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llc45

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Posts posted by llc45

  1. His "schtick" still isn't old for me yet - it's like a favorite comedian, he can tell the same joke over and over and I still crack up. This discussion kind of reminds of the arguments I get in with my very liberal or very conservative friends when they can't believe I would read "that" book or "watch" that show. One can find something interesting and entertaining, even if they have a different viewpoint or form one after reading/watching. I haven't followed him as closely as some here so look forward to reading the book because there appear to be many AB "viewpoints" that I will read for the first time.

    I'm on both sides of the fence on Alice Waters - like what she's done tremendously and she opened my eyes many years ago about the sustainable food movement. That said, I understand how she can come off preachy. I love her cooking style but it is simple.

  2. Dcarch -I am a tofu lover - how did you prep the tofu? Did you just saute the prawns and place on top of tofu? Stunning picture

    Pam - Grilled fish - yum!

  3. The Moroccan chickpea stew sounds great - I'll definitely give it a try. Been meaning to thank suzilightning for the olive oil pumpkin bread - I've made it three times so far. Hasn't even made a dent in my overstock of canned pumpkin - the cans seem to be breeding in my pantry. Each batch makes three loaves - one for us and two to give away. People have been loving it.

  4. Agreed. 6 competitors with 2 advancing is too confused to interest the audience. It also annoys me because it emphasizes the inequality of the competition: some episodes people are randomly forced to pair, other episodes they compete individually, and I'm sure in future episodes they will get to pick teams.

    I'd suggest that if all of the preliminary episodes had the same challenges, it would make for more interesting tv. I'd rather see how 24 talented chefs approach the same problem, than how a couple winners randomly emerge from a pile of crap.

    I also don't think the chefs are getting a fair shot to win based on the way they set up the challenges (Moonen getting to choose fish rather than drawing from a hat like they would have done on TC). Unlike TC where only one person goes home each week, these chefs only get one shot to advance. One mistake means the end vs TC where they get more chances to redeem themselves as long as they are not sent home that week. Given that these chefs get only one shot, TCM needs to make it as fair as possible.

    I like your suggestion but also like to see them mix it up. At least, keep all challenges individual and try to keep the playing field level (e.g., one person ends up with an easy protein while another ends up with something like kidneys!). This is expecially important when they are including votes from the public with less refined palates. In the case of the Housewives form OC, saying that they have a less refined palate is an understatement!

  5. As stated on another thread, my family started a version of the low carb diet due to a family health problem. A side benefit was that my husband started dropping weight. He has been carefully watching what he ate and exercising for years, but couldn't get rid of his stomach. We haven't been dieting per se but just eating a lot less carbs, although not following as strictly as we were in the beginning. The end result is that my husband has lost over 15 lbs so far. Another 10-15 and he'll be back at the weight he was when I married him. We can't wait to see what his cholesterol and sugar levels are compared to his last yr's physical.

    We just feel better - more energy, better skin. We have discovered low-carb tortillas when a "sandwich" is a must and Dreamfield pasta when we need a little pasta fix. Like Darienne, we try to eat a lot of vegetables with small amounts of protein. I don't think I have lost any weight but I like how I feel. We have learned not to talk about it with many of our friends, for some reason, they don't like that we are eating this way. It's not for everyone and we don't really care how they eat but it seems that we make them feel guilty. From a weight loss perspective, I think potential weight loss will depend on one's genetic makeup. My husband comes from a family of diabetics and his body seems to be responding to this diet. He is eating a lot more now than he was before low carb and still losing weight. I just think it is a healthier way to eat as long as you don't follow the old Atkins way with too much protein and bad fat.

  6. Count me in as another who really enjoyed last night's show much better. I agree that it got much more interesting last year after the first elimantion rounds were completed. I think I am going to have try the grilled cheese with feta - that's a twist I can handle. Next week's episode looks like it is going to be really good. Having failed last year, many of them feel they have something to prove. It looks like it may have some of the drama/competition element we're more used to seeing in the regular Top Chef series. I love this show!

