My Adventures in Pickling

At the start of quarantine I got into pickling veggies. I needed something new to do, something different and something to occupy my time. I also got into cooking, what else could we do, and I found I really liked it.

Pickling became a big deal to me. I don't know why, but I get joy out of doing it. It comforts me and I have liked finding new things to pickle. One time my daughter and I even pickled a pickle. It was terrible, but we gave it a try. Whenever we do our veggie garden I like to try and pickle some of the veggies. I have done it with jalapenos and carrots most notably. I have also been into mini cucumbers lately, and I had to pickle some of those the other day. So I guess I am making my own pickles now.

The thing I like to pickle the most is red onions. I have tried yellow, white and now red onions. I have even contemplated doing those small onions they use on cooking shows, but I have not jumped into that quite yet. But the red onions are the absolute best. I think it is the sweetness that makes them taste the best. The white onions do get the pickle flavor, but they are kind of bland, as far as that taste goes. I could say the same thing about yellow onions. While they taste a little better, they still do not hold the same weight that red onions do. Pickled red onions make for the best accompaniment to some dinner dishes. I have found myself adding them to smash burgers I make at home. I used to do just pickles and sliced, fresh red onion, but pickled red onions have overtaken them all. I do not even need pickles on the burgers anymore. I love adding them to veggies. Whenever we roast veggies at home, and I have pickled onions on hand, I am almost certain to add them. It adds a little oomph. When I make steak I like to use compound butter and blue cheese. If I am feeling really risky, I'll add both of those and some pickled red onions. I love them in salad. The first time I had them was at a restaurant in Evanston with beets and goat cheese. We have done that multiple times at home now and it is amazing. I am a big fan, especially with the goat cheese. It is a great compliment to the heat from the roasted beets.

I have also tried many different pickling liquid recipes. I've done the classic vinegar, water and sugar. That is a classic for a reason. I've used rice vinegar and that adds nice acid. I sometimes use Splenda instead of real sugar and it tastes almost identical.

Today I tried something different though, and I cannot wait to taste them tomorrow. I simply googled "best pickling liquid recipe", and a ton of stuff came up. There were some recipes that were wildly complicated, others that were almost too simple. I decided to do one where I heated up the liquid and then let it cool completely. I have never done this before. I used red wine vinegar, water, smoked salt, real sugar, fennel seeds, ground mustard and ginger and whole black peppercorn. I heated it up over high heat until all the sugar and salt dissolved. I would stir periodically and then I let it fully cool down. I have since added it to the onions and now we wait. I am really amped about this new recipe I found online and I cannot wait to try them. My house does smell like pickling liquid, but that will go away soon, I hope. But that is not a bad price if these pickled red onions taste as excellent as they look in my fridge right now. Time will tell.

I want to close by saying, go pickle some veggies. It is fun, rewarding and they are tasty as hell when you find a recipe you like. I'm a fan and I think you could be as well. Pickling veggies is dope. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Garage is Must Visit if You Find Yourself in Indianapolis

Last weekend my dad and I took my son to Indianapolis for the weekend. I’ll write about the Pacers game and stadium tomorrow. Today I want to talk about a spot we went to before the game on Saturday.

We left Terre Haute in the morning and made our way to Indy. It’s only about an hour drive so we took our time. We couldn’t check into the hotel until four so we figured we’d get lunch and hang out before then. I was on search duty since my dad was driving, but he had already done his research prior to the trip and had decided we were going to check out this spot called The Garage.

The Garage is not a restaurant, instead it is a collection of restaurants. I was already stoked on this spot from what I saw online. Seeing it in reality was even better. This place was pretty rad. Like I said, there was a wide variety of food to try. There was not one through line. There was not just one cuisine to pick from. When we walked in I saw a full service bar. There were drinks galore. Then I saw a juice bar with açaí bowls. I was then drawn to a slice of pizza I saw. It was enormous. I saw a bunch of other spots after that. There was a burger joint, a sushi place, a greek restaurant, a taco truck like storefront, a poke bar, all kinds of stuff. There was even a barbershop within the confines of this place.

If you’re trying to imagine the size, it was like the first floor of the shopping mall. I kind of took my time and checked some spots out. My dad and son did the same. They took even more time in fact. They settled on a Greek spot. My son had dolmades, pita, hummus and fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. My dad had a very tasty looking gyro. It was stuffed with meat and tzatziki and feta. He said it was great. I leaned into the poke bar. I had been eyeing it since I saw it online. And it totally delivered. I got brown rice, seaweed salad, nori strips, a citrus ponzu sauce and tuna. It was excellent. I have been telling everyone about how good it was. I find myself craving it almost a full week later. I told my wife that this was a meal I’ll think about for awhile. It was that good.

Outside the food this place was pretty cool. The bathrooms were very clean and spread out from the food spots. There were tv’s everywhere. The men’s tournament was on so it was great for me and my kid. I already mentioned the barbershop with people getting haircuts. They had security and people cleaning tables consistently. The space was heated which was nice since it was so cold last weekend. And the people watching was next level. I love people watching and this was one of the best experiences I’ve had while doing it.

If you ever go to Indianapolis and want to check out some cool food, a different spot and some of the best people watching there is on this planet, check out The Garage. It was dope.

Check out the Garage Food Hall

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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An Ode to a Tomahawk Steak I Recently Ate

During Valentine's Day my wife got me a tomahawk steak. I have seen these on cooking shows a lot and I was intrigued. These steaks are humongous and they have a bone sticking out of them. They are marbled nicely and from what the people on the cooking shows say, they taste great.

This is a Valentine's Day thing in my house. We don’t do big gifts, but my wife does like to make a nice meal. That is my gift, the meal. So when she surprised me with these tomahawk steaks this year I was stoked. We didn't really know how to cook them, but my wife was determined to figure it out. I usually do the steaks and burgers in our house, but as the other part of my gift she makes the meal. My wife also loves to cook and is far better at it than me. What she decided to do was give them a nice sear on a flattop that her mom gave us. This flattop is amazing and I cannot recommend it enough. So she seared them and finished them off in the oven.

When she busted this steak out to serve my eyes nearly bulged out of my head. I could not believe what I was seeing and I was here for it. The steak looked immaculate. My wife went simple with seasoning, salt and pepper, and let the meat do the rest of the heavy lifting. I am usually a strip steak guy, and it is still my personal favorite cut, but this tomahawk cut is right up there. My wife said the same. She is a filet fan but she was singing its praises as we sat down to eat. My son had to try some as well, he loves steak, but my daughter was not interested. All good, more steak for me. I got a full one to myself. When my wife plated it, the bone was hanging off the edge. It also looked like some marrow had cooked out of it. I was super tempted to try it, but I've never had bone marrow before and was hesitant. I think when I do finally try bone marrow I want to get it at a steakhouse, or a restaurant that knows what they are doing. But this steak, my goodness, was tasty. It almost did not even need a knife. It was buttery and so easy to cut. The marbling on it was like eating butter. It did not need a sauce or any jus because my wife got a perfect mid rare cook on it. I would cut a piece, dip it in the, not to be gross, but blood, and chomp down on it. It was a euphoric eating experience for me. I was so happy. I had a smile on my face the entire time. Add on the fact that it came with a lobster tail and creamed spinach, this meal was meant for me. I tried as hard as I could to eat the whole tomahawk steak but it could not be done. This thing was massive. I did overeat and felt very tired afterward, but it was totally worth it. I asked my wife and son if they enjoyed the steak and they both nodded in agreement. In fact, my son and I were just talking about it the other day.

