graham crackers

We started attempting to feed LB purees around six months, but she hasn’t been a fan (sweet potatoes, pears, butternut squash, and avocado all failed).  We have had more success with chunkier servings of avocado and carrots.  A friend mailed us a baby food cookbook so our first recipe from it was for a cousin’s Christmas present as she (well her mom) asked for snack foods.  I saw the graham crackers, and I wanted to try them myself plus I figured they’d be as wholesome as most available prepared snack foods.  The recipe from the book required some tweeking as both times I followed it, my dough was more like drop cookie dough rather than anything one might roll and cut.

1.25 c graham or whole wheat flour

1.25 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

.25 c butter

.5 c honey

.25 c soy milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine dry then cut in butter until dough has consistency of cornmeal.  Mix in milk. If dough is too sticky and soft to roll add more flour.  Roll out on a liberally floured surface to a .25″ thickness.  Cut into desired shapes then prick with a fork.  Bake on ungreased baking sheets for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool a couple of minutes on the sheet then remove cookies to a cooling rack.

For vegan cookies use 1 c each of the flours then .25 c of a bland oil like canola, and .25-.5c raw sugar; it is possible that the dough may require a bit more flour as with the non vegan recipe.

Shout outs

We’ve really cut back our dining out with LB because we really don’t want to be one of those couples with a kid acting like a kid in a nice restaurant, but we also hate lugging all the baby accoutrements around anymore than necessary.  However, we did stop in Brevard a few weeks ago for lunch on our way to Highlands for a wedding.  Before that we checked out the latest vegan addition to the Asheville restaurant scene.

My husband wanted to try Jordan Street Cafe, but they were closed so I got my pick of Marco Trattoria.  We opted to eat inside as the sunny fall day was keeping the outside dining areas full.  I ordered an eggplant parmesan, and my honey had the crab and sherry bisque with an arugula salad and a the panini special (which I don’t recall).  Both dishes had nice presentations and portions in addition to being tasty.  The tiramisu that I attempted for dessert was terrible; it was a runny pile of mush that tasted overly sweet.  Our service was fine, and the prices are reasonable.

 

 

 

Asheville’s first vegan fine dining restaurant, Plant, opened a few months back, and we had to visit as my husband’s awesome former boss is one of the owners.  I had never been to Gourmet Perks so I don’t have a reference for what the interior used to look like, but Plant is modern and open.  The service was nice, and our food was great.  We started with the seitan skewers with fried plantains, and I craved them in between visits.  I followed with the black pepper tofu; I don’t really recall much about the tofu, but the rice cakes and the watercress were divine.  My husband enjoyed his wild mushroom risotto, but I don’t recall sampling it.  At our next visit we came for lunch, and I was able to enjoy the skewers again.  I followed them with the Thai roll, which was tasty, and again I don’t recall sampling my honey’s berger.  On a visit that I missed after my return to work, my husband checked out the reuben, which he said was an all around good flavorful sandwich.  To make up for going without me, he brought me some mocha and mint chocolate chip ice cream which could easily give Ultimate Ice Cream and The Hop a run for their money (I haven’t tried any of Ultimate’s vegan options so I am speaking of their standard ice creams).  While Laughing Seed may have a better location, Plant definitely has the better food.

Fun with Fusion

My love for fried potatoes has been mentioned before but rather than bother with making dough for samosas, I decided to make latkes and add some frozen peas then serve with red lentil/masoor dal for a quick and easy dinner.

For the dal, I diced the leftover latke onion and cooked it over medium high with a bit of sunflower oil; I then added some diced garlic and ginger.

After that had cooked a few minutes I toasted some cumin, coriander, and methi/fenugreek seeds in the center of the pan then I stirred in the picked over lentils and allowed them to cook for a minute or two.

Once everything was smelling tasty I added enough stock to cover the lentils and allowed to cook about ten minutes until the stock was absorbed.  I added maybe half a cup of water then allowed them to cook another five to ten followed by one more half cup or so of water and a final five minutes so that they were thoroughly cooked.

I finished by removing the dal from the heat and pureeing it with my immersion blender.  While the dal was cooking, I shredded the potatoes and half a large onion then beat an egg and combined the veggies with the flour and egg and salt.

Then I put a fried a heaping tablespoon worth of batter in a thin layer of oil in my cast iron skillet.  We ate these hot with hot dal, and they fulfilled my craving for samosas and fried potatoes.

