My hubby and I were looking forward to being alone on Valentine's Day when
all of a sudden an old friend of mine from Maui contacted me and said she
was coming to visit. I was soooooooo bummed; we're newlyweds after all and
it was going to be our 5 month anniversary.

Anyway, she canceled and said she's coming Wednesday instead! I'm so happy!

So, now I have to think about something romantic and special to make for
tomorrow. We're on a low carb diet that it's basically NO carb. (Yes,
we're taking supplements.) Whatever I decide has to be cheap (we're
severely budgetally challenged), low carb, yet elegant and romantic. And
whatever I decide to get, he has to take me to the store because I don't
have a vehicle and he's the only one in our house with an income.

Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room table; all
we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.

Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it to make
it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!

We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey) and just
about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy food for me). I'm
tired of panfried and all we do other than that is bake or Q. I'm looking
for something unique. Any ideas?

TIA,

kili

kilikini wrote:
> My hubby and I were looking forward to being alone on Valentine's Day
> when all of a sudden an old friend of mine from Maui contacted me and
> said she was coming to visit. I was soooooooo bummed; we're
> newlyweds after all and it was going to be our 5 month anniversary.
>
YAY!

> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it
> to make it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
>
Asparagus Soup? (slurp)

1 lb. asparagus
5-6 c. vegetable stock
1 egg
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbs. dry sherry or rice wine
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 small palmful of chopped ginger
1 Tbs. light soy sauce

Separate the tips of the asparagus from the middle stalks and set aside.
(Freeze and use the tough ends to make more stock later.) Bring vegetable
stock to a boil. Add the asparagus stalks and stir. Cover the pot and
simmer for 30 minutes until the stalks are tender. Add the asparagus tips,
ginger, sherry or rice wine and soy sauce. Simmer about 15 minutes. Beat
the egg and stir it into the pot very slowly while stirring (think egg-drop
soup). Dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of cold water and add this
slowly to the soup to thicken it. Keep the soup simmering about 2 minutes.
Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Jill

"kilikini" > wrote in message
...

-----snippage-----

> Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room table; all
> we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.

Nothing wrong there, Beckster and I rarely use the dining room table, what
with it being a combination auxillary closet and junk drawer rolled into
one.
The couch is where its at ! The big coffee table has definately had more
calories consumed off / spilled on it than the table ever has.
>
> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it to
make
> it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
>
> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey) and just
> about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy food for me). I'm
> tired of panfried and all we do other than that is bake or Q. I'm looking
> for something unique. Any ideas?

Head for the produce department and score a bag of stir-fry veggies,
whatever
kind you like. I tend to get the broccoli/cauliflower mix plus some cabbage
strips. BUT, don't stir-fry, steam them instead. Serve with grilled
chicken strips
marinated in Teriyaki sauce. Less than ten bucks, and you can't beat the
taste.

And, no carbs (although personally, I can't live without my pasta)
>
> TIA,
>
> kili

John (Mac ' cheese cassarole today WITH broccoli and ham)

kinki-kilikini wrote:
> My hubby and I were looking forward to being alone on Valentine's Day
when
> all of a sudden an old friend of mine from Maui contacted me and said
she
> was coming to visit. I was soooooooo bummed; we're newlyweds after
all and
> it was going to be our 5 month anniversary.
>
> Anyway, she canceled and said she's coming Wednesday instead! I'm so
happy!
>
> So, now I have to think about something romantic and special to make
for
> tomorrow. We're on a low carb diet that it's basically NO carb.
(Yes,
> we're taking supplements.) Whatever I decide has to be cheap (we're
> severely budgetally challenged), low carb, yet elegant and romantic.
And
> whatever I decide to get, he has to take me to the store because I
don't
> have a vehicle and he's the only one in our house with an income.
>
> Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room
table; all
> we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.
>
> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it
to make
> it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
>
> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey) and
just
> about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy food for me).
I'm
> tired of panfried and all we do other than that is bake or Q. I'm
looking
> for something unique. Any ideas?

Meets your economic requiremets, contains seafood, and is in a way
romantic... alla kinki-kili... you can substitute a spaghetti squash
for the pasta.

SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA
Spaghetti "Whore-style"

1 lb. spaghetti
3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
3 oz. pitted brown olives (preferably Gaeta or Nicoise)
1 lb. ripe tomatoes
3 oz. anchovies
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 peperoncino
1 1/2 oz. capers
salt

Chop the anchovies. Peel the tomatoes, dispense with the seeds and cut
into small chunks. Pour the oil in a warmed skillet and add the garlic
and peperoncino cut in little pieces. Cover. Cook over medium heat
until the garlic browns. Remove garlic and add the anchovies. Add
tomatoes, olives and capers (well washed). Stir and let cook for about
7 mins. Taste the sauce for seasoning. Pour the sauce over spaghetti in
a skillet with the sauce, toss well and serve.

kilikini at wrote on 2/13/05 10:08 AM:

> So, now I have to think about something romantic and special to make for
> tomorrow. We're on a low carb diet that it's basically NO carb. (Yes,
> we're taking supplements.) Whatever I decide has to be cheap (we're
> severely budgetally challenged), low carb, yet elegant and romantic. And
> whatever I decide to get, he has to take me to the store because I don't
> have a vehicle and he's the only one in our house with an income.
>
> Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room table; all
> we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.
>
> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it to make
> it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!

How about a picnic in the living room?
Spread out a pretty blanket...put candles in the middle (jarred candles, for
safety, rather than candlesticks). For dinner, room-temp roasted chicken
(Heck, fried chicken works on Atkins/South Beach, right?), as assortment of
cheeses....bite size, of course. Pepperoni, summer sausage...bite size, of
course! Can you have wine? You can get something drinakable for about
$4-5. Carrots and celery with some sort of sour cream dip, if veggies are
allowed. Think antipasto/finger foods.... little bites of things you
nibble on between nibbling on each other.... :-)

Have fun!

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:08:14 GMT, "kilikini"
> wrote:

> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey) and just
> about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy food for me). I'm
> tired of panfried and all we do other than that is bake or Q. I'm looking
> for something unique. Any ideas?

Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.

sf

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:08:14 GMT, "kilikini"
> > wrote:
>
>> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey)
>> and just about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy
>> food for me). I'm tired of panfried and all we do other than that
>> is bake or Q. I'm looking for something unique. Any ideas?
>
> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> sf

Great idea, sf! Cheese fondue with veggie dippers (since they aren't doing
breads). Uh, set the fondue pot on a cutting board or something so as not
to set fire to the carpet

Jill

"sf" > wrote in message
...

> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.

Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.

nancy

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> kinki-kilikini wrote:
> > My hubby and I were looking forward to being alone on Valentine's Day
> when
> > all of a sudden an old friend of mine from Maui contacted me and said
> she
> > was coming to visit. I was soooooooo bummed; we're newlyweds after
> all and
> > it was going to be our 5 month anniversary.
> >
> > Anyway, she canceled and said she's coming Wednesday instead! I'm so
> happy!
> >
> > So, now I have to think about something romantic and special to make
> for
> > tomorrow. We're on a low carb diet that it's basically NO carb.
> (Yes,
> > we're taking supplements.) Whatever I decide has to be cheap (we're
> > severely budgetally challenged), low carb, yet elegant and romantic.
> And
> > whatever I decide to get, he has to take me to the store because I
> don't
> > have a vehicle and he's the only one in our house with an income.
> >
> > Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room
> table; all
> > we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.
> >
> > Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it
> to make
> > it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
> >
> > We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey) and
> just
> > about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy food for me).
> I'm
> > tired of panfried and all we do other than that is bake or Q. I'm
> looking
> > for something unique. Any ideas?
>
> Meets your economic requiremets, contains seafood, and is in a way
> romantic... alla kinki-kili... you can substitute a spaghetti squash
> for the pasta.
>
> SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA
> Spaghetti "Whore-style"
>
> 1 lb. spaghetti
> 3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
> 3 oz. pitted brown olives (preferably Gaeta or Nicoise)
> 1 lb. ripe tomatoes
> 3 oz. anchovies
> 1 clove of garlic, crushed
> 1 peperoncino
> 1 1/2 oz. capers
> salt
>
> Chop the anchovies. Peel the tomatoes, dispense with the seeds and cut
> into small chunks. Pour the oil in a warmed skillet and add the garlic
> and peperoncino cut in little pieces. Cover. Cook over medium heat
> until the garlic browns. Remove garlic and add the anchovies. Add
> tomatoes, olives and capers (well washed). Stir and let cook for about
> 7 mins. Taste the sauce for seasoning. Pour the sauce over spaghetti in
> a skillet with the sauce, toss well and serve.

