Coffee. Is there anything more decadent than that first pot of coffee in the morning? The rich aroma of those darkly roasted kernels of instant energy being deluged for our aphrodisiacal enslavement?
It is certainly my drug of choice. It’s not that I can’t start my day without that first sip, but more that I choose not to. There is something comforting about holding that freshly brewed cup of battery acid in my hands, letting the aroma open my baby blues before that black pungent yet tantalizing liquid passes these withered middle aged lips.
I was raised on coffee milk in the 50’s and 60’s thinking it quite the treat to have a cup ‘o’ Joe with my folks. It of course was more like the new McCafé version of coffee with an exuberance of sugar and milk, but it was a grown up drink therefore I was cool, hip, with it.
My tastes haven’t really changed all that much, in as much as I do enjoy cream and sugar in my coffee. I also enjoy the flavored coffees. Coconut, hazelnut, butternut and every other nut flavor there is. Then we move on to the fruitier blends of chocolate raspberry, cherry cordial and even a blueberry cream.
And how do you know which type of ‘roast’ to buy? I mean this decision isn’t like choosing a cut of meat. With meat you basically have, rib roast, ribeye roast or tenderloin roast, round tip or eye round. Five choices from melt in your mouth tender to a bit tougher but if done right can be superb.
With coffee however you have a dizzying array of types available. Different roasts come with wildly different tastes and nuances. There is light roast, medium roast and dark roast. Then we have American roast, French roast, Vienna roast, European roast, Turkish Roast, Italian roast; and the list goes on to assure you that you have a world of coffee in every cup. Next decision is do you want these caf, decaf or extra caf.
STOP! I just want a cup of coffee. I do have to say however as I start my second pot in 90 minutes, nobody’s…not even the jolly green giant’s can compare to an authentic Italian cappuccino, in which milk is brought to a dense-textured, soupy froth and then poured into a single serving of espresso. Aaahhh.
I am an avid participant in the Coffee Fest held in Seattle each autumn. There in the confines of the Seattle Convention Center you will find not just a handful but more than 100 of the country’s top coffee roasters. I have learned by experience that when I go (last year was the first year I have missed in 6 years) bring a rolling suitcase with you.
The powers that be hand you this little grocery sized bag as you walk through the door and your first thought is “Oh goodie. I get to go home with a lot of useless information.” NOT! You not only don’t go home with a lot of useless information but you do go home with pounds of free coffee. Yes that’s right, I said pounds! From Caffe D'Arte to Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Co., you will go home with a suitcase of free half pound to full pound samplers.
Now…although this may have sounded like a plug for Coffee Fest, it’s truly a plug for a coffee addicts blissful long weekend coffee spot. I mean what could be better than to spend 72 glorious hours drinking that marvelous legally addictive stimulant. This is where I discovered that divine Italian Cappuccino.
Now that we have tasted (even if only by osmosis) from all of those fabulous around the world roasters, and decided which coffee will gratify our morning fix, we must then decide do we want cream, sugar, or one of those delightfully flavored cream substitutes that contain no God made ingredients except sugar.
I mean have you read the labels of any of these enticing concoctions? Water; sugar; partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil and less than 2% of sodium caseinate.
Then of course we can not forget about those delightful ingredients that make you glow in the dark; dipotassium phosphate; disodium phosphate; mono and diglyceride, cellulose gel and cellulose gum (as if I haven’t got enough of those wrinkly little unwanted dimples in my thighs already), color added, natural and artifical flavors and last but definitely not least carrageenan.
Okay, think I will take Hal's advice and switch to something natural like milk.
OREGON FILBERT CAKE
2 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/2 cup filberts (hazelnuts)
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the first 4 ingredients. Set aside.
In a separate medium sized bowl, cream together, sugar, butter, and vanilla, until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg yolks and blend until light and fluffy or for about 2-3 minutes more. Pour into lightly buttered & sugared 9 X 13” rectangular pan.
Bake at 350° for 30—35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Top with freshly whipped cinnamon laced cream
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Live Life or Die Trying
My mom God bless her was a lousy cook. Her idea of Swedish Meatballs was taking ground beef and rolling it into little balls; pouring milk over them and boiling it until the milk was curdled, if there was any left in the pan, and the beef resembled something the cows had dropped in the field. So I learned at a very early age to cook as a matter of survival.
