What the Pho?

I think it’s time we have an open and frank conversation about me and food.  I’m most definitely probably over-thinking this but I’m getting the distinct impression that people feel like they have to cater to what I like to eat.  Like, oh, we can’t go there because Denise might freak out throw a tantrum make funny faces refuse to eat not like it.  And that’s not true because, you see, I’ve changed.  Like in a totally good way!

Look, I admit it.  I have food issues.  Not like Meredith Baxter Birney classic tv movie food issues or anything serious like that.  I, obviously, eat – but it’s homestyle, hearty, processed fare that’s finger lickin’ good.  And that’s just dinner. 

I don’t eat a normal breakfast.  Actually, I’ve never eaten a normal breakfast.  As a kid, I ate Tastykake chocolate cupcakes.  Then there was the period when I ate Chips A'Hoy cookies.  When I got bored with those, I ate two containers of Swiss Miss chocolate pudding.  After that phase, I ate a baked potato with ranch dressing.  Every morning.  Until I graduated.  And guess what?  My pediatrician told my mom that it was okay.  As long as I was eating something, that’s all that mattered.   These days, I prepare myself a heaping bowl of applesauce to start the day.  For those who are wondering, I finally switched to a glass jar.  ‘Cause it’s better for the environment and all.   

Let’s talk about lunch.  I’m weird about sandwiches.  Well, actually, I didn’t think I was weird until just the other day when I heard myself explaining my disgust about squashed sandwiches to a colleague.  The whole explanation sounded weird.  And then I noticed his expression and I realized, oh my gosh, I am weird!  Note to self, delete that information from any online dating profile!  I just, literally, cannot stomach a squashed, soggy sandwich.  All I can say is – thank heavens for the invention of the protective armor of Tupperware!

In the interest of word limits, I’ll spare you a discussion of all of my “texturalist” issues.  Just two words sum them up – rice pudding.    

What’s this all boil down to?  Well, I feel like I’m putting my friends out when it comes to dining choices.  Like a few weeks ago, when my pals met me in the lobby of our building in a totally punctual manner and asked, in a halting, cautious way - "How do you feel about Vietnamese food?"  I half-wondered if they had a conversation on their walk down to meet me 8 minutes late like, "Oh, do you think she’ll go for it?  Ohhh, she’ll make that face.  We don’t want her to say she’ll go but she doesn’t really want to go."  For the record, I have extremely compassionate and kind friends – they would never make me go anywhere that I didn’t want to go.  And they're probably not talking about me on their walk down to the lobby.  Unless they're running late.   

So they asked about Vietnamese food.  And I promptly fell down on the floor, screaming and wailing, and thrashing my legs against the floor and said, “I just don’t know why you can’t meet me on time.” 

No, seriously. 

I was game.  I was nervous.  But I was game.  See, the fact of the matter is – given the choice, I’ll always go to the Boston Markets, Jason’s Delis, Noodles because well, that’s routine and I like routine.  But I don’t mind being pushed into trying new things.  I might panic about it.  And maybe even be overwhelmed by it.  But when it’s all over and done with, I’m usually happy that I’ve tried eaten done it. 

Which is how I felt when I ended up in a Vietnamese restaurant on a hot July day being guided through the process of  eating pho.  Pho.  Which is not pronounced “do-re-me-fa-so-la.”  Nor is it said like “fe-fi-fo-fum.”   Or like “Foo Fighters.”  No.  Pho.  Like “fugettiaboutit.”  Or “what the fu…dgescicle?!”     

I gotta admit - I didn't use chopsticks.

What the pho is the big deal about pho?  Well, not much really.  It’s soup with noodles and beef.  (Granted, I probably had a tame version).  It certainly wasn’t cringe-worthy or fear-inducing and I don’t think I made any faces.  I would definitely eat pho again.

In fact, I think the next time we all want a break from the regular routine, I’ll tell my compassionate, kind pals that we should go for some Vietnamese food because it’s a good day for some pho.

Let Them Eat Pie!

