eJulia

I'm bumping this thread because I wonder if someone out there can confirm or deny a "kitchen best practice" rule (possibly myth) ingrained in me as a young cook by my mom... (The same mother that instilled such a fear of mayo being unrefrigerated I still cannot pack a sandwich with mayo that is not in a cooler, or bring/eat mayo based salads at picnics!!!) It was absolute heresy in my house to set a hot pan or pot (out of the oven OR off the stove) onto your wooden cutting board even if it was clean. You had to use a trivet, a hotpad or a folded towel (laid on the counter). A cold burner on the cooktop was also acceptable. NEVER, EVER on the board. Yet I see TV chefs do this all the time - as well as some friends that are pretty accomplished home chefs.... Is this a myth? Was it a rule because of different conditions 30-35 years ago that no longer apply? Any one else ever been taught this "rule"?

Mizducky: I seem to remember from your first blog that you were a gal that liked her cocktails ... Can you comment on the role (or lack thereof) alcohol/wine/beer are playing in your current lifestyle? Great blog!

Just for humor.... I remember seeing a sign at an intersection in Oklahoma (of all places!!!!) that read... "Will work for vegan food" Where is the camera when you need it? Thanks to everyone who has PM'd or responded to this thread... I don't want to be the focus, I'd love to hear how you personally have translated your love of food to supporting others.. Since it's the start of gardening season for so many of us, please be aware that there may be an organization (like here in P-Land) that helps home garden-ers to share their bounty with others.. you know, when that bumper crop of cucumbers has even your best office friend avoiding you in the hallways! Can't wait to hear more from this formidable community!

Cool, Guys... thanks for the info, I won't stop looking or exploring alternates to trashing fresh herbs!!!

I asked Susan in FL (Thanks, Susan!) to remove the subtitle to this thread, since in hindsight, I wanted it to be more than just about my "project".... I saw a guy in the park today, in a wheelchair, with a bunch of garbage bags of "stuff" in tow... a sign, I think of someone with no home... I didn't have anything to offer him! No water, no "gorp", no beef jerky... Damn it made me mad! How can we ensure we have some "appropriate" foods with us to share? All suggestions (and experiences) welcome...

Another option for immediate use would be baby wipes. Unless they're sealed in something they dry out after a couple of hours. ← Baby wipes will stay moist for months in zip top plastic bags. Generic zip top sandwich baggies are really cheap, and baby wipes are a lot more "skin friendly" than wet naps. When the "Little Foodies" go on field trips at school that require a sack lunch, I include a baggie with a couple of baby wipes in it for clean up afterwards. Works like a charm to get BBQ sauce off my 3 year old. With her, eating BBQ is a whole body experience. ← Thanks for the tip, "Mom"... I'll definitely use it next time...

I have got to find these.... as someone who cooks for one on a very regular basis, and then spends a couple of days every week sick dealing with some medical issues that kill my appetite, I am constantly throwing out fresh herbs all the time... even when I store them properly, re-wrap them evey time they are opened and such. This might be the answer! Thanks, Pam, for the heads up. ETA: Just searched the "Where to Buy" section of Toppits web page and it doesn't look to promising for us US'ers... I didn't search every page but all of retailers listed that I could see where Canadian... Think I'll drop them a note as it doesn't appear mail order is an option, either...

I have to admit I was constantly jealous of pics of everyone's wonderous LC enamel/cast iron pots but just couldn't stomach the cost. I searched e-Bay, looked at outlet stores and then read of a line that I think SLKinsey mentioned was available at Target and he had some good things to say for it. That started a search of Targets with no success. I finally found this: It was found at Fred Meyer's, a west coast (I think) superstore akin to a Wal-Mart superstore, for $39.99. While I am still a braising newbie, it seems to perform well and washes up like a dream, even when I reheated some pork chili verde on the stove at too hot a temp and it stuck like hell... a little Bar-Keepers Friend and a VERY little elbow grease and it shone like new. The enamel is in good condition (no flaws this newbie eye can see) and the lid has a very nice fit. It's marked "Innova" on the bottom. It's a 5 qt. and I don't know if more sizes are available, but I'm not ready for them anyway. Other than the unique sizes, shapes and colors, I don't think LC or Batali is for me right now. Doesn't stop my coveting of other's pots tough!

