What’s Wrong With Vegan Food?

NOTHING!

I love vegan food, even though I’m not remotely vegan. To me, it’s a cuisine, not a fad, but it’s also a choice, which I respect, as long as the person who makes that choice is respectful. I hate hypocrites and militants.

When I was growing up, “vegan” was not a thing. Being vegetarian meant no animal products, period. 

Then so-called vegetarians decided as long as the animal products did not involve KILLING animals, they could call themselves vegetarians (they could consume eggs and dairy). 

Then came the “vegetarians“ who ate fish! 

I’m sorry! If you eat fish and eggs and cheese and drink milk, YOU'RE NOT VEGETARIAN!

Anyway, I love vegan food when it’s respectful and done right. That’s all.

I live to eat

What can I say? I love food. I love that food is used for celebration. We mostly eat for sustenance. Sometimes we eat for comfort. We eat because we have to, but we also eat because we want to celebrate.

I wish food weren’t necessary so we can just enjoy it when we do eat. Sometimes I feel like the act of eating is a waste of time; we eat because we’re hungry and not because we want to enjoy and savor every bite.

We should not eat to live. I don’t want to eat only because I’m hungry. I want to eat because I want to enjoy the food and the company I’m with.

If it weren’t for the fact that I would go hungry, I’d rather not eat and then eat only when it’s a cause for celebration. That would be my wish.

I try to share my passion for food with my posts: dishes I’ve made, meals I’ve eaten. I hope you see food the way I do.

Friday Contemplation

Is it just me or does it bother you, too, that there are so many “video content creators” who just essentially compile videos from other sources, slap their own name on the compilations, and present the compilations as their own content? 

They haven’t created the content. They just use other people’s content without even crediting the sources.

Most of the time they contribute nothing to the content, or they do “reaction videos” and make exaggerated funny faces in reaction, or they outright mock the subjects in the videos. 

Of course, the pathetic part is, there are so many people video recording themselves doing stupid things (think amateur versions of Jackass) and posting the videos for the whole world to see so as to get likes, accumulate followers, make money from the videos while the world laughs at them, and become “famous.”

A long time ago there was a book (I can’t remember the title) where it was just a list of unrelated words, and people were buying it. Seriously, the author just put together a random list of words, not in any order, not in sentences, no explanation, no definitions, no apparent connection between words. I think in the preface she said it was just words she had been jotting down so she decided to get the list published.

I guess there is a market for anything and everything.

I think I should start doing daily YouTube videos where I look into the camera and say the most boring thing I can think of. Maybe one day someone will look at them as wise sayings !

Taco Tuesday

I’d been sporadically getting tacos on Tuesdays, and lately it’s been every week. I might as well keep a log of my #tacotuesday meals! (There’s one place from which I would love to get their tacos, but they’re not open on Tuesdays, so they won’t be listed here. Bummer!)

Burrito House

(Can’t remember what I ordered)

Lengua Taco (Beef Tongue, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, cheese and hot sauce)
Grilled Fish with Pico de Gallo Taco (served with cilantro and onions)
Skirt Steak Taco (Carne asada, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and hot sauce)

Grilled Fish with Pico de Gallo Taco (served with cilantro and onions)

Taco de Tripitas (tripe, served with cilantro and onions)

Lengua Taco (beef tongue, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and hot sauce)

Cerveceria Y Taqueria “Taco LuLú”

"Arrachera" Char-Grilled Skirt Steak Taco (Char-Grilled Skirt Steak, Onions and Cilantro)

"Pollo" Chicken Taco (Shredded Slow-Cooked Chicken, Lettuce and Tomato)

"Pescado" Tilapia Fish Taco (Pan-Seared Tilapia Filet served "LuLu Style" with Fresh Pico de Gallo)

Cilantro Taco Grill Old Town

tripas, lengua, pescado

Clark El Ranchito

Pescado, Lengua, Chicharrón, Camaraones

El Mezquite Taqueria

Chicharron en Salsa Verde Taco

Pescado Taco

Chicharron Prensado Taco

El Ranchito Restaurants

Seafood Taco (Combination of catfish, shrimp, marisco and tilapia with pico de gallo and guacamole)
Chicharron (pork skin) Taco

Lengua Taco Dinner (3 beef tongue tacos served with rice and beans)

La Cocina Mexican Grill

Steak, fish, pastor tacos

Mole Village

Taco de Camarón

Taco de Pescado

Old Town Pub

FISH TACOS (3 tender grilled tilapia, lettuce, pico de gallo & side of salsa)

Traspasada

Chicharron en Salsa Verde (Fried pork crackling in green sauce, onions and cilantro)

Sesos (Veal Brains, onions and cilantro)

Cabeza (Beef Head, onions and cilantro)

Pescado (Tilapia, onions, cilantro, tomato, red cabbage and lime juice)

So, reader, I am asking for your food stories. What kind of tacos do you like?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

The End of an Era

For most people, Queen Elizabeth II was the only British monarch they’d known until now. She was a remarkable woman, who wasn’t supposed to be the Queen, and yet due to circumstances beyond her control became the heir presumptive at 10 and ascended to the throne at the age of 25. She pledged her life to service and she delivered.

