Warning: eating and driving is dangerous and not recommended by Mental Mastications or the Highway Patrol, but probably your insurance agent. But I am a trained professional, so it's okay.
Recently:
soft tacos -- from Del Taco. Casual.
burritos -- from Chipotle and Big City Burrito. Chipotle was pretty casual, though constantly having to tear off the foil wrapper grew bothersome, and it was raining enough to make the experience all the more exciting. There is nothing like racing down a wet highway at 78 miles per, a driving rain obscuring the view of the road, clutching a massive vegetarian burrito in both hands, changing lanes and steering with the knees and avoiding globs of guacamole dripping out the bottom of the tortilla. Big City, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult. Mainly due to the extreme amount of ranch dressing seeping out of the bottom of the burrito. Again, the foil was bothersome, but not hindering. Messy, but not difficult to manage. Fortunately road conditions were normal.
sandwiches -- many, of varying degrees of difficulty. While mostly casual, a few were more challenging. A sandwich from Heidi's was prone to falling apart and only the wrapper in my lap saved my clothing from chipotle-mayo exposure. Also, the pickle was quite drippy. A tuna sandwich I made myself proved to be the most aggravating, as I did not drain the tuna well enough and much tuna-juice was rained into my lap. Nevertheless, in terms of driving difficulty, casual.
yogurt + granola -- fairly casual, as yogurt is not as fluid as cereal and therefore more manageable. By using a small bowl I was able to hold it and the wheel in my left hand, with my right handling the spoon and gearshift. With this tactic I was able to keep my eyes on the road, using my peripheral vision to guide the spoon to the yogurt.
cereal -- not recommended. The possibility for total disaster loomed overhead at all times, and while I was able to avoid any milk spillage, the amount of attention diverted from the road to the bowl of Crispix was probably quite dangerous. Add in a manual transmission (which I have) and you have a lovely (and tasty) recipe for disaster. If I die in a car wreck I'd rather not be covered in a dairy product, but I do really love Crispix and wouldn't mind having that be my final meal.
pizza -- casual.
various bars -- supremely casual.
More to come. Again I must remind you, don't eat and drive.
4.28.2009
4.20.2009
New Direction
The sandwich chronicle has gotten out of hand and become something of a burden to keep up with. So, instead of monitoring every sandwich I eat, I will instead make a list of sandwiches/sandwich shops that require my attention. Then I will simply move down the list and report my findings. First up:
Jason's Deli:
I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat ciabatta with field greens (fancy term for lettuce), tomatoes, guacamole and melted swiss. I'm a sucker for avocados and, by association, guacamole, so this was a natural choice. I was a little disappointed by the portions (too small for a serious lunch) but at the same time it was refreshing to see a restaurant not dish out ridiculously oversized meals. The sandwich, especially the second half, didn't hold up very well in the structural integrity department, a result of the guacamole no doubt. However, the turkey was warm and the cheese melted while the guac remained chilled, which was a good trick. The sandwich looked pretty good, though excess guac sometimes dribbled out of the ends--a negative. There were toothpicks speared through each half of the sandwich, but they still didn't hold the sandwich together, which was the biggest detractor, I think. Overall, a decent sandwich.
general: *
structural integrity:
ingredients: *
effectiveness: 1/2
aesthetics: 1/2
total: ***
Bruegger's Bagels:
Ever since I moved to Denver in 97 I've held Bruegger's as the gold standard for bagels and bagel sandwiches, and I've been meaning to put them to the test since I started on this sandwich journal adventure. I thought that I would find Bruegger's greatness to be more of a sentimental thing, but they delivered a fantastic chicken salad sandwich. Fantastic like four stars, yeah. The bagels were very fresh and very perfect--texture, color, size and shape were all top notch. The chicken salad had almonds and dried cranberries in it, which was a delightful and sweet touch, though perhaps a bit too much mayo, as it was a bit too soupy to remain inside the confines of the halved bagel. Though, for the most part, the structural integrity was better than I expected. The aesthetics were solid--the tomatoes were nice and red and contrasted well against the color of the bagel and chicken, and as I mentioned earlier the bagels were well and uniformly shaped. There was just enough chicken salad to make the sandwich a good size without having most of the innards squish out the ends with each bite. I got two sandwiches, with the intention of saving one for dinner, but I found my hunger unsatisfied by the first, so I was compelled to eat both. So it looses something there, from the effectiveness category. Otherwise, an amazing sandwich. I dare say the best yet.
general: *
structural integrity: 1/2
ingredients: *
effectiveness: 1/2
aesthetics: *
total: ****
Notice that this one scores points in every category. I think it is the first sandwich to do so.
Jason's Deli:
I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat ciabatta with field greens (fancy term for lettuce), tomatoes, guacamole and melted swiss. I'm a sucker for avocados and, by association, guacamole, so this was a natural choice. I was a little disappointed by the portions (too small for a serious lunch) but at the same time it was refreshing to see a restaurant not dish out ridiculously oversized meals. The sandwich, especially the second half, didn't hold up very well in the structural integrity department, a result of the guacamole no doubt. However, the turkey was warm and the cheese melted while the guac remained chilled, which was a good trick. The sandwich looked pretty good, though excess guac sometimes dribbled out of the ends--a negative. There were toothpicks speared through each half of the sandwich, but they still didn't hold the sandwich together, which was the biggest detractor, I think. Overall, a decent sandwich.
general: *
structural integrity:
ingredients: *
effectiveness: 1/2
aesthetics: 1/2
total: ***
Bruegger's Bagels:
Ever since I moved to Denver in 97 I've held Bruegger's as the gold standard for bagels and bagel sandwiches, and I've been meaning to put them to the test since I started on this sandwich journal adventure. I thought that I would find Bruegger's greatness to be more of a sentimental thing, but they delivered a fantastic chicken salad sandwich. Fantastic like four stars, yeah. The bagels were very fresh and very perfect--texture, color, size and shape were all top notch. The chicken salad had almonds and dried cranberries in it, which was a delightful and sweet touch, though perhaps a bit too much mayo, as it was a bit too soupy to remain inside the confines of the halved bagel. Though, for the most part, the structural integrity was better than I expected. The aesthetics were solid--the tomatoes were nice and red and contrasted well against the color of the bagel and chicken, and as I mentioned earlier the bagels were well and uniformly shaped. There was just enough chicken salad to make the sandwich a good size without having most of the innards squish out the ends with each bite. I got two sandwiches, with the intention of saving one for dinner, but I found my hunger unsatisfied by the first, so I was compelled to eat both. So it looses something there, from the effectiveness category. Otherwise, an amazing sandwich. I dare say the best yet.
general: *
structural integrity: 1/2
ingredients: *
effectiveness: 1/2
aesthetics: *
total: ****
Notice that this one scores points in every category. I think it is the first sandwich to do so.
4.19.2009
More pies
pie night has lately become a weekly staple. it seems few things are more appealing than a freshly baked pie and a movie. after just a few nights the 'pie assembly line' concept has emerged. with some practice, a pretty good apple pie can be assembled in about 20 minutes.
1) first, the crust is made using a concoction of oil, water, flour, salt and 5 drops of vinegar. (5 drops is important, though I don't know why.)
2)apples are cored, peeled and sliced into slinky like objects using a handy apple-peeling-coring-slicing-machine. This is key.
3)some amounts of sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon are added.
4)bake as needed.
this recipe is vague, and i recognize this. it seems to me that cooking (for the most part) with an exact recipe is something of a dab. i want the final product to be something of an adventure, not a cloned "this tastes exactly as it did last week" kind of experience. pie should be comfortable, though not expected, familiar but not boring.
some pie experiments:
apple pie and cheddar cheese- started with a ready made frozen pie, first mistake, but the final product turned out quite well, and was eaten remarkably quickly.
apple pie and bacon- eaten pretty quickly, could have been worse. the bacon on the top was not a cooked as it should have been. next time: pre-cook and chop bacon before adding to mess of apples.
grasshopper pie- recipe from JE's mother. somewhat alcoholy according to some in attendance.
apple pie with honey- very nice, shouldn't forget the lemon juice and butter next time.
buttermilk pie- the oh-so-decadent best pie ever pie. always a staple and so easy.
gluten-free crust and apple blueberry pie- crust from hell, and i was only watching it get made, smarvez can attest to the actual difficulty. tasted like beans before being baked. but according to the receiving party all turned out well, and the pie was actually edible.
now if only i could construct some other type of desert with any sort of aptitude all would be well.
