#add pickles and cherry peppers and these sauces” like JUST MAKE THAT A THING I CAN ORDER THEN!!!

[gaypornluvr420]

it’s so fucking annoying when burger chains are like “introducing the new VEGAN burger!*

*for the VEGAN burger to be vegan you must ask for it without cheese and without mayonnaise and without the special sauce and without the bun etc”

[rainyfestivalsweets]

Slim Pickins

9/1/24

Ever seen those reels or tik toks that tell you to run to the dollar tree?

Ya'll. Is dollar tree sponsoring just an epic shitton of those videos?

Because I was just there and it was terrible. It was the last of the 3 stores in my vicinity that I hadn't visited yet.

So you know I have some some hauls there before, on the hunt for some healthy shit. Pickles, banana peppers, a hidden gem here and there (True North 4 packs, iykyk).

It is barely worth mentioning today. I did pick up some sf hard 🍬 candies & some little bags of Russell Stover sf chocolates (portion control). The only other notable item was a couple cans of G Fuel. And consumer alert- watch the caffeine content in those. Idk if they all are, but some are 300 MG caffeine.

What else did I get? A 6 pack of pretzels. Again, small bags = portion control. Especially for me with carbs. My activity level is pretty high tho so I am trying to give myself on watching the carbs but.... I am starting to think I have a gluten intolerance from some recent lab work.

I got some drink mixes too, but I am pretty sure they are cheaper at walmart. (Confirmed- $1.08 vs 1.25)

Sf Cherry jello 🍒 4 pack

Some coffee. Jim Beam Bourbon Vanilla small bag.

Green tea.

But I swear I looked for some things that people keep saying to run to the dollar tree for ...and didn't find shit. No fun lotions. No quantity of health food.

You also have to watch out because at $1.25 some items are cheaper at walmart, or in packages too small to be a deal. See the drink packs above and the tuna and salmon below.

I did see a pack of freeze dried strawberries and 1 other freezer dried fruit. But the price point on that should be ... a 6 pack like the pretzels or at least a 3 pack. It was a 1 serving bag.

This time, I knew to pass on the tuna & salmon, spices, and certain other staples. They did have nuts but I passed on those because I have some already and too many nuts can make a deficit become a surplus really fucking fast. And I have been plateaued for a bit now.

The plus side is that the store was well kept and maintained, and it was busy so you know product turn over was high.

I remarked on the store being busy and the cashier said, "Yeah, we are always busy the first of the month." That broke my heart a little because the food picks were pretty damn sparse and like I stated earlier- cheaper elsewhere. If people are on food benefits, those little cents add up and it might mean they don't have transportation to Walmart or a grocery store.

I picked up a couple cans of spaghetti sauce, turkey gravy, & white cheese sauce. I thought about getting some pepper stir fry- which I think is a good price still 🤔 but I think my freezers are full right now.

Alot of their other freezer stuff was .... just pre packaged garbage. I think the pepper stir fry was the only vegetable in sight.

Sometimes saving money means not buying stuff at dollar tree even though all those influencers are highlighting their products. If it isn't a good deal and won't save you time or actual money, it's ok to pass. It's OK to walk to the dollar tree. And be skeptical. Price check.

Also beware of items that have higher prices. I think the reason I used to like them is because I didn't have to think about the price so much just see and grab. But that is when everything was a $1, before the 25% price hike. 🤔 but now they have $3 items and $5 items. Be skeptical!

An example of a time/energy/diet saver is when you are in desperate need of lunch and you are in a sea of fast food places. You see a dollar tree and boom, you could be saved: A jar of pickles, a pack of tuna = $2.50. Spring for a beverage for 3.75 total... that is still beating out most fast food places for a meal... or some of them even a plain ass little burger. Idk about ya'll but without a veggie just a burger doesn't really satisfy me right now.

An "I'm craving something sweet" could be those freeze-dried fruit packs or sf jello, a beef jerky & a beverage. It's totally worth it if it stops you from going into a different store and being inundated by all the various high calorie prepacked garbage.

[chamerionwrites]

Apropos of nothing except me making a grocery list whilst dreaming about favorite salads (and deliberately albeit sort of arbitrarily excluding many excellent vegetable dishes which I don’t really consider salads):

Cobb salad wherein you replace some or all of the lettuce with fresh basil

Yum kai dao (Thai fried egg salad; make sure you fry the egg fast in hot oil, so it’s very crispy but the yolk isn’t fully set)

Standard Arabic/shirazi/choban/shopska Mediterranean kinda thing with tomatoes/cucumbers/onions/herbs/citrus/olive oil, optionally also other stuff like peppers, radishes, olives, cheese, pomegranates, etc. Add some toasted pitas and you’ve got fattoush. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and you’ve got a very homey, comforting version with a bit more body, that’s still refreshing enough for summer dinners when you cannot bear to turn on the oven or even the stove.

This super fresh herb & nut & cucumber & lemon number from Sami Tamimi’s Falastin (the version in the book also calls for toasted pumpkin seeds)

Very crunchy thinly sliced cabbage and carrots (you can use one of those bagged cole slaw mixes if you’re in a hurry) mixed up with a whole bunch of fresh cilantro, green onions, lime juice, chopped peanuts, and a drizzle of spicy peanut dressing (I recommend letting some or all of the cabbage chill in the lime juice all day/overnight, maybe with a dash of fish sauce if you’re into that)

Similarly, thinly sliced cabbage and carrots mixed with mango, lime, cilantro, and green onions (again I recommend throwing everything but the cilantro/scallions in a bowl to let the flavors meld). You can add mango to the previous salad too if you have it, but in that one I prefer the mangoes just slightly underripe whereas here without the peanut dressing I want them ripe and serving as the star of the show, you feel me?

Grapefruit & avocado & quick pickled red onions & watercress (this is also incredible with a bit of spicy grilled salmon if you’re eating meat that day)

Honeydew melon, prosciutto, dried figs, goat cheese, walnuts (or something else crunchy), good olive oil and a lemon-balsamic reduction over arugula

Warm goat cheese (are we sensing a decadent theme here), caramelized onions, dried figs, toasted pistachios or pecans, good olive oil and lemon balsamic reduction over arugula.

Put a slight spin on a standard panzanella by grilling the cherry tomatoes, adding chunks of grilled eggplant instead of/in addition to the cucumbers, subbing lemon juice for vinegar, and subbing out the basil for mint. Make sure you zest the lemon too before juicing it. Toss a dollop of yogurt on top if you want.

Winter panzanella loosely inspired by this recipe - personally I use clementine segments instead of oranges because it’s easier and often (unless you have really fresh oranges) better, goat cheese instead of ricotta salata, often add radishes or small fresh turnips (don’t recommend using the big woody ones you often find at the supermarket) for crunch, and while I recognize that it preserves the pretty colors better I cannot be arsed to do the whole bake-in-foil-and-scrub-off-the-skin thing when roasted beets are like fifteen times tastier.

Various other riffs on panzanella. If you find yourself roasting a whole chicken I especially HIGHLY recommend making up some schmaltzy homemade croutons and some schmaltzy black pepper brussels sprouts and tossing all that with some lemon and any other suitable vegetables you have on hand (most decadent version: pomegranates and thinly sliced red onions, with a lemon/pomegranate molasses vinaigrette)

Roasted maple-chile squash (I prefer delicata squash for ease of use/added skin texture/nice shape, tossed in olive oil/sambal oelek/maple syrup/black pepper then roasted), dried cranberries or cherries, toasted squash seeds, maybe some tart apples and/or pecans if you’re feeling fancy, toss it all with some kale and olive oil and balsamic vinegar (you can also do crispy roasted brussels sprouts instead of kale here if you like)

You know how fried chicken and pickles is a thing? Get ahold of some fried chicken, up to and including those premade chicken tenders you find in the freezer section (just please bake them long enough that they’re crispy). Get some pickled banana peppers. Get some sort(s) of sweetish and/or sharpish crunchy root vegetables sliced nice and thin (carrots, radishes, chioggia beets, etc). Whisk up a honey mustard vinaigrette with olive oil and a dash of the banana pickle juice. Put all of that on top of some kind of leafy greens (I like those mixed greens that typically come in bags or cartons for this one, or sometimes baby spinach). Profit.

A lifehack imo is that you simply do not have to eat lettuce in your salads. Spinach, kale, arugula/rocket (my beloved), nasturtiums, mâche, watercress, radicchio, and cabbage all exist. Using A Metric Fuckton Of Herbs is also both viable (and affordable if you have a garden or a sunny windowsill) and 10/10 delicious. Or you can just make a shirazi salad and call it a day. Sometimes the problem is not actually that you don’t like salad, it’s that lettuce is insanely boring unless it’s just-picked fresh or on the rare occasion when you want a caesar salad with some really crunchy romaine

[tim-official]

How do you make a good salad? I been trying to eat healthier and this could help!

ive gotten so good at this oh you have no idea.. my bf is a master chef of salad

a salad is a bowl of texture with a sauce that makes the texture taste good

put as many things as you can in there. just nothing soft. doesn't have to have much lettuce. possibilities: cucumber, cherry tomatoes, zucchini (raw), red onion, green onion, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, broccoli stem, kohlrabi, cauliflower, cooked root vegetables (raw or pickled beets are really good if you cut them very thin). You don't even need lettuce or any leafy green (their main purpose is to be rough and ragged and hold a lot of dressing compared to, like, a cucumber slice)! Just make a bowl of texture!

fruit is good too, for tartness and sweetness. apple slices, dried cranberries, raisins. my secret weapon: dried figs. not too expensive and you only need a few. slice them up. if you can find fresh herbs for not-crazy expensive, those are flavor bombs. throw a sprig of dill in there. or basil.

protein in the form of meat or tofu if you want it. not required

invest in a big thing of nuts (walnuts work well, relatively cheap) and some kind of crumbly cheese (feta is ideal bc cheap, blue if you like stinky). get them at costco if you can. sprinkle just a little of both on top. if you have tortilla chips / potato chips lying around sprinkle some on too. it makes a difference. you get occasionally nutty or cheesy bites. variety. it's exciting and dynamic

the dressing: make your own if you can. make a big batch and keep it in the fridge. a decent "house" dressing is: one part honey, one part red wine vinegar, one part white wine vinegar, one part olive oil. add peanut butter OR tahini (my favorite, seriously, it's magic - not a lot, just a little) for a nice creaminess. other good dressings, search them, there's many recipes: white miso dressing (my personal favorite out of all i've tried), greek yogurt dressing, various takes on "dragon bowl dressing" (based around nutritional yeast and tahini), roasted red pepper dressing (grinding up canned roasted red peppers into a paste) or a really simple balsamic vinegar dressing (balsamic + olive oil + mustard + some source of sweetness). ranch also exists

final life hack: toss the salad before you make it, with the dressing. then move it into the bowl you'll eat it from. when you pour it like this, the smallest bits (crunchy stuff) that was on the bottom of the first bowl after being tossed end up on the top of the salad. i take this very seriously.

tim this seems expensive

it can be, especially upfront. the condiments i have available to me are like 5 types of vinegar, nice olive oil, miso, mirin, tahini, peanut butter, nuts, cheese, nutritional yeast. all those together, most bought from costco, probably cost about 175 bucks but last for many months. thing about a good salad is that you need a great many items but only a tiny amount of each of them.

as for fresh veggies. i get mine from a farm co-op. i go pick them up once a week for 33 bucks, they're fresh-picked and i swear it's like 60 dollars worth of veggies if i got them at the store because i live in quebec and veggies have always been fucking expensive up here. (only problem, if you're a picky eater or have dietary constraints, is you can't always choose what you get). i eat them every meal and still struggle to finish them by the time the next week rolls around. a lot of places have excess produce programs that are similar.

so for me, now, it's cost-effective because i'm eating salads like every day and i have a huge variety so I never get bored. but I had to commit. I only go grocery shopping for, like, condiments, chips, eggs, milk, cream, rice. and I don't eat a ton of meat.

obviously this is not accessible to everyone, because Hell World and food deserts and subsidies for grain only. i didn't even mention the labor of cleaning + chopping all these things. but hopefully this gives you an idea of what you could do with what you have. (you do not, as i do, need to own five types of vinegar.)

[abruzcadabra]

My grocery list

I’m putting my grocery list in a blog post so that others can get a specific picture of how the things I buy help save me money and simplify my life. You may notice that some things are in odd categories-I’m not a nutritionist. Also, you’ll probably notice that there is very few premade items, mostly sauces. Hope it is somewhat interesting. There is a copy and paste-able list at the bottom. I have also written a blog post with recipes I commonly use these ingredients in.

