Dessert/ Dinner/ Exercise/ Fitness

Cooking For One

It was a good day of relaxation…much needed! I was going to try a new yoga studio in town but ended up having to wait all afternoon for the brighthouse guy (who finally came, by the way!) so I just did my power yoga dvd at home while I waited. I snacked on my yogurt with a drizzle of agave nectar afterwards. Oh man…I had forgotten how good this stuff was. I savored each and every spoonful. I guess I’m just not cut out to go non-dairy. I seem to have no willpower and love food way too much.

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For dinner tonight I cooked myself a really nice, sit down dinner. I rarely get a chance to do this anymore because of my crazy schedule but its so nice. It seriously releases a ton of stress when you are cooking and don’t think you shouldn’t make a nice dinner if its just yourself—-all the more reason too! I feel like a ton of girls in their 20s don’t do this because it takes too much time…money…patience….but its very rewarding even if it something simple. Make dinner. Have a glass of wine. Sit down at the table and eat. Who cares if you are by yourself?!

Tonight I made a French dinner with simple ingredients: seared salmon with a tomato salad and a chunk of multigrain baguette. Accompanied by a glass of my rose wine, which is fab. by the way. I used the tomato salad recipe in “French Women Don’t Get Fat” but its really very simple. The thing that makes it so special is that we are in the peak of tomato season and the tomatoes are so ripe and sweet they are like candy. The salad incorporated greens, thick slices of juicy red tomato, crumbles of french goat cheese and a homemade balsamic vinegarette dressing. As for the salmon, I prepared it how I usually do—seared it with a tiny bit of canola oil for 6 minutes and sprinkled it with lemon juice and sea salt.  This salmon fillet was 4 oz, which seemed like the perfect amount. Dexter jumped on the chair next to me at the table so I gave him a tiny bit of salmon too. He has good taste—this was wild alaskan salmon going for $20 a pound! Of course, when you buy only a 4 ounce portion its only $5, which is pretty affordable for a nice meal. Dexter didn’t know what to do with the salmon at first and just sniffed it but when I looked back after taking a bite, the salmon was gone and he was licking his chops looking for more! 🙂

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While I was preparing dinner I sipped on about 1.5-2 ounces of wine along with 2 cornichons and 2 garlic stuffed greek olives.  I had a little more wine at dinner for probably the total of one full glass.

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…………………and then my sweet tooth hit. Watch out!!!!!!! (I think this is partially hormone related). I went BACK to Whole Foods to hit up the gelato bar…in cognito mode with a hat and sweatpants because I really didn’t want to run into anyone I knew at the moment. I got peanut butter gelato in a cone. It was gone in about 2 minutes.

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I’m about to put in The Kite Runner. Loved the book and have been looking forward to watching this!

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  • Meghan
    June 28, 2008 at 12:18 am

    I totally agree with the whole thing about cooking yourself a nice sit down dinner. So often during the school year when I’m just alone in my apartment I usually just eat lunch-type food for dinner if I’m dining solo (as opposed to eating with my boyfriend or another friend or two). I find I don’t really enjoy my dinners and end up unsatisfied and quite cranky, to be honest! For me, dinner signals the closing of a day and if it’s sucky, well, that just puts a shadow over my entire day!

    That PB gelato looks amazing….dang it! Now you have my sweet tooth aching!

  • Runeatrepeat
    June 28, 2008 at 12:41 am

    It is very true what you said about girls in their 20s not doing making a good meal for themselves. I know I don’t. I used to make a good dinner for myself more often and have let if fall by the wayside. I really enjoyed making and eating the food.

    I am glad you are listening to your body and eating yogurt if you feel like it. I think that you have a very healthy relationship with your body and food. I know too many girls who are vegan so they can control their food intake and avoid fattening foods. It’s not always healthy.

  • Lindsay
    June 28, 2008 at 12:44 am

    hey jenna,
    i read your blog often but never comment, of course, now i’m delurking to comment about a nonfood thing but anyway, i really liked the Kite Runner too, but it was soo graphic at parts, i’m very curious to how the movie is, i don’t think i would ever watch it, (or ever read the book again, though i’m glad i read it once) Let us know if it did the book justice or if it was well done or not.
    Thanks!
    also thanks for your blog, i’m recovering from 8 year’s with a severe eating disorder(and PTSD, which is why i don’t want to watch the movie.) This blog especially has been so helpful to me. Thanks again.
    ps: my black kitty looks just like yours! same white spot and all!
    sorry this is so long!

  • BethT
    June 28, 2008 at 1:25 am

    Lindsay, the movie was very tasteful and not terribly graphic. I enjoyed it and found it a good representation of the book.

    Jenna, I am CRACKING UP at you incognito at Whole Foods. They are going to think you need an intervention! 😀 Your meal was beautiful tonight.

  • Krista
    June 28, 2008 at 1:41 am

    Your dinner looks so good!! I think I need to go get gelato now! oh and by the way I didn;t get a chance to comment before but I loved your wedding cake!! it was beautiful~ I love how you are being so “french” now with your wine and sit-down dinners, I really believe in that sort of lifestyle too!

  • ibex hk
    June 28, 2008 at 1:43 am

    mmmm, your night sounds fabulously relaxing 🙂 enjoy!

  • Lauren
    June 28, 2008 at 2:08 am

    Your dinner looks so good! Good thing the paparazzi doesn’t lurk around whole foods…your cover would be blown! To be honest, I often don’t cook due to lack of cooking knowledge. I would have had know idea what to do with the scales of the salmon!

