Another Year

It's another year and a new time of history. We have a new president, we're closing in on our first decade of this brand new millenium, and I've past my first holiday season without my mother. I miss her very much, and her illness and death has a lot to do with why I've been quiet for so long. However, to talk about food and her memory is the best way to move on. So, to the talk...

I have been eating out a lot the last year. It seems I just haven't had the energy or time or desire to cook. So I'm finding that when I do cook, I put together some pretty good meals. The other week, when we had ice and snow, I had an order for chili (my other half, of course). So I took advantage of a sale on ground bison at the local Sprouts, and paired that with some lean ground pork, canned tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, diced onion and carrot, and garlic and some water and cooked it all down. It was some of the best chili I'd made. Then there was last night, when I decided to use some boneless, skinless chicken thighs for some Greek food. I marinated them in olive oil, garlic, and ground oregano. Then I put them in a hot pan, browned one side, then turned them, added sliced mushrooms and green olives and put a lid on it until they were cooked. Heat some pita bread and put some hummus on the plate and it's a meal worth waiting for!

Then there are the times when I just don't want to cook. I want that huge burrito from Chipotle, or to run up to my favorite cafe for brunch. It's more comforting to grab a bagel than make toast or have some instant oatmeal. Yes, I know it's not easier or healthier or anything else. But it's comforting to have someone else serve you; someone else cooks and cleans up and you eat and thank them and go on with your day. Furthermore, historically it's a tradition to have your meals fixed in a communal place rather than at home. In many parts of Asia, cooking fuel and room and food to cook are all at a premium. Thus, it is common to go to a centralized place and get your meal from one or more cooks. On a daily basis, there are open markets all over Europe that sell not only produce and meats and grains to serve at home, they offer many prepared meals that sustain the sellers and buyers.

I have learned, though, that no matter whether you cook for yourself or you rely on others to feed you, the most important thing is to be pleased with what you are eating. If you have a hot dog from a stand, make sure you want a hot dog; and if you don't like mustard and relish, put what you want on it. Don't settle for a mustard and relish hot dog when you wanted saurkraut and onion. If you want a hamburger, don't settle for that tasteless product of the fast food line when you can move down the road just another mile and put in for the fresher made, tastier burger. You might find you are paying more than that quick fast food burger, but when you pay for quality, you are never wasting your money.

So feed yourself well. Make that quick chicken pita with hummus and olives and mushrooms if you like. Throw together that omelette at 9pm when you're hungry. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine to go with it and have a piece of toast. If you aren't the French peasant type, bake up a biscuit or two, and pour some milk and feast away! If you find you're too hungry to wait, then stop by that Denny's or IHOP and have a couple biscuits with some southern sausage gravy or a quick omelette (though if you are trying to watch portions, I'd take a friend and ask for an extra plate!).