Saturday, October 29, 2011

Follow Your (insert adjective here) Intuition

If you want to conform and "follow the yellow brick road," you can, but trust me, that's not going to take you anywhere. I know that I don't want to be mislead by the sparkle and glitz of Oz only to be met by a small man talking nonsense behind a velvet curtain. What I am getting at is this: everyday we are inundated with new research and new ideas, a new app to download that is suddenly going to make your life organized... you see where this is going. Our need to be constantly stimulated by the "new and improved" has completely cut us off from our OWN voice. This goes for everything: food, dating, fashion, real estate, career path and more.

For the past few years or so, the vegetarian, vegan trend has taken over food literature and news media claiming it is healthiest way to eat. I do agree that it obviously has its benefits. There are an abundant amount of vitamins and minerals in a vegan diet. That doesn't mean, however, that one should abandon there previous diet.

In my previous post, I talked a little bit about how I eschewed meat for a while. It was mainly because I was convinced that it was unhealthy and would make me fat. And the hormones from the meat would get in my blood and give me cancer. A tad dramatic, I know. But when you read a book by a certified professional who swears that these statements are true, you... or me at least, becomes affected. Plus, I am in my early twenties and practically susceptible to everything, a trait I am not proud of and work on changing daily.

Anyway, lately I have been incorporating more meat and dairy products in my diet and less carbohydrates, and I am happy to report higher energy levels and a slimmer waistline. Not to mention a clearer mind and a greater sense of well being. No--the fear carried by the slaughtered animal did not imbed itself into my body as a consumed my beef tenderloin causing me to have a panic attack. Though I do believe in energy, I will not take it to such extremes. I changed my diet not because some book told me to, but because my body wanted more protein from an animal source. I could not deny my body what it truly wanted.

Though I was never a total vegan or vegetarian or whatever, I still found my self putting limits on my diet according to someone else's accord. I want to listen to my own voice, my own heart. I owe myself that trust. This is just another example of what food has taught me about life. It has taught me to listen. To shut up, AND LISTEN!


Saturday, September 10, 2011

MEATia

Hello, hello and happy FALL!

The weather here in Florida is finally starting to cool off a bit. This means my taste buds are craving more sultry flavors and meals with some depth. For a lot of people this means slow cooker pot roast, braised short ribs, roasted chicken, and all other things meaty. If you've been following my blog for a long time, you will know that I am not a big meat eater. The only reason being I don't tend to crave meat. Growing up Italian, the emphasis was always on the fresh bread and salted butter, or avocado salad with purple onions, or sea salted strands of pasta.

But lately, I've been wanting to explore meat and cook it more often. I'm not sure if my body needs it or my taste buds want it, but either way I've been going to a part of the grocery store I rarely frequent--meat and poultry. Where do I even begin? I think. There are so many types and cuts and fat percentages! HELP! And then of course there is all this media attention on free range this, grass fed that... and I can't help but wonder if any of this even matters or if it is just another media trend? Don't get me wrong, I understand the necessity of humanly raised animals and local food but my God, I feel like I am being bombarded with over zealous activists and over priced pork!

After 20 minutes of browsing pink and red packages, I decided on a lean (93/7) ground round. Great for meatloaf, hamburgers, and tacos. Flavorful, inexpensive, and versatile.

I brought home my meat, mixed it with salt, pepper, onions, garlic, and parsley, sauteed it in a big skillet and served it over toasted, 12 grain french bread and melted some Italian Provolone on top. My version of a traditional hamburger. It was so satisfying and I am beginning to grow very fond of this foreign ingredient.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Lessons: Following the Recipe, or Not.

A family can teach you a lot about your self, your talents, your weaknesses, and they can reflect those deep spots within you that you choose not to share with anyone else. The family is a powerful unit, and for most of us it can dictate our moral compass and which direction our life will go.

I am happy to say that while my family has always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted, they never told me what to do. There was guidance, sure, and there were times where my mother told me "it" (whatever it may be) wasn't a great idea followed by my father nodding in agreement. But there was never the control that I see so much in families today. It is said that if you love someone you set them free. And the freedom I had growing up has given me the strength to trust myself, love myself, and follow my heart.

I've never been one to follow recipes (or the rules). And if I do, I use them as a guide. I always end up changing something. I think that says a lot about a person. It says they are willing and eager to pave their own way, that they are not afraid to go off course, try something new, make a mistake.

So even if you think your parents are clueless freaks, which I think we all are sometimes, trust that know matter how you were raised there is always something good to be found, that there is beauty in every mistake, and that there is nothing wrong with too much hot sauce in the soup!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Loving Legumes Like... LENTILS!

Don't you all love my alliteration in the title? Lot's of time here at the Concierge desk to be creative. The sun is out today so I have no one to come stare at me and complain they have nothing to do. That means recipe browsing, YouTube watching, and Facebook stalking. Oh yeah!