Vinnie’s and Ultimate Ice Cream

As we approach the end of being a two top dining party, we’ve both had the urge to dine out more and more.  Most recently we attempted to eat at Circle on the Square but were foiled when they didn’t have any eggplant (not for the two sandwiches, the pizza topping, or the two dinners on their menu).  Instead of driving a bit further to Marco’s North, we decided to try a new place, Vinnie’s.  The menu held much the same as both Marco’s and Circle in the Square with the price points being similar as well (Circle in the Square is cheaper on the dinners, but they are counter service not table service).

The music was cheesy and cliched which perfectly set the scene for the food.  Pretty much everything is painted brown, and the carpet is dark and old looking too.  Of course, this all fits with the menu and helps to distance Vinnie’s from the former Savoy.  Everything except the food portions was mediocre.

Although the restaurant was far from busy, the two hostesses spent a minute or two discussing where we should be sat, and we were lead to the back to a little two top.  I believe our server was not alerted to the fact of our presence because we waited another several minutes before anyone noticed us even though another server and buser were attending to other tables near us.  After a trip to the bathroom and another few minutes, our server appeared to tell us about the specials ($5 martinis on a Friday including the fru fru cosmo and apple kinds) and take our drink orders.  True to Asheville style, the draft beer menu represents local breweries with Pisgah and Asheville Pizza that I can recall for certain.

We started with garlic knots as my honey was starving; the portion is great for the $4 price, but they were covered with a much too liberal dusting of what I like to call cardboard also known as parmesan cheese from a shake can.   Although the minced garlic proliferated the plate, it was as if it had had the flavor cooked right out of it, and for garlic lovers like us this was a major disappointment.  However, much like the music, it set the stage for what to expect with our entrees.  Both the baked ziti and my eggplant hero were large portions, and both were covered with an inordinate amount of mozzarella.  The hero is a simply eggplant, marinara, and cheese on a sub roll; for eight dollars, it is filling although less than flavorful.  Between the cheese (even after discarding over half of it) and the sub roll, the breaded eggplant would have really needed to be strong as would the marinara, but like the garlic knots the whole thing was just bland.  In their defense a sweet red pepper, a pepperocini, and a dark green pepper were served on the side.  I did not try the ziti, but it was gone before my sandwich was completed.  My hot sub arrived barely lukewarm, while my husband’s ziti was piping hot.

It is unlikely that I would ever choose to return to Vinnie’s; Marco’s South is closer, better, and sometimes sells something delectable from Short Street Cakes, and Nona Mia is about the same distance and far superior (both restaurants are also similar in pricing and portions).

In a bout of wretched excess, we drove all the way east to the flagship location of Ultimate Ice Cream because we didn’t think their Charlotte Street location would serve a brownie sundae (plus when we drove by the little shop was chock full, and I neglected to take a second potty break at Vinnie’s).  While The Hop was directly across the street from Vinnie’s and serves a much larger brownie sundae, their ice cream is just too sweet, and the featured flavor just doesn’t shine through.  Ultimate does occasionally over do it (mostly with the coffee flavors), but when you eat one of their flavors there is no guess as to what it is.

Being the massively pregnant one, my husband deferred to my choices for the sundae we were going to split, and fortunately he shared his plans to order a split pint to go of coffee caramel and peanut butter with chocolate flakes so I didn’t duplicate.  We ended up with ginger and pistachio topped with toasted coconut and at my husband’s insistence hot fudge sauce; the pistachio is maybe the one flavor I wouldn’t be able to pick out in a blind test, but the ginger was the perfect blend of sweet cream and spicy ginger bite.  The brownie stayed in the background, but I was massively disappointed to see a can of whipped topping rather than a bowl of in house made whipped cream.  I mean with ice cream this good, it seems a damned shame to top it with something from a can so I chose to forego the whipped topping.  I also love their chai, kahlua mocha almond, and cup of joe; before writing this I took a couple of sample bites of their coffee caramel and peanut butter with chocolate flakes, and I’ve had to add two more flavors to my favorites list.

Ultimate Ice Cream is served in many local restaurants across town, but I still decry the loss of their West Asheville partnership with the now defunct Two Spoons.  Of course it would be even better if they’d bring it south, although my waistline and wallet would suffer tremendously.

Cinnamon Kitchen

I believe Cinnamon Kitchen is the final new addition to the south end that I was interested in trying so a few nights ago we headed over.  They have a corner spot in Gerber Village with roadside frontage, and fortunately for everyone Five Guys has turned down the volume on their noise pollution, which should make dining on either one of the two patios a bit more pleasant (although the noise from Hendersonville Rd or fumes from the parking lot might not be anymore pleasant).  The interior is warm, and the tables are moderately spaced.  We sat on the opposite side of the bar divided by a five foot wall; unfortunately, this put us in hearing distance of the server stand behind the bar and in good view of the flat screen for the bar patrons.

After we were sat, we were served by two servers although the hostess advised Nick would be taking care of us.  This did nothing to improve service.  For the most part it also did nothing to really impair service either; however at one point our waters were removed to be refilled rather than just use the pitcher that was used later.  We received our appetizers from a food runner, and halfway through the server who had removed the waters returned to inquire about the appetizers at which point we reminded her about our missing waters.  She returned with only one, but my husband had his beer so we just let it go.  The other issue occurred at the end of the meal when our check arrived before we were finished (with about an hour of service remaining), so we ordered dessert then after finishing and having the plates cleared and having enough time to run to the ladies’ room we had to request the check.  Both servers were friendly if less than professional, but again overall it was mediocre not terrible service.

We ordered liberally because I’m almost always hungry these days, and overall the food was fine but not impressive.  I felt the opener and the closer were the best parts of the meal; I ordered some garlic naan, and it was really garlicky and not overly greasy as well as being a fair portion.  We also ordered two additional appetizers, which were less than stellar.  My hara bara kabob (wasn’t actually a kabob although the menu description does indicate it is a patty) was overworked potatoes formed into cakes with spinach and served with a huge chuck of icky looking lettuce and two sauces (tamarind and a green spicy mix); while the cake was gummy, the flavor was fine.  My honey had two large veggie samosas, and as I only had one bit I don’t recall if the potato was overworked.

My husband ordered the tandoori lamb, and the portion was generous.  It was served with again huge chunks of vegetables in the center with the lamb chops arranged in a circle around the plate.  The center vegetables were not seasoned but they had been cooked; although one could cut them at the table, it is just odd to be served such large pieces of vegetables.  The chops were served with sauce in a separate dish that my honey really enjoyed.  For my entree I replicated my Mela dining experience and ordered the bangan bhar.  Although my vegetables were much more bite sized, the eggplant was cooked down much more than the peppers or onions, and the tomatoes looked like the whole canned tomatoes we use at home to make red sauce.  The flavor and portion were fine, and it was also served with white rice and frozen peas on the side.  For dessert I went with the mango kulfi, and at less than four dollars I must endorse this as one of the best dessert options on this end of town.  The presentation did detract a bit from the dessert;  five or six cubes of mango kulfi were surrounded by two clouds of canned whipped topping that had been drizzled with chocolate syrup.  On the plus side, the chocolate syrup and whipped topping were off to side and could be avoided.

The beer selection might be considered impressive outside of Asheville, but nary a local brewery was represented on draft (Gaelic by the bottle).  While neither our food nor the service were outright bad, I feel Chai Pani offers much better food for much less money, and we both agreed that there is no reason to return to Cinnamon Kitchen (although thinking about that mango kulfi I might return to assuage my sweet tooth).

Posana

Our most recent dining out experience was at Posana, and overall our experience left much to be desired; although for some reason I cannot say that I would not return.  The interior is nice and swanky, but the tables are packed in very tightly.  They have a large banquette along the wall adjacent to the patio, and then they have four or five two tops opposite that abut against a half wall which creates a divide between the tables and the bar.  I know I’m a bit wider than normal, but I found it difficult to pass by without brushing either the tables on one side or the chairs for the banquette tables on the other side.  There are also several four top tables in the windows facing Biltmore/Broadway as well as plenty of seating at their gorgeous bar.  The proximity of the tables combined with the noise of the bar made private conversation a bit difficult, and at one point we weren’t able to hear each other at all as the server at the table to our left proclaimed the specials menu.  Our server simply pointed out the specials menu tucked into the regular menu and noted the correction that the pork special was replaced with lamb.

On other points of service, our server was woefully negligent.  We both ordered water to begin and my husband ordered a beer, while she was obtaining the water I perused their non-alcoholic drinks menu and decided on a ginger ale.  However, I was not able to detain our server long enough when she dropped our waters to place the order, even after two ma’ams and making eye contact with her.  She did stop at the neighboring table where they requested their check, so I decided to forgo the soda.  She returned to take our food order (the bartender brought my husband’s beer), but apparently it wasn’t enough to be worthy of her time as she came back to our table twice after that.  Once she dutifully inquired as to how our entrees were and promised to refill both of our almost empty waters, and the second time she picked up my credit card (which means that our waters were never refilled).  For a restaurant with an atmosphere and prices like Posana, I expect better service; even if our server is busy with other tables they should have more support staff, like food runners and busers, to refill water and pre-bus and handle general inquiries.

The vegetarian options were skimp throughout the menu; the appetizers contained a cheese plate along with the obligatory squash and zucchini appetizer.  The salads of course represent better, but only two were options for a pregnant woman with only one being appetizing for me.  Neither the dinner specials nor the entree menu had a single vegetarian option, and the small plate options were again composed of the obligatory zucchini and squash and mushrooms.  However, my mushroom gnocchi plate was tasty and a moderate portion, if fairly uninspired.  What was most surprising about our meal was my small plate portion was the same size as my husband’s entree portion.  His cost $19 while mine was $12, and yes his did have shrimp albeit a light topping of rock shrimp.  Additionally, for a restaurant that advertises and promotes their local sourcing, I wonder where the asparagus in my husband’s entree came from at this time of year?

I liked the look of the place, but the menu doesn’t contain much that would impel me to return, especially since I have no major gluten allergy.  For some reason I still cannot say that I wouldn’t return; they do have a patio across from Pack Square which might be nice in warm weather to sip cocktails and people watch.

Bouchon Street Food

I enjoy eating at Bouchon, and much to my delight they opened a fast food option, Bouchon Street Food, a while ago.  We’ve stopped there to cure my craving for french fries and aioli, and now that they’ve moved into an enclosed space in the courtyard adjacent to Bouchon, I stopped in for lunch last week after a long shopping spree for maternity clothes.

I generally abhor soda, but I love Orangina because it isn’t so saccharine sweet so I savored my Orangina while I waited for my farm to table crepe with of course my beloved herbed frites and aioli.  I sat at the counter which was empty while the banquette that occupies almost the entire wall opposite the bar had a few couples.  A relatively steady flow of customers came in while I had lunch in the late afternoon, and one couple even ate on the patio (although the high was less than sixty that day).  My crepe was hearty much like the crepes served at dinner at Bouchon, and the frites were savory and crisp and hot.  I’d love some additional vegetarian options, but my farm to table was a good value for $6.  After smelling another patron’s fleur (simply delicious nutella) crepe, I also ordered one, which was again the same hefty size as my savory crepe, and served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Bouchon Street Food is open for lunch, but they also do early dinner during the week with a bit later dinner on the weekend; as Bouchon doesn’t take reservations (and they are frequently packed due to all you can eat mussel nights Monday through Wednesday), their sister restaurant might be available to cure your crepe craving.

Boca

Before I was hit with this wretched cold, my honey and I had a night on the town with food and music.  We’re trying to get in as much fun and going out as possible before we have to also find a babysitter.  For dinner my husband chose Boca, a new addition to Lexington Avenue, and I couldn’t resist a menu with two of my favorite Spanish words: jicama and Oaxacan.

We arrived sometime between 7:30 and 8, so they were relatively busy for a Thursday night.  I saw one other empty table, which was a four top miserably situated to be shot with an arctic blast every time the front door opened.  Although we were sat behind a protective planter, we were acutely aware each and every time the door was opened, especially if a few people were trying to squeeze into the tiny foyer to talk with the hostess.  Boca leaves no space unused, and with a prime spot who can blame them for trying to maximize every square inch.  However, we were nestled into an alcove with another two top and a six top; this is no restaurant for large people, because if I had been anymore pregnant I’m not certain I could have managed to sit close enough to the table to avoid touching the seat behind me.  As a foil the ladies’ rest room was huge.  In the warmer months, they have a garage door that looks like it will open to provide patio access, and I look forward to dining on the patio enclosed by their large water feature.

Our service was prompt and professional by both the server and the hostess; although our server did not mention any specials, and from our seat the specials board wasn’t readily visible in the dimly lit atmosphere.  I opted to stick to the appetizers menu for my dinner; I tried the chickpea salad and the mushroom empanadas, while he chose the ceviche of the day, jicama salad, and the entree he tried to push me into ordering, black Oaxacan mole enchiladas.  Everything we ordered was served in hearty portions well worth the price, but the executions of a few items fell short of our expectations.  My chickpea salad which promised almonds, pomegranate seeds, and a vinaigrette came sans; the greens, goat cheese, and fried chickpeas, however, were served in abundance (there was actually too much goat cheese).  The jicama and chile lime dish would have been better if it had actually been jicama and chile lime rather than the sweet chile sauce we received.  As it was the biggest dish, the enchiladas were also the biggest disappointment.  I definitely dodged a bullet by not ordering this dish; the sauce was so searingly spicy that even my smoker husband who adores more heat that I can stand was taken aback.  He ordered it with tofu, and he reported the tofu was bland and probably cooked by someone who doesn’t actually eat tofu.  On the bright side the rice was perfectly cooked and delightfully fresh with the taste of cilantro.

My mushroom empanadas were smoky, and unlike the mole on the enchiladas, their smoky spice was perfectly balanced with the blandness of the corn pastry; I have been craving those things all week long, but I think pairing them with a nice cold beer will make them even better so I’m abstaining for now.  My husband enjoyed his mahi- mahi ceviche.

Our meal was mostly pleasant, and hopefully Boca will iron out the kinks in their execution of the menu items without reducing their portion sizes; again, I am looking forward to sitting on the patio with sound of their water feature and enjoying a cold beer and some mushroom empanadas.

What’s Cookin?

I took a month or two off from cooking as a result of my aversion to the smell of raw garlic, but now that the phase has passed we’re back to switching off cooking weeks.  I still cannot eat enough nightshades, so many a dinner is Nona Mia‘s eggplant parmesan for me and the Farmhouse pie for my honey’s dinner and my lunch the next day.  Their eggplant is really spectacular because it is sliced thickly so you can actually taste the eggplant over the breading, and their tomato sauce is chunky with crushed tomatoes; the cheese is used with a lighter hand than most area restaurants, which for me is heaven because I want the eggplant not the parmesan.  The Farmhouse remains my favorite pizza that my husband doesn’t make with its goat cheese, basil, olives, roasted tomatoes, and (best of all) focaccia crust.

However, this post is what I’ve actually been cooking not how much we love Nona Mia.  Last winter, I fell in love with brussels sprouts baked with garlic, white wine, and butter in a covered casserole dish, but with the pregnancy, I’m not ingesting any alcohol be it cooked or not.  The recipe adapted quite well both going uncovered (my honey broke the lid) and alcohol free; in lieu of wine, we’ve added a some lemon juice.  In order to make it a meal, we’ve been eating it with grits, and I added about half a pound of tofu to the brussels to give us some protein.  The tofu also adds a soft texture like goat cheese, although I expected a more chewy texture.  I did not drain the tofu particularly well, which is probably the cause for the creamier texture.  With the dish being uncovered, I increased the temperature to 400F as they had cooked about forty-five minutes at 350F and still were way too firm to eat.  I didn’t bother to take any photos because I didn’t anticipate blogging this.

Aside from lasagna, my other favorite dish is from Smitten Kitchen.  I love goat cheese, butternut squash, and lentils so of course I was destined to love this dish.  To make it a bit more rounded, I added some garlic cooked kale, and  I used plain green lentils.  I am too lazy to roast the seeds, but both times I have made this we haven’t missed them.  The first round I made vegan, but the second batch proved that the goat cheese is essential.  I also didn’t add any heat aside from coarsely ground black pepper with the first batch (we corrected this with some sriracha after cooking).  My second batch received a healthy sprinkling of cayenne pepper along with the paprika, and I definitely used more than a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, although I didn’t bother to measure, I think it was more like a quarter of a cup,   The heat with the sour vinegar, sweet squash, and creamy goat cheese is just perfect.  Not to mention that lentils are an awesome and cheap source of protein and fiber without much fat.

Missed Anniversaries

Well, I’ve almost been away for two entire months.  It’s not because I don’t enjoying complaining about public transit and transportation and talking up my favorites restaurants, but I’ve been really busy reading hardcopy books.

It appears that I neglected to celebrate our second year of being a one car household in an area that really doesn’t do much to encourage regular use of public transit. I’m more than irked that ATS has decided to undertake increased marketing efforts rather than spend money on expanding service.  People know that the bus service exists, but it is under-utilized because it isn’t convenient.  I want it to be easier to buy passes; currently, one can visit the transit center with cash.  Why aren’t there refillable cards and self-service kiosks that accept cash or credit, even if they are isolated to the transit center?  It is cheap, and it is safe; however, when many routes end service before 7:30 how can anyone use ATS to have a dinner out or catch a movie or go to church?  If you don’t work first shift (or if you work first shift on a Sunday), it is very likely that you won’t be able to use ATS to commute to and from work, even if you live well inside city limit.  On the other hand, I am thankful that we live about a twenty minute stroll off the bus route and that my husband can get to and from most of his work shifts.  We’ve made it work these past two years because we believe in the good of public transit and the benefits of walking (with or without sidewalks on busy five lane highways or quite neighborhood streets).

The next milestone is our four year wedding anniversary. We opted to celebrate on a Wednesday night rather than the actual Monday our anniversary fell on, and we decided to revisit The Market Place.    I don’t recall the exact year of our last visit, but we were completely unimpressed with every aspect of our meal, especially the steep prices on the wine list.  Due to the passage of time and new ownership (even though I thoroughly respect Mark Rosenstein for all he has done and continues to do to support local food and farms), we decided to give it another go.   We were seated in the back close to where we sat at our last visit, and our server, Denise, was attentive and knowledgeable of the menu.   I opted for the edamame, because I cannot seem to eat enough edamame, and it was the only vegetarian appetizer that held any appeal (sorry I’m a bit too cheap these days for a $14 cheese plate); the chili soy glaze was pretty sweet, and it really detracted for the sublime simplicity of soybeans.  My husband enjoyed a generous serving of duck confit spring rolls that really looked pretty tasty.   For my entree I chose the agnolottis because again it was the only realistic vegetarian option since a local vegetable plate just seemed a bit boring.   Then again, how cliched for the vegetarian entree to be a pasta dish; however, cliched or not, it was good and filling and just what I really wanted.  Apparently we were in need of comfort food as my husband went with the pork chop entree. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to enjoy all of the juices because the food runner poured a good portion of them down my arm; the part he did enjoy was very satisfying, even if he really wanted more carrots and brussel sprouts.  Getting to wear his dinner was really were our experience fell flat (and my shirt is now ruined).  When it happened I requested a bar towel not a treated napkin that really does nothing to absorb liquid, but of course I received seltzer water and a cloth napkin (I should’ve demanded the bar towel).   The staff was apologetic, but rather than comp his entree or mine for that matter, they offered to buy us a dessert and two glasses of champagne, which we weren’t interested in anyway.   We ended up taking a boxed up a cappuccino chocolate torte, which was a nice after work treat the next day. Personally, I prefer the ambience and food at Cucina24, but this visit didn’t rule out future visits (although they are not likely to happen in the near future).

We opted to postpone our anniversary dinner due to a doctor’s visit, which would leave us with either great news or less than great news.  We got the great news, so we were a bit on cloud nine, and I just wasn’t able to demand a free entree nor was I able to enjoy anything alcoholic because earlier that day we had seen our baby’s heartbeat.  We also confirmed that I was about five weeks pregnant, and I’m now almost twelve weeks along, which is why I’ve been reading, reading, and reading some more about pregnancy and childbirth.  I am not suffering from morning sickness per se, but I am suffering from an incessant desire to eat edamame, eggplant, and pretty much anything else with bread and cheese as long as artichoke hearts, raw garlic, and pesto aren’t included.  My nausea is triggered by not eating enough (i.e., about every couple of hours) or eating too much at once (hence, I was truly not able to eat dessert at dinner).  Additionally, my eating idiosyncrasies have multiplied, and although they aren’t as bad as they were before I met my honey, they are irritating and frustrating.  Last week, I couldn’t stand the thought of eating roasted root vegetables (butternut squash, celeriac, and beets) and goat cheese, which normally, I would devour.  Therefore, I will not be posting anymore restaurant reviews until I feel normal about food again.  I do think I will continue to complain about public transit and the dearth of sidewalks even in parts of Asheville that have been annexed for years and years (here’s looking at you, Hendersonville Rd); now that it is dark around six p.m., I won’t be walking home, which means I have to pick my husband up from work since the last bus to our end of town runs about five to six hours before he gets off work.  Then again, since we’re planning on caving in and buying a second car rather than deal with a wee one and one car, I guess I won’t have as much to complain about public transit.