Wingless

At the beginning of the football season, my boss and I began developing a tailgate menu to offer on weekends. Before we started he felt it necessary to remind that we needed "lots of man food" to make it relevant. Really?

First, may I state, that I have been tailgating for years and if it wasn't for the girls' planning, cooking, music and game organizing our tailgates would have sucked. Despite my resentment, I found myself having the same thoughts this past weekend. I know, I'm complex. Or just difficult.

My vegetarian, low fat diet was pitching a roadblock for a small gathering/indoor tailgate my friend, Brandie, was having. I wanted buffalo wings, cheese, clouds (I'll explain later) but I couldn't have it.  How could I make football fan-approved snacks within the confines of vegetarianism? Who knows? But I was definitely going to try. Proving people wrong is among my favorite things to do.

Snack food requires dippage. I made guacamole and bought salsa and low fat sour cream. Instead of using greasy tortilla chips I baked my own chips with very little oil and salt. I also baked sweet potato wedges to nibble. On a previous shopping trip I figured pitted dates might come in handy when I needed a sweet fix. So, there they sat in my cabinet next to pecans. Destiny calling. I put a little bit of light cream cheese on the dates to anchor the pecans. There's dessert. They aren't clouds (the most delicious, fluffy, iced-out, high calorie cookies ever) but they were tasty. My friend, Brandie, made a delicious grilled vegetable salad with sherry vinaigrette and herbs. 

I told myself all week that I wouldn't have alcohol for a few weeks but watching football and drinking anything other than beer seems like adultery. I caved and bought MGD 64's, they would have to do.

All in all, it was successful. I didn't feel bad about myself after eating a little too much because I figured nothing I consumed would do too much damage to all the hard work I put in during the week. A relevant tailgate menu without "man food." Groundbreaking.

My New Best Friend

In the fall semester of my first year at culinary school I made a butternut squash soup for a dinner party we threw as students.  It went over well; my mother loved it.

Always the advocate, she asked if I'd like to cook part of Thanksgiving dinner. Sure, soup it is. First, I would need an immersion blender. Enter: my new best friend.

Now, years later we are still thick as thieves. Tonight and last night, my best friend majorly helped with dinner. I.B. is making this vegetarian diet more bearable and whipping me up some warm, yummy soups. 

*Let me just put it out there that I know these aren't true vegetarian soups due to the meat stocks. Cut me some slack. 

Butternut squash:

1 butternut squash

1 quart chicken stock

1/8 cup light cream

2 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 red onion

2 carrots

1/4 red onion

Mushroom soup:

2 large portabello mushrooms

6 button mushrooms

3 garlic cloves

3 basil sprigs

1 quart beef stock

1/8 cup light cream

1 stalk celery

1/4 white onion

2 carrots

canola oil

salt

pepper

To make each of these soups: 

1-sautee vegetables is small amount of oil (for squash, you must roast it until soft then saute with other veggies)

2-once the veggies are translucent, add stock and herbs

3-introduce I.B.

4-add cream

5-adjust seasonings

No Meat for Me

I really never imaged this day would come. Especially not after I savoured so much of it on my Caribbean getaway. Thick strip steak with island-sized crystals of sea salt. Bacon blue burger. Jerk hash with boniato. Conch fritters. Foie gras topped with thin sheets of tuna carpaccio. Bracciole, Meatballs, Sausage. I ate a lot.

Which brings me to now. I'm hoping a week of fasting (sort of) will shock my appetite back into reality. So it's Day 2 and I haven't cheated yet, which is substantial for me. I'm a huge cheater when it comes to diets or any resolution dealing with food and drink. Anyone on a diet knows that weekdays aren't so bad, but the weekend is like the Bermuda Triangle and by Monday all is lost. 

Fruits and vegetables are spilling out of my refrigerator waiting to be chopped and cooked into something not as boring. Leftover holiday goodies are trash-bound and alcohol is tucked away. 

Vegetarian for a week? Give me strength.