What's for supper tonight?
07-11-2025, 04:28 AM
#171
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Posts: 2,853
DH marinated chicken with mustard and spices before grilling. I made a dessert I saw on the Pioneer Woman's show recently. Poked a French vanilla cake. Mashed 1 1/2 cups blueberries into 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk, then spread on top. It called for another layer of whipped topping, but it was sweet enough. Gonna try it with raspberries!
07-11-2025, 06:00 AM
#172
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,292
For the seasonings, I need/want maybe 5-6 things. Not anything as expensive as saffron, and I have Coriander seeds, but the large size of things like Cardomom start adding up. I make my own Corning Mix we use it on both Beef and Pork (and want to try mutton some day), the McCormick's Pickling Spice is close but not quite right... I also make Alton Brown's Garam Masala mix.
I went to Amazon and got some prime day specials on some things... probably not everything I want but a start. About $60 off the top of my head and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.
I went to Amazon and got some prime day specials on some things... probably not everything I want but a start. About $60 off the top of my head and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.
07-11-2025, 06:42 AM
#173
Power Poster
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 17,890
I have a small jar of saffron I need to use. No one in the family likes it but me. I have found a lot of hard to find spices at Home Goods store usually in small amounts. Many chefs and brands special blends are available there.
07-12-2025, 04:33 AM
#174
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,292
We watch a lot of Food network and cooking/competition shows and are exposed to the trendy ingredients.
In the Seattle region you could find pretty much any world cuisine done well and we would try different things. There were also shops that sold ethnic groceries. In the shopping area near my old home, we had a Vietnamese based (large, it was in an old Safeway) grocery store (Viet Wah). Closer to hubby's work was Uwajimaya, mostly more Japanese, another large supermarket sized shop. If you ever have a couple hours near the Airport, I really recommend their hot bar for really excellent quick hot food, better, cheaper, and larger portions than the Panda place... We also had a Saar's in the neighborhood (until it closed) a lower cost supermarket chain that did cater to the lower end/ethnic budgets, including a lot of Hispanic as well as Halal foods and meat. Also a shout out to Pabla for Vegetarian Indian food, bakery, and shopping, they are rated Parve (ok for Kosher). We also had the DK world market, fresh vegetables from all over, including things from Africa and things like Banana Leaves. A lot of middle eastern stuff too, they tried to get the regions that otherwise didn't have options. Many little tiendas (some with Carneceria/butcher shop) and Halal shops. That was all within 5 miles of my house!
Going slightly further I had even more options, 99 Ranch is a HUGE market, with a live seafood section, bakery, and hot bar. It is in a mall with many restaurants and specialty shops, including a couple different bakeries. Lam's Seafood (a lot of Taiwanese products) and has a nice group of little food stands, and then H Mart a HUGE Korean based shop, also with some prepared foods. Our Costco also had an ever growing section of Indian groceries and many things in the frozen section we don't have here. Here we have frozen crust-less PBJs.
Now I have one small Asian market. They have many of my usual ingredients, but different brands than I'm used to -- I'll adjust. Instead of every Safeway or whatever having the section of Hispanic spices in small bags, I can't even get dried chilis here easily, but we do have a small Hispanic store with butcher shop. I understand there is a pretty good Indian spice shop a town over.
The main reason home cooks can't get restaurant results are because of our stoves don't get hot enough. When we bought our new oven, the models with a wok ring were higher priced than what we wanted, but hey normal gas and a wok work better than an electric coil. The other things is just a touch of subtle flavors, so for some Chinese dishes, you need just a bit of white pepper (one of the things I ordered), and a few drops of sesame oil (already had)
One of our local Krogers is one of them being shut down -- it sadly has a high problem population and you are greeted with security cameras and there is a security officer full time. Husband stopped by and said basically everything left is on sale for 40% off or something, I'm going to go out today and hope for some Whole Cloves, Whole Allspice, and maybe some other things. I already know their spice section and that I wasn't impressed with the variety/couldn't find what I was wanting but a good chance to get maybe some Caraway seeds or something I would like but am not inclined to otherwise buy
In the Seattle region you could find pretty much any world cuisine done well and we would try different things. There were also shops that sold ethnic groceries. In the shopping area near my old home, we had a Vietnamese based (large, it was in an old Safeway) grocery store (Viet Wah). Closer to hubby's work was Uwajimaya, mostly more Japanese, another large supermarket sized shop. If you ever have a couple hours near the Airport, I really recommend their hot bar for really excellent quick hot food, better, cheaper, and larger portions than the Panda place... We also had a Saar's in the neighborhood (until it closed) a lower cost supermarket chain that did cater to the lower end/ethnic budgets, including a lot of Hispanic as well as Halal foods and meat. Also a shout out to Pabla for Vegetarian Indian food, bakery, and shopping, they are rated Parve (ok for Kosher). We also had the DK world market, fresh vegetables from all over, including things from Africa and things like Banana Leaves. A lot of middle eastern stuff too, they tried to get the regions that otherwise didn't have options. Many little tiendas (some with Carneceria/butcher shop) and Halal shops. That was all within 5 miles of my house!
