The concept of bottled water is a phenomenon to most. Some people are baffled at the idea of spending $1+ for some water. They've done studies on bottled water and some have concluded that bottled water is sometimes no better than the water that leaves our faucets.
When at a restaurant, your server asks you whether you'd like bottled or tap water. These days, we're all about not looking "cheap" so for appearances alone, some will opt for bottled. Tap can be considered degrading. As for me, as long as the water from the faucet is clean, I'm all for tap. I grew up in Utah where the water is actaully very good. Restaurants have now realized that they don't want their customers feeling lower class so now the term "tap" has changed to "flat."
I find it interesting that over time, words we say or things we do regularly, become offensive to people. For example, words that carry gender. It's impolite to call a police officer a policeman. There are other changes such as stewardess to flight attendant, mailman to letter carrier or postal worker, chairman to chairperson or chair, spokesman to spokesperson, anchorman to anchor, wife or husband to spouse, mothering to parenting or nurturing, housewife to homemaker...
Makes me wonder what "flaw" will be thought of next.
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Price of Food
How much are you willing to pay for a good meal? We all know that paying for food alone is not the way restaurants work. We pay a premium, a hefty one at that, to enjoy a nice meal.
Having moved to LA, I've realized that people here take food more seriously than in my hometown, Salt Lake City. In SLC, spending $40-$50/person for a meal would be considered a nice meal. Out here in LA, it'd be quite a steal to be out the door for that price. It's very typical for a meal to be about $80-$125/person in LA. At first, I was astonished, how could someone spend that much money for two on any one given night?
Needless to say, when I first started dating out here, I was easily and quickly impressed. That lasted for about two months until it no longer phased me. Don't get me wrong, I was still very appreciative to be taken to a nice meal!
I've only lived in LA for about 8 months. In this short time, I've come to see why people are willing to pay so much for a good meal. Eating good food out here is a hobby, not an event as it is in my hometown. When you go to a very nice restaurant in SLC, you're either on a date, with your family, or celebrating something special.
Here in LA, much of people's conversation revolves around food. Questions are thrown back and forth; what restaurants do you suggest, what kind of food do you like, how was the service at that restaurant, who's the chef, what's the menu like, how much per head, have you read the reviews on that restaurant...
Speaking of reviews... I am finally trying to convert over to Yelp (verses CitySearch). Anh told me that Yelp is a more reliable source as it is more difficult for someone to leave a bogus review without someone noticing. He is right. Yelp allows you to immediately see information such as who it's from, how many reviews they've left, and what other restaurants they've reviewed.
Anh has taken me to many amazing restaurants, we've eaten some great takeout, and had some great food at the farmer's market. Anh started Yelping recently and he's written some great reviews on some of our favorite restaurants. One of our favorite sushi restaurants, Asanebo, happens to have a Michelin star (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_guide).
Asanebo (Look for Anh's review)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/asanebo-studio-city#hrid:e5Y3vPbcRVgcXNmZHvgZRQ
We eat fish a lot but lately we've been on a pizza craze. Two of our favorites in LA include Pizzeria Mozza and Vito's Pizza.
Pizzeria Mozza
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pizzeria-mozza-los-angeles#hrid:Th7HOE43AamkC9BgNS-RPg/query:mozza%20pizzeria
Vito's Pizza (Look for Anh's review)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vitos-pizza-los-angeles-2#hrid:oPAlb-JyK9-mj7GFxwG9ow
Lastly, my favorite place to eat in LA... drum roll please... Anh's house. Anh loves to cook, his friends call him Chef Anh. He loves to throw dinner parties and make extravagant meals. I will post some pictures of some of his dishes later. One of my favorites is his version of Le Bernardin's grilled cheese sandwich. This is how he describes it:
"White bread buttered with truffles (different from Le Bernardin) mixed with unsalted buttered and then topped with shaved gruyere cheese and lemon zest. Grilled on a pan so the cheese gets a little melty. Then layered with smoked salmon, whole basil leaves (different from Le Bernardin), and caviar."
Of course a regular favorite is Anh's breakfast: eggs and veggies. He's always using all sorts of spices and sauces, most the time their labels are written in other languages that I don't even try to understand.
Food: Something we can't live without = $
Good food: Something we appreciate = $$ - $$$
Great food: An experience = priceless
Having moved to LA, I've realized that people here take food more seriously than in my hometown, Salt Lake City. In SLC, spending $40-$50/person for a meal would be considered a nice meal. Out here in LA, it'd be quite a steal to be out the door for that price. It's very typical for a meal to be about $80-$125/person in LA. At first, I was astonished, how could someone spend that much money for two on any one given night?
