Tinfoil Chef

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I don’t normally even like to talk about “Dieting” in general and so-called dieting drugs in particular because I don’t think they’re a good idea. As for the word “Diet”, your “diet” is what you eat, EVERYBODY is one one kind of “diet” or another. The problem is that most are on some pretty poor ones.

As for dieting drugs, that’s what I’m breaking with custom to talk about for a moment. I just read a page with a review of the fat loss drug “Alli” and I have to say that if I was against such things before I’m even more so now.

This stuff is a pure sham. It’s nothing more than something that’s aimed at people who want results *NOW* and are somehow under the impression that this magic pill will grant them a free cure without their having to do something sensible like eating right and OMG, Exercising!

Remember “TANSTAAFL” There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. So-called miracle drugs like this aren’t worth it.

Technorati Tags: alli, exercise, fat loss drugs, weight loss, eating right, fat loss

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I’m not normally into alcoholic drinks but there’s a little story behind this one. The other day my wife and I were watching the Scripps national spelling bee and one of the words was “Advacaat”. What caught my attention was the definition given for the word looked very much like a recipe for something served with coffee so I jotted down the word (not wanting to rely on a memory that’s busy enough already as it is) so that I could look it up later.

It turns out that Advocaat is a Dutch equivalent of eggnog. The part about it that struck me funny is that the literal translation of Advocaat from it’s Dutch origin is “Lawyer”.

To make the Advocaat you start out with 9 large egg yolks at room temperature and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and two cups of fine granulated sugar. Beat this mixture until it becomes a smooth, pale yellow color with a very thick consistency.

With a mixer running on minimum speed, slowly add two cups of Dutch Brandy. When the brandy is completely incorporated, put the Advocaat mixture in the top portion of a double boiler with the heat on low and slowly warm it. When it’s just nicely warm it’s ready to serve.

The Coffee part of this recipe comes in when you add a shot of Advocaat to strong black coffee that’s been allowed to cool and stir it in. The coffee takes on a rich and milky consistency and has a hint of vanilla flavor.

Technorati Tags: recipe, cocktails, dutch brandy, treat, advocaat, coffee, egg nog

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Back when I was a kid there was a dish that Mom made once in a while that we knew only as “Porcupine Balls”, mostly because that’s what Dad always called them. Since then I’ve figured out that they were most likely a form of sweedish meatballs. This is another recipe that could use ground turkey instead of ground beef and very likely most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference

Combine 1lb ground beef, 1/4 cup uncooked rice, 1 slightly beaten egg, a tablespoon of parsley, two tablespoons of finely chopped onion, a half teaspoon of salt, a “dash” of pepper, and 1/4 can of tomato soup.

Mix thoroughly and shape the mixture into about 20 small balls and place in a skillet.

Mix the other 3/4 can of tomato soup, a half cup of water, and a teaspoon of Worstershire sauce and pour this over the meatballs.

Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring frequently.

Technorati Tags: meatballs,, ground+beef, ground+turkey, recipe

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This is an easy to make fudge brownie recipe that I found in a collection of diabetic recipes. I think that the main reason it was in that collection was because it doesn’t use refined sugars. Honestly though, diabetic or not, if you let yourself get too friendly with these brownies they’ll exact a price that will keep you out of that fancy lingerie for quite a while. The secret is in moderation. A little bit of this stuff will go a long way.

Start out by sifting two thirds cup of flour and a half teaspoon of baking powder and set that aside for a moment.

Mix together 2 beaten eggs, a half cup of melted butter or oil, a half cup of softened Fudge Sweet, a half cup of Fruit Sweet and a teaspoon of vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Add a half cup of chopped walnuts.

Pour the mixture into greased and floured 8inch by 8inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until cake springs back at a light touch.

Technorati Tags: brownies, dessert, diabetic, Diabetic+friendly, fruit+sweet, fudge+sweet, recipe, snack, treat

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Albumen isn’t exactly a commonly used term that I’ve noticed, but it’s shown up once in a while in recipes written by cooks that I think are trying to make their recipes sound more exotic than they really are. Albumen is the white of an egg.

Al dente is one of those terms that you hear in Italian restaurants and anywhere pasta dishes are ordered by customers who want to show off a bit of knowledge. It’s one of those little things that can make Joe average sound like entrepreneurs even if they don’t have the luxury watches and hyper expensive suites. It refers to pasta that’s cooked until just enough resistance is left in it to be felt “by the tooth.”. This only applies to pasta that starts out dried because fresh pasta is too soft to be cooked al dente. The expression is also applied to vegetables that have been cooked crisp by steaming, boiling, or stir-frying.

