so, what kind of underwear are we talking about here?

No, it's not what you think. I'm a busy woman, living in a busy city, trying to balance work, fun and a never-ending struggle to achieve and maintain good health. That means I work a full day, I work out almost every day, I make dinner almost every night, and I try to pack some fun into my weekends to compensate for my crappy job.

In order to facilitate this juggling act, I often find myself stripping down to my skivvies after coming home from a workout and doing quite a bit of prep and/or cooking before I hop into the shower. This way, I can take care of the 'dirty work' of making dinner while I'm still... well... dirty! Don't worry, I wash my hands thoroughly and carefully before food preparation, and I do wear an apron if I anticipate volcanic activity of any kind.

And if you're still curious about the underwear, it's basic black, standard-issue Gap, and boring as hell. Sorry 'bout that!

dinner : caribbean ratatouille

Now, I know you're scratching your head at the name of this dish, but bear with me. I'd been craving ratatouille for a few days and planned to prepare it tonight, but as I was writing up my shopping list, a minor mental slip turned into a spark of inspiration.
The first item on my list was meant to be 'eggplant', but for some strange reason, I typed the word 'melongene' which is one of the words we use for eggplant in the Caribbean. In the U.S., I never have reason to call it that, since most Americans would have no idea what I'm talking about, but there it was, sitting on the blank page, staring back at me. And I think you can follow my train of thought from there.
So this ratatouille came together using produce that is readily available in the Caribbean - melongene, onion, red bell pepper, chayote (which we call 'christophene'), calabaza (West Indian pumpkin), garlic, and tomato (I used canned, diced). I also added a few tablespoons of diced …

D. I. Y. dinner for the 1%

A few months ago, I noticed a very intriguing sign in a storefront window of an establishment under construction. The shop was to be called 'The Walk-In Cookbook'. Needless to say, my curiosity was peaked, but I resisted the urge to research the hell out of the topic and decided to wait until opening day to find out what it was all about.

Today, my patience was rewarded as I sauntered into the newly-opened establishment to take a look around. The Walk In Kitchen, it appears, is kind of like an Ikea for cooking. There are brightly colored posters that feature photographs of meals, accompanied by ingredient lists and the cost of said ingredients in 2 and 4 serving iterations.

There are also recipe cards, which double as shopping lists as you make your way around the store selecting from the attractively displayed produce and other food items. The layout resembles a professional kitchen, and you kind of get the feeling that a cooking class is going to start up at any minute. Exce…

cookin' up a storm!

Nothing like plummeting temperatures, bleak skies, and snow flurries to get me in the mood to whip up some comfort food! On this particular night, I was inspired by a tuna casserole recipe that one of my friends posted on 'that other social network'. I adapted the ingredients a bit to accommodate my dietary restrictions, but you can feel free to use the full-fat, full-sodium versions of any of the ingredients. I didn't measure anything, (I rarely do) so you'll just have to wing it on that front. Here's what went into the dish:

2 cans tuna fish, drained
1/2 package whole wheat pasta spirals
3 egg whites, beaten
2 tablespoons of Smart Balance spread
grated pepper-jack cheese
diced tomatoes
fresh chopped parsley
chopped onion
fresh ground black peppersalt, to taste (I didn't use any)

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain. Mix in all the other ingredients except for the eggs, and a couple handfuls of the cheese. When the mixture has cooled sl…

cooking in my underwear

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