LOL!!!

Simple recipe for a simple problem. How did I know that you would check in?
:-)

Longtime lurker/new poster.

Hubert

Nancy Young wrote:
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>
> nancy

Why would you need to get up... there's more room for romance on the
floor. hehe

On Sun 13 Feb 2005 02:09:50p, Nancy Young wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>
> nancy

LOL! Back in the mid/late '60s when fondue was in its heyday, we used to
have fondue dinners on the marble coffee table. We usually had an oil pot
for beef and a pot for cheese. Later in the evening we'd have a chocolate
and sometimes a caramel fondue for dessert. I doubt I'd last that long on
the floor these days. :-)

A friend gifted us with a copper double fondue that looked something like a
double chafing dish. One pot was for oil, the other had a thick ceramic
insert pot for cheese or chocolate.

Wayne

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 16:09:50 -0500, "Nancy Young"
> wrote:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>
> nancy
>
Ah, yes... I remember when the floor wasn't sooo far away.

sf

"Nancy Young" > wrote in
:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>
> nancy
>
>
>

A bucket of chicken and the porch swing?

--
No Bread Crumbs were hurt in the making of this Meal.
Type 2 Diabetic 1AC 5.6mmol or 101mg/dl
Continuing to be Manitoban

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 11:59:58 -0800, sf > wrote:


>Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.

I love this idea. Using your fingers and feeding each other is sexy.
Share an artichoke for a starter, then the fondue with veggie dippers.
Share a pomegranite for dessert. Could you splurge on a few oysters
on the half shell? So cliche, but so good!

Tara

jmcquown wrote:
> kilikini wrote:
>> My hubby and I were looking forward to being alone on Valentine's Day
>> when all of a sudden an old friend of mine from Maui contacted me and
>> said she was coming to visit. I was soooooooo bummed; we're
>> newlyweds after all and it was going to be our 5 month anniversary.
>>
> YAY!
>
>> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it
>> to make it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
>>
> Asparagus Soup? (slurp)
>
> 1 lb. asparagus
> 5-6 c. vegetable stock
> 1 egg
> salt & pepper to taste
> 1 Tbs. dry sherry or rice wine
> 1 Tbs. cornstarch
> 1 small palmful of chopped ginger
> 1 Tbs. light soy sauce
>
> Separate the tips of the asparagus from the middle stalks and set
> aside. (Freeze and use the tough ends to make more stock later.)
> Bring vegetable stock to a boil. Add the asparagus stalks and stir.
> Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the stalks are tender.
> Add the asparagus tips, ginger, sherry or rice wine and soy sauce.
> Simmer about 15 minutes. Beat the egg and stir it into the pot very
> slowly while stirring (think egg-drop soup). Dissolve the cornstarch
> in a small amount of cold water and add this slowly to the soup to
> thicken it. Keep the soup simmering about 2 minutes. Season to taste
> with salt & pepper.
>
> Jill


ooooooooh, Jill, and you know we both just LOVE asparagus!
OOOOOOooooooooooooooooh! Yeah.........

