# Daily meals! So we don't eat the same foods, day in, day out, forever.



## St Allie (Nov 6, 2009)

This thread is just for people to make a quick note on what they are cooking for dinner.

just make a quick note.. and if someone is intrigued and wants the recipe.. please post it.

There are some here, such as Smurfe (Steve, Wade, administration) who will also post a photo of the finished dish too. And will sometimes mention plating techniques.. just in case anyone is also serving meals for guests.

Some foods are regional.. I have a no fail, fantastic recipe, for roast leg of lamb.

'meat and three veg' on a plate, is the norm.. let's break out of that.. and share some good no fail recipes that are regional.

Of course..please list your wine/beer/favourite beverage to serve with your meal.

Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 6, 2009)

Thanks G, I have been a professional cook for quite a few years, and am far better than that then winemaking, though I am trying hard to learn what I need to know to brew my own with the same results I get from my cooking.

I am envious you have the availability for lamb. I cooked up a nice leg a few Christmases ago and stuffed it with fresh rosemary, etc. I served it with a wild mushroom sauce. Thats all fine and good, but lamb here is pretty expensive. That leg of lamb costed me almost $60US (it actually came from NZ) It fed of us (4 ppl) and there wasn't any leftovers. 

I don't know anything about pairing wines etc., but, I do have alot of recipes and techniques I would love to share. I realize this is a wine making forum, but we are all friends and it would be a pleasure to hear what some of the others have made. I for one, would love to hear how you do your lamb.

I have a great recipe for Greek Salad Dressing that starts with a base of Italian Dressing and then adds kalamata nand green olives, feta cheese, pepperoncinis, fresh basil etc. If anyone is interested in that, I would love to tell you how I do it.

I hope we can all share our recipes with each other. Perhaps we could include a section for "members recipes". Sounds like we all love to eat and cook as much as we enjoy making our own "brew"

Troy


(not sure why, but I love the TAZ emoticon)


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## St Allie (Nov 6, 2009)

Troy,

yesterday I made a $7 pork roast. ( I'm feeding 6 people)

this thread is about making a meal from what you have managed to get as a seasonal cheap meat or vegetable.. or hunting.. understand?

it's everyday food, for everyday families.

Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 6, 2009)

*Chicken Parmesan*

One of my all time foods I love to make is chicken parm. This can also be done with beef, pork, or ostrich.

I actually have chix thawing right now to make it this weekend.

Chix breasts work best but I like the thighs, its easy to remove that lil bone in there.

Place the meat between two pieces of plastic wrap, (easier to clean up and no "splatter")

Don't beat the hell out of it, all you want to do is break it down a bit and start with a even piece of meat.

Flour, buttermilk eggwash, breading. I like to add a bit of Italian seasoning and parm cheese to my breading. Bread your meat and set aside.

Actually, make this sauce first. I start with tomato paste and a little water, easier to keep it thick. If you started with whole tomatoes, or tomatoe sauce you need allow time for it to thicken. This sauce is nothing more than canned toms( sorry Tom) and whatever spices you like. I just normally add onion, garlic, and Italian Seasoning.

Fry in a pan, or deep fry your meat. Just for a second or so, the fibers have been broken down, so it is going to cook pretty fast.

Allow it to drain for a second, top it with a little sauce, sprinkle with parm cheese, as much as you like, and then cover with a slice or two of mozzerella cheese. Pp in the oven, or under a broiler till the Mozz starts to bubble and turn brown, just a lil brown.

Done deal.

I love to serve this with Fetticine, but you favorite pasta will work just fine.

Take the hot pasta, toss it in a bowl with just a shot of cream, salt, pepper, a touch of the Ital Seasoning, and a bit,(or alot) of garlic.

Serve it with a few chunks of Garlic bread and your favorite vegetable and it is a cheap meal that will go a long ways.

I have sold this as a sandwihich on a nice piece of crusty bread, it has never failed.

Troy


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## St Allie (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm just an everyday cook Troy.

NZ Roast Lamb.

leg of lamb.. bone in.. I'm feeding 6 people..3 very hungry teens.. one non so hungry plus two adults.

grab your roasting dish.. don't oil. I usually buy a 2.5 to 3kilos leg roast. Rub roast with soy sauce all over. Then rub all over with a good dark sugar. Salt and pepper the roast. Cover the roast and cook for 15 mins at 230 C.

after 15 mins.. turn the roast and recover, cook another 15 mins.

turn over, down to 170C, uncover, cook for another 2 hours 15 max. Take out of oven and roll in cooking foil.. leave to rest 30 minutes before carving.

This roast will not be pink, it'll be perfectly cooked. Moist and well worth the 7 to 8 people you are cooking for. I't's a special occasion roast. Not an everyday roast.

that roast will cost 3 dollars meat per person.. ( US 1 dollar 50 per person)


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## arcticsid (Nov 6, 2009)

*Tuna Burgers*

This is my other cheap meal. ( I actually am an expert on eating cheap. I have more to offer but will leave it at this for now)

Take one can of tuna, squeeze out the liquid, oil or water, add one egg and enough bread crumbs to hold it together, you could add onion or celery, or whatever, but mince it pretty fine.

Fry this in a little oil till crispy and melt some cheese on it.

This will make two nice size patties for less than $1US.

Use a few cans and bake it in a bread pan. Tuna loaf!

My other cheap meal is fried shrimp. Normally I can find 1 pound of shrimp for about $5US. Peel it. Flour, eggwash, breading. Freeze this on a sheet pan on wax paper. Deeep fry them. Done deal.

That one pound of shrimp now turned into twice its weight. This is more than enough to serve 3 or 4 ppl if you serve it with french fries or whatever.

Troy


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## St Allie (Nov 6, 2009)

shrimp etc.. is exp here.

I make my own pasta and bread here..

you don't get cheaper than home made pasta and soup..

I refuse to drink homemade 18 per cent 'hooch" Troy.


Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 6, 2009)

How about if I make it 12% and call it wine? LOL I love to talk about eating cheap and am looking forward to this thread. I grew up learning how to be (not poor), but if a person, especially like you with a family, a person can eat pretty cheap and still make everyone happy.

I sure hope some of the others will chime in and share their ideas.

Great thread G, I hope this isn't the end of it.

Troy


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## Wade E (Nov 6, 2009)

We dont eat steak much here but London broil is fairly cheap already and then it went on sale also and we had some company(My wifes Aunt) so I grilled it for a little bit while I sauteed some Portabella mushrooms that I also got on sale and pulled the steaks off the grill awhile they were just seared nicely and cut a pocket in them and stuffed them with the mushrooms and then covered them with Gorgonzola and baked them for another 20 minutes and then broiled them for 8 minutes. A side of garlic bread and cauliflower and we all were stuffed for $21. St Allie has me beat on price but thats still a decent price for 5 people and a treat! My wifes aunt spent more then that on just a few Canolies!


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 6, 2009)

This is about as cheap as it comes, and the kids love it.
I learned this over a campfire on many hunting trips. I call it Hunter's Potatoes.


Brown a pound of ground meat (your choice) in a skillet. Remove and set aside.
Slice enough potatoes to feed your crew, thin, 1/4" to 1/8". Add some oil or lard (bear grease is fantastic!), and put over medium heat.
Slice a couple onions the same as the potatoes. Add to skillet.
Season liberally with Seasoned Salt and pepper.
Cover with lid or foil to steam for several minutes to pre-cook potatoes.
Don't rush stirring the pot. You want the potatoes to brown, and the onions translucent.
When the potatoes are golden brown, toss the meat back in the skillet, to re-heat.

Very filling.

(Variation: Shred some cheddar cheese and sprinkle it over the mess when it's nearly done. Whip up a half dozen eggs in a bowl and pour over the cheese. Toss until the eggs are no longer runny.)

I'm just guessing, but this is a good way to feed 4-5 hungry adults for about $5 USD.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 6, 2009)

*Comment on this subject*

I have a hard time putting a "cost per meal" tag on anything I might contribute. We gather our own eggs, butcher our own chickens/turkeys/ducks, and hunt for our meat. A lot of our veggies are home-grown. So...I can only guess at store prices.
Smart shopping is the key, though. Back in the day, with three small kids, my wife was able to feed a family of 5, very well, on about $300 per month. I knew couples with no kids that spent $600 a month!