Needless to say, when I first started dating out here, I was easily and quickly impressed. That lasted for about two months until it no longer phased me. Don't get me wrong, I was still very appreciative to be taken to a nice meal!
I've only lived in LA for about 8 months. In this short time, I've come to see why people are willing to pay so much for a good meal. Eating good food out here is a hobby, not an event as it is in my hometown. When you go to a very nice restaurant in SLC, you're either on a date, with your family, or celebrating something special.
Here in LA, much of people's conversation revolves around food. Questions are thrown back and forth; what restaurants do you suggest, what kind of food do you like, how was the service at that restaurant, who's the chef, what's the menu like, how much per head, have you read the reviews on that restaurant...
Speaking of reviews... I am finally trying to convert over to Yelp (verses CitySearch). Anh told me that Yelp is a more reliable source as it is more difficult for someone to leave a bogus review without someone noticing. He is right. Yelp allows you to immediately see information such as who it's from, how many reviews they've left, and what other restaurants they've reviewed.
Anh has taken me to many amazing restaurants, we've eaten some great takeout, and had some great food at the farmer's market. Anh started Yelping recently and he's written some great reviews on some of our favorite restaurants. One of our favorite sushi restaurants, Asanebo, happens to have a Michelin star (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_guide).
Asanebo (Look for Anh's review)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/asanebo-studio-city#hrid:e5Y3vPbcRVgcXNmZHvgZRQ
We eat fish a lot but lately we've been on a pizza craze. Two of our favorites in LA include Pizzeria Mozza and Vito's Pizza.
Pizzeria Mozza
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pizzeria-mozza-los-angeles#hrid:Th7HOE43AamkC9BgNS-RPg/query:mozza%20pizzeria
Vito's Pizza (Look for Anh's review)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vitos-pizza-los-angeles-2#hrid:oPAlb-JyK9-mj7GFxwG9ow
Lastly, my favorite place to eat in LA... drum roll please... Anh's house. Anh loves to cook, his friends call him Chef Anh. He loves to throw dinner parties and make extravagant meals. I will post some pictures of some of his dishes later. One of my favorites is his version of Le Bernardin's grilled cheese sandwich. This is how he describes it:
"White bread buttered with truffles (different from Le Bernardin) mixed with unsalted buttered and then topped with shaved gruyere cheese and lemon zest. Grilled on a pan so the cheese gets a little melty. Then layered with smoked salmon, whole basil leaves (different from Le Bernardin), and caviar."
Of course a regular favorite is Anh's breakfast: eggs and veggies. He's always using all sorts of spices and sauces, most the time their labels are written in other languages that I don't even try to understand.
Food: Something we can't live without = $
Good food: Something we appreciate = $$ - $$$
Great food: An experience = priceless
Friday, March 14, 2008
Phasing Out of the Master Cleanse
I'm phasing out of the Master Cleanse today. I felt so hungry all morning. All I could think about was food. In my opinion, I think it was because I knew I was going to be eating tonight so the thought of a full meal was very appealing. Haven't had one all week. I decided to break the cleanse earlier than tonight and ate at lunch. I was craving basically anything and settled for eggs. My coworker and I went to a breakfast place, I ordered some egg whites with vegetables. But the urge to get some hashbrowns kicked in... and now I feel sick. I should have known that something so greasy and bad for you wouldn't settle well with me. From this cleanse I've lost seven pounds. But I'm sure it'll be back after I start eating normally again.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Update on the Master Cleanse
Over the weekend I took a break from the Master Cleanse. I know, doesn't make sense to take a break from a cleanse but don't worry, I had my justifications. I resumed the cleanse on Monday. I really don't mind doing the cleanse; however, lunch time at work is very difficult. Sometimes I just sit and watch my coworkers eat while I sip my green tea. If I couldn't smell the food it'd make it a lot easier. Like I said before, I'm not following the cleanse 100%. However, I can still feel the difference in my body. I think next Fall/Winter I will try the cleanse again and do it 100% for the full 10 days. We'll see. It is difficult and can definitely make you anti-social. No group dinners, no going out at night, and basically avoiding any social setting where you might be tempted.
Last night I was reminded how different I am today from what I was about a year and a half ago. A very good different in my eyes. I'm very happy with my life right now.
Eight more days until Hawaii! I can't wait!
Last night I was reminded how different I am today from what I was about a year and a half ago. A very good different in my eyes. I'm very happy with my life right now.
Eight more days until Hawaii! I can't wait!
