Omelet!

I made an omelet...that wasn't a sloppy mess!

Tiny victories.

Buying Steak at Target

I'm a little behind the curve on this one, but I finally got around to watching last year's documentary Food Inc. Here is a transcript of the text messages I sent my boyfriend as I watched the movie alone...

Me: Think I'm going to be vegetarian for awhile...this s**ts nasty.
Him: Please please no
Me: Then I'm only buying organic/free range meat. You should see this
Him: You'll be over it in a week

That was last Wednesday. Sunday I bought a conventional--and utterly gorgeous, might I add--london broil from the new grocery section at Target. Yup, I bought meat at Target.

I didn't even bat an eyelash. If I'd had the choice, I may have bought an organic steak. And that's what's so darn frustrating about this food dilemma: I know what food is best to eat, but sometimes that's just not what I buy. The main factor for me is always cost but convenience plays a big role too. I really don't want to imagine sad cattle standing up to their knees in their own manure getting fat on corn every time I consider buying a steak, and I didn't conjure this image on Sunday afternoon in the Target grocery aisle, but how do I remain aware without reminding myself of images such as these?

Consider this blog the honest thoughts of a foodie struggling to buy (the "buy" part is so important here because agricultural is big business) and eat what's best for herself, for other people too!, for small farmers and for environmental sustainability.

Indian Potato Pancakes


Potatoes are good. So is Indian food.

I made these quick and easy fried potato cakes twice last week. It's adapted from a recipe in Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites and garam masala is what makes them so special. I ate them plain and with mango chutney the first time, but after eating delicious homemade Indian food at my friend's birthday party, the second rendition of these potato cakes was screaming for an accompaniment a little more mirchi (spicy!). However, I didn't have any delicious Indian chutney, so my TJ salsa had to do. It was better than the chutney (too sweet), but it wasn't quite right either. Green chile provides the heat in both chutney and salsa, but the tomato base of the salsa didn't suit the garam masala flavor. Is tomato used in Indian food that much? I'm sure I wouldn't even have noticed the salsa's inadequacies if my palette hadn't been treated to the incredibly delicious birthday dinner of the night before.

My Indian friend just mentioned her plans to do a lot of cooking while we're on spring break in two weeks. Hopefully I can finagle some cooking lessons into those plans!

Chocolate Cake needs no occasion


I made chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting last Sunday. I didn't have an occasion, unless Sunday counts. I hate Sundays, especially lonely ones at the end of dull weekends, but what better way to throw a pity party than with chocolate cake?!

I used a recipe by the lovely Ina Garten from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I've wanted to make this for a long time since I love this cookbook so much. In an act of wisdom, I cut the buttercream frosting recipe in half because I know Ina loves her frosting, and as much as I do too, I also like my arteries to be clear. The recipe calls for a POUND of butter. That's on top of the 1/2 pound in the cake. The two sticks needed for a half recipe of frosting is not quite so heart-attack inducing.

I think this was the third or fourth layer cake I've ever made from scratch (but my childhood made me a pro at baking from cake mix), and I think I've found my new pastime. Something tells me my boyfriend, housemates, and coworkers won't mind my new interest. Also, cake really comes in handy when you don't hear your alarm go off and you wake up at the time that you should be walking in the door at work. Cake for Breakfast!

Eggplant Rolls stuffed with Cheese


I had leftover cheese from making the stuffed shells. It seemed a shame to throw it out, so I found a recipe for Eggplant Rolls and tweaked it to my specifications for an easy weeknight dinner.


Eggplant Rolls adapted from Epicurious

1-lb eggplant, sliced lengthwise, 1/4 inch thick

olive oil

mozzarella, shredded
feta, crumbled (I also used leftover ricotta/mozz mixture from stuffed shells)
basil
tomato sauce

Mix cheeses and basil together.

Spread olive oil on the eggplant slices on a broiling pan. Broil on low for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden. Turn eggplant slices and oil again. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes.


