June 6, 2006
a million pounds heavier, food blogger meet-up and a food hunt
"You're in good health."
"Really?"
"You're surprised?"
"Hm...I ate a lot of crap this year."
"Well, you did gain 28 pounds since your last visit."
Yesterday I went to my pediatrician's office (yeah, yeah, I'm 20) for a checkup in order to get my study abroad medical forms filled out. As I'm not fond of most medical practitioners, I hadn't been there in three years since the last time I had to go was to get into college. During that period I was at my skinniest (not that I was actually "skinny") post-puberty, while right now as my bum exerts pressure on this padded seat, I'm at my highest weight...ever.
Everrrrr.
Everrrrr.
...Oh well. I'm rather surprised that this isn't bothering me more (although, of course, I'm wondering how to lose some weight without cutting off any appendages). During sophomore year (as in, my first year as a transfer student studying food at NYU), I wanted to switch my major because I thought I couldn't handle the stress that food gave me. It sounds ridiculous now, but I actually went through the trouble (as in, I exerted this thing called "effort") of seeing an advisor in the communications department and getting a form to change my major until I realized...there wasn't much point. I was halfway through the food studies program; I may as well finish it.
And of course, today I eat everything without much guilt. That may or may not be a good thing. It's probably not a good thing.
On a related note, there's an article about being afraid of food at Skinny Daily Post:
There are much sadder things in the world, but really, really, really, we should not be afraid of food.If we're afraid of it, that means it's still in charge. We give food the power. And then we can't enjoy its company any more. Can't enjoy all the good traditions and associations that is food's rightful place. Can't enjoy it as nourishment, as celebration, as communion. As gift.
It's important to keep those ideas in mind if you ever become afraid of food (although if you're reading this blog, I doubt you'll ever be in that situation). It's hard to avoid something you're afraid of if you kind of need it to live and if everyone else seems to be having a good time with it. When I dieted, I ignored the communal aspect of food. Don't do that; it's moronic.
As for communal eating, WHO WANTS TO MAKE A FOOD MOB!? Okay, not a large mob. A few people would like to meet up after Kitchen Secrets on June 21st. I'd rather meet beforehand, but it may be tough to squeeze in something after people get out of work. Hohum. Anyway, feel free to think about where to eat and whether or not you're that interested in meeting me. I WOULDN'T, HAR HAR.
- oh my god, it's the sky!...wait, it's always there
On that note, I had a lovely time sitting in this beautiful outdoor park thing at the Hudson Hotel for Sam's NYC food blogger meet up. As we walked through the posh hotel lobby around to the park and saw a huge table of people-who-looked-like-food-bloggers, I turned to John and said, "Crap, I'm really late!...crap, I don't know how to socialize!" When we got to the table, I stood there awkwardly due to a brain blackout. A few seconds later, Meg came by and asked me if I knew where the food bloggers were. Do I give off a food blogger aura? If so, that's kind of cool!...unless the aura is a weird odor, in which case it's not so cool..
John and I swiped chairs from another table and plopped ourselves down at the end of the table. Since I'm a douche, I didn't meet everyone, especially those sitting mere feet away from me at the other end of the table. Ye know, it's just so hard to stand up and say hello. (Actually, this is very difficult for me to do.) ...Yes, me fail socialization. Here's a list of the people who were there (besides Sam and Fred!):
The Wednesday Chef, A Chicken in Every Granny Cart, אין מױל ארײן, A Finger in Every Pie, The Amateur Gourmet (plus his friend, Craig), The Food Section (plus his wife who runs Celebrity Babies and their baby daughter), Megnut, Prepare to Meet Your Bakerina, and Cookin' in the Cuse.
- fooood!
Sam provided us with caloric dense treats and espressed worry over my lack of access to the sugar due to my location at the end of the table. Aw! :) Of course, I did end up eating a fair share of things, like two caramels, four (or five?) truffles, and a chocolate covered caramel shortbread cookie sandwich. Best dinner ever? Yes! Unless you're diabetic.
I mainly chatted with Craig ("Friend of a Food Blogger"), Josh, Danielle, John (my FoaFB) and of course, Sam! I didn't talk to Josh's and Danielle's baby daughter, Anya, but she spoke to the rest of us in the form of high-pitched elated gleefulness. ;) Aww....babiiiess...they're so freakin' happy. If you ever feel as sad as a skinny, wet, abandoned cat in a ditch who just evaded being run over by a truck, remember at that some point you were a cute, smiling baby and that everyone loved you. Even if they don't anymore.
....
