Yep, This is Its Real Name: Moors and Christians (a.k.a. Spanish Black Beans and Rice)

Later today on Serious Eats: Tabbouleh Salad. It’s like tabbouleh, but way better, and less likely to get caught between your teeth.

I’m always a little surprised when a recipe – any recipe - doesn’t work out. It's a recipe. It's supposed to have been tried and liked by other people, right?

Usually, I figure the problem is with me. Either I did something wrong, or my taste buds aren’t properly aligned with the rest of the world’s. Like, “Chicken and Broccoli Pasta at All Recipes and Orangette’s Butternut Squash Puree rate extraordinarily well with the whole universe. What’s wrong with my mouth?”

Case in point: Today was supposed to be about Strawberry Gazpacho.

However.

I made it, and it wasn’t good. Not terrible. Not awful. Nowhere near as bad as Dan in Real Life, which made me loathe my otherwise beloved Steve Carell for a full 90 minutes. In fact, the gazpacho lay just north of edible. But still – not good.

Fortunately, I had three friends to back me up on this one. Their verdict: the strawberries clashed with the garlic, and despite being completely ripe, never really asserted themselves. The soup had a weird consistency. Chopped green bell pepper, a relatively minor ingredient, left a strange aftertaste. The dish didn’t seem to have a dominant flavor, other than ... pink.

It’s surprising, because the recipe came from this week’s issue of New York Magazine. Created by Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park, a four-star restaurant in Manhattan, it looked to be a winner. And hey - if you’re gonna try a dish with no reader reviews, you can’t do better than one with that pedigree.

Ennnh. Wrong.

So, in a rush last night, I opted for ol’ reliable: Mark “The Minimalist” Bittman. (Note: Prospective wrestlers, this is a terrible nickname.) I almost always love his food, and we reference his How to Cook Everything tome pretty much everyday around here. Once again, he came up big.

Moors and Christians is a flashy name for Spanish Black Beans and Rice. Bittman explains the origin as follows: “The Muslim Moors ruled devoutly Christian Spain for seven centuries; what else should the world’s best-known bicolor dish be called?” The prominence of red and green goes mysteriously unmentioned, but we’ll assume both parties enjoyed rose gardens.

As for the food itself, the beans are the stars of the show, and can be made with or without the rice. Garlicky, savory, and possessing a pleasantly smooth chew, they wouldn’t be out of place in a burrito, either. Paired with the rice (Any rice. Pick a rice.), they become a full meal. Husband-Elect backs me up on this one, so you can trust my tongue here. (Er ... that sounded dirtier than I meant.)

Ultimately, so what if I'm not always on the same culinary wavelength as the rest of the planet? It's a dish like this - simple, satisfying, lacking a horrifying strawberry/garlic combination -  that reassure me that my taste buds aren't wiggedy-wacked to hell. Hopefully, it'll do the same for you.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also find yourself elated for:

