By now, most people are aware Chik-Fil-A finally added a spicy chicken sandwich to the menu. I tried it myself recently, so I figured I'd compare and contrast Chik-Fil-A's offering with my current (former?) favorite, the spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy's.
Chicken patty - The chicken itself is about the same. I like the crunchy texture of the Wendy's breading, but the Chik-Fil-A breading has more of a spicy kick to it. This category is a bit of a toss-up for me.
Bun - Chik-Fil-A's buns have always seemed soggy, flabby, and a little greasy to me. Wendy's buns maintain some degree of firmness, so they take this category.
Load-out - Wendy's likes to ruin perfectly good sandwiches with mayo. You can obviously order without, but I have to remember to order it that way AND the food preparer has to remember to deviate from standard procedure. The minuscule amount of veggie matter on a Wendy's sandwich is more or less unnoticeable, even as a textural component. Chik-Fil-A only uses a few pickle slices, but you can actually taste those. Chik-Fil-A gets the win.
Combo factor - Why would I want limp, bland fries from Wendy's when I could have waffle fries? Chik-Fil-A, hands down.
Overall - Chik-Fil-A wins. Fatality.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
If anyone reads this blog, I guess I have some explaining to do.
Clearly, I have failed at making my Wednesday updates lately. Apologies. The summer blitz at my job has started, and it is interfering with my ability to make updates during the week. From here on out, I will endeavor to continue making two updates a week, but I can make no promises regarding when the not-Sunday update will be.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Guac-a-mole
Might have used too much lime juice in this batch. Still delicious.
I used to think I hated guacamole, but it turns out my problem with it was largely one of texture. Thanks to a Mexican restaurant near where my parents live, I discovered a form of the stuff I love. It should be noted that aside from the handling of the avocados, this is basically Alton Brown's recipe from Good Eats. A good, basic recipe that can easily be modified to suit different tastes.
Ingredients:
3 Haas avocados
1 lime
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Tools:
1 knife
1 spoon
Time:
20 minutes
First step is to seed and dice the Roma tomatoes. If Romas are out of season or otherwise unavailable, half a can petite diced tomato will do in a pinch. Dice the onion half, and dump everything so far into whatever container you intend to use for storage. Juice the lime. If you're using a bottle of lime juice, about 2-3 ounces should do the trick. Add the juice to the tomato and onion mixture.
Now on to the avocados. Cut into an avocado and pivot the knife around the pit in the center. Split the avocado, remove the pit, and take off the peel. If the peel doesn't want to release from the flesh, work the spoon around the edge. Dice the two avocado halves. Immediately transfer the bits into the container, and gently mix everything together before moving on to the next avocado. The acidity of the tomato and lime should prevent unpleasant looking changes in the avocado's color from contact with the air.
Mince your garlic (or grab a 1/2 teaspoon from a jar of pre-minced) and add to the mix. Then add the salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Mix everything together. Again, gently. I like to hand mix, but that can get plenty messy, so one could always use the spoon. The guacamole is ready to eat at this point, but it gets even better if you cover and leave it in the refrigerator for about an hour before consuming.
If possible, use the guacamole within 2 to 3 days. It'll remain edible for a few days beyond that, but it tends to pick up some off flavors in those last days. Plus the avocado bits start to break down and get soft. Well, softer.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Save the Schwartzhog
Schwartzhog is a relatively new liqueur on the US scene, but I already think it is one of the best. I was saddened to discover that I'm one of the few people buying it at the one liquor store nearby that carries it. Although, I must admit I only bought it the first time because the store put the 750mL bottles on sale.
Doesn't take a genius to see how similar the packaging is to that of Jagermeister. Both are krauter (herbal/spiced) liqueurs, and the two are more or less the same shade of dark brown. The base flavors, however, are very different. While Jagermeister is anise/licorice-based, Schwartzhog tastes like cola. Specifically, Schwartzhog tastes a great deal like an herb-infused Red Bull Cola. I hate Red Bull the energy drink with every fiber of my being, but I consider Red Bull the cola to be one of the finest beverages on the planet. Naturally, I fell in love with Schwartzhog right away.
It tastes good at room temperature, but it tastes exceptional when chilled in the freezer. The taste is pleasing enough that I almost consider mixing with it to be a crime, but it does go well with most forms of carbonated beverage if you are so inclined. If cola is your bag, you'll probably like Schwartzhog. If not, I pity you.
Doesn't take a genius to see how similar the packaging is to that of Jagermeister. Both are krauter (herbal/spiced) liqueurs, and the two are more or less the same shade of dark brown. The base flavors, however, are very different. While Jagermeister is anise/licorice-based, Schwartzhog tastes like cola. Specifically, Schwartzhog tastes a great deal like an herb-infused Red Bull Cola. I hate Red Bull the energy drink with every fiber of my being, but I consider Red Bull the cola to be one of the finest beverages on the planet. Naturally, I fell in love with Schwartzhog right away.
It tastes good at room temperature, but it tastes exceptional when chilled in the freezer. The taste is pleasing enough that I almost consider mixing with it to be a crime, but it does go well with most forms of carbonated beverage if you are so inclined. If cola is your bag, you'll probably like Schwartzhog. If not, I pity you.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Smoothie Criminal
I once found the prospect of making smoothies somewhat intimidating, and for the life of me, I can't remember why. Smoothies are ridiculously easy to make. If I'm feeling too lazy to cook, I throw some ingredients in the blender and blend away. Takes two minutes. Maybe.
