Gastronomy - The Food & Drink Thread

[Mara]

I've been brining pickles, which is a whole process. You're supposed to get stuff floating to the top of the bucket from the fermentation which is deliciously referred to as "scum." I was concerned because I was only getting a tiny amount of bubbles, not at all what I was seeing described, which made it sound like you had to ladle the scum off every couple of days.

You are also supposed to cover the bucket but let air in a little bit, so I had it covered with a towel.

Last night I came home and the towel had slipped, leaving a portion uncovered, and the bucket was FULL OF SCUM.

I was so happy I danced around for a few minutes, shouting, "Woohoo, scum! We have scum, people!"

And then it occurred to me that my life has gotten a little weird.

[Ezee E]

Something I came across, that I know isn't in Colorado, is Bitchin Sauce.



DELICIOUS! Oh man.

While we're at it, what's a must at Trader Joe's? So far the Cookie Butter is pretty damn good, despite not a single bit of nutritional value in there... I'll eat it with a cracker and the Pepper Jelly.

What else?

[Lucky]

I'm a huge fan of TJ's crab stuffed flounder. Check the frozen section, I think they're around $3 each. I also dig their crab cakes and frequently pick up the frozen ahi tuna steaks (2 for $5-6).

Also in the frozen section: chicken quesadillas, country potatoes (great for breakfast with eggs), penne arrabbiata, chicken pot pie, and organic brown rice (3 packages per box, just throw in microwave--couldn't be easier).

Non-frozen: sweet potato tortilla chips, caramel and sea salt dark chocolate bar, Moderna balsamic vinegar, wine country chicken salad, lobster ravioli, and $3 wine bottles.

This is just off the top of my head. My diet would massively shift if I moved to an area without a Trader Joe's.

[bac0n]

Lately I've been getting their pizza dough for grilled pizzas. One bag yields two medium sized pizzas.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

I could go on about T-Joe's forever, but a few consistent buys:

Premade Lentil Soup
Jalapeno Chicken Sausage
Two-Buck Chuck
Frozen Spinach Artichoke Dip
Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds w/ Turbinado Sugar + Sea Salt
Pizza Dough

Their boxed quick-make Indian meals are pretty good too, along with a ton of other frozen foods if you're not anti-frozen food.

[Ezee E]

I typically stay away from most frozen food, but I'll have to give a few of these a shot.

I STILL haven't received all my stuff from Colorado. I pretty much have been eating salads and sandwiches the whole month.

I got $4 rum. I'm scared. Scared that it might be good and begin a horrible, horrible process.

[Ezee E]

I swore there was a "fast food" thread.

Anyways, In N Out burgers are good and all, but their fries are horrid. Every store has a ridiculous line.

It's good, but not THAT good... California pride I guess.

[Scar]

Finally stopped by Trader Joe's today in Bloomington. Got some of that flounder w/ crab, crab cakes, a couple of their frozen dinners, some 3 buck chuck, and a ten dollar bottle of boxed Shiraz that's tasty.

[Lucky]

Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds w/ Turbinado Sugar + Sea Salt.

Yes...

Amberlita got me started on those. Been a regular item in my cart.

[amberlita]

Yes...

Amberlita got me started on those. Been a regular item in my cart.

I was just about to agree with Blubber's comments about the frozen Indian meals and I remembered that it was you who recommended them. They are indeed awesome. Unfortunately the nearest Trader Joe's is...well, further and less convenient than Kroger. So...*shrug*

[Mara]

I will never can peaches again. What a stupid, messy, intensive affair. This is the first time while canning I've thought "WHY AM I DOING THIS???"

[Mara]

I will never can peaches again. What a stupid, messy, intensive affair. This is the first time while canning I've thought "WHY AM I DOING THIS???"

OKAY.

The peaches I was canning on Monday were insufficiently ripe. I didn't know this, since it was my first time canning and they seemed okay when I pressed them. A few even went bad. However, because they weren't all the way ripe the skin stuck to the flesh and the flesh stuck to the pit, so getting the fruit away required all this squeezing and pulling which left sticky juice absolutely everywhere. (I literally had to mop my kitchen afterwards.)

We did the other half of the peaches today, after two additional days of ripening, and they were a dream. The skin slid right off the peach, and the pit popped right out, so I peeled and canned about 25 pounds in just a couple of hours, and the end result were beautiful, clean slices. Timing is, apparently, everything.

[Sven]

Hosted indoor clambake tonite, killed my first (two) lobster(s). Geyser of lobster juice out of its head. Diabolically pleasing crunch.

[Raiders]

This stuff:



Fucking incredible. Like a frozen chocolate covered banana. The ripe banana flavor is immense. I was told you can't eat a lot because it is rich... I just ate most of the pint.

[Ezee E]

I think poached eggs may be my favorite way to eat eggs now.

[Lucky]

Talenti is fantastic -- all flavors. I have the double dark chocolate in my freezer right now, but I am a frequent buyer of the banana one you mentioned and the caramel sea salt as well.

EDIT: Can't forget pistachio. Also delicious.

[Spun Lepton]

I think poached eggs may be my favorite way to eat eggs now.

When they're poached perfectly they are an eggy force to be reckoned with. Poached eggs on hashbrowns = heaven.

[bac0n]

I think poached eggs may be my favorite way to eat eggs now.

Agreed - I love them on home fries with some pulled pork, avocado, and a sprinkling of Spanish paprika. Heavenly.

[Mara]

If you guys like bananas and chocolate, faux banana ice cream is simple and for some reason delicious. You just throw bananas in the freezer if they're going bad, and then when you want them pull them out and put a couple through the blender with some unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer dark chocolate, but either is fine) and a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter. The blended frozen banana makes a soft, creamy texture and it's plenty sweet without sugar. It's fairly healthy while tasting not at all healthy, and is one of my favorite treats.

[Kurosawa Fan]

This stuff:



Fucking incredible. Like a frozen chocolate covered banana. The ripe banana flavor is immense. I was told you can't eat a lot because it is rich... I just ate most of the pint.

I have the Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip, which my wife loves, and the Caramel Cookie Crunch, which my son loves, in my freezer right now. It's the only store-bought gelato I've ever had that actually tastes like gelato.

[Raiders]

And astonishingly, Talenti's Sea Salt Caramel is even better. Holy shit. Those little caramel truffles it has are divine.

I am going to make it a weekly treat to try each new flavor around here. I have spotted seven different ones so far.

[dreamdead]

And astonishingly, Talenti's Sea Salt Caramel is even better. Holy shit. Those little caramel truffles it has are divine.

I am going to make it a weekly treat to try each new flavor around here. I have spotted seven different ones so far.

Did you do up the faux-pho dish yet? I'm curious how that goes before we commit to it...

[Mara]

Traditional NC barbeque is happening. Updates to follow.

[Mara]

Very good, considering that I'm not super excited by, you know, a plate of meat. Not sweet, with lots of vinegar, hot sauce, and slaw. They also had hushpuppies, but I'm not sure I see the virtue of a hushpuppy.

[Russ]

Talenti's gelatos are great, but they also produce a pretty stellar line of sorbetto. This one is heavenly: