#that's because the sauce dilutes the spice a bit

[bubblegum-snowdrop]

girl wtf you bake your own bread???? that sounds so hard

It's actually not hard! It takes a bit of arm strength and patience, that's all. Besides- it's lovely to make something and wear a cute apron. Mine has cat patterns on it :D

Baking in general is great. Cookies, cinnamon buns [actually made those yesterday too], cake, muffins, pretzels... and that's not even getting into cooking. I recently made my parents a breakfast and I had so much fun!!!! It was eggs [they were over-easy, I think is the term. It was my first time making eggs and I was so proud!], hashbrowns and bacon. Mom and dad loved them!!!!

But yeah- cooking and baking is so rewarding to me, and very calming too. I could spend all day in a kitchen just cooking all sorts of dishes, listening to music and seeing people enjoy it afterwards. I couldn't be a chef or baker though;;; I like going at my own pace far too much for that. BUT ANYWAY!!!! Please give cooking/baking a try, it's wonderful and rewarding. And you only get better with time!

[bonefall]

I mean fermented doesnt necessarily mean alcoholic - after all kimchi is made with fermented cabage and bread is fermented too. So is yogurt and a ton of other things we eat. Theres even some meats that are fermented for dishes too.

This is very true! And I did look into a couple of other things that are fermented-- but the problem with cats having anything fermented at all is yeast.

(CW: I talk about yeast, fermentation, alcohol, and the horrors of what yeast can do to a cat's belly. Skip this one if medical discussion of a cat in pain upsets you!)

In fact it's good you mentioned bread, because I was just looking at different types of unleavened bread exactly for this reason. If a cat eats raw dough, yeast can actually ferment in their stomach! This does exactly what you think it would, it turns their body into a chemical nightmare, distending their belly and causing alcohol poisoning

(doing research for these projects is like taking a class on how DURABLE human being are, it's insane! This isn't even unique to cats! Pure carnivores are so fragile!)

The baking process would kill all the yeast inside of the bread, but I decided that I would just not work with it. Unleavened bread and alternate rising agents are cool so I decided to explore those instead. I even found this one really interesting tidbit about how apparently bannock from Britain and bannock from American Indigenous people in America may have evolved independently, down to the linguistic roots being different.

BUT ANYWAY back to yeast

So when I was looking at fermented products, I was looking for things where there isn't yeast present, but also checked off my other rules; namely, that Clan cats are obligate carnivores.

-Kimchi is fermented vegetables, a lot of work for a Warrior to get no nutritional value. Not to mention that without pepper, garlic, and fish sauce it's just... sad cabbage. (also go watch this cool video I found about one of the last traditional onggi pot makers left in Korea because this is actually a very beautiful craft and my life has been enriched by seeing how much care goes into this process)

-This also eliminates sauerkraut, which is a more region-friendly take on fermented cabbage. No nutritional value to the cats.

-Miso can be made from barley but it requires a region-unfriendly type of fungus (Re: The reason I usually start with British tech and work backwards, another example of this principle in action)

-Yogurt and Cheese are dairy products. Warriors are lactose intolerant to begin with, but also don't have an animal they can milk on a regular basis. I don't think a nearby sheep or cow would stay still long enough for a warrior to sit and milk them

What I DID find that we could make, though?

-Vinegar. As long as it's used sparingly and diluted, it can be used as a basis for other recipes including Worcestershire sauce. Though from what I read, cat aversion to the smell of vinegar is legendary.

But I will rule vinegar-based sauces under the 'Stronger Stomachs' exception.

In addition, vinegar is an EXCELLENT cleaning product and something I can keep in mind as an excellent antibiotic next to honey.

-Hard sausage. Pepperoni, chorizo, salami... aside from finagling with the spices I have access to, hard sausage is totally within my reach and sounds like a perfect ShadowClan recipe.

-Something that breaks down poison. I'm willing to be a little bit flippant about the biology of one type of insect or animal to make a Warrior Cat version of hakarl, specifically because I want to show off ShadowClan's crafty food culture and how good they are at creative problem solving.

This one will be in addition to "slug-purging", because I learned some really neat stuff about how to make wild gastropods safe to eat and it'll be a really really cool thing to include in a "How ShadowClan can eat things other Clans can't" type entry

Come to think of it, fermentation would definitely be a very ShadowClan-based activity...

And lastly,

Alcohol

It just feels... wrong to me that there would be a culture of sapient cats who don't use any alcohol at all. Getting tweaked on purpose is practically the mark of a species' intelligence. Dolphins, elephants, monkeys, crows... all recorded finding ways to turn their terrible brains off.

So I do want to make an entry on alcoholic fermentation too, it's just like I said though, it'll take a while to get to because I have dumb math brain and a To-Do list.

But for right now, I've got another ask to answer that will give you a good "basic" alcohol for your cats if you so choose

[your-god-empress-lavender]

Thank you for your knowledge on the last question.

I kind of got the bottom side of my tungue stabbed by an ice-cream cone earlier today. Do you have any ideas for making it heal quicker or hurt less? Since It kind of just hurts when trying to do stuff like talking, yawning because I'm constantly tired, etc, like trying to find where it got stabbed on the tungue, Don't worry it wasn't a deep cut

I mean, as with most injuries, you just gotta give it time, but there are so many solutions, depending on what you want.

To reduce pain, there are so, so many options. The illegal ones include: a light touch of cocaine (or related drug) to the site of the wound, a dilute drop of nearly any opiate to the site of the wound, and potentially you could use nitrous or sniff ether (diethyl ether). The ether won't entirely stop the pain, but you'll entirely forget about it. Legal ways include using aspirin (won't help a lot, but may help a bit), ibuprofen (also probably won't help a ton, but may help a bit), putting something really spicy directly onto the wound, or using a paste under the tongue. If you take the spice route, I don't mean like spraying it with mace or anything, (I don't know what spicy things you may have around you so I'll assume you have similar things to what I have) but instead crushing a seed of the hottest pepper you have in your house and putting it onto the wound. If you have nothing spicier, a drop of the hottest hot sauce you have or a dried chili pepper seed may work. It will burn for a minute, but soon the pain should be mostly gone for quite a while (the spicier the thing applied, the longer the numb will last). The paste can be starch, flour, or other, but it can make the area under the tongue feel better (there's a word that I can't quite find). It'll go away pretty fast if you talk or swallow, but if you're just on your own not eating or drinking, it can somewhat comfort your tongue

To increase the healing speed, I'm actually working on a thing for this, but I haven't even done trials on myself yet, however there's a few ways that don't require you to have access to illegal growth hormone or synthetic mitogens. First is to avoid eating hard things that may scrape up the wound. The second is to try to keep your mouth clean (not like a human mouth will ever be clean, but after every meal and or whenever you get water, swish out your mouth to try to lessen the amount of bacteria and contaminants that can get in the wound). There are probably more that I'm forgetting, but for now that's it.

[bestrestaurantsinperth]

Select the right wine for your dinner

Selecting a wine to go with the meal can be a little difficult because while no dinner has ever been ruined with the “wrong” wine, a glass of good wine can enhance your meal to perfection.   

There is no written rule on matching food and wine because it’s eventually a matter of individual personal taste. Still, the best food and wine pairings create a balance between the components of a dish and the characteristics of a wine. At Fraser’s Restaurant, we know which wine complements your food, so we’re here today with some essential tips on how to pair great wine with great food.    

Golden rules of food and wine pairing:  

Your wine should enhance or complement the dish.  

A reasonable starting point is comprehending the distinction between complementary or congruent pairings.  

Complementary pairing simply means choosing a wine that parallels or balances some of the taste profiles in a pleasing proportion – consider a soft cheese with a good acidic Pinot G.   

The second means selecting a wine that helps boost the flavors of both the food and the wine – in different words, emphasizing the spice in a curry with the delicious spice notes in a cool climate McLaren vale wine.  

The acidity of the food and the wine matters.  

High acid wines blend well with the basic acidity in food, with a crispy white paired with a salad combined with a zingy vinaigrette is a good example.  

Did you know? Acid also balances fat, so beer-battered fish and chips are best served with a savoury white wine like Pinot Grigio, Riesling or a Classic White Blend. Commonly speaking, you want the wine to be additionally acidic than your meal. However, be mindful with anything creamy; nevertheless – a rich, creamy sauce will tend to clash with wines that show higher acidity.    

FYI, your wine should be as sweet as your food.  

