I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.

I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
yet."

She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
about noon.

What are you good at as regards cookery?
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
rec.food.cooking
Preserved Fruit Administrator
"Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

Well, I can open them vacuum-sealed jars purty good without askin'
the Mister 'lessen it's them ones with the great big lids...my hands
aren't big enuf and with the rheumatiz, it's gettin' harder ever' day.

Yur freind,
gloria p

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
>I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot > get something on the table pretty fast. The
> alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that > Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was
> preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know > yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?


Making reservations. (Well, somebody had to say it!)

Felice

In article >,
Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> What are you good at as regards cookery?

I have pretty good knife skills, and I know how to fry, simmer, saute,
braise and bake. I don't and never did broil, and my barbecue skills
haven't been tested for twenty years. I can guarantee that no two meals
will be the same. Once in a great while, my food sucks. I rarely use a
recipe. I make outstanding gravy and poor sauces.

leo

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
> get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.

I'm with you. It almost never takes me more than an hour to get dinner
on the table, so it's typical of me to (if I don't have dinner planned)
get up and look in the cupboards at 6pm, because dinner is at 7pm around
here.

>
> I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
> Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
> yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?

Guy says that both Carol and I are really good at making food from a
bunch of random ingredients in the fridge and cupboards, but really,
that's just the way both of us learned to cook, and we rarely cook from
recipes.

I think I'm also good at pairing main dishes with side dishes, and I'm
super-good at having all the food finish at the same time, and right at
7:00, which I'm kind of proud of. (James is impressed with that skill.)

Oh, and I'm getting to where I can make bread by feel, rather than being
tied to recipes, and that excites me. I haven't had a bread failure in
years, and I never would have predicted that, nor would anyone who had
tasted some of the bricks I turned out in my hippychick days.

Serene
--
"I think I have an umami receptor that has developed sentience." -- Stef

"Melba's Jammin'" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. >
> What are you good at as regards cookery?
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior,

I'm fairly creative and clever about not wasting food.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
>I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot > get something on the table pretty fast. The
> alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that > Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was
> preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know > yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ


I am good at winging it. I can look at what I have and come up with
something pretty quick, like you say...and I can also figure out ways to
stretch in the case of unexpected company too.

There are a few things I'm "known" for in my immediate circle...and at the
top of the list, above all else, is gravy. I can make gravy from almost
anything, and it's always good. That ain't braggin', just tellin' it like it
is ;-) Grandma Ma taught me to make gravy when I was young, about 6-ish. By
the time I was 8, I was making the gravy for most family gatherings.

kimberly

Michael "Dog3" said...

> Cleaning as I go. Hands down. I can clean and cook (questionable
> sometimes and wind up with a fairly decent meal and a somewhat clean
> kitchen.
>
> Michael


My kitchen strength (BTW, that's the longest word with the fewest vowels!)
would have to be the indoor kitchen 6,000 watt BBQ/grill.

Andy
Can dim the neighborhood while in use

On Mon 07 Jul 2008 08:19:29p, Melba's Jammin' told us...

> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
> get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
> Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
> yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?

Pie baking, southern fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and the most
efficient and effective loading of a dishwasher to be seen. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 07(VII)/08(VIII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
The door is the key.
-------------------------------------------

Wayne Boatwright said...

> and the most efficient and effective loading of a dishwasher to be seen.
:-)


YouTube it! ROFLMAO!!!

Andy

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
> get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
> Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
> yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?


My specialty is special diets. If someone in the group is vegetarian,
macrobiotic, keeps kosher, needs low salt, needs low fat, needs low
calorie, is lactose intolerant, needs high fiber, or is allergic to
peanuts, I can come up with a meal that everyone will enjoy and the
person with the dietary specialty need not feel out of place. It's a
point of pride with me. I enjoy the challenge.


I figure that anyone can wow an audience with enough butter, cheese,
cream, salt and eggs. I like to bring the picnic lunch that has all the
quilters saying "I can eat that ... and it's good!"


--Lia

On Tue 08 Jul 2008 05:35:22a, Julia Altshuler told us...

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
>> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
>> minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
>> get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
>> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>>
>> I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
>> Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
>> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
>> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
>> know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
>> yet."
>>
>> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
>> about noon.
>>
>> What are you good at as regards cookery?
>
>
> My specialty is special diets. If someone in the group is vegetarian,
> macrobiotic, keeps kosher, needs low salt, needs low fat, needs low
> calorie, is lactose intolerant, needs high fiber, or is allergic to
> peanuts, I can come up with a meal that everyone will enjoy and the
> person with the dietary specialty need not feel out of place. It's a
> point of pride with me. I enjoy the challenge.
>
>
> I figure that anyone can wow an audience with enough butter, cheese,
> cream, salt and eggs. I like to bring the picnic lunch that has all the
> quilters saying "I can eat that ... and it's good!"
>
>
> --Lia
>
>

That is a true talent, Lia, not to mention a bundle of knowledge!

