Kombu Ginger Noodle Soup & Mahi Mahi Galore

For me, meals are brief. I can slave away all day in the kitchen julienning carrots and wrapping dumplings, but once everything is cooked and served, ingestion is quick. There are a few people I admire solely for their ability to eat slowly. My cousin Bonny takes about two and a half times as long as I do to finish the same bowl of fried rice, which means I either end up helping myself to seconds (or thirds...) or just watching her eat. With chopsticks, she assembles each bite with delicate, pale hands. But unlike me, she never talks as she chews her food. Bonny can tell an entire story about how a young gentleman she met at the Phoenix airport on a brief layover called her ceaselessy for a week straight and, seeking advice (or simply bored), she shared this story with her aunt (my mother), who suggested why don't we invite him over for dinner and I'll tell you whether you should date him... all while her food patiently waits for her attention and I give it mine.

This is probably why for the second year in a row my new year's resolution is "chew more and eat slower." Change is slow but I've accepted this 412 days after resoluting to eat mindfully.

It goes like this: sometimes I get so excited after the shopping, planning, washing, cutting, preparing, cooking, plating and of course photographing that when I finally do eat, I shovel it in, burn my tongue (I heal quick), and stop talking. A frequent dinner companion and eater of my home cooking laughs when I put my fork down to say to her with complete sincerity, "I need to breathe." Laugh if you like Melissa B. Smith, but I suspect by the pace of your own eating (akin to mine), you too could benefit from taking a few, slow, deep breaths. That goes for most of my eating companions, and dare I say in this world of microwaves and drive thrus, and especially in NYC (fried chicken on the subway?), we could all stand to chew more and eat slower.

One reason I enjoy wheat and gluten free bread is because the texture forces you to chew thoroughly. From the first chew to the last swallow of the same bite, I can experience a range of flavors and textures, from crunchy and toasty to chewy and sticky; from nutty and fragrant to sweet and subtle. Allowing yourself to chew until food is thoroughly masticated is not only healthier, but tastier; it can be an entirely new culinary experience. Please remind me I think this come dinner.


THIS IS Coriander Seed encrusted Mahi Mahi with fresh scallions and cilantro served with a warm, fresh noodle soup in kombu seaweed and ginger broth with dandelion greens, daikon radish, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. I admit that I burnt my tongue with the first bite.