See how this Faux Gourmet keeps it real
Taste & See: You know how some times your fridge is just kind of sad? Not empty, per se, but the ingredients in it don't naturally lend themselves to concoting a meal? Mine has things like: caramel sauce, fudge sauce, pickled radishes, chutney, soy milk, chicken broth, sourdough starter, corn tortillas, curry paste, and about 30 kinds of sauces in various jars and bottles. Yu-ummmmy. Um, OK.
Never fear. There's no need to skip breakfast, go out for lunch & order take-out for dinner (you know who you are...). Not when you're a faux gourmet. A Faux Gourmet, mon cherie, beholds an empty fridge and sees an opportunity. I mean, how else do you think I came upon my classic, much beloved "Tortilla PBJ Crepes?" [On a similar note, see here:] Yeah. That's what I thought.
Breakfast: No photo, but it was a sight to behold. First, the starting ingredients:
- Old ketchup from Pomme de Terre that I kept after throwing away the leftover fries because it was Just That Good.
- End of a loaf of bread from a party almost 2 weeks ago. Yeah. I kept it. I've been dutifully eating as much bread as I can to slog through my overactive bread supply but there you have it; I can only eat so much toast.
- Beautiful Feather Ridge Farm eggs, purchased at Northern Spy Food Co. (the restaurant has a little market in back).
- Leftover cheeses from said party.
- Leftover guacamole, from a different party. I host lots of gatherings, which leaves me with lots of random foods. It's what I do.
Lunch: 99 cent Paneer Makhani, procured from Jackson Heights grocery store. I've had this box in my desk drawer at work for a while, waiting for "one of those days." It's one of those days.
I've had this box in my desk drawer at work for a while, waiting for "one of those days." It's one of those days. But want to know what 99 cents bought me?
"The simple splendor of Indian cottage cheese in a creamy tomato sauce romanced with a light bouquet herb, kasuri methi, works wonders. Relish with Tandoori naan bread."Romanced with??? How do they afford to sell for 99 cents when they pay writers like that? I present for your romancing pleasure, my 99 cent Paneer Makhani.
Pretty good deal! Really tasty and flavorful, exactly as you'd expect with all that romancing going on. Paneer texture a bit rubbery but it did come in a box. Also not the most filling of lunches (there are about 5 paneer cubes & I didn't have the foresight to bring rice), but that's OK; I have leftover eggplant bruschetta from a recent picnic...
Dinner: "Crashing" reception at a law school reunion reception. Not really crashing, since I'm invited, but let's be honest: I'm going for the free cheap wine & canapes before dashing off for more free wine at an art school show. Here I'm actually going for the show; the free wine is just a side benefit. Win-win!
