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February 2009
How do you organize your recipes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I am torn. I used to save my old issues of “Gourmet”, “Bon Appetit” and “Martha Stewart” for recipes and ideas. When I finally began running out of shelf space I changed my strategy. Instead of keeping the whole magazine I cut out only favorite recipes.
I tried taping them in a book, trying to organize them by courses or ingredients. Needless to say, I fell hopelessly behind and ended up stuffing them in a folder. I finally weeded through that and am now trying to keep them organized in an accordion folder, like one used for bills, but I can’t keep up with that all the time either.
I like to keep new recipes around to be able to update my culinary repertoire, but it’s like everything else, I feel like I am being buried by paper. How do you keep it under control? Are you still holding on to favorite magazines? Have you got a system that you can pass on to help me, and others I’m sure, to help us stay organized?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Favorite recipes
Does a doggie bag help you brown bag?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With recent belt tightening, when I go out to eat it better be good, since it certainly isn’t as often as it used to be. And while I admit to mindlessly eating when I was full in the past, not any more. When I look at extra food on my plate, I am definitely thinking, “This could be my lunch tomorrow.” Whether it’s half a sandwich, a piece of pizza, or a third of a steak (perfect for topping a salad) l am much more conscious of making the most of every meal. Even leftover rice from a Chinese joint can easily become tomorrow’s fried rice dinner with a few added ingredients you probably have in your fridge already.
With more and more of us brown bagging it, I wondered if you were like me and got a little “help” when dining out by asking for the leftovers “to go” or is that too embarrassing for you?
How have restaurants reacted to you asking? Has any server ever made you feel self conscious? Have you (or someone you were with) ever asked for a doggie bag while on a date?
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Saving money
Are you a dessert-aholic?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With so much chocolate floating around after Valentine’s Day, I began wondering how may people regularly eat dessert as part of a meal at home.
I have to admit, while I have a lot of food weaknesses, dessert is not really one of them. In our house, my husband who is tall and lean, is more of the dessert fan. While he usually treats himself to a small bowl of ice cream at night, it’s while watching TV rather than right after a meal. He’s also addicted to Jujy Fruit candy and can easily go through a box of those a night too. His idea of going on a diet is skipping ice cream one or two nights a week.
But, in general, unless I am entertaining or testing a specific recipe, cakes and pies are occasional treats in our house. I usually try to keep a batch of homemade cookies in my freezer, but tend to use them as a lunchbox treat, when I know my kids need the extra energy to get them through the day. At night, we tend to regulate dessert based on whether the kids have had exercise that day. Or if the dinner has been a light one and everyone deserves a little treat.
What about you? Do you like to have something sweet to finish a meal? Do you even go further and follow the credo, “life is too short, eat dessert first”?
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: Home cooking
What is your most romantic meal?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, the countdown to Valentine’s Day is ticking right along. This holiday is definitely one when you can win the heart of a loved one through a meal or edible gift. Unlike Thanksgiving or Christmas when sentiments are also conveyed through food, for most of us, Valentine’s Day doesn’t seem to have a set menu from year to year. For many, it is the perfect opportunity to try something out of the ordinary, take culinary risks and indulge a bit more than normal.
Recent suggested recipes in the Food & Drink section include a perennial favorite, Crabcakes and for those a bit more daring, Ao Nori Crusted Tuna with Quinoa and Spicy Garlic. For meat eaters, there’s a delicious Lamb Chop recipe.These meals have romance written all over them.
What is your vision of the perfect Valentine’s Day meal? Is it on your menu for Saturday? What is the most romantic Valentine’s Day dinner you have had?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Holidays
Are you tempted by 5-star recipes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I admit it. I am addicted to daily email updates from some of my favorite food websites. I don’t usually actually make most of the recipes, but I do file them away somewhere in the back of my brain with all that other non-essential information.
