How We're Cooking Now

What one seasoning, spice or herb do you use most often? I'm not talking salt here, though I do love the wonderful sea salts recently introduced to me by my friend, Lucy. What I'm talking about is your day-to-day cooking habits. Are you more Provence or Guadalajara? A taste of Italy or a taste of Bangkok? Chowda' or Chow Mein?

When first thinking about this, I immediately thought of fresh basil. I love to use it in a variety of meals served throughout the day - a yummy egg frittata, assorted soups, roasted chicken, and my work-in-progress shrimp curry. But then I had to acknowledge that nothing beats fresh rosemary. I count it among my favorite herbs and love sprinkling it with olive oil over soon-to-be roasted red potatoes, serving it and Stonewall Kitchen's Cranberry Horseradish sauce over pork loin chops, and mixing it up with a 'bunch of other stuff' to produce a popular rosemary chicken dish.

But when really thinking about it, I'd have to say that the seasoning I most often reach for and replace most regularly is ... cumin. It's ubiquitous, my little friend. Found in Mexican, Middle Eastern, Asian, and many African dishes, cumin is my go-to flavoring most days. I think my fascination with cumin began when living in the Southwest. 

Interestingly, a Serbian  friend who grew up in Canada and Seattle picked cumin as his top seasoning as well. He's traveled the world and eaten throughout and is convinced that cumin is evident in most country's culinary offerings. I feel so worldly ... living in my little town!

So, what's your go-to seasoning and why? What has most influenced your cooking style - geography, family recipes, travels?

Custom Artisanal Cereal. Eat Well.

Here are two things I haven't said before:

1. "My cereal was just delivered by UPS"
2. "My cereal" - as in, MY cereal, a hand-crafted "Six Minute Style" blend

I was contacted a few weeks ago by [me] & goji, an internet-based company that allows you, the consumer, to literally design your own morning blend. All with a few clicks of the keyboard and mouse. Even better, you get to craft your cereal from 30-plus all natural and organic ingredients. How great is that?

Now, I have to admit, I was initially hesitant. Cereal? Designed by me? Delivered by Brown? What's that going to look like? And, more importantly, what's it going to taste like?

Well, it tastes pretty darn good. Fabulous, actually. Imagine that. I mix together flavors I love with ingredients I know are good for me and Viola! A breakfast worth waking up for (and in the dead of winter, that alone is quite compelling).

My personal blend is a mix of granola, flaxed and flaked (organic corn, amaranth, flax and sesame), cinnamon, golden raisins, goji and walnuts. Yummy. And not just for breakfast. I sampled it dry, on the way to yoga last night and again, with milk, this morning. It passed both tastings with flying colors.  

And as much as I loved eating my very own blend, I really loved my husband's reaction to the way-cool cylinder labeled, "Six Minute Style." 

Yes, I have my own cereal. You should have your own, too. Check it out and let me know what you think. It's not cheap, but neither are the slim boxes in the health food store. And they don't have your name on the label. 

Random Silliness - What Couldn't You Live Without

Imagine you're stuck on a deserted island. No, not Maui. This island is out in the middle of nowhere (but it's a warm nowhere). Unlike my favorite television show, you don't have access to the many luxuries provided by a downed 747 or "the hatch." Here's what I want to know: what 5 items would you have to have in order to survive? What couldn't you live without and WHY? Here's my list:

1. Dental Floss - I am a religious flosser. I could brush my teeth until I was blue in the face, but if I haven't flossed, I haven't cleaned my teeth. I feel pretty confident that I could fashion a toothbrush and some sort of "paste" from items found on the island, but I'm not willing to risk searching for a (leafy?) floss substitute. So, a supply of floss that lasts the duration of my "visit." NOTE: could double as fishing line

2. Sunscreen - I'm operating under the assumption that I will be rescued or will self-rescue (see #5 below). Skin cancer aside, I'm not excited about the idea of returning home to (a mirror of) sunspots and wrinkles. Plus, I'm Irish. Living sans sunscreen isn't an option.

3. Sunglasses - I'm so light-sensitive, I wear shades on the grayest of days. I'd want a pair that never scratches, never stretches out, and never, ever loses one of those annoying little screws.

NOTE: the lenses could help direct the sun when trying to light a fire

4. A vast collection of books - I'm going to have some time to kill. Fiction, non-fiction, essays ... you name, I want it.

5. My husband - For the obvious (really? you want me to spell it out? My mother could read this) and the utilitarian. My husband is THAT guy. You know the one. He can fashion pretty much anything out of any thing. A former river guide and Outward Bound instructor, he knows his way around the backcountry, has trained in emergency medicine, and can jerry-rig all sorts of useless stuff into very useful apparatus. But, most importantly, he's a wooden boatbuilder. He went to the Harvard of boatbuilding schools (yep, that's what they call it). We're stuck on an island. The island is surrounded by ocean. He's a boatbuilder. Brilliant. 

Okay, your turn...