Tinka82's Profile
What was the worst food you HAD to eat as a kid?
This must have been a generational thing too. My Grandparents were Great Depression era. Whenever my spoiled brat self decided I wouldn't eat something Granny had made, I got to hear about the scrambled brain sandwiches he lived on as a kid. Eeeewww!
My mom wasn't that crazy with the odd parts of the cow, but did occassionally serve liver. She never forced it on us. The worst thing she did force on us was goat's milk. She and my little sister were allergic to cow's milk, so the whole family got to drink that stuff. Mom and Granny both would insist you couldn't taste the difference. Au contrare! Sure as hell can! :)
tortillas: when to use corn, when to use flour?
Ok, I'm going to throw a wrinkle into the generalizations here. True Mexican food is not hot as a rule. The chile - green or red - has become largely a thing of New Mexican food. With the exception of burritos, in our New Mexican culture, the flour tortilla was basically the bread served on the side while the corn tortilla was the ingredient in the dishes: tacos, enchiladas, flautas, etc. Later on, things lke chimichangas and quesadillas were dreamed up, but these were not a part of the classic menu.
And Pauji, I'm curious. I'm not used to seeing menudo with tortillas in the soup. On the side, sure. It takes a true purist to enjoy real menudo. I can't quite get my tastebuds around the tripe issue. Cheers to you.
Catering help! ~80 people, ~$7-8 budget - Newport Beach/OC area
Buca's did have a reasonable menu. We just checked this as we were considering them for our daughter's wedding. The manicotti is awesome, and that was one of the most popular with the guests. The one thing I'd stray from on Buca's menu were their salads, which seemed very pricey for what they were. I'd probably hit Costco or Sam's for the fixings:
Fresh spinach leaves
Spring mix or similar
Mushrooms
Grated carrots
Hormel Bacon Bits (real bacon)
Newman's Oil & Vinegar
Fresh grated romano or parmesean
Garlic & Butter croutons
Slice, dice, and grate ahead of time, then toss it all together no more than an hour before serving.
Will Buca's sell large pans of Tiramisu for dessert?
If you wanted to find hazelnut paste, where would you look? [PHX]
Trader Joes would be my first try.
do you use the fresh pineapple core?
This idea came from a book called Life Extension. I use the core and the part left next to the skin when you slice/peel the pineapple as a skin treatment. It's a homemade, gentle chemical peel, if you will. Pineapple contains a compound called Bromelain. It's an amino acid (I think?) that breaks down protien. (check your meat tenderizer - it's in there) The theory goes like this - cross linked protiens are contained in your outer layer of skin and are what show up as those horrid wrinkles. As you age, the protiens in the skin do this cross-linking and quit behaving like the young, supple skin you once had.
When you feel like giving yourself the spa treatment, give it a try. I usually leave it on for no more than 15 minutes. It would probably be wise to try it on a test area first, as some people may have a mild reaction and redness. I do this about once a month. It does indeed break down the wrinkly, old looking skin.
NOTE: This doesn't work with canned pineapple since the canning process kills many of the natural compounds in the fruit.
What to do with a can of hominy?
A friend introduced this casserole recipe to our office in a potluck. It is yummy. She rattled off the ingredients, but no amounts, so we're all left to guess, but I think we can swing it. The consistency should be your basic sauce coating over the hominy kind of like a good, saucy mac and cheese bake. Not soupy. I've made it a time or two since then in Rachel Ray fashion....glug here, sploosh there....
Canned hominy, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, sour cream, can of cream of chicken (or mushroom for non-meat variety), milk or half & half, diced green chile, and cheddar cheese.
Combine the soup, milk, and sour cream until smooth. Add salt, pepper, garlic and cumin to taste.
Stir all remaining ingredients together (shred your cheese) and bake at 350 until bubbly.
