In America's fast paced society, speed is everything. We want what we want and we want it now.
You hear it all day long.
"Lightning Fast Internet!"
"Speedy Drive-Thru Service!"
"Faster Checkouts with U-Scan!"
While speed can be impressive, it's not what you want when it comes to dining.
Slow down.
Autumn is the perfect time of year to reflect on this. When the leaves are changing, we know soon they will fall and winter will be here. It's the one time when we want to take life one minute at a time and surround ourselves with everything it offers.
Thirty minute meals? Is that all we're giving ourselves to enjoy the pleasure of cooking and eating with family and friends?
I think we can do better than that...
Top Ten Ways to Slow Down
1. Lose the Club Card
Instead of doing a ten minute run through a supersized warehouse, stop by the local farmer's market. Or browse the aisles of a neighborhood grocerer. The farm to table movement is big for a reason. Buying local puts a face behind the produce.
2. Take a look at what is fresh.
Tomatoes, for instance, are not fresh in the winter and theoretically, should not be purchased then. Squash, apples, pumpkins, brussell sprouts and pears are at their peak in the fall. Take advantage of that. Enjoy each in it's own season, like it's the last time you'll get to experience it.
3. Fill Up On the Good Stuff
A recent study showed that less than 10% of teenagers get their recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. A staggering number that can easily be conquered by the simple addition of what is already around us. Plan a dessert of fresh apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. Or frozen yogurt stirred together with plum and nectarine slices.
4. Get Some Help
Don't dread the dinner menu alone. Divvy out tasks. Let your high schooler cook dinner every Tuesday. Give your husband "Grilled Wednesday" nights. Set a dinner date with friends on a weekday and split up the menu. Play Chef with your kids and let them taste the ingredients, making them less reluctant to eat them.
5. Ditch your cookbook.
And your computer. And your tv. Instead, use the people around you. Whether it's your mom, your best friend or the butcher, ask for a recipe or suggestion. When you create that menu, you'll be reminded of that person and put life behind the meal.
6. Mise en Place
French for "Everything in it's place", it means put all your ingredients in front of you before you start cooking. Looking at exactly what's going in your food puts real meaning behind the phrase "You are what you eat". Compare what you're looking at to what you'd be seeing if you put a fast food meal's ingredients on the table.
7. Taste
Just because that recipe calls for salt doesn't mean it (or you!) needs it. Taste as you go. Close your eyes and listen to your palate. A twist of lemon? A dash of tarragon? Use your own taste as a guide.
8. Present like a Chef
Just because it's a Tuesday and you're in pajamas does not mean you can't enjoy your food like a five star restaurant. Set the table. Light some candles. Use real linen napkins. Turn off the television and have a real conversation with the people around you. By tasting every bite and discovering the flavors, you are most likely to eat less.
9. Do the Dishes
Statistically, the most dreaded household task. I understand. But tonight, try this: After dinner, don't blow out the candles and flip on the tv. Give the dishwasher the night off and listen to some soft blues or jazz as you fill the sink with hot soapy water. Reflect on your day and the purity of making something clean again.
10. Make Leftovers Do Overtime
Pack up leftovers in individual containers for an easy lunch grab the next day. By portioning the meals accordingly, you also control your calories without sacrificing flavor.
Life is short. Eat well.
You hear it all day long.
"Lightning Fast Internet!"
"Speedy Drive-Thru Service!"
"Faster Checkouts with U-Scan!"
While speed can be impressive, it's not what you want when it comes to dining.
Slow down.
Autumn is the perfect time of year to reflect on this. When the leaves are changing, we know soon they will fall and winter will be here. It's the one time when we want to take life one minute at a time and surround ourselves with everything it offers.
Thirty minute meals? Is that all we're giving ourselves to enjoy the pleasure of cooking and eating with family and friends?
I think we can do better than that...
Top Ten Ways to Slow Down
1. Lose the Club Card
Instead of doing a ten minute run through a supersized warehouse, stop by the local farmer's market. Or browse the aisles of a neighborhood grocerer. The farm to table movement is big for a reason. Buying local puts a face behind the produce.
2. Take a look at what is fresh.
Tomatoes, for instance, are not fresh in the winter and theoretically, should not be purchased then. Squash, apples, pumpkins, brussell sprouts and pears are at their peak in the fall. Take advantage of that. Enjoy each in it's own season, like it's the last time you'll get to experience it.
3. Fill Up On the Good Stuff
A recent study showed that less than 10% of teenagers get their recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. A staggering number that can easily be conquered by the simple addition of what is already around us. Plan a dessert of fresh apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. Or frozen yogurt stirred together with plum and nectarine slices.
4. Get Some Help
Don't dread the dinner menu alone. Divvy out tasks. Let your high schooler cook dinner every Tuesday. Give your husband "Grilled Wednesday" nights. Set a dinner date with friends on a weekday and split up the menu. Play Chef with your kids and let them taste the ingredients, making them less reluctant to eat them.
5. Ditch your cookbook.
And your computer. And your tv. Instead, use the people around you. Whether it's your mom, your best friend or the butcher, ask for a recipe or suggestion. When you create that menu, you'll be reminded of that person and put life behind the meal.
6. Mise en Place
French for "Everything in it's place", it means put all your ingredients in front of you before you start cooking. Looking at exactly what's going in your food puts real meaning behind the phrase "You are what you eat". Compare what you're looking at to what you'd be seeing if you put a fast food meal's ingredients on the table.
7. Taste
Just because that recipe calls for salt doesn't mean it (or you!) needs it. Taste as you go. Close your eyes and listen to your palate. A twist of lemon? A dash of tarragon? Use your own taste as a guide.
8. Present like a Chef
Just because it's a Tuesday and you're in pajamas does not mean you can't enjoy your food like a five star restaurant. Set the table. Light some candles. Use real linen napkins. Turn off the television and have a real conversation with the people around you. By tasting every bite and discovering the flavors, you are most likely to eat less.
9. Do the Dishes
Statistically, the most dreaded household task. I understand. But tonight, try this: After dinner, don't blow out the candles and flip on the tv. Give the dishwasher the night off and listen to some soft blues or jazz as you fill the sink with hot soapy water. Reflect on your day and the purity of making something clean again.
10. Make Leftovers Do Overtime
Pack up leftovers in individual containers for an easy lunch grab the next day. By portioning the meals accordingly, you also control your calories without sacrificing flavor.
Life is short. Eat well.
Posts
