10.30 - Food + History Lesson

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.

10.28 to 10.29 - Meat Galore, Meat No More

Generally, I tend to disgust others with my eating habits. Last night, I successfully disgusted myself.

My friend's bf had a 25% off coupon for this new Brazilian steakhouse that's apparently "sooo good," so my friend set up a group of 8 of us to check it out. I've been to pretty much all the Brazilian steakhouses in the city, and I'd have to say this was one of the better ones. All the meat was extremely flavorful and moist (yes, even the chicken), the salad bar was pretty extravagant, they have a sushi bar (with a designated on-site sushi chef), and they have a gigantic wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano and slices of prosciutto di Parma out (which is a huge plus in my book since they are two of my past food PR clients and their quality is superior).

Anyway, let's just say I gave this place my all-- trying every type of meat . . . often more than once. At one point, my plate had every cut of meat on it and there were so many different colors that I didn't really know what I was eating anymore. :\ Don't get me wrong. It was damn good. But maybe I shouldn't have been so zealous in my consumption. My friend teased me for being the silent but deadly type-- eating quietly at the end of the table, diligently attacking every morsel till there was nothing left. Ha.

Needless to say, I had a bit of a tummy ache upon leaving the restaurant. And I still seem to have one today. It's probably because handfuls of chewed up meat remain piled up in my belly-- my poor body desperately directing blood and enzymes to the scene. I read somewhere that meat takes an average of 8-12 hours to become fully digested. This made me laugh because it's probably going to take my body a full day to digest what I consumed. Luckily, I found out pineapple juice (which contains bromelain-- which breaks up protein and is the main ingredient in meat tenderizers) is a good thing to drink after a big meal because it aids in digestion. I think I'll get some during lunch because, right now, I feel like there's this large, heavy mass in my belly. And, frankly, it makes me uncomfortable.


As I look at my plate after the fact, I feel a little sick. And yet...I feel a little hungry. Ha.

10.27 - Salt + Caramel = Love

The salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks rocks. But, as expected, it's overpriced. Here's a cheap, homemade version that I shall attempt . . . probably this Friday while the kiddies are running around hoarding candy:

packet of hot chocolate mixed into hot water
caramel syrup drizzled on top
sprinkle of sea salt

And, voila! It definitely isn't necessary to spend nearly $4 just to have this served in a fancy white and green paper cup. And yet I've done it twice in the past week because I'm lazy and Starbucks is everywhere. :\ Argh.

Anyway, salt and caramel are like the perfect married couple. Each is unique and wonderful on its own . . . but, together, they bring out the best qualities in each other. Aww. :}

10.25 to 10.26 - Food Monster

I eat too much. There really is no question about that. And it's not even that I'm hungry. Most of the time, I'm not even hungry or I'm already full . . . but I'll overeat anyway. This weekend was borderline ridiculous.

On Saturday night, I had a delicious dinner of chicken fried steak with country gravy and two eggs over-medium. Mmm.


before


during (mmm...love me)

On Sunday morning, I kept thinking about how yummy that dinner was so I recreated it with beef adobo that my dad had made the night before and two eggs over-medium. I seriously had a meal worthy of a 300 lb. man's dinner . . . for breakfast. And two hours later, I had nearly an entire plate of chicken pad see eiw. And an hour after that, I had two and a half plates of Filipino and Mexican food at my cousin's daughter's christening party. And then two hours after that, I had a full plate of some of the leftovers I had packed up from the christening party.

I am a monster. And before long . . . with older age and slower metabolism, I will look like one. :\

10.24 - Payday Pudgies & Lox of Love

Whenever payday rolls around, that's usually when everyone's inner pudge comes out. Because when you got money in the bank, you can indulge in yummy food, ya know? So practically everyone in my area brought in something delicious for breakfast this morning, the sound of crinkly paper bags permeating the office. My crinkly paper bag housed a bagel with lox.

