Filed under: Food, Fun, Photos, happy | Tags: Food, photographs, stuffed peppers
Filed under: Food, Fun, Humor, Photos | Tags: Food, fruit pies, photograph
Filed under: Food, Humor, youtube | Tags: Food, food porn, KFC, patton oswalt, youtube
Filed under: Food, Questions | Tags: anthony bourdain, chicken, father, Food, food porn, grandmother, meatballs, Ricky, Sam Adams, snowballs, tiramisu
September 9th, 2008.
Anthony Bourdain plays this game with all of his chef friends and various people he encounters around the world:
Your last meal? What would it be?
I mean, really that’s like asking what the meaning of life is. The answers may be endless or even profound. And I’m not talking death row here, I’m talking endless imagination.
I proposed this question to Ricky over food porn the other night and the really funny thing is we both have mac and cheese on our list. Here is what I narrowed mine down to:
-my Grandmother’s meatballs, God rest her soul; and I’m talking meatballs like no other and if you think you’ve had good meatballs, you are mistaken unless Eleanor Marchese made them for you. And I’m talking with a little ziti and the runny sauce, the best kind.
-my Father’s slowly cooked chicken on the bone; the man walked that fine line between culinary arts and abusing his children with having to sit in the wonderfully and heavenly delightful aroma of chicken cooking for at least 8 or 9 hours. You never thought it was going to be done and when it was done we feasted like we hadn’t eaten anything so good in all of our lives. Well, Monday through Thursday we didn’t.
-Mac and Cheese; from the box and the powdery kind. No fancy cheese sauce for me. I’ll take the packet any day. Some people have an affinity to Ramen noodles, I prefer the 88¢ store brand mac n cheese.
-Snowballs; really impossible to explain, so here’s a visual and a recipe
or Tiramisu, which ever is readily available.
-Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
And that pretty much will do me in. I’m sure that list will change throughout my life but that is what I want right now.
How about you?
Filed under: Emotions, Etsy, Family, Food, blogging | Tags: blogging, David Cook, Eli Manning, Emotions, Etsy, Fij, Food, food porn, jenn, Mike, mother, Ricky, Sick, tag cloud, Work
July 18th, 2008
I don’t know who coined the phrase “food porn” but my sister gets the credit for introducing it to Mike and me. Ame’s a vegan so just about everything “consumable” fits into this category, and consumable, she’ll argue too. Food porn is fried, greasy, processed, sugary, evil and oh so good! The other week Mike turned our kitchen into a greasy spoon by throwing just about anything into a pot of oil turning out the best fried food this side of the Mississippi (seeing that the best fried food on the other side of the Mississippi happens to be found here.) We even considered frying the Twinkies but even I passed on that one. I don’t crave as much as I used to, I have an occasional hankering for something sinful and wrong, like eating at a chain restaurant… I know! We have all but ruled them out but I can’t say that I’m not excited to be going to one tonight. It almost makes up for having to attend something educational on a Friday night… can I bring my iPod? Can I text during it, please? I feel like a kid needing the promise of something heavenly at the end of something painful like having to go to the fabric store or the adult section of the public library… and I don’t mean adult like that, I mean like big ol’ dusty reference/microfiche section of the library.
* * *
I installed this new feature on my blog, it’s called a tag cloud, my friend Fij has it among others* and I thought it would be interesting. And it has been, to say the least. Maybe even eye opening, but not so much in a good way. There are those topics that I’m glad are there, like my Etsy shop name (yay), Mike’s name, Ricky’s name, Jenn’s Etsy shop (how sweet) and of course “David Cook” because I’m an obsessed crazy fan, but who’s really counting. Oddly, I guess I talked a lot about “Eli Manning”. Didn’t know that I had. But the one’s that really stick out for me are: sick, work, and emotions. Why aren’t happy, healthy, and feelings there? We are half way through the year and those are the highlights? Wait, I’m pleased with all of them through Eli, but after that… I’m sick of work, work makes me sick, and I’m emotional about it? Haven’t I been in that place for too long? A friend of mine turned it all around just a little while ago and he seems happier… I think. I mean, he’s so busy he doesn’t really update his blog anymore, as much anyway. So he assures me that he is well, and I believe him, he’s an adult and he can take care of his shit. And that’s my point, I’m not taking care of my shit.
I don’t know where this is coming from really. It started up again yesterday around midday. I knew something was in the air and then my mother called me almost near the end of my shift at work. Do I really want to air all of this here on my blog, f*ck yeah. This is my place, I don’t care how public it is… isn’t that the beauty of it all anyhow? I want to go on and on about how this was sh*tty and that was f*cked up, and how there was no love in my life for the better part of it… but where will that leave me? With more angry, sick, emotional tags popping up in my cloud. That damned cloud!
