Dinner - actually cooked by me...

Meal: dinner (Tue 9/28)

From: my fridge

Cost: negligible

Location: my kitchen

I got back from the gym, and quickly realized the protein bar I had eaten was not going to suppress my hunger for very long.

I found a red onion in the fridge a long with some garlic I had previously peeled. I chopped them all up threw a little oil in a pan and sautéed them up.

I later found some green onions that were going to go bad if I did not eat them soon, so I sautéed them up as well.

I realized that I still had some uncooked marinated kalbi (Korean BBQ beef) in the freezer (that someone had conveniently defrosted and placed in the fridge). I put the pieces on a baking sheet and broiled them.

There was some leftovers from some undetermined meal, I think they are some kind of taro.

I threw everything on top of some jasmine rice.

Taste: everything tasted really good.
Conclusion: I am 99% sure my dinner on Wednesday will not be as good.

Drink: ice water

Second to last protein bar...

Meals: snack (Tue 9/28)

From: Target

Cost: $2 (plus tax) for a box of 4 bars

Location: Queens

After lifting on Tuesday, I realized I had a protein bar in my gym bag. I also knew that I had to cook (not just microwave) dinner and I needed something to temporarily stave off my hunger, so I ate it.

"Chocolate Chocolate Chip"

Taste: I bet if I ate these bars not after working out they would be horrendous.

Conclusion: after I eat the last bar I will not buy anymore. I read this scary article about the longterm health side effects from the overconsumption of protein (e.g. regular protein powder use). I have not used any protein supplements (aside from the occasional protein bar) in quite some time. When I used to drink shakes made from protein powder it was exclusively after lifting weights. I do not know if they really had enough of an effect to risk the potential longterm health risks, so I am off the stuff for good. Plus that crap can get expensive.

Drink: lots of water

THE BIG BUFORD!!!

Meal: lunch (Tue 9/28)

From: Checkers

Cost: less than $8

Location: Lower Manhattan

THE BIG BUFORD!!!

 

 Unparalleled Fries

Taste: THE BIG BUFORD: amazing as always! FRIES: you cannot beat the double fried and pepper goodness of the fries from Checkers.

Conclusion: well worth having crap for breakfast.

Drink: a medium (32oz) Diet Coke with ice.

Save money now, blow it on lunch later!

Meal: breakfast (Tue 9/28)

From: Target

Cost: box of 10-11 less than $2 (plus tax)

Location: Queens

Without any leftovers today was going to be a paid lunch outside, so I needed to save up...

Taste: nothing special, sugary!

Conclusion: will lunch make this monotony worth it?

The last of the leftovers...

Meal: dinner (Mon 9/27)

From: my fridge

Cost: negligible

Location: my kitchen

So I have reached the end of my fabulous left overs... one last piece of Korean BBQ chicken... I melted some American cheese over some jasmine rice (I made a large batch of jasmine rice Sunday night, hopefully I can stretch it to cover Tuesday).

Korean BBQ Chicken over Jasmine Rice with 2 slices of American Cheese

Jasmine Rice with 1 fried egg with some unidentified fried rice.

Funny story about the fried rice, my mom intended to give me some kind of beef stew left over from her dinner out with friends, and instead gave me what must have been my brother's leftovers from dinner on Sunday. I ate it without question, because I will eat just about anything. If I am lucky the beef stew will still be in the fridge on Tuesday evening and I can eat that with my jasmine rice and the left over unidentified fried rice (but I am probably not that lucky).

Taste: yummy...
Conclusion: back to canned food...

Drink: a can of Fanta Orange Zero with ice.

The next to last of my leftovers...

Meal: lunch (Mon 9/27)
From: my fridge
Cost: negligible
Location: my kitchen

So this is my next to last meal from my super awesome cool batch of leftovers from 2 weekends ago (just over a week).

Coq Au Vin (chicken in wine sauce)

(over jasmine rice)

Taste: still tasty as ever!

Conclusion: sad to be near the end...

Drink: a cold can of Diet Dr. Pepper.

Lame Breakfast

Meal: breakfast (Mon 9/27)

From: Target

Cost: box of 10-12 bars is less than $2 (plus tax)

Location: Queens

I needed to save some money after an expensive weekend of eating.

