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I've decided I need to start bringing my lunch, because I've been spending too much money buying lunch. This week, magically, that means that I got a free sandwich certificate at the place where I usually buy sandwiches (free lunch on Tuesday!) and an invitation to go to a work-sponsored lunch today at one of the swankier downtown spots (free lunch on Wednesday!).
Which is extremely nice, but has not really helped in my behavioral goal of establishing the "Get my lunch ready in the morning and also actually remember to bring it with me" routine that I was hoping for.
On re-preview: I hit "Preview" on this, forgot to hit "Post," moved on to another thread, came back to this one, and spent way too much time trying to figure out which part of the above was so controversial that it had to be squashed. Figured it had to be the "free sandwich" part of it. This society is just not ready for the truth about free sandwiches.
Most days I eat something I packed at my desk while working, but when I don't have that, I'd rather not order in as I like the escape of leaving and walking around town. Usually I head for somewhere with simple counter service. I like our little taco/burrito place, which has a lot of tasty/healthy options. Or the hippie bakery, which does a home-style casserole meal every day (might be goulash, mac and cheese with broccoli, turkey pot pie, etc) and also offers 3 different great soups each day, along with a piece of homemade bread (avgolemono, carrot-peanut, lentil curry, chicken, mushroom and brown rice etc). They also have an insanely good chocolate chip cookie called the Snitz cookie, which has not only the usual ingredients but also pecans, coconut shreds, and lemon zest.
I always take my own lunch to work. We have a cafeteria which is ok (except for paper plates and plastic cutlery) and it's cheap-ish (£1.50 for soup, £3.50 for a main course) but the food's too carb-heavy and makes me drowsy in the afternoon. So I eat cottage cheese and a banana at my desk while I work, and use my lunch hour for a walk round the dock.
I'm about 50/50 bring own lunch vs. buy it. I never go to the (Kosher) cafeteria because the food there is really bland and monotonous. don't know if it's the food restrictions because I've eaten a lot of really good kosher food. So I go down to the deli a couple of blocks away and get really really good sandwiches and soups. They make kind of hard-to-resist muffins as well.
I brought in my own lunch today, but a coworker talked me into going here. I will be ordering the Unsafe'n'Sound, extra spicy, with spinach and tofu croutons, and over brown rice. Yummy!
don't know if it's the food restrictions because I've eaten a lot of really good kosher food.
In my experience, which actually involves a fair amount of organizing kosher meals for various organizations, it's always seemed to be more that so few places offer kosher catering (as opposed to just meals) that there's just not much competition, or particular innovation.
I've been really diligent about packing a lunch (especially since MuddDude and I split the responsibility; that way, if I fail to do it, we both suffer, which is a good motivator for me), but if I could go to lunch, I'd go to this great deli place with amazing soup, or Chipotle (although their burritos contain an obscene amount of calories).
The cafe in our building only knows Pittsburgh cuisine which involves putting fries on everything so I usually bring a lunch and eat at my desk while reading Me[fi|chat]. It's usually a microwave lunch, a yogurt and some salad.
I go to the chinese guy's cafe across the street. Walk in, say "Usual," literally two minutes later I am out with my Morton's roll with egg mayo and spring onion. yum!
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
3 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed/finely chopped (I love garlic but if you don't, just use 2 cloves)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (toasted and freshly ground makes it tastier)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (add more if you like it hot)
2 cans (15 to 19 ounces each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained [get the low sodium kind]. I cook 2 cups of dry beans if I have time to plan ahead.
2 cans veggie/chicken broth (1 3/4 cups). Water works equally well.
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes. 4-5 Fresh tomatoes in summer.
1/4 cup [I sometime use half] peanut butter
some chopped cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
1. Nuke the potatoes in the microwave first for 2-3 minutes (you just want it partially cooked). If you don't want to do that, you'll have to simmer the stew for a while.
2. Then heat oil over medium-high in a saucepot. Add garlic, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and crushed red pepper, and cook 30 seconds, stirring. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter until blended; heat to boiling and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust spiciness.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low; add sweet potatoes to bean mixture and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally (you may want to go longer with the lid off just so the sauce thickens). add a bit of water if necessary. Stir in cilantro right after it's done.
The best wings you'll ever have in your entire life, guaranteed.
This is impossible. My favorite wings are served to me on a styrofoam plate by an ex-con and former gang member turned restaurateur. Piled on that plate with a ton of fries, sweet-hot sauce dumped over the whole thing, served with a slice of white bread mostly to help mop the sauce off your fingers. Ain't no goddamn way you can beat them wings. Slap-your-momma good.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
