Something Delicious

[TheMerryFairy]

I am home alone today... that means I get to cook lunch for one... something to think about.

I hope you cook something wonderful to treat yourself!

[ahk]

I'm making Parmesan Chicken for dinner tonight served with a green salad on top with lemon vinaigrette.

How do you like your chicken cooked?

Normally in our house, my wife likes it when I make chicken chunkers (tenders w/ a herbed breading, then baked), but also likes honey-thyme chicken and a few others.

Do you have any specific dishes you enjoy cooking with chicken?

[Loren_Q]

I cook with both with a slight preference for Kosher because of the flake size. That last 'season to taste' is always with sea salt.

So lo and behold if I didn't find a Kosher sea salt. It's pricy but it gives me the best of both!

[Corkey]

I'm making Parmesan Chicken for dinner tonight served with a green salad on top with lemon vinaigrette.

How do you like your chicken cooked?

Normally in our house, my wife likes it when I make chicken chunkers (tenders w/ a herbed breading, then baked), but also likes honey-thyme chicken and a few others.

Do you have any specific dishes you enjoy cooking with chicken?

I generally pan sear my chicken, salt n pepper, then add what ever flavor at the end. Sometimes it's BBq, most often its lemons n capers, with thyme.

[TheMerryFairy]

Tonight I am doing a pork tenderloin roast marinated in apple juice, maple syrup, dijon and herbs. The only thing I'm going to serve with it is a pile of veggies : pan roasted red potato, honey ginger glazed carrots, green beans, brussel sprouts, turnip, squash, swiss chard etc

For dessert I am thinking this:

Scalloped Apples

4-6 large apples, sliced(Golden Delicious, Gala, etc)-

toss with 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons butter

Cover & microwave for 10-12 minutes : serve warm or cold.

*Note* You can also serve this as a side dish with pork and substitute the sugar for splenda.

[JustLovelyJenn]

I am really feeling simple meals right now...

Salads and a grilled meat, or roasted vegetables.

I might try some meat skewers this week as well i think, maybe some marinades... I like being able to spend only a few minutes in the kitchen and still feel satisfied with my meal.

[Dante]

Regarding chicken ..........I have not been very successful with chicken. I make good parmesan chicken, and finally fried chicken, but, so much work. For this I use my mom's electric skillet. It is really good for fried chicken AND chicken fried steak. I have never used a pressure cooker. Anyone ??

We have so many places that serve good fried chicken.

My favorite things, which I indulge once in a while are pizza, Mexican food, and fried chicken

When I worked, people would always get burgers, fries, etc for lunch. I made my lunch, and saved money, not to mention healthier eating.

I am craving that banana pudding with the nilla wafers !
Feeling lazy today. Probably going to make some pasta with peas, mushrooms, onions, and the real mccoy parmesan cheese on top.

[ruffryder]

Turkey pot pie.


This is what I'm making right now. Put the shell on top and it's baking!

The link because the damn pic is too big. LOL
See if it shows up :|

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/531889_481193228610642_1034991287_n.jpg

[Dante]

Shows up fine ruff .....looks delicious ! great for this weather. actually stormin, thunder. lightning and hale in s cal

[ahk]

Regarding chicken ..........I have not been very successful with chicken. I make good parmesan chicken, and finally fried chicken, but, so much work. For this I use my mom's electric skillet. It is really good for fried chicken AND chicken fried steak. I have never used a pressure cooker. Anyone ??

We have so many places that serve good fried chicken.

My favorite things, which I indulge once in a while are pizza, Mexican food, and fried chicken

When I worked, people would always get burgers, fries, etc for lunch. I made my lunch, and saved money, not to mention healthier eating.

I am craving that banana pudding with the nilla wafers !
Feeling lazy today. Probably going to make some pasta with peas, mushrooms, onions, and the real mccoy parmesan cheese on top.


I get what you are saying about everyone always getting burgers and stuff for lunch, and here I am with my packed lunch of leftovers.

I don't have a pressure cooker, but I have cooked with one a few times at a friends house. We made pinto beans and carnitas with it-- Its really great when you want something quick without having to cook all day.

So this pasta dish you are thinking about cooking-- what is it? Care to share the recipe... sounds good.


Turkey pot pie.


This is what I'm making right now. Put the shell on top and it's baking!

The link because the damn pic is too big. LOL
See if it shows up :|

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/531889_481193228610642_1034991287_n.jpg

the link works-- and it looks great. Is this a picture of your meal or something similar?

I have rotations tonight from 8p-2a :seeingstars: so I'm just chillin' at home and missin' my wife but will be making burgers, steamed veggies, and roast potatoes for dinner. Its colder here (NM) today, not much sun today. Hope all that are in the NE part of states be safe and we are all thinking of ya.

[Random]

I get a craving for this soup on cold and blustery days...

I don't make it because I don't keep all the ingredients in the house and the restaurant is just 10 mins away.

Yes, this Ferengi will pay 6 bucks for a bowl of this soup and a half a slice of beer bread.. (It goes wonderful with a nice sourdough as well)

This is the restaurants recipe that has been converted down a bit...


Smoked Gouda and Blond Ale Soup
Recipe Serves 96 (serves 16)

1 lb celery (3 oz by weight) shredded
1 lb carrots (3 oz by weight) shredded
1 lb red onions (3 oz by weight) shredded
1/2 lb butter (2 oz by weight)
1 lb chicken base (1 can)
3 gal water (1/2 gal)
2 gal heavy cream (5 cups)
2 tsp cayenne (1/4 tsp)
3 tbsp white pepper (2 tsp)
2 oz granulated garlic (1 clove to taste)
3 cups white wine (1/2 cup)
6 pounds shredded gouda cheese (2 lbs)
2 pounds roux (2/3 cup)
1/2 gal blonde ale (3 cups)

1.) Chop celery, carrots, and onions and sauté in kettle with butter
2.) Add water, chicken base, beer, and heavy cream. Mix thoroughly, and add all spices, and white wine.
3.) Cook Slowly
4.) Add roux
5.) Add cheese and cook on low heat while blending continuously until smooth.

Roux - 50/50 oil/flour mixture. Must be cool when added to soup.

*make sure the veggies are sliced/diced/shredded into almost non existance... I'm pretty sure an Immersion Blender is used to get the right consistancy.. almost a puree/but not quite

Eat it slowly and savor it...

It's not really heavy, it's just delightful...

I kid you not... every spoon that is put in your mouth, there is a ummmmmm after it..

I ALWAY say the same thing..

I wish I was hungry again, I wish I was just walking in the door and getting ready to eat this...

Sigh...

[TheMerryFairy]

I get a craving for this soup on cold and blustery days...

I don't make it because I don't keep all the ingredients in the house and the restaurant is just 10 mins away.

Yes, this Ferengi will pay 6 bucks for a bowl of this soup and a half a slice of beer bread.. (It goes wonderful with a nice sourdough as well)

This is the restaurants recipe that has been converted down a bit...


Smoked Gouda and Blond Ale Soup
Recipe Serves 96 (serves 16)

1 lb celery (3 oz by weight) shredded
1 lb carrots (3 oz by weight) shredded
1 lb red onions (3 oz by weight) shredded
1/2 lb butter (2 oz by weight)
1 lb chicken base (1 can)
3 gal water (1/2 gal)
2 gal heavy cream (5 cups)
2 tsp cayenne (1/4 tsp)
3 tbsp white pepper (2 tsp)
2 oz granulated garlic (1 clove to taste)
3 cups white wine (1/2 cup)
6 pounds shredded gouda cheese (2 lbs)
2 pounds roux (2/3 cup)
1/2 gal blonde ale (3 cups)

1.) Chop celery, carrots, and onions and sauté in kettle with butter
2.) Add water, chicken base, beer, and heavy cream. Mix thoroughly, and add all spices, and white wine.
3.) Cook Slowly
4.) Add roux
5.) Add cheese and cook on low heat while blending continuously until smooth.

Roux - 50/50 oil/flour mixture. Must be cool when added to soup.

*make sure the veggies are sliced/diced/shredded into almost non existance... I'm pretty sure an Immersion Blender is used to get the right consistancy.. almost a puree/but not quite

Eat it slowly and savor it...

It's not really heavy, it's just delightful...

I kid you not... every spoon that is put in your mouth, there is a ummmmmm after it..

I ALWAY say the same thing..

I wish I was hungry again, I wish I was just walking in the door and getting ready to eat this...

Sigh...


This sounds really nice, actually! Thank you for sharing it here. i have had a rich and heavy cheddar and beer soup and it wasn't for me. This seems like it would have a lot more flavor with just a subtle ale and cheese undertone shining through. I'll have to try this for some other winter day.

[TheMerryFairy]

I am really feeling simple meals right now...

Salads and a grilled meat, or roasted vegetables.

I might try some meat skewers this week as well i think, maybe some marinades... I like being able to spend only a few minutes in the kitchen and still feel satisfied with my meal.

I love skewers and marinades. I am craving lamb again or a sticky cajun chicken kabob. I love simple meals!

[Dante]

What a great idea! In honor of the Grammy's tonight, I bought some King Crab Legs to munch on. Now I want some kabobs, AND hummus, pita chips, and tabouleh to go with.


Here's something interesting ....... the top ten mispronounced words by foodies. ( I am posting the way they say they should be pronounced)

1. PHO (fuh)
2. Quesadilla (key-suh-dee-uh )
3. Gyro (yee-row OR zheer-oh
4. Quinoa (keen-wah)
5. Sriracha (sir-rotch-ah)
6. Beignet (ben-yay)
7. Chipoltle (chi-poht-ley)
8. Espresso ( e spres-oh)
9. Gnocchi (nyawk kee)
10. Bruschetta (broo-sket-tah)

I bet the servers and waiters crack up at the way peeps pronounce some of these.

[cinnamongrrl]

What a great idea! In honor of the Grammy's tonight, I bought some King Crab Legs to munch on. Now I want some kabobs, AND hummus, pita chips, and tabouleh to go with.


Here's something interesting ....... the top ten mispronounced words by foodies. ( I am posting the way they say they should be pronounced)

1. PHO (fuh)
2. Quesadilla (key-suh-dee-uh )
3. Gyro (yee-row OR zheer-oh
4. Quinoa (keen-wah)
5. Sriracha (sir-rotch-ah)
6. Beignet (ben-yay)
7. Chipoltle (chi-poht-ley)
8. Espresso ( e spres-oh)
9. Gnocchi (nyawk kee)
10. Bruschetta (broo-sket-tah)

I bet the servers and waiters crack up at the way peeps pronounce some of these.



I just learned about quinoa's pronunciation while at Whole Foods... :) I WAS saying quinn O ah :| The actual pronunciation is prettier I think...I was saying the others right except for bruschetta..shocking cuz I actually like to make it...lol But gyro has always been a thorn in my side...
how bout that tzatziki stuff??? That's a good one. Found out I didn't maim that one quite too badly lol

[cinnamongrrl]

Hell and damn... :|

The whole reason I came here was to tell y'all I'm sooo wanting a good recipe for Tabbouleh Salad...another good word to know ;) If anyone has recipes that are tried and true, I would love to know them. Otherwise I will have to try one of the online ones that seem to be an ode to parsley...

[jac]

What a great idea! In honor of the Grammy's tonight, I bought some King Crab Legs to munch on. Now I want some kabobs, AND hummus, pita chips, and tabouleh to go with.


Here's something interesting ....... the top ten mispronounced words by foodies. ( I am posting the way they say they should be pronounced)

1. PHO (fuh)
2. Quesadilla (key-suh-dee-uh )
3. Gyro (yee-row OR zheer-oh
4. Quinoa (keen-wah)
5. Sriracha (sir-rotch-ah)
6. Beignet (ben-yay)
7. Chipoltle (chi-poht-ley)
8. Espresso ( e spres-oh)
9. Gnocchi (nyawk kee)
10. Bruschetta (broo-sket-tah)

I bet the servers and waiters crack up at the way peeps pronounce some of these.


If that had been a test, I didn't do as bad as I thought I would. I missed 3.. :D

[TheMerryFairy]

I WANT THIS : Chicken Mole eggs benedict

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/530733_10151286795074775_1847044008_n.jpg

[Smiling]

Has anyone else tried Hail Merry's Miracle Tarts (esp. Persian Lime flavor)?
They are absolutely delicious as well as vegan, kosher, non-GMO and gluten- free for a treat that can be enjoyed by many sans guilt! When I absolutely NEED something indulgent, it is perfect for taking the edge off. As an aside, ALLEGEDLY, due to the high-quality natural ingredients, the calories will not store as fat (I have no idea if that claim is true or not, but it sure makes them go down sweeter!).

[TheMerryFairy]

Has anyone else tried Hail Merry's Miracle Tarts (esp. Persian Lime flavor)?
They are absolutely delicious as well as vegan, kosher, non-GMO and gluten- free for a treat that can be enjoyed by many sans guilt! When I absolutely NEED something indulgent, it is perfect for taking the edge off. As an aside, ALLEGEDLY, due to the high-quality natural ingredients, the calories will not store as fat (I have no idea if that claim is true or not, but it sure makes them go down sweeter!).

I haven't but I would love to try them, now that I know they exist!

[Smiling]

A little pricy, but I would be very surprised if you were disappointed! As far as I am concerned, they are worth every red cent. Let me know what you think!

[Ursy]

What a great idea! In honor of the Grammy's tonight, I bought some King Crab Legs to munch on. Now I want some kabobs, AND hummus, pita chips, and tabouleh to go with.


Here's something interesting ....... the top ten mispronounced words by foodies. ( I am posting the way they say they should be pronounced)

1. PHO (fuh)
2. Quesadilla (key-suh-dee-uh )
3. Gyro (yee-row OR zheer-oh
4. Quinoa (keen-wah)
5. Sriracha (sir-rotch-ah)
6. Beignet (ben-yay)
7. Chipoltle (chi-poht-ley)
8. Espresso ( e spres-oh)
9. Gnocchi (nyawk kee)
10. Bruschetta (broo-sket-tah)

I bet the servers and waiters crack up at the way peeps pronounce some of these.



That reminds me of the first time my mother in law ordered focaccia bread. She asked for some focker-ya bread!

Ever since, I always say it that way in my head :)

[jac]

That reminds me of the first time my mother in law ordered focaccia bread. She asked for some focker-ya bread!

Ever since, I always say it that way in my head :)

Okay this reminds me this morning of a rather embarassing moment.... :blink:

When I first moved to Maine (many years ago) I was with some friends at a truck stop one early morning after bar hoppin'. Up here they have poutine, which is fries with gravy. This is a Canadian dish and is to be pronounced (pu-teen). Somehow it did not come out of mouth sounding like that... :blush:

I think ya'll can figure out how the word was pronounced by a southerner lol...
Yep (pu-tain)... which we all know is not the same thing as fries and gravy.

OMG not just my friends but everyone in the truck stop busted out laughing... Good thing I was a bit lit and really didn't care too much!! :D

[ruffryder]

the link works-- and it looks great. Is this a picture of your meal or something similar?



Yes it was the picture of what I was making, the turkey pot pie. Nothing special but it was delicious!

What are ya'll food plans for Valentine's day? My girl and I will be making some frosted cookies on Wednesday. We got vanilla frosting and will probably get some cute sprinkles to put atop. :p Other than that the plan is to probably go out to dinner Friday or Saturday evening since I work Valentine's day and not sure where yet.

[Dante]

Ursy ...........that just cracked me up !
Today I came across .....bouillabaisse and vichyssoise

Spelling AND pronouncing. Both of these I have never had, but, after reading about the recipes, I want to try to make them. They sound delicious.

[TheMerryFairy]

Okay this reminds me this morning of a rather embarassing moment.... :blink:

When I first moved to Maine (many years ago) I was with some friends at a truck stop one early morning after bar hoppin'. Up here they have poutine, which is fries with gravy. This is a Canadian dish and is to be pronounced (pu-teen). Somehow it did not come out of mouth sounding like that... :blush:

I think ya'll can figure out how the word was pronounced by a southerner lol...
Yep (pu-tain)... which we all know is not the same thing as fries and gravy.

OMG not just my friends but everyone in the truck stop busted out laughing... Good thing I was a bit lit and really didn't care too much!! :D

Don't forget about the cheese curds *winks* And don't worry about the pronounciation. French canadians say it a little different than most english so when an english person is trying to pronounce it with a french accent, that too can cause a bit of embarrassment, similar to your own.

[ahk]

my dad once asked for a quick -ie (quiche)

I died laughing-- as the waitress was like, excuse me sir!

Valentine treats-- I usually make cookies or cupcakes for my honey. This year, we are going to be extra busy with stuff so I made her chocolate chip (milk/semi) walnut cookies this past weekend.

[JustLovelyJenn]

Valentine treats-- I usually make cookies or cupcakes for my honey. This year, we are going to be extra busy with stuff so I made her chocolate chip (milk/semi) walnut cookies this past weekend.

We are baking with my kids the weekend after Valentines Day this year. Cupcakes and cookies. The important part is decorating, of course. Maybe I will get creative and do something else as well... Depends on how the weekend goes.

[TheMerryFairy]

We are baking with my kids the weekend after Valentines Day this year. Cupcakes and cookies. The important part is decorating, of course. Maybe I will get creative and do something else as well... Depends on how the weekend goes.

Good for you! I am sure your family will have a wonderful time baking with love. I exhausted my Valentine's day baking already.

Maybe it's time to do something else :)

[Ursy]

Hi guys - hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day.

I just came across another mexican herb that looks really interesting - like Papalo, it's been described as cilantro on steroids -

Pipicha (Porophyllum tagetoides) edible as fresh uncooked green; allow seedheads to dry on plants before removing them & collecting seeds; indigenous communities use Pipicha against bacterial infections, as well as for liver cleansing & detoxification."

Also called chepiche, escobeta, papalo delgardo, pepicha, pipitza, tepicha

http://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=QandA/Culinary/20020503-2.html

This one has a picture:

http://zoom50.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/pepichapipichaporophyllum-tagetoides/

Have you guys heard of it? It sounds pretty amazing.

