My Seperated at Birth Twin and I have decided that we're going to go to a fancy/interesting/special restaurant once a month so we can expand our dining horizons and see how the richer half eats.
Our bar was set a few years ago when we went to Morimoto and had the $120 chef's choice tasting menu (omakase) for our birthdays. Holy crap, that was good. I still dream about some of the dishes we had.
A few months ago we went to Pearl, which then promptly changed concept and/or closed (it's now called Akoya). It was great. A bit pretentious, but the food was delicious.
Last night we went to James, which is a high-end local ingredients place. I loved the decor, our waiter was great, and the food was... for the most part good. I had herbed sweetbreads and my friend had sashimi, we shared a stinging nettle tortelli, and then I had the lamb and my friend had the veal. Then we shared a salt caramel semifreddo. The sweetbreads were nicely herbed but could have stood to be a bit crispier. The sashimi (which I got a bite of) was delicious and fresh. The tortelli was wonderful, it was my favourite dish of the night. The lamb, which was cooked medium rare, managed to be dry (I'm not quite sure how that's possible). On the other hand, the veal was perfectly done. The semifreddo was very nice, the perfect end to the meal. So, the food was okay leaning towards very good in my opinion. It was also extremely expensive. My portion, for an appetizer, a shared second course, an entree, and a shared dessert (none of them large dishes) came to $75. Which would have been okay, I guess, if it was amazing. But I've had better food for far less at places like Saute. Plus, we were only offered bread once during the meal, and when I got home I ended up eating a bowl of popcorn and some pineapple because I wasn't full. For the price we paid I expected to at least end up with a full belly.
So although the service was good and the place is gorgeous, my food did not measure up. I'm glad we gave it a try, but I won't be going back - if I'm going to spend that much money on that little food, it had better be knock my socks off amazing. This was just good (and the lamb just barely made it into that category).
Any suggestions for further experimentation? We'll eat pretty much anything.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Greek Feast
This weekend I decided that I wanted to cook Greek food, so I invited some friends over for Sunday dinner and started searching for recipes. I had lamb in the freezer so I decided to make souvlaki, but I wanted to try something different than the the slapdash 10-minute recipe I normally use (it's delicious by the way, I just wanted to try something different). While searching online I also ran across an interesting recipe for Dried Fig Souvlaki. It involves feta cheese, figs, sage, and prociutto. What the heck, I decided to give it a try. I was also set on making rice, but found a recipe for Greek oven roasted potatoes, and since I love those in restaurants, I wanted to see if I could make them at home.
Surprisingly, I ended up batting three for three! I decided that I don't really like the taste of fresh sage, so the fig souvlaki wasn't my favourite, but my guests seemed to really love it. The lamb was delicious and the potatoes are addictive.
I also lazy'd out and bought baba ganoush, tzatziki, and dolmades from Kamal's Middle Eastern Specialities in Reading Terminal Market. I also walked over to Cafe Fulya to pick up some of the best baklava I've had since the stuff made by the little old ladies at the Syrian Orthodox church in Sioux City, Iowa.
I'm looking forward to leftovers for dinner tonight.
I forgot to take pictures, but here are the three recipes I used:
Lamb Souvlaki (I misread the recipe while making it and used a tablespoon each of oregano and garlic instead of a teaspoon)
Dried Fig Souvlaki (I used 1/2 a sage leaf per fig because a whole leaf was far to overpowering when I tested it out first)
Oven Roasted Potatoes (I halved the recipe and it worked out just fine, with lots of leftovers(I think we were all getting pretty full))
There was also a great Greek salad courtesy of my guinea pigs...I mean dinner guests, but I don't have that recipe.
All in all, a successful evening. The only casualties were a pair of salad tongs that snapped during washing and a salad plate that I dropped in the sink and shattered.
Plus, my friends just got cable yesterday, including HBO, so I went down to their place afterward and watched the True Blood season premiere.
I think I'll try Afghani food next, or maybe Thai or Vietnamese. Guinea pigs welcome.
Surprisingly, I ended up batting three for three! I decided that I don't really like the taste of fresh sage, so the fig souvlaki wasn't my favourite, but my guests seemed to really love it. The lamb was delicious and the potatoes are addictive.
I also lazy'd out and bought baba ganoush, tzatziki, and dolmades from Kamal's Middle Eastern Specialities in Reading Terminal Market. I also walked over to Cafe Fulya to pick up some of the best baklava I've had since the stuff made by the little old ladies at the Syrian Orthodox church in Sioux City, Iowa.