Not finishing a steak usually leads to mediocre leftovers, but not with this tomahawk. When I have leftover steak and try to reheat it I always go over. The tomahawk kept a very solid mid rare temperature and was fantastic with some eggs and coffee the next morning for breakfast. It was the fanciest steak and eggs I have ever had.

If you are a meat lover like myself, and have the means to get one, try one of these tomahawk steaks. The novelty is very cool and all, but these steaks, if cooked properly, are very, very good. As I said above, I would still pick strip steak over any other cut, but tomahawk is now a firm second option. This steak was fantastic. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Up Your Home Coffee Game with a Foamer/Frother

seeems to be missing something

We drink a lot of coffee in my house. I have talked about it from time to time on this very site. I go out with my dad twice a week for coffee, my wife and I usually have, at least, two cups a day when we are home and I enjoy trying out all new kinds that I read about or am given recommendations. We are a coffee family.

Over the holiday my wife asked for a frother, or foamer, if you will. I had very little knowledge of this tool, but I figured it sounded cool after she told me more about it. Well I am here today to tell you all, yell at you all, that you need to get one of these if you do not have one and are a coffee drinker.

This little, fairly inexpensive tool has changed the way I do coffee at home. I love it. It is one of the best kitchen devices I have ever been an owner or co owner of in my life. This foamer rules. I remember the first time I tried it I was highly skeptical. I worked in multiple delis as a kid that had coffee machines. We used a ton of frothers and foamers. We had all the tools. But I was not a coffee drinker back then so it was of no use to me. But that first time, with all the skepticism, it totally changed my world. The way the milk got all foamy and creamy, it was delicious. I usually doctor my coffee. I like it a little bit sweet. I add some kind of sugar replacement, and I fully understand that it is bad for me. But that is the way I take it. So when I poured the milk in a little cup to foam it up, I added some stevia. This made it even better. Besides the foam and creaminess, the milk felt smoother. When I added it to my coffee that day I even tried to do art with it. It wasn't great, but I was having a blast with it. I kept going back after that day. Every morning with my coffee I frothed up some milk with splenda and added it to my morning cup. It was great.

Recently I saw a person online recreating the cold foam from Starbucks. I'm not a Starbucks guy, but I do like the foam they add to the cold brew. This person online put milk, some cream and whatever added flavoring they wanted to recreate the drink. I watched it multiple times and decided I was going to do the same. I got some milk, cream and sugar free salted caramel syrup. I frothed it all up and added it to my homemade cold brew. I have not gone back to Starbucks since to get a cold foam cold brew. I just do it at home now. It tastes nearly identical and it is way, way cheaper. I love it. Lately I skip the milk all together and just froth up some heavy cream with whatever I decide to add to it. It is my absolute favorite way to make coffee for myself now. I buy flavored ground coffee, add it to my reusable K Cup and brew the coffee. While that is working I grab the cream, the frother and get to work. It is amazing. I am fully making my own lattes at home now. I can do whatever the hell I want.

I have been experimenting a ton lately. This morning I brewed myself some toasted coconut flavored coffee and made chocolate foam to add to it. It was as simple as could be. I added a little cream, a squeeze of chocolate syrup and a little splenda. I blended it all up and added it to my brewed coffee. It tasted like a mocha mixed with coconut. It was incredible. The other day I added some cream and honey from my buddy Kirk and blended it and added it to a hazelnut brew I made. It was dynamite and there was no need to add the splenda because the honey was plenty sweet. My folks got me a grab bag of sugar free syrups over the holidays and I used those quickly with heavy cream and the frother. I was making cold foam and regular foam with flavors like salted caramel. cinnamon dolce and hazelnut, and it was all fantastic. Hell, when it was bitterly cold here a month ago I made my kids hot chocolate with homemade whip cream using the frother.

I cannot recommend this kitchen enough. This thing is amazing and helps save a ton of money. I'm sure some diehard coffee people do not like frothers, but I love them. They are an essential tool in my home kitchen now. I adore them. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty/ Comment

Today I Had My First New York Style Bagel and Now I Can Never Go Back

I go out for coffee twice a week, at least, with my dad. Tuesday and Thursdays are the official days we are on unless one of us is sick. Today my mom joined us and that is always such a nice surprise.

We went to my dad's favorite local shop, Shaw's, this morning. I love this place too, but my dad is their biggest fan. He is always impressed with their Americano's. He talks about how it tastes like full caff coffee even though he drinks decaf for the most part now. I had their raspberry mocha, in honor of Valentine's Day, and it was equally as good. My mom got a frozen coffee and we each had a bagel. I don't eat bagels much anymore but when I do I indulge. Today I had an everything bagel and some plain cream cheese with it. It was excellent. They toasted it and the cream cheese spread pretty easily. It was a very solid bagel.

When we left Shaw's my dad wanted to stop by a new bagel shop in a different part of town. The shop is called Bagel Union. My dad has been talking about this spot for a bit now. It is right next to the first house my wife and I bought and my dad goes over that way quite a bit. He likes to go on drives, and when he and I go out for coffee we head that way more times than not. He told me a few weeks back that Bagel Union had a soft opening and when he showed up the line was out of the shop all the way down the sidewalk in the neighborhood. He did not want to wait, so he took off. We went there a week ago but they hadn't fully opened yet. But after he saw the bagels that my mom and dad had at Shaw's, it piqued his interest. I was driving today and he asked if we could stop by there to get some bagels for him to taste.

When we walked in they had a line but it wasn't crazy. There were still a lot of people there, especially for a Thursday morning at 11am. But the wait was less than 10 minutes so we waited. It was right then and there that I decided I was going to eat a second bagel. I haven't had two bagels in that short amount of time in a long while. But these bagels were different. These bagels are made New York style. They soak them in water and try to mimic the way famous bagel shops in New York make them. I ordered the salt bagel because I have always wanted to try one and I figured this place was going to make the best one close to my home.

This might be the best bagel I have ever eaten. I've worked in a few bagel and sandwich shops, I've had bagels in other places, but I have never had a bagel like this before. This bagel had a wonderful crisp on the outside. It felt like it was almost hard on top. When I broke it apart to taste it was almost difficult to do. But when I did, the inside was soft like a pillow. My dad and I were saying to each other how it was like eating a pretzel. It was so crunchy outside and so soft inside. The biggest difference from a pretzel was the salt. You could taste the salt in the bagel, but it wasn't overwhelming. It added the needed salt but it did not take over. It was not a salt bomb, not by a mile. The bottom of the bagel had some excellent flavor due to some kind of flour or grain it was rolled in right before baking. I took the bagel thinking I would only eat a few bites. I finished it before I dropped my folks off at their house. That is only a 10-15 minute drive. I could not stop. It was so good. It was everything I had ever heard about New York style bagels. The hype is real. It is the best way to make any type of bread. I want to try pizza and sandwiches on dough made this way.

I definitely recommend finding a place that makes bagels like this if you do not live near New York. It is the best bagel I have had and think I ever will have. I will for sure return to this shop in Saint Louis. It is pretty wonderful. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Liquid Death is Worth the Life of Your Thirst

Whenever RD and I record a podcast we always have a drink. You gotta keep that throat clean. You need to liquid because we talk so much. We don't want to dry out. I'm simple, for the most part. I have either water or coffee, depending on the time we record. We do these virtually as well. I live in Saint Louis and RD is in Ohio. It is easy and we have found out how to make it work. So I always see his drinks. I usually see zero calorie Gatorade or Diet Mountain Dew or some other diet soda varietal. He also has water from time to time.

