Baked Bacon

As a human being living in the world, of course I like bacon. But I actually think the bacon craze gripping America is kind of disgusting. Bacon-flavored lip gloss, bacon on doughnuts, bacon of the month clubs- I'm not into it. However, after last weekend, I might be eating bacon much more frequently.

The boyfriend decided to do a little experimenting in the kitchen. He put some bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet. On one half he sprinkled brown sugar, on the other black pepper. The vertical strip at the top is plain. The excitement was overwhelming me.

He baked it in the oven. He yelled at me to stay away for 17 minutes until his surprise was ready, so methinks he baked it for 17 minutes.

Oh baby.

I ate it all, then I wiped this paper towel all over my face.

Eat At State Food Truck

Yesterday afternoon I was running a few quick errands, which included trying to track down a fox suit for an adult male who is begging me for one. Because he likes this song, a lot.

At lunchtime I thought about the Brody cafeteria, since I haven't been there in a year and a half. But then I saw a tweet that made me think about the Michigan State food truck, which I've heard mentioned and have never had the opportunity to experience. I checked their website, found their location, and headed to the MSU Auditorium. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich from this beautiful young coed whose neon yellow skull cap made me really feel those eight years it's been since I graduated from college. I gave her my $6 and my name, although I was the only customer there, and went to stand at one of the nearby tables and contemplate where my youth went.

You can see the hat that made me feel like a real 31 year old.

She called my name. I was still the only one there, so this was unnecessary. She could have just made strong eye contact and I would have retrieved my lunch. Anyway, she handed me this:

I speed-walked to my car and opened it up.

Ohhh, mama. The plain chicken breast was completely unnecessary and, while of course I ate it, the stars of this little sandwich were the bread and the mayonnaise. The bread was a toasted ciabatta roll, so buttery and crunchy that I didn't stand a chance of making it home before the sandwich was totally gobbled. Truth be told, I didn't make it off campus.

I had my choice of the cilantro mayonnaise or BBQ sauce. I think BBQ sauce on this sandwich would be awful, and I'd like a jar of the cilantro mayo to smear all over everything that I eat for the foreseeable future. It was delicious and I'll be making it myself soon.

There was also this.

Ugggh.


What's your favorite Lansing food truck?

Yogurt for Breakfast

My favorite breakfast lately is fat-free Greek yogurt, strawberries, torn mint leaves, a few pistachios, and a drizzle of honey.

Can't get enough.

Rookie's Sports Bar and a Contest Winner

Since the boyfriend and I started dating, he's been telling me that Rookie's Sports Bar has great pizza. I appreciated his input, but he drinks Carnation Instant Breakfast and eats Apple Jacks. Needless to say, I didn't take him seriously.

Last Sunday evening, I was starving. I'd run five miles, hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law, and tagged along on the last 12 miles of his 74 mile bike ride. I was about to morph into the monster I become when my stomach is empty and I told him that we needed to order a pizza, immediately, and it was going to be from Rookie's.

He was right.

The pizza was delicious. The pepperoni and green peppers- my favorite pizza toppings- were fresh and spicy. The cheese was melty and bubbly. I ate three pieces, then took the tip bite off a fourth slice. That's my favorite pizza bite, and you're a liar if you say it's not yours too.

Yesterday I called Rookie's to tell them how much I enjoyed stuffing my face with their pizza. I talked to the manager, Bev (or Beth?), who said that she remembered that pizza from Sunday night and she was so happy that we liked it so much. She said she doesn't get complimentary phone calls very often. I like to do that when something knocks my socks off, and I was happy I'd called Rookie's.

You should call them too, and order a pizza.

Rookie's Sports Bar
16460 US Highway 27 (Old 27, en route to Dewitt)
Lansing
517-487-8686

With baited breath, I am happy to announce the news that tens of people have been waiting for- the winner of my inaugural meal tag-along contest. I put all of your names into a bowl, and the winner is RYAN RICHARDVILLE.

