I have seen this list of foods every omnivore should try on several blogs over the past few days and had to repost it here. After careful Google research for some of the items, the bolded items are what I have tried (some with links for photographic proof!), and the rest are what I have yet to try. And if you know anything about me you probably know that 1) I am an adventurous eater, and 2) I love a challenge. So I consider the posting of this list the throwing down of a gauntlet. Let's see how many of the non bolded items I can try over the next few months. Headcheese anyone?
Actually I will probably start with Spam. Better safe than sorry, oui?
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs' legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
An Affair of the Tart
Two facts for you:
1) My parents have an overabundance of tomato plants in their backyard that every year around late August yield TONS of delicious beefsteak, heirloom and yellow tomatoes
2) My parents are currently in Europe for the next two months.
You know what this means? All those lovely delicious summer tomatoes are MINE!
In my parents' absence Adam and I will be taking turns walking the dog in the evening since my brother works until 9PM and who could make THIS face,
wait THAT long to go out at night? Not us.
Not us. This affords me a great opportunty to do a lot of free laundry, and use their fabulous kitchen to concoct summer tomato recipes.
I decided on an Heirloom Tomato Tart because I had heirloom tomatoes and I happen to love a tart. Any tart. Sweet or savory. Bring. It. On. This one was easy to make and the cornmeal crust is a great healthy alternative to your normal flaky buttery tart crusts. Let us begin.
Heirloom Tomato Tarts
(from Health.com)
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced.
2 tbsp olive oil
4-5 tbsp ice water
3-4 good sized heirloom tomatoes
2 oz goat cheese
Fresh herbs for garnish
Combine the cornmeal and flour in a large food processor. Pulse a few times to thoroughly mix.
Add salt, pepper, butter and olive oil. Pulse for about 10 seconds or so until the texture resembles coarse meal.
While running the processor, drip in the ice water. I like to keep a few ice cubes in a measuring cup and just pour it from that into my tablespoon. You could also eyeball it but with me? Eyeballing + baking = disastrous.
Pulse until it starts to stick together but STOP before it sticks into one big ball.
Gently remove the dough and form it into a 4 inch disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400.
When the dough is nice and chilled, unwrap it and place it on top of a large sheet of wax paper. Put another piece of wax paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll it out evenly into the shape of your tart pan. This is an ingenious way to roll out semi sticky dough! Thanks health.com for sharing it!
Once the dough is the size you want remove the top piece of wax paper and lay the other dough side down onto your pan.
Press so there are no air bubbles and remove the excess.
Et Voila!
Throw it in the oven for 15 minutes and while that's baking thickly and evenly slice your tomatoes.
I threw some yellow ones in there for fun. I also like to drain my tomatoes on some paper towels before I bake them especially these which were especially liquidy.
When the crust is done and while it's still warm, spread the goat cheese over it. I may have used more than 2 oz. Ok I used 4. How can you not? There is no such thing as too much goat cheese and frankly 2 oz didn't seem like enough.
Layer your tomatoes so they are overlapping all over the goat cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake once more for 15 minutes.
Garnish with fresh herbs ( I used fresh basil from the garden. O How I Love Fresh Basil!).
Let cool for 5-10 minutes, slice and serve. I found that the longer you wait to slice, the easier it is to do so and the more beautifully it holds together.
Enjoy!
1) My parents have an overabundance of tomato plants in their backyard that every year around late August yield TONS of delicious beefsteak, heirloom and yellow tomatoes
2) My parents are currently in Europe for the next two months.
You know what this means? All those lovely delicious summer tomatoes are MINE!
In my parents' absence Adam and I will be taking turns walking the dog in the evening since my brother works until 9PM and who could make THIS face,
wait THAT long to go out at night? Not us.
Not us. This affords me a great opportunty to do a lot of free laundry, and use their fabulous kitchen to concoct summer tomato recipes.
