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Post by Liz n Dicksgiving on May 14, 2024 11:45:28 GMT -5
Unfortunately, my wife thinks she might be lactose intolerant now. She's been cutting out all dairy (except butter, which she says is fine), meaning I don't get to make this pasta again. Last weekend for Mother's Day, I made a dirty garden mint ice cream using lactaid milk and Califia Farms Heavy Whip (dairy-free heavy cream). It came out good, though slightly icy. The heavy cream substitute is made from coconut. It has a very slight coconut taste, meaning I can't use it in a pasta dish or in mashed potatoes. Or, I guess I could try it. That taste didn't come through in the ice cream, but there was enough mint and chocolate in that to mask any other taste. Oh no, that's sad news! Hugs has developed some minor lactose intolerance, but she just takes Lactaid before having dairy-heavy meals. (We like to call it "THE ENZYME" in as ominous a tone as possible. We had an ice cream cake to celebrate Mothers Day, and we'd be all excited to cut slices for dessert and then Hugs had to solemnly announce, "I must take... THE ENZYME now.") I'm very grateful that this seems to work well enough for her, so I haven't had to cut any dairy out of my own diet to accommodate her!
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 14, 2024 11:50:17 GMT -5
Unfortunately, my wife thinks she might be lactose intolerant now. She's been cutting out all dairy (except butter, which she says is fine), meaning I don't get to make this pasta again. Last weekend for Mother's Day, I made a dirty garden mint ice cream using lactaid milk and Califia Farms Heavy Whip (dairy-free heavy cream). It came out good, though slightly icy. The heavy cream substitute is made from coconut. It has a very slight coconut taste, meaning I can't use it in a pasta dish or in mashed potatoes. Or, I guess I could try it. That taste didn't come through in the ice cream, but there was enough mint and chocolate in that to mask any other taste. Oh no, that's sad news! Hugs has developed some minor lactose intolerance, but she just takes Lactaid before having dairy-heavy meals. (We like to call it "THE ENZYME" in as ominous a tone as possible. We had an ice cream cake to celebrate Mothers Day, and we'd be all excited to cut slices for dessert and then Hugs had to solemnly announce, "I must take... THE ENZYME now.") I'm very grateful that this seems to work well enough for her, so I haven't had to cut any dairy out of my own diet to accommodate her! My doctor last year explained to me in amusing fashion how we become less lactose-tolerant as we age; thankfully I can handle an average amount of cheese, but I have my limit on fresh dairy e.g. ricotta, whipped cream, etc. I have not tried lactose yet, though, because thus far the answer is just "drink smaller milkshakes, dummy."
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Post by Liz n Dicksgiving on May 14, 2024 11:51:21 GMT -5
My doctor last year explained to me in amusing fashion how we become less lactose-tolerant as we age; thankfully I can handle an average amount of cheese, but I have my limit on fresh dairy e.g. ricotta, whipped cream, etc. I have not tried lactose yet, though, because thus far the answer is just "drink smaller milkshakes, dummy." That is the kind of solution that I will NEVER accept! In fact, I'm not sure I even understand that a milkshake could be smaller!
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 14, 2024 12:03:43 GMT -5
My doctor last year explained to me in amusing fashion how we become less lactose-tolerant as we age; thankfully I can handle an average amount of cheese, but I have my limit on fresh dairy e.g. ricotta, whipped cream, etc. I have not tried lactose yet, though, because thus far the answer is just "drink smaller milkshakes, dummy." That is the kind of solution that I will NEVER accept! In fact, I'm not sure I even understand that a milkshake could be smaller! At some point I may come around to needing Lactaid and at that point, it's ALL about the giant milkshakes! (I uh, didn't know the extent of my new intolerance until it happened rather suddenly and violently, so I just don't want that to happen again.)