kili

John Bonnett wrote:
> "kilikini" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> -----snippage-----
>
>> Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room
>> table; all we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.
>
> Nothing wrong there, Beckster and I rarely use the dining room table,
> what with it being a combination auxillary closet and junk drawer
> rolled into one.
> The couch is where its at ! The big coffee table has definately had
> more calories consumed off / spilled on it than the table ever has.
>>
>> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it
>> to make it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
>>
>> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey) and
>> just about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy food for
>> me). I'm tired of panfried and all we do other than that is bake or
>> Q. I'm looking for something unique. Any ideas?
>
> Head for the produce department and score a bag of stir-fry veggies,
> whatever
> kind you like. I tend to get the broccoli/cauliflower mix plus some
> cabbage strips. BUT, don't stir-fry, steam them instead. Serve with
> grilled chicken strips
> marinated in Teriyaki sauce. Less than ten bucks, and you can't beat
> the taste.
>
> And, no carbs (although personally, I can't live without my pasta)
>>
>> TIA,
>>
>> kili
>
> John (Mac ' cheese cassarole today WITH broccoli and ham)

He does love his stir-fry...............

kili

Sheldon wrote:
> kinki-kilikini wrote:
>> My hubby and I were looking forward to being alone on Valentine's
>> Day when all of a sudden an old friend of mine from Maui contacted
>> me and said she was coming to visit. I was soooooooo bummed; we're
>> newlyweds after all and it was going to be our 5 month anniversary.
>>
>> Anyway, she canceled and said she's coming Wednesday instead! I'm
>> so happy!
>>
>> So, now I have to think about something romantic and special to make
>> for tomorrow. We're on a low carb diet that it's basically NO carb.
>> (Yes, we're taking supplements.) Whatever I decide has to be cheap
>> (we're severely budgetally challenged), low carb, yet elegant and
>> romantic. And whatever I decide to get, he has to take me to the
>> store because I don't have a vehicle and he's the only one in our
>> house with an income.
>>
>> Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room
>> table; all we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.
>>
>> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it
>> to make it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
>>
>> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey) and
>> just about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy food for
>> me). I'm tired of panfried and all we do other than that is bake or
>> Q. I'm looking for something unique. Any ideas?
>
> Meets your economic requiremets, contains seafood, and is in a way
> romantic... alla kinki-kili... you can substitute a spaghetti squash
> for the pasta.
>
> SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA
> Spaghetti "Whore-style"
>
> 1 lb. spaghetti
> 3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
> 3 oz. pitted brown olives (preferably Gaeta or Nicoise)
> 1 lb. ripe tomatoes
> 3 oz. anchovies
> 1 clove of garlic, crushed
> 1 peperoncino
> 1 1/2 oz. capers
> salt
>
> Chop the anchovies. Peel the tomatoes, dispense with the seeds and cut
> into small chunks. Pour the oil in a warmed skillet and add the garlic
> and peperoncino cut in little pieces. Cover. Cook over medium heat
> until the garlic browns. Remove garlic and add the anchovies. Add
> tomatoes, olives and capers (well washed). Stir and let cook for about
> 7 mins. Taste the sauce for seasoning. Pour the sauce over spaghetti
> in a skillet with the sauce, toss well and serve.


Simple, elegant, but I'd really want shrimp instead of anchovies. No
offense. BUT, I have capers, I have olive oil, I have garlic. All I'd need
would be tomatoes (MIL has some), peperoncinos (nice and mild for me),
shrimp (?) and olives. Might be do-able. Thanks!

kili

Sheryl Rosen wrote:
> kilikini at wrote on 2/13/05 10:08 AM:
>
>> So, now I have to think about something romantic and special to make
>> for tomorrow. We're on a low carb diet that it's basically NO carb.
>> (Yes, we're taking supplements.) Whatever I decide has to be cheap
>> (we're severely budgetally challenged), low carb, yet elegant and
>> romantic. And whatever I decide to get, he has to take me to the
>> store because I don't have a vehicle and he's the only one in our
>> house with an income.
>>
>> Also, unfortunately, we don't even have a dinner or dining room
>> table; all we do is sit on the couch with a plate on our lap.
>>
>> Anyone have any good ideas on something to serve and how to serve it
>> to make it simple, yet give it some sort of ambience? I need help!
>
> How about a picnic in the living room?
> Spread out a pretty blanket...put candles in the middle (jarred
> candles, for safety, rather than candlesticks). For dinner, room-temp
> roasted chicken (Heck, fried chicken works on Atkins/South Beach,
> right?), as assortment of cheeses....bite size, of course. Pepperoni,
> summer sausage...bite size, of course! Can you have wine? You can
> get something drinakable for about $4-5. Carrots and celery with
> some sort of sour cream dip, if veggies are allowed. Think
> antipasto/finger foods.... little bites of things you nibble on
> between nibbling on each other.... :-)
>
> Have fun!