The British Empire is no more. The Commonwealth may be breaking up as more former colonies and now independent nations seek to leave the Commonwealth.

This is not an essay on the monarchy. These are my thoughts on a woman who wasn’t perfect but had left an impression on a lot of people: her sense of duty, her faith, and her sense of humor. She was one of the most well-known women on earth, and yet she was unknowable. She understood her job and she performed it memorably.

There will never be another like her.

2022 #ONECHIPCHALLENGE

I don’t usually do challenges, but I couldn’t resist this one.

I uploaded the video to their website, but I don’t see it. My reaction probably wasn’t what they were expecting. Oh, well.

Balut

My first and likely last balut, five years ago!

I used to run several Meetup dining groups. One was Adventurous Eating, where we would put aside our fear of “strange” or unfamiliar foods and just take a leap of faith. At least then I could say I’d tried it even if I didn’t like it.

Balut was one of them. It was not easy, knowing what it was, and seeing it for what it was. What it is is a fertilized bird egg that has incubated 14 to 21 days that is boiled or steamed and eaten in the shell. The ones we had were much younger than what is usually served (8 days, I think). It tasted like chicken broth, but I had to close my eyes.I wasn’t too keen on the texture, either.

I know people who love it. I know there are foods that used to come out of necessity and are now either popular street foods or delicacies. I would never disparage someone else’s food. Some people would categorize such foods as “bizarre.” There’s nothing bizarre about them. They’re unfamiliar, and therefore to me it’s an adventure. That’s it.

So, reader, I am asking for your food stories. What types of foods are strange to you that you wouldn’t eat?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Mid-Autumn Festival Dinner

Mid-Autumn Festival dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago

My friend Lawrence Klevan, who sadly passed away unexpectedly last April, would have loved this. We used to do special celebratory dinners together even if he didn’t always order from the special menu.

Dragon Wall (Longjing infused gin, Passionfruit, Lime, Lemon Shrub)

Shanghai Terrace appetizer trio (mini chicken salad, spicy wagyu beef, lobster & chicken dumpling with black truffle)

traditional Peking duck roll (mandarin pan cake cucumber, scallion, hoisin sauce)

the ning sling (absolute mandarin, lychee, lime, fresh mint, passion fruit, sprite)

terrace crispy lobster (mesclun mix greens, spicy mustard mayonnaise)

steamed chilean seabass (coriander soy, ginger, scallion, cilantro)

kung pao beef tenderloin (onion, bell peppers, ginger, garlic, mixed vegetables)

homemade mooncake & mango pudding (egg, milk, custard, fresh mango)

Compliments of the chef (I am so stuffed)

So, reader, I am asking for your dinner stories. Where would you go for your very special meal?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

I was on a roll.

I don’t usually eat snacks, but I’d been wanting to try it. It’s probably too hot for most people, but it wasn’t that hot for me, but my taste buds are probably shot. They’re quite tasty!

“This year's high voltage chip contains the super-charged Carolina Reaper Pepper and stinging Scorpion Pepper with a shocking twist, it'll turn your tongue BLUE!”

I accepted a Chopped-style dinner challenge. One of the ingredients was jelly beans, so course I had to do something unexpected.

Popeyes

It’s been ages (years) since I’ve had Popeyes, and I actually had never tried their chicken sandwich. Today seemed like a good day for it. Of course I ordered spicy.

So, anyway, I had ordered the 3Pc Spicy Signature Chicken Dinner - Dark with Cajun Rice for the side. They gave me four pieces of chicken (I won’t complain about the extra wing), but they gave me Red Beans & Rice instead of Cajun Rice, which I’d like more. The chicken didn’t seem very spicy, but it’s been a long time, so maybe it was never really that spicy to begin with. It was crunchy, at least. The sandwich was fine, but I doubt I’ll order it again. But then, it may be years before I get Popeyes again, anyway.

I wish I could just order by the piece instead of having to have fries and biscuit as well. The sandwich also came with a biscuit. I’ll have enough for another meal.

So, reader, I am asking for your food craving stories. What food you hadn’t had for a while had you gotten that you were disappointed with because you remembered it being better than it really was?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.