spm's Profile
Dried Beans - What's is the trick?
Love those legumes...I, also, have heard but not tried using baking soda during the soak. It's suppose to work like a charm.
What would be a good, smoky tasting vegetarian substitute for ham hocks in split pea soup?
I'm putting my vote it for smoked paprika. I also use chipotle in adobo when a recipe calls for smokiness and could use some heat. It's not bacon but it tastes fine.
Best sandwich I ever invented
This takes me back to my Orowheat days...However, I used a good mayo, Ingelhoffer mustard, alfalfa sprouts, thinly sliced red onion, fat ripe tomato and a sharp cheddar MELTED on toast. Oh yum...Haven't done that in decades.
Vegetable Offal ... do you partake?
I need to inform the uninformed that there is some "vegetable offal" that may be poison. For instance the nightshade family...potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. I wouldn't blindly experiment on the greens and flowers if truth be told. Know what you eat.
Pumpkin lasagna recipe?
Love the squash/pumpkin idea and cream (of course!), too. We need to keep the cholesterol down in my family so how about a combo of half and half and yogurt? Would the yogurt curdle? Anyone have experience with this?
Popcorn
I like to make mine with olive oil and douse it with a little Lea and Perrins, some flax seed oil (you read that right...it's healthy and tasty), and a shake of Garam Masala or Ras a Hanut. Homemade spice mixtures are best. Sometimes I add sea salt (the large crystals). Yum alternative to butter, which of course I love the most.
It's 90 degrees and my iced tea pitcher needs some inspiration!
lilgi, I couldn't help but notice lemon verbena which I am a big fan of...What I like to do in the summer is squeeze some lemon, mix with honey (warm up to meld), fill a glass with ice and a few sprigs of lemon verbena, pour syrup over and relish!
It's also good with rosemary (or both herbs!). Yum.
My Husband Wants to Make Hamurger Buns
I love this! It reminds me of my mom, one of the all time great cooks, who when she said "how about hamburgers tonight?" meant she would make the ketchup, grind the meat, and make the buns! I wish I had that recipe to give but unfortunately that information went with her.
Aspartame? Does anyone else enjoy it?
Does anyone else enjoy it? What?!!! If you want sweet eat fruit or use honey, syrup and a minimum of sugar. Seriously, it is crap. Bad for you. And remember just awful for the palate. Yuck.
What do do with fresh figs that are going bad quickly?
Two things come to mind: Fig jam (very good) and braised chicken with figs (I don't have the recipe handy but it has juniper berries in it and, of course, figs. I used dried figs but fresh might be kind of sexy.)
Aged Monterey Jack - who knew?
That's never happen to me but I wanted to let you know that you don't have to toss a moldy
cheese (unless it's pink) Just trim the mold off the the cheese which is really mold anyway and eat. If you are worried about bacteria use it in melted cheese sandwiches.
Brining Shrimp before cooking?
If it's salt you want just buy Trader Joe's frozen shrimp. Otherwise you might want to watch all that sodium. It does eventually lead to high blood pressure and that is not a good thing.
Shrimp really don't need tenderizing.
What counts as "junk food"?
I really love this topic. My favorite story about junk food is when a bear broke into our car and ate the anti-freeze but NOT the rice crackers. That was the last time I bought rice crackers.
Processed food is a scourge and should be avoided at all costs if you want to stay healthy. That is, except for ice cream (calcium and protein?) and the occasional dark chocolate.
Coffee + Salt
The problem is that salt does not improve the flavor enough to merit the possibility of hypertension. When you're young and full of piss and vinegar (or salt and coffee) this does seem real but, trust me, it can be a reality later on.
How do you use fresh fennel trimmings? Or do you?
I like to saute thinly sliced fennel with olive oil (salt and pepper) until it's a little brown on the edges and then put it on pasta with some of the pasta water and snipped fennel fronds.
It's plain but satisfying and you can play around with it if you want to.
Really Great Granolas?