    How does rose wine compare to other reds. I have heard it’s good. I am not really a wine drinker. Honestly, I prefer grape juice over wine!

    Do cornichons taste like deli pickles?

    Sorry one last question……how do you know so much about France, French culture, and food. All from your summer trip? You seem so cultured!

  • Alicia
    June 28, 2008 at 2:08 am

    Your dinner sounds incredibly relaxing and delicious. Glad that you had time to cook a proper dinner since your schedule had been so crazy of late. 🙂

  • Jennifer
    June 28, 2008 at 3:09 am

    I’ve loved reading your blog for months now, despite definitely not being vegan, and really enjoy the turn it’s taken this week! I read the same books myself after some time in Paris, and find that when I stick to eating the “French” way I lose weight, feel great, and look forward to every meal. I do get off track at times when my fiance insists on bringing junk food into the house… but the longer I go without it, the less I want it. I *so* hope you stick with this eating style, as your meals inspirea me to be cooking for myself and enjoying my meals, whether they are solo or with company!

  • girlatastartup
    June 28, 2008 at 3:24 am

    Jenna,

    I LOVE your blog especially b/c you have such a healthy relationship with food and eating, in general, which is great to see.

    Also, I’m also obsessed with whole foods. You should try goji berries, they’re so delicious and have a ton of antioxidants.

  • nicole r.
    June 28, 2008 at 3:39 am

    lauren–

    rose is quite sweet—not like reds at all. not as sweet/watery as a white zin, but its pretty fruity. you can get varietals/vineyards that are more acidic and have a bit more zip to them, but for the most part, they’re really bright & fruity. you’d probably like it!!! usually really affordable too, which is nice. lovely for summer.

  • Megs
    June 28, 2008 at 3:42 am

    Hey Jenna:)
    I only just finished high school, but I love your blog. This is totally not food related at all, but we had to read Kite Runner in our English class, and after I watched the movie I was SO disappointed! I felt like the book’s characters were non-existent and the movie did a poor job in general. Just curious to know what you think! Haha, keep us posted.

  • Christy
    June 28, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Hi Jenna,
    I just wanted to tell you that every time I read your blog I an so inspired. I love the Parisian way of living and the French lifestyle. I love your relationship with food and how relaxed you are. I am currently (and for a long time!) have been working on getting to that moderate stage where food is “easy.” Thank you for providing such a great insight into what that really means. I, also, am a busy, working student and it’s nice to see others in the same boat that share a healthy, fun life. Kudos to you! Keep up the great work.

  • jenna
    June 28, 2008 at 12:43 pm

    Lindsay and Megs,

    I actually really enjoyed the movie. I LOVED the book. Its one of my favorite books of all time…I enjoy really deep, heavy, dramatic books and movies. His second book, Land of a Thousand Suns, might even have been better than the Kite Runner. I really enjoyed that one too and read the entire book on my trip home from france last summer. I mean, to be sure, the book was better than the movie (books ALWAYS are better than movies. no exceptions) but I did feel like this was an accurate depiction of the book and I would recommend it to people. It wasn’t overly graphic—just enough to let the audience know what was going on. I cried a couple times!

  • BethT
    June 28, 2008 at 1:46 pm

    I liked A Thousand Splendid Suns better, too. It was really powerful.

  • jenna
    June 28, 2008 at 2:26 pm

    Lauren,

    When you buy the salmon it only has one side that has skin. You don’t take it off or anything, you just don’t eat that part. No scales. I think salmon is one of the easiest and most flavorful things to prepare. Seriously it takes only 6 minutes to make and tastes so elegant. All you do is ask your fish guy for a 4 oz piece. take it home. wipe it off with a paper towel and then cook it, skin side down, in a hot skilet with a little oil for 6 minutes. Eat. it’s so good!

    Cornichons do taste like little dill pickles. I just love how tiny they are. And I love pickles.

    Rose is much lighter than other reds because it is a blend. It has a little Syrah in it, which makes it rosy, but the rest is just a blend. Its typically served with lighter fare, appetizers and fish—its very “summery”. MUCH lighter than red and very very easy to drink. Almost too easy to drink. You have to be careful with it! My roommate HATED wine until she tried Rose now its all she drinks because she says it ‘doesn’t taste like wine”. You might be surprised!

    I think I just know a lot about different cultures because I read A TON and I lived in a foreign country for a month and a half, traveled by myself, learned the language (enough to get by) and traveled. You really learn so much by traveling. More than you think. I lived in an apartment with a french landlady, did my wash at the laundamat down the street and used my “Food Lover’s Guide to Paris” book to travel to every restaurant and cafe that I wanted to go. it was very much a test of my independence and I’ll admit more than once I was pretty homesick because I was really all by myself! I think everyone should have an experience like that before they settle down with their lives….

  • Maureen
    June 28, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    Bravo Jenna on creating a nice meal for yourself! I did that quite often when I was single. We as women, don’t have to wait to have someone else to make a nice meal and relax with a glass of wine. It’s good to nurture our body and our soul.

    Your meal looks fantastic by the way! Very healthy and very nurturing.

  • sarah
    June 28, 2008 at 2:45 pm

    wow — that is so cool that your whole foods has gelato like that! ours doesn’t, but it is expanding so maybe that’s in the works?

  • ttfn300
    June 28, 2008 at 5:57 pm

    wow, a gelato bar? man my whole foods is behind the times… i wish it would catch up!