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The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
Huzzah. Props to you. You've taken my co-favorite animal (the other being Pig, naturally) and elegantly rendered its appeal. One of the finest entries. Please, keep them coming.
My Week Without Corn
You don't have to eat those little packages of instant oatmeal. Make a large batch (1 cup oats, 4 cups water, dash salt) of steel cut oats and keep them in the fridge. Takes twenty minutes, and you can heat individual portions for breakfast over the next few days.
It's much tastier, cheaper and healthier.
Dinner Tonight: Smoked Trout "Pâté"
Substitute cooked and smoked salmon for the trout and butter for the cream cheese and you have fancy sounding Salmon Rillettes.
We use Trader Joe's canned trout. Here's a ridiculously simple salad:
http://cookingwithdarly.blogspot.com/2009/05/smoked-trout-salad.html
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In Videos: Thai Street Vendor's Balletic Coffee Mixin' Tricks
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Dinner Tonight: Pan-Fried Fish Tacos with White Sauce
you can puree jalapenos in adobo sauce with mayo and ketchup for a fine fish taco sauce. Add a few slices of avocado to the taco too, and then thank me quietly....
The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
Huzzah. Props to you. You've taken my co-favorite animal (the other being Pig, naturally) and elegantly rendered its appeal. One of the finest entries. Please, keep them coming.
My Week Without Corn
You don't have to eat those little packages of instant oatmeal. Make a large batch (1 cup oats, 4 cups water, dash salt) of steel cut oats and keep them in the fridge. Takes twenty minutes, and you can heat individual portions for breakfast over the next few days.
It's much tastier, cheaper and healthier.
Dinner Tonight: Smoked Trout "Pâté"
Substitute cooked and smoked salmon for the trout and butter for the cream cheese and you have fancy sounding Salmon Rillettes.
We use Trader Joe's canned trout. Here's a ridiculously simple salad:
http://cookingwithdarly.blogspot.com/2009/05/smoked-trout-salad.html
Hamburger America: Tessaro's in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Those burgers would sure be improved with a side of fries. Alas, no frier. But the home fries are pretty good, and the potato salad is excellent.
The one to get is the Gourmet Burger with dry blue cheese. And a big glass of Penn Pilsner to wash it down.
Where to Find Duck Fat French Fries Across the Country
In Pittsburgh, Point Brugge, a Belgian cafe. Their mussels are very good too.
Serious Cocktails: A Sour Subject
It is easy to screw up a gin and tonic. If the tonic comes from a gun, it's never going to taste vibrant. I spend a fortune on those little bottles of Schweppes tonic. I let the gin sit with some fresh lime juice, and muddle the rind in there as well, for two minutes. I add a dash of bitters, then ice, then slowly pour the very fresh tonic down the side of the glass. Give it a gentle stir, and enjoy. I promise you'll never order another G and T at a bar again.
In Videos: Re-Creating the Mona Lisa in Burger Grease
Wow, with a few more burgers he could have done the Last Supper.
Snapshots from the UK: Walkers' Crazy-Flavored Crisps Competition
I really miss Bovril flavored crisps....
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
check your coat and give the attendant a dollar, then forget all about it, because it's just a dollar.
San Antonio Restaurant Recommendations?
The Salt Lick is excellent and worth the drive. It hosts a large pit and is exactly as you'd imagine a large BBQ joint to be. The surrounding countryside is beautiful and nearby is a Hindu temple complex with peacocks wandering the grounds which you are free to visit. BYOB, I think. Mapquest it and go! Visit cute nearby towns Gruen and New Braunfels too. Austin is close, and Hill Country is home to many wineries.
The 'New' Noilly Prat Vermouth Draws Fire
Try Martini Blanc on an ice cube with a lemon twist. Very refreshing aperitif, especially for those of us with a low tolerance for alcohol.
Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Salad
I make this dish frequently, though I usually top it with leftover roast chicken: shredded thigh meat is best. For the dressing, try omitting the garlic and substituting a chopped shallot. Instead of vinegar, use fresh lime juice. A little brown sugar adds colour and a hint of sesame oil and black pepper add another intriguing dimension. Finally, top with chopped roasted unsalted peanuts.
