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joyyy's Profile

Website:

Location: Flagstaff, AZ

About: I'm from sw Pennsylvania farm country, spent four years loving living in Pittsburgh during my college years, and now live in Flagstaff, AZ with my voraciously hungry foodie boyfriend and his lazysweet dog.

Favorite foods: baba ghanoush, rare steak, sushi, korma, panang curry, black japonica rice, omelets, roast chicken, smashed cauliflower, brussel sprouts, portabella mushrooms, miso soup, etc

Last bite on earth:

The Ten Most Recent Posts By joyyy

From Talk

falafel mix

Ok, so I grabbed some falafel mix from the bulk section of the spensive grocery store a little while ago ... without remembering to go pick up one of the boxes and read the directions! I found a ratio on a recipe in some random cooking forum of 1 c mix to 3/4 c water - does this sound right?

I'm also wondering if anyone has had success baking instead of frying them (me and my stupid anti-frying tendencies, psha!).

And for falafel experts reading this thinking, google, doh! What other uses have you all found for falafel mix - in my quick googling I found people using it in place of breadcrums for breading chicken and in meatball recipes. I would have never thought to do this - any other ideas?

From Talk

coffee

I had to make a stop to the coffee shop this morning because my ocd-clean yet apparently clumsy boyfriend has managed to break my French press - again!!! My barista/neighbor tipped me off to the wonders of stainless steel presses, so I'm going to track one down asap so I can get back to making my own coffee every morning.

In its absence though, I'm happily sipping on a triple-shot cubano over ice.

What's your favorite way to drink coffee - and do you order the same thing in a coffee shop that you make (or attempt) at home?

From Talk

Saag anyone?

As I typed a response to the "what do you eat when you go out" thread, I mentioned that I cannot make a decent saag to save me life. The more I think about this, the sadder it seems. I can make curry pretty well, and I don't think it's a stretch to rate myself as a good cook (for an amatuer, anyways), and now I'm getting really hungry for saag. Any recipes or advice? The last time I tried to make it, it was so bad that I actually threw it out before it ever hit a plate. Help!!

From Talk

Summer squash recipe

I've had shredded summer squash several times now and the only thing about it that I DON'T like is that I can't find a recipe for it! Anyone have one? It's usually with mashed potatoes and has a light flavor to it.

From Talk

food processors anyone?

I've been meaning to buy a decent food processor, but I can't seem to really tell one from another aside from capacity and price! I think having one that is a blender and food processor (I think these exist?) would be nice for making smoothies, but considering most run between $150-$300, I am jonesing for some good advice.

The Ten Most Recent Comments By joyyy

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

I third grilling - make thick slices like mentioned above, and you'll end up with a great, non-slimy texture. Tonight, I'll be juilenning most of a zucchini, then heating very lightly in the skillet after my leftover chicken has come back to life with some heat, then tossing with pesto and spaghetti.

From Talk

Out-of-context eating

I always thought the "no food in class" rule was weird in high school since there seemed to not be much need for it. Then in college, most people who ate in class were pretty discrete about it, choosing well and exercising decent manners. Now I have a m-f 8-4 gig, and all anyone ever does is eat!

People who have more work experience than me and at other places are kind of taken aback by it, but I think it loosens tension among people alittle bit. Also, I know there are a bunch of people here who fairly often can't take an actual lunch hour, so they either go grab fast food or eat nothing all day (I've vowed to never turn into this). I think that as long as it's generally accepted, eating in meetings (usually internal meetings) is a good thing :P

From Talk

Snack ideas for people who travel

Things that taste good/are safe to eat at room temperature!

This goes double if you're flying or don't have room for a cooler if you mean travel by car. Try making your own granola, it's easy and really good, plus you can add your favorite nuts/seeds/berries/chocolate and enjoy the stares of envy.

Don't overlook the basics though: a lot of fruit and veggies travel fairly well. Apples or celery+peanut butter, oranges, cucumbers if you're really into them (one of my coworkers eats them like a banana!), bananas (higher squish factor - pack with care) and berries, baby carrots, kumquats(sp?) in a travel friendly container.

If you're travelling by plane, your options are obvious a little more limited, but if you are driving and can take a cooler along (or liquids!), you could pack smoothies, sandwiches, hummus etc.

From Talk

falafel mix

verdict: crumbly but good, also, very quick for the amount of filling food put out. totally getting added to the regular rotation.

From Talk

Bringing lunch from home

in addition to making enough food for dinner so that you have leftovers, I also combine a lot of snacky things into a meal. Keep stuff in the office fridge like string cheese, yogurt, granola, hummus, cut& washed veggies (prep at home and bring in), edamame, nuts etc. Oh, and lots of fruit! mrsbao seems to be on the same wavelength :P

From Talk

What to do with Raspberries?

jam, cobbler, and every meal you eat today :)

From Talk

falafel mix

I probably won't get to making this until later this week. In an effort to stick to a budget/meal plan, I'm trying out a half veg/half carnivore menu (which was surprisingly easy to plan once I inventoried all the food I had - wow!), so I may just go with frying or light frying before baking so I don't get mushy falafel. I'll post results when I get there. Thanks everyone!

From Talk

Hot Weather Food Ideas

for a snack, frozen grapes are wonderful. for a filling, yummy salad, cook pearl couscous (20 minutes on the stove max) and chill, then once it's cold, toss with chopped spring mix, diced tomatoes (or cherry/grape tomatoes would be good too ... as would cherries or grapes themselves!), cold corn from a can (sounds weird, but it's good), raisins, and pepitas with a light vinegarette.

