Hot and Hungry

I can't and I shant.

2009-02-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

That, my friends, is a vegetarian calzone from Same Old Place in JP. Holy hell. It came in a large pizza box with a pint-sized container of marinara. I stuffed my face as much as possible in one sitting, but it took me four days to finish that sucker. Is it wrong that I'm not terribly worried about my cholesterol? (It should be noted that mozilla suggested "molester" as one of the words I was trying to spell when I misspelled cholesterol the first time.) Let's use both words in a sentence: My arteries are being molested by the extreme amount of cholesterol in this calzone. It hurts so good.

protein zone

2009-02-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

Cocoa Crispies, 4-juice sampling (HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE CHOCOLATE BANANA PROTEIN NAKED JUICE, DO NOT RECOMMEND THE PINEAPPLE PROTEIN NAKED JUICE), and Chinese food. Consumed over the course of 10-ish hours.

2009-02-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to go see Milk, and for the duration of the movie I ate:
-A Nature Valley peanut butter granola bar
-A chocolate chip Cliff bar
-One of those milk chocolate Lindt truffles
-Roughly half a bag of buttered movie popcorn They should really change the large size to "huge"
-Half of a chocolate chip muffin

WOOOO SWEET TOOOOOF.I totally felt like the above photo after all that candy.

Jake, the food blog model.

2009-01-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

In lieu of a lack of updates...I have a photo taken with my new camera. Hopefully it will make the food blog that much more delicious.

This morning I made french toast and we stuffed ourselves with bread and pastries. The dirty, syrupy plates indicate this. I guess the 544633556 bags of bread do too.

Lobster tempura?!

2009-01-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Oh hey guys... Sorry I've been MIA for the past while... I've been busy stuffing my face.

So, our dear Flour friend Karoline invited my man and I to Grill 23 for a going-away-esque dinner (she and her fabulous husband Ben are moving to Argentina in February so Karoline can write her thesis and experience an amazing country filled with wine), and WOW was it great! I indulged in the following: crabcakes (a first for me... the baby's growing up!), lobster tempura (another first, and definitely something I wouldn't have normally tried... but you really can't go wrong with anything fried), beet ravioli with a gorgonzola cream, greens salad with local chevre, and meatloaf (prime & Kobe beef, in fact) with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy AND a bit of melted cheese on top of the meatloaf... perfection. Ben even sent out an order of frites for the table and also a really excellent, really spicy Columbian soup that was a nice touch to the whole meal. Everything was so perfect and fancy... I have really never had dinner at such a nice restaurant without my parents. I feel like such a grownup!

I've been sick this weekend, so my food comsumption has been down significantly. Lots of citrus and fluids. Oh, and a pint of sorbet. And some corn chips. And a bowl of minestrone. Good stuff.

Highland Kitchen

2009-01-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ah. Somerville, MA. Slummerville, MA?
Regardless, Jake and I literally trekked into the arctic for some comfort food at Highland Kitchen AND C.O.M.F.O.R.T WE FOUND.
Here it is, in list form, the delights that HK had to offer us:

1. Minimalistic website. I approve.
2. Hilarious waiter who gave us our specials but didn't intrude too much.
3. Fairly wide variety of beers!
4. I got a special - mahi-mahi tacos. Didn't think the fish was going to be fried but it was a nice surprise (moments before it came I exclaimed, "SINCE I'M NOT GETTING SOMETHING FRIED I WILL HAVE SOME BUTTER ON MY BREAD." and proceeded to use half the butter they gave us on a single piece of bread.) I've never had proper fish tacos so I can't really judge but I felt like there could have been more in the tacos themselves besides lettuce (cabbage??), sour cream, and guacamole. No complaints, though.
5. Jake got a special as well - fried chicken with a buttermilk biscuit, mashed potatoes, collard greens, gravy. I tried everything but the chicken but the way it smelled/he smelled after I wanted to renounce vegetables forever. Damn.
6. We also got a dip plate appetizer that was delicious and Jake sprung some Mac and Cheese on me last minute because I had mentioned it recently. I finished way more than my stomach would technically allow.
And it was great.

I had a cupcake waiting at home but we had to postpone that for the next day. The only thing we could handle after that was PASSING OUT.

oh cheesy night

2009-01-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Lately Jake and I have been essentially shackling up to the kitchen table to share various edibles from our places of employment. The other night we literally split the following in half: two full sandwiches, a calzone, a salad, and two muffins. We then fell into a deep food sleep/coma until morning. Last night it was another calzone and a personal-sized pizza. The cheese has been plentiful these past few days, and I mean that literally and figuratively.

Immediately after the brioche we went to Olecito and learned they have a delicious new line of all-natural/cane sugar fountain sodas. we tried orange, lemon, black cherry, and creme. I would recommend them all.

Lastly, as I write this I am finishing a feast from Panera. I usually get the half sandwich, half soup/salad deal with the Mediterranean veggie sandwich and a salad. But today I was feeling absurd and got the creamy tomato soup. Which, along with the half sandwich carb-feast, comes with a huge breadbowl AND a piece of baguette. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Dear metabolism, Please sit tight. Love, Melissa.

