Brown Food

The Cat has an “aversion” to “brown food”. Let me explain. The Cat “prefers” vegetables (green food) with lunch and dinner. Her tummy is not comfortable if vegetables are not included in the meal. “Brown food” is not green vegetables (root vegetables is also considered “brown” in her mind).

Me? While I would like to have vegetables with my meals, it’s not as critical a requirement.

So, yesterday, I worked a late afternoon/early evening shift. My lunch was a prefect example of “brown food” (from the mall grocery store).

Furikake Fish and Fried Chicken

No vegetables (unless you consider the Japanese style pickled turnips veggies, I kinda do :))

The furikiake fish was the cheapest bento available and the fried chicken breast was on sale at the same price of a wing (why not).

Met The Cat at her office to carpool home. Circumstances beyond my control and it was decided to pick up something on the way home. Ended up at Kam Drive In (1620 North School Street, Hawaii). Now, typically, drive-in places here are not epicenters for “green food”, read meat, rice, and mac salad. Not boding to well for The Cat. She settled for a bowl of saimin as the least “offensive” selection.

Saimin

The green onions are garnish, not vegetables. — The Cat.

For me, more brown food.

Chili Frank, Brown Rice, Tossed Salad

Ordered the tossed salad without dressing, gave the salad to The Cat to mix with the saimin soup. Turns out, The Cat thinks their cha-siu in the saimin wasn’t bad. With the salad mixed into the saimin, her dinner was acceptably decent. Surprisingly happy cat. Who woulda thunk.

For me, I consider beans a vegetable, so with the brown rice, happy mouse although all I had was “brown food” yesterday. 🙂

Today’s lesson, keep an open mind, you never know what may happen.

So, what are your eating habits?

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Warped Wednesday

I think I’ve mentioned this before, I love the original Iron Chef series (the ones produced in Japan). Not so keen on the spin-off produced in America. The Japanese version was a little bit cooking, a little bit soap opera, a little bit samurai movie, and a whole lot of fun.

The America version … hmmm.

Why was I thinking about that just now? More later.

Anyway, The Cat brought home her leftover from lunch.

Leftover Kalua Pork

I could have easily warmed it up and thrown it in a sandwich and be perfectly happy. But then, nothing to post about here. So using my warped imagination, took the container out of the refrig with some of the drama of Chairman Kaga and thought of the leftover as the secret ingredient. Chopped up some chives from our pot outside.

Chopped Chives

Added everything to four eggs, beaten and scrambled the whole thing up.

Kalua Pork and Chive Frittata

Ta-dah!

I was trying to remove the eggs in one piece to plate, but that didn’t happen. The important thing was it tasted good.

So, still in my warped imagination, wouldn’t it be interesting in the original series to have standing next to Iron Chef Chinese, Iron Chef Japanese, Iron Chef French, and Iron Chef Italian, there could be an Iron Chef Leftovers? Instead of the secret ingredient hidden under cloth on a pedestal, the ingredient (s) could be stored in an old fashion refrigerator.  And instead of the chef wearing fancy threads, the Leftover Chef ‘s uniform could be Crocs, shorts, and a really really loud aloha shirt. Sorry, get carried away sometimes. Hee hee.

So uhm, producers if you read this, if that idea flies, can I be the new chairman? 🙂

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Tempting Tuesday

The Korean grocery store we sometimes frequent had this on sale the other day.

Package

Seems like recently they’ve been featuring one frozen pastry each week. I guess to introduce people like me to their products. The package, in Engrish, says it’s “new style bread” and “frozen fresh bread”. Whatever those phrases mean? I dunno.

I was drawn to the design on the bread itself.

“New Style Bread”

Looks like a round loaf of bread, cut in half, with some kind of filling in-between.

Stratified View

To me, it has the texture of a very light pound cake. The taste is strawberry-ish. Reminded me of when small-kid time I used to make sandwiches with King’s Bakery Portuguese sweet bread, butter, and Nesquick strawberry powder drink mix. What you’ve never done that? Dunno what you’re missing. 🙂

Chomp View

Definitely would consider buying this again if it’s still on sale. I think there were other flavors too which might make it interesting. Hmm, I wonder if we still have a container of chocolate drink powder in our pantry. Hee hee.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Hokkaido Style Ramen

Without going into too much detail (it would take pages to explain and hours of therapy), we ended up here for dinner last night.

Menu

Near The Cat’s office. I think they may have opened this month sometime. The previous night, The Cat had dinner there without The Mouse (first time trying). Small pout. There was a mitigating factor that The Mouse worked until 10:00 at night.

The noodles were sooooo gooooood on Saturday night that The Cat didn’t mind going back on Sunday.

Three items immediately caught my eye.

#5 and #6

#7 and #8

The first night, The Cat had #5. She thought the miso broth was the best she tasted. But the cha-shu over rice has been a favorite dish of mine at ramen shops that serve it.

The Cat was wavering between trying something different or sticking to what works. In the end, familiarity won out.

Hokkaido Miso Ramen with Extra Vegetables (#5)

The Hokkaido Miso Cha-Shu Ramen was tempting (it’s the same as #5 with more cha-shu) but I ordered …

#5

and a mini #7.

Mini Cha-Shu Don (#7)

I thought if I went with the extra cha-shu in the ramen and a mini bowl of cha-shu rice it might have been an overindulgence.

Noodle View

The noodles are made locally by Sun Noodle, a noodle factory that services retail restaurants. I was impressed with the cha-shu, both in the noodles and over rice.

Cha-Shu Shot

A nice balance of meat and fat. Melt in the mouth. Both socks off.

It was this good.

Hokkaido Miso Ramen Bowl

Mini Cha-Shu Don Bowl

🙂

Since this was my only complete meal of the day (other than the SPAM musubi earlier), I think I was within my calorie intake limits. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Pork belly, noodles, and rice, can it get any better? I think not.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Sunday Snack

Not sure if this is will be a regular feature (we’ll see what happens). But this was this week’s little something something before going to work at the church.

SPAM Musubi

Conveniently located across the street from the church, Pioneer Saloon, a quirky little Japanese take out joint.

One of the better SPAM musubis I’ve had in a while.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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