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malika9

bread crumbs... and other things I don't BUY

Malika9
12 years ago

bread crumbs... and other things I don't BUY

... or at least VERY RARELY!

Growing up, my grandmother ALWAYS had a big bowl that sat on a shelf and held old stale bread or uneaten heels. Once they were good and dry, she'd use one of those hand-crank grinders to make bread crumbs. Today, I use the food processor and can't remember the last time I bought bread crumbs!?! If I find myself running low, I'll sacrifice whatever's left of the current loaf of bread and start a new batch. Wondering if you can make dried bread crumbs from corn bread?? Might be an interesting change.

My Grandmother would be rolling over in her grave if I EVER tossed bacon grease! I KNOW it's far from a "health" food, but that's what she ALWAYS used to shallow fry crab cakes or fry/scramble eggs... in a big old black cast iron skillet. You should try making REAL popcorn using bacon grease instead of oil... pretty darn tasty!

Will only buy canned/boxed stock when it's SERIOUSLY on sale. I just can't toss bones without getting everything outta them first. Bones from whole or pieces of chicken, no matter how originally cooked, some carrots, celery, & onions... et voila! I have pretty much FREE stock from things too many people just toss.

I don't buy seasoning mixes or rubs. First, they're mostly salt. Salt isn't a dietary issue for me, but take a look at that "lemon pepper" you PAID for that's sitting in your cabinet. Bet SALT is the #1 ingredient! Was getting ready to make a mega batch of REAL lemonade one time and got this "brilliant" idea. I thought about all that zest that would go into the trash after reaming the lemons because I didn't need it then or in the near future. Have one of those apple peeler/corer/slicer gizmos... stuck lemon on, moved slicer part outta the way, and ended up with a mound of lemon zest ribbons. Let it dry out till crispy and then into a coffe grinder (not one I actually use for coffee) till a powder. My lemon pepper is just that... lemon & pepper.

Have found recipes online for big Chef-name seasoning blends... like Emeril and Paul Prudhomme. Still looking for a suitable clone of Old Bay seasoning.

How about you?

Comments (83)

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trailrunner -- your story brought a flood of memories of my now-long-dead uncle. A long while back we were eating in a restaurant, actually, and he and I had *such* a fight over the heel of bread there. I'm really still quite embarrassed in memory but I was so upset at the time. I wanted the heel and he ate it and I just couldn't get over it. There aren't too many moments in my life I'd like to soak back into the fabric of time but that is one of them. I wish it hadn't happened but the thing is: that bread heel was just so good it really did eclipse the moment of being together.

    Anyway, I was wondering what panko is. The link from plllog wasn't terribly enlightening. Are these special breadcrumbs? Flavored breadcrumbs? "Japanese" breadcrumbs? whatever that could be???

    I almost never use bread crumbs and when I do they're matzo too. Bread is just too good to be wasted as crumbs. If it's stale it becomes croutons. Or french toast.

    Frosting: I don't get buying that ready-made. It tastes gross (apologies if I'm offending someone's secret pleasure source), is beyond-toxic and expensive, plus it couldn't be easier to make. Moosh up butter, add powdered sugar until you need to add a drop of milk to keep things mixing. count calories.

    Or this one from last night that I'm having a *very* hard time staying out of the kitchen and away from ('nother birthday around here): 16 oz cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 1/3 can frozen OJ, coconut if you like, vanilla to taste and if you need to reward the resident Tween who did the mixing, you can add some powdered sugar -- this doesn't need more sugar but sometimes the help is so sweet you just have to give in.

    And just for completeness, here's what went between the layers of frosting: fruit and nut cake: 2 c. shredded carrot, .5 c soaked and chopped raisins, .5 c. chopped walnuts, 1 c. chopped pinneapple -- Dry ingred: 2 c. ww pastry flour, 2 t. powder, 1.5 t. soda, 1 t. salt, 1 T. cinnamon. Into dries mix blended wet: .75 c. honey, .75 c. apple sauce, 4 eggs. Then fold in the fruit/nut stuff (zucchini works too) and bake 35-40m in 350 oven in 3 papered and greased and floured tins. Store-bought is a waste of the opportunity to eat proper sweets.

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I was thinking about this thread several times today. While making dressing for steamed vegetable salad (cauliflower, baby carrots, three kinds of squash (baby crookneck withies, zucchini slices, and pattipan wedges), green beans, shoepeg corn, and uncooked little bitty red tomatoes plus a few other heirlooms): Olive oil, red wine vinegar, generous amount of prepared whole seed mustard, powdered ginger also generously, Herbes de Provence and Fines Herbes, small amounts of garlic, pepper, and salt. Really yummy! Sticks well to the veg, which need the acid of the vinegar for brightening, and the sharp flavors to provide context.

    There was some extra. About enough for one small green salad. So I thought of you all as I was pouring it into a little container too.

    Then, again, I thought of you when I was pouring off the braising liquid from the pearl onions into another small container. It's stock, water, seasoning, and eau d'oignon. This is going to make something very yummy.

    It's a round challah time of year, so no ends. :) Hm... where did the honey pot go? I'm going to have to go find it. Hope it didn't get left outside for the ants...

  • trailrunner
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes plllog I make those to...have sent them to cat_mom back a couple years ago for her celebration.

    In reality it is ALL crust !

    Panko is just very fine white bread crumbs. I am attaching a link...very cool ( hot) and i had no idea that was how it was made .

    aliris I am sorry about that memory. I sure have plenty of them that I would like to fold back into history and re-do.
    As for that cake ..whoa !! That is a sweeeeet for a sweeeeet for sure.

    plllog that salad sounds yum.

