Jamie Lee

All posters to this site rock! Simple quiz.... what would you do with one or all of the following: The pics are not too good, but they are "rice sticks", "tapioca strips", shrimp paste, hoisin sauce, tamarind "brick". I know not all are thai ingredients, but which are and which are not? Can I use rice sticks and tapioca strips interchangeably with "cellophane noodles".. <embarressed by my lack of knowledge> But lets play this like a quiz... give me you best ideas, and I'll try to post my results (obviously ingredients are not limited to those above!) Please excuse the obviously newbie to this cuisine.

Malawry.... I use Glucerna, because I have blood sugar issues, after clear liquids (I explain below.) Since you don't have blood sugar issues, I offer the following personal experiences, knowing that YMMV. I hated Ensure. Chalky, thick - even when well chilled. Wish I'd kept the remainder of the six-pack I bought, I would have sent you a can before you tried it for yourself. (You may love it!) When I am in the worst days of post-chemo, milk products (including Ensure and Carnation Instant Breakfast) are a definite no-no for me. If you're not keeping things down, dairy is not the best choice IMO. I go water (with a touch of lime) for a day or so ... then clear liquids - veg, chik, beef stock. Homemade, great; "out of the box" - OK. Poured into a coffee cup, heated in the microwave, sipped slowly. That gets you something warm in the stomach, and some protein. Next phase is adding orzo or achini de pepe (sp?)... Some carbs. Next step may be graduating to real food or fortifying soup with bits of soft vegs, meat... etc. If you're really looking for simple carbs... Seven Up/Sprite (non diet) gets you that. If you can (or someone else can) make your broth for you, add lots of veg when simmering and either strain out or thoroughly blend in - It's still gentle enough on your stomach if you don't over-do the fiber. I know everyone's experience is different, this has just worked for me. Good luck. J.

Peter, I have been glued to your blog! Fantastic job, you are a very interesting and hilariously funny blogger! Thanks to you (and your) family for the inconvenience, but rest assured, your efforts will go own in eGullet history as one the best blogs ever! J

My fam also had a favorite party snack made with chipped beef: Jar of chipped beef, rinsed and cut into a narrow chiffonade Grated sharp cheddar Grated Onion (we always used dehydrated Worchester sauce Ground pep or hot pepper sauce Mayo to combine (think tuna salad consistency) Smear a generous dollop on slice of "party size" pumpernickel rye Broil until deeply golden, cheese is melted and it is a hot, greasy (!) and gooey mess on a little round of bread. They're really not good for big parties (they have to cooked to order), but at small family gatherings, we could make a meal of these and crudities. YUM. My dad called them "Horses Ovaries"! J

Day-um, I started this thread, all "gung-ho" to start souping, and now I'm feeling too puny to get out to shop. I hope those out there feeling less puny will continue to post and inspire! I'm also totally seriously interested in the Le Creuset jumbo pots... Motochef, Marlene and llc45 have all admitted to owning what is apparently the LC beast of all beasts... PICS... I need pics! Or even better, a pic of those pots on a scale! llc45 admitted to needing help to transport said beast when full.. Motochef and Marlene, how do you transport these behemoths when fully loaded? (Not that you can't handle them on your own!) Details, please!

http://www.glad.com/simplycooking/ I'm intrigued, and put off for a number of reasons. In the "for" category: 1. No dishes to wash. 2. No Microwave cooking gear to buy. 3. The ability to wash and package fresh veggies right from store or farmers market - "Just in Time". 4. Single serve portions (great for a "cooking for one" gal) In the "against" category: 1. They aren't recyclable, or re-usable. 2. Because they are not re-usable, it's throw away money. 3. They are a waste of earth resources, and aren't green. Thoughts? Has anyone used them?

Marlene, the LC queen, has spoken! Knowing how much my only LC stock pot weighs, I can only imagine what a 23 quart, or 20 quart LC pot weighs.... Motochef.. have you put that bad-boy on the scale? Or Marlene, can you put your LC on the scale? What would a 20 or 23 quart LC weigh filled with soup or braised short ribs... egads! I'm such a weight weiner right now, I doubt I could lift such a beast.

OK, I did the math.. 23 quarts is a shy under 6 gallons.. It's still a staggering amount of soup, and more than I can imagine cooking, or eating! Please tell (and show) us more!

Are you serious??

All the "controversy" around raw milk cheese drives me friggin' nuts! Label it, then let me - THE CONSUMER - make up my own mind! The USDA "lets" me buy raw fish, raw beef, veggies contaminated with human feces... and yet rules out my purchasing raw milk products? If I'm immune-suppressed (I am) thats my business, and something I have to deal with - on my own terms, and with my own outcomes. Jamie <--- cancer patient, and chemo warrior

Yikes... a few more books to go buy! I own all except: Tender at the Bone -- Ruth Reichl The Tummy Trilogy -- Calvin Trillin Down and Out in Paris and London -- George Orwell Ordered and on their way. J.

