As many of you know, and I am more than willing to admit, when it comes to work of any kind, I fall on the side of lazy. That’s why I got into computers - automating a process and letting a dumb machine do it for me seemed like the best way to earn a living. (Little did I know that you don’t just get to automate and watch - they always find other stuff to add to your pile of responsibilities. I’m still looking for that high paying job where they define my duties to a tee - when I find it, I’ll have it down to a couple hours a week in no time!) Anyway - I gave the whole “Blogger” thing a try (check the link in the menu) and found that I didn’t have the dedication to post new material on a regular basis.

Then I watched my cousin’s boy, Carl, post (at least once a week) his dinner choices to his FaceBook page. Not only does this kid get around, he can relate his experiences pretty well too. I have to admit this kind of surprised me - I suppose I’d better explain that statement. Carl, you see, personifies his generation - he’s got a pretty good full time job, is a full time student (computers, of course,) and is a *VERY* active member of various martial arts communities around the Twin Cities. Carl has fought in the octagon and is a registered corner man in a few states. Given his busy schedule and the fact that he’s been hit in the head more than a few times, I wasn’t expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. In reality I think he might be better off thinking about a career in the restaurant industry or maybe as a food critic somewhere. (Before he gets hit in the head one too many times!)

After reading a few of his posts I had an epiphany - why not use Carl’s material to fill in for my lack of dedication. The only problem I had was figuring out how I was going to convince him to white wash this fence for me … Turns out he works for a rate that I can afford (free with the occasional rib dinner at my place.) So, without any further ado, here’s Carl:

It's All About the Senses
Blog #1 January, 27, 2012

Today's adventure made me think of the reasons why we eat the things that we do. Sure, some of us many be conditioned to eat a certain way based upon how our parents prepared meals when we were younger, but as one be3comes older you begin to develop your own palette based upon what you see, smell, and taste.
My first stop of the day began at Pardon My French, and it was all about the visual. The bakery does offer regular items such as soup, salad, and sandwiches, but the main niche is their beautifully displayed pastries. The in-house made items all appeared freshly constructed and had me salivating since the moment I walked in, but I must confess that what ultimately drew me here was my roommates’ talk of how wonderful their crème brulee is. I’ve been a big fan of crème brulee for some time now and was excited to try this one.
Visually it was just as stimulating as everything else I was seeing within the restaurant but fell short in terms of flavor. One big thing that it was lacking that is a staple of any crème brulee was a caramelized top. The flavor itself made me think of eating tapioca pudding as it wasn’t a smooth, creamy finish but more of a custard. This was definitely not a memorable treat, but I must insist that it does not deserve abolishment as it does appear to have many other delectable treats that have me looking at making a return.
The Global Market in Minneapolis is a great destination to get your hands on something you may not have tried before. This building holds the offerings from many different ethnicities in a food court style environment that also offers fresh meats, produce, and even has clothing and clothing accessories for sale. The memorable portion of this visit was the smells that lingered throughout the building. Most notably were the smells of the freshly baked rolls and buns that were being made and could be seen as I wandered around the building, completing about 4 or 5 laps while trying to figure out what to get as it all looked and smelled so good. I ended up settling on a place with a South African influence known as Safari Express. I was going to go with the steak sandwich as I do love steak, but the attendee advised for me to go with the camel burger.
I said, “What the heck, I’ll give it a shot!” I was promised I would not be disappointed. Sure enough he was right! The camel meat patty had a great flavor and wasn’t gamey as I had originally anticipated. They topped it with a pineapple, tomato, lettuce, and of course “special sauce”. That burger took me to a whole new part of flavor town and I wanted to check in and stay awhile! The fries weren’t really run of the mill either. Well ok, the fries themselves were but they used what I believed to be Lawry’s seasoning salt. I was a little apprehensive about ordering it at first but came away pleased and glad that I stepped a little out of my comfort zone to try something out of the ordinary. I’ll definitely be back.
I had one more stop for the day … but I'm getting hungary (wonder what's in the 'fridge?) so I think I'll save it for my next entry. I'll also give some thought to my rankings for Creme Brûlée here in the Twin Cities. Until then - remember food's an adventure, go out and live it!