Recently I got an update from Cooking Light with the heading “Five-Star Slow Cooker Recipes.” I am always looking for tried and true crockpot recipes. Using a crockpot can be so convenient on busy days, but I have to say, a lot of times the food comes out pretty icky and overcooked. So, I definitely want something highly recommended before investing the money and time. I tried a recipe for Char Siu Pork Roast which was tasty but ultimately, not five- star. It used a trimmed Boston Butt, but still didn’t address the fact that the sauce included all the fat rendered during cooking, especially strange since it was part of a Cooking Light update (although the recipe was linked into myrecipe.com, another favorite site. On the plus side, the marinade was definitely one I would use for ribs or other pork dishes.
Does having a rating influence your decision to make a recipe? What does it take for you to try something?
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What do you miss most about warm weather cooking?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you loving this weather as much as I am? I admit, it makes me approach cooking in a totally different way than last week’s freezing temperatures did.
In fact, last night we were having a friend, a real meat and potato kind of guy, over for dinner. Instead of having to figure out some cold weather dish to prepare, which involved spending most of the day in the kitchen, I realized with the temperature in the 60s I could easily throw some steaks on the grill at the last minute. Wow, that made my life so much easier. I had one of my kids working on a chocolate pudding cake while I made some twice baked potatoes and steamed green beans. Dinner was ready in under an hour. Even better, there was hardly any cleanup.
Afterwards when I was getting my son’s school lunch ready I cut tomato slices for his sandwich and tasted an end. It was totally flavorless. It made me realize, even more than wishing for easy grilled meals, what I truly missed was having a tomato that tasted like a tomato.
What about you? What favorite food or way of eating does winter deprive you of most?
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Does Valentine’s Day mean chocolate to you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Valentine’s Day about a week away, I’m officially giving you the heads up. Pick up that phone and start dialing if you have any hope of getting a reservation at a favorite restaurant. With the holiday falling on a Saturday, spots will be tighter than ever.
Since many of us have probably missed that window of opportunity, we’ll be looking for ways to make up for it, probably with a special gift. There’s no doubt chocolate is the perennial favorite. Nielsen research shows during Valentine’s week, we buy more than 58 million pounds of chocolate candy, ringing up $345 million in sales and accounting for over 5 percent of total annual sales. That’s a lot of bon bons.
Is chocolate the way to your or your significant other’s heart or are other sweets the tradition in your home? What is your favorite edible treat for Valentine’s Day?
• Check out our Chocolatey recipes for Valentine’s Day.
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Do you go online for coupons?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I admit it; I now am an official coupon clipper. I go through the Sunday paper, scissor in hand, looking for bargains and have already saved a lot of money. I even finally broke down and bought an “official” coupon organizer this weekend. You know the plastic kind with all the compartments so everything stays organized and easy to find instead of having cut-up paper pieces floating around my pocketbook.
But that is where it ends for me. I don’t go online to print out coupons, a growing trend it appears. According to Simmons Market Research Bureau, 38.6 million Americans will use online coupons this winter, up 22% from the same period last year. That just seems like a lot of work and organization. Also, when I have gone on a couple of “discount” sites, some made me become a “member” and I ended up with tons of spam. But I have to say, a friend turned me on to looking online for discounts for attractions, like Dialogue in the Dark at Atlantic Station. He quickly found a promo code for $5 off a ticket while I naively paid full price.
What about you? Are you organized enough to find extra savings online? Which sites do you recommend for the best savings?
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When is a main course not a main course?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last weekend I had some friends over for dinner. Because it was such a chilly night, I decided to serve a big bowl of chowder with salad and bread and then splurge with a decadent dessert.
As mentioned in an earlier blog, my guests brought a dip that people practically inhaled, which could have been part of the problem. When we sat down to dinner, everyone barely touched the chowder. When I asked my husband, Rich, afterwards if there was something wrong with it he wondered if our guests thought since it was soup, that it was just the first course and were saving room for “dinner.”
I remember a couple of times being surprised when what I thought was an appetizer turned out to be the main course and I ended up going home hungry. There was a wedding when I forced myself to restrain from gorging on platters of shrimp cocktail only to learn too late that was all there was. Another time at a party at a Greek restaurant, I passed up platter after platter of dips and little kebabs, not wanting to ruin my appetite for the, what turned out to be the non-existent, main course.
I wonder if I should have made a little announcement that I was doing soup as a main course. What do you think? Have you ever not eaten enough thinking there was more to come?
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