Contrary Advice
MGDub says that she would have advised me otherwise in the whole "to preserve or not to preserve" wedding dress debacle. She also mentioned that GJDubya would be appalled.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Laundry
After eight months, I finally dropped off my wedding dress for cleaning. I was intent on just getting the dress cleaned and not "preserved," so our nonexistent future offspring could play dress up with it. Fortunately, Wheezy was kind enough to accompany me downtown. The following is a reconstructed conversation:
plasticann: Hi, I'd like to get my dress cleaned. I just want to keep the dress for my kids to play dress up in. Can you tell me the difference between cleaning and preserving?
Saleslady: Well, dresses that aren't preserved turn yellow. By the time you have kids and they're old enough to play dress up, your dress might turn yellow. If you want to keep the dress ivory or white, you'll want to preserve it.
plasticann: Hmmm. Wheezy, what do you think?
Wheezy: Umm
plasticann: I don't know, it's not that much more to preserve it.
Wheezy: [Whispering] I think you should just get it cleaned, I don't think it really matters, but it's not that much more.
plasticann: ...I'm going to stick with cleaning.
Saleslady: OK, where's the dress?
plasticann: [pulling out the dress from a totebag] It's right here.
Saleslady: Wow, I can't believe you were able to fit the dress in that totebag.
plasticann: Well, I had to stuff it in. I figured it was getting cleaned and pressed so it wouldn't matter if I stuffed the dress in a bag.
Wheezy: [laughing]I don't think you care enough about the dress for preservation. You did cram it in a bag.
plasticann: I guess your right, cleaning is good enough.
As we were leaving, I realized how stuffing a dress in a bag might seem like blasphemy for the folks at the bridal salon, the house of wedding gown worship. Wheezy and I decided that the only thing worse was if we had brought the dress stuffed in a black trash bag with a bucket of fried chicken and jelly doughnuts mixed in. If only we had planned ahead, we really could have milked the situation and really mortified the salesladies.
After eight months, I finally dropped off my wedding dress for cleaning. I was intent on just getting the dress cleaned and not "preserved," so our nonexistent future offspring could play dress up with it. Fortunately, Wheezy was kind enough to accompany me downtown. The following is a reconstructed conversation:
plasticann: Hi, I'd like to get my dress cleaned. I just want to keep the dress for my kids to play dress up in. Can you tell me the difference between cleaning and preserving?
Saleslady: Well, dresses that aren't preserved turn yellow. By the time you have kids and they're old enough to play dress up, your dress might turn yellow. If you want to keep the dress ivory or white, you'll want to preserve it.
plasticann: Hmmm. Wheezy, what do you think?
Wheezy: Umm
plasticann: I don't know, it's not that much more to preserve it.
Wheezy: [Whispering] I think you should just get it cleaned, I don't think it really matters, but it's not that much more.
plasticann: ...I'm going to stick with cleaning.
Saleslady: OK, where's the dress?
plasticann: [pulling out the dress from a totebag] It's right here.
Saleslady: Wow, I can't believe you were able to fit the dress in that totebag.
plasticann: Well, I had to stuff it in. I figured it was getting cleaned and pressed so it wouldn't matter if I stuffed the dress in a bag.
Wheezy: [laughing]I don't think you care enough about the dress for preservation. You did cram it in a bag.
plasticann: I guess your right, cleaning is good enough.
As we were leaving, I realized how stuffing a dress in a bag might seem like blasphemy for the folks at the bridal salon, the house of wedding gown worship. Wheezy and I decided that the only thing worse was if we had brought the dress stuffed in a black trash bag with a bucket of fried chicken and jelly doughnuts mixed in. If only we had planned ahead, we really could have milked the situation and really mortified the salesladies.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Just Like Kramer
In addition to singing a made up song about bedtime to the tune of "Springtime For Hitler," we've taken to heating our pajamas in our dryer before sleeping. While I really do enjoy being surrounded by the warmth of my warm jammies, the warm effect lasts all of five seconds. Like Kramer on Seinfeld, now I'm a bit obsessed with wearing clothes right out of the dryer, perhaps some warm jeans on a cold winter's morn'.
In addition to singing a made up song about bedtime to the tune of "Springtime For Hitler," we've taken to heating our pajamas in our dryer before sleeping. While I really do enjoy being surrounded by the warmth of my warm jammies, the warm effect lasts all of five seconds. Like Kramer on Seinfeld, now I'm a bit obsessed with wearing clothes right out of the dryer, perhaps some warm jeans on a cold winter's morn'.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Five Under Five
I spotted this tidbit in the latest issue of the Improper Bostonian, five appetizers/entrees for under five bucks at the bar in Bambara weekdays from 4-6pm. Bambara is located in the Hotel Marlowe over by the Cambridgeside Galleria. Particularly intriguing is their "b" burger: fresh baked brioche bun with caramelized onion baked right into the bread and truffled goat cheese. One of these days, I'm heading over there after class.
The Menu
Half-pound "b" burger $4.99
Mini steak frites $4.99
Reuben bites $4.99
Short rib nachos $4.99
Truffle frites $3.00
Onion rings $3.00
Sunday, February 19, 2006
"Wha' Happened?"
