Thursday, July 18, 2013

Eat Like a Gorilla

That's right. Eat like a Gorilla. As part of my quest to eat as many kinds of cheeses as possible this year, I'm diligently cutting non-cheese calories. But smaller portions are not my style. I like food, and lots of it. So I've decided to eat like a gorilla. Serve myself with a trough.

The catch: I gotta fill that trough with fruits, vegetable, and other high-fiber foods. Gorillas get to EAT ALL DAY. And so can you, if you eat the high-fiber way. I'm lucky. My job has an excellent salad bar, complete with lightly marinated grilled vegetables. I simply ask for ALL the available items (except meat). Unlike the proverbial gorilla, I add both feta and goat cheese to my salad. OMG, the saltiness! Such briny beauty. I used to eat Athenos feta, but now that I've tried real creamy, salty fresh feta, I can never go back. Never.

I also add fruit to my green salads. Like grilled nectarines. And all kinds of berries: blue-, black-, straw- and raspberries. So yummy.

Because the ingredients are super-fresh, I don't need to add much dressing. I used to plop on tablespoons of an lemon-Italian House dressing, but I found that my salads actually tasted better when I added just a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinaigrette.

Basic rule of thumb: the fresher the food, the less work it takes to prepare yummy meals, and the less fat needs to be added.

With less dressing, you actually taste the crispness of the lettuce, and benefit from the bite of the vegetables. The individual flavors hold sway, whereas when you over-dress, it all blends into a fatty mush.

Don't dull your salads by coating your taste buds with too much oily dressing. I'm loathe to repeat the cliche, but alas, it's apt: less is more.

Friday, July 12, 2013

The Holy Cheese Plate

I'm embarking on a quest. Try all cheeses made available by Fresh Direct, the online grocery shopping site. They have lots: probably literally so.

Fresh Direct organizes cheeses into the following categories: New & Noteworthy, Cheddars & Jacks; Brie & Friends; Chevres & Goats; Swiss & Alpine; Blues; Fetas; Fresh & Soft; Firm; Mozzarellas; Parmesan & Grating; Light & Soy; Goudas; Stinky; Sheeps; and Semi-Soft.

First, I will try all the cheeses that are meltable or spreadable to use as condiments for spectacular sandwiches. Then I will experiment with all cheeses recommended by readers and friends. Let me know what your favorite cheese is, and I'll blog about it.

Then, I'll move onto the exotic, i.e., out of the ordinary cheeses. Then, onto cheeses that I don't remember tasting, but might have tasted, in order to give them a second chance. Then all the rest. I am, however, not looking forward to Soy & Light (even more fear-inspiring than stinky cheese). But, onward ho. All cheese must I try!

After I've tried at least one version of each kind of cheese, I'll try variations, i.e., a second variety of feta.