kpaumer's Profile
Does anyone actually like Sandra Lee?
While I'm not a big fan, of her food or "table-scapes", as a woman I do admire her story. She was not ashamed to admit that she was poor or went hungry at times. Her humbleness impressed me. And I have to admit, I too love the kwanzaa cake episode. LOL
american chinese food cravings?
Back in the day, when I was less guilty about what I ate, I'd go to 3-4 different Chinese restaurants for my complete take-out meal. One for Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, another for good fried rice, then a Thai place for spring-rolls (I hate those fat, tastless egg-rolls) associated with some CR. Then to a place that had really good crispy duck and ribs. Also I REALLY loved Shrimp toast (wiser now!). Talk about Full & Happy!! Does anyone still make Lobster Cantonese? That was a special treat. I also order hot & sour soup at least once a week, but now I eat the soup with non-fried Viet Springrolls instead of the fried ones.
In Praise of the Fish Sandwich
I hade a grouper sandwich from BO's back in the 80's. Remember his slogan, "If it smells like fish, it ain't fresh. I didn't realize how good fresh fish could taste!
Ground Beef at Supermarkets Contains ‘Pink Slime’
Soylent Pink, anyone?
All the more reason to grind your own.
New 'Menu Items That Need to Be Retired", 2012 edition...
Sick of sweet potatoes fries, sp mashed, sp chips, etc.
bad tiramisu
A "nugget" anything
Lamb "pop" chops
....and just because bacon is good! IT SHOULD NOT BE IN donuts, cakes, or ice cream!
Pork Belly, (my southern grandmother used to call it "streak-o-lean, streak-o-fat") and it was damned cheap!
Lastly, flavored corn-on-the-cob, ! No rolling in the herbs, chiles, lime, whatever just
S&P, butter, please
Sauerkraut on New Year's Day
I was born in Central PA, but my family's originally from the Piedmont area of Virginia (Edna Lewis territory), so the New Year's Day meal always includes greens, black-eyed peas with rice, pork and sauerkraut w/ mashed potatos. My grandmother used to insist a spoonful of everything on the plate, just to be sure.
Sweetango apples - good for baking?
I found them at Wegman's, crisp and sweet. Holds up well in the frig.
Costco food finds - 4th quarter 2011 [old]
Harrisburg, PA - Don Lee Farms Veggie Patties, nice substitute for potatos/rice, season,
add cooking spray to pan and lightly saute. Also I like the Chicken of the Sea Shrimp wonton soup, its not very good by itself, too garlicky but each wonton holds a nice size shrimp, thaw and toss the wontons alone in Hot & Sour soup or Pho, GREAT!! Going to Costco this weekend, I'll be checking stuff out.
Black Walnuts From Tree
We forage for black walnuts this time of year, I have found that the worms disappear once the green husks fall away. We dry the walnuts out in our garage, a clean brick works really well as long as you have a hard surface (concrete) underneath. I use just enough force to crack the walnut maybe 1-2 times without smashing the walnut meat. I then use a toothpick to get into the chambers, this is time consuming so I do a few walnuts at a time until I have enough for my holiday baking. I must admit I enjoy pricing the walnuts at various stores and farmers markets, knowing I got my free, curtesy of Mother Nature!
Good Eats Return
For all you Alton Brown fans, Goods Eats is coming to the Cooking Channel, beginning 30 Sep. Check your local listings
You rub on the magical Chowhound Lamp and.... (Part II)
Pay tribute to your mother, then cook the meal, even if it doesn't turn out like hers you are still thinking of her while you are doing it God Bless!
Recommendations for the Cooking Channel?
I really like Luke's Vietnam, Part food and part travel log. It is amazing to see those elderly ladies (80+) still making noodles by hand. Such patience! I like Emeril's "Fresh, Food, Fast" and the "Originals". Also like Hook, Line & Dinner. Enjoy the Two Fat Ladies, but I do not want to cook their food., I watch it and respond like "No, They Didn't"......but they are fun to watch.
What is your most disgusting grocery store convenience food purchase?
I was heading down South thru the Virginia area and stopped to get gas. At the checkout counter saw these cute little Coconut Custard pies. Just the right size, brown and flaky
looking crust. Well I bought two, talk about lousy, bit into it, tasteless and crumbled in my mouth, couldn't get it out my mouth fast enough, then it left a greasy film in my mouth. If ever you see these "little treats" BUYER BEWARE:-)
Fruits these days... goes bad before ripening
I don't know how true it is, but I have been told that cold storage destroys fruits and vegetables. The fruits & veggies are picked well before they are ripe, and kept in cold storage and shipped in climate controlled trucks. Once they hit the supermarkets they are periodically sprayed with a combination of water and perservatives. By the time you take them home, and they are exposed to just "regular" air they start to rot. Unfortunately fruits are grown now to travel better than they are grown for taste. Heres an experiment put fresh flowers next to your store bought
fruit (especially bananas) and see how long your flowers last.
Squishing potato chips in your sandwich...anyone else do this?
1) tuna fish salad sandwich, puts lots on tuna fish on said sandwich, smush it down, use potato chips to scrap the salad off the sides.
2) Sweet bologna samwich w/American Cheese on soft white bread, add chips, again smush!
Question: Does anyone else sing the Oscar Mayer Bologna song when spelling out BOLOGNA?LOL
fried eggs!
Make toad-in-a-hole, cut the middle out of bread, lather both sides with butter and fry up in the pan, add egg, egg will cook, along with the bread. Also I like to add a dippy fried egg on top of homemade sausage patties. Cut the egg down thru the patty and let the yolk run all over the patty.