I decided on an Heirloom Tomato Tart because I had heirloom tomatoes and I happen to love a tart. Any tart. Sweet or savory. Bring. It. On. This one was easy to make and the cornmeal crust is a great healthy alternative to your normal flaky buttery tart crusts. Let us begin.
Heirloom Tomato Tarts
(from Health.com)
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced.
2 tbsp olive oil
4-5 tbsp ice water
3-4 good sized heirloom tomatoes
2 oz goat cheese
Fresh herbs for garnish
Combine the cornmeal and flour in a large food processor. Pulse a few times to thoroughly mix.
Add salt, pepper, butter and olive oil. Pulse for about 10 seconds or so until the texture resembles coarse meal.
While running the processor, drip in the ice water. I like to keep a few ice cubes in a measuring cup and just pour it from that into my tablespoon. You could also eyeball it but with me? Eyeballing + baking = disastrous.
Pulse until it starts to stick together but STOP before it sticks into one big ball.
Gently remove the dough and form it into a 4 inch disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400.
When the dough is nice and chilled, unwrap it and place it on top of a large sheet of wax paper. Put another piece of wax paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll it out evenly into the shape of your tart pan. This is an ingenious way to roll out semi sticky dough! Thanks health.com for sharing it!
Once the dough is the size you want remove the top piece of wax paper and lay the other dough side down onto your pan.
Press so there are no air bubbles and remove the excess.
Et Voila!
Throw it in the oven for 15 minutes and while that's baking thickly and evenly slice your tomatoes.
I threw some yellow ones in there for fun. I also like to drain my tomatoes on some paper towels before I bake them especially these which were especially liquidy.
When the crust is done and while it's still warm, spread the goat cheese over it. I may have used more than 2 oz. Ok I used 4. How can you not? There is no such thing as too much goat cheese and frankly 2 oz didn't seem like enough.
Layer your tomatoes so they are overlapping all over the goat cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake once more for 15 minutes.
Garnish with fresh herbs ( I used fresh basil from the garden. O How I Love Fresh Basil!).
Let cool for 5-10 minutes, slice and serve. I found that the longer you wait to slice, the easier it is to do so and the more beautifully it holds together.
Enjoy!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Build Me Up Butternut
On days where you don't feel like cooking a whole lot. Or on days when your inner vegetarian cries out for NO MEAT. Or maybe on days when you just crave the deliciousness that is black beans and butternut squash combined in a fabulous and easy meal - this recipe is for you.
This is a recipe I learned while on the cleanse and one that will be featured in our non cleanse routine going forward because hi, it's easy and hello, it's extremely yum.
This is also the kind of recipe that will cost you about $5 total at the supermarket and will feed about 3-4 people (depending on how much you pack the tacos).
So let's get started!
Black Bean and Butternut Squash Tacos
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lemon or lime
1/4 tsp sea salt
8 taco shells
1 medium butternut squash
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
olive oil spray
Peel and scoop the seeds out of the squash.
Dice into even small pieces and set aside.
Heat a large and shallow pan over medium heat, spritz a few times with the oil spray and toss in your squash, cinnamon and cumin. Stir.
Meanwhile, empty your beans into a small microwave-proof bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 minute. Mash beans lightly and not completely with fork. Squeeze lemon juice over it and sprinkle with salt. Mix well. Set aside.
Side note: I LOVE those lemon shower-cap things (that IS the technical term, right?). They have saved me from a lifetime of picking out seeds or having to bust out the juicer. I found them at the kitchen specialty outlet at Wrentham and stocked right up.
Anyway - back to the squash. Keep cooking until soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Warm up the taco shells in the oven while you cook the squash by throwing them in on 200 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Remove the cooked squash from heat. Layer the semi-mashed beans first into the warmed shells.
Then scoop the cooked, fragrant squash on top.