I found this on Cuteoverload.com in a series of similar photos and posted it with you in mind, Libby. Cupcakes are delicious, and so are our little furry friends. It's best to just click the link and squeal.

3 A.M - Matchbox Twenty - You Know You Know It.

2009-01-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

So yesterday Melissa & I hit up Trader Joe's in Coolidge Corner. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. First of all, there are about a zillion people there on a Thursday evening, and the aisles are tiny. Also, the snacking options are endless. This equals extreme anxiety for me. I mean, really; snacks: they're my sweetest downfall. I ended up purchasing the following: Three bags of Snap Pea Crisps - Original Flavor, one box of Trader Joe's truffles, one container of dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts, one box of Trader Joe's square cheese crackers (obvious Cheez-It knock-off, which are possibly even more addictive then the real deal), one bag of trail mix (cashews, macadamia nuts, almonds, dried cranberries, dried pineapple), three bottles of Charles Shaw wine (two Cabernet Sauvignon, one Merlot), one bag of Trader Joe's corn crisps (glorified Fritos, amazing for dipping), one block of Havarti cheese, one box of Trader Joe's woven wheat crackers (certainly not the "Guilt Free" version that TJ's also offers), and one jar of Trader Joe's Corn & Chile Tomato-Less Salsa (a Melissa suggestion that blew my mind -- DOOO ITTT). Fabulous.

Last night's dinner consisted of a box of Zatarain's Black Beans & Rice with TJ's corn crisps on the side for dipping and scooping purposes. Incredible. I could seriously eat beans and rice for every single meal and not get sick of it. At work today I consumed part of a ginger-pear muffin, a bite of Karoline's ham & cheese pocket, a piece of olive-tomato-feta quiche with a hefty side of mesclun greens and balsamic vinaigrette, and a sliver of carrot cake scrap. Not bad, folks. Not bad at all.

My piece of turkey-mozzarella-tomato stuffed bread is heating in the oven. It's almost ready, and I plan on accompanying it with a salad of mesclun, roasted tomato, cucumber, and carrot with balsamic vinaigrette. Succulent. Let the feasting begin!

the average person gains ten pounds between thanksgiving and valentines day.

2009-01-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

I completely forgot it was a holiday yesterday. I guess that's my excuse for the amount that I ate:
-veggie burrito from Picante (oh how I missed my tri-weekly trips to your storefront my love) slathered in avocado salsa.
-piece of shoo-fly pie (my first ever!!!)
-several handfuls of those mexican hot cocoa cookies
-two pieces of pizza (spinach and fresh garlic mmmmm)
-spinach squares (basically small cheesy squares of spinach and egg and bread)
-roughly three servings of soy cherry chocolate chip ice cream. The best.

Although I'm still completely full I'm pining for breakfast. Can't wait to ransack the snack tray at Flour...

Recovery.

2008-12-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

Pardon my delay in discussing my holiday food-related festivities. Let's just say that I've been recovering this whole time. Because I have been.

The day before Christmas I stumbled upon two foil-wrapped packages of homemade pita bread. I ate 3.5 pitas in one sitting with 3-layer hummus and then polished off the end of a block of Havarti cheese with the last sacred pita. Later that night I got Thai food (glass noodles with shrimp and vegetables) and ate the entire portion.

Christmas day was ABSURD, to say the least. For appetizers I had several salmon roll-ups (basically a wrap cut into slices - filled with smoked salmon, cheese spread, red onion, tomato, and arugula), a whole MESS of cheese and crackers (One cheese- Affidelice- was so incredibly smelly I won't soon forget it.), several rice balls (deep fried balls of risotto with goat cheese...sinful) and my favorite - squid stuffed with shrimp and breadcrumbs. For dinner there was lasagna, carrot souffle, herbed potatoes, and pre-buttered bread (like 2 pats per slice ...can you hear my heartbeat?) Dessert was my favorite because I got to enjoy a slice of red velvet cake (I like my desserts ornate, pompous, and with some southern roots), as well as some chocolate tiramisu and chocolate bread pudding. I somehow managed to return to the dessert table an hour after the first round and numbly scarf down some chocolate cake scraps.

On one final Christmas note, I'd like to recommend that everyone go out to a Trader Joes near you and relish in these. You will not be sorry.

Christmas Dinner x 2

2008-12-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

Okay. I think I'm ready to talk about it. The last two days have been insane. Christmas Eve went as follows: First I put away a croissant from JP Licks while I waited for Josh to get his hair cut. Then it was off to CT, with a stop for a Boston Market 3-Sides Meal (dill new potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and stuffing, complete with a side of cornbread). Traffic was ridiculous on Christmas Eve (who would've thought?), and I enjoyed my leisurely meal in the rest stop dining area until I saw a couple changing their baby's diaper on ONE OF THE TABLES. That's fucked up. However, I was pleased by the "dill new potatoes" option, and their macaroni and cheese is sinful as hell, so I left feeling fat and happy.

