What WOULD Bekki Eat?
What will I eat? Real food. Made-at-home food. Food that my great-great-grandmother could have made, if she had the money and the time. And if she hadn't been so busy trick-riding in a most unladylike way.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Not sure why, but I seem to enjoy repeating themes.
The sushi the other night was faboo... so I immediately put ceviche on the menu. I buy our fish from Vital Choice whenever I can, so it is all good quality and worthy of eating raw. Ceviche gives it a cooked texture, but really it is still raw, and therefore still full of all it's goodies... enzymes, delicate vitamins, probably flavanoids and such. Good stuff.
Plus it's easy.
I realize it's not quite ceviche weather where most of y'all are... but today was sunny and fairly warm, so I wanted something summery.
This time I used a recipe from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday. I absolutely LOVE this book, by the way (please notice I did not call it a cookbook, because although it clearly is such, it's the other stuff in it that I love with a passion. Someday I hope to meet Rick in person and thank him for being so cool.) This recipe was Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro, and Green Chile. Please notice that I said "was." Because, I am who I am, and I am psychopathically incapable of following a recipe. :-)
First of all, I used an unapproved fish. Halibut. Vital Choice has a pretty good deal on random bits of halibut, which if you sift through and cut up the bigger bits, work really well for stir fries or ceviche. Next, I used more garlic than he calls for, and honestly didn't even notice it in the final product. I also didn't have a ripe avocado available... 2 hours in a paper bag with a banana just wasn't enough for the softest rock the grocery had available. I really missed the avocado. And finally, I had the Grill Geek do up some bacon-greased sliced onions and bell pepper, as well as add a bit of char to a stack of corn tortillas. We ate our ceviche like fish tacos.
Bekki's Nummalicious Easy Ceviche
1 cup fresh lime juice (oops, another change... I used lemon, orange, and lime)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 loose cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 generous pinches of salt
About 1 pound high-quality, sushi-grade fish: salmon, tuna, snapper (or halibut!)
1 ripe avocado, cubed
1 large head Boston, Bibb, or Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 sliced onion, grilled
1 sliced red bell pepper, grilled
1 or 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Grilled corn tortillas
Use a blender or food processor to whiz up the juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, and salt until smooth. Pour over the fish (in bite-size pieces), in a non-metal bowl, and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
Pour off the marinade, and save for ceviching something else!
Toss the lettuce with a bit of rice vinegar and olive oil, and salt to taste.
Stuff corn tortillas with all the goodies and make lots of happy noises while eating.
Friday, December 26, 2008
I guess we like it. :-)
Tonight's sushi was for our seventh wedding anniversary. Seven years. Wow.
Our first anniversary was celebrated at a Joe's Crab Shack in Lexington, Kentucky. Our second, third, and fourth (I think) were at a restaurant called Thai Lotus, which also offered sushi. We honestly can't recall how we spent our fifth or sixth... there was a lot going on those years. But this year we ate fabulous food and spent the evening chatting out in our gazebo in the warm, humid air.
The food was all fabulous, too. Even the salad... which was our nod to the old Iron Chef, for it's apparent oddness. It really was quite tasty.
Sea Garden Squid Appetizer Salad A small serving of mixed seaweed and Squid prepared with sesame oil
Salmon Musubi Sushi rice mixed with Grilled Smoked Salmon, shaped like a triangle,lightly baked with a touch of Sesame Oil.
Sashimi Tuna (Maguro)
Sashimi Salmon (Shake)
Maki-Zushi House Specials:
Summer Roll Tuna, Salmon, Yellow Tail and Avocado. Rolled with Nori on the outside and topped with Ikura Salmon Caviar
Crunchy Salmon Skin Roll Crunchy salmon skin, pickled burdock, cucumber, and kaiware sprouts, rolled urimaki-style
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Ah, the holidays... that time of year when I cook feast after Feaste... and frankly, finally, get really tired of cooking. Almost unbelievable. Because I love to cook. Partly because I love to eat, and partly because... I actually enjoy the chopping, stirring, making-changes-on-the-fly... the whole thing.
And for personal reasons it has been a bit of a bah-humbug kind of season.
But this meal, this feast, was my redemption. Have you ever had a meal that felt... like a turning point? I swear I almost saw the clouds part and the sunbeam shine down in all it's blinding glory. I almost heard the choir of angels singing "Aaaaaaahhhhh!" This meal was a great big sigh of relief. A reset button.
I am sorry I didn't take more pictures. I didn't expect to finally be inspired to blog again.
Duck. For a Midwestern girl like me, duck was completely foreign. I remember cooking my first duck just a few years ago. It still feels unfamiliar to me, but after tonight's duck, I have a hunger to get on first-name terms with this lovely creature. It's all dark meat. Did you know that? Even after eating two other ducks in my life, I did not. Somehow I missed that. Maybe because my other ducks were from the commissary... and less than half the price of tonight's duck. I wonder now if they were even the same species.
Anyway, the luscious duck was prepared using a very simple recipe from Cook With Jamie, (by cutie-pie Jamie Oliver) one of my favorite and horribly under-used cookbooks. Rub duck with salt (possibly crushed with fresh sage, but I can't find my mortar and pestle), stick a quartered orange up it's backside, and roast at 350 for about 2 hours. Flip it a couple of times, and make sure to drain off (and SAVE) the luscious fat. I did mine on top of a bed of aromatics- celery, onion, garlic, and carrots. Deep-duck-fat-fried garlic cloves are heaven.
As a somewhat unnecessary, but delicious side, I made mashed potatoes and parsnips. Perhaps it's because I can no longer mash my potatoes with cream, but I must say... I really like mixing my potatoes halfsies with parsnips. Very tasty when mashed with copious amounts of butter. And the leftovers will go atop Shepherd's Pie.
Also on the side were Mystery Greens. I used every tool at my disposal to identify them, but I have no idea what I just ate. I got them in my weekly Greenling produce delivery... so I knew they were food. Beyond that... I think they were a member of the mustard family. Quite a bite to them, so I did a quick braise in bacon fat and the turkey stock that I happened to have simmering on the back of the stove. With a bit of vinegar, a few dashes of garlic Tobasco, and some salt... they were very tasty.
There was also a salad, which was forgotten until the end (and was surprisingly refreshing at that point) with fresh local greens and sprouts. But really, the duck stole the show. The Grill Geek and I each ate half the duck. It was a bit of work... it hadn't quite reached the tender stage, but we did not let that hold us back. We both abandoned our cutlery in carnivorous desperation. Every possible morsel was hunted down and consumed. A new craving was born in my soul at the same time that all the stresses of the holidays were greased over with lovely dark meat and duck fat.
I now need duck. Tonight's duck was not what I'd consider regularly affordable... so perhaps it's time to take up hunting? Buy a house with a pond? Learn to use a blowgun and hunt them at the city parks? I'm not sure, but I am sure that I am now deeply in duck love.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
We got back from our Thanksgiving trip late Sunday... and it was a doozy of a trip. Monday was spent doing mountains of laundry after spending half the day at the doctor, confirming a miscarriage. Tuesday was more laundry, and lots of cat hair removal. Apparently they molt when the humans are away. Yesterday the Grill Geek flew out to be the grand marshal of his hometown parade. To summarize, I haven't been at the top of my menu-planning game.
I grabbed several things out of the deep freeze, to keep us fed, and left it at that.
Tonight the chicken thighs were due for a turn... but I thought I wasn't in the mood to get creative. I googled recipes, and came across this one. But what to feed the child who hates chicken? Hmmm... perhaps pasta. Perhaps pasta tossed in the extra saucy bits from the chicken! Only 4 chicken thighs, but do the full recipe of sauce, so there's extra.
And maybe add half a sliced onion... red...
And maybe a few sliced mushrooms...
Cooked up in a little of that melted garlic butter.
The picture to the right is the Fairy Child's debut into blog photography. My hands were all chickeny before I realized I wanted a picture of the veggies. So she took this shot for me!
And here it all is, before it went in the oven. I poured the saucey stuff on top... baked it at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Probably should have done 45. Hope I don't die.
Next time I would cut the butter by half (yikes, am I really saying that?)
I cooked up some rice pasta and tossed a salad while the chicken baked. Once it was done, I poured some of the saucey stuff with some of the noodles. Next time I would toss them with about a tablespoon of soy sauce (tamari) first, so they could suck up that flavor before being coated in greasy goodness. And goodness, there was a lot of grease. That's why I recommend reducing the amount of butter. But it really needed a LOT more garlic, especially to earn the right to have "garlic" in the recipe name. Some green onions at the end would have been nice, too.
And, yeah... that was a rather epic mound of pasta. And really teeny chicken thighs.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
I generally chomp my way through life, with nary a care, eating the food that makes me feel healthy and good. Every now and then my carnivorous ways do make me feel guilty. I don't like the fact that something has to die. I will never willingly be a vegetarian, however. I need meat.
I tend to feel especially guilty when eating cute food. Cows I can generally handle... they're kinda cute, but not overwhelmingly so. Pigs ain't cute at all, once grown, but I'm told they're really smart. Rabbits... ack. I just don't enjoy rabbit. Can't forget how fuzzy-wuzzy they are. Goat is absolutely delicious, but they have such personality! And lamb... yikes. Lambs are really, really cute.
So, I've decided to believe in the Meat Tree. Acres and acres of orchards, some growing beef, some growing pork. Cute little lamb trees that flower in the spring. Yes. Meat trees make me feel much better about things.
My daughter thinks I'm ridiculous. Oh, well.
So, with that in mind, tonight's dinner (the last homemade meal for a week) was lamb burgers, fries, and some crazy thing I did with green beans and a half-ripe tomato. I think I've made lamb burgers before... but this time it worked.
A generous splash of Worcestershire, maybe about 1/4 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder, perhaps a tablespoon of minced fresh oregano, a bit of salt and fresh pepper, and a pound of fresh-picked ground lamb, of course... magic.
See y'all in about a week, I'm off for a holiday road trip.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Not being born in the South, I had never had fried green tomatoes before. I saw the movie, but didn't really understand what the fuss was about. Unripe tomatoes? Blech. I'll pass.
But today's Greenling basket included 4 big green tomatoes. I had no idea what else to do with them. So, two of them got fried. They were one part of an absolutely over-the-top fabulous dinner, that was inspired by our need to eat up all our fresh veggies before we leave for a trip next week. Work, work, work, hee hee!
Our locavore feast included pork chops, grilled portabello mushrooms, braised greens with red onions, sweet potatoes, and the luscious fried green tomatoes. All from 'somewhere round here.'
Here's the recipe I used for the tomatoes:
2 medium-sized green tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons GF baking mix
several grinds black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup lard (even the lard was local!)
1 egg, beaten
Sprinkle tomato slices with salt and drain on paper towels (on a wire rack) for at least half an hour, but not more than a full hour. Combine cornmeal, baking mix, and seasonings in a bowl or on a plate. Dip each tomato slice in the beaten egg, then in the cornmeal mixture. In a medium skillet, heat oil on medium high. Fry tomato slices about two minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack topped with fresh paper towels. Serve while hot.They are such a delightful combination of sour, salty, crunchy, and molten tomatoey center. Quite possibly the perfect pregnancy food.
Once again, I tried to be somewhat scientific about it all. I noticed right away that the "light" breads were indeed lighter. They weighed less. Weird. I guess that's one way to save calories- make airy bread. The "light" versions had about half the calories of the regular. We'll see whether the savings is worth it...
Straight out of the package, the Light White was very dry. It required the extra chewing typical of gluten-free breads, in order to make the bite wet enough to avoid choking. But it wasn't as bad as some. The regular White was slightly sweeter, noticeably denser, but still not sammich material. (That seems to be the never-ending quest of gluten-avoiders, to find a "bread" that is usable for a real sandwich- two slices- not toasted. Something you could take to a picnic.)
The Light Brown had an odd, spongy texture, but I would consider it Sandwich Grade! In a pinch. It's still not real bread, mind you. The regular Brown had a weird taste. Sorry to be so vague... I chanced a second bite, just to try to describe it better. I couldn't. There was just something unpleasant... sweet but oily. I don't mind grease, as any reader of my blog would know. But this was... just wrong. Blech.
So, the next step was toasting. Oddly, the Light Brown got overtoasted, despite sitting right next to the other three breads in the toaster oven, all of them toasting for the same amount of time... same heat.... Weird. Anyhow, after buttering each piece (I was impatient and hungry, I know I once again messed up the controls) I began tasting again. The Light White was quite gritty after toasting. Bland... I was initially hopeful that I'd found an all-purpose toast, but in the end (of the chewing, that is) it just fell flat. Too sawdusty. Even peach butter couldn't mask the grit. The regular White was very nice toasted. Chewy and bread-like. After being gluten-free for over a year now, my somewhat forgetful tastebuds could be fooled to think this was real bread. The Light Brown (that was now a dark brown due to overtoasting) was very crisp. Perhaps too crisp. Probably due to being overdone. But it had a much better texture than the Light White. No grit. If one is in the market for a reduced-calorie gluten-free "bread", I recommend Ener-G Light Brown. I'm not looking for lower calorie, so I prefer the regular Brown. It had a lovely texture once toasted, no weird flavors, and was perhaps a touch sweeter than the regular White. Chewy, a hint of whole-grain goodness at the beginning of the bite, fading to blank-canvass-blandness at the end.
Overall, I think the regular White was the winner here, since it didn't have funky flavors pre-toasting. One never knows when the electricity might go out, so it's important to have "bread" on hand that doesn't absolutely require toasting. If you feel secure in the presence of a functioning toaster, I recommend the Corn Loaf from the first bread tasting.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Today I got notified that "Anonymous" had commented on an older post of mine, titled "Fat-free Vegan?" Anonymous wanted me to know that the name of the blog was inaccurate... simply chosen for being "catchy" and that I should have actually visited the blog before ranting about it.
First of all, if the author is that desperate for page views, I'm not interested in what they have to say. Name your blog correctly. It's a big deal.
Secondly, the rant was aimed at fat phobes in general, with just a few jabs at the blog author.
And thirdly, I just really don't care. I'll live my life my way... they can live their shortened, stunted life their way.
The anonymous commenter signed their comment "Non-furred Arteries." Cute. Snarky. And by it's implication that my animal-eating arteries are "furred", it is quite inaccurate. What is it with vegans and accuracy? I suppose truth-telling must be activated by retinol.
The last time I had the health of my bacon-veins tested, my cholesterol profile was perfect. So stick that in your salad-hole and chew it.
I don't want to be too... rude, I suppose that's the word... so I will simply end this post with my favorite quote.
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, chocolate in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO - What a Ride!"
Friday, November 14, 2008
That's what my recipe book, Basic Asian, calls it. And, I'll give 'em credit... I've definitely been wooed into wanting to try more Vietnamese cuisine!
It all started at the commissary this afternoon... with discount pork. Normally, that would dissuade a person. "Discount" and "pork" should not be used together in the same sentence. Bad things can happen. But I trust my commissary, so when I see "fajita strips" for less than 2 bucks a pound, I pounce.
But I also know I should cook them up right away.
I quickly decided against fajitas. I'm fresh out of corn tortillas, not in the mood to make some myself, and... it just wasn't that vibe tonight.
So... stir-fry. I consulted my go-to Asian cookbook. Rice Noodles with Spicy Pork. I followed the recipe as best I could, but... didn't have all the stuff needed, and can't follow a recipe anyway.
So, here's what I made and it was really, really tasty.
About 1 pound dark and light meat pork strips
1/8 cup sugar (I used turbinado)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup sake
3/4 cup fresh mint sprigs
3/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
(3/4 cup fresh basil sprigs were in the recipe, too, but I didn't have any)
1 incredibly huge cucumber
salt & pepper
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 Mystery Hot Pepper (do jalapenos ever get red?)
4 cloves garlic, pressed
3 T tamari
2 T fish sauce (we agreed this was a bit much)
3 T fresh key lime juice
Noodles of your choosing, I used Tinkyada, of course
Mix pork with sugar and fish sauce. Add sake and stir to coat. Stick in the fridge while you do everything else.
Pick leaves off herbs, cut up if you want (I sliced the mint because it was so big). Set aside.
Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a spoon, and slice into thin sticks. Put in a largish bowl. Sprinkle with rice vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Eat all of them while cooking, making loud munching noises. Revel in crunchy sour saltiness. *
For the dip/sauce: chop the Mystery Pepper finely, being careful to remove the scary seeds and membranes. Embrace your Yankee Gringo spice-fearing glory. Mix together the chile pepper, garlic, tamari, fish sauce, and key lime juice. Distribute in 4 small bowls.
Heat oil in a large pan or wok, over pretty darn high heat (I think I used "7"), and cook onion and bell pepper until beginning to soften. Drain as much of the sake off the pork as you can. Add half the pork (so you don't crowd the pan), and cook a few minutes, until done. Remove all that from the pan, add the rest of the pork and cook it. Toss it all back in to reheat a minute, add a splash of tamari if you just can't resist.
Serve everything kind of on it's own on the plate, so people can mix together at their whim. After we tasted every possible combination, we decided to mix it all together in a big pile. It was nummy.
* Apparently, the plain, un-vinegared cucumber sticks were supposed to be served alongside the noodles and pork. Hmph. There were also supposed to be bean sprouts, green onions, and salty peanuts. Oh, well.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
I wanted to finally use some of the ground lamb I have in the freezer. I know it's good for me... but I just never reach for it. I grew up in Kansas... my meats were beef, chicken, and fish sticks. Thanksgiving brought turkey, to jazz things up, but we didn't really even venture out into ham. So, lamb is rather new territory for me.
I almost made this Jamaican recipe, but didn't feel like I had the time to let the filling cool before assembling. (I planned to use Chebe bread for the pastry.)
So, despite the fact that it was 80 degrees today, which is not quite what I'd call Shepherd's Pie weather, that was the only other idea I liked. Happily, I stumbled upon a Simply Recipes recipe while googling. I love her stuff.
Oddly, her recipe calls for ground beef. Oh, well. Accuracy isn't for everyone. I made it, with lamb, and it tasted really good. Naturally, I tweaked it. I am, after all, pathologically incapable of following a recipe.
I used a lot less veggies- just two carrots- couldn't find the peas in my overstuffed freezer, added a parsnip in with the potatoes, and used chicken broth instead of beef broth. Yeah... just a few changes. LOL
Mmmmm... this is what I had for Elevensies. Chopped tomato and avocado, topped with smoked salmon salad, with a sprinkling of cheapass caviar. (I would have put a bit more on, but that's all I had left. This afternoon I shall, of course, set forth on an adventure to procure more.)
Now I wonder what I should make for lunch?
(Ok, only partially kidding. I'm hungry.)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Mmmm... they can call that "bread" if they want to, but I know better. It's sponge cake. Almost angelfood, and they sell it by the loaf. I want to buy an entire loaf and eat it for breakfast every day, and feel all good about myself for having "bread." LOL
I should back up a bit.
A couple of months ago it dawned on me to see if Ener-G foods sold their products direct from their website. I'd discovered some awesome pretzels while visiting my mom... pretzels I *know* aren't available in San Antonio. Lucky me, their website is happily set up for direct sales, and they offer things I'd never seen before. Like a clever sampler pack of their breads, in 2-slices-of-each packets. Like all their breads, they are shelf-stable, vacuum-packed with dessicant thingies... so I put them on a shelf while I tried to figure out how to taste-test 11 different breads. I wanted to use some sort of quasi-scientific method. I also wanted a wide range of testers, including some gluten-eaters, but that didn't work out. I think my family is scared of my gluten-free frankenbreads.
Today was finally time to start in. I had three breads to try, ones that seemed perhaps to be more "breakfast" breads. A raisin bread, one labelled just "sweet bread", and a corn loaf.
What is with the funky shape of that corn loaf?
The criteria I set up for judging the breads:
-does it need toasted (most GF bread most certainly does)?
-is it sticky/gummy?
-is it suck-the-spit-from-your-mouth dry?
-are there any funky/chemically flavors?
-and then just a notation of whether it'd be best for savory or sweet toppings
The raisin and sweet breads were nice and moist, fresh out of their bags. The corn was... not. It felt and tasted stale. I guess sometimes the dessicant bag thingies don't work right. The sweet bread was a bit sticky/gummy, but I'm guessing that's due to sheer sugar content. It was very appropriately named. The raisin bread was incredibly dry- literally could not swallow it until I had hunted down my glass of water, for fear of choking. The corn loaf had some funky flavors going on that were hard to name. Chemical. Blech.
After toasting, I threw all scientific control methods aside and buttered all three pieces. Habit.
The raisin bread had a nice, typical sweet-tart raisiny taste. It never did get very crisp, despite overtoasting. It was nice, and if you've missed raisin toast since going gluten-free, it'd probably fill in. The corn bread (not cornbread, that's an entirely different thing) improved incredibly with toasting. As a matter of fact, I only got two tiny nibbles before my son snatched it and gobbled it down. If I remember right, it tasted like Real (overtoasted) Bread. Like your ordinary cheap grocery store bread, toasted within an inch of it's life. Pretty darn good, in a bland way*. Hence my 3-yo absconding with it.
And the sweet bread, ohhhhh the sweet bread.... Not bread at all. I know it's secret. The overtoasting turned it's sticky sweetness into caramel. Especially with a smear of butter on top.... oh, baby. That's not bread, that's cake.
* Not bland in a tapioca-rice "bread" kind of way, if that's what you've been subsisting on. It really tasted... wheaty. But like it would easily host any kind of topping or spread you wished. Just like Real Bread.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The first night we ate the Mystery Bean, I simply steamed it with a little lemon. It was good. Beany. Tonight I stir-fried it with mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and carrot. And completely forgot to take more pictures. With a bit of a tamari-garlic-lemon sauce, it was very good alongside grilled pork chops.
In case anyone has a weird monitor... the splotchies on the Mystery Beans are pinkish-red, not brown or anything diseasey.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Shockingly, this close to an election, this post is about politics. I didn't expect to go there. But, here I am. And after all this preamble, I'm actually going to let someone else do most of the talking. So, please... go here. Read why no one with a brain should vote for McCain.
After being initiated into the Grieving Parents Club over 5 years ago, I have been on an email list called SPALS (Subsequent Pregnancy After Loss Support). I am constantly astounded at the number of women who's bodies flip out on them. The complications that everyone has heard about but no one really thinks about- eclampsia, intrauterine growth retardation, incompetent cervix- happen hundreds of times a day. Right now, as you're reading this, there is a mother-to-be right here in America who is suddenly losing her baby.
What no one thinks about is... if the mama is less than 26 weeks along and suffering from eclampsia, staying pregnant could kill her. And the baby is hardly ready for life outside the womb. And if the situation gets dire enough, the docs induce her or she gets a c-section. With everyone knowing the baby will die. That is, essentially, an abortion. The right to save the mother's life in that instance would be taken away by John McCain. And it's not a rare event, unfortunately. If the laws tie the hands of the doctors, there will be such confusion and chaos... and so much more loss of life. Because, if mama dies with baby in-utero, baby dies, too. And then a heartbreaking situation gets even worse.
I don't like abortion, and hate applying the word to the above example, but McCain and Palin wouldn't shy away from it.
This mama is voting for Obama.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
I just can't remember where I saw it.
I have been rather unsuccessfully searching for the recipe and the right fish for quite a while. I keep not getting it right. But that's ok... because the "failures" all taste pretty darn good anyway. Today's fish was black tilapia, because that's what the store had in the category of "dinner is looking at you." And it was. But anyway... it wasn't quite what I'd expected, so I needed to google around for some ideas. I was inspired by this marinade and the basic gist here.
I cooked up half a bell pepper, half a giant red onion, half a mystery pepper (of the spicy kind), and a few mushrooms, all chopped up of course. And cooked in bacon fat, of course. I stuffed some of that into the fish. The rest was simmered in the leftover marinade.
The fish was a lot smaller than I'd expected, at under 1 pound, including all the bits we weren't going to eat. So I told the Grill Geek to toss a couple of boudin on the grill, as well.
The promise of good things to come...
He grilled the fish about 5 minutes per side. It worked. Not undercooked, not overcooked.
Despite the oil in the marinade, the skin stuck to the grill basket. Oh, well, I wasn't planning to eat it anyway.
The veggies that didn't fit inside the fish went on top of rice. Just a squeeze of Meyer lemon to dress the fish- it was so tender, rather silky even. I had no idea the humble tilapia could be so good.
By the way, the Grill Geek insists that tilapia is not the "fruit of the sea," as Bubba from Forest Gump would say. Because a fruit can be eaten raw, and you wouldn't want to do that with tilapia. He says instead it is the "vegetable of the sea."
I just really wanted a cleverish title for this entry. So, I'm sticking to it. But I've included his comments because... well... he's right.
My rants are, oddly, few this week. Despite already being cranky while looking through the coupons, due to drinking "herbal coffee," I didn't see much fresh material. And I hate to simply repeat myself. However, a couple of things did get my hackles up.
Bob Evans homestyle side dish thingies. "The perfect dinner companions. Everyone could use a little homestyle." Featured in the ad are mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and macaroni and cheese. Available in your grocer's refrigerated section. Because microwaved mac&cheese singles are too hard? If you're going to eat crap food, where's the line between tacky/premade and yummy/homestyle? The green bean casserole I can understand. Making that from "scratch" is dangerously close to actual cooking. It involves opening at least three cans... can't recall exactly, since I never made it. Mashed potatoes... already prepared from flakes for your convenience. Mmmm... wonder if they use "real" margarine? (Yes, I know that's an oxymoron.) But the macaroni is what made me yell out "that's retarded!" so it wins the place of (dis)honor here. How lazy have people become that they can't even bother to boil water? A true "homestyle" macaroni and cheese is a wonderful thing... the pasta has a bit of bite to it still, resisting the teeth just a touch in true "al dente" style, the cheese sauce is a blend of cheeses with sharp Cheddar as well as softer cheeses, to add creaminess. There are buttery, crunchy crumbs on top, to delight the senses with a variation of textures- chewy, creamy, crunchy. Real macaroni and cheese is a work of art. (And let me just say that I hate all of you who can still eat it.) But this Bob Evans product... this "homestyle" macaroni and cheese... there are no crumbs. The "cheese" probably ends in a "z." And I venture to guess the pasta has no texture whatsover. Don't stir it overmuch, our you'll simply have orange goo.
Second place this week goes to Tyson. I generally leave Tyson alone. Sure they raise franken-chickens in horrendous factory conditions and have forever changed the perception of what chicken tastes like by making it bland and fluid-injected. However, they often have gluten-free options that others don't. So I kinda don't hate them as much as I should. Today I take exception to the big, bold headline on their add for chicken nuggets. (The one disgusting junk food my children don't like!) "Clean plates start here."
Last I heard, and I hear it a LOT from every form of news media, American children are fatter than ever. They are developing Type II diabetes in record numbers. They are sicker and more unhappy than ever. It has been accepted theory for years now that "cleaning your plate" has disastrous effects on attitude toward food. It completely numbs the senses toward being able to tell when you're full.
From the rest of the ad, it's clear that they are talking about picky eaters... and believe me, I sympathize with that cause. My children are very selective about what they'll eat. But I decided a long time ago not to make it a battleground. They are in control of their bodies, not me. I also know from experience that food allergies can make people dislike the foods that make them ill. (Ironically, allergies can also cause cravings for the damaging foods, but that's another topic.)
The goal with eating should be nourishment. Hopefully, there is good conversation and a feeling of well-being around the table while eating as well. But the goal is most-definitely NOT a clean plate. That's the dishwasher's job, not the child's.
And finally, as a bonus... I just really had a laugh about this one. The Jerry Springer crowd will be relieved to know that they can now bop over to their neighborhood drugstore for a "Fast. Accurate. Confidential." test to discover just who is the Baby Daddy. Identigene now markets an over-the-counter mail-in test, with results in just 3-5 days.
It gets even better... on the box it says in large letters "DNA Paternity Test." Below that, in itty bitty print: "For Alleged Father, Mother, and Child."
I love it!!!
