On Life As A Picky Foodie

This is my baby girl just a couple of weeks ago: peaceful, at home in London, oblivious to the changes about to take place.  Although we made a book to explain that we were going to be moving, that we were leaving London for New York, I was well aware that it really was more for us grownups than for the sixteen-month old toddler who pointed out the big red busses and the airplanes in the photographs much in the same was she did in the street.

But the Grand Bus Rouge was replaced by the Grand Bus Jaune and I don’t know whether she expected everything to be so different.  I am familiar with New York, I knew what was coming, and the changes are still intense.  DW has been commenting about how different I am in the city.  Calmed somehow, he says, more at ease.  And bizarrely, I feel just as much at home here now, at age thirty-five, than I did the very first time I landed at JFK, over twenty years ago. 

We said goodbye to London in the best way we knew how: we walked through Hampstead Heath and to the Marylebone Farmer’s market.  We smelled the cheese at The Fromagerie one last time, we stopped by our favourite neighborhood café to swap general complaints.  There were people to take leave of and traditions to enjoy. 

But really, it’s the little things that make a place feel like home.  And wandering the streets of New York City, it becomes clearer with every step that London doesn’t feel mine – never has.  I loved it like a tourist on an extended stay, but I have missed the crazy fucking place that is New York.

When we were drowning in boxes, I couldn’t quite get past the questions of what we should keep, what we should sell, what should come on the plane with us, what we should leave behind.  It felt like an interminable list, constantly circling around in my head, piercing my brain like ice picks in the middle of the night.  What about the high chair?  What about the sofa bed?  What about the …?

October fourth, the day of departure, came way too quickly.  In about five seconds and after a hundred years.  I wasn’t ready.  I had never been more ready.  The taxi arrived to take us to Heathrow at 10:15 sharp.  We loaded our eight bags, the stroller, the car seat, the foldable cot – travelling light wasn’t an option this time.

The moment of realization had come earlier, as DW and I walked up the street to say goodbye to our friends at The Kitchen Table, where we spent gazillions of hours over the years.  On our way up the road, we had held hands, feeling each step in silence, knowing that we would not be making this silly little walk, which we had so taken for granted, again.  They had greeted us as they have every day for the past four years.  And we had said goodbye much in the same way we had so many times before.  DW and I laughed as we crossed the street and headed back home.  It all felt so… normal.

An hour later, the tears flowed. 

Saying goodbye is tough.  Because even if you return to the same places and see the same people, nothing will ever be the same. 

Someone else will be living in our house.  Another family will inhabit the walls where my baby girl came into the world.  They will cook on the incredible range, and take that same wander up the block to order sandwiches and fantastic coffee at The Kitchen Table.  They will live fifteen minutes from Hampstead Heath while we …

We are heading into this new chapter in our lives.  One in which nothing is clear or determined yet.  In the past few weeks, we have been in turn excited and terrified, elated and suspicious, relieved and regretful, sad and joyful and everything in between. 

As the taxi pulled out, a weight lifted off my shoulders.  I could do nothing more, even if I had wanted to.  What was packed would be packed, what was being shipped we would see again in a few weeks, what would be would be.  And if I wanted to avoid motion sickness, I needed to keep looking forward.

I don’t know if I actually laughed out loud, but I felt like doing so.  To go from being worried about what box contained my fermentation pot to not caring in the space of half a millisecond knocked me off balance enough that I was grateful to be sitting down.  The only thing that mattered wasn’t whether we should or shouldn’t take the furniture, or how many tea bags I should take on the flight – it was the two people sitting on either side of me, my husband and my daughter. 

And then, just like that, we find ourselves wandering the streets of New York slightly in awe, but also bizarrely at home already -- we know where we like to eat, where we like to shop for groceries, who we need to call, what we need to see, do, explore, experience.  Only unlike in the past, there's a little person involved and at the same time everything is new.  

Vida Lev is now toddling along, which means she has little time to be in her carrier or her stroller.  So we let her wander the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn to her heart’s desire.  She waddles, holding her arms up on each side of her to keep her balance.  And then every so often, she squats down in a kind of downward dog to recalibrate before taking off again.  This child fits right in here: already she is in a hurry.  People wave, people smile, people ask whether her boots come in adult sizes.  If you think New Yorkers are rude or unfriendly, you should set a beaming toddler loose in the streets: never have I seen such love, enjoyment and pleasure in people’s faces as in the past few days with my little girl. 