When we talk about the sweeter side of things, it’s generally suggested to serve wine that is at least as sweet – or maybe sweeter – than the food being served. If you’re looking for wines to enjoy with dessert – a dessert that’s sweeter than your wine will make the drink taste dull and dilute its character.  

Wines with some fizzes such as Moscato or sweeter-style Prosecco can also be excellent with fruit-based desserts, or even the traditional combination of melon and prosciutto enjoyed with a bit of an antipasto spread.    

What wines are great in general?  

Oddly enough, if you have no clue what’s on the menu, one of the best wines to bring is a glass of fantastic champagne or sparkling wine. You’d be surprised how many dishes pair well with it. Our most recent sparkling wine and food pairing surprise was sushi – the two go great together!  

Sparkling wines are a fantastic way to put on a show of elegance. They also combine tremendously with an aperitif to get your dinner party rolling since they are a great party and conversation starter and will help your guests’ appetites go. Champagne should top your shopping list if you’re buying wines for a party, but if you think champagne is cliché, you could always go for Presseco for a change.  

If you are not in the mood to have champagne, try bringing a wine that everyone can drink before dinner starts. You don’t have to stress getting a wine that will not pair well with a particular dish. You have a couple of options here:    

White Wine  

Are there any Chardonnay lovers here? If you are, then you most likely know how this wine tastes perfectly with white meat. If you’re cooking pork, chicken, and fish, try combining these dishes with a chilled bottle of Chenin Blanc. Also, Pinot Grigio is a light, dry wine that will go seamlessly with green steamed, sauteed, or roasted vegetables.  

Sweet white wine is excellent as an appetiser complement. Sweet options go well with savoury appetisers and sweet, fruity options alike. Don’t doublethink about trying Moscato with soft cheese and molluscs, too. If Moscato isn’t your thing — or wine for that matter — you could settle for Savinnieres, which works well with roasted asparagus, and is often the most common drink at Fraser’s Restaurant and treasury wine estates.    

Red Wine  

When you’re settling down for your main course, you can only choose a red. What’s more? Red wine pairs well with red meat. While it might seem that the whole colour-matching idea is outrageous, it’s actually true.   

Wine aficionados quickly recommend Cabernet Sauvignon as the best red wine for dinner get-togethers since it’s light-to-medium. Merlot, which is a medium red, tastes well with both red and white meat, more specifically chicken. If you want your guests to take small bites of something to conclude your dinner party, you can have a Pinot Noir bottle near a charcuterie board with tender meats and cheeses.  

It is essential to know the difference between these wines when pairing them with food and buying wine for someone who prefers one. Pairing food with the wrong wine can often worsen both the food and the wine taste, making us understand “what you like is what you like.” If you don’t know your choice, give them a try and see what you like!  

There is a great thing about wine; even the best wine experts will tell you they still have much to learn about wines every day. So, get out there and get your “wine-on” (responsibly, of course)! 

FAQ 

Food and Wine pairing- Your guide to fabulous eating! 

Seafood and wine pairing that takes the cake! 

Address- 60 Fraser Avenue, Kings ParkWest Perth, WA 6005 Australia 

Website- https://www.frasersrestaurant.com.au/ 

Location- https://goo.gl/maps/aGbai7VD7pohMWmP7 

Follow us on social media- 

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/fraserskingspark 

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/frasersrestaurant 

[choobuki]

Sunny: Open debate; soup and stew are drinks, therefore, it’s acceptable to put in a cup. Discuss.

Aubrey: Soup and stew are NOT drinks, sunny, that’s disgusting.

Kel: Technically, they are drinks.

(It gets worse)

Hero: Have them in a cup, but they still are—and will never be drinks.

Sunny: It’s a liquid. You swallow without chewing, meaning that soup and stew is infact; a drink.

Aubrey: You... swallow stew without chewing???

Kel: Okay, okay. Not the chunks of the stew, but the broth.

Hero: We eat soup, we don’t say that we drink soup, that’s just wrong and weird-sounding.

Hero: We EAT soup.

Sunny: Well, it may sound wrong, but it’s accurate, plus; eating means you are chewing, which you dont while drinking soup.

Sunny: Unless you are talking about the chunks, but that parts been cleared up by kel.

Aubrey: NO. IT’S. NOT.

Kel: “I’m going to go drink some Sunshine Tomato soup.”

Kel: See? There’s nothing wrong about it!

Hero: Kel, no.

Basil, sitting at the dinner table watching as their friends fight over if soup/stew is a drink: .....

Polly: Soup is.... a bit more of a sauce than a drink, is it not?

Polly: And sauce isn’t a drink.

Aubrey: THANK YOU.

Kel: Wait, hold up, Ms. Polly, where in the world did you get SAUCE from???

Hero: I don’t know? Tomato Soup, Ketchup...

Aubrey: There’s too many hot takes in this dinner dinner table, im going to expload.

Hero: ON this dinner table, you’re going to IMPLOAD.

Aubrey: Gee thanks, Mr. Know-it-all.

Sunny: Soup is a sauce. Okay, what’re we putting soup on?

Polly: On a... bowl, or a cup..

Sunny: Sauce isn’t a drink. Sauce is ment to be eaten, on or with something else.

Sunny: Soup, however. It’s good on it’s own.

Sunny: Therefore—Soup. Is. A. Drink. Case closed.

Aubrey: Okay, fine, tell that to my friend (kim or something idk) who chugged an ENTIRE CONTAINER of mayo.

Hero: You guys are going to make my have a mental breakdown, and im trying to have a streak of not doing that

Hero: I’m THIS close to beeting Sunny. You better not mess this up for me.

Kel: Kim is a liar and isn’t part of this debate. So she doesn’t count.

Aubrey: You CAN’T order SOUP at a CAFÉ.

Aubrey: AS A DAMN DRINK.

Polly: Also, isn’t soup under the food section in menus?

Sunny: Because cafés are cowards.

Kel: woah there, no need for the red and italics

Hero: SOUP. IS FOR EATING.

Basil: G-guys... the soups getting cold..

Kel: Anyways, we’re going back to the stew part.

Hero: ANYWAY. Anyways isn’t a word.

Kel: It should be—

Aubrey, about to pull out her spiked bat: FOR THE LAST TIME. STEW. IS. NOT. A. DRINK.

Hero: I’m about to stew in despair..

Hero: ...i ment cry

Sunny: You might say stew is not a drink because it has bits of meat / vegetables / whatever-the-fuck in it that you are unable to swallow without chewing.

Sunny: However, water with ice cubes in it also has chunks that you can’t swallow in it, but yet, it still passes as a drink.

Sunny: So following that logic... stew is a drink.

Aubrey: Who says i don’t swallow the ice?

Aubrey: I swallow those fuckers whole and choke.

Polly: And SOUP is a COMBO of FOOD ingredients.

Hero: STEW IS TOO. MEANING THEY ARE FOODS.

Kel: So is a milkshake and a protein shake, THOSE ARE DRINKS.

Hero: Yes they.... can be both.

Sunny: Many drinks are combos of food items.

Aubrey: SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH OR ELSE YOU’LL LOSE YOUR OTHER DAMN EYE.

Hero: They are drinks, because they’re FINELY BLENDED. And listen,

Hero: Water with ice cubes? Only the WATER is a drink!

Kel: Wh- SOUP IS ALSO FINELY BLENDED????

Polly: LIES! The carrots? THE WATERCRESS? THE DAMN CHICKEN?!

Sunny: If i open a can of Sunshine Tomato soup i better not fucking see CARROTS floating in there. Mix it with a cup of milk and enjoy.

Kel: CAN OF MILK?! THAT SHIT GOES WITH ORANGE JOE.

Aubrey: WHAT THE FUCK?? NO??

Kel: What????

Aubrey: SUNSHINE SOUP CAN GO DROWN IN THE LAKE. AND SUNSHINE TOMATO SOUP ISN’T SUPPOSED TO HAVE CARROTS, IT HAS TOMATO SOUP IN THE NAME

Aubrey: NOT FUCKING TOMATOS AND CARROTS????

Aubrey: So THERE, soup is NOT a damn drink. CASE-FUCKING-CLOSED. The broth? Sure, go fucking ham. Soup? Fuck no.

Sunny: Case OPEN.

Hero: SHUT YOUR MOUTH SUNNY.

Hero: ARE YOU GOING TO FIND FUCKING TOMATO SOUP IN THE DRINKS AISLE IN OTHERMART?! OF COURSE NOT! YOU WILL NEVER FIND FUCKING SUNSHINE TOMATO SOUP IN THE DRINKS AISLE.

