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eG Foodblog: mhadam - Food for Thought, Thoughts on Food


mhadam

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I've been to the Farmer's Market several times this year. I was talking about today. Sorry I wasn't clear. Any minute now I'm going to head out the door. I still have an hour before it closes. :biggrin:

This Saturday will be the last outdoors market for the season. It moves to the Lion House in the zoo for November and December.

Gotta run!

- kim

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. - Carl Sagan

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Lunchtime --

As usual lunch was made while John ate his breakfast. We both have the same thing. He has a green bag though.

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The bottle of water is Rada and it's from Serbia. I drink about 1/2 a bottle everyday. The bottle is 1/5 liters. It was purchased last Saturday here:

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The store is in Niles, Illinois on Golf by Milwaukee.

Back to lunch:

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Polish rye, filled with:

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1. Cucumber from Joseph's -- see earlier thread

2. Poledwicza -- ie canadian bacon

3. luxdamer swiss cheese -- polish swiss cheese

4. spread was butter, prepared horseradish (bobak's purchased at Shop N Save) and some dried herbs (thyme and oregano)

Both the meat and cheese were purchased on Saturday at:

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The yoplait cherry yogurt is from Dominick's.

As for a treat later I will have:

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An icebreakers sour candy and some dried dough rounds. These are also from Shop N Save. You can find them in the deli under the glass displays. Shop N Save is located in Niles, on Golf and Milwaukee. There is also one that just opened in Des Plaines on River by Dempster.

For the record I will have only 1-2 rounds, NOT the whole bag.

The dried dough rounds are nothing more than crispy backed dough. No seasonings on these -- i like the ones with fennel. In Poland you could buy these on the street corner from a vendor. They would be formed on a string. The whole thing was baked so the string would be this brown color and have yummy baked on dough that you could gnaw off :biggrin: or not.

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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I've been to the Farmer's Market several times this year. I was talking about today. Sorry I wasn't clear. Any minute now I'm going to head out the door. I still have an hour before it closes.  :biggrin:

This Saturday will be the last outdoors market for the season. It moves to the Lion House in the zoo for November and December.

Gotta run!

- kim

I can't go on Wednesdays -- I work too far away from it. Lucky! Please pm me with a report of what they have.

Thanks

Edited by mhadam (log)

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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Men's Pocky what do they taste like beer and pizza?

Your off to a great start!

Isn't a cat that is 3 feet tall called a Lynx?

**************************************************

Ah, it's been way too long since I did a butt. - Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"

--------------------

One summers evening drunk to hell, I sat there nearly lifeless…Warren

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Men's Pocky what do they taste like beer and pizza?

Your off to a great start!

Isn't a cat that is 3 feet tall called a Lynx?

:laugh: Men's Pocky is dark chocolate around the standard pocky stick. For those not familiar with the taste of a standard pocky stick -- umm... it tastes like an unsalted pretzel (to me at least)

Thanks -- I'm trying!

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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Men's Pocky what do they taste like beer and pizza?

Your off to a great start!

Isn't a cat that is 3 feet tall called a Lynx?

:laugh: Men's Pocky is dark chocolate around the standard pocky stick. For those not familiar with the taste of a standard pocky stick -- umm... it tastes like an unsalted pretzel (to me at least)

Thanks -- I'm trying!

I agree...but a little sweeter than regular unsalted pretzers, somewhere between a biscuit (cookie) or a pretzel.

I love Pocky- grew up on that stuff. They even have banana Pocky and ones with extra cream on the outside!

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Just an update -- I'm still at work and plan on being here for another hour or so.

Dim sum is still on the menu for tonight, so expect a report later this evening.

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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I'm enjoying your blog so far, and fell in love with Cashew. He's so cute. He reminds me of my much missed kitty, Bailey, who was also enormous, 23 pounds, and long, and orange/yellow. He was a sweetheart.

So, here's a baseball question for you...are you a White Sox fan? Enjoying their trip to the world series? Or a Cubs fan? Or neither!

Looking forward to reading more.

:) Pam

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So glad to see that your toaster oven is just as, uh, well-used as my own (I have the same one). I have a hyper OCD compulsive cleaning friend who cleans hers (same model) EVERY TIME SHE USES IT. :wacko: As a result, it looks brand new, but I'm afraid to even so much as make toast with it when I visit for fear of the Crumb Police! :sad:

Eggplant....must...make...eggplant...

