What began as an absurdly busy week at work, parlayed into moving 60.7 miles into a new home. I had quite a few sandwiches and I'm tired. There were a few nice lunches, one buffet where I ate way too much, and a new toaster oven that came with a staunch warning, "Caution: This oven gets hot."
Thanks for that.
I invented a homemade Redeye (normally a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso in it) when there isn't time to wait for the barista. You just drop a stick of Starbuck's VIA instant in your coffee and Whamo! You're going to get to the meeting in time now.
With the baby my caffeine intake has been upped by about 50%. One tablespoon has turned into two tablespoons, medium coffees have turned into larges, large coffees have turned into red eyes.
I had a work dinner at Buca di Beppo, in the Pope's Room no less, and I liked the food. I didn't think I would, but I did - and I liked the cake too! I don't like cake, so, good job BDB. Dinner for 22 was $1400 but telling dirty jokes in front of a bust of Pope John Paul II was priceless.
I scored some amazing waves at a secret spot near some train tracks in South Orange County. My friend Rick keeps a plastic sword, a sombrero, and a 1980s briefcase in his truck just in case there is a photo shoot. Bravo Rick. Bravo.
I was tempted to buy some malanga but I didn't, some haupia pudding but I didn't, and some Sparks but I didn't. If anyone has any suggestions on how to prepare malanga, let me know. They're not supposed to be squishy, are they? If anyone has any suggestions on drinking Sparks, keep them to yourself.
This week was brought to you by Samuel Adams, Coors Light, Kirkland Signature "Winery" (don't scoff, you snob), Bridlewood Winery, and Ridge Winery.
I'm not a big flower person but I can easily say that I like tulips. Mother's Day warranted a brunch of ham, potato salad, fruit, and cole slaw. My mother in-law makes some good cole slaw and I'm a total slaw snob, so there's something to be said about that.
I attempted to improvise a Watergate Salad with pistachio pudding. I ran out of ideas and ended up just putting pistachios in the pistachio pudding. Nothing really to write home about. It came out such a freakish green however, that I will attempt this again.
My black Starbucks Gold Card was transitioned to the gold Starbucks Gold Card and I'm not happy with the changes at this point. They won't let me accrue free crap if I don't pay with the card itself.
I realize how futile my argument is and that there are likely only 45 other people out there who agree with me, but I might write a letter anyways.
This week was brought to you by Samuel Adams, Kirin, and Amstel Light.
Starbuck's black Gold Card and Starbuck's gold Gold Card
Well, sleep has become quite the luxury in our house with a one-week-old baby; Amy is quickly honing the art of the power nap. I have always said that I sleep like a ninja, up at an instant, back to sleep instantaneously. This skill makes me the Diaper Werewolf in the middle of the night.
Food-wise, we have been doing some more simple meals. Pizza, sandwiches, stir-fry, tacos and the such. My coffee intake has been stepped up and I've packed on a few lbs while Amy sheds them. Enjoy the video, I've got to go change a dirty diaper.
I think cupcakes would be better without frosting. Is anyone else with me? A bagel, a great loaf of cinnamon bread, a free cup of coffee at Starbucks. Some horrible Chinese food, some kiwi (the fruit formerly known as the Chinese Gooseberry), and a homemade pulled pork sandwich. This is how the week began.
I had lunch at La Especial Norte, a hole-in-the-wall place in Leucadia California that made Saveur's 100 for "Best Soups" in 2004. Later, some artichokes and a bottle of Pinot paired well with a pasta dish of Roasted Cauliflower, Arugula, and Tomatoes. We followed this dinner with a lunch of a great Caprese Salad and a Risotto with Sausage and Radicchio.
I had a wonderful Prosciutto and Mozzarella sandwich one day, and a Mortadella and Salami Sandwich another; come to think of it, there was quite a lot of pasta and Italian food. One special treat was Cardamom Ice Cream which I had never heard of but considering the Cardamom trend going on right now, it didn't surprise me at all.
This week was brought to you by beers from Dogfish Head, Moretti, and Steinhaus Brewing Co.
Another 1000 miles and a 6 foot burrito. Among assorted snacks and road food, the stand-outs included a batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili. Not the packets of Gold Star, but the real deal from scratch. A luxury most Midwesterners likely have even indulged in. The leftovers became Cincinnati Chili Dogs, how appropriate.
I had another eye-opening trip to Peet's, the location in North Irvine may be an anomaly but Tim and Wes there REALLY know their coffee. I picked up a gold filter, because A) I'm tired of buying paper filters all the time, and B) trying to save the Earth you know, one paper filter at a time.
I ate McDonald's for the first time in months and... it was good. I know, I know. There's something about their Cheeseburger that reminds me of innocence. The most unusual thing on the menu? -> Why does the Double Cheeseburger cost less than the Cheeseburger?
