So...whats for dinner?
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Yes Peggy, when I lived in New Mexico at 5000 ft, I had to adjust lots of baking recipes from my San Francisco Bay sea level knowledge. Glad Freya included the tips since I've totally forgotten after living at sea level again in Houston for so long.
I'll bet April is a guru of meatballs, since I know she cooks all things Italian - even makes her own pasta. April - wasn't it Susan who also did homemade pasta? I always cut out recipes for meatballs, but I don't like to fry - so I look for baked meatballs. I have to admit that I cheated and went with a recommend for Trader Joe's meatballs the last few times. They weren't homemade but weren't bad.
Now I must be honest. I'm ashamed to report that dessert at 10pm was a piece of leftover pepperoni & mushroom pizza. Doesn't sound too bad, but this piece was 9" long by 8" wide. And I scarfed up the entire thing cold from the fridge. Guess I'd better not add insult to injury with popcorn & butter.
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Susan makes pasta, I make pasta, Carrie makes pasta. I know Carole makes orechiette at least. Lotsa pasta makers here. In fact, I plan to make pasta (lasagna) Friday but it also involves making the sauce as well as ricotta so it's a bit of a time commitment. Well worth the effort though.
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Nance - didn't mean to leave you out. Sorry. Yes I remember. Speaking of Carrie - I don't think we've heard from her in awhile either? I did sent LuvMyGoats a PM, but no answer.
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Dinner tonight was leftover green salad with honey-mustard dressing, Brussels sprouts, and green beans, with a piece of brioche loaf. Gordy got to the leftover chicken breast, shepherd's pie and mushy peas before I could. No booze—we shared the entire bottle of wine last night and I got heartburn from Hell during the night. Calmed it down, propped myself up to sleep, only to get a nasty shin cramp over the hardware in my tibia.
The guy from Cora Italian Specialties came by today to pick up my machine, and to my horror when he lifted the tank out to empty it, there was about half an inch of plaster debris at the bottom. Hope the works aren’t so gummed up that I’ll need a new machine, but if I do it’ll be on State Farm’s dime. (They’ll probably only pay the depreciated value, even though the same machine will cost me $300 more now than when I bought it). He agrees with me that my grinder definitely needs new burrs, but that’s not due to the plaster dust, so I’ll pay for that.
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Freya I hope things go smoothly with this round of chemo.
I read a lot!
I am glad that everyone is doing well. Happy I was sorry to hear about your pet.
I had four (4) baked potatoes for dinner with butter, salt and pepper. They were only smallish medium ones, then I went out for Indian appetizers and Blue Moons (with orange slices)
Waiting for summer.
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Minus - no apology necessary - no hurt feelings here. Your comment just started me thinking about pasta making and makers. Pasta is never far from my mind anyway (unfortunately) lol! I should have been born Italian.
Which reminds me, Sandy - a while back you mentioned instant pho. I came across some at Costco which i was tempted to get and wonder if it is the same thing? I don't make it very often because DH is unenthusiastic but I love the stuff.
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Freya, Thanks for the tips. Those were a bit clearer than what I had seen. Now to waste a ton of money figuring out what works best. I'm thinking adding an extra egg might do the trick but who knows?
HUGS!
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Oh boy, Swiss Steak! AuntieNance, I have not made that since I was maybe a newlywed to my first husband (the mid 1970's!!) and it sounds yummy! Thanks for posting your recipe. What type of meat did you use? I would likely used cube steaks for this and make it on top of the stove. I have my new pressure cooker but have not used it yet...I MUST do that sooner or later...LOL
I make home made pasta about maybe 1/2 the time or I use good imported pasta in a box (DeCecco is my favorite) Minus but thanks for remembering that I do make it when I have the time or energy. The women on this board make lots of things I would never be able to or want to do the work to make so a little pasta with a pasta machine is not a culinary triumph...LOL I do love the real stuff though!