On a final note, I will say this: we have gone from a four-bedroom house in London to who knows what in New York (though I know for a fact that whatever we find will be smaller than what we were in).  The stress, which was can I keep this?,  has now become why in the world did I hold on to that?

Life.  The jokes never stop coming.

Recipe: Breakfast for Globetrotting Parents 

When you're moving continents and running after a very energetic little girl, breakfast needs to power you through until God knows when.  This one might seem complicated and filled with scary, unknown ingredients, but people often ask me what I eat so I decided to share this latest favourite which has kept me sated, grounded and happy for many a challenging morning recently.  I won't lie, this is one greeeeen smoothie but it's choc-full of good fats, minerals, protein and awesome quality slow-burning fuel.  Plus, in my opinion, it's delicious though I am aware that my palate is greeeeener than most people's so consider yourself warned.  The great news is that all you have to do is blend so it's super simple to make.  And if you let the mixture sit for a few minutes, it will thicken up into a pudding.  I like to top mine with juicy berries and crunchy cacao nibs for something to chew on, and eat it with a big old spoon.

Ingredients:

1 T coconut butter

1 T hemp seeds

2 T chia seeds

1 t spirulina

1 t chlorella

1/8 t kelp powder

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla powder

1 dropper Oceans Alive

1 banana

3/4 c raspberries

1 dried fig

4-5 kale leaves, stalks removed

1 cup water

For the topping (optional): 

small handful fresh blueberries

a sprinkle of cacao nibs

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in the blender.  

Blend well -- you might need to add a little more water, depending on the strength of your machine.  

Allow to thicken for a few minutes.  

Top with blueberries and cacao nibs (optional). 

P.S.  Happy Birthday to ME!

So I have a thing about textures.

I love watching my baby girl explore them with as much relish as I do. With "gentle hands," she timidly runs her fingers along rose petals, the patterns of our green sofa, my skin.  And so too with food.

In the beginning, I found it almost painful to feed her plain pieces of roasted sweet potato.  How plain, how goopy, how dull.  I want to scrape my tongue at the very thought.  But Vida Lev is still learning about the vast expanse of flavors, textures and food experiences there are to be had and she loves her sweet potato as is.  In fact, she is teaching me to simplify, enjoy, or at least taste things on their own before I add spices, herbs and other foods.

Textures and flavors - to me, both factors determine the quality of a dish.  When something really stands out, it is because a balance has been obtained between them.  Personally, I prefer stark contrasts – hot and cold, crunchy and chewy, sweet and savory, wet and dry.  Like fleur de sel on a good praline.  Or fruit in a salad.  

Next time you’re hungry and can’t figure out what you’re truly wanting, try closing your eyes and asking yourself what texture you desire.  Is it soft or hard?  Doughy or bitty?  Wet or dry?

When I was about thirteen, we spent a summer on Lake Muscoca up in Canada. And while I remember the trampoline and the rickety old diving board that felt as if it was going to topple every time one of us dared to scoot to the end of it, my most vivid memories have to do with food.

The popcorn my aunt would make, it's salty crunchiness that was unlike the kind we got at the movies back home (where they only sold it covered in sugar -- horrendous!).  A few moments after the inevitable bellow of the fire alarm, she would present the warm bowl of crisp, white kernels.  We would sit around grabbing handfuls as we looked up at the stars.  Being a city girl, it was the first time I had seen such the night sky so clearly.  And while I loved lying back on the recliner and calling out every time I glimpsed a shooting star, what I was most focused on was the popcorn in my mouth.  I loved dousing it in fake butter and popping each kernel into my mouth where I could maneuver it into the perfect position, with my teeth sunk in the cavity just below the sharper, popped edges and my tongue running along the rounder bit.

I remember the bacon, the likes of which I had never tasted before. It was fresh, crispier than potato chips and crackled vigorously in my mouth.

For years, I associated Canada with bacon, popcorn and beer coolers, which we stole sips of when the adults weren’t looking.

By far my favorite discovery, however, was the locally made Rocky Road ice cream.  The cottage my family had rented sat alone on a tiny island that was only accessible by boat.  Whenever groceries were needed someone would have to go to the mainland.