Lox is such a unique food. It's salmon that's been cured and smoked, maintaining a raw, smooth quality. I get my lox from a Jewish deli across the street owned by a sweet, middle-aged Japanese couple. Yeah, don't ask. I'll either get the pumpernickel or everything bagel, and they'll toast it, slather on a generous amount of rich cream cheese, add a slice of tomato, nestle a few slices of lox on top, and cut it down the middle for me. Then I'll take it back to work and slowly eat it open-faced—alternating between firm, sweet tomato bites and soft, salty lox bites. *drooling Homer-style*

10.23 - Stranger Danger

In general, I'm somewhat of a loner. I like to do things alone and wander around alone and I generally try to avoid big groups and I tend to stand in inconspicuous places such as in corners or behind statues (haha) . . . but, for some strange reason, I become unbelievably needy when it comes to eating out.

I mean, I'm comfortable eating alone at smaller, fast-casual places or in the breakroom at work . . . but there are days when I'll desperately want someone to go out to eat with. Today was one of those days. And because of my last-minuteness, no one was able to come out to lunch with me. So I did something random and unlike me. I asked a stranger from a food discussion site (who I thought worked in the area) if she'd like to have lunch with me.

Hahaha. I knew I could be spontaneous, but even this surprised me. She wrote back telling me that she no longer works in the area but that she would definitely eat out with me if she still did. I'm not sure if she was just being nice because she made it a point to mention that she and her boyfriend have eaten at the place I suggested. Great. She probably thinks I like women and I'm scary. Haha. I crack myself up.

10.20 to 10.22 - I Love Cheese(cake)

Something that slipped from my brother’s memory before he was able to force it in his California friends' bellies is Eli’s cheesecake. I’m not sure if you all realize the extent to which this one dessert reaches consistent perfection . . . but it does. I do love New York style cheesecake, but Eli’s (to me) is in a league of its own. My brother once told me that the cheesecake that Rachel accidentally receives on that one Friends episode is based off of Eli’s. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

Anyway, the day after my bro’s friends left, my cheesecake craving consumed me so much that we ended up getting a few slices of plain, a few slices of this Bailey’s variety, and a full 5-inch pumpkin (since slices weren’t available). The plain is, without a doubt, one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever had. The flavor, along with the outer and inner texture, is just perfect. And, happily, the pumpkin is just as good and a nice treat for the season.

So, I’ve been eating a slice of the pumpkin every night for the past three nights . . . and when the pumpkin runs out, I’m going to go out and buy an 8-inch plain and eat that till it’s gone. Then I'll keep alternating till I get absolutely sick of it. Haha. Super good stuff . . .

10.19 - Chicagoans are Fat

In 2006, Men's Fitness ranked Chicago as the fattest city in the nation. Over the last few years, we've fluctuated in rank but have consistently stayed near the top. I didn't quite realize the reason for this seemingly exaggerated ranking until this past weekend. My brother's friends came to visit from California and he tried to give them the most comprehensive "taste" of Chicago. Hot dogs, Italian beef, Garrett popcorn, and even bubble tea (since the California version is apparently bootleg). Deep dish pizza was obviously also on the menu, but we decided to have it on their last day here as a big finale to their trip.


Sunday dinner


Lou's sausage


Gino's East pepperoni


Giordano's spinach

The rule for the evening was that everyone had to try a half slice of each variety. My brother, my three cousins, and I earnestly devoured our slices, but the Californians only had a few bites from each until their eyes began to glaze over. I looked at the half-eaten slices on one guy's plate and questioned his masculinity. He said, "We're used to paper-thin slices!" He then defiantly nibbled at the slices a little bit more but quickly gave up. Poor guy.

No wonder Chicagoans are fat. We've had years of training. :\

10.18 - In Preparation for Hibernation

I had two meal "dates" planned for my Saturday-- and while they had originally been spaced out well, I woke up later than expected and suddenly was faced with the predicament of having one meal right after the other. Don't ask me what I was thinking or how I did it. But I did it.