It's TIME! I am so hot for soup. Chowder(s), tomato soups, chilis, beef and vegs, stews, braises, cream and whatever, and on, and on and on. I am so ready for soup season, I can't stand it!! My only problem is I'm a single, and while I cook for a crowd, I can only eat in small portions. You can only freeze so much, eat only so much thawed soup, and experiment with new soups only so little. But let the fall begin!

I am "so" cracking up! Where else... you know the rest.... Pictures of said hairy/non-hairy balls, please!

Whatever recipe you use, serve it with a killer chipotle-ketchup... Ketchup, chipotle chile (minsed), generous amount of adobo sauce, lots of lime juice, s&p, a bit of palm sugar... egads - heaven!

What did we cook? (Or perhaps what we didn't cook...) Two "cool plates".. The last of the best grape/cheery tomatoes with fresh mozz and basil. And same tomatoes with feta and olives... I'll miss summer.

Grilled Cheese (Boring...) but made on bakery italian boule bread, smeared with (over) ripe brie, sharp cheddar and fresh mozzarella, served with a side of chipotle sour cream for dipping... Excuse the picture flaws..

Rye toast, mayo, med cheddar cheese (deli sliced) and two fried eggs. Unfortunately, one yolk broke upon cracking, the other was over cooked, so I didn't get runny yolk goodness.... Color is funny... it actually looked and tasted great!

Abra: I'd be honored to send you a Thai cooking care package.... Lets see... Canned coco milk Good (Mae Ploy in my mind) curry - red, green or both Jarred Shrimp Paste Chili Garlic sauce (Sambal) Assorted cello and/or rice noodles Jasmine rice Sticky rice (not yet my thing, but...) Good soya sauce Fish sauce, oyster sauce Lemon grass (Hey, you could have my dried LG! ) Zeffir lime leaves Thai chiles (Not sure about produce shipping issues) Canned water chestnuts Canned bamboo shoots Canned oyster mushrooms NOTE: All or some of these might be readily available to you... You're not on a deserted island, right? Back during my expat days in Deutschland, my mom twice sent flour tortillas Fed Ex to me and it was enough to host two big Mex food parties for my German friends... PM me if you are interested... And other eG-ers, add to the list... What Thai ingredients would you send to a Thai-food challenged friend in France? (Whether or not Abra takes me up on my offer!) Jamie

Post script to my previous post... I come off sounding very picky - I'm actually fairly adventurous in my dining/cooking choices! Eyeballs and really intense offal not included! I may be less so during chemo, but I'm usually very open to new tastes, textures, and yes, even smells. Trust me, sator beans and that "meat loaf" were definitely acquired tastes for even an adventurous American palate! Hope I didn't offend anybody by "dissing" their favorite foods.

Emily - Your fresh tomato/feta salad is TO DIE FOR! I'm so jealous (not a square inch of soil to grow toms in...) Nonblonde - I so love french onion soup - yours looks lovely. I especially like how several onions are trying to escape their beefy bath!

Any chance she needs a 46-year-old adopted, state-side daughter?

Okay, I've sworn off buying things I don't know from my recently discovered asian supermarket.... Why? Here's why... I'm not sure why they caught my attention, but I bought... Frozen Sator Beans, later identified as "Stink Beans". Sources on the web identified them as an "acquired taste" that may smell like rotten eggs. I defrosted them, opened the package and gagged. Rotten eggs my butt! They smell like VOMIT - and as a cancer patient undergoing aggressive chemo, I KNOW what vomit smells like. Strike One. Next, I was intrigued by this frozen "Asian Meatloaf"... Defrosted it, and WHOA. Smells and looks like cat food - no wait - cat food AFTER it's been eaten and "processed nature's way". GAG. Strike Two. Next trip I spied... Since I can only buy fresh lemongrass at the asian market (some 20 miles away), I thought this might be a good sub if I was out of fresh and needed a bit for curries, hot/sour soup, maybe even larb if it reconstituted well. After purchase (see my continuing flaw?) all the sources online said it was NOT a sub for fresh - don't even THINK about it! I still have it, but have not tried it, and have resorted to those more-in-the-know and have frozen leftover lemongrass in 1-inch lengths for those unfortunate times I can't get to the asian market for fresh. I'll take any suggestions, though, on it's use. Lastly, I needed soy sauce, and the only one I could find at my Trader Joe's was "low sodium" or some totally american version at Safeway. Granted, I need to monitor my sodium intake like everyone else "of a certain age", but low-sodium soy just bugs me... aren't I using soy FOR the sodium?? I'd rather use "full sodium", but just use less. At any rate, I ventured to my asian super-market to get some "good stuff". I did. Scored a large bottle of "Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce". I adore it. But, while shopping, what's this? I figure Black Soy Sauce is just a richer version than "thin" soy... but NOOOO. It's actually very sweet! So my question(s) are: Any suggestions for dried lemongrass? What do I do with Black Soy Sauce? <--- will keep trying to learn Thai cooking, but will try to only buy stuff I've read about!

My dinners have been so boring.... tonight I finally got a picture to upload, so you all must suffer! Shrimp Fried Rice

Cute (ahem) play on words! But seriously, do you use wondra in the same quantities as AP flour? (Maybe it has to be weighed instead of measured?) Or do you just wing it looking for the same consistency as AP crepes? TIA.