Recently though he was drinking a can that looked like a tall boy. I thought he was maybe drinking a beer. I am not one to judge. We also do the recordings, for the most part, in the afternoon. More power to RD I thought. So I asked him why he was drinking a beer the first time I saw this. He told me he wasn't having a beer, he was having something called Liquid Death.

I scoffed. I made fun of the name. He told me their slogan is "Murder your thirst", and that made me cackle. I was judging this product without knowing what it tasted like. I was doing the thing I try not to do. He had it again during another record and I gave him the business again. I could see the full can now, and I saw the skeleton head they had on the can and I judged it some more. To RD's credit, he sang Liquid Death's praises. He loves it. He told me he orders cases of it all the time. I was still skeptical.

One day while my daughter and I went on an after school adventure we ended up at Five Below and they had some Liquid Death in a cold case. I wanted something cold and they had no zero calorie sports drinks. I had also had a good amount of flavorless water, the best drink in the world, throughout the day. I did not want any soda either as I am trying as hard as I can to cut back on diet soda. I do not drink full sugar soda. So I grabbed the Liquid Death and laughed to myself. I figured I was going to be right and RD was going to be wrong. I thought it was going to be a run of the mill sparkling water. I did not expect it to "murder my thirst". I got the lime flavored can and we checked out. I popped the top and took a swig as we drove off.

I was stunned at how much I liked the flavor. I could really taste the lime. It was strong. I like that when it comes to sparkling water. I want to taste the flavor. That is why I prefer AHA, and even more so, Spindrift to La Croix or Perrier. I want the water to be flavored. I want my lips to pucker a bit. The more I drank the lime flavored Liquid Death the more I realized I was wrong. RD was right. This stuff was awesome. I could not believe that I liked it. I also could not believe how much I liked it. All the past discretion and shade I threw Liquid Death's way was totally misplaced. I was wrong and I could not be happier to be wrong.

My daughter and I hit up Five Below yesterday and they had mango flavored Liquid Death. You better believe I grabbed a can. I drank it so fast that when my daughter asked to try it, I had to tell her it was all gone. She responded with "ALREADY DAD!!!, YOU MUST REALLY LIKE THAT STUFF!!".  She was shocked at how quickly I took down the 16 ounce can. I loved the lime, but this mango flavored one is an absolute home run. I love mangoes and mango flavored candy and drinks. This mango Liquid Death is right up my alley. I was such a happy camper drinking it.

I am sorry to RD and to Liquid Death for being such a hater. This stuff is good, and it does a good job of quenching my thirst. I am a fan and a convert. Now I think I'm going to buy a case. I suggest you do too. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Rose Flavored Macarons, a Symbol of Mankind's Hubris

Last night my wife and I were enjoying some macarons she got at work. She was celebrating her fifteen year work anniversary and they gave her some gifts, a cake and macarons.

I love a good macaron. They are the perfect size for dessert. If they are made well they pack a ton of flavor. And they are light and crispy. It is like a fully filled sweet potato chip. And pretty much every flavor was very tasty. There was pineapple, my favorite, blueberry, pistachio, coconut, vanilla, chocolate and so on and so on. Last night there were about eight left and we split them. Four for her, four for me. It is all 50/50 in this house. I went through my final four fast. I was carving them. I had been thinking about them all day. That was because I knew I was going to suggest we finish them to my wife later in the evening. So I plowed through them. This was when I had the pineapple one. Man was it good. Then I moved on to my little bowl of slim pretzels. I like to mix salty and sweet.

My wife took her time. She did it the right way. She savored them, except for one flavor. She was eating her last four and started with a very pretty looking macaron. It was like a piece of art. The design on the cookie part was very cool. She bit into it and told me she didn't like that flavor. She asked if I wanted it, and since I am not one to pass on macarons, I of course accepted.

I popped it in my mouth and was kind of stunned at what I was tasting. It was weird. My brain couldn't comprehend what my tastebuds were tasting. It didn't match. Again, this macaron looked so pretty that I assumed it was going to taste great. I assumed my wife was going to eat it. But when I ate it, it was off. It did not taste good, to be brutally honest. I kept eating it, probably because I put the rest of it in my mouth all at once, which is gross. I get it. Maybe I also kept eating it thinking the flavor would somehow change. It didn't. When I finished my wife asked me if I liked it. I said, "it tasted like soap". That was exactly what I felt in my soul. It reminded me of what I imagined having a bar of soap put in your mouth as a kid. When I made this statement my wife said, "that must have been the rose flavored one". I thought she meant rose, like with the line above the e. She meant roses like flowers. I then said, "why would someone make that a flavor?". I was weirdly annoyed by this. I tasted it more and more after eating it and I just did not like it.

Sometimes I feel like these bakers and tastemakers maybe go further than they need to. Remember when bacon was in everything? I tried a ton of stuff, but it became too much. Or how about all the stuff with lavender in it? I like some stuff with lavender in it, but it became too much. And if you ever are lucky enough to meet my amazing wife, ask her about an iced lavender latte she got one time. It is a wonderful story. Or how about dill pickle everything except for pickles. It is a rough taste to have in your mouth. So why would someone want to eat a rose? It makes no sense, especially after having that rose macaron last night. It was soapy. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It was an unpleasant experience. Considering how delicious every single other macaron was in that box, I just do not get the justification to put something that tastes like a flower in with the rest of the good stuff.

I am not a fan of rose flavored food. I now know this. If you do like it, let me know why, or lead to some stuff you may think I'd like. But this rose macaron was pretty gross, at least in my personal opinion. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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An Ode to Pretzel Slims, or Thins

I'm a big snacker. I love them. I also have a sweet tooth which makes it even harder, especially this time of year. But, just as Nick Kroll said in his recent standup special, "I love snacks!". They are the best. And with kids I usually have to wait until they are in bed to snack. I try not to do it too much anymore because it is horrible to eat most food before bed. It is even worse to eat bad food right before bed. But here we are. I choose to eat snacks more often than not, and it seems to happen after 9pm lately.

Anyway, one of my new favorite snacks are these thin pretzels. Or as Aldi calls them, Pretzel Slims. I believe other companies call them Pretzel Thins. Whatever they may be called, people in the know know what I am talking about.

These things are great. I have always liked pretzels in any form. I love the soft, hot ones from the ballpark, especially dipped in nacho cheese. I like the thick Snyder Pretzels. I like the pretzel bites that Snyder's makes now even more. Those things are loaded with flavor. Aldi has these "pub style" pretzels that are just dynamite. I am a fan. But the problem I run into with pretzels is the dryness. They coat my mouth. I always need some kind of liquid with them. Even when I dip them I still get that dry feeling. Not with these pretzel slims or thins or whatever. They figured out a formula that works. The pretzels are still loaded with flavor. Even the plain ones with salt, they are excellent. Thay have all the typical pretzel flavors just in a smaller package. I recently purchased everything bagel flavored ones. Those are exceptional. They taste great. You can see the sesame seeds and poppy seeds. You can taste the garlic. You can taste the onion. They are amazing. The ranch ones are solid. They have a very good ranch powder flavor. They scratch that itch. I cannot wait to taste all the other flavors this new snack has to offer.

