I can't believe there are less than two days left of 2008. Weird. Even weirder that I've spent the last couple of weeks eating obscene amounts of food and I can't quite remember what most of it was. I do remember one thing, though. The most wonderfully delicious and disgustingly bad for you food EVER: chicken skin. Yes, for those that haven't grown up on this delicacy, you may think it's a bit gross without the chicken meat attached . . . but it's absolutely wonderful.
I had a potluck Christmas party with some old friends the other day, and someone who I shall now consider my new best friend decided to bring an entire tray of crispy chicken skin. *content sigh* Upon eating one piece drenched in spicy vinegar, I couldn't stop. I would've eaten the entire tray had they left me with it-- but people kept getting in the way. My friends started making fun of me-- saying that was the most excited they'd ever seen me (and the most filipino). Ha. Chicken skin to me is like candy to a little kid. If people gave out chicken skin instead of candy on Halloween . . . I'd take the day off of work and put on some really comfortable sneakers. ;)
I'm generally not a generic brand shopper. I'm used to my Dove and Breyers and Pillsbury and McCormick and Halls and Kleenex and Land O'Lakes and . . . you get the idea. But I'm also drawn to sales-- and, usually, grocery stores are good at putting the brand-name items on sale. Last night, though, I went to the store to get some chewy chocolate chip cookies and the Chips Ahoy brand wasn't on sale. It was over $4 for one package when it's generally on sale for two for $5. These days, I really hate spending unnecessary money-- and I couldn't bring myself to spend nearly an extra two bucks on the Chips Ahoy.
Every now and then, I'll buy a generic brand (of cotton swabs or pocket tissue or ibuprofen or hand sanitizer or even butter)-- and even though they are never as good as the real thing, they usually get the job done. So I put my faith in the generic brand called "Treasure Chips" which happened to be on sale for two for $5. I brought them home to several hungry individuals and looked forward to enjoying some sweet, chewy goodness. All I have to say is . . . ewwww. Seriously. Worst generic product EVER. First, they weren't chewy-- they were like cardboard and became powdery when bitten into. Second, the sweetness was sooo artificial and overpowering. And third . . . I don't know-- I don't even have a third, but they were just soooo BAD. I was so appalled by how bad that I wrote a complaint to the grocery store company this morning. Ha. From now on, I'll just stick to inedible generics. Stupid Treasure Chips . . .
So I took a bit of a posting vacay because I was eating it up in NY. *deep, heavy sigh* I don't know what it is about the food in NY, but it is by far the best I've ever had. I went there with a list of things I already knew I wanted to eat-- and I left having added more favorites to my list. It's ridiculous, I tell you. No wonder weight gain is inevitable there. :\
Anyway, here is most of what I ate:
glorious soup dumplings (accompanied by glorious vinegar soy sauce)
all sorts of Guyanese baked goods-- including these cheese rolls (which happen to look like feet-- haha)
best darn Halal cart combo ever-- I don't even like lamb, but I devoured this
perfect everything bagel with spicy turkey chili (my palate has gotten weak because this used to be my fave, but it was almost too spicy)
lunch at Google, the most wonderful, amazing place EVER (I forgot to take the picture before I cut everything up though-- sorry)
meatball bao (so very delicious, but it will make you so very bloated)
75-cent drumsticks (which would make anyone a little happy/crazy)
Dominican dinner (amazing beef & egg empanadas, wonderful lasagna, and darn good pork chops...)
roasted chestnuts (my first time...and quite enjoyable)
there's nothing better than a few slices of NY-style pizza
and, in typical fattie fashion . . . massive food coma ;)
As we all know, we're in a recession right now-- and I'm sure we're all feeling it in one way or another. :\ With that in mind, you'd think I'd be spending my money more wisely. Unfortunately, it's been a very busy last few days in terms of loved ones' birthdays and what not. For three nights now, I've had sushi for dinner. And my checking account certainly reflects that.
I've decided to spend money eating out ONLY when it's absolutely delicious and/or necessary. Sadly, last night's sushi was necessary but not all that great. We went to a seafood/sushi buffet for my cousin's birthday and the bill was outrageous for the mediocre food and very limited selection. I mean, it all looked great . . . but my favorite part of the meal was the soft serve green tea/vanilla ice cream. So yeahhh.
outward beauty, little substance
I guess I'll be brown-bagging lunch and having dinner at home for awhile. It's really too bad that eating is such an expensive hobby. :(
Eatery Info: Todai Restaurant, 109 Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, IL 60173
When I feel really blah, I generally stuff my face with the fattiest and most unhealthy food possible. This is what I've always done. But this afternoon I started feeling that way . . . and instead of going across the street to buy a burrito with extra cheese melted on top, I actually went downstairs to the small gym in my building and worked out. And I didn't force myself. I wanted to. Something is very wrong.
