Trading Apples for Oranges: From the Big Apple to Florida's Magic City

After a period of abnormally high stress or demands on my time and attention, I know things are settling back to 'normal' when I feel the urge to commit my thoughts to written word. After relocating to Miami from New York in early August, reconnecting to a base of family and friends, and beginning a new job and career path, the burning desire to write finally came coursing through my veins again. It's as if my mind now fully caught up to all the other changes that were taking place in and around me.

But let me get back to business - this is a blog dedicated to food. Forget my poetic musings on my sense of grounding through writing. What's the word on cooking and eating in this town?

One blatant observation surrounding the change in my diet, lifestyle - and state of mind - since moving to Miami is the increased sense of lightness and balance I've felt, versus the intensity and excess of New York. With the move of course came trade-offs.

I've had less time and facilities to cook for myself - but longer, slower and lighter meals at home and out. A lot less daily walking within my commute (Miami is a driver's city - not a pedestrian's), but a lot more cycling, running and swimming (the geography also makes it an outdoor enthusiast's dream). Less access to the farm-to-table bounty that is the Union Square Greenmarket - but more access to freshly-caught seafood and ceviche, mango and sardines from the Spanish market. Fewer 24-hour options and less of the varying extremes and excesses of Manhattan life (work too hard, indulge too hard) - but more balance, slowing down to enjoy my meals and the people I'm having them with. And a smaller waistline to boot. 

This isn't meant as a criticism of life in New York. I loved living (and eating) in that city with every ounce of my being, and I was 'all in' during most of my time there; until I wasn't. Every city has its culture. We're fluid beings that change and evolve over time - and an individual changes far more nimbly than the collective, hard-wired norms, code and 'rules' that have come to define a city's essence over time. I changed - but I didn't expect the city to change with me. So it stands to reason that as I evolved as an individual, I'd want to change cities to better align my attitudes and values to that of where I live (and eat).  

And so, I traded the "have-anything-you-want, as-much-as-you-want, when-you-want-it" culture of living and eating in Manhattan for the "slow-down-and-enjoy-a-bit-of-this-pastelito-and-a-bit-of-that-croqueta (but not too much - you need to look good in a bikini year-round)" attitude of Miami. I found my relationship to and enjoyment of food to be much more balanced once I diminished the extremes of New York. The balance I've found in that trade-off is exactly what I needed - though I'll always be a gal that enjoys first running the faucet hot or cold, before finding the perfect temperature. For me, balance is best enjoyed after I've first tested the extremes (and for that, I thank New York).

Stay tuned for recipes with the local good stuff - mango, plantains, coconut, avocado, and fish - soon.

In Defense of Gwyneth and Accused Food Elitists (Foodists?)

I like Gwyneth Paltrow. I loved her in Shakespeare in Love and Great Expectations, and thought she rocked it on Glee. With Goop, I chalk up her highly-satirized ability to recommend $5,000 kitchen accessories or designer leather booties as 'essentials' as part of her privileged (albeit highly skewed) charm. I'm a fan of her turn as lifestyle maven; from macrobiotic to now sometime-gluten-dairy-wheat-free foodist, her highly-publicized diets have provoked my curiosity (I'm fascinated by nutrition and the effects of different foods on different bodies). I find it incredibly amusing when someone with Paltrow's visibility is called an elitist, privileged crackpot for her 'crazy' diet ideas - and subsequently sells millions of cookbooks and gets more people talking about whether gluten or dairy could also be their personal version of the digestive devil. Clearly, it pays to have a thick skin.

The core accusation underlying Gwyneth's criticism is that of elitism. How can she recommend a nutritional lifestyle that eschews so much (coffee, alcohol, gluten, wheat, dairy, deep-water fish, shellfish, meat, etc.) and costs so much, when the vast majority lacks access to her resources? I'm not denying there's a grain of truth behind that - it's true of many individuals that, with and increase in wealth, comes a loss of perspective on what is accessible and essential to the 'other half'. But there's a difference between sharing your informed choices and tools for feeling better with others - and shoving those choices and tools down their throats, then proceeding to look down on them for not making those same choices. Until I know or see that Gwyneth is doing the latter, I think the popular 'elitist' accusation is rather judgmental on its own - at least when it comes to her dietary choices.

The same accusation of elitism is also often flung at the far less 'elite' who chose a nutritional lifestyle that excludes certain foods or methods, focuses on others - and comes with a price tag. Grass-fed beef, Whole Foods, farmer's market and organic produce devotees are often labeled as privileged yuppies; partially because it's generally a particular socio-economic group that can afford these choices frequently, and partially (and more annoyingly to many) because they feel so good eating this way they can't stop talking about it. So, with generalizations like these, are we really saying that being selective about what you eat and where it comes from - and being willing to pay more for it - make you 'elitist'?

I believe people toss the 'elitist' label around not as an accusation towards someone that is able to afford their choices, but rather to draw a line to prevent those 'elite' choices from becoming the norm that they are now expected to afford and conform to (or be judged, tarred and feathered for if they don't). Which makes sense when we're talking about a $1,000+ handbag as a "weekend essential" - but ceases to make sense when you're talking about access to whole, organic, or non-GMO food as essential to your diet.

I think the problem is actually in our expectations of what is 'essential' and acceptable when it comes to food. Much of the food industry (admission: I've previously worked for it) has done a wonderful job convincing us that mass produced, chemically treated and processed foods are good enough for us because they are widely available, cheap to produce, and subsidized. And its not just the processed foods that come in boxes and cans - an entire agricultural ecosystem and food supply has been engineered to provide faster, cheaper and more profitable food product - corn and soy are plentiful because they're genetically modified to grow anytime, anywhere. Meat production is vastly industrialized and chickens are fed antibiotics and hormones to grow fatter, faster. But it's just that: food PRODUCT. Not whole, organic food that is susceptible to nature and takes time to grow, dependent upon climate and season. It's a product designed for business, and it's no wonder more people than ever have sensitivities and allergies to things like gluten or dairy - they've been processed and treated with chemicals that nature (and your digestive system) never intended. But you will eat it and you will like it, damn it. While the real food grown naturally, at lower volumes - but to the benefit of nature and the people that consume it - require a higher price tag to sell and sustain.