Sunny: Because markets are also cowards. And the status quo has yet to be changed.

Polly: Alright then. Is gravy a drink?

Kel: MS POLLY? GRAVY. IS. A. DAMN. SAUCE.

Polly: AND SOUP IS SOUP.

Kel: YOU DONT HAVE GRAVY ON IT’S OWN???

Sunny: If you have gravy on it’s own, then it counts as a drink.

Aubrey: WHAT THE FUCK???? GRAVY ISN’T, AND WILL NEVER FUCKING BE A DRINK!

Sunny: If you have it alone, then it’s a drink. Aubergine.

Hero: What.

Sunny: It’s a liquid, that you don’t chew. It’s a drink.

Polly: Okay, OKAY. IN THAT FUCKING CASE.

Polly: IT MEANS THAT MANY SOUPS ARE FOODS. DO YOU SWALLOW CANS OF SOUP HOLE???

Sunny: If you aren’t a coward. You can use a spoon, but it’s not needed.

Kel: Yeah!! It also has the same consistency as a protein shake! Which is a DRINK by the way!!

Aubrey, slamming her hands on the table: SOUP IS MENT AS A FOOD, KELSEY. PROTEIN SHAKES ARE MADE WITH THE INTENT OF BEING A FUCKING DRINK

Aubrey: WHICH Y’KNOW? YOU DRINK!

Sunny: Sure, they have more substance than water, for example, but it’s still a drink.

Hero: Clear soups can be drinks, but creamy soups? I think the fuck not.

Kel: you dont HAVE to eat it with a spoon. It’s VERY MUCH POSSIBLE to gulp it down. From. A. Cup.

Kel: And creamy soups have the consistency of a SHAKE

Aubrey: So if i gulp and swallow rice from a cup, is rice a drink?

Sunny: No. You need to chew the damn rice.

Aubrey: Not if i gulp it i won’t have to.

Sunny: Not a liquid. Overruled.

Aubrey: And with that logic, you gotta chew the fucking chunks in the stew, meaning it’s a food.

Kel: ICE WATER IS STILL A DRINK. AND YOU STILL HAVE TO CHEW THE DAMN ICE.

Hero: KEL! THE ICE. IS. NOT. A. DRINK.

Sunny: A drink can have chunks and still count as a drink. Henry.

Kel: Buut it’s part of it!

Polly: The ICE is the SOLID PART of the DRINK.

Sunny: Same for stew, stew is just a heavily diluted liquid of the stew, it has the meat, vegetables, and spices.

Sunny: Case-fucking-closed.

Basil: FINE! Soup is BOTH a soup and a drink! Can we just eat now?

Kel: FINE.

Hero, under his breath: i should’ve left you in that damn lake.

[night-rhea]

Big question!!!!

What would Night serve Samantha as a Meal, when Sam ask them for a typical turkish meal?

*overexcited noices* @samshogwarts I HOPE SHE İS READY BECAUSE NİGHT GONNA PREPARE WHOLE BİG DİNNER FOR HER JFJLFMFMMFMFMF I think you will find these, a bit romantic. In a very different way. Turks loves to eat okay, really l o v e s.

We should start with a beautiful soup. Tarhana Çorbası (tarhana soup)! @cres-aragon come quickly its Cres's fave soup!

"This is a soup that’s made and eaten at home. It’s a comforting, winter family staple. It’s what parents make and send to their kids who are away at uni or working away from home, just so they can be sure their offspring are at least eating one wholesome sensible meal occasionally."

Another famous Turkish dish, Dolma is next!

Maybe calling it turkish dish is wrong? Pff im not really sure. Wikipedia says it comes from Ottoman, but now it also means Balkan's knows that too!

"Dolma is a family of stuffed dishes from Ottoman cuisine that can be served warm or cold. Some types of dolma are made with whole vegetables, fruit, offal or seafood, while others are made by wrapping leaves, most commonly grape or cabbage leaves, around the filling. These wrapped dolma are sometimes called sarma."

"Dolma is divided into two groups: dolma without meat and dolma with olive oil. Those without meat and cooked with olive oil are called yalanci, meaning imitation.

Meat dolmas must always include rice, or sometimes bulgur. As explorer Pietro della Valle wrote, "If it doesn't contain rice, it is not a Turkish dish." Nevertheless, the end result is always the same–delicious and flavorful stuffed rolls of grape leaves."

And you h a v e to eat dolma with Turkish Yoghurt aka Yoğurt. No, its not like the ones you know.

(DAMN im so hungry now...)

"Once you cultivate an appreciation for plain yogurt you will have a hard time eating the sweet, fruity varieties, although they too are available in most urban areas. Turkish yogurt is so rich and creamy it more resembles sour cream.

Some varieties are sold with a thick layer of cream or skin on top, called 'kaymak.'"

Next? Mantı!

aAh my beloved mantı... yes its also yoghurt you see top of it.

"Manti, which is also referred to as Turkish ravioli may vary in size and shape depending on the region from which it comes. They may be boiled, steamed, baked or fried, but the recipe itself is fairly standard. A classic pasta dough is rolled out and filled with a mince of either lamb or beef and onions and spices then folded and cooked. It is then served topped with a garlicky yogurt sauce and sprinkled with sumac, red pepper, oregano or mint.

The making of manti is nothing short of a family affair. Ladies get together rolling, filling and folding these dumplings, spending hours gossiping about the latest news. Aunts and sisters, mothers and daughters, the making of manti is a group effort. Especially if the dish is being served to celebrate a wedding or engagement. However, it would be just as common to make for the family dinner. While dried manti is sold in little shops and at neighborhood bazaars, there is nothing more comforting than homemade manti, it’s almost certainly the extra infusion of gossip that ishomemade manti’s secret ingredient."

You can be sure Night will have one of the best homemade mantı's ever fufufu

My inner chef said Sammy should taste Kısır too. Baş üstüne Chef! (Hai hai chef)

"Traditionally kisir is made with bulgur wheat, if you are avoiding gluten, you might want to use quinoa, millet or even rice instead. Kisir is one of these dishes that tastes even better the day after so it’s great for making a big batch in advance and bringing it into work the next day. If, like me, you like mezze-style meals kisir makes a great addition to any mezze.

Its zingy, spicy, and fresh taste will excite your palate and its vibrant colours will brighten up your table."

Hey Sammy, wanna something cold to drink? heres your Ayran! (It pronounce exactly like "I run." ) Another yoghurt in our dinner XD

"By diluting plain yogurt with water and adding salt, you have created ayran. It is a very simple and very delicious drink which is served ubiquitously throughout Turkey. Common with meat or pizza sort meals, ayran is not often offered with seafood because of some superstitious about a negative reaction occurring in your intestines."

Are you full yet Sammy? Good! You ate so much didnt you? Youre lucky we are in the end!

Now we can have one of the best sweet in the world! Baklava!

"The recipe may sound too easy to be true: chopped nuts are spread in between the phyllo (yufka) layers, dressed with butter, baked and sweetened with syrup or honey. But the excellence depends on the quality of the flour, the thinness of the dough (phyllo) and the proportion of the syrup."

And here something kinda funny:

"There was a special reason for baklava being a favorite among the wealthy families and the Ottoman Sultans with their large harems. Pistachio and honey were the two prime elements and when consumed regularly they were believed to be aphrodisiacs. Cloves of two spices, cinnamon for females and cardamom for males, were added to increase the aphrodisiac effect of the pastry."

See? Its a sweet of riches XD

Every quality Turkish meal must end with tea, and you will be suprised how it will help your stomach after all the things you just ate ✨

The thing about Turkish meals is, not eating in hurry. I said Turks loves to eat right? Mostly, we love to eat together. Even if you were so busy with eating to talk, when your tea and baklava comes i can guarantee you, you will have such a lovely and warm time with the ones youre with!

Afiyet olsun! (Bon Apetite!)

[nimblermortal]

Quiche

Quiche is another ‘dump everything in the fridge in’ dish, but there are a few important steps to make it delectable.

1. Pie crust

2 c flour - for a savory dish like this, use whole wheat. Honestly I barely make white pie crusts anymore. 1/2 t salt 13 T butter 4 T cold water + lemon juice

The lemon juice gives a fresh acidity to the crust, it’s mostly just for flavor, but it is a nice boost. If you are making something darker (say, for example, a meat pie) you might try a different seasoning (such as Worcestershire sauce).