I've been delinquent and thought I've never figure out what the phrase means, Steve would say that my blog has "jumped the shark." Wha' happened? School, that's wha' happened. Here's the update.
1. Adam and I checked out The Federalist for dinner on Friday to celebrate v-day. We enjoyed fancy mac & cheese, lobster bisque, beef wellington and brown butter dover sole. My favorite was the sole with fingerling potatoes/spinich and mushrooms. YUM! The melty chocolate cake was a nice end.
2. Last month, Wheezy was battling a bad cold and couldn't come out to Cambridge 1 for pizza with Jess and me when Jess was in town so Wheezy missed out on her fill off flatbread pizza. We enjoyed a tasty lunch on Saturday where we each had our usual...we're not big on "change." After lunch we meandered through Harvard Square on our usual "route." Black Ink, Urban Outfitters (where we simultaneously mock and covet the merchandise), Cross, Adidas, Bob Slate and Staples. We never miss Black Ink, Urban Outfitters, Cross and Bob Slate, but we did need binder clips (Staples) and Wheezy kindly educated me on sneakers (Adidas). She was wearing these cool old school sneakers, but of course I had no clue about the significance of her shoes.
I've been delinquent and thought I've never figure out what the phrase means, Steve would say that my blog has "jumped the shark." Wha' happened? School, that's wha' happened. Here's the update.
1. Adam and I checked out The Federalist for dinner on Friday to celebrate v-day. We enjoyed fancy mac & cheese, lobster bisque, beef wellington and brown butter dover sole. My favorite was the sole with fingerling potatoes/spinich and mushrooms. YUM! The melty chocolate cake was a nice end.
2. Last month, Wheezy was battling a bad cold and couldn't come out to Cambridge 1 for pizza with Jess and me when Jess was in town so Wheezy missed out on her fill off flatbread pizza. We enjoyed a tasty lunch on Saturday where we each had our usual...we're not big on "change." After lunch we meandered through Harvard Square on our usual "route." Black Ink, Urban Outfitters (where we simultaneously mock and covet the merchandise), Cross, Adidas, Bob Slate and Staples. We never miss Black Ink, Urban Outfitters, Cross and Bob Slate, but we did need binder clips (Staples) and Wheezy kindly educated me on sneakers (Adidas). She was wearing these cool old school sneakers, but of course I had no clue about the significance of her shoes.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
I made the Four Seasons Hotel lemon ricotta pancakes from this month's Boston magazine for breakfast this morning. The recipe called for one stick of butter, which didn't phase me since it served four. Halfway through cooking and after Adam had asked for seconds, I realized that Adam and I would be eating the entire batch which amounted to half a stick of butter each for breakfast and that was before we added in the ricotta cheese and eggs. I'm not usually shy about butter, but I had to stop eating the pancakes and instead, packed them up for Adam to take to work. They were delicious, but I don't think I'll be making those again. For a stick of butter, I might as well eat 40 Adam's favorite cookies for breakfast.
I made the Four Seasons Hotel lemon ricotta pancakes from this month's Boston magazine for breakfast this morning. The recipe called for one stick of butter, which didn't phase me since it served four. Halfway through cooking and after Adam had asked for seconds, I realized that Adam and I would be eating the entire batch which amounted to half a stick of butter each for breakfast and that was before we added in the ricotta cheese and eggs. I'm not usually shy about butter, but I had to stop eating the pancakes and instead, packed them up for Adam to take to work. They were delicious, but I don't think I'll be making those again. For a stick of butter, I might as well eat 40 Adam's favorite cookies for breakfast.
Friday, January 27, 2006
MGDub Especial - MGDub's Special Day
As she's in NYC, Adam and I were not able to celebrate MGDub's birthday with her yesterday. We did send her some cheerful flowers and I baked up a new and improved "MGDub's Special" cookie. Last summer, when we bid farewell to MGDub, I brough some oatmeal scotchies, a cookie MGDub enjoys, to her going away BBQ. Since Adam had a cookie named after him, "Adam's Favorite," MGDub expressed her desire to also be immortalized in a cookie. Adam suggested "In memory of MGDub," but MGDub wisely rejected that idea. Instead, she declared the oatmeal scotchies to be "MGDub's Special" cookie. While I did not account for MGDub's love of shrimp, I did incorporate her love of coconut into the new and improved "MGDub's Special," a coconut Butterscotch cookie right out of the Williams-Sonoma cookie cookbook. Early reviews from MGDub herself suggest that this one may be "MGDub's Favorite."
As she's in NYC, Adam and I were not able to celebrate MGDub's birthday with her yesterday. We did send her some cheerful flowers and I baked up a new and improved "MGDub's Special" cookie. Last summer, when we bid farewell to MGDub, I brough some oatmeal scotchies, a cookie MGDub enjoys, to her going away BBQ. Since Adam had a cookie named after him, "Adam's Favorite," MGDub expressed her desire to also be immortalized in a cookie. Adam suggested "In memory of MGDub," but MGDub wisely rejected that idea. Instead, she declared the oatmeal scotchies to be "MGDub's Special" cookie. While I did not account for MGDub's love of shrimp, I did incorporate her love of coconut into the new and improved "MGDub's Special," a coconut Butterscotch cookie right out of the Williams-Sonoma cookie cookbook. Early reviews from MGDub herself suggest that this one may be "MGDub's Favorite."
