Profile

strangetimes

What is happening to TALK?

Basically, I agree with lemonfair, although there are other reasons why long-timers dropped out, and perhaps those are the same reason newcomers dropped in.

kellogs shredded wheat

Mix them with meringue for a macaroon-like cookie. Or dip a cookie half in chocolate & then in the shreds.

Anyone have any luck growing herbs indoors?

I was a VA Master Gardener for years although I no longer do the community service requirement. If you prepare perennial herbs in pots in the fall (so you can bring them indoors) your chance of success is greater. If you try to pot an annual herb like basil, your chances are much reduced & you'd be better to use seed.

I have a lamp set-up on a table near a south-facing window, but still it's iffy. If you start annual seeds for indoor growth, you'll get a small harvest but nothing compared with outdoor growth.

My successes are with relatively easy herbs like the mint family (which I don't think can be killed...LOL), parsley, etc. My thyme & oregano are, as I said "iffy" indoors yet magnificent outdoors. Basil is usually not great.

Ironically, the annuals I've had greatest success with are flowers. Alyssum, fuschia, etc. They were gifts & I brought them in 'cuz I love the giver & they lasted & bloomed all winter! Best wishes.

Is Public Drinking Good For the Neighborhood?

Oh yeah, I agree with wingding. Nanny Bloomers & his cronies feel honor bound to restrict, constrict & collect revenue for public use of any legal product they determine might be construed as a health or moral "issue". Sometimes for private use as well, as the cop informed you. C'est la Bloombucks.

How do you save money at the grocery store? Coupons?

Yes, I use coupons but I've never been a fan of "extreme" couponing. Bless the folks that do it, but not moi. I have a large freezer capacity & pantry, so I buy on sale.

If I buy meats close to expiration, I cook them & then freeze them. My market mails me "special" coupons 'cuz I usually go "big" shopping once per month & spend a bundle:) The "special" coupons are a huge help - I currently have 4 weeks of $10 off any order of $50 or more. I'm planning my next trip to get fish (to freeze, their selection is great) & seasonal veggies.

I agree with you about using only coupons for products you want; I also use many store brands, like others. Still, my goal is always to save at least 10 percent & if I make it to 20 percent, I'm thrilled:)

I'm Knocked Up and I NEED Knockwurst

Congratulations & best wishes for health & happiness to you all:) Your title cracked me up - literally. I almost slipped off the chair. When I was pregnant, I craved (I mean CRAVED) meatball sandwiches & grilled cheese sandwiches. Twenty-four hours a day. My husband eventually said, "If the kid sees one more grilled cheese sandwich coming down the pipe he's going to tie a knot in the cord". LOL. Ironically, the only thing I had an aversion to was real butter. Don't know why, but it didn't pass until my son was a few months old.

Crazy Eats

@starving student: I think you're doing fine; there are many really nice, particularly pleasant people on SE so bravo that you're not ready to leave based on a few unpleasant responses:)

For myself, my grandfather was from Italy & used to eat proteins that made me gag to look at them. Now, I'd like to try some! Like eel, sweetbreads, brains etc. To be honest, I ain't runnin' to find them, but if I do I will try them:)

anyone want to go in on some MANX meat?

I'll pass. But the only animal I ever heard of called "Manx" was a tailless cat. Live & loin.

Gluttonous murderer ruins it for everyone

That's a lot easier than some TX bureaucrat using their common sense to limit the size of the meal.

Food Humor On Sitcoms

Edith: "And THEN, a can of hmmm hmmm hmmm JUMPED out of the cart and made a big dent in the hood of the car! It was a freak accident!"

Kosher Appetizer Recipes

I also make vegetarian egg rolls using 1 package of coleslaw mix (instead of bok choy, mushrooms or celery), extra shredded vegetables, bean sprouts & green onions.

I modified a Kylie Kwong recipe for Sung Choi Bao doubling the sauce ingredients. After the saute I let the filling marinate in the sauce until it all cools down, to pick up extra flavor. Then I drain the filling in a sieve (over the bowl) & fill 1 pkg of egg roll wrappers, instead of using lettuce cups.

