# Let's Eat! (1 Viewer)



## moderan

Today...

Slow-roasted brisket of beef with Tennessee Honey BBQ sauce, sweet potato home fries, corn bread, and green salad.

The brisket was rubbed with brown sugar and cayenne pepper, then placed in a solution of 1/4 cup JD Tennessee Honey, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 cups water, and covered with diced mirepoix vegetables. Eight hours at 225.
The pan drippings were placed in a blender and then boiled over medium heat, combined with 1 cup of tomato ketchup, and cooked until the mixture was reduced by half. At that point another 1/4 cup of Tennessee Honey was added, the result brought to a boil and then simmered over low heat, covered, for 1/2 hour. This sauce would also be good on your ribs (or anyone else's) but it's better consumed on food.
A large red sweet potato (yam actually) was chopped and cooked in two tbsps of canola oil until nicely browned.
Corn bread is 1/2 cup yellow corn meal, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup milk, two eggs, 1 tsp baking powder, mixed until moist and naked at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
No pictures today. Maybe next time.
What are you having?


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## Foxee

What are mirepoix vegetables? This sounds really amazing!

We had Coconut-Oat-Cinnamon pancakes (my own recipe) and scrambled eggs. The kids ate it all and are yelling for more. O_O I'm scared of when they get bigger, it'll be a matter of throwing food on the table and jumping back.


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## Fin

All this cool stuff and then there's lil' ole me with my cereal.


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## Gumby

Hey mod! Good to see you.  

I'm going to make ribs tomorrow, so your sauce sounds delicious. Could you make it with the drippings from ribs cooked in the oven?


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## Leyline

Sounds delicious mod, as usual.

 Tonight we had homemade meatball subs with homemade marinara and better bread than we'd usually buy, topped with six cheese Italian blend.


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## Tiamat

Wow, everything just sounds so tasty.  And all I did was throw the leftover chicken in with the leftover gravy and corn, threw some egg noodles in there, topped it with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs, and tossed it in the oven.  Waste not, after all . . .


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## Leyline

Tiamat said:


> Wow, everything just sounds so tasty.  And all I did was throw the leftover chicken in with the leftover gravy and corn, threw some egg noodles in there, topped it with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs, and tossed it in the oven.  Waste not, after all . . .



Nom, nom, nom...

Hey, it's been four hours since dinner.


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## Tiamat

There's always room for the after-dinner dinner.  Well maybe not _always_, but where there's a will . . .


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## Leyline

Tiamat said:


> There's always room for the after-dinner dinner.  Well maybe not _always_, but where there's a will . . .



In my household mealtimes are clearly demarcated and defined. There's:

Breakfast

Second Breakfast

Oh, Someone Just Got Up Emergency Breakfast

Lunch

I Forgot We had this Pack Of Sandwich Meat, We Don't Want It To Go Bad Lunch

Dinner

After Dinner 

I'm Not Hungry But Let's Make Popcorn....And S'Mores!

Apply as needed.


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## Tiamat

Ha!  Now _that's_ what I like to hear.


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## moderan

Gumby said:


> Hey mod! Good to see you.
> 
> I'm going to make ribs tomorrow, so your sauce sounds delicious. Could you make it with the drippings from ribs cooked in the oven?


Bleatings and solicitations!
Yes. And don't forget the Tennessee Honey. A small bottle is really cheap, like ten bucks, and the taste is worth it. Good for sippin' too. It's Jack Daniels blended with honey liqueur. It's good for pie too...I strongly suggest googling for a recipe
Foxee, mirepoix vegetables are onion, celery, carrot. Unless you're Cajun, then they're onion, pepper, celery.


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## Morkonan

moderan said:


> ...Maybe next time...



What, no collards? No corn on the cob? No Hopping John? (hoppinjon) No cabbage? Not even one measly bean of any nationality? What is the world coming to?

For myself, I dined with my Scottish friend, McDonald. He served up a double quarter pounder with cheese, some fries, two apple pies and an eggnog shake! (Tis the seaon...)


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## moderan

Morkonan said:


> What, no collards? No corn on the cob? No Hopping John? (hoppinjon) No cabbage? Not even one measly bean of any nationality? What is the world coming to?
> 
> For myself, I dined with my Scottish friend, McDonald. He served up a double quarter pounder with cheese, some fries, two apple pies and an eggnog shake! (Tis the seaon...)


LOL. No, sorry. We had greens two nights ago (with home-smoked ham) and fresh corn and beans the night before (as part of an enchilada platter). Cabbage three nights ago for the Bohemian soul food feast.
I provide recipes and such in this thread by request-it's resurrecting an old thread in which people discussed meal preparations. I'm a restaurant-trained cook and a confirmed foodie.
That isn't to say that I won't eat at Ron's, but I prefer Wendy's fare.


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## moderan

Tonight is recycling night. I have ham and turkey. Baked a loaf of wheat bread while fooling around here earlier. There's some swiss in the fridge, and bacon. I have one tomato left from last night's salad. One ripe avocado, half a tub of sour cream. Scallions. Little bit of salsa. Half a head of romaine.
Don't think I need to cook anything except the bacon.
Two eggs. Discard the whites, put the yolks in a mixing bowl. Little bit o' salt, half a cup of extra-v olive oil in a big measuring spoon.
Pour it slow while whisking. Voila! Mayo.
Two potatoes, one mandolin. Can of Pam. Oven at 350. Home-made baked chips. Ten-minute dinner. Cranberry daiquiris to wash it down. Gotta charge that camera.
Whatcha having?


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## Lewdog

This thread is a fine educational tool on why many writers are overweight, diabetic, alcoholics...or Hobbits, could be both.


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## moderan

I suppose you eat Lewdog food?
Arf, arf.


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## Lewdog

moderan said:


> I suppose you eat Lewdog food?
> Arf, arf.



Nah, a couple or microwave roasted chicken and rice burritos cooked over a paper plate, topped with cheese and green taco sauce a'la Ortega.  With Cherry Dr. Pepper served in a can on the side.  Dining ware includes a metal fork, and clean will be provided by a trash can with plastic lining.


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## Ariel

If you guys are nice I'll post my recipe for white chocolate coconut almond cookies.  When I get home from my night out playing D&D at a friend's house.


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## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> If you guys are nice I'll post my recipe for white chocolate coconut almond cookies.  When I get home from my night out playing D&D at a friend's house.



Does it involve using a 20 side die?  If so I don't have any of my D&D stuff anymore including the original Dungeon Maters guide that had the big red guy on the front.  What I would give for all my stuff is crazy.  I had the rare book with King Arthur and rare creatures in it.  Someone told me it is worth a ton.


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## Ariel

My recipe?  No.  The game, yes.


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## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> My recipe?  No.  The game, yes.



Recipes would be a lot more exciting if you had to roll a die to see how much of an ingredient you used.  That would make for a much more exciting television show than silent library.  So each team has to cook their recipe using a 20 side die and eat it when it's done.  If you are lucky, you get a lot of sugar, if you get a lot of salt you are screwed.  It would have to be simple things like chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins, but still funny.


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## moderan

If you post the recipe for those cookies I'll post my chili recipe.


Lewdog said:


> Nah, a couple or microwave roasted chicken and  rice burritos cooked over a paper plate, topped with cheese and green  taco sauce a'la Ortega.  With Cherry Dr. Pepper served in a can on the  side.  Dining ware includes a metal fork, and clean will be provided by a  trash can with plastic lining.


This'll be a good thread for you. You should know in advance that I am a bad influence but my food has won awards. I live in southern Arizona. Here, what you described is soul food.


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## Leyline

Lewdog said:


> This thread is a fine educational tool on why many writers are overweight, diabetic, alcoholics...or Hobbits, could be both.



Pfft. I'm 5'10 and weigh 146 lbs.


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## Olly Buckle

The missus was working this afternoon so it was left to me, it was a using up the veg night.
I steamed carrot broccoli and cauliflower over a saucepan I was cooking potato and sweet potato in. While that was going on I made a cheese sauce and fried up some onion with a tiny amount of oil and some sunflower seed. Then took the veg and put them in a shallow dish, poured over the cheese sauce, sprinkled with the seeds and onion, sprinkled a handful of mixed cheddar and parmesan on top and put under the grill. While it browned I mashed the potato.

Simple but it worked.


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## Lewdog

Olly Buckle said:


> The missus was working this afternoon so it was left to me, it was a using up the veg night.
> I steamed carrot broccoli and cauliflower over a saucepan I was cooking potato and sweet potato in. While that was going on I made a cheese sauce and fried up some onion with a tiny amount of oil and some sunflower seed. Then took the veg and put them in a shallow dish, poured over the cheese sauce, sprinkled with the seeds and onion, sprinkled a handful of mixed cheddar and parmesan on top and put under the grill. While it browned I mashed the potato.
> 
> Simple but it worked.



I double checked, there is no bacon or meat in your meal, you would never pass for an American.  You could at least throw some bacon bits and sour cream in the potato?


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## moderan

Olly's a vegan. 
And you're right. I'm six foot and 225. Never trust a skinny chef. Sorry, George


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## Leyline

moderan said:


> Olly's a vegan. And you're right. I'm six foot and 225. Never trust a skinny chef. Sorry, George


Just for that, I'm gonna listen to Green Day and The Offspring on a loop. That'll show you.


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## Lewdog

moderan said:


> Olly's a vegan.
> And you're right. I'm six foot and 225. Never trust a skinny chef. Sorry, George



I really have no problem cooking, in fact many think I am quite a good cook with a very ripe palate.  It's important to taste your food as you cook, to make sure it comes out just right, as long as you leave enough for everyone to eat that is.  What's difficult is cooking for a large group of people like 20 or so.  I used to cook for a homeless shelter and would have to make a meal for 25, 20 for the people there, and enough for maybe 5 more to walk up.  I would have to make wonders out of canned goods and a few pieces of freezer burnt meat.  It wasn't easy.  Many said that my southwestern chicken tacos was the best, while others loved my pulled beef sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce.  Can I tell you how hard it is to make BBQ sauce with no BBQ seasoning?  Yeah, well I did it, and it was good.


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## moderan

Leyline said:


> Just for that, I'm gonna listen to Green Day and The Offspring on a loop. That'll show you.


The Offspring own my old PA system. Wouldn't you rather hear Adventures in Time and Space?



Lewdog said:


> I really have no problem cooking, in fact many think I am quite a good cook with a very ripe palate.  It's important to taste your food as you cook, to make sure it comes out just right, as long as you leave enough for everyone to eat that is.  What's difficult is cooking for a large group of people like 20 or so.  I used to cook for a homeless shelter and would have to make a meal for 25, 20 for the people there, and enough for maybe 5 more to walk up.  I would have to make wonders out of canned goods and a few pieces of freezer burnt meat.  It wasn't easy.  Many said that my southwestern chicken tacos was the best, while others loved my pulled beef sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce.  Can I tell you how hard it is to make BBQ sauce with no BBQ seasoning?  Yeah, well I did it, and it was good.


That's good experience. I've cooked in soup kitchens before. It's like being on Chopped but without the pricy ingredients or professional equipment. Nowadays I have two fridges and keep them stocked despite being on a fixed income.


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## Leyline

moderan said:


> The Offspring own my old PA system. Wouldn't you rather hear Adventures in Time and Space?



Awesome. And quite tasty.


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## moderan

Chilled strings and synths served up with hot steaming slabs of guitar. What's not to like? Thank you, my brother.


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## Ariel

Lewdog said:


> Recipes would be a lot more exciting if you had to roll a die to see how much of an ingredient you used.  That would make for a much more exciting television show than silent library.  So each team has to cook their recipe using a 20 side die and eat it when it's done.  If you are lucky, you get a lot of sugar, if you get a lot of salt you are screwed.  It would have to be simple things like chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins, but still funny.



I would watch that.  It'd be great to add mystery ingredients too.


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## Olly Buckle

moderan said:


> Olly's a vegan.
> And you're right. I'm six foot and 225. Never trust a skinny chef. Sorry, George


Not vegan, cheese sauce note. Actually I am an omnivore, but my partner and daughter are both veggie, no meat, no fish, though theyboth eat eggs and dairy. It is actually very good for me as the steroids I am on put my cholesterol count through the roof, even without meat. You are right, Lewdog, I would never pass for an American, but nor can I imagine a circumstance where I would wish to.


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## Morkonan

moderan said:


> ....I provide recipes and such in this thread by request-it's resurrecting an old thread in which people discussed meal preparations. I'm a restaurant-trained cook and a confirmed foodie.
> That isn't to say that I won't eat at Ron's, but I prefer Wendy's fare.



Then, I have a question that needs your professional attention.

Food is fuel to me. I know, that goes against everything you believe in as a "foodie." I do enjoy good food and give it it's due regard. However, for most of the time, I simply need fuel. I don't care what it is, just so long as it isn't too terribly unhealthy. It has to be fast, easy to eat, easy to prepare and it has to get the job done. 

So, if I was going to put together a big pot/pan/box of "Generic Food XX" to eat everyday as a basic meal, what would you suggest? I can cook pretty well, but I just don't have time for it. I'm looking for "Generic Food XX" that's fairly nutritious, or at least not terribly bad for you, and has enough of the "good stuff" that my body needs to keep me going. 

Suggestions?

(I like Wendy's, but the one closest to me is just plain terrible. It's the worst run one I've ever seen.)


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## moderan

Hmm. The by-request part refers to people asking me for my recipes...and that's really a question for a nutritionist, but I'll give it a whirl.
You're going to want something like rice and beans with a little meat and some veg, which you can change from time to time, or a pasta dish. A stew or ragout that you could add pasta or rice to would also be a solution. It would depend on what you can stomach eating day after day, and you could have a couple of varieties...something like a tomato/meat sauce is a good base to work from, or chicken/gravy.
I actually do this with a basic tomato/meat sauce. It has minimal seasoning and can be applied to spaghetti, chili, American goulash, jambalaya, or beef burgundy with variations. I keep a tub of it in the freezer. I also have chicken stock and beef stock and bags and bags of frozen vegetables.
My staple food is burritos. I make several varieties and freeze them. Some chili, some pork, some chicken, some beef. Filled spring rolls are another option. A couple of hours cooking time per week should be enough.


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## Lewdog

Olly Buckle said:


> Not vegan, cheese sauce note. Actually I am an omnivore, but my partner and daughter are both veggie, no meat, no fish, though theyboth eat eggs and dairy. It is actually very good for me as the steroids I am on put my cholesterol count through the roof, even without meat. You are right, Lewdog, I would never pass for an American, but nor can I imagine a circumstance where I would wish to.



That's quite the shame.

/points /laughs

Scoreboard, 2-0.


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## moderan

Olly Buckle said:


> Not vegan, cheese sauce note. Actually I am an omnivore, but my partner and daughter are both veggie, no meat, no fish, though theyboth eat eggs and dairy. It is actually very good for me as the steroids I am on put my cholesterol count through the roof, even without meat. You are right, Lewdog, I would never pass for an American, but nor can I imagine a circumstance where I would wish to.


LOL. My bad, Olly. Half-right, I guess. How does a cheese sauce note sound? How is it played?
The irony is that I have passed as an Englishman. Certainly not to any actual Englishmen, but to USians.
Do Englishmen imitate American accents? That would be interesting. I can do a passable Liverpool and a decent Cockney but the softer posh notes are beyond me.


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## Olly Buckle

When I was about 20 I worked for a few months in a Spanish kitchen near Barcelona, everybody else there spoke Andalusian, a Spanish dialect. At the end of the season I was in a bar talking to some French people and they would not believe I was English, my accent was too good. They called over some English people to talk to me, but it had been months since I spoke English and I was a bit hesitant, they said I was very good but definitely a foreigner. Between them they decided in the end I was either from a Flemish speaking part of Belgium or a German speaking part of Switzerland


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## moderan

That's fun to imagine, in my mind's ear. My better half desperately wants to emigrate to Merry Olde and raise Angora sheep and rabbits for their lush coats. I don't suppose it'll ever happen but every once in a while I take a Guinness out of the fridge and drink it later, considering.
Like most writers, I'm a magpie (as, it seems are you, sir.) If I so much as set foot in the state of Texas, my belt buckle gets bigger, my shoes pointier, and I commence to drawl. South of the border I cuss like a native and use words like querido and say HAlapenoooo so vehemently that you must duck or you'll get an eyeful of spit. North of the border I am not Anglaise and I proudly display the maple leaf and drink nothing less good than Molson unless it's Labatt's, and that depending on which province I wake up in after the game.


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## Lewdog

Right now I have a rather large beard.  I am constantly finding small hairs in my food, and picking them out.  It makes me wonder how many I haven't spotted in time.  Do humans need hairball treatment like cats?


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## Ariel

Lewdog said:


> Right now I have a rather large beard.  I am constantly finding small hairs in my food, and picking them out.  It makes me wonder how many I haven't spotted in time.  Do humans need hairball treatment like cats?



Yes, sometimes we do.  Most of the time it passes through unnoticed but some people (mostly women and girls) will chew on their hair and some of that gets swallowed and won't pass.  

Like this woman with a ten pound hairball.


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## moderan

That's some soup-strainer.
*deftly (or is it daftly?) gets thread back on-topic*
My wife claims that cat hairs are condiments. We have four. Cats, that is. Far more than four condiments. Hell, I have more than four kinds of MUSTARD.
One of which was used to prepare the honey-dijon chicken that we enjoyed this evening. With dressing derived from the cornbread and cranberry relish.


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## Lewdog

moderan said:


> That's some soup-strainer.
> *deftly (or is it daftly?) gets thread back on-topic*
> My wife claims that cat hairs are condiments. We have four. Cats, that is. Far more than four condiments. Hell, I have more than four kinds of MUSTARD.
> One of which was used to prepare the honey-dijon chicken that we enjoyed this evening. With dressing derived from the cornbread and cranberry relish.



Wait, I thought you were a woman.


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## moderan

Must be the ponytail. Nope, I am a Martian.


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## Lewdog

I'm sorry, I don't know how to act, normally I've been perma-banned by now.  Some people believe words can reach beyond boundaries even when they are no longer written, but left to remember.  That might be true the first five minutes, but after that I only remember if the author was a hot chick or not.  Patricia Cornwell got me to read quite a few of her books just by the picture on the back cover.


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## moderan

[ot]You've done nothing banworthy that I've seen. And I'd guess that nobody here that has any actual power has seen anything either, cuz I know very well that they're not shy about such things (having once been a staff member here among other indiscretions.)
I once took one of my periodic sabbaticals to find that all of my friends had been banned while I was busy being comatose. Knowing them, I immediately assumed that this was right and proper. 
Possibly I'm Byronic as well as bionic.
You might consider soft-pedaling the chauvinism, though. Just a thought. Your call.[/ot]


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## Olly Buckle

Lewdog said:


> Right now I have a rather large beard.  I am constantly finding small hairs in my food, and picking them out.  It makes me wonder how many I haven't spotted in time.  Do humans need hairball treatment like cats?


I find it is not so much the hair in my food thay causes concern as the food in my hair. A bit of marmalade in my moustache can last all morning as a flavour enhancer, on the other hand anything visible provokes female ire.


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## moderan

But it's so nice to save a snack for later.


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## SirThinkALot

Tonight:  Chicken and dumplings.  

Tommorow morning I'm going to do an omelet with cheddar, and swiss cheese, onions and red pepper, along with some wheat toast.  I'll probably eat lunch out.  

Dinner, I'd already got pork chops thawing out.  I'm gonna brown them then boil them in tomato juice, after which I'll thicken the juice into a nice gravy to pour over mashed potatos, which I'll make out of whole(un-skinned) red potatos, with sour cream, butter, parsley and maybe a little garlic.


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## Ariel

Last night was quesadillas with cheese and hamburger.


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## moderan

Tacos for us. Something quick as I was out and about most of the day.
Those pork chops sound good...we're having pulled pork tonight, with the creamy slaw on the side and fresh corn on the cob. I got up at five to start the picnic roast.


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## moderan

Tonight is Buffalo-style chicken breast, with pineapple-infused slaw, hand-cut fries, and a salad of romaine and endive dressed with bourbon cream.

Many people have asked me why my sauce is so good...there is a very simple principle to buff sauce. The ratio is 5/6 hot sauce, 1/6 butter, for a medium blend(slightly hot on the front of the tongue, peppery afterburn). I use Frank's Red Hot-there is no substitute for the butter. Margarine won't work. The more butter you use, the sweeter and lighter the sauce.
I also add pinches of powdered garlic and onion, and a dash of jalapeno brine (the stuff in the jar), with just a drop or two of apple cider vinegar.
Blue cheese is the only acceptable dipping sauce. Ranch and sour cream are anathema to the original vision of the dish (from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY).
It's actually fairly lowcal-bear in mind that you're not using much butter per serving. I usually grill the chicken so that I'm not adding any fat, and then immerse it briefly in the sauce.


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## Foxee

Every time you post about food, I want to come eat at your house.


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## moderan

Isn't that the general idea?
I like to balance the flavors and the colors. If I can remember to charge the battery for this damnable camera, I'll take pics.


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## Olly Buckle

> there is no substitute for the butter. Margarine won't work.


So true, even in the cases where it used to work it is iffy because there is no margarine any more, they are classified as 'spreads'. Some would say this is no bad thing, margarine is rumoured to be classed as an inedible poison in some places, but as always it is the really low down bad for you fats that taste good, not the hydrogenated vegetable oil.


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## Ariel

I refuse to use margarine.  I have a speech impediment anyway and I hate using things in food that has ingredients I can't pronounce.  I understand butter--it makes me think of simpler times when everyone used things they could make at home and food was fresh.


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## moderan

I read you loud and clear on that. I do use margarine but not often. My food is almost always fresh. (And cheap. While I'm a confirmed foodie, I'm also on a fixed gov't income.)
Tonight is roast leg of lamb, Greek-style, with plenty of lemon and oregano. Pine-nut-infused couscous, a variety of Greek olives, homemade tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, spinach salad with cucumber and tomato. My kitchen is full of the smell of pita bread with honey infusion, baking.
I'm going to cook the lamb outside on the weber, on the rotisserie my wife bought me last year for my 50th birthday. Most of the leftovers will become gyros (much to the chagrin of the four cats, who love lamb.)


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## moderan

It is Friday...and we survived the nonsense apocalypse. This is good. My wife and I plan to celebrate by opening a small bottle of the good red and enjoying a fine French meal.
Boeuf bourguignon, or beef burgundy, is on the menu. It is really a simple dish, easy to prepare, and delicious. Beef is cut into small pieces (I am using a two-pound chuck roast) and braised (seared and then cooked in liquid), for an extended period, allowing the connective tissue to break down completely and the meat to be tenderized. I use two cups of good red (in this case a merlot) and a cup of chopped mirepoix vegetables (onion, celery, carrot), plus a quarter-stick of unsalted butter for my liquid medium.
You can do this in a crockpot, but I prepare mine more like a pot roast and simmer it in a four-quart stockpot. Brown the meat first, remove it, and then the liquid is brought to a full boil, and the the meat is re-introduced, along with the vegetables. At the point where it boils again, I turn the heat to low and cover the pot.
In a large saucepan, I fry strips of bacon (I use a thick-cut, uncured variety) until almost crispy, and then remove the strips to a section of paper toweling, retaining the fat.
Then a couple of dozen button mushrooms (in this case a mix of crimini and white) are sliced and sauteed in the bacon fat, with perhaps a bit of butter and a dash of minced garlic. These are immediately added to the mixture in the pot, and the bacon is crumbled in.
At this point I will add chopped parsley, a couple of garlic cloves (mashed and chopped), and a bouquet garni (mostly thyme from my garden, a little herbes de Provence if I have them), plus just a small pinch of kosher salt.
Keeping the lid off, I increase the heat to medium. While waiting for the stew to bubble, I mash two large beefsteak tomatoes into the saucepan with the fat and the mushroom residue, cooking until most of the moisture is gone. This is added to the pot, and then finally, when everything is bubbling, an additional cup of the wine is added. I like to add just an ounce or so of brandy but that isn't called for in any recipe I've ever seen.
At this point, you'll need to taste. The mixture should be ever-so-slightly acid, with pronounced tomato notes, and about the consistency of consomme. Reduce the heat down to low and simmer for four to six hours, opening the lid to stir periodically. I have some pearl onions and shallots and baby carrots and will add them to the mix.
My preference is to serve this over steamed rice, with perhaps some French-cut green beans (haricots vert) and a fresh baguette.
You can cheat on a lot of these steps but the flavor isn't as authentic without the time and the love. This recipe is adapted from Julia Child's classic version.


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## Ariel

Mod, I thought I ate well with a foodie for a boyfriend but we don't eat quite as well as you do.  Color me jealous.


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## moderan

amsawtell said:


> Mod, I thought I ate well with a foodie for a boyfriend but we don't eat quite as well as you do.  Color me jealous.


Aw. That isn't my purpose though...somewhere up-thread I mentioned that I was a cook by trade, for years and years (no school, so no degree, but I betcha I could hold my own on Chopped or Iron Chef). Four years or so ago, I started posting the occasional recipe. Folks liked that and asked me to continue. When I came back to WF (last week?), I felt obliged to start anew.
So this is more like a how-to. One day I'll do a cookbook-I wanted to open a restaurant for the longest time but my health wouldn't permit that anymore *sadface* and I have all the time in the world to concoct tasty dishes.


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## Ariel

Oh please don't stop.  I'm jealous but loving it.  I love cooking shows and cookbooks but know my kitchen (and wallet) are limited.


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## Lewdog

I'm eating a free burrito combo from Red Burrito, it was free because the first one I got was so horrible.  This one is exactly the same.


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## Foxee

Lewdog said:


> I'm eating a free burrito combo from Red Burrito, it was free because the first one I got was so horrible.  This one is exactly the same.


You need culinary help.

It's baked chicken and rice and...some variety of veggie tonight. I didn't dig real deep on this one.


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## Leyline

Foxee said:


> You need culinary help.
> 
> *It's baked chicken and rice* and...some variety of veggie tonight. I didn't dig real deep on this one.



Done well, it's one of my faves. 

I'm thinking chicken and dumplings tonight.


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## Leyline

moderan said:


> I read you loud and clear on that. I do use margarine but not often. My food is almost always fresh. (And cheap. While I'm a confirmed foodie, I'm also on a fixed gov't income.)
> Tonight is roast leg of lamb, Greek-style, with plenty of lemon and oregano. Pine-nut-infused couscous, a variety of Greek olives, homemade tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, spinach salad with cucumber and tomato. My kitchen is full of the smell of pita bread with honey infusion, baking.
> I'm going to cook the lamb outside on the weber, on the rotisserie my wife bought me last year for my 50th birthday. Most of the leftovers will become gyros (much to the chagrin of the four cats, who love lamb.)



Cannot buy lamb anywhere around here, stupid podunk town. It's easily one of the finest meats on earth. Heck, I have to special order _duck_ here, and only one grocery store will do it for me. 

Just another reason George is ready to hit the wind. Life's too short to live only on beef and chicken.


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## Lewdog

Oh, I can cook, I just choose not to about 3 times a month.


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## Ariel

I have been on a tortellini kick lately.  I can't seem to get enough.


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## moderan

Leyline said:


> Cannot buy lamb anywhere around here, stupid podunk town. It's easily one of the finest meats on earth. Heck, I have to special order _duck_ here, and only one grocery store will do it for me.
> 
> Just another reason George is ready to hit the wind. Life's too short to live only on beef and chicken.


Pork is the big deal here. 60 miles from the border. Chicken too...beef, not so much. Can't get prime to save your life. Choice only, so something like London Broil is basically round steak. The butchers and the restaurants suck up the good cuts. No flank, no skirt, the occasional overpriced ribeye or damnable thin-cut t-bone. This time of year those little bottom round roasts are bogo and I stock up on them. Likewise rib roasts.
Lamb we buy when we can find it-we have two full-scale fridges.
Tucson's halfway podunk. Better than Rottenchester but Chicago was the place for food. Duck is hard to get, unless you're willing to pay Whole Foods prices. I'm not, generally speaking.
Chicken and dumplings is one of my favorites.



amsawtell said:


> I have been on a tortellini kick lately.  I can't seem to get enough.


Comes in a lot of varieties too. We don't eat much Italian because I refuse to make everything with red sauce and my wife refuses to eat any other. So alfredos and primaveras are out.
Y'know, it costs almost as much to make a decent meal as it does to go out. I could get lazy really quick, but I won't.


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## Ariel

I'm a beef and chicken kind of girl.  I live too far from a coast for me to trust seafood and I don't like pork.  Of course, being a Kansas City girl gives me access to great BBQ and excellent steak.  I'm also the only gringa with a bunch of Mexicanos at work so I've come to appreciate all kinds of Mexican food I never would have eaten before.


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## Lewdog

moderan said:


> Pork is the big deal here. 60 miles from the border. Chicken too...beef, not so much. Can't get prime to save your life. Choice only, so something like London Broil is basically round steak. The butchers and the restaurants suck up the good cuts. No flank, no skirt, the occasional overpriced ribeye or damnable thin-cut t-bone. This time of year those little bottom round roasts are bogo and I stock up on them. Likewise rib roasts.
> Lamb we buy when we can find it-we have two full-scale fridges.
> Tucson's halfway podunk. Better than Rottenchester but Chicago was the place for food. Duck is hard to get, unless you're willing to pay Whole Foods prices. I'm not, generally speaking.
> Chicken and dumplings is one of my favorites.
> 
> 
> Comes in a lot of varieties too. We don't eat much Italian because I refuse to make everything with red sauce and my wife refuses to eat any other. So alfredos and primaveras are out.
> Y'know, it costs almost as much to make a decent meal as it does to go out. I could get lazy really quick, but I won't.



Yeah I can see it not being so easy to get beef in Arizona.  I had some lamb in a high priced restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio once that was to die for.  It came with a dark wine and mushroom sauce that was amazing.  You ever notice when you go to high dollar restaurants you hardly have to salt or pepper your food?  It's near perfect.  I will say, it was fatty and I have stomach problems, so it hit me hard afterwards.

The one meat I had once that I didn't care for was Elk.  It was tough and even more gamey than deer.  It was at a high price place, but I would not recommend it unless you REALLY like deer.  Gator meat isn't bad, and ostrich is decent.  Ostrich though is kind of like dried out chicken, with very little fat.


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## moderan

You can get all the ground beef you like...because then they don't have to disclose the cut.
High-priced doesn't necessarily mean better. Generally it is so, because you can afford better help with higher prices, but not always. 
I've had gator and ostrich, and elk. Elk is very gamy. Not as gamy as lion, which I had once, or bear, or moose, all of which I've had. Warm-blood predator meat is nasty. Moose is tougher than a Navy Seal in a barroom brawl. A place in town here makes rattlesnake chili. It's Gooooood.


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## Leyline

moderan said:


> Pork is the big deal here.



For whatever reason, pork is pricier here than most places I've lived. It's not ridiculously pricey, but I've always lived where pork is cheap. I love it. You can get decent bone in chops (which my brother could happily eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of his life), but something like a Boston butt is surprisingly expensive in comparison to beef or chicken. Found it on sale a while ago and bought two sizable chunks. Did one marinated in soy and a little brown sugar for two days, wrapped in foil with onions, sliced potatoes and slivered garlic and it was awesome. Cooked it on the grill on the lowest setting (we basically cook everything we can't cook on a hot plate on the grill.) Now I'm pondering that second one in the freezer. Mmm.



> Tucson's halfway podunk. Better than Rottenchester but Chicago was the place for food.



Oh yeah, and no doubt. I still sometimes dream about the Polish delis and wake up sad.  Just incredible food, in vast array, at ridiculously low prices. 



> Duck is hard to get, unless you're willing to pay Whole Foods prices. I'm not, generally speaking.



 I'm doing duck for Christmas this year. I wanted to try making a goose, but even my one sorta helpful grocery just shrugged at me. I just don't like doing turkey so close to Thanksgiving and its week of leftovers.



> Chicken and dumplings is one of my favorites.



Mine too. Pure comfort food, and delicious. Turned out OK, but we were lower on eggs than I'd have liked, wish I'd had one more. The dumplings were the tiniest bit too soft.


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## Ariel

Reasons I love my smartphone: I'm laying in bed posting on forums at 5:00 in the morning without disturbing the fella and "kinda-daughter" (who crawled in between us about an hour ago and woke me up).  I mention this here because this is also the only time I've had this week to sit down and sort out my grocery list that I need to go buy in a couple hours so I can make my Christmas goodies for the year.  This year I'm making: bourbon balls, white chocolate dipped pretzels, no-bake cookies (my uncle's favorite--most of these will be wrapped and set aside just for him), and mini cheesecakes.  

I have never made cheesecake before so I'm nervous. I know from reading that they're done before the tops crack and that I'm supposed to make sure the batter is silky smooth.  Thank any and all gods that I inherited a kitchenaid mixer.


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## Gumby

It's tamale time again.  I'm using beef and pork roasts, so the house smells heavenly with the smell of them cooking. It's harder to get the ingredients I'm used to, here in Arkansas. California has a much better selection of Mexican spices, and the masa here is different than what I have always used. Last year was the first time making them here, and despite the differences in some ingredients, they turned out great.


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## moderan

Leyline said:


> ...
> 
> 
> Oh yeah, and no doubt. I still sometimes dream about the Polish delis and wake up sad.  Just incredible food, in vast array, at ridiculously low prices.
> 
> I'm doing duck for Christmas this year. I wanted to try making a goose, but even my one sorta helpful grocery just shrugged at me. I just don't like doing turkey so close to Thanksgiving and its week of leftovers.


I missed Italian beefs so bad I got a sad but I discovered this joint called Luke's where they make 'em. Still can't get decent pizza unless I make it myself. There's a little Chicago flavor here, lotta midwest peeps, but the Bohemian/German stuff is too heavy and starchy for the climate and didn't make the trip.
I taught myself how to make sauerkraut, sweet red cabbage, authentic pierogi, polish sausage. And it's weird but there isn't a decent burrito joint for miles.
Lamb for us this year. I have a crown roast of lamb in the freezer. Gonna marinate it in Metaxa 7-star, lemon and star anise. Wife wants turkey everyday but I'm not allowed to customize it. No cajun, maybe smoked, no fun.



amsawtell said:


> Reasons I love my smartphone: I'm laying in bed posting on forums at 5:00 in the morning without disturbing the fella and "kinda-daughter" (who crawled in between us about an hour ago and woke me up).  I mention this here because this is also the only time I've had this week to sit down and sort out my grocery list that I need to go buy in a couple hours so I can make my Christmas goodies for the year.  This year I'm making: bourbon balls, white chocolate dipped pretzels, no-bake cookies (my uncle's favorite--most of these will be wrapped and set aside just for him), and mini cheesecakes.
> 
> I have never made cheesecake before so I'm nervous. I know from reading that they're done before the tops crack and that I'm supposed to make sure the batter is silky smooth.  Thank any and all gods that I inherited a kitchenaid mixer.



I make cheesecake with a blender and a boat motor. Never had it crack on me. Here's a recipe for pumpkin swirl cheesecake




Gumby said:


> It's tamale time again.  I'm using beef and pork roasts, so the house smells heavenly with the smell of them cooking. It's harder to get the ingredients I'm used to, here in Arkansas. California has a much better selection of Mexican spices, and the masa here is different than what I have always used. Last year was the first time making them here, and despite the differences in some ingredients, they turned out great.



That's the biggest issue with living in other parts of the country, getting the ingredients you're used to. I could fill one of the freezers with tamales and live on them.


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## moderan

I make mine like this recipe:Kolacky


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## moderan

Lamb on the menu.
Roasted leg with a sauce based on a reduction of the red wine marinade, plus sauteed white button mushrooms and pearl onion. Pita from the other day (I froze what we didn't eat), with homemade Green Goddess ( cup of Greek yogurt, drained over cheesecloth, some lemon, and a cucumber chopped and treated likewise-don't peel!) and an herb salad with green Greek olives and pimentos. A nice pinot noir and a small glass of Metaxa 7-Star on the side. No mint jelly.
I slivered some garlic and buried bits of it in the lamb's fat cap so it would flavor everything.


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## Ariel

That sounds good, Mod.

I made mini cheesecakes yesterday.  I had never made cheesecake before and I am kind of astonished at how easy it was.  I also made fudge.  Just quick and easy Christmas goodies.


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## moderan

Told you about them cheesecakes. Now you'll be making them all the time. Fudge is easy too...we make variations, like maple and mint.


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## Ariel

I can see it already, Mod, my hips are going to expand exponentially and so will my gut.  I'm going to be huge and gorged on fudge and cheesecake.  Might vary the cheesecake recipe.


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## Foxee

Some people marry a guy for his money, in Mod's case I would understand if his wife married him for the food. Seriously, Mod, that's some sexy cooking!


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## Lewdog

Mod is just copying and pasting from a take out menu.


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## Olly Buckle

> I slivered some garlic and buried bits of it in the lamb's fat cap so it would flavor everything.


My ex (business) partner's wife used to do this, only she didn't sliver them, whole cloves. We had it more traditional with roast veg and cabbage too. Carrots are a slightly boring veg., but not if you roast them in the pan with the spuds, sweet potato and parsnips.


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## moderan

Roasted carrots are wonderfully tasty. A little butter and I'm good.
Took a page from Leyline's book and made chicken and dumplings last night. I make my dumplings gigantic because I'm gonna leave them in for a while. Once they've given half of their volume to the broth, then I'm ready to eat. I make em about the size of tennis balls.
Tonight is gyros. Respice some of the lamb, pan-fry quickly with some olive oil, add sliced tomato, onion. Feta cheese dressing instead of tzatziki. Rice pilaf on the side. One of our favorite meals.


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## Foxee

Hm. This reminds me, I should figure out what to make for supper.


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## moderan

Foxee said:


> Some people marry a guy for his money, in Mod's case I would understand if his wife married him for the food. Seriously, Mod, that's some sexy cooking!


My wife claims that it would take two people to replace me. Jimmy Page and Robert Irvine. *Beams*



Lewdog said:


> Mod is just copying and pasting from a take out menu.



That's good. I wish it was my restaurant *sighs heavily* Alas.



Foxee said:


> Hm. This reminds me, I should figure out what to make for supper.


LOL...I have that planned. Too much time being an adult weakens one's  sense of fun. So tomorrow we're having an appetizer of English Muffin  Pepperoni Pizza, with a side of Maraschino Coke, and a main dish of Lil  Smokies wrapped in biscuit dough. Mac n cheese is of course the side.  There will be no green vegetables. Chocolate pudding for dessert.
I know, it's so wrong, and so bad. We'll have to eat grownup food for just _days_.  But the holidays were no fun, and my wife's ex's brother died a couple  of days ago, and her kids are calling us with all of the depressing  details. Plus, FRIDAY. So.
But tonight, gyros. Turkish coffee.  I bet you'd love that. Is awesome. With a slice of lemon, like you  serve espresso. Except I candied the lemon slice. Little bit of leftover  lamb gravy and honey in the pilaf water to give it that added oompah,  toss in a couple of pine nuts (I make it with rice-a-roni long and wild  rice-I don't use their seasoning, I just like the rice.)


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## Foxee

I would respectfully suggest that with your meal tomorrow you add tater-tots. How can you have such a departure from adulthood without them? 

Hm! Turkish coffee sounds intriguing and simple. I'm in mocha mode here. I like rice-a-roni rice, too, and I've simulated it by cooking rice in with chicken and adding broken pieces of thin spaghetti. Not quite the same but close!


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## moderan

The rice here isn't very good. It cooks indifferently, takes too long or doesn't absorb enough water or some damn thing. Inconsistent. Gotta steam it, and I don't always like that texture.
Rice-a-roni can be had for four for a dollar sometimes. So I use that when I need the rice dish to have some chew to it.
We had tater tots the last "Let's be kids" night, with toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. The time before, we had shoestring fries with beef gravy and as much bacon as we could handle. So mac and cheese this time. 
Angel hair pasta works for a sub. Cook it brown and then add the rice


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## Foxee

Angel hair is even better, I agree. I usually have had thin spaghetti on hand, though. 

I don't know if you have Near East boxed rice (they're like rice a roni but different) out in your area but there are some really tasty mixes for that, too. I've gotten a rosemary variety and a roasted red pepper one that's rice mixed with quinoa. Nice texture.


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## moderan

Yes we do. I buy them sometimes. Their couscous is tremendously good, too. I'm trying to deconstruct the pine-nut variety so I can buy the stuff in bulk-cuz they're like two bucks a box here unless there's a sale.


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## Foxee

I know what you mean, sales are pretty much the only time I get them, too, so I usually do my own rice/quinoa mixture and even did pretty well with my own roasted red pepper variety. Even ingredients like pine nuts are expensive, though.


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## moderan

Costco gets pine nuts. I buy em like once a year, and use them sparingly.


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## Foxee

Costco and Sam's are nowhere near me. Almonds are decent to substitute sometimes, too.


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## moderan

Pecans. I use pecans. Her has bad teeth and almonds aren't good for those. And walnuts are softer too. Have also used Brazil nuts.


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## Foxee

All good options. Walnuts are really good for you, too. Oops, shouldn't say that. 

Currently putting carrots in to roast and I'm going to make tuna helper when R brings it home. He's also bringing home a strawberry cannoli cake which we've never tried but sounds really good.


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## ppsage

*Stardate 121227.0309p …**What For Dinner?*

Kind of a classic pp-style dinner menu, who is abnormally motivated by creating tasty leftovers so he doesn't have to cook as much. His spouse dinner style is more meat & potatoes short order, which is great while one can afford it but doesn't make extra that often.

(Pretty sure I've totally confounded my tenses in remembering this but have decided that's tough.)

1. *Italian style Butter Bean Soup with mystery meat.* It's not really mystery meat, it's fairly okay frozen hamburger from Ma's estate, a bit long in the tooth, freezer-wise. It's fried in sizzling olive oil chunk style; toss it in the pan whole and, when the time comes, bust it up a bit with the spatula. Fried a bit crusty, at least on one side, turn down the heat and pile in fresh parsley, dry oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, some more olive oil and probably some other minor stuff. This steeps a while, then hotted up and a can of drained diced toms added. Cooked aggressively for a while. Meanwhile, on the back burner, one half white onion sliced and a big double handful of thick sliced mushrooms stew briskly in a pint of chicken stock (into which later was later drained the toms.) When they're done a can of butterbeans, liquid and all is added and heated through. (We've been experimenting lately with canned beans of all sorts, imports and what not, we just buy a couple interesting ones most shopping trips. Nothing to report, really, but they seem to get used up.) The tomato-meat skillet is deglazed with some of the stew liquor and it's all mixed in the soup pot to steep as long as we can stand it, but the soup's not really done until it's reheated. 

*2. Southwest Canned Corn.* One half white onion sliced is sweated in a casserole with olive oil and salt until limp and maybe slightly brown when it's joined by a sliced jalapeno. After they get used to each other, a plain can of corn is added and the liquid is vigorously reduced stopping just before it disappears, when it starts getting _sticky_ bubbles. Plenty of black pepper is stirred in. This takes a bit of time but it's so easy it's almost not really cooking and it's incredibly delicious.

*3. Garlic Toast.* We make all our own bread which tends to lose it's crumb pretty fast so this is basically a way to freshen up the back half of the loaf. Along with fried sandwiches and the usual toasting. Minced crushed garlic, parsley, paprika, and salt are mixed with softened butter. Some olive oil in there works too. Proportions are optional, we're getting pretty concentrated with the garlic, but stingy slathering it on the slices. (The old man's got some problems, down there.) Grated parm is either mixed in or sprinkled on or both. The slower the broiler, the crunchier the toast but we tend to have it pretty soft. This is actually a spouse contribution or, more rarely, a collaboration. She's just getting it mixed up now.

*4. Caesar Salad from kit.* What can I say. They're always on sale around here and we're addicted. We skip barbeque potato chips and use this to ingest our required allotment of agent orange. Soon as I get this posted, I'll be opening all the packets and stirring it up. The kit is a modern miracle of _packetting._

*5. Dilute Box Merlot over ice.* A digestively challenged old man's attempt to keep wine in a deteriorating stomach. Style that the ancients in Greece and Rome used, half wine and half water; they didn't chill it and I don't always. There's a fairly prevalent rumor that _barbarian_ meant _people who drink wine straight_ to the old Greeks. I'll look for a source on that, later. (She's never got used to it.)

Probably messed up on remembering the cooking here and there but probably anybody with a bit of imagination could get decent results. I sort of figure the point is more sparking the imagination than making recipes. Took some pictures in progress but am too lazy and hungry to get them before dinner. pp


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## Olly Buckle

> Along with fried sandwiches and the usual toasting.


This reminds me of living in the coach when we were younger. It was heated by a wood burning stove and we would make cheddar sandwiches, but with the butter on the outside. Put the sandwich on the top of the stove and cover it with a large saucepan lid, turn when brown and serve with Branston pickle when browned both sides. You don't need to butter very thickly as the cheese melts and the fat soaks through, just enough to get it started. So simple, so tasty.


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## moderan

That all sounds good, and rustic. The butterbean soup is similar to a meatball stew I make-into which I'd dump the southwestern corn. That's the "Chopped" end of cooking, recycling. The "Iron Chef" part is the big-budget stuff.
I like to start BEFORE I get hungry. Then I can take my time about preparing the meal. Most of tomorrow's is made already.


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## moderan

The best and most important meal of the year is tonight.
Prime rib!
\m/
Cook at 450 for 20 minutes to sear and seal, then 350 for ten minutes a pound. Perfectly rare roast, every time. Seasoning is salt and pepper, a little garlic powder.
Peel about three inches of horseradish root with a potato peeler. Chop that thing up and stick the pieces in the blender. One tablespoon water, one teaspoon vinegar, a dash of salt. Puree. Don't breathe it. The more vinegar you add, the less powerful the effect. I like to add two tbsp sour cream for a creamier variety. A dash of fruitfresh will keep it from discoloring.
The au jus-pan drippings with mirepoix vegetables boiled in it. Scoop out the veg.
We like loaded bakers-bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and some asparagus with lemon, butter, and salt.


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## Ariel

Having grown up in a predominately African-American neighborhood (I still live there--I own the house next door to the one I grew up in and the house that was on the empty lot on the other side was my great-aunt's before she died) I have always had a traditional "soul food" dinner on New Year's.

Roast with collard greens, green beans, black-eyed peas, turkey neck soup, salad, and about twenty desserts.

The neighbor who usually makes this feast has recently lost her daughter so I don't think I'll have that this year.  Instead I think I'm going to drag the Fella (who I'm trying to recruit to the forums) out someplace.  Maybe the Cheesecake Factory.


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## moderan

I betcha if you made him Prime Rib like above he'd be easier to recruit 
Soul food is good eats though. I make my greens with a ham hock, a head of garlic, and a quarter pound of thick-cut bacon.


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## Ariel

I'm going for his jealous streak.  Make him feel like there might be someone on here I could "run away" with and he'll join just to "keep an eye" on me.

He's not that jealous though sometimes his streak flares up.  I like to tease him about it because I have no intention of seeing any one else.


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## moderan

My wife's ex used to tell her that someday someone would come and suck her right up through the computer. He didn't know how right he was *winks*
What brand of pills do you have? The wife and I think that we share a brain-fortunately we're able to be stupid alternately (most of the time).


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## Bloggsworth

Naked at 350 - Sounds interesting...


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## moderan

Yeah. That way I can bathe it in butter if my pulmonologist says it's ok.
The stuff goes on sale for like 5 bucks a pound for a span of a couple of days. We usually buy two or three if we can. Why not?


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## moderan

Today is Sloppy Joe day. Hamburger, tomato sauce, onions and peppers. Shells and cheese on the side. Big old plate of easy-to-make. I like my sloppy joes on toast. I cheat and use Velveeta for the sauce.
No bathing in butter, no bathing at Baxter's. 
Tomorrow, I'm making steak and kidney pie. Never made it before.


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## JosephB

Christmas Eve I made something call tourtiere -- which is a French  Canadian meat pie made with spiced pork. My dad used to make it every  year from his mother's recipe. He died last year, so I decided to make it. I say  recipe, but she and my dad both made the filling by taste -- so that's  what I had to do. I knew the spices, but not the amounts, so I just  added them in increments of 1/4 tablespoon or so until it tasted right.  I wrote it down as I did it so I could email it out to the rest of the family. It came out great, if I don't mind saying so -- and it was pretty cool  to serve it and reminisce about the old man.


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## Foxee

Chili with the family's choice of mac n cheese, hot dog, and/or corn chips. Homemade taco popcorn. It's snowy here, a good time for chili.


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## moderan

JosephB said:


> Christmas Eve I made something call _torture_


FTFY. Hi Joe.


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## Stella Marquise

Yesterday I bought two lobster tails on sale, as well as garlic bread (From the bakery), whole mushrooms, and salad with Newmans balsamic vinaigrette.

Took the bread dipped it in olive oil, cooked up the tails, and have been eating greens with chopped onions, sauteed mushrooms. 

I'd like to bake a cake tomorrow.


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## moderan

Y'see, if you were a regular on this or the preceding or undoubtedly subsequent threads. you'd be making your own garlic bread and balsamic vinaigrette. And taking pictures of it.
Lobster is surprisingly cheap here considering all the travel time. Maybe they come from the Gulf instead of somewhere north. But I've seen tails for 6 bucks, and at that price I'll buy a few. So how'd you cook them? Was there drawn butter? Those greens would be excellent for a quiche. I love me some quiche. My wife is egg-intolerant. So I no eat quiche anymore *sadface*
Tomorrow I'm making this:






(This recipe is adapted from a couple of online sources;it's been a while and I don't remember where)
i cup plain flour

 salt and pepper 

 1 1/2 lb steak, trimmed and cubed (I have skirt steak)

 6 oz  beef kidney, cored and chopped

 1 stick butter

 1 - 2 garlic cloves, skinned and crushed
 1 large onion, skinned and chopped
 1 container mushrooms

 1/2 pint beef stock

 1 pint brown ale

 1 bay leaf
 sprig of fresh thyme or 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) dried thyme
 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

 1 tbsp tomato puree

 fresh milk, to glaze


 1. Season 1 oz of the flour, then toss the steak and kidney in the flour, shaking off any excess.

 2. Melt 1/4 of the butter in a large saucepan and lightly  fry the garlic, onion and mushrooms for 3 minutes. Add the steak, kidney  and remaining coating flour and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly  browned.

 3. Gradually stir in the stock, 1/2 of the ale, bay leaf, thyme,  Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree. Cover and simmer gently for about  1 1/4 hours. Spoon the mixture into a pie dish. Drink the rest of the ale.

 4. Put the remaining flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Rub in  the remaining butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add  60 ml (4 tbsp) cold water and mix to form a dough.
 5. Roll out on a lightly floured work surface to a couple of inches  wider than the pie dish. Cut a 1 inch strip from the outer  edge and place on the dampened rim of the dish. Brush the strip with  water. Cover with the pastry lid, press lightly to seal the edges. Trim  off excess pastry, knot the edges back to seal and crimp. Garnish with  pastry leaves, brush with milk and bake at 400°F for 30 -  45 minutes.
Have some ale while you wait.
I'll probably use a little more of the puree and a tsp of A1, and will possibly saute a little bacon with the mushrooms and onion. I also have fresh green peas and some precooked diced potato, and a bit of mirepoix left over from the lamb preparations.
I made triple chocolate fudge with coconut and pecans. It won't last til I can get a picture, cuz it was just a little, as an experiment. I could dip cubes of the stuff in ganache and sell it on Park Avenue. It looked something like this:


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## Foxee

Mod, if you're around, I'm looking for ideas. I'm planning to make sweet potato gnocchi today and I'm trying to sort out what to make with that. (I've never made gnocchi before...but I have the baked sweet potatoes thawing and I really want to try this)

 I think I have some turkey bacon that I bought in a weak moment (it's just not the same), frozen tilapia or pollock (not sure which I just know it's back in the freezer on the back porch) and various veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash, zucchini, lettuce and probably a couple other things. 

If you were hurled into the middle of an episode of Iron Chef with ingredients like this would you come up with something awesome or give up right away?


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## Capulet

Just woke up. Going to do my zombie shuffle to the corner and get a Timmies half hot chocolate/coffee and a plain bagel, not toasted, with light cream cheese and tomato.


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## moderan

Foxee said:


> Mod, if you're around, I'm looking for ideas. I'm planning to make sweet potato gnocchi today and I'm trying to sort out what to make with that. (I've never made gnocchi before...but I have the baked sweet potatoes thawing and I really want to try this)
> 
> I think I have some turkey bacon that I bought in a weak moment (it's just not the same), frozen tilapia or pollock (not sure which I just know it's back in the freezer on the back porch) and various veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash, zucchini, lettuce and probably a couple other things.
> 
> If you were hurled into the middle of an episode of Iron Chef with ingredients like this would you come up with something awesome or give up right away?


Ham, bacon. I'd make a primavera with that bacon and some veggies and a little cream and butter. Some parmesan if you have it.