[TheMerryFairy]

Hello everyone!

Did anyone get to enjoy a special Valentine's meal? Whether it was for yourself, with friends or family, or a significant other?


I went out tonight and had a wonderful meal that had at least some Valentine's day influence when it came to the dessert . It was a strawberry infused chocolate buttermilk cake with whipped cream and german chocolate drizzle.

[Ursy]

Hello everyone!

Did anyone get to enjoy a special Valentine's meal? Whether it was for yourself, with friends or family, or a significant other?

I went out tonight and had a wonderful meal that had at least some Valentine's day influence when it came to the dessert . It was a strawberry infused chocolate buttermilk cake with whipped cream and german chocolate drizzle.

Unfortunately I had the 'flu, so no special meal, but I did get a box of chocolates! That has to count for something :)

That cake sounds wonderful! I hope you enjoyed it :)

[Sun]

Hola Delicious people!

Whats cooking? I have missed you all.

Feels like I have been away forever.

Started a new job 2 weeks ago and have seen way too much of a
kitchen lately. So I am looking forward to reading about what yall have been up to.

[TheMerryFairy]

Hola Delicious people!

Whats cooking? I have missed you all.

Feels like I have been away forever.

Started a new job 2 weeks ago and have seen way too much of a
kitchen lately. So I am looking forward to reading about what yall have been up to.

I hope the new job is going well. I haven't had a lot of time to do as much cooking as I would like. I too started a new job and while the hours are comparible, the commute tacks on about 2 extra hours.

I made a vegetable soup last night, which I am enjoying now and I got to experience a lovely fine dining meal on saturday evening.

[ahk]

I made chicken tortilla soup today---
Takes about 30 minutes, plus 30 for roasting chicken.
It came out delish.

Welcome back, Sun!

[Sun]

I hope the new job is going well. I haven't had a lot of time to do as much cooking as I would like. I too started a new job and while the hours are comparible, the commute tacks on about 2 extra hours.

I made a vegetable soup last night, which I am enjoying now and I got to experience a lovely fine dining meal on saturday evening.


Oh not commuting!

Yeah I am experiencing morning commute fun
during high season, but hey, 81 degrees and sunny, I can not complain
about a little, or a lot, of traffic. What kind of soup did you make?

[Sun]

I made chicken tortilla soup today---
Takes about 30 minutes, plus 30 for roasting chicken.
It came out delish.

Welcome back, Sun!

ahk! You are such a food tease.

Thanks ;)

Where is my soup neighbor?

I swear I am coming up there for dinner. You are not that
far away.

Be warned.

Omg I spent all day avoiding cooking because I was off. Work has been busy and lots of time on the grill. Got some new battle scars that are healing. Forgot how hot a grill can be when its fired up all day long.

A coworker was telling me about a Serrano chili sauce that is made with garlic and then pureed, sounds amazing, and hot. Two of my favorite things, amazing and hot *grin*. Reminds me of someone that I know.

Thinking about working that sauce up for some grilled shrimp.

[Sun]

Okay this reminds me this morning of a rather embarassing moment.... :blink:

When I first moved to Maine (many years ago) I was with some friends at a truck stop one early morning after bar hoppin'. Up here they have poutine, which is fries with gravy. This is a Canadian dish and is to be pronounced (pu-teen). Somehow it did not come out of mouth sounding like that... :blush:

I think ya'll can figure out how the word was pronounced by a southerner lol...
Yep (pu-tain)... which we all know is not the same thing as fries and gravy.

OMG not just my friends but everyone in the truck stop busted out laughing... Good thing I was a bit lit and really didn't care too much!! :D

Trying to catch up on all the posts that I missed and this one just cracked me the hell up! Omg, that was good. Interesting to see what foods wind up in our regions borrowed from other places. I've been preaching about how the Taco is going to take over America (I mean a real authentic Taco with a hand made fresh Tortillia) and I see it happening in the west but wow do I miss my east coast seafood. When I see "Maine" I have a very Pavlovian response and think of lobster and blueberries. Better plan to visit in August or September if I am smart.

[TheMerryFairy]

Oh not commuting!

Yeah I am experiencing morning commute fun
during high season, but hey, 81 degrees and sunny, I can not complain
about a little, or a lot, of traffic. What kind of soup did you make?


I will trade you for your 81 and sunny even for a day. Though I must admit I would be getting the better deal. I ended up staying home today because of blizzard conditions. I experienced those first hand walking on my paper route first thing this morning, which I picked up as a 2nd job just because it was one street. So much for being easy. I came home to a power outage drenched and caffeine deprived because the coffee I bought on my way home blew into the wind every time I tried to take a drink and my furnace was out. Did I mention that it's bitterly cold and I experienced 2 ft of flooding in my basement yesterday as a result of a rain storm coming in after a snow storm?

I need a break from this winter weather. Come on spring!

Needless to say I have spent the day bundled up and enjoying my homemade garden vegetable soup . I even had a nice fresh italian loaf of bread for dunking.

[Sun]

I will trade you for your 81 and sunny even for a day. Though I must admit I would be getting the better deal. I ended up staying home today because of blizzard conditions. I experienced those first hand walking on my paper route first thing this morning, which I picked up as a 2nd job just because it was one street. So much for being easy. I came home to a power outage drenched and caffeine deprived because the coffee I bought on my way home blew into the wind every time I tried to take a drink and my furnace was out. Did I mention that it's bitterly cold and I experienced 2 ft of flooding in my basement yesterday as a result of a rain storm coming in after a snow storm?

I need a break from this winter weather. Come on spring!

Needless to say I have spent the day bundled up and enjoying my homemade garden vegetable soup . I even had a nice fresh italian loaf of bread for dunking.

You have just explained why AZ and FL are full of Canadians right now.

Sounds like a rough day. Glad you are warm and well fed!

I am warm but not well fed. At all. I have been living on a high carb diet when I do eat which is not often enough. I'll go all day at work with no food or break and if I break its maybe a ten minute break. Just enough to catch some sunshine. That has to change. Guess its a good thing that I am storing some body fat to burn off for energy huh?

*smirk*

Ok that was a statement that I never thought that I would make.

On the brighter side of life...I need a juicer. I left mine in CA and really want some fresh vegetable juice. My bff and I have been playing around with making ice cream since that is something that I do not do with any regularity and it has been a lot of fun. Right now I am working on an Espresso Ice Cream. Made the Espresso syrup last night...Oh MY GOD...it is craaaaazzzzy good. Will let yall know how the ice cream turns out.

[ahk]

ahk! You are such a food tease.

Thanks ;)

Where is my soup neighbor?

I swear I am coming up there for dinner. You are not that
far away.

Be warned.

Omg I spent all day avoiding cooking because I was off. Work has been busy and lots of time on the grill. Got some new battle scars that are healing. Forgot how hot a grill can be when its fired up all day long.

A coworker was telling me about a Serrano chili sauce that is made with garlic and then pureed, sounds amazing, and hot. Two of my favorite things, amazing and hot *grin*. Reminds me of someone that I know.

Thinking about working that sauce up for some grilled shrimp.



My bad --

1 whole chicken breast (boneless/skinless)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks) -- I leave out, because I don't care for it.
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
Directions
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cube or shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

Sun, you are more welcome to come for a visit anytime!! I'd love to cook with you or for you, drink a few whatevers, and whatnots.

It's only Tuesday and I'm ready for the weekend.

:eatinghersheybar:

[Sun]

My bad --

1 whole chicken breast (boneless/skinless)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks) -- I leave out, because I don't care for it.
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
Directions
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cube or shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

Sun, you are more welcome to come for a visit anytime!! I'd love to cook with you or for you, drink a few whatevers, and whatnots.

It's only Tuesday and I'm ready for the weekend.

:eatinghersheybar:

ahk this looks like a good recipe. Any preference on the Cheddar? Mild, medium, sharp, extra sharp?

Also any advice for people who can not get fresh white corn tortillias? That was me until recently. Made me crazy.

I will definitely come up for a visit while I am in AZ. What a great road trip.

[ahk]

In our house, we eat nothing but Sharp Cheddar-- or extra. But I think its up to your taste buds, really. Jack is good too!!

If you can't find fresh, get the store bought -- I have used before.

http://rockinthestove.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/corn-tortilla-chips-1.jpg

You know I never use a recipe really-- its like I see one I want to try but then I put my own twist on it.

Just facebook me or something when you do plan on coming on over-- what part of AZ you in? We have family there- in Chandler.

[TheMerryFairy]

In our house, we eat nothing but Sharp Cheddar-- or extra. But I think its up to your taste buds, really. Jack is good too!!

If you can't find fresh, get the store bought -- I have used before.

http://rockinthestove.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/corn-tortilla-chips-1.jpg

You know I never use a recipe really-- its like I see one I want to try but then I put my own twist on it.

Just facebook me or something when you do plan on coming on over-- what part of AZ you in? We have family there- in Chandler.

I am exactly the same way when it comes to recipes! :) Sometimes I will try the original first then put my spin on it and sometimes it's mine from the get go. A lot of times when I cook I don't even use a recipe. I like to throw things together with what I have. Thank you for the one you just shared.

[ahk]

Yeah no problem.
I am really weird with recipes -- its really how I learned to cook, by just reading them and figuring out what I enjoyed to eat and such.
Most of meals are from here and there -- unless its more complicated, I write it down and figure out what works best.
Its really neat to hear how others cook and figure out what works best for them.
If you try the recipe, let me know how it comes out. Enjoy!!

[Sun]

Getting ready to taste test my first batch of Espresso ice cream. Well I cant take the credit for it my bff is the ice cream expert I am just learning. Ive been making the syrups and pralines and such. Then we collaborate. The Espresso syrup was insane!! I cant wait to make it again.

ahk I am in Mesa right now but usually in Scottsdale. I go to Chandler all the time. Come down and visit sometime.

[Sun]

So...the Espresso ice cream tastes like Latte' ice cream and is very good but not fabulous. Needs some work. I want a stronger coffee flavor.

Back to square one.

[ruffryder]

Hola Delicious people!

Whats cooking? I have missed you all.

Feels like I have been away forever.

Started a new job 2 weeks ago and have seen way too much of a
kitchen lately. So I am looking forward to reading about what yall have been up to.

Hey Sun! Hope your new job is going great!

What's everyone making this weekend?

Tonight we are making meatball grinders on hoagie buns with melted mozzarella on top! Can't wait to taste them! :)

[Sun]

Hey Sun! Hope your new job is going great!

What's everyone making this weekend?

Tonight we are making meatball grinders on hoagie buns with melted mozzarella on top! Can't wait to taste them! :)

Hey ruff! Can I come over and have some? ;)

I am not cooking at home this weekend I cook all day long at work and am burned, cut, bruised and otherwise beaten up. New routine, new kitchen, new everything and they require that we wear cut gloves. Shoot me.

Lots of heavy grill work, marinades, spice rubs, lots of heat, which I like. Give me a hot fire any day. There is something so primal and intense for me about fire. I crave it. I want it around me all the time.

Been doing a really simple but good marinade for grilled shrimp and flank steak. Easy, to a quart and a 1/2 of Oil, add roughly, 2 cups of chopped parsley, 12 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup rosemary, 1/4 cup fresh thyme, 1/4 cup Kosher or sea salt, 1/4 cup fresh ground black pepper. Fresh herbs only. Use blender or immersion blender, and blend for 2 mins. Toss shrimp in marinade and let sit for one hour. Then grill.

Flank steak, coat in marinade and let sit for one hour minimum or overnight. Grill. Charcoal grilling is my first choice, add some soaked wood (apple, mesquite, oak) for flavor. Get creative. Make it your own as I always say!

[TheMerryFairy]

Hey ruff! Can I come over and have some? ;)

I am not cooking at home this weekend I cook all day long at work and am burned, cut, bruised and otherwise beaten up. New routine, new kitchen, new everything and they require that we wear cut gloves. Shoot me.

Lots of heavy grill work, marinades, spice rubs, lots of heat, which I like. Give me a hot fire any day. There is something so primal and intense for me about fire. I crave it. I want it around me all the time.

Been doing a really simple but good marinade for grilled shrimp and flank steak. Easy, to a quart and a 1/2 of Oil, add roughly, 2 cups of chopped parsley, 12 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup rosemary, 1/4 cup fresh thyme, 1/4 cup Kosher or sea salt, 1/4 cup fresh ground black pepper. Fresh herbs only. Use blender or immersion blender, and blend for 2 mins. Toss shrimp in marinade and let sit for one hour. Then grill.

Flank steak, coat in marinade and let sit for one hour minimum or overnight. Grill. Charcoal grilling is my first choice, add some soaked wood (apple, mesquite, oak) for flavor. Get creative. Make it your own as I always say!



I feel the same way about fire, I start to feel that craving under my skin and I need to break out the grill or maybe dance around the flames in a non harmful way LOL

[Sun]

Hola Delicious peeps!

I checked out a new bbq place yesterday. It was good but did not blow me away. After all this is not Texas or Memphis.

So this got me wondering, what makes great bbq?

What do you all think?

Also what are some of your favorites for side dishes?

[TheMerryFairy]

Hola Delicious peeps!

I checked out a new bbq place yesterday. It was good but did not blow me away. After all this is not Texas or Memphis.

So this got me wondering, what makes great bbq?

What do you all think?

Also what are some of your favorites for side dishes?


For me it's all about the tenderness of the food and the flavor. I really like being able to TASTE the char enough to add texture. I need a sweet and spicy sauce and it has to be added hot off the grill.

The side dishes really depend on what I'm having for the main dish. I love salads of any kind, potato dishes and lots of veggies. For me, simple is better for that kind of soul food.

[Sun]

For me the amount of smoke, the kind of wood used and the spice ribs play a huge role in the results of the bbq.

[TheMerryFairy]

For me the amount of smoke, the kind of wood used and the spice ribs play a huge role in the results of the bbq.


I would agree that all of those things are a huge factor to my enjoyment. I can take my grilling very seriously but at this point with all of this cold weather and snow, I would be happy to have even an average bbq meal LOL

[JustLovelyJenn]

I am certainly NOT a BBQ cooker... Its the one thing I always leave to someone else.... but side dishes I can bring down!

Family BBQ favorites around here are deviled eggs, vegetable skewers, warm red potato salad, and broccoli and pea salad.

[TheMerryFairy]

I am certainly NOT a BBQ cooker... Its the one thing I always leave to someone else.... but side dishes I can bring down!

Family BBQ favorites around here are deviled eggs, vegetable skewers, warm red potato salad, and broccoli and pea salad.

That sounds like a great meal!!! I would cook the BBQ for you, if I was ever in your area. Maybe GETTING to use the grill could be a barter for my services? LOL

[Gemme]

So this got me wondering, what makes great bbq?

What do you all think?

Also what are some of your favorites for side dishes?

For me, it's tenderness of the meat and rich flavor. I like tangy but not super acidic and I like smoky flavor with a hint of sweetness too.

I like a lot in my bbq and I often don't find it all, but I can get two out of the three (tangy/smoky/sweet) pretty easily.

Favorite sides include: mustard potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, veggies and salads. Don't forget the rolls! I love yeast rolls and the 'chef hat' rolls best.

[TheMerryFairy]

For me, it's tenderness of the meat and rich flavor. I like tangy but not super acidic and I like smoky flavor with a hint of sweetness too.

I like a lot in my bbq and I often don't find it all, but I can get two out of the three (tangy/smoky/sweet) pretty easily.

Favorite sides include: mustard potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, veggies and salads. Don't forget the rolls! I love yeast rolls and the 'chef hat' rolls best.

Those sound great! I am so hungry now, it needs to get a bit warmer so I can fire up that grill again.

[ahk]

Hola Delicious peeps!

I checked out a new bbq place yesterday. It was good but did not blow me away. After all this is not Texas or Memphis.

So this got me wondering, what makes great bbq?

What do you all think?

Also what are some of your favorites for side dishes?

I like BBQ --

I enjoy burnt ends
I enjoy brisket (I like to make my own, but I don't do the whole grill/smoking thing, I kind of cheat a bit) but it comes out good.
I also like sausages.

I like a sweet but spicy sauce normally --

The sides I like are: mac/cheese, baked beans, collards, green beans, potato salad, and rolls. Just like Gemme has mentioned below.

Don't forget the rolls! I love yeast rolls and the 'chef hat' rolls best.

[Sun]

Hello Delicious people,

How is everyone doing? Happy Weekend :)

I have been putting in some long days grilling at work. The last few weeks have shown me how much I really love to grill. It is awesome when we can grill indoors, remember that grilling is not only for the outside. Just don't ever fire up charcoal inside. A gas grill is nice, a cast iron flat surface that is really hot is great for grilling too.

Yesterday I had a great reminder of how much work goes on behind the scenes to make a restaurant run. Usually my company is a well oiled machine but we had some things go wrong this week. Yesterday one of our two convection ovens broke down. As our Executive Chef and I stood there staring at the broken down machine that we use all day long from open to close all we could do was shrug and say "oh well", because we had no control over this and knew that we could change up our routine to make things work. There is so much work that goes into making a menu happen. Look at all of the various ingredients the next time that you are in a restaurant. Ask questions about where some of the items come from. For example we use oven roasted tomato's instead of sun dried tomato's and it is a lengthy process to make them. Who knew?

Anyway from broken down oven, to orders coming in wrong, to staff calling in sick, it has been a week that has challenged us and forced us to step up and work harder than before. I often say that if everyone could see how brutally hard this work is, it would not seem so glamorous. This thought crossed my mind today as I was standing in the dish room cleaning a huge bur mixer today.

The happy customers however, make the hard work worth it.

I think that it is time for a survey in here..it is fun to get to know about each other this way. On the other site, I used to do regular surveys in the Culinary Cabana. Some of the replies were hilarious.

[TheMerryFairy]

Hello Delicious people,

How is everyone doing? Happy Weekend :)

I have been putting in some long days grilling at work. The last few weeks have shown me how much I really love to grill. It is awesome when we can grill indoors, remember that grilling is not only for the outside. Just don't ever fire up charcoal inside. A gas grill is nice, a cast iron flat surface that is really hot is great for grilling too.

