whole paycheck

i went to the new whole foods in downtown oakland last night for the first time. wow. it's truly spectacular. the circular layout is ideal for browsing the store in its entirety and discovering things to spend money on that you really don't need. i know people hate whole foods because it's elitist and pretentuous. i know people despise whole foods because it is insanely overpriced. take for instance last night's purchases. paper towels, one shallot, one package of green beans (slightly brown and dry, and from mexico to boot...the california ones were moldy...wtf people), a small "to-go" container of mixed berries (1 pint) and an even smaller container of scharffenberger pudding (1/2 pint). twenty bucks. jason (my man) and i were going to get a tuna steak so we could try out a recipe for tuna burgers, but it would have cost us $22. for one steak. needless to say we changed our minds.

despite the high cost of being a part of the elite green grocer club, i'm still a card-carrying member. that place is amazing. and close!

my lone shallot and mexican haricots verts were the final ingredients necessary to complete the meal i've prepared for this evening. last night i marinated a 1-lb. london broil (niman ranch, from trader joes - cheap, local, sustainable, damn good) in a ziplock bag with:

3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 medium (overpriced) shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. dried oregano

it's getting all yummy and juicy in the fridge as we speak. tonight i will broil it (at some temperature that eludes me now) and pair it with garlicky (mexican, dry, brown, expensive) haricots verts. this is an easy side dish and i think is only a point or two...

steam 1 lb haricots verts in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until crisp-tender
toss with olive oil and pressed garlic, pepper to taste.

i really like the words haricots verts.

itty bitty thanksgiving

this thanksgiving the only individuals sitting around the dinner table will be myself, my father and my stepmother. maybe my uncle. i haven't a clue what's going on. however if this was my meal to prepare (maybe it is?! no one's told me anything!) i would opt for this clever, seemingly scrumptuous preparation for the holiday.

citrus-scented cornish game hens with spiced acorn squash courtesy of whole foods

serves four - pair with a simple pilaf, they say.

cornish game hens
2 cornish game hens
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 orange
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
4 sprigs of rosemary


acorn squash
2 acorn squashes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoons allspice
4 scallions, halved
salt and pepper

preheat the oven to 400° F. season the hens with salt and pepper and rub with butter, sugar, lemon and orange zest. halve the orange. juice one half and slice the other. stuff each bird with orange juice and orange slices, shallots and rosemary.

heat a large pan over medium heat. brown the game hens on all sides, 6 to 10 minutes.

meanwhile, prepare the acorn squashes by quartering them and removing the seeds. place them in a roasting pan and dot with butter, drizzle with syrup and sprinkle with allspice. place the hens breast side up in the same roasting pan and roast until browned and cooked through, about an hour.

remove game hens and let rest for juices to redistribute. continue cooking the acorn squash 10 to 15 minutes longer, until tender. serve immediately.

the beauty of it all is that they include nutrition info. get your trackers ready...one serving is 6 points (about 11 oz., not including your pilaf dish).