The Staples

I’ve been trying to write about things that are part of my everyday life, so you can picture what it’s like.  Since food is part of every day…

 

 

Baguettes.  They’re a staple for me.  I have them for breakfast - with PB&J, or just plain.  I have them for dinner.  I eat them with lentils or soup.  I make sandwiches (the sky’s the limit, my friend).  Sometimes I balance them across my nose just for fun.

 

Just kidding.

 

Eggs.  Green eggs and ham.  Okay, they’re not green.  And I haven’t bought ham here.  But I do use eggs a lot, Sam I am.

 

Rice.  A little over twenty minutes from start to finish (and something that requires very little attention).  Add a fried egg or two, and a side of veggies, and you have a simple meal.  I’m becoming a huge fan of soy sauce, simply because plain rice all the time gets a little boring.

 

One thing I dislike about rice is the clean-up.  The pan is hard to wash, and if gets on the counter or floor, it makes a smushy mess.  Anyway…

 

I also have a selection of fruits and veggies that I like to keep on hand.

 

Veggies: tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, carrots, frozen peas, spinach, and mushrooms.  (I’m so thankful I don’t have to live without spinach and mushrooms!  They don’t seem to be readily available in fresh form…at least I haven’t really seen them so far.  Hurray for frozen!)  I also get eggplant, peppers, and butternut squash on occasion.

 

Fruits: apples, bananas, clementines/mandarins.  Mango season is over, sadly, and watermelon is just more inconvenient to buy (or rather, to carry home).  So I don’t have a huge variety, but since my standbys are readily available, I really can’t complain.

 

Other pantry essentials: peanut butter, sriracha, oatmeal, taco seasoning, canned and dried beans, popcorn, yogurt…

 

 

Homemade granola.  Yummy!

 

(And yes, I DO eat meat.  Just not nearly as often as I would back home.)

 

As you can see, my current diet is far from gourmet.  Much as I enjoy trying new things, when I’m cooking for just myself, I can get a bit lazy.  No, not lazy.  Just efficient with my time.  (Because the less time I spend cooking, the more time I will study French, right?  Well…in theory, anyway.)

 

Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

 

Wait.  That’s not French.  That’s Italian.