Posted on 04/15/2018 1:38:21 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
Dear Cooking Friends;
Since I changed my weekly cooking thread to a monthly one, I've received several private emails from folks who are disappointed at this change.
It's very gratifying to me that the thread has been so popular and that so many have enjoyed engaging it. As I mentioned in March, my life is going to be rather consumed with a couple of unusual projects over the coming Summer. I have felt that my free time wouldn't be predictable enough to give the thread the care that I tried to give it over the past several years.
However, if anyone would like to access the ping list on my home page, and post more frequent threads, that would be great. Yaelle and Cottonball have done a wonderful job of this in the past.
-JT
I had never heard of ThermoMix, so I looked it up. That is some tool! Can you actually mill grain with it?
https://shop.thermomix.com/product/thermomix/
A pressure cooker is different - the main value, to me, is that it cooks very quickly, makes meat very tender, and keeps in the flavor of foods, especially meats. (I know that last goes against the traditional reputation of pressure cookers, but in our case it has certainly been so.)
We have the Fagor pressure cooker and it is constructed so that it is impossible for it to “explode” on you. It’s not programmable, though, so that sounds like the IP’s advantage.
I love Trader Joe’s! Keep in mind though that they discontinue things on a regular basis. I have fallen in love and been jilted many times there.
Their cheese selection is very good and the prices are very reasonable. I always pick up some type of chevre, the cranberry goat cheese log is heaven! Prosciutto is a lot cheaper than regular grocery stores and fresh mozzarella balls. Love the prosciutto and mozz balls with some fresh basil on toasted baguette. Also in that area of the store are Pub Cheese spread, particularly the horseradish one and spicy Pico de Gallo.
The snack selection is incredible. Fig and Olive crackers or Raisin and Rosemary crackers are among my favorites. Also organic blue tortilla chips with any of their jarred salsas. Love the Hatch green chile.
In the frozen food aisle, the Tarte D’Alsace is an addiction of mine and cheese enchiladas. I could go on but I don’t want to bore anyone.
Oh yeah. Cheap prices on spices and jarred sauces from Marsala sauce to Soy Vey. Love me some TJ’s!
I think Aldi is sort of a ‘cousin’ to TJ’s, and they also don’t have some things consistently. But they have some very unusual items - and some things we can’t find anywhere else in our area.
Instant Pot Ultra I can set it for a specific temp and it will hold it. I can Sous Vide cook with it. The ribeye I am eating right now is Edge to Edge medium-rare. Completely programmable, and for someone like me it is push button simple. I don’t want to have to spend that much time in the kitchen.
Sounds like a terrific chicken salad recipe, JT. I think you just put me over the edge in my conclusion that I need a food processor. I just got ATK and CC complete tv show cookbooks and am hindered in making most of the mouth-watering recipes by my lack of versatile equipment.
Whatever you have planned for the next few months, I hope all goes well. I hope someone else keeps the weekly food threads going. I’ve really enjoyed reading them.
A food processor is a wonderful thing to have, but be sure to invest in a good one. I bought a cheaper one last time, thinking it was a ‘deal’, and it has problems. I’m hoping it completely dies soon, so I have an excuse to get something better ;-)
Look on Amazon and read the reviews.
I had to look up Tarte D’Alsace, and found this site about TJ’s:
https://www.clubtraderjoes.com/2013/04/trader-joes-maitre-pierre-tarte-dalace.html
After all that, do you sear the steaks?
My grandma’s PT last week was raving about his ‘instapot’. Guess I better examine this. I showed him a beautiful rack of beef ribs and that’s how it came up.
We got ours from Amazon - at the time, they had the best price for the one we wanted. We also got the ‘extended warranty’ thing that Amazon offered - I think that’s the first time we bought one of those; but we’ve had no problem at all with ours
There are lots of different models, so go to the Instant Pot site and learn all about them first. Also, there are lots of YouTubers doing videos about them.
I’m seriously thinking about it. We have a house we’re looking at. Cheap-ish, incredibly low taxes, pretty neighborhood. Oldest tree in the state in the backyard. (I believe it!)
Thanks for the mailing idea! I should have checked the Alabama dollar tree!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve already researched it and decided to get this one.
I’m only waiting until I make sure I can’t find the blades for old, smaller, no-name machine...which I only used a few times. I’ve been really looking hard for those dang things. Now in the process of cleaning out the cupboards and drawers in two kitchens. Haven’t found the blades yet, but finding a lot of stuff to get rid of...
I appreciate all the time & effort you put into the thread. I haven’t been posting much, as my time has been consumed with family issues. But I do try to check up on the thread & pull off some of the wonderful recipes folks share. Thanks, Jamestown1630!
Thanks for your hard work. I love reading the cooking threads.
You will like it. I’d love to go eventually go South, but I don’t think I can talk my hubby away from his Pennsylvania mountains. (I keep telling him that there are mountains down South and not everywhere is hot and humid, but he’s not buying it ;-)
Thanks to you both.
Love my Instant Pot. Between that and my Air Fryer, my stove is feeling very neglected these days....LOL
That was me ; )
Thanks! We love Italian sausage.
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