eG Foodblog Tag Team IV: Marlene, Dave, snowangel - Cold Turkey, Three Ways

[Dave the Cook]

There you go, partner:

Tag Team Asparagus

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" diagonal pieces

1-2 T vegetable oil

1 t sesame seeds

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 t soy sauce

1/2 t lemon juice

1 t toasted sesame oil

pinch sugar

1. Blanch the asparagus briefly in salted water. Shock with ice water, drain thoroughly. Can be put in a ziplock in the fridge until ready to cook.

2. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Toast sesame seeds, remove.

3. Add vegetable oil to skillet, heat until very hot. Add garlic, and asparagus. Add soy and pinch of sugar.

4. Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice, sesame oil and the sesame seeds.

5. Taste and adjust seasonings.

You get to put it in RecipeGullet, though.

[Marlene]

Thanks team! (I'l lput it in recipegullet later) Blanching. Hmmm another first. The beans are simmering in vermouth as I type. The ribs are ready and so is the rice. (yeah the rice worked this time)

We have to eat early on Wed and Thurs nights because we have music lessons to get to. Tonight is piano for me and tenor sax for Ry.

[snowangel]

I want a cigarette for the first time today. I think I'll go brush my teeth.

[Dave the Cook]

. . . Blanching.  Hmmm another first. 

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Can someone fill Marlene in on blanching while Susan brushes and I drive home? Thanks a bunch.

[gini]

. . . Blanching.  Hmmm another first.  

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Can someone fill Marlene in on blanching while Susan brushes and I drive home? Thanks a bunch.

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Way to brush your teeth!! I sound like a cheerleader; I must cut down on the cheddar cheese pretzel bits.

For blanching, I refer you here: Blanching on Wikipedia. To sum up, you take the intended blanchee, stick in in boiling water for a minute or two, then take said blanched veggie and stick it in an ice bath to prevent further cooking.

[Marlene]

Well that seems simple enough! Its after dinner. I think I need to brush my teeth as well. or something. Then I'll get dinner pics up.

[Marlene]

Dinner tonight was Short Ribs with Port, Wine and Honey which is really my favourite way to do short ribs. The sauce is incredibly rich. Accompanied by rice and sauteed green beans.

A note on the rice. I tried converted rice in the rice cooker tonight and while it actually came out perfectly, I discovered a thing. I don't like it. Since I've been playing around with the rice cooker and different types of rice, I've discovered a taste to rice I never knew existed. Even at its worst disaster in the rice cooker, the taste is far superior to the stuff I ate tonight. (Unfortunately, I've got a whole tub of this stuff left)

The beans I did based on Susan's and Dave's ideas. Tossed in some oil to begin with, then simmered in white vermouth (because it was handy) till tender crisp. There was still some liquid in the pan, so I drained it off, used lemon juice and dijon mustard and a cube of concentrated chicken stock. And because I had them, and really, I'll put toasted sesame seeds on just about anything, I sprinkled a few on the beans.

Short ribs coming out of the oven after being reheated in the sauce:

Dinner with rice (I had to put sauce on it to make it worth eating) and the green beans.

Ryan's dessert will be one of these tonight. I picked these up at Whole Foods yesterday (I really shouldn't shop when I'm hungry) even though I rarely eat dessert.

Chocolate Fudge Cupcake:

Individual flourless chocolate cake:

I'm tempted to have one though. What I really want (besides a cigarette of course) is something salty like chips. I'm going to restrain myself for now since I just ate, and since I've done a good job of not substituting food for smokes all day.

Don's dinner will go into the oven for when he arrives home later, sans the green beans of course, because Ryan and I ate them all. Don had emergency dental surgery today so the ribs should be perfect since they are so tender.

[snowangel]

I'm heavy into dinner prep now, so I don't feel like smoking.

Marlene, your ribs look wonderful. Converted rice is well, ick. Pitch it. Use something better tomorrow night (you are doing rice tomorrow night, aren't you?). Wonder what it would be like fried.

I agree about the salty thing. I haven't eaten much today. Well, that's not true because of the Costco run, but I was really disappointed that they didn't have many samplings of salty/crunchy things. What you need is something totally awful like fritos.

[fifi]

Marlene . . . I have to agree about the converted rice. It tastes like it has been converted into something that isn't rice and isn't very good. Is your rice cooker working for you now? I did some brown rice in mine the other day. It was regular long grain Mahatma brand, not the short grain Thai type I usually have on hand. I used the brown rice setting and water lines. It came out perfectly. It does take quite a bit longer than white rice, though.

[Marlene]

Susan, I must have been thinking ahead since I bought some BBQ fritos yesterday. I haven't eaten them in years!

fifi, I'll hold off on whether the rice cooker works properly now until I try a real rice again tomorrow night. Converted rice. Bleh.