Meat

I buy meats that have multiple uses. My regulars are: flank steak, chicken thighs, ground beef (80/20), eggs, and fish. I use flank steak because it is lean and a good cut, but still inexpensive. I like chicken thigh because they are less expensive and more moist than breasts, but just as versatile a protein. Ground beef is good for tacos, burgers, and adding to dishes. I like 80/20 because it isn’t too dry to cook on its own and it is cheaper. Eggs are a great source of easy protein and fairly inexpensive. The kind of fish I get depends on the prices. I always look at the prices so I know when there’s a deal. I don’t buy if there are no deals. I like fish, but it can be very pricey. Especially for meat I would recommend going to a Costco business center or Chef Store. I buy in bulk and portion it into reusable bags. 

Veggies and fruits

Staples: Avocado, Banana, Tomato, Romaine, Apple (Fuji or Gala), Potato, Garlic, Onion, Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus, Broccoli (frozen), Peas (frozen), Corn (frozen) 

Variable: Sweet potato, Blueberries, Grapes, Raspberries, Mango, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Spaghetti Squash, Mushrooms, Sweet Peppers, Carrots, Turnips

Seasonal/Occasional: Ginger, Cherries, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Artichoke, Celery, Pineapple

Spices

Spices accumulate over time and do not need to be purchased frequently. I will list them according to how important/versatile I think they are.

Staples: Cumin, Paprika, Thyme, Rosemary, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Good to have: Turmeric, Fennel, Nutmeg, Cloves, Chili Powder, Cayenne, Red Pepper, Parsley, Chives, Oregano, Sage, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Sesame Seeds

Used sparingly: Cardamom, Seasoned Salt

Carbs

I don’t eat wheat-it just disagrees with me. I substitute pastas with mung bean noodles. We eat a lot of tacos with corn tortillas. I occasionally use rice. I keep walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, peanuts (in-shell), and sunflower seeds on hand for snacking, adding to salads, and grinding up to make breadings. 

Sauces

I have a lot of sauces since they keep well. Those include, but are probably not limited to: ketchup, mustard (deli, yellow, sometimes honey), mayo, soy, oyster, Worchester, A1, peanut, sweet chili, tapatio, crystal, lemon juice, lime juice, teriyaki, BBQ, jelly, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla flavoring, 

Oils and vinegar

Avocado oil for high heat, olive oil for not so hot, coconut oil, lard for seasoning the cast iron, balsamic (which I also make a glaze from), apple cider vinegar. I keep white vinegar under the sink for cleaning and crafts. 

Dairy

Heavy whipping cream is delicious and can be used in anything calling for milk-watered down if necessary, but milk cannot be whipped. Occasionally fancy cheese for cheese and meats date nights. Dried non-fat milk. Sour cream. Greek yogurt-plain or honey flavor. Butter.

Canned/jarred

Soups, tuna, spam (for musubi), beans (black and refried), enchilada sauce, spaghetti sauce, artichoke hearts, pickles, jalapenos, olives (black and green/Kalamata)

Other

Corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, bouillon, tortilla chips, salsa

I just replace these things as they run out. It is a diverse enough list to make many recipes, but small enough that it isn’t too costly nor strenuous to maintain. As I run out of things, I add it to my list. When the list is long enough, or has items that are of greater importance, I go shopping.

Just Lists

Staples:

flank steak, chicken thighs, ground beef (80/20), eggs, fish,  Avocado, Banana, Tomato, Romaine, Apple (Fuji or Gala), Potato, Garlic, Onion, Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus, Broccoli (frozen), Peas (frozen), Corn (frozen),  Cumin, Paprika, Thyme, Rosemary, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, corn tortillas, mung bean noodles, rice, walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, ketchup, mustards, mayo, soy, tapatio, lemon juice, lime juice, teriyaki, BBQ, jelly, peanut butter, avocado oil, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, butter, tuna, beans, enchilada sauce, spaghetti sauce, pickles, jalapenos, olives, corn starch, baking soda, bouillon, tortilla chips

Extras:

Sweet potato, Blueberries, Grapes, Raspberries, Mango, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Spaghetti Squash, Mushrooms, Sweet Peppers, Carrots, Turnips, Turmeric, Fennel, Nutmeg, Cloves, Chili Powder, Cayenne, Red Pepper, Parsley, Chives, Oregano, Sage, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Sesame Seeds, cashews, peanuts,  oyster sauce, Worchester, A1, peanut sauce, sweet chili sauce, crystal hot sauce, maple syrup, vanilla flavor, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, dried non-fat milk, Greek yogurt, canned soups, spam, artichoke hearts, salsa

[purplesurveys]

900

1. What’s the last thing you ate? Shawarma. It was a usual meal of mine at school so I’ve been missing it a lot during this quarantine, and I was happy when my dad got me a couple ones yesterday.

2. What’s your favourite cheese? I haven’t been super experimental when it comes to cheese mainly because the better ones are a little expensive and I’m more willing to spend my money on other foods...but the best one I’ve had is feta.

3. What’s your favourite fish? My favorite cooked or grilled fish is tilapia and eel; as for raw fish I love tuna.

4. What’s your favourite fruit? I don’t really like fruit but I’m open to eating avocado-flavored things like shakes and cheesecake; and I’m okay with strawberry-flavored candy hahaha.

5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I’ve never liked olives. I take them out of my pizza and such.

6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? I never *liked* beer but sometimes I’ll have a bottle if and only if it’s to socialize at a party. I just keep the grimace to myself lol because I personally never found it good. I had my first beer at Marielle’s debut, four years ago.

7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? High school. That was when my palate started to expand and I wanted to try being more adventurous with food. I got into shellfish pretty early on and my mom even used to buy a kilo of mussels just for me. 

8. What was the best thing your mum/dad/guardian used to make? I love my dad’s laksa, risotto, curries, and chicken wings. My mom doesn’t cook much but I do like her spaghetti.

9. What’s the native specialty of your hometown? My city doesn’t have native food of its own; and I’m not sure about my province’s specialtes either only because cuisines from other provinces are far more popular. I can say though that most visitors who come to the country often try adobo, sinigang, kare-kare, and bulalo.

10. What’s your comfort food? Cheeseburgers, samgyeopsal, pad thai, and chicken wings.

11. What’s your favourite type of chocolate? Milk chocolate. And it gets a lot of flak because it’s not actually chocolate, but I do enjoy the flavor of white chocolate too.

12. How do you like your steak? Rare.

13. How do you like your burger? I like mine with caramelized onions, a mayo-based sauce, and brioche buns; barbecue sauce or jalapeños are add-ons I have no problem being put in my burger. I don’t like tomatoes, pickles, and lettuce.

14. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled if on toast; omelette with cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers if with rice; and obviously, poached if on top of an Eggs Benedict. I don’t have a preferred style for eggs.

15. How do you like your potatoes? As French fries or mojos.

16. How do you take your coffee? If someone is making the coffee for me, I request for lots of cream and sugar. I’d drink any kind of coffee but black. If I’m at a coffee shop I typically get caramel macchiato.

17. How do you take your tea? I enjoy lemonade iced tea. I don’t really like hot tea.

18. What’s your favourite mug? I suppose my favorite is the only mug I own, which is a white mug that changes colors depending on the temperature of the drink inside.

19. What’s your biscuit or cookie of choice? I can’t stand biscuits anymore because those are what my grandma/mom packed for my recess nearly everyday throughout grade school. I don’t like store-brought cookies either because they taste super processed, but my favorite as a kid were the Presto peanut butter cookies.

20. What’s your ideal breakfast? Garlic rice, a packed omelette, and hashbrowns if I’m somewhere fancy. Scrambled eggs and hotdogs when I’m at home.

21. What’s your ideal sandwich? Monte Cristo or banh mi.

22. What’s your ideal pizza: Quattro formaggi. If we’re talking more experimental pizzas, barbecue pizza is a guilty pleasure.

23. What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savoury)? I’m not a big pie person but I do love savory a lot more, like chicken pot pie. I think most of the sweet pies out there are fruit-based anyway.

24. What’s your ideal salad? Spicy tuna salad. I’ve been having such a craving for it :(

25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? We always have white bread, eggs, my mom’s cranberry juice, and veggies.

26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? In the freezer we never run out of various meats and frozen meal packs, like frozen bangus, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, French fries, etc. We also often have ice cream, but it’s not a must-have for us obviously.

27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Pasta, canned food like luncheon meat and corned beef, cup noodles, various condiments like soy sauce and fish sauce, 3-in-1 coffee.

28. What spices can you not live without? I can’t cook but I do know I like salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. I’m sure I’m missing other essential ones lol

29. What sauces can you not live without? Sriracha, bagoong, banana ketchup, gochujang, peanut sauce, gravy, barbecue sauce, aioli, mayonnaise.

30. Where do you buy most of your food? My parents don’t have a supermarket preference; they just go to wherever is most convenient for them at the moment. Once I start doing my own grocery shopping though I would rather go to a supermarket where they’d have a wider selection for foreign foods, like those that would have Pop-Tarts and sriracha sauce. Just the foodie in me that constantly has to have food from other cultures.

31. How often do you go food shopping? My parents do the groceries once every two or three weeks, I think.

33. What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? Aside from the obvious ref or cooking range, probably the coffee maker. Not sure how much it cost my parents but it’s supposed to be branded haha.

34. What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? Dad bought a couple of pans because he didn’t like how our old ones were starting to get too many scratches.

35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? Refrigerator. So many things would spoil without it...that’s why when we get blackouts the first thing we worry about is how long the ref would stay cold.

36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? I’ve only done it once.

37. What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients?

38. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig and poultry? Crocodile, carabao, lamb.

39. What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? Don’t remember exactly when but it has to be sometime recently. I’m not too grossed out by this.

40. What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild? I have never done this.

41. Arrange the following in order of preference: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Sushi – Indian, Thai, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican. This question is a teeny bit annoying and a little offensive. How would you like it if I referred to American food as ‘ribs’ lol

42. Arrange the following in order of preference: Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum – Vodka, rum, (some) whiskey. I don’t drink brandy because that’s what my grandpa, who had alcohol issues, used to drink.

43. Arrange the following in order of preference: Garlic, Basil, Lime, Mint, Ginger, Aniseed – Aniseed, garlic, basil, ginger, lime, mint.

44. Arrange the following in order of preference: Pineapple, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon, Banana. –

45. Bread and spread: I don’t really munch on this particular food. Toast and butter is enough for me.

46. What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? It’s either KFC or Jollibee. In KFC I get a Zinger and a brownie; in Jollibee, I usually order the chicken-spaghetti set, large fries, and a Yum Burger. If they have tuna pie on the menu I’d get that too. My appetite gets exceptionally large when it comes to Jollibee hahahaha.

47. Pick a city. What are the best dining experiences you’ve had in that city? I no longer remember what exactly I ate but I had a blaaaast eating in Bali. I also had a sushi platter in Fukuoka that I’ll never forget.

48. What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? I don’t drink regularly but if I’m out with friends and we want to chill after a tiring day, we get a pitcher of a mixed drink.

49. What’s the next thing you’ll eat? Eggs and hotdogs for breakfast. Probably with bread.

50. Are you hungry now? A little bit, considering it’s nearly 10 and I still haven’t had breakfast.

51. Do you eat your breakfast everyday? I’ve been having it everyday now because I’ve been home for...most of the year...sigh. But I skipped it all the time when I was in school because getting to class on time and having a clean attendance record mattered to me more than filling up my stomach. 52. At what time do you have breakfast? On weekdays I have it between 9-10 AM. On weekends when my parents are home, we have brunch instead at around 10:30-11 AM because they wake up late.

53. At what time do you have lunch? I normally skip lunch now. In school I just had tiny eating breaks throughout the day, but I didn’t have lunch per se.

54. What do you have for lunch? My usual purchases were instant noodles/kwek-kwek, tapsilog from Rodic’s, or shawarma rice. Thrived on these three for my entire college life.

55. At what time do you have dinner? 7-8 PM, depending on whenever my dad is finished cooking.

56. What do you have for dinner? My dad likes changing up our dishes everyday :) It’s one of my favorite things about quarantine. Outside of the quarantine, I’ve never had a main dinner dish.

57. Do you light candles during dinner? No.

58. How many chairs are there in your dining room and who sits in the main chair? 6 chairs. We don’t have a ‘main’ chair that’s larger than the rest, but my dad is the one who sits on the chair on one end of the dining table, or what we call the kabisera in Filipino. My mom, siblings, and I sit on either side of him. 