Anyway! I'm bad at socializing. Considering how infrequently I do it, it's not a surprise. You know how college is supposed the time when people meet other people and do...stuff? I missed that memo. I have no problem meeting people one-on-one, but group situations are much more awkward for me. Unless I'm absolutely sure otherwise, my assumption is that no one really wants to talk to me. Also, I'm rarely one to approach others as another one of my assumptions is that I bother people. I'm not sure how I got into this mindset, but it's been there for years and won't come out, no matter how hard I scrub. [scrub scrub]
Maybe it'll just fade with time.
Thanks so much to Sam (HAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAY!) for inviting me and organizing the get-together in such a funky hotel. Seriously, when we walked in it felt like...the future. In case anyone is wondering, the future has fluorescent green escalators and attractive waitresses who wear revealing clothing. Whoa! Okay.
Oh, food! I didn't forget...
- the cupcake is miiiine
I met John at Burgers & Cupcakes for a day of Robyn-fooding. Since I wasn't very hungry, I just ate this cupcake. It's not nutritionally balanced, but neither am I! We're like twins, except I don't have a smooth lump of pink frosting on my head, nor am I made of soft vanilla butter cake. Also, I'm human, so being twins is biologically impossible. I hope.
The cupcake tasted fresh and inoffensive: not too sweet/unsweet, not too dry/moist. It sits at the nucleus of a cupcake...amoeba.
...That didn't make sense. I just wanted to say "nucleus" and "amoeba". Once you stop taking science classes, there really aren't enough opportunities to use those words.
- salmon burger
John gave thumbs up to his salmon burger.
- EAT MEAT, SUCKAZ!
I guess that guy would too.
- holy moly
A hop on the 1 train brought us to Levain Bakery, also known as the Gateway to Cookie Heaven. As each cookie weighs 6 ounces and resembles a small boulder, this is not something you should eat by yourself. John and I shared a freshly baked chocolate chip walnut cookie (my favorite kind out of the four choices) whose cookie dough consistency spilled with melted, gooey chocolate chipness as I ripped off chunk after chunk. Shoving the warm pieces into our mouths a little faster that what's appropriate to sustain a comfortable digestive system resulted in fleeting cookie happiness. It was freakin' was awesome. I bought a few extra cookies to give to other friends.
After securing the cookie gifts, we stopped into Alice's Tea Cup about a block away where I bought a mini strawberry chocolate scone to eat later. We went back on the train to City Bakery so I could pick up a few more cookie gifts. And then...back on the train to go to Jacques Torres where I switched from cookie gifts to chocolate gifts.
- I think we're gonna need more coffee
Although I work about a block away from Porto Rico, my lack of coffee interest must have caused my eyes to glaze over every time I walked by it. This place had so many open sacks of coffee beans that I could taste a film of coffee in every crevice of my mouth just from breathing the store's fumes. Jeebus. Oh, and it smelled a lot like coffee too. I bought a 1 pound bag as a gift for Morten (although since my mum thinks I should get more, I'm going back there today), a bag that will make everything in my suitcase smell like coffee when I get to Norway. If you like coffee, you'll definitely find something you like in this store. Or you can just stand there and get high from the coffee fumes. If you go on a Sunday afternoon, you will be smelling them for a looooong time as you wait in line to place your order.
And that's it. But wait! I got a new toy this weekend that will enhance your future blog reading experiences:
- it's Bert!
Okay, it's not my brother standing in our yellow kitchen that will enhance your experience, but my NEW CAMERA that took this photo! That's right kiddies, I now have one of those digital SLR things that I'm not qualified to use. So far my photos are extremely unextraordinary (which I guess makes them...ordinary), but I'm working on it.
- trees
That's part of my nonexistent backyard (plus my brother's friend's car in the driveway) that has been taken over by trees (actually I guess it's humans that have taken over the forest...but anyway). When people ask me if living in the city causes me to miss tree and other lovely natural things, I look at them quizzically and reply, "...No."
Ah, I'm going to Norway tomorrow! Fancy that.
RANDOM ADDENDUM!!!
NYC-ers, please help John find a place to live! OR ELSE HE'LL...LIVE IN A BOX. Okay, he won't ever get to that point, but he seriously needs an affordable place to live or else he's doomed. He's looking for places, but I figure I can reach a few trustworthy NYC-ers through this blog. If you or anyone you know has a cheap place to live around NYC available for rent/sublet/slave labor to a 38 year old guy (we realized this might be easier if he were a 20 year old girl, but time travel and sex changes can get tricky), contact me and I'll let him know. He's EXTREMELY cool, EXTREMELY harmless, and has the double platinum Robyn "seal of approval"! So. Yeah.