I became an accomplished cook to impress a guy. I didn’t get the guy but I got a great career. So for the last 20 plus years I have been earning a living making people happy with food. With that said…I served High Tea for 10 (four of the guests could not make it) this evening which turned out to be more of a dinner than tea, but it was well received and there were music to my ear ooohs and aaahs throughout the evening.
I am proud to say that almost everything did not come in a bag, a can or a box, but I kind of figured it would not have been too fair of me to have forced my Nutritional Therapy 101 class on an unsuspecting group of ladies.
Along with various scones, teas and the quiche from this morning’s blog, I served everything from fresh fruit and cream to hot Black Swine sandwiches and a Praliné Brest for dessert with freshly made gold dust. I think the only thing that wasn't on the menu was beef.
Let me tell you now that I am a huge beef fan, which by the way comes wrapped in cellophane so that does not count towards the no BBC plan. Last year after the last of my kids had moved out and was no longer living with me, beef seemed to be miraculously affordable again. I do believe it was because of me alone, that the stock in the National Cattleman’s Beef Association went up.
My youngest likes his beef well done. So well done that he cooks his own now till it looks like my grandfathers’ old army boots. Me? Just walk the cow past the table and let me point to which piece I want. Served on a plate all by itself. No potatoes; no veggies; Maybe an occasional onion or two but not often. Nope. I can just smell those 32 ounces of hot, crimson, essence of Bovine oozing blood from every orifice.
What do you mean but beef isn’t good for you? Who says? They? Who exactly are they anyway? First they said beef will make you strong. Then they said it will make you fat. Then they said don’t eat it but they really didn’t give you a reason, but because this advice came from some government official we believed him. What is the definition of insanity again?
They even checked the fat content of beef and compared it to chicken and turkey. Well let’s do just that. Depending on the cut of beef, it can be less or very close to most poultry. Chicken breast: with skin, baked; 170 calories; 7.0 g fat; 2.0 g saturated fat; 70 mg cholesterol; 25 g protein. Beef sirloin steak: trimmed of visible fat, broiled; 170 calories; 6.0 g fat; 2.0 g saturated fat; 75 mg cholesterol; 26 g protein.
Now why do we take all of the visible fat off of the beef and not the chicken? Cuz the beef will still be incredibly flavorful, tender and moist without the visible fat, whereas the chicken will look and taste like, my grandmothers old army boots.
Okay. My all time favorite reason they say to no to eating beef. What about mad-cow disease you ask? What about it? Let’s look at the symptoms.
1. Anxiety – I am 53, soon to be 54, out of work and menopausal…what have I got to be anxious about?
2. Depression - I am 53, soon to be 54, out of work and menopausal, and my kids don’t call as often as I would like them to, my friends don’t call as often as I would like them to but hey…Why should I be depressed?
3. Memory loss – If I have mad cow disease and one of the symptoms is memory loss I won’t know I have it and if I do I won’t remember it, so what's the big deal?
4. Impaired thinking – I’ve been a single mom for 28 years. Of course my thinking is impaired.
5. Impaired muscle coordination – Does the term over the hill mean anything to anyone?
6. Blurred vision – I can see just fine. I like wearing my orange and grey plaid pants with the purple and pink polka dot top. Remember the 70’s
7. Personality changes – And again I say, I am 53 and menopausal…do the math.
8. Insomnia – With all the problems mentioned above could you sleep?
9. Speech impairment – My speeth hath not been effected at thith time in my life.
Silly I know, but my point is you have a much better chance of dying in an airplane crash or being struck by lightning than you do of contracting Mad Cow disease so why worry? So enjoy that all you can eat rib joint, that you've been salivating over for years. Have fun and dig in. Not to worry that you'll have ear to ear barbecue sauce. Everyone there will understand. I know do!
HARVEST CHILI
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup red onion
1 cup carrot
1 cup green beans
1 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup green bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 pound ground sirloin
3 cups canned tomatoes with green chiles*
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin*
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce*
15 ounces canned black beans*
1/2 cup green chili peppers
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* Exception to the rule only if all natural ingredients)
In a large dutch oven, over medium-high heat, saute onions, peppers and garlic in oil, for about 5-7 minutes or until just tender. Add sirloin. Continue cooking for about 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, crumbling the beef as you cook.
Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if so desired.
I became an accomplished cook to impress a guy. I didn’t get the guy but I got a great career. So for the last 20 plus years I have been earning a living making people happy with food. With that said…I served High Tea for 10 (four of the guests could not make it) this evening which turned out to be more of a dinner than tea, but it was well received and there were music to my ear ooohs and aaahs throughout the evening.
