Cucumber + Pomegranate Salad: Light, Refreshing, Delicious!

Hey there. So busy plugging away at my work but here is an absolutely delicious and light recipe that utilizes the super pomegranate. Subtle flavors combine to make for one seriously delicious bite! It's crunch-tastic! (AKA so good I need to invent new words to describe it.)

Cucumber and Pomegranate Salad in a Lemon Vinaigrette

(Serves 3-4 easily)

Ingredients

2 English Cucumbers - peeled, de-seeded and cubed

1 Pomegranate (will use juice + seeds)

1 Shallot (chopped)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or enough to cover shallots in a dish)

1 lemon (will use rind + juice)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine cucumber and pomegranate seeds in a bowl. Mix to combine.

2. In a separate bowl place chopped shallots and cover with white wine vinegar. Allow to soak up to ten minutes or until the skins of the shallots turns a rosy pink.

3. In another bowl place the rind of one lemon (about 1 teaspoon) plus the juice of one lemon. Use 1 teaspoon (about) of the juice from the pomegranate (trust me there will be more than that, especially if your pom's nice and ripe!)

4. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil

5. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to your liking.)

6. Add in soaked shallots with a spoon (you want to get a bit of that vinegar-soaked liquid in with the shallots.)

7. Mix this Lemon dressing until even.

8. Add lemon dressing to pomegranate/cucumber bowl and stir to combine.

9. Serve and enjoy!

Chefs Notes: Do not add pepper to this dish for seasoning, the flavor is too abrasive for the subtleness of the salad. Also, don't you love how produce-friendly this recipe is, using the rind and juice of the lemon and seeds and juice of the pomegranate as main components of the salad!

Ok, well that is all, I do hope you try this one, I had it for dinner and I am obsessed!

As always let me know in the comments section your thoughts on the O.Eats recipe!

Xo

Cookie Recipes: Variations on A Theme

Well hallo there. Pressed for time, tissue box in hand. Yes, I am still suffering from the same cold that has plagued me all week, and still have a colossal amount of writing to get done, (25 pages left to write tonight...) so my blog posts are unfortunately going to be far and few between. But alas! This post is going to be EPIC... mostly for its versatility, partly for the inherent impress-factor, (I guarantee you will be more popular than you can imagine if you arrive with these babies at your next dinner party... or deliver them hand-wrapped to your significant other or Valentines Day date *cough cough*) So here we go, let's dive right in....

Below you will find my recipe-tested, friend-approved, all around delicious recipe for the best cookie dough EVER (to put it humbly.) It's simple and you have all these ingredients (or most) already in your kitchen. So here it is in nine simple steps for your cooking convenience...

Cookie Dough

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons baking soda

1.5 teaspoons salt

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup cane sugar

1.5 cups light brown sugar

3 eggs

1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions (you'll need four bowls for this recipe - two large two small)

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl #1

2. In small bowl #1 melt 2 sticks of butter (if you want you can melt the butter over the stone, in which case you'd need a pot and not a small bowl, but I digress...)

3. Transfer butter to large bowl #2

4. Add brown and cane sugar to large bowl #2 and whisk mixture together on medium-high speed with beater until it turns a light brown (don't worry if it's not too light brown, just make sure all ingredients are mixed well)

5. Add 1 egg. Mix until combined

6. Add 2nd egg. Mix until combined

7. In small bowl #2 crack third egg. Lightly beat with fork. Add 3/4 of a teaspoon to bowl #2 (sugar/butter/egg mixture.) Mix in thoroughly

8. Add vanilla extract. Mix in thoroughly

9. Add in flour/baking soda/salt mixture in PARTS (otherwise you will have TRES TRES mess!) until dough forms...

NOW! At this point you can add chocolate chips (about 1-2 cups or whatever amount you so desire...) and cook those babies up on 375 for 7-10 minutes BUT.... you could also use your imagination and add anything you want to this dough to make... (as I have with varying degrees of success...)

-Pecan cookies

-Date cookies (chopped and added in)

-Peanut butter cookies (add a few tablespoons to dough)

-Banana cookies (OR peanut butter AND banana cookies!)

