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When life gives you meyer lemons...
Becks & Posh just made a couple of suggestion the last couple of days
http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/ Check them out.
What foods do restaurants most often mess-up?
Restaurants usually overcook meat, undercook vegetables and put too much salt on potatoes.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
@LunaPierCook I have to disagree with your disagreement. If you eat meat but don't think you could kill to eat it, you should, at least, think about that decision.
When life gives you meyer lemons...
Becks & Posh just made a couple of suggestion the last couple of days
http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/ Check them out.
What foods do restaurants most often mess-up?
Restaurants usually overcook meat, undercook vegetables and put too much salt on potatoes.
In Videos: How It's Made—Bacon
Interesting video. I've seen bacon pumped with brine before, though not on this scale, and it kind of disgusting to watch it inflate like a flat tire being pumped up.
My favorite part of this was the need to explain that bacon hasn't always been made in a factory: "Bacon's popularity actually goes back centuries, when people cured and smoked it in their own homes." Imagine! People making their own bacon!
Seriously Delicious Giveaway: Zingerman's Gift Certificate
Blue of any sort: stilton, roquefort, maytag, gorgonzola.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Food Giveaway: Russ & Daughters
Anything with hollandaise.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Southside Market Sausage
Jimmy Jacks -- bad name, good barbecue.
Alinea's Grant Achatz Battles Cancer
@beano: Indeed, Thomas Keller admitted to never having tasted his signature Oysters and Pearls dish. He explained that he knew it was good — "you don't have to stick you hand in fire to know it's hot."
Alinea's Grant Achatz Battles Cancer
Of course I wish Grant Achatz the best, but I do wish the food press would stop with the "facing his worst fears" headlines.
Is this really Mr. Achatz &mdash a father and husband as well as a chef &mdash his worst fear? I have yet to read him say this is the case.
Obviously his condition could be professionally devastating and I'm not suggesting otherwise. It is a dramatic story without dramatically calling it his worse fear.
Barnyard Finger Foods
What about chocolate haystacks? I've also seen them called bird's nests. Noodles (chow mein or spaghetti) fried and dipped in chocolate.
Has Anyone Eaten at Ferran Adrià's El Bulli?
I tried to get in a couple of years ago only to be told, essentially, "no way, we save our tables for people who aren't you." Sigh. (We ended up having a phenomenal meal at Jean Luc Figueras in Barcelona. Less "out there" than I expect El Bulli would have been but creative nonetheless.)
What meal made you a foodie?
January 18, 2003. Trio in Evanstan, Ill. Eight-course Grant Achatz tasting menu. I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. The first time I understood what it meant to cook -- and eat -- at a level that high.
I am going to Per Se this evening!!!!
With all due respect to those who say don't eat before you go, I would suggest doing the opposite.
When we ate at Trio five years or so ago, my wife and I were so hungry, we actually had a midafternoon snack. It meant when we sat down to dinner, we could take our time, not fight the impulse to shovel everything down our gullets.
Don't stuff yourself before, but going in ravenous would be a huge mistake.
does anyone make their own sausage?
It takes practice and a good teacher to become skilled, but it's a lot of fun, even just starting out. "Charcuterie" by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn is an excellent place to start.
The Sad State of American Burgers
America chose convenience over quality years ago. That's why crappy burgers are so prevalent and why you can buy frozen peanut butter and jelly (and grilled cheese) sandwiches and microwavable hot dog already in a bun.
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
@Jerzee~OMG I'm STILL laughing!
I grew up in a hunting family. I can field-dress a deer and I've helped pluck a turkey for Thanksgiving. I've made venison sausage and cooked little lamb chops from the sheep my dad raised (that one did make me feel a little weird). I truly do believe there is a circle of life and a natural order to the food chain. Of course, when I complained bitterly that my brother always got to go hunting and I didn't, my dad took me hunting. I had to promise to be quiet and not complain about the cold or getting up at the crack of still dark. I was soo good! My dad tapped me on the shoulder and pointed out a huge, exquisite buck. He then raised his rifle; and I, perfect little hunter, screamed RUUUNNNNN at the top of my lungs. We never spoke of it and I was never invited again.
I still respect the hunter though. And the right or privilege to eat meat. Or not. I also enjoy a tasty eggplant lasagna. Vegetables are goood.
@Cassaendra~That's bizarre. I've never heard of that. One more story. When my son was in 3rd grade we went on a school field trip to the St Louis Zoo. While standing at the lion's habitat, he came tearing out of the bushes and caught a low-flying pigeon, then trotted proudly back with his kill. It was such a thrilling experience! The teacher didn't think so, it made her a little ill. I still think it was a really good lesson for the kids.
I'm done now. =)
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
what annoys me are the hunters , they take pictures and make trophies, and i see them with family and friends holding the carcass up
you can see they really get off on it (the pictures prove it) yet they deny it
you can see it in their faces its sex for them
and the ritual thing rituals are for uncivilized jungle types
I add _____ to macaroni & cheese
@kristyandjamey...wow...thanks for posting a comment on my post from over a year ago :) Gorgonzola is one of my favorite cheeses.