I am proud to say that almost everything did not come in a bag, a can or a box, but I kind of figured it would not have been too fair of me to have forced my Nutritional Therapy 101 class on an unsuspecting group of ladies.
Along with various scones, teas and the quiche from this morning’s blog, I served everything from fresh fruit and cream to hot Black Swine sandwiches and a Praliné Brest for dessert with freshly made gold dust. I think the only thing that wasn't on the menu was beef.
Let me tell you now that I am a huge beef fan, which by the way comes wrapped in cellophane so that does not count towards the no BBC plan. Last year after the last of my kids had moved out and was no longer living with me, beef seemed to be miraculously affordable again. I do believe it was because of me alone, that the stock in the National Cattleman’s Beef Association went up.
My youngest likes his beef well done. So well done that he cooks his own now till it looks like my grandfathers’ old army boots. Me? Just walk the cow past the table and let me point to which piece I want. Served on a plate all by itself. No potatoes; no veggies; Maybe an occasional onion or two but not often. Nope. I can just smell those 32 ounces of hot, crimson, essence of Bovine oozing blood from every orifice.
What do you mean but beef isn’t good for you? Who says? They? Who exactly are they anyway? First they said beef will make you strong. Then they said it will make you fat. Then they said don’t eat it but they really didn’t give you a reason, but because this advice came from some government official we believed him. What is the definition of insanity again?
They even checked the fat content of beef and compared it to chicken and turkey. Well let’s do just that. Depending on the cut of beef, it can be less or very close to most poultry. Chicken breast: with skin, baked; 170 calories; 7.0 g fat; 2.0 g saturated fat; 70 mg cholesterol; 25 g protein. Beef sirloin steak: trimmed of visible fat, broiled; 170 calories; 6.0 g fat; 2.0 g saturated fat; 75 mg cholesterol; 26 g protein.
Now why do we take all of the visible fat off of the beef and not the chicken? Cuz the beef will still be incredibly flavorful, tender and moist without the visible fat, whereas the chicken will look and taste like, my grandmothers old army boots.
Okay. My all time favorite reason they say to no to eating beef. What about mad-cow disease you ask? What about it? Let’s look at the symptoms.
1. Anxiety – I am 53, soon to be 54, out of work and menopausal…what have I got to be anxious about?
2. Depression - I am 53, soon to be 54, out of work and menopausal, and my kids don’t call as often as I would like them to, my friends don’t call as often as I would like them to but hey…Why should I be depressed?
3. Memory loss – If I have mad cow disease and one of the symptoms is memory loss I won’t know I have it and if I do I won’t remember it, so what's the big deal?
4. Impaired thinking – I’ve been a single mom for 28 years. Of course my thinking is impaired.
5. Impaired muscle coordination – Does the term over the hill mean anything to anyone?
6. Blurred vision – I can see just fine. I like wearing my orange and grey plaid pants with the purple and pink polka dot top. Remember the 70’s
7. Personality changes – And again I say, I am 53 and menopausal…do the math.
8. Insomnia – With all the problems mentioned above could you sleep?
9. Speech impairment – My speeth hath not been effected at thith time in my life.
Silly I know, but my point is you have a much better chance of dying in an airplane crash or being struck by lightning than you do of contracting Mad Cow disease so why worry? So enjoy that all you can eat rib joint, that you've been salivating over for years. Have fun and dig in. Not to worry that you'll have ear to ear barbecue sauce. Everyone there will understand. I know do!
HARVEST CHILI
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup red onion
1 cup carrot
1 cup green beans
1 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup green bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 pound ground sirloin
3 cups canned tomatoes with green chiles*
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin*
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce*
15 ounces canned black beans*
1/2 cup green chili peppers
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* Exception to the rule only if all natural ingredients)
In a large dutch oven, over medium-high heat, saute onions, peppers and garlic in oil, for about 5-7 minutes or until just tender. Add sirloin. Continue cooking for about 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, crumbling the beef as you cook.
Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if so desired.
Nutritional Therapy 101 - A little self-indulgence is good for everyone
Day 1 of the journey to smaller and better things like jeans that fit, or a bathing suit I don't look like a beached whale in. No box, bag or can. Hmmm. How can I do this?
At first I was thinking that breakfast was going to be difficult. I mean most breakfasts come in boxes right? Fruit Loops; Cocoa Puffs; Granola bars; Pop-Tarts; Oreos; even Carnation instant breakfast or Slim Fast (the latter of which by the way goes great with the pop-tarts, Oreos and granola bars). They all come in boxes!
