SPICY PEANUT SAUCE AND OTHER OBSESSIONS

I just happen to be running errands when I pass a Whole Foods grocery store. I have zero business buying more food. My refrigerator is decently stocked, as is my back-up supply of dry goods. I have every intention of steering my car straight up the hill and away from Whole Foods. I even get into the lane that does not turn toward the road where Whole Foods is located.

Somehow, though, I suddenly find myself changing lanes and swerving right to head toward the parking lot. Apparently, I have a hankering for some vegetable spring rolls. If you don't know what those are, vegetable spring rolls are sushi for people who hate raw fish. 

Not every Whole Foods has the vegetable spring rolls, or, if they do, they're not readily available on a regular basis. For example, I've never seen them in Whole Foods in Charlotte, North Carolina. Doesn't mean that they don't have them; I've just never seen them when I've gone looking for a snack while visiting.

So, my car and I end up at Whole Foods. (I'm blaming the car, of course.) I go into the store and find the spring rolls. Score! But, the display case also has cucumber avocado rolls. I've never tried those, but they look good, too. Oh, great. Now I've gone from "I shouldn't be stopping here" to "I cannot decide which specialty item to choose."

In the spirit of generosity and because I don't want to offend any yummy vegetables in the case, I opt to buy both. I actually tell myself that I will have a few of each and maybe bring the rest to school for lunch.  (Insert evil laughter here.) 

What actually happens is that I scarf down all of the cucumber avocado rolls plus half of the vegetable spring rolls. I do not bring the rest of the spring rolls for my work lunch because the spicy peanut sauce is messy, so I inhale those the following evening.

This is not the worst part of the story. The worst part of the story is that now I have an obsession with these darn things. I cannot stop thinking about the vegetable spring rolls, and it's to the point that I am Googling spicy peanut sauce recipes. I also used an avocado and other vegetables (string beans, peppers, tomatoes, spinach...) along with couscous and created my own bowl version.

Thank goodness Halloween just passed by. I have enough disguises to go back into Whole Foods as often as I like and buy the vegetable spring rolls and the cucumber avocado rolls without being recognized and dubbed mentally and nutritionally unbalanced. I pay cash, too, so no one will be able to track my purchasing history.

I suppose there could be worse obsessions, but this one is borderline weird. That being said, if you have a decent and easy spicy peanut sauce recipe, send it my way.