Well, my food writing has been rather sparse for the last few months and now with the coming of the New Year I think it is time to explain.
As anyone who reads this modest blog knows, I love food and I love to eat. My lifetime philosophy includes, "Butter makes anything better" and "Just add bacon." I couldn't be happier trying new foods and flavor combinations and although writing this blog may not have been good for my waistline - I did put on the pounds there trying all these yummy treats - it was loads of fun.
Well, last October I found out that I had a mild form of Crohn's Disease. Crohn's Disease is an auto-immune condition that never goes away and can get worse over time. I had two choices before me... take lots of drugs for the rest of my life or try a radically restricted diet. I'm not really that interested in taking the drugs, if I can avoid it, so since October 15th, 2007 I've been trying to do the radical macrobiotic diet and it seems to be helping. That's good news. I think. Because it means that for the most part I'll need to stay on this regime for life.
What is Macrobiotics?
I keep calling it "my crazy diet" and it feels a little extreme to me, but I do feel pretty healthy and energetic and that's got to be a good thing.
Macrobiotics is all about eating the most basic and unprocessed of foods... whole grains instead of flour, no refined sugars, lots of vegetables (some fruits) and lots of fermented foods like miso and natto etc. I love miso so that's no problem, but I'm still working on the natto - I'll have to write a whole entry about that challenge.
So what can I eat?
Whole grains like brown rice, barley, quinoa, millet, oats.
Sprouted grain breads that have no flour in them.
Vegetables like greens, onions, root vegetables, mushrooms and squashes
Seaweed (or sea vegetables) like wakame, kombu, nori, etc.
beans, tofu and edamame
Fruits like apples and peaches
some nuts and dried fruit
nut butters - a little peanut or almond butter
some fish
What is off the menu:
no white flour or rice
no sugar
no dairy
no caffeine
no meat
no tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant or peppers
I can't say I've been perfect. On Thanksgiving and Christmas I ate meat and since I often find myself fixing meat for my family I do occasionally indulge in a little sample, but for the most part I have been following this outline. Amazingly, I like the food. Yes, it is rather plain, but I've found some very simple dishes that taste wonderful to me. I've become a big fan of turnips roasted in a little olive oil with a sprinkle of sea salt... so good. I've learned how to make my own maki rolls with brown rice and vegetable fillings that are satisfying and delicious. With no sugar in my diet I find carrots very sweet and a peach really feels like dessert.
I'm still trying to imagine how to write about food and eating and cooking when my own diet is so limited and I'm going to try to figure it out over the next few weeks and months. Even if I'm restricted I still love food and I still love food that tastes and looks good so somehow I've got to figure out a way to meld the macrobiotic with the gourmet. I stopped writing for all those months because I didn't think anything I was eating would appeal to anyone else. Well, maybe that is true, but I've decided I'm going to keep writing about what I'm cooking and what I'm eating anyway. Hopefully something yummy will come out of it.
Showing posts with label Sara's Experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sara's Experience. Show all posts
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
My Pilgrimage to the Foodie Shrine
I received a remarkable email invitation a few weeks ago with a big bold headline reading "Meet Christopher Kimball. Take a tour of the famous Test Kitchens." I confess, I did receive the same bold invite last year at about the same time of year. I did not manage to screw up enough courage to acutally go though. I read those words on the e-card and my mind was filled with visions of a cocktail party type event with everyone circulating around the room, oozing culinary intelligence, nibbling on perfectly delicious little morsels and chatting wittily about the latest brining techniques and how their dessert souffle came out at their five course informal dinner party for 10 the night before. Very intimidating. How could someone like me, who loves to cook and eat, but has no cooking pedigree, attend such a gathering of august and celebrated cooking luminaries?
This year when that e-invite arrived, my personal coach - in the form of my work-out buddy - told me that "of course, you should go." Okay, I agreed reluctantly. you are right, but good grief, what will I talk to people about? I'll meet Christopher Kimball and I'll freeze up, my mind will go blank, I won't know what to talk about. "See," she said, "you're already putting a negative spin on it. That's a defeatist attitude. Just tell him what you love about his magazine. Flattery never fails." Okay. I had to agree again. I certainly couldn't own up to having a defeatist attitude. Now I had to go.