I don't keep kosher, but since the sauce contains "oyster sauce", you may have to eliminate that or find a vegetarian substitute if you want pareve? Kylie's recipe (sans lettuce):

Ingredients

1 small peeled carrot
2 tablespoons Peanut Oil
100 g green beans trimmed and finely sliced
1 small Red Onion finely sliced
1 tablespoon Ginger julienne
1 Clove Garlic finely diced
60 g fresh shiitake mushrooms stems discarded and caps sliced
2 tablespoons shao hsing wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon light Soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon Oyster sauce
Sesame Oil
1 stick finely diced Celery
1 baby bok choy core removed and finely sliced
1 cup bean sprout
0.3 cup finely sliced spring onion scallions

Method

Using a vegetable peeler, finely slice carrot lengthways into ribbons.
Cut carrot into a fine julienne and set aside.
Heat peanut oil in a hot wok, stir-fry beans, onions, ginger and
garlic for 30 seconds.
Add mushrooms and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Pour in wine, soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and sesame oil, and
stir-fry for 1 minute or until vegetables are just cooked through.
Toss in reserved carrot, celery, bok choy, bean sprouts, spring
onions and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds.
Remove vegetable mixture from wok, using a slotted spoon to
ensure you leave any juices in the wok.

Fill the wrappers & fry in oil, or bake in oven till golden. It's easier than it looks & you can make the egg rolls ahead & freeze them. Then fry or bake on day of serving.

Kosher Appetizer Recipes

Well, do you mean pareve? 'Cuz "Feed me Bubbe (.com)" has a sweet & sour meatball recipe (fleshig) that can be served on toothpicks. "Everyday Kosher Cooking (.com)" has a vegetarian stuffed shell recipe.

I use phyllo cups to make both tomato & onion appetizers, but I use a little Boursin or garlic/herb cheese on the bottom of the cup before filling with sauteed vegetables.

kitchen helpers?

Hmm, is there more to you & mom-in-law than can fit in that story? Accepting a gift graciously is like giving the other person a gift:) Still, I completely agree with the turf designation & whatever "organizing" may mean, IMO that's a big problem & not help. However, if anyone - ANYONE - showed up at my house with a good lasagna & emptied my dishwasher I would be thrilled! In my family, apparently I'm the only one who knows the secret to getting the d**mned door open! LOL.

What type of pickle with your burger?

@frip88: I don't DISLIKE them on my burgers, I just habitually have them on the side or in a separate dish. I never really thought about it. I love pickles with what I consider "plain" sandwiches: egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad. Now you got me thinkin':)

What type of pickle with your burger?

I don't put pickles on my burgers, but when I have them on the side I'll take any kind. Seriously. I've never met a pickle or anything pickled I didn't like. Disclaimer: I make my own 99% of the time.

Football, Deviled Eggs, Bloody Marys: NFL Week 2

I'm looking forward to all your columns:) Although we love deviled eggs the mayo/yolk thing does get to be a belly bomb, so we use a variety of other binders if any are actually necessary. Mr. ST LOVES the reference to them being football shaped, however:) For myself, I find that if I tilt my head back far enough, or close my eyes in gastronomic ecstasy it's easy to avoid the "Schlitz for breakfast again" eye roll. LMAO. You're a pip. Thanks.

Good recipes for baking with pawpaws?

www*hort*purdue*edu/newcrop/ksu-pawpaw/cooking*html

For some reason, I often have trouble pasting URL's so I'm changing this one. Every place there's supposed to be a period, I've changed it to an asterisk. You'll have to modify it to use it, of course.

There are wonderful pawpaw recipes here for cooking & baking. Best wishes.

French Fingerlings out the wazoo - what's a girl to do?!

Well, I cheat w/prepared products so I hope this is of value to you. I take an envelope of ranch dressing, mix it w/about 1/4 cup of olive oil, marinate my potatoes for awhile & then bake or roast them. There are a few great recipes mixing them w/Italian seasonings & doing the same. Otherwise, I'd try a potato frittata or mix them w/sausage for a casserole or sandwich...forgive me, but I actually prefer the "other" potatoes to fingerlings. Best wishes.

Good recipes for baking with pawpaws?