-Pine nut cookies

-Raspberry cookies (added 2 tablespoons raspberry jam to dough) along with some fresh smooshed raspberries

-Smores cookies

-Substitute 1.5 cups of the flour for crumbled graham crackers

-Add chocolate chips + marshmallows to dough

-Apple cinnamon cookies (I cooked down the apples first then added 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg to dough when adding in vanilla extract)

See? In one recipe I have now provided you with an absolutely infinite number of possibilities! I could potentially never post again and have fulfilled my recipe quota for the year (I keed, I keed... but really, there's no end to where you can take this delish dough...)

Anyhoo, it's back to the grind and writing for me....

Let me know in the comments section if you decide to try out any of my (or your own!) variations for this dough!

Xo

Mushrooms in a Lemon + Mustard Vinaigrette: An Accidental Recipe

Well I started out with some beautiful shitake mushrooms, and after requesting some lovely recipes from my twitter friends, (@ChefFrankyG provided me with some great tips,) I realized that I didn't have the resources or ingredients to make the recipe I wanted to and couldn't acquire said resources or ingredients because of this dang freezing cold snow! So what did I do? I rummaged through my pantry and refrigerator and decided to conduct the Great Mushroom Experiment of 2011 (titled for posterity and ridiculous emphasis,) and you know WHAT? They came out delicious! Go figure! So of course I had to share the recipe with my legion of fellow foodies and friends, and now, my accidental mushroom success is available for duplication in your very own kitchen!

Mushrooms in a Lemon and Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the Mushrooms....

1 bag of mushrooms (I had shitakes but your favorite kind would work just as well)

1/3 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 garlic clove (mashed)

Salt and Pepper

For the Vinaigrette....

1 lemon

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Salt (to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Handful of chopped parsley (for garnish on top)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Wash mushrooms thoroughly (with a mushroom brush, do NOT submerge mushrooms under water, there's already plenty of water inside mushrooms and submerging them will take all flavor out of them and make for an entirely yuck-inducing dish!)

3. Slice mushrooms lengthwise and THIN (the thinner they are the crunchier they will become when roasted, so if you like your mushrooms with some crunch, think thin thin thin!)

4. Place mushrooms on ungreased baking sheet

5. In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, mashed garlic clove. Whisk until well combined,

6. Pour this mixture over the mushrooms and toss them on the baking sheet until each mushroom is well coated in the "roasting juice."

7. Roast mushrooms for 15 minutes. And while they're roasting.... let's get toasting on the vinaigrette...

8. In a bowl combine the zest and juice of 1 lemon with 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, salt to taste (but try to under-season the vinaigrette because we are going to salt those mushrooms that are now roasting happily in your oven...)

9. DING! 15 minutes up? Take mushrooms out of oven and season with salt and pepper. Transfer mushrooms to serving bowl and drizzle vinaigrette over the mushrooms. Toss to coat in vinaigrette. Take about 1 handful of chopped parsley and mix it into the mushroom bowl. (Save about 1-2 tablespoons to use on top as garnish.) Top with a bit more parsley and enjoy! Accidentally delicious.

This was a great find for me as a burgeoning veg, the mushrooms when roasted take on an almost meaty quality and I found them entirely satisfying as a meal but feel free to incorporate this dish as a side for your dinner or even as a healthy (and yummy!) snack.

Until tomorrow,

Xo

Tasting Menu

Had a lovely week vacation in Florida visiting my Grandma and am back in New York and back to the cold and back to the grind. BUT before I get back to the recipe posts tomorrow here's my last hint to preserve your now seemingly faraway New Year's resolutions.

TASTE.

This tip was inspired by a quote from Bethanny (from the Real Housewives of New York, yes I know, but wait for it....) in a magazine I was perusing at the airport:

"Taste everything, finish nothing."