Watch out, though... just buying it from the Walgreens, for whatever the shelf price is, isn't enough. Microscopic mouse print lets you know "Additional $119.00 Laboratory Fee Required." Better go donate some plasma to cover that.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
So, I was innocently surfing through my Morning Coffee tabs this morning, when one of my favored food blogs showed a link to Fat-Free Vegan, a blog. And I snapped. I didn't even click on it, but I snapped. I'm sorry... I know how much vegetarians and vegans hate it when carnivores care what they do or don't eat. Normally I don't care. Normally I just eat what I eat and everyone else can do the same and I rant in my personal space and that's it.
But... I snapped.
Fat-free vegan? WTF? What do they eat? They don't eat nuts, obviously, because those have fat. They don't eat yummy avocados, because those have fat. They must eat carrot sticks and celery and... lettuce. Bunny food. They are at the bottom of the food chain. They are negating millions of years of evolution- so much hard work by countless generations of ancestors. All for what? Some uppity feeling of purity? What did they do that was so wrong, in this life or the last, that requires such a cruel penitence? Who were they? Are today's vegans all recycled S.S. soldiers? Were they gassing Jews for Hitler and have to cleanse their souls in this life?
I just don't understand.
So, naturally, I'm making bacon right now. A great big pan full of drippy bacon, happily roasting away in my fat-spattered oven, juices popping, formerly-alive cells bursting and caramelizing with tantalizing animal flavor.
Take that and stick it in your carrot-hole.
Anyway, back to evolutionary freakatude. (OMG, did you know freakatude is actually a word? I didn't.) 4 million years ago great-great-Grandpa Ape dropped down from his tree and wandered around a bit, looking for something to eat. He found the ocean. He caught a fish. He ate it, the delicious, healthy, nourishing fats went straight to his brain and it instantly got half a size bigger. He got a great idea to make a net and catch more fish. His family gorged themselves on delicious ocean animals and got so smart they became the kings and queens of apes. The cranky vegan apes climbed back up and lived in sterile little religious nut colonies, not having any babies, and soon died out.
How is it they've come back?
I just flipped my bacon. It's coming along quite nicely. Mmmmm... bacon...
I just really don't understand fat-phobe people. Seriously. They seem to all have a connection with religious-based self-mortification. The idea that we are inherently sinful and disgusting, and must be saved from ourselves. This seems to lead people to believe that any and all natural impulses can't be trusted. Humans LOVE fat. We crave creamy, buttery, juicy foods. So, these people rationalize those foods must be bad. Unhealthy. Sinful. And since when did unhealthy = sinful, anyway? So many people feel actual sin-type remorse if they eat the "wrong" thing or don't exercise that day. I just don't understand. Guilt serves no purpose.
God made bacon. How can people reject the gift?
Fat-free vegan. Not low-fat vegan... no, that's sooooo yesterday. Every self-loathing, unhappy emo kid does that. Fat-free. That's just... impossible. Even vegetables have waxy coatings to their cells. Every freaking living thing on the planet has some sort of fat in it. There's a reason for that. It's necessary for life. Especially in humans.
BTW... I can explain those feelings of self-loathing and depression... they stem from a lack of fat. Seriously. I became clinically depressed for several months following a bout of giardiasis (food poisoning, basically) that left me unable to digest much fat. It took me a year to recover. That's how important fat is.
I'm going to go eat my bacon now.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
And I can appreciate the idea behind it. People need to eat.
What I don't appreciate is slick advertising that borders on the verge of lying.
Campbells had their very own coupon insert... several pages extolling the virtues of soup. So economical, so "healthy." Canned soup seems closer to real food, sometimes. A choice you can be proud of. One page in the packet simply said "The Original Dollar Menu" in large letters. Underneath, a spread of soup cans bordered by bona fide real vegetables. And in front of it, a bowl of soup. It goes on to explain that "at less than $1 per serving... you are looking for ways to save money; but saving does not mean skimping." Wow, a dollar for a bowl of soup... "farm-grown vegetables" (is there another way? I'm sure Monsanto is working on one.)
A chart of sorts to the side once again reminds us, less than $1.00, 4 minutes to prepare, and the kicker... 100 calories or less.
That's not much lunch. That's not even much of a contribution toward lunch. That means you're probably getting about 1/2 ounce of "tender meats", so you're going to need more protein. You got twice as much refined salt as anyone needs, and those veggies have less life left in them than the paper wrapper around the can.
100 calories. Just off the top of my head, I can think of a way to spend $1 for 100 calories and actually get some nutrients. How about a baby spinach salad with a homemade oil-and-vinegar dressing, with a chopped hard-boiled egg? I won't bother saying someone could make their own soup, because that requires cooking.
The next thing that caught my eye was the hotpink spread for Bake for the Cure... cuz it's all about breast cancer this month. (I won't go there. I won't. I know I have unconventional views, and this is a FOOD blog, not a cancer blog...
Wait a minute...
Sugar? No, not even sugar, that would be a slightly better choice. Corn syrup! It hurts the liver! Cancer in general and breast cancer specifically are generally due to liver problems! At least it can be said that the liver being HEALTHY can be a good part of the fight against cancer. And cancer loooooooves sugar. It loves starchy carby crap, too. So "bake for the cure" Cherry Almond Roll and Triple Berry Crisp and Chocolate Caramel Bars are all featured. It's all cancer-food. AAAACCCCKKK!!!
Oh, but don't worry. The ad apparently isn't aimed at women who HAVE cancer. It's for all the non-cancer-havers that want to help the poor, unfortunate, not-mes who do have cancer. It doesn't apply to Nancy Soccermom. She can eat all the sugar she wants. It doesn't apply to all the young girls who gobble up the gooey Chocolate Caramel Bars from the bake sale. Oh, maybe that one girl who's aunt had breast cancer... oh, but she's so young. Give her a second helping. By the time she gets cancer, there'll be a cure. Let's bake, bake, bake!
Grrrrrrr... naturally our health has nothing to do with what we eat....
And now, to lighten the mood, I present my first ever anti-rant. I'm actually going to say something nice about something I saw in the coupon ads.
(Everyone recovered now?)
Arm & Hammer Essentials, some sort of multi-surface cleaner, offers a reusable spray bottle. But that's not all. You can buy refills of the cleaning product, which are little bitty, as they figure you're capable of adding water. It's... kinda cool. Kinda eco-friendly. No idea what chemicals are involved, or whether the little refill bottles are recyclable. And maybe there's some other issue I'm missing here entirely. But... on the surface (har har, sort of a pun, sorry), it seems good. Let's bask in that.
I'll end with a WTF? There's a noise and a tilting of the head that goes with this, that I'm not sure how to describe. But, I'm a bit puzzled. I wish you could all see this ad.
Amish Naturals. Is it sausage? Bread? Yummy cinnamon rolls with 3 times too much icing? No. Nor is it butter or homemade cornbread.
Pasta. Yeah. Um... from Ohio, no less. With "twice filtered well water." WTF? I'm just so confused.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Those who have read my previous rants will likely recall that I hate it when food manufacturers can't do math. Or else when they assume I can't do math. Maybe it has nothing to do with math and they conclude business meetings by rolling dice to randomly assign value to their upcoming coupons. Because... someone somewhere is actually getting paid to think this stuff up. ("stuff" was not my original choice of words, but I am trying to behave myself.)
Let us begin with Ragu. Ah, Ragu, it's in there. Wait, that's someone else's ad. Sorry. Anyhow, they're offering a $1 off. That generally catches my attention. 15 cents isn't worth my time. $1... well... that's almost real money. What do I have to buy to save a buck? 2 pasta sauces and 1 dry pasta.
I'll repeat. 2 sauces, 1 pasta.
I'll admit that in my attempts at lowering my carbs, I've put pasta sauce on things other than pasta. But... most folks aren't that creative. The folks that buy jarred pasta sauce because they have no idea that a little onion and garlic cooked until soft and a can of diced tomatoes makes something that tastes even better. So... the people they are marketing to are really going to need more pasta. Why have the pasta even involved? Ragu doesn't, to my knowledge, make pasta.
Along the lines of Things People Ought To Make For Themselves... pancakes. There's a Bisquick ad for pancakes. I happen to know of a full-grown adult who had no idea it was possible to make pancakes without a mix. Well, fine readers, I can assure you that pancakes are beginner-easy. It's not rocket science. Flour (doesn't even have to be wheat! *gasp*), baking powder, liquid, eggs, maybe some fruit... it's just really hard to mess up pancakes. If they're too thick, add liquid. Too thin? Call 'em crepes.
"Bisquick, let's make pancakes!" it says at the bottom of the ad. On top is "Magical Pancake Mornings." Ugh. Look, Mikey, Mommy cooked! Sort of. Mommy added water to powder and got it hot.
I seem to be on a roll here for Stuff That's Way Easier Than People Think, so I'll continue with popcorn. I've got an ad here for Orville Redenbacher's, "Enjoy the Gourmet Flavors of Natural Popcorn!" What gourmet flavors are they featuring? Buttery Salt & Cracked Pepper, Buttery Garlic, Simply Salted, and Butter.
I need a stare-y face right here. One that looks like it's saying "Really? That's what you've got? Wow. That's stupid."
Would you like to enjoy some natural popcorn? I know you know what's coming... but I don't mind being predictable. Get a pan. Preferrably a metal one with no weird coatings, but enameled cast iron would be fine, enamel doesn't count as weird. I use a stainless steel saucepan-type thing. Make sure yours has a lid.
Cover the bottom with oil. Vegetable oil sucks really, as it's generally soy oil these days. I use a mix of coconut and palm oils. I know most folks don't have those on hand, so... use what you've got. I'll never know if you're desecrating your body temple with soy. (I can tell you that both butter and bacon grease burn like crazy when making popcorn, so don't use those.) Now, add a layer of popcorn kernels, so the bottom of the pan is covered. No measuring needed.
Put the lid on, turn the heat to medium, and shake it around, just to coat the kernels with oil a bit.
Now leave it alone. You don't have to babysit it. You don't have to shake it constantly. It'll take 5-10 minutes, probably, depending on how fast your stove heats up. When you hear the first pop, go back to the stove and start half-heartedly jiggling. It isn't really necessary at all, as the popped corn goes up and the kernels stay down, so shaking it really just keeps you entertained. You do want to take it off the burner as soon as it stops popping, though. Burned popcorn sucks.
Now, put your popcorn in a big bowl. Let the pan cool a bit (stove should be OFF), and then plop in a bunch of butter. Room temp butter burns less than cold butter. When the butter is melted, pour it over the popcorn, add salt, and shake it around.
There you go. Sure, it dirtied a pan and took longer than a bag in the microwave, but everyone agrees it tastes better. And there's no risk of lung cancer from artificial butter flavoring. If you want to get gourmet with it, add pepper. Or garlic powder. Or cinnamon-sugar. Or nutritional yeast (I'm told it tastes like Parmesan.) Chocolate syrup or maple syrup or melted nut butter-and-honey... I'm sure you can get way more creative with it than Mr. Redenbacher.
I ended up giving you a recipe, of sorts. In return I'd like to know if anyone knows why the gal in the Benefiber ad looks like she's wearing half a Cookie Monster costume. And why she has no arms. What do hairy blue-green blobs have to do with constipation?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I apologize for the snarkiness above. It would seem I have a taunting reaction to meals loaded with yumminess.
I will have to wait to upload the photo evidence of tonight's ambrosia, as I am away from home and without my camera cable. (I actually thought to myself, while packing, "no, there's no reason I'd need that.") Little did I know that I would soon be seized once again with the urge to blog.
Without further nonsense... tonight's dinner. As usual, I don't know what to call it. It's based on a Nigella Lawson recipe (love her!) simply named One Pan Sage and Onion Chicken and Sausage. That's a heck of a name. Accurate. But long.
And I need to make it even longer, because I tweaked it. I added to it. I am pathologically incapable of following directions, it would seem. But I can't name it One Pan Garlic and Onion Chicken and Sausage with Potatoes and Tomatoes. That'd just be wrong.
So, in lieu of that, I'm considering Everything Awesome. Because that's what's in it. Take a look... I think you'll agree. Leave a comment and let me know.
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
6-10 (or more) peeled garlic cloves, whole but smashed a bit
3-4 tablespoons bacon fat (was out of olive oil, this was definitely a yummy substitution)
1tablespoon mustard- Nigella calls for English, of course, I used spicy brown, because that's what was available
1 tablespoon dried sage or herby blend
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gluten-free)
Freshly-ground black pepper
4-6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
About 1 pound sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths, if necessary
Some small red potatoes, cut into fourths (wedges)
A couple handfuls of fresh-picked homegrown cherry tomatoes (yeah, now I'm just bragging)
Mix all the seasonings and grease and onions and garlic in a ziploc, squishing it around. Add the chicken, squish some more, and refrigerate overnight, or at least a little while if this is a last-minute thing.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Plop the ziploc ingredients into a big baking dish (I think I used a 9x13 Pyrex), nestle the sausage pieces in, and add the potato wedges. Try to coat the potatoes with a bit of the saucy goodness, or at least stick them next to sausages, to share the fatty love. Bake/roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning the sausages over halfway through. If the potato wedges look woefully dry, add some juice from the pan, or drizzle a bit of bacon grease over them. (Tip: if you keep your bacon fat near the back of the stove it'll be liquid after 45 minutes of the oven being on. Easy to drizzle that way.)
Add the tomatoes, whole, near the end, with 15-20 minutes left.
Dig in. Serve with a salad, if you feel guilty.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
What is the world coming to? Just how ridiculous are we going to get? Where is the bottom of the rabbit hole?
Here I was, innocently flipping through the ads in the Sunday paper... not even looking for rant-fodder, when I came across the Petco ad. Normally I would have tossed it directly on the recycle pile, unseen. But, I wondered where a Petco might be 'round here, so it caught my eye.
The next thing that caught my eye was the special announcement in the upper right corner... "Introducing The Dog Whisperer Pet Products." I kid you not. But before I could even summon a half-hearted "OMG, like the dogs tell him what stuff they want?!?" I saw one of the new products.
My jaw dropped. My rant spewed forth.
Fortified bottled water for dogs.
Allow me to repeat myself in case you don't like going back to re-read... it's specially-made bottled water, fortified (with what?) for dogs. Dogs. You know... the same slobbery, fuzzy, butt-sniffing creatures that drink out of toilets. That's some fortified water, if you forgot to flush or haven't cleaned recently.
The same halfwits that joyfully dig for buried snackies in the litterbox.
Fortified bottled water... for dogs. "Specially developed with Cesar Milan and veterinarians to give essential hydration a healthful boost."
Is your doggie lacking in trace minerals? Needs more amino acids? Perhaps he's not getting enough Omega-3s? Fear not, the Dog Whisperer is eager to take your money.
Bottled water. For dogs. Unbelievable.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Ok, I believe it. I just... I was at the mercy of a late dinner (that smelled REALLY good while cooking) and a second glass of wine (on an empty stomach)... and I flat forgot.
I don't even know what to call this, but it was plate-licking delicious. And I am not kidding. I licked it. I offered my plate to the Grill Geek, but he had already moved on to contentedly digesting.
2 large pork sausages, the spicy kind with removable casings. Since they can be removed... remove them. Ew, don't they look weird?
1/2 a large onion, sliced
Some fat... olive oil, bacon or duck fat, whatever
Soften the onions in the fat, then add the crumbled sausage. When the sausage is browned, add:
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 to 1 1/2 cups sprouted beans and lentils (I didn't measure)
About 2 cups chicken stock (once again, didn't measure... just make sure there's plenty of liquid)
Simmer about 45 minutes. I thought sprouted beans would cook quicker. They didn't seem to. Oh, the torture! But, they finally did cook, and I served the whatchamacallit over rice, with a side of sliced summer squash sauteed in butter.
Friday, July 18, 2008
This is heaven. The pinnacle. Nirvana. The best of foods. And yet... due to the illicit saturated fat content... somehow dirty and forbidden. I love being a nutrition rebel. A food pirate.
Baked chicken, simply basted in it's own fat, sprinkled with sea salt, cracked pepper, and paprika. Not just any chicken, though... a truly pastured chicken. A chicken that actually ran around outside. Not just "free-range" which means essentially nothing. Nope, I saw this chicken's pecking grounds. Collected a fresh egg from one of it's cousins. This was a wonderfully-healthy, bug-eating, sunshine-soaking, clucking-at-the-nearby-cows chicken. And it was delicious.
Then there are the mashed potatoes... locally-grown red taters, with the skin on, mashed with grass-fed cow butter and a bit of chicken stock. The collards are cooked, as all collards should be, with onions that were softened in bacon fat, then simmered in chicken stock until tender. Top with a bit of garlic Tabasco and vinegar... unbelievably delicious, nutrient-dense, good-for-you real food.
Life is good.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I got eggplant in my local box this week.
I don't like eggplant, I thought.
Fortunately, my Little Guy loves the movie "Ratatouille" and I thought it'd be a hoot to try my hand at the title dish. I'm not sure why I picked this recipe, but... it caught my eye. Perhaps it was the unconventional chart at the bottom.
I wish now that I'd chosen the movie version, as that would have been super cool.
But the first recipe is quite tasty. Very winter stew-ish, despite being all summer veggies. I served mine atop cornbread, since I don't have the option of a crusty baguette. The cornbread was a bit crisp from the super-hot oven, and really worked well. We also had some slow-cooked grassfed chuck roast. Delish!
Monday, July 14, 2008
This week, fresh black-eyed peas were in my local box of produce. As silly as it may sound, I had never realized that peas and beans could be eaten... well... fresh. I'd only ever seen them dried. Obviously they don't grow that way, but... well... I'd just never thought it through.
I nibbled one of the fresh peas, and it was delicious! But, I know that phytates are a serious issue with all legumes and grains, so... some cooking was necessary. I should have soaked them first, but didn't think of it in time. Instead, I simmered them in some chicken broth for what seemed like ages, added a dash of garlic Tabasco, and once they were finally soft, tossed them in a pan of collards. We also had some beyond-fabulous local pork sausage, that the Grill Geek graciously grilled (say that five times fast!)
Tequila Shrimp with Rice
Prep time: 20 minutes (includes cleaning shrimp)
Cook time: 1 hour
scant ¼ cup fat- bacon, coconut oil, olive, whatever
½ large onion, chopped
½ large red bell pepper, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ pound chorizo, thinly sliced (or pepperoni)
1½ cups canned chopped tomatoes
½ can black beans, drained
¾ cup tequila
1 cup shrimp stock
¾ cup long-grain white rice
½ tsp kosher salt
generous shakes of Hungarian paprika
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
In a very large, shallow paella pan or skillet, heat fat over medium heat. Add onion, and bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and chorizo and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and beans and stir well.
Increase heat to high and add the tequila, shrimp stock, rice, salt, and paprika and stir well again.
Add shrimp, mix well, and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked and the rice has absorbed the liquid. Serve, with a sprinkle of cilantro, if desired.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
It's been a while, but, I finally got to do another "episode" of Iron Chef Mom. This time the Secret Ingredient was boneless pork sirloin roast. Once again it seemed impossible to do anything good with it in just an hour. Then I got the idea of chopping it up for kebabs!
Dinner was kebabs with red bell pepper and spring onions atop cabbage slaw, calabacitas salad, and plain rice. I would have loved to make Mexican rice, but there just wasn't time for anything else, and I ended up appreciating the plainness, actually... it was a bit soothing with all the spicy stuff!
I was amazed to get done with 1 minute left on the clock. The key is figuring out the "order of events" ahead of time.
First thing- start the rice cooker. I know a lot of people think rice cookers are silly, but I love mine. I just toss stuff in and forget it. If it's done before the rest of dinner... no worries... it stays warm. The rest went like this:
Slice cabbage thinly, salt, and leave in a colander to drain.
Cube pork, marinate in fridge (reserve some marinade to brush on while grilling)
Chop veggies, slice squash for grilling
Wring out cabbage and toss with dressing
Chop grilled squash and assemble salad
Marinade for pork
1/2 cup salsa verde
1/4 red onion, sliced and quickly browned in bacon fat
3 cloves garlic (toss in with the onion at the end, to brown a bit)
1/4 cup spiced rum
1 very small chipotle pepper
Whizz it all together in a blender.
I didn't try it, but after tasting it, I really think I should have... pineapple would have been awesome here. About 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, with about 1/2 teaspoon salt added. Would have been fabulous.
I only had time to marinate for about 30 minutes. Longer would have been nice, but 30 really was enough. It was a fairly tender cut of meat, and brushing the reserved marinade/sauce on while grilling added plenty of flavor.
¼ head, each, red and green cabbage, very-thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
Juice from one lime
1 T. ACV
1 T olive oil
Place cabbage in a large bowl, tossing it with salt. Press it down firmly with hands, to help it break down a bit. Place in a colander in the sink, allowing 20 minutes to drain.
Wring it out with paper towels and put back in a bowl. Toss with juice, vinegar, and oil.
Let sit at room temp 15 minutes before serving.
2-4 zucchini and yellow squash, sliced in half lengthwise
2 slices bacon, chopped and browned
2 tablespoons orange juice
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tsp dried cilantro (fresh would be much better- 1 tablespoon, perhaps?)
about ¼ cup fresh goat cheese
Brush the squash with olive oil on the cut side and sprinkle with salt. Grill.
Chop into small pieces, toss with juice and oil, sprinkle with cilantro, and top with bacon and cheese.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday night I made this riff on a traditional German dish of sausage and cabbage. The original recipe calls for apples, but I wanted a more-summery version.
Grilled pork chop, grilled asparagus, and Rainbow Sidedish. Which was grilled. I love grilling, because all I have to do is prep. Then the Grill Geek takes over. I loved this version of Sidedish. Normally it contains potatoes, garlic, and onions, with olive oil or butter, and salt. (Wrapped up in heavy duty foil and cooked while the grill heats up for the main course, about 30 minutes.) This time it was red onions, orange bell pepper, yellow squash, and zucchini, with herb butter. Fabulousity.
Sort-of-Chili, on a grilled, bacon-wrapped potato, with salad. The chili (made with leftover grilled pork and leftover veggie-heavy marinara) didn't thicken. So, it was soup on a potato. Weird, but tasty.
No, I haven't lost my mind. I saw a picture online a few days ago, of someone else's woven bacon, and I was inspired.
Mother's Day isn't a day off for me, so... since I'm going to be cooking anyway, I might as well make it fun. And weaving bacon is fun! At first I tried to justify it, postulating that perhaps it would cook more-evenly, or be easier to flip during cooking. The truth of the matter is, I like to play with my food. And not even Martha Stewart would weave her bacon. A chance to one-up The Woman is always appreciated.
To begin, lay out strips of bacon... these are actually too far apart, as I was picturing the whole thing wrong in my head. You want them right next to each other. This was just plain ol' Oscar Meyer bacon... "America's Favorite" or whatever. I prefer a snooty applewood-smoked bacon, but, this is pretty tasty.
There really isn't a need to weave efficiently... it's not that big of a project where time-saving tips matter. However, after the first couple of cross-pieces are placed, you can flip up the ones that need to go on top, lay down the new piece of bacon, and then flip them back down. It's easier than doing over-under, over-under with limp meat.
Before you even know it, you're done!
Here it is, ready to go into the oven, I inverted the cooling rack over the bacon, and flipped the whole thing, including the cutting board. It worked well, to keep things from getting rearranged.
Now that I think about it, I guess I could have easily done the weave directly on the rack. Oh, well.
375-ish, 10 minutes per side, two flips, for a total of about 30 minutes. My oven is possessed by an obnoxious demon, however, and doesn't keep an accurate temperature, so... your mileage will certainly vary.
I used kitchen shears to cut it into serving sizes, because it wasn't crisp enough to break. I would have liked it much crisper in the middle... next time I'll try broiling at the end. Maybe a chunk of time at a lower heat would bake some of the extra grease
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Roasted cauliflower, topped with a veggie-heavy marinara, with meatballs and pea-shoot salad. I'd been wanting to try roasting cauliflower for quite a while, so when a head of it showed up in my weekly local produce delivery, I was excited. I washed it, cut it in chunks, tossed them with olive oil and salt, and roasted at about 375. I had just baked the meatballs, so I just used the same oven temp.
I was also very excited to get more pea tendrils/shoots, so I could make another fabulous salad. This time I kept it simpler, with basically just the vinaigrette, lettuce, and pea shoots.
When the cauliflower was done roasting it smelled like roasted Brussels sprouts. Which makes sense, I suppose, since they're cousins. I love roasted Brussels sprouts... more than the cauliflower. It was good, and an interesting lower-carb option to pasta or polenta. But... I kinda doubt I'll do it again.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Cinco de Mayo in South Texas... I really ought to be having more of a feast. Oh, well, we are a small family, and didn't invite anyone over because I'm still getting over a cold. I'm 90% there, but... want to make sure I don't share my germs.
On the menu tonight:
Rice, pork, chips and guacamole, saucy bits, watermelon. And, of course, margaritas. But not the blender kind.
I sautéed the rice in olive oil before tossing it in the rice cooker this time... a step in the direction of more-authentically Mexican. I didn't add in the onion and garlic and such that are common south of the border, because I wanted the kids to eat it. And I wanted to be able to tell what, if anything, the extra step adds to the final flavor. I was rather disappointed. Maybe I should have toasted it a bit longer... but it didn't seem worth the effort. Luckily, I could reuse the pan for the saucy bits.
Sauté half an onion, sliced thinly, in about a tablespoon of bacon fat. Add three crushed garlic cloves, stirring quickly to prevent burning, and then pour in about a cup of chopped tomatoes. Add more tomatoes, if needed, to make a pretty thick sauce. Plop in a small dried pepper (I think mine are chipotle, but they weren't labeled at the store.) Cook for a while, adding more tomato or a splash of wine. Add salt to taste.
Pork loin strips, a flambé
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Today is the Kentucky Derby, and I married a Kentucky boy, so it's bigger than most holidays. For the first time ever (for me), we've got actual money on a few of the horses. I used my hubby's traditional method for selecting the winner... "which name would look best on a Derby glass?" He used statistics, records, and winning percentages. Ha! We'll see who does best. Anyway, back to food... the Grill Geek feasted on toast with fried eggs, bacon, and hollandaise sauce for breakfast. I had toast with almond butter topped with dried cranberries. (It was a busy morning for me and I have a chest cold...)
After such an insufficient start to the day for a hobbit, I was naturally half-dead by noon. Our official Derby Day lunch is Kentucky Hot Browns. My allergies prevent me from following the original recipe. Oh, well, I'm getting used to getting creative. I tried one slice of Ener-G Foods tapioca bread and one slice Food For Life white rice bread, to see which was best. I vote for the tapioca bread... better texture... neither contributes flavor here. Deli turkey, fresh tomato, and bacon were straight-forward. (I hope... I realize now that the Grill Geek probably doesn't realize that deli turkey has ingredients.) And then... the sauce. Heh. I was going to go ahead and find out whether cooked goat milk is ok for me. Because sometimes, for some people, that actually makes a difference. I found a simplified recipe that I planned to follow.
But I forgot to scale back the butter portion for just two servings. I thought that wouldn't cause a problem. Because I have almost no experience with white sauces, so I'm a complete idiot.
I started very slowly adding the milk, as instructed, and the whole thing seized up. "Curdled" isn't quite the right word, but... funkified, separated, and glop don't net many google results. I looked for ways to save the sauce, finally decided it couldn't be done, and used some leftover hollandaise instead.
It was much too tart... but I still ate every morsel.
Dinner was a sad affair, due to what happened right after the Derby... we were cheering for Eight Belles and our hearts (especially the Fairy Child's) were broken. It was delicious, though.
Grassfed rib steak, Sidedish (with local yellow squash), corn on the cob, and a chopped tomato.
Last night was our Beltane feast. Food is still the main way we celebrate anything, so despite not feeling well, I was determined to make some sort of seasonal/symbolic meal.
Grilled rum-buttered shrimp (grilled for the fire element, can't have a real bonfire with kids around), asparagus (cuz... well... it's shape), fresh spring greens (because it's spring), and fresh, local zucchini (because we had it). The kids also had strawberries because berries are a spring thing and red is the color for Beltane. I had to abstain, as I seem to be sensitive to all but the local strawberries, and I didn't get any in our Greenling box this week.
This was Thursday night's dinner... local pork sausage, Italian style. Yum. I recently had some fancy French sausage made with duck and pork, almost twice as expensive, and it tasted almost exactly like this. I think I'll just buy local from now on. :-)
- Tejas, United States
- I am many things... all at the same time. (No wonder I don't get much done!) I am a wife to a retired infantryman, mother of 3, stocker (and stalker) of the fridge, passionate fan of food, nutrition, ecology, coffee, wine, and college football. I love all things witchy and piratey. I often cook with booze. I feed stray cats. I don't believe in sunscreen. I don't like shoes and really hate socks. And I currently can't eat any gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, coconut(!?), or sodium metabisulfite (aw, shucks, no chemical snackies.) Sometimes even citric acid gets me. But only sometimes.