So perhaps we should drop the name-calling and 'elitist' moniker altogether when it comes to food and nutrition, and instead question the industrialization practices that have led us to believe that chemically treated, processed or genetically modified foods are perfectly acceptable. They're making many people sick. I don't know what the precise answer is to cleaning up the US food supply, but I know other countries have started by requiring GMO labeling on all food products. So what I choose to do is continue reading and informing myself on food industry practices, push for legally-mandated GMO labeling and vote with my dollars. I buy organic produce, grass-fed beef and wild-caught seafood, and forego certain foods completely. And yes, I'll be pulling out Gwyneth's cookbook for recipe inspiration :)

Would love your thoughts,
- Paloma

A Meal Plan: A Week's Worth of Clean, Home-Made Meals in Two Shots

I'll admit: turning on an oven or stove top in a small Manhattan kitchen on a sweltering summer night isn't high on the list of 'things to look forward to all day'. But I've learned that, when it comes to eating well, a bit of upfront preparation saves you more time later (and poor decisions made in the haze of starvation). So, on most Sunday nights, I spend about an hour and a half batch-cooking several meals for the first half of the week.

One of the questions I'm most often asked is how I find the time to cook every day (immediately followed by "and can you cook for me?"). The answer is that I don't necessarily 'cook' every day. I cook about 3-4 times a week, but I make sure that I cook enough to constitute several meals that will just need to be re-heated throughout the week. While I'd love the magic of impromptu meal planning most nights - discussing ideas, choosing from ingredients bought that weekend at the farmer's market, and cooking together on a weeknight with a glass of wine in hand - the reality is that most days, our lifestyles just don't allow for that leisure. Batch cooking and a bit of meal-planning ensures that I have multiple home-hooked, nutritious and CLEAN lunches/dinners for the week - with room for spontaneity.

So, I thought I'd show you how I minimize my cooking but plan my meals to cover me throughout the week - leaving some flexibility for spontaneity. The following meal plan may cover up to 2 people, and meals can be swapped around. Each 'batch' can easily be increased to accommodate your and your family's needs. While I don't have first-hand experience raising kids just yet, I suspect that batch cooking could also provide an effective strategy for families with children.

So let's get to it. Here's how I'm planning my meals this week:

Key Batches/Meals:
Sunday night batches:
1) Roasted salmon with green onions and mustard sauce (RS)
2) Kale sautéed with garlic and pecans (KG)
3) Truffled cannelini bean mash (TC): for this , you'll need to soak 1 cup dry beans per two people the night prior, or early that morning.
* Tip: make a large batch of the mustard sauce - double what you'll need for the salmon - and you'll have home-made salad dressing ready to go for the next day or two. Forget the bottled variety at the grocery store

For the salmon: Buy about two large filets wild-caught salmon (don't risk Frankenfish with the farm-raised variety). Each filet will offer two individual servings. I ask for it de-skinned. Bring a large skillet (sprayed with olive oil) to medium heat on your stove top, and add the filet/s of salmon. When it starts to look translucent, break it up loosely with a wooden spatula until you have bite-sized pieces. At this point, add about 3-4 stalks chopped green onions, and about two tablespoons mustard sauce. Go lightly - I like to taste the salmon, so the mustard sauce should be a mild complement, not a heavy sauce. You want to see far more pink than what you do yellow from the mustard. When the salmon is cooked to your liking, take it off the heat.

While the salmon was cooling and set aside, I was working on chopping up a large mound of kale into smaller pieces, and set it aside. I also peeled and chopped about 3 cloves of fresh garlic. I set aside a handful of pecans. After the salmon was placed in containers, refrigerated and my skillet washed (remember, my Manhattan kitchen is PINT SIZED), I got ready for batch no. 2:

For the kale: Heat the skillet to medium heat. Spray about 1 tablespoon (or less) of olive oil. Add kale one handful at a time, and cook until it all starts turning bright green (and wilting - they WILL shrink). Start adding in the chopped garlic and pecans, until both are toasted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat, set aside. Two down, one to go.

For the beans: Take a breather. Clean up the kitchen. And get ready for your final batch. While a large pot with your beans is boiling and cooking, chop about four green onions. To keep more ready for the week (and for your more spontaneous scrambled eggs), chop 4 more stalks and keep in a covered container in our fridge. Follow these instructions for the bean mash, using the green onions. The anchovies are purely optional - it's summer and I crave lighter meals, so I left them out.

Wednesday night batches: 
1) Ground (grass-fed) beef with scallions and salsa verde (GB)
2) Roasted curried cauliflower florets (CC): This is Summer Tomato's recipe - I adapt/play with it and how I season it - so can you
3) Green lentil and green onion salad with cilantro (LC)

Stock Ingredients: These are things I have on hand for snacking, side dishes, or spontaneous meal preparation. Wherever possible, I chose organic. And ideally, source them from a farmer's market run on Saturdays (or Whole Foods):

• Arugula, or other greens
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Scallions or green onions
• Cilantro
• Lemons
• Blueberries (summertime only)
• Cherries (summertime only)
• Bananas
• Eggs
• Oats (whole - not the prepared, sweetened variety)
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Dry lentils
• Home-made vinaigrette, refrigerated (whisk olive oil, dijon mustard, white vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate. Beats anything out of a pre-packaged bottle)

The Meal Plan:
1) Monday: 
Lunch: Roasted Salmon + organic baby arugula (or other greens)
Snack: Sautéed Kale with Pecans
Dinner: Organic tomato and half a ripe avocado, chopped and drizzled with olive oil, topped with fresh cilantro. That or Truffled Cannelini bean mash + a side of greens drizzled with the mustard vinaigrette you saved from last night.

2) Tuesday:
Lunch: Roasted Salmon + bed of organic greens
Snack: Sautéed Kale with Pecans (or fruit)
Dinner: Cannelini bean mash + greens, or I'll be spontaneous. Scramble two eggs with fresh chopped scallions, and a side of a tomato drizzled with olive oil and cilantro.
* Tip 1: You can make the tomato salad fresh, or double up the night before and have this ready - though it won't be as 'crisp' and chopping and serving fresh.

3) Wednesday:
Lunch: Truffled Cannelini + bed of organic greens
Snack: Fruit (banana, cherries, blueberries - your pick)
Dinner: Wednesday night, I'll cook the Ground Beef (GB) and the Curried Cauliflower (CC), and the Lentil, Green Onion and Cilantro Salad (LC). I'll have some of the ground beef and cauliflower for dinner, but keep the rest for Thursday and Friday.

4) Thursday:
Lunch: Ground Beef + Curried Cauliflower
Snack: Fruit (banana, cherries, blueberries - your pick)
Dinner: Lentil Cilantro Salad served on a bed of greens. Might whisk up more of my mustard vinaigrette on the spot, Seriously, this will take less than 5 minutes. Keep the leftovers covered for another day (just re-stir or re-whisk).

