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Padma Lakshmi: Now a Music Video Star
Oh, I love Eels ever so very much! Hilarious and charming!
Cook the Book: 'What We Eat When We Eat Alone'
buttered noodles, tortillas with melted cheese, radishes, cereal and dried cranberries. not all together, but those are the things I'm most likely to get into when by myself.
Should Hot Dogs Carry Warning Labels?
Are they also going to push for warnings on processed soy products if it turns out that they do have an effect on hormonal development? Oh wait, that might not be on their agenda...
Processed foods aren't good for us. Particularly not in gross excess. Anyone who doesn't know that at this point doesn't care. Forcing government involvement here would be costly and inane.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Just out of curiosity, why did you guys taste the Berio Extra Light Tasting rather than their Extra Virgin?
Padma Lakshmi: Now a Music Video Star
Oh, I love Eels ever so very much! Hilarious and charming!
Cook the Book: 'What We Eat When We Eat Alone'
buttered noodles, tortillas with melted cheese, radishes, cereal and dried cranberries. not all together, but those are the things I'm most likely to get into when by myself.
Should Hot Dogs Carry Warning Labels?
Are they also going to push for warnings on processed soy products if it turns out that they do have an effect on hormonal development? Oh wait, that might not be on their agenda...
Processed foods aren't good for us. Particularly not in gross excess. Anyone who doesn't know that at this point doesn't care. Forcing government involvement here would be costly and inane.
Cook the Book: 'The Barcelona Cookbook'
No special experiences yet, but if I win the book I'll make some brave potatoes and together we will save the world!
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
I'm in the Detroit suburbs, and typically get mine from Dirty Girl Farm (http://www.dirtygirlfarm.com/) at the Royal Oak farmer's market. Great selection and much less expensive/better quality than the grocery store. I do buy oddball stuff for rubs from the bulk bins behind the deli at our grocery store, though.
In Desperate Need of Help
If you're trying to eat things that are reasonably healthy and calorific, this list is from http://healthyceri.blogspot.com/2008/05/cers-famous-healthy-calorie-dense-food.html
Ceri's "famous" calorie dense foods list:
- All natural peanut butter
- Dark chocolate
- Raw almonds, cashews & other nuts
- Fruit & especially Fruit Juice
- Whole grains, pastas, rice & cereals
- Potatoes, yams
- Sunflower seeds
- Dried fruit
- Beans & other legumes
- Avocado
- Dairy such as 2% milk, cheese, yogurt
- Fish high in omega-3's such as salmon, tuna
- Red meats with the word "round" or "loin" in the name
- Cook vegetables/meats/etc in olive oil
- Add flaxseed or flaxseed oil to your food
- If you can't get enough calories from food, try a meal replacement shake. Add peanut butter, flax oil, fruit, etc to make it even more calorie dense.
In Defense of Breakfast: A Morning Manifesto
Yay breakfast! I've had friends sit in awe as I slowly consumed huge breakfasts. I'll gladly just have a giant breakfast and then have popcorn or something in the evening.
Very cool photo art project of a bunch of different people and their breakfasts here - http://jonhuck.com/breakfast/index.htm
Cook the Book: Diced Potato-Leek Soup
We had great success with his recipe, but made a few changes (we don't think like chefs - we think like people who want dinner). Used our soup/pasta pot (6 qt.), 3 VERY BIG leeks and just under 3 lbs of potatoes. We added the stock 1/2 c. at a time, but 1) we're impatient and still poured it in pretty fast and 2) we decided we wanted more liquid so we added one more cup of water. Finally, we ust cooked it until the taters were done and then blended some of it with the stick blender. And it was delicious. :)
Plymouth Sloe Gin Makes a Sloe Return
Is SoCo a cheap sloe gin? I never knew that, but I guess I'd never given it much thought. Dear lord, a good sloe gin might get me in all sorts of trouble.
Top Ten Worst Halloween 'Candies'
If you're not giving out fun-size bars, what the heck are you supposed to give? It would cost me a few hundred bucks to give every kid who came by a full size candy bar!
Cook the Book: 'Giada's Kitchen'
I'm with MaryRas - except my mom's, not her mom's. :)
Cook the Book: 'The Food Life'
Holiday Market in Royal Oak, MI - nice selection of cheese, great meat department with fantastic housemade sausages and wine gods who will happily point you to the best wine to have with grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Served: On (Not) Knowing What We Want
Aw, ya made me drool! So where can I acquire some "aged, crystallized goat's milk cheese," anyways??? Because I assure you, I love goat cheese.
Cook the Book: Serves One
buttered noodles. always always. I tend to get pudgy when I eat alone too much. :)
Kitschy Recipes
Once every few years I'll bring 7-layer salad to an event and people flip out. People my parents age (60+) seem amused and surprised that I know what it is, let alone that I'd bring it. It's more fun to watch younger people react, though, because of the shock and awe response to the amount of mayo-cheese-bacon. Maybe not so much kitchy, though - isn't it a southern thing?
