oh nom nom nom

Amen, amen, amen.

Listen, I'm hardly some liberal crunchy granola-eatin' Obama-smoochin' hippie. Though I am fond of my Birenstock clogs and Grateful Dead, I've never heard of this film until today. When did food, water, and air become so very political? Baffling. And oy. Oy, oy, oy. I very much doubt that Eve was tempted by a Froot Roll Up...but I'm only half-kidding when I predict that certain American so-called conservatives will take aim at *that* next. "See what happens when you eat an apple? You FALL."

luxury

I do not have a big-screen television. I do not have a Dutch oven. My knives are significantly overdue for a sharpening. The former two are deliberate choices warranting their own posts and therapy sessions, the latter is just laziness.

So when a friend with a big-screen tee vee, a brand new cherry red Dutch oven, and a brand new set of fancy Japanese knives had to travel for business recently, I graciously offered to pop over her house for a few hours each night she was gone, you know, to make the place look lived-in and such.

"That's so kind, but I think I'll be ok. I don't want to put you out." she responded to my gracious, generous, wholly un-self-serving offer.

"Well...if you want someone to watch your television and break in your Dutch oven and knives, I'm happy to do so."

She thought about that for a moment, then decided that, why, yes, there has been a rash of break-ins a few blocks away and better safe than sorry.

Thus far, I've made a loaf of sourdough with fresh thyme, French onion soup, and homemade noodles with chicken and vegetables in a garlic broth...and watched entirely too much "I'm Pregnant and..." and "Teen Mom."

ah, luxury.

***
Usefulness of the day: The next time you make bread, cut a deep X in the dough, drizzle with evoo and fresh herbs, and bake in a Dutch oven. You will not regret it. Thank you.

Questions about going vegetarian/vegan

I had quite a few people email me or leave comments about going vegetarian or vegan after this post, and I'm just going to respond to all of you here. Two months later. Bear in mind that I'm probably not the typical vegetarian, for reasons that will become clear as you read.

Did you grow up in a vegetarian household?
Not even close. There was always a diverse supply of meat: mostly venison from bow-hunting and ostrich and reindeer from a local humane farm. Standard fare like chicken and beef was rare until my mother found a shop that carried hormone-free fare, although my she would often serve something like weird like rabbit or emu and say, "it's chicken." Plenty of nature on the walls and in my mother's closet, too.

Do you dislike meat?
Even as a toddler, I hated meat, especially the texture. I have since learned that I inherited a rare and otherwise benign condition that causes my body to hold onto iron, resulting in very high iron levels. Thanks, Grandma! Analagous to how even a dedicated pre-menopausal veggie lady will crave red meat a few days a month, I suspect this likely explains my aversion. It also means I am rather friendly with the folks at my local blood donation center - a little bloodletting here and there is obviously preferable to iron-lowering drugs.

That said, I so love a hearty pot roast and look forward to making beef bourgogne this weekend.

Why did you go vegetarian?
There are, I think, three reasons to go vegetarian: religion, ethics, and health.

Many faiths restrict certain foods or recommend certain diets. Even where a vegetarian diet is not a rule, some individuals choose it out of convenience. For example, because of the prohibition against mixing meat with dairy, some observant Jews will simply choose to avoid all meat.

I suspect that most people go vegan/vegetarian for ethical reasons. We all know that many meat operations do not raise, feed, or slaughter the animals in a humane way. The same can also be said about, say, the care of cows and chickens who provide us with milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. I kinda feel that if you're going to cut out meat because you feel bad for the animals, you might as well stop consuming dairy products as well...and no leather, either. It's all the same principle, isn't it? There is also a second environmental/economic facet emerging - briefly, it is more efficient to produce plant foods than meat foods, and maybe those cows are putting holes in the ozone layer.

I have no answers as far as ethics. Sorry. I love leather and cheese and my mink-trimmed gloves.

That leaves health.

It is generally accepted that a meat-free healthy diet is healthier than meat-containing heathy diet. Yes, I know there are caveman diets out there, but let's stick to the mainstream stuff, shall we? Regular consumption of red meat has been linked to a whole host of unpleasant, life-shortening conditions. Regular consumption of veggies, fruits, healthy plant fats*, and whole grains has been linked to all sorts of pleasant, life-extending benefits. I eat primarily vegetarian for health. You've probably already concluded I don't do it for the ethics. I also never got up and went vegetarian. I simply eat what I like - which just happens to not be meat.

Now, I will sometimes eat meat. It isn't very PC these days to say this, but I believe that, save for an allergy or religious conviction, eating whatever your host has prepared with a smile is a hugely important Life Skill. My work life involves a lot of eating out, and not all restaurants have even a single vegetarian entree. I'm loathe to being That Person with all sorts of dietary requests, especially in a professional environment where (usually) being the only female and the only person under 40 presents enough of a barrier to fitting in. On the plus side, though, I've learned that even when a catered event asks you to pick between beef or salmon, you can call ahead and request a veggie entree. It is almost always much better than the meat dishes, though, so be prepared to share! Don't do this at a wedding, but definitely consider it if your work-related event is in another country.

What would happen if your future husband were a meat eater?
He would eat meat, I imagine. With limited exceptions, what other people put into their bodies doesn't particularly concern me. Obviously, I'd like my spouse to (1) live a long healthy life and (2) maintain a nice BMI - and I expect my spouse would want the same for me. That means that most meals will be healthy and take into account our individual caloric requirements. Though I rarely eat it myself, I do grill up a mean steak!