  7. I'm nearing retirement and I've wondered what I should do with my spare time when I have no job to go to. I've watched some of the young women at my office who are at the lower end of the pay scale either eating garbage from the vending machines or constantly coming back with greasy hamburgers to mindlessly swallow in the remaining 10 minutes of their lunch hour. When I've had friendly conversation with them about food, I find out that this is the way they also feed their children. They tell me they have no time to fix dinner. I've begun to think that what I should do with those retirement days is have classes that are based on that "I have no time" theory. Here's how it works. I start making tacos (with good ingredients bought from my saturday shopping) and they get in their car and run to the taco fast food restaurant. I keep the kids with me and I involve them in the prep in some appropriate manner and we talk about the food, their day, whatever. By the time she gets back from the taco place, I will have the tacos made and we'll be ready to eat. With the extra money they save, my husband can show them the advantages of putting that money into their 401K that they all tell me that can't do because they have no extra money! Now I understand that this might not work for every meal because of schedules, etc. but at least it's a start and hopefully, gets them wondering if there isn't something else they can do to make eating better and often times cheaper. Of course, the biggest challenge for some of these moms is that their kids think they know what a taco, burger, chicken nugget should taste like and the real deal is a far cry from that. Luckily for me, I never introduced my kids to that food and by the time they could try it on their own, they thought it was disgusting.

    Jean -

    Are you my long lost twin? I have frequently thought of doing the same thing. Unfortunately, I am not close to retirement but I keep thinking of offering to do a community class on quick healthy low cost meals.

    I think the Jaime Oliver show, if nothing else, brings the issue to the attention of many Americans. Every little bit helps and can be a building block. I have been appalled by what they serve at my daughter's school and felt powerless to change it.

  8. Thanks to everyone for responses. I ended up slicing off enough for one meal (about 1/4 of the block) and putting the rest in a container of water in the fridge. I might freeze it tonight because I don't know that I want to eat tofu every night for dinner this week!

    As far as cooking it - I cubed it and sprayed them lightly with oil and baked at 500*. I was going for a crispy outer crust and creamy center, without frying in too much oil. It sort of worked, but a lot of the pieces stuck to the sheet pan, leaving the crispy bits behind. :angry: Tossed the pieces into a stirfry and overall it was pretty good. The sauce I used was tasty and the tofu soaked it up, so that was nice. I'll keep experimenting to see what I like though. Its a nice change from chicken, and a lot cheaper than shrimp for stirfrys!

    Liz -

    You could use a little oil to prevent sticking. I sometimes toss with soy/sesame/garlic and bake that way also.

  9. Maureen -

    Your recommendations helped so much when I went and I religiously read your blog for months before I went. We stayed in Testaccio in an apartment and I was able to anticipate what I would find in their market. Based on the research I did here and elsewhere, I had a list of really terrific places that we would never have a change of encountering otherwise. An example is the Innocenti Biscottificio Artigiano bakery in Trastevere. I found it described on 101cookbooks.com. It was tucked away on a litle side street that a tourist would never find. We walked by it few times because it was kind of hidden. My family still talks about sitting in the park with a view of the city and eating the most delectable cookies and biscotti. Ditto a restaurant in Testaccio that was recommended on egullet.

  10. I normally cook at least one block at a time. However, if not, I generally cut off what I am going to use and then press that. I put the rest in a plastic container and cover it with fresh water, changing daily until I use it. Can't tell you how long it will stay fresh - I would use it in a few days but check online. Tofu can definitely be frozen, gives it a more meaty texture. Cover with water then freeze.

  11. We are heading to Rome for a few days the first week of June YAY...

    I am making no plans at all, we will see what we see and eat what we eat.

    Does anyone have a set of "rules" for choosing the best of what we find? I have seen - get out of the main plazas - don't go for places with picture menues - don't go for places with multiple translations of the menu in the windows....any other tips my dear friends?

    tracey

    Hi Tracey -

    We went two years ago and planned quite a few days around restaurant recommendations from egullet and a few other sites. I just kept a list and would try to find a recommended rest close to where we were when we got hungry. However, there were days where our itinerary didn't allow this and we got burnt several times. Got charged ridiculous amounts for soda at one place and wine at another. Most places, we asked for the house wine - decent and reasonable. But one tourist place near the Colosseum charged almost $100 bucks for a bottle of wine that waiter said was the house wine. Most spur of the moment restaurants in tourist areas were terrible and outside were fine, although not as good as the researched ones.

