NulloModo

Rachel - I think the most tradition prep. is on rye bread, with onion, brown mustard, mayo, and the option of a slice of provolone or swiss. That is pretty easy to live with, has a nice mix of flavors, and should give you an idea if you like the wurst or not by not covering up its flavors too heavily. To me, it tastes nothing like whole liver. Now, I love a good plate of liver and onions, but liverwurst is much creamier, less organy in flavor, and just has a nice full slightly spicey taste.

I am all about cold buffalo wings as a hangover cure (spicey as possible. Heated ones will work too if there are no cold ones leftover from the night before).

Susan, that looks delicious. Last night, after getting back home from driving straight from Asheville, NC back to Delaware, I fixed myself a new variation: Liverwurst, anchovy, pickle, hot pepper hoagie spread, mustard, stilton. Very pungent, but quite flavorful.

Yes, I would love to see this recipe.

Saffron - That sounds good, sort of a spin on the Spaghetti Squash trick. I have been happy with Shirataki noodles the couple times I have tried, and they seme like they would match up very well with seafood.

Redfox, that sounds delicious, I will have to try that once I am into the Atkins maintenance stage. Everyone keeps talking about these fried onions, I love onions, especially crispy ones, I am going to have to go to an Asian grocer soon as see if I can find them....

Fresh Guac is indeed one of the finest things in life, but bad Guac is quite, quite, horrid. About the worst I've ever had was Goya brand from the freezer section in my local grocery store, wow, that stuff was beyond horrendous.

My ex roomate was obsessed with their Chicken Carbonara subs, he proclaimed the the best subs on Earth. We live in close proximity to lots of great sub shops, I never agreed with him that they were the best on Earth, but the Chicken Carbonara is certainy tasty. Recently I tried one of their low-carb 'flatbreads'. I found this to be a total ripoff, same price as a sub, much less filling, the Subway wraps are a far better deal here. Anyway, Quiznos isn't awful, but, for my sub dollar, I'll take Capriotti's any day.

I have never been a server, but I know a couple local restaurants who do tips like that. When dining at these places I never leave a very large tip, regardless of service, simply because I know it isn't going to go to the person who really deserves it, and I have a big problem tipping those who have done nothing for me as a customer. If there was a way I could know that the money I left would only go to the server I had I would be much more inclined to tip more heavily.

Well, I was doing the cooking, so at home he was getting the usual sorts of meats and fish that I make (varied, everything from flank steak to lamb to chicken to whatever) along with green vegetables and salads. I use olive oil pretty much exclusivly when I cook. At work whatever worked, I suppose. He did manage to make himself ketotic, just barely, so was doing the diet "correctly". He did point out that he felt that one of the ways Atkins works is that the food's so boring that you can't bring yourself to eat any more of it than you absolutely have to. It seems to work well for many people, we're just not among them. Hmm, sounds interesting. Were you by any chance relying on any of those low-carb convenience products during the beginning? Like the low-carb breads, milks, ice creams, etc? It is odd how it works very well for some, and not at all for others, but then again, low-fat/low-cal seems to be the same way. I will say that the food is anything but boring though, I'd put Atkins menus against any other weight loss plans as far as potential variety and taste go, but then again, that is what this thread is about, to really show each other what we can do ;).

Therese - That is interesting, but I am curious what types of things your husband was eating while he was trying it out? (And I am trying to sort of bring this back on topic ;) ). Atkins does not specify which fats are good and bad for the plan, so you have a lot of choice, but I guess you can also make unhealthy decisions within the limits as well. The blood lipids spike at around three months is not unexpected, nor uncommon. Most people do experience a cholesterol rise (sometimes dramatic) in the first few months until their body's adjust to the new way they are processing food, then things return to normal. In fact, inside of the book in which he explain the plan, Dr. Atkins recommended having your lipids checked before you started, and then not again until six months later, giving your body a chance to adjust, as after that initial spike, what happens for most people (although unfortunately not all) is that they levels go back down far below their original ones, and stabilize in the healthy range. Although that he was very tired all the time is also interesting, it is common to have a several day period in the beginning where you will feel sickly and tired, but that should only last a couple days, never more than a week, and after that the energy levels are supposed to skyrocket, and that is the experience that I had. all of this is why I am really interested in what he was eating, wondering what could've caused all that... Anyway- Breakfast today (since we were discussing breakfast a bit upthread) was a liverwurst sandwhich. Specifically, flax/pump roll, liverwurst, provolone, mayo, mustard, and a fried egg. Hehe, not exactly light eating for breakfast, but lunch will be fairly light today (school cafeteria salad, I was out and about last night and didn't cook something to pack). Plus, I personally feel far better all day if I start the day off with a nice filling meal, and then make lunch/dinner a little bit lighter. I have also been on a huge liverwurst kick lately, not sure when that is going to end.

