Monday, July 28, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Thursday, for now.
Breakfast was mac n cheese with hot dog slices and some of the lentil curry. The fridge on my floor is one of those small fridges with the freezer box inside the main fridge compartment and my food always freezes, even when it's two shelves below the freezer. The freezing was good for the texture of the lentil curry, though, and they made a nice pair with my boxed mac n cheese.
I was in the mood for more substantial lunch fare, though, so when co-workers suggested the burger joint in Le Parker Meridien Hotel, I, of course, agreed. I had mine medium rare with the works and split a side of fries with one of my co-workers. I've had better burgers at dinner time. The lunch crowd was definitely more hectic than the evenings so maybe that contributed to the slip in quality. It's still a great burger, and at $7.50 for just the burger, it's still pricey for my lunch standards, but that doesn't keep me from going back about once a month.
Then there was pop corn at my new favorite bar, Rehab. They have an old-school popcorn machine, like you might have found in a 1950's movie house. It's a nice touch on a space that's already doing a brilliant job of straddling the line between decor and decrepitude.
And then, that evening, just for the ABA plot structure, it was mac n cheese with hot dogs round deux. When I get in the mood, I can eat pounds of the stuff.
I was in the mood for more substantial lunch fare, though, so when co-workers suggested the burger joint in Le Parker Meridien Hotel, I, of course, agreed. I had mine medium rare with the works and split a side of fries with one of my co-workers. I've had better burgers at dinner time. The lunch crowd was definitely more hectic than the evenings so maybe that contributed to the slip in quality. It's still a great burger, and at $7.50 for just the burger, it's still pricey for my lunch standards, but that doesn't keep me from going back about once a month.
Then there was pop corn at my new favorite bar, Rehab. They have an old-school popcorn machine, like you might have found in a 1950's movie house. It's a nice touch on a space that's already doing a brilliant job of straddling the line between decor and decrepitude.
And then, that evening, just for the ABA plot structure, it was mac n cheese with hot dogs round deux. When I get in the mood, I can eat pounds of the stuff.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Wednesday was not as nutritionally unsound as it could have otherwise been.
Some days you eat a bowl of oatmeal, some yogurt, a light salad, reasonable dinner, you feel so energized and full of life.
Yesterday I woke up tired and a touch hung-over after about four hours of sleep. I was not in the mood for oatmeal.
Breakfast was two, yes, two Jeno's frozen supreme pizzas. I knew that I'd need more push to keep the engine running today and more calories for all the caffeine to bounce off of and not tear holes in my stomach.
To that end, I gladly accepted a sugar cookie from my office-mate. She likes to dust them with cinnamon.
Even with two pizzas under my belt, well, suspended just above my belt, really, I needed to eat an early lunch and slammed a bowl of ramen while working on a project at work.
But that's not all I ate at work! Thanks to some sort of summer seminar, there was a wealth of free Indian food in the atrium in the afternoon. There was channa saag (spinach and chickpeas), chicken korma (spicy, creamy red sauce) and some kind of lentil curry as well as naan, rice, raita (sour yogurt with vegetables) and even the cilantro and tamarind chutneys. the saag and the korma were very good, although there was not much chicken left in the chicken korma by the time I went down. The lentil curry had some strange texture to the sauce. It felt a little plastic.
I went up for a pretty hefty second helping of the channa saag. I also had two helpings of the desert, which seemed to me to have more in common with Midwest family reunions than it did with Indian buffet, but it was so good, I really can't complain. It was an orange pudding, possibly butterscotch, mixed with fruit salad and a meringue-like topping. The combination of the heavy, creamy dessert and the light, fluffy desert just piled instant satisfaction into your face.
There was so much curry left over that was going to be thrown away, I got the tupperware I used for ramen and filled it up with some of each of the curries. I was so full I didn't eat dinner that evening either, although I did have a bite of mac n cheese with hot dogs that I made for Thursday. Sorry for the spoiler. I know how my fans are such purists.
