Lovely Lovely Food

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."
Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to food. I find something I love, I then have to somehow incorporate it into my daily menu. Here's a few of the foods that I love, and really believe I could live off of any of these foods/meals if I needed to.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches - Apricot jam, Boysenberry jam, Blackberry jam, whatever. If it's combined with chunky peanut butter and warm whole wheat pita bread from Trader Joe's, I am giddy and satisfied for life. Back when the show Big Brother had PB&J as a food punishment, I always knew that I would thrive on that show. Laziness + the occasional physical/mental challenge + others crying on PB&J while I gain strength = the easiest million dollars I will ever make. Thank you, peanut butter and jelly!

“Peanut butter is the pâté of childhood."
Florence Fabricant

Cashews, Pistachios, and Peanuts - I really think it's possible to live off these nuts. My brothers and I usually polish off the whole cannister of cashews and peanuts within a week with a big fat smile on our faces while doing so. The pistachios are left to me and my dad to finish, without much difficulty.

“No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut.”
Channing Pollock

Bread - Sure, it's simple. But good bread is disturbingly amazing. I only eat 100% whole wheat, which I have grown to really love. All bread is tasty in its own way, and back in the day when I did eat whatever I craved, there were some mighty good times what with the lovely fresh out of the oven crusty french bread (either dipped in buttermilk or honey) or sourdough bread with a little bit of plum jam or butter. Now I stick with Ezekiel whole wheat bread and Trader Joe's whole wheat pita, which isn't a bad compromise if you've tasted these tasty breads. I recommend the cinnamon and raisin Ezekiel bread because it's still healthy and I can sneak in a little sweetness without guilt. Huzzah!

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.”
Robert Browning

Cheese - I admit it. I'm a cheese whore. My dinners can consist of just a mini platter of assorted cheeses that I had horded into the cart at Costco, Sam's Club or Trader Joe's. New York Sharp Cheddar, Swiss, smoked Mozarella, marinated Mozarella, Caşcaval (Romanians for the win), Gruyere, Blue, Roquefort, Feta (French only, please), Mascarpone, Fontina, chunks of Parmesan, Provolone, Asiago, heck even regular cheddar is amazing. The list could go on, but I heartily endorse all of those favorites. High-Five for cheese!

"A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be oversophisticated. Yet it remains, cheese, milk's leap toward immortality."
Clifton Fadiman

Bread and Cheese (AKA Grilled Cheese Sandwich) - Genius creation.

Tomatoes and salt - This is my staple food for 90% of my meals as it's a perfect companion food. Cut up, with kosher or sea salt sprinkled over. And maybe doused in some Cholula if I feel a little feisty. Tomatoes are my #1 vegetable (or is it really a fruit? Bah, like it truly matters which category it belongs in. It's healthy and yummy, which should be a category in itself).

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins."
Laurie Colwin

Tomato and Feta Cheese Salad - This is the old standby. Don't know what side to include with your grilled chicken? Bust out a tomato and feta cheese salad. What can you make quickly on the fly to satisfy those pangs of hunger? Tomato and feta cheese salad. Want to impress dinner guests with some mad salad skills? Boom, just tomato and feta cheese salad their asses. It's a win win in every situation this salad is made. Add red onion plus green peppers and it's pure gold you're devouring. Though the best kind is the homemade kind, because having ordered this in various restaurants has taught me that only you or your mom can make the best, everyone else basically sucks.

Fruit - I'm always a little shocked when I hear people say they don't really care for fruit. It's nature's sweet delicious candy. But to them I say, "More for me, suckers!" The wimpering and crankiness skyrockets when I'm denied this essential food, and will 99% of the time never refuse fruit that's offered to me, unless I just had too much and I get that weird bloated belly thing happening. The way to tell if I have been afflicted with fruit bloat is if you see me groaning on the couch and still trying to pop in another grape or slice of apple.
Daily, I eagerly await the fruit snack and merrily skip to the fridge with bowl in tow to start cutting up and eating the mango, pineapple, blackberries, apples, tangerines, or whatever other colorful food catches my eye. The whole time in London I hadn't had any fruit because I seriously didn't trust the stuff hanging outside the little hole in the wall markets they had going. On the flight back from London, I hungrily ripped through a little bag of grapes they served and begged my brother if I could have his bag too. I gave him my chocolate from the meal, so I think we both came out on top with that deal.

“Give me book, fruit, French wine, and fine weather and a little music out of doors played by someone I do not know."
John Keats

Deli Meats from the Local German or Italian Store - I cheer when my parents come home with plastic bags filled with those white paper-wrapped goodies of meats and cheeses. Though I do avoid head cheese like the plague. It frightens me and no one can talk me into ever eating it, short of trying to hide it under some salad leaves or some Cholula or something so I couldn't identify it. Don't get any ideas.

"My favorite animal is steak."
Fran Lebowitz

Just pray for me that I will never add any Romanian foods to this list in the future. My motto is Just Say No To Sarmale. It's kept me out of a lot of trouble so far.


Sufjan Stevens - "Sister Winter"