"I just hate health food"--Julia Child

Jennifer Garner

buttercream pastries

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Dessert Photos:

When we were at Joseph's on Monday, I couldn't leave without getting some sweets. We purchased 2 cannolis and 2 tart shells filled with a sweet vanilla pastry cream -- the shells were topped with more dough. So yummy.

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Now that's some lovely-looking cannoli there. Looks like they've got a whole mess o' pistachios on 'em--yum!

for the garlic salsa....is that homemade or store bought?

The garlic salsa is store bought -- it's the generic Safeway brand from Dominick's. It's quite chunky with lots of garlic slivers. I'll try to remember to take a pic for you.

Safeway/Vons salsas are amazingly decent for store brands, aren't they? I really like how chunky they all are. I can go through a big jar of their mild Southwest salsa in the blink of an eye.

The cabinet under the sink makes me laugh.  Does Cashew like to explore when he isn't sleeping?  :biggrin:

Yes, Cashew is quite good at open doors, so the cleaning supply cabinet (under the sink) has a velcro ribbon to keep it shut. He can figure out how to pull open a door but not tug on velcro :laugh:

As the saying goes: just think of the trouble the li'l darlings could get into if they only had opposeable thumbs! :laugh:

Cashew's size reminds me of a humongous orange tabby who lived on my block when I was a kid. His name was Stewball, and his face was a little on the homely side for a cat, but all the kids loved him because if you sat down next to him he would start giving you a methodical tongue-bath as if you were a kitten. Because he was so big, you really knew about it when he started in to washing you! A bit scratchy, but really sweet. :smile:

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I'm enjoying your blog so far, and fell in love with Cashew. He's so cute. He reminds me of my much missed kitty, Bailey, who was also enormous, 23 pounds, and long, and orange/yellow. He was a sweetheart.

So, here's a baseball question for you...are you a White Sox fan? Enjoying their trip to the world series? Or a Cubs fan? Or neither!

Looking forward to reading more.

:) Pam

So finally someone asked -- I've been waiting for the baseball question.

Here is my real answer:

I don't like baseball. I am not interested in the sport, however it is very amazing what the WS have been able to accomplish this year - let alone this month.

As Chicago really doesn't have any major sport teams which are consistently good this is something to cheer at. However I am a Chicago Fire fan and can't wait for their soccer stadium to be built.

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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So glad to see that your toaster oven is just as, uh, well-used as my own (I have the same one). I have a hyper OCD compulsive cleaning friend who cleans hers (same model) EVERY TIME SHE USES IT.  :wacko: As a result, it looks brand new, but I'm afraid to even so much as make toast with it when I visit for fear of the Crumb Police!  :sad:

Eggplant....must...make...eggplant...

One thing I've realized after starting this blog that your house can't be clean enough. I can't believe how filthy the toaster oven is. Should I be lucky enough to blog again, I'm cleaning every off nook and crany of the house.

Anyhoo -- that is two years of "use" in/on that toaster oven.

Quick off topic comment - dinner is done and I am now uploading the photos to egullet. As we only have dialup plan on waiting for a looong time for my dinner recap.

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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One thing I've realized after starting this blog that your house can't be clean enough. I can't believe how filthy the toaster oven is. Should I be lucky enough to blog again, I'm cleaning every off nook and crany of the house.

Maggie, you just gotta go with it.... Here's my favorite shot from my own blog, the filth of which I didn't recognize until I had posted it.

gallery_19804_437_43793.jpg

Let they who live without sin cast the first dolsot! :wink:

Chris Amirault

eG Ethics Signatory

Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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I apologize for the delay, dialup is taking forever to post the pics to egullet.

Tonight was dim sum night. Before I go into the preparations, I’d like to state that this was not from a recipe. One day I decided I want to make dim sum and went from there. The filling is my own creation based on what’s worked in the past. And the folds, well … they are mine again, minus the standard goyza fold.

Let’s begin with the finished product:

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I made two batches with 3 different folds at about 6 each.

But first – need to prep all the ingredients

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- 1 red pepper

- 1/2 a green cabbage

- Celery hearts

- Ginger

- Garlic

- Onion

- Lime

- Carrots

- Green onions

The cutting board after prep

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Whizzing of the veg in the food processor took about 5 minutes. I worked in stages and would empty the processor bowl after each stage. Everything was roughly chopped prior to going in except where noted. As you can see, everything is finely minced in the processor.