Oceanarium Restaurant Buffet at the Pacific Beach Hotel
A magical dining experience at Pacific Beach Hotel’s incredible Oceanarium Restaurant that features a three-story aquarium!
Arancino di Mare Italian Crepe Restaurant for Breakfast
Start your day with a breakfast of delicious crepes with an Italian twist at Arancino, one of Hawaii’s best Italian breakfasts in the heart of Waikiki!
Tony Roma’s All-American BBQ Ribs, Steak and Seafood Restaurant
Experience the delicious sensation known across the world when you visit Tony Roma’s, with the freshest ingredients and Tony’s famous Baby Back Ribs.
Japengo Japanese-Fusion Cuisine at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki
With a sushi bar and lounge and private dining options, Japengo Restaurant offers an array of authentic Pacific Rim flavors and delightful menu items!
Top of Waikiki – A Revolution in Cuisine
Enjoy incredible steak and seafood cuisine from high atop Waikiki, a restaurant offering the finest views of the Honolulu sunset and city lights!
Shor American Seafood Grill at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki
Get a taste of the freshest seafood that the island has to offer at Shor American Seafood Grill Restaurant, a contemporary seafood and steak mainstay!
Taormina Sicilian Cuisine on Waikiki Beach Walk
Indulge in fresh pastas with the highest quality seafood and meats at the wonderful Toarmina Restaurant, the most authentic Sicilian cuisine on the island!
Prince Court Buffet Dinner at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki
Contemporary Island Buffet at the Prince Court Restaurant, known for a delicious blend of the classic culinary techniques from the East and West!
1 2 next
The Polynesian Cultural Centre, is Oahu’s most popular attraction. Don’t miss it
is by far the best place to snorkelling on the island
Waikiki The most popular destination on Oahu
VISIT THE REST OF
THE TOWNS OF OAHU
Here are some of the
most popular words and phrases.
A GUIDE TO ALL
OF OAHU’S REGIONS
A LOOK AT THE
HISTORY AND CULTURE
Feast with a


