A Touch of (Unprocessed) Adorable

Posted on 11 January 2012 by Brian

I look like a ten year old today, in a large, comfy sweater circa 1984, chunky glasses and a mass of unkempt curly hair I’m growing out. If I saw myself sitting behind my desk, which already looked too big for me, I’d want to hug me, too.

Combine that with the three giant cookies I’ve nibbled at in the 4 hours I’ve been at work (chocolate with Reese’s pieces, chocolate chip and M&Ms, peanut butter), and the current appearance of my desk — lunchbox and toy motorcycle — I think I’m already a contender for Cutie Cuddlebug 2012. Or Mr Narcissist. And yeah, that’s my Ducati.

In all (or at least a little) seriousness, I’m a huge fan of bringing one’s lunch to work or school. It’s part of my philosophy of avoiding processed foods at all cost. It’s so ridiculously easy that I’m baffled why I have to bring it up at all; exercising a little common sense will save your wallet, your waistline, and (if you bring your lunch in an adorable lunchbox like I do) make you really popular in the office.

I don’t understand why some people don’t have three free minutes to make a sandwich, or, better still, cook a little extra when making dinner the night before and when cleaning up, pack a bento/lunchbox/brown paper bag. I reckon my lunchbox today, which was filled with turkey meatloaf, couscous, crispy, garlicky broccoli, and a salad, probably cost me an additional 30 cents last night at dinner and one and a half minutes of packing time. Compared to the 10 bucks you’ll pay for a fat-loaded wrap, or the 5 bucks for sodium-satured frozen meal — I can’t help but wonder why more people don’t ascribe to this method, as my lunchbox kicked the ass of every other lunch in my office in cost, health, and most importantly, taste.

Now for another cookie. Om, nom, nom.

Tonight’s Dinz

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After all my holiday gluttony, time for healthy! GDL’s turkey meatloaf w/ feta and sundried tomato; couscous; steamed broccoli; green salad.

A Stranger in a Foreign Land

Posted on 3 August 2011 by Brian

Well, well, well. Someone’s been very naughty and neglectful of his blog, and I’m only feeling mildly apologetic. Still (much like every other time), I promise to be more passionate about updates from now on. Really.

Let’s talk about “curry rice,” a Japanese (really!) take on a food quite different from traditional Japanese cuisine. Curry rice (カレーライス) is the quintessential Japanese comfort food, a plate of white rice and a curry sauce with meat and veggies. This no doubt sounds surprising to those less familiar with Japan (I can hear some of your hearts screaming, “Isn’t it sushi!?”).
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(Sometimes) I am Cheap Enough to Use Leftovers

Posted on 11 January 2011 by Brian

I am unapologetically pretentious enough to admit that I loathe leftovers. Despite the fact that I cook far too much food than necessary and most of the food winds up in the fridge, I wholeheartedly shirk from any sort of economical reuse of last night’s meal.

One leftover I do make use of, however, is pasta. You can make it into a frittata or heat it up in some garlic oil and have a second Italian bonanza. Since it reconstitutes remarkably well if properly encouraged, I find myself boiling a bit more than I need so I can create something tasty the next day.

The Italians stole pasta from the Chinese and I feel there’s a kind of poetic justice in reclaiming leftover noodles for their intended purpose, and thus was born my ghetto ramen. I say ‘ghetto’ only in the sense that I know several Japanese who would curl up and die at this dish, but I’m going for flavors I like more than authenticity. In any case, it’s far healthier than instant ramen, which has enough sodium and fat in it to kill a small donkey.

Before you critique my chipped chopsticks, please realize they’re my personal set that I’ve used since my first long-haul in Japan in 2000. Recipe follows the jump!

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Les Lentilles, J’Adore

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Posted on 10 January 2011 by Brian

A few months ago I started an affair, the passion of which shows no sign of fading. My partner is the lentil, a sassy little pulse delicious in any incarnation, be it brown or green or red. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not that I’ve discovered the lentil only recently. We’ve been acquainted for years. It’s more like growing up and suddenly realizing that your childhood friend is hot as hell and you are, in fact, in love with them. So yes, my lentils, I love you.

I suppose that the big revelation came when I made salmon and lentils for myself a month or so ago, with the lentils dressed in a mustard and lemon butter. It was pure sex, so much so that I insisted on making it for my friends (which led to what I like to call ‘LentilQuest 2010’ — a tumultuous traipsing around Rockville, Maryland to find the perfect lentil). Despite having gorged myself on fried pickles at Hooters, which is a story for another time, I cleaned my plate — a rare occurrence for moi.

In any case, I eat lentils on an almost daily basis, either prepared simply, or jazzed up in some fashion. Yesterday, for example, I decided to have lentils for breakfast, and since Matt and I love Indian flavors (nothing is better than garam masala, dudes), the following recipe was born. You can serve the lentils alone, but I cannot imagine anything better than a fried egg on top, with the yolk oozing down…