There is no doubt that the various low-carb plans have differing opinions on fat, that is true. I personally meant this thread to be open for discussion of any low-carb cooking though, not just Atkins or South Beach or Sugarbusters, but any plan, even home-brewed ones. Maybe it would be a good idea if we let each other know which plan each recipe/dish is designed for, but other than that, this could be great for just sharing ideas, and even if recipes won't translate exactly, with a little substitution here and there (and hey, we have already become pros at that) and LC recipe should work on almost any LC plan. I fully admit to cooking with lots of fat, and lots of types of fat. I agree that fats can be very healthy, and I have the good cholesterol/blood preassure profiles to prove it now, despite eating red meat, butter, peanut oil, and the like regularly over the past year. Then again, that might not work for everyone. I don't want to get into a situation where we are saying one plan is 'better' or 'healthier' or 'more effective' than the others, because for each person, they may or may not be. Everyones physiology is slightly different, we all lose/gain weight differently, react to different foods, and can live with different eating regimes. Let's just keep it open minded and share ideas. After all, who knows, maybe someone on Sugarbusters has the secret that will unlock the perfect Atkins friendly tortilla chip recipe, or maybe someone on Atkins knows something that could translate into perfect South Beach friendly biscuits.

Other than upselling (without knowing the price of the item they are upselling too) none of those really bug me. I love servers who check back. I would much rather have them come by the table several times too often than several times too few. Nothing is worse than not having any beverage left to go with your meal, and desperately waiting for a refill, or sitting watching your food get cold while you try to get someone'e attention to bring some condiment you forgot to ask for or which the kitchen didn't toss on the plate. Per the touching/kneeling/sitting to take orders, I really don't mind it, and flirty female servers definately get my attention in a positive way. I know it is all just to increase tips and all, but it makes you feel welcome and all, at least me, but I guess I apparently shy away from contact less than a lot of people here.... Heck, I don't even mind the habit of all of the male waiters at the French Quarter (my favorite dinerish place in West Hollywood) who tend to have hands than linger on ones back while they take your order, it might be bizarre, but you feel welcome there. As long as we are talking about equally attendant service here, I would much rather a smiling, friendly, jovial, slightly chatty server to one who is completely businesslike. Dining out is pleasure, not business, for the diner, so why should it have to feel stuffy and formalized?

Hmmm, I know this one comes up on the Atkins forums a lot, I had no idea there were so many people averse to eggs. (personally, I love eggs, I could eat them three meals a day). As far as egg-free breakfasts go though: Tomato, onion, garlic, EVOO, some rosemary put under a broiler till they start to carmelize, pull it out, add some fresh basil, a slice or prosciutto, and maybe a bit of parmesan, toss it back under till it gets bubbly. I love that stuff. Low-carb rolls with peanut butter or low-carb preserves (just be careful of which rolls and preserves you go with, some cause major stalls, some seem to be fine, my personal favorite rolls are the O'So'Lo brand, great taste, cheap, good texture, and made entirely from flax/protein, no wheat flour in them at all to mess things up). I have been working on perfecting a Bran muffin recipe that should be very low carb, right now they are still coming out too dry though, I will try again this weekend maybe adding some cream cheese to the batter to see if that helps keep them moist, if anyone knows the secret to perfect bran muffins though, let me know. Some mornings I just eat leftovers from the night before, so waking up to cold buffalo wings, a chunk of italian sausage in peppers and onions, or a bowl of chili isn't unheard of ;).

Did you have any Lebanese heritage or interest in Lebanese cuisine before living in the Toledo area? I'm not sure why, but I have never thought of the Mid-North (or whatever you would call that area) as having a big Middle Eastern population, but I guess I am wrong. That is cool that you can get good ethnic food in Toledo of all places though, whoda thunkit.

Helen - So sugarbusters forbids red wine? I didn't realize there was much of a low-carb movement in Japan, I would've figured it would be relatively hard for it to catch on in Asia. Could you tell us more about these Job's Tears? Are they known as something different, or even availible, in the US? Regarding Ketosis: It is my understanding that South Beach does not keep one in ketosis, and neither does Montignac, and both seem to be plans some people lose weight on. I think you can realize some of the benefits of a low-carb plan witout the ketogenic state being induced, such as more controlled blood sugar, less cravings, and at least really thinking about what you are eating, cutting out snacking on junk food, etc. There have been a lot of studies about the effects of ketosis though, and while so far the view is that there is no harm for your body to be in it, even for very long periods of time, that it can cause issues for some people who already have known kidney/gall-bladder issues. For those who have healthy internal organs though, no dangers or risks have been shown, everything continues to work the way it should with no undue stress.

Hmm, I have heard a couple references to radishes used in a 'home-fry' style preparation, supposedly they can taste a lot like potatoes. Have you ever done this? I might be interesting in trying ot myself, but I have never experimented much with radishes. I would be very interested in if they change texture much, i.e., soften up a bit like a potato would when cooked.

