NulloModo

Well, first of all, I am still on the plan. Atkins, like Montignac, is a multi-staged endeavor. The first two stages are designed for weight loss, the third to lose the last five or so pounds and prepare you for maintaining your goal weight, and the final for maintaining your goal weight for life. By the fourth stage pretty much all foods (even wheat flours, potatoes, carrots, sugar, etc) are legal, but intake and your bodies reaction to them must be monitored. The last stage is basically just eating very sensibly of healthy fats and proteins, good carbs, and lots of vitamins and minerals in the form of fresh veggies and fruits. I am currently in the second stage, getting near the point where I will jump into the third. I have personally been feeling great, I have lots more energy, can get by with far less sleep, and am loving the increased balance and grace inherent in having a lighter body. I think that these benefits are pretty much common across the board with diets designed to stabilize blood glucose levels, as from the research I have read, it is the wild swings in blood sugar that really cause havoc in your body. I am definately eating healthier than I ever have simply because I am now actually paying attention to what I eat. These plans which make you monitor the actual type of foods you eat instead of just calories seem to be very good about forcing one to pay attention to what exactly goes into ones mouth, and I see a huge change from what I was eating pre-weightloss days. From time to time I will get a craving for the forbidden foods, but those usually pass. One of the things that I like about the Atkins plan in particular is that since it practically eliminates all sugars (any form, sucrose, fructose, dextrose, honey, whatever) and discourages the use of artificial sweeteners, it really kills any sweet tooth you may have. Of course, I don't live in France, so I have most likely never had wonderful bread, and I have never exposed myself to the wonders of polenta and risotto. I miss tamales sure, but it is possible to do a lot of baking with protein powders and isolates and high fibre grains and seeds (like flax seed, mesquite meal, and oat something or other). For some dishes it forces you to be creative in substitutions, but most things can be made to work out very well. I have also noticed it has really woken up my taste buds, I never realized before how much of what I ate beforehand was just so bland and artificial compared to what I eat now. Montignac seems to be nice in that it doesn't forbid any huge classes of food, just the combinations of them. I can see how this could be good in that you wouldn't be tempted to binge on donuts as you can still have that wonderful looking bio-bread with your strawberry confit, and who needs sucrose when you can add fructose. I'd be interested in hearing how this has effected your appetite. Does Montignac encourage you to get your body into a state of ketosis, or is the carb intake (albeit what appears to be wholesome carbs) too high? If I keep reading this blog for much longer I am going to blow a big chunk of my next paycheck at fromages.com.....

Wow, I wish we had a Central Market here. As it is I can only seem to find decent produce once a week, when the farmers markets open up on the weekend. If I need veggies on a weekday I have to suffer through the abominations Acme subjects its customers to... We used to have a great local chain called Genaurdi's, with tons of fresh produce, great selection, knowledgeable people, all in all a great place to shop. Then Safeway bought them out and they have since turned to shit. Such is the way of things lately...

Here is a question: How do you all feel about the balance of creaminess/cheesiness to sweetness in a cheesecake? I personally find the ultra-sweet sugary varieties to be off-putting, and much prefer a slightly tarter, creamier product with less overall sugar content. Some of the best cheese cakes I have had really brought out the natural savoriness in the cream cheese/mascarpone/ricotta (whatever was used), and possibly one of the very best featured pumpkin and almost no sugar at all, for a product that was definately desert-like, but would most likely not be considered sweet by most diners.

Wow, some really wonderful looking items that you get to eat. Having been following Atkins myself for almost a year a lot of the Montignac rules seem to make basic sense, as it also seems to be a plan based on insulin response and control, it just goes about it in some different ways. Actually aside from the rules about combinations to avoid, the food choices look very similar to the final two stages of the Atkins plan. Anyways, the best of success to you, your photographs are lovely. Lyons looks like a beautiful city. I remember when I spent a winter in London I would just walk around to look at things, and I have a feeling I would do the same were I living in such a picturesque place as you. Seeing all of the charm and personality that your town seems to be infused with really makes my strip of suburbia all the more depressing.... ;).

It sounds a lot like Spanish Dim-Sum.

I'd say D.C. area. Some great restaurants, especially if you consider Baltimore close enough to spend some days there, some of the best museums anywhere, lots of history, and Baltimore certainly has its own special culture. It will likely be a bit warm and muggy in September however.

Interesting. It isn't the color that draws me in as much as the flavor. Gosling's seems to have a sweeter flavor than many other rums I've tried. However, as far as I know a rum can not contain sugar or sweetener and still be called a rum (wouldn't that make it a liqueor?) so I was assuming it had something to do with the distallation or what the starting product was that resulted in the unique taste.