Cook the Book: 'Into the Vietnamese Kitchen'
Switch to tea in the morning.... coffee only in the PM....
Serious Grape: Super Tuscans, the Superhero of Italian Red Wines
Sangiovese-- the name is derived from "blood of the gods"-- specifically one Roman god, Jove. Super Tuscans are an attempt to emulate the great wines of Bordeaux.
Katsu Curry via Sam Sifton: What a Treat
I read the article. The dish sounds unique and delicious and doesn't appear too difficult to make-- I'm going to have a crack at it.
Dinner Tonight: Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Try roasting the cauliflower first. Also, making your own curry blend of spices is more satisfying than using curry powder. Chicken stock adds a deeper dimension of flavor. Finally, this dish lends itself to endless variations; it's a good recipe/technique to have on hand.
Q & A: Bobby Chinn, Vietnam-Based Restaurateur and Cookbook Author
We saved miles and gorged ourselves on street food in Vietnam for 10 days. Superb, first rate, fresh food. There's a good upscale Vietnam restaurant in Chicago called Le Colonial. It may have a sister restaurant in NYC.... here in Pittsburgh we are fortunate to have two good noodle shops, Tram's and Pho Minh. And of course Lucy's famous bahn mi in the Strip District.
Meat Lite: Oven Roasted Potato Wedges with Bacon Grease
Lacking Crisco one evening, we made flour tortillas for our bean burritos with bacon fat from the jar instead. (We used this with the beans too.) They were the finest tortillas we'd ever made.
Dinner Tonight: Beet Rösti
One quibble-- I suspect that beet haters just might take to beets in this form. It's an outstanding dish, beautiful to look at, and a cinch to make. A good non-stick pan is a must.
Sandwiches at Primanti Brothers: Pittsburgh Between Two Slices
Yes to Lucy's bahn mi, a refreshing, exotic, mildly spicy, grilled porky treat (and quite the bargain). Yes, Penn Pilsner if the finest real beer in the region (along with their gold, dark and wheat beers), but a glass of Iron City (the only beer you chew before you swallow) does help a Primanti's down. A great cup of coffee brewed to order is available at the 21st street coffee shop on 21st and Smallman. The pastry shop next to La Prima offers wonderful canoli and sfoglietelle (sp?). Get the chocolate eruption too at Enrico's.
Sandwiches at Primanti Brothers: Pittsburgh Between Two Slices
The first comment is correct. Number 1 selling item is Iron City beer. The Primanti's branch in Oakland (the university district, also home to the Carnegie Museums of art and natural history, for you visitors) is also worth a visit. Though if you're in Oakland you might prefer to visit another institution, The O, AKA Origninal Hot Dog Shop.
Meat Lite: Oven Roasted Potato Wedges with Bacon Grease
Bacon fat in the title of a recipe??? That's a great way to grab my attention. I have a slab of bacon that I cured and smoked. Can't wait to render some of it and make some potatoes!!!
Sandwiches at Primanti Brothers: Pittsburgh Between Two Slices
I have lived in Pittsburgh all my life and I cannot understand why people love Primanti's. The sandwich is very dry from the french fries.
My Week Without Corn
I've been corn-free for 4 years. I'm very allergic, and all I can say is 'thank god I moved to northern california." The abundance of multi-cultural food and speciality markets makes it much easier to avoid corn. It still sucks a LOT though.