• Escarole and White Beans
• Gallo Pinto
• Indonesian Bean Stew

~~~

Moors and Christians (Spanish Black Beans and Rice)
Makes 4 to 6 gigantic servings.
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned or fresh diced tomatoes
1 cup broth, bean juice, or water
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1) In a large, skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add onion and bell pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until pretty soft, stirring occasionally.

2) Jack heat up to medium-high. Add garlic, beans, tomatoes, and broth/water/bean juice. Stir. Cook 10 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. By the end, beans should be softer and most of the liquid should evaporate. (Note: This took me a full 25 minutes. YMMV.)

3) Kill heat. Add parsley and stir to combine. If necessary, add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of rice.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
Four servings: 205 calories, 4.3 g fat, 11.4 g fiber, 11.9 g protein, $0.85
Six servings: 137 calories, 2.9 g fat, 7.6 g fiber, 7.9 g protein, $0.57

Calculations
NOTE: I used vegetable broth for my version. The calculations reflect that choice.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.12
1 medium onion, diced: 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 1 g protein, $0.45
1 red bell pepper, chopped: 31 calories, 0.4 g fat, 2.5 g fiber, 1.2 g protein, $0.46
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
2 large cloves garlic, minced: 9 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.4 g protein, $0.10
3 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed: 540 calories, 3 g fat, 36 g fiber, 42 g protein, $1.22
1 cup canned or fresh diced tomatoes: 50 calories, 0 g fat, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein, $0.25
1 cup vegetable broth: 15 calories, 0 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.33
1/2 cup parsley, chopped: 11 calories, 0.2 g fat, 1 g fiber, 0.9 g protein, $0.45
TOTAL: 821 calories, 17.2 g fat, 45.6 g fiber, 47.5 g protein, $3.40
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 205 calories, 4.3 g fat, 11.4 g fiber, 11.9 g protein, $0.85
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 137 calories, 2.9 g fat, 7.6 g fiber, 7.9 g protein, $0.57

Saturday Throwback: Keeping Cool for Cheap - My Wet, Hot New Yorkian Summer

Every Saturday, we post a piece from CHG's archives. Today, it's one of Jaime's articles from June 2008, which we think you'll find pretty timely. (*wipes sweat from brow*)

I am currently sitting at my desk in a t-shirt and shorts that I just thoroughly wet down with the spray bottle that was once meant for disciplining my cats. The new kitten never pays attention to being sprayed anyway, but I've repurposed the spray bottle because right now, New York City is getting into its third day of a 90 degrees-plus heat wave, and I, wussiest girl about heat ever, am trying to go sans AC.

It's not that I don't have an air conditioner. I have two, actually – one in my bedroom, one in my living room, both still in the windows from last summer. But this year I'm trying to use them just as fans (or, in the case of the one with a broken knob, as, um, decoration?). Just as eating frugally and healthfully often go together, so do helping the environment and my bank account. This is my first full summer in this apartment (my first summer living without roommates, too), and I don't know how much air conditioners jack up my electric bill, but I don't really want to find out.

Jumping in with this sudden early-June heat wave is kinda great – if I can make it through this, what's August? (Answer: a torturous, muggy hell.) Two days in, it's remarkable what a spray bottle and a little determination can do. Rather than thinking Oh my *god* it's so hot I want to *die* it's Hm, I should drink some more water and I wonder if my laundry's ready yet. And mostly – This is just how the weather is. No Impact Man is a big inspiration, and bigger complainers than I have survived AC-less summers – y'know, every person to live before, say, 1950 – and just thinking differently seems to help. So does keeping my clothing perpetually damp.

Aside from my private, very un-titillating wet t-shirt contest (it's me versus the cats, so I win!), the internet gave me a few pointers towards living an AC-less life:

During the day, close your windows and curtains. This keeps the hot air out, and prevents the sun from baking your apartment like a greenhouse. Opaque curtains are really best, especially if they have a white side facing out, to reflect away the sunlight. I have sheer curtains in my bedroom, but I also have a spare set of purple sheets. Guess where those sheets are now hanging!

At night, open your windows to let the cool air in. Turn on fans to bring the air inside.

Open windows/doors on different sides of the room to allow for cross-ventilation. (If your floorplan allows. And then, I am also jealous.) You can set a fan in one window blowing air *out* - this will draw air in through the window/door on the other side of the room, creating a nice breeze.

