I grew up in Washington, D.C., spent my first few post-college years in Charleston, SC, and I have now planted myself in NYC. With that trio of cities there was no chance of tempering my love for all things food related! D.C. sparked my love for Indian and Thai and food. There wasn't a single Ethiopian restaurant in Charleston, but that city knows how to cook some country-delicious seafood. In Charleston I fell for oysters, bottomless mimosa brunches (a true great love in my life), and steamed crab legs served with buckets of beer and shared with great friends.
Now, living in NYC does has it's caveats. It means that we moved into an apartment with exactly 1 square foot of counter space, limited cabinets and no pantry. The stove blocks the cabinet under the sink. The miniterature microwave balances on top of the fridge blocking additional cabinet space. So, after an extended trip to Ikea, we optimized our space and turned our quirky corner into an actual kitchen. And for such a tiny kitchen, the city is willing and able to fill it to the brim with an abundance of fresh produce and humanely rasied meats. But let's be honest about one thing: I'm pretty sure 97% of my discretionary income is allocated towards grocery shopping and restaurants!
Considering I don't always skimp on price when it comes to certain grocery store purchases (good cheese and olive oil, cage-free eggs, organic milk, fresh herbs), I also do NOT like to waste. To avoid waste I am a strong believer in flexible cooking; substitute spinach for arugula, add greek yogurt (my miracle ingredient) instead of sour cream, quinoa for cous cous. Use what you have in your fridge, don't waste left over ingredients and make healthy decisions when you can!
