Jump to content

misstenacity

participating member
  • Posts

    465
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by misstenacity

  1. Sometimes I'll do a variation on this, especially if there's dried gunk already in the lid threads: turn the jar upside down and thunk it squarely on the counter - so the whole top surface of the lid hits at once. This can loosen the dried gunk just enough to get things going.... Andrea http://tenacity.net
  2. Yep, I've seen all 3, and even read most of them. I do think the mindset of BFL is just different enough from both low carb and WW to merit its own thread.... the heavy (har) emphasis on weight lifting in particular. Though this being eGullet, that aspect of the plan might be pushing the permissible limits of discussion. Hmm. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  3. Resurrecting this thread, after some near-obsessive reading online of BFL (body for life) devotees (all women, of course! ). I have some fitness commitments to get through by mid-July, but after that I am interested in doing a 12 week BFL challenge, and making the food up to eGullet (and my own) standards. Is there enough interest out there to do a group progress report? Soba and Shielke, your comments and/or participation would be great.... and also any women out there especially. On the recipes topic (the orginal thread), I have found excellent and very acceptable dishes in SPA cookbooks. I currently have Canyon Ranch, and it seems that rich/privileged spa goers are far more finicky with their food than your average "bowl of cream cheese with fruit" American diet book reader - and I myself have certainly been the latter in the past. Therefore, in spa cookbooks, you get things that are incredibly inventive in order to make a 200 calorie main dish that doesn't involve butter buds or protein powder. Now that's a welcome relief. Also, I second the recommendation for "New way to Cook". Great stuff. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  4. Percyn, It has gotten to the point that I have to strap on my drool cup before I take a look at ANY of your breakfast posts.... Andrea http://tenacity.net
  5. misstenacity