Monday, January 23, 2006
The Mystery of the Lemon Bread...SOLVED!
Last summer when Adam and I were helping MGDub pack up her apartment to move down to NYC, we discovered many curiosities including packets of old gravy mix and random boxes of opened pasta. While MGDub graciously offered us her perishable foods [which we appreciated], she was bent on packing up all of her nonperishables which included all of the aforementioned items. She even had two opened canisters of corn meal, but she couldn't remember why she had them or if she'd ever used corn meal. Even though she admitted that GJDubya had given her some of the pantry items in 1999, she argued that she might one day decide to make gravy on a whim and it would be great to have the gravy mix. I digress!
One nugget I discovered was this recipe binder MGDub had. I think her friend Caitlin was trying to encourage her to take up the culinary arts. As to be expected, MGDub had not tried any of the recipes, but the lemon bread recipe caught my attention because the recipe notes said the bread was really more like a cake so I promptly e-mailed it to myself. I've made this lemon bread or lemon pound cake recipe multiple times and everyone loves it, but the true origins of the recipe have always been a mystery until today. I was browsing through my new Williams-Sonoma Baking Cookbook from my Aunt Pat when I came across the exact same lemon bread recipe. I offer you the "e-mailed" version of this recipe.
Lemon Bread
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1/2 c finely chopped nuts (optional)
grated lemon peel
topping: 1/4 cup sugar + lemon juice [1 lemon]
1. Cream butter & sugar, add eggs
2. Mix flour, baking powder & salt together
3. Alternately add some flour mix, then some milk to the butter/eggs batter.
4. Stir in nuts & peel
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a loaf pan
6. Mix 1/4 c sugar and juice of 1 lemon and pour this over the bread when it comes out of the oven.
Last summer when Adam and I were helping MGDub pack up her apartment to move down to NYC, we discovered many curiosities including packets of old gravy mix and random boxes of opened pasta. While MGDub graciously offered us her perishable foods [which we appreciated], she was bent on packing up all of her nonperishables which included all of the aforementioned items. She even had two opened canisters of corn meal, but she couldn't remember why she had them or if she'd ever used corn meal. Even though she admitted that GJDubya had given her some of the pantry items in 1999, she argued that she might one day decide to make gravy on a whim and it would be great to have the gravy mix. I digress!
One nugget I discovered was this recipe binder MGDub had. I think her friend Caitlin was trying to encourage her to take up the culinary arts. As to be expected, MGDub had not tried any of the recipes, but the lemon bread recipe caught my attention because the recipe notes said the bread was really more like a cake so I promptly e-mailed it to myself. I've made this lemon bread or lemon pound cake recipe multiple times and everyone loves it, but the true origins of the recipe have always been a mystery until today. I was browsing through my new Williams-Sonoma Baking Cookbook from my Aunt Pat when I came across the exact same lemon bread recipe. I offer you the "e-mailed" version of this recipe.
Lemon Bread
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1/2 c finely chopped nuts (optional)
grated lemon peel
topping: 1/4 cup sugar + lemon juice [1 lemon]
1. Cream butter & sugar, add eggs
2. Mix flour, baking powder & salt together
3. Alternately add some flour mix, then some milk to the butter/eggs batter.
4. Stir in nuts & peel
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a loaf pan
6. Mix 1/4 c sugar and juice of 1 lemon and pour this over the bread when it comes out of the oven.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Yah!
I was helping Adam stuff envelopes at church last night when Esther walked in carrying Tiny Tim. I refer to him as Tiny Tim because his name is Tim [sort of] and Tiny because he's a little baby.
Esther: Tiny Tim, do you like kisses from Auntie Esther?
Tiny Tim: ......Yah!
plasticann: [under her breath] Are you a communist?
Esther: ...Tiny Tim, are you a communist?
Tiny Tim: .........Yah!
Tiny Tim's DaDee: What did he say? Did he say yes?
Esther: Yes.
I guess Tiny Tim likes to say "DaDee" and "Yah!" One day, maybe he'll progress to the very confusing "No...Yah!" like Zess. Fortunately for me, Tiny Tim's DaDee was good humored about the whole thing, but I really shouldn't go around corrupting babies and mocking Communism.
I was helping Adam stuff envelopes at church last night when Esther walked in carrying Tiny Tim. I refer to him as Tiny Tim because his name is Tim [sort of] and Tiny because he's a little baby.
Esther: Tiny Tim, do you like kisses from Auntie Esther?
Tiny Tim: ......Yah!
plasticann: [under her breath] Are you a communist?
Esther: ...Tiny Tim, are you a communist?
Tiny Tim: .........Yah!
Tiny Tim's DaDee: What did he say? Did he say yes?
Esther: Yes.
