I enjoy being one of the youngest in a room. I enjoy being one of five in a room who decided against wearing black. I further enjoy it when the person who one-ups me is a woman wearing a pink Egyptian-cotton button down (that ends up amazingly being an old Gap purchase), and a pair of bright red corduroys. I also love food (oh yeah?), chefs who go to great pains to source local and fresh ingredients, and as many small appetizer portions as I would like in no particular order. Dessert mid-meal? Sure, knock yourself out. So we did. In case it isn’t obvious by now, this is my idea of a meal saved up for.

Aki came over for dinner last night and we tried to do all the dirty work in advance. However, we seem to go at our own pace when cooking, and things rarely turn out like magic. After a bit of practice with this recipe, the 10 minute theatrics of making the curry come to life will surely be something to save for the crowd. The spicy and very savory curry of this dish goes well with the softness and sweetness of the fish. The shallots are similar to the small pinkish onions found all over India, and give a more complex flavor than yellow onions.

Short answer: Probably. For me saving money usually means something along the lines of learning the ins and outs of egg certification to liberate myself from the daunting task of selecting a carton and not getting ripped off. I have never been an out-of-my-way (as in fight to the death) bargain shopper. At Costco, you don’t need to.

We used to pack dates and cashew butter for hikes when we were kids. They would be all gooey and squashed when we reached summit and pulled them out, but their appearance didn’t seem to have any impact on the taste. I now also eat them at lower elevations with French press coffee on a rainy day. In general, nuts are the ideal snack because the protein and fat give you energy that sustains you much longer than an afternoon sugar rush. These must be made with the freshest, plumpest and stickiest dates you can find. Otherwise it’s a sin to waste perfectly good nut butter. Oh, and grownups share.

When you think about penny pinching what gets cut first? Coke and strippers, shoes for every occasion, electronics, and of course eating out. Restaurants across the country are beginning to see the fallout from the market, increasing food prices, and substantial loss in customer turnout. In New York it’s unclear how much of an impact there will be. Over at Chow, the kids are talking. I had to ask too, have you cut your restaurant/bar budget or changed your diet? Are you seeing increases in entree prices or pre fixes? Or more happy hours and value meals?

Five Points has been a mainstay almost since its inception. It has all the makings of a classic - a dynamic couple at its helm, a warm, unique and lively interior, and a daily (sometimes seasonally) rotating menu of fresh (and when possible local and organic) ingredients prepared by passionate and inspired hands. The duo is restaurateur and chef Mark Meyer and wife and partner Vicki Freeman.

The restaurant opened in 1999 with a daily rotating menu. At the time, local was a new menu concept in New York. As Five Points gained popularity, the menu was scaled back to a seasonal rotation. A couple years ago the owners revived the daily change-up, perhaps due to neighborhood competition and the increasing popularity of market-driven fare. The new menu’s staples remain the same (cavatelli, burgers, and baked pasta) but are refreshed with inspiration from the nearby Greenmarkets.

We are making history here. Another perfectly good egg prejudice blown wide open: the stuffed omelette. I always thought it was silly and French to make the omelette and fold it around some cooked vegetables. Why can’t the ingredients be cooked into the eggs? Then I decided to add mushrooms to an omelette recipe. It didn’t seem right to have mushrooms floating around. So I gave them a cozy home inside the soft, warm center of that fluffy pillow of eggs. And voila! The flavor of the eggs really stands out, enhanced by the dill, and puffed up by the cheese. The first bite of savory smoked mozzarella and mushroom against the delicate egg makes you feel almost sophisticated. Then you remember you’re eating an omelette at the oven top in your underwear. And you feel even better. I will say, egg and mushroom are a harmonious duo.

Coleslaw’s revival has been sudden and powerful. The sugary, gelatinous mess handed to you in styrofoam at KFC, slopped on paper plates at picnic tables as a “veggie” to accompany BBQ, or found in metal containers at buffets all over the US is now being challenged by the flavorful variety of homemade recipes in kitchens and restaurants alike. Join us. Take back coleslaw. Dare to eat it in the fall, or even the winter (ooooooo). If you’ve already mastered your own, send me links.

Everything you can do with apples is excellent, but mom knows best. This one is short and sweet, like the rest. Although, I have to admit coring the apple is a bitch. Could there be a special kitchen tool for this? The Empires we used a wonderful fluffy texture once out of the oven. Serve it a la mode and be impressed with your lack of effort.

I have been saving Michael Pollan’s “Farmer in Chief” from the Times for a quiet moment (estimation: 1 hour) when I could devote myself. It’s worth the read (actual: 37 minutes). I was disappointed by his impractical and whimsical close to The Omnivore’s Dilemma so much so that I skipped In Defense of Food. In this proposal to Washington, Pollan redeems himself, breaking down his “sun-food agenda” which posits that we return to a sun-based food system. Regardless of the practicality of his measures and the length at which he describes them, our current economy necessitates change. Even if you’re simply waiting for a better tomorrow, it is important to have a prospective picture of what that will look like.

For cliff notes, here is Michael Ruhlman’s concise summary.