a middle ground

What did I eat today? It is about midnight. In the morning, I remember rushing to school, trying to get some work done before class, and making just a small bit of strong coffee in my French Press. (Did I tell you? I accidentally bought ground coffee the other day, which, if you read this blog as much as I do, you will know is below my normal standards.) Now, this was followed by a red-eye and a bagel with sausage and havarti and onions from the coffee shop. (Oh yea.) A second cup of joe led me to my class, after which I did some more work and had a slice of pizza, (the coffee still in tow), and from there I have had nothing, other than the many requisite cigarettes and trips to the bathroom. I am tempted to start meditating.

eating like a kid

Today, I had a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. I resisted the urge to get interesting. Nay, I kept it simple. Real plain. White bread, sliced cheese, mayo, and creamy tomato soup. Nothing more. It was lovely.

You Hear What You Eat

Wilco is now something more than a band. Apparently, these Chicagoan rockers have recently received music’s ultimate homage, that is, a Canadian has decided to open a sandwich joint in their honor. Hurray Wilco! According to pitchfork, Toronto’s brand new Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company boasts a menu in which all items are named after the band’s songs. We have already seen a number of such eateries across the country, like “The Yellow Submarine,” “Beggar’s Banquet,” or the vegetarian friendly “Hall & Oats.” So, readers, what restaurants would you like to see named after bands and how would their cuisine be unique?

“Um, can I have the ‘Ashes of an American Flag’ on wheat, and an ‘I Must Be High’ with butter? And let me get a side of “Jesus, Etc.” to go, please.”

Guest Poet

Below is a poem by composer, percussionist, and chef, John Mehrmann. A master of voices, a lover of language and a personal friend and collaborator of mine, John is tall man from the northeast with ear for harmonizing and a tongue for gourmandizing. This poem, with its constant rhythmic meter and ever shifting accent, is as humorous as it is funny, and I chose to publish it for my eaters since I feel it embodies much of the nature of this blog. Thanks, John.

Lunch is a time
For eating a sandwich
With carrots and mushrooms and cheese.
Lunch is a time
For eating a sandwich
With green avocados and peas.
With peas, with peas!
What madness is this,
A vegetable sandwich with peas?
Lunch is a time for eating a sandwich
But leave out the peas, if you please.

laundry in the snow

Why should anyone have to do laundry in the snow? Schlepping a huge bag of dirty clothes through the cold is no fun task. Luckily, I sweat less in the cold season and this doesn’t come up as often. However, while my laundry was spinning, washing, and rinsing, I made the trip to Espresso Royale Caffe for the first time in a month; tho, this is soon to be a more than daily occasion.

The coffee shop nearest my school is a favorite hangout and trattoria for myself and my peers. Today I had their $6.66 “Ham Hell” which comes on a bagel (I chose whole wheat) and features not only ham, but bacon, as well as tomatoes, onions, jalapeño cream cheese, and some tabasco. Unfortunately, I didn’t specify toasted, and was a little disappointed, but, like I said, there will be plenty of time to right this over the course of the semester. Two Northeastern girls sat next to me, one of whom had a similar sandwich, and who chose to scrape off her bacon and tomatoes and along with a good layer of other stuff, rather than order the sandwich sans these items, which seems much less wasteful. One wore Uggly boots and a pair of leggings and the other wore “nice” leather boots and a pair of over priced jeans (which seems to be the only two options for Northeastern girls). They had a pleasant  conversation about their classes and the boys they were smoking pot with. And as dull as this was, they, along with the din of the many crowded tables around me, kept me from reading my Philip Roth in peace, and before I knew it, it seemed to be time to back and get the clothes. While at the deli/laundromat, I tried to buy some tomato juice in the large container, only to find that I had the cross the street to the competing deli to do so. I brought my laundry home and made some (more) coffee and got back to work. After several hours of not eating, I went out to drink a couple of bottles of wine with a couple of girls, and had a slice of overly perfectly seasoned pizza. We smoked and listened to Jens Lekman and danced and I came home and had some chips and another beer.

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I don’t know how I feel about that.