food

Chicago deep-dish pizza: Malnati’s vs. Giordano’s

November 6, 2017

There are no “losers” in this comparison, that’s for sure.

In late July/early August, two of us took an annual baseball trip, with this one happening in the Midwest. For a couple of days, Chicago was the base area.

Several years ago, on my first trip to the Chicago area, I had some of the famous deep-dish pizza and I had gone with the original Pizzeria Uno, and it was quite divine.

Like, truly divine. The spot felt old-school. It was smaller and tighter (at least the area we sat) and the pizza pans were worn and aged — making it perfect.

This time around, though, the chance for a comparison came to fruition. On back-to-back days, pizza was the choice for the day and it came down to Lou Malnati’s vs Giordano’s.

Again, there’s no real loser here. Both were amazing. But let’s take a look.

Lou Malnati’s

The first stop for pizza came on a day when we were seeing the Chicago White Sox in the afternoon, and the Chicago Cubs at night. In between was a perfect stop for some pizza, wouldn’t you say?

Lou Malnati’s it was.

Sauce on top … was very good!

We got here at a good time as we had a seat right away. By the time we left, there were a lot of people waiting in line for a table.

First off, this pizza was delish. But it was a little different than I am obviously used to. First, it’s very heavy on sauce. And the sauce sits on top of the pizza, with a lot of glorious cheese in the middle. Therefore, a fork and knife was a must.

But the taste … oh my. Fantastic. The sauce was very tasty and the cheese was plentiful and gooey. Good lord it was fantastic.

Being hungry, though, as an appetizer, we got their cheddar cubes, which were delightful. Think Mozzarella sticks, but in cubes and cheddar. Fantastic.

The pizza was tremendous, though. I fully enjoyed it.

Giordano’s

The following night, Giordano’s was on tap. This worked out well as we were coming back from Milwaukee and had plans to go to an independent baseball game that night.

So, so good …

However, it was the one night on the trip where weather took control and we decided not to go to the independent game (which, it turns out, was the right direction as the game only made it to the fourth before the rain uncorked, and that was after a delay before the game even started!), so with a Giordano’s not far from the hotel, it was the perfect decision.

I’m glad it worked out this way.

This pizza was crazy good. The sauce was where it was supposed to be, and with getting a meat lover’s pizza, it was loaded!

The first bit was divine. The rest was crazy good as well. But the beauty of it was this — you didn’t necessarily need a fork and knife! This was cooked to perfection. The crust was excellent, there was the right amount of cheese and sauce, and the rest was perfect.

No appetizer this time around, but a cannoli to finish off the meal was excellent.

The verdict

As stated earlier, you can’t lose.

We were split down the middle on which pizza was the winner. One preferred the more sauce, one didn’t. My choice was Giordano’s because I liked less sauce, and liked it on the inside with the toppings on top.

But the reality is, I’d go back to either one and wouldn’t complain. They were both amazing and the difference of opinion basically came down to the placement and the amount of sauce.

Tremendous experience to have these on back-to-back nights. Whenever I might get back to Chicago, I know I’d love to dig in again!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Can overnight oats help the battle?

October 16, 2017

I’ve been reading on what kind of things can help with diabetes.

Over the past several years, I’ve backed away from oatmeal because the carb count was so high. It worried me and I didn’t want to do something that could throw me out of whack.

Alas, I’ve been seeing a lot – and I mean A LOT – of recipes on Pinterest for overnight oats. Several years ago, I tried it and didn’t like it, though I am starting to think it was because of the chia seeds, which I don’t think I enjoyed. That being said, I haven’t fully given up on chia seeds as I have been reading that they have some serious benefits for one’s health, including fighting aspects of diabetes. I think, however, if I start adding these to these recipes, it will be in a much smaller quantity.

Prepping some overnight oats.

So oats … seem to have some healthy aspects, too. Despite having a decent amount of carbs, it seems they can help overall. According to Healthline, “Because oatmeal has a low glycemic index, it can help maintain glucose levels. This can be beneficial for people with diabetes.” The website also warns, however, that pre-packaged oatmeal can be packed with sugar, which is why it’s better to create your own wonderful mixtures.

