Breakfast on the go.

Long hours have been nothing new this summer and sometimes even in August work can be hell. Unless my morning consists of Advil and a bacon egg and cheese from the corner cart, I rarely make time for the most important meal of the day. But in an effort to make changes for the better I've been on a fruit binge this week, an experience that I have found to be both rewarding and frustrating.

After three years of struggle, I still find the world of New York produce to be an unsolved mystery. I have free-standing fruit carts, corner bodegas, the typical grocery store, gourmet and uber-organic options, green markets, and specialty markets all as options. An apple could cost you 33 cents or a buck and last anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days. Buying produce for the long term (i.e. the week ahead) is not suggested. Hand your money to the nearest bum and chalk it up as a loss. Or go buy a Big Mac. Your choice.

Over time I've learned that the best way to buy produce is in the now. Buy and eat the same day to avoid spoilage. Most of the convenient produce (bodegas, grocery stores and street stands) is ripe day it's on the stand. Blame turnover, length of time from farm to consumer, or a combination of any other factors. But if you want three bananas for a buck head to the nearest corner. Just don't let them sit on your desk for more than a day. You've been warned.