I haven't gotten sick in over a year and I refuse to let it happen now. Must...fight...it...
I took two packets of Emergen-C yesterday (which equals 2,000 mg of Vitamin C) and drank a bit of OJ and cranberry/pomegranate juice. Mmm . . . I might have overdone it a little . . . :\
"Using Vitamin C products beyond recommended limits may cause stomachaches and diarrhea and can hinder metabolic activities in the body. The recommended dietary allowance for Vitamin C in nonsmoking adults is 75 mg per day for women and 90 mg per day for men. Higher levels of Vitamin C are needed when under environmental stress such as trauma, fever or infection. Full saturation is reached with daily intakes of 200-500 mg per day." (J. Riverside)
I've always loved the Seinfeld soup nazi episode-- because it's so darn amusing, but mostly because I love the idea of a place dedicated to soup. There's something about soup that makes you want to hug yourself, it's so comforting.
Most places will have four or five soups (at the most) on-hand-- and you'll be lucky to find even one that will actually make you feel happy. But I want a whole mess of soup options, darnit! I want my brain to cramp because of all the delicious soup varieties! And like a wish come true, I found a place like that in Chicago several years ago that serves 12 scrumptious varieties daily. And like a personal present for me, there is a location near my work! :} So I had lunch here with my dear friend M yesterday and it was a wonderful struggle. New England Clam Chowder? Chicken and Dumpling? Chicken Gumbo? Roadhouse Beef Chili? Hearty Beef Stew? Thick Bacon and Potato? Ravioli Italiano? I couldn't decide!!
But . . . since it was super cold out, we finally settled on two creamy varieties: the clam chowder and the chicken & dumpling. After stuffing our faces, we felt so warm and toasty . . . that we got frozen yogurt immediately after. Ha. Soup and frozen yogurt: a perfect meal for a chilly day. No, seriously. I might go again today. ;)
So I had kimchi in the refrigerator at home and, although it was in a plastic bag and that bag was in a tupperware, the smell still permeated the refrigerator. It didn’t bother me so much, but I didn’t quite consider how the others in my household would feel about it. When I got home from dinner last night, I went to the refrigerator to find out that my kimchi had been thrown out by the parents. I was so shocked that I guess you can say I sort of threw a tantrum. Ha.
Me: *incredulously* You threw out my kimchi!?!?
Mom: It was old.
Me: What do you mean it was old? That’s how it’s supposed to be!!
Mom: But it smelled.
Me: It’s supposed to smell!!
Mom: Well, we didn’t know.
Me: Why didn’t you ask me first before throwing it out?! (stalks past them to my room and closes the door loudly)
Dad: I can get it from the garbage! It’s just outside.
Me: (shouting from inside my room) No! I don’t want it from the garbage!
A little bit later, I was still in my room and overheard the parents talking to each other in their Filipino dialect.
Mom: I told you to ask her first.
Dad: You told me it was old!
Mom: I guess it's supposed to smell like that.
Dad: That’s what makes it good.
Mom: I told you not to throw it out.
Dad: Should I go get it? It’s still in the plastic.
Haha. And then my mom wrote me this e-mail earlier today:Hello [daughter], I was not gonna talk to you because you were acting crazy last night, but I asked your daddy to toss your hot hot salad or something cuz he said it smelled in the fridge. Oh well, if you really really like that salad, your daddy can always get you more.
Hahahahaha. Oh man. After my initial outburst, I immediately got over it but they apparently thought I was still harboring bad feelings and that their daughter is insane. *cracking up* Classic . . .
I thought girls were the sentimental ones. I might've been wrong.
I was out with my cousin’s boyfriend and a few others for dinner last night, and I thought it’d be nice if we had dessert since his birthday is today. So I ordered us a slice of the NY-style cheesecake topped with berries. When the cake arrived, it looked absolutely gorgeous and delectable. I had my fork ready to attack but was stopped when my one guy cousin asked, “Where’s the candle??” And almost at the same time, my brother exclaimed, “You forgot the candle!”