If you want a truly great granola make it yourself. Use grape seed oil instead of butter to minimize the cholesterol and maple syrup instead of honey. I add flaxseeds (some like them crushed) and walnut or hazelnuts...A little nutmeg, a little cinnamon, It's all good. Trust me it tastes so much better than the store bought stuff and it makes your house smell delicious.
What to do with LOTS of goat cheese?
My favorite thing to do with goat cheese is to marinate it. Also, if you are not being bequeathed with a TON try making your own which easy as, well, pie.
Marinated Goat Cheese- Saute over a very low flame in about 1/2 C. of good olive oil about 4 garlic cloves, peeled and whole. When golden and soft pull off the heat and pour over
goat cheese about the size of a small orange. Artfully place a few sprigs of fresh thyme and sage. Season and serve with crackers or thin toasted slices of a baguette. It's my mother's recipe and it's really good.
what to do w/fresh figs besides gobbling?
The ones I use from my tree need to be perfectly ripe. Those are amazing picked and eaten immediately slightly warm from the sun. They are also fabulous with cream for breakfast.
Masala vs Garam Masala
Definitely make your own garam masala. Your house will smell fantastic from roasted spices. I like it on yams, rubbed into chicken that is broiled or barbecued and on popcorn with butter (or flaxseed oil for a more healthful option).
Favorite Cereals (No Mix-Ins)
Breakfast cereal mixed with other breakfast cereals were my breakfast of choice until I started reading the list of ingredient, the amount of salt and sugar added to each box. I loved Shredded Wheat with sliced bananas, Wheat Chex as well as others I considered "healthy".
No more. My favorite cereal of choice is granola that I make my self. The others are nothing but expensive and, well, not really good for you at all. To quote Michael Pollen they are "food like substances".
Does The Vessel You Drink From Matter?
I'm with EmyLouie. The glass matters significantly to the whole experience. Plastic...well plastic ruins it. It does have a negative feel and aroma and makes the best wines seem mediocre. And Styrofoam ? Don't get me started!
chard ...
Yum. Just in time for the garden's over abundance of chard. I think I'll try this one but cut the cream with some yogurt for my cholesterol challenged husband.
Cucumber Ideas
Yes! I agree with cheesecake17. This is a very easy very nice salad. I also like them on homemade bread with lots of mayonnaise. Or peanut butter.
How do you keep low-fat sour cream "creamy"
I'm putting my vote in for using Greek yogurt. In my own personal battle with the bulge I like to cut mayo with yogurt as well as cut sour cream with yogurt to make it "lite". I've found using low fat yogurt mixed with these full fat ingredients give a better flavor than the prepared low-fat versions. In place of a full dose of butter I cut it with grape seed oil. It's not AS good but good enough. We all need a little fat in our lives (and the memory of butter!)
What is a "Chicken Oyster"?
My mother, one of the best, if not THE best chef I have ever encountered said that the back was her favorite part of the chicken because of " those two lovely dollops of goodness".
In my house those little pockets tend to go missing quite often.
Killer Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
I have used wheat flour but find it needs a little white flour to lighten it up. This is a matter of taste, of course. I also use brown sugar and occasionally maple syrup or honey. To lighten the cholesterol I cut the butter in half and replace it with grape seed oil or canola oil. This makes a crispy, spreading kind of cookie, though, and for the poof cookie lovers that would defeat the purpose. I also add a handful of flaxseeds and some really great chocolate broken up. Tasty and healthy!
Great Farro ideas?
I'm trying your recipe, GretchenS! Toasted pistachios are a nice touch. I usually make a salad of farro, a handful of chopped cucumbers, some diced red onions, a handful of Italian parsley and some chopped tomatoes with a lemon and olive oil dressing. Basil works, too.
Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious sweet and savory cottage cheese - lemon verbena berry, sundried tomato pesto, etc
I really love just plain cottage cheese with a little mayo and tomatoes. However cottage cheese, surprisingly, has a ton of sodium! Sorry.. who needs to send their blood pressure into next week. Best to make your own, to stay away from all processed foods.