5) Friday:
Lunch: Lentil Cilantro salad on a bed of greens
Snack: May walk to a store to pick something up - fresh fruit or yogurt
Dinner: Will have dinner out

So, in short: I cooked a few meals in one shot twice during the week, but it'll offer lunch and dinner for several days. I have fresh vegetables on hand to quickly cut up and serve as a salad, and quickly whisk my own home-made mustard vinaigrette to top raw vegetables with (though you can stick to olive oil + vinegar, if that's your thing). I snack on fresh fruit, yogurt or a salad. I bring fresh food to the office (like the bag of greens and fruit) and I keep it in the fridge for immediate access, and even have a small jar of olive oil and my own dijon mustard for dressing. And I allow room for spontaneity. When dinner pops up during the week, great - I'll keep what I had at home for lunch the next day.

One last note: you'll notice that breakfast was left off this list. I truly believe there's no excuse to skip breakfast. If you wake up just 10 minutes earlier, I promise you can get it together to make my crazy quick almond milk and chia seed oatmeal, which takes less than 5 minutes to cook on the stove top. You can even just grab a half avocado + banana, or some other fruits and almond milk, or yogurt and fruit and be done with it - no cooking required. But just get it together and make this meal count - it'll keep you satiated and energized until lunchtime.

Thoughts, questions? Till next time!

- Paloma

What the French (and Mom) Know About Maintaining Your Ideal Weight

For many of us West of the Atlantic, this past weekend (the long Independence Day holiday) was likely an exercise in extremes. With BBQs, picnics, parties and vacations rampant, it was likely marked by either extreme indulgence, or extreme self-restraint. I admittedly fell into the indulgence camp. I had the opportunity to spend the weekend at a country house in a small Connecticut town, where the biggest attractions are natural - lush, green, hilly surroundings for hiking/running/biking, and a lake for swimming/diving. Our intentions were good - we cooked every meal from scratch, enjoyed them as a family of friends and chose local, fresh ingredients wherever possible. Think wild caught seafood, quality cuts of beef from the local butcher (Mike), organic produce, etc. So why did we still end up with a grocery bill that 'nearly broke the town record' according to the butcher and store owner? And why did we have to cook and consume enough fresh cooked meals to feed 4 over a week - in 3.5 days? Because we're Manhattanites that have taken the 'go big or go home' a bit too seriously, that's why.

But seriously - we had an amazing time (and swam/hiked/dove/laughed off everything we ate) - so I can just chalk it up to a few days of enjoying some rather simple pleasures in the company of good friends. But I can't help but observe - the French (and Spaniards, and Italians for that matter) are notorious for living the good life and enjoying these familiar feasts much of the time - not exclusively on long holiday weekends. How come the word 'detox' is rarely - if ever - uttered by them after a long weekend?

I think it boils down to the culture of mindful eating. The French (and their neighbors) generally respect their meals. They sit down to eat. They chew their food, sip their wine and can linger over a dish for a good hour. Meals are celebrated - the details and nuances of texture, color, flavor and aroma are enjoyed slowly - so that each bite lasts. Conversation unfolds during the meal - and most diners aren't talking through a mouthful of food. They put their fork down and talk in between bites. In short - lunch (or dinner) is not inhaled in 5 or 10 minutes. And after 25 minutes over the same small dish they started with - they might even realize they're satisfied (head's up: it takes the brain 20 minutes to realize you're full). Which is in contrast to the second helping many of us likely have after 25 minutes over a given long weekend.

So, to surmise, I'm going back to the basics, and to what Mom always told me (but I needed an expert, or the French, to remind me). All the good-for-you fresh food choices in the world won't make up for the 300+ extra calories (and I'm being kind) you were too full to need, anyways. So sit down, slow your eating down, chew your food slowly and take at least 20 minutes over your dish. Enjoy that glass of wine and the conversation - in between bites and with a mouth devoid of food). And you may not need to 'detox' after a long weekend again.

P.S. In case you're detoxing today - try this for a few meals this week. It doesn't even need a recipe. Scramble the eggs, add chopped (organic) green onions and enjoy. Slowly. :)

- Paloma

Fresh Summer Dining (and Imbibing): Meal Pairing Ideas

Summer is to fresh, light meals what winter is to comfort food. While it instinctively FEELS easier to eat fresh, light and quick-to-prepare meals in the summer - it's also easier to forget that your own kitchen and market-bought produce are part of your routine when you're spending a lot more time out soaking up summer. Alas, guacamole, chips, and two (or three) margaritas aren't exactly what 'fresh seasonal dining' refers to.

While I wouldn't dare suggest you shouldn't enjoy that occasionally (I'll take my guac with a caipirinha, please), I do want to give you some ideas for what you can prepare yourself this summer - in advance or on the spot - to treat yourself and loved ones to the best of the season (without gaining a pound). And in the spirit of kicking back, it will even go well with whatever you're imbibing on:

1) To pair with a mimosa at brunch:

Buy: 

• 1/2 cup quick organic oats
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• Do you know that this almond milk has 50% more calcium than cow's milk? It's also a crazy strong source of Vitamins E and B12, which you need for skin health and for higher energy level, among numerous other benefits
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• These kids are loaded with magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and fatty acids for slower digestion - and all you need is 1 tbsp 
• 2 tablespoons Just Great Stuff organic peanut butter powder
• I add this for texture, additional protein and more flavor - but it's entirely optional
• Organic blueberries
• For sweetness, texture - optional
• 1 tablespoon acacia honey

Prepare: 

• Add all the ingredients to a small pan and bring to a boil
• Pour into a bowl, top with a tablespoon of honey and blueberries, to taste

Enjoy:

• All this for under 300 calories, a ton of protein from the almond milk and powdered peanut butter, Omega-3 from the chia seeds, half your Vitamin E and B12 daily requirement, several other nutritional benefits - and a delicious, satisfying breakie. 

2) To pair with a good glass of Albariño (or any good glass of wine) at lunch or dinner:

Buy: 

• Dry lentils of any variety (1 cup dry for 2-3 servings)
• I have yet to see a definitive point of view or answer on whether sprouted lentils vs. regular cooked lentils are nutritionally superior. So keep in mind that they're both light in calories but nutritionally dense per cup of cooked lentils (great sources of iron and protein), and go with whatever texture you prefer.
• Olive Oil (1.5 tablespoons)
• Fresh cilantro
• Salt, pepper, lemon to taste

Prepare: 

• Bring a pot of water to boil, cook the beans for about 5-8 minutes, depending on how dense vs. soft you prefer the texture
• Rinse
• Toss with olive oil and chopped cilantro
• Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste

Enjoy:

• Serve it as an accompaniment to salmon, over greens or by itself. And savor with wine.