----------



## Foxee

I do have it. Hmmm...those are some good ideas, I knew I could count on you.

The triple chocolate fudge covered in ganache idea is too freakin' decadent for words. I just made chocolate chip cookie bars and was bummed out that my husband had gotten me milk chocolate chips by mistake. Waaaay too sweet, bleh.


----------



## moderan

We keep four kinds of baking chocolate chips around at all times (white, milk, semisweet, dark). It is verboten to eat them. They must be cooked with. We also have butterscotch chips and six or seven bags of nuts. I am not to eat them either. They are for baking. She bakes. (I do too, but not as often, and I get my own things.)
Fish wouldn't go with the gnocchi. Primavera, nice creamy sauce, some cheese to thicken it, a few peas, some bacon. Yum.


----------



## Foxee

I think my arteries stopped when I read that.


----------



## Nee

Hi everybody... 

I made this yesterday. 

Slow Cooked Mexican Pork

In a large stock pot combine:
64 oz’s chicken, beef or vegetable stock ( 2 boxes )
1 oz powdered California chili
½ oz powdered Pasilla chili
½ oz powdered Ancho chili
3 rounded tablespoons Paprika
1 heaping tablespoon dry sage
1 rounded tablespoon dry marjoram
½ tablespoon onion powder
½ tablespoon dry mustered

Add a large pork shoulder roast 
(add a bottle of beer to cover the pork if necessary) 
and slowly simmer for 3 hours or ‘til it falls off the bone.
Let cool on a cutting board then pull apart with a fork.
This is a great meat filling for Enchiladas, Tacos, Burritos and Tortas.

Use the sauce for Enchiladas.  

 Yum.


----------



## Ariel

Ok, I'm nervous to mention this but I have never made Chili.  I want to make some but I bought bagged beans.  I know from Alton Brown that I have to soak them.  I want to use my crock-pot to make this chili but I'm not sure what to do.


----------



## Deleted member 49710

Soaking helps beans to cook more quickly and evenly but it isn't strictly necessary, especially if you're using a crockpot and thus will have a long cooking time regardless. Just rinse and pick them over* and go on with your recipe as written.

*remove anything that is not a bean (pebbles, clumps of dirt, etc.) or looks suspicious to you.


----------



## moderan

Soaking beans and changing the water frequently will rid them of the "Beano" effect, or at least lessen it.


Foxee said:


> I think my arteries stopped when I read that.


Simvastatin would help with that. Oddly enough, my cholesterol is fine. Under 150.


----------



## Foxee

In that case, bring on the bacon!


----------



## moderan

If you eat something fatty or salty or both, you need an acid to counteract. Something like apple cider vinegar, a little bit in the preparation of your yams. It's why the French wine/butter diet works.


----------



## Lewdog

Left over tacos!


----------



## Nee

Gumby said:


> It's tamale time again.  I'm using beef and pork roasts, so the house smells heavenly with the smell of them cooking. It's harder to get the ingredients I'm used to, here in Arkansas. *California has a much better selection of Mexican spices,* and the masa here is different than what I have always used. Last year was the first time making them here, and despite the differences in some ingredients, they turned out great.



Oh yeah, we sure do...:icon_cheesygrin:


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> Lamb on the menu.
> Roasted leg with a sauce based on a reduction of the red wine marinade, plus sauteed white button mushrooms and pearl onion. Pita from the other day (I froze what we didn't eat), with homemade Green Goddess ( cup of Greek yogurt, drained over cheesecloth, some lemon, and a cucumber chopped and treated likewise-don't peel!) and an herb salad with green Greek olives and pimentos. A nice pinot noir and a small glass of Metaxa 7-Star on the side. No mint jelly.
> I slivered some garlic and buried bits of it in the lamb's fat cap so it would flavor everything.



A old friend used to marinate a leg of lamb in Ouzo and white wine with a ton of copped mint leaves and oregano for a few days before slow roasting it over oak chips in the back yard.

…I should get the recipe.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> A old friend used to marinate a leg of lamb in Ouzo and white wine with a ton of copped mint leaves and oregano for a few days before slow roasting it over oak chips in the back yard.
> 
> …I should get the recipe.



Lamb HAS to have a good marinade and be cooked a long time in order to get the...hard describe taste out of it.  It's a slash of gamey and bitter taste.  I don't get the use of that green jelly though.  To me that's only used by people who can't cook the lamb correctly.


----------



## Foxee

moderan said:


> If you eat something fatty or salty or both, you need an acid to counteract. Something like apple cider vinegar, a little bit in the preparation of your yams. It's why the French wine/butter diet works.


Wish I'd read this before I made the dough and spent all evening making these. Note to self: Don't make as much gnocchi dough next time.


----------



## Lewdog

I was always told to use tomato, lemon, or lime juice to soak certain meats in to get rid of some of the gamey taste.  Depending on what the meat is, it could take a few days in the refrigerator.  About the only time I will eat deer meat is when it is done like that and then cooked like Salisbury steak in a crock pot with lots of onions and green peppers.


----------



## Nee

Roasted leg of lamb with a simple rub of black pepper, salt, and a few spices like, cardamon, ginger, or nutmeg will do just fine. 'Course, lamb is best cooked to slightly over medium rare.


----------



## Olly Buckle

Nee said:


> Roasted leg of lamb with a simple rub of black pepper, salt, and a few spices like, cardamon, ginger, or nutmeg will do just fine. 'Course, lamb is best cooked to slightly over medium rare.


It sounds great, but so many ways are, I hate to say one is best. Roasted plain and for long enough that the skin goes crispy, the fat runs out and the meat is a bit fibrous is also good in its way, so much concentrated flavour.

Welcome to the site by the way Nee.


----------



## Ariel

Mini Cheesecakes

I didn't like the way the "crust" was soggy so I'm going to try something different with my next batch--crushed oreos.

Ingredients:

2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp lemon juice
dash of lemon zest
Nilla Wafers
1 can cherry pie filling (optional)

Using an electric mixer mix together cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Line up baking cups and place a Nilla Wafer face-up inside each one.  Scoop mixture onto wafer, filling cup 3/4 full.  Back at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Refrigerate.  *Optional* Once chillled, scoop cherry pie filling atop each mini cheescake.  Chill again.


----------



## Nee

Olly Buckle said:


> It sounds great, but so many ways are, I hate to say one is best. Roasted plain and for long enough that the skin goes crispy, the fat runs out and the meat is a bit fibrous is also good in its way, so much concentrated flavour.
> 
> Welcome to the site by the way Nee.



Thanks Olly  

When the leg of lamb’s internal temperature hits145 degrees, pull it from the oven and cover with aluminum foil and a clean towel, and let it rest for 10-15 mins. It will be tender and juicy and everyone will rave about it’s delicate flavor.


----------



## moderan

Why are you covering it with foil and a towel?


----------



## Nee

It holds down the foil and allows for a slower, more even drop in temp.


----------



## Olly Buckle

Man thinking - If it is covered in foil the towel won't touch the meat, but it might dip in the pan and get greasy. I wouldn't waste a clean one so long as it is only my feet I have been drying on it


----------



## Trilby

This morning I was so disappointed; after a long spell of cutting back on a full English breakfast (never had bacon for months) for the more healthy options of fresh fruit, poached egg on toast or muesli with a little milk, I decided it was time I had a had a bacon sandwich. 

In one of our, largest supermarket chain's store I bought a packet of 'Dry cured' bacon - it looked good in the pre-pack, the slices looked fresh and lean.

This morning the bacon was crisping up nicely in the frying pan; things still looked good - What I hadn't noticed at the time of cooking, it came to me as an after thought, there was no tempting aroma coming from the pan. 
I sat down with my bacon roll and cup of tea - so far so good - the roll did not taste of bacon it tasted of brine - even after I had eaten it, the salty taste remained for some time.

What is happening to our food? I can remember looking forward to the peaches and nectarines season, July/August, the fruit was so juicy, so mouthwatering, so irresistible - now in most supermarkets the fruits are as hard as cricket balls and tasteless and I am not tempted to buy them (don't want to break my teeth).


----------



## JosephB

That fruit is so tasteless is a result of letting it ripen in transit instead of on the vine. It's coming from thousands of miles away from wherever it's in season. Also, I read this about tomatoes -- whatever genetic tinkering they do to make them redder and bigger, also makes them tasteless. I wouldn't be surprised if something like that is going on with other kinds of fruit. I've had some pretty good bacon lately, though.


----------



## Ariel

When I can I try to buy local just because of that.  I don't eat pork so I can't talk about bacon.  The smell of bacon turns my stomach.  The fella doesn't abstain so when he gets a chance he'll buy bacon and cook it when I'm not home.


----------



## Trilby

Hi JosephB, I don't usually buy from this particular supermarket, it was convenient to do so the other day.

Watched a programme on TV a couple of nights ago '50 facts about diet and exercise' They said that semi/skimmed milk, once the fat has been removed the milk is left with an unapertizing blue tinge - to make the milk a more palatable looking colour chemicals are added to whiten it - the same chemical is used to whiten paint. I'm back on full cream milk - and after watching the prog. I won't touch margarine any more 'don't ask'.

They also said that two of our top supermarket chains own brand cheap bottled water 17/19pence per bottle is filtered tap water - did I say cheap? 17pence a bottle seems well OTT for tap water - somehow that old episode of 'Only Fools and Horses' were Del Boy and Rodney bottle their own water and sell it, to me is no longer funny.


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> It holds down the foil and allows for a slower, more even drop in temp.


I'm not sure why that's needed.


----------



## Nee

Trilby said:


> What is happening to our food? I can remember looking forward to the peaches and nectarines season, July/August, the fruit was so juicy, so mouthwatering, so irresistible - now in most supermarkets the fruits are as hard as cricket balls and tasteless .



All the fruits and vegetables have been replaced with heartier varieties to reduce spoilage. I haven't have a decent honeydew melon in 15 years.  Though here in Cali if you are careful with your selection you can still fine pretty good stone fruit in season. But with the growing trend of farmer's markets popping up all over the place at least we have some opportunity to buy good produce.


----------



## Nee

JosephB said:


> That fruit is so tasteless is a result of letting it ripen in transit instead of on the vine. It's coming from thousands of miles away from wherever it's in season. Also, I read this about tomatoes -- whatever genetic tinkering they do to make them redder and bigger, also makes them tasteless. I wouldn't be surprised if something like that is going on with other kinds of fruit. I've had some pretty good bacon lately, though.



Buy tomatoes on the vine--their a bit better than the rest. But the best are found at farmer's markets. 

Buy Locally Grown...!


----------



## Olly Buckle

With tomatoes the top variety is "Moneymaker", the name says it all, it produces good weight crops of consistent size, weight, and colour that transport well and have a good shelf life. All qualities that appeal to retailers rather than hidden things like taste and texture. The same is true of the three or four apple varieties you will find in the shop, I don't know how many varieties of apple there are, it probably runs into thousands rather than hundreds. The old fashioned varieties often have severe drawbacks commercially, they only crop well every third year or they bruise as soon as you touch them for example, but lots of them taste wonderful, and some very different. Worth looking out for different trees and getting to know their owners.


----------



## Nee

Olly Buckle said:


> Man thinking - If it is covered in foil the towel won't touch the meat, but it might dip in the pan and get greasy. I wouldn't waste a clean one so long as it is only my feet I have been drying on it



I cook my roasted meats on a rack: which I move (with the meat) to a cutting board while I make gravy or whatever as the meat rests.


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> I'm not sure why that's needed.



Okay.


----------



## Nee

Olly Buckle said:


> With tomatoes the top variety is "Moneymaker", the name says it all, it produces good weight crops of consistent size, weight, and colour that transport well and have a good shelf life. All qualities that appeal to retailers rather than hidden things like taste and texture. The same is true of the three or four apple varieties you will find in the shop, I don't know how many varieties of apple there are, it probably runs into thousands rather than hundreds. The old fashioned varieties often have severe drawbacks commercially, they only crop well every third year or they bruise as soon as you touch them for example, but lots of them taste wonderful, and some very different. Worth looking out for different trees and getting to know their owners.



Yes those old time apple were awesome! But didn't ship well. I know of an old farm in the back country from the 1840's where a number of fruit trees are still alive: the house and all the rest is long gone--though there is an old wagon wheel and a rusted plow out in the field, LOL. Anyway the pear and apple trees are still producing really great fruit. I tried to pack some out but, they didn't look too good by the time I made it out.


----------



## JosephB

Trilby said:


> Watched a programme on TV a couple of nights ago '50 facts about diet and exercise' They said that semi/skimmed milk, once the fat has been removed the milk is left with an unapertizing blue tinge - to make the milk a more palatable looking colour chemicals are added to whiten it - the same chemical is used to whiten paint. I'm back on full cream milk - and after watching the prog. I won't touch margarine any more 'don't ask'.



Hmm. When I was at university, the dairy science school supplied milk to the cafeteria. My girlfriend used to drink only skim milk -- and it looked blue around the edges. I guess they didn't add that chemical. I'd forgotten about that. Otherwise, they had the best, freshest milk I've ever had -- all you could drink.


----------



## JosephB

Nee said:


> Buy tomatoes on the vine--their a bit better than the rest. But the best are found at farmer's markets.
> 
> Buy Locally Grown...!



We do. We have no less than 3 farmers markets near us -- and a guy who sells tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and melons who sets up a stand down the road. We used to have a big garden too, but now we're down to a few tomato plants, peppers and basil. Maybe we'll get back into it when the kids are older.


----------



## Nee

I didn't do one this year but, normally I start a veggie garden in the spring. I just grow them in pots though: it's faster and I can control things better that way. I always have a number of herbs as house plants however: and all along one side of my house has been planted with rosemary that has grow to four feet tall now--nothing like fresh herbs.


----------



## moderan

That's quite true. We grow tomatoes, jalapenos, poblanos, sage, thyme, and cilantro outside our patio.


----------



## Nee

I had a jalapeno plant that lived for 6 years once  
I brought it in for the colder months--it looked dead but, every spring it sprouted again. 
Serranos and jalapenos are great when they turn red.


----------



## moderan

I have a ______ plant that is eleven years old. It has traveled from near the Canadian border to near the Mexican border with no trouble. It lives outside-just a little guy, without the big sprouting bush and the buds and all. Just a pretty. But indestructible.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> I have a ______ plant that is eleven years old. It has traveled from near the Canadian border to near the Mexican border with no trouble. It lives outside-just a little guy, without the big sprouting bush and the buds and all. Just a pretty. But indestructible.



Rose bush?


----------



## moderan

It ain't legal to say.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> It ain't legal to say.



It must be jabeneroes, where you snuck the seeds across the border in your pocket.  You are sneak sneaky.


----------



## Nee

If it were in California (with a med card) or in Washington or Colorado it would be.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> If it were in California (with a med card) or in Washington or Colorado it would be.




Man you guys make this guessing game hard on innocent people like me.  It must be penicillin.  Carry on.


----------



## Kevin

Lewdog said:


> Man you guys make this guessing game hard on innocent people like me.  It must be penicillin.  Carry on.


 Jethro smoking crawdads...('member that one?)


----------



## Lewdog

A hint for dieters out there.  Instead of eating things that would go with rice, instead cook bean sprouts, zucchini slivers, and carrot slivers that have been steamed.  Not only do they have low calories, but they are good roughage and high in vitamins.  I usually make my stir fry with them.


----------



## moderan

Tonight we are having Brazioles, provolone/parmesan/parsley rolled up in skirt steak, wrapped in pancetta, and lovingly doused in homemade red sauce derived from equal parts tomato and red peppers, served over homemade linguine. I may never get the flour off of my kitchen table, for that is where I rolled the dough, at 5:30 this morning. I don't have a pasta machine.
You can cheat, and use round steak pounded thin, bacon, and Ragu, but it isn't the same. I have a nice Italian table chianti to serve on the side, and antipasti.


----------



## Foxee

*goes and gathers up Mod and his cooking gear and oxygen tank to steal him*

*goes back for bunnies and assorted menagerie*

*belatedly rents truck*

*grabs Mod's partner and bustles her along, too, because I'm not cruel*

*Finally steals Mod so that he can cook for me forever, trucking him off into the sunset with all his stuff*


----------



## Ariel

Why don't we set up a writer's commune with our own printing/publishing company as a front and make Mod the cook?


----------



## JosephB

We haven’t tasted any of Mod’s cooking. We’ve only seen pictures of it. I was on a photo shoot once and the stylist made the ice cream out of Crisco, powdered sugar and food coloring. It looked delicious. Wait – fat and sugar -- that might taste pretty good.


----------



## Lewdog

I'll go ahead and give you guys my next gourmet meal step by step.

1.  Get up from computer chair and walk into kitchen.
2.  Open cabinet and grab can of Beeferoni.
3.  Sit can on kitchen counter.
4.  Open drawer and get old style crank can opener.
5.  Grab bowl out of dish drainer.
6.  Grab fork out of disk drainer.
7.  Open can with crank can opener.
8.  Pour can into bowl.
9........


----------



## Foxee

Hmm, Joe, you have a point.


----------



## moderan

Foxee said:


> *goes and gathers up Mod and his cooking gear and oxygen tank to steal him*
> 
> *goes back for bunnies and assorted menagerie*
> 
> *belatedly rents truck*
> 
> *grabs Mod's partner and bustles her along, too, because I'm not cruel*
> 
> *Finally steals Mod so that he can cook for me forever, trucking him off into the sunset with all his stuff*


She'd be happy to head back East. Eight months to renew nursing license and she'd be good. Me, not so much. Himidity and cold aggravate my fibro.



amsawtell said:


> Why don't we set up a writer's commune with our own printing/publishing company as a front and make Mod the cook?



And bottle-washer. I also know about typesetting and silkscreening and four-color separations and stuff like that.



JosephB said:


> We haven’t tasted any of Mod’s cooking. We’ve only seen pictures of it. I was on a photo shoot once and the stylist made the ice cream out of Crisco, powdered sugar and food coloring. It looked delicious. Wait – fat and sugar -- that might taste pretty good.



But I've posted the recipes. You can make the stuff your ownselves.


----------



## Foxee

Much more fun to make you do it.


----------



## moderan

Fine. Y'all are deputized as prep cooks.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> She'd be happy to head back East. Eight months to renew nursing license and she'd be good. Me, not so much. Himidity and cold aggravate my fibro.
> 
> 
> 
> And bottle-washer. I also know about typesetting and silkscreening and four-color separations and stuff like that.
> 
> 
> 
> But I've posted the recipes. You can make the stuff your ownselves.



Good grief you sure carry a lot of baggage with you.  

"It puts the lotion on its skin, or it gets the hose again!"


----------



## moderan

Baggage, and books. Lots of both.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> Baggage, and books. Lots of both.



So if you had to pick just one of the three things you could have, which would it be:  Oxygen, books, or good food?  You can only have ONE no matter what.


----------



## moderan

***
the dreaded double post.


----------



## moderan

Gotta breathe. I can write books, and despite my loathing for weapons, I'm a fair shot and a fine gardener. Wait, Joe had a point? *pages back* I'll be hornswoggled.


----------



## moderan

Tonight is fajita night. Steak fajitas, made from skirt steak marinated in tequila and jalapeno brine, and chicken fajitas, with the chicken breast marinated in lime water with cilantro, salt, and cumin. Good tortillas are easy to find around here. I have frozen raw ones that I can throw on the griddle, some fresh jalapenos from the garden, and beautiful red and orange peppers from Sprouts, with sweet Vidalia onion.
My griddle is one of those two-burner stovetop things, about 20 pounds of black iron, double-sided. I brush it with a little olive oil, station the beef and chicken on opposite sides, and drizzle fresh lime over it all. Once I turn the meat, I add the julienned peppers and onion. Tasty feast...1/2 pound of steak and one whole chicken breast is all that's needed to feed two people and assorted animals.
The sides are Mexican rice (Spanish rice with some local additions) and homemade refried black beans with green chilies.
She likes cheese, and I'll grate some sharp cheddar. Her appetizer is a savory churro, with a tiny bit of chorizo mixed into the batter and a red pepper dipping sauce.
I have a little bit of prickly pear nectar and will use that to flavor my own appetizer, a margarita. She hates tequila-it gives her headaches.
Dessert is coffee flavored with Sabroso (coffee liqueur) and cinnamon, made Turkish-style, with a piece of cinnamon churro to dip into it. The whole meal costs about six bucks.


----------



## Foxee

That's an amazing meal for six bucks. Gotta love that.


----------



## moderan

Shopping is more than half of cooking well.


----------



## Foxee

I need to do some of it, the cupboard is pretty bare. Still, I think it'll be blackened tilapia and oven fries with some as-yet-to-be-named veggie and some applesauce (Mom's homemade, yummm) with lots of cinnamon.


----------



## Olly Buckle

Tag - lee - a - telly with a white Mars-canopy sauce and spinach and mushrooms and crusty bread and salad.


----------



## Foxee

Olly Buckle said:


> Tag - lee - a - telly with a white Mars-canopy sauce and spinach and mushrooms and crusty bread and salad.


I only began understanding this sentence somewhere around the word 'sauce'.


----------



## Lewdog

Olly Buckle said:


> Tag - lee - a - telly with a white Mars-canopy sauce and spinach and mushrooms and crusty bread and salad.



Tag you're it!  No tag backs!


----------



## moderan

Tagliatelle, mascarpone.


----------



## moderan

Couldn't stay asleep so I got started on tomorrow's meal. We're going to have what I call _Texas carnitas_...which is pulled pork fried crispy on the outside and served with chipotle bbq sauce. This is one of my invented hybrid dishes (like _chicken pendejo_, which is buffalo chicken with honey habanero sauce added to the traditional cayenne/butter sauce), and is a big favorite of visitors to the moderan household.
It involves a picnic roast brined in apple cider, brown sugar, spices, and water, and then cooked slow in my electric roaster (10 qt capacity, with an internal rack and thermometer). The roast isn't ever subjected to temps higher than 225. It takes about twelve hours to do a ten-pound pork roast. 
The roast is allowed to set for about a half-hour, then is shredded with a fork. Some of the resulting shreds are then laid on a cookie sheet and a generous dose of PAM is sprayed on them. The rest are stored for another meal. After ten minutes at 300, the pieces are turned, spray oil is reapplied, and they go back in.
The sauce is a molasses/brown sugar/bourbon base with a can of diced tomato, a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar, and a quarter cup of pureed chipotle peppers added.
The meat is served taco-style on either flour or corn tortillas, with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream and homemade guacamole on the side. I'm making a gallon or so of horchata and some jicama/nopalito salad to go along with it.
The leftovers will probably become the base for a black bean soup.
The meal isn't as calorie-laden as you might suppose. Even with the sugar and the fatty stuff, it's probably about 600 calories for a generous serving (a cup or so of meat and 1/4 cup of guac or sour cream). And it's about four bucks a plate, all things considered.


----------



## Foxee

moderan said:


> Tagliatelle, mascarpone.


Thanks for the translation!


----------



## moderan

Prego. Di niente.


----------



## Ariel

Getting a pizza from Papa Murphy's tonight.


----------



## Lewdog

So what is the difference between a brine and a marinade?  Just that brine has salt in it?


----------



## moderan

Brine is typically less flavorful and is more of a preservative. Marinades can have salt in them-mine usually do. They're more concentrated and meant to alter, rather than enhance, the flavor of the (usually) meat.


----------



## Ariel

I need my Mod fancy food bragging hit.

This is one of my favorite threads and I think it'd be cool to maybe start trading recipes.


----------



## moderan

Sure. I've been ill, so no energy for cooking mighty meals. But I have recipes. Still mulling over the idea of doing a cookbook later this year. I have a block of ISBNs burning a hole in my pocket lol.

Here's a sample:
deep dish dough

equipment:

2 large mixing bowls
1 towel
pizza pan or stone 

ingredients:

1 c lukewarm water (108* f is optimum)
2 1/3 c flour 
1 pk yeast
1/4 c olive oil 
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1 tsp salt (sea or kosher salt is not recommended)

Dissolve the sugar and the yeast in 1/4 cup of the water; wait until it foams-that means the yeast is activated.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, oil, butter, and the  remaining water. Add most of the cornmeal, reserving maybe a couple of  teaspoons.
Mix well and then add the yeasty water. Mix again, then turn onto a  floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and not sticky. Add  more flour if necessary.
Put the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise  for two hours or so. Punch it down and let it rise again (once or  twice-I like thrice-risen dough).
Sprinkle the remaining cornmeal on a pan before cooking.


----------



## Ariel

I support the cookbook idea.


----------



## Lewdog

I'll donate my chili and Italian chicken recipe!


----------



## moderan

I'll trade you. This is an older version of my chili recipe. It took second place at a chili contest.



> Ground Beef? No way! Try this one for a unique and belly-pleasin' spicy feast!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You'll need:
> 
> 1 bag red kidney beans
> 2 to 3 lbs chuck roast (chopped into 1 inch cubes)
> 2 large onions (coarsely chopped)
> 6 cloves of garlic (sliced)
> 2 large green bell peppers (coarsely chopped and seeded)
> 1 large red bell pepper (coarsely chopped and seeded)
> 1 large yellow bell pepper (coarsely chopped and seeded)
> 4 jalapeno peppers (coarsely chopped and seeded)
> 4 chile peppers (coarsely chopped and seeded)
> 3 large carrots (peeled and coarsely chopped)
> 1/2 cup chili powder
> 1 bunch cilantro (variously chopped and separated for garnish)
> 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
> 1 lime
> 1 cup tequila (Jose Cuervo Gold preferred)
> 1 32 oz can of tomato sauce
> 1 can beef broth
> 2 cups water
> small bottle hot sauce
> black pepper
> 2 tbsp mexican oregano
> assorted Dos Equis or Coronas (for the cook)
> 
> _Warning! Do not under any circumstances wipe your eyes with your  hands at any time while preparing this dish, or you'll be sorry._
> 
> Soak beans overnight in water (enough to cover is fine). Drain and  set aside when ready to cook. Pour the tequila into your skillet, drop  in the meat, and brown over high heat, turning constantly (the alcohol  will be evaporated, but this is important for the taste). When browned,  add the onions, carrots, and peppers, reducing the heat to medium. Cook  until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, cooking for another  two or three minutes.
> 
> Add the beans, the tomato sauce, and the water. Ground black pepper  is good at this point. Stir in the chili powder and the other dry  spices. Sprinkle the hot sauce liberally. Throw in about half of the  chopped cilantro.
> 
> Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to low.  When the mixture has thickened, add the beef broth. Continue cooking  until the beans are fork-tender, and then squeeze the lime juice into  the mixture, and toss in the rest of the chopped cilantro. Continue  cooking for ten minutes, taste and reseason if necessary. If the sauce  is too thick, add more water.
> 
> Grate generous portions of the cheese over the bowls, and serve with  fresh tortilla chips. Ice water is recommended, for this is hot stuff.  Margaritas and Mexican beers are acceptable substitutes.





amsawtell said:


> I support the cookbook idea.


Thank you. I'll remember that when it comes to marketing the thing


----------



## Lewdog

The thing with my chili, is I like to chop up some onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and jalapenos very fine or run through a food processor on the finest setting for just a few seconds in order to give the flavor throughout the entire pot, then also have larger pieces for texture.  I see you also like putting garlic in your chili which really gives it good flavor as well.  One thing I do a little differently, is I put a pound of chuck roast in mine but also a roll of hot sausage.  I cook the two together with a little bit of water so that it helps it break apart better.


----------



## moderan

I've used chorizo and sausage in chili. The additives are always changing. Your "Mexican mirepoix" idea is one I've used also from time to time. It's a technique that I use for gravies (except for the adding chunks part), soups, and stews.
Instead of water for a braising medium, I use tequila, or a margarita, or something like that. Beer works too but you have to be careful. Cheap beer will ruin the flavor layer.


----------



## Lewdog

I also use tomato juice and a couple cans of diced tomatoes as my juice.  I do add some jalapeno juice and the kidney beans I use are the spicy chili ones.  I don't use any alcohol in my chili though I have thought about using some Corona.


----------



## moderan

Good beer, I said. Go Dos Equis or Tecate.
Tonight is smoked turkey drumstick in habanero/honey bbq sauce, with "scratch" scalloped potatoes and frozen young green peas. I coat my peas with honey. I've done it all my life. It makes the peas taste funny. But it keeps them on my knife.


----------



## Lewdog

I just had left over soup beans from yesterday today.  I make my soup beans with vegetable stock and hog jowl.  Garlic, salt and pepper to taste.  Then serve over cornbread with diced green onions and diced tomatoes.


----------



## Lewdog

Today fried cabbage, bratwurst, and corn bread salad.  If you haven't had corn bread salad you haven't lived.  It's awesome.


----------



## Foxee

Lewdog said:


> Today fried cabbage, bratwurst, and corn bread salad.  If you haven't had corn bread salad you haven't lived.  It's awesome.


Other than corn bread, what's in it?


----------



## Brock

Some sort of pita bread wrap:  Brown rice, cabbage, chicken and cayenne pepper.  My wife is hell-bent on feeding me healthy.  Good though -- God love her.


----------



## Lewdog

Foxee said:


> Other than corn bread, what's in it?


 

Its a layered salad.  Take a bowl that is decent size and crumble up cornbread on the bottom first.  Then you put sour cream, ranch dressing, diced green onions, black olives, corn straight out of the can, pinto beans straight out of the can, real bacon bits, then shredded cheese.  Then repeat until you get to the top of the bowl.  I don't have a big bowl so I am doing two layers in a glass baking pan today.  It's what I do to use up the left over corn bread after making soup beans.  I hate to waste stuff.  It is so good!


----------



## Nee

A friend gave me 70 bucks to make 2 gallons of my taco sauce for a party he is throwing next Friday night. So, I am soaking the dry chilies, and boiling down the onions today.


----------



## Foxee

I'm revving up for a road trip with the family so it's going to be cold pizza, popcorn, carrots, apples, chips, root beer, and gingersnaps. Huz and I will get coffee along the way, that's tradition!


----------



## Ariel

Ok, so, I'm at a high risk for becoming diabetic.  In an effort to curtail this I'm trying to diet and excercise.  Problem is, it's really really easy to fall off that wagon when the person you live with doesn't get moderation in food.  I'm trying to direct him into eating healthier with me and so far I've only gotten his portions cut down.

In another attempt at cutting sugars out of my diet I'm not drinking soda and the only sweetened drinks I am allowing myself are juices--once a day.  I'm not drinking alcohol and I'm not eating sweets like I used to.  

So far the difference I've noticed is that my skin is clearing up.

I was wondering if anyone else is trying to cut sugars (especially high fructose corn and refined white) out of their diet.  And what do you think of substituting fruit sugars and honey for refined sugars?  Everything I've read shows that the amounts called for in recipes are lower if using fruit juices.


----------



## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> Ok, so, I'm at a high risk for becoming diabetic.  In an effort to curtail this I'm trying to diet and excercise.  Problem is, it's really really easy to fall off that wagon when the person you live with doesn't get moderation in food.  I'm trying to direct him into eating healthier with me and so far I've only gotten his portions cut down.
> 
> In another attempt at cutting sugars out of my diet I'm not drinking soda and the only sweetened drinks I am allowing myself are juices--once a day.  I'm not drinking alcohol and I'm not eating sweets like I used to.
> 
> So far the difference I've noticed is that my skin is clearing up.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone else is trying to cut sugars (especially high fructose corn and refined white) out of their diet.  And what do you think of substituting fruit sugars and honey for refined sugars?  Everything I've read shows that the amounts called for in recipes are lower if using fruit juices.



Stevia is the best sugar substitute.  It's natural and will not affect your blood sugar level.  The stuff in diet pop will kill your kidneys if you drink it very long.  Fruit juices are also bad for you if you drink a lot of them because of acid content.  Drink flavored water that is all natural.


----------



## Nee

Amsawtell...

The thing to do is get your carbohydrates under control. Which means eat far less pasta, breads, starchy roots, rice, cookies, cakes, and sugars of all kinds...which includes wine and beer. 

If you do eat some (meaning little bits at a time) pasta, breads and rice, then make them whole wheat or brown, and pack them full of vegetables and protein. 

Look for creative ways to throw nuts, beans, seeds and cheese into stuff. And start using, parsley, kale, cabbage, spinach and mustard, beet and collard greens in your salads.

Check your cholesterol--if it's low then go for some nice fat steaks. Mmmmm...


----------



## JosephB

Homemade pizza tonight -- 3 cheese white pizza -- mozzarella, feta and ricotta.


----------



## Ariel

Not sure I want to eat garbage, Nee.  

All jokes aside, I try to go whole wheat when I do eat bread.  I already don't drink diet soda because of the massive amounts of sodium.


----------



## Gumby

That sounds delicious, Joe. Would you be willing to share your recipe?


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Not sure I want to eat garbage, Nee.




LOL... *falls out of chair* 

That's the best one I've done in weeks 

That'd be "*cabbage*"  
The funny thing is that I was listening to the new Garbage CD at the time. 



amsawtell said:


> All jokes aside, I try to go whole wheat when I do eat bread.  I already don't drink diet soda because of the massive amounts of sodium.



If you are pre diabetic then you need to cut nearly all pasta and bread at the very least. And try to avoid going hungry for long periods.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> LOL... *falls out of chair*
> 
> That's the best one I've done in weeks
> 
> That'd be "*cabbage*"
> The funny thing is that I was listening to the new Garbage CD at the time.
> 
> 
> 
> If you are pre diabetic then you need to cut nearly all pasta and bread at the very least. And try to avoid going hungry for long periods.




I love cabbage, I had fried cabbage tonight and now you make me hungry to eat the left overs.


----------



## Ariel

Nee said:


> If you are pre diabetic then you need to cut nearly all pasta and bread at the very least. And try to avoid going hungry for long periods.



All of my blood sugar tests are running in normal ranges but my mom had diabetes, both of her parents had diabetes, and her sister and one of her brothers has diabetes.  It's heavy through my family and I'm overweight.  Right now, I just want to get my sweet tooth under control and to lose the extra weight.  Just ten pounds increases your risk.  After that I'll start weeding out carbs.  I plan on switching to while wheat carbs first and cutting portions.

I hope that by being proactive about it I can stop it before it begins.


----------



## JosephB

Gumby said:


> That sounds delicious, Joe. Would you be willing to share your recipe? :smile:



Here's  a pizza crust recipe almost like the one I use. I do it a little  differently -- I don't add any four to the yeast mix in Step 1. And once  the dough rises, I punch it down and then let it rise again, I don't do  the overnight in the fridge thing:

New York Style Pizza Dough Recipe - How to Make New York Style Pizza Dough

You can use a pizza stone, I  do sometimes, but mostly, I use a cheap pizza perforated pizza pan I  bought a Walmart -- I get better results than from the more expensive  pan I bought. I oil the pan with olive oil and press the dough out right  onto it -- lifting and stretching it as I spread it to cover the pan.  That's my method I developed by trial and error - it works well for me.  But you can flour the dough, put corn meal and/or flour on your surface  and press it out flat and lift and stretch it to size and then transfer  it to your pan too. I've never lifted it entirely and done the thing  where you rotate and stretch it to size over your fists -- but that's  the more traditional way.

After I put on the toppings, I brush  the exposed crust with olive oil. I put it in the oven at 550 for 10  minutes. Here's my trick to sort of approximate what you get in good pizza  places that bake at 1000 degrees or whatever -- I put the pan on the  lowest rack for 5 minutes, until the crust just starts to burn on the  bottom, then I move it to the center rack for the remaining 5 minutes.  That gives the bottom of the crust something like those crispy black and dark brown  patches you get at much higher temps. You need to watch that and experiment -- I've done this in different ovens and it started to burn faster -- probably depends on the rack height.


----------



## Lewdog

I'm fixing my Italian chicken tonight.  Chicken with shredded broccoli, carrots, and cabbage, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms, all cooked together with olive oil, Italian spices, fresh garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> All of my blood sugar tests are running in normal ranges but my mom had diabetes, both of her parents had diabetes, and her sister and one of her brothers has diabetes.  It's heavy through my family and I'm overweight.  Right now, I just want to get my sweet tooth under control and to lose the extra weight.  Just ten pounds increases your risk.  After that I'll start weeding out carbs.  I plan on switching to while wheat carbs first and cutting portions.
> 
> I hope that by being proactive about it I can stop it before it begins.



One of the best tricks I've found is to eat lots of vegetables--raw is best--so, when sitting down to dinner eat the veggies first, then the meats and beans, then the pasta, rice, or breads last. That way you can hopefully fill-up some before you get to the really bad carbs. The veggies help slow down the digestion process: which release sugar into you blood stream in a more gradual way, rather than in one big squirt--which is why soda is so bad.  And for the sweet tooth, fruits are the best.


----------



## Nee

JosephB said:


> Here's  a pizza crust recipe almost like the one I use. I do it a little  differently -- I don't add any four to the yeast mix in Step 1. And once  the dough rises, I punch it down and then let it rise again, I don't do  the overnight in the fridge thing:
> 
> New York Style Pizza Dough Recipe - How to Make New York Style Pizza Dough
> 
> You can use a pizza stone, I  do sometimes, but mostly, I use a cheap pizza perforated pizza pan I  bought a Walmart -- I get better results than from the more expensive  pan I bought. I oil the pan with olive oil and press the dough out right  onto it -- lifting and stretching it as I spread it to cover the pan.  That's my method I developed by trial and error - it works well for me.  But you can flour the dough, put corn meal and/or flour on your surface  and press it out flat and lift and stretch it to size and then transfer  it to your pan too. I've never lifted it entirely and done the thing  where you rotate and stretch it to size over your fists -- but that's  the more traditional way.
> 
> After I put on the toppings, I brush  the exposed crust with olive oil. I put it in the oven at 550 for 10  minutes. Here's my trick to sort of approximate what you get in good pizza  places that bake at 1000 degrees or whatever -- I put the pan on the  lowest rack for 5 minutes, until the crust just starts to burn on the  bottom, then I move it to the center rack for the remaining 5 minutes.  That gives the bottom of the crust something like those crispy black and dark brown  patches you get at much higher temps. You need to watch that and experiment -- I've done this in different ovens and it started to burn faster -- probably depends on the rack height.



It great that more and more grocery stores bakeries are making pizza dough these days. Sure it's not as great as home made but, it's fast and cheep at around 2 dollars for enough dough for two 9 inch pizzas, so...


----------



## moderan

Strangely enough, we're having Italian chicken tonight too. Real Italian chicken...Boneless breasts in a marsala wine and mushroom sauce over linguine. Steamed zucchini and summer squash on the side.
Marsala sauce is the bomb, and it's simple. Make you a couple of teaspoons of flour and olive oil roux, add a cup of marsala and 1/2 a cup of water, heat medium and stir until merrily bubbling and thickening. Add 1/2 a cup sliced mushrooms, sprinkle on some black pepper, maybe a little salt. I like some parsley in it and a dash of garlic powder. Not too heavy.
If you want it more Francaise, add cream and butter.


----------



## Lewdog

The chicken I made came out awesome!  I didn't even have to put salt or pepper on it.  If you knew me well you would know how amazing that is!


----------



## moderan

I'm so pleased for you. We ate ours too.
Tonight we will be twelve again.
The menu is fried thick-cut bologna (it has a first name) on white toast. Mine with bbq sauce, hers with catsup and the edges trimmed. The sides are cole slaw, sweet corn and tomato soup. Dessert is chocolate pudding. To drink we have half and half-tea and lemonade. I made the mayo to use in the slaw dressing, in order to control the fat and salt content, and the catsup and bbq sauce. The tomato soup has a last name. I boil a clove of garlic, a slice of jalapeno, and a scallion in it, just to give it a little flavor.


----------



## Foxee

Tonight was my version of my mom's classic quick comfort food: *Tuna Over Toast* (enough for 5 people and some for lunch the next day...unless all five are adults then you might not have much left)

*For lots of toast:*

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 
Melt about 1/4 C. (half stick) of butter
On a foil-covered cookie sheet lay out bread slices to toast. Brush with butter front and back then sprinkle with garlic salt.
Bake for 10-15 mins depending on your oven and how crispy you like your toast.

*The tuna gravy:*

A little oil for the skillet (toasted sesame is great but you can use olive oil or whatever you've got)
Three cans of chunk light tuna in oil, drained 
dill
blackening spice if you have it, black pepper, or lemon pepper
ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube
about 2 C. water plus another 1/2 C. (roughly, I didn't actually measure)
around 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

Bring the tuna up to heat quickly in the oil, adding the dill, blackening spice, and ginger (a few good pinches of each) and mixing it in over med-high heat. 
Add the 2 C.-ish of water (you can add enough to about half-fill your skillet if you want to have a lot...the reason this is so cheap is that you can really stretch the gravy)
Heat to a boil, stirring occasionally and drop to a simmer.
A pyrex measure or a coffee cup will work for the thickener. Pour the water into the cup and quickly scoop up two forkfuls (yes you read that right) of flour into the water and whisk briskly with the fork to incorporate. Stir into the simmering broth and turn up the heat a little again if necessary, stirring until thick.

Serve tuna gravy over the toast with green peas and fresh sliced apples as suggested sides. In order to pack this for a lunch, cut up the toast into squares and just drop them into the reheated gravy like croutons.

It's not a beautiful dish but it's cheap, filling, and delicious. Oh, and it's easily adaptable for smaller amounts. Just make one or two cans of tuna and reduce the amount of water and thickener accordingly.


----------



## Nee

I'm having Tuna Tacos from left-over mesquite grilled tuna steaks, with kiwi jalapeno salsa.

Mmmmm....


----------



## moderan

Yuk!
Tuna ew!
We're having roast pork and dumplings. Right this second, in fact. I am typing with my mouth full of the stuff. Roasted red peppers and carrots for veg. No dessert. I do have one of those chocolate oranges though, hidden in the butter dish. Might have to break into that thing.


----------



## Lizzie-1990

You guys! I joined this forum in the middle of my diet, I thought the time I spent perusing it would at the very least keep my mind off food if nothing else... then I see a whole thread called "Let's eat" full of culinary erotica... come on!!!


----------



## moderan

Entertainment too.


----------



## Ariel

I'm just getting into a diet but for some reason my dad's girlfriend thinks I need to make her desserts for any dinner I go to at her house.  So Saturday I'm making a cheesecake that _I_ don't get to eat.


----------



## Nee

One of my brother's old girlfriends would invite me to dinner, then slyly get me to cook it. :???:


----------



## Lewdog

I'm going to make pot roast tonight but use a big round steak.  I put carrots, potatoes, celery, and onions in with it.  I'll let it cook for like 6 hours at around 325 so it breaks apart nicely. I don't have a crock pot anymore, which sucks.  That was my beat friend.


----------



## Ariel

Nee said:


> One of my brother's old girlfriends would invite me to dinner, then slyly get me to cook it. :???:



That's what dad's girlfriend does!  Then her youngest son complains because what I cook is too "spicy" or has some ingredient he doesn't like in it (because he watches over my shoulder).  Her older son eats everything including my ingredients before I use them.  It's hard to cook for them because of that.  Also, she and her son smoke so much that it flavors everything.


----------



## Foxee

amsawtell said:


> That's what dad's girlfriend does!  Then her youngest son complains because what I cook is too "spicy" or has some ingredient he doesn't like in it (because he watches over my shoulder).  Her older son eats everything including my ingredients before I use them.  It's hard to cook for them because of that.  Also, she and her son smoke so much that it flavors everything.


Wow, that would be frustrating, you get lots of kudos for being kind enough to continue to show up and do that. Maybe cook ahead, it might save your sanity in the long run.


----------



## Ariel

I've started mixing the spices ahead of time so he can't look over my shoulder or at the bottles and go, "I don't like that."

Any vegetables I try to chop up ahead of time too.  Because apparently her daughter (who is rarely around, thankfully) doesn't like celery.  How can you not like the flavor of celery?  It's an aromatic, with carrots and onions it flavors everything.


----------



## Foxee

Sounds like good tactics! I agree about celery, I also learned that celery hits the same notes on the tongue as salt so some celery added to recipes means that less salt is needed. Good to know when you're cooking for people with high blood pressure. Without onions, garlic, celery, and carrots I'd be lost. And bay leaves, have to have those around.


----------



## Lewdog

Pot Roast turned out great...I wish I could send you guys some, but there might not be any left soon.


----------



## moderan

We have smoked salmon with sour cream and dill sauce, broasted potato wedges all prepped up and ready to go when I can manage to shoo my visitor away (one of the reps from the insurance company wants me to sign some papers.) Got some butter lettuce and dandelion greens, and a little yellow squash left over from a few days ago, and a ripe tomato for salad, and just a little wedge of some smoked mozzarella left from lunch, about two tablespoons of Brie, and a fresh baguette.
I'm doing the salmon in the smoker outside. It's raining a little, and the smoke hangs over the patio for a while before it slips away. I have the sliding door open a little, not enough to let the cats out, and the birds are enjoying the sound running water. The cats, not so much, except for Buster, who wants to go roll around on the cement but is instead resting on his pizza box.


----------



## Ariel

Almost everything I make has onions and garlic in it.  I love celery, carrots, and tomatoes too.  I have foods I don't like but most of those are because of texture.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> We have smoked salmon with sour cream and dill sauce, broasted potato wedges all prepped up and ready to go when I can manage to shoo my visitor away (one of the reps from the insurance company wants me to sign some papers.) Got some butter lettuce and dandelion greens, and a little yellow squash left over from a few days ago, and a ripe tomato for salad, and just a little wedge of some smoked mozzarella left from lunch, about two tablespoons of Brie, and a fresh baguette.
> I'm doing the salmon in the smoker outside. It's raining a little, and the smoke hangs over the patio for a while before it slips away. I have the sliding door open a little, not enough to let the cats out, and the birds are enjoying the sound running water. The cats, not so much, except for Buster, who wants to go roll around on the cement but is instead resting on his pizza box.



Chef Ramsey said you should never cook fish without some kind of citrus on it.


----------



## moderan

There is lemon in the sour cream and dill sauce, and it is squeezed over the fish while it is grilling. Chef Ramsey is a boob.


amsawtell said:


> Almost everything I make has onions and garlic  in it.  I love celery, carrots, and tomatoes too.  I have foods I don't  like but most of those are because of texture.


My wife has that issue too. She cannot eat mashed potatoes, which I love. Something about the mouth feel. I can't eat things that taste wrong for their texture. Like roast beef ice cream or something like that would bother me.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> There is lemon in the sour cream and dill sauce, and it is squeezed over the fish while it is grilling. Chef Ramsey is a boob.
> 
> My wife has that issue too. She cannot eat mashed potatoes, which I love. Something about the mouth feel. I can't eat things that taste wrong for their texture. Like roast beef ice cream or something like that would bother me.



Chef Ramsey is not a boob!  He owns numerous restaurants around the world.


----------



## Foxee

My hubby is (supposed to be) on a diet that eliminates potential allergens and citrus is on that list. However, fish is something he can have a couple of times a week. The answer? Blackening spice, booyeah.


----------



## Lewdog

Foxee said:


> My hubby is (supposed to be) on a diet that eliminates potential allergens and citrus is on that list. However, fish is something he can have a couple of times a week. The answer? Blackening spice, booyeah.




There has to be something you can use.  What about imitation lemon juice or lime juice?


----------



## Foxee

The point is that I didn't need citrus at all. You could still squeeze lemon juice over but I haven't needed it on blackened salmon.


----------



## Ariel

I can't do jell-o or anything wriggly like that.  Mushrooms have to be as small as possible.  I can't even get through a full yogurt cup without gagging.

I can't handle the smell of bacon or pork cooking.  I can't eat pork at all.  I used to, as a kid, but the older I've gotten the more I can't eat it.


----------



## Foxee

My husband is pretty texture-defensive, too, so I've had to learn to cook to not set that off. I use my blender a lot (he is okay with smooth-textured stuff).

Speaking of which, we're having a bit of a snowstorm this evening so we're going to stay in and I'm making *'put whatever you have on it' homemade pizza*. I think one pizza will have red sauce, mozz, bacon, and mushrooms and the other will be a 'white pizza' made with a bit of basil pesto instead of red sauce and then with the cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and broccoli. Both to be liberally sprinkled with basil and Parmesan.

I really like onions and peppers on my pizza but the rest of the family is not so enthused when they see them. Soooo...I put my red sauce in the blender and throw in onion, pepper, and mushrooms if the mood strikes me. Suddenly it's Supreme Pizza...all under the cheese where nobody knows.

Time to get the yeast working for the crust. Hup, two, hup, two!


----------



## Ariel

I like to purée things too, to hide it from those I cook for.  It makes the hassle go away.


----------



## moderan

Pesto pizza. Yum. Hold the broccoli. Bacon yes. Onions help your body break down the fat. Blackened salmon is the bomb too. Cajun cooking doesn't need lemon. They use wine for the acid.
I am on the seefood diet. It works like an old-fashioned garbage can-step on my foot and my mouth opens.
The pureeing things doesn't work here-that's exactly the texture she doesn't like. I have to chunk stuff up.


----------



## Ariel

So weird, huh?  I can't do wriggly stuff, someone else can't do chunky, and someone else can't do smooth.

I know why I can't do jell-o and the like.  I ate too much when I was five and (too much as in 2/3 of a large jell-o mold full) and was sick for nearly two days.  First time I remember vomiting.  It was really really bad.  I've tried to muscle past it (lots of people say you can-doubt any are psychologists though) but it doesn't work.  To me, jell-o is the taste and texture of vomit. It evokes all those feelings all over again.


----------



## moderan

Parmesan cheese has some of the same ingredients as vomit. That's why they smell similar. One goes down easier than the other.
I had red and green jello one Christmas, for dinner. My present that year was a gall bladder the size of a tennis ball. I still love jello. The only foods I've found that I really dislike are Brussels Sprouts, beets, and tuna. And head cheese. That's just nasty. Borscht is a no-go.
People is weird animals.


----------



## Ariel

Yeah, we are.  Oh, can't eat cottage cheese either.  It's another head thing.  Had a teacher tell me that it was the same as spoiled milk.  She proceeded to go out to her hot car, grabbed a carton of spoiled chocolate milk and drank it.  I still gag when I see cottage cheese.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Almost everything I make has onions and garlic in it.  I love celery, carrots, and tomatoes too.  I have foods I don't like but most of those are because of texture.



I make a killer celery, parsley, jicama, and napa cabbage slaw with toasted pumpkin seed (shelled) to sprinkle atop at serving.  

Very thinly slice equal portions of:
Celery 
Parsley 
Napa cabbage
And Jicama

Nee’s slaw dressing.

Puree` three or four Kiwis then add:
1 tabls powdered ginger
1 teas prepared wasabi 
1 teas powdered cardamom
¼ teas nutmeg
½ cup rice wine vinager
¼ cup grape seed oil
and 1 hugely gloppy tables of honey

Mix well.
Then pour over slaw and let sit in fridge an hour.


----------



## moderan

Pulled pork again...with fresh jalapeno/cheddar cornbread and pineapple slaw. So good it almost made up for my hockey game fritzing out shortly after 420. I had to re-sauce cuz the old stuff got dumped by accident. Honey/jalapeno base with tomato paste and apple cider vinegar, a tsp of black molasses and a dash of bourbon. Garlic powder, onion powder. Lovely dark red color and piquant aroma. Still have enough pork for two more rounds.


----------



## moderan

It's taco time!!

Ground beef tacos this time around-seasoned with cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, simmered with half of a yellow onion and assorted bell pepper bits, a chopped green chile, and a pinch of salt. A little olive oil for flavor.
I like the flour tortillas;she likes the corn. I can buy better ones than I can make, cheaper than I can make them-so I buy them.
The garnishes are julienne of romaine, low-fat sour cream, chopped fresh tomato, and grated smoked cheddar. 
Mexican rice (plain white rice boiled in half water/half salsa with a pinch of white sugar and a generous shake of dried cilantro, topped with crema), fresh tortilla chips, and coffee made Turkish-style with cocoa and cinnamon in the boil.
Simple, fast...I found a package of 93% ground sirloin on sale and am using that.


----------



## moderan

With the remaining 1 1/2 pounds of 93% ground sirloin, I'm planning to grill some burgers. That's enough meat for three. The patties also contain a teaspoon of A1 sauce and a generous shake of dehydrated onion. I have bacon and american cheese. And tater tots, which I'll bake to cut down on the fat factor.
Which I'll completely put the kibosh on when it comes to dessert.

Triple Chocolate Easy Cheesecake

Take one Keebler chocolate crumb crust. Open it and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 225F.
In a blender, mix one package of cream cheese, one package of chocolate pudding mix (not the instant stuff), and one can of evaporated milk. Add two teaspoons of vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Pour into the pie crust. Scrape the sides to get every bit of the goo.
Stripe the top with chocolate syrup. Bake for two hours or until firm. Chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator.
So far, that's the kiddie version.
Here's the fun part:
In a small saucepan, mix a quarter stick of butter, two teaspoons of sugar, and two ounces of creme de cacao. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened somewhat, and turn off the heat. Keep stirring for a few minutes while it cools, to make sure it's smooth.
Pour this over slices of the cheesecake while it's still warm.
Another variation is to spread marshmallow fluff over the top when it's cool, and then apply the chocolate striping.


