Wagon Wheels with Sauce Roquefort

1 pound of wagon wheel pasta (recommended: Barilla Mini Wheels)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and left whole
Zest of half a lemon
1/3 pound of Roquefort, crumbled
2 cups of whole milk
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
1 ½ tablespoons of parsley

1. Cook the pasta to “al dente” in a large pot full of salted boiling water. Drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, begin with a standard béchamel with garlic and lemon. Melt the butter at the bottom of a sauce pan over medium heat, and add in the whole smashed garlic cloves and the lemon zest, along with salt and pepper. Season well—milk sauces have a tendency to be bland.
3. Add in the flour, and cook for a minute. Whisk in the milk, raise the heat, and bring to a simmer.
4. Allow the sauce to cook until it thickens. The test is to dip a wooden spoon in the sauce, run your finger down the back, and if the sauce stays divided, the béchamel is done.
5. Add in the Roquefort, and stir until it is combined.
6. Toss the drained pasta with the Roquefort sauce, and pour into a large serving bowl.
7. Mix together the parmesan, walnuts, and parsley. Scatter over the top of the pasta.

It may surprise you to learn that among the issues that will occupy much of your time in the coming years is one you barely mentioned during the campaign: food. Food policy is not something American presidents have had to give much thought to, at least since the Nixon administration — the last time high food prices presented a serious political peril. Since then, federal policies to promote maximum production of the commodity crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and rice) from which most of our supermarket foods are derived have succeeded impressively in keeping prices low and food more or less off the national political agenda. But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact — so easy to overlook these past few years — that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your attention.

Sate Grill, originally uploaded by yasirbaeda.

As you can see, my bro-in-law, Kole, says the new sate (satay to you gringos) grill is A-OK...

I hope I've done this dish justice. Inspired by Salt & Turmeric I decided to have Beans on Toast for my sahoor (the greatly encouraged pre-fasting (so pre-dawn) meal). I've never made this one before, and actually I think I've only eaten it once before at the Folk Life Festival, but how hard could it be? Turns out, not hard. I roughly followed S&T's recipe, but this is how I ended up putting mine together:

3 eggs
1 can beans
1/2 onion
2 slices bread
olive oil, salt & pepper

1. get out 2 pans - one for the eggs, one for the beans
2. rough chop onion
3. heat both pans
4. add a bit of oil (not much in my case, I'm using non-stick pans, your millage will vary)
5. pan fry eggs to taste (I did mine over hard)
6. at the same time saute the onion in the other pan
7. add beans after onion is translucent
8. toast bread
9. salt & pepper everything that you feel like
10. plate and serve
11. (optional) douse with a bit of hot sauce, I used Tabasco Green

If you aren't from around here, and by that I mean anywhere near the south east United States, you may have an idea about what you think Barbeque is, and you are probably wrong. While they forgot the misqete sauce on the Texas BBQ, this is humorous, informative, and has a beat you can dance to:

Props to Serious Eats

What’s the point of traveling if I only eat what I’m used to?

[ Dessert Comes First ]

Though I certainly don't have the "iron constitution" mentioned in the post, but if you aren't willing to discomfort yourself in some way, you should have just stayed at home.

What the hell is this?, originally uploaded by reyn1979.

If you follow me on-line in various places, you may have noticed the Café Chimp has faded to be replaced by Oriental Bento Colonel Sanders (Kombo 5 on the menu), I love this for so many reasons:

1. This is an actual product sold at KFC in Indonesia
2. Apparently the word "Oriental" isn't offensive to Indonesians. Not sure what it means to them, perhaps just East Asia (China, Korea, and Japan)
3. The Colonel is clearly wearing a Chinese outfit, but "Bento" is a Japanese word
4. It says "Bento" but it is clearly a bowl

What this isn't is Dragon Ball Z's Master Roshi drinking tea (good guess Koosh), but such a wonderful mix of confusion, and I'm glad to see that it isn't just Americans who get mixed up with east Asians and can't tell them apart.

I'm sure I'll get bored of this at some point, but the more people I let in on the fun, the longer I think Oriental Colonel will be around, so enjoy!

[ Fiesta Asia! ]

Don't say I didn't warn you, you have 1/2 a day to plan on going yourself...

