Write about what you eat when you're alone. Is it any different from what you eat when you have friends over, or even when you're eating with your s/o or kids? Why is that?
I lived by myself for a year down in DC and thinking back I'm more than a little appalled at the way/what I ate. I never planned ahead for meals so I often (uh try 2-3 times a week) found myself making a box of Mac & Cheese for dinner. Even worse I'd make a refried bean/sour cream/cheese/lettuce/tomato dip and have that for dinner with half a bag of tortilla chips - is it any wonder I gained a ton of weight that year?
I tend to be a "shy" eater in front of other people - even though I know intellectually that they probably aren't paying attention to what I'm eating I feel like I'm being judged by what I eat in public.
The BF & I are 1/2 & 1/2 with our habits - we have kind of fallen out of the habit of meal planning a week in advance, but we have gotten much better about actually cooking instead of getting fast food/take out - this has been great for our wallets & most of the food we (ok he) makes tastes much better than the overly salty/fatty stuff you'll find in fast food anyway. We eat in the living room because our apt is too small for a dining room table but we've got 2 tray tables so at least its a step up from the days were we'd be trying to balance a plate of pasta on our laps.
I'm basically a lazy chef and when I was cooking for just me it was sooo easy to just make/buy something unhealthy. Now we're on a budget & the BF loves to cook so we generally end up eating pretty well.
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mdefarge- July 9th, 10:34
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- mdefarge
- June 29th, 11:05
What's the farthest you have traveled for food? Did you fly across the country just so you could have the perfect bowl of clam chowder? Did you cross the state line just for a scoop of ice cream? What was it, how far did you travel, and was it worth it?
We always had very plain food growing up. My mom is a great cook but my dad likes "good old fashioned American" food, which in my family meant a lot of roasts, baked chicken, pasta, meatloaf, etc - all delicious but very much the same flavor profiles. Also a factor is that I was born in 1980, and I believe that it is not until very recently that people have become so adventurous in the foods they cook at home - no one I knew growing up ate "exotic" foods like Indian, Thai, or Greek unless that was their culture.
Consequently I made it to the age of 23 before I ever had any sort of latin/hispanic cooking. My family (siblings/cousin/grandma) took a trip to Puerto Rico in late December, from the moment I stepped out of the airport I was in love. Instead of the frigid temperatures we'd left behind in NY the air was balmy and welcoming, even at 11 at night. We were all starving since the food on the plane had been....well, airline food and the first thing we did after arriving at the hotel was ask where we could find somewhere to eat.
Its now midnight and we've been seated at an outdoor cafe, margaritas have been served all around, and our plates have just arrived. I'd decided to be especially adventurous and ordered a pulled pork served with red beans and rice. I was a little wary but figured it couldn't be that bad. WOW I've never been so wrong - the first bite of pork, tender with a hint of sauce was delicious, next to try the beans - amazing - textures and flavors I never knew existed. My life as a foodie began at that moment, although at the time I didn't have a clue.
The entire week was a culinary adventure from traditional Puerto Rican conch ceviche, to an authentic Mexican Restaurant in a small trailer with only 6 tables I enjoyed everything.
Fastforward 4 years and the BF & I are planning a vacation - I insist on PR taking delight in the fact that he's never been, and hoping to track down my favorites. Somehow all three restaurants were exactly where I remembered them, and just as good (if not better) then my memories!