Again, this is easy for me to say because I'm not motivated by vegetarian ethics. In general, I think that if someone has a strong conviction about anything - faith, saving the trees, not eating meat - she should tailor her dating life accordingly.

What athletes are vegan/vegetarian?
Mr. Universe Bill Pearl, Robert Cheeke, Desmond Howard, Martina Navratilova, Edwin Moss, John Salley, Bill Walton, Robert Parish, Paavo Nurmi, and Chris Campbell are a few of many who are reported to follow (or have followed) at least a vegetarian diet.

Do you rely on protein bars or protein powders?
Yes, but for mostly good reason and a little bit because I'm lazy. When I was working, many meals were taken in the car and a smoothie (soy milk, protein powder, berries, yogurt, and greens powder) was easier to eat than something like a cheese and hummus sandwich. A protein bar can be tucked into a briefcase and nibbled discreetly, unlike a plate of quinoa. In addition, my blood sugar can plunge in mere seconds, making a quick, neat, calorie-dense snack a necessity. I like Promax protein bars and Larabars, which are vegan and raw and yummy. I also eat a lot of almonds. Neither Promax nor Larabar is paying me, but they should with the amount of business I give them.

Have you lost weight?
I'm not trying to lose weight, but replacing some or all of your meat with something lower in calories is one way to lose weight. You have to do it right, though, and keep in mind that weight loss is largely a matter of calories in/calories out. Snickers bars, cheesy poofs, beer, soda, and tobacco are all vegetarian. If portion control is a challenge for you, then yes, switching to something that is filling but less dense in calories - spinach tossed with a little garlic, lemon, and olive oil or veggie soup instead of a saucy steak or cheeseburger - is a fantastic way to lose weight. Most fruits and vegetables have a low calorie-density; meats do not.

How frugal can a vegetarian diet be if the cost of produce is so high?
It can be relatively inexpensive - even in the winter - if you shop properly. Stick to in-season produce and don't buy anything pre-cut. Off-season, visit the freezer aisle. At my grocery store, a big bag of frozen spinach and medium-size bags of broccoli, peas, and carrots goes for under a dollar. I could probably do better price-wise at Wal-Mart or a warehouse club, but they are inconvenient for me. Frozen berries, pineapple, and mango are cheaper than fresh and reasonably priced at Trader Joe's. Beyond that, I am fortunate to be able to shop at a year-round flea market with cheap produce stalls. I have a large chest freezer and stock up when there is a sale. I also live off my garden in the summer - something I can accomplish in a tiny yard by using grow boxes. Remember that if you buy more grains, legumes, and eggs and less meat, you will likely have more to spend on produce. Do a little comparison-shopping, too. It takes 30 seconds to glance at a grocery circular. Finally, I suggest that getting your RDA of produce has a heckuva ROI!

Does it gross you out or offend to go to a restaurant and have people at your table order steak?
Not at all. Again, not PC to say this, but I firmly believe that anyone who is offended by what someone else is eating needs to grow up.

Do you have tips for making the switch?
1. The fastest way to guarantee that your veg kick will last a week, tops, is to go out and load up on tofu. That stuff is awful. Unless you marinate the heck out of it and fry it or hide it in a smoothie, you won't like it. If you have, have had, or are at risk for certain cancers influenced by estrogen - like breast and prostate cancers - you should be aware that there is conflicting evidence as to whether soy prevents or causes cancer...or both.

2. Treat meat as a side - not a main course. No need to cut out meat completely unless that is what you want to do. Or just use less meat. Instead of a steak per person, slice up half a steak and serve over a salad, finely chop half a typical serving of chicken into a soup, or sprinkle bacon over a bean soup.

3. Explore faux meat products, but don't view them as a necessity. Personally, I love textured vegetable protein and garden burgers (which, unlike veggie burgers, don't strive to iminate meat). The rest of the stuff is hit-or-miss. Some of the meat-imitating products - sausage, bacon, etc. - are packed with salt.

4. Pick up a few veggies cookbooks from your library or browse for individual recipes online. If a "tasty veggie entree" sounds like an oxymoron to you, a cookbook is a must.

5. Find a nice friendly spice shop or explore the spice aisle. Especially if you're not used to eating plain veggies, learning how to spice up bland foods is a must. Try to do it without salt or much butter if you can. I use garlic, lemon, red chili pepper flakes, fresh basil, chives, pepper, thyme, and parsley a lot in my kitchen.

6. Be mindful of protein - but also realize that most Americans believe they need much more protein than the average American needs.

7. Experiment and have fun!


* Unless that eggplant is baba ganouj, in which case the speed at which I can polish off a to-be-shared-sized appetizer will terrify amaze you.
** I guess I could do a whole post on fats, but remember that your brain is largely cholesterol. Cholesterol-lowering drugs, for example, often cause short-term memory issues for that reason! Your brain needs fat to function. Your body needs fat to absorb certain vitamins and minerals. And fat doesn't make you fat - eating too many calories does that.

Frugality Series 2: Food and drink

A few disclaimers here...

- I'm single and have only one finicky palate to please.

- I rarely eat meat; going vegetarian - whether for life, 1 day a week, or even 1 meal a day - will likely cut grocery bills. Disclaimer to this disclaimer: I have nothing against meat-eating or meat-eaters.

- While I've seen the coupons+sale timing game in action and know that it is fully possible to get $742 worth of groceries for under $5, I rarely use coupons because most of the items I eat simply don't come with coupons. If you use coupons, there are tons of sites that will allow you to print them out at home.

