This short film made me smile.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Great Tourist Cheesesteak Taste Test
This week my old friend J. from University is in town with the Stars on Ice tour (no, he's not a skater). I took Tuesday off work to spend the day showing him around the city.
As a tourist he could not not go to Pat's and Geno's for cheesesteak, that quintessential Philly food. But which one to choose? Thus began the Great Tourist Chessesteak Taste Test.
We got a cheesesteak with onions from bot Pat's and Geno's (American cheese from Pat's and Provolone from Geno's - it didn't look like provolone was an option at Pat's). Since it was cold out, we brought them home and began the test.
First impressions: Geno's was pretty skimpy on the meat and Pat's had far more meat and onions. The bread at Pat's was softer and the bread at Geno's had a much firmer crust.
We both agreed on the results of the taste test. While Pat's had far more stuff in the sandwich, the flavours were bland and the bread was too soft. In comparison, the steak from Geno's, although skimpy on the fillings, had a much more developed and savoury flavour and the bread had a nice amount of chewiness. It might have been the different cheeses, but the Geno's steak won hands down for flavour and texture.
This win by Geno's is disappointing to me since Geno's is the restaurant with the disturbing sign in the window that say "This is America, When ordering speak English" I also don't like the sign that says "If you can read, thank your teacher. If you can read English, thank a marine".
But I don't have to go there again, because that's one more tourist experience crossed of my list. Locals know that to find a good cheesesteak all you have to do is head out to your local food cart.
J. went out on Thursday to a cart around 20th and Market and got a cheesesteak for $2.75 less than Tuesday night, with more stuff inside (as well as mayo, which makes it nice and juicy). His verdict was that the cart steak was better than the Tuesday night tasting steaks.
Another delicious sandwich is the Chicken Cheesesteak, which was not part of the test but my personal favourite in terms of really unhealthy Philly food that I probably shouldn't eat.
As a tourist he could not not go to Pat's and Geno's for cheesesteak, that quintessential Philly food. But which one to choose? Thus began the Great Tourist Chessesteak Taste Test.
We got a cheesesteak with onions from bot Pat's and Geno's (American cheese from Pat's and Provolone from Geno's - it didn't look like provolone was an option at Pat's). Since it was cold out, we brought them home and began the test.
First impressions: Geno's was pretty skimpy on the meat and Pat's had far more meat and onions. The bread at Pat's was softer and the bread at Geno's had a much firmer crust.
We both agreed on the results of the taste test. While Pat's had far more stuff in the sandwich, the flavours were bland and the bread was too soft. In comparison, the steak from Geno's, although skimpy on the fillings, had a much more developed and savoury flavour and the bread had a nice amount of chewiness. It might have been the different cheeses, but the Geno's steak won hands down for flavour and texture.
This win by Geno's is disappointing to me since Geno's is the restaurant with the disturbing sign in the window that say "This is America, When ordering speak English" I also don't like the sign that says "If you can read, thank your teacher. If you can read English, thank a marine".
But I don't have to go there again, because that's one more tourist experience crossed of my list. Locals know that to find a good cheesesteak all you have to do is head out to your local food cart.
J. went out on Thursday to a cart around 20th and Market and got a cheesesteak for $2.75 less than Tuesday night, with more stuff inside (as well as mayo, which makes it nice and juicy). His verdict was that the cart steak was better than the Tuesday night tasting steaks.
Another delicious sandwich is the Chicken Cheesesteak, which was not part of the test but my personal favourite in terms of really unhealthy Philly food that I probably shouldn't eat.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
A walk to work
Yesterday it snowed in Philly. I think it's the most snow I've seen in years here, and the city closed the schools (of course they do that when it sprinkles, so not a big deal). My first thought when looking out my window was "Cool, I'm totally walking to work today!"
So, I put on my boots and grabbed my camera and headed out. Here's my walk to work today in pictures:
So, I put on my boots and grabbed my camera and headed out. Here's my walk to work today in pictures:
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The great Dunkin Donuts/Tim Horton's Taste Test
I was back in Edmonton last week to surprise the folks (totally worked, mom was speechless. If you know my mom you know how unique that feat is). The weather was unseasonably warm for most of the trip - it was about 15 degrees warmer in Edmonton than Philadelphia until Thursday, when I finally got Canadian winter and the mercury dropped to -36 Celsius.
Anyway, some of the highlights of the trip included filling an entire suitcase with chocolates and cookies (Tim Tams, Penguins, McVitties, Viva Puffs, and Pirate cookies), seeing Slumdog Millionaire (totally not a feelgood movie, but fantastic nonetheless), hanging with old friends and colleagues, and wedding dress shopping with my sister.
Of course, I bought many many Tim Horton's Timbits to bring back with me on the plane. I brought a separate box for my roommate, but found out when I got home that she's off the sugar (horrors!) so she can't eat them. So they'll either wait in the freezer for her to get her teeth fixed, or I'll eat them myself.... I swear every time I go through the Edmonton International Airport either Customs or Security tells me that I can't take my Timbits with me and that I'll have to leave them in their care. Funny the first time, rather tedious the 10th time.
