Food 365 | Day 98 – 103: Catching-up

Traveling for work makes keeping up with daily posting requirement of this project just that much more difficult.  Regardless, I was diligent about at least taking a picture a day if not about posting them.

Day 98: Roasted Chickpea Snacks from Pulse.  I am always on the look out for snacks for work that are delicious and relatively healthy.  These arrived just in time for me to munch on them on the plane and during the 1.5 hours ride to the hotel.  Are they still healthy if I managed to finish an entire bag in one sitting?

Day 99: Whole Artichoke from Azu.  The night before conference kicks off is usually reserved for team dinners.  Tuesday night, our team of 3 headed into the town of Ojai.  Without doing much research, it took us wandering on foot for 25 minutes before we found dinner for the night.  I started with a delicious artichoke caprese.  To my surprise, instead of artichoke hearts, a grilled artichoke arrived at the table.  I think this was the first time I have seen a full artichoke served at a restaurant.  Nothing elegant about this as I dug in with my hands and dipped each petal into the garlicky aioli.

Day 100: Breakfast in the Garden.  The best part about the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa is their beautiful grounds, including lovely gardens full of lavender and rosemary shrubs.  The conference does not officially kick off until 10 so I was able to sneak in a breakfast by the gardens, starting off with a jar of latte of course.

Day 101: Pixie Tangerines.  I love finding little gifts in my hotel rooms.  They usually leave things like chocolates but the Ojai left something a little more unique – a basket of pixie tangerines that are only grown in Ojai.  Even though they were difficult to peel, the juicy and incredibly sweet tangerine segments made it well worth the mess.

Day 102: Homemade Wontons.  There is nothing more comforting to me than wontons.  Every time without fail, I have a bowl with broth then the second bowl with soy and vinegar garlic sauce.  Exactly what I need after a long flight home.

Day 103: Green Garlic from the Garden.  My parents plant plenty of vegetables in their garden and one of my favorites which grows over the winter is green garlic.  They look like overgrown scallions and have a mild garlic flavor.  Their sturdy leaves fare well sauteed in a hot pan with pork or chicken and are equally amazing as filling for spring rolls.