    I rarely use bread crumbs either since we don't do casseroles. That was a different life when we had a houseful. We mostly do DH's stirfry and simple things. Great thread. c

  • lightlystarched
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm just going to chime in and stand up for the poor maligned pig. Bacon grease is not the debbil, and lots of evidence is accumulating that saturated fats are better for you than seed fats (canola, soy, etc).

    I gave up wheat and all my joint aches went away. I really believe wheat and sugar cause inflammation that lead to heart disease, not fats.

    Someone above thread mentioned Good Calories, Bad Calories. That is an excellent book. Another good read is "Wheat Belly".

  • kevinw1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    LOL - we usually have an oversupply of breadcrumbs from our homemade bread, the freezer is full of them.

    A couple of tips:
    WW breadcrumbs will go rancid if you don't keep them in the freezer, even dried ones
    Whizzing up homegrown herbs along with the bread heels makes great seasoned breadcrumbs
    Bread heels make good croutons too - make a batch and freeze them
    Seasoned breadcrumbs and croutons make highly-appreciated gifts (for those who DON't make their own!)

    Love the lemon peeling idea - going to try that!

  • sandy808
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm enjoying all the ideas here...I buy very little at the store anymore. We grow and make everything ourselves or buy from local farmers that raise animals, etc. the way they should be.

    Lard and bacon grease from local pigs without chemicals in it are actually healthy for you contrary to what the food conglomerates would like you to think. So is real farm butter. We do not eat nasty oils or shortenings fron the store any more, and we are extremely healthy. Best of all, we feel good. These natural fats make a huge difference in flavor when meats for stews are browned in them.

    A book everyone should read is "Nourishing Traditions" written by Sally Fallon.

    Sandy

  • trailrunner
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I forgot the link to the panko..it is an interesting process. My son the chef has the Sally Fallon book. She came here to Auburn AL a couple years ago and did a 2 day seminar. It was very interesting and she has a lot of followers in this area.

    My son's restaurant is all " farm to table" and he goes and visits his pigs and chickens in their natural setting. It sure makes a difference when you know where your meat comes from. He saves all of the garbage from the restaurant for slops for his pigs. Since they are eating the food that he prepared he knows they are getting the best :)

    I second the opinion that people are killing themselves with all the artificial stuff that is on the market. Eating moderate amounts of real food tastes so much better that there is no need to over eat. That is one reason the French Woman's Diet works. Mouth feel of the food and increased flavor with the accompanying real fats makes you much more satisfied so there is no desire for seconds. c

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    C, you still forgot the panko link!!!

  • natal
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lightly, there's a thread on Hot Topics about the Wheat Belly book. I swear you're damned no matter what you eat.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wheat belly as bad as a beer belly?

  • trailrunner
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    haha...dementia...

    Here is a link that might be useful: panko

  • lawjedi
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    re: Nourishing Traditions... I have that and have been reading it... much of it "rings true" to me -- striving to move my family in that direction. Babysteps and moderation. I've been googling and researching many of the Real Food websites... I like them - especially the ones that are more helpful, less militant...

    The family is sort of on board - although my son did tell me the other day that we were "healthy enough" now and did I really think we needed to give up another thing. ;-)

    Pretty much want to go to the "if God made it, it's good" philosophy. or "if my great grandma would recognize it as food, it's food." ;-)

    One thing I have noticed is that having a Real Food diet keeps me in the kitchen much longer... and I am noticing my kitchen's shortcomings all the more... and I am glad that the remodel was delayed last year, because I can now design a kitchen more suited to my much expanded use of it with Real Food!!!!

    still waiting for the delay of kitchen to go off "hold" though...

  • kimiko232
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I use bacon grease. :O We keep ours in the freezer in a little tupperware. I use it when I make refried beans (either with dried beans or with regular canned.) It's probably just a half teaspoon if that for flavor. Can't remember who I learned this from... add the bacon grease for flavor, cumin, and extra water to make it softer.

    I like to make to make things from scratch like everyone else. Fake things kind of grosses me out. We use regular old butter and olive oil to cook. Nothing major there.

    If you can't handle vinegar, try rice vinegar. It's really mild compared to others. I drink it (yeah, I know) all the time. My mom is japanese, so my mom always made us these gyoza dumplings (my fave meal). You dunk in vinegar and soy sauce. So, I'm addicted to vinegar. I think it stems from eating gyoza.

    We freeze citrus zest and herbs(in ice cube trays in water).

    The best tip I have is to make your own vanilla extract. Take some vanilla pods(either/or/all tahitian, bourbon, etc). I actually buy mine from ebay. I get something like 20-30 (big fat soft) pods for maybe 10-15 dollars. Drop about six or so of those bad boys into a bottle of vodka. I cut a couple and leave the rest whole. Let that thing sit for a minimum 30 days. It will get dark (and tasty). I was spending 10 dollars a bottle on these little tiny ones from WS. Now, I've got enough for a year or two. (Oh! make sure that those pods are covered by the vodka. After it gets good and dark, pull out the pods. I think mine soaks for at least four or five months. Those specks (as you know) are vanilla beans. Imitation vanilla (vanillin) is a byproduct of the paper industry. That weirds me out.

    Great tips everyone!

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kimiko -- thanks for the reminder to make the extract; I've been meaning to do that! They really do charge a lot for it. I enjoyed seeing them grow the beans on some little Tahitian island, don't remember its name. They were very proud of their crop, which needs special growing procedures to provide the right mixture of sun and shade. I was told, sternly, to never ever use anything but true Tahitian vanilla beans ;)

    Thinking of this thread and you-all today, I actually fried up some bacon, first time in dunno how many years, and saved the grease rather than toss it. Ick. But I'm doing it. I can feel my butt grow just by looking at the stuff. It is silken, I'll allow that.

