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It's A Texture Thing....
Oatmeal or any hot cereal. Oatmeal cookies, granola, bread or muffins are fine. I just can't take it as hot breakfast cereal or any kind of Cream of Wheat type stuff either. Also can't take rice pudding but eat tons of rice otherwise.
Italian entertaining music
I bought a cd from Amazon called, Eh, Paisano! 100% Italian-American Classics, when I had a Sopranos season premier party several years ago. It is really what you need.
This was probably my best party ever-- I cooked my a$$ off and everyone came dressed as characters from the show ( I was Artie, of course, with eyebrow pencil mustache and white apron) or in their most gangster-ish or slutty stripper outfits. My husband dressed as Tony going out for the paper in morning: wife-beater t-shirt, boxers, robe, cigar. It was one of my crowning culinary achievments: Great appetizers, three kinds of pasta--one with mussels, one with pesto, one marinara, then chicken, sausage and peppers, steak pizzaiola, whole baked salmon with onions, ricotta pie with pineapple, tiramisu and canoli from the local italian bakery. Played a game with these plastic guns from the dollar store that shoot streamers and confetti which involved monopoly money and bags of fake cocaine and "items you might find in the back of "Da Bing." The house was a mess. What a hangover!!!
Filet O'Fish Sucks, But I Love the commercial!
Nothing is more weird than the Spongmonkeys Quiznos commercial from a few years back. My husband loved that commerical. It seriously freaks me out. You can see it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG042nkReBA
I don't know how anyone thought those creepy things were going to sell food!
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
Thanks to everyone! Really seems I hit a nerve here. I am going to get one and start doing soups and stews this fall or sooner as it seems pretty autumn-like already in Michigan. My husband was taken seriously ill this year and we are awaiting organ transplant. I think the savings in time and boost in nutrition will be a big help to us.
It's A Texture Thing....
Oatmeal or any hot cereal. Oatmeal cookies, granola, bread or muffins are fine. I just can't take it as hot breakfast cereal or any kind of Cream of Wheat type stuff either. Also can't take rice pudding but eat tons of rice otherwise.
Italian entertaining music
I bought a cd from Amazon called, Eh, Paisano! 100% Italian-American Classics, when I had a Sopranos season premier party several years ago. It is really what you need.
This was probably my best party ever-- I cooked my a$$ off and everyone came dressed as characters from the show ( I was Artie, of course, with eyebrow pencil mustache and white apron) or in their most gangster-ish or slutty stripper outfits. My husband dressed as Tony going out for the paper in morning: wife-beater t-shirt, boxers, robe, cigar. It was one of my crowning culinary achievments: Great appetizers, three kinds of pasta--one with mussels, one with pesto, one marinara, then chicken, sausage and peppers, steak pizzaiola, whole baked salmon with onions, ricotta pie with pineapple, tiramisu and canoli from the local italian bakery. Played a game with these plastic guns from the dollar store that shoot streamers and confetti which involved monopoly money and bags of fake cocaine and "items you might find in the back of "Da Bing." The house was a mess. What a hangover!!!
Filet O'Fish Sucks, But I Love the commercial!
Nothing is more weird than the Spongmonkeys Quiznos commercial from a few years back. My husband loved that commerical. It seriously freaks me out. You can see it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG042nkReBA
I don't know how anyone thought those creepy things were going to sell food!
Serious Eats? Really?
Pray tell, what would be an example of a "proper" serious topic? (Let's have some real fun, now.)
Worst Food You Ate at a Party
This may not be the worst food I ever had but it's a good story. When I was a kid, my grandmother made Thanksgiving dinner. She always has been a very tidy housekeeper. She took extra care about making sure there was never a time when she did not have plenty of mothballs in all her closets. I love her but her house always smells of that awful mothball stench. (She'll be 90 next month!) Where did she stash the extra loaves of bread she bought a few days early for the stuffing? You guessed it. The hall closet. Ah, the aroma and taste of sage, onion and mothball............
Rusty Cast Iron-- Help!
Go to your local bump,body/paint car collision shop. Most of them have a sand blaster. Ask them to blast your pan and lid the next time they rev up the blaster. You will end up with a brand new pan. Take them some treats you made. It's a good relationship to cultivate.
