Sony

OK< everyone, so I'm still looking for my portable dishwasher (I'll be moved into my new place at the end of this month!) Here's something I've seen as I've been looking at some used machines....in some cases, there's a lot of CRUD built up around the seal. Is this something common with portable machines? A sign that the people using the machine don't pre-rinse? In which case, is that a bad thing? (e.g. is the machine going to break down in a food-clogged heap within weeks of buying it? ) If I'm going for a new machine, it might be a few months until I feel ready to spring for one. The used models are generally selling for less than $200, which I could swing at this point. Plus, they haven't broken so far, right? But I'd rather save the money if the machine has been going through unusually hard paces...... Any experience buying used dishwashers? And what to look for?

But there IS going to be a next time.... And it still looks pretty darn tasty! How did you end up cutting the chicken?

What kind of curry? Thai? Indian? Japanese? -I like making zucchini in an Indian dish with "light spices" (as my Mom calls it). Sweat a chopped onion in a little neutral oil with some salt over medium heat. Add a clove of chopped garlic and enough turmeric to turn the onions a pale golden color and cayenne to taste. Add zucchini sliced into thick half moons (about 1 cm thick). Add water to partially cover, and simmer in half-covered pot until zucchini is tender. Add salt to taste and serve with hot rice. It tastes much better than the sum of its parts. Shrimp, interestingly enough, can be added to this as a flavoring agent (e.g. 1/4 pound shrimp for 2 pounds of raw zucchini) and is a lovely complement to the sweetness of fresh zucchini. -Zucchini is great is moussaka. -I like to stuff zucchini boats with the chopped zucchini innards, onion, chopped mushrooms, breadcrumbs and lean ground meat seasoned with sweet Italian sausage spices (fennel, corriander, thyme, black pepper, a little rosemary and garlic). Bake 'em off plain or glazed with a little tomato sauce. -For vegetables en scapece, zucchini is one of my favorites. -I very rarely fry vegetables at home, but when I do, zucchini sticks are lovely. In tempura batter or a chickpea flour batter (spiced with cayenne and lightened with a little baking powder), they are wonderful.

I usually do that too I live in a town where you have to hire a private company to haul your trash. They charge per bag. Most of my waste is recyclable or goes into compost, but what you mentioned above goes into the freezer until I have a full bag of trash.

I just used my last egg for breakfast . Starting this weekend, I'm on travel for the next few weeks. But that may be the first thing I make when I'm back from vacation . I'll probably add some fresh chopped parsley or chives so that the freshness cuts through some of the pungent saltiness.

I agree that eating out can be a bit like going out to the theater or a musical performance. One-time shot, but the memories can last long afterward..... That being said, I haven't spent (relative) big bucks dining out. The most expensive meal I've had out was $60 per person for a customized multi-course meal that included tax and a big tip. It was a celebratory dinner for an anniversary with a significant other (both of us in grad school) at a restaurant in Raleigh, NC called Enoteca Vin. My then-boyfriend's meal included wine pairings, but I don't drink (I suspect that often keeps my bill low). I can't imagine it could have been more memorable if it cost 5 times as much. The food was delicious, the service was incredible and it was one of the most special evenings I've ever had dining out.

The first time I had egg salad, I remembered thinking how special it seemed to me. On weekends, I sometimes had an egg salad sandwich for breakfast instead of "traditional" breakfast foods. Mine's always been really simple. The first one was an egg, reduced-fat mayo, salt, and pepper on squishy white bread. Through the years, I've varied it a little- whole wheat bread, and a number of add-ins depending on my whim- curry powder (as mentioned), various mustards, hot sauce, smoked paprika, grated onion, minced garlic, diced celery, pickle relish...... But that 1st egg salad sandwich was a revelation to me .

Food Men Love. The foreword of the book is by Mario Batali, and there are essays by several chefs + associated recipes. My friend gave it to me so I could hone my man-catchin' skills. I think it's going to take a lot more than those recipes ......plus, if loving those foods makes me mannish, I don't want to be girly .

Hmmm...I'm not totally anti-wrap, but I usually make 'em myself so at least the fillings are OK. My problem is finding a wrapper that doesn't have the chemical taste some of you have also picked up. And also finding ones that are a reasonable size! (I used to be able to get wonderful fresh flour tortillas in the previous town I lived in. Alas, no more. ) BUT, I will say that they were almost the cleanest thing for me to eat when traveling if I filled them properly (e.g. didn't overstuff them, used minimally gloppy fillings) and wrapped them properly (e.g. with wax paper so I would peel it back). They always seemed easier to hold with one hand as opposed to sandwiches if I was driving. I generally don't like eating out when on the road, especially when my only options are fast food. However, I never order wraps out because of the excess of crappy wrapper and the too-often gross, oozy fillings. Especially if part of the glop is soggy lettuce and mealy tomatoes .

