Food Rut - Alex Denning

Acai Bowl

I went to Ivies Juice bar located on Center Street in Provo, to have one of their famous "Acai berry bowls".  I'm not a huge fruit lover but my wife insisted that we go - so I went with it.  Happy wife = happy life.  It was actually a lot better than what I was expecting!  The fruit blend was made out of acai berries blended with apple juice, with a crunchy granola on top as well as fresh assorted fruits, which we chose bananas and strawberries.  I think my favorite part about the bowl was the granola because it had little tastes of cinnamon that were very faint but still SUPER yummy!  I would definitely eat another one of the assorted bowls from "Ivies Juice bar" but I think I would substitute the apple juice for almond milk or something else so the flavor isn't too tart for my liking.  I would highly recommend going to check out Ivies Juice bar if you're in need for a fun moderately expensive date because the venue is super chill like a Starbucks, but also very classy.

Rut #3 - Coconut Tofu

For my rut assignment I decided to go to Bombay House. Everyone I've talked to absolutely raves about it, (especially Professor Cutri) and even though I've been to India, I've never had true curry (before you attack me - we were in a poor part of India - so we ate rice and veggies every meal). When I got to Bombay House, I decided that I needed to get something a little more extreme since everyone's had Bombay House and it doesn't seem really out of the box. I saw Tofu on the menu and decided to order that, since I've also never had tofu. Here's the lowdown - I love India. But something about their food is just not my thing. It's neither good nor bad to me. It's just food in my mouth. (If you can call tofu food.. what even is tofu?) It was an interesting experience because I'm a pretty black or white person - and yet I was completely neutral with this food. (It probably didn't help that India food is orange.. and orange is the worst.) I wouldn't choose to have it again, but I wouldn't refuse it if someone brought it to me. Kind of a revolutionary experience for a very opinionated person. It was also a revolutionary experience to see Professor Cutri there at Bombay House - so funny!

Rut #3: Trying a Food You've Never Had Before

Yesterday, I decided to try Kimchi Stew. Kimchi, I believe is an acquired taste. It is kind of sour, has an odd crunchy texture and the smell is less that appetizing.

Having it in a (very) spicy stew with pork and rice was a new experience, which I enjoyed. The flavors  played well on each other, and on a cold night (I know that's relative) it was soothing.

Unfortunately, it made me quite sick. I might be down to try it again from another restaurant.

[I can't tell you the name of the restaurant, because I got food poisoning and I don't want to ruin it for anyone.]

Sushi A New Experience - Timmy Bates

I have been faced, many times, with the choice to eat sushi. Often times in situations where it would be impolite to deny eating sushi, like at the home of a girlfriend or a dinner party with your in-laws. But with each situation where I am faced with eating sushi, comes the horrific memory of my brother vomitiing everywhere in the car after eating at a sushi restaurant. The sounds of retching, splashing, and screaming mixed with the smell of stomach bile was more than enough to nauseate me at the mere mention of sushi from then on. 

So it was quite the experience to knowingly and willingly go to Wild Ginger to eat sushi. In all honesty it was a nerve racking moment. I was legitimately nervous I would throw up in the restaurant. But with some encouragement from my wife, (who loves sushi) I realized I was being irrational and ate sushi! I learned it is pretty good! I am not saying that I would order it if I didn't absoultey have too, but I don't have to refuse it anymore if it is offered to me. I tried several kinds of sushi, some that were not really fishy at all, more like deep fried rice then anything. I had some others that unfortunately brought the scent of sushi bile back into my mind, but I was able to push through it. All in all I can eat sushi now! Which is a big deal for me and my wife. She hated the fact that I wouldn't eat it. So not only did I conquer a fear but my relationship with my wife is even better! I learned that the power of the mind is incredible. I have had a fear of sushi for a long time, but breaking through that fear has opened up a whole new world. I think I am ready to try fish now. I am excited to no longer be afraid food that comes from water. This was awesome. Hopefully this will help with ideas for Sun Bum... 

Food Rut - Vegan Times

So my girlfriend is vegan and gluten free too, so recently I've delved deep into the dark web that is vegan dining. We went to an all plant based restaurant this past weekend called Vertical Diner in Salt Lake. This diner is a perfect snapshot of exactly how I imagine heaven to look like, or at least Portland, Oregon. After looking over the menu I decided on the fried "chicken" and mashed potatoes because that sounded amazing. No joke, vegan fried chicken is super good. I don't even know how to explain it because it was way different than eating actual chicken, but I'd say that the Colonel would deem it "finger lickin' good". Also the vegan gravy that they put on the mashed potatoes was like the greatest thing I've ever tasted.
If anyone is looking to branch out a bit and have some really good food that might just change your mind when it comes to vegan cooking, you should totally check out this place. Also because everyone who works/eats at the restaurant looks like an extra in Portlandia. And who doesn't love that?