Now while I am aware of the severe food disorder implications of this sentiment, I do think she has the seedling of an amazing point. There is nothing too rich that one bite will throw off your entire diet plan, (even a bite of oozing molten chocolate cake,) and really, the second bite is going to taste exactly like the first (I promise!) so why not try everything but finish only that which will preserve your diet and not harm it? As a foodie, I love this rule because I get to taste any and all of the subtle flavors contained in a dish without derailing my diet plans. Further, I think knowing you only have one bite to get to the essence of how something tastes will not only force you to intensely concentrate on the flavors contained in the food thing, but also to hone your palate to discern flavor profiles with very little evidentiary support.

So go ahead, try that dessert, have a spoonful of that creamy pasta, break off a small bite of that gooey chocolate chip cookie... process what it tastes like, roll the food around your mouth, taste the lingering flavors with your tongue, swallow knowingly then STOP. I promise it will taste like that again if you decide to have a second go at it. So just don't! No guilt, just (in the words of the great Alton Brown) plain old good eats.

All Hail KALE! Kale Chips, Side Dishes...

This winter season, it seems like Kale is really the "it" vegetable to be cooked, popping up on food network recipes and in cookbooks alike. Personally, I love the nutrient-rich stuff and below will provide you with two easy recipes so you can get on the kale train... or the kale pail? Oh, just let me get on with the recipes...

Kale Salad

Ingredients

Handful of nuts of choice (pistachios, walnuts, cashews all work) - toasted + chopped

1 bunch Kale

1 tablespoon fresh ginger - chopped fine

3 cloves garlic - chopped fine

1/2 cup oil

Salt and pepper to taste

About 3 cups water (for boiling)

Directions

1. Cut the Kale width-wise into strips, being careful to cut around the center-most white vein (it's too bitter to eat) and place these strips in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Strain water and set aside.

2. In a medium sized saute pan heat up about 1/4 cup of oil with garlic and ginger bits until you can smell the aromas of each.

3. Add in Kale and cook until softened and the kale has turned dark green in color.

4. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper, topping with toasted nuts of choice.

Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 bunch Kale

Healthy amount of olive oil

Salt and Pepper as desired

Paprika (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Cut Kale into 1-inch thick pieces, being careful to exclude the center-most white vein (it's bitter.)

3. Place pieces on baking sheet and toss with olive oil, (enough so each piece is well coated but not too much so that globs of oil drip around the bottom of the sheet.)

4. Arrange pieces so that none touch each other and all are spread out on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and spice of choice (I like to add paprika but it is optional.)

5. Cook about 7-10 minutes or until the "chips" have browned.

Well, that's my Kale Tale. Hope you enjoy!

Small Changes, Big Results

Last brief posting as today marks the END of what has been a months-long process applying to graduate school programs. So here it is, my list of the small changes I vow to make in the new year, (and when better way to mark those changes than at the approach of the completion of the first full week of 2011!) .........

10 Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

1. Drink Green Tea every day

-going for unsweetened, attempting with just Stevia

2. Don't eat past 9pm

-it's bad for your digestion and is a known metabolism messer-upper

3. Keep portion sizes reasonable & relatively SMALL

4. Eat less processed foods

5. Eat more fruits and vegetables

6. Focus on natural flavor over over-seasoning

-raw is real!

7. Eat slowly, eat thoughtfully

-Chew! Taste!

8. Wrap more things in lettuce

-Butter lettuce > 200 calories of flour wrapping [TRUTH!]

9. Don't be influenced by your friends' 3am Pizza cravings.

10. Drink more water!

Have any to add?

