Milagai
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Posts posted by Milagai
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I find that when I am not really "paying attention", incredible amounts of money are spent on food. When one is dashing around, trying to fit doing things into the time available, the time becomes the focus and the $$ focus goes right out the door.
Instead of planning the meal based on *meat* I started the plan with veggies. For often the veggies follow the meat, and really I prefer it to be the other way. It actually does come out to be more economical, but my original intent was merely taste, and healthiness.
Chose my favorite fresh veggie. Often the best ones *are* the least expensive, for well. . .seasonality, you know.
Then went and chose a grain - rice, or lentils, or potatoes, or barley, or pasta. . .whatever came to mind as melding into a dish well with the veggie. Then went on to choose the meat/seafood/poultry to finish the "canvas" so to speak. Then if a can of tomatoes, or a spice, or whatever-to-add was needed, I swooped back through the store on the way to the registers, to collect it.Carrot top: you make an excellent points about paying attention
and not letting the $$ trickle away, and if you get into this mindset
it becomes second nature.
A major point: don't think of beans and lentils as "grains" - they
are a major protein source and about the cheapest things going!
E.g. where I live, cans of black eyed peas are 2 for 1$ or 3 for 1$.
2 cans + some tomatoes, spices, and spinach makes a main
dish for about 3 meals for my family of 4. Can't beat that with a stick.
to the OP: you said you liked Indian food,
This dish is so quick, easy, and tasty for a week night:
2 cans BEP drained and rinsed
1 onion, finely diced with 2 cloves garlic and 1 inch ginger
1 can petite diced tomatoes, or in season, use fresh.
Frozen chopped spinach (optional, use fresh or use other greens, as liked).
1 to 2 tbsp "curry" powder, salt, pepper.
(or, if you have the spices, don't use the powder, but use:
1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tbsp cumin seed, red pepper to taste,
1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1 tbsp garam masala)
Saute the onions, garlic, ginger over low heat in 1 tbsp or so oil
for ~ 20 to 30 minutes stirring frequently as you go about your
other chores (or use a crock pot and forget it for ~ 1 hr).
When they are cooked down, and dark golden and fragrant and
the raw smell has gone, add spices EXCEPT garam masala
and saute for a few minutes
on higher heat until the spices lose their raw smell, don't let them
burn - so watch closely - whether in crock pot or stove top.
Add the BEP, tomatoes, and greens if using, and simmer on
low for ~ 15 minutes until all homogenized (or another 1 hr in a crock pot).
Add the garam masala
towards the end; add salt to taste, and maybe a shot of lemon juice
when the heat is turned off.
Serve hot with rice or tortillas.
Leftovers just get better with age. Refrigerate and reheat.
1 lb of lentils makes 3-4 meals for a family of 4.
1 lb of meat will make 1 meal for 2 to 3 people, maybe.
The economic difference is staggering....
To the OP: when you say that you would throw away leftovers,
I am curious why you would do that? Why not pack them for
lunch?
Milagai
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If I seriously thought a calorie restricted diet would help me live longer *and feel better,* I might give it a shot. They would have to show me real scientific proof though. I agree, as it is it sounds a lot like anorexia.
The critical difference between a *scientifically* calorie restricted diet and anorexia is that the former contains all nutrients and the latter (I belive) only aims to cut back calories and keep losing weight. Anorexia is one form of mental illness (with comparisons to OCD) and needs medical treatment, it's not one of those things you can choose to snap in or out of. Presumably calorie restriction diet you can choose to do or not do.
Like the newspaper articles show, calorie restriction diets have been shown to have anti-aging effects in the lab animals studied to date (rats, monkeys). Will it work the same way in humans? At the cell level, it may. But I don't know how many humans have had adequately documented CR diets (I mean, in a lab everything is measured and controlled and the monkey can't choose what to eat or not eat, or raid the fridge in the middle of the night, or swallow laxatives, or whatever).
It would be hard among humans practising CR diets to distinguish between those who are mainly interested in health, and those others who are drawn to CR because of some underlying tendency to eating disorders....
Re longevity alone: there are several factors (good genes, good lifestyles, good diet and exercise, etc.) but you'll always find individual examples of centenarians who have broken each one of these rules and yet lived long (didn't Jeanne Calment smoke regularly until just a few years before she died at age 116 or thereabouts ~ 2 years ago?).
Milagai
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Do you go to several different grocery stores?
Not usually. There's one near the house and I go
there. If I happen to need some very specific ingredient
I'll go to another more gourmet store.
And about once a month I stock up at the Indian store.
Do you clip coupons?
Nope. Can't find them when I need them
or the store brand may be cheaper anyway.
The grocery store scan card is good enough for me.
What do you usually buy at the grocery store?
