Lesley Eats

UK Trip Day One: 20 July 2008

2008-07-22T09:58:00.004-05:00

~11:00 CDT 20 July 2008
I just did something I've never done before. I ate an omelet while flying 39K feet over Ontario.

The travel agent thankfully moved my seat from the back of economy (next to the lav) up to the front of economy but neglected to note a request for a vegetarian meal. I knew this before getting on the flight and brought some trail mix and pre-made bean and grain snack in a can, but I knew they wouldn't get me through 7.5 hours in the air on the way to London.

So as I watched an Indian family eat what looks to be a tasty vegan meal (though I wonder about that bagel), I got to choose between pancakes with scrambled eggs sitting on top of slices of ham and an omelet.

I've avoided omelets my whole life because I'm just not a big fan of eggs (nor of the egg-producing industry, but that came much later than my general dislike of the taste). Plus, omelets are pretty much eggs cooked in butter, right? Yuck. Sounds disturbingly fattening.

But this airline food "three cheese omelet" looked a little less buttery and came with roasted potatoes and mushrooms instead of dead pig, so I opted to give it a try.

It wasn't bad. I mean, it wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. Well, bad for me I'm sure, but not bad-tasting.

Incidentally, it came with a croissant, too. I haven't had a croissant since I was in France seven years ago. The logic being that if I'm going to consume that amount of calories, it better be the real thing. But something about being trapped on an airplane makes food more appealing than it would be elsewhere. As if I feel like this might be my last opportunity to ever eat, so I may as well go for it. I might need the energy on the island, you know. I even ate the honeydew melon. I don't even like honeydew melon. Later, I will likely eat something the package calls "pasteurized processed cheese spread." But, hey, they included a Toblerone in the package, as well. Sweet.

~14:00 CDT 20 July 2008
I ate every last bit of that cheese spread crap as if it were my last meal. I thought it would be, but no, now I have pizza! A miniature deep dish-style cheese pizza with a salad and oil and vinegar dressing. I'm so pleased to see a salad that I'm not even going to complain that it's iceberg lettuce. To save on my carbs, I think I'll leave the pizza bones behind. And forsake the "oatmeal chewie," though I'm sticking that little guy in the backpack. I might need it on the island, after all. Luckily, I have a pointed nail file (now allowed on flights in carry on luggage, yet gel-filled insoles are not), so I can fight off anyone who tries to steal it from me.

~23:00 GMT 20 July 2008
Well, I made it to London after all. And I'm feeling quite guilty about all the junk I shoved into my facehole during the day. It's amazing what being bored and trapped in an airplane for seven and a half hours will do to your level of standards.

Fried Green Bananas

2008-07-16T13:30:00.005-05:00

No, not a typo. Yes, fried green bananas.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at my local grocery and as usual, bought a bunch of bananas. And, as usual, they were green. I loathe green bananas and prefer my bananas to be yellow and freckled at the very least. Underripe bananas make my teeth hurt.

So I waited for them to ripen. And waited. And ended up buying some ripe ones last weekend from McNeil's. And yesterday it occurred to me that these things were never going to make it to a point where I'd find them edible. And they were so green that no human would find them edible now. So what does one do with green bananas? Google told me to fry them. After reading all the glowing reviews, I decided to try it.

First, I had to cut open the bananas. They were so green, they could not be peeled. And just to make sure that the skins weren't deceiving me, I tried a bite of one. Yick. So I proceeded to cut them into small slices, about the size of half a home fry. I didn't want them to be too thin and therefore higher in calories.

I poured some canola and peanut oil in the bottom of a pan--about 3/4 inch deep--and heated it on a high-ish medium high setting. Once it was good and hot, I dropped in the first fries. It didn't take long for them to start browning, but they had a tendency to stick together, so the frying required some monitoring (and poking). After just a few minutes, I took them out and placed them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. I repeated for six bananas worth of fries. Pictured is only about three bananas' worth. I like big bananas (I can not lie...).

Instead of eating them with something sweet or plain, the SO and I decided to salt and pepper those little bad boys up and dip them in a little ketchup. And just like the reviews say, they were delicious. We polished off a whole lot of fries. Yay, banana fries! Not quite as unhealthy as potato fries!

So, yay, right? Hang on just a second. Here's where I tell you the rest of the story. First, deep frying these bananas caused quite a bit of smoke to develop. I didn't see it actually forming but realized what was happening when my eyes started burning. Little bits had gotten left in the oil and started smoking (and were very charred by the end). Maybe this is an outside job. Luckily, I got that storm door with the panel that opens for ventilation.

Second, remember how I said it was six bananas? Six large bananas? Split between two people? If you've never tasted a really green banana, the texture is very cellulose-y, fibrous...woody, even. Do you see where I'm going with this? We ate what felt like (hours later) a pound of deep fried tree branches. Fiber is good for you and all, but indigestible fiber...not so much. I think that eating about half of what we did (or maybe a quarter) would have been smarter. But they were so good! So deep-frying the green bananas is a good way to use them up, but keep your consumption limited to a small portion. Unless you enjoy feeling like you have part of a tree in your gut.

Good news, bad news

2008-07-13T22:23:00.002-05:00

I'm a bit of a creature of habit. Which is why I don't really treat this blog like a food diary; I'd be embarrassed for the world to know how often I eat the same thing over and over. But to anyone who's been reading a while, it's pretty clear that there are several places here in Nashville I love. Woodlands Indian Restaurant...Miss Saigon for Vietnamese...Los Rosales for Mexican...and McNeil's produce stand to get produce.

So I shouldn't be too embarrassed to admit that I visited two of those places this weekend. Saturday night, the Momster was in town for a reunion of some of our extended family (hi Perrys!) and I wanted her to experience this place. The SO and I also invited his parents, brother and sister-in-law and their daughter. Luckily, we got there early because (good news) the place got pretty busy Saturday night.

I did branch out a little bit this time and instead of getting the stuffed avocadoes, I got the enchiladas verdes that Laura at Fixin' Supper ordered on her visit. It was kind of a gamble because I really don't like cooked spinach at all (the smell makes me gag, actually), but the (organic) spinach in this quesadilla is cooked very delicately. No gagging at all; it was delicious.

The SO's mom got the stuffed squash that I'd considered and let me try a bite. She and the SO liked it, but it was a bit rich for my taste. I'm not a huge fan of eggs and they're fairly prominent (which is why the SO liked it). But there's plenty for me to eat.

Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal (I certainly hope they weren't just being polite--though I know my mom would be honest) and we had a great time.

Now for the bad news. This morning, I took the Momster out to McNeil's produce stand because I knew they'd have some fresh corn. When we got out to the spot, the building was gone. Mrs. McNeil was set up under some tarps off to the side, but all that was left of the stand was a concrete slab. I thought surely they wouldn't be remodeling in the middle of summer, but what really happened didn't even occur to me. Last weekend (actually, the night of my last visit), thieves robbed the stand and then burned it down. When Mrs. McNeil told me about it (I missed it when it was on the news), I was stunned. Who would do such a thing? They are such nice people. And it's a produce stand, for crying out loud. It just doesn't make any sense. I can't help but feel pretty angry about it. That may seem odd, but that's just how happy it makes me that they're out there.