The citrusy smoky beans and sweet squash are the perfect companions and the crispy taco shells just makes the whole combo magnifique. I serve two tacos per serving and so far, they are always a hit!
This is a recipe I learned while on the cleanse and one that will be featured in our non cleanse routine going forward because hi, it's easy and hello, it's extremely yum.
This is also the kind of recipe that will cost you about $5 total at the supermarket and will feed about 3-4 people (depending on how much you pack the tacos).
So let's get started!
Black Bean and Butternut Squash Tacos
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lemon or lime
1/4 tsp sea salt
8 taco shells
1 medium butternut squash
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
olive oil spray
Peel and scoop the seeds out of the squash.
Dice into even small pieces and set aside.
Heat a large and shallow pan over medium heat, spritz a few times with the oil spray and toss in your squash, cinnamon and cumin. Stir.
Meanwhile, empty your beans into a small microwave-proof bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 minute. Mash beans lightly and not completely with fork. Squeeze lemon juice over it and sprinkle with salt. Mix well. Set aside.
Side note: I LOVE those lemon shower-cap things (that IS the technical term, right?). They have saved me from a lifetime of picking out seeds or having to bust out the juicer. I found them at the kitchen specialty outlet at Wrentham and stocked right up.
Anyway - back to the squash. Keep cooking until soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Warm up the taco shells in the oven while you cook the squash by throwing them in on 200 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Remove the cooked squash from heat. Layer the semi-mashed beans first into the warmed shells.
Then scoop the cooked, fragrant squash on top.
The citrusy smoky beans and sweet squash are the perfect companions and the crispy taco shells just makes the whole combo magnifique. I serve two tacos per serving and so far, they are always a hit!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Day Twenty One - The End of the Cleanse
Breakfast: Soy Yogurt and Granola
Lunch: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sandwich
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: Salad and home made potato wedges
Dessert: Cherries
We're done!
I am not going to lie - we celebrated at midnight with champagne and a buffalo burger. And it was one of the best burgers I have ever had. MAN have I missed meat. I tell you I was a Vegetarian for two years in college, I do not think I could do it again.
So, before Adam and I cracked open the champagne we discussed the past three weeks. We are both so glad we made it, and have learned a lot about ourselves and our eating habits as a result. To recap the cleanse, if you are just tuning in, check out my blog post on I Look Good.
Basically for the past 21 days Adam and I have had no meat/meat products, no gluten, no caffeine, no sugar and no alcohol. Well, there are naturally occurring sugars in fruit so of course we had that. And we decided to limit our alcohol to one weekend night a week as opposed to basically every day as we had been doing. Other than that we stuck hard to the limits of the cleanse.
We both agree we feel better physically today than we have in a long time. We have been eating SO many fruits and vegetables and I look forward to continuing on with that aspect of the cleanse and working some lean meat into the mix. I also plan on permanently giving up caffeine because I feel great without it. I wake up earlier than I ever have and feel wide awake. When I get to work I am way more alert than I ever was when I arrived blearily sipping a large coffee, waiting for it to kick in. I don't feel the usual afternoon tiredness I used to feel before my 3PM Diet Coke!
I also plan to continue on with the dairy-free aspect of the cleanse and the sugar-free aspect of the cleanse at least until the end of the summer. I like how I feel when I don't eat junk, and as far as the dairy a host of problems that my doctor has previously ascribed to IBS have disappeared over the past three weeks and I have a feeling it is because of the lack of dairy. I know - ME who loves the cheese more than anything may have to be satisfied with just having a little bit now and then. So sad. But not having to wake up in the middle of the night, run to the bathroom and pray for the sweet release of death has it's merits.
The cleanse has also given us a chance to try foods we previously had not. Not everything went over that well - I think it's safe to say neither of us really cares for Gluten Free Bread or Gluten Free Pasta that much. But we ended up loving foods like quinoa, soy milk, tofu and polenta. The tofu in particular was such a pleasant surprise. It's so versatile! Even though the cleanse is over I plan to incorporate many of the recipes I have used over the past three weeks into our meal plan going forward. So while we didn't leave the cleanse vegans, we did leave it as people who eat significantly less meat.
