bekeeblog

i've been really good about making food and not eating delivery for dinner. i've even kinda broken up with subway by bringing my lunch. except, sometimes kurt wants to go out to eat during the week so i have leftovers from ha long bay (if you have not yet been, you need to go) but didn't bring them to work today because i had goulash from sunday.

so, my current conundrum is whether to eat ha long leftovers tonight and subway tomorrow (total cost < $5) or treat myself to yummy food from burrito drive (total cost > $10) and bring leftovers tomorrow. i do have an avocado that needs to be put onto some tacos...

i think i already know what i'm gunna do.

Posted by bekee at 2:26 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i made a sandwich yesterday for lunch today... and had to throw it out because i couldn't eat it. it had gotten soggy and saturated with oil and salty from the olives and anchovies. i took two bites and got up to throw it away.

thankfully, the cafe at work was serving veggie burgers today.

Posted by bekee at 12:37 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

in my attempts to quit throwing money away (at takeout food), last night's adventure was to make something close to salmon with apricot couscous. since i have rice up to my ears, and an awesome rice cooker, i skipped the couscous and used basmati. i never realized how yummy it smelled while cooking!

i also didn't have green onions, so i just used some white onion and cucumber and mixed it with plain yogurt and added some cumin and herbamare. i also brought some frozen veggies into a boil and plated them. the result:

Posted by bekee at 8:43 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

in an attempt to eat more dinners at home, i started last night by stopping at the jenifer st coop to get some supplies. i figure i might as well pen the recipe that i made up in case i want to make it when i'm 60:

chil'd orzo salad

ingredients:
1c orzo, cooked al dente
1 small bunch green onions, diced
12" celery, diced
2tsp garlic, minced
10-12 sun dried tomatoes in oil (the dried ones discolor the pasta overnight)
1pkg plain feta cheese
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
bragg's amino acids
herbamare, to taste
third ward seasoning (from penzey's—the best spice you could ever own ever. unfortunately, it is only available for purchase at their wauwatosa location. i always have my mom get me lots and i freeze it.)

method:
while the orzo is cookin', sautèe the garlic over medium heat with a little oil and herbamare. before it burns, add the onions and celery, keeping the heat medium-low. when the orzo has about 2 minutes left, add the tomatoes to the veggies and squirt a little balsamic and bragg's on it. sprinkle with a little more herbamare.

once orzo is done, drain in colander and rinse with cold water (this will stop the cooking and make the salad cooler). put in bowl and mix in veggies. break up the feta and stir in well. add third ward seasoning and chow down.

serves 4; or one of you 4 times.

Posted by bekee at 8:20 AM | permalink | licks (2) | tracks (0)

i always wanted to do a three-day juice fast, but didn't want to stop smoking for three days (and smoking during a detox seems ridiculous... even more so now); so maybe i'll do one soon.

and, i found this recipe for smoked lox sandwiches that looks awesome.

Posted by bekee at 2:54 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

back in may, i sent some positive feedback to the subway website. knowing their restaurants are franchised, i figured it would take a little while for the information to trickle down to the manager. i didn't think it would take five months.

the manager of the place i go for lunch does all the veggies, and she asked me today if i had sent in some feedback. we had a chuckle that since it was positive, it took that long because it's not as important as negative.

Posted by bekee at 11:40 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

so i got my standard veggie sub and bag of chips from subway today... and as the fellas were chatting about viruses and people and dna, i decided to read the ingredients list on the bag of spicy chipotle sun chips. it's too long of a list already for chips that are "good for you". i won't even go into the use of artificial color... but imagine my horror when i read the words "Beef Fat."

wtf?! really?! so, their customer service department is receiving the following:

i find it quite silly that you'd use beef fat in a product that you claim to be healthy. i'm a fairly strict pescetarian, and was appalled to discover that i had just eaten a bag of chips containing beef fat. i'm sorely disappointed; and think that even tho there is no FDA mandate or precedent, your customers would benefit from the knowledge that you have added an unnecessary ingredient to your line of chips, maybe a dead cow next to those chipotle peppers on the bag.

it is because of this oversight on your part that i will discontinue consumption of any of your lines of product.

this means i will no longer partake in sun chips (now referred to as "beef chips"), baked lays (who needs the calories?), in addition to not having had fritos or cheetos for a number of years i can't count on two hands, as well as doritos, and tostitos. unfortunately, those are just the featured brands. their full list is much larger; however, the contents of that list already do not make it to my shopping basket.

update:

i got a response... the contents are pretty much what i expected.

Thank you for writing to us. Your comments are important, and we're glad you got in touch with us. Feedback like yours is greatly appreciated and will be shared with the appropriate teams within our company.