I was kinda thinking about a picnic in the living room. I sorta brought it
up to him today (like I said, he's got to take me to the store, blah blah
blah), but he's all, what about the kittens? We have two 6 month old
kittens. I have NO objection to locking them up for the evening if it means
a romantic occasion!

Wine, beer, whiskey is all allowed. :~) Those are the few carbs we partake
of. (oh hush, Damsel, Jill, Alan B., Pam, Ariane, Karen, etc.)

We just did sausage, cheese, olives last night for dinner (see
alt.binaries.food for pix) but we could do a do-over.

kili

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:08:14 GMT, "kilikini"
> > wrote:
>
>> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey)
>> and just about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy
>> food for me). I'm tired of panfried and all we do other than that
>> is bake or Q. I'm looking for something unique. Any ideas?
>
> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> sf

Oh, I so love Fondue! I left two fondue pots back on Maui; one was electric
(West Bend) and the other was sterno. I had thought of that, but, shoots.
I want my fondue pots!

kili

jmcquown wrote:
> sf wrote:
>> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:08:14 GMT, "kilikini"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> We like pork, beef, chicken, fish, shellfish (but that's pricey)
>>> and just about any and all veggies (except hot peppers or spicy
>>> food for me). I'm tired of panfried and all we do other than that
>>> is bake or Q. I'm looking for something unique. Any ideas?
>>
>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>>
>> sf
>
> Great idea, sf! Cheese fondue with veggie dippers (since they aren't
> doing breads). Uh, set the fondue pot on a cutting board or
> something so as not to set fire to the carpet
>
> Jill

Hardwood floor, Jill. No carpet in the living room! :~)

kili

Sheldon wrote:
> Nancy Young wrote:
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>>
>> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>>
>> nancy
>
> Why would you need to get up... there's more room for romance on the
> floor. hehe

it's been done before.................................... he he he

kili

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Sun 13 Feb 2005 02:09:50p, Nancy Young wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>>
>> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>>
>> nancy
>
> LOL! Back in the mid/late '60s when fondue was in its heyday, we
> used to have fondue dinners on the marble coffee table. We usually
> had an oil pot for beef and a pot for cheese. Later in the evening
> we'd have a chocolate and sometimes a caramel fondue for dessert. I
> doubt I'd last that long on the floor these days. :-)
>
> A friend gifted us with a copper double fondue that looked something
> like a double chafing dish. One pot was for oil, the other had a
> thick ceramic insert pot for cheese or chocolate.
>
> Wayne

Wayne, OMG! My aunt sent me one of those and I completely forgot about it!
Wow! That *IS* an idea then!

kili

Hahabogus wrote:
> "Nancy Young" > wrote in
> :
>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>>
>> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>>
>> nancy
>>
>>
>>
>
> A bucket of chicken and the porch swing?

You know, if we had a porch, you can damn well bet I'd have a swing in it.
As it is, I'm waiting for hubby to build a deck so we have a proper BBQ spot
for our WSM.

kili

Tara wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 11:59:58 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>
>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> I love this idea. Using your fingers and feeding each other is sexy.
> Share an artichoke for a starter, then the fondue with veggie dippers.
> Share a pomegranite for dessert. Could you splurge on a few oysters
> on the half shell? So cliche, but so good!
>
> Tara

Shoots, you know, I'm thinking fondue people! What an awesome suggestion!
I forgot about my grandmother's pot my aunt sent; it's like a sterno double
broiler thingy. It would work.

God, and we LOVE artichokes too!

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I'll let you know how it went. :~)

Mahalo Nui Loa (thank you very much)

kili

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 23:12:11 GMT, "Kilikini"
> wrote:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> >
> > A friend gifted us with a copper double fondue that looked something
> > like a double chafing dish. One pot was for oil, the other had a
> > thick ceramic insert pot for cheese or chocolate.
> >
> > Wayne
>
> Wayne, OMG! My aunt sent me one of those and I completely forgot about it!
>
I want one too, but only if it's a gift.