Yesterday I had a great reminder of how much work goes on behind the scenes to make a restaurant run. Usually my company is a well oiled machine but we had some things go wrong this week. Yesterday one of our two convection ovens broke down. As our Executive Chef and I stood there staring at the broken down machine that we use all day long from open to close all we could do was shrug and say "oh well", because we had no control over this and knew that we could change up our routine to make things work. There is so much work that goes into making a menu happen. Look at all of the various ingredients the next time that you are in a restaurant. Ask questions about where some of the items come from. For example we use oven roasted tomato's instead of sun dried tomato's and it is a lengthy process to make them. Who knew?

Anyway from broken down oven, to orders coming in wrong, to staff calling in sick, it has been a week that has challenged us and forced us to step up and work harder than before. I often say that if everyone could see how brutally hard this work is, it would not seem so glamorous. This thought crossed my mind today as I was standing in the dish room cleaning a huge bur mixer today.

The happy customers however, make the hard work worth it.

I think that it is time for a survey in here..it is fun to get to know about each other this way. On the other site, I used to do regular surveys in the Culinary Cabana. Some of the replies were hilarious.









Thankfully your week is over. Hopefully this next one will go a lot smoother. I enjoy surveys, that's a great idea!

[Sun]

Thankfully your week is over. Hopefully this next one will go a lot smoother. I enjoy surveys, that's a great idea!

My week is not over. I have a few more days. Things going wrong and the ability to shift gears and be creative when things break down, or dont show up is part of the work. Sometimes it can be very draining but I work with a good team so we rolled with it. It just means more physical labor and its already a workout. Seriously in need of a hot tub.

[TheMerryFairy]

My week is not over. I have a few more days. Things going wrong and the ability to shift gears and be creative when things break down, or dont show up is part of the work. Sometimes it can be very draining but I work with a good team so we rolled with it. It just means more physical labor and its already a workout. Seriously in need of a hot tub.

I understand how things like that happen and then you have to quickly adjust. It's not quite the same but we both have our own creative and artitsic traits in the trade. Try to relax and spend some time resting when you can.

It's not an easy job. Mine isn't too physically demanding but I am on my feet 10 hours a day or more if we include my paper route that I took just to have something else to do.

When you ARE off, are you lucky enough to get a few days in a row?

I typically have weekends off but I spend my saturdays promoting my project at a local market and sometimes pick up an extra hour or two at the shop. I look forward to sleeping in on sundays BUT I have flea markets this month before I hit the road LOL

[Sun]

Every now and then I will throw out a survey just for fun.

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite?

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal?

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it?

What do you want to learn how to cook/make?

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?

Name your Top 3 Desserts:

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name:

[TheMerryFairy]

Every now and then I will throw out a survey just for fun.

Virgo Moon Survey:



You aren't going to make it easy are you? LOL I am going to need to take some time to give it some thought . It might not be all *serious* thought but I need to make sure I say what I mean.

[ahk]

Every now and then I will throw out a survey just for fun.

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite? I tend to eat more salads and grilled chickens.

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal? water w/ lemon or lime

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods: mac/cheese, mashed or baked potatoes, pizza

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be? Either my wife, because she's a damn good cook or my ma, she passed away some time ago, but I miss the way she cooked.

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it. Probably Greece -- I just enjoy the flavours. Crisp, clean, and fresh.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? I like a lot of shows, but my favourite person is Ina Garten. If so what do you like about it? I just think her style is a lot like mine or mine is a lot like hers?!? The products she uses, the way she cooks with herbs, how she explains things, the way her and her husband interact-- I like that!

What do you want to learn how to cook/make? bread. I get scared of yeast and not being patient enough.

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make? n/a

Name your Top 3 Desserts: carrot cake w/ dried cranberries, lemon tart, and coconut cream pie

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name:

Dingle Berry -- Chocolate covered Raspberry in a Vanilla Ice Cream





good survey. I like surveys.
bring em on!! lol.

Happy cooking!

:fastdraq:

[Sun]

BUMP

Survey time! Come on people!

Great replied ahk.

Planet foodies, join us!!

[TheMerryFairy]

BUMP

Survey time! Come on people!

Great replied ahk.

Planet foodies, join us!!

I plan on it but I am still in the "think before I change my mind 100 times" phase LOL

[Sun]

I plan on it but I am still in the "think before I change my mind 100 times" phase LOL


You can always fill out the survey several times.

[TheMerryFairy]

You can always fill out the survey several times.

*Laughs* That's a great idea!! I am sure now and then my answers would at least make someone crack a smile.

I have been thinking about the "who would you like to cook for you" question. My automatic response went to "you must mean people outside of this thread, right?"

[dixie]

Every now and then I will throw out a survey just for fun.

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite? Not really, but when it does it seems to lessen it. (Perhaps because full moons throw off my sleep patterns and leave me slightly out of whack.)

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal? These days, water and sometimes milk.

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods: chicken and dumplings, cheeseburgers, pot roast

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be? You of course, dear Sun! lol

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it. India. I love the flavors and seasonings used in their traditional cooking.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it? That's a toss up between Chopped (for the skills I see) and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (because I always end up adding somewhere new to my list of places I want to try).

What do you want to learn how to cook/make? I still haven't decided, but probably will before you come visit.

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make? I'm sure there are a few things that even I don't want to make, but since it's 5:30am I can't really think of what that might be lol

Name your Top 3 Desserts: chocolate chimichangas, classic red velvet cake, plain rich cheesecake

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name: white mocha lol

[Sun]

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods: chicken and dumplings, cheeseburgers, pot roast

Did I happen to mention that I love chicken and dumplings? Please tell me that you cook this. *hopeful*

Great replies! I had no idea about the Indian food.

White Mocha ice cream like the Starbucks drink? Cool! I can make that.

[Sun]

Good Morning Delicious people!

I have to fly out the door to work in a minute but wanted to say hola and invite everyone to participate in the survey that is up. Thank you ahk and dixie for filling out the survey. It is a lot of fun to get to know the different tastes and styles that we all have. Certainly some interesting conversations can evolve from some of our replies.

More later...Have a beautiful day!

[JustLovelyJenn]

Every now and then I will throw out a survey just for fun.

Virgo Moon Survey:

~~Does the full moon impact your appetite?

I can't say that the moon impacts my appetite... at least not that I have noticed, I may pay attention to this now.

~~What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal?

My choice is usually juice. If I am in the mood for something that feels a little more bubbly I will add a flavored sparkling water to it. I have had a lot of soda in the last couple years and am moving away from that again... its really not that satisfying when I stop to think about it.

~~Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:

Wanton soup, stir fry with peanut sauce, a REALLY good salad...

(I really had to think about that)

~~If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?

My partner... if and when I have one. There is something very intimate about sharing kitchen space.

~~If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it.

I really haven't thought about this before. Food can be so personal to me. I am often happier cooking for myself and taking a picnic then I am eating in a restaurant, no matter how nice. I would like to take my picnic to Scotland I think... a basket and a blanket... the stone walls crossing the country side, good company, and a lovely bottle of wine... The Italian country side is high on that list too.

~~Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it?

I often put TV on in the background, its company sounds... But when I am paying attention, I like the ones that expand my knowledge... and I like the CSI style shows.... for the same reason.

~~What do you want to learn how to cook/make?

Candies... I can't seem to get the hang of those.

~~For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?

Not a non-cook... but I never intend to learn to BBQ... I like letting someone else do that.

~~Name your Top 3 Desserts:

CHEESECAKE (even if I am not supposed to have it), Fruit Crumble, shortcake...

~~Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name:

no idea on this one...

[TheMerryFairy]

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite?

I have never noticed but it would make sense that since the moon affects mood and mood can affect appetite there would be some correlation.

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal?

I usually have water with lemon, sparkling water or juice. It is rare I have pop with a meal but sometimes I will have tea.

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:

This is really difficult. Only 3? I always find salad comforting, especially if it goes alongside of bbq, stirfry of any variety and a homecooked family style dinner such as pasta. I try to make my meals as healthy as possible.

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?

I love to cook for myself and others but I also love it when I can cook with my friends for a potluck style evening.

If I could have somebody to cook for me I would love for that person to be my partner. I would feel really special. If we are talking celebrities then I would have to go with Lynn Crawford or Guy Fieri

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it.

This is difficult as well, because I want to travel a lot and when I travel, I like to truly embrace the culture and cuisine locally. I would love to go to Scotland/Ireland. First hand, a picnic in paris is a feeling unlike any other. I would love to eat in Italy, Greece, Egypt and of course from food trucks and little kitchens all across the country.


Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it?

Most of them? I learn so many things from a variety of shows, it is hard to pick just one.

What do you want to learn how to cook/make?

I want to learn how to plate! LOL I would love to learn to make chocolate and candy confections, how to make an entire meal over just a fire and to make my own pasta maybe.

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?

Haggis.

Name your Top 3 Desserts:

Fruit salad/pie ice cream or cheesecake.

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name:

Tango sorbet - tangerine and mango topped with a fresh raspberry and maybe a sprig of mint?

[s0litude]

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite?
-- Never really thought about how the moon affects my appetite. Working out increases my appetite; stress decreases or halts my appetite. I don't really eat for comfort. I'm also one of those weird ones who doesn't really like sweets. Candies sometimes, a cupcake or a slice of carrot cake, but I'm not the "gimme chocolate or die" type, not even during my cycle.

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal?
-- I'm from the south originally (NC), so I'm all about the sweet iced tea. I also like orange juice, or water (filtered though-- I can taste a difference)

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:
-- Chinese / most types of Lo Mein dishes with beef and veggies; pot roast (I make an awesome 13-hour, slow-cooked roast); freshly baked bread.

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?
-- My grandmother (deceased, 2007). In time, my girlfriend or wife-- there's something so loving in cooking a meal together or coming home from work to your favourite meal "just because" she loves you. And I'm a cook and a romantic too, so I'm all about the "just because" dinner for her as well: table set, bottle of wine, flowers as a centerpiece, steaks and veggies on the grill, potatoes baking, salad chilling in the fridge, etc. Anything worth doing is worth doing right.

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go?
-- Probably Germany... brats with cabbage and potatoes, freshly baked bread, some cheese, and wine-- and dancing. A great meal is a celebration, and eating a great meal alone, a travesty.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it?
-- I don't really watch them because 1- they make me hungry, and I swear I can gain weight just watching them, and 2- they make me envious as I don't have a lot of kitchen space to cook in and I enjoy cooking.

What do you want to learn how to cook/make?
-- Sushi, specifically the different rolls i.e. the Tempura California Roll, etc. It shouldn't be that hard, but some things... well, some things require more grace than I have with sticky rice. They end up tossed mish-mosh in a bowl with some extra rice and soy sauce. It's a tasty failure nonetheless. I also would love to learn to make spring rolls with the rice paper, shrimp, and peanut sauce.

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?
-- I like to cook, but you won't find anything with mustard or alvacado (guacamole... blech!) in my home.

Name your Top 3 Desserts:
-- Not really a sweets eater, but occasionally.... carrot cake, lightly-iced cupcake, fruit sherbert (lactose-sensitive)

Create a new ice cream flavor.
-- Cinnaroll (Cinnamon, walnuts, lil bits of cake... like those cinnamon swirl cakes)

[TheMerryFairy]

With the mood I am in, I need all of the comfort food without any of the cooking

[Sun]

Great survey replies!!

I am so proud of our foodies. Creative ideas too..I love the ice cream and sorbet creations and a picnic in Paris? Wow. Awesome.

For those of you who may be reading along, please join us and take this survey. It is a fun way to get to know the other foodies in our community.





Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite?

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal?

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it?

What do you want to learn how to cook/make?

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?

Name your Top 3 Desserts:

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name:

[Sun]

Often I am curious as to why people love the food that they love.

Indulge me, if you will; what makes a favorite cuisine, a favorite for you?

Is it the journey to the place or origin through the food, great memories attached to the meal or something else entirely?

[TheMerryFairy]

Often I am curious as to why people love the food that they love.

Indulge me, if you will; what makes a favorite cuisine, a favorite for you?

Is it the journey to the place or origin through the food, great memories attached to the meal or something else entirely?

I think it's a lot of things for me. Certainly sometimes it can be any of those or something else entirely but often I find it's the experience as a whole. The emotions and memories associated, the way the flavors and aromas play with my senses and all of the local culture and history behind the cuisine itself.

[meridiantoo]

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite? I don't think so, but my hormones definitely do

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal? It depends on what I'm eating...it can range from a soda to milk to beer to water

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods: In n' Out Double Double Animal Style with extra spread, homemade mac and cheese, sphaghetti

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be? Guy Fieri, hands down

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Spain

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it? Diners, Drive ins, and Dives; what's not to like?

What do you want to learn how to cook/make? An excellent steak on the grill, on the stove/oven

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?Coleslaw

Name your Top 3 Desserts: flan, tiramisu, chocolate/peanut butter pie

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name: Bourbon-banana

[Sun]

Hola Delicious People!

As many of you know, I am a big fan of Mexican food, it is hands down my favorite cuisine. A local Chef & friend who has inspired me for years is featured in an awesome article that was just published in Sunset Magazine.

Check her out:

20 Essential Mexican Ingredients (http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/flavors-of-the-west/mexican-food-00418000081345/)

[Corkey]

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite? Not any more

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal? Water or if out a beer or if out fancy wine.

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods: Salmon, sushi, ribs.

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be? Ami, or famous chef Ramsey.

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it. Maui, mahi mahi, monapua, kaula pig. Taco poke, shishimi everything.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it? Top Chef, inspiration.

What do you want to learn how to cook/make? Tangine chicken.

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?

Name your Top 3 Desserts: Eclare, NY cheese cake, raspberry tort.

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name: Rocky cheese cake.

[ahk]

So Sun -- are you going to answer the Survey.
huh, huh. Yes, thank you.

[Sun]

So Sun -- are you going to answer the Survey.
huh, huh. Yes, thank you.

Wise guy ;)

Yes I am. I will do that soon. lol

Finally having a day off, I can actually focus on something!

Now if I just had a taco this could day could get better fast.

[starryeyes]

I am making Justin chicken and potatoes for dinner in the crockpot. I just threw in potatoes, garlic, onion salt pepper and a little broth with a whole chicken on top. It smells soooo good!!! I hope she likes it along with some drop biscuits :)

[Sun]

"We interrupt this programming to bring you a special report"


Cheesecake is leading by a landslide in the "Favorite Dessert" category!

[Sun]

I am making Justin chicken and potatoes for dinner in the crockpot. I just threw in potatoes, garlic, onion salt pepper and a little broth with a whole chicken on top. It smells soooo good!!! I hope she likes it along with some drop biscuits :)


Hi Starry!

That sounds awesome. I have been craving chicken and dumplings ever since dixie mentioned it in her food survey.

Its been a while since I have had that dish. Any variation on chicken and biscuits I seem to like.

[Sun]

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it? Top Chef, inspiration.



What do you want to learn how to cook/make? Tangine chicken.





Hey Corkey,

I like Top Chef as well, great competitions. Have you seen the show where Sue Torres of Suenos in NYC battled Bobby Flay? It was a total throwDOWN. See if you can find it online. Awesome. My favorite episode yet.

As for the chicken dish we can figure that one out. You may need to buy the special pottery that they cook the chicken in. I was just invited to go to Morocco next year, that would be a great opportunity to pick up some first hand recipes. Thinking it over.

[Corkey]

Hey Corkey,

I like Top Chef as well, great competitions. Have you seen the show where Sue Torres of Suenos in NYC battled Bobby Flay? It was a total throwDOWN. See if you can find it online. Awesome. My favorite episode yet.

As for the chicken dish we can figure that one out. You may need to buy the special pottery that they cook the chicken in. I was just invited to go to Morocco next year, that would be a great opportunity to pick up some first hand recipes. Thinking it over.

I've heard it can be done in a Dutch oven. Saving mah money to buy one.

[Sun]

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite? I don't think so, but my hormones definitely do

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal? It depends on what I'm eating...it can range from a soda to milk to beer to water

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods: In n' Out Double Double Animal Style with extra spread, homemade mac and cheese, sphaghetti

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be? Guy Fieri, hands down

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Spain

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it? Diners, Drive ins, and Dives; what's not to like?

What do you want to learn how to cook/make? An excellent steak on the grill, on the stove/oven

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?Coleslaw

Name your Top 3 Desserts: flan, tiramisu, chocolate/peanut butter pie

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name: Bourbon-banana

Looks like DDD is a popular show!

Great ice cream choice. I need to figure out how to work banana into ice cream better than my last experiment that did not go very well.

[ahk]

What about making a banana base and then adding other ingredients to it? Or do another type of base and adding frozen chopped/mashed banana to it -- Just a thought.

[TheMerryFairy]

"We interrupt this programming to bring you a special report"


Cheesecake is leading by a landslide in the "Favorite Dessert" category!

Ironically one of my favorite non traditional cheesecakes is called "landslide" Think chocolate explosion meets mississippi mud pie and then collides with a caramel turtle.

[TheMerryFairy]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I am sorry if this is way off topic but birthdays have always been something I have celebrated for my friends. Only a few times since I was a kid have I really appreicated the meaning for myself. This year I get it. Last year I wanted to but turning 30 is scary and yes I realize it is irrational in a lot of ways. It was celebrated but I dreaded it. I am dreading this one because now it's going to be official. Not 30 anymore but actually INTO the 30's, like the twilight zone? LOL

I am sorry for rambling but I just woke up from a ridiculously sweet 3 hour nap and I had dreams of dancing icecream cones. How appropriate for me to post in here.

[Corkey]

Mayonnaise cake, that my wife makes. Every year.

[TheMerryFairy]

Mayonnaise cake, that my wife makes. Every year.

I have neer heard of mayonnaise cake! I will have to try to look this up. Thanks for sharing, Corkey.

