Monthly Cooking Thread - September 2019

[Jamestown1630]

When we have an office party, one of my co-workers brings the most excellent ‘Seafood Salad’. He refuses to give the recipe, but it has crab, shrimp, pasta and that ‘Krab with a K’ stuff. I’m pretty sure that it also has dill and Old Bay.

I’ve been trying to find a low-carb or Keto version of this that uses only REAL crabmeat and shrimp, and I’m not finding one that seems similar but has no sugar or pasta, but does have the other ingredients that I detect. If anyone has one, please post! My husband is back on the Keto thing, and I want to find seafood recipes that work with it – since I’m not crazy about consuming as much meat as he is.

While searching, I did find this recipe on the ‘Ruled Me’ keto website for 'Crabcake-Stuffed Mushrooms’, which looks wonderful. (If you don’t have access to almond meal for the topping – which I’m assuming is used to simulate a sort of ‘bread-crumb’ topping without the carbs – this would probably be just as good without it; and if you’re not doing low-carb or keto strictly, just use some very fine bread crumbs - a little isn't going to mess with your carb count that much :-)

This is a great website for Low-Carb and Keto with lots of resources besides just recipes:

https://www.ruled.me/crab-cake-stuffed-mushrooms/

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I mentioned previously that a new Lidl store opened near us recently, and we are really enjoying it. We think we are saving a lot of money on certain items - fresh produce, meat and poultry, milk, eggs - but they also have some really nice products that seem exclusive to them.

The 'Duo Flutes' pictured above are like puff pastry sticks, and come in several flavors - my favorites are the Cheese ones. These, alone with drinks or along with your favorite dip recipe, will be a hit.

Also, their own brand of Hummus is really good - we most recently tried the super-spicy one, and it's great and very different from the ones we find elsewhere, which all seem to be predictably heavy with cumin.

And, they have wonderful prices for fresh-cut flowers. Since Lidl, my desk at work always has beautiful fresh flowers, for about $3.00 per week (half of what I'd pay at the supermarket for an even smaller bunch of lilies.) If you have a Lidl in your area, check it out.

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Summer has always been my favorite season, and August my favorite month; but even so, I've always been exhilarated by the coming of Fall. This year, for some reason, not so much - I want more Summer! But I happened to find this video recently - a little bit of Winter/Holiday imagery, that helps me to look forward with some enthusiasm to Autumn and Winter, and gets me started on plans for the holidays:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mbc_Sc454E

-JT

[Flaming Conservative]

I make a shrimp dip that would be perfect for keto. It’s ALWAYS a hit. I got it off a box of Nabisco Sociables snack crackers, about 40 years ago. I don’t see why one couldn’t add crab meat, as well. (Also, it calls for Miracle Whip, but there’s no reason one couldn’t substitute real mayo, with a little sweetener and a dash of vinegar, in its place.) Here’s the recipe:
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green onions, green and white parts
1 cup Miracle Whip (or mayo, see above)
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 can tiny shrimp (4 ounces) drained
1 package frozen salad shrimp, thawed, rinsed, and drained ( 6 ounces)

Mix cream cheese and miracle whip (or mayo with a little sweetener and vinegar) thoroughly.
Fold in all other ingredients til well combined. Refrigerate.
Tastes best if made a few hours ahead.

[Flaming Conservative]

Aldis has done a massive remodeling campaign in the last year or two, and I’ve noticed they have raised the price of many items, so I don’t buy much there, anymore.

[Flaming Conservative]

My first husband was an obsessive neat freak. Drove me NUTS! My second husband is a cluttered pack rat. It only drives me a little nuts. I’ll take him ANY day over the neat freak!

[Iscool]

Excellent choice, for fish...Those run about 165 degrees...You can do jerky as well...

If you want to smoke ribs, brisket, chicken, pork roast, pork tenderloin, etc., this thing doesn't get hot enough to fully cook those things...Plus it would take forever with the lower heat...Smoking is already a slow process...

Here is a portable by another reputable company that will smoke anything you put in it...

Read the reviews at that site...Also read the questions section...

You will also need a meat thermometer like this one...I also use one of these...And they work great for your oven if you want perfectly cooked meat in your house...And, they make wireless blue tooth units for if you don't want to get up off your couch...The <The smoker site is here

There's also an outlet place where you can pick up a refurbished one for about 60 bucks...

