Thai Pepper: Oh, dear.

Look closely. What's wrong with this picture of pad see-ew?

Well okay. Maybe there's a lot to talk about here. The broccoli instead of jie lan (Chinese broccoli), the dry-looking noodles, the scallions scattered on top and the ramekin of vinegar on the side for—dipping? Who knows. What startled me the most, however, was the healthy scattering of coarse black pepper strewn all over the top of the noodles.

Inauthenticity doesn't usually ruin my meal as long as the final dish tastes good. Unfortunately, I might have to place this one, from Thai Pepper, at the top of my bad pad see-ew experiences. The black pepper gave everything an unpleasant, gritty texture. The egg, which is usually in nice, fried chunks, was more like a thin, bumpy coating over the noodles, like a curdled carbonara. The beef pieces were chewy and tough. I ate it, but seriously, the dish was like no pad see-ew I'd ever encountered. Take that as you will.

A bite of MC's pad thai proved to be much better, which made me wonder how there could be such a disparity in noodle-dish execution. I may go back to Thai Pepper for pad thai, but I won't be ordering the pad see-ew again.

Because cheese and fruit is awesome

And easy. Triple-cream brie, sliced Honeycrisp apple, homemade bread. Yay lunch.

Soggy bottom tacos, not boys, at La Luz

While we were out a bar one night, my fellow classmate RM, a native of Fort Collins, started ticking off a bunch of restaurants that he thought were the best in this city. He practically salivated at the mention of La Luz Mexican Grill, and I noted to myself that I would have to check it out.

With CH a few months later, I stopped in for lunch at the Old Town location (right next to Rasta Pasta) to have the fish tacos. The grilled fish came topped with "salsa blanca, cheese, spicy onions, shredded cabbage, salsa fresca, and lime," and I requested they come with flour tortillas instead of corn and with extra guacamole. Disappointingly, when they arrived the bottoms of my tacos were soaked through with liquid from the salsa, making them impossible to pick up. Once I tackled them with a knife and fork, though, the flavors and quality of the fish were quite good, despite the soggy tortillas. I spooned on some extra salsa and corn relish from the salsa bar and felt quite satisfied, but next time, I'll try a burrito.

Sister's Pizza & Mussels (& Boulder Canyon chips)

Getting to downtown Loveland, CO from Fort Collins without a car is a bitch. It took me two transfers and a solid hour on the buses one way, and that was just the travel time alone. Consider that buses only run once per hour (luckily, the wait between transfers is minimal), miss one bus and you're screwed until the next hour. I might have done better biking.

I was in Loveland for an internship interview, and found myself leaving the building just after my bus was scheduled to pull away from the curb. Having already wandered most of the downtown area before the interview (I arrived an hour early so that I wouldn't be late), I gave myself the task of figuring out where to get something to eat. Just in front of the bus stop, Sister's Pizza & Mussels caught my eye.

A place focused on both mussels and pizza seemed an unlikely business model, but I was game. Inside, the place was empty and had the air of a takeout joint. Mussels were mainly featured as part of pasta dishes, and not wanting to tussle with a forkful of spaghetti while sitting outside at the bus stop, I opted for the classic portable meal, a plain slice.

It was surprisingly good. The bottom of the thin, chewy crust was crisp without being cracker-like, and the cheese, sauce, and dough all seemed well balanced.

One slice is pretty slim, however, so I supplemented my meal with a bag of chips. I'd seen Boulder Canyon Natural Foods chips all over Colorado—it seems to be the local brand of choice—and I was eager to check out their Spinach & Artichoke flavor because I have a fascination with oddly flavored crispy snacks. These kettle-cooked chips were hearty, with good potato flavor and the perfect amount of salt. The added seasoning seemed to be a nod toward spinach and artichoke dip, which made the chips taste like a better version of sour cream and onion. Yum.

Panda Express: Even in a pinch, pass

Veggie lo mein and beef and broccoli from Panda Express and a book of selected stories by Alice Munro, both consumed in the food court of the student center. This is how I killed an hour between classes because I didn't feel like walking back to my apartment to make lunch, but after that styrofoam tray of salty grease and flavorless, gummy noodles, I really should have.

At least the stories were good.

Dou-ban yu fail

After tasting my dad's dou-ban yu before I left for Colorado, I was determined to recreate the dish on my own. At the Asian supermarket in Denver, I picked up a bottle of the spicy bean paste/hot bean sauce brand he had used (same as the one I used for my mapo tofu dish), and figured all I needed was to add chopped garlic, cilantro, scallions, and basil for the sauce.

But then there was the matter of the fish. I didn't know where I could buy a live carp, and how could I possibly eat an entire carp anyway? So I made the dish with frozen tilapia filets that I bought at Wal-Mart, not knowing how wretched they would taste. Overly fishy, and with unpleasant scales and bones still randomly stuck in them, which totally booby-trapped each bite. I know I have to make grocery compromises because of budget and availability now, but these filets were just not worth it.

The flavor of the sauce, however, was great. My mom advises that I add cooking wine and ginger next time to brighten the flavors and to reduce the fishiness, so I guess that's how I'll tackle the rest of the filets I have left. After that, though, there's no way I am buying them again.

Asian grocery fix: East West Imports

East West Imports is probably the closest Asian market to me, just around the east side of campus. It's a funny place that offers a combination of groceries, cooking classes, language classes, and gift items.


Their grocery selection is surprisingly extensive for the space—the market area is small, but the shelves are packed. It has the usual selection of condiments, snacks, teas, and dried goods, and a refrigerated section on the side offers items like frozen dumplings, ice-cream filled mochi, or wonton wrappers. There also seem to be some more obscure Japanese items, which I didn't recognize. Prices are a bit higher than the Vietnamese grocery I went to in Denver, but that's to be expected.

Overall, this place is a good option and I'm happy it's in town!

Four ways to eat an apple and raw beet salad

I had a bundle of beets and an abundance of Honeycrisp apples from the farmer's market, and decided to chop 'em up and put them together with a splash of lemon juice and a little salt to make a healthy raw beet and apple salad. I loved the earthy sweetness of the raw beets paired with the simple, tart sweetness of the apples, but the problem was, three large beets and three large apples equals one damn enormous bowl of salad. I was eating the stuff for days. So here are some of the combinations I came up with:

Topped with cashews and cilantro, alongside toast;

On jalapeno-cheddar bread, with some cream cheese;

In a tortilla with peanut butter (a surprisingly awesome pairing);

On a piece of toast spread with pate, after adding chopped cabbage into the mix.

In the end, I loved the flavor of the salad, but the texture was a little unwieldy. I thought the beets would soften and wilt after marination, but they never did. Next time I'll try grating the apples and beets instead of cutting them into matchsticks.

Beet greens, by the way, should definitely not be tossed. I sauteed the chopped greens with a little salt in some olive oil, and ate them on top of rice with a fried egg. The greens are as tender as spinach and taste just a little earthier.