- I feel best when I eat healthfully and I do not always take the cheap route. A good example is oil: I have a pronounced addiction to olive oil and go through an obscene three liters per month despite the fact that vegetable oil is much, much cheaper.

- I take a handful of supplements, probably spending anywhere from $10-$60/month, depending on whether there is a frequent 2-for-1 sale, things like fish oil (don't eat fish), B12 (don't eat meat), and calcium+D (small framed white female = high risk for osteoporsis). While it is generally best to get vitamins and minerals from food, a quality supplement from a reputable brand is an alternative. And while spending $15/month on fish oil might seem excessive, it is still cheaper than eating salmon a few times a week.

- I'm very sensitive to blood sugar issues and do best on a high-protein, low-carb diet...but most Americans need far less protein than they actually think.

- It has only been in the past year that I have actually started using my kitchen. (Coincidentally, it has only been in the past year that my kitchen actually started using my smoke detectors). I'm not an expert in anything kitchen-related except for getting it dirty, which I can do with alarming speed and often in ways worthy of those "candid camera" shows.

- I don't can. I'd like to. But I'd also like to not kill myself with botulism. A friend promises I can't mess up pressure-canning, and I'll post on that if I work up to it. (Most of what I would can - vegetable soups - must be pressure-canned. Unfortunately, I don't eat things like jams or fruit preserves that can be heat-canned).

- I'm far too paranoid to leave a crockpot on all day, but some people swear by them.

With those disclaimers, and in no particular order...

FOOD

1. Replace meat with other sources of protein. Very few Americans are even at risk for being protein-deficient. Eggs and beans are the most inexpensive sources of high-quality protein; faux meats and tofu are pricier but still less expensive than real meat. As far as beans go, dried are cheaper than canned, and canned beans often contain preservatives and salt. No need to soak dry beans - just rinse and cook as usual.

2. Use less meat. Instead of a full steak, try slicing half of it over a bed of greens. Top a hearty stew with pieces of bacon to get lots of meaty taste with much meat.

3. Soup's on! I've always had a love affair with soups, so I'm baffled by people who think they will somehow leave the table hungry if soup is the main course. Warm and comforting in the winter, cool and light in the summer, soup is a versatile dish. The best advice for soups is to puree, puree, puree. A humble pot of black beans, onion, and seasonings becomes something rich and velvety when 2/3 of the beans are pureed. Pureeing veggies - especially steamed cauliflower or potato - is a healthful substitute for using cream in a soup.

4. A thyme for all seasons. A spoonful of freshly pressed raw garlic, a dash of hot sauce, or a dusting of pepper will transform a modest dish to something flavorful and delightful. Use non-caloric spices and herbs instead of cheese to add flavor, too. Need more reasons? Garlic boosts immunity and lowers cholesterol, tumeric is thought to be behind the low rate of Alzheimer's Disease in India, and cayenne pepper is good for the heart.

5. Decide what you can reasonably make/do on your own. For some, this means having a herd of various animals in their backyard. For others, it means buying a head of lettuce instead of the pre-cut bagged greens. Up until very recently, I was smack in the middle of the city where L&I doesn't look fondly upon chickens and, in any case, I'd probably come home to two very happy dogs, a few telltale feathers, and no chickens. What do I do on my own? I never buy pre-cut produce. Most people can handle that. I've recently started making my own yogurt, which, as weird and pioneer-ish as it sounds, is astonishing cheap and easy. (I'll post a how-to eventually). I make my own bread.* I make my own protein smoothies and hummus.

I make flavorful, salt-free soup broth with veggie ends. I buy solid blocks of feta instead of the pre-crumbled stuff because, honestly, am I really so lazy I can't crumble my own feta? I make my own croutons and bread crumbs (great way to use stale bread, too). I rarely stop for a drive-through breakfast before work and usually brown-bag my lunch. And, in the summer, I garden. (See below). Basically, I tend to buy more whole ingredients (vegetables) and fewer prepared items (canned vegetable soup).

6. Ask around for farmer's markets and the like. I usually walk away disappointed by most farmer's markets in my area. One would think that being within an hour of Amish country that cheap produce would abound! A few years ago I discovered a large flea market with several dirt-cheap produce stalls. The savings far exceed the bridge toll and cost of fuel for the 30-45 minute trip. Ask around. Because sterotypes are a real time-saver, just sniff around for patchouli or find the guy wearing Birkenstocks in November. They usually know where to find the cheapest granola.**

No farmer's markets convenient to you? Go shopping for produce in the freezer or canned goods sections. Frozen or canned produce often has more nutrients than fresh. Just be sure to avoid frozen or canned produce with extra sugars, syrups, salt, or sauces.

7. Don't waste food. Different people have different ways on how to avoid waste. For me, it means I make several food trips each week. For others, it might mean buying in bulk and freezing or else having a teenage boy. (If you're bored, go buy $100 or so worth of groceries, invite a teenage boy over, and just watch). But what happens when you have say, half a wilted head of lettuce, a small amount of leftover Indian food, and an inch of milk? Scramble with eggs. You'd be amazed at what you can hide in eggs! My breakfast, in fact, was egg whites blended with leftover onion chutney and a handful of spinach. (Soups are good for this, too).

8. Consider a second freezer. For me, not buying a freezer wasn't really an option. I have a real 1930s GE fridge (which, ahem, will not make an appearance on the how-to-save-on-home-energy-costs post) that lacks a freezer. I love, love, love having a big chest freezer. When things like frozen berries or faux meats go on sale, I stock up. I spend one day per month making massive quantities of soups, then freeze in small portions - knowing that I'm 30 minutes away from a healthy soup has thwarted the "I'm too tired to cook, let's get take-out" temptation more than once. Of course, I'm also awake that a power-outage could result in a lot of lost food...which is why I'm working up the courage to try canning. Baby steps.