----------



## JosephB

Made an old favorite from childhood -- chili made with French's Chili-O spice mix. Served it on brown rice and tortilla chips, with shredded cheese and lettuce and sour cream.


----------



## Leyline

Had my aunt's fairly mediocre meatloaf which she absolutely refuses to not slather in ketchup which I despise. So I have to scrape it off, and the rest is still ruined because I _know_ it was there.


----------



## JosephB

Good comfort food. I love cold meatloaf sandwiches.


----------



## moderan

Me too. She makes the meatloaf. It has bacon. No ketchup. Brown gravy with mushrooms.


----------



## Leyline

I have nothing against meatloaf. I just hate ketchup in all it's demonic, hell-spawned forms.


----------



## Ariel

Fella and Miss love ketchup.  I have to take the ketchup away from miss because she will eat it with her fingers.  It grosses me out.


----------



## JosephB

I like a little ketchup on fries and on hotdogs with mustard. Sometimes on a burger. Where it belongs.


----------



## moderan

You're a sick man. Ketchup belongs in the bottle, and sometimes on fries. Otherwise it's a sauce base and nothing more. Only the taste-challenged will abide it on a burger and it should not be allowed on a hot dog. Many Chicago dog houses don't have ketchup on the premises. This is right and proper.
We had Sonoran dogs for dinner. Wrapped in bacon, broiled, served on a steamed bun with beans and tomato salsa. NO mayonnaise. Diced onion and jalapeno.


----------



## Leyline

Eh, if someone likes ketchup, they like it. I just get annoyed when I'm given no choice. I've asked my aunt several times to _please_ leave a small section of the meatloaf untainted. She either won't or can't (she's slightly OCD on certain things, so the latter option may well be the case), but is one of the sweetest women who ever lived so I just scrape it off, grumble under my breath, and try not to think about it. 

I'd really prefer to cook for myself. The meatloaf isn't the only problem I have with her cooking. She refuses to cook any pork product (and I've explained to her before that 'turkey bacon' isn't actually bacon, it's a horrible fraud that displays a fundamental wrongness in our social fabric), cooks any kind of beef until it's almost burned (which she calls 'done'), and makes tacos and chili without even a hint of heat. She also constantly makes 'sloppy joes' (another deep and obvious sign of the coming fall of civilization). To give her credit, she makes probably the best home-made pizza I've ever had. And the one time I suggested maybe she should just cook for herself and her son, she almost cried. So...bah.


----------



## moderan

That's only because you've never had my pizza.


----------



## moderan

Ribs. The pig's gift to taste buds. Hand-held, dripping with gooey goodness. I found baby backs at 1.99/lb and couldn't help myself, bought two racks. They're out in the smoker right now, getting tasty. I am using a Brinkman smoker like this one:





The liquid medium (Brinkman smokers are water-smokers-the cooking agent is steam) is a brine, with apple cider vinegar, a couple of tsps of maple syrup, salt, and a few dried red chilies).
The ribs were rubbed before cooking, with a brown sugar/cayenne pepper preparation that'll make a nice bark, and I have applewood and maple chunks for the smoke flavor. I've also placed slices of thick maple/pepper bacon on top of each rack to create extra flavor and smoke.
They'll be served with a side of honey/habanero tomato-based bbq sauce, cabbage slaw with pineapple juice in place of the vinegar, and baked sweet potato wedges brushed with olive oil.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> You're a sick man. Ketchup belongs in the bottle, and sometimes on fries. Otherwise it's a sauce base and nothing more. Only the taste-challenged will abide it on a burger and it should not be allowed on a hot dog. Many Chicago dog houses don't have ketchup on the premises. This is right and proper.
> We had Sonoran dogs for dinner. Wrapped in bacon, broiled, served on a steamed bun with beans and tomato salsa. NO mayonnaise. Diced onion and jalapeno.



Ha ha. Sometimes on fries -- but not on hot dogs or burgers? That makes tons of sense. On hotdogs and burgers, I combine it with other condiments -- not too different than using it as a base. Don't mistake your taste for some universal concept of what tastes good.


----------



## Nee

Wasabi Mayonnaise with pickled ginger on hamburgers.

Dijon mustard with bread & butter pickles on hot-dogs.

And my BBQ sauce on fries.


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> Ha ha. Sometimes on fries -- but not on hot dogs or burgers? That makes tons of sense. On hotdogs and burgers, I combine it with other condiments -- not too different than using it as a base. Don't mistake your taste for some universal concept of what tastes good.


Unless it's in quotes (and sourced), it's mine own opinion and probably not worth beans. But ketchup (as previously observed), is an evil, insidious potion. I have heard tell of those who would eat it on scrambled eggs. Bad enough to apply it to burgers. I eat it on fast food burgers, when I get them, because it's too much of a pain in the keister to make it not be on there (This is rare and I only eat Wendy's these days). On hot dogs, not since I was old enough to say "no".
Mustard is the way to go with dogs. And diced onion and bright green pickle relish and sport peppers and celery salt. Ask any Chicagoan. Chili goes on top of that stuff if you like. It should be too messy to pick up in mixed company.
Other sausages should have other coatings. Brats should have kraut. Sweet Italian should have bell peppers and mozz and marinara. Polish sausage (not that faux-kielbasa you get in the grocery store that's water-smoked) should not have any condiments. It should not be on a bun, and you should have sweet red cabbage.
These are simple and natural truths, Joseph. That you don't realize them is no doubt a failing of which you're unaware.


----------



## Ariel

One of the most amazing burgers I ever had was at an Indian-American  fusion restaurant.  I ordered the curried burger.  It came with a traditional curry on the bun as a condiment and not much else.  The burger was grilled to perfection.

It was surreal to eat it because of the Hindu aversion to eating beef.  It was a very good mix however.


----------



## moderan

My wife is allergic to curry, and I dislike it. I can, however, savor the irony.


----------



## Ariel

It was very strange.  I ordered it because it made me laugh.  Then it blew me away.  It just seemed to meld perfectly.


----------



## Nee

Mod: Curry is a mixture of up to 32 spices. And many of those are quite common in the western diet. Does you wife have trouble with Mexican food? If not, then I would suspect that it is turmeric that she is having problems with.


----------



## JosephB

He knows that. I'm pretty sure Mod invented curry.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

My local curryhouse makes the only curry I can eat. It has coconut in it, aubergine, cauliflower, tomato, potato. Delicious, and not even slightly spicy. Nicest thing I've ever eaten. Oh, and their bread tastes like cream soda, which I love.


----------



## JosephB

I love curry. I make a really good curry lime and shrimp thing -- and a curry chicken salad with white raisins. Something good when you have a cold -- Campbell's chicken noodle soup with curry powder added to taste and few drops of Tabasco. Really clears the sinuses.


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> He knows that. I'm pretty sure Mod invented curry.


I do, and didn't. It _is_ turmeric and varieties of peppers that my wife is allergic to. This much I know. But she claims it is curry, the combination of things itself. She also has trouble with patchouli.



JosephB said:


> I love curry. I make a really good curry lime and shrimp thing -- and a curry chicken salad with white raisins. Something good when you have a cold -- Campbell's chicken noodle soup with curry powder added to taste and few drops of Tabasco. Really clears the sinuses.


No such thing as really good curry. The concept is alien to me. It's like good Brussels sprouts or tasty beets. I make my own chicken soup, thank you. I always have the ingredients on hand. I use McCormick Szechuan spice to give it some flavor, and a touch of ground horseradish root.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

My first experience with horseradish was akin to being maced in the face.


----------



## moderan

That's the desired effect.


----------



## Hemlock

Has anyone here tried eating Bulalo?


----------



## JosephB

Curry is fantastic. My wife makes a great curry vegetable dip. I bet it would be great on Brussels sprouts or beets.


----------



## moderan

May you be pickled in patchouli oil.


----------



## JosephB

Hemlock said:


> Has anyone here tried eating Bulalo?



I had a bison filet at one of Ted Turner's restaurants. Tasted like a good cut of beef to me. It was more expensive than the beef -- don't know that it was worth it.


----------



## Hemlock

JosephB said:


> I had a bison filet at one of Ted Turner's restaurants. Tasted like a good cut of beef to me. It was more expensive than the beef -- don't know that it was worth it.



Glad you enjoyed it.

I'll never forget the moment when the beef just melted in my mouth. All those flavors combined made my taste buds happy.


----------



## moderan

I had a Buffalo burger in Buffalo. Tasted like bison.


----------



## Nee

Hemlock said:


> Has anyone here tried eating Bulalo?




Prog Horn Antelope is better.


----------



## Nee

Okay all this talk of curry got me going so I make this for dinner:

Green Curry Ceviche

Cut about 2 pounds of (really fresh) meaty fish, shrimp or Lobster, into bite size pieces (not too small) liberally sprinkle with salt, set side.

Process a fat handful of fresh Basil leaves, a clove of garlic, 5 seeded Serrano chilies, the juice of a lime & 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, apple cedar vinegar, and fish sauce, with around a half cup of extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. Add spices.

Spices:
I tablespoon, ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground toasted mustard seed
1 teaspoon each of ground 
cardamom
sage 
coriander

½ teaspoon each of ground
nutmeg
cinnamon
Star anise
Black pepper
and caraway seeds

Pour mixture over fish lat sit covered in fridge ½ hour, stir, the let sit another ½ hour in fridge. Pour one can coconut mik over the fish mixture, stir and serve over a bed of baby spinach. Top with sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds


----------



## Hemlock

Nee said:


> Prog Horn Antelope is better.


I never had the chance to eat this one. Care to vividly describe it for me?


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> Prog Horn Antelope is better.


Y'mean Prong horn? Or has Ian McDonald finally succeeded in  getting someone to eat him?


----------



## Nee

Ooops I left out the 'n' in prong. :/

Very much like beef, though leaner yet tender, and it's very red before cooking. I've had prong horn steaks, roasts, hamburgers; I made chili and stew...it's all good.

Ranchers nearly brought them to the brink of extinction thinking they would compete with the cows for the grasslands. Peoples is pretty stupid at times.


----------



## moderan

*nods* Pronghorn are not valley critters. Not at all the same ecological niche. But like you say, people. Friend of mine in Taos has them on his property from time to time. Not often-they're even rarer in that more populated area.
From time to time a bill comes into the local legislature to try to get the species to establish a foothold here (southern Az). It doesn't pass, but the margin is narrower and narrower each time.
I've eaten of their flesh. It is again as you say. Beefier tasting than venison, darker than buffalo or bison.


----------



## Nee

We have done fairly okay with boosting-up or reintroducing rare species in California. For a long time I wouldn't say anything about the big-horn sheep that have been doing great in the coastal mountains and now the pronghorns are doing pretty good as well. Elk will be next in the coastal ranges. We learned a lot from trying to save the condor. Course, now we have almost as many Andean condors as Californian condors--the thought was that they'd help the young captive bred condors figure out how to live; ya know, condors will be condors after all.


----------



## moderan

The drawback is that there are black bear and puma in the mountains here and they come down into the city on a fairly regular basis. So additional prey animals makes that more likely. Right now the main prey animals are javelinas and rodents/lagomorphs, who can find shade during the desert daytime and forage at dawn/dusk.
The area around the foothills, especially Mt. Lemmon itself, is prime real estate. So detractors throw money at the legislature when the vote comes around. The rather large out-of-town-influenced contingent also carries considerable weight. The hope is that the northern areas of the state will be more flexible and that the Canyon area, a lot of which is federal land anyway, will be able to house additional species.


----------



## Nee

We have seen less black bear and mountain lion intrusion in the areas where we have greater variety of pray species, although, with this constant push of suburbia further into the natural lands what do people expect?


----------



## moderan

Yeah...that's just it, though. We have a basin where the city lies, and is surrounded on all sides. So the population either spreads out or we go skyscraper. Tall buildings isn't going to happen. So the conservation effort goes up to Flagstaff/Kingman.
I don't even think we're gonna have saguaros by the end of this century. Very sad.


----------



## Nee

What's wrong with building a few skyscrapers every twenty years or so...?


Geeez...people.


----------



## moderan

This area is an astronomer's wet dream. And the city ordinances prohibit vertical architecture, to foster the fantastic view. The Red-State powers-that-be abhor conservation but they like the federal research money and the U of A's reputation.


----------



## Nee

So....these houses I assume are on streets? 

And, those streets have street lights...so, seems to me having lights strung all over the hillsides will cause more light pollution then a few high-rises would.

But, why listen to some freak artist.


----------



## moderan

Way way way [ot]The streets don't have many streetlights. There _aren't_ any lights strung up on the hillsides. This place is unique. And unfortunately, falling apart due to incompetence, criminal malfeasance, and the sluggish economy. Mostly the first two-proper management could make what funds are available stretch a long way, used for infrastructure purposes. But the state legislature is a national joke and the local is worse./rant[/ot]


----------



## moderan

Along with the bargain ribs, we found a boneless leg of lamb for a ridiculous price, and brought it home. Right now it's marinating in a decent cabernet sauvignon, bay leaves, and garlic, and will be spitted, roasted on the weber, and served with pearled couscous, an assortment of olives, feta cheese, lemon slices, and a salad with baby spinach, button mushrooms, tomato, lemon, and a bit of Greek yogurt. There's also homemade pita bread, garlic hummus, and a bit of mixed-olive tapenade.
The cats are already lining up for their portions. Lamb is their favorite food. Every time one of us open the fridge, a cat will try to get in and investigate. Their other favorites are turkey and salmon, both of which are on the menu this week. Lucky cats.


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> Along with the bargain ribs, we found a boneless leg of lamb for a ridiculous price, and brought it home. Right now it's marinating in a decent cabernet sauvignon, bay leaves, and garlic, and will be spitted, roasted on the weber, and served with pearled couscous, an assortment of olives, feta cheese, lemon slices, and a salad with baby spinach, button mushrooms, tomato, lemon, and a bit of Greek yogurt. There's also homemade pita bread, garlic hummus, and a bit of mixed-olive tapenade.
> The cats are already lining up for their portions. Lamb is their favorite food. Every time one of us open the fridge, a cat will try to get in and investigate. Their other favorites are turkey and salmon, both of which are on the menu this week. Lucky cats.



Mmmm....

But ya know what I find odd about hummus? Why people spend 3 to 5 dollars for a tiny little plastic tub of it when they can make 3x that amount for the same price if they made it themselves.


----------



## moderan

Mine's homemade. In the blender. Chickpeas are easy to work with.


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> Mine's homemade. In the blender. Chickpeas are easy to work with.



I know. 

Hummus:
One can Garbanzo beans
One clove garlic
A bit of herb
A pinch of spice
Olive oil.

Blend.


----------



## moderan

I'd rather smoke the herb. Wasted in hummus. But yes, that's the principle.


----------



## JosephB

People like commercial hummus because it's a lot smoother -- because they take the skins of the beans. Apparently, you can take the skins off the canned garbanzo beans, but you have to pinch them off one at a time. I've never tried it. I have made white bean "hummus" with cannelloni -- it's very smooth.

I make mine in a food processor and I use tahini. You can also substitute a little peanut butter for tahini. I usually put in a little lemon juice in it too and pinch or so of ground red pepper.


----------



## Nee

JosephB said:


> People like commercial hummus because it's a lot smoother -- because they take the skins of the beans. Apparently, you can take the skins off the canned garbanzo beans, but you have to pinch them off one at a time. I've never tried it. I have made white bean "hummus" with cannelloni -- it's very smooth.
> 
> I make mine in a food processor and I use tahini. You can also substitute a little peanut butter for tahini. I usually put in a little lemon juice in it too and pinch or so of ground red pepper.



Yes I don't even have a blender any more. 

Here's one:

Try it with a bit of wasabi, pickled ginger and a few drops of sesame seed oil, then mix in a little cream cheese and spread it on a toasted begel with smoked salmon on top.


----------



## JosephB

Sounds pretty tasty. I'd eat anything with smoked salmon -- I love that stuff. I make a cold pasta with smoked salmon and capers and dill. It's all I can do to not eat half the package of salmon when I make it.


----------



## moderan

Smoked salmon is tomorrow. I make it like once every two weeks, or make a batch if the filets are cheap enough, and freeze them. Much better and cheaper than commercial stuff. That and ribs are the principal reason why I bought the smoker.
And garbanzo skin is easy to remove. You get the hang of it pretty quickly. I process a can in about five minutes. In this case, I have fresh ones, which are steaming over brine. Same principle though. You can macerate them and make things happen more quickly but you lose some flavor that way and the hummus gets too pudding-y.
I like to add just a dash of commercial Greek dressing to the mix.


----------



## JosephB

I need a smoker. I have smoked ribs, salmon and Boston butt on my Weber  kettle -- but it's a little cumbersome and takes a lot of tending.


----------



## moderan

Does indeed. One like I have is 35 bucks at Home Depot or Lowes. Set 'em and forget 'em. You need a charcoal chimney for extra, and that's it.


----------



## Lewdog

You have to love the type of cooking where you don't have to stand over something and watch it cook.  Crock pots and smokers are perfect.


----------



## Kevin

Nee said:


> I know.
> 
> Hummus:
> One can Garbanzo beans
> One clove garlic
> A bit of herb
> A pinch of spice
> Olive oil.
> 
> Blend.


No tahini? No lemon? 

JB- And a blender takes care of the skins. I smoked my blender adding the tahini. It stirs in nicely by hand.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> Does indeed. One like I have is 35 bucks at Home Depot or Lowes. Set 'em and forget 'em. You need a charcoal chimney for extra, and that's it.



I've seen those. Didn't realize they were that inexpensive. I do love my Weber kettle though -- I have a gas grill that's pretty nice -- I don't use it that much -- when we have a lot of people over for burgers etc. But no matter what Hank Hill says, you can't beat the charcoal taste -- especially if you use wood chips.


----------



## JosephB

Kevin said:


> No tahini? No lemon?
> 
> JB- And a blender takes care of the skins. I smoked my blender adding the tahini. It stirs in nicely by hand.



The food processor takes care of them, I guess. It's just that it's not as smooth as when you take the skins off. I'm going to try it next time. Otherwise, I'm OK with more texture. And I wouldn't be suprised if it's better for you with the skins on.


----------



## Nee

Late last summer tuna were hitting pretty heavy about 100 miles off the San Diego coast; so my bro-in-law drove all night to take a charter out to get some. He catch 170 pounds of blue fin, and sent it by fed-air straight from the docks back to Santa Barbara where i was assembling a make-shift smoker to smoke most of it. He had so much fun he turned right around on the same boat (new crew) to do it again. 

I made the smoker with heavy gauge chicken wire an old cast-iron fry-pan and a couple of army blankets. It was about 7 feet tall and a yard wide. I smoked 90 pounds in one shot


----------



## Kevin

I make hummus like once a month. I even experimented withn hand mashing. It makes the garbanzos look like smashed canned tuna. Family didn't like it. Now, I'm tryting to get away from the cans- bpa's or some plastic that leach. I figure I could cook a big batch of dried peas and freeze what we don't use.


3 cans of chickpeas. rinsed.

4 garlic cloves

6 oz. tahini

3-5 lemons (juice of)

Blend or food process, peas, cloves, lemon juice. Start with 3 lemons and add to taste. Place in mixing bowl. Stir in tahini. Mixture will thicken with addition of tahini. You may want add a little water.


----------



## JosephB

You don't put olive oil in it?


----------



## Kevin

The tahini has so much oil already (seasame oil) and I usually make babaganush and tabouli with it, which both have olive oil in the recipes.


----------



## Lewdog

It's not hummus without olive oil.


----------



## JosephB

Apparently, Kevin thinks so and he's the one that eats it. I've seen all kinds of variations -- even with chicken stock. I don't think there's any one thing that defines it as hummus, with the possible exception of the beans.


----------



## Lewdog

JosephB said:


> Apparently, Kevin thinks so and he's the one that eats it. I've seen all kinds of variations -- even with chicken stock. I don't think there's any one thing that defines it as hummus, with the possible exception of the beans.




I love hummus but I couldn't imagine it without olive oil.  It would be like eating Gold Star Chili spaghetti without beans!


----------



## moderan

Chili and spaghetti don't belong in the same room. But hummus needs that floral note. I add honey to mine also, as a matter of course.


----------



## Lewdog

You haven't lived if you have never tasted Cincinnati style chili.


----------



## JosephB

It's good. The Cincinnati chili I had is a different consistency than most chili -- thinner -- more like a sauce and it had cinnamon and cloves in to too, I think -- so it had a somewhat different flavor. Seemed to work fine with the pasta.


----------



## moderan

No thank you. Cinnamon and cloves in chili? No way, no how. I had some bbq sauce at a place here that had cinnamon in it. Nasty. I've eaten chili mac...but the Cincy-style chili I've seen is all cheese and pasta and very little chili. Gross.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> No thank you. Cinnamon and cloves in chili? No way, no how. I had some bbq sauce at a place here that had cinnamon in it. Nasty. I've eaten chili mac...but the Cincy-style chili I've seen is all cheese and pasta and very little chili. Gross.



There are two distinct Cincinnati styles of chili.  One is the more spicy Gold Star Chili, the other is the cinnamon Skyline Chili.  Another great thing to do with Cincinnati chili is to warm it up and spread it over cream cheese and cover it with shredded cheese.  Stick it in the oven long enough to melt the cheese and eat it as a dip with nacho chips.


----------



## JosephB

I guess I had the Skyline. And yes way -- it was good.


----------



## moderan

No thank you. Too much cheese, too little chili. Y'all probably eat thin-crust pizza too. Heathens.


----------



## Lewdog

There are only two places where I have liked their thin crust pizza, Donato's and Ron's.  Ron's was a local joint up in Ohio, I think Donato's is in some other parts of the country.  Ron's pizza sauce was the perfect flavor for drinking beer with it.


----------



## JosephB

Depends. I like a lighter, crispy, slightly charred crust you get from some brick oven pizza places. But I like thicker crusts too and deep dish. I've had some really thin almost cracker like crust -- I'm not too crazy about that. I won't eat anything frozen or from chain places unless I'm starving and there are no other options.


----------



## Lewdog

California Pizza Kitchen had some pretty darn good Veggie pizzas.


----------



## JosephB

I don't eat a CPK unless I'm in a situation where I've been out voted. It's not all that bad -- I get the white pizza or the margherita -- but I'm not too crazy about the more gimmicky toppings.


----------



## moderan

I won't eat CPK ever. The whole idea is ludicrous. I can and have eaten Brooklyn-style pizza but I don't like that orange grease running down my chin and into my beard and down my arm. It isn't that I'm married to deep-dish or stuffed. I prefer a thickish dough, though, one that can hold a few quality ingredients. Pizza was originally an appetizer, and more akin to focaccia bread with a little tomato (before that, just a bit of cheese-it's an old, old recipe from before the New World).
Pizza with clams or squid or a lot of vegetables is just another weird sandwich. California fusion cuisine is just pretentious junk. I don't want falafel pizza, ever, and I don't care for taco egg roll or chop suey pho burrito unless I'm gonna die without it.
That's just me...but the Golden State is a half day's drive away from here, and they think California Pizza is a selling point. People come in once, never go back, and the place closes down in two months after the novelty wears off. Wolfgang Puck should be dropped on the ice and fired into Anttii Niemi's blocker pads.
So there.


----------



## Lewdog

Applebee's Veggie Patch pizza is good too.  I had a taco pizza from a place called Hungry Howie's once that was absolutely the bomb.


----------



## moderan

We have Hungry Howie's here. Something's wrong with your taste buds, man. Too many late-night Taco Bell stops. My friend Dan is the exec chef at some place called MoJoe Cafe in Columbus. He used to have taste, now he has sandwiches with Brussels Sprouts on them.
Weird.


----------



## Lewdog

I just like eating different things.  Eating the same old pizza all the time gets old.  I actually am that type of person that can eat something and tell you pretty much every ingredient and spice in the entire dish.  I really should be a food blogger or something, but I have destroyed my stomach with a poor diet and too much stress.  I can't eat a good fatty piece of meat anymore without it going right through me.


----------



## moderan

I can too. It's how I taught myself to cook. My wife likes same-y, comfort-type food. I'm a bit more adventurous-but I've already investigated plenty of things that I wouldn't want to have again. Am dead serious when I say I could be on "Chopped" or somesuch show and hold my own. I've been cooking almost every night for thirty years, plus almost 20 in various styles of restaurants.
That doesn't mean that I'll eat frozen pizza or most prepared foods. Too much salt, too much plastic, too much processing. It costs more to eat good food, and costs a LOT more in terms of time, but I'm okay with that.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> I can too. It's how I taught myself to cook. My wife likes same-y, comfort-type food. I'm a bit more adventurous-but I've already investigated plenty of things that I wouldn't want to have again. Am dead serious when I say I could be on "Chopped" or somesuch show and hold my own. I've been cooking almost every night for thirty years, plus almost 20 in various styles of restaurants.
> That doesn't mean that I'll eat frozen pizza or most prepared foods. Too much salt, too much plastic, too much processing. It costs more to eat good food, and costs a LOT more in terms of time, but I'm okay with that.



I'd cook a lot more if I had someone to do the dishes for me.  I have to say I like using spices like ginger and rosemary.  I also like to use fruit as a 'spice' with a dish.  I like prepping meat just as much as cooking it.  I like searing red meat and serving it warm, rather than cooking it all the way through.  A nice crispy char can go a long way.  I don't like my chicken sweet though, I'm more of a garlic seasoned chicken type of person.  Oddly, I'm not much of a fish person.  I think a great deal of it involves the amount of fish bones I almost choked to death on when I was a child.  I do however love scallops, lobster, crab, squid, and other things like that.  I would love to try conch, abalone, and sea urchin.  I don't think I would enjoy sea cucumber or some of the more odd creatures.  I can't wait until I move and get to try some fresh seafood straight out of the ocean.


----------



## moderan

I do all the dishes and all the prep and all the putting away and everything. I hate doing dishes too but it's part of the territory. Fruit is a good change in a savory dish. Especially pork, poultry, they can benefit from a little sweetness. Beef and venison like acidic fruits, it helps break down the tissue.


----------



## Ariel

Living in a landlocked state has made it so that I don't like seafood--I won't eat shrimp, lobster, scallops, or crab.  I also won't eat fish.  Now, that said I ate all kinds of fish while I was in Hawaii and it was the best thing ever.  Got home and tried to eat fish but it was just gross.


----------



## moderan

My smoked salmon would change that tune, missy With a dill and sour cream sauce, rice pilaf, good dry chardonnay and some fresh greens.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Living in a landlocked state has made it so that I don't like seafood--I won't eat shrimp, lobster, scallops, or crab.  I also won't eat fish.  Now, that said I ate all kinds of fish while I was in Hawaii and it was the best thing ever.  Got home and tried to eat fish but it was just gross.



That's why I have so much trouble staying away from California...it's the fish.


----------



## moderan

And why I have so much trouble going there-it's the Californians


----------



## Nee

Ya know most of the troublesome ones are either living in LA* or are from somewhere else and thought, "Hey, Califorie is the place I ought ta be..."

*or out in the the desert--man has that place changed.


----------



## moderan

A great number of Angelinos have come here. I'd liefer send them back, or send them to Vegas, where their cheap plastic lifestyles will fit perfectly.


----------



## Kevin

I guess I should take offence but I don't...the doc says not to move my face in any way till the inserts have completely settled.  He says I'll look like Brangelina's sexier younger cousin in two weeks. The typical LA person was not born here. The typical  "  " wasn't even born in the country. I 'd say that's why we can eat Menudo on Sunday, papusas on Monday, mole  on tues, banana leaf wrapped tamales.... 
Kabobs Afghani- How to cut chicken with a fork: I learned that if you use live culture yogurt as a treatment for chicken breast at room temprature, anything more than an hour and you risk a bowl of over-tenderized goo.


----------



## moderan

You also risk any number of diseases keeping meat and yogurt at room temperature like that, unless your insides are plastic too. The new biota will disturb your old biota.
My best friend lives in Riverside. Fortunately, he's only there about a quarter of the year. I understand his tattoo shop misses him, but the taco truck keeps on running whether he's there or not. He's not from there either-moved to be part of a hair band long ago and never went back to where we came from. Better than Fresno, I tell him when we talk on the phone. He calls me from Barstow every time he drives over, in case of bats.
We're having johnnycakes this morning, gooey with real maple syrup, with a little ham on the side. My cat Buster wouldn't let me sleep past six, preferring to loudly insist that I open a can for him (the heck with the others), and so I arose. My stomach decided it was hungry.
Johnnycakes are more or less pancakes, but made with cornmeal (I use some masa too, for a smoother consistency).


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> Pizza was originally an appetizer, and more akin  to focaccia bread with a little tomato (before that, just a bit of  cheese-it's an old, old recipe from before the New World).
> Pizza with clams or squid or a lot of vegetables is just another weird sandwich.



It is bread -- and kind of a blank canvas -- to a point. To me, Asian flavors don't go  with bread, either do southwest or Mexican flavors. There's some logic  to the combinations. Otherwise, there is flexibility. You may not like  it, but my favorite pizza place has white pizza with clams that tastes  great -- just a little cheese and a pesto like sauce that compliments  decent sized chunks of clam. I like all different toppings -- shrimp,  peppers, andouille sausage, onions, Canadian bacon, feta, kalamata  olives, prosciutto, grilled chicken, ricotta. I'm not limited to  traditional toppings -- but I think there's a limit. Some toppings,  like potatoes, which I've actually seen,  just seem absurd.


----------



## moderan

Clams and white sauce are perfectly acceptable (it's squid and other cephalapods I dislike mostly). I agree with you. Some folks here put potato in burritos, which is just dumb. But anything Italian or Mediterranean would seem to be a candidate to put on some focaccia. I dislike the sweet pizzas, with like chocolate and nuts and things like that. Might as well just make a big cookie.
But I make buffalo chicken pizza and bbq chicken pizza, and last year made a brisket pizza, and those are killer. Stuffed pizza with spinach and mushrooms is killer too. Lamb and feta seem possible-I might make one with the leftover lamb and kalamata olives and onion and roma tomato. Mmm. Hungry again.


----------



## Lewdog

JosephB said:


> It is bread -- and kind of a blank canvas -- to a point. To me, Asian flavors don't go  with bread, either do southwest or Mexican flavors. There's some logic  to the combinations. Otherwise, there is flexibility. You may not like  it, but my favorite pizza place has white pizza with clams that tastes  great -- just a little cheese and a pesto like sauce that compliments  decent sized chunks of clam. I like all different toppings -- shrimp,  peppers, andouille sausage, onions, Canadian bacon, feta, kalamata  olives, prosciutto, grilled chicken, ricotta. I'm not limited to  traditional toppings -- but I think there's a limit. Some toppings,  like potatoes, which I've actually seen,  just seem absurd.





I had a chicken sesame pizza one time that was to die for.


----------



## moderan

But yet, like Scott Carey, you still exist.


----------



## Ariel

I like a chicken, jalepeño, and black olive pizza.


----------



## Nee

I make a great carne asada pizza.


----------



## moderan

I'd make that on a tortilla. Either one.


----------



## Lewdog

I would say the oddest thing about me, is that I like to eat with silverware and not with my hands.  I am semi OCD and when I eat chicken wings and ribs I have to lick my fingers and wipe my face after every bite.  I go through a roll of paper towels in one meal.


----------



## moderan

I can and will eat spaghetti and meatballs with my hands. I just ate a piece of lasagna like cake. The cats cleaned up behind me.


----------



## Lewdog

I'm not as bad as that guy from Seinfeld that would candy bars with a knife and fork.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> I can and will eat spaghetti and meatballs with my hands. I just ate a piece of lasagna like cake. The cats cleaned up behind me.



Sure -- I'll eat anything with my hands, when all are asleep, by the glow of an open refrigerator.


----------



## Kevin

Spaghetti with your hands. ..lol ....good god.


----------



## JosephB

I don't know about spaghetti -- I could see pinching a meatball or two -- but that's about it.


----------



## moderan

I just ate pudding with my finger. Do it with peanut butter all the time. I have my own jar, so nobody's inconvenienced. I did a shot of olive oil the other day. I'm open to new food experiences...it's just that I know what I like. My hands and conscience are clean. I taught two 4 years olds to eat mac n cheese with their fingers, and to demand chocolate cake for breakfast. I understand the virtues of the legendary Burnt Weenie Sandwich.
Ever had Dippin' Dots? Wonderful stuff. I made a cheeseburger the other day, two patties with a piece of bread in between them. It was delicious.


----------



## moderan

Simple pleasures can be the best. Didn't feel like cooking. Had leftover chicken and rice soup from Friday when my wife came home sick, and added that classic-grilled cheese on white bread. All homemade, all delicious. Dinner in five minutes.


----------



## Lewdog

Best grilled cheese ever, munster cheese on texas toast.


----------



## moderan

That'd be okay, if a little salty. I like plain american cheese on white.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

I like Red Leicester cheese on crackers with grapes and olive oil, plus a nice glass of milk.


----------



## moderan

What kind of crackers? I hate milk *makes face*


----------



## Bruno Spatola

I hate faces *makes milk*

Italian crackers. I don't remember the name, sorry. I'll check later.


----------



## moderan

Bruno lactated? How very strange.
Not to "milk" this thread any further, but I own this book:A Torrent of Faces


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Why dost thou mocketh? My manhood-nectar shan't have it.  

Strange things were bound to happen on Cthulhu's birthday, though.


----------



## Lewdog

"I have nipples, can you milk me Greg?"


----------



## moderan

Booshite!
[video=youtube;eIInySnQe4I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIInySnQe4I[/video]
The funny thing is that the Cthulhu cake has nipples and a navel. He's a big guy, his birthday's all this month.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Oh yeah, how can he have a navel? He wasn't born in that way . . . or was he? Where's momma Cthulhu? 

It's like that in biblical paintings/illustrations of Adam, he has a navel in all of them. Makes no sense.


----------



## moderan

Right. Momma Cthulhu is on a planet named Xoth, closer to the center of the universe. The Xothians were among the first living beings, and they reproduce by meiosis. So there'd be no umbilical or mammaries. (This is all according to passages from various stories compiled by Dan Harms in the Encyclopedia Cthulhiana-the Lovecraftian's guide to the universe).


----------



## Olly Buckle

moderan said:


> Right. Momma Cthulhu is on a planet named Xoth, closer to the center of the universe. The Xothians were among the first living beings, and they reproduce by meiosis. So there'd be no umbilical or mammaries. (This is all according to passages from various stories compiled by Dan Harms in the Encyclopedia Cthulhiana-the Lovecraftian's guide to the universe).


Yes, yes. But this is 'lets eat'; what do they taste like?


----------



## Ariel

Olly Buckle said:


> Yes, yes. But this is 'lets eat'; what do they taste like?


Squid.


----------



## moderan

And they listen to Squid Rock. Fishboy, baby!


----------



## Lewdog

A couple steaks seared with black pepper, fresh garlic, sea salt, and onion powder, topped with french fried onions.  All coming with a big side of steak fries covered in season salt.  I'll need to take three blood pressure pills after dinner!


----------



## Ariel

The Fella is making his Mexican chicken in the crockpot right now.  I'm moody because, for the second time this week, I've hit my head incredibly hard.  I can't get rid of this headache.  Also, my cat has disappeared.  No idea where she's gone.


----------



## moderan

Have chest cold and am achy and weak, so I cheated and made manwiches. Did make tater tots and cheese sauce derived from velveeta. Did a shot of robitussin with an oj chaser *makes face* not good eats, that last. Had a handful of gummy vitaminC for dessert. I hate being sick. Foo!
Could be worse...my wife had this thing bad, for a week, and still doesn't have her taste buds back. The tater tots were salt licks and the sloppy joe was "tart" to her. I had two helpings because I'm twelve when I'm sick.
That steak sounds good. What kinda cut?


----------



## Lewdog

It was the fattest Top Round steak I could find.  I tenderized it so well you would never have known it wasn't ribeye.  I also put a little Italian seasoning on it as well.  If my doctor saw me putting seasoned salt on the fries she would have killed me.


----------



## moderan

Lisinopril to the rescue! Simvastatin too!


----------



## Foxee

I found a recipe for a 'Lightened' Potato Soup in an issue of Cooking Light that my MIL gave me. If you're familiar with Cooking Light it's a great magazine but they're kinda still stuck in the dark ages of only reducing the fat in recipes and some on the salt content. The idea of lightening up on sugar or high-glycemic carbs is completely up to the reader. The potato soup looked awesome, though, so I did their version (which included potatoes and roasted cauliflower) and added my own idea (half as many potatoes as the recipe called for and used parsnips instead. They're a decent stand-in for potato but aren't nearly as high-glycemic). The soup took all afternoon to make but the result was amazing and, garnished with crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and some green onions, was absolutely awesome.


----------



## Lewdog

Foxee said:


> I found a recipe for a 'Lightened' Potato Soup in an issue of Cooking Light that my MIL gave me. If you're familiar with Cooking Light it's a great magazine but they're kinda still stuck in the dark ages of only reducing the fat in recipes and some on the salt content. The idea of lightening up on sugar or high-glycemic carbs is completely up to the reader. The potato soup looked awesome, though, so I did their version (which included potatoes and roasted cauliflower) and added my own idea (half as many potatoes as the recipe called for and used parsnips instead. They're a decent stand-in for potato but aren't nearly as high-glycemic). The soup took all afternoon to make but the result was amazing and, garnished with crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and some green onions, was absolutely awesome.



Sounds great.  If you like Potato soup you can find O'Charley's loaded potato soup recipe online...if you've never had it, you haven't lived yet.


----------



## moderan

Mmm, watery vichyssoise. *ducks*
Duck soup? Only if it's thrown.
That does sound good, I like potato soup and chowder. I don't use other folks' recipes though. Bacon and cheddar can fix a lotta things.


----------



## Lewdog

I saw on Food Network last night a restaurant that had a beer and bacon tasting night where they served several different types of bacon cooked several different ways along with different glasses of beer from around the world.  I would kill to do that.


----------



## Foxee

Actually, I made the recipe that I made because I've had a lot of heavy, creamy, overloaded soups and I'm pretty much done with them. I liked this one because it used a lot of flavor but not a lot of heavy ingredients; what is in there really counts toward flavor but you don't feel bleh after eating it. Using the bacon and cheese on top as a garnish with the green onion gave the flavors really well without glutting the soup with them. Besides, it looked really smashing.

Edit for Mod: I used some of their recipe with my own ideas thrown in. Pretty happy with the result. Watery vichyssoise my foot, c'mon over here so I can smack you.


----------



## ttts

Wow. You guys are all so good at cooking. I get a feeling of a accomplishment from making a bowl of oatmeal.


----------



## Ariel

Haha!  For all you really know is that we have cookbooks and are reading out of them.


----------



## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> Haha!  For all you really know is that we have cookbooks and are reading out of them.





Ha!  Jokes on you, I can't read.


----------



## moderan

Lewdog said:


> I saw on Food Network last night a restaurant that had a beer and bacon tasting night where they served several different types of bacon cooked several different ways along with different glasses of beer from around the world.  I would kill to do that.


Yum. I've done that before. Canadian bacon, nice cured bacon, pancetta, pork belly cured different ways. Maybe some Kirin and a Pilsner Urquell and a craft beer like Hazed and Infused, for three very different beer flavors. Add a Guinness because Guinness. I'd add cheeses too.



Foxee said:


> Actually, I made the recipe that I made because I've had a lot of heavy, creamy, overloaded soups and I'm pretty much done with them. I liked this one because it used a lot of flavor but not a lot of heavy ingredients; what is in there really counts toward flavor but you don't feel bleh after eating it. Using the bacon and cheese on top as a garnish with the green onion gave the flavors really well without glutting the soup with them. Besides, it looked really smashing.
> 
> Edit for Mod: I used some of their recipe with my own ideas thrown in. Pretty happy with the result. Watery vichyssoise my foot, c'mon over here so I can smack you.


*ducks*




ttts said:


> Wow. You guys are all so good at cooking. I get a feeling of a accomplishment from making a bowl of oatmeal.


It's just the time put in. If you go through the thread, there are a lot of easy recipes.


----------



## Foxee

amsawtell said:


> Haha!  For all you really know is that we have cookbooks and are reading out of them.


I like to settle down with a good cookbook, the plot can be surprisingly meaty.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Haha!  For all you really know is that we have cookbooks and are reading out of them.



Everything I posted in here is my own invention. 


*or, re-invention


----------



## Lewdog

Foxee said:


> I like to settle down with a good cookbook, the plot can be surprisingly meaty.





That's the cheesiest thing I have read in this thread.


----------



## Nee

Lewdog said:


> That's the cheesiest thing I have read in this thread.



Don't read your own I take it.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> Don't read your own I take it.



No, I told you I can't read.  Not enough carrots in my diet I guess.


----------



## moderan

We're not supposed to be discussing religion. Keep the cheeses out of it please. Don't cross the sponsors!


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> We're not supposed to be discussing religion. Keep the cheeses out of it please. Don't cross the sponsors!



But I am non-Parmesan.


----------



## moderan

Parish the thought. The Romans made mozzarella, therefore it is orthodox.


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> Parish the thought. The Romans made mozzarella, therefore it is orthodox.



If the Romans made mozzarella then it would be Roman Catholic. 


Goat cheese would be Orthodox.


----------



## moderan

That's absurd, therefore it must be real.


----------



## Ariel

Goats are so cute.  I want a goat.


----------



## Gumby

amsawtell said:


> Goats are so cute.  I want a goat.



You _still_ haven't been issued a goat? 

*scurries off to find Potty, who, when told to 'herd' the goats, evidently thought we said, 'hoard'*


----------



## Ariel

Just a little one.  It keeps nibbling my belt loops. 

(lol, I was thinking in real life--my grandma got one when I was a kid but it was mean and was eaten by coyotes).


----------



## JosephB

Here's my only goat story: In high school, I dated a girl who lived on a little farm that was smack dab in the middle of a pretty developed area. They had chickens and rabbits -- and a goat. Apparently, the goat didn't like me, so it rammed into the driver's side door of my old Honda and put a huge dent in it. Actually, it was more like she pushed it in with her head -- I saw her do it. Luckily, the girl's father was able to dismantle the door and push it back out from the other side. Try explaining that one to the guys at the body shop. Not too long ago, I found out the dad sold the property for millions of dollars. And the girl is a marketing executive for Calvin Klein. There must be a story in that somewhere.


----------



## Deleted member 49710

tl;dr edit:
once some nice people let 6-year-old lasm play with their baby goats, and then they tried to feed her baby goat meat, and she cried. 

The end.


----------



## JosephB

But you win -- because your goat story is longer -- and probably more pointless than mine. Maybe.

EDIT -- I take that back -- yours has to do with eating goats, at least.


----------



## moderan

"I made bagels today," he says wisely stroking his goatee and drawing a close to the caprine subthread. "Pizza bagels. They are plain bagels with just a dollop of fresh butter in the batter, festooned with slices of pepperoni, slathered with a schmear of marinara and smothered in fresh mozz, and baked for five minutes at 350."
"Just four of them were made," he continues. "They are quite large. Each is about the size of a cd, though quite a bit taller."
Those are the appetizer, and probably lunch tomorrow.
Dinner is chicken cacciatore. I'm not starting with a whole chicken, but a cut-up fryer. Everything else is traditional.
I've already browned the chicken in a bit of olive oil, with fresh oregano and basil, and made the pasta (handmade farfaille) and the sauce (23 ripe roma tomatoes steamed, skinned, and sauteed in olive oil until they broke down, with onion and elephant garlic slices, plus chicken juice and little goodlings from the bottom of the pan). I have julienned red, yellow, and green pepper ready to go into the sauce, which is simmering on low. Gonna add a little vino in a bit-dinner isn't for another four hours, so I'll have time to cook that down.
Ground some espresso too, in my hand-crank grinder.
She hasn't felt well all week. I still have a cold, but this is easy stuff, and one of her favorites.
Mine too.


----------



## JosephB

We're going out to dinner.


----------



## Nee

Spread fig butter on a slice of onion poppy seed  bagel
Pile on crumbled goat cheese and bacon, brown slightly under a boiler.

Serve with a nice rich espresso. 

Mmmm...


----------



## JosephB

The power of suggestion. You mention espresso -- I went straight to the kitchen to fire up the Krups for a double. No better cure for the afternoon blahs.


----------



## moderan

Mmm, espresso. Mine has a peppermint stick in it. And a shot of brandy.


----------



## Lewdog

My espresso is bottomless...because I never touch the stuff.  Well, that's a lie if you take into account evaporation, but science was only a class in high school, it has nothing to do with real life.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> Mmm, espresso. Mine has a peppermint stick in it. And a shot of brandy.



Can't do that. I'm allergic to alcohol. Whenever I drink it, I break out in handcuffs.


----------



## Lewdog

JosephB said:


> Can't do that. I'm allergic to alcohol. Whenever I drink it, I break out in handcuffs.



Break out of handcuffs?  Are you a member of that Christian Power Team group?  Man I used to love watching them tear phone books in half and break concrete blocks!


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> Can't do that. I'm allergic to alcohol. Whenever I drink it, I break out in handcuffs.


Heh. I dunno, Joe, the wife might like that. She has two shots in hers.


----------



## Lewdog

I was going to have Philly Cheese Steaks for dinner tonight, but remarkably I forgot the cheese...so I guess I am having Philly steak sandwiches instead.

Edit:  I found a jar with just a tad bit of Cheese Wiz left, so it looks like I will be having them Geno's style.


----------



## moderan

Cheese Whiz. Ew. I prefer Velveeta.


----------



## Foxee

moderan said:


> Cheese Whiz. Ew. I prefer Velveeta.


Velveeta, ew, that's pretty much indigestible. Go with good ol' cheddar or Monterrey Jack or Swiss.


----------



## Kevin

/


----------



## moderan

Foxee said:


> Velveeta, ew, that's pretty much indigestible. Go with good ol' cheddar or Monterrey Jack or Swiss.


Doesn't melt the same. But I'm just comparing it to cheese whiz, which I hate. I use Velveeta in mac, it's too salty for any other applications. Philly steaks should have mozz or another white cheese. I not like the yellow.


Kevin said:


> /


.


----------



## moderan

Tonight we're trying a compromise...I have about a pint of homemade tzatziki sauce left, and we're loathe to waste it. I was going to make a smoked salmon dish with sour cream and dill sauce-instead we're planning to have the salmon Greek-style, with lemon and oregano being the dominant flavors, and to use the tzatziki as the sauce for the fish. Several pieces of the homemade pita bread remain, in the freezer, and I have baby spinach, fresh tomato, and one cucumber.
Was just outside getting the smoker going...I'm also preparing smoked pork tenderloin and a turkey breast for later in the week, and some smoked mozzarella for a pizza.
The liquid medium is a bottle of Vendange dry white that cost all of eight bucks, and I'm using a melange of fruitwoods for the smoke agent, over a bed of Kingsford mesquite briquets and cowboy coals.
In our second fridge, I'm dry-aging a couple of center-cut beef filets for Thursday's special dinner. Have a couple of lobster tails and a nice fresh bunch of asparagus spears.


----------



## JosephB

I admire your get up and go. I can't start thinking about cooking dinner until at least after lunch.


----------



## moderan

If I don't get started right away, I'll just laze around til it's too late. Warmish here today, so I can hang out on the patio in my camp chair with Buster (our orange tabby kitten) and his friend Goku (the orange tabby from next door), cooking, and working on a new tune.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> If I don't get started right away, I'll just laze  around til it's too late. Warmish here today, so I can hang out on the  patio in my camp chair with Buster (our orange tabby kitten) and his  friend Goku (the orange tabby from next door), cooking, and working on a  new tune.



Planning is my weakness, though. When I was working at home, it would hit me 4:30 that I had to make dinner. I'm pretty good at improvising, but that will only take you so far. Working out of the house, I'm forced to plan -- and now my wife and I team up. She does the shopping, some of the prep, maybe an easy side dish etc. I walk in, usually work on the main dish and then we put it all together. Only drawback is we sometimes don't eat til 7:30 or so. I still cook because I like to, the wife doesn't and isn't very good at it -- and she does just about everything else in the way of running the house, plus home schooling. Ward Cleaver wouldn't approve, but it seems like the least I can do.


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> Planning is my weakness, though.


She leaves at 6:45 every weekday, and calls at lunch to find out what's for dinner-the high point of the day for her is the evening meal. So those are my parameters. By the time she leaves, my meds and the coffee have kicked in, and I have some energy. I do almost all of the cooking and most of the cleaning. Restaurant work made me organized about the process. 
There's dinner on the table and fresh coffee when she gets home. Least I can do.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Urgh, I'm coming down with something. Think I have a cold, so I just had soup and cups of tea today. Grumble grumble.


----------



## moderan

Chicken soup, I hope.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

I just came off my vegetarian diet finally, but I find I don't even want meat anymore, so I just had homemade minestrone. I eat free range meats on Fridays now, though, I'll have chicken soup then. My iron levels are dangerously low, apparently -- I was ordered to eat meat again, so I don't feel bad about it now.


----------



## Lewdog

Bruno Spatola said:


> I just came off my vegetarian diet finally, but I find I don't even want meat anymore, so I just had homemade minestrone. I eat free range meats on Fridays now, though, I'll have chicken soup then. My iron levels are dangerously low, apparently -- I was ordered to eat meat again, so I don't feel bad about it now.



Chipoltle is your friend...I miss it.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Chipotle is a real food?! I forgot that South Park doesn't have anything original in it anymore.

I don't like spicy food though, anyway . Last time I had a jalapeno it cleared my sinuses right up, so I might just bite a chunk out of one and face it like a man . . . a crying man, in severe pain, on the floor, in the fetal position.


----------



## Lewdog

Bruno Spatola said:


> Chipotle is a real food?! I forgot that South Park doesn't have anything original in it anymore.
> 
> I don't like spicy food though, anyway . Last time I had a jalapeno it cleared my sinuses right up, so I might just bite a chunk out of one and face it like a man . . . a crying man, in severe pain, on the floor, in the fetal position.



Yes Chipoltle is a burrito Mexican place that only uses free range raised chickens, beef, and pork.  They make your stuff right in front of you.  It's kind of like Subway for Mexican food.  You don't have to get spicy stuff on it.  It's large servings for the price too.


----------



## Ariel

It's also a smoke-dried jalepeño pepper.  Has excellent flavor.


----------



## JosephB

I love chipotle. First bought it years ago when I heard about it on The Food Network. Then it became a fad in restaurants -- of course we ended up seeing some version of it at Wendy's. It became kind of joke.

And I think the restaurant Chipotle is pretty lame in comparison to the local southwest restaurants I like with similar menus, or the other chains like Moe's or Willy's.


----------



## Ariel

I work with a lot of Mexican immigrants.  I like more authentic Mexican foods.


----------



## Lewdog

Blah blah blah, you guys are never satisfied!  Here's a million dollars is all $1 bills okay?


----------



## JosephB

I love authentic Mexican food. But I like tex-mex and southwestern food too.


----------



## JosephB

Lewdog said:


> Blah blah blah, you guys are never satisfied!  Here's a million dollars is all $1 bills okay?



Chipotle is a big chain -- and it has the kind of bland food and pre-fab ingredients you find at most chains. It's not terrible and I'd eat there if I was outvoted. I'm not totally anti chain restaurant. Willy's is pretty good and you can get the same kind of food. Moe's less so -- their beef especially isn't as good. But you can just get better, fresher food at a good local restaurant -- and if I have the choice, that's where I'm going to go.


----------



## moderan

Yeah? Sonoran? Chihuahuan? Oaxacan? Jaliscan? There are as many kinds of Mexican food as there are Chinese, and they're just as widely misinterpreted. What you get in places like Chipotle are North Americanized versions of Chihuahuan and Sonoran foods...what non-gringos call Mexicali or Tex-Mex. They're American like spaghetti or chop suey.
The differences can be stark.
Chili is Tex-Mex in origin, foe example. _Mulita_ are Mexican-they became tacos. In southern Mexico, they are _gringas_. They became popular during the 50s, spreading out from Santa Fe. Burritos came from the area around Mexico City reportedly, and were popularized in California in the 30s. Chmichangas were invented in Tucson, supposedly at the Santa Fe restaurant on the south side.
Oaxacan food has a lot of cheese and cream, and features a variety of fish.
Joe is absolutely correct in pointing out the differences. But none of those restaurants are very authentic. Rick Bayless' Frontera restaurants are about as close as you can get to the real thing unless you live in the southwest or know someone.


----------



## Kevin

JosephB said:


> I love authentic Mexican food. But I like tex-mex and southwestern food too.


Depends...
one day the guys cooked a pig in the ground a_ll _day. They boiled the skin in these huge cauldrons. Uh-uh. You're right though, I'd pick the mom and pops over the chains, any day.


----------



## Lewdog

Kevin said:


> Depends...
> one day the guys cooked a pig in the ground a_ll _day. They boiled the skin in these huge cauldrons. Uh-uh.