 Thanks for the entries, everyone. Please keep your comments coming, and I'll do another giveaway soon.

What's your favorite pizza in town? Have you been to Rookie's?

UPDATE- we got pizza from Rookie's again last Sunday. It was just as delicious as before. Here is my evidence:

That little bit of cheese overlapping the crust made me really lose my mind. I ate two gargantuan pieces then snuck back into the kitchen for another half slice. He caught me.

Sliders at Studio C

Last Friday the boyfriend and I met the bestie at Studio C to see the movie Gravity. Here is a nerdy fact about me- I love space. I am utterly amazed that human beings have been able to figure out how to go to space. My Google history since seeing the movie proves that I still want to go to space camp, and on Saturday afternoon when there was a lull in the MSU football game I sat in the stands and researched if what happened to George Clooney in the movie could happen in real life.

If you need me, I'll be in the nerdery.

Here is one thing that I love and appreciate about Studio C- there is a fountain pop machine that serves club soda. I never see this at self-serve drink stations, which is a shame, because I love club soda and will drink it any old time that it's available. Fizzy water, no sugar, no junk in it. More people should drink club soda.

We ordered the Angus Beef and the Turkey Reuben sliders. The beef ones were mediocre. I liked the pretzel roll they were served on. The Turkey Reuben sliders, however, were awful. The meat was stone cold. The bread was stick-in-your-throat dry. Of the three sandwiches, I ate one, the bf ate one, and we left the third one languishing on the tray. This is a rare occurrence, since the bf acts like he grew up as a member of the Joad family and never lets food go to waste.

Of course we ate popcorn as well. And it was awesome.

Tell me this, and enter my contest on the final day (winner will be announced tomorrow)- have you been to Studio C? Did you like what you ate? Or, in the alternative, what's your favorite space movie?

Scenes from Chicago in August

Several weeks ago the boyfriend and I went to Illinois to celebrate the first birthday of his little nephew. I baked a coffee cake to take with us and planned all the eating.

I hadn't understood East Coast-hype about Dunkin coffee. I was young and inexperienced. There's a Dunkin near Frandor- get there and get yourself an extra large hazelnut with cream. Get me one too if you please.

We had a road lunch at Pizza Hut. There's no shame in my game- I love Pizza Hut. The crust tastes like butter and was the crux of my college weight gain.

For brunch we went to the Publican, which was the site of my favorite meal of 2012.

Pub pretzel, mustard, pimento cheese.

 We started with a pub pretzel, but it's more appropriate to say that I started my meal with huge mouthfuls of pimento cheese.

He had the maple ham, with French toast and peaches. Notice the cashed pimento cheese in the background, on my side of the table. 

 I had the succotash. I haven't been the same since. Fresh corn, potatoes, green beans, chunks of the famously thick Publican bacon, topped with a fried egg. I stared at it for several moments, marveling at the color, before I flipped over my fork (Wedgwood) and dug in.

Another shot of the vegetables-

I've sung the praises of the Publican before so I will spare you here. Rest assured it was just as delicious as the last time.

 Our next meal was at GT Fish and Oyster, where we ate all of these things:

Oyster Po'boy sliders.

Tuna ceviche.

Fish tacos. My favorite.

Mussels in tomato sauce.

Clam bake.

Blueberry donuts. We told the waiter that the blueberries on the plate had a horrifying taste and he told us they were pickled. Ick.

Then we rolled home.

Enter my contest and tell me this- do you like Dunkin Donuts coffee? What's your favorite Lansing-area coffee shop?

Tannin for City Pulse

Read it here.

Brussels sprouts. Honeycrisp apples. A few of my favorite things.

Riddle me this, to enter my contest and dine out with me (my treat) while I research my next article- have you been to Tannin? Do you think the review was fair? What is your favorite Italian restaurant in the Lansing area?

