I found a link to a list of “safe” brands from the American Peanut Council: “Brands Not Affected by FDA Recall.” I pretty much only care about Adam’s (ID’d as safe on the list). Canada’s peanut butter supply may also be affected by this salmonella issue. Here’s a link to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: “Salmonella Investigation and Recall – 2009“. Just thought I’d share because I can’t stand the thought of not eating peanut butter!!! (and I’m sure that there are some other peanut butter fans too!) Enjoy peanut butter and thrive!
February 4, 2009
Happy Belated Gung Hay Fat Choy!
(I had to include a picture of a CALIFORNIA beach in “winter”, for the sake of taunting those suffering actual winters.)
As you might recall from our last time together, I bought some pork chops. Usually, I would just throw them on a pan and slather with Worchestershire. There is nothing wrong with that. But sometimes it’s good to step away from the routine. I have been meaning to do something with the glorious “dried plums” I get from Costco by the truckload. So why not use them with pork chops? Yes, let’s!
plated pork chop
Fruity Pork Chops
- 1 pork chop; (about $.50 for 1/2 lb x $1.00/lb of pork*)
- 2 cloves of garlic; (about $.11)
- 3 or 4 prunes; ($.12 = about $.04 per prune (about $4.00 per lb, for 85 prunes))
- 1/3 cup of inexpensive red wine; (pennies)
- 2 pats of butter; (pennies)
- soy sauce; (pennies) and
- green onions for garnish. ($.25 = 1/4 x $1.00 for two in a bunch, assuming you use 1/2 of one stalk)
Put the pan on medium-high. I used a small cast iron pan, well-loved, well-seasoned. It’s the only way to go. Have your butter ready. Chop the prunes, garlic, and green onions. Wash the pork chop. Put the butter into the pan, then add the pork chop. It will sear. After about 4 minutes, lift the chop, put the second pat of butter in the pan, then turn the chop over. Throw in the garlic and prunes. After about 30 seconds, add the red wine. It will evaporate very quickly and will smell divine. Plate the chop with prunes and garlic. Slosh some soy sauce. Decorate with green onions. The wine, soy sauce and prunes conspire deliciously – they are a jammy foil to the chop. Enjoy!
*Price breakdown: Note that most of the time, pork chops will be far, FAR costlier. I would not generally characterize this as a “frugal” dish – it was somewhat frugal under the circumstances of an awesome bargain (getting pork chops for $1/lb!!!).
January 16, 2009
Budget Friendly Indulgences. Chocolate and more!
Trader Joe's Organic Chocolate Soy Dreamy 32 oz
In order for me to enjoy menu planning, and to stave off temptation, it helps quite a bit to know that I will get my treats. I need sweet, salty, and crunchy! For my sweet tooth, I have allowed myself to buy the Trader Joe’s 17oz of belgian chocolate for $3.29. I figure that should last me at least two months! That is a lot of dessert! As is Trader Joe’s lovely organic 32 – oz dairy-free chocolate ice cream (Soy Dreamy) for $2.99. I was very happy with it. Soy Delicious has a more intense chocolate flavor but I was perfectly happy with TJ’s – at nearly half the price.
soy creamy in a bowl
To protect myself against the desire to grab a box of Cheezits, I have invested in a 2-lb block of delicious Tillamook medium sharp cheddar (I got that for about $13.00 at Safeway). A small slice of that with some crackers makes for a lovely, lovely snack. As for a savory delight, I decided to make a habit of getting a bag of soft corn tortillas – I think I got two dozen for about 3 dollars. Pop one in the toaster for crunch and slather with canned black beans, garlic, cheese and hot sauce, for complete proteins and complete satisfaction.
Save Mart assorted pork chops for $1.59/lb
On an attenuated note, I must also tell you of my victory with Safeway. I noticed that the Save Mart flyers were selling assorted pork chops for $1.59/lb. Safeway also a special price for assorted pork chops – but $2.49. I asked the cashier to let me know if Safeway honored price-matching and showed her the Save Mart flyer.
Save Mart flyer
Safeway flyer
She called for a manager because she didn’t know. The manager told me that it was not their policy to price-match but that she would let me have the chops at my price if that would keep me coming to the store. I told her that I usually shop here but that $1.59/lb at Save Mart was very “motivating.” Due to the fact that none of us had a calculator handy, she ended up selling them to me for barely $1.00/lb!!! Craziness!!! They were delicious…I prepared them in a cast-iron pan with some butter, soaking them with my beloved Worchestershire sauce.
Receipt of TRIUMPH
That’s all for right now, but I am looking forward to blogging again and enjoying your company!
September 16, 2008
Garlicky Black Bean Beef Chow Fun
Garlicky Black Bean Beef Noodles
And how was your summer!?!?! Did you do awesome cooking? Always so great to enjoy the gorgeous produce. I served my version of beef chow fun a few weeks ago, to feed a crowd of hungry, tired beach-goers, also known as my family.
garlic and black beans
carrots
onion and garlic
veggies
beef
green onions
Garlicky Black Bean Beef Noodles
- dash of sugar;
- dash of salt;
- garlic;
- dao si (black salted, fermented soy beans – be sure to get them dry and whole, not mashed up!);
- oyster sauce;
- fish sauce;
- soy sauce;
- green onions;
- sliced carrots;
- a large, sweet yellow onion;
- a few ounces of beef;
- a ton of green cabbage; and
- a 2 lb package of fresh, flat, rice noodles.