This was my delicious brunch:


Hello, eggs benny.


This is the big mama of all French toast-- one thick slice each of strawberry (!!), mascarpone, and chocolate French toast with yogurt, granola, and fruit on top (oh mannnn, this was darn good stuff, but don't worry-- I shared this so I only had about half)

I later told a friend about my morning predicament and she asked me if I had a light lunch after my big brunch. Umm . . . yeeaaah. Lunch was sort of a buffet. And . . . I sorta had my personal 3-plate buffet requirement. And . . . I sort of had dinner several hours after. *sigh* I definitely feel the winter coming on. I'm starting to store obscene amounts of food without hitting a threshold of fullness. I must've been a bear in another life. :\

10.17 - When Fiction Becomes Reality

About 10 years ago, the idea of eating sushi made me sick. I couldn't stomach cooked fish very well let alone raw fish. It was at the persistence of sushi-loving friends that I slowly began to open up to the raw delicacies. Nowadays, sushi is near and dear to me, and I have several favorite varieties-- one of which is salmon. Just the raw salmon by itself-- with a little bit of wasabi and soy sauce-- is absolutely delicious. Usually, I won't overdo it with the salmon, but I'll generally get two (or one in the case below) as my end-of-meal treat.



Little did I know that salmon is a favorite hiding spot for a tapeworm larva!! Once you eat a piece of salmon with larva in it, that sucker hooks onto your small intestine and then it's all over-- it silently grows, taking all your nutrients and sucking all your energy. And those things can grow up to 30 feet long, living for years inside of you without you realizing a thing! The way to avoid this is for the fish to have been frozen then thawed before preparation because freezing the fish for 15 hours kills existing larvae. You know, I would seriously hope that all sushi restaurants and their chefs would know this, but now I'm all paranoid. I mean, I just had the above piece of salmon at lunch today!

For years, my parents and friends have joked around that I have a tapeworm since I eat so much and still generally stay the same weight. Who knows. Maybe I had some raw salmon years ago and a tapeworm has been living inside of me since then. That would definitely explain why I lack energy and always feel so sleepy. And for all I know, maybe I've acquired several more tapeworms after actively pursuing my love for raw salmon. Great. I'm like a mama tapeworm-- feeding my long, stringy fetuses. Blech.

All I know is . . . if I start pooping tapeworm, I'm never eating again.

10.16 - For Love of Strange Combos

I am thoroughly intrigued by strange combinations in food. If I see something strange on a menu that includes at least one ingredient I like, I'll most likely want to try it. This was definitely the case for lunch today. I was at a local eatery with my downtown area buddies and I got all excited when I read "apple and cheese omelet" on the menu. I've heard of fruit and cheese together as an hors d'oeuvre or light snack, of course, but never of the two snuggled up in a hot omelet together. A little strange, don't you think?

So I ordered it. And it wasn't quite what I expected. The apples were cooked, sugary, and on top-- while the cheddar cheese was safely tucked inside the omelet. A little disappointing, but still pretty good. I ended up alternating my omelet bites with my apple bites and that proved to be quite yummy.





Finding strange combinations is fun. Other strange ones off the top of my head are:

- cheese bits in vanilla ice cream (I had a taster spoon of this, and it was interesting)
- cole slaw and chili as a hot dog topping (I have a friend who swears by this)
- peanut butter bacon sandwich (hmm)
- cereal with orange juice (I think every kid has found out how horrible this is-- haha)
- pickles and peanut butter (eww)
- pretzels dipped in coke/pepsi (doesn't sound too bad)
- ramen with cheese (I heard this one today and am quite intrigued...)

10.14 to 10.15 - I Am Meat Eater, Hear Me Roar

How gross is it that I had nearly 8-10 ounces of steak yesterday and now I'm craving more?