Okay...here's another idea for frugal meals: fritata.
A fritata is basically a quiche for people who think quiches are for sissies.
You crack and gently whip enough eggs to fill your frying pan. I use cast iron for reasons which will become obvious.
Cut up anything you want to get rid of in the fridge, and anything else you know the family might eat. Green beans, any kind of meat, whole corn...just make sure there's more egg than "stuff". Stir all your goodies into the eggs mixture.
Throw it in the oven (hence the cast iron) on the top rack at 350 degrees until the eggs are set, browned on top, and hopefully not burned on the bottom. Cut it into wedges to serve. Happy customers and an empty fridge.


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## St Allie (Nov 6, 2009)

My father always costed out the price of meals.. including the time you had the oven/stove on for too. 

It was a challenge for him. Basically your stove and your hot water cylinder in the house is the biggest user of power. He always covered our cylinder with spare blankets to keep the heat escaping to a minimum.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 6, 2009)

St Allie said:


> My father always costed out the price of meals.. including the time you had the oven/stove on for too.
> 
> It was a challenge for him. Basically your stove and your hot water cylinder in the house is the biggest user of power. He always covered our cylinder with spare blankets to keep the heat escaping to a minimum.
> 
> Allie


Ouch! I guess you do what you gotta do to manage a household. I'm assuming he didn't allow a clothes dryer in the house, since that sucks up power second only to hot water.
In areas where it's available, natural gas for cooking and the water heater are the best deal going, so far. They even make gas clothes driers.


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## St Allie (Nov 6, 2009)

no, we never had a clothes dryer.

Ask most people nowadays where their powers costs are in a household.. and they won't be able to tell you.

We use the BBQ a lot in summer.. it saves having the oven/stove on at all.

There is also a local BBQ that the council maintains.. so if you walk down there with your family and dinner.. you cook dinner for nothing..

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 7, 2009)

St Allie said:


> no, we never had a clothes dryer.
> 
> Ask most people nowadays where their powers costs are in a household.. and they won't be able to tell you.
> 
> ...


I'm beginning to realize I don't have a clue as to your living arrangements and life style over there. 
We put about 50,000 miles a year on our gas BBQ. That doesn't count the smoked dinners in the charcoal kettle BBQ. Ever since I got a rotisserie and basket for the 'Q, the moths have taken over the oven. 
Love those carcinogens! NOTHING compares to pork over an open flame!


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## St Allie (Nov 7, 2009)

Wade E said:


> We dont eat steak much here but London broil is fairly cheap already and then it went on sale also and we had some company(My wifes Aunt) so I grilled it for a little bit while I sauteed some Portabella mushrooms that I also got on sale and pulled the steaks off the grill awhile they were just seared nicely and cut a pocket in them and stuffed them with the mushrooms and then covered them with Gorgonzola and baked them for another 20 minutes and then broiled them for 8 minutes. A side of garlic bread and cauliflower and we all were stuffed for $21. St Allie has me beat on price but thats still a decent price for 5 people and a treat! My wifes aunt spent more then that on just a few Canolies!



heheheh Wade.. I'm pretty good at stretching a dollar!

What exactly is "london broil"?


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 7, 2009)

St Allie said:


> heheheh Wade.. I'm pretty good at stretching a dollar!
> 
> What exactly is "london broil"?



Wade might be out for the night. London Broil is flank or round steak, marinaded, grilled and cut thin across the grain.


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## St Allie (Nov 7, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> I'm beginning to realize I don't have a clue as to your living arrangements and life style over there.
> We put about 50,000 miles a year on our gas BBQ. That doesn't count the smoked dinners in the charcoal kettle BBQ. Ever since I got a rotisserie and basket for the 'Q, the moths have taken over the oven.
> Love those carcinogens! NOTHING compares to pork over an open flame!



We're pretty easy going and down to earth here..

Auckland is a very mild climate.. no snow and winter temps rarely dip below freezing.. we get maybe 7-10 frosts a year.

We are never more than an hour from the coast.. so fishing/surfing etc is big here. Most people own a boat.. this is why Auckland is called "the city of sails"..

Considering we have fish/beef and lamb on the doorstep.. it's horrendously expensive to buy.

Chicken is the most cost effective meal here.

Allie


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## St Allie (Nov 7, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> Wade might be out for the night. London Broil is flank or round steak, marinaded, grilled and cut thin across the grain.



Thankyou.. we call that 'skirt steak' it's a tougher meat with good flavour, we usually casserole/ slow cooker it.

have never seen it cooked the way Wade does it.. I'm going to try that next time I see it on special.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 7, 2009)

St Allie said:


> Thankyou.. we call that 'skirt steak' it's a tougher meat with good flavour, we usually casserole/ slow cooker it.
> 
> have never seen it cooked the way Wade does it.. I'm going to try that next time I see it on special.
> 
> Allie


I've never done the "London Broil" thing with a flank (skirt) steak. To me, London Broil is basically 1/2 of a round steak, usually the "bottom round", and cut 1 1/2" to even 3" thick. The full round steak, cut 2"-3" thick is called a Baron of Beef. Absolutely fantastic, and very impressive to throw a 6 pound steak on the barbee for company!


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## St Allie (Nov 7, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> I've never done the "London Broil" thing with a flank (skirt) steak. To me, London Broil is basically 1/2 of a round steak, usually the "bottom round", and cut 1 1/2" to even 3" thick. The full round steak, cut 2"-3" thick is called a Baron of Beef. Absolutely fantastic, and very impressive to throw a 6 pound steak on the barbee for company!



You have to put the recipe up for a baron of beef.. it's just not done here.. I'd love to give it a go. We have a really good butcher up the road.. will ask him to give me a price on the whole piece.

Where is Troy?.. he's probably got a recipe for it somewhere too..

Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 7, 2009)

I don't have a particular recipe for BOB, but I do know several people who love the london broil. It is a relatively cheap cut of meat and versatile. In fact will be having that tommorrow at my buddies house.

Garlic and onions are probably the reason I am single (haven't met the right Italian woman yet, I quess. LOL) But I love to stuff my beef and pork with slivers of garlic. Poke some holes in the meant and stuff it in there with your finger, the hole created will suck up as it cooks. I also believe in rubbing down my meat with a secret mix of herbs/spices and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight.

I love my smoker and most everything gets its start in there, even for a little while, then I fininsh it in the oven.

I love to buy the whole prork tenderloin. I can get it at SAMS Club for like $2.50/lb, Alot can be done with this, roasted whole, stuffed, cut into chops, pounded out for cutlets, cubed for stir fry etc. Actually ground beef here is usually around $4/lb. I hardley ever buy it except for burgers. I prefer to buy a cheap cut like 7 bone or chuck steak, I use this for anything you would normally use gbeef for, spaghetti, chili, etc. Cube up and cook long enough for it to shread apart.


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## Runningwolf (Nov 7, 2009)

I'm cooking a beef tenderloin right now. Troy I cook it exactly as you with the garlic. Then I coat it with olive oil and sprikle montreal steak seasoning on it along with crushed red pepper. Since it is so tender I cook it as hot and fast as I can. I preheat the oven to 500 degrees and cook the entire time at same temp. When internal temp reaches 125 degrees I remove from oven and let it set a bit before cutting.


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## arcticsid (Nov 7, 2009)

Right on Wolf, thats exactly how I would do it!!! I have made a bunch of them!

I have heard of this seasoning, but obviously whatever seasoning works for you. I recently found a seasoning mix carried at SAMS Club called, "steak dust", for an all around seasoning I think this is pretty good stuff.

Do you cover your loin in foil while cooking? I too cook my tenderloin real hot like that.

Personally I wouldn't cover it in foil, turn it over half way through.

I have cooked 1,234,369 prime ribs, I have never covered them. Again this is a choice. And obviously a prime is way thicker than a loin, and weighs alot more..

Mostly I just rub, stuff em etc.(For primes) and put into a 250 deg oven for till they come around 115, like you do with the loin. But at a slower temp due to the weight/thickness.

