onehsancare

Michael, I'm terribly sorry for your loss. This is hard, but I think it's important to recognize that, in addition to the social and medical issues related to overeating (and the resultant overweight), the emotional aspect is too often ignored. I am a compulsive overeater. About three years ago, I began attending Overeaters Anonymous, which helped me change my life. It's a 12-step program that's available all over the world. I'd be happy to talk with anyone about it, or there's a website at Overeaters Anonymous. I am still a compulsive overeater and don't expect that will ever change--but what has changed is my eating behavior, my thoughts about eating, and my willingness to let go. I still love to bake and I absolutely don't eat sweets. That clarity works for me. I absolutely don't eat between meals. I'd like to reach the point where I don't eat seconds, but I'm not there yet. I absolutely avoid trigger foods--for me, that's pizza, popcorn, and chips. I'm still a foodie and hope that will never change. If reading about food, cooking well, and eating that good food starts to affect my ability to stay within my eating plan, I'm going to have to choose the sanity over the food. So far, I am thankful that it hasn't come to that. Carolyn

I've been asked to do a wedding cake for some dear friends who are members of Overeaters Anonymous. It will be a very small wedding, maybe 30 attendees. Most of the attendees will also be OA members. None of them has the same eating plan as anyone else, but the most universal limit seems to be NO SWEETS. They've categorically rejected a meat cake,since they really had a baked good in mind, to take the place of a wedding cake--bride and groom to cut it, everyone to get a piece, etc. Some of the guests don't eat bread, some don't eat white flour, most don't eat sugar. Unless I can come up with a water cake, I don't think there's any chance of meeting everyone's restrictions, but I'd like to go back to them with a couple more ideas. I was thinking maybe cornbread? Maybe cornbread with rolled fondant, which could be pulled away and not eaten, but I don't know how that would fit with the no sweets rule. I'm checking on that with them, but any ideas would be welcome. Thanks.

Well, it's come to this: FiberOne cereal every single day for breakfast. But how fun to be eating it while reading such a thoughtful and personal piece!

Ditto on all counts. Need to check out Flying Pig. Found it: Flying Pig Farm

Thanks! It looks like we'll be able to take both of your suggestions: Baguette Box on the way north, then Green Leaf on Monday on the way home. Looking forward to both!

We're going to Vancouver next week (yeah!) and I'm planning a fairly food-oriented agenda. We'll be driving back to Eugene on Monday, and will be in the Seattle area around lunch time. Any suggestions for a good lunch, close to I-5?

Citrus-Marinated Mushrooms from Cooking Light. Citrus-Marinated Mushrooms Every time I make them, I'm asked for the recipe.

Have you tried kelp noodles? They're essentially calorie-less, almost tasteless, crunchy, and filling. Here's a link to a site for a brand I don't buy, but it's got a good description: Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles They've got a different name at the Asian food store I frequent--something generic like "seaweed paste."

And, of course, diligently posted the recipe in RecipeGullet?

I've never tried to make a mangosteen puree, but I love, love, love my Cuisinart Power Strainer for pureeing (and straining) raspberries. 1. They don't make them anymore, so you need to watch eBay et al. 2. In addition to a basic Cuisinart food processor, the strainer requires a Cuisinart Power Juicer attachment (also out of production). I think I paid $25 for the juicer and (I'm afraid!) I paid close to $80 for the strainer, but I'm still happy I did. Good luck!

(Don't eat it, but ADORE the smell!)

The other day, I brought an already-cooked chicken sausage from home for breakfast (which I routinely eat at my desk). I ate it cold--no microwave smell. A co-worker commented (in a really snotty voice), "Don't you think it's a little EARLY for garlic?" I look for garlicky sausage to bring now!

At least in the heart of the city I never thought I'd hear "city" and "Hanover" in the same sentence!

In the picture of the main ingredients, there's a package with a white label that you describe as "package of Cantonese wonton wrappers." The next picture, though, shows a clear package, about which you say, "These are the . . . wonton wrappers (wonton skins) that I like." Which do you prefer? If I find two packages, both looking yellow and thin, how can we tell which would be superior in the soup? (Or, is this just more evidence of my compulsive nature?)

I just turned 48 in January. I was thrilled to think that I was born in the year of the pig, but then I realized that I was born the year BEFORE the year of the pig, since my birthday happened before CNY. Right? What am I?

That's what I did, and it was excellent. No real need to make the basil cream (1 c. chopped basil, 1/2 c. cream) just for a garnish or condiment, but the soup and aoli were great!

I just finished Thursday night's leftover Best Eggplant for breakfast! It is a wonderful recipe--I'll PM it to you.

I'm making James Peterson's Chicken Soup with Garlic, Saffron, Basil, and Tomatoes. The ingredient list includes: "1 bunch of spinach, stems removed, 1 c. packed leaves, shredded (chiffonade)"--all on one line. Is that one bunch of whole spinach leaves, PLUS an additional cup of shredded? Or, is that one bunch, removing one cup of leaves and shredding it? The instructions don't clarify--"Put the chicken back in the soup along with the beans and spinach." I'm sure that it will be great either way, but (1) I like to try recipes the first time following slavishly and (2) I'm a lawyer and like clarity!

My guess is that most of the answers above could read: I do it this way because my mother did! (Well, that was my theory before santo_grace posted!)

If he has the slightest interest in music, don't miss the Experience Music Project. We went when my son was 14 or 15 and it enthralled us for most of the day (and, we got to take the monorail to get there!).

I'm no truffle expert, so I don't know for sure. I didn't spring for the Truffle Cultivation Seminar ($500) or even the cheapest package ($425), but only went to the Marketplace ($15, and there were tastes!). The guys from Wild Oregon Edibles certainly seemed to know their stuff and were very generous with information. Each truffle buyer also got four pages of instructions!

Had a wonderful time today at the Oregon Truffle Festival, returning home with a very-restrained single white truffle (ripe, although probably better tomorrow), single black truffle (not yet ripe), and some very yummy chevre. I was going to make a dish I've made before, a risotto with truffle oil, and intended to shave the white truffle over each serving. I read a comment recently, though, that made me think that might not be the best use of my truffle. Speaking about ordering truffles in restaurants, fooddude37 wrote in Chow.com: "Unless a restaurant is VERY VERY well known for their use of truffles, I absolutely won't order any dishes involving truffles because more often than not, the cook/chef will throw in truffle oil to augment the flavor, instead killing the flavor of the entire dish." Will I be wasting the truffle on a dish that already has truffle oil in it?

Can you go off your meds for 10 days?

In July, we had an excellent dinner with wonderful service at Ame. I'd highly recommend it. (The cheese plate was an especially nice finish, since I don't eat sweets.)

I gathered that the sitting and waiting preceded the severing of the adducter muscle--but, since I have absolutely zero experience with shucking, I might be completely off base. Wouldn't that preserve the juice?