I think what I enjoy most about these pretzels are the shape and style in which they are made. These pretzels are big. They are bigger than a typical pretzel snack. They have some good width. But they are flat, and I love that. There is no extra added dough. That is not needed. They are as thin as a chip. And that is what makes them the best. Chips have always had a leg up on pretzels and I think it is because of the size and shape. But these pretzel thins have found a way to fight that. When I eat them now I get the same experience I do whenever I eat chips. I actually tried this the other night. I know, I'm breaking barriers with my scientific work. But when I put them side by side, with no dip and only water to drink, there was no real difference. The taste was similar. The crunch was similar. The texture was similar, even maybe titled in the pretzel flavor. I was shocked at how close the similarities were.

I am a fan. I saw them at a buddy's house today and told him how much I love them. My wife and I were grabbing a snack the other night and I told her how happy I was that she introduced these into my life.

Keep it up pretzel thins or slims, you are crushing the salty snack game right now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Chicken Out Adds to an Already Great St. Louis Food Scene

I am a sucker for a good chicken sandwich. I have written about my many different spicy chicken sandwich adventures before. I love a good fried piece of chicken between bread with some toppings. It is a delight. So when a friend took me to a local chicken sandwich spot in STL, I was intrigued.

The place is called Chicken Out and it is wonderful. There is a local BBQ spot here called Sugarfire, which is dynamite, and the owners of that own Chicken Out. That, to me, is a very good sign. So when I went the first time, I expected a good visit. It went above and beyond. I was wildly impressed.

The menu is fairly simple. There are about half a dozen or so sandwiches, some salads, a wrap or two and sides. This is another feather in their cap for me. When I go to a restaurant with a massive menu it makes me nervous. My anxiety jumps. To me it shows that you do not know how to make a few things great. It shows me you can make a lot of things mediocre, but not one thing really well. So when the menu is small, like Chicken Out, that lets me know that they know what they do, and they know they do it well.

On my first visit I got a chicken sandwich with cheese sauce and bacon. Again, super simple. I am also a sucker for a liquid cheese sauce, so this was an easy order for me. The sandwich was amazing. The chicken breast is fried to perfection, it is juicy and crisp and fills the sandwich. It is a big piece of chicken, but it also feels like the perfect size. Then they add this cheese sauce, it is liquid gold. It is so tasty. It smothers the sandwich but it doesn't take away from the taste of the chicken. And it is messy, but in all the right ways. The bacon is peppered and thick cut. I love bacon on all things, so this is no different. It is a nice salty addition to this already excellent sandwich. Then they use a potato bun. Potato buns are an absolute homerun. I remember the first time I had potato bread. I was a skeptic. Then I tried it and have been a fan ever since. It is not as heavy as white bread. I am a wheat bread fan, but potato bread takes it down. So a potato bun is perfect for me. They are buttery without butter. They have a hint of sweetness. They are the perfect accompaniment to this delightful chicken sandwich. And this is across the board for this menu. My dad loves the chicken burger. It too is on a potato bun, has lettuce, tomato and Duke's Mayo on it. He loves it, and the taste I have had was great.

I had a chicken parm sandwich on a different visit and it was good. It was on Italian bread, had tomato sauce and mozzarella and was really tasty. My son has had their BBQ chicken sandwich, and what makes it so awesome is the way they hold back and do not overload it with BBQ sauce. It is on there, you can taste it, but it doesn't take away from any other flavors.

The chicken fingers are outstanding. They are massive and taste great. The sides are also dope. I have had mac and cheese before. It is creamy and delightful. The potato salad is strong. The baked beans are good. But the trophy for best side is the fries. Fries are pretty common and pretty good at most sandwich or burger spots. What makes Chicken Out fries even better are two things, they are crinkle cut and they have chicken salt. I adore crinkle cut fries. They, to me, just taste better. But this chicken salt, which I have zero idea what it is made of, I love. It is extra salty. It adds a ton of flavor. You do not need dipping sauces. If you want to dip it in anything, get the cheese sauce that oozes out of the sandwich. They are divine.

I am a big fan of this restaurant. I just ate there yesterday and it was as good as the first time. I told my dad that, if Chicken Out is offered to me right now, I am going to pick it. I have been six times now and have gotten the Cheep N Cheddar sandwich three times. I will be trying everything on this menu in the near future. Check this place out if you live here in STL. For non STL residents, find a spot like this to try. Go to local chicken spots and support them. Their food is so much better than chain restaurants and they need your business more. Chicken Out is awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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SeedSing Classic: The Definitive Top 10 Little Debbie's Snacks

This article originally premiered on June 7th 2019

Growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s meant that your house probable had a few different boxes of Little Debbie treats. We would get one after playing outside, have a box handy when we played games with our friends, and definitely had one in our school lunches as our nutritionally mandated dessert. My lunches always consisted of a sandwich with mustard and one piece of Carl Budding ham, a baggie of chips, some form of fruit, a Mendota Springs, and a Little Debbie. That overtly sweet snack cake was the highlight of my entire school day.

Today I am feeling a bit nostalgic and thought it was high time we gave a definitive ranking of what are the ten best Little Debbie treats from my youth. I know there are some new treats in the collection of Little Debbies, but I did not have those in my lunches. If it came out after 1993, I did not eat it. Also there will be no “rolled” cakes on here. The rolled cakes suck, as do the Banana Twins and any marshmallow pie. Take my advice and skip those boxes.

Remember this is the definitive list. We have performed super science to get the correct rankings. Don’t agree? Come at us.

10. Pecan Pie

The mini pecan pie in the tiny aluminum tin is hard to find these days, but it does still exist. Many people hate this extremely sweet and sticky creation. Those people are wrong. The pecan pie has it’s problems (the sticky and sweet parts) but it was always a treat to gulp down a whole round pie in two or three bites. Just make sure you have some Mendota Springs to wash all that sweetness down.

9. PB Crunch

The PB Crunch was like a lower grade peanut butter Twix. Cookie, peanut butter and chocolate, plus the Twix like shape could confuse anyone’s eyes. While the peanut butter Twix is super deliciousness, the PB Crunch had a little blandness. Yet, peanut butter and chocolate can never be a total disaster.

8. Caramel Cookie Bar

Another Twix clone but switch the peanut butter for caramel. Also the shape was flat and not long and slender like the PB Crunch. The caramel was mildly gooey, and could mess up your nice Izod shirt with the popped collar, but was still a decent end to a balanced meal.

7. Cosmic Brownies

Many people are more familiar with the Walnut version of Little Debbie brownies, but if you got the candy sprinkled top of the cosmic variation, you were in luck. The brownie itself is another love it or hate concoction. It was more of a fudge like consistency and a fairly mild chocolate taste. Add the thick frosting (usually half the damn thing) and the colorful candies, the Cosmic Brownie was a faux chocolate delight.

6. Fudge Rounds

Here is where you start getting into some of all time great Little Debbie treats. The Fudge Round had a great cake top and bottom, and an awesome low grade chocolate mousse in the middle. All parts of the Fudge Round tasted amazing, it just usually suffered from not enough of the middle part. Many times that filling only covered half the cake sandwich. Little Debbie needs to do better.

5. Zebra Cakes

The two square cakes that come in the plastic package have many different versions. There are fancy, chocolate, and a variety of seasonal offerings. The OG Zebra Cake has them all beat. You can actually taste the chocolate and vanilla together. When you sit and peel the cake apart, outstanding. Pulling pieces of frosting off and unwrapping the cake was like a zen ritual to get you through the rest of the school day.