My meatballs are pretty standard. I use 1.5 lbs of ground beef and 1 lb of ground pork, 2 eggs, 2 slices of bread soaked in milk, and squeezed out, 1/3 cup of dried Italian flavored bread crumbs, one small finely minced onion and 6 or 7 cloves of minced garlic, fresh parsley, 2 tsps. of worsterchire sauce or to taste, salt, pepper, a few flakes of pepperoncino (red pepper flakes) cause hubby does not like spicy, and 1/2 cup of grated parm cheese.
I mix with the two tools that work best (my hands) and then I shape into medium balls and spray with my Misto (I use olive oil in it) and bake at 375 until done. I usually get about 16-18 balls with this recipe. Sometimes, I fry them on the stove but lately I take the lazy way out and imho, I can't tell that much of a difference after I plop them into a pot of sauce (also home made as I NEVER could stand jar sauce with the exception of Rao's which is very rarely in my cupboard) . Some people don't like to cook them in the sauce, but I do like it that way. I also fry up 1 lb of sweet Italian sausage and 1/2 lb of hot sausage some times and plop that into the pot as well.
That is about it!
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I have made different kinds of pasta, by hand and with attachments for my Kitchen Aid. I even bought the attachments for extruding pasta. I haven't made any in recent times. I go through phases with cooking. What inhibits me from making pasta and baking bread is an issue with gaining weight that refuses to go away once the scale climbs to a higher number.
DH and I both like pasta and would happily eat it often. We also enjoy bread. If only pasta and bread had the same calories and carbs as steamed veggies. Sigh....
Dinner tonight will entail a short trip to a nearby casual restaurant, where dh's brother can order boiled crawfish if he so desires. Also available are the fried catfish, oysters, and shrimp that are favorites and also gumbo. Also crab cakes that are very good. I plan to have broiled or grilled fish. The house special is usually baby drum.
I hope Lacey works out her problem with this site. I miss her posts.
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Yum...the meatballs and homemade pasta- need that tonight. Instead, took some chicken noodle soup out of the freezer and had it with a tossed salad. Good but not pasta and meatballs.
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If you’re talking about the Annie Chun’s instant noodle bowls (I’ve tried the Pho and Udon), they’re much better than Cup O’ Noodles or Top Ramen, but nowhere near the real thing.
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Well I really like Annie Chuns's bowls. When you live alone and cook for one, it doesn't make much sense to cook huge portions. It's the same reason that Carole & I decided long ago that we could afford Raos. And the reason I don't make my favorite ham hock & beans very often.
April - thanks for the meatball receipe.
Nance - thanks from me too for the reminder about swiss steak.
Carole - bread is my absolute favorite. I would eat it all day long. For that reason I rarely have bread in the house except dark pumpernickel for an emergency sandwich. Oh and I do buy the small 4 pack of Hawaiian Rolls. They last forever so must be full of bad stuff, but I eat maybe one a week so I doubt I'll die of preservatives. If I buy a round of say, fresh rosemary garlic sourdough, I will eat nothing else until it's gone. And so much for my weight control.
Bedo - so glad to see you checking in.
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Hi guys, I just read somewhere that it's not safe to eat farm-raised tilapia and catfish. I don't usually eat red meat but I have eaten tilapia a lot. Now I really don't know if there is any meat is safe to eat.
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leftover meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy and a salad
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DH's colonoscopy was all clear, so good news for a change. Absolutely exhausted, not helped by driving over 2000 kms this week. I love where I live, but it does have its downside.
Dinner was a baguette with prawns, avocado, tomato and salad leaves.
Minus, my husband loves his bread too. He has a particular love for Czech knedlicky (one version of their dumplings), and dark rye bread.
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stephilosophy00, to be totally honest with you, if we paid attention to every single "warning" about what causes cancer we would be in a padded room eating nothing but rice and water (filtered water of course and brown rice...LOL) so I just eat everything in moderation. I eat red meat (but not daily or not even weekly) and fish and chicken/poultry and lots of veggies and a bit of fruit. I eat dairy (including cheese) and eggs and sweets too. I think if we just pay attention to trying to buy things with the least preservatives (free range, organic etc.) then we will be fine in the long run. My MO does not eliminate things from diet but tells me moderation is the key.
Please don't worry too much. Do the best you can. (((Hugs)))
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Steph...it makes sense because most of that stuff is raised over seas and filled with steroids and antibiotics due to the poor conditions they are raised in..shrimp also.
