Meal-on-the-Fly aka. "a la minute"

When I first married my husband and created dinner in a very short time he made a remark that I was cooking "a la minute" style. I am still wondering how to take that but this blog story is not about that. Now that many many years have passed and many many "a la minute" meals have been served I consider this an art.

A home made meal served on the table taking as little time as possible. Today things are a lot easier because most of the markets around here cater to this kind of cooking. Nobody seems to have any time to make those dishes that take all day to prepare and cook.

Oh yes the preparation/shopping time counts. It's not just the time spent in the kitchen but first it's the planning what to make then there is the deciding which market to go to, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Gelson's, Bob's Market, Ralph's, Albertson's and not to forget Costco. Oh yes those are all the markets available to me and often I have to decide which one I'm choosing to spend my money at. It depends on the dinner not one of these markets have everything I regularly buy, one has good soy milk the other has great meat or fruit etc. That reminds me I forgot to count the local Ourdoor markets, Friday in Venice, Wednesday & Saturday in Santa Monica there is one in Culver City on Tuesdays but I've never made it to that one. Once in a great while my husband likes to go up to Hollywood on Sundays to the Outdoor Market by the Ivar Theatre, the Hollywood one is the most fun the most colorful people and fun ethnic foods to eat.

Once in a great while when I feel like it I will prepare and make one of those "all day" meals but they are indeed few and far between. Then there is the nutritional and cholesterol and low salt low cab. etc. considerations..... shish it's very complex. This is when I wish I could win the Lottery and hire a cook so I could just sit down and be served my meals. This was the best part of some of the trips I've taken the meals just magically appeared in front of me, I did not even have to decide what to order!

You would think that I would be satisfied with eating out and choosing my meal from a menu etc. When on vacation those choices become a major decision which restaurant to choose and then what to order at that strange restaurant not familiar to me. So my favorite kind of vacation is like the last Bead & Breakfast we stayed at where all the meals just magically appeared on the table. No choices just what they were serving, some people did not eat everything but to me it was all delicious! I am not a picky eater, my rear end can atest to that!

Bon Apetit! We are off to the Rose Bowl Flea Market and then to Phillipe's for lunch. My friend Ellen Bloom reviews Phillipe's right here.