9. Trader Joe's. The first time I saw TJ's, I thought, "great, another over-priced speciality market." Eventually I found my way inside...and haven't come out since. Their frozen fruits, frozen berries, nuts, and dried fruits are all delicious and wonderful and yummy and cheaper than my local grocery store. A big cannister of whey protein is $20 at TJ's and $40+ at GNC. Their return policy is fabulous, too: if, for whatever reason, you don't like something, you get a hassle-free refund. Plus, everyone there is just so nice. If you are having a bad day, just wander around TJ's. The downside? For one, their produce is limited and often pricey. But my real issue with them is that, because they are constantly adding new, interesting products, some older ones have to go. Often with no warning. I'm still hurt over their 2002 discontinuation of dried strawberry-flavored rhubarb chunks. And if anyone knows where I can find no-sugar-added, sulfur-free, dried rhubarb flavored with strawberry, let me know.

10. Go shopping alone, if possible, and don't go hungry. I know that a trip to Petsmart with the dogs usually results in an impulse-purchase or two, so I can only imagine how many extras go into the cart when you bring along children who throw tantrums or plead for items they see on television. If leaving them at home isn't an option, try Benadryl or duct tape. (That was a joke; don't do that). Just try to give everyone a filling meal before shopping. Even the yummiest display won't tempt you with a big bowl of fiber-packed oatmeal in your belly.

DRINK

1. If you want filtered water, buy a filter and a BPA-free water bottle. I think it is utterly insane to buy water on a regular basis. But that's just me, and I know that at least half of what I do strikes others as similarly ridiculous. Plus, did you know that constantly drinking from a plastic water bottle (or anything with a narrow mouth) causes premature wrinkles around the mouth? It is the same movement as sucking on a cigarette. Which, by the way, is a rather pricey habit.

2. Limit beverages like soda and juice. They don't really add anything of benefit to your diet. Eat an apple instead of drinking a glass of apple juice. If you crave something fizzy, consider seltzer - either on its own or spiked with a little juice.

3. Make your own coffee and tea. I actually fail at this one. I always keep a pitcher of tea in the fridge, but I do stop for a coffee most mornings. It is a bit of a ritual for me. Fortunately, it runs less than $1/day. As far as tea goes, learn how to make it. Green teas, for example, will be bitter if over-steeped. Don't spend money on tea only to ruin it!

4. If you don't drink alcohol, well, you don't spend money buying it. But I love a nice glass of wine. If you have a Trader Joe's near you that sells alcohol, check them out. I drive about 3-4 hours round-trip a few times a year to the closest TJ's with a liquor license and buy several cases "two buck Chuck." Not the very best, but perfectly decent. If you are nowhere near a TJ's, find a small wine shop staffed by people who really know wine and ask for recommendations within your budget. Never, ever, ever fall into the trap of thinking that a good wine must cost a certain amount. As far as beer, liquor, and malt beverages, I don't know enough about them. PBR is coming back in a big, "blue collar chic" way, and Cooks Illustrated experimented with vodkas a year ago and found that running a cheap vodka thorugh a Brita filter several times made it much better. Maybe try that? Probably kills the filter, though.

GARDENING

1. Use grow boxes. You can grow large quantities of produce and concentrate the nutrients by using grow boxes.

2. Make your own grow boxes. A 3x3 plastic box runs about $50-$70 in supply catalogues. Get some lumber and 4-inch nails and make them yourself for $10-$20 each. Plus, it is a chance to use a power drill (though a hammer will suffice just fine), which makes me feel all talented and capable and rugged. I'm not exactly rugged; I wear pearls with t-shirts.

3. Re-use the grow boxes (they will last 2-4 years with proper care), supports, and plastic sheeting.

4. Consider buying established plants. Yes, seeds are cheaper, but considering that the vast amount of gardening money is spent on soil and fertilizer, I don't think it makes much sense to quibble over a $1 seed packet versus a $2 established plant. In my (2 years) experience, only half the seeds germinate and only half those plants survive transplant...by which time I've already lost a month.

5. Only plant what you will eat, and, if you are limited on space, only plant pricier produce. I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, and raspberries. Corn, garlic, onions, and even strawberries I can get for little at my local flea market.

6. Use red plastic sheeting. Red sheeting triggers a growth protein in tomatoes. I tried it on eggplants and peppers, with good results.

7. Do not skimp on quality soil and fertilizer. Yes, you will get tomatoes if you plop a plant in the ground, but you will get many more tomatoes if you spend a little on fertilizer and good soil.

8. Water mostly in the early morning. Water in daylight, and you're just losing the water to evaporation. Water too much at night and you risk mold.

That's all I have. Do you have anything to add?

* I'm always amused by people who think making one's own bread is the mark of a hardy, capable pioneer. The first time I ever made bread, the loaf came out just as promised - which I say not to emphasize what an amazingly talented superstar baker I am, but to emphasize how easy it is to slap together flour, yeast, and water, wait a little, smack the dough around, wait a little more, then bake. And, as I learned from the time I let the dough rise for about 24 hours instead of the recommended 2, nothing bad happens. Once you master basic bread, you can start playing around with add-ins (seeds, roasted garlic, herbs, fruit, nuts, cheese) and substitutions (yogurt or cottage cheese for water).

