I don't have that many rules about what to eat; in fact, I think it's pretty healthy to let yourself eat just about whatever you want, whenever you want, especially when you love vegetables as much as I do.

But I've come to realize that I do have some rules of thumb that I use when cooking and eating. It's funny how you develop these things without even realizing it.

• Heat the pan up thoroughly before you start to cook (most cooks don't do this nearly well enough)
• Most foods taste better with freshly-ground pepper, slightly more salt than you thought it needed, and a splash of something acidic (lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, white wine, etc.)
• Eggs and cheese and bread. If you have these in your house, you can always make a tasty meal.
• My parents raised us that you eat a cooked vegetable and a salad with every dinner. I still think that's a pretty good goal.
• Bread goes stale fastest in the refrigerator. It does really well in the freezer, though, defrosted a slice at a time by toasting in a toaster oven.
• Don't buy juice or soda; it's expensive and doesn't really bring you anything (and for those who care, they're fully of sugary, empty calories that add up quickly when you're always drinking something). And if you ask me, the same thing applies to breakfast cereals (expensive, sugary, nutritionally questionable), but I know better than to try to get between some people and their cereal.
• Many foods taste better with just a touch of alcohol, either white wine, vermouth, sherry, madeira, marsala...play around and see what you think! (E.g. cream of tomato soup with a splash of madeira)
• When it comes to cheese, you get what you pay for, and quality is more delicious than you know.
• Garlic shouldn't be overcooked. Add it at the end of the onion cooking time, for just 30 seconds or so, and then add your other ingredients. No more burnt, chewy garlic bits!
• Speaking of garlic, if your cloves have a green sprout, it should be removed before cooking; it's bitter.
• When potatoes go green, they are producing small quantities of a toxic substance in their skin. If it's not too far gone, you can still use them, but peel them well before cooking.
• If you have a food processor, you have instant carrot salad. Shred the carrots, then make a quick dressing of lemon juice, dijon, olive oil, and freshly-ground pepper.

Mike invented something called Human Food many years ago. As he created it, it was a mess of stuff that got you full and didn't really require cooking. The main version was, if I remember correctly, rice, kidney beans, and grated cheese ( blue food coloring optional).

Since then, I've refined the human food concept a little bit to make it work better for me. As I see it, human food is a quick, easy, one-pot meal that is filling, healthy, and provides lots of leftovers. I like to include at least one kind of starch, one kind of protein, and at least one kind of vegetable, plus whatever spices or other tastymaking ingredients you use. You can optimize your recipe for ease (e.g. use all canned beans & veggies), taste (adding more ingredients, spending a little more time), color (see above reference to food coloring), or whatever.

Today I made a batch of human food: I cooked wheat berries and canellini beans. When they were done, I sauteed up an onion and a bunch of garlic, threw in a splash of white vermouth, added a can of good-quality tomatoes and a bag of frozen spinach (new favorite ingredient! delicious and grit-free!). I finished with pepper, salt, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. It was delicious and took about 15 minutes (not including the cooking time for the beans and wheat).

There are a million variations for Human Food, though. You could make a Mediterranean rice salad with rice, tuna, olives, tomatoes, and feta, and lots of good olive oil and balsamic. Or an Indian spiced one, with basmati rice, garbanzos, diced squash, raisins, and spices (coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and/or curry powder). If you prefer Japanese food, go for sushi rice, cooked carrots, grated daikon radish, and pre-shelled edamame (another favorite ingredient, available in the frozen food section of good grocery stores and Asian markets), seasoned with sushi vinegar and soy sauce and sprinkled with nori and/or sesame seeds.

Rice isn't the only thing you can make human food with, but it's especially easy if you have a ricemaker. Here Ritchey cooks human food without even knowing it (but you'll note that in my version I add beans to fit my own definition). You could base it on couscous, pasta, quinoa, potatoes, or whatever. And as for protein, beans are great and cheap, but baked tofu, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, or nuts are great too. And of course, there are a million vegetables you could use.

Feel free to comment with your favorite Human Food recipes.

I made up a drink for my sister last night; she likes them "not too strong" (I have to put that in quotes since I'm not sure what that means).

Ginger Rose

1/2 lemon
1 1/2 to 2 oz vodka (depending on your tastes)
1/2 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
dash angostura bitters (optional)
squeeze of fresh ginger juice (press a chunk through a garlic press)
soda water

Muddle the lemon in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, vodka, Cointreau, bitters, and ginger. Shake well to mix. Strain into a highball or double old-fashioned glass, add a few ice cubes, and top off with soda water to taste.

I know it's one of those things that people just don't do anymore, but I'd like to recommend that you get your knives sharpened at least once a year. If they were nice knives, don't you want to treat them well? And if they were cheap or used, don't you want to put a few bucks into improving them? It costs about three bucks a knife, and you end up with a lovely, sharp blade.

In Portland, I like to go to Portland Cutlery in downtown (536 SW Broadway). While you're there, you can pick up a great new paring knife for only $6; it's the Victorinox 3" paring knife, and it's a top pick from Cook's Illustrated's. How can you go wrong?

Everyone's favorite chip company, Kettle, is letting WE THE PEOPLE decide on the next flavor of chips to be produced. So go sign up and vote for Chai, Chedder Beer, Moroccan Curry, Spicy Thai, and Strawberry Cream.

voting ends march 31

I don't feel very well, and I wanted something to eat that was warm, filling, easy, and comforting. I remembered a recipe I tried a few years ago. It's very delicious, and versatile; I've made it with and without the tofu, and with all different kinds of vegetables. I'd like to introduce you to:

Okayu, or Japanese rice porridge

1 C sushi (short-grain) rice
4 C water
2-3 tablespoons white miso, or to taste
5-6 oz tofu, broken into chunks
1 C fresh spinach, cut into 1/4" strips
1 C fresh cabbage, cut into 1/4" strips
1 or 2 umeboshi (salted pickled apricots) [optional]
splash of sake or mirin [optional]

Rince the rice well in cold water, then drain. Mix with the 4 C of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the miso and stir to dissolve. Add tofu, spinach, and cabbage, as well as the umeboshi and sake, if using.

Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It is done when it has a creamy, homogenous texture.

Serve garnished with grated ginger, lemon juice, and soy sauce.