Shel_B
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Posts posted by Shel_B
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Local TJ's Does Something Nice
A few days ago I stopped by the local TJ's, and on the way out encountered a staff member standing by the door next to piles of boxes filled with various products. These were holiday items, many of which were pumpkin flavored, although some were not. They were being given away to any shopper who wanted them. I didn't care for anything, but grabbed a couple of items to give to some people in my apartment building who I knew would enjoy them. A nice gesture to the community, IMO.
I should also point out that this same local TJ's gives away a lot of food to one of the nearby senior centers: prepared salads, breads, vegetables nearing the end of their display life, bakery goods, etc. Again, a nice benefit to the community.
While more and more stores are donating food in this manner, this particular TJ's (I cannot speak from experience for other TJ's stores) has been doing these give aways for years, long before it was as common as it is now.
I just remembered that, a few years ago, the store would bring seniors in from the local senior centers and give them a tour of the store. On the tour they'd point out where foods that were good for diabetics were, what foods were low salt, low fat, high in fiber, etc. I don't know if they still do that, but it was certainly a nice service to the community.
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No! No! No! Don't buy this. Flavorless and poor texture.
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4 hours ago, Porthos said:
I use a French press at my FIL's house because I am the only one there drinking coffee. In my experience, and a coworker noted the same thing, it takes more coffee grounds to make French press coffee. At home I use 1/2 cup of coffee in my Hamilton Beach Brew Station to make a carafe's worth of coffee. I have to use a 1/2 cup of coffee in my French press to make about a 1/2 carafe's worth of coffee.
I have reason to use the Melita-style pourover coffee making system on weekends when I am doing my ren faire stuff. This style uses closer to the 1/2 cup for a carafe's worth of coffee. ETA: It does take more time than French press coffee.
Interesting about the amount of coffee required. I suspect it's because of the size of the grinds. I don't mind that it may take a little more time to brew some pour over ... I like taking my time in the morning, and, of course, I have the time to enjoy the process.
My companion often buys her coffee pre-ground for a Mr. Coffee setup she has at home, and sometimes she'll buy or bring me some coffee as well. Having the option to brew coffee more than one way, and knowing the best way to do that, is a nice option. Of course, I can always grind my own beans for the finer, pour over grind.
I'd like to find a non-plastic cone and a good quality gold filter instead of using compostable paper filters. Any suggestions for an excellent quality gold filter? Is there something other than paper and the gold filters?
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What are the benefits and drawbacks to making coffee using the pourover method, especially, but not limited to, using a French press? How might some of the drawbacks be overcome?
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20 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:
I have only tried this one from the link provided by chefmd. I can vouch that it is very good. The batter is crispy enough after heating as per instructions that it remains so after application of the sauce. I've never been able to achieve similar results with trying to make it homemade. Also, it's been a while but, IIRC the sauce comes in two separate packets, so you can portion out half the chicken and use one of the sauce packets to feed two. I was impressed at how all but the smallest bits of chicken remained moist and tender in their hard batter shell after heating in the oven. Also, I can't stand anything that's sickly sweet, and this sauce was balanced. Great product, IMO.
Thanks for your comments. Very helpful and motivating. The next visit to TJ's will end up with this item in the shopping cart.
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22 minutes ago, chefmd said:
I like the TJ's peanut butter cups. I've tried many brands and only TJ's are an acceptable alternative to Reese's. I prefer the TJ's dark chocolate cups to the Reese's dark chocolate cups, but it's close. The regular Reese's (milk chocolate) cups are still in the mix, though.
Been thinking of trying the Mandarin Orange Chicken, so this may push me to make the purchase. Costco has something similar that (I believe) gfweb mentioned once, but it's a much larger package. I've been toying with purchasing one or the other at some time.
I've always enjoyed peanut butter filled pretzels, and while Costco has them, one must purchase a big tub (not a good idea for me to have a big tub of any snack item in the apartment), and, IMHO, they are not quite as good as the TJ's variety. I buy the TJ's filled pretzels just a couple-three times a year.
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1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:
If you live within a reasonable distance of a "supermercado" or a large store that caters to a hispanic population you may find they make their own salsas, and often a good variety. Mi Pueblo, near me, has at least six different salsas that they make and sell in bulk; definitely better than the jarred stuff. Just saying; obviously not everyone lives in a place with a latino population large enough to support that kind of store. If your town has a good taco truck they might sell their salsa to you if you bring a container.
Do you go to the store on High Street?
There's no dearth of salsa here. I'm close to three similar markets, as well as three or four more mainstream markets, that sell their own creations, and, like you, I'll often buy salsa at one of them. Between them, there's a choice of about 20 different salsas, maybe more. We are fortunate when it comes to food choices.
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Thanks everyone ... I appreciate your help.
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What is the best way, or at least some good ways, to store whole, recently roasted, coffee beans?
