Thirsty for a simpler way of life

The CBC reports that the bottled water industry is also suffering from the economic downturn. Don't feel bad Toronto, our water is tested by the City every 4 to 6 hours for bacteria levels. I like the new term, "economic reset" experts in the media are using for the recession. I think it's true at some level. People are going to be more conscious of how they spend their pocket money and the bottled water industry will be one of the early fatalities of the transformation. At least in places where public water sources are safe to drink.

This latest Time Magazine cover story links the economy to North America's waistline in a precise way, grounding the concept of "excess" in all the ways we are practicing it since the 80s. The optimism in this article by Kurt Anderson gives hope by rationalizing the randomness of the global market as it stands today. We are headed for simpler times and I for one am looking forward to it. Eating a diet high in homemade foods from local sources is a way of simplifying your life that is rising in popularity, making the spring season all the more exciting in Ontario! Fiddleheads and ramps and asparagus, Mmmm.

go...go...GO!

The sun is out! I saw three things in the park yesterday that made me smile and love spring more than ever:
1) A little girl riding her bike, her dad's hand firmly gripping the seat
2) Art students taking pictures of each other by a Sicamore tree
3) People eating ice cream outside

Get outside!

Soft Boiled Accoutrements

I see a naked egg.
It was hard to find the right picture that would portray the perfect soft boiled egg, like the one Toni Morrison describes in Song of Solomon... the character Pilate Dead said the whites shouldn't move and the yolk should be like velvet. This is close.

What a perfect recession meal: the simple egg. At about $6 a carton for the cream of the crop organic free range dozen, the most an egg could cost is 50 cents. An egg puts you on the way to a pretty decent and versatile choice of options and is rich with vitamins, minerals and protein.

What prompted this topic is that I finally perfected the soft boil in my electric steamer. Straight from the fridge you are 10 minutes away from bright orange, unctuous, velvet yolk and tender cooked white. I'm not really an "egg cup and toast soldiers" kind of woman. I prefer to quickly remove the egg from its shell (careful not to break the just cooked whites) and top it with whatever I have in the fridge that might be nice. I was on a olive oil and Greek oregano kick for a while, suggested by my friend Helen. I was lucky this morning to have a bit of leftover duck fat and a dusting of truffle salt. Delicious!

Of course just a little butter, pepper and salt will do just fine... this did start out as a recession meal option after all.