Think Outside the Clock

Where: Whole Foods

When: 9 a.m.

What: Yuen pulls her first pizza from the firey oven and tosses it into the display window.  A customer walks by and I overhear him say, "Who wants cheese pizza at 9 in the morning?" Initially, I had two thoughts. One would lead to the termination of my employment and the other was to simply say, "I do."

Why: does he ask such a question?

Some people are so stuck on meals corresponding to the time of day. Think of it this way: pizza is just bread and cheese and a little sauce. A bagel with cream cheese and jelly is fundamentally the same thing (bread product, cheese product, and a spread made from fruit or vegetable). Has Father Time posted house rules about when certain foods are acceptable for consumption? Guess I missed that memo.

Think of how delicious life could be if meals and menus were not constrained by the position of the sun.  You could eat your favorite foods as you pleased. Lots of cooking shows on television create entire episodes about "what a treat" and how "outside-the-box" it is to make breakfast for dinner. They make it seem so abnormal. It's discrimination.

Perhaps it was the creation of the words, "breakfast," "lunch" and "dinner" that time-cast foods. Maybe it is the thought that lighter fare should be eaten earlier in the day to keep you from feeling weighed down and lethargic. Keep in mind, though, this is primarily an American train of thought. True, other residents of Earth use words to describe meal times, but Europeans and Latin Americans usually eat lighter as the day goes on. Also, they enjoy pastries at breakfast and sometimes even a platter of sliced, cured meats and robust cheeses.

And what about all-nighters? Picture this: We are partying. We watch the hands swing to 4 a.m. and decide it's been enough. We also decide that it is time to eat. The typical spread at this time of night (morning) is chicken fingers, cheese fries, pizza, burgers and hoagies. Technically, shouldn't we be eating off the breakfast menu at this hour? Food TV could make another episode out of that.

You see, it's all in our heads.  The time has come when we stop placing foods in time slots. If I have a craving for a burger and a beer at 8 a.m. I want to eat it and not be judged. Anything goes on my watch.

Just a Taste-Iron Hill Brewery: Maple Shade, NJ

At noon I was at a bridal shower where I made great use of the elastic that stretched around the waist of my dress. Shortly after I headed to dinner where I would test its breaking point.

Iron Hill Brewery of West Chester fame has situated its tanks in Maple Shade on a fairly dead stretch of Kings Highway. Hopefully tumbleweeds aren't the only things to blow towards this place. I'd like for it to stick around.

We walked in and I was tempted to sit at the bar, but it was date night, so I figured a booth would be less distracting. However, when I got the menu, I didn't pick my head up for 10 minutes. It was about 6 pages long. Sensory overload.

When in doubt, or when indecisive, I order appetizers. The wings were huge and meaty but not very crispy. The quesadillas had lots of crabmeat but not lots of taste. Voodoo shrimp was very smokey and not many other flavors were discernible.  And then there were the sweet potato fries. There is not much else I can say except that these fries made me forget about everything else I ordered. I played through the pain of the cumbersome elastic because I could not stop eating nor dipping. Oh, the dips! Smoked paprika mayonnaise and sweet vanilla burgundy sauces are the best substitutes for ketchup to date. 

Although it wasn't as overwhelming as the food menu, the beer menu had too many choices for my inexperienced, and mostly unwilling, beer palate. I opted for the house sampler. Delicious, except for the porter. Too dark for me. The raspberry wheat and the belgian whitbier were my favorites. 

This place could be great on a Friday or Saturday night. I'd go a little early, take a tour of the brewery, have a something to eat in the dining room then move to the bar and try the rest of the brews. You can also take beer to go; they bottle it right in front of you. Put it in the trunk so you don't get ahead of yourself on the ride home.

 

A Spoonful of Burnt Sugar

Clearly, I'm getting lazy. I should be writing a few blogs a week. I should be experimenting in my home test kitchen everyday. I don't even know what to blame it on. It's not MY fault.

It's not that I can't think of things to write about. It's not that I don't like to write. Right now I should be cooking for a dinner guest. What is it about me? Why do I epitomize "inconvenient" and "procrastination?"

I am always doing things the hard way. I never learn my lesson. If I weren't me and I were someone else, I would know exactly what I would say to me. I would say, "Suck it up. Work harder. Write more often. Get up earlier and go to bed later." But, being me, I wouldn't listen. It's hard to swallow your own medicine.

Perhaps this post will be the lipstick on my mirror reminding me that I should be here everyday, or at least every other day, writing for my people. However few of you there are.

Thanks and stick with me.

Fishes and Loaves

After writing the last post, "Beggars Can be Choosers," I felt compelled to illustrate exactly how I shop and what I do with what I've purchased.

Times are tough. I'm not only referring to the current economic state of the nation but to my station in life. I am on my own. I no longer have a house full of food furnished by Mom and Dad. There is no magical force stocking my shelves, only the harsh reality of slim pockets. Sometimes I can't buy much. I know anyone in their 20s or 30s who is struggling through this transitional phase can sympathize.

I am not comparing myself to Jesus, but what I am about to show you will mimic the time he fed hundreds with a loaf of bread and a single fish. If this were a tangible exercise you would come to my house, look in my closet and then my refrigerator and think, "There is no way she can make a meal out of this." Don't be so sure. I love making fools out of people, oops, uh, feeding the masses.


Grocery receipt:
1 small red onion
1 bag spinach
1 bag arugula
1 lb. frozen scallops
2 porkchops
1 1/2 lb. ground meat
1 bunch asparagus
1 lb. button mushrooms
2 pieces tilapia
1 can white beans
Kalamata olives

Pantry leftovers:
roasted red peppers, Thai lime dressing, soy sauce, Archer Farms Chipolte Raspberry Honey Mustard, Planter's Deluxe mixed nuts, half-dozen eggs, 2 oranges, Whole Food's 3 cheese blend-shredded, dried cranberries, pistachios



Other necessities:
*These are items I feel everyone should have. You most certainly won't be buying these on each shopping trip. They last a while and are a vital part of your cooking arsenal...


salt, pepper, garlic powder, butter, flour, sugar, garlic cloves, olive oil, canola oil, balsamic vinegar


Here is an overview of what I concocted:
Monday: Berry pistachio porkchops with Balsamic roasted mushrooms
Tuesday: Mediterranean burgers with Sauteed spinach
Wednesday: Scallops in a tangy Raspberry sauce with Orange hazelnut asparagus
Thursday: Thai tilapia with Vegetable saute
Friday: White bean pasta with Arugula salad


Seems impossible? Untrue? I have witnesses. I have well-fed witnesses. For my next trick, I mean post, I will divulge my secrets/recipes. There's a lot of smoke, but no mirrors.