    Dinner! 2005

    Finally made fresh pasta - first time ever! (Even rolled it out by hand.... no machine to clutter up my kitchen) Here's the rolled out dough: ....and then the finished dish, after cutting into linguine, boiling for 5 minutes, and being sauced with arrabiata: The result was very tasty, but a little chewy. I'm sure my technique has a long way to go. You can read a more detailed description of the process on my blog (link below....) Andrea http://tenacity.net
  6. Beer. That's about it. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  7. Last night, made 2 pies with my thinnest crusts EVER (mostly by necessity as the number of diners went from 2 to 4 - more toppings can be put on larger crust acreage ), so technically they were crackers rather than pies. The dough was previously made and frozen, using only whole wheat flour and some gluten (and yeast, of course). It was seasoned with salt, pepper, and Penzeys "shallot pepper" blend which I use quite a bit of in my cooking. I divided the dough into one big and one tiny ball so that I could give the normal people in the house a pepperoni specimen, and myself something weirder. Both doughs are always spritzed down with olive oil immediately prior to putting on toppings to protect against sogginess. Pepperoni has on it: quick cooked marinara from canned tomatoes, oregano, olive oil, preserved basil; the pepperoni; mozz cheese; cracked pepper. Here's the pepperoni before going in (that's mozz made that morning by a local cheese shop): ....and then after being flash-carbonized (6 minutes flat) in the oven (preheated at 500 for 40 minutes with 3 sq ft of 1/2" thick tile lining the oven plus a pizza stone): ....and the obligatory "under the hood" shot: ....and finally, my weirdo pizza. Topped with sauteed and chopped beet greens, yellow wax hot peppers, a bit of pistou, goat cheese, and an egg: Second view of same pizza.... Overall both turned out well, as I had finally remembered to knead some salt & flavors into the dough to give it more flavor than just "healthy brown cracker stuff". I do not yet know if it is possible to produce a really outstanding pizza crust made from all whole grain, but I can certainly make one that is edible. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  8. The strategy is essentially to start VERY early - about an hour before you are going to be eating (I get it cooking while I'm having my coffee and morning fruit). What I do is lightly toast the slow cooking stuff (irish oats, etc) in a dry or buttered pan, then add about 4-6x the water compared to the volume of dry grain. Either cover it or don't (you'll just need to add more fluid later), and leave it on the lowest heat possible to maintain a simmer. Check in every 15-20min and give it a stir. Taste after 30 min to make sure nothing is too chewy, and about 10 minutes before "ready", add quick-cooking things like dried fruit, oat bran, etc. Adjust fluid to your desired degree of gloppiness, add salt/sugar/milk, and serve! Andrea http://tenacity.net
  9. This AM, as is typical on Sundays: 2 cups coffee w/ half & half (tiny mug, so these are "actual" cups as measured by the coffee pot rather than by the oversized mugful) ....followed by: 1 bowl ugly oatmeal. Ugly in the visual sense, beautiful in the waking me up and setting up the body for the day ahead. The recipe varies, but usually includes some form of whole oat groats (the groats themselves or steel cut or irish oats), added oat bran, nuts (almonds or walnuts), dried fruit (bananas or apples, cooked with the oatmeal to get soft), and finished with ground flax seeds and a handful of granola for crunch. Trust me when I say you wouldn't be impressed by a photo of that brownish greyish glop. Porridge rules! Andrea http://tenacity.net
  10. I've volunteered for this job before.... partly because it needs doing (and I used to store so much crap in the fridge that when it was full I couldn't bring more in! ) and partly for the free tupperware! I have acquired a few nice pyrex pieces this way. Hehe. (Sorry jgarner.... but my coworkers got several days' notice to purge) Unfortunately, some 'do gooder' decided that our fridge was actually a possible health problem and so now it was officially declared a "lunch storage fridge only" and it is forcibly cleaned out every Friday. So no semi-long-term storage of anything, including salad dressings, butter, eggs, etc etc. Kind of a bummer. At least I still have my desk-drawer pantry! Andrea http://tenacity.net
  11. I like to snoop as well, make rash judgements about people, and RARELY comment. The only time I feel the need to comment it is in a positive way, such as this one for a 40-something couple at Food Hole: "Wow, you've definitely got your food priorities straight!", sez me with a grin. Their basket contained red wine, dark chocolate, foofy cheese, and a big slab of steak. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  12. Didn't make it to Old Shanghai Moon, but *did* make "Old Shanghai Alley", on Sinan just W of Huaihai, downtown. Fabulous food, stuffed 3 adults for 150RMB ($20), which was less than our crappy lunch the same day in one of the nearby water cities. Blech. Gotta love the sauteed eel.... yummy yum. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  13. Some of my favorite flavors have not been mentioned! (unfortunately, many of them are 'limited edition' and are no longer around) In no particular order: Chocolate Turtle Vanilla Fudge Brownie Peaches N Cream (probably my favorite of the limited editions....) Black Walnut And then the classics: Coffee, Rum Raisin, Mint Chip. I noticed at the store just yesterday that the new "Light" varieties were completely sold out. I'll have to try at least one and see if the change is detectable.... they have only changed the cream to milk ratio and not added any stabilizers or anything, so the potential for greatness is there, as well as the risk of icy-ness. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  14. Tupperware. In all the lovely 70's color schemes. :-) Also, received 2 cast iron skillets from Grandma on mom's side, but have not used yet. They look pretty well loved, and one is an unusual shape - an omelet pan rather than a regular frying pan, so that drew me to it. I do wish I had gotten into food at a young age, as she died just a few years ago and looking back I realize that she cooked a lot and made great stuff over the holidays. Mmmm, raisin pie... Andrea http://tenacity.net
  15. I received a 4500 as a gift (and was thrilled and astounded!) and was wondering if I should quickly send it on its way back for a 5000? I know the big difference is the variable speed option, but what does *not* having the variable speed capability prevent one from doing with the thing? Could I not process certain items.... or does it really matter? Thanks! :-) Andrea http://tenacity.net
  16. Cost Plus (World Market). I've bought sets of 6 there for $7-12. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  17. I've always loved this phrase "eats like a bird". Birds eat more than their body weight each day. Anyway.... yes I do the 2+ apps instead of dinner thing regularly, as well. I am a light eater, but often I just want to try more than one thing! A common practice for me is to order the soup of the day plus one or two appetizers, bringing up the total to about what an entree would be, and I get to have more than just one taste of what the chef can do. I am torn on the 'ethics' of this, as I want restaurants to make money - especially my favorite little holes in the wall - but I also want to be treated like someone whose business is to be courted, not tolerated or dictated by rules and minimums. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  18. misstenacity