SE's....any other new additions to you mac & cheese since talked about it last year?
I add _____ to macaroni & cheese
I like Gorgonzola cheese and diced granny smith apples. I got this idea when a friend took me to a restaurant in San Francisco called Solstice. They do it there and let me tell you...Oh My Gosh! It's the best ever!!!
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
Thank you, Vegetarianka - it is nice to hear that from a vegetarian. I am a hunter and a fisherman who kills 90 percent of the meat I eat. I refuse to buy factory meat because it is inhumane, and, let's face it, the product is inferior at the table.
I am also a gardener and supply my table with about 50 percent of my produce (I eat too many potatoes and onions to grow my own supply!) and I absolutely love cooking for vegetarians, meat-eater that I am. It makes me think more about making fascinating things with vegetables.
As for the whole killing and eating thing, it is what I do. And no, it never really does get easy. But I would not want to live without a delicious wild duck or a salami made from wild boar, or fresh fish or rabbit stew and, and...well, you get the idea.
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
As a vegetarian, I have a lot more respect for hunters than I do for someone who refuses to touch “icky” raw meat but will happily chow down once someone else has cooked it. Hunters have actually thought about the meat; they understand where it comes from, they don’t shoot more than they need, and they use as much as they possibly can from the animal. I think that if you're going to eat meat, you need to understand where it comes from.
And yes, I have grown my own vegetables, volunteered at my local CSA, so I know where my food comes from! ;-)
Chocolate/Olive
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
Ha, ha! It's not coffee, LunaPierCook. It's just how I am between the hours of 8 and 10AM. It's the only time of the day I'm really efficient so of course I like to waste it ranting on about something or other.
I should take up gardening. I heard a theory from plant biologist that carrots scream when you pull them up if only one knows how to listen.
Of course that might have been from a Terry Pratchett book but those books are pretty darn real. :)
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
@Karen, I'm suddenly curious as to how much coffee you had prior to 9:30 this morning. ;-)
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
Oh. Please add the word "not" before the word "argue" in the foodie paragraph. My mind seems to get silly every time I write or think "foodie" - sort of like a teenage girl in a 1960's sitcom.
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
Great line, LunaPierCook. Sounds like a rose is a rose is a rose which leads one to ask (maybe it does, for some people anyway but maybe not for others undoubtedly) the same thing about meat.
Meat: Meat is meat is meat. Or is it?
Meat once was a living thing that, when living, can take on anthropomorphic shapes in the mind of man (or woman, for that matter).
If one likes to think about closely exploring the personal philosophic and moral territory that goes along with what one puts in ones mouth, then one might want to think about killing what they eat - but if one does not like to think about these things then there is certainly no rule that says one has to do so.
One does learn things (if one is prone to thinking - it's quite obvious to me that there are people who either are not prone to thinking or alternately work very hard to only think in certain ways that keep them comfortable) the closer one gets to anything.
If you go out with a road crew to help build a road, yes - probably the experience of driving on that road will be different afterwards. That is, if the brain and heart have been paying attention during the time spent rather than thinking about any number of other things like "when can I eat lunch" or "this is really boring - when can I get to a computer to see what's going on at Serious Eats".
If you milk a cow, then drinking a glass of milk might have a certain different shape than if you always buy milk in a paper or plastic carton and have never seen a cow in real life snorting on your face and perhaps pooping on
your foot.
I do not believe there is a "foodie" (silly word - not authentic in any sense I can find) here that would argue that making their own pasta brought them closer to some sort of revelation about pasta in some way - usually it takes the form of a swooning conversation about how wonderful it is in all ways to make one's own pasta . . . that it not only improves the taste-level but also the soul (in some undefined fashion) so that one becomes a more worthy person of esteem in the eyes of fellow-men (and of course, fellow-women).
I like to do as much as is possible in terms of things that I enjoy learning about. So yes, I have killed some things I've eaten and will kill more (heh heh heh - so bloodthirsty! Dearie me!). The knowledge gained (both personal and practical) in those experiences is something valuable to me.
That's not to say that "everyone should". That's rather extreme and to say something like that is to make the species we call human more animalistic and predatory than thinking and non-predatory.
Meat is meat is meat. Except when it's not, I think.
And LunaPierCook, you'll have to try harder to be disagreeable if you really wish to hit that stride. :)
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
@nickb, I'll just have to be disagreeable and disagree with your disagreeing with my disagreement. I think that, we can agree on. ;-)
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
I think it's good idea to participate in the slaughter of an animal at least once.
It isn't fun, it troubling, and it does make you think, hard; I held chickens down for a friend when she was slaughtering several on her and her husband's farm. I was shaking, afterwards. I don't know that I could actually slaughter one myself without very very strong incentive.
I don't think that newspaper/tree or driving/paving analogies quite hold up, because neither of those instances involves a living creature, struggling frantically to REMAIN alive. I also don't mean that people should do this as a sort of act of contrition/penance for eating meat; it just seems that one should be willing to understand what is involved in getting a tasty roast chicken or steak on the table, and there seems to be no sound argument for not facing the reality.