4. Oatmeal Creme Pie

I am not that big of a fan of oatmeal as my cereal or my cookie, yet the Oatmeal Creme Pie is all kinds of awesome. The grittiness of the top and bottom cookie combined with the ample amount of creme in the center is a tactile and taste sensation your tongue will thank you for.

3. Cherry Cordial

For some reason the Cheery Cordial seems to be a seasonal offering (Valentines Day I think?). That is not right because this is hands down a culinary masterpiece. You have another cake sandwich with a creme like filling. This time it is a cherry filling, vanilla type cake, and the entire thing is encased in a chocolate shell. The edges always have a little more crunch than the center, and it is glorious. This needs to be a year round thing.

2. Nutty Buddy

Peanut butter and chocolate are almost perfect. Add a couple layers of wafer cookies, and Little Debbie achieved near perfection. The Nutty Buddy is better than most candy bars, that is how good this thing is. It is another one of Little Debbie’s offerings that ask you to take the treat apart. Peeling layer after layer of cookie, peanut butter, and chocolate is the near perfect end to any meal. There is almost no equal to this delight.

1. Star Crunch

The Star Crunch not only equals the Nutty Buddy, it surpasses it. The caramel is not overly gooey, the cookie is the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy, the crisp rice adds an extra pop to every bite, and the chocolate brings the whole package together in one of mankind’s finest creations. The Star Crunch is a perfect dessert for any occasion. There is no snack cake/treat equal to the Star Crunch. It is quite simply the greatest Little Debbie ever made.

There it is, the definitive rankings of the ten best Little Debbie treats of my school days. You can not go wrong with any of these ten delights. One’s day is made all the better when devouring these creations. Now it is time for us all to go out and revisit some of the sweetness of our youth. I may just go and house an entire box of Star Crunch’s when I’m done writing here.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

I'm Here to Praise Coca Cola Dreamworld

I leave for vacation tomorrow, but before taking the rest of the week off I wanted to leave you all with something.

I do the grocery shopping in my home. I’m the at home parent so the chores fall on me. I like doing chores, and I especially like grocery shopping. I’ve got it down to a science too. I’m efficient, I know where everything is, I know the deals and I know when I can meander a bit. Last Monday I had time to browse, so I did. When I got to the soda section I wanted to try something different. We drink Diet Coke in our home. I know it’s bad for you, but I enjoy an ice cold one with dinner. But I do, very seldom, buy a different diet or zero sugar soda. Last week I got the zero sugar variety of Coke Dreamworld.

What struck me first was the box. It is extremely colorful. There’s lots of light blue and red. There’s also the black that’s synonymous with Coca Cola. The mini cans, 7.5 ounces, were on sale. A ten pack was less than four dollars. That’s a bargain. And I figured if I didn’t like them, the cans are small enough that I could take them down anyway. I had one last week for lunch and I didn’t notice much of a difference. Then I had one the next day and liked it a little more.

I didn’t look up what the flavor was at that point so it was hard to pick certain flavors I was tasting. My wife had one but wasn’t a fan. She said it was too sweet. She asked me what it was supposed to taste like so I googled it. The Coca Cola website said it “explores the realms of the surreal, the imaginary and the otherworldly”. That sounds like a description of an A24 movie that I’d be super in to. But this is a drink. With a little more digging I found out it’s citrus and fruit. No particular citrus or fruit, just notes of those flavors. I guess it’s the flavors you think of when hearing citrus and fruit. So it is kind of imaginary I suppose. But when I found out that was the flavor profile, I liked it even more. I had another the next day and found myself craving one last evening. With each small can, I enjoy this Dreamworld flavor more and more. I’m a big fan of citrus. I used to squeeze a lime into Diet Coke sometimes. With this new flavor I guess I won’t have to do that all the time. It says it’s a limited release, but I wouldn’t be bummed if it sticks around for a bit. It’s better than some of the other drinks that other companies try, like chocolate cake Dr Pepper.

I definitely think people who drink diet sodas should give this one a go. I think it’s great.

Ty

Cold Brew is Better with Soda

Starting next week I am going to be doing my annual football preview stuff. It should be a little over a week's worth of nonstop football. Since that will be the focus for a while, today I want to leave you all with another food take that I have thought a lot about lately.

I have mentioned many times that my dad and I go for coffee twice a week. This is my favorite thing to do during the week. My dad and I are very close, and this is a great reason for us to hang out for a few hours. I am relatively new to coffee and my dad is a seasoned pro. He has been a great help in my coffee journey thus far.

That being said, I like my coffee to be sweeter than my dad does. My dad drinks it black. I like to add cream and a little sweetener. I definitely add less now than I did eight years ago, when I started to drink coffee, but I still like to have some sweetener in my coffee. There are exceptions though. When I go to a local spot like Sump, no sweetener is needed. The notes and tones they write on their menu is actually in the coffee. If it says citrus, I taste citrus. The same could be said about lavender, honey, cocoa, anything they write, I taste it. The same goes for Shaw's here in the STL. They have the best lattes, and all that is needed is the steamed milk to make the flavor come through tenfold. But if I go to Starbucks, which I try to avoid, I need sweetener. There are some other local spots where I will get the cold brew with coconut milk, oat milk, some kind of sugar free flavor, just something to make it a bit more palatable.

This is where the take comes in.

Lately I have been getting coffee with soda in it, and that is the best way to drink cold brew if you are adding sweetner to your coffee. There is a local spot out here called Living Room Cafe. I believe I have written about it before. The Living Room was the first place where I experienced soda in my cold brew. I have their Sunrise first, which is cold brew with orange juice, and that is amazing. But then I had their Sproda. This is their cold brew with either cream soda or root beer, whichever soda they have that day, added to it. I was on the fence. Then I had it, and I do not know that I will ever get their cold brew any other way. Both sodas work so well in the cold brew. I was astonished at how good it tasted. I kept telling my dad how tasty it was. He broke it down plain and simple for me. With both root beer and cream soda it is just like adding cream and sugar. I had never thought of it like that, but it makes absolute sense. Just because the coffee doesn't change color it doesn't mean something wasn't added. I have gotten this every time we have gone there since the first time I got it. My dad and I went out to lunch yesterday and the cafe we went to had sandwiches and a full coffee bar. We each ordered a drink called the "coffee soda". Again, I didn’t know what to expect. But in drinking it we both had rave reviews for it. This cold brew had some kind of orange citric soda. There was also an orange peel in the drink. This was like a marriage between Sunrise and Sproda, except this was even better. My dad loved it because he could taste the coffee. I loved it because it was refreshing as well as caffeinated. I kept drinking and drinking it. If I didn't have a planned run yesterday afternoon I would have ordered one to go.

I do not think I'm going back to cream and Splenda in my cold brew anymore. I have even made some of these drinks at home now with Diet Coke. It isn't as good, but it's still very tasty. The next time you have a cold brew, try adding some soda to it. I think you might enjoy it as much as I do.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Getting Older Means You Can't Eat Pounds of Food in One Sitting

Lately I have been watching a good amount of "Man vs Food" on The Cooking Channel. It is just good noise for the background of the house, my kids like it and we all like to see if the host can finish their challenge they do at the end of the episode. I was watching it with my daughter last night while my son was at football practice and I think I uttered one of the first real, "holy hell I am almost 40 years old" phrases I've ever done. Let’s discuss.