Stage one – cabbage

Stage two – red pepper and celery

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Stage three – carrots

Stage 4 – aromatics: 1 small onion, 3 whole garlic cloves, 2 green onions, whole thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger, two peels of lime zest (used a veg peeler)

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Then I added the flavoring agents – I don’t go heavy with anything as these little gems are dipped in sauces. I want to be able to taste the sauce and the filling – you know, strike that perfect balance.

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- 1 tbs of soy

- 2 tbs of sesame seeds

- Pinch of rosemary

- 3 cranks of black pepper

- Twice around the bowl with the sriracha

- Few microplane strokes of nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp of galangal, oriental mustard, allspice, dill

Then went in the meat and I mixed by hand, as if making meatloaf. Damn, no photo.

Now it’s time to wrap

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As I mentioned I alternate between three different folds:

- standard goyza

- upright package

- flat package

I use the larger end of a melonballer to scoop the same amount for each wrapper. I always place the filling in the center of the wrapper and push and flatten as needed with my finger. I always wet the edge of the wrapper with a pastry brush and water.

To make my folds:

- goyza: fold over half the wrapper over the filling and seal. Nothing fancy, no pleats, just pinch together as if making empanadas or pierogi.

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- Upright package: bring two opposite ends together and pinch, then bring the other two opposite ends together and pinch. Voila – a small cute package of love :wub:

- Flat package: I have pictures of this one since it’s hard to explain

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Finally fold over the last bit and that's it.

To cook – I steam the two packages, but fry the goyza. I use a 2 tier bamboo steamer over a pot of simmering water. Cooking time is about 5-7 minutes. For the goyza, I smear a little bit of olive oil over a warming non-stick pan – pan is on a med-low flame. I place the goyza down and fry for 1-2 minutes. Right before pouring in the water (that I heated in the tea kettle) I crank up the flame to high. Once I pour in the water I put on the lid and turn down the heat to low. I let them cook until the steaming goyza are ready.

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Here they are plated. After we finished off the first batch, I folded and cooked the second set.

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Sauces:

See my pretty flower bowls!!!

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They are from the pottery shop within Mitsuwa. It’s a set of six bowls, but tonight we only use three.

From left to right:

Sauce one: standard hot dumpling sauce cut with soy

Sauce two: sweet chili sauce mixed with some mirin

Sauce three: hoisin sauce mixed with soy

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For beverages – John had the last of Sea Dog’s Pumpkin Ale from TJ’s.

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And I had some Mandarynka. You can see it in the first tabletop photos above.

Speaking of John –

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And here’s a photo of Cashew “helping”

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Tomorrow is a long day – out at 6am and home after 10pm. I will post from work as usual, and then once we get home. Breakfast has yet to be decided, might be a smoothie (sorry no pears at home) or a pasztet. Lunch will most likely be a sandwich. There will be a snack in the car – TBD – on the way to class. Dinner: crap-food. As we make our way home from class I’ll take pictures of scenic Crystal Lake and the fine food offerings down the busy strip: Route 14.

Btw – as I’m typing I’m having more earl grey tea. From work I’ll post pics of my tea drawer.

Edited by mhadam (log)

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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I love Cashew.....you should've seen my huge guy tonight, we had seared tuna....he REALLY enjoyed it. I shall try and post a pic of him for you tomorrow, with the appropriate food course as well. Your dim sum looks delicious. Can't wait to hear the definition and/or explanation of "crap food" tomorrow.

Barbara Laidlaw aka "Jake"

Good friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.

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Maggie, I'm enjoying this blog very much.

All these compliments for your cat, but now we see your dashing husband. Nice portrait photo of him. He looks very intense and full of deep thoughts.

One food-related question: What is "oriental mustard"?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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Is the orange liquid in the glass the pumpkin ale? Can you actually taste pumpkin or just the spice or both? Ugh. there's a compound question for you.

I should break down and make dim sum my kids love it. I just haven't been up to trying. Now I think I will.

Thank you for the detail in the prep I love when the blogs include them.

**************************************************

Ah, it's been way too long since I did a butt. - Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"

--------------------

One summers evening drunk to hell, I sat there nearly lifeless…Warren

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Morning all just an update that we are running late as I overslept this morning. Pics and posts will come later from work today.

Have a great morning!

