Sunday, June 28, 2009

Day 54, a new supermarket

I tried out a new supermarket this weekend — new for me, at least — Trader Joe's on 25th Street. I was impressed by the prices! Lacking in good produce, though.

I got some great products besides my quotidian staples. There were many interesting things I though about trying, but I ended up with a bag of Australian black licorice, which is delightfully chewy, almond butter (which was the star ingredient in a positively delectable afternoon sandwich with apricot preserves on wheat toast, I'll have to try cashew butter next), a tub of European yogurt and a box of organic corn cereal. I usually don't go out of my way to buy organic, but it looked good and the price was fairly right. Needless to say I had some for dinner and I think the extra 50 cents spent were worth it.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Day 50, a white nectarine

Let it be known that I love food and I love to eat — I think that goes without me typing it on this blog. But there exist occasions on which I become lodged in a "food rut" and eat the same things serially. Why does this happen? Well, I know what I like and I often want the same things again and again. For instance, I love apples, so much so that I eat them when they're out of season. Consequently, I eat subpar apples for at least nine months out of the year. But I trick myself into not minding because I enjoy the fruit so much.

But there comes a point in my months of oft-repititious eating when food consumption becomes less of a sensory experience and more of a stop at a decrepit gas station to refuel the body, so to speak. The turkey and spinach sandwich I ate yesterday lacked thought, character and vigor, but did manage to power me through the afternoon. The apple I had alongside it was not the stuff of legend, but provided me with essential vitamins and minerals. But this is not what food is about.

I was feeling a bit down while having another turkey and spinach sandwich for lunch today. Like a schoolboy, I still look forward to lunchtime and whatever mood-lifting concoction it brings; another halfhearted sandwich was not making my day any better. I was also not eating in anticipation of my dessert, a white nectarine. It's still quite early in the season for these nectarines, but I foolishly bought some a few weeks ago because I was so delighted to see them at the fruit stand. Needless to say, the one I tried then was tasteless and mealy and I shamefully disposed of it after two bites, along with the surplus. But this past weekend, like a moth to a flame, I decided to take another chance on the white nectarine. Thinking conservatively this time, I purchased one.

So there I was yesterday, pitifully munching on my anti-sensory sandwich, preparing for disappointment with my first bite of nectarine. I was positive it was going to be a dud.

But I was wrong.

The nectarine was not perfect. It was yet unripe and hard to the touch (you can see why I feared the worst!). But despite this, its taste was absolutely exquisite — sweet, robust, seasonal. Each bite was rife with pleasure. As its nectar dripped on my clothing, my books and my desk, I praised the arrival of the summer fruit, and the return of my active tastebuds.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Day 48, the summer soup

I've never been one to drink my meals — I find mastication entirely satisfying and necessary for satiety — but I've taken to subsisting on cold summer soups as of late. My heartburn has been giving me trouble and besides sleeping with four pillows under my head and indulging in a Pepto Bismol nightcap, the summer soup is a delicious antidote to my ailment as well as a way to acquire proper nutrition.

Those of us with GERD are aware that spicy and/or fried foods are the first off the diet roster when symptoms flare, followed closely by glorious, luscious tomatoes of all size and color. This means, unfortunately, no gazpacho. But I've found a formidable substitute in cucumber mint soup. I use half of a medium cucumber, a cup of Greek yogurt (I like Fage 2 percent), a tablespoon of chopped mint, crushed ice and salt and pepper to taste. I blend the mix, it takes about two minutes, and then I have a fresh, clean, seasonal meal. Do you have a favorite summer soup I could try?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Day 41, lunch and dinner

I did a real number on the cashew jar this morning and didn't have much of an appetite for my sack lunch, so I had it for an early dinner around four p.m. Today my brown bag contained a thermos of lentil soup (from a can, I confess), a Pink Lady apple (a varietal I've never tried before and picked up by accident — I usually eat Fujis or Galas — it was quite delicious though, nice and tart with an understated crunch) and a peanut butter sandwich on sourdough. I always grind my own peanut butter at the grocery store, it's legions better that way.