I guess Tiny Tim likes to say "DaDee" and "Yah!" One day, maybe he'll progress to the very confusing "No...Yah!" like Zess. Fortunately for me, Tiny Tim's DaDee was good humored about the whole thing, but I really shouldn't go around corrupting babies and mocking Communism.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Shoe Ejumacation
The following reconstructed conversation relates to a previous post regarding my new maryjanes.
Wayne: Are thoes your mary janes?
plasticann: Yeah! Were you here last week when I talked about my new shoes?
Wayne: Yes I was, but I didn't get a good look at them. They're very nice.
plasticann: Thank you....um...Wayne...do you know what are mary janes?
Wayne: Yeah, you're wearing them.
plasticann: Yes, but do you know what makes a shoe a mary jane?
Wayne: Um, no!
plasticann: ...because I don't want you to walk away thinking brown leather shoes with flowers are mary janes. It's the strap, it's the cutout in the front, it's a style of shoe, kinda like a little kid's shoe.
Wayne: Hmm, I did not know that.
When I relayed this story to Adam later that night, I discovered that Adam didn't know what a mary jane was either.
The following reconstructed conversation relates to a previous post regarding my new maryjanes.
Wayne: Are thoes your mary janes?
plasticann: Yeah! Were you here last week when I talked about my new shoes?
Wayne: Yes I was, but I didn't get a good look at them. They're very nice.
plasticann: Thank you....um...Wayne...do you know what are mary janes?
Wayne: Yeah, you're wearing them.
plasticann: Yes, but do you know what makes a shoe a mary jane?
Wayne: Um, no!
plasticann: ...because I don't want you to walk away thinking brown leather shoes with flowers are mary janes. It's the strap, it's the cutout in the front, it's a style of shoe, kinda like a little kid's shoe.
Wayne: Hmm, I did not know that.
When I relayed this story to Adam later that night, I discovered that Adam didn't know what a mary jane was either.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Reeking Of Cookie
You'd think this would be nirvana for someone like me, but the verdict is still out. I started working on a project at Dancing Deer Baking Company this week. No, I'm not baking cookies, I'm working on a strategy and data project, but I do get to work in a building where the intoxicating scents of freshly baked goodies waft up to the office. The pattern for the last two days have been chocolate in the morn' and lemon in the afternoon. I was commuting home last night and I kept smelling cookies when I, unfortunately, realized that my person was emitting lemon cookie scents stored up from a day spent at the cookie factory. After my initial enchantment with smelling like cookie, I'm now entering a phase where the smell is slightly maddening. Hopefully, I'll soon enter a new phase where I get used to the smell. On the brighter side, cookie smell is vastly superior to smoke.
You'd think this would be nirvana for someone like me, but the verdict is still out. I started working on a project at Dancing Deer Baking Company this week. No, I'm not baking cookies, I'm working on a strategy and data project, but I do get to work in a building where the intoxicating scents of freshly baked goodies waft up to the office. The pattern for the last two days have been chocolate in the morn' and lemon in the afternoon. I was commuting home last night and I kept smelling cookies when I, unfortunately, realized that my person was emitting lemon cookie scents stored up from a day spent at the cookie factory. After my initial enchantment with smelling like cookie, I'm now entering a phase where the smell is slightly maddening. Hopefully, I'll soon enter a new phase where I get used to the smell. On the brighter side, cookie smell is vastly superior to smoke.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Monk-ish
Adam and I got hooked on Monk while we were on vacation and decided to make it one of our shows. We've been watching TIVOed episodes of the Monk marathon and we've even taken the Monk quiz. Apparently, I'm utterly un-Monk-ish and I could learn a think or two from Monk and Adam is just little bit Monk-ish and Monk just might be envious of him. Harumph!
Adam and I got hooked on Monk while we were on vacation and decided to make it one of our shows. We've been watching TIVOed episodes of the Monk marathon and we've even taken the Monk quiz. Apparently, I'm utterly un-Monk-ish and I could learn a think or two from Monk and Adam is just little bit Monk-ish and Monk just might be envious of him. Harumph!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Shrimp + Coconut
The following is a reconstructed conversation about a conversation MGDub had with someone else.
MGDub: Shrimp just might be my favorite food.
Someone Else: Really!
MGDub: That and I also really like coconut.
Someone Else: So, you must enjoy coconut shrimp.
MGDub: ...I do...I do like coconut shrimp.
When I relayed details of MGDub's "shrimp/coconut" conversation to Adam's mom (AM) and dad (AD), the following conversation ensured.
AD: Wait, MGDub should make her next film on shrimp and coconut.
plasticann: Huh!
AD: Picture this, animated coconut meets animated shrimp, coconut falls from the tree in the ocean where shrimp is swimming. They meet and there you have it, coconut shrimp.
Adam: Interesting.
[conversation turns to a different topic for a few minutes]
AD: ....[picks up again with his directorial vision] and then, the animated sequence can dissolve and there's MGDub eating coconut shrimp and it was all a dream.
plasticann: I'll have to pass that along to MGDub, she is looking for a new film topic.
AD: Yeah, you do that.
The following is a reconstructed conversation about a conversation MGDub had with someone else.
MGDub: Shrimp just might be my favorite food.
Someone Else: Really!
MGDub: That and I also really like coconut.
Someone Else: So, you must enjoy coconut shrimp.
MGDub: ...I do...I do like coconut shrimp.
When I relayed details of MGDub's "shrimp/coconut" conversation to Adam's mom (AM) and dad (AD), the following conversation ensured.
AD: Wait, MGDub should make her next film on shrimp and coconut.
plasticann: Huh!
AD: Picture this, animated coconut meets animated shrimp, coconut falls from the tree in the ocean where shrimp is swimming. They meet and there you have it, coconut shrimp.
Adam: Interesting.
[conversation turns to a different topic for a few minutes]
AD: ....[picks up again with his directorial vision] and then, the animated sequence can dissolve and there's MGDub eating coconut shrimp and it was all a dream.
plasticann: I'll have to pass that along to MGDub, she is looking for a new film topic.
AD: Yeah, you do that.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Charmin
We got back last night and this morning, the boxes plasticmom UPSed to us arrived safely as well. I've been hoarding dishes in my closet back in LA over the years and now that Adam and I have set up house, I decided to ship my precious belongings to Boston. When plasticmom shipped some X-mas gifts to us, I suggested she use rolls of toilet paper as padding in the box. Just like last time, the boxes and the toilet paper came just as we were running out. plasticmom really came through this time, Adam unpacked not one, but four rolls of Charmin.
We got back last night and this morning, the boxes plasticmom UPSed to us arrived safely as well. I've been hoarding dishes in my closet back in LA over the years and now that Adam and I have set up house, I decided to ship my precious belongings to Boston. When plasticmom shipped some X-mas gifts to us, I suggested she use rolls of toilet paper as padding in the box. Just like last time, the boxes and the toilet paper came just as we were running out. plasticmom really came through this time, Adam unpacked not one, but four rolls of Charmin.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Style Cues
While I was in San Francisco on Wednesday, I went out to lunch with Zreg for lunch at this tasty Vietnamese restaurant. The menus featured pictures of all the various meats so the menu was very helpful visually, but I'm not sure whether I want to see a photo of the raw beef that's going into my pho. After lunch, I walked around a bit and ended up purchasing a cute pair of brown maryjanes with flowers from Camper. Later that afternoon, I was wearing my new shoes over at Zara and Zryce's house when Zess woke up from her nap. I ran over to her and said, "Do you like my shoes Zess?" Without a word, Zess, unusually sweaty and still groggy from her nap, silently pulled out a basket from under a bench, rummaged through a pile of Stride Rite shoes and fished out a wee little pair of brown maryjanes with flowers. It dawned on me that I was taking style cues from a two year old. A very fashionable and cute two year old, but a two year old nonetheless. I guess the situation could be worse. I'll take dressing like Zess anyday over dressing like Paris Hilton or Britney.
While I was in San Francisco on Wednesday, I went out to lunch with Zreg for lunch at this tasty Vietnamese restaurant. The menus featured pictures of all the various meats so the menu was very helpful visually, but I'm not sure whether I want to see a photo of the raw beef that's going into my pho. After lunch, I walked around a bit and ended up purchasing a cute pair of brown maryjanes with flowers from Camper. Later that afternoon, I was wearing my new shoes over at Zara and Zryce's house when Zess woke up from her nap. I ran over to her and said, "Do you like my shoes Zess?" Without a word, Zess, unusually sweaty and still groggy from her nap, silently pulled out a basket from under a bench, rummaged through a pile of Stride Rite shoes and fished out a wee little pair of brown maryjanes with flowers. It dawned on me that I was taking style cues from a two year old. A very fashionable and cute two year old, but a two year old nonetheless. I guess the situation could be worse. I'll take dressing like Zess anyday over dressing like Paris Hilton or Britney.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Outback Is Out Of This World
You might recall my obsession with trying the Bloomin' Onion at Outback, primarily set off by countless TV commercials and Phantom Gourmet's recommendations. Well, plasticfamily, which now includes Adam, finally made it to Outback Steakhouse last night.
A few bites into their steaks, the elder members of plasticfamily were already plotting their next trip back to Outback. Now that's a sign of a good meal. They quietly discussed their strategy, "Maybe we should come at 4pm so we don't have to wait" and "You know what, let's come on Sunday, I think they open early at 2pm." They analyzed the quality of their meat, "It's so tender," "My prime-rib is grilled" and "Oi-shi" or "Delicious" in Japanese. Even our server exceeded our expectations and was super helpful. Adam noticed that he wore more pieces of "flair" on his uniform than other servers. plasticmom, much impressed by our server, tried to convince us that our server had earned his "flair" for selling lots of Bloomin' Onions and Steaks. She argued, "maybe he got a pin for his uniform when he sold 100 Onions."
Even as we ate dinner, Outback was quickly becoming our gold standard for food service as we started comparing all aspects of our meal to other restaurants. As of today, steaks, in fact all forms of beef, are now critiqued in comparison to Outback. Even the croutons deserve such attention. Adam had read that the croutons at Outback take two hours to prepare. Since Adam didn't have any croutons in his salad, the following is a reconstructed conversation.