Is this the beginning of another Thomas Harris novel?


----------



## Kevin

Did he write _Fried Green Tomatos ?_


----------



## Lewdog

Kevin said:


> Did he write _Fried Green Tomatos ?_



No, "Silence of the Lambs," "Red Dragon," "Hannibal," and "Black Sunday."


----------



## moderan

Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistle Stop Cafe) was written by Fannie Flagg, who used to be on "Match Game".


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> Yeah? Sonoran? Chihuahuan? Oaxacan? Jaliscan? There are as many kinds of Mexican food as there are Chinese, and they're just as widely misinterpreted. What you get in places like Chipotle are North Americanized versions of Chihuahuan and Sonoran foods...what non-gringos call Mexicali or Tex-Mex. They're American like spaghetti or chop suey.
> The differences can be stark.
> Chili is Tex-Mex in origin, foe example. _Mulita_ are Mexican-they became tacos. In southern Mexico, they are _gringas_. They became popular during the 50s, spreading out from Santa Fe. Burritos came from the area around Mexico City reportedly, and were popularized in California in the 30s. Chmichangas were invented in Tucson, supposedly at the Santa Fe restaurant on the south side.
> Oaxacan food has a lot of cheese and cream, and features a variety of fish.
> Joe is absolutely correct in pointing out the differences. But none of those restaurants are very authentic. Rick Bayless' Frontera restaurants are about as close as you can get to the real thing unless you live in the southwest or know someone.



There  are no authentic Mexican restaurants in my city that I know of.  I've only had authentic Mexican at people's houses. Namely at a friend's  whose dad was with the Mexican consulate. Not much that I can  remember having is like what you get at "Mexican" restaurants except  tamales and a pork thing in a rolled tortilla. Even the tortillas tasted  different. I've had fish and chicken, different soups, pork and rice  dishes. Our neighbor recently brought us a stew with lamb in it that was  pretty  awesome.

I've been to Taiwan, which is a little melting pot of people originally from different regions of China -- and virtually none of the food was like American Chinese. I knew that was the case, but I expected some similarities or maybe thought I'd see the origins of some of the dishes you get here -- but it was totally different. Went to a couple of Chinese places in Vancouver last year -- same deal.


----------



## Ariel

moderan said:


> Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistle Stop Cafe) was written by Fannie Flagg, who used to be on "Match Game".


That is one instance where the book was better than the movie.  I felt like she was writing for a much younger audience than the subject material for her book should have been for.


----------



## moderan

Well, yeah. But if you live in Las Cruces or San Diego, or maybe Tucson, you have a lot of authentic Mexicans wandering around, so you get Mexican food. But soul food, or Memphis bbq? Nuh-uh. Chicago had authentic ethnic food, though, and of many nationalities.
I imagine you'd get real Cantonese in Canton, or Szechuan in Szechuan. Never been there. Was in New Delhi but didn't eat anything.
Have had Bohemian food in Prague, Bavarian food in Munchen, and like that. Those don't translate especially well either. Pierogi in Warsaw aren't like they are in Pittsburgh.


amsawtell said:


> That is one instance where the book was better  than the movie.  I felt like she was writing for a much younger audience  than the subject material for her book should have been for.



I liked the movie better. Both are okay. Not my favorite...but my wife loves that film and I see it a lot.


----------



## JosephB

amsawtell said:


> That is one instance where the book was better than the movie.  I felt like she was writing for a much younger audience than the subject material for her book should have been for.



Yet another movie with terrible southern accents. Not as bad as Steel Magnolias. It's like all Hollywood actors think they can forgo the dialect coaches and just watch Gone with the Wind.


----------



## Kevin

amsawtell said:


> That is one instance where the book was better than the movie.  I felt like she was writing for a much younger audience than the subject material for her book should have been for.


 She was one of those 'mystery celebrities.'(who?) on M_atch game. Google-search _was interesting.


----------



## moderan

I feel the same way when they try to talk Chicahgah. Real Chicagoans don't sound like faux-Brooklynese.


----------



## moderan

Kevin said:


> She was one of those 'mystery celebrities.'(who?) on M_atch game. Google-search _was interesting.


Yes, like Brett Somers (Jack Klugman's wife) or Joyce Boulifant or Patti Deutsch. Fixed your typo.


----------



## Ariel

Well, "Chinese" food started out in the US as a Chinese take on American food by Chinese cooks.  So yes, it is about as far from real Chinese food as it gets.


----------



## Kevin

'Dim sum'? The places (here) are full of real immigrants.


----------



## JosephB

Sure -- and there are places in Atlanta where all the Chinese people go. Some of them have split menus. One I go to once in a while, there are always a bunch of guys sitting around a big old fish -- picking meat off it. Can't say that it looks all that tasty.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Ever eaten edamame? I'd never even heard of it until recently. Sounds just as fictional as chipotle to my ears.

I've eaten wasabi ice cream. Yeah, don't do that.


----------



## Lewdog

Anthony Bourdain has the best job in the world.  Travel the world and get drunk and eat fantastic authentic food cooked by real people.


----------



## JosephB

I've been eating sushi for years, but I just found out not to long ago the wasabi we get here is just horse radish with green coloring and some other stuff thrown in.


----------



## Kevin

Lewdog said:


> Anthony Bourdain has the best job in the world.  Travel the world and get drunk and eat fantastic authentic food cooked by real people.


 Oh, ya. I would do that.


----------



## JosephB

I'd do it even if the food was cooked by fake people.


----------



## Lewdog

Has anyone ever eaten conch?  I'm so looking forward to eating some seafood I've never had before.


----------



## JosephB

Oh -- conch is so good. We went to Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean last fall -- that's the location of the only commercial conch farm in the world. Plus, it's all over the place wild. Naturally, it tastes like clam, but it's more tender. Still has that little bit of chewiness to it though. I had raw conch salad, grilled conch, fried conch, conch soup, a conch sandwich. The conch I had fried in light batter was like the food of the gods. So awesome.


----------



## Lewdog

JosephB said:


> Oh -- conch is so good. We went to Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean last fall -- that's the location of the only commercial conch farm. Plus, it's all over the place wild. Naturally, it tastes like clam, but it's more tender. Still has that little bit of chewiness to it though. I had raw conch salad, grilled conch, fried conch, conch soup, a conch sandwich. The conch I had fried in light batter was like the food of the gods. So awesome.



Time can't move any slower than waiting to be able to move to Costa Rica.  If I get my visa turned down for some reason I'll go nutzoid.  I don't have any communicable diseases or a criminal record so I don't know why I would.


----------



## JosephB

Of course, that's a huge center for conch. It's the national mollusk of Costa Rica, as a matter of fact. That's why it's on the flag.


----------



## Lewdog

Too bad I'm not a coffee drinker.


----------



## moderan

Coffee is the nectar of the gods. Sushi is nasty.


----------



## Kevin

moderan said:


> Coffee is the nectar of the gods. Sushi is nasty.


 Oh dear...


----------



## Lewdog

My cousin married a Korean guy years ago and they had sushi at their wedding.  I don't like the taste of wasabi and without something to dip the sushi in, it taste so bland to me.  If I just dip the sushi into soy sauce it tastes like I am drink soy sauce.  I have very sensitive taste buds when it comes to bitter foods.


----------



## moderan

I like wasabi. I like horseradish too. But sushi is just gross.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> I like wasabi. I like horseradish too. But sushi is just gross.



Did you ever try those wasabi Doritos when they had them out?  They actually weren't bad even though I don't like wasabi itself.  Horse radish is just nasty, I made a mistake once putting it on my Arby's sandwich when I thought it was mayo, nasty!


----------



## moderan

No. I don't eat things like that. That stuff that Arby's has isn't horseradish. It has some horseradish in it, but it's mostly vinegar and mayonnaise. Real horseradish root is awesome. Best with prime rib of beef.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Coleslaw has really grown on me. I hated it as a child, but with corn on the cob and a burger, 'tis heavenly. Ooh, and baked beans -- do you call them Boston beans in America?


----------



## Lewdog

My cousin and I decided to have an Arby's eating contest once before they made the sandwiches smaller.  We bought 20 for $20.  He ate 8 of them and I was able to eat 6.  I thought my stomach was going to explode.


----------



## Lewdog

Bruno Spatola said:


> Coleslaw has really grown on me. I hated it as a child, but with corn on the cob and a burger, 'tis heavenly. Ooh, and baked beans -- do you call them Boston beans in America?




No the only time I really hear Boston Beans is the candy or if you actually get baked beans in Boston.  A Boston Bean candy is just a peanut with a candy coating.  If you like cole slaw try making a Carolina pulled pork sandwich.  It is pulled pork with cole slaw, vinegar, and BBQ on a nice kaiser roll.  Not Kaiser Soze.


----------



## moderan

Bruno Spatola said:


> Coleslaw has really grown on me. I hated it as a child, but with corn on the cob and a burger, 'tis heavenly. Ooh, and baked beans -- do you call them Boston beans in America?



Boston beans are a variety of baked bean. There are several regional varieties, just as there are regional varieties of cabbage slaw. Generally speaking-the further east in the US, the more vinegar content in the slaw dressing. The further south, the more molasses in the bean sauce. In the Carolinas, they like to put the vinegary slaw on pulled pork sandwiches. They're quite mad, of course. But that goes without saying, as they are Americans.
I make slaw with pineapple juice instead of vinegar and sugar. 



Lewdog said:


> My cousin and I decided to have an Arby's eating contest once before they made the sandwiches smaller.  We bought 20 for $20.  He ate 8 of them and I was able to eat 6.  I thought my stomach was going to explode.



You need sliders. Real ones, from White Castle. Not these things everyone calls _sliders_ cuz they think it's cool.


----------



## Lewdog

I have eaten a Crave case of sliders many times.  I'm not real sure how many I could eat if I tried.


----------



## moderan

My record is 20 double cheeseburgers. And 12 Old Styles.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Mod VS Food. I'd watch it!


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> I like wasabi. I like horseradish too. But sushi is just gross.



Heh. I LOVE sushi. The best thing is, I go to the same place all the time and  I know the chef. One of the few places I take clients, so sometimes I  can expense it. He always make me little treats. Once he'd just gotten  some amazingly fresh salmon in and he just cut off several thumb sized  chunks and gave them to me on a plate. It melted like like butter in my  mouth. So good. My wife's like you, she won't eat it -- whenever we go there, she orders  tempura -- my chef pal gets this disgusted look on his face. I don't  mind -- it's a whole lot cheaper.


----------



## moderan

Bruno Spatola said:


> Mod VS Food. I'd watch it!


I'd do it. The secret is drinking a lot of water the day before. It stretches your stomach out.


----------



## Lewdog

I saw on a show the other day...Tempura is just a fancy Asian word for Deep fried.  lmao


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> Heh. I LOVE sushi. The best thing is, I go to the same place all the time and  I know the chef. One of the few places I take clients, so sometimes I  can expense it. He always make me little treats. Once he'd just gotten  some amazingly fresh salmon in and he just cut off several thumb sized  chunks and gave them to me on a plate. It melted like like butter in my  mouth. So good. My wife's like you, she won't eat it -- whenever we go there, she orders  tempura -- my chef pal gets this disgusted look on his face. I don't  mind -- it's a whole lot cheaper.


I'd rather eat a shoe.


----------



## Lewdog




----------



## moderan

Boston Baked Beans


----------



## moderan




----------



## Lewdog




----------



## moderan

Well, orange you smart.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> I'd rather eat a shoe.



OK -- so you like sole food.


----------



## Lewdog

JosephB said:


> OK -- so you like sole food.




Or Seoul food.


----------



## moderan

Tonight was homemade potato,bacon,cheese pierogi and sweet red cabbage.


----------



## Nee

Eggplant enchiladas.

Alternating layers of Eggplant dredged in ground cashews and bread crumbs, fried in olive oil, and onion rings with far to much Panela, queso blanco, ranchero, and mozzarella cheese, in a red chili sauce. 

OMFG


----------



## Lewdog

Did you know cashews are poisonous until they are roasted?


----------



## Foxee

Just ate the most marvelous sandwich made with leftover chicken. I don't have a picture because I ate the evidence. Leftover chicken stir-fried with blackening spice and toasted sesame oil on a pan-toasted slice of wheat bread, pressed thin and spread with avocado. Top the chicken with tomatoes and green onions, salt a little and enjoy. Messy but delicious.


----------



## moderan

Messy can be fun. That sounds delish. 
We're having the smoked turkey tonight, with walnut dressing and smashed potatoes and cranberry/orange compote. Tomorrow, filet mignon and lobster tail, cuz you only go 'round once.


----------



## Foxee

That all sounds out-of-this-world delicious. Funny, I've had cranberry/orange on the brain lately, too. Might just have to make something happen. Fish-n-chips tonight with deep-fried parsnip slices standing in for the chips.


----------



## JosephB

You might want have someone look at that.


----------



## Ariel

We're having pasta tonight.  Nothing special.

My cousin's birthday is Friday.  She's allergic to chocolate.  I'm making her a pineapple upside down cake but I first have to find the cast iron skillet to make it in. Going to be lazy and just use a cake mix but the cake itself should be amazing.


----------



## moderan

make two, I'll be right over. I looove pineapple upside-down cake. Last year I made a pineapple upside-down cake and then a coconut cheesecake and then stacked them and dribbled pineapple syrup all over it and tossed toasted coconut crumbs on top. That was ridiculous, like a non-alcoholic pina colada. I froze what we didn't eat-there are three slices left. There were four but I had one for lunch cuz your post reminded me that it was there. Do you put the maraschino cherries on top?
Gosh, that cake is so wrong. I'm just BAD. *hugs self*
There's also an Almond Joy cheesecake in there, or part of one.


----------



## Ariel

Have to get some maraschino cherries for it.  I hate having them around because I will eat all of them.  My mom used to make them for her but with mom gone . . .

I put the maraschino cherries in the center of the pineapple slices and between them where they don't touch.  Dump the cake batter on top then bake it.  I'm actually kind of nervous because I only really know the theory.


----------



## JosephB

When I was a kid, I ate an entire jar of maraschino and promptly threw up. Didn't learn my lesson -- did the same thing with a jar of olives. I can't say with 100% certainty that it happened in that order.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Have to get some maraschino cherries for it.  I hate having them around because I will eat all of them.  My mom used to make them for her but with mom gone . . .
> 
> I put the maraschino cherries in the center of the pineapple slices and between them where they don't touch.  Dump the cake batter on top then bake it.  I'm actually kind of nervous because I only really know the theory.



I'd use dried cherries soaked in rum myself...Mmmm.


----------



## Foxee

moderan said:


> Do you put the maraschino cherries on top?


Or would that be on the bottom?


----------



## moderan

Good question. Ima go soak me in rum and see if I can't get to the bottom of it. First I'll top off my drink


----------



## Foxee

Well, things sure can go pear-shaped in a hurry. I had all the prep done to deep fry and found out that the equipment I have is wholly unsatisfactory for the job. Husband is getting McDonalds for everyone and I'll be spending the evening cleaning up the Exxon/Valdez in my kitchen. I'm just grateful there was no fire, next time I'll be shallow frying. *sigh*


----------



## moderan

I resemble that remark.
What happened?


----------



## Lewdog

Foxee said:


> Well, things sure can go pear-shaped in a hurry. I had all the prep done to deep fry and found out that the equipment I have is wholly unsatisfactory for the job. Husband is getting McDonalds for everyone and I'll be spending the evening cleaning up the Exxon/Valdez in my kitchen. I'm just grateful there was no fire, next time I'll be shallow frying. *sigh*




Save that grease to use in the summer as tanning lotion.  Guys loves a chick that smells like fried chicken.


----------



## moderan

I prefer bacon.


----------



## Foxee

It wouldn't work, Jon, I was frying fish and I don't think that would translate well aromatically. (Well, actually, I didn't get that far...I'd smell more like a fried parsnip)

Mod, what happened was, I forgot everything I used to know about deep-frying. Don't put a really big handful of something that contains H2O into hot oil, especially when the pot you're using to fry with probably isn't really deep enough. 

On the plus side, the first batch of parsnip chips that I got done were really really good. Shame it had to end because of my dumb mistake.


----------



## Lewdog

So does anyone else rush to the pizza box when it is first delivered from a place that makes square pizzas so that they can get all the corner pieces?


----------



## Lewdog

Foxee said:


> It wouldn't work, Jon, I was frying fish and I don't think that would translate well aromatically. (Well, actually, I didn't get that far...I'd smell more like a fried parsnip)
> 
> Mod, what happened was, I forgot everything I used to know about deep-frying. Don't put a really big handful of something that contains H2O into hot oil, especially when the pot you're using to fry with probably isn't really deep enough.
> 
> On the plus side, the first batch of parsnip chips that I got done were really really good. Shame it had to end because of my dumb mistake.



How did you know my name was Jon?  (It's not really but no one tell Foxee I don't want to hurt her feelings.)


----------



## moderan

Who's Jon? Lew is Will. Color me confused.
Parsnip chips. Hmm. I would dip those in jalapeno ketchup.
Oh yeah, Foxee...don't throw big handfuls of stuff with H2O in hot oil. Just reminding you.


Lewdog said:


> So does anyone else rush to the pizza box when it  is first delivered from a place that makes square pizzas so that they  can get all the corner pieces?


I used to...in Arizona and in NY state they do the pie cut instead of what they call "party cut".


----------



## Foxee

No, for some reason I thought Lew/Will/Dude was JonM. I'm not exactly on the ball at the moment in case you can't tell.


----------



## Kevin

Ever super-heated oil in the micro?

  'Jalapeno ketchup' brings to mind the Mexican 'Coctele', your typical pico de gallo with avocado, some water and raw seafood: any combination of pulpo, camaron, abulon, and ostiones. I prefer the abulone and the shrimp, sometimes the octopus, but never the oyster. Add ketchup and chili sauce, T_apatio_ . Watch it though- the effects of chili sauce is cumulative.  add too much and by the end of the meal your mouth is on fire.


----------



## moderan

Jalapeno ketchup is a limited edition product of the Heinz people. I got a box of it as an Xmas present. It's great on cheesy tater tots. You can keep your nasty old raw seafood. I'll keep the precious.


----------



## Nee

Foxee said:


> Well, things sure can go pear-shaped in a hurry. I had all the prep done to deep fry and found out that the equipment I have is wholly unsatisfactory for the job. Husband is getting McDonalds for everyone and I'll be spending the evening cleaning up the Exxon/Valdez in my kitchen. I'm just grateful there was no fire, next time I'll be shallow frying. *sigh*




I don't understand...Pot, Oil, Fire. What went wrong...? 

*but it is good no one got hurt.


----------



## Kevin

'Tots'? I haven't had a tot since...seventh grade. 'Fish sticks', do they still make those?


----------



## Lewdog

The worst is when you get the oil too hot and then throw freezer burnt stuff in it.  You'd be amazed at the number of accidents caused every year by people deep frying frozen turkeys.


----------



## Lewdog

Kevin said:


> 'Tots'? I haven't had a tot since...seventh grade. 'Fish sticks', do they still make those?





[Insert Fish stick joke here.]


----------



## moderan

Kevin said:


> 'Tots'? I haven't had a tot since...seventh grade. 'Fish sticks', do they still make those?



Yes. My wife and I periodically have meals where we feed ourselves stuff that we would eat as 12-year-olds. It amuses us to do so, and helps keep us young at heart, if not young at stomach. Sometimes this involves tater tots, or mac n cheese, or cocktail wienies in rolled biscuits. Or fish sticks, but only if they're Mrs. Paul's.
And yes, they're still awesome.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> Yes. My wife and I periodically have meals where we feed ourselves stuff that we would eat as 12-year-olds. It amuses us to do so, and helps keep us young at heart, if not young at stomach. Sometimes this involves tater tots, or mac n cheese, or cocktail wienies in rolled biscuits. Or fish sticks, but only if they're Mrs. Paul's.
> And yes, they're still awesome.



OMG take a screen shot.  Moderan just admitted he eats something that is frozen and not made from scratch.  Tomorrow the polar ice caps will freeze back over.


----------



## Kevin

Lewdog said:


> The worst is when you get the oil too hot and then throw freezer burnt stuff in it.  You'd be amazed at the number of accidents caused every year by people deep frying frozen turkeys.


 I once 'blew up' dinner. I put a heated pyrex casserol dish on the cooktop, and I think the temperature difference caused it. Cream sauce, chicken, mushrooms, feta cheese,  and bits of glass all over the kitchen. Could have put an eye out.


----------



## Lewdog

Kevin said:


> I once 'blew up' dinner. I put a heated pyrex casserol dish on the cooktop, and I think the temperature difference caused it to explode. Cream sauce, chicken, mushrooms, feta cheese,  and bits of glass all over the kitchen. Could have put an eye out.



Yes if I remember correctly, there was a big 'todo' about that in the 80's when a bunch of people were getting injured in similar events.  The quickest way to waste $30?  Take a pyrex dish out of the oven, serve dinner, and throw it in the sink to soak.  You can hear it crack in the living room.


----------



## moderan

Lewdog said:


> OMG take a screen shot.  Moderan just admitted he eats something that is frozen and not made from scratch.  Tomorrow the polar ice caps will freeze back over.



And Foxee will put them in the deep fryer.


*ducks*



*ducks again *



*more ducks*



*hides*


----------



## Foxee

Kevin said:


> Ever super-heated oil in the micro?


No, but I know how to keep liquids like H2O and honey from exploding. Put a chopstick in the liquid as it's heating...and it helps if you don't push the 'nuclear fusion' button on the micro.


----------



## moderan

Not a fish stick?


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> Not a fish stick?



If you can stand up a fish stick in your water, you need to get a water softener...


----------



## moderan




----------



## Erwin

Anyone who tried Shawarma? I used to think it was just bits of meat and veggies. Boy, was I wrong.


----------



## moderan

No. It sounds terrible. Almost to ten posts.


----------



## Erwin

The beef's quality often depends on how the cook handles the entire preparation sequence... I like watching them pour in the mayo and such... then I jug it down.
Anyway, I'm enjoying browsing the threads right now. My friend told me drop by here to get to know other writers. I should thank him later.


----------



## Foxee

*crispy-fries Mod and all his ducks*


----------



## Ariel

Ducks are cute (I just had a "thank heavens for autocorrect" moment--ducks were not ducks but Richards in that sentence).

My brother was once bitten by a goose.  Well, a gander because it was male.  Left a huge bruise.

Fella surprised me last night with baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  It was all really good.  Much better than the pasta I was expecting.


----------



## JosephB

My sisters was allergic to dogs -- so we had a duck named Dexter. He thought he was a dog - followed us around like one. Then the darnedest thing happened -- he started laying eggs -- I didn't even think that was possible.


----------



## moderan

Mmm, was just having some duck soup. Delicious with fried duck.
I have filets mignon in wine and garlic marinade, which will be served with button and crimini mushrooms sauteed in fresh butter. Lobster tails for steaming, fresh lemon for the drawn butter, broccoli crowns, and baby spinach and fresh roma tomatos. Little bit of feta chesse and Greek olives for the salad, a nice merlot for starters, turkish coffee, and little crocks of homemade french onion soup.


----------



## Sirena

I'm vegan, aside from a  huge breakfast I eat mostly superfoods. I juice also, but today it was yummy croissants, cappucino, fabulous lunch, a trip upstate NY and that's all before 3pm!


----------



## Ariel

Sacrilege, Sirena.

Tonight we have Miss.  We're planning on homemade pizza.  Fella makes a fantastic crust.  The sauce is from a can and the veggies are fresh--not garden because of the time of the year.


----------



## moderan

fr?


----------



## Ariel

My post fell victim to phone keyboard.  I think I spend more time editing than I do posting.


----------



## moderan

What are superfoods? To me, that means pizza, or steak. I couldn't be a vegan. It works for Macca but I'd be lost without huge slabs of meat.


----------



## Sirena

moderan said:


> What are superfoods? To me, that means pizza, or steak. I couldn't be a vegan. It works for Macca but I'd be lost without huge slabs of meat.




Okay there is no other way to invite you to our blog on Superfoods and give you the kind of diet that will keep you totally hot looking while you sit on your ass and type away for hours so if I get in trouble for sharing my site here I will bear the consenquences - let he that hath the steeridge of my course direct my sail! - sort to speak...     if you put the words Siren and prose toghether and you googlih dat  you'll get my web site, then on the left search for a link for the word Blythe and it will take you to our food site, where you can find a million videos on superfoods. These are foods that directly nourish your brain so once the brain gets the msg. it's satisfied, then your body doesn't store any fat and you function at your best.
Most people crave and overeat because the brain isn't getting the nutrition it should get, hence they are like zombies, never fed and always wanting more, eating what's called 'dead ' food. You might as well eat your shoe. There's no need to deprive yourself of pizza either Ash, it's just learning to make the kind of pizza your brain wants to eat beautiful girl. XO


----------



## Lewdog

Sirena said:


> Okay there is no other way to invite you to our blog on Superfoods and give you the kind of diet that will keep you totally hot looking while you sit on your ass and type away for hours so if I get in trouble for sharing my site here I will bear the consenquences - let he that hath the steeridge of my course direct my sail! - sort to speak...     if you put the words Siren and prose toghether and you googlih dat  you'll get my web site, then on the left search for a link for the word Blythe and it will take you to our food site, where you can find a million videos on superfoods. These are foods that directly nourish your brain so once the brain gets the msg. it's satisfied, then your body doesn't store any fat and you function at your best.
> Most people crave and overeat because the brain isn't getting the nutrition it should get, hence they are like zombies, never fed and always wanting more, eating what's called 'dead ' food. You might as well eat your shoe. There's no need to deprive yourself of pizza either Ash, it's just learning to make the kind of pizza your brain wants to eat beautiful girl. XO



Nothing will keep you good looking without some kind of exercise.  That's as big of a myth as there ever has been.

Superfoods are nothing more than a food that has a higher positive nutrient content than bad nutrient content.  For example Acai is great because the high level of antioxidants compared to the sodium, fat, sugar, and calories it contains.


----------



## moderan

Sirena said:


> Okay there is no other way to invite you to our blog on Superfoods and give you the kind of diet that will keep you totally hot looking while you sit on your ass and type away for hours so if I get in trouble for sharing my site here I will bear the consenquences - let he that hath the steeridge of my course direct my sail! - sort to speak...     if you put the words Siren and prose toghether and you googlih dat  you'll get my web site, then on the left search for a link for the word Blythe and it will take you to our food site, where you can find a million videos on superfoods. These are foods that directly nourish your brain so once the brain gets the msg. it's satisfied, then your body doesn't store any fat and you function at your best.
> Most people crave and overeat because the brain isn't getting the nutrition it should get, hence they are like zombies, never fed and always wanting more, eating what's called 'dead ' food. You might as well eat your shoe. There's no need to deprive yourself of pizza either Ash, it's just learning to make the kind of pizza your brain wants to eat beautiful girl. XO


Who's Ash? This is a buncha seminutritionist body-image-worshipping gobbledygook. Food that directly nourishes my brain comes between hard or paper covers or on my kindle generally...sometimes on this here machine. I inhale oxygen on a regular basis.
You can put a link in your sig like most people do, and maybe you'll get some teenagers to come by and worship. 
Like Lew said, you don't get hot-looking or fit without intensive regular exercise. I exercise enough to survive. I'm 6 foot nothing in my stocking feet and around 225 and there's plenty of me to love. My cholesterol and general vital signs are tolerable and well-monitored. I find preaching totally unattractive and judgementalism on the basis of physical appearance equally so.


----------



## Kevin

I believe my forebearers arrived eating shoes and belts, after finishing off all the rats. Then again, I don't relish being split open like a lobster, regardless the classical music and high salaries, for the sake off a big greasy.


----------



## Foxee

Ignore them, the only superfoods they know are bacon and beer.


----------



## Lewdog

Foxee said:


> Ignore them, the only superfoods they know are bacon and beer.



Oh contraire mon mere.  I was a manager at GNC and know plenty about Superfoods and nutrition.


----------



## moderan

Foxee said:


> Ignore them, the only superfoods they know are bacon and beer.


Oh please. I know about steak and Jack Daniels too. And ducks. 

Seriously...lil too much proselytizing. I'm never gonna be a beautiful girl, and this is Ash:
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




AKA Bruce Campbell.
Do I advocate a lot of fatty food in this thread? YES! A thousand times yes. Should I extol the virtues of green, leafy vegetables? How fun would that be? That's everyday mommy stuff. I do that offline. So do my pulmonologist and cardiologist.
Let's whack some pomegranates with big damn spoons and get them seeds out instead. Let's make cake frosting with whiskey.
Marie A. was right. LET'S EAT CAKE!




If you don't want to eat it, apply it directly to your hips. And then have some chocolate mousse.


----------



## Ariel

See, I love this thread for all the food Mod posts.  I don't eat that delicious stuff in my day to day life but it sure is great to read about.

I believe there's more to being beautiful than being skinny.  I have a belly and none of the many men I've dated have disliked it.  I'm curvy and full of laughter and fun.  A big part of that is that I'm not denying myself things I love to eat (deer, chicken, rabbit, beef, etc) in favor of a diet that requires that I eat nothing but fruits, grains, and vegetables.

I'm not a vegetarian by any stretch and I'm not planning on being one. 

Does that mean that everything I eat needs to be deep-fried and that salads have bacon?  No, absolutely not!  (For one grease makes me gag and bacon smells horrible).  So, thank you for the weird and indirect link, Sirena, but no thanks.


----------



## moderan

Oy *performs rapid eyeroll*

Yeah. Real women have hips.

I should just post a disclaimer every page or so-people ASKED me to post a foodie thread. Just like I was asked to post a thread regarding the writing of lyrics, and of music. The people that asked me to do all of these things are or were involved in the day-to-day running of this site, largely because I have, and have exhibited, expertise in these things, when few others did.
If anyone wants the recipe to anything I post, I will make it available to you. If you think you're an expert, show us all what you have. We'll all be the better for it.


----------



## Lewdog

I'll show you yours if you show me mine.


----------



## Ariel

By the way, my local price chopper has something in the deli called broccoli slaw.  I absolutely love it.  I'm trying to reverse engineer it but have no idea what they use as the sauce.  I think it's mayo but I'm not sure.  Has anyone else come across this?


----------



## moderan

Lewdog said:


> I'll show you yours if you show me mine.


You fell right into that one:


----------



## moderan

amsawtell said:


> By the way, my local price chopper has something in the deli called broccoli slaw.  I absolutely love it.  I'm trying to reverse engineer it but have no idea what they use as the sauce.  I think it's mayo but I'm not sure.  Has anyone else come across this?



It's most likely generic slaw sauce...1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 cup mayo.


----------



## Lewdog

Well is it broccoli, cabbage and carrot cut into small thin sticks then mixed up like Cole slaw?  I use it in making my Italian chicken.  You can buy a bag of the mix already cut at Walmart next to the cut up lettuce of at Krogers.  Then mix Mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.


----------



## JosephB

We're canceling Valentine's dinner tonight -- moving it to Friday. Tonight, it's every man for himself.


----------



## moderan

Lewdog said:


> Well is it broccoli, cabbage and carrot cut into small thin sticks then mixed up like Cole slaw?  I use it in making my Italian chicken.  You can buy a bag of the mix already cut at Walmart next to the cut up lettuce of at Krogers.  Then mix Mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.


You can buy it at WalMart next to the lettuce at Kroger's? How do you manage that?

*ducks*


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> We're canceling Valentine's dinner tonight -- moving it to Friday. Tonight, it's every man for himself.


So, Hot Pockets?


----------



## Ariel

I watched a show where they made homemade hot pockets.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> So, Hot Pockets?



We're not allowed to have Hot Pockets. I'm having leftover chili. I'm betting the women will likely have grilled cheese and apple slices.


----------



## Lewdog

Just picked up Chinese Buffet to go.  They had crawfish on there tonight, so I thought I would try it.  It's a first I've always wanted to try them.


----------



## moderan

amsawtell said:


> I watched a show where they made homemade hot pockets.


I make em once in a while. They're just little calzones with different fillings.



JosephB said:


> We're not allowed to have Hot Pockets. I'm having leftover chili. I'm betting the women will likely have grilled cheese and apple slices.


Those are yum. I love me some grilled cheese...but we covered that upthread a little. And chili...tell me about the chili.



Lewdog said:


> Just picked up Chinese Buffet to go.  They had crawfish on there tonight, so I thought I would try it.  It's a first I've always wanted to try them.


Are they whole? Crawdads are gooood eats. Bite their lil heads off and suck the juice out. Put hot sauce on em, and lemon.


----------



## Lewdog

Oh these crawdads were absolutely awful.  I don't think they were made correctly.  I broke one open to eat and it was like eating fishy fish flavored red grits of sand.


----------



## JosephB

Chinese buffet food usually isn't very good. If it's all you can eat, it's not worth it. It's usually so mediocre-to-bad, you don't want all you can eat.


----------



## moderan

Lewdog said:


> Oh these crawdads were absolutely awful.  I don't think they were made correctly.  I broke one open to eat and it was like eating fishy fish flavored red grits of sand.


I'm sorry.



JosephB said:


> Chinese buffet food usually isn't very good. If it's all you can eat, it's not worth it. It's usually so mediocre-to-bad, you don't want all you can eat.


I find that this is true. We do have one nearby that is good...and one that is really bad. It started out decently, but the prep people got lazy. The last time we went, the shrimp weren't even deveined. The one we go to has the traditional Chinese, a Mongolian bbq, which is excellent, and a sushi bar. I'm told that the sushi is very good, but I don't believe that for a second. Sometimes they borrow people from Mr. An's, which is a local sushi bar that has won international awards, and they do the Japanese steakhouse thing, with the knives. That's a ton of fun, and delicious.


----------



## Lewdog

JosephB said:


> Chinese buffet food usually isn't very good. If it's all you can eat, it's not worth it. It's usually so mediocre-to-bad, you don't want all you can eat.



I have to say this is the worst it has ever been.  The garlic shrimps were awesome, but the rest was well, horrible.  I would have been happy to just have 2 pounds of that shrimp.


----------



## nicolam2711

Wrong topic to click on. Suddenly want some chinese food... And it's past midnight


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> I find that this is true. We do have one nearby that is good...and one that is really bad. It started out decently, but the prep people got lazy. The last time we went, the shrimp weren't even deveined. The one we go to has the traditional Chinese, a Mongolian bbq, which is excellent, and a sushi bar. I'm told that the sushi is very good, but I don't believe that for a second. Sometimes they borrow people from Mr. An's, which is a local sushi bar that has won international awards, and they do the Japanese steakhouse thing, with the knives. That's a ton of fun, and delicious.



There's one my buddy and I used to go to in high school, used to partake  beforehand and eat til we couldn't move. We go back there occasionally  for old times sake -- not too bad if you know what to eat. Most of the  standard Chinese fare is fine. The shrimp has a funky, soapy taste. The  mussels are bitter tasting. The sushi is pretty bad.

There was an  all you could eat pizza and Italian food we used to go to in college.  We'd take in zip lock bags and smuggle food out in our back packs -- and  eat for days.


----------



## moderan

6 pm here. We just finished the "holiday dinner". Buster helped eat the lobster, the others helped with the steak. Last minute addition-fresh horseradish sauce.

1/2 fresh horseradish root, peeled, chopped.
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp water

blend on high

Great complement for beef. This stuff will clear your sinuses faster than a stray eight ball will clear the pool table.

No pictures. Wife left the digital camera at work. Too bad. We just had a report of a bighorn sheep wandering around our neighborhood.

Sorry about the nasty Chinese food.


----------



## Olly Buckle

I have seen whole gardens covered in horseradish, plant a piece and ignore it and it will take over, and as you say you only want half one root.


----------



## moderan

Somebody else is kind enough to grow that root. I will use the other half for a rib roast when one is cheap enough to consider its purchase. They freeze well.


----------



## Ariel

Tonight was family night out and we chose to go to Arthur Bryant's Barbeque.  Having grown up on Arthur's Bryant I'm always surprised when someone doesn't know how it goes to order and create their sandwich.

Tonight I had the combo beef and turkey.  I layer the meats on a slice of the white bread it comes with spread some of the original sauce and some of the sweet, drop some of the fries on top, layer on some of the dill pickles, and finally top it with another slice of the white bread.  I usually dip it in more of the sauce mix as I eat it.

And I have enough left over for dinner tomorrow.

I always go to the same location which is the original.


----------



## moderan

Arthur Bryant's is so damn good that I made a sidetrip from I-40 to KC, when I was moving from Chicago to Tucson, just to go there to eat, to treat myself for having the balls to undertake the move in the first place. That was a 300-mile detour on an 1800-mile trip, just for the food. Atypical of KC Q in that the sauce is more vinegar-and-molasses based than tomato-based, and not as sweet.
I can't make barbecue that good.


----------



## Lewdog

Yeah I've yet try Memphis BBQ or KC BBQ in person, and before I die there are certain food things I just have to do.  It's up there with having crabcakes in Maryland, gumbo in New Orleans, or Key lime pie in Key West.


----------



## moderan

You should. Been done all of dem, me. And Coq au Vin in Pahree, and Kassler Ripchen in Prague. And more.


----------



## Lewdog

I had this drink when I was in Bulgaria.  They said it was popular...it tasted like poo rolled in salt.

Ayran


----------



## moderan

*nods* and they call it refreshing too. I've had a sip of the stuff. I'm not a fan of yoghurt drinks. Prefer horchata.


----------



## Nee

nicolam2711 said:


> Wrong topic to click on. Suddenly want some chinese food... And it's past midnight



Good thing even the not-so good Chinese restaurants round here are fantastic.

Mmmm… 
Moo Goo Gai Pan, Szechuan shrimp, Tangerine chicken, Moo shu pork, Eggplant in garlic sauce, Ginger beef…OMFG…


----------



## Ariel

Arthur Bryant's is my favorite BBQ.  I prefer mixing their sauces than having it straight up though.

Not huge in Gates, which seems to be everyone's favorite around here.


----------



## Lewdog

The best BBQ I've eaten is Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati and Burbank's BBQ in Sharonville, Ohio.  Burbank's is owned by Gary Burbank the talk show host on 700WLW.


----------



## moderan

The best barbecue I've eaten was at a place called Hodge's Corner Restaurant in Elephant Butte, New Mexico. Unprepossessing joint, a buffet at the top of a mesa. But awesome. Flavorful...you could see the smoke from the smokehouse from the highway, hundreds of feet below, and smell the food as you labor up this tremendous winding drive up to the top. My wife and I keep thinking about renting a car and driving over there one weekend. One day we probably will.


----------



## Ariel

Ok, yeah, I lied.  Arthur Bryant isn't the _best_ BBQ in KC but it is famous and of the famous joints it's my favorite. The best, I think, is Woodyard Barbeque.  It's actually in a Woodyard and is some of the best in town--a very well kept local secret.


----------



## moderan

Local secrets are the best. Ssssssh, someone's at the door, listening


----------



## Ariel

I would love to put together a travel guide to KC.  We have some gorgeous old churches, wonderfully odd and quirky shaped buildings, interesting history, and excellent restaurants.  I'd want to make it from a local perspective and include maps and everything but I just can't seem to figure out the right angle to come from.  I love all the strange buildings here (especially in the less affluent areas) and want to share it with others.


----------



## moderan

That'd be cool. Maybe do it on video? There are a number of those done here, about Tuxtown.


----------



## Foxee

We went out to dinner. The chicken parm was good but the black forest cheesecake was awesome. Excellent coffee, too. My wants are simple.


----------



## moderan

Nice. I have Brandy Alexanders with vanilla ice cream. Black Forest Cheesecake? Tell me more.


----------



## Lewdog

Blackforest cheesecake...is that just cheesecake with blackforest walnuts on it?  I love Turtle cheesecake.  I used to buy them from Sam's Club.  They were like $17 each.


----------



## moderan

Like this? MMMMMMMMMMM. I want it, my precious!


I make turtle cheesecakes. They are marvy.


----------



## Olly Buckle

Poor turtles.

Last night it was veggie casserole, yum. Casserole made with root veg, herbs and kidney beans then taken out of the oven and the top covered with 'cobblers', basically very cheesy scones all over so they look like cobble stones, then back in the oven for fifteen mins with the lid off. Served with baked potatoes and broccoli.


----------



## Nee

Olly Buckle said:


> Poor turtles.
> 
> Last night it was veggie casserole, yum. Casserole made with root veg, herbs and kidney beans then taken out of the oven and the top covered with 'cobblers', basically very cheesy scones all over so they look like cobble stones, then back in the oven for fifteen mins with the lid off. Served with baked potatoes and broccoli.




Oooo...starchy starchy.

All those carbs would send me into diabetic shock.

Bet it taste pretty good though.


----------



## Ariel

I love those shamrock shakes from McDonald's and had a small one last night after dinner.  I haven't had that much sugar in over two months and halfway through had such a sugar high I was shaking.

I learned my lesson.  No more shamrock shakes for me.


----------



## Nee

I miss caramel syrup over mocha almond fudge ice cream.  :-(


----------



## Olly Buckle

Nee said:


> I miss caramel syrup over mocha almond fudge ice cream.  :-(


Funny how the mind flips sometimes, 
The Waiter's story.  "The three young women sat at their usual table, Miss Caramel syrup, Miss Mocha, and Miss Almond fudge, that was how he thought of them."


----------



## Kevin

I pulled into the what I thought was a gas station.The place was packed. I just wanted to get something to drink; a gatorade or an iced tea. The sign says "Gas 1.48 with a Roast sandwich" A space opened at the counter and as I slid in, the customer next to me, some bald guy, gave me a an annoyed look. Okay, I thought. I could see several orders on plates. Those look pretty good, I thought. I will order a sandwich, and hope they're not full of gristle or fat....

That was my dream last night. I don't eat beef sandwiches. Thanks guys.


----------



## moderan

Beef sandwiches are good though, Kevin. Ever been to Chicago? There they have these:




Wonderful! There's a place here, Luke's Italian Beef, where I can get them, made the traditional way, with the traditional ingredients. The beef is slow-roasted and extremely tender and toothsome, the bread is fresh and warmed in the oven, some of the peppery gravy is ladled lovingly over the top. I recommend the version with sweet peppers and mozzarella melted under the beef, but the sport pepper version is excellent as well.
In western New York, they have the "Beef on 'weck", rare roast beef piled high on a Kimmelweck roll, which is a Kaiser roll topped with salt and caraway seeds. Also excellent. The Native New Yorker, a local joint, serves them.


----------



## JosephB

Yesterday was my oldest's 10th birthday and she asked for fried shrimp and hushpuppies. Fried up a whole mess for the family and her friends. Came out pretty darn good. Used a mix for the hushpuppies. Never have done it at home, but did quite a bit of battered deep frying in my days as a poultry chef at KFC -- so I felt comfortable with it. Makes me want to fry up some chicken for old times sake.


----------



## Leyline

Heh. I still dream about Johnnie's, in Elmwood Park, mod. And wake up sad.


----------



## Kevin

Moddy- I once flew in for a layover. 70 when I left LAX, - 5 at Ohare. I spent the next six mos in the Upper Siberia, er, Penninsula of Michigan, attending sixth grade in a one-building schoolhouse no less. Nobody cussed and they had square pizza at school. I didn't like it. I did get to eat homemade pasties though. Grandmother was a pinch-hitter cook: a pinch of this, a pinch of that. Remarkably(as she did not receive_ the gift),_ my sister has been able to re-create her Finnish datebread, but not the pasties. I'm letting out a _suspire- whoops- I'm suspiring_ now.  

JB- hush puppies, mmm.
 We recently were invited to back-yard crawfish party. They dumped a huge cauldron(love that word) of boiled crawdads, potatos and corn right on the table. At first, us confused Califoreigners didn't know what make of it. Right away the host's wife dug in like any common ghoul, all fingers and teeth, slurping and shredding to get at the flesh; red juices all over everything. Cayenne pepper can be as hot as a jalapeno.  It were good.


----------



## moderan

Yes, Kevin, Chicago has that weather problem. It is why, as much as I love that windy metropolis, I live in southern Arizona, where the radiant heat is much kinder to my pain. But there is no place on the planet that compares to Chicago and the surrounding towns for diversity and excellence of food. You CAN get it there...as the railway hub, and the principal stockyard until the early 70s, Chicago was the center of the US food world, and most of the businesses haven't relocated. If you've ever worked in the restaurant industry, and ever received frozen goods, you'll know that all of the boxes seemingly emanate from that place.
Where I grew up, you could ride your bike to the Tootsie Roll and Nabisco factories, and get free samples, and then hie thee to CrackerJack and get more free samples. Every day, if you so wished. If you had no money. If you had money, the Polish bakeries/delis were the choice. There is nothing on this earth like a mug of hot chocolate and an almond kolacky at six ayem.
I've had the great good fortune to travel frequently, in previous professions (underwriters get around just as easily as bass players), and have eaten such feasts as you describe, in their natural settings. Nacogdoches was the site of my first experience with crawdads. But I'm sure that your experience was no less delightful.
And fried shrimp and hushpuppies are manna. Lil bit o slaw to cut the grease, and I like a bit of horseradishy, lemony, tomato cocktail sauce for dipping. Ambrosia.
I can make pasties.


----------



## JosephB

Kevin said:


> JB- hush puppies, mmm.
> We recently were invited to back-yard crawfish party. They dumped a huge cauldron(love that word) of boiled crawdads, potatos and corn right on the table. At first, us confused Califoreigners didn't know what make of it. Right away the host's wife dug in like any common ghoul, all fingers and teeth, slurping and shredding to get at the flesh; red juices all over everything. Cayenne pepper can be as hot as a jalapeno.  It were good.



That sounds pretty much like Carolina low country shrimp boil -- only they usually add smoked sausage. Lots of people from those parts around here, so it's a staple for things like block parties and church dinners. Not much heat in the way of spices or peppers though. But it's still good eatin.'


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Anyone else share my love of Jamaican patties? My favourite one has curried mince with various herbs and spices, but the pastry is crisp and very flavourful too. I can't get enough of them.


----------



## Ariel

I think for my birthday I'm going to make sausage flour gravy and biscuits for breakfast, in the cast iron skillet I apprehended from my mother's kitchen.  I don't like pork but for biscuits and gravy like my momma made it I'll go for pork sausage, mild.

To make the gravy:

Fry up the sausage until it's all browned and crumbly.
Toss a handful of all-purpose flour into the sausage and stir until there's a clump (I hear it's called a "rue," but clump describes it better).
Add a can of evaporated milk and stir with a whisk until you're sure your arm is going to fall off (actually it's until it starts to bubble).  I like my gravy thicker so I usually add a little bit of flour at a time until it's right--the flour has to be stirred in or it becomes lumpy.

i don't add salt or pepper until it's on the table because those can be added by each person for their own plate.


----------



## moderan

You can bypass that flour problem and add a little flavor by making a roux-equal parts butter (or oil) and flour, fried together over medium heat. More flavorful the darker it gets, until you get to the black..which has a lot of flavor but the flavor is that of charcoal dust.
It's not "rue", which is what you do when you burn it. 
Another method is to mix equal parts cornstarch and water. This is sometimes called "oobleck", which is a very cool word.


----------



## Kevin

Bruno Spatola said:


> Anyone else share my love of Jamaican patties? My favourite one has curried mince with various herbs and spices, but the pastry is crisp and very flavourful too. I can't get enough of them.


 Irish West Indian?  A Green Ganjan? Ah...like a Indian mimosa, or an empanada, Jamaican style. Never had...sounds good.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

What's a Green Ganjan?

They're very much like empanadas, yeah, I didn't know that. Similar to pasties, too -- I don't know what the difference between a patty and a pastie is.


----------



## moderan

A patty is meat pressed flat and then cooked. A pasty is either a small bit of cardboard glued onto a stripper's breast in a strategic location or filled dough, usually fried.


----------



## moderan

The cornstarch/water combo can also be called a "slurry".


----------



## Kevin

Sorry, I confused it with a Paddy (term of endearment, right? as in bloddy...) Pasty, pastey... as long as it has rutabega.

Had a thincrust pizza last night that was cooked in less than 10 minutes (I watched). Good, nearly instant gratification.  We don't often as it's usually Dominos, and wifey can't do gluten, anyway.


----------



## moderan

This is complicated but looks doable:Gluten-free pizza


----------



## Kevin

We threw one such attempt in the trash on Friday night. The dough wouldn't rise.(wat a do-do  eye-yam)


----------



## moderan

Oh deer. 
*duck*
Hmm. I am intrigued and may have to invent something.


----------



## Ariel

Oh, I do make a roux but it isn't as thick as I need it afterwards.  I can't stir the gravy and make the roux at the same time.


----------



## moderan

You make the roux first, my dear. And then set it aside while you make the sauce, and then stir it in, or whisk it in. Makes for a much smoother experience.
We had Bohemian Soul Food. Pork roast with apple juice marinade and caraway seed, potato dumplings, homemade sauerkraut, fresh hot rye bread from my bread machine.
I made a roux of beer (Hazed and Infused, which has fresh hops and a nice "green" flavor) and flour and a little ev olive oil, and stirred it into the juice from the pork roast. Between the second and third periods of the hockey game. It's easy when ya know how


----------



## Ariel

Wonder if I could set aside a portion of the sausage/grease and make a roux with that instead of butter or oil.  It just doesn't taste right with oil or butter.

I'm just proud I can make it.  Learned how about two years ago.  My cousin (who taught me) built it up as though it was quite difficult.  I did it just fine the first time out.

I can also use some of the evaporated milk and make a slurry out of that and the flour and that mixes a lot easier and can be done cold.


----------



## Lewdog

Yes using a mixture of evaporated milk, water, and flour mixed then slowly pour it into the grease as you stir.  That's how I do mine.  The key is to make sure your roux is mixed thoroughly and you pour slowly as you stir.  This can be done with bacon or sausage grease.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Wonder if I could set aside a portion of the sausage/grease and make a roux with that instead of butter or oil.  It just doesn't taste right with oil or butter.



Sure you can. In fact, after you fry-up a bunch of Jimmy Dean's, you can toss in some flour and stir it around a bit, then slowly pour some beer, chicken broth, or even a little wine and make some "country gravy" to pour over your biscuits.


----------



## moderan

amsawtell said:


> Wonder if I could set aside a portion of the sausage/grease and make a roux with that instead of butter or oil.  It just doesn't taste right with oil or butter.
> 
> I'm just proud I can make it.  Learned how about two years ago.  My cousin (who taught me) built it up as though it was quite difficult.  I did it just fine the first time out.
> 
> I can also use some of the evaporated milk and make a slurry out of that and the flour and that mixes a lot easier and can be done cold.


Yep, as has been said, roux can be made using a variety of ingredients. I use butter in my sausage gravy but if that doesn't taste right to you, then don't. Periodically I make things like a jar of bacon grease roux, or bacon caramel, and use those for flavorings. The top shelf of my second fridge is full of such things. I have beef broth caramel too, which is used for such things as Swedish Meatballs or Beef Stroganoff.
Instead of evaporated milk, I use half and half, which we always have on hand (I like some in my coffee from time to time).
I make a sweet roux from condensed milk and flour, and use that for frostings, puddings, breads. Very versatile concept, especially coupled with the cornstarch slurry (arrow root works too) idea.
We have gravy with almost all meat dishes. I do buy jars of prepared stock because I just don't have restaurant-style capacity as far as shelving and storage but that's how gravies and sauces are done. Tomorrow I'll be using a little beef broth and sun-dried tomato roux to thicken my pasta sauce, to pour over the last delicious pieces of lasagna from a couple of weeks ago, that are occupying a spot in the freezer that I've earmarked for the leftover pork roast.
If you make a roux from ham juice and flour, and then stir in a cup of coffee, you have luscious red-eye gravy.


----------



## Leyline

I've gone weird.

I've rejected my aunt's cooking. She thinks I'm living on junk food, because I do not want to hurt her feelings. I'm not. I'm living on soul food.

In one room of the house is a treasure trove: the canned and preserved goodness of years of my family's labors. The products of our tiny garden, and meat from the neighboring farmers, most of which I bartered for. Tomatoes, peppers, cukes, pickles, beef, chicken, venison (flesh and stock in both cases), squash, zukes, my mothers incredible vegetable soup, corn, even some broccoli.

The veggies were from that tiny garden: about a quarter acre, but my Dad was a friggin' genius with it. It was a flush, bountiful forest under his tender ministrations. We ate what we could, canned what we could, but probably still gave most of it away.  I once accused him of loving the garden more than me. He shrugged, didn't deny it. 'It's easier to love,' he said. Fair enough. We had this conversation while we were canning. I'm the only person who ever got addicted to that in the family, because I was the only person as hard-ass about it. Dinged lid? Discard. Jar might be cracked? Discard. Canning is an art, and a science. Don't attempt it unless you're interested in both.