    So freezer, eh? That hadn't occurred to me. I keep chicken fat in the fridge, but why not freezer I suppose?

    DD informed me with voice laden with disappointment, that it is men who cook bacon, and it looks much better than mine, and upon inquiry I am informed that "they" do it in the oven. Evidently this is some deep life wisdom she has gleaned from the internet. I thought I was keeping this child too busy to be wasting time on the internet; my bad. But it will be several years before I make more bacon I fear and by then I'll probably have forgotten that the oven is proper procedure. oh well. Bacon alongside salad tonight!

    Any more tips for using that lard will be appreciated. It's a rich brown color, probably laden with whatever chemical that is that shows up when you burn food (dioxin? ; slipping my mind just now - acrylamide? nitrosamines r us?).

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    htracey -- did your salad get dressed?

    Someone else mentioned croutons, which I made tonight from ... the heel of ... a challah (not homemade though - but from the Bagel Factory, which I just noted to plllog in another thread -- so that's referent to about 5 threads in one fell swoop. I think I need a life beyond GW).

    Anyway - tracey - to go with your well-dressed salad, take a heavy cast iron (or similar) pan and dump in some oil (a Tb or 2) with salt and pepper and whatever mixture of random green spices you'd like. Tonight, e.g., I happened to use marjoram and tarragon and parsley but you can use as many or as few of whatever strikes your fancy. I happened to throw in some garlic as well.

    So cut stale bread into large crouton-size chunks, heat oil with spices and toss the bread in stirring constantly until just-under-brown. Turn off the heat a little early and keep stirring because the hot oil will continue to cook the bread longer than you think. If you happen to use any garlic, only toss that in at the last second as it burns so easily. But my spices always burn before the bread gets cooked; tastes OK anyway.

    So ... I can believe that wheat is not great for you - anecdotally so many have told me how much better they feel when they have stopped eating it. The same I have heard about and can believe regarding milk products. But I just can't do it: I can't stop eating milk and wheat, rather I won't. As my sil once said in a different context: "life is just too short to spend it not eating tasty food. I will never stop putting butter on my roti (bread)".

    I can do without butter though I love it; I could just never do without wheat (I don't think: never say never), and I cannot imagine life without, say, cheese or yogurt. You can do it, you can survive - gratefully at that - on Ensure alone. But given my druthers I'd ruther not.

  • htracey
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm surprised nobody mentioned this one: I don't buy water. I drink it from the tap...

  • steff_1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    aliris - I couldn't give up those things either. I have friends who have given up so many different foods that it has become a big issue when we get together.

    Interesting to note that these special diets are almost unheard of outside the US. One friend decided against a trip to France when she learned they didn't serve anything she could eat.

  • dretutz
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Panko is a must for me. I rarely buy or eat bread, but LOVE panko in a number of recipes--especially making turkey or chicken strips. Salt and pepper the poultry strips. Coat in hot/sweet mustard and roll in panko. Bake in single layer dish in 350 degree oven until brown.

    I never buy cleaning products--except vinegar, rubbing alcohol or barkeepers friend.

    Never buy stock as I always have bones and vegies to brew up.

    Never buy any prepackaged foods except my panko and soy sauce.

  • colorfast
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't use many breadcrumbs either; I use oats in my meatloaf.

    But I do use leftover bread to make croutons! It's really easy. I start with about 2-3 Tsp. olive oil or olive and canola mixed with 2 cloves garlic (pressed), herbs of your choice and salt and pepper. Then drop in the cubed bread. Bake in a slow oven 200-250 degrees. Check and stir after 10-15 minutes. Keep baking until they're crunchy. Anything to get my kids to eat more salad!

    Saturated fats do clog arteries. Until someone can show me something else in our diet is clearing those arteries out again, then I will be moderate on eating bacon and I cannot in good conscience collect the fat.

    Also, I am not sure what people are referencing as lard. When I was a kid, my family made lard. It has to be the most smelly cooking process ever and it takes a long time to render lard. Yuck.

  • raro
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ricotta cheese. Don't buy it Anymore. Gently heat half gal of whole milk and tsp salt to boil. Add three tbsp white vinegar. Cut heat and let sit until curds separate. Strain through colander lined with dish towel. You will never go back once you taste this in lasagna or blintzes or drizzled with honey. Whey can be used in cooking or water acid loving plants.

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, raro -- I had no idea, actually! I will do this immediately. I made yogurt for years and years only recently I noticed it's actually cheaper to buy it from TJ's -- what's with that? I don't mind their culture - more stable than mine. And it's a lot easier buying it. But you wind up with so many of these dratted plastic buckets.

    However, now I have a new milk product to generate: thanks!

    Have you made it with skim milk? How about cider vinegar -- I've got some that turned in the fridge. That's something worth not buying: cider vinegar.

  • htracey
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am shocked about the Ricotta cheese!

    Aliris how do you make your down yogurt?

  • Stacey Collins
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a great thread! Like many of you, we eat "Real" foods (local pastured animals, out own eggs, our own organic produce, etc.)

    Here's my vinaigrette dressing. It is an adaptation of my mom's life-long dressing. We have LOTS of foodie friends and I can't tell you how many people have asked for the recipe! I don't know why this particular dressing is soooo delicious. I think it may be the sherry vinegar.