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 07(VII)/08(VIII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
If you want your name spelt wrong, die.
-------------------------------------------

Andy <q> wrote in :


> My kitchen strength (BTW, that's the longest word with the fewest
> vowels!) would have to be the indoor kitchen 6,000 watt BBQ/grill.
>
> Andy
> Can dim the neighborhood while in use
>

Just curious but what sort of jet/turbofan do you have to vent the
heat/smoke when you fire that up? I now do all the very hot work out on the
grill or fryer/burner when I can. I looove the smell of bacon when cooking
but I don't like it all day long in the house.

When we remodel I think I might have a hood/vent put in.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
>I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot > get something on the table pretty fast. The
> alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that > Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was
> preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know > yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> rec.food.cooking
> Preserved Fruit Administrator
> "Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

I usually try and plan a day ahead for dinner the next day.


--
mompeagram
FERGUS/HARLINGEN

Melba's Jammin' > wrote in news:barbschaller-
:


> What are you good at as regards cookery?

Anything done in a skillet or on the grill. Luckily my wife has
complimentary skills as she is a wiz at the oven- baking, roasting,
casseroles etc. Together we do a pretty good complete meal.

As for unique skills I'd have to say mine is taking various leftovers and
somehow turning out pretty good burritos or wraps. I've been suprised at
what goes well with a little rice + beans and some sauteed onions & peppers
in a tortilla.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
> get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
> Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
> yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> rec.food.cooking
> Preserved Fruit Administrator
> "Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

I think the ability to assess what's on hand and devise / improvise a
meal in short order is a common trait of all decent cooks. I do the same
thing all the time at home as well as in the grocery store where I find
an interesting core component and then devise the rest of the meal to go
around it.

In article >,
Julia Altshuler > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> > What are you good at as regards cookery?
>
> My specialty is special diets.

> --Lia

Very cool, Lia. Remind me to call you if I ever have to cater to
someone's special requirements.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
rec.food.cooking
Preserved Fruit Administrator
"Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
> That is a true talent, Lia, not to mention a bundle of knowledge!


Thanks. Here's the quinoa salad I brought to my quilt group's summer
potluck.


1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chunked
1 green pepper, seeded and chunked
1 red pepper, seeded and chunked
2 carrots, peeled, and sliced into thin coins
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped


1 cup red quinoa, cooked to package instructions, and cooled


I brought the dressing in a separate container so everything could be
combined at the last minute. The dressing was 2:1 olive oil to freshly
squeezed lime juice.


No one has said she was on a special diet, but I figured I had all the
bases covered with that one.


Once I got there, someone asked about quinoa and whether it had gluten.
I hadn't even thought about gluten free.


--Lia

In article >,
"Michael \"Dog3\"" > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > news:barbschaller-

> > What are you good at as regards cookery?
>
> Cleaning as I go. Hands down. I can clean and cook (questionable
> sometimes and wind up with a fairly decent meal and a somewhat clean
> kitchen.
>
> Michael

<grin> I have a friend like that. Me, I figure that's why Alex made
dishwashers. Actually, my take on that is that I will sometimes have a
big pan of hot soapy water in the sink ready to receive dirty tools to
either quickly wash up or to set to soaking for later attention.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
rec.food.cooking
Preserved Fruit Administrator
"Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

In article >,
"Nexis" > wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message

> > What are you good at as regards cookery?

>
> I am good at winging it. I can look at what I have and come up with
> something pretty quick, l
>
> There are a few things I'm "known" for in my immediate circle...and at the
> top of the list, above all else, is gravy.
> kimberly

C'monna my house, Toots. As re braggin', remember this: Who tooteth not
her own horn, her horn doth not get tooted. Kiss your mom for me, eh?
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
rec.food.cooking
Preserved Fruit Administrator
"Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?

I guess I'd say I'm pretty good at baking.

For general cooking I do like to try new recipes and then put my own
spin on them. No complaints here and my efforts are always appreciated.

I think I'm pretty good at judging what will go well together.

--
Queenie

*** Be the change you wish to see in the world ***

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> Very cool, Lia. Remind me to call you if I ever have to cater to
> someone's special requirements.


Well, sometimes it's not too hard. If a low salt person is coming to
dinner, I make something fairly spicy, leave the salt out of everything
in the kitchen, then put salt shakers on the table for everyone else to
use liberally.