The meat came mostly from me. I bartered construction work with the neighbors for it.  I fixed a really bad roof for the promise of two dozen chickens, claimed when I wanted them. I built a grand-daughter a crazy cool room (from the ground up -- it was an addition) for the promise of two cows, when we needed the bits and pieces. I built that room with every fiber of my heart: I created secret compartments for her to find, and a pretty damned well hidden panic room in case things ever went south, if I say so myself. I had my brother paint a sweet Harry Potter mural on one wall. She was thrilled. What the hell, he likes beef too, you know.

This is what I live on now: I take a half quart of the chicken (or beef, or venison) stock and cook good semolina pasta in it, just enough for the liquid to absorb totally, still leaving the pasta al dente. I then add a few ounces of my and my Dad's home-made Ro-tel (tomato and green chile). I then top it with a bit of mozzarella. 

I am leaving soon, but I'm by God going to eat as much of my family memory, preserved, deliciously, in these jars, that I can. 

I've gone weird.

I'm eating well.


----------



## Trilby

Leyline, good for you - you know that you're eating good, honest, unadulterated  food. 
I don't know if you've heard, but here in the UK there is a right carry on about supermarket foods (it does not always contain what it says on the packet e.g. so called 'beefburgers' actually containing horse meat "Neigh! Neigh! I kid you not"), there is a TV programme on tonight about it. It doesn't affect me or my family directly as I am a whole-food eater and I don't shop at the supermarkets mentioned. 

Going around on facebook there is a thing about KFC, I don't know if it is true or not, but it does turn one's stomach 'Yuck!'

It's high time we all woke up and took more interest in where and how our food is produced, from farm to plate and all stages of production in-between.


----------



## Ariel

Currently there are about eight bulbs of garlic planted in my kitchen window.  One has a sprout about four inches long.


----------



## moderan

Periodically I cut slices from my high horse and serve those. 

Others then tell me what to do with myself and the horse. This serves as discourse.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Do you feed your animals anything unusual, Mod? My dog loves pasta and rice.


----------



## moderan

Yes. The cats each have different likes. Bootsy and Bright Eyes like peanut butter and will accept tidbits from my sandwiches. Buster likes hot things but not salty things-he won't eat lunch meat. Tennessee doesn't like people food, for the most part. We give them table scraps-they love turkey and lamb.
Dammit Bunny will eat meat sometimes. He's eaten pieces of pepperoni, sausage from pizza, part of a quarter-pounder. The rabbits like pizza bones-the dried out outer rims of the pizza, and oatmeal. We buy big tubs of oatmeal.
The birds and the rabbits like greens, and we'll give them spinach or romaine, anything except cabbage, celery, iceberg lettuce, which are just water and have no nutritional value for them.
They're pleased that you asked. Buster is sitting here watching me type, as if to make sure that I give the proper response, while we're waiting for the fridge repairman to show up.


----------



## Ariel

My cat likes mushrooms.  My dog will eat broccoli.

Mod, I always value your advice.  My biggest worry about making a roux before hand is that I don't want it to get cold or to burn. I don't want a clump of cement in my gravy.  I'll try to take pictures and post it for you when I make it on Friday.

I hope you know that I appreciate your expertise on food and I keep coming back because I'm learning something.


----------



## moderan

I thank you. Cold roux is just fine-it'll have the same chemical reaction. Buster is licking ramen broth out of the bowl. So much for the no-salt theory. Cats!
I have a bit of burnt roux in a mason jar. I use it as a flavoring for bbq sauce. Smoke flavor, y'know?


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Does _anything_ taste bad smoked? I haven't found it.


----------



## moderan

Tobacco comes to mind immediately. /gets off soapbox


----------



## moderan

...aaaaand on the subject of smoke flavor, the fridge guy hasn't shown up YET. So I have two big hunks of salmon, a pork butt, and a pork tenderloin that need cookin' cuz they won't fit in either freezer-they were thawing. Got some cowboy chunks, some applewood chips, a big old bag of Kingsford, and a two-foot mesquite log.
Me and the cats and the laptop and the Ovation are out on the patio now. Somehow a Hazed and Infused has found its way into my paw *feigns innocence*
C'mon over!


----------



## JosephB

Always fun when the fridge dies. Speaking of pork tenderloin, we had that last night, in a ginger, soy and honey marinade, rolled in sesame seeds, then grilled. Having leftovers tonight with rice and stir fried veggies.


----------



## moderan

That's almost exactly what I'm doing with my tenderloin, minus the sesame seeds. Rice and stir-fry, check. Steaming the rice. I have to drink the beer I took out to make space for the fish and the pork butt. Oh noes! One of the salmon filets was marinated in lemon and dill, the other in lime and cilantro.
Damn that fridge man!


----------



## JosephB

My wife did the prep on the tenderloin. She marinated it, but might have rolled it in something with the honey in it to make the sesame seeds stick. Usually, I'm standing over her shoulder and butting in, but this time she wisely prepared it when I was out -- so I didn't see her do it.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

You ever just gone mental and poured a can of coke in your cooking? I've seen someone glaze a ham with cherry cola.


----------



## moderan

Dr. Pepper is better for ham. Seriously. It's awesome.


----------



## Nee

Bruno Spatola said:


> You ever just gone mental and poured a can of coke in your cooking? I've seen someone glaze a ham with cherry cola.



Too much caffeine.


----------



## JosephB

There's a Coke cook book. My grandmother made a chocolate cake with Coke in it -- or Co'cola, as she would say.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

I might put a bunch of licorice in a pot, pour a bottle of absinthe in there, boil it for a bit, cut my hand and squeeze some blood in, top it up with whipped cream and see how it goes. Bruno's Monday surprise.   

This is why I don't live alone. . .


----------



## moderan

Use unflavored gelatin if you do. And watch out, you might turn into some kind of political activist. Absinthe makes the heart grow Fonda.


----------



## JosephB

Or a video aerobics instructor married to a cable television mogul.


----------



## Nee

Hmmm...Absinthe, haven't had any of that in a while.


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> Or a video aerobics instructor married to a cable television mogul.


Who doesn't know what it's like to be dead but has a career arc that says otherwise.


----------



## JosephB

Heh. I know someone who used to work for her at her foundation here in Atlanta. She said Jane was very nice and easy to work with -- no big star ego. One of my wife's brushes with fame -- she met her at a seminar for charities that help unwed teen mothers. Seems like a pretty decent lady. Works pretty hard for her charities -- does a lot more than just lend her name.


----------



## Nee

JosephB said:


> Heh. I know someone who used to work for her at her foundation here in Atlanta. She said Jane was very nice and easy to work with -- no big star ego. One of my wife's brushes with fame -- she met her at seminar for charities that help unwed teen mothers. Seems like a pretty decent lady. Works pretty hard for her charities -- does a lot more than just lend her name.



I worked at her and her X Tom Hayden's ranch at the top of the San Marcus pass. She was always very nice and personable to me--they had me over for dinner a few times, and I maned the pit for a Santa Maria style BBQ for 300 once.


----------



## moderan

Yes. But once you descend to the level of having Lindsay Lohan as a co-star, your days in the heavenly firmament are numbered


----------



## JosephB

The only post-retirement thing I've seen was Monster In Law -- awful. Saw her in Klute not too long ago -- that's kind of a forgotten gem.


----------



## JosephB

Nee said:


> I worked at her and her X Tom Hayden's ranch at the top of the San Marcus pass. She was always very nice and personable to me--they had me over for dinner a few times, and I maned the pit for a Santa Maria style BBQ for 300 once.



That's pretty cool -- more than a brush with fame, I'd say.


----------



## moderan

Klute is an excellent film. I have it on a dvd with "The Conversation". Nice double feature.


----------



## Nee

JosephB said:


> That's pretty cool -- more than a brush with fame, I'd say.



I have known and do know many famous people. I've noticed that 1/3 are completely insane, and 1/3 are complete air-heads, and 1/3 are perfectly reasonable people that can carry on an interesting conversation without getting all prickly if someone may disagree. 

The fascinating bit is that whether I end-up liking them or not has nothing to do with if they are insane, or are air-heads, or seem perfectly reasonable or not. Apparently, we like who we like regardless if they are insane or not. 

*Although the insane ones are much higher maintenance.


----------



## moderan

Hurrah! Hurrah! The fridge man has come and gone and I have both fridges back in operation.
*rubs handses together, fingers twisting in a strange rumba*
I have to go shopping. All of the dairy stuff, eggs, milk, cheeses...kaput. We saved the butter.
Tomorrow. Today, that smoked pork butt. My wife snatched a little bit and says she wants that, with no sauce. So, no sauce. Bush's beans, frozen corn with some pearl onions and green chiles, chopped chipotle that I made yesterday while I was doing the fish and the pork. Didn't end up smoking the tenderloin. It's instead bathing in fresh pineapple juice and will have a time on the grill tomorrow. Might borrow Joe's sesame seed idea.
I'm making me a Juicy Lucy, with chili. That's two 1/4 pound patties, with the cheese inside, mashed together and grilled, on my flat stovetop griddle, placed reverently on a grilled kaiser roll, and then slathered with four ounces of my delicious chili, with the meat taken out.


----------



## Ariel

I'm currently baking my almond-coconut white chocolate chip cookies.  They're Fella's favorite and my own invention from experimenting with a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe.


----------



## JosephB

Chicken and smoked sausage creole on rice tonight.


----------



## moderan

amsawtell said:


> I'm currently baking my almond-coconut white chocolate chip cookies.  They're Fella's favorite and my own invention from experimenting with a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe.


Recipe please. And pictures.



JosephB said:


> Chicken and smoked sausage creole on rice tonight.


 Now you're talkin'.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Anyone use flowers in their cooking? Some people really enjoy rose petals. I've heard dandelion soup is quite nice -- I think I'd enjoy a lot of peasant foods.


----------



## moderan

_Imagine here a totally en pointe comment and salient quotations._


----------



## Bruno Spatola

*Lie mode* Yes. . .


----------



## JosephB

Maybe he was talking to a waitress.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Maybe I am a waitress and I was talking to myself. Actually, no, that's stupid isn't it? Ignore me, it's the absinthe I pretended to drink. Think it's having a placebo effect or something.


----------



## moderan

I've had dandelion wine, and I've used the leaves in salad.


----------



## Nee

Bruno Spatola said:


> Anyone use flowers in their cooking? Some people really enjoy rose petals. I've heard dandelion soup is quite nice -- I think I'd enjoy a lot of peasant foods.



Yes, that was all the rage about 10 years ago.


----------



## Lewdog

Dandelions help clear toxins out of your system working as a diuretic.


----------



## Kevin

I'd eat roses if they tasted good; they don't, leastways the ones I've tried. At least they'd be good for something then. Now guava flowers are real good, but seems a shame to eat if the fruit don't develop. Nasturshim: hot like mustard, burn your stomach if it's empty.


----------



## Ariel

2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c butter
2 c sugar
1 1/4 tsp coconut extract (Fella doesn't like shredded)
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 large egg
1/4 tsp ginger
2 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger in a small bowl.  Beat butter and sugar together, Add the extracts and egg and blend until creamy.  Gradually add flour mixture until well blended.  Stir in chips.  Drop onto increased cookie sheet.  I use an ice cream scoop.

Bake until the edges start turning golden and pull out to cool on the sheet.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


----------



## Lewdog

You have to be careful eating guava because it is a stimulant.  Too much can make your heart race and raise your blood pressure.


----------



## Kevin

It's hard to eat too much. The flowers are so tiny I lose interest; not enough payoff for the work. It's like crawdads: I prefer shrimp. They're just bigger and meatier, and for the same amount of work. Lobster's even better, but shrimp's good.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Do caterpillars go mental when they eat guava flowers/leaves?

I have a dream: to host the first animal Olympics.

Long jump: common fleas, kangaroos.
Staring contest: snakes, sloths.
100 meters: cheetahs, greyhounds.
Gymnastics: gibbons.
Judges: apes in suits.

Forget world peace, let's sort this out first.


----------



## Kevin

Bruno Spatola said:


> Do caterpillars go mental when they eat guava flowers/leaves?
> 
> I have a dream: to host the first animal Olympics.


 I once was a host to a flea circus; made _me_ mental.


----------



## Ariel

As requested, photo evidence.


----------



## Kevin

Oooh, thank you. My heart is racing at what I see, Amsaw.


----------



## Ariel

Thank you, Kevin. I just don't like having plain old chocolate chip cookies.  I think they'd be good with toasted almonds and shredded coconut added to the mix but Fella doesn't think so and I made them for him.


----------



## moderan

Yum. Looks good. I'll get Mrs. M to make em.


----------



## Deleted member 49710

Husband just said "woo-hoo!" about some duck legs, so that bodes well.


----------



## Fly

How often do you people eat lasagna? Just curious.:crushed:


----------



## moderan

About three times a year. I make it myself from stuff I'm pretty sure is beef


----------



## Fly

I find lasagna way too delicious to abandon in my table, so I often eat it... about twice in three months. Or unless some random guy gives one to me as a gift.
What have you eaten lately, guys?


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> About three times a year. I make it myself from stuff I'm pretty sure is beef :razz:



I think there's supposed to be a joke in there somewhere -- but I I usually make mine with Italian sausage. Sometimes I cook it with beef I spice the same way, with fennel etc.


----------



## Lewdog

Is this a fish sticks joke?


----------



## Fly

B-but it's not fish stick day!:icon_joker:


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> I think there's supposed to be a joke in there somewhere -- but I I usually make mine with Italian sausage. Sometimes I cook it with beef I spice the same way, with fennel etc.


You haven't heard?


----------



## Ariel

The horse meat scandal?  I'm wondering how much of that made it to the states.


----------



## Bruno Spatola

Cow good, horse bad. I don't get it.


----------



## moderan

Cow tastes better. But really it's more about misrepresentation than anything else.


----------



## Ariel

Fella took all the cookies I baked him to work with him this morning.  I'm sure he's planning on not sharing them.  Tonight I'm going to have to make those cheesecakes I keep putting off.  I plan on cleaning the house tomorrow so no baking then but Friday I might sneak some in.


----------



## Nee

Tonight I cooking a 'vegan' dinner for 8. 

I'm not that excited really...vegan is boring to cook. 

*I'll still blow them away of course, but...


----------



## Kevin

Nothing like the smell of roast flesh and blood.


----------



## Ariel

I changed my mind as to what I'm baking today.  Today it's going to be scones.  I think I'm going to make a savory set and probably a fruity set.  All of them come from the same basic recipe.


----------



## Nee

Kevin said:


> Nothing like the smell of roast flesh and blood.



I'm thinking of a nice rare beef roast for tomorrow night.


----------



## Kevin

Nee said:


> I'm thinking of a nice rare beef roast for tomorrow night.


 I was thinking of that scene in lotr, where the orc wants to eat pippin and merry's legs. The accent is awesome. "_What about their legs? They don't need their legs do they? " _and then the sausage flies...


----------



## moderan

I'm making turkey pot pies. Herself made the crust last night, and I'm making the filling. Just the thing for a cold winter's day, and it is that here. It freaking SNOWED this afternoon. what's up with that?
I have a Turkish coffee next to me while I stir the gravy, with a little bit of chocolate mint from a couple of Andes that I dropped in it. It smells wonderful and tastes even better.


----------



## IanMGSmith

moderan said:


> ... It freaking SNOWED this afternoon. what's up with that? ...



Ah, so* that's *where it went. 

On the matter of "eats" we recently discovered that big international fast-food companies offer workers low pay and a free meal yet most of the workers bring packed lunch from home. ...kinda says something


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> I'm making turkey pot pies. Herself made the crust last night, and I'm making the filling. Just the thing for a cold winter's day, and it is that here. It freaking SNOWED this afternoon. what's up with that?
> I have a Turkish coffee next to me while I stir the gravy, with a little bit of chocolate mint from a couple of Andes that I dropped in it. It smells wonderful and tastes even better.




It hailed and got a bit windy last night, but we were on the tail end of it. Looks like your getting it now. ;-P


----------



## Ariel

Supposedly I'm getting it tomorrow.  But in Missouri one never knows.  The dopplar looks scary though.


----------



## JosephB

I have no idea what we're going to have. There's a new restaurant near us -- kind of a family place with paninis and pasta dishes, some chicken and fish things as well. A really good value -- super cheap kid's menu. The chef-owner lives in the neighborhood and his wife helps him run it. I'd really like to see them make it, so we've been going there and sending people. Might be a good night for it.


----------



## Ariel

So, scones.  Made just fruity ones.  I always make them small so they're more like snacks instead of meals (the way the recipe makes them they're huge) and I always roll them too thin.

Picture of first batch in next post.


----------



## Ariel




----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Supposedly I'm getting it tomorrow.  But in Missouri one never knows.  The dopplar looks scary though.



Actually, I was just looking at that. It could be a bit scary out there.


----------



## Ariel

I was going to go on a quick trip around the state tomorrow and Friday (for my birthday) but I can't because of the snow.  KC won't be too bad but the towns I was planning on visiting will be.


----------



## moderan

The weather outside is frightful....those scones look goooood. I make orange/cranberry and caramel/toffee ones. They come out like shortbread cookies, which is ok by me. Probably I've screwed up something in my interpretation of the recipe but whatevah. Frigate.
It stopped snowing down here but up the street (I'm about three miles from the Catalina foothills) it's still blasting away. It's kinda neat watching it fall on the mountains while the sun shines, there's this diffuse sort of rainbow happening.
On the other hand, I just got my tickets to the game between the Cubs and the Dodjahs at Hi Corbett, March 27, and I'm dreaming of hotdogs and the sounds and smells of the grand old game. Dey shoulda nevah left Brooklyn, ya know 
We're gonna try again to arrange a meetngreet with Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija, whose mom died of ARDS about ten years ago. I'm sure you understand if he's my favorite player right now.


amsawtell said:


> I was going to go on a quick trip around the  state tomorrow and Friday (for my birthday) but I can't because of the  snow.  KC won't be too bad but the towns I was planning on visiting will  be.



I'm sorry. Get some bbq then


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> The weather outside is frightful....those scones look goooood. I make orange/cranberry and caramel/toffee ones. They come out like shortbread cookies, which is ok by me. Probably I've screwed up something in my interpretation of the recipe but whatevah. Frigate.
> It stopped snowing down here but up the street (I'm about three miles from the Catalina foothills) it's still blasting away. It's kinda neat watching it fall on the mountains while the sun shines, there's this diffuse sort of rainbow happening.
> On the other hand, I just got my tickets to the game between the Cubs and the Dodjahs at Hi Corbett, March 27, and I'm dreaming of hotdogs and the sounds and smells of the grand old game. Dey shoulda nevah left Brooklyn, ya know
> We're gonna try again to arrange a meetngreet with Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija, whose mom died of ARDS about ten years ago. I'm sure you understand if he's my favorite player right now.
> 
> 
> I'm sorry. Get some bbq then




I wish Jeff would have stuck with football.  He was perhaps one of my favorite Notre Dame players of all time.  So how close are you to Goodyear?  I might have to come steal your couch one year to go to Red's Spring training!


----------



## moderan

About ninety miles away. Bring Dusty Baker's toothpick collection for kindling.


----------



## JosephB

Decided to make omelets. I'll put mushrooms and cheese in mine. My girls won't eat mushrooms -- their mom doesn't like them and she's brainwashed them.


----------



## Ariel

I just toss whatever into the dough.  I realized when I went to add the milk that our milk went bad so I substituted condensed milk.  They're sweeter than normal (probably all the sugar) but I also grated fresh nutmeg, added ground cinnamon, ginger, and clove to it and dried fruit bits.  They're pretty good though the dough is not as fluffy as normal.  I probably over worked it.  They're tasty though and I have fresh baked goods.  

Thanks for the compliment though, Mod.


----------



## Foxee

I had some cooked chicken, bones and all, left over in the fridge so I made stock and then a soup with lots of veggies and the chicken meat. Juicing a couple of Roma tomatoes and adding that seemed to wake up the flavors a lot and give the broth a much-needed touch of acidity. Tried using bean threads for my noodles in the soup and fried up some parsnip chips to accompany the soup with some crunch. It was a hit!


----------



## Kevin

We made some sort of Dolma/ lasanga looking dish with marinara and three cheeses, baked. I de-stemmed and blanched the most colorful (reds, orange and yellow) swiss chard leaves that wifey then rolled around rice and finely chopped mushroom and some other mystery stuff. I think it was a _Giada. _ It was a keeper.

On a side note, that night I had several vivid dreams with complicated plot/story lines and characters that were totally new to me. Finally, just before waking, a composition of multi-instrumented music came to me, which I found very unique as I've never made music and don't play anything. There were drums and horns and...I was not able to record any of it but  the point is that I think the chard has psychoactive properties, at least in my case. It's not the first time I've noticed strange stuff after eating it. I don't do any meds or any recreational stuff so whatever. Just an anecdotal observation and not scientific.


----------



## Foxee

*puts chard on the grocery list*

Breakfast was Cinnamon-Oat pancakes (Yes, my own recipe and my own oat-coconut flour made in the blender) topped with sliced toasted almonds, honey, and fresh pineapple seared off on the griddle and sprinkled with cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

YUM. Great with coffee.


----------



## moderan

Weird. I eat Swiss Chard on a fairly regular basis and no psychedelics 
Maybe I should eat more.
A Giada, eh? It appeared on tv with its breasts trying to fall out of its top? Oops. She's a good cook and a good-looking lady but I'm watching for the food, and that's distracting.
Today, after my X-Ray (yeah, they're coming to the place to give me an xray for my pulmonologist to compare to), I'm thinking about making breakfast for dinner. Cinnamon Roll pancakes, which are fairly similar to what Foxee described. Denise found the recipe last night and asked me to make them. I'm going to add chopped pecans.


----------



## Foxee

Wow! I'd like the recipe, too, even just to see how those are constructed.


----------



## moderan

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (source unknown)

 Ingredients:

 for the Pancakes:
 4 cups all-purpose flour
 8 tsps baking powder
 2 tsp. salt
 4 cups milk
 4 tbsps vegetable oil
 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

 for the Cinnamon Filling
 1 cup butter, melted
 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

 for the Cream Cheese Glaze
 1/2 cup butter
 4 oz. cream cheese
 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
 1 tsp. vanilla

 Directions:

 To make the Cinnamon Filling:
 Mix the three ingredients together.  Place in a disposable piping bag  and snip the end off or put in a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off.


 To make the Pancakes:
 Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another  bowl.  Stir them together until everything is moistened leaving a few  lumps.

 Heat your griddle to exactly 325 degrees.  You don't  want these too cook too quickly, and you won't want your cinnamon to  burn.  

 Make desired size pancake on greased griddle and then  using the piping bag and starting at the center of the pancake, create a  cinnamon swirl.  Wait until the pancake has lots of bubble before you  try to turn it.  You will find that when you turn it the cinnamon swirl  will melt.  The cinnamon will melt out and create the craters which the  cream cheese glaze will fill.

 To make the Cream Cheese Glaze:
 In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and cream cheese and then stir  together.  Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add a little milk  if needed to make
 it a glaze consistency.  

 Place pancake on plate, then cover with cream cheese glaze.


----------



## JosephB

Man, those look good. We're having chicken enchiladas tonight -- but I'm picking them up at a deli/cafe that sells dinners you just stick in the oven.


----------



## moderan

Even so. chicken enchiladas, mmm, good. We have them about once a month. I either make them from scratch or Denise will come in with the Old El Paso kit and drop it off on the kitchen table. I customize from there. I even have a special corningware baking pan that I use only for enchiladas, as it's precisely the right size for six.
I have the pancake mix and the glaze all ready to go, just waiting on the wife.


----------



## Gumby

Already copied and saved that pancake recipe, thanks! Mouth waters just looking at that photo. 

Good ol' beef stew tonight, I serve it with five cheese garlic toast. It's so easy and good on days like today. We're having an ice storm.


----------



## JosephB

I make enchiladas pretty often -- and funny, I use an old corningware dish that I got from my grandmother. I make lasagna in it too. The place I stopped at tonight has a little cafe, they cater and they have a case of really good prepared meals and another one with great cold salads. Not exactly cheap, but a lot less than going out. My fav of theirs is a crab, shrimp and hand twisted pasta in a light cream sauce. It's excellent.


----------



## moderan

The enchilada pan is way too small for a proper lasagne. One of these days I'll share my recipe again. I think it's in the "Dinner" thread but I don't feel like searching. It's so good that some of my friends subsumed Groundhog Day and turned it into Lasagne Day so that we could all get together once a year and eat it. There was a time when nobody had ever eaten more than one slice. I have a deep-dish corningware pan just for the lasagne-those are the only two dishes I make that have unique pans-space is at a premium.
Our cats would be very interested in that pasta.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> The enchilada pan is way too small for a proper  lasagne.



My corningware baking dish is plenty big for lasagna - the noodles kind of dictate that. I make 8 to 10 enchiladas in it.


----------



## moderan

My enchilada dish is smaller (and shallower), as previously noted. I actually got it from the plant...in Corning, NY, near Elmira, maybe 60 miles south of Syracuse or sixty north of Cooperstown, depending on your orientation. It's a small cake pan thing.


----------



## Lewdog

My stomach was yelling at me that it was running below empty so I had to fix something.  I clean out the last piece of meat in my fridge which happened to be cubed pork.  I fried it with garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and cumin.  Then I smothered it with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce.  The cumin really sets off the pork flavor.  I just hope this sticks with me.


----------



## Fly

A friend told me to try out chicken adobo. It was awesome.:beguiled:


----------



## Lewdog

Fly said:


> A friend told me to try out chicken adobo. It was awesome.:beguiled:





Is that a little house made of mud, straw and chicken?  That doesn't sound very safe.


----------



## Ariel

Mod, I understand about space being at a premium.  My house is only 1600 square feet and that's with two stories and a basement.  My downstairs bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen are all additions so at some point my house was even smaller.  The kitchen is so small that to roll out my scones the other day I would roll out half, cut it up when that part was thin enough then roll out more.


----------



## moderan

We don't have a laundry room. That's exterior. Our condo is @900 sq. ft. No basement. You don't get basements in Tucson. But two floors, all-new appliances and counters, hardwood floors, gated community (we're on the edge of a barrio), swimming and stuff on the grounds. Small yard/patio thing, about 12x10. Plus affordable. 
Storage is at a premium cuz we haven't gotten around to getting all of the furniture yet. Not enough shelves or tables. Boxes.


----------



## moderan

Burgers! I have been ordered to fashion burgers for our repast.
I am opting for the chiliburger, with cheddar cheese and onion.. She will have mushroom and swiss, with bacon. These are our favorites, respectively. What's yours?


----------



## Nee

I routinely incorporate either ground cashews or toasted pumpkin seeds into my hamburger meat--sometime a bit of bacon fat as well. Then smother then in caramelized onions and serve on sesame seed kaiser roll with wasabi mayonnaise and pickled ginger.


----------



## moderan

:???:Why would you do that to a perfectly good burger? What did that ground beef do to you?:sorrow:
I couldn't eat that.


----------



## Lewdog

I always enjoyed Pizza burgers.  I season the ground beef with garlic pieces and Italian spices then serve it with fried pepperoni on top with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> :???:Why would you do that to a perfectly good burger? What did that ground beef do to you?:sorrow:
> I couldn't eat that.



Behind the curve I see. Well then, just try one with wasabi mayo and pickled ginger some time. It's unbelievable.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> Behind the curve I see. Well then, just try one with wasabi mayo and pickled ginger some time. It's unbelievable.



While laying in bed with insomnia last night I watched the show "Mysteries at the Museum," where they told the story of Jamaica Ginger (AKA 'Jake') and how during prohibition tens of thousands of men became paralyzed from drinking it.  It was supposed to be an elixir for digestive ailments, but it contained enough alcohol that men could buy a bottle for 30 cents and get drunk.  The government came up with the ingenious idea of making manufacturers double the amount of non-alcoholic ingredients in order to dilute the alcohol content.  By doing so, double the amount of ginger would make the drink so bitter it would become undrinkable.  Two men in Illinois thought they would beat the system by adding a flavorless compound used in preserving movie film called TOCP  (Tricresyl phosphate*)* to dilute their drink.  What they didn't know was that TOCP is a  neurotoxin that causes axonal damage to the nerve cells in the nervous system of human beings, especially those located in the spinal cord.


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> Behind the curve I see. Well then, just try one with wasabi mayo and pickled ginger some time. It's unbelievable.


I could deal with that. But cashews? Nah. Pumpkin seeds, double nah. Californians!


----------



## Nee

Idiots. Jeessee...anything to make some money.


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> I could deal with that. But cashews? Nah. Pumpkin seeds, double nah. Californians!



You have no idea how good it is. They are finely ground--just before they'd become cashew butter. I have been eating plan burgers with wasabi mayo and pickled ginger for over 20 years and I just presently saw on that food truck show these guys in LA are selling them by the (yuk yuk) truck load.

'Spose it had to happen.


----------



## Ariel

I like my burgers with onions, tomato, pickle, cheddar cheese, toasted bun, and mayo.  Other spices are optional so long as the burger is juicy.

Tonight, for my birthday, we're going out for high-mid priced Italian.


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> You have no idea how good it is. They are finely ground--just before they'd become cashew butter. I have been eating plan burgers with wasabi mayo and pickled ginger for over 20 years and I just presently saw on that food truck show these guys in LA are selling them by the (yuk yuk) truck load.
> 
> 'Spose it had to happen.


No thank you. Burgers are comfort food. I'll stick with chili.


----------



## Lewdog

moderan said:


> No thank you. Burgers are comfort food. I'll stick with chili.




How about southwestern white chicken chili on a hamburger with Monterrey pepper-jack cheese?


----------



## moderan

No thank you. Good old beef chili with red sauce. I'll even use Hormel.


----------



## Lewdog

I have found this new remarkable flavor of taking a bite of string cheese then chasing it with a pork cracklen.  It is heavenly.


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> No thank you. Burgers are comfort food. I'll stick with chili.



Comfort food...you mean like chipped beef on toast...?


----------



## Nee

Lewdog said:


> I have found this new remarkable flavor of taking a bite of string cheese then chasing it with a pork cracklen.  It is heavenly.



And fattening.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> And fattening.




Yes, I'm going to make my mortician earn his wage.


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> Comfort food...you mean like chipped beef on toast...?


Like meatloaf or open-faced turkey sandwiches. Chipped beef on toast is S.O.S.


----------



## Kevin

Lewdog said:


> I have found this new remarkable flavor of taking a bite of string cheese then chasing it with a pork cracklen.  It is heavenly.


 You have to try this:https://www.karouncheese.com/type/string-cheese  The braided part-skim red label(plain) is the best.


----------



## Lewdog

Damn I bet the hickory smoked ones are excellent.


----------



## moderan

Topical:
[video=youtube;Uc176fJci98]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc176fJci98[/video]


----------



## Nee

moderan said:


> Like meatloaf or open-faced turkey sandwiches. Chipped beef on toast is S.O.S.



I know... LOL...my dad said he got use to it in the air force so he had my mom make it every now and then to get us (his kids) to like it. We didn't. She even tried to make it with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup but he wasn't going for it. Basically it's lard gravy with that weird thinly sliced sandwich meat stuff--to make things worse, he like it made with that fake pastrami stuff and a few peas thrown in for color. (Gag).

Though, I do contribute my lifetime passion for great food to this repeated childhood trauma, so something good came of it I suppose.


----------



## Nee

[video=youtube_share;ly79mkffp7M]http://youtu.be/ly79mkffp7M[/video]


----------



## Lewdog

When I was a kid my grandmother, who was from Kentucky, used to have a rotation of comfort food meals she would make for dinner.  This usually meant Swiss steak using actual steaks, home made beef vegetable soup, BBQ boneless country pork ribs, Golden mushroom cubed beef steaks, homemade chicken pot pie, pork chops in sauerkraut, chili, fried chicken, turkey hot shots, BBQ chicken quarters, and once a month a baked duck because my gandpa liked it.  Every now and again she would throw in a taco salad, Mexican lasagna, or plain old hamburgers.  I think she got this way because she worked in restaurants so much during her life.


----------



## Nee

Lewdog said:


> When I was a kid my grandmother, who was from Kentucky, used to have a rotation of comfort food meals she would make for dinner.  This usually meant Swiss steak using actual steaks, home made beef vegetable soup, BBQ boneless country pork ribs, Golden mushroom cubed beef steaks, homemade chicken pot pie, pork chops in sauerkraut, chili, fried chicken, turkey hot shots, BBQ chicken quarters, and once a month a baked duck because my gandpa liked it.  Every now and again she would throw in a taco salad, Mexican lasagna, or plain old hamburgers.  I think she got this way because she worked in restaurants so much during her life.



Ah. I was wondering why you were posting so much in this thread. Ya, caught the food bug early on. My grandmother was French Canadian, and man could she cook.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> Ah. I was wondering why you were posting so much in this thread. Ya, caught the food bug early on. My grandmother was French Canadian, and man could she cook.




I have a very sensitive and strong palate.  I can eat food and pick out almost all the spices, ingredients, and even how it is cooked.  I can usually even tell you what kind of oil was used. The down side is, I can't eat bitter things like dark chocolate, liver, gizzards, or drink coffee or tea.


----------



## Kevin

Cut into small pieces and mix in large bowl:

1 pack of karoun cheese (or some other mozarella)

4-6 lrg tomatoes

fresh basil leaves  4-6 0z

olive oil

salt


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> Ah. I was wondering why you were posting so much in this thread. Ya, caught the food bug early on. My grandmother was French Canadian, and man could she cook.


My mother was French-Canadian (Quebecois) and likewise. I grew up in the kitchen.



Kevin said:


> Cut into small pieces and mix in large bowl:
> 
> 1 pack of karoun cheese (or some other mozarella)
> 
> 4-6 lrg tomatoes
> 
> fresh basil leaves  4-6 0z
> 
> olive oil
> 
> salt


Use roma tomatoes. Let em get to room temperature or don't put em in the fridge at all. That's a simple antipasto.


----------



## Kevin

I have a hard time finding real tomatoes. One year they had these not pretty but full of flavor, beafsteak type tomatoes. The bubushkas were buying grocery bags full so I checked it out. The scent was powerful. I cut them like shawarma, rough chunks like two inches long. They had a high ratio of  'meat' to 'goo'. That was several years ago and those tomatoes haven't been back since.


----------



## moderan

I grow em.


----------



## Lewdog

I bought a jar of pickled bologna tonight and am sitting down to my first piece with saltine crackers.  I usually don't like paying the exorbitant price companies charge for pickled eggs and bologna but I decided to splurge.


----------



## Ariel

I'm a picky eater when it comes to texture of the foods I'm eating and to the meat I'll eat.  

In general, mostly because I live in a land-locked state, I won't eat fish.  Don't get me wrong there is nothing so good as freshly caught fish cooked to perfection, but that just doesn't happen here very often.

I also don't like pork.  This extends, most of the time, to sausage, bacon, etc.

As far as texture I don't care for mushy foods or foods that wriggle.  I also don't like rough crunchy textures because I like to keep the skin on the roof of my mouth.


----------



## JosephB

We grow tomatoes too -- or buy them at the farmers market or from guys by the road. Costco has plum tomatoes that are usually OK, if we need lots of them for some reason.

My wife has an aversion to certain textures -- why she won't eat mushrooms. I've bribed her in every way to get her to try sushi -- there's just no way, even the rolls the don't have any raw fish in them.


----------



## Kevin

JosephB said:


> has an aversion to certain textures - I've bribed her in every way to get her to try sushi -- there's just no way, even the rolls the don't have any raw fish in them.


 Hmm. That's exactly the thing I like about sushi: the consistency of texture; a bloodless piece of flesh with no chunks of tendon, fat, or gristle. How many times have I had to remove a piece of 'yech' while eating red meat or chicken...


----------



## moderan

Sushi tastes bad. That's what I don't like about it. I don't have any textural issues that I know of, except for disliking to eat badly-cooked okra because I don't care for the slime, but sushi just tastes bad.


----------



## Nee

Ya know, you have a lot of food issues Mod. 




Mmmmm......


----------



## Foxee

I have never tried sushi. There, I said it. There's something about eating raw meat (fish included) that just freaks me out a little and I might have to be starving in order to get around that. Sushi is pretty to look at and I'd be okay with trying the veggie varieties, just haven't had the chance.

On the subject of okra, I'm okay with it in gumbo but the slime doesn't endear it to me for other applications. I know from watching cooking shows that you're supposed to accept the slime for what it is but it's kinda like approaching the whole raw fish issue; haven't needed to, haven't done it.

No great inspirations are hitting me for food today. I think it'll be baked chicken and rice if I can get the frozen brick-o-chicken leg quarters persuaded to thaw.


----------



## JosephB

When it comes to sushi, it's usually a love or hate thing. I just wanted my wife to try it and maybe like it because I love it so much and I just thought it would be nice if it was something we could share. I like to make it too, but it's not all that fun just to make it for yourself. I have friends and co-workers who are sushi lovers, so when I'm in the mood, there's usually no shortage of people who will go with me. On the bright side -- as I mentioned in another post -- I can go with my wife to my favorite sushi place and she has tempura or one of the teriyaki things -- which are a heck of a lot cheaper. So all the more sushi for me.


----------



## Ariel

As for okra I like it fried.  No slime and it's spicy.  The only person I know that can fry okra the way I like it is my neighbor.


----------



## JosephB

My grandma made awesome fried okra. My mom could never get it right, for some reason. It was the only veggie grandma made that I could tolerate -- she was an old school southern cook -- great fried chicken, roasts, hams, biscuits, pies etc. But she way over-cooked vegetables until they were totally limp and soggy. Bleh.


----------



## Nee

At a party he was throwing my brother tossed a few fried jalapenos into the fried okra bowl...you gotta watch that guy.


----------



## Hemlock

Okra is too slimy for my liking, but it's both delicious and nutritious. uker:


----------



## JosephB

I haven't looked into it, but there must be ways to make okra that isn't as slimy. My grandmother's wasn't -- but she's taken her secret to the grave.


----------



## Nee

Cut it, dredge it, throw it in the oil. Fast.
(don't over cook it). 

The more you mess with it the more slimy it gets. 
Though, it's good for thickening stews and such.


----------



## Kevin

moderan said:


> sushi just tastes bad.


 Nuh-uh! Does not. 

 Dinner guests tonight. 

The Menu: 

Greek salad: romaine, cucumber, tomato, green bell pepper, feta, red onion, calamata. Dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt 
pita bread
hummus: 3 cans chickpeas (washed, drained) 8 oz. tahini, 3-4 raw garlic, 3-4 lemons(juice) Food process peas, lemon juice, and garlic; stir in tahini. 
calamata olives - bowl
sliced feta-plate
loukanico- place sliced w/onion in skillet,  lightly brown. 
4 asian eggplant (the thinner variety), 4-5 zuccinnis, 1 large tomato, 1 yellow onion, 3 garlic- chopped into 1-2 inch pieces, salted, drizzle olive oil, bake approx. 1 hour till eggplant skins tender.
3 bunches parsley, 1 small onion, 3 tomatoes, all finely chopped,#2 bulgar 1/3 cup,  olive oil, cider vinegar, salt, in lg salad bowl. For gluten free add quinoa in place of bulgar, cooked, slightly stiff or it will mush up. (1/4 cup uncooked)

dessert: Greek rice pudding, 
baklava(shop made)


----------



## JosephB

I'm making black bean soup tonight. Going to serve it with baked catfish and quinoa.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> Cut it, dredge it, throw it in the oil. Fast.
> (don't over cook it).
> 
> The more you mess with it the more slimy it gets.
> Though, it's good for thickening stews and such.



Okra slime makes for good hair gel when in a pinch.


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> Ya know, you have a lot of food issues Mod.
> View attachment 4282
> 
> 
> Mmmmm......


I don't. I have like five..it's just that those are common things. Sushi, beets, Brussels sprouts, tuna in a can, fish in general, okra slime. I don't come from an island or a coastal town so I didn't grow up eating fish. It tastes bad to me. I like some, but not very fishy fish. Shark, catfish when I make it, swordfish, salmon. I like me some lobster and crab and shrimp and crawfish. Eating a cephalopod is cannibalism.
Beets are gross. I love the color, hate the taste. Brussels sprouts are little alien eggs. They smell bad and taste worse.
I think that Wolfgang-Puck derived Californian "fusion cuisine" is a crime against nature and I won't eat it or cook it. I'm not Andrew Zimmern, I don't need to.
On the other hand, I'm an award-winning cook, specializing in what I call "enlightened Chicagoan" cookery, Mexican dishes, and down-home barbecue. I'll put out a cook book later this year or early next. You be the judge


----------



## Nee

Mainstream publishers or self-pub...?

Wait. Never mind  It doesn't matter. Even so, there are a lot of ways to look at cooking so you are not the end all to be all in cooking: so ease up a tad. By the way, I sell dishes to people like Puck, and have done for a very long time. My inventions are very tasty not that I believe you would agree--even if you did like them--so, just relax a bit okay buddy? It's not all that important anyway. It's only food.


----------



## Gumby

There are only two ways that I like okra, fried and pickled. They aren't slimy when they're pickled, but crisp like a good pickle. Also they usually have a little lick of heat because of the spices added to them.


----------



## moderan

Nee said:


> ...Even so, there are a lot of ways to look at cooking so you are not the end all to be all in cooking: so ease up a tad. By the way, I sell dishes to people like Puck, and have done for a very long time. My inventions are very tasty not that I believe you would agree--even if you did like them--so, just relax a bit okay buddy? It's not all that important anyway. It's only food.


Of course there are. But no, I won't "ease up". It is, after all, _only my opinion_. 
Some people get wound up real easy.


----------



## Nee

Gumby said:


> There are only two ways that I like okra, fried and pickled. They aren't slimy when they're pickled, but crisp like a good pickle. Also they usually have a little lick of heat because of the spices added to them.



Oooo...I haven't had pickled okra in a long time. Fresh okra is all over the place. My Texas cousins use to cut it up in their chicken salad--though, they used "salad dressing" instead of mayo. (yick)


----------



## Olly Buckle

Fresh okra stuffed with garlic and soused in vinegar has a certain something to it, a tad antisocial perhaps.


----------



## Hemlock

I baked some potatoes, ordered pizza, and grilled chicken for tonight's dinner. I forgot to buy some beer.


----------



## Ariel

I made gravy yesterday.  The biscuits came from a can.  (I never liked mom's drop-biscuits).


----------



## moderan

Sunday morning. I'm up way too early because the cats insisted on being fed and woke the birds up to let me know.
Ah, they'd all make tender little morsels, but I shan't prep them today.
Instead I'm making a bunch of breakfast-y things.
First is coffee. I'm partial to Yuban coffee. It has a good, deep, mellow flavor, much less acidic on the tongue than Folgers or Maxwell House or Hills Bros, which are other of the original bunch of brands that flooded the market in the late Victorian. My wife likes it too, and that seals the deal. We have several coffeemakers-a sturdy Mr. Coffee, well-used and not particularly clean, which gives the liquid a certain bitterness. She likes it that way, and that is the weekday coffee. I clean the thing with vinegar, and the pot with salt and lemon, once a week. But this machine is older than half of the posters here and can't really be restored to factory cleanliness.
So, for weekend coffee, I have a small French Press. Takes a little time, but delivers the full flavor and preserves the mellow. I only ever use the Yuban or Papanicholas Mocha Java in this, so it tastes faintly of chocolate.
Sometimes this needs to be augmented. We have one of those older Krups tandem units, a heavy piece of black-painted steel that makes coffee on one side and espresso on the other. By older, I mean that this is more antique than the Mr. Coffee. Doesn't get used that much anymore. I have blood pressure issues and can't sit around sipping espresso all day, and she pours copious amounts of liquid hazelnut CoffeeMate and can't taste the stuff anyway as she smokes.
I'll have a small cup of the espresso while I'm waiting for the FP to deliver. I use Cafe Bustelo for this purpose, or Papanicholas espresso blend. Today I have the Papanicholas in both pots.
This brings me to the food section of today's post. I'm making chipped beef on toast, which in my hands is not a noxious combination, but a delicacy. I start with leftover roast beef, which I dice and then slice into small square pieces. These are tossed into a warm pan (about 3), with a little butter and some dehydrated onion. Once the butter is melty, just before the meat starts to brown, I pour in a cup of cold water and double the heat. The onions soak up some of the water, the beef soaks up a little and stays tender and moist, and the rest either cooks out or becomes part of the gravy.
I'll whip up a little slurry, 1/2 cornstarch, 1/2 water, and add that to the boiling pot. It'll thicken immediately. Add enough cream (or milk or whatever dairy you like) to make the mixture soupy, and cook that down til the gravy is of the consistency you desire. Taste, add salt and pepper. If you'd like a darker gravy, add a little bit of beef stock or gravy starter and that'll give you a swedish-meatball-like sauce.
I serve this over poached eggs on top of fresh English muffins. It takes far less time to make than it takes to write about it.
And today, because it's been a busy week for her, we have mimosas. 1/2 champagne, 1/2 orange juice. Best combined just before drinking. We also have small helpings of shredded-potato hashbrowns. I form them into patties, sprinkle them with fruitfresh, and dry them on paper towels. That keeps them from discoloring in the air and makes them easier to cook.
Good stuff, filling, not too calorie-laden. Also have pears poached in white wine.


----------



## moderan

That gravy looks good, if a little out-of-focus.


----------



## JosephB

The best coffee value  I’ve found is at Costco, and they roast in on site, so it’s fresh. I buy the French roast and it’s a good dark one – fine for espresso if you make it a little stronger – although I keep an espresso roast that I buy at a local coffee place for when I want the real thing or when we have company. I’ve used Café Bustelo in the past and it’s good. For years, I used a really nice looking stainless steel stove top maker my sister bought in Italy – but I forgot about it one day and the gasket melted and ruined it. I couldn’t believe how expensive it was to replace, so I bought a little Krups instead. I occasionally make capacino with it -- it’s adequate once you get the hang of frothing the milk. Otherwise, I’ve almost completely switched to espresso from regular coffee. We have a really nice machine at work -- and that really got me hooked.


----------



## moderan

If you drink the stuff sparingly, those little espresso machines are great. Works for me. The wife drinks pots of coffee a day, for her we have the Mr. Coffee and basically whatever coffee She won't drink really nasty stuff like Chase and Sanborn but Folger's will do (I can deal with their Black Silk but their coffee is weak-tasting and doesn't have the earthy undertones of Bustelo or Yuban).
Papanicholas is a Chicago-area brand that distributes nationally through their website. Decent value, and not unlike the Costco coffee-which I would drink if they weren't clear across town, which makes it undoable for me.


----------



## Ariel

I think one of the Folgers roasting plants is somewhere in downtown KC.  Most of the area smells like brewing coffee from the roasters and it is divine.  I am unlucky in that the nearest place to get a cup of coffee near work is QuikTrip.  Yech.

Kansas City doesn't really have any great coffee shops.  There's a good one about twenty minutes away in Raytown but I'm not driving that far just for coffee.  I'll usually settle for a latte from Starbucks but there aren't any in my neighborhood.  Most of the people where I live can't afford a $6.00 cup of coffee daily habit.


----------



## moderan

Tucson has a couple of coffee shops but they're mostly havens for people in AA and the coffee and the conversation are both pretty lousy. Better coffee in my kitchen and better conversation with my cats.
Tonight we're having General Tso's chicken. I had to break down and buy the sauce. I confess that I can't duplicate it yet. Have tried many recipes, to no avail. The closest I can come is combining hoisin sauce with sweet and sour sauce and adding pepper puree. That's close but not quite.
So, chicken dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried, with sauce. Stir-fried vegetables and sticky white rice on the side. I made egg roll and then the arthritis took over. Chicken won-ton later, for the soup.


----------



## Ariel

I've had tempura but I need to know, what is tempura batter?  Do you have a recipe?  I'd love to make something with it.


----------



## moderan

Tempura batter is easy:
1 egg
1 c. cold water
1 c. flour
Beat  all ingredients together. Mixture will be slightly lumpy. Dip items to  be fried in mixture and allow to rest a few minutes before frying. Fry  until golden; drain on paper towel.


----------



## Ariel

Thank you, Mod.  I know this is great batter for vegetables.

On another note.  Recently picked up canning jars and want to start canning and gardening.  I already have several garlic bulbs planted and sprouting.


----------



## moderan

Nice. I can some things. Mason jars are cheap. I have salsa and tomatoes and apple butter and horseradish. Just about ready to start planting my outdoor garden. Have jalapenos, habaneros, garlic, scallions, basil, thyme, and three small fruit trees-lemon, orange, and peach. The peach tree is already blooming, and the jalapeno bush produces fruit year-round.
We guard our produce from cats and other predators by planting cacti among them. Wonderful deterrent!
We also have a crazed hummingbird that lives in the tree that overhangs our patio. If anything gets near his feeder, he lances it. Sometimes that includes us! My wife was strafed by Henry the Hateful hummingbird a couple of weeks ago. Henry moved with us from our old place a few miles away. He stowed away in the moving van, nestled amid the foliage in a big clay pot.


----------



## Nee

General Chicken Sauce

½ cup cup corn starch
¼ cup Arrowhead sparkling orange essence water
(slurry)

Two cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup chardonnay
¼ cup honey 
2 tablespoons brandy or cognac 
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
¼ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
2 pinches of white pepper
! pinch of nutmeg
8 – 10 ounces chicken stock


----------



## Foxee

I made some veggie-stuffed potstickers, something I've always wanted to try. 

I was aiming to make the filling as sausage-y as I could but I think it works better as a filling than it ever will on its own as sausage. The cool thing to me is that these turned out to be very versatile; I could make an Asian dipping sauce for them or throw them in spaghetti sauce and top with parmesan or they'd go great with cabbage and onions as a kind of stuffed noodle in haluski. As it was I just hit them with some salt and pepper and at them with ketchup and that was good enough that I probably ate too many of them.

All this and they're cute, too. They're joining the semi-regular menu.


----------



## moderan

Yum. I made chicken-fried chicken. Covered it in cream gravy, added some smashed potatoes, buttered corn. Delightful. Pears in Tennessee Honey for dessert.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> Thank you, Mod.  I know this is great batter for vegetables..



Add 1 teaspoon arrow root for crispier and spongier texture. 
Corn starch works also, but not as good.


----------



## KarinaRetzov

I've been nursing my bottle of Kefir and eating Mom's chicken soup.


----------



## Nee

KarinaRetzov said:


> I've been nursing my bottle of Kefir and eating Mom's chicken soup.



Sounds like you got the flu.


----------



## Ariel

Thursday night I made fried chicken.  Today I'm making French toast for breakfast.  Maybe later on I'll do some scones.  We have little miss today and I think I want to do something fun with her and scone making is a floury messy endeavor with lots of room for creativity.


----------



## moderan

I want pot roast or roast pork and dumplings. Something like that. Maybe roasted chicken...some comfort food like that. Gonna have to shop as I don't have any of those things on hand.
We ordered pizza last night cuz BlackHawks. Every once in a great while I like to do that so that Buster gets a new bed. Mrs. M gets a meatball sub and gives half of it to the cats.
Fried chicken and then French toast sounds perfectly yum. Tomorrow I'm making brunch cuz BlackHawks...they're on national tv and they're playing extremely well. French toast is on the menu. Maple-infused bacon. Scrambled eggs shirred with a little white wine.


----------



## Angelwing

Had a really yummy spicy fish, bean, and rice burrito yesterday. Nothing exciting today.


----------



## Nee

I am teaching a group of people how to make Buffalo Wings that stay crispy after you coat them in the sauce. It's pretty easy really. But I get to use a friends billion dollar kitchen so this ought to be fun.


----------



## Foxee

Nobody but me to feed for supper for a change so I'm making some potato and parsnip hashbrowns with an egg made carefully over-easy so that the yolk will coat the hash when cut into like a molten sunrise only yummier.


----------



## Angelwing

Foxee said:


> Nobody but me to feed for supper for a change so I'm making some potato and parsnip hashbrowns with an egg made carefully over-easy so that the yolk will coat the hash when cut into like a molten sunrise only yummier.



Breakfast for dinner, eh? Then tomorrow morning will you still eat breakfast?


----------



## JosephB

We do the breakfast for dinner thing from time-to-time -- pancakes or french toast or omelets. The kids think it's a big treat for some reason.


----------



## Angelwing

JosephB said:


> We do the breakfast for dinner thing from time-to-time -- pancakes or french toast or omelets. The kids think it's a big treat for some reason.



Probably because it's sort of unusual-for most people I bet. Breakfast is good, too. I'd rather have breakfast for lunch or dinner, not lunch for dinner or perhaps dinner for breakfast. Of course, it depends on the specific food you get.


----------



## Foxee

Angelwing said:


> Breakfast for dinner, eh? Then tomorrow morning will you still eat breakfast?


Tomorrow morning I'm supposed to be at the church at 8 am. Usually the only food I manage to get is coffee.


----------



## JosephB

Mmm. That makes me hanker for a cup of bad church coffee and a delicious styrofoam communion wafer.


----------



## Nee

Foxee said:


> Tomorrow morning I'm supposed to be at the church at 8 am. Usually the only food I manage to get is coffee.



That's way too early to be in the presence of God.