Actually what’s difficult for me is remembering to eat the meal at all. I am usually busy working on this project or that; sending out resumes to places I’d really rather not work but need the job; working on one of the books I’m writing which is the toughest thing for me cuz I have an incredible imagination and am always coming up with new stories, but the hours in each day are not increasing to accommodate all those thoughts swimming around in my head.
Anyway, by around 11:00 AM and 5 or 6 cups of coffee later, my stomach reminds me, none so gently I might add, that I have forgotten it yet again. By the way I’m not so good at punctuation so if I have a participle dangling off the page somewhere, please forgive me.
So...back to breakfast.
Eggs; The perfect meal unto itself. Whether scrambled, poached, fried or baked you can eat this little protein miracle that comes in its own cute little container, all by itself. So for today, since I am preparing the food for a High Tea for 14 this evening and quiche will be served, I think I am going to make an extra one just for me. After all I'm worth a little indulgence now and then aren't I? Aren't you worth it?
Okay. So maybe you can't make it just before you herd your six kids and a harried husband out the door so you can put in 10 hours behind a desk, while daydreaming of the tropical island you found for sale and wish you were on, on The Write Way to Travel web site, but you can make it this weekend right? I mean the kids can forgo the 4-H judging at the county fair this one year, right? Besides, you're not going to eat the whole thing, so however many slices are leftover, they can be individually wrapped and frozen to be taken out any morning of the week when you feel a little self-indulgent.
Basic Pastry Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut in small pieces
2/3 cup chilled water
Place the flour and the salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to mix. Cut the butter in chunks and add it to the flour. Process it, using pulses, until the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.
With the food processor running, add the water and process briefly, using pulses, just until the pastry beings to hold together in large clumps. Divide the pastry into two equal portions, placing one of the halves onto a floured work surface and gather it into a ball. Proceed with the following recipe:
Quiche au Fromage
12 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cup milk (preferably whole)
6 ounces each gruyère, brie, and extra sharp cheddar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg - optional
Roll out the pastry to fit a 10-1/2 inch glass or metal pie plate (NOT removable bottom). Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, and place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights (a bag of beans will do in a pinch, but please take them out of the plastic bag they came in!) and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at the edges, or about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the aluminum foil and pastry weights (or beans). Return the pastry to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the milk until thoroughly blended. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the cheese and stir until it is blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the pre-baked pastry shells, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg and bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 30 minutes.
To test for doneness, stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes out clean, the quiche is done. Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately.
Now...if this seems like an awful lot of quiche...it is. Remember I was making quiche for 14, but the recipe actually makes enough for 20, so feel free to divide the recipe in half if you just want one.
Oakie Doakie. Talk to you guys later.
At first I was thinking that breakfast was going to be difficult. I mean most breakfasts come in boxes right? Fruit Loops; Cocoa Puffs; Granola bars; Pop-Tarts; Oreos; even Carnation instant breakfast or Slim Fast (the latter of which by the way goes great with the pop-tarts, Oreos and granola bars). They all come in boxes!
Actually what’s difficult for me is remembering to eat the meal at all. I am usually busy working on this project or that; sending out resumes to places I’d really rather not work but need the job; working on one of the books I’m writing which is the toughest thing for me cuz I have an incredible imagination and am always coming up with new stories, but the hours in each day are not increasing to accommodate all those thoughts swimming around in my head.
Anyway, by around 11:00 AM and 5 or 6 cups of coffee later, my stomach reminds me, none so gently I might add, that I have forgotten it yet again. By the way I’m not so good at punctuation so if I have a participle dangling off the page somewhere, please forgive me.
So...back to breakfast.
Eggs; The perfect meal unto itself. Whether scrambled, poached, fried or baked you can eat this little protein miracle that comes in its own cute little container, all by itself. So for today, since I am preparing the food for a High Tea for 14 this evening and quiche will be served, I think I am going to make an extra one just for me. After all I'm worth a little indulgence now and then aren't I? Aren't you worth it?
Okay. So maybe you can't make it just before you herd your six kids and a harried husband out the door so you can put in 10 hours behind a desk, while daydreaming of the tropical island you found for sale and wish you were on, on The Write Way to Travel web site, but you can make it this weekend right? I mean the kids can forgo the 4-H judging at the county fair this one year, right? Besides, you're not going to eat the whole thing, so however many slices are leftover, they can be individually wrapped and frozen to be taken out any morning of the week when you feel a little self-indulgent.
