Tennyson the Acupuncturist

Make ordinary food, extraordinary!

True, it’s just hummus. Been there, done that.

But, what if there is more than meets the eye? All I see in my fridge is a half full container of hummus, part of a cucumber, two whole carrots and some romaine staring back at me from the lonely, middle shelf, surrounded by a lot of empty space. Argh, there is nothing interesting in there to eat. It all sounds like too much chewing. But, what if I…warm the hummus slightly and stir in a bit of olive oil. Use a spatula to spread it prettily on the plate. Shred the carrots in my Cuisinart. (It takes two seconds to pull out of the cabinet and goes in the dishwasher. I keep mine near the front and use it often. Think herb relishes.) I sprinkle the hummus with crumbled feta and the zaatar I bought from Trader Joes. I roughly chop some fresh basil leaves and scatter on top. I’m getting hungry now! Because I like spice, I drizzle Calabrian peppers modestly to finish. (Publix anywhere in St. Pete has the best price, though I have seen them at Trader Joe’s and Mazzaro’s.) I cut cucumbers lengthwise. Pick the crisp romaine leaves from closer to the center, saving the outer leaves for salad later. I arrange them vertically like a bouquet in a bowl, cause why not?! I could lay them flat, strewn on a plate but…

When I forage in my own fridge, I like to challenge myself to create something out of nothing. For me, presentation matters.

Eh, voila! Turns out, there was food in my fridge!!