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
I took a "coat check girl" job last night in New York at one of the steak houses because I am in need of some extra cash. Going from an office job to behind the scenes at a restaurant was a complete eye-opener. I am a very thrifty person and I never check my coat, always hanging it on the chair behind me, unless I am attending an event where everyone checks their coat - and even then I can't recall even tipping one dollar, although I probably have, because I never paid any attention to the coat check people. I can tell you that it is a tough job. I worked very hard to keep the coat room organized and took special care of people's things. I tried to return their belongings as quickly as I could when they returned with their tags. It was pouring rain last night, so people had a lot of bags and wet umbrellas that they wanted to store. It was amazing to me how many people checked two umbrellas and a heavy attache in one bunch, and tipped $1. One group checked 10 huge umbrellas together in one group, then tipped $5, which was at least better than nothing. I am sad to say that most of the women, if they were alone or with other women, did not even tip me $1. The men were by far the most generous tippers, some tipping $5 and one fellow $10. Even thinking about the $10 tip makes me appreciate this guy even more, because he must have a better understanding of what it means to be a coat check person than I did before I took this job. I can tell you that every dollar is greatly appreciated. I worked solely for tips, and the restaurant took 20%.
My Week Without Corn
I've been corn free for almost 2 yrs now because my daughter is allergic. I think you missed a few things. The Luna &KIND bars have citric acid in them, the ice cream had vanilla which usually has corn in it, vitamin water is very corny, and as someone else mentioned the salt. It's definitely an entire lifestyle change and it's not an easy one! You did much better your first week than I did during mine!
The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
Oh my, Tam. How you flatter me. I too, like to think that my gizzards are the loveliest of them all.
The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
With the top image, I'm suddenly reminded of the elegant inventory-style of Karl Blossfeldt.
The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
Never before have I spied a more lovely set of gizzards! The Nasty Bits chronicle is my new favorite form of voyeurism ;).
My Week Without Corn
I agree with "inothernews" ... corn itself is not the enemy. Heck, corn isn't even close to an enemy ... as Pollan has suggested in his works, corn might be the single greatest boon to our civilization ever! It provides cheap, renewable sustenance, it can be dried and stored, it has a high yield, and it can be processed into fuel.
"Everything in moderation" is a good rule to live by ... Corn syrup or HFCS are not threats in themselves, as they do provide that extra "something" that some foods lack. Its when they are added in large or unnatural quantities that they pose a health risk.
Read labels when you buy foods ... make sure that what you are eating is nutritious and healthy as a foremost priority. If it suits that bill, who cares if it contains corn?
My Week Without Corn
I just had to add a comment since I am allergic to corn. One of the ingredients you haven't looked into deeply enough is good ole iodized table salt. Morton's Iodized Salt adds a corn derivative. Since almost all processed ingredients use salt, one must assume that they are not okay until proven innocent. There are a few items that list salt but really are just NaCl w/o any additives but you have to go to the manufacturer to find out. Luckily kosher salt, and sea salt are okay.
My Week Without Corn
good job it is difficult. my 10yr old son is allergic to corn, soy and dairy, along with a couple others and i know its not easy
My Week Without Corn
Like a lot of you, I try to avoid processed food. But lets face it, sometimes you want a soda. Sometimes, when I want processed food without the guilt of eating corn products, I stop by the Mexican store and buy their sodas and candies that are all sweetened with real sugar.
My Week Without Corn
do you know what i don't understand? the core of the problem. why is the government subsidizing corn and soy farms? what's in it for them? wouldn't a large part of this problem be solved if farmers were encouraged to have diversified yields instead of these mono-crops?
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
I have worked coat check for five seasons and it does upset me when a number of people do not check their coats but what is worst is checking your coat and not tipping. The coat check staff hustles for those tips and we deserve to be treated as generously as the wait staff. I work coat check because I need that extra money to survive. Giving up my evenings to hustle for a job is upseting when the night is not lucrative. I get home about 1 or 2 in the morning and must wake up at 6:30 to go to my full time job. So for those who tip I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Perhaps someday I will get out of my own economic crisis that I have been dealing with for the past 13 years. Coat check staff get paid a very small hourly wage, just like a server.
My Week Without Corn
HM I re-read again more carefully. I realize that the paragraph that starts with "don't get me wrong" addresses what I am saying.