    Have a great time!

  12. If you need a title for the lunching group...I used to belong to the "Laughing Ladies who Love to Lunch"/ aka "LaLaLoLu". And my late Mother, when she lived in San Diego, belonged to the "Ranch Branch Lunch Bunch" which I thought was fine.

    OK Darienne - I am definitely stealing that title - my friends will love LALALOLU!. We always joke that we are the YAYA sisterhood but I think that lalalolu's is even better.

  13. ps. Why have you given up the stricter adherence to the regime?

    We started the diet because my daughter has a medical issue (auto-immune related) that wasn't responding to medication. The diet really helps a lot but she is a teenager and resists not being able to go out for ice cream or coffee coolatas with her friends. So, we try to stick to it as much as possible. She fell off the wagon so to speak this last week and had symptons as a result.

    As far as my husband and I are concerned, we ate pretty healthy to begin with. Try to follow Michael Pollen's philosophy - eat food, not too much, mostly plants. But, now in our 40's, even eating this way, we were starting to put on pounds, especially my husband who comes from a family of diabetics. He was getting frustrated because he really wasn't eating a lot and was exercising and couldn't lose the weight.

    Long story short, the side benefit is that by us starting the diet, we are losing weight without planning to. More importantly, we have a lot more energy and feel a lot less tired. Cravings for junk food are non-existant. We realized we were eating a lot of low fat carbs - pasta, pretzels, bread. Once you start eating these, you eat too much of these, your blood sugar spikes and it makes you hungrier. But we did miss carbs, so we added in steel cut oats for some breakfasts and brown rice for some dinners. Also, a pasta made for diabetics (Dream Fields) occasionally because we really like our Italian Food. These are all low glycemic index foods so they do not cause blood sugar spike. We now eat roasted or mashed rutabagas or cauliflower instead of potatoes.

    A good site to look at is drweil.com - he has an anti-inflammatory diet pyramid that I like a lot. Someone above made a good point saying that one diet does not work for everyone and I agree with that whole heartedly. We feel so much healthier eating this way but don't stress out if we go to friends house for a pizza once in awhile either.

  14. But breakfast...ah, breakfast. Today Ed ate hardboiled eggs (ugh) and I guess I"ll have scrambled, but exactly what do you all eat for breakfast? And please, nothing that is complicated...unless it's a question of eating/reheating something already made. We gave up the more leisurely breakfast a couple of months ago...forever I hope. (Yes, we are both retired but live a full, working life, just not on a preset schedule.)

    Darienne -

    SCD and Paleo sites have lots of ideas. When I was following more strictly, I made mini-quiches/frittatas in muffin cups and kept in freezer then microwaved. Ditto muffins and breads made with coconut flour or almond flour. It took some experimenting but I ended up making a banana bread that my family liked better than the flour/sugar version.

    Unfortunately, my old computer with a lot of those sites tagged died recently or I would reference them. If you search gluten free/SCD/Paleo recipes, you should find quite a few. If the almond flour did not come finely ground, it made for heavy muffins - look for finely ground. Coconut flour is full of protein so it is very filling. If I can find some of the recipes I was using, I will PM you. I think keeping freezer stocked is only way you can adhere to this diet for breakfast.

    Quick things besides eggs - apples or bananas with peanut butter, same fruit sauteed with butter, smoothies.

  15. My warmest thanks to SpecialK for starting this thread, and to JohnRosevear for his suggestion for reading materials: Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories. And to all the others for their contributions.

    The Taubes book is excellent. Pulls together lots of information read in other books over the years. Be forewarned that it is not a fast read and at the end of a long day is not as relaxing as a light murder mystery. But very worth the effort. DH, Ed is not reading it...he's in full renovation mode...but I am relaying all the information to him. Ed is an interesting example of someone who was a fat kid in the 1940s (yes we are THAT old), lost weight in his 30s, had his metabolism changed on him...I don't know why...and has NEVER put back any weight.

