Iceberg to Arugula

I’m really picky about my ice. Now for me this is saying a lot, because generally I try hard not to be labeled as a high maintenance person as I go through my life. My husband always looks a bit puzzled as I routinely dump our ice bucket from the freezer every 4-5 days. He doesn’t say anything, but I know he thinks it’s probably some kind of dietitian sanitation ritual.

But no….that’s not it at all. I’m trying to avoid funky ice. Specifically, I’m trying to avoid the subpar experience of garnishing my post workout glass of water with funktacular, partially dehydrated, beef stew laced ice cubes.  In my mind there is really nothing worse (though processed cheese food comes to mind) than being horridly thirsty after working out, practically dying for something cool to drink and have no choice but to use the mutant ice.

Beef stew flavored ice???? Allow me to explain. Ice is really good at picking up other flavors in the refrigerator and freezer. The result is generally not terribly pleasant. Since I tend to cook with copious amounts of garlic, my refrigerator usually smells that way and alas…so does my ice unless I care enough to change it regularly. So since I am not lucky enough at this juncture to have a refrigerator that spits out ice on demand (which I think probably makes the issue less of an issue), I will continue with my dumping ritual.

So I guess what I’m, really trying to say in this post is that I really think ice quality is important. Most of us need to drink more water anyway, so perhaps caring more about the ice that goes in that water will help us drink more.

P.S. Incidentally ice cream also absorbs off flavors and should be consumed quickly to avoid this problem as well. Though truth be told, that’s not really the reason ice cream doesn’t last very long in my freezer. J

When I was a teenager, my mom began taking me out to eat at some of the fancier restaurants in town. She felt it was important to introduce me to a style of eating that was beyond the macaroni and cheese and meatloaf type meals I was used to. One of these first outings was at a fine restaurant at an upscale local hotel. Looking at the menu I found several dishes I’d never heard of or was horrified at the thought of eating (snails, brains). Looking for something vaguely familiar I settled on a Filet Mignon with Lingonberry Sauce. I remember thinking the fruit/meat combination was weird but I figured I would just scrape the sauce off. But when the meal arrived I was just shocked. I’d never seen a plate of food look so gorgeous. The steak was beautifully grilled and juicy nestled in a pool of the deep reddish purple berry sauce. Tucked in around the steak were a variety of vibrant crisp-tender seasonal vegetables and baby red potatoes. The first bite didn’t disappoint either. The steak was extraordinarily tender, rich, beefy with hints of caramel resulting from the perfect grill job. The lingonberries further enhanced the dish by contributing sweetness that rounded out the other flavors. It was a drastic departure from what I was used to in a dining experience. It was my first “Wow” meal.

Just about everyone can think back to a meal they’ve eaten at some point in their life as a wow experience. The wow meal is one that sticks in your head years after you’ve eaten it because it made you stop and take notice. The experience is different for everyone and it doesn’t need to be related to a fancy meal. It can be as simple as a perfectly roasted chicken or an exquisitely ripe, sweet orange at the peak of the season.

I believe wow meals serve a purpose besides holding a distinctive place in our memories; they may help us eat more healthfully by helping us discern what is worth eating and what is not. I can eat buckets of pizza rolls and never have a wow moment for all the calories I consumed. Given a choice, I would much rather eat a small wedge of lasagna bursting with tomatoes, pungent cheese and spicy basil than a weight loss shake. I’ve yet to hear anyone who’s had a wow moment with a weight loss shake. This flies in the face of the “if it tastes good, it’s not good for you” idea but we all know how easy it is to eat large quantities of mediocre food without noticing. Wow foods slap you in the face and force you to notice. Well prepared and intelligently selected food remind us that cuisine is a form of art. This is easy to forget when we are so rushed that we settle for mediocre meals that fill the belly but not the soul. Wow foods encourage to eat more slowly, (which usually means you eat less) and leave you feeling more satisfied.

There is no shortage of mediocre food in this country, but for those willing to try to cultivate a better way of eating, here are some ideas. There are a few great food combinations that always go well together, sampling these combinations can help educate your palate to the synergy that occurs between certain ingredients to produce the wow experience. A few of my favorites include beef and red wine stewed or braised together or fresh basil pesto sauce made with garlic, toasted pine nuts and freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese. Learning to select excellent produce is also a key consideration. There is nothing that can beat a perfectly ripe fruit or vegetable. A good place to learn is from a knowledgeable produce manager at the grocery store or from the farmer who grew it as in the local Farmers Market. For the ultimate experience in educating your palate, try a class in French cookery. The French have mastered the art of the Wow experience focusing on simple but very well prepared foods rather than relying on exotic ingredients or recipes. The next best thing to taking a class is to consult Julia Child, her “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” which focuses on teaching techniques rather than recipes.

I have yet to work up the nerve to try snails or brains, but I have come a long way from my humble meatloaf beginnings and my palate is much happier for it.