Growing up, dinnertime was always a 3 item affair: a protein (as in poultry, meat, or fish), a vegetable and a starch. Though my mom could sway on this (salad for dinner, or pancakes), my Irish-Catholic father was dead set on a proper "meat, veg, starch" dinner. It's odd how our eating habits as a child forever influence the way we put together our shopping lists and prepare our meals, and it has taken me many years to be able to kind-of branch out onto my own way of eating. I will have to credit my ex, Shawn, for teaching me to "eat when I'm hungry" as opposed to "when its mealtime", and also for breaking me away from the 3-part-plate. When we had first started dating I remember preparing us fresh, delicious tuna steaks for dinner. I asked him what kind of starch he wanted with the fish....rice, perhaps? And then for the vegetable I recommended cabbage or bok choy. He turned to me and replied, "Well, I just want the fish". And though all I could think about was feasting on the fish as well, I was really struggling with the fact that our plate would only have a protein on it -- like it was an incomplete meal without the rice and bok choy. Now that I'm back living in my parents house, I have begun to "eat when its mealtime" instead of "when im hungry", and I've reverted back to the 3-part-plate. This has resulted in me running from jeans and worshipping my sweat-pants, as well as feeling a bit "round" at all times. With winter approaching and no trips on the horizon, I'm setting the intention to get back to the basics with my cooking and eating. I told my mother that I plan to take over kitchen duties come November, and I will be experimenting with all sorts of delicious goodness. I want to do HOME cooking....food that is satisfying and comforting to the soul, after all - thats what we look for in a wintertime meal when it's frigid and uninviting outside. This winter I want to focus on BEANS, soups and homemade breads. Bread, when eaten in MODERATION is NOT a bad thing. My problem always is having 1, 2, or 3 more servings of bread...doused in olive oil or slabbed with butter. As far as BEANS are concerned, growing up they were always a side dish. It has taken me many moons and many meals at my friend Rochelle's house to realize that beans are hearty, delicious, nutritious and absolutely deserving of being the main dish. And soups....my beloved soups. Most times that we order soups out at restaurants and such, they are loaded with butter and cream. Butter and cream is absolutely delicious, but again - in MODERATION (something that I struggle with). The cook book featured above is an oldie but goodie. I picked up this one at a thrift shop because I'd seen it a million times in Mary Schmeltzers kitchen (my other food-guru). She has recreated many a recipe from this book and she swears by the tried-and-true, somewhat easy to execute recipes. So, you heard it here first! No more 3-part-plates for me...I'm going to dive head first into legumes and hearty soups. Slow-cooking and savoring. Watch out winter, here I come.....
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