Hannah and the science of taste
I think by far my favorite taste is pickled things/vinegar. My parents could get me to eat canned spinach as a kid by letting me put as much cider vinegar as I wanted on it. I'd have seconds, even though I found the texture absolutely foul.
About the only food item that I ever dislike due to taste is things that are laden with a whole lot of cilantro. Most of the time it's a texture thing if I really dislike something, and even that is unusual.
The last meal you cooked for friends?
Impromptu Sunday dinner with another couple was lentil salad, grilled mild Italian sausages and grilled zucchini with cantaloupe for dessert. I like cooking for people, and only have one other friend who likes to, so everyone is always unreasonably impressed that I can give them dinner without any notice. Kind of nice, really!
Strange Eating Habits
When eating anything that is filled (burritos, pasties, pies), I eat the filling first, then the crust/wrapper.
And I sort things like granola, m&ms, etc. and eat them all evenly, as well. I thikn it started as a way to prevent me from wolfing down an entire bag of candy and is now an entertaining way to baffle my husband.
What kind of food do you go out for/order in?
We rarely go out to eat, but it's usually when I have a sudden craving for something we don't have - often bar burgers or steak. We don't eat much beef at home. And we go out for sushi once or twice a month. I have no inclination to make sushi, and the sushi-man at the place we go makes up rolls for us, which is extra fun.
Picky eaters confess all (Oh, help me!)
Hah! I totally understand your hurt feelings - my husband's brother and his family are crazy picky! And generally opt to tell me things like "oh, we don't like our green beans this crunchy," since I don't cook them for hours in bacon fat.
Don't apologize - you're not a mind reader and your MIL was probably just talking, not even realizing that you might take her comments as anything. And don't let your miffedness get the best of ya - I'm sure that even if it's not the food that they would choose to make themselves, they have enjoyed every time you've been kind enough to make them dinner.
And by all means, make them steaks, salad, green beans and taters until you feel like making them something else!
Stocking a pantry
Flour (AP, whole wheat & bread if you bake)
Cornmeal
Old-fashioned oats
Sugar
Brown sugar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Olive oil
Canola or vegetable oil
Rice (brown & white)
Couscous
A few boxes of pasta
Canned tomatoes (I prefer diced, but whole are good if you're willing to chop)
Tomato sauce
Canned beans - a few kinds
Some dried fruits (raisins, apricots, whatever you like)
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Vinegar (balsamic, cider & red wine)
S&P
just a couple herbs and spices to start - buy more as you go
Starter list - I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch of stuff...
Salmonella Scare Halts Tomato Sales
@Butrflygirly - not necessarily. Last night on NPR they were talking to someone from (I believe) the CDC, and she said that the bacteria can actually enter through stem scar, so it may be inside the fruit.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
@green...
First-pressed... aka, extra virgin olive oil is not necessarily the best for every method of preparation. It's good in salads and raw appetizers or as a last minute addition to liven up a dish. You should never saute or cook with extra virgin olive oil... especially over high heat since the smoke point is relatively low. All you will be left with is a burnt taste devoid of any flavor that you expect from high cost evoo.
Top Ten Worst Halloween 'Candies'
I disagree about a lot of the candy items mentioned here.
I, for one, LOVE the fun-sized (or mini, if you prefer) candies. It's a tiny bit of something insanely tasty, enough to give pleasure without causing tummy pains. When I was a young'un and I went trick-or-treating, one house gave out mini Clark bars. Yum-o-delish! I polished those off first.
I think the chewy peanut butter kisses taste absolutely divine.
Candy corn, I think is plenty of tasty, as are the candy pumpkins made of candy-corn base. Think little dollops of hardened cake-frosting.
As for apples and raisins, those I didn't mind in the least.
However, some items, I do agree about.
Toothbrushes -- a boring reminder
Religious pamphlets -- disappointing and WEIRD to boot.
Packages of "normal" food -- oh, for crying in Manhattan, what kid wants to receive a can of baked beans or a box of oat bran in his little plastic jack-o-lantern.
One time I received cough drops -- and not the Ludens or Pine Bros or Smith Bros or F&Fs, which are tasty and could pass as hard candy (as can the Ricolas). These were nasty little green pellets that were -- and tasted like -- MEDICATION. Like I said, for crying in Manhattan! For crying in Manhattan, Chicago, and San Francisco
Oh well. At least I didn't get a ROCK
Top Ten Worst Halloween 'Candies'
If I didn't live in an apartment building with no kids in it I'd be giving out and full sized candy bar AND a red bull to every kid. HAHAHA!!! HALLOWEEN IS FOR KIDS! SUCK IT PARENTS!