Yesterday I woke up tired and a touch hung-over after about four hours of sleep. I was not in the mood for oatmeal.
Breakfast was two, yes, two Jeno's frozen supreme pizzas. I knew that I'd need more push to keep the engine running today and more calories for all the caffeine to bounce off of and not tear holes in my stomach.
To that end, I gladly accepted a sugar cookie from my office-mate. She likes to dust them with cinnamon.
Even with two pizzas under my belt, well, suspended just above my belt, really, I needed to eat an early lunch and slammed a bowl of ramen while working on a project at work.
But that's not all I ate at work! Thanks to some sort of summer seminar, there was a wealth of free Indian food in the atrium in the afternoon. There was channa saag (spinach and chickpeas), chicken korma (spicy, creamy red sauce) and some kind of lentil curry as well as naan, rice, raita (sour yogurt with vegetables) and even the cilantro and tamarind chutneys. the saag and the korma were very good, although there was not much chicken left in the chicken korma by the time I went down. The lentil curry had some strange texture to the sauce. It felt a little plastic.
I went up for a pretty hefty second helping of the channa saag. I also had two helpings of the desert, which seemed to me to have more in common with Midwest family reunions than it did with Indian buffet, but it was so good, I really can't complain. It was an orange pudding, possibly butterscotch, mixed with fruit salad and a meringue-like topping. The combination of the heavy, creamy dessert and the light, fluffy desert just piled instant satisfaction into your face.
There was so much curry left over that was going to be thrown away, I got the tupperware I used for ramen and filled it up with some of each of the curries. I was so full I didn't eat dinner that evening either, although I did have a bite of mac n cheese with hot dogs that I made for Thursday. Sorry for the spoiler. I know how my fans are such purists.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, I ate burritos.
I did, it's true, and nothing but.
Breakfast was two of the bacon and eggs variety accented with a tidy little wedge of Monterrey jack cheese, one with a smattering of horseradish, the other with a spritzing of McIlheny's chipotle Tabasco sauce.
Then, in the afternoon were leftover bean burritos from yesterday. I stored the beans and the tortillas separately the night before, so I wrapped them fresh in the morning with their own wedges of Monterrey jack cheese before going to work. I ate one at about 2:30PM and the other one around 6:30, and then that was it for the day.
And I thought Monday was simple...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday because the hits don't stop
I just keep on eating, but my life provides much more time to eat than it does time to write.
Monday was a throwback to earlier eating habits starting with a frozen Jeno's supreme pizza for breakfast.
Then there were a few Chips Ahoy cookies left over from last Wednesday and some left-overs from last Thursday's lunch, which was itself left over from two other days in the last two weeks. Surprisingly, the mash of papa rellena, enchilada and meat from the chicken wings melded into a very tasty, if not very attractive lunch.
Back at home, there was the semi-traditional (at least when available) celery and peanut butter.
And finally, rounding out what must be one of my all-time simplest days of food, were burritos stuffed with black beans, red beans, green peppers, cubanelle peppers and hot Italian sausage.
I guess I really dropped the ball there, only using one kind of sausage. I also used only one kind of onion, white, one kind of garlic, the kind that comes pre-peeled in a jar, one kind of tortilla, flour, one kind of cream, sour, one kind of cheese, monterray jack, and one kind of hot sauce, McIlheny's chipotle. There was also a little crushed cumin, fresh black pepper, chili powder, mace and fresh thyme and a ton of fresh cilantro. I had two of them for dinner with quite a few cold ones.
I know, you totally should have come over.
Monday was a throwback to earlier eating habits starting with a frozen Jeno's supreme pizza for breakfast.
Then there were a few Chips Ahoy cookies left over from last Wednesday and some left-overs from last Thursday's lunch, which was itself left over from two other days in the last two weeks. Surprisingly, the mash of papa rellena, enchilada and meat from the chicken wings melded into a very tasty, if not very attractive lunch.
Back at home, there was the semi-traditional (at least when available) celery and peanut butter.
