Shanghai'd

• Starting from Scratch. In the US, we are so used to the conveniences of prepackaged, processed food. If you think about it, processed only means that we did something to it after we grew it and harvested it, so pretty much everything in a can, bag, box or frozen counts as processed food. After moving to Shanghai, I found the cost and availability of processed food to be a major deterrent in cooking in the ways I was used to. Whereas we used to buy bottled tomato sauce at home, I found myself without even canned tomatoes to make it from "scratch". When we wanted spaghetti, I had to start with fresh tomatoes. No canned beans, Jiffy mix, jam, Campbell's soup, dressing packets, gravy starter, nothing that I grew up with. Luckily I had the time and the tutelage of my favorite cookbook Laurel's Kitchen (Thank you Dave!) to start from fresh and really learn how to cook. I find it relaxing to spend a Sunday in front of the stove, simmering and chopping.
• Smaller Portions. My stoneware dinner plates at home are 12" in diameter. I have one size bowl - big. Even my forks and knives are huge. When I bought dishes at our local grocery store our first week in China, I left with 6" saucers and rice bowls. We have been eating off them for the past 3 years. I think it is easier to clear your plate than get up for seconds. Although our chipped, pastel blue, fish design dinnerware won't make the trip home, I am thinking of heading out to the restaurant supply store to pick up some Chinese-y rice bowls to put in our shipment home.
• Reduced intake of Meat and Dairy. After some early attempts at cooking meat, the pork poisoning, fears about the lack of hormone control for livestock, and reading Michael Pollan's book, Tim and I drastically reduced our consumption of all animal products in China, way before the whole melamine thing. Hopefully this means we avoided kidney stones and other long-term diseases. But I also think it has made us healthier in general. I am at least going to seek out grass-fed, non-GMO, organic, hormone free products at home.
• Seasonal and Local. In China, there is no choice but to eat what is in season. After reading Barbara Kingsolver's book, I became even more aware of our offerings and choices, and was glad to note that not everything is available all the time. We looked forward to and savored the fruit seasons, greens season and the nightshade season (especially those tomatoes!). We even got into a CSA for a while, although due to our insane travel schedule we had to cancel. Good news is I am committed to carrying this on at home, I made it off the waiting list, onto the share holder list of this popular Austin CSA! First pick-up is 12/6.

Foodie that I am, I am still counting down the meals (29!) until we are back in the land of chips and salsa. I am looking forward to a few simmering Sundays in my new kitchen* as well.

*Location TBD, but if you know someone with a Hyde Park house/duplex for rent, please send us a note. We are looking for 3-2 BR, 1-2 BA with December/January move in.

# posted by Laurel @ 1:04 PM