Since I cook every single night for my family, there is nothing more special than when I can sit at my own table and have someone else cook for me. And when that "someone" is my dear friend, daughter-in-another-life, Julianne, then the meal takes on a whole new dimension of magic. I indeed felt like the Queen last night, sitting at the head of the table and eating such a delicious dinner.
While Julianne prepared the meal of Butternut Squash Risotto and a salad of dark greens and herbs, we toasted with a glass of Champagne and chatted about all that was wrong in the world and how we could fix it. My husband joined us, sitting on the counter and sneaking sips from my glass, and it occurred to me later how any meal is so much more than picking up a fork and putting food into the mouth.
Preparation of a fabulous meal with family and friends is an integral part of the dinner dynamic, just like foreplay is to sex...yes the end result eventually arrives, but the fun is in getting there!
Once we gathered at the table, I filled my plate with the creamy squash risotto and fresh salad, and filled my glass with a smooth California red wine that matched the dish perfectly. Then as we ate, we talked and laughed for over an hour...what a treat for me, the Queen, to be so served without leaving the comfort of my home!
So a special thanks today to the reason for my special evening last night: Julianne you truly are a jewel and I'm so happy to have you in my life. And I'm especially happy to have someone to share my love of fabulous food with!
Here's wishing all of you the opportunity to be Queen or King for a day...or at the very least, a meal.
Suzanna Quintana, Holistic Health Coach & Certified Foodie
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Is it time to eat yet?
Instead of sharing one particular meal this time (although my fluffy and light scrambled eggs this morning were purrrfect), I've decided to write about my love of "the meal", and how it has come to dictate my daily life in a simply fabulous way...
I realize I should move to Europe (I'm thinkin' France) so that I won't appear as much of a misfit when it comes to eating. Here in America, where more people eat in their cars than at their kitchen table, the "meal" has taken a backseat to everything else going on in our lives, and joining it in the backseat? You guessed it: our health.
Not for me, baby. And anyone who knows me will attest to the truth of the following statements: There is not a chance in hell I will miss a meal, whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I have dropped out of clubs because they met at dinnertime, I have missed many a meeting or get together, I question the intelligence of schools when they schedule concerts, plays, or conferences between the 6 and 7 pm dinner hour, and whenever I'm on a road trip I am always planning on where we'll be at mealtime so I can start salivating ahead of time.
And I'm equally confused as to how people don't eat three meals a day...when I'm in the mall food court and it's 3 pm, I want to ask people: "Is this your lunch? Dinner? Snack? Are you not going to eat the rest of the day? Don't you know you're spoiling your appetite for later? What the hell is wrong with you people?!"
So my husband and I received an invitation for an upcoming Christmas party, and it read: Join us for cocktails and music at 6 pm! Naturally, my husband wasn't surprised by my reaction (and had his usual giggle at my response): "6 pm?" I stated, crinkling my forehead in confusion. "Are they not serving dinner? Are we supposed to go to dinner afterwards? Are we expected to only have cocktails without food? When are we going to eat? What the hell is wrong with these people?!"
Even now, as I type, I am watching the clock and getting ready to go out to lunch with my hubby. I ate a delicious breakfast early this morning, and then enjoyed a miniature chocolate bar from my kids' Halloween candy for a mid morning snack, and now my stomach is - just like clockwork - beginning to grumble for whatever is coming next.
Trust me when I tell you this is a fabulous way to live! And I am confident this enjoyment (not obsession, that's an American trait I don't possess) of food is what enables me to also enjoy great health. I don't eat all day long, I don't shove food in my mouth and then regret it later, I don't feel guilt or shame when I've eaten something not so healthy, and I definitely don't deny myself, starve myself, or have any negative feelings about food whatsoever. And that, my friends, is the secret to a happy and healthy life!
Off I go, to sit at the table, peruse the menu, order something delicious, enjoy great conversation, and then EAT! Food is Life...treat yourself to a great meal 3 times a day and you'll be sure to keep the doctor away:)
Here's to your next fabulous meal!