And finally, rounding out what must be one of my all-time simplest days of food, were burritos stuffed with black beans, red beans, green peppers, cubanelle peppers and hot Italian sausage.
I guess I really dropped the ball there, only using one kind of sausage. I also used only one kind of onion, white, one kind of garlic, the kind that comes pre-peeled in a jar, one kind of tortilla, flour, one kind of cream, sour, one kind of cheese, monterray jack, and one kind of hot sauce, McIlheny's chipotle. There was also a little crushed cumin, fresh black pepper, chili powder, mace and fresh thyme and a ton of fresh cilantro. I had two of them for dinner with quite a few cold ones.
I know, you totally should have come over.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Friday kicked it in Wildwood, NJ
This weekend was almost too big for words. If I gave this my regular treatment, the post would be even more abusively long than usual, so I've stocked up on pictures and I took my succinct writing pill.
Taylor pork roll, two eggs and Cooper sharp cheddar on toasted white bread. This is what I would eat for breakfast four days a week if it wouldn't lead to a heart attack in few months. If you're not familiar with Taylor pork roll, imagine salt-cured bacon made into bologna. It can get crispy if you want, but mostly it's an extremely salty and succulent way to induce heart failure.
I feel buffalo chicken "pizza" is almost always a bad idea. My friend decided to take the gamble and much like you can't not look at the decapitated corpse in the flaming wreckage on the side of the highway, I took a bite of this pizza. The sauce was mostly vinegar and cayenne, which doesn't leave a lot of room for a subtle balance of flavors. A healthy dose of bleu cheese dressing would have been very welcome here.
Back at the house it was snack time: Reduced fat potato chips, cherries, salted pistachios and Cooper sharp. Much like Pringles, "reduced fat" and "lite" potato chips usually compensate by putting on a lot more salt. I'm pretty happy with that. The salty foods danced well with the first beer of the afternoon, and the cherries and cheese danced pretty well around each other.
Entenmann's chocolate donut holes with sprinkles vs Tastykake's plain/powdered/cinnamon powdered donut assortment: if you're going for irresistibility, Entenmann's has the edge. I had three or four over the course of the day. Owing a lot to their small size and, I feel, a more home-made texture, the donut holes were just a lot easier to pop. I did have a piece of a cinnamon donut later in the day, as well as one of the plain donuts for desert after dinner.
Speaking of which, here are the sides: a variation of my simple spinach salad featuring the Cooper sharp cheese and hot dog buns soaked in olive oil and lamb juices and then grilled and cut into croûtons and corn on the cob, grilled in the husk.
And the main event was roasted lamb tenderloins with a nice layer of fat on one side. The lamb was from Elysian Fields farm in Western Pennsylvania. Their lambs have been served in the French Laundry and their quality was very apparent here, even after freezing and shipping. Grilled to a juicy medium-rare while allowing time for the fat to char a bit, this might have been the best lamb I've ever eaten. I've had Elysian Fields lamb as a roast in the past, but freshly grilled and still very rare on the inside, the meat managed to balance delicacy with richness.
It was so good I used a plain Tastykake donut to sop up the juices on the plate. Mmm, meat desert.
Third desert was a chocolate covered strawberry. Second desert, not pictured here, was a swiss roll. They could have made a nice desert together, but the chocolate shell on the strawberry would not have stood up to slicing of any kind. I tried to take a small bite, but had to slam the entire thing as chocolate chunks started to drop into my lap.
Then, later on the boardwalk again, I decided it was time for a corn dog. This one was a little under done. I can eat cold hot dogs, and the gooey edge to the inner-most batter was actually pretty good, but all in all, I would have preferred my corn dog was at least genuinely warm on the inside. The batter was very light and smooth, more corn starch than corn meal, so it took on a very brisk crunchiness (where not still verging on raw) as opposed to cakier versions I have had elsewhere.