I think alot of people don't realize when you pull a piece of roasted meat, or even chicken, out of the oven, it is really necessary to allow it to sit for a bit before carving into it. I have seen alot of people ruin a nice turkey from failing to do this.

Cook on my friend!
Troy


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 7, 2009)

I'm probably in a rut, but I have a "stock" seasoning rub I use on almost everything. All applied to taste:

Johnny's Seasoned Salt
Granulated garlic
Fresh cracked black pepper

No complaints from anyone yet, and a buddy wanted the "recipe".


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## Runningwolf (Nov 7, 2009)

Troy, I do not cover the tenderloin when cooking it. It was absolutely delicious. Well done o the ends and bloody rare in the middle the way I like it. Yes it does continue to cook for about ten minutes after you take it out of the oven, so you dont want to over cook it.


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## Tom (Nov 8, 2009)

Now today I am making my infamous buffalo wings in my homemade "special: sauce.


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## arcticsid (Nov 8, 2009)

Must be pretty special if you don't want to disclose how you make it. I swear, if I use it, I will refer to it as "Toms Special Sauce"LOL

If its REALLY good, I could plagerize and call it "Troy's Special Sauce!!!!"


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## Tom (Nov 8, 2009)

WELL.. I will say there 8 things I add.
1 is Franks Hot Sauce.


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## Wade E (Nov 8, 2009)

I use Franks also then add some honey to it to thicken it up just a bit. I deep fry the wings in my turkey fryer and then just toss the wings in the sauce for a few.


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## arcticsid (Nov 8, 2009)

If you don't tell us the rest I AM CALLING FRANK! Next thing you know, we'll be calling it Franks special sauce!


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## arcticsid (Nov 8, 2009)

Funny you actually brought this wings up, if I get to the store today, wings is on my list. I like Franks pretty well for a "generic" hot sauce, (sorry Frank) and like Wade, a little honey and etc.

The worst part about a good wing is the beard, not the wings beard, MINE!!! LOL


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## St Allie (Nov 8, 2009)

honey, soy sauce and minced garlic .. mix well and coat wings.. marinate for a couple hours if you have time.. if not, just bake in oven or throw on the bbq..

quick and easy.


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## arcticsid (Nov 8, 2009)

G, you never called me honey before in public. I was begining to think I would be in the barn with the Swedes!!!! I do believe in soy sauce.


I talked to my Mom a lil while ago. She is the expert on stretching the dollar. I told her about this thread(God love her, even though she hates wine!)

Now that her children are all grown she only cooks for her and her husband( I think he does most of the cooking), she says her best controbution to this discussion is chicken breasts. You can do alot with them. Her husband is diabetic, so some of that recipe philosophy has something to do with it.

I don't think I have ever met a kid, and some adults, that dont like chiken tenders.

Slice the chicken, pound it out a bit and bread it fry it,(or go in the oven if you are watching that), and VOILA.

My Mom thought it was great that Allie brought up this thread, just goes to show, even across the globe we are all trying to do the best we can, with what we got.

Troy


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## Leanne (Nov 8, 2009)

I'm diabetic and I have to agree that chicken and fish are perfect for it. I do use a lot of herbs and spices in my cooking but I grow most of the herbs. I also grow veg and fruit. I make my bread as Allie does. I suppose it is all just part of my routine now.
I especially like making soups and stews for some reason.


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## winemanden (Nov 9, 2009)

*Flank steak*

Allie, take a look at this Flank steak video. It looks great.

Regards to all, Winemanden.


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## winemanden (Nov 9, 2009)

*Foot in mouth again*

Sorry Allie, I forgot to add the link for the video.

Regards once again, Winemanden. 

http://video.about.com/spanishfood/Flank-Steak-With-Cabrales.htm


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

heheheh Thankyou Winemanden,

it's certainly got me reassessing the cuts of beef I use.

out of curiosity...

I often see pork belly in the supermarket.. thin cut with skin on still.. it's not the cheapest and I thought it would be a fatty cut.. apart from the fact I've never cooked it.. so no idea what to do with it even if I did bring it home..

Anybody out there got their own recipe for it? 

Allie


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> G,
> My Mom thought it was great that Allie brought up this thread, just goes to show, even across the globe we are all trying to do the best we can, with what we got.
> 
> Troy



Say hello to your Mum from us all Troy.. 

Mums are the ones that hand down the kitchen skills usually.. she taught you well


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 9, 2009)

St Allie said:


> heheheh Thankyou Winemanden,
> 
> it's certainly got me reassessing the cuts of beef I use.
> 
> ...


Just my 2 c worth: I've never cooked it fresh, for any reason. But I do know it's used for sweet and sour pork, and some other Oriental recipes. Mainly it's use to make bacon and salt pork. Pork and Beans? I'm sure Troy's got a use for it, other than curing it.


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

Reply to Old Philosopher re local costs of meat locally.. moved from the 'what are you doing today' thread.

OP's post

Wow! Nice score!
My score for the day was 10 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.78/lb. I'll save you the math...that's $5.41/Kg NZD. Is that a good deal? 


my post..

big supermarkets here.. that particular cut..( boneless skinless breast) will run you as high as $16.99 a kilo.

The local cut price butcher had those on special 2 weeks back at $7.99 a kilo.. So you're still getting it cheaper than me. He had wings on speacial for $3.99 kg and drums/thighs were $4.99kg.

however .. lamb is dear for you guys isn't it?

He had lamb leg roasts for $8.99 a kilo last week and I have 4 x 3kg ( av size) tucked in the freezer....that's a good price even by our standards.

Pork roasts run at $5.99 per kilo for a shoulder roast and $6.99 for leg. ( bone in)..

local supermarket was selling pork roasts for $12.99kg..and lamb leg roasts for $16 a kilo .. on the same week that the butcher had his specials.

I don't buy meat at the supermarket anymore.

Allie

( all prices quoted in New Zealand dollars) 

OP's post

Back in the day things were really tight, I'd go to a restaurant supply house, get two pork shoulder butts for $2.80/Kg (NZD), then cut them myself into boneless "country ribs" until I hit the shoulder bone. Then I'd take them to a local butcher and he'd saw them into blade steaks for 20-cents/lb (USD). It was a little running around, but I was getting "ribs" and steaks for about 60% the cost of the packaged product.


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

um.. not sure what a restaurant supply house is ?

is that a wholesaler? they don't sell to the general public.

We've gone a bit off topic again btw..

the original thread was for a quick note about what you cook for dinner on the day you post.

we can sustain both conversations here I'm sure.

just reiterating the original threads point for people..

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 9, 2009)

St Allie said:


> um.. not sure what a restaurant supply house is ?
> 
> is that a wholesaler? they don't sell to the general public.
> 
> Allie


Oh...yeah...forgot to remember that detail. 
I have a business license. I'm sure that laws vary widely, but here in the US, you can register your business name with what ever State you live in. When you do that, you only have to declare whether you are incorporated, or just owner-operator. Your business name is listed as "doing business as (company name)", and you get a Tax Identification number. If your business makes less than a certain amount of money, you get to report/pay your taxes only once a year. So, when the tax form comes, you write across the form "no business during this period", sign it and send it back. You can go for years, showing no profit, but retaining your business name, and Tax ID number. That Tax ID number is what gets you into wholesale-only businesses.
We had a legitimate business, and the category of product was simply "other", since we did everything from resale, to manufacture of wood novelties, to photography.
Some businesses won't wholesale to you if your "license" is not related to their products, but the grocery business isn't usually one of them. A lot of the restaurant supply places operate on a "cash and carry" policy, no billing, no bookkeeping, no checks...so their prices are ridiculously low. I've been able to cut some pretty sweet deals over the years, with that business license in my pocket.


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

Duh!! (multitasking moment again..).


I made spaghetti bolognese for dinner last night.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 9, 2009)

Just finished eatin' dinner. Soft tacos made with a Pronghorn Antelope leg roast that spent the day in the crock pot, and was shredded with BBQ sauce.
The roast was a gift. Cheap dinner...


