...On an Empty Stomach

I wish I had a dollar for every time my son (the one that at other times sweetly chants "Mama Lisha") said, "Be Quuuuiet Mom!"...which translated means, "You're buggin me"! Today this same 11 year old was suddenly writhing in pain in the car, suggesting I magically heliport him to the house only 5oo yards from the front door. I told him it might be gas pain which would pass sooner than we could land a copter in the driveway, but he insisted that he knew what gas pain WAS ("sharp like a knife Mom), and THIS was like someone punched him in the stomach. The tone in his yell was like that someone was ME! So we swoop into the house, he lands on the couch writhing one last dramatic time, manages to grab hold of the TV remote, fill the air with canned laughter, and not another sound comes out of this boy. Ahhhh... to be right and even better... the calm after the storm, I love it!

So today I promised to write about food, well fools can dream and today I am certainly dreaming of food on this day of atonement. I won't eat till sundown, but I can dream...I want you to know that I do love to cook but often don't have the time, like so many of us. As an artist I look at cooking as a creative outlet, and sometimes your audience loves it, aaaand other times not, but that's o.k. I also treat cooking in the same way I approach fashion. I mix it up! With cooking it's semi-home cooking, certain things (like produce) have to be really fresh while other things can come from a jar (delicious none the less). Great 'Shoes' or a great 'Bag' goes a long way to making an outfit too!

Good olive oil, and fresh ingredients are basic to good healthy cooking. If you're making chicken don't buy 'Perdue', spend a little more it's worth it! Get it from a butcher or a specialty market, not the supermarket unless it's Fairway or Stew Leonard's, etc.

When I'm looking for something new, simple and delicious I usually go to the 'foodnetwork.com' and look for the 'Barefoot Contessa' or 'Giada at Home'.

Last night I threw together grilled chicken and a simple pasta using fresh plum tomatos (last of the season) and broccoli from my local farm stand. Tune in tomorrow for the details, and my approach to making gourmet sandwiches, which are highly underrated.