But they're not letting this setback get them down too much. As I mentioned, they're still operating. It's a bit smaller an operation, but they still had some great tomatoes, green beans and fresh corn. They've got the bi-color Peaches and Cream as well as Silver Queen, a white corn I had for the first time this evening. I highly recommend it; it's delicious, sweet and juicy. If you're on the west side of town, drive on out there and pick some up. As I've mentioned before, they're on Highway 100, just west of the Loveless Cafe and the Natchez Trace Parkway. If you're coming from I-40, take the McCrory Lane exit and drive south until it dead ends at Highway 100 and turn right. It's down the street on the right just a little way. It's worth the trip.

Popsicles

2008-07-08T13:20:00.004-05:00

The coupons promised by the Earthbound Farms rep arrived quite promptly. Two coupons for any Earthbound Farms product for free. So I am thinking of sucking it up and heading to Whole Foods to take advantage of these lovely gifts and not waste them on four dollars worth of salad greens.

I haven't posted much in the way of recipes here lately because I haven't really been preparing anything new. I really should branch out a bit as I am stuck in a bit of a rut.

However, I did take the opportunity this past weekend to make some popsicles. I'd been promising them to the SO for a while and finally found the energy to prepare them. It's not difficult; it's just that I hate washing my blender. Anyhoo.

I started out with my personal favorite, the chocolate banana popsicle (banana + chocolate = yum). I'd love to give you a recipe for it, but I just sort of throw stuff in a blender and test it until I like it. I start out with a fresh or frozen banana, add in a few heaping tablespoons of (organic) yogurt (for creaminess, though I'm sure soy milk would be just as good), a small handful of chocolate chips, a pinch or two of cocoa powder, a drop of vanilla extract (because the yogurt was plain yogurt) and about four drops (or a little more) of liquid stevia (far better for sweetening than sugar or chemical sweeteners). I blend it all up and pour it in the popsicle mold. The mold I have holds about two cups worth of mix, but they vary. You can add a little water or soy milk to stretch your mix a bit.

Next up, I made strawberry honey popsicles (sorry, y'all--again, not vegan). I used frozen strawberries and some local honey, blended them up with a little water and one tablespoon of yogurt and that was it. No stevia needed for extra sweetness. I really like the balance I was able to achieve and hope to get it the next time since I didn't bother to measure. Eh.

The last batch was just a little mixed berries and cream. I have a lot of frozen berries in the freezer and I'm not the biggest fan of raspberries, so mixing them with blueberries and blackberries made for a winner. I added several tablespoons of yogurt, a drop of vanilla, and a few drops of stevia to these as well. They're pretty dense, though. I probably should have added a splash or two of carbonated water. Next time.

I have a few peaches in the fridge that started to get overripe before I could finish them, so I think the next popsicles will be peaches and honey or maybe peaches and cream. And after that? Either blackberry lemon or blueberry lemon. If you have any suggestions for flavors to combine with frozen blackberries or blueberries, let me know. I've got enough to do some experimenting, for sure.

On Second Thought...

2008-07-03T14:00:00.003-05:00

Last week, I inadvertently re-visited the two restaurants over in Antioch that are both in that little strip mall by the mini-golf place, PS Noodle Pot and Los Rosales. I hope these guys like each other, because they'll likely be connected for a while--they even got a combo review in the Nashville Scene.

I met a friend for lunch at PS Noodle Pot and opted for noodles this time instead of getting a rice dish. I ordered the "pineapple curry" which tasted suspiciously like massaman. The curry was good, but I have no idea if there's any fish base in it. I certainly hope not, but since I didn't realize what I was ordering, I didn't ask. It's in the "vegetarian" section of the menu, but a lot of people seem to think that fish broth is vegetarian (fyi--it's not). Regardless, the taste was good, but it was a bit heavy on the pineapple for my taste (I can't eat too much pineapple at a time--not good for the ol' tummy) and I was glad I could get it over noodles. The big disappointment, though was being told that there was not a vegetarian spring or egg roll to go with my lunch (on my first visit, I was able to get one). Frankly, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have a vegetarian lunch special served with a non-vegetarian egg roll. I think all the rolls should be vegetarian; most meat-eaters I know wouldn't know the difference and if they did, wouldn't care. My friend was happy to take it with her along with her other leftovers (portions are generous).

Another evening, the Significant Omnivore and I headed back over to Los Rosales for dinner. I was able to convince him to get a vegetarian dish this time so we could share. He (okay, I) ordered the chile relleno, which is something I've never had because you never know if you're going to get a hot pepper or a mild one. This one was mid-range, but I discovered that the chile relleno is just not my thing. The SO liked it quite a bit.

For my entree--what can I say--I ordered the stuffed avocadoes again. But I swear that next time I'll try the squash. They were as good as before but without help from the SO, I wasn't able to finish them. The Scene's reviewer was right. But they were so very good. The SO got an order of guacamole (so nice to see freshly-made guacamole somewhere other than my kitchen) which is why he didn't help me with my dinner. Their guac is just the way I like it--chunky and with tomato. And these guys are experts at choosing good avocadoes.

A real highlight of the meal was the tortilla soup. I haven't had tortilla soup in about ten years because it's often made with a chicken stock base. At Los Rosales, they don't take flavor shortcuts, so this soup was veg-friendly and delicious. I ate every drop. The SO thought the soup was a tad on the salty side, but I thought it was great.

And even though we were quite full, we couldn't help but order a new dessert, flaming mangoes. I love mango, but I don't care to ever buy one to eat at home. Slicing up a mango is just too maddening a process for me. So given the opportunity to eat mango that someone else has toiled over, I'll take it. They place the mango slices on a dish with Grand Marnier and set it afire. If you let it burn long enough, you get the taste without the alcohol. So I blew it out quickly, of course. Grand Marnier is my favorite liquer, so this dessert was just perfect for me. Delicious.

While we were finishing up dinner, the owner of the restaurant came by to chat with us (as he'd done on our previous visit). The difference is that this time, he recognized me. He thanked me for the nice review I gave his restaurant previously, but as the SO and I explained, it wasn't hard to think of good things to say about this place. It's really so nice to have a place that serves really good Mexican (not Tex Mex) cuisine, particularly with high quality ingredients. Really, it's the kind of food I'd prepare myself if I had a cache of wonderful recipes. You can tell that the ingredients are thoughtfully and carefully selected.

