Susan in FL

Rice Noodle Salad Servings: 4 as a side This was inspired by a recipe from Gourmet magazine. One of the changes was using sweet peanuts on top. It adds a special touch. Any peanuts, sweet or not, could be used; or, they could be eliminated to suit tastes or accomodate allergy. 7 fl oz rice noodles 1/4 c rice vinegar (not seasoned) 1 T sugar 1/4 c Thai fish sauce, or to taste 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 1 carrot, shredded 4 scallions, sliced diagonally 1 c loosely packed fresh cilantro, mint, and basil leaves 1/4 c butter toffee peanuts or other sweet peanuts, chopped Soak noodles in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, and then cook in a large pot of boiling water, uncovered, about 2 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well. Mix vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add the noodles, shredded carrot, scallions, and herbs, and toss to combine. To serve, garnish with chopped peanuts on top. Keywords: Salad, Main Dish, Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Pasta, Lunch, Dinner, Thai, Vietnamese ( RG1361 )

Rice Noodle Salad Servings: 4 as a side This was inspired by a recipe from Gourmet magazine. One of the changes was using sweet peanuts on top. It adds a special touch. Any peanuts, sweet or not, could be used; or, they could be eliminated to suit tastes or accomodate allergy. 7 fl oz rice noodles 1/4 c rice vinegar (not seasoned) 1 T sugar 1/4 c Thai fish sauce, or to taste 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 1 carrot, shredded 4 scallions, sliced diagonally 1 c loosely packed fresh cilantro, mint, and basil leaves 1/4 c butter toffee peanuts or other sweet peanuts, chopped Soak noodles in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, and then cook in a large pot of boiling water, uncovered, about 2 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well. Mix vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add the noodles, shredded carrot, scallions, and herbs, and toss to combine. To serve, garnish with chopped peanuts on top. Keywords: Salad, Main Dish, Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Pasta, Lunch, Dinner, Thai, Vietnamese ( RG1361 )

It's been way too long since I posted here. Last night I gave us something to post about! Actually this dinner may be considered more Vietnamese style than Thai, but in my opionion, that counts here. I was most pleased with the noodle salad, my favorite home version yet. We also had grilled beef with lemongrass. The beef was a London broil cut of top round, which had been marinated in (really, more like rubbed with) a mixture of lemon grass, shallot, hot red chiles, garlic, ginger, and vegetable (soy bean) oil. These were served with a nice big salad plate of lettuces, fresh herbs, cucumbers, shallots, and tomatoes, and a nuoc cham dipping sauce. I was really proud of this dinner. Everything turned out cooked and seasoned perfectly. I'm also proud of our lemongrass, which was used in the dinner. I haven't gotten a kaffir lime tree yet, but most of our herbs are growing beautifully. We grow a few of them in our yard as part of the "landscaping," besides in the garden. This is the lemongrass; it's on the far right in the picture, which is the back of our house by the porch. It must be the perfect harvesting time right now; I cut it right at the ground level and it chopped up very easily.

Finally did the ice cream cook-offing... I revised the mango ice cream recipe I spoke of earlier in this thread, and hope to get it into RecipeGullet soon. This ice cream recipe is not for those who do not want creamy, eggy ice cream. It's quite an indulgence; in fact, our servings tonight were too large. We're looking forward to tomorrow or after, when it has hardened some in the freezer, and we can scoop out a nice round portion and that will be it. But it's oh so good....

Grilled beef with lemongrass; rice noodle salad; a real tasty nuoc cham dipping sauce for the steak and for whatever; a mixed lettuce and herb and etc. platter; and next up, after we freeze it, homemade mango ice cream.

This morning we had one my favorites that Russ fixes, soft-boiled eggs on lightly buttered toast. I like the yolks real runny, too. ...And fresh berries, OJ, and coffee.

Don't know the article, but we sometimes put the whole oysters on the grill to open them, and them dip them in butter when we eat them.

Ellen, I probably can't provide you with more valuable info or feedback than you already have, but I wanted to thank you for setting the tone for one of the best threads I've read on healthy eating and the like. I have learned a lot just by reading this thread, thanks mostly to your extensive research. Actually, I was amazed that my attention span lasted long enough for me to read every word in one sitting! I'll be following this topic, since between the two of us, my husband and I share in some of the health problems mentioned. We both have gout, his much more severe than mine. I'm a cancer survivor, and have fibromyalgia. He also has a couple of other conditions, and we both want to lose weight. I'm in the category of needing to lose 5 to 10 pounds, and he's in the category of 40 or more, as someone mentioned above. I really do identify with so much of what you so elequently stated... especially in regard to the love of food and the satisfaction that some foods give. Each of us would do better if we lived alone, but put together, we do what we love the most, cooking and eating, and often get carried away. I hope this thread continues. It will be helpful for our current attempt.

