Busy Bees

Sunny days, blooming buds, and our friends, the busy bees, have greeted my sleepy eyes every morning for the past few weeks. These delights of nature permeate through our senses better than a morning cup of Joe. If we can transcend some seasonal allergies, we have the privilege of enjoying many more fruits and vegetables coming in season. Just yesterday Trevor asked when we could start eating peaches again. "Soon," I promised. We apparently didn't eat enough pears while they were here, so he wanted to make sure we were prepared for his second favorite fruit.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, eating seasonally helps the earth, the cook, and supports local growers in our various regions. To not miss out on the bounty of the season, there are various resources to aid us in our quest:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcrecipes.nsf/InSeasonView/InSeason?OpenDocument

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_cg_produce_guide

http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/Inseason.htm

This Little Piggy Went to Market

It's funny how much our lives revolve around food. Don't believe me? Just try to ignore your stomach for a day and see how it reacts. Our house is no exception.

In hopes of being better prepared and of trying to save a few pennies, a few months ago I decided to create a meal schedule for our family at the end of each week (as I typically grocery shop on Saturdays). Although we are not always successful in our meal planning attempts, we have noticed that it seems when we sit down to plan out our meals we have a less hectic, more peaceful week. This probably has to do with it necessitating a hashing out of who's home what night and what lies ahead for the week. The best part? As Trevor loves food just as much as I do, he takes a relatively active role in helping make suggestions for our upcoming courses, thus giving us a wonderful little bit of time to spend together. When we sit down we usually transcend food and end up talking about the weeks past, where we'd like our futures to go, laughing at the stupidest things, thinking of people to share our meals with, and just about everything else. Who needs a movie? That's what I call quality time.

On the more practical "how to" level:

• I wouldn't recommend scheduling more than 2 weeks at a time due to the ever changing nature of our lives. Our weeks tend to become more full, not less.
• Try to plan meals around what's in season. You'll find your taste buds, figure, and budget will thank you for it.
  
• If you really want to help your budget out, read the sales adds for your grocery store of choice and plan around what's on sale.
  
• Think well rounded meals. Although this is a typical outcome of meal planning (not many people plan to eat crud on a common bases, but do so out of convenience), it's also a great chance to get a jump start on eating more vitamin and nutrient rich foods.
• Don't plan more meals than what you'll be home for. No one likes rotten food in the fridge
• Try to subtract at least one meal from how many you think you need. Usually at least one meal you make during the week will have leftovers.
• Think of who will be attending which meals. If it's just going to be the two of us, I try to make 2.5-3 servings. One for each of us and one more just in case the hubby is a little extra hungry. If he's not, I get to enjoy the fruits of my labor for lunch the next day instead.
• Find a place in sight to remind you what your week looks like (trust me, it will help remind you of more than food).
  
• Make sure you don't just cycle the same 10 dishes over and over again (it'll be pretty easy to tell). There's a reason that we eat junk -- it's because the real food gets monotonous without our even knowing (which is sad as there are infinite EASY possibilities to try).
  
• Find out what kind of list works best for you. If you like spreadsheets, access, or palm pilot programs then use them to your advantage.
  

"When it Rains, it Pours."

Growing up, our refrigerator was plastered with cards, pictures, reminders, and the like. From that moment on I swore that I would never allow my fridge to become that cluttered. (For any friends and family reading this, if your picture or card has made the fridge, you're extremely dear to us). Yet, despite my abhorrence of the paraphernalia, antique magnets still managed to worm their way into my heart. My favorite was a blue square magnet of the Morton salt girl.

As she carries one of our most beloved and diverse seasonings, she unknowingly brings with her a highly controversial topic in the culinary world. Which salt is best? I found a great (and brief) explanation from the Food Network:

"For the cook's purposes, the main difference between salts is in their texture. Table salt's fine granules dissolve quickly, making it the preferred salt of bakers. Sea salt and kosher salt possess larger, irregular grains that add a delightful crunch and hit of briny flavor when sprinkled on food at the last minute. Generally, savvy cooks prefer kosher salt when cooking, since its coarse texture is easier to take a pinch of when seasoning savory dishes.

Chemically there is little difference between kitchen salts. All are at least 97 1/2 percent sodium chloride. But there are significant differences in the provenance and processing of these salts.

Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits, and includes a small portion of calcium silicate, an anti-caking agent added to prevent clumping. It possesses very fine crystals and a sharp taste. Because of its fine grain a single teaspoon of table salt contains more salt than a tablespoon of kosher or sea salt.

Sea salt is harvested from evaporated seawater and receives little or no processing, leaving in tact the minerals from the water it came from. These minerals flavor and color the salt slightly. However, because these salts often come at a dear price, it is worth keeping in mind that they lose their unique flavor when cooked or dissolved.

Kosher salt takes its name from its use in the koshering process. It contains no preservatives and can be derived from either seawater or underground sources. Aside from being a great salt to keep within arm's reach when you are cooking, it is particularly useful in preserving, because its large crystals draw moisture out of meats and other foods more effectively than other salts."

–Food Network Kitchens

In my own kitchen I primarily use Kosher salt kept in a salt crock from Le Creuset. However, I do like to keep a little of each around. And just in case you can't seem to give up the Salt Girl, she comes Kosher too.

Good Common Sense

Whenever Trevor and I have dined out over the course of our marriage, I've usually found myself in defensive mode, desperately trying to protect my food from the ogling eyes of The Husband. Not being your typical able-to-eat-a-horse-at-any-given-moment kind of guy, it's not due to an insatiable appetite. In large part it also has little to do with dissatisfaction with his own meal. You see, I seem to have what he calls a knack for menu selection. Although Trevor primarily attributes this to my willingness to choose the more unique items, I don't believe I agree. A willingness to try new things is always helpful, but new is not always better....sometimes it's just new. My trick?

1) Try to decide how you feel before you read the menu
(Do I feel like something light, something savory, something spicy?)

2) Read through the menu and think about a few things that seem like they would fulfill what you're looking for

3) Once you've narrowed it down to two or three things, ask your waiter what he or she would prefer if given these couple of options
(This is really the key. If you ask them what they recommend without any suggestions prior, they may tell you the most expensive item on the menu or have a completely different pallet from yours. Yet, if you ask them to choose between dishes you've already determined to have good potential, they should be able to steer you in the better direction of the two. Not only do they work there and eat the food routinely, but are also able to observe others' satisfaction).

• Bonus: for all of you indecisive ones, someone else truly chooses your ultimate selection. No more starving away as you try to rack your brain. Huzzah!