Arborio is one you’ll run into in Risotto recipes. It’s the name of some of the best short-grained rices grown in the Po Valley of Italy.

Aromatics are plant ingredients, like herbs and spices. They’re used to enhance the flavor and fragrance of food.

Technorati Tags: terms,, food+terms,, cooking+terms,, terminology,, food+info

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Four days ago I posted a question about the Topspots widget I’ve had in my sidebar for a while.

In that time there’s been zero input or comment one way or another. Because of that and the fact that it doesn’t seem to be doing anything but make the blog load slower, I’ve pulled it.

While at this point I doubt that I’ll be putting it back, I would appreciate reader input about the thing.. do you think it’s worth having? Has it done YOU any good? Has buying a link on one done you any good or been in any way worthwhile?

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I’ve got an off topic question that I’d like some reader input on.

A while back I started seeing the “Are you in my Topspots” widgets from Scratchback.com and thought that it might be worth a shot and so I signed up for it and used a few inches of my sidebar to install it.

Thing is, since it’s been there it’s not done anything but take up space. I’d like to know if any of you know about any stories of this topspot widget doing anyone any good because right now I’m about half an inch from deleting the thing just because I’m getting tired of seeing it take up valuable space in my sidebar without accomplishing anything.

Technorati Tags: topspots, scractchback, widget, sidebar, advertising

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Got some more for the food terminology section.

A Shallot is actually a member of the onion family. They look kind of like large cloves of garlic. They’re used to infuse savory type dishes with a mild onion flavor. They should be kept refrigerated for up to 1 week to maintain maximum flavor.

White chocolate, a favorite for many actually isn’t chocolate. It’s cocoabutter that’s been flavored with sugar and milk solids.

A Wok is a round-bottomed pan, usually made of rolled steel, that is used for virtually all Chinese cooking methods.

Technorati Tags: terms,, food+terms,, cooking+terms,, terminology,, food+info

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Anyone that knows me can assure you that I’ve never been a fan of camping. It’s not that I’m some sort of weenie that’s afraid of the great outdoors or anything like that. In fact I’ve slept on the ground in my days and I wouldn’t recommend it as a recreational event. I consider things like that to be better left for times when they’re necessary. If that means I’m reliant on modern conveniences like kitchen faucets with running water, indoor toilet facilities, central heating and air conditioning then you better believe it.

That said, this recipe will work just as good on a backyard barbecue as it will over a campfire in the middle of Jurrasic park.

For this recipe you need to leave the skin on the banana. Slice it lengthwise but not all the way through. Put some marsmallows and chocolate chips in the slit. Sprinkle brown sugar lightly on top.

Wrap this tightly in foil, making sure to seal the ends. Place on grill over campfire or coals, seam side up. The boat will be ready to sail in about 7 minutes.

Technorati Tags: banana, banana+boat, camping, dessert, treat, grill, recipe, barbecue+grill

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French bread is something that goes with a lot of meals and is also good for making some really great sandwiches. It also brings to mind the classic French restaurant with the soft lighting and violin music playing in the background. Mostly, I have to agree with my wife and say that what I like best about it is the smell of bread baking.

Start out by getting the yeast activated. Dissolve 4 1/2 teaspoons of yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water (about 115 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Accurate temperature is actually important for yeast to work right so take the extra time and use a thermometer to be sure. Let the yeast stand for five minutes or so. It should be bubbling and turning foamy almost. If it’s not, the yeast is dead and you’ll have to start over.

Once the yeast is bubbling, mix in 2 cups of flour and a cup of lukewarm water. Let this sit for a half hour to proof. It will reach a spongy consistency.

Then add a teaspoon of salt, another 4 1/2 cups of flour and another cup of water and knead. Add more flour or water as needed until the dough is soft.

Put a tablespoon of oil into separate bowl and coat the dough with it. Then cover it with a cloth and put it in a warm place for about two hours and let it rise until it’s doubled in size.

Poke the dough with your finger and if the dough does not bounce back then it’s ready for the next step. Punch it down and knead it lightly in the bowl. Cover and let it rise a second time.

Put a couple of brick roof shingles in the oven then heat it to 450 degrees. Shape the dough
into two loaves and let them rise covered with a cloth on a cookie sheet that’s been sprinkled with a liberal layer of cornmeal until they’ve doubled in bulk.

Carefully move the loaves onto the hot roof shingles and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the loaves are deep golden color and sound hollow when tapped.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

Technorati Tags: recipe, bread, french+bread, baking, baking+bread

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