The new Rick Sandoval place, it opened in May of 2008. I went during the first week and thought it was clearly the best Mexican place around. Sandoval places don’t stay great for long, so now is the time to go.

[ Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide: La Sandia ]

I don't know Rick Sandoval from a hole in the wall, but I know Mexican food that I like. I've lamented the decline in quality and service at Tia Queta for a while now, but I must say that La Sandia is better than I ever remember Tia Queta being. I got the Chicken Mole Enchiladas:

Yaty got the Shrimp Fajitas:

She wasn't so impressed, she liked it but prefers the Fajitas as Guapo's and the fresh grilled jalapeño that comes with them. Of course if this is contemporary south Mexican fare, I would expect the fajitas to be less than stellar. The guacamole and the tomatillo sauce that accompanied her fajitas were quite good though.

Considered the crossroads of the Far East, Malaysia assimilated cultures and cuisines from China, India, Thailand and the Middle East. Peanut Satay, Malaysia's signature dish, delicately blends exotic spices, coconut milk, tamarind and fruit and crunchy peanuts into a robust sauce for Hokkien noodles.

[ Amazon.com: Ka-Me Noodle Box, Peanut Satay ]

Not sure how authentic these are, but I do love Hokkien noodles and peanuts, so as far as I'm concerned it's authentically yummy!

The founders of Ben & Jerry's endorsed Barack Obama on Monday, and lent his Vermont campaign two "ObamaMobiles" that will tour the state and give away scoops of "Cherries for Change" ice cream.

[ Ben & Jerry's founders endorse Obama - Yahoo! News ]

This is what is wrong with the press, there are dozens of stories across the Internets about this publicity stunt. As far as I can tell not one mentions what the flavor is. Nor do any mention if this is a one-up publicity flavor or if it is going to be available nation-wide. No story mentions the availability, or the ObamaMobile routes, or existence of the flavor outside Vermont, or even why cherries would be for change.

I like cherries. I like Chery Garcia. I like premium ice cream with cherries. Blah blah blah Obama, what about the real story here, it's all about the Cherries! Next time, press, ask what is in the frick'n ice cream already.

Cherry Mash consists of a soft cherry flavored center containing real maraschino cherries covered in a mixture of chopped roasted peanuts and chocolate coating.

[ Cherry Mash: America's favorite cherry flavored candy bar ]

If you watched Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt, you saw him eat this treat and actually like it. So when I saw it for sale at the C.J. Olson Cherry's fruit stand, I knew I had to grab a few. What I didn't know, since I wasn't paying attention, is that it's not a cherry flavored center surrounded by chocolate, but surrounded by peanuts and chocolate. I just may have found a new favorite candy bar (though more of a lump than bar). And living no where near Kansas City, MO I will have to figure out how to secure a steady supply of these cherry-peanut-chocolate treats.

Yum.

As recent as ten years ago, these old men made their ice cream from scratch, hand-churning the stuff and peppering the "everything"... with chopped-up bits of atap chee (palm fruit), the chewy "flesh from the young seeds of the mangrove plant Nypa fruticans" that had been soaked in rose syrup. These days, the ice cream is likely to be supplied by commercial ice cream makers Wall's, Magnolia, or King's. If the food gods are smiling on you though, you may just chance upon a vendor who still adds chopped-up bits of atap chee to his "everything." Go ahead and ask, "Uncle, is there atap chee in there?"

[ Serious Eats ]

I don't care much for my ice cream in wonder bread (although that's Yaty's serving suggestion of choice), but I can't get enough Palm Fruit (aka Palm Nut aka Atap Chee [Singapore] aka Kaong [Philippines] aka Buah Atap [Indonesia]) and drenched in rose syrup? Yum-o! Apparently this is a significant ingredient in some people's Halo-Halo [Philippines] which reminds me a ton of Bingsoo [Korea] and even a bit of Es Buah [Indonesia].

Lunchies!, originally uploaded by cafechimp.

French Onion Soup, Corned Beef, Turkey, and Swiss pressed sandwich, Salt & Pepper chips, and Coca-Cola.

