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OT - What are you cooking?


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Are you taking it all on and trying to do a complete Christmas dinner? Are you ignoring the holiday and experimenting with grilled tofu? Are you going somewhere and taking a few dishes that you are good at?

 

Going to my nephew's house and this year I will NOT be taking brownies with chocolate icing. Going in a new directions and baking a pineapple upside down cake. Also making a cranberry pineapple salad. It went over well at Thanksgiving and they want it again. Last of all will be roasted vegetables. This is the most complex because of the various roasting times of the different veggies, not to mention the different spices. I roast in batches and mix at the end. Potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, squash and Brussel sprouts. I'll actually cook the carrots on the stove in pineapple orange juice and brown sugar. Potatoes get fry seasoning right at the end. Squash gets a hint of brown sugar. Most everything gets butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. I'll keep everything separated and mix right before serving. I don't want the flavors to meld. 

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I've been going to a nearby friends/family Christmas for a few years. I've known Mom and Dad since the Fresno days, they were "camp followers" (NOT groupies, just pals that liked to hang out after the gig). 

I always brought scallops and sautéed them in garlic butter when I got there. Yes, freshly minced garlic and real butter, mmmm! I'm good at cooking seafood until it is just done and no more. Tender and juicy that way. 

 

This year with my car dead I had transportation challenges and the store that was easy to get to had bags of large, wild-caught shrimp BOGO. 

I bought a bag, got a free bag and that's what I'll be cooking. They already do the whole turkey, stuffing and everything else deal, my offering is just an appetizer. 

Glad I saw the "wild caught", I don't eat farmed shrimp - too nasty. 

 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Growing up in an Italian-American family, we never-ever had turkey for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Always some labor-intensive Italian meal.

 

My mother made the best lasagna in the world, including little dime-sized meatballs, hard to find whole milk cheeses, strained the stewed tomatoes for the sauce, and I think something about her body chemistry had something to do with it, because others using the same recipe can't duplicate it. Close, but no cigar.

 

My grandmother used to make ravioli, making the dough herself, and the little pockets in which she would form by hand. Same with gnocchi and cavatelli.

 

We went to my sister's and had stuffed shells. We're more modern and can't spend two days on a meal. But using my mom's tomato sauce recipe but with prepared sauce (no strained stewed tomatoes), it was delicious. Both my sisters and a cousin attended.

 

We brought the antipasto and a contribution to the dessert.

 

It was a fun day.

 

Notes ♫

 

 

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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11 hours ago, bill5 said:

Blasphemers! I have had ham every year of my life (OK maybe not as a baby) for Christmas and have no intention of stopping. 

 

So I went to a friend's house. :) I would have had it myself if that didn't happen though.

Ham is fine.

 

When I was young, and the extended family got together, along with the macaroni feast there would be meatballs, Italian sausage, and a baked ham. When we moved to Florida, there weren't that many down here (one uncle and family) so the ham got transferred to Easter.

 

My uncle who followed us to Florida married a Jewish woman, so perhaps that was the omission of ham reason. Although she certainly wouldn't have minded it.

 

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Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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I second the hot dog chili, with fancy kosher weiners. I rarely eat them because processed meat is generally rather nasty, but this is a grand exception. Nice veggie & cheese tray and super-duper cole slaw from the deli. Salsa so hot it moves around in the bowl. No worms, honest. Root beer, Pebsi, 7-Up, scotch, mescal, sweet tea, gamma-powered Rolaids and individual stomach pumps. If you survive that, there will be Oreos. Also dog treats. Don't eat those.

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 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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I cooked Beef Wellington for Christmas, my 2nd time at it.

 

Things I learned: puff pastry is WAY easier to work with than filo dough. It takes longer to get the moisture out of the mushrooms duxelles than I thought it would. Making crepes from scratch is a lot easier with milk rather than 1/2 and 1/2 (we didn't have milk in the house). But adding water to thin it out works too. Fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary are the flavor bomb. Colman's mustard AND horseradish after searing the roast is aces. Cooking time - don't trust the recipe, trust your thermopen.