Basic Pastry Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut in small pieces
2/3 cup chilled water
Place the flour and the salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to mix. Cut the butter in chunks and add it to the flour. Process it, using pulses, until the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.
With the food processor running, add the water and process briefly, using pulses, just until the pastry beings to hold together in large clumps. Divide the pastry into two equal portions, placing one of the halves onto a floured work surface and gather it into a ball. Proceed with the following recipe:
Quiche au Fromage
12 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cup milk (preferably whole)
6 ounces each gruyère, brie, and extra sharp cheddar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg - optional
Roll out the pastry to fit a 10-1/2 inch glass or metal pie plate (NOT removable bottom). Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, and place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights (a bag of beans will do in a pinch, but please take them out of the plastic bag they came in!) and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at the edges, or about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the aluminum foil and pastry weights (or beans). Return the pastry to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the milk until thoroughly blended. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the cheese and stir until it is blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the pre-baked pastry shells, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg and bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 30 minutes.
To test for doneness, stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes out clean, the quiche is done. Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately.
Now...if this seems like an awful lot of quiche...it is. Remember I was making quiche for 14, but the recipe actually makes enough for 20, so feel free to divide the recipe in half if you just want one.
Oakie Doakie. Talk to you guys later.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
REAL Women DON'T Diet
Have you ever really taken a good look at all the hundreds of diets out there and thought...surely you jest?
I have heard it said that you are what you eat. Let me just say that if you sink your hard earned money into one of these ‘we’ll get you skinny if it kills you’ diets, then you are probably a rump roast.
I mean come on, there's Jenny Craig...LA Weight Loss...Nutri-system...Bob Greene…to name an insignificant few of the ones that cost you the most amount of money per pound.
And let us not forget of course the oh so ever popular Oprah Diet of the month club. I mean get real. If Oprah can't get it right who can? I'm not knocking Oprah. Believe me I'm not, but if Oprah with everything she has at her disposal can not loose weight and keep it off, then how do we, the average Jane, know which will work for us? Eeny, Meany, Miny, Moe?
Do you choose the one where you not only have to weigh yourself in front of another human being who is not dressed in a white coat with a stethoscope hanging around her neck, but you also have to weigh every morsel that passes your lips or count each item in the fat-free, taste-free category…I HATE SCALES...I don't have time for scales...When it comes to snack time, by golly, if I want fruit, I am going to eat more than just 12 raisins, I don't care if that is a full serving.
There's the one that matches your personality. Well…I’m fat and sassy and I don’t know about you, but most diets stay away from fat and I have never heard of a sassy diet.
One where you eat only grains and no protein…I tried that one once and gave it up when I started whinnying.
If all else fails, there is a diet that caters (no pun intended) to your blood type...Well what if you don't know your blood type? But I did so I looked into it anyway, and it said I should eat nothing but grains. Once more, I am not a horse.
And of course there is the constantly in the news, all you can eat beef, pork or chicken diet...Oh PULEEZE! Again you can eat a pound of bacon but you can’t have an apple. Make sense to you or am I the only idiot who doesn’t get it?
So what now? I have no clue but I will tell you about something someone said to me years ago that I have never forgotten.
I had a customer come into my store every single day. A little guy from Korea; Just the cutest thing; Anyway…He would buy his one item, pay for it; bow and leave.
One day he came in and as he was paying for it he said “It’s my birthday today.”
“It is? Well happy birthday.”
“Tell me how old am I missus.”
I am horrible at the age game and I didn’t want to offend him. What if I was wrong? Oh well. I’d give it the old college try.
“52 maybe?” I cringed thinking perhaps he was one of those old looking 45 year olds. He just smiled, so I knew I had under guessed by a few years.
“I have lived 84 years today,” he beamed.
“Yeah right” I said. There was no way I was off by 32 years. He just smiled and nodded and I knew he wasn't lying. “What’s your secret?” I asked.
“I eat only what is given from God.” Well, I am not really sure what that meant but it’ always stuck with me just the same.
So here I am six years later, an overweight, out of work pastry chef, creating a blog that probably no one will read, wondering what do I do with the rest of my life?
Do I start one of those ‘I’ll try it, but will more than likely forget about it by the end of the week’ fad diets anyway? Probably not. Do I binge on the half gallon of homemade Piña Coloda ice cream I have hidden from my roommates in the freezer? Probably shouldn’t.
