I’m Back

Last I left you here on the blog was at my exit into book authorship, about to embark on researching and writing the Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens manuscript. I thought I would be blogging here during that time, but that obviously did not happen. I’m sorry for abandoning the blog for a spell – I was unprepared with how my life would be consumed by the book; it was pretty much all I thought about for months.

I spent time traveling around Queens, pounding the pavement on my way to restaurants, shops, and markets, while stopping in at places that looked intriguing but were not on my “official” itinerary. I stopped cooking and at 99.9% of my meals in Queens. I ate constantly, sometimes to a gut busting capacity. Some of the things I ate I normally only indulge in occassionally, but during this period it was no holds barred.

I developed tastes for new things, as well as relished the things I already loved, especially traditional dishes from various countries – Colombian cholados and pandebonos; Mexican chicharron preparado; German krainerwurst; Thai pork larb; Bolivian salteñas; Japanese sashimi; Vietnamese iced coffee; Bosnian cevapi; Peruvian spicy ceviche; Taiwanese bubble tea; Korean kimchi stew; Uruguayan pastries; North African brik. I could go on and on and on.

I turned in my manuscript on Friday, June 22, dazed by all the editing I had done that day, and so happy to have completed it. It topped out at about 108,000 words; no doubt the copy editors will trim it down. I’m back to eating mostly at home, and it has been wonderful to be back in the kitchen. I’ve enjoyed a lot of raw vegetable salads, pastured eggs and bacon, kombucha and kimchi, sprouted wheat and almond flour pancakes, raw cheese, yogurt, and cream. My CSA started up, which has been awesome, and the fresh fruit has been incredible – last week we got sweet, tart, and almost creamy raspberries and this week lots of plums and cherries. The veggies have also been just excellent, too.

I look forward to spending more time here, and sharing recipes and stories with you. Thanks for waiting, and here’s to a livelier Harmonious Belly!

What’s Up at Harmonious Belly

Well, life is full of ups and downs, and boy has that been the case in the past week – hence the light posting. Thought you might like to know what’s been going on.

Life Changes

linus

1. Linus. Last Thursday, this little kitten appeared on the front steps of my apartment building as if out of nowhere. I couldn’t bear to leave him outside to fend for himself – he was obviously someone’s pet. I worked diligently to find his humans – posted flyers, communicated via my extensive social networks, contacted Animal Control – and no one came forth.

In the end, we chose to adopt him and name him Linus (Great Pumpkin/Peanuts reference appropriate for this time of year – thanks to my cousin for the suggestion!). He has a clean bill of health, for which I’m grateful. He’s very friendly and full of kitten energy. Marina, my long time kitty girl, is getting used to him, but is still a bit growly. Hopefully peace will come between them sooner than later.

marina

2. Marina. This is my “senior kitty” at 15 years. She’s been with me through thick and thin. She’s dealing with some health issues, and we are hoping and praying for a positive outcome. That said, she is looking so good these days! Beautiful soft coat, bright eyes, energy. We love her so much.

Harmonious Belly (and Meg) in the News

1. Audiofiles: DIY in NYC. Last month I met with a lovely woman, Michelle Bangert, a CUNY grad student, and we chatted about canning, food swaps, and gardening in NYC. She recorded all our exchanges and a small part of that made it into an episode of Audiofiles, broadcast on WBAI earlier this month. The segment on DIY starts at 25:00 and lasts approximately 4 minutes. You can hear me around 27:00.

Continue reading “What’s Up at Harmonious Belly”

Traditional Food for Urban Families

Trad Urban Lecture

Later this month I’ll be giving a talk at the August meeting of the Queens Holistic Moms about eating and preparing real, traditional food, entitled Traditional Food for Urban Families.  Specifics include how to:

  • Soak beans and lentils for increased nutrient assimilation
  • Sprout and soak grains for easier digestion
  • Lacto-ferment produce to boost the immune system

I’ll also bring up the subject of raw milk, traditional sugar alternatives, pastured meats, and encourage people to eat a more unrefined diet in general.

And although I do not have children, I have a very busy life schedule, from my day job, to my work with my CSA; from  running to writing; to spending time with family and friends, and more (including getting back to playing music)!  So, I know what it’s like to be pressed for time.   My goal is to help people understand that eating whole, real, traditional food is totally possible even with time constraints and demands, with a little planning.

If any of you reading this are local, please join us!  Women and men are welcome, as are those of you that don’t have kids. You can RSVP here.  Here are the logistical details:

Traditional Food for Urban Families
Talk by Meg Cotner for the Queens Holistic Moms
ARROW Community Center
35-30 35th Street (between 35th & 36th Aves) in Astoria
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010, 6:30pm – 8pm

Hope to see you there!

Photo credit:  image by Queens Holistic Moms