Anyway, tonight will be the second time this month I'll make an amazing pot of lentil soup. Why? Because it's super cheap, yummy, and satisfying. Even though it's summer, I still like a warm supper. Lunch is almost always a salad, so for dinner I need some sustenance, and protein. And guess what folks? Lentils have just as much protein as animal products and cost 89 cents a bag. You really can't beat that, can you?

So lentil soup has been made since the Bible days... and it's said the Ancient Greeks even made it. Talk about classic. A lot of Americans, I find, really haven't heard of it. For most Italian and Latin households (and in my kitchen), it is a staple.

You'll be surprised how good this simple dish really is.

You need to make this because you're gonna love it!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions, cubed
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups lentils - soaked, rinsed and drained
  • salt & pepper, you know enough to bring out the flavor
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 7 cups chicken stock, or veg stock
  • 1 packet of Sason can Azafran seasoning. (This seasoning will change your life, available everywhere in the ethnic food section.)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping.
Juice of a lemon or two, or you could use white wine, or vinegar. Anything acidic to balance it all out.

Directions

  1. In a large stockpot, saute the onions in oil until they are glossy. Stir in garlic, sason, celery, carrots, and saute for 10 minutes.
  2. Once the vegetables have sauteed for 10 minutes stir in chicken stock, lentils, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir well, then add the lemon juice and bring the mixture to a boil. Slowly reduce the heat and cook for 1 hour on low to medium heat; or until the lentils are tender.
  3. Sprinkle the soup with parsley and Parmesan (optional) before serving.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Pickling: A Summer Love Affair

Canning and pickling are organic processes that take patience and intention. During the summer when the days are longer, clearer, and there just seems to be more time, I have an urge to get down to the basics... to build layer upon layer and transform ingredients. During this time of year, especially in Florida, and all warm states for that matter, I tend to crave bright, briny, and fresh flavors. This craving is satisfied by but not limited to cilantro spiked salsa and crunchy dill pickles! Cold beer too, of course. Quite ironically, I was reading last months yoga journal and came across an entire section on pickling!

Now, I am going to be honest. I do not have the time to go pickling cucumbers and canning fresh orange marmalade but I promise by the end of this summer I will ditch Smucker's and Valasic and make some from scratch!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Coastal Cooking


Last week, I arrived in Destin, Florida to do my summer internship at the Emerald Grande Resort. As I drive over the bridge from Fort Walton Beach into Destin each morning and carefully peak my eyes just past the bridge railing through my car window, I find myself melting into the emerald green gulf.


After working and living here for a week, I am still on my way to finding what people eat in a town surrounded by lush coastline. Let's consider the area: Northwest Florida. A very southern vibe, a deep sense of comfort and hospitality... and of course SEAFOOD.


I've noticed the comfortable and casual feel of all the restaurants here. Always live music, outside decks, and friendly faces. Very unpretentious and I love it. I haven't really been in the mood to cook. The atmosphere here is so laid back that all of us kind of just go with the flow and often times we are so busy working or beaching it that we don't even think about food.. which is certainly new for me!

Write soon...




Wednesday, April 13, 2011

America! America?

As I ponder the title of Martha Stuart’s magazine, I find it quite ironic. Simplicity is something we rarely encounter these days. Maybe that is why we need a magazine like this in the first place. Instead of skipping towards my favorite section: “Five Easy Dinners,” I flip through the pages and investigate the things that the writers are trying to make simpler for us. Among the colorful pages adorned with advertisements, I find articles entitled, “How to Save Smarter.” and “How to Stop Procrastinating.” And while these topics can be useful, I notice that they are written in response to a future oriented accomplishment: saving for the future and postponing tasks for the future. It can only indicate that we rarely do anything to dedicate ourselves to the present moment which, in reality, is all we have. As I spend the weekend with my cousins at their beach house, I can’t decide if the maintenance of a vacation home out weighs the supposed relaxation benefits. When my cousin commented that he wanted to trade his home in for something a little bigger and closer to the water, I couldn’t help but think to myself, Well, that is sure not a way to save smarter... And then I ask myself, what about the house you already have? Can you take a moment to enjoy the blessing of even having a vacation home in the first place? The fact that we and, I include myself in this, always want more, explains the reason we need articles in this particular vain. So we are conflicted. Because on the one hand we want so badly to achieve The American Dream... Homes, cars, clothes, money, but on the other hand we are killing ourselves to get it. I am not condemning my cousin or anyone for that matter. It is really more of a compassionate curiosity of why “the next thing” always matters more than “this thing, here, now.” I am also not scoffing at luxurious homes and gorgeous clothes but as I am in the midst of my formative years, I believe I must question the values of those who came before me. I must ask what really matters the most and is the American Dream really just that... A dream?


