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eG Foodblog: Al Dente - I done been tagged...

Al_Dente

By Al_Dente
in Food Traditions & Culture

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Al_Dente

Al_Dente

Posted
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Posted

Thanks for all the exercise lesson offers. I have a few that give me some temporary relief. And the frozen peas have helped.

I'm back in the office today, so I hobbled over to my closest option for lunch-- SoHo's. For a cafeteria kinda joint, it isn't horrible. They keep it clean and seem to keep the dishes rotated pretty well. I had some watercress with sesame seeds and oil, spicy meatballs, and some cheese tortellinis.

I try to avoid the place typically. It almost seems they have some kind of protein/carb substance in the back that, through the use of molds, presses, and dyes, they make this mystery substance look like food-- and more or less taste like it too.

Part II of my story tonight.

peak performance is predicated on proper pan preparation...

-- A.B.

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Cusina

Cusina

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Thanks for the background... always interesting to hear where your influences come from.

You are so right about Italian extended family being good for the cooking soul. I had to wait till I was married before I got one of those, but wow, I eat well and learn alot when I go to their house. My italian father-in-law and his wife completely cured me of my morning sickness with my first pregnancy. It was all just too good to miss! Who had time for nausea when there was that kind of cooking going on?

Do you still tend to lean in the Italian direction or is yours more of a mixed plate?

(And Tolliver, no offense taken! I was just teasing. :smile: It's damn cold here today -10 F, but I'm surviving. Good day to clean the oven and ponder the eGullet spectrum: possible racial overtones in Martin Luther King Jr's celebratory lunch, bad cookbooks and Al/Mike's eating habits. )

What's wrong with peanut butter and mustard? What else is a guy supposed to do when we are out of jelly?

-Dad

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Toliver

Toliver

Posted
Posted
It almost seems they have some kind of protein/carb substance in the back that, through the use of molds, presses, and dyes, they make this mystery substance look like food-- and more or less taste like it too.

Didn't "Star Trek" have this in the Enterprise galley? Now we know where Gene Roddenberry got the idea! :laugh:

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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Al_Dente

Al_Dente

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I'm off to Cafe Europa on King St in Old Town Alexandria-- just a few blocks from where I live. The place isn't fantastic, and has kind of a divey atmosphere, at least at the bar where I usually eat, but they make a mean wiener schnitzel, and have some good german beers on tap. Just the thing for a cold night.

I'll have to write Part II tomorrow. Sorry to keep you in suspense. I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat.

Then off to NYC. If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere.

peak performance is predicated on proper pan preparation...

-- A.B.

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maggiethecat

maggiethecat

Posted
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I'll have to write Part II tomorrow. Sorry to keep you in suspense. I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat.

My poor bottom's waiting!

Cafe Europa sounds wonderful, a little like the Berghoff in Chicago. Schnitzel and sauerbraten fend off the cold just fine, especially if they come with many, many potatoes. Creamed spinach. And beer.

(Cold?? I doubt it. It's zero here. Beat that, DC.)

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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Al_Dente

Al_Dente

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Then off to NYC. If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere.

What are your NYC dining plans?

They're wide open. But I thought maybe a Blue Smoke burger on the burger club's recommendation would be good. Yes?

Schnitzel was even better than usual. Nice and crispy and pounded thin. Though I caught a glimpse of my ex-gf parking her car nearby as I found my parking spot. Almost ruined my meal. But I managed to stay strong.

I'll try to write part II tomorrow at work. Then give updates from NYC though the weekend including a part III if neccesary.

Hope everyone had a fine dinner this evening.

Oh yes, Cusina-- yes I tend to go toward Italian, or at least Italian style. I love making a good red sauce. But I also incorporate other ethnic styles. I'm all over the place.

Good night boys and girls,

Al :wink:

Edited by Al_Dente (log)

peak performance is predicated on proper pan preparation...

-- A.B.

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hillvalley

hillvalley

Posted
Posted

(Cold?? I doubt it. It's zero here. Beat that, DC.)

We can't and we don't want to:smile:

DC in the winter is a riot. No one can handle the cold. We freak out at the threat of snow. They literally close school with an inch of snow on the ground. :biggrin: The government is better about staying open, but not much.

There are a few Senators and Congressmen who are popular among the locals because they have their own snow plows. Otherwise it is days before they clear the streets.

I wouldn't have it any other way!

By the way, it's 30 here

True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.

