Tuesday, January 29, 2008

eat your heart out, hidden valley

Because I have a food website (www.tastebuzz.us) and I am *supposed* to be doing a food blog over there (one of these days!), I really don't want this site to focus on food. But I can't resist sharing some of the interesting mental shifts I've experienced since I began eating only the most healthful (local, organic, seasonal) foods I can sink my teeth into:

1. I really loathe the thought of fast food. I mean, at a visceral level not just an intellectual one. I almost gag now thinking about a Big Mac (I know I might as well be a fascist...).

2. I nostalgically dream about past meals enjoyed, especially delicious ones consumed in restaurants. Their memory conjures ridiculously tantalizing, highly satisfying memories. It's as if my head and tummy are saying, "thanks for the delicious, good food you made me, even though I wasn't thinking about where it came from or how healthy it was."
Examples: Bucky's blackened fish tacos...Pizzuto's authentic red sauce, Seeds organic, grass-fed beef cheeseburger loaded with goodies and served with homemade fries, D'Aquila's--well-- any dish.

3. I have begun to re formulate/find recipes for some of the classic American commercial fare that I formerly enjoyed but have come to dislike greatly.
Examples: ranch dressing, frosting, sugar cookies, mac and cheese.

Here's a recipe I found and then tweaked for homemade ranch dressing (can you say, "No more gloppy, oozy white stuff?").

Back on the Ranch Dressing
2 cloves garlic (use 1 if kids will be consuming)
1/2 t kosher salt
1 cup homemade or prepared mayo
1/3 cup buttermilk (if you don't have it use milk and vinegar to taste)
2 T minced flat-leaf parsley leaves*
2 T minced fresh chives
1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 t smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mash the garlic and salt to a paste with the side of a chef's knife. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, mayo buttermilk, parsley, chives, scallion, vinegar, paprika and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick, thin with with a couple T more of buttermilk. Use immediately or store in fridge.

Makes 1 1/3 cups

*if you don't have exact measurements of parsley, chives and scallions or even garlic use what you have on hand. I have substituted basil and savory for the herbs and shallots for the garlic.

Trust me, your chef salad is going to thank you!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Your neice will be unhappy so see that her pic isn't on your blog site.

Ps. The Back To The Ranch Dressing is good and the kids are happy to just lick it off of their fingers!! No salad or vegies needed!!!!

Anonymous said...

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Kelli said...

Kimmy Kay, I've got the rest of the pics up now, so Katie can rest easy. This will prolly be the first of many "published pics" for Katie Girl, anyway, since her major life aspiration right now is to dress up and model for Macy's right? (that and go to first grade...)

Kelli said...

Kate, I'm on it!

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