Enter as many times as you like. You don't need to know me in order to enter- we can meet at lunch. You'll recognize me by my giant purse.

When I was in France I used to order a chocolate mousse AND a creme brulee at the same time and take small scoops of both of them at the same time. It was heaven.

Farm-fresh eggs

Having a friend who has chickens is the best.

I like my eggs poached, generally, unless there is no toast to be had. I need that bread to soak up precious yolk. If there's no toast, then I prefer them scrambled. Or, of course, in a cookie.

The macarons were pretty, but I need to work on my skills.

How do you like your eggs? Remember, all comments left this week will be entered into my drawing to tag along on my next research trip. Enter as many times as you want! But I'm only taking you out once.

The Brunch House and a contest

Last Saturday morning, the boyfriend and I needed breakfast. It was 9am, so I knew that Golden Harvest was out of the question. You get there early or you plan to wait all day. He hasn't learned this yet, so I humored him and we did a drive-by. There were 42398 people in line. We kept driving.

We ended up at The Brunch House, which I described to him as being "near the zoo" since I get confused when I try to talk about Cedar, Larch, and Pennsylvania streets. Yes, I have lived here my entire life. I'm smart in other ways.

The little diner was packed when we got there. I think there had been some kind of neighborhood clean-up event that morning, since we saw lots of people wearing matching hot yellow tshirts. I thought about ordering the corned beef hash and I asked the waitress if it was made there or came from a can. She told me it was from a can. I ordered the French toast (and I appreciated her honesty.)

I gave the bf one triangle of this and I gobbled the rest of it. It wasn't remarkable, but it was certainly serviceable. I doused it in syrup, of course. I'm a human being.

The Brunch House is officially in my breakfast rotation. The coffee kept coming. The City Pulse rack at the front door was fully stocked. The old men at the table next to us were treated as VIPs, and that's just the kind of treatment of regulars that warms my cold little heart.

In other news, I'll start research (and by "research" I mean "eating") on my next City Pulse He Ate/She Ate column soon, and I would love to have one of you join me. For the next week, if you leave a comment on the blog in response to the question I pose, you'll be entered into a drawing to join me for a meal at my next subject restaurant. I might even bring you a baked good.

Today's question is- what is your favorite place for breakfast or brunch in the Lansing area, and what do you order?

Go Green

Over the last few years I've trained myself into thinking in terms of "weekday food" and "weekend food." Essentially, I try to eat healthy during the week- lots of Greek yogurt, steamed vegetables, sardines, and tons of salad and green drinks. On the weekends I totally lose my mind.

I've tried to get the boyfriend to buy into this way of thinking as well and I will frequently catch myself saying "no, we can't have ice cream today, that's weekend food." I did make an exception yesterday, because the man rode his bike 100 miles. In one day. I don't get it either.

Here's a sampling of some of my weekday fare-

A huge salad with tuna. Roasted broccoli. Figs.

Pan-fried tilapia and steamed vegetables. Those $3 metal steamer cages are fantastic.

More frequently than not, happy hour chez Eating Lansing looks a little something like this-

He adds protein powder to his. I keep mine natural with blended spinach, carrot juice, and sometime a banana. These were both spiked with cod liver oil. I don't think these are on special at Rick's.

Every season, there is a fruit or veg that I cannot get enough of. Over the summer it's corn on the cob and blueberries. In the winter it's brussels sprouts and anything citrus. Right about now, it's apples.

I eat about 3 per day. Dunked in peanut butter, sprinkled with cinnamon, chopped and smoothie-fied, I am an insatiable apple fiend.

Detroit Morning

A few weeks ago the boyfriend and I got up at the crack of dawn to head to Detroit. Actually, to head back to Detroit, as we had been there the night before to watch the Tigers game. We ate hot dogs and cookies and popcorn. We saw Max Scherzer pitch his 20th something. I know it was a big deal, and I really do try to know what is happening, but I'm afraid sports and I don't quite speak the same language.