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> Oh...yeah...forgot to remember that detail.
> I have a business license. I'm sure that laws vary widely, but here in the US, you can register your business name with what ever State you live in. When you do that, you only have to declare whether you are incorporated, or just owner-operator. Your business name is listed as "doing business as (company name)", and you get a Tax Identification number. If your business makes less than a certain amount of money, you get to report/pay your taxes only once a year. So, when the tax form comes, you write across the form "no business during this period", sign it and send it back. You can go for years, showing no profit, but retaining your business name, and Tax ID number. That Tax ID number is what gets you into wholesale-only businesses.
> We had a legitimate business, and the category of product was simply "other", since we did everything from resale, to manufacture of wood novelties, to photography.
> Some businesses won't wholesale to you if your "license" is not related to their products, but the grocery business isn't usually one of them. A lot of the restaurant supply places operate on a "cash and carry" policy, no billing, no bookkeeping, no checks...so their prices are ridiculously low. I've been able to cut some pretty sweet deals over the years, with that business license in my pocket.



cash and carry equals an "under the table' deal in NZ.. means you pay no tax, because no one knows the transaction ever existed..


am shocked to find that loophole hasn't been firmly plugged in the states... your country runs on accountants and lawyers.

( am not being rude at all with my statement btw, You are very much a 'user pays' society.. thought this would have been stopped since " bootlegging')

Don't you have quite an aggressive tax system?

Allie

( OMG we are off topic again!)


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 9, 2009)

St Allie said:


> cash and carry equals an "under the table' deal in NZ.. means you pay no tax, because no one knows the transaction ever existed..


Not what's going on here. Businesses are responsible for keeping accurate books, and reporting their debit/credit transactions. There are many, many businesses that won't take personal checks (fast food chains, for instance), because of the default rate. Nothing "under the table" about it.



> am shocked to find that loophole hasn't been firmly plugged in the states... your country runs on accountants and lawyers.
> 
> ( am not being rude at all with my statement btw, You are very much a 'user pays' society.. thought this would have been stopped since " bootlegging')
> 
> ...


We have a very agressive tax system. B&O (business and occupational) Taxes are completely seperate from personal Income Taxes. If you're doing business at all, your books are subject to audit at any time.

 We're not THAT far off topic. Somewhere in here there was mention of "doing more, with less". The idea of purchasing power must fit in there somewhere?


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

An under the table deal.. is under the table.. because it is all cash...

no receipts... no records...

happens all the time..

just never acknowledged.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 9, 2009)

St Allie said:


> An under the table deal.. is under the table.. because it is all cash...
> 
> no receipts... no records...
> 
> ...


Well, yeah...for sure. PEOPLE get paid under the table. But this chain store I'm talking about is actually named Cash 'n' Carry...and they do give receipts.
Actually, what works good around here is the old fashioned "barter system". You roof my house, I give you half a beef steer. Of course, there's a place on our tax forms where you're supposed to report that.


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## St Allie (Nov 9, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> Well, yeah...for sure. PEOPLE get paid under the table. But this chain store I'm talking about is actually named Cash 'n' Carry...and they do give receipts.
> Actually, what works good around here is the old fashioned "barter system". You roof my house, I give you half a beef steer. Of course, there's a place on our tax forms where you're supposed to report that.



...

hehehhe.. didn't realise it was the name of the store...

oh yeah.. we have the barter sytem too..( and the same tax forms )

As we move to a more and more electronic age..You can see cash will eventually disappear.

Gov't will tax breathing eventually..

Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 9, 2009)

last year my tax formed claimed I made less than $4000. Prove i made more!!!!LOL


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## Leanne (Nov 10, 2009)

I've set my crockpot up for a chicken hot and sour for tonight. I'll steam a little rice with that.
Last night I had friends over so I made a variety of curries and rices with various veg accompaniments. I had a lot of spinach to use up, to be honest.
I tend to just let my guests choose the wine. 
I have been given a whole lot of trout. I'm wondering what to do with that. lol.


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

Please dont shoot me when you find me hiding beneath your front porch.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

Leanne said:


> ...I have been given a whole lot of trout. I'm wondering what to do with that. lol.



If you're serious, and can fillet out the bones, and skin them, I have lots of recipes for trout.


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

Whole baked trout is easy and delicious.


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

Got 3 whole sockeye salmon(red salmon) in the freeze, bout 6 lb each. Almost don't want to cook them, all we'll see for a few months. Paid around $10 a piece for them!! Sure enough to feed a few people.


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

salmon is $30 a kilo here.. and it's farmed. Very popular smoked.

just as well we have plenty of coastline.. fish of choice here is schnapper.


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

G what is the exchange rate for NZ? We talk often with you about dollars and some times it gets confusing. for example 30/kilo thats less than $15/lb US.

Huh? LOL

Troy


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

one kilo equals 2.2lb ( we use the metric system)


so 1lb would be NZD$15 roughly USD$11 lb

current conversion rate is

1 New Zealand dollar = 0.7407 U.S. dollars

Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

Obviously, I live in Alaska. We have 5 types of wild salmon here, in HUGE numbers so I have had the grand opportunty to eat a few thousand of them. These ARE NOT FARMED. As a former commercial fisherman, the word farmed is taboo.

This year wasn't so good for me, but last summer, I smoked and/or pickled over 70 fish. My buddies do the fishing I doo the cooking and get some!!

I might be part native Alaskan because I could eat salmon everyother day and never tire of it.

It is a firm fish so quite versitale.

But, ifin I could, I'd sure trade for some Snapper. I've caught many types of "Rock Fish" while I lived on the boat, but it's just not something you see in the stores.

Troy


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

Okay, now we can relate. LOL


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

I'm a fan of tinned tuna.. I don't have to catch or clean it and it's ready right out of the can!


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

I too am a huge fan of "tinned" tuna. (Your accent is coming through!!LOL).

I get it for around 60 cents a can. You can do ALOT of stuff with it. Plus I live with 3 cats, quaranteed no waste!
Troy


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

I love a good salmon fillet on the BBQ, but I'd pass on a salmon for a 20# Black Cod from the Bering Sea, any day!


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

Go with that right now!! I like black cod more than halibut. Used to fish for them out of Seward. Doesn't get to much better than that!(The fish, and the fishing)LOL

You can't hardly ever find in in the store. apparantley the Japanese like it so much they have "pre-ordered" them for the upcoming seasons. No kidding.

We had some at red Meyers last winter and they wanted almost $20/lb. Hell King Crab is only like $12.

By the way just to make it clear. Black Cod actually isnt a cod at all, don't know why they classify it differently, but its real name is Sablefish. It is one of the best fish I have ever eaten, without a doubt.


Troy


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> Go with that right now!! I like black cod more than halibut. Used to fish for them out of Seward. Doesn't get to much better than that!(The fish, and the fishing)LOL
> 
> You can't hardly ever find in in the store. apparantley the Japanese like it so much they have "pre-ordered" them for the upcoming seasons. No kidding.
> 
> ...


I guess I _*really*_ got a deal a month ago. I was able to buy as much as I could afford at the local grocery store. It was bulk frozen on a possessing ship and sent down the the Lower 48. I got 20 pounds at $1.99/pound!!!!


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> By the way just to make it clear. Black Cod actually isnt a cod at all, don't know why they classify it differently, but its real name is Sablefish. It is one of the best fish I have ever eaten, without a doubt.
> 
> 
> Troy


It's all in the marketing, and public perception. They call rock fish "cod", because that's all the public recognizes.
Back during the Depression (that one, not this one...), things were so tight the restaurants in Seattle sold a dish called Gray Fish. I'm told it was very good. What people didn't know was that it was Dogfish (shark). There is seafood sold right now labeled "faux scallops". It's actually plugs cut from the wings of skates.


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

DAMN O.p. don't think you can get better than that!! I hope you bought as much as you were able to afford. Thats a screamin deal!
Troy


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

I've actually ate the skate wing things. I personally think it is excellent. Never understood why they would need to call or even refer to them as faux scalops etc. No need to, they are excellent as they are for what they are.

Dogfish!!!!!!Curses! Them lil bastards are a menace. They are like a little 2 foot shark. They go after the bait and get hooked. so instead of a $20 fish on the hook you end up with a zillion of these dogfish. I actually cooked a couple of these and they werent bad at all. But there was no market for em so we flung them over the side. 

