Sony

I think some of this will depend where you live. Around upstate NY, a lot less is in season than what's seasonal in more temperate climates around the world. Where in the world are you? Doodad, CSA stands for "community-supported agriculture". I like Local Harvest's description much better than anything I can come up with: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate dinner incident . I'm thinking about soups and stews as well....gumbo, boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin...... Mashed potatoes can hold OK over a double-boiler and is always great for saucy dishes. Less formal, but still tasty- different chilis, held in crockpots, with baked potatoes kept warm in the oven and slices of good cornbread. Topping that can be laid out: pickled and fresh jalapeno slices, sour cream, good tortilla chips, chopped cilantro, minced onion..... Good luck! I'm interested in the ideas that come up here as well....

You know, I asked someone at a regular grocery store once about the criteria for "sizing" oysters and he said that it's subjective. But it seemed like the container I got that time had oysters of extremely variable size, even though it was a 1/2 pint of "extra smalls".... and I remember having exactly the same thoughts as you! Does anyone know more about how oysters are "sized up"? I found this chart but don't know if it's this individual company's standard or the industry standard...Might the variety of oyster might come into play as well? Oyster size chart

Take two pints of freshly shucked oysters, then drain one pint (save the liquid). Eat the drained oysters raw, with a bit of cocktail sauce, while you are mixing up the stuffing. Kbjesq, I love this step . Domestic Goddess, I remember that shot of your po' boy on the "Dinner!" thread- it looked SO good! I love the flavor combination themes that are coming up. I never thought about how well Asian flavors match with oysters. Sunny, I have never seen oysters packed in barbeque sauce, although it makes sense when you think about how smokiness seems to match so beautifully with oysters! Faine, I'm happy that the recipe you linked includes chipotles, because I'm always looking for new ways to use them. Also looks like Worcestershire sauce is another common affinity. In general, I'm curious about how people fry their oysters (coating, fat type and temperature, etc.) David, I never thought about a buttermilk bath for oysters, but I'm definitely going to try it! The few times I've made fried chicken with buttermilk, I found that the natural sugars in the buttermilk sometimes made it hard for me to time the chicken cooking through before the crust got too dark. Shouldn't be a problem with oysters, though.... I have yet to try smoked oysters, but I might want to hear more about preferred brands before taking a shot. I can unfortunately imagine my gag reflex kicking in with a bad can. Oysters are something that I only gained exposure to about 7 years ago. Interestingly, in an 8 AM college zoology lab. We were studying bivalves and our TA brought pre-shucked oysters for us to eat raw- on saltines with cocktail sauce. They weren't the freshest little guys.... and it's not the best thing I've had to hit my stomach first thing in the morning I was commenting to one of my friends about the experience, and once he figured out that it was a taste (not texture) issue, he got me to a nice raw bar where I had my first taste of oyster heaven- a little Malpeque, on the half shell, with the slightest dash of garlic Tabasco and a squirt of lemon. Since then, I've been a huge fan, but not too experienced with preparing them at home. With all the inspired comments, I don't think that will be the case for much longer!

All oyster recipe welcome, but yes, you know exactly what I'm talkin' about, Jamie Lee! Would love to see your family's recipe....

Batard, you are welcome to eat them raw! I'm just looking for different ways than I already know to make 'em. I've loved Korean food the few times I've been able to eat it out, but would be incredibly happy to make it at home. Recipe, PLEASE?!

Forgive me if there is already a thread on this, but reading about oysters on the "Foods You're Supposed to Find Delicious" thread (ironically) gave me a hankering..... So, besides raw on the half shell, what are your favorite recipes featuring oysters? (In particular, I'm intrigued by the concept of oyster dressing- I grew up in the southern US, yet I've never tasted it. All other ideas are welcome, though!)

