Category: not home made

New levels of grilling

Sunday night found me atop a roof in Wrigleyville, across the street and just outside the left field foul line. While not all the company was as I would have chosen,

the crowd was generally a fun one. The food wasn’t too bad either.

Shoulda taken this sooner

It was an unusually cold night in August, so I pulled a fleece out of the closet. I think the weather helped me to really be in the mood a thick hamburger of a dense roll with onions, tomatoes, pickles and BBQ sauce. You could tell that it had been grilled just before I arrived at Brixen Ivy, as the cheese was all oozy and it smelled like it was still on fire (of course, there were also these waves of smoke pouring off the grill two doors down every time the wind picked up, but that was probably part of the “ambiance” for which I was paying through the nose). Also, due to my popular diet program, it had been a REALLY LONG TIME since I had eaten a beef burger with a complete bun (I’m eating the turkey or veggie variety open face these days, with a fork) and full-fat cheese, and I loved it.

On the side, I chose crisp, fresh broccoli and cauliflower with salad dressing, and a small bag of cheese popcorn. And a diet Coke. All around, not a bad meal.

The sad part of the night came near the end. Dessert was promised at the 5th inning, and I went in search of something sweet about midway through the 6th. The plate was BARE. and the kind chef who served up my burger just hours before said “I told you it would be out in the 5th.” Thanks a heap. That was the most expensive brownie I’ve ever missed out on.

(For the record, the most expensive dessert ever was the champagne and strawberries served at Vanderbilt after Commencement in 2000. I don’t like strawberries. But I made the most of the champagne.)

…and a side of housekeys.

I don’t often remember my dreams, but the ones that I do remember are always WAY the heck out there. Like the morning several months ago that I woke up saying “the Swiss cheese is for the Kangaroo!” with great insistence to no one in particular.
So it was with great interest that I’ve watched this several times today, each time laughing out loud in my otherwise quiet office.
So goes August.


Chef Cooks ‘Dream Omelet’ From Recipe That Came To Him In A Dream

Me? Not like M&Ms?

I shouldn’t go to Target hungry, I know, but there were these long and skinny boxes of Premium M&M’s, made in fun flavors like mocha, triple chocolate, and something about raspberries. The mocha ones are sparkly, too – kinda bronze-ish. I threw a box in my cart.
I hate them. I mean, not enough to throw them away, but not enough to buy them again, which in my world equates to hate. They are cloyingly mocha-y, and the flavor stay LONG after you stop eating.
First, the shell is not crispy. It’s soft. If you eat M&Ms, you want the crunch. These do not.
Second, the chocolate tastes expensive, where we all know that I prefer cheap chocolate. I would much rather have a peanut butter cup than a box of Godiva. I prefer M&Ms to truffles. I prefer milk chocolate over dark. These failed on all fronts.
Verdict: I’m sticking with the peanut M&Ms.

Quite a Spread

It’s supposed to rain again today which is not helping my week-long quest (to be fair, it’s not just the weather; there was one day I spent looking for a new work bag because the shoulder strap on my old one was ready to blow) to get over to a small market near my office for more toast toppings. They are absolutely the only way to east whole grain toast and English muffins, which have become a staple of my experience on one of America’s leading weight loss programs.
Anywho, apple butter. I love it. And the ratio of fiber to calories to fat in a reasonable serving is so low you an practically trowel it on your toast. If you’re feeling fancy, take a suggestion from Food Network and toast it with brie and prosciutto (or turkey).
My preference is to buy apple butter from a local farmer’s market during the summer, but when they’re not open yet, my favorite is American Spoon because it is flavorful, it doesn’t mold quickly and it has a nice texture. It’s not easy to find, but it’s totally worth the hunt.
So, when I found it in a local liquor store , I eagerly grabbed a jar for the ginger pear butter and was thrilled with the result. I prefer it on English muffin, but toast is ok, too. It has the same guiltless qualities as the apple butter, so I’m a happy camper.
I just hope the rain will hold off until after lunch so I can be a dry camper, as well.

UPDATE: The rain held off and I got to the market before the downpour, but they were out of apple butter (GASP!). A weekend trip to the liquor store remedied my problem, AND netted me a hunk of Spanish sheep’s milk cheese to enjoy with chianti jelly.