I never did understand why their was no market for em. Hell, even at $1.00/lb we would have been making money. But they are a terrible menace for a fisherman, I will always hate who they are, but sure wont miss being able eat one once in a while.


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

shark is called lemonfish here.. and it makes excellent deep fried battered fish for a fish and chips meal.

I quite like it.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

St Allie said:


> shark is called lemonfish here.. and it makes excellent deep fried battered fish for a fish and chips meal.
> 
> I quite like it.


Allie, is it actual Lemon Shark, or do they just call all shark that?


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> ...Dogfish!!!!!!Curses! Them lil bastards are a menace. They are like a little 2 foot shark. They go after the bait and get hooked. so instead of a $20 fish on the hook you end up with a zillion of these dogfish. I actually cooked a couple of these and they werent bad at all. But there was no market for em so we flung them over the side.
> 
> I never did understand why their was no market for em. Hell, even at $1.00/lb we would have been making money. But they are a terrible menace for a fisherman, I will always hate who they are, but sure wont miss being able eat one once in a while.


I'm surprised Asia hasn't opened as a market for them.
They were a plague to sports fishermen in Puget Sound years ago. They would decimate the herring schools, which were prime bait fish. Mean little gremlins that we were, :: if we caught one, we'd tie a toy balloon on their tail and let them go. One afternoon we had about 30 balloons skittering around the bay in an area where we were seining for herring.


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

Yeah never understood that. I thought they weren't to bad eating myself. You need to bleed them but that aint no big thing. Some of those I guess averaged4 pounds or so.

Don't even get me started about the amount of dead fish thrown over the side in the US! If its not the target fish or not in season...splash. I cry sometimes when I think of how much food I seen wasted in this industry!! HERE, in the US. When I fished in Siberia, the Russians made us keep anything that was edible. 50 days I was up there and all we seemed to be catching was squid, and we had to keep them! I made $980 on that trip. Works out I suppose. Made almost $5000 in one day on a Halibut opening in less than 24 hours.! Worked for almost 44 hours with no sleep, only a couple cups of coffee and a sandwhich. I think it was a sandwich! LOL



But at least it wasn't wasted, someone ate it.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> Yeah never understood that. I thought they weren't to bad eating myself. You need to bleed them but that aint no big thing. Some of those I guess averaged4 pounds or so.


Most of the ones we caught back then were 3' to 4'. Seemed like a 4-footer weight about 20 pounds. I saw a couple that were at the max for the species...about 6 feet. Must have been all those herring and candlefish!



> Don't even get me started about the amount of dead fish thrown over the side in the US! If its not the target fish or not in season...splash. I cry sometimes when I think of how much food I seen wasted in this industry!!


Don't get ME started on this subject!  I can't remember the exact amount, but I believe I'm close. I lost almost all respect for Gulf fishermen when I found out they had DUMPED over 11,000 metric tons of Pinks back into the Gulf _*because they couldn't get the price they wanted!!!*_ (This was back in the early '80s.


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> Allie, is it actual Lemon Shark, or do they just call all shark that?



I think it's a generic name for any shark that's used for fish and chips takeaways.. something like $2.50 a piece.. schnapper or
terakihi are usually $4-$5 a piece..

http://seafoodindustry.co.nz/Default.aspx?id=1218&area=228

this is fast food so you expect it to be a bit pricey..

in Australia.. fish and chips are usually shark or butterfish..

http://www.sea-ex.com/fishphotos/butterfi.htm

we don't get butterfish in NZ .. it's a really nice fish.

Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 10, 2009)

I here ya OP. Lot of food there. seen that sorry sh myself, you ought to see what happens on the high seas, especially when the Federal observer is sleeping!!!!


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## Runningwolf (Nov 10, 2009)

BEEF what about BEEF...LOL I like some fish but give me a good steak or prime rib and a baked potatoe any day.


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

Runningwolf said:


> BEEF what about BEEF...LOL I like some fish but give me a good steak or prime rib and a baked potatoe any day.



hehehe..

that's the point of this thread..

put your favourite recipe up Runningwolf..

I'm already considering trying a pork belly next time i see it on special.. or a bit of flank steak.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

St Allie said:


> I'm already considering trying a pork belly next time i see it on special.. or a bit of flank steak.
> 
> Allie


I have to correct myself from earlier. I was given some pork belly awhile back. Here, it usually comes in a 1 pound chunk, and they call it "side pork", which means uncured bacon. I have never seen a large package of "pork belly". But if I did, I would be tempted to make "cracklin's" out of it, and eat it as a snack, like pork rind. If you do get some, try this:
Cut some in 1" cubes and throw it in a sauce pan. Put it on medium low heat and let it cook slowly, releasing it's own fat. The pan will start to fill up with the melted lard, and anything that doesn't melt will get crispy. The crispy stuff is the cracklin's, and the fat is great for frying other stuff!


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## Midwest Vintner (Nov 10, 2009)

allie> now that you mention it, i love lamb. my mother makes a delicous orange/wine sauce that she puts on it. very tender and lamb has more flavor than beef/chicken. i like some game taste. venison is great as long as it's farm raised (basically around farms and not all woods). ate squirrel for the first time 3 weeks ago. alot like chicken. kinda dissapointing. my favorite meat is shrimp.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

Midwest Vintner said:


> allie> now that you mention it, i love lamb. my mother makes a delicous orange/wine sauce that she puts on it. very tender and lamb has more flavor than beef/chicken. i like some game taste. venison is great as long as it's farm raised (basically around farms and not all woods). ate squirrel for the first time 3 weeks ago. alot like chicken. kinda dissapointing. my favorite meat is shrimp.



My favorite part of a lamb dinner is the mint jelly. Hahaha. Lamb roast with mint jelly...to die for!
To me, the only difference between squirrel and rabbit is the size. 
All this talk about food is making me hungry! It got me thinking about all the different types of meat I've eaten. When I'm really bored, I'll have to list them in preference.


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## St Allie (Nov 10, 2009)

I have a huge rosemary hedge.. so i make rosemary jelly..

it goes with anything roasted, pretty much.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 10, 2009)

*Rosemary*



St Allie said:


> I have a huge rosemary hedge.. so i make rosemary jelly..
> 
> it goes with anything roasted, pretty much.
> 
> Allie



Arrgghhh, you're killin' me, G! We have three plants we have in pots in the garden room, nursing them along. We left an herb garden 10 years ago that was ringed with a rosemary hedge.

A sprig of fresh rosemary on meat in the BBQ.

Rosemary in almost every rub we make.

Fresh rosemary in the _pot pourri_ mix.

And the ultimate use of rosemary: Rosemary Rice 
(Put oil in the pot, throw in the rice, fry it until it's translucent and starting to brown, throw in the rosemary just to toast it, then a little granulated garlic given just enough time to release its bouquet, then use chicken broth for the liquid (instead of plain water), and try to be patient.)

Of course, in the case of the BBQ, you eat the crispy rosemary leaves along with the meat! We've been known to sauté rosemary sprigs in garlic butter, just as a side garnish.


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## St Allie (Nov 11, 2009)

hehehe P,

I cook most everything using garlic/rosemary and rock salt..I'm just old fashioned.

My comment tonight however is what I am cooking for the evening meal.

Tonight is...Sushi

I'm making two sorts of sushi.. 

cream cheese/smoked salmon/cucumber and pineapple

teriyaki chicken/capsicum/cucumber and avocado.

served with wasabi sauce and preserved ginger.

it's not as difficult to make as you think..just ask me if you want the recipes.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 11, 2009)

St Allie said:


> hehehe P,
> 
> I cook most everything using garlic/rosemary and rock salt..I'm just old fashioned.
> 
> ...


Dang, woman, here we go again! Wasabi, avocado, ginger... But how to you cook a meal that's traditionally served raw? 

P.S. If there is a little cottage with a yard reserved for me in Heaven, it's going to have an avocado tree in the corner!