Even then, way before I had any interest in cooking or health, I loved supermarkets.  Especially that summer. Because tagging along with whomever's turn it was to shop meant a scoop of Rocky Road.

Growing up in Belgium meant that there was never a shortage of the highest quality sweet treats.  But this ice cream beat even the most prestigious chocolatiers.

Looking back now, I realize that what seduced me wasn't the sweetness or even wonderfully artificial flavors. It was the balance of textures: crunchy nuts, gooey marshmallows, sticky caramel, creamy ice cream.  Each one was present in just the right amount, and as a result, the flavors melded as if they weren’t meant to be enjoyed separately.

This past year, I really focused on nuts and seeds. Not because I love them (though I do), but rather because I craved their oily crunch.  Almost everything I made involved Nuts.

Then, when I decided to follow the Naturopath's suggestion and remove them from my diet, I panicked. That very night, I made a warm salad... Sans nuts. And it wasn't half bad.

Within about three days, I felt better than I had in months. I didn't feel as deprived as I had feared. In fact, I didn't feel deprived at all. The only thing I missed was the texture, the added kick in my mouth that balanced out chewy, stringy, dry or wet. But that too faded as I focused on creating and discovering new nut-free dishes instead. 

Textures have as much of an emotional component as flavours: like when I'm sad and crave doughy foods. I might want savoury - like bread - or sweet - like brownies. But really, it's the texture that I crave and find comfort in.

Way back when, before I could put words to these preferences, I sat on that dock many a time as the sun started to set, twirling my Tongue in my mouth like a dreamcatcher, angling for a taste of every sumtuous part of the magical combination.  Every bite had potential, and while I didn't know it yet, I had already embarked on my journey -- in search of that elusive perfect bite.

Coconut Squares & Jam (a raw recipe)
(adapted from the very awesome bonzaiaphrodite.com)

Been on a bit of a dessert kick lately – like for the past 30-something years!  When a couple of good friends had a baby this week, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try these puppies out.  Of course, I couldn’t not tinker with it and add my personal touches.  As you can see from the name, however, in this house, food aside, we’ve got Dr. Seuss on the brain.   

This recipe is simple, quick and child-friendly.  Coconut oil is a thyroid booster, the dried fruit is sweet with a little tang.  Feel free to use any dried fruit, but make sure to adjust the amount of sweetener accordingly.

For the crust:
2 cups coconut flour
1 cup coconut water
1/3 x2 cup coconut oil
½   cup maple syrup
1 t vanilla powder
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch salt

Melt the coconut oil in a bain de Marie.  Sift the flour to remove any lumps.  Add the cinnamon, salt and vanilla.  Once the oil is melted, mix in along with the coconut water and maple syrup.  Use your hands to really create a beautiful robust dough. 

Line a cookie pan (8 ½ x 12 inch or 21.5 x 30 cm) with parchment paper.  Flatten the dough evenly.  Refrigerate.

For the jam topping:
2 cups dried, unsulphured apricots
1 cup dried sour cherries (unsweetened)
1/8 cup raisins
3+ cups water
juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 medium lemon

Combine the dried fruit in a bowl.  Cover with just enough water.  Allow to soak for as long as you have – fifteen minutes to make the crust, or overnight if you have the time. 

Once soft, put the fruit in the food processor, keeping the soak water to add as necessary.  Start with ½ cup of the water as well as the freshly squeezed orange juice and process until you’ve got the beginning of a jam-like texture.  Then add the fresh lemon zest and process until relatively but not completely smooth.

To make the squares:
Spread the jam evenly over the crust.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours at least.  Then cut into squares. 

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hello, "DW" here.  Lover of all things cappuccino, Pad Thai and Picky Foodie (I’m her husband). I’d like to discuss something today very close to my heart: time, or rather, the lack of it (and how I recently discovered a way of getting more out of the little bit that I do have).

We’re a busy family, and time is at a premium.  I’m a professional writer.  This means that theoretically, I’m the master of my own destiny.  Every day I count my lucky stars that I have no boss, no commute, and any timetable I’m plugged into is usually of my own creation.  

However, on a recent business trip to Los Angeles, that was not the case.

