Food for thought

I try to cook my meals as often as possible. My Pinterest collection of recipes is extensive, I'd like to say I enjoy working through each post but I find myself mostly sticking with a rotation of classics. Stroganoff, fried rice, burrito bowls, chili, slow-cooked stew, curry... these are a few of my favorite things. They are generally meaty but I've managed to tweak the recipes so as to avoid butter, usually cheese, and I can sneak in the occasional vegetable for my meat-and-potatoes-please boyfriend. I don't mean to simplify his eating habits, he's got a refined palette and great taste, but he definitely grumbles if something is meatless or veggie heavy.

When I lived in the suburbs with my parents, grocery shopping was one of my favorite activities. I loooooved when Mutti left an itemized list for me on the kitchen counter. Wandering the wide avenues of neatly stacked foods and dazzling pyramids of produce, I experienced extreme relaxation. It was better than yoga class.

Now I live in New York City, on the Lower East Side. My neighborhood is kick-ass with a dizzying array of bars, boutiques and galleries but strangely devoid of supermarkets. We have Whole Foods on Houston and 2nd Ave, or Union Market on Houston and Ave A, along with the required bodegas sprinkled throughout, but when I want one stop shopping (meat, produce, canned goods, household products) and cringe at the idea of paying $2.39 for a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup none of the aforementioned establishments really fit the bill. Key Food is not far at all and is open 24 hours, but you'd be surprised how far .4 miles feels when it's freezing cold and you're carrying 30 lbs of groceries on your shoulders.

Is it horrible to prefer frozen produce over fresh? I totally get the appeal of buying fresh produce, bringing it home in your eco-friendly reusable grocery bag, chopping and sauteeing away while the soundtrack to Amelie plays in the background. (Where did this image come from? It's totally not how I envision myself cooking dinner in my tiny apartment... noooope) In reality, I find when I have fresh produce that it goes bad before I get the chance to use it. Frozen vegetables are so much less stressful. I also find I can control portions much more easily with frozen veggies, I don't feel obligated to cook the whole thing. Frozen vegetables are much less intimidating, I'm often discouraged from purchasing that obscure squash in Union Market because I have no idea what to do with it.

It makes me feel a little lazy and childish that these are my reasons for buying frozen, but is it really that bad? If I bothered to look into it I'm sure it's somehow equivalent to clubbing a baby seal environmentally, so I choose to remain blissfully ignorant. At least I recycle the plastic bags?