[kannon]

I know some of you might think this is gross, but I made a hotdog without a hotdog bun. I substituted green leaf lettuce for the bun. I used a stick of cheese, the weenie of course, and mustard. It was pretty good with a lot less calories. I gotta drop 10 or 15 pounds so this could be an option. I only want to loose the weight so I can be a bit more active. I kind of like my budda belly.

[TheMerryFairy]

I know some of you might think this is gross, but I made a hotdog without a hotdog bun. I substituted green leaf lettuce for the bun. I used a stick of cheese, the weenie of course, and mustard. It was pretty good with a lot less calories. I gotta drop 10 or 15 pounds so this could be an option. I only want to loose the weight so I can be a bit more active. I kind of like my budda belly.

I don't think that's gross. I think it's very creative to substitute the bun for lettuce! I wish you the best in finding what works for you to get more active :)

[Corkey]

I know some of you might think this is gross, but I made a hotdog without a hotdog bun. I substituted green leaf lettuce for the bun. I used a stick of cheese, the weenie of course, and mustard. It was pretty good with a lot less calories. I gotta drop 10 or 15 pounds so this could be an option. I only want to loose the weight so I can be a bit more active. I kind of like my budda belly.

If you like tacos substitute the tortilla with leafy lettuce.

[kannon]

If you like tacos substitute the tortilla with leafy lettuce.

That's a great option too. Thanks! I'll definitely try it.

[meridiantoo]

So, I'm making homemade spaghetti sauce tonight and wondering what others add to their sauce to make it awesome?

I made a basic recipe tonight: Ground chuck, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sauteed onions/bell peppers/garlic, kosher sea salt/pepper, Italian seasoning blend, 1 bay leaf, and a lot of hopeful anticipation.

I like for my sauce to simmer a good 3 hours, at least, before I eat it.

What about you guys?

[TheMerryFairy]

So, I'm making homemade spaghetti sauce tonight and wondering what others add to their sauce to make it awesome?

I made a basic recipe tonight: Ground chuck, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sauteed onions/bell peppers/garlic, kosher sea salt/pepper, Italian seasoning blend, 1 bay leaf, and a lot hopeful anticipation.

I like for my sauce to simmer a good 3 hours, at least, before I eat it.

What about you guys?

5 or so drops of hot sauce, mushrooms and basil added to what your recipe generally calls for :) I don't like a lot of heat but a couple of drops of hot sauce gives an almost unrecognizable kick.

[Corkey]

So, I'm making homemade spaghetti sauce tonight and wondering what others add to their sauce to make it awesome?

I made a basic recipe tonight: Ground chuck, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sauteed onions/bell peppers/garlic, kosher sea salt/pepper, Italian seasoning blend, 1 bay leaf, and a lot hopeful anticipation.

I like for my sauce to simmer a good 3 hours, at least, before I eat it.

What about you guys?

Add a little soy sauce to it it adds a depth of flavor.

[Sun]

So, I'm making homemade spaghetti sauce tonight and wondering what others add to their sauce to make it awesome?

I made a basic recipe tonight: Ground chuck, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sauteed onions/bell peppers/garlic, kosher sea salt/pepper, Italian seasoning blend, 1 bay leaf, and a lot of hopeful anticipation.

I like for my sauce to simmer a good 3 hours, at least, before I eat it.

What about you guys?

Sounds great as it is. I do 2 sauces one quick: Start with chopped fresh garlic sauteed in olive oil for a few minutes (do not brown just soften) fresh basil, plum tomato's. That's it. Cook less than 15 mins. Longer releases too much acid.

Longer sauce: Start by sauteeing garlic in olive oil, add beef and pork cuts (depends on what inspires me at market) plum tomato's, basil and a little oregano (fresh if I can get it or dried if I can not) simmer for several hours. This is closer to what my Italian relatives brought from Italy.

[Sun]

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite?

More energy less appetite. Interesting.

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal?

My ginger ale, or green tea if it is Asian food.



Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:

Toasted plain or everything bagel, with butter.

Arroz con Pollo, with black beans, guac, sour cream, salsa and tabasco

Cappellini or thin Spaghetti with light plum tomato sauce and lots of Locatelli Romano cheese


If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?

dixie - I hear she can throw down some Stroganoff and Chicken and Dumplings.

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it.

I would go to an Island beach or one of the less populated Keys and grill on the beach. All day and night.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it?


I like Top Chef, and anything with Nigella Lawso, Giada De Laurentis or Sunny Anderson. I do not watch much TV these days but I like what I have seen.

Top Chef inspires my imagination and it is cool to see what Chefs come up with.

The others...well lovely ladies who can cook..what can I say.

What do you want to learn how to cook/make?

I am going to work on learning more about confections.


Name your Top 3 Desserts:

Chocolate & Coffee Ice Cream
Lemon Italian Ice
Creme Brulee with fresh raspberries

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name:


Espresso and Cream with chocolate chips - Coffee Seduction


( This was kinda like talking to myself! )

[TheMerryFairy]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I am sorry if this is way off topic but birthdays have always been something I have celebrated for my friends. Only a few times since I was a kid have I really appreicated the meaning for myself. This year I get it. Last year I wanted to but turning 30 is scary and yes I realize it is irrational in a lot of ways. It was celebrated but I dreaded it. I am dreading this one because now it's going to be official. Not 30 anymore but actually INTO the 30's, like the twilight zone? LOL

I am sorry for rambling but I just woke up from a ridiculously sweet 3 hour nap and I had dreams of dancing icecream cones. How appropriate for me to post in here.



I think I am leaning towards something other than chocolate cake. Icecream cake, a fruit torte or maybe a nice strawberry cheesecake even?

[Sun]

What about making a banana base and then adding other ingredients to it? Or do another type of base and adding frozen chopped/mashed banana to it -- Just a thought.


It is the consistency of the banana once frozen that I need to experiment with. I refuse to use flavorings or extracts so the flavor has to come from some maceration of the fruit. Same with coffee flavored ice cream which I have been working on. I cooked the espresso down and then made a syrup. The banana is a little more challenging but it is fun to work with.

[Sun]

I know some of you might think this is gross, but I made a hotdog without a hotdog bun. I substituted green leaf lettuce for the bun. I used a stick of cheese, the weenie of course, and mustard. It was pretty good with a lot less calories. I gotta drop 10 or 15 pounds so this could be an option. I only want to loose the weight so I can be a bit more active. I kind of like my budda belly.

Hi kannon

Lettuce is a great substitute for bread. Great idea.

Stay well hydrated and be careful with the sodium.

[Sun]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I am sorry if this is way off topic but birthdays have always been something I have celebrated for my friends. Only a few times since I was a kid have I really appreicated the meaning for myself. This year I get it. Last year I wanted to but turning 30 is scary and yes I realize it is irrational in a lot of ways. It was celebrated but I dreaded it. I am dreading this one because now it's going to be official. Not 30 anymore but actually INTO the 30's, like the twilight zone? LOL

I am sorry for rambling but I just woke up from a ridiculously sweet 3 hour nap and I had dreams of dancing icecream cones. How appropriate for me to post in here.

Ah Birthdays...wow. My first date with my ex was on my birthday a few years ago. I had been working on my birthday for the past few years as it falls on a big holiday weekend, so she wanted to make it special for me and she did. We had a few new traditions that were unique to us.

As for a cake I like Tiramisu cake, or the cake that I had growing up which was unique made by my request, an Angel food cake filled with orange sorbet. No idea where I came up with this fru fru cake idea when I was a kid but I did and one of my Aunts made it for me every year. It was awesome.

For the last 10 years my favorite place to spend birthday dinner has been my favorite sushi bar in Northern CA. Some of my favorite foods are there.

Strawberry shortcake is also something that I love as is Lemon Merengue pie. All would be fun to have on a birthday.

[TheMerryFairy]

Ah Birthdays...wow. My first date with my ex was on my birthday a few years ago. I had been working on my birthday for the past few years as it falls on a big holiday weekend, so she wanted to make it special for me and she did. We had a few new traditions that were unique to us.

As for a cake I like Tiramisu cake, or the cake that I had growing up which was unique made by my request, an Angel food cake filled with orange sorbet. No idea where I came up with this fru fru cake idea when I was a kid but I did and one of my Aunts made it for me every year. It was awesome.

For the last 10 years my favorite place to spend birthday dinner has been my favorite sushi bar in Northern CA. Some of my favorite foods are there.

Strawberry shortcake is also something that I love as is Lemon Merengue pie. All would be fun to have on a birthday.

*S That "fru fru" cake sounds quite delicious! I could likely ice it and garnish with shaved pieces of chocolate orange (not trying to insult your tradition)

It sounds like your birthdays have always been really special, as they should be.

I have traveled so much (only abroad once) that my birthday usually just ends up being celebrated with whoever happens to be around at the time. Sometimes it is the good company of close friends or family, sometimes just with people passing through wherever I am and other times it is spent taking myself to lunch at an authentic local bistro.

I would love to have a huge potluck one year and invite friends from near and far to join me for some adult conversation, drinks and silly boardgames.

This year I am thinking about celebrating the changes in my life and I would like to have or cook a meal that has been influenced by my decision to travel again.

Maybe I will make a few comfort dishes and forget about the traditional cake.

[dixie]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?
Oddly, food plays a huge role in every holiday and special occasion OTHER than birthdays. If I'm dating someone, a nice quiet dinner somewhere. If not, there is an obligatory dinner with the parents unless they are out of town. Otherwise I sit at home with the kiddo like any other day, so just regular meals.

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???
If I do go out, it's usually for steak (my fav).

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I'm one of those folks who's never had a birthday party, so things about that stick in my head...especially the store-bought cake. For some reason it has been important over the years. (You know, childhood wishes of wanting the pretty store-bought-decorated cake, etc etc.) Soooo....once I got older, I started buying myself one of those tiny store bought cakes that only serves 1-2. At this point, it has become my own tradition. I'm more than happy with that. lol

[TheMerryFairy]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?
Oddly, food plays a huge role in every holiday and special occasion OTHER than birthdays. If I'm dating someone, a nice quiet dinner somewhere. If not, there is an obligatory dinner with the parents unless they are out of town. Otherwise I sit at home with the kiddo like any other day, so just regular meals.

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???
If I do go out, it's usually for steak (my fav).

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I'm one of those folks who's never had a birthday party, so things about that stick in my head...especially the store-bought cake. For some reason it has been important over the years. (You know, childhood wishes of wanting the pretty store-bought-decorated cake, etc etc.) Soooo....once I got older, I started buying myself one of those tiny store bought cakes that only serves 1-2. At this point, it has become my own tradition. I'm more than happy with that. lol

Thank you for sharing, Dixie :) It's really nice to hear how other people celebrate.

I have done this too when celebrating on my own. I quite like it. It's the perfect size and it still feels special. It was harder to do when I was backpacking with little or no money for extras.

I remember one year *gets a little emotional* these kids who were camping a few lots over found out from overhearing a conversation that my birthday was coming up. They set up a lemonade stand to collect money to make me a cake. That was so darn sweet and let me tell you, I had no idea. I visited that stand at least 3 times in those two days LOL It was good lemonade and they made me a lemonade cake decorated with a LOT of icing. That is something I won't forget any time soon.

[Sun]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?
Oddly, food plays a huge role in every holiday and special occasion OTHER than birthdays. If I'm dating someone, a nice quiet dinner somewhere. If not, there is an obligatory dinner with the parents unless they are out of town. Otherwise I sit at home with the kiddo like any other day, so just regular meals.

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???
If I do go out, it's usually for steak (my fav).

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I'm one of those folks who's never had a birthday party, so things about that stick in my head...especially the store-bought cake. For some reason it has been important over the years. (You know, childhood wishes of wanting the pretty store-bought-decorated cake, etc etc.) Soooo....once I got older, I started buying myself one of those tiny store bought cakes that only serves 1-2. At this point, it has become my own tradition. I'm more than happy with that. lol


I think that birthday traditions are sweet. I like yours.

This is a subject that I rarely ever discussed because when I was growing up we were not allowed to celebrate birthdays, as my Mom is a Jehovahs Witness. So for many years I just worked on my birthday and almost buried the idea of any celebration because the messaging that I got as a kid was "you are not important enough to celebrate" and that, sadly went hand in hand with some serious emotional and physical abuse. Having recovered from that as a young adult work kept me away from that memory. Then one year a girlfriend threw me a surprise party and I was shocked. Never had a party before. It was only the femmes in my life who ever gave me celebration.

For that I am forever grateful.

Celebrating a life is a really important thing to do. You are very blessed to have parents who are there to celebrate you, with you.

Lucky girl.

[Sun]

Thank you for sharing, Dixie :) It's really nice to hear how other people celebrate.

I have done this too when celebrating on my own. I quite like it. It's the perfect size and it still feels special. It was harder to do when I was backpacking with little or no money for extras.

I remember one year *gets a little emotional* these kids who were camping a few lots over found out from overhearing a conversation that my birthday was coming up. They set up a lemonade stand to collect money to make me a cake. That was so darn sweet and let me tell you, I had no idea. I visited that stand at least 3 times in those two days LOL It was good lemonade and they made me a lemonade cake decorated with a LOT of icing. That is something I won't forget any time soon.

Great story. Thank you for sharing it.

[Sun]

Mayonnaise cake, that my wife makes. Every year.

What unholy alliance is this?

*smirk*

I swear you make this stuff up brutha.

What is this cake??

How can you post something like this with no details?

Come on Corkey!!

[Corkey]

What unholy alliance is this?

*smirk*

I swear you make this stuff up brutha.

What is this cake??

How can you post something like this with no details?

Come on Corkey!!


It's OLD LOL cocoa and Miracle whip in place of eggs. Thats it!

[ahk]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?

Well, when its my birthday, I always ask for a coconut cake. Why? Because when I was a kid, my nana would always get me one (Sara Lee), but as I have grown up, I like home made. My wife, she makes a really good one, with dried cherries, dried apricots, walnuts, coconut, and cream cheese icing, its kind of like a Italian Wedding cake, but her version.

If its others in my family-- I usually make them cupcakes, something fun and tasty. I think cupcakes are fun!!

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???

Hmm... I like home cooked meals. I don't have a favourite, or PIZZA. You just can't go wrong with that!

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

See above.

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

See above.

I am sorry if this is way off topic but birthdays have always been something I have celebrated for my friends. Only a few times since I was a kid have I really appreicated the meaning for myself. This year I get it. Last year I wanted to but turning 30 is scary and yes I realize it is irrational in a lot of ways. It was celebrated but I dreaded it. I am dreading this one because now it's going to be official. Not 30 anymore but actually INTO the 30's, like the twilight zone? LOL

I am sorry for rambling but I just woke up from a ridiculously sweet 3 hour nap and I had dreams of dancing icecream cones. How appropriate for me to post in here.

Ramble on. LOL.

So, I'm making homemade spaghetti sauce tonight and wondering what others add to their sauce to make it awesome?

I made a basic recipe tonight: Ground chuck, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sauteed onions/bell peppers/garlic, kosher sea salt/pepper, Italian seasoning blend, 1 bay leaf, and a lot of hopeful anticipation.

I like for my sauce to simmer a good 3 hours, at least, before I eat it.

What about you guys?

I am like Sun, I will do a quick and easy sauce in 15 minutes or less -- as he/hy stated below. My honey loves this version better.

But I also make a "all day simmer" pot of sauce-- I take ground meat, garlic, onions, basil, oregano, salt/pepper, a little sugar, and about 2 bags of frozen chopped spinach. I let it cook -- Its really tasty. I like it -- Its more like a ragu.

See below. hehe.


Sounds great as it is. I do 2 sauces one quick: Start with chopped fresh garlic sauteed in olive oil for a few minutes (do not brown just soften) fresh basil, plum tomato's. That's it. Cook less than 15 mins. Longer releases too much acid.

Longer sauce: Start by sauteeing garlic in olive oil, add beef and pork cuts (depends on what inspires me at market) plum tomato's, basil and a little oregano (fresh if I can get it or dried if I can not) simmer for several hours. This is closer to what my Italian relatives brought from Italy.

see above.

It's OLD LOL cocoa and Miracle whip in place of eggs. Thats it!

something along these lines (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/04/chocolate-mayonnaise-cake-recipe.html)...??



(Can someone help me-- why can't I get my colours correct?) I am not re-editing. Sorry about that!! :hamactor:

[Corkey]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?

Well, when its my birthday, I always ask for a coconut cake. Why? Because when I was a kid, my nana would always get me one (Sara Lee), but as I have grown up, I like home made. My wife, she makes a really good one, with dried cherries, dried apricots, walnuts, coconut, and cream cheese icing, its kind of like a Italian Wedding cake, but her version.

If its others in my family-- I usually make them cupcakes, something fun and tasty. I think cupcakes are fun!!

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???

Hmm... I like home cooked meals. I don't have a favourite, or PIZZA. You just can't go wrong with that!

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

See above.

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

See above.

I am sorry if this is way off topic but birthdays have always been something I have celebrated for my friends. Only a few times since I was a kid have I really appreicated the meaning for myself. This year I get it. Last year I wanted to but turning 30 is scary and yes I realize it is irrational in a lot of ways. It was celebrated but I dreaded it. I am dreading this one because now it's going to be official. Not 30 anymore but actually INTO the 30's, like the twilight zone? LOL

I am sorry for rambling but I just woke up from a ridiculously sweet 3 hour nap and I had dreams of dancing icecream cones. How appropriate for me to post in here.

Ramble on. LOL.



I am like Sun, I will do a quick and easy sauce in 15 minutes or less -- as he/hy stated below. My honey loves this version better.

But I also make a "all day simmer" pot of sauce-- I take ground meat, garlic, onions, basil, oregano, salt/pepper, a little sugar, and about 2 bags of frozen chopped spinach. I let it cook -- Its really tasty. I like it -- Its more like a ragu.

See below. hehe.




see above.



something along these lines (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/04/chocolate-mayonnaise-cake-recipe.html)...??



(Can someone help me-- why can't I get my colours correct?) I am not re-editing. Sorry about that!! :hamactor:


Don't know not the baker in the family, but it look right lol.

