I heart Saigon (Cafe)

The Saigon Cafe is truly great. It is located in a tucked-away-enough location so as to "hide" and stay small and quaint. It is family-owned, and they are pretty much the sweetest couple-with-son team in Charlottesville. It is directly behind Cville Coffee, so afterwards you can pop over for a quick espresso. And it's totally affordable! Tonight Linds and I dined out and our budgets are TIGHT. In this economy, splurging on dinner is just not ok. But Saigon is like the only Vietnamese in Cville so what are two hungry twenty somethings to do?

I cannot pronounce what I ordered and seeing as the kindly older gentleman chuckled as I tried in my oh-so-Americanized-wannabe-Vietnamese-accent to pronounce what I had, I will not bother here. But it involved beef. Broccoli. A rich, not-too-salty (but just enough) broth. Bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and that is it. Simple, and not overdone. Accompanied by fried rice...oh God take me now. And Tsingtao. Great beer from Qingdao, China. YUM. I even devoured Lin's extra fried rice portion. Real chopsticks, which shows they care. Humble atmosphere, a lot of Cville political folk and intellectual types, some UVA students (not the obnoxious ones though). I hope Cville doesn't discover this one. Just enough people so that it stays open in these rough times, but please let's not make it the trendy take-out place? Ugh that would be a crime.

Use your chopsticks,
Shannon

White Truffle Oil

So in an attempt to taste more exotic flavors in 2009 I used a Christmas gift card from Oil and Vinegar to purchase 1 deciliter of white truffle oil. Every town should have an Oil and Vinegar store! http://www.oilandvinegarusa.com/

No longer am I only a sampler of truffle oil. Oh no, now I am a buyer. Wut wut! It feels great. I have consumed more droplets of white truffle oil in the past 24 hours than I care to admit, but you know what? A new year calls for a celebration. I'm ushering in the New Year (9 days into it) with this tasty oil. Now if I can only work there part-time, I can maybe get the 30% discount and maybe have 20 little bottles of oils to experiment with. $14 per deciliter of white truffle oil may become economically impossible. On the other hand, it's Italy in a bottle. WORTH IT.

Anyone know of recipes using white truffle oil, just post them. So far I found one by Bobby Flay: Parmesan-Encrusted Portobello Mushrooms with White Truffle Oil.

Wishing there were more oil tastings in Virginia,
Shannon

New Year's Non-Resolutions

So it's the new year. 2009! Wow where have the years gone? Where have the pounds gone? I am happy to report I have lost 16 lbs and it feels good. I wasn't trying to lose, per se, but getting back in shape is good news all around. Getting to sleep by 1 am, drinking more water and less caffeine and ruling out coffee altogether (!!!) has not only made me lose some stomach baggage (too many Cool Ranch Doritos?), but I am also sleeping better. Sorry Starbucks. I still love your seasonal drinks (Grande Caramel Apple Spice, hold the whip)!

Unlike most New Year's seasons, I didn't write a list of "Resolutions" because if I do write out that list, they never come true. That's the one to-do list that never gets accomplished the way I would have liked it to. So, this year, no expectations. My mantra is "just do it". (Okay so picking up running again might have inspired a Nike quote or two.)

This year I have written a list of "foodie" goals. So far all I have is: be more creative with recipes. Meaning: use more items in the pantry until they are gone, instead of spending crazy money on groceries each month. This doesn't mean you have to scrimp on GREAT food.

For example, when you get Christmas money, don't spend it on clothing, spend it on FOOD!!! Good food. Delicious oils and vinegars and fruits and vegetables and herbs and spices.

Plant an herb garden. You can whip up anything with the right ingredients as long as they are fresh and non-processed!