I'm looking forward to leftovers for dinner tonight.
I forgot to take pictures, but here are the three recipes I used:
Lamb Souvlaki (I misread the recipe while making it and used a tablespoon each of oregano and garlic instead of a teaspoon)
Dried Fig Souvlaki (I used 1/2 a sage leaf per fig because a whole leaf was far to overpowering when I tested it out first)
Oven Roasted Potatoes (I halved the recipe and it worked out just fine, with lots of leftovers(I think we were all getting pretty full))
There was also a great Greek salad courtesy of my guinea pigs...I mean dinner guests, but I don't have that recipe.
All in all, a successful evening. The only casualties were a pair of salad tongs that snapped during washing and a salad plate that I dropped in the sink and shattered.
Plus, my friends just got cable yesterday, including HBO, so I went down to their place afterward and watched the True Blood season premiere.
I think I'll try Afghani food next, or maybe Thai or Vietnamese. Guinea pigs welcome.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Things that made me smile this week
1. Spending the day on Saturday walking from flea market to flea market, going to the Italian Market Festival, and wandering down to South Philly.
2. Seeing (but not buying) an old board game called Ka-Bala.
3. Getting a sweet deal on the TCM Scene It and the Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture DVD games and a couple of the flea markets ($2 and $3 respectively). Now I need to find people willing to play them with me...
4. Gorging myself on kettle corn at the festival
5. Hanging out with the Gay Swim Team at my neighbor's house
6. Finding a great new neighborhood restaurant, Saute, and being treated to a delicious 4 course meal (fried sweetbreads, yum!)
7. Making chicken mango curry sandwiches for dinner with the most delicious mangoes of the year
8. Finding out that many of my favourite TV shows were renewed: Chuck, Dollhouse, Better off Ted, Castle
9 Getting a good deal on my flights this summer. More money for interesting food!
10. Managing to post to my blog even though Facebook and Twitter have pretty much taken over my online social life.
2. Seeing (but not buying) an old board game called Ka-Bala.
3. Getting a sweet deal on the TCM Scene It and the Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture DVD games and a couple of the flea markets ($2 and $3 respectively). Now I need to find people willing to play them with me...
4. Gorging myself on kettle corn at the festival
5. Hanging out with the Gay Swim Team at my neighbor's house
6. Finding a great new neighborhood restaurant, Saute, and being treated to a delicious 4 course meal (fried sweetbreads, yum!)
7. Making chicken mango curry sandwiches for dinner with the most delicious mangoes of the year
8. Finding out that many of my favourite TV shows were renewed: Chuck, Dollhouse, Better off Ted, Castle
9 Getting a good deal on my flights this summer. More money for interesting food!
10. Managing to post to my blog even though Facebook and Twitter have pretty much taken over my online social life.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Joe-A-Day Part 5
Coming into the homestretch...
Episode 4 has the Eckville song!
Eckville came to national attention in 1984 when the mayor and high school teacher Jim Keegstra was charged and convicted of hate speech. I remember my dad going to see a part of the trial (either the original one or the appeal in 1990, I'm not sure).
Episode 4 has the Eckville song!
Eckville came to national attention in 1984 when the mayor and high school teacher Jim Keegstra was charged and convicted of hate speech. I remember my dad going to see a part of the trial (either the original one or the appeal in 1990, I'm not sure).
Monday, April 06, 2009
Joe-a-Day, Part 4
Here's Episode 3 of the Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie show, which includes the immortal legend of the little beefalo and the hilarious NHL Does Shakespeare skit.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
For those of you who don't know Joe
I've been posting (and will continue to post) stuff about Joe Bird this week. I figure I should also post the lovely article in the Edmonton Journal. I feel bad because I'm on the other side of the continent and can't be at the memorial tonight, but I know that the theatre will be packed and there will be as much laughter as there are tears.
Here's the article by Liz Nicholls from the the Edmonton Journal:
Remembering Edmonton musician, actor Joe Bird
By Liz Nicholls, edmontonjournal.com April 3, 2009
EDMONTON — With the news that Joe Bird died Wednesday — felled by a heart attack at the absurdly young age of 41 — Edmonton seems a sadder, drabber, tamer, cloudier place today.