NPR told me recently that the key to a flaky pie crust is to get as much water out of it as possible. This is why you chill pie crust, then put it in an oven as hot as possible to basically sublimate the water before it can get into the crust. You can, however, roll it out and put it in the right shape before you chill it, so that it is easier to work. For this particular recipe, I don’t recommend it, because I use my pie plate for a variety of things.

2. Cream cheese.

Coat the bottom and sides of the pie crust in cream cheese. This is somewhat difficult to do with warm crust and cold cream cheese. It may be advisable to reverse these temperatures, if you have the foresight to do so. The cream cheese adds another layer of richness as well as flavor to the quiche

3. Vegetables. All of the vegetables.

This is where I empty the fridge, but common veggies include broccoli (extremely important), onion, and carrot. Carrot makes crunch. Got something weird like zucchini or eggplant? Chuck it in!

The goal here is to pile the crust as high as you can with vegetables, without resorting to finnicky architectural tricks. The veg will cook down in the oven, so the higher you get it, the more likely it is to make a full pie crust later. Plus, the more vegetables there are, the less egg there is, and since I don’t like eggs - MOAR VEG!

4. Eggs

Eggs (6+) Milk Spices

This is where you want to overspice things, because they are going to get diluted by vegetables. Decide what you want the flavor of the quiche to be, and dump ample seasonings into the egg mixture. Usually you want something herby, and most herbs are compatible, so go hog wild.

If you are not used to improvising with spices, get yourself a small bowl and mix them together there before adding to the egg mixture. That way you can taste the mix before committing to it.

Whisk everything together, adding enough milk to make it Quite Pale.

Tip into the pie plate. If you’ve done your work well, you will have to pour quite slowly to let the egg mixture find its way downward before it manages to overflow the pie plate down a broccoli water slide. You want the liquid level to be just a bit below the edge of the pie plate - it won’t rise very much.

5. Cheese

You want the top of the quiche to be covered in crusty toasted cheese that will also help flavor the rest of things. So, grate yourself a bunch of cheese. More than that. Yes, that will do. I usually throw the cheese into the egg mixture, actually, in hopes that it will sink down into the quiche a bit as well; but it mostly gets caught at the top anyway.

5. Baking

Heat the oven to 350 (or broil if you are doing the water subliation trick) and put the pie plate in. Leave it there for at least 40 minutes, but this is one of those dishes where I keep checking it and giving it another 10 minutes so you’ll likely need at least an hour. That being said, my pie plate is ginormous and all of this gets exaggerated, so figure out what works for you and yours.

I tend to think of quiche as an easy, cheaty recipe, but given all of the above... it’s not. It’s really not.

Uh, also I just noticed this is vegetarian. You can put meat in quiche, but I’ve never done it, so I have no idea whether you need to cook the meat first. Ask Google about that!

[mexicanchipotle]

Looking For the Best Chipotle Sauce for A Delicious Meal

Every meal needs an enhancer to make it taste amazing. Mexican Chipotle is one of the flavors which is very prominent and pleasing. It has this smoky flavor that resembles the aroma of Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern US dishes.

Chipotle is a chili that can not be consumed straight away. It is then turned into a sauce using spices, herbs, and vegetables which helps cooks to use it for marinating, drizzling on dishes, as a condiment, or use it as the main ingredient for some dishes. The base flavor of chipotle is always a smoky and spicy flavor which helps you to identify it when you’re around any such dish.

Every chef or cook would want to use the best Chipotle sauce to make their dishes more palatable and delicious. There are many chipotle sauces available in the market but do not provide an authentic taste because the ingredients used in making the sauce are not up to the mark. Therefore, finding an actual Mexican chipotle sauce is a difficult task.

Many times people prefer to use just Chipotle dips to relish their bland food and have a tint of such flavors included in their bite. These dips, interestingly, are made with yogurt to give them a more gooey texture and refreshing feel whenever consumed. Generally, people confuse sauces with dips. Chipotle sauce is more diluted to make it easy to use whereas the dip is always a bit creamy and rich in texture. Both dips and sauces can be used in tacos, fajitas, and more.

While looking for the best chipotle sauce, many cooks rely on a credible brand, Earthmade, for its wide variety of dips and combos. You can find its Tex-Mex chipotle dip, an amazing condiment for all your evening snacks craving with friends and family.

[kriskebob-blog]

Day 6: Lots of prep, and maybe turning a corner?

EHi friends. I’ve fallen a little behind, whoops. So I left off with Sunday night. If you recall, on Saturday I felt kind of sleepy and beat after hitting the gym but my energy improved as the day went on. Sunday I honestly felt pretty good all day even with the hike and the heat from being out by the pool. 

Monday, though, I woke up and I just felt so clear-headed. I felt focused and just ready to take on the day. The way you wish you felt every day when you wake, you know? And I was going to need the energy, because it was once again going to be a grocery shopping day. Not only that, I had to thoughtfully meal plan for the first time since I’d started this project, e.g. refer to Dr. G’s two-week meal plan and make sure that his suggested meals for each day would more or less work with our schedule. 

It didn’t take nearly as much time as the first time I’d done it, and what’s more, I had a few produce items I wouldn’t need to purchase because I still had enough left over from the week before. I checked out of Big Y with my smallest bill yet. I went to the farmstand and had a <$5 charge for the first time in weeks - all I picked up were an onion, a couple huge carrots, and a new pint of berries. However, I did have an exotic ingredient that was going to warrant another trip to the Asian grocer and/or Whole Foods: I needed dried dulse, aka seaweed flakes that would be added to a miso soup recipe. 

I got home and ate some gumbo for lunch. There was still enough left for more leftovers the next day; that recipe seriously had made a lot. Then it was off to the races to find my dried dulse. This week, I decided to go to the Asian market first, because I figured if they did have the dulse it’d be a lot more reasonably priced there than at Whole Foods. There were quite a few varieties of dried seaweed there, but no dulse flakes. However, I did spot an 8oz bag of dried shiitake mushrooms for only $10.99. 

...

Do you want to know how much I paid at Big Y for a mere friggin’ HALF OUNCE of dried shiitake mushrooms?? Do you??? 

I paid $5.99 for half an once at Big Y for a product I could buy at the Asian food market for less than twice that price and SIXTEEN TIMES the amount. Let my failures be your lesson, friends: go to your local ethnic grocery stores to stock up on pantry items like dried mushrooms, spices, rice, etc! It is SO MUCH CHEAPER than what the same item will cost at a corporate grocery store, and you’re supporting a small local business at the same time. Like literally you can buy tubs of spices like turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, etc. etc. for a fraction of the cost you’d pay for a comparable amount at a place like Stop & Shop for Big Y. It’s totally worth the extra errand for any staple ingredient you use often. 

Anywho, I hadn’t found dried dulse but I still emerged feeling triumphant thanks to my renewed supply of dried mushrooms. I use those suckers all the time to make the veggie stock. I headed over to Whole Food’s. It was every bit as crowded as last time. I’m starting to realize that Whole Food’s is probably just literally always super busy, because there’s relatively few stores in our area that offer the amount of specialty cooking products that they do. And, clearly, there’s a rising demand for that kind of thing! Consumers want to cook in more healthful and interesting ways. And I can’t even be upset that I’m continuing to perpetuate Jeff Bezos’ evil empire when my Amazon Prime membership means I can buy two cartons of organic raspberries for $5. I want a Whole Foods on the other side of the CT river ASAP, honestly. Or maybe Sam and I will move in that direction soon enough. We’ve been considering it! 

Ahem, sorry. A lot of deviations today. Somewhere out there every English teacher I’ve ever had is bowing their heads, ashamed of me. So at Whole Foods, I found dried dulse no problem. I also found a product that had eluded me at Big Y and the Asian market - 100% buckwheat soba noodles. All the other brands I’d found until then had been a combination of wheat and buckwheat - but Dr. G had stipulated 100% buckwheat and, as you know, I’m trying to avoid half measures! 

I checked out and headed home. The whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking about how different this day felt compared to last Wednesday, in spite of how I was running basically all the same errands under similar conditions. Except one condition wasn’t similar at all - the food I’d eaten so far that day. If you remember, when I got home last Wednesday (the last day I’d allowed myself eggs, meat, cheese, sugary snacks, etc.) I was literally so exhausted from my multiple grocery trips that I collapsed onto the couch for a two hour semi-vegetative state in front of the TV. But on this day, I felt calm and clear-eyed the entire time I was running my errands. Sure, it helped that I had a better idea now of where some things were - but not everything. I still had to hunt down unfamiliar ingredients, and while certainly nothing had challenged me so much as the miso, I had still been on the go from pretty much the minute Sam had left early that morning. I’d stopped quickly for lunch but this was typically when I felt an afternoon slump in my energy levels and focus. But I didn’t feel that slump as I headed back into my apartment. Instead, I felt ready and even excited to do some cooking. 

