Food is one of the larger categories on my To Do list. I admit, I am mildly obsessed with food. Food sustains and nourishes us. It can affect our moods, neurotransmitters, and even our hormones. It often infused in our our cultural identities, and it can be an important part of social interactions.
In general, I eat in a healthful manner. I no longer eat meat, with the exception of fish and seafood. I usually avoid extremely processed food. However, I do eat far too much sugar (often in the form of something chocolatey), and that, along with not enough exercise, is the major contributor to my excess weight.
My To Do food section reflects my belief that it is important to support small and local businesses (#10, 21), that eating local is better for the environment and for the taste of our food (#7, 10), and that food can foster relationships with others (#13, 17, 18). It also is designed to help me expand my culinary experiences, because it will serve to remind me just how much I enjoy playing in the kitchen when I actually take the time to do so (#6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 20). And finally, I would like to address my chocolate addiction (#15) and see if I have a food sensitivity to dairy (#19).
This week was a good week for my food goals. On Monday, I received this book on making cheese. I've been reading the first chapter, and it is fascinating. Unfortunately I still have a lot of supplies to purchase before I can make cheese, so my objective is to purchase all I need to be ready to make cheese in the fall.
Yesterday, Cat and I visited Soulard Market this weekend in pursuit of locally grown produce. We made a beeline for our favorite berry seller because they often sell out of things before we arrive. We found Paul in dire straights, shoveling berries into pint and quart containers as quickly as people were buying them, because his help did not show. We offered to work for berries, and spent the next 75 minutes sorting blueberries, blackberries, and peaches into containers. After receiving a very fair payment in the form of fruit, we made a quick trip to the Kruse Gardens stand for locally grown tomatoes, squash, zucchini, corn, and herbs.
Last night (7/18), I used my fantastic local produce to make Super Stuffed Tortillas from the Simply in Season cookbook. This is a beautifully written and photographed cookbook, which I purchased a little less than a year ago out of my desire to learn to cook with whatever local produce is available at any given time. It is a Mennonite publication, meaning that the authors/editors solicited recipes and stories from other Mennonites for the book. This created an interesting exploration of the relationship between food and spirituality that even a non-religious individual like me can appreciate. The Super Stuffed Tortillas were basically vegetarian burritos. The filling consisted of garlic, onion, bell pepper, corn, zucchini, black beans, and cumin, sauteed in oil and then simmered in vegetable broth. Add a good amount of cilantro and cheese, and voila! Easy, tasty, nutritious.
Today, Tim had a hankering for sushi, which led us to Cafe Mochi, a somewhat new sushi bar on South Grand. It is a delightful little restaurant. Tim ordered several types of sushi, and found a new love in their white tuna sushi (I even had a piece, and it was pretty tasty). I ordered shrimp and pineapple kabobs, which were decent. The desserts, though... Tim ordered a cheesecake that was coated in coconut and fried, and I ordered ice cream mochi. As much as I love Trader Joe's mochi, the fresh version was so much better.
Tonight will lead to my final food adventure for the week, although it has little to do with my To Do list. I try and participate in the local chapter of Food Rescue, and tonight is my rescue night. Since I hurt my back yesterday morning lifting boxes of berries and peaches, Tim has agreed to go with me and do all the lifting. It is absolutely astounding how much food gets thrown into dumpsters each night by food establishments, and Food Rescue is trying to change that. I'm happy to participate!
