Food, Glorious Food

[JamesMike]

In keeping with the 4th of July weekend, I hosted a barbecue for my English neighbors. The only thing left were the rib and chicken bones! The hot dogs served with my secret dog sauce was a big hit with the kids, also the apple pie with ice cream.

 

[kazmac]

Prepping “zoodles” for mom and I. Spiralizing zucchini and topping it with raw tomato sauce and walnuts. Not a fan of zucchini save for this and the much missed raw lasagna from a long gone veg restaurant here. I’ve been doing this for years before it became so big that Green Giant sells pre-spiraled now.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Prepping “zoodles” for mom and I. Spiralizing zucchini and topping it with raw tomato sauce and walnuts. Not a fan of zucchini save for this and the much missed raw lasagna from a long gone veg restaurant here. I’ve been doing this for years before it became so big that Green Giant sells pre-spiraled now.

Zucchini (courgettes in our part of the world) are brilliant roasted, especially if you roast them with vegetables with which they are friendly (aubergines/eggplant, tomatoes, onions, peppers, along with lots of garlic, and lashings - er, a healthy drizzle - of olive oil.)

 

[kazmac]

I

Zucchini (courgettes in our part of the world) are brilliant roasted, especially if you roast them with vegetables with which they are friendly (aubergines/eggplant, tomatoes, onions, peppers, along with lots of garlic, and lashings - er, a healthy drizzle - of olive oil.)

I enjoy the other veg you mentioned roasted, but always skip the courgettes. I think it’s a combo of the texture and taste that makes them largely skipable for me.

I am happy you love them that way though. 🙂 Almost like ratatouille, no?

I remember when I took mom to this the raw veg restaurant for her birthday in 2006 and we had the tasting menu. They placed the raw lasagna in front of me and I recoiled (I do not eat pasta or cheese (outside of mozzarella on some pizza)). Then I tried this dish and loved it. The nut milk cheese with the raw pesto and tomato sauce was so good. Plus the sliced heirloom tomatoes took my mind off the very thin slices of zucchini. Between that and the desserts, I did not shut up about the meal. Mom loved it too.

This zucchini spaghetti is a sort of a nice nice reminder of that lasagna. Mom adores it, so it pleases me that I can make her some of her favorite dishes now. She also enjoys my pinto beans now which was a nice surprise. I just have to make the sauce and we can have some zoodle sphaghetti.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I


I enjoy the other veg you mentioned roasted, but always skip the courgettes. I think it’s a combo of the texture and taste that makes them largely skipable for me.

I am happy you love them that way though. 🙂 Almost like ratatouille, no?

I remember when I took mom to this the raw veg restaurant for her birthday in 2006 and we had the tasting menu. They placed the raw lasagna in front of me and I recoiled (I do not eat pasta or cheese (outside of mozzarella on some pizza)). Then I tried this dish and loved it. The nut milk cheese with the raw pesto and tomato sauce was so good. Plus the sliced heirloom tomatoes took my mind off the very thin slices of zucchini. Between that and the desserts, I did not shut up about the meal. Mom loved it too.

This zucchini spaghetti is a sort of a nice nice reminder of that lasagna. Mom adores it, so it pleases me that I can make her some of her favorite dishes now. She also enjoys my pinto beans now which was a nice surprise. I just have to make the sauce and we can have some zoodle sphaghetti.

Yes, almost like ratatouille - though I adore that dish as well, but find that preparing it can take an absolute age..

My version is easier and faster, a sort of poor man's (or woman's) ratatouille.

Roasted or sautéed courgettes (zucchini) also go very well with carrots and French beans similarly prepared (or briefly boiled, then finished off in the pan) - dressed with thinly sliced new garlic and olive oil and served lukewarm - lovely with chicken, or sautéed or roasted fillets of fish.

 

[anika200]

The oxtail casserole (it included stock, Belgian beer, pancetta, carrots, onions, leeks, garlic - a head, cherry tomatoes, tinned Italian tomatoes, cannellini beans, thyme, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, a little brown sugar) - cooked for over five hours in a slow oven - was delicious.

Why is it called a casserole? Neat, does everyone get a piece of tail to pick? I like having a smart oven on low myself instead of having the slow oven. 🙂

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Why is it called a casserole? Neat, does everyone get a piece of tail to pick? I like having a smart oven on low myself. 🙂

I think that "casserole" is a posh word for stew, and/or it can also describe the sort of dish (a casserole dish) that the meal has been cooked in.

Everyone got a few pieces of tail; there will be around eight to ten pieces of oxtail - of decreasing - or increasing - size (depending from which end you calculate this) per oxtail.

The trick with oxtail is long, - around five hours - slow cooking, so that the meat is almost falling off the bone and the bone itself has had sufficient time to flavour the stock with gelatinous goodness.

 

[hawkeye_a]

I was horrified not to be able to find Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix at the local Kroger's. Fortunately the local HEB grocery had it. A close one. 😉 I love this mix because everything is in it, you don't have to add milk, oil, or an egg. The brand originated in Seattle, Washington in the 1940s. At my local grocerys this is the only brand that comes complete.

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https://www.krusteaz.com/our-story/our-history

Bacon!!!

 

[Huntn]

Bacon!!!

I love bacon with breakfast too. 🙂

 

[0388631]

There's a good organic mix I've been meaning to recommend you for a while, Hunt. I can't remember the name but it comes in a brown box. Way better than the stuff you buy.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Reading recipes for coq au vin and coq au riesling, among other dishes.

I shall be paying a visit to the farmers' market tomorrow.

 

[0388631]

Reading recipes for coq au vin and coq au riesling, among other dishes.

I shall be paying a visit to the farmers' market tomorrow.