With mucho love,

oX

Small but Steady: A Transformative Theory

Please excuse the brevity of today's post, I am taking a graduate exam tomorrow morning and I am pressed for time, but, as promised, I will not neglect my dear blog readers! The main thrust of my posting today is inspired by my own (so far seven-day-long) sojourn to a healthier, better version of the me I was in 2010 and the speed bumps I am already experiencing along the way. (Stupidly) I have been weighing myself each morning and was more than a little shocked to discover that I have steadily gained back the 2 pounds I had lost over the course of the past few days. But alas! I resolve to never wade in the mental muck of numbers and instead trudge on towards my 2011 resolution, knowing that my present weight is not a reflection of poor choices but rather of a sloooooow process that I need to be patient with. Trust me, I am doing all I can, eating superbly (if I do say so myself,) and exercising regularly and with full vigor, so I know that I will get there and am doing all I possibly can, just as assuredly as I know that YOU will get there too, you just need the ability to ride out the minor setbacks with calm and cool and the endurance to last you until 2012, when you will be so happy that the changes you set out to conquer--a year-long in the making--are finally, brilliantly, spectacularly realized. I guess this is my little pump-up post to say that I believe I can do it, but more importantly I believe you can do it, so let's get this done together and make 2011 the year of transformation, positive resolution and personal growth.

Okie. And so ends my little inspirational rant. I promise, after tomorrow, back to good recipes and great food!

Xo

As an additional note: Perhaps it is because I am currently studying for a test in which my writing abilities and grammatical know-how will be vigorously tested, but reading the egregious errors in syntax, grammar and word choice committed by some bloggers makes me feel very sad for the future trajectory of the english language. Now don't get me wrong, most blogs I read, (and every blog I follow) are well written and full of lively figurative language, but every once in a while I come across a blog, (and usually a popular blog,) that is so satiated with errors it is almost painful to read. Is it too pretentious of me to hope that blogs become a sphere for creative self-expression, personal knowledge distribution and the striking up of unseemly but productive blogging accords and not the cyber location wherein traditional structure, style and usage of the english language go to die? No? Yes? Oh I've gone too far haven't I. Scratch that last bit! Carry on blogging buddies, carry on....

Myth No More: Foods that Taste Good and are Good For You

Woody Allen once said, "in order to live a long life, you have to give up everything that wants to make you live a long life."

Today, in this what-will-surely-be-a-supremely-epic blog posting, we will debunk this myth with ten foods that are not only healthy but also taste delicious with the right preparation. Of course there are more than ten, but I leave that to you, my faithful reader, to add in the comments section those foods which both delight your palate and your body which have been so gravely omitted from my humble list below...

My List:

1. Sweet Potato - made into fries, boiled, roasted, there really is no wrong way to cook a simple sweet potato (most preparations require nothing more than washing off the skin.) It can be eaten as a snack, as an appetizer, or even used as a crust on fish... however you devour it, there is no doubt that this potato is well... sweet!

2. Mr. Avocado (Robato?) - ok, ok so this one is controversial but seriously, avocado is delicious! I love that you peel the thick skin off a ripe Haas avocado and eat it without having to add a thing and it will be a filling, healthy snack. Yes it's fatty, but it's the good kind of fat (not the Krispy Kreme donut kind...) that enriches your muscles and contributes to your overall health....

3. Greek Yogurt - fine, I'll admit it, this one may take a leeeetle bit of tweaking to be edible, (unless you love all things sour, then by all means, enjoy plain!) but with a splash of honey, maple syrup or cinnamon, this creamy, soft yogurt deliciousness becomes a delicious treat that can double as either a snack or a meal! (Also, makes for great post-hangover eats, and that one I can tell you from first hand experience...)

4. Balsamic Vinegar - again, requires a bit of help to reach full yum-potential but there is nothing quite as luscious as pouring a cup of balsamic vinegar in a pot, adding a dash of cane sugar or honey, (and just a dash is okay folks!) and letting the brown liquid reduce to syrupy goodness... a perfect topping to those boring vegetables that without its sweet, sweet assistance would arguably only serve to reinforce Woody Allen's original idea...

5. Fresh Basil - there is nothing quite like the smell of fresh basil. Chopped, whole with a juicy red tomato, or made into pesto (try my own pesto recipe here: http://oeats.blogspot.com/2010/07/not-so-pesky-pesto-recipe.html ) it is undeniably one green that is neither gross nor gruesome.

6. Whole Wheats - Honestly, have you ever tried fresh bread baked from whole grains and wheats? Do it and you'll never want that bland white stuff ever again... (to me, white bread is the Voldemort of complex carbohydrates, that-which-will-not-be-named on this blog!)