And of course this weekend had to feature boardwalk fries somewhere. These were from a Stewart's Rootbeer restaurant/stand. Excellent cheese-to-fry ratio: enough for each fry while leaving the occaisional dry spot that maintained crunchiness and let you eat with your fingers amongst friends without having to lick your fingers clean between rounds. UNSANITARY!
Later, back at the house again, there were Canadian Tommies, a twist on the Texas Tommy with Canadian bacon instead of strip bacon. My friend and I each had two, one with some packet of hot sauce from a Chinese restaurant that was left over in the beach house fridge, and the other with a squirt of mayo. I think we managed to out-swill the boardwalk, and that takes some effort, ingenuity and a dangerous disregard for the safety of your colon. The Chinese hot sauce caught me off guard as much spicier than I expected. I had to slog the first bite down with a chase of beer. The mayo CT was fantastic, though. Nothing gets me ready for bed like abusive ingestion of cholesterol.
But first, just to clean off the ol' palate before bed, a freezer pop. How much does your inner child just scream in delight just looking at this glorious orange rod of icy awesome? There was a whole bag left in the freezer, and if this weren't already the fourteenth course of food for the day I would not have been able to hold myself to just one. I'm going to have to stock up on these for the rest of summer.
Taylor pork roll, two eggs and Cooper sharp cheddar on toasted white bread. This is what I would eat for breakfast four days a week if it wouldn't lead to a heart attack in few months. If you're not familiar with Taylor pork roll, imagine salt-cured bacon made into bologna. It can get crispy if you want, but mostly it's an extremely salty and succulent way to induce heart failure.
I feel buffalo chicken "pizza" is almost always a bad idea. My friend decided to take the gamble and much like you can't not look at the decapitated corpse in the flaming wreckage on the side of the highway, I took a bite of this pizza. The sauce was mostly vinegar and cayenne, which doesn't leave a lot of room for a subtle balance of flavors. A healthy dose of bleu cheese dressing would have been very welcome here.
Back at the house it was snack time: Reduced fat potato chips, cherries, salted pistachios and Cooper sharp. Much like Pringles, "reduced fat" and "lite" potato chips usually compensate by putting on a lot more salt. I'm pretty happy with that. The salty foods danced well with the first beer of the afternoon, and the cherries and cheese danced pretty well around each other.
Entenmann's chocolate donut holes with sprinkles vs Tastykake's plain/powdered/cinnamon powdered donut assortment: if you're going for irresistibility, Entenmann's has the edge. I had three or four over the course of the day. Owing a lot to their small size and, I feel, a more home-made texture, the donut holes were just a lot easier to pop. I did have a piece of a cinnamon donut later in the day, as well as one of the plain donuts for desert after dinner.
Speaking of which, here are the sides: a variation of my simple spinach salad featuring the Cooper sharp cheese and hot dog buns soaked in olive oil and lamb juices and then grilled and cut into croûtons and corn on the cob, grilled in the husk.
And the main event was roasted lamb tenderloins with a nice layer of fat on one side. The lamb was from Elysian Fields farm in Western Pennsylvania. Their lambs have been served in the French Laundry and their quality was very apparent here, even after freezing and shipping. Grilled to a juicy medium-rare while allowing time for the fat to char a bit, this might have been the best lamb I've ever eaten. I've had Elysian Fields lamb as a roast in the past, but freshly grilled and still very rare on the inside, the meat managed to balance delicacy with richness.
It was so good I used a plain Tastykake donut to sop up the juices on the plate. Mmm, meat desert.
Third desert was a chocolate covered strawberry. Second desert, not pictured here, was a swiss roll. They could have made a nice desert together, but the chocolate shell on the strawberry would not have stood up to slicing of any kind. I tried to take a small bite, but had to slam the entire thing as chocolate chunks started to drop into my lap.
Then, later on the boardwalk again, I decided it was time for a corn dog. This one was a little under done. I can eat cold hot dogs, and the gooey edge to the inner-most batter was actually pretty good, but all in all, I would have preferred my corn dog was at least genuinely warm on the inside. The batter was very light and smooth, more corn starch than corn meal, so it took on a very brisk crunchiness (where not still verging on raw) as opposed to cakier versions I have had elsewhere.