Maggie

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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Is the orange liquid in the glass the pumpkin ale? Can you actually taste pumpkin or just the spice or both? Ugh. there's a compound question for you.

I should break down and make dim sum my kids love it. I just haven't been up to trying. Now I think I will.

Thank you for the detail in the prep I love when the blogs include them.

Handmc -- my apologizes, John had some Mandarynka at the table as well. The Pumpkin Ale was pre-dinner.

As for the ale's taste, you have the hops and malt and a slight pumpkin taste. There are no pumpkin spices, just a hint of the fruitness that you get when you smell a pumpkin. If we still have the bottle I'll read you the label.

I have always loved to cook but found things that we (my parents and I) didn't have regularly to be intimidating to make. Then when I was about 12, my father went out of town for about a month and it was just mommy and I. She let me have free reign of the kitchen and I made a gumbo, beef wellingtons, tried to deep-fry everything I could get my hands on -- really just played in the kitchen trying to imitate all those lovely dishes I saw Julia, Jeff Smith, Graham Kerr, the Louisiana Chef who said oooonnnion make. By the time my dad came back, I was not afraid anymore. Than at 23, I got married and suddenly became afraid again. What if John won't like my cooking? What if he won't like my experiments? Oh no -- what will I do :sad: and then he fell in love with my eggplant experiment, and loved my twist on the wellington (I use a mango/onion chutney as the filling on top of the steak and an onion/shallot confit with salmon) and was astonished by my balsamic marinated, goat-cheese stuffed portabella caps. Gradually I became comfortable stepping over that line of self-doubt and trying to make things again that I saw and read about.

My point being -- if you don't try you won't have that satisfaction of conquering that self-doubt. It's not fear -- it's doubt that it will taste bad.

My public service announcement is done. :smile:

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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I love Cashew.....you should've seen my huge guy tonight, we had seared tuna....he REALLY enjoyed it.  I shall try and post a pic of him for you tomorrow, with the appropriate food course as well.  Your dim sum looks delicious.  Can't wait to hear the definition and/or explanation of "crap food" tomorrow.

Jake -- "crap" food is junk food, fast food, something that i don't need to make after a very long day.

Don't know what it will be yet.

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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Maggie, I'm enjoying this blog very much.

All these compliments for your cat, but now we see your dashing husband. Nice portrait photo of him. He looks very intense and full of deep thoughts.

One food-related question: What is "oriental mustard"?

Pan -- the oriental mustard powder from Penzys is basicly dry spicy mustard powder. Penzy recommends 7 parts of the powder to 8 parts water and you get tht nice, hot, yellow mutard sauce which is perfect for egg rolls and the like.

I however use it as a flavoring agent as you would any dry mustard. I add it to my rubs for meat or to my cornstarch slurry when thickening a stew.

Tomorrow I can take a picture of the notes from the bottle for you.

There's a yummy in my tummy.

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Breakfast --

as i mentioned earlier I overslept this morning so I had the leftover salatka that John bought from Rosmart and a bite of his pasztet.

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I made John two (minus one bite) of the pasztets and left them in a little too long in the toaster oven - but they were still tasty.

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Here's the prep for lunch -- the luxdamer swiss cheese, some gouda slices, turkey and cucumber. At lunch, John and I will split the piz, again from Rosmart, and the sandwich. The piz (potato dumpling filled with meat) will be nuked in the cafe at work.

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Pictures that I promised:

wasabi peas

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some dried dragonfruit from TJ's

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the garlic salsa that was used for the eggplant

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my tea drawer

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close up of the tea drawer

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and some treats

the pistachoes from TJ's (chile and lemon)

and a different type of baked dough rounds -- these are puffy and slightly sweet -- again purchased at the Shop N Save deli

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There's a yummy in my tummy.

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One thing I've realized after starting this blog that your house can't be clean enough. I can't believe how filthy the toaster oven is. Should I be lucky enough to blog again, I'm cleaning every off nook and crany of the house.

Maggie, you just gotta go with it.... Here's my favorite shot from my own blog, the filth of which I didn't recognize until I had posted it.

gallery_19804_437_43793.jpg

Let they who live without sin cast the first dolsot! :wink:

Dont feel bad, check out this monstrosity from my blog. After I posted it, my spouse said " I can't believe you posted that picture". I said " oh well, they're just here for the food"

gallery_31539_1218_160473.jpg

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