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on May 14, 2024 14:50:31 GMT -5
My doctor last year explained to me in amusing fashion how we become less lactose-tolerant as we age; thankfully I can handle an average amount of cheese, but I have my limit on fresh dairy e.g. ricotta, whipped cream, etc. I have not tried lactose yet, though, because thus far the answer is just "drink smaller milkshakes, dummy." That is the kind of solution that I will NEVER accept! In fact, I'm not sure I even understand that a milkshake could be smaller! Still remembering that night at Remedy, I see.
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Post by Liz n Dicksgiving on May 15, 2024 8:10:45 GMT -5
Still remembering that night at Remedy, I see. HAHAHA! Always!
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on May 15, 2024 8:44:33 GMT -5
Alright, here's how it's going to go / has gone:
Monday: BFD with oatmeal, bacon, fruit, and I made myself some cheesy eggs.
Tuesday: A thoroughly southern meal with pan-fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, stewed green beans, and cornbread.
Wednesday: Tex-Mex night with fajita steak, red Mexican rice, borracho beans, guacamole, and fresh pico. I'm ashamed to admit that Mexican rice, meaning the orange, kinda dry, and not overly flavorful stuff you get at Tex-Mex restaurants, is a dish that alludes me. I love it, I just can't seem to make it. The texture is fine, but the flavor, no matter how many recipes I try which claim to be the definitive "restaurant version", are off. Just off. (To be fair, most restaurants' Mexican rice is pretty bad. It's by no means a guaranteed winner.) I think part of my problem has been my long insistence on making it in my rice cooker, because it's simple and fool proof. But tonight I'm relenting. I'm going harder. I'm going to make the ArnieTex recipe, handed down from his mama, and I'm going to do it properly in a dutch oven on the stove. Once more into the breach.
Thursday: Lots of leftover mashed potatoes, so I might pull my remaining Swedish meatballs out of the fridge and make an easy dinner of that. And if not that, some other protein out of the fridge that goes with mashed potatoes. Point is: I'm going to use the rest of the mashed potatoes.
Friday: Pizza.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 15, 2024 8:55:11 GMT -5
Alright, here's how it's going to go / has gone:
Wednesday: Tex-Mex night with fajita steak, red Mexican rice, borracho beans, guacamole, and fresh pico. I'm ashamed to admit that Mexican rice, meaning the orange, kinda dry, and not overly flavorful stuff you get at Tex-Mex restaurants, is a dish that alludes me. I love it, I just can't seem to make it. The texture is fine, but the flavor, no matter how many recipes I try which claim to be the definitive "restaurant version", are off. Just off. (To be fair, most restaurants' Mexican rice is pretty bad. It's by no means a guaranteed winner.) I think part of my problem has been my long insistence on making it in my rice cooker, because it's simple and fool proof. But tonight I'm relenting. I'm going harder. I'm going to make the ArnieTex recipe, handed down from his mama, and I'm going to do it properly in a dutch oven on the stove. Once more into the breach.
I'm no expert (just a white lady who loves Mexican food), but definitely saute the rice beforehand with the spices - gotta have sazon, chicken broth and tomato sauce for the most authentic flavor. (I just looked at his recipe and my shortcut would be adobo + sazon with achiote, but you can follow his too.)
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 15, 2024 13:47:18 GMT -5
It rarely fails to amuse me that my pfeffernusse, which take an entire afternoon, get about as much praise as my lemon-pistachio cookies, which take about 5 minutes of mixing (and that includes the glaze on top) and 13 minutes of baking. (They're cake mix cookies - box of cake mix, 2 eggs, half a cup of oil, scoop into balls. My only addition is chopped pistachios on top of the glaze.)
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Baron von Costume
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Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
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Post by Baron von Costume on May 17, 2024 9:39:25 GMT -5
I have had increasing lactose intolerance the last few years... though losing a ton of weight seems to have made it better as well.
I definitely rock the lactaid before ice cream though.
Vegas was amazing, tons of places off the beaten path but god I spent a ton on drinks.
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Tellyfier
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Unwarned and dangerous
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Post by Tellyfier on May 18, 2024 14:25:41 GMT -5
Over the past years I've turned into a pretty decent home cook and my injuries while working with the Santoku have decreased significantly
That said, either the Bifteki or today's salad contain a bit of fingernail.