 

TL;DR - while it can seem like a daunting recipe, because there are so many steps, repetition is my friend. I just cooked another last night (my 3rd time at it), and was all from memory, no notes required. It's just like any multi-step project - the steps themselves are pretty straightforward. It's how the details of each step make the next step easier (or harder if you screw it up) that's the thing. 

 

NYE I'm staying in - turned down the gig invitations to spend it with wife. Making a simple pasta meal - or actually two - linguini marinara and penne alfredo (half the crowd wants what the other half doesn't....)

..
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46 minutes ago, David Emm said:

with fancy kosher weiners

I always use Hebrew National hot dogs. Probably the best to be found in a small town. I get them because there is not so much added spice or flavor. I cut them in half lengthwise and cook them in the chili so they absorb the flavor. 

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  • 1 month later...

If not for chicken I'd all but starve. It's great because you can do so many things with it - BBQ chicken, lemon pepper chicken, the list goes on. I like to grill out a bunch, freeze it, then I can simply defrost/nuke with my seasoning or marinade of choice. 

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10 hours ago, bill5 said:

If not for chicken I'd all but starve. It's great because you can do so many things with it - BBQ chicken, lemon pepper chicken, the list goes on. I like to grill out a bunch, freeze it, then I can simply defrost/nuke with my seasoning or marinade of choice. 

When I quit chicken and eggs, my hereditary bursitis, and the arthritis from a previous injury disappeared. (Thanks, dad, for the bursitis - but then you didn't ask for it either).

 

I read on the 'net that arachidonic acid irritates arthritis and bursitis, and that chicken and eggs have much more AA than any other food.

 

So I went on the arthritis/bursitis diet, which was pretty much how I eat anyway, except for chicken and eggs. Within a month, the bursitis that was driving me crazy went away.

 

Many months later, I tested it by eating chicken and eggs again, and it returned.

 

I suppose if you don't have arthritis or bursitis, it's fine, but for me, it's off the menu. And I love them both.

 

I'm more of a beef, pork, and fish person now.

 

Notes ♫

 

 

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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3 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

I read on the 'net that arachidonic acid irritates arthritis and bursitis, and that chicken and eggs have much more AA than any other food.

 

So I went on the arthritis/bursitis diet, which was pretty much how I eat anyway, except for chicken and eggs. Within a month, the bursitis that was driving me crazy went away.

Interesting. The older I get the more my arthritis acts up. I probably eat chicken once a day.

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That is interesting. Knowing my luck I'll get arthritis now. I used to eat a lot of Italian, which is generally healthy, until my blood sugar went up and that is bad for it (too many carbs), so not much of that now. Fortunately I don't have a big sweet tooth, but still like something like that once in awhile and discovered sugar free chocolate. Expensive as hell but again I don't need a lot.

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Tonight, a major treat! Steamed broccoli overly enhanced by cheese, a sammich saved only by its Olympic-level wheat bread wrapping and just enough vodka in Dr. Pepper to ruin the benefits of the broccoli and wheat bread. Makes that bag of Senior Chow and a scoop look pretty good, doesn't it?

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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OK, here is the Arthritis/Bursitis diet as given to me by a doctor.

 

A new neighbor was walking her dog but needed a cane. I gave her the diet. She followed it strictly and in a month she was no longer needing the cane.

 

My painful hip bursitis is gone. It was so bad, I couldn't walk 2 blocks without resting, and now I can walk 4 miles for exercise. The arthritis in my little finger due to a sports injury is 99% gone.

 

The diet is restricting, and I gave up some foods that I dearly love, but I'd rather be pain free and continue to walk, play saxophone and play guitar. Plus, I won't be needing a hip replacement in the foreseeable future. I was fearing that when I started the diet.

 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and am not giving medical advice. If you have any doubts, check with your health provider. Everybody is different.

 

 

For both arthritis and bursitis, treatment is similar:

 

Try the dietary approach first, and if that doesn't work, take stronger action.