* * *
And that last thing… I don’t think that’s a good idea… and I’m not talking about an alcoholic bender (been there, survived that), I’m talking an emotional bender. I think I’m due.
Filed under: Commentary, Food | Tags: AZ, Food, Italian cuisine, La Dolce Vita, Tucson
April 20th, 2008
I had all but given up on trying to find a good Italian restaurant in Tucson, much less a great Italian restaurant. Until today I didn’t think I would ever find it, but, alas I have found you.
It is aptly names La Dolce Vita and it is amazing. It is everything you want in a great Italian restaurant, honest food, fresh product, creative yet home style cooking, superb service, numerous courses each with a purpose and the chef’s heart and soul in each bite. We are so happy we found it and the really surprising thing is it has been here all along. It is mere miles from the house! I can’t wait to return time and time again.
Ciao!
Filed under: Commentary, Emotions, Food, Good day, Vacation | Tags: Battlestar Galactica, Coach, Food, Phoenix, Scottsdale, shopping, sisters, The Persian Room, Tucson, Vacation
April 7th, 2008
7 Days into April and for the record I haven’t posted a proper post yet, so here it is.
My sister left Tucson yesterday for business in Phoenix and is heading back to NYC tomorrow morning. I had an absolute blast with her here, as I always do, but this trip was somehow even more special than the others. I see us getting older, but not just that, I see us growing into ourselves wiser and more relaxed too. I think the more we come to terms with who we are, where we are going and what has made us, us, we have an even stronger relationship. We’re sisters, we have always been sisters. Time and circumstance may have come between us, but as the years go by we both, in our own way, have come to realize that what it comes down to is what it is that we both want out of a relationship with each other, and what the other is capable of giving. On some level we have both always wanted a “normal” relationship but because of the past, because of our somewhat trying although pretty common tumultuous, we have always sought that normalcy without knowing that we could achieve it by just letting go. Individually we have calmed down, we have let a lot of our quest for strength, control, and independence go and have come to understand that opening ourselves up to change and accepting that sometimes the change is good and sometimes the change is bad, is not only the path of least resistance, but the smart path. It was good to be with her.
I apologies for not properly posting and I must admit that on Saturday I wasn’t even able to get to my computer. My poor little Mac sat waiting in its slumber mode until Sunday when all I did was excuse myself for another day. The reasons though, are completely satisfactory, more than I must confess.
Saturday, my sister, Mike and I set out for Scottsdale and embarked on a shopping spree of that of which dreams are made. Holy Retail Batman! I got to shop in stores I have always wanted to shop in, I got to step into stores that I have only dreamed of stepping into… my sister probably thought I was a shut in, but she understands that we just don’t have those stores around here, and not too many opportunities to shop in high end shops. I went into a Neiman Marcus and a Nordstoms, Juicy Couture, kate spade, Betsy Johnson, BCBG, Michael Kors, Swarovski, and of course a giant Coach store. Hello! The best thing about going into these shops is that they assume you have money and they HELP you! I had some of the best customer service I have ever had anywhere, and I wasn’t even buying! Mostly, not buying, just buying a little…
(My big purchase)
Whatevs.
It was such an outstanding day, and Mike had a great time too. It’ll always be remembered as the day we walked 3 miles in a mall, the Great Pocket Square Hunt and so many other great memories.
We finished off that night at a super restaurant of Mike’s choosing, The Persian Room, and it was so good. Now, I’ve never been a fan of Mike’s family cuisine and before you judge you must try some of these dishes, and I’m not talking the one’s you may think you know, Middle Eastern food, Persian food, Indian food and Mediterranean food is all very different. Mike’s dad is from Iran and that falls under Persian food. I’m not saying it is bad or bad tasting, what I’m saying it is that it is very different from European/American flavors. It is just about on another planet from Italian food, what I grew up on. Let’s just say it isn’t my ab-fab favorite. But this place had some awesome food and I would recommend it to someone, who say has lived in a culinary coma for most of their life.
And I’m a sleeper and of course I didn’t even make it out of Phoenix before I fell asleep in the back seat of the Jobing Kia. And that in a nut shell is my vacation recap (highlights) and my apologies for not properly posting on my blog.
********************************************************************************************************************
Battlestar Galactica: final season premiere episode-
I waited a whole year for that. Did I miss something? What the f*(bleep)ck?
I know he’s a Cylon, she’s a Cylon, those two are Cylons, and now what? What the…?
