20 May 2007
Quick, photographs of food to bump down self portraits!
A nice surprise this morning -- three mini boxes of cereal packed in with the Saturday newspaper! I haven't bought cereal in ages now, and a small bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios was a nice treat indeed. And toast. I sometimes go a week or more with no bread in the house; it's something I can easily do without, but every now and then it seems really appealing. A nice stack of lightly buttered toast can even be a little bit exciting. I'm not comparing it to donuts or waffles or anything, but there's a part of me that finds multiple pieces of toast an indulgence. And if it's white bread! Goodness me. Whew.
You know what it is? To me, toast equals restaurants and hotel breakfasts. If you've got a nice stack of toast, you're obviously having a good time. See, it's not that I need to get out more -- it makes complete sense.
I thought my stir fry craving was a sign that I wasn't getting enough veggies, but it's clear to me now that my diet was simply coming up short in the 'crunch' department. I mean, how satisfying is it to bite into a water chestnut? That's at least 40% of your RDA of crunch right there.
I thought I had made stir fry before, but I was just cooking vegetables in a pan. After reading a few different cookbooks' thoughts on the technique, I tried doing things differently. Get the pan very hot before adding the oil, and then brace as your dump in the veggies. One mustn't fear the spattering oil! I do, but it's really amazing how quickly everything cooks when you've got it in a hothot pan and keep it moving. Just a bit of teriyaki sauce from a bottle, and dinner's ready!
Well, there's the vegetable slicing and rice cooking as well, but never mind. And just enough crunch to keep you happy and healthy!
No need to bump self portraits down, Anna...you're truly beautiful, inside and out.
posted by Laura at May 20, 2007 01:00 PM
Who needs potato chips when the world has gifted us with water chestnuts, I say.
posted by Sarah at May 20, 2007 03:14 PM
I liked the self-portraits, too.
And I've been meaning to thank you for that time, several years ago, when I was having the worst time trying to fry up some extra-firm tofu, and you informed me that the secret is to have a very hot pan. So it is. I like tofu in my stir-fry, which I make a lot, because while you seem to have perfected the art of making good dinners for one, the only thing I can successfully cook for myself without having a week's worth of leftovers is stir-fry. Luckily, you can change it to suit your mood.
Unless you aren't in the mood for stir-fry at all, in which case, you have a problem.
posted by jessie at May 20, 2007 08:11 PM
Toasted white bread equals hotel breakfasts to me, too. Well, motel breakfasts.
When I was little, we went on road trips and stayed at Holiday Inns and HoJos and ate at diners like Jerry's (this was before McDonalds and Burger King). I always got the toasted white bread (ultra-fine Wonder Bread) with those little packets of grape and apple jelly.
Now if I eat white bread it's crusty and earthy. I remember motel toast fondly, but I don't think I could actually eat it anymore.
Thank you for reviving pleasant memories.
posted by anne at May 20, 2007 10:01 PM