We had a nice conversation about the restaurant and the recipes as well as some of the things he's been working on for dessert and at the bar. He was kind enough to share some Agavero, an amazing blue agave tequila. I don't generally like tequila, but this was no average margarita mixer. It's very smooth, the kind you sip carefully. Needless to say, you don't shoot it and it doesn't make you wince. It was a nice way to end a meal. A digestif, if you will.

Next time, though I swear I'll have the squash. I promise to branch out. And I think PS Noodle Pot will need to be a dinner choice and likely just pad thai (which I hope I can get without egg). No need to branch out there.

Swiss...shard?

2008-07-01T12:39:00.006-05:00

Just about every day, I eat a salad for lunch. Because I am lazy and picky, I buy the pre-washed organic baby lettuce (I prefer romaine), usually from Earthbound Farms. I stuck by them during the e. Coli scare last year because they've treated me well.

But today, I found wood in my salad. Luckily, a fork won't stab into a two-inch long shard of wood, so it flew out onto my desk. Digging into the bowl yielded another piece, about an inch long.

That is incredibly uncool. I'm really glad I didn't manage to eat those pieces of wood. It would have been really embarrassing to choke and/or die while I'm at work. Love my co-workers and all, but they're not the last people I want to see.

Guessing I'm'a gonna make a phone call when I get home.

FYI to those who might have some of this at home--it's the Earthbound Farms Pre-washed Organic Baby Romaine in the 5 ounce package, expiration date July 2 (just bought it Sunday at Harris Teeter and wasn't happy about the short expiration, but I prefer the Romaine, y'know).

And I'm sure it's probably psychosomatic, but now my throat feels funny like I may have swallowed some. I sure hope I didn't because that would not be pleasant. Not sure my stomach can process wood.

UPDATE: I called this morning with all the package information to let them know and they're going to do a "quality assurance check." Not sure what that means, but now they know. They said they'll send some product coupons, but I gotta be honest, it might be a while before I'll have the hankering for a salad. I had to scrounge together a lunch today of an Amy's pizza pocket, some yogurt, and grapes. I hope my taste for salad returns soon.

Crispy Baked Tofu

2008-06-30T19:34:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to trying my own version of tofu nuggets with nutritional yeast. I'd been meaning to do so for a while considering that at $7.99 per pound, I will quickly go broke buying them off the hot bar at Whole Foods (nevermind the weight I'd gain since they're fried).

I remembered having some baked tofu strips that were really good at a vegetarian potluck last year and google pointed me in the direction of this recipe for crispy baked tofu.

But you know me; I can't just follow a recipe. And again, that was a mistake. I won't say that my tofu strips weren't good; they just weren't great. Here's where I think I went wrong:

1. I didn't have bread crumbs, so I mixed extra nooch with some flour for the breading. Probably should have used corn meal.

2. I used a thawed out frozen block of tofu. Freezing changes the texture of the tofu and I also think I may have pressed it out too much.

The result was a decent tasting batter, but some fairly dry strips. I think if I'd used tofu that hadn't been freezed (and overly pressed) that it would have been moister. Oh, and I may have cooked it on 400 degrees. Um.

Anyhoo, point is that the batter tasted good even though it wasn't crispy. Cornmeal or breadcrumbs could remedy that. I like-a da nooch. Now, I just have to figure out how to make cheez out of it. I think I ought to follow a recipe for that...

Finally, some more fresh produce

2008-06-25T13:10:00.002-05:00

First, a confession. I ate bread for dinner Monday night. Organic Grains bread from Provence with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little ground pepper. Bread for dinner. But I ate healthy food all day, so I figured I deserved it. I just had no energy. Sidenote: the bread was $5.39 instead of the usual $4.55, which makes me unhappy. I'll still pay it but that seems like a rather dramatic increase. But just about everything I bought at the grocery was more expensive. Finally seeing those increases in food costs I keep hearing about. Anyhoo.

I did better last night, though. This past weekend, I finally made it out to McNeil's Produce Stand on Highway 100 to get some good (local) stuff. I got zucchini, squash, a cucumber, blueberries, lima beans, and purple hull peas. They also have peaches from Chilton County, Alabama (though I'm lucky enough to have a co-worker who lives down there and brings baskets of them to us) and an assortment of jellies, jams and sauces from southern Kentucky as well as local honey. I got some strawberry jam (very tasty) and some honey from Fairview, Tennessee that is delicious. Not sure what the bees were working from, but I like it. I don't think it's helped me with my allergies, though.

So last night, I cooked the beans and peas (I add just salt to the limas and a little Liquid Smoke to the peas for seasoning) and then roasted slices of the squash and zucchini after tossing them with olive oil and a few dashes of dried Italian herbs. I wasn't feeling adventurous, so I just used the Weisenberger's cornbread mix and had a really great dinner. I'm going to miss these fresh veggies when the season's over, for sure.

Note: the truck of goodies from the Mennonites in Kentucky arrives at McNeil's on Friday mornings, so be sure to arrive early on Saturdays (if you can't do Fridays) to make sure you get the good stuff (including the delicious Baby Bradley tomatoes). Or you can make arrangements with them to hold some stuff back for you. They have fried pies that go pretty quickly, but sadly, the pies are fried in lard so I don't eat them. They had loaves of really great bread last year (sourdough, wheat, cinnamon raisin, etc) but I don't know if they're getting them this year or I was just too late to see them.

'Roo food

2008-06-19T19:15:00.007-05:00

I'm still recovering from Bonnaroo. It's fun, but for an old goat like me, it's a lot of work to be out in the sun and mostly on your feet for 8-12 hours a day for three days straight. I'm lucky I have a desk job.

So, the food. Sure, there was some good music there, too but other, better writers have written reviews, so I'll tell you about the food.

First, arepas. Not only were these guys back this year (Toby's Arepas from South Florida, I think), but they had multiple stands. Good call, y'all. I didn't have to stand in line for 20 minutes to get my fill. So I had five of them over the course of three days. Yes, five. Usually the first thing I ate...and the last thing I ate. Soooo good.

I did branch out and eat other things, though. A lot of other things. It seemed to me that there were actually more food choices this year than the last two years, so I didn't even have to eat one slice of pizza or eat one single burrito.

One vendor was selling sweet potato fries (battered, so they were different from what I'm used to getting from Bobbie's Dairy Dip) and samosas, so after my first arepa, I settled in for a pile of fries and an apple samosa (while listening to Fiery Furnaces). Later in the evening, we had a vegetable samosa and a tofu samosa. All were delicious. The samosas were more like turnovers stuffed with filling and were served with a slightly spicy salsa-like sauce. I loved them, but "deep fried" is one of my favorite phrases and not something too often associated with vegetarian food.