Some recipes here...

And no, I don't work for these people...I'm just pretty happy with the one I've got...Mine is a 30 inch...

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I haven’t been to the Trader Joe’s here; but we like the feeling and experience of a smaller, easier to navigate store.

Trader Joe's has been voted as America's favorite grocery store many times. Even if you have never been in one you may have heard of Two Buck Chuck, the Charles Shaw wine sold in their stores.

I haven't seen a Trader Joe's since we left America and moved to Spain but we do have a Lidl 2km from our house. It's a very nice store. We also have an Aldis about 20km away that we go to occasionally and I have seen Trader Joe's brand items in that store. So the brothers must still get along. They all do a fine job.

[firebrand]

I guess doing it without wax paper dates from before wax paper existed. You just keep the dough dry by keeping it from getting too warm, you brush off the rolling pin constantly if any little pieces stick, and you use lots of flour everywhere.

Harder and harder to find good pastry anywhere. Harder and harder to find good food anywhere. We won’t starve. The quality will just get lower and lower. C’est la vie in 2019.

[Liz]

Guiness----you have great taste. Ever try the Guiness Black Velvet?

Half Guiness, half champagne.

[MightyMama]

Our Aldi was selling keychains with a little slot for your quarter. Now it’s clipped to my purse and never leaves. :)

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve found that after the first couple of days on low carb, I feel better - less ‘foggy’. I’m just not a big fan of beef and pork, so it’s a challenge for me.

In addition, the diet actually suppresses appetite, so I’m even less inclined to eat a lot of the ‘allowed’ things. I’m embarrassed to admit that I wind up eating a lot of kosher hot dogs, bacon, cheese and nuts ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

Lidl also has these other puff pastry sticks in various flavors, but I like the Duos best.

Another thing we discovered is that - at least in our area - you can shop online and have your order delivered: https://www.lidl.com/

[MomwithHope]

I like them all especially on the grill. We get our turkey from a local turkey farm and buy the tenderloins or ground turkey. For protein I also like grilled tofu. You have to get the firm and I slice it thick and marinade it in a soy, sesame oil marinade with spices. For a few hours at least. Yummy!

[Jamestown1630]

This seems to be something that’s very popular among my Black friends for big potlucks, so I looked for folks of that persuasion doing recipes. This one looks good, though I don’t think it’s exactly like the one my friend is keeping so close to his chest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhUBDWMTMhI

[Jamestown1630]

I bought shrimp today, so I’ll try that. Thanks.

[pugmama]

There are some nice recipes here using bitters:

https://vinepair.com/articles/how-to-use-bitters-cooking/

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks for your suggestions. The Masterbuilt seems more versatile and pretty much in the same price range.

[Jamestown1630]

That looks fun; but I like my Guinness straight. (In fact, this thread sent me out today to get one.)

I used to work with an Irishman who was famous for walking around at the office party drinking Guinness out of a wine glass :-)

[pugmama]

Whole bunch more here, I have a bottle sitting around, so will give some of these a try.

http://angosturabitters.com/food-recipes/

[Jamestown1630]

I like deep-fried tofu with soy sauce.

I guess I have bad health habits...

[bgill]

LOL, who knew Krab salad had a certain favored group. We always had it with store brand Keebler's Club cracker.

I don't think this is Walmart's salad but their salad is on the sweet side so maybe go with the Helmann's mayo. Definitely no mustard. Yes, I've tried Old Bay but don't know if it's in the WM recipe. Yes, to green bell peppers, celery and parsley. Yes, to the onion but I wonder if WM uses dried onion flakes. WM's dices on the veggies is very, very small with big chunks of Krabmeat.

Ok, finished the video and nope, that's not it. His is too colorful. Could be Walmart has changed the recipe because this also looks too colorful but his ingredients are about the same as on the package:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Santa-Barbara-Bay-Crab-Salad-14-oz/23591076?adid=22222222254418684945&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=b&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=291938340609&wl4=aud-566049426705:dsa-504748227745&wl5=9028261&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv9--3e2y5AIVSdbACh2n1AEUEAAYASAAEgLfsvD_BwE

[Jamestown1630]

Do you find Hellman’s sweeter than Duke’s? I’ve always thought the reverse. (I prefer Hellman’s.)