Going slightly further I had even more options, 99 Ranch is a HUGE market, with a live seafood section, bakery, and hot bar. It is in a mall with many restaurants and specialty shops, including a couple different bakeries. Lam's Seafood (a lot of Taiwanese products) and has a nice group of little food stands, and then H Mart a HUGE Korean based shop, also with some prepared foods. Our Costco also had an ever growing section of Indian groceries and many things in the frozen section we don't have here. Here we have frozen crust-less PBJs.
Now I have one small Asian market. They have many of my usual ingredients, but different brands than I'm used to -- I'll adjust. Instead of every Safeway or whatever having the section of Hispanic spices in small bags, I can't even get dried chilis here easily, but we do have a small Hispanic store with butcher shop. I understand there is a pretty good Indian spice shop a town over.
The main reason home cooks can't get restaurant results are because of our stoves don't get hot enough. When we bought our new oven, the models with a wok ring were higher priced than what we wanted, but hey normal gas and a wok work better than an electric coil. The other things is just a touch of subtle flavors, so for some Chinese dishes, you need just a bit of white pepper (one of the things I ordered), and a few drops of sesame oil (already had)
One of our local Krogers is one of them being shut down -- it sadly has a high problem population and you are greeted with security cameras and there is a security officer full time. Husband stopped by and said basically everything left is on sale for 40% off or something, I'm going to go out today and hope for some Whole Cloves, Whole Allspice, and maybe some other things. I already know their spice section and that I wasn't impressed with the variety/couldn't find what I was wanting but a good chance to get maybe some Caraway seeds or something I would like but am not inclined to otherwise buy
07-13-2025, 10:05 AM
#175
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,292
Sausages on the grill last night, sliced in sauerkraut today.
_
Goodness, we went to the Kroger and it is already probably 90% empty?? Still pet food and some cleaning supplies and mostly unwanted/weird food.
Spices were pretty much gone, another lady was also hoping for whole cloves. I hoped maybe some of the large boxes of kosher salt, but no go. Didn't really notice any yeast left but there were a few bags of flour and odd grains. Did get a jar of fennel seeds. We did find a couple jars of the no sugar BBQ sauce we like. A couple bags of a Cheese puff snack that was usually too expensive for me. Some other odds and ends.
Including the last 4 packages of "fresh" meat, or in this case sausage. Two Johnsonville Beer Brats, and two packages of ground sausage. Oh look! There's some sauerkraut -- good thing I double checked because it was mustard kraut and hubby doesn't like mustard
_
Goodness, we went to the Kroger and it is already probably 90% empty?? Still pet food and some cleaning supplies and mostly unwanted/weird food.
Spices were pretty much gone, another lady was also hoping for whole cloves. I hoped maybe some of the large boxes of kosher salt, but no go. Didn't really notice any yeast left but there were a few bags of flour and odd grains. Did get a jar of fennel seeds. We did find a couple jars of the no sugar BBQ sauce we like. A couple bags of a Cheese puff snack that was usually too expensive for me. Some other odds and ends.
Including the last 4 packages of "fresh" meat, or in this case sausage. Two Johnsonville Beer Brats, and two packages of ground sausage. Oh look! There's some sauerkraut -- good thing I double checked because it was mustard kraut and hubby doesn't like mustard
07-20-2025, 11:07 AM
#178
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,292
We were going to grill a big batch of hamburger patties but the weather isn't coordinating so well. First it's raining, then it's not, then it's threatening to rain but it doesn't. Anyway, one half the ground meat turned into taco meat. Taco salad for me, husband makes tacos out of Napa Cabbage leaves.
Tomorrow, Joe's Special out of about half the hambuger meat left, a pound of italian sausage meat, fresh mushrooms and spinach. Along with parm and a couple of eggs, and probably more pepper than is good for a person. One of the hubby's prime day specials was an electric pepper grinder. Yes. Seriously.
Tomorrow, Joe's Special out of about half the hambuger meat left, a pound of italian sausage meat, fresh mushrooms and spinach. Along with parm and a couple of eggs, and probably more pepper than is good for a person. One of the hubby's prime day specials was an electric pepper grinder. Yes. Seriously.
07-20-2025, 07:48 PM
#179
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Dakotas
Posts: 3,148
I keep 2 Rubbermaid trays in refrigerator almost all the time. One has fresh fruit and the other has cut up vegetables. Add a protein (tonight it’s meatloaf) and we have the meal. Add toast or maybe a potato of some kind.