3) To pair with a cold margarita or caipirinha:

Buy:

• 85% (or higher) lean, grass-fed ground beef (1 lb. for 2-3 servings)
• Organic scallions, or green onions (4 stalks)
• Bottled salsa verde (never canned)
• If you want to make this yourself, hats off! I admit I served mine from a Stonewall Kitchen bottle - of natural ingredients only, not a preservative in sight. If I were having you over for dinner, I would never serve you anything from a can. But if you must, read the label and choose wisely.
• Fresh cilantro ('tis the season)

Prepare:

• Chop 4 stalks of scallions
• Cook the ground beef in a heated pan, breaking it up with a wooden spatula
• You won't need oil - the beef will cook in its own fat as its released, which I like to drain out as I go. But this is up to you.
• Cook until it's of your desired texture and taste - I like mine relatively well done
• Before it's fully cooked, add the chopped scallions and a few tablespoons of salsa verde
• Top with cilantro

Enjoy!

• I eat to avoid inflammation and acidity, so I only pair beef with greens - never rice, bread or starches. But if you have no digestive issues to contend with, feel free to serve on top of rice, in a soft taco shell, or alongside greens, as I do. 
• The mild heat of the salsa verde will pair amazingly with the sweet tartness of the margarita (or cocktail with similar flavor profile)

4) And, for dessert... (with a good glass of port, or whatever you'd like, really)

Buy (per serving):

• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (same one I mentioned above, for the same reasons)
• 1/4 cup vanilla coconut milk (high in Vitamins B12 and D, which you need for energy)
• 1.5 tablespoons chia seeds (for the same reasons I mentioned above: protein, Omega-3 and slower digestion = more energy, babe)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened, organic grated coconut (for texture)
• 1 tablespoon honey, to taste

Prepare:

• Add all the ingredients (except the grated coconut) to a cup/small bowl and mix
• Top with the grated coconut
• Cover and refrigerate overnight

Enjoy:

• You soak this overnight so that the chia seeds expand; they will be tasteless but provide a tapioca-like texture. And by combining the chia seed with a protein source like almond milk facilitates easier absorption by your body
• This is nutrition disguised as dessert, with just a bit of sweetness from the honey and the natural sweetness of the coconut milk
• A bit of sugar - but a lot of slow-burn energy
• Have it for dessert, as a snack, or with breakfast

Until next time,

- Paloma

Weekend Smug Satisfaction: Conquering Fava Beans

My intention in starting this blog was to focus on fresh, nutritious and easy recipes that ultimately satiate your taste for good food, nourish your body - but take minimal time and effort to prepare. Which makes fresh fava beans a bit of an anomaly. While they're still in season and incredibly delicious, I have to caution you that these will take about 40 minutes to prepare and cook. Cook these on the weekend while sipping a glass of wine and you'll feel grounded and accomplished. Cook these on a weeknight while you're hungry and you may feel more frustrated and hungry than smugly satisfied.

So, onwards. Why fresh fava beans? Nutritional benefits, according to Livestrong (hey, love him or hate him - the website is still a fantastic source of information):

A one cup serving of cooked fava beans provides 187 calories, 33 g of carbohydrates, 13 g of protein, and 1 g of fat. Fava beans are an excellent source of fiber with 9 g per one cup serving. Additionally, fava beans offer the benefit of 177 mcg of folate, or 44 percent of the daily value. Copper, manganese, and phosphorus are also key nutrients present in fava beans. Canned fava beans have 500 mg of sodium in one cup, while the fresh variety has only 18 mg.

Now, here's what you do with them:

1. Buy: About 2 lbs. of fresh beans. 2lbs. will yield just over a cup of beans, in the end, and you'll lose all of the beans' shells.
2. Shelling Part One: Bean by bean, you'll tear or cut off the tip, pull on the stalk or 'string' on the horizontal side of the bean, open the shell and just keep the 4-5 beans inside each shell. They will look like wax-coated beans. Depending on how many you buy, this is where you'll spend most of your time.
3. Cook: Boil them or steam them. I boiled mine between 5 - 10 minutes.
4. Cool: Remove the now shriveled-looking beans from the hot pot, and run under cold water to cool off. 
5. Shelling Part Two: Once cooled, you're going to take each bean and apply manual pressure in order to pop the smaller bean out of the waxy, shriveled shell. You'll be left with shiny, bright green beans that look like the photo above.
6. Dress Them Up: This is the easy part. Add some olive oil, salt (or truffle salt, in my obsessed manner), ground pepper and cilantro to taste. If you're among those that dislike cilantro, try basil, parsley, or another fresh herb to your liking. 
7. Chill and Enjoy! A perfect light summer salad served cold, by itself, as an accompaniment to grilled fish, or tossed with greens.
8. Extra points: Try this with liver and chianti. Ja!

Until next time,

- P

Summertime and the Livin' Is Easy (when you're not in front of a computer screen)

So, Miami threw me off course - it's been over two weeks and I haven't made the time to write since. It's summer in Manhattan (and on this hemisphere, for that matter): days stretch longer; I get off the train a few stops earlier just to languish in the warmer air and sunlight. Visits to the grocery store give way to the sunnier, more luscious and seasonal farmer's market. Dinner is had outdoors, or with the balcony door swung open. Malbec is replaced by rose. You get the picture - I'm inclined to spend far less time behind a computer screen and more outdoors. I may not have made time to write until today, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking or eating right.

Since I assume you want to spend less time behind a computer screen now, aw well, I'm going to focus on visual cooking ideas, instead of the usual copy-based recipes. So here's what I've got for you:

1. Wild-caught salmon grilled with scallions and topped with cilantro, served on a bed of organic mesclun lettuce. 

• These are legit, nutritions greens - lamb's lettuce, arugula varieties, spinach, etc.

1. Sprouted green lentil salad, served with a bit of olive oil, truffle salt and cilantro

• These kids are amazing for you - protein, low-glycemic carbs, and iron

1. The now ubiquitous truffled cannelinni bean mash (with green onions), served on fresh kale

Easy, perfect for summer lunch (or dinner). I'll let you get back to your rose now.

Farmer's Market Update for Summer Tomato

I had the pleasure and opportunity to cover the Union Square Greenmarket for one of my favorite blogs, Summer Tomato, this past weekend. Thought I'd share it here, as well.

And with that, back to my vacation!

http://summertomato.com/farmers-market-update-union-square-greenmarket/

Getting Out of Dodge (Clearing Out the Kitchen) and Skipping the Stove

I'm getting ready to head out of dodge for a week in Miami tomorrow - stay tuned for some food porn of local dishes down there - so I'll keep this post short and visual.