First, chop all the veggies. Then cut the beef against the grain into thin strips. After mincing the black beans and slicing the garlic, be sure to get a large, round rock and mash the garlic into the black beans. Because my mom said so! That way, you are truly marrying the flavors, even before they get to the skillet. Get a large bowl and fill halfway with hot water – this is for soaking the fresh rice noodles. You will notice that they are somewhat brittle. Let them soak as you stir fry everything else – and make sure that these get soft before frying. Stir fry the garlic, black beans, onion together. I used a large, flat skillet. Add the beef. Then the sauces (soy, oyster, fish), sugar, and salt. Then the cabbage and carrots. Add the noodles absolutely last – note that they contain oil, so, you might not even need to add much oil to the pan to fry them properly. Handle the noodles very carefully, as they are prone to breaking.
This feeds a lot of people in a short amount of time. You should add some heat to this dish with a little bit of fresh jalapeno or dried chiles – I left those out because there were kids in the mix. Also, there was no white wine around, but I think it might have been nice to add a dash or two, to help mellow everything out. The dao si definitely adds an earthy, bitter, tangy note, which plays off the sweetness of the cabbage, onion, and carrots perfectly. These all frame the beef and noodles beautifully. How does it taste? Thumbs up from everybody! Yes, even the toddlers who tried it!
Serve it and get ready for adoration and fame that will surely follow!!!
July 6, 2008
Okonomiyaki and my gratitude (for 20,000 views!)
I’m still on blog-cation but I thought I couldn’t let 20,000 views pass by without saying hello and by golly, thank you!!!* So thank you for reading, commenting, linking. THANK YOU!!! You know it totally makes my day to obsessively check my sitemeter and see that someone in Salt Lake / Perth / Bombay / Tokyo / Lima / Sao Paulo was reading my blog for 25 minutes! And to get comment luv. Awww, it’s great!!!
While I’m here, I should show the lentils I sprouted, as well as the riff on okonomiyaki I did with them. Is is really okonomiyaki if I just put stuff into a pancake, and ate it with Worchestershire sauce on top – without the genuine soup and other such? Yes, I know I’m taking liberties – so, feel free to see Just Hungry’s more comprehensive recipe here. But if you are lazy like me and want to just have a whiff of that Osaka sensibility with minimal work….read on!!! (Instead of “lazy” you can always use the word “busy” – works just as well!)
Sprouted Lentils, in a Colander
How to Sprout Lentils
It’s pretty easy. Soak 1 cup of lentils overnight. The next day, rinse and drain. Then loosely wrap the lentils in a few layers of paper towels (or I guess cheesecloth would work too). Leave the wrapped parcel in a shallow bowl. Check on it everyday – keep the lentils slightly wet by dripping enough water. Mine were “done” in about 5 days. Makes 5 cups of sprouts.
Pancake Mix
Lentil Sprouts with Pancake Mix
Okonomiyaki in the Making!
Slice of Okonomiyaki, plated (pre-Worchestershire Sauce)
Slackerrific Impromptu Okonomiyaki
- 5 cups of sprouts; (from 1 cup of dried brown lentils = 1/4 lb = about 20 cents)
- 1 cup of soy milk; (about 50 cents)
- 1/2 cup of prepared pancake mix; (I think this was still too much batter – likely better to just use about 1/4 cup);
- 1 egg; (about 16 – 18 cents)
- Worchestershire sauce to taste.
Wash and dry those sprouts. Because you have been watching over them as vigilantly as hawk, you will have very few “bad” sprouts – rotten / dry / etc. Pick through and discard. Mix the soy milk, pancake mix, and egg into a very large mixing bowl. Mix. Add the sprouts Fold them in. If you have other good stuff, this is the time to throw it in – I think shredded cabbage would be great here too. Heat up a skillet. You can do what I did – made a huge one – or make a few smaller ones. Totally up to you.
Pour the mixture into the pan according to the size you desire. The sprouts will wilt a bit. Check the bottom of the okonomiyaki by slipping the spatula underneath – what color is it? Golden brown? Time to flip it! Flip it. Then do the same check. Eat immediately! Slosh generously with Worchestershire sauce. Makes three – four servings. Takes less than 1/2 hr.
Next time, I’ll use less batter, and will add more more more stuff, like maybe some protein (tofu / chicken / etc.) How did it taste? Well, you can definitely enjoy the sprouts – earthy, not quite crunchy, yet offering some small resistance to one’s teeth. My diners gave it big, big thumbs up! I liked it. Well, maybe because it was breakfasty. Also, anything that gets browned in a skillet with starch is likely to win my heart. (like those jack mackerel cakes! and that spinach frittata!) I think the lentils plus the soy milk makes it very very filling and satisfying.
And now, I’ll include here a totally gratuitous picture of Watermelon Kanten. Yeah, it’s good. Why? Because you have that almost-crunchy resistence of the watermelon flesh, then the give of the kanten. Ok! I’m back on blog-cation now!
Watermelon Kanten
* Right now, this blog has over 19,000 views, and I expect it to reach views 20,000 in a few days, since it’s averaging about 2000 ~ 2500 views/month. (And I remember when I used to get 180 views per month!!! – and it still boggled my mind that anyone would read this blog back then! I don’t even force my dearest friends and family to read it!) Thank you so much for reading!!!
Update: one of my dear kin tells me that my enthusiasm for the number of views I’ve gotten is a bit impassioned, to the degree of causing laughter on her part. Surely you cannot take me too seriously! Doesn’t everybody remember Sally Fields’s 1985 Oscar acceptance speech?