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## Leanne (Nov 11, 2009)

Tonight I'll have a tuna steak with a nice mixed salad. I can go mad and have a small dessert after that! 
When I make a salad I like to throw everything in it and then dress it with ginger, orange and lime (in cider vinegar).

I think the nice thing about being single is that I can really experiment with food and flavours without having to apologise when it all goes wrong.


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

I'm with you there Leanne. I love a mixed salad, and very seldom do I use any kind of lettuce. I like to take 7 or 8 different veggies and toss it all together. I was thinking for a bit that my friends loved my BBQ's for my cooking, I later found out they love that vegetable salad!

I bought a nice piece of Ahi Tuna a couple weeks back. Not sure if I like it raw or cooked better!LOL.


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## Leanne (Nov 11, 2009)

I love Tuna. I grill mine with lime slices and a little mustard.
Which veggies do you use Sid?


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

I like to use shreadded cabbage as a base, thin sliced green nions, cucumbers, grated carrots, maybe some zuchinni. Really depends on whats cheap.

I usually like to toss it with an Italian style dressing and then add some greek olives, pepperoncinni, and feta cheese. Top it all off with some fresh finely minced basil, or flat leaf parsley.


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## Leanne (Nov 11, 2009)

That sounds really nice. I might try that myself. I don't use lettuce as a base either. I much prefer a cabbage or loose leaf base.
I can't get peppericinni here but it sounds as if it would be good without it anyway.


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

I like fresh, thinly sliced green peppers, but prefer to use Pablomos, almost the same flavor with a lil bite. oh yeah, I LOVE celery, it is in almost everything I cook.

I am almost surprised to hear you cant get pepperoncinis there. You are in Europe right? 

The only way I have ever seen them was pickled, there the yellowish kind, not hot but they have a great flavor.


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

I am "famous" for my Kim Chee. Garlic and onions may be part of the reason I am still single, but I am quite fond of my Kim Chee. I even have some Korean friends who say it is outrageous.

I am a pollack, not sure what business I have making Kim Chee, but it is one of my favorite things to make and give away!


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## St Allie (Nov 11, 2009)

Isn't fresh salad really expensive in Alaska?

Allie


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## Leanne (Nov 11, 2009)

Goodness! I love Kim Chee. I buy mine in jars though.
Hmmm, my use of garlic and onions could well have a lot to do with my single state too.


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

not really so much, you can always get the bags of premixed greens for a couple dollars, thats enough for 3 big slads. They mark it down the next day, but if I go for the lettuce type of salads I always look for these. Tomatoes here are pretty expensive, during the winter you could end up paying almost $2 for a tomatoe. cucumbers are almot always about $1 a piece, and green peppers(bells) can be almost $2 for one. Thats why I started buying the poblamos, they were a nice pepper, crisp, etc, and they were a helluva lot cheaper than the bell peppers.


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

I make my Kim Chee in buckets! I'd be happy to tell you how to make it. It is really very simple. In fact I may very well go ahead and post the recipe. My version is very garlicky and oniony(is oniony a word?) LOL.

The first week is the worst, as it ferments, make your worst wine smell good!!! LOL. Its a strange salad, kinda like wine and beer. If it doesn't smell bad in the begining, it wont be good in the end!.


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## Leanne (Nov 11, 2009)

I'd love the recipe! How long does it take to make?


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

*Kim chee recipe*

Okay, here you go! Making kim Chee is like making chicken soup or spaghetti, there really is no right way.

The Koreans sault and rinse their cabbage, much in the same way as the Germans make Kraut.

But this is how I nake it, and it has never once failed.

You want to make this in glass or plastic!Metal, salt, and the acid from the cabbage make a scary reaction with metal. A plastic bucket really works the best because of the volume of veggies and the fact it needs to be tossed around.

Take 1 head of cabbage. Napa works the best, but regular old green cabbage will work also. You want to cut this up into 1 inch pieces or so. "Fluff" it up a bit so the pieces seperate. So were starting with 2 gallons of "fluffed" cabbage.

Now to that add about 4 cups or more of chopped green onions. 

And toss in a couple 5 or 6 yablespoons of pepper flakes. the kind u see for pizza. Toss this all together. This will be your base. We will talk alternatives later.

Unlike the traditional Korean/Polish way of fermnting cabbage, by first salting and rinsing. This is how I have done it.

In a food processor, blender, or by hand:

1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
about a 1/4 cup fresh minced garlic
about 2 TBLS fresh ginger, fresh. Powder will work but it IS NOT the same. Use fresh.

Blend this all up and toss through the vegetables. Allow to sit at room temperature for 12 hours or so. You will be amazed at how much it will shrink overnight.

Now, toss it al around again and stuff those veggies under the liquid. Forget about it for the next 6 or 7 days. (Yeah, right! thats what I thought about wine making, now I am a bubble watcher) I usually stir it once a day, take a smell, take a taste LOL!!! But the key is to keep the veggies under the liquid.

You definitely want to have this with a loose fitting top!!!!!!

There shouldn't be any problem fitting all this into a one gallon glass jar, like for pickles, etc. It reall is remakable how much it shrinks from the salt and the acid in the cabbage. Pour all the liquid, garlic juice mix over the vegs in the jar. Press the veg under the liguid. If you HAD TO use water to top off with, but you shouldn't have to.

Now leave it alone for 5 or 6 days at room temperature. With a loose lid please trust me on this one!!LOL This stuff can be wicked and has been known to scare off children, pets, and from what I have heard , most non Koreans.!! LOL Then seal the jar and refrigerate till cold.

This, like our beloved wine will improve with age, but I find 3 or 4 weeks is perfect for Kim Chee. but it will last for several months.

That is the very basic recipe for the Kim Chee.

Next Lesson: Kim Chee variations.

Troy


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

*Kim Chee Variations*

I have made Kim Chee hundreds of times. As I said before it is foolproof. You can look up Kim Chee in your favorite search engine and see some of the variations, but these are mine.

The most basic is the soy/water, this is what "activates" the cabbage. The rest of the igredients are your own taste.

So..in conclusion.

I have used Napa(Chinese)cabbage, green cabbage, red cabbage, Bok Choy and a variety of different greens. Mostly now when I make it I start with 1 head Napa, 1 head Bok Choy, one head savoy cabbage(kinda like regular green cabbage) All of these or a combination their of will work.

Onions. I don't know why but green onions seem to be made for Kim Chee. I have used sliced yellow, red or just your average onion in my Kim Chee, slice them very thin. They will work fine. But green onions are what you want. Use alot!!! don't chop the snot out of em, bigger chunks are better.

Garlic. The main villan here. LOL Use alot.

Ginger. I have made it with powdered ginger and it will work. but were only talking a bout a couple tablesppons of fresh. Use it. No comparrison.

HEAT! LOL. I have made my Kim Chee with a number of different peppers fresh, dried, etc. Again, I can't explain it, but red pepper flakes seem to work the best. The Koreans use ground hot pepper but for the rest of us, red pepper flakes will be all you need. Somehow all the ferment action effects the heat from the peppers, becareful what you add till you know how it will be.

These are the main ingredients. Some of the other things I have mixed in were.

Almost any green will work.
Shreaded carrots.
Cucumbers, but they tend to get pretty soft. Works fine
Traditionally you want to be sure to include some shaved DAIKON radish. but I have made this with good old fashion red radish and it works fine, though Daikon, if you can get it works the best.

Diced turnips. parsnip are both good. Kim Chee needs a crunch.

I have used dill weed and basil, but it just doesn't do it. We are talking about a fermented cabbage.

Some Koreans add dried shrimp to the whole mess and this is really good!! If you can find them. I once tried using a little VietNamese Fish sauce for some of the soy sauce and it was pretty salty, but the shrimp work good.

No sense for me to go on and on about what else can be used. i have tried many things and they all work.

This is some pretty smelly stuff for that first week. You have been warned. I don't want any mad spouses calling and asking me why I provided such an offensive recipe!! But I figured as long as we were all together talking about fermenting stuff i'd share this.


Troy


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## Leanne (Nov 11, 2009)

Wow! Thank you Sid. I will definitely give it a go.
How long does it keep? I can imagine I'll eat it fairly quickly but I do travel at times and would need to know how long I can leave it.
Thanks again.