59. Do you eat and drink using your right hand or the left one? I use my right hand for the spoon and my left hand for the fork. I drink with my right hand most of the time.

61. Mention the veggies that you like most: Broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, string beans. Idk what eggplants and bell peppers are but I like those too.

62. What fruit and vegetable do you like the least? Cucumber and ampalaya. 63. You like your fruit salad to have more: Air. Hahahaha I do not like fruit salads.

64. You prefer your vegetable salad to contain more: I love vegetables but don’t really eat vegetable salads? I don’t think I’ve even heard of those.

65. What’s your favourite sandwich spread? Whatever goes on banh mi.

66. What’s your favourite chocolate bar? Whittaker’s peanut butter chocolate.

67. What’s your favourite dessert? I really love macarons, cupcakes, and cheesecake.

68. What’s your favourite drink? Just water. Other drinks make me fuller more quickly.

69. What’s your favourite snack? Pringles, French fries, corndogs...anything deep-fried, really.

70. What’s your favourite bubble gum flavour? Strawberry, or just the original bubblegum flavor.

71. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour? Salted caramel, queso real, or cookies and cream.

72. What’s your favourite potato chip flavour? Original or sour cream and onion.

73. What’s your favourite soup? Miso. Have to have it whenever I have Japanese food.

74. What’s your favourite pizza? Already answered this, but I will always order quattro formaggi if I see it on a menu.

75. What’s your favourite type of dish? I have lots of favorites, but I think chicken curry takes the cake for me. 

76. What food do you hate? Fruits, any dessert with fruits.

77. What’s your favourite restaurant? Yabu. It’s a Japanese restaurant that doesn’t even serve sushi (because I’m still ticked off by that sushi question lol).

78. Do you eat homemade food, or food delivered from outside? These days I eat food cooked by either parent. But when I’m on my own, I buy my food.

80. Who cooks at home? My dad does most of the time. My mom will make breakfast on the weekends.

81. What kind of diet (e.g. low-fat, high-fiber, high-carbohydrate, balanced diet etc.) do you have? I’m not on any.

82. How do you keep yourself fit? I just moderate my food intake in general and make sure I stop eating once I feel full. I don’t work out or count calories and stuff.

[cruiseshipcrayz]

Specialty Dining onboard Symphony of the Seas- Jamie’s Italian

The term "foodie" is tossed around a lot, and I never thought of myself as one unless it means someone who likes to eat a lot of good food then heck yea I am a "foodie." Do I know the science of food, recipes, and what ingredients are in a dish just by tasting it? Of course not, but put a spread in front of me that looks like I am going to be in a food coma in under an hour and I am going to tell the world about it. 

As a born and raised New Englander, I have dined in some pretty fantastic restaurants in Boston Massachusetts, New York City, Portland Maine, and Providence Rhode Island all of which are very well known to have some of the best food in the country so my expectations are always very high regardless of where I am. 

Being an avid cruiser since 2000, I have experienced the complementary food being incredible to horrible, and back to incredible so there is some fluctuation in the complimentary dining. Where I have only experienced absolutely fantastic food and service consistently?  The specialty dining experiences offered. It is not a secret that specialty dining is becoming very popular amongst the cruise lines and the more time goes on, the more options we have. That being said, sailing aboard the world's largest cruise ship gives you plenty of specialty dining options. 

Let's take an overall look at the specialty dining currently offered onboard Symphony of the Seas.

Specialty dining onboard Symphony: Hooked Seafood, Playmakers Sports bar & Arcade, Izumi, Johnny Rockets, Wonderland, 150 Central Park, Chops Grille, Jamie's Italian, and Coastal Kitchen (for Suite Guest only). 

Unfortunately, I was not able to get to every restaurant but picked the ones I was most curious about, Jamie's Italian, Wonderland, and Playmakers! 

Jamie's Italian:

From celebrity British chef Jamie Oliver comes Jamie's Italian. Found on multiple Royal Caribbean ships across the fleet and coming to more, Jamie's Italian caught my attention on numerous Royal Caribbean Ships, but I was finally able to enjoy this venue onboard the beautiful Symphony of the Seas. Located amongst 12,000 live plans in Central Park on deck eight, Jamie's is tucked away directly across from Park Cafe, so dining alfresco is limited but available. I was lucky enough to have the chef bring out some of the best dishes, because why not ask the guy in charge.

We started with the "Classic Meat Plank," and the "Crispy Squid." The plank came with Fennel salami, pistachio mortadella, San Daniele prosciutto & schiacciata piccante with mini buffalo mozzarella, pecorino & chilli jam, pickles, olives. & rainbow slaw.  The mini buffalo mozzarella, being my favorite type of cheese, was the first thing on my fork and the flavor of the topping of an Italian fig brought a sweetness that made me realize buffalo mozzarella can be even better than it already is.  The crispy squid (calamari) was fried to perfection and had a light crunch to it paired with a garlicky mayo dipping sauce.

Next, the Bruschettas,  one "Tomato," and one "Avocado and Crab." The tomato bruschetta with roasted cherry tomatoes, whipped ricotta cheese, basil, and olive oil was the perfect amount of a sweet creamy crunch that just drove my taste buds to a level I never thought possible. The avocado and fresh crab bruschetta with apples, yogurt, and chili was the perfect blend of the sweetness from the crab, the thickness of the avocado and crunchiness from the apples but surprisingly not spicy even with the chili.

Now onto pasta and lucky for me the chef must have known that I am a seafood lover because he chose the "Prawn Linguine." The linguini with garlicky prawns, fennel tomatoes, chili and topped with a peppery arugula dressed with olive oil. Without question one of the best pasta dishes, I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy with the perfect blend of garlic, sweet tomato sauce, and pepper.  

The main course, "Lamb Chops Scottadito." Now I am not typically a lamb fan but my mind has been changed. These artisan, free-range lamb chops are cooked to a perfect medium-rare that just melts in your mouth paired with agrodolce peppers and balsamic basil pesto, that is enough to make anyone into a fan of lamb!

Now, last and best, "Jamie's Dessert Plank."  Yes, a dessert plank because why have just one when you can have a plank. This amazing plank comes with four different amazing homemade desserts, an "Epic Chocolate Brownie,"  "Raspberry Pavlova," "Amalfi Lemon Meringue Cheesecake," and "Tiramisu." 

The brownie  is made with 70% dark chocolate and topped with caramelized amaretto popcorn and chocolate syrup.

Next, the Raspberry Pavlova, a raspberry meringue cookie topped with honeycomb and raspberry syrup, proved to me that I need to have pavlovas in my life daily.  

The Amalfi Lemon Meringue Cheesecake was the biggest explosion of flavors I have ever experience from a dessert, and I teared up a little after tasting this.

Finally, Tiramisu but this is not just any tiramisu, this is a Jamie Oliver tiramisu, so let's take ladyfingers throw them away and then replace them with sponge cake and then realize everything you know about Italian desserts should be changed!  Jamie's Italian is open daily for lunch ($25.00) and dinner ($34.99), lunch and price can vary per cruise. If this specialty experience is not on your list of restaurants to try on your cruise well click here to add it to your calendar on cruise planner, you'll thank me later!  Jamie's is currently available onboard Symphony, Harmony, Navigator, Mariner, Quantum, Anthem, Ovation, and coming soon to Spectrum  Stayed Tuned for parts two and three of "Specialty Dining onboard Symphony" next up, Playmakers! 

Check out Symphony of the Seas on our Member Portal! 

[skwonkk]

Apple pie for you and me Honeydew, artichoke, hearts of lettuce Such as bread, cream, white sauce, and aspic "Ooh la la, ooh la la" chanted the traffic wardens but Steve was in no mood for Swedish Volleyball that day. He swore to himself that if Erica came home again dressed like a chicken, he would tell the Monopolies Commission who had really been putting cream cakes in the Lord Mayor of London's underpants. Then, the avocado dip would really hit the fan! Bacon blue bread dog eared... Buttered bagels and lox, cream cheese, rhubarb (Food) I'll never keep you waitin' like a green banana See what to do to all those healthy basil leaves I want a bean feast And I got myself a beer Well, those brownies oughta be just about ready now Caramel. With a carrot nose and hat on Extol your sacrifice with fine caviars and aspics Then maybe carrots and celery And they’re begging for a taste of my cherry pie Two squares of dark chocolate And you put some cinnamon, in a cup. Drinking coffee every hour until one You get cola from a nut Eating cookies when no one's lookin'! When the corn is past its prime Cotton candy clouds Cupcakes, icing pops Cream buns and doughnuts Think of the fondue that we’ll be sharin'! Pulling up the garlic Lots of gingerbread men At least I know about the grapes! Add the ham pieces Become the land of hamburgers and raisins that can sing? Hot dogs and baked beans and sauerkraut With a three scoop ice cream cone in his hand Ketchup and salt and ground beef Lemons growin' on our tree Lime and sugar, sprig of mint Sorrows lollipop lands stick-broken on a dark carnival ground Percy, the hapless FBI agent, disguised as a Russian reindeer salesman, slid into the sushi bar in downtown Frankfurt and realised with a start that the man with the macaroni on his head was infact his ex-wife Rosemary; herself disguised as a Peruvian professor of Chemistry. The boot was on the other foot however, when he showed her his Swiss Army pen-knife Pink macaroons We'll have biscuits marmalade, on a bench near the park Now I’m soft like a marshmallow She's had trouble with that milk and the moon ever since maybe it's a Chocolate cake, big milkshakes Peanut butter sandwiches, English muffins Black-bottomed mushrooms and chicken pot pie Door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove Omelette The layers of your onion, your emotional disease just Darth Orange Juice Do you like pancakes? Haven’t ever tasted a Georgia Peach But they still go for peanuts And sauté the onions and green pepper 'til they're tender When you're in a pickle and ya plum surrounded And pineapple patties to grill It helps us make pizza, it keeps things in line You bring the popcorn PotaTo potaTo potaTo If you wanna try Some Piggy Plum Pie Cakes puddings and pies White hat on a pumpkin Raisins come from grapes, people come from apes Over rice! Oh, the ricotta we'll be digesting! Like cooked meats, fruit salad, soil foods, and yolk! You love spiced salmon strudel. Fried egg sandwich, white bread, bottle of HP (White bread, white bread) Bacon, egg and sausage I like cake and scones, ice cream cones You bring the soda And some folks loves ham hocks and some folks loves pork chops and some folks love vegetable soup Spaghetti! He always ate in the Steak Bar. He loved to drive in his Jaguar. Oh strawberry moon She's a sad tomato Eat a bucket of tuna-flavored pudding, then wash it down with a gallon of strawberry Quik Vanilla chocolat Waffles! The look on your face will be priceless when you find that forty pound watermelon in your colon Whiskey bottles piling high I will drink the wine while it is warm Yogurt, butterscotch, granola

[livingcorner]

10 Terrific Ways to Use All Your Summer Tomatoes

When I was a kid, I would not eat tomatoes. I swore I hated them. Sure I would eat ketchup and tomato sauce, but not actual tomatoes. When I became vegan, everything changed. Suddenly, I learned to love lots of foods I wouldn’t eat before, and tomatoes were one of them. Currently, I eat tomatoes every single day in one form or another. They are one of the foods I cannot run out of or I feel lost and deprived. Summer is a great time for tomatoes. This is when they are at their best – deep red, juicy and intense in flavor. There are Beefsteaks, Roma Plums, Vine-Ripened, Grape, Cherry, Heirloom, and so many other types of tomatoes. Each has their own flavor and personality and each can be used in multiple ways.

You're reading: 10 Terrific Ways to Use All Your Summer Tomatoes

If you grow tomatoes, you will probably be swamped with them by the end of summer. Maybe you are the lucky recipient of someone who has too many to use or maybe you are indulging in the bounty of the farmers market. However you come by your tomatoes, now is the perfect time to try new and exciting things with them. Of course, you know you can use fresh tomatoes to make tomato sauce or salsa, and you know they taste great in salads and sandwiches. Well, here are 10 different ways to use all those beautiful summer tomatoes.

1. Make Homemade Bruschetta

Heirloom Tomato and White Bean Bruschetta

Tomatoes can have no better friends than fruity olive oil, savory garlic, and crispy bread. Bruschetta is a favorite appetizer or hors d’ouvres. I make a Garlic Tomato Bruschetta that is so good, that and a glass of white wine is all I need for dinner. Here’s how I make it: Preheat the broiler. Place thin slices of Italian, Ciabatta or French bread onto a baking sheet.