Shortly after my trip became aware of The Elusive Mc10:35. Only available in that fast food limbo between McDonalds' breakfast and lunch, it is the amalgamation of a McMuffin and a McDouble. I tried once this week but was told they were out of McMuffins. I must have come at 10:36.
If anyone gets one, SEND ME A PICTURE! These are the things legends are made of.
At home and in the kitchen we made some Almond Avocado Cookies, some Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Crepes, Strawberry Shortcake, a Pork Loin with Sauerkraut, an Ice Cream Cake and Oat Bran Banana Nut Muffins (recipes will follow).
Lastly, I found an incredible Italian sandwich shop by asking the locals. I could have driven by Agrusa's Submarine Sandwiches in Escondito, CA a thousand times and never stopped in but I asked a local and they sent me in. The "Classic" is killer.
Another week, another 1000 miles, another box of wine. I found myself trying to eat less meat and in doing so getting an amazing sandwich and a sub-par burrito. Easter rolled around and we made some little bunnies out of deviled eggs and had a blast doing them.
We also made some of Cooks Illustrated's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, scored some tasty waves in San Diego, and found some houses in Enicinitas made from boats.
We made a trip to Stone Brewery, quite possibly my favorite brewery in the whole-wide-world, and if you like beer and come within 50 miles of the place, I highly suggest going. Not only did I have an Oaked Arrogant Bastard, I found an Arrogant Bastard Onesie, had a soft pretzel and a salad - but we also got their triple Crème brûlée. It came in citrus, green tea, and chocolate ginger.
Easter brunch came with a side of 7.2 on the Richter Scale, right in the middle of my second mimosa. We made an amazing Spiced Rum Banana Bread (recipe to come). We also had a ham which we doctored up with a tangerine glaze, potato and cucumber salads, and a lemon meringue pie.
I finally managed to finish off the Tagalongs Ice Cream after we made the leftover ham into an au gratin and served it with Brussels Sprouts. We've been loving these, "Just Mango Slices" from Trader Joes recently; that's exactly what they are, no salt, no sugar, just dried mango. We wrapped up with a batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili (recipe to come).
Coffee, cardamom gum, and the meatiest Cobb Salad I've ever had; a Pulled Pork Cobb nonetheless. Easter candy is also here and Palmer's Peanut Butter Eggs, although not as good as Reese's, are tough to pass on.
I found a Vietnamese place called Pho "T" - I wonder if they intended the malt liquor reference, I didn't ask. My co-worker asked for something unique and they served us a very sweet drink with lychee, dried cherries (?) and some seaweed-looking stuff. Not unpleasant, but definitely something I've never had before. I wish I wrote down what is was called.
I had one of my favorite Starbucks concoction, the veritable Green Tea Latte with No Syrup and Extra Matcha. It's a mouthful, get it? Mouthful? Never mind. I also found Top Gun Street in San Diego as well as some tasty waves.
I attended the Food Blog Forum Seminar in LA along with a ton of other friendly like-minded writers. What started as a BYO Brown Bag Lunch turned into a potluck and delivery by Baby Blue BBQ and Next Door Pizza - I stuffed myself silly! Praise the Lord too because all I brought was a handful of almonds!
The World Fare Bustaurant came by which is a full double-decker bus with dining on the roof and Haute Cuisine coming out the side. I had several of their dishes and everything was mouth watering and delicious. They're putting a new twist on the Roach Coach, find them @worldfare. Did I mention that I think I got a photo of the Teenage Glutster's Vespa?
Wrapping things up, I am trying out another box of wine, Pinot Evil. Cute name, environmentally-friendly packaging, and the sauce is pretty good too. Check them out. There was another food-related Wheel of Fortune answer, "Seared Scallops with Snow Peas." Lastly, I've now dubbed my morning shake of psyllium husks and yogurt, "Mugurt," pronounced myoo-gert. It fits.
This week we broke up our burritos with a trip to a farmer's market where we grabbed some baby turnips. The little guys made it into our salads and we satueed their greens up with a little shallot and olive oil, mmm mmm delish. I also saw the biggest squash I've ever seen. They were Tahitian and the purveyor said they grew some as big as 80 pounds.
We had a proper St.Patric's Day meal complete with Corned Beef and Boiled Cabbage. We managed to find a nitrate-free Corned Beef at Whole Foods, not that we normally care but one of us is pregnant. Just when I thought it was safe to back to the grocery store... the Girl Scouts struck again. Another box of Samoas, another 22% of the RDA of saturated fat per 2 cookies.
We ate a lot of Strawberries which are just now coming into season. The baskets later in the week were far better than the ones in the beginning. I don't know if it makes any difference, and would love to know if there are any strawberry experts out there, but we noticed that in the better ones, the redness had penetrated closer to the center. The less flavor they had, there seemed to be more white inside.