Adam: How were your croutons [plasticgranny]?
plasticgranny: [blank look]
Adam: The menu says the croutons take two hours to make.
plasticgranny: I ate them.
plasticann: Were they good?
plasticgranny: I don't usually eat croutons at Souplantation.
plasticann: But, you ate the Outback croutons.
Adam: Are the Outback croutons better than Souplantation?
plasticgranny: [gravely nods her head]
Now a rundown of our menu with commentary on the lackluster misses and the major hits:
Bloomin' Onion: Tasty, the substantial pieces of breaded/fried onion were easy to eat and the dipping sauce had a nice kick. A clear step up from any other fried onion concoction I've experienced, but I could probably pass on the onion on my next visit.
Blue Cheese Chopped Salad: Pecans, blue cheese, cranberries, etc. You'd think it would taste good, but it just tasted weird. Not only could I pass on this next time, I pretty much passed on it after two bites. I decided to save my calories and spend them on my entree. A wise decision indeed.
Caesar Salad: plasticgranny enjoyed the croutons...enough said. I'm ordering it next time.
French Onion Soup: No details on this one, but plasticmom seemed to enjoy her soup. It did come with a giant cheese encrusted crouton.
Prime Rib: plasticmom's steak came lightly grilled. A departure from the usual prime rib, but the steak was incredibly moist and tender and downright delicious.
New York Strip Steak: plasticgranny commented many times on how much she enjoyed her steak. She enjoyed some leftovers today and plans to finish enjoying the rest tomorrow.
Sirloin Steak: Adam and I ordered ours Medium Rare and boy was it Medium Rare and have I mentioned, delicious. We had a "jacket potato" with all the fixin's which is pretty much a baked potato.
Coconut Shrimp: Imagine a coconut macaroon cookie fried around a giant shrimp served with an orange marmalade. Let me put it this way, Adam savored the last shrimp as a dessert.
Ideal Menu for next time: Sirloin Steak, Coconut Shrimp and the Caesar Salad with extra croutons.
You might recall my obsession with trying the Bloomin' Onion at Outback, primarily set off by countless TV commercials and Phantom Gourmet's recommendations. Well, plasticfamily, which now includes Adam, finally made it to Outback Steakhouse last night.
A few bites into their steaks, the elder members of plasticfamily were already plotting their next trip back to Outback. Now that's a sign of a good meal. They quietly discussed their strategy, "Maybe we should come at 4pm so we don't have to wait" and "You know what, let's come on Sunday, I think they open early at 2pm." They analyzed the quality of their meat, "It's so tender," "My prime-rib is grilled" and "Oi-shi" or "Delicious" in Japanese. Even our server exceeded our expectations and was super helpful. Adam noticed that he wore more pieces of "flair" on his uniform than other servers. plasticmom, much impressed by our server, tried to convince us that our server had earned his "flair" for selling lots of Bloomin' Onions and Steaks. She argued, "maybe he got a pin for his uniform when he sold 100 Onions."
Even as we ate dinner, Outback was quickly becoming our gold standard for food service as we started comparing all aspects of our meal to other restaurants. As of today, steaks, in fact all forms of beef, are now critiqued in comparison to Outback. Even the croutons deserve such attention. Adam had read that the croutons at Outback take two hours to prepare. Since Adam didn't have any croutons in his salad, the following is a reconstructed conversation.
Adam: How were your croutons [plasticgranny]?
plasticgranny: [blank look]
Adam: The menu says the croutons take two hours to make.
plasticgranny: I ate them.
plasticann: Were they good?
plasticgranny: I don't usually eat croutons at Souplantation.
plasticann: But, you ate the Outback croutons.
Adam: Are the Outback croutons better than Souplantation?
plasticgranny: [gravely nods her head]
Now a rundown of our menu with commentary on the lackluster misses and the major hits:
Bloomin' Onion: Tasty, the substantial pieces of breaded/fried onion were easy to eat and the dipping sauce had a nice kick. A clear step up from any other fried onion concoction I've experienced, but I could probably pass on the onion on my next visit.
Blue Cheese Chopped Salad: Pecans, blue cheese, cranberries, etc. You'd think it would taste good, but it just tasted weird. Not only could I pass on this next time, I pretty much passed on it after two bites. I decided to save my calories and spend them on my entree. A wise decision indeed.
Caesar Salad: plasticgranny enjoyed the croutons...enough said. I'm ordering it next time.
French Onion Soup: No details on this one, but plasticmom seemed to enjoy her soup. It did come with a giant cheese encrusted crouton.
Prime Rib: plasticmom's steak came lightly grilled. A departure from the usual prime rib, but the steak was incredibly moist and tender and downright delicious.
New York Strip Steak: plasticgranny commented many times on how much she enjoyed her steak. She enjoyed some leftovers today and plans to finish enjoying the rest tomorrow.
Sirloin Steak: Adam and I ordered ours Medium Rare and boy was it Medium Rare and have I mentioned, delicious. We had a "jacket potato" with all the fixin's which is pretty much a baked potato.
Coconut Shrimp: Imagine a coconut macaroon cookie fried around a giant shrimp served with an orange marmalade. Let me put it this way, Adam savored the last shrimp as a dessert.