** The link is to the satirical publication, The Onion.

sunday dinner, new job

Sunday meals usually consist of whatever produce I picked up at the flea market...yesterday, sweet white corn, lucious heavy mangoes, tomatoes, carrots, white peaches, strawberries, garlic, and ginger, for belly-soothing ginger tea. I always thought I didn't like corn. But then...my flea-market buddy bought a roasted ear from a vendor, doused with garlic salt and hot sauce, and munched as we wandered around the stalls. I tasted hers, spraying bits of hot corn all over my face, and high-tailed it back to that vendor.

I probably walked around the rest of the day too blissful to notice the corn stuck in my teeth.

Sunday lunch: grilled sweet white corn rubbed with pepper and garlic and salt, then topped with hot sauce. It is so good.
Fresh tomatoes.
Mango and carrots topped with my hummus.
***
New job starts tomorrow! I'll go into the details later.

Creamy cauliflower soup

Now, generally my meals are quite healthy. However, it is impossible to make a good cauliflower soup without using roux, a truly unholy blend of white flour, butter, and milk. The good news? You can get away with using just a tiny bit and if you want to up the creamy richness later, you can stir in some plain yogurt. (Of course, if you're feeling particularly naughty, you can always use sour cream.)

A good cauliflower soup also needs...

cauliflower! Grab a few - or more! - heads and roughly chop. Put 2/3 in the pot and steam the rest. We're going to puree the steamed cauliflower. Pureeing some of the cauliflower will make the soup seem creamier, which reduces the need to resort to something like, well, cream to make it creamy and rich.

Chop up some celery. I prefer smaller chunks. Use as much as you want. Toss in pot.

This is what happens when a piece of celery hits the floor and you are using a slow shutter speed. Actually, I don't even think the speed was that slow - Coco is just that fast when it comes to food.

I wish she picked up "don't pee on the bathmat even though it is sorta kinda fuzzy like the grass you're supposed to pee on" with the same speed.

Back to the soup. Same goes for the carrots. I used 2-3lbs carrots for a soup using 8 good-sized heads of cauliflower. I grated half of them, got bored, and diced the rest. Toss in pot.

Onions: dice, toss. Please do not skimp on the onions! If cooking for people who claim to dislike onions, just puree. They will never know.

Fill that pot either with chicken stock, veggie stock, water, or a water/stock mix. I make my own base using water, Bragg's, and a little fresh lemon juice. I can't see beef stock working here, especially as we'll be adding in plenty of dry white wine later. Personally, I don't use stock for most of my soups. I get tons of flavor from herbs, spices, and garlic, and most stocks add too much salt. But if you prefer stock, go right ahead!

Let the veggies simmer. Then go pull out a small pot or saucepan for the roux. Toss in one stick of real butter - not the "smart" butter with olive oil - and let it melt using a lower heat.

When the is butter melted, pour in 2 cups milk.

I use real, skim milk, though any real milk will do. Please do not use almond or soy milk. Thank you.

Go pull out some white flour.

After the flour incident, I've taken to storing my flour in glass jars.
(5lbs of flour licked into a cloth couch taught me that much.)

Stir 6 tablespoons flour into the milk/butter liquid using a whisk and low heat. Turn off and set aside. Now, that is a fair amount of roux. I used this amount of roux for 2+ gallons of soup; most recipes instruct to use this same amount for a much smaller batch (4-8 servings, depending on the cookbook.) If you're unsure how much roux you want in your soup - and bear in mind you will need some - stir in a little at a time. It's rich stuff!

As an aside...it is vitally important that you first melt the butter, then add the milk, and then add the flour only when the butter is melted and the milk/butter mixture is nice and warm. If you do it all at once, you will end up with this:

Ick.

Not too icky for the dogs, though. When I cook, I have a special dog pot into which goes veggie ends and anything that fell on the floor...and just a little solid roux.

I told Coco that yappy little minpins go into the soup pot, too.

Now, go peel some garlic - lots of it. Or find all this pre-peeled garlic at your flea market for $1. Whatever floats your boat. I recommend the flea market way. Do not skimp on the garlic!

I think I should rename this blog "do not skimp on the garlic!"

Save some for just before serving, too.

Remember the cauliflower that we set aside to be steamed and then pureed? Go puree that cauliflower with the garlic. You will need to add in about 1/3 of the roux so the food processor can do its job. Pour that wonderful blend of cauliflower, garlic, and roux into the soup.

Now, the wine. I love to cook with wine.

Sometimes, I even put it in the food.

I sent a friend out for a bottle of Chardonnay. She returned with a magnum of Pinot Grigio. Either is fine - just use a dry white, please. Add to taste. Even if you're making a batch as large as I am, you do not need anywhere near an entire magnum of wine. Goodness gracious. For a standard batch, 4-6 servings, use about a cup.

Now, while all that is simmering, let me tell you about this beer since we're already on the topic of alcohol.

Or at least I am.

Golden Monkey by Victory.

I was at dinner with a friend last week and he ordered a bottle of this. It came in a small glass and I joked that our waitress decided he couldn't handle, you know, a full bottle. As it turns out, Philadelphia is not allowed to serve a full bottle of Golden Monkey due to its absurdly high - nearly 10% - alcohol content. That aside, it has a wonderfully spicy finish and I - usually not a beer-drinker - give it my wholehearted endorsement. The problem is that all the spice totally masks the high alcohol content...so be careful. After all, most of us don't check the alcohol content before imbibing. Beware the Golden Monkey!

Hic.

