Whats on your plate?

[SameOldStory]

Some teenagers will look at an old rusted out/dented car selling for a hundred dollars, and say "Men, I could really make that into a great car!"

And fail miserably.

I'm that way with cooking. My dreams are bigger and better than my skill. But I like to cook. Sometimes it's very good, and the next time I try to make the same dish it's hardly worth eating.

There are a few things, though, that I do very well.

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

This morning: Sausage (with lots of sage), egg, and cheese sandwiches.

Oh, YUM. It's not sausage to me without sage in it. And those are my favorite breakfast sandwiches, too.

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

I used to help cook. I figured that if I wanted to eat what I like, I'd better learn to cook.

.

I was one of those unusual kids who didn't like junk food. It drove my mother crazy because she couldn't fob me off with a packet of chips or crackers or even candy until she could get around to cooking something. When I wanted to eat, I wanted a meal. I'm still that way to a great extent. So I learned to cook because I wanted to, as you said, eat what I liked. When we get busy around here and eat a lot of takeout, it doesn't take long before I get sick of it and want a homecooked (by me) meal. I'm not a gourmet cook by any means - I'm a good old fashioned Southern country cook. But I tend to like my own cooking better than almost anyone elses.

Oh, and I love lemon/cream sauces! I finally learned how to make a good one for chicken scalloppini

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

I was one of those unusual kids who didn't like junk food. It drove my mother crazy because she couldn't fob me off with a packet of chips or crackers or even candy until she could get around to cooking something. When I wanted to eat, I wanted a meal. I'm still that way to a great extent. So I learned to cook because I wanted to, as you said, eat what I liked. When we get busy around here and eat a lot of takeout, it doesn't take long before I get sick of it and want a homecooked (by me) meal. I'm not a gourmet cook by any means - I'm a good old fashioned Southern country cook. But I tend to like my own cooking better than almost anyone elses.

Oh, and I love lemon/cream sauces! I finally learned how to make a good one for chicken scalloppini

I've never been a fan of junk food either (except for potato chips and even those need to be pretty good!). I've always hated things like American cheese and wonder bread. turns out there was good reason... I'm allergic to over processed foods. when we first got horses but were boarding them somewhere else, my daughter and I used to grab food on the way to the stable. I started breaking out in hives. I was pretty sure it wasn't horses, or hay or anything like that, questioned my friend who owned the ranch about any new cleaning products, nothing new there. finally one night I woke up feeling like I had fallen into a best of fire ants, and I had scarlet splotches all over. went into the ER and that's when I found out I have the food allergies. in addition to that I LIKE food! I like it a LOT! I can do gourmet, home cookin' several ethnicities, on and on, but I want it to be good with healthy ingredients.

so today's brunch; local grass fed beef, farm fresh eggs, and local potatoes

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I've never been a fan of junk food either (except for potato chips and even those need to be pretty good!). I've always hated things like American cheese and wonder bread. turns out there was good reason... I'm allergic to over processed foods. when we first got horses but were boarding them somewhere else, my daughter and I used to grab food on the way to the stable. I started breaking out in hives. I was pretty sure it wasn't horses, or hay or anything like that, questioned my friend who owned the ranch about any new cleaning products, nothing new there. finally one night I woke up feeling like I had fallen into a best of fire ants, and I had scarlet splotches all over. went into the ER and that's when I found out I have the food allergies. in addition to that I LIKE food! I like it a LOT! I can do gourmet, home cookin' several ethnicities, on and on, but I want it to be good with healthy ingredients.

so today's brunch; local grass fed beef, farm fresh eggs, and local potatoes

I got spoiled, living in rural Texas and having friends who owned ranches. Local meat, eggs, and veggies (we had a fantastic farm stand in the last town I lived in there).
I've just now found a source for wonderful fresh eggs and meat (although the meat's going to be a challenge unless I buy a chest freezer!). There is no CSA, farmshare, or anything here, except the seasonal corn stands that pop up everywhere during corn season. (It is Illinois, after all)! I'm hoping my egg source will also become my veggie source, as she says she has fresh veggies in season.