[Mayhaw Man]

So tonight I am with the boys and have managed to put together short ribs, collards (really gorgeous ones from the farmer's stand), black beans, and a baby lettuce salad with a very unsweet poppyseed dressing.

I am doing ok, but I'm pretty sure that the half gallon of ice cream that I ate in the car is a poor replacement for some of Philip Morris's finest tobacco. Other than that, doing ok. Glad to see that you are too.

[snowangel]

I am doing ok, but I'm pretty sure that the half gallon of ice cream that I ate in the car is a poor replacement for some of Philip Morris's finest tobacco.

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I'm just hope you weren't one of those out driving like a dope, eating, talking on the phone, fiddling with the car radio and applying make-up, all at the same time while driving 70 miles per hour.

[Dave the Cook]

Brooks is very discreet with his makeup.

[Toliver]

A note on the rice.  I tried converted rice in the rice cooker tonight and while it actually came out perfectly, I discovered a thing.  I don't like it.  Since I've been playing around with the rice cooker and different types of rice, I've discovered a taste to rice I never knew existed.  Even at its worst disaster in the rice cooker, the taste is far superior to the stuff I ate tonight.  (Unfortunately, I've got a whole tub of this stuff left)

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If it's a large enough tub you could always ask your local food bank if they would like it. Or give it to someone who has no idea what real rice tastes like.

[Mayhaw Man]

A note on the rice.  I tried converted rice in the rice cooker tonight and while it actually came out perfectly, I discovered a thing.  I don't like it.  Since I've been playing around with the rice cooker and different types of rice, I've discovered a taste to rice I never knew existed.  Even at its worst disaster in the rice cooker, the taste is far superior to the stuff I ate tonight.  (Unfortunately, I've got a whole tub of this stuff left)

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If it's a large enough tub you could always ask your local food bank if they would like it. Or give it to someone who has no idea what real rice tastes like.

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I always wondered who ate that stuff. Now I know.

Sheesh, Marlene, I am very pleased that things turned out the way that they did. No one , not even my worst enemy, should ever be forced to choke down converted rice. I'm glad that you are safe from harm now.

[Marlene]

Home from music and time for a drink. I think I've earned it! If Don were home, I'd have a manhattan, but as it is, I'll settle for one CC and coke before heading off to bed. I'm still feeling sleepy athough I did get in a nap this afternoon. Today was somewhat harder than I though it would be but then I started out sleep deprived and disoriented!

Tomorrow I've got plans to clean out my pantries and clean the oven. I'll have a run first thing in the morning to see if that helps kickstart me a little better than today did.

Susan, Dave what did you guys do for dinner?

[maggiethecat]

Fine effort from all and lovely shortribs, Marlene. (Your Babehood: converted rice is for the birds. In fact, would it be OK to put it in a birdfeeder?)

Archie, did you survive the commute? I'm thinking of keeping a bag of pretzels in the car -- slightly salty, low-fat, and well, sometimes a pretzel isn't only a pretzel. Maybe it's a piss-poor Marlboro Light.

Thanks for the heads-up on the sleepiness. Bacause vacations are rare in my crummy life, I don't want to sleep away five days in LA, and I'm hoping the patch will help. (I'm using it not just to prevent suicide/homicide/severing of family relations, but because two studly smokers at work both quit recently doing the patch thing. One gained twenty pounds, the other is 5'10"/135 and couldn't gain an ounce if he were rubbed in duck fat, forcefed whipped cream and tied up and inactive for three weeks. Damn those with lucky metabolisms!)

My mother was a 2 1/2 (CDN 25 ct.) pack smoker and ten years ago fell into a coma --not smoking related--for the worst three weeks of my life. That was detoxing "the easy way" and she hasn't smoked since. But she gave me this advice Sunday night: Watch the chockkies! "I had a piece of Laura Secord for every cigarette I smoked in a day, gained thirty pounds and became diabetic." She advised me to lay in a supply of sugar-free hard candy, wrapped. Altho, in the realm of confectionery they suck ass, the little unwrapping ritual is satisfying. I bought three bags of individually-wrapped Lifesavers last night, and they're not that awful.

We're doing the Asian thing tonight; pulled out the deep fat fryer for some straight-up Chino-American Sweet and Sour Pork, with an asparagus side-dish. Forget blanching: cut in slimmish diagonal pieces, stir fry. then cook through in the sauce -- garlic, soy, 5 spice, and chicken stock.

California Dreamin'. Hurray for Hollywood, where I'll try to emulate the natives and do crunches when I'm jonesing. Or yoga. Or pedicures. Or In-and-Out-Burger. Or Korean BBQ. Or French Dips at Phillipe's. Or french fries at the Polo Lounge. Or tacos from the joint at Sunset and Vermont, easy walking distance.

Pray for me.

Edit for gringos: Laura Secord is a Canadian chain similar to Fanny Mae or See's.

[Mayhaw Man]

Fine effort from all and lovely shortribs, Marlene. (Your Babehood: converted rice is for the birds. In fact, would it be OK to put it in a birdfeeder?)