We do not eat farm raised seafood/fish.0 -
I live in Nc. It seems all the tilapia is farm raised and from overseas. The catfish is different. USA raised. We are fortunate to have NC fresh shrimp.
Things are so different now. I remember catfish that had the head, bones, made into steaks. You had to ask the butcher to filet it if you wanted no bones.
Never heard of tilapia growing up. We ate catfish, perch and whiting. Salmon came in a can.
DH who was raised in rural Louisiana, was an expert fisherman. He ate all kinds growing up. All fresh. I envied his family who had fresh shrimp and crabs, right off the boats.
On another note, the only time we had boneless chicken breasts was when we asked the butcher to do it for us. As a young wife and mother (talking 38 years ago) I would first cut up the chicken, then debone the breast and thighs.
Can anyone remember when boneless chicken breasts became the norm in grocery stores? Or was it my geographic location? (Chicago, Indiana, Michigan? )
Val
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I live in a small town and there is one grocery where I can buy bone in skin on chicken breast. What I can't buy is small chickens. I have been buying pasture raised fresh chicken from the Amish here and cut them up myself. Even so, they run close to four pounds.
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I guess because I don't eat tilapia, I did not know that. I do eat shrimp, but only buy gulf shrimp if I can get it (and pay more but I don't care) and I eat cold water fish out of the Atlantic (living in CT) which is cod or haddock and occasionally sole generally. I don't care for salmon (I know, that is almost unheard of) and I catch the trout or char that I eat in the spring/summer. My ex husband used to catch catfish and we would eat them (delicious!)
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Auntienance i've been buying my chickens and turkeys from a friend that has a farm. Such a difference, and yes they are huge.
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Yay April, I'm not alone! Salmon is not my favorite either although I will eat it if served to me. I grew up on canned salmon and mackerel (but no tuna oddly enough.) Perhaps that has something to do with it. I don't like tilapia or swai. We eat fresh fish when I can get it, frozen cod, halibut, mahi mahi, etc. DH doesn't like catfish but I love fresh caught or U.S. raised. I love all gulf fishes.
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One gulf fish I love but is not very good for you I think (because of mercury levels) is golden tile. It's a good thing I don't get it often.
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Is catfish safer than tilapia?
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Steph - I think April's point is pretty vaild. Eat in moderation. Anything you eat every meal & every day can cause problems. If you like talipia, I don't see anything wrong with it occasionally.
But I don't eat talipia either - or swai or basa - the latter two being bottom feeders. Actually I don't eat catfish either but my neighbors & friends who grew up here in the south think I'm nuts.
We grew up with canned salmon too, but I love a good piece wild caught salmon. I eat pretty much what April & Nance listed in addition to Pacific Ocean fish. I'd forgotten about Golden Tile. Haven't had that in years. I love fresh rainbow mountain trout and all crustaceans.
Which reminds me - did I tell you all I'm planning a trip to the Pacific Northwest? One of my stops will be with a friend in Newport, OR - the Dungeness Crab capital of the world. So I'll probably break my moderation rule and eat exactly that for breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Hmmmm - I was wondering what protein to add to my 3 or 4 veggies that need to be cooked tonight. Maybe I'll open a can of smoked oysters instead of adding canned tuna to a green salad.
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Farmed catfish is raised responsibly and sustainably in the US, under strict regulation. Tilapia is usually raised somewhere in Asia (most often Vietnam) or S.A., with no regulations as to their feed, crowding, or sanitation. It was almost unheard-of until the Galilee (the area west of the Sea thereof) flooded about 30 yrs. ago; our tour guide told us not only was the hot & muggy climate perfect for planting eucalyptus trees & kiwi orchards, but also for building containment ponds for what was then called “tilefish” (not the native “St. Peter’s Fish” served whole & deep-fried in olive oil at tourist restaurants). It could be farmed cheaply as it matured quickly and (allegedly) did well in crowded conditions. I didn’t like it even before hearing of sanitary & pollution concerns—IMHO it’s as boring and tasteless a fish as they come, even blander than the frozen flounder & whiting fillets we used to get as kids. It’s the tofu of fish—picks up the flavors of whatever you cook it with because it has none of its own. And cheap shrimp usually is farmed in Vietnam as well. I try to buy wild Gulf shrimp whenever I can find it. Ditto salmon—I prefer wild from the PNW, BC or Alaska, but Verlasso (in Chile?) farms the Atlantic varieties under safe and sustainable conditions without affecting the native fish populations.
