A Food Writer's Week of Meals in NYC
Mastering Culinary Balance: A Week of Eats from a City Food Professional
Strategic Shopping and Foundational Prepping for the Week Ahead
As a writer for a culinary publication, my weekday meal strategy leans more towards improvisation than meticulous planning. Living with a roommate and frequently dining alone, I depend heavily on my well-stocked pantry and the convenience of a nearby grocery store. My method involves purchasing enough groceries for most breakfasts and a couple of versatile multi-serving dinners that can also serve as office lunches. Other meals often come from work events, social gatherings, new product evaluations, or leftovers from Test Kitchen tastings. This approach allows me to maintain a balanced and flexible eating routine.
Sunday: Setting the Stage with Staples and Preparations
Last Sunday, my shopping list included ingredients for a Basil Chicken Stir-Fry and Honey-Chipotle Shrimp Tacos, alongside some Greek yogurt (Fage's 2% is my preferred choice). While dinner involved meeting friends for tacos at El Chato in Greenpoint, I spent the evening preparing three servings of overnight oats. Each portion consisted of half a cup of oats, half a cup of almond milk, a dollop of Greek yogurt, half a scoop of vegan protein powder (Be Amazing’s Brown Sugar Oatmeal flavor, which tastes like an oatmeal cookie), and a pinch of salt. This simple preparation set me up for an easy start to the work week.
Monday: Kickstarting the Week with Prepared Meals
Mondays always bring a flurry of activity, so having breakfast already prepared was a huge relief. I grabbed my jar of overnight oats from the refrigerator, topped it with a handful of frozen Maine blueberries, and headed to the office. For dinner, I adapted Shilpa Uskokovic’s Basil Chicken Stir-Fry, using ground turkey, basil, and shallots from my Sunday haul, complemented by sugar snap peas I received from my mom’s CSA. Pantry staples like oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sambal oelek completed the dish. My roommate and I enjoyed it over white rice (we’re loyal to our rice cooker), and I portioned the remaining stir-fry into containers for lunches throughout the week.
Tuesday: Office Lunch and a Quick Taco Night
True to form, the leftover stir-fry proved to be an excellent and satisfying desk lunch. For dinner, with most taco ingredients already on hand from my Sunday shop, I only needed to pick up fresh shrimp on my way home, as I prefer to cook them the day they are purchased. I bought just enough for my roommate and myself, as I’m not particularly fond of day-old cooked shrimp. This recipe is wonderfully flexible and easily scalable for any number of diners. These tacos have been a personal favorite since college, renowned for their minimal ingredients and rapid preparation. Despite setting off the smoke alarm while searing the shrimp to perfection, the delicious outcome made it entirely worthwhile.
Wednesday: A Culinary Pause
Wednesday was a day of minimal cooking. I enjoyed leftover stir-fry for lunch and then spent the evening watching the Knicks game while indulging in Indian takeout, embracing a well-deserved break from the kitchen.
Thursday: The Last of the Stir-Fry and a Birthday Celebration
I finally finished the chicken stir-fry for lunch on Thursday, and it remained just as appealing as on day one. Later, my roommate and I celebrated our June birthdays with dinner at La Cantine. We savored romesco-coated potatoes, a crisp chicken Caesar salad, and a memorable lemon and pea pasta. We ordered dessert, ate half of it, and I then inadvertently left the other half on the train somewhere between Bushwick and Park Slope. I can only hope our half-slice of birthday tiramisu found a good home.
Friday: Work-from-Home Lunch and Weekend Prep
Working from home on Fridays usually means foraging in the pantry for lunch. I discovered a microwave cup of Goodles mac and cheese deep within a cupboard, which I elevated with freshly cracked black pepper and Calabrian chili olive oil. With my best friend's birthday weekend approaching, I made another trip to the grocery store to buy ingredients for a lemony cake and cream cheese frosting. I quickly baked the cake to make it to a wine bar’s NBA watch party, where friends and I enjoyed charcuterie and grilled cheese with a bottle of red wine, celebrating another Knicks victory.
Saturday: Relaxed Morning and Continued Celebrations
Saturday began with a leisurely morning, watching “Love Island,” sipping an iced matcha latte, and enjoying an orange-and-cranberry English muffin. I’m quite fond of Stone & Skillet’s muffins, which I buy in bulk and store halved in the freezer, easily revived with a quick toast and a pat of salted butter. After spending the day exploring the city with friends, I had a quick turnaround before my friend’s birthday party. For a speedy meal, I made more Goodles (this time from a box), enhanced with a handful of frozen peas. The cake was a definite hit, defying the 90-degree heat to arrive at the party without melting into a creamy mess.