The first few nights, I followed recipes pretty much to the word. But I also realized there was a lot of ways to do overnight oats. Nothing had to be set to a recipe as you could do what you needed to make it taste the way you want. And, though many people eat it cold, I’ve found putting it in the microwave for about 1:30 warms it enough to make it really tasty!

I found a recipe that seemed interesting, but I tweaked it a bit to my liking. See below:

1/2 (ish) cup of oats
1/2 (ish) banana mashed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
3/4 (ish) cup of almond milk (or regular milk) (I use “Almond Breeze Vanilla with a hint of honey”)

Put a small layer of oats at the bottom of a pint-sized mason jar (I use the wide-mouth ones). Add the mashed banana. Then put the rest of the oats. On top of that, add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and milk. Mix up either with a spoon or shake vigorously to mix everything together. Refrigerate overnight.

I came up with this, in regard to carb count:

Oats: 30g
Banana: 12g
Maple syrup: ~7
Almond milk: ~6
Total: ~55 grams of carbs

This seems like a pretty safe bet for breakfast and with so many ways of making overnight oats, the tastes can be different each day. I’ve made ones with blueberries and such as well, which adds to it. I’m going to keep trying and see where it goes.

So far, I’m not sure if it’s been good, bad or indifferent. I’ve had these a few days so far (different flavors) and it hasn’t been perfect. But I am wondering over time. I have to see the diabetes educator in about a week, so I am hoping she can shed some light on things.

I know this much — it’s filling and tastes good. So I’m not as hungry later in the morning/day. It’s all part of the process, so hopefully I can keep going in the right direction.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Getting the in on In-N-Out

September 28, 2016

For those of you who have knowledge of Philly cheesesteaks, you know there’s a specific way to order.

“One wiz wit.”

Pretty simple, right?

Basically, that comes down to a steak, with Cheez Wiz (duh!) and “wit” onions. It’s the best way to have a steak, I always said. But it’s also the way to order.

The first… without knowing about the secret society.

You don’t go up to the window at Geno’s or Pat’s or one of many other steak places in Philly and say something along the lines of “Hello, my good man. I’d like a cheesesteak, preferably with Cheez Wiz, as well as adding some of those delicious grilled onions you have back there!”

It just doesn’t work.

Turns out, it’s that way other places, too.

On the trip to California this past weekend, a stop at In-N-Out was a must. After all, I’ve heard all about it from West Coast friends and from others who have been there. It was time to try it.

The second … animal style — after knowing all about the secret society!

The flight time worked out extremely well as we landed right near lunch time and we couldn’t check into the hotel yet. And, well, there was an In-N-Out a couple of miles from the hotel, so …

Duh.

A burger. Some fries. It all worked out well. The problem was, apparently, it wasn’t done correctly. There’s a secret (well, apparently not-so-secret) menu that those on the “inside” know all about. Well, damn.

I posted a photo on Instagram and other social media. I didn’t do it all right, so I was told. Another stop was going to have to happen.

The second time happened toward San Diego and we were with somebody “in the know.” He ordered up and it almost sounded like it was in a secret tongue. I was waiting for him to be welcomed as a brother of the secret society. A secret handshake had to happen, right? Or at least some crazy sound that only those on the “inside” know?

Right?

Apparently not.

But we learned enough to order. It was all about animal style on the burger and the fries. I felt like I had stepped up my In-N-Out game. The burgers were delish. The fries – with cheese and the sauce and everything else that makes them so much more than … just fries – were excellent. And the satisfaction of knowing we made it into some secret place makes it even better.

Now to learn the handshake…

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Sorghum or exhausted… might not take the chance again!

May 19, 2016

I don’t have any food allergies, that I know of anyway.

In fact, there’s only a couple of things I am allergic to, again that I know about. Both are actually medicines (one is Benadryl, that took me on one heck of a trip). Outside of that, I don’t know about being allergic to anything else. I also know allergies can develop later in life, so who knows?

Let me also say that I’ve had one or two long work days lately and I’ve been pushing it a bit, as I do this time of year each year. But this year it hasn’t been as bad as the last two. So … that’s why I’m not sure what did this to me.

Wednesday, I had the chance to try something with sorghum in it. I had been feeling fine and such and after seeing that it’s something that helps with blood sugar control — I was all for it.

The sample size I had wasn’t big, and it was mixed in with other stuff (all things I’ve had before).