I looked at that night’s recipes. Because I’d be making miso soup, I was going to need veggie broth again - a lot of it. More than I had left over from yesterday’s batch (I’d used a lot of that to make the rice). So for the second time in two days, I was going to need to throw together some veggie stock. I got that going and then took inventory of the recipes coming up. In addition to the miso soup, I was going to be making soba noodles with chopped veggies and an almond butter sauce. One ingredient for the almond butter sauce was “umani sauce,” which of course was a sauce to make in itself. It wasn’t too hard to throw together - more veggie broth (I was literally going through the stuff like water), minced garlic and ginger, a bit of molasses (Dr. G specified “blackstrap molasses” - never heard of it - I just used normal molasses), date sugar, tomato paste, pepper, miso, lemon, and rice vinegar. It made plenty more than I would need for that night’s recipe, but I tasted it and am looking forward to using it in more recipes in the weeks ahead - it’s really tasty.

Behold, umani sauce. 

I figured so long as I was at it getting all this stuff prepped, I would finally make the date syrup I’d been substituting with agave or maple syrup in several recipes so far. This was super easy - I just needed to boil a cup of water and put the dates in to soften for an hour. It got blended at the end with a bit of lemon. Again, not actually hard at all to put together - you just need to have the foresight to do it before you actually need it. 

Ta-da: date syrup. You can see my (terrible) stove in the background with the veggie stock simmering away. 

At this point, I was on a roll. I was still feeling good and buoyed by how much energy I had that day compared to the previous week. So, in spite of how no upcoming recipes called for the “healthy hot sauce” I had wound up not making for the burritos, I still had a couple of bags of habaneros and other red chiles in my fridge. The recipe called for 12 ounces of fresh hot chiles, which is quite a lot of chiles. They were taking up a lot of room in my produce drawer and I wanted them gone, but I wasn’t willing to throw them away... especially not when Dr. G stated that the healthy hot sauce could keep in the fridge for up to six months. I was already on a food prep kick that day - might as well make it. 

Dr. G. advised wearing rubber gloves for prepping the chiles. Great idea in theory, but the only rubber gloves in my apartment are used for cleaning the bathroom, and I wasn’t about to use those on food. So, one by one, with my delicate bare hands, I painstakingly seeded and chopped dozens of habanero peppers and a handful of red hot chiles. This kind of sucked at first (the anxiety that I might accidentally touch my face/eyes is real), but eventually I relaxed and got into the flow of it, and it was satisfying to see the initially giant mound of unchopped peppers gradually go down. They went into a medium-sized saucepan with some water, a chopped onion, and garlic. It simmered for about 20 minutes and then Dr. G said I should let it cool down to room temperature before blending it. Why exactly? Not sure, but I do what the man says (or try). He said to add between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, basically to taste. I started with 1/2 cup and tasted it. And... yup... very hot. It would have to be used very sparingly, but it wasn’t so hot that it was totally inedible, at least by my standards. I wasn’t sure whether or not to add more vinegar. Would that make it hotter? Less hot? More acidic, obviously, but peppers are so acidic already... I wasn’t sure what the true purpose was in terms of taste but felt like more vinegar would dilute the habanero flavor a bit. Maybe? I tried it out and added more vinegar before tasting again. I think it had the effect I wanted in taking back the habanero flavor a little. Who knows. Looking forward to trying it out in the future, even if we wouldn’t be needing it for that night’s meal. Here’s what it looked like:

It was around 4pm by then and a little too early to start dinner. I wandered off to relax for a little while and around 5 I got back at it to prep the miso soup and soba noodles dish. 

I made the almond butter sauce first. Like most things in this cookbook, it was easy so long as you had the ingredients on hand - things like the umani sauce, blended lime, etc. Some garlic, ginger, miso, and red pepper flakes and that was it. I thawed some frozen edamame and chopped some carrot, red bell pepper, and scallion. I actually stopped and read for a little while, because Sam was at the gym and the miso soup looked so quick and easy that I didn’t want it to be ready too soon. Eventually I heated up 5 cups of the veggie broth and added some more edamame to that. Next came a couple handfuls of sliced shiitake mushrooms and scallions. In a separate bowl, I mixed a small amount of hot broth with 1/4 cup of miso - by far the largest amount of miso I’d used at one time yet, but then, it is literally called miso soup. Dad, here’s another shout-out for you - you probably haven’t had miso soup but I think you’d like it! It has a nice salty, mushroomy flavor. This one though was definitely heartier and thicker than the kind you’d be served at an Asian restaurant, mostly thanks to the pureed veg in the broth. When you’re out to eat, miso is mostly a thin broth with a few tiny scallions and mushrooms mixed in here and there, but this was a hearty soup with tons of mushrooms. And then, as is the Dr. G way, you had to add a bunch of greens too - 4 cups of chopped spinach, to be exact. And of course, our friend the dried dulse was added in at the end to get that extra seaweed flavor and nutrition.

Once I knew Sam would be ready to eat soon, I tossed the soba noodles in a separate pot to boil. You then run them under cold water and mix the cooled noodles with the almond butter sauce and chopped veggies. No heating it through - apparently it’s a pasta salad meant to be eaten cold or at room temperature. 

Here’s the finished products:

The verdict? For both of us, the miso soup was our favorite of the two. The soba noodles were decent but I think in the future, I would go for the cheaper (and much easier to find) buckwheat/wheat soba noodles. These 100% buckwheat noodles were particularly chewy and had a stronger flavor than I’m used to from a pasta, it was a little distracting. I’m sure you could get used to it, but eh. The almond butter sauce was decent, although it’s hard to say how much I really liked it when I was a bit distracted by the buckwheat flavor. I think the sauce could’ve used a little more spice but then, I like my food to pack a big flavor punch. The miso soup, though - totally delicious. I probably wouldn’t change a thing if I made it again.

So, a busy Monday of a lot of shopping and prepping food. If it sounds time-consuming and like a lot of work... it is! But a big part of that is just my learning curve with these ingredients and recipes, and also creating my own pantry items that now will hopefully last me for a few weeks or even months (the date syrup, umani sauce, hot sauce etc...). I haven’t minded because this is a hobby and an interest for me, but I can see how it’d be a barrier for the average American working full-time and trying to juggle 4873286 other responsibilities and commitments on top of that. But honestly? This cookbook is designed with ultimate maximum health benefits in mind. Dr. G wrote this thinking of the sort of person who’s been told he probably has 6-12 months left to live due to the progression of their cancer, or the person who’s had to have multiple bypass surgeries due to the advancement of heart disease. That’s why there’s no oil, no added salt, and no store-bought sauces or condiments in this book. But does that mean you couldn’t cook this way yourself? 

I think not at all. This book shows you what the absolute ideal would be - according to Dr. G’s nutritional philosophy, anyhow. There are other big names in nutrition who agree with him but there are others who don’t - a topic to get into more on another day. But if you think you’d be willing to try making a few plant-based meals, or even make a complete switch for a week or two as an “experiment” like I’ve been doing, but the homemade sauces and condiments and milks sound like too much work and you also refuse to give up your EVOO and kosher salt - then don’t! It’d be so easy to adapt these recipes to your own preferences. As I’ve written multiple times, I’ve tried my best to follow Dr. G’s instructions as faithfully as possible just because I’ve been curious about what it’s like to cook that way. If you think all this extra legwork isn’t feasible for you but are curious about the idea of incorporating more whole-food meals into your diet, you can absolutely use these recipes but substitute in your own hot sauce. Your own sweeteners. Your own vegetable stock. Add salt or oil if you want to. Your own pre-made Asian condiments that you know are loaded with salt and sugar. Heck, I’ve done almost all of those myself multiple times already on this journey. At the end of the day, you’re still getting a lot more vegetables and fiber into your diet, and you’re also significantly reducing your carbon footprint for that day - did you know every pound of meat you consume takes several hundred gallons of water to produce? 