    This is an important book to read, not in terms of a so-called 'diet' book, which it covers, but as a blueprint to life.

    Have also joined the Primal Blueprint for what is of consideration to us. Thanks to the person who suggested that.

    I would also suggest two books in the same vein: Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival by T.S. Wiley and The Blue Zone: Lesson for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner. Any feedback positive or negative is welcomed.

    Darienne - I haven't read the Blue Zone but have listened to the author speak many times and it is always interesting. Just saw a segment on Dr Oz with him and he introduced 5 new Blue Zone foods. He recommended Barrimundi as a new fish to try with good Omega 3 content - having trouble finding it.

  16. You are only allowed to eat yogurt you make yourself that ferments for 24 hrs to break down all of the sugar. You can use this to make yogurt cheese, etc.

    I can appreciate that you don't want to get into all the theory behind this, but I just don't get this about yoghurt. Is it somehow different when made commercially?

    It's no problem to make yoghurt and the creme fraiche/soft cheese stuff either and I would be glad to do it.

    Here is explanation from SCD site: Commercial yoghurt

    Practically every dairy in Northern America has Dept. of Agriculture instructions for making commercial yoghurt.

    They may start with liquid milk straight from the cow (pasteurized) or they may start with milk solids. However, at the beginning, the ADD additional milk solids. This automatically increases the lactose content. For example, if cow's milk originally has 10% lactose (10 gms per 100 mls) then the addition brings it up to 20% or even 30%.

    The second step is to introduce the bacterial cultures (usually Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Steptococcus Thermophilus). At this point the acid/base - the pH of the milk - is much like human fluid, around 7.2-7.3 (almost neutral on the pH scale). The bacteria immediately start converting the lactose to lactic acid which is the primary step in making yoghurt. This brings the pH down from neutral to about 4.5 as the lactic ACID accumulates. (Acid lowers pH as our stomach acid brings the pH of our stomachs down to about 2).

    When the pH hits about 4.5, the bacterial enzymes cannot further convert the remaining lactose. Bacterial enzymes (as is true of all enzymes) are very fastidious as to the acid/alkaline enviroment. Because of the addetional lactose added at the beginning of the process, the yoghurt often contains at this stage as much, and probably more, lactose than a glass of milk would.

    The companies also use a very short incubation time which is not even sufficient to convert normal milk lactose completely

  17. I had sun dried grasshoppers (chapulines) with powdered chili and lemon in Oaxaca. They were okay but not as good as the whitebait (charales) prepared the same way.

    I guess the worm in the mezcal bottle wouldn't count as paleo, being soaked in distilled alcohol and all?

    :laugh::laugh::laugh:

  18. On the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD), no milk,cream or fresh cheese is allowed because they have sugar which causes inflammation. You are only allowed to eat yogurt you make yourself that ferments for 24 hrs to break down all of the sugar. You can use this to make yogurt cheese, etc. Since I was the only one eating it, I went back to unsweetened greek yogurt because I wasn't the one having the health problem and greek yogurt is now cheap. Hard aged cheeses are allowed because the aging process breaks down the sugars.

    I won't get into the whole science argument. Just know that eating lots of vegetables, fruits, lean meats and whole foods is healthy. Eliminating sugar and most carbs forces you to eliminate nearly all convenience foods. My husband has been trying to lose weight for years. By cutting out most carbs, he realized that he previously could never control himself. If we had pasta or bread, he would overeat. We would go thru bags of low-fat pretzels, crackers,tortillas, etc. Now he reaches for an apple.

    We still cheat occasionally, especially for good pizza and on holidays. Hardest thing for us is when we have company and would have normally purchased dessert - I don't like to bake so much. Now I bake (when I have to)- mostly fruit type dessert with nut or coconut flour. Occasionally, flourless chocolate torte with really good chocolate - don't think chocolate is allowed on SCD or paleo - oh well!

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