everything day 1

This week I want to document everything I eat, in photos or words. Like everything, including the handful of knock off Sun Chips that I eat before brushing my teeth. I don't know what made me want to do it. It might be some sort of effort to "be more aware" of my eating habits and patterns. Sometimes I think I get so caught up with the idea of food that I totally forget about the food I actually eat. What I mean is that I'm stuck in a food rut and getting bored of my dining choices. I want to make things interesting again and get out of my "pita bread and hummus for dinner" phase. I also think that I'm still surprised at how easily the weight I lost to the stomach bug stayed off while I was eating my mom's cooking and how quickly my jeans went back to being a little snug after I returned to New York. The human body is a weird thing. So starting with today:

Roast beef, arugula, and parmesan mini-sandwich from Pret a Manager. This is one of my favorite sandwiches from Pret, it's always just the right size. The salty beef complements the sharp cheese and peppery arugula nicely. I always get crumbs everywhere though.

En route to my mouth

Then I sampled some chocolates and vegan bahn mi at Serious Eats. I was "whatever" about them.

I went to Congee Village (on the Bowery). Shared this abalone and chicken congee with Neal. This congee was pretty mild and not very thick at all-- actually pretty slurp-able for a good while before it cooled down and got a little gummy. The abalone slices were good, soft and springy, but I probably could have done without the chicken. It was just kind of boring.

 

This was the roast duck and meatballs congee. We tried this one first, and while I would definitely call this a mild congee, compared to the abalone, it had a much richer, deeper flavor because of the roast duck and meatballs (which tasted like a hot dog/fish ball blend, not a huge fan). It made the abalone congee seem super light. But it wasn't heavy at all, with pretty fragrant ginger and scallion bits to balance out the meatiness of the porridge. We also got some scallion pancakes. They were pretty dense (almost cake-y) and greasy, and overall, not that great.

Hello little piece of roast duck

For dessert, I'm pretty sure this is some sort of red bean soup. It has that nice mild sweetness you find in most Asian deserts. Not sugary or anything.

Then a few hours later I ate a pepperoni off my friend's pizza plus a bite of the crust. And just now, I ate some pita, spicy hommus, and 1/2 a banana with a spoonful of cold peanut butter. As much as I'd like to move away from this particular snack onto something more interesting, I just can't quit it.