...3:30 or 4 in the afternoon is much more sensible.


----------



## Ariel

If God is omnipresent then we are _always_ in his presence.

I bet God likes waffles.


----------



## JosephB

Mmmm. Sacrilicious.


----------



## Foxee

JosephB said:


> Mmm. That makes me hanker for a cup of bad church coffee and a delicious styrofoam communion wafer.


I see you know the routine.  I make my own and take it in an insulated cup...church coffee is just to warm up the brew. We just renovated the church a bit and it made me chuckle that the new carpet is coffee-colored...I really think there is a reason for that.

Waffles and fried chicken sounds good. I've never had it but I'd really like to try it. I've no doubt God approves.


----------



## Nee

amsawtell said:


> If God is omnipresent then we are _always_ in his presence.
> 
> I bet God likes waffles.



True...but, I meant with everyone watching and all.

Yeah, God makes the best waffles. 
They're like eating lightly crispy clouds drenched in heavenly no-cholesterol butter and real maple syrup.


----------



## candid petunia

Nee said:


> I am teaching a group of people how to make Buffalo Wings that stay crispy after you coat them in the sauce. It's pretty easy really. But I get to use a friends billion dollar kitchen so this ought to be fun.


So, how do they stay crispy? I've only made Buffalo Wings 4 times.


----------



## moderan

Laminate them.


----------



## Angelwing

Ask KFC how they "make" extra crispy chicken


----------



## JosephB

I worked at KFC in high school. For Extra Crispy, the chicken is dunked in milk batter, then rolled in flower, then dunked again in the batter, and rolled in flower in a second time, then deep fried in an open fryer. "Original Recipe" only gets dunked once in batter then once in the flour, with the top secret 11 herbs and spices, then it's deep fried in a covered pressure cooker. Fascinating huh? And no -- I can't tell you the 11 herbs and spices -- I'd be shot if I divulged them.


----------



## candid petunia

KFC doesn't taste that good here in Saudi Arabia. It's too greasy, puts me off. There's a local here, Al Baik. Ask any person who's lived in KSA long enough and they'll tell you that Al Baik beats KFC anyday. 

It tastes nice in India though (KFC I mean), I don't understand why there's a difference in the taste.


----------



## Angelwing

Never thought there'd be KFC in Saudi Arabia. Never thought there'd be McDonald's in Ukraine either lol.


----------



## Kevin

There's got to be something better to eat than KFC, anywhere...


----------



## Lewdog

I have an IV hooked up to a container of KFC gravy.


----------



## JosephB

I had my fill of KFC when I was working there. (Seemed to have the munchies a good bit, for some reason.) But I don't know why it gets a bad rap. If it's freshly made, it's no more greasy than any other fried chicken and it has a decent flavor. I get it now and then for old time's sake.


----------



## moderan

I like the Colonel. Especially the little ears of corn. Those are my favorites. I put honey on my chicken. It weirds people out sometimes. The KFC by us is bad though. They never ever clean the grease trap and you can smell it from a block away. 
We have a good dutch oven and a candy thermometer so I often make my own.


----------



## Lewdog

KFC has the best packs of sweet butter for the corn.


----------



## JosephB

Some stores don't filter or change the shortening as often as they should.  It takes on a flavor that ruins the chicken. The problem too is anticipating how much you'll need so it doesn't sit in the warmer too long -- that's when it gets greasy and soggy. There was always some left at closing -- and new people were always amazed that they could take it all home. After you worked there a while -- you didn't want it.


----------



## moderan

Indeed.
That's gross, Joe.
Really gross.
Anyway...the cinnamon texas toast french toast was spectacular. I made it between the first and second periods of the hockey game and cooked it between the second and third. We had applewood bacon so I baked some of that to give it a more hamlike texture, and I melted a little butter in the warm maple syrup.
I want a waffle iron.
My wife mentioned chicken and waffles as upthread. We used to occasionally eat at May's Counter, but have gotten out of the habit of eating out. I can make the fried chicken, but pancakes don't have the same elan as waffles in that context.


----------



## Ariel

I have trouble eating popcorn and hot dogs.  I also hate the way amusement parks and carnivals smell.  I worked at an amusement park for a couple of years.  The smell is nauseating.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> Indeed.
> That's gross, Joe.
> Really gross.



What -- not filtering of changing the shortening -- or taking home leftover chicken at the end of the day?


----------



## Ariel

After I had left home yesterday for the weekly D&D session I got a phone call from my dad.  Apparently my gutter had fallen off the house and onto the power line and was shorting it out.  A new neighbor had seen it and figured out a way to get in touch with my dad.  In thanks I plan on baking him some of my chocolate chip cookies.


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> What -- not filtering of changing the shortening -- or taking home leftover chicken at the end of the day?


The way you had it written, it sounded like people were taking shortening home at the end of the day.


----------



## Lewdog

I don't understand why I get blamed for every salmonella outbreak, I wash my hands once a week.  That's within healthy standards right?


----------



## Blade

amsawtell said:


> The smell is nauseating.



Diesel exhaust fumes, the universal odour of carnivals.

However most people do not seem to notice the smell or find it offensive:apologetic:.


----------



## moderan

Beef stroganoff tonight. Simple, easy, delicious. Braised beef chunks, green onions and crimini buttons in dairy beef gravy over egg noodles. Fresh green beans for a side and caramel toffee pudding for dessert.


----------



## JosephB

moderan said:


> The way you had it written, it sounded like people were taking shortening home at the end of the day.



Heh. Nope I was talking about chicken. Although we had people stealing used shortening from the recycling container behind the store. Apparently they could get enough for it to make it worthwhile.


----------



## Lewdog

The KFC here gives all the left over chicken to the homeless shelter.  Pizza Hut does the same with all the left over pizza from the buffet.  It sounds good, but damn you sure can get tired of re-warmed chicken, and re-heated pizza.


----------



## Lewdog

The key to the best steak, A good flavored pat of butter on it once it is grilled.


----------



## Blade

Lewdog said:


> The KFC here gives all the left over chicken to the homeless shelter.  Pizza Hut does the same with all the left over pizza from the buffet.  It sounds good, but damn you sure can get tired of re-warmed chicken, and re-heated pizza.



I think pizza re-heat is the worst. It seems to loose its taste and take on a plastic quality at the same time. Nothing like fighting down rubber!


----------



## moderan

It depends on the pizza. Some are still good the next day if they get refrigerated in time.
Tonight we're having a spring is here! delicacy-cream of asparagus soup.
I whipped up a baguette to go along with it and trotted down the the store for some brie and crimini mushrooms.
The soup:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp chicken base
1 tsp brown sugar
dash of poultry seasoning
pinch of salt;pinch of pepper
2 bunches asparagus
1 carrot (chopped)
1/2 med onion, diced
1 rib celery (chopped)
1 small potato, diced
10 or 12 mushrooms (chopped)
1/4 stick butter

Chop the asparagus. Over medium heat, melt the butter and then toss in the potatoes, the mushrooms, and the asparagus. Cook until just beginning to brown. Add mirepoix vegetables and seasonings, stir. Add the brown sugar and chicken base, and a little of the milk. Stir until dissolved, then add the rest of the milk, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble fiercely.
Turn the heat to low, remove the pot for a minute or two and then replace. Stir occasionally. If the mixture stops steaming, increase the heat slightly.
You could use a roux for this and cut down the cooking time but I just cook it down until slightly thicker than cream. The potato starch will help thicken the broth anyway.
If you need more bulk, throw in a bag of mixed vegetables.


----------



## candid petunia

I was wondering, we have members from all around the world here, but not a variety of international cuisine here. I once thought of starting a thread for recipes from different countries (since I thought this one was for moderan's recipes  , but I see now that others are posting too).


Who's interested in Indian food?


----------



## Nee

Blade said:


> I think pizza re-heat is the worst. It seems to loose its taste and take on a plastic quality at the same time. Nothing like fighting down rubber!



If it's decent pizza, then rap it in foil the moment that it is no longer so hot that it'll create condensation and stick it the fridge.

I like cold left-over pizza in the morning with some killer-strong coffee.

*Nee blend:

1/4 pound Kenya espresso roast
1/4 pound Kona medium dark roast
1/4 pound Guatemalan espresso roast 
1/4 pound Colombian medium dark roast    
1/4 pound Tasmanian Tea-berry Medium roast 
1/4 pound Jamaican Blue Mountain Medium roast


----------



## Nee

candid petunia said:


> I was wondering, we have members from all around the world here, but not a variety of international cuisine here. I once thought of starting a thread for recipes from different countries (since I thought this one was for moderan's recipes  , but I see now that others are posting too).
> 
> 
> Who's interested in Indian food?



You can start one if you like. 
I'm sure people will post on your thread too.


----------



## Lewdog

candid petunia said:


> I was wondering, we have members from all around the world here, but not a variety of international cuisine here. I once thought of starting a thread for recipes from different countries (since I thought this one was for moderan's recipes  , but I see now that others are posting too).
> 
> 
> Who's interested in Indian food?



My colon will have to pass on that.


----------



## Nee

Lewdog said:


> My colon will have to pass on that.



Indian food is quite colon friendly.


----------



## Lewdog

Nee said:


> Indian food is quite colon friendly.



Right, like Metamucil.


----------



## candid petunia

No, I mean I will post here. Just wanted to know if anyone's interested.


----------



## Nee

Lewdog said:


> Right, like Metamucil.



Have a thing about fresh vegetables I see.

*hint...eat more of them and you wont feel the need to be so grumpy.


----------



## Nee

candid petunia said:


> No, I mean I will post here. Just wanted to know if anyone's interested.



Of course...!


----------



## Kevin

I like it. Have you ever eaten Cajun/Creole ? I find the strength of flavors similar to Indian.


----------



## Lewdog

Oh, I'm sure I would love the taste.  I've eaten a little Indian food, this ladt had a place where she cooked a limited menu.  She did those deep fried mashed potato balls that were pretty awesome.


----------



## moderan

candid petunia said:


> I was wondering, we have members from all around the world here, but not a variety of international cuisine here. I once thought of starting a thread for recipes from different countries (since I thought this one was for moderan's recipes  , but I see now that others are posting too).
> 
> 
> Who's interested in Indian food?


I don't care for the curried varieties, but certainly others might. I do post things from other countries...mostly eastern European and Mediterranean, but not as often as North American comfort food stuff like pizza and barbecue.
Turmeric is a devil for some folks, and that's a staple of curries, which represent the whole of Indian foods to most folks. That's just as gross a misrepresentation as tomato sauce being the only thing that's in Italian food, but it is a common misperception. It'd be good to see some curryless things, especially vegetable dishes. Olly posts some things along those lines from time to time.



Kevin said:


> I like it. Have you ever eaten Cajun/Creole ? I find the strength of flavors similar to Indian.


Strength of flavor, maybe but not the flavors themselves. Cayenne pepper isn't real similar to turmeric.


----------



## Blade

candid petunia said:


> Who's interested in Indian food?



I would be. I think I could do well at getting a hold of spices though I am not so sure about the actual food materials. I would be nice to see some simple, adaptable recipes that give you the basic idea on food spice combination. I had a book on Indian cooking once but the recipes were so elaborate and time consuming it was like younhad to spend 2 hours on a snack.


----------



## Angelwing

Gonna have some good pizza soon enough, yum!


----------



## moderan

Angelwing said:


> Gonna have some good pizza soon enough, yum!


That's great. Did you make it yourself? What's in it? Otherwise it's like a book review that says "I read this."


----------



## Angelwing

moderan said:


> That's great. Did you make it yourself? What's in it? Otherwise it's like a book review that says "I read this."



Point taken.


----------



## Ariel

I tried a different scone recipe yesterday.  They're much much fluffier and kind of biscuity.  I think that it would be a good biscuit recipe if I left stuff (extracts, spices, and add-ins) out.  I decided to cut out the scones with a star-shaped cookie cutter because I hate the big bready loaf the recipe creates if its cut the way it asks for.

This time I folded in dried fruit, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and some grated nutmeg.  After they were baked I drizzled them with some powdered auger frosting with cinnamon and almond extract added instead of vanilla and some more ginger and nutmeg. They're pretty good.  Just a hint of burn from the spices and just a bit of sweetness from the frosting.


----------



## moderan

Those sound pretty good.I have a buncha Xmas-theme cookie cutters. I could use those. My scones still turn out more or less like shortbread cookies. Probably I use too much butter and sugar. I'm thinking about making some with apple and cinnamon and brown sugar, maybe a touch of maple, cuz I have some nice gingery applecider tea to go with it.
I made German Chocolate Cupcakes last night. I had never made them from scratch before.I used cake flour and confectioner's sugar and Lindt cocoa powder, and the icing was buttercream with caramel and coconut. Just had one, for breakfast. The cats are all running around and it's sunny in here and the birds have begun warbling and we're all smiley. I'd be smiley anyway :adjoint: but that doesn't hurt.
Going shopping a little later, to get the corned beef and cabbage and maybe some food coloring. Why not? Too late to brine my own...I blew it off for a couple days so I gotta do commercial. Cabbage, Carrots, Crock Pot, that's the ticket. Maybe whip up a little soda bread. Have a Jameson so I have something that's actually Irish.


----------



## Blade

amsawtell said:


> I tried a different scone recipe yesterday.  They're much much fluffier and kind of biscuity.  I think that it would be a good biscuit recipe if I left stuff (extracts, spices, and add-ins) out.



I have not done much as of late on scones and biscuits but I always found that basic grain flours are inherently anti gourmet. The prototype starch-gluten-yeast formula seems to work well and is predictable but once you try add-ins and embellishments they seem to muffle the action and produce a result that comes across as "flat." You could just get used to it , I suppose, though I believe that most of us grew up on light, white bread and use that as the standard. "More complicated is better" does not always work.:sour:


----------



## Ariel

I don't cook to be gourmet.  I cook to feed my family.


----------



## Nee

Blade said:


> I have not done much as of late on scones and biscuits but I always found that basic grain flours are inherently anti gourmet. The prototype starch-gluten-yeast formula seems to work well and is predictable but once you try add-ins and embellishments they seem to muffle the action and produce a result that comes across as "flat." You could just get used to it , I suppose, though I believe that most of us grew up on light, white bread and use that as the standard. "More complicated is better" does not always work.:sour:




Sounds like you are talking about over working the flour. 

How can a basic food idem be anti-gourmet...?
Flour is used in everything nearly.


----------



## Lewdog

I decided to eat Lucky Charms for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for St. Patrick's day.  I might cook a large pizza for a snack though.  I'll throw some basil on it for the green.


----------



## Nee

I'm of course, cooking corn beef and cabbage. 

It's got another hour in the oven to go. I soaked it over night in evaporated milk: which will be added to the pan drippings for the gravy. I smothered it in onions, and will have boiled potatoes on the side as well.


----------



## JosephB

I like corned beef -- you can keep the cabbage.


----------



## Nee

Everybody over cooks the cabbage.


----------



## JosephB

That's true. But I've had it when it wasn't overcooked -- and I still didn't like it.


----------



## Nee

It's great shredded for tacos.




...and Coleslaw.


----------



## JosephB

I do like coleslaw -- and I've had sauerkraut that I like.


----------



## Ariel

I like cabbage.  Boiled and otherwise.  I'm kind of weird like that.


----------



## Nee

Nee's Coleslaw.

One head of cabbage, shredded
One half jicama, julienned
One green Apple, julienned
One large red onion, julienned 
(blanched in apple cider vinegar & sugar)
One half cup finely chopped parsley
One half cup chopped pecans 

Dressing:

One cup Mayonnaise
One half cup sour cream
One quarter cup vinegar from onoins 
One heaping gooy tablespoon honey
One tablespoon powdered ginger
One tablespoon cerery seed
One teaspoon powdered dry mustard
One half teaspoon nutmeg
One half teaspoon each of salt & pepper

thin if needed with a little milk

Mix well and fold into slaw.
Let sit for an hour in the fridge.


----------



## Angelwing

Soon, I shall devour the Irish Soda Bread I made! I can't wait-it's the first time I've made it. Usually I just buy it.


----------



## moderan

Recipe!


----------



## Blade

amsawtell said:


> I don't cook to be gourmet. I cook to feed my family.



I did not mean to imply that. y point was that generally with foods you can mix and match at will. However I have found that when you start with flour-yeast-water it seems like anything else you do has an impact on the whole.



Nee said:


> Sounds like you are talking about over working the flour.
> 
> How can a basic food idem be anti-gourmet...?
> Flour is used in everything nearly.



Possibly. I do not use flour in anything except bread, scones or biscuits myself. I have found that flour is not very useful with other foods and other foods are not particularly useful in bread.


----------



## Nee

Blade said:


> Possibly. I do not use flour in anything except bread, scones or biscuits myself. I have found that flour is not very useful with other foods and other foods are not particularly useful in bread.



What about sauces...?


----------



## Blade

Nee said:


> What about sauces...?



Hmm. If I made my own I suppose. I am not sure about this actually. I usually buy exotic sauces at a nearby Thai-Vietnamese store and I presently have 3 bottles half full. I have flour around but I don't actually use it for anything.

( I am now seriously wondering why I replied to this thread ):chargrined:


----------



## candid petunia

Kevin said:


> I like it. Have you ever eaten Cajun/Creole ? I find the strength of flavors similar to Indian.


No, I don't think I have.



Lewdog said:


> Oh, I'm sure I would love the taste. I've eaten a little Indian food, this ladt had a place where she cooked a limited menu. She did those deep fried mashed potato balls that were pretty awesome.



Haha I think you mean cutlets. I've started the thread, I'll post them soon. (You make me want some, I love cutlets! I'll do it over the weekend, hopefully.)



Blade said:


> I would be. I think I could do well at getting a hold of spices though I am not so sure about the actual food materials. I would be nice to see some simple, adaptable recipes that give you the basic idea on food spice combination. I had a book on Indian cooking once but the recipes were so elaborate and time consuming it was like younhad to spend 2 hours on a snack.



It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it. I can't imagine how they could have such elaborate recipes.  Perhaps it's a marketing thing.


----------



## Ariel

Blade said:


> Hmm. If I made my own I suppose. I am not sure about this actually. I usually buy exotic sauces at a nearby Thai-Vietnamese store and I presently have 3 bottles half full. I have flour around but I don't actually use it for anything.
> 
> ( I am now seriously wondering why I replied to this thread ):chargrined:


Oh, no.  You're more than welcome here.  I bake a lot that's all and while it's not as flexible as cooking there's some elasticity in recipes if you're not afraid of wasting a little bit of flour.

  I like the floury mess I can make when baking and I like having sticky dough on my hands.  I like the freedom I have of cutting odd shapes into the dough or trying to fill dough with fruits, spices, herbs, or cheese.  I like the challenge of getting it to rise just right and of substitutions when I realize I don't have something. I like watching flour turn into dough with the addition of water and butter.

I never use margarine.  Margarine is just gross.


----------



## Foxee

amsawtell said:


> I never use margarine.  Margarine is just gross.


Totally agree. 

Tonight I'm making 'Big Salads' so over the course of the day I'll get a basic green salad base made, hard-boil eggs, cook up bacon, and prep chicken and potatoes to become fresh chicken strips and oven fries. Yum...


----------



## Olly Buckle

Most of what people call margarine isn't,it is classified as 'spread'. You actually can't buy margarine in the UK any more. Several places say it is too unhealthy to be classified as food, I believe there is one American state where the law says it has to be coloured bright orange to warn people against eating it, as I remember it the expensive sorts were yellow, but the cheapest one was almost grey, its natural colour. My generation don't seem to have suffered too much from eating it, but when I was growing up people still starved in Europe and there were no fat people, even in England.


----------



## JosephB

Margarine is widely available here. I can't say I've heard that there is a state where it has to be orange. Some brands have trans fats, which are really bad for you -- but many don't. They're made with vegetable oils -- so there is no cholesterol -- and unlike butter, there are no saturated fats. It's not exactly healthy, but most margarine is better for you than butter.


----------



## Foxee

JosephB said:


> ...but most margarine is better for you than butter.


Not really, it's more of the choice between cancer and heart disease. Moderation is a good idea in any case.


----------



## Nee

JosephB said:


> Margarine is widely available here. I can't say I've heard that there is a state where it has to be orange. Some brands have trans fats, which are really bad for you -- but many don't. They're made with vegetable oils -- so there is no cholesterol -- and unlike butter, there are no saturated fats. It's not exactly healthy, but most margarine is better for you than butter.



You sure about that...? We call it Margarine when we are talking among ourselves but they all say "spread" on the labels. I can't think of a single brand that still uses trans fat. 

And using butter is--if you use a nice clean oil (like grape seed oil or olive oil) for frying--not that bad these days because our diet has change pretty dramatically over the last 30 years--an incredible amount of hidden fat has been removed from the American diet since then. 

In fact my cholesterol is so low that I pretty much can eat cobs of fat if I wanted to..but, don't really because I have come to crave the "Good for you" oils instead.


----------



## moderan

I prefer butter. We rarely use margarine...though I like the big tubs for storage purposes. The product is pretty much spreadable plastic and tastes vaguely like salted unflavored chapstick.
Dunno what we're having yet. Maybe shrimp Creole. I have a bag of shrimp I could press to that purpose.


----------



## Blade

candid petunia said:


> It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it. I can't imagine how they could have such elaborate recipes.  Perhaps it's a marketing thing.



I no longer have a copy of the book but it had full page, gorgeous pictures of Indian food with recipes that a contents and directions list about 20 items long. I looked through my books and found a small book with short recipes (no pictures) that looks much more practical.



amsawtell said:


> Oh, no. You're more than welcome here. I bake a lot that's all and while it's not as flexible as cooking there's some elasticity in recipes if you're not afraid of wasting a little bit of flour.
> 
> I like the floury mess I can make when baking and I like having sticky dough on my hands. I like the freedom I have of cutting odd shapes into the dough or trying to fill dough with fruits, spices, herbs, or cheese. I like the challenge of getting it to rise just right and of substitutions when I realize I don't have something. I like watching flour turn into dough with the addition of water and butter.
> 
> I never use margarine. Margarine is just gross.



When my kids were little I used to do a lot of baking along the line of cookies, scones, biscuits and, occasionally bread. Good stuff as it is cheaper, healthier and more creative than store bought as well as being something you can get the kids involved in. I am pleased to recall all the goodies I turned out by learning a skill which is really quite easy and enjoyable. Nowadays it would be even better as the internet provides an endless supply of ideas, more so than working from 2 or 3 cookbooks.



Foxee said:


> Not really, it's more of the choice between cancer and heart disease. Moderation is a good idea in any case.



Good idea, there seems to be a debate here but I think if you don't go off the deep end either way there shouldn't be any problem. I favour butter myself though I have found that Olive oil fills in well in most situations and certainly has a good reputation on the health side. There are also numerous grades of margarine so it is never really clear exactly what you are referring to.


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## Olly Buckle

JosephB said:


> Margarine is widely available here. I can't say I've heard that there is a state where it has to be orange. Some brands have trans fats, which are really bad for you -- but many don't. They're made with vegetable oils -- so there is no cholesterol -- and unlike butter, there are no saturated fats. It's not exactly healthy, but most margarine is better for you than butter.



This is what I mean by the term 'margarine' being applied to other things, in my book if they are made with hydrogenated vegetable oils they are not margarine, they are 'spreads' and margarine is made from hydrogenated animal fats, or traditionally whale oil. I guess the word has been used for other things often enough that it is now understood to be vegetable bases as well, but check out the container and you won't find the word 'margarine' anywhere on it, in this country at least they call it 'vegetable oil spread'.

I just Googled. The US FDA defines it as having 80% animal or vegetable *fat*, less than 80% and it counts as a spread. I guess the spreads would be better for you than butter, not sure about the margarine, I guess it depends which fats they use.


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## The Rust on the Razor

Moderan I made some soda bread this weekend- I can't believe how stupidly simple it is and why I haven't made it before:

500g self raising flour
300ml plain yogurt or milk or a mixture of both if you don't have enough of one
10g salt

Mix all ingredients to a dough, turn out of bowl and knead lightly until smooth (2 mins or thereabouts)
Cut dough into two, shaping each half into a round and score in a cross almost all the way through each round (to let the devil out!)
Bake at 180 degrees ish for 20 minutes. 

I added chopped olives, mixed herbs and garlic before mixing it all up.

Oh.my.actual.god. It was the best thing that has ever come out of my oven. warm with real butter spread over it gahlararall (that's the Homer Simpson sound)


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## JosephB

Nee said:


> You sure about that...? We call it Margarine when we are talking among ourselves but they all say "spread" on the labels. I can't think of a single brand that still uses trans fat.



Some brands are still clearly labeled margarine -- Fleischmann's, Land 'O Lakes and Imperial. Can't say for sure it they contain trans-fats, it was my understanding that some still do.


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## Kevin

moderan said:


> I prefer butter. We rarely use margarine...though I like the big tubs for storage purposes. The product is pretty much spreadable plastic and tastes vaguely like salted unflavored chapstick
> .


 Having been raised in the 70s, that sounds a bit un-American.


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## JosephB

Trying to decide what to eat. My mom died sort of unexpectedly a week ago and we have more dinners than we know what to do with. Even more than flowers, people feel compelled to provide food. Friday night, someone went way beyond the usual casserole and sent us a complete catered meal, shrimp jambalaya, biscuits salad and desert. Along with the good, you get the less than good -- last night we heated up a chicken and broccoli casserole with some kind of creamy cheese sauce and crouton topping that had a rather bizarre flavor. One of the few times my wife has said to the kids -- you don't have to eat this. We also have two rotisserie chickens, lasagna, a pasta salad and chicken tetrazzini. In addition to the meals, we have deserts -- two platters of cookies, St. Patrick's day cupcakes with shamrocks, a chocolate cheesecake, and a carrot cake. And people have called to say they are bringing even more food. It makes me smile, because my mom's solution to everything was to deliver a casserole. I remember too when our daughter was in ICU for a several weeks -- we never had to worry about dinner. It really is nice to not have to think about cooking -- and also to be reminded that you have friends and that people care about you.


----------



## Blade

Olly Buckle said:


> This is what I mean by the term 'margarine' being applied to other things, in my book if they are made with hydrogenated vegetable oils they are not margarine, they are 'spreads' and margarine is made from hydrogenated animal fats, or traditionally whale oil. I guess the word has been used for other things often enough that it is now understood to be vegetable bases as well, but check out the container and you won't find the word 'margarine' anywhere on it, in this country at least they call it 'vegetable oil spread'.



Ironically transfats were invented in the late 19th century by the French to counter a shortage of animal cooking fat. In those days the product would at least have been consistent even though not all that healthy. First major American product along this line was "Crisco Shortening"  in 1911 which would have been an homogeneous product.

As far as Butter goes I think that saturated fatty acids are actually a nutrient even if just on an energy source level and it is just the quantity consumed that is the problem rather than the fat itself. If you have your fat intake under control I don't see how Butter would be a problem. (Not recommended for Spam eaters.):stupid:


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## moderan

I'm making breakfast right now. I hope it doesn't offend anyone too deeply that my three farm-fresh eggs are bathing happily in small pools of real butter, or that my bacon is too thick of a cut and comes out more like ham. Would it be all right if I buttered my toasted English muffin? Does orange marmalade meet with your approval?
Sorry about your mom, Joe. That sucks. Best to you and yours.


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## JosephB

Thanks. I don't think it's really sunk in yet -- probably why I mentioned it here without really thinking. Kind of a downer in a thread like this.


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## moderan

Actually, in view of what you were saying about being brought food in such circumstances, it seems perfectly appropriate. And you still have to go on.
I'm thinking shrimp alfredo for dinner. I have a big bag of refrigerated shrimp that I have to clean and wash and devein. And cream and butter and other artery-clogging stuff, and boxes and boxes of pasta. Maybe some shrimp with bowties? Serve it alfredo on a plate of tricolor farfaille, with fresh parsley and grated parmesan over the top.
Yeah. I have a little mozz and a little pepperoni and some romaine and a couple of roma tomatoes from the garden. Little cabernet for an aperitif and some espresso.
That sounds tasty, yes? Or shrimp cocktail, rings of shrimp cooling over ice cubes, with homemade cocktail sauce and lemon slices and fresh horseradish providing aromatics, and a big plate of crudites and townhouse crackers. That doesn't sound as filling. Maybe a little vichyssoise on the side of that? A baguette?
Hungry yet?


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## JosephB

Alfredo is really good, but a little heavy from my taste. Ever tried shrimp and grits? I've made it several times -- and a couple of restaurants around here have good variations. But my wife and I grew up eating grits and my kids like them too -- it's probably not for everyone.


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## Nee

JosephB said:


> Some brands are still clearly labeled margarine -- Fleischmann's, Land 'O Lakes and Imperial. Can't say for sure it they contain trans-fats, it was my understanding that some still do.



Not be confrontational or anything but, I am holding a 1 pound box containing 4 individually rapped bars of Imperial "vegetable oil spread"...there is no mention anywhere on the box of margarine...it does say "0% trans-fat, and "no hydrogenated oils" though. I bought for for a vegan dinner I'll be cooking for some nutritionally misguided though, very nice people this Thursday.


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## Nee

JosephB said:


> Alfredo is really good, but a little heavy from my taste. Ever tried shrimp and grits? I've made it several times -- and a couple of restaurants around here have good variations. But my wife and I grew up eating grits and my kids like them too -- it's probably not for everyone.



Mmmm...fried eggs on buttered grits with bacon, toast and apricot jam. 

...and I'm sorry about your mam Joe.


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## JosephB

Thanks. About margarine -- maybe I'm wrong. Not the first time -- and it won't be the last, I'm sure.


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## moderan

JosephB said:


> Alfredo is really good, but a little heavy from my taste. Ever tried shrimp and grits? I've made it several times -- and a couple of restaurants around here have good variations. But my wife and I grew up eating grits and my kids like them too -- it's probably not for everyone.


I have, and I like them, but my wife doesn't like grits. The same textural issue applies as to mashed potatoes. I can do polenta or cornbread but it needs the firmness.
My alfredo sauce isn't quite as heavy. I use milk and mozz or cheese curd to thicken it so the texture is a little different, and we prefer it to be more toward the gravy end of things in terms of liquidity. Almost like a bechamel sauce. It's more buttery in taste than cheesy, not as much of the parmesan which gets cloying.
Something like a shrimp po'boy and some greens might work though. Or creole.


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## Ariel

Sorry to hear about your mom, Joe.  

Personally, I don't like shrimp.  I can eat it but it's not something I go out of my way for.  I also don't like crab or lobster.  I'm not so much a surf as I am a turf kind of girl.


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## JosephB

Thanks, amsawtell. 

I love shrimp. And practically every time we go out, my wife orders shrimp if it's on the menu. My kids love it too. I just fried shrimp for the first time on my daughter's birthday. The frozen shrimp at Costco is a really good value and tastes just as good to me as the shrimp from Whole Foods or the farmer's market. We usually have a bag in the freezer. I make a really easy spaghetti carbonara and then I suatee some shrimp and throw it in -- the whole thing takes about 20 minutes. When I ask what everyone wants for dinner -- that's often a request.



moderan said:


> I have, and I like them, but my wife doesn't like grits.



We had grits all the time growing up -- with lots of butter and salt, sometimes cheese. Always on Sunday for brunch after church. I think a lot of people avoid them based on the name alone -- like it has something to do with the texture.


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## moderan

Like they should grit on the teeth like sand, which they don't. I know. Like I said, I like them. She doesn't. So we don't eat them. We don't eat Brussels sprouts either, cuz I think they smell. Stuff happens.


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## Blade

JosephB said:


> We had grits all the time growing up -- with lots of butter and salt, sometimes cheese. Always on Sunday for brunch after church. I think a lot of people avoid them based on the name alone -- like it has something to do with the texture.



Grits really are perceived as a feature of the US south rather than as a food that is generally popular.

I live in Canada and had to do a search just to find out exactly what they were.

Wikipedia: 





> *Grits* refers to a ground-corn food of Native American origin, that is common in the Southern United States and mainly eaten at breakfast. Modern grits are commonly made of alkali-treated corn known as _hominy_.
> Grits are similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world such as polenta or the thinner farina. "Instant grits" have been processed to speed cooking.



This is exactly the role that oats - rolled oats - porridge plays where I live. Same culture, different base grain.eaceful:


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## JosephB

I've lived in the south my whole life -- but oddly enough, my dad was Canadian, came down here and married a southern girl. My dad took to grits though -- he loved them. Almost all of my extended family lives in the Toronto area -- they're always stopping by on their way to Florida.


----------



## Blade

JosephB said:


> I've lived in the south my whole life -- but oddly enough, my dad was Canadian, came down here and married a southern girl. My dad took to grits though -- he loved them. Almost all of my extended family lives in the Toronto area -- they're always stopping by on their way to Florida.



Not surprising really as both grains are fairly cheap, bland tasting and easy to prepare.

The name "grits" is not the best of marketing though, I think sand or maybe little pebbles included. :distracted:


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## JosephB

Yeah -- my dad talked about eating porridge -- only time I ever heard it outside Goldy Locks and the Three Bears.


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## Blade

JosephB said:


> Yeah -- my dad talked about eating porridge -- only time I ever heard it outside Goldy Locks and the Three Bears.



:grin: We share perspective here.:welcoming:


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## moderan

We did end up with the alfredo as that was what the wife preferred to have. Have a pound and a half of frozen shrimp now, for another meal.
Tomorrow is going to be reuben sandwiches.


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## moderan

Reuben sandwiches

One loaf marbled rye bread
one corned beef round
1/2 lb swiss cheese
sauerkraut
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp pickle relish

1 10 or 12 inch frying pan
1 roasting pan
1 electric knife

You can buy the stuff pre-made, or you can make it yourself. I find that the latter is usually more cost-effective.

The corned beef is pre-cooked. I place the round in the roasting pan with about 12 ounces of cold water, and sprinkle the pickling spice over the top. This goes in the oven for four hours at 225.
Once that's done, I let it rest for half an hour and then wrap it in foil and refrigerate.

I make my own kraut-it's really easy to do. Simply shred a half a head of cabbage and put it in a big bowl with a cover. Toss in 1/4 cup of white sugar, a cup of apple cider vinegar, and a tablespoon of caraway seeds, plus a pinch of salt. Refrigerate overnight. 

Thousand Island dressing is easy. Mix the mayo, ketchup, and relish, salt and pepper to taste. If you're using it for salad, add 1 tsp lemon juice. You can add a little dry mustard if you like. That adds a little tang.

I make the sandwich sides first-butter one side of a couple of slices of the rye, and place a slice of cheese on each side. Once the cheese starts melting, take the bread off the heat and set aside.
Place the sauerkraut in a little pat of butter, slice the meat, lay that on top, heat for three to five minutes, and then place on top of one of the bread slices. Top with your homemade Thousand Island.

We're having ours with garlic pickle spears and hand-cut fries. I made the pickles too.


----------



## Kevin

Started juicing again. Had no spinach so I bought  kale. They're often out. Guy at the checkout said all the juicers buy it up; that and the kale.  Beet juice is always awful. It looks bad and tastes blah. It's also the most reactive. Feeling tired? Drink a beet. Mix that with juiced kale and you have a nice glass of drab red with a heavy layer of slag. Yechh. May have to add two apples per batch instead of one.


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## moderan

Ew. I'd just use the apples. I make cider and apple wine.


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## Nee

Kevin said:


> Started juicing again. Had no spinach so I bought  kale. They're often out. Guy at the checkout the guy said all the juicers buy it up; that and the kale.  Beet juice is always awful. It looks bad and tastes blah. It's also the most reactive. Feeling tired? Drink a beet. Mix that with juiced kale and you have a nice glass of drab red with a heavy layer of slag. Yechh. May have to add two apples per batch instead of one.



Ice cold apple, carrot, parsley, celery, cucumber and a little green onion is fairly interesting.


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## Foxee

Kevin said:


> Started juicing again. Had no spinach so I bought  kale. They're often out. Guy at the checkout said all the juicers buy it up; that and the kale.  Beet juice is always awful. It looks bad and tastes blah. It's also the most reactive. Feeling tired? Drink a beet. Mix that with juiced kale and you have a nice glass of drab red with a heavy layer of slag. Yechh. May have to add two apples per batch instead of one.


Kevin, here's my 'recipe' for a veggie juice that tastes really good.

1 lb. organic carrots, washed well, ends cut off, chopped in pieces
2-3 ribs celery cut in 1/4" pieces (my juicer tends to get tangled up in the strings if longer)
4-6 sprigs fresh parsley
1/2 beet (a whole one if it's small) and/or a few of the beet greens
1 apple (sweet variety)
handful of spinach

Strain the juice through mesh lined with cheese cloth into a bowl containing one ice cube. (Keeping the juice cold helps it to stay fresh)


----------



## Ariel

We don't have little Miss tonight but tomorrow night instead.  Planning on taking her out for Japanese food for the first time.  We like the tables (I can never remember what they're called).  I think she'll like the show and I'm hoping that by sticking her silly butt in a dress I can embarrass her into behaving.  Yeah, I'm doubtful too.


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## moderan

Foxee said:


> Kevin, here's my 'recipe' for a veggie juice that tastes really good.
> 
> 1 lb. organic carrots, washed well, ends cut off, chopped in pieces
> 2-3 ribs celery cut in 1/4" pieces (my juicer tends to get tangled up in the strings if longer)
> 4-6 sprigs fresh parsley
> 1/2 beet (a whole one if it's small) and/or a few of the beet greens
> 1 apple (sweet variety)
> handful of spinach
> 
> Strain the juice through mesh lined with cheese cloth into a bowl containing one ice cube. (Keeping the juice cold helps it to stay fresh)


That'd be ok for me if the beet was removed and a nice ripe tomato was substituted. Hate beets *yuk*


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## Foxee

It's a pretty versatile recipe, really. It tastes fine without the beet if you really hate it. If subbing a tomato I'd say get rid of the apple and even add a little onion if you like it.


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## moderan

Yes please. Then I'd have a V8. I'm having one now. I see the coat-tail rider is nosing about again.


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## Foxee

amsawtell said:


> We don't have little Miss tonight but tomorrow night instead.  Planning on taking her out for Japanese food for the first time.  We like the tables (I can never remember what they're called).  I think she'll like the show and I'm hoping that by sticking her silly butt in a dress I can embarrass her into behaving.  Yeah, I'm doubtful too.


It's worth a try!


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## moderan

Pot roast over egg noodles this evening. Been slow-cooking the beef all day and it's driving me sane. Minimal seasoning, just a little salt and pepper. Big chunks of mirepoix vegetables with some red pepper for contrast and color. Made a beef broth and butter roux for the gravy and am just waiting for herself to arrive to do that up.
Got some buttermilk biscuits to dip in the gravy and carrot cake for dessert.
Tomorrow I'll take the beef leftovers, convert them to Italian style with the addition of certain spices, cook up some mild Italian sausages, and we'll have Chicago-style combos. Little mozz and some sweet peppers on top, on fresh-made rolls. Gonna say fudge the diet and fix up a tiramisu or some chocolate cannoli. Maybe both.


----------



## IanMGSmith

moderan said:


> Pot roast over egg noodles this evening. Been slow-cooking the beef all day and it's driving me sane. Minimal seasoning, just a little salt and pepper. Big chunks of mirepoix vegetables with some red pepper for contrast and color. Made a beef broth and butter roux for the gravy and am just waiting for herself to arrive to do that up.
> Got some buttermilk biscuits to dip in the gravy and carrot cake for dessert.
> Tomorrow I'll take the beef leftovers, convert them to Italian style with the addition of certain spices, cook up some mild Italian sausages, and we'll have Chicago-style combos. Little mozz and some sweet peppers on top, on fresh-made rolls. Gonna say fudge the diet and fix up a tiramisu or some chocolate cannoli. Maybe both.



...sounds good. Nearly got a carrot cake today but opted for some custard vanilla slices for afters. Haven't done this in about 10 years, making a curry for the 2 of us. DS away at a lan party for the weekend. 

Braised three sliced onions with freshly chopped garlic before stirring in the beef cubes, herbs, curry powder and sliced tomatoes. When all golden, chopped carrots, potatoes and one nectarine went in with water. The pressure cooker is up to steam and in about 20 minutes... NOSH TIME!!!


----------



## Kevin

amsawtell said:


> We don't have little Miss tonight but tomorrow night instead.  Planning on taking her out for Japanese food for the first time.  We like the tables (I can never remember what they're called).  I think she'll like the show and I'm hoping that by sticking her silly butt in a dress I can embarrass her into behaving.  Yeah, I'm doubtful too.


Teppan. While out at the ball...I'd have her stay home and scrub the floors.  (poke, poke   )


----------



## JosephB

Went out to brunch today with the family and relatives. I had an eggs benedict kind of thing with two poached eggs and a crab cake on roasted diced potatoes, red peppers and asparagus, with hollandaise sauce. It was pretty awesome, but I had to go home and take a nap.


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## Ariel

She's three.  She hasn't quite gotten the concept of "you threw your trash on my floor so pick it up" yet.


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## JosephB

Three? I would think you could just say, "You threw your trash on my floor, so pick it up -- _now!"_


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## Olly Buckle

I'm with Joe, by three it's 'please' and 'thank you' every time, put your own coat and shoes on and rubbish in the bin. Soon they will be going to school on their own, teachers don't want to waste time teaching them stuff like that, they need to arrive civilised, then they will be appreciated.


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## Kevin

It's tough when it's not your kid. Your legs have been sort of cut out from under you. However, at three, their tastes have not yet been ruined by their parents 'Eeew' responces. Jr. ate octopus and squid, the more tentacles the better, but then boys like playing 'monster' devouring such creatures, or 'dinosaur' to the brocoli 'trees'. Fun stuff.


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## JosephB

We've never found it to be tough. When kids are over at our house without their parents, we expect them to behave and follow our rules. Three is not too young to pick up after yourself -- or understand that you don't throw trash on the floor in the first place.


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## Kevin

We've had a few, well one or two..that we, uhm...we made cry.(uhhhh) But just for a moment. Once you tell them that they have to pick up all that crap and that this is what there is to eat and no you can't have desert first...

but imagine if your ex was not on the same page, you know, like fed the kids doritos for dinner, or cooked them seperate meals like hotdogs (so they wouldn't have to eat 'adult' food) to placate them. At some point you'd have like a major confrontation with the kid where they either ate it or they didn't eat. 

Now imagine your not the mom, your just the 'step-mom' (eeesh). _Mommy, that mean lady wouldn't let me eat my dinner..._I don't know, but that's what 'could' happen.


----------



## JosephB

I think you should pick your battles -- and making a kid eat something she doesn't like isn't one we always fight. That's not really about misbehaving in my book -- not like throwing stuff on the floor and not picking it up. I don't know all the circumstance, but In my experience, a three year-old can understand that's not something you do.


----------



## Brock

[video=youtube;27YO6t591IM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27YO6t591IM[/video]


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## moderan

Actually...I had a three-year-old pick that battle, because her food intake was the only thing she had the capability to control. I ended up throwing her and her mother (my step-daughter) out of my home because the mother wouldn't agree that what was on the plate was what the child got to eat.
That's not my child-rearing issue, but hers. But is was in my home, where my rules win. My wife had a problem with it, because she wanted to visit with her grand-daughter, but I prevailed.
It was hot dogs that the child wanted. And got. And then decided that she didn't want to eat because she was mad at her mommy. The child had been a pawn between her parents for so long that she learned to play that game.
We later took the child in for an entire summer while her mom went through basic training (or part of it). It took that entire time to teach her how to behave in polite company. Nobody had ever bothered before.


----------



## JosephB

With ours, I'm not talking about some ongoing battle of wills. More like there are some foods they don't like -- and we don't force it. They're decent eaters and get all the nutrition they need. It's just not worth it to us -- there doesn't seem to be any point to it.


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> With ours, I'm not talking about some ongoing battle of wills. More like there are some foods they don't like -- and we don't force it. They're decent eaters and get all the nutrition they need. It's just not worth it to us -- there doesn't seem to be any point to it.


But they're yours. Kevin (and I) were talking about kids not-ours, as you were in post #909.
We make the same sort of compromises as you do with ours, or even between ourselves. Brussels sprouts and beets and some things that she doesn't like don't get eaten. I draw the line at mashed potatoes-I just won't give her any, and we're cool.


----------



## JosephB

I realize that. That's why I said *"with ours."* I've never had an ongoing eating problem with a kid that isn't mine.


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## moderan

*grins* I haven't either.


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## JosephB

Anyway -- my comments were more about throwing stuff on the floor and not picking it up -- a separate issue. No way any kid in my charge is going to get by with that.


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## moderan

Agreed.


----------



## Ariel

She doesn't get away with it.  But she hasn't quite gotten to the point of "I'll throw this away" on her own.  I'm a bit more relaxed about things than her mom is so I think she feels she can walk all over me.  And I mean that as in I play more.  I have no problem making everything a game.  So when it comes time for me to tell her no she gets really upset.

I caught her jumping on my couch the other day.  Told her to stop so she flopped down on it.  Instead of letting it slide I made her stand up in front of the couch until she apologized.

There are battles and then there are battles.

She was really good at the restaurant tonight.  The dress worked.  That and she was in awe over the guy cooking right in front of her.  She even ate well, most of her salad and all of the soup.  She didn't want the chives in her soup so I had a small bowl she kept putting them in.

We went to the mall afterwards and she made a friend in the kids' play area and they were chasing each other around.  Fella and I were watching from a bench right by one of the slides.  They came over to slide down and Miss pushed the other little girl down it then slid down onto her before we could help the girl up.

Believe me, she was in trouble.  We made her go, by herself, to apologize to the girl and her parents.  They were pretty cool about it but we were still pretty mad.

Oh, and I'm not her step-mom yet.  Her dad and I live together but we aren't married.  It's really hard because I don't have any children of my own and her mother won't communicate rules or anything.  Consistancy can't exist if half of the "team" won't work with the other half.

Wow, sorry for the off-topic rant.  Uh, dinner was great.  Wish I knew how to make the dressing there.  I think there's horseradish in it.


----------



## Brock

Our nine-year-old is the pickiest eater I've ever seen.  I want my kids to eat healthy, as there is a lot of cancer in my family and I worry about this constantly.  She basically refuses to eat anything that doesn't come in a box, and refuses to try anything new that looks even remotely healthy to her.  My wife and I have tried everything from 'you're going to bed hungry and you will eat that for breakfast' to showing her pictures online of Ethiopian children in attempt to make her feel guilty for the food she wastes.  It is an exhausting battle.  She looks healthy and beautiful, but I am all to aware of what can come of a bad diet.  I worry about her and would do anything to change her attitude about healthy foods.


----------



## Ariel

My mom had the same battle but with my dad.  She got a salad shooter.  She would make regular stuff like meatloaf but about half of it would be shredded vegetables--zucchini, carrots, celery--pretty much anything she could put into it.  It was a good way for her to sneak vegetables into his diet.  She'd also use it for pretty much anything.  It got to the point where he realized what she was doing and started eating them on his own.


----------



## Kevin

amsawtell said:


> My mom had the same battle but with my dad.  She got a salad shooter.  She would make regular stuff like meatloaf but about half of it would be shredded vegetables--zucchini, carrots, celery--pretty much anything she could put into it.  It was a good way for her to sneak vegetables into his diet.  She'd also use it for pretty much anything.  It got to the point where he realized what she was doing and started eating them on his own.


How funny. My mother-in-law used to do that. Her favorite line was "Guess what you just ate." Pulverized something that he (father-in-law) would never have eaten otherwise. Always after she had got him to say he liked it, first. The two of them(wifey and mo-in-law) would tag team him. He never had a chance. They hen-pecked him into quiting smoking. He's greatful now. Ah, women...


----------



## Ariel

I'm planning on finding mom's salad shooter to sneak vegetables into Fella's diet.  He eats them.  At restaurants.


----------



## moderan

My wife stole mine to use in dyeing yarn. I bought another. She stole it too.


----------



## Olly Buckle

amsawtell said:


> My mom had the same battle but with my dad.  She got a salad shooter.  She would make regular stuff like meatloaf but about half of it would be shredded vegetables--zucchini, carrots, celery--pretty much anything she could put into it.  It was a good way for her to sneak vegetables into his diet.  She'd also use it for pretty much anything.  It got to the point where he realized what she was doing and started eating them on his own.


It reminds me of the summer I was given a corner of uncultivated meadow to turn into a vegetable plot, I covered it in horse manure nine inches thick all over and planted courgettes first season to beat the weeds, by mid summer I was picking 2lb a day, courgette went in everything. you can make a really nice moist cake by grating a courgette into the mix.


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## JosephB

Amsawtell, I wasn't trying to be overly-critical of you -- just saying that a three year old can be taught to not do things like throw trash on the ground and leave it. They do need reminders at that age, of course, as you said -- that's how they learn. I do see a lot of parents who wait too late to start asserting themselves and let kids know who's boss, and it's really hard to try to do it later once you've lost control. Of course, I understand you're not really in the position to do much either. In general, I don't envy step-parents (I know you're not one yet) -- that's a really tough job.


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## JosephB

Brock said:


> Our nine-year-old is the pickiest eater I've ever seen.  I want my kids to eat healthy, as there is a lot of cancer in my family and I worry about this constantly.  She basically refuses to eat anything that doesn't come in a box, and refuses to try anything new that looks even remotely healthy to her.  My wife and I have tried everything from 'you're going to bed hungry and you will eat that for breakfast' to showing her pictures online of Ethiopian children in attempt to make her feel guilty for the food she wastes.  It is an exhausting battle.  She looks healthy and beautiful, but I am all to aware of what can come of a bad diet.  I worry about her and would do anything to change her attitude about healthy foods.



I'd say there's hope. My wife grew up pretty much unsupervised, eating whatever she wanted, mostly cheap and unhealthy foods that were around. She'd go days eating nothing more than sugar-coated cereal, baloney sandwiches and frozen chicken nuggets. After escaping the trailer park, she struggled for a time with veggies etc. -- but now she's one of the healthiest eaters I know -- to the point where it can be downright annoying.


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## Ariel

JosephB, I didn't really think you were but since I started the tangent I thought I'd chime in.  

She really is a good kid but she has _attitude_.  Swear she's a thirteen year old trapped in a three year old's body.  We get pouts, scowls, eye-rolls, hands on hips, "ughs", "whatever", sarcastic tones, and "why" all the time.  I like that she has so much personality and such strong opinions but if I tell you to stop jumping on my couch I don't want to hear anything but "okay."

At her grandma's house (who is an avid quilter--she does such beautiful things!), Miss asked her grandma for a button from her collection.  Picked it out and everything.  Miss then turned around and gave it to me "because it's beautiful." I love her.  Sometimes, though, she makes me want to rip out my hair.


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## moderan

Today is going to be one of those fabulous days where my time is devoted to cooking. I did have other plans, but the universe and the Kenmore company determined my direction late last night.
Fry's had ribs on sale-buy one, get two free. I took advantage of that and have three giant racks of St. Louis-style spare ribs (my preference).
I'm getting the smoker fired up and am preparing a rub for one slab-brown sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder. Another rack will be rubbed down with a little hoisin sauce, and the third just salted and peppered-that one will eventually be finished German-style on a bed of fresh-made sauerkraut.
There's a leg of lamb, which will be done Greek-style, with lemon and oregano, some kielbasa which will go in the smoker, and a couple of whole chickens that will be respectively fried and roasted.
I have to do this because our second fridge is on the blink again. Last time it took three days to get a repairman. Isn't the same problem as last time, I already applied that fix. It may be that this unit is well and truly flocked and will need replacing.
So all of the stuff that had been gradually defrosting filled out a new dance card. I took a cab to Circle K and loaded up on ice to fill up the big Coleman cooler and I'll store the cooked stuff in that.
Oy.
Through the magic of insomnia, I am up @4 am doing all of this and watching Cubs baseball on MLB network. Monday isn't even really started yet.
On the plus side, it's a balmy 60-something degrees out there on the patio and I have plenty of coffee.


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## Ariel

60-something degrees?  I'm so jealous!  We have a good 4-6 inches of snow here.  I had to engage my 4-wheel drive to get to work this morning.


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## moderan

You won't be jealous when it's 110 here. I like it that way but many folks don't.


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## Foxee

Snowing like crazy today. Yup, that's spring in western PA.


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## moderan

Don't eat the yellow stuff.


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## JosephB

Someone has Zappa on his mind this AM!


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## moderan

I'm listening to some of his stuff while I'm working on this food. I was hoping to do some writing today but it doesn't look likely. Got a ton of phonecalls to make once the business world wakes up, and then I have to travel to get my meds at some point. I'm ready for a nap already, and it's bloody seven-thirty.
The kielbasa is done. The fried chicken and the roasted chicken are done. The lamb is almost done. I'd take pics but the camera disappeared last week sometime. It was on top of a box in the hallway outside my office, and now it isn't.


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## Blade

Foxee said:


> Snowing like crazy today. Yup, that's spring in western PA.




