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Videos: Feeding a Cat With Chopsticks
That made me so happy. My cat is big and old and tubby, but he still does silly stuff, too. He really likes Doritos and sandwiches, like not just the lunchmeat, but taking a piece of the sandwich mayo, cheese, mustard and all. Maybe that's why he's tubby ...
What's your food therapy?
I take a two-step approach: make something that's a comfort food and that enables you to pound around the kitchen. I like mashed potatoes; they're delicious and require a good pounding, as does bread and refried beans.
Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 10
It's interesting that we're talking about this. Portman just wrote an essay for the Huffington Post in which she says this batshit crazy thing:
"I say that Foer's ethical charge against animal eating is brave because not only is it unpopular, it has also been characterized as unmanly, inconsiderate, and juvenile. But he reminds us that being a man, and a human, takes more thought than just 'This is tasty, and that's why I do it.' He posits that consideration, as promoted by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma, which has more to do with being polite to your tablemates than sticking to your own ideals, would be absurd if applied to any other belief (e.g., I don't believe in rape, but if it's what it takes to please my dinner hosts, then so be it)."
Until now I was getting very sick of hearing Anthony Bourdain's seemingly constant tirade against vegetarians, but basically equating meat eaters to rapists is ridiculous and I'll take Bourdain's shit talking any day.
You can read the rest here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/natalie-portman/jonathan-safran-foers-iea_b_334407.html
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The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made
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Stupid to Make Homemade Halloween Treats?
Posted by PumpkinBear, October 19, 2009 at 11:34 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Food Truck Boom
I actually think it's annoying that food trucks are getting all of this play lately. I grew up in L.A. and eating awesome Mexican food from trucks was a regular occurence; street food overall was pretty commonplace. They've always been around, they've always offered delicious, affordable food and it's bothersome that no one gave them props until blogs starting going crazy for them.
Videos: Feeding a Cat With Chopsticks
That made me so happy. My cat is big and old and tubby, but he still does silly stuff, too. He really likes Doritos and sandwiches, like not just the lunchmeat, but taking a piece of the sandwich mayo, cheese, mustard and all. Maybe that's why he's tubby ...
What's your food therapy?
I take a two-step approach: make something that's a comfort food and that enables you to pound around the kitchen. I like mashed potatoes; they're delicious and require a good pounding, as does bread and refried beans.
Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 10
It's interesting that we're talking about this. Portman just wrote an essay for the Huffington Post in which she says this batshit crazy thing:
"I say that Foer's ethical charge against animal eating is brave because not only is it unpopular, it has also been characterized as unmanly, inconsiderate, and juvenile. But he reminds us that being a man, and a human, takes more thought than just 'This is tasty, and that's why I do it.' He posits that consideration, as promoted by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma, which has more to do with being polite to your tablemates than sticking to your own ideals, would be absurd if applied to any other belief (e.g., I don't believe in rape, but if it's what it takes to please my dinner hosts, then so be it)."
Until now I was getting very sick of hearing Anthony Bourdain's seemingly constant tirade against vegetarians, but basically equating meat eaters to rapists is ridiculous and I'll take Bourdain's shit talking any day.
You can read the rest here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/natalie-portman/jonathan-safran-foers-iea_b_334407.html
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
When baking, I actually rarely use butter, no matter what the recipe calls for. I just think canola oil keeps baked goods more moist and butter can burn easily. There are some recipes where it can't be avoided, but I use oil whenever I can.
As Vegetarianka said, yogurt is also an excellent substitute. Plain yorurt works well, but sometimes I use flavored yogurts like vanilla or strawberry and it's excellent.
I bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan---Dinner 10/28 Wed???
It's only around 2 p.m. here in Los Angeles, but I've already eaten what I consider to be my "dinner." I eat one large-ish meal in the afternoon and then a small snack in the evening. Anyhow, I had fried potatoes and "chili beans," which is just pinto beans and Mexican chorizo. It was a comfort food growing up and it still is.
Meatloaf
@BananaMonkey: It's a ribbon of onion-y goodness that runs through the center of the free form meatloaf. It's really tasty, you should try it!
Meatloaf
I have no definitive meatloaf recipe, though I do consider it a comfort food as well. My approach is always a kind of "everything but the kitchen sink" thing, though.
If I'm using turkey, I'll soak half a box of panko in milk and use that as well as the other dry half, I may throw in sundried tomatoes, finely diced onions, garlic, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes that have been sauteed so they don't remain weirdly crunch.