I need more. It’s like a drug. A mean, cliff hanging mind bending drug. Damn you Sci-Fi channel.
Filed under: Commentary, Emotions, Food | Tags: Commentary, Emotions, Food, home
but I’m also forgetful.
February 13th, 2008
I cleaned today. You know that scary closet you have full of canned goods and dusty boxes of edibles? You know you have it, be it a large walk-in pantry or a tiny cupboard above the refrigerator, you know it’s there. And you know there are expired items in there. Aside from the obvious guilt I felt, and it was heavy, for the starving children around the world who need this food, I felt guilty for being able to buy this food and, again, able to throw it away. You know I’m a giver and please rest assured I’ve already made a donation to the Red Cross today; that’s two donations in one week, I feel cleansed. Anyhow, so besides even that I felt dumb. I feel dumb because of the time and energy wasted on buying these products and for the most part never even trying them. Onion soup mix makes a great dip, gone, chive croûtons would have gone great with that low fat ranch dressing, gone, fiesta mix with pinto beans and salsa, gone, about a billion pickles, gone (can pickles re-pickle after being left for three years?). Ice cream cone shells, oyster crackers, various boxes of Ritz’s crackers, some boxes with festive holiday packaging (which Christmas, I don’t know?). Lost oatmeal packets, loose tiny boxes of raisins, Teddy Grahams, pudding cups, none of these in their original packaging, therefore no expiration dates, I’m not taking chances. I can’t even reveal how many trash bags I filled… horrifying.
I don’t think it’s really just a matter of buying too much. Buying too much for me stems from growing up without. I hoard because I think I have to. I am also so forgetful it seems when it comes to certain things, obviously our food supply is one of those things. I remember to pay all of the bills, I remember to feed the cats and change out their water every day, I remember to put gas in the car, I remember to set the DVR for my shows. But I don’t remember that I bought that huge lot of tomato paste all the way back in ‘05. Oh, yeah, that’s right. That stuff will kill you now. Aforementioned pickles were from the same era. We don’t even belong to Costco anymore. Scary.
I love to cook which is the ironic thing about all of this. I love making a good home cooked meal. I just can’t figure out if it is the act of throwing away, hoarding too much or just plain forgetfulness. Anyone up for Boston baked beans that expired in March of ‘07?
Filed under: Food, Football, TV | Tags: Canadians, CatsBooty.etsy.com, Deion Sanders, Food, Football, Mike, NFL Gameday, post office, Prison Break, Salvation Army, Troy Aikman, Wentworth Miller
January 14th, 2008
I’m not going to talk about football today, although, how excited am I that NFL Gameday is on every night this week (Deion Sanders is my favorite football personality, well, next to Troy Aikman, but he’s just nice to look at.) Anyhow, no football right.
Today was one of those days off where my head is filled with one million and one things I could get accomplished and in reality I get one of those things done. Actually I got a few things done I’ve been meaning to for a bit. I did do a bit of Spring cleaning on my wardrobe. Spring cleaning, but it’s January. The seasons change pretty quick in the desert. Anyhow, I let go of some things I’ve been holding onto and I feel really free now. That and my clean laundry won’t spend a week on the dining room table because it is so hard to find a place for it in my closet and drawers. When I let my laundry sit on the dining room table, Mike thinks that it is okay to do the same, and often likes to think of the dining room table as his closet and will dress from head to toe from the table. I know, strange. But I did bring four trash bags to the Salvation Army and selectively chose the best for a very special recipient. I know four trash bags. But in all honesty I haven’t gone completely bonkers-clothes shopping in about 8 months. I guess I was just holding on to some things thinking that I may want them some day. It made it easier saying goodbye to those things today mostly just because I was sick and tired of looking at it, and then for some, I can’t wish for my body to ever fit into those things again. Better to just send them away.
I had to go to the post office today, international shipment to Canada (Canadians love the Booty ), and I always come out of the post office with a wider view of the world and its people. People must not be able to bring themselves to be patient inside the post office. Perhaps only inpatient people use the post office. I think there needs to be a sign outside the post office that reads, “This will take a long time so just shut up and deal with it.” Maybe this will help. I am one of those weird people who are polite to the postal workers, talk to them in a nice tone, ask them how their day is. And I know when they answer me they are lying. They aren’t having a good day because they probably had 100 people be rude to them all day. And tomorrow will be just the same. But I like them and they are nice to me. I got Stan today and he’s cool, really low key and has a Georgian accent. The lady that usually helps me, real nice lady, waved at me and said hello. I think that made the inpatient people nervous and confused. Although there was no real altercation at the post office today, I’m sure there is one brewing for the near future. I just hope I’m there to see it.
