Mark Bittman's Blog

Photo from NY Times

Do you know Mark Bittman? You might have heard of him or seen him on The Today Show as one of their "foodies" -- which btw, he's really funny on live TV. He should have his own cooking show, but that's my lovely opinion. Ha!

I have read a few of Mark Bittman's articles in the NY Times but I absolutely loved his book, "Food Matters" that came out a few years ago (or more). I read it after reading another favorite of mine, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," by Barbara Kingsolver. It has helped me with how I buy my family's food and how I like to eat. At first I went a bit overboard and got rid of everything / anything that was "fake." But you know what? It drove me and my family members crazy. So I've decided for us it's all about balance. I try to eat healthy, but I'll also have some candy or dessert in the house so that no one goes nuts w/o their sugar fix. Is it the "BEST" thing for us? Physically I'm sure no. Mentally, yes. And since we all have to live together mental health is just as important as physical health!

Anyway, to get back to my post -- I discovered today that Mark Bittman has his own blog on the New York Times' website! Yay! You can find it at  http://bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/. I really like his style of writing, his way of thinking when it comes to food and how he's concerned with where our food comes from and how it is made.

"How to Cook Everything" was a huge hit amongst my cooking friends. I have yet to purchase it (I can only have so many cookbooks in my house -- and currently I'm out of room). But if I were to purchase another cookbook I think I'd have to purchase his book that followed "How to Cook Everything" and get the book "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

This is what Mr. Bittman says about his follow up book:

Why, you ask, does a non-vegetarian (me) write a huge book about vegetarian cooking?

Mostly because I saw the need for one. Partly because I wanted to experiment with "lessmeatarianism"—a way of eating that involved fewer animal products. (If I could have called this book "How to Cook Everything without Meat" I would have, because that's more descriptive than "Vegetarian," but it's not exactly a title that sings.) And partly—as I came to believe in the course of writing HTCE Veg (as I call it)—because lessmeatarianism is really the way of the future. (This line of thinking eventually lead directly to Food Matters....)

I cannot tell you how much I learned in the course of putting Veg together, and how much I believe you would learn if you began to cook from it.

If you think, for example, that winter squash is boring, that whole grains take forever to cook (and that they're all the same), that all beans are created equal (and take forever to cook), that you can't be satisfied unless you eat meat, that vegetarian meals are never interesting… I assure you that cooking from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian will change your mind about all of these common misconceptions.

I wasn’t a vegetarian when I started writing Veg, and I’m not one now. But I have a far greater appreciation for the non-carnivorous world, an appreciation that doesn't feel like a compromise but rather as if I've expanded my culinary universe. In the world of cooking, the available plants are more numerous and arguably more interesting than the available animals, and they're produced and consumed at far less cost to personal health, the environment, and the economy. Every good cook owes it to her- or himself to explore this world, and to make more of it available to his or her family and friends.

So while I have not gone vegetarian myself I appreciate all of his research and his recipes.

To end this post I'll leave you with one of his recipes I found online that I think I'll make tonight for dinner. I'm making mine the "southwest" version since I just got avocado's in my CSA box this week. Yay!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

For a range of colors, flavors, and textures, this pretty little salad is a tough one to beat. If you have leftover sweet potatoes and quinoa, you can whip it up in no time, but even if you start from scratch it isn’t much work. As is often the case, you can substitute millet for the quinoa if you like; the golden color is lovely.

 

From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

 

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes

 

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain or 1 cup raw
1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
Salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh chives or parsley leaves

1. If you haven’t already, cook the quinoa or other grain. Drain in a strainer and rinse. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. Cook it in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well.
2. Toss together the potato, quinoa, bell pepper, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chives and serve.

Southwestern Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad. Add 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced, to the mix, along with the sweet potato and quinoa; add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, chili powder, or hot red pepper flakes. Add 1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Use freshly squeezed lime juice in place of the vinegar and cilantro in place of the chives.

Enjoy!