I think that is spring in the whole Great Lakes basin, New England and eastern Canada at least. It is like the climate is either drunk or just practising on the transition from cold to hot or hot to cold. Keeps you paying attention.


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## Brock

Blade said:


> I think that is spring in the whole Great Lakes basin, New England and eastern Canada at least. It is like the climate is either drunk or just practising on the transition from cold to hot or hot to cold. Keeps you paying attention.



Snowed in here in NW Ohio.  Pretty soon we'll be using the furnace at night and the AC during the day.  Last year at the beginning of March we were in the 80's for a week straight.  I broke out the tank top,flip flops and sunglasses.  The following week I was back in my Carhart, stocking cap and insulated boots.  Weather is crazy.


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## Blade

Brock said:


> Snowed in here in NW Ohio.  Pretty soon we'll be using the furnace at night and the AC during the day.  Last year at the beginning of March we were in the 80's for a week straight.  I broke out the tank top,flip flops and sunglasses.  The following week I was back in my Carhart, stocking cap and insulated boots.  Weather is crazy.



It seems to me that mid-summer and mid-winter are somewhat stable with just a little variation in hot or cold. The transition (so called) seasons are usually erratic with wild swings in temperature and precipitation. I just checked my 5 day forecast which said daily highs just above freezing, overnight lows just below with a little snow here and there. Well I guess this is "normal" for March but only because we have stats that say so.:apologetic:


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## JosephB

I'm going it alone tonight. So I'm stopping to get a steak of some kind to slap on the grill. I've learned that grilling steak for the rest of my crew is a waste of time and good meat.


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## Foxee

One of those days when I'm tired to death from the time I woke up to now that it's time for bed. Supper we kept simple, New England clam chowder (Progresso, yeah, when I feel terrible I'm not into cooking from scratch) topped with multicolored goldfish crackers. Pretty and everyone loved it. Takes more cans to feed the crew now.


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## moderan

Soup is good food. Oh wait, that's a Campbell's saying.
I have all kinds of premade frozen stuff for when I don't feel good. Spaghetti and meatballs is the usual quick-fare but we have burritos and burgers and chili. And bologna. We always have bologna.


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## JosephB

Progresso clam chowder is good. They sell it in six-packs at Costco. We often have it on hand for lunches and as a quick dinner or starter. Their chicken tortilla soup is really good too -- put a dollop of sour cream on it and crack a few tortilla chips over it. Lentil is also good. So is black bean, but it doesn't really taste like traditional black bean soup. I have a recipe for black bean that takes about 15 minutes -- so I usually make that.


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## moderan

We're working our way through the foodpile. Tonight-smoked barbecued ribs, stir-fried broccoli, button mushrooms, red peppers, home-made rice-a-roni with szechuan flavorings, green onions, and roasted cashews.
Rib sauce:
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp brown sugar
dash of onion powder
dash of garlic powder
1/4 cup JD Tennessee Honey
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
tsp szechuan seasoning
salt to taste
Last night was smoked mild Italian sausage with green peppers and mozzarella on hotdog buns, with tater tots and spicy black beans. The fridge man came while I was preparing the repast and got to share cuz I don't turn people away from my table. He also helped me kill some of my beer supply, which needs refreshing. We had Sam Adams White Christmas-mostly because it's great stuff, but he had never seen a white Xmas or had a Sam Adams before.


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## Nickleby

I make a dish I call Trashed Browns. Cut up an onion and half a green pepper. Saute with buttter or oil. Brown a pound of ground turkey breast in the same pan. Add hash browns and cook those normally. Serve with ketchup on the side.


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## moderan

I do that with hamburger and green chilies. No ketchup-salsa! Maybe some shredded cheddar on top. It's like one of those breakfast-skillet dishes. I've made that style of thing with ham, crumbled bacon, chopped corned beef, chunks of last night's roast beef. Versatile. It's a fairly typical lunch for me-I play leftover "chopped" most days.


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## Kat

Breakfast for dinner is one of the kids favorite meals. Our chickens have been cranking out eggs lately. We had hash with ham, onions and potatoes tonight  Scrambled or fried eggs on the side. With steamed artichoke for dessert. My kids will fight over artichoke.


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## moderan

I'm making breakfast for breakfast. Toast with a hole cut in the middle and egg cooked into it, with a slice of gouda and a slice of ham.
Artichoke for dessert? I dunno how you managed that. My stepkids woulda been making gagging pantomime.


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## JosephB

Had a good expense account breakfast this AM -- poached eggs with avocado and salsa on an English muffin. Always tastes better when it's free.

Otherwise, I try to eat breakfast every day -- I used to be a coffee only person. A lot of days, my spousal unit is kind enough to make something for me. I usually eat an egg or two cooked however. The only soy food substitute I've ever actually really liked are Morningstar sausage patties -- the links, not so much. The other thing I like is turkey bacon. OK it's not real bacon, but I don't really compare them -- it's just good for what it is, especially if you cook it until it's crispy. I often have oatmeal, or a couple of slices of whole grain, low carb toast or these awesome grapefruit cups you can get at Costco.

Anyway, I'm not as ravenous at lunch -- I can eat it later if I need to. If I eat less at lunch, I don't seem to have that energy dip in the afternoon. So I'm all on board for the breakfast being the most important meal thing.


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## moderan

I'm having a beer for second breakfast. Why not? Then I'm going swimming, it being 85 or so outside.
Dinner is old-fashioned patty melt, like we used to get at the lunch counter at Woolworth's. Grilled onions, dark rye, swiss cheese. Tomato/cucumber salad, handcut fries. Toothsome.
I eat lunch sometimes, not all of the time, and have no real breakfast rules either. The oxygen thing dictates my energy level. I have enough fat for my body to draw on that I don't miss missing a meal.


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## Deleted member 33527




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## moderan

Need frosting. Mmm, cupcakes. Cocoa and sugar and cream cheese make excellent icing for such.


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## moderan

Them patty melts were delish.
Tonight, smoked chicken enchiladas, mexican rice with tomato and jalapeno, bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos (see the Tavern for recipe), caramel ice cream. I took a hint from the most interesting man in the world and am chilling a sextet of amber Dos Equis, and have prepared a generous flagon of agave nectar, honey, lime, and tequila.
Also Cafe Bustelo prepared Turkish-style, with plenty of sugar and a little cocoa.
My wife just called, and her ride had to leave work early. She has to take the bus. She'll be thirsty and tired and hungry and stressed. That'll last about ten minutes, I wager.
It's a balmy 85 here. Sorry you're not here with me. Hoho, I bet you are too


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## Lewdog

I could kill for a real good hot peach cobbler served with rich french vanilla ice cream.


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## moderan

That's so easy to make too.
Or you can buy it. I like Marie Callender's if I hafta buy it.


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## Nee

A Screwy Rabbit:

2 oz Carrot Juice
2 oz Apple Juice
1 oz Key Lime Soda
1 oz Tequila


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## Nee

Lewdog said:


> I could kill for a real good hot peach cobbler served with rich french vanilla ice cream.



I make a killer Mango/Nectarine cobbler.


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## Ditch

this used to be a coconut plantation, so they are everywhere. We picked one up and you hold it in your hand, then tap around it with the dull side of a machete. It pops right in half and when you are finished, you add a little sand and have two free ashtrays...






Scoop it out with a butter knife....






And eat...






Agouties have been coming into my back yard, I hear they are quite tasty when cooked on a pit. They are the size of a rabbit, no tail and they run, not hop...


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## moderan

Barbecue and pina coladas right there in the yard. Nice.


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## Rosier

I'm throwing a party at the office this afternoon, so I'll be having some chicken, veggies, and lots of coke.


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## Deleted member 33527

Keeping things simple. Baked salmon, white rice, avocado salad (avocado, black olives, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, olive oil and salt and lemon juice for seasoning). Orange juice and a sliced peach.


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## Olly Buckle

I like simple, we went out with the in-laws to eat yesterday at a Chinese. I ordered plain, boiled rice and everyone ate it in preference to the exotic fried varieties, I had to order more.


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## Kevin

@Drmwrx- that dish is about a hundred times more complicated (flavor-wise) than anything I ever ate growing up.
 Our version would have been: 
Tuna fish;baked, canned (_starkist_ brand), which had lots of flavor, just not _good_ flavor.
_Minute rice _(yes, 'minute'_; _need I say more?)  
_Libby's _canned peach pieces in clear syrup (all as it comes in the can). 
Salad: iceberg lettuce (torn, not sliced), tomato colored pieces (still available in most American markets today), croutons(crunchy!), 
B_ob's roquefort dressing _(which had actual flavor) 
Mm-boy! (sarcasm)

 I think I would like your meal better. No, I know I'd like your meal better.   Thank you for sharing.


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## Foxee

Dreamy, that looks delicious. Kevin, sounds like any flavor at all would be a thrill ride after growing up on that.

Yesterday was the family Easter potluck dinner. Mom sliced a ham to the bone and glazed it with mustard & brown sugar. Cheesy scalloped potatoes, winter-mix veggies, a huge leafy green salad, and rolls were the main dinner. In addition there were chocolate-dipped strawberries, cupcakes with a surprise Oreo in the bottom, buffalo dip and tortilla chips, and a cream puff cake. It was a great family get-together.


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## Ariel

As my dad and I are the only surviving members of my immediate family and he decided to go out of town with his new gal I went to the Fella's family dinner.  We had lasagna, salad, and bread.  There was a bunny-shaped strawberry cake with super sweet frosting.  It was fun.


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## JosephB

This was the first Easter without my mom. She used to do a leg of lamb roast every Easter -- and since we had everybody to our place this year, I decided to do the same. When I got to the store, they only rack of lamb, so I got those instead and grilled them with a butter and herb rub. They were awesome. At one point, I said, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm gonna pick this up by this handy bone thing so I can easily get all this meat off. Everyone followed suit. My mother would have been appalled. Sorry mom!


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## Foxee

Your mom would have approved of keeping the family together, though. That can be really difficult when you lose someone. 

The lamb sounds awesome.


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## JosephB

It was the first without my dad too. But he wasn't around Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we've had a little more time to get used to it. My one brother and his family are in town, so we'll still get together on holidays -- we do pretty often anyway. The good news is, my other brother and his family are moving here in June. (My sis is coming in from Italy about that time too for long visit.) So I guess we'll rotate the holiday locations among all three of use. You just have to start new traditions when you can't follow the old ones.


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## moderan

Rack of lamb is usually served "frenched"...the meat is trimmed from the bone and you have those nice little handles without any muscle on them. Good treatment-I like olive oil and oregano/rosemary.
We had ham. I smoked it in the water smoker and then glazed it with orange marmalade and bourbon. Roasted yams, fresh broccoli crowns with cheddar cheese sauce. I made a cranberry/orange cake with the rest of the marmalade and some craisins, and some improvised creamcheese icing.
The funny thing is that we had all the bunnies down for awhile and Groucho and Harpo were eating bits of ham, which we'd cut up for the cats.
I have a leg of lamb defrosting. Gonna make it barbacoa-style this time, with butter and cilantro and a little jalapeno. Probably tomorrow-we have a ton of leftovers.


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## Ariel

Getting any of my extended family together is like herding cats.  I don't really like most of them anyway.


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## JosephB

I'm lucky. My immediate family gets along very well. Very little drama, and virtually no dysfunction. I like most of my extended family too on my dad's side. We have a long history of gatherings and reunions, mostly in Canada. My mom's side of the family is practically non-existent. So many people who died young, never had children or married. Pretty odd.

My wife's family is a different ball of wax. She was an only child, lost her dad at 9, mom at 19. She grew up in a very poor rural area, and most of her other relatives resent her because she left and got an education. My wife is so sweet and tries so hard -- but they're just mean to her. By extension, the don't like me either. I don't know why, but once when we were visiting I mentioned we had a raccoon that we suspected was the critter getting into our trash. I innocently said something about racoons I'd learned online -- and one of my wife's cousins really jumped my case -- like, what's a city boy know about racoons!! He was really angry, I guess because he was some kind of raccoon expert. They all tend to drink a lot, some of them use meth. And a lot of big time Jerry Springer type dysfunction going on. I have absolutely no idea how these people can be related to my wife. Needless to say, we don't get together very often. She has an uncle who left and joined the army -- they live in St. Louis. He's a pretty cool guy and we see them from time-to-time. But that's about it.


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## moderan

The lamb is going to wait until tomorrow. Herself has commanded that there be bacon, and who am I to countermand her orders?
Therefore I am making a potato and cheese casserole, with scallions and multicolored peppers, not unlike scalloped potatoes, but with bacon and some of the leftover ham, and some steamed cauliflower and baby carrots on the side. For dessert, we have prickly-pear jello.
The lamb is marinating in Chilean red wine and garlic.


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## JosephB

You really can't argue with bacon. I make a simple spaghetti carbonara with bacon -- I use a little milk instead of the eggs. It takes about 15 minutes. I do it all the time when I need to whip up something fast and no one gets tired of it.


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## Ariel

I hate bacon.  The smell makes me sick to my stomach.  I'm weird though.


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## JosephB

Blasphemer!


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## Ariel

Actually, I'm not a blasphemer.  A good portion of the world doesn't eat pork because of religious conscriptions.  I also don't eat shellfish or shrimp.  I prefer my meat to be kosher.  I'm not Jewish by anything but Jewish law but if I were to convert at least I have the practice.


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## JosephB

I was joking -- suggesting that some people revere bacon as the food of the gods.


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## Ariel

I know.  I just hear that one a lot.  

Fella loves bacon.  He eats it when I'm not home.


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## JosephB

Heh. You got me. :smile:


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## moderan

Actually, pork belly is the food of the gods.
*ducks*
I have to grate a half pound of cheese for the casserole. I refuse to use velveeta. And I'm gonna chop up a yam too.
So here's what I have:
one medium white potato, chopped
one yam, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 pound sharp cheddar
one bunch scallions, chopped
one ziploc bag of multicolored julienned peppers
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 pound sliced white button mushrooms
1/2 pound diced ham
1 cup pinto beans (premade)

I figure to cook the bacon first and then set that aside while I saute the mushrooms and peppers in the fat, and then add the chicken stock and the ham and cook that down for a bit.
In a baking pan I'll layer the potato, the yam, and the scallions, and then pour the beans over that. At that point I'll want to season, maybe just a little salt and pepper, maybe a couple red pepper flakes. Half of the cheese gets grated over that, and then I'll mix it all together and grate the rest of the cheese over the top. That's a lot of cheese but think of the size of a baking pan. This'll make six to eight servings.
The leftover stuff will get turned into burritos, with the addition of some cumin and chili powder. I have some 18-inch tortillas that should serve nicely.


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## Deleted member 33527

Simplicity is best: eggs, fried cherry tomatoes, hummus and avocado, Mom's flat bread, bunch of grapes and a tall glass of ice cold water.


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## moderan

Not always. Simple is good but complex can be fun too. I'll eat anything from a grilled cheese to bouillabaisse, depending. The potato casserole was so good that my wife is taking the leftovers to work tomorrow for lunch. That _never_ happens.


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## Kevin

"Mom's flat bread"- Mmm. Where can I get that? Lately the storebought pita has been getting thinner.


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## Kevin

Another gag me juicer today. We'd run out of everything except greens and raw ginger. "If it tastes this bad it must be good for you." 

Junior brought home and opened a can-a-Spam. He's a big bacon fan. Said it wasn't that good. Wifey remarked that it smelled just as she'd remembered: "Like dogfood."  
Ingredients: Pork, ham (huh?), chicken, sodium this, that, and the other. Ooh boy. "Uh, no thank you, Dear." I know it's a favorite someplace, maybe a pre 'turn of the century' thing.
 "_Ya, back in the fifties we used to eat uranium. It was a bit crunchy at first, but you get used to it._"


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## Foxee

Dreamy, that looks delicious. Good stuff. It's giving me a twinge of conscience, though, because I know I can make good nutritious food and right now I'm baking frozen pizzas which is not quite as bad as Spam but not great for you, either.

Kevin, hope you went really light on the ginger in the juice, that can be pretty rough. It'll sure cure whatever ails ya, though.


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## JosephB

Tonight, we're having spicing black bean burgers with avacodo and salsa, and sweat potato oven baked "fries."


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## moderan

Ribs. St. Louis ribs, sweet tomato-based sauce. Jalapeno potato salad and fresh tortilla chips.


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## JosephB

Actually, I little meat would be good. Realized we weren't have any. Reminds me of our ill-fated vegetarian experiment. Once when my wife and the kids left for the weekend, I bought a big old steak and grilled it. I wasn't going to lie outright, but figured I wouldn't mention it. When she got home, she sniffed and said, do I smell meat? I fessed up -- and she told me she was just yanking my chain. She didn't smell meat, but figured I'd try to pull a fast one. I really got suckered.


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## Deleted member 33527

Foxee, how nutritious does this look? Semi-homemade pizza.


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## Deleted member 33527

Today: talapia on white rice, fruit&veggie salad (sliced strawberries, bananas and sweet carrots), the white stuff is plain white yogurt with diced cucumbers, some minced garlic, salt and dried basil on top. The bread is store-bought.


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## moderan

That's not pizza, it's a tostada on a big flour tortilla.


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## Deleted member 33527

Haha, we love a lot of veggies and toppings on our pizza.


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## moderan

I'm talking about _cheddar_ cheese.


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## JosephB

I'm not a big veggie pizza fan. I like mushrooms and a few onions and peppers -- but I have to draw the line at broccoli.


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## moderan

Agreed. My wife tried to pass off a white-sauced pizza with broccoli as an edible item, but the smell put me off. I like broccoli, but not in that context.


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## JosephB

We're having pizza tonight. Haven't settled on toppings yet.


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## moderan

I still have a ton of leftover ham. Am thinking perhaps a primavera or something like that, nice fresh vegetables and ham in a light white sauce. Don't want anything heavy-it's in the 90s here. Could even do an antipasto of sorts. I have olives and pepperoni and some fresh plum tomatoes, and romaine.


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## Hunter

Rice filled peppers with olives and feta cheese!


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## JosephB

Had an awesome dinner. The spousal unit and I went out for both our birthdays to a nice fairly new restaurant in an little old house. Kind of lame, but we ordered the same thing -- pasta with grilled shrimp, andouille sausage and a crab cake. I felt bad for the owners, because it was pretty empty for a Saturday night. I guess the upside was we got a lot of attention -- they let us sample a few things and we got desert on the house. Hope they're around long enough for us to go back.


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## Kevin

moderan said:


> That's not pizza, it's a tostada on a big flour tortilla.


  Mexicans (generally) love pizza.


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## Ariel

I work with a lot of Mexicans and their pizzas usually have pepperoni, chicken, and jalepeños.  It's pretty delicious.

They've also told me about a hot dog thing where you take a hot dog and slice it open, layer cheese and jalepeños, then wrap it in bacon and grill it.  It's then put on a bun with hot sauce.

I'm not brave enough to try the hot dog.


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## moderan

It's a Sonoran Dog. Common in northern Mexico and southern Arizona, which borders Sonora. And yes, Kevin, they generally do. I'm just making the distinction between (mostly) cheddar cheese and (mostly) mozzarella concoctions, because the pizza places here make that distinction. Italianate pizza has mozz. Mex/US has cheddar, and real mex has queso.
I'm sixty-one miles from the border as the crow flies. There's no shortage of Mexican pizza here. There's a Sonoran hotdog truck that parks in a vacant lot a block south of here. Those dogs are delicious if you leave off the mayo.


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## Ariel

I thought so too until they got to the bacon part.  Ugh.  Bacon does _not_ make everything better.


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## moderan

Bacon dogs are yum. And that smoky flavor combined with the jalapeno buzz is terrific, at least to me. I make Sonoran Dog quesadillas regularly.


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## Ariel

Another recipe from south of the border--jalapeños with the end with the stem sliced off and the innards cut/scooped out, stuffed with cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, or cheddar cheese, put the stem part back on, wrap in bacon, and grill it until the cheese melts. 

I've made these minus the bacon.  (Ugh, that smell!). They're pretty tasty.


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## Sirena

buffalo tofu


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## JosephB

You'll have to explain that one. Tofu with buffalo sauce?


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## Sirena

amsawtell said:


> Actually, I'm not a blasphemer.  A good portion of the world doesn't eat pork because of religious conscriptions.  I also don't eat shellfish or shrimp.  I prefer my meat to be kosher.  I'm not Jewish by anything but Jewish law but if I were to convert at least I have the practice.




See, as an animal activist I can't see myself ever eating kosher, because the heart still needs to be pumping in order to get the blood out. When I read about how kosher meat is processed I cried ;(
Also I firmly believe the acidity in meat is not necessary for the body, we get healthier protein from beans


PS: to the curious kitten that asked, buffalo tofu is tofu in Buffalo sauce, indeed you assumed correctly


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## JosephB

Nobody's ever called me a kitten before. Curious or not. 

I like tofu if it's cooked properly -- stir fried or grilled so it's seared and golden brown in spots and on the edges. That's what gives it texture and flavor. I grilled slices of it last week after marinating  it overnight in soy and ginger sauce. My kids have been eating it since they were babies -- they love it.


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## Kevin

Sirena said:


> See, as an animal activist I can't see myself ever eating kosher, because the heart still needs to be pumping in order to get the blood out. When I read about how kosher meat is processed I cried ;(
> Also I firmly believe the acidity in meat is not necessary for the body, we get healthier protein from beans
> 
> 
> PS: to the curious kitten that asked, buffalo tofu is tofu in Buffalo sauce, indeed you assumed correctly


 Vegan is  Kosher.


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## WechtleinUns

Spanish Style Arros con frijoles and Sriracha Sauce, y some sausages, tambien. 
(Also, I admire the vegan lifestyle, Sirena(lol, Sirena. ). But I'm not sure I would practically consider it. Time will tell. 

p.s. "Sirena" es el nombre de mi hermanita, Sirena.


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## moderan

amsawtell said:


> Another recipe from south of the border--jalapeños with the end with the stem sliced off and the innards cut/scooped out, stuffed with cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, or cheddar cheese, put the stem part back on, wrap in bacon, and grill it until the cheese melts.
> 
> I've made these minus the bacon.  (Ugh, that smell!). They're pretty tasty.


I stuff those with cream cheese and chorizo and deep fry them. Sorta like small chiles relleno.


----------



## Ariel

I don't condone killing animals for sport nor do I condone killing for skins.  My leather is cowhide, thank you.  A lot of domesticated animals cannot survive without our care and honestly, a lot of livestock need our care as well.  I'm sorry, Sirena, but I just don't agree with veganism.


----------



## moderan

I concur. Many innocent plants are killed by vegans.


----------



## Lewdog

If you haven't tried it, Domino's feta and spinach cheesy bread is the bomb!


----------



## Kevin

moderan said:


> I concur. Many innocent plants are killed by vegans.


 I'm coming out with a new line of food products: Simulated Vegtables. Yes, we take animal products, along with some minerals (but completely plant-free) and form them into things like carrots, and rutabaga. It's also gluten-free.


----------



## Ariel

We're having friends over for homemade pizza, brownies, drinks, and movies tonight.  I'm supposed to be doing a quick clean-down of the downstairs but I just can't do it right now.  I need a break.


----------



## JosephB

That's weird. We're doing the very same thing -- minus the brownies.


----------



## moderan

No movies, no friends. Pizza and hockey. Deep-dish sausage, pepperoni, onion, peppers, mushrooms.


----------



## JosephB

The original plan was our friends weren't bringing their kid -- but I just found out they are. Ours can play quietly and amuse themselves -- this kid can't and he's a bit of trouble maker. I don't think we'll get a lot of movie watching done. Bah.

Go Blackhawks! 

(Sorry about sweeping the Cubbies.)


----------



## moderan

[ot]Duct tape is a wonderful thing. The baseball series was instructive-those teams are not that far apart, despite the sweep. And the Braves are the Cubs' model. Won't be any playoffs for the blue this year but the squad is showing rapid improvement. Today's game is a good example-coulda folded when the Giants took the lead. Didn't.
Hawks need to remember to play 60. That'll earn them a date with the Penguins next month.[/ot]
Pizza! I just put the pie in the oven.
I made Buffalo wings also, after finding a bag of wings in the freezer. I always have hot sauce and celery. Bleu cheese dressing too. I like Marie's if I'm gonna use a commercial dressing, or I'll make my own with cheese and sour cream.
Jack and coke with lime for me. She'll opt for coffee.


----------



## JosephB

Duct tape would have been great. We didn't even get around to watching the movie -- Junior was true to form. Could have used a Jack and Coke or three myself. Why we don't have these folks over very often. Oh well. The pizza was good though. 

I agree -- the Cubs looked pretty good. Whenever the Braves lose, we'll say, "at least so-and-so is happy." It's kind of a consolation prize. So you can be our official Cubs fan, if you accept the nomination -- we don't have one.


----------



## moderan

[ot]Well, I am officially a Cubs fan, so why not? The Cubs young players and starting pitching are decent quality. They need like four players-a third baseman and a bullpen. The outfield of the future is in the mid-to-high minors.[/ot]
We ate the whole thing. No leftovers. The crumbs were chowed by the cats and by tiny Harpo, who is an omnivore bun on the seefood diet. It's pretty funny to watch a rabbit chew on a chicken bone.


----------



## moderan

I'm getting ready to make a chocolate cake (it's been quite a while since I made a cake from scratch). I'm gonna do a version of this:


In addition to the dark cocoa, I have some of that General Foods Mayan Mocha instant coffee stuff (nobody drinks it) and I'm gonna use that. Chocolate cream cheese icing, definitely, probably flavored with the same stuff. I have a bag of coconut M&Ms for the top.
My big change to this is that I'm going to use a bundt pan as our cake pans didn't make the trip from New York (I just discovered that). I could use a cheesecake pan but the big donut shape works for me.


----------



## Ariel

I used a brownie mix and stuck them into a muffin tin.

Fella made the pizzas and they were fantastic, as always.  We ended up playing a couple of board games before watching "Wreck It Ralph."  Never thought I'd cheer for a video game glitch.


----------



## Tiamat

I made Jiffy burgers tonight.  It's something a local place makes that I had to emulate because it's so tasty.  It's a cheeseburger on a toasted kaiser bun with provolone cheese, bacon, and peanut butter on top.

It saddens me how few people I can talk into trying it though.


----------



## Foxee

Well, of course, Tia because Pittsburgh people figure burgers go with ketchup and mustard or, at a stretch, bbq or even bleu cheese but putting PB on one sounds like the risk of a perfectly good burger(and bacon!) for the sake of a possibly inferior condiment.


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## JosephB

You never know until you actually taste something. How about peanut butter and horseradish? I'm not kidding -- my dad used to make sandwiches with it. I tried it once and was shocked that it tasted good. And I've since found out that he didn't make it up -- people serve it on Triscuits as an appetizer.


----------



## Ariel

See, my family has a long tradition of "country" cooking.  The best two acknowledged cooks in my family were my great-aunt Belle and my mom.  

Mom liked to experiment with food so I've tried a lot of things but she wasn't keen on spicy flavors or "fancy" food.  I learned to love spicy flavors through the place I now work.  About 80% of the workforce is Mexican and they loved trying to get me to eat spicy food when I first started.  They don't bother any more.

I like to make a Thai influenced yellow curry.  I sauté either chicken or beef with carrots, onions, and garlic before I add the mixture to a simmering mixture of curry paste and coconut milk.  It makes for a great dinner when served over rice.  The exact recipe changes with my mood.  Cilantro and peanuts (grind them first and make a paste--no peanut butter, too creamy and too much sugar) are usually a good addition.


----------



## JosephB

My mom branched out when most of us were out of the house, but she was a traditional southern cook -- learned from her mamma and on back -- fried or baked chicken, ham, meat loaf, pot roast -- sides like mac and cheese and collards, baked corn souffle or "pudding," squash casserole etc. And she made a lot of rather bland meat and pasta casseroles too -- stuff that made it easy to feed a family with six kids including four boys with big appetites. Some nights she'd just put it out on the counter and we'd serve ourselves cafeteria style. All good food -- but heavy and kind of boring. Pretty much the opposite of how we eat now.


----------



## squidtender

Tiamat said:


> I made Jiffy burgers tonight.  It's something a local place makes that I had to emulate because it's so tasty.  It's a cheeseburger on a toasted kaiser bun with provolone cheese, bacon, and peanut butter on top.
> 
> It saddens me how few people I can talk into trying it though.



That sounds fantastic . . . next time you make it, let me know--I'll pm you my address


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## JosephB

I'd like one too. I'll try anything once. I've had trouble with that philosophy in general -- but it's mostly safe if you stick to food.


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## Tiamat

"Mostly" being the operative word.  I'll try anything once also (if we're referring to food) but the memory of Norwegian blood pudding still haunts me.


----------



## JosephB

I had trouble with the chicken feet in Taiwan. Wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't looked like chicken feet. Had some other things that looked pretty suspect -- I thought it was best to just not ask.


----------



## Kevin

Our first day there the waiter offered us 'tete du veau.' After explaining what it was I asked if that was served 'bone in' or 'out'? There was some confusion and he left to ask. He returned and said it was bone in. We opted for the 'coldcuts' platter  instead.  Junior, being one the more adventurous of our group, whispered in my ear that the cheese on the left smelled just like a dog's 'petute'. I tried it and had to agree. No one ate it. Hours later soap was needed to remove the odor from our digits.


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## moderan

MMmmm, calf's head and dogfarts. Appetizing, to be sure. A horse's "petute' would be the more potent poot, and the source of that phrase.
I've tried peanut butter on burgers. No thank you. I thought it would be good as I like things like peanut sauces but it wasn't.
We had cowboy ribeyes today, on the grill. Loaded bakers, green salad, classical-style. Sauteed mushrooms in au jus over the top of the steak, and a little poot of bleu cheese on top of that. Dessert was french vanilla ice cream with bacon caramel topping.


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## moderan

Baked mostaccioli with sausage and meatballs in the oven. Garlic bread, nice glass of vino.

The meatballs have a clove of garlic inside each. The sausages are homemade, with pork and veal, seasoned with whole fennel seed, oregano, basil, salt, and red and black pepper. I have a hand-crank grinder.
The bread is infused with parsley, parmesan, and olive oil, sliced, topped with a spread made with butter, salt, and crushed garlic, and then baked for five minutes.
We'll have a green salad with pepperoncini and button mushrooms. The wine is Herding Cats Pinot Noir...dry with pronounced black cherry notes.
I have half of a pound cake in the fridge and can make tiramisu for dessert, if we have the room. More likely, we'll finish the wine and enjoy the hockey game.


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## JosephB

This is one of my favorite threads -- and needs to be up top. Mod and I were having an off topic conversation about yogurt. Now that I've moved it, I have nothing more to say about it, except to agree that those Jamie Lee Curtis ads are really annoying.

Tonight we're making shrimp on noodles, with spicy peanut sauce and red pepper and avacodo. The kicker ingredient is Thia chilli garlic paste, which I often throw into noodles and stir fry. Great stuff.


----------



## moderan

Country-fried steak (brown gravy) for us. Buttermilk biscuits, baked garlic potato wedges, fresh corn. I do have a leg of lamb marinating in kitchen-made Greek dressing, and cucumber and yogurt draining in the sink. Seed the cukes, don't peel 'em, and drain the stuff through cheesecloth for a couple hours, with maybe a little dash of salt.
Jack Daniels butterscotch pie for dessert. I just devised it this morning. I used a regular flaky pie crust, poured in a dose of cooked butterscotch pudding, and topped it all of with a caramel made from JD Tennessee Honey and butterscotch chips, with just a shot of molasses for color.


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## JosephB

Country fried steak was one of my grandma's regular dishes. My mom used to make it when I was little, but she abandoned a lot of heavier southern cooking as I got older. It's pretty awesome though. There's a meat and three diner here I go to now and again and they serve it. But their fried chicken is so good, I usually don't order the CFS. I might have to try making it at some point.


----------



## Ariel

I need to get back into my kitchen.  I've been spending too much money eating out.


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## PiP

amsawtell said:


> I need to get back into my kitchen.  I've been spending too much money eating out.



And me 

 I love cooking, especially cakes. My favorite is carrot cake. Anyone else enjoy vegetable style cakes?


----------



## Ariel

My favorite is an apple upside down cake.  It's a little more spicy than sweet.  My mom used to bake them for me for my birthdays.


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## JosephB

amsawtell said:


> I need to get back into my kitchen.  I've been spending too much money eating out.



Easy to get into that. When my mom was in the hospital, people brought us all kinds of food, but most of that required some preparation, so we were always grabbing something out. Had a hard time breaking the habit. I think once a week is reasonable for the family, and then we try and go out every couple of weeks or so, just the two of us. One of the few times we're actually able to talk at length without interruption.


----------



## moderan

JosephB said:


> Country fried steak was one of my grandma's regular dishes. My mom used to make it when I was little, but she abandoned a lot of heavier southern cooking as I got older. It's pretty awesome though. There's a meat and three diner here I go to now and again and they serve it. But their fried chicken is so good, I usually don't order the CFS. I might have to try making it at some point.


Got to double-dip. One flour, one breadcrumbs. I pan-fry instead of deep-fry--you have more control over things that way. Mine aren't too horrible calorie-wise-not much oil or egg.
Spice cakes are the bomb. My wife wants carrot cake for her birthday. Butter and cream cheese frosting ftw.
We don't eat out much now cuz we moved a few miles away from the center of town and the restaurant area isn't a convenient walk away anymore. Sometimes it's good not to cook though.


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## Ariel

I'd be happy to get a shower on my own without a cat, dog, Fella, or Miss interrupting me.


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## JosephB

moderan said:


> Got to double-dip. One flour, one breadcrumbs. I pan-fry instead of deep-fry--you have more control over things that way. Mine aren't too horrible calorie-wise-not much oil or egg.



I sometimes double dip my fried chicken -- that's how we made extra crispy at KFC. I've had discussions about this -- I learned that pan fried is country fried steak, deep fried is chicken fried steak. Not that it matters. What cut of meat do you use?


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## moderan

I've been made to understand that the difference is the gravy-brown is for country-fried, cream (or sausage) for chicken-fried. I use either thin-cut chuck or cube steak. I beat the dickens out of it either way. I also make an Italian-style breaded steak, which is the same thing with mozz and marinara. I use chuck for that.
My wife likes the stuff so well that she'd happily eat breaded whatever...eggplant, pork fritters, chicken fritters...she wants pork fritters tomorrow, so I'm thinking sauerbraten with some spaetzele and a little fresh kraut.
We also get that real thick-cut bacon and bread that stuff once in a while. Dip it in maple syrup and make up my oxygen tent, oh yeah babay. Cheap thrills, man.


----------



## Ariel

My family has been doing a weekly dinner out since my mom died.  I enjoy them because I get to see my family but I'm starting to get tired.  I'm the one who has to, every week, figure out where to go and contact everyone.  I have to figure out the time and I have to deal with everyone's diets.

It has me so stressed out most weeks that I don't enjoy them.  I hardly get a chance to talk to anyone while at dinner.  I think I might just cancel them altogether.


----------



## Blade

amsawtell said:


> It has me so stressed out most weeks that I don't enjoy them.  I hardly get a chance to talk to anyone while at dinner.  I think I might just cancel them altogether.



Being the "designated beast of burden" can be quite counterproductive. You could try less frequently (maybe once a month) or special occasions which pretty well amounts to the same thing.

Good luck.


----------



## Ariel

Problem I'm finding is everyone thinks I'm mad at them if I cancel but everyone else gets to cancel with no warning.


----------



## Blade

amsawtell said:


> Problem I'm finding is everyone thinks I'm mad at them if I cancel but everyone else gets to cancel with no warning.



Too many kids on the other side of the teeter-totter methinks. Best bet might be to simply explain your dilemma and hope for the best. (no laughter please) Thing is here is that for others it seems to be a service to which they subscribe as entitled but they make no contribution aside from their presence and they have no sense of responsibility as a result. Good for them but not for you.

That was my Dear Abby moment.:disturbed:

Edit: Maybe you are mad at them.


----------



## Ariel

A little bit.  Mostly at myself though for letting them put me there.  I have run dry on places to eat and I don't feel like cooking so they'll just have to come up with something if they want to do this tonight.


----------



## Kevin

pigletinportugal said:


> And me
> 
> I love cooking, especially cakes. My favorite is carrot cake. Anyone else enjoy vegetable style cakes?


 Oh yes, much more than meat-cakes  Wifey has a family recipe which is shredded carrot, currants and bread crumbs..more of a pudding I guess. Has to steam in this double-cooker for hours and your left with not much (not enough for seconds) but delicious.


----------



## PiP

Hi Kevin, sounds the perfect solution for using up stale bread. Any chance your good lady wife would share her recipe


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## JosephB

amsawtell said:


> A little bit.  Mostly at myself though for  letting them put me there.  I have run dry on places to eat and I don't  feel like cooking so they'll just have to come up with something if they  want to do this tonight.



Once a week for a family dinner sounds like too much anyway, especially if you're busy and have other things going on. We have dinners around birthdays, major holidays etc. -- and then fill that out with a few random get-togethers. I suppose that works out to about every 4-6 weeks -- and that's plenty.


----------



## Ariel

We're fairly close.  It's usually my uncle, my cousin, me, and my dad.  Fella and Miss usually go because we live together.  Since he's started dating his new lady usually joins dad.  So at max it's seven people.

i already see my uncle on a daily basis.  He doesn't work with me but our jobs are closely related.  My dad, until he moved in with his lady, lived next door to me.  I might not have seen him daily but I could stop in just to chat or watch TV with him whenever.  Of course, I see Fella daily.

I used to enjoy the weekly dinners and in fact wouldn't mind having it change to homemade potlucks--possibly on Saturday nights.


----------



## JosephB

We're close too -- by "enough" I just mean it's difficult to pull it  together. It's only practical on the weekends -- so that really cuts  down the opportunities. It's also harder now that the kids are getting  into activities and want to do things with their friends -- they're just  8 and 10 now, but that's only going to make it harder as they get  older.


----------



## Ariel

I understand.  It's only recently become difficult because of people getting picky about times and food.  My uncle doesn't like Chinese, my dad doesn't want to eat after a certain time, my cousin has a busy schedule, and Fella and Miss want something that will keep her entertained.  I just want to be around my family.


----------



## JosephB

Luckily, my clan will eat just about anything. Otherwise, there's a pizza place and a Mexican restaurant we go to a lot when people can't decide. Mostly we alternate between our house and my brother's. I've got another brother who's moving back to ATL in June with his wife and two kids -- things will get even more complicated. When my brother in Minneapolis is down here, usually a couple of times a year, that's another four. My sis in Toronto doesn't make it down often and I have another sister in Italy -- she visits once a year, but usually comes without her husband and daughter. It doesn't happen often, but when everyone's in town, it's a big crowd -- there are six of us kids, plus spouses and children.


----------



## Ariel

As for "us" kids it's just me now.  That's part of the reason why I feel it's important for us to stay close.


----------



## Blade

amsawtell said:


> A little bit.  Mostly at myself though for letting them put me there.  I have run dry on places to eat and I don't feel like cooking so they'll just have to come up with something if they want to do this tonight.



Even if you like cooking it will tie up your time while everyone else is socializing and relaxing. This reduces you to a few options.

a) Prepare food that says "Put me in the oven and come back in an hour".
b) Eating out.
c) Delivery
d) Some sort of bring your own/potluck scheme. (questionable)

I think once a week is too often if stressors are involved. Once a month or on Holidays or birthdays seems more reasonable.

For my own part I gave up and see people more or less one on one. My parents are deceased, I have two sisters (local) six kids (2 local, 4 away) an ex-wife who is crazy with a guy who totally spooks me. Given the practical obstacles and the fact some people just don't get along I just packed it in on the gathering front.

The virtue of going small, in my opinion, is that it fosters situations where there is more exclusive attention going both ways and better allows for adaptations that fit your individual situation. "One size fits all" does not work very well when everyone is a different size.:sour:


----------



## JosephB

amsawtell said:


> As for "us" kids it's just me now.  That's part of the reason why I feel it's important for us to stay close.



I know what you're referring to -- and that makes total sense. It's important to me too -- and I'm very grateful that I have family I enjoy and want to be with. We have a great time -- a lot of joking and teasing and general silliness. My poor wife was pretty overwhelmed at first, but she's gotten into the spirit of things. My oldest sister is the only trouble maker and drama queen in the bunch -- but what's a family without a little dysfunction?


----------



## JosephB

Oh yeah -- food. Tonight we had something I've been meaning to try for a while. One of the trainers at the health center where I exercise recommended them. Sounds weird -- cottage cheese and oatmeal pancakes. But they were really good. To make the batter, you put egg whites, cottage cheese, oatmeal and a little vanilla into the blender. That's it. The recipe seemed too thick to pour, so I add a couple of splashes of milk. Pretty low cal, high in protein and relatively low carb. I put just a bit of real maple syrup on mine and so did the spousal unit -- the kids poured nine gallons of it on theirs, as usual, along with a good amount of butter. So much for healthy -- but they're kids, so whatever.


----------



## Ariel

I want to make a spice cookie but I like them very spicy, thin, and crisp. I don't know that I have the skill for that.


----------



## moderan

In honor of the BlackHawks I made Chicago-style Italian beef.


----------



## moderan

Brunch!

Homemade cinnamon-raisin bread turned into delicious French Toast. Thick-cut bacon marinated in apple cider and then pan-fried crispy with a little real maple syrup. Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with just a hint (ok, a broad hint) of chilled vodka, and fresh hot coffee with a tiny bit of roasted hickory nut ground in the bean mixture.
Moar coffee and maybe a small nap.


----------



## Kevin

Cinnamon- can't go wrong with cinnamon. Cinnamon and baked apple...a few walnuts.


----------



## PiP

Hi Kevin,

I love apples with cinnamon. In fact, I've a mind to make apple crumble and add walnuts to the crumble mixture tomorrow for lunch


----------



## moderan

Kevin said:


> Cinnamon- can't go wrong with cinnamon. Cinnamon and baked apple...a few walnuts.


There's nothing wrong with that but cinnamon isn't applicable to everything. I went to a place that put it in the barbecue sauce. Pretty gross.


----------



## Olly Buckle

They always offer to put cinnamon on top of my chai and I refuse, it tastes of it already, then I discovered it puts a strain on the liver and as the drugs I take mean I must not drink alcohol for this very reason I am glad I said no.


----------



## Gargh

For all the cinnamon fans, this is my new favourite recipe...

Cinnamon Roll Scones - Joyofbaking.com *Video Recipe*

They are SO quick. No faffing about, waiting for things to prove. You can have these ready in 30-40 minutes from scratch. 

I only ever need half the buttermilk suggested though - this may be because I use the 'make your own' option.


----------



## Kevin

@ M- I know some (many?) dishes from the sub-continent call for it, in a more subtle use then here, like Mole; not Hershey, but as a seasoning for meat it just doesn't sound right. Mixed with sugar and starch, and some lipids (is coffee a starch? it comes from a bean...nah) it is hard to resist.


----------



## moderan

Sure. There's a cinnamon stick in my latte. I use it for stirring and flavoring. Used subtly, it can lend an "earthy" quality to things. But as always, moderation is the key.


----------



## moderan

Birthday girl breakfast. Bacon pan-fried lightly, dipped in sweet tempura batter, deep-fried and served with chocolate fondue. Nap optional.
Birthday girl lunch. Thin-sliced baked ham piled high on homemade kaiser roll, topped with sharp cheddar and toasted in the oven until the cheese melts. Thick potato chips with french onion dip.
Birthday girl dinner. Leg of lamb marinated in Greek-style dressing and then slow-cooked on the liquid smoker. Taboule salad, fresh pita bread, fresh tzatziki, assorted olives and feta cheese.
Birthday girl prefers pie to cake. Chocolate cream pie with oreo-cookie crust, made with cooked pudding and topped with fresh whipped cream.
Taught the birds to say Happy Birthday. They way they do it sounds more like birthly hapday but the thought is what counts.
One does not want an unhappy redhead on Walpurgisnacht. Especially when said redhead is wiccan and is aware of Beltane.


----------



## JosephB

Oh my. That's quite a menu. Lucky b-day girl.

Tonight it's oven "fried" catfish and spicy potato wedges with coleslaw and fresh strawberries with vanilla yogurt for d-zert.


----------



## moderan

I love me some breaded catfish (or cornmeal-rolled catfish). Hard to get decent fish here. Salmon most of the time and tilapia, which I dislike.
Is also Bootsy, Tennessee, Buster birthday. The cats get some smoked salmon that's been in the freezer for a bit (they don't know or care about that). Boosty and Tennessee are ten, Buster is a year old.
I've done the dishes three times already. Busy day for me. But I get to quit at five and plant my keister in front of the hockey game.
Far better than facing the wrath of the redhead


----------



## JosephB

Talapia is kind of like -- so what. It used to be cheap and that was something anyway. There's a frozen whole wheat breaded talapia at Costco that is leagues above the usual frozen breaded fish fare -- it ends up very crispy and is quite good, but that's all about the breading and however they make it -- the talapia is kind of beside the point.  But it's a good fast thing to have on hand and throw in the oven in a pinch.


----------



## PiP

Gargh said:


> For all the cinnamon fans, this is my new favourite recipe...
> 
> Cinnamon Roll Scones - Joyofbaking.com *Video Recipe*
> 
> They are SO quick. No faffing about, waiting for things to prove. You can have these ready in 30-40 minutes from scratch.
> 
> I only ever need half the buttermilk suggested though - this may be because I use the 'make your own' option.



Love these...when I return home will def give this recipe a try


----------



## moderan

Today's menu:

*Chicken Pendejo*

Deep-fried wings in Buffalo sauce with lime and adobo, dipped in fresh crema, served on a bed of shredded lettuce






*Fresh blue corn tortilla chips*

*pineapple pico de gallo*

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green and red pepper, diced
1 small tomato, diced
chopped cilantro to taste
1/2 cup fresh pineapple (drain if you're using canned)
1/2 tsp brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp lime juice







and a  *mango/shrimp ceviche*.

The above with mango instead of pineapple, steamed jumbo shrimp






*Prickly-pear margarita*






2 oz white tequila
1 oz triple sec
1 oz prickly pear nectar
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp white sugar or simple syrup
2 oz cold water


----------



## JosephB

All looks good. Tonight we had good old spaghetti with meat sauce (I forget about it) along homemade focaccia.


----------



## Kevin

I will not eat a pendejo. Especially if it is pinchi.


----------



## moderan

Kevin said:


> I will not eat a pendejo. Especially if it is pinchi.


LOL. The adobo paste guarantees that 
The wife wants more ceviche for Sunday. We sucked up everything. No leftovers.
Tonight is sesame chicken, fried rice, veggie egg roll, stir-fried carrot, cauliflower, broccoli. A little bbq rib for appetizer. I made the egg rolls myself-they have shredded/blanched cabbage, julienne carrot, bamboo shoot, scallions. Mostly repurposed leftovers, really. The rice is from some rice-a-roni that I made with chicken for lunch a few days ago. I won't use any egg, she's allergic.


----------



## moderan

Friday! Baseball and hockey tonight...simple fare for us. Burgers and hotdogs on the grill, potato salad with jalapenos and cheddar chunks. Ice-cold Sam Adams-the last of the winter lagers. All the fixin's-sliced red onion, romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced avocado, garlic dill pickles. Even made up the bright green relish to make the dogs Chicago-style--they're Dave Berg, to boot.
Extra treat for the neighbors? I have my little Washburn Snarling Dog amp out on the patio and have taught myself the Chelsea Dagger song that the BlackHawks play when they score goals.
We're having a couple of friends over. Should be a good time.


----------



## JosephB

We're going to Shakespeare in the park tonight -- decided to go at the last minute -- so I guess we'll be eating off one of the food trucks instead of packing a picnic. It's also pretty cold -- and might rain, in which case, we're not going to tough it out.


----------



## Ariel

I have only been able to make it to Shakespeare in the park once.  I want to go every year but can never seem to find the time.  Maybe this year?


----------



## JosephB

My folks took me the first time. Once I was complaining about reading Macbeth in English class, that I didn't like Shakespeare, and my mom said the plays were meant to be seen not read. So she took us to _Merchant of Venice _and I was hooked. 

I just stepped outside -- it's already cold and windy, and the rain is moving in. Might have to stay home and watch a movie.


----------



## moderan

More wind coming your way. The stuff that helped the Cali brushfires just came over the mountains and zapped us. My windows are rattling, though it's bright and sunny.
Shakespeare in the Park is done here under the bandshell at the U of A. All summer long, every Sunday night. I catch it when I can. The same repertory company does A Midsummer Night's Dream every summer solstice. We're planning on that one.
To dovetail with the thread, they also have a chili contest. I'm considering entering.


----------



## Deleted member 33527

Tomato, tofu, basil, avocado, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.


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## JosephB

I have to grill or stir tofu fry to eat it. (That looks raw.) But switch it out with fresh mozzarella and I'll chow down.


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## Deleted member 33527

It is raw. Actually it's the first time I ever made anything with tofu. It looks pretty, but would have tasted way better with mozzarella.


----------



## Kevin

JosephB said:


> I have to grill or stir tofu fry to eat it. (That looks raw.) But switch it out with fresh mozzarella and I'll chow down.


 We've been soaking it (tofu) in ponzu and teriyaki first. It helps a lot.

I forgot to say that if your tofu comes in one of those plasic tubs with the clear plastic ontop, what you do is take up the plastic and dump the water, leaving the tofu in place. Then slice the tofu into strips (or cubes if you prefer) while in the container . Dump the ponzu and teriyaki over it. Replace the plastic and put it back in the fridge. Doesen't take long for it to penetrate. Some say to thoroughly drain the tofu of retained water but I don't . I prefer the marinade a little weaker.


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## JosephB

I usually marinate tofu also. I've done sukiyaki and soy and ginger sauce. Ponzu makes sense. Sometimes I just fry it and dump soy sauce on it, but I have to cook it somehow. To me it tastes better and it also gives it better texture.


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## moderan

The Cinco de Mayo feast was a huge success. Everyone present invited themselves to do it again next year.
Tonight we're having smoked pork chops, macncheese, and baked spiced apples. The aperitif is hard cider with a cinnamon dot dropped in, and we'll have a simple green salad on the side.


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## JosephB

I had a ridiculously good dinner out Tues. night -- and enough for last night too. Chunks of steamed lobster, mussels, clams and shrimp on pasta with a touch of spice tomato sauce. Had we known how big the portions were, we would have split it -- something we do pretty often, considering how humongous the servings are at some restaurants.

Tonight it's something I just started making -- collard greens. My mom and grandma use to make them. Now you can buy them chopped, cleaned with the stems removed. I saute some onion, a slice of bacon, dump the greens in with some chicken stock and let them simmer for a half-hour or so. Much better than I remember, because they aren't cooked to death. The kids don't like them, and my wife also remembered the soggy variety from when she was a kid, and wouldn't eat them at first -- but after trying a bite she ate them up. They're really good for you too.


----------



## Ariel

We've been eating out too much lately.  Fridge hasn't been stocked and part of it is because we have a really bad plumbing problem in the kitchen.


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## JosephB

We have too. Easy to get into the habit. There's a new panini and pizza place near us, also has good salad, pasta and chicken entrees and a super-cheap kids menu -- and the family that owns it lives in our neighborhood. We've been going there at least once a week and  practically the whole staff knows us by name. I feel like Norm on "Cheers" when we walk in.

Speaking of plumbing, there's a puddle that forms in our basement under one of the showers. I though it was the shower pan at first, but it's a constant leak inside the wall somewhere. Hoping it's just from the head or the faucet handles. If it was the shower pan, it would cost a fortune -- they'd have to rip out the tile, replace the pan and then we'd have to re-tile. Hopefully this won't be too expensive.


----------



## Ariel

I can't get to the pipes under my bathroom.  My house dates to the 1920s and had been purchased by one of those "ugly house" companies.  They took so many shortcuts.  On top of that the house was broken into by a group of kids who broke down the doors, broke out windows, cut out the wiring in the basement, etc.  I had to spend $2000 on top of my purchase price just so I could live on it.  There's a lot that still needs done. 

Tonight I think I want soup and sandwiches. I have some brownie mix in the pantry and strawberries and whipped cream in the fridge.


----------



## JosephB

Yeah, our place was in bad shape too. It's taken almost 8 years, a lot of money and hard work -- but it's pretty much there. The previous owners were elderly and didn't keep it up, then a couple bought it wanting to make major renovations, but couldn't get some kind of waver from the city to do the work they wanted to do, so it sat empty a good while. I can do some stuff, but plumbing is out of my league. Found that out the hard way.


----------



## Ariel

.


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## JosephB

My aunt and uncle are in town. My wife insisted on handling the dinner -- which means anything can happen.  She picked an untried dish called Beef Lombardi -- some sort of noodle and hamburger concoction -- like an old school casserole thing my mom would make. I'll have to cross my fingers and hope for the best.


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## Lewdog

I'm confused or tripping, did Amsawtell post the same thing twice?  lol  :witless:


----------



## Ariel

I did.  I sometimes have weird lag when posting on my phone.


