Hot In Little Rock

This week is Spring Break for most kids in Central Arkansas.  We love to travel, and had some business to conduct in Houston, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to mix business with pleasure.

Now,  if you’ve followed us for long enough, you know that wherever we go, we live locally whenever possible.  When we are in Little Rock – of course we live locally.  But when we travel, we still follow our mission.  We seek out local restaurants and local shops.  It always makes the trip better.  Because, what fun is it to eat at a chain restaurant that you’ve eaten at a million times before, when you can eat at a place that serves up fresh food and that the locals love?

We practiced locally living this week on our trip.  While making our way to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, we kept our eyes peeled for a small bistro-type restaurant.  Luckily we found it – tucked in a residential neighborhood and teeming with locals.

We enjoyed the warm weather and ate outside.  And lentils and trout were the favorite dish of the day.  We love lentils – and don’t find them served much around here.  This dish reminded us of a meal we had at a small bistro in Paris a few years ago.

Lentils are a member of the legume family and have a ton of protein.  They are a small, flat pea-like shape, and come in many different colors.  Usually, you see lentils cooked in soup or with rice.  But when lentils are prepared by themselves with a bit of seasoning and a piece of fish is placed on top – this is when the lentil really shines.

Lentils are so easy to cook, too.  So next time you are cooking fish for your family, think about making some lentils to go with the dish as a variety.  Simply wash them off and boil for 2-3 minutes and then simmer until tender.  It usually doesn’t take any longer to cook than rice.  Add some garlic and chopped onions to the simmer and this will become a new favorite side dish.

Whether you are traveling this week, or just taking it easy at home, remember to live locally.  Take pride in what individuals have made (yourself included) and support the local economy.  It’s good for all of us.