We got to my parent's house 2.5 hours later and the food frenzy continued. My mom doesn't go totally bananas for the holidays, but she does a damn good job. Appetizers consisted of a (festive!) cream cheese-pesto-sundried tomato dip with Triscuits and Wheat Thins and a big 'ol bowl of Chex mix (homemade, I might add). Soon enough dinner was served and I filled up my plate with the following: mashed sweet potatoes with pecans, cauliflower gratin, baked ham with a sweet raisin sauce, green bean casserole (you know, the one with the crispy onions... a holiday staple), and crescent rolls. Holy crap, was I stuffed. Well done, Lindsay! I only had one Christmas cookie for dessert. Pathetic, I know.

The Spencer-Harvey family has a Christmas morning breakfast tradition: bacon, biscuits, and apples (um, sauteed in bacon fat. SO good). It's probably the greatest meal in the world, and it's something that I look forward to every single year. I piled it all on my plate, I put some butter and apple marmalade on the biscuits, and I went to town. Stayed satisfied for approximately 1.5 hours, then started in on clementines and Hershey's kisses. What an outstanding combination! Anyway, we eventually packed everything up and headed back to Boston, leaving behind succulent leftovers and an amazing family. Oh well. We were on our way to an Italian feast of sorts, so I wasn't too depressed.

I'll have you know, traffic coming back was significantly better. We still stopped for a snack on the way. Because, well, you know... we had to pee. And McDonald's fries are soo delicious. Now, I'm aware of the fact that I noted my preference for Boston Market earlier, but a girl's gotta eat! So I did, and a medium fries, medium Diet Coke, and Chipotle BBQ Chicken Snack Wrap (which I felt absurd ordering. Say it aloud. You'll be kinda embarrassed) later, I was satiated. I did some stretching when we got to Josh's parents to prepare for manicotti and salad. Good god. Homemade meatballs, homemade sauce, homemade CREPE style manicotti. Oh, and salad. And Italian bread. With butter. Obviously. I can't wait to be that woman's daughter-in-law. Everything was amazing, and then dessert came out. I had the option of about six different kinds of Christmas cookies or a chocolate mousse torte... I went for the torte, but Maureen packed me a platterful of cookies before we left, so I'm set on those, too. Oh, and the torte was incredible. The mousse was light in texture but rich in taste, and the crust on the bottom was like a brownie filled with chocolate chips. INSANITY.

And then we went home. And I sat on the couch. And I didn't move. And it was awesome.

Thanks, Zesto's!

2008-12-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Remember when snow days meant sledding and hot chocolate and no school? It turns out that when you're 22, snow days mean eating everything in your apartment that you can get your hands on. I'm pretty sure that this is a complete list of yesterday's intake... bowl of angel hair pasta with mushroom and ripe olive sauce, half a bag of cheddar pretzel Combos (ate the first half on Friday), half a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream (don't remember when I ate the first half... last week?), approximately sixteen handfuls of SmartFood popcorn, and a vegetarian calzone from Zesto's in JP (this place gets a bad rap, and they have forgotten stuff on my subs a bunch of times, but they're nice guys -- and that calzone made my day. Plus, they didn't forget my extra side of sauce. Major points for that).

I also finally did (most) of the dishes that were taking over my kitchen and watched an excessive amount of Bravo. They FINALLY did a Rachel Zoe Project marathon. I DIE!

Oh, and the nice man at the liquor store gave me a Grand Marnier-filled chocolate for Christmas. What a doll!

'Tis the season

2008-12-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

As of last Thursday I am in NJ to visit my family for the holidays and to...eat. Since I've been here I've demolished roughly half of a marble coffee cake and almost an entire box of Shredded Spoonfuls cereal. I am sorely, sorely missing the grilled portobello sandwich with pesto and mozzarella from Flour-- almost to the point of withdrawl. I wish I were exaggerating the situation BUT I WANT ONE SO BAD.

Since I have been home I have had some old food-favorites brought back into my life as well. My dad made Squid Ink Pasta (Tagliatelle al nero di seppia) with a tomato broth, scallops, shrimp, calamari, and clams. The wonderful photo above was stolen from this gentleman's flickr page, but it looks very similar to what I ate the other night!

Also, I went to Alta Restaurant in NYC last night with my relatives and had some incredible tapas.
What I ordered:
(everything is quite simple. Ignore everything but the words you know.. like I did.)

1. Smoked Eggplant and Lebne Dip with Za'tar, honey, mint, and lemon zest
2. Spaghetti Pepperoncini, Bottarga di Muggine, dried bonito and shrimp oil, and peppercress
   >> Oh my god this was the hit of my entire night. Perfectly greasy pasta with a slightly fishy taste. Ahhh I want 5 more servings of it.
3. Gently Steamed Chanterelles, Summer Corn Fonduta, carmelized onion gastrique
   >> Sweet mushrooms and sweet corn. Mmmm.
4. Sea Scallops, artichoke puree, Yuzu mayonnaise, Salmon caviar
   >> I was delighted to find these seared.

WELL, it's lunch time.