My market run last Saturday (and one more in between) got me through the week deliciously. I wanted to make sure I left nothing fresh in my kitchen that could spoil by the time I return (the tragedy of letting the last batch of ramps go to waste!). So I cooked up those ramps with everything from mushrooms to my cannellini bean salad with anchovies, and even baked them with small sweet potatoes and olive oil. The tomatoes and basil were gone in a few days, and the filets of skate from my Wednesday night fish market run were grilled with quinoa and green garlic pesto for a friend last night - and accompanied by the first of many, many glasses of rose this summer. So the kitchen is now empty of fresh produce, and ready for another run when I'm back from Miami.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a couple of photos from my bounty. So simple you really don't need much of a recipe for these. Which is actually one of the many great aspects of Spring and Summer cooking. With great, fresh produce and simple ingredients, there's not much 'cooking' involved. When it's hot out, the last thing you want is the heat from the stove. And sometimes, cold ingredients like crispy greens, a vine-ripened tomato - or opening a jar of anchovies in olive oil - is all you need. So, behold:

1. Micro sunflower greens with anchovies and lemon-shallot dressing (max 5 ingredients in the dressing: lemon juice, shallots, olive oil, salt and pepper)
2. Fresh tomatoes with basil, olive oil, truffle salt and pepper
3. Oyster mushrooms with ramps sautéed in a small spray of olive oil, with truffle salt and pepper. Get yourself this brilliant little tool to control an even distribution and quantity of olive oil.

More to come from Miami next week. Have a great Memorial Day, wherever you are. And thank you to all the servicemen and women out there!

xx,

- Paloma

Get 'Em Before They're Gone: Greenmarket Ramps Sauteed with Oyster Mushrooms

I hit Union Square's Greenmarket yesterday and bagged some amazing ingredients for this week's seasonal Spring dishes, based on completely different ingredients than what have become my habit. Hey, habits are fantastic - they're what keep us disciplined, are stronger than willpower and help us make consistent progress toward our goals - but they can breed boredom. I left my green market run with 9 ingredients (photo above) for at the very least 6 new dishes, each using 5 or fewer ingredients. I'm going to break up the recipes into individual posts over the next couple of weeks, but will start with two ingredients: ramps and oyster mushrooms.

Ramps look and cook like scallions, but taste like creamy garlic. They can be chopped and sauteed to flavor other dishes, and the long leaf can even be eaten whole. Nutritionally, they deliver 30% of your daily requirement of Vitamin A (for healthy skin, bones, soft tissues and vision) and 20% of your required Vitamin C intake (for stronger immunity). They're also a great source of folic acid (needed for cell regeneration and to the reduce the risk of heart disease and colon cancer) and selenium (an antioxidant that helps repair damaged cells and keeps your thyroid healthy).

Oyster mushrooms have a rich history in Chinese medicine. They are respected for their antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and are understood to have a detoxifying effect in your system. Not to mention that they taste creamy - I'm willing to set aside the portobello mushroom and claim these as my Favorite Funghi thus far.

So they're great for you, check. Now here's what I did with them as one course of a highly seasonal Spring dinner: behold, sauteed oyster mushrooms with ramps:

• Prep: Wash 6 ramps (if you're cooking for two) and 2-3 large oyster mushrooms. On the ramps, cut off the tiny edge that appears to have 'hair' at the end. Then chop the entire ramp, including the leaf - it's edible, tastes and cooks great. For the oyster mushrooms, simply pull off the bulbs and set aside. Toss any 'stems' at the heart of the mushroom that may feel too hard for your taste.
• Cook: Drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil on a good saucepan. Once, heated, add your chopped ramps and oyster mushroom bulbs. Stir and cook until the mushrooms shrink and are visibly cooked. They might look a bit translucent.
• Serve: Add salt and pepper to taste (I used Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black peppercorn). Enjoy with a good glass of rose on a Spring night (or afternoon)

Told you it'd be easy. If you try this, let me know what you think! More to come,

- Paloma

Preview: Sunday Night Dinner

So, I started out making my truffled cannellini mash for the week, but decided to add a couple of different flavors and texture - some crispiness and savoriness with green onions, and some saltiness with anchovies. What's not photographed is the truffle oil and salt, but this was an experiment in photographing fresh ingredients, as much as it was cooking. Rookie mistake? Yes. But you have to start somewhere.

Recalibration, Day 2.5 and Disaster Prevention: What to Keep On Hand for When You're Too Tired To Cook

* Image attribution to New York Times

I'll keep this post short, and without a recipe per se - but with some creative, easy go-to recommendations.

Some of you may know that I'm challenging myself with a two-week recalibration to shake my sugar addiction (beyond the obvious, see this video to understand why I believe this is important), and to generally hit the reset button on my body and digestive system. I generally make very healthy food choices, buy and consume a lot of organic produce, choose pastured beef - but good Lord, do I love my sweets. 2+ tablespoons of honey with my morning oatmeal. Honey and lemon with green tea (twice a day). A little piece of chocolate after lunch or dinner - you get the picture. It may be natural, but it sure adds up (did you think I was done with the honey after breakfast? Nay.) Once you have some of the good stuff, your taste buds generally want MORE.

So, back to recalibration. Darya Rose's approach is very simple and boils down to eliminating 4 key foods:

1. No sugar 
2. No wheat
3. No dairy
4. No alcohol

So, I'm 2.5 days in, and I can already notice a clear change in my mood and energy levels throughout the day. No highs and lows of blood-sugar (and energy level) before and after meals. No bloating.  A clearer mind. And I'm challenging myself with slowing down and recognizing what's driving any desires to snack - is it escapism from a piece of work I'm trying to crack, boredom, frustration - or truly hunger? 

I'm definitely 'all in' on this. I feel good. I'm motivated to lose my rabid sweet tooth, and to gain full control and awareness over my food choices. Call me a masochist, but I enjoy a challenge that forces me to understand what's beneath any sense of discomfort.

But last night, after a later evening at the office and catching up with some friends, I didn't get home until after 9pm, feeling tired and HUNGRY - and honestly, not motivated to wait 20 minutes to cook some quinoa or farro. I was also out of fresh greens (and in need of a market run immediately). I know this is a question often asked by a lot of us - what do you choose that is easy and healthy when you just don't feel like cooking? I need this go-to list, as well - so here's what I netted out at:

• Eggs (organic): they take 5 minutes to scramble and cook (I enjoy a good breakfast for dinner)
• Arugula, kale or baby spinach for a quick salad (just add olive oil, salt, pepper and toss)
• Baby tomatoes: Toss with olive oil, by themselves or with other greens. You can lose count of these kids and they won't make a dent in your waistline - but they will fill you up
• Avocado: Take half, add salt and eat by itself or on greens. Alternatively, mix with bananas, lemon juice and fresh pineapple chunks (if you have them). Delicious salad with protein, essential fatty acids, vitamin C and natural sweetness.
• Yellow squash: 5 minutes to shred with a good peeler and saute in 5 minutes. And behold... squash 'pasta'!
• Bananas: Instant potassium and satiation when you'd otherwise grab a cookie. Also, toss with avocado for a surprisingly good salad.
• Gluten free oats (devoid of any traces of wheat): 5 minutes to home cooked oatmeal. Again with the breakfast for dinner
• Almond butter (more nutritious than peanut butter): Make sure you choose one that is natural, has 2-3 ingredients max. Store it bottom up so that the oil rises to the bottom of the jar. Add it to almond milk and a banana for a nutritious, tasty and fast smoothie.