Totally agree. Cooking has been a major stress outlet for me since college. I was on work travel most of last week- got back rather late on Friday- and I know it was a tough week because this weekend, I: -steamed and shucked 75 clams -roasted half a turkey -made stock -made a soup with a confetti of tiny diced vegetables -roasted some vegetables -baked a dozen whole wheat blueberry walnut muffins This was when I went out to lunch for one meal this weekend and had the leftovers for 2 additional meals. No meal this weekend was for more than 2 people, so a lot went into the freezer....I guess it just speaks to how important the process is to me, rather than cooking solely because I need the outcome. The roughest weeks for me are when I find myself microwaving leftovers/freezer stock that I typically reserve for lunch as dinner, instead of getting to create something new. Oh yes, and I did go grocery shopping this weekend too- another stress-relieving outlet. I spent an hour walking around....and left with the clams, a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, half a gallon of milk and a can of corn (the clams were the only thing I didn't intend to purchase upon entering). I the market, someone I passed growled, 'I HATE grocery shopping...these crowds are really starting to get to me.' (under their breath, not directly at me!) I couldn't help thinking about how grocery shopping probably adds stress for lots of folks, even people who love to cook. I bet at some point my dreamy meandering through the grocery store, basket in hand, was bugging the crap out of someone trying to pass with a cart.

A porterhouse is two cuts of meat with the bone. On one side is the tenderloin, on the other side is the strip. Therefore, a "boneless" porter house would be a strip steak and a tenderloin served together. ← Ha- there IS such a thing! I was poking fun at myself because I didn't realize what you describe existed.

Sorry your gilfriend isn't feeling well. Something Ilike to eat when I'm not feeling well is dahl. Usually, I eat it over rice, but when I'm sick, there's nothing like keeping the consistency very thin and sipping it out of a cup. To add some additional nutrition, I might throw in a few choppped tomatoes and a shower of spinach shreds and chopped cilantro stirred in at the last minute, Oh, and a good squirt of some lemon juice right before eating. Here's a rough recipe (there's dozens out there, but this is one of the simplest): Put one cup of red lentils in the bottom of a heavy saucepan. Add enough sea-salty water to cover the lentils by 1 inch. Throw in 2 bay leaves, 1/8 tsp ground tumeric, 1/8 tsp ground red pepper and 1/2 of a large onion, sliced. Cover and bring to a simmer. (Side note- lentils have an awful tendency to boil-over, so make sure it's at a gentle simmer before walking away!) Cook about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are falling apart. Fish out the bay leaves, add a little water to cool/thin it out and puree with an immersion blender, adding more water if necessary, so that it's smooth and the consistency of heavy cream. Throw in 1-2 chopped tomatoes (good canned ones can work just fine) and bring back to a simmer. Now, for the flavoring: heat 2 TB neutral oil over medium-high heat. Throw in your other half-onion, thinly sliced. Stir around until onions just start to brown. Then add 2 dried chilies. Keep stirring till the onions are darker brown and the chilies smell toasty. Add 4-6 cloves of thinly sliced garlic (I like a lot of garlic when I'm not feeling well) and stir until the garlic is slightly toasted. Then, add a ladle of the hot dahl into the onion/chili/garlic pan. It will sputter ferociously for about 3 seconds and send up a rush of steam. Then, add the flavored dahl back to the pot. Stir, and add in about 2 cups of thinly shredded fresh spinach leaves (or 1/2 cup thawed, well drained frozen spinach) and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Stir to wilt/warm through. Add enough water to adjust consistency and salt to taste. Serve with wedges of fresh lemon or lime. Hope she feels better soon (with your help, of course )!

Thanks for bringing up the anti-brining thread (It's exactly what I was looking for- I knew I read about pre-salting somewhere on this board, but I couldn't remember the title)! I think the "funk" is OK- it washed right off. I guess I'm not used to meat that is fresh out of cryovac. Glad to know that steaks can be salted before being frozen-plan to try that in the near future!

Hi All, Every once in a blue moon, I'll buy a GOOD steak to cook at home. Since it is for a special occasion, I want to do it right! The subject: a 1 inch porterhouse. Nicely marbled Choice cut. About 2 pounds, including bone. It smells slightly funky, though I saw the butcher remove it from a cryovac package. (By the way, the butcher, Joe, was quite a character! I don't even know what town I was in....I'd stopped to get gas on my way back from work travel and spied his shop across the street. He brought me in the back of his store so I could choose what I wanted cut, thickness, trimming, etc. For me, buying meat has always been from counters/packages in supermarkets, or more recently, frozen cuts from vendors at the farmers' market, so having the options he offered was a pleasant novelty for me . But I digress...) I'm planning to cook it in a cast iron skillet with garlic-infused butter- allow to rest at room temp for a hour, sear over medium-high heat on one side, flip,into a 400' oven for a few more minutes until shy of medium-rare so carryover will finish it off. My main questions is about seasoning with salt and pepper. I love the results of pre-seasoning roast chicken (Zuni method) and was wondering if steak would benefit from this kind of treatment. Thoughts? Also, what are thoughts on rinsing meat before cooking it? Other recommendations about prepping/cooking would be welcome as well. (By the way, I searched old threads for tips on cooking steak....I found a few but I feel like less threads than I expected came up.) ETA: "including bone"....is there any such thing as a "boneless porterhouse ?

