Panda and I went back to Bottega Louie for a second time and I decided to give their famous macaroons a try.

If you get a set of five you get this lovely box.

They come so artfully presented I just had to keep the box, but what to put in it??

And then I took glamour shots of each to post on Foodspotting…
Grand Cru macaroon on Foodspotting

The Grand Cru (I think - not sure what that means and I had to use process of elimination to figure out the flavor).

Strawberry macaroon on Foodspotting

The strawberry.

Matcha macaroon on Foodspotting

The matcha.

Chocolate orange macaroon on Foodspotting

The chocolate orange.

Lemon macaroon on Foodspotting

The lemon.

Riddle me this: why are ice cubes on airplanes circular?  I mean, calling them “ice rings” or “ice tubes” might be more appropriate.  It makes me wonder how the ice is molded that way.  Perhaps a tube with a pole in the center rather than the traditional trays we’re used to in our homes.  Or maybe strange trays with round openings and something sticking up out of the center of each.

A quick search online led me to some interesting results and I’m inclined to believe that there is a scientific reason, like it’s faster to freeze them that way.  However, that then makes me wonder why it isn’t a more widespread shape used for commercial industries.  I generally get flat, thin pieces of ice at restaurants and I can’t recall an occasion where they used these types of ice cubes.

Maybe it has to do with the elevation or cabin pressure or something wacky I can’t even think of.  Whatever it is, I wouldn’t mind seeing more tubular cubes (haha that sounds funny) – after all, they’re fun to play with!  I even heard the kid behind me say, “Look dad, check out my ring!”  No doubt she was able to stick her finger through one for some entertainment.  I’ve always been a fan of having fun with your food.  :-P

Is it eating or spitting out food?

In honor of Panda’s birthday, let’s enjoy this eye candy! Too bad we can’t have another box. Whoever thought of covering strawberries in chocolate is genius.

A beautiful, colorful display!

Our sense of smell can be very important in how we experience things.  A bunch of the guys at work have gotten into the juicing craze and to quell their craving for foods, they’ve taken to smelling food instead of eating it.  Apparently a good long whiff of my junk food can help satisfy some of their hunger for the items!  To a certain extent, I can understand that, since we often smell things and start to experience it before it reaches our mouths.  Still, there’s nothing quite like eating the food after smelling it, so their diet baffles me.

Their recent quirky behavior has reminded me of how intensely we can be affected by our sense of smell.  One guy gets paranoid when he smells Febreeze, since that almost always comes from the restroom after someone has #2ed.  Meanwhile, whenever he comes back from smoking, I tend to get a whiff of that, which usually gags me.  Also, the office has a lingering musty smell from the dogs that hang out there.  I’m sure those with dogs don’t really notice since they’re accustomed to it, but I’m pretty sensitive to it whenever I enter the building.  I wonder if my cats make our household smell any different.  Missy certainly can smell like kitty litter at times!

Of course smells also evoke plenty of positive memories and associations too!  I love going home to the smell of cooking and I have this fantastic shampoo from the Hilton that makes me smile whenever I catch a hint of it, since it smells like a gentle perfume and reminds me of when Panda is in town.  Similarly, I have a strawberry EOS lip balm that is succulent and makes me happy not just with its sweet scent, but also knowing that my lips will feel soft and hydrated.  I don’t think I’d experience these things quite the same if I wasn’t able to smell them.  Their scents really do help enhance the experience!

When I eat foods, the most important factor tends to be the texture of the dish rather than its taste.  That’s why I don’t eat calamari and why I love soup.  I’ll go for almost anything if it’s moist!  It’s very rare that I would like a dry dish with no sauce, so soup is generally a safe bet, since it has to have some liquid content at least.  I don’t know if other people care as much (I doubt it) and I think that usually people care more about the taste of their food.  However, it doesn’t work that way for me and I’d rather have a tasteless dish that wasn’t dry than a really flavorful dish that left me with cottonmouth.

For the most part, this isn’t really an issue – I love things that are smooth, crispy, crunchy, or any variety of textures as long as it’s not rubbery.  Something about the elasticity of a food (usually seafood) just doesn’t appeal to me at all.  Luckily, most things aren’t like that.  As for dishes that are very dry, I’ll still eat them if I have plenty of water.  I can’t stand it if I don’t get enough liquids to mask the dryness, which is why hot chocolate and tea are my friends when it comes to cookies and crackers.  Maybe my body’s trying to tell me that I’m not hydrated enough?

Whatever it is, I’m always looking for a place with great soup or noodle soup.  Yummm…

What creature doesn’t love a good meal?