Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Food journaling

My mom and I have decided to exchange daily food journals as a means of keeping track of what we eat. Every night, we exchange an e-mail recapping all the food and drink we've consumed.

We have different goals. Mine is to lose a few pounds, hers to get her cholesterol under control. Although it's only been a few days, keeping the journals has already started to have a good effect on me.

I used to steal a snack here and there without giving it much thought. But now that I have to record every bite, I haven't been snacking as much. Faced with the hassle of taking notes throughout the day or trying to recall all my snacks come evening, I find I'd rather not have the snacks after all.

Also, it's embarrassing to have someone else know just how many random string cheeses, chips, or pieces of candy I might eat on a given day.

I find I'm also less likely to grab a late-night snack after dinner (I know, I snack a lot!) like tea and a cookie, because my nightly e-mail has already been sent.

Another bonus: I like to see what other people eat. And I've always admired my mom's way of eating, which is simple and full of enjoyment.

A sample of our food journal exchanges:

Mine:

5-inch piece of baguette, with thin scrape of butter
1 small piece Jarslberg cheese
1 soft-boiled egg
6 baby carrots
Black tea

Bento box -
Rice, Asian greens, 1 small chicken thigh,
1 small piece salmon, Tofu skin/mushroom/carrot stir fry
Grapes and blueberries

1 small can V8
4 slices mango
2 slices baguette with hummus

Ramen with spinach, bok choy, green onions
Poached egg
Pickled cucumbers, fried gluten, chili oil bamboo
1/2 glass red wine
6 slices mango

My mom's:

1/2 pink grapefruit
4 slices of french bread, toasted
1 hard-boiled egg
black tea

6 pieces of sushi roll ( from Costco)
leftover bento food
black tea

1 apple
1 cup of cranberry juice

5 pork & shrimp dumplings
1/2 bowl of rice in tomato and tofu soup
2 squids
1 piece of chicken
fried bean sprout
tomato & cucumber salade in vinaigrette
1 shortbread cookie
strawberries

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Kanpachi sushi in Gardena

Omakase! Served by the soft-spoken Kiro-san, a sushi chef who is an old friend of Jen and her family.

1) Hirame (halibut) and Tai (red snapper)
2) Toro (fatty tuna) and Maguro Tataki (marinated seared tuna)
3) Hotate (scallop), Mirugai (giant clam), and Awabi (abalone)
4) Uni (sea urchin roe)
5) Aji (Spanish mackerel) and Kanpachi (amberjack)
6) Ama Ebi (sweet shrimp) and Tako (raw octopus)
7) Tamago (omelet)

Interspersed between the sushi courses were a miso soup with the tasty head of the shrimp (from #6) and a delicate steamed egg custard.

Was very interested in the progression of the omakase, starting with the lighter-tasting types of white fish to red fish, then to crisp bivalves, back again to fish, this time of the stronger, oily varieties, and climaxing in glorious shellfish. Tamago a sweet ending.

Tasty bits I got after the omakase was finished, out of greed:

  • Saba (mackerel), which this chef makes extra luscious through smoking
  • Tako (octopus), miraculously tender, cut into chunks, and served with a dipping salt

Many thanks to Jen for introducing me to this wonderful restaurant, and for helping to reconstruct the menu we had last week. And for throwing in all the Japanese names for the sushi, which I am still trying to learn.