shellfishfiend

I recently grilled some deer burgers. You are probably thinking that due to the lean quality of venison, these must have been healthier than a Big Mac. Well, they would have been except for the fact I stuffed them with butter and cheese to keep them moist. they were drippingly moist, but probably wouln't count as healthy. Overall, i think anything you make at home has the potential to be much healtheir than fast food,, because you contol the quality and quantity of ingredients.

I am so glad I found this thread. My pearl onion slow-cooker confit turned out great. The house smelled divine. I never added sugar, but added a touch of balsamic at the end. my husband ate some on his bbq sadwich for lunch and loved the hint of sweetness they added. I was amazed at how beefy they smelled. I froze two bags of the strained onions and froze the butter/oil seperate. I think the flavored oil will be great the next time i make an omelet or pan-fry a steak. Or saute mushrooms. This list good get long.

After seeing this thread for the first time today, I suddenly had a use for the two bags of pearl onions my mother sent me home with a couple of weeks ago. I don't know how successful the recipe will be with pearl onions, but they are currently simmering away in the crockpot. I did not add any sugar since I figure pearl onions are sweeter than white onions (I used 1 bag of yellow and 1 of red). Should I add sugar?

I asked Santa for an immersion blender, a Microplane zester (can't believe I still don't have one) and any of Bourdain's books. Lightly hinted that I would enjoy Folse's Encyclopedia of Cajun/Creole cooking. It's not cheap though, so I would be happy with any of the other things.

Nice looking lobster, Evan. Did you boil it or steam it?

In 2007, I will eat more ethnic food (not just japanese). I will make_more baked goods (and not hate measuring so much). I will find a really great fish market. I will learn how to roast the perfect chicken. This is the year I will try to cook out of the freezer so it doesn't stay so packed. I will taste at least one new vegetabe. I will use more produce from the farmer's market. I will give more food that I cook to the neighbors (I don't share as often as I should). I will search out great independent resturants. We will eat togehter more often. My kids do not exist. I will teach myself how to cook with fewer ingredients (but really quality ones). I will read three new cookbooks even if I just check them out from the library.

Vanilla ice cream melting over hot, blackberry cobbler. Blackberries!

I ate at a Manchu Wok once and thought it was one of the worst meals I had ever had! I rember thinking they really had to work hard at screwing up plain white rice at a Chinese establishemnt. Somehow, they managed. It was all terrible. The worst part: I thought by drowning the food in the little packets of soy it might be edible. To my suprise, the soy packets were full of what had to be the worst soy sauce in the world. I wasn't aware there was such a thing as terrible soy.

As my screen name suggests, I love shellfish. I have no problem going into a restarant and ordering peel and eat shrimp, crab legs, raw oysters or lobster. All of these foods require me to use my hands and yes, my hands (and often my eye glasses) get very messy. Do I mind? Heck no. Following our annual crawfish boil, my fingernails are tinged red for days. Who needs a manicure when they can have mudbugs. This author doesn't seem to have sought out a wide range of sources. I know many women who would be insulted if they thought the menu had been tailored to their delicate and dainty needs.

I think miso is an ingredient that lends itself to non-Japanese dishes. It is great for marinating fish (although that is a Japanese technique). I also think it is good to use as a base for just about any type of soup. The soup ingredients don't have to be japanese at all. Just stir a little miso in at the end and you will have a wonderful soup with real depth of flavor.

I have a great recipe for tilapia with a butter-caper sauce. So, tilapia or maybe i should just say fish.

Your pictures are making me drool. My favorite way to eat shrimp is boiled in the shell. I love the fact yours are head on. I think they have more flavor when cooked that way. Ponzu is my favorite condiment for raw shellfish. I love the Louisiana Gulf shrimp I can get locally. If you have had these before, can you compare the taste and texture fo the two. I also love those prices. What is the count on a pound of those shrimp?

We have always soaked venison in milk overnight before frying. It seems to draw out some of the blood and also makes for tender strips of fried deer goodness.

Every year I agonize over what to give my aunts and uncles. They have everything they possibly need. This year, we moved to a new state and low and behold, there were two pecan trees in the front yard of our new house. It was a banner year and we collected 180 pounds of pecans. So, this year the aunts and uncles are getting big bags of spiced pecans, shelled by my own two hands. It will be a nutty Christmas; not unusual for my family

I use alot of coriander seed in the spice blend I make for boiling lobster. Coriander seed

Never a huge fan of sweet potato and marshmellows, but it is often served for the holidays. Always loved green bean casserole and broccoli, rice and cheese casserole. My sister is in charge of the green bean caserole this year.

Coconut cream mixed with fish stock, lemongrass, sriachi and scallops would make a wonderful soup. Scallops

I just saw the Bhindi Masala upthread. It looks alot like one of my alltime favorites: okra and tomatoes! How similar are the two dishes?

I called my maternal grandmother Gramma and my paternal one Grannie. It was Gramma who had the biggest influence on the way I think about food and feeding people. my sister and I would spend a few weeks each summer on my grandparent's farm in east Texas. I remember padding down the dark hallway each morning, barefoot and in my nightgown. We would open the door to the kitchen and there my Gramma would be, dressed in her housecoat and wanting to know what we wanted for breakfast. The sky was the limit. I would usually ask for suasage and fried eggs and toast. My sister would ask for scrambeld eggs, bacon and biscuits. Gramma would fix it all and serve it so lovingly. The very few times( and I do mean very few) we asked for "just cereal," she would look almost heartbroken at not having the opportunity to cook for us. She gave us more than food at that kitchen table, she gave us so much love.

Hot suace. I need lots of Louisiana hot sauce to go with my potatoes.

I have substituted fish sauce for dashi when making ponzu sauce. It does not have the same depth of flavor, but is still very good.

Growing up in Arkansas (with grandparents in Texas and Louisiana) fried food was a rare treat. My grandmother would fry chicken on a Sunfay if the whole family was in town and if it was a long weekend with everyoen present, then she would fry fish. It was a huge undertaking to fry enough food for twelve people and not something she did often. I loved her fried chicken, but hated having to wait so long after church on Sunday for dinner to be ready. My father would occasionally fry deer steak for the family, but maybe only once or twice a year. At home, my mother only fried maybe once a year, if that. Also, with the exception of the fish, all foods were shallow fried, not deep fried.

I agree with Mizducky that you need something light and zesty to contrast with the chili. I love the coleslaw idea. I make a marinated salad with button mushrooms, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. I dress it with a tangy balsamic dressing. a mustard based dressing would probably go with will chili.

Sarabeth... I like chickpeas..in their original state. So, I am thinking I would enjoy your baked chickpeas! PLEASE share...how do I go about doing this? ← Me too! Also shellfishfiend: pickled daikon dipped in sriracha - sounds heavenly. Did you make the daikon pickle yrslef? Please share recipe? Thanks in advance Milagai ← Milagai, i can't take credit for the pickled daikon. it is purchased from my local Japanese market. I have tried both the Japanese and Korean versions, and prefer the Korean. To me, it is crunchier.

I have purchased a number of Kroger's Private Selection items. Of course, part of the higher price is the pretty packaging, put it is still a good value. I have been very happy with the products so far. The pesto smelled wonderfully of chees eand good olive oil. I hope they expand the line.