I know I'm but touching the surface here - there's so much you can keep on hand to maintain your healthy food choices, even when you just...don't...feel...like cooking. What other ideas do you have? I'd love to hear and learn from your creative go-tos.

P.S. So much for a short post. Have a great weekend!

- Paloma

Why (Good) Habits Beat Willpower: The Habits of a 'Foodist'

I've had at least a couple of conversations recently about the mindfulness (or rather, the risks of the mindlessness) of eating. It seems that when the daily routines and stresses of our lives - and the need to be distracted from and escape them - accumulate and frustrate us, many of us tend to fall into a pattern of mindless eating. It may seem negligible - an afternoon cookie treat never killed anyone. But too often, when stress and a sense of mental or emotional discomfort persists beyond a few days, mindless eating becomes a pattern. You may develop the craving for something sweet every afternoon around 3pm. Fruit might be replaced by a cookie. And too many late nights at work might elevate from a fling to mercurial relationship in the always-receptive web of Seamless (or takeout) - all accompanied by 3 glasses of Malbec. Eat your feelings, much?

Some of you may have heard me rave about Summertomato before, as a smart resource for practical food + nutrition information, and a no-b.s. whole foods philosophy. So it felt like a moment of serendipity when I stumbled on Darya Rose's post yesterday, Focus More On Your Mind and Less On Your Diet If You're Serious About Losing Weight. While I encourage you to read the piece and take from it what you will, I was left mulling over three key ideas:

1. Stress doesn't always have to lead to mindless eating: Mindless eating is rarely about hunger, and more often about the need to satiate a higher-order need. If you're reaching for the delivery menu and a keypad stroke away from eating your feelings, what need are you looking to fill? 
2. Mindless eating (stress) is stronger than willpower: I understand that answering the aforementioned question (what emotion am I eating?) requires some self-reflection that will most often require some time. But the awareness of that question may make the difference between fried rice with orange chicken and, say - a sushi roll and a seaweed salad.
3. But good habits trump all:  Develop beneficial habits that produce a compelling reward (personally, compliments or fitting into an old high-school dress work for me. Vanity, thy name is Paloma...), and you'll stick to them. Find healthy foods you enjoy eating, find a workout you thoroughly enjoy and make them more readily available to you. Pack your lunch. Find a home workout for when you can't get to the gym. Start by identifying those desired actions (and eventual habits) that feel good for you to do. Give yourself - at the very least - 2 weeks for consistent actions to become a habit.

On that note, I realize 'healthy' food has become something like the word 'engagement' in my industry (digital marketing): overused, lacking definition and unnecessarily meaningless. What is 'healthy' when packaged food labels scream 'low-GI', 'natural', 'organic' or what be it - and, despite eating your weight's worth in them - you're still not losing weight (hence the problem)? Enter the whole foods philosophy of Darya Rose (and encouraged by others).

Darya recently published Foodist: Using Real Food and Real Science to Lose Weight Without Trying. At the expense of oversimplifying, it's a practical guide to identifying whole, real foods (read: most of them won't come with an ingredients label) that you LOVE, and building a practical, sustainable food-style around them. While cooking your own food is a large part of maintaining good habits (and why I started this blog), she recognizes you WILL and should enjoy restaurants, as well - and will identify how you can navigate restaurant selections to your benefit. Lastly, it's all grounded in science - she's a neuroscientist.

This will be my nightly reading for the next few days. In the spirit of sharing what's on my radar and guiding my decisions, thought I'd make you aware of it, as well.

- P

Hit the Sauce! Home-Made Basil Pesto

After catching a Spring cold (and allergies), I've very reluctantly spent more of the weekend indoors than I'd have liked. Despite the perfect 50's - 60's temperatures, endless sun and perfect biking conditions - congestion, going through multiple tissues in a half hour, eyes welling up, etc. - made it too uncomfortable to be outdoors for long. I know...DEAD SEXY. But rather than sulk more than I already have, I decided to up my own ante as a home chef by making my own sauce from scratch. I wanted something fresh, versatile, easy on ingredients (less than 5) and quick to prepare. Hands down, I went for basil pesto.

I'll start by saying that - in addition to being delicious and one of the most aromatic herbs that can fill your kitchen - the humble basil leaf is rather nutritious. And for someone that suffers from highly irregular PVCs (they're under control now), I was surprised to learn that basil is actually particularly good for cardiovascular health. According to Livestrong (say what you will about Armstrong, but the site is still extremely informative):

• Basil is high in several vitamins and minerals related to cardiovascular health, including the antioxidant vitamin A, which prevents free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol and causing it to build up in the blood vessels; and the mineral magnesium, which causes the muscles and blood vessels to relax, thereby helping improve blood flow and reduce risk of irregular heartbeat or heart spasms. Dried and fresh basil are both high in folate and vitamin K and contain trace amounts of vitamin E and the rest of the B vitamins. Basil also has vitamin C, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and trace amounts of other essential minerals.
• Additionally, basil contains flavonoids like vicenin and orientin with antioxidant properties, as demonstrated in a 2001 study reported in "Mutation Research." The study showed that these two compounds, extracted from Indian holy basil, protect human lymphocytes from exposure to low and non-toxic levels of radiation. Basil also has volatile oils with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, as demonstrated in a 2010 "Pharmaceutical Biology" study on sweet basil. The researchers found that its essential oils have antibacterial effects on a number of pathogens, including staphylococcus.

So it's delicious, can aid cardiovascular (and overall) health, fills a kitchen with an incomparably fresh, natural scent, and is versatile (use to top cannellini beans on in my truffled mash, pasta, crostini or with vegetables). And it was crazy easy to make. Here's how:

• Buy: A generous bunch of fresh basil (preferably organic), good olive oil, pine nuts and sea salt. 
• Prep: In a food processor/chopper, add basil and about 2 tablespoons pine nuts and chop. If the container is too small to hold all your basil leaves at once, just chop as much as you can and then add more basil leaves gradually. Once all your basil and the 2-3 tablespoons of pine nuts are chopped, slowly add a bit of olive oil (a drizzle at a time) until it reaches your desired consistency. Personally, I like mine a bit chunky, with a much higher ratio of basil and pine nuts to olive oil. But the consistency is your call.
• Eat: Enjoy as a sauce over pasta, spread it on bread, or savor your creation from a small spoon. Refrigerate the rest and enjoy throughout the week.

Despite my nasty congestion, I thoroughly enjoyed the scent of basil throughout my kitchen, and the smug satisfaction of knowing I made this classic Italian sauce myself - and that it tasted amazing. I might now be ready to cook for my Italian friends. Dolce vita indeed.