I love chickpeas in tuna salad too! Along the same lines, I also like to stretch some mayo-based salads with vegetables and fruits e.g. chopped apples, celery, mango, tomatoes, cucumbers....not all at once, unless you're feeling particularly adventurous. I haven't used full-fat cream cheese in years....for the applications I use, neufchatel works just fine. Sauces can be thickened nicely with cornstarch vs. beurre marie...but when I do use a beurre marie, I tend to cut down the proportion of butter to flour and just whisk the crumbly mixture patiently in a separate bowl with hot liquid instead of adding a richer paste directly to the pot. Some sauces thicken up well with the addition of tomato paste, reduced balsamic or roasted garlic instead of butter. Lots of times, I reduce the sugar in baked goods by 1/4 to 1/3 with no ill effects. (sometimes up to 1/2) It even aligns better with my tastes, as I often find things too sweet. I haven't heard distress from the peanut gallery. When I make mashed potatoes, I generally use less butter (for 8 pounds of potatoes, I might use 1/2 stick) and lower-fat dairy (low-fat buttermilk + 1% milk) than most recipes might call for. I'll heat the milk with fresh herbs and garlic to add another layer of flavor. For the butter that I do use, I add some in for flavor when mashing, but I like to reserve a good amount for melting over top. This may be a personal perception, but sometimes I feel like buttery flavor is lost when it's all just mashed in to enhance texture. Adding water to leaner ground meat patties can enhance juiciness without using additional fat. It works pretty well for meatballs and burgers. For times that additional fat is necessary, I might add peanut butter (thanks Marlene ) or oil with high monounsaturated fat (e.g. olive, canola). That's all I can think of now. Glad this topic was started- I've already gained some great ideas that I'm excited to use! Edited to describe sauce thickening better.

I'm impressed! Tell us more about the timetable for prepping things, please. Hope you're recovered .

I love Thanksgiving, even with its quirks and accidents. I went home, where my immediate family and I cooked for/hosted 18 people. The menu(s) and what we could have changed: Starters: Make less fruit salad. People are inevitably going to hit the sandwiches, cheese/crackers, spinach dip and bruschetta (NOT the Ritz kind ) harder. And fruit salad doesn't keep too well. Oh yes- and don't burn the bruschetta. I lost about 5 of them to overtoasting. Traditional: Brined 18-pound turkey Changes: I don't think that any of the aromatics we added to the brine made much difference. We threw in orange slices, orange juice, lemon slices, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, cracked garlic cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves. Next year, I think we'll just stick with water, salt and sugar. Caramelized onion and mushroom gravy Changes: Nuttin. This was apparently the best gravy we ever made. Interestingly, I think that making it in advance and slowly reheating before dinner made the difference. I also spiked it at the end with a shot of plain ol' salad vinegar. Collard greens Changes: Make more Mashed potatoes with a touch of sour cream and chives Changes: Use a ricer. Add roasted garlic Green bean casserole Changes: We can't touch this one Stuffing (or dressing, since we didn't have it in the bird) Changes: More fresh thyme and sage. Something different that happened this year is we kept it warm in a 350 oven (in other words, we baked it) so that it got a nice crusty top. We liked it. Cranberry sauce- Jellied Ocean Spray. Changes: Again, can't touch it. Homemade rolls: Changes: They were good, but I think next year we might stick with Pepperidge Farm dinner rolls. They make for better leftover turkey sandwiches- homemade bread is at its best for such a short time. We intended to make succotash, but totally forgot. Next time, we'd like to remember! In addition to this, there was a whole second dinner. Murgh Pilau (chicken and rice baked together with saffron-spiked sauce), spicy baked flounder (brought by an aunt), and Rogan Josh (brought by another aunt). Oh, and dessert. My sisters and I made espresso fudgy brownie bites, mini pecan pies, and pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. The brownies ended up WAY too sweet. which was my fault because I was using semisweet chocolate, not the unsweetened called for in the recipe (when I realized my mistake, I'd stirred in less than half the sugar, but it was still quite a bit). Had we known that relatives were bringing berry crumble pie, a tray of assorted brownies/cookies and a chocolate mousse cake, we probably would have held off on making 3 desserts ourselves.