The Milking Parlor is one of our newest projects at In Step. The project was made possible by a large grant from the Asian Indian Community Foundation of Western New York and volunteers and friends from New York.
Two years ago we were buying milk to fill the shortfall from our own cows. The conditions for our milking cows was awful. They were housed in a retrofit of a poorly built chicken coop and up to their utters in mud, making it very unsanitary for milking.
Once finished, the new construction of our modern facility will have 15 free stalls and a parallel milking parlor that will be able to prep and milk up to eight cows at a time. There is an equipment room which can hold a chiller, as well as an office and ample store room for holding feeds and supplements. Above is a hay loft for additional storage. Currently we are using the almost finished facility to milk 6 cows which provide all the milk for the daily intake of the entire children’s home, as well as yogurt to supplement the diet of the kids who need the extra boost.
Our desire is that this project will grow to the point of selling milk to the community and near by towns, creating a consistent source of income for the growing home.


We have a dedicated catering team on-site every day cooking fresh food for the children and staff.
Please find the menu for the Summer Term below (bread and a mixed salad bar are also available every day).
Our lunches are award-winning! In 2019, City Kids magazine ran a ‘Best School Menu’ competition. Around 30 schools in the West London area entered and the Falcons Pre-Prep was awarded the Runner-Up prize in the ‘Best School Menu – Primary’ category.
The judges said:
“One of our favourite things about Falcons Pre-Prep was the tasting table where children could try sushi, citrus salad and smoothies. We were also delighted to see that the cooked vegetables had a crunch and that the staff and pupils ate together.”


