Gale Gand - Gale Gands Lunch!

Copyright 2014 by Gale Gand

Photography copyright 2014 by Ben Fink

Prop styling by Thomas Hamilton

All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

www.hmhco.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gand, Gale.

Gale Gands Lunch! / Gale Gand with Christie Matheson ;
photographs by Ben Fink.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-544-22650 (cloth); 978-0-544-18650-7 (ebk)
1. Luncheons. 2. Natural foods. I. Matheson, Christie. II. Title.
TX735.G36 2013 641.5'4dc23

2013019526

Interior design by Laura Palese

v1.0414

This book is dedicated to my sweet and loving husband, Jimmy Seidita, who always seems willing to put up with my crazy busy life, and to my three children, Giorgio Montana Gand Tramonto, Ella Nora Gand Seidita, and Ruby Grace Gand Seidita, who inspire me, give me a reason to cook, and celebrate in the kitchen with me daily. Thanks, you guys, for tasting everything I make. (Well, except for one of you, and you know who you are!)

Ive always loved making lunch for my family and my friends. But for a long time, I rarely, if ever, made it for myselfunless I was planning to eat with someone else.

I spend my days and nights feeding others, but it didnt occur to me to take care of myself in the same way. Then one day, when I was up early packing a lunch box for my son before I went to work, I thought about how nice it would be to eat a homey noontime meal. So I assembled one for myself too. That turned out to be a very good idea, because I was heading into a long day.

Of course, there are many long workdays in the life of a chef. Its typical for me to start before dawn and work all day preparing bread and pastries, or to spend countless hours on set taping a television show or teaching classes. But for some reason that particular day felt like one of the longest ever. By noon, I was exhausted, even jitteryand very hungry. Contrary to popular belief, chefs dont snack endlessly on the things they make. At least I dont! Theres no time for that.

I had an opportunity for a twenty-minute break, and thats when I remembered, joyfully, my homemade lunch. It wasnt elaborate: a portion of three-bean chili (plus a tiny container of grated cheese and a small baggie of homemade croutons for sprinkling on top), a clementine, and a bottle of raspberry kefir. Having that food waiting for me truly made my day. Made. My. Day.

The meal, with its contrasting flavors and textures (warm, hearty soup; cheese that melted as I stirred it in; crunchy croutons; a bright, citrusy clementine; and the creamy yet tangy yogurt drink) was incredibly satisfying. It provided real nourishment, and gave me a proper break. I was much more productive after eating, thanks to a simple lunch that had taken me just a few minutes to throw together. I simply pulled out a portion of chili from my freezer, grabbed a handful of croutons Id made in advance, added the clementine, and tossed in a bottle of kefir. The step that took the longest was grating the cheese. (And of course you can buy that already grated.) The effort was more than worth it.

And now Im committed to teaching others how wonderful and easy it can be to make lunch. It doesnt have to take much time, and I strongly believe that all of uskids and adults alikeare significantly more fulfilled by homemade food than meals composed of highly processed, barely perishable, stale vending machine items. Im not the only one who thinks so.

One of the hottest food topics in the nation right nowfrom schools to celebrity chefs kitchens all the way to the White Houseis lunch. Food lovers around the country are devoting themselves to the quest to make delicious, nourishing lunches available to everyone. Whether we pack lunch for our kids to take to school or for ourselves to take to work, or make lunch for friends coming over, or prepare some things to put in a basket for a picnic, or simply throw something together to eat at home, we all eat lunch. Theres no reason why that meal cant be wonderful, good for you, and varied from day to day.

If youre going to toss together a turkey sandwich, why not make it mouthwatering by adding arugula and mango chutney? Instead of plain old chicken salad, how about chicken salad punctuated by the sweetness of dried cranberries, the crisp, subtle flavor of fennel, and the crunch and nuttiness of toasted almonds? It really doesnt take any longer to prepare. Likewise, recipes such as couldnt be easier to makeand dont they sound more appealing than the same old cafeteria lunch? If someone invited you to her house for lunch and there was a fragrant bowl of summer tomato soup with basil and Parmesan cream waiting for you alongside a platter of grilled three-cheese sandwiches, youd be pretty happy, right?

Some of my fondest food memories are of wonderful lunches. One of the most perfect meals Ive ever had was a lunch at a friends house. We ate a Spanish tortilla, which was simply thinly sliced potatoes and onions poached in olive oil then folded into beaten eggs and cooked on the stove in a skillet. We ate it with bacon, bagels, and fruit salad. Nothing fancy, and yet I cant get it out of my head. The experience was the perfect combination of delicious food, a colorful table, sunlight, and wonderful company. There was just enough food, but not too much, and a balance of salty and sweet menu items. It was simple, yet sophisticated in its simplicityand that only would have been possible at lunchtime, when expectations are relaxed, the time commitment is less, and the pressure that exists with a dinner party is entirely absent. As a guest and as a host you probably have more energy at lunchtime. Because entertaining at lunchtime is so much easier, I think lunch should be the new dinner.

The best parties Ive ever hosted have been lunch partiesbig outdoor summer lunches, sometimes with the grill on, and once with a mouthwatering assortment of creative sandwiches (or, as I usually call them, sammies): decadent lobster rolls; little rolled sandwiches filled with roasted eggplant spread; and Mexican chicken salad sandwiches with a kick of spice and a dose of creamy avocado. With the sandwiches we also served a zesty chilled gazpacho, mango lemonade (gin optional), and iced tea. And I made devil dogs, a chocolate devils food cake sandwiched with a cream filling, so even dessert was a type of sandwich. Thats not the kind of food youd expect at a dinner party, but lets be honest: Isnt it the type of food you really love?