Five Friday Foodie Favorites

I think about food… A lot.

I talk about food… A lot.

I read about food… A lot.

Yes, I do work in the food service industry and surround myself with food and thoughts about food throughout the working hours.

But, I also thumb through Bon Appetit and Food and Wine when laying at the pool while my friends catch up on the latest US Weekly. I do this because I want to learn about the cool, new trends, restaurants and ingredients… and because The Bachelor really doesn’t interest me.

I listen to Ted Talks about our food system, childhood obesity, and nutrition when driving instead of pop radio because I want to listen to the leaders in the industry and to learn as much as possible about what is really going on.

I read and reread books like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and The Omnivore’s Dilemma over and over again because I want to continue to be inspired about home cooking and fresh, homegrown food.

I check my favorite food blogs or the “Living” sections of major news publications each morning because I want to know what other people find important and what people are talking about.

I bring cookbooks to the gym to read on the treadmill because… well, sometimes I think it must be because I like to torture myself… But, really, I love reading about the ingredients and flavors other people are putting together. I love learning more about the process of braising or searing. And, I love the stories that the authors share about their beloved dishes.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that I have food on my mind between eighteen to twenty hours a day. (Come on. With all these other thoughts of food, of course I dream about food too!)

Because of this, I am starting something new on Bloom. On Friday’s I will share five food things that I read, saw, heard, throughout the week that inspired me, made me think or taught me something.

So, grab some tea this weekend and take a moment to read. My hope is that it will get you thinking more about food too.

Five Culinary School Secrets Every Home Cook Needs To Know
theeverygirl.com

The Everygirl is one of my favorite websites. I check it nearly everyday. It’s a great resource for any girl in her twenties and thirties. And, these cooking tips would be exactly what I would share with any new home cook.

30 Unhealthy Foods You Mistake as Healthy and Their Surprising Swaps
healthyholisticliving.com

This was shared this week on a few different platforms that I follow including Edible Indy. Some of the swaps are obvious and the whole article is a little lengthy, but what I really loved were the great info-graphics. There is a lot to learn in this one.

DIY Magical Color Changing Food Coloring
thethingswellmake.com

I think this is so fun. And, in the day and age where so many kids are allergic to dyes, it’s great to have natural alternatives for birthday and holiday treats. It also looks like it would be a great rainy day activity for kids with a little bit of a science lesson, but still plenty of magic.

One-Pot Creamy Spinach Lentils
pinchofyum.com

Adam and I made this for dinner this week and it was excellent. I had the opportunity to meet Lindsey of Pinch of Yum last summer at a photography workshop.  She is so sweet and so smart. I love how she explains how great lentils are in this post. They are becoming a favorite at our house and this recipe helped seal the deal. It’s super easy with minimal clean up. Plus, we had lunch for the rest of the week!

PS- It sounds weird, but do add the red wine vinegar at the end. Major flavor boost!

How America’s Most Famous Farmer Can Appeal to the Left, Right and Center
thewashingtonpost.com

Fun Fact: Joel Salatin is Adam’s #mancrush. He loves him.  

I do too. We both look up to his approach to farming as well as to the principles his farm, Polyface, was founded on. We hope to someday emulate the same practices on our land.

This week, this article struck a cord with me. (… Perhaps it’s because I live in Indiana.) Food politics are interesting because it has such a wide appeal and a unifying power. Everyone eats.  Because of this, food politics tend to “run purple.” Joel appeals to the masses because he takes the stance that he is a “Christian-conservative-libertarian-environmentalist-lunatic.”

I like that for a lot of reasons but mainly because throughout my early twenties I have struggled with thoughts like, “Am I a conservative? But, I am not like that conservative. Okay so, does that mean I am a democrat? But, I know that’s not right either.” Which in turn has honestly lead me to be really apathetic towards politics.

Joel encourages people to think through issues instead of following the “blind alignment.”

Just because you believe one thing doesn’t mean you have to agree 100% with everyone else who thinks that way. It also doesn’t give someone the right to make assumptions about everything else that you believe because of that one thing. Inform yourself and be your own party of one.