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over them and broil for just 3-4 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven and set them aside. In a skillet, heat a spoon of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for a minute until the garlic starts to soften. Add 1 pint of halved grape tomatoes and toss in the seasoned oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes soften. Season with salt and pepper and spoon the tomatoes onto the toasted bread. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and vegan grated parmesan. Make a lot. This is addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Read more: 10 Vegetables to Plant in the Fall and Winter That Will Withstand the Cold

2. Make Soup – Raw or Cooked

Gazpacho is a Spanish soup that is served cold. It’s also easy to make – just blend ripe tomatoes with any other produce you desire onions, cucumber, bell peppers and even watermelon. Chill it and enjoy it. It couldn’t be easier. This Raw Tomato Red Pepper Soup combines meaty tomatoes, sweet bell pepper and spicy chipotle for a refreshing and beautiful soup. If you prefer your tomato soup hot, try this traditional Quick and Rich Tomato Soup or this creamy Tomato Coconut Soup.

3. Make Stuffed Tomatoes

Usually, when we make stuffed dishes, we put tomatoes into the vegetable we are stuffing but how about stuffing the tomatoes themselves? All you have to do is hollow out the tomatoes and replace the pulp with your favorite fillings. Toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes, and then stuff them with your favorite spread or vegan cheese. Broil them until the cheese melts and the tomatoes soften about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and impress your guests with this beautiful appetizer.

Larger tomatoes can be stuffed to make a healthy and delicious entrée or side dish. I hollow out large beefsteak tomatoes and stuff them with a mixture of sauteed mushrooms, spinach, quinoa and the pulp from the tomatoes. Place them in a baking dish, sprinkle a few bread crumbs atop each one and bake for 30 minutes. For a lighter dish, stuff the tomatoes with your favorite summer salads like this Chickpea Waldorf Salad or this Tempeh “Tuna” Salad. It’s refreshing and you get to eat the plate!

4. Make Your Own Dried Tomatoes

I love sun-dried tomatoes. They add a tangy flavor to dishes and make a great snack too. You can buy sun-dried tomatoes in the store but why not make your own? Whether you use a dehydrator, your oven or the sun, it’s easy to dry foods yourself. To make your own oven-dried tomatoes, halve ripe tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and toss the tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set your oven on its lowest temperature (150 degrees) and let the tomatoes cook for eight hours or until they have shrunken. Then use your self-dried tomatoes to make Raw Lasagna with Cilantro Pesto, Sundried Tomatoes and Marinated Veggies, Quinoa with Secret Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and this beautiful Sun-dried Tomato Tart with Zucchini Hummus.

5. Make Fried Green Tomatoes

Red tomatoes shouldn’t have all the fun; green ones deserve love too. Unripe green tomatoes are the star of the southern dish, Fried Green Tomatoes. Because they are unripe, green tomatoes are firmer with less moisture which means they hold up to frying better. You could fry red tomatoes but if they are juicy, it could get messy. Simply slice the tomatoes, bread them and fry them. Try these Fried Green Beer Tomatoes which are coated with cornmeal and dark beer or my Cajun-flavored Fried Green Tomatoes with Red Pepper Aioli.

6. Make Roasted Tomatoes

Tomatoes are sweet but when you roast them, they get this intense, rich flavor that is savory and succulent. Roasted tomatoes are delicious on their own as a side dish or used in other recipes. Just place halved tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and your favorite herbs and spices. You can roast them fast in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes or slowly in a 250-degree oven for a couple of hours until they are collapsed and softened. Then enjoy them in dishes like this bowl of Miso Roasted Tomatoes with Spiralized Carrot Noodles and these Grilled Avocados with Roasted Tomatoes.

7. Make Pickled Tomatoes

Pickled and fermented foods are delicious with their unique tang and saltiness. We eat pickled cabbage as sauerkraut, pickled onions, carrots and other veggies as kimchi and pickled cucumbers as…well, pickles. So why not pickle tomatoes? It’s easy, they can last a long time, and you can eat them on sandwiches or in salads or on their own. To make pickled tomatoes: cook your favorite spices such as garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger, cumin or mustard seeds in some olive oil for just a minute or two to deepen their flavors. Add one cup of your favorite vinegar and ¼ cup sugar to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. This is the brine. Add some salt and let the mixture cool. Take a sterilized jar and fill it with peeled, ripe tomatoes cut into wedges or whatever shape you desire. Pour the brine over the tomatoes. Be sure to leave about ½ inch of room at the top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. The longer you let the tomatoes pickle in the brine, the better they will be.

8. Make Homemade Chile Sauce

Chile sauce is amazing. It’s rich, sweet, spicy and tangy all at the same time. It’s used in lots of recipes, especially Asian ones. You can buy bottles of chile sauce but some have ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and others can be expensive. When I ran out of chile sauce in the middle of making a recipe, I couldn’t substitute anything else so I learned to make my own. It was much simpler than I thought it would be and now I always make it myself.

Let me share my recipe with you: Combine 2 cups of fresh, pureed tomatoes (plums have the best flavor), ¼ cup tomato paste, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 chopped jalapeno peppers, 1 tsp. each garlic powder and chile powder, ½ tsp. each dry mustard powder and onion powder, a pinch of allspice, and 2 Tbs. vegan Worcestershire sauce in a food processor. If you don’t have vegan Worcestershire sauce, you can use 1 Tbs. each tamari and balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want extra heat. Process until smooth and taste for any seasoning adjustments. Keep in a jar in the fridge and use it in recipes such as Braised Seitan Short Ribs in Spicy Chile Sauce, Mississippi Comeback Sauce and Sesame Tofu.

Read more: Create a Beautiful Garden Bed with These Edging Ideas

9. Make Tomato Desserts

Yes, desserts. We use spinach, avocado, and zucchini in desserts so why not tomatoes? After all, tomatoes are a fruit and with more recipes mixing sweet and savory tastes, tomatoes are a perfect ingredient for desserts. The next time you go to make your own ice cream or sorbet, consider giving tomatoes a try by either adding one or two to the recipe or going totally tomato-flavored. Add some little tomato wedges to fruit cocktail or these Raw Fruit Tartlets.  Their gentle flavor mingles well with strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, mango, pears, melon and berries. Garnish your tomato dessert with fresh mint or basil leaves.

10. Freeze Your Tomatoes

Even though you can buy tomatoes year round, they are only in season for a short time. Or perhaps, you grew so many tomatoes, you can’t possibly use them all, no matter how many tomato ideas and recipes I give you. Well, the good news is that you can freeze tomatoes so you can enjoy them all year long. Tomatoes can be frozen with their skins or peeled, raw or cooked, whole, chopped, sliced or pureed. If you make tomato soup or sauce, you can also freeze the prepared foods.

To freeze tomatoes, select ones that are ripe and firm. Wash them gently and blot them dry. Prepare the tomatoes by cutting them into the desired shape and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer. After they are frozen, transfer the tomatoes to freezer bags or sealed storage containers. When you need them, just thaw them out and use them in any cooked recipe (thawed tomatoes will be too mushy to eat like you would a fresh tomato). Frozen tomatoes can last up to 8 months so you can be enjoying summer tomatoes in the middle of a winter snowstorm.

There is no food more versatile than the tomato. Sweet or savory, raw or cooked, alone or as part of a recipe, tomatoes are nature’s candy. I hope you have fun trying these ways of using your summer tomato bounty and if you have any bushels leftover, send them my way.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App , which is available for iPhone , and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook . The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter !

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Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/10-terrific-ways-to-use-all-your-summer-tomatoes/

[lovemesomesurveys]

FOOD SURVEY

1. What’s the last thing you ate? Ramen.

2. What’s your favourite cheese? I love many different kinds of cheese. Cheese makes everything better.

3. What’s your favourite fish? I don’t have one.

4. What’s your favourite fruit? Banana.

5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I don’t know when exactly, but I’ve liked black olives for as long as I can remember. I’ve never liked green olives.

6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? I never liked beer.

7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? Never. 

8. What was the best thing your mum/dad/guardian used to make? Not used to, they still do cook delicious meals. A few of my faves are my mom’s lasagna, meatballs, and tacos and my dad’s spaghetti and scrambled eggs. Also, I’m not a big burger person and I don’t like steak or porkchops, but the rest of my family loves when my dad makes those things. 

9. What’s the native specialty of your hometown? Probably Mexican food.

10. What’s your comfort food? Ramen.

11. What’s your favourite type of chocolate? Milk and white chocolate. 

12. How do you like your steak? I don’t.

13. How do you like your burger? Not a big burger person, but if I eat one it’s gotta be well done. I don’t want any red in my meat. *gag*

14. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled, sunny-side up, hardboiled, deviled... I love eggs.

15. How do you like your potatoes? Like every way they come, ha. I also love potatoes. 

16. How do you take your coffee? With flavored cream or cream and sugar.

17. How do you take your tea? With a packet of sweetener. 

18. What’s your favourite mug? It’s blue on the outside and yellow on the inside with Peter Pan and the gang on it. 

19. What’s your biscuit or cookie of choice? Sugar cookies or shortbread.

20. What’s your ideal breakfast? Scrambled eggs with shredded cheese and spinach, country gravy, hash browns, and coffee.

21. What’s your ideal sandwich? Either bologna and sharp cheddar or colby jack cheese, mustard, and mayo or turkey, salami, either of those cheeses, spinach, mayo, and mustard. Also, a pickle on the side and some olive oil for dipping. I miss a good deli sandwich, though. That sounds really good.

22. What’s your ideal pizza: White sauce, feta and ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic, and crumbled meatballs with pesto on top and ranch for dipping.

23. What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savoury)? The only pie I like is cheesecake.

24. What’s your ideal salad? Lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, black olives, shredded cheese, shredded carrots, pieces of hardboiled egg, and ranch. I used to love peppercinis as well, but I can’t eat spicy stuff anymore. :(

25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? I like to have some kind of sandwich fixins so that I can always make a lunch. <<< Same. And eggs. And shredded cheese cause I like to add it to my ramen.

26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? Healthy Choice steamers pesto pasta meal things, pizza, and Smart Ones breakfast meals.

27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Ramen. 

28. What spices can you not live without? Garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, chives, paprika (a must for deviled eggs). 

29. What sauces can you not live without? Ranch, olive oil, pesto, marinara, white sauce, mayo, sour cream, gravy, sausage gravy...  I don’t know for sure if a few of those fall under the sauce category, but whatever.

30. Where do you buy most of your food? Walmart and another local grocery store.

31. How often do you go food shopping? We do two big grocery shopping trips a month with a few quick trips in between if we need something.

33. What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? The fridge, probably.

34. What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? Hmm. I think it was the home beer dispenser my brother and I got my dad for Christmas. 

35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? Keurig, fridge, stove, and microwave.

36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? I never do. I’m not a cook at all, the only things I make are microwavable, cooked in the oven (frozen foods like pizzas), or made on the stovetop (ramen).

37. What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients? Wait, unless you count making hardboiled eggs for deviled eggs. If so, then there’s that. However, that just consists of me putting the eggs in a hardboiled egg cooker thing. I don’t have do much, ha.

38. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig and poultry? That’s the only kind I eat. 

39. What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? I don’t do that ever. If it falls on the ground, it’s trash now to me.

40. What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild? I’ve never done that.

41. Arrange the following in order of preference: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Sushi – Italian, Mexican, Chinese. I don’t eat Indian, Thai, or sushi.

42. Arrange the following in order of preference: Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum – I don’t drink.

43. Arrange the following in order of preference: Garlic, Basil, Caramel, Lime, Mint, Ginger, Aniseed – Garlic, basil, mint, caramel, ginger, lime. Not sure what aniseed is.

44. Arrange the following in order of preference: Pineapple, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon, Banana. – Banana, strawberry, watermelon, apple. I don’t like orange, pineapple, or cherry.

45. Bread and spread: Wheat, white, sourdough, bagels. Pesto, olive oil, peanut butter, mayo, garlic spread, cream cheese. 

46. What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? I don’t have one anymore. 

47. Pick a city. What are the best dining experiences you’ve had in that city? Bubba Gump restaurant is fun place with good food.

48. What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? I don’t drink.

49. What’s the next thing you’ll eat? I’m not sure.

50. Are you hungry now? A little bit. 

51. Do you eat your breakfast everyday? I rarely do now. I was doing pretty good for awhile, but then I started sleeping in past 2PM and having late lunch. 

