Monday, May 04, 2009

i'm steve, and i'm a food scrounger





Darrel and I are better than average cooks.


We need to be.


We are better than average eaters.


I have written several times of trying to fit into the cycle of the new house. Part of that is learning how to keep the larder filled for our meals.


In
days slipping away I told you about our first culinary disaster: the chicken that went bad. Not that Chicken Little crossed over to the bad side. His carcass merely began prematurely rotting in the refrigerator.


Darrel and I long ago learned that flexibility is a virtue best practiced in the kitchen. If the chicken is bad, out it goes. And a new dish will emerge.


The photograph above is not that dish. It is our dinner the next night: tortilla español -- with a twist: chipotle sauce and ham. But the side dish is the leftover stir fry from the previous night.


To prove that we are not Johnny-one-notes in the flexibility department, we had another opportunity on Sunday night to pull ourselves out of a stall.


I knew it was Labor Day weekend. I knew that Labor Day weekend was a big holiday in Mexico. I knew stores would be closed on a big holiday in Mexico.


With all of that knowledge did we stock up on groceries for the weekend? Of course, not. I guess we thought we would pop over to the open-all-night Safeway and buy whatever we needed.


Because we are not boys who look as if we are starving, we found our own interesting solution. Fresh pineapple and watermelon for a salad. And the bachelor classic (nachos) with some personal improvement touches.


Here is the result of our labors.




In truth, I would just as soon avoid another nacho plate like that for dinner. I suspect I will not score any weight loss points with it.

9 comments:

Michael Dickson said...

So this is a foodie blog now? First loooong poems copied five seconds after saying that poems are death to a blog (which is true), and now foodie.

You should be studying Spanish instead.

You have spoiled your readers with this pattern of daily posts, but you might want to consider that you are the boss and can post stuff whenever you wish. This is not a daily paper in which you are obliged to go to press every 24 hours, or else. There are no advertisers to annoy. You are your own man. Nobody can fire you.

Unrelated to any of that: Is your brother similarly unemployed? I mean, a month´s vacation? And is he similarly a bachelor boy? Is this an odd Cotton family tradition? An Oregon thing?

Inquiring minds want to know. Perhaps you have answered this before, but I do not recall your doing so.

Babs said...

I can't even think of a comment about this culinary extravaganza.

Steve Cotton said...

Felipe -- Nope. Not a foodie blog. Just a confessional for poor planning. I purposesly took out the rest of the tale on preparation because I could hear your editor voice in the background saying: "So this is a foodie blog now?"

Unlike me, Darrel is a working family man. Married with three children -- two of them grown. He is a computer consultant, but he gets vacations and enjoys them. I was honored that he chose to spend that time with me.

Babs -- But you would have enjoyed it -- I am certain.

Tancho said...

I am glad that you are staying below your daily 2000 calorie goal.......Not!
Yes, I know you will start the diet after your brother leaves...
Right after your Spanish lessons.

1st Mate said...

Steve - You can be a foodie and still be a well-rounded (oops, maybe we mean Renaissance) man. As you are your own boss, you can write about anything you want. I guess good blogging does require you stick to one topic per blog, which you do very well.

Tell Darrel he looks too young to have two grown kids. And I know he's enjoying his vacation. Sounds like the two of you are having a grand ol' time in your new casa.

AMY said...

But... there's fruit! Fruit is healthy! I dub that a healthy meal! You've got some grains, some dairy, perhaps some protein if there are beans on the nachos... that's well balanced!

Calypso said...

I am enjoying these editorial lessons of Señor Felipe's. And you Steve take the abuse (constructive criticism) so well.

Thanks hombres

Oh and Señor Felipe asks good questions too - I was wondering about your brother as well. There couldn't be two of you!

Steve Cotton said...

Constantino -- Despite some relapses in food intake, my weight continues to gradually come down. I am within ounces of being 30 pounds lighter now as compared to the day my doctor diagnosed diabetes. The next 28 pounds are going to be more difficult, but I will continue bit by bit. Just as I will on my Spanish studies.

1st Mate -- Thanks for the compliment. Darrel not only has two grown children, he also has three grandchildren.

Lavachickie -- You can be my nutritionist any day. But you are correct, the fruit is what saves the meal.

Calypso -- You must recall that I once wrote appellate briefs that were regularly edited by Department of Justice attorneys. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

If you were to see Darrel and me together, you would think a clone experiment had gone partially wrong. Several locals have stopped us to ask if we are twins.

Anonymous said...

LOL... funny post. You may be losing weight, but your sense of humor is picking up steam. Bravo!

Saludos desde Boston

Kim G
Where, upon moving here in 1995, we discovered that, unlike California, stores here actually CLOSED on holidays. Imagine our horror. Fortunately capitalist progress has penetrated even New England, and now we can shop whenever we darn well feel like it!