Great suggestion on the socks... I know from previous "adventures" that socks are almost always listed as suggestions for "Angel Bags" at Christmas time, and that foot problems are common with folks whose feet might be frequently wet and who do have regular access to washing or showering facilities.... Point taken on the money hand-out.... One of the signs that cracked me up is one that read "Need Job" - what was this guy thinking? Someone would drive up to the intersection and offer him a job? I wanted to roll down my window and suggest alternatives to that job searching methodology! (I'm not trying to be insensitive, but sometimes strange things can make me laugh...) eta: Missed words

Thanks, Ducky... I hadn't yet gotten around to research!

Thanks to everyone for the nice words. I felt very safe and really met some nice people. When I used to travel for business, I hated leaving leftovers at restaurants, but really could not use a "doggy bag". I was in New Orleans when a waiter told me to take the doggie bag and just leave it on top of a public trash bin (Back then, they were covered, but had a "slot" to throw your trash in...). I remember the first time was right on Bourbon Street. I never saw anyone pick it up, but it was gone in literally seconds! It became my "game" to see how fast my little offerings would disappear! Turned out to be a good way to avoid even leftovers from a bread basket from just getting tossed. Do other cities have similar unwritten rules? Surely "the man" can't bust you for that! (Actually, I guess you could busted for littering - sigh) J.

This is just wrong.... I realize that some sickos might use some home-prewpped food as a vehicle for mayham, but can you imagine a government spending time and effort on fini ng folks who are just trying to be good world citizens? How sad that this has come to that...

Things I’ll do different next time: I tried very hard to find what we used to call “Wet Naps” – moistened, single serve towelettes. You used to get them with take-out food – especially BBQ, fried chicken and anything else messy. I figured they would be wonderful if you didn’t have regular access to showers – can you imagine how good they’d feel on your face? Oddly enough, I couldn’t find them in the three stores I visited… all three had hand sanitizer, but even the cheapest small bottle was a buck, and – you know it by now! – that meant fewer “Julia Bags”. Next time I’ll either order them online or find a restaurant supply store that carries them. I also want to be more careful about adding more veggies… carrot sticks will surely survive well, for example. Next time it may be more cost effective to roast a turkey, a ham or a few chickens for sandwich meat instead of buying deli meat, even if it is on sale. I would like to find an alternative to American cheese as well, provided I can afford it. I also have a fantasy that I can talk a small group into meeting me in the park so I can indulge my cooking love and provide a more substantial meal. Lasagna, salad, garlic bread? Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn? Since I’ve gotten sick, I can only eat very small amounts at a time, and traditional comfort foods are just too much for me alone. I didn’t bring my digital camera – it just felt too weird to ask for a picture. Next time I’ll reconsider, and explain that by posting a picture, it will help humanize the problem of homeless and hunger. I will, of course, promise to not use their name, but I think it might make the other “projects” a little more personal. I have always loved and supported “traditional” charity organizations – especially those heavily involved with food and food prep – Second Harvest, Habitat for Humanity, the Heifer Organization. I won’t stop that practice. BUT, it is a totally different experience to do something local, personal and up-close. If you’ve never tried it, please do. If you have, I’d love to hear about your experiences! Cook on! Julia

I used recycled supermarket plastic bags, and loaded the car. I had 24 bags in all. I had them handed out this morning in less than two hours. I first got on and off the expressway near my house, and found several grateful recipients. I went back to that spot in the Hollywood District and sat and talked to four men camping out there. I went to a park in the Lloyd Center neighborhood, which I figured was a good place to meet people with no home to go to, since it was on the outer edge of the Portland Public Transportation “free zone”. (You don’t have to have a ticket or pass to ride the “Tri-met – buses or trains – in the “free zone”.) I don’t know how much I affected people’s lives, but I feel like a million bucks. For one day, it wasn’t about me, about cancer, about chemotherapy, about puking. Totally small price to pay for that luxury!