On day two, I sent the Significant Omnivore off for snacks to eat while waiting on Ben Folds to perform. He came back with (very expensive) Ben & Jerry's treats. I think we could have bought three pints for what he paid, but that's the price of convenience. And they were good, but a bit overpackaged, I think. Anyhoo, dinner time rolled around and we headed back in the direction of the samosas, but rounded the corner (past the vendor selling all sorts of sea-bound critters) over to the quesadilla place. I ordered a (vegan) Sesame Gingerdilla, which was red cabbage, carrots and a few other taut veggies stir-fried with sesame oil and ginger and shoved in a tortilla. The SO opted for the Feta Metadilla, which was feta cheese, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, sauteed onions, and olives in a spinach tortilla. Both were delicious and really hit the spot. I didn't think I really liked red cabbage, but it worked well with the sesame and ginger and the crunch in the "quesadilla" was a nice change of pace. I can make these at home!

We thought we'd be out of luck for a late night sweet snack before settling in to see Pearl Jam because the crowd was so thick , we were forced to the back, but we stumbled upon a stand that I could smell before I could see: candied roasted pecans and walnuts. Perfect.

By the third day (and after three arepas in two days), you'd think I would've had my fill, but I started off with yet another arepa. Really, they are that good. It was just my snack until we could decide on lunch. It was a hot day, so we yet again wandered over to that wonderful oasis of veg-friendly foods and went to the wrap place this time. I got a (vegan again--yay!) wrap with hummus, tomatoes (because I'm brave), lettuce, and cucumbers, while the SO opted for the portobello wrap. It was a little heavy on the sauteed onions and a little too warm considering the weather, but he enjoyed it. It had a great savory flavor. We ate our wraps while listening to Robert Randolph wrap up and sitting in a prime patch of shade under one of the handful of trees.

While sitting under the tree looking toward the stage where Solomon Burke was about to play, I spied the crepe vendor. I'd managed to resist the crepes for two days, but not on Sunday. So I headed over and got myself a fruit crepe (strawberries, blueberries and bananas with a little chocolate; hold the pineapple and whipped cream). The crepes were pre-made and laid out on a round griddle to be heated and the toppings were placed on top. They were pretty generous with the toppings, but at $8, the crepe was the most expensive food item we got and well, wasn't really quite worth it. But I had to do it. Going to Bonnaroo is like going on vacation; you just gotta indulge.

Which is why I had one last arepa on my way over from Robert Plant and Allison Krauss to Death Cab for Cutie that evening.

Ready for 'Roo

2008-06-11T17:45:00.002-05:00

I won't be doing any cooking this weekend. Instead, I'll be enjoying the culinary delights of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. That may sound crazy, but last year's festival was the first place I ever experienced the joy of arepas (Cliff's version: fried cornbread--yum!). Dear Lord, please let the arepa cart be there again this year.

In addition to arepas, there are lots of vegetarian and vegan options at this hippie-friendly event. I'll report back here on all the great 'roo food next week. Though I hope to to do a little liveblogging from the boyfriend's iPod.

In the meantime, if anyone's planning on going and hasn't been before (or didn't pay a lot of attention during previous visits), here're a few tips. Because I've seen a lot of bad information floating around out there. These are tips primarily for those of us who are day-tripping and won't have a campsite for refuge.

1. Water--drink lots of it, but there's no need to bring it with you. Bring two big empty plastic or metal bottles (no glass) with you to refill at the water station. Sure, a hyrdration pack will hold more, but in the heat, having that nylon against your back will not be comfortable. While I'm on the subject, get one of those super-lightweight backpacks that can easily be slung over one shoulder. You'll thank me when you realize you don't have to have sweat rolling down your back and into your nether-regions.

Some people complained about the water because it's well water and has some sulfur in it, but Itellyawhut, it's a helluva lot better than the river water that comes out of my tap in Nashville.

2. That lightweight backpack should also have a small flat sheet or one of those light lawn blankets in it for when you need to take a break. Or a shower curtain, plastic tablecloth, or trashbags to sit on if it rains and gets muddy. Any of those is much better than a heavy blanket, I promise. Though you do need things to put in each corner to keep them anchored.

And to those of you who bring chairs: the rest of us really don't like you.

3. Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses are necessities. I've seen some blogs casually suggest them. They're imperative. And this year, I've got a straw hat from the World Market that is reminiscent of the design of a Vietnamese farmer's hat. Because my head roasted and melted under a cotton hat last year. Kavu sells a really cool version of the Vietnamese hat and I found myself coveting one last year. A spray bottle to mist yourself would come in handy, too. But I'm not sure I'll bring one.

Some people wear swimsuits, but there's nothing more I hate than sitting around in wet swim bottoms. So I wear lightweight, light-colored shirts and lightweight nylon, fast-drying shorts (from Columbia and Kavu). Yes, I pretty much treat this like an expedition, not a festival. Also, the more clothing you have on, the less sunscreen you have to apply.

4. Last year's dust and the resultant "Bonnaroo Lung" that plagued me for weeks means that I'm also throwing a couple of face masks (the kind you get at the paint or hardware store) in the bag. I saw plenty of scarves and doo rags used as makeshift masks last year, but I'm going with the real thing for a good fit. Will I look stupid? Yes, but it's Bonnaroo, which means there will be many more people who look much more stupid than me (particularly the inevitable fat naked guys).

5. Bring cash.

6. Wear comfortable shoes. I suggest Crocs. I know, you're thinking those are so 2006, but they're the best festival shoes. For one, they're waterproof. This comes in handy when you need to cool down, wash off and when it's muddy. They don't rub blisters. They protect your toes. And, most importantly, the material is impact-absorbing. Last year, I wore my Chacos one day and had aches and pains in my knees and hips (okay, I am old after all) because the farm is very bumpy. Walking over this slightly uneven terrain is hard on your joints. But the Croslite absorbs a lot of that and I didn't get fatigued at all when I wore the Crocs. And when you're at Bonnaroo, you're on your feet a lot.

7. A lightweight rain poncho. Because if you bring it, it won't rain.

8. Also helpful--extra tissue and hand sanitizing gel (or Wetnaps). Maybe a washcloth and a little soap. Yes, I'm a girl.

9. And because I am my mother's daughter, I will have a comb, ibuprofen, Clear Eyes, Rolaids, Band-Aids, and Pepto Bismol tablets just in case.

10. And, of course, I'll have my camera.

Also, last year, I coated a fair portion of my body in chemicals to avoid profuse sweating. Is this advisable? I'm not sure. But I felt better not dripping in sweat in areas that are uncomfortable (and stinky) when sweaty. My anti-perspirant of choice was Certain-Dri. It works. Another fine chemical you might consider is bug spray or cream. It's entirely possible there will be mosquitoes, chiggers and ticks waiting for your juicy self to walk by. Side note: don't wear fragrances that might attract bugs. You're welcome.

Last but not least: don't forget to bring your ticket.

A new meaning for frugal gourmet

2008-06-09T15:28:00.004-05:00

His blog goes against all that I keep sacred and holy (among other things, to be picky about what I eat), but I can't help but admire his spirit: The 99 Cent Chef. It's a little fascinating and a little disgusting (if I were to eat lunchmeat, it would not be the kind you get at a 99 cent store).