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Not even in Canada. It's just wrong. For the birds, so to speak-but not literally.

Pray for me

And we are dear, we are.

[CaliPoutine]

"Edit for gringos: Laura Secord is a Canadian chain similar to Fanny Mae or Cee's."

NO offense, but See's is heads and tails above Laura Secord!!

[Chris Amirault]

I thought I'd share a little anecdote about a foster grandmother who until recently worked at our preschool. She was a smoker, and of course she had to leave the building (fire codes, bad example, you name it) to get her fix; since her leaving required a bit of communcation so people knew where she was going, she decided on a code word that would be clear for the teachers and inscrutable to the kiddies.

So, each day when she needed to fill her lungs with tar, nicotine, and a few dozen other bad things, she'd tell the class that she was going outside for her "peaches."

[srhcb]

When I stopped smoking, (which is a more accurate way to describe it since "quitting" implies a conscious decision), I didn't gain any weight. But I didn't save up any money either.

It's never bothered me when others smoke, (GF smokes about a half pack a day), but even if it did I'd need a lot of nerve to complain after all the places I smoked up over the years.

About the only residual behavior I can trace back to smoking is carrying a toothpick in my teeth during long distance driving.

And, just in case you might think I was one of those people who smoked but wasn't physically addicted, I used to actually dream about how many cigarettes were left in my pack for the next morning!

It didn't kill me; you should be able to do it!

SB (noticed almost all the "quitters" were on this thread a few moments ago)

[maggiethecat]

"Edit for gringos: Laura Secord is a Canadian chain similar to Fanny Mae or Cee's."

NO offense, but See's is heads and tails above Laura Secord!!

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Sure, Cali dear. But I was trying to present the idea of a national chocolatier. (Try Laura's Butterscotch lollipops)

[Mayhaw Man]

About the only residual behavior I can trace back to smoking is carrying a toothpick in my teeth during long distance driving.

SB (noticed almost all the "quitters" were on this thread a few moments ago)

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I tried that on my way across The Causeway this afternoon, but I sucked it into my throat when I was trying to light it. I'll have to find something else.

[Susan in FL]

Please pardon me while I exclaim. You all are inspiring! The food looks great. I was reminded of how much I like to blanche and then saute vegetables, and tonight did that with broccoli. I sauteed the blanched broccoli with olive oil and browned garlic bits.

I don't even smoke and you're inspiring me. My new year's resolution was to do a minimum workout of either running one mile or walking two miles every day. It's February 1st and I have done it every day, so today I rewarded myself with buying some really nice running clothes. I've been so busy during the past few days, I've taken to walking two miles after dinner clean-up -- usually about 9 or 10 PM. Tonight, all pumped up thinking about you all, and happy about my new running outfit, I ran two miles at 9:30 and didn't stop running, to walk, at all!

Way to go Marlene with your run/walks, and your busy lifestyle! Susan, I've always thought you are one amazing woman... I don't know how you do it. And Dave, well, I've long admired how much you accomplish and now even more so. To all of you others joining in behind the scenes, my thoughts and support are with you as well. If I encourage all of you in any way, right now I would say make sure you reward yourselves generously for your efforts and your success.

Besides my new workout clothes, now I'm treating myself with a 2005 Big Foot ale and a chocolate-covered biscotti.

...Here's to your health. Cheers!

[snowangel]

I'm feeling bitchy. OK. I've come clean. I've only wanted a smoke once today.

But, back to the business at hand. Dinner.

I did this chicken from a Bittman Minimalist column and stirfried broccoli (with huge chunks of garlic).

Dinner plated:

It sure looked nicer on my plate, not quite so dark. I really need to work with my camera.

I, above topic, was mentioning salt. Well, that broccoli packed a punch, now that I've read the bottles. It was brocc, garlic, nam pla and this yellow bean sauce:

It looks like something that was expelled from my babies when they were only breastfed, but that's beside the point. This stuff tastes good.

So, my figuring on the sodium count is nam pla at 1770 mg./TB, and the yellow bean sauce at close to 1400 mg/TB. Count them. 2 T of each. The thought of it makes me retain water.

So, to dinner. Had it not started with the normal type of conversation between a 10-year old brother and a 15-year old sister, things might have gone better.

But, food just didn't taste good. I feel jumpy and out of sorts. I am sporting three new cuts on fingers and one burn, and I haven't had any of these for quite some time.

Even odder. The twitch in my eye. For some reason, I didn't smoke when I was pregnant with any of the kids. It just disappeared from my life, before I even knew I was pregnant. Present with all three pregancies was an odd twitch in one eye. It's back, and I know I'm not with child. Positively.

I'm having a martini, think I need to congratulate myself for making it through the day and either take to bed with a warm, wet towel over my eyes of have a jacuzzi. Or shoot everyone I see. But, better get the trash and recycling out first.