Apparently, even though 200 degrees is a much lower temperature than most people set their ovens, it still has the ability to heat metal. While roasting prime rib, I burned my hand on the meat thermometer. And I still have a scar from hot oil hitting my wrist while sautéing potatoes for the side dish. Luckily, I didn’t make any dessert. I probably would’ve killed myself somehow.

And five minutes ago, I gave myself a “paper cut” with aluminum foil, which just might be the lamest cooking injury you can possibly get.

All within the past week. Perhaps I should eat out more. For my own safety.

My good friend Richard was kind enough to treat me to dinner at Bouchon, which is a one Michelin star restaurant. For Ratatouille fans out there (like me!), Bouchon was opened by American Chef Thomas Keller, who consulted on the Pixar movie.

Remember the ratatouille that was made at the very end of the movie? That’s actually Thomas Keller’s recipe! So, when I saw ratatouille listed under the a la carte section of the Bouchon menu, I was pretty thrilled.

Our extravagant meal began with a braid of fresh bread (probably baked next door at the Bouchon Bakery) accompanied by hummus and butter. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good photo of this. I’m beginning to realize that food photos are especially difficult to take. Anyone got any good tips?

Next came the appetizers! Richard got a duck confit salad, and I ordered lobster consumme.

For the main course, Richard ordered the roast chicken on top of puff pastry and asparagus, and I had the lamb over cous cous in a mint jus. We also ordered a side of potato puree and ratatouille. The ratatouille turned out to be a different version than what was depicted in the movie. Thomas Keller has many other restaurants, so perhaps he uses several recipes.

For dessert, we shared a chocolate mousse.

All in all, it was quite impressive. My favorites were the ratatouille, the duck confit, and (to be honest) the hummus. I’ve never had ratatouille before but I have to say it’s one of the most satisfying vegetarian choices I’ve ever had. It seems that texture plays a large role in this dish since the tomatoes and eggplant were cooked until soft and supple, but the squash and zucchini remained hearty but tender, which gave the dish a meaty quality.

Duck confit was also surprisingly tasty. I’ve had duck confit before but for some reason, when I had it, the duck was shredded. Perhaps the chef thought confit meant confetti?

Finally, though it was barely an amuse-bouche, I have to give credit to the hummus. This hummus lacked the acidic quality I usually experience with hummus (Trader Joe’s- I am now disappointed in you), but instead was smooth and modest. Mixed with bits of basil and a generous dose of olive oil, I couldn’t help but overload myself with bread.

Another peek into my latest food conquests…

My not-so-secret problem

• Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 11 brownies from the Apple Cafeteria (details in an upcoming post)
• Belgian chocolate assortment

Grains & carbs

• Kashi Whole Grain Flakes cereal
• Kashi GoLean Crunch Honey Almond Flax cereal
• Organic stuffing mix

Vegetarian assortment

• Eggplant pesto
• Tomato & basil hummus
• Garlic mint cheese
• Sweet jalapeno spread
• Spinach bolani
• Lentil bolani

Bolani is a super thin flat-bread that’s filled with spinach, lentil, pumpkin or potato and baked in a clay oven. I buy it at my local farmer’s market and it contains no meat or meat products. All you do is break off some bread and put on whatever sauces/spreads you think will taste good together. Then try to eat it quickly before anyone asks you for samples.

The garlic mint cheese sounds weird, but I see it getting the most use. It tastes pretty darn good as a base— just throw some sweet jalapeno or eggplant pesto on top and it’s good to go.

Food’s food

• Organic strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cherries
• Navel oranges

Sweetish fish

• Salmon filets
• Lemon
• Brown sugar

One weekend, I got it into my head that I was going to create a salmon recipe that utilized a citrus sauce/glaze. I’ll write the details on this later (complete with pictures).

Take a walk with me through the cafeteria at Apple…

Tilapia with mango salsa, vegetables and rice

It’s hard for me to pass up a fish entree that has tropical or citrus flavors in the mix.

A single, lonely chocolate chip cookie

This cookie was practically begging for a cookie friend to accompany it on my plate. Unfortunately, there was only one chocolate chip cookie left (and I discriminate against oatmeal raisin). But have no fear, when I went to pay for my food, I saw…

Perugina premium milk chocolate bar with cappuccino filling

I saw this chocolate bar at the cafe the other day and knew I had to try it. I’m a sucker for chocolate with other flavors mixed in. But for some strange reason, I’m writing this blog post instead of savagely ripping the wrapper off the chocolate bar like a little kid at Christmas…

What are you eating?