The reason why I titled today’s post “turning a corner” is because Monday is the day I first started to really think - Maybe I really do want to live this way. Not just as an experiment. The recipes have been delicious, honestly not that hard to prep (especially if you opt for pre-made condiments!), and I feel more energetic and focused than I’ve felt basically ever - and that’s after only 6 days. How will I be feeling by the end of Day 15? Still remains to be seen, but right now I’m definitely feeling more and more each day like I’m moving in the right direction. I feel like I’m taking control of my health and my life in a way that’s extremely satisfying. 

Oh, and for the record - there won’t really be a Day 7 post, because I had so much leftover food at the end of the day on Monday that there was no need for me to cook yesterday! I’ll still aim to have a blog post up again in the next day, but will just skip ahead to Day 9. 

Happy hump day, friends! See you on the next post. 

Today’s music rec: “American Boy” by Estelle

[prsfood]

PARIS HABITS

carry around bottled of diluted juice, choose a strongly flavored one OR water with 0% syrup off brand U (about 6 for a lot of syrup).

unsuspicious:

Broth-based soups (chicken/veggie/beef broth, not cream) and plain popcorn come to mind...shrimp is also very low cal and high protein.

What really confuses my family is when i take out my ice cream sandwich. Little do they know, its a klondike 100 calorie light bar, but it looks like a regular ice cream bar so it doesn't raise suspicion.

cooked veggies with shrimp

Thing I always do is an eggwhite omelette with celery and tuna. My fam says its gross cuz of the two mixed but you only need like 3 eggwhites, maybe a half can of tuna and a bit of chopped up celery. Makes a lot for low cal!

I always go for like 5 saltine crackers and a laughing cow cheese wedge

I got kelp noodles recently - the entire bag is 18 calories. They're clear and can be served cold or hot. Mostly good for Asian foods and salads.

I make egg and cheese wraps for dinner..the whole thing comes to around 200 cals as a meal...1 tortilla, 1 small egg and like, a slice of low fat cheese...it also makes me feel full which is good, esp. when paired with coffee

shrimp. Went out to all you can eat crabs with my friends tonight (ugh, shoot me). While they were pigging out on 5000+ cals of crabs, I was just peelin' my shrimp super slow and eating about 100 cals of shrimp, which took forever and made me look sups normal. Even the cocktail sauce doesn't have that many cals and it is delish

at school for lunch I have a half of a pb sandwich. it's 40 cal bread with pb2 (around 30 cal because I don't use the whole 2 tbsp) so that equals 70 cal. I have it with some fruit (50 cal) and cucumber or celery (0 cal)

My caramel frozen yogurt bars are only 100 calories and are a great dessert, especially around people.

My suggestions are:

Try having silken tofu instead of hard tofu because people don't tend to differentiate between different varieties of the same foods even though they can have substantially different caloires. I don't know where you live but here in Australia the Macro silken tofu is only 50 calories for 100g while hard tofu is over 100 calories or more for the same amount.

Home made ice blocks/popsicles with diet drinks and fruit (I mentioned this recently on a different forum, I'm not steal, promise!!!)

Instead of steaming veggies roast them - ie 'carrot fries', because they have that association with fries even though they are low cal

It's already been said by rice cakes (You can find 10cm diameter ones for 23 calories) and you can top them up with salads and hummus etc.

Low calorie smoothies ie. Made with just frozen fruit, ice and water

1 cup silk unsweetened almond milk with sweetener and fiber one 80 cal cereal. 110 cal.

two slices 45 or 40 cal bread with Turkey breast, tomato, kraft fat free mayo. 150-160 cal.

two slices 45 or 40 cal bread with two tbsp pb2 & 1 tbsp smuckers sugar free jelly. 135-145 cal.

Pickles are a great go-to zero calorie food when I crave something salty. That or 100 calorie microwave popcorn. If you make it in an air popper, though, and only spray a little I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on it then its even less (depending on serving size of course). You can add a little salt too, or No-Salt (Potassium Chloride) if you're watching sodium its a great alternative.

Also love the zero sugar/zero calorie energy drinks from Monster or Rockstar. Gets me through the day if my energy wanes. The V8 flavored green tea energy drinks are good too and 50 calories if you only need a little boost.

Jennie-O makes a ground turkey that is like 97% fat free. Less calories and fat than ground beef but still high in protein.

Turkey bacon is like 25 calories per slice that you can pair with egg whites (also about 25 calories per serving).

Hebrew National makes a hot dog that is like 98% fat free and only 45 calories each (versus like 200 for regular hot dogs dripping in saturated fat.. blegh).

And finally, one of my favorite desserts when I need something sweet is fresh strawberries sprinkled with Truvia (zero calorie sweetener) and it is delish!

i go to subway and get a 6 inch veggie delight with all veggies, no cheese and yellow mustard

it's 230 calories but it's really filling and normal looking lol

Bare naked noodles? 16 cals a pack but I can get 2/3 sevings from it with raw shaved courgettes <3 and a stock cube about 30 cals altogether!

shredded crab sticks kani kama like pasta its like: 40 cals crab+20cals lettuce= 60 cals of a full plate

I love low cal bread (35 cal per slice!) with apple butter on top. (30 cal for 2 TBSP). I usually like to eat all of my food in one meal so I like to side it with either no fat plain Greek yogurt (tastes like heaven if you add sweetener and cinnamon) or plain oatmeal with, again, sweetener and cinnamon.

salads, for obvious reasons! lots of veggies

wraps. get a good brand of low cal tortillas, and maybe a spread you like (salsa has always been my favorite)

rice (mix it with lots of veggies for a stir fry)

Salad wraps. What's great about tortillas and pitas, is no one can really see what you've stuffed in there. So use it like a hidey-hole and just fill with vegetables.

I do meat and veggie dishes that are mostly veggies. Like string bean chicken and beef with broccoli. It sounds like a "real" meal but I mostly only serve myself the vegetable part!

Make a huge Asian like bean sprout "stir fry" (I just cook it with water) and season it up as you want, you can add a few shrimp and they're only 7 cals each

Sauerkraut! You can eat a ton and it's super low cal

A big salad with a fewwww grilled chicken strips

If you don't fear carbs, there's a few breads that are 45 cals a slice, you could make a veggie sandwich with a couple of slices and it'd only be a lil over 100 cals

Tuna salad. More veggies than tuna, skip the mayo. Even saltines are not terribly high cal.

Believe it or not, a baked potato.  This is one of my fav dinners: a large baked potato with salsa and guacamole and a big salad.  Most people (no doubt your mum as well) know to look past salad because it has next to no calories, even by the bucketful.

But potatoes are considered indulgent foods.  Turns out tho, it is all the crap people put on them (sour cream, bacon bits, CHILI for gods sake!) or cook them in (think french fries or crisps) that is bad.  You can top a potato with salsa (lots) and guac (a little but positioned to look as big as possible) and, when paired with a salad, looks like a giant plate of food.  If you start to feel like you are over-ful (a real possibility with this meal) you can skip eating the potato skin, which most people leave off anyways so it won't look suspicious.

Aubergine or courgette boats! Stuff with mushrooms/spinach/chickpeas/Quorn mince or whatever, top with some bread crumbs and/or cheese.

This is the best thing for anyone!

400g cauliflower with some water in a blender - blend till Mashed potato consistency, it makes soooo much! About half a large plate piled! And only 100 calories, then you can add whatever you like since you have so many cals left over. And simply adding rosemary and pepper is delicious!

If you want it to look more like a dinner meal add something like

Chicken thigh - 200

Salmon - 255

Hoki Fish - 175

Stuffed mushrooms

4 medium size or 2 HUGE portobello mushrooms (would be in the 250-300g region, so 30-40 cals)

Bake in the oven for 15 mins.

Top with 1/2 can of lentils (113) mixed with 3 laughing cow triangles (105 or 75 if using the light version) (you could also use another soft cheese). Add in herbs and spices (garlic is great with this) and bake for another 10-15 mins. You could even add a bit of proper grated cheddar or mozzarella as well to make it seem even more high calorie. Wouldn't be more than 300 even with the addition of full-fat cheese.

Grated cauliflower looks like rice with a lot less cals.

Soups with a ton of broth.

