a bushel of apples

I went apple picking this weekend. Autumn is finally here, the leaves are changing and the temperatures are cooling and picking apples just seemed like it was the appropriate thing to do. Ok, who am I kidding... I've never gone apple picking, I never thought I would like apple picking, and most days I'd rather be doing something that seems a little more active than that. In the end, I really did have a great time. I can not even begin to explain how different and wonderful these apples taste right off the tree, as compared to in the supermarket. The entire ride home, I couldn't stop daydreaming about what I was going to make with these apples. An apple bread I remember from my childhood, an apple pie maybe, apple tartlets, caramel apples, mmmm.... and with each recipe idea, I thought about all those calories planting themselves right on my ass. And so, I decided some savory recipes might be a better idea. Here's what I came up with:

Cabbage Apple Slaw Recipe

1-16 oz package of tri-color ready slaw cabbage mix (or chop up a head of cabbage)

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tart apple (I used a Winesap apple with the skin on, you can take the skin off if it doesn't appeal to you), chopped

1 english cucumber, chopped

3 tbsp. dijon nayonaise (it's a soy based low fat mayo alternative)

2 tbsp. spicy mustard of your choice

juice from 1 large lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all up, chill for about an hour, enjoy.

*k*

My first bad restaurant review

I really hate to do this, but it's warranted. I went to Tiffany's in Pine Brook today for football. If all you care about are the TVs, then this place is fine. There are tons of flat screen TVs, with all of the games and they are easy to see.

If you want service, this place is not for you. We sat down at a table in the bar area and went up to the bar for some drinks. I ordered a club soda with lemon. The club soda was flat. I let them know it was flat and asked if they could try again from a different drink machine. They oblidged, and it was slightly better. We sat there for about an hour and a half getting up each time for drinks - really no problem there at all, I mean the bar was only about 4 feet away. But then a waitress came over (who knew we had a waitress!). We decided to order some food, and I knew immediately she wasn't going to get it right. How, you may ask? Because she didn't write anything down. I don't care how good of a waiter or waitress you are or think you are, write it down for crying out loud. I'm sure that even if you don't make many mistakes, you make more than if you had written it down. I ordered a salad with grilled shrimp and with the dressing on the side. This happens to me all the time, of course it came with the dressing on it. Also, the shrimp were not grilled, they were sauteed. I know, it's kind of picky but when you're at least trying to be healthy, it's annoying to have your efforts thwarted. I should have said something but it was about another 10 minutes before she came back, so I just ate some of it.

The grand finale... since the club soda was obviously flat, I decided to try and get a water with lemon. I mean, how could that get messed up. She comes back, no lemon.

I give up. Don't go to Tiffany's unless you only want to watch the game.

*k*

Gridiron Grub Week 5: The Sandwich, Deconstructed

It's still too hot out to keep the oven on for hours and cook up something warm and autumn-like. So, you'll have to bear with me on this one. A few finishing touches turns a boring sandwich into something you would actually call dinner. Here, I break down the sandwich into five parts and show you how to spice up each one with fresh healthy options:

1. The Bread. Throw away that Wonder Bread already. Not only is it ridiculously processed, and full of "partially hydrogenated soybean oil," it doesn't taste nearly as good as fresh bread. Next time you're in the grocery store or neighborhood bakery, take a look at the artisan bread section and pick one that looks appetizing to you. Artisan bread is handcrafted by skilled bakers using water, flour, salt and yeast. Can't beat that - pure and simple. Personally, I like a good ciabatta with the crispy goodness on the outside and a chewy inside with large pores. If you can't find a good artisan bread, pick a nice hearty bread that suits you. A pita or flat bread also works very nicely. Trust me, it will be loads better than that plain old white (or green....) sandwich bread in your pantry. In fact, if you get really creative, it doesn't even need to be bread at all - it could be a big leaf of romaine lettuce.

2. The Condiments. Don't get me wrong, I love mustard but there are many more options out there. For an Italian flare, try pesto or a sun dried tomato paste. For Mediterranean, how about spreading a bit of hummus, olive tapenade, or baba ganouj on the bread. Asian? You can try a wasabi mixture.

3. The Greens. Sure, I could go to a deli and get some nice shredded iceberg lettuce on my sandwich. But that would be right next to the plain old white bread and we're talking about doing sandwiches right! There are many salad greens out there that can add a little zip to your sandwich. I like adding arugula. It has a peppery, slightly bitter taste and adds some zest. It works best paired with a something that will mellow it out such as some avocado slices or a balsamic reduction. Other choices are mesclun greens, field greens, watercress. Try a few and see which ones you like best.

4. The Filling. Grilled portabellas might be my favorite. But then there are other grilled veggies like squash, big chunks of vidalia onions, or a few slices of thinly sliced grilled eggplant. If you're a meat eater, try to stay away from the processed deli meats and steer more toward things like thinly sliced grilled chicken breast or steak. The filling is [at times] literally the meat of this whole project so don't forget to add some seasoning. You can sprinkle with an Italian spice mix and cook in some garlic and basil, or add a Mediterranean flare by adding a little tarragon. You could also take a trip to the east and cook in some soy and tamarind for an Asian taste, or a dash of curry powder or cumin seed to bring out those Indian flavors. Pick your poison.

5. The Extras. This is where it really gets fun. You can put some fire roasted red peppers (you can easily find these in a jar), maybe some pickled jalapenos or cool cucumbers. Instead of fresh tomatoes, try some sun dried tomatoes. If you're going with an Asian taste, maybe some bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. Instead of mayo, some sliced avocados will give a creamy taste to the sandwich without all the "bad" fats.

Let's put this all together now. You're having some folks over and want to have some sandwiches ready. Everyone has their own favorites and things they won't touch. Here are some ideas for a make-your-own sandwich assembly line that you can set up and your friends can make their own:

Breads - pick a variety of breads and have them pre-sliced. There's nothing worse than trying to find the knife, cut the bread and fill up your sandwich when there are 10 hungry guys standing behind you.

Condiments - Put out two or three out in separate bowls, each with it's own spreading knife. These should be lined up right after the bread because it's too hard to spread this on after the sandwich is full.

Greens - I suggest that you pick one or at the most two. Put them in a large bowl next to the bread with some long tongs.

Fillings - About two hours before your guests arrive, grill up some portabellas using a balsamic, garlic and Italian herb seasoning. Cook up your meats using some flavorful spices. Put the goods out, keeping the veggies separate from the meats.

Fixings - Gather a few bowls and line them up like you see in Subway. All the fixings, right there for your guests to pick and choose as they please.

When the time comes, you'll be totally prepared and your guests will be totally impressed.

*healthy foodie*