Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Ugh. Nasty.

I live on the same block as a BK. I've been home sick, and with no other options, I went there yesterday.

I asked the MANAGER who was helping me, "what are apple fries?" He answers, "just what they sound like." Me: "so they are deep fried?" Him: "no."

Okay, whatever, I'll take those and a chicken sandwich.

They are cut up pieces of apple, in a plastic baggy, in a fry box with a tube of low fat caramel sauce.

The apple did not taste right. They must have been those big ugly red apples and they have an off taste. My dog got the majority of the "fries." I did like the caramel sauce, but not worth the $1.49.

I've been reading The Best Food Writing of 2007. It is really great. It has some recipes, some reviews of restaurants, and some general food topics. Something for every foodie.

Dessert wines and bread puddings are my downfall.

I made this recipe last weekend and it was wonderful. Super easy to make and really good. My family loved it.

Do not have a business dinner at Chino Latino if you hope to speak to the people you are with. It is loud, and frankly, not very good.

A great breakfast place is the Birchwood Cafe. Very tasty fresh food. Also good Maria's Cafe. They have the best corn pancakes in the world.

For dinner, I can't recommend The Craftsman enough. I just love it. They have amazing dinners, including pizzas, hamburgers and full on entrees. I recommend the venison burger and their different fish entrees. The atmosphere is classy and parking/busing is easy.

Yes, we need more fancy-pants French restaurants, at least here in the Midwest. In fact, there is a drug front furniture store across the street from my house that would be a great spot. Or the empty building a block down. Or the little grocery across the street that sells drug supplies.

But really, maybe we don't need more fancy-pants ones, we have enough here in Mpls, but a couple more would be good for me. More places to eat.

Whatever my husband is making, or, if I have to choose, a NY strip.

Nothing. I'm a government worker. Nothing for my husband either, he works for a government agency.

Herring on New Years is a must, but I have no idea why. Of course, I love it all year, so it is no big deal.

The first time I went was a disaster. It was just a week after the first one opened here. It was a 20 minute wait for parking. The store was packed, and being that no one knew what to buy, it was basically the slowest moving line that started at the front door and ended at the checkout.

I walked in, looked around, said "hell, no" and waited outside until my friends finished.

I go a couple times a year now for beer and wine, mostly. It just isn't very close, but I did go today and got some great light chevre.

We spend tons of money on food. I have no idea how much. Part of the problem is that food is very expensive in Minnesota. Part of the problem is all our meat is local/organic which equals expensive. Another issue is that I forget stuff all the time, so run down to the local store. That equals ghetto tax. And then we eat out a lot. I bet we spend $150 a week on average for two adults. Very sad.

My husband has some ongoing tummy problems. He was just saying the one thing that always settles his stomach is a beer. Unfortunately, it isn't always appropriate to drink one.

The Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis is missing. How dare they pass us up?