Culinary Musings

By Guest Blogger Frank

Ever wonder why it seems that the single guy has his problems in the kitchen? There are guys that can dazzle you with their cooking, but those guys tend to be few and far between. For most of us of the male gender, our fridge usually consists of the four basic food groups. They are:

- Liquids (beer, water, soda, juice)
- Sauce Packets (ketchup, mustard, soy sauce)
- Frozen Foods (pizza, hot pockets, TV dinners)
- Desserts (chocolate, cookies, ice cream ).

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Religious uses and symbolism of some common pantry staples

Many busy families barely have time to transfer the takeout to a paper plate, so food becomes just a means to an end. Empty stomach? Why, grab something from the drive-thru. It’s as easy as filling a car’s gas tank.

But throughout history, many cultures and religions have imbued food and drink with much more significance. In fact, Hinduism places so much emphasis on the preparation and consumption of food that it’s been dubbed “the kitchen religion.” Numerous religious celebrations, rituals, and taboos revolve around different foods – many of which are staples of our diets today.

Chances are, you eat some of these foods daily, with no thought to their remarkable history and meaning.

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A Frugal Millionaire’s Guide Through New York City’s Most Expensive Restaurants

(This is the third in a series of articles which show that, yes, it is possible to eat three enjoyable meals at some of New York’s finest restaurants for less than $6,000 per day. What follows is the evening portion of a tightly-budgeted meal plan created by the Culinary Muser for an unnamed client.)

Dear Sir,

When I accepted your challenge to create a plan that would allow you to dine at some of the best restaurants in New York City on the limited budget of $6,000, I must confess that I underestimated the difficulty involved.

Not with the mission, of course, for I knew that, with all its variety, New York could provide satisfying culinary experiences for any price range. I mean, I certainly would recommend Norma’s $1000 omelet to clients with 10 times the budget as you and no, I wouldn’t consider the $29 hamburger from DB Bistro Moderne "bourgeois finger food," but a refreshing, upscale twist on an American staple.

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A Guide to Help You Navigate New York’s Most Expensive Restaurants on a Budget of Only $6,000!

(This is the second in a series of articles which show that, yes, it is possible to eat three enjoyable meals at some of New York’s most expensive restaurants for less than $6,000 per day. The following is taken from a correspondence between The Culinary Muser and an unnamed client.)

I trust you had an exquisite breakfast experience at Norma’s and, though I didn’t mention it beforehand, I’d very much appreciate it if, next time, you don’t ask for a doggie bag.

Yes, I know it’s a lot of food, but please remember that you have engaged my services to help preserve your image during these trying financial times. Thoughtless actions like that only serve to undermine all the good I’m trying to do.

Ok, now for lunch

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A Frugal Multi-millionaire’s Guide to New York’s Most Expensive Restaurants

You’re young, affluent and have the world by the tail. You’ve bought when everybody’s sold, sold when everybody’s bought, and now you want to treat yourself to a day off in the Big Apple. The only problem is that due to certain tax regulations, the blasted SEC, and you’re ex-wife’s bulldog attorney that would make Michael Vick proud, you’ve only got a paltry $6,000 in your pocket to enjoy the culinary delights of New York City. How do you pull it all together?

Be calm, my friend, The Culinary Muser is here to show you that, yes, even for $6,000 you can sample some of New York’s best dining experiences and still walk away looking like a big tipper.

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The phrase “rustle up some grub” carries more meaning when insects are on the menu. Not crawling around on it, mind you, but actually listed on the menu. Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects as food, is accepted – even celebrated – in most of the world’s cultures.

It’s a custom that horrifies most Europeans and North Americans. But why? You really have to wonder at the selective squeamishness of people who consider snails to be a gourmet treat. Surely, it’s just a short hop, or crawl, from snail to grasshopper, termite, or caterpillar.

The Ultimate Diet Food
Consider the benefits of incorporating insects into your diet.

• High protein, low fat. Hamburger is 18% protein and 18% fat. In contrast, moth larvae are 63% protein and 15% fat. Grasshoppers make high protein, low fat snacks that are relatively high in calcium and iron.

• Environmental benefits. Insects are low on the food chain, require minimal space and resources to raise, and have a better feed to meat ratio than more common farm animals like sheep, cows, chickens, and hogs. They don’t require a lot of cropland or expensive petroleum-based fertilizers. You can grow them right in your apartment!

• Wilderness survival. Military manuals routinely include information about edible insects. In 1996, Scott O’Grady had to be thankful for that training. After being shot down in Bosnia, the Air Force captain evaded Serbian searchers for six days. He survived by using sponges to soak up water and eating grasshoppers. Ok. So maybe you’ll never have your F-16 shot down behind enemy lines, but people get lost in the woods every day.

• Money saving. Why waste money on bait, tackle, and other expensive fishing equipment when you could just eat the bait instead? Entomophagy is a great way to grow food in a very small space at low cost. And just think; you’ll rarely be asked to contribute a dish to potluck meals.

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Some people see a glowing hot stream of lava and think: “Wow. Looks dangerous; I better keep away from that.” But another, more daring group, says: “Wow. I bet I could cook a chicken on that!”

We call those people “Extreme Chefs,” a group of culinary adventurers who spurn the stove, microwave, and backyard grill. They’ll cook anywhere else – and with anything else – though: car engines, dishwashers, compost piles, steam irons, and even volcanoes.

Car-beque Anyone?

Chris Scheller and Chris Maynard’s automotive cookbook, “Manifest Destiny,” is a lighthearted and varied collection of recipes designed for your car engine. The book tackles such heated topics as “were Jaguars really designed with veal scallopini in mind?” and “how many miles does it take to poach a salmon?”

Last published in 1998; used copies of “Manifold Destiny” are sought after by collectors and hungry truckers. Don’t worry if you can’t locate one. These basic guidelines will help you convert your Subaru into a mobile Spago:

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