Sometimes I'll do it "Italian style" and stuff the meatloaf with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella. My boyfriend likes it when I stuff his with caramelized onions and cheddar. All of that being said, I think my meatloaf always includes eggs, bread crumbs or bread soaked in milk, worsheshire, s&p, grated parm, ketchup, and parsley. The rest is just kind of made up on the spot, depending on what I'm in the mood for. BBQ sauce as the "glaze" is also a nice addition, as well.
A source for tripe?
I don't know if receiving tripe in the mail would be the best idea and also, I couldn't find anything when Googling it several different ways.
Every Mexican market I've ever been to has an excellent butcher counter, with tons of tripe and other nasty bits included. Maybe you can find one in your area?
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
How funny! I was actually thinking about this the other day. I have weird peach butter a neighbor brought back from Hawaii, three different kinds of pickles, the biggest jar of mayo you've ever seen (thanks, Costco), Dijon mustard, ketchup, a jar of sundried tomatoes, pesto, a small jar of bacon fat, chili garlic sauce, jarred horseradish, homemade vinaigrette's in mason jars- it's endless, seriously.
Any food you could eat daily til' you kick the bucket?!
I forgot about pasta! Oh pasta, I love you so much.
What desserts do you crave?
I'm not big on desserts, but when I'm in the mood for something sweet it's got to be chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. True, it's chocolate overkill, but the urge comes so rarely I've really got to do it up when it hits.
Would You Eat This Lobster?
@SmokedMeat: You really made me laugh. Maybe he likes Judge Judy? All of the old people in my life really dig Judge Judy or that "straight-shootin' Dr. Phil."
Any food you could eat daily til' you kick the bucket?!
Everyday for the rest of my life I could eat:
Cheese (any kind)
Sushi
Bagels with cream cheese
Spinach salad
Peanut butter toast on 12 grain bread (I actually do eat this everyday)
A sandwhich, preferably with mayo, dijon, turkey, spinach, sprouts, and good cheese
My dad's enchilladas
Would You Eat This Lobster?
I couldn't do it. I'm sure people can make a gazillion arguments about considering the age of other animals (as when eating veal), but I'm an overly sensitive baby and the idea of eating this particular 70-year-old guy breaks my heart. I actually want to call the restaurant and ask if I can pay for the guy to be set free. He deserves better.
Best Halloween Candy?
From my many years of Halloween candy obsessing, I've noticed that people can be broken up into two categories: those who love super sour/gummy/hard candy (freaks) and those who like yummy chocolatey things (the enlightened). People like my boyfriend and brothers go crazy for Sour Patch Kids, Starbursts, Warheads, etc. I go crazy for anything chocolate, but my all time favorite has got to be Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. I avoid them all year because I know that I'll buy a huge bag for Halloween, get no trick-or-treaters, and then spend the next week scarfing them down. The year-long avoidance evens it out, right?
Also, my boyfriend is weird and southern and calls Reeces Peanut Butter Cups "Reesey Cups," has anyone else heard of this? He told me that's just how they said it when he was growing up and I just dismissed him as crazy, like I always do.
I *heart* America's Test Kitchen on PBS
I love this show! It's been on PBS for so long. I even loved watching it as a teenager; I've learned so much from it. I also love their magazine. All of the illustrated pictures of beautiful vegetables makes my heart swoon.
Bad mood, bad food?
When I get the case of the blues I don't even feel like cooking. When that happens, there's nothing I can do to cure it. I've tried going grocery shopping or heading to the farmer's market for inspriration, but it rarely works. I've just got to wait for the mood to pass and once it does, the need to cook comes back and everything's fine again.
What strange food combos do you partake in or have you seen?
@Carioca: I don't think that's strange. My dad's Mexican and I grew up watching him put lime, salt, and hot sauce on fruit all the time, especially mangoes, watermelon, and jicama.
My mom eats peanut butter and yellow mustard sandwiches. I think it's really gross.
In high school, we'd dip pizza into ranch dressing and the cafeteria ladies would give us the option of pouring nacho cheese or cream cheese into our bags of Hot Cheetos and we'd smush it all up prison-style and eat it with a fork. Also, when I was a teenage vegetarian, my mom would buy me frozen mashed potatoes and I'd heat them up in the microwave with A1 sauce drizzled on top. It was like a savory gravy without being meaty.
