Stardust

I am trying–really, just trying–to justify why this film isn’t in the STRATOSPHERE. I was speaking with some friends yesterday who weren’t exactly sold on the previews; one of them even said she’d read terrible reviews on it. (Actually, while I know there’ve been a couple, most of the reviews I read were pretty positive. Nevertheless…) Though my readership is about as narrow as Dwight Schrute’s definition of normalcy, I decided to put my two cents in: more »

mm, top ten condiments.

Ryan gave me a container of honey walnut cream cheese from Panera Bread the other day, and I really must say that it is the most delicious cream cheese ever. And I hate cream cheese. Anyway, this got me thinking of my favourite condiments, for there are so many… so I made a top ten list (in no particular order). This is beyond the normal salt, pepper, and if you’re in my house, soy sauce and vinegar.

1. cocktail sauce — I loathe ketchup except in very specific circumstances (like barbeque) but if you add horseradish, it somehow brings the sauce to “somewhat unbearable” to “er, this is amazing.” Obviously, served with seafood, but I could eat it with anything.

2. ginger dressing — we are not talking about the supermarket’s bastardized version of “sesame ginger dressing.” Ginger dressing is not thick nor creamy, it’s actually a little watery, like vinagrette, and its bright orange colour and pungent taste make it delicious on salads.

3. nutella — chocolate and hazlenut spread, also known as the ambrosia of the gods. Well, at least the gods I worship.

4. marmalade — I am not the biggest fan of jams (unless it’s blackberry), but if it’s made from a citrus fruit, it’s marmalade, and marmalade is perfectly acceptable. I like the tangy taste, and good marmalades are flavourful enough so that you don’t need to spread coats and coats over your toast.

5. maple syrup — I would not be a true Canadian if this wasn’t on the list! We’re talking real, honest-to-god maple syrup, not the watered-down sugar-infested monstrosity sold in the syrup aisle.

6. hoisin sauce — slightly sweet, made from garlic, vinegar and peppers, my parents use this sauce all the time for dipping things in. It’s essentially Chinese barbeque sauce. I love having this with Peking Duck, as it tastes wonderful with green onion.

7. cold-pressed olive oil – this smells amazing (one word to describe it: green) and is so much better for you than butter. Put it on your bread instead.

8. truffle honey — imagine really good honey, and bits of chocolate truffles mixed in it. Now put it on something, and eat it.

9. guacamole — I love avocados, and I love even more when they are mashed up and served with cilantro, garlic, and peppers. Preferable over salsa or sour cream for dipping chips.

10. curry — when I say curry, I mean the gravy used in curries, a mixture of ginger, cumin, curry powder, etc. that comes out thick. Yum.

In other news, I finally paid off my July credit card bill, after my eyes finished popping out. It was more than double my former highest amount. I guess with Denver, transportation costs for the commute for two months, and concert tickets didn’t do so hot for my wallet.