Stop Blogging and Cook

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
~Richard Rogers & Oscar Hammerstein The Sound of Music (1959)

ONLY THE GOOD ON GOOD FRIDAY
I’m taking Shelly‘s suggestion today.  As the morning looms shorter and shorter before my computer-weary eyeballs I begin thinking of the foods that I am most grateful for in my kitchen.  This list is what makes feeding myself easy and brings joy to my kitchen and stomach.  One of the things about all of these foods is that I can eat as much of them as I want without fear of doing a number on my bio-system.  Here are my all time Top Ten favorites that I like to keep close by:

AVOCADO It is not uncommon to see two or three avocados in different stages of ripening in my fruit bowl.  This is an exercise in delayed gratification because it is with rare to see ripe avocados at the market.  And if you do, they are often well past their prime.  So, buy avocados and then watch them ripen.  When they are a dark, deep green and you can wiggle the stem free, they are ready to eat, and not before.  One not yet ripened has nowhere near the developed flavor as does a ripe avocado.  I often will slice one in half, remove the pit, grab a spoon and eat the soft, rich flesh right out of  its own little bowl.  Guacamole combines two of my favorite things — avocado and cilantro — and easily rates in my top ten preparations.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR I’ve come late in the game to this savory flavoring that is more miracle than vinegar.  Combining with olive oil makes a fragrant salad dressing or a sublime dip for a fresh baguette or other worthy before-dinner bread.  Add it to some Greek yogurt and you have a potato chip dip with a nice vinegary bite.  It can brighten soups and enrich savory sauces.  Add it to wok instead of soy sauce, or with sparing daring on fish or vegetables.  Also used in Creme Brulée.

BASMATI RICE This is my go-to rice.  It is whole, fragrant and nutty.  After trying real basmati rice, you’ll leave Uncle Ben’s for good.  Authentic basmati rice can be found most economically in Indian groceries in zippered burlap bags in quantities from one to twenty pounds.

CILANTRO As I have enthused before, I like cilantro so much (the flavor and the smell) that I almost want to rub it behind my ears.  One of the things I like about grocery shopping is the fragrance of fresh cilantro wafting up out of my eco-friendly shopping bag, teasing my nostrils the entire subway ride from Chinatown to Uptown.  When I get home, the first thing I do is take out the cilantro, twist off the root bottoms and put them in the little trash cup by the sink so that its perfume will grace my apartment, keeping me company and letting my senses know that there is always something to eat in my kitchen.

FRESH FRUIT An empty fruit bowl is a sign that all is not right in my kitchen.  I reach for fruit at all times of the day and night, and feel the loss if it is not there for me.  A day without fruit is like a day without air or light.  My favorite fruit, hands down, is the murcott or honey tangerine.  Sweet and juicy, I often cannot eat just one.  The other day I had a red grapefruit that filled my mouth with the unique flavor, both sweet and slightly sour that only a grapefruit can deliver with confidence.  A basket of apples is always found in my refrigerator; honey crisp, fuji and granny smith being my favorites for that crisp, crunchy refreshment that only an apple can deliver.

GRANOLA Having developed the preparation for this breakfast wonder decades ago to provide a wheat-free cereal to my reactive system, it is wholesome, filling and redolent with the aroma of cinnamon.  I love the flavor combination of the grains, nuts, raisins and molasses.  In my poorer days, I’ve given it as gifts.  I have never met anyone who, after tasting it, has given it less than enthusiastic reviews.   And I never tire of it, actually looking forward to those first pangs of hunger in the morning when I break my fast in a way that makes my mouth smile.  I sometimes cut it with cereal (usually puffed corn or rice) for added textural contrast.

HUMMUS This is my default prepared food, specifically Abraham’s Traditional flavor that has no artificial ingredients or preservatives, great flavor and consistency.  It is authentic, as the garlic and lemon notes attest.  Use it as a dip for vegs (especially mushrooms, sweet red pepper and carrots) and/or corn chips.  You can’t go wrong dipping while preparing dinner, or as a light lunch or snack.  Garnish with — what else? — cilantro!

SELTZER or CLUB SODA Flavored with a slice of lime — and sometimes spiked with a little creme de menthe — this keeps me hydrated with bubbles.  It can also be flavored with a bit of almond or vanilla extract, but it only needs a little!  Someone once said that if God hadn’t created water, man would have had to invent it.  If I’m feeling flush, I’ll pick up Perrier.  I love their huge bubbles!

SUSHI At the bargain prices in Chinatown for fresh, fresh, fresh sushi, I leave the making of it to the pros.  I adore it, especially salmon and occasionally tuna.  No faux sushi for me!  I love vegetables and steamed shrimp, but don’t go putting them in my salmon rolls.  Sticky rice, seaweed, wasabi, fresh ginger, sesame seeds, a little cilantro and a ripe avocado along with enhance the fresh, buttery salmon for what I think is a perfect meal.  If I’m treating myself, I will sometimes add tiny bright orange fish roe, for added texture.

YOGURT Plain yogurt is good on fresh fruit, under granola and mixed with dried fruit or into preserves (peach is my favorite).  Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream, and I also use it to make frozen yogurt in my new (end-of-year-bargain) ice cream maker.  When buying yogurt, don’t think that you have to buy the stuff with special additives; any plain yogurt has all of the benefits of this food’s natural microbial action.