I've gotten the beans home and put them into ball jars, and stored them in a cabinet near the coffee grinder. I've also just put the beans into the same cabinet in the bag that they were purchased in. I usually buy 1/2-lb of each type of bean at a time, usually buying two or three varieties per trip to the seller (usually Peet's, but other local roasters as well).
Are there better ways to store the beans?
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2 minutes ago, HungryChris said:
Anyone tried the Cioppino?
HC
Yawn! Not bad, just sort of mediocre.
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16 minutes ago, Anna N said:
Too bad there's no Trader Joe's in Canada. Well if you ignore the one run illegally on the west coast.
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1 hour ago, lindag said:
I dislike Guy Fieri almost as much as I dislike Michael Symon, and that's a lot!
Just curious, why do you dislike Symon?
I remember when he was competing against John Besh in the Next Hottest Chef contest, or whatever it's called, I was definitely favoring Besh, but I could see how Symon's personality would be a better fit with FN.
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What more needs to be said ...
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Trader Joe's Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Many of us, at least here in the US, enjoyed Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup as kids, and, I'm sure, many people still enjoy it as adults. It's considered by many to be a "comfort food," especially when served alongside a grilled cheese sandwich. I've been enjoying a more interesting version of tomato soup over the years, compliments of our good friends at Trader Joe's.
I usually buy the organic, low sodium version, but TJ's also has an organic version with more salt, if that's your preference, and perhaps a non-organic version as well. I always add some red pepper flakes, usually Aleppo pepper flakes, and sometimes add a diced jarred roasted red pepper to it as well. Now that's a bowl of comfort for me, along with a grilled cheese sandwich made with some Chipotle Jack from the Winters Cheese Company in Northern California.
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1 hour ago, GlorifiedRice said:
Remember the rule with grains, If it smells like CRAYONS, its rancid and its time to toss it!
Keeping whole grains refrigerated or in the freezer and stored in tightly sealed containers (I use Mason jars) prevents rancidity for a very long time. Koda brown rice is available in 1-lb vacuum sealed packages which also helps to keep the rice fresh.
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23 minutes ago, Anna N said:
Fairly certain Ms. Madison is not a vegetarian.
Edited to say I am so certain that I read somewhere that she did not consider herself a vegetarian despite all her vegetarian books but I can no longer find that so I may be mistaken. Perhaps if someone else has heard the same thing they might chime in.
From an older Washington Post interview:
I’m happy that people don’t seem to harass you for not being totally vegetarian,
something you’re very upfront about. In fact, I noticed that there was just one
review on Amazon complaining about that, and dozens of other reviewers
jumped to your defense to say that, of course, it doesn’t matter.
I did have 20 years of hands-on experience, so it’s not like I’m jumping on the
bandwagon and discovering my inner vegetarian. I’m doing a book signing this
weekend in Santa Fe, at a butcher shop, with Joseph Shuldiner, who wrote
“Pure Vegan.” He sent it to me and I thought, “You can’t possibly be vegan,
this is way too much fun.” We’re both coming from the same point of view.
We’re not interested in fundamental lifestyles of vegetarianism and veganism.
We’re interested in integrity, which is the same as the person who started the
butcher shop. The meat is local, it’s grass-fed, it’s from here. And we admire
that. It’s not about saying no to this or no to that. It can be if you want, or it can
be that you simply want to eat some vegetables.
And from another interview:
Q: Tell us about your background and how you became interested in vegetarian
cooking.
A: I grew up in Northern California, in Davis. Meat was not very important in my mother's
kitchen, but we weren't vegetarians. We just didn't have a lot of meat. When I lived in
a Buddhist community in the 1970s and 1980s and we decided to be vegetarian, it wasn't
really an issue for me. I just wanted to cook. I cooked in that community in different capacities
for about 18 years, including starting Greens restaurant in San Francisco. But outside of that
time, I've never considered myself a vegetarian – more of a 90 percent-er. I wanted to be able
to work on improving conditions for animals, not just ignoring them...
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On 6/27/2013 at 0:32 PM, Shel_B said:
I've been eating brown rice for years, and enjoy the texture and nutty flavor. Recently, I've been eating more brown rice (I never ate much rice, to begin with). I tried the Massa Organics brown rice http://www.massaorganics.com/ and found it to be delicious, but there are other excellent choices available.
For the past year or so I've been enjoying Koda brown rice. I find it superior in some ways to the Massa, although both are excellent and I use them interchangeably.