Taking a little bit of inspiration from Panera Bread and their Pick Two Combo, I whipped up a café lunch today. The French Onion is courtesy Pacific Natural Foods, though I did sauté the onion that went in it. A couple of tiny toasts on top and some Gruyère cheese and voilà! The pressed sandwich is on Rosemary Boule and pressed up in my $a(B00004SPE0,Faux Foreman). Accompanied with Salt and Pepper Kettle Chips and a Coca-Cola and we're talking one yum-o sammy!

Taco Bell [will] introduce... a breakfast menu in the next couple of years.

[ Yum looks to boost U.S. sales using rival's methods - Yahoo! News ]

Yes, I know, you either hate the Bell or love it, and I for one love it. And no I don't want to hear that you think some other Mexican/Tex-Mex/Tejano place is better, I eat at all of them. From Taco Bell on the low end up to Frontera Grill (I hope, some day) on the high end. But breakfast? I usually like a bagel or croissant. I've tried breakfast burritos, but they aren't so easy to come by. But some Taco Bell breakfast? That'd be hard to avoid...

It's no secret. I like to eat out. You get different food all the time, everyone can get whatever they want, there is no prep or clean up. Eating out is great! But expensive... And doesn't always work well with babies... And gets really expensive with kids...

I know how to cook, but can't get motivated. Not sure why, I used to cook quite a bit, but now I'm just to lazy or demotivated to do it. I did previously get gifted a "private chef" where a chef-lady came to my apartment and cooked a bunch of food which was promptly frozen and then I had yummy food over the next few weeks. I liked the idea, but that has got to be pretty expensive.

Then I noticed a couple places around town:

• Dream Dinners
• Let's Dish

The basic idea is that they prep the food for you, put it in a restaurant style work center, you rotate around the stations (one for each recipe) and in 2 hours you can make 12 meals with 6 servings each for a lot less than eating out, and even decent value compared to a super market since they purchase in bulk and you only use what you need. After assembling the meals, you pack them up with instructions, take them home and over the next few weeks you prepare them to the directions and eat 'em.

There is a thread on "My Money Blog" that seems to have quite a few people happy with the concept, and Dream Dinners in particular (the largest chain of these this concept that I have found), plus they mention a few other chains that aren't convenient to me.

So, anyone tried this? Thinking about it? Just the thought of no clean up is enough to get me excited.

In a bottle. With carbonation. Really.

Reed's Spiced Apple Brew uses 8 grams of fresh ginger root, the finest tart German apple juice, and such apple pie spices as cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Spiced Apple Brew is 50% apple juice and sweetened with fruit juice and fructose.

[ REED'S Ginger Brews ]

Korean Air has 22 special needs meals plus 2 or 3 choices for the standard meal and 2 or 3 for the first class passengers. That includes 6 types of vegetarian meals (one is listed under Hindu).

We prepare a selection of special meals, catering to a wide variety of tastes as well as ethnic, religious and dietary needs. Special meals will be available in the flights with meal service only. Orders for special meals should be made at the Korean Air reservation center at least 24 hours before your scheduled flight.

[ Welcome to Korean Air ]

Frequent lunch companions of mine will know that I've been sour on Cosi for quite a while now. My big complaints?

• Only one kind of bread
• Only about a dozen sandwich choices
• The coffee isn't so good

What's changed?

Two kinds of bread! They've added a kind of whole wheat bread that I found quite yummy today.

Much bigger menu! More sandwiches, some are "melts", pizza and individual casseroles in the evenings, and for a limited time? The "Cosi Lobster Roll", mmmm yummy.

And still the same coffee. But 2 out of 3 ain't bad, eh?

I saw an advert for this last night:

The Pancake Puffs™ pan is made from durable, non-stick cast iron which evenly distributes heat over each of the 7 Pancake Puffs™ wells for golden-perfect puffs every time. Simply pour your favorite batter into the wells of the pan, add your filling, turn and enjoy! Each Pancake Puffs™ pan comes complete with the Quick & Easy Recipe Book to get you started making some of the most delicious pancake puff treats you have ever tasted.

[ Pancake Puff ]

But you can't fool me, that's a Takoyaki pan! I assume that marketing an Octopus Dumpling pan to a western market requires a bit of a change in product claims. I can't find one reference to "Octopus Pancake Puffs" on the Pancake Puff website. In the commercial, and I'm assuming the video on the site, they flip the little cakes exactly how the Japanese flip their Takoyaki at a Takoyaki joint, so I'm sure they know exactly what their selling here.

