Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Scallops, or is it Stingray?

Today I learned that often times some food suppliers pass off stingray meat for scallops. One way to know if you are getting what you pay for is to look at the grain. A true scallop will have a vertical grain and a substitute will have a horizontal grain. Something to think about next time you slice into this delicious shellfish.

Cyanide Tea, Anyone?

Peach leaves contain cyanide. Apparently the incidence of death, mostly in southern states where peaches are grown, is highest among young children who crush up the leaves and make hot tea to serve at their tea parties. Upon looking into this further, it turns out that all parts of the peach are poisonious, some more than others. I had no idea, but I don't think that will keep me from eating peach cobbler anytime soon.

Friday, February 24, 2006

100 Things About Me: 21 - 40

21. I love to take pictures, especially black and white architecture shots
22. I can touch my nose with my tongue
23. I met Ben MacKenzie from The O.C. at a UT football game. He is a cutie!
24. I hate to sweat, therefore, I almost never workout
25. I'll eat almost anything, except watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes
26. I've had braces 3 times and my teeth are still a bit crooked
27. I've had many concussions in my life - all accidents and none from playing sports
28. I've only broken one bone - my collar bone, when I was 5, from falling off the bed
29. I've never had stitches even though I've needed them on several occasions
30. I love roller coasters
31. My big toenail on my left foot has fallen off 3 times
32. I'm the biggest klutz ever - I constantly fall down stairs and trip over nothing
33. I make a fabulous Sangria
34. There's nothing more I'd like to do than live a day in the life of Sex in the City
35. I've eaten at almost all of Emeril's restaurants
36. Las Vegas and New Orleans are my favorite weekend getaways
37. I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I love a cup of hot tea
38. I love to swim - it must be the Pieces in me
39. I’m a chronic nail biter
40. I LOVE pedicures and get them year round

Thursday, February 23, 2006

100 Things About Me: 1 - 20

1. I have 2 tattoos – one visible, one not
2. I have a closed up hole in my tongue, once occupied by a tongue ring
3. Chips and queso (cheese) is my FAVORITE food
4. Vodka and diet coke (with a lime, when available) is my favorite drink
5. Purple is my absolute favorite color, and birthstone
6. I belonged to a sorority in college
7. I can speak Spanish (or so I’d like to think)
8. I love to travel
9. Before I die, I’d like to take a picture of me in front of every US State Capitol
10. As a child, I sang in a group called the Peppermint Factory. I’m pretty sure I sucked at it.
11. I can play the piano, although not as well as I would like.
12. I tried learning the guitar, but didn’t get very far.
13. Collin Farrell was the guest star on David Letterman when I sat in the second row at the Late Show
14. I love UT Football – National Champions 2005!
15. I was born in Spring, Texas, just outside of Houston
16. I grew up in Austin – thank goodness
17. I already have a college degree, but really want to be a chef
18. I only recently found a passion for reading
19. I love all music, except for heavy metal
20. I only drive Toyotas or Hondas

Albino Roaches and Fish Sticks

Sanitation 101 is the first course of my year long culinary education. Day 3 of Sanitation class begins with Chef K's daily anecdote - albino roaches. When Chef K ran a restaurant down in Miami, his co-worker discovered a weird phenomenon lurking behind some cooking equipment. They gathered up these white roaches in a box and headed to the bakery next door. With some friendly jesting, Chef K bet the bakery owner 50 bucks that he had roaches in his establishment. The baker vehemently denied this accusation and gladly put 50 dollars on the counter. Chef K opened the box to reveal the "albino" roaches. Feeling defeated, the bakery owner went to his supply room and immediately discovered an open bag of flour that had become a nice home for a bunch of hungry roaches. Chef K returned to his restaurant 50 bucks richer with a box full of flour dusted roaches.

I bet you're hoping that these roaches weren't served alongside fish sticks. They weren't - at least not that I know of. However, you might like to know that those fish sticks you love to eat with a big glob of ketchup and a hearty helping of gooey mac-n-cheese aren't the highest quality, freshest hunk of seafood out there. Generally fish stick makers buy the main ingredient from fisherman who have been at sea for five days and are eager to get rid of the fish at the bottom of the barrel that were caught on day 1.
Happy eating!