This is one of the few snacks that has a animal flavoring in the seasoning. The good news is that if a seasoning does contain this ingredient, it will be listed on the ingredient statement and not "hidden" under "natural flavors." This way you can always know if the snack is something you'd be able to eat.

I sincerely apologize for the bad experience you had with this snack. A replacement coupon is being sent to you and should arrive in about a week.

We consider you a valued consumer and hope you will continue to enjoy snacks from Frito-Lay.

Best regards,

Linda

the problem is that she's right. companies hide beef and chicken under "natural flavors" because they can. there is no fda regulation that states the use of animal products need to be specified because no one will die if they eat it (unlike the potential with peanuts, wheat, and soy). plus, corporations know that if (savvy) shoppers were aware of each and every single ingredient, we'd opt for brands that still make chips out of plain ol' corn.

Posted by bekee at 12:22 PM | permalink | licks (3) | tracks (0)

facebook is acting up, and twitter is down, so i'm forced to return to my tried and true; the blog.

i just finished reading this very interesting summary of amazon's subtle improvements on the purchase action, and came across a recipe for grilled mexican tofu that i wanted to pass on to a friend, but since fb is being a jerk, i can't.

also, i thought this CAPTCHA was funny:

Posted by bekee at 10:52 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i often have strange dreams after sushi night... but last night we decided to try ha long bay on williamson st. where bab's used to be.

the night started with me asking everyone in my vicinity what the name was, and everyone had a guess but they all sounded quite silly. then i asked facebook and got a response within seconds. ha long bay! my friend said. a search online revealed they lack a website, takeout menus, and a sign posting business hours or name (this was from a daily page forum post a month ago). we decided to give it a try anyway.

the ambiance is great. they added a wall so you can't see into the kitchen and the greeter counter is very inviting. we were seated immediately and had waters within seconds. be prepared with your tastes because their menu is twelve 8.5x11" pages, front and back. each entree type is divided into three categories, vietnamese, lao, and thai. luckily, i have the no-meat diet so that narrowed the menu down by about 2/3rds.

i got the veggie spring roll (2 for $3.95!) and yellow curry. i decided to try the curry first because if a place effs up curry, you know i won't be back. kurt got the pork egg rolls and a huge bowl of soup with "rare beef and well-done flank".

the spring rolls were delicious and crisp and fresh and not too minty. kurt's eggrolls were also devoured. the yellow curry (tho the mildest of curries) was good, but just a little bland. i'm used to yellow curry dishes with a little more coconut milk and less chili oil. kurt's soup was met with sheer delight. we'll definitely be back; it'll take 8 years to get through that menu.

-------------------

my dream was too long to describe to you, but it had a lot of people i know in it and was very strange. someone wanted to store a bunch of mattresses in my house (which was my childhood house) and after they moved them all in, i was like "wtf? hell no." and everyone got mad at me. then it was some 4th of july celebration and some weird bar party.

Posted by bekee at 9:09 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

we bought a bottle of bloody mary mix for our party and it never got opened.. so i think i'm going to prepare it for some inside out bloody marys...

Posted by bekee at 1:11 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

the house party went very well. all of the beer was gone by midnight or so, luckily we thought ahead and got plenty of cans. the fire was enjoyed by a small crowd until about 1am when i had had enough and went to bed. was up at the crack of 9 on sunday... i finally rolled kurt off the couch and cleaned up the back yard; a couple partyers came back to help.

the fire was going all day, and kurt stayed up watching it until 5am on monday. i finally got to mow the lawn all to the same length yesterday, so it looks much better now.

so now i'm back to work... it seems moderately more painful than my 9 days off in april. maybe a four-day weekend is just too short.

Posted by bekee at 8:21 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

ok, this is for me so i don't forget.

cream cheese rollups
"ham" and pickle rollups
caprese salad on-a-stick
edamame-stuffed wontons
goat cheese and tomato crostinis
apple zucchini crostinis
japanese pizza
vegan pumpkin cheesecake

*edit: i kinda want to make a pasta salad... knowing that will require a fork... i'll think about it.

and PEANUT BUTTER BALLS!

Posted by bekee at 1:58 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i think i'm getting in over my head with the food planning. i just found these (thanks to the miracle of social internets and google reader):

chile pea puffs. excellent for not needing utensils.

Posted by bekee at 11:10 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

coworker kevin put an idea in my head to serve only potato salads at our party, since there are so many kinds.

i probably won't tho.. i do need to finalize the menu and make a shopping list. soon.

we're getting a newused oven from kirch on friday. they're halving the charge to come look at our mouse-infested for buying the oven from them. i considered, for a second, getting a new one, but it's obvious we don't use it often enough to warrant spending $800 on a fancy machine.

part of me can't help but think we're getting swindled, tho. "yea, the mice got into the insulation so i wouldn't even bother fixing it, it'll stink forever. buy this one!"

Posted by bekee at 10:19 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i just sent the following message to subway:

i just want to write and say how awesome i think the employees at this location are. they are always cheery and never seem annoyed when it gets busy and customers are being slow. i go almost every day for lunch and everyone has learned the sandwich that i like and sometimes i don't even need to say anything! the past few times, the bread-gentleman has had my sandwich in the toaster before i even get to the counter. these actions make me feel valued and i appreciate that.

also, the veggies (i get the veggie delight with almost everything on it) seem far fresher than other subways i've tried.

thanks for providing a healthful meal at a very reasonable price!

Posted by bekee at 12:13 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i always want to make gazpacho for our annual party, but it's not that convenient to eat. plus, i'd like to try to shy away from wasting plastic utensils this year, if we can help it.

i've found some cream cheese roll-ups; i usually make vegan pumpkin cheesecake and grilled eggplant. i'll probably make some tomato, basil, mozzarella skewers. i usually make a vegan noodle salad with bell peppers and green onions, but i think i want to try this edamame salad with wasabi dressing. if my oven was working (i've asked kurt to call hirsch no less than 10 times in a week), i'd like to make little baby quiches.

or some gougères!

also, according to the weather channel, it's supposed to be 71 and no rain next saturday, yay!

Posted by bekee at 10:42 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

so i get home last night and my wireless wasn't working... so i quick ordered dinner from burrito drive via campus foods using the desktop, and start fussing with the modem; eventually my dsl stopped working all together.

then i get a call from burrito drive that my "campus foods account was overdrawn" and can i pay cash? uh, i know for a fact that i have enough money in my checking account but i agree anyway because it's storming and i'm hungry and i want my fish tacos.

i decided to not deal with the dsl because i was gunna watch eternal sunshine and just didn't feel like traipsing back and forth from the office to the dining room all night.

so now there's a pending charge to my checking account from campus foods for the meal for which i paid cash; and my dsl still isn't working.

Posted by bekee at 8:41 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i used to love peanut butter balls. i think i'll get the bits to make these soon.

if i remember correctly, we (mom and i) used plain powdered milk and i always was amazed that there was such a thing as powdered milk.

Posted by bekee at 1:18 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

one more work-day and i'm off for a long weekend. i'm excited to spend time away from four-legged creatures; we've been dog sitting since the 24th and i need a break.

in case you're on the edge of your seats, there are still no charges from the company claiming to change everyone's lives.

also, i had an impromptu presentation yesterday morning to our director and i didn't freak out in panic. that was nice.

oh, and burrito drive has been out of fish since sunday. wtf? it's lent!

Posted by bekee at 8:27 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i love the subway over here by work. the employees are really nice and they remember my sub every time i come in. i don't even really have to say anything except hi and how are you. i've been going there at least three times a week since october 2. i think they like me too cuz i usually get a few more veggies than the normal person.

Posted by bekee at 11:39 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

wtf is wrong with me that i like compartmentalized food containers so much? i haven't brought lunch to work in months, but i want this.

i already have a laptop lunch and a zojirushi mr. bento and do you think i use them with any regularity? no. i don't.

Posted by bekee at 10:26 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i'm happy to report that there is absolutely nothing on the menu of the new chain restaurant in middleton that i would even consider putting in my gullet. to be honest, it looks absolutely repulsive. i wonder why they opted to open in the middle of winter since they seem to cater to the ice-cream-malt-shake-slushy contingent.

in other news: i ordered another pair of boots to trek around in ... and an orange leatherman. :x

Posted by bekee at 10:57 AM | permalink | licks (2) | tracks (0)

i want to try to recreate the cajun chicken pasta salad from gino's italian deli.

Posted by bekee at 10:14 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

when we were in the process of buying our home, i realized that i would have to give up my insatiable sushi habit due to the high monthly cost i was incurring enjoying a healthful dinner nightly. for real. it was ridiculous.

well, kurt and i have found our new favorite sushi joint: takumi. the owners used to own takara on state street, so the interior is reminiscent. the menu is pretty much the same, too. and the head chef knows us now, so he yells "Irasshaimase!" when we show up, which basically means "welcome" or "come in!".

we've learned, through thoughtful trial and error, that five rolls is just enough to fill both of us sufficiently. we've also been there at least four times in as many weeks... :x

you won't hear me complaining.

p.s., sorry about the lack of updates, the content in my life is a bit lacking right now. plus it's cold out.

Posted by bekee at 2:06 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i took kurt out for dinner last night at the tornado room. it had been a while (quick blog search), according to my blog it's been four years, but i don't think that's correct.

it was pretty good.. not as excellent as it's been in the past. kurt blamed the economic climate cuz that's the funny thing to say. my salad was visibly smaller than in the past and his meat wasn't as tasty. the bread was really good, and of course the martini's were, too.

it was nice to see rick (he used to work at mickey's) and bob (who was in for his dinner--also used to work at mickey's). we felt right at home.

also, don't go to bed on such a full stomach because you will have crazy dreams from 4-7 and not want to get up for work. :/

Posted by bekee at 8:50 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

came across this site today and wanted to blog about it so i don't forget.

i've been getting lunch from subway for a while now but probably won't have that luxury when there's 4 feet of snow on the ground. so i need to start bringing my lunch. i was pretty good at it for a while, then i got lazy.

Posted by bekee at 9:56 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i have a lot of them.. probably not as many as people who actually cook, but i have at least 20. well, i just ordered two more. this one and this one.

Posted by bekee at 8:55 AM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

i'm hopping around vegan websites/cookbooks. do i have the wherewithal?

i'll probably have to give up sushi (well, the fishy kind) some time during my lifetime due to the depleted tuna and salmon. and the fact that they're not necessarily good for you in the quantities which i would like to consume.

cheese would be most difficult. i've only found one vegan cheese that came even remotely close to being appropriate to be placed between two slices of bread. i've switched to not getting mayo on my "6-inch veggie on wheat please"... maybe i should cut out the cheese once and see if it affects the flavor.

hm. it's worth thinking about, at least.

Posted by bekee at 1:20 PM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

every once in a while, i get a wild hair and decide to boycott the cafe at work. usually, my reasoning involves the amount of meaty specials they offer, which leaves me with a salad. while healthy, not necessarily always appetizing or filling. more recently, i've been struck by the amount they charge for a veggie burger, bag of chips, and a 16oz soda (i get iced tea) in a corn cup. so, i've been going to subway... and i'll have saved $10 this week by doing so.

Posted by bekee at 9:57 AM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

i just tried making wonton soup but they turned out really bland and soggy.. and they're really a lot of work. since i used seitan and roasted poblano peppers, i'll be able to turn that mix into tacos for lunch tomorrow.

i'm really trying to stop using the cafe at work cuz i don't need to spend $5 a day on lunch.

Posted by bekee at 3:01 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i just microwaved an amy's low sodium mexican bowl. and i'm now putting salt in it because it tastes like cardboard.

Posted by bekee at 3:03 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i love translations from japanese. i bought something from ebay and the notice says, "please do not put it near the fire. there is an error drinking danger. please do not give to the infant no matter what."

that's perfect.

Posted by bekee at 8:00 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i might get this.

maybe.

Posted by bekee at 8:45 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

kurt and i went to dinner at a new(ish) sushi place on the east side. it's called takumi and you can read my review at yelp. i even told the chef that it was better than takara and he told me that takumi's owner used to own takara but sold it to open the new place.

it was fantastic and delicious.

i was a little uncomfortable because they were not at all busy and the waiter was highly attentive, and kurt took a little long to decide what he wanted.

we ordered too much, which is always the case when we go out for sushi, but we brought the leftovers back to mickey's kitchen staff. they were highly grateful.

Posted by bekee at 9:18 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

and it made both weekly publications... the isthmus and the onion (can't find the online article). janie said she thought the isthmus one sounded dumb and she didn't believe that the author had ever been to the tavern.

wait til i tell her who he is and that i'm certain he's patronized the establishment once or twice.

regardless, the food's great, gil's an excellent chef, and business seems to be improving.

i've had dinner there every night this week. :x

Posted by bekee at 11:04 AM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

it's been a while since i started thinking about doing this bento thing. basically, it's really just a different container for lunch.. i ordered a laptop lunch system from reusablebags.com and i filled it up this morning. and, of course, i did not take a picture. so i will describe it to you.

tuna salad and avocado wrap. olive, red pepper, celery salad. pasta salad with tomatoes and red peppers. cherry tomatoes. apple fruit rollup. apple granola bar.

Posted by bekee at 10:05 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

so i broke my 20 day not-ordering-out streak with a veggie gyro from dimitri's.

boy was it worth it.

Posted by bekee at 10:45 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

not ordering dinner! as long as we don't count the egg drop soup that i threw on kurt's chinese order last sunday. i'm still paying for lunch, and breakfast on sundays, but other than that i'm doing pretty good with this self-imposed rule.

Posted by bekee at 3:09 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

the new ipod looks really cool.

anyway, i think i'm trying to make it a personal goal to not order out. i know, it's pretty silly and dumb to be like, "hey! i haven't ordered delivery in five days! look at me!" but it's an accomplishment, ferreal.

i was going to use the rice cooker for the first time tonight, but white rice takes 45-55 minutes, and i was hungry "now", so i made a tofurky-cheese-tomato-avocado toasted sandwich.

not before taking the dogs on a mosquito-infested walk. omg you guys. there were, quite literally, 30 of them hovering around jones the whole time. it was terrible! and then i caught a slug and it got between my foot and shoe and was squishing around. poor guy...

the pups are doing well.. by monday, i was kinda tired of hanging out with them, but the last two days have been okay. i think jones has figured out that nora is staying with us, and not just getting dog-sat for a little while.

i keep trying to give him the attention he had before, but it really wasn't that much; he's not a very cuddly guy, but nora is totally a cuddler and it seems to make jones think like he should be getting the same attention.

we just went for a quick run in the park (two-dog bonus), and they tired each other out within 10 minutes and are now quite content to lay on the diningroom rug. together.

Posted by bekee at 8:10 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

so, one of the goals set after buying this place was to try to eat in more often. and the reason it's a goal is because we eat out a lot. at least once a day each. that's a sh*tload of money if you sit down and think about it.

i've been trying to find new and exciting ways to make food... so, last night, we made tacos (with morningstar farms crumbles) and i saved the rest of the "meat" and made "taco egg rolls" tonight. omg, so easy! i ought to kick myself for not making these easy mealbits before.

previously, i used to spend saturday afternoons making some sort of new food concoction which either turned out poorly, or was too quantitative that i couldn't eat it all before getting sick of it. so, i'm trying... and momentarily succeeding.

Posted by bekee at 9:44 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i just found this recipe and had to blog about it so i don't forget. i think it will work out well in a bento... now i just have to find my mini-muffin tin.

Posted by bekee at 10:55 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

this is the result of my first attempt at making sushi. since i suck at rice, my batch yielded roughly half the rice it should have cuz i always end up burning the bottom and then the top stays all wet. :/

anyhoo, it turned out okay. below are cucumber and spicy tuna rolls. the tuna was cooked and mixed with sriracha and mayo, so it's not real spicy tuna. i'd still rather get it delivered. which i haven't done in like 3 weeks.

Posted by bekee at 4:49 PM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

i just found a bandwagon that i can hop on... bento boxes for lunch.

i also found a box on ebay... and a rice cooker (which costs more than my earth machine composter).

my boss suggests, "save your pennies!"

Posted by bekee at 2:57 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i just tried sauteeing some soyrizo and the smell turned my stomach. that has never happened to me before. i had to have kurt dump it down the garbage disposal.

Posted by bekee at 4:27 PM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

i can't even type this without feeling silly.

so, i've been getting sushi delivered, pretty regularly, since january. all the while, helping the delivery driver learn english (he's chinese). i let him know, when we put the offer in on the house, that we might be moving out of their delivery area... in the hopes that it would squelsh my habit. well, the cute little lady that takes my order told me tonight that as long as we still live in madison, they'll deliver to me.

when i order, i don't even have to recite my address or phone number. how effed up is that?

Posted by bekee at 7:48 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i hadn't ordered sushi since last wednesday night... they've been effing up my order by sending a regular spicy tuna roll instead of my favorite spicy tuna HAND roll. there's a huge difference, and if you don't know what that difference is, you haven't lived.

anyway, i ordered again last night since i've been good about eating what's in the fridge for a couple nights. they messed up again.

i'd call them to complain, but no one there speaks very good english...

Posted by bekee at 10:36 AM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

i just shared with coworkers how often and how much my recent sushi habit has cost me. it made me blush.

Posted by bekee at 3:24 PM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

i just reviewed lazy jane's on yelp. go check it out.

and sign up for an account, if you're an opinionated foody like me.

Posted by bekee at 12:29 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i think i'm allergic to shellfish. well, raw shellfish. we had shrimp last night and i had to pull all the legs off and my fingers were itching so bad! but they tasted yummers.

Posted by bekee at 8:13 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

not sure how many of my readers feed their dogs or cats fancy food, but there's been a major recall of "cuts and gravy" cans and pouches... you can see the list of recalled brands here.

Posted by bekee at 2:53 PM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

i blogged, a while ago about my habits. i've also told you about my favorite local restaurant. well, i ordered from them last night. and i have this weird way of stating my intention by which the gal who answers the phone has come to know me.

me: "i'd like to order a sandwich for carry out please."
her: "is this bekee?"
me: "yup!"
her: "okay, see you soon!"

i don't even need to say what i want. omg.

Posted by bekee at 9:15 AM | permalink

i frequently joke about "going to work at the coop", especially since my car will be paid off soon. i also mention to kurt, every once in a while, that i want to be a cook somewhere.

i just remembered the coop has an offsite kitchen. O_O

Posted by bekee at 8:59 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

so, it's been over a year since i've ordered from edo. they kept forgetting stuff, taking over an hour (which is ridiculous for food that isn't cooked), and generally being low-quality.

fast forward a little bit to the end of 2006 when kurt and i discover 'oriental wok' delivers both chinese food, and a small assortment of maki. imagine our pleasure. well, oriental wok is across the street from edo. they make the chinese food and then run across the street and pick up the sushi order(s) and deliver them together.

conclusion: i've ordered sushi the last two nights in a row, even though i said i never would again.

Posted by bekee at 8:22 AM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

so there's a new restaurant up the street; bab's french quarter kitchen. i've eaten there 6 times in the last two weeks. they're great. $6-8 po'boys, jambalaya (which i hear is pretty good). but stay away from the dirty rice... it's just white rice with sausage and green onions mixed in. :/

but! they've come to know me when i walk in the door, "there's bekee! yay!"

they're on the 1300 block of willy next to willalby's (the old rp's pasta joint) and they're open tues-sat 11a-11p.

Posted by bekee at 8:21 PM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

the one thing i miss most often, being a pescetarian, are gyros. i used to get the make-'em-at-home kit from woodman's freezer section when i was a kid, and nuke everything to yummy greek perfection. imagine my excitement when i learned dimitri's gyros (then, in the gateway mall, now on east wash) carried "veggie gyros". their veggies include the following: lettuce, onion, kalamata olives, pepperoncinis, and tomatoes topped with crumbled feta and yummy tzatziki sauce.

well, in the last year i've gotten into the bad habit of playing "who's going to deliver my dinner tonight?" and dimitri's gyros is in the rotation. so yesterday, i decided to knock it off and try replicating this delicious meal in my kitchen for a third of the cost. it turned out pretty well! i even "strained" water out of the yogurt for 3 hours. you'd be surprised how much water is in yogurt.

the only problem with my newfound dinner is that it's so good i had one at 5 and one at 9:30 :x!

Posted by bekee at 9:07 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

sushi pillows

why can't i think of stuff like this?

Posted by bekee at 8:55 AM | permalink | licks (1) | tracks (0)

i just bought 1/4lb of morels from someone at work for $5. we're gunna fry 'em up tomorrow.

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we made pizzas last night. a couple winters ago, my friend mary brought a snackie down during a football game, it was a simple pizza on a flour tortilla with cheese and green olives. it was so awesome in its simplicity that we stopped having any other kind of pizza almost completely. so, last night, we made soysage and sour kraut pizzas. it was actually pretty good. i recommend you all try it.

Posted by bekee at 10:02 AM | permalink | licks (0) | tracks (0)

kurt and i have perfected the art of the fish taco. yea, yea, you might be saying, "gross", but if you've never tried one, then you don't know what you're talking about.

we've determined, from a smattering of different fishes, that the best fish-taco fish is ahi tuna. we dry-rub simply organic's fish taco seasoning (just a half a packet per meal), and pan-fry the fish until it flakes. then we toast up the soft corn tortillas over the flame and top 'em with cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and salsa.

however, last night we decided to try tex tubb's taco palace after having braved the grand opening two weeks ago. it was still pretty good, they got better with the homemade salsas, and the service was expeditious, almost too fast, as we weren't able to enjoy the chips and salsa for as long as we'd have liked.

the grilled portobella mushroom taco was awesome; it came sprinkled with chunks of feta. the mahi was a little dry, presumably because we arrived about an hour and half before closing, and they weren't very busy. the achiote tilapia was good, too. they serve up the fish tacos california-style.. that is, with cabbage, some sort of white sauce, and pickled onions; which i could do without. but, for tacos cheap, we'll be back, for sure.

Posted by bekee at 9:40 AM | permalink | tracks (0)

there're a handful of new restaurants opening up over here by work.. one of them is p.f. changs china bistro. i was enticed by the seared ahi on their appetizer menu, so mr. fly and i decide to go check it out. it was actually pretty good. i had the coconut curry vegetables and mr. fly had buddha's delight. they bring this little tray with cups and oil dispensers and make a sauce out of yellow mustard, soy sauce, and red chili paste before you order so that it marinates. the ahi was marvelous. that is all i have to say on the matter.

everything was going great until this table of six showed up and were seated adjacent to us. they were rude, loud, and stupid; and we shared anita the waitress. the first thing the guy whose mouth was pointed at me said was, "you better be extra sweet cuz we had to wait a long time." uhm what? whatever. it's noon and you're at a brand new restaurant on the west side. asshole. then it only took ~5 minutes before they started talking about me. i have a special look for people like that. as we were leaving, they were complaining about not having more white rice and soy sauce and a clean plate and can a person get any more needy?... so, i wrote on the receipt to anita, "don't let those guys let you down <- :)" as we were leaving, the loudy got up to take our little tray of sauces because his fat ass couldn't wait two more minutes. gross. it's not like grabbing a bottle of ketchup, it's like taking a half-eaten plate of fries. i wish anita had a blog like this guy, so i could read about her version of the six-top from hell.

Posted by bekee at 1:28 PM | permalink | licks (1)

usually, if i tell a story to more than one group of people, it's important enough to blog about.

so, tuesday night after work, we go to the weary traveler to say bye to a friend who's leaving town. i order a mandarin and soda, please. a caesar salad and two drinks into it, i ask for the check, to my surprise, my "mandarin and tonic"s were $7 a pop! i'm shocked and amazed. and of course, she takes like 20 minutes to come back and get my card (i had to charge two drinks and a salad because the $20 i thought would cover me didn't). i say to her, "were my drinks really $7?" and she says to me, "i'm sorry, the only mandarin we have is hangar one" i've never heard of this vodka so i say, "i should have ordered absolut mandrin" and she says, "we don't have that" and i nod knowingly at her, thinking, "yes, and then you would have told me that the only mandarin you have is $7 a drink." little does she know that i am friends with one of the owners. and i'm trying to decide if i should talk to him about this or if i should just not imbibe there ever again.

Posted by bekee at 8:31 AM | permalink | licks (0)

bob, you'll like this: A Japanese Tradition

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the cutest bento boxes evar. Sushi Pictures

Posted by bekee at 10:39 AM | permalink | licks (0)

we just got back from lunch at the china wok buffet on university ave in middleton. it was, simply put, pretty bad. the white rice had a weird flavor, i'm not even sure the fried rice was even fried. the pile of egg rolls had one spring roll in it (which i could only assume was vegetarian). i took it and they never refilled the hotplate. but, it was only $5.75 w/tax. it's like the opposite of a sushi-high.

Posted by bekee at 12:45 PM | permalink | licks (0)

every weekday am, i have my 9 o'clock yogurt. i decided to try a new kind, silk key lime, but when i opened it up, there was a big blob of mold in it. so now i don't get to have my 9 o'clock yogurt.

Posted by bekee at 9:38 AM | permalink | licks (0)

this is just silly enough to work. Welcome to Flavor Spray Diet Online

Posted by bekee at 9:29 AM | permalink | licks (0)

sorry bobs. i broke down.

Posted by bekee at 8:23 AM | permalink | licks (1)

i've kinda been on an unannounced diet.. sorta. not really calorie counting but kind of; not really cutting out certain foods, but kind of. so today, we went out for lunch, and instead of getting the salad bar (which i should have), i got a grilled cheese and fries. my stomach feels like someone filled it with wet sand. yuck.

Posted by bekee at 12:46 PM | permalink | licks (0)

i need to pay someone to come home with me on wednesday nights and remind me that edo does not have good sushi and i shouldn't order it /solely/ because they deliver; which is the best part of edo. their rolls aren't spectacular and they sometimes forget essentials, like wasabi.
and last week i had sushi with bob and ed at takara and it was the best thing ever because i tried the white tuna (albacore) so i though, "yum! that was good, i will order it from edo." BLECH. that is all.

Posted by bekee at 11:19 AM | permalink | licks (1)

the grilled cheese at hubbard ave always tear up the roof of my mouth; yet i insist on getting it each and every time we go.

Posted by bekee at 4:03 PM | permalink | licks (0)

i've only been reading this guy for a month or so, but he's a great writer. he's a waiter at some fancy restaurant somewhere (ny?). this most recent entry is advice from his pov. on the last transaction of the meal (or the book of the meal, as kurt calls it), paying the bill.
Waiter Rant

Posted by bekee at 9:41 AM | permalink | licks (0)

what a great idea! i should have come up with it. :/
Eating in Madison A to Z
though, i'm too much of a food snob for most restaurants.

Posted by bekee at 2:37 PM | permalink | licks (1)

neat article about candy bar wrappers: Speak Up: A Century of Candy Bars: An Analysis of Wrapper Design

Posted by bekee at 1:35 PM | permalink | licks (0)

in celebration of the impending spinning, i broke down and ordered sushi from edo. i know i said i wouldn't ever again, but i had a craving. i must remember though, that their spicy tuna hand rolls are shite compared to takara's. edo's tuna sashimi, though slightly less tasty, is a larger portion, and you get two pieces with each order.
the black dragon roll was excellent, as always. it really hit the spot. i don't think i'll go wrong again if i stick to no more than four items.

Posted by bekee at 10:13 AM | permalink | licks (1)

it's chocolate. i still don't care for chocolate. even if it's in the shape of my favorite foodstuffs.

Posted by bekee at 1:46 PM | permalink | licks (0)

so i ended up ordering from edo last night. and they forgot my shrimp tempura roll. and i didn't call them back because i just won't order from them again. dumb.

Posted by bekee at 8:07 AM | permalink | licks (0)

omg the king of falafel on university/gilman is incredible! the falafel sandwich was only $2.95 and their hummus was delish! i also tried a bowl of their chickpea and rice soup. yumm. highly recommended, five stars.

Posted by bekee at 2:11 PM | permalink | licks (0)

kurt and i had a marvelous pre-valentine's day dinner at harvest last night. i got the pan seared scallops and they were mouthwatering! the evening resulting in staying out too late, and not knitting. so tonight, i must hunker down, get the fingerless mitts done and start on kurt's sweater.

Posted by bekee at 1:01 PM | permalink | licks (1)

sushi with the famous bob and amy last night. i hadn't been to takara in forever and it was super-tasty. today i get to have my taxes done and knit in public with kelli.

Posted by bekee at 8:23 AM | permalink | licks (0)

i had to take a picture, because the previous one really wasn't accurate. this is the big serving plate full of fish.

Posted by bekee at 7:37 PM | permalink | licks (0)

almost forever, the wisconsinized moen family has met in barneveld for their annual lutefisk dinner. that day is almost upon us once again. most people are scared of the notion. if you've ever had the chance to try it, you'll either hate it immediately, or be forced to come to appreciate it. basically, it's cod soaked in lye for preservation reasons. then there's a lengthy "de-soaking" process that takes a week, if my memory serves. they do get all the lye out before it's cooked, you know. then it's served with mashed potatoes, lefse, and melted butter. mom and i eat it like a little lutefisk burrito. whatever, don't make that face, i think "fish taco" sounds gross.

Posted by bekee at 9:30 AM | permalink | licks (1)

i'm attempting to make fantastic foods' version of falafels. wish me luck! *update at 5:46pm: it didn't turn out nearly as i had hoped.

Posted by bekee at 2:42 PM | permalink | licks (0)

For dinner last night:
Bekee's Kinda Mexi
3 flour tortillas (6")
1 cup white onion, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 can vegetarian refried beans
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
Embasa green chile salsa
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly spray a 12" glass pie pan. Spread beans onto one tortilla. Place tortilla in pan and layer with half the onions, half the tomatoes, as much salsa as you want and a third of the cheese. Repeat with second tortilla. Spread beans on third tortilla and place bean-side down on the top of the stack. Top with cheese and salsa. Loosely cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take foil off and bake for another 10 minutes. Slice into quarters and serve. Good with Horchata.

Posted by bekee at 9:22 AM | permalink | licks (0)

my orange juice container says, "shake well for best taste". i think everything should say that.

Posted by bekee at 10:02 AM | permalink | licks (0)

I actually read a useful post on alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian! Most of the time it's this one guy, "God", telling everyone how not eating meat is killing the cows or some sh*t like that. Anyhow, I found this site, which has a ton of recipes for Dahl. I'll probably turn into a legume this winter.

Posted by bekee at 8:51 AM | permalink | licks (0)

After being all but flogged on the dailypage forum for asking what the benefits are of being a member at the Co-op, Kurt and I are now members. I think it'll be a good thing, though the prices are a little crazy. Benefits to me: 1. They really do have excellent vegetables. 2. I have at least 6 friends that work there. 3. The deli is yummy. 4. They have sushi-making supplies, books, and fish.

Posted by bekee at 10:47 AM | permalink | licks (0)

Cheater's Enchiladas Prep Time: approx. 10 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 20 Minutes. Ready in: approx. 30 Minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (12 ounce) can green enchilada sauce
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 (2 ounce) can chopped black olives
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and cheese.
3. Into a 9x13 inch pan, pour a small amount of enchilada sauce to coat bottom of pan. Layer 6 tortillas on bottom of pan. Layer half of the cheese-sour cream mixture and 1/3 of the olives over the tortillas. Repeat. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the final layer.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Posted by bekee at 11:20 AM | permalink | licks (0)

Ohmigod! Dinner at Harvest was the most fantastic meal I've ever eaten. Thanks to Bob's suggestion, Kurt and I went there last night to celebrate our one-month anniversary of marriage. I don't want to spend too much time explaining things here, because there will be a review up before the weekend is over. Awesome. That's all I can say.

Posted by bekee at 9:39 AM | permalink | licks (0)

Well, I did it. I said I would never do it again, but sometimes I don't listen. I got an Acropolis salad (from the Glass Nickel) and ate it immediately preceding bedtime. The crazy dreams it gives me! I had to get up just because I was tired of dreaming! Sheesh. And you know what? They need an online menu.

Posted by bekee at 3:06 AM | permalink | licks (0)