I read a book earlier this month called Paris in Love, a memoir written by bestselling author Eloisa James who spent a year living in Paris with her family, doing as the Parisians do. And it inspired me to not just live better, but to eat better as well. She described, sometimes in agonizingly delicious detail, many of the culinary delights she enjoyed in France, and it got me thinking, “We just don’t take the time to eat well in this country.” We’re so focused on the go-go-go that often we’re eating whatever is easiest and within reach, or worse yet, grabbing (greasy, fried, packed with fat) fast food on the fly. I’ve been particularly guilty of waiting until I’m beyond hungry to even figure out what to cook, which almost always leads me down the path of something quick, easy, and not necessarily nutrient-packed. I am ashamed to admit that at times I’ve made health concessions based on convenience (or laziness, depending on how you look at it). The result: what I feed my body some days is practically criminal.
I was happily gifted two different cookbooks for Christmas: Food & Wine Best of the Best and Pretty Delicious which in conjunction with Paris in Love made me vow to cook at least one new recipe a week. And I’m hoping that one will lead to two or, let’s not get crazy- three. Not only am I trying new recipes, but I’m revamping what I’m eating as well. I decided to buy fresh bread, locally-sourced produce, and fresh meat and cheese instead of stocking up and freezing what I can’t immediately use. Yes, this will mean smaller, more frequent trips to the market, but that’s nothing a little prior planning can’t handle. And to me, it’s worth it. I want to eat better food, period. Because the fact of the matter is, when you pay attention to what you’re putting in your body, you feel better, you look better, you just are better.
When you buy bread from a bakery instead of stuff-that’s-been-sitting-for-who-knows-how-long at the grocery, you know you’re getting something fresh. And eating fresh means putting into our bodies fewer of the things that we’re not supposed to ingest a whole lot of, i.e. chemicals, preservatives, nitrates, hormones, artificial flavors/colors/sweeteners.
When you choose produce from the farmer’s market you’re not only guaranteeing it hasn’t been injected or sprayed with chemicals, frozen and thawed, or shipped from some far-away place, you’re supporting a local farmer, his family, and his livelihood. You feel good. He feels good. This is what’s known as a win-win.
Periodically, I’ll want to blog-share some of the stuff I’m cooking up, partially to help inspire some of you who might have thought, “I should really cook more, but…”, and partially to help me stay inspired and keep track of recipes I’ve tried and loved. Let’s face it, eating the same old dishes day after day can get pretty boring. I’m hoping this cooking resolution will add some new favorites to my recipe arsenal, and make meals exciting again, not to mention tastier and fresher. And just maybe it’ll motivate some of you to take a trip to the local market, grab a few tasty things to whip up, and fire up the stove. Happy eating!
*So far this month, I’ve tried three new recipes: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Spinach Fettuccine with Buttery Pistou, and Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread. Of the three, the fettuccine from Food & Wine Best of the Best was my favorite (even Ryan ate it without complaint!), I over-baked the bread (and should have used butter instead of oil), and the soup was so easy and delicious I’ve made it three times already.
