Ginger-carrot-pineapple juice blended with ice for a smoothie and Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies, which is the most unromantic name going for these little chocolate oatie drops of chewy goodness.

I think she should change the name and I'll take my royalties in a copy of all of her books.

And uh....thoushallsnack's Latke Crisps.

Yeah, it's that sweet and salty spicy thing happening.

Pain au chocolat avec amandes (possibly the world's best pastry, in my book topping the pasteis de belem that ustreetguy believes takes that honor) and a cup of coffee -- celebrating the written exam being over. Will move on to booze later ... it's not even 5p here yet...

Pain au chocolat made by moi just an hour ago at L'Academie de Cuisine. So if ya cain't git to Paree like MBK, git yerself to Gaithersburg. This class is great.

Or have friends who bring you homemade chocolate chip cookies to snarf down (They made an excellent breakfast too.)

In an attempt to satisfy hormonal cravings for carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods: Potato chips... tamarind roasted almonds... semi-sweet baking chocolate squares. With a Coca-Cola chaser.

Some pieces of Quickes farmhouse cheddar. Definitely has a bit of age on it, with some salt crystals here and there, and it's just beginning to acquire that slightly dark waxy look. There's more sourness character present than with Montgomery's, but it's a beautiful traditional cheddar.

Acquired from the cheese counter at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC.
Because. A.S.S. Cheese. Rocks.

mashed potatoes leftover from last night

I love mashed potatoes. I hadn't made them in a long time, and they came out great.

Halloween candy. Presently, a Kit Kat.

A really good grocery store bento: rice steamed with julienned carrots, konnyaku (devil's tongue jelly), and burdock root and hijiki (a kind of seaweed); a cold simmered dish of mushrooms, hijiki, konnyaku, and carrots; and some beautiful purple pickled eggplant.

half of a leftover grilled ham and cheese sandwich (with pickles) from yesterday's lunch

I wasn't hungry enough to finish it yesterday and I hated to throw it out (I made it on oversized bakery bread, more like a sandwich X 2). I was hungry a little while ago and was wondering how long it would take to heat the remaining sandwich up (and how), when I decided to try it cold. it was surprisingly good, straight from the refrigerator.

Leftover grits, microwaved. Delicious.

Salt and Vinegar Pringles dipped in barbecue sauce and a Pilsner Urquell--a perfect, healthy dinner to complement my lunch of Jolly Ranchers and coffee.

In my optimistic moments, I think it may not be all bad that our current insane workload is forcing me to eat so abysmally. I mean, it'll make next week in Italy even better, right? Right??

The Chewy. Guittard chips, Tahitian vanilla extract, and further adulterated with 1/3 c of chopped crystallized ginger pieces.

Gripe: my #20 disher only results in 20 large cookies, even roughly leveled. Dunno how Alton gets 30 out of his (and noooo, I didn't eat entire spoonfuls of the dough )

Haagen-Dazs Kokuto & Kuromitsu ice cream -- dark brown sugar ice cream with little pockets of "black sugar syrup" (essentially, molasses). Japanese Haagen-Dazs rocks.

Pie Crust Cookies.

Pie crust cookies and tea with blueberry honey.

Goux. Beaucoup de goux.

chili I'm supposed to be heating for dinner

Left over hanger steak and creamed spinach from RTCs.

homemade white chocolate ice cream with heath bar pieces

Fuyu persimmon salad with cumin-lime vinaigrette.

I spotted this recipe in a Russ Parsons piece in the L.A. Times about two weeks ago. http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...1,6528278.story

I didn't have a pomegranate, and substituted toasted almond slices for walnuts, but it's pretty darn tasty.
The wedges of persimmon look uncannily like orange tomato.

Its lunch time in Tokyo and I headed over to a neighborhood place that my host recommended and had Tonkatsu made with a delectably fatty piece of pork sirloin. I would love to be able to find someone in DC that can fry anything as perfectly as this pork was fried.

Wet fries with leftover home made gravy

Pouding Chômeur.

What is your connection to this Quebeqois dish? I've never had it, but I love real maple flavor.

Could this be in the spirit of Hillvalley's limp, doused fries?

* * *
Cranberry sauce in plain yogurt topped w granola. All homemade.

Highly recommend using up leftover cranberry sauce this way.

Eating Asian rice cracker mix (can't believe I found it!) and drinking Johnny Walker Black (last reasonable whiskey left in country). They go surprisingly well together.

Leftover cranberry sauce is also an *awesome* mix-in to your post-Thanksgiving curry turkey salad. Just the right amount of tart to balance your curried mayo-turkey-onion mix. Which is super yummy on toast.

Pudding Chomeur from Au Pied du Cochon - had this last year. The hot maple sauce was amazing.

I missed this when I was at Au Pied du Cochon in June, 2006. I was too focused on the foie gras.

oh, thanks for le p'tit plateau recommendation on the montreal board- ate there this weekend- loved it. i'll post up pics and my take on it later on the montreal board.

A little bird(er) asked me about it yesterday and, after a bit a googling, I knew I had to make it for dessert last night.

Lots of recipes out there, but I used the one from this site (scroll down for the English translation) because it contained no eggs (which seemed more authentic for a "poor man's" dish) and did not call for cream (I was out of it). I think next time I'll try one of recipes that does include cream and uses only maples syrup and no brown sugar, but the eggs were not missed in the cakey layer.

So no real connection other than I have a love of all things maple.
(Including non-edible maples)
Click to view attachment

Improvised pseudo-southwestern soft tacos - New Mexico-style roasted chile verde, sour cream, cheese, tomatillo and avocado salsa. Nothing like a little mid-day cold weather grilling.

"Thai Sweet Chicken" potato chips.
the marmite ones were better.

Steamed rice with tororo imo (grated Chinese yam) and umeboshi.

Reheated Bebo pizzas leftover from last night: the famed "Smoked Mozz" and the Broccoli Rabe n Sausage. Even better on day two!

Pizzelle. And caramels. Ah, Christmas.

office building holiday party, food catered by Lawson's...this was a lot better than I had expected, but way, way too much food...

Sipping chocolate

cornbread crumbs

I'm in the process of turning cornbread into cornbread stuffing, minus the pieces I'm eating .

A warm tortilla with butter. Thanks, Mom!

Italian cornmeal cookies.

Fritos and cream cheese

This was one of my favorite snacks as a kid. At some point, I started to cut calories and it went by the wayside.

Sometimes I would mix the cream cheese with milk and fluff it up as a dip. That was my hostess appetizer: Fritos and cream cheese "dip." My parents indulged me, but I think it was also edible enough for the guests that they didn't see any harm .

2003 Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Spatlese Auction bottling with San Danielle and Bertolli Tuscan Salami (Bonaparte baguettes are nothing like they used to be, btw)

1953 Pichon Lalande with Risotto made with seared scallops, dried morels, and pancetta

1970 Montrose with Grilled Delmonico Ribeye

1959 Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux with various cheeses (some of which are spoiled - shame on Dean and DeLuca)

Sux to be me on my "night off." Not.

lunch of leftovers:

beer and cheese soup
tex-mex macaroni and cheese

They made a good combination. I'm rather full now. Good thing I didn't have breakfast .

I love it when a dish comes together:

Salad of black-eyed peas, andouille sausage and red onions w/ molasses dressing
Toll-house cookies

leftover homemade gai pad grapou and steamed jasmine rice

What else went into the dressing?

Equal parts molasses, apple cider vinegar and oil. Added a dash of cayenne. It was surprisingly good and surprisingly easy.

That sounds good. Thank you.

Chicken burrito with hot salsa and guacamole from Chipotle. Oh the shame!!