Smaller and Healthier

I’ve been in my new apartment for roughly 2 1/2 weeks, and while I still have piles of clothes (NEAT piles, I might add), my kitchen has been set up and I’m actually cooking with the hot plate and the Breville oven. I’m not sure where to start with this--cause I’ve noticed a few major changes in my shopping and eating patterns--but I’ll use tonight as an example.

Menu @ Chez Talcott: Trader Jihad’s Mini Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Green Olive Tapenade. (A side note about the Mini Cheese Ravioli--initially I thought the idea of dried, filled pasta to be about as appetizing as dehydrated Olive Garden crap--but they are really good, particularly used in pasta salads. Trick is to cook them enough).



Aight. So, I knew I was going to have the pasta--purchased this tapenade--though I want to make my own soon--they are so versatile. When I was putting away my groceries, I noticed that I had some slowly-shrinking grape tomatoes. F***. I hate forgetting about produce and wasting it. Make me feel very un-American. What to do-- a quick bit of research--roast tomatoes that are ugly, shriveled, or just plain tasteless and vile. A new staple for me. They are popping and toasting in the Breville as I write this.

So, the Smaller: I have so little space in my fridge that I really really know what I have (oh, and what a lovely virgin fridge it is). Leftovers, half-used produce and other items that like to hide in dark corners and sprout mold--they can’t hide from me anymore.

Healthier: Goes hand and hand with the smaller, so far--I’m eating everything and eating more simple food--veggies prepared simply, and not much meat at all. Sadly, I’m reluctant to cook bacon in my place to avoid making everything smell like it for days. I’ll probably give in when I make buttermilk green chile cornbread in the cast iron skillet.

Also--I love pasta, and it loves to make my ass expand. Very nice of it to do so, but I have to reign it in (the expansion, that is). So, the deal with myself is that I can eat it in reasonable portions, as long there is lots of protein or extra veggies mixed in.

Another note--I’m really thinking about what I buy and if I’ll eat it, etc. I used to do huge shopping trips whenever Sarah could take me--being more than a 25 minute from a crapola grocery store made me overstock. Now I have the luxury of being a quick bike ride or walk to the Harvest Coop, Whole Paycheck, Market Basket, just to name a few.

Must stir pasta. Verdict on tomatoes roasted tomatoes in a bit.








Tomatoes: Very good. A little charred, and some juiced cooked out. Mixed the whole mess together with pasta and tapenade, and some Romano. Sweetness of tomatoes offset the bitter green olives. SCORE!