Tyler Florence is a genius. Witness his Ultimate Steak Sandwich:

Gruyère bechamel:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups grated Gruyère
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Arugula mayonnaise:

• 1 bunch baby arugula
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Steak sandwich:

• 12 soft hoagie rolls
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound rib-eye, finely sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

[ The Ultimate Steak Sandwich Recipe: Recipes: Food Network ]

And yet no where to be seen on the Applebee's new menu. Personally I've never been a fan of Applebee's, and even less so with the new acquisition, but the Tyler Florence thing did peak my interest, unfortunately what Applebee's has allowed him to style for them leaves much to be desired. If you were smart, Applebee's, you'd get him to give you some of his "Tyler's Ultimate" recipes for your menu.

Oh, wait that's October 9th, today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

Ice cream sandwiches are handheld desserts consisting of a slice of ice cream (usually vanilla), with a small layer of a soft cake-like pastry (usually chocolate) on the top and bottom.

[ Ice cream sandwich - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]

And it looks like this:

Or this:

But not this:

'cause that's just weird... (Sorry Sweetie) Unless that roll is like Hawaiian bread...

Where can I get good Chinese food? Which restaurants serve Sunday brunch? Any decent barbecue places?

[ washingtonpost.com: What's on the Menu in Montgomery and Frederick ]

Nothing in here that I don't know now, but this would have helped six moths ago. Though Tastee and Parkway have been favorites from waaaay back.

Props to my lovely wife.

Sushi Damo, originally uploaded by cafechimp.

I got lunch bento with salmon, Yaty got bento with tofu. Zaza just looked on and drooled. Here's a run down of my bento:

1. Sushi Rice (in a star) - perfect
2. Daikon with nutty sauce and cooled deep fried fish cake - this was the chef selection for the day, and yummy
3. 1/2 Cali roll - very nice, though I like mine spicy
4. Traditional ginger dressed salad - very nice, good greens
5. Salmon and veggies - perfect

All in all a nice lunch, waitress was super nice too - though Uzbeki and not Nihonjin. Iman will be quite pleased the next time she makes honor roll, cause we'll be going to Sushi Damo!

Not necessarily so good for the wallet, and some may argue that eating out isn't the healthiest either. I don't have the ability to cook all the variety that I can eat, and even what I can cook the professionals do better, but if there weren't good restaurants around I guess I'd eat at home. For some reason I was under the impression that the restaurants near me just weren't all that, not like where I previously lived in Alexandria. I think Grossberg has dispelled that rumor, and with a quick listing out of "regular spots" (which doesn't include the few expensive spots or good recommended places that we just don't frequent - nor does it include Taco Bell or Potbelly) I now see the reason we're tempted so often.

[ live.com Maps ]

We still miss Yamazato and Sakulthai, and we still haven't decided on which of the great Indian places need to be on this list (except Bombay Bistro, they're on the list for sure), but if you have any suggestions, shout them out. (And yes I've done the Cuban Corner and the Jamaican place next to it. The first didn't impress, the second is way too fattening)

I remember G$'s first day at Doceus very well. Typical of our style then, lunch the first day was on the company, and it was previous to the Georgia Browns fiasco which limited the lunch selection to "the list". Due to my many years of love with Greek food, I kind of forgot that it wasn't something that everyone knew about, but I think all parties enjoyed the meal. A few years later, however, and Mykonos closed. Or did they?

….and that's how the first Mykonos opened in Washington DC in April 1990, a few years later Mykonos Grill in Rockville was established.

[ Mykonos Grill > Our History ]

Hot Dog, I live in Rockville now! And more than that, the food is better than I remember. I think I've found yet another favorite, which is odd to find in a city known for having a crappy food scene.

KIND Fruit + Nut is available in ten flavors: Nut Delight, Macadamia & Apricot, Fruits & Nuts in Yogurt, Almond & Coconut, Sesame & Peanuts, Almond & Apricot, Almonds & Apricots in Yogurt, Walnut & Date, Banana & Oatbran, Fruit & Nut Delight.