Comfort Food
You need to keep the cat or have it boarded at a vet or shelter for at least ten days after the date you were bitten if you don't know if the cat has been vaccinated for rabies. This is the standard period for post-bite rabies observation. If the cat should show any signs of sickness during this period, that is considered cause for you to undergo the rabies injections. Very serious business. Although rabies is rare, once you have it, there's no going back. I recommend you take the cat to a shelter or vet. You should have help taking it in and the animal should be handled by someone wearing elbow length leather gloves. You may want to call your local animal control officer who should be affiliated with your local police department. After the observation period is up, you can make a decision about the what you want to do with the cat.
Comfort Food
Former Humane Society and vet clinic worker here: You have a potentially life threatening scenario on your finger. I have seen many cat bites that progress to the point of the red line traveling up your arm with infection in a matter of hours! Go to the doctor ASAP. I have scars to back up my plea.
Celebrity chef shows you will NEVER see...(fictional versions)
Sandra Lee: Flour, Sugar, Eggs and Milk-What to Make?
Ina Garten: Cooking for Straight Guys
Paula Deen: The $50,000 Meatloaf: Or, I know I Was Wearin' Mah Rangs When Ah Mixed It With Mah Hayands.
What was the best thing you ate in '08?
New Year's Eve at Michael Symon's Roast! in Detroit: a 16 oz dry aged ribeye with a side of creamed spinach and feta. I still have a good sized piece of the steak left for lunch today. Best meat I have ever tasted in my life......perfectly seared crust on the outside with nothing much more than salt and pepper and medium rare everywhere else.
Fruit Cake: Way or No Way?
Way!!!! Try this one: http://www.monasteryfruitcake.org/
And try their "Fraters" which are slices of their fruitcake dipped in chocolate. I send some to my Dad every year. They are great if you are a "Way" person.
"You made WHAT?"
Feel no shame, you did a fine thing, JBmama. Your family certainly is not suffering, in fact they are happy. It's the poor saps who never bothered to learn to cook who will be suffering now that they can't afford to eat out all time or pick up expensive pre-cooked dinners from the gourmet store. I predict economic conditions are going to get a whole lot of folks into their expensive Viking kitchens which have barely seen a spot of grease other than in the microwave real soon. Let them learn from trial and error how to feed themselves. We've got a jump on them all.
Nothing wrong with Salisbury Steak or the pinto beans and ham hocks my grandfather raised me on or his fried chicken with milk gravy. I learned the simple basics from him--and how to survive. He had a hot plate and an electric skillet and turned out honest good food at all times. While I can now make Paella if I want to with seafood and imported smoked paprika and saffron--I don't need that sort of thing most of the time. It can wait for special occasions.
Route 66
Thanks to Adam for reviving this thread and thanks to all who are replying. I am making notes of all the replies as well as studying road guides, websites and a great DVD series I bought. We are thinking about our trip just about every day!
Leftover pumpkin bread
Bread pudding or a trifle maybe. Is it stable enough to become French Toast? Pumpkin Bread French Toast with Spicy Cooked Apples just popped into my head...
How about some kind of dessert Panini? Maybe with cream cheese and some apricot preserves? Or some pear?
What's your favorite curry recipe?
Nigella Lawson's Pumpkin Seafood Curry which you can find at this link:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Seafood-Pumpkin-Curry-Nigella-Lawson-108578
It is so good you can't stop eating it.
SSSooooo....what did you REALLY eat last night???
Huge croquettes made from leftover wild Ahi Tuna steaks (hell of a find at Costco this past weekend). Stir fried bean sprouts, mushrooms and broccoli slaw. Jasmine rice with scallions. Garlic sesame dipping sauce.
Eggnog -- Love it or hate it? What do you put in it?
Captain Morgan or Bourbon. I've been known to put the leftover nog in my morning coffee (without the booze).
Tomato paste in a tube?
Yes, yes, yes. It's great and lasts forever. I buy it at an Italian market but I think I also saw it at my local standard grocery store. BTW, I lived in Europe back in the early 80's and it was common there as were some other things in tubes. The first juice box I saw was there and then several years later we got them here. Seems they were way ahead of the US in terms of vacuum and cryo-vac and other innovative packaging. Probably due to limited storage space. Hardly anybody in Europe has the giant refrigerators and freezers we have here.
ALDI worth it?
I left when I discovered you had to pay to rent a cart.
let's start the week off right!