What was my new exciting food for today’s Food Friday?  Key lime pie.  For a first-timer, it was okay.  Definite room for improvement but it wasn’t horrible. 

There’s more to say, of course, but for now I’m going to let it digest and tell you more tomorrow.      

Food Friday, Figuratively Speaking

Since I’m such a procrastinator, I thought I’d give you two Food Fridays for the price of one…even though I didn’t eat either dish on a Friday and this post isn’t going up on a Friday.  Such a rule breaker, I am.

It Figures

Last Thursday, TopChef, Partner in Snoring Crimes, and I enjoyed an absolutely lovely day on Coronado Island across the bay from San Diego.  After taking a long leisurely walk through town during which we snapped pictures, enjoyed a sprinkler shower, and plotted our BlogHer schedules, we stopped at Candelas on the Bay, a restaurant that specializes in the “Mexico City” style of cuisine.  Considering my experience of Mexican restaurants is limited to Chi Chi’s and Chipotle, I can’t really tell you what the “Mexican City” style of cuisine means.  But, I was ready to give it a go.  And because I’m a mature 32 year old woman, I didn’t even look at the menu before we went in to to see if I would like anything.  I was gonna take a chance.

My big chance – Pollo al Chipotle.  Pollo is basically the only Spanish word that I know, even if I don’t pronounce it right.  So, yeah, I totally chickened out and ordered…the chicken.  Now, why didn’t I order the 101 other options that would’ve been new and different?  It boils down to practicality, really.  I knew that there was a very real chance that I wouldn’t get dinner – there was swag to collect that night – and a hungry Denise quickly turns into a hangry Denise.  I wanted to make sure that I ordered something that I knew I’d like and I'd actually eat, especially to ward off any possible mood swings. 

The presentation of the meal was exquisite.  Upscale restaurants really know how to plate their entrees!  The chicken, stuffed with mozzarella and spinach, was beautifully covered in a chipotle sauce and topped with some weird green stuff.  Being the mature 32 year old woman that I am, I quickly scraped the icky green stuff off the chicken and dug in.  And boy was that chicken delicious!  So juicy and tasty with a little kick paired perfectly with –

“You’re not going to eat your figs?”  That was TopChef from across the table. 

That’s what that green stuff was?  Figs?  Well, well, well.  Figs are edible?  And not just in Fig Newtons, which I must now admit, I’ve never eaten either.

Okay, okay, mature 32 year old woman who is trying new foods speared a fig onto her fork, put it in her mouth, and chewed.

“They’re sweet!” I exclaimed.

TopChef informed me with, I think, a bit of amusement that yes, indeed they were sweet.  Figs are fruit after all.  Yeah, I didn't know that either.     

Those figs were pretty darn delicious.  And totally undeserving of being pushed off to the side of the plate.  I needed that reminder - don't just push something to the side without trying it first because chances are, you're going to enjoy it.   

I ate the figs.  But I couldn't do the black beans.

It’s All Greek to Me

Today, my mom and I went to a little restaurant not far from where I live.  It’s called the Hickory Ridge Grill and was I thought a little place that you could get burgers and other general fare.  Boy was I wrong!  It serves Ameri-terranean cuisine; American food with a Mediterranean flaire, served with Greek hospitality.  While the food was great, I want to give major props to the wait staff…they were amazing and so nice.  When you experience great service at a restaurant, it makes the entire meal that much better.  I'll definitely be going back; the service alone warrants a return trip. 

I decided to order something that I couldn’t pronounce - pollo, just kidding!  I got the pastichio.  Basically, it’s Greek lasagna with pasta and ground beef topped with a béchamel sauce.  Not very adventurous, after all – heck, I’ve not only eaten lasagna, I’ve cooked it (shocking, I know)!  It was super yummy although not exactly new for me...but can I get a little credit for not ordering the burger?!

America Eats This?!

Food Friday makes a very interesting, very historical return!  On July 4^th, a new temporary restaurant opened in Washington, DC – America Eats Tavern.  The restaurant is a partnership between ThinkFoodGroup and the Foundation for the National Archives and was opened in conjunction with the Archives’ new exhibit, What’s Cooking Uncle Sam?