[ Peace Works ]

I get mine at the Whole Foods. They're right by the checkout. I first picked up a couple for the birthing of Zahra, because it was a tip from the hospital that many new fathers forget to eat, and faint. I figured that a quick snack bar would put and end to that, and these looked yummy. And they are. However the package mentions that they have some social agenda. Just to make sure it wasn't some crazy social agenda, I finally did the research, so I could enjoy my new favorite snack bar without worrying that I was causing ill in the world.

5% of the profits from KIND go to OneVoice, a Peaceworks Foundation initiative, that fosters moderate consensus.

[ KIND Fruit & Nut Bars ]

OneVoice? Never heard of them. But it appears that they may actually be a good organization. Here's the little video they put together to explain their mission:

So PeaceWorks makes products to raise money for their foundation whose primary beneficiary is the OneVoice movement that hopes to change the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from a Jew v. Muslim or Israel v. Palestine or Left v. Right or Them v. Us to a Everyone v. The Crazy Extremists conflict. Good luck there, if it works it will be a great example for the other hotspots of the world to follow.

And that certainly sounds like a good cause. So I get to enjoy my snack bars and perhaps even help the world in a tiny tiny fashion.

two mac-and-cheese-covered hot dogs served atop a bed of fries

[ Manly Meals on Maxim ]

That is just friggin' genius!

I love the new featured item, Steak Grilled Taquitos:

Please make this a permanent addition to the menu!

And that problem is Grocery Stores. How many do you visit on a weekly basis, here's my list:

• Giant - close by, self checkout, has basic traditional American products
• Safeway - sometimes we're in that neighborhood, much like Giant but more Organic selections
• Whole Foods - lots of Organic cruelty free type stuff, and great cheese selection
• Trader Joe's - just has things no one else seems to carry
• Kam Sam - Chinese Grocery right around the corner for basic Asian products
• Asian Market - Farther away but with better Indonesian selection
• Grand Mart - Korean supermarket way up in Gaithertucky, but really great produce
• Shah & Patel - Indopak groceries that no one else carries
• Lezzet - Turkish dry goods, only they have the super awesome sour cherry juice that I'm growing to love
• Rockville Gourmet Halal Meat Market - super butcher even if you aren't Islamic in your leanings

And those are just the regular spots, then sometimes we'll stop into a specialty market like

• Yekta - Persian grocery
• The Italian Store - just found out they carry Illy pods

Where do you shop?

I loves me some Indian food, but it can be expensive to eat out all of the time. My latest food find is well on it's way to fixing that for me. Sure I could get cookbooks, and learn how to make Indian food, but then who work all of my jobs for me? Enter easy-prep, mostly ready to eat, Indian cuisine from Deep:

Deep Foods is one of the leading manufacturers of Indian foods. Since 1977, it has been tantalizing the taste buds of Indian food lovers. Using authentic recipes, Deep Foods offers delicious snacks, frozen meals, ice creams and other specialities. These delicious, all- natural products are prepared to satisfy the most dedicated culinary aficionados of Indian cuisine.

[ Deep Foods ]

I've tried their Naan, Samosas, and Mutter Paneer and all are tops. They are rather affordable, and soooo many varieties are available at my local hindimart Shah & Patel Grocery, but if there isn't a Hindustani Purveyor of Fine Goods near you, you can get this stuff online as well.

My quest has come to an end, but a delicious end indeed. There are a few crepe places around town, but finally there is one near me, and they make the honest to goodness real deal.

Crêpes á Go Go
514 Main Street
Gaithersburg MD, 20878

Sure it says Gaithersburg, but for those in the area you'd know it as the Kentlands. Just around the corner from Five Guys.

Noticed a "Mexican" place in Rockville with a weird name and had to check it out. Googled it and found out it wasn't a fancy sit down place, it was fast food and a chain. A burrito joint! Those who know me well, know I have a fondness for burritos, so I had to check it out.

In 1995, Anthony Miller opened the first Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurant in Denver with partner Robert Hauser.

With one-of-a-kind offerings like Qdoba Signature Burritos, Qdoba won over customers and critics alike. Denver's Gabby Gourmet restaurant critic named Qdoba one of the top 15 inexpensive restaurants in Colorado. And both the Denver Post and Westword named Qdoba "Best Burrito."