That's not to say that I don't enjoy a bargain. I've found some very interesting and delicious items at my local Big Lots. But you have to know what you're dealing with (I'm still surprised to see the Anna's cookies there for $1 when the local groceries carry the same cookies for twice the price). And any time you get food--or anything--for a really cheap price, you have to step back a moment and ask why. Sometimes, it's a packaging design change. Sometimes a dismal failure of product marketing (whole grain Chips Ahoy, American Idol Pop Tarts). And sometimes, what you're looking at is (as Claudia says) just not good. Bargain food shopping is an art.

Update: The 99 Cent Chef cooks up a vegan Cuban meal!

To-MAY-to, to-NOT-o

2008-06-04T12:44:00.002-05:00

This makes me very unhappy. There won't be any local tomatoes available for probably another month, so I suppose I will just have to do without for a while (or buy those Canadian hydroponic tomatoes--ha!). Because I have decided--after two heartbreaking years of trying--that I will not attempt to grow my own tomatoes this year. All the work required to keep the plants watered and healthy is just too much hassle just to see the fruits disappear thanks to the menagerie of critters that occupy my neighborhood. So I must rely on others to get good tomatoes.

I still get unnerved about the threat of salmonella from my food. It just seems like that should be a problem for omnivores, not herbivores. But, apparently salmonella can get into tomatoes through through the plant while it's growing (from an infected water supply or infected soil), so it's inside the tomato, not just on the outside. There are ways to kill the bacteria in the tomato, but refrigerating a tomato kills not only the bacteria but deactivates the sugars that make "homegrown" tomatoes taste so good. And heating up a tomato to 145 degrees pretty much renders it useless for your average sandwich.

An herbivore just can't catch a break these days...

Dear Mango

2008-05-28T21:16:00.004-05:00

Dear Mango,
You thought you had me, didn't you? You didn't think I'd lean over the kitchen sink, ripping the flesh from your stone with my teeth like a cavewoman, did you? But I did. And I'd do it again. But don't make me; I might want to share next time.

Los Rosales

2008-05-27T21:30:00.007-05:00

When I went to P.S. Noodle Pot last week, I noticed a restaurant named Los Rosales in the same shopping center. And oddly enough, when I got back from lunch, Bites had posted that Los Rosales offered a menu that's different from the standard order-by-number Tex Mex joints around town.

So last Friday night, the Significant Omnivore and I decided to check it out. And I'm really happy we did. The most striking things about the menu are not only do they take the care to note that the rice is vegetarian, but there are five vegetarian options on the menu. And it's not just peppers and onions.

While we were looking over the menu, our server Adriana brought us a three-section dish with salsa, refried beans, and pico de gallo with some chips. The salsa was different from what I'm used to--it had a consistency that was near apple sauce. It didn't look either appealing or unappealing--just different. But it was very good. It had a sweetness about it that I really liked.

Since there were so many options on the menu for me to choose from, we decided to go ahead and get an appetizer. There was a spinach dip, but we decided on cheese dip. Adriana suggested the queso fundido, but I told her I was a vegetarian and didn't want the sausage. She suggested getting it without the sausage because it was much better than just the standard cheese dip. And it was served with thick, warm corn tortillas as well. It was definitely a good suggestion. As you can see, we got a small cast iron pan full of fresh cheese. And easily the best corn tortillas I've ever tasted (though we still needed a few chips in order to finish off the cheese).

After some serious consideration, I decided on the Aguacate Relleno con Pistachios--stuffed avocado with a seasoned mix of pistachios, zucchini, mint leaves, lime juice, sour cream and pepper. I was intrigued, to say the least.

And I was not disappointed. The stuffed avocadoes were delicious. The tastes of the pistachioes and avocado mixed together well with just a hint of mint. The sour cream gave it just a bit of tang and added to the creaminess. And the avocado used for the base was at a perfect ripeness--no brown spots and with a vibrant taste. On the side were some steamed vegetables (well done--not overcooked at all) and the vegetarian rice that has diced carrots, celery and corn mixed it (I believe they're roasted before being mixed in, but I could be wrong). The flavors all worked really well together to create a wonderful meal (my Corona Light helped that out just a little). Side note: the SO's chicken enchiladas came topped with an avocado sauce that was similar to my avocado stuffing, but minus the pistachioes and mint (but just as tasty). I think he had a hard time settling on the enchiladas, having been tempted by ceviche and fish tacos.

Even though we were both stuffed and couldn't finish our meals, we opted for dessert. Adriana listed off a few cheesecakes (made off-site by a local bakery whose name I didn't catch), but she recommended the mango cheesecake. So we went for it.

And, again, delicious. The fresh slices of mango and the strawberry sauce were nice touches for an already wonderful cheesecake. The cake itself was fluffy and cakey just the way I like it (New York style) and the mango flavored layer was delicate and sweet. It was a great way to end the meal.

So I have a new favorite Mexican restaurant. Actually, just "a" favorite Mexican restaurant since I rarely patronize the order-by-number, lard and chicken stock-filled Tex Mex joints created specifically for us gringoes that seem to exist on every corner not already populated by a Taco Bell. This is the kind of Mexican food that most of us rarely ever get to experience.

Another thing that's different about Los Rosales is the atmosphere. The upscale feel of the menu is matched with real tablecloths and linen napkins and a "rustic" Mexican decor (mostly Mayan in influence) that includes candles on each table. There wasn't any mariachi music blaring from the speakers or the feel that you needed to get in and out in a hurry. It was a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere that made it easy to enjoy the thoughtfully prepared and presented (and delicious) food.

Los Rosales
1307 Bell Road
Antioch, Tennessee
615-331-7577

Bacon, Beer Brats, and Cole Slaw

2008-05-26T08:19:00.004-05:00

I ~~made the mistake~~ had the great pleasure of having the SO accompany me on a journey through Whole Foods Saturday evening. That meant having to go down the refrigerated aisle--one that I rarely go through on my own.

Immediately, his eyes were drawn to the Tofurkey Beer Brats. I'm not a huge fan of fake meats, but I figure that once in a while, I should indulge him. And what better dinner to have on Memorial Day Weekend than some grilled brats?

Not far from the brats was the facon, though. His eyes spied the package of LightLife Smart Bacon and just lit up. Okay, we can have fake bacon, too.

First, the facon. It's been nearly a decade since I've eaten bacon and I really don't remember much about it other than what I didn't like--which was those little cups of fat that would form and hold grease. Disgusting. So in that regard, Smart Bacon is nothing like the real thing. It reminds me a bit more of the turkey bacon my mom microwaved in the 80s just after my stepfather had his first heart attack. Which is to say that it wasn't bad but nothing I'd trip over myself to eat. The SO seemed to like it. It got crispy easily, though I thought it dried out a bit. I may have overcooked it. I think it could stand to have a brushstroke of olive oil on each side next time. And three slices each (plus eggs and toast for him and just toast for me) were enough to keep us fueled for much of the say.

