Chinese!

[altivo]

I can't remember when the last time I ate at a Chinese restaurant was. More than ten years, for sure. I sometimes react pretty strongly to MSG, and that made it sort of like a dice roll or Russian roulette. Too bad, because I do like a lot of Chinese style dishes. I was aware of a place in Woodstock, but have become quite wary. We finally decided

Comments

[hgryphon]

Did you eat with sticks?

[altivo]

I can do that, but no. They had forks and knives on the tables.

[jairus_greywolf]

MSG gives me headaches so I try and avoid it also. It's in a lot of prepackaged foods too.

And yes, this is my favorite time of the year!

[altivo]

I tend to have a more immediate and purgative reaction than the mere headache. It didn't happen.

I actually like autumn better than spring I think, but yes, this is the ideal temperature range as long as the air is dry and breezy. The heavy scent of honeysuckle that saturates the air around here gets old after a while, though. Fall smells better. ;p

[keeganfox]

Yay for foxies! Pictures maybe?

[altivo]

I'm hoping for pictures. So far we've only had glimpses when she was on the move and the camera wasn't at hand.

[rustitobuck]

It's too warm out. Since I don't get to live in a mixed outdoor water and land habitat where I can cool off, I'm resisting turning on the air conditioning as long as I can. But it may be too warm to sleep

[altivo]

Hmm. I find this the ideal temperature. The humidity isn't up yet, it's warm enough that I no longer need a lot of clothing to avoid goosebumps, and there's a pleasant breeze much of the time. Oh, and the mosquitoes aren't yet around in great numbers.

Chinese food does probably have more sugar than I realize. Corn, however, shouldn't be part of the traditional preparation. I suppose it has become convenient here where everything is made of corn.

Yes, The Omnivore's Dilemma is correct. There is far too much corn, and especially HFCS, in the American diet. Fast foods are especially bad, followed immediately by the huge quantities of sweetened beverages and packaged "convenience" foods. Avoiding the stuff requires a lot of discipline and persistence, and being obvious about it makes people think you are suffering from OCD. I'm fortunate (so far) that I've never had a sweet tooth and that naturally reduces my exposure somewhat. I like cooking myself, which means I know what's in the food (mostly

[rustitobuck]

Yeah, I have too much insulation, so my ideal temperature is 65-75. I wouldn't mind being trimmer and more muscular.

I don't have thick dense fur, but I do live in an area with mosquito abatement. It's usually not too bad. I'll use an insect repellent if I'm in the woods, unless I'm biking...then the mosquitoes can't really catch me.

[gabrielhorse]

I'm partial to smaller things like spring rolls or fortune cookies :P though I once had some exceptionally good barbecue chicken & rice. Also, I'm always thankful of foodcourt chinese restuarants that give away free samples- they really helped me when I was homeless ;)

[altivo]

I am inordinately fond of rice. ;p

Chinese cooks also know how to use pepper, curry, and other such seasonings to induce a pleasant warmth rather than the fires of hell that some Mexican foods invoke. I like Mexican cooking too, but for its abundant use of fresh greens and tomatoes rather than for the excessive capsaicin.

*nod*

[gabrielhorse]

Neil turned me on to rice a little while back, but I can't say it's something I'm terribly "fond" of... Yes, chinese cooks have some actual skill involved in their cooking methods (instead of relying exclusively on MSG or corn syrup like us westerners do)- different ones make different dishes better depending on their relative skills.

Re: *nod*

[altivo]

Long grain brown rice is an excellent staple food when you're on a tight budget. It takes longer to cook (bring to a boil, then drop the heat to the lowest possible and cover the pan, wait 45 min. or so) but it's tasty, much more nutritious than white rice or potatoes, gives you some "tooth" for chewing, and has good fiber. You still need vitamins and a little protein that it won't provide alone, but by adding small amounts of veggies and meat or fish, in the manner of Asian cooks, you have high quality, low fat food for little cost.