[MarquisdeShey]

Making bbq pulled pork for dinner tomorrow night in the slow cooker.

Easy recipe. Salt, pepper, onions and pork roast studded with cloves.

I add the bbq sauce right before serving.

[Sun]

Hola Everyone,

I am in the burnout zone and will post some comments tomorrow..I love to see yall cooking and talking about food. Long day in the kitchen at work..we had a fresh basil crisis today and I could not make Salmon Nicoise herb topping..tragic. Not really but my boss seemed to think so until I reminded him that we had enough to get through the day. Everything changes when Chef's have to run the business of the business. It surely collides with the straight forward flow of creative energy.

As always I was on the grill a lot..lots of grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, steaks..good marinades..chimichurri sauce..and lots of ladies stopping in for lunch in between shoe shopping and an event at Chanel. I love fashion so I may as well work in a fashion center. It is fun.

One thing that I love is to walk the dining room and say hello to the guests. I love to get feedback on the food and genuinely thank them for coming in. The guests love that too, they seem to feel appreciated, which they are. They make it possible for us to have careers cooking.

Grateful for that.

Grateful for many things.

Peace & light

Sun

[Sun]

Making bbq pulled pork for dinner tomorrow night in the slow cooker.

Easy recipe. Salt, pepper, onions and pork roast studded with cloves.

I add the bbq sauce right before serving.

This is one of my favorite meals. Never had it with cloves though. Interesting spin.

What will you serve it with?

[Sun]

Good day Delicious people!

I have some wonderful news to share. Medusa and I have been discussing having a "Cooking Event" at the Reunion. This idea was generated in this thread early on and we are looking at options.

One very possible option is to have an outdoor bbq/grilling event that would be held at the park behind the hotel.

This is a fun opportunity for all of you cooks and backyard grill fans to come out and throwdown!

Also a great time to mix and mingle with other foodies from the community.

Nothing is definite, this is very early on in the planning, but I am excited about the possibilities so I wanted to share :)

[TheMerryFairy]

I found almond grain burgers at the grocery store and I am really excited to try these! I have made my own veggie burgers before using many different recipes but I couldn't pass these up.

I don't know what I will do with them yet. I might throw them on the grill with some light cheese, tequila and chipotle bbq sauce or whiskey honey bbq, fried up mushrooms, onions and peppers and maybe even some turkey bacon.

I will make up for it by making a HUGE fresh summer style salad with extra veggies, a very light vinaigrette and then some fruit slices on the side.

I may be drooling just a little bit thinking about it.

[CA_BabyCakes]

Mmmm food.....



Every now and then I will throw out a survey just for fun.

Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite? Not that i have noticed, but not that u mentioned it, im gonna keep an eye on it.

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal? Diet Pepsi or Iced Tea

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:Baked Ham, A really good Burrito, Green chile chicken enchiladas

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?My grandma, her tamales are amazing!

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it.
Humm...maybe Peru we have a few local places that are peruvian, they are amazing
Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it? Man Vs. Food, I like seeing what other states have to offer

What do you want to learn how to cook/make? Right now i am interested in learning how to make flan, properly.

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?

Name your Top 3 Desserts: Carrot cake, cheesecake and most things with ganache in them :D

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name: Artic Penguin Kisses: Mint and Oreos with hershey kisses

[Daktari]

Moser Roth 85% dark chocolate filled with a sour cherry and chilli mousse. Decadently divine dahlink!

[TheMerryFairy]

Moser Roth 85% dark chocolate filled with a sour cherry and chilli mousse. Decadently divine dahlink!

OH that sounds delicious! I can add that to my cravings list too.

[ahk]

[B][B]Hola Everyone,

I am in the burnout zone and will post some comments tomorrow..I love to see yall cooking and talking about food. Long day in the kitchen at work..we had a fresh basil crisis today and I could not make Salmon Nicoise herb topping..tragic. Not really but my boss seemed to think so until I reminded him that we had enough to get through the day. Everything changes when Chef's have to run the business of the business. It surely collides with the straight forward flow of creative energy.

As always I was on the grill a lot..lots of grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, steaks..good marinades..chimichurri sauce..and lots of ladies stopping in for lunch in between shoe shopping and an event at Chanel. I love fashion so I may as well work in a fashion center. It is fun.

One thing that I love is to walk the dining room and say hello to the guests. I love to get feedback on the food and genuinely thank them for coming in. The guests love that too, they seem to feel appreciated, which they are. They make it possible for us to have careers cooking.

Grateful for that.

Grateful for many things.

Peace & light


What place do you work at? Ca? or AZ? and -- I love chimichurri sauce! How do you make it? Curious, everyone makes their own version.

I have to say -- I like the fact how you brought up saying hello to the guests, I feel that's a real honour to say hi to the one who prepared your eats. Dude, you're awesome!!

[QUOTE=Daktari;763320][COLOR="Sienna"]Moser Roth 85% dark chocolate filled with a sour cherry and chilli mousse. Decadently divine dahlink!

Wow, that sounds good! Enjoy!

:chocolate:

[ahk]

Moser Roth 85% dark chocolate filled with a sour cherry and chilli mousse. Decadently divine dahlink!

For those who can't have any right now--

LOL.

CLICK!! (http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/moser-roth-mousse-au-chocolat-sour-cherry-chilli/)

[Sun]

Hola Delicious people!

Today I had a Taco outing to Barrio Cafe..the place that I rave about. The Chef is so cool..she really is my favorite. I could eat there every day, but then again, I love Mexican food, this Chef just kicks it up into a higher elevation than most.

The Tacos are very small, soft, just made by hand, corn tortilias, were: Cochinita Pibil (juicy, slow cooked...Mayan style achiote spiced pulled pork) Mmmm...Shrimp Mojo (my fav) and Chorizo con Avocado. Then they had me sample a few things that they were preparing (the Chef perks) one was oven roasted tomato's..really garlicky and well seasoned..similar to what we make at my Cafe but better.

Then I sampled Chiles en Nogada...Lord have mercy..a Poblano chile stuffed with chicken, pecans, fruit, onions...baked and covered in an almond sauce with pomagranite seeds garnish. Stunning.

We also discussed Mole Verde something that I was not aware of and have never had. Can not wait to try it.

They are always working up a new spin on a classic.

How are you all doing?

[TheMerryFairy]

Hola Delicious people!

Today I had a Taco outing to Barrio Cafe..the place that I rave about. The Chef is so cool..she really is my favorite. I could eat there every day, but then again, I love Mexican food, this Chef just kicks it up into a higher elevation than most.

The Tacos are very small, soft, just made by hand, corn tortilias, were: Cochinita Pibil (juicy, slow cooked...Mayan style achiote spiced pulled pork) Mmmm...Shrimp Mojo (my fav) and Chorizo con Avocado. Then they had me sample a few things that they were preparing (the Chef perks) one was oven roasted tomato's..really garlicky and well seasoned..similar to what we make at my Cafe but better.

Then I sampled Chiles en Nogada...Lord have mercy..a Poblano chile stuffed with chicken, pecans, fruit, onions...baked and covered in an almond sauce with pomagranite seeds garnish. Stunning.

We also discussed Mole Verde something that I was not aware of and have never had. Can not wait to try it.

They are always working up a new spin on a classic.

How are you all doing?


I am now officially craving those chiles en nogada! I will take two of those right now, please.

[Sun]

Moser Roth 85% dark chocolate filled with a sour cherry and chilli mousse. Decadently divine dahlink!

I have never had this but it looks to be an amazing flavor combination.

On my Facebook wall I posted about a cupcake called "Better Than Sex" though several femmes were quick to disagree with that statement. It is a German Chocolate cupcake that involves caramel and whipped cream filling and some chocolate ganache. I will look it up when I am more coherent. Sounded good to me.

[TheMerryFairy]

I have never had this but it looks to be an amazing flavor combination.

On my Facebook wall I posted about a cupcake called "Better Than Sex" though several femmes were quick to disagree with that statement. It is a German Chocolate cupcake that involves caramel and whipped cream filling and some chocolate ganache. I will look it up when I am more coherent. Sounded good to me.


I think it would have to depend on the sex, honestly lol

[gaea]

Hungry For Change,

This is a documentary that is amazing in and of itself discussing the addiction's to carb's and sugar and it also talks about MSG's and Aspartame, Also discussed in this documentary is the way to help our bodies cleanse of toxins via natural foods.

Interesting viewing.

[TheMerryFairy]

Hungry For Change,

This is a documentary that is amazing in and of itself discussing the addiction's to carb's and sugar and it also talks about MSG's and Aspartame, Also discussed in this documentary is the way to help our bodies cleanse of toxins via natural foods.

Interesting viewing.


I will have to watch this one today.

[ruffryder]

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I am sorry if this is way off topic but birthdays have always been something I have celebrated for my friends. Only a few times since I was a kid have I really appreicated the meaning for myself. This year I get it. Last year I wanted to but turning 30 is scary and yes I realize it is irrational in a lot of ways. It was celebrated but I dreaded it. I am dreading this one because now it's going to be official. Not 30 anymore but actually INTO the 30's, like the twilight zone? LOL

I am sorry for rambling but I just woke up from a ridiculously sweet 3 hour nap and I had dreams of dancing icecream cones. How appropriate for me to post in here.

Food does play a huge role for birthdays, comes from the heart with love. When all else fails and not sure of a gift to get get food, cake, ice cream ! haha.

I for one enjoy when someone will cook my favorite meal or take me out to one of my fav dining places. I also love cake and ice cream for sure! German chocolate is my favorite of all time. Coworkers shared a birthday in August and we all got a huge cupcake that was german chocolate it was so good and great memory I still have. Also one year instead of cake I asked my then gf to make me some cream pies. She went all out with chocolate and banana ones. A couple big ones then some smaller ones.

For others I tend to take them to their fav dining spot and / or get some cake/cupcakes and ice cream or ice cream cake. I am not one to make cakes so I go out and buy them! But homemade cakes are great and maybe I should look into that in the future. :)

[ruffryder]

Hey all! Been awhile since I been around here. Everything still looks delicious here! Some great topics and I'll for sure be back to post more soon. Gotta run now. Happy eatin' ! Ya'll have a wonderful Friday! I been craving some bbq pork ribs and I think I'll be making some soon..

[TheMerryFairy]

Food does play a huge role for birthdays, comes from the heart with love. When all else fails and not sure of a gift to get get food, cake, ice cream ! haha.

I for one enjoy when someone will cook my favorite meal or take me out to one of my fav dining places. I also love cake and ice cream for sure! German chocolate is my favorite of all time. Coworkers shared a birthday in August and we all got a huge cupcake that was german chocolate it was so good and great memory I still have. Also one year instead of cake I asked my then gf to make me some cream pies. She went all out with chocolate and banana ones. A couple big ones then some smaller ones.

For others I tend to take them to their fav dining spot and / or get some cake/cupcakes and ice cream or ice cream cake. I am not one to make cakes so I go out and buy them! But homemade cakes are great and maybe I should look into that in the future. :)


Thanks so much for replying! I loved reading this :)

Anything I cook, I do with love and I love food that is fresh and inspired so for special occasions, it just makes sense for me. I still have no idea what to even consider for myself. I might break down and go celebrate alone at a restaurant or cook a well planned meal.

German chocolate is really good! I recently saw german chocolate cupcakes in those chocolate wrapper cups. To die for! Then there's always the coldstone german chocolate icecream cupcakes. The sensory arousal is quite overwhelming lol.

The cake is my biggest hang up right now. There is so much to choose from! I love homemade cakes but honestly, I can't make one for myself that's the least bit satisfying LOL I can make them for others but I am just so picky sometimes about what I cook for myself.

[Sun]

Hola Delicious People!!

Wow this was a very very busy day for me at work. It rained and hailed here, which is so crazy since it was just sunny and 82. So all of the tourists went shopping and out to lunch! We were slammed. High season in Scottsdale. There it is.

I was very happy to get out to my favorite place yesterday and have some fab food, it really helps to put my work into perspective to have cooks that are more talented than I am, cook for me. One thing about cooking professionally is that I do not want to lose my own love of cooking on my down time and that us always a risk. When I come home from work I want nothing to do with cooking and often have yogurt or a sandwich when what I need is a real meal.

We have a Birthday coming soon...Ms MF is going to be celebrating..so this calls for a virtual Delicious party. Lets all brainstorm on what we can bring to the banquet, shall we?

It is a great and fun escape for me to post in this thread. You all make my day, truly. So thank you for taking the time to read, post, comment and just be here.

Big hugs to all of you.

[Sun]

Hey all! Been awhile since I been around here. Everything still looks delicious here! Some great topics and I'll for sure be back to post more soon. Gotta run now. Happy eatin' ! Ya'll have a wonderful Friday! I been craving some bbq pork ribs and I think I'll be making some soon..

Glad you stopped by ruff! Come back soon. We have to plan a cooking event for the reunion so I want your input.

Ribs..well if were not hailing as all crazy hell outside I might go out for bbq, I have been wanting some. Not going anywhere. Been rain soaked twice today. Staying put.

[Sun]

Hungry For Change,

This is a documentary that is amazing in and of itself discussing the addiction's to carb's and sugar and it also talks about MSG's and Aspartame, Also discussed in this documentary is the way to help our bodies cleanse of toxins via natural foods.

Interesting viewing.

Hi gaea nice to see you here.

Thanks for this info, I am going to see if it is on Netflix. There was a discussion with some BF friends on Facebook and one friend did believe that Aspartame was safe and I pointed out that it is made with Ethanol. We are exposed to way too many toxins. I will check this out.

What are you cooking these days?

[TheMerryFairy]

Hola Delicious People!!

Wow this was a very very busy day for me at work. It rained and hailed here, which is so crazy since it was just sunny and 82. So all of the tourists went shopping and out to lunch! We were slammed. High season in Scottsdale. There it is.

I was very happy to get out to my favorite place yesterday and have some fab food, it really helps to put my work into perspective to have cooks that are more talented than I am, cook for me. One thing about cooking professionally is that I do not want to lose my own love of cooking on my down time and that us always a risk. When I come home from work I want nothing to do with cooking and often have yogurt or a sandwich when what I need is a real meal.

We have a Birthday coming soon...Ms MF is going to be celebrating..so this calls for a virtual Delicious party. Lets all brainstorm on what we can bring to the banquet, shall we?

It is a great and fun escape for me to post in this thread. You all make my day, truly. So thank you for taking the time to read, post, comment and just be here.

Big hugs to all of you.


*Blushes and tries not to interrupt*

[Sun]

Has anyone noticed the # of posts in this thread vs the # of views? Wow!!

Where are all of you readers?

Post something!!

You folks all eat yes?

;)

Come on people!!

[TheMerryFairy]

Has anyone noticed the # of posts in this thread vs the # of views? Wow!!

Where are all of you readers?

Post something!!

You folks all eat yes?

;)

Come on people!!


Okay I admit that I read a lot , even if I don't post. I made a Korean bbq stirfry tonight using beef and noodles. I made a little salad for the side and I will use the sauce for chicken skewers tomorrow.

Dessert was Ben & Jerry's icecream - If I had a million flavors.

[Corkey]

We went here http://www.frankieandmay.com/about-us/ And we got some breakfast sausages and some Aioli and some veggies and a goat cheese and red pepper spread.
Small store with lots of local canned and bottled stuffs. It will be a good gift store for the parental carbon units come that time of year.

[TheMerryFairy]

I am heading to the farmers market tomorrow so hopefully I will get inspired to make a few nice dishes this week.

There are always vendors set up to serve breakfast, lunch and not to mention the AMAZING strong fair trade coffee to which I am addicted.

I am practically drooling thinking about the locally made sausage being put into a breakfast wrap or the smell of the spicy samosa's waiting to be picked up. One of my favorites by far is the little lebanese cart set up for eat in or take out dining.

The nice thing about trying to promote my services is that the other vendors like to network and barter so sometimes I get a great deal on those little extras I stated above (I call them necessities on market day) for a hot shave.

[ruffryder]

Thanks so much for replying! I loved reading this :)

Anything I cook, I do with love and I love food that is fresh and inspired so for special occasions, it just makes sense for me. I still have no idea what to even consider for myself. I might break down and go celebrate alone at a restaurant or cook a well planned meal.

German chocolate is really good! I recently saw german chocolate cupcakes in those chocolate wrapper cups. To die for! Then there's always the coldstone german chocolate icecream cupcakes. The sensory arousal is quite overwhelming lol.

The cake is my biggest hang up right now. There is so much to choose from! I love homemade cakes but honestly, I can't make one for myself that's the least bit satisfying LOL I can make them for others but I am just so picky sometimes about what I cook for myself.

AHHH you got a bday coming up soon! Wish some of us were closer to help you celebrate! Sometimes I love being alone and doing what I enjoy. I think that could be great for a bday and including buying oneself a gift! If I was to celebrate a bday alone I would probably spend the day at the beach get some ice cream then home to cook up a ribeye steak meal and have some beers. . and maybe a cheese cake. :)

[ruffryder]

Has anyone noticed the # of posts in this thread vs the # of views? Wow!!

Where are all of you readers?

Post something!!

You folks all eat yes?

;)

Come on people!!

HOLA ! :)

ahhh the Farmer's Market. I still need to go to a few of these in my area! Maybe as the weather gets warmer and I get settled back down in life. There is also one or two grocery places that cater to fruits and veggies from the farmer so I need to check that out also!



Hola Delicious peeps!

I checked out a new bbq place yesterday. It was good but did not blow me away. After all this is not Texas or Memphis.

So this got me wondering, what makes great bbq?

What do you all think?

Also what are some of your favorites for side dishes?

Speaking of BBQ one of my fav places is Famous Daves! Check it out! ooh ummm http://www.famousdaves.com/menu

A great bbq for me is moist meat. . and definitely sauce! Love sauce and the spicier the better! They have one called Devil's spit. holy hot damnnn. LOL sooo good! I think I like pork more than beef when it comes to BBQ.

I've also had some pretty good BBQ in KC Missouri.

