Nevermind the roses, let's stop and taste the food.
Normally, I grab pretty simple (lazy) food. Burritos, popcorn, toast, and fruits and veggies largely in the form of Odwalla. I don't have a lot of cooking know-how or time, for that matter, so I just sort of eat what's available. As you can imagine, it gets pretty dull, and then I don't really want to eat anything but chai and scones. So after a recent caffeine and pastry overdose, and detox, I'm interested in food again. Plus, after the fabulous meals I've had this weekend and the cleaning out and organizing of recipes collected on cards and scraps of paper, I'm ready to be a little more adventurous in the kitchen.
Fabulous meal #1: Had a lovely trip to the DeYoung Museum with my mom for a belated birthday outing. We ate up some fantastic art with our eyes, then had lunch in the cafe. All of their food comes from within a 150 mile radius. We both ordered the asparagus salad (asparagus spears, mixed greens, reduced balsamic dressing) and Yogurt and Green Onion Kettle Chips . I already knew I loved the chips, but the asparagus was so perfect and so fresh, it was a close-your-eyes-and-savor-the-moment kind of eating experience. Yes, ladies and germs, I am speaking of a green vegetable. That and the reduced balsamic was just <insert sound of Homer drooling in the back of his throat>.
Fabulous meal #2: Again, nothing fancy, but a delightful departure from your everyday Caesar and cheese. I went out with a couple of friends for Guiness to a local "dive" bar. I put that in quotes because it doesn't really count when it's in downtown Saratoga. Later, we decided we were hungry and went to The Basin which is just a couple doors up from Saratoga Chocolates. The Basin appeared to be closed, but the manager(?) recognized Cyd and Natasha and let us in. Now, I eat a lot of Caesar salads, so I have much to compare to. As befitted a downtown S'toga restaurant, it was small and expensive, but the taste! Fresh greens, the right amount of parmesan, and a wonderful, balanced dressing that had depth, but was still definitely Caesar. This probably ranks up with the top two Caesars I've ever had. Couldn't tell you what the other one was, but I have to allow some wiggle room. Cyd ordered a 3-cheese plate - also small and expensive. Again, I eat plenty of cheese, but it all tends to be cheddar, cheddar, and more cheddar. I can't remember the names of the cheeses, unfortunately, but I can pick them out on the menu when I go back there. Cyd calls one of them the fungus cheese because of the shape. When it's sliced off the block, it ripples and fans out like a 'shroom on a tree. It was an amazing combination of dry and creamy with a hint of nut. The middle cheese was very subtle and a little dry - just right. The last one was a creamy, wine-flavored cheese that was just this side of being a stinky cheese.
Food story #3: I'm pretty dependant on recipes to cook, so I was very pleased that on Sunday I was able to make veggies burgers without looking at the book and they turned out perfectly. Yay me!
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