Wiggly Field

Yesterday the dogs and I went to the dog park. Mackey made a friend. Bear was a bit more aloof.


He looks crazy in this one but he wasn't crazy, he was just playing.

Post

You can go here to read about one of my secrets. I had a really kickass photo with the microwave wooing the enchiladas but, for reasons beyond my brain capacity, neither moveable type or blogger will let me upload it...it's just got a little text and speak bubbles, sheesh.

Chinese in Lakeview c/o Yen's

I'm hanging out with two fine dogs as we speak, a Bear and a Mackey to be exact, for dinner I had Chinese (esque) food from Yen's. Best broccoli and tofu I've had in Chicago since the last time I had it from them...though still not quite it compared to The Golden Wok...ah the Golden Wok.

I never have crab rangoons and I remember, now, why that is. They're kind of tasty but in a heavy on the cream cheese, not so much with the crab. These were better than some, due to still being hot...but I felt like I was wasting my eating with all that cream cheese.

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Quest Continues In Earnest

Another Tuesday morning rolled around and I rolled out of bed and got downtown with plenty of time to try yet another rendition of an American classic. This time I went to G&G on Adams. The eggs seemed more real than the last two places and the cheese was cheesy. Bacon was standard. Bread was slightly toasted, could have been more. I'm wondering if there is a place, outside of my own kitchen, where a bacon egg and cheese sandwich's eggs consist of fried not scrambled egg. We shall see, shan't we!

Update: This sandwich was not from G&G it was from the small hole in the wall just a few doors west of G&G. As it turns out G&G was the winner...once I actually tried it.

Mmmmr

Zul getting his pet on and me saying things like 'fliparoo'.

Tomato Concoction, Poached Egg and Tagliatelle Pasta

I am outside on my porch right now, having re-read the majority of the chapters in Nicholson Baker's U and I (do you italicize or underline book titles in non-academic contexts?) I need to be prepared to talk about for tomorrow morning's class. Listening to a wonderful episode of This American Life on my ipod. It's about television. Right now Sara Vowell is talking about potrayals of pilgrims in television. Yummy!

Flowers

So Tonguethruster's mom and her mom's boyfriend came into town for a visit late Wednesday night. The next morning when I came out of my room and into the dining room I was pleasurably surprised by a *vase of flowers. Yesterday I brought out this vase of beautiful, if a bit travel-worn, tulips to take photographs. And these are those.
*formerly a gigantic, thanks to Costco, olive jar.

Sushi and Beer, Oh My

On Saturday night Tonguethruster, her mother, her mother's gentleman friend, She-Who and I went to Hama Matsu for some sushi. Mmmm. Sushi. I had the old favorites (tobbiko/ikura/white tuna), a Chicago roll (tuna, salmon, avocado) and spicy hamachi with green onion. I also got to try a few of the rolls others ordered, like the one above. I forget what it was called but it was a far more interesting version of a fried maki than, say, House of Sushi and Noodles. A big thank you to Tonguethruster's visitors for the wonderful meal, it was nice, also, to meet them.
After dinner She Who and I walked home whilst Tonguthruster and her posse drove home. We met up at, well, home and had a glass of wine. I was scheduled to meet up with a few Vassarites...in the end it was only one Vassarite (the other returned to his own home in Wisconsin due to an allergic reaction to antibiotics). This one Vassarite is not someone I've ever spent time with without the boyfriend. So I encouraged She-Who to come with me. We went to Edgewater Lounge and it turned out pretty well. Funny conversation, notes passed, things like that. Every time I go to Edgewater I like it.

Tuna Lunch

I haven't quite made it to the grocery store lately, so I've been finding myself at quite the loss in terms of making myself food at home. On Saturday I made a little tuna salad, light on the mayo, with a bit of parsley, capers and boiled egg thrown in for good measure and a wee bitty bit of mustard.

Everywhere

In response to the news that I was getting a new cat my mother sent me these two photographs she took when my parents were in California earlier this month. It is Nestor, a neighbor cat of the house they were watching, 'grooming' my father.

Nestor may or may not hold a candle to Zul, I cannot tell.

Zul Is In Da House

Meet a blurry Zul. He has arrived and he's marvelous...still definitely adjusting and sticking around my room (and under my bed) most of the time but he has made nocturnal forays into the rest of the apartment. And he has definitely gotten his pet on.
This is a photograph of Zul considering a morning foray into the rest of the apartment...he decided against it and came back to me, where I pet him some more.

Spring Effin' Break Barbeque

Yesterday after a slightly productive (in I got a cat) day I went to a fellow writing program student's barbeque/party with M. Lady and Tonguethrust. We came a bit late and missed some of the meat, I think, but I did get this tasty piece of chicken. I also met Boris, the upside down dog.
There was also a delicious frozen pizza that I will not, in any way, mock or otherwise degrade.
There were also extremely suprising/scary/amazing things seen.
As well as fingers poked in my general direction.
A nice night. Thanks to the host and hostess (and dogst) for the food and fun.