> Wow! That *IS* an idea then!

sf

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 23:10:34 GMT, "Kilikini"
> wrote:

> Oh, I so love Fondue! I left two fondue pots back on Maui; one was electric
> (West Bend) and the other was sterno. I had thought of that, but, shoots.
> I want my fondue pots!

I don't have a fondue pot either. I use a one quart
enameled cast iron pot on an old sterno type fondue base
(the ceramic fondue pot is long gone).

sf

On Sun 13 Feb 2005 04:12:11p, Kilikini wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Sun 13 Feb 2005 02:09:50p, Nancy Young wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>>
>>> "sf" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>>>
>>> Heh. I can just picture me trying to get up. So romantic.
>>>
>>> nancy
>>
>> LOL! Back in the mid/late '60s when fondue was in its heyday, we
>> used to have fondue dinners on the marble coffee table. We usually
>> had an oil pot for beef and a pot for cheese. Later in the evening
>> we'd have a chocolate and sometimes a caramel fondue for dessert. I
>> doubt I'd last that long on the floor these days. :-)
>>
>> A friend gifted us with a copper double fondue that looked something
>> like a double chafing dish. One pot was for oil, the other had a
>> thick ceramic insert pot for cheese or chocolate.
>>
>> Wayne
>
> Wayne, OMG! My aunt sent me one of those and I completely forgot about
> it! Wow! That *IS* an idea then!
>
> kili

Admittedly, it makes a very elegant and romantic fondue presentation.

Enjoy!

Wayne

On Sun 13 Feb 2005 04:25:00p, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 23:12:11 GMT, "Kilikini"
> > wrote:
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> >
>> > A friend gifted us with a copper double fondue that looked something
>> > like a double chafing dish. One pot was for oil, the other had a
>> > thick ceramic insert pot for cheese or chocolate.
>> >
>> > Wayne
>>
>> Wayne, OMG! My aunt sent me one of those and I completely forgot
>> about it!
>>
> I want one too, but only if it's a gift.

If I knew where mine is packed, I would pass it on to you. We don't do
fondue very often anymore, and I have now taken the path of convenience and
use an Oster electric fondue pot.

Wayne

Kilikini wrote:

>=20
>=20
> Simple, elegant, but I'd really want shrimp instead of anchovies. No=20
> offense. BUT, I have capers, I have olive oil, I have garlic. All I'd=
need=20
> would be tomatoes (MIL has some), peperoncinos (nice and mild for me), =

> shrimp (?) and olives. Might be do-able. Thanks!
>=20
> kili=20
>=20
>=20

ok, shrimp shouldn't be too expensive down here. How about seeding=20
tomatoes and then dicing them along with garlic, and onion in a small=20
dice.

Boil the shrimp, in shell, for 2 minutes then into an ice bath, but=20
don't dump the water. Pull them out of the pot with a strainer and=20
into the bath. Peel the shrimp, including the tails and throw=20
everything back into the boiling liquid. Then continue to reduce until=20
highly concentrated. (That part is hard to explain...)

Saut=E9 the onion and garlic until just translucent and then add the=20
tomato for a couple of minutes. Toss the shrimp back in to warm and=20
finish cooking. Pull off the heat and add *cold* butter, 1-2 TBL=20
depending on how much you have. Plate and finish with fresh chopped
flat leaf parsley or cilantro if that's you thing. Garnish with=20
something green ;-) Chives would be nice if you have 'em.
Want it spicy? Toss in the heat/flavor of your choice.

Serve with a garden salad, grilled asparagus and beverage of choice.

Got a back yard or patio? Dine with the sunset or under the stars.

--=20
Steve

Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little
bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards...

Kilikini wrote:
>
> As it is, I'm waiting for hubby to build a deck so we have a proper
BBQ spot.

No, no, no... no q'n/grillin' on wood decks... prolly burn yer house
down. Municipal fire codes usually specify no outdoor open flame
cooking apparatus within 10 feet of combustibles. What you want for
cooking is a patio.

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 23:09:51 GMT, "Kilikini"
> wrote:

> We just did sausage, cheese, olives last night for dinner (see
> alt.binaries.food for pix) but we could do a do-over.

Sausage is allowed? Is hard salami allowed? I like to dip
chunks of hard salami, apple, pear and small new potatoes
(halved or quartered) in a sharpish cheese fondue.

Of course, there is also chocolate fondue to consider... dip
apples, pears, bananas and strawberries.

http://www.bhg.com/home/FondueRecipes.html
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/fondue.htm

sf

On 13 Feb 2005 23:38:50 GMT, Wayne Boatwright >
wrote:

> On Sun 13 Feb 2005 04:25:00p, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
> > On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 23:12:11 GMT, "Kilikini"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> >> >
> >> > A friend gifted us with a copper double fondue that looked something
> >> > like a double chafing dish. One pot was for oil, the other had a
> >> > thick ceramic insert pot for cheese or chocolate.
> >> >
> >> > Wayne
> >>
> >> Wayne, OMG! My aunt sent me one of those and I completely forgot
> >> about it!
> >>
> > I want one too, but only if it's a gift.
>
> If I knew where mine is packed, I would pass it on to you. We don't do
> fondue very often anymore, and I have now taken the path of convenience and
> use an Oster electric fondue pot.
>
We cleared out our basement last week... filled a huge
dumpster with 30 years worth of accumulation - so now I have
plenty of room to begin storing new collections.

LOL!


sf

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 03:24:32 GMT, Dog3
> wrote:

> I have never caught the carpet on fire while eating on the floor. OTOH, I
> forgot to close the screen after lighting a huge fire in the fireplace at
> one of the condos we lived in. I kept smelling a singed smell. As it turned
> out, a huge ember had flown out and landed under the coffee table where I
> could not see it immediately. Big old hole down to the middle of the carpet
> pad. I was amazed that it could be repaired without the entire room having
> to be recarpeted.

I'm amazed you didn't have to call the fire department!

sf

Steve Calvin wrote:
> Kilikini wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Simple, elegant, but I'd really want shrimp instead of anchovies. No
>> offense. BUT, I have capers, I have olive oil, I have garlic. All
>> I'd need would be tomatoes (MIL has some), peperoncinos (nice and
>> mild for me), shrimp (?) and olives. Might be do-able. Thanks!
>>
>> kili
>>
>>
>
> ok, shrimp shouldn't be too expensive down here. How about seeding
> tomatoes and then dicing them along with garlic, and onion in a small
> dice.
>
> Boil the shrimp, in shell, for 2 minutes then into an ice bath, but
> don't dump the water. Pull them out of the pot with a strainer and
> into the bath. Peel the shrimp, including the tails and throw
> everything back into the boiling liquid. Then continue to reduce until
> highly concentrated. (That part is hard to explain...)
>
> Sauté the onion and garlic until just translucent and then add the
> tomato for a couple of minutes. Toss the shrimp back in to warm and
> finish cooking. Pull off the heat and add *cold* butter, 1-2 TBL
> depending on how much you have. Plate and finish with fresh chopped
> flat leaf parsley or cilantro if that's you thing. Garnish with
> something green ;-) Chives would be nice if you have 'em.
> Want it spicy? Toss in the heat/flavor of your choice.
>
> Serve with a garden salad, grilled asparagus and beverage of choice.
>
> Got a back yard or patio? Dine with the sunset or under the stars.

