Comfort Food: Johnresa Style

I have not had a comfort food meal in a while. I have been having many take out meals and I have been cooking some fast meals. I have not made any real stick the ribs meals in a while. The other night I decided to make something nice and homey. I made sirloin steak and shrimp stir fry with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli. Everything was pretty good. The stir fry and broccoli were very delicious. I did make the mashed potatoes a little too salty. Other than that it was a pretty alright meal. Maybe I will make something better tonight.

I give this meal a big fat:

C+

Sushi Lunch...YAY!!!

I love sushi. It is one of my favorite foods. I have yet to find a sushi I did not like. I was craving sushi the other afternoon so I ordered some from Beansprout in Malden. Beansprout is a Chinese restaurant but I think they have some pretty good sushi. I ordered the maki-mono platter. It came with a tuna roll, spicy salmon maki , and california maki. There was a little seaweed salad in the corner of the plate and it came with miso soup. It was quite good and very filling for only $8.99. Maybe next week I will order that again.

I give this meal a big fat:

B

Cafe Belo Rodizio in Everett

I have been to a few different locations of Cafe Belo restaurants. They just opened one in the space that housed the short lived Pantanal. I was going by on the bus the other day and I saw a sign offering all you can eat rodizio for $8.99. I am a fan of Brazilian food so I could not wait to try it. I went the other day with a friend for lunch. There were around 10 cold dishes, 10 hot dishes, roasted vegetables, fried plantain and yucca, and about 8 different meats to choose from including garlic beef, roast pork, sirloin, and chicken hearts. I had chicken salad, baked cod with eggs, olives and other veggies, fried yucca, chicken hearts, and roasted pork. I tried a few other things but these were the highlights. Everything I had was great. I washed it all down with a cold glass of cashew fruit juice. Some of the hot dishes were a little cold but other than that I was more than satisfied.

I rate this meal a big fat:

B-

Finally Edible Rice and Beans

Anyone who knows me knows that despite being a good cook I have always had issues making rice and beans. It seems like no matter what I do it came out tasteless and bland. Not this time. I used some chicken broth I had reserved from when I made gumbo. I used that and the juice from the canned beans as liquid. I added some assorted spices and it came out so good I could have cried. I topped it with some "Shrimp in Garlic Sauce" that I made. I cannot wait to make this dish again.

I rate this meal a big fat:

A

Are Peppers Supposed To Taste That Way????

I ordered a bacon cheeseburger sub from Neapoli in Malden. I asked for cooked mushrooms and green peppers on it and extra mayo. These was by far the strangest tasting peppers I have ever tasted. They were oddly tart. Not acidic but tart. It made my whole sub have a strange tart flavor. Even the smokiness of teh bacon could not mask it. Shame on you Neapoli for serving me strange tasting peppers. I will of course still order from there because their other stuff is good. I will just remember not to order anything with those godawful peppers.

I rate this meal a big fat:

D-

My First Time with Gumbo

I ordered this cookbook last week and reasoned it would only make sense if I actually cooked something out of the book. I decided to take a stab at making chicken gumbo. I had all the ingredients on hand besides the sausage but I figured it would taste just as good without that...it did. It took around 2 and half hours to cook and it was worth every minute. It was spicy, savory, and just flat out tasty. There was so much I ended up having it for two days. Now those are some leftovers I do not mind eating.

I rate this meal a big fat:

B

Steak and Cheese Please!

Okay so as always I was feeling a little lazy...lol. I wanted to make something tasty but quick. I stir fried some shaved steak, onions, peppers, and mushrooms and I topped it with some sharp American cheese. Stirred together and served with some biscuits it was a beautiful thing. Trust me it tastes better than it looks in the picture.

I rate this meal a big fat:

B

Bao Bao Reloaded

After all the food at Xinh Xinh we still managed to find room for dessert. We headed to Bao Bao Bakery over on Harrison Ave. I loved the desserts we had there before so we ordered those two (white chocolate cake and blueberry cheesecake) as well as two others (strawberry cake and kiwi cake). The kiwi cake was just alright. I am not sure if I feel kiwi should be used on cake. I think of kiwi as more of a fruit used for tarts. The strawberry cake was fluffy and delicious. The blueberry cheesecake was as delicious as before. My only complaint was that the white chocolate cake tasted stale. The cake was sort of crusty on the edges and not nearly as fluffy as the time we had it previously. All in all we had quite a sweet time there.

