What Did You Eat Today?

[HFWR]

Ah no, it is being rationed by a higher authority.

Ha

I feel your pain, Ha!

YouTube - Shel Silverstein The Diet Song

Rated X for hilarity...

 

[braumeister]

Wow! How difficult is this? Does it take much gear?

Very little gear. If you have a couple of stainless stew pots and a long spoon, you've got 80% of the equipment needed.

The hard part is finding the raw milk, since it's illegal to sell in most states. There are ways to get around that, such as the herdshare (cowshare) type programs that some states allow. You essentially buy a percentage of a cow, and your monthly payment goes to its upkeep. That entitles you to show up at the farm on a regular basis to collect "your" milk.

In your case, you're extremely lucky because Washington permits the sale of raw milk for human consumption.

It's perfectly possible to make cheese from supermarket milk, but any European will tell you that raw milk cheese (like raw milk itself, for drinking) is a completely different thing, and far superior.

If you're interested, a good place to start searching for milk is:
Where can I find Real Milk?

A good place to start learning about cheesemaking is:
New England Cheesemaking

I've been making cheese in my kitchen for 15 years, and I can attest that it's a great hobby.

 

[donheff]

I followed the directions on Lena's recipe link and served my Coq au Vin leftovers over penne tonight. Pretty darn good. I will add this one to my file.

 

[Fireup2020]

Awesome veggie soup from cafe downstairs at the office...

Came home, whipped up some blackened mahi served over seasoned soft polenta with a side of garlic steamed bok choy...and a side salad with avocado. Tasty & quick! Mmmm!

 

[Moemg]

I took my Mom to a movie and then we stopped at one of my favorite local restaurants . We both had garlic encrusted shrimp with coleslaw and red potatoes . They were small portions and the best part was the price $6.99.

 

[ERD50]

RE: Cheese making-

Wow! How difficult is this? Does it take much gear?

Ha

I'd also like to hear from those who have done it. I've received two 'kits' as gifts, have yet to actually make any cheese with them, beyond a simple fresh Mozzarella. The Moz is pretty easy, fast, no special equipment, tasted good, but by the time you buy the milk and starter and stuff it is no cheaper than store bought, and did not seem any better than good store bought.

Most cheeses require a small, cheap 'press', no big deal - but the aging requires months of proper humidity and temperature (warmer than a fridge, cooler than my basement - hi 40's low 50's IIRC). I think I'm going to have to make a 'cheese cave' to get into this. I've thought about building an insulated box, and circulating cold air from my basement fridge to keep it cool, but not cold.

Cheese making is fairly common with the beer brewers, some similarities - temperature control, proper aging, etc. I've had some good cheeses made by guys in the club, but most stick to pretty simple cheddars and add flavorings sometimes (hot pepper, herbs, etc).

edit - I cross posted with braumeister:

...

I've been making cheese in my kitchen for 15 years, and I can attest that it's a great hobby.

So what do you do about aging them at the right temperature and humidity?

-ERD50

 

[FIREd]

For lunch: baby spinach salad with tomatoes, shallots, tuna, feta cheese, and brown rice served with a balsamic vinaigrette and freshly baked homemade bread.

For dinner: I see some Thai food in my future...

For the cheese makers out there, do you use rennet? I can't find the stuff locally.

 

[freebird5825]

Nothing so far but decaf coffee. I gained a few pounds this week, so it's burn calorie time, going up and down the stairs doing laundry and putting things away.
We did takeout when we returned from our trip last night. One of the sides was a pint container of ziti with meat sauce. I'll wait until I'm really hungry to split that with Mr B for a late lunch.

 

[GregLee]

I've thought about building an insulated box, and circulating cold air from my basement fridge to keep it cool, but not cold.

A wine refrigerator might work. And you could also keep wine in it.

 

[martyb]

breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon & 1 tsp of Splenda, + about 1/2 cup 2% milk; water

lunch: 1 hamburger patty, 1 small-medium salad with lettuce, spinach, carrots, a little cheddar cheese, a little deli roasted chicken, & a little Ranch dressing. I know I should have left off the Ranch, but..... Oh yeah, one medium apple; water

dinner: undetermined but probably an EggBeaters omelette with broccoli & some chicken breast meat, probably also a little sharp cheddar. Maybe a few green beans on the side, & water.

