The next question people want to ask but don’t always articulate is, “What do you eat?” My husband used to like to tell people I ate air. For a while, it felt like my options were so limited that I was eating air.  Then I remembered what I used to do while teaching myself to cook. I’d gotten the idea from a food host on NPR – Lynne Rossetto Kasper- you look in your fridge and pantry, select some items, and see what you can make. I also had a book on what flavors play well together. In 2013, the food scene in my valley was open to different cultures, and grocery stores started offering alternatives to wheat, soy, and dairy. I love umami flavors and soon discovered coconut aminos, an excellent soy sauce substitute. This discovery led me to ume plum vinegar – salty and sour, reminiscent of ketchup. So what do I eat? 

I still eat many things.

• Grains: corn, rice (green, black, brown, red, American wild rice, various white kinds of rice), millet, teff, pseudo-grains such as amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa
• Sweet potatoes ( there are many colors – white, yellow, orange, jewel, purple)
• Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, guava, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, 
• Protein: Turkey, wild game, bison, elk, venison, trout, halibut, salmon, sardines, mackerel, pork, shrimp, crab, lobster, just to name a few. 
• Vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, snow peas, sugar snap peas, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy, Asian greens of various varieties, and lettuce. 

One of the first recipes I recreated and still eat regularly is for Hay Stacks, also known as taco salad or fancy nachos. My introduction to Haystacks came at potlucks; they were served in giant mixing bowls, or casserole dishes disguised as 7 layer dips. To my pre adolescent brain they were the same thing only one you ate one chip at time and the other with a fork. The base was usually some type of corn chip, beans with a chili spice mixture, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, sour cream, cheddar cheese, ketchup, onions, sometimes people would serve it with rice. It’s quite a simple recipe, it’s the seasonings that make or break it. My household was not afraid of trying new things when it comes to food.  My dad, while in college, took some time to travel and teach English in Thailand, and my mother is Cuban.

Here is my version of this Haystack:

1 bag of Tortilla chips or Plantain chips if you’re grain free

1 medium yellow or sweet onion

2-6 cloves of garlic

1 tsp dried oregano (sometimes I do more)

¼- ½ tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 lb of ground meat (turkey, bison, pork, venison)

1 can of pinto beans or the chili mix beans of your choice

Vegan cheese of your choice

1-3 tbsp of Ume Plum vinegar (skip the salt or use less) 

1 head of romaine, chopped (I like smaller than bigger size)

1 bunch of Cilantro julienned

Red, or white onion

2 limes quartered

Condiments: ume plum vinegar, balsamic vinegar, ketchup and salsa for your nightshade eating friends

1. Place chips in a serving bowl. 
2. Chop onion and garlic saute onion till translucent, add the garlic and cook with onion for 30 seconds or so,  and add seasonings.
3. Add the meat to the onion, garlic and seasonings once the meat is not pink and is cooked through add the salt and pepper, then the beans. Put the pot onto a simmer. 
4. While the protein simmers, chop the romain, cilantro, onion, lime and put each into their own bowls and put the cheese in it’s own bowl also. Stir the meat occasionally while you do this prep. 
5. Either leave the meat in the pot and serve it from the stove or put it on the table with a trivet and serving spoon along with the chips and vegetables and condiments. 
6. To serve, grab your plate and start with the chips, add the meat, cheese (it melts a bit if you put it on top of the hot protein, lettuce, cilantro onion and if you have friends over chopped tomatoes, sauce of your choice. Balsamic vinegar is a great option if you can’t find the ume plum vinegar and can’t eat regular salsas. Manga!