It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost,

but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. -Arthur Ashe

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babka

babka

Posted
Posted (edited)
By the way, it's 30 here

national weather service is lying.

having just biked home, into the wind, and lost circulation--no freakin' way.

though I'll agree with you on not being able to handle the cold--my first winter here in D.C., my roommate, who had been in Minnesota with me previously, came into my room early one December morning. I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes, and she handed me a mug of steaming coffee (god but I miss her!) before silently opening my blinds. I pulled my glasses on to look at the powdered sugar outside in the park--a dusting, really, with green grass that didn't have the sense to know it was dead poking through regularly.

"School's cancelled," she said.

tho' my favorite washington winter story was when all the farmers were here in 1996 (?) to protest ag policy--they were perched on their tractors along the national mall.

Then the snowstorm hit. The city, being under Marion Barry, was somewhat less than prepared with, say, snowplows, or other such goods. The farmers started up their tractors and helped dig the city out. :cool:

Edited by babka (log)
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herbacidal

herbacidal

Posted
Posted
[(Cold??  I doubt it.  It's zero here.  Beat that, DC.)

Its -25 C here!

Isn't there somebody here in the Yukon somewhere?

I think it's Dejah if I'm not mistaken. Not that confident in that though.

The Yukon's gotta be colder than Toronto, right?

Herb aka "herbacidal"

Tom is not my friend.

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Pan

Pan

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Posted

According to Yahoo! Weather, it's currently -10 C. in Whitehorse, Yukon, as of 10:01 pm PST.

As of 1:38 am EST, it's -12 C. in Toronto. So the answer to your question appears to be no. :laugh:

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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herbacidal

herbacidal

Posted
Posted
According to Yahoo! Weather, it's currently -10 C. in Whitehorse, Yukon, as of 10:01 pm PST.

As of 1:38 am EST, it's -12 C. in Toronto. So the answer to your question appears to be no. :laugh:

First,

are you sure the locality of said Egulleteer is Whitehead?

Second,

are you sure all of the Yukon is the same temperature right now?

Third,

are you sure the Yukon wasn't at a lower temperature earlier?

Fourth,

are you actually bothering to continue reading this?

Herb aka "herbacidal"

Tom is not my friend.

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JennyUptown

JennyUptown

Posted
Posted

(Cold??  I doubt it.  It's zero here.  Beat that, DC.)

We can't and we don't want to:smile:

DC in the winter is a riot. No one can handle the cold. We freak out at the threat of snow. They literally close school with an inch of snow on the ground. :biggrin: The government is better about staying open, but not much.

Sometimes a forecast of snow is enough for closings here in DC. It doesn't even have to snow. Coming from PA, I view this with derision (15%), amusement (20%) and glee (65%) that I don't have to leave the house even though I don't drive to work (I take public transportation).

But damn, I will admit that it's cold today. I wore a hat, ski jacket (looks great with business attire), gloves and a scarf to cover anything that stuck out.

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Jake

Jake

Posted
Posted
are you actually bothering to continue reading this?

:sad:

Don't pout Al -- I'm sure heracidal was referring to HIS post, not your blog....we're all enjoying it. :biggrin:

So, what's for lunch today?

Barbara Laidlaw aka "Jake"

Good friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.

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Al_Dente

Al_Dente

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are you actually bothering to continue reading this?

:sad:

Don't pout Al -- I'm sure heracidal was referring to HIS post, not your blog....we're all enjoying it. :biggrin:

So, what's for lunch today?

I figured that was the case. I was just being pathetic-- my back is making me moody :angry:

Lunch. Hmmm. I'm at home again-- not in the office. I think kabobs might be the way to go. There is this little hole in the wall place behind my apt building that makes some great stuff. I believe I'll order from there.

How much do my blog readers know about beer? I had an unusual one last night-- a Spaten Bock. I thought Bocks were supposed to be dark, but this was amber, and a light amber at that. It was delicious though-- had 3 just to make sure :wink:

peak performance is predicated on proper pan preparation...

-- A.B.

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Al_Dente

Al_Dente

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I thought maybe a Blue Smoke burger on the burger club's recommendation would be good. Yes?

Try the Pulled Pork or Ribs too. They're very good too.

Yet another reason to go. I'll be sure I'm good and hungry!

peak performance is predicated on proper pan preparation...

-- A.B.

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Marlene

Marlene

Posted
Posted

Because we're in Oakville, we're a little closer to the lake so we get more wind, more lake effect snow etc. Today it's -14C here with wind chill it feels more like

-22C

Weather forecast And it doesn't appear that it's going to be any warmer soon.

Maybe it'll be warmer in New York next week. :hmmm:

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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