Eliminate unnecessary heat. Don't use your oven; turn off your computer; turn off lights, or replace with fluorescents. (Environmental, too! And cheaper electric bills when the lights are on!)

Drink lots of water. You feel less hot if you're properly hydrated. Avoid ice-cold beverages – though they feel soothing, they stop your body from acclimating to the heat. (If you're really brave, try warm or hot tea. Some folks swear by it.)

Keep your outside wet, too. Evaporating water uses up heat energy, leaving your skin cool. Wrap a wet scarf around your neck, rinse your face and arms in the sink, wear a damp t-shirt. This works especially well if there's a fan blowing air over you – that's how I fell asleep last night, even though it was still near 90 at 1am.

When it gets this hot, there’s a part of me (the me who lived and died by AC, the me who wants to spend every second needing blankets and a sweater) that would rather lie on my kitchen’s cool tile floor than even think about eating. Or, at least about cooking. Ice cream and popsicles? Totally. But the idea of heating a skillet, let alone my oven, is terrifying. Here are some of my heat-wave stand-bys that keep me from running to the nearest movie theatre to live on popcorn and nachos in the frigid, frigid air:

Cottage cheese. I love this no matter the weather, but when it’s hot out, this cool stuff is amazing. Use it as dip for veggies or baked chips, mix it with berries and cinnamon, spread it on bread (it goes great with hummus). If keeping the oven off means that you’re going a few days without meat (because a heat wave is really not the time for steak au poivre), cottage cheese is a great way to make sure you’re getting protein. (12g per 80-calorie half-cup serving!) And when you’re really hot, the salt helps you stay hydrated as long as you’re also getting water.

Fruit. Cool, hydrating, delicious, ‘Nuff said.

Pasta salad. This stuff stays good for days in the fridge – if you know a heat wave’s coming, throw together a big batch so you don’t resort to take-out when the temperature climbs. This is a great catch-all for every healthy thing you’ve got lying around – veggies, beans, meat (if that’s your thing), plus dressing (salad dressing, oil and vinegar, mustard, even, yes, cottage cheese). Also makes a great lunch to bring to work, if your office has a fridge.

Grilling. Okay, I live in a teeny New York City apartment with barely a fire escape, let alone a back yard or anywhere I could grill. But if you can…

Cold soups. This is an aspect of cooking I’ve yet to explore, but just google “cold soup recipe,” and behold the myriad options. Gazpacho, veggies, even fruit soups – the possibilities are endless. Experimenting with a new (heat-free!) recipe will get your mind off the unbearable, oppressive, unrelenting heat, at least for a bit.

Wine and grapes. Sounds odd, and yet makes perfect sense. Or is it like tomatoes topped with ketchup?

Microwave. Not a food or a recipe, but a means of heating food that won’t also heat the air. Eating and drinking warm food and beverages helps acclimate you to the hot air. I’m normally a devout tea kettle user, but if I want tea today, it’s coming from the microwave for sure.

It's funny how an extreme behavior can seem completely manageable once you just decide to do it. When I moved into this apartment, I realized I couldn't afford cable on my own. Beloved TV, how would I ever cope? Pretty easily, it turns out. I watch shows on my computer, at friends' houses, or just less. Giving in to the heat is in some ways more drastic, but it's something I really want to try.

This decision is both financial and environmental. (Okay, and a little bit about testing my mettle, like when I decided to start drinking whiskey. I'd previously been an amaretto sours kind of girl.) I want to put my money where my mouth is about conservation, and I want to keep my money in my wallet, not off to the electric company. It seems drastic – one friend asked, "Why not just switch to wind power," a green option our electric company offers but, a, I still pay for the wind power, and b, there's something about going full-out that I really like. Aw, yeah, I can brag at a bar, I'm going totally without AC this summer. Then I'll order another whiskey, and floor all the boys with my very bad-ass ways.

(Photos taken from the pages of Flickr members lusciouz lindsay, 2U, Lucahjin and florriebassingbourn.)

Top 10 Links of the Week: 5/21/10 – 6/3/10

Sweet readers! I missed last week’s links due to fun family things/receiving the most awesome meat thermometer in history. Subsequently, this week’s links are bigger than anything, up to and including certain Guatemalan sinkholes. Buckle up!

1) Forbes: Snake Oil in Your Snacks - Foods masquerading as drugs have become a $160 billion business.
Have you ever bought bread because it says “OMEGA 3!” on the package? Or yogurt that claims to help your immune system? Yeah, me too. But this spectacular article on the largely unsubstantiated health claims made by food manufacturers might convince you to shelve those products permanently. Absolutely required reading.

2) Men’s Health: 20 Worst Drinks in America 2010