I am not rich, and am currently challenged by some severe medical and mobility issues, so my philanthropism efforts are challenged from the start. I just knew, however, that with a little effort and some careful shopping, I could make a small difference in a few people’s lives. I was going to feed some folks. I first realized there were many things to consider – lack of refrigeration, shelf-life of ingredients, average food likes and dislikes (no offal or liver, to be sure!), price of product. I ended up by stopping at three stores – a chain grocery store, a “dollar store” and a chain drug store. For me, this is a full day of effort. I hate using my cane in public, but a grocery cart functions as a very efficient walker – without me having to look handicapped. With good planning, I can park near a grocery cart “corral” and use the cart to get inside, around and out of the store. Every purchase I made for the “Julia Bags” was a choice in quantity versus quality. Could I have used an artisan bakery bread instead of cost-effective white store bread? Absolutely. It would have meant fewer “Julia Bags”. Brie or Manchego cheese instead of pasteurized American cheese? Sounds better…. But again, it would have meant fewer “Julia Bags”. Did white bread and American cheese offer nutrition – carbs, protein, calcium, minerals? You bet. I worried about food safety – so I avoided any and all use of mayo. I did not include potato salad or cole slaw in my bags. While I like lettuce and tomato on my sandwiches, I knew they would get soggy or make the bread soggy. I figured portability would be critical, as would easy “storage” when feeding folks with no home. I did make a few choices just for the hell of it… I wanted a little dessert, but knew chocolate would melt and get messy… Not to mention it could get pricey. Do I like dark, semi-sweet chocolate nibbles? Of course! But again, I knew that would mean I could afford less “Julia Bags”. I found lollipops on sale instead. So here is the end result: The first “Julia Bags” (I didn’t call them that to anyone – I only use that name in my mind, and in here.) (Sorry for the blurry pic...) Two turkey and American cheese sandwiches (with butter, even I couldn’t economize with margarine!), an apple, an orange, a bag of “goldfish” crackers, an individual serving of some sort of “chips”, two bottles of water (bought on sale) and a lollipop. While I don’t use them myself, I included a couple of large paper napkins. (If a meal doesn’t deserve fabric napkins in my household, I use paper towels!) More to follow...

My pet project this week…. I was going to post on the “What we had for Dinner” thread, only this would have been a “What we DIDN’T have for Dinner” entry, but I thought that might be hijacking that thread for other reasons. Let me start by saying there is NOTHING wrong with feeding ourselves and our families well. Most eGulleters I’ve come to know are food junkies, and truly understand the importance of food in our lives – not just for nutrition, but as a sign of respect for our culture, the cultures of others, our celebrations, our losses, our together-ness, our individuality. Good food is an art, an act of love, an expression of one’s self. This post is in no way trying to minimize that reality. Most of us have worked very hard to be able to buy luxurious ingredients, go to great restaurants, spend time in the kitchen. I so totally respect that – and I am also a serious food junkie with the rest of you all. This last week, however, I got a thought in my head that wouldn’t go away… Here in Portland, as is the case in many other traffic-congested urban cities, we have “metered” freeway onramps… you know, during rush hours, you approach the freeway and are stopped by a traffic light… you have to wait a few minutes until you get the “green” and can proceed onto the freeway. Homeless folks have learned that this is a good spot to show their sign (“Disabled”, “Vietnam Vet”, “Christian down on their Luck”). Call me a sucker, but I am constitutionally incapable of passing them by… after all, I don’t flinch at paying $4.50 for a grande latte or frappicino…. I can’t afford to give a fellow human being a buck? On Sunday of this week, I exited the highway (Portlanders will recognize the neighborhood of “Hollywood District”) and I was traveling along the freeway access road and noticed a concrete walkway between the access road and a commercial building. I remember thinking…. “If I were homeless that secluded area would be a good place to hang out”… it was private, well wooded and looked safe. Lo and behold, I then saw three people, obviously homeless, who had made a place for themselves and their meager belongings. So the “Julia Bag Project” was born. Read on…

Yikes, I too have made these things while working at a summer time Sub Shop.. I wouldnt eat tuna salad if you paid me.. ← Why, what's in tuna salad? I understand what could possibly end up in chicken salad because that's hand picked chicken, but the tuna comes from a can. What else do they put in there? ← I don't think I personally want to know the answer to this one! I've not been able to eat fish since the detailed discussion and pictures related to seafood parasites posted here.... I think for me being totally ignorant is the best thing!!!