Drink more water. At least 8 glasses a day, but try for more. I try for 10, and last year at this time, I was an avid Coke drinker. But after drinking so much water every day, you really do lose the taste for sugar! Every now and again I'll have a Coke with say pizza, but try to cut down by 1/2. Worked for me! (Tip: Add a lemon, lime, or orange wedge to your glass of water and it is more flavorful and fresh but still healthy...or do what one of my babysitting charges used to have me do...the only way she'd drink water would be with a black cherry dropped in first!)

Oops, I guess I do have a couple "resolutions".

Eat less processed food and less fast-food. Not to be confused with NO fast food. That's setting yourself up for failure... Because if you forbid yourself from driving through the McDonald's line, one day you just might cheat and drive through for a quick Coke to wet the whistle and end up ordering 2 Big-n-Tasty's, a large fry with extra packets of ketchup, and a vanilla milkshake (personal story). Then you have broken your sworn vows to the health cookbooks and health food gods and fruits and nuts sitting on the countertop at home and you have to start all over. No, I don't really believe in health food gods. But I do believe your body is a temple!

So until next time, don't worry about letting yourself down this year. If you know you will not truly hold to your list of 65 resolutions, just have one and keep it. Or don't even "resolve" to do something differently. After all, it's a new year. You should WANT to live better.

Ok, off to have a couple bites of Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra. It's that time of the month, give me a break!

Shannon

Wow. Again, it's been way too long. I don't know much about blogging in particular, but I like it. I like throwing my thoughts on canvas. The canvas I refer to here is the www. I am avoiding writing my thesis paragraph and annotated bibliography for ENGL 487W Senior Seminar on The Sonnet. The topic I have chosen is, what else but the (sensual) role of food and drink in Edna St. Vincent Millay's (favorite poet) sonnet sequence "Fatal Interview". I do not want to do research right now for that paper. It is like pulling teeth! I have to eventually some time tonight, because tomorrow not only is this assignment due, but we have to bring in 15 copies for each student to read and dissect over the weekend! Right now, though, I have decided to take a study break. I am thumbing through the concordance of my Bible particularly looking up the words "eat" and "drink". I would like for this blog to be more focused on eating and drinking as relating to faith, rather than just a review of food and drink in society. Here are the references so far: Ps 69:21. Proverbs 31:5. Is 5:11. Is. 60:16. Is. 66:11. Amos 4:1. Matt 26:29. Matt 27:34. Matt 15:23 John 4:7 John 7:37 1 Cor 11:25. 1 Tim 5:23. Gen 2:16. Gen 3:17. Ezekiel 3:1. Matt 6:25. John 6:52. Romans 14:2. Romans 14:21. 1 Cor 8:13. 2 Thess 3:10.

Yesterday I ventured to The Fraser Street Deli and was quite impressed. My drink of choice was The New York Drink, a fountain soda with added flavor. I chose Pepsi with vanilla. It brought to mind middle school days in Hudson, Ohio and Saywell's, the old-tyme drugstore complete with Soda Fountain. Ah, fond memories. You just cannot find that around here, correct me if I am wrong.

But at The Fraser Street Deli in downtown State College, for less than $10 (not including tip) you can order from a smattering of sandwiches, cutely named after Penn State and State College "celebrities". My choice, the John Amaechi, heated, (you can order it hot or cold) is a delicious concoction of freshly sliced Boar's Head deli meats like salami, ham, etc, dressed with leaf lettuce, a slice of tomato and a dressing I will have to look up on their website for details (http://www.fraserstreetdeli.com/). My bread of choice: ciabatta roll, which has become popular in restaurants at least from what I have seen in the Centre County, PA region. Not only does The Corner Room serve up sandwiches both hot and cold on ciabatta rolls, but Arby's as well. And apparently, The Fraser Street Deli. With the exception of a faux plate made of hard plastic and a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos (my "splurge" snack), the presentation of the sandwich was fair. Presentation aside, the taste beats out Subway or my favorite sub shop of choice in Charlottesville, VA, Jersey Mike's (the latter of which they slice the meat fresh, right in front of you). Accompanied with a crisp kosher dill spear, the sandwich is one to try again.

