Spent the day with B at the movies, literally. We made an early before-noon showing of one movie, then took advantage of the multiplex and sat for another right after. I've only done this sporadically over the years (who has the time?) and always by myself, so it was wonderful to have, as they are fond of saying on many profiles on dating websites, a 'partner in crime'. Perhaps the cheapest Valentines date ever?
We found a small neighborhood Korean joint right after that was great but the portions were too large. But there was no crazy v-day menu, and was uncrowded and no-stress.
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, good yogurt with honey, vanilla, cashews, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 11:30am, slice of streetza, 3 cider donuts, 3 small whole wheat pretzels, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
We walked to Union Square, or more precisely because of B's condition, we mosied. I saw a "99 Cent Pizza" place off Washington Square, and was curious. The crust was surprisingly good, crisp bottom and a nice chew, though you could see the marks of the screen they used. Strong yeast flavor, which you have to like, which I do. The toppings were a disaster, flavorless tomato sauce and orange, greasy cheese that tasted overwhelmingly of salt. Still, for a buck, it's definitely pizza.
The pretzels and donuts were purchased in the Union Square farmer's market, and got me through the movies.
DINNER: 4:45pm, kimchi pancake, bulgogi japchae, kimchi, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 8pm, left over kimchi pancake and bulgogi, chocolate bon-bons, half a glass of prosecco, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
We swung by Trader Joe's on the walk home, just because neither of us have been there in a year or so. I always tease B that she's a spoiled wife, that she just sits around all day eating bon-bons. So I couldn't resist when I saw bon-bons for sale (hor deurve sized balls of chocolate ice cream on a small chocolate cookie, covered in a thin chocolate shell) When we got home, I served a plate of them with a bottle of prosecco, which B had a few sips. I was really surprised to find that the chocolate and prosecco flavors went together f'ing fantastically. Wow! I think I want sparkling white wine with chocolate at all times now. And with my wife!
Saturday, February 14
Friday, February 13
Bacon Bourbon
BREAKFAST: 7:30am, banana, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, a steak, pork and shrimp taco, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Tried three tacos at a new taqueria in Soho, was pretty good, but not as good (or cheap) (or authentic) as the stuff deep in Brooklyn.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, pistachio ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM MEAL: 4pm, cheese tortellini in chicken stock, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM DRINK SAMPLING: 6:30-8:30pm, shot of bacon-infused bourbon, prosecco, gin, various tinctures, bread and cheese, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Volunteered at the Astor Center for an Infused Alcohol class, was fun though spirits really isn't my thing. Still, came home with a nice bottle of bubbly and the remnants of the bacon bourbon.
DINNER: 10:30pm. frozen pizza, pistachio ice cream, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Had a California Pizza Kitchen frozen individual pie in the back of the freezer. Nice fresh tomato flavor, but inferior cheese, too much basil and an oddly textured crust.
LUNCH: 1pm, a steak, pork and shrimp taco, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Tried three tacos at a new taqueria in Soho, was pretty good, but not as good (or cheap) (or authentic) as the stuff deep in Brooklyn.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, pistachio ice cream, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM MEAL: 4pm, cheese tortellini in chicken stock, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM DRINK SAMPLING: 6:30-8:30pm, shot of bacon-infused bourbon, prosecco, gin, various tinctures, bread and cheese, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Volunteered at the Astor Center for an Infused Alcohol class, was fun though spirits really isn't my thing. Still, came home with a nice bottle of bubbly and the remnants of the bacon bourbon.
DINNER: 10:30pm. frozen pizza, pistachio ice cream, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Had a California Pizza Kitchen frozen individual pie in the back of the freezer. Nice fresh tomato flavor, but inferior cheese, too much basil and an oddly textured crust.
Thursday, February 12
My Good Friend, Soup
I took a tour of the facilities at Daniel, a four-star French Restaurant on the Upper East Side, then swung by an old lunch spot I ate at twice a week when I was a designer at a law firm in midtown for half a decade. It's called "Oriental Noodle Shop", and is basically a very-quick service American-Chinese restaurant with a full-service backroom, a long-ass lunch counter and a pick-up counter in the front. Their speciality is roast pork and their noodle soups, and in the winter I'd always get a bowl of roast pork noodle soup (duh!).
$7 including tax gets a HUGE bowl of soup, filled generously with fresh noodles and a lot of meat. Back when I worked near there, it was not enough -- I'd usually order an egg roll or shrimp toast to start with. Today, looking at another person's bowl of soup size, knew there would be no way I'd need something else, and wondered if I'd finish the soup, despite being really hungry. The soup itself -- beef/pork stock -- was remarkably tasty, and now that I've made stock of all sorts myself, I appreciate the subtle hand they use to get that flavor. One thing I would NEVER eat was the small pile of Chinese broccoli and kale that would give a little color to the dish. It's bitter, and, uh, healthy. Today, I ate it right up -- it's bitterness was an AMAZING compliment to the subtle sweetness of the glaze of the roast pork....and it's healthy.