Making Yogurt in my Instant Pot
I love my Instant Pot? One reason is yogurt making. I decided to record how I do this today for my memory and for others that may want to try it.
Whole Organic Milk, half gallon
Good plain yogurt, about 2 heaping Tablespoons
Optional: 1 capsule each, Culturelle and Bifido Biotics (or probiotics you like)
Pour the milk in the pot
Press the Yogurt button, then press adjust and it should say, Boil.
(I know it's hard to see, but it says boil)
Now you can walk away. Don't put the lid on. It will stop when it has reached temperature. Next is the hard part:
Let it cool down. I let it cool to room temperature and don't give it much thought. Others recommend checking the temp to between 110 and 115 degrees. I don't worry about that. I used to, but have found I often forgot to go back at exactly the right time, and since the pot heats it back to the right temp it still always works. Then I can knit, watch tv, clean, whatever while I'm waiting and not feel pressured to get back on time.
Now it's cool. In a cup mix your yogurt and the emptied capsule of probiotics. Pour some of the cooled milk into the cup and stir until smooth. Pour that into the milk in the pot and gently stir in.
Put the lid on, press the yogurt button again and it will set for 8 hours.
Since I generally start it in the evening, I just go to bed. You don't have to worry about it until you get up, even if it's more than 8 hours.
(It says 8 hours)
You now have nice creamy yogurt!
I now go one step further. I bought a Greek yogurt maker (actually the Euro Cuisine GY50 Greek Yogurt Maker) on Amazon so I use that. I put my yogurt into that and set it in the fridge for about 6 hours or longer.
Then I turn the screen portion over on the lid, let the yogurt fall out naturally and it's so nice and thick you can slice it with a knife!
Save a little for the next time you want to make yogurt. You can put the little jar in the freezer and use it when you want.