After a day of play, we came back home and fired up the grill (all natural charcoal, by the way) for the brats. We had to stop by the grocery to get buns and a few other things beforehand, though--including slaw. You can't have brats without slaw. But we both like vinegar slaw and the pre-made slaw just did not look appetizing. So I thought, hey I can make slaw, right? After racking our brains a bit, we figured out that it's celery seed in the slaw we like, so we picked up some of that, too.

First, a review of the brats. They were good. Though I say that as a person who's never had a brat in my whole life. I remember seeing kielbasas and such around at various functions pre-vegetarianism, but I have never, ever liked sausages. But, again, the meat expert also agreed they were really good. Though he did admit that if given the choice, he'd go for the real thing.

After grilling them on each side about 10 minutes on a hot grill, they were ready. The outside got a little dry and crispy, but the inside was very tender and moist. And not icky like I remember real sausage. Perhaps it was the comfort of knowing there's nothing utterly disgusting in there. But the taste was very good and had a decent-sized hint of beer. It went nicely on wheat bun with spicy brown mustard. The SO topped his with some local Tennessee Chow-Chow.

And the perfect side dish? Well, aside from the tater tots I heated up...cole slaw! Homemade cole slaw! Okay, I know it isn't hard, but it's just never really occurred to me to make my own, so allow me to pat myself on the back just a bit. I looked up a few recipes and really didn't find a whole lot that really excited me, so as usual, I came up with a Frankenrecipe that--this time--actually turned out pretty well.

Vinegar Cole Slaw
16 ounces of finely chopped cabbage or a package of cole slaw mix
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
A few shakes of celery seed
A few drops of lemon
A little ground sea salt and black pepper

Mix all in a bowl and let sit for a little while to marinate.

See? Not much to it, but really, really good. Certainly, you don't have to use four types of vinegar, but I had them on hand, so why not? I do recommend at least using a little apple cider vinegar with the white to give it a little umpf. And it's vegan. In fact, except for a tiny bit of whey in the brat buns, the entire meal was vegan.

We'll not talk about the butter I put on my toast earlier in the day, though. I swear, when it's gone, I'm going to try Earth Balance. I wonder if they make one that tastes like Danish butter...

P.S. Noodle Pot

2008-05-22T21:01:00.006-05:00

Just about once a week or so, Sarcastro tweets that he's hitting up a noodle joint. Curious to know exactly what that was (particularly since it seemed to be a regular thing), I inquired. Turns out that in a little strip mall behind a Walgreens that's next to a mini-golf place, there's a noodle joint.

What is a noodle joint? Well, according to P.S. Noodle Pot's secondary name, they are the International Noodle House of Asian. Okay, still doesn't tell you what you want to know? They have various Asian noodle dishes, most notably in clay pots. They're pretty cool.

I happened to be in the area of the Noodle Pot one day and stopped in to get a takeout menu. When I saw that there were these fancy clay pots of Thai noodle dishes as well as some Chinese and various other types of noodle dishes and tofu dishes, I figured this might be a good place for a foodie outing.

So several of us gathered for lunch this week and tried various things on the menu. I opted to get an express lunch that came with vegetarian (by request) egg rolls:

They were tasty, but I prefer fresh spring rolls to fried, so I'll make note of that next time. Despite several requests from five very hungry and inquisitive people, they didn't seem to be bothered by special requests.

For an entree, I ordered the Tofu Delight:

It was good, but I was a bit disappointed that it was served with rice instead of noodles. So I'll have to go back and figure out how to get some noodles with this dish. It's worth noting that this vegetarian lunch was much better than last week's Thai dish that was not only light on vegetables, but had no tofu at all. I was hungry an hour later! No risk of that at the Noodle Pot. I had enough after filling up to have another meal.

Because of a bad experience at yet another Thai restaurant earlier in the week (Nashville has no shortage of Thai food, apparently), Claudia decided to order a Pad Thai for the table to share. She was kind enough to order the vegetarian version that came with tofu:

It was very, very good. I like the copious amounts of peanuts and the large wedge of lime. I think everyone enjoyed it quite a bit.

Since I didn't get a noodle pot of my own, I took a photo of Claudia's. I'm not sure what kind of meat was in it, but it's in there somewhere. I believe it's the Tom Yum Pot. It was boiling when it arrived and still steaming when we were very near finished eating (note: you can see the steam in the photo). So if you go for a pot, either plan to stay a while or order a glass of ice. It looks tasty, no?

I think Claudia was much happier with the Pad Thai, though. Everyone else seemed to like their dishes as well. I think it's definitely worth another trip. Plus, the service was very friendly and helpful.

But don't everybody go at once. Sarcastro's worried the place will get crowded and he'll have to wait for his food in the future. I figure they'll take care of their best customer, though.

P.S. Noodle Pot (formerly Rice Bowl)
1307 Bell Rd
Antioch, TN 37013
Phone: (615) 445-4990

Bits & Pieces

2008-05-21T12:29:00.004-05:00

We're half-way through World Vegetarian week, but I don't have any recipes to post. So I'm going to share a couple of stories instead.

Last night, I was at my local Kroger picking up some pre-washed organic baby romaine lettuce (because yes, I am that lazy) and I hear "Excuse me, ma'am" from behind. There was a time when I didn't answer to ma'am, but I realize that at 35, I'm a ma'am and I just need to deal with it.

Anyhoo, it was an older gentleman who was holding a bunch of asparagus in his hand. He asked, "Can you tell me what the difference is between this bunch of asparagus and this other one right here?" He was inquiring about the organic selection. After a little more information exchange, I realized that he really didn't know what the implications were of "organic." I explained to him best I could that farmers have to grow the organic foods according to government regulations that among other things, dictate that it's not grown with a bunch of toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. I went on to tell him that it's most important that you buy organic for items that don't have a consumable peel (I don't buy organic bananas) and that, overall, I find that organic foods taste better.

That last bit of information is really all he cared to know. He said he goes to a grocery about once every two years, but was entertaining last evening and wanted to buy some food that was good. So I kind of wasted a bit of his time. And mine. Oh, well. If you have any other questions about what organic really means, I suggest you check out this entry at Almost Vegetarian.

Anyhoo, in case you think that all vegetarians are humorless food police determined to keep you from eating all the living creatures in the world, you should check out this very funny article over at Slate that I found via 101 Cookbooks. Though, FYI, I don't enjoy the smell of cooking bacon. Or any cooking meat, generally. Never have. And I don't even remember what bacon tastes like because I wasn't ever a big fan. So all you bacon lovers can just give up on me. Oh, and I might be judging you for what you eat. Because a lot of you eat total crap. And you should stop.