Nan, nice! That sounds so good. The mint with avocado and shrimp appeals to me, and what a touch, Gingerbread. I'm going to look up those recipes... Could be on our menus soon! I love all my Silver Palate and Sheila Lukins cookbooks.

Dinner at dusk tonight on the porch... They're saying we are having a sand storm that is giving the sky an even more orange color than usual, and making for some stand-out beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It's been making for some great dinner ambience. I made Fresh Corn Muffins, from Food & Wine August 2004 this afternoon to go with tonight's dinner. Russ really liked them. I don't have a great appreciation for cornbread and such. It always seems too dry for me. We rotisserie-grilled a duck, and had steamed broccoli and sauteed potatoes, mushrooms, and sweet onions with it. We cooked the potato mixture in duck fat and finished it with a touch of truffle oil.

We are rotisserie cooking a duck on our grill now, even as we speak. Mmmmm it smells good.

Sure it counts... "What did you make for breakfast?" "I made an order for fresh peach brioche and iced coffee with milk and sugar syrup."

Breakfast is served. Mine, with maple syrup, butter, and powdered sugar: Breakfast at the bar this morning, watching the hibiscus bloom, it was 93 degrees in the porch. I certainly didn't have to worry about the food getting cold while I shot some pictures. This was my first time to make pancakes from scratch. In my previous life, I always used those little milk carton looking things you buy from the freezer section. Since I've been married to Russ, he's made the pancakes. I went for it today, after seeing the beautiful photos on this thread. I used Spagetttti's recipe, except that I put most of the blueberries right in the batter, dusting them first with flour so the blue didn't spread too much through the pancakes. Some I placed on the pancakes as they were cooking, to balance them. I was very pleased with my first effort. I can do this!

Welcome! I love blogs with lots of pictures of the local marketing options, especially produce. Looking forward to following this.

We were in a nice restaurant that didn't make it in New Smyrna Beach, which is just south of here. It was called Turtles. Underwater scenes were tastefully painted on the walls and the decor was of course beachy, with turtle motives included. Each table had one of these candles on it and we raved about it. For some reason the owner was attending to us closely that night, and when we complimented him on everything and especially this candle, he gave it to us! Our turtles have since been near and dear to our hearts, remaining on the porch. Tonight I was in the weekend mode. I got that way at the end of the work day today. My job brought me to the town where our favorite seafood market is, and I couldn't pass up going in there to get something for dinner, to go with corn and pea risotto which I had already planned. I wanted everything in the store, but finally decided upon a soft shell crab (they were frozen), three fresh scallops, and a few fresh local shrimp for each of us. Before dinner we had some Saga Bleu stuffed celery to snack on while we were cleaning shrimp, husking corn, and shelling peas. We enjoyed a Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay with dinner. After dinner for dessert we had grilled store-bought pound cake with berries and fresh whipped cream.

This is so interesting, and so true. When I go to the store with a list, from a certain menu with recipes that I'm shopping for, and shop for the wine and all the perfect go-withs, I spend fifty to sixty dollars easily. On the same night, I could not go to the store, look at what we have in the house, make do with that, and be thrilled with the outcome. Lessons to be learned, over and over....

If the fish in the seafood department of your supermarket -- or at a fish/seafood market depending on where you live -- is decent, there is often fish on sale, such as tilapia, catfish, or some kind of farmed-raised fish. That's another protein that doesn't require a big portion or if you do want to stretch it, you could use it in fish cakes, pasta, soup or stew. Sandwiches might be something that you are already tired of. I love sandwiches, and like to make sandwiches with almost anything. You could use some of the above mentioned fish, or chicken, pork, etc. instead of expensive deli meats.

Tonight black bean and corn gazpacho -- sour cream and chopped onion served on the side, additions we both liked.

I appreciate the follow-up about the frozen left-overs. I never did make Mole, but this talked me into it. It probably won't be soon, but I do intend to try it.

...Same from me. Chufi, I can never get my slow-roasted tomatoes to look like yours! Thanks for the compliments about the looks of the Muffuletta we had the other night. I love this particular recipe; it's really tasty especially when the tomatoes are good, the arugula is fresh, and the onions are sweet! I've been posting on this thread for so long, I'm trying to remember not to post photos of repeat dinners. So last night I didn't take pictures of the pan roasted chicken thighs, microwave baked potatoes, green beans, and salad.

For breakfast this morning I had the sight of the Mexican Blue Bell blooms with my coffee! Life is good.

Another hot weather favorite, my version of Muffuletta

Great blog, Michael... I have enjoyed it. A week or two of eating out as you do is one of my fantasies! Cheers,

GREAT write-up, including mall food, Karen! Thank you for reporting back, and thank you Josh as well. Not bad, the company taking you to Bluezoo; it's hard to complain too much about "free." Cheers,

Before: After: Tonight we grilled lamb on skewers of rosemary from our yard, and had mushrooms, limas, baby carrots, and beet greens with it.