Simple Food, an introduction

Simple food is my mantra. The kind my grandma, your grandma, or some little stoop-backed lady from a given culture would recognize. In a time when super markets a brimming full of poly-eurythane based foods, every celebrity is singing the praises of one radical diet or another (veganism, anti-gluten, paleo-atkins...), and food porn TV is slinging pork belly reductions and taro foams it is hard to even remember what constitutes simple food. Which is why I am starting this blog. I am not claiming that this is an original idea, or an exhaustive compendium of all the world's simple foods. I just want a place to share my thoughts and recipes, my food successes and my failures.

So, now, who am I? Melly Bess (née Melissa Bess Smith), a San Diegan by birth and current residence. At 24 I have pursued several hobbies and interests, food being a major and enduring one. If you are interested in my cooking history you can read my next post. Until then, suffice it to say, I have both professional and home cooking experience, and I love it. I love the way good food makes me feel, I love sharing it with my friends, and love the process that goes into a dish, and I love growing the raw ingredients when I can.

...Soon

So then back to the matter at hand: simple food. My definition of it is food with ingredients you can picture. Sugar? Yes. Tomato puree?...yes. Mono and diglycerides? Not right off the bat I'd suspect.

Mmmmm, tasty?

Beyond that, if you are using a prepared sauce or flavoring, like pesto or simmer sauce, is it something you could make--with the same ingredients listed on the label--given the time and instructions? Things like vinegar, cheese, wine and other artisanal products also fall under this category; you could probably make them, but depending on the product it could take years of aging.

And finally, simple food never involves a flavoring packet.

Real flavorings

What is the benefit of eating simple foods? First of all they are pretty easy to make, and are relatively inexpensive most of the time. Secondly, you can be sure that every ingredient in your food is going towards nourishing you. Even if something like vinegar or salt does have a curing or preserving property, it's primary purpose in the food is to enhance flavor and make your meal delicious, not to preserve your food for posterity. And nothing is hiding in your food. Your food is not a receptacle for by products left behind in a corn or soy processing plant. And last of all you will know what is in that food, and can therefore control how many calories you are taking in, if that is your M.O.

Simple food is a good way to be sure you are eating healthfully without moving into some kind of radical eating habit. Eating well can be...simple. It doesn't have to mean committing to a food dogma, or purchasing all of your food from some kind of diet-meal conglomerate. It doesn't even mean you have to eat all organic food. I believe in organics and sustainable farming, but if you are eating simply and buying whole grains and fresh veggies you are doing a better job of going easy on the environment than someone who is eating organic snack portioned bars and yogurt tubes and frozen entrees.  And it can mean fun, scrumptious meals, the kind you can make easily adn share with your friends and family.

Enough about that.  Next time:  French Lunch Lentils and a short stroll down food memory lane.