Obviously, it was an idea whose time had come. Fast, fresh Mexican flavors that were anything but old-fashioned refried beans and Spanish rice, prepared right in front of the patrons with only the freshest ingredients.

In just a few years, we've grown to include over 300 Qdoba Mexican Grills from coast to coast. And plenty more are on the way.

[ Qdoba Mexican Grill :: Fresh Burritos, Tacos, Nachos, and Salads Made to Order ]

The rice is almost exactly like Chipotle rice, so someone is borrowing from someone. Qdoba founded in 1995, when was Chipotle?

"When I created Chipotle in 1993, I had a very simple idea: Offer a simple menu of great food prepared fresh each day, using many of the same cooking techniques as gourmet restaurants. Then serve the food quickly, in a cool atmosphere. It was food that I wanted, and thought others would like too. We've never strayed from that original idea. The critics raved and customers began lining up at my tiny burrito joint. Since then, we've opened a few more."

[ Chipotle ]

Doesn't bode well, but perhaps Qdoba just came up with similar rice, or Chipotle had different rice at the start. Perhaps it doesn't even matter much. What's important is how do they taste? Chipotle is awesome. I love them bunches. However Qdoba may have an edge. They have a mole chicken, their steak is yummier, their hottest sauce is hotter and tastier, their red sauce is smoky. I'm giving the win to Qdoba. Seems like a burrito war is in the works.

In 2003, Qdoba was acquired by Jack in the Box Inc., a publicly traded (NYSE: JBX) restaurant company headquartered in San Diego. In addition to Qdoba, Jack in the Box Inc. operates and franchises more than 1,900 Jack in the Box® restaurants, the nation's first major drive-thru hamburger chain. The company also operates its own proprietary brand of convenience store called Quick Stuff®. Qdoba Mexican Grill operates separately from Jack in the Box restaurants.

[ Qdoba ]

Oh man is a burrito war in the works, lets do the math (roughly in order of my preference):

Qdoba - (Jack in the Box)
Chipotle - (McDonald's)
Moe's Southwest - (Raving Brands)
California Tortilla
Baja Fresh - Wendy's
Taco Bell - (Yum! FKA Pepsico)

Am I missing any other national type chains that just haven't hit the DC area yet? Or I just haven't tried? My list contains all chains with at least 75 outlets, so Burrito Bros and Well Dressed Burrito aren't eligible for the war...

Please note, Nate, that this is for the Taco Bell burrito and not for Taco Bell as king of 4th meal.

Ever since I saw Super Size Me, I have pretty much sworn off all "fast food" (really just McDonalds, Burger Thing, and Wendy's). I've always disliked Burger King, so no big woop. Wendy's? Questionable quality these days, so that was easy. McDonalds? That was mostly because Iman loves McDonalds, so I have little problem avoiding them. That could change, however. One thing that I have always found acceptable is the McD's breakfast, and now:

McDonald's Corp. may soon offer its breakfast menu all day long as a new restaurant layout will make it easier to prepare a wide variety of foods at once, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

[ Latest Business News and Financial Information | Reuters.com ]

The thought of a mid day Bacon-Egg-And-Cheese-Hold-The-Bacon sandwich is just too tempting...

Props to slashfood.

Note: Yes that means I still am all over Taco Bell. It's one of those things that you either love or hate...

Canned haw is our advantaged product, and canned haw is incredible canned product. Our Canned haw gets widely recognition by Chinese people. Haw is a specially Chinese fruit. We select best quality fresh haw then processed canned haw. Because fresh haw tasted will be little tart, but as the canned haw , the syrup in the canned will add more sweet, so it will be suite for eating after dinner. If you like sweet and tart same time, please enjoy our canned haw .

[ Canned haw|china canned fruit manufacturer ]

Karen's favorite Chinese place:

There are two ways to experience an authentic Szechuan Chinese restaurant. One is to hop on an airplane and fly to China, the other is to go to Joes Noodle House in Rockville.

[ Joes Noodle House ]

Should be the site of Sunday dinner. Hope it's not all too spicy, Iman does need to eat too.