I'd be tempted to add some Turkish dried yellow prunes into the latter. Maybe some dried apricots, too.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'd be tempted to add some Turkish dried yellow prunes into the latter. Maybe some dried apricots, too.

Ah.

What an excellent and interesting idea.

One source I read this evening said that green grapes (sweet ones) worked well with this dish (coq au Riesling).

And yes: I have Agen prunes luscious and dark, but not Turkish yellow prunes - but I do have Turkish apricots - and have used them (both) in adaptations (my tweaks) to a Belgian carbonnades recipe - one where I used robust Belgian beers - and redcurrant jam - with the stock as well.

 

[LizKat]

I love bacon with breakfast too. 🙂

I swore off bacon a few years ago but whenever I land up in a diner that serves breakfast all day I completely forget about that and end up having two eggs over easy with crispy bacon, home fries and toast in case there's so much bacon I need to make a sandwich of it... 😎 The only reason I still have any arteries with decent clearance is that the nearest such diner that doesn't close by 2pm is about 40 miles away...

 

[ejb190]

Around here, it's watermelon season. I love a good watermelon, but what do you do with one that's under-ripe or off in flavor? Well, throw a pinch of salt on it and put it on the grill! Serve it on the side or cut up over a salad.

On another note, any suggestions for learning knife skills? I get by, but I'm much better at grafting apple trees than dicing an onion with anything that looks like "technique".

 

[LizKat]

any suggestions for learning knife skills?

Off the top of my head, never cut stuff with a dull knife, the stuff will include your finger sometime.

Past that, the internet is your friend...

Just fire up search engine, search on "basic knife skills in the kitchen"

 

[kazmac]

Gah! So much for Barbara’s organic cereal being healthy. The Puffins Rice Squares has THREE sweeteners in it: cane sugar, molasses AND honey.

Had I known that, no sale. Ate one bowl, the rest went into the garbage.🙄

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Gah! So much for Barbara’s organic cereal being healthy. The Puffins Rice Squares has THREE sweeteners in it: cane sugar, molasses AND honey.

Had I known that, no sale. Ate one bowl, the rest went into the garbage.🙄

Why not try making you own cereal from the individual (organic) ingredients?

 

[kazmac]

Why not try making you own cereal from the individual (organic) ingredients?

I miss the crunch. I think I’ll just go back to freeze dried berries and nuts in nut milk. I could do without so grain and processed stuff.

 

[LizKat]

I choose savory kasha or bulgur wheat sometimes rather than having even fruit-sweetened grains for breakfast. Or I just prowl the fridge for something leftover from a non-breakfast meal that I can convert into a breakfast next to or on something toasted. I've been known to bother making tuna salad on open-face English muffins on a Saturday morning. It depends on how much time I have and feel like indulging in over a breakfast.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I miss the crunch. I think I’ll just go back to freeze dried berries and nuts in nut milk. I could do without so grain and processed stuff.

Ah, I see.

Well, why not use organic cereal and add your freeze dried berries and nuts to this mix?

I seem to recall that my father had jars with different ingredients and he mixed them himself each morning.

 

[chown33]

Gah! So much for Barbara’s organic cereal being healthy. The Puffins Rice Squares has THREE sweeteners in it: cane sugar, molasses AND honey.

Had I known that, no sale. Ate one bowl, the rest went into the garbage.🙄

I put stuff like that out back for the birds and squirrels. They seem to like it, and they get enough exercise I don't feel bad about leading them down the road to ruin.

 

[kazmac]

Ah, I see.

Well, why not use organic cereal and add your freeze dried berries and nuts to this mix?

I seem to recall that my father had jars with different ingredients and he mixed them himself each morning.

Would rather stay away from cereal period. The craving hits every once in awhile, and I found my recent freeze dried berries and nuts in nut milk hit the cereal craving spot, so I’ll just go with that.

@chown33 wouldn’t doubt it (squirrels are junk food junkies here. I caught one going to town on French Fries, it was hilarious.)

They hit our garbage anyway.

 

[chown33]

@chown33 wouldn’t doubt it (squirrels are junk food junkies here. I caught one going to town on French Fries, it was hilarious.)

They hit our garbage anyway.

At least squirrels are fairly small, and have some amusement factor. The real trouble-makers around garbage cans are raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. They can all manage to tip it over and knock the lid off, then strew the innards around for what seems like a half-acre. I've yet to see even a throng of squirrels manage that.

On the down side, squirrels in one's attic space can be difficult to remove. That might be about as bad as any of the other 3 under one's porch.

 

[LizKat]

At least squirrels are fairly small, and have some amusement factor. The real trouble-makers around garbage cans are raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. They can all manage to tip it over and knock the lid off, then strew the innards around for what seems like a half-acre. I've yet to see even a throng of squirrels manage that.

On the down side, squirrels in one's attic space can be difficult to remove. That might be about as bad as any of the other 3 under one's porch.

Skunk on my deck under the ledge of the one step up from deck to kitchen door was a serious PITA one night. Nothing to do but wait for it to decide no snacks were forthcoming. I spent the time back in my car considering which of my groceries I'd eventually extract from the truck and set in the driveway as bait, and wondering how long it would take the scent to waft up under that damn doorstep. I was never so happy to see a skunk on the move as I was that night when Mr. Disappointed ambled off in the direction of my neighbor to the east.

I was pretty sure I'd left the deck door shut when I'd headed out to my shopping, since I'd had to open it on my return and I had taken a couple steps in before I saw the skunk. I later spent some time wondering if the creature had been under my kitchen step there when I was leaving to go shopping. If so, I stepped right over him on my way out and he apparently didn't give a damn. My bro said the skunk knew I was coming back with something good to eat... 😎 ... so it had let me pass in that direction without criticism. I dunno. But I used to think twice about stepping out and down onto the deck from the kitchen for awhile after that, deck door shut or no.