For one thing, we’re now a place where a person won’t, any time soon, catch sight of a man in a skirt, rollerblading down Whyte Avenue with two guitars and a mandolin on his back. That indelible image would be Bird — composer, musician, comic, actor, writer and free spirit — on his way to preside over open-mike gigs at O’Byrne’s Pub.
That gig, along with membership in diverse rock bands, was central to his musician’s life for the past couple of years. But Bird, the sunniest of men, spread his warmth, originality, and a certain puckish spirit of why-not? over every aspect of the entertainment scene here. And that, of course, includes theatre.
In 1985, Bird and his high school pal Wes Borg formed a theatre-sports improv team with an enigmatic name, Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. A year later, with Paul Mather, the Trolls were revealing their signature combination of kooky and literate in sketch comedy at the Sidetrack Cafe. Cathleen Rootsaert joined, then Neil Grahn.
In the eight years that followed, before the Trolls membership again dwindled to Borg and Bird, the Trolls gave Edmonton and the Fringe Festival “the hottest tickets in town,” as Grahn puts it. “Buzz, energy, excitement.” And that gave the Trolls “a taste of what it must feel like to be rock stars, in our small, goofy theatre-troupe way.
“Actors, real theatre types, would ask, ‘What have these guys got?’ They’re idiots!’ ” says Grahn. “We couldn’t argue with them. We knew we were.” He’d first seen Bird and Borg at Yuk Yuks. He recalls being particularly struck by “the duelling banjos” routine. “It was so stupid,” he laughs approvingly. “They’d start that Deliverance thing, and end up smashing each other over the head with their guitars. … Ah, these guys I like!”
He remembers sublime Troll moments at the old Theatre Network, whose home in the ’80s was a defunct Kingdom Hall near the Coliseum. “We were doing some German expressionist dance number, Freedom. Joe had Cathleen on his shoulders, and ran right off the stage. He just drilled her head into the ground. Beautiful and tragic.”
Bird’s musician chops meant that he created many of the Trolls’ comedy songs, including the hit that landed them a six-show CBC contract: The I Hate Toronto Song, which detailed the shortcomings of everywhere in Canada, except Alberta. Bird was responsible for the Hinterland Who’s Who-type theme that included the daffy Legend of the Little Beefalo Calf and the rousing North Pole union song-gone-wrong that brought down the house in the Trolls’ seasonal collaboration with Atomic Improv in Cry Santa!
The sight of Bird as General Brock in The War of 1812, a subject sadly neglected by musical theatre both before and since, isn’t something I’m going to forget. Neither was Bird as sex-craved Joseph, singing to his pregnant virgin girlfriend, in a version of The Messiah in which the Trolls teamed with the rock band Jr. Gone Wild.
Last summer, Bird did the comedy songs for the CBC Radio initiative The Irrelevant Show, including a theme for Grahn’s “favourite bit, Radio Stunt Man. … Joe wrote this great tune, sort of Peter Gunn and Mission: Impossible.” “My God, he was a beautiful songwriter,” says Rootsaert, who left the Trolls in 1994 to pursue playwriting and acting. Both she and Grahn note the cruel irony of Bird’s comedy song We’re All Going To Die. “Joe was supposed to be killed by killer bees,” she says sadly.
“Joe greeted you, always, with a smile and a hug,” says Rootsaert. “He was also so … lively. I’ve laughed harder with him …”
Grahn, who calls Bird “an equal opportunity hugger,” concurs. “He made us laugh. He was so horribly inappropriate at times, you couldn’t help but love him. So vibrant. It’s really so shocking.”
We all agree. The old theatrical axiom about suspending disbelief was never harder.
Here's the article by Liz Nicholls from the the Edmonton Journal:
Remembering Edmonton musician, actor Joe Bird
By Liz Nicholls, edmontonjournal.com April 3, 2009
EDMONTON — With the news that Joe Bird died Wednesday — felled by a heart attack at the absurdly young age of 41 — Edmonton seems a sadder, drabber, tamer, cloudier place today.
For one thing, we’re now a place where a person won’t, any time soon, catch sight of a man in a skirt, rollerblading down Whyte Avenue with two guitars and a mandolin on his back. That indelible image would be Bird — composer, musician, comic, actor, writer and free spirit — on his way to preside over open-mike gigs at O’Byrne’s Pub.
That gig, along with membership in diverse rock bands, was central to his musician’s life for the past couple of years. But Bird, the sunniest of men, spread his warmth, originality, and a certain puckish spirit of why-not? over every aspect of the entertainment scene here. And that, of course, includes theatre.