52. At what time do you have breakfast? If I do eat breakfast food nowadays, it’s for dinner.

53. At what time do you have lunch? Like 4 or 5PM.

54. What do you have for lunch? Usually either a sandwich or a Healthy Choice steamers microwave thingy.

55. At what time do you have dinner? Around 8PM.

56. What do you have for dinner? I have a small list of foods I eat cause I’m picky and have food/appetite issues, but I’ll have something like spaghetti and meatballs, burritos/tacos, breakfast for dinner, or takeout like Wingstop or pizza. Sometimes I’ll just have another sandwich.

57. Do you light candles during dinner? No.

58. How many chairs are there in your dining room and who sits in the main chair? We don’t have a dining table or even a dining room anymore. We had to turn that space into a bedroom.

59. Do you eat and drink using your right hand or the left one? Right.

61. Mention the veggies that you like most: Spinach, broccoli, green beans, and corn.

62. What fruit and vegetable do you like the least? I don’t eat a lot of fruits or veggies to be perfectly honest. As bad as it sounds, I haven’t had any fruit the past few years. Spinach is the only veggie I have somewhat often. And like I mentioned in this survey, there are fruits and veggies that I like, I just don’t eat them often.

63. You like your fruit salad to have more: I don’t like fruit salad.

64. You prefer your vegetable salad to contain more: Spinach.

65. What’s your favourite sandwich spread? Mayo, pesto, or an olive oil/vinegar mix.

66. What’s your favourite chocolate bar? Reese’s white chocolate. 

67. What’s your favourite dessert? Brownies, cupcakes, cheesecake, muffins, donuts. 

68. What’s your favourite drink? Coffee and Starbucks Doubleshot energy drinks (that’s coffee, too, but still it’s different).

69. What’s your favourite snack? Movie theater popcorn.

70. What’s your favourite bubble gum flavour? Minty flavors.

71. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour? Strawberry.

72. What’s your favourite potato chip flavour? Sour cream and onion and original Ruffles with ranch dip.

73. What’s your favourite soup? Pork ramen.

74. What’s your favourite pizza? Didn’t I describe that already?

75. What’s your favourite type of dish? Just give me boneless garlic parm and lemon pepper wings from Wingstop, please.

76. What food do you hate? Seafood.

77. What’s your favourite restaurant? Wingstop.

78. Do you eat homemade food, or food delivered from outside? Both.  

80. Who cooks at home? My parents and brother.

81. What kind of diet (e.g. low-fat, high-fiber, high-carbohydrate, balanced diet etc.) do you have? I’m supposed to incorporate a lot of protein.

82. How do you keep yourself fit? I don’t do anything.

[raspberrybitters]

I Spent Like 3 Days Writing About Food

Killing time waiting for my roommate to get out of the fucking bathroom, and thought I’d make a list of friendly foods that have gotten me through some shitty times, because these past few days have been rough and I haven’t wanted to eat anything. Granted, I’m a chubby little pig right now, but for my entire adult life thus far I was able to remain vaguely sane and underweight on these foods without having to give in to anorexia and bulimia craziness.

The categories within are: 

General philosophies about food that kept me alive and sane during my thin days + which will hopefully return me to those days shortly

Dishes for eating with others 

Food to make up my daily intake otherwise 

Things to put on other food that won’t add much intake but will make it more nutritious, if I do have to eat something I don’t really like/feel safe about

Emergency “I’m gonna faint please help me” food.

General Food Philosophies That Have Helped Me

Eat more fish. 

Experiment with different fish-based dishes. Even dehyrdated fish made into a stock/broth is helpful and more nutritious than a dang bullion cube. Plus, dried fish are very easy to weigh out and portion, so you know exactly what you’re eating. (I do recommend lightly cooking them first with just a little bit of oil, to make the broth more even/less sour tasting.)

Basically, I’m saying that if you don’t like fish now, there is a way to find fish prepared in a way you do like. It has saved my ass so many times.

Be proactive about allergies. 

I’m allergic to a lot of uncooked produce (Google “oral allergy syndrome”), but I used to just eat it anyway because it was healthy. Stop doing that if you do! You’ll feel like shit and everyone will associate you with weird allergies, henceforth making you the “weird food issues friend.”

Further, when I didn’t pay attention to my allergies, I became afraid of any food that I might be allergic to. I was definitely unable to eat cherries, so I was cautious around fruit, and then any kind of sweet plant-based food. I ended up limiting myself to bland starches and just not eating because I didn’t want to eat large amounts of those, either.

Pay attention to what you don’t like. There are foods around you that you only eat because they’ve always been a part of your life and everyone around you seems to like them. 

When I realized it was usually just the least offensive combination of bread and cheese (North American problems, right?) that I was eating and perhaps I just didn’t like the vegetables and etc. that came with this type of diet because of the seasonings and styles of preparing food common in my area and culture, I realized I could eat all sorts of planets pickled. That made things MUCH easier because I had one extra safe food, rather than just not eating at all.

Dishes

This isn’t exactly what I eat when left to my own devices, but oftentimes I will have people over and I’ll want to be a good host and feed them. It’s a bit weird to cook for people but not eat with them… plus, one of the best things about food is that they have a social component, and I personally try to maintain a social appreciation of food as much as possible, despite having a fucked up relationship with it. 

I’m not suggesting any building a dinner party around this list, but they are good for feeding your friends and talking over a nice plate. Plus, if you ever bring a friend home and they’re extremely drunk/sick, you will 100% need to feed them. (This happens to me a lot…)

Bugeoguk

Dehydrated pollack and garlic stir fried in a little toasted sesame oil; 7 cups of boiling water + half a sliced up Korean radish, daikon, black radish, or similar fleshy-kinda radish with white insides; keep on boil for 20-30 minutes. Add some sort of salty liquid (fish sauce, soy sauce with extra salt to take out the sweetness… or something else, idk), then add egg and wait for it to cook. Then add green onion. You win!

This soup helps everyone. I add lots of hot pepper flakes and gochujang (hot pepper paste) to the broth because I like to make my nose run. My nose has bled as a result of my love for spice before.

With the amount of gochujang I add, I can usually get four bowls out of it for about 200 calories a bowl, and giving your guest rice with it makes it more filling.

Egg whites in/over bell pepper, plus hella green onions and whatever kind of hot pepper paste you have

GIANT FUCKING SALADS. 

For some reason they seem fancy and make people happy. They’re not fancy. I get the nice canned pink salmon (like the spendy kind, bc I can’t be fucked to cook it myself), bean sprouts, greens, sesame seeds or sunflower seeds, and something kind of sweet (maybe walnuts, maybe Mandarin orange slices, etc.). 

Squirting some lemon juice and water into a kind of slurry worked fine for a dressing for me because I’m not really into dressing and I don’t think my friends have ever cared either. I’m 99% sure salad dressing is a myth. Anyway, people are always like, “ooh, what a nice salad!”

If you bring someone home drunk, make them ramen, add two eggs while it’s cooking (broken or unbroken doesn’t matter. It’ll just mean you may have to feel and crush up a slightly boiled egg), put in hella green onion and nutmeg, and serve. 

If they want you to eat with them, you can drink some of the broth with just one of the eggs and seem extremely normal.

Beef (or very savory substitute, but I am 100% opposed to putting chicken in here for some reason), pepper paste, rice wrapped in lettuce.

People love shit you have to wrap before you eat. You participate by just not using as much ingredients within the lettuce.

Day-to-day Food

Here you can see how much fucking sodium I must ingest every day.

Hardboiled eggs, whites only

Give yolk to nearest animal if possible. Always made my family dog’s coat really shiny. (Of course, don’t give them too much, or they’ll get fat and have heart problems or… whatever it is that too many eggs do to you. I can’t remember. But it’s something.)

Berries

But I must be careful! I’m allergic to some fruits and it isn’t fun. I used to be able to eat kiwis and now they make my mouth super itchy… so perhaps someday this list item will be no more. My body seems to hate fruit. :(

Pickled ginger

Pickled radish (all kinds, including the very cute pickled watermelon radish)

Any vegetable that I’m not allergic to + gochujang

Straight lettuce or bean sprouts, rinsed well

Add To Any Food

Add to any dish if you need to make it healthier or bulkier without adding too much to your daily intake.

Bean sprouts

Example: if everyone at the office is eating some sort of sub sandwich and it would be strange not to, just cut the bad ingredients in half and ask for a ton of bean sprouts

Egg whites

Kelp and/or dried (not roasted) seaweed, while cooking

Emergency

When you feel very unwell or know you will only get one chance to eat that day and would like to keep your metabolism up.

Rice topped with toasted sesame oil

Rice with bell peppers (chopped), egg whites (beaten first if necessary, then scrambled with peppers), and green onions

Steak

Hear me out, pals. I know steak is what clogs arteries and ugh, the idea of eating cows, etc., etc., but there is a Chipotle every two feet in my city. (I’m only exaggerating a teeny bit.) If I’m out and about with friends and get extremely lightheaded or something, there is a good chance they’ll be all like ~*~Chipotle, let’s go, why not, it’s lunch, it’s predictable, it’s never bad!~*~ and you can get steak alone. It’ll fix you.

Further, I feel like I could just buy the cubed steak from them and eat it as I’m walking around and my friends would just think it was a quirk.

[risevessel4-blog]

Paris Restaurants, Bistros, Cocktail Bars and Bakeries

Not a day goes by when I don’t get a message requesting a restaurant recommendation in Paris. (Curiously, I also get asked for restaurant recommendations in cities I’ve never lived in, or even visited.) My promise to you is that I’ll only write up or recommend places I’ve been to, and with apologies to all who’ve asked for restaurant recommendations on social media, if I answered every request and message, I wouldn’t have time to write up this list for you. Or even go out to eat myself.

I do update my Paris restaurant list when I find a place I like. Similarly, when a restaurant or bistro isn’t what it used to be, I remove it. When I do a more extensive write up of a place, you’ll find it listed in my Paris restaurant categories. But other times, when I’m just going out to dinner, not toting my camera with me (and not remembering all the details the next day), I’ll give it a more general shout-out on my Paris restaurant page. But here’s a little more to add to that list, as well as some sweet shops and cocktail bars that are worthy of being on your radar.

Brasserie Bellanger (140, rue du Faubourg Poissonière, 10th) is one of the newest of the low-priced bistros that have popped up in Paris over the last few years. The young owners promise everything is fresh and fait maison (homemade), which was a criticism rightly leveled at some of the old-school bistros that lost their luster, noting that the brasserie sources things directly from producers, which allows them to keep prices modest. Our vegetable-centric pollack was perfectly cooked, served on a heap of vegetables. There were no fancy sauces or ornamentation. The frites we ordered alongside – because man cannot live by fish alone – were some of the best I’ve had in town. Often they’re soggy or soft, and these were cooked until bronzed and crispy. In short, the kind of fries that are worth polishing off. We finished with an Île flottante filled with mango puree and an excellent Paris-Brest. Super friendly staff and tables outside (although other diners waiting for tables may be smoking nearby), but still, the outside is a rather pleasant place.

Another place that I’ve been enjoying, where I’ve not taken a picture at, is Le Mermoz (16, rue Jean Mermoz, 8th). This starkly-decorated bistro allows you to focus on the food, which isn’t just beautifully-presented, but it’s perfectly prepared. A recent lunch started with a plate of lightly blanched green beans with fresh almonds and pickled apricots. Dessert was softly cooked cherries bathed in sabayon with cubes of Gâteau de Savoie and a sprinkling of fresh elderflowers. The focus is on quality of ingredients and preparation, rather than portion size, at least at lunch, when I’ve dined there. But it’s usually enough for me.

I’ve written about les routiers before, French truck stops known for serving honest, no-nonsense fare, hearty enough for truckers, who need a decent meal to break up the monotony of being on the road. Aux Bons Crus in Paris probably doesn’t get that many truckers, but locals like it because it serves honest French food without a lot of fuss. Recently three women next to us were thrilled to be able to get kidneys, while we shared a Frisée salad with lardons (bacon), rillettes (not my favorite dish on the menu), and œufs mayo, before digging into mains of straightforward French fare, everything intentionally priced to please camionneurs (truckers), and the rest of us.

Yup, I know it’s not called Bo Bun, but that’s what they call it in France. (And yes, in France, it’s also café express, not an espresso.) If you have a problem with the language, take it up with the Académie Française. Whatever you call it, Bo Bun has become as popular at the Apérol Spritz around town, especially with the twenty-something set. But the one at Lux Café (73, rue Saint-Maur, no website) is different than others. The grilled rolls and pork (although it’s available with fried tofu, and yes, with grilled pork the dish is traditionally referred to as Bun Cha) are on a bed of curled up sheets of noodles, rather than the traditional strands of vermicelli.

