Freezer Burn

With less than 10 days to spare, it's time to take stock.  The fridge looks mostly meat-free save for some bacon bits, some chicken stock and some Thai Fish Sauce, the last 2 of which I usually use for cooking Tom Kha Gai.  Of course, if I do make Tom Kha again, it won't be Gai (Chicken) or use Fish Sauce or Chicken Stock while I'm a Vegetarian.   With Mushrooms (Tom Kha Het) or Tofu (Tom Kha Tofu) though and a bit of Vegetable Stock I certainly don't have to give that beloved soup up completely!

The Freezer still has a lot of meat though.  Looks like I'll be cleaning that out over the next few days as fast as I can!  Right now, my list includes:

• 1 box of Chicken Shu Mai
• 1 box of Scallops wrapped in Bacon
• One frozen Chicken Breast in a ziplock bag
• 1 Stouffer's Meat Lasagna
• Half a box of Salmon Quesadillas
• 2 Bowls of Wan Tan soup
• 1 Box of Trader Joe's Buttered Chicken — plus another at work; man, I'll miss Buttered Chicken!
• 1 Bowl of Thai Style Chicken Marsala
• 1 Packet of Beef Udon
• Some Garlic-Seasoned Cod
• 4 Filet Mignon Steaks wrapped in Bacon
• A bag of boil-in Pastrami

Now, as you learned previously, I'm a sucker for Viande Fumée!  That's why I was so keen to go to A Taste of Montréal with Dr. Joe last month.  Of course, the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley!  Or, put more plainly: do not confuse the Fairfax Connector Bus 980 city line for the one that goes straight to the metro!

Getting on the wrong bus that day was truly a calamity.  Instead of being early by a good half-hour, I was an hour late, missed the entire meet and greet and a good chunk of the good Doctor's lecture!  On the up side, I did get a scenic night tour of the historic Virginian town of Herndon.  Not that I don't already know Herndon like the back of my hand — wait, I've not seen that freckle before!

Now why, you may ask, was I so keen to go to Dr. Joe's lecture on nutritional science?  Well, I like Dr. Joe, to be sure, but I have to admit nothing can bring me out like an offer of Smoked Meat!  But, having missed the initial introductions I was too late to partake in les hors d'œuvres des viandes fumées.  I panicked any time one of the staff seemed to pack up what few Montréal delights remained during the lecture.  None the less, Dr. Joe is a wonderful speaker and a very insightful researcher and I found his lecture riveting because it is soundly based in Scientific study rather than dietetic fad.  In fact, that lecture both in content and in nearly missing my opportunity for Viande Fumée is a small past of the reason I've decided to become a Vegetarian for the next 12 months.

After the lecture was over, I had the opportunity to make a single Smoked Meat sandwich.  Oh my, was it delicious!  There's nothing like Smoked Meat, I tell you!  And Dr. Joe agrees!  Sure, Pastrami is a form of smoked meat, but it's not Montréal-Spiced Smoked Meat and there's only one place in the world you can get that!

So in my list of freezer items, you can see I had some left over Pastrami.  I made that today and I can surely say delectable though that was, it cannot remotely compare to authentic Montréal Smoked Meat!  It's a good think I don't live in Montréal anymore, or there'd be no way I could maintain Vegetarianism!

Tonight, I think I'll try to tackle some of the Filet Mignon.  So many meaty products, so little time!  Not to mention the free Burger King breakfast and 2 free Burger King lunches I have saved!  Mmmm, Large Triple Whopper with Bacon and Cheese…