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
the frist pressed is the best look for the best price on frist cold preesed olives
pasta with the beans
1 cup cooked and drained ditalini
1 can[8oz] cambells pork and beans
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup spaghetti sauce or ketchup
salt/pepper to taste
combine everything and enjoy
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Isn't the key to quality how recently the olives were harvested? How long have those bottles been sitting on the shelves and when were the olives picked?
My guess is that there's a ton of bottle-to-bottle variation with these oils.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
When shopping for olive oil, if you abide by these two rules, you will usually have a winner.
1) Made exclusively from 100% Italian Olives
2) Bottled in and imported from Italy
An old chef told me this info and it has never let me down. There's something about Italian olives that scream flavor. Greek, Tunisian, Spanish, American... they just don't taste the same.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
My Costco has an olive oil in a box (think wine in a box) that is easily the best olive oil per liter I've found.
Another option is to buy in the large five gallon tins. So long as you store your oil properly, it's fine. Since olive oil is only harvested once a year (in the fall), the oil you're pulling out of your tin in august is as fresh as anything you're pulling off the shelf at the store.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Take all your leftover least-favorite oils, pour them into the fuel tank of your bio-diesel-ready vehicle and make a trip to buy the brand you like. Don't use them to make bad food ...
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Costco has an organic extra virgin olive oil that I swear by.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Hmm, we buy Filippo Berio olive oil and I swear it tastes awesome (maybe we don't get the extra light?:) My boyfriend went to Italy in May and ever since he's been a huge olive oil snob. I just introduced him to Filippo Berio and he actually admitted it tastes good! :)
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
If I remember correctly, Cook's Illustrated recommends DaVinci brand as an inexpensive but good olive oil...
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
For tb404, who posted looking for "a spanish brand that came in a little glass carafe (about 8 0z) with a cork stopper with red wax on the top. It had a name like "marquis de Pres"" - Could it be NUNEZ DE PRADO you're thinking of? I haven't seen it in such a small bottle but it does come in 500 ml size (about 17 oz.) in a square bottle with cork and red wax. It's fabulous oil, my all time favorite, and I wouldn't be surprised you'd want to find it again.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
How about some type of confit? Maybe Garlic Confit? Or make your own flavored oils and condiments. That is what I would do with a lot of extra oil. Maybe pestos of different herbs?
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Back to the laboratory I hope.........PLEASE try Red Island green lablel from Austrailia.....the best on the market in my mind. Fresh, fruity, no bitterness, first press/cold press, it tastes like you just squeezed the olives yourself.......so good it's almost drinkable!!!
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Don't overlook wonderful Greek olive oils. I like the Horio brand. If your local ethnic grocery store does not carry it, it can be purchased online for as little as $10/liter, in the larger cans.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Can someone comment on De Cecco?
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Nice article! I like the Goya, and I typically buy that since it's widely available. I wish I'd read your article sooner! I just picked up a bottle of the Trader Joe's Italian olive oil instead of the Spanish one. Oh well, next time.
As for things to make, I'm still curious about olive oil ice cream. I've seen it, but have not tried it. You definitely would need a pretty strongly flavored oil, I suspect.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
I agree that "cheap" and "good" don't really go together... but olive oils like this can certainly be used for cooking, blending, pesto, etc... or skin treatments as some point out!
deep frying? i wouldn't, the smoking point is SO low on olive oil, and why waste (even though they're "cheap") olive oil for that, when better oils for frying cost a fraction of that.
Really, if you want to eat good olive oil, splurge, because uff, it's worth it!
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Great info, Thanks SE!
I vote for utilizing the less popular oils for skin treatments. Have an SE spa/craft day and make lotion out of an emulsion of essential oils (lavender, eucalyptus, etc), water and Filippo Berio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil. You can also make castile soaps.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
@gargupie - that would be my suggestion too!
It's also beneficial as topical hair treatment :)
...ever tried EVOO wrestling LOL that would be a hilarious article!
I'm surprised by the results and actually very greatful. Thx again SE!
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Host your own DIY-pesto workshop!
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
What about regular Berio Olive Oil or Berio EVOO - the ones you get at Costco?
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
Your answer to "does a good-quality, cheapish olive oil exist? " should have been 'No' when it comes to olive oil 'quality' and 'cheap' do not jive...Seriously!
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
I have the same question as some of the people above, why did you test Filippo Berio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil instead of their Extra Virgin like the other brands. Extra light has been processed so much, no wonder it won the "it tastes like water" category. I've used the extra virgin in the past and its not bad. Not great, but good for the price.
Taste Test: Cheap But Good Olive Oils
I saw this same taste test on Americas Test Kitchen a few weeks back, they came to the conclusion that there are no good olive oils made here, only the expensive imported stuff made their list.
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Just out of curiosity, why did you guys taste the Berio Extra Light Tasting rather than their Extra Virgin?