I tried to finish the soup, and despite it still tasting really good, could not get the whole bowl down. I think I definitely miss this soup much more than I miss my old desk job. Thank goodness I'm still friendly with the soup!
I went straight to the restaurant after to start prep. The night was unusually busy, and looking back, used sugary stuff as a crutch to keep going -- I was expending a lot of energy, almost athletically stretching dough, getting pizzas out of the oven and into boxes and on plates. Forced to eat late, I limited myself to a kid's pizza stretched super thing --about the same width of an adult 12" pie, but much thinner.
BREAKFAST: 7am, good yogurt with honey, raw cashews, vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10am, street donut, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:15pm, roast pork udon noodle soup, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2pm, tiramisu, .5 bowl. hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 4pm, small portion of chocolate pudding, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6pm, black cherry soda, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 9pm, ginger ale, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 10:30pm, kid's size pizza with moz, onion, sauce, parm, sausage, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
$7 including tax gets a HUGE bowl of soup, filled generously with fresh noodles and a lot of meat. Back when I worked near there, it was not enough -- I'd usually order an egg roll or shrimp toast to start with. Today, looking at another person's bowl of soup size, knew there would be no way I'd need something else, and wondered if I'd finish the soup, despite being really hungry. The soup itself -- beef/pork stock -- was remarkably tasty, and now that I've made stock of all sorts myself, I appreciate the subtle hand they use to get that flavor. One thing I would NEVER eat was the small pile of Chinese broccoli and kale that would give a little color to the dish. It's bitter, and, uh, healthy. Today, I ate it right up -- it's bitterness was an AMAZING compliment to the subtle sweetness of the glaze of the roast pork....and it's healthy.
I tried to finish the soup, and despite it still tasting really good, could not get the whole bowl down. I think I definitely miss this soup much more than I miss my old desk job. Thank goodness I'm still friendly with the soup!
I went straight to the restaurant after to start prep. The night was unusually busy, and looking back, used sugary stuff as a crutch to keep going -- I was expending a lot of energy, almost athletically stretching dough, getting pizzas out of the oven and into boxes and on plates. Forced to eat late, I limited myself to a kid's pizza stretched super thing --about the same width of an adult 12" pie, but much thinner.
BREAKFAST: 7am, good yogurt with honey, raw cashews, vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10am, street donut, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:15pm, roast pork udon noodle soup, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2pm, tiramisu, .5 bowl. hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 4pm, small portion of chocolate pudding, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 6pm, black cherry soda, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 9pm, ginger ale, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 10:30pm, kid's size pizza with moz, onion, sauce, parm, sausage, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Wednesday, February 11
Pizza training
After class, shot over to a yet-to-open pizza restaurant underneath the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side and spent the afternoon hanging out and training with a very raw team. The try-out/training period is for another week or two until the joint can actually open, but I think I do want to go back as much as possible, if only to train -- I think I have a lot to learn from the owner/chef. He whipped out an old school Sicilian pie in the Italian oven that pretty much rocked my world.
Met B for our first child-birthing class thang after, had a salad before hand to try to get my diet into some semblance of a balance, guffaw!
BREAKFAST: 8pm, marble pound cake, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:30pm, 10 pork n' chive dumplings, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
$2.50 at the tiny joint with no English speakers near the base of the Manhattan Bridge.
PM SNACK: 2:30pm, 2 small slices of Sicilian pizza, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Really good.
DINNER: 5:30pm, Cesar salad, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 8:45pm, ramekin of pistachio ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Bought this flavor because I knew B wouldn't eat it. Not particularly great, the ice cream tasted more almondy than anything else, and the bits of pistachio were not so much crunchy as soft.
EVENING SNACK: 9:30, potato chips, cider, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mini binge! I didn't eat enough today.
Met B for our first child-birthing class thang after, had a salad before hand to try to get my diet into some semblance of a balance, guffaw!
BREAKFAST: 8pm, marble pound cake, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:30pm, 10 pork n' chive dumplings, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
$2.50 at the tiny joint with no English speakers near the base of the Manhattan Bridge.
PM SNACK: 2:30pm, 2 small slices of Sicilian pizza, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Really good.
DINNER: 5:30pm, Cesar salad, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 8:45pm, ramekin of pistachio ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Bought this flavor because I knew B wouldn't eat it. Not particularly great, the ice cream tasted more almondy than anything else, and the bits of pistachio were not so much crunchy as soft.
EVENING SNACK: 9:30, potato chips, cider, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mini binge! I didn't eat enough today.
Tuesday, February 10
Come back, guru!
Between finding time to reassemble the house between classes, recovering from my sick days last week, shifts and the restaurant, and the try-out I'm having at a new pizza restaurant tomorrow, my yoga practice has fallen by the way side for 2 weeks. I hope to have time to get a class in on Friday, but I need my guru HVS to come back to the city and motivate me!