In 1985, Bird and his high school pal Wes Borg formed a theatre-sports improv team with an enigmatic name, Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. A year later, with Paul Mather, the Trolls were revealing their signature combination of kooky and literate in sketch comedy at the Sidetrack Cafe. Cathleen Rootsaert joined, then Neil Grahn.
In the eight years that followed, before the Trolls membership again dwindled to Borg and Bird, the Trolls gave Edmonton and the Fringe Festival “the hottest tickets in town,” as Grahn puts it. “Buzz, energy, excitement.” And that gave the Trolls “a taste of what it must feel like to be rock stars, in our small, goofy theatre-troupe way.
“Actors, real theatre types, would ask, ‘What have these guys got?’ They’re idiots!’ ” says Grahn. “We couldn’t argue with them. We knew we were.” He’d first seen Bird and Borg at Yuk Yuks. He recalls being particularly struck by “the duelling banjos” routine. “It was so stupid,” he laughs approvingly. “They’d start that Deliverance thing, and end up smashing each other over the head with their guitars. … Ah, these guys I like!”
He remembers sublime Troll moments at the old Theatre Network, whose home in the ’80s was a defunct Kingdom Hall near the Coliseum. “We were doing some German expressionist dance number, Freedom. Joe had Cathleen on his shoulders, and ran right off the stage. He just drilled her head into the ground. Beautiful and tragic.”
Bird’s musician chops meant that he created many of the Trolls’ comedy songs, including the hit that landed them a six-show CBC contract: The I Hate Toronto Song, which detailed the shortcomings of everywhere in Canada, except Alberta. Bird was responsible for the Hinterland Who’s Who-type theme that included the daffy Legend of the Little Beefalo Calf and the rousing North Pole union song-gone-wrong that brought down the house in the Trolls’ seasonal collaboration with Atomic Improv in Cry Santa!
The sight of Bird as General Brock in The War of 1812, a subject sadly neglected by musical theatre both before and since, isn’t something I’m going to forget. Neither was Bird as sex-craved Joseph, singing to his pregnant virgin girlfriend, in a version of The Messiah in which the Trolls teamed with the rock band Jr. Gone Wild.
Last summer, Bird did the comedy songs for the CBC Radio initiative The Irrelevant Show, including a theme for Grahn’s “favourite bit, Radio Stunt Man. … Joe wrote this great tune, sort of Peter Gunn and Mission: Impossible.” “My God, he was a beautiful songwriter,” says Rootsaert, who left the Trolls in 1994 to pursue playwriting and acting. Both she and Grahn note the cruel irony of Bird’s comedy song We’re All Going To Die. “Joe was supposed to be killed by killer bees,” she says sadly.
“Joe greeted you, always, with a smile and a hug,” says Rootsaert. “He was also so … lively. I’ve laughed harder with him …”
Grahn, who calls Bird “an equal opportunity hugger,” concurs. “He made us laugh. He was so horribly inappropriate at times, you couldn’t help but love him. So vibrant. It’s really so shocking.”
We all agree. The old theatrical axiom about suspending disbelief was never harder.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Joe-A-Day
Here's Day 2 of my tribute to the man in the skirt (and one of my first crushes). I didn't know Joe Bird personally very well but I was a recipient of a few of his famous hugs.
The CBC aired 5 episodes of the "Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie" show back in either 1991 or 1992. I taped it at the time (off rabbit ears, even - we didn't have cable then!). It's been sitting on videotape for the last two decades or so, and I've finally converted it and uploaded it so everyone can have the Dead Troll experience. Joe's the hot one with dark hair :)
The CBC aired 5 episodes of the "Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie" show back in either 1991 or 1992. I taped it at the time (off rabbit ears, even - we didn't have cable then!). It's been sitting on videotape for the last two decades or so, and I've finally converted it and uploaded it so everyone can have the Dead Troll experience. Joe's the hot one with dark hair :)
Friday, April 03, 2009
The week of Joe
In memory of Joe Bird: founding member of Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie, the guy who taught me men can look hot in a skirt, musical genius, great hugger, and all-around hilarious guy.
Here's a video of Joe and Wes performing "The War of 1812" song (in the US, brave bastards). For those that don't know him, Joe's the dark haired guy on the left.
Here's a video of Joe and Wes performing "The War of 1812" song (in the US, brave bastards). For those that don't know him, Joe's the dark haired guy on the left.
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.
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