Things for the week - I go mostly around the perimeter
unless we need more cereal or something from the middle.
So, it's fruit and vegs, peanut butter, canned tomatoes
when tomatoes are not in season, canned beans,
pasta, dairy, tortillas, some frozen veg maybe.
In the Indian store it's: dals, basmati rice, frozen
parathas, spices, some specialized veggies (e.g. drumsticks)
that won't make it into a mainstream US grocery store
in my lifetime.....
Do you tend to buy more meat or more produce?
No meat at all. All produce.
Are you too ashamed to make purchases from the "reject bin?"
Absolutely not - I stop there first! I love finding good deals
there (e.g. 3 weeks ago I found perfectly good pomegranates
3 for $ 1.00!!)
Is there really anyone who would be ashamed of shopping
from the reject bin?
Do you make a list?
Yes.
How many refridgerators and pantries do you have for food storage?
One big fridge, one small one in the family room, and 1 pantry.
Do you enjoy grocery shopping as much as I do?
Not really. It's a chore, but a necessity.
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Good point about the wilted herbs. We grow what we can during the summer, but other then rosemany, which lasts well into the winter, we spend about $3 - $4 a week on fresh herbs. Most recipes call for small amounts and stores sell them in big bunches. At least flat parsley keeps well and is reasonably priced. We use it almost every day. Mint and cilantro are fragile and we throw out a lot of soggy, black stuff if we don't use it within the week. We can't give them up! Just like we must always have fresh lemons, limes and oranges on hand for cocktails.
re keeping cilantro: rinse the bunch, make sure
there are no spoilt bits near the stems, and stick in in a glass
of water like flowers in a vase. Put the whole thing in the fridge.
Keeps ~ 2 weeks that way. I do this all the time because I can't
stand throwing perfectly good stuff away. I use quite a lot of
cilantro, and manage to use it up within 2 weeks.....
Perhaps you can freeze them, depending on usage?
Keeping in a glass of water may also work on mint.
Freezing works on mint if you want
the minty flavor and don't care about smushy leaves.
Re keeping costs down:
1) I buy what's on sale and is in season (fruits, vegs, whatever).
2) I try and stick to my list
3) I stock up if there's a good deal going.
4) in most cases, brand loyalty is not my friend.
I don't do anything extraordinary like drive from store
to store looking for the lowest price of something,
but we average around $ 100 to 120 a week for
a family of 4, with a LOT of fresh fruit and vegs.
We don't eat much processed food at all
(those get REALLY expensive).
But I rely on things like canned beans
to make cooking much easier. They're really cheap
too, and my Indian cooking background means
beans / lentils are the first and foremost part
of most meals. And they taste wonderful - e.g.
it's astonishing how chana masala is both
quick AND delicious (and depending on
what all you put in it, is AND healthy too).
I also like some frozen veggies (e.g. chopped spinach,
or green beans) to make quick meals during the week.
Other veggies (e.g. okra) are abhorrent when frozen
so they're only bought when in season and cheap.....
I have job, commute, 2 kids, spouse, etc.
so things HAVE to be easy and quick to make
and homemade and cheap and tasty....
Occasional splurge for festivals and parties .....
Milagai
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One more definite vote for smaller portions and more variety
so we can taste more and not get all clogged up trying
to finish something huge.
Which is precisely what I enjoyed so much when I ate at Seasons 52 last week:
the desserts served in small cups .. tastes ...
This was a motivation for my thread here ...it's definitely those little trays of desserts the wait staff shuttles around the dining room. Presented on silver trays are eight desserts, nestled into glasses about twice the size of a shot glass. The color scheme resembles an artist's palette: deep red and cream in the red velvet cake; pale shades of yellow and lime in the Key Lime pie; layers of deep browns in the nutty Rocky Road; the bright pink of the strawberry shortcake.Hey Giftedgourmet: I had precisely that thread in mind
and recall when reading it "why don't more places do this!".
I just didn't get around to referencing it in my post.....
Milagai
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The ultimate food-no-touch-please person's plate
arrangement, the Indian food thali.
Pictures here:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...GLD:en%26sa%3DN
and here:
http://www.southindiancafe.com/images/thali.jpg
and here:
http://www.gourmetindia.com/img/Rajasthani%20thali.jpg
and the banana leaf plate South Indian version:
http://www.pondichery.com/french/stages/Thali.jpg
Definitely a place for everything and everything in its place
BUT BUT BUT
the purpose is to keep everything separate UNTIL you mix
what you want to mix with the rice or roti.
Each little side dish sits in its own cup or pile until you
mix it with the rice or roti to make your own little mouthfuls.....
and so it goes...
Milagai
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One more definite vote for smaller portions and more variety
so we can taste more and not get all clogged up trying
to finish something huge.