Suzanna Quintana, Holistic Health Coach & Certified Foodie
Friend me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/suzannaquintana!
I realize I should move to Europe (I'm thinkin' France) so that I won't appear as much of a misfit when it comes to eating. Here in America, where more people eat in their cars than at their kitchen table, the "meal" has taken a backseat to everything else going on in our lives, and joining it in the backseat? You guessed it: our health.
Not for me, baby. And anyone who knows me will attest to the truth of the following statements: There is not a chance in hell I will miss a meal, whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I have dropped out of clubs because they met at dinnertime, I have missed many a meeting or get together, I question the intelligence of schools when they schedule concerts, plays, or conferences between the 6 and 7 pm dinner hour, and whenever I'm on a road trip I am always planning on where we'll be at mealtime so I can start salivating ahead of time.
And I'm equally confused as to how people don't eat three meals a day...when I'm in the mall food court and it's 3 pm, I want to ask people: "Is this your lunch? Dinner? Snack? Are you not going to eat the rest of the day? Don't you know you're spoiling your appetite for later? What the hell is wrong with you people?!"
So my husband and I received an invitation for an upcoming Christmas party, and it read: Join us for cocktails and music at 6 pm! Naturally, my husband wasn't surprised by my reaction (and had his usual giggle at my response): "6 pm?" I stated, crinkling my forehead in confusion. "Are they not serving dinner? Are we supposed to go to dinner afterwards? Are we expected to only have cocktails without food? When are we going to eat? What the hell is wrong with these people?!"
Even now, as I type, I am watching the clock and getting ready to go out to lunch with my hubby. I ate a delicious breakfast early this morning, and then enjoyed a miniature chocolate bar from my kids' Halloween candy for a mid morning snack, and now my stomach is - just like clockwork - beginning to grumble for whatever is coming next.
Trust me when I tell you this is a fabulous way to live! And I am confident this enjoyment (not obsession, that's an American trait I don't possess) of food is what enables me to also enjoy great health. I don't eat all day long, I don't shove food in my mouth and then regret it later, I don't feel guilt or shame when I've eaten something not so healthy, and I definitely don't deny myself, starve myself, or have any negative feelings about food whatsoever. And that, my friends, is the secret to a happy and healthy life!
Off I go, to sit at the table, peruse the menu, order something delicious, enjoy great conversation, and then EAT! Food is Life...treat yourself to a great meal 3 times a day and you'll be sure to keep the doctor away:)
Here's to your next fabulous meal!
Suzanna Quintana, Holistic Health Coach & Certified Foodie
Friend me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/suzannaquintana!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Mexican Meatball Soup...not bad for a white girl!
Aside from my belief that I was Evita Peron in a previous life, my gift for cooking up delicious Latin meals cannot be underestimated, even if the color of my white skin hints otherwise.
Don't ask me how I came up with this soup, but here is what I think happened: I happened to be in a local health food store in the freezer section, I suddenly had a craving for meatballs but didn't want to make them myself (nothing ruins my appetite like sticking my fingers in raw beef), I had fresh cilantro at home that I needed to use pronto, and it was a chilly evening and I needed warming up (my husband was working so there went that idea).
The result: Mexican Meatball Soup. I don't know why it's Mexican instead of, say, Guatemalan, but I do know when I was sipping it I was thinking of our neighbors directly to the south and wishing I was with them.
And my meatball craving? Problem solved when I came across a box of frozen organic meatballs (organic meaning that my cow ate grass before giving up the ghost, and wasn't pumped up with a bunch of antibiotics).
How easy is this: I prepared the soup and then just plopped the frozen meatballs in to cook for 20 minutes. I'm thinkin' that if you are a vegetarian, just make the soup and skip the cow, no problema!
Here's what I did for the soup, and let me tell you how there is no better way to spend a chilly evening than sippin' on a delicious sopa (I'm gonna keep throwing out a bunch of Spanish words here, since I'm hoping I might learn a few when it's all over).