I also feel a lot more thoughtful about what I eat. What am I eating? Where did it come from? You just feel better when you eat something you made, from good ingredients like fresh vegetables and good-for-you foods. I mean I am not looking at my salad waxing philosophical "What is the meaning of life?" but I care more about what I eat which is always a good thing.
For a list of my cleanse posts as well as links to what we ate and recipes we used, click here
So that's that. 21 days down - countless days of a new outlook to go!
Lunch: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sandwich
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: Salad and home made potato wedges
Dessert: Cherries
We're done!
I am not going to lie - we celebrated at midnight with champagne and a buffalo burger. And it was one of the best burgers I have ever had. MAN have I missed meat. I tell you I was a Vegetarian for two years in college, I do not think I could do it again.
So, before Adam and I cracked open the champagne we discussed the past three weeks. We are both so glad we made it, and have learned a lot about ourselves and our eating habits as a result. To recap the cleanse, if you are just tuning in, check out my blog post on I Look Good.
Basically for the past 21 days Adam and I have had no meat/meat products, no gluten, no caffeine, no sugar and no alcohol. Well, there are naturally occurring sugars in fruit so of course we had that. And we decided to limit our alcohol to one weekend night a week as opposed to basically every day as we had been doing. Other than that we stuck hard to the limits of the cleanse.
We both agree we feel better physically today than we have in a long time. We have been eating SO many fruits and vegetables and I look forward to continuing on with that aspect of the cleanse and working some lean meat into the mix. I also plan on permanently giving up caffeine because I feel great without it. I wake up earlier than I ever have and feel wide awake. When I get to work I am way more alert than I ever was when I arrived blearily sipping a large coffee, waiting for it to kick in. I don't feel the usual afternoon tiredness I used to feel before my 3PM Diet Coke!
I also plan to continue on with the dairy-free aspect of the cleanse and the sugar-free aspect of the cleanse at least until the end of the summer. I like how I feel when I don't eat junk, and as far as the dairy a host of problems that my doctor has previously ascribed to IBS have disappeared over the past three weeks and I have a feeling it is because of the lack of dairy. I know - ME who loves the cheese more than anything may have to be satisfied with just having a little bit now and then. So sad. But not having to wake up in the middle of the night, run to the bathroom and pray for the sweet release of death has it's merits.
The cleanse has also given us a chance to try foods we previously had not. Not everything went over that well - I think it's safe to say neither of us really cares for Gluten Free Bread or Gluten Free Pasta that much. But we ended up loving foods like quinoa, soy milk, tofu and polenta. The tofu in particular was such a pleasant surprise. It's so versatile! Even though the cleanse is over I plan to incorporate many of the recipes I have used over the past three weeks into our meal plan going forward. So while we didn't leave the cleanse vegans, we did leave it as people who eat significantly less meat.
I also feel a lot more thoughtful about what I eat. What am I eating? Where did it come from? You just feel better when you eat something you made, from good ingredients like fresh vegetables and good-for-you foods. I mean I am not looking at my salad waxing philosophical "What is the meaning of life?" but I care more about what I eat which is always a good thing.
For a list of my cleanse posts as well as links to what we ate and recipes we used, click here
So that's that. 21 days down - countless days of a new outlook to go!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Day Twenty (!!!)
Breakfast: Tofu, Blueberry and Soy Milk Smoothie
Snack: Almonds
Lunch: Leftover Barbecued Tofu
Dinner: "Everything" Salad (Spinach leaves, chick peas, quinoa, carrots, dried cranberries, crumbled veggie burger, balsamic vinegar)
Dessert: Cherries
I am posting this a day later (as I have all the cleanse posts) so TODAY SATURDAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THE CLEANSE. Adam and I are celebrating tonight at midnight with champagne and I am really excited we have made it. I have a lot of thoughts on the past 3 weeks to post so stay tuned tomorrow for a Post Cleanse Wrap Up
Lessons Learned:
1)Cranberry-Lime Club Soda with fresh squeezed lime juice in it is really refreshing.
