radtek

Made Coq au Vin yesterday with five chicken legs. Was supposed to be a fairly quick meal. Was not. I ate late.

Feeling Continental. Seared top blade steak on couscous and Bavarian sauerkraut. Green peppercorn sauce made with bourbon and red wine.

kayb perhaps the pineapple helped make the tenderloin mushy.

Thanks CatPoet! I was thinking of "the Budget" in general and more precisely the "grocery budget" that I go by. I try to stay within the constraints set for myself. Interested to know about other's dealings in this area... At the moment, it's just me so I've budgeted $300 for groceries and $150 per month for any alcohol. My restaurant budget is set at $50 so it forces me to adhere to the prior two. I also go to the store with a list that is fairly comprehensive and take a disciplined approach while there.

I love the way they can have something on sale yet not stock it... Sounds problematic from the start, and what will $100 buy these days anyway? Perhaps peace of mind and better service.

Welcome to the forum!

I put it up to immaturity and poor values.

I do tomatoes which get stewed to make sauce. Then frozen in containers. Also, any manner of braised greens from the garden get divided up and frozen. Blanch and freeze broccoli. Onions are harder to put by in my area so they need dehydrating. They pickle well, but must be eaten quickly so it's almost not worth the effort. Mixed success with peppers. Pickle, or make chilie salsa quemada and freeze. Meats I do charcuterie. During the holiday season pork butt goes on sale for tamales. I'll buy 4-5 of them and store in the deep freeze for sausage making throughout the year. Basically what comes out of the garden, and that's expanding.

Thanks! And I should have re-read further up in your posts because the answer was in the beginning.

Peas are legumes so why wouldn't they behave like... beans. Josh71 my question was if you cooled the beans in the cooking water. It's really unclear in your descriptions of your method where you only mention times. So my assumption is that after 5 minutes of boiling you remove the pan and let the peas cool in it. Or do you drain them after 5 minutes and rest at air temp for 45 minutes?

Looks like a solid mixer. I have the 600 Professional and a 6qt bowl. The 8qt looks the same but taller, I guess to accommodate the extra 2 quarts. Sometimes in a situation like this I like to find an example locally to research and get an up close view first before pulling the trigger online. Saved myself some costly mistakes.

I would not do a long cook for carnitas. Break down the butt into 2-3" pieces and marinate overnight. Roast in a pan at 350f in Yoder until tender- perhaps an hour or so. Pour in sauce and toss to coat, shake pan while turning meat every five minutes until a little crispy and caramelized to taste.

^^^^^This is why I like eGullet. So the cooling.... Still in cooking vessel?

I normally get lemons shared by my neighbor so I just planted an Improved Meyer and a Persian lime tree. Well, months ago as spring or fall are better for putting trees in the ground. Small difference in acidity but huge difference in taste between lemons and limes.

Advice my neighbor should have heeded. Their MO is planting invasive and fast growing plants just their side of the property line. The mint smells wonderful as I mow over it...

I've heard about Oregano's legendary invasive abilities. But, I finally planted some in pots along with Thyme and Marjoram this Spring. Plans are to keep them in large pots to keep them from spreading. Thanks for reinforcing my approach!

I made the Guinness bread again except with Real Ale "Commissar" Russian Imperial Stout. Was good but not as. One cup of coffee and a slice of this sweet bread will tide me through a half-marathon of walking without hunger. Some powerful stuff.

Do you just squeeze as much air out and toss them in?

aargh. I need new gaskets for my sealer. My SV rig just sits there. Thanks for the link Martin. This will help me quite a bit.

I didn't say all staff at WF, but the checkers. Their peer approval hiring process is a mistake IMO. And perhaps the problem is only endemic in my locale. Bulk has been whittled down to one side of an aisle in produce at the WF Quarry Market, I'd guess bulk totals less than 2.5% of what they carry in their stores. Anyway, my beef isn't with some arbitrary rating system designed to generate profits for Whole Foods, but in they way they priced their original customers out of the game.

Hmmm. Better than the Easymelt alternative? Almost out of veeta. A TJ run may be in order. My parents ate it. Unconvinced as a child. But I really learned about pimento cheese from a leggy gal who liked Price*s on Ritz crackers. Dangerous thing- pimento cheese on a Ritz.

I find it difficult to grate velveeta. But a little velveeta sauce mixes well...

Sometimes Dinner and Cocktail hour cross paths and merge (Martini's/Gibson's).

WF used to have a lot of quality bulk at reasonable prices. It was their edge and draw. WF went upscale and expanded and then an IPO- someone($) got gree

WF was fantastic at the outset. I've had the good fortune to experience them in the original (Co-op) Guadalupe and the first new store on Lamar Ave when I lived in Austin. They've gone a bit downhill/sideways since and while a forerunner, there's plenty of competition now in the(ier) space. I quit shopping there because of the granola elitism that has developed- their original healthy cost conscious customer base co-opted by the upper-middle class seeking to flaunt their "healthy" consumption and workout outfits. Oh look how much better and healthier and wealthier than you I am... I shop at Whole Foods everyday. And I grew tired of being treated indifferently or outright rudely by their head-to-toe tattooed and pierced checkout staff at the register here in San Antonio. Lost their way they have. Spend my money elsewhere I will.