We were watching this guy take down an eight pound cheeseburger, and when my daughter asked if I thought I could do that, I said, "first of all, my stomach would be a mess, and also, I do not ever want to eat so much food that I feel miserable for the rest of my day". Oof. That was like getting hit in the head with a mallet that said "almost 40" on it. I used to be able to pack in the food. I could eat. When I was above 300 pounds, it was nothing for me to eat a few double cheeseburgers, fries and a chicken sandwich. We have a restaurant here that does a 1 lb burger challenge, and although it made me sick, I finished it with ease. But as I have gotten older, lost weight and started to eat "better", the idea of stuffing that much food in my face has zero appeal. Sure it would be neat to have some people cheer me on while doing it, and getting paid to eat would be dope as hell. But the after effects just do not seem worth it anymore. I think that may be another reason I watch, just like watching skateboarding videos, I know I cannot/do not want to do what he is doing. I know that I would be hurting for days afterward. I know that the whole bathroom situation would be unpleasant not only for me, but for my family as well. The rare occasion when I overeat now, I just openly complain to my wife, who is very sick of hearing from me about it. I also lost a decent amount of weight, kept off over 60 of it, and doing the stuff that the host does on "Man vs Food" would ruin that for me. I know as I get older that the stuff I used to eat with ease will not be much of an option. I'm already struggling with spicy food, and I love spicy food. Mexican food is my favorite cuisine. I love nachos. But I cannot get all the heat on them that I used to. I love sport peppers on hot dogs. They make me instantly sick when I eat them now. I only want dry rubbed chicken wings, preferably with a non spicy rub. I cannot do spicy BBQ sauce anymore. I had some curry the other day and it about wrecked me. We took my son to a ramen restaurant the other week and I ordered my food with no wasabi or other super spicy additions. I just cannot do it anymore. And the copious amounts of food, that is completely off the table. The thought of eating that one pound burger makes me gag. Trying to throw down on chicken nuggets or fries from McDonald's is a non-starter. My wife always asks me what food I think I could eat the most of in one sitting and I always come up empty. I always find an excuse for why I'd have to stop. I think it is because I just don't want to eat like the host of "MVF" or like I used to before everything changed for me.

Now, I will not stop watching this show. I love it. But seeing him eat the spicy stuff or when the amount of food is over a pound, that makes me ill now. I know it makes him sick too. This is all a real sign to me that I am getting older and it is kind of a drag. I guess the silver lining with being this close to 40 is I know my limits. That is about the only good I can think of now. Oh well, I guess that's life.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Over Easy is the Only Way to Eat Eggs

After taking my son to the orthodontist yesterday, the three of us grabbed some breakfast from a local restaurant. My wife is out of town for work so I thought it would be nice to eat outside together. I also did not feel like cooking anything, so it was a win win.

We went to The Shack. Again, it's a local spot that we all enjoy. We ordered our breakfast and waited. While waiting we began to chat. My kids like to talk about their favorite things lately, so the conversation gravitated towards breakfast. We all mentioned the usual stuff. I like sausage and eggs, my son is a breakfast burrito guy and my daughter loves waffles and pancakes. That was pretty much what we all ordered too. But my kids' meals came with eggs. My son got his eggs scrambled for his burrito. I got mine in omelette form. My daughter got her eggs sunny side up.

This piqued my curiosity. I have never made them sunny side up for her. I do not believe my wife has either. I have never seen her eat sunny side up eggs in her lifetime. I did not think she would eat them. I was wrong. She devoured her eggs. I couldn't believe it. I kept asking her if she liked them and I got the thumbs up. That is her sign for greatness. She kept mentioning them throughout the day yesterday too, long after we left breakfast. She asked for more sunny side up eggs this morning, which she devoured yet again.

This morning the conversation of favorites moved to egg preparation. Obviously my daughter picked sunny side up. My son is a scrambled man. And I, if I had to choose one, like my eggs over easy. That is the main point of my piece today. I want to explain why I think over easy eggs are the best way to have eggs anytime of the day.

Sunny side up I get. It is fun to say. It looks good. The yolk is right there, and that is where all the flavor lies. A good sunny side up egg is tough to beat. But I also know some people do not like to see the yolk. Some people might think that is gross. And I get that. Scrambled eggs are good too. I do like a nice scrambled egg. I love omelettes. I like a very simple scramble with some shredded cheddar cheese in there. But it is incredibly easy to over scramble eggs. They get tough, well as tough as eggs can get. They taste rubbery when over scrambled. They don't have the right consistency. Scrambled eggs are the easiest to make, but also the easiest to mess up in my opinion. Over and hard boiled is too much. The eggs become too gummy. The yolk is like eating chalk. You can plus up hard boiled eggs by making them deviled eggs, but it becomes an appetizer then. It transforms it from a breakfast food. Over medium is too close to the edge of hard boiled. They can also get gummy.

Then you have over easy. This is the best. This is the way to make eggs. This is the most delicious form factor. There is nothing quite like the perfectly cooked over easy egg. The way the yolk explodes is magical. The egg white is cooked on both sides. You can add it to any sandwich and it adds a ton of flavor. I like them on their own or with some kind of breakfast meat. It is the best. I had two this morning and was raving about how tasty they were. My kids looked at me like I'm nuts, but I know that I am right here. I believe there is no better way to eat an egg than to have it over easy.

Eggs are great. They are a wonderful source of protein. And I love that there are tons of different ways to prepare them. But over easy is by far the best way to have them. I know it and I think you do too. That's a fact.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ice Cream Belongs in a Damn Sugar Cone

I took my kids out for ice cream last night and my son and I got into a debate. I have also gotten into this exact same debate with my wife a few times. I ordered my cookies and cream scoop in a sugar cone. My son said that sugar cones were good, but waffle cones and cake cones are better.

I agree that waffle cones are better, but those are more of a treat. It also means I'm going to eat far too much ice cream if I'm getting a waffle cone. But a cake cone, come on man. I'm not here to say that cake cones are not good, but a sugar cone is far, far better. Cake cones are like eating styrofoam. They get all weird and cold and taste even harder when you get further down on the cone. The ice cream gets trapped in those little rectangles that are at the bottom and makes the cone frozen. The ice cream is packed all tight in there and it is like eating ice. Also, the cake cone doesn't stand up to the ice cream like a sugar cone. I'm forever worried that the ice cream is going to topple out of a cake cone whenever I order one. And it is not like I'm some doofus who doesn't know how to properly eat ice cream from a cone.

The sugar cone, it is perfect. It is nice and pointy at the bottom and easily holds the ice cream within its triangle. The taste is so much better than the cake cone. It tastes like a waffle cone, only a bit sweeter. It is also nice and crisp. It doesn't over freeze or trap the ice cream. It stands up nice and tall. The ice cream stands firm in the cone. It is the better of the two I've mentioned today, vessel for ice cream. I am also a big time fan of sugar cookies, so a sugar cone is almost the same. It is harder, but it still has the sweetness and feel of a nice sugar cookie. It is also cooler, like if ice cream cones could have a personality. Cake cones are the squares of the group. They are the soc's. Sugar cones are the greasers. They may be rough around the edges, but they are cool. They know how to fight and dance and talk to the people you like. They have cool hairdos and wear dope clothes and leather jackets. Cake cones are dorks that sit online and complain about "Star Wars" movies. Cake cones still live in their parents' basements. Cake cones live online and never have anything good to say.