There’s only one thing on the menu and the prices are higher than the other places around town, but I think it’s worth it. If you want to walk up to Belleville, Dong Huong has a pretty good one, too. Actually, at Dong Huong I always get B12 on the menu, do-it-yourself rice paper rolls that you roll up with grilled chicken, fresh herbs, carrots, and rice noodles. It took me a while to get the hang of it; an older Vietnamese waiter saw me struggling the first time and came over to show me how it’s done. Now, I’m almost a pro, although when I was in Vietnam, when I saw how deftly everyone make their rice paper rolls, and realized how much I still have to learn.

Also on my radar has been Poulette, perhaps the prettiest restaurant in Paris. We went for lunch and started with asparagus bathed in a Chartreuse-tinged mousseline and œufs mayo, then moved on to an outstanding plate of quail in a sauce of d’Anjou white wine with green peppercorns and fingerling potatoes. Happily, Poulette has fresh fruit juices made to order at the bar, if you’re on lunch break and don’t want to drink wine, but if you come in the evening (or if you’re up for a little day-drinking), there’s an especially strong list of house-made cocktails.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Cravan (17, rue Jean de la Fontaine, 16th), so was happy to have a sip of one of the libations of Franck Audoux, the owner of this truly hole-in-the-wall café. But what a hole! Designed by Hector Guimard, who designed many of the art nouveau Paris métro stations, everything at Cravan is pretty, and perfect. I’ve not been during mealtime but I’ve tried a number of the small plates, which are a quite a change from the bowls of peanuts or potato chips served around town. (However, these aren’t free.) I’ve loved everything I’ve had here, from the straightforward cocktails that focus on French spirits, like the Cognac-forward Boulevardier I had last week, but the snacks have always been excellent. The café is rather cozy, but the expansive terrace is a gorgeous place to sit in the warmer months.

I went shortly after it opened and Double Dragon (52, rue Saint-Maur, 11th) had a few kinks to work out. They didn’t take reservations so we got there when they opened at 7pm, and there was already a line. The other was the music, which was pretty loud. Thankfully both have calmed down, however they still don’t take reservations, and Double Dragon offers up Asian fare quite a few steps above the other places around town. Opened by the two sisters that operate Le Servan down the street, you’ll find little pepper icons on the menu to let you know something is spicy. The server warned us against a few of those things on the menu, then heard my accent, and let me go ;)

The fritters (above) are tofu beignets lined with Comté cheese, served with a mayo-based XO sauce.  The thrice-cooked beef with celery was very good, and the Sichuan noodles were, indeed, very spicy. But we both slurped them up.

An old favorite that I hope never changes is Le Petit Vendôme, known for having some of the best sandwiches in town. True, there are places to sit, but if you want to feel like a local, order a sandwich, saddle up the bar, order a glass of Burgundy, and enjoy the atmosphere…and le sandwich. The classic jambon-beurre here is renown.

On the other end of the spectrum is La Fontaine de Belleville, a spiffy, well-polished French café, owned by Belleville Brûlerie, pioneers of the quality coffee movement in Paris. It’s been restored and serving the legendary coffee that’s roasted not far from the café, and you can also get a classic jambon-beurre sandwich and a Croque Monsieur, then finish up with one of the excellent house-made desserts. The Pain d’épice, shown above, goes great with a p’tit crème.

Further up the hill in Belleville, is La Cave de Belleville, a natural wine bar. Often these kinds of wine bars attract a hip crowd, who seems more interested in jumping out of their seats to grab a smoke outside, or check their Likes, rather than doing any serious eating. (I’m always amazed when a server puts down plates of hot food in front of people, and at that moment, they run outside.) Here, everyone stays put as the plates of cheese and charcuterie are hard to walk away from. The one shown (above) was dinner for three of us, along with a plate of burrata that was better than most versions around town. Wines are available by the glass or bottle, and the wine prices are remarkably reasonable.

On the sweet side, I went to a launch party for Aqua Vitae chocolates from Edwart. Edwin, the owner and chocolatier, loves liqueurs and spirits and his new collection of chocolates brilliantly incorporates them. Sometimes when people add liqueurs, they can be too faint to fully appreciate. But each chocolate in this assortment, which includes one blended with Glenfiddish whisky aged in IPA barrels, Del Maguey mezcal and Venezuelan chocolate, and the elusive Chartreuse végétal elixir (unavailable in the U.S., but comes in a handy wooden box for travel), boldly go where few chocolates dare to go. The collection is available for a limited time only.

The sign outside says “Depuis Hier,” nothing that they’ve been open “since yesterday,” The French Bastards have arrived on the Paris pastry scene. There are babkas and cruffins, as well as a formidable lemon meringue tart (which is meant to be for one, but I think it’d feed four), but their regular vienoisserie, the croissants and pains au chocolat (above), are outstanding. One day the exceptionally friendly bâtards called me into the kitchen and sliced into a slew of trial batches, to taste. Their croissants are larger than others around town, but as buttery flakes and shards flew around while we sampled, I learned that they’ve hit their stride and this is a bold new addition to the pâtisseries of Paris.

Starting a meal with a drink is a French tradition, during l’heure de l’apéro, or apéritif hour. This Kiss & Fly (above) at Mino was a refreshing twist on the spritz, a blend of Pimm’s, lemon, ginger cordial, finished off with grapefruit soda and prosecco. While this is a very competent cocktail bar with friendly bartenders, the food is quite good, too. The menu changes frequently but the flavors (and decor) continue to be drawn from the Mediterranean.

Staying by the sea, the nautical theme at Copper Bay will take you away from being in a bustling city center, along with a line-up of seasonal cocktails shaken and stirred up by the friendly staff. There may be a Tipsy Tea, their interpretation of a Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, or a Tzatziki, made with dill-infused vodka, basil, cucumber, and mastic spirit. You can also get artisan sparkling apple cider or pastis (with or without orgeat syrup), served by the glass, carafe, or even frozen.

Considered the oldest cocktail bar in Paris, Gallopin has expanded to the space next door, for the more casual La Rôtisserie Gallopin featuring cocktails on tap, created by one of the best bartenders in Paris, Stan Jouenne. His coffee-fueled Negroni combines Grand Brûlot coffee-Cognac liqueur, Salers (gentian) and Dolin vermouth, all from France, as the bar only uses French spirits. I haven’t eaten at their rôtisserie yet (it just opened this week), but if this drink is any indication, we might both want to check out the food.

Someone requested the recipe for these Socca Chips on social media, which are available at the Fédération Française de l’Apéritif, which is like asking the recipe for Fritos. It’s not going to happen, at least in anyone’s home. (If you do have a recipe for Fritos, please forward it to me!) But as I often say, everything doesn’t need to be available everywhere, all the time. It’s often best just to go somewhere and enjoy it there, which holds especially true for the FFA, as this apéritif bar is called. Only French products line the shelves, including buckwheat galette (crêpe) chips, that are also “Recipe, please” worthy, and a changing selection of cheese and meats to go with whatever you’re drinking.

Combat may seem like an unusual name for a Parisan bar (in my next book, I explain why), but you don’t need to know why right now, you just need to go to what is one of my favorite cocktail bars in Paris. The drinks aren’t over-the-top (thank you…) but straightforward, and delicious. For some reason, the bar height and size works perfectly for me; I always feel like I’m dining (or drinking) in someone’s home, rather than in a bar. The cocktail I prefer is the Perfect Serve, above, with whiskey, dried pear, sherry, ume liqueur, and a touch of absinthe. The name is spot-on.

While I avoid the term “industry favorite,” a number of bartenders in Paris have told me they like Sherry Butt. They’ve got a beguiling list of drinks, which changes, but I recently enjoyed a Ronin (above), with Japanese whisky, madiera infused with pandan (a tropical plant), oloroso sherry, Champagne, smoked sea and – whew – black salt. It sounded more complicated than it was, and I’m always amazed when a bartender can add a curiously diverse list of ingredients to a glass, and make it taste like simple liquid. That’s a skill worth raising a glass to, which we did.

Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/bakery-bistro-paris-restaurants-cocktail-bars-and-bakeries/

[grassshrimp56-blog]

Paris Restaurants, Bistros, Cocktail Bars and Bakeries

Not a day goes by when I don’t get a message requesting a restaurant recommendation in Paris. (Curiously, I also get asked for restaurant recommendations in cities I’ve never lived in, or even visited.) My promise to you is that I’ll only write up or recommend places I’ve been to, and with apologies to all who’ve asked for restaurant recommendations on social media, if I answered every request and message, I wouldn’t have time to write up this list for you. Or even go out to eat myself.

I do update my Paris restaurant list when I find a place I like. Similarly, when a restaurant or bistro isn’t what it used to be, I remove it. When I do a more extensive write up of a place, you’ll find it listed in my Paris restaurant categories. But other times, when I’m just going out to dinner, not toting my camera with me (and not remembering all the details the next day), I’ll give it a more general shout-out on my Paris restaurant page. But here’s a little more to add to that list, as well as some sweet shops and cocktail bars that are worthy of being on your radar.

Brasserie Bellanger (140, rue du Faubourg Poissonière, 10th) is one of the newest of the low-priced bistros that have popped up in Paris over the last few years. The young owners promise everything is fresh and fait maison (homemade), which was a criticism rightly leveled at some of the old-school bistros that lost their luster, noting that the brasserie sources things directly from producers, which allows them to keep prices modest. Our vegetable-centric pollack was perfectly cooked, served on a heap of vegetables. There were no fancy sauces or ornamentation. The frites we ordered alongside – because man cannot live by fish alone – were some of the best I’ve had in town. Often they’re soggy or soft, and these were cooked until bronzed and crispy. In short, the kind of fries that are worth polishing off. We finished with an Île flottante filled with mango puree and an excellent Paris-Brest. Super friendly staff and tables outside (although other diners waiting for tables may be smoking nearby), but still, the outside is a rather pleasant place.

Another place that I’ve been enjoying, where I’ve not taken a picture at, is Le Mermoz (16, rue Jean Mermoz, 8th). This starkly-decorated bistro allows you to focus on the food, which isn’t just beautifully-presented, but it’s perfectly prepared. A recent lunch started with a plate of lightly blanched green beans with fresh almonds and pickled apricots. Dessert was softly cooked cherries bathed in sabayon with cubes of Gâteau de Savoie and a sprinkling of fresh elderflowers. The focus is on quality of ingredients and preparation, rather than portion size, at least at lunch, when I’ve dined there. But it’s usually enough for me.

I’ve written about les routiers before, French truck stops known for serving honest, no-nonsense fare, hearty enough for truckers, who need a decent meal to break up the monotony of being on the road. Aux Bons Crus in Paris probably doesn’t get that many truckers, but locals like it because it serves honest French food without a lot of fuss. Recently three women next to us were thrilled to be able to get kidneys, while we shared a Frisée salad with lardons (bacon), rillettes (not my favorite dish on the menu), and œufs mayo, before digging into mains of straightforward French fare, everything intentionally priced to please camionneurs (truckers), and the rest of us.

Yup, I know it’s not called Bo Bun, but that’s what they call it in France. (And yes, in France, it’s also café express, not an espresso.) If you have a problem with the language, take it up with the Académie Française. Whatever you call it, Bo Bun has become as popular at the Apérol Spritz around town, especially with the twenty-something set. But the one at Lux Café (73, rue Saint-Maur, no website) is different than others. The grilled rolls and pork (although it’s available with fried tofu, and yes, with grilled pork the dish is traditionally referred to as Bun Cha) are on a bed of curled up sheets of noodles, rather than the traditional strands of vermicelli.

There’s only one thing on the menu and the prices are higher than the other places around town, but I think it’s worth it. If you want to walk up to Belleville, Dong Huong has a pretty good one, too. Actually, at Dong Huong I always get B12 on the menu, do-it-yourself rice paper rolls that you roll up with grilled chicken, fresh herbs, carrots, and rice noodles. It took me a while to get the hang of it; an older Vietnamese waiter saw me struggling the first time and came over to show me how it’s done. Now, I’m almost a pro, although when I was in Vietnam, when I saw how deftly everyone make their rice paper rolls, and realized how much I still have to learn.