A week of unremarkable food

2008-05-16T15:06:00.002-05:00

I haven't updated this week because I have, quite frankly, eaten very little that was worthy of note. And what I did eat that was noteworthy occurred last night and both items were prepared by friends. I ate three banana macadamia nut with cream cheese frosting cupcakes (yes, three which is why I didn't sleep last night) and some beet salad. Yep, beet salad. The occasion was a party to watch the season finale of The Office and you can't honor Dwight without beet salad. My friend tried this recipe from Taylor and it was actually quite tasty. My first beets ever.

But I have also had an overly salty Panera sandwich, Thai stir fry that was just noodles mixed with a little cole slaw mix and a couple of broccoli florets (no tofu at this restaurant), a "veggie" sub (not that I'm complaining, but when did cheese become a vegetable?), and a bean and rice "peasant plate" served with cold, stale tortilla chips. The Panera sandwich was so salty that I was swole up like a parade balloon for a solid 24 hours after eating it. Everything else was just varying levels of "meh."

Huh, I remarked on them after all. More than they deserved. I hope I have a much better food week next week.

Nutritional Yeast

2008-05-07T16:52:00.002-05:00

Well, I finally picked up a ~~barrel~~ can of nutritional yeast at Whole Body (??? why do I have to go across the way and get it at Whole Body instead of Whole Foods???). Now, I'm just trying to figure out what to do with it. Last night, I did sprinkle some on my broccoli, thereby making it slightly more palatable. But I need to do more. The small amount on the broccoli did not give me the B12 boost I'm looking for.

This post over at Music City Bloggers makes me feel like I should make some "cheese grits" with it just to prove to Fluffernutter that one does not need a dubious Kraft food to make good cheese grits, but I don't know if I'm up for the challenge. I'll put some thought into it for sure. And I do need to figure out how to make my own fried tofu with it as well. I'm going to go broke buying the nuggets at Whole Foods that are $7.99 per pound otherwise. And I think that might be a good way to use that yellow cornmeal that taunts me from the pantry.

Side note: I'm disturbed by the phenylalanine content in the nutritional yeast, though. Seems to be in all of them and I haven't yet figured out why. I prefer to avoid it (though I'm not PKU) so it's not a danger, but this requires further investigation...

Nobody's perfect

2008-05-05T13:24:00.003-05:00

As I was toasting my Provence Organic Grains bread in the breakroom and preparing for lunch, a few of my co-workers were talking what they were having for lunch today. One had fewer leftovers than she thought and I piped in with my comiseration: "I didn't have time to go to the grocery this weekend, so my salad's significantly smaller today than usual. I'm going to need a snack this afternoon myself." She asked, "You eat really healthy, don't you?"

Is that what people want to hear? That I eat really healthy? I'm not sure, but I'm a terrible liar. My response: "Usually, I eat fairly healthy. Though yesterday for lunch I went to Sonic and had a grilled cheese, Sonic-size tater tots and a Route 44 cherry limeade." That is nowhere near healthy.

It's America; what can I say? Sometimes I pig out on total crap. Total crap that is created specifically to taste really good (to Americans, I suppose). And it was good. Despite the fact that the grilled cheese was on white bread (Texas toast-sized white bread!) and the cheese was American cheese ("American cheese" should be an oxymoron) and that the tater tots were so greasy that they tasted more like "fried" than potatoes. And that the cherry limeade tasted more like a Pixie stick rather than cherry or lime. Regardless, I was thisclose to getting dessert, too. It's a downward spiral.

I am filled with both shame and the desire for another cherry limeade. There's a Sonic nearby my office. I'm trying to forget it exists.

Iron Fork Nashville

2008-05-01T11:38:00.009-05:00

First of all, I'd like to thank Claudia of cook eat Fret for getting me a ticket to Iron Fork last night. The SO (Significant Omnivore) couldn't go, but she felt I should be there. So I hitched a ride with Smiley and RUABelle and headed to LP Field.

At 6:30, the event was already packed with people. The crowd was so large, it was difficult to roam from table to table visiting each restaurant because it was more like two long lines down the sides (plus the lines to get drinks). Not good for me since I had no interest in standing in line for food I'm not going to eat. And there was a lot of that.

Each restaurant was giving out tastings which had to be simple to transport and prepare either on site or beforehand. So there was a lot of shrimp. And meatballs and chicken. Luckily, I pled my case to a few friendly people who let me cut in line for the handful of restaurants offering something I could eat. So a big shout out to these restaurants for recognizing there are some herbivores that like fine food.

PM -- already one of my favorite restaurants, they served a delicious vegan spicy noodle dish. As you can see from the photo below, they were well prepared for the crowd as well as prepared to help keep me from going hungry.

Green Hills Grille -- I've never been to GHG when it wasn't crowded, so I don't go often, but it's a nice place with a now-better location and with a good selection of vegetarian items. They served ziti with marinara, spinach artichoke dip and Key Lime pie all from their menu. Their marinara is nice and chunky and bright, just the way I like it.

Whole Foods -- thankfully, they had a lovely gazpacho. I just wish I could have had a bit more. They, like many of the vendors seemed to be a little overwhelmed by the crowd.

Wildwood Oak Fired Kitchen -- this place isn't very far from my house, but I've never been because their menu is very meat-centric. But they were serving tacos with a jicama slaw and avocado puree that could be prepared without meat and was quite delicious. I can't tell from their website if this is something on the menu or something they prepared special for this event, but I may check them out sometime...with a backup plan in mind.

Zola -- still my favorite restaurant in Nashville. They served desserts instead of entree bites. A Morroccan spiced brownie and some sipping chocolate. Excellent. Of course. Pictured below is Deb Paquette of Zola during the competition to prepare the "secret ingredient," fiddlehead fern.

Yes, they had to prepare a dish with fiddlehead fern. The ironic part being that I didn't get to eat any of the fern. Though the rabbits in my yard never touch my ferns, so I'm not sure that it necessarily qualifies as rabbit food, but I digress...

The judges tasted each dish and Deb Paquette actually won the competition. I'm sure it was a wonderful dish as every time I've gone to eat at Zola, I've ordered off (not from) the menu. There's always a vegetarian selection, but I usually just ask for the chef's selection (minus peppers and onions) and I always get a wonderful meal. Now, I have no idea if they're in the kitchen grumbling about the vegetarian who wants something different than what's on the menu, but if they are, it's never showed on the plate.

I heard rumors of some other vegetarian-friendly fare, but by the time the lines were of a manageable length, most of the food was gone. There are few things in life I hate more than standing in line. Being hungry falls a little behind standing in line, so...hey, maybe next year I can snag some leftovers from the judges' table. Though with my luck, the surprise ingredient won't be suitable for rabbits.

The worst thing ever produced in my kitchen...

2008-04-28T18:36:00.005-05:00

...not including what the cat has coughed up, of course. The cornbread I made last night. Terrible. Embarrassingly terrible.

As I've mentioned before, I usually make cornbread from Weisenberger's mix. I add a little more milk and a little more cornmeal to stretch it out a bit. It's always been good. But I recently received a copy of The Cornbread Gospels and felt like I should make my own.

