Food: Part 2

Pastrami. I love it! My friend mentioned that she sees it a lot out here (she's from Kansas too). Maybe it's just too expensive for Rural Kansas where we both lived. Anyway Pastrami is one of my favorite sandwich meats which I rediscovered when I worked at TOGO's for a short stint. There's just something about fatty, peppery, hot meat that is very yummy!

Eating Fast Food- Part 4

If you, a Midwesterner, see a burger joint that looks familiar but you can't quite place it you're probably staring at a Carl's Jr. We in the Midwest still know it as Hardee's. The give away (besides the $6 burger) their creepy little star mascot.

My whole family was more than a little sad when Carl's Jr. took over Hardee's. The menu changed so completely it became a whole other restaurant. Hardee's used to serve endless biscuits and gravy and plenty of different types of chicken sandwiches. Then after the take over, beef, beef and more beef! All I could think was ick!

Healthy food

Health nuts, yay! Or not.

I have one mom in a class of mine who won't let her kid drink Juice. Juice! Can you believe it? Organic is SOOO big here and of course expensive. Von's has a lot of organic produce but I just can't get enough food to make it worth it. And really non-organic foods don't bother me very much.

One of my darling (he is literally the most adorable kid I know) brought me Horizon organic vanilla milk while I was working today. And while I was very touched, I am just a little scared to drink it. Maybe I'll use it to cook with since I don't drink straight milk any more.

Eating Fast Food- Part 3

Local hamburger obsession:
In N Out.
Whoopdeedoo. They make hamburgers and you can get them regular or hard attacked (Animal style). Same thing with the french fries. The menu is simple and the fries aren't that great.

Cool trivia: Founded by Christians. You can find Bible verse references on most of their packaging.

Can you tell I am really not impressed?

Eating Fast Food- Part 2

Locally based restaurant:
Jack In the Box
I'm wary of this establishment ever since the JitB near my family's former home in Colorado was shut down for not passing the food inspections after a rash of food poisonings.

Cool thing: they've added ordering Kiosks inside the store so now you can limit your time face to face with the pimply high school student to when you pick up your order. They also have recently redesigned their logo.

Eating Fast Food

Locally based restaurant:
Rubio's
A wonderful taco shop with a very fun decor. I enjoy the street tacos that do really remind me of the street tacos we got in Mexico when I was in high school. They also serve beer displayed in ice buckets in front of the registers. And their condiment bar is always stocked with fresh limes, lemons, cilantro & onions, pico de gallo and other salsas.

Cool facts: Most Rubio's serve Vanilla Coke. And a family friend of my told me he used to eat at the original Rubio's in Mission Beach when Ralph Rubio still cooked all the food.

Food

Oh the delights of living near Mexico but still being in the US. Let me list them for you!

Carne Asada: Small chunks of beef usually marinated and seasoned.
Pollo Asado: Same as Carne Asada but chicken instead of beef.
Carne Asada Fries: Oh the yummy goodness! Fries piled with carne asada, sour cream, guacamole, cheese and pico de gallo! My favorite heart-attack for sale.
California Burrito: Basically the carne asada fries wrapped in a tortilla. The only difference, less fries.

Don't be fooled by the pictures if you decided to Google these fine foods. The book is so much better than the cover! If you're ever in the area try one of these out.

Slang- Part 1

I never thought I'd have to ask a friend what he was saying while speaking unaccented English. However I have indeed found myself saying "What?" many times since moving to SoCal.

My choice of slang today is the verb "to pound." When used in a sentence "Man, I'm going to go home and pound a burrito!" The verb "to pound" means to eat, often with connotations of eating quickly and without mercy; to eat in large bites; or to force one's face onto one's own food.

When this one came up in conversation and I asked "What?" I was given the exact same answer. I then had to explain that I understood that we were talking about eating but I wanted to know if there was a specific way "pounding" is done. I did not get an explanation but rather a demonstration!

Note to readers: Pounding is not particularly conducive to tasting and often can lead to choking. Do not try this at home!