I found a joint called Bite of Boston that some days has a Lobster Roll. It was amazing and they are now on my radar whenever I'm in the area. We also had an amazing meal at Mario Batali's Pizzarria Mozza, unfortunately they weren't selling orange Crocks at the attached market or I may have bought some.
To wrap up the week, I had a great meal at Stone Brewery, likely my favorite brewery. I was warned about the food from multiple people so my expectations were set low; unfortunately, they came in right at mark. Nevertheless, the place is amazing. If you like beer, the place is worth making a haj to.
Happy St. Patty's Day! Kiss me I'm 3/8ths Irish (and I just found out that I'm 1/8th French Canadian too, but that's another story). I plan on drinking beer in green bottles if I don't find green beer today and we're making some corned beef and cabbage. Maybe I'll post the recipe. Maybe I won't.
Looking back at last week, we've got a veritable mish-mash of meals.
Exhibit A (above): I started making myself a "shake" in the mornings made up of psyllium husks, water, and yogurt. I have some gross rituals that I blame on my pre-coffee sleep walking. It either isn't that bad, or I'm a complete zombie in the AM.
I finished off my Samuel Adams variety pack called the Brewmaster's Collection (Boston Lager, Ale, Noble Pils, Cream Stout, Scotch Ale, and Coastal Wheat). I was somewhat surprised to read the the Coastal Wheat actually had lemons on it. Not bad though, hmm. I also found a $29 beer at Whole Foods (no, I didn't buy it), and I tried two of Dogfish Head's more bizarre brews, Midas Touch and Palo Santo Marron.
At times Wheel of Fortune was on in the house, against my will, and I noticed they went through several food-related puzzles: Hungarian Goulash, Kiss the Cook, Swiss Cheese, and Dinner Menu. I still don't understand how people leave that show with more dough than the nerds on Jeopardy.
The Girl Scouts struck again this week... in ice cream form, with Tagalongs ice cream from Dreyer's. We made huge vat of Chili Verde that took a few days to finish off. I ran out of coffee for the last two days and had to drink tea; although I bought more today (and got a free tote bag from Peet's, thanks!), I wasn't in dire tea straights like I thought I was going to be.
To close the week, we had an earthquake last night. A real, bona fide earthquake. Enjoy the video.
This week has been a busy one at work. Outside from the normal intake of fast food, fine dining, home cooked meals, coffee and beer, I bought a box each of chocolate and strawberry milks. There was another Black Box of wine, I kept making Yogurt Sodas, and had a great night of kine beer with one of my oldest friends in Los Angeles.
On the road, I saw a school bus getting towed (you don't see that very often), twice the people in front of me ran into the people in front of them, I watched the Goodyear blimp take off, and I saw a monster truck that looked like it had tattoos. We made fresh popcorn from scratch - you know, with a pot, a lid, some oil, some elbow grease, and a handful of corn. I hadn't done that since I was a little kid.
We made waffles! Picked some grapefruit and lemons, ate a bunch of peanuts, and saw a warning at a restaurant saying that they served food and/or drinks that contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer. Sure, I'm assuming they were referring to tuna and swordfish; nevertheless, no one wants to read that.
The best part of waking up is a strong cup of Joe in my cup. This week, I've been getting perky with some Starbucks fair trade Cafe Estima blend. Iz good. There were a lot of great home-cooked meals and a lot of new joints I discovered for lunch; a great week of food all together.
If you haven't left your house in the last two weeks, the Girl Scouts are at it again pushing their Samoas and their Caramel deLites on shoppers exiting the supermarkets. There were cameos this week by French Toast, Lindt Chocolate, our cute-as-a-button nephew Logan, and Cadbury Mini Eggs (Amy's favorite seasonal indulgence.)
I visited an old favorite Mexican joint that I haven't been to in 8 years (El Burrito Jr.), got a Black Box of Shiraz (they call it Shiraz even though the wine is from California... hmm), went to a crazy-busy German deli in Carlsbad, and saw some funky cars while racking up another 1000 miles on the road.
Continuing the breakfast trend, I may have indulged two or three time last week, my mornings have been more than just me and my old friend coffee. I have been eating more fast food than usual, some Del Taco tacos and a McDonalds sausage biscuit. This after I watched and wrote about the food industry's favorite documentary, Food Inc.
I reunited with some chums I hadn't seen in nearly a decade and drank nearly a gallon and a half of Bud Select. We BBQ'd up another massive batch of Paradise Chicken and played pool and darts well past our bed times. Good times were had by all.
I found an amazing Persian joint on Yelp and grabbed a Yogurt Soda which I had never heard of before. I really liked it and I'm bound to try and make my own Yogurt Soda at home. I also found a Chinese joint on Yelp that I wasn't too fond of, but c'est la via mon cheri!
