therdogg

Wholemeal crank? Have you read Laurel's Bread Book? I recall the reference. Does anyone else here take baking with whole grains (exclusively- no refined flour at all) seriously? I always wanted to try her desem, but never found two weeks to devote to the project. Now I am recovering from my "wholegrain phase" and realize that refined flour is just yummy. I'm sorry, but you can't make a good pizza crust with whole wheat flour (exclusively).

Wholemeal crank? Have you read Laurel's Bread Book, perchance? I remember the reference. Great book. Does anyone else take baking with whole grains (exclusively- no refined flour) seriously? I went through that phase but am slowly recovering. I always wanted to try Laurel's desem but never had two weeks to devote to the considerable project.

Wholemeal crank? Have you read Laurel's Bread Book, perchance? I remember the reference. Great book. Does anyone else take baking with whole grains (exclusively- no refined flour) seriously? I went through that phase but am slowly recovering. I always wanted to try Laurel's desem but never had two weeks to devote to the considerable project.

I craved creamed herring on pumpernikel with my first; red meat with #2.

Tommy- uh, sorry, but it sounds like you aren't "Clean Your Plate Club" material. Go find your smoked-food-hating, cooked-salmon-refusing compatriots on the "Axis" thread.

The axis-of-evil thread and okra thread made me wonder... how many of you out there do not have any food aversions? I'm not talking about poorly prepared or overly processed foods- just wondering if there are other folks out there like me who aren't aware of any foods they inherently dislike. Give me stinky cheese or capers or cilantro (I can't believe some of you don't like cilantro ) or kidneys or tofu or eggnog or liver- even all in the same dish, perhaps, and I'll manage to eat it. Yes, I have preferences, but I really am not aware of any food that I don't like. As a child and teenager I certainly had dislikes but worked hard to overcome my aversions and now I appreciate, even relish, foods I formerly disdained. (Can you believe I used to hate nuts? Even pecans...) Think of me as Switzerland in your dining room- I'm just wondering if there are other neutral foodies out there, who can happily dine at the same table where common "axis" foods are being served.

yes

Sure. Place the can of sweetened condensed milk in a large Pyrex container and microwave on 50% power for about four minutes, stirring halfway through. Then microwave on 30% power for 12-16 minutes, stirring every couple minutes (or more frequently if you need to) with a wire whisk until desired level of caramelization is reached.

Simmer-in-the-can is soooooo easy. And the results, in my experience, have always been excellent. I learned this trick from an Argentine chef that I used to work for. At the restaurant we used it as a dessert sauce, a plate decoration for desserts, swirled in ice cream (the BEST!), etc. Not a single guest ever complained that it didn't taste homemade. So I decided to try this since I have a can of Carnation scm here- then I noticed that the can says "do not heat in can." So I called up the folks at Carnation, wondering if they'd actually had any lawsuits over explosions. The guy said he can't go into it for legal reasons, but then also mentioned that you can make dulce de leche in the microwave. He emailed directions. It takes all of 16-20 minutes using the can of milk and a Pyrex container, and it won't heat your whole kitchen like having the stove on for four hours will (in summer that might be a big plus). So I gave it a whirl- not so bad. I added some to hot milk, which was quite delicious. Inspired, I then added a square of Lindt bitterweet chocolate as well. It was a bit too much like drinking a melted candy bar for my taste, but it might appeal to somebody else.

Like I stated above, I use a quick and dirty remoulade. It's also used in Louisiana for dipping boiled crawfish and shrimp. Oh, duh.... thanks! I use a remoulade all the time for hamburgers, but it never occured to me to try it for grilled cheese! But I do also like a honey-dijon-mayo-sour cream dip for dunking grilled swiss, tomato and red onion (esp when the bread is a dark rye).

I'm sure this is egullet heresy, but as a kid my mom would mix "Thousand Island" dressing 1:1 with ketchup for dunking our grilled cheese in. Back then I loved it- now I wonder if there's a better adult equivalent. I'll have to try the worcestershire.

Aside from sour cream, the only other trick I know of is to dilute- basically make more chili minus the spices- add more beef, veggies, beans (ducking in case of Texans...)

Leftovers gleaned from my children's plates (stay at home mom).

I made this soup last night- mmmmmm- added a squeeze of lemon, wasn't too fastidious about removing the core, and sweated the shallots instead of roasting. The only complaint was that it was sooo decadent that we couldn't eat a big bowl of it! Thanks for the idea! It's wonderful to eat something so rich and cruciferous at the same time!