    Here is the recipe:

    Stacey's Vinaigrette

    1/3 cup sherry vinegar
    1 tsp dijon mustard
    1 tsp sugar or honey
    salt and pepper
    2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    grated excellent-quality parmesan cheese

    Blend first vinegar and flavorings. Whisk oil in a thin stream to emulsify. We store the dressing as-is and then grate a small portion of parmesan onto the salad just before tossing it, but you could add the parm directly to the dressing if you want. .......OR- dump it all in this nifty gadget and pump the handle. It emulsifies for you, and then you can store it in the bottle. Brilliant :)

  • dee850
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I grew up with a lot of mixes and at least partially pre-prepared foods at home and never thought the food was less than great. I only got into cooking from scratch as an adult, and now I can really tell the difference. I made pie crust from scratch for the first time last week, and I was shocked at how much better it is (and really not difficult, either!). I really value knowing exactly what's in my food and having a little more control over where it comes from.

    I have never made breadcrumbs at home, hadn't even thought of it - what an oversight! I'm going to have to try this now.

    For colorfast and others concerned about saturated fat intake: there are now quite a few large studies showing that saturated fat intake is not linked to heart disease, and lowering saturated fat intake confers only a rather modest benefit. Trans-fats are much more clearly a risk factor.

    Here's a Reuter's article discussing a recent large study.

    And this is an article from the journal "Lipids" for anyone looking for more scientific detail. You can download the full paper via the link on the upper right.

    Not trying to push folks to use more bacon grease, just putting the info out there - it's not as bad as many people think :)

  • sandy808
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    colorfast, please take a look the book Nourishing Traditions, or at the very least check out studies done by the Weston Price Foundation. My husband and I recently attended one of Sally Fallon's seminars, and we don't even want to eat out any more!

    I used to think natural saturated fats, etc. clogged arteries as well, that skim milk was healthy, etc., but since then have done two years of research into how we have all been lied to by industry. Again, this is natural, not man made fats. The kind that exists on earth without humans tampering with it in a lab.

    I never made lard so I don't know how smelly the process is, but I have lard rendered from NON industrial raised hogs (organically raised) and there is absolutely no odor in the finished product. Thank goodness I don't have to make my own so far! I get mine from a certified organic Amish farm in PA that our local farmer has trucked down every few months. Eatwild.com has a list by state of many farms that raise and sell wholesome foods.

    The lard sold at the grocery store, Armour brand comes to mind, is absolutely disgusting, and does stink. Bacon grease with nitrates should be moderated. I use bacon that is farm raised and not smoked. I add my own seasonings while cooking it. Our brains need GOOD saturated fats in moderation to work properly. The rest of our bodies need some as well. Biscuits made with organic, cold pressed coconut oil are so delicious. If they're fresh ground whole wheat all the better for us.

    Take a careful look at the lables when you go to the store. The ingredients don't even resemble food. That's what is causing a good share of disease and inflammation that causes heart problems. There is nothing safe about them, contrary to what food giants want you to think. They make big profits selling containers of cheap chemicals.

    Sorry....I know this sounds like a lecture. It truly isn't meant to be. It makes me want to cry when I see what is happening around us with our food, particularly since so many children are being fed this stuff, because "they" tell us all it's "good" for us. In reality it's only good for their bank account.

    raro, thanks for mentioning the ricotta cheese. I forgot about that. I made the best lasagna with my own ricotta when I had extra milk from the dairy. It is easy to make. I get my supplies from the New England Cheesemaking supply Company (cheesemaking.com).Great place. You can make your own buttermilk, cream cheese, mozarella, sour cream.....Where do you get your supplies?

    Most flour from the store has been treated with bleaches and pesticides/fungicides. When I noticed that not even a cockroach wouldn't touch white bread tossed outside (it sat for days and days), I decided to do some checking. I won't touch the stuff anymore and is my theory why people don't feel well when they eat it. I buy organic non GMO grain from Pleasant Hill Grain, along with a good grinder and it takes only a minute to grind my own wheat. No more stomach aches. If I happen to toss any of my old bread outside and not use it for bread crumbs, it's eaten within an hour by wildlife. Read up on what they do to milk sold at the grocery store. It will turn your stomach. Literally. The more people find out about this kind of thing, the more they will protest about it. Maybe we'll see some things change.

    Keep the great recipes coming...I'm enjoying this! And yes, there is a learning curve involved. Good for us food doesn't have to taste bad. I just swap the healthy ingredients for the bad ones like Crisco in my recipes, like many of you here do.

    Sandy

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I made pie crust from scratch for the first time last week, and I was shocked at how much better it is (and really not difficult, either!)

    Yes! I've never ever understood why anyone uses those hateful frozen crusts. I'd rather skip the pie than do that.

    For those surprised by cheese, it's also very easy to make paneer and cottage cheese at home, and yes, you can do any of them with low fat or fat free milk, although most cottage cheese recipes require a little cream to make cream style cottage cheese rather than something more like farmer cheese.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Forgot to list mozzarella, although it's a little more complicated.

  • colorfast
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi, everyone,

    The article from Reuters doesn't really change my views about the ideal diet: 'On the other hand, diets described as Mediterranean or 'prudent' -- generally high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, unsaturated fats from vegetable oil -- may help lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

    It's that type of eating pattern that people should strive for, Eckel said.'

    I am certainly not going to disagree with anyone about the transfats. But olive oil and canola oil have been shown to be far more healthy than bacon fat, and this article says that again. So those are my go-to choices for cooking over bacon fat or lard.

    Sandy, I took a look at some of the articles and interviews with Sally Fallon and checked out the Weston Price. I also found the critics. I think that Fallon/Weston Price are not only misinformed, but dangerous!