And of course this weekend had to feature boardwalk fries somewhere. These were from a Stewart's Rootbeer restaurant/stand. Excellent cheese-to-fry ratio: enough for each fry while leaving the occaisional dry spot that maintained crunchiness and let you eat with your fingers amongst friends without having to lick your fingers clean between rounds. UNSANITARY!
Later, back at the house again, there were Canadian Tommies, a twist on the Texas Tommy with Canadian bacon instead of strip bacon. My friend and I each had two, one with some packet of hot sauce from a Chinese restaurant that was left over in the beach house fridge, and the other with a squirt of mayo. I think we managed to out-swill the boardwalk, and that takes some effort, ingenuity and a dangerous disregard for the safety of your colon. The Chinese hot sauce caught me off guard as much spicier than I expected. I had to slog the first bite down with a chase of beer. The mayo CT was fantastic, though. Nothing gets me ready for bed like abusive ingestion of cholesterol.
But first, just to clean off the ol' palate before bed, a freezer pop. How much does your inner child just scream in delight just looking at this glorious orange rod of icy awesome? There was a whole bag left in the freezer, and if this weren't already the fourteenth course of food for the day I would not have been able to hold myself to just one. I'm going to have to stock up on these for the rest of summer.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday dove into the wild.
I'm on the road, trekking into the heart of darkness in search of classic summer victuals for your vicarious enjoyment. While there are no photos yet, they are coming. For now, a bit of a teaser.
oatmeal +
leftover lunch
dippin' dots
hot dog
softserve
chips
pretzels
gourmet leftovers
dosidos and milk
and last but not least
pop rocks and beer.
oatmeal +
leftover lunch
dippin' dots
hot dog
softserve
chips
pretzels
gourmet leftovers
dosidos and milk
and last but not least
pop rocks and beer.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday brings more oatmeal titlation.
Yesterday, the Oatmeal Revolution marched on. Here we see my black sesame oatmeal. Black sesame seeds are a very common food additive in Japan. You can even get black sesame spread for toast or anything else upon which you may want to spread peanut butter or icing. I won't deign to attempt an exhaustive list.
The black sesame seeds gave a flavor similar to peanut butter, but a little lighter. I also added sesame oil, brown sugar, salt and a dash of mirin to the oatmeal as it boiled. The result was a markedly different cultural perspective on oatmeal. I love black sesame seeds, so this is likely to be a repeat offender in the breakfast line up.
Todays yogurt was a Stonyfield Farm lowfat vanilla. It's my favorite of their flavors, although some days I prefer the cream-on-top version. With a steamy summer swelter brewing outside, though, the more refreshing bite of lowfat is definitely preferable.
And just because of the staunch nutritionists in the audience, I made sure to eat my chocolate-covered nutrition waffle twins.
Then, randomly on the street, I was offered a handful of salted almonds. Yeah, I ate them. What? I'm a gonzo food journalist, after all.
The street eventually led a co-worker and myself to Gray's Papaya Dog on 72nd St. and Broadway. Gray's is a chain of hot dog joints that have spawned a few imitators around the city. Collectively, the garish yellow store-fronts and the rows of franks slowly crisping on sheets of aluminum foil are often cited as a food-tourist must if you visit Manhattan.
I had the "recession special" "with everything" with a pina colada "juice."
To translate, that's two dogs and a drink for $3.50, not bad. "With everything" here doesn't include chili or cheese, although some other Papaya locations do cater more to the chilicheeseonionmustardkrautpile that true colonic masochists come to expect from a dog with "everything." At the Gray's Papaya, though, "with everything" is a healthy lading of sauerkraut with onions stewed in a red sauce ladled over top. I like to squirt a little brown mustard on the top of that. And as for "juice," well, there are discernible bits of what I hope was actually coconut in the pina colada, so I guess we'll let that one go.
