Flexitarianism

I happened to thumb through an old Chatelaine magazine from last December (the one with Nigella on the cover) and read an article on flexitarianism. What?

Well, apparently this is a new movement in eating that's kinda like being a vegetarian...except you get to cheat. Those who are "flexitarians" choose to eat healthy diets with a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains but can consume meat every now and then. They're the vegetarians who eat meat. Even Oprah and Mark Bittman are part-time veggies.

Though it may seem like cheating, if you don't resolve to strictly veggie and then you eat meat are you really cheating. You didn't promise anything to anyone. Then it hit me...without knowing it I have become a flexitarian. There's a word for me!

Some choose their eating habits due to ethics, some for finances, tastes, thoughts of local foods/producers, etc. To be honest, I think often think of food in terms of health and tastes. I don't eat a lot of meat and can go without it entirely for the most part. I just finished up a month where I didn't eat any meat products (except for fish, eggs and dairy) and I have been a stricter vegetarian in the past. But could I do it exclusively and forever? Could I turn down Christmas turkey dinner, my dad's meat chili, fish and chips and gravy, or fresh bacon as part of a breakfast in bed? Hell, no. Maybe that makes me weak or less pure than devout vegans. But it's my diet and my choice.

I know I will still eat meat. But I will also choose to eat healthy, consume a variety of fruits and vegetables and other non-meat options. I'm constantly learning new things and educating myself about food and cooking. I choose to see 'flexitarianism' as a positive thing and a step in the right direction.

Pasta: when nothing else will do

There are times in life when you crave simple foods. Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Pure and simple pot roast doused in Worcestershire sauce. A great poached egg and buttered toast for dipping. And plain pasta with a simple sauce. The last one has been elusive to me for a while until I saw an episode of a Nigella Lawson show where she made the most dreamy and simple pasta dish. As a bonus, it's a great meal to make when you're alone, rushed for time, or have very little in your fridge (or all of the above). Here is my take on that recipe:

You'll need a handful of thin pasta like angel hair or capellini. I say handful here because I mean to take some (as much as you want) and prepare it as you would any pasta, in boiling salted water.

For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil (or butter if you're adventurous)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp basil
salt & pepper (lots of pepper)

In a small saucepan, add a few drops of oil and put it over a low heat. Then add the yolks and whisk like crazy. The yolks will change colour a little and become creamy. Whisking continuously, drizzle in the remaining oil until it all becomes emulsified and cohesive. Add the seasonings and cheese, whisk and toss with your still-warm pasta immediately. If you wish (or have some on hand) squeeze some lemon into the sauce before mixing it with the pasta. This will make you dish just like Nigella's lemon linguine.

By keep the temperature of your pan low and whisking constantly, you'll keep the eggs from scrambling. At the same time, the heat you do give the pan, as well as the heat from the pasta, will be enough to coddle the eggs enough so they're not raw.

This is a creamy pasta sauce that is soothing and satisfying. It doesn't keep well so make just enough to eat at the time of preparation.

As with the lemon juice trick, you may experiment with this basic sauce to your heart's desire. Add cream for an extra decadent treat, sun dried tomatoes, chilies, more herbs, scallops or shrimp, etc.

For some tips on separating your eggs, see this. You can also freeze your egg whites if you have nothing to do with them right away. And for more on whisking:
Whisking

Antsy

I have a hunch my recent lack of inspiration and/or motivation is coming to and end. As I figured would inevitably happen. But I've been thinking a lot about my last [rambling] post and the ebb and flow of food, cooking, baking and being in the kitchen. I go through phases of having the kitchen be my solace. You just try kneading dough and tell me its not therapeutic. But it's work and requires imagination and creativity. So it becomes a balancing act. And I was thinking about this when I remembered a Nigella Lawson episode where she said something which I just had to leave here:

You need a balance in life between dealing with what's going on inside and not being so absorbed in yourself that it takes over ... And cooking is about balance and harmony.

Quotables

Taking a moment out of my day to recall one of the best cooking lines I've heard in a long time. Nigella Lawson, in her Forever Summer series makes a batch of black rice and shrimp. She says, "This makes enough to feed two people generously. And, really, how else would you want to feed them?"

*swoon*