Omnomnomnom

It took me so long to love food. But man, I love food. I used to go a really long time without eating at all. Initially it was about image issues, then serious lack of means issues, then a serious lack of interest issues. A lot of the habits that I developed during these times have stuck around, but that doesn't change the fact that food is delicious and I want everyone to eat it.

My food/cooking habits:

• accessible - I will not trek across town for groceries, farmers markets or restaurants without a very good reason (and must fit within remaining criteria)
• inexpensive - I will not pay more than $20 for olive oil. I won't pay more than $5 for olive oil. I am a proud skinflint and have found awesome ways around paying a lot of money for most things. (This criteria is void on occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and days when I want to make Duder or myself feel special.)
• efficient - should not take much longer than 30 min to make complete meal and the kitchen or cooking area will be completely clean by the end of that time as well
• savory - copious use of bulk chopped garlic, kosher salt, caramelized onions and spices like thyme and sage
• compact - lots of food in not much space

I think it is really important to figure out how one's habits and style will affect cooking. I had a really awesome conversation with a friend last night about how they only ever eat out, hate cooking at home and have three things in their fridge (I looked, it was all snacks.) They eat healthy(ish) but want to save more money. I, being their resident cheap-ass, suggested this:

" find your staples "

Things you eat every day. Things you love to eat. Things that are super easy to cook. For me it's grilled-cheese-egg-in-a-basket sandwiches (it's exactly what it sounds like and wonderful), garlic and chicken soup (from broth) with vermicelli noodles, anything with yoghurt (I make my own $7 for 4L yay!), pasta with parmesan and a bit of olive oil, blanched and broiled asparagus, and homemade bread. As we kept talking, we discovered the second suggestion:

" find your hang-ups "

Things that stop you from cooking. Things that stop you from eating the way you want to. My friend found that they hated the hassle of clean-up after, so we came up with the solution that they would pack away all of their dishes and utensils except for one set. That set would live in the sink. Then they would only ever have to clean one small set of dishes before or after meals and that was it. After living for a while with only one pot and one frying pan, I assure anyone, this is possible. After living for a while with neither of these things, I assure anyone, they are a luxury. This lead into my find suggestion:

" find your requirements "

How much you need to eat to survive. The tools you need to do it (not the same for everyone.) I have a tendency to not eat enough, not just due to my past, but also because I never really learned how much I needed. Then I needed to find out how I was going to cook - the actual physical tasks of cooking. A decent knife, a pot, a pan, measuring cups and spoons, etc. all depend on what the staples are, how adventurous one wants to get with food and what the budget is. I only bought a can opener last year because Duder couldn't figure out how to use my multi-tool to do it. Duder needed a can opener; I didn't.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Five Minutes a Day for Fresh Baked Bread is where the whole quick bread craze started. I am happy to be part of the craze because it's cost-effective, efficient and tastytasty. The website is a tad unweildy, but that's no reason to be discouraged, the concept and execution are awesome.

Bannock is survival bread. Bannock is simple. Bannock can save your ass living outside.

Super easy homemade yogurt is super easy. A couple of notes: I don't use a thermometer. I wait until the milk is steaming and bubbles are forming around the edges of the pot before I take it off heat. Then I wait about an hour, or until I can leave my finger in the milk without it hurting (count to 25 and your good,) until I pour it all into jars. I never use fancy mason jars, I just save every piece of glass that moves through my kitchen and make sure the lids don't disappear. These get re-used!

What's Your Favorite Quick and Simple Meal? Lifehacker asks for comments, so read through. Some great ideas.

What's Your Food Issue? Because yes, we all have them.

It's Not About Nutrition blog author interviewed by the Fooducate blog. Very interesting thoughts on the role of the parent in forming food habits.

Daily Needs Caluclator uses BMI to calculate daily caloric intake requirements. What one does with those numbers is up to the user: add more to gain weight, reduce some to lose weight, try to maintain to feel healthy. Plus they're just a guideline, everyone's system works a different way, but I still think it's good to have an idea.

Re-discovering food can be a huge incentive for recovery. I can taste chocolate and salt again. I've moved on from surviving off protein shakes during week-long meth benders. Duder learned he loves brie.

I mostly talk about eating more, because that's my perspective and experience. I've worked with some friends and family on eating too much (and the health problems that come with it,) but I don't have the personal emotional experience. The best advice I had to them was portion control. Eat a lot, just not all at once. Watch the salt, switch up the meats and try something new (although I like it when anyone does.)

Any other perspectives? Favorites and finds? Fears and foibles?