----------



## Ariel

Tonight I'm making creamed corn (canned), mashed potatoes (dehydrated), fried chicken, and brownies (from a box).  It's going to be good.


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## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> Tonight I'm making creamed corn (canned), mashed potatoes (dehydrated), fried chicken, and brownies (from a box).  It's going to be good.




Canned, dehydrated, from a box, the chicken must be from a bag.


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## JosephB

Creamed corn is one of my wife's "comfort foods." She used to have to fix her own meals pretty often when she was a kid, so I guess it was easy to just open the can up. We have it every now and then, and I have to admit, I kind of like it. A little salt and pepper, a tiny dab of butter and it's pretty good. My kids like it too.

Best brownie mix I've had is Ghiradelli double chocolate. Fantastic. I really don't think you can make them better from scratch.


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## Kevin

Potatoes from a box? Oh no. You poor dear...I'm mashing you some real potatoes and sending them by express mail. They're _Yukon Gold._ They should get there in about a week. Just scrape off the fuzz and enjoy.


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## Lewdog

Anyone who likes creamed corn has to like grits too.  Sometimes I like grits with my butter.  Yes, you read that right.


----------



## Kevin

Instant Grits?


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## Lewdog

Kevin said:


> Instant Grits?





[video=youtube;ftbm8EZZDqI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftbm8EZZDqI[/video]


----------



## Ariel

I can make mashed potatoes from scratch.  I didn't because I don't have any potatoes--don't eat them often enough to keep them from going bad and also because it's flipping _hot_ here.

The chicken was made from scratch.  I spiced the flour, dredged the chicken in farm-fresh egg, covered in the flour mix, and fried it in a cast-iron skillet with canola oil.  Frankly, considering how much I've posted about cooking in this thread I'm surprised at the reaction I've gotten when I post about one of the first times I cooked from pre-made.  Ah, well.


----------



## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> I can make mashed potatoes from scratch.  I didn't because I don't have any potatoes--don't eat them often enough to keep them from going bad and also because it's flipping _hot_ here.
> 
> The chicken was made from scratch.  I spiced the flour, dredged the chicken in farm-fresh egg, covered in the flour mix, and fried it in a cast-iron skillet with canola oil.  Frankly, considering how much I've posted about cooking in this thread I'm surprised at the reaction I've gotten when I post about one of the first times I cooked from pre-made.  Ah, well.



Oh don't take it so hard.  I've eaten frozen Walmart Philly Cheese steak Pizza the last two days.  I'm eating cracklins right now.  If you take the potatoes out of the plastic bag, and put them in a brown paper bag and roll it up, it keeps the potatoes from going bad longer.


----------



## Kevin

Amsaw- I was just playing... It turned 102 on Monday and wrecked all our bananas. I thought everyone in the midwest had root cellars? Wish I had one...


----------



## Ariel

A root cellar?  We call them basements.  The only way anyone will get me underground is if there's a tornado.  I _hate _being underground.  I have panic attacks.

I'm not really upset, I kind of figured everyone was messing with me.  Just a little weirded out by a few things today.


----------



## JosephB

All instant foods are not equal. Can't remember the brand off the top of my head, but we sometimes have instant mashed potatoes that come in these individual foil pouches -- and they're really good. If you're making a main dish from scratch, sometimes it just makes sense when you're short on time to whip up a side-dish in the easiest, fastest way possible.


----------



## Ariel

The brand I used is Idahoan.  We've used instant mashed potatoes before (Fella, my first time making them) from other brands but I like these better.  Got them for a dollar a package too.


----------



## Lewdog

I'm just eating frozen chicken egg rolls tonight.


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## JosephB

amsawtell said:


> The brand I used is Idahoan.  We've used instant mashed potatoes before (Fella, my first time making them) from other brands but I like these better.  Got them for a dollar a package too.



Yep -- just looked in the pantry -- that's the brand we have. I think we got a big ol' box of them at Costco a while back and we're still working on it.


----------



## Kevin

Don't know if they have these out your way, but they're made in America.  Jb 's mentionj of silver packets reminded  me of them. They're in the refridgerated section and are a great base for chopped whatever. I do bell peppers, mushrooms thin sliced carrots, yams,  brocolli....stir fried/steamed and softened prior to heating the noodles(timing) You 'cook' these noodles in about 8 oz. of water for 1 minute and add the the flavor packet. Serve in a soup bowl.  maruchan's fresh yaki soba - Bing Images


----------



## Ariel

They have them.  I had no idea what yaki soba is so I haven't tried them.  I like ramen.  I add vegetables to it, stir in the flavor pack, and add cheese until it melts.  So unhealthy but so delicious.


----------



## JosephB

Kevin said:


> Don't know if they have these out your way, but they're made in America.  Jb 's mentionj of silver packets reminded  me of them. They're in the refridgerated section and are a great base for chopped whatever. I do bell peppers, mushrooms thin sliced carrots, yams,  brocolli....stir fried/steamed and softened prior to heating the noodles(timing) You 'cook' these noodles in about 8 oz. of water for 1 minute and add the the flavor packet. Serve in a soup bowl.  maruchan's fresh yaki soba - Bing Images



Thanks for the tip. I'm going to pick some of those up this weekend. Since I'm the primary cook, I'm always looking for new meal ideas. Someone just told me they have them at the Whole Foods here.


----------



## Deleted member 33527

Reminiscing: chicken and lentil soup at that Iranian restaurant in Kuwait City:


----------



## Lewdog

I was always curious how places made good homemade eggrolls, because I was wanting to make some southwestern eggrolls like they have at Chijlis.  I found out that they actually make them the night before using regular tortillas that they roll up the ingredients, then wet the edge of the tortilla and then hold it in place with a toothpick.  They stick them in the freezer over night and the next day they just take out the toothpick and drop it in the deep fryer with the oil preheated to a certain temperature.


----------



## Purpleomen

Pasta bolognese, all store bought, I boiled the spaghetti myself though! Quite an accomplishment for me since the only thing I have ever cooked was boiled eggs. I tried making pancakes once, didn't end well, for me or the pancakes!


----------



## moderan

Strawberry shortcake. My wife and I cooperated and made it. She whipped up a pound cake out of spare parts (really a pound of butter, 16 ounces of flour, half-a-dozen eggs, a generous scoop of white sugar and a 1/4 cup of real vanilla), and I fashioned the topping-fresh berries gently simmered in simple syrup, added to jarred strawberry jam from last year, covered in hand-whipped fresh cream with vanilla and confectioner's sugar.
It was the awesome.
Tomorrow we'll have it again, as we are having company. We shall sup on roast sirloin of beef, done up prime-rib style (in the oven at 450 for 20 minutes, then 20 minutes per pound at 325, sliced and finished on the grill), with fresh horseradish, beef au jus, steamed asparagus from our blanched freezer stock, twice-baked potatoes with cheddar and bacon.
Not exactly slenderizing but you only go round once. The sirloin roast was on a ridiculous markdown. It's marinating right now, in garlic and vino rosso.


----------



## ppsage

Didn't go to town today but promised to cook. Will have garlic daal with basmati, pickled veggies, hammered chicken and/or pork pad gra and garden salad ready when she returns. No desert, we're slimming.


----------



## JosephB

Tonight we're having black bean burgers with salsa and guacamole, with oven-baked, sweet potato "fries."


----------



## Gargh

JosephB said:


> Tonight we're having black bean burgers with salsa and guacamole, with oven-baked, sweet potato "fries."



I really struggle baking sweet potato fries, they always come out tasty but soggy. Any tips?


----------



## JosephB

Gargh, I had to experiment to get mine crispy. I cut them into pretty thin, uniform sticks. I brush them with olive oil -- very lightly. Some of the recipes say to put your olive oil in a bowl and coat the fries, but I think that's too much -- and they're better for you with less oil. I also crank up the oven to 450 -- most recipes say 400. And it sounds like a small thing, but it's important to really space them out on the baking pan. That seems to do it. If you give this a shot, let me know how they turn out!


----------



## Gargh

JosephB said:


> Gargh, I had to experiment to get mine crispy. I cut them into pretty thin, uniform sticks. I brush them with olive oil -- very lightly. Some of the recipes say to put your olive oil in a bowl and coat the fries, but I think that's too much -- and they're better for you with less oil. I also crank up the oven to 450 -- most recipes say 400. And it sounds like a small thing, but it's important to really space them out on the baking pan. That seems to do it. If you give this a shot, let me know how they turn out!



Cheers! I've heard that about the bowl and I've also tried treating them like parsnips and dousing them in oil but I haven't tried brushing them. I had assumed being liberal with the oil would help because when I've eaten out they've been deep fried. Fingers crossed that one alteration will do it.


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## JosephB

Naw, past a certain point, I think the oil just makes them soggy. They're a real favorite at our house -- my kids love them. Good luck!


----------



## aleida

Today I had home made sushi and hugs. My housemates have eaten all of my food, so my boyfriend and his cousin treated me to dinner (which I then made), and my boyfriends mother insists I come around for a "family" dinner every wednesday so atleast once a week I dont have to cook! hahah!


----------



## JosephB

I guess I was lucky -- never had roommates who ate my food without permission -- except one guy who used to do sneaky stuff like eat cereal or take a slice or two of bread. Couldn't really prove it though, and it was never enough to make a big deal out of it -- it was just annoying. Had a girlfriend whose mom used to feed me and give me food to take home -- I think I missed that as much as anything when we split up.


----------



## Kevin

whoops! *delete*


----------



## Ariel

Last night was roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, and macaroni and cheese.  Nice, easy, and filling.

Tonight it's hot so we're having sandwiches, ice cream, and beer.


----------



## Kevin

Ice cream and beer?  Hmm...what's happened to amsaw? It appears as though her avatar has been taken over by some actress...Toni Collette I believe (only younger)


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## JosephB

Ice cream and beer -- not together, I hope.

We like to have sandwiches and salads in the summer -- stuff where you don't have to heat up the kitchen. A few years ago, our air conditioner blew out. I like to research a lot before I spend that kind of money -- so it took a couple of weeks to decide what we were going to do. We went out almost every night to cool off in the car and get ice cream. It got to be quite the habit -- and we kept doing it. The kids loved it, but I felt like I was putting on a little weight -- pretty sure that was why -- so we had to put the kibosh on the nightly ice cream excursions.


----------



## Ariel

Thanks Kevin.  

No, not together.  I'm having a difficult time emotionally these last few weeks and I think that I deserve a beer and then got to thinking that I deserve ice cream too.  I'm not going to have them at the same time; I swear!


----------



## JosephB

We're transitioning to a whole foods, plant based diet -- so ice cream is out -- and I don't drink. So my comfort food and drink these days is more like guacamole and green tea. And not at the same time either.

And it does look like you've got kind of a movie star pout going on there -- and I'm digging the new shorter do.


----------



## Lewdog

Turmeric is my new favorite spice.  Yes it smells like body odor, but it brings out the taste of meat so well!


----------



## JosephB

Tonight it's eggplant parmesan on whole wheat pasta, and arugula salad with pine nuts and cherry tomatoes.


----------



## Blade

Lewdog said:


> Turmeric is my new favorite spice.  Yes it smells like body odor, but it brings out the taste of meat so well!


It has an excellent reputation on the health side as well for being anti-inflammatory and a source of anti-oxidants as well as being used in treating some disease conditions.

It is my spice of choice and I think the trick is not to use too much. It is a great flavour enhancer to a certain point but will take over the scene if applied too liberally. It is also the base ingredient of curry.


----------



## JosephB

We've been eating a whole foods, plant based diet primarily -- but we're having 12 people for supper tonight, so that's going out the window in favor of a double batch of chicken and smoked sausage creole. I'm just not going to be militant about it -- and will make exceptions for going out with friends or when we've been invited to eat at someone's home. I just don't want to make a big deal out of it.


----------



## Lewdog

Sirloin steak, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions sauteed in Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and some basil.  Too much meat and veggies to even worry about a baked potato or steak fries.


----------



## Ariel

Today is Fella and my 1 1/2 year anniversary.  Tonight we're havin streak, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, salad, croissants, and I might surprise him with brownies.


----------



## JosephB

Heh -- I remember when we used to mark those somewhat minor milestones. We still have a few and we usually do something kind of special. Our first date -- we used to go back the same restaurant before it closed. The date we got engaged is another one.

We've transitioned to a mostly vegan, whole foods diet -- tonight we're having whole wheat pizza with cashew "cheese" sauce, tomato, basil and caramelized onions. But that steak does sound pretty good...


----------



## Ariel

We're really just cleaning out the fridge.  The steaks have been in the freezer for a week, the peas for a month, and the salad for four days.  The croissants expire in two days.


----------



## JosephB

Very practical. Reminds me of when the fridge broke down and we each ate like three Klondike bars. I thought I was going to hurl.


----------



## escorial

deli-beef an a can of bud.


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## Ariel

For lunch today I'm eating about a 1/4 of a tub of chocolate frosting.  I know, I know, there goes my diet.


----------



## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> For lunch today I'm eating about a 1/4 of a tub of chocolate frosting.  I know, I know, there goes my diet.



Only a 1/4?    When my cousin was working on becoming a body builder he used to cure his sweet tooth in the oddest ways.  He said the calories didn't matter as much as the fat, so he would eat plain marshmallow fluff and strawberry jam by itself.

I'm having home made steak fajitas tonight.  It smells so good right now!  Then Snickers Ice Cream bar for dessert.


----------



## Kevin

My new greatest salad ever: Red cabbage, raw, sliced into thin ribbons and 'gluten-free' tamari sauce. That's it. It's 'the greatest' for multiple reasons: speed, tastes good, no glutens ('glutens' have apparently attacked wife's thyroid), red hides any possible 'cutting mistakes', cabbage heads keep a long time in the fridge-drawer.


----------



## Lewdog

Kevin said:


> My new greatest salad ever: Red cabbage, raw, sliced into thin ribbons and 'gluten-free' tamari sauce. That's it. It's 'the greatest' for multiple reasons: speed, tastes good, no glutens ('glutens' have apparently attacked wife's thyroid), red hides any possible 'cutting mistakes', cabbage heads keep a long time in the fridge-drawer.



I love fried cabbage!


----------



## Trevthemighty

For breakfast its always the same: three scrambled eggs, two pieces of lightly buttered toast, three slices of bacon, two glasses of orange juice, coffee with milk and three sugars, and an apple. Yummayyy. I never really eat lunch, but dinner is always something tasty too.


----------



## Angelicpersona

Hubby and I have been partially doing the paleo diet (I say partially because we haven't cut out everything in an effort to make it easier to follow. We still have dairy and the occasional wheat, but we weren't eating much of it before TBH). Tonight I'm doing a slow cooker pot roast with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and turnip. And I caved and bought myself a mini "smoothie" blender earlier, so I might have one between now and when the pot roast is ready.

When I was in the grocery store they had all of their naughty stuff out in bins in the outside aisles. I was sorely tempted to grab something but I'm feeling very proud of myself that I just walked past. The only aisles I walked down in the middle of the store was to grab my granola bars for work and the health food aisle =)


----------



## Ariel

I made roasted chicken and a vegetable . . . thing the other day.  It was diced potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, carrot, jalepeno, and garlic all roasted together with thyme and olive oil.  It was delicious.  I still have some in the fridge that I might break out.


----------



## popsprocket

We had dad's side of the family over since his sister has come up on holidays.

Somehow I managed to "volunteer" to cook again, like I did when we had people over on Sunday too. Unfortunately it was decided that the pizza I made on Sunday was so good that I should make it again.

Fair enough. Except that I ate that pizza on Sunday. Then on Tuesday I had to make it again to use the left overs from Sunday before they went bad. Then I had to eat Tuesday's pizza over Wednesday and Thursday too. Then I made more damn pizza last night.

I'm never eating pizza again.

The trifle I made, on the other hand, I will eat happily.


----------



## Angelicpersona

The pot roast was okay. I'm half tempted to cut it up and make a stew out of what's left though. It was a little tougher than I would have liked.
I'm on a baking kick recently. At work on Wednesday night I made strawberry tarts to show my coworker how to make the pastry custard. That left me with egg whites, which I used on Thursday night to make french Macarons (which my coworkers very much appreciated). This morning I decided to make key lime pie-lets to drop off at work so that the residents can have them for dessert. Just gotta get my act together and go get eggs before I have to leave for the farmers market with my girlfriend...


----------



## Lewdog

I thought I would share a recipe I made yesterday.

Take a cheap bottom round steak and cut it into bite size squares.  Cook the steak with seasonings, onion slivers, and mushrooms.  Then take a can of cream of mushroom soup and pour into the pan along with an additional half can of water.  Cook some noodles, I like the twisted no yolk ones.  Once the noodles are cooked, you can either serve them with the sauce on top, or just mix it all together.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.  It's YUMMY!


----------



## moderan

That's basically a cheap version of stroganoff.^

Tonight is pizza night. Chicago-style deep dish with my famous buttery  crust, based on the dough from the Home Run Inn, which I remember so  fondly. I make it in a large spring-form pan-the end result is @6 inches  tall and 18 inches around. The selected fillings are sausage,  pepperoni, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. A second smaller pie will be  prepared, destined for mushroom/spinach filling. Pics later. Just mixing  the dough now.


----------



## moderan

The girl-child, who has lived in the western NY area for all of her years, thought the deep-dish pizza weird. She ate it though.
It's an adventure cooking for her. She has definite ideas about what she likes, but those likes are constantly in flux, as she's eight.
She likes noodles and completely lacks both guile and tact. It's like having a narrow blonde Jeffrey Steingarten in the house.


----------



## Lewdog

I decided to do something different tonight so I made a Parmesan and herb crusted steak.  It turned out pretty awesome given the cooking pans I have to work with.


----------



## Lewdog

I'm having guests tonight so I decided to cook up some good eats.  The main course is pork chops seared then cooked in the oven with mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup.  Then there is green beans with onion, potatoes, bacon (of course), and some pork grease.  To wrap things up, the pork chops will be served on vegetable noodles made out of tomatoes, spinach, and beets.  

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


----------



## OurJud

A packet of pork scratchings. Do you have these in America? Rind and skin from a pig roasted (or deep fried for the mass produced stuff) until it crisps up?

I imagine they're just about one of the unhealthiest things you could eat. The pack I just ate contained 15g of saturated fat!! But boy are they tasty when done well... which the mass produced stuff rarely is.

[video=youtube;Rtis5_4hr_k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtis5_4hr_k[/video]


----------



## escorial

pork scrartchins..luv them..old people toenails.


----------



## Lewdog

Yes we call them pork cracklings.  Or the ones that are cooked longer and puff up are Pork rinds.  I love the crackings but they are rough on my teeth.  The best is go straight to a butcher and get the ones they cook and take them hone and pour them out on a cookie sheet and heat them up in the oven.  If you want before you start cooking them you can season them however you want.  Like you can sprinkle BBQ seasoning on them.


----------



## OurJud

Lewdog said:


> Yes we call them pork cracklings.



I did some searching around the net after posting this and discovered something. I like pork scratchings, but what I hate is when you get these pieces that have a big chunk of solidified fat attached to them. Because they're deep fried this part doesn't crisp up and your teeth just sink silently into it... horrible.

However, pork _crackling_, which we also have over here, is pork rind that's been roasted, not deep fried, meaning you don't end up with the chunks of solidified fat I mentioned.

Must remember this next time I'm buying a pack.


----------



## WechtleinUns

I had steak and pasta. The steak was thawed over night, seasoned with chili-powder, paprika, and pico de gallo, and seared in a skillet till medium-rare. The pasta was boiled bow-tie noodles and pasta sauce.

It's simple, but it gets the job done.


----------



## Lewdog

I had guests over again tonight and made steak burritos.  I seasoned and marinated the steaks all night then cooked them on a broiler pan in the oven.  When it was done I cooked it in a sauce pan with taco seasoning.  I made some fresh salsa with diced tomatoes, fresh chopped garlic, diced onions, diced green peppers I cooked in the oven on the broiler pan, cilantro, and salt.  I didn't have any lemon or lime juice so I just added some lemon pepper I had.  It turned out AWESOME.  I could eat it all day long.  The burritos had steak, salsa, re-fried beans, lettuce, jalapenos, shredded cheese, and sour cream.  My friends said it was the best burritos they had ever had, especially the homemade salsa.

Don't let anyone ever tell you that garlic powder will substitute for fresh chopped garlic.  If they tell you that, they don't know how to cook.


----------



## bookmasta

This reminds me of people who take pictures of their food and post it on Facebook. I cant stand it because it always makes me hungry.


----------



## Lewdog

bookmasta said:


> This reminds me of people who take pictures of their food and post it on Facebook. I cant stand it because it always makes me hungry.



I give electronic cooking lessons the sixth Tuesday of every month.


----------



## bookmasta

Lewdog said:


> I give electronic cooking lessons the sixth Tuesday of every month.



Teach meh!


----------



## Lewdog

bookmasta said:


> Teach meh!



If I had all the cooking utensils I want, and a nice set of pots, pans, and knives...I could cook some super stuff.  I just have those taste buds where I can season stuff just right.


----------



## Myers

This looks like a fun thread.

Tonight we had something really simple and good. I was skeptical when I saw the recipe: Tuna Marinara. 

Cook  8 oz. of your favorite pasta shape. While you're doing that, dice half  an onion and mince a clove of garlic, saute both in olive oil until the  onion is clear. Add a cup of marinara sauce from a jar. I like Newman's  Own. Then add a can of albacore tuna -- don't break it up too much,  leave it in chunks. Throw in a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and  salt and pepper to taste. Then mix in the pasta and serve. That's it.


----------



## Lewdog

Tuna and tomato sauce does seem like an odd combination.


----------



## Myers

I agree. But I've had seafood pasta with a light tomato based sauce, with clams, mussels shrimp etc., so I thought it might work. And considering the cost of a can of tuna, it wasn't going to be a big deal if it didn't taste good. My kids were at my mom's tonight; I don't think it's something they would like. But it's going to be a good quick meal when we're on our own.


----------



## Lewdog

Myers said:


> I agree. But I've had seafood pasta with a light tomato based sauce, with clams, mussels shrimp etc., so I thought it might work. And considering the cost of a can of tuna, it wasn't going to be a big deal if it didn't taste good. My kids were at my mom's tonight; I don't think it's something they would like. But it's going to be a good quick meal when we're on our own.



I agree Tuna runs about $1.19 around here, but then I found a can of white chicken that was an off brand for $1!  I wouldn't use it for anything real good, but I have made some pretty kick butt chicken salad with it.  I think it might even taste good mixed with some rice and cream of chicken soup.  It would probably even be good mixed with some Top Ramen noodles!  Ha!  The possibilities are endless.  I think the best thing for me that has made me a good cook, has been times where I was super poor and had to be as creative as possible with cheap stuff.  I even find it fun sometimes to try and clean out the freezer or cabinets bu cooking something with stuff that has been in there for awhile.  I had some seasoned fries that had become freezer burnt, so I pulled them out and put them on a cookie sheet and let the frost melt off.  Then I baked them until they were almost done, but not to where they had become dried out.  I put them on a plate, sprinkled some season salt, covered them in shredded cheese and real bacon bits, popped them in the microwave to melt the cheese.  Then I put a little Kraft ranch dressing on them, and voila they tasted pretty good for something I should have thrown away.


----------



## Deleted member 49710

Okay, people. I have chicken. I have eggplant, I have mushrooms. I have most of the basic pantry-type things plus some not-so-basic. I have approximately one hour, though this is flexible.

What I don't have is an idea. Anyone? Otherwise it's gonna be chicken-eggplant-mushroom sauté with loads of butter.


----------



## Lewdog

lasm said:


> Okay, people. I have chicken. I have eggplant, I have mushrooms. I have most of the basic pantry-type things plus some not-so-basic. I have approximately one hour, though this is flexible.
> 
> What I don't have is an idea. Anyone? Otherwise it's gonna be chicken-eggplant-mushroom sauté with loads of butter.



Fresh mushrooms?  What kind of chicken?  Whole?  Bone in?  Anything you are allergic to?  What's your spice rack look like?  I'm a big spice person, I literally have at least 20 or more different ones.


----------



## Deleted member 49710

Yes, fresh mushrooms. Chicken leg & thigh quarters. I can debone the thighs if I have to, though. No allergies but don't like very spicy stuff. The husband will eat almost anything. The spice rack is pretty well stocked.

Found a stir-fry recipe thing that looks okay. Or I might resort to pasta. We have red sauce in the freezer.


----------



## Lewdog

You could do one of two things I have in mind.  You could do rotisserie chicken with home made wild rice and mushrooms, and sliced egg plant breaded in corn meal and fried.

The second idea is making a kind of chicken gumbo where you substitute the egg plant for the okra.


----------



## Myers

I'd order Chinese.


----------



## Deleted member 49710

Roasted sounds good but I think that would be slow and heat up the house... don't have wild rice, regular rice, though. Think I'm gonna do this garlic miso thing. Thank you for the suggestions though!


----------



## Lewdog

lasm said:


> Roasted sounds good but I think that would be slow and heat up the house... don't have wild rice, regular rice, though. Think I'm gonna do this garlic miso thing. Thank you for the suggestions though!



No problem, you can't go wrong with anything Garlic.  A baked chicken with a homemade butter garlic sauce, egg plant casserole, and some sauteed mushrooms and onions.

This looks like the perfect egg plant casserole recipe because you can add your fresh mushrooms to it as well and then add some type of side item like a baked potato to make a well rounded meal.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/eggplantcasserolerecipes/r/bl00810l.htm


----------



## Lewdog

It's a simple but good dinner tonight.  A couple steaks that have been marinated then cooked with some of my favorite spices, and some french style green beans cooked with fresh garlic, onions and a few secret spices.  I wish I had a potato on hand but...nope.  OMG I just got an idea I could use the dehydrated potatoes from the augratin ones I have!  Experimentation at it's best.

P.S. adding the dehydrated potatoes into the green beans worked like a champ and they taste great.  There is your cheap cooking tip of the day!


----------



## Ariel

I had these really wonderful jalepeño popper things at the in-laws' house last night.  First they took an jalepeño and cut it in half.  Filled each half with cream cheese, layered small strips of deer steak over the top, wrapped the whole thing in bacon, and grilled it.  I, of course, took it apart and gave the bacon to Fella.

(I love venison.  I would eat it all the time if I could).

We also had tostado sort of things.  Everything was lovely and homemade (a good bit was home-grown, too.  Of course, the in-laws never remember that I don't eat pork so they're constantly making it.  I just substituted the beans for meat and ate vegetarian tostado-things.  My sister in-law asked me what I ate at the end of the meal because she just found out that I won't eat pork and I kind of laughed and said "beans."

My father-in-law sees it as a weird challenge to get me to eat pork while my mother-in-law just doesn't remember.


----------



## Alabastrine

This thread has succeeded in making me hungry. (sigh)


----------



## WechtleinUns

Oh no. I'm getting out of this thread as fast as I can.


----------



## Lewdog

So I plan on making some quick and easy chicken and dumplings tomorrow.  The question I have is, when I use a can of biscuit dough to make the dumplings, I'm going to roll out each biscuit flat and cut it in strips.  Do I need to coat it in flour before putting it in the pot still?  Will it make a difference other than later adding some rue to the pot to thicken up the juices?


----------



## Lewdog

I doubt anyone was wondering, but I made the chicken dumplings a little different than usual.  I thought it would make the process faster but it didn't.  They did turn out scrumpioudiliocious.


----------



## Pandora

^^^^ love that word ... scrumpioudiliocious it stumped spellchecker :wink2: I haven't had dumplings
since Mama used to make them. Fun little creatures. 

Vegetable lasagna turned out awesome last evening, maybe cause I snuck a few meatballs in between the
zucchini squash, shame on me.


----------



## felix

Just got back from the gym. 

Dinner: Tuna steak, salad, granary wholemeal bread, and couscous. 

Ah, life.


----------



## Ariel

Haven't been cooking much.  The kitchen is down for plumbing issues.  I did make an excellent pineapple upside down cake a few weeks ago though.  I'm the only person that ate any.  (Made it to go to a friend's house and they cancelled on me).


----------



## Lewdog

I've gone totally country tonight!  I'm cooking fried cabbage and Spam, along with cornbread.  It feeds 4-5 people for less than $2.50.  You can't beat that with a stick.


----------



## bookmasta

Lewdog said:


> I've gone totally country tonight!  I'm cooking fried cabbage and Spam, along with cornbread.  It feeds 4-5 people for less than $2.50.  You can't beat that with a stick.



I'll take a double serving please.


----------



## popsprocket

Honey tea chicken was the order of last night.

Yeah, you heard that correctly.

It's basically a honey/soy kind of thing but made with a cup of black tea to make up  volume. It's actually reallllly good. The tea adds volume without sacrificing flavour.


----------



## Lewdog

bookmasta said:


> I'll take a double serving please.



How far do I have to ship it?  I can't guarantee flavor after shipping and handling.


----------



## Kevin

Veggie- wrap schmear: Mix mayo, tamari/ponzu, teriyaki, curry powder, ginger, salt, Tapatio. Cut out or trim thinner the stems of raw collard green leaves. Schmear. Place your fixin's (what ever you'd like) and roll.


----------



## Lewdog

Kevin said:


> Veggie- wrap schmear: Mix mayo, tamari/ponzu, teriyaki, curry powder, ginger, salt, Tapatio. Cut out or trim thinner the stems of raw collard green leaves. Schmear. Place your fixin's (what ever you'd like) and roll.



How do you spell rabbit?  K-E-V-I-N.


----------



## Kevin

We ate one of those the other day, a cottontail.  Jr. shot it. Stunk up the whole house. Even _he_ doesn't want to eat it again.


----------



## Olly Buckle

Meat was still on ration when I was a kid, so we had rabbit sometimes when we were camping and the farmer shot one, my Mum used to make stew of it. My Dad was a biology teacher so we had to keep the vertebra for his classes, I went to school already knowing the difference between lumber and thoracic vertebrae, and thinking finding the atlas was a bit special, like having 'rich man' when you counted your cherry stones.


----------



## Kevin

Breakfast Potatoes: Thin-slice your potatoes. In a fry-pan, olive oil, chopped garlic, onion, salt. Cover to 'steam' the potatoes. Final ingredient: Parmesan cheese...not too much, grated fresh. Serve when tender and browned.


----------



## escorial

nando's chicken


----------



## Lewdog

I kept the country theme today and made green beans with onions, pieces of potato, bacon grease, and bacon, cooked with butter and various spices by itself with left over corn bread.  I wish I had some fresh peaches or blueberries to make a good cobbler with, topped with vanilla ice cream.


----------



## Ariel

I could almost kill for some good peach or blackberry cobbler and vanilla ice cream.  I've never made a cobbler and probably don't need the sugar.


----------



## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> I could almost kill for some good peach or blackberry cobbler and vanilla ice cream.  I've never made a cobbler and probably don't need the sugar.



Damn you have made me even more hungry than I already was.  All I have is some cherry ice cream I bought that was on sale.  Problem is, I didn't pay attention and it has dark chocolate in it which I hate.


----------



## popsprocket

Lewdog said:


> Damn you have made me even more hungry than I already was.  All I have is some cherry ice cream I bought that was on sale.  Problem is, I didn't pay attention and it has dark chocolate in it which I hate.



Pick the chocolate out and mail it to me.

Works out for everyone!


----------



## Lewdog

popsprocket said:


> Pick the chocolate out and mail it to me.
> 
> Works out for everyone!



I don't think you can afford my shipping and handling fees.


----------



## Ariel

A "southern" friend of mine shared this recipe with me and they are very good.

Basically they're sausage balls made with bisquik, fried breakfast sausage, and cheese.  From what I gathered he fries the sausage then makes a dough from the sausage and the grease using bisquik and cheese.  He rolls the dough into balls then bakes them.

I can see where they could be improved in places.


----------



## escorial

am n eg's


----------



## popsprocket

Honey mustard pork with roast pear.

Simple and delicious.


----------



## Olly Buckle

I grew cavalo nero this year, excellent greens and you can mix it into things like you would spinach but it doesn't have the water content. It cooks much quicker than the Kale it is related to and it looks good in the garden as well. We will have it again next year for sure.


----------



## Trilby

Organic cherry tomatoes - mmm... they are as tasty as fresh home grown strawberries.


----------



## escorial

4 cans of beer...8 frying steaks...frozen tub of fried rice...carton of curry powder...£15.67p......eat well me thinks...an a few steaks left over.

if anyone can make it I'll share a steak but not a beer!


----------



## Brock

I just finished my lunch at work.  What did I have?  Name brand "cooked" breaded chicken chunks "with rib meat".  I never understood the purpose of adding rib meat to chicken.  Anyways, after nuking them up and eating a few, I bit in to one and it felt a bit different.  I then noticed it was dark red on the inside... raw.  I want to vomit.


----------



## Ariel

I'm kind of tossing around the idea of a WF cookbook.


----------



## LeeC

amsawtell said:


> I'm kind of tossing around the idea of a WF cookbook.


And what? Are you looking for some green superlatives to accent the fowl?


----------



## Ariel

No, I'm looking for more people who may be interested in donating their recipes to the idea.


----------



## LeeC

It was just a play on words that came to mind amsawtell 

I hope you come up with one that makes nettle leaves more palatable to me. I add them to my salad (after soaking) because they're one of the most nutritious greens one can eat. Trouble is they taste like raw spinach which I'm not fond of.

And don't forget a recipes that include Jerusalem artichokes, being high in inulin. 

Which brings up the thought, why not a green cookbook?


----------



## Allysan

... I would donate! I make a mean orange pork chop! I have a couple other tricks up my sleeve as well


----------



## Ariel

LeeC said:


> It was just a play on words that came to mind amsawtell
> 
> I hope you come up with one that makes nettle leaves more palatable to me. I add them to my salad (after soaking) because they're one of the most nutritious greens one can eat. Trouble is they taste like raw spinach which I'm not fond of.
> 
> And don't forget a recipes that include Jerusalem artichokes, being high in inulin.
> 
> Which brings up the thought, why not a green cookbook?



A vegetarian cookbook on recycled paper that's edible?


----------



## Schrody

No thanks, I already ate ^^


----------



## LeeC

amsawtell said:


> A vegetarian cookbook on recycled paper that's edible?


 A bit extreme  By "green" I meant healthy natural foods recipes. As to the meat aspect, many don't have the pasture to raise say beef, but anybody that's got a bit of a yard (they don't use agri-chemicals on) can raise their own "organic" chickens. 

It just came to mind that many cook books are at extremes. Either there's no consideration as to healthy eating, or they're concentrate on healthy natural foodstuffs to the exclusion of enjoyable meals. 

An example of a middle ground is growing and using Sweet Cicely to cut down on the, more addictive than cocaine, sugar and HFCS in our diets that cause so many health problems.


----------



## Ariel

I'm from a BBQ city.  We love our meat here.  However, being raised around a grill I know that vegetables and fruits can grill just as easily and I've never had a better dessert than a grilled slice of poundcake with grilled pineapple, and whipped cream.


----------



## musichal

My approach to a "green" healthy diet includes buying Hershey bars *with* almonds.

(Whenever I try to grille whipped cream it just ends up sizzling in the embers.)


----------



## Foxee

LeeC said:


> I hope you come up with one that makes nettle leaves more palatable to me. I add them to my salad (after soaking) because they're one of the most nutritious greens one can eat. Trouble is they taste like raw spinach which I'm not fond of.


I dry tons of nettle and then crush the dried leaves into spaghetti sauce or pretty much anywhere you can add a lot of herbs. Doesn't have a real strong flavor that way and even my pickiest little people don't complain. I also crush the leaves and hide them under the coffee grounds when I set up the coffeemaker for morning. Then when my husband makes his coffee he also doses himself with vitamins.

In addition I'll make an herbal tea of nettle and a few other herbs du jour like plaintain (not the banana-like things, _plantago major_), red clover, sheep sorrel or whatever else I happen to be using at the time. Let that cool, strain, and mix up with cranberry juice or iced tea over ice. 

When I think up some more ways to use it, I'll let you know!

EDIT: Incidentally, nettle is so nutritious that the Amish use a combination of nettle and horsetail fern (makes up for a lack of calcium in the nettle) as a prenatal vitamin. Just make lots of tea out of these and drink it. Apparently it works really well.


----------



## musichal

I serve my guests yard clippings from the bag on my mower as salad, with tubes of mayo from fast food joints as dressing, while I munch on my Hershey bar.  Surprising how many eat at home or elsewhere before stopping by.  People just don't want to eat healthy, I guess.  Go figure.


----------



## LeeC

I love BBQ also. Though my version is Buffalo ribs with home made hot salsa (none of the food industry chemicals you get with store bought).


"_It is one of the miracles of science and hygiene that the germs that used to be in our food have been replaced by poisons._"  ~  Wendell Berry


----------



## LeeC

Foxee said:


> I dry tons of nettle and then crush the dried leaves into spaghetti sauce or pretty much anywhere you can add a lot of herbs. Doesn't have a real strong flavor that way and even my pickiest little people don't complain. I also crush the leaves and hide them under the coffee grounds when I set up the coffeemaker for morning. Then when my husband makes his coffee he also doses himself with vitamins.
> 
> In addition I'll make an herbal tea of nettle and a few other herbs du jour like plaintain (not the banana-like things, _plantago major_), red clover, sheep sorrel or whatever else I happen to be using at the time. Let that cool, strain, and mix up with cranberry juice or iced tea over ice.
> 
> When I think up some more ways to use it, I'll let you know!
> 
> EDIT: Incidentally, nettle is so nutritious that the Amish use a combination of nettle and horsetail fern (makes up for a lack of calcium in the nettle) as a prenatal vitamin. Just make lots of tea out of these and drink it. Apparently it works really well.


There you go amsawtell. A good contribution and a good start.


While many pay exorbitant prices for coffee with chicory, I also have chicory in my natural garden. All one needs to do is dry and grind the roots.

Oh, and talk about delicious, I also have Asian Pears in my garden. They look like and have the texture of apples, but taste like pears. I'll bet their are some great recipes using them, without sugar of course. If one is a real sweet tooth, they can include Sweet Cicely.


----------



## Ariel

We have this odd purple flower that grows about waist high around here with fairly woody stems.  We looked it up and apparently it's chicory.  We had no idea.  It's just a weed that pops up.  We also have a thistle that comes up.


----------



## LeeC

amsawtell said:


> We have this odd purple flower that grows about waist high around here with fairly woody stems.  We looked it up and apparently it's chicory.  We had no idea.  It's just a weed that pops up.  We also have a thistle that comes up.


Many of the greatest gifts of nature are those we've come to ignore through cultural inculcation  

Another favorite from my garden and the surrounding woods is Ramps. They're a wild scallion that are among the first plants up in the spring, dying back by summer. There are a lot of great Appalachian recipes that include them.


----------



## Kevin

> I dry tons of nettle and then crush the dried leaves into spaghetti sauce or pretty much anywhere you can add a lot of herbs


 ... and when the zombie-pocalypse/world collapse comes you shall have your place among us... yes indeed. A good cook is valued, 'specially one that can improvise/make use of what there is.


----------



## musichal

Kevin said:


> ... and when the zombie-pocalypse/world collapse comes you shall have your place among us... yes indeed. A good cook is valued, 'specially one that can improvise/make use of what there is.



Reety alrighty he de zombie woof.


----------



## Kevin

Nettle... never had nettle. Stinging nettle? There's one that grows around here. Looks a bit like mint. Comes up once a year, mostly in the shade and then is gone. Little bit spikey.


----------



## LeeC

I've heard that an aspect of West coast culture is organic lipstick and hemp mini-skirts  Is that true Kevin?


----------



## Foxee

Chicory seems to like really adverse conditions, I see it growing in super hard roadside soil all the time. Crazy stuff. I love it roasted and ground in with my coffee, it adds a richer taste, too. Dandelion root can likewise be roasted and ground up and added to the mix.

Sweet Cicely sounds nice, LeeC, now I'm wondering what else you're growing in your garden. It sounds like a wonderful place.

amsawtell, some kinds of thistle are beneficial, just depends what it is.

Kevin: identifying nettles


----------



## Ariel

I have no idea how to harvest chicory.


----------



## Foxee

amsawtell said:


> I have no idea how to harvest chicory.


Since I don't have any growing to harvest i just get some pre-roasted and ground at the healthfood store's bulk section. Looks exactly like coffee. If I want to make half-caf I make half with coffee, half with chicory. Actual decaf coffee leeches minerals too fast and I end up with pains I shouldn't have.


----------



## Olly Buckle

When you are dealing with plants by their common names it is probably as well to check the Latin name as well make sure it is the right plant. In the same way that there are 'robins' in every English speaking country I bet you find common plant names applied to several different species, the Latin names don't vary. I see Foxee talking about nettles and Kevin saying 'stinging nettles?', if you mean English stinging nettles I doubt it Kevin, I remember a conversation with an American friend in which he said, 'When you come over here people go on about poison ivy and rattlesnakes like England is tamed and civilised, but they never warn you about ***** stinging nettles, vicious.' The soft new heads of our nettles make a good spinach type greens, but you need rubber gloves to pick and wash them.

'Chicory' in England is a salad vegetable, from the description nothing like the plant you re calling that. In France 'chicory'  is also a salad vegetable, but the one we call 'endive'; on the other hand the one we call 'chicory' is called 'endive' in France. Of course they use a French accent


----------



## Ariel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory

This is what my plants look like.  I'm not dumb enough to try eating them without having an expert confirm. Plus, my dog likes peeing on them.


----------



## Kevin

Ah... so what I thought were stinging nettles are perhaps clearweed.. a small herbaceous plant 10 to 18 inches tall. Actual stinging nettles I have encountered, the hard way.


----------



## Olly Buckle

I see they mention using the blanched buds as salad, so maybe it is the same. Know what you men about the dogs. I never eat the blackberries from low down when walking in the woods.


----------



## Kevin

The base looks like dandelion. Little tougher though.


----------



## Kevin

> organic:smile: lipstick and hemp mini-skirts


 There is that. A new generation keeps coming up. depends on the area. 




 This grows wild in my backyard.  Miner's lettuce. We eat it raw.


----------



## LeeC

amsawtell said:


> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory
> 
> This is what my plants look like.  I'm not dumb enough to try eating them without having an expert confirm. Plus, my dog likes peeing on them.



Extract from my own notes:

*Common Name: *Chicory (aka: Blue Sailors, Succory, and Coffeeweed)

*Latin Name: *_Cichorium intybus
_*Family*: _Asteraceae or Compositae (Aster/Daisy/Sunflower family)    _
*Native To*: Europe   

*Basic Info*:

A clumping, herbaceous, perennial growing to 1'-4'h x 1'-2'w. It's hardy to zone 3, and can grow in most well-drained, moist soils, in full sun to part shade conditions. The flowers are hermaphrodite, and the plant is noted for attracting wildlife. This plant is listed by some sources as weedy or invasive.

A cool weather crop, it tolerates only moderate summer temperatures and requires well-distributed rainfall, with good drainage. This is one of the “dynamic trio” of similarly leaved edible dynamic accumulators (Chicory, French Sorrel, and Dandelion) that pretty much take care of themselves once established.

This plant is often confused with Curly Endive (Cichorium endivia), with which it is closely related.

*Additional Info:* (also see images here)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichorium_intybus
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cichorium+intybus
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CIIN

*Beneficial companions*:
Clover, Nettles, Lovage, Yarrow. 

*Usage*:
*Edibility*: Leaves (raw or cooked); Roots (cooked, used in seasoning soups,
sauces and gravies, and roasted as a caffeine-free coffee adulterant or
substitute)
*Medicinal Indications*: Appetizer; Cardiac; Cholagogue; Depurative;
Digestive; Diuretic; Hypoglycaemic; Laxative; Tonic; Warts.
*Othe*r: Dynamic accumulator, some effectiveness as a generalist nectary. The
roots contain volatile oils effective at eliminating intestinal worms.
*Drawbacks*: Dispersive.
*Vegetation Layer*: (H) clumping/running herbs above 6"
*Nectary Calendar*: Generalist, flowering in June through October.


----------



## LeeC

Kevin said:


> There is that. A new generation keeps coming up. depends on the area.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This grows wild in my backyard.  Miner's lettuce. We eat it raw.



And you're the better for it  I have several patches of it in my natural garden. It requires a little maintenance though as its not as competitive as many other plants. I mix it with mountain (wild) strawberry plants to help keep the grasses and clovers down.


----------



## Bard_Daniel

I just ate half a box of blueberries. 

Nom nom nom.


----------



## am_hammy

So far today I've had a protein bar... really hankering for some coffee though. I need to go on a good grocery shop soon.


----------



## Ariel

I want to get into my kitchen and bake.


----------



## Mesafalcon

moderan said:


> What are you having?




I'm having whatever my wife makes. 

I'm such a bad cook. I make some badass RITZ crackers with peanut butter though.


----------



## Lewdog

amsawtell said:


> I want to get into my kitchen and bake.



Banana nut bread please!


----------



## Bard_Daniel

Lemon tarts and tea. Very sweet and milky tea.

Yum yums.


----------



## JessC

I just have my pizza today. Nothing unusual. I'm planning to take my family for a dinner tomorrow, what would be the awesome food we can eat for tomorrow's dinner? Any suggestion guys?


----------



## Arthur G. Mustard

Boil water in kettle,  place tea bag in cup, add water from kettle, add milk, remove tea bag. Open cupboard door, take packet of biscuits out, close cupboard door, devour biscuits all to yourself and enjoy the drink of tea. Mmmmm.  Yummy, filling, no fuss kitchen method.  Repeat if necessary later on in day. Leaves no great amount of washing up.


----------



## am_hammy

Kielbasa <3

My Polish is showing :glee:


----------



## PiP

I was given some rhubarb today so I made one of my favourite desserts - «Rhubarb Crumble» served with custard.


----------



## Aschendale

On Sunday I did smoked rack of lamb, marinated overnight in balsamic with garlic and a couple other spices, smoked with a mop of dijon mustard and red wine etc. Absolutely lovely, served with a vinegar cucumber salad and herbed couscous.


----------



## The Carcosan Herald

Can't say I've really cooked many dishes as inspiring as some of the ones you guys have posted up, and that's considering I did a course in professional catering in secondary school. The nearest I got to a proper dish was an attempt at Chinese crispy duck that ended up being so undercooked it'd make Gordon Ramsay's blood boil. 

Oh well, at least I've been told I can cook pizzas better than my old man (who's achieved notoriety for his specialist pizzas cooked until they're black as night. )...


----------



## dither

For brekkers I whizzed up 3 nectarines and a banana in my food processor then added one yogurt. Trying to help my ageing bod.


----------



## TuesdayEve

Just ate several roasted root veggies and two turkey 
meatballs accompanied by fresh celery juice.


----------



## dither

I just, well, half hour ago maybe, ate a plate of good old fish 'n' chips.


----------



## dither

Celery. UGH!  Really?


----------



## TuesdayEve

Yea celery...medicine food...ice cold...16oz’s 
down the hatch


----------



## dither

OMG.
I can't bear the smell of the stuff let alone eat or drink it.

I'm big on whizzing up yogurts right now with various fruits. Usually a banana and one other whatever.


----------



## dither

Looking forward to getting started on those CBD Oil caps. T'morra.


----------



## ScarletM.Sinclaire

I'm thinking of making my either famous burger or soup for dinner tonight. I get some ground beef, season it with cayenne pepper, salt, Litpon's french onion dip seasoning (2 pouches), and pepper. Throw that on the grill with some bacon. 

Grab some yellow mustard, put it in a bowl and mix it with honey. 

Get the sesame seed buns (the good kind), slap on some onion, tomato, lettuce and cheese. Then add the home-made honey mustard mixture, and Jack Daniels hickory brown sugar sauce on top. Thing is delicious! Came up with it when I was pregnant and craving something both sweet, spicy and smokey all at the same time. 

But the soup on the other hand is just as good!

Get a stockpot, fill it up halfway with both water and chicken stock. Put in a couple table spoons of curry and red curry (I love my curry), add in two tea spoons of chicken base (I go a little more heavier with it though, about 2 teaspoons and a half) a table spoon of adobe with cumin and half a pouch of sazon. Lets not forget a dash of salt and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. let that come to a boil.

Next, get a pan and put some olive oil in it. Cut of some squash and zucchini, saute it and season it with seasonal. In a separate pan saute some onions. Add those to the broth and turn the stove down to low heat. 

Next get cheddar smoked sausage and polsk kalbasa, cut it up, cook it and it to the broth. Lastly, cut up some cherry tomatoes, add celery and cook that in the broth and prepare to be punched in the face with flavor. 

Ugh my mouth is watering at just the thought of this soup.


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## meghanwithanH

Hey ya’ll! This may be my favorite topic so far  I’m not much of a cook but I love to eat and I used to write a baking blog. 

This past weekend I baked brookies with frosting on the side for dipping. So yummy. 

Are there any other bakers out there?


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## PiP

Hi Meghan, I enjoy baking, but it is more of a winter hobby for me. This is one of my favourite recipes

Brigadeiros are traditionally made from condensed milk, sweetened cocoa powder and butter. Cooked to a fudge consistency,  rolled into little balls and coated in chocolate granules (sprinklers).
Ingredients
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1oz of butter
3 large tablespoons of cocoa powder
Chocolate 100s and 1000s (chocolate granules) for decoration
Method
Place cocoa powder, condensed milk and butter in heavy saucepan. Heat the mixture slowly on low heat stirring constantly until resembles a fudge like consistency, but not too stiff. If you cook the mixture too long the it becomes too hard and is chewy. Remove from saucepan, put into a dish and allow to cool completely. Pour chocolate 100s and 1000s onto a plate.
Grease your hands with butter or margarine before rolling the chocolate mixture in to little balls as this prevents it sticking to your hands as you form into balls.
Brigadeiros are an extremely popular treat at children’s birthday parties in Brazil. However, they are also a perfect treat for Piglet with a nice cup of coffee. Hmmmm… delicious and so moreish!


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## meghanwithanH

Sounds delicious! I’ll definitely be trying it out. They sound somewhat similar to Oreo balls aka Oreo Truffles. Or as my family calls them: Chocolate Balls of Happiness haha

And they’re really easy to make! Crush a package of Oreos until you can no longer see the cream (or use Oreos with chocolate cream, that makes it a little easier). Mush the Oreo crumbs together with an 8 oz. package of cream cheese until the cream cheese is no longer visible. Roll into balls and refrigerate for about 10 mins so they set. Melt chocolate chips (I always use milk chocolate but you could use dark, white, peanut butter, whatever you want) and then dip the balls in the chocolate to coat them. Refrigerate again to set the chocolate, and enjoy!


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## NeoKukulza

Brown-sugar seared salmon with sweet orange glaze

2 tbsp brown sugar
1 salmon filet
1/2 oz butter
1 large orange
1 tsp  white granulated sugar

Rub salmon with brown sugar, coat all over.
Melt butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat
Sear salmon 2 minutes on both sides until fish is cooked.
Squeeze orange juice from orange into bowl, strain seeds and pulp
Heat orange juice in second skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in white sugar and stir until mix resembles a glaze
Pour over finished salmon, garnish as needed

enjoy


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## TuesdayEve

Lunch, assorted grilled veggies on a bed of shredded 
Brussels sprouts laced in a light vinegarette.


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## Pamelyn Casto

ronald00mark said:


> Nutrition is also important in maintaining heart health. Unfortunately, many individuals mistake heart-healthy dishes with bland, boring meals. However, there are many foods and recipes that are both delicious and good for your health https://www.lolacovington.com/.



Oh, yes, ronald00mark. The good stuff's not boring or bland at all. For the last year I've been studying healthy nutrition and what discoveries I've made. I found one recipe that purely knocks my socks off. It's a five ingredient fat-burner chili. It's strong, hearty, and oh so satisfying. (Limited salt, too, and I make up for that with spices. Salt's getting to our health too-- we eat far too much of it).

Everyone I've served the chili to asks for the recipe. To extend the recipe, to add a bit more nutrition, I also quick add a chopped zucchini and chopped yellow squash to the basic recipe.  Knock your socks off stuff, I tell you, and so simple and quick to make.

I've found several other healthy, quick, tasty, healthy possibilities easy to make, that don't take much time, and are full of nutrition. I appreciate your sharing the link with us. I'm still on the search for more good ones.

One major discovery I made is the value of plain old watermelon! Turns out it's even "wetter" than water-- stronger in the hydration area. It's good in satisfying hunger, too, especially when you stand as you eat the daily two cups of watermelon. Now each week I buy my watermelon, cut it into cubes, and enjoy it all week long. Can no longer live without my watermelon.


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## TuesdayEve

Having pieces of cut baby cucumbers, cut tomatoes in spiced up balsamic vinegar and olive oil.


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## Turnbull

Homemade strawberry jam on a toasted english muffin.


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## TuesdayEve

Nothing….I’m wishing for bread. Pizza bread, cheese bread, bread& jam…or a loaf of rye or french bread and a stick of butter. Those were the good old days. Guess I’ll go get an apple.


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