What's for dinner 10/22?
I had greens and beans: garbanzo's (that took FOREVER to cook) and kale with lots of garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and just a bit of parmesan. I also had a pretty hearty serving of zucchini bread for dessert.
Do You Check Out Other Peoples' Fridges?
I love how everyone feels compelled to preface their admission by saying, "I look, but not in a sneaky way." Well, I look and it IS in a sneaky way. It would be uncomfortable to have the person know that I'm looking because then they'd feel obligated to explain the weird things I come across and that's just awkward.
My grandpa's pantry looks like the Campbell's soup company is using his house to store every product they've ever made. His fridge is gross and jam packed with Cactus Cooler soda, Budweiser, and half eaten packages of headcheese lunchmeat- sick.
My best friend's fridge is full of decaying produce. He leaves all of the produce wet and in the bags he gets at the grocery store. There's lots of mushy cilantro, rotten tomatoes, that kind of thing.
The best refrigerator/pantry I've ever snopped in was the sister of my brother's ex-wife. She's really into cooking and worked at Trader Joe's, so she had excellent chocolate, goat cheese, Soy Joy's, homemade meringues, hazelnuts, pita bread, hummus, homemade ravioli- man, she was awesome.
Is the Food Network getting too flashy?
I think good food is missing from a lof of Food Network programming. I used to watch FN all the time, I actually credit the station with teaching me how to cook when I moved to a different state and worked as a nanny who had to feed two small girls three meals (plus snacks) everyday. I barely ever watch FN anymore. Sometimes I'll check out Tyler Florence's show and though I love Ina Garten, they never show recent episodes during the week.
I can see what you mean though. I watch all of the PBS cooking shows and Pepin's is the most straight forward. I think Food Network shows are a little to scripted or concerned with getting the host's personality out there with personal stories about the food they're making. I actually don't care to hear stuff like that; I just want to know about the food.
what's for dinner 10/21?
Grilled chicken (the weather's still nice in California) with homemade BBQ sauce, my grandpa's potato salad with extra dill (because I love it), and leftover mac and cheese. It felt particularly heavy, so I didn't even eat any of the chocolate chip zucchini bread I made last night. Maybe tomorrow ...
McDonalds Pumpkin Pie?
I haven't heard of the McDonalds pumpkin pie, but chances are it's not very good. I wouldn't try it, it may put me off of pumpkin pie for good.
Stupid to Make Homemade Halloween Treats?
I suppose you guys are right. I just LOVE Halloween so much because the autumn season is my thing and Halloween always seemed like such a celebration of everything I love about this season. I guess I'll have to stick to the pre-packaged, store-bought stuff, but I am going to take some of your suggestions and make little treat bags filled with different kinds of candy and toys I mix and match myself. At least there's that, right?
Videos: Feeding a Cat With Chopsticks
Very cute...30 seconds would have been a good cut-off..."Happy" still enjoyed it!
Would You Eat This Lobster?
What a great marketing opportunity. Keep the Big Boy Alive! Put this lobster on display and l make the best of it.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
@nightowl, are you suppossed to refrigerate tapioca? i have it in my pantry.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
Fridge door inventory:
Butter saver shelf: carton of eggs, half a lime
Shelf 1: butter, ketchup, small cans of pineapple juice, a pineapple fruit cup, a bottle of fruit smoothie drink, 8 oz glass bottle of Dr Pepper
Shelf 2: spray margarine, peanut butter, sugar free strawberry preserves, bottled bbq sauce, tabasco, cream cheese, box of baking soda in a ziploc, cold brew coffee concentrate
Shelf 3: bottle of aloe vera infused lotion, bottle of sriracha, bottle of balsamic viniagrette, bottle of ranch dressing, bottle of Cristalino, sour mix
Shelf 4: chocolate syrup, sugar free chocolate syrup, hazelnut flavored syrup, 2 kinds of homemade bbq sauce, white vinegar, hummus, maraschino cherries, tapioca pearls
Some of this is undoubtedly completely weird.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
I also have Dianas Spicy Southwest in my refrigerator! I brought it back from a trip to Nova Scotia.
When it comes to strange, hmmmm...strawberry vodka? Habanero Peach Preserves, szechuan salad dressing from the chinese market (I still have no idea what to do with it), yellow curry sauce, tandoor marinade, garlic scape pesto.
I also have a jar of Baconaise, not the stuff you have on the website, the packaged stuff not made with bacon.