[arbitrarygreay]

Time Fuse Mapo Curry Noodles

No pictures, because it might be too identifying. - I highly recommend the Feast of Fiction recipe and video, as it optimizes every step of the way. However, the Penguin Snacks version is excellent for people with slightly less expertise, like me. Too many deviations and feedback to list, so the general process, from the top: - Noodle broth: I soaked kelp knots in water, then added some soy sauce, minced garlic, and chicken boullion. Optional splash of vinegar. (To be honest, you can back off on the flavoring of the broth. After the first few days, I kept diluting. So in the future, I would just do the kelp/dashi soak, and a little chicken bouillion/stock.) - Made the gelatin core: 1 can (14.5oz) beef broth, curry powder, minced garlic, a bit of shachajiang. Boil it down for a while, then add one packet of gelatin. (I don't recommend this basic style of core. It melts into a broth which loses distinct curry flavor because it lacks body. Make sure to increase the body of the curry by using a curry roux brick, or add thickening agents to the above mix like cornstarch, chickpea paste, or cream/coconut milk.) Let it set (optionally skimming oil partway through), then cut into portions. It can be easily squished into whatever shape needed, so you don't need perfect sphere molds. - Meatball mix: 24oz of ground pork made 8 large meatballs. Traditionally for shizitou, you want a high fat content, 20% minimum but up to 50%. I had 15% because that's what was available, but the resulting texture was not as juicy as I would have liked. I seasoned with shachajiang, 5-spice, allspice, cumin, oyster sauce. Added 1 can chopped water chestnuts, a good amount of onion flakes, and 1/3 cup panko. (Besides using a higher fat content, if I did this again I would increase the amount of water chestnut and panko, include egg, chop said chestnuts in a more coarse size, and maybe use actual shallot instead of dehydrated onion flakes.) That said, the leaner meat mix with no additives is more "authentic" to the original Yukihira dish, since the point was that it was the same mixture as used for the huajiao bin. - Assemble meatballs: Slapping the meat portion against the side of the bowl before starting to mold it is key. Before doing that, even with having thoroughly hand-mixed all of the ingredients together, it's still a little crumbly. The slapping makes it a lot more cohesive. (This is a good trick for making hamburger/salibury stakes, too, as it makes the cooked texture more springy. Other articles suggest that using a stand mixer and baking soda help achieve the same goals.) Very much thanks to Feast of Fiction for including an instruction to roll the meatballs in flour. It really helped reduce the cracking in the surface! The amount of gelatin I had ended up perfectly portioning, but I don't know exactly how much I boiled it down. - Cooking the meatballs: I pan-seared them, and then was afraid that braising would cause all of the curry to leak out into the braising broth, so I microwaved them to cook the insides. (This did not turn out ideally. I especially do not recommend the searing method, because the meatball will crack under its own weight. Cook the surface either through a quick deep-fry, as is traditional, or full submerge boil. Some articles also suggest that, after the surface cook, braising in a salty liquid, such as seasoned with soy sauce and/or oyster sauce, will help prevent cracking. Another possible method is to steam the meatball in a small bowl, so that the bowl's contours prevent sagging.) - Cooking the mapo tofu: I used a storebought mapo tofu sauce. Also added some chopped shallots, the aforementioned kelp knots, now sliced up, as well as jiucai/garlic chives, since I had some leftovers I needed to get rid of, and wanted to add veggies to the dish. Also added a spoonful of gojujang. Additional feedback: - Some more veggies to consider: the thing that actually makes shizitou a lion's head is the usage of napa cabbage as its mane. But shanghai cabbage is also always good too (death to bok choy). - Also, consider including some diced carrot or even mirepoix in the curry core, meat mix, or noodle broth. - To be honest, the giant meatball is a nice restaurant gimmick, but not really worth it for day-to-day eating at home. Just make curry dandan noodles instead (the meat all in ground form). The ChefPK "but faster" version is also preferable. - Also, I found that the entire thing as one single dish offered no palate cleansers or respite from all of the spice. After the first couple of days, I preferred to have the meatball and mapo tofu in one bowl, and the noodles in a lighter broth in a separate bowl. Possibly adding more tangy/sour stuff to the mapo tofu mix might solve that, though.

[lovemesomesurveys]

[created by: -ily-ylm]

We meet again, what's one of the best things you did today? Well, well, well. We meet again. ha. Anyway, it’s only 4:17 and so far I’ve just  ate ramen, watched YouTube videos, and now I’m doing some surveys, which  are all things I like to do.

Does your pet ever harass you when your eating food? She’ll sit by you and just stare. 

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, "Oh God, Ew." I avoid looking in the mirror as much as possible for that reason. I keep it short and only when I have to. Otherwise, I avoid looking at myself. And I sometimes use reflective surfaces that don’t make the best mirror because it doesn’t give a clear reflection or I keep my light off when I can see just enough. I’ve become very self-conscious these past few years. More so than ever. 

Name a song that gets stuck in your head now and then:: Random songs get stuck in my head all the time.

Do you have a pair of those big sunglasses? Do you wear them at all? I don’t wear sunglasses.

What’s your favorite flavor or kind of cough drop? The minty ones.

Peanut butter goes best with what one: Honey, jam or chocolate? It goes really well with all 3. Do you like sour candies? What's the most sourest candy you've ever tried? No, not at all. I don’t enjoy the sour taste for one, but also it irritates my mouth.

Is there something you really want, that a friend has?

FREEZE FRAME! Your five years old again...!! - You wake up, and your hungry. What do you want for some num-num's? Probably a chicken mcnugget happy meal.

You're done eating, what toy do you go play with? Barbies.

Your mom is taking you out to go to your favorite place, where is that? Chuck-E-Cheese.

You start crying, what's the reason? What/who made you cry? Probably just from being tired.

It's your 6th birthday! What was the present that made you crazy happy? All things Barbie.

Back To Random Reality... - When two family members are fighting, what do you usually do? Nothing.

Are you good at doing your own makeup? How about others' makeup? I was never great it. I didn’t mess with it too much, I just kept it simple. I definitely wasn’t good at doing someone else’s. 

Do you usually have to or want to drink when attending a party? I felt that way when I was younger and used to drink. My friends were doing it and I wanted to keep up with them. And I was like, I’m in my early 20s this is what you do. Bad way of thinking, but it’s true. Are you a fire-bug? What's something you've lit on fire before? No, I don’t mess around with fire. I’m a scardy cat.

What do you think would happen if you drank coke and then ate Mentos? Wasn’t that myth debunked?

What’s better, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes? I loveeee mashed potatoes and gravy. I like sweet potato fries, but I don’t eat just sweet potatoes. 

Do you like the smell of men's perfume, such as Axe or Tag? I love the smell of a lot of colognes, but definitely not Axe or Tag. Ew. 

What's your all time FAVORITE freezer food? Do you eat that a lot? I used to love stuff like Pizza Rolls, Hot Pockets, chicken nuggets, pizza, Eggos, and those microwave meals like Healthy Choice and Smart Ones. I ate that kind of stuff all the time, but not so much anymore.

Name one reason why you wouldn’t be friends with someone: If they were arrogant and cocky.

What's your all time very least favorite cereal? I don’t like Special K or “healthy” cereals like that. 

Do you like documentaries? Have you ever watched one and found it boring? Yes to both. 

Did you ever used to make cookies, cakes or pie with your grandma? Sometimes.

Have you ever went into depression just because of one REALLY HORRIBLE day? Depression doesn’t work that way.

Are you easy to get along with? Are you a people person/social butterfly? I think so. No, I’m definitely not a people person or social butterfly. 

What is the one all time most scariest movie you've ever seen in your life? Hm. I don’t know because I’m not scared of horror movies anymore like I used to be. I used to be such a scardy cat. There’s been some I rewatched and I’m like wow, I was scared of that? There are some that are creepy for sure, but I really enjoy horror movies now. And I’m not effected by any of them, like they don’t stick with me or give me nightmares.

We're you ever a fan of macaroni & cheese? Do you like kraft dinner? Yeah. More so when I was a kid, but it’s still good.

Do you and your mom have that motherly daughterly loving relationship? We do. My mom is my best friend.

Do you always like to have a drink with your food? I don’t need to have one, but I usually happen to have something.

Are you scared of online predators, molesters and rapists? Thankfully, I haven’t encountered any of those (that I know of), but I certainly wouldn’t want to. I definitely would be scared.

You have the option to visit Canada!: What place would you like to visit? Lane, where do you recommend? 

Isn't it unfortunate when you get SO sick of a song that used to LOVE? That doesn’t happen much. And if it does, then I just don’t listen to it for a bit but then I go back to it.

What's better, Vodka or Kahlua? Why? Blech.