Anyways, I always get sour cream glazed Timbits (doughnut holes) because they're my all-time favourite. Today as I was walking home I popped into a Dunkin Donuts and saw that they too have sour cream doughnuts. Well, the stage for a taste test was set! I bought a doughnut and brought it home:
I then pulled my box of Timbits out of the freezer (the glazed ones freeze very well) and pulled out a couple of the sour cream glazed timbits:
The Dunkin' Donuts doughnut looked more fried, and smelled like deep fried goodness.
The Timbits looked less crunchy and didn't really smell that much of anything.
Onwards to the testing. The DD doughnut was definitely more well-done. It had a sturdier, more rigid texture, crumblier rather than soft inside (bear in mind that I defrosted the Timbits and they were slightly warmer than the doughnut)
The Timbits had a much thinner outer crust and were not crumbly at all, they were very dense and soft inside (again, this might be due to temperature).
Tastewise, the DD doughnut - I could taste that it was deep fried and it reminded more of a funnel cake than a sour cream doughnut in taste. It was a light taste, with not much depth and a very definite sugary finish. The Timbits had a deeper, richer taste, you could taste the sour cream and they didn't feel deep fried. They also weren't as sweet. If taste was music, I'd say the DD doughnut was a high note and the Timbits were a middle note - I was actually thinking this as I ate: light soprano versus richer contralto. Yes, I'm pretentious about my doughnut tastings.
Anyway I think I could eat a whole box of the Timbits and not feel heavy. On the other hand, after one DD doughnut I felt as if I had stuck my tongue into a vat of sugary oil.
Hands down the Tim Horton's Sour Cream Glazed Timbits reigned supreme. Too bad I can only get them in Canada (or Providence, RI). I suppose not having a steady supply of doughnuts is actually a good thing...
Anyway, some of the highlights of the trip included filling an entire suitcase with chocolates and cookies (Tim Tams, Penguins, McVitties, Viva Puffs, and Pirate cookies), seeing Slumdog Millionaire (totally not a feelgood movie, but fantastic nonetheless), hanging with old friends and colleagues, and wedding dress shopping with my sister.
Of course, I bought many many Tim Horton's Timbits to bring back with me on the plane. I brought a separate box for my roommate, but found out when I got home that she's off the sugar (horrors!) so she can't eat them. So they'll either wait in the freezer for her to get her teeth fixed, or I'll eat them myself.... I swear every time I go through the Edmonton International Airport either Customs or Security tells me that I can't take my Timbits with me and that I'll have to leave them in their care. Funny the first time, rather tedious the 10th time.
Anyways, I always get sour cream glazed Timbits (doughnut holes) because they're my all-time favourite. Today as I was walking home I popped into a Dunkin Donuts and saw that they too have sour cream doughnuts. Well, the stage for a taste test was set! I bought a doughnut and brought it home:
I then pulled my box of Timbits out of the freezer (the glazed ones freeze very well) and pulled out a couple of the sour cream glazed timbits:
The Dunkin' Donuts doughnut looked more fried, and smelled like deep fried goodness.
The Timbits looked less crunchy and didn't really smell that much of anything.
Onwards to the testing. The DD doughnut was definitely more well-done. It had a sturdier, more rigid texture, crumblier rather than soft inside (bear in mind that I defrosted the Timbits and they were slightly warmer than the doughnut)
The Timbits had a much thinner outer crust and were not crumbly at all, they were very dense and soft inside (again, this might be due to temperature).
Tastewise, the DD doughnut - I could taste that it was deep fried and it reminded more of a funnel cake than a sour cream doughnut in taste. It was a light taste, with not much depth and a very definite sugary finish. The Timbits had a deeper, richer taste, you could taste the sour cream and they didn't feel deep fried. They also weren't as sweet. If taste was music, I'd say the DD doughnut was a high note and the Timbits were a middle note - I was actually thinking this as I ate: light soprano versus richer contralto. Yes, I'm pretentious about my doughnut tastings.
Anyway I think I could eat a whole box of the Timbits and not feel heavy. On the other hand, after one DD doughnut I felt as if I had stuck my tongue into a vat of sugary oil.
Hands down the Tim Horton's Sour Cream Glazed Timbits reigned supreme. Too bad I can only get them in Canada (or Providence, RI). I suppose not having a steady supply of doughnuts is actually a good thing...
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Boggle!
When I was a kid one of the things my family did regularly was sit around the kitchen table and play Boggle. It's one of those things that slowly stopped happening and the memory faded away. This past weekend I was helping friends decorate their Christmas Tree and we ended up closing the evening out by sitting around the coffee table playing Boggle. I can't believe I forgot how much fun it is to play, and how "just one more round" became over an hour of play.
This is the game we had at home:
It's been updated to a more "modern" blue, but the game is the same.
So much fun - I think I need to own it now and make all my friends play word games with me.
This is the game we had at home:
It's been updated to a more "modern" blue, but the game is the same.