I think the idea for the restaurant is pretty cool.   The menu is inspired by the history of American cooking.  The descriptions of the food are less about what the food is and more about the food’s history; for instance, here’s the description for the cobb salad - 

COBB SALAD
Robert Cobb, Hollywood, 1936

Cobb was the owner of the renowned Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. One night he was hungry and supposedly created this salad from the leftovers he discovered in the walk-in refrigerator. He loved the result so much that he added it to the menu.

Pretty cool, right?

A couple of us braved the sweltering heat on Friday night to experience what America eats.  We took a 3-2-1 approach - 3 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert.  We split everything so there was more for us to try!  Since I’m using a lot of brain power to write a blog post for work (cough, cough), I thought I’d just post the pictures so you can see what America eats too. 

Grilled Butter Oysters - not a fan. 

On the bottom - Vermicelli Prepared like Pudding
- the grandfather of today's mac and cheese.
On the top - Shrimp Remoulade and Fried Green
Tomatoes - So...I really loved that movie and
that's why I suggested this dish.

Shrimp and Pork Jambalaya -
that's real crawfish in there! 

The jambalaya "plated."  Interesting fact -
the woman responsible for making Thanksgiving
a national holiday is credited with publishing the
first known recipe for jambalaya in 1853. 

BBQ Beef Short Ribs and "Cold Slaw" -
yummy and delicious.  Cold slaw or coleslaw
was brought to America by Dutch settlers.

Vermont Sugar on Snow - so, this is "snow" that is
drizzled with hot maple syrup.  Verry sweet.
The drink in the upper right hand corner is
called the Switchel.  It's a New England field
workers drink that blends molasses, ginger, cider
vinegar, and my favorite, rum. 
|And it's served in a mason jar which is so cute! 

Baby Got Back and a Cob Too

On Thursday night, my mom and I found ourselves in Asbury Park, New Jersey.  Why?  Well, that comes tomorrow.  Anyway, we needed to eat dinner and the guy working at our hotel recommended that we try Langosta Lounge, a restaurant on the boardwalk.  The menu urges diners to “experience the world via creative cuisine and inventive libations” and each menu item is inspired from vacations around the world, from India to Nicaragua to Avon by the Sea.  Perfect place for a Food Friday, don’t you think?  Even if it was a Thursday!

My choices were rather tame but, for me, the experience was more about choosing dishes that had bigger and bolder flavors than I would normally eat.   

Before my main course, I ordered Pop’s Cuban Grilled Corn.  It was grilled corn on the cob that was rolled in lime mayonnaise and cotija cheese.  There was a little kick to it but it was absolutely scrumptious. 

For my main course, I ordered Labrador Asian Barbecue Baby Back Ribs.  I’ve had baby-back ribs before but I’ve never had them smothered in a delicious Asian hoisin barbeque sauce.  They were delightfully tasty and yummy!  But I was sure glad that they gave me one of those little handi-wipes to clean my hands with!  The entrée also came with sweet potato fries and since I’ve been on a sweet potato fry kick lately, I thought they were the perfect side dish because, quite frankly, you can never go wrong with sweet potato fries!

While it wasn’t one of the most “out there” Food Fridays; it was definitely one of the more spicy and tangy ones! 

Food Friday Returns!

After a few weeks on hiatus, Food Friday is making a return.  And it’s a day early!  Actually, it’s four days late because I had this particular dish on Sunday night. 

When I was grocery shopping this past Sunday morning, I ran into my friends/neighbors/future HOA insiders.  They invited me over for dinner - chicken and corn on the cob grilled on their fancy new grill.  When I got there, Scruffy put out a cucumber and tomato (and, oh yeah, onions) salad.  Have you ever been at somebody’s house and they’ve made something that you’re not really sure you’re gonna like but you don’t wanna hurt their feelings because they invited you over after all and it would be really impolite to not eat what they made?  That’s kinda what happened to me on Sunday night. 