I rate this meal a big fat:

B

I Heart Vietnamese Food

The day before Thanksgiving me and the crew decided to head to Xinh Xinh for some Vietnamese food. We all ordered pork chop and rice plates. We ordered chicken wings and fried spring rolls for appetizers. The chicken wings were okay but nothing special. The pork chops were grilled and very tasty. Their spring rolls are the best there is in my opinion. I decided to try an avocado shake for the first time because someone on Chowhound.com said they were delicious. They were right. That was the thickest creamiest most delicious shake I have ever gotten there. I think that just may be my new favorite drink.

I give this meal a big fat:

B

.

You Can Do Wonders With Leftovers

The night I had the roast pork I was trying to figure out if I could do something to spruce it up the next day so I would not feel like I was having the "same old same old". I ended up taking the pork and chopping it into cubes, adding some more spices, and adding mixed vegetables. I served my "Spicy Pork Stew" with white rice. I liked this dish better than I liked the one the night before. Now the challenge is trying to make that dish again.

I rate this meal a big fat:

A

Pork...The Other White Meat

Today is Sunday so I felt I should actually put some effort into cooking something. You know Sunday is the day where burgers or hotdogs are just not acceptable. You have to cook something substantial. Well I decided to make a pork roast. The roast was marinated in a garlic pepper rub and some other secret spices I put in there. Then I made some onion and mushroom gravy...yes it was homemade. I decided to keep the accompaniments to a minimum and made a pan of biscuits on the side. Excuse me while I go dig in.

I rate this meal a big fat:

B

Some lovely chicken

I buy these preseasoned wings at McKinnon's all the time. They are buffalo and they are drenched in sauce and crushed red pepper. I flour them up and fry them all the time. This night I was not in the mood to really have a full meal so I just had some chicken and bread. I know you wish you could have some. They were perfectly crispy, piping hot, and delicious.

I give this meal a big fat:

A-

El Pollo Loco

I have been to this place twice. It is across the plaza from the Sav A Lot I shop at in Chelsea. I have promised myself I will eat here before every trip to Sav A Lot...lol. I figure if I wanna shop on a full stomach so I can buy less it may as well be here. This is like a mexican version of Boston Market. They have some wonderfully flavored roasted chicken and mexican favorites like tacos and quesadillas. Everything here is made with chicken though. I had a two piece chicken dinner with mac and cheese and coleslaw. I also had a hard taco. What can I say I was hungry...lol. The chicken dinner came with two warm tortillas. The chicken was delicious. The mac was soupy and flavorless. The coleslaw was missing the sweetness you find in lots of coleslaw and for me that is a good thing. The taco was okay but it was very greasy. They have a salsa bar with four kinds of salsa, fresh jalapenos, cilantro, lemons, and onions. I love the avocado salsa and the pico de gallo. The other two are for consumption...just not by me...lol. Besides they have strawberry soda in the fountain...ummmm.

I give this place a big fat:

B-

Interesting Sidebar

Okay I know this blog is supposed to be about my meals but I could not resist letting people know the horror I discovered while shopping at McKinnon's in Everett. Now as lots of folks know McKinnon's is a meat market. I love McKinnon's but I am horrified at the thought of McKinnon's selling sushi. Ahhhhhh!!! I would rather eat my left arm off. I am sure it would taste better.

This idea deserves a HUMONGOUS:

F

Neapoli in Maplewood Square makes the best salad EVER!!

I love Neapoli. I love them for so many reasons. They have an extensive menu, they will deliver my fat ass a smoothie, and they have the best salads on the planet. I ordered from here the other night. I was feeling like a cold dinner so I ordered the hearts of palm salad and the hummus with pita bread. Their hummus is luscious and garlicky. No kissing after that...lol. The salad had hearts of palm, avocado, corn, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, olives, and fresh sliced mozzarella over mesclun mix. I added chicken for an additional cost. I got creamy Caesar dressing to add to this masterpiece. I loved it from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. The only thing I did not like was the radicchio in my salad. I have an aversion to horrible tastig salad veggies...lol. Other than that the salad was pure perfection.