When you send something back . . .
This subject is topical to me since I am still angry over my "returned" meal last month. I was in Crystal City, VA on business when the my group decided to eat at Ted's Montana Grill, I would have perferred something different since I can get a good steak at home. But when in Rome.... first let me say that Ted's MG is loud, dark and has a quick turnover. I decided to keep it simple, be safe, so I got the 8oz filet of beef, baked potato and asperagus. I ordered my steak, medium well, figuring it might be a little over done or underdone. (I like my steak medium rare) either way I could live with it. The bake potato came "dressed" with butter, sourcream and chives, all piled on, the steak however, what I could tell in the DARK, was practically RAW,it moved with my knife, and had a horrible blood smell. So while I'm getting the attention of the waiter to send it bak, I "fix" my (nice size) potato with enough salt and pepper, re-distribute the butter and sour cream. Potato was pretty tasty by then. I explained nicely to the waiter that my steak was underdone and could it be cooked a little more, well he takes my entire plate, comes back 15 minutes later, now the rest my party is almost done with their meal, my "tasty" potato has been replaced with a new, smaller version, without butter & SC and my steak has been swaped out and its replacement is exactly as underdone as the original. At this point I am throughly disgusted, turned-off by everything and sat while the waiter finally got the checks correct. I still tipped him well, but too bad you can't get a decent steak at a decent steak house. Still mad about my potato!
Foods that unreasonably gross you out...
Any Marshmallow product, especially that marshmallow fluff stuff in the jar, call me crazy but you could not pay me to eat a Smore, yuck! Creeps me out. like death by suffocating on marshmallow fluff. Also that black corn smut, Huitlacoche, is totally gross, makes my mouth water and not in the good way.
Pickapeppa Sauce
I agree, Pickapeppa on a sizzling steak is wonderful!!!! Pretty good on meatloaf as well.
Best Hot Dogs Available By Mail Order
Oscar Mayer makes a 1/4 lb all beef hotdog for the restaurant industry. My mother worked for a country club and these hotdogs were a BIG hit with the golfers. They are delicious! Meaty and Juicy. It is hard to find a bun big enough! If you know someone in the restaurant business, have them order you a box from Sysco's, 40 to a box! You cannot get them in supermarkets.
Good Eats going off the air.
Alton say it ain't so. I will miss GE, I watched a rerun "Sweet & Salty" at 2:30 am (couldn't sleep) should have known it was on its way out. harder to find on TV now.
Do you hoard?
My mother is a food hoarder (God love her) and I am her enabler, she lives with me and we have three freezers in the basement(all full), one well stocked pantry under the basement stairs, one set of shelves also fully stocked, two large plastic garbage containers, with 50 lbs of rice, and other dry goods. My mother is 74 and an excellent cook, she makes her own soups and sauces and freezes them. She rarely eats out, saying she can cook better than what she can get a restaurant. We are blessed in that she has a good pension and I have a very good job. She also raised her niece and nephew all the while working a waitess at a high end country club, but she is not used to cooking and buying for two now instead of four. I try and talk her into downsizing but she cannot resist a "good sale"! Meat, bread, fish, pie glaze, etc .She is not stingy in that she cooks and sends my co-workers, and relatives food and bake goods. I guess I'm not complaining we do eat very well. But sometimes I wonder if there is an underlying reason why people act the way we do.
The BEST of the BEST: DELI COLD CUTS!
I recently tried Seltzer's Smoked Turkey Breasy. Very Good! Who knew, I thought they only made lebanon bologna
Worst Cooks in America is Back!
Food Network should take the money from the amount of food that is wasted on that show and donate it their own "Share our Strength" charity. I am appalled, that much food is wasted just for entertainment value when so many are hungry. Doesn't anyone at TFN think this is a bad idea? Thank you and I will get off my soap-box now.
Tn'T Pies, Anyone Know Where Available?
Those little round pies in the cellophane wrappers? They are all over Central PA, here in Harrisburg they are sold at Karns.
Mexican Coke (made with real sugar)
Quite a surprise but I found Mexican coke at Wegman's over the weekend, it was bottled and $1.50 per. I bought two bottles, gonna share it with my know/ate it all friend. See if he notices the difference.
I'm sure Jimmy Dean et al are nice guys but those are sorry excuses for sausage, IMO.
My mother is right AGAIN! She bought a meat grinder some years ago. She grinds her pork for sage sausage patties and also ground round for meatloaf. She said years ago that you could not buy packaged good sausage, being from the south she take sausages seriously. And I have to admit it hers taste better and you know what you are getting. Keep Grinding!
Down Home with the Neeleys
I have tried to like this show, but there are only so many "brown sugar" references you can make before it gets old. Both of them always seem to be "on" as if they cannot cook without the silly sexual innuendos. Please Pat get out of that kitchen sometime, go bowling with the guys. But I am happy for their success and wish them well.
Lobster Roll (On way to Truro)
I had the Lobster Roll at Arnold's back in June, I was pleasantly surprised, nice chunks of lobster meat (not just claws), not gloppy, but lightly tossed with mayo, the roll was packed with lobster worth the $12+ . I'd buy it again, I didn't care for the onion rings, (cut too thin), batter/breading kept falling off.
"In and out" - discarding the vermouth when making a martini?
"Waste not, want not"! My mother used to swirl and pour the vermouth back into the bottle, needless to say the same bottle of vermouth has sat on her bar for YEARS! At 73, she now drinks red wine (for her health), wink, wink, nod ,nod:-)