Tara’s Chicken Dinner tonight. That’s not really a secret recipe, but it is one of my staples and really must be sampled to understand it. I never knew white gravy existed until I moved to the southwest and I never knew it could be so good until I tried it. I love it! And I know how terribly bad it is for you, so I don’t make it all of the time, once in a blue moon. Oh, and Prison Break starts up tonight again. If you haven’t watched that show, and I didn’t until the second season, heck, you don’t know what you’re missing. Good stuff people. I’ve got the first season on DVD if anyone is interested. Great story line, super suspense and lots of hot eye candy… did I mention the story lines are good too?
Told you.
Filed under: Commentary, Food | Tags: Arizona, Food, In-And-Out, montana avenue, restaurants, Tiger Woods, Tucson
January 7th, 2008
I like to think I’m a simple person with simple needs. Okay, I’m a little high maintenance when it comes to food. Let me specify: high maintenance when I go out to eat, at home I’m a pig in shit with a box of Lil’ Debbie powdered donuts, toaster oven pizzas and string cheese. That’s a disturbing visual. The point is this, Mike and I just can’t bring ourselves to eat at your run of the mill, frozen to microwaved, chain restaurants. I think it happened around the time we went to an unnamed Aussie steakhouse and the bill was over $50+ and I felt had. The steak was boiled. Seriously boiled. I can handle that because they don’t make bones about it. I know what I’m getting when we go to a place boasting about how great that it’s Friday, inevitably it’s someone’s uncle’s kid’s birthday and everyone in the place is going to scream and clap about it. $50+ frozen delights all around. What was becoming abundantly clear to me was that I could make better food at home, and I’m not the chef in my family, by far. But there are those times when you just want to go out.
So we go to expensive, fancy dancy places instead. Thinking that this would solve our problem, and for the most part it has. The service is a million times better and in no way am I saying that the service in chain restaurants is poor. The truth of the matter is that these servers are stretched so thin, doing the job of many with such terrible pay, inadequate tips, no recognition and it is all for pure volume, get the people in get them out. So please do not take it that I am downing on these people whom are certainly trying to eek out a living. I actually feel for them deeply. The service in higher end restaurants tends to be better because these establishments actually allow the server the time they need with all of their patrons. Okay, off the soapbox, what I really am talking about here is food. The food does improve in higher end places. It is fresher, healthier and better prepared. The atmosphere is classier, no high chairs, no clapping party processions, dim candle votives and soft jazz music. All around it is relaxing and welcoming. Food, I forget we’re talking about the food. Wasn’t the food supposed to be better?
Last month Mike and I went to a place here in Tucson, a restaurant in Saguaro Ranch, a state park in Arizona. Park rangers escort you up a winding and breathtaking mountain road. They come to your car door and guide you up these massive log stairs with the light from a lantern… all of the works. I mean you pass Tiger Wood’s house on the way up, well one of his houses anyway. The food, the best we ever had, the most mouth orgasmic thing allowable by law? No. Terrible. Horrible actually. The worst meal I can remember. I couldn’t get drunk enough to swallow the fact that our bill, with tip, was over $200.
Tonight, sitting in the Target parking lot, Mike and I were faced with the inevitable burning necessary question, “Where do you want to eat?” We have concluded in all of our eating mishaps, chains aren’t all that bad, but at least prep yourself for what you can expect and don’t set your expectation too high. Of course don’t plan on food poisoning but don’t expect to have your steak take you to another plane of existence either. Fast food is what it is, thank our lucky stars we have an In-and-Out in town now. Fancy dancy? Unless I’m eating with Tiger Woods himself, I’ll pass. So that leaves us in the middle of the road. Mom and Pops are okay, but I think Mike is 0 and 3 with Salmonella, so we steer clear. Middle of the road.
We happened upon a middle of the road tonight. The kind of place where I didn’t feel completely bad about having jeans on and they had a one page decent wine list. A place where the servers were all wearing like outfits but no one was donning paper hats. A place where the bar had a TV but there weren’t chili pepper lights surrounding it. Our server was outstanding, with the suggestions and explanations of selections without sounding programmed or pushy. The place was simple with bleached Copenhagen wood, black rot iron Asian inspired lamps and high ceilings. The food was grown-up, well thought out, beautifully presented without being pretentious and the best thing of all… it tasted great! So there are those little pieces of food paradise out there and we’re lucky to have found one.
Now Tucson just needs a good, and I mean good, Italian restaurant. Maybe I’ll open one.
http://www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com/montanaavenue.html