I think next time, though, I may go with the Paul Posluszny.

As far as at home, with this senior paper and a French composition gobbling up most (well, all) of my time, I haven't ventured into the kitchen save to whip up a morning omelette or a quickie dinner: English muffin pizzas. What's a hungry English major to do?

Eat your veggies...
Shannon

I'm Back!

Ok so I have been the WORST blogger in history. It has been 233 days since my last post, which was only my 2nd blog post in history. Therefore, I was the WORST blogger in history. But not any more. I have decided, whether or not I have any foodie expeditions of interest to report such as restaurant cavorting, pub crawling or the like, I will nonetheless publish a DAILY blog (for myself and my own pride; I'm not sure anyone knows of or if they do, takes time to READ this humble blog).

The past 8 months of nonblog have been paltry and weak. I know there's more to life than that kind of previous "living". But because I am sitting in Webster's Cafe instead of my African American Oral Folk Tradition class, and because I have 2 more classes to come today, I must slurp up my fresh hot chocolate (no-whip, I'm trying to stay healthy!) and pick at the very bean-y cup of chili I ordered, even though I cannot swallow beans. Just have never been able to chew the grainy, starchy legume. I wish I could; I just wasted a beautiful cup of nourishment. Ah well.

Be blessed,
Shannon

Back from Ireland

Apologies for the delay in writing. School finished up in May, I headed off to Ireland in June to participate in a Penn State Study Abroad program in art and literature, and got back July 5. So much to update on! First off, the cuisine of Ireland...you really have to search for the good stuff. Ireland isn't the best country for foie gras or the perfect crabcake. I'm sure if I had about five thousand more Euros I could have dined to my heart's content at any place on the Liffey that struck my fancy, perhaps finding the ultimate in dining experiences in Dublin. But I'm a college student, loaded down with loans already, so I declined on that front. The thought of maxing out a credit card on a certain il pomo d'oro in Dublin crossed my mind more than once, well, more than ten times, but I don't own one. And that's a good thing.

First off, Galway. Galway is located on the North west coast of Ireland, on the ocean. The food is mostly pub grub. I've yet to encounter as many pubs as I did in Galway. Mostly fish and chips, but a fine selection of Irish stew and of course, Guinness. It's everywhere throughout the island. To the Irish, Guinness might as well be water. Our first night in Galway, our profs took us out to a place called Monroe's Tavern. It was near the water (Galway Bay?) and I ordered the Irish stew, a thick and hearty concoction of beef, Guinness, celery, carrots, onions and more potatoes than I could swallow. Paired with a pint of Guinness, it was more than enough food for one person. I believe bread accompanied the stew, to sop up the leftovers. The helping was too big for me, as I was chugging Guinness for the first time (I'm no beer afficionado) and my stomach just couldn't handle it all. What I found in Ireland was that the portions are always heaping, unless you're at a bistro or cafe in Dublin, where the sandwiches can be petite. And Dublin is VERY expensive. There are sections, like Parnell Square, where I could get 10 mandarin oranges and 10 kiwis for 2 euros total, but at Dunnes Stores near where we were staying, a couple kiwis were 3 euros. And forget about five course meals in Dublin, unless you are the restaurant critic for The New York Times... where they pay your way. I do not hold Frank Bruni's position...yet, so I treat myself to places like il pomo d'oro where I can order a Salmon with Martini Blanco and saffron sauce preceded by bruschetta and followed by tiramisu, with Merlot of course (my wine of choice, regardless of what the film Sideways said about it. I am forever a fan of Merlot) for a mere 30 euros. Now that was a course worth the splurge. Out with a friend, we were able to go halvsies on the bruschetta and nibble on each other's main courses and desserts. Not a bad idea when in Dublin.