You know what else is gross? Eating a really thick cut of steak that's been cooked more than medium. It almost becomes torture to eat it that way. Growing up, I was afraid of red (as in the color at time of consumption) meat and I would never get anything under well-done. It took years of acclimation to get to medium-well then to medium and finally to medium-rare. And, honestly, I'll even eat rare if I'm feeling particularly carnivorous . . . although I probably wouldn't have the heart to order it on my own (ha).

It's interesting because whole cuts of beef are actually bacteria-free unless they've been contaminated externally by dirty surfaces or utensils. So when the outside is cooked at the right temperature (I think it's like 160 degrees), the outer bacteria is killed and the inside remains safe to eat and bacteria-free. Seriously, if you aren't squeamish about the redness, then medium-rare is the best middle-of-the-road way to eat steak. It's got a nice distribution of the medium and the rare to give you the best of both worlds.

And what flavorful, juicy worlds they are. Mmmmm . . . I want meat.

10.13 - One Year Anniversary

Yo. I just realized that the 10th was my FHM one-year anniversary! Yes, it's been a year since I posed for For Him Magazine. Ha. Riiiiight. But seriously, it's weird to think that I've been writing on this Food Hearts Me blog (practically every day) for a year now. I've either been really bored or I really like to eat. ;) Either way, it's been fun.

So, in honor of the occasion, I've come up with a short list of some favorite entries. Enjoy.

The One That Helped Me Realize Being a Fattie is Fun: http://foodheartsme.blogspot.com/2007/10/weekend-of-gluttony.html

The One That Makes Me Laugh Every Time: http://foodheartsme.blogspot.com/2008/01/0107-i-wanna-be-bird.html

The One That Makes Me Not Want To Be A Pescetarian Again: http://foodheartsme.blogspot.com/2008/03/0226-to-0303-meatless-vacation.html

The One That Makes Me Really Hungry: http://foodheartsme.blogspot.com/2008/04/0425-to-0428-i-am-one-with-austin.html

The One That Helps Me Appreciate Fellow Fatties: http://foodheartsme.blogspot.com/2008/05/0506-07-kindred-bellies.html

The One That Will Go Down In History: http://foodheartsme.blogspot.com/2008/05/0519-to-0521-stupid-piece-of-fish.html

10.11 to 10.12 - Fatties Love Fall

It was such a gorgeous fall weekend that it was almost necessary to take advantage of it. And what better way to take advantage than to eat a lot. Which is exactly what I did.

 Both Friday and Saturday were eventful and full of eating, but Sunday (ahh, Sunday) was the most memorable. I went apple picking with the fam and let's just say it was interesting. Interesting as in . . . it was abnormally warm for October, the apple season was pretty much over (a.k.a. an orchard full of empty trees), bug spray did not keep the bugs away, and we were famished and exhausted beyond reason by the time the day was over. Here were some of the highlights:


goosebump pumpkins - these things were so ugly I felt nauseated


here's the little one hating his life and wanting to give up the corn maze fight


somehow, we found a row of trees that still had nice apples on them (yippee!)


and here's what we rewarded ourselves with at the end of the long day: a fat burger (with an extra patty, cheese, and a fried egg)

10.10 - Delicious Simplicity

I wanted to give a special shout-out to buttered toast. Ha. Such a simple thing yet so comfortingly delicious. You know, buttered toast was never something I was really drawn to, but all that changed when my good friend and former coworker (from New York who now resides in Minneapolis with her husband) exposed me to her morning buttered toast with coffee ritual.

Every workday morning, we would sit at our desks, complaining about our growling bellies. And every morning, she would prepare her beloved buttered toast and cup of hot coffee while I moped around craving eggs and sausage (which was always way too complicated to have at my out-in-the-open desk). Eventually, I caved and began partaking in her buttered toast with coffee ritual. And eventually, a taste for buttered toast was acquired.