    The types of infant formulas they propose, feeding babies organ meat and more are very concerning. Finally, I must point out to people who are so keen on raw milk that this country had an epidemic our generation will never entirely understand the horror of called Tuberculosis. My grandma spent over a year in a Tb sanitarium and was fortunate to survive. Even so it was a years' long trauma. Louis Pasteur will always be a hero in my book.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Fallacies of Weston Price & Sally Fallon

  • raro
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ricotta supplies: good quality milk (original recipe called for whole milk plus cream. I just use whole milk from our local dairy. it comes in quaint glass bottles. Skim milk works well too but the curd is not as tender, more chewy. I tried yesterday with skim and the addition of butter. okay but not as great as whole milk). Salt. Vinegar ( I have had the best luck with plain old white vinegar. Cider vinegar left a funny taste and lemon juice was not acid enough to curdle the milk. Others can experiment and post the results).

    Anyone else have the experience that others find it odd or intimidating that we like to make stuff from scratch?

    Check out the one-bowl brownie recipe on the inside of the box of unsweetened chocolate. My family likes that recipe best of all for brownies. That is one treat that my son will not eat from a box mix. ONe whiff and he declares it made from a box and unfit for human consumption!

    I also always make my own creme fraiche. no need to buy that! Mix a couple of teaspoons of great buttermilk with 2 cups of heavy cream into a jar. Shake well. Incubate at room temp for 24 hours. I don't know if it is so delicious because we have a local dairy with the best milk, cream, buttermilk, or what. Try it!!

    Please, someone tell me how to make mozarella!!!!!

    with all that I love to make at home, please, someone tell me why my boys love to eat packaged foods?!?!?

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lemon juice was not acid enough to curdle the milk

    Interesting, because that's the traditional method for curdling paneer, although I have a recipe that uses buttermilk instead that I prefer (slightly allergic to citrus).

    If you do a search there are lots of online recipes for mozzarella and a number of videos on youtube.

    I don't know if it is so delicious because we have a local dairy with the best milk, cream, buttermilk, or what.

    You bet. It's always better made at home compared to the bought kind, but we don't have a local dairy and I'm sure yours is a lot better.

    And yeah, everyone I know thinks I'm weird when I say, "I'll bring the pie," just to avoid having to eat a cardboard crust.

  • trailrunner
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Next time you make pie crust use buttermilk for the liquid. it is so wonderfully tender and adds a very nice flavor. I use the Bulgarian Buttermilk as it is thicker.

    We are lucky to have a chef/son so we can load up on marvelous foods when we visit him in VA. His pigs and chickens and beef are right there in town. If you get leaf lard and render it , there is no odor at all. It is wonderful stuff and like most foods should be used in moderation. c

  • marcolo
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Actually that recipe doesn't produce ricotta, but the fresh cheese it does make is good. If you make your own mozzarella, you can then use the leftover whey to make actual ricotta.

  • dee850
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Writersblock, until the homemade pie crust last week, I thought I just didn't like pie! Now I know better, I've just been deprived all my life. And now I know to try buttermilk next time :)

    Raro, over the few years I've been cooking mostly from scratch, I've gotten mostly positive response. My problem is holding my tongue now that I've "seen the light." It's hard to have dinner at a relative's house when I'm being served mashed potatoes from a box and veggies out of a plastic freezer-bag, etc.

    And I, too, have a son who still likes the processed stuff despite the better offerings at home. If he had his way he'd eat chicken nuggets for lunch most days. I dream of the day he grows out of that.

  • Frazestart
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Posted by writersblock (My Page) on
    Mon, Oct 17, 11 at 17:34

    Raro wrote: "lemon juice was not acid enough to curdle the milk"


    You may just need to add a higher amount of lemon juice. Milk, even from the same cow, varies quite a bit in composition. I find that the rich fresh milk from the farmer's market usually takes twice as much acidifier as recipes call for. You may also want to pay attention to the temperature of the milk. Find a recipe online and follow the heating instructions closely. Have extra lemon, (distilled white) vinegar or citric acid (sour salt) on hand and, if you don't get the effect you want with the original amount, just keep adding more until you do.

  • kitschykitch
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sliced bread. Anything with orange "cheese" powder. Low fat anything. Cheap olive oil. Non-organic dairy or meat.

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    GW just ate my post. Grump.

    First I was marvelling at how while many of us know to make a certain set of our own staples, there are others out there we hadn't really considered. I've known, for example, that paneer and cottage cheese can be made and heard varying stories regarding difficulty, but never hefted myself over some internal barrier to trying it. I think new kitchens lower these barriers. ;)

    And then I wrote out about making yogurt. It's easy, easier than writing it out!

    First, you have to find a culture you like... that is a batch of yogurt with a flavor that appeals. If you pay attention, you'll notice all the commercially available ones have slightly different flavors. This reflects different relative composition of various different strains of bugs. I don't think there's a reason to choose more or fewer strains from a health-standpoint; maybe having the diversity within you is healthful. I'm guessing it's more of a commercial insurance policy, not wanting all eggs in one basket -- dunno. Or maybe they're just interested in flavors too. You'll find quite a difference if you go out and buy a slew of small containers of plain yogurt. Don't finish your favorite! You will need about 1 tablespoon. FWIW I happen to like Nancy's (maybe a little sourer). Fat content doesn't matter.

    Then you just have to, in short, heat milk, cool it and innoculate it and permit the buggies therein to grow. Then refrigerate.

    There's a little complication in the details but not much.

    Heat the milk in as heavy a vessel as you have because you're going to want to slowly raise the temperature of the milk to near-boiling and keep it there a while. It's not for cleanliness purposes that you raise the milk temperature, but to denature the protein. The longer you keep the milk very hot, the thicker the yogurt will be. If you don't like it thick, keep it hot for less time. I like it thick and spend an hour stirring the stuff, setting a timer for every 5 minutes to stir it. YMMV.