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

100 Things About Me

1. I have 2 tattoos – one visible, one not
2. I have a closed up hole in my tongue, once occupied by a tongue ring
3. Chips and queso (cheese) is my FAVORITE food
4. Vodka and diet coke (with a lime, when available) is my favorite drink
5. Purple is my absolute favorite color, and birthstone
6. I belonged to a sorority in college
7. I can speak Spanish (or so I’d like to think)
8. I love to travel
9. Before I die, I’d like to take a picture of me in front of every US State Capitol
10. As a child, I sang in a group called the Peppermint Factory. I’m pretty sure I sucked at it.
11. I can play the piano, although not as well as I would like.
12. I tried learning the guitar, but didn’t get very far.
13. Collin Farrell was the guest star on David Letterman when I sat in the second row at the Late Show
14. I love UT Football – National Champions 2005!
15. I was born in Spring, Texas, just outside of Houston
16. I grew up in Austin – thank goodness
17. I already have a college degree, but really want to be a chef
18. I only recently found a passion for reading
19. I love all music, except for heavy metal
20. I only drive Toyotas or Hondas
21. I love to take pictures, especially black and white architecture shots
22. I can touch my nose with my tongue
23. I met Ben MacKenzie from The O.C. at a UT football game. He is a cutie!
24. I hate to sweat, therefore, I almost never workout
25. I'll eat almost anything, except watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes
26. I've had braces 3 times and my teeth are still a bit crooked
27. I've had many concussions in my life - all accidents and none from playing sports
28. I've only broken one bone - my collar bone, when I was 5, from falling off the bed
29. I've never had stitches even though I've needed them on several occasions
30. I love roller coasters
31. My big toenail on my left foot has fallen off 3 times
32. I'm the biggest klutz ever - I constantly fall down stairs and trip over nothing
33. I make a fabulous Sangria
34. There's nothing more I'd like to do than live a day in the life of Sex in the City
35. I've eaten at almost all of Emeril's restaurants
36. Las Vegas and New Orleans are my favorite weekend getaways
37. I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I love a cup of hot tea
38. I love to swim - it must be the Pieces in me
39. I’m a chronic nail biter
40. I LOVE pedicures and get them year round
41. I worry all the time.
42. About everything.
43. I don’t mind public speaking. I’ve even been told that I’m good at it.
44. I have an unhealthy addiction for celebrity gossip.
45. I can’t live a day without my iPod.
46. I’m scared to fly, and even though I do it somewhat frequently, it requires sedatives.
47. Growing up, I was a total tomboy.
48. I have the scars to prove it.
49. Someone once convinced me to drink a Tequila Sunrise by telling me there was no tequila in it.
50. I hate tequila. One night of tequila shots gone awry….
51. I’ve had food poisoning 3 times. All three, I thought I was going to die.
52. I’ve been attacked by a dog – twice.
53. People used to mistake me and my sister for twins. We are eight years apart.
54. My favorite wines are Pinot Grigio and Reisling.
55. I was in the colorguard in high school.
56. I was also on the school newspaper staff.
57. I don’t brag about either.
58. I’m a reality show junkie.
59. Rarely does a day go by that I don’t watch Oprah.
60. In the past two years I’ve been to Mexico, London, India, Japan and Rome. Japan was my favorite.
61. You can never use too much garlic. I put it in almost everything, except brownies.
62. In school, most people think I’m a nerd. I’m never afraid to lobby for a better grade.
63. I am addicted to DVR. It is the best invention ever.
64. I have an anti-green thumb. I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life.
65. In elementary school, I wore Jams and leggings and hair bows. Oh my.
66. When I was younger, I used to make crafts for all of my Christmas gifts. I wish I still had the time to do that.
67. One of my favorite songs is “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” by Joan Jett. I used to have it on a 45. Every time it comes on the radio, I’m instantly in a good mood.
68. I dig power tools. Especially my electric screwdriver.
69. I dig other power tools too. But mostly, this is a G-rated blog.
70. I know how to fold napkins into fancy shapes, like swans. My grandmother gave me a napkin folding book when I was young, and I actually used it.
71. Whenever I watch scary movies, I close my eyes and plug my ears during the jump-out-and-scare-you parts.
72. I used to be a HUGE Tom Cruise fan. After his Oprah couch jumping incident, he has been erased from existence.
73. I can’t stand Gatorade. It burns the back of my throat.
74. I love to eat whipped cream – straight out of the can.
75. I like fancy restaurants with froufrou food.
76. I’ve only been in a limo twice. Once for my best friend’s 16th birthday and then again on my wedding night.
77. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue – quickly.
78. I love to eat raw cookie dough.
79. I hate to vacuum.
80. I’ve visited cities in 13 US states.
81. I own a hundred pairs of shoes, but mostly I wear the same pair of black flip flops, day after day, after day.
82. I love cold weather. If Austin wasn't the most awesome city in the world, I would have moved to Antarctica by now.
83. I rarely eat ice cream, but when I do, I do it up right with all the fixin's.
84. I have subscriptions to 4 food magazines and I usually read them cover to cover twice.
85. I have a few grey hairs, and I'm not afraid to pull them out or cover them up with hair dye.
86. I'm addicted to chapstick. I have a tube beside my bed, on the coffee table, in my purse, in my car, in my desk drawer, and the list goes on.
87. I also love gum. I almost always have a piece of it in my mouth.
88. I have a tiny family. My dad is an only child and my mom has one brother. I only have 4 cousins. Gossip travels fast!
89. My grandfather emigrated from Holland, so I have some second generation European roots.
90. I am directionally challenged. I get lost easily and people constantly tell me to get in my map.
91. I think I snore.
92. I'm scared of the dark so I always sleep with a night light.
93. I always have to sleep on the side of the bed farthest away from the door. You know, in case burglars or rapists come in during the night.
94. I laugh easily.
95. I can touch the insides of my elbows together. Apparently that means I'm double jointed.
96. I was forced to watch Rent on Broadway and then fell in love with everything about it.
97. I like to karaoke, but I generally make an ass of myself while singing.
98. I like to bet on horse races.
99. I recently had a Big Mac for the first time in my life.
100. I'm finally done with this list!