The same thing goes for food. We are so quick to turn to process meats, bread, and substitutes for the real thing, i.e. Splenda and Smart Balance (quite an ironic name, huh?). Is a tablespoon of sugar in our coffee and a pat of butter on our toast really going to kill us? Give us heart disease or Diabetes? Coming from a mother and grandmother who have never used the substitute but have always eaten in moderation, I am going to say no. We no longer eat to sustain ourselves but rather we want to be as thin as possible as quick as possible. I am happy to say, I do not include myself in this category any more but as a woman with a former “weight problem,” I know what it is like to dream of being thin and the “life it promises.” I have also found that thinness really doesn’t promise anything lasting or deep. The failure of this promise had led to a miraculous discovery of a self worth that goes deeper than any amount of weight loss. So I ask you and myself daily... what do you really, really want? As John Tarrant once said, “All wanting--for love, to be seen for who we are, for a new red car (or beach house or Rolex, or to lose 10 pounds)--is wanting to find and be taken into the mysterious depth of things.” I am sorry to say that the depth we seek cannot be grabbed with bare hands, cannot be taken and hidden or locked up or saved or lost. It can only be experienced and felt. But isn’t that so much better?

Saturday, March 19, 2011

What a Girl Wants

As I sit down on the couch and dive into a new memoir entitled "The Art of Eating In," I ponder the idea of the quarter-life crisis. As a 22 year old nearing her "quarter life" I can't help but have millions of questions about what I really want and what makes me truly happy. Even more confusing is the fact that lots of things make me happy and the art of exploration itself and the freshness of new adventures continues to add more and more things to that list. How can a woman be expected to rank from 1 to 10 the things that she enjoys the most? I want it all perfuming my existence at regular intervals, please!

There are many different directions in which I could go. Graduate school, cooking school, or working in the hospitality industry. Staying in Tallahassee or moving home... or moving to New York... or taking an internship in Scotland. Do I want the beauty of space and greenery or the fast-paced totally mod city life? All of these hypothetical possibilities are, in the least, slightly overwhelming, and, I guess all I can say is I'd like to experience it all. And though sure, it is about choices, it is more about experience, and what ever experience you have it is yours and only yours. To me that is perfection in itself.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Gimme Pizza!


It is Springtime (in Florida at least) and I couldn't be more excited! After a long winter, I am definitely ready for breezy, blue skies and steady 70 degree weather. Springtime also means lots of new veggies to enjoy... beautiful green ones in fact! Including the triple A- artichoke, arugula, and asparagus! Yum. This week asparagus were only 2 dollars per pound at Publix! Definitely a steal. A tip for buying veggies and fruit... if they are on sale, they are usually in season!


Anyway, as I was pondering ways to use my left over garlicky sauteed asparagus, my mother called and stole me from my kitchen nirvana. I brought the dilemma up to my mother and naturally she had an answer right away! "Honey, just throw it on a pizza with olive oil and parm!" Perfect, I thought.


Most super markets sell there pizza dough fresh in a bag by the bakery. I bought a big, doughy, ball and headed home to make my highly anticipated pie.

I started by sauteing fresh spinach in a pan with garlic, olive oil, and salt. You can use arugula too, but my spinach was on its last leg and I didn't want to waste it! Don't be shy with the spinach... it will wilt to almost nothing! Place the spinach mixture aside and use the same technique with the onions. I cut mine into rings for long, luscious, caramelized strings. Saute until desired tenderness with salt and a little olive oil.

Grease a pizza pan, or any baking dish you have and place the dough inside. Press outward from the center with your fingertips until the dough reaches the edges of the pan. This will take a little effort but it will get there! Brush the top with olive oil, layer the onions, asparagus, and spinach, and douse that baby with some good Parmesan cheese! Stick her in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400 and dinner is served!


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Soup for the Soul

Flu season is here folks and let me just tell you... I've been hit. I'll spare you the graphic details, however, I will say that when you combine a whole mess of gray, rainy, cold days with flu symptoms all you really want to do is curl up on the couch and drink hot things. I've had my fair share this week including lots of hot tea, oh, and did I mention way too many Ricola?

With my symptoms still not at bay and the doctor not taking anymore appointments this week I am left to the good old fashion chicken soup cure. The problem is... I hate chicken soup. Yes I said it... the tried and true American classic honestly tastes like sink water. Can I have some Split Pea Soup please... or what about Spanish Bean? Tomato? Anyone? Oh, and can I get a grilled cheese with that.

I have a bag of split peas at home and I am contemplating making a hearty soup in the slow cooker with cubed ham, carrots etc. Here is a really classic recipe for you!

  • 1 (16 oz.) pkg. dried green split peas, rinsed
  • 2 cups diced ham
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
  • 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tbsp. seasoned salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
  • 1 1/2 qts. hot water
Layer it up in the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours!

I love my food with a kick so I always add a little Red Pepper Flakes inside... and of course... some Parmesan cheese on top!