Yesterday, roast chicken stuffed with lemon and garlic along with a whole baked pumpkin filled with gruyere and cream.
Tonight: Homemade pizza for my husband and his buddy when they return later from a concert in Ann Arbor.
Tomorrow: Probably something with the giant salmon filet I got at Costco and froze in big chunks.
The rest of the week is free-form but will likely include some kind of hearty crockpot bean soup on Halloween that I can start before work so that all will be ready for us to eat a good dinner after or during the barrage of trick-or-treaters. Just throw together some cornbread and we can dine and watch the old black and white horror films on TCM!
Food Theft
I was about 20 and in the Army, stationed in Germany in the early 80's. I lived in the barracks and missed home cooked food so I had a double burner hotplate and a few pots and pans and a small fridge. I used to cook for all my friends on the weekends.
One summer night, a few of us got pretty drunk (nothing out of the ordinary there) and a guy and I decided to raid a nearby farmer's garden. We had getaway drivers and everything. We got corn, and green tomatoes which I fried, and other things I don't all remember, but I made a big dinner for everyone in my room the next day.
Good times.
trick or drink
We only walk, but we call it, "Tick or Shot!"
It's happening. Running out of things to cook!
How about bean soup with lots of carrot, onion, celery, even diced potato and a ham hock or smoked turkey leg? If you are really lazy you can throw it all in the crock pot if you have a big one. Add a can of diced tomatoes with green chile if you want. Spice it the way you like it and make some cornbread fresh when you are ready to eat.
What childhood food do you wish they still made?
Oh, man, I thought I had blocked out my Gatorade Gum cravings!
What childhood food do you wish they still made?
I miss bbq munchos, planters cheeseballs (there is another brand available now in a large container that are good but...) and morton raspberry filled powdered donuts. Oh, those were the days.
Pepper Mill? or Pepper Shaker?
Pepper must be ground before use, lest all those lovely volatile oils escape... BUT if you don't want to waste the shaker why not use it for something else? Home-made garam masala? Chili pepper flakes? Another type of salt???
Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways
Well, it has been a year, but I got one more. I bet even Marvin from Burnt Lumpia doesn't know about this. When I get my hands on some green (unripe) mango (traditional craving for pregnant Filipinas), we get some which start to get soft but still green. We (our family) scrapes it with a fork/chops it very fine and serves it with sardines and tomato sauce and rice. Sometimes we saute it a bit, but mostly we don't bother.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
One of the first things my grandmother taught me to cook was a braised pot roast in a pressure cooker. I still use her recipe (and pressure cookers), 45 years later and was happy to be able to make it for her until she passed last year at 101.
I have four of varying sizes, from a four quart up to an antique giant for canning. I have never had any problems, not even a blown gasket.
Whole large artichokes take ten minutes.
Brown rice just needs to be heated to cooking pressure for a minute or two, then turn off the heat and let it come to room pressure and it's done!
I never soak legumes, and stews and soups are a spur-of-the-moment inspiration instead of a military campaign.
And they save energy costs!
My only caution is to avoid non-stick surfaces: they seem to separate and pit easily in pressure cookers.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
Oh robincat...I can so relate. As a kid, my favorite story was told by our elderly neighbor of "the lady and the pressure cooker". We'd beg her to tell the story over and over. I never found out if it was true, but basically it was about a woman who opened her pressure cooker too soon while cooking a chicken and it exploded all over her kitchen. Much as I loved the story, it left me in total fear of pressure cookers. When I received one at my wedding 20 years ago, I promptly returned it, much to my husband's dissappointment. I wish you luck!
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
ChelseaGuy52 - QVC has a 4 quart Cooks Essentials electronic one that has everyone talking!!! I have an 8 qt stove top model that works well, but really want this 4 quart one...