  

Taste: good enough, I guess.

Conclusion: cheap and not particularly filling.

Some Apple Pie

Meal: snack (Sun 9/26)

From: my kitchen

Cost: Not Available

From: my house

I  got home in time to see the second half of the Jets game and I obviously needed something to eat while watching. Since I had already eaten dinner it was appropriate to eat some desert. I still had some of the lovely apple pie my girl friend made last weekend (now all of the remaining pie is in the fridge). The pie has been siting in glass pie case all week in my kitchen. I has become a little soggy, nothing a little time in the over could not fix. Out of the oven the pie smelled great and tasted even better.

Taste: absolutely positively delicious!
Conclusion: heating up the pie in the oven was a very good decision.


Drink: a glass of ice water.

Vietnamese Porkchops (sorry no pictures)

Meal: dinner (Sun 9/26)
From: Pho Bang
Cost: $7
Location: Flushing (Queens)

(Sorry no pictures.)

Vietnamese Porkchops (over rice)

Taste: very good.

Conclusion: I was kind of still stuffed from eating an entire pizza pie for lunch, so I did not feel so great after dinner.

Drink: ice water

Sunday Football = Pizza (sorry no pictures)

Meal: lunch
From: Domino's Pizza
Cost: $8/person
Location: Queens

Sorry no pictures, but do you really need to see pictures of Domino's Pizza?

Taste: what do you think?
Conclusion: good food to eat while watching football.

Post-Workout "Breakfast"

Meal: "breakfast" (Sun 9/26)
From: Target
Cost: I paid $2 (plus tax) for a box of 4 bars on sale
Location: Queens

I had some time Sunday morning so I went to the gym to lift some weights. When I got home I realized (1) I was starving, and (2) I needed to leave soon to head to Queens (from Manhattan) to get to my friend's house to watch the Giant's game. So I grabbed a protein bar from the stash I got a good deal on a few months go (started with 12 bars only 2 left).

I did NOT take this picture.

Taste: the bar is very chocolaty.
Conclusion: I do not thing protein bars are ever super delicious, but they serve a utilitarian purpose.


Drink: 2 glasses of cold water, definitely needed.

Mexican food at La Palapa.

Meal: dinner (Sat 9/25)

From: La Palapa (a Mexican restaurant)

Cost: split to $38/person after tax/tip (lots of alcohol increased the bill)

Location: St. Mark's Place (Manhattan)

I went out to a friend's birthday dinner with a bunch of people.

Unfortunately the interior of the restaurant was really dark so the picture did not come out so well, but I assure you the lamb shank I had was freak awesomely amazing!

Barbacoa de Cordero al Chile Ancho Estilo Catalina

(barbecued lamb shank braised with chile ancho and avocado leaves, guacamole, black beans, red tomato rice)

I also had (sorry no pictures):

Guacamole y Salsa con Totopos

(pico de gallo, guacamole, housemade spiced corn chips)

Taste: everything tasted great!

Conclusion: the food was very good, it was a nice change of pace for me.

Drink: we ordered several pitchers of pomegranate and mango margaritas, and of course I had some water.

4 Grilled Cheese!

Meal: snack (Sat 9/25)

From: my fridge

Cost: free

Location: my kitchen

After work on Saturday, I was starving and there was still a few hours until dinner... So I did the only sensible thing, make a grilled cheese sandwich. There was some wholewheat bread in my fridge along with several kinds of cheese: (1) cheddar cheese, (2) colby jack cheese, (3) swiss cheese, and (4) monterey jack cheese.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with 4 kinds of cheese.

I toasted the bread in a toaster then put the two slices on a baking sheet and put two slices of cheese (a total of 4 slices, 1 of each type of cheese) on top of each slice, and then put it in the broiler to melt the cheese. My girlfriend said people usually use butter to toast/grill grilled cheese sandwiches, but I opted for what I considered a healthier solution.

Taste: delicious!

Conclusion: a filling snack

The random makings of a Lunch...