Wait, what?! Haha. I purposely didn’t ask for the candle. My cousin’s boyfriend is a boy (obviously) and he’s older and I really didn’t think he’d care. Honestly, I thought having to blow out birthday candles and having people sing to you in a public place were two things a boy dreaded the most. I thought I was being understanding-- by giving him his cake and letting him eat it too (sans a candle and singing). But, apparently, the other boys at the table didn't seem to think so. So I walked over to the kitchen, asked for a candle, held it in my hand while a lady lit it, carefully brought it over to the table, and stuck it into the cheesecake. With just this one glowing piece of decorated wax, all became right with the world. At least for the boys. Frankly, I could've done without the candle. My world was right when they set a cheddar, blue cheese, and bacon burger in front of me (and later that cheesecake). Go figure. ;)
After church yesterday, a small group of us decided to stop by a nearby diner for some lunch. It was cold outside, so we were happily huddled together in one of the larger booths. After glancing at the TV to see another embarrassing display by our beloved Bears, I looked across our table and spotted a special drinks menu. Something called "Mama's Hot Chocolate" immediately caught my eye. It was described as luscious hot chocolate with Bailey's and Kahlua dark chocolate liqueur. I showed it to one of the girls, D, and her eyes immediately lit up. So we ordered it with no hesitation.
When the tall, clear beer mug full of "spiked" hot chocolate with whipped cream on top came out, D and I were so excited. She took the first sip and was in a very happy place. I took the next sip and joined her. I liked it because it wasn't overly sweet, so I figured it was because of the dark chocolate. We passed the mug around and everyone really enjoyed it. D and I kept throwing each other contented smiles, but at one point she said, "Next time, I'd want a little bit more liqueur." And I said, "Yeah. It's so subtle, though I kind of like that."
It was only after we looked at our check that we realized the waitress had brought over a regular cup of hot chocolate. *sheepish look* It was actually some pretty darn good hot chocolate, but we felt a little salty for raving about the subtle Irish cream and dark chocolate liqueur flavors the entire time. Ha. ;)
A friend tagged me to fill out a very interesting and personal questionnaire, but . . . in keeping to the blog theme, I found a food questionnaire instead that I thought would be an adequate substitute. Enjoy-- and I'd love to hear some of your answers. ;)
1. Do you have any funny food stories?
I’m sure I have plenty—but the only one I can think of right now is the time I was in a goofy mood so I put two bubble tea straws (those big ones) together and then tried to suck the tapioca balls from my drink through both. Because I couldn’t close the gap between the two straws perfectly, air kept leaking out and I had to suck even harder. To make a long story short . . . three or four tapioca balls suddenly flew into my throat, I started choking and coughing, and everyone in the restaurant turned to look at the idiot who doesn’t know how to dine in public. Ha.
2. What is the most disgusting thing you've ever eaten?
There’s this Filipino delicacy called balut that is pretty much a nearly-developed duck or chicken embryo that is boiled and eaten out of its shell. It is the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen—and at the age of 9, I cried for hours because my parents and relatives were eating them. About a decade later, I was over at my Vietnamese friend’s house and found out that this disgusting excuse for food is a delicacy in other Southeast Asian countries as well . . . and his mom had cooked some that very day. Despite adamantly refusing to eat it, he chased me around the dining room table with a spoonful of duck embryo while his mother watched. I knew I was being disrespectful, so it took all my willpower to stop and open my mouth. He deposited the embryo bit into my mouth, we looked at each other for a few seconds, and I suddenly spit the sucker out and it hit him on the face. *embarrassed smile* Yeahhh . . . I guess I technically didn’t eat it, but it was close enough.
3. What is the most delicious thing you've ever eaten?
*laugh* There are too many. Pass.
4. What is your favorite song about food?
“Peaches” by Presidents of the United States of America. “Millions of peaches, peaches for me . . .”
5. What food do you refuse to try?
The aforementioned culinary abomination and . . . blood soup (from any culture). Bleccchh.
6. What do you like to eat when traveling?
Pirate Booty, if I can remember to get some. And gummy bears or sour gummy worms.
7. What type of food do you eat the most?
Cheese. Eggs. Pizza. Cheeseburgers. Fried chicken.
8. Do you have any recipes you can share with us?
#7 (a.k.a. the recipe for a heart attack)
I had another instant noodle soup for lunch today. Mainly because I was lazy and it's cold outside. After I finished, I still felt hungry so I decided to treat myself to something from the vending machine. I normally get a Rice Krispies treat, but . . . today, I was craving something different.
I settled on a little package of two Pop Tarts since I hadn't had them in so long and I thought they'd be a nice warm treat (after a little bit of time in the toaster). I was horrified, though, when I found out that the two tarts together equal 400 calories. 200 is a lot of calories for one itty bitty Pop Tart considering I can't even burn that much from a half hour of walking.