The truth is I love food too much to diet. I am not disciplined enough to diet and have absolutely no desire to go on a diet.
So tomorrow maybe I'll try to start getting younger.
I don't know if this is really what the old man meant (by the way, his name is Hal), but my take on it is…if it comes in a bag, a box or a can, you shouldn't eat it. Of course there are exceptions to even that rule for me. I mean I am a huge milk drinker and as much as I am an animal lover too, I can’t just bring home an udder. Ya know? But we will learn about these as we go along.
Tomorrow, August 13th, 2009 this 5 foot 8 inch 264 pound chef is going to give up everything that isn’t real. For the next 107 pounds I will share the good the bad and the ugly with you as well as the recipes I’ll create ‘out of the box’.
I have heard it said that you are what you eat. Let me just say that if you sink your hard earned money into one of these ‘we’ll get you skinny if it kills you’ diets, then you are probably a rump roast.
I mean come on, there's Jenny Craig...LA Weight Loss...Nutri-system...Bob Greene…to name an insignificant few of the ones that cost you the most amount of money per pound.
And let us not forget of course the oh so ever popular Oprah Diet of the month club. I mean get real. If Oprah can't get it right who can? I'm not knocking Oprah. Believe me I'm not, but if Oprah with everything she has at her disposal can not loose weight and keep it off, then how do we, the average Jane, know which will work for us? Eeny, Meany, Miny, Moe?
Do you choose the one where you not only have to weigh yourself in front of another human being who is not dressed in a white coat with a stethoscope hanging around her neck, but you also have to weigh every morsel that passes your lips or count each item in the fat-free, taste-free category…I HATE SCALES...I don't have time for scales...When it comes to snack time, by golly, if I want fruit, I am going to eat more than just 12 raisins, I don't care if that is a full serving.
There's the one that matches your personality. Well…I’m fat and sassy and I don’t know about you, but most diets stay away from fat and I have never heard of a sassy diet.
One where you eat only grains and no protein…I tried that one once and gave it up when I started whinnying.
If all else fails, there is a diet that caters (no pun intended) to your blood type...Well what if you don't know your blood type? But I did so I looked into it anyway, and it said I should eat nothing but grains. Once more, I am not a horse.
And of course there is the constantly in the news, all you can eat beef, pork or chicken diet...Oh PULEEZE! Again you can eat a pound of bacon but you can’t have an apple. Make sense to you or am I the only idiot who doesn’t get it?
So what now? I have no clue but I will tell you about something someone said to me years ago that I have never forgotten.
I had a customer come into my store every single day. A little guy from Korea; Just the cutest thing; Anyway…He would buy his one item, pay for it; bow and leave.
One day he came in and as he was paying for it he said “It’s my birthday today.”
“It is? Well happy birthday.”
“Tell me how old am I missus.”
I am horrible at the age game and I didn’t want to offend him. What if I was wrong? Oh well. I’d give it the old college try.
“52 maybe?” I cringed thinking perhaps he was one of those old looking 45 year olds. He just smiled, so I knew I had under guessed by a few years.
“I have lived 84 years today,” he beamed.
“Yeah right” I said. There was no way I was off by 32 years. He just smiled and nodded and I knew he wasn't lying. “What’s your secret?” I asked.
“I eat only what is given from God.” Well, I am not really sure what that meant but it’ always stuck with me just the same.
So here I am six years later, an overweight, out of work pastry chef, creating a blog that probably no one will read, wondering what do I do with the rest of my life?
Do I start one of those ‘I’ll try it, but will more than likely forget about it by the end of the week’ fad diets anyway? Probably not. Do I binge on the half gallon of homemade Piña Coloda ice cream I have hidden from my roommates in the freezer? Probably shouldn’t.
The truth is I love food too much to diet. I am not disciplined enough to diet and have absolutely no desire to go on a diet.
So tomorrow maybe I'll try to start getting younger.
I don't know if this is really what the old man meant (by the way, his name is Hal), but my take on it is…if it comes in a bag, a box or a can, you shouldn't eat it. Of course there are exceptions to even that rule for me. I mean I am a huge milk drinker and as much as I am an animal lover too, I can’t just bring home an udder. Ya know? But we will learn about these as we go along.
Tomorrow, August 13th, 2009 this 5 foot 8 inch 264 pound chef is going to give up everything that isn’t real. For the next 107 pounds I will share the good the bad and the ugly with you as well as the recipes I’ll create ‘out of the box’.
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