I'm gonna save this idea for future use, Steve. Sounds like a really easy
meal. Like a shrimp marinara? hmmmmmm, now you've got me thinkin'.

kili

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 23:09:51 GMT, "Kilikini"
> > wrote:
>
>> We just did sausage, cheese, olives last night for dinner (see
>> alt.binaries.food for pix) but we could do a do-over.
>
> Sausage is allowed? Is hard salami allowed? I like to dip
> chunks of hard salami, apple, pear and small new potatoes
> (halved or quartered) in a sharpish cheese fondue.
>
> Of course, there is also chocolate fondue to consider... dip
> apples, pears, bananas and strawberries.
>
> http://www.bhg.com/home/FondueRecipes.html
> http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/fondue.htm
>
> sf

The man won't go there. LOL. He's worried about his "girlish" figure.
Yes, his nick name is The Fat Man, but as many of you know, he's not fat at
all. Then again, he did lose 60 pounds by doing Atkins.

kili

Sheldon wrote:
> Kilikini wrote:
>>
>> As it is, I'm waiting for hubby to build a deck so we have a proper
>> BBQ spot.
>
> No, no, no... no q'n/grillin' on wood decks... prolly burn yer house
> down. Municipal fire codes usually specify no outdoor open flame
> cooking apparatus within 10 feet of combustibles. What you want for
> cooking is a patio.

He's a construction guy so we can get all kinds of materials. We're going
to build a deck with a specific area for the cooker - should include a
concrete area, but encased by the whole deck (if that makes sense). Our
house is concrete block covered in stucco. We currently use the WSM (Weber
Smokey Mountain) propped up right next to the house on the ground. It's a
bullet smoker so it's not an offset or anything and has an enclosed chamber
for the wood and lump.

kili

Tara wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 11:59:58 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>
>> Fondue & Candles? Sit on the floor instead of the couch.
>
> I love this idea. Using your fingers and feeding each other is sexy.
> Share an artichoke for a starter, then the fondue with veggie dippers.
> Share a pomegranite for dessert. Could you splurge on a few oysters
> on the half shell? So cliche, but so good!
>
> Tara

We love oysters too, but, you know, it's actually hard to find good seafood
here and I'm in Florida! God I miss California and Hawaii; every
supermarket was packed with seafood. Here it's all frozen.

kili

Whats the big deal with Valentines anyway? Is this the only day to
celebrate love? There is too much pressure and hype put into this one
day. What about yesterday or tomorrow, was your love for each other less
than it is today? Do you really have to have candles, special dinners,
roses, candy, sexy lingerie, to express your love for each other??Come
on people---surley you relationships are not that shallow. If they are,
both of you are fooling each other and you both are just wasting your
time---

On Mon 14 Feb 2005 05:50:20a, Jimmy Reid wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Whats the big deal with Valentines anyway? Is this the only day to
> celebrate love? There is too much pressure and hype put into this one
> day. What about yesterday or tomorrow, was your love for each other less
> than it is today? Do you really have to have candles, special dinners,
> roses, candy, sexy lingerie, to express your love for each other??Come
> on people---surley you relationships are not that shallow. If they are,
> both of you are fooling each other and you both are just wasting your
> time---

I can't see that it's much different than celebrating your loved ones
birthday or your anniversary. Obviously, none of them "have" to be
celebrated, but's it's nice to commemorate and celebrate how you feel. I
guess that's the big deal!

Wayne

Jimmy Reid wrote:
> Whats the big deal with Valentines anyway? Is this the only day to
> celebrate love? There is too much pressure and hype put into this one
> day. What about yesterday or tomorrow, was your love for each other
> less than it is today? Do you really have to have candles, special
> dinners, roses, candy, sexy lingerie, to express your love for each
> other??Come on people---surley you relationships are not that
> shallow. If they are, both of you are fooling each other and you both
> are just wasting your time---

Okay, I *do* have a great relationship with my hubby, albeit it's relatively
new (just over a year old). That being said, any day that is a holiday or
pseudo holiday, I like to make a little extra special - although I don't go
all out for King Kamehameha day or President's Day. :-)

Besides, for us it's kind of an anniversary so I want to make it special.
What's wrong with that? Every month on the 14th I try to come up with a
special meal or special treat because the 14th is the day we actually "met".
It just so happens it falls on Valentine's Day. Why am I even explaining
myself?

Most of you folks here know that I met TFM through alt.binaries.food and
alt.food.barbecue and we met in person in Washington for the opening of Dave
Bugg's BBQ joint in Wenatchee, WA where we subsequently got married. Best
thing that ever happened to me and the only thing I ever did in this world
that was the right thing.

kili