This is pretty much the internal monologue that was going on in my head as we ate dinner: 

Oh great, a cucumber and tomato salad.   Cucumbers?  Ewww.  I can totally handle the tomatoes…it’s kinda like bruschetta.  I like bruschetta.  I’ll just pretend.  How come that cat doesn’t like me?  Maybe I can pick out the cucumbers.  What kind of dressing?  Huh?  I really can’t tell those two cats apart…Lucy and, wait, what’s the other one’s name?  Is it awful that I can’t remember the other cat’s name?  How big was that cucumber?  There are so many cucumber slices in my bowl.  I can’t believe it’s pouring out.  No more tomatoes?  Their counters really look nice…I gotta decide what to do with my kitchen counters.  Actually, this salad isn’t half bad.  It’s kinda tasty.  And the cucumbers in Italian dressing…hmm, pretty good.  Oh wow, this grilled corn on the cob is out of this world.  You know what?  This salad wasn’t bad at all!  Hopefully, they don’t notice how many cucumber slices are left in my bowl…there were a lot.  Gosh, I’m stuffed!  Huh?!  They have chocolate cake?! 

So, despite my initial misgivings, I ended up really liking the cucumber and tomato salad.  And it served as a good reminder of my original intent for Food Friday…being open to trying new things,  whether it’s something wild and crazy like kangaroo or something as simple as a summer salad made by a friend. 

Here’s where the story gets really crazy.  I liked that salad so much that tonight I went to the store, bought a cucumber and some tomatoes, and made it myself!  It was delicious!  But I changed it up a little and made it a tomato and cucumber salad...with no onions. 

I guess I'll have to add tomatoes and
cucumbers to the shopping list now!

Schellhardts' Cafe

“My parents owned a bar at the corner of 30^th and Girard.”  This biographical factoid was oft-repeated by my mother, the youngest daughter of the aforementioned bar owners, while I was growing up.  To me, 30^th and Girard was just an intersection in North Philadelphia’s Brewerytown neighborhood, a section of the city that is finally seeing better days after years of urban blight.  To my mom though, it was where she spent the first 11 years of her life, in a home above a bar at the corner of 30^th and Girard.

I don’t know too much about the bar.  I like to imagine that it was a place where everybody knew your name or where you could keep a tab and pay up when you got the chance.  I know my grandfather, a carpenter, build the actual bar with his own hands, some of my uncles were bartenders, and my mom used to tap-dance on the bar (in a totally innocent five year old way).

It wasn’t until recently that I found out that the bar actually had a name – Schellhardts’ Café.  They didn’t serve food except on Fridays when my grandmother would make her homemade crab cakes.  Aside from a few things, my mom doesn’t have much from her childhood…but she does have her mother’s recipe for crab cakes.  She’s rather famous for making them, especially during Lent.  Every Good Friday, she would make a batch for our family so we could fulfill our Lenten obligation of fish-eating.  I always screwed up my nose and wouldn’t eat them except for one bite a long time ago. 

My mom loves to cook for people.   When she was working, she’d make up meals for her coworkers; for family parties, she loves making loads of food; and when she visits me she likes to make my favorite meals.  That makes her happy.  (That last one makes me pretty happy too!)  On Saturday night, to inaugurate my new patio set (that my dad kindly put together), some friends joined me and my parents for dinner.  My mom, of course, made enough food to feed an army.  The main course though was her crab cakes.  I’m counting the half of a crab cake that I ate as my Food Friday for the week.  Unlike my reaction when I was younger, I have to say that the crab cake was actually pretty delicious.  I guess there’s something to be said for a family recipe that’s been handed down through the years.    

I like to think that whenever my mom makes her crab cakes, she’s keeping the memory of Schellhardts’ Café…that bar on the corner of 30^th and Girard...alive for yet another generation. 

*My new job has me increasingly concerned/obsessed/batty about correct punctuation so I have to admit, I don't know if it was Schellhardt's Cafe or Schellhardts' Cafe.  I chose the plural possessive because there are multiple Schellhardts but perhaps it should be a singular possessive because it could have referred to just my grandfather, the owner of the bar.  If I'm wrong, I'm fairly certain my mom will let me know!

