certain amount of time - our activities, so that the meal we eat is appreciated and that time is respected and valued. The main focus is not on being instantly gratified, it is on the whole meal. It is like a shy person giving a speech, in getting advice, the person learns to take their focus off of themself and focus on the subject of the speech.
There is more to hunger than feeding our bodies. Look at what surrounds your environment when you eat. Set out your whole meal on the table. Stay seated, savor and enjoy the food you're eating. Food is meant to be enjoyed. Mult-tasking is a great talent, but not for a whole life. If we can't enjoy the individual things in our life without interruptions, we are not fully enjoying or feeling those things that should give us pleasure.
Afraid of food? Focus on something else and set your mealtimes.

Cooking Is Not A Spectator Sport

In the ways of cooking and making our way around a kitchen, this recession has been good for us. Maybe home cooking was something we needed to bring back into our lives. The recession has brought back home cooking! At a time like this, it's fantastic that we have the Food Network and Cooking Channel, to teach us just how easy working in the kitchen can be; using real ingredients and techniques that are usually much less daunting than home cooks realize until they actually see someone else do it. This is a wonderful thing for the state of our economy at the moment. At the same time, keep in mind that cooking is not a spectator sport:. We need to get in our kitchens and with real, whole ingredients, using our best tools, our bare hands to create meals. Watching someone cook in their kitchen is inspiring and uplifting when we see how easy it is to make something...hopefully it inspires us all into action.

Buying In Season and Local

Quite often this is a luxury. I love to go to the local farmer’s market, but for most of my life I have just gone to my neighborhood grocery store. I buy what’s on sale. Being from California it’s difficult to know just what is in season because the growing season is non-stop there. Now, living in Idaho, I do exactly the same thing. Summer is different, there is a wonderful farmer’s market here, but it is still very expensive and only runs from June to October. I have always lived on a budget, the more I can stretch my dollars the wiser and more self-reliant I feel. The market always has locally grown produce, in season, at great prices. Following a budget I can be proud of, if only to myself, and maintaining good eating habits is what I am concerned with.

Know Your Junk Food

I have a hard time saying no to food. I have set this belief system set up but I cannot be so rigid with myself that I will deny certain pleasantries if the opportunity arises. I do not ever plan to go to the county or state fair and not eat. To me that’s the best part if the day. I will not pay the exorbitant amounts at a movie theater, so I will eat ahead of time.
Like anyone, I have my vices: A maple bar from the gas station, at least a few times a year; A YooHoo on a road trip; A bag of Lay’s potato chips, the plain kind; A small bag of M&M’s; I love Life cereal, and I love Nutella on toast, often. Those are the worst of my eating habits, and they are few and far between(usually). If I have one indulgence like this a month, I’ve taken care of myself. To know in my heart that the real food I eat comes from my kitchen in my house, then my body and soul are well.

Spring, Where is it?

This is my second winter here in Hailey, Idaho. Seven months of winter is a sacrifice to me; a sacrifice so that I can have the beautiful summer and parts of spring and fall that are simply the most wonderful gifts of nature. I can tell that it's thawing outside due to the fact that the ground is wet and the birds are chirping and once in a while I see little swirls of small bugs in the air. Yet these days are not consistently one after another. It's only March. Spring is an interesting time here, the weather seems to be volatile; it gets windy, it will snow but not stick on the ground and it will hail and down pour at not one bit of notice. Ah, my relationship with nature feels so insecure. But just knowing that in time summer will be here with its abundanct bounty and freeness of attire makes it all worthwhile.
Being a figure skater, you would think I adored winter. Not happening. It's very different to be in a cold ice rink and be able to walk out into 60 or 70 degree weather. To live inside when the weather outside is below zero for a couple of months straight is the ultimate cabin fever. I like to walk and I enjoy the outdoors so being inside for months on end is very stuffy. The great thing is that it's the tail end of it. Even when it snows at the end of May or beginning of June, the warm sun will come out and save my soul.

"Processed Food Is Out"

I found a wonderful article on the link enclosed about 2011 food trends. With food and gas prices increasing, it seems home cooking is on the rise. Processed foods are in the 'doldrums'. How cool is that? This article is for the US and Europe which is, also, fantastic. People are finding that home cooked food is a much better quality and better for the money they spend. Awesome!!!  http://www.foodnavigator.com/

For the Love of Cookbooks

I am a self professed cookbook hound. I love them; I love to look at the recipes and get ideas; I love the pictures; I love to read them.


