kayb

One of the Great Truths I learned in college, living in the dorm, about a century ago is that you can make toast, or more specifically, a grilled cheese sandwich -- with an iron. Likewise, that you can fry an egg in a popcorn popper.

Today, Amazon delivered to me a five-pound bag of non-fat dry milk, which will be the makings of yogurt, as I rarely ever have a full half-gallon at my house and that's how much I use when I make yogurt (as I eat it almost every morning). I am eternally grateful to @ElsieD for that tip. At a cup and a half of powder to a half-gallon of water, it should last me for a good while. My question is this: Yogurt starter, while not prohibitively expensive, is still a bit more than five bucks for enough starter to make two batches of yogurt. I have tried once using a "starter" from the previous batch to culture the milk; it didn't seem to work very well. But I recall EliseD saying she had used existing culture, to good effect. What experiences have others had? I'm a bit more inclined to try it now, with a plentitude of dry milk in the house, than I perhaps might have otherwise been. And if one does so, what are the proportions? Aaaannnnddd...I just realized I did math wrong and used only a third as much milk powder as I should have. May not be very good yogurt. Oh, well. Live and learn. There's a reason I didn't major in accounting.

I will confess to going to Cracker Barrel periodically. One can generally count on a fairly decent breakfast there, though on my last trip the bacon was poor quality and not cooked well (I'm not real certain how they got a single slice to range from burnt to not done, along its length, but they did). It is at least predictable. It won't be great, but it won't be inedible, either. I think they cleaned up their act significantly after a set-to over employment of gay/lesbian wait staff and such.

A hybrid ratatouille/gumbo, as detailed on the Create My Meal thread, to make use of leftover chicken.

I actually DID cook last night; a sort of a a hybrid ratatouille/gumbo with the leftover chicken. Good stuff, it was! Made a roux, salted it a little, peppered it a lot, added a Cajun spice mix I get from a great little Cajun market/restaurant down the road, Sauteed onions, garlic, pepper (relax, @rotuts, it wasn't bell pepper, which I do not keep in my house; it was a couple of banana peppers), but no celery (may the Cajun cooking gods forgive me). Cut up two small yellow squash, two small zucchini, two small eggplants, some okra, added that into the roux/onions/garlic and let it saute a bit. Added chopped chicken (about half what I had in the fridge; remainder will go into a pasta tonight with alfredo sauce and veggies) and a pint of home-canned tomatoes, let it simmer for a bit. Tasted, added some red pepper flakes for some zing, and served it over brown rice. A very good dinner, and one which made good use of leftover chicken! WildYeast, why don't you jump in here and give us a list and let us create a meal for you?

Since the weekends are when I tend to cook meals that have a significant portion of leftovers (midweek meals are usually more portioned to one-time service), my rule of thumb is seven days; if I cooked it Sunday, and haven't used it by the following Sunday, out it goes. Some exceptions are made for foods that are naturally spoilage-resistant because of the high acidity, etc., or smoked or cured meats. I try to avoid that eventuality by freezing entree-sized portions when I'm putting away leftovers.

Crackers spread with homemade ricotta and topped with Medjool dates.

I think Bhukhhad is the winner here; that will let me use the roasted chicken, which I really need to get out of the refrigerator. I can make it a bit lighter than the traditional heavy gumbo. Although Wild Yeast's suggestion of the tagine sounded good, as did whoever suggested the Malaysian curry. Off to start my roux....

Love it. Keep 'em coming.

I tried one Christmas doing a "homemade" version of that green bean casserole. Damned if it was any better than the Campbell's golden mushroom soup version. One of the three dishes for which I use canned soup.

Welcome, Chema! I think my favorite use for the SV is to cook a steak, then chill it in the bag, and then finish it on the grill. I find chilling it first lets me get a good sear on the outside without overcooking the interior. Plus, it's convenient! I also love to do pork loin roasts and pork ribs. Would love to hear from you about some of the Spanish dishes you cook. I love what I know of Spanish cuisine. In what general part of Spain do you live?

