Creamy Cilantro dressing! NOOOO!

She Didn't Realize What She Was Doing

My husband and I went to dinner with my folks and a family friend last night. Now, the restaurant isn't important - let's just call it a cafeteria. Midway through the meal, my mom pushes a small bowl of slaw towards me, telling me to try it because it has a very different flavor for slaw. Well, first of all, slaw isn't my most favorite food item in the world anyway - but she may not know that. I do sometimes eat cole slaw, but not often. Second, and more importantly, I can SEE the cilantro in the slaw. MOM! What are you thinking? She wasn't even thinking about the cilantro - she wanted me to try the slaw because it was "spicy". Um, no thanks!

Thanks, Mom.

Have a nice day everyone!

Are you KIDDING me?

Sigh. What is happening with restaurants that I like? Did they all hire new cooks who just discovered cilantro?

Mike and I went to lunch at one of our favorite places yesterday - a Thai place I won't name for hopes that yesterday was a one-time mistake. We have eaten at said restaurant probably 100 times, and about 75 of those times I have ordered the same dish: Pineapple Cashew Fried Rice. A dish which does NOT include cilantro, of course.

Well, yesterday was already shaping up to be a stinky day, what with my migraine headache and all the hormones shooting through my system (I'm 3 months pregnant) so I went to lunch in a bad mood anyway. The very nice waiter brings our food and I don't even let him set the plate down on the table. Just as he is about to do so I say, pointing to the plate, "is that CILANTRO?" to which he responds nicely, "yes ma'am." I couldn't even say the words TAKE IT AWAY before he saw the look on my face that clearly said it for me. He immediately did an about face and removed the vile weed from my sight and a few moments later I had my non-evil food.

I am not exaggerating to say that on top of my dish there was about 1/2 cup of chopped, fresh, vile cilantro weed, (presumably as a garnish?) so much so that no person who even enjoys the disgusting stuff would like it. What was I supposed to do? Mix this all in with my fried rice? Pick it off the top of the dish, meaning I would have to touch it? I think not. I really wish I had a photo to show you, but of course I couldn't let the plate near me for long enough to do so.

Good times, people. Good times.

Stay safe from cilantro, my friends.

Dinner Club Fun

Sweet husband and I are in a group of couples who eat out in fabulous restaurants once a month. Our December excursion was to Ama Lur in the Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, TX. The reason I am posting about this here is because the restaurant features "contemporary Southwestern cuisine" which means - cilantro.

My dish (Seared Jumbo Prawns) was fabulous. However, I specifically asked the waitress if there was cilantro in or on my dish when I ordered. And I am thankful that I did! Nowhere in the menu listing did it say "cilantro" for my meal, but it would have been on there had I not mentioned that I didn't want it. This, my friends, is my biggest pet peeve about restaurants. If there is an ingredient in a dish it MUST be listed on the menu. Especially, in my opinion, with something as vile as cilantro. In addition, think of all the people with actual food allergies who need to know what they are getting.

All in all, the meal was great. It just reminds me that I will have to continue to ask what is in my dish before ordering. Oh, and they had this pomegranate drink there that was DELICIOUS!

~E

Don't Ruin My Soup!

I hope you know that if you go out for Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) you should request "no cilantro" otherwise it will be in there. Just a friendly warning from me to you! Husband likes it, so here is a photo of "cilantro on the side" for you to enjoy.

Great Mexican food, so WHY ruin the salsa?

A couple of weeks ago now, my sweet husband and I had a double date with friends at a restaurant called La Hacienda. Mmmmm.... Best Fajitas EVER. Seriously. I think all four of us agreed wholeheartedly about that claim. Sadly, the ever-so-yummy looking salsa had the dreaded cilantro weed in it, so we had to get queso so I wouldn't have to eat "naked" tortilla chips. I certainly recommend this restaurant, just heed my salsa warning.

The offending salsa. Say it with me... YUCK!
~E

LIME=good; cilantro=evil

I've been seeing a lot of food products using both flavors of cilantro and lime. I'm all in favor of adding LIME flavoring to many foods but why ruin it with the cilantro. I'm sure you have seen cilantro-lime salsa & cilantro-lime tortilla chips. Now I've discovered cilantro-lime vinaigrette dressing. UGH. Down with the evil cilantro already!

What else have you found?

~E