Meal: lunch (Sat 9/24)
From: my kitchen and a undisclosed Vietnamese restaruant
Cost: Not Available
Location: my kitchen and Chinatown

My aunt ate a Vietnamese Sandwich for lunch, and could only finish half of it, so she gave me the other half.

 

I think the inside had cilantro, cucumbers, radish, carrots, some kind of spread and pork, your standard no frills Vietnamese sandwich.

The sandwich was not quite enough food so I grabbed the three remaining pork and vegetable dumplings that were in my fridge.

Taste: the sandwich tasted really good, although I was starving so that might have added to the taste. The dumplings were just as good as ever.

Conclusion: a light lunch, I might have to get more later.

Drink: a can of Diet Dr. Pepper in a cup of ice.

Breakfast of Leftovers (sorry no pictures)

Meal: breakfast (Sat 9/25)
From: my fridge
Cost: indeterminable
Location: my kitchen

Unfortunately I was in a rush this morning so I forgot to take pictures of my breakfast, but it was nothing special and the same kind of stuff I have been eating all week.

Pork with Tofu Rounds
(There were only four left in the container so I just ate them all.)

Beef with Reduced Tomatoes over Wholewheat Pasta
(Leftovers from last night's dinner.)

Taste: delicious as usual!
Conclusion: I still love the beef with reduced tomatoes and I am sad there is no more left...

Drink: a nice tall glass of ice water.

Moon Cake

Meal: snack (Fri 9/24)

From: a Chinese bakery

Cost: N/A

Location: Chinatown

Wednesday was the start of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. After dinner with my aunt on Wednesday, she gave me and my brother a moon cake to share. I did not get around to eating my half until Friday.

 

Chinese Moon Cake

 Taste: it tasted pretty good.

Conclusion: when I was little I hated the egg part, now I like how it breaks up the sweetness of the moon cake.

Drink: a glass of ice water.

Finally, Some Pasta!

Meal: dinner (Fri 9/24)

From: my fridge

Cost: indeterminable

Location: my kitchen

  

Beef with Reduced Tomatoes and Wholewheat Pasta

Taste: even after being in the fridge for a week since it was made, the beef with reduced tomatoes was excellent. The beef was nice and tender and the sauce was not too over powering, and it went really well with the wholewheat pasta.

Conclusion: It was just too good!

Drink: a nice tall glass of ice water.

True Leftovers for Lunch

Meal: lunch (Fri 9/24)

From: my fridge

Cost: sunk cost... > $0

Location: my kitchen

My plan worked! I intentionally made an excess amount of food for dinner so I could bring some for lunch today, and I managed to not eat everything leaving enough for a complete lunch. Mission accomplished!

Kalbi (Korean BBQ Beef)

Broccoli Dish (with tofu, garlic, and onions with some salt and pepper)

Kimchi Fried Rice

Unlike last night's dinner I felt like I needed some starch/carbs, so I added the remaining kimchi fried rice I had in my fridge.

Taste: still really really good.

Conclusion: so good I wish there was more kalbi...

Drink: a cold can of Coke Zero.

Cherry Center Pastry

Meal: breakfast (Fri 9/24)

From: the breakfast card around the corner from my office

Cost: $2.50

Location: Lower Manhattan

Let us just say I did not sleep so well last night, thus I was extremely tired this morning... So I needed a big pick me up... breakfast cart to the rescue!

My Breakfast

Some kind of cherry center pastry. This pastry was BIG and looked good.

Taste: probably a lot of sugar, but that is the point right?

Conclusion: filling and tasty.

Drink: the usual (large coffee with milk and sugar).

I "made" Dinner

Meal: dinner (Thu 9/23)

From: my fridge

Cost: sunk cost > $0

Location: my kitchen

I got back from the gym starving (some one talked me into doing box jumps...). However, I had already planned to cook dinner, so I did. I had a big thing of broccoli that probably needed to be cooked sooner rather than later, due to potential spoilage.

Not frozen broccoli... it looks different than the frozen kind...

I found half of a Spanish onion in my fridge and some peeled garlic, so I chopped them up.

Onions and Garlic

I threw the broccoli, onions, garlic and some soft tofu into a big pan. I threw some water in it and covered. After I let it "steam" for a while I left the water boil off then fried it up a little and threw some salt and pepper on it.