As for sides I'm always thinking baked beans with bacon in them and coleslaw. French fries and mac and cheese are good too! and corn bread!

[imadiva]

Just shared a big Carrot Cake cupcake from Costco with my dog ! OMG it was so good !

[TheMerryFairy]

What does everyone have cooking today?

I made a giant breakfast this morning with a piece of french toast, a fruit yogurt parfait, home fries grilled with onion, mushroom and pepper, sausage and one egg over medium.

I also had morning blend tea.


I am trying to decide what I will have for lunch, now.

[TheMerryFairy]

What is everyone eating today???


I have eaten very well so far today and I haven't even gotten to the icing on the cake yet!!!!!

For breakfast I stopped at a local coffee shop where I was bought TWO cups of deliciousness to start my day. The first was a chai latte and the second was a hazelnut caramel espresso macchiato. THAT kickstarted my energy, if I wasn't already alert. THEN I was surprised with gifts, homemade baked goods and really cool balloons so I must have been levitating by then!

Work is going to be crazy this week so my boss was determined to surprise me somehow at the shop. I walked into sweet birthday flowers, some pastery on the counter and an everything bagel with light jalapeno cream cheese. Apparently I needed to spice it up today *laughs* My station was decorated simply with a few streamers and a box with a card and bow attached. He is too good to me.

I had a great day filled with laughs, a smile that didn't leave my face, great energy, fun talks and beautiful birthday wishes and it's not even over!!

My boss demanded I take lunch, instead of overworking myself. I was worried because it was so busy of course. He handled that by announcing his birthday party idea and the clients could have cookies and tea or coffee if they wished. It seemed to make the shop more busy (the party blowers didn't help) but calm at the same time.

He ordered subway for all of the staff and after the clients had their goods, we had 30 minutes before anyone showed back up.

My birthday meal for tonight is - deep fried cheese ravioli with marinara to dip, a grape leaf, mixed lettuce and cabbage sald with beef, veggies, apricot and a light honey garlic vinigrette, chicken and chorizo penne with mushrooms, apricot, fig, herbs and a spiced tomato sauce

DESSERT : a homemade tiramisu cake that I am dying to dive into but won't because it looks so good.

[meridiantoo]

I am going to cook my first corned beef next week. Any suggestions, tips, etc.?

:clover:

[Sun]

Hola Delicious people!

Happy Birthday to Merry Fairy and FeminineAllure! What an awesome month for birthdays. My mini diva turns 16 next week. Hard to believe.

I hope that you all are doing well. It has been an insanely busy week at work with the town full of tourists and a location that is the center of all of the action. Wow. Today we were short staffed and I made pizza all day. We have an amazing pizza oven. It was a total blast. That brought me to my next question:

What are are your favorite pizza toppings?

[Sun]

I am going to cook my first corned beef next week. Any suggestions, tips, etc.?

:clover:

I add a little apple cider vinegar to the water. For me, the cabbage is the draw, so I make a lot of it.

Suggestion: Buy organic, naturally raised beef.

[Sun]

Just shared a big Carrot Cake cupcake from Costco with my dog ! OMG it was so good !

Carrot Cake is awesome. I love it with Pineapple mixed in.

[TheMerryFairy]

I am going to cook my first corned beef next week. Any suggestions, tips, etc.?

:clover:

The brine is key! Make sure you make it ahead of time, cook it down and then put it in the firdge for a few days with the brisket.

Go low and slow!

[TheMerryFairy]

Hola Delicious people!

Happy Birthday to Merry Fairy and FeminineAllure! What an awesome month for birthdays. My mini diva turns 16 next week. Hard to believe.

I hope that you all are doing well. It has been an insanely busy week at work with the town full of tourists and a location that is the center of all of the action. Wow. Today we were short staffed and I made pizza all day. We have an amazing pizza oven. It was a total blast. That brought me to my next question:

What are are your favorite pizza toppings?



If I just say yes will it count? LOL I love pizza especially from a wood or clay oven. It's hard to pick a favorite although lately for a specialty pizza I've been digging a moroccan chicken pizza with an apricot tomato sauce and loaded with veggies.

[Sun]

What is everyone eating today???


I have eaten very well so far today and I haven't even gotten to the icing on the cake yet!!!!!

For breakfast I stopped at a local coffee shop where I was bought TWO cups of deliciousness to start my day. The first was a chai latte and the second was a hazelnut caramel espresso macchiato. THAT kickstarted my energy, if I wasn't already alert. THEN I was surprised with gifts, homemade baked goods and really cool balloons so I must have been levitating by then!

Work is going to be crazy this week so my boss was determined to surprise me somehow at the shop. I walked into sweet birthday flowers, some pastery on the counter and an everything bagel with light jalapeno cream cheese. Apparently I needed to spice it up today *laughs* My station was decorated simply with a few streamers and a box with a card and bow attached. He is too good to me.

I had a great day filled with laughs, a smile that didn't leave my face, great energy, fun talks and beautiful birthday wishes and it's not even over!!

My boss demanded I take lunch, instead of overworking myself. I was worried because it was so busy of course. He handled that by announcing his birthday party idea and the clients could have cookies and tea or coffee if they wished. It seemed to make the shop more busy (the party blowers didn't help) but calm at the same time.

He ordered subway for all of the staff and after the clients had their goods, we had 30 minutes before anyone showed back up.

My birthday meal for tonight is - deep fried cheese ravioli with marinara to dip, a grape leaf, mixed lettuce and cabbage sald with beef, veggies, apricot and a light honey garlic vinigrette, chicken and chorizo penne with mushrooms, apricot, fig, herbs and a spiced tomato sauce

DESSERT : a homemade tiramisu cake that I am dying to dive into but won't because it looks so good.


My goodness birthday girl you are having feast. I am really happy that you are having a wonderful day. Everyone should have a wonderful birthday.

As for what am I eating today, not much. I had fresh mozzerella, tomato, basil on a bed of Arugula for lunch. That is all I have to report. Too tired to deal with dinner. Need to get stuff done around the house and ready for another busy day. This is the last season of seasonal work for me. As much as travelling once was very alluring to me, I am craving being back home in CA.

[TheMerryFairy]

My goodness birthday girl you are having feast. I am really happy that you are having a wonderful day. Everyone should have a wonderful birthday.

As for what am I eating today, not much. I had fresh mozzerella, tomato, basil on a bed of Arugula for lunch. That is all I have to report. Too tired to deal with dinner. Need to get stuff done around the house and ready for another busy day. This is the last season of seasonal work for me. As much as travelling once was very alluring to me, I am craving being back home in CA.



What you DID have to eat sounds great and yes, thank you I am having a wonderful day. I think I am worried about the same thing when it comes to traveling. I am scared that after a few months I will just want to come back to a space of my own.

I hope you can get back to CA soon - at least for a visit.

[Sun]

If I just say yes will it count? LOL I love pizza especially from a wood or clay oven. It's hard to pick a favorite although lately for a specialty pizza I've been digging a moroccan chicken pizza with an apricot tomato sauce and loaded with veggies.


LOL, yes.

That sounds really good. Today I kept thinking about how much fun it would be to open a Pizza shop that also serves home made ice cream. With lots of options for Vegans and gluten free customers. Fun food, made from organic, sustainable, local farms.

Omg and it was baby day at work! 3 sets of twins came into the restaurant! Totally mind blowing. The staff lets me know when cute kids are in the dining room because I love children, especially babies. So over the course of the day, we had a lot of kids come through. It was very awesome. One little guy even picked out his own fresh basil leaves for his pizza. He seemed fascinated with the texture. Our pizza station is open so I was able to interact with the customers. Fun.

[Sun]

What you DID have to eat sounds great and yes, thank you I am having a wonderful day. I think I am worried about the same thing when it comes to traveling. I am scared that after a few months I will just want to come back to a space of my own.

I hope you can get back to CA soon - at least for a visit.

Trying to hang in for the busy season, but they also need me in CA so we will see what the next few weeks brings. That is the upside of working for a company with multiple locations.

AZ is wonderful, there are many things that I like about the state but my social network is mostly in CA and I am in need of a social life. Bigtime ;)

[TheMerryFairy]

LOL, yes.

That sounds really good. Today I kept thinking about how much fun it would be to open a Pizza shop that also serves home made ice cream. With lots of options for Vegans and gluten free customers. Fun food, made from organic, sustainable, local farms.

Omg and it was baby day at work! 3 sets of twins came into the restaurant! Totally mind blowing. The staff lets me know when cute kids are in the dining room because I love children, especially babies. So over the course of the day, we had a lot of kids come through. It was very awesome. One little guy even picked out his own fresh basil leaves for his pizza. He seemed fascinated with the texture. Our pizza station is open so I was able to interact with the customers. Fun.

That is really cute. I love kids too and that kind of interaction. The shop was full of them since kids are on break from school this week. It was even better when they smiled brightly when they found out they could pick out a cookie to take home as partof my work birthday celebration.

I am happy you had fun today. Your idea for a restaurant sounds brilliant! Gelato all the way :)

[Sun]

The brine is key! Make sure you make it ahead of time, cook it down and then put it in the firdge for a few days with the brisket.

Go low and slow!

What is in your brine? My only issue with brine is the heavy salting. So I am forever deconstructing brine.

[ahk]

just coming by to say hi--

last week of classes--- YAY!!

[Sun]

just coming by to say hi--

last week of classes--- YAY!!

Hey buddy! What are you going to do to celebrate your downtime?

We have a new cook at work from NM. Today she told me that her state has really good green chili's..I laughed my azz off..she had no idea what a chili freak I am or how I have already been all over the state eating green chili. It was cute.

[ruffryder]

bump , bump..






Virgo Moon Survey:

Does the full moon impact your appetite?
I don't know! Never thought of it and I'll check into it cause now I'm curious. lol.

What is your beverage of choice to have with a meal?
it varies. my bevs of choice include Pepsi Max, water, beer, ice tea. When I'm having dessert it's coffee.

Name your Top 3 Comfort Foods:
Fried chicken, Chinese hot and sour soup and dumplings, Tacos, and beer!

If you could have anyone cook for you who would it be?
my grandmother who has passed and homemade mexican food!

If you could have a meal anywhere in the world, where would you go? Tell us about it.
I would say Italy right in the heart of it in the bel paese (beautiful country) side. Or how about Hawaii for a pig roast complete with the party and dancers. heh.

Do you have a Food TV show that you like? If so what do you like about it?
I like Kitchen Nightmares. I like Chef Ramsay and enjoy watching the transformations and creations.

What do you want to learn how to cook/make?
hmmm. . I guess I can learn how to make anything if I just try! How about a great lasagna and dessert cannoli! :)

For the non cooks, what do you never want to learn how to cook/make?

Name your Top 3 Desserts:
Key Lime Pie, Apple Pie and Strawberry Cheesecake. I also like Ice cream too! Sorry had to throw that in there. lol

Create a new ice cream flavor. Give it a name:
Key Lime Rhubarb. haha.

[CA_BabyCakes]

http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/pabon_family/2013-03-09_09-17-29_446.jpg

Here was the final product for the babyshower we held over the weekend, lots of chopping but it was sooo worth it!

[Corkey]

What is in your brine? My only issue with brine is the heavy salting. So I am forever deconstructing brine.

Try 1:1 sugar to salt in brine.

[ahk]

Hey buddy! What are you going to do to celebrate your downtime?

We have a new cook at work from NM. Today she told me that her state has really good green chili's..I laughed my azz off..she had no idea what a chili freak I am or how I have already been all over the state eating green chili. It was cute.


Well Friday is my last day, after my final and exit class -- I am going out to Billy's Long Bar for a drink or two with classmates, my lovely wife will be joining me and finally meeting everyone (put faces to names that I've bitched about :| ) lol. Then Saturday, my wife (K) and I are meeting up with an old friend for dinner, conversation, drinks at O'Neils Irish Pub. K has been planning on a trip up north (Santa FE) for the next 4 days after that, but honestly, I have no idea what we're doing, where we're staying, eating, soaking-- she says its my surprise!! Then after that-- I come home and study for my CRT and RRT/SRRT I have 3 tests to get my License. I am super excited and kind of anxious! but I've busted my ass these last few years and I know I'm ready.

Thank you for asking, Sun.

So a co-worker said that-- funny. Did you tell her that you heart green chili!! and ask her why she didn't bring you any?? Sheesh, the nerve.

Have a good night-- and again, thank you.

[Sun]

Holy Ceviche!!

babycakes rocked that party out huh? Wow.

Such a tease!!

Hola Delicioustarians, how in the world are you all doing?

Did we lose MF to the cake? I have never seen so many posts about cake and Tiramisu cake was my birthday cake too! Small world huh. MF are you in a sugar coma today hon? Hope you are ok.

Well it was another fascinating day full of eventful Chef stuff..some of it makes me wonder why I chose this career and if I have suppressed some masochistic tendencies..and then my brain kicks in and remembers that things simply go wrong, and the trick is to just shift, refocus and get it done.

So, no repressed inner masochist to report on.

We are having many challenges with anything green and leafy that comes from CA. Seems like the weather tossed us a curve ball. I use a lot of greens and fresh herbs so it is really frustrating when top quality produce is not top quality. Berries are also a nightmare this week.

Come on summer!!

Cant wait to get back to the Berkeley Organic Farmers Market once a week.

I am working out a gluten free pizza dough recipe.

Any suggestions?

[TheMerryFairy]

Holy Ceviche!!

babycakes rocked that party out huh? Wow.

Such a tease!!

Hola Delicioustarians, how in the world are you all doing?

Did we lose MF to the cake? I have never seen so many posts about cake and Tiramisu cake was my birthday cake too! Small world huh. MF are you in a sugar coma today hon? Hope you are ok.

Well it was another fascinating day full of eventful Chef stuff..some of it makes me wonder why I chose this career and if I have suppressed some masochistic tendencies..and then my brain kicks in and remembers that things simply go wrong, and the trick is to just shift, refocus and get it done.

So, no repressed inner masochist to report on.

We are having many challenges with anything green and leafy that comes from CA. Seems like the weather tossed us a curve ball. I use a lot of greens and fresh herbs so it is really frustrating when top quality produce is not top quality. Berries are also a nightmare this week.

Come on summer!!

Cant wait to get back to the Berkeley Organic Farmers Market once a week.

I am working out a gluten free pizza dough recipe.

Any suggestions?


I am still alive and oddly enough I'm not even swinging from the rafters! It was a perfect balance and I didn't over do it lol. I will guard this cake though and while I would share it with you all if I could, I'm happy keeping it to myself in realtime for now.

You are right about reshifting focus. In the fast paced business world or even our personal lives you really just have to ask yourself if it's worth it and dig to find that passion again if you can.

I hope the produce becomes less of a nightmare to work with!

[TheMerryFairy]

Has anyone ever had one of those whiney/crampy days where you know you want to eat good food but you have no clue WHAT to make?

I don't want take out, as weird as that may seem. I also don't want to dirty the kitchen while I cook today. This seems like a lost cause right now LOL

[Sun]

Well Friday is my last day, after my final and exit class -- I am going out to Billy's Long Bar for a drink or two with classmates, my lovely wife will be joining me and finally meeting everyone (put faces to names that I've bitched about :| ) lol. Then Saturday, my wife (K) and I are meeting up with an old friend for dinner, conversation, drinks at O'Neils Irish Pub. K has been planning on a trip up north (Santa FE) for the next 4 days after that, but honestly, I have no idea what we're doing, where we're staying, eating, soaking-- she says its my surprise!! Then after that-- I come home and study for my CRT and RRT/SRRT I have 3 tests to get my License. I am super excited and kind of anxious! but I've busted my ass these last few years and I know I'm ready.

Thank you for asking, Sun.

So a co-worker said that-- funny. Did you tell her that you heart green chili!! and ask her why she didn't bring you any?? Sheesh, the nerve.

Have a good night-- and again, thank you.

Sounds like fun!

Good work!! Enjoy and celebrate, you deserve it.

Yes I mentioned to my co worker that I have tried every variety of Hatch chili's and she seemed surprised that I was as crazy about them as I am.

I may even make green chili ice cream.

[Sun]

Has anyone ever had one of those whiney/crampy days where you know you want to eat good food but you have no clue WHAT to make?

I don't want take out, as weird as that may seem. I also don't want to dirty the kitchen while I cook today. This seems like a lost cause right now LOL

I am not going to be much help here because I never want to cook anymore now that I am burning long shifts in the kitchen at work. What I can tell you however is that when I am in the mood to cook at home, I will freeze a few things for those days when I do not want to cook at all.

Actually if I were doing that very well, I would have a huge freezer. While fresh is great, we all have to be practical about how we take care of ourselves.

[TheMerryFairy]

I am not going to be much help here because I never want to cook anymore now that I am burning long shifts in the kitchen at work. What I can tell you however is that when I am in the mood to cook at home, I will freeze a few things for those days when I do not want to cook at all.

Actually if I were doing that very well, I would have a huge freezer. While fresh is great, we all have to be practical about how we take care of ourselves.

I am big on freezing things too for weekly meals. Unfortunately it seems as though when I DO have the avaliable time to cook, I am fighting something off or I am multi tasking .

I managed to deal with that today by getting out the barbecue. It needed to be done. I grilled up enough steak for tonight and tomorrow - I can use it in stirfy or a salad, whatever happens.

I also did up some pork and chicken as well as enough grilled veggies to last the weekend.

I think I'll stay away from rich and heavy desserts for a couple of days to see how my system fairs.

[Corkey]

Just made some sliced chicken in alfredo capers and green olive sauce over pasta. Bit of white wine to deglaze the pan seared chicken. Uh huh, yum...

[Sun]

Hola Delicious People!

Last night after work I headed over to a local Chicken and Waffle place that is all the rage around here. Its called Lolo's. (http://www.loloschickenandwaffles.com/) It is crazy good.

Been there before and decided that I like the fried chicken and sides but could pass on the waffles. So I had fried chicken, collard greens, red beans n rice and cornbread. It was really good. Since I cant deal with cooking for myself after a long day of cooking I am seeking out a few places to stop for dinner or take out on the way home a few days a week.