Since Annie and I like to inform each other of our latest grocery conquests, here’s a list of food I’ve bought this past week or so:

nature’s candy:

• Red, seedless grapes
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries (organic)
• Dried fruit bars

human’s candy:

• Cappuccino almonds
• Lemon honey almonds
• Espresso gelato
• Dark chocolate almond Laceys (review)
• Espresso chocolate chip cookies

all that non-candy stuff:

• White mushrooms
• Portobello mushrooms
• Sliced pepperoni
• Sliced prosciutto
• Uncooked shrimp
• Wild citrus salmon
• Pizza sauce
• Fresh mozzarella (ovalini)
• Fresh mozzarella (bocconcini)
• Whole wheat pita bread (organic)
• Herb bread (organic)

I don’t always have hours to slave over a homemade pizza (but I wish I did). So lately I’ve been using pita bread as the crust for some quick mini-pizzas. I have some leftover chicken, pesto and smoked mozzarella and a really great BBQ sauce (which I’ll review later) so I’m able to mix up the toppings quite a bit. One of my favorites: marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni and shrimp that’s been sautéed garlic, herbs and red wine.

As I post more of these lists, I suspect I’m gonna feel more and more guilty about the obscene amounts of chocolate I consume to power through my days. But that’s okay. It will simply spiral me into a deep depression that will lead to more of that sweet, sweet chocolate.

An extraordinary, crisp continental confection with rich smooth dark chocolate melted between two feather-light toffee wafers. WORD.

Think of it as the best sandwich in town. But instead of bread, it’s almond-toffee. And all that healthy stuff that goes in the middle has been replaced with dark chocolate. I highly recommend this evil concoction brought to you by a company called, Desserts On Us. (Bought from Whole Foods.)

There’s also a Milk Chocolate Macadamia flavor, which is quite good.

It’s pure fatty, chocolate-y fun. With no corn syrup. So you can eat a whole box and not feel guilty. And since it has 1 gram of fiber per serving, you might as well buy two boxes. Not to mention the 2 grams of protein. I can already see this treat being the basis for the next fad diet.

ingredients

Bittersweet chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla), almonds, sugar, butter (milk), cream, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), honey, vanilla.

I just ate the best strawberries I’ve ever had. Ever. Incredibly sweet. Scientifically modified candy doesn’t get this sweet. Nice and big, with a deep, red color – they just looked good.

Twenty-two years of eating strawberries has been ruined by this single purchase. (From the same farmer’s market that lied to me last week.)

I demand this same high level of excellence in all my strawberry experiences. I refuse to go back to those clear, plastic packages of crap from the grocery store. That ain’t no strawberry! Those are small morsels of suck.

Food is one of my biggest expenses each month. I don’t budget it anymore. Not to say that expensive food is always better (it’s not), but I don’t want to limit myself. The quality in taste and the ingredients that I consume is important to me.

If there’s something better out there and I have the means to acquire it, it’s worth doing so. It’s why I get specific dishes from specific places.

So don’t judge me if I drive 6 hours to get the best ramen. Cause I bet your ramen is weak, son.

A few days ago, I got a postcard in the mail from my local Farmer’s Market. They wanted to tell me about the “season’s first local vine-ripened strawberries” and “super sweet Navel oranges”. I’m hooked!

The postcard informs me that the Farmer’s Market is open “Every Sunday, 10am – 2pm, Year Round. Rain or Shine.”

So I go there today at noon and the place is completely empty. Not a single vendor, shopper or vehicle in sight. This postcard is broken.

I was sick last week for two days, and then I recovered. Or so I thought. Yesterday I went to the gym and ran two miles, which must have been a bad idea because today I am feeling super duper sick again.

This whole day I’ve been craving what my mom usually makes me when I’m sick- porridge and eggs. The eggs are beaten and then steamed. Afterwards, my mom drizzles soy sauce and sesame oil on top. I know it sounds weird but it’s great for when you are ill. It’s not greasy so it won’t make you feel gross, but it’s also tasty and flavorful. And it’s made by your mom.

What do you like to eat when you’re sick?

I took a nap this afternoon and to my delight, had a dream about food! In my dream I had to write a jingle for a commercial, and the product being advertised was chocolate chip cookies.

When I sat down in front of my piano, I had writer’s/composer’s block and really didn’t know how to begin. Then an old black lady appeared and gave me spectacular advice. She suggested the following lyrics:

“Chocolate cookies you gotta have, honey! Even if it means selling your baby for money!”

So I followed the old lady’s advice and wrote a catchy jingle about selling babies for cookies. Then when the commercial aired, people actually took the lyrics to heart and started selling their babies! Then I saw on the news that parents were being arrested for selling babies, and they had to ban my commercial.

Anyhoo, as you can imagine, I woke up from the dream with the most intense craving for chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately, it’s raining outside and I don’t have a vehicle to get me to the nearest grocery store. Nor do I have any babies to sell.