FoodSexLit

A few days ago, I cleaned out my fridge.  After I had thrown out the expired milk, the eggs that had been there for weeks, the wilted vegetables, and everything else that would probably kill me if I put it in my mouth, I had very little left to eat.  In fact, I had two completely bare shelves.

I left the jars and bottles of the bottom shelf intact: four kinds of oil– walnut, peanut, toasted sesame, and chili; two kinds of syrup (one “real” maple syrup, the other made with Kentucky straight Bourbon Whiskey); the accoutrements of Asian cooking left over from the re-kindling of my love affair with Tom Douglas’s Seattle Kitchen this summer: brown rice vinegar, mirin wine, fish sauce, soy sauce, and a tall bottle of sake.  And of course, my most prized culinary possession— a glass jar of pure pork lard from Sea Breeze Farm.

All ingredients that can help make a delicious meal, of course, but not by themselves.  I mean, as much as I love it, I can’t have a midnight snack of pork lard alone.

So began the process of re-stocking my shelves.

I think you can tell a lot about a person by what she keeps in her fridge.  When I was married, I would attempt to control my quickly-spiraling-out-of-control life by keeping it as empty as possible, save four different kinds of micro-brewed beer, preferably local, and cheap champagne.  No food, unless you count Grey Poupon and French’s and ketchup.  I don’t.

And, after reading Molly Wizenberg’s amazing book A Homemade Life, I stopped using Grey Poupon entirely.  Read it to find out why.  Now, when I make the Barefoot Contessa’s Creamy Mustard Vinagrette, my favorite salad dressing, I use Maille’s Dijon Originale.

Single again, I still try to keep my fridge well-organized—neat and clean, but full.  It makes me feel like a good person.  The kind of person who can make a number of delicious meals at a moment’s notice.  The kind of person who can take care of herself and maybe, just maybe, someone else.

So slowly, over the last week or so, I’ve been re-filling my fridge.  Carefully.

Braising Greens from Willie Green’s organic farm

Spinach from Willie Green’s

Chicken Livers (organic, free-range)

Chicken Breasts (also organic, free-range)

Nancy’s Organic plain Yogurt with raspberries (the kind you mix in yourself)

Parmesan cheese from Met Market (that’s a whole blog entry in itself)

Homemade chicken stock from Sea Breeze

Three Kinds of Butter—organic unsalted, organic salted, and Plugra

Raw milk from Sea Breeze farm

Rockridge Orchards Country Apple Cider

Pumpkin Ravioli from La Pasta

Good sparkling wine (my favorite is Chandon’s Blanc de Noirs)

Cheap sparkling wine (Cristalino NV Brut Cava)

Real Champagne (Louis Roederer)

On Wednesday, the holiday, I will make dinner for my family: Butternut Squash Risotto (I love The Barefoot Contessa’s Recipe—what’s not to love about a recipe that begins with sautéing pancetta in butter?) with Apple Cider Chicken and Bitter Greens.

For a solitary supper, I will make Sauteed Chicken Livers, served on a salad of butter lettuce with that delicious home-made vinaigrette I mentioned above.

Finally, I’ll make Pumpkin Ravioli with Tomato-Butter Sauce, served on a chiffonade of spinach.  And even though I am single, I don’t plan on eating it alone.

Blog Entries Coming up: More Dinner and Seduction—Recipes for Apple-Cider Chicken and Tomato-Butter Sauce . . .