Happy 2011!! I am happy to report that I was able to ring in the New Year in the comfort of my own home, having been discharged from the hospital on Tuesday. Now that I am no longer being served low-salt, low-taste food on a regular schedule, I am forced to cook my own. I can't go out to eat--there's too much salt in everything. I can't buy prepared foods--there's too much salt in everything. That leaves me to fend for myself.
Having watched (and smelled) LA eat some sad-looking burgers from the hospital cafeteria, I was craving a burger. I'm sure I could make a healthy version. And I did. 96% lean ground beef seasoned with black pepper and garlic powder, low-sodium sliced Colby-Jack cheese (thank you, Sargento), lettuce, tomato, and a whole-wheat roll. The burger was a bit overcooked and dry, and the roll was overtoasted. Even so, we both agreed it was the best burger ever. I guess context is everything. Had we not been burned out on hospital food, we may not have been so enamored of the burger. As it was our first post-hospital meal, we were thrilled by it. The meal was rounded out with a baked potato. I thought about making potato wedges, but just didn't have the energy. Baked potatoes would have to do. Fat-free sour cream, low-sodium shredded Cheddar (thank you again, Sargento!), and imitation bacon bits topped the spuds. Who knew low-sodium could taste so good?? On a side note, imitation bacon bits have lower sodium than real bacon bits, so I am allowed to have them. On another side note, Morningstar bacon (which we call "facon") tastes just like imitation bacon bits. Don't waste your money.
The next evening, we were having company and I was feeling a bit lazy. I cooked up some frozen "Southern-style" hashbrowns, chopped broccoli, and green peas. This I dumped into a small casserole dish and seasoned with black pepper, my stand-by garlic powder, and some chipotle powder. I mixed Eggbeaters with milk to create the custard, then poured it over the veggies, then topped it all with more of my low-sodium shredded cheddar. I baked it for 50 minutes at 375 degrees, and it came out puffed up and golden. I'll admit it was a tad spicy, but LA and I were thrilled with the outcome. He even went back for seconds! The leftovers were combined with more Eggbeaters and hashbrowns, then wrapped in a tortilla, and we had breakfast burritos the following morning.
I won't lie and say that this whole low-sodium thing is easy, but it's turning out not to be as difficult as I thought. I can't buy a lot of my old standards at the supermarket, and I'm having to cook a lot more than I was before, since we can't just pop out and grab something. But it's totally worth it, to keep me alive and keep LA healthy. More to come on the low-sodium lifestyle!
Showing posts with label burger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label burger. Show all posts
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Monday, September 27, 2010
Logan's with Lula
While shopping at our nearby Walmart, LA and I decided we were a bit hungry. I wanted spinach artichoke dip, and he wanted a burger. Where to go? We ended up at Logan's Roadhouse, a chain with a store in the Walmart shopping center.
We had been craving the Bloomin' Onion from Outback for some time now and thought that a steakhouse might actually have it. We were correct. Logan's offers Onion Petals. We were very tempted but went with the spinach artichoke dip. You may have read my previous post about the lackluster spinach artichoke dip that we had at Zada Jane's. Logan's dip was the opposite. It reminded me a bit of creamed spinach with artichokes in it. I was highly impressed and ate most of it myself. Possibly some of the best I've ever had. I'll be going back for that.
I ordered the Logan's Deluxe Burger and LA ordered the Logan's Deluxe Chicken Sandwich, both from the Express Lunch menu. Lunch in 15 minutes, it said. Deluxe at Logan's means shredded cheese, bacon, beer-braised onions, sauteed mushrooms, and barbecue sauce. We ordered both with no mushrooms or sauce. Then we waited. And waited. And waited.
After 30 minutes, the waitress brought our food. As soon as she set down the plates, I saw the barbecue sauce on them. I pointed this out, and she briskly took the plates back to the kitchen. After about 10 minutes, our food reappeared. I got a whole new burger and LA got the same piece of chicken but with the sauce scraped off. He found plenty of sauce on the underside of the chicken, and they'd even put it on the same saucy bun. LA took a bite and made a terrible face. Yes, he could still taste the barbecue sauce. I told him I could get it for free since he wasn't going to it, but he refused. He'd pay for it since someone had cooked it, even though they'd cooked it incorrectly.
I continued eating my burger, while LA continued making faces. These faces must've caught the attention of the manager, since he came over and asked how everything was. LA and I looked at each other, then I explained what had happened with our order. He offered to get a new sandwich for LA, but LA refused, rationalizing the refusal by believing that the kitchen would spit in the new order. I've worked in a fair number of kitchens, and I haven't seen anyone spit in the food. But maybe I've only worked with people with integrity. The manager then offered to remove the item from the bill. Again LA refused. So I had to sit there and watch a back-and-forth between the two until LA finally relented. The manager even took the drinks off the tab. Lest you think that we're horrible people, we did leave the server a 30% tip. We knew it wasn't her fault.