Now, it's something I'll gladly have. My favorite is when the butter is spread over the entire one side of toast (and I'm talking crust to crust to crust to crust-- ha) and it melts into the bread, making it all soggy while the other side stays crisp. Mmmmm. I wonder if buttering both sides would be overkill . . .

 

10.07 to 10.09 - The Taglish Sandwich

If you have seen Spanglish, then you will remember a certain little sandwich that caused most viewers to salivate, including myself.
 

Note: The yolk is supposed to be more runny, but I found this picture online and it looked so good. Ha.

I never did get the chance to recreate it myself, but I was definitely influenced by it. A couple years ago, I created a random concoction for breakfast that immediately became one of my favorites. We shall dub it the Taglish sandwich. Ha. Corny, I know. Anyway, I made it again yesterday and it was so yummy. Here's all it is:

- two slices of toasted bread or one toasted blueberry bagel, sliced in half (the sweetness adds a nice dimension to it)

- two slices of american cheese

- two eggs, over-medium (so that it runs just enough to dampen but not to drench), with a few sprinkles of salt

Prepare this open-face-- carb first, then the cheese, then the egg on top. When you bite into the egg, it breaks the yolk open a little so it's all oozy and subtly salty, then you bite down further and get the melty burst of cheese, and then you end with a nice crunch from the carb and . . . mmm. I'm telling you, it's good stuff. ;)

10.03 to 10.06 - Salt and Sugar

What makes some people crave salty foods while others crave sweets? I found some interesting reasons off a random website:

Salt CravingsThere are several different reasons why you may be craving salt. The first one is that over the years your body and your taste buds have been accustomed to a lot of salt. Craving salty foods can also be a symptom of adrenal exhaustion, especially in people who live fast-paced, stressful lives.You could also be craving salt because your body needs the additional minerals found in natural salt. These minerals have been filtered out of our regular table salt. In this case eating salty food will only satisfy your craving temporarily until your body realizes it is still missing the extra minerals.

Sugar Cravings
Consuming sugar temporarily elevates the levels of certain neurotransmitters (or "feel-good" chemicals) in our bodies. We also tend to eat sugary treats for a quick rush of energy to get us through the day. Of course we also enjoy the sweet taste of sugar. Eating sweet treats like a candy bar or a cookie unconsciously brings back simpler more enjoyable days of our childhood. Grabbing a sugary treat is a common stress response for many adults (since it's a behavior most of us were taught as children-- e.g. having milk and cookies after a long day at school).

I think I crave salt 60% of the time and sugar 40% of the time. Actually, if I ever have too much of one, it's almost always necessary for me to get a bit of the other. My boss's boss thinks that balance is the secret to my "diet." Whenever we have celebrations that involve a lot of sugary foods, she immediately attributes the presence of salty foods to me. Now, it's a given to have something salty at all work parties. Yup. I started the trend. I promote high blood pressure. ;)

10.01 to 10.02 - Frugal and Fat

If my brother ends up working near me for the day, we'll usually have lunch together. And while there are numerous options around us, we usually try to be frugal. Unfortunately, frugal usually means fat.

 FAT =


 According to an April 19th, 2006 New York Times article: The enormous success of the Dollar Menu, where all items cost $1, has helped stimulate 36 consecutive months of sales growth at stores open at least a year [. . .] While that may have helped many low-income customers save money, there could be a heavy health cost. McDonald's has marketed the Dollar Menu to teenagers, young adults and minorities who are already plagued with an especially high incidence of obesity and related health problems like diabetes. Many nutritionists say fast food is one of the worst things in the American diet, because of its calories, trans fats, lack of fiber and added sugars and processed carbohydrates. "If you're looking at the Dollar Menu in terms of how much food you get it really appears as a good bargain," said Connie Schneider, a nutrition adviser for Fresno County in California. "But if you're looking at it as how many nutrients are you getting for a dollar, it's the least economical."

Argh, America. Argh.