My smoothies typically involve three ingredients: ice, liquid, and fruit. And by using frozen fruit, I don't even need the ice. If I'm not using frozen, my personal guideline is 2 parts fruit to 1 part ice. Frozen fruit or not, I like for the liquid level to come about 1/3 of the way up the pile of solids in the blender pitcher. Usually a favorite fruit juice, although I sometimes use flavored seltzer to cut the sweetness a bit. I've tried nearly every fruit I can find, since I often grab randomly at whatever I have in the kitchen. Not every combination achieves deliciousness, but even a bad smoothie tends to be at least drinkable because of the sweetness/sugar. They're like dessert wines in that respect. Tomato fits surprisingly well into a lot of combinations. Sweet (carrot, bell pepper) or relatively flavorless (celery, cucumber) vegetables can also work and offer interesting new textures.
Remember that breakfast recipe I put up a while back? Remember all my talk about experimenting being half the fun? Same idea here.
My smoothies typically involve three ingredients: ice, liquid, and fruit. And by using frozen fruit, I don't even need the ice. If I'm not using frozen, my personal guideline is 2 parts fruit to 1 part ice. Frozen fruit or not, I like for the liquid level to come about 1/3 of the way up the pile of solids in the blender pitcher. Usually a favorite fruit juice, although I sometimes use flavored seltzer to cut the sweetness a bit. I've tried nearly every fruit I can find, since I often grab randomly at whatever I have in the kitchen. Not every combination achieves deliciousness, but even a bad smoothie tends to be at least drinkable because of the sweetness/sugar. They're like dessert wines in that respect. Tomato fits surprisingly well into a lot of combinations. Sweet (carrot, bell pepper) or relatively flavorless (celery, cucumber) vegetables can also work and offer interesting new textures.
Remember that breakfast recipe I put up a while back? Remember all my talk about experimenting being half the fun? Same idea here.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
My perfect snack
Deep fried peanuts. I must admit, I thought the idea sounded terrible the first time I laid eyes on them a couple of years ago, and I was incredibly leery of eating the shells. I'm glad I got past all that and gave them a try.
Uncle Bud's Deep Fried Peanuts are crunchy and delicious. On the first bite, you get the crunch of the shell along with the flavor of the seasoning used on it. Continued chewing reveals the peanut-y goodness underneath. The shell is basically all fiber and indigestibles, so these peanuts will fill you up fast for not too many calories. You can remove the shell before eating, but after trying them whole, I fail to understand why anyone would do so. You have to take it easy on the shells though; too many at once and the fragments tend to cluster. You know, once they're inside. Leads to potential unpleasantness later. A risk I ultimately find myself more than willing to take.
Uncle Bud's Deep Fried Peanuts are crunchy and delicious. On the first bite, you get the crunch of the shell along with the flavor of the seasoning used on it. Continued chewing reveals the peanut-y goodness underneath. The shell is basically all fiber and indigestibles, so these peanuts will fill you up fast for not too many calories. You can remove the shell before eating, but after trying them whole, I fail to understand why anyone would do so. You have to take it easy on the shells though; too many at once and the fragments tend to cluster. You know, once they're inside. Leads to potential unpleasantness later. A risk I ultimately find myself more than willing to take.
The best flavors.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Live it, love it, Lose It!
Lose It! is, in my opinion, one of the finest free apps available for the iPhone/iPod Touch. It has been beyond helpful in my quest to lose weight, thanks to the simplicity of the interface and big database of food items.
At its heart, Lose It! is a calorie tracker. From a few pieces of information (age, weight, activity level, goals, etc.), it estimates the maximum number of calories you can eat in a day. After that, you simply punch in anything you eat along with portion sizes, and Lose It! does all the number crunching for you. If you ever eat something not in the database, Lose It! makes it easy to enter custom foods or create recipes from existing items. It also generates a 'My Foods' list, making it easier to find items you eat regularly. Lose It! can also be used to track calories burned through various physical activities, but I generally don't use that feature. Given that all the numbers are estimations, I prefer not to let myself believe I can eat a little more just because I walked for a couple of hours. Purely a personal preference though.
Over time, Lose It! has made me more aware of the number of calories in most foods. I can even manage to not break my diet on days when I forget to carry my iPod Touch. I'm not saying I couldn't have lost all that weight (55 pounds and counting) without Lose It!, but I believe the process would have been much slower without the assistance. In short, if you want to track what you shove in your food hole and have an appropriate device, there is no reason not to grab this app.
At its heart, Lose It! is a calorie tracker. From a few pieces of information (age, weight, activity level, goals, etc.), it estimates the maximum number of calories you can eat in a day. After that, you simply punch in anything you eat along with portion sizes, and Lose It! does all the number crunching for you. If you ever eat something not in the database, Lose It! makes it easy to enter custom foods or create recipes from existing items. It also generates a 'My Foods' list, making it easier to find items you eat regularly. Lose It! can also be used to track calories burned through various physical activities, but I generally don't use that feature. Given that all the numbers are estimations, I prefer not to let myself believe I can eat a little more just because I walked for a couple of hours. Purely a personal preference though.
Over time, Lose It! has made me more aware of the number of calories in most foods. I can even manage to not break my diet on days when I forget to carry my iPod Touch. I'm not saying I couldn't have lost all that weight (55 pounds and counting) without Lose It!, but I believe the process would have been much slower without the assistance. In short, if you want to track what you shove in your food hole and have an appropriate device, there is no reason not to grab this app.
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