    The milk is "hot" when there are little bubbles near the edge of the vessel. It's too hot when it's boiling (try not to let it boil).

    Remember to stir even after you've cut the heat source; hot pans still scorch milk.

    Let the milk cool back down to your body's temperature -- that is the bug's temperature. You're going to unnoculate the milk with a culture of bugs taken from that yogurt you liked. Inside that tablespoon are millions (or more) little buggies and you want them to culture your milk now. And you don't want to fry them. So the milk can't be too warm or they'll cook and fail to multiply. So check that the milk is the right temperature (traditionally, put a few drops on your wrist and evaluate whether it's the same temperature as your body temperature there), and when you're equivalent, stir in a tablespoon of the plain yogurt. Don't use more than that; more is not better. And I like to get a good distribution by taking a little of the milk and stirring that first into the yogurt so it becomes more liquidy and easier to distribute, then swirl it gently into the milk. All unimportant details though.

    Last thing is to keep the yogurt at that warm body temperature. When we all used to have pilots in our stoves, that was easy. I use a heavy metal pan and set it in a cake pan lined with a few old heavy towels. There's a lid on my milk pan and I cover the pan with the towels to insulate it. I put it in the oven just to keep it out of the way. Setting it in the sun would be good if that works for your climate. I've used sleeping bags. You'll need to keep the innoculated milk warm for 3-6 hours. The difference varies according to temperature, basically. And you would rather do it faster than longer - more time spent culturing results in a waterier yogurt. So warm without being too warm, no drafts if possible.

    After several hours (depending, see above), you'll notice a last doubling of bugs that solidifies the milk into YOGURT. It's pretty cool how that happens wham-o. Once you notice you've got yogurt, set it into the fridge. If you like really really thick yogurt, you can pour off the whey (is that right?) - the liquid from the top. Or you can mix it in. I believe the liquid is nutrient-rich, or at least contains different nutrients from the thickened stuff below. I use it all.

    This works fine for skim milk on up.

    This is one of those things that's *way* harder to write than do.

    As for pie crust - oh I'm with you writer. Hard to imagine an easier thing to make. It can be complicated - I have a sil who uses the most rococo recipe. I just mix 1.33 ww pastry flour, 1 stick of butter, a little salt, maybe, and maybe 1 T of sugar if I'm feeling kind to the kids (none is necessary). Then add in 0.33 c ice water. It's the ice water that's key. Plus, I start with the butter from frozen and cut it into the teensiest pieces - shave it, really. You can gussy this up tremendously or not bother.

    raro: because they can and it bugs you. They don't really and will eventually grow up enough to say so to your face. I have a kid who now reports to me that her friends like my lunches. Does _she_, well -- that answer gets punted on. whatever.... You have your answer in the boxed brownie-thing (lol!). The boxed gunk is just a break from the good stuff. But if they had only that to rely on they would be mightily unhappy. That's my experience being without a kitchen for a year and in a foreign country with a subpar kitchen for another one. Inside they're liking it. :)

    I still have some cider vinegar sitting in the fridge. What would happen if I just poured some of that into milk? And then I guess I'd have to let it sit a bit and strain the remains. Would that get me some sort of edible cheese-like substance?

  • dianalo
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You won't convince me that saturated fats are health food, but in moderation, they can be ok. Most bacon is filled with nitrates and nitrites which are proven to be very unhealthful. The level of fat in bacon is also off the chart. I probably have only an ounce or 2 of bacon a year because of that. I don't consider it to be Kryptonite, but it is certainly not something one should eat regularly. I can see using a very small amount as a flavoring, but the grease alone just grosses me out, much less saving it. I paper towel the heck out of bacon to get as much grease off as possible.

    Eating what grandma would recognize as food is a part of healthy eating. Eating food rather than chemicals is a healthier way to go. however, we know better now about many things our grandparents did not know about. Carseats, baby powder and cigarettes are a few that come to mind. It is great if you can take what we know now and improve on how grandma would cook. Knowledge is power.

    One thing that got misplaced in packing for the reno is a cookbook with an awesome blue cheese dressing recipe. It had buttermilk, mayo and sour cream in it, plus lemon juice, fresh parsley, fresh garlic, salt/pepper and the blue cheese. I just don't know the proportions without the recipe.... While most people are used to jar blue cheese dressing, and it can be good depending on the brand, the homemade kind kicks butt. It is like the difference between a fast food burger and a well made quality one. It is like 2 different animals. I used to make it as part of a house gift when visiting (and usually bring a home baked goody too). I did not make it often, but it made a great side to a crudite platter... It would come out less mayonaise-ish than the bottle kind. The blue cheese was also way more real than the plain white chunks you get in store made.

    I have to agree about not eating cheese powder. Ick.

    dee - when I get a restaurant meal with clearly frozen veggies, I am horrified. The ones with broccoli, carrots and cauliflower are the most obvious. Frozen has a different consistency than fresh. Peas or corn are ok frozen, but some veggies don't hold up well. One of our sons is a very picky eater and appreciates little of what I cook. He'd happily eat bagel bites, burgers, skinny fries and chicken nuggets every day. He won't even let me make homemade chicken nuggets or pizza bagels. I have been able to convert him to chicken tenders made with white meat (Costco) which are a step up from nuggets. Thankfully, our other son loves almost everything I make and declares his appreciation openly. It helps take the sting out of the other one's food rejection.

    colorfast - I am with you in thinking the true Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest ways of eating (as well as how the Japanese used to eat). Moderation, fresh ingredients, and meat as a flavoring are the way to go. Just because someone publishes a new theory does not mean their methodology is sound or accepted by the scientific community as a whole. Limiting sugars and carbs is a smart idea, but it is still not a good idea to try replacing them with saturated fats. More whole grains and fresh produce is what you want.

