Oh's

What you see before you may be the CRUNCHIEST cereal on earth.  I'm pretty sure it annoys my co-workers when I partake of this oaty delight because of the crunch noise factor.  Also, I may need some dental work done now.  

Wilted Salad

I tried one of my dad's recipes this week and it turned out really great.  Whenever we have Sunday dinner at Ken's (my dad) house I always request his Wilted Salad.  It's a simple salad, but it's really great.  

It's called "wilted" because you put a small amount of dressing, salt, pepper, and Parmesan on the salad a few minutes before serving.  It all gets room temperature and it just turns out so good.  It almost tastes sweet.  It's one of my all-time favorite salads.

Ingredients: Red Leaf Lettuce (or butter lettuce), Red Onion, Snow Peas, Parmesan Cheese, Salt, and Pepper.  

Dressing: Devil's Lake Dressing (an amazing home-made oil and vinegar dressing):

Light Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Worcestershire Sauce

Mustard Powder

Salt 

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Planet Bollywood Indian Restaurant

While I was in Washington, DC this week I had some pretty great Indian Food.  The restaurant was called Planet Bollywood.  

Basmati Rice

Chicken Tikka Masala

Lamb Vindaloo

Matar Paneer

The one thing that disappointed me was their naan bread.  Nobody does it like Bombay House.  

Behold, the Panini

I had my first experience with Panera Bread this week.  I tried the Tomato Mozzarella Panini with fresh garlic and basil.  It was really good. I've had plenty of panini's in my day and this was definitely one of my favorites.  Also, my dad makes a mean panini.  :)

Unfortunately, there are some places that "miss the boat" in terms of the panini, namely: Zupas.  When you get a panini from Zupas the sandwich is barely warm and the cheese is never melted.  Have you ever noticed that, or is it just me?

Don't get me wrong, Zupas has delicious soups, but they need to cook their paninis a little longer.

Friday: My Lunch vs. Jon's Lunch

My good friend Jon Beecher and his lovely wife just moved to New York City a few weeks ago. Jon took a job with a reputable law firm in Manhattan following his graduation from BYU.  He and I were roommates in Provo for a good 5 years, which means we shared many delicious meals together.  We had our favorite spots, in fact, I remember going to the same restaurant 3 nights in a row one week.  

If anyone knows about fine dining, it's Jon.  Having lived in New York for the last few summers he's had a chance to try some of the best restaurants in the country.  Today he texted me pictures from his lunch at the Gotham Bar and Grill.  

I thought I'd compare Jon's lunch with my own:

My Lunch: Beto's, American Fork, UT

If you've been there before, then the yellow wrapping paper is music to your eyes.  Beto's is a "hole in the wall" Mexican joint that never disappoints (that rhymed).  

Today's choice: The Bacon, Potato, and Cheese Breakfast Burrito.  This bad boy will fill your belly and make you sluggish the rest of the day.  Mission accomplished.

Jon's Lunch: Gotham Bar and Grill, New York City, NY

Today's choice: Roasted Scottish Salmon, market vegetables, quinoa
fines herbes vinaigrette

Jon Wins.

Hostess Chocolate Pudding Pie

It's a little embarrassing, but I love these pies.  I think it's partly because of nostalgia and partly because they are just really good (500 calories worth).  REALLY GOOD.

When I was a kid I LOVED the Ninja Turtles (we all did, right?) and Hostess made a pudding pie that had Ninja Turtles on the cover.  That was enough to win my business.  You could have put Ninja Turtles on  a can of sardines and I would have eaten them.  Anyway, so began my love/love relationship with these pies.

There are other flavors of pie: blueberry, raspberry, lemon, apple, etc., and you may like those flavors better, but it's probably because you haven't tried the chocolate kind.  I'm just saying...

Wusthof Knives

Every year for Christmas the company I work for buys a bunch of great presents and we play a game to see who gets what.  The catch: you can steal someone else's present before the end of the game depending upon who's turn it is.  I don't know if that makes sense, but let's just say it's intense (that rhymed awesomely).

Well, it's easy to imagine that some presents are more desired than others (at one point during the game last year I had a Nintendo Wii in my hands and 10 minutes later it was in someone else's).  Every year I seem to play the game wrong and end up choosing from the "leftover pile" for my present.  The left-over pile is a compilation of presents that no one else wanted.  Two years ago I chose a set of Wusthof knives and was actually laughed at pretty heartily.  

WELL, I AM HAVING THE LAST LAUGH!  I can't believe the value I have gotten out of these knives.  They are incredibly sharp, easy-to-maintain, and will probably last forever.  I'm glad I traded in my Nintendo Wii for a set of really great knives.  

Tuscany!

This weekend we went to Tuscany and had one of the best meals of the year.  If you've never been, it's this sweet little restaurant right off of I-215 in Sugarhouse. 

Appetizer: Red and Green Tomato Bruschetta

The best bruschetta I've ever had.

Starter Salad

  Main Course: Wood-Oven Roasted, Cured Double Center-Cut Pork Chop with Scallion Mashed Potatoes, Balsamic Roasted Red Onions, and Port Reduction Sauce 

I get this every time I go.  

Melissa's Main Course: Wood-Oven Roasted Half Chicken with Garlic-Dijon Butter, Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes, and Natural Chicken Jus

This was really good too.

I'm going to Washington, DC...

I'm going to Washington, DC for work in a couple of weeks and would love advice on great places to eat while I'm there.  I've never been, so I have no idea what I'm doing.

Any suggestions??

Bombay House: Paneer Masala

Bombay House is one of my favorite restaurants in Provo.  Last night we ordered Paneer Masala, which is basically the same as Chicken Tikka Masala, but with cheese instead of chicken.  It was incredible.  I could pour that broth over Frosted Flakes and it would be delicious.

Paneer Masala

Cheese

Bell Pepper

Onions

Garlic

Ginger

Tomatoes

Cream and Spices

Paradise Cafe: Eh.

Behold the $8 BLT!

I was craving a BLT, so I decided to go to Paradise Bakery today for lunch.  Yeah, I'm not a big fan, what with all of the up-selling and $8 tiny sandwiches.  Is it just me, or is that place REALLY expensive and not that awesome?

  I could get a double-double, fries, and a coke at In-and-Out for like 5 bucks...

In-and-Out, you complete me.

Today's lunch: FAIL

PS. My BLT tasted like cinnamon.  Weird.