4.07.2009
014-021
014: modified Country Bumpkin (3.28.09)
wheat bread, pastrami, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese, salt & vinegar potato chips, mayo, mustard
general:*
structural integrity: *
ingredients: 1/2
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: ***1/2
015: chicken salad (3.31.09)
Safeway kaiser roll, Safeway chicken salad
general: 1/2
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
016: tuna (3.31.09)
white bread, chunk light tuna, Pace picante sauce, aged white cheddar cheese
general:
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: 1/2
aesthetics:
total: *1/2
017: chicken salad (4.1.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, Safeway chicken salad
general: 1/2
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
018: peanut butter and jelly (4..2.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, Adams all-natural peanut butter, Safeway Select raspberry preserves
general: *
structural integrity: *
ingredients: 1/2
effectiveness:
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
019: peanut butter and jelly (4.3.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, Adams all-natural peanut butter, Safeway Select raspberry preserves
general: *
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: ***
020: turkey (4.4.09)
Heidi’s ciabatta bread, turkey, tomatoes, lettuce, chipotle mayonnaise
general: *
structural integrity: *
ingredients: 1/2
effectiveness:
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
021: tuna (4.6.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, chunk light tuna, Pace picante sauce
general:
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: **
Note that 014 was made by my cousin, who works in a deli, and is in fact his specialty sandwich. It suffered from sub-standard bread (no fresh ciabatta here) and less-than-amazing cheese (plan old Kraft), but other than that it was truly an amazing sandwich. I've never had pastrami before, and I'm not entirely sure I like it enough to consume on a regular basis, but it was a nice departure from the usual poultry-based sandwich meat. I believe the addition of potato chips (salt and vinegar: not my favorite) is the 'modification' to the original Country Bumpkin. After that it has been something of a downhill ride in the sandwich department; I need to branch out, expand and all that. So I've made a list of sandwiches to try:
Reuben -- rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing. Honestly, I'm not very psyched on this sandwich. I do not like sauerkraut, and cured meats (especially corned beef) intimidate me, but this is a classic sandwich and I feel like I need to experience it at least once if I am to call myself a sandwich coneseuer.
Hell's Kitchen -- a Heidi's exclusive consisting of egg salad, bacon, tomatoes and avocado. Not a huge fan of bacon, and sometimes the thought of egg salad makes me gag, but the inclusion of avocado interests me.
Monte Cristo -- french toast, turkey, fruit preserves, mayple syrup, powdered sugar, cheese. Main course or desert, this sandwich scares me. The cacophany of ingredients seems over the top and mildly ridiculous, but the French know a thing or two about food, so I'll give it a go.
wheat bread, pastrami, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese, salt & vinegar potato chips, mayo, mustard
general:*
structural integrity: *
ingredients: 1/2
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: ***1/2
015: chicken salad (3.31.09)
Safeway kaiser roll, Safeway chicken salad
general: 1/2
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
016: tuna (3.31.09)
white bread, chunk light tuna, Pace picante sauce, aged white cheddar cheese
general:
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: 1/2
aesthetics:
total: *1/2
017: chicken salad (4.1.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, Safeway chicken salad
general: 1/2
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
018: peanut butter and jelly (4..2.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, Adams all-natural peanut butter, Safeway Select raspberry preserves
general: *
structural integrity: *
ingredients: 1/2
effectiveness:
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
019: peanut butter and jelly (4.3.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, Adams all-natural peanut butter, Safeway Select raspberry preserves
general: *
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: ***
020: turkey (4.4.09)
Heidi’s ciabatta bread, turkey, tomatoes, lettuce, chipotle mayonnaise
general: *
structural integrity: *
ingredients: 1/2
effectiveness:
aesthetics:
total: **1/2
021: tuna (4.6.09)
Safeway Select 15-grain bread, chunk light tuna, Pace picante sauce
general:
structural integrity: *
ingredients:
effectiveness: *
aesthetics:
total: **
Note that 014 was made by my cousin, who works in a deli, and is in fact his specialty sandwich. It suffered from sub-standard bread (no fresh ciabatta here) and less-than-amazing cheese (plan old Kraft), but other than that it was truly an amazing sandwich. I've never had pastrami before, and I'm not entirely sure I like it enough to consume on a regular basis, but it was a nice departure from the usual poultry-based sandwich meat. I believe the addition of potato chips (salt and vinegar: not my favorite) is the 'modification' to the original Country Bumpkin. After that it has been something of a downhill ride in the sandwich department; I need to branch out, expand and all that. So I've made a list of sandwiches to try:
Reuben -- rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing. Honestly, I'm not very psyched on this sandwich. I do not like sauerkraut, and cured meats (especially corned beef) intimidate me, but this is a classic sandwich and I feel like I need to experience it at least once if I am to call myself a sandwich coneseuer.
Hell's Kitchen -- a Heidi's exclusive consisting of egg salad, bacon, tomatoes and avocado. Not a huge fan of bacon, and sometimes the thought of egg salad makes me gag, but the inclusion of avocado interests me.
Monte Cristo -- french toast, turkey, fruit preserves, mayple syrup, powdered sugar, cheese. Main course or desert, this sandwich scares me. The cacophany of ingredients seems over the top and mildly ridiculous, but the French know a thing or two about food, so I'll give it a go.
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