Morning, noon and night, I attended meeting after meeting on a crazy schedule that was dictated by others, planned in exquisite detail.  It felt like boot camp.  Each day had a metronomic regularity to it -- driving, meeting, driving, meeting, looking for a bathroom, driving, meeting, and so on.  At night, I would Skype my much-missed family, collapse into bed, and set my alarm for 6am so I could do it all over again.  

What’s more, I needed energy to be constantly “on,” all day, every day.  There was no margin for error.  

For the first time, the reality of “you are what you eat” made sense to me.   

Eating well while being constantly on the road can be a tall order.  Nutrition often falls by the wayside and in the past, I would more often than not give in to convenience. I had neither the headspace nor the time to plan ahead.  

A typical U.S. gas station sells petroleum products, chewing gum, and high fructose corn syrup in a variety of flavours and temperatures.  It being L.A., taco stands, fast food joints, hot dogs, noodles and burgers beckoned from billboards and signage on every street corner.  Try finding a sandwich that’s not laden with every E number in the additive alphabet, even in ‘upscale’ supermarkets.

Previously, I would have succumbed to these quick fixes.  If I needed a boost before a meeting, I’d have munched on a muffin in the parking lot.  But this trip felt different.  

Over the past few years, with my wife’s help, I’ve started trying to eat more healthy, green foods.  Although I still can’t say that greens are a natural choice for me, I have -- slowly – become aware of the effect they have on my wellbeing.  Last year, on a family trip to California, I found my desire for them had taken a leap forward.  I’m not sure why.  I think a lifetime of food habits don’t disappear overnight.   

This latest business trip proved to be some kind of tipping point.  Suddenly, energy was the premium. So I trusted my instincts, and took a first step.  I had a 'green' day.  Berries and an apple for breakfast, followed by a kelp noodle salad with mixed greens for lunch, a "green power" juice in the afternoon, a salad in the evening sprinkled with nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Even though I knew deep down what would happen, the results surprised me -- I felt fantastic. All day.  I sailed through a tough schedule and negotiated frantic freeway traffic with tons of energy and a clear head.  

For the rest of my stay in L.A., I made it my priority to choose green, veggie and raw as frequently and as plentifully as I could.  

As the days passed, I started to feel what my body needed for consistent, optimum energy. Salads, vegetables, and those amazing raw kelp noodles (they really are insanely delicious) filled me up and kept me alert, satisfied and powering through my day.  I made sure I was sipping lots of water, I put together a healthy trail mix for the car. In fact, I often took a detour in my already car-heavy travel plans to ensure I got a good, green meal.   

And it wasn’t just on the road.  I filled the fridge of the place where I was staying with green juices just in case I was running late in the morning and didn’t have time for a proper breakfast. 

If I'm sounding like a saint here – rest assured, I wasn't. I still had my morning coffee, and I had moments when I simply didn't have the option of eating what and where I would have wanted.  But the equation for me was simple: 

me + more veg = better day all around

Why this change of gear?  It’s my belief that these nutritional upgrades came slowly, through a long-term and continual process.  My life has recently filled up with these tentative steps towards healthier choices.  What I have not been is consistent.

It's not like I don't know the downside.  I know full well that no matter how much I desire a rich, cheesy burrito at lunch, twenty minutes later, I’m exhausted and reaching for an espresso to get me through the afternoon.

It’s taken me months, if not years, to internalise that when I eat more greens and more vegetables in general, I don’t just avoid exhaustion -- I feel positively great.  I’ve known in theory what’s “best” for me, but it’s quite something to actually experience it so profoundly.  

In L.A., I asked myself the same question at every meal: how will this food make me feel afterwards?  How will I feel for the rest of the day?  My choices weren’t about “being good”, or even “eating right”.  They were about “eating smart” and powering through. Finally.

The trip was a great success.  After two weeks, I returned home without the usual fatigue and flu-like symptoms that normally accompany me after periods of stress.  I put that down to my food choices.  (I have to admit that it also helped that, being L.A., the produce was exquisitely delicious.)  

Then, on my return, something began to bug me.  Why don’t I eat this way when my schedule isn’t as tight?  Why can’t I eat such supportive foods when it’s just me? Why don’t I go for greens more often?

Perhaps, the answer is: time.  You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it eat watercress.  Not until it knows, from first hand and consistent experience, what that watercress will do for it.  It took me time to realise how good I feel after eating greens and how that affects everything from my ability to concentrate to my relationship with my family, to the smell of my breath and the quality of my sleep.  It has taken me time to actively start seeking out healthy food.  It will take me more time to integrate these changes into my daily routine. But every choice I make, I still ask myself the same question: how will this food make me feel? 