Jaw dropping! The amount of sugar in one Dairy Queen Moolatte is roughly equal to that found in one dozen Bavarian Crème Dunkin Donuts. (Note: As is my understanding, these aren’t the caloric equivalents, in which other ingredients factor, but the sugar equivalents. It’s an important distinction.) (Still pretty shocking, though.)

3) Deadspin: The Public Humiliation Diet – a How-To
Hilarious dude’s take on a 60-pound weight loss. Surprising how many strategies line up with what’s proven to work (weigh yourself, eat quality sweets, etc.) Due warning: obscenity abounds, but it’s for a good cause.

4) Seattle Times: An unemployed restaurant critic finds a different kind of culinary satisfaction
He used to have a $1300/monthly expense account for restaurants. Now he’s on food stamps, happy with whatever comes his way. Ed Murrieta’s story is alternately moving, sympathetic, and lately, disturbingly relatable.

5) Jezebel: Famous Foodie Has a Problem with Feminists
Love Jez, hate this piece. Pollan might have a somewhat unrealistic view of a working class family’s day-to-day existence. (The guy teaches at Berkeley. What do you want?) But it’s glib, sensationalist, and dangerously misleading to interpret his message as, “Get back in the kitchen, broads!” Painting him as a lady hater misses the forest for the dang trees.

6) Get Rich Slowly: Get Your Kitchen Gadgets for Less at Your Local Restaurant Supply Store
Fortunately, NYC is crammed wall-to-wall with these things, where you can buy whisks, graters, knives, and pots for a fraction of what you would at Crate and Barrel. (Not to be confused with Cracker Barrel.) Checking your ‘hood for one will be worth the research.

7) Wise Bread: Bargain Shopping at Whole Foods – 12 Strategies for Success
Whole Paycheck (note: Whole Foods) is intimidating to a lot of us (note: everybody), but WB (note: Wise Bread, not Warner Brothers) has some excellent pointers (note: devious tips) on how to buy there without losing your shirt (note: Whole Foods does not actually hold topless contests).

8) stonesoup: How to Stock a Minimalist Pantry
A.k.a. What to Do With Your Kitchen When Space and Time are More Limited Than You’d Like. Eat your heart out, Bittman. (P.S. Obsessed with this blog lately. Look around if you get the chance.)

9) Chow: When Are Cheap Eats Too Cheap?
Apparently, there’s a lower limit to what fast food joints can charge for their goods. Because when you offer a double cheeseburger for less than $1, it’s not profitable anymore. Incidentally, what goes into a double cheeseburger that costs less than a buck? Do we really want to know?

10) Slashfood: The Bad Tip Follow-Up
What Can I Get You Folks, about restaurant etiquette, is Slashfood’s best recurring feature. Last week, it tackled The Bad Tip: should a waiter ever ask a customer why he got stiffed? I say … no, but I can be convinced otherwise.


HONORABLE MENTION

The Atlantic: Cheap Chickens and Industry Fat Cats
Think what you will about the immigration debate, but: the reason many of us can afford decent food at all is because illegals work tirelessly to give it to us for negligible money and zero benefits, while corporate interests make millions off of their backs and our paychecks. Wanna fix things? Start with the Chairman of the Board, who buys golden toilets while the rest of us scrounge for coupons.

Casual Kitchen: How to Master the Last Minute Meal
It’s 6pm. You’re hungry. You don’t know what to make for dinner. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?

Chow
Babies in Bars
Hey Stranger, Help Me Start a Business
Refrigeration Reformation - What should stay cold, colder, and coldest in your fridge
Link #1: Sweet Home Alabama, anyone?
Link #2: How to fund food startups.
Link #3: Learn to arrange your fridge for maximum efficiency.

Food Politics
The Bisphenol A saga heats up
Dismal Reports on Dietary Supplements
Food Politics: The Slaughterhouse Problem
Link #1: More on the canned goods controversy, and a neat tutorial from Slashfood on how to avoid the stuff.
Link #2: News flash! Gingko biloba, St. John’s Wort, and other supplements are more useless than a cotton spork.
Link #3: Problem - we have a lot of humanely-raised animals, and no place to make them into meat.

Jezebel: Your Fetus Can Taste Your Food
Ooo! Neat! A study found that, “Infants whose mothers ate a lot of fruit during pregnancy are more accepting of fruit when it is introduced to them during weaning.” Subsequently, eating produce during gestation could mean your baby will dig healthy foods.

The Kitchn: Bring Back Home Ec?
Come for the post, stay for the 76 comments. (Note: I took Home Ec in high school, learned very little, but think we need it anyway. Howzabout you?)

Low-Calorie Diet: 4 Healthy Foods You Thought Were Junk
Oh, beef jerky. You complete me.

Man vs. Debt: Eating Yourself Into Debt
If you’re wondering how much bad food can ultimately cost you, this should inform/give you a heart attack.

Money Saving Mom
Being Frugal in a High Cost of Living Area
Play the Drugstore Game
Link #1: Live in the big city without going broke! Read this!
Link #2: Good reminder why shopping at CVS, Walgreens, etc. can mean big savings.