 

[unclemick]

1 orange. 1 cup of 1/2 caf Hyvee coffee. Homemade shrimp and grits using NoSalt, low fat cheese and faux butter.

So so

heh heh heh -

 

[Lisa99]

Usual breakfast smoothie of frozen blueberries, protein powder, Cosco liquid vitamins and cold pressed flax oil. Tastes just like blueberry frozen yogurt and is packed full of nutrition.

Lunch is looking like wild salmon salad made with homemade mayo, capers, onion, pickle and a touch of dijon mustard to cut the 'fishiness'.

 

[braumeister]

edit - I cross posted with braumeister:

So what do you do about aging them at the right temperature and humidity?

It's easier than you might think.
My "cave" is a dorm frig in the basement with a temp controller on it. Plug controller into outlet, plug frig into controller, with controller probe inside frig. Set desired temp range on controller, which turns frig on and off as needed. At cheese cave temps, the frig runs very little. Humidity control needs a little more observation and care, but is easily handled with a bowl or two of water (often none at all, depending on how many cheeses you have in the cave). You can buy a little hygrometer (keeps track of relative humidity) for $20 at a cigar store.

 

[Martha]

I took a chicken breast out of the freezer to cook for supper. I forgot it on the counter, I meant to stick in the the fridge. Now it is not only thawed but a bit warm. Should I eat it? Is it safe if I cook it?

 

[REWahoo]

I took a chicken breast out of the freezer to cook for supper. I forgot it on the counter, I meant to stick in the the fridge. Now it is not only thawed but a bit warm. Should I eat it?

According to one poster on the forum, you don't have any choice...

This all is rather counterintuitive because it feels like we have choices, we feel like there is something in us separate from our physical selves. Many of us come from mind/body dualistic traditions which reinforces our belief in free will.

 

[Martha]

According to one poster on the forum, you don't have any choice...

Hey, you guys are causes, my choice is just an effect!

I'm leaning towards not eating it. Food poisoning doesn't sound like fun. But if cooking kills the bacteria why waste it? Isn't sitting out before cooking a spoilage problem, not a bacteria problem as cooking will kill salmonella and campylobacter? Plus, I don't know what to have for supper if the chicken is bad.

 

[haha]

I took a chicken breast out of the freezer to cook for supper. I forgot it on the counter, I meant to stick in the the fridge. Now it is not only thawed but a bit warm. Should I eat it? Is it safe if I cook it?

As one who has poisoned himself regularly by eating questionable food, I would say throw it out. Just last week I woke up in the middle of the night and puked for 1/2 hour because I did not heed this.

Ha

 

[Martha]

As one who has poisoned himself regularly by eating questionable food, I would say throw it out. Just last week I woke up in the middle of the night and puked for 1/2 hour because I did not heed this.

Ha

I threw it out. I found some information that indicates that cooking even to 160 does not kill every last bacteria so if you had a fine bloom of bacteria there may be enough left to cause illness.

I didn't even cook it for the old dog. I'll say, it was tough tossing this into the trash.

 

[Moemg]

I took a chicken breast out of the freezer to cook for supper. I forgot it on the counter, I meant to stick in the the fridge. Now it is not only thawed but a bit warm. Should I eat it? Is it safe if I cook it?

If it doesn't smell I would cook it .

 

[haha]

If it doesn't smell I would cook it .

Have you forgotten that Martha is an attorney?

 

[Moemg]

Have you forgotten that Martha is an attorney?

Thanks Ha ! Martha , I would toss that chicken and go with a salad !

 

[Khan]

Breakfast: Bacon & mushroom omelet
Lunch: mixed fruit (bought cut up from grocery)
Supper: chicken leg quarters (local, free range) fried in ghee; pan deglazed with wine as start to chicken soup

 

[Martha]

For supper instead of eating possibly bad chicken I thawed a piece of salmon in the nuke and put some feta cheese on it. Had a salad that was boring. The salmon wasn't very good either. 870 calories for the day. Topping it off with a glass of wine--add a 100 calories to the total. Kind of low. I'll probably be hungry tomorrow.

 

[REWahoo]

For supper instead of eating possibly bad chicken I thawed a piece of salmon in the nuke and put some feta cheese on it. Had a salad that was boring. The salmon wasn't very good either.

Wild or farm fed?

 

[Martha]

Wild or farm fed?