Snack: Almonds
Lunch: Leftover Barbecued Tofu
Dinner: "Everything" Salad (Spinach leaves, chick peas, quinoa, carrots, dried cranberries, crumbled veggie burger, balsamic vinegar)
Dessert: Cherries
I am posting this a day later (as I have all the cleanse posts) so TODAY SATURDAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THE CLEANSE. Adam and I are celebrating tonight at midnight with champagne and I am really excited we have made it. I have a lot of thoughts on the past 3 weeks to post so stay tuned tomorrow for a Post Cleanse Wrap Up
Lessons Learned:
1)Cranberry-Lime Club Soda with fresh squeezed lime juice in it is really refreshing.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Day Nineteen
Breakfast: Soy Yogurt with Almonds
Lunch: Leftover Vegetarian Shepard's Pie
Dinner: Barbecued Tofu with Whipped Cauliflower and Spinach Salad
Dessert: Grapes
The barbecued tofu was a bit of a process (pressing for 30 minutes, pan cooking for almost 20 minutes, then baking in the oven for an hour) but it came out really great. I subbed in some agave nectar for the maple syrup but I imagine with the syrup the bbq sauce, which was already really tasty, would be even better.
Lessons Learned:
1) "Pressing" Tofu really makes a difference in it's texture and how it holds together through cooking. You just put your sliced tofu on a clean dish towel, put another clean dish towel on top and cover that with a cookie sheet. Stack canned goods on top and let sit for a 1/2 hour. It really drains it well and gives it an even firmer texture. I approve!
Lunch: Leftover Vegetarian Shepard's Pie
Dinner: Barbecued Tofu with Whipped Cauliflower and Spinach Salad
Dessert: Grapes
The barbecued tofu was a bit of a process (pressing for 30 minutes, pan cooking for almost 20 minutes, then baking in the oven for an hour) but it came out really great. I subbed in some agave nectar for the maple syrup but I imagine with the syrup the bbq sauce, which was already really tasty, would be even better.
Lessons Learned:
1) "Pressing" Tofu really makes a difference in it's texture and how it holds together through cooking. You just put your sliced tofu on a clean dish towel, put another clean dish towel on top and cover that with a cookie sheet. Stack canned goods on top and let sit for a 1/2 hour. It really drains it well and gives it an even firmer texture. I approve!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Day Eighteen
Breakfast: Tofu, Soy Milk and Fruit Smoothie
Lunch: Pea Soup
Snack: Cashews
Dinner: Vegetarian Shepard's Pie
We're in the home stretch now - Saturday is the last day of the cleanse and Adam and I fully intend to celebrate at midnight with champagne (and probably a burger for him since he has been asking for one since oh, the whole entire time.
The Vegetarian Shepard's Pie was another hit! Mashed potatos mashed with soy milk and soy faux margarine (I use Earth Balance) is every bit as good as the real thing! Delicious!
Lessons Learned
1)Use avocados within a few days of getting them. Those bitches do NOT keep.
Lunch: Pea Soup
Snack: Cashews
Dinner: Vegetarian Shepard's Pie
We're in the home stretch now - Saturday is the last day of the cleanse and Adam and I fully intend to celebrate at midnight with champagne (and probably a burger for him since he has been asking for one since oh, the whole entire time.
The Vegetarian Shepard's Pie was another hit! Mashed potatos mashed with soy milk and soy faux margarine (I use Earth Balance) is every bit as good as the real thing! Delicious!
Lessons Learned
1)Use avocados within a few days of getting them. Those bitches do NOT keep.
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