I love the russel stovers low-carb toffee squares, but I was never a chocolate snob, dark hersheys always did it for me before. Honestly the Malitol effects can be somewhat welcome to counteract the other low-carb effects sometimes ;). So there is no breading in the crab mixture? That is big prob I have with most places that do crab stuffed things, it is almost always a crab mixture with bread crumbs and sugar added...

Yes, GG linked that up earlier, those cabbage rolls look great, I will have to keep that in mind next time I try them. I actually used the inside of the cabbage (the leaves that were too small to become rolls themselves) all chopped up and spiced as the bulk filler last time I tried. I'm hoping we can keep this as perpetual as the WW thread, and I'm looking forward to getting lots of great dinner ideas as well ;).

Both kids carry a (filled) 1-litre Nalgene in their backpacks, and drink at least that much each day. Lots more when they play soccer or ride their bikes. I am a bottomless pit for water (or any other liquid really, which can get dangerous depending on wha the liquid is). I will typically drink between 5 and 6 litres of water a day under non-strenuous activity. Of course, having beer as an availible option makes this suddenly dangerous ;).

The Atkins induction sounds similar to the South Beach phase 1, but Atkins does not have the requirement of sticking with unsaturated fats or lean meats, anything there is fair game, but the principles are the same, control blood sugar, control cravings, control appetite, etc. As far as staples? I don't find myself eating any particular foods to the point where I would say my diet is entirely made up of them. Almost all non-starchy vegetables are allowed on Atkins, and once you get into the later stages of the second phase (I know that sounds confusing, but the second phase of Atkins, called OWL, has 8 stages, each allows you certain new foods and more carb intake, which you add in gradually as you get closer to your ideal weight that you will level off on) almost all fruits, berries, nuts, and etc are allowed in moderation as well, as well as certain starchy veggies as special treats. I find myself eating lots of mushrooms, dark leafy greens, chile peppers, onions and non starchy root veggies, and just whatever looks interesting. I at currently on the very last bit of the second phase, and really am about to transition to the third stage (pre-maintenance) to ease through my last 7-8 lbs before I settle into my goal weight. I don't really care for fruit or berries most of the time, so I don't eat a whole lot of them, but I love vegetables, so I try all manner of preparations. I have found that many Indian and Asian recipes work great even with vegetable substitutions. I am also at the point where I should be adding more grains and legumes into my diet, and will most likely be doing that in the coming week, find out what works for me, what doesn't, what I like, etc.

Interesting. I am on Atkins myself, so I don't know all of the details about South Beach, but I would be interested in learning more. I didn't specifically set out to make my chili low-fat, but the only fat that went in was the fat on the beef, so it is probably not that high. I originally wanted to do a white chicken chili, but the grocery store had chicken thighs all the way up at $4 a lb, and breasts at $6 a lb, so, there was no way I was going to pay that for chicken, and some of the manager's special stew beef thus became the star ingredient and the chili turned red. I actually just finished having a bit of the leftovers for my lunch, and I think it was better after sitting overnight, the flavors melded a bit. The beans were a little firmer than I would prefer, but I could've just perhaps not cooked them long enough, I am new with working with Soybeans.

This is meant to be a companion thread to the quite popular 'Weight Watchers' thread that we have going on in this same forum. I realize that there are a good number of us who are currently eating, or who have at one point, or who may be considering, going onto a low-carb weight management plan. This thread is to share some ideas for tasty things to cook, talk about the various challenges of low-carb cooking and how to surmount them, and to just generally keep a running dialogue open about it so that we can all learn together. This thread is not meant as a discussion of the pros and cons of low-carb eating, and I would prefer it if it did not turn into such. So, what are we all cooking/eating lately? I'll start: Last night I decided to try Black Soybeans for the first time. I have had a serious hankering for chili, and I really enjoy my chili better with beans, so I picked up a can at the grocery store. At only 1 net carb per serving, I figured I could easily add them in, and hopefully the flavor would be good. As with most of my one pot cooking, there was no defined recipe, but it involved cubed chuck, whole cumin seeds (instead of ground, gave it a more subtle flavor I think), chipotle powder, green chiles, a couple tomatos, onion, and garlic, as well as the can of black soybeans. Not really authentic by any stretch of the imagination, but it hit the spot, and I have to say I was impressed by the soybeans. They don't have quite the texture of pintos, but the flavor is very good, at least for such busy dishes. Perhaps I will try to refry a can of them at some point and see how they stand solo. So, let's open the floodgates and start to share :).

Rum and and molasses make a great combo. Make sure you heat some of the rum up in molasses to make a sauce, then pour another couple shots worth raw on at the end right before serving.

Another vote for Shoofly, one of the true great pies of the world.