Wasabi dressing from my trip to Vermont. I could go on and on...
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
organic plain yogurt
butter
mozzarella cheese
2 types of soy sauce
oyster sauce
ketchup
dried up tahini
strawberry jam
Miracle Whip
Diana's Spicy Southwest marinade
stale Japanese vinaigrette
spare rib sauce
hoisin sauce
General Tao sauce
Italian dressing
Cesar salad dressing
molasses
sweet & sour sauce
yeast
canned cat & dog food
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
@angelfood thanks for the sorghum ideas!
Serious Cocktails: Women and Whiskey
I'm a devotee to peaty scotch whiskeys: Compass Box Flaming Heart and Ardbeg's Airigh Nam Beist (only have had a glass of it, but that baby's on my X-mas list) are my favorites.
Because I usually drink scotch at get togethers, a lot of women will join in with me. I've also found that women of my grandmother's generation (in their 60's, 70's, 80's) are more likely to be scotch drinkers. My own nana, actually, almost had a run-in with my brother in law a few weeks ago, over his putting ice in his scotch. "Ruins the flavor." (I totally agree.)
The best hot sauce
DL Jardine's Texas Champagne has an amazing flavor. I've been using it nearly everyday since I was 12 years old.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
Here's what to do with that sorghum: drizzle it over cornmeal pancakes
CORNMEAL PANCAKES FOR 2 ( recipe can be doubled )
3/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
generous 1/3 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon light brown sugar or honey
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup milk
Mix cornmeal with salt. Pour boiling water over and set aside.
Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Beat egg with oil and brown sugar. Stir in milk till well combined, then add to cornmeal. Mix well.
Stir in flour till just combined.
Cook on hot griddle. Serve with lashings of butter and sorghum. Sausage on the side goes well, as do fried apples. I don't eat meat so use Morningstar Farms links instead.
Now that frosty mornings are here, these should go down pretty good.
The best way to eat sorghum is fried grits but I can't find good white grits anymore....
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
Thank you for a timely post. As part of a fast I'm doing with others from church, I'm fasting from dairy (except mayo), so trying to stay away from eggs and butter during this time. I love dessert, so looking to replace eggs and butter with tasty alternatives. Thank you all for contributions.
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
I use applesauce occasionally, but only when it goes with the rest of the flavours in the recipe. More often I use plain yogurt (or flavoured if I'm making something with fruit).
I don't like most veg. oils in baking, I find they make for really greasy food. I do, however, replace half the butter in my choc. chip cookies with unrefined coconut oil... and then add coconut flakes to the recipe...yum!
I replace most eggs with a combo of flour, butter, baking powder and water. And I despise fake sugars - no splenda for me - but I have been known to use banana as a sweetener.
For the ultimate in replacements check these out: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nikkis-healthy-cookies-recipe.html
...even better than they look!
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
I have only tried replacing oil with unsweetened applesauce in home-made muffins and I think they taste terrific! That goes along with adding other low calorie/and or low fat ingredients to the muffins.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
All the usual things plus a jar of Garlic Jelly that I got at the Farmer's Market where my son sells the beef & pork from his ranch.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
just about everything i thought was odd has been listed! i have evian spray
for my hot flashes, but peppermint is a great idea. i live in arizona, so
i keep my lipsticks there, and, i'm embarrassed to say, cigarettes, too...
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
@ jerzee-- how about doing some pineapple in light rum and apricots in the eau di vie?
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
Butter section:
-Butter
-baking yeast
-2 soup spoons (for when I have puffy eyes)
1st shelf:
-Brita pitcher
-sm bottle water
-toasted sesame oil
-maple syrup
-aging bottle of blueberry preserves
-Thai red curry paste that I don't know what to do with but it sounded good when I bought it
-aging bottle of horseradish (I keep forgetting to get some more)
-tabasco
-porcini powder (I LOVE this stuff!)
-Joy perfume
-Origins eye depuffer (which I keep forgetting about)
2nd shelf
-club soda
-big bottle of pelegino
-vermouth
-a beer (which will be gone shortly after I get home)
-almond oil
-low-sodium soy sauce (which I hate but I can't quite bring myself to throw it out)
-Pearl River Mushroom soy sauce (THIS is the stuff that I do use)
-HP sauce (fell for an englishman a couple years ago and I thought he'd like it... he's ancient history but the sauce lives on forever)
-A1 sauce
-the everpresent ketchup
-4 kinds of mustard
-taco sauce
-chili sauce
So all in all nothing too terribly odd.