Kim O'Donnel from the Washington Post wrote a nice blog entry a little while ago about sweet potato greens. Kim on Sweet Tater Greens What did you do with them? Please describe process and outcome ...

Adapting this recipe, courtesy of merstar, might fit the bill: Salmon Canapes: 1/2 cup each chopped smoked salmon and cream cheese, softened, mixed with 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional), topped with 1/2 red onion, diced. Spread onto mini pumpernickel rounds, squares, or quartered sandwich slices. I bet the salmon/cream cheese/dill combo would be wonderful on its own on bagels. Another nice "seasonal" spread....2 parts neufchatel to 1 part solid pack pumpkin + brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice to taste. I mix this up because "sweet flavors" of cream cheese are often too sugary for my taste. The proportion of pumpkin to cheese can, of course, also be adjusted. Next round, I'm planning to add some toasted chopped walnuts. When it really comes down to it, though, Philadelphia's flavored cream cheese (I've only ever tried the strawberry and the garden vegetable) isn't the worst tasting stuff in the world. Good luck!

Seeing choux pastry come together entertains me immensely. The emulsification of mayonnaise and hollandaise still fascinates me. I love watching purple beans turn green when heat is applied. Or seeing how green vegetables take on a vibrant jewel-like tone when blanched. When whipping cream is beaten to the soft peak stage- I adore that glossiness and pillowy smoothness. There are so many more, but those just pop into my mind....I love cooking .

Maybe a quiche (that could use some of the cream or half and half) with lots of fresh vegetables. If you don't want to eat it now, freeze it for another time of cooking burnout. (I want to hear more about this dinner!)

Sounds to me like you had a good sense for combining flavors at an early age- I love banana and chocolate together! (Though my affinity for bananas has lessened since I used amyl acetate-think fake banana- as an olfactory stimulus for lab research. I like the reason of some obscure college bet better.... )

I don't doubt that what you're saying is true for the healthcare system than you work in, as well as many others. However, to simply prescribe higher insulin dosages to compensate for higher-than-necessary caloric intake....it may promote insulin resistance, regardless of whether it's Type 1 or Type 2. It just seems curious to me why the person prescribing increased insulin would not recommend further diet therapy. Maybe they do? Also wondering what kind of practical guidance your patients get for their prescribed kcal diet..... Thanks you for clarifying what you meant. Forgive me if I'm coming off as critical or judgmental- I don't mean to. I truly just want to find out more information about how your health care system works, especially with regard to the guidance people get in converting "diets on paper" into actual food to eat. (Please feel free to PM me as well, especially if I'm asking for responses that are off-topic for this forum ). Edit to fix my spelling...

Hi All, I don't have a whole lot of personal experience baking gluten-free at home. Someone recently asked me for a recipe for a homemade GF baking mix that can mainly be used for baking yeast breads (e.g. loaves for sandwiches), though it would be great if it could also be used for cookies, quick breads, etc. I'm hoping someone out there has developed more personal wisdom than me.... He liked the idea of having a pre-proportioned mix that could measure out like AP flour instead of using individual recipes with varying proportions. (I think it's manly for convenience). Anyone have a good ratio of GF flours that approximates AP flour? There's ready access to most any type of flour, along with guar gun/xantham gum. Thanks for any guidance!