Other than that - any and all offerings are great -
fruit, chocolate, whatever!
I don't like the idea of style *over* substance;
why choose between these two - do both!
Milagai
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Find out their dis / likes first?
You may light on a gift that person A would
love but person B might loathe....
It's a shame that the recipients thought that
homemade = cheap
Milagai
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Oy, excellent!
Thanks for all the answers.
It's really funny that the trace amounts of silver are what's
making these things be labeled "for decoration only"
because per Indian sweets rules, pure silver foil (vark)
is layered onto the sweets to look decorative and
eating trace amounts of silver is supposed to enhance
health!
So we'll decorate and eat.
Yes, worm, it's the diyas project, hopefully this weekend
or one day next week. We're aiming for Kartikai
(the next full moon night, I think).
Milagai
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I was looking for the little silver and gold cake decorating
balls that were so common when I was a child.
Finally found some in an upscale gourmet store.
A product from www.indiatree.com that's called
"French Dragees".
But when I got home, the small print says "for decoration only"
i.e. they're not edible?
No ingredient list on the web site or on the bottle.
Can someone give me any idea what these might
be made of, are they really dangerous to eat?
Or is it some obscure import-related law
(like mustard oil is labeled for external use only
but it's fairly safe to use for cooking.....)
Thanks in advance
Milagai
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indian preparation sounds good too, but unfortunately I have no tamarind and I don't even know how to use it...but I have everything else. I keep a few indian spice mixes on hand as well..they are good to add to steamed or fried veggies once in a while.
there were several recipes without tamarind,
and if you really want to try one of the tamarind recipes,
try substituting some lemon juice + a little molasses (to
get the sour+sweet combination) - the taste is not quite the same
but it's not a bad option to try.
Milagai
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Quinoa apparently works for people who have some
of the allergies that you've listed, but check to make sure....
Milagai
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If you have Indian ingredients on hand
(e.g. cumin, coriander powder, tamarind, etc.)
there are several tasty sounding Indian Karela recipes here:
(Karela = bitter melon, bitter gourd).
http://www.bawarchi.com/cookbook/karela.html
and here:
http://indianfoodrocks.blogspot.com/2005/0...-brave-man.html
and here:
http://food.sify.com/review_more.php?&t=Ka...76&cid=13292914
(this site has good Indian regional recipes)
Karela's bitterness is supposed to indicate its medicinal qualities,
and apparently does something good for those with diabetes
(not sure about the details).
I also like karela, but prefer the fried and crunchy recipes
and I can't imagine too many good nutrients survive the process
Milagai
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Hi Worm,
I'm gonna do a trial run on the pakora's to see if I can do what you say with half-frying them before hand and then a quick fry when the guests arrive. I believe I have a couple of recipes in my books for them but do you have any pointers/advice on making them ?
Also I'm now thinking about switching the potatoes to bhindi like you say. Should hopefully make the meal a bit more balanced... May also drop the chicken kebab starters if I can do the pakora's as I think there may be too many things going on for only 6 people...
Rgds
Rick
How did yr party turn out?
Pictures?
Milagai
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Well, I took shortcuts, i.e. buying cultured butter from
Whole Earth. Found two brands - one an expensive
Belgian product (I think the name has "celles" and "belles"
in it; I didn't memorize it and have thrown the wrappers away).
The second a not-that-much-more-than-ordinary-butter
Organic Cultured Butter from Vermont.
Made ghee with the Belgian butter first.
Took longer to make than with ordinary butter, and after made it seems
to have a liquidy layer on top, and a more solid
"daanedaar" layer below.
The taste is indeed more rich and complex than regular ghee.
When that is gone (will take about a month) I'll
make with the Vermont butter and report back....
I may shift over to making ghee with cultured butter
because the Vermont butter is not that much more than
regular butter and I'm not making this that often
for the cost to be prohibitive. There *is* a difference in taste,
though if cost was a factor I would not say that there is
such a day-and-night difference in taste (the way I made it - YMMV)
to be worth a significant extra cost....
Thanks v.gautam!
Milagai
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Okay, the Most Beautiful Food Words, said or heard, are:
"Give my compliments to the chef"
or, it you prefer:
"Donnez mes compliments au chef"
SB
You are so right!
The beauty of these words is only equalled by:
"you sit down, I have dinner ready"
(the dinner has to be good, of course)
or
"Here, have a hot chapati freshly made by me"
Milagai
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Spiritually advanced enough to starve oneself to death? Hell, why wait until you're 93 to do it? Unless you become a Jain at that age ... Anyway, not gonna happen here. I live near too many women who are systematically starving themselves and see anorexia and bulimia (and smoking crank, in a couple of instances), as a way to go the extra mile to look good. Or, in most cases, to just look skinny.
