31.5.07

Home-made takeout event.


Lindy is hosting this event. I think that´s a great idea, because I´m quite fascinated by the whole wide spectrum of lunchboxes around the world.
I don´t pack lunches for myself, since I work from home, and mostly every day go to my mother´s for lunch. But since J has a long horribly trafficky conmute to Toledo, when he goes there I make him lunch to go.
In this way I assuage my guilt. Not that it´s my fault, but it feels very unfair that I take my lunch among the crazy babble of a family table, and then have coffee and a nap on a sofa, with a jack russell on my lap, and a labrador at my feet.
And since he always says that he lives in Madrid because of me, I do feel slightly bad. J´s fond dream would be to be the pharmacist in a small mountaintop village, and play mus every evening with the priest, the head of the Guardia Civil, and the mayor. Never mind that for that he´d have to move to the 1960´s, he sticks to his fantasy, and so I try to make up for it with lunchboxes.
Also because J, left to himself, would have fried eggs with chorizo at the university canteen every day, and that would never do.
The lunchbox itself is the Nomad model from Valira. It´s really great. It´s insulated, and holds two containers that close hermetically, so you don´t have to worry about sauce spilling everywhere. And there´s still room for a yogurt or some fruit, too.
It´s impossible to predict what will find its way to the lunchbox. Usually it´s whatever we had for dinner the day before, or else a sandwich. But I also like to have single portions of frozen dishes cooked at other times. Curry, or pisto, or noodles. They may not taste as good as they did the first time around, but I think they can stand up to the uni cafeteria food, any day.
I also always put in a salad in the small container. The dressing goes into a little plastic ziploc bag, so the greens don´t become soggy.
Unless it´s for J´s favourite salad. I make this one a lot, since it´s made from frozen green beans, and they´re a pretty handy thing to have around in case there´s nothing fresh in the fridge.

Green bean salad

Steam a handful of french beans.
Then mix a couple of spoonfuls of your favourite vinaigrette with a squirt of lemon juice and a teaspoonful of mayonaise. You might want to chop some shallot, too, but probably not. It´s only a lunchbox, after all.
Add some whole cherry tomatoes, and let the flavours meld. The vinegar will make the beans lose their bright green, but the taste will more than make up for it.

This brings the health quota of the lunchbox up so high, that you can even slip in a cookie. Go on.

12 comentarios:

Ramona dijo...

J sounds like a lucky man. I tried your pequillo peppers cooked in sugar the other night for a party (I served them with goat cheese and bread)and they were a hit! A chef who was at the party and swore she disliked peppers ate half the platter.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) dijo...

One of my favorite things about working at home is that I get to take a nap in the afternoons. When Ted goes off to work, I often send a little container of leftovers from the night before. Now I'm thinking I should get him a cute lunchbox....

Anónimo dijo...

I just have to write to say how much I love your blog. I've only been reading for about a month, but have really enjoyed every entry. I spent some time in Spain in 1998 and 2000 (did the Camino de Santiago) and reading about Madrid and Toledo and the foods brings back a lot of great memories. I love the lunch box that you linked to. Wish we had ones like that here in the US. Thanks again for a great blog with wonderful illustrations. Leah

kickpleat dijo...

Working from home, I miss packing a lunch but I'm totally going to make your green bean salad. That, I can gladly eat on the balcony in the sunshine in my pyjamas (if I want to!). Your lunch box drawing? Too cute. Love it.

Chef JP dijo...

Howdy---I've been enjoying your blog for several weeks. Your recipes are elegantly simple and unique. Cheers from Long Island, New York Chef JP (www.hellchef.com)

tammy dijo...

Nice salad. Would go mightly nicely with fried egg and chorizo, me thinks.

LE BLOG dijo...

Me encantan las "loncheritas". Estas de Valira cómo son de apañadas. ¿Y qué me dices de la vieja pero super, school bus?

Cottage Smallholder dijo...

Danny works from home and I make him a lunch box most days before I go to work!

This sounds great.

Annette Tan dijo...

J sure is well fed :-) On days when I don't work from home, I too love nothing more than to pack leftovers from the previous night's dinner for lunch. Food always tastes better when left in the fridge overnight.

christianne dijo...

That's fabulous! I make my honey lunch a few times a week, but he usually has to settle for whatever plastic container is clean, and frequently just a zip-top bag!

Have you ever taken a look at Vegan Lunchbox? http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com I'm far from vegan, but she does make some of the cutest little healthy lunches for her son.

Anónimo dijo...

Hi Ximena,

Te he invitado a que participes en un meme, es muy facil, solo tienes que decir 8 cosas sobre ti y referenciar a 8 personas.

Puedes ver mi post original en http://nekit0.livejournal.com/56591.html

Besitos!
nek0

lobstersquad dijo...

ramona: I´m so glad you liked the peppers, I think they´re really fantastic, thanks for telling me.
lydia: yes, the nap, the best, I agree.
Leah: thank so much, welcome, and congrats on doing the Camino, I know I wouldn´t have the stamina.
kickpleat: it´s too hot to eat on the balcony at lunchtime now, but in the afternoons, nothing better for a salad, I think you´re right.
chef jp: hi there. thanks! gald to see you here
tammy: well, everything would go well with the fried egg and chorizo, but I think we have to draw the line somewhere...
le blog: valira es lo más. yo tenía una de shcoolbus de pequeña, y el retro era ideal, pero poco útil.
cottageSH: danny, another lucky man!
eggy: I´m a big fan of leftovers too
Christianne: I´m quite addicted to vegan lunchbox, yes, it´s amazing. I could never compete with the presentation. I´ll leave the cheese and meat to be the stars, no makeup.
nekO: gracias!

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