WTF Polenta?
I think the "in place of pasta" is misleading, I would say it is more in place of mashed potatoes. One of the best meals I ever had as a kid was wild hare with polenta. It was a neutral ying to a gamey yang.
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Anheuser-Busch to Stop Selling Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Alcoholic energy drink = Jumbo shrimp.
It's an oxymoron!
Kitschy Recipes
Dirt...ground up Oreos with chocolate pudding and Cool Whip. Sprinkle with gummy worms.
Cook the Book: The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper
Judith Jones: what is your favorite cookbook for everyday simple fare?
Most 'fun' cookbook you have read or own?
An old Jell-o cookbook. There is a recipe for ham "loaf", ham, eggs, peas in lemon Jello paradise. I've never been brave enough to try a recipe, but I wouldn't part with it for the world.
Gordon Ramsay Is Not a Jerk; He Just Plays One on American TV
Kitchen Nightmares is edited to maximize the drama, you really can't take the story line at face value. If you read between the frames you can see that he is has an excellent business sense and good advice.
Remember that Purdue chicken commercial? "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken", this could be GR's motto as well.
Eat This, Not That: The Worst Foods in America
Although I never eat fast food, I liked the book and actually considered getting it for my ten year old neighbor.
What never ceases to amaze me is how much negative nutrition a fast food meal can squeeze into a simple dish. High calories, high fat, high sodium AND high fructose corn syrup all in a lowly chicken dish. It takes some R&D.
At Chili's, the Crispy Honey Chipotle Crispers have 1,890 calories. The oil I fry with at home has 1,440 calories/cup. Just think the kids could drink an entire cup of oil and still have calories left over for the chicken I saute. Blech!
Parmigiano Reggiano vs. Pecorino Romano or ??
Parmigiano Reggiano is my all time favorite. Sometimes I buy myself a wedge and hide it a corner of the fridge where my family wont find it. I even have a collection of crusts I use for soup.
Cookbooks? Are you obsessed as I am?
Raising my hand...I, too, have cookbook issues. I have just under a hundred, a lot of them are out print or from foreign countries. My current cure for my obsession is the library. I check out any book that piques my interest, even slightly. I can even order them online.
By doing this, I have learned that many books are not for me for one reason or another. Of course, I did buy the Canadian cookbook that the library did not have, so I am not really cured.
Responses to Comments by LearP
WTF Polenta?
I'm a polenta fan! I make polenta and spread it out on a jelly roll pan until it becomes firm. Using it as an appetizer during "happy hour", I use a small round cookie cutter to produce bite size pieces. The rounds can be topped with many things i.e. mushroom ragu sprinkled with romano cheese, goat cheese mixed with sundried tomatos etc. They are always a hit! In my opinion, polenta is a substitute for potatoes not pasta but I could be wrong! It's delicious any way you present it.
Cook the Book: 'Top Chef'
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Anheuser-Busch to Stop Selling Alcoholic Energy Drinks
noooooooo! this stuff got me through so many dj gigs.
Kitschy Recipes
Hey, what's wrong with cookies in cans!?! :P
I'll probably be in the minority defending Spam (meat in a can), Snack Mate (cheese in a spray can), Reddiwip (whipped cream in a spray can), and...I just realized how much stuff comes out of a can here. lol
@GegeMac: A lot of the cheese sold in our supermarkets are "cheese products;" Velveeta is just one of many. At least in the US, if you see sliced cheese hanging in a plastic bag or stacked like bricks, it's more than likely a cheese product. The real cheese is usually kept in a different refrigerated section, like near the bakery or wine section of the grocery store.
The thing with Velveeta is that you don't have to refrigerate it, and it nukes w/o much effort to a smooth, viscous consistency making it convenient to use for dips and such.
I remember seeing Velveeta for sale back home in Hawaii for $11/pound 15 years ago, so my mom (and I) never bothered with it. I was shocked at how cheap it was on the mainland at $3-4/pound. I have yet to eat Velveeta.
Anheuser-Busch to Stop Selling Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Oh, I didn't say I don't like Sparks. It just scares the hell out of me.
Kitschy Recipes
@ Cassaendra. Thanks for the info. Seriously though I don't think we have dough in a can (maybe I'm just not looking hard enough in the supermarket). Also I think I confused myself, because what I know as a biscuit, I think you call a cookie......
Fair call on the vegemite thing - although I'll have to stand my ground and defend to the death one of my country's "cultural icons" ; )
Anheuser-Busch to Stop Selling Alcoholic Energy Drinks
I'm with you there worldcup, but I love me some Sparks. Say it ain't so!
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Location: Los Angeles
About: Boring SAHM that cooks.
Favorite foods: Sushi
Last bite on earth: Some kind of raw fish.