In my post-horrification, I found that 200 calories comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
taken from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm
Food for Thought: Next time I want a handful of gummies or half of a Snickers bar, maybe I should have a couple apples or a bunch of grapes instead. Junk food is so convenient, though. :\ Someone needs to create fruit vending machines . . .
The Korean food I love most are the dishes that blend together a whole mess of stuff in a bubbling, hot pot. Like duk bokki or soon dubu. Especially on a cold day, that stuff is the best.
This past chilly weekend, my dorky buddies and I decided to whip up something they called budae jigae, which I looked up and means “army stew.” We didn’t really follow a recipe and we pretty much just threw a bunch of stuff into a pot, but it was fun, warm, and pleasing to the belly (till the gassiness occurred, of course). Our version had ramen, eggs, Spam, and kimchi. Mmm. Good stuff.
My next version is going to have ramen, cheese, kimchi, scrambled eggs (a la egg drop soup), and pork sausage pieces. I shall dub it spicy breakfast budae jigae. Mmm. I can't wait. ;)
not our picture though it looked like this
I'm generally a tired person, so getting to sleep isn't too much of a problem for me. There are some nights, though, that I spend endless minutes tossing and turning (even when I'm sleep-deprived). That's what happened last night.
So I got up and decided that eating was a better option. I made myself a Taglish sandwich using a week-old hamburger bun (toasted, of course). The subtle sweetness and light texture of the hamburger bun made this version quite yummy. Upon finishing the last bit of eggy, cheesy, bready goodness, I walked straight to my bed and knocked out.
Forget hot milk and Tylenol PM. Seriously. Carbs never fail.
I stayed up late last night, like the majority of people in our nation. It was quite a night and I woke up quite hungry. For change? Definitely. But mainly for some Mickey D’s sausage burritos. ;)
This weekend contained a lot—in terms of events and good eating. With fabulous weather, the city threw a “farewell party” for October and readily welcomed in November. Luckily, in the midst of all the busyness, we gained an extra hour of sleep. Thank goodness for that.
I spent Friday night with my favorite people, particularly my cousin’s three kids. The little one refused to wear his Thomas the Tank Engine costume so I put it on to make him jealous, hoping he’d want it back. Instead, he was much too delighted with my “choo-choo”s and I ended up being good ol’ Thomas for the rest of the night. Despite my locomotive appeal, the little one refused to share his goodies with me. So while his back was turned, I stole an Almond Joy, some Lifesavers gummies, and animal crackers. Not all godmothers will clean you up and turn your pumpkins into coaches, you know. ;)
Anyway, the food highlights of my weekend were . . .
Friday: pizza, cheeseburgers, lasagna, and candy (albeit stolen)
Saturday: roast beef, broasted chicken, mashed potatoes, ice cream and cake, and a late-night steak torta (mmm)
Sunday: fried chicken and waffles (this was my only meal of the day and I enjoyed it immensely)
May November bring continued yumminess . . .
My buddy's family owns a restaurant on the northeast side of Chicago (right along the lake)-- and I love his family and the delicious food they serve and even the charming, old-fashioned apartment building in which their restaurant is situated. I've known them for years and I've been going there for years, but I never really gave it much thought. To me, it's always just been a small, family-owned restaurant frequented by the old, interesting people who live in this quiet, pink apartment building.
But in my restlessness and desire to avoid work, I decided to look the place up . . . and I am a pitiful woman because my heart feels like its swelling and I'm trying my very best to hold back the moisture from my eyes. Maybe it's because I'm sensitive or because I have an old soul . . . but something about comparing the old and the new, the past and the present, really affects me.
This apartment building (built in 1927) is the only surviving part of what once were the grounds of a huge, upscale hotel built in 1916. From the 20s to the 40s, this place was the place-- where such celebrities as Bette Davis, Nat King Cole, Marilyn Monroe, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig used to stay. It was like its own city, complete with private access to the beach, seaplane service to downtown, a bunch of shops, its own radio station, tennis courts, gardens, and designated green coaches to take guests to Marshall Field's. But after the city extended Lake Shore Drive, cutting the hotel off from the beach, things steadily went downhill and the hotel was closed in 1967.
Although I obviously can't imagine myself in that time period, I feel a sort of detached nostalgia for what once was. My bootleg '97 Altima travels along the same street that those classic Cadillacs and Rolls-Royces once traveled along. I walk through hallways that the rich and famous once walked through. And, within the 19 floors above the restaurant, there still live people who once witnessed the glamour and beauty of this historic Chicago landmark.
*sigh* The next time I eat there . . . I may cry. But only after I have my fill of escargot and beef tenderloin.