    Oats

    I just had the same thing happen to me today, and came to eGullet to search for the "answer", finding your post instead. I guess it must be something on the grain - I was using whole oat groats from the bin at Wild Oats. Perhaps if I had rinsed/washed the grains before cooking that wouldn't have happened, but who knows.... I'll take it that there was no subsequent food poisoning and/or unpleasantness, and I'll have my oats for breakfast here shortly. :-) Andrea http://tenacity.net
  19. At the kitchen table, with no book - I've definitely found that the food is much more satisfying when I am not doing something else at the same time, like reading or watching TV. Also, dining with my SO at any of my favorite restaurants, eating and talking away. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  20. I've used a "super duper" bran muffin recipe by a guy named Alan. It is all whole grain, and has a TON of bran & germ in it. Using molasses for at least part of the sweetener, and buttermilk for the milk/yogurt, makes them very very yummy. I think I have also made them w/o the oil at all, or just add an extra yolk, and they are fine. Here are the ingredients: 1 C (w.w.) flour 1 C raw wheat germ (not the toasted kind in the bottle) 2-3/4 C wheat bran 2/3 C oat bran or 3/4 cup rolled oats 2 tsp baking pwdr 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp ginger or cinnamin 3 tblsp oil 2/3 C honey (molasses, corn syrup, whatever) 2-1/4 C low fat milk or low fat yogurt 2 eggs Mix wet, mix dry, combine the two gently, and bake at 350 for 20 min or so. Enjoy. :-) Andrea http://tenacity.net
  21. Potatoes! ------- Alex Parker ← I was wondering about potatoes.... knowing how close they are to tomatoes, I assumed they both originated here. And the chiles? Are those N or S America? I loves me some chile.... :-) Other things that I don't know the origin of but seem very basic in central american cooking - citrus, especially limes. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  22. I was *just* thinking about something like this earlier today. The idea of doing a dinner party with only ingredients that orginated in North America (or South America if the selection was not wide enough...). I would make exceptions for at least salt, as the universal seasoning. :-) But here are some of the initial ingredients I was thinking of: cranberries blueberries cherries cinnamon chocolate tomatoes corn summer squash (?) Anyone have more to add? I'm sure there are tons that I'm not thinking of.... Andrea http://tenacity.net
  23. I have a very low-key Donvier. The only moving part to speak of is my arm. :-) Just the freezy bowl, a plastic holding vessel, and a paddle & crank. I store it in the freezer, so it stays nice and chilly. I would bet that its even more solid after 48 hrs than after 24 or 12.... though obviously that curve would have to stop at some point. After spending time on the custard base and/or chilling the mixture, I don't mind spending another 20 min cranking it as it freezes. Just enough time to zip through a Good Eats on the Tivo. Oh, a great source for recipes is Tom Saaristo (scroll down on the "sweets" column) Andrea http://tenacity.net
  24. misstenacity

    Dinner! 2005

    Last night - two very different appetites, so 2 small meals: for him: penne in chorizo cream sauce (just white sauce with crumbled cooked chorizo in it - the loose mexican kind, not spanish) for me: salad with leftover butter lettuce (from LARB over the weekend), feta, almonds, and oil & vinegar. Andrea http://tenacity.net
  25. I understand and agree that the FDA's warning is not hyperbole and hysteria, but common sense - for those with compromised immunity or who do not want to take risks with their food. But it is those types of warnings that can have a trickle effect on the day to day practices of inspectors, retailers, and ultimately, legislators, that affects all of us that love our raw milk cheese, no matter what kind or where from. Andrea http://tenacity.net
×
×
  • Create New...