A Weekend of Culinary Delight

Thanks to my wonderful friends Emily and Ben, I just ate the best leftovers ever to be consumed.


On Friday, they took me out to Blue Orchid, a Thai restaurant in the Haymarket (the historic section of downtown Lincoln). Emily likes it best of the three Thai restaurants in town. I had the Asian Delight stir fry vegetables with tofu. It was better than any vegetable has a right to taste (and I happen to adore vegetables, so that's saying something). And it was just as good left over too.

Then we strolled through the Haymarket to Ben's favorite ice cream place. He likes ice cream more than is quite healthy, so he knows what he's talking about. Ivana Cone (they have a website, but I can't find it) makes such sinfully delicious ice cream that it really can't be called ice cream at all. The stuff you buy in tubs in SuperSaver just isn't anything in comparison to this. From hereafter I believe I shall refer to Ivana Cone's delicacy as Ice Dream. It can't really be real. Anyway, their particular variety of ice dream is made right there in the store. The menu is unpredictable and different every time. I had as spoonful of Rose ice dream. Rose! And it was good--even though the closest it can be described as is that it tastes like rose perfume smells. But good. And I had a scoop of Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treat and a scoop of Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookie. Whoa.

Then, on Sabbath, Em and I went over to "the house" (the one where Ben lives, and "the boys" used to all live, all six of them). We all (Ben, Emily, Leslie, who also lives there, and I) cooked together most of the day. I made zucchini bread and zucchini-raisin muffins. Leslie made heavenly spinach-artichoke dip with this delicious bread from the Homeland food store. Ben and Emily made yummy ravioli with vodka sauce (it sounds so risque, but not so much). And Ben contributed three kinds of ice cream. But we only ate a few bites. The rest of the food was so good, and it wasn't anything next to Ivana Cone. (I may be ruined to ice cream forever.) It was a positively delicious sort of day.

Today my bulgur wheat and leftovers seem a little pale in comparison. But it's good not to be full. ;) The weekend was definately a culinary success. The coolest part was the company, but the fact that I got to cook just for the sheer joy of cooking was a good second. I think it's the first time I cooked just because I felt like it since I taskforced at USA and decided I'd never willingly and happily set foot in a kitchen again.

Yummy. That was this weekend. Good food and good friends. Just yummy.