That is how I truly feel if I give these inanimate objects personality. But I am curious what you all think. When it comes to cones for ice cream, which do you prefer, cake or sugar? I also don't want a ton of waffle cone or cup answers. Those are off the table. I want to know between the 2 which you prefer and why. Please let me know. But I do need you all to know in the long run that sugar is, and always will be, the best cone for ice cream.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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My First Adventure with New Food at Balkan Treat Box

Today for lunch my dad and I hit a spot that we have been talking about for almost a year now. Let’s discuss.

Every Tuesday I go have coffee with my dad. This started when COVID started. We decided we were going to try and taste all the coffee that Saint Louis has to offer. I usually pick it up, and lately we go together and bring it back to his house and drink it there. There is a place we go to quite a bit now called The Annex in Webster here in Saint Louis. It is a cool little shop that has great coffee and a cool grocery shop is attached. Right across the street is a restaurant called Balkan Treat Box. It wins awards every year here in the STL. They are constantly mentioned as a must try spot. I do not know why we have never gone, but we rectified that this afternoon. I couldn't meet up with my dad in the morning like we normally do, my son had an orthodontist appointment. So I told him that I would come by after that and that would put me at his house around 10:30am or 11. He said great. He then called me back and told me we should go to Balkan Treat Box. I was immediately on board.

When I was in the waiting room at the doctor I looked over the menu to get a feel for what I may want to try. I am not very versed in Balkan food. I did some research via google and it said that Balkan food "has traits of European and Western Asia cuisines". I was still kind of at a loss. But I am alway more than willing to try new foods. There isn't much I dislike. During my research I found some good looking dishes. They have a limited menu, one of my favorite things about a restaurant, and when they are sold out, they are out. So we decided to get there right around opening time and wait. When looking at the menu I saw names of dishes I could not pronounce. Stuff like Cevapi, Pide, Doner, Lahmacun, Pleskavica, Balik Ekmek, Patlidzan and Sopska. But, what I also appreciated about this place was they told you to order by number. Each dish has a number next to it and all you have to do is specify if you want it veggie, vegan or with meat. My dad ordered the number 5, Pleskavica, and I ordered the number 4, Lahmacun. For the other dumb Americans such as myself, my dad got a humongous burger and I got a spicy wrap with beef.

Boy oh boy was this food amazing. I did not have any of my dad's, although he gave me half of it to eat later. My dad's burger was humongous. It was one of the biggest burgers I had ever seen. And he said he loved it. He said the patty was thin and the bread, which is like a mix between pita and naan, made the burger. It also had this gooey looking cheese and looked like it was properly spiced. My wrap was incredible. It had the same bread, there was parsley, lemon, onion, sumac, BTB sauce, which was dynamite and a side of cabbage salad. The beef was tender and delicious. The parsley was chopped and placed on top of the sandwich adding a freshness to it. The lemon came through in each bite and it was the burst of citrus I love in any sandwich. I don't know what sumac tastes like, but however much they put in this wrap worked. And that BTB sauce, I mentioned how great it was. It is like a spicy mayo that isn't overkill. They put just the right amount on the sandwich. And that side cabbage salad was refreshing and great.

I love this spot. I kept taking bites of my sandwich and exclaiming how tasty it was. I can still kind of taste the seasoning as I write this. I told my dad that this is a place I want to go back to and try the whole menu. And it is not overly expensive given current spending tends. Lunch for us was 30 bucks. I do not consider that too much. In fact most of the mains on the menu are 13-15 dollars a pop. That is a good deal in my mind. I am so glad we finally found a proper time to check out Balkan Treat Box. The hype is real. The food is great. The prices are fair. And I will most definitely be going back time and time again. This spot is very, very good. Go check it out if you live in Saint Louis. It is worth the wait.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.  

An Ode to the Taco Bell Chicken Soft Taco

I have been pretty critical on the site and podcast about Taco Bell. I think their food all tastes the same. It all comes out of a flavor gun. I wish I could remember what comedian said a joke along those lines, the food gun, but whoever it was had it spot on. Most of the food still does taste the same to me too.

My wife and son love to go there. I usually do not get anything, but the past two times I have gone there I have indulged. And the stuff I get, for the most part, has no real distance from the other food save for a sauce here or the addition of sour cream there. The crunchwrap supreme is a concoction of every food gun they have, and it tastes like goo. The burritos are all the same. I honestly cannot tell the difference. The Doritos tacos all are similar and they do not put enough dust on them. I haven't tried the rehashed Mexican pizza yet, but if I had to go out on a limb, I bet it tastes just like it did in 2001 when I ate them all the time. But there is one food that I have had the past two times that I keep thinking about. I keep going back and reminiscing on how good it was. I truly enjoyed the flavor. I found it different from what I have had there before.

That Taco Bell food item is the simple chicken soft taco. There is no real difference in ingredients, save for the chicken. The tortilla is flour. There is shredded cheddar, I assume that is the cheese they use. And there is shredded lettuce. It is all the same. But going for the chicken over the "beef" makes all the difference in the world. I honestly do not know what they season it with, but it has real flavor. It kind of punches you in the face after eating all the other food they have to offer. It is juicy and has fake grill lines in it. It has that rotisserie feel to it. It mixes those two worlds to near perfection. The spice mix is great. It tastes like a great protein for a taco. And it is plentiful in the tortilla. I swear they put as much chicken in the taco as they do with beef. There might be more chicken in the taco than there is in their burritos and other foodstuffs. Whatever they are doing, it works. I remember being a kid and when my folks would get Taco Bell, on the very rare occasion, getting the chicken soft tacos was a nice surprise treat. Now that I am an adult and can go there when I want, I think I will only, and always, get the chicken soft taco. I think what I like most about it is the simplicity too. It doesn't need to have a shell with chip dust on it. It doesn't need nacho cheese or sour cream. There is no need to add any sauce to it, but the fire sauce amps the taste up great. The great thing about the chicken soft taco is the ease.

I am still going to be tough on Taco Bell. I still give my wife and kids a hard time when asking for Taco Bell. I would still rather go to almost any other fast food place. But at least I now know that, on the rare occasion that I will be buying food from Taco Bell, I will be buying multiple chicken soft tacos. They are truly a taste sensation.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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An Ode to Tuna and Soy Sauce

I am a big fan of tuna fish. I enjoy having it as a sandwich, eating it on a salad and, my favorite, eating it out of the can. It has to be in water though. I'm not fully opposed to tuna in oil, but water tastes so much better to me. I prefer it that way.

I'm not the biggest fan of mayo, but I will eat it in tuna salad. I usually only put a tablespoon worth of mayo too. That is more than enough. And I usually plus it up a bit. I like to add chipotle juice if it is available. I will sometimes replace the mayo with some fancy mustard I have in the house. I am a big mustard fan so I usually have a few bottles in the fridge. I am a big fan of the dill mustard my mom recently gave me added to tuna.

I like to add crunch to my tuna. Sometimes it is celery or relish, other times I have used almonds. It is all good. Recently I had it with hard boiled eggs, and that was dynamite. I have seen some people putting avocado in there, and since I have just discovered avocado toast, I'm sure I would love it, I just haven't tried it yet.

