The Glory of Edamame + Reflections

Today is the first day of April. A fourth of the year has already passed, so it seems like a good time to pause for a minute, take it easy and think back on the first quarter of 2011. My cousin asked me the other day, “are you happy?” It’s a hard question to answer, even though I suppose it should be so easy. But it led me to think about all of the great things that I have going on in my life and how grateful and lucky I should feel.*

I’m happy that I have my family and wonderful friends who make me laugh. A lot.

I’m happy that I have a great job, with people who are friendly and patient, even if I distract them 20 times a day with thoughts of food and shopping.

I’m happy that I have my health, and I realized that I should do whatever I can to keep it. Thankfully, this hummus is a great place to start. As is edamame, that glorious snack that I’ve always had a not-s0-secret love for.

Edamame are soy beans, which for all intents and purposes, should make me say ick. I mean, I hate tofu and soy milk and soy burgers and soy everything. (I even dislike soy sauce, but that mostly has to do with a favorite white sweater and my own carelessness.)

But edamame pods, boiled and sprinkled with sea salt, are a snack I could eat all night long. I literally did, by the glass bowlful, at a bar near NYU, the perfect post-class “brain food” to gear me up for a night of um, studying. But I kind of forgot about them after my college days, leaving them solidly behind with finals, dorm rooms and mandatory reading.

Then Abby discovered Swich, a sandwich shop around the corner from our office. They were a classier version of Subway, and handed out free lemon-mint edamame beans with each purchase. Luckily I got there just in time to try it (they closed the next day — the nerve). The sandwich was good, the sweet potato chips even better, but the edamame was awesome. The beans tasted like a healthier, work-appropriate version of a mojito, so naturally, I went out and bought edamame beans the next day.**

Simply boil the beans in salted water for 4-6 minutes, drain and toss with lemon juice, adding a sprinkle of kosher salt and some chopped mint if you have it — an easy, delicious, healthy snack in minutes. Certainly something to be happy about!

What makes you happy? A nice meal, an easy snack, a funny TV show, a new outfit? Share!

*This is a great exercise for those blah days and I heartily recommend it. (Also, a good book, which never fails to make me happy.)

**I had to buy frozen, because Whole Foods didn’t have fresh. Thanks for nothing.