Do you like Chinese food? What's one of your fave Chinese dishes? I like chow mien, egg rolls, pot stickers, and crab rangoon. I used to love orange chicken, but I can’t eat spicy stuff anymore. :/

Does your tummy make stupid and weird sounds sometimes? Yes, even right after I eat, which completely defeats the purpose. <<< Ugh, same. Or it’ll growl when I’m almost finished and I’m like wtf?? Or it’ll make noises at random times when I’m not eating or feel hungry. I have stomach issues. :/

Do you and your siblings have different colored eyes? My younger brother’s are a lighter brown than mine.

Did the jingle of the ice cream truck annoy you or excite you? I always got excited about it.

Do you think some things are just unbelievably expensive nowadays? Like...? Apple products for sure. I’m such a sucker, though. 

Do you drink to get drunk, or just for the flavor? When I used to drink I drank to get drunk. 

Can you pull off short hair? Do you know someone who can't? I don’t know, but I had really short hair (a “bob” cut) for a few years. 

What's one thing you DON'T have in your purse that you wish you did? I have the things I need.

What do you think of people that talk like a trucker? (Swears profusely): Ehh. It can get to be too much.

Have you ever met a fat man that smelled like a dirty cigar? Uh...

What's your favorite kind of pepper: Green, Yellow, or Red? I can’t spicy stuff anymore. 

When driving, what does the yellow light mean to YOU personally? It means to slow down.

What's the coolest thing you made in sewing class? I’ve never taken a sewing class.

Fave chip brand & flavor: Doritos, Lays, Old Dutch, Ms.Vickies or Cheetos? Doritos Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese. I used to like the Doritos Fiery Nacho and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, but again I can’t eat that stuff anymore.

Does your cat have a really nice coat, or really nice eyes? Why do you assume I have a cat?

Do you like to have ice in your drinks? Doesn't it dilute the drink though? No, I don’t. 

Is the smell of cigars absolutely DISGUSTING? Yes. Cigarettes and cigars make me feel really sick when around them. The smell and smoke give me a headache, make my heart race, and give me nausea. 

Do you get more bad luck, good luck, or a nice portion of both? I don’t believe in luck, but I’ve had my share of hardships and struggles.

Do you like the bands Paramore, Yellowcard and The Acadamy Is...? I DO! =] Yeah. I was really into them back in the day.

Do you like whip cream and chocolate sauce on top of your coffee sometimes? Whipped cream with like mochas and lattes. 

Do herbs, salts and spices seriously make a difference in your meal? Absolutely. Especially garlic. We add garlic to a lot of our foods in my house. It’s just so good.

[loyalfoodmachine]

Which Doritos Flavor Sells The Most?

1.Doritos corn flakes of doritos chips making machine Doritos comes from the United States and is a flavored Mexican nachos. Compared with potato chips, corn flakes have lower calories, but the taste is crisper and more fragrant. Unlike some potato chips that are frying, they are making by baking and are healthier. There are three flavors to choose from: super cheese flavor, American spicy chicken wings flavor and smoked barbecue flavor. Then the most popular among foodies and the best reputation is the super thick cheese flavor The overall feeling of Doritos corn flakes is "heavy taste". Then it is too salty (the cheese flavor is already very strong, and the barbecue flavor and chicken wings flavor will be stronger. 2. Doritos history of doritos chips making machine All varieties of Fritoli Doritos eliminated trans fats in 2002. Starting in the same year. The Doritos brand complied with the labeling regulations of the US Food and Drug Administration for four years before becoming mandatory.

The company was founding in 2003 by Charles Grady. Who claimed that his throat was damaged and was prosecuted because of stress. According to him, the shape and rigidity of the chips make them inherently dangerous. Grady tried to prove that the chemistry professor of the previous study had calculated. Then how to best swallow potato chips safely. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court later ruled that the research did not meet scientific standards and could not be submitted as evidence. Doritos sales in the United States fell 1.7% to 595 million US dollars in 2005. In order to increase sales in 2006, the company introduced some new flavors, new labels, and more bilingual advertisements. Qiao Yannian, vice president of Fitzroy. Described it as "the most significant rebranding and restarting of Doritos in a 38-year history." On February 21, 2013, the Doritos logo changed again, and now a new advertising slogan says "Bold". This time, it pays tribute to the original design, and to some extent combines it with the previous design elements. The change of the logo is an unannounced visit, appearing out of thin air, and now you can see all kinds of Doritos, the taste of Nacho cheese, although some bags still live in the past 2005 logo. It was officially renamed on the Fritoli website on the same day. 3. Introduction to Doritos Dipping Sauce There are two types of dipping sauces. Both do not add artificial colors and artificial flavors. They are produced in the European Union. After opening, they must be placed in the refrigerator for storage for one month. Type one, vegetable sauce. A. Green bottle. Doritos Mild Salsa (300g): Mexican-style salsa (original) The main ingredients are tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. B. Ingredients: Tomato Purée (49%), Tomatoes (19%), Onion, Peppers (10%), Jalapeño Peppers (2%), Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Modified Maize Starch, Sugar, Garlic Purée, Coriander, Capsicum Extract. C. Taste. Although the main raw materials are all kinds of tomatoes, the taste is very different. There are more natural ingredients in the sauce, and you can clearly see the large particles of tomatoes, onions and green bell peppers. Different from the sticky tomato sauce, Salsa is The liquid-rich sauce is thinner, which is similar to tomato sauce. In addition to the sweet and sour tomato taste. The slightly spicy flavor of the bell pepper itself is very prominent. It makes the sauce itself comprehensive The taste has rich layering, and is very refreshing and appetizing. Although vinegar is added to the sauce, the vinegar taste is slightly lighter. It will not have a strong sour taste from beginning to end like some tomato sauces. And it also covers the taste of other ingredients. D. Red bottle. Doritos Hot Salsa (300g): Mexican-style salsa (spicy) E. The main ingredients are tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. F. Ingredients. Tomato Puree (49%), Chopped Tomatoes (20%), Onion, Peppers (11%), Jalapeno Peppers (3%), Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Modified Maize Starch, Sugar, Garlic Puree, Capsicum Extract, Coriander. G. Taste. It is not much different from the green bottle sauce, except that the bell pepper in the ingredients is a little bit more spicy, but in terms of the heavy taste of the Chinese (especially the people of Sichuan and Chongqing), it may even be slightly spicy. Then the degree is not even considering. . . The stamina of the spiciness is quite sufficient. The short summary is to clear the sour and then slightly spicy.

Type two, cream cheese sauce. A. White bottle. Doritos Cool Sour Cream & Chives Dip (300g): Sour Sour Cream Sauce B. The main ingredients are sour cream. Then whey protein and whole milk powder. C. Ingredients: Water, Rapeseed Oil, Sour Cream (from Milk) (7%), Whey Protein Concentrate (Whey Protein (from Milk), Full Cream Milk Powder, Cream Powder (from Milk)) (5%), Double Cream (from Milk) Milk) (3.5%), White Wine Vinegar, Modified Maize Starch, Onion, Sugar, Dried Egg Yolk, Salt, Chives, Garlic Purée, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Yeast and Yeast Extract, Maltodextrin, Flavourings. D. Taste. Solid and full of milky flavor. When chewing with teeth, it feels a bit like eating the cream in a butter cake. The overall taste is strong, but there is almost no sweetness. Then the acidity is light. The sweetness is moderate, and the sauce The finely chopped green onions hidden in the ingredients are very colorful. So they not only cover the acetic acid taste. But also dilute and whiten the little sweet and greasy taste, further reducing the greasy taste of the overall sauce. E. Orange bottle. Doritos Nacho Cheese Dip (300g): Mexican cheese sauce F. The main ingredients are sour cream. Then white cheddar cheese, corn starch and skimmed milk. G. Ingredients. Water, Rapeseed Oil, Sour Cream (from Milk) (8%), Mature White Cheddar Cheese (from Milk) (5%), White Wine Vinegar, Modified Maize Starch, Dried Skimmed Milk, Sugar, Whey Protein Concentrate (Whey Protein (Milk), Full Cream Milk Powder, Cream Powder (Milk)), Salt, Dried Egg Yolk, Spices, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Garlic Purée, Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum), Garlic Powder, Colour (Paprika Extract), Dried Red Pepper, Onion Powder, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Oregano, Dried Chillies. H. Taste. To be solid, similar to white bottle sauce. Also not greasy, but due to the addition of cornstarch and cheddar cheese.  Then a strong cornstarch taste (to be precise, more like Doritos corn The taste of slices) is bashing.  So the acidity and sweetness are moderate, and the finely sliced ​​dried red pepper is adding. But the taste is still suppressing by the taste of corn cheese.