Here's a link to a Purdue website that refers to a Kentucky Cooperative Extension website (whew!) that has a lot of recipes for pawpaw. Cakes, custards, preserves etc.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ksu-pawpaw/cooking.html

Recipes using Corn Flour (NOT corn starch)

Well, I can see what you mean about the intertubes; good grief. However, sites like celiac.com & other gluten-free websites have forums where folks exchange recipes. You're a good friend!

Tamale steamer as a water bath for canning?

Well, I agree with most of the responses as written, particularly w/recipes safe for water bath canners. The only one that bothers me is using a towel on the bottom of the pot. In order for the internal pieces of the food to definitely hit the right temperature, the boiling water has to circulate freely below the jars as well as 1-2 inches above the jars. I don't consider myself an expert, however - I defer to the experts:)

All this Olive Oil Adulteration talk is making me wonder...

Well, I'm glad you posted this; I also was pretty stunned that the imported oils were adulterated, as well. On the website of the California Olive Oil Council they list the CA brands that receive the COOC seal, by year. It's a start.

Boiled Vegeterian Husband Risotto

@cookbook_junkie: Real butter can't be used w/a vegan husband - should I substitute olive oil (low smoking point) or an organic, soy-based, trans-fat-free spread?

Drying fresh herbs...?

Tried to post before, but it didn't work. I use a spring-type shower rod in any of several rooms w/o humidity or bright light. I tie the bunches w/string & hang them upside down over a cloth, which I later use to cover the bunch as I carry it to the kitchen.
http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/foods/Drying%20herbs%20frame1.htm
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry/herbs.html

Drying fresh herbs...?

Well, depending on the length of the stalk & the size of the leaves, I've used many methods over the years, including an electric dehydrator. My favorite is to bunch similar sized stems together (not too thickly), tie them w/twine or an elastic band & hang them upside down away from humidity & preferably out of bright light.

At the moment I hang them from the shower rod in my guest bathroom (no guests) w/a towel underneath to catch escapes. I've also used a spring-type shower rod & set it up in doorways, in my heated basement etc.

To strip the branches I cover each bunch w/a cloth from the bottom & carry the bundle into the kitchen. I haven't been satisfied drying herbs in a low oven, but that's just my own opinion. I've also frozen chives etc. successfully for years.

Here are 3 links: 2 from extension services, one from Herb Companion. Best wishes.

http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/foods/Drying%20herbs%20frame1.htm

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry/herbs.html

http://www.herbcompanion.com/Projects/The-Low-Tech-Art-of-Drying-Herbs.aspx

How to cut excessively salty tapenade (or anything else)?

My dear friend gave me her first homemade tapenade. Although the flavor is fine, it's excessively salty for my taste. More than any other tapenade I've ever had. They're coming for dinner next weekend - do SE'ers have tricks to cut excessive salty flavor? The only thing I thought might work is to serve a dish of lemon wedges with the bread, tapenade etc. Important note: I love this woman tremendously. If we have to eat it as is & I shrivel up into a raisin, so be it. Just curious if anyone has suggestions to cut the salt. Thanks.

Do you order uncured meats online & how has it worked for you?

Perhaps this question is more apropos to folks who live in the sticks, as I do, but I'll be interested in all responses. When I want organic meats/seafood or some special varieties I pack up a few ice chests & head out for a day in the big city. However, even there, I don't get the variety I used to get in the tri-state area, of course.

When I started ordering larger quantities of meat online it was unsatisfactory because of shipping/delivery problems at my end, rather than because of the retailer. Now when I order, I aim for smaller quantities & that's been great.

I'm asking in reference to things I can't ever seem to get regardless: veal shanks for Osso Buco, or crayfish tails or Bresse chickens which I would love to try.

Has it been successful for you, regardless of expense, or simply a big waste of time?

Are you seriously discouraged by picky or "old-fashioned" eaters

Like most cooks, I love to see my family/friends eat what I create. My son's fiance (who is European) & her 2 children from a previous marriage are blessings - they're open to trying EVERYTHING! However, my dearly beloved - who is a stellar husband - is pretty much a meat & potatoes guy:) At the moment, I only stretch when the kids are here for dinner, because sometimes I get a little "down". Do picky-eaters affect your enthusiasm? How do you handle it? I sincerely love Mr. Strangetimes, but the man isn't happy if I make fettuccine & meatballs instead of spaghetti & meatballs. LOL. Anyone else handling this phenomenon?