Fun, Bhukhhad! I hope it was good. I love both eggplant and zucchini done this way. I can cook either tomorrow night, Thursday night or Friday night. Here's my list: Some chicken, both white and dark meat, from one I roasted the other day and really need to use (in the event the chicken is too far gone -- haven't been into the bag in a couple of days -- I have both chicken breasts and thighs, both boneless and skinless, I can thaw and cook) Yellow crookneck squash Zucchini Eggplant, if it's still good Cucumbers Okra Peaches A decent assortment of hard cheeses, as well as some homemade ricotta Eggs Assorted kinds of pasta including spaghetti, linguine, rigatoni and curly egg noodles A fairly well-stocked pantry, including rice, wild rice and several kinds of dry beans, peas and lentils, and a reasonably decent variety of spices and condiments. Two things I am out of that I normally have are capers and anchovies. Other pantry staples include home-canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Should be a ripe tomato or two in the garden, but they're small.

The little springform pan is really nice. It'll make a believer out of you quickly. Highly recommend your favorite Rancho Gordo recipe in it.

Hello, and welcome back! There are some serious kimchi aficionados on here, so let's hear more. Looking forward to learning from you!

I will be interested to hear how fragrant that gets. My daughter, who lives with me, would go nuclear when I would caramelize onions in the crockpot, because of the smell. Yeah, it's stout, but it's not unbearable. I would thing the IP would be less fragrant. Your experience?

The rest of that lyric though, goes, "...You get what you need!"

I've done that. It works. Saving whey can get away with you. I make more yogurt and ricotta than I make bread. I could fill my freezer with whey. I put it on the dog's food, and have resorted to watering plants with it.

Can I just say, I am lusting for that fish sandwich.

Slice the eggplant thin and roast it. Roll it up with some brie in the middle; make a sauce of tomatoes and onions, with assorted spices (I would use traditional Italian spices) to put over it. Top with mozzarella. Bake. With a side of pigeon peas or frozen peas, as you choose. I would go for pigeon peas, as I love them!

My squash did very little this year. First time I've ever seen zucchini that didn't produce. Of course, the month I was unable to tend the garden took its toll. I'll be giving it a whirl again next year, with a better-tilled and better-weed-controlled garden. My very favorite summer squash dish is also about the simplest; yellow crooknecks, sliced horizontally and sauteed with sliced onions and a sprinkle of Lawry's seasoned salt until tender, but retaining their shape. I could eat a full dinner plate of that alone. Sauteed squash at 10-11 o'clock. I also love zucchini fritters, another very simple recipe -- two medium grated zucchini, a sleeve of Saltines, crushed, two eggs and a splash of milk, dropped by spoonsful into 1/4 inch of hot oil and pan-fried until golden. A favorite with my kids. Zucchini fritter at 8 o'clock.

That looks outstanding, and I am headed to the NYT site right now to find and save that recipe. Thanks! Please elaborate on strawberry marinara; I'm intrigued by that and the deep-fried cucumber. Never occurred to me to deep-fry a cucumber; how was it?

@robirdstx-- welcome to the Dark Side. You'll love your IP.

That...looks...amazing. I believe I must make it this week!

Had to look up scrunchions. You mean, as we say down here, cracklings! They are the best thing in the world cooked into cornbread, which is then served with sorghum molasses and butter.

The recipes I've seen and used call for slicing the potatoes thinly, and parboiling for a few moments to soften before layering in a skillet with whatever other ingredients. Then beaten eggs are poured over all and it's cooked like an omelet, lifting the edges with a spatula as the edges set to let the liquid center flow underneath. Eventually it's turned out onto a plate inverted over it and slid back in to the skillet to brown the topside. It always gives me anxiety attacks when I try to make it, but Lord, I do love it when it turns out well.