Hi, in case you don’t remember who I am…Baramee here. And in case you forgot (not that I’m sure how you could ever forget), I LOVE food. Is love a strong enough word? Is there a stronger word? In saying all this, I guess it makes me a foodie, yeah?

So 2020 has been an “interesting” year so far. But being that so many of us are at home, has allowed some people to discover cooking and baking and other new-to-them activities. Me, I just continued to eat good food. My personal food trends through the past months have been like a rollercoaster ride. I didn’t follow the try-all-the-receipes-I-wanted-to-try-but-didn’t-have-time-to trend. I didn’t get into bread making/baking. I didn’t bake (I just cannot eat all of that). I’ve cooked at home and I’ve eaten takeout…and have (in July-ish gone to some restaurants).

So, shall we (me) picks some favorites from each month and look at the things that have remained consistent? Oh, and at one point…I was over the whole cooking/eating thing and it just became a necessity due to need of nourishment, but we’re back to the almost regular appetitie. Also… there are things I miss as well (all the homemade, I don’t-know-how-to-make Lao dishes).

Fair warning, the information below will mainly be a food photo dump…so if you don’t want to get hunger, skip to the bottom to find out the winners during COVID so far.

April

Homemade: khichdi (Indian breakfast tapioca), misal, salmon wonton noodle soup, vegan-ish banh cuon (Vietnamese rice crepes), Maggi (instat noodles), chai, subsi, fried oysters, spicy instant noodles, pancakes, sour shrimp noodle soup, dosas with chutney, crab legs, salt and pepper tofu, dan dan noodles, instant noodles fancied up, black lentil pilaf with fried mackarel

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Takeout: Schwa – country fried steak po’ boy with salt & pepper chips. Kin Sushi & Thai – amaebi (sweet shrimp), tempora sampler, tuna avocado roll, shrimp tempura roll, papaya salad, kani salad, larb gai. Bambu – fruit addict

• 

• 

• 

Other: brown sugar boba ice cream bars, jackfruit, dumplings, ttebokki, instant noodles

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

May

Homemade: pori upma (Indian puffed rice dish), salmon khao poon, pho, boba (made with pre-made milk tea), layered taco dip, spinach subsi, shrimp tacos, beyond meat tacos, refried bean tacos, nachos, layered taco dip, spicy sugar snaps, fried oysters, cabbage soup, crab legs, pho, shrimp curry with dosas, eggs and rice, khichdi

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Takeout: Temporis – Faroe Island salmon, spring pea risotto, brownies, charred brussel sprouts. Golden Chef – mapo tofu, Singapore mai fun. Hog Wild – bone-in pork chop and krinkle cut fries. TSAoCAA – bubble tea. Wakame – a lot of sushi. Quang’s – grilled pork vermecelli noodle salad. Pagoda – salt & pepper chicken wings, ginger lobster, salt & pepper lobster, salt & pepper calamari, duck, beef and broccoli, shrimp fried rice, three chili fish filet, Chinese broccoli in XO sauce, xiao long bao, egg drop soup. Marc Heu – strawberry cake. Alinea – 15th Anniversary dinner. Fatso’s Last Stand – Maxwell polish, fries, fried pickles, fried shrimp. Minghin – shrimp and chive dumplings, shumai, shrimp dumplings, shrimp rolls, sesame buns, fried crab rolls, chicken wings, Chinese broccoli in garlic sauce. Maxwell’s – bone-in pork chop sandwich, Maxwell polish, fries. Shan – samosas. Goose Island Shrimp House – fried oysters, fried shrimp, fried scallops, clam strips, fries. Thai Lagoon – chicken red curry.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Other: McDonald’s french fries, Culver’s custard, spaghettios, crepes (by Gizelle), Dairy Queen – peanut buster parfait, cherry Starkist, nam vahn (Lao dessert made by my aunt), fritatta (by Gizelle)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