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on May 18, 2024 17:43:52 GMT -5
Over the past years I've turned into a pretty decent home cook and my injuries while working with the Santoku have decreased significantly That said, either the Bifteki or today's salad contain a bit of fingernail. It's that personal touch, really putting yourself into the dish, that makes all the difference.
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Post by Liz n Dicksgiving on May 20, 2024 9:08:07 GMT -5
Another week of food! Monday: Mushroom and boc choy stir fry. Tuesday: Summery weather predicted, so let's grill a pork loin! We'll have it with some pasta salad and grilled asparagus. Wednesday: Hugs and I are planning to do a birding walk after work, and it's supposed to be hot and less "summer, yay!" than "summer weather, ugh", and it's Getaway Week before my birthday and Summer Fridays and we always get takeout on the Thursday before the first Summer Friday of the year but there are contingencies this year so... we'll get burritos on the way back from the bird walk. Thursday: This evening is normally the kickoff to summer, kickoff to my birthday, and kickoff to our summer Fridays and vacation; most years I get takeout from the nice Chinese place as my "It's (essentially) my birthday, so I'm not cooking!" luxuriating-in-laziness treat. However, a few weeks ago Boomer happily announced, "I scheduled my colonoscopy for Friday, May 24. I didn't think anything was happening that day!" So Boomer will be out of commission and we'll delay all of that kickoff stuff to another day. Hugs and I will have a frozen pizza and do our own "At least it's almost vacation?" evening instead. Friday: I have no idea. It's the start of vacation, it's (assuming Boomer's feeling up to it?) my birthday (observed), I don't want to cook but the Chinese place is unreliable on Fridays. So we'll see.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 20, 2024 9:10:19 GMT -5
Food? Food.
Sunday: chicken sausage sandwiches
Monday: Street cart chicken, naan
Tuesday: I think I have a happy hour?
Wednesday: Potato flatbread
Thursday: Chicken tacos
And then TWBE will be gone Fri-Wed so I will be on my own for awhile...
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Post by The Stuffingtacular She-Hulk on May 20, 2024 14:50:40 GMT -5
Sunday: Sausage and potato casserole, green salad with tomato
Monday: Pan-fried rib-eye steak, strawberry caprese salad with mint and burrata
Tuesday: BLAT (hold the L) on toasted sourdough with hot red pepper jelly, honey goat cheese, avocado, tomato, and bacon
Wednesday: Duck egg shakshuka with sourdough toast, fruit salad
Thursday: Greek takeout (mom's bringing dinner)
Friday: Probably shakshuka again?
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on May 22, 2024 8:10:39 GMT -5
I just can't seem to put ideas together anymore.
Monday: My daughter had her final choir performance, so she had to be at the venue for rehearsal super early. Kept it simple with leftover pizza and salad.
Tuesday: By the boy's request, spaghetti and meatballs. I didn't have any of that on hand, so I made a fresh batch of tomato sauce and a whole tray of meatballs. He ate, like, 4 bites. Oh well, at least I've leftovers for a couple future meatball nights headed to the freezer. I've really fallen in love with my tweaked version of Chef John's "World's Fastest Meatballs", a no-chop recipe that's great on its own and even better when I add about a third to a half a packet of powdered gelatin, aping a Kenji Lopez-Alt method. It absolutely nails the texture: soft but not fall apart, slice-able, and melt in your mouth. Chef John's recipe says you get 48, but using my (I think 1 oz) disher I always end up with exactly 36 meatballs. He doesn't round them off or anything, just lets them be craggly, but I like to dish them all and then make a second pass to round them into balls. I prefer the appearance.
Wednesday: Friday the Mrs. is taking them out for reasons, so I'll take Friday's scheduled meal and make it tonight. Waffles, bacon, fruit, and something with eggs for me.