Today’s food manufacturing brands have understood the fact that without maintaining the quality and of the products it can be threatening for them to survive in the warzone with the fierce market competitors. Starting from improving their equipment to enabling new ideas from the management experts and chefs, they’re spreading their arms wide open for the fresh ideas and trending enterprising concepts to stand strong and bold amongst the worthy competitors.
Apart from ensuring their dependencies on the machines, the processed food business owners should also keep their doors open for the new ideas and few more things that are explained in the following—
On the first go, the business owners have to think rationally about improving their machines. Today’s food processing companies have the vacuum packaging machines, mixers, grinders and weighing devices efficient in doing the job automatically without the constant manual support. For that, they are delving into incorporating the machines designed and created with advanced technology with the aim to ensure improved food manufacturing, processing, packing and weighing. Food manufacturing brands from across the globe are now keeping their hawk’s eye on the latest sous vide equipment and other devices launched for enhancing their food manufacturing business by replacing the old ones.
Improve the kitchen
Besides the robust machines in the factories, the business owners of the processed food brands are also aware of improving their kitchens. Starting from buying new appliances designed for the commercial purpose, they should also have qualified chefs who can guide the team with excellent ideas to manufacture food of different flavors matching the expectations of the target audience.
Have an expert team
Good businesspersons always listen to their employees. This is how they can come up with different new ideas. Smart businesspersons also maintain a team of experts where they have a professional chef, food tasters, nutritionists, and management experts enabling fresh concepts for increasing the sales. This is also called the R&D or the research and development team that any growing food brand needs for the ideas, risk management, and for the strategies to enhance the sales figure.
Including software management in the business
The ERP software solutions are bringing revolutionary changes in the food industry. Smart business entrepreneurs open towards accepting the fresh ideas better for the commercial expansion are adopting the software technology to handle their business from anywhere across the globe.
So, by following these ideas, you can conveniently enhance your food manufacturing business.