June

Homemade: crab mac & cheese, eggs and rice, baked salmon, charred brussel sprouts and roasted fingerling potatoes, cheese quesadilla, lemon garlic shrimp, onigiri, boba-ish, kuaw seen over rice, salad, fried shrimp, quinoa, charred brussel sprouts, tuna and crackers, mussels in white wine sauce, pasta, grilled veggies (asparagus, bell peppers, brussel sprouts), grilled shrimp, smoked ribs, salmon on a cedar plank, grilled veggies (portobella mushroom caps, asparagus, bell peppers), mashed potatoes, dan dan noodle soup, boiled peanuts, cauliflour subsi with dosas, mac cheese, instant noodles with shrimp, spinach and asparagus, raspberry “soup”

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Takeout: Three Wheels Noodle – garlic chicken noodle. Tasty Chef – orange chicken, shrimp fried rice, chicken wings. NEXT – shrimp tempura, pickled daikon and cucumbers, salmon and tuna sashimi, sweet soy glazed unagi, edamame rice, wakame salad, starberry filled taiyaki. Omakase Yume – chirashi don. Parachute – katsu sando. The Smyth – beef pho with chicharron. Thai Lagoon – chicken pad thai, spring rolls. The Smyth – chicory salad, soft shell crab, rice pilaf, cherry cloutis. Handsome Hog – clams in red sauce. Moscow on the Hill – beef stroganoff, tiramisu, napoleon. Hope Breakfast Bar – mini donuts, chicken fried chicken with eggs, hashbrowns and a biscuit. Legendary Spice – combo dry hotpot, chicken wings, Szechuan dumplings. China Hope – orange chicken with fried rice and cream cheese wontons. Shan – samosas. Thai Lao Spicy Noodle – pun nam neung. RA Sushi – edamame, shrimp baos, pork baos, sushi rolls.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Other: parathas, dumplings, Stan’s – glazed and chocolate old fashion, birthday cake, mangos, Culver’s – butterburger, chicken khao poon (made by my brother’s friend), HyVee – cake (carrot, chocolate, caramel, red velvet), Good Earth – chicken salad sandwich & chips, D’Fruta – mangonada

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

July (so far)

Homemade: instant noodles with spinach, shrimp and aspargus, spicy sugar snaps,crab legs, tum khao poon, grilled wings, khao piak sein, sour shrimp noodle soup with spinach and cabbage, spicy tuna mayo onigiri, salmon onigiri, Lao BBQ with seen naam thok, grilled wings and jeow som, sunflower crunch salad, kuaw mee, papaya salad, BBQ ribs, mac and cheese (with Velveeta), mashed sweet potatoes

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Takeout: O’Donovan’s – pepperjack cheeseburger, tots. Bale – bahn mi. MCCB – combination dry hot pot, chili calamari, woodear mushroom salad, chili tofu. MOD Pizza – 1/2 margherita, 1/2 BBQ chicken. Rainbow Cone – rainbow cone. Lucy’s – spicy fried chicken sandwich, jalapeno cheese fries. Portillo’s – Chicago dog, cheese fries. Wakame – miso sopu, hamachi kama, kalbi, spicy tuna roll, salmon avocado roll, amaebi. Bellecour – almond croissant, chocolate almond croissant, bread pudding, ham & cheese croissant, birthday cake macarons. Marc Heu – passionfruit tart, strawberry croissant, chocolate hazelnut mousse, mixed berry cronut. Basil Cafe – chicken khao poon, mango with coconut sticky rice. Boondocks – chicken nachos, chicken strips with fries.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Other: egg salad sandwiches (original & truffle by Ed), chilled asparagus soup (by Ed), Mitsuwa – strawberry smoothie bubble tea, watermelon

• 

Consistent: Dumplings, crab legs, subsi

Winners

1. April: Homemade – misal. Takeout – Kin Sushi & Thai (by default).
2. May: Homemade – layered taco dip. Takeout – Alinea (fancy), Pagoda (not fancy).
3. June: Homemade – mussels, pasta, grilled veggies. Takeout – Omakase Yume.
4. July: Homemade – Lao BBQ. Takeout – Basil Cafe.

What have been your favorite meals or foods during these “interesting? times?