food, je t'aime

what is it about food that gets me so excited these days?

i have a feeling a lot of it has to do with that whole no-more-cigarettes tastebud recovery thing that happens. nonetheless, i can't help but notice i've come to savor every mouthful of every wonderful food that crosses my path these days.

my packed lunches have become increasingly more luxurious, always making sure i have meats, cheeses, fresh salads or veggies, creamy yogurts and sweet fruits.

i take my entire lunch hour now. i refuse to eat at my desk while doing work and will starve myself if i have to to get things done so that i can prepare all my foods on nice plates with real utensils and a glass of water (in a real glass that i brought from home that i've really come to adore drinking water out of...don't ask me why.)

in the last week, i've indulged in greek, indian, thai, italian, french and japanese foods in 6 fine dining establishments, but here is the problem. i think i'm spending too much money on food. now, part of me is saying "nonsense, food is worth it!"

the other part of me is saying, "you're trying to save money and it's great that you're packing your lunches and have quit smoking, but you're breaking even, if not going over, by eating out every week, more than once!"

so, now we have to think about this...

what did i eat in the last week that i consider memorable?

greek

• spanakopita (phyllo triangles filled with spinach, feta cheese & herbs)
• octopodi skharas (grilled octopus, onion & fennel)
• pikilia (sampling of 4 spreads on warm pita bread)
• fillet of sole (prepared with olive oil and capers)
• greek yogurt with liquored pears
• greek demi-tasse coffee

indian

• assorted appetizer (veggie samosas & pakoras, papadum & chicken pakoras)
• nan bread w/ raita (yogurt w/ dills, other herbs and cucumber, i think)
• palak paneer (homemade cubes of cheese in a thick spinach puree that i poured over basmati rice)
• gulab jamun (sweet balls fried & soaked in syrup)
• mango ice cream
• (i ate a lot of everyone else's food too)

thai

(ok, so i caved for lunch one day this week)

• pad see-ew (broad, flat rice noodles with chicken and other veggies)

italian

(it was a prix fixe with a good amount of choices)

• insalata di spinaci (fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and the loveliest little cubes of feta cheese)
• penne pomodorini (penne, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomato sauce, fresh basil and gobs of smoked mozzarella)
• tiramisu (the best tiramisu i've tasted in a long time)

french

(back to the pink pony)

• steak au poivre (w/ shoestring fries this week and always with a mesclun salad)
• champagne (i had a rough week and thought i deserved it - it was too sweet, but it made the whole affair seem like a weekend celebration)
• flourless chocolate cake with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (again)
• latte

japanese

• fresh seaweed salad
• chilean sea bass with a miso glaze
• miso soup & rice
• cream anmitsu (cubes of agar jelly, azuki bean paste, peaches, tangerines and cherries in syrup w/ vanilla ice cream)

my lunches this week have mostly consisted of a serving of white meat (pork or chicken) with various sauces, fresh salads or cucumbers drizzled in olive oil with salt & pepper, i had a thick veggie soup with ginger and lots of veggies one day...most days i have greek yogurt with honey and fresh fruit (usually grapes or berries) and a little cheese.

...so, yeah. my wallet is hurting a bit...

i guess i wouldn't be complaining as much if i hadn't had to drop so much money on a crown i had to get the other day (i'm talking about dental work, people), a filling, an expensive plane ticket and i owed on my taxes this year (but at least i'm done with filing as of today)...

looking back on this past week's deliciousness, i realize that it's all worth it.

i had excellent food and excellent company...and these things make lasting memories.

nope. no regrets when it comes to food.

i'm just going to keep enjoying it.

in the meantime, i guess this means that i won't be shopping for any tangible objects for a while. c'est la vie...just means more tasty experiences in my future.

...speaking of which, i feel like cooking tomorrow.

that should be a nice, therapeutic sunday activity that benefits everyone.