Resolving...one bite at a time

It's that time of year folks. Bring on the inevitable resolutions for 2009. Alot of us talk the talk each year for what...a few fleeting weeks? (myself included depending on the resolution). A conversation thread I caught on the Today Show yesterday morning got me thinking a bit though. Why do we feel obligated to force goals, intentions and resolutions upon ourselves right on January 1st each year? Who's to say you can't set goals for yourself mid-July? Sure, the fresh start of a new year serves as a good impetus to reflect and think about what you'd like to accomplish over the next 365 days, but I think the primary point of all of this, is to blaze a path when you're truly ready for it and can achieve whatever it is that much more successfully. There's nothing worse than setting a bar so unrealistically high it's absolutely unattainable. Personally, I'm a big fan of baby steps and mapping out how I can feasibly get from point A to point Z, how my goal or intention fits into my life...kind of like writing a biz plan (I know, I'm such a nerd). But it works and I don't feel guilty, pissed off, or down on myself if I start something and trail off days later. Whether it's eating more fruits and vegetables, cooking at home more to cuts costs and trim down a little, sleeping more soundly, or simply taking more time for yourself (probably the most challenging goal of all!) -- none of us are perfect, if we slip up a little, ok, not the end of the world...get right back up and back on the horse. The commentators on yesterday's show made a great point: pick a single word or phrase to describe the year ahead for you in order to better focus on your goals, like "strength", "spending smartly", "mindful eating" etc. Yes, a bit cheesy and hokey, but if it works for you, who cares.

So in the spirit of creating baby step intentions for the year, here a few of my own for 2009...

1. sleep more (falling asleep at my laptop at 12:30am is not productive!)
2. consider the environmental impact of my food choices more frequently (particularly around overfished seafood)
3. continue to purchase as much as possible from the greenmarket...fruits, veggies, eggs, meats/poultry/fish and more (it's nice putting a face to who's feeding you and it supports the local economy, agriculture and community...not to mention all the health benefits)
4. try to get home earlier at night to cook dinner more during the week (rather than scrambling to make something super-fast from whatever's in my fridge)
5. experiment with some new recipes using ingredients and exploring certain ethnic cuisines I haven't worked with before
6. run the NYC Marathon for charity next November *this might kill me, but it's something I've been wanting to do for a while now
7. spend more time writing (this goal actually HAS to get done thanks to some set deadlines. I won't go into detail, but we've got some pretty exciting projects on the horizon for 2009...more to come on that note, stay tuned!)
8. invest in some better cookware finally (specifically, I'm shooting for a good stainless steel pan or two like those by All-Clad and an iron skillet so heavy it could take off a toe or two if dropped...for $20 though it's a kitchen staple. An enameled cast iron pot from Le Creuset was my exciting purchase for 2008 and I'm a bit obsessed. It's amazing and with it's fiery red color, it looks damn sassy sitting on my stovetop)
9. take more time to focus on my *personal* life (I swear, Mom, I'm trying!)

What are your big intentions for the year ahead? Here's to a delicious 2009!

Lookin FINE in '09!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a glorious time ringing in 2009. May it be bright and much more financially sound than last. And most of all, may you experience many days of healthful-deliciousness this coming year. I kicked off NYE doing just that and cooked dinner for a few close friends--a nice, chill way to celebrate the evening without all the ball-dropping, cab-snatching chaos that envelops this city every freaking year. It was a small group, so I decided to just keep things simple and light with a hint of decadence, it being NYE and all. Not giving things too much thought prior to the day (not so typical of me, but the holidays have been a bit nutty), I ducked out of my warm apartment late afternoon and jetted over to Whole Foods and then down to Bleeker Street in the freezing cold weather. Why I thought it'd be a smart idea to run around the city for 2 hours in 20 degree weather, I have no clue, I'll do whatever it takes to come up with a decent meal I guess. Pushed onward by the blasting wind, I skirted over to Bleeker and hit up The Lobster Place (great lobsters at $11.99 per lb), Murray's Cheese Shop (a venerable standby), and Amy's Bread.

Here's the off-the-cuff menu I went with:
Cheese & cracker plate - drunken goat cheese and a warmed goat cheese w/rosemary bread & fig spread

Arugula salad w/blood orange, shaved pecorino romano and orange-balsamic vinaigrette

Lobster papardelle pasta w/roasted tomatoes
Vanilla bean ice cream w/warm sour cherries in red wine

I must say, for an impromptu dinner, it was darn tasty. I ended up making things a little easier on myself and bought a lobster that was already steamed. Next time, I'd tweak the recipe below and definitely would purchase a fresh, live lobster and cook it myself. I'd also probably swap the chili-garlic oil at the end for a dab or two of butter to bring out the richness in the lobster a little more. Not as heart-healthy, but NYE is a special occasion and all. Here's the pasta recipe, it's a keeper!

Lobster papardelle with roasted tomatoes

1 - 1 1/2 lb steamed lobster, remove meat from claws and tail, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 package of papardelle ribbons/nests
1 Tbsp olive oil (addtl Tbsp for roasting tomatoes)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
3 Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp basil, julienned or chopped
1/3 cup parmesan cheese + extra for sprinkling
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp red chili flakes (or to taste)

1-2 tsp chili-garlic oil for drizzling *or try 2 tsp butter at end

*I make a little ramekin of chili-garlic oil every few days just for flavoring/finishing. I like it spicy! Combine 1 *small* clove minced garlic, 1/8 tsp red chili flakes, a dash of salt and about 2-3 Tbsp olive oil. It should keep for 3-4 days.

Preheat oven to 325.
*Roasted tomatoes: Toss grape tomatoes with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 clove garlic minced, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until skin bursts.
*Pasta: Bring large pot of water to boil. Add pappardelle and cook 7 minutes until al dente. Drain.
*Sauteing lobster: Heat heavy, large pan or stockpot on medium with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, onion and wine until alcohol cooks off a bit, about 2-3 minutes. Add pieces of cut tail and claws and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in roasted tomatoes, red chili flakes, salt, pepper and parsley and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Toss in pasta, parmesan, basil and chili oil/butter at last minute and toss to serve.

Holiday slacking and soda taxes

Ok, I admit it, I've been slacking with the writing of late--the holiday madness and tidying up projects before 2008 shuts down has gotten the best of me. I'll be posting a few quickies over the next few days and then back to the big guns come Jan. 1 (when you'll really be ready for a swift kick of healthy food in order to detox from every cookie, cup of hot cocoa, cocktail and heavy holiday meal that's crossed your path the past few weeks).

This peaked my interest last week. Thought I'd share it for all you politico-health conscious-foodie New Yorkers. Gov. Paterson has proposed an 18% tax on non-diet soda and sugary-sweet juice drinks (those that contain less than 70% fruit juice). Termed the "obesity tax," the proposal targets rising obesity rates while raising nearly $400 million per year for state health programs. One in four New Yorkers is obese, up from 14% in 1995. Pretty shocking and pretty impressive on Paterson's part. Whether or not the tax will actually deter people from drinking empty-calories and consuming high-fructose corn syrup is hard to say, but I'm hopeful that it will, at the very least, open people's eyes a little wider, making them think twice before reaching for liquid calories that have zero 'value add'. Here's to hoping the proposal will further open the conversation about the state of this country's diet and health status.