Family Food Friday!

My family and close friends (and a few long-suffering cubicle neighbors) know that I’m a bit of a chatterbox.  I’m kind of bubbly, outgoing, and it usually takes a little longer for me to walk to places at work because I usually run into two or three people whom I just have to stop and chat with.  Clearly, I’m an extrovert, right?  Nope.  I’m an introvert, through and through.  Did you know that intro- and extroversion actually has to do with energy levels?  While extroverts are energized by parties or large meetings, introverts are usually drained and exhausted by them.  Introverts wish they were anywhere but where the action is…and if they have a good book to curl up with, that’s even better. 

When you’re an introvert, your large family can be overwhelming.

When you’re an introvert with an inferiority complex, your large family can be overwhelmingly overwhelming. 

The closest thing that I had to grandparents were my Uncle Bill and Aunt Betty.  Uncle Bill was my mom’s older brother and the patriarch of the family who are the Delaware relatives, 8 kids and their many offspring (which include cousins-once-removed, second cousins, cousins by marriage, step cousins, etc.  I refer to all of them as cousins because it’s just easier.)  Some of my favorite people are among the Delaware relatives - they are an incredibly loving, accepting, loud, large group of people.  A very large group of people.  Not ideal for an introvert like me.    

We visited them a lot when I was a kid.  It was always fun, if a bit overwhelming.  As I got older and my personal insecurities started to massively mount, I didn’t look forward to those trips as much.  I was constantly comparing myself to my cousins’ kids who, in my estimation, were all beautiful, smart, artistic, and athletic.  I spent a lot of time asking why I wasn’t born “normal” like they were.  Or how come I was dealt the sucky hand and ended up with a stupid craniofacial abnormality.  I was so unlucky and it wasn’t fair.  (Does anyone else hear the violins?)  All this baggage combined with my natural introversion made going to family events torture for me.  This continued well into my adulthood…my mom strongly encourages me to go to things, I feel guilty so I go, but I’m miserable.  And I worry that I’m going to become Denise, the spinster cousin, who brings Aunt Margaret to all the family gatherings.  Gradually, my mom’s let me off the hook a little, although I know it annoys her. 

Around Christmas, my cousins, the Delaware Twins, invited me to a Swedish Smorgasbord at the IKEA close to where I live.  I accepted the invite but it was just something that I was doing because I knew it would make my mom happy.  I was relieved when it was sold-out.  Turns out, there’s an Easter Smorgasbord too.  I got another invite.  But, I’ve made a few changes in my life since Christmas.  I accepted their invitation and looked forward to the experience, trying new food and spending time with my family without bringing along all of my personal baggage.  

On Friday night, I joined my aunt, the Delaware Twins, their daughters, and some of my cousins’ friends at IKEA.  The food was definitely more different than anything I’ve ever had before…it blew the ‘roo outta the water.  There was salmon, cooked and not, herring, liverwurst, sausage, beet salad, potato salad, cucumber salad, carrots, scalloped potatoes, ham, and Swedish meatballs.  I piled my plate high and joined my cousins at our table.  I think I did pretty well - I liked the herring and the liverwurst; the beet salad was okay (although I got really grossed out when the redness of the beets dyed my deviled eggs…that was icky);  I’ve had cooked salmon before and it’s not one of my favorites.  I had a hard time getting the raw salmon (lax?) down…that was pretty awful.  I also had lingonberry juice and thought that was delicious.      

When this is the first thing you see,
you know you're in trouble!

Ewwww!

When we weren’t eating, there was talking because the Delaware relatives do that really well.  We talked about my grocery shopping habits (there are none!) and the Delaware Twins remembered that I used to eat stranger things than applesauce for breakfast.  Delaware Joan’s older daughter and I talked about the government shut down drama.  And I thought it was hysterical when she and her sister made fun of their mom for the way she pronounced Oregon.  I had just spent a week cringing every time my mom said Oregon!  Delaware Jean’s youngest daughter and I, both Smorgasbord first-timers, snapped pictures of the buffet.  And sure, when Delaware Jean’s middle daughter arrived looking like a million bucks after running, there was a little pang of jealousy, but that’s natural…we’re all human.  But then we talked about running, destination weddings, and Bethenny Frankel.  And I was having a great time. 

