Cooking for yourself, especially with a busy schedule, is more efficient and enjoyable when you know the right techniques and systems to save you time and energy.
Learning essential techniques allows you to understand the “why” behind a recipe and how to modify it with the ingredients you have. Pick up the basics like how to stir fry and how to press tofu. Or join the ongoing discussion on complex, evolving issues like how to eat less meat without going vegetarian.
Combine these techniques with an ingredients-first approach and you’ll start looking forward to eating in instead of ordering out.
On our trips to Los Angeles to visit Alex’s parents, we drive down the I-5 corridor. There’s always a stench near Coalinga. The smell used to not bother me much. When the smell approached from afar, I would quickly push the circulate air button and wrinkle my nose for 5 minutes. In the past year, … Read more
Three weeks ago, a brown paper bag sat on my desk, quietly waiting for me to open it. I was both excited and dreaded opening the bag. You see, I knew that opening that bag meant I would be opening Pandora’s box. “What if it’s a lot of work?” “What if I ruin it?” “What … Read more
Alex and I spent more than $300 dollars on broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, and other vegetables in the last 6 months, and we’ve yet to taste a bite.
No, we didn’t throw the food out.
Instead, this food is baby food. Not the mushy food you feed to a baby. I mean baby plants, seedlings, waiting to grow up into tall, beautiful bouquets of lettuces and cilantro.
Yep folks, we started a community garden.
Arugula. I hate it. The bitter, peppery taste in salads offends me, and I detest the aftertaste. I feel like a cow chewing on grass every time I eat it. I’ll only tolerate it on very thin-crust pizzas with plenty of prosciutto to cover up the arugula. But even then, I prefer my pizzas and salads … Read more
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go
I’ve been blasting Christmas carols all week. November might seem too early. Yet, with retailers already selling Christmas decorations, I think Christmas carols are fair game.
My rain-drenched shoes are another reminder that fall is coming to an end. Which means holiday seasons are around the corner!
With Thanksgiving as soon as next week, and Christmas following thereafter, I’ve given some thought to what will happen to my CSA boxes while I am out of town.