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Breakfast is usually a haphazard affair. Cereal with milk or toast with jam. But on weekends when one can wake up late, stretch out and take one’s time there’s nothing more appetizing than a very full breakfast. I start out with cereal and milk, followed by coffee, orange juice, toast, butter and jam and, of course, an omelette. There are so many variations of this. I have two favorites
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Ode to The Omelette
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Garden salads are, obviously, all about the greens. A well-made one consists of carefully chosen greens, vegetables, meat or seafood all lightly drizzled with dressing. Let’s start with the greens. There are crisp greens, mild greens, tart, slightly tart, etc. You can put practically any kind of green in your salad, from the standard romaine and iceberg lettuces to watercress, arugula, radicchio, spinach and more. Choose the freshest, crisp leaves. Properly wash them by separating the leaves and swishing them around in a bowl of cold water, repeating the process until the water is clear. Fill up the spinner to about half. Spin and dry once more with paper towels. Tear or cut them. Assemble the rest of the cast, taking into consideration the harmony of tastes. Too many sweet flavors or strong garnishes will not work. Toss with dressing in any type of wide bowl (ceramic or glass will do just as well as wood).
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Tossed Salads – Lots of Greens and More
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While shopping at Target, I saw my daughter excitedly jumping up and down by the Nintendo DS games section. She had espied the latest “buy-it” game called Cooking Mama. Since I fancy myself a cooking afficionado, I agreed to make the purchase. Back home she put it on her machine and started to play. As I was looking over her shoulder I found myself extremely fascinated by this Japanese game. It introduces kids to common cooking terminology.
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Cooking Mama: Not Just A Game but A How-To On Cooking
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There are days when my schedule overwhelms me so. No time to read the newspaper. Lunch is on the go and taken standing up. Even bathroom breaks are next to impossible. On those days I give in to the inevitable. I pick up the phone and order take-out for dinner or I rely on the easy and cheaper solution — sandwiches, soups and salads. There are so many possible choices. Any combination will do. Cold cuts are ideal
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Easy Dinners with Sandwiches, Soups and Salads
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Garlic is often referred to as the “stinking rose.” It is stinky, for sure. But, considering that it’s a member of the lily family, calling it a rose is a bit of a stretch. Anyway, its health benefits are known far and wide. It’s a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and selenium. Its regular consumption decreases blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. Some studies actually show that it can reverse atherosclerotic plaque formation. In other words, there are cardiovascular benefits to this wonderful spice. Plus, a person’s risk for cancer is reduced considerably when he consumes a lot of garlic. You’ve probably even heard of its antibiotic effects and its ability to promote weight control.
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The Spice Called Garlic — Pungent, Potent, Palatable
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You slave over a hot stove day in and day out. You prepare the most nutritious, okay, not nutritious, just delicious dishes for the family almost every day of the week. Each person has his list of faves and hates and so you do your best to cater to the entire family’s demands. Towards the end of the week, however, you have a what-about-me moment and so you decide to stop making the kitchen the center of the universe for that day. They’ll survive, you mutter. After all, you have an abundance of food in the fridge waiting to be microwaved, right? Wrong. Not too long after you decide to unwind with your cup of tea and piled-up newspapers, you hear someone holler “Honey/Mom, there’s nothing to eat!” You rush to the refrigerator, wondering what monster ate your brood’s supply, only to find it still filled to the brim with containers of leftover food. Apparently, leftovers are the untouchables of cuisine.
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Fried Rice: A Cook’s Leftover Paradise
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Williams Sonoma has a simple tagline: The Place for Cooks. And it is. It really is. Every time I’m at the mall and pass by their store, I have to stop just to gaze at the shiny copper pans and beautifully arranged dinnerware and linen. But, more of then than not, I don’t go into the store. I just feast my eyes on their display window. Why, you ask? Because there’s something so intimidating about Williams Sonoma. Every product they have is well-made and so attractively packaged. I feel like I neither can afford nor
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Williams Sonoma — Intimidated by the Place for Cooks
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Cooking is one of those activities that always generates mixed reactions. My mother is a true kitchen whiz and so, of course, she loves cooking. No measuring cups or spoons necessary. She comes up with culinary masterpieces just by using her taste buds (Hmm..needs just a pinch of salt more.) One of my dearest friends (a real estate agent), on the other hand, detests the very idea of stepping into a kitchen unless she has to show one to her clients –in which case, she waxes poetic about the features of the Italian marble or the Viking range. Some are what I would characterize as in-betweeners.
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Cooking — Relaxing or Stressful?
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