Fat and Crafty.com

Good Food
Dinner tonight was simple. But i think thats what made it stellar.

Sausages from Central Market , on sale last weekend when we shopped. Polenta with romano cheese, (recipe is shared below.)Steamed asparagus,  and Mushrooms sauteed. it was a simple dinner and  easy to make.   

Polenta has become my  new favorite "easy to make" item. Its taken a long time for me to find a recipe  that actually works, and the answer is that its the most simple recipe that works for me.  So here it is.

Polenta
1 part cornmeal
3-4 parts water
salt
butter
romano cheese

turn oven on to 400 degrees. Add 1 part polenta to 3 parts water for firm polneta, or 4 parts water for soft polenta in a greased oven proof casserole dish . Add some salt and butter.  Place  in oven.  cook until firm. Add romano cheese on top in small grated bits. Leave in oven 10 minutes more. Pull out, let cool 5 minutes then dish out.

The hardest part of the recipe?  The salt. i err on side of less salt, and usually have to add more at the table.

The Omnivores Dilemma
Micheal Pollan’s book has been in the news lately, and i caught an interview with him on NPR the other morning. I’m looking forward to getting a copy of the book and giving a read. From what I’ve read so far,  little is suprising. Proccessed food is worse for us then we thought, and just because its organic, it doesnt mean that its good. His description of "Organic food soaked in Diesel Fuel" was appropriate. As WalMart moves to organic,   you have to look at whats important  for you and figure out  what your intent is . Is eating organic from China better then eating non-organic from the Skagit Valley?   

And even when  you think you are buying locally could it be  that you are really buying food from a  major corporation. For example, my local "Cascadian Farms " is owned by  General Mills . if you’re trying to keep your dollar in the local economy it makes it that much harder. ( This article talking about the fossil fuels involved in breakfast is interesting as well Who would think my Skagit Valley berries would be grown in chile?)

I’m looking forward to getting a chance to read the full book, and discussing it with Aron.  He’s good for critical discussion on these sort of things.

Vegetarian thoughts

Of the past ten years i’ve been vegetarian for half. Right now I’m an omnivore. (or semi veg according to the guy in the Outback Commercials) Yet, I  have times where I think that I really should return to my vegetarian ways.  As i was dishing out tonights dinner I was reflecting on how easy it would be to  just not grab a sausage and have  a plate of polenta, mushrooms and aspargus.
I try to eat conciously and eating vegetarian is one of those things that keeps me concious.  I’m not even sure that i want to be vegetarian at this time .

I just want to be more concious and more careful about where  my food comes from. i have to balance it though, i’m not cooking for just myself. I’m cooking for  my family, and need to balance my interests and my tastes with my budget and their needs.  I’m contemplating to returning to vegetarianism though, and am aware that as i do more reading, and prepare for my time at Bastyr the more likely it is that I will become a vegetarian.

I’m a big tea drinker in the summer, and usually am pretty bad about keeping it brewed and in the fridge. I remember years ago that Celestial Seasonings released a "Cold Brew" tea for leaving in the fridge. Sure enough this weekend I found it on the shelf of the local Fred Meyer and came home with three boxes.

I’m weirdly fussy about my tea. I dont like it sweetened, unless I’m adding the sweetner at time of drinking, and then its half a pack of sweet and low, or splenda.  Unless I’m at starbucks, drinking their tea. Then its half black, half passion, half of the sweetener. I’m not a southerner mind you. I like my tea to taste like tea. (and chemicals apperently)

I dont do tea powders, unless its for hot chai, and even then its iffy. If its bottled, unsweetened is best, then lemon with sweetener. My most recent favorite is Liptons green tea with citrus, sugar free. (splenda loaded) It’s a hard find though. Other favorites are Honest T’s Mint. The new Yerba Mate tea is interest

So I sit here with a glass of water in a spiffy starbucks soda fountain tumbler, about 16 ounces? maybe its 20. I’ve got two bags of blueberry cold brew tean and I’m wonder what the magic is that makes the tea brew in cold water.  Is the tea smaller then dust in the tea bags? Is it the tea bags? Is it just instant tea in the tea bags and its fooling me into thinking its real tea?

I’m curious. Am I fooling myself into thinking I’m drinking something better then the instant mix with water tea? Bottom line if it comes down to taste, this tastes better. Isnt that what is important? 

But I still want to know, what makes this tea so magical?

With my Kitchen aid in need of repair I’ve gone back to buying bread. I’m disappointed, because for me it was easy and affordable and seemed pretty well recieved, even though the bread was inconsistent.
I’m weighing my options now. Pull up the breadmaker from the land of lost toys in the basement?
Start making bread by hand? Or just keep buying the store bought stuff. They all have pros and cons

1. Use the Breadmaker:
Pro
Semi Automatic. Less to think about, the bread does its own thing.
Regular homemade bread regularly.
It would be using a currently unloved appliance.
Con
I hate the little paddle thing that sticks to the bottom.
The bread sticks to the pan, no matter what
It’s just not the same thing.

2. Make it by Hand
Pro
I’d get good at it. I’d know better why my bread doesnt always turn out.
It would provide me with a deeper connection with my food.
Con
I’m lazy. I cant always plan to have time to be around to do the bread by machine let alone by hand.

3. Buy it.
Pro
Bread at the ready, almost all the time. I buy it on sale, keep it in the freezer
I’m not the one who usually eats it, so I dont notice quality issues.
Con
It’s just not the same. Making my own bread was a way to reconnect and to provide my family with something healthy and tasty. Buying is just a cop out.

Looks like I’ll need to take my Kitchenaid in for repair soon.

I went grocery shopping yesterday. It was a quick trip in and out of Costco and Top Foods. While I felt good about the trip to Costco . We were in and out of the store in half an hour, picking up the staples. The big bag of spinach, a bag of chicken, a little meat, eggs and milk. All in all quick and easy and perishible. The next stop was to pick up side dishes. Just quick and easy dump and cook things, and this is what made me feel dirty

I hate buying little boxes of rices and mac and cheese. I know better. I know that I could make healthier, and really with a little forthought even easier side dishes.

If I had my choice grocery shopping would look like this:

Costco : Once a month, for meat, twice a month for eggs and milk
Central Market: Once a Month to stock up on the bulk items.
Farmers Market: Weekly for the veggies
Top Foods : Once every other month for packaged items

I figure I would do some shopping every week. Figuring a budget of 40 per week at the Farmers Market. $100 for Meat at Costco $50 for Milk, Eggs and Butter at Costo  $40 for bulk at Central Market, and $50 for the packaged goods at Top Foods.

Sounds reasonable doesnt it? Seems like a lot of shopping though, Lots of running around and a lot more on the fly planning.

Now that we’ve been at Che Circus Maximus for 2 yars , its time to do a good cleaning of the cupboards and fridge. Perhaps after we takle the 100 Mile Diet We’ll swing over to this way of shopping.