chowchow985's Profile
Sugar-Free Diet...help!
Thanks to everyone who replied so far! I've got lots of great new ideas, and am getting excited for a weekend of cooking! (I'd like to make a few things to stick in the freezer so I don't need to be thinking about this as much!)
Sugar-Free Diet...help!
I do know why I'm on the diet - it's essentially a detox based on the idea that sugar breeds bacteria. What I feel was insufficiently explained to me were the details of the diet (i.e. a list of allowed/prohibited foods would have been very helpful).
Sugar-Free Diet...help!
That artichoke breakfast dish sounds yummy!!
What kind of yogurt do you use? (I was under the impression that even natural yogurt was high in sugars).
Sugar-Free Diet...help!
I wasn't given any sort of list...and now the doctor is on vacation for two weeks so I am sort of stuck with this. (Very frustrating.)
So going off what little I gleaned from her, here is the list:
In the 'No' pile: carrots, beets, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, peas, beans, all fruit, 'white food' (i.e. white pasta), bread (though I'm not sure why), prepared meats (i.e. sausage).
In the 'Yes' pile: all meat and fish (the only thing I don't eat is veal), seafood, all other veggies (unless I missed a high-sugar veg above), eggs...I'm sure there is more, but I'm having a hard time getting creative - which is why I need your help!
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
Sugar-Free Diet...help!
Hey all,
My doctor recently put me on a sugar-free diet for health reasons. She didn't explain this to me all that well, but she did mention that I'm prohibited from eating fruit, vegetables high in sugar (such as beets, carrots, and tomatoes), and bread (as well as the obvious foods containing refined sugars). I'm not keen on sugar substitutes (i.e. aspartame). I'm only on Day 3 and am already bored with eggs and salad. I'd be more than grateful if anyone could think of meal ideas that are a little more inspired!! (Ideas for all meals are appreciated, but I'm especially looking for ideas for breakfast, lunches-to-go, and snacks!)
TIA!!!
P.S. I like all cuisines and all foods and am reasonably capable in the kitchen!
Chocolate-Dipped Cookies
I am planning on making shortbread cookies to give out around Xmas. I would like to dip half of them in chocolate, but have heard that the chocolate will not harden properly without adding some baker's wax or paraffin. Are these my only options? I have also heard about adding some shortening - would this work?
Thanks!
Baker's Paraffin or Wax
I am planning on making shortbread cookies to give out at Xmas and would like to dip half of them in chocolate. I've heard that if you add a bit of baker's wax to the chocolate they will harden better. I've never heard of either of these products, and I have no idea where to find them in Toronto. Any ideas??
Thanks!
Anyone have a good lobster stock recipe?
Just curious, what are you planning to make with the stock?? I made and froze a batch a few weeks ago...and still can't think of anything to do with it!
And as for the recipe - I basically did what Infomaniac suggested although I used sherry instead of white wine.
Romantic dinner under $100...can it be done??
Update: We ended up at Toro - I found it to be a good, but not great experience.
Here's a summary of our dinner:
Appetizers -
Sardines Mediterraneo - two grilled sardines with a mint chili oil and watercress salad. The sardines were very nicely cooked, but I did have some trouble eating around all the bones(obviously not the restaurant's fault). The mint chili oil was nice, but perhaps too mild in flavour. The watercress salad was way overdressed - the leaves were almost transparent with the amount of oil on them.
Soup of the Day - oxtail broth with carmelized onions and shaved oxtail. This soup was really really good - it was almost like a French onion soup (without the baked cheese on top).
Mains -
Steak frites - the steak was nicely cooked and the sauce was quite good (I think it was some sort of peppercorn sauce, can't remember exactly), but I got the feeling that it had been sitting out for a while. It was on a bed of frite which were rather soggy from sitting in a pool of sauce.
Moules frites (with the roasted garlic sauce) - the mussels were quite delicious. The dinner portion is HUGE (1kg) so I could only finish half. The frites were a little soggy, but I like mine like that so it was fine for me.
The service was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgable. No complaints there.
Overall, it was a good dinner. Nothing to really complain about, but nothing to really gush over either.
Romantic dinner under $100...can it be done??
Thank you to everyone for all your suggestions!
I've narrowed it down to the following:
- Ematei followed by a drink at the Beaconsfield
- Caju followed by a drink at the Beaconsfield
- Toro - anyone know a good place for a drink after dinner?
- Batifole - same question
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! TIA!
Romantic dinner under $100...can it be done??
Hi all,
My boyfriend is visiting Toronto this weekend from Ottawa and I have been charged with planning a Thursday night date. I'd like to spend around $100 including a bottle of wine. I would like to take him somewhere romantic (I picture low lighting, candles, etc.), but of course the food is most important element. A romantic atmosphere with good food at a reasonable price seems almost too good to be true. We both like all kinds of food (although he is not crazy about Indian).
Can anyone help me with this? TIA!!!
Cheese to match pears
Oops!
This article has some good ideas - http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/features/scn-sa-pears1oct18,0,5396964.story?coll=stam-features-headlines
An alternative to The Drake please...
I've heard good things about Trevor Kitchen and Bar, though I can't vouch for it as I've never been there.
http://www.trevorkitchenandbar.com/
Help me ID my sashimi Part 2
The mystery fish looks like butterfish or sablefish to me.
6 hour layover: where to go?
Hi all,
I'm heading off on a month-long trip to Brazil on Wednesday with my boyfriend. Since we are starving (?) students, we took the cheapest flight we could find which includes several layovers. Our first stop will be 6 hours in New York (flying into Kennedy). Since it will be dinner time when we land, we would like to go into the city for dinner, rather than eating icky airport food. Looking for suggestions for (relatively) quick, cheap (no more than $20/person), and "uniquely New York" places to grab dinner. Bonus points if it's close to a subway station.