Thursday: My kids' last day of school. I will celebrate their achievements by making whatever they want. I'm assuming my daughter will want Kraft mac-n-cheese, so I've got that queued up. I'll ask my boy what he wants. Pasta again? Grilled cheese and tomato soup? It's up to him.
Friday: NOTHING! I don't have to make anything! I don't even have to pick up the kids from school, and they won't be home until after dinner. I'm going to quit work as soon as I can safely do so and then game all friggin' day. Hahahahahahaha!
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Post by The Stuffingtacular She-Hulk on May 22, 2024 12:09:45 GMT -5
I baked that olive-oil cake again! This time I used lemon zest and juice from two lemons, swapped the Grand Marnier and part of the milk for a bottle of fancy lemonade in my fridge I was never going to drink (and which, upon opening to let it go flat ahead of baking, I found it had already done the job for me), used lemon olive oil I had in the pantry, and added a shitload of fresh thyme. My apartment smells so good right now that I'm practically drooling. I know from experience that it only gets better with time as the flavors intensify -- the previous version lasted 10 days wrapped tightly in Press and Seal at room temperature before I got tired of eating it and put the final two slices into the freezer -- but it is a STRUGGLE to not cut into this damn thing right now.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on May 22, 2024 14:47:50 GMT -5
I baked that olive-oil cake again! This time I used lemon zest and juice from two lemons, swapped the Grand Marnier and part of the milk for a bottle of fancy lemonade in my fridge I was never going to drink (and which, upon opening to let it go flat ahead of baking, I found it had already done the job for me), used lemon olive oil I had in the pantry, and added a shitload of fresh thyme. My apartment smells so good right now that I'm practically drooling. I know from experience that it only gets better with time as the flavors intensify -- the previous version lasted 10 days wrapped tightly in Press and Seal at room temperature before I got tired of eating it and put the final two slices into the freezer -- but it is a STRUGGLE to not cut into this damn thing right now. *Still has two slices in the freezer...* *Makes another one* This is why I have so much damn barbecue in my freezer.
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Post by Liz n Dicksgiving on May 23, 2024 13:52:48 GMT -5
I'm running low on options in my freezer from the awesome pasta guys, so I stopped by this morning to load up. They've converted what was once a weird Thai restaurant* into their fresh pasta kitchen; they're a restaurant wholesaler primarily, but this space gives them a little retail area at the front of the kitchen where they stock a few fridge cases with pastas and some goodies from local partner businesses (eggs, a house-blend coffee from the cool coffee roaster, occasionally a bakery's tiramisu...). The people who run the business are pretty fun**, and are also extremely effusive with thanks for coming in. Today was no different, and after we got through the mutual lovefest (I am equally effusive in my thanks for them being open for retail), the guy at the counter was like, "Oh hey, we're having a SALE! 20% off everything! Because I used to work retail, and I realized that we needed to have a sale because that's what you do now. For Memorial Day!" And I can never resist when someone mentions doing something for Memorial Day -- I said, "And for MY BIRTHDAY!" He was very serious then, saying, "Are you in our system?" Me: "No, sign me up." I entered my phone number in their computer, and then he said, "Now that you're in there, you get a pound of pasta free for your birthday," and let me pick another one from the fridge case. Awww, stop it guys! I love you enough already!
*It was a small, no-frills establishment, with seated service but really just a tiny step up from counter service. I once went with a friend for lunch during a workday, and we were the only people in the dining room. There was one guy working the front of the house, and I guess it was his lunchtime too, because he just left. Like, left the building. He walked out the front and we watched out the front window as he headed up the street. This was a few minutes after he'd served us our orders, so it wasn't too long after that we finished... and just had to sit there and wait for him to come back so we could get our check. He didn't get himself takeout for his lunch, either. We sat for about a half an hour waiting for him. I was too honest to just leave, and neither my friend nor I had enough cash to leave on the table, so we were stuck there until he finally showed up and we could pay. Unsurprisingly, that place closed not long after.