Proprietary Conventional and Certified Organic Heirloom Whole Grain Brown Kokuho Rose® brand
– medium grain – rice grown exclusively on Koda Farms since the 1950s. Unlike modern varieties, Kokuho
Rose is a true heirloom, possessing hallmarks that stand in stark contrast to those considered desirable in
industrial scale farming. In essence, Kokuho Rose is slow to mature, low in yield, and tall in stature – adding
significant effort to its production. Preserving this proprietary strain of rice requires a three year commitment
merely to produce the seed, which Koda Farms fulfills by maintaining their private seed nurseries. A perfect
expression of the land it was specifically bred to thrive upon, we consider our rice to be “au terroir”. Whole
grain with bran layer intact, our genmai (Japanese for “brown rice”) is complex and subtle, light floral flavor
with a naturally slightly sweet afternote. Tender texture, but more substantial than our white KR. . Perfect for
table rice, sushi, as well as other traditional medium grain preparations which depend on a similar starch profile
such as Italian risotto and Spanish paella. Again, our product averages less than 2% broken kernels. (USDA
industry standard allows up to 4% broken kernels.) Versions: Conventional and Certified Organic by CCOF
(California Certified Organic Farmers), certified Kosher by KSA, GMO free (Non-GMO Project Verified), Gluten
free. No additives of any sort, pure, unadulterated rice. Package formats: 50Lbs, 15Lbs, 10Lbs, 5Lbs, & 1Lb
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2 hours ago, Ranz said:
48 Hour sous vide brisket roll, medium rare and served with a thyme and mustard mushroom sauce:
It looks to me that there's a big glob of unmelted fat right in the center of the roll. Is that
the case? After 48-hours of cooking, I'd have though all the fat would have been rendered
out. To what temperature did you cook the brisket?
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3 hours ago, rotuts said:
The Elvis is not bad at all if you pick the right bread for it.
Elvis was in terrible health. At the time of his death, his weight was estimated at 350 pounds and he was virtually non-functional at the end, being mostly bed-ridden and requiring permanent nursing care. He certainly enjoyed plenty of "Elvis" sandwiches ...not that that was the only factor contributing to his demise. Probably a good idea to minimize intake of those sandwiches though ... "just sayin'"
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14 minutes ago, sartoric said:
Smoked salmon, goats cheese and caper quiche, with a salad.
Looks nice ...
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On 12/20/2016 at 1:17 PM, blue_dolphin said:
I picked these hot & spicy dill slices from the "what's new" shelf on a recent TJ's visit.
They are not super hot and I'm sure they don't hold a candle to anything that our eG preservers turn out but they're nicely crunchy with a bit of a kick and I've been enjoying them.
I picked up a jar today. They are a little spicier than I'd imagined
although well within my tolerance range and quite acceptable.
They will go well on my lunch sandwich made with another of my
TJ's favorites. This is not the best pastrami out there, certainly
not comparable to the many excellent NYC type pastramis, but I
like the flavor, the meat is lean, each slice is just about the perfect
size for a sandwich, and it's quite convenient to use. IMO, an ideal
convenient sandwich filling. Also works nice with scrambled eggs
as an alternative to salami and eggs.
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2 hours ago, andiesenji said:
I have some spices from Epicentre and a couple of blends.
I think you will find the Spicetrekkers blend, which you can grind as you need, is very good. You can, if you wish, add a bit of other spices to it, for a particular application.
Have you been satisfied with the Epicentre products?
So, you're saying that the spice blend from Spicetrekkers are whole spices that I'd grind as needed? That's very nice.
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6 hours ago, andiesenji said:
I have been making my own Ras El Hanout for years.
I have tried many "recipes" or blends with various proportions.
One of the most important things is to buy whole spices and grind them yourself in small amounts because some that have
elusive secondary flavors, lose these within a couple of weeks. Star anise is one such.
I order the whole spice blend from Spicetrekkers.com
Buying the individual spices whole - is very expensive because there is a long list.
I know, I have tried to order all the individual spices listed in a book of Moroccan cookery published in the 1960s which is almost identical to THIS RECIPE. Finding the "guinea pepper berries was impossible and dried caper berries were non-existent as was the ash tree fruit.
Incidentally, I have ordered some of the black peppers from this place - ones that Pepper Passion, my favorite vendor did not carry.
Wherever possible and practical, I buy whole spices and grind or pulverize them before using. And when buying spices, I buy small amounts so when I use them, they are generally fresher. Nothing worse than old, flavor-depleted spices. That said, I may choose to buy some prepared Ras el Hanout spice mixes because of the often large number of spices incorporated into some blends, and buying several different blends will allow for easier comparisons.
The links you provided are very helpful. What I noticed is that some have prepared blends that include a great number of spices, more, and more interesting, than many blends and even the recipes I've discovered on line. They seem to be a good way to learn about some of the blends.
In that vein, I discovered this online store yesterday. Here's the link to their listing for Ras el Hanout.
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The only dry mustard powder I've tried has been Coleman's, and it's pretty hot. Are all dry mustard powders similarly hot or are there milder brands?
Makhlouta
in Cooking
Posted
I just found out about this Lebanese soup or stew, and am starting to learn about it. It looks like it will fit perfectly into our style of eating. Does anyone have any tips or techniques, or even a recipe +/-, for this dish that they'd care to share. Thanks!