eG Foodblog: Schneier - More details than it's polite to ask

[Schneier]

Hi, I'm Bruce. Looks like I got tagged for this week.

I'm going to start with today, because I'm not sure I can remember yesterday in enough detail.

Last week I flew to Hartford, CT on Wednesday, to San Diego on Thursday, to New York on Saturday, and home on Sunday. Karen met me in San Diego, came to New York, and we returned home together. The reason that's relevant is that there wasn't much food in the house when we returned. Yesterday we did a quick shopping trip at a co-op we had to drive by. I like co-ops, but it can be hard to get normal food there. The selection of breakfast cereals is pretty bizarre: nothing normal, only various brands of Healthy-Os.

Tuesday Breakfast: Spelt flakes and milk. If quinoa is the super grain of the future, spelt is the regular grain of the past. It's got a nice nutty flavor, and it's not too sweet. (For more information, visit www.spelt.com--where else?) Oh, and a banana. (Sadly, you can also visit www.banana.com. "The banana plant is not a tree. It is actually the world's largest herb!" The Internet knows everything....)

Do people still eat cereal and milk for breakfast? (Looks like www.breakfast.com is still up for grabs.)

Bruce

Edited September 30, 2003 by Schneier (log)

[Lady T]

I'm just pleased (or is that maybe jealous?) as all hell that there are in fact people who have their lives sufficiently organized that they eat breakfast!

It's going to be neat to watch how you integrate your professional and traveling schedules with mealtimes and gourmet interests.

[snowangel]

Yes, people still eat cereal and milk for breakfast; at least my kids do. I'll have to get some spelt flakes -- sounds like the kind of thing Diana and I would like. I'm more likely to have cereal and milk as a late night snack.

Which coop?

[maggiethecat]

Do people still eat cereal and milk for breakfast?

I do, a few times a month. Cheerios or McCann's Irish Oatmeal.

That's quite a schedule!

[Schneier]

Which coop?

Mississippi Market in St. Paul.

Bruce

[Schneier]

I'm just pleased (or is that maybe jealous?) as all hell that there are in fact people who have their lives sufficiently organized that they eat breakfast!

It's going to be neat to watch how you integrate your professional and traveling schedules with mealtimes and gourmet interests.

Re breakfast: It's less organization and more time. I almost never have to wake to an alarm clock, and almost never have to rush out the door. Exceptions are when I have 6:00 AM flights--like I will on Thursday. Then I'm stuck scrounging something not-too-annoying to eat at the airport.

Re travel: In some ways it makes it easier. I eat at good restaurants all over the country because I'm there anyway.

Bruce

[Schneier]

It feels weird eating with all you people looking over my shoulder. I kind of want to set a good example for everyone. Maybe I will tomorrow.

Tuesday lunch: A bologna sandwich. It was better than it sounds. Boar's Head Lebanon Belogna--it's sometimes available in supermarket delis, and worth seeking out--cooked in the toaster oven. I like cooking it; it's a bit crispy, more flavorful, warm, and less greasy. Wheat bread, and two different mustards: a coarse French mustard I bought the last time I was in Beaune, and Ridleys Dograpper smooth and strong English mustard. I like them both, so I put each on half a sandwich. Cornichons. Fresh apple cider from some random orchard in LaCrescent.

I have to make a trip to the Post Office. Later we get our shipment of CSA vegetables, which is likely to determine dinner's direction.

Bruce

Edited September 30, 2003 by Schneier (log)

[bloviatrix]

Do people still eat cereal and milk for breakfast?

I do. It's either Honey Bunches of Oats or Coco Pebbles. But now that the weather is getting cooler I'll move to oatmeal. Then the cereal and milk become a late-night snack.

[tammylc]

Do people still eat cereal and milk for breakfast?

Every day. Usually Frosted Mini Wheats and skim milk, sometimes Multi-Grain Chex.

[claire797]

Do people still eat cereal and milk for breakfast?

Every day. Usually Frosted Mini Wheats and skim milk, sometimes Multi-Grain Chex.

I do, but I now like vanilla flavored soy milk. Right now I'm eating it on Kashi Go Lean Crunch, but I'm about to break out the oatmeal.

Also, www.breakfast.com may be up from grabs, but http://www.mrbreakfast.com is being put to mighty good use. I love that guy.

[alacarte]

This Mr. Breakfast site is hilarious. What a great find, thanks!

[claire797]

This Mr. Breakfast site is hilarious. What a great find, thanks!

Now if you ever feel like making granola, you'll know where to go!

[Schneier]

This year we joined a CSA. That's "Community Supported Agriculture." Basically, you pay one price in the beginning of the year and get a box of vegetables per week, all summer long. You don't get to decide what you get; you get whatever's fresh. We share a share with another couple.

This week our box included: a pie pumpkin, an acorn squash, salad mix (assorted interesting greens), spinach, bell peppers, onions, beets, broccoli, mizuna, an unripe tomato.