Cheers and TIA!
Inventive lunches you can prep once for and eat throughout the week
You could also try experimenting with cold soba noodle salads. Start with a basic recipe and dressing (perhaps just some soy sauce, rice vinegar, crushed garlic and ginger, sesame oil) and dress it up however you please. Some ideas: grilled shrimp, poached chicken, loads of veggies - baby corn, bok choy, mushrooms, scallions, broccolli, etc., grilled flank steak, tofu, etc. The sky's the limit. Also nice this time of year since the salad is cold.
Dinner Tonight - Our daughter's 20th B-day Richmond Hill
How about Terra? (Though I think it might be in Thornhill...)
Downtown Toronto Challenge! - Cheap Snacks ($3 and under preferred)
Not sure how far you are willing to walk, but St. Lawrence Market has tons of good stuff to try. Some ideas off the top of my head - fresh fruit (some places have it pre-cut), a small piece of cheese and/or meat (i.e. proscuitto), something sweet from one of the bakeries, sushi, ice cream/frozen yogurt, or for something more substantial, you could go for the famous pemeal sandwich from Carousel.
Kobe Beef and a pleasant dining experience
Katsura is offering Kobe beef as part of their summerlicious menu (I'm not sure how it's prepared). I've never been here, but a friend of mine went recently for her anniversary and she really enjoyed it.
Banana Bundt Cake
Hi all,
Last night I discovered about six (almost) overripe bananas on my kitchen counter. Coincidentally, I had just bought my very first bundt pan that day. Excited about this new discovery and purchase, I searched high and low for a recipe that could include both the bananas and the new pan. Alas, I found none.
Does anyone have any recipes for a bundt cake using bananas?
Can I bake a regular cake in a bundt pan?
I'm bored of the usual banana breads and their variations.
TIA!
Grilling Lamb in a Yogurt Marinade
Update: Marinated the lamb in yogurt, LOTS of crushed garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh lemon zest and juice, and a bit of black pepper. I wiped off most of the marinade before grilling. The lamb turned out wonderfully - moist, juicy, garlicky, and lemony.
I also took some storebought tzaziki and dressed it up with some freshly pressed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and diced cucumbers.
A tasty and easy meal, that I will make again.
Friends for Dinner (slightly long-winded)
Thanks for all the replies so far!
Re likes/dislikes/allergies - the other couple consists of my best friend and her boyfriend so I am pretty well-versed in terms of their preferences and limitations. I know forsure no one is allergic to mango - kiwi really is the only thing I *must* eliminate. (But thank you for the heads up, sivyaleah!)
Sounds like the Asian theme is the one that will work best...Mexican cuisine is certainly not all about tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese but I really have been craving a good fresh salsa and guacamole...suppose I'll save that for the weekend!
So edamame, soba noodles, vinagery cucumber (and maybe carrot) salad, and flank steak it is! Does this seem like a well-balanced meal? Do I need more green? And I'm thinking of going super-easy for dessert - fresh cut fruit (mango, pineapple, berries, etc) and maybe a light cookie if I'm feeling adventurous.
How do you eat ice cream?
I eat it with a fork. This was something my grandfather always did - a habit which he passed to my father. My dad and I would sit in the kitchen, forking our ice cream and talking about my Zaide.
Friends for Dinner (slightly long-winded)
Hi all,
The BF and I are having another couple over for dinner on Wednesday. I've been having trouble finding an appropriate menu considering the number of likes/dislikes I'm dealing with. I would like to go with some sort of theme, but have yet to find something that allows everyone to eat well.
The restrictions: no tomatoes, olives, fish, seafood, cheese, cilantro, kiwi. All of these are due to preference, except kiwi which is an allergy (i.e. no one is lactose intolerant, etc.).
I was thinking of going with an Asian theme and making edamame, a vinagery cucumber salad, cold soba noodle salad, asian marinated flank steak. However, the recipe I have for Asian Flank Steak calls for cilantro and I'm not sure how it would taste if I omitted it (I LOVE cilantro and would only be *slightly* bitter at its omission). What could I make for dessert with this menu?
I also considered a sort of "Fiesta" theme: fresh homemade sala, homemade guacamole, tortilla chips, grilled corn, one other salad (suggestions? jicama slaw?), lime-marinated flank steak, Mexican chocolate brownies with chocolate ganache. Problems here: couldn't put cilantro in the salsa or guacamole...any thoughts on how that would taste if I substituted another herb like parsley? Also, the recipe I have for lime-marinated flank steak is from Martha Stewart Everyday Food - the recipe states that you shouldn't let the marinade sit on the meat for more than 2 hours...when I have made flank steak in the past I have always found it best when marinated overnight. The recipe actually calls for skirt steak - would that make a difference? What would happen if I did marinate it overnight? (Marinade includes soy sauce, jalapenos, lime juice).
Thanks for your help!
Sit Down Lunch in the Financial District
How about Springrolls or Izakaya (both on Front)?
Or you could take advantage of Summerlicious and try somewhere like Biagio, Bymark, or La Maquette (all which have beautiful patios)?
Brazil - 28 days and no clue where to get some good chow!
A million thank you's to everyone who posted!!! The obvious thought and time you have put in your posts is a thousand times appreciated and you have made my trip planning so much easier!
Grilling Lamb in a Yogurt Marinade
Food safety question: If I shake/wipe most of the marinade off, can I boil/reduce the rest of the marinade to make a sauce or will it be contaminated from sitting in raw meat for hours?