Will Rogers said “I never met a man I didn’t like”. My own version of that is: “I never met a cook that I couldn’t learn something from”. I love people that cook, hands down no doubt about it. From a very young age I collected recipes and plowed through recipe books just looking. In this day and age we are bombarded with ideas and techniques for making recipes. Whoever would have imagined that we would have channels just for cooking shows? It’s amazing and wonderful the resources we have. And for all the resources I have I never completely follow a recipe, but it always tastes good. I will, however, follow a technique and watch for the certain way that something should look. It is important to know that cooking is a craft and is something that we will continue to learn.

Get the basic cookbooks you need and then follow your heart from there. Build a cook’s library that only you can love.

Work With What You Have

Does it take a gourmet kitchen to produce a gratifying, sustainable meal? No, of course not. I lived on a boat for seven years and didn’t even have an actual kitchen. I had a small refrigerator that meant I needed more frequent trips to the market; A small convection oven and a hot plate; it was really not that difficult. The fact that I loved where I lived so much made it all the easier to deal with a small kitchen.

My son learned to cook on that boat. When he came home from school, he would call me at work and I would have him season a piece of meat, wrap it in a piece of heavy duty foil, and turn on the convection oven that was on a timer. By the time I got home dinner was mostly ready and he felt like he got to help in a big way. Figure out what you have to work with and use it.

Eating Patterns Create a Recipe Repertoire

In my daily cooking and eating habits I can eat the same things over and over. Then some weeks I will have Mexican or Italian or variations of stir-fry's. But I am exceptionally boring and for some reason once I make something I savor, I will make it over and over again so I can enjoy it from first bite to last bite again and again, with different variations to the theme.

Breakfast is always one of about five things: oatmeal, being number one on my list. Homemade bread (sometimes a baguette)with jam or nutella. Zucchini, banana or carrot loaf with cream cheese or butter. Eggs usually mixed with something like zucchini, spinach or leftover potatoes with cheese on top. Leftovers from the night before...if they rocked and there are plenty left, I think its pretty safe to say that I will be digging into them the next morning!

Lunch most often is leftovers. I have no problem the night before remembering that I will have to eat the next day in the office at some point. After dinner I put my lunch into the container I carry with me to work and am always glad to have it.

I have discovered over the last few months a cooking style that I did not notice before. It goes along hand in hand with my eating style but I have narrowed it down to a half-assed science of variations:

My own recipe variations...What's in season variations....What the temperature is, variations. Who's coming to dinner variations, in other words, who do I have to share it with...lol. Mexican variations. Italian variations. French variations. English variations. Caribbean variations. My own hometown, SoCal, variations. American Cafe/comfort food variations. My favorite take-out/junk food variations. Obviously, the variations I have, have to do with the climate of where I am living, the foods I was brought up with and the foods I absolutely adore.

Say No to Fast Food

First of all the calories are twice as much as the same item prepared at home.


The fat content is always so much more. A super-sized meal that says the fried items contain no cholesterol are loaded with fat that can be converted to cholesterol in the blood.

Sugar, even in entrée items, especially Chinese food, blended beverages and smoothies.

Sodium is out of control; many entrée items have more salt than you should consume in one day. Excess sodium leads to high blood pressure which can also lead to high cholesterol.

Carbs, also, a healthy muffin is more often like eating a big slice of cake or a few doughnuts.

Ordering a salad at a fast food restaurant is never a healthy bet unless by chance they offer a salad bar where you are able to make healthy choices, or order the dressing on the side.

There will be little to no fiber in any item from a fast food restaurant.

I am adamantly against fast food now and I have eaten my fair share. What I have done is take a real look at what fast food places are offering us as food. The meals they offer are questionable. We shouldn’t have to think about the nutritional value of what we eat when we are eating. What we eat should taste good and make us feel good. To put it bluntly; a high fat, high sodium meal is not going to do that and soon after eating a meal like this we feel sluggish. Just take the time to think about it. If we take the time to prepare our own food and put thought into the nutritional value and taste as we make it, then we can simply enjoy it when we eat it.

Stop! and Eat

Stop everything and eat! Stop the car. Stop working. Stop the t.v.  Turn off the computer. Stop texting. Never, ever, eat standing up. Don’t answer your phone. Honor this ritual. Savor your food; really taste it. Do not attempt to just get it over with, enjoy your food, honor your meal time.

This is a hard one, I know, I've been working on it. My thoughts usually go around, what do I do with myself? What will we talk about? How long does mealtime have to last? I have found that I can hear myself think now and look forward to that time. There is always something interesting going on in another person's life and yours to fit conversation in between bites. Mealtime usually lasts about twenty minutes, not too long. Flag that time to do nothing but eat. Mealtime should be a ritual, uninterrupted time during your day to savor your food. As much as the food is needed to replenish and nourish our bodies, our souls need revitalizing and by sitting down to a meal we accomplish that need. Stop and enjoy your food; savor every last bite!