7. Dark, Dark Chocolate (I'm talking 75% and over here people....) Yes, it's fatty, yes it's one of the evils of the food world for any and all trying to diet or maintain their weight, but a small piece of dark chocolate is choc-full (ha! I make a funny!) of anti-oxidants and a satisfying, complex snack or ending to any meal. Once you start eating it, tasting the entwining of cocoa and sugars on your tongue, understanding the love and care that went into the harvesting and molding of the deep, rich chocolate and you'll never want a plain old Milky Way or all-too-sugary Kit Kat bar again...

8. Medjool Dates - These things are like nature's answer to taffy. Intensely sweet, gooey, chewy and still technically in a discernible food group, (try classifying that Big Mac and you know what I mean...) medjool dates are truly a not-so-guilty guilty pleasure for all to enjoy.

9. Fresh Mangos- Bite into a fresh mango and tell me you'd rather eat a sugar-loaded piece of cake instead... I dare ya....

10. Butternut Squash - roasted, toasted... boasted? However you cook it, (and may I humbly suggest as a butternut squash soup a la my recipe found here: http://oeats.blogspot.com/2010/09/butternut-squash-soup-recipe-welcome-to.html ) it almost tastes like something you shouldn't eat. It's sweet--decadently so even--and has a comforting, smooth texture that makes for a great snack or addition to any meal. Delish I tell ya, simply delish!

Now of course you could also make a top ten list that goes something like this:

1. Dunkin Donuts (any and all flavors)

2. Butter croissants

3. Dorito Ranch Chips

4. McDonald's French Fries

5. Extra cheese pizza

6. Movie butter popcorn

7. Oozing Chocolate Souffle Cake

8. Chicken Pad Thai

9. Plain bagel with butter or cream cheese

10. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dynamo Ice Cream

But if you attempted to eat all items on this list in a day.... well... I don't want to discuss what would happen, (or be ejected for that matter...) whereas eating everything on the former list would actually be a full day's worth of healthful edibles. And you know what? The freshness and nutrition adds a level of enjoyment to those top ten that the bottom ten lack. Now, looking over that"junk food" list, it seems somehow empty, devoid of natural vivaciousness and life, unappealing even. So tell me, have anything to add??

Xo

In A Rush? Don't Skimp on Nutrition!

Isn't there something oddly creepy about this picture? Who actually enjoys slaving away in a kitchen? Or better question: who has the time? I have to admit, this post was inspired by an episode of "Everyday Italian" where Giada explains how a quick and easy meal is always a better option than anything you can squirt or splatter out of a can. Now, I've been a fan of this philosophy for years, but I think having a celebrity chef articulate it just solidified exactly what my point of view on the issue is. So here's the bottom line: Everyone has those days, heck some people have them every day, when you just don't have time to get anything done, (but everyone wants/expects you to be able to do it ALL...yes I'm looking at all you gorgeous working moms and inspiring career people...) and so you open up the can of tuna, splash in some mayo, or take out some soup from the can, add hot water to some Ramen noodles and call it a day. BUT.... have you ever stopped to think that with a well-stocked (but equally cost-effective) pantry, you can use that same time that it took to heat up the soup, (let's say ten minutes,) to whip up a fresh, healthier, significantly less preservatives-ridden meal? Well, stop and think about it now, then!

Here, check this out:

1 frozen pizza might cost you $7? $8 if it's organic? But stocking your pantry with frozen chicken, (often $5.99 for a breast,) or some peppers and mushrooms, (significantly less than $8, even if you buy both,) and using garlic and spices you already should have in any well-equipped kitchen, you have yourself the makings of a delicious, fast meal. Don't believe me? Here, try this recipe and discover for yourself....

A QUICK [insert protein or hearty vegetable here] Dinner!

Ingredients (roughly)

1 protein or hearty vegetable

All purpose flour

Some cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

Garlic cloves

1 shallot or 1 onion (or not if you don't have it... garlic alone will suffice...)

Onion powder

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Chicken or Vegetable Stock (or even leftover consume soup from last night...)