Wild trout & steelhead, as well as farmed Idaho trout, is safe and sustainable. Careful about wild catfish, though—it is usually heavily contaminated with mud & sludge and needs to be purged in freshwater tubs several times before it’s safe to eat (and still needs Vietnamese-style long clay pot braising with some kind of sauce, or breading/battering and deep-frying to be palatable).
A Canadian firm tried to farm salmon off the coast of BC, but its methods were as irresponsible and unsustainable as those of Icelandic salmon farms (from where we get most Atlantic salmon)—and some of its spawn did manage to escape and possibly negatively impact the native Pacific salmon populations (keta, coho, king and chinook/sockeye). But the latter wild species have remained unharmed (and that fish farm is out of business).
I hesitate to say this lest it be misconstrued as political, but if you love wild salmon & Pacific black cod—especially those caught in & around Alaska’s Bristol Bay, there is a Canadian/UK/American mining consortium trying to gain approval for a copper & gold mine called the Pebble Mine not all that far upstream of the Bay. If allowed to begin operations, the mine would send effluvium and metal tailings down into the Bay, endangering both the fish and the people (mostly native) who earn their livings catching them commercially (as well as those service providers & equipment vendors who depend on commercial fisherfolk). Check it out. Meanwhile, eat Alaskan salmon as often as you can afford it.
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Auntienance, I'm with you on the the lack of small chickens. We loved to get a 2 or 2-1/2 lb whole chicken, cut it in half and broil it. No longer. Someone suggested using Cornish game hens which also have bloomed in size. That's what I'll do when I'm in the mood.
MinusTwo, if you think you will get to Eastern Washington, let me know! I'd love to meet you. I'm in Spokane now. If nothing else, I can sure find a winery or two
HUGS!
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Peggy, head east to where the Snake & Columbia Rivers meet, at the Horse Heaven Hills. Then continue east along the Columbia. When I lived in WA, there was nothing in the HHH (we on the wet side of the mts. often called it the Horse Hockey Hills) other than the beautiful wild horses; the Columbia Valley was strictly vineyards selling to winemakers, and very few wineries to tour & taste. (Woodinville, in the Seattle exurbs, had Ch. Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest across the road from each other). But Columbia Valley is now an officially designated AVA (American Viticultural Area), and the jewel in its crown is Maryhill, outside Goldendale and perched on a hillside overlooking the Gorge. Maryhill has some of the best Sangiovese I’ve tasted outside Tuscany, and a magnificent Viognier—but everything they make is delicious, all of it from serious vinifera varietals. There’s a lovely little terrace restaurant and an amphitheatre that hosts major pop & country concerts.
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Sandy, I do hope to get over the mountains to Seattle (and Woodinville to meet Katzpjays). It won't be until spring or summer. Winter is definitely not the time for me to tackle the passes. I have had some Ch. Ste Michelle wines and enjoy them. Still lots ot explore around here now that I'm settled into my home. I won't be bored! Thanks for all the suggestions! I know nothing about wines and you know so much.
HUGS!
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Oh Peggy - I'd love to meet you but will be going north from the airport to the Olympic Peninsula then directly south on Hwy 101 and I-5 tp Portland. Next trip I hope to get back over Snoqualamie Pass and up to Lake Chelan & Oroville. My Dad used to take my brothers fishing at Kelowna across the border in Canada.
Sandy - I knew there was a reason I didn't like Tilapia. I do remember researching it back when restaurants first started serving it. I'll look up the mine.
Linner ended up being a large 5-lettuce mix salad with added asparagus, celery, English cukes, zucchini & avocado. I tried a new HEB dressing and it was good - Ruby Red Grapefruit Vinaigrette.
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