@wasliche-- I didn't know abut storing your birth control in the fridge (was never a problem... still isn't... Viva la Menopause!!!!)
@jerzee-- I have got to try those cherries, they sound wonderful!
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
Re Splenda -- It is fine in "wet" applications like cheesecake, but if you want to make a sugar-free cake or something else using the "cream butter and sugar together" method to give it structure, you will have to use maltitol or another sugar alcohol. They have the sugar structure but no calories. That's what manufacturers use to make sugar free candy, etc. Also, if you have ever looked at a package of sf candy, you will see on there somewhere (generally in very fine print): "Warning, may have a laxative effect." That's the sugar alcohol. They are not kidding, either! It's worthwhile using the sugar alcohols if you need to, but be careful.
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
I've only used apple sauce once and I liked the results. I've heard that you should use A.S. in place of all liquids. I don't really bake that much so I can't really say for sure.
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
I have used applesauce as a substitute in a spicy bar cookie. The applesauce flavor was a nice complement to the raisins, nuts and spices, and it kept the cookie moist. It was a big hit with my son who was a vegan at the time and wanted something sweet for the holidays.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
Great topic!
@Twistie - I too have tonkatsu sauce, aloe vera gel and ponzu sauce in my fridge door! Are we fridge twins?
In addition I have:
-flax oil
-yuzu citrus dressing
-mirin
-hon tsuyu (a soup and sauce base)
-red curry paste
-anko (Japanese red bean paste)
-Patagonian dulce de leche (from a friend who visited Argentina)
-wasabi
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
I have the usual things...honey mustard, grainy mustard, mayo, ketchup, milk - it won't fit on the shelves of my fridge and didn't know that till we got it home! Also, capers, maple syrup, wine, soy and Worchestershire sauce, potassium injections for the cat's fluid treatments, Rose's lime juice, horseradish, jams and jellies, pickles, stuff like that.
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
What a great thread. I think substituting butter with applesauce works really well in certain applications. I almost always use it (or yogurt) because when I make cakes, I usually make carrot or spice cakes. The flavor and texture the applesauce adds works very well. Also in oatmeal cookies. Makes them super chewy.
However, if I am making something more delicate in flavor, or something where the butter flavor is supposed to shine through I go ahead and use butter. Those things are always for special occasions anyway.
Oh and pie crusts (obviously). I was a vegan for a while. I made a pie crust once with coconut oil which was ok. But nothing can compare to a flaky all butter crust.
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
Probably the most unusual things I have in the door of my fridge would be the bottle of tonkatsu sauce, a bottle of ponzu, a tube of aloe vera gel a friend of ours left behind after he did some gardening for us (and since he's moved out of state and fathered two [one at a time with the same mom] children since then, I guess it's probably time to toss it), and a half a packet of poppadoms that Mr. Twistie got a while back and tried to microwave even though said packet had no instructions for doing so and even a legend that said 'for best results, do not microwave' on it. I wonder why he's not so keen on cooking up that second half of the packet.
One day my husband will learn that while the microwave can be a very useful tool, it is not a universal one, even with pre-packaged foods.
Anyone use pumpkin (or apple sauce) and oil to replace butter?
Nope. I've never done it. I love my butter too much. And since baked goods are where I eat the vast majority of my butter, I don't see a reason to change...unless I'm baking something for a vegan. That, however, has not been a common experience in my life.
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The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made
Posted by PumpkinBear, October 20, 2009 at 4:52 AM
Stupid to Make Homemade Halloween Treats?
Posted by PumpkinBear, October 19, 2009 at 11:34 PM
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About PumpkinBear
Website: http://myspace.com/wordsnotbombs
Location: Los Angeles, CA
About: I love to cook.
Favorite foods: All things sandwiches, peanut butter toast, pad thai, sushi, meat and cheese combinations, roasted potatoes, all things pasta, California rolls, nori and white rice, sun dried tomatoes, thai ice tea with boba, asparagus.
Last bite on earth: A carne asada burrito.
I actually think it's annoying that food trucks are getting all of this play lately. I grew up in L.A. and eating awesome Mexican food from trucks was a regular occurence; street food overall was pretty commonplace. They've always been around, they've always offered delicious, affordable food and it's bothersome that no one gave them props until blogs starting going crazy for them.