michelle

Recent Comments

• Cooking Light names 20 healthiest cities...sort of (Slashfood)

  Feb 26th 2008 2:09PM Oh, Cooking Light is dead to me. I saw a commercial the other night for some drug for something or other (I don't even think it was eating/digestion-related) and it said, "see our ad in this month's Cooking Light"...Wha???? Drug ads in a cooking magazine???
  
  This shoddy editing and fact-checking and general wtf-ness of the article does not surprise me. I haven't bought this magazine in over a year and a half (and I used to subscribe) because they hardly have any recipes anymore! It's all "healthy" lifestyle, which, is okay, but then change your damn name to "Living Light". Don't have a cover with a yummy looking taco on it and state that you have "amazing taco recipes" inside the issue, so that someone standing in line at the store impulsively pops it into their cart (even though they know better) only to take it home and see that inside there is only one stupid taco recipe. Grr...yes, I'm still bitter.
  
  Eating Well is such a better magazine and actually does what CL used to do, have tasty and healthy recipes with pretty food photos.

• What's your weekly meal pattern? (Slashfood)

  Dec 14th 2007 1:50PM Typically, we eat small dinners during the week and nicer, longer, bottle of wine dinners Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. No set schedule to this (as in Sunday is roast chicken night or Friday is pasta)...
  
  While Buffy the Vampire Slayer was on TV, Tuesdays would always be Buffy-Taco night. I'm not sure how this tradition started but every Tuesday (during the TV season, for about 6-7 years) we made veggie or chicken tacos and watched Buffy on Tuesday nights. Good times!

• Tillamook Macaroni & Cheese Cook-off (Slashfood)

  Aug 8th 2007 2:26AM I finally found the deadline on the individual cities pages. August 26th for submitting online and postmarked by August 22nd if sending regular mail.

• More on the meaning of vodka (Slashfood)

  Nov 27th 2006 4:16PM On the other hand, I just got a bottle of Ciroc this weekend and it is excellent!
  
  Call it vodka or not but I'll definitely be getting more of it...

• Homemade vs. store-bought pie crusts (Slashfood)

  Nov 21st 2006 8:50PM I certainly endorse making your own pie crust whenever possible and that those are probably going to be the best, but I've tried the Trader Joe's crusts and they are not bad at all.
  
  They come refrigerated and rolled out, you just lay them into your pie pan and bake.
  
  I would add those to the short list that would work if you needed an emergency pie crust and couldn't homemake.
  
  

• Drink zin with Thanksgiving dinner (Slashfood)

  Nov 20th 2006 3:00PM As a lover of zinfandel, I think it would go just fine (and I think that's the key -- if you already like the wine, it'd go great with most meals where a red wine will work). We've had pinot noir with our Thanksgiving dinners for the last few years and that's a tradition we're probably going to stick with.
  
  In fact, I've got two lovely bottles of Argyle pinot at home just waiting to be opened up Thursday!

• High or low temp for cooking turkey? (Slashfood)

  Nov 16th 2006 10:37AM I have no idea which is better, but I will share the following. We had my mom over Thanksgivng last year and we made the best turkey I've ever had, using my grandfather's method (with a few of my quirks thrown in).
  
  1. brine the night before
  
  2. Slather outside with a combination of softened butter, roasted garlic and fresh, chopped sage
  
  3. Stuff with hot stuffing
  
  4. Put a little liquid in the bottom of the pan (along with a carrot and an onion) and cover tightly with foil
  
  5. For our 12 lb bird -- roast at 325 for about 2.5 hours (no peeking!) You want about 1/2 to 2/3 of the cooking done covered up
  
  6. Remove foil, and finish cooking uncovered to brown, basting every 20 minutes or so (check temps to assure doneness)
  
  7. Baste really really well before lifting out on a board to rest for 30 minutes covered tightly with foil
  
  Eventhough the temps were way higher than I thought would be okay (180 in breast / 200 in thigh) it was the moistest, juciest turkey ever. It was so weird -- but delicious! I think it was the covering with foil and the final basting to lube it all up. I just hope I can recreate it this year without mom!
  

• Gourmet mag does Halloween candy (Slashfood)

  Oct 25th 2006 1:21PM Hmmmm...I think I am going to have to make those cookies this weekend. So cute! I even went and bought my chcoclate sprinkles last night. I am going to try using pistachio pieces for eyes. Bright green against the brown should look nicely spooky.

• Do you have a secret food? (Slashfood)

  Oct 24th 2006 2:07PM Annie's Microwave Mac & Cheese doctored up with chicken stock (instead of water), chopped kalamata olives and an extra tablespoon or two of grated Parmesan cheese, in addition to supplied cheese packet, of course.
  
  

• Diner Dash 2 (Slashfood)

  Mar 29th 2006 1:09PM Oh, this is bad! I had never heard of this game before. Last night I spent about 40 minutes playing Diner Dash. I am already pondering a lunch-time break of the same.
  
  
  I think I am addicted and may be paying for the full versions by this weekend.