Ideal Menu for next time: Sirloin Steak, Coconut Shrimp and the Caesar Salad with extra croutons.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Mi Piace
The following reconstructed conversation occurred after Adam had methodically perused the menu at Mi Piace last night.
Adam: It's down to two items. Would you be able to give me a recommendation?
Server: Sure, what are you thinking about?
Adam: Vegetarian Lasa...
Server: Get the Vegetarian Lasagna!
Adam: ...sagna and the Vegetarian Calzone.
Server: [emphatically] Get the Lasagna. My lack of hesitation should tell you something.
Adam: Alright, I'll get the Lasagna.
Later that evening
Adam: Thanks for that recommendation, the Lasagna was really good.
Server: My wife still asks me to bring it home for her after 15 years.
We enjoyed a delicious platter of thin cut fries to start, I had the sesame chicken, plasticmom stuck with one of her two favorites, the fra' diavolo with calamari and shrimp and Adam, of course, had the vegetarian lasagna. The prices are very reasonable and the food is consistently delicious. No wonder the place was completely packed by 6:15pm.
The following reconstructed conversation occurred after Adam had methodically perused the menu at Mi Piace last night.
Adam: It's down to two items. Would you be able to give me a recommendation?
Server: Sure, what are you thinking about?
Adam: Vegetarian Lasa...
Server: Get the Vegetarian Lasagna!
Adam: ...sagna and the Vegetarian Calzone.
Server: [emphatically] Get the Lasagna. My lack of hesitation should tell you something.
Adam: Alright, I'll get the Lasagna.
Later that evening
Adam: Thanks for that recommendation, the Lasagna was really good.
Server: My wife still asks me to bring it home for her after 15 years.
We enjoyed a delicious platter of thin cut fries to start, I had the sesame chicken, plasticmom stuck with one of her two favorites, the fra' diavolo with calamari and shrimp and Adam, of course, had the vegetarian lasagna. The prices are very reasonable and the food is consistently delicious. No wonder the place was completely packed by 6:15pm.
Old Pasadena
Adam, plasticmom and I took the train to Old Pasadena to check things out. We spotted the grandstands and porta-potties that were set up for the Rose Parade and the souvenir stands selling Rose Bowl t-shirts, hats and bumper stickers. We admired the tea service at Chado, a new teahouse and we discovered the movie theater had been demolished and replaced by a spanking new Tiffany's. The Goldstein's Bagel Bakery across the street has also been replaced which is a shame since it would have been nice to have "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Adam, plasticmom and I took the train to Old Pasadena to check things out. We spotted the grandstands and porta-potties that were set up for the Rose Parade and the souvenir stands selling Rose Bowl t-shirts, hats and bumper stickers. We admired the tea service at Chado, a new teahouse and we discovered the movie theater had been demolished and replaced by a spanking new Tiffany's. The Goldstein's Bagel Bakery across the street has also been replaced which is a shame since it would have been nice to have "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
"La La Land"
After a week with Adam's family celebrating Christmas and all the surrounding holidays, we're heading down to see plasticmom for a few days. We hung out with Zess and Baby Zames daily and I think we're now buddies. Baby Zames is into crying, eating, burping and sleeping. Zess is a super verbal two year old. Here are some highlights:
1. "Angel says, 'don't eat baby Jesus."
2. "Boots [Dora the Explorer's Monkey Friend] gets a time out."
3. "Thumbs up."
After a week with Adam's family celebrating Christmas and all the surrounding holidays, we're heading down to see plasticmom for a few days. We hung out with Zess and Baby Zames daily and I think we're now buddies. Baby Zames is into crying, eating, burping and sleeping. Zess is a super verbal two year old. Here are some highlights:
1. "Angel says, 'don't eat baby Jesus."
2. "Boots [Dora the Explorer's Monkey Friend] gets a time out."
3. "Thumbs up."
Monday, December 19, 2005
One more to go!
One more exam tomorrow and we'll be off to California...dreamin' I am of the tasty foods already. Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Bloomin' Onion: Since we live in Cambridge without a car, we've never had access to an Outback Steakhouse. I've always wanted to try the Bloomin' Onion, it always looks so tasty on TV. We're staying right near an Outback in LA while we're visiting plasticmom so we're gonna just walk over to Outback one day for a Bloomin' Onion. Gosh, I love the strip malls and chains restaurants.
2. In & Out: "That's what a hamburger's all about."
3. Massage Lazy Boy Recliner: I'll be parking myself in front of the TV for hours in plasticmom's chair...it's the best seat in the house.
4. Family: I've gotta throw that in there so no one's offended and thinks I love hamburgers more than I love them.
One more exam tomorrow and we'll be off to California...dreamin' I am of the tasty foods already. Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Bloomin' Onion: Since we live in Cambridge without a car, we've never had access to an Outback Steakhouse. I've always wanted to try the Bloomin' Onion, it always looks so tasty on TV. We're staying right near an Outback in LA while we're visiting plasticmom so we're gonna just walk over to Outback one day for a Bloomin' Onion. Gosh, I love the strip malls and chains restaurants.
