I might be in danger of being a food snob.

This would be as ironic as obnoxious.  My mother is spinning in her grave.

While in  Saratoga, I stopped at my favorite fish store, Moby Rick’s, in Saratoga Springs. This is where I go for crab meat, fresh fish, salmon for Maria, and their beautiful seasonings and fat juicy shrimp.

I love Moby Fish, but it is not the local supermarket. It’s a good way up the scale, and I, the middle working class creature, am never too at ease far up the scale.

But I am wedded to the place. And more loyal every time I go in there.

Moby Rick’s, I find, is one of the places I go to adjust to my new relationship with food, and I have to say, the idea of eating fried or greasy food or processed sugar in any form turns my stomach these days.

The staff is amazingly courteous and helpful, and they make me think I am worth something to them. They are happy to teach me and give me guidance. Today, Devon welcomed me and made some good fish suggestions. He knows what I need, because he bothered to ask.

They also have the best, freshest fish. I spent $100 there but got four or five meals for it. We’ll be eating crab meat, sole and salmon cuts all week.

I asked for help in learning about healthy fish, and I am getting some good advice. I’m getting better at thinking and planning, and when I buy food, I’m thinking of a few meals down the road. There is a steady stream of fresh vegetables pouring into the house now.

The kind of warmth and courtesy I get in Moby Rick’s (and from Todd, my Toyota service person, are a rare skill in grumpy America these days. It is fun to walk in the door and have everybody remember my name from months ago.

Moby Rick’s is not cheap, but it isn’t snooty either. These days, nothing but McDonald’s is cheap; the McChicken sandwich I ate there a few weeks ago when I was ravenous and on the road costs a dollar. I was amazed.

This dollar sandwich was no bargain, either,  unless you like eating cardboard with a strip of lettuce and a stale white roll. The sandwich was pretty priced. The apple slices were cold and fresh, all five of them. The drive-thru lines were a mile long.

I can’t eat that food anymore.  And my grocery bill is half what it was. Does that make me a snob?

I’m doing more of the cooking these days and getting a bit creative.

I’m making dinner tonight while Maria is at belly dancing class, and I bought a  fresh prime salmon cut for her and some grey sole for me (I got two for free since it was the end of the day. Which was even cheaper than McDonald’s).

The label instructions are just a starting point for me now; I go off in odd directions.

I also bought some homemade cocktail sauce, some seasoning, a $62 can of lump crabmeat, one of my favorite foods on the earth, and I’m cooking some quinoa with broccoli sprinkled in to serve with the fish.

I added some vegetable broth while the quinoa was steaming in a pot. The taste is lovely; Maria will be happy with this meal.

Quinoa is becoming one of our favorite side dishes, Barley and chickpeas, and other grains.  Mostly, we cook oats and toast for breakfast with a cup of fruit. (And yes, I am well aware that there are carbs in fruit.)

We stir-fry the quinoa with a mix of chopped vegetables. Quinoa soaks up flavor, as does Barley.

I’ve found fish and quinoa to be a great combination when mixed with cooked vegetables.

This menu makes my mouth water; I’m covering the fish with some plant butter and sesame seeds and trying out a new seafood seasoning.

Grey sole cooks instantly, two minutes on each side.

I have renewed my relationship with food and then some.

Last night, I made another Cauliflower pizza with thin slices of chorizo and chopped kale bits; the chorizo was just what the pizza needed, some crunch and some flavor.

I also added fresh mozzarella and pine nuts. I cook the pizza longer than the labels suggest; I like crisp and crunchy crusts. I have to keep an eye on it; when I read in, and the crust is hard, it’s ready to come out.

I’m keeping the pizzas conservative and straightforward, nothing too fancy. It’s a great, quick, healthy, and filling meal.