 

Foods that may contribute to chronic inflammation are foods with a high glycemic index (foods that convert to sugar quickly), such as fruit juices, sugars, simple starches, or rice cakes, foods heavy in polyunsaturated or saturated fats, and foods high in arachidonic acid. Some specific foods to avoid are:

    * Fatty cuts of red meat (high in saturated fats) lean is good
    * Organ meats: liver, kidney, and so forth (very high in arachidonic acid)
    * Egg yolks (very high in arachidonic acid)
    * Poultry - chicken, duck, turkey (very high in arachidonic acid)
    * Pasta (high glycemic index)
    * Juices (high glycemic index)
    * Rice, especially rice cakes (high glycemic index)
    * White bread (substitute whole grain breads such as rye)
    * Nightshade Plants bother many people (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, paprika)

Glycemic index charts can be found on the Internet.

Better choices are foods with a low glycemic index and foods that are heavy in monounsaturated fats. Some specific good foods are:

    * Salmon and other fish
    * Oatmeal
    * Low glycemic fresh fruits and vegetables
    * Olives and olive oil
    * Peanuts and other nuts
    * Whey proteins
    * Lean beef is good, 100% grass fed is better

 

The dietary approach worked for both me and Mrs. Notes. BTW, I can eat the nightshade plants with no problem, they do bother Mrs. Notes. Try eliminating them, and later reintroducing them.

 

I've been on this diet since 2004 or 5 and have been OK since.

 

When I go on vacation, I eat local foods, which takes me off the diet, and I can tell right away. I try to be as good as I can, but sometimes it's just part of the trip, so I eat small portions of the troubling food. Back home, it takes a couple of weeks to be OK again.

 

Feel free to use the diet or ignore the post.

 

Notes ♫

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Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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3 hours ago, David Emm said:

Tonight, a major treat! Steamed broccoli overly enhanced by cheese, a sammich saved only by its Olympic-level wheat bread wrapping and just enough vodka in Dr. Pepper to ruin the benefits of the broccoli and wheat bread. Makes that bag of Senior Chow and a scoop look pretty good, doesn't it?

Sounds like a balanced diet to me  :)  

 

I dunno I try to just eat healthy generally - I don't eat sweets or fast food or overly "processed" foods like hot dogs etc, but it seems almost everything can be bad for you these days and how good or bad something is gets harder to definitively assess. Of course reading the labels helps a lot, that really opened my eyes when I started doing that. 

 

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10 hours ago, bill5 said:

Sounds like a balanced diet to me  :)  

 

I dunno I try to just eat healthy generally - I don't eat sweets or fast food or overly "processed" foods like hot dogs etc, but it seems almost everything can be bad for you these days and how good or bad something is gets harder to definitively assess. Of course reading the labels helps a lot, that really opened my eyes when I started doing that. 

 

And a lot of what they say is bad for you, or good for you, can be a covert advertisement for something.

 

I generally stay away from overly processed foods with tons of words that don't sound like food to me and are also often difficult to pronounce. I eat fresh, whole food as much as possible. Furthermore, I also avoid anything with high-fructose corn syrup and keep cane sugar at an absolute minimum.

 

I used to be 50+ heavier than I am now. I tried a number of different ways to lose the unhealthy weight, and low-carb, moderate protein and high fat diet worked for me.  But I'm careful about which fats. They used to call it Atkins, now they call it ketogenic. My BMI is now in the normal range for my height.  (Wow! Why is K3T0 a banned word?)

 

And ketogenic fits in well with the arthritis/bursitis diet.

 

As much as I'd like to indulge myself with that chocolate pie, or a few donuts, I'll pass. My parents died too soon due to obesity diseases, and were never very healthy from middle-age on. Without good health, you have nothing.

 

I doubt that ketogenic would work for everyone, though. If there was one 'best' diet for all, there would only need to be one diet book. I tried a few things until I found what works for me.

 

 

Notes ♫

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Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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