If you dined out with me, you know that I do not tolerate poor service or incorrect food orders. I've gotten free drinks for having plastic floating in my martini, free desserts for a table for 4 because of terrible service, and a free chicken sandwich because the kitchen was cutting corners and thought we wouldn't notice. By the same token, I've given generous tips for good service, as well as notifying the managers of an exemplary dining experience. I've waited tables and I've cooked. I've seen it from both sides. I also know that I am paying for food and service, and I expect to get my money's worth. Even with the crazy experience at Logan's, LA and I both agreed that we would go back. Especially for the spinach artichoke dip.
We had been craving the Bloomin' Onion from Outback for some time now and thought that a steakhouse might actually have it. We were correct. Logan's offers Onion Petals. We were very tempted but went with the spinach artichoke dip. You may have read my previous post about the lackluster spinach artichoke dip that we had at Zada Jane's. Logan's dip was the opposite. It reminded me a bit of creamed spinach with artichokes in it. I was highly impressed and ate most of it myself. Possibly some of the best I've ever had. I'll be going back for that.
I ordered the Logan's Deluxe Burger and LA ordered the Logan's Deluxe Chicken Sandwich, both from the Express Lunch menu. Lunch in 15 minutes, it said. Deluxe at Logan's means shredded cheese, bacon, beer-braised onions, sauteed mushrooms, and barbecue sauce. We ordered both with no mushrooms or sauce. Then we waited. And waited. And waited.
After 30 minutes, the waitress brought our food. As soon as she set down the plates, I saw the barbecue sauce on them. I pointed this out, and she briskly took the plates back to the kitchen. After about 10 minutes, our food reappeared. I got a whole new burger and LA got the same piece of chicken but with the sauce scraped off. He found plenty of sauce on the underside of the chicken, and they'd even put it on the same saucy bun. LA took a bite and made a terrible face. Yes, he could still taste the barbecue sauce. I told him I could get it for free since he wasn't going to it, but he refused. He'd pay for it since someone had cooked it, even though they'd cooked it incorrectly.
I continued eating my burger, while LA continued making faces. These faces must've caught the attention of the manager, since he came over and asked how everything was. LA and I looked at each other, then I explained what had happened with our order. He offered to get a new sandwich for LA, but LA refused, rationalizing the refusal by believing that the kitchen would spit in the new order. I've worked in a fair number of kitchens, and I haven't seen anyone spit in the food. But maybe I've only worked with people with integrity. The manager then offered to remove the item from the bill. Again LA refused. So I had to sit there and watch a back-and-forth between the two until LA finally relented. The manager even took the drinks off the tab. Lest you think that we're horrible people, we did leave the server a 30% tip. We knew it wasn't her fault.
If you dined out with me, you know that I do not tolerate poor service or incorrect food orders. I've gotten free drinks for having plastic floating in my martini, free desserts for a table for 4 because of terrible service, and a free chicken sandwich because the kitchen was cutting corners and thought we wouldn't notice. By the same token, I've given generous tips for good service, as well as notifying the managers of an exemplary dining experience. I've waited tables and I've cooked. I've seen it from both sides. I also know that I am paying for food and service, and I expect to get my money's worth. Even with the crazy experience at Logan's, LA and I both agreed that we would go back. Especially for the spinach artichoke dip.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Lunch Counter
Some mornings come earlier than others. Yesterday's didn't come early at all. It came so late, in fact, that I missed the farmers' market. So LA and I had to find something else to do. Hmmm, what to do on a very warm Saturday? We headed on down to South Park. (Cue Les Claypool.) We did have ourselves a time, too.
The food court at the mall wasn't appealing to either of us. We passed on McCormick & Schmick's since they do steak and seafood, and I really don't want to deal with LA going into anaphylactic shock over lunch. He didn't feel like Mexican food, and M5's menu didn't appeal to him. That brought us to The Counter, for "Custom Built Burgers". The Counter is a small, mostly West Coast chain with a menu consisting, unsurprisingly, of mostly burgers. The restaurant is small and industrial, with high ceilings, visible ventilation, and a lot of blue paint. Too much blue paint, in my opinion. Even the staff wears blue t-shirts. While we were waiting for our food, we got to watch the World Cup. If you call periodically glancing at the monitors above the bar "watching the World Cup".
LA went the easy route and ordered the Hobo Pack. The menu describes this as "an assortment of grilled vegetables topped with fresh herbs". While it didn't specify which vegetables, LA was told that it did contain mushrooms and he would not be able to order it without them. He ordered it anyway, deciding that he would just pick them out. What he got was a parchment packet filled with an assortment of grilled vegetables. I saw corn, red peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms. He loved it and said he would start making it at home. Minus the mushrooms.