Neatorama: Figs and Wasps
Do you really want to know about the wasps that live inside figs? Yes and no. On one hand, EEK! On the other hand, they need each other to survive. No harm, no foul.

New York Post: Crooks to cooks - Rikers has Top Chef con-test
Love this story about young inmates training to cook in a professional setting. The best rehab.

New York Times
Digital Meal Planning
Their Future, Made By Hand
Link #1: Nice review of the Emealz online meal planning system, which looks like it might be worth the dough.
Link #2: We’re here! We’re unemployed! We’re making you an empanada!

Politics of the Plate: Regional, Not Local, Sourcing May be the Solution to Our Broken Food System
Think local, eat regional. Makes sense.

Serious Eats
10 Tips to Take to the Farmers’ Market
How to Make Risotto
Studies Continue to Prove: Nuts, in Moderation, Are Really Good For You
Link #1: More tips for your weekly jaunt.
Link #2: surprisingly healthy, always impressive.
Link #3: Mmm … psmashios.

stonesoup: The Number 1 Mistake of New Vegetarians and How to Avoid it
In short: you gotta plan for this, yo.


AND ALSO

Serious Eats: A Pint With David Flaherty, Terroir/Hearth
This is my friend Dave! He is awesome.

Epic Win FTW: ATTACK!
Heh. Heh heh. Heeeeeee. Hee hee hee. Heh.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Veggie Might: Market Finds - Green Garlic and Garlic Scapes Pesto

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

New York City has a farmer’s market network that reminds me of an urban library system. The Union Square Greenmarket is the main library—the big one with the lions out front, where you can find everything but can be overwhelmed by choice. Then there are neighborhood branches scattered throughout the five boroughs that get less glory, but provide amazing service to the local communities.

My neighborhood market is perfect: between five and eight vendors, just enough variety to keep things interesting but never overwhelming, and prices that are competitive with—often cheaper than—the local groceries. For the most part, the farmers who frequent my local branch keep it simple—nothing too out of the ordinary. If I want wacky veg, I go to Union Square.

But every now and then, I get a surprise.

My last few visits I’ve been a skosh obsessed with something I’d never seen or tried before: green garlic. When I approached the table last Wednesday, I thought the giant green stalks with white bulbs were spring onions. That’s not what the sign said, so I asked the farmer. “Nope, green garlic,” he said with the slightest of smiles.

“How do you use it?” I asked. I’d already decided to buy it—might as well get the skinny from the source.

“Just like you would regular clove garlic, though you don’t have to smash this. Just slice it and eat it. It’s milder and sweeter than regular garlic.”

“Can you eat the stalks?”

“Yeah, but you’ll want to cook them—maybe sauté them like scallions.”

Brilliant. I love discovering new vegetables. That night I made green garlic mashed potatoes to raves. While prepping dinner, CB and I each tried a piece of it raw. It was strong at first bite, like garlic would be, but immediately became milder, though I don’t know if I would call it sweet. CB claimed, as I suspected he would, “Yeah, I could eat this like fruit.” Dude loves garlic.

I started putting green garlic in everything—eggs, stir-fry, salad, sandwiches—sautéing the stalks as instructed. As my obsession grew, my supply dwindled. Saturday, I went back and, to my great joy, found more green garlic and, this time, garlic scapes.

So pleased I was with my score, I practically danced all the way to brunch, demanding my fellow diners to “smell this—it looks like an onion, but you use it like garlic!” and “check it, scapes! They’re the shoots from garlic before it’s harvested!” I’m so much fun.

Taking inspiration from dearest A’s garlic scape exploits, an amazing black bean salad recipe from 101 Cookbooks that darling S made for me last summer, and the fact that I’ve read, like 15 pesto recipes in the past week, I created what might be the greatest dressing for bean salad ever in the history of bean salad: Green Garlic and Scapes Pesto.

Pesto means “to pound” or “crush”, as with a mortal and pestle. Most people know the classic Genoese pesto (basil, garlic, salt), but you can make pesto from any herb crushed with garlic and salt; in days gone by I’ve made pesto from cilantro, arugula, and stinging nettles.

Green Garlic and Scapes Pesto is my masterpiece. It is easily one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time. Light enough to be a salad dressing, it would also easily stand up to pasta.

I tossed the pesto over 3 cups of black beans and served it on a bed of arugula. It was amazing—tangy, spicy, and garlicky but not overwhelmingly so. For as long as green garlic and scapes are available at my neighborhood market, this dish will be in heavy circulation.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you may also like

• Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
• Potato Salad for Rainy Day People
• Pasta with Nettles, Sorrel, and Lemon

