The Bagel Incident
Well readers, this was not a stellar week in the land of gastronomic delights. In fact, my week began with a culinary disaster on Monday at lunchtime.
Although I had brought leftover split pea soup to work, I decided what I really wanted was a garlic bagel from Whole Foods with neufchatel cheese and carrots with hummus. If only I had just reheated the soup and called it lunch. Instead, I went out and bought that bagel, and in the kitchen at work, the knife that was supposed to cut the bagel slipped off the wonderful crusty edge and across my index and middle fingers.
Ow.
And ew. Lots of blood.
Thank goodness for co-workers. I am a terrible wimp when it comes to both blood and pain, and as soon as someone said, "Turn your finger so I can see if it went through the other side," my face went white, and I almost passed out.
Three hours later, I returned to the office with fingers bandaged by Steri-Strips and lots of gauze. The Steri-Strips meant I could avoid stitches, but I had keep them as immobile as possible and dry for the next five days. Fine by me. As long as there are no needles involved, I am a happy patient.
And, look! I am back to typing full sentences with all ten fingers, sort of. And, yes, multiple people have suggested that I invest in a bagel guillotine, so no need to comment, thank you.
Between the injury and a business trip to DC, I didn't have much time or energy for going out. On Thursday, though, I went with a group from my photography class to Molly's, a traditional Irish bar on 3rd Avenue. With wooden benches, a wood-burning fireplace, sawdust on the floor and an aroma of hickory, Molly's offers a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, a perfect haven on a chilly, rainy spring night.
Molly's has Blue Moon Brewing Company's Belgian White on tap, and they serve it with a slice of orange, the way it is meant to be enjoyed. According to the brewer, the orange garnish brings out the coriander and citrus flavors already present. There is a Tasting Journal available on the Blue Moon web site, which offers tips on how to taste beers, pairing suggestions and recipes.
To accompany my Belgian White, I ordered french onion soup, which was sadly disappointing. There was probably a half pound of what tasted like mozzarella cheese in the soup and a small piece of spongy white bread. In my mind, a good french onion soup should have a chunk of baguette and just enough Gruyere cheese to add its rich, nutty flavor. I still had a nice time, though, and the beer filled me up.
After work on Friday, V. and I headed into the East Village for a good cocktail (or a few). On the way, we stopped at Butter Lane on East 7th Street for a cupcake snack--not my typical pre-cocktail snack, but they looked tasty.
Although Butter Lane claims to offer their diners "something to sink their teeth into besides straight sugar," their cupcakes are overly sweet. And, when I sank my teeth in for the first bite, the cupcake fell apart. For $2.75, you get about three full bites and a palmful of crumbs. The one plus of the Butter Lane cupcake is that it's not overloaded with frosting.
V. and I landed at Rue B on Avenue B between 11th and 12th Streets. We happily discovered they have a two-for-one happy hour special between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. And, it's two for one on anything with alcohol in it, not just on well drinks and drafts. I ordered a Manhattan. V. ordered a pomegranate martini, and we were both quite happy.
My cupcake snack wasn't doing much to keep the liquor from going straight to my head, so with our second round, I ordered a panini. I try often to stick with whole grain choices, but sometimes nothing beats a toasted and pressed hunk of crusty white bread stuffed with goat cheese and vegetables. It was wonderful.
Well, that's it. That's all there is this week. My fingers are starting to ache so it must be time to sign off. Stay tuned! More exciting adventures are in the works for next week, or they will be shortly. I promise!
Photos from Class:
Well readers, this was not a stellar week in the land of gastronomic delights. In fact, my week began with a culinary disaster on Monday at lunchtime.
Although I had brought leftover split pea soup to work, I decided what I really wanted was a garlic bagel from Whole Foods with neufchatel cheese and carrots with hummus. If only I had just reheated the soup and called it lunch. Instead, I went out and bought that bagel, and in the kitchen at work, the knife that was supposed to cut the bagel slipped off the wonderful crusty edge and across my index and middle fingers.
Ow.
And ew. Lots of blood.
Thank goodness for co-workers. I am a terrible wimp when it comes to both blood and pain, and as soon as someone said, "Turn your finger so I can see if it went through the other side," my face went white, and I almost passed out.
Three hours later, I returned to the office with fingers bandaged by Steri-Strips and lots of gauze. The Steri-Strips meant I could avoid stitches, but I had keep them as immobile as possible and dry for the next five days. Fine by me. As long as there are no needles involved, I am a happy patient.
And, look! I am back to typing full sentences with all ten fingers, sort of. And, yes, multiple people have suggested that I invest in a bagel guillotine, so no need to comment, thank you.
Between the injury and a business trip to DC, I didn't have much time or energy for going out. On Thursday, though, I went with a group from my photography class to Molly's, a traditional Irish bar on 3rd Avenue. With wooden benches, a wood-burning fireplace, sawdust on the floor and an aroma of hickory, Molly's offers a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, a perfect haven on a chilly, rainy spring night.
Molly's has Blue Moon Brewing Company's Belgian White on tap, and they serve it with a slice of orange, the way it is meant to be enjoyed. According to the brewer, the orange garnish brings out the coriander and citrus flavors already present. There is a Tasting Journal available on the Blue Moon web site, which offers tips on how to taste beers, pairing suggestions and recipes.
To accompany my Belgian White, I ordered french onion soup, which was sadly disappointing. There was probably a half pound of what tasted like mozzarella cheese in the soup and a small piece of spongy white bread. In my mind, a good french onion soup should have a chunk of baguette and just enough Gruyere cheese to add its rich, nutty flavor. I still had a nice time, though, and the beer filled me up.
After work on Friday, V. and I headed into the East Village for a good cocktail (or a few). On the way, we stopped at Butter Lane on East 7th Street for a cupcake snack--not my typical pre-cocktail snack, but they looked tasty.
Although Butter Lane claims to offer their diners "something to sink their teeth into besides straight sugar," their cupcakes are overly sweet. And, when I sank my teeth in for the first bite, the cupcake fell apart. For $2.75, you get about three full bites and a palmful of crumbs. The one plus of the Butter Lane cupcake is that it's not overloaded with frosting.
V. and I landed at Rue B on Avenue B between 11th and 12th Streets. We happily discovered they have a two-for-one happy hour special between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. And, it's two for one on anything with alcohol in it, not just on well drinks and drafts. I ordered a Manhattan. V. ordered a pomegranate martini, and we were both quite happy.
My cupcake snack wasn't doing much to keep the liquor from going straight to my head, so with our second round, I ordered a panini. I try often to stick with whole grain choices, but sometimes nothing beats a toasted and pressed hunk of crusty white bread stuffed with goat cheese and vegetables. It was wonderful.
Well, that's it. That's all there is this week. My fingers are starting to ache so it must be time to sign off. Stay tuned! More exciting adventures are in the works for next week, or they will be shortly. I promise!
Photos from Class:
Ouch is right! I learned a way to cut, using my fingernails as protection. But in the end, I gave up on cutting bagels. Better left to professionals for the two I eat a year. (Otherwise I'd be back to 230 lbs!)
ReplyDeleteGlad you got yourself patched up! For better cupcakes - Two Little Red Hens - mmmmm! But I warn you: the Brooklyn Blackout cupcake is best bought as a mini.
ReplyDelete