Saga Continues Post

My, I was quite the serious little blogger yesterday wasn't I? Sheesh! Somehow I can't be quite as serious today...I have to take it in small doses with a bit of time between sharing stories. So the tale of that period when my parents died will be resumed at a later date. It's just a little too intense to re-live so close to the holidays.

However, having just re-read my post, I'll go on a little further with my tale. Maybe it's because I'm listening to Pandora's R and B and Pop holiday music. Makes it hard to feel sad to that kind of music. Plus there's something about this saga that's begging to be told. Can't explain it...kind of a gut feeling, nagging at me. No guarantee how far I'll get.

Thus back to this little memoir.

Just so you know, we didn't stand my dad's casket up in the corner or slug back a shot in his honor. Lol! But the grieving began. There's no escaping it. Here I am, more than ten years later, with tears welling up and the memories are as clear as if it all happened yesterday.

My mom was in a wheelchair at the funeral and had the most vacant look on her face. Almost like she was watching a play. When we got back to the house she said she kept thinking it was all a bad joke. That any second my dad would pop his head in and with a twinkle in his mischievous Irish eyes say "Surprise". But he never did.

Per his wishes, my father was cremated. My brother and I hired the caretakers full time for my mom. He lived on the East coast and I on the West. My parents home was in the middle. As I said, I should have just stayed there, time is such a gift and gone so fast.

My brother tried to convince mom to live with his family so she wouldn't be alone. But try as he might, she wouldn't budge. With dad gone, I think the house and her memories were all she felt was left.

My husband was still the man I married (not the doltoid I divorced years later) and upon arriving home he had a trip to a bed and breakfast in Wales followed by a visit to my penpal in the Netherlands lined up. We were gone ten days. Wales is stunningly beautiful in Spring, the countryside soothed my aching heart. I would love to live there. The time with my friend in the Netherlands was just the icing on the cake of life. But the experience was short lived.

Upon returning to L.A., I called my mom to let her know we had returned from the trip.

A day and a half later she died in her sleep. Just 29 days after my dad. I was devastated. It was like she held on until she knew I was home safe and sound.

The funeral had to be delayed a week due to the Memorial Day holiday weekend. On the flight to mom's I was awfully disoriented. Discombobulated would be the perfect word to describe it. I even left my calendar with it's history of six months of pain, on the plane when I got off. I had documented all the trips to and from the Midwest. All gone...as quickly as my parents.

Siskel (R) and Ebert (L)

Deja vu. It was like a bad re-run of a crumby movie. "I'll give it two thumbs down Rodger". My brother once again swung into action. Okay, need to stop here, this little walk down memory lane will be continued.

On a lighter note, Laurie at Crazy Aunt Purl asked about chili recipes (12/7/11) so I sent her this one. My mom used to make something almost identical when I was growing up:

Shirley's Fantastic Ohio Chile (where my friend came up with the name, I'll never know)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 - 1 green bell pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can regular stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

dash chili powder/cayenne red pepper to taste

Brown meat. Drain fat (if any). Add onion and bell pepper and sauté lightly. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Serve with chopped onions or sour cream or grated cheddar or all of the above, on top.

This recipe is easily doubled.         

Changing the subject yet again, this little blog had 162 visits on Monday, 119 of them from Slovenia. I almost fell over when I saw those numbers! Hello, and thank you for visiting!

While listening to Pandora radio, the male a cappella group Straight No Chaser came on singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Totally divine! I LOVE that group, they have such wonderful voices and their music arrangements are amazing! Have a look for yourself, I think you'll enjoy it.

Sorry this was so long. Thanks for reading!

Coveted Soup Post

You can always tell when I'm thrilled with the weather, because I don't mention it (okay, I did mention it briefly on 10/16 saying that while I was on hiatus you all missed me whining about the heat). Lol! So, to counteract my wailing about assorted temperatures over the last year, I decided to mention how it's been sheer heaven for the last week or so! Not too hot, not too cold, pretty much perfect. Hopefully I'm not jinxing it by saying anything.

It actually might be time to turn on the big oven and make my little peach pies for my neighbors. This means the return of Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Pot Pie and soups too! As much as it pained me, I contacted (via email) the person I used to be married to (aka doltoid) to get the Curried Cream of Asparagus Soup recipe. I wasn't sure he'd cooperate, but he actually sent it, along with other unsolicited advice. Sigh. Contact with him takes a heavy toll on my psyche. So onto cooking talk.

