Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Yaelle]

I hope your party was amazing nd your team won!

[Yaelle]

I had a cold early in December that took away my sense of smell. I was making pomanders with oranges and cloves and even putting them to my nose I smelled NOTHING. A week later they smelled fantastic but my sense of smell really had gone for that time.

I hope and pray you get your taste back. Wonder why it was lost.

[Yaelle]

There are people who lost their sense of smell permanently from zinc nasal sprays. I’ve never used them. But when I start to feel like I’m getting a cold, I take zinc lozenges and often it goes away, or is less severe of a cold. We are deficient in zinc so it does a good number on us when we take it when exposed to a virus.

[Yaelle]

i can’t imagine romance in my life but I would be very open to it with the right person. Sounds like fun....

[Jamestown1630]

We can imagine anything. The difficult part is consistently believing in it.

I hope you and your family have a very good New Year full of happy surprises!

[Yaelle]

I love your wish, JT. <3

I’m wishing you a wonderful, happy, healthy New Year full of love as well.

And adding my thanks for this special room on FR with a lot of life and love and cameraderie blended, whisked, and stirred into our shared cooking experiences. I love it.

[Stand Watch Listen]

For pulled pork, I have had great results by cooking with a can of root beer. Plus your usual onions/spices. When done, disgard the liquid, shred pork, add sauce. Great taste.

[Qiviut]

The party was amazing! Our team lost, but the game was exciting & they were competitive so that helped take the sting out of the loss. The response to the food I made was worth all the prep hours. I made potluck dishes that were favorites during the years that I worked and was more social. One salad serves 20 and I figured I’d have lots of leftovers .... hardly any was left! Same thing with everything else. I spent some time yesterday sending recipes to people.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because the family time and food are outstanding and there is no pressure since there are no presents. This year, the health of a couple of family members made it difficult if not impossible for them to shop so we did a White Elephant gift exchange. It turned out a lot more fun than I thought. We had two ‘youngsters’ who weren’t that happy with what they got (15 year old boys aren’t that excited about bird feeders), but the adults managed to ‘steal’ those presents & the replacement presents turned out to be items that they were happy with so it was “all good”. I’m hoping we do Christmas the same way next year - this year turned out very well. :-)

[Liz]

Good way to greet the New Year.

Breakfast Potato Volcanoes

Ing for 6 servings 3 russet potatoes 6 strips bacon cup shredded cheddar, 6 eggs 2 tb chp chives

METHOD Wrap hollowed-out potato with bacon; tuck end in; pick to hold in place. Place on parchmented sheetpan. Bake 400 deg 45 min, or to desired crispiness. Cool slightly then press cheddar cheese in bottom. Crack an egg over the top..... careful not to let egg white dribble over sides. Sprinkle with chives.Bake 6-12 minutes depending on how well done you like your eggs. Let cool before serving.

[Covenantor]

Well now, that sounds easy and delicious.

A keeper....thanks.

Happy New Year!

[Liz]

The Volcano Potatoes would be great served alongside crepes rolled up with jam and a sprinkle of conf.

[Flaming Conservative]

Thanks!

[Covenantor]

Eggs, bacon, baked potato and cheese with a crepe to finish it off... Excellent!

[Liz]

You can add buttered toast....if you’re still hungry.

[Covenantor]

LOL! and a homemade chocolate truffle or two.

[Calvin Locke]

Interesting viewing, although quite repetitive.

Vincent Price's books were there, but I didn't see Vincent Schiavelli's.

[leaning conservative]

Gourmet (how I miss you) must have made a mistake because Tennessee Williams died in 83 & the cookbook came out in 86.

[Liz]

Vincent Price’s book was very popular——I came across it in the library.

Has recipes from top restaurants.

Schiavelli writes about local northern Italian cooking.

I guess we’re spoiled by all those southern Italian recipes.....pastas swimming in sauce.

[miss marmelstein]

The issue was from the early 2000s. It was written by Rex Reed about his long dead friend.

[Calvin Locke]

If you really want to impress people with a coffee table cookbook, there's always "Unmentionable Cuisine", although any vegans/vegetarians will be off-put, not to mention a lot of other people that were raised on US fast foods.

OTOH, I'm attempting to read the "Forme of Cury", and the intro mentions brains of parrots and peacock tongues as delicacies.