Chinese!

[altivo]

I can't remember when the last time I ate at a Chinese restaurant was. More than ten years, for sure. I sometimes react pretty strongly to MSG, and that made it sort of like a dice roll or Russian roulette. Too bad, because I do like a lot of Chinese style dishes. I was aware of a place in Woodstock, but have become quite wary. We finally decided to try it after a friend said she was sure they added no MSG to the food there.

It says that right on the menu. Two hours later, I have no reaction, and the food was good too. They have the usual multipage menu with dozens and dozens of dishes in different styles. I happen to love hot and sour soup, which they had and it was nicely balanced. There's a lunch time buffet on weekdays, and a take out menu too. I think we'll be back.

In other news, the fox surfaced again this morning. One of our dogs started barking wildly during breakfast and we looked out the window to see her trotting up the lane toward the woodlot. She is sleek and healthy looking, and her fur is still quite heavy and full. No babies with her, but I'll bet they are stashed somewhere nearby.

Sunny and dry today, with temperatures in the region of 78F. As usual, we seem to have jumped from a cold and rainy spring to instant midsummer. Lilac and honeysuckle are in bloom everywhere, and the buds are appearing on wild cherry and blackberry now.

Comments

[hgryphon.livejournal.com]

Did you eat with sticks?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I can do that, but no. They had forks and knives on the tables.

[jairus-greywolf.livejournal.com]

MSG gives me headaches so I try and avoid it also. It's in a lot of prepackaged foods too.

And yes, this is my favorite time of the year!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I tend to have a more immediate and purgative reaction than the mere headache. It didn't happen.

I actually like autumn better than spring I think, but yes, this is the ideal temperature range as long as the air is dry and breezy. The heavy scent of honeysuckle that saturates the air around here gets old after a while, though. Fall smells better. ;p

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

Yay for foxies! Pictures maybe?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping for pictures. So far we've only had glimpses when she was on the move and the camera wasn't at hand.

[rustitobuck.livejournal.com]

It's too warm out. Since I don't get to live in a mixed outdoor water and land habitat where I can cool off, I'm resisting turning on the air conditioning as long as I can. But it may be too warm to sleep.

My hidden poison at Chinese restaurants is sugar. Even in the non "sweet" meals. Followed closely by corn starch. There's one place near me that I trust.

I'm reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, and I think I'm getting religion or something. Corn's gonna kill me, at least processed corn products will. Sheesh, I had a bad glucose day and so I looked at the ingredients on the "Light" Thousand Island Dressing I used on my sandwich, and it's basically flavored high-fructose corn syrup. The potato chips? Baked Lays are made of ground potatoes and modified food starch (i.e. chemically processed corn).

Dinner was salad in a bag with ranch dressing (!), some marinated chicken breast meat I grilled topped with salsa, and some 100% whole wheat no-high-f*tose corn syrup bread with butter on it.

It's getting to be good weather for my long nighttime walks, which I prefer shirtless in the cool night breezes.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I find this the ideal temperature. The humidity isn't up yet, it's warm enough that I no longer need a lot of clothing to avoid goosebumps, and there's a pleasant breeze much of the time. Oh, and the mosquitoes aren't yet around in great numbers.

Chinese food does probably have more sugar than I realize. Corn, however, shouldn't be part of the traditional preparation. I suppose it has become convenient here where everything is made of corn.

Yes, The Omnivore's Dilemma is correct. There is far too much corn, and especially HFCS, in the American diet. Fast foods are especially bad, followed immediately by the huge quantities of sweetened beverages and packaged "convenience" foods. Avoiding the stuff requires a lot of discipline and persistence, and being obvious about it makes people think you are suffering from OCD. I'm fortunate (so far) that I've never had a sweet tooth and that naturally reduces my exposure somewhat. I like cooking myself, which means I know what's in the food (mostly.)

As for those long night walks, you must have skin of iron or else enough fur to foil the mosquitoes. I'd be a mass of welts.

[rustitobuck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have too much insulation, so my ideal temperature is 65-75. I wouldn't mind being trimmer and more muscular.

I don't have thick dense fur, but I do live in an area with mosquito abatement. It's usually not too bad. I'll use an insect repellent if I'm in the woods, unless I'm biking...then the mosquitoes can't really catch me.

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I'm partial to smaller things like spring rolls or fortune cookies :P though I once had some exceptionally good barbecue chicken & rice. Also, I'm always thankful of foodcourt chinese restuarants that give away free samples- they really helped me when I was homeless ;)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I am inordinately fond of rice. ;p

Chinese cooks also know how to use pepper, curry, and other such seasonings to induce a pleasant warmth rather than the fires of hell that some Mexican foods invoke. I like Mexican cooking too, but for its abundant use of fresh greens and tomatoes rather than for the excessive capsaicin.

*nod*

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

Neil turned me on to rice a little while back, but I can't say it's something I'm terribly "fond" of... Yes, chinese cooks have some actual skill involved in their cooking methods (instead of relying exclusively on MSG or corn syrup like us westerners do)- different ones make different dishes better depending on their relative skills.

Re: *nod*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Long grain brown rice is an excellent staple food when you're on a tight budget. It takes longer to cook (bring to a boil, then drop the heat to the lowest possible and cover the pan, wait 45 min. or so) but it's tasty, much more nutritious than white rice or potatoes, gives you some "tooth" for chewing, and has good fiber. You still need vitamins and a little protein that it won't provide alone, but by adding small amounts of veggies and meat or fish, in the manner of Asian cooks, you have high quality, low fat food for little cost.

Re: Tight budget? LOL

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

Most people's "tight budget" would be wiggle room for me >_> I'm currently subsisting off stuff I got from a food pantry last week and get to stretch what few dollars I have until Monday. *looking forward to a can of carrots this eve* What makes it bearable for me is, most people aren't far from this level of living right now either- but it still hasn't quote dawned on them what that implies- I mean, I've been living like this (more or less) for the past 5 years... I wonder how long before they stop teeling themselves "next year it's gonna be better".

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

There was a place in Leeds which my father took me to on the evening of my graduation from university. It was called "57. Noodle bar." Rather a modest title, for it was in fact quite a posh Chinese restarant. I remember the lotus flower that was put on the side of my plate. Though I cannot remember what I ordered. It is sadly closed now, mainly due to being located in the wrong place really.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

My grandmother (the one with the shotgun and all the anecdotal peculiarities) introduced me to Chinese food when I was quite young. At that time, "Chinese" in the midwest meant Cantonese, usually well-prepared but very predictable. Long menus with delicacies from various regions of China, including steamed seafood and fiery Szechuan and Mandarin dishes hadn't been seen here yet.

Nonetheless, I've always liked rice and noodles and rarely eat Chinese style foods without thinking of her. She was of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, and her own cooking was solid German-American. I'm sure Chinese restaurant food was an extravagant and exotic treat from her perspective.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Hooray for the Vixen sighting :)

As to the MSG a lot of restaurants have cut it out altogether or it's been refined so as not to cause so many reactions.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I have an atypical reaction, not the headache so often described but more immediate and visceral. It seems to be triggered by really high content.

Most fast foods and processed foods (which I tend to avoid anyway) have substantial amounts of MSG in them, along with the high fructose corn syrup that is poisoning much of America.

Unfortunately, the vixen sightings have been just glimpses. I still have no photos of her this year.

[alaskawolf.livejournal.com]

wow 10 years with out Chinese food :O im glad that you had no reaction and liked the food too :)

sounds like a nice warm day there :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It was just right. Not into the heat and humidity and mosquitoes yet, sunny with a pleasant breeze.

I know I haven't been in a Chinese restaurant since we moved here and actually for several years before that, so yes, 10+ years. Probably more like 14 or more. We've had Thai a few times, and I remember going to a VietNamese place once when my ankle was in a cast (winter 1997) but not actual Chinese.

[alaskawolf.livejournal.com]

you would love my moms Thai cooking :) she always has to make it less spicy for me, i think im the only Thai mixed person in the world who cant handle it hot spicy :p

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I usually do like Thai cooking. I don't mind the spices at all, and I really like the things with coconut or lemon grass. Tom ka gai is especially nice since it has both.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Ironic that the fox turns up after you enjoy a good
Chinese repast.

Seriously, I loves me a china food and its nice you
found a place that works for you.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

This place has most of the familiar dishes that I like, even empress chicken and crispy duck. The hot and sour soup was a delight after so long. No sweet and sour wonton, though they do have seet and sour shrimp or pork. I had the pork (without worrying about "swine" flu) and Gary had cashew chicken. We divided both dishes and managed to eat it all. The table service was very polite, as usual for Chinese places, and it was authentic because all the conversations in the kitchen and several on the phone were definitely in Chinese. ;p

[cozycabbage.livejournal.com]

Every time I pull out my big bag of MSG, people yell at me and shout all sorts of old wive's tales.

I'm one of those lucky people who don't have reactions to anything.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

They aren't all wive's tales. If I eat food with excessive MSG in it, within two hours it will come right back up. Lesser amounts produce headache and circulatory symptoms, tingling extremities, and palpitations.

Even without that sensitivity, you should be concerned about the amount of sodium. Even though it isn't as salty tasting as salt, it contains a huge dose of sodium which is bad for anyone's blood pressure.

[cozycabbage.livejournal.com]

I wonder if I can call salt monosodium chloride.
Ha, I can! I had no clue that site existed.

Anyway, I was told by someone that "it just makes food seem to taste better because it slices up your tongue to let the flavour in." That's the kind of stuff I was talking about when I mentioned tales.

I just have to be sure to drink plenty of hydrogen hydroxide with it.