I'm about to crack into my pint of coffee Haagen-Daaz to close the day. I wish I had some ice cream cones, but alas.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Day 39, weekend wrap-up

Had a simple weekend, the humdrum sort, which was fine by me. This morning after church I made banana pancakes and went for a walk around the city, completing my regular errands, which today included stops at the market and the barber. I also stopped at a convenience store to replenish my supply of spearmint chewing gum — I can chew up to a pack a day if I'm not mindful.

I spent the rest of the day munching my fresh market goods — local carrots, radishes and strawberries — while rereading an old volume of Tolstoy. For dinner I concocted a garden (kitchen sink) omelette with spinach, tomato, bell pepper and scallion. The trick to a good omelette is not scrimping on the butter. Use a thick pat to coat the frying pan and your omelette will cook up golden and delicious.

I had some more strawberries for dessert. At this point in the season, they're so tender that if you don't eat them all right away, they'll go bad. So I do what I can, which today meant polishing off the carton. I finished off the night with half of a Hershey bar I found in the back of the freezer.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Day 37, breakfast

A secret is that I always have a bag of granola in my desk. I like it perhaps more than the average person. I'll eat virtually any kind of granola: nut and raisin, vanilla almond, cranberry orange, ginger walnut, even — I shudder to admit — coconut macaroon. I like to make my own, too, sometimes coating the mixture in cocoa powder for some additional decadence.

This morning I had bowl of apple cinnamon granola, which I got from the bulk bin at the grocery store. The apple chunks in it are somewhat modest for my liking, but it has a very good crunch. I like to eat granola dry and have fresh fruit on the side — today I had a cocktail of sorts with canteloupe, orange slices and grapes. I also had a generous handful of bing cherries — still fairly expensive this early in the season, but they looked so good at the store last night, I couldn't resist.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Day 35, post-midnight snack

There are times when I am stricken with some mild insomnia, and tonight is one of those nights. There's little worse in an old man's life than being so powerless you cannot even influence your body's dormancy (especially at one in the morning). I've tried different things to abate my sleeplessness — herbal cures when they're on sale, warm milk of every grade and even Tylenol PM, although the feeling (or lack of feeling, rather) I had from the drug the next day was enough to make me want for acute and perpetual alertness.

These days, I don't mess around — about ten years ago I discovered (or rediscovered, really) the one thing that will, without fail, concurrently elevate my serotonin levels and lull my inner child to rest: banana pudding. It's absolutely uncanny how a pot of banana pudding puts me right out. I use Jell-O brand, the kind you make on the stove with some whole milk and maybe a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.

I'm off to make a batch right now. Hopefully, come tomorrow morning, my stamina will be suffering from minimal damage — and I can have pudding for breakfast, too.

Day 35, catching up

Hello, friends — I apologize for my absence. I hope you can understand that I have been laying lower than usual at this certain time, but in this day in age such requires a more careful, concerted effort (and less of an Internet presence). Even though I shut off my Macintosh for a while, I've still been eating well and regularly, and have a few things I'd like to share with you.

Weekends in New Hampshire, which have become the norm now that spring is in the air and my career is on the wane, have been edifying and clarifying, nutritionally and otherwise. Last weekend I took pleasure in some prodigious early blueberries. They begged for a simple syrup, so I doused a bowlful with water and sugar and let them marinate overnight. Let me tell you, what a delicious snack.

At the homestead I also prepared some rosemary crispbread, which was quite a feat for me — it's double baked, and requires the attention that an infant demands. It needs to be coddled, encouraged and set straight every once and again. Well worth the effort, though, and quite delicious with tomato soup or sandwich.

I've also been making another summer favorite — iced tea. It's just so simple, how can one not enjoy tea over ice? Any variety suits me fine, but I've become quite attached to a glass of cold rooibos. Something about the color and the bold, round fruit of the tea, which is flavorful without being tart or sharp — implies summer is around the bend. And it is!