What I have tried recently, what I really like, which I also found on a cooking website, was adding soy sauce to tuna salad. The recipe I first read called for mayo, salt, pepper and soy sauce. It is truly that simple. So I tried it. But before I did, I read a little more about why this was a "new" thing. What I found most commonly referenced in every article I read was adding soy to sushi, which I love. I do it all the time and my favorite sushi is a spicy tuna roll. A spicy tuna roll with some soy and wasabi is the best. I will, and have, eaten multiple spicy tuna rolls by myself. That is far too much sushi, but it is damn delicious. After seeing that as the most commonly referred to thing with soy in tuna salad, I was ready to give it a go. I did the simple recipe I mentioned above and my goodness did it open up a whole new world of flavors. The soy kept the tuna salad, and I am not a fan of this word, moist. Not that mayo doesn't do that, but it is more gloopy. The addition of soy sauce makes it taste fresher. It makes me feel a bit more sushi like. The recipe also mentions just a pinch of salt because soy sauce obviously has salt in it. It is like the perfect balance of salt when you add the soy sauce to tuna salad. If you like salt you can add more. But I did the pinch of salt with a few tablespoons of soy sauce and it was wonderful. It was all the salt I could want. The soy, for me, also brings out a better flavor in tuna salad. I said before, it feels akin to sushi. It makes the tuna taste better to me. It heightens the other stuff that you put in tuna salad. Soy sauce just makes it better, for me. Lately I have even tried some extra stuff with the soy sauce in tuna salad. I haven't crossed the mustard and soy river, and don't know that I ever will. But I have added the crunch and it rules. I have used chipotle tabasco, and the spice makes it so much better if I am looking for a little heat. Using relish and soy is surprisingly tasty. I have been, quite frankly, astonished at how much I have enjoyed tuna salad mixed with mayo and soy. It is so, so, so good.

I do not know if 'I will go back to just straight up mayo as the dressing for my tuna salad. I will use just mustard and no soy, but if mayo is in the picture, soy will for sure be added. I know it may sound weird, but try it. I think you will fall in love with it just like I did. Soy sauce in tuna salad is a game changer. Trust me.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Better Late than Never on Avocado Toast

I am very sure that I am very late to a trend that may already be done, but today I had my first ever piece of avocado toast. And it was glorious. I am not totally sure why it took so long. I have seen it on menus, it has been at places we order online from, we have bread and avocados in my house for the most part, but I have just never had the urge. Then, going to coffee with my dad today, it was on the menu and it struck my fancy. I looked around to see if I wanted anything else, but I had made up my mind the moment I first saw it there. We were sitting outside, so maybe that had something to do with it. My son also just got braces, so we have been eating smooth food and the avocado in the picture was smooth. Or maybe I was simply just ready. For whatever reason, I ordered it and loved it.

My dad and I regularly go to a local shop and get our coffee and breakfast there. Obviously I got the toast, but it also had some bacon, salad greens, hot sauce and black sesame seeds on the side, along with the avocado. I tried to eat it with a fork, and that was just fine. I was getting the bites I wanted. But when I decided to eat it like toast, that was when it became a homerun. It was great. Holding it like toast also revealed the feta cheese they added. Every bite was better than the one that preceded it. The bread was a nice soft wheat bread. Maybe it was honey wheat because it had a slight sweetness to it. The avocado was smooth and plentiful. It was scraped on the bread from end to end. My hat is off to the chef that did that. I never seem to get it all the way when I add a spread to toast or bagels. This person crushed it. The feta had a nice bite to it and added a whole other level of deliciousness. The hot sauce was dolloped on the side and it was the perfect dipping partner. It gave me that heat I like with breakfast. I am always quick to add sriracha or hot sauce to my eggs that I make at home. So having this hot sauce on the side was right up my alley. The black sesame seeds added a nice crunch that I did not know I needed. I could say the same for the spring mix. It was crunchy but also refreshing. It was a nice little salad on top of the toast. And that bacon, my goodness did it hit the spot. It was nice and crisp. It brought on the saltiness that I crave. It was all over the toast. There was enough bacon that it was spilling over the side. And they candied it with just a little brown sugar. It was not overpowering either. It was the smallest amount of brown sugar, but it added just the right amount of sweetness. I am trying to eat my food slower, to savor the flavor, but it was tough this morning. I really wanted to dive into this breakfast. I kept looking down at the bread that was left after each bite. I was able to take more time than normal, but I still kind of ripped right through the toast.

I will definitely be adding more avocado to my breakfast. I do not eat a ton of bread, but when I indulge I will definitely be making avocado toast. I also think the boost of protein that avocados bring is great to get myself motivated to go on and get the stuff I need to do in a day. I am a convert. I wish I hadn't pushed it off for so long. This is a very good breakfast, and it feels like something that will help me with my running in the long run. Avocado toast is great. For real.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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I'm Here For Some Lime Cucumber Gatorade Zero

I gave up Gatorade about ten years ago. It lost all nutritional value I used to think it had, it tasted like straight sugar and water is always a better option for hydration. As I got more involved in the world of running I picked up better hydrating drinks. I use Nuun, Tailwind, Mio and various powders I get from local running stores or in my swag bags from races. But I do like adding this stuff for the flavor. Nothing beats ice cold water when I have been on a long run. Coming inside, grabbing one of my cold water bottles and slamming straight water that is as cold as ice, I get wonderful chills thinking about it. But, when I go on long races, or long runs, I need that flavor. I need that sugar. I crave carbs. I need something that will help me push past the pain. That is why those powders and tablets work so well. But sometimes, mostly lately, I have been craving something that tastes extra sweet, but is made with fake sugar. I understand how bad it is for me, but sometimes it is okay to indulge. I tried regular Gatorade, but that was still much, much too sweet for me. It was like drinking Jolly Ranchers. It killed all the good work I had done.

Gatorade now makes a low carb, fake sugar varietal, Gatorade Zero. I am coming around on this lately. They have some good flavors. The berry is dynamite. The classics, orange and lemon lime are better versions of the original. But a few weeks back I found my new favorite flavor. It is my go to when I want Gatorade Zero for a few reasons. That flavor is lime cucumber.

Sounds gross, no? Well it is far from it. First off, I love a good cucumber water. It is refreshing, the cucumber adds more liquid and it gives it a little flavor. It is like the best flat seltzer you can have. Water with a squeeze of fresh lime is just as good. It has all the same qualities, but it is a bit more sour, which is nice. Marrying the two within the Gatorade lab, amongst all the tastemakers that work there, was genius. It is a beautiful blend of why I like water with lime or cucumber in it. It is the best of both worlds. Then you take the fake sugar and carbs that are in the Zero varietal, it is a match made in heaven. I have found it to be one of my favorite post run drinks. If I am at a gas station, and they have lime cucumber Gatorade Zero, I do not hesitate to purchase one. It is so good. But I think what makes this the best Gatorade product is my kids' aversion to it. My son loves the OG Gatorade. He is a fan. He always asks for one after a game or practice. He usually gets a no, but when I buy him one he is stoked. My daughter is a newcomer to Gatorade, but that girl loves an original fruit punch. She has told me it is like drinking candy. But when they get in my car and see that I have the lime cucumber one, they tell me how gross it sounds. They ask how I can drink it. They want to know why I drink it. They ask me to get other flavors. And I get to tell them that I get it because I like it so much, but also because they dislike it. I know I will not catch them trying to sneak a drink. My son won't ask for one, nor will my daughter. I know this is a drink that I will be able to enjoy all by myself. No 10 or 6 year old will be begging me for a drink or to buy them a whole one. It is totally worth buying it simply for that reason. But add on that it tastes so good, this is a real homerun.

Go try lime cucumber Gatorade Zero. It is delicious, and most kids will not ask to have any. It is great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.