Playing with our little girl every morning, I wish these moments would last forever.  As time goes by, I see how little of it there really is.  This only makes me appreciate the hours I do have and I for one want to squeeze every minute out of every day.  So today, as I go to work, I’d like to make use of the food that I eat to support that goal, make choices that will help me get the work done, live a longer and more vibrant life, so I can be with my family, and play with my daughter some more.    

DW’s Green Breakfast Smoothie
(serves 1 hungry writer – should easily keep him humming until lunch)

-  1 ½ cups liquid (coconut water or homemade hemp mylk*)
-  1 banana
-  1-2 pitted dates, depending on size and sweetness
-  ½ pear (optional)
-  1 T cashew nut butter or a handful of cashews
-  large handful of greens: watercress (a favorite), spinach, butter lettuce, kale (3-4 leaves, stalks removed) – use one kind of greens at a time and be sure to rotate them.
-  1T (rounded) raw cacao
- 1T mesquite
- 1t ionic minerals
- 1t supergreens powder (we use this one in the US and will try this one in the UK when we run out)
- 1/4t ashwaghanda (optional)
- dollop of Omega 3/6/9 oil (optional)

Briefly blend the mylk, fruit and greens.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend WELL (there’s nothing worse than a gunky smoothie).

Serve immediately.

*  to make hemp milk, use ½ cup hemp seeds to 1 litre of water.  Blend well.  Keeps up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  You can do this with pretty much any nut or seed.  You can also strain the liquid, depending on personal preference.  I keep it as is so we get the extra fibre.  

DW’s favorite Green Juice
(serves 2 as a non-alcoholic aperitif or a great afternoon pick-me-up)

Juice:
- 3 cucumbers
- 1 lg head of lettuce
- 4 pears
- 1 knob ginger

Drink immediately

Dear Friends;

So what’s a “good” fat?  What’s a “bad” fat?  This kind of labelling is not only simplistic, it is wrong. 

Saturated fat, for example, found in most animal products, has been linked to high cholesterol and heart failure.  However, it is also used to form sex and adrenal hormones, Vitamin D and bile, and a certain amount can be needed for good health.  A major cause of too much cholesterol in the body – a problem largely blamed on saturated fat – is due to overconsumption.  Many people eat foods high in saturated fat multiple times every single day.  Does that sound like something that would have a reasonable, healthy outcome?

On the other end of the spectrum are the essential fatty acids – EFAs.  Sometimes I think this is the closest advertising will ever come to claiming we have found a magic pill.  We hear a lot about Omega 3s, but in fact, there’s a whole host of essential fatty acids.   EPA can help lower cholesterol.  DHA is essential to brain development and growth; it boosts the immune system, aids in combating arthritis, depression, prostate problems and migraines.  EFAs also support thyroid function and promote healthy skin, hair and nails. And many people will be surprised to find out that all green – chlorophyll-rich – foods contain ALA, another essential fatty acid that could help combat high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and breast cancer.  You see, there’s a reason I keep going on about greens, greens and more greens!

Fish has commonly been known as the best source of omega 3s.  However, due to the high mercury content of wild-caught fish as well as overfishing, this is not a viable long-term option.  In addition, I was shocked to discover that because of the feed given to farmed fish, it is no longer a good source of Omega 3 – quite the opposite!  However, EFAs can be found in flax and hemp oil, chia seeds (a more recent addition to the Superfood family), pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

Essential Fatty Acids are Polysaturated fats.  Unlike their saturated counterparts, they remain liquid even in the refrigerator and can easily go rancid when exposed to light and air.  Make sure to buy them cold-pressed in dark glass bottles from a trusted brand.

Ideally, what we are looking to achieve is a balance between all of these fats.  Consuming too much of one will not – as the marketing of omega 3s would like to have us believe – create optimum health.

In the end, the most important piece of this puzzle is quantity.  Fats become unhealthy when we consume them in excess – even the so-called “good” fats.  The liver plays a major part in fat metabolism, and so can become sluggish from overwork.

