Hey Haley

Food

I love food. I bet you do, too. I’ve had a peculiar relationship with food in the last few months. It all started with a few internal organ infections, which I will not go into here. The internet basically convinced me my insides were teeming with tiny little creatures, which is not too hard to believe when you live in Mexico (some say the water in the capital itself is so chlorinated that it’s safe to drink - um, oxymoron, anyone? - but I still avoid every little drop I can).

I successfully swore off all alcohol, sugar, fruit, caffeine, dairy, processed food, and most gluten and sugary vegetables for a virtually vegan, alkaline, macrobiotic, sugar-free diet. I haven’t eaten meat in almost 10 years, so that one was obviously out of the picture as well. My morning ritual consisted of drinking a shot of juice from one lime + two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, followed by echinacea drops and detoxifying tea. Breakfast was usually miso soup with broccoli and chard or radishes. The rest of my meals consisted of some combination of local vegetables and whole grains, with maybe some beans or tofu thrown in (all organic, of course). I allowed myself nutty granola for diabetics with melted coconut oil (nectar of the gods) and unsweetened almond or soy milk. My guiltiest pleasure was cashews. Cashews.

As strict as it sounds, this actually wasn’t a huge leap for me. I didn’t eat much dairy anyway, and I needed a break from alcohol for a while. I already bought almost all my groceries from The Green Corner, a local grocer that supplies all this hippie food, and I don’t like coffee or chemical-doused junk food. I’m also accustomed to cooking vegan meals for 40 from my days in the co-op. After two months I felt great! But then a series of visits and vacations forced me to leave my little bubble and eat outside my kitchen. I don’t regret the nachos and margaritas on the beach, but I was worried about what kind of revolt my body would go into. Nothing major happened other than just feeling full a lot. But then another friend came and I went on a crazy sugar binge - mostly cupcakes from this awesome cupcake place in my neighborhood, Cupcakes by Tom. This forced me to realize my sugar addiction, and the need to check it. So, for the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to steer myself back onto the crazy-person diet, just with less doomsday fear attached.

I’m still taking the oil-lime shots, which are not bad at all. They’re sort of like….oily lime juice. Miso with cabbage and radishes is not as Cold War-ish as it sounds; it’s actually quite delicious. I learned how to cook one indian dish that frequents my routine on a weekly basis. My favorite find to come of the whole ordeal? Kasha. Buckwheat, as it’s also known, smells like a mix between medical tape and peanut butter, but it’s addicting. Perfectly little separated brown grains with a nutty flavor. Oh so satisfying.

I thought I’d share some of the recipes from my ascetic days. Perhaps a few “normal” ones will find their way here as well. Buen provecho!