on small, soft-poached victories

There are things I can do in the kitchen. Butterflying and tying a pork loin? Baking gluten-free bread from scratch? Cleaning shrimp? Done, done, and done. But there are some basic things that - in some odd (okay, even) years on this planet - I haven't managed to do.

Like poaching an egg.

I attempted to poach eggs several years ago to disastrous effect. One tiny little egg ballooned into a giant spider's web of egg white and completely took over my skillet. It happened again and again. There was no corralling that mess. I felt like a total kitchen failure, and resigned myself to ordering two eggs, soft-poached in a cup at diners across the country for the rest of my life.

Until this morning. I poached this egg. My first one out of the box. I credit this fine youtube tutorial, and the addition of vinegar to the water. Now you can do it, too.

of zombies and urban homesteading

As part of my resolutions made for 2013 (yes, I did make some), I took a long, hard look at my finances over the holidays. This, in turn, required that I examine my spending habits. I had to admit to myself that I have been bleeding money with a several-times-weekly restaurant habit. I have also been stockpiling groceries at home like I’m preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

 Wait, zombies are coming? Dinner’s at six.

The obvious solution to getting my finances back in balance: Start cooking at home again. And so that is what I have been doing for the last month. What cooking lacks in convenience, it makes up for in terms of money saved and knowing what's going into my food. I try to do the bulk of my weekly cooking on Sundays, and supplement with simpler meals here and there, time permitting.

Today's exercise in urban homesteading:

• gluten-free banana pancakes with coconut
• chicken and artichoke stew with puttanesca sauce
• a vegetable stir-fry with brown rice
• a gluten-free jalapeno popper and buffalo chicken pizza (Superbowl requirement)
• a batch of kombucha tea
• a loaf of gluten-free pumpernickel bread
• trail mix

The kitchen now relatively clean, I still have miles to go on other projects before I sleep tonight. But I take comfort in being a little better prepared for tomorrow – and the day after that. I have options for breakfast. My lunch is already packed. I even have snacks ready, so I can power through Bikram class.

If only they made Garanimals for adults, I’d be all set.