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## arcticsid (Nov 11, 2009)

Leanne once it gets to the fridge, it will actually keep for several months. It is basically pickled so between the salt and the acid i the cabbage it is preserved. Kind of. but I just last week finished off the rest of what I had in a jar, I made it like 3 months ago and it was still just fine, but keep it under the liquid.

Just teling you all how to make it has me salivating.

Gotta get to the store anyway for ,more wine making juice and probably need to get some Kim Chee ingredients.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 11, 2009)

Interesting how many Westerners like Kim Chi. We were gifted a half a head of cabbage (the half weighs 10 pounds!), and Kim Chi was our first thought! We've made several types over the years. Onion Kim Chi (vs cabbage) will get your attention!
Interesting trivia: fermented cabbage, (Kim Chi, sauerkraut) is supposed to fortify the immune system against Avian Flu.


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## St Allie (Nov 11, 2009)

Roast chicken( sage and onion stuffing )and veggies..

nice and simple tonight..


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## Leanne (Nov 12, 2009)

I have company for dinner tonight so I'm serving a beef wellington and all the trimmings followed by a pavlova. They can pick their own wines.


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## St Allie (Nov 12, 2009)

how did your evening go Leanne?

Allie


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## Leanne (Nov 12, 2009)

It was lovely Allie. Good company, good food, good wine, good music, good conversation. 10 people fed and happy. Thanks for asking Allie.


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## St Allie (Nov 12, 2009)

you're welcome..

hehehhe

my biggest question is..was it 80's music?

grins..


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## St Allie (Nov 12, 2009)

I bought a boned out pork roast.. 1.5 kilo roast cheap today $8,, wide band of skin for crackling..it's in the oven now and the teenagers are circling!

Allie


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## Leanne (Nov 13, 2009)

Lol. No, no 80's music. Just nice background classical and then some of my friends played their guitars etc.
Tonight I am having a little spaghetti bolognese. An apple later maybe.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 14, 2009)

Alaska cod (sable fish) fried in an herbed coating (panko, rosemary, lemon thyme), and a rice blend (white,red and wild). Homemade tartar sauce.


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## arcticsid (Nov 14, 2009)

Leanne was that a candle I smell or incense? Smells nice. At this very moment I am listening to Bob Dylan, "May as well catch the wind.".

Troy


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## Leanne (Nov 14, 2009)

Lol. There is usually some incense burning around here somewhere.
Don't you just love Bob Dylan?


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## arcticsid (Nov 14, 2009)

I'll play a couple more for you!! I'm just kinda in a Bob Dylan mood. Maybe even Peter Paul and Mary. Light another incence!

Leanne do you speak any other kanguages?
n
Troy


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## Leanne (Nov 14, 2009)

Good and bad English, a little french and dutch. Do you speak any other languages?


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## arcticsid (Nov 14, 2009)

Pretty good French, passable Spanish, and a little Russian.


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## St Allie (Nov 14, 2009)

Lamb roast tonight..

Have brother in law over for dinner and he eats like a horse..

perfect NZ lamb roast recipe.. no fail!
Lamb shoulder roast in the oven.. ( soy sauce/sugar/pepper and salt coating as mentioned in previous recipe)..it's searing now and waiting for the slow cooking. ( 15 mins at 240C each side then drop heat to 180C for about 2.5 hours for a 3 kilo roast... 6.6 pound roast)

Wrap the lamb in foil as soon as it leaves the oven.. ( not in the roasting dish)..haul it out of the dish into foil.. wrap securely.. this stops it drying out.

it needs to rest in the foil at least 30 mins.. leave overnight and you will never eat roast lamb, hot, ever again.. it cuts better /thinner and has so much more flavour..
Allie


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## arcticsid (Nov 14, 2009)

And you wonder why me and my cats want to move into your barn G!

Momma cat isn't afraid of Moose or Horses, so I guess she'll be okay in the barn.


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## St Allie (Nov 14, 2009)

I have dogs and steers Troy..

oh. did I mention teenagers?

Allie


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## Tom (Nov 14, 2009)

I had teenagers a long time ago. Guess what? they got older and now are 27 and 37 years old.
Damn.. That means I am getting old as well.


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## arcticsid (Nov 14, 2009)

Momma cat can hang, she lives to fight dogs, the steers, she wouldn't have a problem.

I have to worry about the other two. They run like hell when a Raven flies over. LOL.

Good thing I don't live on the coast anymore, lots of Bald Eagles, not alot of cats or small dogs!!!!

LOL

Troy


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## arcticsid (Nov 14, 2009)

Tom the teenagers may be gone, but I hope you kept the wife and the pets?


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## St Allie (Nov 14, 2009)

I thought bald eagles were near extinction?

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 14, 2009)

St Allie said:


> I thought bald eagles were near extinction?
> 
> Allie


Not around here! We have almost as many as Troy does in Alaska!


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## Leanne (Nov 15, 2009)

My cats are top of the pecking order when I cook. They get the first of everything. My dogs get the leftovers. One of the dogs is partial to a saucer of wine too.
I'm in the mood for a curry tonight I think.


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## arcticsid (Nov 15, 2009)

OP, not true, they may like to live there, but our Eagles live on the coast. They live here quite more abundantly than they do there. Quite frankly they are a big pain in the ash.

To you thay are beautiful, to me, I agree but they are a still a big pain in the ash trap.

Don't even get me going about "Killer Whales" they are beautiful too, but ERRRRRRGH, they are a huge pain, they have costed me a lot of money.

Keep YOUR Eagles, but I stand by my post as saying, you have no idea.

Them bastards are a menace, and I respect their beauty, but I guarantee you they are beautiful in photos, but I have seen them wipe out a 50lb bag of dog food in less then a half hour. 

have you ever tried to chase one off? Doubt it.

Hell with those Eagles. God love them and keep em pretty, but keep it in perspective.

I hope you don't start a thread about how "pretty" or "cool" sea lions are. You'll have a fight on your hands.

Sea otters are one of the few sea mammals I care about.


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## arcticsid (Nov 15, 2009)

Oh Leanne, one can of coconut mlk and a little curry powder can make a white guy speak with an Indian accent!! LOL

I just watched an hour of "Americas Deadliest Catch".

Been there, done that.

Please don't be so dissappointed when you see the price of King crab, or any other seafood.

I came back alive everytime....some didn't.


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## Leanne (Nov 15, 2009)

I tend to overdo the chilli powder in my curries but I do love them. I'll make a lamb one with bombay potatoes and nan bread I think.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 15, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> OP, not true, they may like to live there, but our Eagles live on the coast. They live here quite more abundantly than they do there. Quite frankly they are a big pain in the ash.
> 
> To you thay are beautiful, to me, I agree but they are a still a big pain in the ash trap.


True, Troy... Allie was commenting on 'near extinction'. I've seen the gathering on the Chilkat. 3,000 Bald Eagles in one place is impressive. We have a fraction of that, but we still see them on a weekly basis. They share the rivers here with the Osprey and occasioal Golden Eagle. Road killed animals usually attract a half-dozen ravens, and at least one B. Eagle.



> Don't even get me going about "Killer Whales" they are beautiful too, but ERRRRRRGH, they are a huge pain, they have costed me a lot of money.


Orcas are called the "wolves of the sea", and rightly so!



> Keep YOUR Eagles, but I stand by my post as saying, you have no idea.
> 
> Them bastards are a menace, and I respect their beauty, but I guarantee you they are beautiful in photos, but I have seen them wipe out a 50lb bag of dog food in less then a half hour.


Our biggest menace to dog food left outside is the wild turkeys!



> have you ever tried to chase one off? Doubt it.


No, but they've chased ME off a couple times, when I got too close to one of their young!



> I hope you don't start a thread about how "pretty" or "cool" sea lions are. You'll have a fight on your hands.


We used to shoot them for the bounty in Puget Sound. They'd get into a school of salmon and just take one bite out of one, and then a bite out of another. Ten dead salmon for ten bites of food. A few of them got into a feeding frenzy in the fish ladders in Seattle, killing hundreds of spawning salmon, and the "public" wouldn't let anyone kill the beasts! Grrrr... Fish & Game captured, tagged and relocated a couple to southern Oregon. One of them was back in less than a week!