Since I was working till 8 last night, I had to have a snack a little after 6PM. I packed the leftover chalupa and some of the honey ginger chicken wings for the occasion. As far as leftovers go, the chicken fared better than the chalupa. The fresh vegetables were too much of a pain to remove before reheating in the microwave, but didn't really fare well. All the water that released from the veggies made the shell very soft. It started to fall apart on me, still delicious, but a pain to handle.
And then, when I got home, it was leftover couscous with a much more profound helping of the yogurt sauce. This was a much more pleasant leftover experience, although still not as good as leftover saag paneer. Since everything had been sitting in the fridge it was all cold which made the vegetables all the more brighter. That and a few cold ones and I barely noticed how disgustingly hot a 5th floor Manhattan apartment can get in July.
The black sesame seeds gave a flavor similar to peanut butter, but a little lighter. I also added sesame oil, brown sugar, salt and a dash of mirin to the oatmeal as it boiled. The result was a markedly different cultural perspective on oatmeal. I love black sesame seeds, so this is likely to be a repeat offender in the breakfast line up.
Todays yogurt was a Stonyfield Farm lowfat vanilla. It's my favorite of their flavors, although some days I prefer the cream-on-top version. With a steamy summer swelter brewing outside, though, the more refreshing bite of lowfat is definitely preferable.
And just because of the staunch nutritionists in the audience, I made sure to eat my chocolate-covered nutrition waffle twins.
Then, randomly on the street, I was offered a handful of salted almonds. Yeah, I ate them. What? I'm a gonzo food journalist, after all.
The street eventually led a co-worker and myself to Gray's Papaya Dog on 72nd St. and Broadway. Gray's is a chain of hot dog joints that have spawned a few imitators around the city. Collectively, the garish yellow store-fronts and the rows of franks slowly crisping on sheets of aluminum foil are often cited as a food-tourist must if you visit Manhattan.
I had the "recession special" "with everything" with a pina colada "juice."
To translate, that's two dogs and a drink for $3.50, not bad. "With everything" here doesn't include chili or cheese, although some other Papaya locations do cater more to the chilicheeseonionmustardkrautpile that true colonic masochists come to expect from a dog with "everything." At the Gray's Papaya, though, "with everything" is a healthy lading of sauerkraut with onions stewed in a red sauce ladled over top. I like to squirt a little brown mustard on the top of that. And as for "juice," well, there are discernible bits of what I hope was actually coconut in the pina colada, so I guess we'll let that one go.
Since I was working till 8 last night, I had to have a snack a little after 6PM. I packed the leftover chalupa and some of the honey ginger chicken wings for the occasion. As far as leftovers go, the chicken fared better than the chalupa. The fresh vegetables were too much of a pain to remove before reheating in the microwave, but didn't really fare well. All the water that released from the veggies made the shell very soft. It started to fall apart on me, still delicious, but a pain to handle.
And then, when I got home, it was leftover couscous with a much more profound helping of the yogurt sauce. This was a much more pleasant leftover experience, although still not as good as leftover saag paneer. Since everything had been sitting in the fridge it was all cold which made the vegetables all the more brighter. That and a few cold ones and I barely noticed how disgustingly hot a 5th floor Manhattan apartment can get in July.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday begins the March of the Oatmeals
But first, let's take a look at another fine breakfast tradition, the Nutty Buddy. I think this is a food item that deserves more serious consideration from nutritionists. It looks like a waffle, so that makes it a good breakfast. It also has peanut butter in it. I ate this one, well, this pair, on the way from the 72nd street 2 stop to the Lincoln Center. Also, at $1.39 per box of 8, they are a fantastic nutritional value.
Ok, now for the Oatmeal Revolution! You think it's boring. You think it's too hot for oatmeal. You think Wilfred Brimley should have shaved the mustache. YOU ARE WRONG!
This is your standard classic oatmeal with just a few bells and whistles. As a rule, I don't cook food with fewer than 7 ingredients. When I make eggs I find small, chemically inert objects to put in the pan and take out later.