That wine your 3rd cousin gave you that you're not sure what to do with

Directions

1. If you are using a protein: Place some flour in a bowl, add cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, onion powder or whatever spices you have on hand to add flavor to your protein. Dredge protein in this flour mixture.

1. If you are using a protein: skip the flour step.

2. Slice a shallot and chop a few cloves of garlic and add to skillet with olive oil until you smell the garlic-y, shallot-y (yes we're making up words here people, this recipe is THAT cutting edge...) aromatics

3. Place in protein or vegetable and allow to cook on both sides (VERY important if this is a protein,) and then add about 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock and then an equal amount of wine, (make sure that the flame is off when you add the wine or you could have a fire on your hands which is definitely not time or cost saving....)

4. Allow sauce to reduce to 1/3 amount (or until it reaches your desired consistency, this should take about the same amount of time it would take for a canned soup to get hot in a pot...)

5. EAT! Now wasn't that simple and way better than probably-seven-year-old-tomato glop or hard-turned-soft-with-hot-water (gross the more you think about it) noodles? Yep. I though so. Now stop reading this and go cook, you could've had an entire chicken dish prepared by now! (Plus, as an added bonus, don't mention how quick and easy the recipe was to your meal enjoy-ees and you will win serious bonus points for being an all around kitchen superstar.... Ah and wait! Added bonus #2, when the flavors are allowed to blend together overnight, it will taste even more delicious the next day!)

Much love,

Xo

PS As always, your lovely feedback is deeply encouraged :)

Warm Beet and Carrot Salad: A January Snack

This salad is the perfect side dish or main meal to get you through those cold winter nights. Filling, light, diet-friendly and filled with nutrients, I dare you not to try this too-easy-to-be-true recipe!

Ingredients

4 medium-sized Beets - peeled, roasted, cubed

3 carrots - peeled with a carrot peeler then chopped into fine pieces

1 shallot -rough chopped

1/4 cup vinegar

1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dried thyme

optional: 2 tablespoons of goat cheese

Directions

1. Place cubed beets and carrot pieces in a bowl, (to make the carrot pieces peel a carrot until there is no carrot left then chop those strips up finely.)

2. In a separate bowl, place shallots and vinegar. Allow to soak 10-15 minutes until shallots turn a rose-pink color. Drain shallots and place in another bowl.

3. In the "shallot bowl," add zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp dried thyme, salt and pepper to taste, dijon mustard. Strain in 1/4 cup olive oil and whisk until combined.

4. Pour this sauce over beets and carrots and place in warm oven or microwave until warmed, (unless beets are still warm from oven then obviously this step is extemporaneous.)

5 OPTIONAL. Top with goat cheese

Enjoy :)

And that has been your daily serving of Oeats!

Xo

The Diata Data

Inspired by Alton Brown's admission that he lost weight on a "diata" rather than a diet, (diata is Greek for 'way of life,') I have decided to change my own way of living and eating in this brand spankin' new year. So far, three days in and I'm going strong. I've been documenting my daily food intake over at everydayhealth.com (they have a great free registration to track your meals and weight loss progress.) For instance, here is what I logged in for today: (by all means if this bores you scroll down! Scroll down!)

Breakfast:

Butter - 1 piece (36 cals)

3 Eggs (216 cals)

Lunch:

2 cucumbers (24 cals)

2 tomatoes (44 cals)

Split Pea Soup (166 cals)

1 Sour pickle (3 cals)

Snack:

1 glass whole milk (149 cals)

1 Kiwi (46 cals)

Cashew Nuts (157 cals)

Dinner:

1 Sweet potato (86 cals)

Sea Scallops (96 cals)

Exercise:

Walking - light (-98 cals)

Spinning (-490 cals)

Etc. Etc. Somehow the act of knowing you need to write down everything you've eaten discourages the occasional cheat that would turn into the everyday cheat that would turn into the extra pounds I am currently trying to shake off.... highly recommended for anyone on a post-holidays diet plan!