Posted by roboppy at 12:27 PM
Comments (31)
i loveeee food... but im scared of "food" at the same time... what most peopel considere food shouldnt clearly does not constitute as food...
have you ever looked up how they make high fructose corn syrup?! 90% of the stuff they sell in supermarkets shoudl not be considered food... and we should we afraid of them....
ahhh
if you want to lose weight... either move some rocks aruond or go lift weights and be afraid of the high fructose corn syrup
I felt that the photo taken with the new camera was different (not because it was not food) from the others before I read that it was in fact taken with a new camera. The photo was crisp(?) and clearer, I suppose evidence of 8mp instead of 5mp.
I didn't meet lots of people nor socialized a lot when I was in college either. I think part of the reason was that I attended a commuter college in SF, and people just didn't want to stick around the campus and hang out when they have to drive an hour to get home.
Posted by: jo at June 6, 2006 2:50 PM [#]
Kathryn: I shall! If I don't die on the plane! Hehe!...!...
Adalmin: If the cookie ate Godzilla, then the cookie would...taste like Godzilla! NOOO! THe cookie should eat chocolate. Chocolatezilla. Ye...eah.
The internet tells me about these places. I love the Internet!
twobrain: Ohh, those other "foods" definitely don't count! BE AFRAID! I don't eat those things, I think. (scratches head) I do have a tendency to buy some kind of snack when I go to Whole Foods, but I'm pretty sure they're not...horrifyingly bad. (Their sweet potato chips are pretty yummy.)
MOVE SOME ROCKS! I'll get right on that. ...Hehe. Not really.
I've read a few books that talked about HFCS, although I can't remember exactly what they all were. This was even before I was a food studies major...we also went over that stuff in class though. Food, Inc probably goes into it. I haven't read that since freshman year, BUT THERE'S CORN ON THE COVER, WEE!!!
Anyhoo, corn is in almost everything, apparently. OOOOOPS.
s'kat: We're camera twins!
Adrien: I look foward to blogging it!
jo: Yup, it's more crisp and looks...cooler overall. :) My digital camera is still good for close-ups, but that's only if there's enough light. I carry around both cameras, hehe.
I don't like to hang around campus either. :\ And during freshman year, I went home every weekend. Erm.
Have a great trip! I'm sure going to miss your blogging :(
-jenny
Posted by: Jenny at June 6, 2006 4:19 PM [#]
Have a wonderful time in Norway, Robyn. I have never been there but I do have some norwegian ancestry I am told. And I can't thank you enough for overcoming your social fears to meet us. I am a little bit shy myself in group situations, but I don't really count food bloggers, because I feel like I half know them already! I am very touched that you came, and I was really excited to meet you! Also thank you for the cookie which for the record I am not sharing with anyone, but am eating lowly, one mouthful at a time. Indeedy it is delicious.
Bon voyage
sam
Have a safe trip Robyn and godspeed! As for an apartment, has he looked into Craiglist? I dunno if he wants to live so far up north in Manhattan, but several med students in the area are always looking for roommates. There are several postings at Bard Hall on 60th Haven Ave. if he wants to find something up by the Washington Heights area. If he's looking for something more south, I'm not sure how that's going to be arranged.
Wei
Posted by: Wei at June 6, 2006 8:09 PM [#]
I know how you feel with the socializing thing. I tend to feel like no one is interested in talking to me/I'd be a bother to talk to. Once I get going I'm ok...but..gah. Maybe that why I hate parties so much...
Congrats on the new camera! That's really spiffy!
Have fun in Norway! Safe travels! :)
Hi, Robyn,
Bon voyage! (Of course, you're probably reading this once you've returned, so, erm, welcome home. :)
I do apologize for being a bit nebbishy and antisocial at Sam's get-together at the Hudson. Your words struck a real chord with me; I'm also much better at meeting people one-to-one than in a big crowd. I ended up at the other end of the table because Julie (from A Finger in Every Pie) and Luisa (from The Wednesday Chef) are both friends, and if I hadn't seen them, I might have spent the whole night lingering awkwardly in the doorway. If you're game, I would be glad to do a cupcake run with you sometime; just say the word. (I live in Astoria, which is not a big cupcake neighborhood but does have some pretty swell food, including a French bakery that does a really nice almond horn. :)
Your blog is delightful. As soon as I wrestle my advanced template to the ground and make it behave, consider yourself blogrolled.
I'm actually coming to NY on June 21.
But I have the whole socialization problem too.
Especially with people who totally amaze me.
I've become such a fan of all you food bloggers.
I'd sit there like a tongue tied fan!!!!
I probably wouldn't be able to talk OR eat.
I love your wonderful blog...and really , your love for food and your attitude inspires me and makes me want to have such a good relationship with food, which i dont currently have. And NOT feeling guilty is a GOOD thing. Trust me, the guilt destroys lives and you should be PROUD and HAPPY that guilt doesnt detract from your life. I hope you continue to have many food adventures because i love reading them!