About 30-60 minutes later, I felt like I hit the proverbial wall. At times, I struggled to stay awake at work. I was sluggish. I needed to stretch a lot and I wasn’t drinking as much water as normal.

That night, I was supposed to go to a baseball game. It was a beautiful night, too, so perfect for a game. I skipped it and went home and was out within 15 minutes of coming home. Through the night, I napped a lot and decided to throw in the towel and go to bed around 10, which is earlier than normal. I felt like I had a slight fever (nothing major) and just felt rundown.

I slept through the night (OK, I lie — I was up and restless a few times), but I got a lot of sleep. I was OK to start the day at work but was definitely moving slower than normal. Then around noon or so — about 24 hours later — I started feeling like myself again. I was getting better. Then tonight, I had to go to events at each school I work at and was fine. While I feel a tad tired as I write this blog post, it’s also 100 times better than yesterday.

So I’m curious — could this be something to do with the sorghum or was I just over tired?

I don’t know how food allergies work, so I don’t know. I have a checkup with my primary on Wednesday, so I plan on asking him what he thinks. And it might have been the tired aspect and all, but it all seems pretty coincidental, so the odds are I won’t try sorghum again. I don’t think I’m missing much though as the texture of it was weird anyway, and I’m not sure how much I would have wanted to have it again.

How about any of you? Do you have food allergies? What do they do? Could this be something my body just didn’t want?

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Down in the minors: deciding what to eat

May 16, 2016

One of the beauties of minor league baseball is the creative things teams do to attract fans. It might be with a great promotion, or that they have an excellent team that year, or it could be food options.

With the minor leagues, the talent on the field is only going to be there a year or two. Players come and go, based on the whim of the Major League affiliate. It’s a bit different when it comes to independent leagues, but players from those teams are plucked by affiliated organizations as well.

My normal ballpark fare is some hot dogs and fries.

Therefore, teams have to have an identity as a whole, rather than based on the parent club or certain players. That means there could be a lot of items to help said teams.

Food is always one.

It seems most minor league teams have a signature item — or something they are known for. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. You never know. But the creative limits of the ballpark culinary delights are definitely pushed.

MiLB has something going on right now called Food Fight, where fans can vote for their favorite foods. Some of these are pretty interesting, but the signature foods are definitely out there. Some look amazing. Some, not so much.

I’ve looked at the full list of foods and have pulled out ones of places I’m planning on hitting this year, or possibly might hit, or that I’ve tried in the past and put them below. Then, I’ll give my comments on if I plan to try it or not.

Obviously, too, I have to watch myself when eating some of these things as I don’t want my blood sugar to get so out of whack that I get worried. Being diabetic makes some of these things a little tough to try, though I usually plan for things like this when I go to a park.

So, without further adieu… here’s a look at some of the food I might look to try this year.

The Squealer (Akron Rubberducks): Half-pound, all-beef, foot-long hot dog stuffed with pulled pork and cheddar cheese, wrapped in bacon, deep-fried and drizzled with BBQ sauce.

My take: I’m not sure about this. As much as I think I’d like to try it, this seems like a whole heap of calories and a lot of bad stuff going in you. I can’t say I won’t, though, so I’ll put it at 50-50.

Pork Cantina’s (Carolina Mudcats): Slow-roasted seasoned pork with salad mix, mango salsa, aioli on a flour tortilla.

My take: This actually sounds really good. Right now, visiting the Mudcats this year is up in the air, pending when the “Southern Swing” trip happens. If I end up there, this will likely be tried

Pulled Pork Nachos (Buffalo Bisons): Corn tortilla chips topped with slow-roasted BW’s BBQ pulled pork, sharp cheddar cheese, jalapenos and sour cream.

My take: If I could get it without the jalapenos, then yes, I’d be in to try it. If I can’t, then no.

Chicken and Waffle Cone (Charlotte Knights): Waffle cone stuffed with house-made macaroni & cheese, fried chicken tenders, topped with slaw and BBQ sauce.

My take: This is one of those things where if I ate it, I’d be looking to take several laps around the park after it. That being said, I’m strongly going to consider this one.

Angus Barn Steak and Cheese Sandwich (Durham Bulls): Certified angus, grilled onions, peppers, cheddar cheese, ‘secret sauce,’ toasted roll.