Situated in Quebec, Tokyo Sushi Bar prepares sushi dishes according to Japanese tradition.
Our restaurant is well known in both Laval and Longueuil.
Sushi, the original culinary heritage of Japan
Tokyo Sushi Bar wants you to discover or re-discover the unique taste of sushi.The recipe for sushi is made up of vinagared rice and raw fish or shell fish.Our chef combines his culinary talent with his imagination so that you feel the total Japanese experience.Our dishes are equal only to our passion for Asian cuisine.Enthusiastic and strict, we also delivery service and catering.
“Immerse yourself in Japanese culture and taste our delicious sushis”
Sushis prepared in the best Japanese tradition
Tokyo Sushi Bar makes its sushis for refined tastes.All of our ingredients (fish, rice, etc.) and our sauces are prepared with care and careful attention to hygiene.Our menu is very varied; you’ll be spoiled for choice.Whether you are a true gourmand, or just curious to try something new, spend some time with us in a true Japanese ambiance.Your satisfaction is our number one priority.
“Sushi is the symbolic dish of Japan”
For a reservation, contact us.


Kiwi Crushies are a 100% natural kiwifruit-based ice block made in New Zealand. All our kiwifruit comes from the lush sun drenched orchards of the Bay of Plenty.
We remove the fruit's skin and seeds and use the pulp to make the base of our ice blocks - snap frozen at the source to lock in the natural goodness of kiwifruit.
Kiwi Crushies are available in the ice block section from selected Countdown, Woolworths, Pak 'n Save, New World and Fresh Choice supermarkets. Ask in store if you can't find Kiwi Crushies or contact us for more information.
Kiwi Crushies are lower in sugar compared to other leading fruit-based ice block brands and are a rich source of vitamin C, making them perfect for the whole family.
Packaged in individual callipo-style tubes they are a convenient frozen treat to keep in the freezer for when you are feeling like a refreshing and healthy snack.
The products are recommended by Kiwi Mums and school canteens/caterers across the country.
Kiwi Crushies come in two mouth-watering flavours:
A kiwifruit base, with a taste of the Islands. The natural flavours of pineapple, passionfruit and freshly sliced mango make this the perfect treat to cool down with this summer.
Freshly picked apples mixed with blackcurrants and the goodness of kiwifruit, make this refreshing iceblock a sure hit! Guilt free and delicious, this summer treat is good for the whole family.
All our kiwifruit comes from the lush sun-drenched orchards of the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. Our fruit is grown for export under strict quality control standards and picked at the optimal time for ripeness and taste.
We track all our fruit from orchard to final product for consistency and traceability.
Kiwifruit provides great health benefits to the whole family and is great for anyone over two years old.
Delicious Nutritious Food Company produce 100% natural kiwifruit based ice blocks made in New Zealand. Delicious Nutritious Food Company delivers these natural, New Zealand, kiwifruit based products to both the retail and health food sectors.
229 Te Matai Road, RD 8, Te Puke
PO Box 47, Te Puke 3119


Coneheads Ice Cream Share: Dining Coneheads Ice Cream 104 Main Street N. Woodstock, NH 03262 (603) 745-2104 About Map About Ice Cream Shop with all home made ice cream, factory on site. Come watch us make ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, Italian ice. 36 Flavors of soft serve too! What's Nearby? Distance: 5 10 15 20 25 50 mi.


Story Published: Oct 23, 2011 at 5:42 PM PST
ELLENSBURG — It’s not your typical trip to the grocery store. In fact, it’s no trip at all. The Ellensburg food cooperative has found a new home online.
“It’s very convenient,” says shopper, Karen Ingalls. “Especially compared to what our options are for upper county residents right now.”
Karen speaks for thousands in Central Washington who have had a tough time finding convenient organic, local produce. Until now, Karen had to drive at least 30 miles to find organic produce. That’s why the idea of virtual shopping is catching on.
“Most shoppers, they are looking for local produce, meat and eggs,” says Co-op web master, Ed Gellenbeck.
Gellenbeck says demand for local produce is always high, especially in the winter, when farmer’s markets call it quits.
“This will be a way to extend the season for both the growers and the shoppers,” says Gellenbeck.
It’s a win-win, but they’re not the only ones coming out on top. When local growers are selling to local buyers, that’s money flowing into our local economy. Gellenbeck says that is important.
“We want to create a marketplace for local producers to be able to produce in the county and sell to local residents,” says Gellenbeck.
The virtual shopping trip is pretty simple. You just log on to the website, click ‘shop online,’ and browse their products. You can shop through everything from vegetables to baked goods to fruit. When your virtual shopping cart is full, you can go the the shopping calendar to figure out where and when to pick up your food.
And while it may not be typical, the idea of being able to shop in your PJ’s from home, is one both Karen and Gellenbeck are certain will catch on.
Right now, the online shopping is in its beginning stages and is only available once a month. But as demand increases, organizers do plan to expand the program.
To see a list of upcoming events, or learn more about the Ellensburg Food Co-op, go to http://ellensburgfoodcoop.com


Falksalt Wild Garlic 4.4oz
The fresh, zingy taste and aroma of Falksalt Wild Garlic Crystal Flakes allows you to make a masterpiece out of every dish. Dress your steak, roasted vegetables, or baked potato with a sprinkle of Wild Garlic flakes. Dust Wild Garlic over mashed potatoes for a hint of flavour. Use Falksalt Wild Garlic as an easy alternative to crushed garlic.
Manufacturer part number:
Europe´s leading independent salt distributor has been trading salt since 1830
Their long experience and deep knowledge of salt are put to use in our three business areas; De-Icing Solutions, Retail and Foods (Falksalt) and Agro/Industri/Water. Their offices in Sweden (HQ), UK, Germany, Poland and China employ more than 100. We are ISO 9001 and 14001 certified.
Falksalt's focus on product development, great quality and a high level of delivery dependability has given Falksalt a 65% market share in the Swedish consumer market and our sea salt flakes are now sold in more than 20 countries.


"The corporate agenda is: Do you like chocolate ice cream? Well here chocolate ice cream with sprinkles, here's chocolate ice cream with fudge... It's their job to turn the money printer on. It's the creative's job to say, 'Well shit, I don't know if I want to watch that.'"
"So yeah, too much of one thing is a bad thing, but I think there are enough creators and innovators in the space where you can expect to be surprised. Just don't expect corporations to surprise you."


Coming Soon – Blossom Ridge Ranch is proud to offer Lean Beef. All are homegrown in Athens, Tx and processed at an USDA facility. We off free delivery of beef between Athens to Fort Worth on weekends.
You can purchase lean beef by the pound and/or quarter, half and whole.
Hamburger – $6 a pound or purchase 20 pounds for $100
Prime cuts – range from $10-$15 pound
1/4 – $4.50 pound (limited prime cuts included)
1/2 – $3.00 pound (limited prime cuts included)
If you would like to reserve lean beef, please contact Amy at email@example.com or 903-681-0353.


No products in the cart.
8 Dark, 8 Caramel, 8 Peanut Butter
Elegant Dark -a one of a kind dark chocolate experience -distinctively deep, rich flavor cocoa beans can be tasted in every scrumptious bite. The best dark chocolate bar anywhere. 2 oz
Caramel Bliss -the ultimate blissful Caramel taste sensation -features dreamy caramel and premium milk chocolate in one blissful experience. 2 oz
Peanut Butter -satiny smooth peanut butter coated with creamy milk chocolate -delicious. 2 oz


With a vast selection of vitamins and
supplements available in the market, fish oil is one among them that are chosen
by many. So what makes fish oil the go-to supplement for most people? In this
article, we are going to tackle what fish oil is all about and what it’s good
for. Let’s dive in.
- Fish oil is not just your ordinary oil. It is a fish fat extract that’s rich in omega 3-fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both of these nutrients are only found on fish and dietary supplements such as krill oil, cod liver oil, and algal oil, especially in vegetarian products.
Why Taking Fish Oil is Important
- The Omega-3 found on fish oil plays a vital role in your diet. Both EPA and DHA help support eye, brain, and heart health. And it doesn’t end there; fish oil also provides relief for people suffering symptoms from rheumatoid arthritis. It can also aid various mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and lastly, schizophrenia.
Is Taking Fish Oil and Eating Fish the Same?
- Comparing both, eating fish is still your best option if you want to get the nutrients you need in a jiffy. A whole fish contains more vitamins and minerals along with EPA and DHA compared to taking fish oil supplements. However, if your diet doesn’t let you eat fish, then taking fish oil supplements is your only alternative.
What to Do Before Taking Fish Oil Supplements
- Now that you’ve decided to add fish oil to your daily diet regimen, it’s better to have a trip to your doctor’s office first for a consultation. Keep in mind that some fish oil supplements are high in vitamin A. And too much vitamin A intake can cause various health issues such as liver damage and bone pain.
- If you’re doctor approves, then it’s time to find the right fish oil supplement for you. When scouting for such, don’t forget to check the label first and read its contents carefully as different fish oils vary in both quality and ingredients. Opt for fish oils that are third-party tested for purity or the ones that have a seal of purity from the Global Organization of EPA and DHA. And lastly, keep your newly bought fish oil supplements at room temperature to keep it last for long.


