I’m so culinarily inspired right now, I feel like I want all of the other stuff in my life to disappear for a while so that I can just cook through some of these thoughts before my head explodes.
I just spent two weeks in Amsterdam (visiting my sister, bro-in-law and my beautiful new niece) and Rome. Siiiiiiiiigh. As much as I didn’t want any of it to end, I couldn’t wait to get home to my kitchen to tweak some of my fave dishes (including some from Amsterdam, which we’ll get to).
This salad was the all time favourite of a client who I cooked for for many years. She was very low maintenance thanks to the fact that she really loved all food and also because she wanted this same salad at least once a week. I haven’t been able to look at it for years (I got pretty sick of it) but I was thinking about it the other day and thought I’d give it another try.
It brought back lots of memories (as food can really do) and I remembered why it got so much love in the first place. Its flavours are well balanced (bitter greens with sweet potatoes and fresh, grassy dill), it is hearty (protein-rich quinoa, beefy broccoli and fatty almonds) and it’s easy to take with you as a snack or lunch on your way out the door, or wrap up in a collard with some avocado (how I judge the merits of all grain-based salads).
Besides the simple fact that I’m being cooked for this Christmas–that never gets old -one of my favourite parts of going to my Aunt and Uncle’s for dinner is my Aunt’s veggie dishes. Vibrantly coloured salads, Brussels sprouts cooked in new and interesting ways, and often some underutilized non-potato root veg.
I think there is always room for some new characters at the holiday table. I know that a rogue raisin in the stuffing has been known to ruin the night, but if it is a new, optional dish as opposed to a reinvented old favourite, there is less chance of upsetting the applecart.
As we age, I find it becomes easier let go of things that we may not be very good at. For instance, there is no reason for me ever to take another stab at doing my own accounting. I glaze over just thinking about it. And gardening. I always thought I would be a natural at growing my own vegetables, but as it turns out, I’m a lot better at cooking them. It takes a lot of time and attention to grow your own veggies and if you don’t have it, thank goodness for farmers, and the happiest place on earth: the farmers market.
Eating locally is very en trend, and it feels like a trend that is here to stay. The less time between the produce’s garden-living time and your plate, the more nutrients they will still contain and the better they will taste. A stroll through the market can also be very culinarily inspiring and often enlightening too. Amongst the expected and anticipated favourites, there are always a couple of surprises. The part of the plant you never knew existed, that, yes, of course you would love to try. (more…)