Also on my radar has been Poulette, perhaps the prettiest restaurant in Paris. We went for lunch and started with asparagus bathed in a Chartreuse-tinged mousseline and œufs mayo, then moved on to an outstanding plate of quail in a sauce of d’Anjou white wine with green peppercorns and fingerling potatoes. Happily, Poulette has fresh fruit juices made to order at the bar, if you’re on lunch break and don’t want to drink wine, but if you come in the evening (or if you’re up for a little day-drinking), there’s an especially strong list of house-made cocktails.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Cravan (17, rue Jean de la Fontaine, 16th), so was happy to have a sip of one of the libations of Franck Audoux, the owner of this truly hole-in-the-wall café. But what a hole! Designed by Hector Guimard, who designed many of the art nouveau Paris métro stations, everything at Cravan is pretty, and perfect. I’ve not been during mealtime but I’ve tried a number of the small plates, which are a quite a change from the bowls of peanuts or potato chips served around town. (However, these aren’t free.) I’ve loved everything I’ve had here, from the straightforward cocktails that focus on French spirits, like the Cognac-forward Boulevardier I had last week, but the snacks have always been excellent. The café is rather cozy, but the expansive terrace is a gorgeous place to sit in the warmer months.

I went shortly after it opened and Double Dragon (52, rue Saint-Maur, 11th) had a few kinks to work out. They didn’t take reservations so we got there when they opened at 7pm, and there was already a line. The other was the music, which was pretty loud. Thankfully both have calmed down, however they still don’t take reservations, and Double Dragon offers up Asian fare quite a few steps above the other places around town. Opened by the two sisters that operate Le Servan down the street, you’ll find little pepper icons on the menu to let you know something is spicy. The server warned us against a few of those things on the menu, then heard my accent, and let me go ;)

The fritters (above) are tofu beignets lined with Comté cheese, served with a mayo-based XO sauce.  The thrice-cooked beef with celery was very good, and the Sichuan noodles were, indeed, very spicy. But we both slurped them up.

An old favorite that I hope never changes is Le Petit Vendôme, known for having some of the best sandwiches in town. True, there are places to sit, but if you want to feel like a local, order a sandwich, saddle up the bar, order a glass of Burgundy, and enjoy the atmosphere…and le sandwich. The classic jambon-beurre here is renown.

On the other end of the spectrum is La Fontaine de Belleville, a spiffy, well-polished French café, owned by Belleville Brûlerie, pioneers of the quality coffee movement in Paris. It’s been restored and serving the legendary coffee that’s roasted not far from the café, and you can also get a classic jambon-beurre sandwich and a Croque Monsieur, then finish up with one of the excellent house-made desserts. The Pain d’épice, shown above, goes great with a p’tit crème.

Further up the hill in Belleville, is La Cave de Belleville, a natural wine bar. Often these kinds of wine bars attract a hip crowd, who seems more interested in jumping out of their seats to grab a smoke outside, or check their Likes, rather than doing any serious eating. (I’m always amazed when a server puts down plates of hot food in front of people, and at that moment, they run outside.) Here, everyone stays put as the plates of cheese and charcuterie are hard to walk away from. The one shown (above) was dinner for three of us, along with a plate of burrata that was better than most versions around town. Wines are available by the glass or bottle, and the wine prices are remarkably reasonable.

On the sweet side, I went to a launch party for Aqua Vitae chocolates from Edwart. Edwin, the owner and chocolatier, loves liqueurs and spirits and his new collection of chocolates brilliantly incorporates them. Sometimes when people add liqueurs, they can be too faint to fully appreciate. But each chocolate in this assortment, which includes one blended with Glenfiddish whisky aged in IPA barrels, Del Maguey mezcal and Venezuelan chocolate, and the elusive Chartreuse végétal elixir (unavailable in the U.S., but comes in a handy wooden box for travel), boldly go where few chocolates dare to go. The collection is available for a limited time only.

The sign outside says “Depuis Hier,” nothing that they’ve been open “since yesterday,” The French Bastards have arrived on the Paris pastry scene. There are babkas and cruffins, as well as a formidable lemon meringue tart (which is meant to be for one, but I think it’d feed four), but their regular vienoisserie, the croissants and pains au chocolat (above), are outstanding. One day the exceptionally friendly bâtards called me into the kitchen and sliced into a slew of trial batches, to taste. Their croissants are larger than others around town, but as buttery flakes and shards flew around while we sampled, I learned that they’ve hit their stride and this is a bold new addition to the pâtisseries of Paris.

Starting a meal with a drink is a French tradition, during l’heure de l’apéro, or apéritif hour. This Kiss & Fly (above) at Mino was a refreshing twist on the spritz, a blend of Pimm’s, lemon, ginger cordial, finished off with grapefruit soda and prosecco. While this is a very competent cocktail bar with friendly bartenders, the food is quite good, too. The menu changes frequently but the flavors (and decor) continue to be drawn from the Mediterranean.

Staying by the sea, the nautical theme at Copper Bay will take you away from being in a bustling city center, along with a line-up of seasonal cocktails shaken and stirred up by the friendly staff. There may be a Tipsy Tea, their interpretation of a Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, or a Tzatziki, made with dill-infused vodka, basil, cucumber, and mastic spirit. You can also get artisan sparkling apple cider or pastis (with or without orgeat syrup), served by the glass, carafe, or even frozen.

Considered the oldest cocktail bar in Paris, Gallopin has expanded to the space next door, for the more casual La Rôtisserie Gallopin featuring cocktails on tap, created by one of the best bartenders in Paris, Stan Jouenne. His coffee-fueled Negroni combines Grand Brûlot coffee-Cognac liqueur, Salers (gentian) and Dolin vermouth, all from France, as the bar only uses French spirits. I haven’t eaten at their rôtisserie yet (it just opened this week), but if this drink is any indication, we might both want to check out the food.

Someone requested the recipe for these Socca Chips on social media, which are available at the Fédération Française de l’Apéritif, which is like asking the recipe for Fritos. It’s not going to happen, at least in anyone’s home. (If you do have a recipe for Fritos, please forward it to me!) But as I often say, everything doesn’t need to be available everywhere, all the time. It’s often best just to go somewhere and enjoy it there, which holds especially true for the FFA, as this apéritif bar is called. Only French products line the shelves, including buckwheat galette (crêpe) chips, that are also “Recipe, please” worthy, and a changing selection of cheese and meats to go with whatever you’re drinking.

Combat may seem like an unusual name for a Parisan bar (in my next book, I explain why), but you don’t need to know why right now, you just need to go to what is one of my favorite cocktail bars in Paris. The drinks aren’t over-the-top (thank you…) but straightforward, and delicious. For some reason, the bar height and size works perfectly for me; I always feel like I’m dining (or drinking) in someone’s home, rather than in a bar. The cocktail I prefer is the Perfect Serve, above, with whiskey, dried pear, sherry, ume liqueur, and a touch of absinthe. The name is spot-on.

While I avoid the term “industry favorite,” a number of bartenders in Paris have told me they like Sherry Butt. They’ve got a beguiling list of drinks, which changes, but I recently enjoyed a Ronin (above), with Japanese whisky, madiera infused with pandan (a tropical plant), oloroso sherry, Champagne, smoked sea and – whew – black salt. It sounded more complicated than it was, and I’m always amazed when a bartender can add a curiously diverse list of ingredients to a glass, and make it taste like simple liquid. That’s a skill worth raising a glass to, which we did.

Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/bakery-bistro-paris-restaurants-cocktail-bars-and-bakeries/

[prosejudo56-blog]

Marisa McClellan’s Adaptable Chutney with Apples, Ginger & Lemon

Marisa McClellan, author of three books on canning and creator of the website, Food in Jars, just published her fourth book: The Food in Jars Kitchen.

Unlike her previous books, which focused on canning, this book includes recipes to help you use up your many jars of jams, chutneys, and pickles. She created the recipes —  think: jam-laquered chicken wings, oatmeal muffins with fruit butter, bean and rice casserole with tomato salsa — with your pantry in mind; there’s no need to start from scratch.

BUT. If you’re up for it, I think maybe you should.

At the end of the book, Marisa includes a few “essential preserves” recipes, ten of her favorites, including this “adaptable chutney,” which I’ve made with apples, but which Marisa says will work with apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears or plums. It takes about an hour to cook, during which time the apples completely break down, transforming into a dark, jammy mass.

I find this chutney irresistible — it’s got that expected sweet-tart balance lent by the sugar and vinegar, but there’s also a bit of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes and freshly grated ginger. The apple flavor is nearly indiscernible — the apples are merely a vehicle to carry the many other flavors. When I eat it, in fact, my brain thinks fig, which makes me understand why so many different fruits could work here.

I’ve been smearing the chutney over crackers and topping it with slices of sharp Cheddar cheese, and I imagine it would pair well with so many cheeses from minerally blues to chalky goats to creamy triple crèmes, making it an excellent addition to any cheese board.

For lunch yesterday, I spread the chutney over bread, topped it with grated Gruyère, and made a grilled cheese sandwich, which was overwhelmingly delicious. (More on this soon.)

In the book, Marisa suggests using the chutney variously: in compound butters, cheese rolls, pork tenderloin with pan sauce, and blank slate white bean spread, which I made and ate with endive spears and carrots — the chutney is such an easy and surprising way to liven up a bean-based dip, giving it both texture and depth of flavor.

I haven’t been processing this chutney in a water bath, but come next fall, I absolutely will. Wouldn’t it be fun to gift mini jars of this chutney paired with a wedge of cheese? All nicely bundled together with baker’s twine? And a festive gift tag?

It’s never too late to start preparing for the holidays… (I kid, I kid. Let’s not think about the holidays just yet.)

One More Thing

When Marisa’s last book came out, Naturally Sweet Food in Jars, I had intended to post her recipe for apple-date butter, which I had made and loved. I’m three years late but the recipe is finally up: Cinnamon-Spiced Apple-Date Butter.

Both of these apple recipes would be better suited to post in the fall, but I’m worried if I wait, Marisa might write another book and set me back three more years. So without further ado, I’m posting a few unseasonal but delicious Marisa McClellan recipes on this fine spring day:

Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.

Peel and chop the apples and onion.

Dump everything into a pot all at once. How nice?

Simmer.

When it looks like this, it’s done.

Eat it with cheese and crackers, stir it into hummus or a white bean dip, or make a grilled cheese. (More on this soon. The grilled cheese looked so incredibly delicious I didn’t have the patience to take a photo. Will add photo soon.)

Marisa McClellan’s The Food in Jars Kitchen:

Print

Author: alexandra

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Yield: 3 cups 1x

Description

Adapted from Marisa McClellan’s The Food in Jars Kitchen, this chutney recipe will work with apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears or plums. This is a half recipe, so scale up as needed.

If you’d like more details on sterilizing jars and preparing a water bath for canning, view this post on Food in Jars.

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

2 lbs. apples (5 to 6), peeled and diced small-ish

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about a cup)

3/4 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds, any color is fine

1.5 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4–1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and then turn heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and raise the heat to medium, adjusting the heat as necessary to allow the mixture to stay at a constant simmer. Simmer, stirring often, for 20-40 minutes more or until the chutney thickens, darkens and the flavors start to marry. I liked to purée the chutney in my food processor to a coarse thickness — I have weird textural issues with cooked raisins and puréeing the chutney solves the issue for me … no need to do this if you have no trouble with cooked raisins.

Transfer chutney to a jar and store in fridge for one to two weeks.

Alternatively, process the chutney: prepare a boiling water bath, and sterilize three half-pint jars. Spoon the chutney into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for for up to 1 year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.

Category: Condiment

Method: Stovetop

Cuisine: American/Indian

Keywords: chutney, apples, ginger, onion, mustard seed, sugar, vinegar

Posted By: alexandra · In: Christmas, Condiments, Fall, Father's Day, Gluten-free, Holidays, Mother's Day, Preserves, Sauces, dressings, jams & spreads, Vegan, winter

Source: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/04/03/adaptable-apple-chutney/

[fifthnerve6-blog]

Skinnytaste Meal Plan (May 20-May 26)

posted May 17, 2019 by Gina

A free 7-day flexible weight loss meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and WW SmartPoints®.

Hi all! I am away in Italy this week, can’t wait to share my trip with you when I return but I didn’t forget you! On this plan there are options for BBQ/Potlucks on Saturday and Sunday, you may have to adjust the servings accordingly based on your needs with backyard parties and gatherings.

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. You should aim for around 1500 calories* per day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing! If you wish to get on the email list, you can subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!

Also, if you don’t have the Skinnytaste Meal Planner, now would be a great time to get one to get organized for 2019! There was a print error last year, but it’s perfect now! You can order it here!

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated Weight Watcher Freestyle Points for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!