My Week Without Corn
When we talk about going corn-free and the dangers of corn, aren't we really talking about processed corn, made of sub-food grade corn? Like, I feel that sweet corn is NOT bad for you, or polenta or cornmeal. HFCS or Malodextrin or anything like that is bad--or corn-fed animals, because they are also fed subgrade corn.
It seems going "corn-free" is like using a jackhammer to dig a hole for a tree. or some better metaphor to say its too extreme.
Maybe I am missing the point--that to learn to cut out processed corn, we have to cut out ALL corn, and slowly add back good corn? Yes?
My Week Without Corn
As a Southerner married to a Midwesterner, I have to say that going corn free when the sweet corn is coming in locally by the bushel (now) would be one of the worst forms of culinary self-torture I can imagine! As bad as going tomato free! We have corn at least once a day, sometimes twice, while it lasts, which is a short season. Shuck it on the way in the door and boil it immediately, or even eat it raw in the field. If you are allergic, or you want to lose weight, avoid it by all means. Otherwise, for those of us in the middle of the country, it would be like an Asian avoiding rice (or soy).
BTW, those "worms" are Corn Borers or ear worms (caterpillars), not human parasites, and are an indication that the corn has not been sprayed with noxious substances, or genetically engineered to produce toxins. They're actually a GOOD sign if you are concerned about pesticides or GMOs. Just break off the upper part of the ear and enjoy the rest.
My Week Without Corn
I didn't realize my yogurt was full of corn. Crazy!
I don't think you'll have too much trouble skipping the corn-fed creatures: you can get protein from beans/legumes (all corn-free, if you buy them plain).
And at least you found bread.
My Week Without Corn
From an allergic standpoint the use of corn exceeds its use as an ingredient, as it is used to dust many dry packages. Can't lick stamps or envelopes, either. Did you check your toothpaste and medicines? I once bought an artisanal bread that didn't list corn as an ingredient, but had clearly been cooked on a bed of cornmeal (as I cook my own breads). A call to the company confirmed they did this and it hadn't occurred to them to list it as an ingredient. I'm pretty sure our local hospital uses biodegradable corn-based "plastic" utensils.
Next up, how about a soy free week? That might be even harder, as soy is used in more plastic products and even some fabrics
My Week Without Corn
Fascinating!
Next up, how about a plastic free week?
The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
jayevee, I was first introduced to the magic of southern-style, fried gizzards at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. I really ought to make my own - stewing chicken gizzards is a snap!
My Week Without Corn
What about sushi/sashimi??
And whatever is wrong with pure sugar or sugar in the raw, I ask you?!
The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
Chichi,
Thanks for imparting not just facts and pretty pictures but principles and skills! I really think reading your offal and seriously asian series has made me more competent and confident around the kitchen. More, please!
The Nasty Bits: Gizzards Galore
I like gizzards slow-cooked/boiled until they are soft and tender, and then battered and fried...southern style. With hot sauce and ranch. Delish.
My Week Without Corn
Thank you for attempting the challenge and writing about it!
My partner has a severe corn allergy, and yes, it IS in everything -- and in a lot of places you wouldn't suspect. The vitamin C in most vitamin pills is derived from corn. Emergen-C powder? Corn. Regular non-gelcap pills? Usually held together with corn (we use a compounding pharmacy that will make pills with gelatin, rice starch, or another alternative). Gatorade and non-Glaceau vitamin waters? Corn corn corn.
If you look in your local kosher supermarket, you can find all sorts of usually-off-limits stuff during Passover and just after: chocolate syrup, bottled salad dressing, boxed pudding, confectioner's sugar, boxed cake mix, frosting, gummi bears, and candy sprinkles, to name a few. (You'd be surprised at the nostalgic significance of those little chocolate buttons with the candy sprinkles on top.)
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In Videos: Thai Street Vendor's Balletic Coffee Mixin' Tricks
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About darly gross
Website: http://cookingwithdarly.blogspot.com/
Location: pittsburgh
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Last bite on earth:
you can puree jalapenos in adobo sauce with mayo and ketchup for a fine fish taco sauce. Add a few slices of avocado to the taco too, and then thank me quietly....