My Vegetable Dish

KALBI!!!

So when my girlfriend went on her cooking binge last weekend at my house she also marinated some kalbi for me (Korean BBQ beef). Here are some of the pictures of her preparing the kalbi:

I mashed up some garlic my girlfriend used in the marinade.

Costco sells the right kind of meat to use for making kalbi, and for 'cheap'.

Just look at that marbleization!

Okay flash back to Thursday night: I put the well marinated beef onto pans and put them in the broiler...

Flame Broiled!!!

I made one batch, obviously so I would have extra for Friday's lunch!

They might not look like much but... DELICIOUS!

Time to Eat

My first serving...

My second serving!

Taste: the kalbi was excellent and I managed to cook it just the way I like it. The broccoli dish came out better than I had hope, not overcooked!

Conclusion: I LOVE KALBI!

Drink: several large glasses of ice water.

Leftovers for Lunch (again)

Meal: lunch (Thu 9/23)

From: my fridge

Cost: indeterminable (but all costs are already sunken, so it is getting close to 'free' now).

Location: my kitchen

My girl friend made me a lot of food last weekend, and I am reaping the benefits of that.

Beef with Reduced Tomatoes

Mashed Red Potatoes

Kimchi Fried Rice

Taste: simply great! I really love the beef with reduced tomatoes, one of my favorites.

Conclusion: my only complaint is I wish I had packed more.

Drank: a cold can of Coke Zero.

Dumpling Breakfast

Meal: breakfast (Thu 9/23)

From: my fridge

Cost: N/A

Location: my kitchen

So I woke up and decided I should have dumplings for breakfast. Wednesday was the start of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, and I think you are supposed to eat dumplings. So why not?

Pork and Vegetable Dumplings

Taste: pretty good. 

Conclusion: homemade (not by me though) dumplings are usually good.

Dinner at Serge [French]

I apologize in advance for the horrible lighting in the pictures. The restaurant was dark and my phone's camera is not the best (no flash and the image sensor is not that good).

Meal: dinner (Wed 9/21)

From Serge

Cost: around $30/person

Location: Midtown Manhattan

My aunt took me and my brother out to dinner. She wanted to go to this French restaurant, Serge, that she likes and is near where she lives. We all got the Prix Fix Dinner, I chose the following:

Escargots De Bourgogne with garlic butter & parsley

(It was pretty good, very buttery. They also gave us French bread and butter, but I have no pictures of that.)

Hanger Steak with shallots and burgundy sauce

(Okay, so I forgot to take a picture... it was pretty good, medium rare and it came with a small garden salad and some French fries. The sauce the beef was covered in was really good.)

Crème Caramel

(This was also very good. They also gave us thin slices of cake, which was pretty good too, but I did not take any pictures of that)

Taste: everything tasted really good.

Conclusion: a good meal with some family.

Drink: several glasses of ice water.

Results of my Cola poll.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF COLA?

I guess people only like Coke or Pepsi... I personally like Coka-Cola best.

More Leftovers for Lunch... YAY!

Meal: lunch (Wed 9/22)

From: my fridge

Cost: indeterminable*

Location: my kitchen

You have got to love delicious left overs!

Korean BBQ Chicken

Kimchi Fried Rice

Mashed Red Potatoes (made from scratch)

Pork with Tofu Rounds

Taste: delicious as always.

Conclusion: I am trying to enjoy all this food while it lasts!

Drink: a cold can of Diet Dr. Pepper.

*I paid just under $50 for a crap load of groceries, not sure how much of that is in this meal.

Chocolate...

Meal: breakfast (Wed 9/22)

From: the breakfast cart around the corner from my office

Cost: $2.50

Location: Lower Manhattan

Exhausted, this morning I decided I needed a cart breakfast...

Chocolate Croissant

(with a large coffee with milk and sugar)

The chocolate croissant is my good old faithful standby.

Taste: you cannot go wrong with this combo.

Conclusion: it did the trick, I am full and happier than before the meal.

Drink: the usual (a large coffee with milk and sugar).