I give this meal a big fat:

A+

Fuloon

I live in Malden so I do not have to go far to get great Chinese food. I just hop on one bus and I am at Fuloon in 15 minutes flat. I like Fuloon mostly. Yeah a couple of their menu items are just not very well executed, and their buffet is always cold as hell no matter when you get there, but Fuloon is like your grandmother. You really really do love her but you would rather have a bit of time between visits. I went for the buffet last week. My first plate was okay. Mostly fried, cold food but not horrible or anything. My second plate was a little better. I tried 3 soups when I was there and each one tasted a little worse than the last. The egg drop soup tasted like a liquified boiled egg. I am used to a chickeny broth with egg. The hot and sour had an aftertaste that made me question whether or not I just smoked a Winston or something. Lastly, the pork and pickled cabbage soup was just comical. It tasted like absolutely nothing. The pork and cabbage were very bland and the broth was just hot water in a bowl...well actually lukewarm water. Overall the meal was just okay. Not the best I have ever had there but I will be back.

I give this meal a big fat:

C

Bao Bao Bakery

Eldo was crowded so me and my crew decided to go to Bubble Tea Place so we could have a seat and enjoy our treats. We were going to just order a drink or two but ended up ordering two drinks and 2 more desserts. We wish we had come here first and saved ourselves the $$ and disappointment in Eldo's desserts. Everything we had here was delicious. Between us we had white chocolate cake with flakes of shaved white chocolate on top, blueberry cheesecake (which was deliciously thick and rich), an iced lemon Coke, and an iced milk tea. We will be back ASAP. As a matter of fact we will be going there again this coming Wednesday. I will keep you posted.

We gave this place a big fat:

A

Eldo Cake House

After gorging on dimsum the other night I felt it was only right to follow that with a pastry or two...or five. Me and my crew ventured to Eldo Cake House. This was my first time there. My sister ordered a piece of fruit and cream filled cake. I ordered a box that contained five different cakes. I only found half of them to be edible. I liked the lemon roll, the green tea cake, and the chocolate cake. The two other cakes were just gross. Instead of icing on top, the top had a quarter inch thick layer of salted butter. I am all set on that. I will stick to somewhere else for my desserts. Nothing they had blew me away. My sister said her cake was okay but she would not order it again.

I give this spot a big fat:

D

Winsor Dim Sum Cafe

I went out to have dimsum last Thursday. I was craving it really bad and decided to introduce my sisters to it while I was there. I ordered so many things I cannot really remember everything we ordered and we were so ravenous I did not remember to take any pictures until we were almost done eating. I managed to get a pic of a shumai, a shrimp dumpling, a shrimp roll, spring rolls, and some chicken feet. Chicken feet are definitely a new discovery for me. I got past the horrifying talonlike look and realized how delicious they really are. Me and my 7 year old sister were about to come to blows for the last one. What can I say...she is a foodie in the making. I cannot wait to go back. Winsor is my go to dimsum place. I have loved 99% of everything I have ever ordered here.

I give this meal a big fat:

A+

Oh so SPICY!!!

I made a pot of linguini with meat sauce the other night. I made entirely too much so I was eating it for like 3 days...lol. This is the last of the linguini. It is liberally sprinkled with crushed red pepper(my FAVORITE spice). I had this with two pieces of Texas toast and 2 gallons of water. SUPER SPICY!!!!

I give this meal a big fat:

B+

A lazy day meal...

Last Sunday I was tired and just not in the mood to be cooking. I decided to try my hand at making something out of nothing. I made baked pork chops, corn, and some large white lima bean/tomato concoction. It was okay...but I have made MUCH better meals by far. Next time I am in this mood I will just order out...lol.

I rate this meal a big fat:
C

Veez Grill and Tap

Yesterday was my graduation from college so I decided to go out and celebrate with my family and friends at Veez Grill and Tap in Malden, MA. I was going for the neighborhood solid pub food type of place. They had decent food for what it was worth. Not sure I would go back there though because I have had much better food at other places within a similar price range.

My nephew who is a super foodie even at the ripe old age of 10 ordered a steak and cheese calzone with onions rings. He said the onion rings were too salty and the calzone had a bit too much cheese. He also said the steak was chewy.

My mother who is definitely not an adventurous eater by any means ordered a basic cheeseburger with fries. She said the fries were good but she was full from the apps so she never touched the burger.

My sister ordered the shrimp scampi. She said it was fine but a bit bland.

My other DC ordered chicken, broccoli, and ziti, which she said was delicious. I tried it and I have to agree. It was great.

I ordered country fried chicken with mashed potatoes and the veggie of the day(which that day was mixed veggies). The chicken, mashed, and gravy was good but the veggies were waterlogged and just should have been never served.

Overall the food was just okay. Total for 5 entrees, 2 apps, 5 soft drinks, and a tip was $90.

I would have to give this meal a big fat:

C+