Michael, I am so sorry about your friend's death, but thank you for sharing during this difficult time. This resonates with me on a professional and personal level. My line of work is in public health nutrition, but I volunteer as a dietitian at the local free clinic. What you all have written is basically the point of my job- to help people realize the other priorities in their life and how nutrition can affect them. If I can guide people to that point of realization- that they can keep up with their kids on the playground, or walk up a hill without breaking a sweat-- that's when we start talking about food. How to adjust eating habits so that having a piece of cake is really something to enjoy. It's not an escape from reality. It's not something to obsess about or feel guilty about later. It's food. It's something to enjoy and savor. And eating in a way that supports the life you want AND enjoying what you eat- they're not mutually exclusive ideas for most of us. OK, off my soapbox. Sometimes it just ticks me off when I see some (not all, but some) dietitians that suck all the joy out of food and eating. It's no wonder that people are sometimes scared to seek help for food-related conditions. On a personal level, I'm particularly sorry that a bad break-up may have had something to do with your friend's weight issues. Before I went to grad school, I went through a bad split and gained about 15 pounds. Emotional/comfort eating can be a bitch. But I'm glad that I gained a sense of empathy that's important in my line of work. I'd be just as annoyed as the next person if some little holier-than-thou twerp tried to tell me about how celery is just like potato chips. Edited because I didn't say everything I wanted before I accidentally hit the posting button .

Usually I just make an chutney (the saucy kind). I unfortunately don't measure, but ingredients that go in for my version are: I start by blending: lemon juice fresh green chili (seeded so there's the chili flavor but not excessive heat) salt black pepper Fresh herbs- mint and cilantro are 2 of my favorites, though I've never put the 2 together) a little water After that, I add in a few spoonfuls of nice extra-virgin olive oil and blend just to emulsify. I find if I add it at the beginning the olive oil sometimes tastes bitter for some reason. Ater tasting, sometimes I find a little drizzle of honey will round out the flavor and balance it all out. This keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks. I use it: -as a meat marinade -on its own or mixed with yogurt and fresh chopped garlic for a dressing/topping (I don't add the garlic initally because it tends to get too strong-tasting) -tossed with vegetables or pasta -combined with mayo as a sandwich spread It's fresh-tasting and versatile. Sorry I don't have more specific measurements....

I tend to do boneless skineless chicken breast or mild white fish with: -tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, olives artichoke hearts and capers (maybe some feta if I have it) -soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, minced ginger and whatever vegetables are around (mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, onion, quartered baby bok choy- just cut so they cook in approximately equal time) -olive oil, touch of balsamic, S&P, fresh thyme and thinly sliced potatoes -salsa and black beans with julliened bell peppers I tend not to use cruciferous vegetables in my packets (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) I also surprisingly don't do salmon very often in parchment. I think it's because I love crispy salmon skin But I bet I'm missing out on something good. I typically cook in a preheated 350-375 F oven for 15-20 minutes. Depends on the thickness and delicateness of the protein.

For dinner, I steamed a pile of broccoli...and then balanced it out by roasting up some Tater Tots (or whatever version of them McCain makes)....after rolling them in a little melted duck fat. I think it's interesting that the package warns,"DO NOT OVERCOOK". I typically bake them 2-3 times longer than the directions recommend to get them as crisp and toasty as I like. After they came out of the oven, I sprinkled them with a little garlic and tossed them with a few springs of lemon thyme (I have a plant that's going nuts!). Man, they were good. (Of course, the broccoli was too )

Thanks for your input so far everyone! I know I could just make something up, but there's the potential (if we're not pressed for time) to do a cooking demo or tasting......and a cake might be an interesting recipe to vary multiple ways (e.g. less sugar, sugar substitute, applesauce for oil, less oil, etc.) Which is why I'd really appreciate if a recipe is changed without having been tested (e.g. you shift the # of eggs in your family's secret poundcake recipe before posting) it would be good to know that SOMETHING'S off .

Hmmm....The only recipe I can think of that's somewhat similar is Nigella's fried chicken recipe, where she first simmers the chicken in milk before coating and frying. Your leg of lamb looks delicious! How done was it inside?

