Tomorrow one of my skinny yoga teacher sisters is coming for dinner. (Yes, I’ve got two.) She’s not exactly a vegetarian – she eats a lot of fish, which is okay in the culinary curriculum of many vegetarians. (Fish being some sort of pseudo-animal, I guess, more related to an avocado than a pig.) There should be a new name for these types of eaters — quasitarians, maybe… or rationalitarians. She will also eat “small quantities” of meat. I’m not sure exactly where the line is on that one. I think I’ll play it safe and grill some whole sea bass, slice up some tuna crudo, make a couple pizzas. More
When I was in my early twenties, one of my favorite dishes to cook was Peking duck. Ambitious, yes, but I loved the ritual of it — getting a fresh duck, inflating the skin, dousing it in a honey/water mixture, then hanging it with a fan to dry for 24 hours.
I was always looking for the best place to hang the duck. Once, my mother came home and let out a gasp upon entering her kitchen and discovering a duck dangling from the light fixture.
When it comes to food, everyone’s got their own pet peeves. Maybe for you, it’s the way your spouse chews their food, or restaurants that serve Chinese food and sushi.
Here’s ten of my greatest food-related annoyances, in no particular order: More
Some of my friends have “man caves.” Converted garages, bonus rooms, dens, workout rooms and tool-sheds where wives and children tread lightly; places where an exasperated male can retreat to play a video game, take a hit of weed, read a magazine or god knows what else… (I’ve never actually been in one, so this is all just speculation.) More
Don’t eat apples from New Zealand in July (unless you live in New Zealand).
Give up “fast food” for “slow food”.
Eat with family or friends whenever possible. Talk a lot. Laugh. Linger.
Don’t text while you eat.
Drink a cup of green tea every day.
Get to know the farmers at your farmers market.
Eat more dark green and orange things.
Yoga is good, but it’s not the answer.
“Satisfied” is better than “full”.
Avoid diet beverages. Have a glass of water.
Mayonnaise will not kill you.
Chew slowly and mindfully.
Olive oil, olive oil, olive oil.
Choose heirloom vegetables over genetically modified crops.
If you must eat at Claim Jumper, Cheesecake Factory or Buca di Beppo, one entree will suffice for four people.
Calories are not your enemy. Bad habits are.
Carrots make a great snack.
Quinoa is good, but it’s not the answer.
Drink wine.
Remember that meat comes not from a styrofoam container in the market, but from an animal that was alive not that long ago. Honor that animal. And choose carefully.
Don’t diet. Change.
Try a new recipe at least once a week.
Eat what’s in season.
Take another walk. Stop frequently to smell flowers and look at birds.
Have many dinner parties.
Don’t trust Monsanto or ConAgra.
Read cookbooks just for fun.
You don’t want alcohol and caffeine in the same drink.
Bacon is allowed.
If you’re not hungry, don’t eat.
Don’t eat in front of the TV. Unless it’s football and you’re eating buffalo wings.
skinny girls & mayonnaise 