I stopped into a used bookshop; I was in the market for some David Mamet. Not finding it and not remembering any other books on my growing list, I turned to my back up plan: stand in front of the cooking section, my head cocked to the right and read every title on the shelf. This typically proves fruitless and I move to the craft section. This time there was something waiting for me.

I recognized it by the font, the border, the color: blocky, simple, yellow. Chez Panisse - but which one? I was hoping for Fruit. Alice Waters and Chez Panisse - her biography! Hardcover! $6! I gasped, I grabbed, I was victorious. Finding a Chez Panisse book used is rare find, in my experience. It meant someone had cleaned out their books on food - undoubtedly just collecting dust on their shelves, they probably aren't that into cooking anyway, but Alice Waters looks so good and impresses guests. Chances are this person didn't bring just this single book.

There was one by Anthony Bourdain; he writes about food, stars in his own show about food, loves New York, is a little crass and swears. George recently started watching his show, No Reservations. There were two copies of his book, Kitchen Confidential, one was clearly meant for me. There was a paperback copy of Laurel's Kitchen, a staple vegetarian cookbook found most commonly in the North East, the Bay Area, and my book shelf. There was...what? Really? Here? The River Run Cookbook. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, River Run is a Southern style restaurant in Plainfield, VT. The French toast is my favorite, followed by grits with cream. There's usually catfish available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They hold trivia night on Tuesday and live music on the weekends. I used to live above their kitchen. The unexpected didn't end there, one shelf below I discovered a copy of the Horn of the Moon Cookbook. Another one from the restaurant in Vermont. This one, however, is long gone. It left Montpelier before I even knew it was there. What're it's recipes doing here?

I would like to know who relinquished all these books to the shelves of Mr. K's. Do I know them? There's a bookmark in the back of Alice Waters advertising the Berkshires. Not much to go on. There they were and there I was and it was like bumping into an old friend I hadn't seen in a while. I remember things about life before now. It put me in perspective for myself. There was no need to one-up this old friend with impressive stories, we were what we were and I like what I am. If River Run is the past, I think Chez Panisse is the future.

This week:

- Extra Tangy Sourdough (Sort Of)

- Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

- Pasta with Veggies

- Granola

Often times when I make bread, and all is said and done, the flavor of the bread lacks something. It's a little tricky to say what specifically, but I generally classify it as "depth." There are a variety of ways to deal with this: slather it with butter or Nutella, ignore it, or let it rise slower and longer. This holds true for many fermented things - think beer, wine, or even some cheeses. This Extra Tangy Sourdough begins by mixing part of the flour, part of the water and the starter (called the sponge) then it rises in the fridge overnight. In the morning the rest of the flour and water are added, along with the salt and it rises again for five hours. It's then shaped and rises for another two to three hours before going in the oven. There's no extra yeast added, which forces you to let it rise for a long period of time. George made these loaves, and while they're definitely more tangy they're not quite as sour as he'd like them. We may try messing with the amount of starter used and I think adding a little whole wheat flour couldn't hurt.

Beets. I really like beets. They're naturally sweet, wicked magenta, and edible from the greens to the roots. Roasted or raw, it makes little difference. In my world (and many others), beets in salads are typically accompanied by goat cheese. The tried-and-true salty/sweet (bacon ice cream, chocolate covered pretzels...) is unbeatable. Taking a hint from Martha this time, I added green beans. Not just any green beans, no no, haricots vert. They're French, they're thin, long, tender, and crisp. More importantly, I actually found some. (I was pretty sure I was destined to substitute greasy beans.) Oh, they're amazing. Their flavor is lighter and more delicate, maybe a bean/cucumber hybrid. Now, I'll be honest, this salad isn't fully assembled. There's a sauce Martha recommends and it involves...mustard. I'm not a mustard fan. I'm working on a substitute. Boy, when I'm done, it's going to be one bitchin' salad though.

After these two dishes things got simpler. The big dish this week is a little unsophisticated. Pasta. Vegetables. Toss. Add cheese. Luckily it's delicious and really easy to put in some tupperware at 4 am. I highly recommend it. The breakfast is a good friend: granola. This time I went a little crazy and put some dried cranberries in. This should be tossed in after the oats and things are already toasted.

The Plan

Most people try to eat well, myself included. It occured to me recently that while I try to eat well my largest hurdle is much more basic than eating more greens or protien - it's making the time to eat. Since I graduated from college I've been working in bakeries, my years split fairly evenly between breads and desserts. Right now I make cakes. My work days start early, which doesn't bother me. (Have you even been out in a city before everyone else wakes up? Pure. Magic.) The real challenge is managing to eat breakfast, pack a lunch, a snack, take one's vitamins and get to work on time. I usually make two of those five things happen and end up eating a couple bagels everyday or a bag of pretzels or relying on little bits of frosting and coffee to keep me going. If only there were a way to avoid this...

I've got a new plan - I've been calling it "Food Day." It's a day devoted to making food for the week: breads, salads, hummus, granola, a big bowl of tuna for sandwiches, etc. and rinsing and chopping whatever vegetables we've got leftover. G and I tested out the first Food Day this past Sunday (the day we're both off from work) and so far have deemed it a success. The other part of the plan is that I share what we're making, how it turns out, and some recipes with yooou!

Here's a list of what we tackled:

- sunflower millet bread

- granola

- "pasta bake" (you know, pasta with a bunch of veggies, baked with cheese)

- chicken salad

- three bean salad

- zucchini bread

- we toasted some almost-stale tortilla chips

Food Day Granola

3 c. rolled oats

1 1/2 c. sliced almonds

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

1/4 c. flax meal

1/4 c. honey

3 T. maple syrup

1/4 c. vegetable oil

Mix it all together and toast on a sheet pan in a 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally until golden brown - about 25 minutes.

I know that big companies have been spending all sorts of time and money into make quick foods for "families on the go," but I'm just not that into them. I want to make foods that work for me, that I can make myself - I've got a kitchen, a little know-how and, just as important, a fearless companion.