**Their promotional arm is a guy with rudimentary phone video-editing skills, and an Instagram account. They post pasta-montage videos, with, like, goofy action smash-cut shots of the dudes ripping open huge bags of flour. On the day of the big solar eclipse they posted a video of shots of eclipses and captions going, "What's in front of the sun? Is that...? Is it...?" and then cut to a shot of a meatball on a fork moving in front of a lightbulb, "A MEATBALL?!!" I love them.
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,684
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Post by Baron von Costume on May 23, 2024 14:29:25 GMT -5
I baked that olive-oil cake again! This time I used lemon zest and juice from two lemons, swapped the Grand Marnier and part of the milk for a bottle of fancy lemonade in my fridge I was never going to drink (and which, upon opening to let it go flat ahead of baking, I found it had already done the job for me), used lemon olive oil I had in the pantry, and added a shitload of fresh thyme. My apartment smells so good right now that I'm practically drooling. I know from experience that it only gets better with time as the flavors intensify -- the previous version lasted 10 days wrapped tightly in Press and Seal at room temperature before I got tired of eating it and put the final two slices into the freezer -- but it is a STRUGGLE to not cut into this damn thing right now. I seem to have lost my link to this but need to make it again
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Post by The Stuffingtacular She-Hulk on May 23, 2024 14:57:34 GMT -5
I baked that olive-oil cake again! This time I used lemon zest and juice from two lemons, swapped the Grand Marnier and part of the milk for a bottle of fancy lemonade in my fridge I was never going to drink (and which, upon opening to let it go flat ahead of baking, I found it had already done the job for me), used lemon olive oil I had in the pantry, and added a shitload of fresh thyme. My apartment smells so good right now that I'm practically drooling. I know from experience that it only gets better with time as the flavors intensify -- the previous version lasted 10 days wrapped tightly in Press and Seal at room temperature before I got tired of eating it and put the final two slices into the freezer -- but it is a STRUGGLE to not cut into this damn thing right now. I seem to have lost my link to this but need to make it again
One more addition - I find that baking it for an hour and 10 or 15 minutes is fine if you want to be extra sure the center is done. It won't overcook, even if you start getting nervous about the crust being dark. It should be dark! That's where all the caramelization is!
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Baron von Costume
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Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
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Post by Baron von Costume on May 23, 2024 15:09:09 GMT -5
I seem to have lost my link to this but need to make it again
One more addition - I find that baking it for an hour and 10 or 15 minutes is fine if you want to be extra sure the center is done. It won't overcook, even if you start getting nervous about the crust being dark. It should be dark! That's where all the caramelization is!
thanks! might make one for this anniversary party, will see how appetizer making continues
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 23, 2024 19:41:03 GMT -5
There’s a new burger spot going in across the street from us. It’s the second location of a popular restaurant a few towns away. That one has a lovely rooftop patio that overlooks a river and a charming downtown. The one across the street from us will also have a rooftop patio. It will overlook a mall parking lot and a cemetery. I don’t know why they thought this one needed a rooftop as well.
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Post by Liz n Dicksgiving on May 24, 2024 9:13:11 GMT -5
There’s a new burger spot going in across the street from us. It’s the second location of a popular restaurant a few towns away. That one has a lovely rooftop patio that overlooks a river and a charming downtown. The one across the street from us will also have a rooftop patio. It will overlook a mall parking lot and a cemetery. I don’t know why they thought this one needed a rooftop as well. Well... cemeteries can be pretty? I guess?
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 24, 2024 9:17:40 GMT -5
There’s a new burger spot going in across the street from us. It’s the second location of a popular restaurant a few towns away. That one has a lovely rooftop patio that overlooks a river and a charming downtown. The one across the street from us will also have a rooftop patio. It will overlook a mall parking lot and a cemetery. I don’t know why they thought this one needed a rooftop as well. Well... cemeteries can be pretty? I guess? I mean, it's fine, but not especially large or scenic. It's not that this area is ugly, or anything, but it's fairly commercial - our neighborhood is right on the edge of what people would be able to see from the rooftop, and otherwise it's surrounded by major roadways, a highway and a lot of businesses. MAYBE you can see the skyline of Chicago on a clear day? If you squint?