Allihies food was nondescript. The people and the village were both charming. The locale was breathtaking, with gorgeous sunsets over the Atlantic at 10:30-11:00 pm, elongating the day for literary and artistic pursuits (namely, photography). O'Neill's, one of the three pubs in the village, and the only one serving food, dished up a subpar Open Crab Sandwich with coleslaw, salad and a pasta salad. I took two bites of the open crab sandwich, which consisted of shredded crabmeat with bits of cartilage over a piece of wet brown bread. I asked for worcestershire sauce, a favorite of mine over a crabcake sandwich at home, and the server languidly brought out a little tartar sauce-sized dish of it, half full. I doused the crab with the little bit of sauce which ended up sinking into the brown bread, which, combined with the already water-soaked bread from the crabmeat, mixed to be just...yuck. The crab wasn't fresh, despite the location of Allihies...right on the ocean. No other fish selections were on the menu and there were no specials. A disappointing crab dish for my craving.

Dublin food which I already went into a little, was the most appealing. Obviously for a large international city there is more variety. What stood out to me most about Dublin's food scene was the ethnicities that were represented. You cannot go 2 blocks without running smack into a kebab shop or an authentic Indian cuisine. Also, Italian and Chinese places abound. And there's always that fish and chips (cod and french fries, to me) dive almost everywhere in Dublin. Not a big fried food person myself I opted for the fresh fish either grilled or baked, like at il pomo d'oro.

Also in Dublin a friend and I (the same one who went to il pomo d'oro with me, Alex) checked out The Purty Kitchen located in the Temple Bar section of Dublin, 2 streets parallel from the Liffey. A huge disappointment, food and service wise. I was scouting out Dublin for good crabcake places, but not one person I asked in the grocery stores/department stores knew of one, so it was off to an internet cafe to research. 2 euros later, The Purty Kitchen seemed the only place that even served crabcakes within my budget. I was looking forward to this dinner all week. Alex and I had planned for 6 pm, but ended up getting there at 8. We had walked from Mercer Court where we were staying, about 30 minutes' walk from Temple Bar. I had even mentioned the restaurant to the art professor on our trip, and she and her family showed up, to my surprise. Sadly, the crabcakes that a food blog on the internet had recommended, were awful. The chef went pepper-happy on this 2-crabcake appetizer, there were bits of what I could only describe as shrapnel throughout the one crabcake I had, and the crab was so slaughtered that I could not taste the lump crabmeat that I love. What followed was a meal of crab claws, 5 of them, garlicky and tasty, but very difficult to get to. I felt like a surgeon, prying the crab out with my tongue and fork. When I asked for a pair of crab crackers (you know, the nutcracker-looking things), the server I tapped walking by briskly stated that she's seen difficulty in getting to the crabmeat in the past, but the restaurant didn't own any crab crackers, but she could bring out a toothpick. I said sure and she proceeded to the kitchen, where she emerged with a glorified foot long toothpick; she wasn't kidding on the toothpick bit. I tried nonetheless to free some meat from the claw, but succeeded more with the bottom end of my fork. After much sucking and prying and tongue action (ok get your head out of the gutter) the crabmeat emerged shred by shred, to my sadness. Ahhh, where can you get good lump crabmeat these days? Obviously not in Dublin.

Well, this post ended up longer than I anticipated. I am sounding so negative and cynical right now and food is meant to uplift so I'll close.

Keep cooking and be merry,
Shannon

a little bit about myself

My name is Shannon and I am a senior at Penn State University, majoring in English. My 5 year plan is to be a freelance writer and restaurant critic, living on the East Coast. My passions are of course faith and food, so I thought the title of this blog was accurate...it's taken from one of my favorite Scripture passages from the Bible... "So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun." ~Ecclesiastes 8:15

As a foodie, and a person of the faith, it is my joy to eat fresh, delicious foods and give thanks back to God for his bounty. So let that be the purpose of this blog.

Be blessed,

Shannon :)