I like to make things difficult for myself, so I custom built my burger. While options are good, too much of a good thing can be overwhelming. For my burger, did I want beef, chicken, turkey, or veggie? 1/3 pound, 1/2 pound, or 1 full pound (post-cooking weight, not pre)? Did I want it on a bun or on a bed of lettuce? If I wanted a bun, did I want a regular bun, whole wheat, or an English muffin? Those were the easy choices. I was allowed one cheese, but had to pick from among 11 different options. I could have up to four toppings from a selection of 20. I can't imagine picking carrot strings, hard-boiled eggs, and pineapple as toppings for a burger, but obviously someone else can. Mustard and mayo aren't good enough for The Counter's patrons. I still had to choose from among 20 sauces. My mind was spinning by this point, and I wished I'd just picked the BLT from the standard menu. Before the headache kicked in, I settled for a 1/3 pound beef burger with Tillamook cheddar, bacon, dill pickle chips, scallions, and organic mixed greens, with garlic aioli on an English muffin. Oh, and the fries are extra. But what's a burger without fries? So I got those too.
The burger arrived perfectly cooked and one inch thick. Some may say that I have a big mouth, but I encountered some difficulty consuming the burger. I think "nibbled" best described how I ate my burger. The fries were shoestrings, sprinkled with seasoned salt. They were very good. I used the garlic aioli as a dipping sauce. Aioli is really just a fancy word for mayo, so I was expecting garlic-flavored mayo. I didn't detect even a hint of garlic. I also didn't detect a hint of cheddar on the burger, although I could see it was there. The bacon was a little on the undercooked side, but tasted fine. I was most happy with the scallions. They gave the burger an unexpected kick that was lacking from the cheese and the aioli. A tasty burger, yes. Worth the price? Not really.
I know this is South Park, where I should be happy to pay more for the privilege of appearing wealthy or trendy. The waitress told LA that she is a vegetarian. I said that of course she is. All servers in a place like that are vegetarians. It may even be a rule. She was friendly and polite, but more interested in chit-chatting with her friends than taking care of her tables. This also may have been a rule, since only one server spent more time serving customers than talking to coworkers. I wasn't unhappy with the experience at The Counter; just not impressed. The food was good, but not good enough for me to make another trip. I don't need 20 sauces and 11 types of cheese. I can get a burger with much less hassle anywhere, for the same price or less. And not have a headache when I leave.
The food court at the mall wasn't appealing to either of us. We passed on McCormick & Schmick's since they do steak and seafood, and I really don't want to deal with LA going into anaphylactic shock over lunch. He didn't feel like Mexican food, and M5's menu didn't appeal to him. That brought us to The Counter, for "Custom Built Burgers". The Counter is a small, mostly West Coast chain with a menu consisting, unsurprisingly, of mostly burgers. The restaurant is small and industrial, with high ceilings, visible ventilation, and a lot of blue paint. Too much blue paint, in my opinion. Even the staff wears blue t-shirts. While we were waiting for our food, we got to watch the World Cup. If you call periodically glancing at the monitors above the bar "watching the World Cup".
LA went the easy route and ordered the Hobo Pack. The menu describes this as "an assortment of grilled vegetables topped with fresh herbs". While it didn't specify which vegetables, LA was told that it did contain mushrooms and he would not be able to order it without them. He ordered it anyway, deciding that he would just pick them out. What he got was a parchment packet filled with an assortment of grilled vegetables. I saw corn, red peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms. He loved it and said he would start making it at home. Minus the mushrooms.
I like to make things difficult for myself, so I custom built my burger. While options are good, too much of a good thing can be overwhelming. For my burger, did I want beef, chicken, turkey, or veggie? 1/3 pound, 1/2 pound, or 1 full pound (post-cooking weight, not pre)? Did I want it on a bun or on a bed of lettuce? If I wanted a bun, did I want a regular bun, whole wheat, or an English muffin? Those were the easy choices. I was allowed one cheese, but had to pick from among 11 different options. I could have up to four toppings from a selection of 20. I can't imagine picking carrot strings, hard-boiled eggs, and pineapple as toppings for a burger, but obviously someone else can. Mustard and mayo aren't good enough for The Counter's patrons. I still had to choose from among 20 sauces. My mind was spinning by this point, and I wished I'd just picked the BLT from the standard menu. Before the headache kicked in, I settled for a 1/3 pound beef burger with Tillamook cheddar, bacon, dill pickle chips, scallions, and organic mixed greens, with garlic aioli on an English muffin. Oh, and the fries are extra. But what's a burger without fries? So I got those too.
The burger arrived perfectly cooked and one inch thick. Some may say that I have a big mouth, but I encountered some difficulty consuming the burger. I think "nibbled" best described how I ate my burger. The fries were shoestrings, sprinkled with seasoned salt. They were very good. I used the garlic aioli as a dipping sauce. Aioli is really just a fancy word for mayo, so I was expecting garlic-flavored mayo. I didn't detect even a hint of garlic. I also didn't detect a hint of cheddar on the burger, although I could see it was there. The bacon was a little on the undercooked side, but tasted fine. I was most happy with the scallions. They gave the burger an unexpected kick that was lacking from the cheese and the aioli. A tasty burger, yes. Worth the price? Not really.
I know this is South Park, where I should be happy to pay more for the privilege of appearing wealthy or trendy. The waitress told LA that she is a vegetarian. I said that of course she is. All servers in a place like that are vegetarians. It may even be a rule. She was friendly and polite, but more interested in chit-chatting with her friends than taking care of her tables. This also may have been a rule, since only one server spent more time serving customers than talking to coworkers. I wasn't unhappy with the experience at The Counter; just not impressed. The food was good, but not good enough for me to make another trip. I don't need 20 sauces and 11 types of cheese. I can get a burger with much less hassle anywhere, for the same price or less. And not have a headache when I leave.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
That IS a Tasty Burger!
At some point during my magazine-flipping or internet-surfing, I came across a photo of a pimento cheese bacon burger. It looked heavenly. I didn't read the accompanying article or recipe. I just figured I'd make my own with pimento cheese, bacon, and a burger. So I began planning.
With this recipe in mind, I bought some pimento cheese from Sandra with Harvest Catering. I've had good pimento cheese and bad pimento cheese. The supermarket variety is sweet and bright orange. I'd love to say that it qualifies as bad pimento cheese, but I can't. I happily eat it. But Harvest Catering's is very good pimento cheese. Grated cheddar, cream cheese, and pimentos. I didn't have any bread, and my ground beef was frozen, so I ate the pimento cheese with crackers. Until I ran out of crackers. Then I ate it with my finger. The point is that I'd eaten all of the pimento cheese by the time the ground beef had thawed, so I didn't get to have my long-desired pimento cheese bacon burger.
I was counting the days until I'd run into Sandra at the farmers market again, and today was the day! Sandra has two varieties of pimento cheese: mild and jalapeno. For a change of pace, I opted for the jalapeno. While I was out, I also picked up some Arnold's Select Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins, which look like really thin English muffins. I prefer to use English muffins as hamburger buns, so I figured the Sandwich Thins would work just as well.
Dinner time had finally arrived. I was using ground beef from Scally's Natural Beef for my burger, with some bacon from my freezer, and Harvest Catering's pimento cheese. I also added lettuce, pickle, and mayo to make it a traditional burger. Before final assembly, I toasted the bread. Just as protection against sogginess. So how was the burger? More heavenly than the original photo had led me to imagine! I almost cried when I finished eating it, because I didn't want the deliciousness to end. I was even tempted to make another one, but that would just be gluttony. I think I've discovered my new favorite burger.
Harvest Catering is at the Winecoff School Rd farmers' market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and at the Kannapolis Research Campus market on Thursdays. The Scallys are at Winecoff School Rd on Saturdays.
With this recipe in mind, I bought some pimento cheese from Sandra with Harvest Catering. I've had good pimento cheese and bad pimento cheese. The supermarket variety is sweet and bright orange. I'd love to say that it qualifies as bad pimento cheese, but I can't. I happily eat it. But Harvest Catering's is very good pimento cheese. Grated cheddar, cream cheese, and pimentos. I didn't have any bread, and my ground beef was frozen, so I ate the pimento cheese with crackers. Until I ran out of crackers. Then I ate it with my finger. The point is that I'd eaten all of the pimento cheese by the time the ground beef had thawed, so I didn't get to have my long-desired pimento cheese bacon burger.
I was counting the days until I'd run into Sandra at the farmers market again, and today was the day! Sandra has two varieties of pimento cheese: mild and jalapeno. For a change of pace, I opted for the jalapeno. While I was out, I also picked up some Arnold's Select Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins, which look like really thin English muffins. I prefer to use English muffins as hamburger buns, so I figured the Sandwich Thins would work just as well.
Dinner time had finally arrived. I was using ground beef from Scally's Natural Beef for my burger, with some bacon from my freezer, and Harvest Catering's pimento cheese. I also added lettuce, pickle, and mayo to make it a traditional burger. Before final assembly, I toasted the bread. Just as protection against sogginess. So how was the burger? More heavenly than the original photo had led me to imagine! I almost cried when I finished eating it, because I didn't want the deliciousness to end. I was even tempted to make another one, but that would just be gluttony. I think I've discovered my new favorite burger.
Harvest Catering is at the Winecoff School Rd farmers' market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and at the Kannapolis Research Campus market on Thursdays. The Scallys are at Winecoff School Rd on Saturdays.
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