Mostly I find that performers are shy about serving vegetables and that
audiences are wowed by them. If you bring anything that's more than
plain steamed veggies, the crowd goes nuts.


--Lia

In article >,
Serene Vannoy > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> > What are you good at as regards cookery?

> I'm with you. It almost never takes me more than an hour to get dinner
> on the table, so it's typical of me to (if I don't have dinner planned)
> get up and look in the cupboards at 6pm, because dinner is at 7pm around
> here.

> I think I'm also good at pairing main dishes with side dishes, and I'm
> super-good at having all the food finish at the same time, and right at
> 7:00, which I'm kind of proud of. (James is impressed with that skill.)

> years, and I never would have predicted that, nor would anyone who had
> tasted some of the bricks I turned out in my hippychick days.
>
> Serene

Hippychick days are past? Huh! <g> Re pairing, meals here for the two
of us are pretty simple. Main, a vegetable, and usually a green salad,
We don't usually have bread with the meal and I usually forget to put
condiments on. I think I put more thought into more on the table when
the children were home. Still do, come to think of it. :-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
rec.food.cooking
Preserved Fruit Administrator
"Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

On Tue 08 Jul 2008 06:34:58a, Julia Altshuler told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>> That is a true talent, Lia, not to mention a bundle of knowledge!
>
>
> Thanks. Here's the quinoa salad I brought to my quilt group's summer
> potluck.
>
>
> 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chunked
> 1 green pepper, seeded and chunked
> 1 red pepper, seeded and chunked
> 2 carrots, peeled, and sliced into thin coins
> 1 bunch parsley, chopped
> 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
>
>
> 1 cup red quinoa, cooked to package instructions, and cooled
>
>
> I brought the dressing in a separate container so everything could be
> combined at the last minute. The dressing was 2:1 olive oil to freshly
> squeezed lime juice.
>
>
> No one has said she was on a special diet, but I figured I had all the
> bases covered with that one.
>
>
> Once I got there, someone asked about quinoa and whether it had gluten.
> I hadn't even thought about gluten free.
>
>
> --Lia
>
>

This sounds delicious. Saved to make this summer for sure!

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 07(VII)/08(VIII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
That that is is not that that is not.
-------------------------------------------

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
> get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
> Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
> yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?
Planning ahead so that I can do the job properly without rushing.

Felice wrote:
> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was
>> feeling pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in
>> less than 30 minutes. I do that a lot > get something on the table
>> pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
>> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>>
>> I'm good at that > Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I
>> was preparing for
>> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and
>> I told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
>> know > yet."
>>
>> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway
>> by about noon.
>>
>> What are you good at as regards cookery?
>
>
> Making reservations. (Well, somebody had to say it!)
>
> Felice

ROFL, Felice! :~)

kili

Michael "Dog3" wrote:
>
> I have coronary artery disease and diabetes. I don't even cook a special
> diet for myself. I just gauge myself and if I have too much of one thing
> I adjust at the next meal. Pasta and bread are 2 of my most ruinous
> downfalls. I love both.


You've just put your finger on why cooking for special diets isn't that
hard: I only have to do it for one meal. I have a friend on weight
watchers. Last year we had her over for barbecue. All I did was cut
the steaks into small portions. She could help herself to the amount
she wanted/needed. Everyone else could have more. I didn't have to
design the whole weight loss regimen from scratch.


Coming up with a lifetime's worth of meals for someone with heart
disease and diabetes would be too big a challenge for me. But making a
fairly normal meal and letting the guest decide how much of which item
he eats makes being the hostess easy. (I was going to say "piece of
cake.") All I have to do is plan something with brown rice instead of
bread or pasta.


--Lia

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot‹consider what's available in the fridge and
> get something on the table pretty fast. The alternative is dinner out
> and I'm really not all that crazy about eating out.
>
> I'm good at that‹figuring out a meal on short notice. I horrified
> Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I was preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know‹supper's an hour and a half away and I haven't thought about it
> yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>

Plan dinner???? If there is not some fresh meat in the fridge we take
something out of the freeze to thaw. When one of us goes into the kitchen to
prepare dinner we think about what we will do with it, sometimes consulting
the other for agreement or suggestions.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> I just posted about my chicken salad and as I was doing so I was
> feeling
> pretty proud of the fact that that meal came together in less than 30
> minutes. I do that a lot > get something on the table pretty fast.
> The alternative is dinner out and I'm really not all that crazy about
> eating out.
>
> I'm good at that > Sister Helen once when she wanted to know what I
> was preparing for
> supper. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the conversation took place and I
> told her I had no clue. "Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" "I don't
> know > yet."
>
> She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> about noon.
>
> What are you good at as regards cookery?