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, glass of cider, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, 2 donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, slice of pizza with prosciutto, root beer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
The prosciutto became a little crisp and deeper/saltier in flavor, like an interesting bacon. Could be something. At the resto, the prosciutto is usually put on after baking, allowing the fat to melt into the pie. This is much more of a hammer throw, in a good way.
PM SNACK: 3pm, chocolate pudding, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Made the pudding at the restaurant. After cooling it and getting it into a sealable container, I got to scrape out the bowl into mah mouf. Problem with that is unlike home, I made a full gallon of pudding, which allows for a lot of scraping.
DINNER: 7:15pm, 'child's size' spaghetti and meat ball, seltzer, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, swig of cider
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, glass of cider, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, 2 donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, slice of pizza with prosciutto, root beer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
The prosciutto became a little crisp and deeper/saltier in flavor, like an interesting bacon. Could be something. At the resto, the prosciutto is usually put on after baking, allowing the fat to melt into the pie. This is much more of a hammer throw, in a good way.
PM SNACK: 3pm, chocolate pudding, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Made the pudding at the restaurant. After cooling it and getting it into a sealable container, I got to scrape out the bowl into mah mouf. Problem with that is unlike home, I made a full gallon of pudding, which allows for a lot of scraping.
DINNER: 7:15pm, 'child's size' spaghetti and meat ball, seltzer, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, swig of cider
Monday, February 9
Taxi food
On the way back from school to home, I swung by an Indian punjabi grocery on Houston and A that primarily serves taxi drivers. I discovered this place back in the mid-90s when I worked around the corner, and I must say it hasn't changed a bit. I got a HUGE plate fresh potato and pea samosas smothered in chickpea curry, a couple hearty fresh rotis, sprinkled with onion and yogurt on the side, all for $6.50. It would definitely be more expensive for me to try to make this at home, and wouldn't been nearly as good.
Spent the evening at the restaurant on phone/bus duty. First time I've worked this position, was interesting getting a different perspective on the workings the machine that is the restaurant.
Spent the evening at the restaurant on phone/bus duty. First time I've worked this position, was interesting getting a different perspective on the workings the machine that is the restaurant.
BREAKFAST: 7am, organic chex with good milk, swig apple cider, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:45pm, potato samosas and chickpea curry, 2 roti, pint cider, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM WATERING: 3pm, quart
PM SNACK: 5pm, tiramisu, cheesecake, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 8pm, slice banana nutella pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 9:30pm, square slice with onion and sausage, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM WATERING: 3pm, quart
PM SNACK: 5pm, tiramisu, cheesecake, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 8pm, slice banana nutella pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 9:30pm, square slice with onion and sausage, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Sunday, February 8
Weekend Report
Weekend flew by in a blur. Out to NJ on a social call, Saturday night at Ikea getting pieces for the baby room. Sunday spent at school on a food-product class, then finished painting the bedrooms and started to reassemble the house now that the floors are redone. Took the wifey out to dinner Sunday evening, looking forward to this upcoming week, working 3 days at the resto, a try out at a new place, etc etc.
SATURDAY:
BREAKFAST: 8am, organic cheerios with good milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM LUNCHING: noon-4pm, carrots, crackers, hummus, 0lives, pickled garlic, 2 pieces of spinach pie, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out to deep dark NJ to visit a friend and her family. Awesome hanging out with her kids, a 3 yr old and a new born. Man, I can't wait to have my own bebe.
PM SNACK: 4:45pm, 1 McDonalds hamburger, half a medium fries, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B was craving a McD's hot-fudge sundae, so I randomly ordered a burger. Exactly as I remember it from when I was a little kid.
DINNER: 10pm, pasta with homemade mushroom tomato sauce, water. 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
SUNDAY:
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cheerios with good milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, a few spoonfuls of tortellini salad, grape soda, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7:30pm, spaghetti a lemone, half a margarita pizza, tiramisu, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out to Lil' Frankies, crap service, dishes came out haphazardly, and a few olives mysteriously were on our pizza. And the pizza was undercooked.
SATURDAY:
BREAKFAST: 8am, organic cheerios with good milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM LUNCHING: noon-4pm, carrots, crackers, hummus, 0lives, pickled garlic, 2 pieces of spinach pie, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out to deep dark NJ to visit a friend and her family. Awesome hanging out with her kids, a 3 yr old and a new born. Man, I can't wait to have my own bebe.
PM SNACK: 4:45pm, 1 McDonalds hamburger, half a medium fries, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B was craving a McD's hot-fudge sundae, so I randomly ordered a burger. Exactly as I remember it from when I was a little kid.
DINNER: 10pm, pasta with homemade mushroom tomato sauce, water. 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
SUNDAY:
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cheerios with good milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, a few spoonfuls of tortellini salad, grape soda, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7:30pm, spaghetti a lemone, half a margarita pizza, tiramisu, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out to Lil' Frankies, crap service, dishes came out haphazardly, and a few olives mysteriously were on our pizza. And the pizza was undercooked.
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