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
Ever since my mom's pressure cooker literally exploded, spewing a geyser of boiling applesauce across the kitchen ceiling, I have had a pressure cooker phobia as well. I don't miss it, like a crockpot - everything tastes like stew. And I don't can.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
I recently for a 6 qt electric PC at the local thrift store. It is an older model, but looks very well cared for, so I purchased it. I've only used it a few times, and I was very pleased with the food. I am anxious to get more recipes for PC cooking. My better half is a workout fanatic, so we watch our meal menus very carefully.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
I recently for a 6 qt electric PC at the local thrift store. It is an older model, but looks very well cared for, so I purchased it. I've only used it a few times, and I was very pleased with the food. I am anxious to get more recipes for PC cooking. My better half is a workout fanatic, so we watch our meal menus very carefully.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
I love my Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker-simply the best-made in Switzerland.
http://kuhnrikon.com/products/pressure_cookers/
European and Indian kitchens always have a pressure cooker for quick work on less tender cuts, beans, etc. Dangerous? Less of an issue than using a barbecue!
I have a Fagor pressure cooker/canner-a must for non-acidic canning. Pickles or tomato sauces are fine using BWB but not meats or fish and most other things. It is stainless and can be used as a saute pot or a pressure cooker.
My favourite cooking method is braising the old fashioned/French way in Staub cookware.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
Pressure cookers are awesome! They are totally safe; just read the directions and invest in a nice new one (I have a Fagor & love it). I only had one mishap; I overfilled the cooker &, just before it was ready to come off the stove, the valve spewed a combo of steam & cooking juice, which was aimed at the back of the stove. It only made a small mess, but it taught me a lesson; don't overfill. But, by all means, try it; it's so amazing that you can make a stew or piece of meat in such a short time that tastes like it was cooked all day. The flavors just permeate the ingredients. One try & you'll be hooked! There are tons of recipes (desserts, too!) online & oodles of books out there. It's the most underrated & versatile cooking tool around.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
I consider my pressure cooker an essential part of my kitchen gear. The meat and bean dishes that come out of it are consistantly superior to preparing the same recipes with a regular braise method.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
looking for an electric pressure cooker, any recommendations???
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
In India pressure cookers are much the way of life, and I 'proudly' own 3. LOL. No day goes without the use of this wonderful contraption, and no, it doesn't explode. Just needs some TLC. Look for signs like less pressure build up, steam escaping from the sides etc. That's when you might need a gasket change. Otherwise it's the best green option for the Earth!
Comfort Food
I am so glad you went to the Dr., nothing worse than an infection. I write on another forum also. Over the last two years or more, we started with e-mail addy's without our names revealed to contact one another. Since then several of us do have phone numbers just in case of this very thing, it is a real bond that takes place once you get to know one another, just be careful who you allow into your life. Best of luck with the poor mean kitty. I know "Old Post", I still wish you all the best.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
I have one thats pretty old but the seal is still good on it. I put some italian beans onion and tomatoes in it and cooked them 3 or 4 minutes and it was wonderful. I love my pressure cooker!!!!
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
Sure you can do without a pressure cooker. But you can save a lot of energy ($$!) and time by using one. It's environmentally friendly and economical!
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
Thanks @robincat for this post. Do you feel the good vibes coming your way? Good luck.
I have a Mirror for vegetables, but NOW I have to buy a Fagor and save energy on more of my cooking.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
@robincat - I hope your husband is better soon.
@MikeV - this is the first I've been to your blog; it is now bookmarked.
Looks like some fun reading ahead! :)
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
I don't like pressure cookers and yes, probably afraid to have one in the house--years ago, the little cap on top blew off and steam came shooting out clear across the kitchen burning my brother......I don't feel I am missing out on anything and never had the need to use one.....
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
robincat, I'm sorry to hear about your husband. I hope he is better soon. Good luck with the cooking.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
When I go to the thrift store, I see the old style pressure cookers and they are scary!!
I have a Fagor pressure cooker set that came with a pressure cooker lid and a regular glass lid. They are my favorite pots. I cook a lot of beans and really it cuts down time so quickly.
Buy a new pressure cooker (Fagor highly recommended) and get cooking!!
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
major phobia here.
i'm with italiangirl84...i like the process of cooking...and the 'not blowing up' part.
Pressure Cooker Phobia?
I grew up with them, and never knew how scared I should have been until I was much older. My grandmother used it for pretty much everything, and they would explode from time to time, covering the ceiling with sauce. I just thought that's what cooking was: occasional explosions.
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Thanks to everyone! Really seems I hit a nerve here. I am going to get one and start doing soups and stews this fall or sooner as it seems pretty autumn-like already in Michigan. My husband was taken seriously ill this year and we are awaiting organ transplant. I think the savings in time and boost in nutrition will be a big help to us.