Coming from what is undoubtedly a biased view (as a professional in dietetics), I think that lumping diet and drugs (insulin, hypoglycemics, supplements, etc.) into the same category and saying that one diminishes the other's importance is not quite accurate. Diet and drugs are hopefully worked out in combination for diagnosed diabetics if the condition is not simply controlled through diet and exercise alone. I've unfortunately seen/heard of too many people who were prescribed meds and take them regularly, but without any professional guidance on diet. They might then combine their regular drug regimen with a low-carb diet.....and the result can be too-frequent bouts of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). The systems that I have worked in and observed second-hand have not diminished the importance of diet in controlling diabetes. I'm wondering if those doses of insulin that people take before every meal (after checking blood sugar) have anything to do with the food that they intend to eat? I suppose it depends on the system you work in and the insulin regimens people under your care receive. Diabetic exchange diets are certainly becoming less common- carbohydrate counting (actually being a given range of grams of carbohydrate to eat for meals/snacks, and recommending times to eat- ESPECIALLY when on meds) is becoming more common than the exchange system, which has problems keeping up with the variety of food products available. For example, the exchange system may consider 1 oz. of crackers (listed generically) as an "exchange" (15 g carbohydrate). However, think about a new "honey harvest" variety that contains 15 g of carbohydrate in only 0.5 oz. This is where carbohydrate counting can pick up where there's shortcomings in the exchange system- it assumes that a person will read labels of specific products and control portions to stay within that ideal range of carbohydrates . The place where the exchange system outshines carbohydrate counting is it builds in eating a variety of foods and portion sizes. For people who are turned off by label reading and simply trying to focus on variety and portion control, the exchange system is still being recommended (at least in various parts the state of NY). Recommendations for checking blood sugar is also something that can differ. Checking blood sugar 4 times a day sounds like a great system for motivated people who have the resources and mindframe to do so. Sadly, I know of people in some healthcare systems where they aren't given ANY guidance about how often to check blood sugar. Since everything is so variable, it sounds like anyone really ought to find out as much as possible about what guests have received as guidance from their heathcare providers and go from there. Dawnie2u, the fact that your your MIL has had low blood sugars twice in what I'm assuming is a relatively short timeframe....it concerns me because a care plan (including meds, diet, and/or exercise in any combination) should prevent those lows. I hope that she has the support, motivation and guidance she needs (it sounds like she's getting plenty of support from you!) to manage her diabetes and live a fulfilling life. ETA: Suzy Sushi, sorry if I repeated anything you said! I was probably finger-babbling while you were posting

Hi Pups224, Sorry for the delay in reply! I've never measured anything out making this, but the next time I make it I definitely will! Right now,I I'd guess that for a pound of shrimp, I'd use 1 tsp. grated ginger, 1/4 tsp. turmeric, 1/4 tsp. cayenne, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper, 2 TB mined onion and 1/2 of a small chili minced up. The saltiness, I'd adjust depending on whether your shrimp are briny. I don't season the breadcrumbs, as the shrimp are already highly seasoned. For the egg issue, it actually uses an egg wash with the whole egg and about a tablespoon of water per egg. I hope this helps! I promise I'll pay closer attention the next time it's on the menu!

Thanks Owen! Didn't know that the bar area too is non-smoking...thank for that info. I got take-out from the Red Fox Restaurant- 1st restaurant I saw entering Saranac Lake. Didn't have the social graces in me to dine properly on site (car got stuck in gravel area when I pulled over to double-check my directions, and it was a little stressful getting outta that predicament ) As I was waiting for my food, I chatted with one of the owners briefly. Her and her husband moved to the area after living in Queens for many years- her husband had cooked at an Italian restaurant there. They wanted to live somewhere a little more peaceful, so they bought the restaurant at a great price and relocated. They've definitely faced their struggles, including the restaurant burning down about 5 years ago and having to rebuild the business at a new location. It look like it's in nice shape- interesting artwork, chandeliers that have little foxes hanging off them....I guess it has a "lodge charm" about it. As far as the food....clam linguine was made with canned clams and a olive-oil based sauce flecked with tomato and dried rosemary. HUGE quantity- made for a filling dinner last night and tonight. Quality- the pasta was cooked al dente, taste was OK. Came with a standard side salad and a small cup of salty beef and barley soup. Some soup elements looked less processed e.g. the beef that was in it, but it was overshadowed by the salty base. What really stood out to me- she picked up on the fact that I was a traveler and packed a set of real utensils in the bag. I don't know if they ran out of plastic ware, but that was awfully considerate. Anyway, I'm going to hold off on dinner tomorrow until I get to Syracuse. Meeting a friend for dinner at Dinosaur, and I'm going to be hungry!