You don't have to wait until 93.
She happened to be 93.
If you're ready at any age.....
The majority of Jains live peaceful lives in the world,
they don't choose to starve themselves. It's not for
just anyone. Being Jain does not automatically mean
you starve yourself! Jain cuisine is among India's
best vegetarian cuisines.
And being spiritually prepared is not a snap overnight thing -
years of meditation, various spiritual discussions and practises, etc etc.
And that's how it's distinguished from mental afflictions / addictions etc.
It's supposed to be a very specific, conscious, deliberate practise.
It's not even in the same universe as anorexia etc. The purpose is
hardly to look physically good.
And in a society where undernutrition is often prevalent,
people have many concrete examples of what it means to starve....
It's not a romantic ideal ....
The concept of self-starvation has to be understood in terms
of the wider Jain commitment to non-violence - a very comprehensive
and detailed philosophy, it's not only about starvation, it's more
couched in terms of selflessness and generosity.
Sure, that may be incomprehensible to those who
maybe see self-actualization as exploring and fulfilling every
wish....
Every religion / culture has examples of people taking
steps that may seem extreme or incomprehensible to outsiders.
(Celibacy, vows of silence, whatever).
Doesn't mean they can be dismissed summarily.
Before you can critique it, or institute invalid comparisons,
you have to have an informed grasp of what's going on.
Milagai
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Hmmmm ... I can do that.
Good Lord, though. At that age, her sinning might have been what kept her going!I never really 'got' the idea of food being sinful or decadent or guilt-inducing.
In the Jain woman's case, the philosophy is not that it's the food
that's sinful. It's that fasting can expiate for other sins.
OTOH, in Jain philosophy, eating food is seen as having
the potential for the death of other life forms (insect, plant,
etc. etc.).
So fasting unto death is seen as a morally superior way to go
compared to other ways. Not seen as the sin of suicide (=violence
against the self).
It's not recommended for everyone, only for those who are
spiritually advanced enough....
Milagai
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That's genuinely awe-inspiring, Eden. And to do it on $7.33 per person -I just totally prostrate myself at your feet!
Me too! ....
Milagai
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That's genuinely awe-inspiring, Eden. And to do it on $7.33 per person -I just totally prostrate myself at your feet!
Me too! ....
Milagai
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The banana trees in my back yard are in full swing. The problem with a stalk of bananas is they all ripen at the same time. I cut one stalk down the other day before heading out of town. Today I am blessed with a few dozen ripe bananas. Besides banana bread and smoothies, anyone have good recipes that use a lot of bananas? I have a couple of stalks that will be ready to cut down in the next week. In the end I will end up freezing some and giving away a bunch.
you could "nip this in the bud" by cutting off some
of the flowers, and cooking those.
Southern Indian and Eastern Indian (=Bengal) recipes
have lots of banana flower recipes, also Thai, e.g.:
http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Tropical_Yum.htm
http://www.ganeshvilla.com/bananas/banana_flower_salad.htm
http://www.bawarchi.com/contribution/contrib5006.html
http://pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=996
There are dozens more on Google....
Milagai
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Gluttony - Strict Vegan Diet
I'm probably the only person in the world who gained
weight on a diet of strict vegan salads. I'm not a vegan,
but when I had put on a little weight I made a bowl
of yummy salad, that happened to be vegan, and
stuck it in the fridge to snack on.
It was so good and I felt so virtuous eating it that
I ate industrial quantities and ballooned up more than
before.
Calories....
Milagai
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Anardana (pomegranate seeds)
reminds of me of Anarkali (pom. flower).
Have to pronounce it right: Anaardaanaa (with a soft d)
Anarkali was the name of the heroine
in a major Romeo-Juliet type love
story involving a dancing girl and
Prince Salim, the Great Mughal Emperor Akbar's heir.
Historicity of story is dubious, but the story (product
of an early 20th c Urdu playwright) is great, and
the name and associations are pretty....
Milagai
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If you like cinnamon/cloves/etc in yr masala chai, then
go ahead and put some in.
There's no single "correct" recipe.
It's whatever people prefer....
For some reason the western chains seem
to dump cinnamon into any dish that's vaguely
sweet, so I guess the Starbucks type recipes
really have cinnamon notes in their masala chai recipes.
I think that in South Asia however cinnamon is
considered a savory spice not a sweet one.
Cardamom is the spice for sweets....
Milagai
Favorite Holiday Treat, Food, Dish...
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
SheenaGreena - this cranberry thing sounds fabulous.
Could you share the recipe (how much cranberry and walnuts
for 1 orange? and though the orange peel is included,
does one extract the seeds first? etc.)
Thanks
Milagai