The friend who came over for dinner, who picked up the Pinot Grigio, also picked up some Golden Monkey...which may or may not have resulted in one of my guests fishing out Coco's white eyelet dress and doing this:

Where were we?

Oh. Yes. Soup. Back to that.

Go add in at least some parsley and black pepper. I also add in a healthy amount of Bragg's and a little oregano. If you used stock, be very sure to taste before adding anything salty; most canned stock has lots of sodium. If you're tasting and tasting and can't figure out what it needs, consider adding in more pressed garlic or Bragg's (or soy sauce, or salt.) I generally add in a healthy amount of freshly pressed raw garlic right towards the end. Gives it a little extra somethin' somethin'.

The somethin' somethin' makes all the difference.

This is what you will have at the end. It is so good. It is everything a soup should be: rich and chunky and creamy and flavorful and fresh and comforting and savory and soothing and...and...just perfect. It makes me swoon.

a wine snobtastic weekend

I added the nectarines to make two girls throwing back a bottle and watching a full season of Big Love look klassy-in-a-still-life-way.

I've been drinking some really bad wine lately. My usual "try something new" strategy is to treat the shop like a bookstore and browse, taking time to chat up the owner, read labels*, and glance at the reviews. Friday night, however, I decided to deliberately pick out two bottles I would never otherwise buy.

First: One.6, marketed as a low-carb Chardonnay.

Generally, I buy wines to see how good they are. I bought One.6 - a 2003 Chardonnay - to see how bad it was. I left my unrepentant wine snob friends out of this tasting and brought in my sweet friend Marie. (I lost the tribute to her, but she's the newlywed and lucky recipient of two Snuggies). Going in to this little experiment, I was skeptical. Maybe a little too much wine snobbery has rubbed off on me, but I still retain enough basic high school chemistry. Wine is made from grapes. Grapes are a fruit. Fruit contains sugar. Sugar = carbs. To be sure, sweeter wines contain much more sugar than dry wines and dry wines are already low-carb, but still: the idea of a super low-carb wine struck me as silly as a low-dairy cheese.

It is palatable. Almost no fruit, which is kinda what happens when you have almost no residual sugars. There is a bright, citrus start and a crisp, acidic finish. Hint of oak. I really can't say anymore about it because there simply isn't anything more to say. Bland. Pedestrian. Just not very good. There are tons of great wines in One.6's $10 price range. Don't waste your money on this one.

If you want your strict low-carb diet to include alcohol, stick to zero-carb unflavored vodka or gin. If you want to keep carb counts down while enjoying wine, stick to a very dry variety. Most wines are low in carbs anyway.

And then, the red**...

Pure Merlot 2006 (Lake County, CA)

I believe that certain food or beverage labels are to be avoided, particularly those that include descriptions of what should be patently obvious. Sushi Land. Tasty Kake. Fresh Grocer. And anything with "pure" in its name. But since it is Opposite Day in these parts, Pure Merlot it was.

The first important thing to know about this bottle is not that it is a Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend (i.e. not pure Merlot?), but that it packs a 15.3% alcohol content. Marie calls this stuff "water" but the rest of us should take heed lest we go rear-end-over-teakettle with the first glass.

Balanced oak-fruit blend. Definitely some blackberries and black cherries and figs. Marie noted cranberries; I did not. Then again, I'd already knocked back a glass of One.6 at this point. On the spice side, lots of pepper with a little bit of chocolate and tobacco. But otherwise kinda eh. Not unpleasant, but lots to be desired.

And with that little foray, I'm done exploring for now and sticking to my regular summer Gewürztraminers, Rieslings, and Vinho Verdes. The best part about these wines? They're usually cheap (under $10) and almost always very good. Vinho Verde (Portugal, literally "green wine") is new-ish to the US, but most large stores and Trader Joe's carry it. (While I'm on the subject of Trader Joe's, I've never had anything bad there, ever. Joe has excellent taste! Is he single?)

Care to share your favorite bottles?

* Fun fact: recent studies show that women like animals on their labels, explaining the proliferation of labels with kangaroos, pigs, goats, etc. Which doesn't mean that such wines are bad - just that they have a savvy marketing team.

** Who remembers that movie where the daughter took some hallucinogen then explained to her mother that her resulting illness mixing red and white? This is one rule you might want to follow. An hour between red and white is fine, assuming you drink one glass per hour.

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Usefulness of the day: Have tons of plastic grocery bags? Give them to a dog owner. Don't know any? Either drop them off at a shelter or the bag dispenser at a local dog park. (And before someone starts with me on the plastic bags, I am not paying $5 for 15 biodegradable doggie waste bags).

Also, Big Love is addicting. It is basically The Sopranos: just swap Jersey for Utah and mobsters for various FLDS compounds. I still steadfastly maintain that HBO should have picked up The Black Donnellys (you might still be able to watch for free here), but until that petition is met, Big Love is a fine consolation prize.

Avocados

..the avocado is a food without rival among the fruits, the veritable fruit of paradise.
David Fairchild

Avocados are an amazingly lush fruit. Good for the heart, brain, skin, and hair. Replace mashed avocado with butter for your bread. Substitute a blend of avocado, banana, and a little evoo for butter in baking. Top soups and salads with creamy chunks of avocado. Mash with lime juice (lime juices break down avocado and make it creamy) and a dash of salt for a healthy guacamole. For dry skin, you may even coat your face with a thin layer of mashed avocado. You may look like a green alien for 20 minutes, but will have smooth, soothed skin after rinsing.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Consider purchasing a large chest freezer. My fridge is a real, vintage 1920s GE model with no working freezer, and I purchased a big chest freezer for the basement. In addition to getting strong legs with all the stairs, I've also saved a lot of money by stocking up on great sales. I have not done an electric cost to food savings study, but I suspect the food savings win. It is also a wonderful time-saver: I can just pull out some frozen stew or sauce for dinner.


