the last piece of sushi

everyone wants the last cookie on the plate.  the last dollop of guac in the bowl.  the last yellowtail basil roll from sushi bistro on 6th and balboa.  but we all just sit there and look at it and offer it to the people around us.  we put out our palms face up and offer it like vanna white.  this pretending to not want the last bite can go on for minutes and minutes that feel like hours and hours.  its so wonderful when someone says, please, FOR REALZ, take the last one.  and so you take it.  and it's delicious.  and satisfying.  partly, because its tasty.  but mostly because it was offered to you kindly by the folks around the table, whom presumably you like since you are sitting around a table with them.  its a nice moment no matter what side of the chop stick you are on.   

snack shared:  yellowtail basil roll

this lonely piece of sushi can make someone's day.

because pizza taste better than cucumber sandwiches

i love hosting parties.  casual, fancy, themed, or spontaneous...i love welcoming people and feeding them.  it brings warmth and love and energy into our home.  plus, i genuinely like being home and this way i can not feel lame but also don't have to leave my house.  bonus!  

the royal wedding provided a ready excuse to have people over.  i thought about doing a whole british themed thing with tea and clotted cream.  but let's be straight, pizza tastes better than cucumber sandwiches.  so my neighbor/dearest friend/life-partner-in-hosting-parties brought over the dough.  i provided cheese, sauce and wine.  and each guest brought a topping.  we had everything from bacon to broccoli. friends took turns in the kitchen making their own creation to share.  the pizza got tastier as the wine bottles got emptier and the toppings got crazier.  kit kat and willie who?! 

snack shared:  homemade zzzaaa!

molto bene!

chippies

anthony bourdain - my hero - said that he hesitated to even visit vienna since it was known for their sweets and he prefers salt.  while i'd love to go to vienna, i'm on board with his savory preferences. "crunchy salty" is my favorite flavor palette.  and my favorite vehicle for a crunchy salty snack is definitely chips.  or as my niece says "chippiiiies!"  aside from being a sandwich's best friend (sorry pickle, you're the third wheel), chips can be a cultural excursion while traveling abroad.  i love finding hilarious and surprising new chip flavors, so i'm going to dedicate this post to foreign chips and their unique flavors.  these are actual potato chips flavors - printed on the bag - from these actual places.


china:  italian red meat, spicy fish soup, cucumber, blueberry
australia: texas ribs, pepper lime
canada: ketchup, mayo
turkey: sesame
london: curry, beef, egg salad
costa rica: plaintains 


we're missing representation from africa and south america.  i'm curious.  any other international chip discoveries? 


snack shared: chippies!

Blueberry Chips courtesy of China

jamba mamba

i was downtown yesterday working my way through a long, long, long list of errands.  i had the foresight to eat a meal before leaving the house, but a couple hours into my intense productivity i needed a snack pronto.  downtown snacking can be tricky with the tourists, lines and crappy food courts creating the false illusion of good snacking options. something that’s across the street can actually mean 30 minutes between you and your snack.  but then it hit me.  one of my favorite snacking joints was only one block and one escalator ride away.  jamba juice in the basement of the mall.   a peach perfection or berry razzle dazzle with a shot of protein boost and a side of pirates bootie is most definitely in my top ten list of favorite snacks.  needing to put down my bags for a minute, i sat at the same table as an older gentlemen.  i asked if it was okay if i shared his table—he was also enjoying the jamba so i felt like maybe that would create some camaraderie.  he nodded yes and said, “but let me tell you, missy…don’t drink that too fast.  i just got one helluva brain freeze.  i’m still recovering.”    sage advice, mister.   so here’s to my old friend jamba and my new friend mr. brain freeze.  and here’s to hoping those weird probiotic yogurt places don’t permanently nudge out the king of fruit smoothies.

snack shared: jamba!

jamba: if it's good enough for joe jonas, it's good enough for me.

more than fruitcake

i apologize for the tardiness of this post.  i’ve been very busy snacking.  the holidays provide so many opportunities for delicious giving.  there’s the basket of treats that arrive at the office from the lady who prints your business cards (that you’ve never spoken to).   the homemade goods from friends that become their own tradition over the years – fudge friend, you know who you are!  and there’s nothing wrong with making the most of the free food and an open bar at a holiday party.  for my personal snack giving this year, i decided to go with a savory, healthful option.  i layered red and white quinoa and cranberries in cutey mason jars.  i attached a recipe, covered the top with fabric, tied a ribbon and referred to myself as martha stewart for the rest of the day!  everything tastes better from a mason jar, doesn't it?!  my chicago friend sent me one filled with delicious peanut brittle.  my fiancé uses the jars to drink a john daly out of - that’s sweet tea flavored vodka and lemonade…get it?…it’s like an arnold palmer but drunk…like john daly.  so cheers to all the holiday snack sharing that took place.  i’m curious:  did anyone actually receive a fruitcake??!  

snack shared:  fudge, peanut brittle, and cranberry quinoa

fruitcake. it's the thought that counts.