Food

So, today I’m thinking about food. Food. Food. Food.

We have a love / hate relationship, food and I . But we’ve come a long way. I know my limits (although I sometimes choose to ignore them). I know what does and does not work for me (although I sometimes choose to ignore that). And sometimes food just decides to keep me on my toes and change the rules I thought I knew. But over all, we’re pretty good. (Most of the time.)

Today, I had lunch from one of my three favorite places. And they had my soup! So, I had a near perfect meal of carrot ginger soup and a tomato, pesto, provolone sandwich (Without the tomato of course…. Tomatoes are gross. They are slimy and taste like dirt. Unless they are made into something else, like sauce or ketchup. Then it’s good). The soup was just the right temperature (no blowing required), and the cheese on my sandwich was all melty and not yet congealed, and the pesto and sun-dried tomato mayo blended so nicely (Yes, sun-dried tomatoes are fine. They taste sweet. Not like dirt.). It was SO GOOD.

Last night I had dinner with Coffee Friend at Panera. They no longer have the Orchard Harvest Salad, so I had to try the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (without the chicken or tomato). And YUM! There were dried apples in there, and the “mixed field greens” did not include spinach, so I didn’t have to go picking that out (I like spinach. It doesn't like me.). And the dressing had a sweetness to it, some kind of apple vinaigrette, but creamy. So good. Paired with the creamy tomato soup (Tomatoes have complex eating rules, okay….). Such a good dinner.

Then this weekend I’ll be eating at The Cheesecake Factory. Yea! On our rare trips there, Hubby and I split the Avocado Eggroll appetizer and the Macaroni and Cheese Ball appetizer (Have you tried those? Oh my! Real mac and cheese – not, like, Kraft – breaded and fried. Soooooo bad, but soooooo goooooood.), then get dessert (There is no sharing of the dessert. Hell no.). I switch between the Godiva chocolate cheesecake, which has layers of chocolate cheesecake, chocolate mouse, and some kind of solid fudge thing, and this dark chocolate cake that has multiple layers with thick, fudgy frosting and chocolate chips. Oh, the anticipation!

Last weekend, when we ate at another of my three favorite restaurants, one of the gelato choices was dark chocolate banana with peanut butter. It was like a convergence of all things good and true. The dark chocolate gelato had just a hint of banana flavor (Reminding me of these ice cream bars I used to get at the little league field when I was a kid. Not that I played little league. Just watched others do so.) with these huge honkin’ hunks of peanut butter mixed in. Dear God! I think I may have actually moaned a little bit. I was so sad when my dish was empty. And they don’t have free refills on that. I asked.

And at the other of my three favorite restaurants, the summer menu is out. Wow! Hubby and I are already plotting and planning to try and get there a few times this summer. There are multiple things I must try. Like the Sweet Potato Quesadillas or the Roasted Corn Polenta (Corn and me, we have a difficult relationship, but this sounds so good, I might have to risk it.) or the California Ruben. And since last time we were there I didn’t get to partake of a chocolate dessert, I must rectify that as well.

And there is a bag of dark chocolate M&Ms sitting over there (Sorted into just the green, brown, and yellow. Work Friend has the orange, red, and blue. Don’t ask.). And there’s a poppyseed muffin in the vicinity, too. I think one (or both) might be calling my name right now….