Mexican Meatball Soup:
Saute whatever veggies you want in a bit of olive oil (my choice: squash, onions, carrots, celery, leek) and then add a bit of white wine (I usually use about 1/2 a cup, but on a bad day I'll double it). Pour in as much chicken broth as you want depending on the size of your fiesta. I used 5 cups of broth and 1 cup of water. But for all you vegetarians feel free to use vegetable broth.
Throw in a cup or so of rice (basmati, long grain, whatever) and it'll cook along with the soup.
I added a pinch of chili flakes (like the kind at pizza parlors) and a dash of cayenne pepper for a little spice, and then salt and pepper to taste. The true beauty of the soup, however, comes in the fresh cilantro you add at the very end (approx. 2 tablespoons).
Feel free to throw in some frozen corn niblets too if you so desire. After all, this is your rodeo.
If you are using meatballs, and making them yourself (but whyyyy would you do that when there are perfectly delicious and organic and frozen meatballs available to use?) then you'll have to fry them up separately and plop them into the soup once cooked.
Okay, that's it! The soup can simmer for 20 minutes (especially if you need to cook the meatballs) or longer, depending on what else you're making. I happened to be in a hurry the night I made this, and whipped out the entire meal in half an hour. Not bad for a white girl!
Cheers, Salute, Prost, Hip Hip Chin Chin....here's to you in any language!
Suzanna Quintana, Holistic Health Coach & Certified Foodie
Don't ask me how I came up with this soup, but here is what I think happened: I happened to be in a local health food store in the freezer section, I suddenly had a craving for meatballs but didn't want to make them myself (nothing ruins my appetite like sticking my fingers in raw beef), I had fresh cilantro at home that I needed to use pronto, and it was a chilly evening and I needed warming up (my husband was working so there went that idea).
The result: Mexican Meatball Soup. I don't know why it's Mexican instead of, say, Guatemalan, but I do know when I was sipping it I was thinking of our neighbors directly to the south and wishing I was with them.
And my meatball craving? Problem solved when I came across a box of frozen organic meatballs (organic meaning that my cow ate grass before giving up the ghost, and wasn't pumped up with a bunch of antibiotics).
How easy is this: I prepared the soup and then just plopped the frozen meatballs in to cook for 20 minutes. I'm thinkin' that if you are a vegetarian, just make the soup and skip the cow, no problema!
Here's what I did for the soup, and let me tell you how there is no better way to spend a chilly evening than sippin' on a delicious sopa (I'm gonna keep throwing out a bunch of Spanish words here, since I'm hoping I might learn a few when it's all over).
Mexican Meatball Soup:
Saute whatever veggies you want in a bit of olive oil (my choice: squash, onions, carrots, celery, leek) and then add a bit of white wine (I usually use about 1/2 a cup, but on a bad day I'll double it). Pour in as much chicken broth as you want depending on the size of your fiesta. I used 5 cups of broth and 1 cup of water. But for all you vegetarians feel free to use vegetable broth.
Throw in a cup or so of rice (basmati, long grain, whatever) and it'll cook along with the soup.
I added a pinch of chili flakes (like the kind at pizza parlors) and a dash of cayenne pepper for a little spice, and then salt and pepper to taste. The true beauty of the soup, however, comes in the fresh cilantro you add at the very end (approx. 2 tablespoons).
Feel free to throw in some frozen corn niblets too if you so desire. After all, this is your rodeo.
If you are using meatballs, and making them yourself (but whyyyy would you do that when there are perfectly delicious and organic and frozen meatballs available to use?) then you'll have to fry them up separately and plop them into the soup once cooked.
Okay, that's it! The soup can simmer for 20 minutes (especially if you need to cook the meatballs) or longer, depending on what else you're making. I happened to be in a hurry the night I made this, and whipped out the entire meal in half an hour. Not bad for a white girl!
Cheers, Salute, Prost, Hip Hip Chin Chin....here's to you in any language!
Suzanna Quintana, Holistic Health Coach & Certified Foodie
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