When I got home, I was exhausted.  Family (or any kind of large) gatherings are always going to be overwhelming for me but only because I’m an introvert…not because I’m holding onto baggage that only exists because I spent too many years feeling sorry for myself.  My family’s always accepted and loved me for who I am…it’s just taken me a lot longer to catch up to them. 

Food Friday isn’t always about the food.

Roo and 'shrooms

I have a little extra bounce in me today and it's not because I'm off too one of my favorite places on Earth. Nope, it's 'cause, after a few weeks absence, Food Friday is back!  And as usual, a few days late!  Just so you know, I've tried a few more things when I haven't been planning surprise parties, turning 32, deciding to turn left, or going to Phillies Spring Training. Let's see, I've tried flaunta (sp?), an artichoke, and a bit of apple strudel; nothing too exciting to write about but at least you know I'm still trying new things!

On Saturday night, I was invited to a surprise dinner for my cousin's 40th birthday at Villa Barolo where Chef Lo works. I didn't meet the chef, but his name was all over the menu! The fun started early...at the bar where I ordered a Malibu Bay Breeze (this was coming off my single Margarita night on Friday night so I was feeling daring!)  Appetizer preferences in my family tend to run towards hot wings and mozzarella sticks, so when the wild boar sausage and nookie came out, it was a little different to say the least! I haven't exactly been a fan of wild boars ever since the kid in The Thorn Birds was killed by one.  (Don't even get get me started on Catholic priests!)  But, I figured what the heck?  And down it went. It was actually okay. The nookie on the other hand! (I realize that's probably spelled wrong so feel free to correct me!)  Other appetizers included clams, mussels, and oysters...all raw. And all were disgusting. This was the only time that I was worried that I might possibly projectile vomit all over the cousins sitting across from me...although they're both moms so they're probably used to that kind of thing.

With the lingering taste of clam in my throat, I forged on. While the rest of my family tried exciting dishes like chicken, fish, and pasta, I was feeling game for a little game meat! There were several options to choose from, including ostrich ("tastes like chicken!")  Having just watched Oprah Down Under, I decided to go for a taste of the Outback, roasted tenderloin of kangaroo with portabello mushrooms served over mashed sweet potatoes. If you know me well, you know that the freaky part of this dish for me was actually the mushrooms! I tried, I really did try, to choke down a bite of mushroom but I just couldn't do it. Mushrooms are icky. The kangaroo was a different story. You're supposed to order the meat the same way you order a steak, so I got it cooked medium. It was served in a wine sauce and it tasted rather sweet although it was kind of chewy (good exercise for the jaw!)  Except for the tiny piece that I gave my brother, I ate the whole thing and I gotta tell you, it was really good!

Before any of you write me nasty messages asking me how I could eat a poor, innocent kangaroo, get over it.  It's not like I ate a koala bear.

Tasty Pudding Award!

This Food Friday post is long overdue, mostly because my mom was visiting this weekend (we went to see "Jersey Boys"...it was good, but it was no "Wicked") so I didn’t get a chance to write anything but also because, well, there isn’t that much to say about rice pudding.  That’s right - the new food of last week was rice pudding or rizogalo as the Greeks call it. 

It's not even photogenic!

My pals Trix, Richmond, Lonestar, and I took advantage of the spring-like temps on Friday and went to one of our favorite lunch places.  I got my usual - steak and cheese, which is similar in spirit to a cheesesteak but not really authentic enough for me to call it an actual cheesesteak.  But it’ll do.  Especially since there’s not a Jersey Mike’s close to my office.  In addition to my steak and cheese, I ordered the rice pudding for dessert.  This is actually pretty significant – this is the first dessert ever for Food Friday!  So, let’s give rice pudding some love for that distinction alone!  Woo-hoo, go rice pudding!