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How to find a good wine

First, forget everything you've been told about the "rules." If you find that a red brings out the flavor of a particular seafood dish, go for it. Similarly, don't be afraid to try a white with red meat. While it is true that certain varieties pair especially well with certain food spices, textures, and flavors, there is ample room for individual tastes.

Second, don't fall into the price trap. Retailers know that if a wine has an obscene price tag, the customer assumes the wine is good. With a few exceptions for rare vintages, you should be able to find a fantastic "special" wine under $30, and a decent "everyday" wine for $10 or less. If you are fortunate enough to have a Trader Joe's with a liquor license, you can find some very tasty bottles for as little as $4. Very few wines justify a $50+ price tag.

Third, do not assume that all good wines must have a cork. Some of the newest wines now feature screw-tops.

Fourth, don't immediately head to a large store. Check out small, independent retailers. These places are generally staffed by people who love to share their knowledge and favorite bottles. Ask around for places that cater largely to restaurants. My favorite wine shop is nestled into a commercial office park in suburban NJ. Philly's top sommeliers patronize this little gem for its extremely well-picked selection.

Fifth, start a wine journal. Give each wine a page. Peel off the label, glue to the page, and jot a few notes about how it tasted and what you ate with the wine.

Sixth, take a course at a wine school, visit a winery, and attend wine tastings. Many wine stores will offer a free wine tasting every month. A class will teach you how to drink a wine, how to describe it, and how to best enjoy it. A visit to a winery will teach you about different types of grapes, how weather and soil conditions influence flavor, and how wine is made. A winery visit is a great way to spend a summer Saturday, and most wineries offer free admission and free tastings.

Finally, don't stick to one variety. Experiment. Even if you only drink Merlot, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn you enjoy the light taste of a sweet Riesling.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Rotating and flipping your mattress every 3 months will prolong its life.

Soup's On!

Soups are my favorite meal. Really, what other meal is so comforting? So forgiving of mistakes? So inviting of creativity?

Gazpacho
I earned the nickname "Miss Antioxidant" at work for my daily summer lunch of spicy gazpacho topped with chunks of creamy avocado and served with a side of blueberries. Gazpacho with fresh tomatoes is definitely my favorite soup. Please, spring, come early!

Winter soups
A thick, creamy soup is ideal for winter. In any recipe, I replace the cream/butter/milk with pureed potatoes or pureed cauliflowers. This works for just about any "cream of" soup, but my favorite is "cream of" spinach with freshly pressed raw garlic. A very hearty soup is pureed cauliflower, pureed potatoes, a dark, heavy beer, and cheddar, served with warm bread. Try pureeing black beans, simmering with an onion, celery, and a splash of hot sauce. Top with avocado, scallions, and sharp cheddar for a warm, filling meal. Roommate makes an incredible chicken tortilla soup, but I have yet to wheedle the recipe from her! Most of these ingredients are inexpensive; consider the pricier avocados an investment in your cardiac, skin, and hair health. While the price of avocados is best in the summer, my market's current price of 3 for $5 is reasonable.

Light vegetable soups
If you crave the satisfaction of a crunchy, salty soup, add baby bok choy to water and season with Bragg's. No need for stock. Toss in small pieces of tofu you have marinated in peppery olive oil for added flavor and protein. Add coconut milk and lemongrass for a Thai-inspired flavor. Or, try what I made tonight: celery, baby bok choy, onions, Bragg's, garlic-infused olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. This newly-discovered blend of Bragg's, garlickly olive oil, and lemon is a keeper! (Bragg Liquid Aminos is a sort of soy sauce, available at some grocery stores and at most health food stores. Versatile stuff! Use in soups, salads, entrees, popcorn, etc.!)

Get creative with the classics
Don't forget classic soups like split pea, lentil, roasted corn, vegetable barley, and asparagus. Dried split peas and lentils are cheap, as is in-season corn. Don't be afraid to try new twists on old soups: try adding quinoa, chile peppers, hot sauce, and even a few spoonfuls of sweet pumpkin to mix it up.

Fruity soups
Finally, sample fruity soups in the summer. A small bowl of peach, watermelon, or strawberry soup is a sweet way to end a meal.

Strawberry Ginger soup.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Store any cut avocados with the pit. For some reason, the pit delays spoilage and keeps the fruit from going brown. Also, lemon/lime juice will break down the avocado if you are having trouble mashing it. Drizzle on a small amount of lime juice, let sit for a few minutes, then try mashing.

Feeding babies

Disclaimer 1: I do not have kids. Thus, I am "sticking my nose where it does not belong." I will do that sometimes.

Disclaimer 2: I am not addressing those who would like to breastfeed but cannot/unable to due to health concerns, or those who have adopted an infant and do not have access to/afford using a milk bank.

Disclaimer 3: I know that formula is not poison.

If you've read about my toiletry kits for the homeless, you know that I like sign up to receive coupons and free samples. I signed up for baby coupons and samples, too, which can be given to expecting friends or used to buy diapers for a women's center. Today, I received a free one day supply of baby formula.

The top ingredient is corn syrup. That's sugar for those new to reading food labels. A sugar not without some very recent controversy, I might add.