- Paloma

Them's the Rules: Balanced Meals for Optimal Digestion (and Pesto + Kale Picadillo)

Thanks to my Mom (The Greatest), I learned a couple of years ago that - for many (not all) of us - how we combine our foods can either help our hamper our digestion. Thanks to my mom's discovery of the very informative Sherry Brescia, I learned that I'm one of those that needs to pair foods in select combinations to work with my body's natural digestive process. In other words: I can only eat - say, a protein with greens, but not with bread or pasta. The wrong food combination can be very difficult for my body to digest, leaving me feeling pretty sick - and too much acidity accumulated over time. 

At the expense of grossly oversimplifying Ms. Brescia's philosophy, here's how the guidelines of optimal food pairing loosely break down:

• Protein (beef, pork, poultry, fish) + non-starchy vegetables (think greens) = good
• Non-starchy veggie + starch (or grain) = good
• Starch (or grain) + protein = bad
• Greens, non-starchy vegetables work great with just about anything; safe food
• Dairy by itself = good
• Dairy + pretty much anything else = bad
• Fruit + 0 = good
• Fruit + pretty much anything else = bad

If you're realizing that these equations add up to my inability to eat a hamburger with a bread bun, a grilled cheese sandwich or a slice of pizza with cheese seductively and brazenly oozing over the edges, you'd be correct. But sticking to these guidelines most of the time has made a world of a difference in my digestion and how I feel. So them's the rules I cook and eat by, most of the time. And on that rare occasion I eat a slice of pizza? No big deal. It's all about maintaining a heavier balance of discipline over indulgence.

So, in the spirit of properly balanced meals, here's a favorite recipe that I cooked for a friend last night. I'll call it pesto + kale picadillo - Cuban-style ground beef, but simmered in basil pesto (instead of the traditional tomato, garlic, red pepper + herbed sauce). A couple of notes on why this particular dish is optimized for digestion: the white rice as the bed for the picadillo is absent, and the parmesan for the basil pesto. Instead, lets elevate the mighty kale leaf as our non-starchy green; it's one of the most nutritious around (see below). According to WebMD:

• One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of the minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
• Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.

But I digress. Onto this crazy easy protein + non-starchy green recipe:

• Buy: 1/2 lb - 1 lb of ground beef for two people, depending on if you want left-overs for the next day. I chose 85% lean beef, grass-fed and locally raised beef from Jersey - but I saw Food Inc. (and read too many investigative pieces) and am very selective about my food choices based on their source. You decide what's right for you. 
• Also, a large bunch of organic kale, and basil pesto
• For the pesto, you can either make your own (without cheese), or try Meditalia's if you're in a hurry (like I was last night). I like Meditalia's because it's dairy free and non-GMO. If you read the above combinations, you'll remember that I can't combine dairy with most anything else - and I think pesto is equally delicious without the cheese, anyways. Good olive oil, basil and salt? I'm happy.
• Prep: Wash the kale and cut up the leaves by hand, leaving the steam aside. I'd aim to fill a medium bowl with the chopped kale - it will shrink rapidly when cooked.
• Cook: Add the ground beef to a good skillet (I swear by WearEver Pure Living) at medium heat, using a wooden spoon to break down the ground beef into small pieces. You want your beef pieces to look like the size you'd expect in a bowl of chili. Cook until it's pretty well done - I like to see the edges lightly brown. After about 10 minutes, add the kale. Stir it in so that beef covers the pesto. Cook for about 1 minute or two, until the kale shrinks from its original size and crispy texture.
• Dress it up: Add about 3 tablespoons of basil pesto if you're cooking 1 lb of meat. Allow sauce to cook along with the beef and kale at very low heat, stirring the mixture together for about 2 minutes. You're not looking for a soupy consistency here - you want just enough sauce to flavor the beef, not drown it.
• Eat and enjoy: My friend Seth, a beef lover, enjoyed this thoroughly, and wants to repeat himself. I consider this a compliment.

P.S. If you suspect you have any digestive 'issues' - I highly recommend checking out Sherry Brescia's approach. It's rooted in research and extremely easy to follow - no gimmicks, no deprivation, no shakes or juices - just some smart guidelines to work with your body's digestion using REAL, whole and natural foods (ALL of them). That said, as a marketer that believes in the critical importance of creating a strong product/experience first - and a strong brand identity/design immediately thereafter (or in parallel), I wish I could get my hands on Ms. Brescia's brand identity and site design. I beg you to overlook the brochure-wear site structure and non-existing UX - and instead focus on the content. It's dead on.

- P

Meatless Mondays: Truffled Cannellini Bean Mash

Happy Monday, all. Mondays might be your most sullen day of the week - but I'd bet it's also when you good intentions and sense of discipline are at their highest. Planning to exercise after work, prepare a healthy dinner at home, etc. You may have even brown-bagged your lunch today, no?

On that note, I've got a proposal you to try on Sunday or Monday nights. Let's take cannellini beans ('alubias', for the Latins among us). A quarter cup of these little kids packs about 10g of protein, 15% of your minimum daily iron needs, 4g of fiber, some calcium, a negligible amount of fat and about 130 calories. Let's say you want a more substantial meal and go with a half cup. More carbs, yes - but these are quality, low-glycemic, low-sugar carbs that will keep you energized and satiated for hours. They're a complex carb and strong source of protein that you can pair with greens or other vegetables for the proverbial 'nutritional powerhouse' - and they can taste creamy, rich and satiating. There's also theories that the higher percentage of legumes in the diet customarily associated with Hispanic women may be associated with the lower incidence of breast cancer associated with this demographic. Obviously, we want more of these in our diet.

I think you can do far better than eating your beans from a can of Goya, Eden Organic, or anyone else out there (skipping the BPA often lurking in the can's lining, foregoing any preservatives and staying as close to the natural ground they came from as possible). I think you can prepare and cook your own beans at home rather easily. And I think you can do it deliciously as a truffled cannellini bean puree that you can toss on a bed of greens, dip carrots or other vegetables into, or just slowly savor dipping and eating right off the spoon. Mmm, naughty.

So here's how you do it:

• Prep (enough for 2 people, or about 2-3 servings for yourself): 
• Scoop 1 cup dry cannellini beans. I like Idaho's Zursun beans (grown in the US), but you can try other brands.  
• Add enough water to cover the beans, and then some. You'll be letting them soak overnight or while you're at work, and they WILL expand - so be generous with the water.