It was pudding-y and rice-y.  And there was cinnamon on top.  I ate two spoonfuls and then sealed it up to "save for later."  It’s still sitting in my fridge.  I think rice pudding might also be the first thing on a Food Friday that I can categorically state, I will never eat again.  I’m sticking to my usual chocolate pudding from JELL-O.

As an added bonus, my mom and I went out to dinner with my friends/neighbors Semper Fi and Scruffy (formerly known as Scrapper) and I tried some cream of crab soup that was pretty delicious.  So Food Friday was 1 for 2…hey, I’m not gonna like everything I try!  But the important thing is that I keep putting food in my mouth and chewing!

South of the Border

You know Food Friday’s gonna be interesting when the first question one of the lunch bunch asked was about the restaurant’s zoning.  We were definitely not at your neighborhood Applebee’s. 

It was an exciting day because we had a new pal, The Fedora, in on the fun.  The Fedora is a dapper dresser and apparently a bit of a foodie…he seems to know every restaurant within twenty miles of our office, even the greasy spoons!  So on Friday, The Fedora, TopChef, Lugnut, and I ended up at La Fondita, a Mexican restaurant smack dab in the middle of a residential street…thus the question regarding zoning. 

Since I was busy taking Latin in high school, I couldn’t read the menu so I was thankful for the colorful pictures of each item.  I wanted to steer clear of the typical meat and chicken dishes so I chose chilaquiles verdes.  TopChef explained what they were but all I can really remember is that they were tortilla triangles served in a green sauce (mole?) with two poached eggs on top.  Does anyone else find it interesting that I keep eating bread and eggs?  Maybe next I’ll have a breaded egg. 

My first feat was to eat the eggs…I’ve never had an egg that wasn’t scrambled, hard boiled, or deviled.  (We’re not counting the quiche disaster.)  As I cut them, the yolk spilled out and I had a moment of internal ewwing.  But I sucked it up, put it in my mouth, and chewed.  Then I dove into the chilaquiles (which I have been practicing saying ever since!)  I really liked it but it was really, really spicy.  Thank goodness I had water…mine and Lugnut’s!  I kinda thought TopChef thought I was wimping out a bit because I didn’t eat a whole lot of it so I was glad when she tasted it and thought it was spicy too.  Overall, if the sauce were milder, I think I would definitely order it again. 

This lunch definitely proves that hole in the wall places serve really great food.  Now, I can’t wait to go the greasy spoon!

Where's the Falafel?!

A funny thing happened on the way to getting falafel.  It got upstaged by shawarma.  Here’s what happened.  Food Friday found the lunch bunch at Max’s Kosher Café which is apparently the place to get falafel in Maryland suburbia.  We were among, in TopChef’s words, “her people” – so my plan was just to follow her lead because well, I had never been in a kosher restaurant in my life so I felt a little fish out of the waterish.  She ordered the shawarma plate so that’s what I got too.  I didn’t understand that shawarma and falafel were two different menu items and then the line was too long to reorder so I stuck with the shawarma. 

Nevertheless, my shawarma (shaved lamb) was served on a bed of cabbage, Israeli salad, and cauliflower and was topped off with tahini and hummus.  It also came with a falafel ball…which was my first taste of falafel (good) but not exactly worth an entire post.  It was a small ball so I think I’m going to have to go back to Max’s for a whole falafel entrée. 

I have to say…there was a ton of food on the plate!  Deputy Pepper did his best stern dad impersonation and told me that I wasn’t leaving the table until I finished all my food.  But it was kind of hard to take him seriously while he was mopping off his sweaty brow – he likes his shawarma spicy.  I didn’t eat every last bite but I made a sizeable dent and I was allowed to leave the table so that I could get back to the office in a timely manner.  While the shawarma was delicious, my real take away from the meal was the hummus…I really liked it!  And now when people bring chips and hummus to parties, I’ll actually eat it!

So Falafel Friday didn’t really happen but lucky for me, there are a lot more Fridays left in the year!