So much fun - I think I need to own it now and make all my friends play word games with me.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
I CAN HAZ GREEN CARD?
Yes, I can!
After over 5 years of jumping through all the hoops, I'm finally a Permanent Resident of the United States!
After over 5 years of jumping through all the hoops, I'm finally a Permanent Resident of the United States!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Banning books
I don't ban books, but as a librarian I am constantly selecting books for my library. When I choose to not purchase a book for the library, is that akin to banning it? I don't think so.
Here's an interesting post from a bookseller that discusses the act of selection and it's relation to banning.
Here's an interesting post from a bookseller that discusses the act of selection and it's relation to banning.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
200!
As of today I have completed 200 books this calendar year. 26 more and I'll beat last year's total, and that's even with a month where I only read about 6 books due to traveling.
Book 200:
You can always track my reading online and see how I'm doing.
Book 200:
You can always track my reading online and see how I'm doing.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Neil Gaiman!
Last night I went to see Neil Gaiman read and speak at the Gershman Y. For those who don't know, Gaiman is one of my favourite authors (along with Terry Pratchett, Lindsay Davis, Robin McKinley, and a few others). Gaiman is on a tour across the US reading a chapter of his new book "The Graveyard Book" at each stop. Last night was Chapter 2 - The New Friend. He read the chapter in it's entirety (took about 45 minutes) and the audience was engrossed all the way through. He's a fabulous reader and storyteller (and this is coming from a girl who falls asleep within the first 5 minutes of an audiobook no matter how interesting). He makes each character sound different without using silly voices (although his portrayal of the Sleer was actually chilling) and he has a fabulous way of engaging the audience and bringing the test to life. Yes I'm a fangirl, but I swear it's the truth.
Here's a blurry photo of him reading:
After the chapter we watched a trailer for the movie version of Coraline and then Gaiman came back out to answer questions that had been handed in by the audience earlier.
All in all it was a fabulous night, and Gaiman ranks right up there in terms of public speaking with Pratchett (who I introduced at the library a few years ago). I've never heard someone who was so good at public reading before.
If you want to follow along on the tour, the Mouse Circus website is posting a video of each chapter read along the tour by Gaiman. By the end of the tour you will be able to see him read the whole book
Here's a blurry photo of him reading:
After the chapter we watched a trailer for the movie version of Coraline and then Gaiman came back out to answer questions that had been handed in by the audience earlier.
All in all it was a fabulous night, and Gaiman ranks right up there in terms of public speaking with Pratchett (who I introduced at the library a few years ago). I've never heard someone who was so good at public reading before.
If you want to follow along on the tour, the Mouse Circus website is posting a video of each chapter read along the tour by Gaiman. By the end of the tour you will be able to see him read the whole book
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
10 Great Countercultural Children's Books
Occasionally I head over to Woot to see what they have say. This is today's post. I was meh at the beginning, but laughing out loud by the end.
10 Great Countercultural Children's Books
1. William S. Burroughs’ The Little Engine That Shot Its Wife
2. Green Eggs And Ham On Rye by Charles Bukowski
3. A Clockwork Orange: My First Book Of Colors And Time by Anthony Burgess
4. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Esther by Sylvia Plath
5. Justine And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by the Marquis De Sade
6. Franz Kafka’s Metamorphs #1: Insectified
7. Henry Miller’s The Cheerful Little Tugboat Crosses The Equator
8. The Horse And His Boy by Peter Shaffer
9. D.H. Lawrence’s I’ll Love You Forever
10. How The Grinch Stole The Best Minds of My Generation by Allen Ginsberg
10 Great Countercultural Children's Books
1. William S. Burroughs’ The Little Engine That Shot Its Wife
2. Green Eggs And Ham On Rye by Charles Bukowski
3. A Clockwork Orange: My First Book Of Colors And Time by Anthony Burgess
4. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Esther by Sylvia Plath
5. Justine And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by the Marquis De Sade
6. Franz Kafka’s Metamorphs #1: Insectified
7. Henry Miller’s The Cheerful Little Tugboat Crosses The Equator
8. The Horse And His Boy by Peter Shaffer
9. D.H. Lawrence’s I’ll Love You Forever
10. How The Grinch Stole The Best Minds of My Generation by Allen Ginsberg
Friday, September 05, 2008
What to do when your book gets slammed
The most brilliant use of negative reviews I've seen in a good long while.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Drink the Neil Gaiman kool-aid
Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite authors, and Neverwhere was the first book of his that I read. For a limited time only, Harper Collins is offering the complete novel for free to read online or download. Check it out.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Things that make me smile
I get a lot of publisher catalogues at work. This year the most eye-catching catalog covers come from Independent Publisher's Group. Actually, IPG usually has the best covers, this year I've just managed to remember to scan them in. Don't these covers make you WANT to see what's inside?
This one makes me giggle and crave a croissant at the same time
And this one is disturbing and brilliant as well
This one makes me giggle and crave a croissant at the same time
And this one is disturbing and brilliant as well
Thursday, August 28, 2008
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