[kindlekitten]

have you done a search on CSA's? also look around to see if there are any food co-ops in the area, they quite often are the market source for small farmers

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Oh, and I love lemon/cream sauces! I finally learned how to make a good one for chicken scalloppini

Pretty Please. Recipe?

That has never come out as good as I think that it should, and the only time I found it in a restaurant it wasn't worth eating.

But I do think that we were in a restaurant that had it when I was very young, (7-8).

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

That was my thought too when told what I had just eaten that at a party a very long time ago....
...As to the honey/onion/mayo combination you would just have to take my word on it. At some point, as you add the honey, the flavor of the whole thing changes.

If I didn't just taste honey olive oil at the olive stand yesterday, I would be skeptical. I only tried it because the saleswoman at the olive stand said that it was her favorite. It was really good, and the only reason that I didn't buy any is because I couldn't think of how I would use it. I don't like sweet salad dressings, so I doubt I would use it on that. The only think that comes to mind is a baguette, or French bread, but I don't eat bread often, so... how else would I use it?

[SameOldStory]

You guys are just going to have to try it. With the right amount of honey it doesn't taste sweet. You don't even taste the honey.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

You guys are just going to have to try it. With the right amount of honey it doesn't taste sweet. You don't even taste the honey.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I have gotten the "no seriously! you won't taste the....(honey, sugar, brown sugar, molasses...)" statement. there are people who have a sweet tooth and appreciate these things, and then there are those who like savory foods. without having this sweet/savory issue it is impossible to relate to you how repugnant sweet flavors in foods are

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Pretty Please. Recipe?

That has never come out as good as I think that it should, and the only time I found it in a restaurant it wasn't worth eating.

But I do think that we were in a restaurant that had it when I was very young, (7-8).

Erm..... I'd LOVE to give you the recipe. But I don't HAVE one! After I cook the chicken I add lemon juice and lemon pepper to the butter and drippings left in the pan, swirl it around, and add cream until it looks right? Let that cook down and thicken up some. No idea on proportions, sorry....

[The Terminator]

Deli sandwich (Turkey) light lunch big roast for dinner. We just got our order of beef from one of the local farms (not big only does a couple of animals a year) it tastes sooooo much better than the stuff from the store, The flavor is great and the meat was hung for two weeks before the butcher cut it and the flavor is unbelievable. I take Beppe's stand less is more. It's expensive but buy less eat better.

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Erm..... I'd LOVE to give you the recipe. But I don't HAVE one! After I cook the chicken I add lemon juice and lemon pepper to the butter and drippings left in the pan, swirl it around, and add cream until it looks right? Let that cook down and thicken up some. No idea on proportions, sorry....

I'm the same with a lot of the things I cook. I had to guestimate all the quantities of my salad. BUT even if I knew the exact quantity of honey, I'd still tell everyone to do it the same way. I little at a time until the taste changes. It may be different amounts for different brands on mayo.


Spaghetti and meatballs for me tonight, along with garlic toast. Nothing fancy at all.

[BenG]

Chicken and dumplings tonight.
I didn't roll out the dumplings. I just dropped spoonfuls of biscuit dough into the stew.

[beppe]

fennels. i cut them in big pieces and stew them for 15 minutes with a light tomato sauce, black olives and thyme, till they are still very firm and not too sweety. She had some breasaola, myself a little tuna fish from a can, Daughter had wieners. Nespresso at the table. Survival food

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by THE TERMINATOR

We just got our order of beef from one of the local farms (not big only does a couple of animals a year) it tastes sooooo much better than the stuff from the store, The flavor is great and the meat was hung for two weeks before the butcher cut it and the flavor is unbelievable. I take Beppe's stand less is more. It's expensive but buy less eat better.

That does sound great! I'm envious!

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Spaghetti and meatballs for me tonight, along with garlic toast. Nothing fancy at all.

I just realized that I haven't had that in so long, it sounds exotic. LOL...

Originally Posted by BenG

Chicken and dumplings tonight.
I didn't roll out the dumplings. I just dropped spoonfuls of biscuit dough into the stew.

My mother used to make something like that. It was quite tasty!