Vendredi alimentaire français

Vive la France!  More like, vive la French Food Friday!  (Note - the title is translated from Google Translator…so who knows if it’s right.)

People who know me may be under the impression that I’m not a big fan of France.  Probably because I’ve given them that impression.  Now, I don’t exactly dislike France…it’s just that when I think of all the places in the world that I want to visit, France doesn’t even make the cut.  For Christmas, I received a calendar (filler gift) of scenes of Paris - I regifted that thing faster than you can ask, “What are you doing for Bastille Day?”  In high school, I didn’t particularly like Les Misérables (the book) and I really couldn’t stand the girls who gushed about “Les Miz” (the musical).  I am definitely not a Francophile.  But when it came to Food Friday, I decided to go French. 

This was my first solo Food Friday and, truth be told, the title of this post almost became Five Guys Friday.  However, my conscious would not let me disappoint the masses, so I drove the extra few miles to le Madeleine’s.  On the drive there, I was dreaming of some lovely French duck and fancy French baguettes and I was half-worried that I wasn’t dressed fancily enough for this fine French eatery.  This was all before I found out that le Madeleine’s is basically a Frenchified Panera Bread!  At least Panera Bread's good!  Just goes to show, you should never judge a restaurant by its fancy lanterns and doors.

I stayed, only because it was snowing out and it was already past my hanger point (hunger + anger = hanger…for me, it usually occurs ‘round about noon time or any other time I haven’t eaten in a timely fashion.)  I perused the menu and decided on Quiche Lorraine.  I’ve never had quiche and I used to work with a really nice lady named Lorraine so it seemed like my best bet.  I also ordered an alpinette which is apparently French for “overpriced roll.”  I also ordered the potato soupe which was thin and tasteless despite the extra “e.”

Major disappointment - there’s egg in quiche!  I’m not a huge fan of eggs and I’m even less of a fan of eggs at lunch.  It was pretty horrible.  I only choked down about half of it before I gave up trying.  Thankfully, I had my overpriced roll and vowel heavy soupe to quell my hanger.  Now, 2010 Denise would’ve written off the whole quiche family on the basis of this one episode alone but I’m willing to admit that the quality of the food was a reflection of the restaurant.  So, let’s call this French Food Friday a practice run before Actual Good French Food Friday.

As a special bonus, there was a New Food Friday Night!  My neighbor/friend/colleague/snow shuttle operator Semper Fi called to invite me to go to the local chili place with his wife, Scrapper, and our mutual friend Lugnut.  Chili’s another one of those things I just cannot wrap my mind around.  I’ve had little bites of chili here and there and tonight I had a few more, including some on a chip that might've been a nacho.  While this doesn’t qualify as the successful completion of a meal, I’m open to ordering a chili dog the next time we go.

I guess since I’m open to the prospect of eating a chili dog, I’ll consider being more open to going to France too.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even eat a chili dog in France!

Food Friday!

This will be the first in a weekly series detailing the new foods I’m trying every week!

You know when your friends want to go somewhere for lunch and there’s that one person in the group who wrinkles up his or her nose and says, “I don’t wanna go there…I don’t like that”?  In my group, I am that girl.  But since I have to try one new food a week, I’ve gotta go places and eat things that I have always vetoed. 

And that’s how I found myself at Chipotle with Deputy Pepper, TopChef, and Caesar Rodney.  I’ve always said I don’t like Mexican food…mainly because I don’t like beans and I don’t like bread very much.  (Margaritas are a different story though!)  TopChef assured me that I could get something that didn’t come in a taco, tortilla, or burrito and that I could skip the beans.  Sure enough, after standing in a long line that moved surprisingly fast, I ordered a bowl with carnitas (pork), rice, medium salsa, and shredded cheese.  The salsa was a like a party in my mouth and the whole meal was quite tasty.  I’m a fan!

Now, when my friends want to go to Chipotle, I’m not gonna wrinkle up my nose and say no way!  In fact, next time, I might even get the guacamole! 

(Photo credit goes to TopChef!  Look for Deputy Pepper's video on YouTube!)