I can whip up anything Chinese, Japanese, Mexican or Italian. I never
follow a recipe on those, so it's never the same meal twice.

kili

"Michael "Dog3"" > wrote in message
. ..
> Julia Altshuler >
> : in rec.food.cooking
>
> <snip>
>
>> Coming up with a lifetime's worth of meals for someone with heart
>> disease and diabetes would be too big a challenge for me. But making
>> a fairly normal meal and letting the guest decide how much of which
>> item he eats makes being the hostess easy. (I was going to say "piece
>> of cake.") All I have to do is plan something with brown rice instead
>> of bread or pasta.
>
> I knew about the heart disease but when the diabetes was diagnosed I went
> bat shit. I felt like food was the enemy. I posted a flurry of whiney
> assed posts here, which I feel foolish about. Anyway, my diabetic
> dietitian and several other diabetics on this group got me through that
> mess. Now I can judge for myself what I can and can not have. I
> restrict nothing. I just do things in moderation. I can pretty much tell
> what my body is trying to say to me... you know... eat fewer carbs or
> less fat... etc. I test my BG 3x a day too which I find very beneficial.
> Besides... one can always substitute one delish thing for another which
> you have demonstrated above.
>
> Michael

Michael,

Don't you feel foolish about nuthin', ya hear? When I was diagnosed I was a
hot mess. Then I was in denial. I figured, if I didn't acknowledge it, it
would go away. Or something. Didn't work.
My biggest problem these days is eating often enough. Recently, though, my
dad's endo was saying something that I find helpful...he said not to think
of it is eating a bunch of meals. A small snack can be enough...say a
handful of nuts or a piece of fruit or something along those lines. I still
forget to eat sometimes though, which drives my husband crazy.

kimberly

In article >,
"Pete C." > wrote:

> I think the ability to assess what's on hand and devise / improvise a
> meal in short order is a common trait of all decent cooks. I do the same
> thing all the time at home as well as in the grocery store where I find
> an interesting core component and then devise the rest of the meal to go
> around it.

:-) I've been known to select the sale meat and think, "I'll figure
out something to do with it later."
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
rec.food.cooking
Preserved Fruit Administrator
"Always in a jam. Never in a stew." - Evergene

On Tue 08 Jul 2008 06:55:25a, Michael "Dog3" told us...

> Wayne Boatwright >
> .120: in
> rec.food.cooking
>
>> Pie baking, southern fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and the most
>> efficient and effective loading of a dishwasher to be seen. :-)
>
> I'm coming to your house for a weekend. What's not to like? Good food
and
> the kitchen cleans itself
>
> Michael
>
>
>

LOL! Come on ahead. Just don't bitch about the heat! :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 07(VII)/08(VIII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
'Conjunction Junction, what's your
function?'
-------------------------------------------

My strength is stovetop frittatas and one coffee cake recipe I've
experimented with a lot. Frittatas are a great Saturday midmorning meal
because you can just grab whatever leftover vegetables are in the crisper
and clean it out before the weekly grocering, and I mean almost any
vegetable can be used. I like to serve frittatas either with cottage cheese
mixed in or with sides of cottage cheese and baked beans. The coffee cake
recipe I've varied to create both bread and brownies, have baked as muffins,
etc. Running through the preparation steps takes me about ten minutes.

I also handwash dishes very, very well and very quickly from having done it
so often as a kid. To me filling and emptying a dishwasher feels more like
work than handwashing the dishes.

kilikini wrote:

>
> >
> > She was incredulous that I hadn't had the menu planned and underway by
> > about noon.
> >
> > What are you good at as regards cookery?
>
> I can whip up anything Chinese, Japanese, Mexican or Italian. I never
> follow a recipe on those, so it's never the same meal twice.
>

Same here, and it frustrates my wife. I will add what I have on hand and add
things to taste. Sometimes it turns out exceptionally well, but when I try
it again it is not the same. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it doesn't
work so well.

Chile Fiend said...

> Andy <q> wrote in :
>
>
>> My kitchen strength (BTW, that's the longest word with the fewest
>> vowels!) would have to be the indoor kitchen 6,000 watt BBQ/grill.
>>
>> Andy
>> Can dim the neighborhood while in use
>>
>
> Just curious but what sort of jet/turbofan do you have to vent the
> heat/smoke when you fire that up? I now do all the very hot work out on
> the grill or fryer/burner when I can. I looove the smell of bacon when
> cooking but I don't like it all day long in the house.
>
> When we remodel I think I might have a hood/vent put in.


