Taking a break...

I'm taking a break from this blog now. It's just not getting the viewer-ship I had planned on at the beginning of the year. Thanks to you loyal readers but 27 viewers in February so far is just not gonna cut it. Instead I'll focus on my book projects.

Ever Leave Your Cart Behind?

If you're like me at all, I bet there have been a few times where you've been exasperated enough to leave your grocery cart, picked items still inside, and leave the store. This usually happens when I can't find a main ingredient for that night's recipe. Don't think too badly of me...I always return perishables to the shelf and I never leave meat that the butcher or fish monger has wrapped. But when I want to fix...say...seared ahi with a sesame wasabi sauce and I find out they don't have any ahi...Arrrrggggghhhh! It's especially frustrating when I have everything else I need, already in the cart.

Simple solution to my (our) problem. Before you enter the store, look at your list and decide what is the hardest (most likey to be out of stock) thing to find. Start with that. If you don't find it, you can (a) change your menu for that night or (b) go to another store. Since I started this, I don't think I've left any shopping carts behind. And as a former bag boy, I'm sure the store appreciates not having to de-shop or un-shop or whatever we used to call it.

The Beans are Always Greener...

Here's a real quick tip.  Ever wonder why the green beans look SO good in your local Chinese restaurant?  Fresh and green...really green.  Do your's look as good or do they turn an avocado green color by the time you get them to the plate?  I was sitting in a Dim Sum restaurant with a friend who happen to be Chinese.  She was training me on Dim Sum (which is a whole other story) and I asked her, "How do they get their beans to look SO green?"  Her answer:  They put oil in the water.  It's that simple.  2 or 3 tablespoons of oil in your pot of water will give you that fresh green color.  Vegetable oil will do...no need to waste that extra virgin olive oil.  Try it and you'll see it makes the green beans tastier looking.