The word “no” was not in my vocabulary this past, long weekend.  Nothing could get in the way of my true feelings when it came to consuming major “snackage.”  The thought that I can’t afford it, or the guilt that follows when I think I’m eating “bad” food…or even the thought that I must resist “temptation” were completely non-existant.   No way, Jose.  Those thoughts were non-existant because they could never be true in this case.  I snacked on the likes of prosciutto and mozzarella, thin baguette slices and taleggio, castelvetrano olives and apples, just to name a few…and I drank stuff like sangiovese and muscadelle.  There seems to be a self-limiting belief that one can’t enjoy the simple pleasures in life on a shoe-string budget.  Well, here my goal is to show you otherwise.  The photographs that follow are visual evidence of simple living–how I personally define it, and if not common in your world, I hope these simple meals inspire you to try something new.

If you’ve done your research, or if you’re like me and read up on these things on your leisure time, then you know most people haven’t tasted a real tomato.  So if you’ve been eating conventional, store-bought tomatoes all your life, chances are you’re not eating the real thing.  But most of you foodies know this already.  For purposes of this blog entry, I speak to folks out there that don’t necessarily think about the importance of choosing quality foods over the cheaper version you find at the supermarket. Again, I don’t claim to be a genius on the topic…I’m just trying to pique your curiosity.  Buy an organic tomato, like the plum tomato shown in the photo above, and serve it with sliced mozzarella.  I promise you it won’t leave you broke.  Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, add some basil leaves, and you’ve got yourself a homemade Caprese salad.  Go ahead, go crazy and add olives for good measure.  Believe me, it wouldn’t hurt.

Absolutely no cooking required.  The only prerequisite is a good attitude and someone you love to enjoy it with.  So next time you find yourself wanting to snack on something, whip out your cutting board and decorate it with thinly sliced prosciutto and mozzarella or taleggio, sliced apples, olives, almonds, and a little honey for dipping.  Thanks for reading.  Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!