Chile Fiend,

The dual fans are enclosed behind an overhead brick enclosure, directly
above the grill. Major industrial fans, I might add!!!

http://i33.tinypic.com/2vv9zig.jpg

Just typical Thai chicken satay roasting away, for example. I had a better
"entire" picture of the indoor BBQ grill but can't find it on the 'puter.

When you do your indoor BBQ grill, definitely think MAJOR ventilation!!! My
best advice. You'll be well rewarded!

Best,

Andy

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> In article >,
> "Pete C." > wrote:
>
> > I think the ability to assess what's on hand and devise / improvise a
> > meal in short order is a common trait of all decent cooks. I do the same
> > thing all the time at home as well as in the grocery store where I find
> > an interesting core component and then devise the rest of the meal to go
> > around it.
>
> :-) I've been known to select the sale meat and think, "I'll figure
> out something to do with it later."

Well, I select the sale item of interest and before it hits my cart I've
decided what to do with it and I then proceed to chase after the other
items I need for the meal plan.

> Cleaning as I go. Hands down. I can clean and cook (questionable
> sometimes and wind up with a fairly decent meal and a somewhat clean
> kitchen.
>
> Michael

I'm good at that as well. I usually can get a decent dinner together in an
hour or so and the only dirty dishes will be what's on the table when we sit
down to eat.

To me its a matter of efficiency. It gets harder to keep up with all the
tasks that go into making a multi-course meal if there's a lot of dirty
bowls, pots, utensils and ingredient boxes in then way.

I don't think my cleanup crew is as appreciative as they could be about that
point, either. I was thinking of skipping 'the clean as I go' a few nights
to drive home that point.

Jon

Andy <q> wrote in :

> Chile Fiend said...
>
>> Andy <q> wrote in :
>>
>>
>>> My kitchen strength (BTW, that's the longest word with the fewest
>>> vowels!) would have to be the indoor kitchen 6,000 watt BBQ/grill.
>>>
>>> Andy
>>> Can dim the neighborhood while in use
>>>
>>
>> Just curious but what sort of jet/turbofan do you have to vent the
>> heat/smoke when you fire that up? I now do all the very hot work out
>> on the grill or fryer/burner when I can. I looove the smell of bacon
>> when cooking but I don't like it all day long in the house.
>>
>> When we remodel I think I might have a hood/vent put in.
>
>
> Chile Fiend,
>
> The dual fans are enclosed behind an overhead brick enclosure,
> directly above the grill. Major industrial fans, I might add!!!
>
> http://i33.tinypic.com/2vv9zig.jpg
>
> Just typical Thai chicken satay roasting away, for example. I had a
> better "entire" picture of the indoor BBQ grill but can't find it on
> the 'puter.
>
> When you do your indoor BBQ grill, definitely think MAJOR
> ventilation!!! My best advice. You'll be well rewarded!
>
> Best,
>
> Andy

Yikes! I bet your electric meter really starts spinning when you fire
that up. Looks like a heating element right out of an oven.

So no plates or covers to stop splashing or dripping onto the heating
element? I suppose nothing lasts for more than a milliseconds before it's
vaporized.

Oh... and I can almost smell that chicken looking at the picture.

"Michael \"Dog3\"" > wrote in
:

> I can always tell when I don't eat enough. I get really bitchy. I mean
> it's bad. Steven always gives me no end of shit when I don't eat
> enough... especially protein. For some reason I'm more afraid of the
> heart disease than the diabetes. People in my family have died of heart
> disease. None have had real bad consequences from Diabetes.
>

Diabetes is the other well travelled road to heart disease...with the plus
of costing you a limb or two and possibly your eyesite on the way. So worry
more about the diabetes.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...

<snip>

> What are you good at as regards cookery?
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ

That is an interesting question. I think it really depends on the day, the
motivation, the circumstances.

As far as prep and execution I'm OK.

I can follow a recipe but don't like to unless it's something I have never
made before.

Menu planning - never unless its a special occasion.

Last night is a reasonable example, I had several grilled pieces of chicken
breast left over that I wanted to use.

So I quartered and diced a large leek (yes white part only) and a clove of
garlic. Sautéed them in butter till soft, added a bit of flour & poultry
seasoning , and mixed for a few minutes. Added some canned
chicken/vegetable stock, diced and added the chicken, some lemon juice, and
a handful of dried unsulfured apricots. Let the mess simmer over low heat
till the apricots were soft and served over buttered noodles with some
broccoli on the side.

Did I have any Idea what I was going to do - nope I just improvised.

BTW I would have added some Dijon mustard for a little sharpness but some
people here don't like the mustard flavor.



--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)