Food? Let's eat!

I like to cook and I like to eat. Don't think that because I'm a lifelong vegetarian (fin'n'feather, no mammels) that what I make is boring and/or tasteless. I came from a family of good cooks, paid attention as a kid, worked in a very good vegetarian restaurant in Ann Arbor in the 70's (thank you Jamie at Turtle Island), did time at a big name seafood place, Pizza Bob's too, and have cooked more meals for more people over the years than I can count. Free form, eclectic, healthy, and good for ya too.

Let's put it this way: my Mom spent a week Christmas 2007, a week 4th of July 2008, and 10 days Christmas/New Year's 2008 with us. I cooked a full blown thing all three times. Mom sat on the stool at the kitchen counter and watched her oldest son cook up some sh*t. It was great having her there. Things like a full on Thanksgiving meal. For the 4th of July. For a crowd. Because we have an unparalleled view of no less than 5 fireworks shows from our roof. Or a cocktail party on New Year's eve with a blown out birthday cake for a friend's Jan 2 b'day.

I can cook. Love to. And I'd like to share some of my experiences with food, recipies, cooking, and eating. It's nothing like what I've written for JetCityOrange over the years. It'll take awhile to get an portion of it up here. Set a bookmark. You won't be disappointed. Besides, you can always delete the bookmark.

So here we go...

Make it look good. Presentation counts. Why? Because you eat with your eyes first. What colors are on the plate? Do they mesh or clash? Is there good contrast?

Nouvelle comfort food. GOOD cheese in your homemade macaroni & cheese. A lime in the cavity of the next chicken you bake. Fresh basil and oregano in your pasta. One new and unique vegetable in your next salad.

Use your knife deliberately. Cut carefully, don't hack. Same size, same shape. Bite size pieces appropriate to the food and the utensils. Forks aren't chopsticks and chopsticks make poor spoons.

Shop a circuit, not just one store. Make it a point to visit different grocery stores. You'll be exposed to a wider selection and you'll bump into more sale items. Don't forget to include ethnic markets in your shopping tour. We're still a nation of immigrants. Eat like one!

Frequent green grocers and farmers markets. The fruits and vegetables are usually fresher, often cheaper, and offer a wider variety. When you find something new or an old favorite, buy it! You never know when you'll see it again.

Try exotic mushrooms in addition to the common button mushrooms (Agaricus): Chantrelles, Oyster, Shiitake, Enoki, Morels, and more. They're often sold loose so buy a couple mushrooms to start with. Try them sliced raw and sauteed in butter. Go back and buy more of the ones you like. Dry them for future use. Think soup stock, gravy, or one in the pot when you cook rice for flavor.

Buy a box of small freezer bags. Now when you find something on sale, eat half and freeze half for later. Saves time and money.

Fresh herbs are great. Buying a poultry mix or seafood mix costs the same as individual herbs. Separate each herb and dry separately. Think of the mixes as fresh herb samplers. Variety for the cost of one!

Shop local, especially when you travel. You'll find foods in other places you can get at home, especially local brands that don't enjoy a wide distribution. I look for opuntia syrup when I'm in NM or AZ. It's heavy and therefore expensive to ship but fits in a corner of my luggage. The East Coast in the winter? I look for Malomars. Seasonal and regional. Think of food as a souvenir.

Try to clone what you eat in restaurants. Remember the ingredients and the taste and try to mimic it in your own kitchen. Reverse engineer recipes. If nothing else, let eating out spark your culinary creativity and inspire what you cook at home even if it isn't an exact replica.

Squeeze fresh fruit into your orange juice. Try grapefruit, tangerine, or blood orange. Even that leftover half lime will perk up your morning glass. Or screwdriver.