Eat an Omnivore

Not all fish are created equal when it comes to being a good candidate for aquaculture (the fancy name for raising fish in a controlled environment). Here's the skinny, along with a recipe for a sustainable pick--classic blackened catfish.

Celebrate!

It all started with a box of salt cod I bought on a whim on Friday. By 8:00 on Saturday night we had a festive crew nibbling on fried salt cod fritters with skordalia (kind of like super-garlicky mashed potatoes beaten with olive oil), vinaigrey beet salad, charred lamb chops and the pungent yogurt dip called tzatziki.

Take a Trip

When my wanderlust wants to whisk me away but I don't have the time (or budget) to climb on board I turn to my cookbooks for escape. Do I feel like going to India with a simple lentil dal or is it off to Thailand tonight? Here's a flavorful Thai chicken larb to transport you.

Experiment with Mushrooms

I'm talking run-of-the-mill brown buttons. Try slicing them thinly and tossing them with shaved celery and garlicky vinaigrette. Or sautéing quartered criminis in olive oil with minced shallots and rosemary and mounding them on top of a sautéed chicken paillard (a thinly pounded chicken breast). Or try this recipe for Merede's Mushroom "Farrotto" with Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallots.

Savor One Thing at Each Meal this Week

Savor one thing at each meal this week. It could be the sharp, lemony aroma of cilantro in a salsa. It might be the way a tannic red wine grips you by the back of the throat. Whatever it is you choose to notice, I promise it will take zero extra time out of your day. Yet it will have a profound impact on how you feel walking away from that meal.

Eat Half of What You Normally Do

This sounds radical, I know. But the truth is, most of us eat too much, albeit unwittingly. So for the next week, if you usually eat a bagel in the morning, bag half for the next day. If you eat a tuna sandwich for lunch, split it with a friend instead. And enjoy the full-sized flavor or these mini spiced lamb "sliders."

Try Something Totally New

Stand on one foot while tossing a salad, experiment with a new spice, try a new preparation of an old stand-by. Sometimes we get so--well, let's call a spade a spade--bored with the same-old routine in the kitchen that we end up barreling mindlessly through a meal. Break out of the humdrum with this pomegranate-glazed cornish hen.

Buy only fresh produce this week

Take this week to clean house--and your pantry, freezer and fridge--by using what you have on hand and buying only fresh produce. You'll be amazed at the impact a tidier pantry has on your psyche . . . not to mention your budget.

Yogurt Sauce (Tzatziki)

The classic Greek condiment. This version, like the ones I had (and made) in Greece, is pungent with grated garlic.