Then, we have palm olein, coconut oil, soy oil, and high oleic oil. Oil, oil, oil, oil. And not the best kind of oil, either. The "lipids" featured on the front are just these cheap, poor quality fats! (Lipids and ingredients starting with "ol" or "ole" are fats.)

Plus some assorted vitamins and minerals. I guess that makes it...better?

I have no idea where the idea that breastfeeding is wrong, embarrassing, or otherwise icky came from. I've never complained to a manager that a woman one table over was feeding her baby, or gave a dirty look to a woman breastfeeding on the train. I would not want her changing a diaper in a restaurant or in such close quarters, but that is more of a hygiene issue. Isn't is unhealthy to insist mother feed in bathrooms? I occasionally see a mom breastfeed in a restaurant's bathroom, and *that* makes me feel uncomfortable. I am tempted to slather her baby with anti-bacterial hand gel!

I have pictured the formula next to dog treats. I prefer to bake my own dog treats as commercial treats are packed with salt, sugar, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. Jack and Coco were gifted these and enjoying them sparingly - just as a person should enjoy junk food. If you have dogs, glance at the ingredient label, too. These are primarily flour, corn syrup, sugar crystalline, fructose, salt, dried cheese product, vegetable oil, artificial smoke flavor, artificial apple flavor, artificial peanut butter flavor, and artificial colorings. At least the baby formula left out the artificial smoke flavor.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Don't toss your glass jars. Wash and save them and use to store anything from leftover food to dried beans to crafts supplies. The label peels off easily if you fill the jar with very hot water; the heat softens the glue, and the label will peel right off! If the jar previously contained a strong-flavored food like garlicky pickles, you will want to wash the jar twice. No need to buy Tupperware when you can shop in your recycle bin!

I ate a lot of olives so my ribbons, yoyos, and crocheted bits could neatly take up residence on my crafts table.

Life is too short to use poor quality olive oil.

Yes, indeed. I am an unabashed addict. The amount of evoo I consume in a month is obscene. I have a particularly strong aversion to butter, for reasons I can't quite explain. A pet peeve? When dinner rolls come pre-buttered! (I occassionally feel guiltily un-American when I reflect that I loath butter, sugar, and chocolate. Unless it is a chilled York peppermint patty.)

Here are my favorite recipes for flavored olive oils:

- Press green olives through a garlic press, and let it sit in oil for a few days. The oil will taste wonderfully fruity!

- Let pressed, raw garlic permeate the oil for a few days.

- Place a chili pepper or two in a bottle for about a week.

- I have not tried these, but you might: crushed peanuts, rosemary, basil, lemon, and chives.

With all these recipes, I recommend refrigeration while the extras are present. Once sufficient time has passed, strain and store at room temperature.

These make excellent gifts! Use a glass bottle - I've had luck with old maple syrup bottles - and dress with a ribbon.

Uses:
- Drizzle over homemade bread or pasta.
- Use to make popcorn in a pan on the stove.
- Use in place of evoo or oil for stir-fry, etc.
- Drink.

Benefits:
- Lowers LDL.
- Raises HDL.
- Reduces the risk of ulcers, gallstones, many cancers, and coronary heart disease.
- Lowers blood pressure.
- Helps maintain steady blood sugar.
- Helps maintain a healthy body weight.
- Improves the condition of the skin and hair.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Popcorn is an inexpensive and healthy alternative to other snack foods. Once you've made it with evoo on the stove, you'll never go back to microwave popcorn, I promise! Cover the bottom of a large pan entirely with oil, and then add a single layer of popcorn kernels. Cover with lid <--- important. Listen for popping, and turn off when popping slows. Drizzle with just a small amount of olive oil, and add any additional ingredients as desired. Salt is popular, but a spoonful of raw, pressed garlic is also yummy.

The baddogs adore popcorn time! A kernel or twelve always manages to escape. When Roommate is home, we make a batch in the evening. Coco'nut will pace and huff if the popcorn is not started by a certain time :)

Raw garlic is a wonderful antibiotic. Stir a spoonful into soups or add to a salad. I'm blessed with a very strong immune system, but when I feel a sniffle I run out for garlic and parsely. Raw garlic can be a bit tough on the belly if you are not used to it.

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is an amazing place. If you have never been, you must. When one came to my area years ago, I assumed it was yet another over-priced gourmet store. Produce is pricey there, but the rest is a bargain compared to other grocery stores around me. It is *heaven* for people who just want, say, unsweetened unsulfured apricots. Favorite items there include the tubs of lavendar salt scrub, freeze-dried strawberries, tamari roasted almonds, chili-lime cashews, dried chicken bits with no preservatives for the dogs, Lara bars (raw, vegan bars made of nuts, fruits, and spices), and frozen fruit. Most of my weekday eating is done in the car or out of a briefcase, so protein-packed non-perishables are a must.

The service, too, is great: every single clerk will reel off recipes and give opinions if asked, and they all seem genuinely happy to be there and get patrons interested in new and different foods. Ask nicely, and they will phone you when they get a new shipment of gazpacho. My favorite TJ treat is a pina colada smoothie: frozen chunks of sweet pineapple, soy milk, and a spoonful of coconut sorbet. Addicting. And the $4 "Two Buck Chuck" rivals libations that retail for five times the cost.

My only criticism is that the place encourages hoarding: it seems the best stuff is only stocked for a year or so. I've searched high and low for chunks of dried rhubarb sweetened with strawberry juice for about six years now.

Can you tell I am excited about my Friday grocery trip?