Changing up the kinds and amounts of fats we ingest are the perfect example of how making little alterations can create a huge ripple effect on our wellbeing.  How about starting with just one meal?  Using a great olive oil and fresh lemon juice on your salad every Sunday evening instead of pre-packaged dressing can make an enormous difference in how you’ll start off your week.

I cannot say how much fat is the right amount as it varies from person to person -- though going fat-free is far from the one-way ticket to health that we are promised in all those 0% ads.  However, if you do want to reduce the amount of fat in your diet, be sure to do so slowly to avoid cravings.  And, as always, make sure that what you do decide to put into your body is the best quality that you can afford.   Because when it comes to fats, quality is as important as quantity. 

With love,

Gabriela

P.S.  What is the difference between a Superfood and a super food?  Find out in this week’s Friday Night Dinner Blog. 

P.P.S. Thanks again to all of you who sent along new subscribers.  Please do keep 'em coming!  The free Picky Foodie one-on-one counseling session offer will be valid until the end of April.  Here's a reminder of how it works: get five friends, co-workers, family members or strangers to sign up to the On Life As A Picky Foodie newsletter, and you will receive a free forty-five minute consultation with yours truly.  Simply ask anyone signing up to email me and let me know your name. 

Dear Friends;

What is it about fat that has us so riled up?

Atkins-heads and low-carbers claim there’s nothing wrong with it, while others swear that it’s not about a diet but rather low-fat tastes better (yeah right!).

Here’s the skinny. 

Fat is, along with protein and carbohydrates, one of the three macronutrients that we need for a balanced diet.  It is available in both plants as well as animals though different sources yield different fats that our bodies absorb in different ways. 
So what’s all the ruckus about then?

Fat has veered between good guy and bad guy in the past couple of decades and while it is true that it yields more calories than its compadres – protein and carbohydrates provide four calories per gram, fat provides nine – it also has unique beneficial properties.

Fats are what give us a feeling of satiety, which is why many people who go on low-fat diets end up with humungous cravings.  Fats digest more slowly than other foods, keeping us full for longer.  And fats help with the assimilation of certain vitamins – A, D, E and K.

Many health problems related to fat intake are about the quality of fats ingested.  However, when consumed in appropriate quantities, fats give us a sense of grounding, a sense of security.  Fats help slow us down and help us stay warm.  In this crazy, fast-paced world, who wouldn’t crave those things? 

We hear a lot of fats being called a lot of different things: polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated, EPA, DHA, GLA, omegas, etc.  In truth, all oils contain all of the above, but they are classified by the kind that is most predominant.

For example, did you know that olive oil, the darling of Mediterranean cuisine is 82% Monounsaturated fat, 8% polyunsaturated fat (what walnuts are famous for), and 10% saturated fat?

Oils can and are used medicinally – like flax, which many people take for a host of reasons.  It’s important to be aware of which oils can be used for what. 

When purchasing, check labels for unrefined, and use each oil according to what will best enhance its properties.  For example, cooking with flax oil will destroy the omegas it is famous for and actually render it detrimental to your health.  However, using it in a salad dressing is a great way to boost your greens’ nutritional properties.  Olive oil, on the other hand can, and has been used in a host of ways for centuries. 

For maximum benefits, store oils in dark glass containers away from direct sunlight.  The most fragile oils need to be refrigerated and always give them a good sniff before use: if it smells rancid and bitter, chances are you’d be better off investing in a new bottle.

Want to know more about what mono, poly, etc means?  Next week’s On Life As A Picky Foodie will chew the fat just a little more. But in the mean time, I’d love to hear from you what kinds of questions you ask yourself when you’re trying to figure out which oil does what and to whom. 

With love,

Gabriela

P.S. Do you take advantage of a day off to treat yourself extra well, or do you indulge in the things that you normally refrain from?  With the prospect of a few days of rest, we decided to dive deep into a bowl of Asian-inspired noodle soup.  Check out this week’s Friday Night Dinner Blog for the recipe. 

P.P.S. Thanks again to all of you who sent along new subscribers.  Please do keep 'em coming!  The free Picky Foodie one-on-one counseling session offer is still valid until the end of April.  Here's a reminder of how it works: get five friends, co-workers, family members or strangers to sign up to the On Life As A Picky Foodie newsletter, and you will receive a free forty-five minute consultation with yours truly.  Simply ask anyone signing up to email me and let me know your name.

(source: Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods)