ADDENDA:
Yesterday was a great day. Getting out on the bike with a friendly face reminded me of all the good hours I've spent travelling by pedal power, and cooking a semi-decent meal for 8 was a new and fun challenge which I really enjoyed.
I haven't taken a proper bike ride since mid November, a long time for me. One thing Ilsa advised is that I get off my ass and do some things that make me happy. Biking is probably healthier than prozac.
This past week, I've been sending out resumes for project management work, watching too much TV, and I toured the French Culinary Institute and sat in on a class and spoke with career-advisement peeps at the Institute for Culinary Education. I think whatever happens with work, I'll be going to culinary school at the ICE either full time in late March or early May, or if a job manifests going to the ICE part time in the evening. It's exciting and frightening, as the future is uncertain and fuzzy.
BREAKFAST: 11am, 4 potato pancakes with creme fraiche, 1 piece of apple crumble.
The ice cream is just too rich this early.
PM SNACK: 1pm, handful of roasted buttery salty nuts, hunger 4/5
Make yer gay jokes here!
PM SNACK: 2:30pm, small ramekin of vanilla ice cream, hunger 4/5
This is the first ice cream I've made that is still really good after hardening in the freezer - it seems with enough air whipped into it, it doesn't get soooo stiff when hardened.
PM SNACK: 3:30pm, 3 potato pancakes, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 3:45pm, 1 slice streetza, hunger 4/5
From my local, nice and minimally cheesy.
PM SNACK: 4:45pm, a few handfuls of popcorn, hunger 3/5
Went to the movies with B to see 'Juno', I walked out after the first 30 minutes, as I found it overbearing and highschoolish.
DINNER #1: 7:30pm, brussel sprouts, shrimp with chorizo, pork empinada, gnochi, venison, hunger 3/5
Tapas bar with B & her friend Dana. Food was tasty, but small portions with large prices attached, and it was so LOOOOUD in there. I don't like brussel sprouts, but I ate a small bunch - I thought if I go to culinary school, I'm going to probably have to try a lot of foods I'd otherwise avoid - it's good to get out of my comfort zone. The sprouts were eh, an earthy sharp bitter undertone I don't dig too much.
DINNER #2: 10:15pm, pint pork fried rice, grape 'GUS' soda, hunger 4/5
What an odd eating day. Needed some comfort food, but no way I was gonna do the Chinese brick - I've come to realize they make me feel crappy for a day afterwards. But a small pint of fried rice hit the spot after that twee tapas food.
I bought a 4 of this soda at WF, to meet my hankering for both candy and soda. Damn, it's good in a straight-up way. Maybe culinary/management will help me think of my own niche produc to unleash upon the world...
Saturday, February 9
Friday, February 8
Book Club Dinner for 8
BREAKFAST: 8am, wholegrain organic chex with good milk, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 10:45am, 2 pieces superhippy bread with freshly homemade hummus, hunger 3/5
About to pedal out to Coney with cousin-in-law, this should help power me through till lunch.
PM SNACK: 1:45pm, half a large chocolate chip walnut cookie, hunger 4/5
Jenni works in a bakery, she helped make this ridiculously large cookie herself. Though it was half a cookie, it was about 1.5 cookies in real life. We ate it on a bench on the Coney Island boardwalk, birds and seagulls begging us for crumbs.
LUNCH: 4pm, half a pastrami on rye, half a portion of fries, half a side of pickles, lots of water, hunger 4/5
Road out to Coney on the commuter back with Jenni, was a lot of fun giving a bit of a saddle-eyed tour of the city to a newcomer. Her goal was to experience Katz's, so off we went at the end of the ride. We shared what was intended to be a meal for one, but it easily satisfied our hunger, with fries left over.
DINNER: 8:30pm, potato latkes with creme fraiche, roasted nuts, fresh hummus with veg, raw millk cheeses, apple crumble and home made french vanilla icecream, 1 glass presecco, water, seltzer, hunger 4/5
Betsy's book club rolled through, and as the support crew, I made dinner for everyone. The last time B hosted, she was living in Brooklyn and the food consisted of ordering in pizzas. I saw this as a great opportunity to try to cook something a little bit nicer for a larger group of people (I usually just cook for 3 or 4 at the most).
The beginings were easy, I whipped up fresh hummus before the bike ride, quickly got the apple crips into the oven before showering after the ride. After the shower, ran the potatoes and onions throught the rotary grater of the mixer, salted it down to sweat it, and stuck it in the fridge, ready to fry. I winged it with the roasted nuts, using butter with a drop of soy and worstchester, salt and dried rosemary.
The day before I cooked the mix for the ice cream (2.5 cups of half & half, 2.5 cups of heavy cream, 8 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 4 tb of vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt) which freaked me out a little - I slightly overheated it and the eggs on the bottom started curdling and smelling like my greatest enemy, scrambled eggs. Torwards the end of the evening, I plated the crisp, and used ramekins to hold what would be a quick-melting icecream. Everyone said the meal was good but I knew it was just ok, the pancakes were a little bit too greasy and not enough salt. However, the ice cream....it was easily the best vanilla ice cream I've had in recent memories. The richness, the deep flavor, creaminess...some one remarked how 'clean' it tasted, which someone sounds suitable. Really over the top.
AM SNACK: 10:45am, 2 pieces superhippy bread with freshly homemade hummus, hunger 3/5
About to pedal out to Coney with cousin-in-law, this should help power me through till lunch.
PM SNACK: 1:45pm, half a large chocolate chip walnut cookie, hunger 4/5
Jenni works in a bakery, she helped make this ridiculously large cookie herself. Though it was half a cookie, it was about 1.5 cookies in real life. We ate it on a bench on the Coney Island boardwalk, birds and seagulls begging us for crumbs.
LUNCH: 4pm, half a pastrami on rye, half a portion of fries, half a side of pickles, lots of water, hunger 4/5
Road out to Coney on the commuter back with Jenni, was a lot of fun giving a bit of a saddle-eyed tour of the city to a newcomer. Her goal was to experience Katz's, so off we went at the end of the ride. We shared what was intended to be a meal for one, but it easily satisfied our hunger, with fries left over.
DINNER: 8:30pm, potato latkes with creme fraiche, roasted nuts, fresh hummus with veg, raw millk cheeses, apple crumble and home made french vanilla icecream, 1 glass presecco, water, seltzer, hunger 4/5
Betsy's book club rolled through, and as the support crew, I made dinner for everyone. The last time B hosted, she was living in Brooklyn and the food consisted of ordering in pizzas. I saw this as a great opportunity to try to cook something a little bit nicer for a larger group of people (I usually just cook for 3 or 4 at the most).
The beginings were easy, I whipped up fresh hummus before the bike ride, quickly got the apple crips into the oven before showering after the ride. After the shower, ran the potatoes and onions throught the rotary grater of the mixer, salted it down to sweat it, and stuck it in the fridge, ready to fry. I winged it with the roasted nuts, using butter with a drop of soy and worstchester, salt and dried rosemary.
The day before I cooked the mix for the ice cream (2.5 cups of half & half, 2.5 cups of heavy cream, 8 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 4 tb of vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt) which freaked me out a little - I slightly overheated it and the eggs on the bottom started curdling and smelling like my greatest enemy, scrambled eggs. Torwards the end of the evening, I plated the crisp, and used ramekins to hold what would be a quick-melting icecream. Everyone said the meal was good but I knew it was just ok, the pancakes were a little bit too greasy and not enough salt. However, the ice cream....it was easily the best vanilla ice cream I've had in recent memories. The richness, the deep flavor, creaminess...some one remarked how 'clean' it tasted, which someone sounds suitable. Really over the top.
Thursday, February 7
Finding My Portion
ADDENDA:
Not feeling well today. Woke up at 8 with B, but no energy, need to be close to the bathroom most of the day. Got out to Wholefoods for shopping, was fun, but found myself drained when I got back.
