Despite the rumors, food writers do not live on caviar and champagne, with the occasional truffle thrown in for variety. Or at least, this food writer doesn’t.
I like frozen foods just fine. I’m happy as anyone to rip open a bag of something sweet and salty from Trader Joe’s — the real Happiest Place on Earth. And I always have a wide assortment of canned foods in my pantry.
I’d be happy to eat most of the food right out of the can — that’s what guys do. But my wife promises to lock me in the root cellar if I do that. So, she’s blessed me with lots of disposable plates and bowls — at least I don’t have to wash anything after a snack.
Not surprisingly, the majority of my favorite canned treats are from Trader Joe’s. This time of year, I buy many (many!) cans of TJ’s Organic Pumpkin, which is seasonal, both fat- and sodium-free, and remarkably delicious. No other brand I’ve tried even comes close. I don’t know how they do it.
All year round, I consume many cans of TJ’s Organic Garbanzo Beans, the gold standard for chickpeas, and so good for you — lots of fiber. To supply my protein needs, there’s TJ’s Wild Caught Unsalted Sardines in Spring Water, and the Solid White Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil.
But lest you think I only shop at TJ’s, I’m also fond of the Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna from Costco, sold in six-package sleeves. And for the record, let me confess that I used to live on cans of Green Giant Mexicorn. Which is to me what cheesecake is to others — an irresistible joy for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. Still is.
Kale and me
I take much pride in being omnivorous — which is to say, I eat anything that doesn’t eat me first. And I’ve been a proud omnivore for as long as I can remember.
As a small child, I actually looked forward to my parents making liver for dinner. I mean, really, what sort of child doesn’t just eat liver — they like liver. I was strange then. And I’m strange now.
But certainly, over the years, I’ve developed preferences. I prefer Kit Kat candy bars to Snickers, and 3 Musketeers to Milky Way. I like goat milk yogurt a whole lot. Heinz ketchup is my universal lubricant. But…I don’t understand kale.
I don’t actually dislike kale. I just prefer pretty much any green on Earth other than kale in my salads. And yes, I know, kale is really, really good for you. According to healthline.com, “Kale is among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. … Kale is loaded with powerful antioxidants like Quercetin and Kaempferol. … Kale can help lower cholesterol, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. There are numerous cancer-fighting substances in kale, which is high in lutein and zeaxanthin.”
But the problem is…kale doesn’t just taste like kale, it has that kale texture — somewhere between crunchy and gritty, a bit like eating a weed straight from the yard, without even cleaning it first. Eating arugula is a pleasure, a culinary vacation. Eating kale is like edible work.
Kale is a standard on the healthy edge of restaurant dining. It can be very hard to avoid, even harder to deny. I like liver. But kale is for me, what liver is for others. The food I eat out of duty and obligation. And not out of affection and joy.
It’s far healthier than my beloved Peeps — pink and yellow only, please! But then, what isn’t? And until someone comes up with a recipe for Peeps in a salad, I guess I’ll have to put up with kale. And look forward to brushing my teeth as soon after as I can.
New and notable
Tacos La Carreta
3401 E. 69th St., Long Beach; 562-377-2819
For the past five years, those who hunger for some of the best Mazatlan-style tacos in Southern California would journey to a tire repair shop in Compton, where taqueros Jose Morales and his son (also named Jose Morales) had set up a taco cart (la carreta) on Sundays. It was a cart that gained such a cult following, the Moraleses decided to open a food truck on 69th Street in Long Beach, to which their loyalists have followed them for chorreados, vampiros, carne asada and papas locas, at the Long Beach/Paramount city line.
Go hungry. But not so hungry you won’t be able to put up with a wait. Taco obsessives will wait forever for a classic.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
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Small Bites: Food writers enjoy eating tasty things…right out of the can - Long Beach Press Telegram
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