~~~

Black Bean Salad with Green Garlic and Scapes Pesto
Serves 6

pesto
1 bulb green garlic (white part only), chopped
1/4 cup garlic scapes, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 dried red chilies, chopped (or 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes)
2 tbsp almonds, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp sea salt

salad
3 cup black beans, cooked (or 2 15 oz cans)
6 cups arugula or salad greens of your choice

Note: I used a food processor to make the pesto. If you have a mortal and pestle, I salute you.

1) Rinse, soak (3 hours or up to overnight), and cook (about 45 minutes) 1/2 cup of dried black beans, which will result in about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans. - OR - Open a couple of cans of black beans, rinse well, and set aside.

2) Haul out the food processor. Coarsely chop all vegetables and nuts before putting them into the food processor.

3) Whiz together green garlic, scapes, parsley, red chilies, almonds, lime juice, olive oil, agave nectar, and salt until fully combined and the desired smoothness is achieved.

4) Toss together with black beans.

5) Serve on a bed of arugula or any salad green of your choice.

6) Text, email, facespace, tweet, or call everyone you know and tell them how fabulous your dinner is.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
147 calories, 9.3g fat, 2.2g fiber, 2.7g protein, $.63

Calculations
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans: 330 calories, 3g fat, 7.5g fiber, 7.5g protein, $.35
1 bulb green garlic: 4.2 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.30
1/4 cup garlic scapes: 8 calories, 0g fat, .75g fiber, .5g protein, $.32
1 tbsp fresh parsley: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.02
3 dried red chilies: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.02
2 tbsp almonds: 104 calories, 10g fat, 2g fiber, 4g protein, $.34
2 tbsp lime juice: 9.5 calories, .03g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.10
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil: 360 calories, 42g fat 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.24
1/2 tbsp agave nectar: 30 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein $.08
1/2 tsp sea salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.02
6 cups arugula: 37 calories, 1g fat, 3g fiber, 4g protein, $2.00
Totals: 882.7 calories, 56g fat, 13.3g fiber, 16g protein, $3.79
Per Serving (totals/6): 147 calories, 9.3g fat, 2.2g fiber, 2.7g protein, $.63

Food, Finance, and Judging Others

I was all set to post a long diatribe about cooking and feminism (FUN!) this morning, when I read Casting Stones: When Is It Okay to Judge? over at Get Rich Slowly. JD is one of my favorite bloggers, and this piece is a good example of why.

To summarize: He has a friend who repeatedly makes gigantic financial mistakes, and isn’t changing his behavior to address the fallout. JD knows he shouldn’t judge, but it’s difficult when he sees how bad habits might affect his friend’s family.

Then, JD reflects on a recent trip he took with a super-frugal millionaire, and how the gentleman’s little bits of pointed criticism made him feel somewhat judged. It wasn’t comfortable, and JD wondered if he was perpetuating the same attitude when it came to his broke friend.

Ultimately, he can’t help being a little judgey. And I don’t judge him for that, because I would be, too. It’s tough watching someone you love make poor decisions, whether it’s about food, money, or life in general. It’s even tougher on the internet, where problems lack context, and anonymity makes judgment as easy as writing, “You suck. I rule.”

So, let’s do an exercise. How many times have you logged on to a food or personal finance blog, to see statements like:

• “Why don’t they just buy healthier food?”
• “I have time to cook dinner every night. She should, too!”
• “Fat/poor people lack discipline/willpower.”
• “What do you mean you don’t know how to chop an onion/roast a chicken/make cereal? My grandmother/babysitter/drill sergeant taught me as soon as I joined the army/was born/beamed in from Pluto. KIDS THESE DAYS.”

Have you written comments like this yourself? I know I have. Though we try to be objective here at CHG, I occasionally lapse into “What’s WRONG with people?”-style reasoning. I’m not particularly proud of it.

Here’s what I think, though: when it comes to cooking and cash, everyone comes with her own set of biases and experiences. The important thing is to recognize them, acknowledge how they color your perspective, and avoid applying them universally. Because holding others to your exacting standards A) is unfair, B) shows a stunning lack of comprehension of and compassion for others’ situations, and C) is kind of mean.

For example, here are ten of my own biases, and how they might affect CHG’s voice:

I am a woman (hear me roar), and since I require fewer calories than men, 

it’s easier to get by on less money.

I am in my early thirties, and past my treat-my-body-like-crap years.

I am childless, so I don’t have to support kids, 

and my time is mostly my own. 

I am as-yet unmarried and accustomed to independence. 

For a long time, I cooked and bought food for one. 

I have no distinct ethnic identity or culinary heritage. 

My family doesn’t pass down recipes, 

and non-Western cuisine is still relatively new to me. 

I am educated. I have access to information, 

generally know how to interpret it, and can apply it to my situation. 

I am usually employed, giving me a steady income and few financial worries.

I live in an urban area, which means I can’t grow my own food (see: this), 

but have access to a variety of ethnic cuisines.

I rent an apartment, so storage space and 

potential for bulk shopping is extremely limited.

I don’t own a car, meaning what I purchase is 

entirely reliant on public transportation.

Hopefully, being aware of my own biases will make CHG more helpful to folks in different situations. I may not understand what a rural, 50-something mom of four needs on a day-to-day basis, but I can keep from suggesting that a six-pack of Corona from the bodega across the street will solve all her problems.

Should you NEVER judge? No. That’s unrealistic. Some things (child abuse, Sandra Lee’s Kwanzaa cake, etc.) are just wrong, and should be acknowledged as such. But a little more compassion might make our daily interactions – both online and with real people – a little more positive and productive.

Readers, how about you? What biases do you have? How do you keep from judging? When is it okay? Do you find it easier on the internet? The comment section is way open.

P.S. I should mention that CHG commenters are, on the whole, FANTASTIC about not being judgmental, and I appreciate the heck out of it. So, thank you for that.

~~~

If you enjoy this piece, you might also like:

• A Confession and a Prayer to Remain Tailless
• Frugal Grocery Shopping for City Folk
• Relax, Frugal Eater: A Measured Approach to Lifestyle Changes

CHG Best of May 2010

What a nice month we had, everybody. The Top 10 lists were a success, our Ask the Internet column is getting increasingly faboo responses, and of course, this happened. But don’t take it from me. Take it from …the following post! Which you should read. Because it's pretty.

MAY RECIPES
Breakfast Burritos with Beans, Cheddar, and Salsa
Carrot Cake
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Grits and Quinoa with Spicy Pink Beans
Hot and Sour Soup with Baby Bok Choy
Pasta with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Onions
Polenta with Swiss Chard, Pancetta, and a Fried Egg

MAY ARTICLES

It was shortcut, tip, and trick central at CHG this month, with four Top 10 posts focused on different themes:

• 10 Cheap Shortcuts to Making Cooking Oh-So-Much Easier
• 10 Cheap Ways to Simplify Food Shopping
• 10 Essential Kitchen Items for the Healthy Cook
• 10 Ways to Eat Less Meat

Veggie Might’s own Leigh got in on the action with her own ingenious tutorials: How to Care For Cast Iron Cookware and Potluck Tips to Save You Time and Moolah.

And Jaime of Green Kitchen notoriety batted cleanup with her stupendous contribution, How to Eat Green Without a Greenmarket.

As for Ask the Internet, it was pretty dang sweet, too. We asked about ...

• Best Cooking Fat?
• Eating During a Move?
• How to Handle Food Cravings?
• LOST Finale Recipes?

FOR MORE CHEAP HEALTHY GOODNESS…

1) Have your say!
We love reading creative comments and participating in thought-provoking discussions. There’s even our fabulous Ask the Internet column, where readers can write in with various inquiries and/or offer helpful suggestions. Sweet.

2) Spread the word!
Like us? Link to us! Refer us to a bookmarking site! (We have StumbleUpon and Digg buttons now!) Or just talk us up to your mom. That’s nice, too.

3) Behold our social networking!
Subscribe to our feed, join our Facebook page, or check out our Twitter … thing. They’re super fun ways to kill time, minus the soul-crushing frustration of rooting for the Mets.

4) Buy from our Amazon Store!
If you click on the Amazon widget (lower left hand corner) and buy anything from Amazon (not just what we’re advertising on CHG), we get a small commission. And that’s always nice.

5) Remember: when choosing a song to walk down the aisle to, make sure it’s not secretly about heroin.
Or prostitution. Or suicide. Your Ma won't be pleased.

Ask the Internet: Favorite Processed Food?

Sweet readers! Husband-Elect and I had a Bridal/Groomal Shower this weekend! And it was a surprise! And it was awesome! And pretty! And huge! And generous! And my in-laws flew in! And we got an OXO Salad Spinner that is basically the best thing that’s ever existed! It has a brake button! Who knew?

We’re just starting to recover from the busy-ness, so today is all about getting things back up to speed. Please accept this Ask the Internet question in the meantime…

Q: A few weeks ago, we asked readers what food-type item you can’t believe exists. The answers were funny and overall, pretty shocking, with the clear-and-away winner being pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This week, we thought we’d go in the other direction: What’s your favorite processed food?

A: I have four:

1. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: Powdered cheese is a crime against nature and good sense, but I would give up a limb for this stuff.
2. CoffeeMate: in almost every flavor.
3. Aunt Jemima’s Butter Lite Syrup. Someday, they will discover that Aunt Jemima is the core component of nuclear payloads. Meanwhile, leave me be when I'm huddled in a corner, chugging this straight from the bottle.
4. Breakfast cereals. Honey Nut Cheerios. Crispix. Special K Red Berries. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Kix. Honey Bunches of Oats. The list goes on. I can't help it. There are Grape Nuts embedded in my DNA.

So readers, how 'bout you? What processed food would you fight to the death for?

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.