First, let me say that this book is very interesting. It's first neatly divided among regions here in the States and followed by global versions as well as all sorts of other cornmeal breads and sidedishes that are traditionally eaten with cornbreads. It's got notes on the various types of meal as well as stories to go with each recipe. Unfortunately, there was not a recipe for sweet potato cornbread like I had at Food For Thought in Williamsburg. There is a recipe for (sweet) sweet potato muffins, however.

I couldn't find a recipe that was quite like my mother's, though. And as much as I love her cornbread, it's generally pretty ~~dry~~ grainy. Usually around bite two or three, a little will get caught in my throat and make me cough. So I was hoping for a more moist version. So I came up with my own recipe that was a combination of several recipes (with my mom's as a base). Usually, this works out great for me. Not this time.

I used two eggs in my version. Well, not eggs per se, but the generic version of Egg Beaters. This was my first mistake. And maybe my baking powder was past its prime? I do keep it in the freezer, but that stuff doesn't stay good forever. And I added soda despite the fact that I wasn't using buttermilk, but I don't think that was a problem (I used just a teaspoon each of soda and powder). I also cooked it at 400 degrees instead of 450.

The result was a dense, spongy, oily, dark mustard colored hunk of nastiness. I couldn't even distinguish the feel of the grain. I didn't use very much oil, so I think the egg products were a huge part of the problem. The SO actually ate some of it, saying that "it wasn't bad," but I wouldn't let him eat much. The texture was so incredibly foul.

On the upside, I didn't take a shortcut with the black-eyed peas; I started with dry peas, did the quick soak (actually soaked a few hours) and then simmered them for an hour and a half. They were quite good.

I also roasted some (organic) carrots. These actually turned out quite good. I got the idea from some carrots I had at Whole Foods. I sliced them on the bias, thinly coated them in olive oil, drizzled on some lemon juice and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. I roasted them for about 20 minutes at the aforementioned 400 degrees in a glass baking dish. Anything that will make a carrot more palatable to me is a good thing.

I will try cornbread again at some point. But not soon.

UPDATE: I neglected to write that right after I ate the edible portions of my meal, I called my mother to tell her about the cornpucks. She was kind but said, "If you want to make my cornbread, you have to make it my way." That's a mother for you.

The Great Del Taco Disappointment

2008-04-26T15:48:00.003-05:00

First of all, I'd like to say that I actually have cooked recently. And when I have the energy, I will tell you about the citrus honey glazed "ficken" that I made for The Momster when she was in town. But there are more pressing matters.

Yesterday, I had a lovely lunch over at Jackson's in Hillsboro Village (no website, Jackson's? Seriously?) with my wonderful new co-workers. I had the Capri Torrado, which is a chopped grilled portabello mushroom with tomato and avocado in a spinach tortilla wrap. And a whole lot of fries, which are lightly battered and very tasty. So by the time of dinner, I wasn't really hungry, so the SO requested I drop him by the nearby Del Taco/Captain D's combo restaurant.

First, the good news. They have macaroni and cheese.

And now the bad news. There is no Veggie Works burrito. And, if you remember, I love that Veggie Works burrito. There's a "1/2 pound bean and cheese burrito" (with your choice of red or green sauce) for $1.19, but no Veggie Works. Beans and cheese on a tortilla with some sauce is, quite frankly, nothing to get excited about (or a good reason to leave the house). So I got a snack of a side order of macaroni and cheese from the Captain D's section of the menu. I don't know if they had the crinkle fries, but this post (also by someone slapped in the face with the Tennessee version of Del Taco) indicates they do have them.

The SO ordered the bean burrito and, as a result of a "discussion" between us, a fish taco. I assumed because of the co-branding, that the fish taco would be a mini version of Captain D's fish on a taco, but he said that the breading and the fish were different (though, for the record, it looked the same to me but I sure as hell didn't taste it). So he was a little disappointed as well because I'd talked him out of getting a fish dinner. I don't think that Baja Burrito/Blue Coast Burrito has much to worry about with regard to Del Taco knocking them from their perch at the top of the local fish taco heap. Speaking of Blue Coast, I was happy to discover a location over on Sam Ridley Parkway not too far from my office. Good news for my stomach, bad news for my pants. But at least I don't have the 600-calorie Veggie Works burrito calling for me from around the corner. So I can save some room for a little Maximum R&B.

Product Review: Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale

2008-04-23T06:24:00.007-05:00

A while back, I stocked up on bottles of Celestial Seasonings green tea fortified with vitamin C when they were on closeout at Big Lots. Could I make my own green tea? Yes, but I really liked the flavor in these bottles and liked that they were fortified. So I've been rationing them. But now I have a replacement. Almost.

I took a wrong turn at the ~~Krosher~~ Kroger and ended up in the beverage aisle instead of the "natural foods" aisle and immediately spotted Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale. The packaging really caught my eye. So I just had to buy some (the SO loves ginger ale).

The flavor is similar to the Celestial Seasonings product, but it's got the ginger coupled with carbonation to give it a little bit of a kick. It tastes really good. The big difference (other than the carbonation and ginger, ahem) is that this beverage does not contain caffeine [5/13/08 Update: reader Rose sent me an email indicating she spoke with a representative of Canada Dry who said that the product does contain caffeine--28mg per liter, which is roughly 1/5 the amount of caffeine in Mountain Dew]. That's both a good and bad thing. Good in that I can drink it any time but I do occasionally need a tiny boost of caffeine to get going. So I will continue to ration my Celestial Seasonings teas and save them for when I really need them. Which is every morning right now.

The next step that Canada Dry needs to take, though is making a reduced sugar and/or sugar-free version. I'm not a huge fan of diet drinks, but the SO prefers sugarless beverages (so he can consume the sugar elsewhere...in cookies and ice cream, for example). And if they're going to push a drink for its health benefits (antioxidants! vitamin c!), then they need to cut back on the high fructose corn syrup. I think they could easily cut the sugar content in half and still have a very tasty beverage.

Working

2008-04-22T12:10:00.002-05:00

Working nearly 25 miles from my home in an office that's located in a small town/suburb is going to really pose some challenges to my diet. I brought my lunch today--a salad. It's good, but I really wish my bread was toasted. It tastes so much better warm and with a hint of toastiness.

My co-workers recently discovered a "Thai" place nearby. I saw it today and it's billed as "Chinese-Thai." I am dubious. Perhaps there are some hidden gems to be discovered, but most likely I need to plan for time in my morning routine for preparing a lunch. Perhaps I need to get used to preparing and eating sandwiches. Is it just me or are sandwiches always better when someone else makes them?

Or perhaps I'll look into this Bento Box thing. But that will require planning ahead and making pasta and bean salads and buying decent food which is becoming not only short in supply, but very expensive.

Too bad I don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.