From Talk

July Birthdays!

I'm not much into cake ... but I'm probably going to order lobsters from Legal Seafood for my birthday dinner :D

From Talk

Okay, What is for Dinner Tonight?

Last night I cut up a chicken and used the drumsticks and thighs for arroz con pollo, plus refried black beans. I put the breasts/wings in some broth and water to stew while dinner cooked, then strained the broth from that and put most of it in the freezer. The rest of the broth went into chili gravy for enchiladas we just ate for lunch (accompanied by last night's leftover rice) using not even half of that stewed chicken breast. So now I have leftover chili gravy and stewed chicken and most of a bag of fresh yellow corn tortillas. Can you tell that I love leftovers?

Responses to Comments by joyyy

From Talk

Out-of-context eating

I've eaten lunches in bathrooms--especially when I was a student and spent hours in a tiny library where it was impossible to find a place (besides the bathroom) to nosh and work where you weren't in view of a librarian who would kick you out for eating. (And I wouldn't blame them a bit.)

I've eaten in research laboratories where food was verboten but long hours were required and no break room was provided. (God only knows what kinds of nasties I consumed with my Clif Bars and coffee.)

I once, as a kid, ate a burger and fries in my parents' pickup truck while the boxed ashes of my grandfather's remains slid around on the dashboard. (We were on the way to the cemetery that was his final resting place.)

In Japan, I did eat and drink in cemeteries during cherry blossom viewing season, but living in Japan meant never, never, never eating or drinking while walking down the street or on trains or on any public transport. Ever. Not even candy bars. Not even coffee. Even chewing gum was highly suspect.

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

I'm not sure if someone else suggested this since I was too lazy to read all of the comments (sorry), but I love sauteeing sliced zucchini with lemon juice, olive oil, the omnipresent S&P, and pine nuts or sesame seeds. Sautee the zucchini 'til it gets a little brown or black on the pan-side to get a nice caramelized nutty flavor. Nom nom nom.

From Talk

Out-of-context eating

Let me preface this by saying: Don't judge me.

I was a poor college student, out of my parents house for the first time. I was working and going to school, I was editor-in-chief of two campus publications, I was taking more units than neccessary and I always seemed to be too busy and entirely sleep deprived.

As editor-in-chief, if you left the newsroom, they would find you. They would hunt you down and drag you back into the newsroom to edit and make calls and fact check and blah blah blah. It was like you weren't allowed to breathe, but there was this unspoken rule that if you said, "I'm going to the restroom," people would just chill out and leave you alone and not come searching for you. On more than one occassion I'd run like hell, grab Subway, and eat my sandwich in the women's restroom, sitting on the floor, propping myself up against the wall next to the sinks.

In my defense, they were new, freakishly clean bathrooms.

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

Grilled for sure. Otherwise I can barley eat it myself. But grill slices with peppers, onions and some portobellos. Then cut everything into large chunks, toss into some hot couscous with a few spoons of olive oil, balsamic and a handful or two of crumbled feta. You'll never know you are eating zucchini!!

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

do this with it,
http://suburbangourmet.blogspot.com/2007/07/stuffed-zucchini-with-beef-and-rice.html

Middle eastern dish, not supposed to be sliced like that (my grandmother flipped when she saw that I sliced it)

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

I adore the small ones sliced, raw, in a salad. Oh yum. About half of them don't make it to the table because I'm munching on them.

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

I never liked zucchini until my boyfriend had me try this version!

We cut them lengthwise into 1/4ths, then marinate them for 3-4 days, yes days, in Italian dressing. We like to use the dressing mix from Good Seasonings.

We like letting them sit for a few days because the vinegar has a chance to slightly pickle the zucchini.

Then we toss them on the George Forman until all corners are a nice brown. Those corners almost become caramelized and sweet and contrast well with the "pickled'. I like to toss them back in some dressing right after they are grilled too. I love the dressing :)

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

i love it roasted by itself or with other vegetables with garlic, salt, pepper parm (sp) and dried basil. I mix them with pasta and if I'm in a good mood some roasted shrimp. I had this for dinner yesterday, breakfast this morning and diinner tonight

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

Zucchini pancakes are my favorite, too! I usually use flour and mild cheddar, with a bit of lemon zest if I've got it - salt and lots of black pepper - amazing as a substitute for eggplant parmigiana on top of pasta with tomato sauce and Parmigiano. You don't squeeze the zucchini in my recipe, so the insides are nice and creamy. I just had them last night but now I want them again!

Another thing that makes zucchini WAY more tolerable in e.g. a stir-fry context is seeding it. I learned this from Cook's Illustrated years ago, and it makes all the difference. Halve the zucchini, then scoop the seeds out with a small spoon before chopping or otherwise preparing for a recipe. It really eliminates much of the slime factor, because the seedy middle bit is what turns to mush. If you're careful not to overcook it, you should experience no slime at all with this method!

From Talk

Zucchini, I want to like you!

i love to make zuke pancakes. i grate and squeeze, salt and pepper, and add grated cheese {jack or swiss and some parm are good, or feta} a tablespoon of matzo meal, some crushed garlic. maybe some fresh dill or fresh mint. enough egg to make it a thick batter, then fry in olive oil. serve with sour cream and something tart.

i also love to make zuke soup. when you puree it, it makes the soup sooo creamy.