2. In & Out: "That's what a hamburger's all about."
3. Massage Lazy Boy Recliner: I'll be parking myself in front of the TV for hours in plasticmom's chair...it's the best seat in the house.
4. Family: I've gotta throw that in there so no one's offended and thinks I love hamburgers more than I love them.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Some Thoughts on...Sugar Cookies
I'm not really a fan of the sugar cookie, especially the drop cookie variety. In fact, I have strong opinions. The pale sugar cookie is like the sugar donut, it's just not sweet enough and not very tasty. As Adam might put it, "not my favorite," Give me that concentrated sugary goodness that gets into every nook and cranny of a lovely glazed donut. (I digress.) That said, I do like these rolled sugar cookies from Martha Stewart. For me, what elevates this cookie dough from blah to golden buttery deliciousness is the baking time. Martha suggests 8-10 minutes which yields an icky pale cookie, but I like to kick that baking time up to 18 minutes for lightly browned crisp cookie. The sugar caramelizes a bit and the cookies taste WAY better. I just made a batch for Adam's work party. Alton's got a pretty good method, but he's got nothing on me when it comes to efficiently rolling out cookie dough.
I'm not really a fan of the sugar cookie, especially the drop cookie variety. In fact, I have strong opinions. The pale sugar cookie is like the sugar donut, it's just not sweet enough and not very tasty. As Adam might put it, "not my favorite," Give me that concentrated sugary goodness that gets into every nook and cranny of a lovely glazed donut. (I digress.) That said, I do like these rolled sugar cookies from Martha Stewart. For me, what elevates this cookie dough from blah to golden buttery deliciousness is the baking time. Martha suggests 8-10 minutes which yields an icky pale cookie, but I like to kick that baking time up to 18 minutes for lightly browned crisp cookie. The sugar caramelizes a bit and the cookies taste WAY better. I just made a batch for Adam's work party. Alton's got a pretty good method, but he's got nothing on me when it comes to efficiently rolling out cookie dough.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Kids these days...
Adam's dad reported on Little Zess' latest trip to the local library. They were wandering through the library after story hour when Zess climbed up in front of a computer. Zara says, "come on Zess, it's time to go." To which Zess replied, "I have to check my e-mail." I wonder if she checks out my blog and whether she's figured out that I call her "Zess."
Adam's dad reported on Little Zess' latest trip to the local library. They were wandering through the library after story hour when Zess climbed up in front of a computer. Zara says, "come on Zess, it's time to go." To which Zess replied, "I have to check my e-mail." I wonder if she checks out my blog and whether she's figured out that I call her "Zess."
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Kielbasa Polenta
I had a light lunch today so I started pestering Adam about dinner at 4pm. We debated whether to order chicken fingers or wings or a pasta dinner from our neighborhood pizza join across the street, but we ended up scrounging up some kielbasa so we made polenta topped with Kiebasa simmered in a tomato sauce. We've made the soft Polenta from FOOD magazine at least five times in the last few months and it's always tasty. Last week, we made if for Laurel who was in town, very briefly, for a conference. We ate the polenta with Bulgogi and that was good. Laurel reports that her polenta is not quite as good. I'm not sure if she's being overly modest or if she just didn't measure. It's possible she went light on the butter or cheese. She's a renowned baker, but she's not known for her measuring of ingredients.
I had a light lunch today so I started pestering Adam about dinner at 4pm. We debated whether to order chicken fingers or wings or a pasta dinner from our neighborhood pizza join across the street, but we ended up scrounging up some kielbasa so we made polenta topped with Kiebasa simmered in a tomato sauce. We've made the soft Polenta from FOOD magazine at least five times in the last few months and it's always tasty. Last week, we made if for Laurel who was in town, very briefly, for a conference. We ate the polenta with Bulgogi and that was good. Laurel reports that her polenta is not quite as good. I'm not sure if she's being overly modest or if she just didn't measure. It's possible she went light on the butter or cheese. She's a renowned baker, but she's not known for her measuring of ingredients.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Blizzard
I took the bus home to avoid the blizzarding conditions, which was nice. Unfortunately, I had to wait at least half an hour for the bus to come and then the trip from Harvard Square to my apartment took another hour with traffic creeping along unplowed roads at around 1 mile an hour, it usually takes about 10-15 minutes. It would have been faster to just walk, but then again it was really miserable out.
I took the bus home to avoid the blizzarding conditions, which was nice. Unfortunately, I had to wait at least half an hour for the bus to come and then the trip from Harvard Square to my apartment took another hour with traffic creeping along unplowed roads at around 1 mile an hour, it usually takes about 10-15 minutes. It would have been faster to just walk, but then again it was really miserable out.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
7. All about "YOU"
Send a signal to the entire family that you expect a bounty of gifts this year by hanging a half dozen of these babies on your fireplace. Remember to personalize all of these with your name: plasticann 1, plasticann 2...etc.
Send a signal to the entire family that you expect a bounty of gifts this year by hanging a half dozen of these babies on your fireplace. Remember to personalize all of these with your name: plasticann 1, plasticann 2...etc.
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