The dark side of Rum, that is. Bourbon is my spirit of choice, but I enjoy a nice Rum from time to time. I have sampled Bacardi Light Rum (my father's standby), Captain Morgan, Bacardi 151, Appleton Estates, and Gosling's Black Seal. The only ones that I truly enjoyed drinking was Gosling's Black Seal, and I truly loved that rum. I could drink Captain Morgan if nothing else were availible, but I wouldn't choose to. The Bacardis simply tasted bland and too alcoholy, not enough flavour. Now, Goslings seems to be a fairly value-priced rum, which I am fine with, as if I can get away with spending less money, I am fine with doing this. However, is there something similar to Goslings that is even better out there? I am willing to spend money for a better product, but I don't want to blow a lot of money on a rum with a flavor I find distasteful, and this only be able to use it in mixers. I plan to drink my purchase neat or on the rocks. Thanks for any recommendations you can make.

A neat glass of bourbon can be a delight to the tastebuds, as can a fine cigar. Combine the two and you will suddenly notice notes in the flavors of both that were hidden before. This thread is to share your favorite pairings of certain cigars with specific liquors. Do you think that Romeo y Julieta goes particularly well with Maker's Mark? Is Wild Turket 101 Bourbon the perfect match for Avo or Punch? What say ye?

Plain old button mushrooms placed in an aluminum baking tin with a couple sticks of butter, some chopped up thick cut bacon, a bottle of bourbon, and just enough salt, pepper, and sage. Place all that on a grill with the lid closed so it will get smokey, and let cook for several hours, or however long the football game you are attending is. When you return after the game, enjoy with a couple cold ones.

Because it is seen as added value for the customer, and gets them to come back so you make more money. The same way the Vegas or Atlantic Casinos will comp hotel rooms, drinks, dinners, etc, to keep people there and spending money, and to get people to come back again and spend more money. Desserts in particular are cheap from an ingredients point of view, so you lose what, $1.50 worth of flour, sugar, and chocolate, and in return a party stays and they all order coffee (which is almost pure profit), maybe a couple glasses of wine (again almost pure profit), and want to come back again because of the added value they see. You make a lot more than you lose doing this.

Lunch Today: Braised Pork Country Style Short Ribs with Sauerkraut

Something I have seen in Canada, and never in the U.S., is that liquor stores (if I remember correctly it was the LCBO in Kingston) will serve out samples of wine. I am already in love with the LCBO (greatest liquor store ever IMO, so clean, so classy, great prices, great selection) but when they actually served free wine inside I was bowled over. I ended up buying several bottles because I was quite impressed as well.

I must've just had bad fiddleferns... If they had tasted like _anything_ I would have been happy. I managed to eat a big plate of something that tasted like nothing.

I have to disagree about baking, deep frying is the only way to get authentic buffalo wings. I don't personally usually use Franks, as it is way too mild for a serious wing, but if you use franks, butter, a dash of vinegar, a couple tablespoons of habanero sauce, loads of black pepper, then you are in business.

So we know where you stand on Tulane vs. LSU then.... What about McNeese State vs. Southern ? ;)

That looks phenomenal. Is there a recipe/method/ingredients list you could share?

Their buffalo wings are not much better. Of course, hot as hell buffalo wings are the best cure for a hangover (other than hair of the dog anyway, but that tends to postpone more than cure). Do you notice yourself getting bizarre food cravings when drunk/hungover? Every time I used to go out drinking I would end up at this local diner for liver and onions with a side of a greek salad loaded with anchovies...

Soda or Coke are the only proper names ;) Pop is some upper midwestern flight of fancy.... Almost as bad as people calling Subs 'Hoagies' or 'Grinders'.

The noodle form of the much maligned konnyaku. It is a calorie-less, carb-less, slightly jellied in texture noodle made from some type of yam native to China and Japan.

Last Night: Shirataki Carbonara (bizarre fusion or diet food: you decide) Warm Spinach and Garlic Salad

That is kinda where I am. I figure about 1/2 pound of meat per person when it is BBQ because folks seem to keep picking. Not Tupperware, though. Too expensive. I get deli containers at the restaurant supply store. At about 15 cents apiece, I don't care if they come back. Hmm, not a bad idea. I am actually guilty of using Ziploc bags for a lot of stuff I send home.

So they effected her, but not you? Was she possibly allergic?

For parties and entertaining I just always cook way more than I know I will need. I generally don't know how many people will show up anyway, as I do not have the organizational skills to set up and track an RSVP system ;). Worst comes to worst and there are tons of leftovers, they can be sent home with more than willing guests in tupperware.

Just curious, where in Kingston? I go up that way from time to time, and have always been somewhat partial to Chez Piggy myself...