TRANSCRIPT Episode 23 Food
Welcome to The Simmering Chef.
Cooking with a smidgen of anger, a pinch of crass, a dollop of irreverence, a sprinkling of science, and a handful of spice.
Hello and welcome to all my listeners, new and old! We have begun the busiest time of the year, starting with Dia de los Muertos, leading into Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then multiple religious and cultural celebrations in December. From the end of October to the first of January, our lives are a whirlwind of activity. You know what? I look forward to cooking some delicious food throughout these two-plus months. It’s time to get the delicious cooking!
Which leads me to an email I got the other day.
Dear The Simmering Chef,
Your food is fun and interesting, but surely you don’t cook like that for yourself every day? What do you eat in a week? I mean, I get it if you eat Baked Fudge every day because that’s what I would do if I could. But that doesn’t seem healthy. What do you do?
An Enquiring Mind,
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Dear Enquiring Mind,
You are absolutely correct. I don’t eat a lot of rich foods. I have to eat gluten-free because of my celiac disease. Also, right now, I am on a strict diet and exercise regimen to help get my bad cholesterol down and my good cholesterol up. The alternative is taking medicine, and I am lousy at managing pills.
Right now, I mostly eat lean proteins, small amounts of carbs, a lot of vegetables, and low-sugar fruit, such as berries. I’ve avoided dairy until last week, when I hosted a wine and cheese party. After snarfing my fair share of cheese, my stomach was beyond disgruntled. Obviously, removing dairy was a good thing for me, and now I am back to avoiding it.
Controlling the amount of salt and fat in my food and ensuring its good quality, I cook at home rather than go out. Sure, I try to buy food and cook seasonally-available ingredients, but I also love eggplant, peppers, and zucchini any time of the year. What I choose to cook starts with which ingredients look great and appealing.
At the top of the transcript are photos of some of this week’s favorites and a poll at the bottom if you’d like a recipe from the selection (Substack only allows 5 choices. Drop a note in the comments if you want the Chickpea Stew, Mushroom and Peas Pasta, and/or Gateau Thérèse.) They are vegetable-forward, but I don’t shy away from adding protein or carbs. Nor do I shy away from making a dessert or two, but these get shared with friends and family rather than me plopping down with a fork and greedily gobbling all of it while watching the next episode of AGATHA ALL ALONG or ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING.
Here’s my secret. Most chefs focus on how great the food looks, and I love when a plate looks pretty, clean, and minus a big damn thumbprint or splatters. With that said, my focus has always been on how it tastes. One of my former instructors always said, “We eat 90% with our eyes, but it’s the last 10% —when they taste it— that lets people know if they should ever eat your food again.” Paying attention to flavor helps satisfy, making dieting easier.
So get in the kitchen and cook. Add hot sauces and a squeeze of lemon juice, or use a spice you’ve always wanted to try. Make your own food, make it taste great, and maybe you’ll help yourself feel better.
As always, fail brilliantly and eat well, and thank you so much for listening.
This is Janet, The Simmering Chef
Today’s podcast is brought to you from the Atelier Rorschach Culinary Studios in beautiful College Park. Music is “Food” by Sekai No Owari. Content is all my fault. Feel free to complain to the management.
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