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From Recipes

Vegan: Chilaquiles with Pepitas, Charred Corn, and Black Beans

This is a pretty easy thing to prep before a heavy night of drinking (not like I know but I know, you know?). I do it almost the same way, but in Chicago you can get this terrific chorizo seitan called Upton's Naturals. It not only has a reassuring illustration of a man with a mustache on the packaging, but is serious business protein and tasty to boot.

From Serious Eats

Video: Dumpster Diving at Trader Joe's

Having dumpstered at Traders a bit in my time, I can tell you that it's real easy to tell whether or not something has shit or vomit all over it. If it looks or smells weird, THEN YOU DON'T EAT IT. Wild. It's not as if you're required to eat every thing you find. I always cook everything thoroughly (and don't eat meat anyways) and I've never gotten ill. There's a tremendous amount of food at Trader Joe's where most goods are very packaged and perfectly good stuff gets returned all the time because people didn't like it.
It's amazing how angry people can get, though, over something that they've already thrown away. A man once yelled at us that he works hard for his money, to feed his family, he doesn't just expect someone to hand him food. Then he went on to tell us how disgusting we were for eating trash. It's either food or trash, sir, make up your mind. It's the same kind of belly-quaking irrational anger racists or homophobes have when people of their class sacrifice privilege to be "low".

From Drinks

From Behind the Bar: On Fernet Branca

In Chicago, we drink Malört for partly the same purposes. There's a culture around it, but as my dear friend always says:

One shot of Malört will require washing the clothes you weren't wearing last night to get the bitter smell out.
Two shots of Malört will require you to brush your teeth so hard the next morning you need a shower.
Three shots of Malört will require... well, we've never seen it.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'Plenty'

This tiny place in Chicago called Yummy Yummy makes a smoky, crispy Twice Cooked Wheat Gluten dish that is near perfection.

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From Recipes

Vegan: Chilaquiles with Pepitas, Charred Corn, and Black Beans

This is a pretty easy thing to prep before a heavy night of drinking (not like I know but I know, you know?). I do it almost the same way, but in Chicago you can get this terrific chorizo seitan called Upton's Naturals. It not only has a reassuring illustration of a man with a mustache on the packaging, but is serious business protein and tasty to boot.

From Serious Eats

Video: Dumpster Diving at Trader Joe's

Having dumpstered at Traders a bit in my time, I can tell you that it's real easy to tell whether or not something has shit or vomit all over it. If it looks or smells weird, THEN YOU DON'T EAT IT. Wild. It's not as if you're required to eat every thing you find. I always cook everything thoroughly (and don't eat meat anyways) and I've never gotten ill. There's a tremendous amount of food at Trader Joe's where most goods are very packaged and perfectly good stuff gets returned all the time because people didn't like it.
It's amazing how angry people can get, though, over something that they've already thrown away. A man once yelled at us that he works hard for his money, to feed his family, he doesn't just expect someone to hand him food. Then he went on to tell us how disgusting we were for eating trash. It's either food or trash, sir, make up your mind. It's the same kind of belly-quaking irrational anger racists or homophobes have when people of their class sacrifice privilege to be "low".

From Drinks

From Behind the Bar: On Fernet Branca

In Chicago, we drink Malört for partly the same purposes. There's a culture around it, but as my dear friend always says:

One shot of Malört will require washing the clothes you weren't wearing last night to get the bitter smell out.
Two shots of Malört will require you to brush your teeth so hard the next morning you need a shower.
Three shots of Malört will require... well, we've never seen it.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'Plenty'

This tiny place in Chicago called Yummy Yummy makes a smoky, crispy Twice Cooked Wheat Gluten dish that is near perfection.

From Talk

Menu ideas for spring veg/non-veg dinner party?

Yeah, most of the time I am so grateful to have more than potato salad to eat that it doesn't matter if I have a dedicated "main dish". Cooking fish en papillote is lovely light and spring-y, and you could fill one packet with only vegetables or add mushrooms/marinated tofu. A nice salad or some other side, some good bread and salted butter and maybe a rhubarb cobbler for dessert?

From Talk

Cook to Bang. Recipes to get you laid?

In all seriousness, chocolate fondue. Kind of kitschy, a little sticky and oh-so-intimate. Also, chocolate and berries and cake? Also, back when I ate meat, I found that a seared tuna steak was sexier and sat better than a rich cream sauce or a big chunk of red meat.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'Almost Meatless'

Mmm, I'm a vegetarian now but I desperately miss the rich and smoky depth of flavor brought cheaply to baked beans by salt pork.

From Talk

Would You Seriously Date Someone Who Didn't Love Food?

I really like the way chisai put it (and a couple of other posters touched on it as well), that a conflict over food just keeps coming up. I think I could tolerate our totally divergent tastes in music, because that only comes up every other day or so when we are in a car together. But he will not eat any vegetables except spinach cooked until it is dark, he doesn't like any type of Asian or long noodle, he won't eat yogurt, he doesn't like baked or mashed potatoes, tomatoes, avocado, olives, beans or tofu (and I am a vegetarian), he doesn't eat fruit and doesn't like "fruit in desserts" (he turned his nose up at a lemon cake!). I'm getting really tired of making pigs in a blanket, macaroni and cheese and gnocchi.
The other night I made barbecue tofu, buttermilk biscuits, a simple green salad with a vinaigrette and roasted baby brussel sprouts. He ate four biscuits.
Any ideas of what I can feed him?

From Talk

The Worst Table in the House: Have You Ever Gotten It?

Yeah, I think admitting to having kicked a dog does not strengthen your argument towards the sanity of kicking children. Saying something to the host or the parents will usually embarrass the problem away.

From Talk

Would You Seriously Date Someone Who Didn't Love Food?

I'm struggling with this right now as well, I fantasize about food constantly, hate ordering the same thing at a restaurant, ever, and read cookbooks while I eat. He would be happy eating frozen pizzas or going to the same diner every night. I don't think he'd believe me if I told him that was the reason we had to break up.

From Talk

Serious Efforts: Oily Mac n' Cheese

I agree about skipping the bechamel, I usually use an evaporated milk base that I heat gently to condense it more before whisking in my cheeses. If I'm going to be reheating it more, I add a couple of eggs. The choice of cheddar and jack is seconded, gives a wonderful texture, though I generally throw in a nub of something stinkier to keep it cheeky.

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