Hi all, I am working on a project (training on diabetes) and was hoping to have some assistance from the peanut gallery. I'm looking for a cake recipe that serves 8-12 people (just the cake- without frosting) that has at least 1 cup of oil, preferably more. I will be using the recipe to exemplify that even if applesauce is substituted for oil, the carbohydrate content of a recipe will not change significantly (it may even be higher). If you have an original recipe that you'd like to PM, or you'd just like to post the ingredients but not the method, no problem. If you'd like to change the amount/type of a different ingredient (e.g. amount of baking soda, number of eggs) that's fine with me because it's inconsequential in terms of what I'm seeking. If there's a copyrighted recipe, please let me know the source so I can look up the recipe. Sorry if this is the wrong forum- I'd appreciate any help. Thanks! ETA: I do have a recipe that I can use- I'm just hoping to get something "fattier" than what I have to prove my point more strongly! ETA (2): Moderator, if this is better housed in the Pastry/Baking Thread, please feel free to move.....

I picked this book up at the library before I even knew about this thread. This is a gorgeous book, both the writing and the visuals! I have yet to find the Asian markets in my (relatively) new home town, but once I do, I already have several recipes tabbed as "must-try". I'm hoping that the Asian food selection in my area is good enough so that procuring ingredients is not too much hassle. If it isn't, this book will probably end up in my personal collection.

How would the heart differ from the gizzard in terms of taste and texture if I were choosing to braise/simmer instead of fry?

Thanks stephle and skilletlicker. I might just pick some up, though I feel like I often see gizzards and hearts packaged together. I'm hoping they would be easy to distinguish from each other, as I might want to prepare them differently (?)

Could anyone please describe the flavor of gizzards for me? Are they liverish? Bland? Strong-tasting?

Kohlrabi is wonderful in Bengali fish curries or shrimp curries.

You know, come to think of it, since I moved to Ithaca last fall, I haven't bought anything food-like from TJ Maxx or Marshalls. All of those food purchases I made were from when I lived around DC. ← Is there actually a TJ Maxx or Marshall's in Ithaca? There wasn't when I lived there in the early 90's but then again - the mega development on Rte 13 was just a twinkle in developers' eyes back then If you get up to Syracuse for higehr end and specialty foood products (or for other reasons) you really should check out Lombardi's Imports as well as the new Place called Vince's Imports that his brother opened recently out in North Syracuse. Not only is the selection excellent - far better than Wegman's for Italian specialty items (an area where Weggie's falls very short) but their prices are very competitive. They tend to be cheaper than the large grocery chains for meats and cheeses (not to mention that fantastic fresh Italian sausage that they make in-house). ← Yup, there's a TJ Maxx and a Tuesday Morning on Triphammer, in a shopping center across from Pyramid Mall.... Thanks for the recommendations and link! I tend to be passing through Syracuse for business travel, but one weekend, I'd like to make a bona fide food venture up there with cooler in tow. Until then, I'll continue to keep my eyes peeled on the home goods store shelves and in Wegmans (Weggie's ).

I second that motion....

Currently on Duke's withdrawal since I moved from North Carolina.... however..... a ray of hope..... I've been eating light mayo for a while now, enough so that real mayo is like drinking whole milk after regularly drinking skim. Decadent, something occasional, and something that I want to be worth it. Anyway, that leads me to my most recent prepared mayo purchase. Wegman's store brand light mayo. It's now tied with Duke's Light version for my favorite prepared mayonnaise. It has a nicer texture than Hellman's Light (my previous jarred purchase)- more creamy- and I actually had to check the label to make sure I'd bought the light version! Downside is that it does, in fact, have a few extra calories, a few extra milligrams of sodium and and extra half-gram of saturated fat per serving compared to Hellmann's or Duke's. However, I like that Wegman's recipe uses sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. (I'm not anti-HFCS, but I find myself preferring things made without them from a taste standpoint. I'd probably prefer if it just weren't sweetened at all.... ) Also, their jars are a full 32 ounces still, not a downsized 30 ounces. Which means that a jar will last me even longer- especially since I'll be spreading it a little thinner (for health reasons....but more importantly, because it tastes rich enough so that I don't think I'll miss an extra dollop/schmear ) ETA: I have no vested interest in Wegman's.... I just like one of their condiments.

An impulse buy I picked up last night- chocolate tortilla chips. Not chocolate dipped- cocoa powder is mixed in with the ground corn...... I like 'em. Especially when they're accompanied by a small scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt They're not very sweet and actually have a slightly bitter edge to them. It's like a corn chip with a chocolate aftertaste.....I guess this is an updated way to have chips and ice cream as a snack