Posted by: kaitlin Hess at June 6, 2006 11:57 PM [#]
Wow! That cookie is... wow. I wish I had one. I wonder if they ship well... Oh, and I'm glad someone is as akward and antisocial as I am in this whole college meet people world :)
Posted by: From Our Kitchen at June 7, 2006 12:06 AM [#]
William: I shall have fun in the way of nor!
Everyone wants that cookie. It's so popular.
Annie: If you want an autograoph, you should go for it! :)
Jenny: Don't worry, I'll still be blogging! I'm bringing my laptop.
sam: Thanks for inviting me so that I could overcome social fears. ;D You can't be shy around the people you invite, hehe. And food bloggers are nicer than most people, I think. Eating the cookie slowly sounds like a good idea. I'm unable to do that, hence the...cookie induced pain. Like "Why did I eat all that cookie?"
Wei: John is looking at craiglist, yup! I'm not sure if he'll wanna live that far north, but thanks for the suggestion. I wonder what it's like to live with a med student...ormaybenot...
ldubya: Glad you like em! THERE'S MORE COMIN, hooha!
monnie: A dietician is reading my blog? AWESOME. My blog wouldn't be as fun if I didn't eat all this junk, methinks. :)
Cat: Mmm, 9 MP...that is a lot. Bourdain, here we come!
Sera: I tend to be okay once I start talking too. But I feel like people lose interest in me quickly...not that I blame em. I never go to parties. I'D PROBABLY HATE THEM.
I'll think about my plane crashing. Then it probably won't happen! Uh. Yeah.
Bakerina: I'M STILL AT HOME! Weee.
I was antisocial too...no worries being at opposite ends of the massive table and all. :) I feel like one-to-one is the only way I can totally focus on socializing. i like to get to know people well ,or....well, not like I have to know everything about them, I just like giving/getting that kind of attention. As long as it's not awkward. :P
CUPCAKE RUN! I like the sound of that. Sounds like a marathon...a marathon that does nothing positive for my health. Mmm!
I've never been to Astoria. I should check it out!
I subscribed to your blog! Because what I need to do is read MORE BLOGS.
Dina: Food bloggers are really easy to talk to! Just be like "mmm, cake" and I'd be like "mm...cake." Okay, maybe that's just me. I can have conversations that only consist of sound effects. There's something loose in my brain.
kaitlin: I'm glad my love of food is...INSPIRING! I had no idea! As long as it doesn't make anyone obese, I'm happy. The food adventures will continue as long as my health isn't going down the drain. :)
Gordon: I got the body and the lens together. I thought...I COULD get them separately, but I'm just a noob, so I'll go with the package. Someday I'd like to get a nice macro lens, ooof course.
From Our Kitchen: They do ship well! I send some to France. Want some? ;D We could do a food trade.
I DON'T FIT INTO COLLEGE, OH GOD. I never even fit into school. But...I still went, and I somehow passed. Woohoo!
I also want to say:
You make me wish I was a literary agent. OR somekind of talent agent. If I was, I'd have you published and famous.
But sadly, I'm not a literary agent.
So, I'll just have to wait until someone else discovers you and makes you famous.
If it never happens, I'll lose complete faith in the system.
But I really think it will happen.
One day, you'll have your own book. Your own TV show.
And I'll say...."I used to read her blog, but when she was just a student!"
Robyn, what an awe-inspiring blog. I'm so glad to have met you, even briefly, at the Becks'n'Poshtogether. I have to say that I'm really fond of Mitchell London's cupcakes, and have been in mourning ever since they stopped selling them at Fairway. I used to buy as many of the yellow-cake-topped-with-dark-fudgy-chocolate-icing as they had. Now I'm going to have to haul myself down to Burgers and Cupcakes, I guess. And maybe I'll go to the Kitchen Secrets thing...not sure yet.
Marvo: Do you have a bucket of frosting I could borrow?
Dina: HAHAHA, wow, thanks for believing so much in me! Cos I don't! Haha! :) Um. I doubt the TV thing would happen since I'd probably wanna puke, but a book sounds more doable! Someday, perhaaaps...
Julie: It was nice meeting you too! And YES, haul over to the land of burgers and cupcakes. I better try the chocolate one next time.
Oh yes! A food trade would be awesome! Let's do that.
Well, the important part is you passed, right? Who needs social skills anyway?
Posted by: From Our Kitchen at June 8, 2006 6:50 PM [#]
Very nice site..Your pictures are beautiful! Did you use Photoshop to enhance the pitcures... and how did you do it...
Posted by: Ray at June 19, 2006 4:15 PM [#]
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: This is the 
Oh my GOD. That cookie looks like it can take over the world and eat Godzilla for breakfast. WHERE do you FIND these places?!
Posted by: Adalmin at June 6, 2006 1:13 PM [#]