The boyfriend, however, is a sports enthusiast. An athletic supporter, one might say. And the reason we went back to the D at 5:30 on a Saturday morning was for him to ride in this, which he completed at warp speed. I debated doing the 30-mile route. I debated it for about one full minute before my driving desire to go to the Eastern Market got the better of me. I dropped him off and headed to Michigan's best, brightest, and most beautiful farmer's market, in the shadow of Ford Field.

I bought everything. I bought beets to roast. Split peas to soup. Cherry tomatoes and figs to shovel into my mouth by the handful. Deep, dark green spinach to blend into green drinks. A pain au chocolat to immediately devour, a head of broccoli to toss with garlic salt and roast into creaminess, and then I came across the food trucks.

Truth be told, I love a sweet breakfast. If presented with eggs or oatmeal, I'm taking the oatmeal (and then I'm running an extra mile.) When my food truck choices were a chorizo burrito or beignets, you know I chose those sweet little French/New Orleanian pastries, which I later described as bigger, pouffier doughnut holes. I ordered four, with a cafe au lait, and made myself a little spread of my spoils on a nearby table.

The best cafe au lait. Hot, sweet beignets. Juicy figs and cherry tomatoes. I sat and watched the shoppers bustling around me and listened to two girls, high-school age, singing for passers-by with a donation case set up. When they started singing the national anthem I saw people hesitate, wondering if they should stop and put their hand over the heart, or continue to pick their produce.

I went across the street to Germack in search of juniper berries. I've been told that 25 pounds of venison are waiting to be devoured before this year's hunting season.

I went to Whole Foods, where I bought and drank this-

And a bakery in Ferndale, where I crunched on this-

When my cycling star was finished we headed to Nemo's to find his favorite Detroit burger. The place is no-frills, and all about character. We both had cheeseburgers and fries.

I love a buttered, lightly grilled bun, and while I'm not much for cheese, I do sometimes need a mess of melted Swiss. This burger delivered. It was medium rare, which I requested and which has proven difficult for so many restaurants nowadays. There are no crazy toppings at Nemo's, no frizzled onions or guacamole or Sriracha mayonnaise- it's just a sturdy, classic burger. Which is just what I expected from my man, whose favorite food is "sandwiches" and who washes his car by hand every week.

Before I met him at the end of the race, in between the macaron and the burger, I made a quick trip to Dearborn. And I was suckered in to tasting a little of this at the Dearborn Meat Market-

I was going to wrap up this chicken kabob and take it home, but I couldn't resist a few tastes. The proprietor, who had a half-finger a la Rahm Emanuel, wanted to know where I live. I told him. He asked me what I was doing in Dearborn. I said eating. He asked me if I've ever eaten raw meat and I said yes, I used to live in France. He asked me if I ate a lot of "chevals" there. He actually said "chevals," in French, which means horses. I said no, not many. He mixed up a little kibbeh, raw ground beef (sometimes lamb) mixed with spices, and told me to eat it. I gobbled it up. I said it was a little grainier than I expected it to be. He said that came from the spices.

He wrapped up my chicken, my hummus, and a salad, which was "on the house, sweetheart." I was ripping off the plastic wrap before I got into the car.

We also ate pizza that night, after we slept through the entire Michigan State/Notre Dame football game. The boyfriend's reason for exhaustion? 62 miles a velo. Mine? Serious eating.

Eastern Market
2934 Russell Street
Detroit

Germack Pistachio Company
2517 Russell Street
Detroit

Whole Foods
115 Mack Avenue
Detroit

Pinwheel Bakery
220 West 9 Mile Road
Ferndale

Nemo's
1384 Michigan Avenue
Detroit

Dearborn Meat Market
7721 Schaefer Road
Dearborn

Want to read more about kibbeh? Check out this article by Lansing native Maureen Abood, who has a beautiful blog.