When I first looked at his photo, I wondered why was it posted here - until the hair!!!! I think I injured myself cracking up.... this was definitely my best laugh all day! Thanks!

Yee gads, I hope this is a typo and you mean "pea" Sorry, I just couldn't resist... I know you've been burning the candle at both ends this week in order to treat us to this exceptional view of your life.... Man, you Vancouver eGulleters sure do eat well! Thanks for all your hard work!

Hey Lori and Marlene, thanks for suggestions... I agree I should have browned the meat longer... I just get so impatient and afraid of burning The more I braise, I'm sure the more confident I'll become.... Short ribs tonight - a redo of a recipe I made previously... (Not a Molly recipe, but cooked long and slow in red wine...) Marlene, you promised a few days ago to post a short rib recipe of yours... did you forget - or am I just "search challenged? I don't remember it exactly, but you didn't have to brown the ribs, it had lots of herbs and spices, and you finished it off in the oven sans lid... I'm on my fourth reading of Molly's cookbook - it's become a best-seller in my collection! Yee hah!

Grub, you are too funny for words.... I would love some black chicken! I've had some VERY questionable meals recently.... not including painted fowl, but including other dining goodies that defied all things good and virtuous... and holy. I'm so evil. Save me!

I'm new to braising, so please be gentle! My first try was chronicled in the "What did we have for Dinner" thread... boy do I realize how many mistakes I made.... Braising liquid was too high, didn't know about the parchment paper trick, didn't brown the short ribs enough... etc...etc... I've since bought Molly Steven's book, "All About Braising" and have read it cover to cover - at least three times - and still know that "I don't know 'nothing!" Here's my attempt at Neopolitan Beef Ragu... Beef Chuck Roast, tied per Molly's instruction.. Browned beef per recipe.... Mis en Place: Since the garlic and tomato paste were to be added at the same time, I mixed them together... parchment paper at the ready, recipe ever-close! I don't have an easy source for pancetta, so I used bacon-ends from my favorite butcher... peppered bacon ends - YUM!... The braising liquid: (Sorry for the bad pic...) Served with penne rigata, not in two courses as suggested by Molly, but all together as REQUIRED by hungry Julia!! Sorry for the poor plating.. I was hungry and tired of waiting!! All in all, another enjoyable braising adventure... I do have to laugh at the subtitle of Molly's book - "The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking" .... This was not "uncomplicated" - between tying the meat, browning the meat, making the braising liquid, reducing the braising liquid, - break while the meat braises - , then food-milling the aromatics, reducing the resultant liquid, returning the meat and re-heating in the reduced/milled braising liquid.... I'm not complaining, mind you, the end result is many times worth it.... But I wouldn't try to sell it as "uncomplicated"!!! I can't wait for my next try! Julia

In my house growing up, boys did "boy-chores", and girls did "women's work". Mom and I were then required to cook, clean and do laundry. Mom and I had a deal: Cook or clean-up. I hated doing dishes, so I learned how to cook... what a pleasure it is to plan, cook, set the table and execute a meal for the family knowing the dishes are not your job!!! (Still did have to clean toilets and do laundry, however! )

*Deborah* and friends.... Great blog, and even better kitty pics! I do envy you Vancouver eGulleters - you seem to have such a close-knit community... Kitchen looks totally "rad", Enzo is too cool, plans for the rest of the week have me hooked. I would like to know more about your household - kids, partners, pets - you know, the personal stuff... And Mouse - please make sure to get a pic of Deb - it's a ton of fun to see our bloggers real identity!

Oh, Kiliki... It's either past my bedtime or a function of the wine I've had tonight, but your post just cracked me up.... Were you able to keep a straight face?????