I passed on the Red Velvet Cake for dessert since I had consumed enough calories for the day, but the locals go wild over that cake.

This is my usual Barrio Cafe Taco fix day but I may pass and check them out tomorrow. My week will not be right if I do not get a good taco fix.

I hope that you are all are having a great day!

[Sun]

Just made some sliced chicken in alfredo capers and green olive sauce over pasta. Bit of white wine to deglaze the pan seared chicken. Uh huh, yum...

That sounds like my kind of sauce Corkey. You just hit on one of my favorite flavor profiles.

You big tease ;)

Really hoping that you can come out west and cook with me one of these days. I will be on the east coast in July and if I can make a side trip will let you know.

[Talon]

Hola Delicious People!

Last night after work I headed over to a local Chicken and Waffle place that is all the rage around here. Its called Lolo's. (http://www.loloschickenandwaffles.com/) It is crazy good.

Been there before and decided that I like the fried chicken and sides but could pass on the waffles. So I had fried chicken, collard greens, red beans n rice and cornbread. It was really good. Since I cant deal with cooking for myself after a long day of cooking I am seeking out a few places to stop for dinner or take out on the way home a few days a week.

I passed on the Red Velvet Cake for dessert since I had consumed enough calories for the day, but the locals go wild over that cake.


This is my usual Barrio Cafe Taco fix day but I may pass and check them out tomorrow. My week will not be right if I do not get a good taco fix.

I hope that you are all are having a great day!




Oh...Red Velvet Cake..that's my *favorite*.

I'd like an exceptional recipe for that...anyone here know of one?

[Sun]

I am big on freezing things too for weekly meals. Unfortunately it seems as though when I DO have the avaliable time to cook, I am fighting something off or I am multi tasking .

I managed to deal with that today by getting out the barbecue. It needed to be done. I grilled up enough steak for tonight and tomorrow - I can use it in stirfy or a salad, whatever happens.

I also did up some pork and chicken as well as enough grilled veggies to last the weekend.

I think I'll stay away from rich and heavy desserts for a couple of days to see how my system fairs.

I really like grilled vegetables a lot and will break out some marinade for them in advance of grilling. A good marinade that I make in the blender or with an immersion blender is: Garlic, fresh lemon juice, fresh; parsley, rosemary and thyme, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, white wine.

For the grill I will slice zucchini lengthwise, split red peppers in half, throw in some shitake or portobello mushrooms, thick slice up some sweet onion, toss on some chinese eggplant and just grill the heck out of everything. Brush the vegetables with the marinade and go low and slow. I will then incorporate these grilled veggies into things like, salads, risotto, taco's, pasta. Just about anything.

I also love to roast corn on the grill. Good stuff. I keep it in the husk until the greens have turned black. That is the perfect way for me to cook it, I love the flavor.

[Sun]

Oh...Red Velvet Cake..that's my *favorite*.

I'd like an exceptional recipe for that...anyone here know of one?

Hiya Talon!

I have found recipes from The Joy of Baking to be very reliable. Here is one for the classic Red Velvet Cake (http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html)

[Corkey]

That sounds like my kind of sauce Corkey. You just hit on one of my favorite flavor profiles.

You big tease ;)

Really hoping that you can come out west and cook with me one of these days. I will be on the east coast in July and if I can make a side trip will let you know.

Can't afford to travel buddy, you'll have to do the drivin'.:vigil:

[Sun]

Ok seriously...I just looked at that website link for Lolo's and saw a pic of Jordin Sparks out front...oh Lord have mercy...I have such a crush on her!!

Who knew she was a local??

Thinkin that I am going back there for dinner..every night ;)

Just kidding.

Maybe.

[Sun]

Can't afford to travel buddy, you'll have to do the drivin'.:vigil:

There are a few friends that I want to see while I am in NY, one is in NJ and one in PA so lets see if I can make the time for a side trip maybe we can plan a get together. How far are you from New Hope?

[Talon]

Hiya Talon!

I have found recipes from The Joy of Baking to be very reliable. Here is one for the classic Red Velvet Cake (http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html)




Hello...and how are things on the sunny part of the street? :tanning:

Thank you so much for the link, Sun...I can't wait to explore the site, too...fun, fun...So very informative, you are.

[Corkey]

There are a few friends that I want to see while I am in NY, one is in NJ and one in PA so lets see if I can make the time for a side trip maybe we can plan a get together. How far are you from New Hope?


See the lake??? Between OH
and NY exactly.

[Sun]

Hello...and how are things on the sunny part of the street? :tanning:

Thank you so much for the link, Sun...I can't wait to explore the site, too...fun, fun...So very informative, you are.

OMG look at that little smiley tanner! With shades on! How cool is that?

I clearly need to spend some time exploring those little smiling people.

Things are awesome, thank you. Today is a day off and I was able to recharge in the sunshine for a few hours by the pool. Just what I needed. Now if Paula Dean can just come over and make me dinner I will be all set ;)

Let us know how the Red Velvet Cake comes out ok?

While we are on the subject of recipes, does anyone have a tested gluten free pizza dough recipe? I want to make a gluten free pizza at the Cafe'

[Sun]

See the lake??? Between OH
and NY exactly.

Well what the hell are you doing all the way out there?

*smirk*

So..you are actually closer to Rochester than to New Hope is basically what you are telling me correct? I am going to be in Rochester in July.

[Corkey]

Well what the hell are you doing all the way out there?

*smirk*

So..you are actually closer to Rochester than to New Hope is basically what you are telling me correct? I am going to be in Rochester in July.

Yeppers! Still it's a 4 hour drive, but we're getting warmer!!

[Sun]

Yeppers! Still it's a 4 hour drive, but we're getting warmer!!

4 hours is nothing compared to cross country!

I have been so worried about the mini diva's kitten boy Nemo but I think that we may have a lead. I really hope that we can find him, she is so distraught. Poor girl, poor kitten.

[Talon]

OMG look at that little smiley tanner! With shades on! How cool is that?

I clearly need to spend some time exploring those little smiling people.

Things are awesome, thank you. Today is a day off and I was able to recharge in the sunshine for a few hours by the pool. Just what I needed. Now if Paula Dean can just come over and make me dinner I will be all set ;)

Let us know how the Red Velvet Cake comes out ok?

While we are on the subject of recipes, does anyone have a tested gluten free pizza dough recipe? I want to make a gluten free pizza at the Cafe'


Yes, I will..thanks again, Sunny one.

[Sun]

Yes, I will..thanks again, Sunny one.

You are welcome but I did not do anything but Google the recipe :)

[TheMerryFairy]

What is everyone firing up on a friday night?

I am going to thank chef lynn crawford for my meal idea tonight lol

A paprika chicken breast (okay well 4 but I can eat leftovers) with a cream tomato and red pepper sauce, potato dumplings and a big salad with rye croutons.

[Sun]

Greetings Delicious people..how are you all doing?

I have not seen some of our regulars here in a while. Wonder where everyone is?

This evening I made dinner for friends. Kind of an odd mix but I went with what looked good at market. A guacamole and chips with salsa verde, consumed with Corona on ice, poolside.

Later we had a spelt and quinoa pasta with red swiss chard, sauteed in garlic and olive oil with a squeeze of fresh lemon. I grilled up some vegetables that had been bathed in minded fresh garlic and olive oil. Zucchini, Sweet Onions, Passila peppers, Yellow bell, shitake mushrooms, plum tomatoes. Simple, fresh, local, mostly organic.

I am never in the mood to cook at home anymore, not sure what got into me.

[Sun]

What is everyone firing up on a friday night?

I am going to thank chef lynn crawford for my meal idea tonight lol

A paprika chicken breast (okay well 4 but I can eat leftovers) with a cream tomato and red pepper sauce, potato dumplings and a big salad with rye croutons.

Friday night chilling out, early day at work tomorrow or I would be out at a party tonight. Finishing up my Chef whites for the week...lots of work to keep the uniforms and equipment in good condition. Really..I destroy the white Chef coats. Stains, burns..what a hot mess ;) But really I am a bit of a clean freak so I am 100% sharp and well groomed when I walk in the door, its what happens when I am in there that is in fact, somewhat...tragic.

[Nadeest]

My Chef Jackets get screwed up too, trust me. Especially as we are tempering chocolate a lot, in class. Plus, I seem to have 'warm hands', which complicates things, in pastry classes. :(

[Sun]

My Chef Jackets get screwed up too, trust me. Especially as we are tempering chocolate a lot, in class. Plus, I seem to have 'warm hands', which complicates things, in pastry classes. :(


Seriously I could do a commercial for a stain remover, I have no idea how I wind up with so much on my uniforms. Do you have a chilled surface for the pastry?

That helps a lot.

[Sun]

Today was one of those days at work that everyone should experience before deciding to become a Chef. We were hammered all day long. Personally I enjoy the energy rush and work with a great time. However, slamming food out is not my thing, I like to take my time and get into the artistry of the entire aesthetic experience, the careful execution of every aspect of the dish, the plating, any design work that goes into the production and so on. Busy days on a line in a kitchen require that we almost go on "auto pilot", During down time, I like to get my hands into some of the prep work.

Today as I was grating Parmesan, cutting fresh Basil, chopping fresh Rosemary, and squeezing fresh lemons, I was drifting off into the natural realm where I often find myself inhaling the gifts of nature. I was thinking of my Italian ancestry and how for centuries they were likely working with these same ingredients, preparing dishes for the family and for the public. When I have a ball of dough in my hands I feel a connection to my great grandfather who came here from Italy and opened a bakery in Queens NY.

When I saute' garlic and olive oil I am transported back to my Nana's kitchen and I can almost hear the back door open as my grandfather brought in fresh plum tomato's from his garden, so proud of his hard work. They were a lovely, charming couple, so in sync with the relationship between good food and family. My grandparents modeled sweet romantic love. They were so very loving.

We had amazing family dinners every Sunday and talked for hours about everything under the sun including our ancestry and the labor that went into preparing amazing meals.

I never forget how hard they all worked to make a life for us, and how I now carry that responsibility and family name forward. Often I wonder what I will pass on to my own children...will they love to be in the kitchen as much as I do? Will the scent of garlic sauteing in olive oil or the aroma of fresh basil remind them of home too?

It is a symphonic harmonizing of culture and generations that opens up in the kitchen, the sound of the pots and pans signal the start, the fire and knives play the melody, the cook is the composer and the ingredients are the music. It is an amazing journey for sure. As I wrap up my day, my heart begins to ache a little bit each day, as I long for a family to come home to. To be able to be who I am with my own family, to cook with a partner, to talk about our day, to share a meal...these are my riches in this lifetime. There is nothing elese that I could accomplish or have that could possibly top this wish for my future. It is a bittersweet moment, as the feeling sinks into my soul..and it is one that I carry with me always.

[Nadeest]

No, we don't have a chilled surface, unfortunately. We do have stainless steel tables, however, and two wooden tables in our pastry kitchen. That is ok, I will manage, and learn how to do things under less then ideal conditions, instead. That is how I make bread at home, anyhow. I just mix the dough up in a big bowl with a wooden spoon. :P

[Sun]

No, we don't have a chilled surface, unfortunately. We do have stainless steel tables, however, and two wooden tables in our pastry kitchen. That is ok, I will manage, and learn how to do things under less then ideal conditions, instead. That is how I make bread at home, anyhow. I just mix the dough up in a big bowl with a wooden spoon. :P

Warm hands warm heart :)

In the future you might try getting a marble slab and putting it in the freezer for a while before working with pastry. That is a quick fix that works pretty well.

Rarely do I work with puff pastry but I know that the high butter content renders it fragile to heat.

Lately I am really getting into pizza dough as we have a world class pizza oven at the restaurant. It is so much fun to play with. What I really need to accomplish however is to create a good gluten free pizza dough. We are not there yet. Recently I made a green chili, pizza with 3 kinds of chili's and Monterey Jack. That works well in the southwest. It can be topped with any protein at all. I offered carne asada or black beans.

Back to the grind soon, have a great day everyone!

[TheMerryFairy]

I think I am going through one of those periods where I just cannot seem to have inspiration come to me. Maybe I am not taking the time to let it find me? I always feel a connection with what I am cooking with but my senses haven't been transformed by food in weeks. I love to cook but emotionally there have been many shifts in this last month and I feel as though I cannot dedicate the time to feel the soul satisfaction when making my meals. Every now and then, at least once a week it does come back to me.

This too shall pass.

[meridiantoo]

Found this pic and had to share it!

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y483/ca_dence/crawfishboil_zpsb869d9df.jpg

:clover:

[TheMerryFairy]

Found this pic and had to share it!

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y483/ca_dence/crawfishboil_zpsb869d9df.jpg

:clover:

MMm with butter and cajun spices! I will take one to go right now *S Thank you for sharing and making my mouth water, Meri! LOL

[Sun]

I think I am going through one of those periods where I just cannot seem to have inspiration come to me. Maybe I am not taking the time to let it find me? I always feel a connection with what I am cooking with but my senses haven't been transformed by food in weeks. I love to cook but emotionally there have been many shifts in this last month and I feel as though I cannot dedicate the time to feel the soul satisfaction when making my meals. Every now and then, at least once a week it does come back to me.

This too shall pass.

Maybe a little burn out? I think that we all go through it.

For me if there is any stress in my day it kills my creative flow in the kitchen.

[Sun]

Found this pic and had to share it!

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y483/ca_dence/crawfishboil_zpsb869d9df.jpg

:clover:

Are you throwing this party this summer?

Looks like a nice pic for an invitation.

Just a thought!

[Sun]

Have you ever seen a photograph of a restaurant and thought that it was the most beautiful romantic place for a date?

Well I have.

As a matter of fact...

Well I cant share that part.

Yet.

;)

So..what restaurant, cafe', picnic location, clam bar, take out joint, vineyard, place where food or beverage is consumed..blew your mind ever?

[meridiantoo]

Have you ever seen a photograph of a restaurant and thought that it was the most beautiful romantic place for a date?

Well I have.

As a matter of fact...

Well I cant share that part.

Yet.

;)

So..what restaurant, cafe', picnic location, clam bar, take out joint, vineyard, place where food or beverage is consumed..blew your mind ever?



Oh I like this post idea!

I had to think about this for a few minutes, but this was the most romantic dinner I have had:

http://nieuport17.com/

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y483/ca_dence/neiuport17_zps57b10ce7.jpg

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y483/ca_dence/neiuport17diningroom_zpsdde4192c.jpg

[Sun]

Greetings Delicious People!

If any of you get to NYC I want to encourage you to visit my friend Sue Torres at her fabulous restaurant "Suenos". (http://suenosnyc.com/) You are in for a real adventure. Sue is an amazing Chef.

Some of you may have watched her battle Bobby Flay on Iron Chef. What a throwdown that was. Worth searching for the program online if you missed it.

NYC is a great restaurant city, but lacking in excellent Mexican food in my opinion.

San Francisco is my favorite food city, there is so much diversity that it is mind blowing. Creative genius at every turn.

What makes a great food city or town for you?

[Sun]

Oh I like this post idea!

I had to think about this for a few minutes, but this was the most romantic dinner I have had:



How awesome a great memory and photos to go along with it. Very cool. I have had some great experiences but I believe that the best is yet to come.

The others were just a warm up.

One of my favorite options for a meal is a picnic on the beach. There is nothing like the beach for me. The coast is where I love to be.

[Sun]

I decided yesterday that the West is lacking in real Italian foods. People go crazy over any combination of garlic, basil, tomato or garlic lemon, Parmesan. I've been playing around with small wood fired pizza's where I can put any combination on top and the way that folks react to Italian cheeses and really good red sauce, garlic, fresh basil and oregano, makes me realize that with very few exceptions (such as the SF bay area & LA) there is a real shortage of good Italian food.

For anyone who is looking for a quick tomato sauce, here is a recipe that I use often and takes less than 15 mins to cook:

Suns Quick Tomato Sauce

1 Can Muir Glen Organic Plum Tomato's (http://www.muirglen.com/products/whole-tomatoes/whole-peeled-plum-tomatoes-28oz) 28 oz.
3 Cloves garlic
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 leaves of Fresh Basil
1 tsp honey

Sea Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Red Pepper (optional)

Chop garlic and saute' in olive oil over medium heat for one minute, do not brown.

Puree tomato's in a blender or for a chunky sauce, strain liquid into the pot and chop tomato's. Add to pot.

Cook covered on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add fresh basil and honey. Cook 5 more minutes.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Multiply recipe as needed.

Yield: 3.5 Cups sauce.




I love greens and make lots of them. Any vegetable that is dark and leafy is also loaded with life source that we need to stay healthy and vibrant. Nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, iron, as well as rich antioxidants can be found in leafy greens. As the markets start to roll in fresh vegetables from local farms, get your greens on. Here is a quick recipe for Swiss Chard.

You can eat this on its own, add to a soup or pasta, serve as a side dish, incorporate into a Risotto (which I often do and it is delicious) and most of all, feed it to someone who is not a lover or greens, this will make them a convert ;) As always, use organic whenever possible. Even better, grow your own.



Garlicky Swiss Chard

2 Bunches (roughly 6 Cups chopped) Swiss Chard
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Vegetable broth or Chicken broth (sub water if none is available)

2 Tbsp Shaved Romano Cheese (Locatelli Brand is my preference)

Fresh ground pepper



Prep: Rinse, dry and chop Swiss Chard. Reserve stems for use in soup.

In a 4 qt pot or pan, saute' garlic in olive oil over medium low heat for 2 minutes. Do not brown.

Add Chard to garlic, olive oil mixture and saute' for 5 minutes on low to medium heat. Add 1/2 Cup of broth, cover and let cook on low for 5 minutes. Add remaining broth and cook on low for 10 minutes.

Top with Romano Cheese.

Season with pepper.

Yield: 2-3 Cups depending on water content.

[Corkey]

Making butternut squash n leek soup tonight!

[TheMerryFairy]

Speaking of squash, I saw a variety that I never heard of before today. Pepper squash. Has anyone ever cooked with it before? Does the flavor resemble pepper in any way?