Anyway, no recipe for today, just wanted to check in with all my bloggie buddies and let you know that I am going to be MUCH more active on this thing in 2011. Recipe coming this week, I promise!

Xo

An Oldie, Possibly a Goodie

I found this old blog entry from February 2010 whilst perusing my wordpress accounts. So why not post it? Yes, post it I shall....

Contemplation, Confidence, Careers, and Culinary Catastrophes

The snow was relentless in New York on Tuesday night, and continued to fall from shadowy grey skies well into the late afternoon. It’s been an odd week for me leading up to my birthday on Sunday (nobody cares that it is my birthday so of this event I’ll cease discussion now…) full of heavy contemplation that I will not bore you with at the present time. So much for the first “C” in my unnecessarily alliterative title above.

As for confidence, here is what I have to say: At a party on Friday night, I decided to experiment with my personality. Because of unforeseen circumstances, I haven’t been in the best of moods lately and I decided that on this particular night I would use my acting chops and fake some confidence, just to see if it would provide for a more entertaining night. While vibrantly chatting with the mid-town partygoers, I met someone who, long story short, felt comfortable enough with me to ask if I would like to have dinner with him on Sunday night for Valentines Day. It was, to be sure, a novel first date idea, so I (confidently!) agreed. What ensued that Sunday was a lavish, $65-per-person prixe-fixed menu filled with northern italian delights: decadent lobster, heavenly buffalo carpaccio, and pillow-soft cheesy gnocchi all topped off by a tower of oozing chocolate sauce draped over a perfectly puffed napoleon. My date ordered us a nice fruity wine to pair with our meal, and the conversation was fortunately as rich and satisfying as the cuisine itself. Though the jury is still out whether he’ll call for date number two, the entire experience made me realize just how far the phrase “fake it till you make it” can get you. Act like you’re having a good time, act like you’re someone people want to talk to and be around and soon enough they (and you) won’t know the difference between faux-confidence and the real thing.

Careers. Sorry, too soon.

Culinary Catastrophes: Well this one’s short and not so sweet – I always prepare fish (usually wild alaskan salmon) for dinner on Monday nights, experimenting with different spicy sauces to add flavor to the buttery texture of a well-cooked salmon filet. This week, as reflective of some other endeavors attempted recently, I failed miserably, in turn realizing once and for all that mixing miso paste, wasabi powder, minced garlic, orange juice and grade A vermont maple syrup will never make for a delicious sauce. And so it has been written, let it never be attempted again.

For now: Ciao.

New Beginnings

Time to start over for the new year. Time to wipe the slate clean and revel in the possibilities of what you can achieve, accomplish, how you can transform. For me this year is all about becoming someone I'm not. Make the changes you want to see in yourself. This year I made two resolutions:

1. Eat mindfully

2. Stop chasing love

The first one is pretty simple, we all have those days when you sit in front of the TV mindlessly eating, then rationalizing why you deserve to eat some more, or if you just eat those three cookies THEN go on a diet you'll be okay. I vow to stay resolute and to eat mindfully, like a food critic on Food Network, or an Iron Chef America judge. Food to me has a binary function. First, it is supposed to satisfy our body, give us energy. Then, it is also a source of enjoyment, of comfort, capable of churning up memories or being the stuff of creating new ones. Food can show your love, your devotion, food in this sense is an experience. So, combining both functions to me creates a philosophy for mindful eating. This means eating with a mind towards health, weight-management but allowing oneself the occasional indulgence but just enough to taste, not enough to stuff. It means chewing slowly, thinking about the flavor combinations, balance, ingredients, and adding a level of inquiry, analysis and intense enjoyment to the act of eating.

The 2nd resolution is self explanatory. They say you find something when you're not looking for it and I've spent far too long trying to actively search out love, carving my life around this expedition. This year, I'm doing me.

Also, am going to take care to be more active with postings and engaging my blogger/twitter community. It's part of what got me through the year and now, as a thank you, I want to give something back.

What are your resolutions for the new year? Any comments on how Organic Eats can improve in this new year? Is there a recipe/topic you'd like us to explore?