Daily Activities, Food, March 10, 2004 10:24 PM 5 comments
Mating calls / New Food
Is it mating season among the amphibious members of my neighbourhood again? The chorus of croaking is once more, uhm, charming the night air. The calls of thousands of what must be horny toads travels loud and far from the great pond on the Cedar Hill Golf Course and up the side of the little mountain my home is perched on. A rather romantic evening for frog wooing, I should say, what with the crispy star-studded sky above, ending another provocatively sunny spring day.
Speaking of which (the sunshine): took my roast-beef-humous-and-lettuce-on-a-bun with me to my new porch again, squinting through the rays at the seniors golfing up the course below. Been a particularly next-generation month for food, proud to announce. A sort of new leaf has been all turned over in my eating habits. Haven't particularly treated myself well these past six years when it comes to matters of mastication. Although a steady income in the past month has helped take the groceries up a notch, I've really only got a lack of time management, an embarrassing culinary ignorance and good ol' laziness to blame for my nights of KD with ketchup, my peanut butter on knife, my beans with pepper packets from the cafeteria. Still miles to go, still laughable when it comes to kitchen, but I'm putting in the effort. A recent selection of preparations:
- Stir Fry, as in 45-minute-teriyaki-marinated beef strips (pre-cut), fried quickly and tenderly; broccoli, onions, bok choi, mushrooms, been sprouts. Rice done in a rice cooker.
- 5% yogurt – like creamy – with banana slices, drizzled honey.
- Salad with grated mozzarella, tomato, roasted red pepper dressing
- Focaccia bread, baked from scratch, topped with garlic, rosemary, coarse salt, cracked pepper, dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Strips of chicken breast (I cut myself!) marinated in a sweet Thai sauce, fried to golden brown, mixed in rice.
- Bacon, three scrambled eggs with Tabasco, potato wedges (like, I actually cut up a potato!), raisin toast with honey, cup-o-tea, OJ and CBC Radio One.
- Pita, golden toasted in a pan of Lactantia salted butter, side of roasted red pepper humous (from Thriftys).
5 comments on Mating calls / New Food
1. /A\ | March 11, 2004 8:43 PM
Did you learn any interesting, easy, or quick meals while you were in the middle east? Can you buy the ingredients here?
2. Jeff Werner | March 11, 2004 9:13 PM
There's a nice mediterranean deli near the corner of Blanshard and Bay I've been to a couple times. They got your dalmades, your assorted olives, humous, etc. A lot of the ingredients can be had at Thriftys, but expensive and not as fresh.
Most of the meals I ate with families/friends in the Middle East were simple vegetarian ones, easy to prepare, keep for a few days without refigeration. You get your unleavened, circular bread, rip off chuncks and dip/scoop/grab from an assortment of plates containing - in no particular order or necessity: olives, peach jam, goat cheese, olive oil, thyme, salt, yogurt, macaroni, scrambled egg, humous, a stringy salty white cheese, tomato, cucumber.
3. /A\ | March 11, 2004 10:57 PM
It all sounds good to me, except for scooping some macaroni with the unleavened bread. Do they use tzatziki with their bread outside of Greece? (in Turkey?) I love that stuff.
4. Annette | March 26, 2006 7:09 PM
Ahhhh when will you be in central Indiana so you can come cook for me. Even though I been to a great Culinary Class in PA. I can't find better tasting foods then those prepared by others...not saying alot for my cooking you might think, but remember how that ole hotdog tastes better out of someone elses pot. :)Being the youngest of 22 and raised on a dairy farm, I have some great stories myself with some awesome recipes...and our favorite was oonerfitz. The cleaning of ones frig to make a delicacy to feed the hungry!
5. Sharon | April 15, 2006 1:43 AM
Jeff,
You're hilarious! I have read only three of your articles, and if it wasn't for the 4:42am insomnia I'm suffering from, I'd be rolling on the floor and making all kinds of noise (i.e. I'd be laughing so loud, I'd wake up the neighbours). I'm cracking up over here! Good call on the improved eating habits. Have you heard of Ayurveda? Check it out... you might find that there are foods that are made for you.
Later,
p.s. I like your photos on Flikr
Sharon :)
There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.—Maya Angelou, poet (1928- )
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