Sunday, January 24, 2016

Sunday Food Review: Jan. 24


Tonight's kitchen was messy with a few dirty dishes spread across the kitchen. I didn't feel like looking at the mess so I took a seat at the dining table, which was a little cluttered from the day's shopping bags and new items (food and nonfood). A mix of dance rock from the Eagles of Death Metal played from the kitchen and gave my brain more energy than my body actually had. It was kind of exhausting at 10 p.m. on Sunday. 

Tonight's menu: green chile cheese enchiladas with calabacitas. 

Each enchilada was small and rolled tight, which helped smooth out the sharp cheddar in the middle. The sauce was a little bit salty, but full of warm and spicy green chile goodness. It tasted very familiar, or, like a mix of all green chile sauces I tasted before. Some sauces are very good and some are OK. 

Let me tell you about the bad sauces I had; the bad sauces have loads of heat and chile with no substantial flavor. The good ones have all the chile flavor with varying heat. This sauce was leaning on that really good side where none of the ingredients conflicted or stood out too much, but they complemented the green chile and put it on a pedestal. Even though it was kind of salty, it added a salt to the tortilla and cheese. Imagine if there was some chicken or beef in there! 

The calabacitas, on the other hand, was a simple mix of squash, red bell peppers, onions, corn and black beans. There was nothing special about them, in fact, I ate them first go get them out of the way so I can focus on the enchilada. It needed something like a spice or a sauce; maybe more time on the cast iron to caramelize. Maybe I don't like the taste of bell peppers anymore. I'm still on the fence with that one. Sometimes I appreciate some peppers and other times, like tonight, it's lackluster, out of place and almost off putting.  

The cheesy enchiladas carried the weight of the dish tonight. But we have to have our veggies, right?

Out of boredom and necessity, I cook a lot of food on Sundays. I usually take out all the stops or try new dishes. In the Sunday Food Review, I review my own Sunday cooking.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Eating: We do it every day

I recently introduced my dad to a kale salad. It was premade from Sam's Club and I pared it with some caramelized Brussels sprouts and roast chicken. He had a good time and said he would like to buy more of that kale salad.

Slowly, but surely, I'm introducing my parents to more foods and new ingredients.   

My parents (and I) are from the Navajo Nation reservation and they live in a small town called Crownpoint, New Mexico. Unlike a lot of Navajos on the reservation, my parents have access to good food. They live less than a mile from the grocery store, which carries a wide variety of foods. Even though fresh things can be expensive, the store has a nice little produce section. 

As a family, we started eating healthier about 5 or 6 years ago. We lost weight together and gained weight together. It's a challenge but we always try to keep to that healthy goal. 

The thing for my parents, though, is that they sometimes get stuck in a rut when it comes to variety and flavor. They get bored (even though they're both very good in the kitchen). I believe, you can give people healthy foods and tell them to eat healthy foods, but do they know how to cook them? Variety and spice is key to never getting bored with your food. 


If your food doesn't excite you, why would you keep eating it? 


I'm trying to bring variety and flavor to my family because I'm a foodie whose tasted variety and flavors from all over the world and I make it a personal hobby to try new things and cook new things whenever I get the chance. 

My family now has a passion for food and it blossomed since my sister and I "left the nest." My parents have more money and time to themselves now and they sometimes use it to explore foods. My sister and I have more money and time to explore food too. And every time we get together or talk on the phone, we talk about food and new things we tried and liked and didn't like. These are some of the most lively conversations we have because the passion is there.
We're exploring together and it's a fantastic journey that leads to healthier choices and more passion for the food we buy, cook and eat. 

There was a time I didn't have this much passion for food and flavor. But I realized: eating is something we do every day and we do it for as long as we're alive. Food is the most important part of life. We should have a passion and respect for it. We should be excited about food and it should be a good experience.  

Like I said before, flavor and variety is key to never getting bored but that comes with either a lot of take-out or from cooking. One of them is definitely harder than the other, but it's necessary. For something we do every single day, we should know how to cook. 

I learned to cook through years of observing, listening, reading and trying. And I'm still no expert. I get bored sometimes and I end up eating something premade that's much saltier and greasier than what I would normally cook for myself. I can't imagine what's it's like for people who can't cook. They probably eat a lot of take-out, fast food and premade salty things. 

I'm a big advocate for cooking in the home. If you're just beginning, keep at it! If you don't know how, please try. At the end of a great meal that you've made yourself (after 30 minutes or 3 hours in the kitchen), there's an uplifting, almost spiritual experience that ignites that passion and excitement. It's a great feeling. That's what keeps me in the kitchen.