Installment 2: Sometimes the Best Foods in Life...

...come from Lettuce Entertain You.

Okay, okay...I know.  I have a problem.  I cannot go more than a month without a Lettuce Entertain You meal.  What's that you say?  A twelve-step program?!?  You can't make me!  I can quit anytime I want!!  But why on earth would I want to?

There's this great place I know of where you can get Lettuce Entertain You food...and spend less than $10.

You read that correctly.

And there's five different locations throughout the city of Chicago.

I'll let that sink in.

Two words, lovies.  Wow Bao.  Steamed Asian buns filled with savory meats (and sweet stuff if you want it...my friend said the coconut is delicious).  I usually get the BBQ pork (sweet and savory), the Mongolian beef (a wee bit spicier than I remembered it, but delish), or the chicken teriyaki (how could you possibly go wrong with that?).  I wish I had a photo for you, but it had been a while since breakfast...as soon as I sat down I did my best makeshift Cookie Monster impression.  Bao instead of cookies.  I know, it's a powerful visual...

They cost less than two dollars apiece, and I know I can never eat more than two.  So we're coming in at just under five dollars.  You with me so far?  Now throw in the homemade ginger ale, $2.49, and you've got lunch.  Excellent.

There's one in Water Tower Place, and there's one underneath the Renaissance Hotel at the corner of State and Lake.  Beyond that, you can check their site.

After eating only campus food for way, way, way too long, the highlight of my week thus far has been sitting at the counter at Wow Bao with a friend, enjoying a good meal that was entirely worth what I paid for it.

~AF

Snacking With the Foodie: Finals Edition

It's finals season, kiddies!  And that means the Foodie has to sequester herself, studying like a maniac.  As such, she needs some handy-dandy snack food that makes staying in worth it. 

If there's one food I cannot live without right now, it's probably wasabi almonds.  Or popcorn.  Or wasabi almonds and popcorn, just not together.

It was just what happened to be in the room.  I still have Rick Bayless's limited-edition Key Lime-Avocado salsa in the minifridge, but I have no chips (Oh, the humanity!).  We bought the almonds by accident.  Who knew wasabi seasoning could look like cinnamon-sugar seasoning when no one's wearing their glasses and you're in a hurry?

I'm trying (trying!) to eat healthy here in the dorm.  It's tough because of the tastiness level of cafeteria cheese sticks and waffle fries.  In my humble opinion, these spicy almonds could be considered a healthy snack.  Firstly, they're almonds.  And the spicy coating?  Well, here's my logic: it makes me want to chug water like it's going out of style.  Better hydration is a good thing.  Thanks, blazing-hot snackies!

Sometimes I just substitute popcorn for dinner.  If I'm really not that hungry or I'm too lazy to go to the cafeteria, I can pop in a bag of lightly-salted popcorn and not have to worry too much about the meal (don't skewer me for this, guys! But really, who hasn't been there? Too hungry not to eat, not hungry enough for a real meal...).

Popcorn is technically a whole grain anyway, so...

Happy Snackin'

~AF

Palatable Cafeteria Food? Say It Ain't So!

Well, lovies, the Foodie is having trouble getting to sleep.  Might have something to do with the caffeinated Coca-Cola she had not all that long ago.  But instead of just sitting here listening to Queen on Fire: Live at the Bowl and looking at lame articles, I'm going to sit here listening to Queen on Fire: Live at the Bowl and write you a little post.

(A side note, if you've never listened to any of the Live at the Bowl performances, you are missing out.  Freddie Mercury sounds amazing live.  Plus, Queen is just awesome.  I digress)

I tried something new in the cafeteria!  And I didn't hate it either.  Go figure.

It was barbecued salmon (by barbecued they mean baked far beyond doneness and slathered with barbecue sauce), steamed rice (really more like a pilaf) and roasted veggies.  The salmon was a wee bit on the dry side, and the barbecue sauce was piquant, but it had flavor, by golly!  The pilaf was tasty, not soggy like cafeteria rice can sometimes be, and the veggies were quite nice if they were cooked right, although they ranged in doneness from too al dente to 'is this zucchini or charcoal?'

Over winter break, I will be making my own variation.  I'm thinking a nice baked salmon with herbed butter sauce, a nice creamy risotto (perhaps mushroom, though I haven't decided yet), and some roasted root vegetables.  My faves are carrot, zucchini, and sweet potato tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika along with baby red pearl onions and roasted until soft and oh-so-good.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

~AF