• Cook:
• After soaking for at least 5 hours, drain the beans with a sieve
• Place the drained beans (should have expanded from how you first found them) into a pot, and fill generously with water. Get ready to boil those kids on your stovetop.
• Bring to a boil and let cook at high heat for about 20 minutes. You want them tender and easy to cream.
• Dress 'em up:
• Here's the fun part. Once boiled, transfer the tender beans into an empty bowl or other glass container (they'll be hot). And get ready to mash the *#$% out of them. Really put your weight into it. Cream 'em.
• Add 2 tablespoons black truffle oil, salt and ground pepper to taste. I love white truffle salt from The Filling Station. Mad versatile - I use this on eggs, salads, pasta, faro, etc. And it lasts for months. But you can also use regular sea salt, and the black truffle oil will be sufficient to add that incomparable flavor.
• Once you're satisfied with the texture (this is up to you), cover and refrigerate. It'll fare well for 2-3 days or so.
• Eat:
• This paste is delicious, and extremely versatile. You can expect to get at least 1 - 1.5 servings each if you cooked for 2, or 2-3 if for yourself.
• Spread it on bread, dip carrots into it, toss it on greens or eat by itself; I promise this will taste like an indulgent, satiating lunch - but will actually be pretty damn good for you.

Enjoy! Would love to hear if you try it, and what you think of it.

- P

In Season: The Elusive (Baby) Artichoke

One oft-lauded theory I try to practice is eating produce that is in-season (and preferably, local). Sounds simple enough, but figuring out exactly what's in season and what isn't can be tricky when so much produce at our markets is imported (or worse - genetically modified to grow year-round). Stumbling onto this infographic was a God-send - visual, clear, simple. I've saved the images to my iPhone for easy reference at the store; might help you, too.

Which brings me to a rather polarizing Spring vegetable: artichokes! I thought I was relatively fearless in the kitchen, but seriously - every time I see these thorny little kids at the market, I turn my gaze downwards and stroll past them, hoping they won't recognize my shame. I know they're delicious when cooked a la Romana, amazing steamed and drizzled with olive oil, and loaded with nutrition. According to Organic Authority, they're a 'super source' of fiber, Vitamin C, magnesium, iron and potassium, and known for their antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye health. They're considered detoxifying (a liver-cleanser), a diuretic, a digestive aid and lower cholesterol. So what's not to love and OD on while they're in season? The fact that they're intimidating as hell to prepare - at least to the novice (me).

So, I went for a 10-mile bike ride (it's a mind-blowing beautiful Spring day in Manhattan - 60s - so the whole city is in heat), and came home energized to do this. I bought baby artichokes (smaller, faster to cook, and you can eat the heart whole, unlike regular artichokes). I wanted them crispy vs. soggy, so I decided I'd experiment with an 'a la Romana' variation (read: not fried and quick to prepare). So here's what I did:

1. Prepare: 1 large bowl with ice and the juice of half a lemon; toss in the used lemon slices
2. Clean: Wash them. Then cut off the stem and the top layer of the baby artichokes, removing all the thorny ends and outer leaves. See this for detailed reference. While the recommendation was to remove any leaves with purple, I decided to keep some of them on because I actually enjoy the crispier, firm texture of the outside layers. Plus, I wanted protection from their becoming soggy. This was my choice (for better or worse), but you can chuck any leaves with purple.
3. Protect (from browning): As I finished cleaning each choke, I'd quarter it and immediately add it to the bowl in step 1 
4. Cook: Heated a great ceramic pan (medium heat) with 1 tbsp olive oil and finely chopped garlic. I used a couple of cloves, but this is entirely up to you. Shook the water out of the artichoke quarters, and tossed them onto the pan. Added more lemon juice and truffle salt gradually, lowered the heat a bit, and cooked them for about 10-15 minutes at lower heat. I like them a bit crispy, so that was sufficient for me.

And voila: the finished product is photographed.

The verdict: Very tasty (the olive oil, lemon and truffle salt complemented them perfectly). Crispy and chewy on the exterior (granted - I like them a bit burnt). Creamier as you get closer to the middle. And the intimidation factor is gone. I can cut and prepare baby artichokes. But this was only strike 1 - I'll continue experimenting with these until I land on the perfect degree of crispiness to honor the Romans' intention. Stay tuned for that one.

Have a great weekend!

- P

Picking out the real food from the junk at the supermarket

I'm a big fan of Darya Rose's blog, Summer Tomato. Straight-up, science-based advice on what to eat - and it boils down to REAL food. The kind that grows from the ground, grazes pasture or swims in the sea. The kind of food that lacks a barcode. I love this take on how to navigate the grocery store - keeping it real on how to pick real food. Word.

Welcome to Slim Pickings (by Paloma)

Hi, all. I decided to start this blog with a personal mission in mind: to show you that you can take control of your health, how you feel and look by taking control of what you eat - and cooking it yourself. For the hedonist in us all - cooking well and delectably can be easy, fast and feel good when you get your hands dirty.

On Slim Pickings (by Paloma), you can expect easy recipes inspired by no more than 5 fresh, real ingredients you can find easily, information on what makes each ingredient beneficial to you...and a lot of food porn. You can expect a balance of art and science, instinct and logic. And, at the expense of repetition - you can expect it to be easy. We've all got day jobs.

 A little about me: like many before and after me, my enjoyment of food turned into a passionate, 'hurt-so-good' relationship the day I moved to Manhattan. New York is a city of excess - and that applies to food, wine and dining out (among other things). As is typical of New York, I was 'too busy' to cook, and was picking what I falsely believed were 'healthy' foods ("multi-grain!" "low-glycemic!") manufactured with ingredients including corn syrup, corn solids, unidentified GMOs, or too many ingredients ending in '-ate'. Ultimately, my athletic curves became too soft for my comfort (despite Spinning 5 times a week), and my health became hampered by digestive issues. My 'healthy'' lifestyle looked too 'curvy' and felt too acidic and painful. I got fed up.

I was peripherally aware of the dangers of food with a barcode, the state of the food industry and the importance of food combinations for proper digestion. But that high-level awareness hadn't translated into behavior change. So I dove into articles, blogs, research and documentaries, was inspired by multiple recipes (thank you, Pinterest) and ultimately started playing around in the kitchen. Today, I eat a maximum of two meals out a week, experience no digestive issues, feel (and look) fantastic, and live like a bon-vivant in my own kitchen, inviting loved ones over to share delicious meals (and wine) together. I pack my own lunch almost daily, and have a few of you asking me to be your personal chef (I'll work for travel :)

 So that's my pitch. Clearly, there's a multitude of food blogs, recipes and articles out there. But if it were that easy to digest (pun intended) and act on, fewer of us would be fighting with our weight and dealing with mystery digestive issues. And you'd feel a lot less intimidated by getting into your kitchen instead of getting take-out. So these here Slim Pickings will make it easy, transparent and delicious for you take some control and have fun in the kitchen. Look out for the first one on Monday!

 - Paloma