Broad Facts About Food
In the spirit of full disclosure, I am going to share some cold, hard facts about myself, my relationship with food and my longstanding obsession with all things edible.
Fact #1: I'm pretty sure I have that "unhealthy relationship with food" therapists and doctors are always referring to.
Fact #2: My husband definitely has that "unhealthy relationship" thing, and rarely gives a shit about it, which has now rubbed off on me thus making me a little fatter but, aside from that, pretty happy.
Fact #3: Most of my food posts will feature, highlight and laud this "unhealthy relationship" with occasional backsliding into vegetable eating, forays into low-carbing and probably not ever any exercise. Just so we can all be clear on where we stand, I am in a constant battle of wills with the self that loves to cook, the self that really shouldn't eat an entire dish of pasta but will because it's the best pasta she's ever made and the self that is just not ever going to get up at 6AM to go "running" no matter how many times she sets her alarm.
Fact #4: These selves all need to calm the fudge down so we can get to the good stuff...what we're eating tonight.
Two years ago I went from being my own boss to working crazy nightime hours at a cooking school here in Chicago. Gone are my days of leisurely lunches and day-long cooking marathons. These days, most meals have to be whipped up in less than an hour and make enough for my lunch the next day. Sometimes I've actually gone to the store and planned something, but most nights its a pantry and freezer challenge to create something delightful out of whatever is lingering in the kitchen. These are actually my favorite meals since I just love a kitchen challenge.
Some of my favorites include:
-Anything on Toast(avocado, cheese, chipped things)
-Chillaquiles, nachos and Chip Eggs (all variations on a chip, cheese and sauce theme)
-pastas (tuna, amatriciana and fancy mac & chesses)
-zoodles (zucchini noodles-for those fleeting moments when guilt gets the better of me and I feel the need to eat a vegetable but still want to pretend I'm eating pasta)
-meat balls (Italian, Thai, Turkish, Spanish, Beef, lamb, buffalo,chicken, turkey), homemade burgers(stuffed with cheese or olives or bacon or hot peppers)
-eggs (fried, scrambled, en cocotte, baked and on top of things)
-Stir frys (these include veggie stir Frys, Fried Rices, Potato Hashes and anything else that can be cooked in about 10 minutes in one pan)
Whatever your pantry, fridge or freezer holds, may it be an inspiration to today's breakfast, lunch or dinner!