New Food: Nicole Utley - A Poem for Korean BBQ

Ode to Cupbop - A Love Poem:

Cupbop.

The oddest of food stand titles...
They say a rose by any other name
would smell as sweet.
But what of Korean BBQ?
Smells of meat,
sticky rice,
and curiosity
tickle the olfactory senses.

"I'll give you a free sample," says the window man.
I think I'm in love
with the dumpling thingy.
Mandoo he called it.
Beef, chicken combo please.
Spicy tolerance #3.
Window man complies and drizzles on spicy mayo,
but his subconscious is judging me.

A whiff, a taste, and I'm weak at the knees.
A long lost love I never knew.
Warm against a chilly day.
Each bite blows a kiss to my heart
on the way down to my happy stomach
Yes Cupbop,
you can be my valentine.

Pupusas: great and also not "Poopoo"sas.

I have heard nonstop about these fangled "pupusa" things from El Salvador, mostly that they are amazing and also cheap (woohoo!).
I tried to make my El Salvadorian food experience as authentic as possible.  I ordered one pupusa with beans and cheese, and the other with cheese and some weird flower (the name escapes me).  I also ordered a tamarindo drink.
My waitress was pregnant and I think I asked her too many personal questions.
Anywho, the pupusas were great.  Especially since they were only $1.60 each.  The one with beans in it was good because beans rock, but the one with the weird flower in it was my favorite I think.  That, as well as the tamarindo drink had such a weird flavor that I have never tasted before.  Tamarindo was super sweet, but I would drink it again.  Also, did I mention that I liked that weird flower?  That was my favorite part.
10/10 would eat again.

New Food: JELLYFISH

So I've tried a lot of things in my life. I'm not particularly scared to try new things, but when I saw Jellyfish at the Asian Market I desperately searched for alternatives.
Well, there weren't any other options that seemed appealing. So I gave it a try.

I threw it on the frying pan and it immediately smelt like urine... That's a great start. I coated it with sesame seeds and soy sauce, but the smell remained.

It was like eating rubber.... that tasted like the smell of urine. So, rubbery urine. Yeah. I'll take a double double animal style from In-n-Out please. Thank you.

New food: Tiny octopus, big (disgusting) taste- Tess Berrett

My husband and I searched Smiths until we came across the refrigerated sushi section by the bakery stuff and spotted the perfect food to get my out of my rut: tiny octopus "salad". Yes, it tastes just about as good as it sounds and looks. I put off eating it for as long as I could, but today I knew I had to get it over with. Luckily for me, each octopus is pretty dang small and they've been marinating in soy sauce for a while so the flavor of the actual octopus is overpowered by that. It definitely had a fishy aftertaste which I did not enjoy (I hate seafood), but that wasn't the worst part. The texture, as you can imagine, was highly unpleasant. It's chewy, squishy, crunchy, and slimy, all at the same time. So yeah. Gross. I won't be trying any more octopus anytime soon, but now I can say I've eaten a tiny one, so that's cool I guess. Let's hope this gets me out of some sort of rut!

Here's the video if you want to watch.

My First Taste of Real America.

Out the many signature American foods, one has never left the United States. Hostess products. Growing up in Asia, we would watch American movies or TV shows with references to the iconic Hostess Twinkie. However, unlike McDonald's or KFC, the Twinkie was never to be found. So now, being in Utah, and having the challenge to try something new, I bought the Twinkies and CupCakes 32 Variety Pack from Costco.

First, the Twinkie. From the first look, I was slightly disappointed by how small the Twinkie was. The box was definitely deceiving. Also, with all the logos and words on the packaging, I could hardly tell what the yellow thing was inside. Maybe it was trying to stop me from getting a good look at this reportedly deadly product. At first bite, was I honestly disappointed once again. My idea of a sponge cake was fluffier. This Twinkie was more dense that I had imagined. The cake was more chewy than I had thought, it was almost like dough. Its filling, on the other hand, was exactly as I had imagined. Biting through the cake layer, the cream just exploded. Finishing the rest of the Twinkie, I am left with a mouth full of cream flavor, and strange sponge cake after taste. Honestly America, what was the rave all about?

