One of my favorite holiday dishes
Now and then, when there’s a featured collection of something, somewhere, somebodies that require a slide show to navigate, sometimes I bite and oftentimes, I scroll on by. This Saturday night, I bit.
The ‘come-on’ text was “Chefs Reveal the items They Always Buy at the Grocery Store.” The visual was three rows of rotisserie chickens, something I’ve never, ever bought. I was resting from yard work and it was too early for bed, so I began clicking and reading the few quotes from chefs and restaurants I’d never heard of. It could be all fake news to me, but I don’t care.
These chefs bought things, not for their businesses, but for themselves and their families. The second slide showed many triangles of different cheeses. Good. My love of cheese came from Dad I suppose, but I usually stick close to the tried and true; cheddar, mozzarella, provolone. I think I’ll branch out. One of the slides showed a meal of Doritos and Cottage Cheese. I like the idea of that combination.
Canned tomatoes! Two different chefs admitted to this. I, too, always keep canned tomatoes in the pantry for soups and chili.
Sauces and salsas, herbs and chickpeas (for hummus, yuck), fancy mayo and mustards, I passed them by.
But I stopped, surprised, at a photo of various mini candies—like the ones our bell choir snacks on during break. Nostalgia for a childhood candy bar, this chef said, even though it wasn’t good for you, the chef also said, was a pleasurable experience—to savor and to share (the nostalgia, not the candy). My go-to nostalgia bar is Payday, now in the snack-size package.
Chocolate, ice cream, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Oreos, cheese dip with chips, and bacon were items mentioned as not convenient to prepare from scratch.
Anything on sale, said one respondent. The photo showed bags of Halo oranges, something I also try to keep on hand.
A potpourri of snacks in bowls was a surprise, coming from a chef. But I guess chefs are people, too, aren’t they, with sweet tooths (teeth), salt urges, calories-be-darned like most of the rest of us. This photo showed popcorn, caramel corn, sweet cereals, pretzels, chips, Chex-mix and various crackers.
These folks can keep their ramen noodles (I’ve never eaten any), tofu, hummus, quinoa, farro, and koshihikari sprouted brown rice, cultured salted butter, Sriracha, avocados, cauliflower pizza crust, kale smoothies--or kale-anything—coconut milk, miso, and fresh herbs.
I’m content, at 80-something, with tuna, turkey breast, pre-cooked bacon, skim milk, Keurig coffees (Breakfast Blend and Hazelnut), Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta cheese for dip, Scoops, Cheetos, yogurt or Edy’s ice cream, cheap pizzas, Cheerios (no saturated fats), raisins, peanut butter, saltines, rye bread, cinnamon raisin bagels, canned salmon, cranberry juice, and vegetable or tomato juice.
I did discover two things that I’m adding to my ‘always keep on hand’ list: Reser’s chicken salad and potato salad from the local grocery deli.
Anyone want the rest of the box of potato flakes I bought, and used once?
A graham cracker concoction that Billy & I really liked
c 2019, PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA