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic wholegrain cheerios with good milk, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 1pm, left over roast potatoes with merguez sausage, water, hunger 4/5
Dumped the container onto a plate and zapped it. When I sat down I realized this is a good 3 lbs of food - probably not a reasonable portion, though I could see myself eating the whole thing. After eating a little more than half, I felt content (though not full) and stopped. I imagine a 2nd small lunch may be needed later.
PM SNACK: 5pm, good yogurt with honey, hunger 4/5
Despite shopping for tomorrow night's blow-out meal, didn't pick up anything lunch-worthy!
DINNER: 6:30pm, 5/8s of a large Margerita DOC pizza, 3 pieces of chocolate babka, 1 beer, hunger 4/5
Nice romantic evening at home with the B, nice cap to a day where I was feeling crappy and down. Never drank beer out of a wine glass before! Ordered the pizza from Isabella's, really good, but because it's so thin and the cheese is so sparse (but pleasingly so), eating 5 slices is more like the caloric equivalent of eating 2 street slices. The chocolate babka (purchased from Wholefoods) was good, but not as good as 2nd Ave Deli - would like to maybe try to make my own.
An hour or so later, I was feeling nippy and looked for the left over babka but Betsy claimed she ate the whole thing! I'm not quite sure if I believe her...
Not feeling well today. Woke up at 8 with B, but no energy, need to be close to the bathroom most of the day. Got out to Wholefoods for shopping, was fun, but found myself drained when I got back.
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic wholegrain cheerios with good milk, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 1pm, left over roast potatoes with merguez sausage, water, hunger 4/5
Dumped the container onto a plate and zapped it. When I sat down I realized this is a good 3 lbs of food - probably not a reasonable portion, though I could see myself eating the whole thing. After eating a little more than half, I felt content (though not full) and stopped. I imagine a 2nd small lunch may be needed later.
PM SNACK: 5pm, good yogurt with honey, hunger 4/5
Despite shopping for tomorrow night's blow-out meal, didn't pick up anything lunch-worthy!
DINNER: 6:30pm, 5/8s of a large Margerita DOC pizza, 3 pieces of chocolate babka, 1 beer, hunger 4/5
Nice romantic evening at home with the B, nice cap to a day where I was feeling crappy and down. Never drank beer out of a wine glass before! Ordered the pizza from Isabella's, really good, but because it's so thin and the cheese is so sparse (but pleasingly so), eating 5 slices is more like the caloric equivalent of eating 2 street slices. The chocolate babka (purchased from Wholefoods) was good, but not as good as 2nd Ave Deli - would like to maybe try to make my own.
An hour or so later, I was feeling nippy and looked for the left over babka but Betsy claimed she ate the whole thing! I'm not quite sure if I believe her...
Wednesday, February 6
Portion Control
ADDENDA:
Met with Ilsa last night for the first time after an intended break. After talking about more general issues, focused on the food - now is the time to perhaps think about weight control - I can eat all the healthy food I want, the bottom line my blood pressure would be best served by slimming down a little.
How does one judge portions correctly? Ilsa is thinking of having me eat all meals out of a certain sized bowl. Thinking of breaking out the free weights out of the closet. Try to do a proper ride once a week, now that my schedule is opened.
BREAKFAST: 9:45am, good yogurt with honey, vanilla and raw nuts, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 3pm, eggplant parm with pasta in red sauce, 2 rolls, water, herbal tea, hunger 4/5
Audited a class at ICE then spoke to a career advisor there. A lot to mull. Went to Patsy's on 23rd, didn't feel like pizza but it was good to be able to sit quietly in a restaurant for a couple of hours and read the paper.
I ordered a lunch special, and on the face of it, it was a lot of food. Still, what is an appropriate portion?
PM SNACK: 6pm, Boylans orange soda, hunger 3/5
170 calories in just 12 ounces! Still, felt maximum enjoyment from this candy drink - I really taste the difference with cane sugar in soda - it's the sweetener of my youth.
DINNER: 9:30pm, tangy shrimp with funky brown basmanti, water, hunger 4/5
Stirfried some raw frozen shrimp with whatever was in the cupboard, the main flavor being vinegar, balanced with some soy, a pinch of sugar, a dash of curry powder, some corn starch, with roasted sesame seeds and cooked in sesame oil. It came out surprisingly well - seems a strict 2 minutes cooking is about right for shrimp this size before it gets tough. Used vegetable stock as the liquid in the rice, and through some dried porcini into the cooker for shits n' giggles. The rice cooker nicely hydrated the mushroom and gave the rice a wonderfully deep meaty (but vegetarian) flavor. Still a little bland, but on the right track.
Met with Ilsa last night for the first time after an intended break. After talking about more general issues, focused on the food - now is the time to perhaps think about weight control - I can eat all the healthy food I want, the bottom line my blood pressure would be best served by slimming down a little.
How does one judge portions correctly? Ilsa is thinking of having me eat all meals out of a certain sized bowl. Thinking of breaking out the free weights out of the closet. Try to do a proper ride once a week, now that my schedule is opened.
BREAKFAST: 9:45am, good yogurt with honey, vanilla and raw nuts, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 3pm, eggplant parm with pasta in red sauce, 2 rolls, water, herbal tea, hunger 4/5
Audited a class at ICE then spoke to a career advisor there. A lot to mull. Went to Patsy's on 23rd, didn't feel like pizza but it was good to be able to sit quietly in a restaurant for a couple of hours and read the paper.
I ordered a lunch special, and on the face of it, it was a lot of food. Still, what is an appropriate portion?
PM SNACK: 6pm, Boylans orange soda, hunger 3/5
170 calories in just 12 ounces! Still, felt maximum enjoyment from this candy drink - I really taste the difference with cane sugar in soda - it's the sweetener of my youth.
DINNER: 9:30pm, tangy shrimp with funky brown basmanti, water, hunger 4/5
Stirfried some raw frozen shrimp with whatever was in the cupboard, the main flavor being vinegar, balanced with some soy, a pinch of sugar, a dash of curry powder, some corn starch, with roasted sesame seeds and cooked in sesame oil. It came out surprisingly well - seems a strict 2 minutes cooking is about right for shrimp this size before it gets tough. Used vegetable stock as the liquid in the rice, and through some dried porcini into the cooker for shits n' giggles. The rice cooker nicely hydrated the mushroom and gave the rice a wonderfully deep meaty (but vegetarian) flavor. Still a little bland, but on the right track.
Tuesday, February 5
Thinking About Bacon
ADDENDA:
The other night when I was speaking to Caroline, the FCI graduate, she mentioned she made her own bacon. Last night when feeling snacky, I fried up 5 pieces of good lower-salt non-nitrite porky goodness, and it was so satisfying.
Make my own bacon - hmmmm. Caroline recommended a book on charcuterie, claims it changed her life. I rember while travelling through Colorado, Kansas and Missouri, every little bo-funk diner's bacon was different than the next. Different smoke flavors, different cuts, different thicknesses, some were more like ham or British bacon - every one delicious. Just as one could obsess about the characteristics of pizza in NYC, you could do the same thing out there for bacon. BBQ too, but that's a whole 'nuther thing.
I imagine books have been written about bacon, as looking back over the threads of my life, bacon runs an interesting line. Growin up Jewish in a non-religious household, we did not keep kosher but bacon and pork sausage was a very rare occurance. I remember mom experimenting with some trendy minced & formed bacon-like substance that was supposed to be healthier that was just nasty. Dad, who would hide pork sausage in the back of the freezer, would make us breakfast of pancakes and bacon when my mom wasn't around - I guess that's why I have such a strong emotional connection to my own pancakes n' bacon.
Today, I'm visiting the FCI for a tour after work, and auditing classes at the ICE tomorrow. I wonder if they teach you how to make bacon.
BREAKFAST: 7:45am, organic cornflakes with good milk, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 10am, 4oz of rootbeer, hunger 3/5
Needed a shot of sugar to focus on the task at hand.
LUNCH: 1:30, vegetable ravioli in butter and parm reg, water, hunger 4/5
Boiled up a bunch of frozen ravioli I bought from the market near the Food Network. Very spinachy, B would of loved them.
PM SNACKS: 2-3pm, 1 little crunchy chocolate square, 2 amuse bouches, a couple of crunchy tiny pastry sticks, hunger 3/5
As I was on the tour of the French Culinary Institute, the guide, the chefs and the students kept offering me food. I stuck to the small stuff, but I easily could of wolfed down a lot more. A small sampling of eating habits to come?
PM SNACK: 4pm, half a fresh baguette, hunger 3/5
They grind their own flour at the FCI and this baguette was definitely what I remember from when I wandered outside of Paris city center in search of a simple cheap breakfast back when I was a broke student...
DINNER: 8pm, burger and tater tots, hunger 4/5
Dinner in at my brother-in-law's house, from a limited diner menu. I always enjoy eating horrendously after meeting Ilsa!
The other night when I was speaking to Caroline, the FCI graduate, she mentioned she made her own bacon. Last night when feeling snacky, I fried up 5 pieces of good lower-salt non-nitrite porky goodness, and it was so satisfying.
Make my own bacon - hmmmm. Caroline recommended a book on charcuterie, claims it changed her life. I rember while travelling through Colorado, Kansas and Missouri, every little bo-funk diner's bacon was different than the next. Different smoke flavors, different cuts, different thicknesses, some were more like ham or British bacon - every one delicious. Just as one could obsess about the characteristics of pizza in NYC, you could do the same thing out there for bacon. BBQ too, but that's a whole 'nuther thing.
I imagine books have been written about bacon, as looking back over the threads of my life, bacon runs an interesting line. Growin up Jewish in a non-religious household, we did not keep kosher but bacon and pork sausage was a very rare occurance. I remember mom experimenting with some trendy minced & formed bacon-like substance that was supposed to be healthier that was just nasty. Dad, who would hide pork sausage in the back of the freezer, would make us breakfast of pancakes and bacon when my mom wasn't around - I guess that's why I have such a strong emotional connection to my own pancakes n' bacon.
Today, I'm visiting the FCI for a tour after work, and auditing classes at the ICE tomorrow. I wonder if they teach you how to make bacon.
BREAKFAST: 7:45am, organic cornflakes with good milk, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 10am, 4oz of rootbeer, hunger 3/5
Needed a shot of sugar to focus on the task at hand.
LUNCH: 1:30, vegetable ravioli in butter and parm reg, water, hunger 4/5
Boiled up a bunch of frozen ravioli I bought from the market near the Food Network. Very spinachy, B would of loved them.
PM SNACKS: 2-3pm, 1 little crunchy chocolate square, 2 amuse bouches, a couple of crunchy tiny pastry sticks, hunger 3/5
As I was on the tour of the French Culinary Institute, the guide, the chefs and the students kept offering me food. I stuck to the small stuff, but I easily could of wolfed down a lot more. A small sampling of eating habits to come?
PM SNACK: 4pm, half a fresh baguette, hunger 3/5
They grind their own flour at the FCI and this baguette was definitely what I remember from when I wandered outside of Paris city center in search of a simple cheap breakfast back when I was a broke student...
DINNER: 8pm, burger and tater tots, hunger 4/5
Dinner in at my brother-in-law's house, from a limited diner menu. I always enjoy eating horrendously after meeting Ilsa!
Monday, February 4
Floating
ADDENDA:
A very intense weekend, to say the least. The eating day skidded to a halt yesterday, and ended up eating 'breakfast' late in the evening while reviewing Superbowl commercials - made me feel like I should have a big plate of something greezy in front of me!
This morning woke up at 7:45 after a good night of sleep, spoke with my financial advisor about the future, set up some class auditing and career councilling at the ICE. Feel better about things, but still unclear. I almost feel guilty about it, but I'm looking forward to wrapping up at work tomorrow morning so I can go home....and cook!
LUNCH: 1pm, fresh bread, marinated asparigi, portobellos and tomatoey eggplant, fresh fettucine with meat sauce, chocolate gelato, carbonated water, hunger 4/5
Lunch in midtown with the HVS at 45 Bond, the fancy business lunch place off of Times Square. Really good to just go over and recap the weekend and my thoughts on culinary and work to someone who understands, whose been there with me but not every moment. I've also been talking and confiding in Betsy, but that's more of an upclose, ongoing thing, y'know?
The pasta was really good, a nice firm and silky bite, the meat sauce was pleasantly gamey, that balance of pork, beef and veal that Italian cuisine does so well. The marinated vegetables were great, though the eggplant stuff was a bit too vinegary to my taste. I wonder if that's just my personal taste or if the cook made a mistake - is that dish supposed to be vinegary?
DINNER: 7pm, homemade roasted mixed fingerlings with cipolinni onions, merguez sausage, 5 little vegan cookies, water, hunger 4/5
Used a bunch of green market ingredients to make the potatoes. Ran out of olive oil, and found that it's MUCH better when there isn't much excess oil.
EVENING SNACK: 10:45pm, 5 slices fresh bacon, hunger 4/5
Wanted a savory snack. Whole house smelled porky, good thing B was asleep.
A very intense weekend, to say the least. The eating day skidded to a halt yesterday, and ended up eating 'breakfast' late in the evening while reviewing Superbowl commercials - made me feel like I should have a big plate of something greezy in front of me!
This morning woke up at 7:45 after a good night of sleep, spoke with my financial advisor about the future, set up some class auditing and career councilling at the ICE. Feel better about things, but still unclear. I almost feel guilty about it, but I'm looking forward to wrapping up at work tomorrow morning so I can go home....and cook!
LUNCH: 1pm, fresh bread, marinated asparigi, portobellos and tomatoey eggplant, fresh fettucine with meat sauce, chocolate gelato, carbonated water, hunger 4/5
Lunch in midtown with the HVS at 45 Bond, the fancy business lunch place off of Times Square. Really good to just go over and recap the weekend and my thoughts on culinary and work to someone who understands, whose been there with me but not every moment. I've also been talking and confiding in Betsy, but that's more of an upclose, ongoing thing, y'know?
The pasta was really good, a nice firm and silky bite, the meat sauce was pleasantly gamey, that balance of pork, beef and veal that Italian cuisine does so well. The marinated vegetables were great, though the eggplant stuff was a bit too vinegary to my taste. I wonder if that's just my personal taste or if the cook made a mistake - is that dish supposed to be vinegary?
DINNER: 7pm, homemade roasted mixed fingerlings with cipolinni onions, merguez sausage, 5 little vegan cookies, water, hunger 4/5
Used a bunch of green market ingredients to make the potatoes. Ran out of olive oil, and found that it's MUCH better when there isn't much excess oil.
EVENING SNACK: 10:45pm, 5 slices fresh bacon, hunger 4/5
Wanted a savory snack. Whole house smelled porky, good thing B was asleep.
Sunday, February 3
Moody
ADDENDA:Good sleep. Long Island is nice, but I'm glad I don't live there. Grateful to be married. Feel unsettled about my future, professionally. Constantly thinking, weighing.
BREAKFAST: 10am, organic cheerios with good milk, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1:45pm, coleslaw, 3 pickles, pastrami on rye, small amount of kasha varnishkes, water, hunger 4/5
Went to look at apartments with B & her mom, then to a deli on the UWS. Not the greatest deli, but a lot of fun to take a parent out, a lot of bittersweet emotions about the ceremony of going out to eat with my own parents. As a very elderly woman struggled to get in the door with both her walker and her health aide, I found myself remembering a lot of the details of my parent's extended illnesses, but B snapped me back into the present! I like the present with B.
PM SNACK: 3:30pm, chocolate cake, water, hunger 2/5
Small family gathering of B's clan for a birthday, skipped the champagne, just not hungry. Was nice/anxiety-producing to talk about my job situation/culinary thoughts with a bunch of peeps, though.
EVENING SNACK: 8PM, small green salad hunger 3/5
EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm, super hippy bread with peanut butter, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 11:30pm, good yogurt with honey and vanilla, hunger 4/5
I'm not good at not eating dinner.
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