I still love meat, I still eat meat. But I also consider what went into the end product, and I do put a lot more thought into my selections when buying meat.
Should meat eaters kill what they eat?
Yes, what nickb said.
What foods do restaurants most often mess-up?
Eggs are DEFINITELY the worst offender. EVERYONE overcooks them. Even the best places in town can't get a reliably runny poached egg, or an omelet that isn't overcooked. I guess maybe because it's one of those meditative foods that requires patience and concentration.
When life gives you meyer lemons...
I absolutely love meyer lemons and frankly prefer them over the regular (Eureka) variety. I made a super easy lemon curd http://figswithbri.com/?p=91
that you might want to try. They are great in salad dressings, as the only acid, or in combination with orange juice or vinegar. At the height of citrus season, I love to make a multi-citrus juice for brunch and include in (varying proportions) ruby red grapefruit, tangerines, oranges and...meyer lemons. The meyers cut the sweetness a little and give more depth of flavor. The zest is spectacular in all kinds of sweet and savory applications as well. Dips, fruit salads, dressings, desserts...you name it. What a treat that you are being given so many. If you made up a bunch of lemon curd, you could give them as gifts for Valentines Day.
When life gives you meyer lemons...
My Mom squeezes fresh lemons every morning and stores the juice in a glass jar in her refrigerator and she makes fresh lemonade for all who visit her. Meyer lemons (and My Mom - she's 84) make amazing lemonade. Her recipe: 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons organic sugar, 1 cup water and shake.
I drizzle honey on _____
Apples! Also, in tea, always with lemon, otherwise it's too sweet for me. When I was little, I loved it on my buttered toast. I might still like it now, but I haven't eaten this combo in about 15 years:-). I also use it to glaze a chicken when roasting it, and as an ingredient in some marinades and glazes.
I drizzle honey on _____
LoCo, we have been homebrewers for quite a few years and our brewing club had made so many kinds of beer and mead I can't count. I've had phenomenal mead and some not so good. Spices can also be added somewhat like a spiced wine. I really like it now, but I think it's somewhat of an acquired taste. I've never actually purchased any; we have just been lucky enough to acquire it from cohorts. We have a bottle of Chaucer's that was a gift so I know it is a brand that is still available. It's not terribly expensive if you can find some to try. My issue is that I don't exactly know what food to pair with mead. Any ideas out there in the blogosphere? What about bleu or sharp cheeses?
If you can brew beer or make wine from a kit that you can get at your local homebrewing store, you can make mead. (a kit would definitely be the easy way to start) We moved last year and haven't brewed since then but I'm thinking it would be a good idea to brush up on our skills and clean up our equipment. We're going to get bees this spring so we need to build our honey recipe repetoire.
I drizzle honey on _____
@foodiegirl yes the doctor told me that ingesting the alergens in that way allows the body to start building up a resistence. whyever it worked all i know is it did.
I drizzle honey on _____
JEP, never made it, but just love a really good homemade baklava... the best is a little easy on the honey. There are actually a number of similar honey-based sweets from the Mediterranean region. The sell at least 10 different things at my local mid-East market, but I haven't gotten around to trying them all just yet. I'll have to make a run over there and get some. I'll let you know!
I used to love honey on my Cheerios... drizzled on after the cold milk so it would make hard little clumps.
Honey seems to have a special affinity for citrus of all kinds, as the mention of grapefruit made me remember. Try it with kumquats! MMMmmmm...
What about mead? Has anybody ever had it? Made their own? I've always been so curious about that...
I drizzle honey on _____
I like to drizzle it over sweet onions when I'm carmalizing them to mix into something else. Garlic, worchester sauce, and honey, fried in [originally butter but now canola oil].
I drizzle honey on _____
FoodieCutie, I'm intrigued! What proportions do you use for the facial, and what sorts of skin problems does it help with? (Also, how'd you hear about this?)
I drizzle honey on _____
In my jasmine tea, sugar just won't do at all. If we don't have honey in the house, I'll drink my tea unsweetened.
Sometimes on apples, always on my yogurt.
When I'm feeling under the weather, the only medication I ever take is some lemon slices muddled with honey in hot water. Works like a charm for me (maybe its all in the mind), but I prefer that vastly over chemicals!
Hmm, Chisai, I forgot all about the grapefruit/honey combo. I used to do that when I was younger, but none of my family shared my love for grapefruit, so we stopped getting them. I can only eat so many grapefruit on my own...
I drizzle honey on _____
Greek yogurt, oatmeal, tea, PB-banana sandwich...........biscuits!
I drizzle honey on _____
Wow---I learned some new ways to sweeten my life wuth honey--thanks for all the comments!
Anyone make baklava?
Do you ever buy a honeycomb?
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About nickb
Website: http://deathofapig.blogspot.com
Location: Midwest
About:
Favorite foods: foie gras, anything from the pig
Last bite on earth:
@LunaPierCook I have to disagree with your disagreement. If you eat meat but don't think you could kill to eat it, you should, at least, think about that decision.