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on May 28, 2024 8:05:49 GMT -5
Memorial Day at my sister's house. My BIL cooked up a shrimp and crab boil, and I thought everything was excellent. I generally find the vegetables that come out of a boil to be pretty bland. How can you cook for 40+ minutes in that spicy, flavorful broth and come out tasting of nothing? I don't know, but in my experience that's usually what happens. But the potatoes were richly seasoned and gorgeously soft. Seriously one of the best potato experiences I've had in awhile. More importantly, though, is that my son ate and enjoyed the crab. There wasn't a ton of crab to go around for the number of guests, so I didn't put any on his plate at all. Asked if wanted some off of my plate, and not only did he finish mine, I stealthed a couple more legs for him and he ate those too.
Now, 1) he's saying, "I LOVE crab" and it's like, great, the only known form of protein you eat is one of the most expensive ones, and 2) if I make crab for him, let's be real, he probably won't eat it.
Anyway...
Monday: My classic chili with ground beef and beans. Became Frito pie at the table.
Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner with pancakes, bacon, fruit, eggs, and potatoes. Cooked on the griddle assuming this weather improves (currently 80mph winds outside)
Wednesday: Tacos with some kind of shredded meat out of the freezer. Pulled pork? Chopped beef? I dunno, but since it needs to thaw I should probably start figuring that out.
Thursday: We're going on vacation on Friday, so I might order pizza or maybe we'll even go out. We never do that during the week. Like ever.
Friday: Weekend getaway down to Galveston to go to large aquarium and water park. (Those are two separate things. I'm not trying to be cute and say Sea World without getting in trouble.)
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Post by Murray the Demonic Skull on May 28, 2024 8:14:34 GMT -5
d 2) if I make crab for him, let's be real, he probably won't eat it.
Anyway...
I thought of you this weekend because I cooked 3 meals that I personally thought were bangers but that my kid refused to eat / had to be coaxed into eating it :
- Shulkie's Pho Ga - And something I do all the time, a roasted chicken marinated with Dijon mustard, garlic and sriracha.
...him insisting he'd rather eat bland pasta drove me up the wall.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on May 28, 2024 8:16:16 GMT -5
Husband is coming back today instead of tomorrow (his friend's work schedule didn't quite work out) and I don't really have a plan for dinners.
Taco flatbread one night.
Maybe pupusas another night.
The third??? your guess is as good as mine.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on May 28, 2024 8:21:24 GMT -5
d 2) if I make crab for him, let's be real, he probably won't eat it.
Anyway...
I thought of you this weekend because I cooked 3 meals that I personally thought were bangers but that my kid refused to eat / had to be coaxed into eating it :
- Shulkie's Pho Ga - And something I do all the time, a roasted chicken marinated with Dijon mustard, garlic and sriracha.
...him insisting he'd rather eat bland pasta drove me up the wall.
I read about pickiness and food strategies a LOT, and while I know this is bias typing, my two really do seem to be on the extreme end. They're outliers in their level of defiance. So, what I'm saying is, my heart goes out to you, and I'm sure kiddo will come around.
Gosh it's so frustrating though.
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Post by Murray the Demonic Skull on May 28, 2024 8:23:33 GMT -5
I thought of you this weekend because I cooked 3 meals that I personally thought were bangers but that my kid refused to eat / had to be coaxed into eating it :
- Shulkie's Pho Ga - And something I do all the time, a roasted chicken marinated with Dijon mustard, garlic and sriracha.
...him insisting he'd rather eat bland pasta drove me up the wall.
I read about pickiness and food strategies a LOT, and while I know this is bias typing, my two really do seem to be on the extreme end. They're outliers in their level of defiance. So, what I'm saying is, my heart goes out to you, and I'm sure kiddo will come around.
Gosh it's so frustrating though.
He did end up eating it and enjoying it (except the chicken which he tasted and then spat out...) but it took a lot of convincing. Frustrating indeed
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