> Sea otters are one of the few sea mammals I care about.


Sea Otters are cool, unless you get a family living in your oyster bed.


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## arcticsid (Nov 15, 2009)

Your points well taken. Glad someone understands, but I damn sure aint gonna go and shoot any marine mammals. I will/would quit fishing first.

HeeHee, forgot about those Turkeys, I bet indeed they could wipe out some dog food!!!LOL
For what it's worth we have the Canadian Jays here, "camp robbers", they too could wipe out some dog food, cattle food, chicken food, sheep food, just fill in the blank. but I never killed anything in my life unless I was going to eat it or it directly threatened my life. And thats True.

I may be a proud Alaskan, but I am a bunny hugger at heart. I find absolutely nothing fun about killing animals, and I always asked forgiveness before I pulled the trigger. believe me.I spent almost 3 years living in the wilderness and I have killed thousands of animals, but I have never "hunted" in my life.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 15, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> I may be a proud Alaskan, but I am a bunny hugger at heart. I find absolutely nothing fun about killing animals, and I always asked forgiveness before I pulled the trigger. believe me.I spent almost 3 years living in the wilderness and I have killed thousands of animals, but I have never "hunted" in my life.


Amen, brother, preach on! I've changed my outlook over the years.
I don't ask forgiveness for pulling the trigger. I thank the animal for giving up its live, that mine might continue. We include them in our blessings when they're on the plate, too.


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## arcticsid (Nov 15, 2009)

Amen right back at you Paul, the people who have always lived from the land new this. I wonder how many people think about that when they cut into a big old haunking steak.

Thumbs up to those who respect the land.
Troy


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 15, 2009)

arcticsid said:


> Amen right back at you Paul, the people who have always lived from the land new this. I wonder how many people think about that when they cut into a big old haunking steak.
> 
> Thumbs up to those who respect the land.
> Troy


We taught the kids this, but now we trust everyone to do it silently. A guy could starve to death while blessing the farmer who grew the grain, the rancher who raised the beef, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker...hehehe. The jerk on Wall Street who got rich at his desk, playing the market on all those commodities is on his own, though.


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## St Allie (Nov 16, 2009)

Special request from the kids..

HUGE amount of chicken deep fried things with a batter coating.. and tomato sauce.. 

they love them.. and I never buy them..

I'm the favourite Mum today.

tomorrow..

we are back on the proper food diet..

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 16, 2009)

St Allie said:


> Special request from the kids..
> 
> HUGE amount of chicken deep fried things with a batter coating.. and tomato sauce..
> 
> Allie


I have no idea if you can get it in your area, but our "breading" of choice is panko. It's Oriental breadcrumbs, made from rice bread. It comes in three different grades of coarseness. It gets crisp without soaking up oil.

A coating for chicken, fish, etc. we also use is crushed corn flakes, rosemary and thyme. A little white pepper, or cayenne powder had some interest on occasion.

A "batter" we favor is made simply with 1/2 cup of corn starch and 3 eggs, seasoned (or not) to taste.


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## Leanne (Nov 16, 2009)

Tonight will be a chicken breast coated in garlic butter and wrapped in parma ham. I'l have that with mushrooms, roasted onions and steamed veg. Maybe a little spiced couscous too.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 16, 2009)

Leanne, your meals always sound so wonderfully exotic! I love to cook, and love to eat, but if I'm only preparing a meal for myself, I'm more the PBJ kinda guy...hehehe.


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## Leanne (Nov 16, 2009)

I love to cook. I just love playing with flavours and textures. Being diabetic helps there too. There is always a silver lining isn't there? I am an expert on nutrition because of it.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 16, 2009)

Never had to deal with special dietary considerations. But we are very conscious of the "you are what you eat" philosophy. Nearly all our food is home grown. If I read a label in the store, and can't pronounce the ingredients, it doesn't go in my mouth! Haha! Few things one can't avoid, but knowing what's pure poison is a good thing.


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## Leanne (Nov 16, 2009)

Yes. I try to eat as organically as possible. We also have a great barter system here. I swopped some trout for some fruit and a rabbit. Then someone wanting some wine gave me a load of fresh veg. We seem to do this a lot.


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## arcticsid (Nov 16, 2009)

We believe in the barter here too. I like to smoke, mostly food. LOL I am also the self proclaimed "fish pickling master. Last year a friend brought me like 60 salmon. I did the smoking and pickling and only had to return half.

Worked out good for me. I ended up with 30 fish and never went fishing the entire summer!

Troy


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## Leanne (Nov 16, 2009)

Oh yum. I love salmon. What did you do with it?


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## Leanne (Nov 19, 2009)

Mackeral baked with lime, coriander and chilli tonight. I'll have garlic cabbage, stuffed tomatoes and green beans with that. Strawberry mouse for dessert. Apricot wine.


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## arcticsid (Nov 19, 2009)

I am just about ready to make a pot of Split Pea Soup. Bought a nice ham and all the fresh veggies to go with it. I can always freeze it in bags and enjoy it later.

Tommorrow I am making Shrinp Jambalaya to share with the gang. i am going to use Anaheim peppers instead of Bells. Bought a whole bunch of fresh veg to include in the recipe.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 19, 2009)

You'll laugh at my "dinner". I picked up some beef fat to mix in with my venison burger today. The gal at the meat counter cut me some that was 20% meat attached. After saving the meat, and making my burger, I threw the "scraps" in a frying pan, baked a potato and fried up the meat until the fat was crispy. I can feel my arteries clogging as I type, but it was sure yummy!


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## Leanne (Nov 19, 2009)

Oooooooooohh, I love Jambalaya. I'll have to make some tomorrow now that you have mentioned it Troy.


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## Leanne (Nov 20, 2009)

I had to change my mind about the Jambalaya so I'm going to have duck in plum sauce with mixed rice instead. Some crispy seaweed and green beans will go nicely with that.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 20, 2009)

Leanne, that's our Thanksgiving menu, sans the seaweed. I'm going to do one of the ducks we raised on the rotisserie in the BBQ.


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## Leanne (Nov 20, 2009)

Oh yes.You have that coming up don't you? I went to a thanksgiving dinner with friends out there once. It was amazing.


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## Old Philosopher (Nov 20, 2009)

Well, it's sort of a convoluted Holiday these days, but it's a good traditional excuse to get together and over-indulge.


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## bryano (Nov 20, 2009)

half pork loin, 3 cans contadina sweet N sour in the crock pot for 6 hours.
rice A roni brand rice pilaf and corn. My Mom used to make it for me when I was a kid and it's still my favorite 30+ years later


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## arcticsid (Nov 21, 2009)

I sure miss they availability of fresh seaweed!!!! When I was fishing I would snag those floating kelp bulps with the buoy hook, rinse them off and dry em all over the boat. Drove my skipper (Buddy Harris) nuts, but he knew how much I loved it so he put up with me. Plus I was a top notch deckhand so I could get away with it. Once we pulled into port and his friend asked him what all that stuff was hanging all over the boat!!!LOL

Great stuff, sure miss it, it is pretty expensive. When the herring lay their eggs on it they call it Ombuku or something, I forget now, but it is fliping great. They harvest the kelp fronds with the egges on it and brine it in a salt mixture. It is outrageous!!!


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## Leanne (Nov 22, 2009)

Yeah, I love seaweed too. It's full of nutrients too.

I scored a free sea bass so I will be baking that tonight.


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## blossomflavours5 (Sep 21, 2010)

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## JohnT (Sep 21, 2010)

Cheap? Here goes.. 

Fry 1/2 pound of bacon in a skillet until dark and crispy. 

Take out bacon and add 5 good size potatoes (peeled and diced). to the fat. Fry until golden brown. 

Add 8 eggs to you bacon, a fist full of (home gorwn) basil, salt pepper, tobasco suace, and a small "squirt" of water. Beat eggs. 

Remove potatoes from skillet, drain off mos of the fat, add egg mix and cook into an omlet. serve with potatoes. YUM, Breakfest for dinner!!!

Total cost: around $4us


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