Quest

I go downtown for class early one day a week. It's the one day that I always fight the urge for some breakfast food. But I've decided that I don't have to fight it. I'm now on a quest for the best egg and cheese (most often with bacon) sandwich in a four block radius of school. Last week I tried Au Bon Pain's offer...I was disappointed, blatantly fake egg patty and not very toasted bagel. This week I tried Patty Burger and it was a definite improvement. I was the only person in the place when I ordered and while I waited for my finished product. I was a bit surprised by how long it took (about ten minutes), but I guess if they aren't having a very thriving breakfast trade then pre-starting meals isn't a good idea. The eggs seemed more real and the cheese was more gooey (in that wonderful way that fake cheese goos). It was also strange to have the sandwich served on an untoasted hamburger bun. My small amount of ketchup in addition to the moistness of the eggs led to a soggy and not all that appealing bun.

Hmmm. Well. I've done a revision of an essay that I've been working on (it's about the car window, Veronica Mars and the overall lack of drama in my life) and I'm rather pleased with myself. On Tuesday I received compliments from two different professors about two different pieces and I have, of late, been feeling a bit more optimistic about my writing. The day isn't even half over and I'm not sure what to do with myself. Technically, it's spring break. I have two books to read for next week's classes. So I should do that. But it's nice out. Basically I'm spending time blogging about how I don't know what to do with myself.

Oh! And the television seems to have died. This is a true bummer and there is no explanation for it. If the television doesn't work than I can only watch DVDs on my computer, which I have a feeling will lead to my computer somehow crapping out. But I need my media! I need it desperately. Ugh.

I'm also preparing for Zul the cat. I've read up on how to introduce a cat to a new environment and I'm going to set up my room as his initial territory. The information says that cats rarely start exploring a new space immediately, that they can take weeks or months to acclimate. With Meow Cat this wasn't the case at all. Once invited into my apartment she just roamed a bit then settled. But Zul is not Meow Cat and I'm older now so I know to go about it the right way.

Ch-Ch-Choriz-O!

To learn how I made this and what I thought of the cookbook its recipe came from go here.

I'm Getting A Cat

So, for the last week, I've been in talks with a nice lady about adopting her cat. The woman has three kids and two of them (including a babe in arms) are allergic and the family has come to the hard decision that they must go cat free. And I am going to become cat-full. When I googled "I'm Getting a new cat" this was one of the images. It's not a cat. It's a dog. It's a dog with a saddle on its back.

The cat's name is Zul (which rhymes with the Hebrew word for cat) and he is grey and a little on the stately side. He likes to be pet, sit in laps and play. I am excited.

Brunchy At Tweety (Tweet)

On Sunday I rolled out of bed and met up with She Who (with a brief showing by M. Lady) at Tweet. We waited the forty five minutes for a seat and, though a long wait, weren't disappointed.
I had the classic eggs Benedict, though I was tempted by the biscuits and gravy.
On the walk home I heard a bird and looked up. If you find the bird you will win nothing...unless you want a scarf. Wait, never mind, this bird is way too easy to find for a scarf. Oh well. It's there.

A Funny

I found this at this guy's blog and it really makes me chuckle.

Marvelous and Stupendous

Yesterday my cousin and his wife drove into town for a quick stay in our windy city. The offered to take me out to dinner. I accepted then went a bit crazy doing research on where we might go. In the end we went to Le Lan Restaurant. It was amazing. It's the first meal in a while that exceeded my expectations. We started with martinis and three appetizers (as well as complimentary buns).
We had the hamachi sashimi special appetizer...so good...and what, what do I see? Oh yes, wasabi tobikko!
Beef carpaccio with scallion pancakes.

Butternut squash dumplings.
My cousin had the venison.
His wife had the halibut special (with clams and chorizo).
I had the tofu skin wrapped salmon...so good! Perfectly cooked with a bit of pinkyness in the center. And what's that? Oh yes, ikura!
For dessert I had the coconut creme brulee on a bed of tropical fruit.

The service was good, the food very good and the company excellent. Thanks cuz, it was nice to see you both.

Sushi Buffet

Note to the wise: If you want to enjoy the full and ridiculous pseudo splendor of House of Sushi and Noodles, come early. And by early I mean before seven, maybe even before six. Whatever you do, don't come at eight. You'll wait a long time and then you won't get to have time to wander through the menu of maki.

Showing It How We Do

Before the boyfriend's sister and boyfriend left Chicago we brought them to Giardano's for a taste of Chicago stuffed pizza. I'd be interested in trying some other stuffed pizza. I've had it from Giardano's and from Art of Pizza and maybe I'm just not a stuffed pizza person at heart...or maybe I haven't had the right one yet.

Thai Pastry Food

The boyfriend and I went to Thai Pastry for dinner on, hmm, Tuesday? The boyfriend had a spring roll appetizer and I, as I often do, had the fried tofu. Unlike many Thai fried tofus, this had a more silky interior. It was different but not altogether bad.

I had catfish in garlic sauce which was good but not fabulous. The boyfriend had a coconut bubble tea and I had a green tea bubble tea.
It was a really warm night and we walked around a bit afterwards. It was nice.

Gourmet Food

To read about my experience at Fox & Obel Food Market go here.