Good news for me:

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates. Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found. Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

[ BBC NEWS | Health | Tea 'healthier' drink than water ]

I'm not a big fan of water, and lately I've been on a big iced tea kick, especially iced green tea when I can get it.

Sorry, Spork.

Almost 2 years later, and I've finally eaten at Amina Thai (first Halal Thai restaurant in the DC area).

I got some mussels, shrimp, and squid in lemongrass and chili peppers dish, Yaty just got a super spicy shrimp in lime juice salad. Both quite yummy.

Since 1985 Super Dickmann's has been the biggest among the chocolate foam kisses.

Who doesn't know the slogan "Man, they are Dickmann"? Under this motto Super Dickmann's from Storck quickly became Germany's most popular chocolate foam kiss.

[ Storck - Part of Your World - Super Dickmann's ]

Not the oddest candy around, though:

• Oddly Named Candy on Candy Addict
• Stupid Candy on Stupid.com (note: site will cause seizures)

And if Japanese candy is still your thing, head over to the Japan Candy Blog, or just Candy Blog in general for all sorts of candy goodness.

And let us not forget the Candy Cam, which is how I got on this digression in the first place.

Damn, the Japanese are lucky! For the Nintendo DS Lite's Touch Generation line, they have something called the Cooking Navigator. Not a video game, but an instructional program. A chef inside barks instructions at you so that you can cook by hearing

[ Nintendo DS Lite could make you an Iron Chef - Slashfood ]

Seems like a great idea, but I wonder how tunable it is to experience, skill level, etc. Does it only do a set number of recipes? What about food aversions, allergies, and the like? Is it WiFi enabled?

spent the day picking lemons and pruning back the lone lemon tree in my friend cyrano's backyard. we picked over 500 lemons--something like 8 milk crates of citrus.

[ meet me at the corner of third and fairfax.: lemony thicket. ]

Apparently after picking that may lemons, you can then make lovely delicacies like this:

Props to Slash Food.

Working from home today, and this is what the "wall" of my "home office" looks like.

'course if it were raining, I think I wouldn't be right next to the railing...

Update: New View

Some truck drove down my block hitting power lines all the way. Big bang, bright light, and no cable. Thus no Internet. So I've relocated to the Panera, I figured I'd try their new pizza-thing. Pizza-thing only available after 4^pm. Crap. Got salad. Also not so impressive. Green tea is pre-sweetened? Crazy. Something about this Panera just doesn't make much sense to me...

And our favorite Phở place, Saigon Citi, has a second location on Beauregard, just off of Duke St., where the Pizza Hut used to be. Same menu, same taste. It goes without saying, we're super happy about that.

And, they have a full menu, not just Phở, so if you are in the mood for Bún, or the best lemonade, or super Vietnamese drip pot coffee with flan, or whatever, they've got you covered.

Cone Pizza!
Originally uploaded by superlocal.

I'm not sure if pizza in a cone is strange, but what toppings! Hawaiian, Hot Spicy Chicken, Bulgogi, and something I can't read in the bottom right... Oh, and of course Supreme Cone!

The inaugural Fiesta Asia event will take place on May 6, 2006 and is free and open to the public. This kick-off event will feature an exciting array of attractions including an open market filled with an assortment of Asian merchandise, live performances, Pan-Asian cuisine, interactive displays, Manga design competition, and much more. The May 6th event precedes a month-long series of activities in venues located in DC metro area.

[ Fiesta Asia - 2006 National Asian Heritage Festival - Washington, DC ]

Ali went last year and said it was pretty cool.

Update: Then Yaty pointed out that Today was the 6th, not tomorrow as Ali claimed... Perhaps next year.

But yummy:

Smoked Chicken Chile Relleno– Poblano pepper stuffed with smoked chicken, chopped pecans, apricots, Jack cheese and raisins, with green chile mole, roasted tomato cream, Tejas rice and black beans. 9.95

[ Welcome to Z'tejas! ]

Spring in DC has arrived!

The 2006 festival marks the 94th celebration of the original gift of the 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, DC in 1912. Come and enjoy the spirit of the season.

[ Official Website of the National Cherry Blossom Festival - Washington, DC ]

This year I hope to see some of it.