[Sun]

Speaking of squash, I saw a variety that I never heard of before today. Pepper squash. Has anyone ever cooked with it before? Does the flavor resemble pepper in any way?


That is a new one for me! Though I may have seen it at one of the CA organic farms under a different name. That does happen. Some of the smaller farms seek out rare crops that do not get much attention. One farm that I like is called "Dirty Girl Farm". Fab name. Do you have a pic?

[Sun]

Making butternut squash n leek soup tonight!

That is a nice combo. Do you use the white part of the leek only? Leek is one of my favorite vegetables for the grill. Split open, brushed with olive oil, sea salt..yum.

[TheMerryFairy]

That is a new one for me! Though I may have seen it at one of the CA organic farms under a different name. That does happen. Some of the smaller farms seek out rare crops that do not get much attention. One farm that I like is called "Dirty Girl Farm". Fab name. Do you have a pic?

I don't but I could likely get one for you. I found out at the market that pepper squash is the same as acorn squash but the color must have thrown me off, as I use acorn squash a lot.

This was more of a blue color and it didn't really resemble it closely.

[Sun]

Hola Delicious People!

How are you all doing? This thread has been quiet lately. Are you all eating? Staying in? Going out?

I am preparing a program for an Eco Retreat in Belize for late summer and am thinking a lot about the relationship between retreat time and recharging on a cellular level. Retreat time could mean for me just a quiet day where I intentionally focus on rest and renewal. Or, it could be a week of intense work, where I push and challenge myself to go into spaces in nature that are out of my norm. Shooting the rapids in Taos New Mexico, first time out on the Rio Grande was a good example of that. That was a real physical push for 6 hours with one stop for a meal break, but it was an awesome experience. Similarly, skiing my first black diamond, or 4 Wheeling across the Mojave desert, rock climbing, cliff diving, scuba diving..all of these activities took me out of my day to day and gave me some totally different perspective.

In contrast, I also have loved retreat time where I crash and burn for a few days in a warm, sunny location at the beach.

For me raw juicing would be a part of any retreat, day long or longer. The infusion of mega nutrients into our bodies plus rest, bodywork, natural therapies, connecting with nature, is so valuable to me in a mind, body, spirit way.

For the Belize retreat, I am thinking of running a program on using local raw fruits and vegetables as salads and juice tonics. I love fresh tropical fruit and swimming in warm water. That alone is an instant recharge for me.

In my day to day life, a walk on the beach is instant recharge. That is my home.

The Eco retreat which includes Yoga, snorkeling, daily meals, lodging, is run by one of our Fab Femmes, DanzAmazon, runs the retreat and is very good at what she does. It will be great fun for me to bring a culinary wellness perspective to her amazing work.


What are some of the ways that you recharge, rest, renew?

[Sun]

I don't but I could likely get one for you. I found out at the market that pepper squash is the same as acorn squash but the color must have thrown me off, as I use acorn squash a lot.

This was more of a blue color and it didn't really resemble it closely.

Wow. I wonder why they call it Pepper squash? That is interesting. Acorn squash has no peppery tone at all. Fascinating.

[TheMerryFairy]

Wow. I wonder why they call it Pepper squash? That is interesting. Acorn squash has no peppery tone at all. Fascinating.

I was wondering the same darn thing! lol

[Corkey]

That is a nice combo. Do you use the white part of the leek only? Leek is one of my favorite vegetables for the grill. Split open, brushed with olive oil, sea salt..yum.


Used most of the leek, as the dark green is where the vitamin c is, and decided protein in the form of finger was in order.:|

Still attached but useless tip. The soup was fabulous (yes I didn't use the tip or the part of the green).
:blink:

[SugarFemme]

The Matzo and potato kugels I am making to bring over to my moms house tomorrow night for Passover. I'm sauteing the mushrooms and onions I will need for the matzoh kugel. My house smells divine:)

[Sun]

The Matzo and potato kugels I am making to bring over to my moms house tomorrow night for Passover. I'm sauteing the mushrooms and onions I will need for the matzoh kugel. My house smells divine:)

Yum. Sounds fabulous. If you would like to share a recipe I bet our cooks would love that :)

[Sun]

Today at work I introduced southern folk to the Stromboli. I swear, you would have thought that I gave them a winning lottery ticket. I've never seen food fly off of a plate so fast. I like to do sampling with the staff. For those of you who are not familiar with the Stromboli it is the cousin of the Calzone.

Pizza dough is tossed into a round or a square-ish, shape, the filling is spread on top as you would for a pizza, then the whole thing is rolled, jelly roll style. Bake, slice, or serve as a whole. My bet is that if someone opened a Stromboli place near ASU (or any college or University) it would be an instant success.

We sampled 3:

1. Pepperoni.

2. Roasted Chicken, Arugula, Fresh Mozzerella, Parmesan, Fresh Tomato.

3. 3 Cheese.

[puddin']

i make mah own. i weigh heavy on spinach, mushrooms and cheese, meat is good, too...

[CA_BabyCakes]

http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/pabon_family/164244_10151382045233727_418336164_n.jpg

[Sun]

i make mah own. i weigh heavy on spinach, mushrooms and cheese, meat is good, too...

Hey puddin.

A good combo. I am going to work on getting some good stone tiles for my oven so that I can do more pizza and stromboli's at home.

[Sun]

OMG babycakes that is a seriously cute pic.

My cat Diva would be in the bowl. Looking at me like "where do you think you are going with MY catnip?" lol

The cat has the right name. For real.

[Teddybear]

yesterday I made a spicy chicken bake with chicken, veggies, rice and onions and a whole lot of differnt spices

It smelled so good and really tasted good also

I baked it at 350 for a little over an hr

[Sun]

Hola Delicious people.

I am having a day off and feeling slightly motivated to cook, yet I do not think that this is going to happen. Still need a break.

What I do need to figure in to my week is some ice cream making time with my dear friends charming 9 year old son. Once he learned that I make ice cream he attempted to put in an order with me, so I suggested that we make ice cream together. He loved that idea.

Now I need to motivate the little guy past the standard vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Especially if I cant get organic strawberries that are in good condition here.

What are you all up to?

[Sun]

yesterday I made a spicy chicken bake with chicken, veggies, rice and onions and a whole lot of differnt spices

It smelled so good and really tasted good also

I baked it at 350 for a little over an hr

Sounds like a good idea Teddy. My friends are asking for my green chili enchiladas and I am wondering if I can turn that into a casserole somehow. Its one of those dishes that is easy to make large portions of.

[TheMerryFairy]

Hola Delicious people.

I am having a day off and feeling slightly motivated to cook, yet I do not think that this is going to happen. Still need a break.

What I do need to figure in to my week is some ice cream making time with my dear friends charming 9 year old son. Once he learned that I make ice cream he attempted to put in an order with me, so I suggested that we make ice cream together. He loved that idea.

Now I need to motivate the little guy past the standard vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Especially if I cant get organic strawberries that are in good condition here.

What are you all up to?

You mean besides eating icecream after that post? I am now craving Stromboli or calzone LOL. Work has been really busy and when not working, I am trying to find "me" time that I can put into the kitchen. It has been working a lot better this week. I was able to find my inspiration to whip out some good dishes including more stirfrys, pulled bbq chicken pizza and even a few desserts.

I am going to try a honey and herb salmon sometime this week.

[Sun]

You mean besides eating icecream after that post? I am now craving Stromboli or calzone LOL. Work has been really busy and when not working, I am trying to find "me" time that I can put into the kitchen. It has been working a lot better this week. I was able to find my inspiration to whip out some good dishes including more stirfrys, pulled bbq chicken pizza and even a few desserts.

I am going to try a honey and herb salmon sometime this week.

If you give your herbs a fine mince, then add some fresh minced garlic, and a little lemon zest, you can use that mixture for a topping. Coat the Salmon in Dijon mustard first, spread the herb mixture on top and bake it.

Another thing that I like to do is marinate the Salmon in Teriyaki and then grill it then put it on top of a salad. Both versions of the Salmon work well with Ceasar salad by the way.

[Sachita]

Ive been on this clean kick. I've always been conscious and care about what i eat. I grow quite a bit of my food but not year around. I have my own chickens, eggs and I started raising meat chickens. I finally ate one of them. I thought it would be hard but it wasn't. I hate the idea of supporting factory farming and how they treat animals. I decided if I was going to eat chicken then I should be ok with this.

Some of the roosters are already a year and tough. The fact is I had more roosters then hens and its creating a problem. So I found this slow cooker recipe that is really yummy.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl90c1.htm

[Sun]

Ive been on this clean kick. I've always been conscious and care about what i eat. I grow quite a bit of my food but not year around. I have my own chickens, eggs and I started raising meat chickens. I finally ate one of them. I thought it would be hard but it wasn't. I hate the idea of supporting factory farming and how they treat animals. I decided if I was going to eat chicken then I should be ok with this.

Some of the roosters are already a year and tough. The fact is I had more roosters then hens and its creating a problem. So I found this slow cooker recipe that is really yummy.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl90c1.htm


Hi Sachita

Good for you for not supporting factory farming. This is a troubling topic for me in my industry. The whole issue makes me want to become a vegetarian, as finding local, naturally and humanely raised animal products is not always easy especially when demand is high.

The recipe looks great, thank you for sharing that one. I may try it this week.

[Sachita]

Hi Sachita

Good for you for not supporting factory farming. This is a troubling topic for me in my industry. The whole issue makes me want to become a vegetarian, as finding local, naturally and humanely raised animal products is not always easy especially when demand is high.

The recipe looks great, thank you for sharing that one. I may try it this week.


I don't eat meat every day. Honestly I don't think its that healthy to. Thankfully there are many great and affordable organic chicken places. But raising truly free range and organic changes the taste. Some people think it taste funny only because they are use to all the crap they put in free and hormones. Personally you couldn't shove commercial chicken down my throat.
But its much easier to buy humanely raised meats. You just have to do a bit of research and be prepared to spend a little more. Organic feed prices and raising an animal humanely cost a little more. Perhaps if market demand swings in that direction it won't cost as much.

The recipe is great. Really nice. I added fresh cut rosemary.

[dixie]

Tonight's dinner:

Crispy Cheddar Chicken
- dip chicken in milk
- then in shredded cheddar
- then in a mixture of crushed Ritz crackers/garlic/parsley/salt/pepper/other seasonings to taste
- cover in foil and bake at 400 for 35 minutes
- uncover bake additional 10 minutes

Parmesan Potatoes
- butter melted and spread over bottom of baking dish
- sprinkle parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, other seasonings over butter
- cut 6 small potatoes in half, lay cut side down over butter mixture
- bake at 400 for 40 minutes


Both super simple but the first time I'd tried them. I am eating now, and mmmmm it is delicious! :D


Note: I think next time I will cut the potatoes into thick slices and coat both sides. More flavorful that way.

[TheMerryFairy]

I decided that it was time for pasta! I cooked up a whole wheat penne and made a cherry tomato sauce to go with it. Then I added roast vegetables, prosciutto and a low fat provalone. It might not be the healthiest meal, but I made sure to load my plate with asparagus and other veggies on the side as well.

[Sun]

I don't eat meat every day. Honestly I don't think its that healthy to. Thankfully there are many great and affordable organic chicken places. But raising truly free range and organic changes the taste. Some people think it taste funny only because they are use to all the crap they put in free and hormones. Personally you couldn't shove commercial chicken down my throat.
But its much easier to buy humanely raised meats. You just have to do a bit of research and be prepared to spend a little more. Organic feed prices and raising an animal humanely cost a little more. Perhaps if market demand swings in that direction it won't cost as much.

The recipe is great. Really nice. I added fresh cut rosemary.

Farm raised free range organic poultry is so different. I recall being in Italy and telling my Grandmother that I now knew what chicken was supposed to taste like. That was a long time ago, same with cheese and bread. Wow what an eye opening experience.

Like everything else that is local natural organic sustainable, there are more options in Northern CA but also a larger consumer base so while supply is there for most things (ok organic strawberries, raspberries, grapes and tomato's run in short supply in the summer) demand is high. This is good and it has opened the door for new farms to emerge, business loans to be had, investments to be made. Very good for our economy. I hope that this trend goes viral, we need it badly.

I do not eat a lot of meat either for several reasons, mostly I feel better on a high vegetable protein, whole food diet.

[Sun]

Tonight's dinner:

Crispy Cheddar Chicken
- dip chicken in milk
- then in shredded cheddar
- then in a mixture of crushed Ritz crackers/garlic/parsley/salt/pepper/other seasonings to taste
- cover in foil and bake at 400 for 35 minutes
- uncover bake additional 10 minutes

Parmesan Potatoes
- butter melted and spread over bottom of baking dish
- sprinkle parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, other seasonings over butter
- cut 6 small potatoes in half, lay cut side down over butter mixture
- bake at 400 for 40 minutes


Both super simple but the first time I'd tried them. I am eating now, and mmmmm it is delicious! :D


Note: I think next time I will cut the potatoes into thick slices and coat both sides. More flavorful that way.




Well look who just rolled into town!

Hey hon, nice to see you in the thread again. Now that looks like an easy to prepare and fun meal. I don't suppose that I can talk you into some leafy green vegetables huh?

You southerners are supposed to like collards and such..what happened?
;)

[dixie]

Well look who just rolled into town!

Hey hon, nice to see you in the thread again. Now that looks like an easy to prepare and fun meal. I don't suppose that I can talk you into some leafy green vegetables huh?

You southerners are supposed to like collards and such..what happened?
;)

Well, I was honestly going to have a salad with it, but I was frazzled after spending all darn afternoon and evening in the dentist office. I totally forgot the salad until after the meal was over.

And you know how picky I am...noooooo collards or anything similar for me. Heck, I only started eating salad a few years back lol

I will admit my past hatred for all that is green and leafy, but I'm working on it. :)

[Sun]

Well, I was honestly going to have a salad with it, but I was frazzled after spending all darn afternoon and evening in the dentist office. I totally forgot the salad until after the meal was over.

And you know how picky I am...noooooo collards or anything similar for me. Heck, I only started eating salad a few years back lol

I will admit my past hatred for all that is green and leafy, but I'm working on it. :)

Oh I can relate. If it were not for the Chinese restaurant down the road I would not have had dinner at all this weekend. Just cant deal with cooking after work.

I love salads. Romaine lettuce and Arugula are my current favorite salad greens.

We are heading into salad season so I should post some.

[cinnamongrrl]

I tried a bison burger yesterday....

First time trying that particular meat...it was good..tasted like beef...and was cooked very well.. not greasy...but very juicy

I think I have lost the taste for red meat though. The other half of my burger got brought home...

But I would still VERY much recommend it! :hangloose:

[Corkey]

Because buffalo/bison, has little to no fat it does not require the same amount of cooking that beef burgers do. 7 minutes both sides on a grill is plenty of time to cook buffalo/bison.
Happy exploring foodies.

[Daktari]

Because buffalo/bison, has little to no fat it does not require the same amount of cooking that beef burgers do. 7 minutes both sides on a grill is plenty of time to cook buffalo/bison.
Happy exploring foodies.

Same with ostrich...I love it...tastes like the best fillet of cow! In my op. of course. :|

[Corkey]

Same with ostrich...I love it...tastes like the best fillet of cow! In my op. of course. :|

Emu.... yummmmy

[Daktari]

Emu.... yummmmy

Never had emu but there's an ostrich farm not far from here and they always have a stall at the local farmer's markets.

Does emu taste the same? It's a smaller bird isn't it?

[Corkey]

Never had emu but there's an ostrich farm not far from here and they always have a stall at the local farmer's markets.

Does emu taste the same? It's a smaller bird isn't it?

Smaller bird and it tastes quite the same as ostrich. It is easier to feed than ostrich in the Central rockies area.

[Daktari]

Smaller bird and it tastes quite the same as ostrich. It is easier to feed than ostrich in the Central rockies area.


Yum! Never realised ya'll had the big birds - the non yellow ones - over there :cheesy:

[Corkey]

Yum! Never realised ya'll had the big birds - the non yellow ones - over there :cheesy:

They have been imported for years, some farmers have given up on cattle and switched to Emu.

[ahk]

I have been missing for sometime now--
but been a cooking fool. Yesterday I made "real food" quick breads -- mainly used no white flour, no white/brown sugars, no eggs, and no bad oils. We are trying to bring less processed foods into our home, less GMO foods, and more local and seasonal to our table. Not 100% at it-- but we are trying. Yesterday, I made -- Hummingbird muffins (pineapple, banana, coconut, shredded carrot, raw almonds, pea protein, maple syrup, greek yogurt, whole wheat flour), Chocolate Oat Bread (Banana, Oats, flax, whole wheat flour, maple syrup, pea protein, coconut, 1 egg, greek yogurt), and Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip (Banana, PB (made my own in processor), chocolate chips, whole wheat flour, pea protein, maple syrup, greek yogurt... and other ingredients). My honey made a stir fry -- chicken cashew and it was delish.
I like bison. and ostrich.
Hope everyone is well. I will probably be gone again for awhile-- I didn't pass my first exam (missed it by 8 points) and will be retaking it again shortly. My life is very unsettled right now. Only constant in my life is -- food and wife.

[cinnamongrrl]

We are growing jalapenos this season...and I have been perusing recipes for them...THIS one...will be enjoyed at our house very soon!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stuffed-Jalapeno-Firecrackers/Detail.aspx

[~baby~doll~]

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves/ pressed or sliced to no more than 1/2 inch

1 egg maybe two for more batter beaten

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs - can use any bread chopped small

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lime, juiced

6 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon minced fresh chives can use more to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed


Coat chicken the with egg, roll in bread crumbs or chopped bread. let dry on a wire rack it can take 10 minutes or so.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet medium heat. Cook the breasts for 2 minutes per-side.
Remove to broiler or baking dish depending what you desire.
Squeeze in lime juice. Pour melted butter over chicken add chives and dill let broil or bake until center of breast is white. Use any sauce and drippings as a starter for a sauce. Best served hot.


enjoy