Pour some tomato sauce in the bottom of glass pyrex container.

When the eggplant is cool enough to touch, put some cheese mixture along the eggplant. Roll-up the eggplant and place seam-side down on top of the sauce.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to ooze out.
(The photo shows the rolls before baking.)


This was a very easy dish and re-heated very well for lunch. I know the adaptations I made to the recipe make it a lot less interesting/homemade. I'm sure making your own "spicy tomato sauce" would make it fabulous, as would goat cheese rather than feta, but this was so darn easy and felt like the perfect combination of healthy and indulgent...I mean, vegetables...stuffed with cheese?! I had more than one co-worker "ooo" and "ahh" over the sight of this plate coming out of the microwave. People envying your lunch is a pretty good sign, right?

Stuffed Shells


I made these for a potluck a few weeks back (and a second container for a dinner with friends the next night). They are really so easy, delicious (and vegetarian, which comes in handy). They might become my go-to party/potluck dish.

I started typing a recipe, but I honestly can't remember the proportions. I know I used (part skim) ricotta cheese, (whole milk) mozzarella, Parmesan, one egg, TJ tomato basil pasta sauce, and lots of basil in the cheese and in the dish with the sauce.

As I stuffed the shells, I had a really strong visual memory of my mom doing the same thing. I think it's because holding a floppy piece of pasta in your hand as your force a cheesy mixture into it is not something you see or do often. There's something very tactile about the task because even if you use a spoon (I did. My mom did.), the shell is still cradled in your palm, you probably need a thumb to hold it open, and there's bound to be cheese on your hands by the end.

Fun and simple to prepare. So delicious. Someday when I have my own freezer, I may stock it with frozen stuffed shells...my mom used to do that, too. Smart lady!

Renewed purpose...?

I really have been cooking. I'll prove it to you...soon.

"Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start..."

I've been using this song to remind my students how to factor numbers thoroughly, but it seems to be a little tune that is permeating my life in more ways than one recently. So I haven't blogged in awhile. And to be honest, I have been getting a little discouraged...

I had a wonderful chat with an old friend the other day who has been working on some food-related health issues and mentioned my old CSA provider, Arganica. I instantly felt pangs of guilt for having ever stopped being associated with the wonderfully innovative (and so local) organization.

I started (see the connection now?) this blog to document my time as a supporter of local agriculture via my subscription to a weekly produce delivery. When the season was over, Arganica morphed into a comprehensive one-stop shop for local food. I was in awe of their expansion efforts, and also unfortunately of the cost of membership. I waffled for a long time about becoming a member. I thought about a lot of things...It's too expensive. I want to support local farmers. I want to eat more whole foods. I want to cook more. I'll never eat it all.

It's too expensive.
This was the thought that kept coming to the surface. Back in October I did a cost analysis, and I put out some feelers to see if any housemates or neighbor friends wanted to split a membership, but in the long run, there wasn't much interest, and I was a commitment-phobe. Arganica even kept sending me weekly emails and left me voicemails asking if I wanted to become a member. I didn't find any of this the least bit pushy, but I continued to waver. A few weeks ago I realized I had stopped receiving the weekly emails...it made me a little sad.

Not only did that chat with my friend renew my interest in Arganica, but I also continue to have excruciating and unsatisfying trips to my local (conventional) grocery store, Giant. It's not the worst urban grocery store I've seen, not even close actually, but it's ridiculously crowded all the time. The other day (a typical weekday) I waited in line for 20 minutes. No exaggeration. I timed it! The deals aren't incredible, the produce I need is too frequently out of stock or on its way to compost (yellow kale, ick!), and I rarely enjoy shopping there. And I like grocery shopping! In theory, at least.

So I think I might give Arganica another try...maybe with a lower commitment, 3 month membership. I might even challenge myself to eliminate the grocery store altogether, or at least reduce the trips I have to make so that I'm making the most of my $25 minimum weekly order.

Stay tuned!