Friday, March 07, 2008
The Master Cleanse
Back in September, I decided I wanted to do the Master Cleanse. I bought all the products for The Lemonade Diet. I opted for the Master Cleanse Kit-3 with Cayenne Capsules for about $75. All I had to do was buy the lemons (or limes). The kit came.... and sat in my room for months. Every time I wanted to start the cleanse something came up (such as dinner parties, client luncheons, etc.) Because I had postponed the start date for so long, I actually forgot about it until my friend Ashley mentioned her friend had just gotten off it. I went that evening to purchase a citrus juicer. Yesterday was my first day. It really wasn't hard. The only difficult part was during lunch. Every lunch I go with coworkers. I still went, but just sat and watched them eat. I'm still easing into the cleanse. I have yet to do the laxative tea at bedtime. The first night I was scared because I had eaten so unhealthy that day... then last night, I simply forgot.
Right now, as long as I'm busy, I forget about food because my appetite has actually been suppressed. I take that back... that is a complete lie, lol. In reality, I never forget about food because I love to eat so much, I just haven't been as focused on it.
Why am I doing this cleanse? I'll be honest, I'm really not doing this to lose weight. Of course, it'd be a nice side effect but I'm more concerned about cleaning my body inside out and starting fresh. I started exercising and eating healthier these past couple of weeks. In the past, when I've cracked down on my health, I've reaped the reward of feeling more energetic. This time around, I have yet to feel that extra energy from living a healthy lifestyle. I'm hoping that after I complete this cleanse, things will change.
The Master Cleanse is set out to be a 10 day cleanse. If I really put my mind to it, I think I could actually stick to the full 10 days. However, going on a cleanse is not normal for your body, thus going off the cleanse works the same way. You have to be very careful when going back to a normal diet. Because I am going to Hawaii in less than 2 weeks, I am unsure if doing the full 10 days is for me. I want to enjoy Hawaii and eat normally while I'm there. However, If I enjoy the short term benefits of this cleanse, I'm sure I'll do it again and follow it very strictly for the full 10 days.
I must say, I love the cayenne pills. I wouldn't enjoy the taste of the lemonade if I had to put cayenne directly into the lemonade. When I take the pills, maybe 10 minutes later, I literally feel "all warm and fuzzy inside." But today I made the mistake of taking one, getting distracted and not drinking enough lemonade... my stomache ached and burned for about 10-15 mins. I quickly drank more lemonade and was shortly back to feeling myself.
One of the most difficult tasks of this cleanse is the morning "internal bathing." First thing in the morning you are supposed to drink a quart of luke warm water with 2 teaspoons of special salt. Not only do you feel water logged but the taste is awful. This can be related to when you're swimming in the ocean or lake and you accidentally swallow a mouth full of salty water... The internal bathing water really isn't as salty but the concept remains the same.
I'll keep updating as the days go by.
Right now, as long as I'm busy, I forget about food because my appetite has actually been suppressed. I take that back... that is a complete lie, lol. In reality, I never forget about food because I love to eat so much, I just haven't been as focused on it.
Why am I doing this cleanse? I'll be honest, I'm really not doing this to lose weight. Of course, it'd be a nice side effect but I'm more concerned about cleaning my body inside out and starting fresh. I started exercising and eating healthier these past couple of weeks. In the past, when I've cracked down on my health, I've reaped the reward of feeling more energetic. This time around, I have yet to feel that extra energy from living a healthy lifestyle. I'm hoping that after I complete this cleanse, things will change.
The Master Cleanse is set out to be a 10 day cleanse. If I really put my mind to it, I think I could actually stick to the full 10 days. However, going on a cleanse is not normal for your body, thus going off the cleanse works the same way. You have to be very careful when going back to a normal diet. Because I am going to Hawaii in less than 2 weeks, I am unsure if doing the full 10 days is for me. I want to enjoy Hawaii and eat normally while I'm there. However, If I enjoy the short term benefits of this cleanse, I'm sure I'll do it again and follow it very strictly for the full 10 days.
I must say, I love the cayenne pills. I wouldn't enjoy the taste of the lemonade if I had to put cayenne directly into the lemonade. When I take the pills, maybe 10 minutes later, I literally feel "all warm and fuzzy inside." But today I made the mistake of taking one, getting distracted and not drinking enough lemonade... my stomache ached and burned for about 10-15 mins. I quickly drank more lemonade and was shortly back to feeling myself.
One of the most difficult tasks of this cleanse is the morning "internal bathing." First thing in the morning you are supposed to drink a quart of luke warm water with 2 teaspoons of special salt. Not only do you feel water logged but the taste is awful. This can be related to when you're swimming in the ocean or lake and you accidentally swallow a mouth full of salty water... The internal bathing water really isn't as salty but the concept remains the same.
I'll keep updating as the days go by.
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