    All the talk about using the heels of bread for bread crumbs makes me laugh. The heels get eaten first and would never get stale in our house, lol. For me, bread is all about the crust and the toasted parts.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've known, for example, that paneer and cottage cheese can be made and heard varying stories regarding difficulty

    Paneer couldn't be easier. Here's the recipe I use (see the first comment because she has extra steps in the recipe the way it's written out--if you use a food processor you don't knead it), and I don't fry it unless I'm making a recipe that calls for that, so you're basically done at step 3. This is a tad untraditional because it uses buttermilk instead of lemon juice, but the procedure is pretty much the same with that.

    Cottage cheese is just a tad more involved, only because it takes more rinses to get the curds to pull together.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Paneer

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Re spice blends, today's lunch is a prime example of how they can be useful. I'm perfectly capable of making my own Adobo. Getting the flavor to balance just right, however, takes measuring. At which point, one needs to make more then the spoonful I put in the salad dressing. At the point of making up a whole bottle, it's cheaper and easier to buy it at Penzey's. It's not the kind of thing I'd actually use on meat if I were making the real thing. That wouldn't be cost effective, and I'm more likely to use fresh onion, etc.

    Dressing for Chicken salad (chunked chicken breast, finely chopped orange bell pepper, celery, baby scallions, coarsely chopped (broken up, not made too small) pecans, whole golden raisins (and a few dried cranberries and blueberries that needed using up)): Cup of mayonnaise (use your favorite recipe--I never have a problem with the emulsion, but have yet to get just the right flavor), handful of dried basil--about a quarter cup, about two teaspoons of Adobo seasoning, about a teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika, sprinkle of salt (very lightly). (Mind you, I didn't measure any of these things...just estimating here. Do it to taste.) So yummy....

  • dianalo
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pllog - you made me laugh because other than baking I rarely measure anything. My food comes out slightly different every time, but usually within a certain range. I also substitute other ingredients if I am out of something. The blue cheese dressing above is unusual because since I don't make it often, I need to cheat with at least reading the recipe first. I have to do more digging to find it... I have real trouble trying to share recipes that I do by habit. It usually is the less adventurous/experienced cooks who ask how it is made and they get scared when I say use a bunch of this or throw in some of that until it looks and tastes right.

    I get asked about making bruschetta a lot because it is something I make often (a few friends demand it) but I never measure anything. It all depends on how much basil and how many tomatoes I have. The same is true for pesto about not measuring, although I make it less often for parties. I do it all by eye and taste. I can say that I substitute chicken broth for the majority of the oil to lighten up the recipe. I also use whatever nuts are on hand and almost never pignoli nuts. The broth is my secret ingredient, but now you all know.
    I also use chicken broth rather than milk when making macaroni and cheese. It gives it a different texture and is (was) more tummy friendly for my husband who has lactose issues. Now that he went vegan recently, I guess this is off our to do list. One of my sons loves it, so I may make a batch one day and freeze the extra portions for when we need a fix, lol... I think you actually taste the cheese more by not using milk. I also use a single tbs of butter if at all (depends how wicked I am feeling). Chicken broth and roasted garlic (and a little salt) are the ingredients to dip artichoke leaves in instead of straight melted butter. That works for lobster too. If you feel crazy, hit it with a little cooking wine when heating.

    As for frosting mentioned above, I rarely make it at home ever since taking a cake decorating class. Working with Crisco for the class almost made me nauseous. I did not need to know what was in it (like people say about sausage, lol). The teacher gave us a cream cheese recipe (must be adjacent to the blue cheese one in hiding) that was much better than the Crisco kind. It is not good for the roses and such, but perfect for the base coat. Buttercream tastes wonderful, but that is another thing I cringe at when seeing how much butter is used if making it at home. Sometimes, you need to stay in denial to still enjoy a treat. I am a cake snob, so luckily, I don't eat it often. When I do, I want the good kind. If I am going to take in the mondo calories on something, it had better be outstanding.

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hollandaise. That stuff is incredibly easy to make. yum.

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ROTFLOL!!! Dianalo, that's exactly how I feel about things like American cheesecake and fudge. I'm not a lover of rich things (mostly hate whipped cream). A proper baked cheesecake with ricotta is one thing. A wheel of cream cheese with a handful of sugar and a drop of milk is pretty gross. One portion is like gnawing on a block of Philly.

    Yeah, Aliris, Hollandaise is easy--and does not hold well. Someone once served me jarred Hollandaise and I subtly scraped it off (ick). Mayonnaise is easy too (baring thunderstorms), but getting the flavor right is hard. I actually prefer Best Foods. I know this is supposed to be about making your own, but certain things like mayonnaise and ketchup are better out of the bottle. :) I mostly cook from scratch, and what I don't is mostly all natural, small vendors, etc., etc. But some things...

    P.S., if you want reproducible results, a recipe is a good thing, esp. in baking, but if you know how to bake, it's possible to do without.

  • Circus Peanut
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cream soup and cream sauces. I'm more than grossed out by canned soups. It's so easy to make a white sauce in 3 minutes, who could ever prefer that salty gelatinous canned glop? Yuck.

    All baked goods: pies, cookies, quiches, cakes, brownies, muffins, popovers, tortes. I grew up in the farming Midwest, where you weren't a grown woman yet if you couldn't make a piecrust from scratch without a recipe. :-) I've never purchased a storebought crust, cookies, cake or boxed mix in my life.