Next, the CupCake with it's original squiggle. Initially, the top layer of chocolate along with its signature squiggle reminded me of Playdoh, inedible. However, for the sake of science or getting out of my rut, I took my bite. Thankfully, the cake was much better done that the Twinkie. However, the chocolate flavor swarmed me like the random haze we have been seeing in Utah. I could see the white cream filling but I could taste nothing but weirdly, chemically enhanced chocolate flavor. The Twinkie after taste has now blended with chocolate plastic and sponge cake. Now I can see why Hostess went bankrupt, and my opinion says they shouldn't come back.

Side note: I now have in my possession an abundance of source of diabetes in the form of Twinkies and CupCakes, please, if you wish, ask me for some.

New Food: The Toilet-Bombing Heart-Molester

            I’ll always try anything once. A wide variety of strange food has graced my palate, from kimchi to tripe, and kangaroo to rocky mountain oysters. Some have tasted better than expected, and some worse. So for this project, I wanted to try something different. Instead of eating a food that only certain people in the world eat, I wanted to eat something that nobody in their right mind would eat. Hence, the Toilet-Bombing Heart-Molester.

            If you google search that, you’ll find it’s a novelty food item that combines different foods from different crappy fast food establishments. There’s a few variations of this monstrosity, but the one that I grew up hearing about involves making a sandwich out of a Taco Bell taco pizza, a Pizza Hut personal pizza, and French fries from a restaurant of your choice. I decided to give this a try, because apparently I hate myself. The following is a minute-by-minute replay of what went down.

0:00 – I take my first bite, and it’s not as bad as I was expecting.

1:00 – I thought that the middle of the pizza taco had ground beef. Turns out it’s refried beans. That’s a disappointment.

2:00 – What kind of person orders a taco pizza from Taco Bell?

3:00 – First quarter is done. This is a lot easier than I thought it would be.

4:00 – The thing has lost its novelty and I’m ready for it to be over.

5:00 – I realized it’s a huge coincidence that today is National Pizza Day

6:00 – Second slice is done. The world is a dark and cruel place.

7:00 – I realize the refried beans have the consistency of wet sand

8:00 – “Where is your God now!?” – the Toilet-Bombing Heart-Molester

9:00 – I reach the crust of my third slice, and I’m done. And I walk away from this experience a little bit wiser.

Food Rut - Spencer

This weekend I decided to "spice" things up by going to a "hot" new restaurant and ordering something "good". I'm not sure that last quote was necessary, but groups of threes are nice. Also, it may have sounded sarcastic, but it really was "good". Gosh, I really have to stop doing that...

Anywho, I went to Iggy's with my beautiful wife and decided to try a couple of things there. She got a calzone and I got a jalapeno burger with cajun fries. Boy, that meal was HOT! Ooooh doggy! Luckily I have grown somewhat immune to spicy things over the years, but even so, I drank 4 or 5 glasses of water before the meal was through.

It was kind of an average burger, but they added some ingredients that really made the burger different. It had a spicy jalapeno aioli, fried onion rings, and a whole pepper on top of the patty. It was fun and I enjoyed trying something new. Iggy's is one of those places that has a menu that goes on for days, so I look forward to going back and trying new things more often.

Something new-Emma Reece

So over the weekend I decided to take the plunge and try the very popular and very hip superfood Kale. I have heard legends of how this bushel of designer lettuce will change your life and make you a super human. So I looked up a recipe online for beginner kale eaters and found a kale and artichoke cheesy dip. I had to look up how to best prepare kale and apparently you have to blanch it and can't just eat it raw. So I boiled some water and tossed the whole bushel in the pot. The smell of the kale when it was cooking was very potent. It reminded me a little of cabbage in how it smelled. After you blanch it you are suppose to give it a little designer ice bath. So I tossed that in there and when it cooled I drained it, threw it in with the assorted cheeses, stirred it and threw it in the oven with a bread bowl. Then after it cooked it was the moment of truth. I pulled out my kale artichoke dip and ate it on a potato chip. It surprised me how strong the flavor was even with all the other ingredients present in the dip. It was bitter and tasted a little like brussel sprouts. I actually liked kale but I don't think I will put it in every meal.

Chase Johnson - Food RUT

So, I have strange eating habits. Last summer all I ate was Fish and Rice (sometimes Chicken). I'm just trying to eat healthier and I thought that a more asian inspired diet would be something I would want to try. So far so good. But, I haven't really had many desserts for about a year now. Really just anything sugary.

SO I decided to try a new ultra sugary dessert, which might have been a mistake, because now I remember how great sugar is. They were called Carmelitas. I've been trying to not eat sugary things for so long I think I just caved with this assignment. Yeah, they were good and I think I had too many.

But now I have to figure out how I'm not going to just eat sugar again. It's easy to break an eating habit have something you used to love to eat, like sugar. But, this sweet and savory treat I think is hard to come by, so I don't think it will be too hard.

Ched'r' Peppers - Lizzi Perkins

New Food

On Friday I tried turron which is a Peruvian dessert. Basically, the dessert consists of thick graham-crackery like substance which is held together with a lot of honey. On the top there was a a white frosting layer and sprinkles (maybe Peruvians like sprinkles).
Overall I thought the turron was bland and the sprinkles diminished from the general taste and texture of the pastry. The dessert was filling which made it all the worse, because not only did it fill me up quickly but it ensured that I wasn't hungry for any other tastier desserts. Now I know not to eat turron.

Kimchi: Not So Bad, Not So Good. -Sam Loveland

           My dad served his mission in South Korea. There, he fell in love with Korean foods of all kinds. Unfortunately this love was not included in the genetics passed down to us his children. Except maybe to my sister. She was the one who suggested going to the new Korean place behind Wendys. She suggested getting bibimbop, a meal of rice, meat, egg, and veggies served in a hot stone bowl. This was delicious. I also tried the soda she gave me to sip. It tasted like liquified Skittles. Strange, but good.
           Last of all was the kimchi. A small bowl of white super-fermented cabbage. I took a piece in the pinch of my chopsticks and ate it swiftly. Strong flavor, kind of sharp, with a fishy taste to it. Not that bad really, but also something I would not seek out on a regular basis. I ate the majority of the serving along with the rest of my bibimbop.
          From this I learned that it is possible to make a soda taste like Skittles. I also learned that some foods have a definite 'acquired' taste. For kimchi I have not yet acquired this taste. I guess it was good that I served in Brazil and not South Korea. Or maybe I should have, and my tastebuds would have long accepted the fact that eating fermented cabbage is OK. Have I changed? I think I will keep ordering new foods off the menu. I believe it makes the night out much more memorable.

Food rut Ben Eskelsen

SO when it comes down to eating, I am really a creature of hait. I will often go to the same restaurants and order similar things and I won't really think twice about it. I am also a person with a very large appetite so that also limits my culinary choices as well. SO I decided to make a big difference and go to bangkok palace and get Indian food with some friends. Now my friends loved this place and I had alwasy been a little hesitant because I never knew what to expect form Indian food.(it's also super expensive which is also something I tend to stay away from) So I ordered something with chicken in it( the names I think are actually in Indian so I can't even remember what it was called) and I got my na'an and I just went to town on it. It was actually very good, It was spicy(which I love) and it had flavors I never really experienced before. I would really consider going again, unfortunately the price is a huge deterrent for me, but maybe on special occasions its something I would consider it. The thing is just in the end it is not worth it to me to have soemthing different when I can get something of similar quality for a much cheaper price. Ha I'm basically justifying my rut but in the end that is what creates ruts. You do what your comfortable with and in the end I'm just not comfortable with regularly spedning 18 dollars on a meal.

Maddy Thompson - New Food Rut

Like most people in America, McDonald's is the opposite of foreign to me. In high school, my friends and I would sometimes go there three or four times a week after dance practice. Growing up I was really picky and would stick to the same things everywhere I went. If chicken nuggets were on the menu, that was my automatic go-to choice. So, when I was at McDonald's with my friends in high school, I would get fries, Dr. Pepper and chicken nuggets every time. To be honest, I don't even really like the chicken nuggets there. I like the fries, but I feel like I have to get something more substantial than fries if I'm going to eat with friends. Anyway, fast forward several years: present day. I went to McDonald's the other day because my friend wanted a Diet Coke and fries. I sat there looking at the menu wondering if I should get anything. Low and behold, I settled on something - something I have never had ordered before. A Big Mac. I know, it's crazy that i've never had a Big Mac, but this was my chance. It was kind of thrilling - invigorating even. I was about to experience something totally normal for other people, but completely new for me. I got my food and opened the bag. Sidenote - I don't even really like hamburgers, or meat for that matter. This was going to be interesting. I took one bite and it made me feel weird; that's the only way to explain it. So. Much. Meat. That. Felt. So. Fake. I think I liked the taste? But I couldn't get over the fake meat factor. I didn't finish the burger (R.I.P. Big Mac), but I sat and thought after about what just happened.

What I learned: When you go to eat, sometimes it can be fun to get something new and exciting. Almost always if you get something "new" or "exciting" at McDonald's it's potentially freaky. Maybe this makes me boring or un-American. Maybe it makes me smart. Either way, I don't really like McDonald's that much so I don't know why I decided on that Big Mac, but it was a good experience. I think I probably knew I wouldn't like that Big Mac, but i'm proud of myself for trying it out.