Maybe the reason you hate cheese and claim it "makes you feel sick" is that it actually DOES make you sick and it's a learned aversion. Maybe milkfat allergy? Can you drink skim milk? I just find it hard to believe that someone without a compromising medical condition would really and truly hate cheese. Let me hold on to my belief that cheese is an objective good.....

It's a good theory... I found myself intensely craving a giant bowl of salad with peppers and beets and chickpeas and jicama. I just couldn't stand the diet- my mouth felt coated with fat all day. The thought of scrambled eggs disgusted me. I was just wondering if others had experienced the same.

Is Atkins approved for nursing moms? No. He specifically states that the weight loss phases are not for nursing mothers. I believe, however, that this recommendation is based on a fallacy. Nursing mothers were once advised against losing any weight whatsoever because of the fear that as fat is reduced, contaminants would be released. As breastmilk bigwig Sandra Steingraber wrote in her book "Having Faith": "mothers concerned about breastmilk contamination are sometimes advised not to lose weight while nursing. The rationale here is that weight loss during lactation mobilizes fat-soluble contaminants, which are released into the bloodstream as fatis burned. It's a sensible hypothesis, but, once again, the data do not fully support it. One study did find a connection between weight loss and contaminant level. But others did not." Also there is a belief that the quality of one's milk will be affected, but studies have shown that even in famine-ravaged countries women have to be severely malnourished before milk composition is affected. Lalecheleague.org has more info on lactation and weight loss if you are interested.

Good advice- thanks! I am somewhat informed about nutrition (many folks consider us "pure"- we eat mostly unrefined grains and lots of beans, salads etc although my downfall is dessert) but this weight just keeps sticking. Cusina- I like the idea of doing this with somebody but my husband aka "Mr. Rail" is probably not the one. I definitely do graze off the kids' plates, but I do need to snack a bit- I get shaky and I'm a nursing mother. I could probably reduce carbs and especially desserts (I love baking) and exercise a bit more. It's freezing here in Michigan and it's been hard to haul my 2yo and 12mo out for a walk- our street never gets plowed so I'm sure my relatively sedentary lifestyle is contributing (but I get points for going x-country skiing yesterday!) I take a multi for folic acid etc but the other points are well taken. Pax!

"In Search of the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie." This book is a collection of several dozen chocolate chip cookie recipes entered into a contest sponsored by a bed and breakfast.

After three 1/2 days of induction the thought of eating another piece of meat or serving of eggs is truly nauseating. I mean, I'd rather fast and not eat at all today than eat bacon and eggs for breakfast (maybe _that's_ how this diet works!). I am a 5'5" woman who weighs 135 after two babies. My wedding day weight (3 yrs and 3 months ago) was 125 and I've had two babies since. I'd like to lose those ten pounds before I conceive again (uh, we want a really big family, and if I gain 5 pounds in between each that could mean 40+ pounds at the end of it all). More disturbing to me than the _weight_ is the waist- my waist size has increased several inches and I'm not sure if it's lax muscles or fat. So anyhoo, I'm wondering if those of you with modest weight-loss goals (5-15 pounds) were able to succeed on Atkins or if a less stingent regimen proved successful. I feel that since my goals are modest they aren't motivating enough to keep me on this regimen. I was originally very excited about this diet because I know I have sugar issues. Also, I am 25, have an HDL of 84 (!), LDL of 128 (which isn't as much a concern since I'm a woman of child-bearing age) and triglycerides of 29 mg/dL. My ratio of cholesterol/HDL is 2.6. I'm just wondering if there's an easier way, especially since my risk of heart disease according to the numbers is nearly nil. Written guiltily over a small bowl of vanilla yogurt, raspberries, and walnuts.

lamb

I love my ulu- I use it all the time. It's important to use a rocking motion and keep the blade on the board but it easily minces herbs, garlic and onions. The Lehman's catalouge sells them with concave chopping boards.

I second the corn fritters. They're really good fried in bacon grease, and make a decent side dish alongside pork chops. You can add scallions if you like, and a bit of cheddar might not be entirely unwelcome. Or for breakfast add blueberries and pour on the maple syrup. Really. mmmmmm

The ever-popular bbq chicken pizza is always a hit: sauce and chicken, smoked gouda and fresh mozzarella, roasted red pepper, caramelized red onion, and cilantro. I know it's overdone but it's still yummy.

I like Emmi, a Swiss import. The fruit flavors are more subtle and less sweet than say Dannon.