I also tried Samuel Adams' new Noble Pils seasonal beer which I love - but after wondering which were the "all 5 Noble hops" were, I learned that calling Hersbrucker "Noble" is a bit of a controversy. I finished off Tuesday by grabbing a 3L Black Box of Pinot Grigio at the market for $20. I deserved it.
Another week, another 1000 or so miles on Southern California's fine freeways. I consumed more ice cream than usual, more coffee (as usual), a 10 foot swell rolled through, and a few breakfasts were thrown down the gullet for good measure.
It was Valentine's week and we celebrated with a marvelous dinner at Michael's on Naples in Long Beach, a Rock Sake tasting (an amazing new sake brand by the way, go find some), and more amazing fro-yo fromYogurtland.
I found some cool new Tom Yum Cashews at Trader Joe's, nearly polished off a whole carton of Dreyer's Slow Churned, and grabbed a bite at the epic Pedro's Tacos in San Clemente. A most amazing week to be an eater.
Coffee, coffee, Peanut Brittle Ice Cream, rain, coffee, beer, coffee. The rain continued to dump on California, there was plenty of traffic, and I found a great Greek buffet in the barrio. I ate more fruit salads than usual, I found two new flavors of gum (Piña Colada and Exotic Mint with Cardamom), and I ate 2 pounds of popcorn while watching 3D Avatar at the IMAX.
The Girl Scouts are in full effect now peddling their tasty wares of deliciousness to unsuspecting dieters; Samoas (AKA Caramel Delights) are the Achilles Heel in our home. I made 12 pounds of Paradise Wings for the Super Bowl and there were plenty of snacks for the Saints' victory march. "Who is that?"
Denny's gave away 2 million Grand Slams away and I ate one. A batch of pizzelles was made at our house, there were some bona fide Polish pickels served at a birthday party, and I had a beer that I have never tried before, (which doesn't happen very often) Taurino. A very good week of WWBE...
This week wraps up after some really bad meals at work. A bug or a bout with food poisoning left me "driving the porcelain bus to Ralph's house" one night - yes, I'm looking you square in the eyes Pizza Hut. We always blame the last thing we ate but I've been told GI bugs can take 24 hours to incubate. Nevertheless, never again!
More delicious Mexican food (naturally I suppose, since the US stole California from the Mexicans), some really good sushi, some amazing Italian food with really dark photos (I didn't want to disturb our neighbors), and more candy and soda than I normally consume. Everything in moderation I suppose... even moderation.
One oddity I threw in there was some In-N-Out ads coming from my car's radio. I looked down at the clock on I-5 one night to see on the display "HUNGRY?" - I thought, "As a matter of fact, thanks for asking." Then I saw "FRESHNESS." This is where the artist and song title normally are shown. It took me a minute to realize that I wasn't being spoken to by a higher being a la Steve Martin's character Harris K. Telemacher in the movie LA Story.
I have caught myself thinking about what I'm consuming more now that I have been taking pictures of everything and watching it all over again at the end of the week. Does this mean that I'm eating any differently? No, not yet. I'm only thinking about it more.
It is especially interesting that when I take a closer look, how repetitive some of my own habits are and I know I eat a wider variety of foods than many. Most days begin with a mug of coffee, and end with a beer... or two. I can tell where one 12-pack ends and another begins.
The surf was up in California so I thought the song would be appropriate. Enjoy the video and if you have a band and would like to contribute some music for future WWBE vids, email me.
This week kicked off with my first taste of Potiza, more Mexican food, some amazing mussels, some fine beer, and a cioppino. I'm starting to eat breakfast, I did a ton of driving in the "Great California Storm of 2010," we picked up a bunch of snacks at Trader Joe's, and scored some tasty waves up and down the coast. All in all, a great week of food and there was a tornado in Long Beach, CA.
This week had a two day meeting in a hotel which would have raised some strange questions if I started taking photos of the "Powdered Eggs over Servo." I didn't want to go there so I skipped taking snaps. We also had a great meal at some old friend's house with some great wine, looted a bunch of great citrus from Palm Desert, and holy crap I eat a lot of Mexican food.
This week included a superb Cassoulet by our main-man Russ, a trip to the iconic Long Beach bar, Joe Jost's, and plenty of crudité to pack in the veggies after the holidays. There was also yet another Christmas dinner cooked up by my dad with Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, Glazed Carrots and Creamed Spinach.
This week's song, Rocketship, is by my friend and San Francisco artist Chi McClean. He writes and performs his own music and is a wizard on the guitar. You can find more of his music and his upcoming shows on his own site ChiMcClean.com, his MySpace, his Facebook, his Twitter feed, and you can find him on iTunes by searching "Chi McClean".