So, in keeping with this grand ideal, in addition to the oats and water, this breakfast contained salt, brown sugar, a tablespoon of butter and a dash of cinnamon. That's seven ingredients if you count the BS about me only ever cooking with at least 7 ingredients as an ingredient itself. Mmmmm, bull shit. My favorite.
From cold water to oatmeal takes maybe 10 minutes, tops. As soon as it has taken up all the water, I pour it into my Tupperware and throw it into my bag. By the time I get to work, it has cooled to a very pleasant temperature for summer eating.
This wasn't just breakfast. I ate the oatmeal in bites as I worked through the morning and didn't finish the bowl till about 2PM. There was the vanilla yogurt on the side, but the slow eating over the course of 5 hours was very good for me. Even as the oatmeal cooled, it still remained engaging. It also led me to realize that as the food cooled, my desire for sugar decreased and my desire for salt increased. Fascinating, huh?
Expect a new oatmeal every day this week. I plan on pushing past the grey, cardboard walls of what you thought you knew about oatmeal and take this old favorite in some new directions.
Not a preview shot of upcoming oatmeal, This is a closeup of the base couscous and vegetables I made for dinner. After finishing my oatmeal around 2, I managed to make it to dinner with two handfuls of microwave pop corn, a pineapple lifesaver and
A stick of celery with peanut butter. How glorious does that look? How triumphant? Truly, this is the food of kings.
But back to dinner. I was aiming for light summer fare without too much heat involved in the cooking. Couscous is great for that, because given enough time, you don't even have to boil the water. I did, just to speed the process, though it didn't boil for very long. I also dropped a tablespoon of butter and a shot of adobo to the water as it boiled. After the water was boiling and the butter had melted, I poured the hot water into dry couscous in a glass bowl and then mixed in some snow peas.
This gave them just the lightest edge of steaming without overdoing them. After it cooled for about 5 minutes, I fluffed it and added diced red onions, red peppers, carrots, tomato and a very liberal amount of cilantro.
Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, I fried a slice of bacon and about a half inch worth of a chorizo link till their fat rendered, and then reserved the meat on the side while I fried shrimp and scallops in the fat.
The scallops were dusted with adobo and allowed to soak up the saltiness for about 15 minutes. The shrimp had a similar marinade time in fresh lime juice and a light dash of adobo. I fried the shrimp first, adding the scallops second, adding a shot of beer to the pan to prevent the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan from burning. The great thing about shrimp and scallops is they take almost no time to finish cooking, so there was not a long process of slaving over a hot stove.
By way of a dressing, I ground whole cumin, taragon, oregano, chili powder and a few black peppercorns in my mortar and added them to a cup of whole milk yogurt.
Then I plated the couscous over a cucumber dill salad. The cucumbers were sliced and salted with adobo when I started cooking and allowed to set in the fridge. Right before I started frying the sea food, I tossed in a dash of vegetable oil, a liberal slopping of balsamic vinegar and a very generous heap of fresh dill.
I poured a few tablespoons of the yogurt sauce over the top of the couscous, arranged the seafood in a little flower spread on top of the yogurt, and then, to finish, I sprinkled on the bacon and chorizo pieces that I used for fat to fry the seafood in.
It was very light and filling summer fare, perhaps too light for me. I could have stood to have been a lot more liberal with the yogurt sauce. Crunchy health food types would probably prefer this version, maybe minus the bacon-fried sea food, but I refuse to live in fear of fat. Here's a nice fence-straddler dish between indulgence and calorie counting.
Speaking of calorie counting, I would be remiss if I did not also mention my ice cream sandwich for desert/temperature control. Just a generic black rectangular cookie with white ice cream in the center. I don't even know if fancy descriptions like "chocolate" and "vanilla" are appropriate. They're just good freezer swill.
Ok, now for the Oatmeal Revolution! You think it's boring. You think it's too hot for oatmeal. You think Wilfred Brimley should have shaved the mustache. YOU ARE WRONG!
This is your standard classic oatmeal with just a few bells and whistles. As a rule, I don't cook food with fewer than 7 ingredients. When I make eggs I find small, chemically inert objects to put in the pan and take out later.
So, in keeping with this grand ideal, in addition to the oats and water, this breakfast contained salt, brown sugar, a tablespoon of butter and a dash of cinnamon. That's seven ingredients if you count the BS about me only ever cooking with at least 7 ingredients as an ingredient itself. Mmmmm, bull shit. My favorite.
From cold water to oatmeal takes maybe 10 minutes, tops. As soon as it has taken up all the water, I pour it into my Tupperware and throw it into my bag. By the time I get to work, it has cooled to a very pleasant temperature for summer eating.
This wasn't just breakfast. I ate the oatmeal in bites as I worked through the morning and didn't finish the bowl till about 2PM. There was the vanilla yogurt on the side, but the slow eating over the course of 5 hours was very good for me. Even as the oatmeal cooled, it still remained engaging. It also led me to realize that as the food cooled, my desire for sugar decreased and my desire for salt increased. Fascinating, huh?
Expect a new oatmeal every day this week. I plan on pushing past the grey, cardboard walls of what you thought you knew about oatmeal and take this old favorite in some new directions.
Not a preview shot of upcoming oatmeal, This is a closeup of the base couscous and vegetables I made for dinner. After finishing my oatmeal around 2, I managed to make it to dinner with two handfuls of microwave pop corn, a pineapple lifesaver and
A stick of celery with peanut butter. How glorious does that look? How triumphant? Truly, this is the food of kings.
But back to dinner. I was aiming for light summer fare without too much heat involved in the cooking. Couscous is great for that, because given enough time, you don't even have to boil the water. I did, just to speed the process, though it didn't boil for very long. I also dropped a tablespoon of butter and a shot of adobo to the water as it boiled. After the water was boiling and the butter had melted, I poured the hot water into dry couscous in a glass bowl and then mixed in some snow peas.
This gave them just the lightest edge of steaming without overdoing them. After it cooled for about 5 minutes, I fluffed it and added diced red onions, red peppers, carrots, tomato and a very liberal amount of cilantro.
Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, I fried a slice of bacon and about a half inch worth of a chorizo link till their fat rendered, and then reserved the meat on the side while I fried shrimp and scallops in the fat.
The scallops were dusted with adobo and allowed to soak up the saltiness for about 15 minutes. The shrimp had a similar marinade time in fresh lime juice and a light dash of adobo. I fried the shrimp first, adding the scallops second, adding a shot of beer to the pan to prevent the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan from burning. The great thing about shrimp and scallops is they take almost no time to finish cooking, so there was not a long process of slaving over a hot stove.
By way of a dressing, I ground whole cumin, taragon, oregano, chili powder and a few black peppercorns in my mortar and added them to a cup of whole milk yogurt.
Then I plated the couscous over a cucumber dill salad. The cucumbers were sliced and salted with adobo when I started cooking and allowed to set in the fridge. Right before I started frying the sea food, I tossed in a dash of vegetable oil, a liberal slopping of balsamic vinegar and a very generous heap of fresh dill.
I poured a few tablespoons of the yogurt sauce over the top of the couscous, arranged the seafood in a little flower spread on top of the yogurt, and then, to finish, I sprinkled on the bacon and chorizo pieces that I used for fat to fry the seafood in.
It was very light and filling summer fare, perhaps too light for me. I could have stood to have been a lot more liberal with the yogurt sauce. Crunchy health food types would probably prefer this version, maybe minus the bacon-fried sea food, but I refuse to live in fear of fat. Here's a nice fence-straddler dish between indulgence and calorie counting.
Speaking of calorie counting, I would be remiss if I did not also mention my ice cream sandwich for desert/temperature control. Just a generic black rectangular cookie with white ice cream in the center. I don't even know if fancy descriptions like "chocolate" and "vanilla" are appropriate. They're just good freezer swill.
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