On the way home we decided what to cook.

Tuesday Dinner: Salad (greens, spinach, mizuna, peppers) with assorted dressing choices. Baked squash, both the acorn and the pumpkin. Onion soup.

The onion soup only came out okay. The onions were the random ones from the CSA. The stock was a chicken/vegetable stock we made in a pressure cooker out of our freezer stock bag. The cheese was a combination of leftover cheeses from the refrigerator that we thought would work. Karen thinks she cooked the onions a bit too long. I figured that the cheese would cancel out the soup's ills, and for the most part they did.

(I wondered if onion soup is always like that: the cheese is necessary to balance out the flavors. Karen remembers that Julia Child says that onion soup can be served with or without cheese, implying that it is supposed to taste good either way.)

We talked about inviting people over for dinner, but decided to eat alone. About a half hour before eating, though, a friend called and wanted to drop something off for us. So we invited her to dinner. We easily had enough food for three.

She arrived with a trio of fantastic desserts from this new bakery: Patrick's French Bakery and Cafe, on 66th Street in Richfield: an apple chibouste tart, a pear-chocolate chibouste tart, and a strawberry chocolate fondant cake. All delicious.

The leftover pumpkin and acorn squash is going to become a pie, maybe tomorrow.

And one of the links above claims that mizuna is good in soups--we may try that tomorrow, too.

Bruce

Edited October 1, 2003 by Schneier (log)

[torakris]

mizuna is a wonderful green, I prefer it in salads but if you do cook it make sure to cook it for mere seconds, maybe even after the dish has been pulled from the heat or it will lose its wonderful flavor.

Blog is looking good!

[fifi]

You are distinguishing yourself. I can't wait to see how you handle the travel. Don't forget the airplane yummies!

[Schneier]

mizuna is a wonderful green, I prefer it in salads but if you do cook it make sure to cook it for mere seconds, maybe even after the dish has been pulled from the heat or it will lose its wonderful flavor.

We put it raw in the salad. I'll probably put more in today's salad.

Bruce

[Schneier]

You are distinguishing yourself. I can't wait to see how you handle the travel. Don't forget the airplane yummies!

Airplane yummies?

What airline do you travel?

Bruce

[fifi]

Domestically, I am referring to the possibility of doing a detailed and critical comparison of various brands of peanuts and pretzels.

Internationally, I am more fortunate. Continental does a really nice job if you are blessed with Business First.

[Schneier]

One more item....

Last night I opened this wine with dinner: Oremus Tokaji Furmint 2001. It's a dry tokaji, from Hungary, that is great with things like salad.

Only one bottle left in my basement.

Bruce

[Schneier]

Domestically, I am referring to the possibility of doing a detailed and critical comparison of various brands of peanuts and pretzels.

Which brings up an interesting question.... Who the hell invented honey roasted peanuts, and what were they thinking? Those things are awful with a capital "A."

In American Airlines first class, you get little bags of almonds. Marginally better.

Bruce

[Schneier]

Today I had to wake up early to do a radio show. I was the guest on some random East Coast show, talking about my new book. I went back to sleep after I was done.

When I woke up a second time, I ate something.

Wednesday Breakfast: Apple turnover from Patricks French Bakery and Cafe, brought over last night by our dinner guest. Orange juice.

I know; not very exciting. I need to have a chat with Mr. Breakfast.

This morning I have to deal with a bunch of boxes that are heading into storage, and to write a short article on the JetBlue privacy flap.

Tomorrow I'm flying off to Las Vegas.

Where is everybody? This sort of thing is way more fun with people making snide comments in the background.

Bruce

[tammylc]

Insert snide comment here.

[ronnie_suburban]

Tomorrow I'm flying off to Las Vegas.

Hmmm...this should be interesting.

=R=

[snowangel]

Wednesday Breakfast:  Apple turnover from Patricks French Bakery and Cafe, brought over last night by our dinner guest.  Orange juice.

I know; not very exciting.  I need to have a chat with Mr. Breakfast.

This morning I have to deal with a bunch of boxes that are heading into storage, and to write a short article on the JetBlue privacy flap.

Tomorrow I'm flying off to Las Vegas.

Where is everybody?  This sort of thing is way more fun with people making snide comments in the background.

Bruce

It's hard to make a snide comment about stuff from Patrick's French Bakery and Cafe. A SuperAmerica donut, on the other hand, would open you up to all sorts of ridicule from me. They are worse than honey roasted peanuts.

[tammylc]

It's hard to make a snide comment about stuff from Patrick's French Bakery and Cafe.  A SuperAmerica donut, on the other hand, would open you up to all sorts of ridicule from me.  They are worse than honey roasted peanuts.

Yep. Bruce will be difficult to make snide remarks about - he eats all this healthy stuff. Fruit, vegetables, no fast food or drunken benders or binges on cookies and junk food. What fun is that?

Have something nasty at the airport tomorrow, okay? Just to make us all feel better?