What is Green Tripe?
Table Of Contents
So if you landed here, you may be wondering what is all the hype about Green Tripe? We are glad you found us, we would like to explain what it is and why its good for your dog. We first want to give a heads up. Raw green beef tripe does both look and smell nasty, however dogs love it! Some people actually eat the processed version of it, gag!
The green version of tripe is the unprocessed stomach lining of an animal that has been butchered for food. It is the nutrient rich part of an animals digestive tract. Tripe has a few different names depending on the animal that it is sourced from. The one commonly fed to dogs comes from Cows. It is often referred to as honeycomb tripe. Since the tripe comes from animals that are herbivores it usually has a green tint to it. It is called green because it has not been bleached or processed. The processed version of trip looses its green tint through bleaching and scalding with hot water.
The green or unprocessed tripe is the kind that should be fed to dogs. The processed tripe, which is usually white, is just like any other muscle meat. It is very well know that wild dogs and wolves consume most of their prey, including the digestive tract. The green tripe for dogs is loaded with the bacteria and enzymes that helped the harvested animal break down its food. Most of these do not exist in the dogs gut biome. It has been said these vital nutrients play an important role in the dogs digestion.
What are the Benefits of Green Beef Tripe For Dogs?
1 to 1 Ratio Calcium To Phosphorous
The unprocessed tripe has a good balance of calcium to phosphorous. According to the IVCjournal, tripe is found to have a ratio of nearly 1 to 1 calcium to phosphorous. Why is this important? Well for dogs with kidney disease, the food needs to have less sodium, phosphorous and protein. The lower phosphorous makes tripe a good raw food for dogs with kidney disease.
Helps Maintain Healthy Microflora In The Dog
One of the most important things contained in raw tripe is the healthy bacteria from the host animal. Consuming these bacteria can also help the dog maintain its own digestive flora.
The healthy bacteria in the dogs digestive tract also boosts the dogs immune system. The acidity of a dogs stomach usually kills pathogens like Listeria, Salmonella, E.coli, Yesenia, and Campylobacter. Any remaining pathogens can be starved out by the healthy bacteria.
Now it is true that some of this bacteria will die when exposed to oxygen, however some of it does remain. Eating green raw tripe is almost like giving your dog a probiotic. However, there is not an easy way to determine how much the tripe provides. The best way to get a regulated amount of probiotics for your dog is to use a supplement.
Contains Essential Minerals and Vitamins
Raw tripe that is still green contains many of the essential minerals that a dog needs to consume daily. Here are some of the main minerals that are found in the raw product:
- Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Selenium
The unprocessed version also contains the following essential vitamins:
- Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, and Pantothenic Acid
What Is The Difference Between Green Tripe And White Tripe?
The main difference between the green and the white tripe you see at the grocery store is the process used to prepare it for human consumption. One of them is highly processed while the other is not. The processed version has most of the benefits for the dog removed.
Can you guess which one is processed? Hint – we want to feed our dogs the darker one!
Well, if you guessed the white tripe, you are correct. It is made fit for human consumption through a few different processes. Usually, it is placed in a large machine with warm to hot water and continually agitated to remove all of the loose particles of food. Once the food is removed, it is then soaked in tap water. Next, they remove the dark lining and either cook or pickle it after cutting it into smaller pieces. The green version is not for human consumption, so it is left untouched. Essentially it is straight from the animal. Usually it is rinsed off with water and that is it. The green version has a strong odor, which dogs happen to go nuts over. This is great for dogs especially ones that are picky eaters.
Are There Any Precautions That Should Be Followed With Tripe?
The raw tripe should be treated like any other meat that is used in raw food for dogs. Just like any other raw meat, children should not be allowed to handle it until they understand proper hand washing hygiene. The prep area should be kept clear of any items that should not come in contact with raw meat. Once the handling of the tripe is complete, the surface should be disinfected. Extra care should be taken in households with small children. I can’t stress this enough that children should not handle the raw meat.
There is one other very important thing to be aware of with raw tripe. There is the possibility of a tapeworm in the tripe that can lead to an infection in humans. please see below for more information on this harmful parasite.
What is Hydatidosis? Why is it important to be aware of it?
Hydatidosis is caused by a tiny tapeworm called Echinococcus Granuloses. This tapeworm causes a cyst inside its host called a hydatid cyst. A few months after the initial infection, this cyst will have thousands of new tapeworm heads. These tapeworms do not cause much of an issue with dogs. However, they are very good at spreading the infection to their owners.
Hydatidosis is caused when the tapeworm infection is transmitted to a human. These tapeworms can and will infect a human’s liver, lungs, kidney, sometimes bones and other organs. It can be very serious and difficult to treat. It also can take years to show up that they are infected.
So why is this important? The Hydatid cysts are often found in animals’ organs that get consumed by dogs. Once the dog gets infected, the tapeworm has an easy path to humans. The dog can pass large quantities of the worms in the fecal matter. This could get onto the dog’s fur which in turn gets touched by their human owners.
What meat is at high risk for Hydatid Cysts?
The highest transmission from animal to dogs comes from sheep. It is not recommended that you let your dog eat sheep tripe unless it has been inspected and cooked to kill the tapeworm pathogen. This problem seems to have a high concentration in areas where farms raise sheep. The older sheep are often harvested for food and the remains are fed to dogs. Once the dog eats the infected meat, the cycle continues.
How can you limit exposure of this hydatid tapeworm?
Only buy meat that comes from an inspected source or butcher. After the animal is harvested, the meat should be inspected for cysts. Any of the animals that do have the cysts should not be consumed by the dogs. It is best to buy only from a reputable butcher that have the meat inspected by proper officials. It is best not to buy meat from a local farmer unless they have proof that their meat is inspected for the tapeworm and other issues.
What can you do to kill the tapeworm?
These tapeworms can be killed by both heat and cold. Cooking of the tripe is a sure proof way to kill any tapeworms that might exist. The other method to kill the tapeworm is to freeze the tripe at -20 degrees for a period of at least 10 days. They cannot survive cold temperatures.
How Much Tripe Should a Dog Be Fed?
Some dogs have most of their diet as tripe, however if you are following the BARF model you should not do this. The Barf Diet for dogs says that the meal should contain about 70% muscle meat for adult dogs and 63% for puppies. If you haven’t guessed, Tripe is considered muscle meat. Tripe can be used a a main ingredient to hit the specified muscle meat but it should not be the only thing you feed your dog or puppy. The amount of tripe you feed your adult dog should be limited to around 10% of the dogs daily muscle meat requirement. It is always best to source the protein from a variety of different animal parts so you can get a good wide spectrum of balanced vitamins.
Is Raw Tripe Safe For Puppies?
Yes raw tripe is typically safe for puppies. It is also used by many breeders that are transitioning their puppies to a raw diet. Since the tripe has a good balance of calcium to phosphorous it makes it an ideal muscle meat for puppies.
Summary of Tripe
Raw tripe especially the green kind is an excellent muscle meat to feed raw fed dogs. It has a highly balanced calcium to phosphorous ratio which is great for dogs with certain ailments such as kidney disease. In the unprocessed form, the tripe contains vitamins, minerals and some beneficial bacteria that will act almost like a probiotic for the dog. This unique meat can be used to start puppies off on a raw diet or can be incorporated into a picky dogs meals to bulk up on healthy calories. Just a word of advice, only buy green tripe from butchers that have the meat inspected. If you suspect it has not been inspected, freeze the meat for at least 10 days at -20’C to kill the possible tapeworms pathogens. Use safe handling precautions like you would with any other meat! Clean the surfaces after cutting up the tripe. Store it in containers that do not allow exposure to other food or surfaces. Do not allow the tripe to defrost on the counter, always defrost inside the refrigerator.
Where can you get tripe for your dog?
- Website: Amazon sells both canned and dried treats for dogs that are made from green tripe.
- Farmers Market: Your local butcher may have tripe available, just make sure it is from inspected animals and preferably cow.
- Ethic Markets: Some ethnic markets may also carry tripe, it is most likely going to be the processed version though.


The restaurant industry is positioned as one of
the most important sectors of the Mexican economy;
its value is worth 300 billion pesos.
Source: AMR (Mexican Association of Restaurants)
What is the importance
of EXPO RESTAURANTES®?
Mexico has 555,122 establishments dedicated to the preparation of food and beverage.
For EXPO RESTAURANTES® is the ideal forum to offer your solutions products and innovations to the largest group of buyers in Mexico.
28, 29 & 30,
Mexican cuisine is recognized for its richness of flavors and ingredients and has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which favors our economy by being one of the main attractions for domestic and foreign tourists. Due to these higher demand of restaurants and commercial businesses they must offer more and better services, generating sources of employment as they need more staff such as chefs, waiters and administrative staff. During the Easter holidays, sales of the national restaurant industry were favorable with an average increase in turnover of 35%
Source: Secretaría de Economía
- In Mexico, the restaurant industry is the second largest employer nationwide and the first in self-employment.
- 7 out of 10 jobs in the tourism sector are contributed by restaurant establishments.
- There are 555,1222 restaurants in the Mexican Republic dedicated to the preparation of food and beverages, located in the following categories:
- Fast-food restaurants
- Formal restaurants
- Casual restaurants
- Coffee shops
- Mexico City houses 53,647 establishments
- The estimated total value of the restaurant industry is 300 million pesos
- 20% of the total Mexican population has the needs to eat take out on a daily basise
- Source: AMR


PERFORM - Raw Plant Protein & BCAA
Finally! A 100% plant-based protein powder that is great for your health, tastes incredible and delivers epic results.
25g protein and 6g BCAA per serving
Added turmeric extract to optimise recovery
Silky smooth texture and delicious taste
100% raw, plant-based ingredients
Fermented protein for optimal digestion
BANANA & CINNAMON
Bio-fermented pea protein, cold pressed hemp protein, plant based BCAA complex (L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine)Reishi mushroom fruiting body powder (15:1 dual extract, 30% polysaccharides), Turmeric extract (95% curcuminoids), Black Pepper PowderFreeze dried Ecuadorian banana powder, Ceylon cinnamon, natural banana flavourPapain, ginger extract, peppermint leafKonjac fibre, pink Himalayan salt, stevia extract.
No Added Sugar
30 Day Money Back Guarantee