So I went. Perhaps you recall my visions of the cocktail party atmosphere? Well, the grim reality was all ride-on-a-Tokyo-train. People were packed in there so tight they were only letting new guests in when the appropriate number of happy shoppers left. It was all about selling the cookbooks (there was a very long line to buy those) and signing the cookbooks (there was an even longer line for that). I thought about getting in the lines, but it didn't seem worth it. I did get some nibbling in - some very delicous crystallized ginger topped holiday cookies and a slice of their perfect pound cake (practically perfect in every way). I admired the huge library of cookbooks they have on-site and the vast test kitchen with its array of extra stand mixer bowls. They had Kitchen Aid food processors, I noticed. I wonder if those are better than Cuisinart or if they just get them free from the vendor.
The doors had opened at 5:00pm and I had arrived at 5:10 to find these crowds. When I left at 5:30 there were 150 people lined up outside - almost all the way down the block waiting to get in. This was more rock concert than I had ever anticipated.
(sigh) I never did get a chance to talk about brining.
This year when that e-invite arrived, my personal coach - in the form of my work-out buddy - told me that "of course, you should go." Okay, I agreed reluctantly. you are right, but good grief, what will I talk to people about? I'll meet Christopher Kimball and I'll freeze up, my mind will go blank, I won't know what to talk about. "See," she said, "you're already putting a negative spin on it. That's a defeatist attitude. Just tell him what you love about his magazine. Flattery never fails." Okay. I had to agree again. I certainly couldn't own up to having a defeatist attitude. Now I had to go.
So I went. Perhaps you recall my visions of the cocktail party atmosphere? Well, the grim reality was all ride-on-a-Tokyo-train. People were packed in there so tight they were only letting new guests in when the appropriate number of happy shoppers left. It was all about selling the cookbooks (there was a very long line to buy those) and signing the cookbooks (there was an even longer line for that). I thought about getting in the lines, but it didn't seem worth it. I did get some nibbling in - some very delicous crystallized ginger topped holiday cookies and a slice of their perfect pound cake (practically perfect in every way). I admired the huge library of cookbooks they have on-site and the vast test kitchen with its array of extra stand mixer bowls. They had Kitchen Aid food processors, I noticed. I wonder if those are better than Cuisinart or if they just get them free from the vendor.
The doors had opened at 5:00pm and I had arrived at 5:10 to find these crowds. When I left at 5:30 there were 150 people lined up outside - almost all the way down the block waiting to get in. This was more rock concert than I had ever anticipated.
(sigh) I never did get a chance to talk about brining.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
My Catering Job
It is 1:00am and I’m pumped up on the green tea and chocolate I’ve been using to keep me going on the job. Of course I’m home now and I don’t need to be wide awake and ready to work – I need to be able to go to sleep and I’m just going to have to wait.
There is nothing like a good solid dose of a professional kitchen to sober up the naïve food lover – that would be me - who is apt to romanticise the fine eating experience.
The stress, the heat of the kitchen, the general rudeness, getting shoved out of the way if you’re not doing it well enough, fast enough, “go find some dirty cups to pick up and let me do this you’re too slow” The hours spent standing at the propane burner making blini and smiling and chatting with the party guests. The rush to get everything ready before the party starts – with the owners running around frantically announcing “20 minutes” left – “10 minutes before the party starts” and then the long slow burn at the end of the evening when all the party goers are dancing away and we’re washing, drying, packing up and load the car and wishing they’d hurry up and finish their fun so we could get the last few items put away and go home to bed.
I know it sounds insane but I actually enjoy this catering job. Despite the fact that it is real hard work, I have such a good time.
In catering every job is totally different – a different place, different people, a different type of party – its all new. Each job is a new adventure.
The food portion of the evening is of unending interest to me – does that really come as much of a surprise to you? I love all the miniature appetizers that was pass at the beginning of a party, the homemade corned beef that I’ve never tasted like of before, the marvelous capers on the vine that are so beautiful drapped over the little rolls of smoked salmon and delicious to eat as well.
The biggest shock for me is the realization that catering is not about the food – although a lot of times the food is very good. Catering is about presentation, about drama and creating an event, a spectacle out of eating – thus the blini bar, the guacamole bar, the crostini bar… I’ll stop there, but you get the idea.
As a server dressed in all black at one of these events I am completely invisible. There is nothing quite like the sensation of being unseen in the midst of a sea of people… you hear conversations, you observe and yet you yourself are a nonentity. The people at the party do not perceive you as a person, instead I am transformed into the blini lady or the catering girl, or the arm that is carrying that tray of little treats around the room. It is an interesting feeling – to be fully present, but to not be seen.
There is nothing like a good solid dose of a professional kitchen to sober up the naïve food lover – that would be me - who is apt to romanticise the fine eating experience.
The stress, the heat of the kitchen, the general rudeness, getting shoved out of the way if you’re not doing it well enough, fast enough, “go find some dirty cups to pick up and let me do this you’re too slow” The hours spent standing at the propane burner making blini and smiling and chatting with the party guests. The rush to get everything ready before the party starts – with the owners running around frantically announcing “20 minutes” left – “10 minutes before the party starts” and then the long slow burn at the end of the evening when all the party goers are dancing away and we’re washing, drying, packing up and load the car and wishing they’d hurry up and finish their fun so we could get the last few items put away and go home to bed.
I know it sounds insane but I actually enjoy this catering job. Despite the fact that it is real hard work, I have such a good time.
In catering every job is totally different – a different place, different people, a different type of party – its all new. Each job is a new adventure.
The food portion of the evening is of unending interest to me – does that really come as much of a surprise to you? I love all the miniature appetizers that was pass at the beginning of a party, the homemade corned beef that I’ve never tasted like of before, the marvelous capers on the vine that are so beautiful drapped over the little rolls of smoked salmon and delicious to eat as well.
The biggest shock for me is the realization that catering is not about the food – although a lot of times the food is very good. Catering is about presentation, about drama and creating an event, a spectacle out of eating – thus the blini bar, the guacamole bar, the crostini bar… I’ll stop there, but you get the idea.
As a server dressed in all black at one of these events I am completely invisible. There is nothing quite like the sensation of being unseen in the midst of a sea of people… you hear conversations, you observe and yet you yourself are a nonentity. The people at the party do not perceive you as a person, instead I am transformed into the blini lady or the catering girl, or the arm that is carrying that tray of little treats around the room. It is an interesting feeling – to be fully present, but to not be seen.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Why write about food and eating anyway?
If a good novelist has a good memory and a great novelist has a great memory then a great food writer has a remarkable memory. Remarkable because it is not just a memory of people, places and things, but one of smells, textures and tastes. __The crunch of a candied grape that came as an amuse bouche between the cheese course and dessert at La Cote D'Or in Burgundy in 1985. __The mousse-like texture of that chocolate cream pie that I had at last year's Thanksgiving.__The flavor of those sautéed onions smothering the foot long masterpieces at Lawton's Hot Dog Stand in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
I love food... and not just those three star meals at fancy French restaurants either. I love good food - whether it is the best buritto in town or the best Napoleon. I can't say I'll eat anything, but I love to try new food - experience new flavors - find a new favorite dish. I seem to remember special meals I've eaten very clearly, no matter how long ago they were.
I actually believed everyone shared this kind of taste recall until I got married. When I try talking with my husband about the appetizer we had on our honeymoon in Mexico 10 years ago, his eyes start to glaze over. He can't believe anyone could remember — or be interested in remembering — the fabulous taste of that homemade guacamole on fresh, warm corn tortillas, or the piquant taste of the soupa de lima – recalling it can still make my taste buds tingle.
So you can see I have a food thing going on. This special gift - maybe an X-men style mutation would be more like it - drives me to write this blog. At least here I can rave and swoon over new tastes and old favorites.
And if you roll your eyes at me I won't be able to tell.
I love food... and not just those three star meals at fancy French restaurants either. I love good food - whether it is the best buritto in town or the best Napoleon. I can't say I'll eat anything, but I love to try new food - experience new flavors - find a new favorite dish. I seem to remember special meals I've eaten very clearly, no matter how long ago they were.
I actually believed everyone shared this kind of taste recall until I got married. When I try talking with my husband about the appetizer we had on our honeymoon in Mexico 10 years ago, his eyes start to glaze over. He can't believe anyone could remember — or be interested in remembering — the fabulous taste of that homemade guacamole on fresh, warm corn tortillas, or the piquant taste of the soupa de lima – recalling it can still make my taste buds tingle.
So you can see I have a food thing going on. This special gift - maybe an X-men style mutation would be more like it - drives me to write this blog. At least here I can rave and swoon over new tastes and old favorites.
And if you roll your eyes at me I won't be able to tell.
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