Cynthia G

I have an ongoing medical situation. The men who own my neighborhood cafe always check on me if they see my car home in the middle of the day and often bring me meals gratis just so they know I am eating when not feeling up to cooking. Perhaps not totally random since I'm a neighbor, but extremely kind and caring anyway. What a blessing they are!

Tuesday: Worked very late so glad to have beef covered with extra hot red chile puree - cooked ahead in the crockpot on Sunday - in the frig. Pulled and served with: excellent low carb tortillas (Santa Fe Tortilla Company), grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, and shredded cabbage with a vinaigrette. Rancho Zabaco Zin.

I have no commerical or high-end experience with xanthan gum, but I do use it quite often as a thickener in place of cornstarch or flour... as in sauces for stir-fry or to thicken a stew's broth. A little goes a long way, so I add very sparingly and then adjust if needed.

Sunday evening: medium rare rib eye steaks; assorted summer squashes, red and green bell peppers, green onions, jalapenos, marinated in EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Everything cooked on the charcoal grill. Mixed berries with cream.

Mary, that's a nice website.... did you mention somewhere else that you are a cookbook author?? If so, I must have missed it. I'll have to order one and then head on over to the "How Many Cookbooks" thread and update! Glad you didn't have more damage than you did. Bad enough as it was!

Mary, was your place badly hit by the not-too-distantly-past earthquake? Can't wait to read your blog. Thanks for taking it on.

Simply a modified breakfast burrito... nothing at all weird about that.... leastways not here in New Mexico! If you are a carnivore, I'd suggest adding some breakfast sausage or chorizo in there.... both go really well with the onion.

We also have an electric kettle at work. The coffee is drinkable, but I will often have tea instead as that is really very good. We purchased the electric kettle last year at the suggestion of some of our Australian participants.

Wow, Fifi, that looks pretty darn fine for someone who claims to be pastry-impaired. If I drive really fast maybe I can get there before it's all gone!

Wednesday: While driving home from work I was flagged down by my 2 close friends/neighbors and persuaded to join in an impromptu celebration with them and their morning cook.... the premier restaurant location up the street from their tiny cafe in our tiny village, that they have been coveting for many years, became theirs with a lease signing this afternoon! I am so happy for them!!! We spent several hours looking over the place and dreaming and planning and then dinner miraculously appeared before our eyes.... ribs, grilled asparagus, garlic spinach, some Chilean red wine.... Yum! (However, lots of work ahead... the chef who was running the place before, who had massive personal problems, left it an absolute mess.... rotting food in the coolers, 2 years worth of ash under the grill........ oh I'll spare you and not continue!!! .... But it will be up and running by Memorial Day! )

Now I'm horribly homesick! I grew up near the Finger Lakes.....

Knowing the particular place where Ted creates.... and knowing the particular area of the particular city in which this place is located.... I am quite sure there are many assholes who darken their door. I'm just sorry that the weirdness of this one was directed at Ted.

Ted, you aren't going anywhere until I get to come down to ABQ and try your creations..... it sounds absolutely lovely to me.

Mel, I've been enjoying your adventure. I'm just glad I'm enjoying it from afar. Really exciting..... and really scary! Best of luck to you. Oh... and when the husband says "Baby, you stink" the only proper response is.... "Well then, run my bath, pour me a drink and get ready to give me a massage!"

Thank you, Tommy. I was trying not to go into a rant. I've been eating lowcarb since... about 1997 or so. It tightly controls my diabetes with no medications and allows me to have wine with dinner every night.... wine that my relatives on oral meds and insulin without good control cannot enjoy. I do, however, heartily deplore the lack of knowledge (and desire for it) most American consumers have about nutrition and other health choices that makes this kind of marketing prevalent. Edited 'cause I can't type. That's why I have an executive assistant at work....