Where's My Ziti?

As I scurried to one of our dining rooms at work, I skimmed the posted menu and saw Chicken Stuffed with Mozzarella and Basil, Pasta (ziti), and Vegetables for $6.85. My eyes lit up when I saw basil. The scent of the breading beckoned as I bypassed the made-to-order sandwich station...

No, not bacon, beckon

I hate to bring race into an innocent food topic, but as you can see, that is not ziti under my chicken. I could have stopped her, but I figured, why waste the rice? It would have been thrown out.

Back in my office, I tried to take a cross-sectional picture of the chicken. For whatever reason, my husband's ninja CoolPix refused to focus on the chicken. ARGH! It would glance at the chicken, take a step back, and glare at the green beans. I tried for 10 minutes!

I finally gave up. Maybe it was trying to warn me...

White with a slight pink tinge, the rolled chicken breast had swirled layers of thickened mozzarella and fresh basil.

Oh, I hate chicken breasts. Hate is such a strong word. Agreed. I am frequently disappointed and mentally kick myself into a misshapen blob when I eat dry chicken breasts. Prepared in the same fashion, I prefer dark meat because of its flavor and texture.

The seasoned breading was done well; crunchy, dry, and not very greasy. Of course, the chicken was dry and unseasoned. The basmati rice was dry, but not crunchy or gummy; hooray! The rice was nailed perfectly. The beans weren't dry, but they were cooked just under my liking. I like my beans less crunchy and milder flavored. The garlic and salt could not veil the overwhelming dark green, raw, leafy flavor, nor could I easily ignore the raucous chomping in the silence of my office.

The meal wasn't a disaster, since I finished almost everything. There have been times when I've thrown out my lunch after 5-6 bites, and preferred to feel and hear the woeful cries of my belly later in the day, than to finish my food.

I threw out half the rice, since not much starch was necessary to counteract any saltiness. For that reason, I was rather pleased with lunch.

- Cassaendra