    Salad dressings.
    For spinach: tarragon vinegar, olive oil, and a tablespoon of sugar, salt & pepper. Perfect.
    For arugula: lime juice, drop of olive oil if you want it, lots of fresh ground pepper, bleu cheese.
    For Romaine: olive oil, garlic, anchovy, lemon juice, mustard, salt, white wine vinegar, fresh block parmesan - blend in food processor until smooth.
    For mixed greens: balsamic, minced shallot, olive oil and salt & pepper.

    Breads, meats, dairy: we're very lucky to live in a relatively food-aware city surrounded by wonderful rural farmland, so we have access to an excellent bakery, locally raised meats and fresh dairy in glass bottles.

    Having grown up with lard sandwiches (yes, the Germans love them, with onion and salt on top -- I've never liked them myself), I can agree that the commercial lards sold in large supermarkets here are disgusting. Also have to agree that bacon grease from American commercial bacon is probably not very good; loaded with chemicals and salt. Definitely seek out and try the grease from non-nitrated bacon some time -- you'll be able to tell the difference in both meat and grease.

    Marion Nestle's What to Eat and Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma are good wholesome food reads, the former a tad less proselytizing than the latter, but both engrossing and excellent.

  • momo7
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is a great thread - I've copied so many recipes.

    My little contribution is that I drain yogurt (plain, natural, full fat) in the fridge for a day or two, using cheesecloth. I use that like cream cheese to spread on stuff, sometimes adding herbs if I feel like it. After reading "Monsters Eat Whiny Children", my kids favourite lunch is cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches.

    Circuspeanut, have you read "The Botany of Desire"? I think that is my favourite Michael Pollan book.

  • dee850
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This thread has gotten me thinking about my grandmother, who was by all accounts a fantastic cook. Her parents were poor Italian immigrants, so she and her siblings grew up making everything from scratch with as little waste as possible. But when she and grandfather made it to middle class, she came to embrace the use of a lot of pre-prepared stuff in her cooking. I was shocked when I learned that some of her famous "homemade" dishes were based in large part on a mix or some other store-bought item. She even sometimes used jarred pasta sauce (gasp!). I asked her about this once and she told me that of course she could make everything from scratch, but she found it so liberating that she didn't have to anymore.

    I wonder if my enthusiasm for making all this stuff at home is partly based on the fact that it's an optional pleasure for me to do that sort of cooking, as opposed to my grandmother's experience of no choice for half her life.

  • kitschykitch
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So how do you make ricotta, then?

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bump: ricotta recipe please?

    I know I could just google it but mostly I don't want this thread to die!

    :)

  • trailrunner
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    dee I think that is mostly it. I know my Mom lived on a farm with my Dad. His mother came over and helped my Mom all the time with killing chickens, hung them on the clothesline before they cut the heads off to prevent them from getting dirty . They canned everything including all the meats. She cooked for all the workers. It was plain and simple food that " sticks to the ribs".

    Fast forward to when I was growing up and we no longer lived on a farm. She never canned etc again. Dad bought out grocery stores if one was closing. We always had canned stuff...and the quality was better for canned in those years :)

    Then they lived alone and she cooked from scratch as little as she could . No frozen dinners mind you as Dad would have had a fit but way way more simple than ever. She was glad not to have to do it. Glad to have the time saving stuff available. She did learn from me to make home made bread and granola ...we sorta changed places LOL. I was canning and baking up a storm and she had stopped. Dad loved to come OUR house and get old timey home cooked !

    Such a nice thread...I don't blame you for wanting to keep it going. I never made cheese but once...it was yuck :( Goat milk and rennet tablets...eeeww...or should I say baaaaad. c

  • Frazestart
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    For anyone interested, Sur La Table stores offer a cheesemaking and dairy class, where they teach how to make ricotta, paneer, mozzarella and butter. I found it a good introduction to cheesemaking.

    Also, here's an online recipe for ricotta, which I've used and turned out well. Remember that, if you follow the instructions and your milk doesn't coagulate when you add the citric acid, you may need to add a little bit more.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Recipe for ricotta cheese

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mom kept a cookie jar on the countertop corner for old bread. I won't do that--some gets used and some just lingers past its utility time. I usually shove dried bread back into its original wrapper. Then it goes into same cabinet that holds noodles, rice, etc. I try to rotate the bags so it's the oldest that is used first. I crush the bread with rolling pin, then work it into all kinds of things--meatballs for example.

    If I smash the dried bread so it's in chunks, I use it for egg bake for breakfast. Let it sit in milk while you chop the herbs and onion and crack the eggs. Then mix it all. Add grated cheese (or those dry hunks of old cheese that accumulate in refrigerator drawer (I adore cheese and dedicate the refrig drawer to it! Sausage hunks might also linger there including old drying pieces that go into the egg bake also). Bake in casserole or brownie pan until center is cooked.

  • dianalo
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I forgot to mention red sauce. I used to rarely make sauce when I was single and often kept it simple with some pasta and jarred sauce for dinner. Then I met dh and since he was used to his Italian mother making sauce, he would not eat anything out of a jar.... Now that I am a convert, it would be hard to back too. Sauce is so easy to make and I just freeze leftovers. It also makes the house smell wonderful.

    On another note, we make our own soda and our kids' friends are very intrigued by it. It makes shopping easier (and lighter)and it is hard to run out of it. We use the Soda Stream system and enjoy many of their flavors. We use less than recommended though. Now that we have had it a few years, we drink less soda overall (new toy syndrome). It gets used a lot for making seltzer. We no longer have bags of empties to return/redeem and we don't need the storage space for store bought soda. It is better for the environment because the filled bottles are not being transported distances and we control the filtered water that is the basis for it...