MONDAY (5/20) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with 1 cup strawberries (0) L: Spiralized Greek Cucumber Salad with Lemon and Feta (7) D: Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese (8) with a green salad (2)* Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 868**

TUESDAY (5/21) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with an orange (0) L: LEFTOVER Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese (8) with 8 carrot sticks (0) D: Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Roll Ups (5) with Warm Mexican Corn Salad (4) Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 940**

WEDNESDAY (5/22) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with 1 cup strawberries (0) L: LEFTOVER Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese (8) with 8 carrot sticks (0) D: Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula (5)*** with Potato and Green Bean Salad (5)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 20, Calories 914**

THURSDAY (5/23) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with an orange (0) L: LEFTOVER Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula (5) with Potato and Green Bean Salad (5) D: Grilled Cumin Spiced Pork Tenderloin (3) with Fiesta Bean Salad (4) Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 1,092**

FRIDAY (5/24) B: 6 ounces Greek yogurt (0) with ½ cup mixed berries (0) 1 tablespoon chopped pecans (2) L: LEFTOVER Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula (5)* with Potato and Green Bean Salad (5) D: Basil-Parmesan Salmon (3) with ¾ cup brown rice (5) and Roasted Asparagus (0) Totals: Freestyle™ SP 20, Calories 1,035**

SATURDAY (5/25) B: Whole Wheat Pancakes (5) with 1 tablespoon maple syrup (3) and 1 cup mixed berries (0) L: Naked Greek Feta-Zucchini Turkey Burgers (5) and Grilled Rainbow Peppers with Herb Cream Cheese (3) D: DINNER OUT!

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 16, Calories 623**

SUNDAY (5/26) B: Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread (3) and 1 cup cantaloupe (0) L: Chilled Italian Shrimp Tortellini Pasta Salad (6) D: Buffalo Turkey Cheeseburger with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw (8) with Low Carb Potato Salad (4)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 21, Calories 1,087**

*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc. **Green salad includes 4 cups mixed greens, 2 scallions, ½ cup each: tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, chickpeas and ½ cup light vinaigrette. ***Leave 2 servings of salad undressed (and put on the side) for leftovers Thurs/Fri.

**google doc

Shopping list:

Produce

1 large English cucumber

1 small cucumber

2 medium heads garlic

1 pound broccoli florets (or 1 [12-ounce] bag pre-cut)

1 medium head cauliflower

1 pound asparagus

1 (5-ounce) bag/clamshell mixed baby greens

1 (5-ounce) bag/clamshell baby arugula

1 small cantaloupe

1 large package baby rainbow peppers (you need 16)

1 small bag broccoli slaw

4 large ears of corn

1 pound green beans

3 ½ pounds (about 10) new potatoes

1 small bunch celery

1 small bunch carrots

2 medium oranges

2 medium lemons

3 medium bananas

1 small bunch/clamshell fresh dill

1 small bunch/clamshell fresh oregano

1 medium bunch/clamshell fresh basil

1 large bunch fresh cilantro

1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley

1 small bunch fresh chives

1 medium bunch scallions

1 (6-ounce) and 1 (12-ounce) container fresh berries (your choice)

2 (12-ounce) containers fresh strawberries

1 small (6-ounce) and 2 large (14-ounces each) zucchini

2 medium (5-ounce) Hass avocados

5 medium limes

1 medium green bell pepper

2 dry pints cherry or grape tomatoes

1 large vine-ripened tomato

1 large red onion

1 large yellow onion

Meat, Poultry and Fish

1 small package center-cut bacon

1 rotisserie chicken (or 10-ounces raw boneless, skinless chicken breast)

1 ½ pounds flank steak

1 pork tenderloin (about 18 ounces)

1 ¼ pounds (4) salmon fillets

2 ¼ pounds 93% lean ground turkey

2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

Grains*

1 (16-ounce) package elbows (high fiber, whole wheat or regular)

1 package seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 (8.8-ounce) package dry ricotta spinach tortellini (I like Dellalo)

1 package dry brown rice (or 3 cups pre-cooked)

1 package white whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur)

1 package all-purpose flour (can sub ¼ cup white whole wheat in Mac and Cheese, if desired)

1 package 100 calorie whole wheat burger buns (I like Martin’s)

Condiments and Spices

Extra virgin olive oil

Cooking spray

Olive oil spray (or get a Misto oil mister)

Kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal)

Pepper grinder (or fresh peppercorns)

Light vinaigrette dressing (or make your own with ingredients in list)

Mexican hot chili powder

Cumin

Oregano

Chipotle chili powder

Chili powder

Light or regular mayonnaise (I like Sir Kensington)

Balsamic vinegar

Garlic powder

Paprika

Crushed red pepper flakes

Cinnamon

Vanilla extract

Pure maple syrup

Red wine vinegar

Franks Red Hot Sauce

Yellow mustard

Dairy & Misc. Refrigerated Items

Light bleu cheese dressing (or make your own)

2 dozen large eggs

1 (8-ounce) chunk feta cheese

1 (6 to 7-ounce) package reduced fat sliced cheddar cheese

1 (8-ounce) bag reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 (8-ounce) bag shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese

1 small package cotija cheese

1 small box butter

1 small wedge fresh Parmesan cheese

1 (8-ounce) block reduced fat cream cheese

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream (optional for Enchilada Roll Ups)

1 (8-ounce) container plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 (1/2 gallon) container skim milk

Frozen

1 small package chopped spinach

Canned and Jarred

1 small jar pitted kalamata olives

1 small jar roasted red peppers

1 small jar unsweetened apple sauce

1 small jar capers

1 small jar dill pickles

2 (2.25-ounce) cans sliced black olives

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans

1 small can/jar chipotle chilis in adobo

1 (32-ounce) carton reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce

Misc. Dry Goods

Baking powder

Baking soda

1 small package granulated sugar

1 small package brown sugar

1 small bag chopped pecans (you only need 1 Tbsp so you can buy from bulk bin, if desired)

*You can buy gluten free, if desired

posted May 17, 2019 by Gina

Source: https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinnytaste-meal-plan-may-20-may-26/

[tentbat8-blog]

Skinnytaste Meal Plan (May 20-May 26)

posted May 17, 2019 by Gina

A free 7-day flexible weight loss meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and WW SmartPoints®.

Hi all! I am away in Italy this week, can’t wait to share my trip with you when I return but I didn’t forget you! On this plan there are options for BBQ/Potlucks on Saturday and Sunday, you may have to adjust the servings accordingly based on your needs with backyard parties and gatherings.

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. You should aim for around 1500 calories* per day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing! If you wish to get on the email list, you can subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!

Also, if you don’t have the Skinnytaste Meal Planner, now would be a great time to get one to get organized for 2019! There was a print error last year, but it’s perfect now! You can order it here!

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated Weight Watcher Freestyle Points for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!

MONDAY (5/20) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with 1 cup strawberries (0) L: Spiralized Greek Cucumber Salad with Lemon and Feta (7) D: Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese (8) with a green salad (2)* Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 868**

TUESDAY (5/21) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with an orange (0) L: LEFTOVER Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese (8) with 8 carrot sticks (0) D: Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Roll Ups (5) with Warm Mexican Corn Salad (4) Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 940**

WEDNESDAY (5/22) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with 1 cup strawberries (0) L: LEFTOVER Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese (8) with 8 carrot sticks (0) D: Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula (5)*** with Potato and Green Bean Salad (5)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 20, Calories 914**

THURSDAY (5/23) B: Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins (2) with an orange (0) L: LEFTOVER Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula (5) with Potato and Green Bean Salad (5) D: Grilled Cumin Spiced Pork Tenderloin (3) with Fiesta Bean Salad (4) Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 1,092**

FRIDAY (5/24) B: 6 ounces Greek yogurt (0) with ½ cup mixed berries (0) 1 tablespoon chopped pecans (2) L: LEFTOVER Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula (5)* with Potato and Green Bean Salad (5) D: Basil-Parmesan Salmon (3) with ¾ cup brown rice (5) and Roasted Asparagus (0) Totals: Freestyle™ SP 20, Calories 1,035**

SATURDAY (5/25) B: Whole Wheat Pancakes (5) with 1 tablespoon maple syrup (3) and 1 cup mixed berries (0) L: Naked Greek Feta-Zucchini Turkey Burgers (5) and Grilled Rainbow Peppers with Herb Cream Cheese (3) D: DINNER OUT!

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 16, Calories 623**

SUNDAY (5/26) B: Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread (3) and 1 cup cantaloupe (0) L: Chilled Italian Shrimp Tortellini Pasta Salad (6) D: Buffalo Turkey Cheeseburger with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw (8) with Low Carb Potato Salad (4)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 21, Calories 1,087**

*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc. **Green salad includes 4 cups mixed greens, 2 scallions, ½ cup each: tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, chickpeas and ½ cup light vinaigrette. ***Leave 2 servings of salad undressed (and put on the side) for leftovers Thurs/Fri.

**google doc

Shopping list:

Produce

1 large English cucumber

1 small cucumber

2 medium heads garlic

1 pound broccoli florets (or 1 [12-ounce] bag pre-cut)

1 medium head cauliflower

1 pound asparagus

1 (5-ounce) bag/clamshell mixed baby greens

1 (5-ounce) bag/clamshell baby arugula

1 small cantaloupe

1 large package baby rainbow peppers (you need 16)

1 small bag broccoli slaw

4 large ears of corn

1 pound green beans

3 ½ pounds (about 10) new potatoes

1 small bunch celery

1 small bunch carrots

2 medium oranges

2 medium lemons

3 medium bananas

1 small bunch/clamshell fresh dill

1 small bunch/clamshell fresh oregano

1 medium bunch/clamshell fresh basil

1 large bunch fresh cilantro

1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley

1 small bunch fresh chives

1 medium bunch scallions

1 (6-ounce) and 1 (12-ounce) container fresh berries (your choice)

2 (12-ounce) containers fresh strawberries

1 small (6-ounce) and 2 large (14-ounces each) zucchini

2 medium (5-ounce) Hass avocados

5 medium limes

1 medium green bell pepper

2 dry pints cherry or grape tomatoes

1 large vine-ripened tomato

1 large red onion

1 large yellow onion

Meat, Poultry and Fish

1 small package center-cut bacon

1 rotisserie chicken (or 10-ounces raw boneless, skinless chicken breast)

1 ½ pounds flank steak

1 pork tenderloin (about 18 ounces)

1 ¼ pounds (4) salmon fillets

2 ¼ pounds 93% lean ground turkey

2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

Grains*

1 (16-ounce) package elbows (high fiber, whole wheat or regular)

1 package seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 (8.8-ounce) package dry ricotta spinach tortellini (I like Dellalo)

1 package dry brown rice (or 3 cups pre-cooked)

1 package white whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur)

1 package all-purpose flour (can sub ¼ cup white whole wheat in Mac and Cheese, if desired)

1 package 100 calorie whole wheat burger buns (I like Martin’s)

Condiments and Spices

Extra virgin olive oil

Cooking spray

Olive oil spray (or get a Misto oil mister)

Kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal)

Pepper grinder (or fresh peppercorns)

Light vinaigrette dressing (or make your own with ingredients in list)

Mexican hot chili powder

Cumin

Oregano

Chipotle chili powder

Chili powder

Light or regular mayonnaise (I like Sir Kensington)

Balsamic vinegar

Garlic powder

Paprika

Crushed red pepper flakes

Cinnamon

Vanilla extract

Pure maple syrup

Red wine vinegar

Franks Red Hot Sauce

Yellow mustard

Dairy & Misc. Refrigerated Items

Light bleu cheese dressing (or make your own)

2 dozen large eggs

1 (8-ounce) chunk feta cheese

1 (6 to 7-ounce) package reduced fat sliced cheddar cheese

1 (8-ounce) bag reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 (8-ounce) bag shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese

1 small package cotija cheese

1 small box butter

1 small wedge fresh Parmesan cheese

1 (8-ounce) block reduced fat cream cheese

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream (optional for Enchilada Roll Ups)

1 (8-ounce) container plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 (1/2 gallon) container skim milk

Frozen

1 small package chopped spinach

Canned and Jarred

1 small jar pitted kalamata olives

1 small jar roasted red peppers

1 small jar unsweetened apple sauce

1 small jar capers

1 small jar dill pickles

2 (2.25-ounce) cans sliced black olives

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans

1 small can/jar chipotle chilis in adobo

1 (32-ounce) carton reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce

Misc. Dry Goods

Baking powder

Baking soda

1 small package granulated sugar

1 small package brown sugar

1 small bag chopped pecans (you only need 1 Tbsp so you can buy from bulk bin, if desired)

*You can buy gluten free, if desired

posted May 17, 2019 by Gina

Source: https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinnytaste-meal-plan-may-20-may-26/