Apple Pie (oven edition)

Meal: snack (Tue 9/21)

From: my kitchen

Cost: indeterminable*

Location: my house

I simply cannot pass up dessert. I decided to throw a slice of the pie in the oven to make it taste better and I was glad I did.

Warm Apple Pie...

Taste: the pie tastes even better when warmed in the over... only half of the pie left now...

Conclusion: good thing I started working out again, because I have been eating very well lately.

Drink: not sure why but I decided to have a can of Fanta Orange Zero with a cup of ice.

*I paid just under $50 for a crap load of groceries, not sure how much of that is in this meal.

Dinner with the Yankee game on MY9.

Meal: dinner (Tue 9/21)

From: my fridge

Cost: indeterminable*

Location: my kitchen

I got back from the gym and I was starving. Also, it was one of those rare nights that the Yankees game was on network TV (unfortunately I do not have the YES network). So I threw some of the left overs in the microwave and switched on the game. For people that do not follow baseball, the Yankees are fighting to stay in first place and Tuesday night there were playing against the Rays, the second place team. It was an exciting game, and lucky for me I had a good dinner to go with it.

Coq Au Vin (chicken in wine sauce)

Mashed Red Potatoes (made from scratch)

Pork with Tofu Rounds

Kimchi Fried Rice

Taste: the 'leftovers' still taste awesome.
Conclusion: Yankees won, so no complaints.

Drink: a nice tall glass of ice water (Brita filtered).

*I paid just under $50 for a crap load of groceries, not sure how much of that is in this meal.

Lunch... Never Comes Soon Enough!

Meal: lunch (Tue 9/21)

From: my fridge

Cost: indeterminable*

Location: my kitchen

More 'leftovers'.... (courtesy of my girlfriend):

Beef with Reduced Tomatoes (with mushrooms)

Brown Rice

Mashed Red Potatoes

Pork with Tofu Rounds

Taste: the beef with reduced tomatoes was amazing, one of my favorite dishes.
Conclusion: no complaints here, I still have more of the beef with reduced tomatoes, I think I will make some pasta to go with it next time (maybe a meal on Thursday).

Drink: a cold can of Coke Zero.

*I paid just under $50 for a crap load of groceries, not sure how much of that is in this meal.

Another Kind of Pastry

Meal: breakfast (Tue 9/21)

From: the breakfast cart around the corner from my office.

Cost: $2.50

Location: Lower Manhattan

After surviving Monday morning without breakfast, I decided I would not do the same on Tuesday. I went to the usual breakfast cart I go to when I am in need of a fix. I decided I wanted to try something different so I got a pecan covered pastry.

Pecan Covered Pastry

(and a large coffee with milk and sugar)

Taste: the frosting made the pastry, it was good.

Conclusion: a little messy to eat but it was good and filling.

Drink: the usual (large coffee with milk and sugar).

Dinner Round 2?

Meal: snack (Mon 9/20)

From: my fridge

Cost: indeterminable*

Location: my kitchen

Apparently when you exercise your metabolism increases, and you need to eat more otherwise you are starving... So apparently despite eating dinner at 9pm, I was starving a little while later. Luckily I had plenty of food in my fridge, courtesy of my girlfriend's weekend cooking binge.

1. Home Made Pork and Vegetable Dumplings

2. Pork with Tofu Rounds

Some more homemade apple pie.

Taste: I was so hungry I ate the dumplings without making the peanut butter sauce I told my girlfriend I was going to make and she thought sounded gross. The pie was good again too.
Conclusion: hit the spot.

*I paid just under $50 for a lot of groceries, not sure how much of that is in this meal.

Monday Post BBall Dinner

Meal: dinner (Mon 9/20)
From: my fridge

Cost: indeterminable*

Location: my kitchen

I got home from playing some basketball at the gym, and I was STARVING! Luckily I still had my stash of 'premade' meals courtesy of my girlfriend.

Coq Au Vin

(chicken in wine sauce)

Mashed Red Potatoes

(made from scratch)

Brown Rice

Taste: 100% delicious.

Conclusion: despite coming from the fridge and being microwaved all the food was still awesome!

Drink: a can of Fanta Orange Zero with a big cup of ice.

*I paid just under $50 for a lot of groceries, not sure how much of that is in this meal.