My take: Where do I sign up? Though, to be fair, I will see if I can get it without the peppers as I am not a pepper eater. If the answer is no, I’ll have to debate if it’s worth trying to pick them off.

Shipwreck (Erie Seawolves): Beef burger, American cheese, Italian sausage, Swiss cheese, lettuce, red onion, tomato on a brioche bun.

My take: Erie is likely a longshot for me this year, but if it happens — then I think I’d be in to try this one. I’d have to see it, though, as I might feel it’s too much for me.

Sweet-n-Salty Grilled Cheese (Greensboro Grasshoppers): Texas toast, prosciutto, brie, mascarpone, vanilla, strawberry preserves .

My take: This sounds extremely interesting. This is one I’d for sure like to try.

Mac & CrawDog (Hickory Crawdads): Footlong hot dog topped with Monterey Jack mac & cheese.

My take: Hickory is another team that’s up in the air, based on when the Southern Swing Happens. This sounds interesting, but I often tend to shy away from things like mac and cheese on my hot dog. It’s 50-50.

Southern Hudson Comfort (Hudson Valley Renegades): Belgian waffle with scallions, bacon and cheddar baked in, topped with chicken tenders, crispy bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and honey bourbon BBQ sauce.

My take: I am not sure if this was at Hudson Valley when I visited there last year. I would like to make another trip to the stadium this year as I enjoyed myself. If I so, this would be interesting to consider. There’s a lot of stuff on this, though. I’d have to hopefully see it live before I said yes or no.

Mater Sandwich (Kannapolis Intimidators): Grilled white bread, tomatoes and mayonnaise with salt and pepper.

My take: I’d probably give this a go.

Jersey Delight (Lakewood Blueclaws): Case’s pork roll, deep fried in funnel cake batter, topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

My take: I love going to Lakewood and I like attempting to get there at least once a year. But I think I’d skip this one … just doesn’t sound good to me.

Bacon, USA Funnel Cake (Lehigh Valley Ironpigs): Funnel cake topped with confectionery sugar, thick bacon crumbs and maple syrup.

My take: The Pigs definitely think outside the box when it comes to culinary delights. But I think this one would have way too much sugar and carbs for me. Not saying I wouldn’t split it with somebody, but no way I’d do it on my own!

The Mount Dessert Island (Portland Sea Dogs): Fried dough shell filled with soft-serve ice cream and topped with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, Reese’s Pieces, M&Ms and cherries in a Sea Dogs helmet.

My take: While this sounds delightful, I think it would have to be shared with several people.

Desperately Seeking Chicken (Rochester Redwings): Mac & cheese, Buffalo wing sauce, blue cheese dressing, chicken and cheese sauce.

My take: I’ve already been to Rochester this year and decided to pass up this choice. Though it sounded interesting, it wasn’t something I was curious enough to try.

Pierogie Pulled Pork Sandwich (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders): Fried pierogi, pulled pork (smoked in-house), homemade Bent Buckle BBQ sauce.

My take: In my first trip to see the Railriders this year, I tried their poutine and there wasn’t any cheese in it, so that disappointed me. This, though, sounds somewhat interesting and I might be up to giving it a go.

Pop’s Tots (Syracuse Chiefs): Tater tots, queso cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives.

My take: This is an easy one — next time I’m at a Syracuse game, I’m trying this.

Pig Pen (Trenton Thunder): Chopped pork roll, pulled pork, bacon bits on a bed of mashed potatoes.

My take: There’s no telling if I’ll get to Trenton or not this year, but they have a lot of good food options. Therefore, I don’t see me going for this one.

I had the Sweenie last year.

The Sweenie (Wilmington Blue Rocks): Hot dog in a custom-glazed donut bun, topped with raspberry jelly and bacon.

My take: I only put this on the list because I was in Wilmington last year and I tried this. While I thought it was OK, and I’m glad I took the risk to have it, I likely wouldn’t do it again. A one-time experience!

Cheesy Pig Dog (Winston-Salem Dash): Hot dog topped with BBQ, macaroni & cheese and shredded cheese.

My take: Not sure about this one. Again, not always a fan of mac & cheese on my hot dogs, so I’m not sure if I’d try it or not.

There you have my thoughts on some of the food options at places I am hoping to visit this summer. Visit the link up top to see all the choices and see if there’s any you’d be looking to try if the chance was presented to you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!