I haven't had this soup since we split, so...five years +. Can't wait to make it! Several stores have asparagus on sale this week, so I'll be keeping my eye peeled for ones with thick stalks. Thin ones don't work in this because you need to be able to peel them. Here's the recipe by the way. As I recall, he found it ages ago in a Wolfgang Puck cookbook.

"Curried Asparagus Soup
A great spring soup. Not low cal.


1 lb. large asparagus spears
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 cup flour
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 egg yolk


Peel asparagus spears from tips down(if you don't do this the puree will be very stringy.
A potato peeler works well for this.
(Do not put asparagus peels in disposal unless you want to call a plumber.)
Cut asparagus into 1" pieces reserving tips
Cook asparagus in stock for 10-15 minutes
Place asparagus and stock in blender and puree
Clean pot and melt butter and add flour to make a white roux. Cook roux for several minutes but do not let it brown.
Return stock to pot
Add asparagus tips and simmer for 5 minutes
In a small bowl add 1 cup whipping cream, egg yolk and curry powder and mix thoroughly.
Add this mixture to stock and heat but do not boil as it will curdle and separate. 
Serve."
This is incredibly good and can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Frankly, I've eaten it straight out of the fridge!

He actually sent me "his" whole cookbook. It was originally designed and published by me, for family and friends in 1992 with all our recipes. Apparently he rewrote our cookbook in late 2006, removing all references of me and which recipes were mine. He did keep the name of my "private publishing house" though, which I didn't appreciate. It seems he gave this out to his family and new friends passing it off as a cookbook of all "his" recipes. Is it any wonder I go into a tither when I have any involvement with him?

Sorry, back to food. Another recipe I want to make is Gumbo. Found a recipe for this particular version in a thin, little, gumbo cookbook we picked up in New Orleans at the Jazz Festival in '87. Doltoid first made it and changed some things so I had to alter it a bit for my tastes since I don't like ultra spicy things. The end result is scrumptious.

Almost forgot, I keep meaning to tell you about my two favorite soup books. The first is "The Soup Book, Over 800 Recipes" by Louis P. DeGouy. It was published by Dover Books in 1974. You can get a copy for as little as one cent or as much as $29.50. If you're into the history of soup, this has some really old recipes as well as classics.

The other is "The Complete Book of Soups and Stews" by Bernard Clayton, Jr. He also wrote the wonderful "Complete Book of Breads". My copy is a paperback, published in1984, but it was revised in 2006 as a hardcover. The recipes for French Onion Soup and French Red Pepper Soup are incredible. I'm sure both of these can be found in used book stores as well as on Amazon (no relation).

So before you say adieu to asparagus till next season, grab one more bunch of them and try this soup. But remember, don't inhale/consume the whole pot even tho' you want to, it's very rich.

Second Edition Post

After thinking about P's kindness today, I started floating through recipes and food blogs in search of something to bake for him and his wife. I'm thinking a peach pie as I wrote in an earlier post or perhaps lemon bars. I have no idea since I hardly know them. Maybe I'll call them in about an hour, I hate to bother people at dinnertime.

Recipes for lemon bars have been on my radar for over a year now. I had some really good-looking ones bookmarked. Of course, they all vanished with the crash of my Mac :(  I did however find this one that looks particularly yummy. It's over at Anchovies and Lemons. One of the things that attracted me to this particular Lemon Bar recipe is that it incorporates pine nuts into the browned butter crust.

Posted under copyright free on dreamstime.

It's from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Here's a photo from the website of their cookbook:

Left:  Tartine's newest book on bread. Right:  The original cookbook.

And What's on My Plate blog had a good review of this Lemon Bar recipe in Jan. of this year.

Just called them to ask if they had any likes or dislikes in the baking department and they're up for anything, so this should be fun.

In the case of peaches, I'm thinking a galette. But I'll close for today since it's now 8 p.m. and I haven't had dinner. For simplicity's sake it's going to be an omelet of Eggbeaters filled with Trader Joe's low-fat shredded cheese mix. Yum!

Hint of Autumn Post

There are those here in Southern California, who say they can't see the seasons. This little chickie can't be counted among them, because I see the seasons most distinctly. Like right now, today just screams autumn is well on it's way.

The light is different...less intense and moving south. The temperatures (knock on wood) are gentler. The deciduous trees like the liquid ambers are starting to show a bit of color. This could all change in a blink, but there it is, the season of fall is almost upon us. Of course there's always the possibility of an "Indian Summer" surprising us but that can happen no matter where you live.

When growing up in Wisconsin, it was a very real expectation. How else could the universe further torment a high school full of teenage girls already forced into the ugliest navy blue wool gaberdine uniform ever imagined? Today, I still hate the color blue, yes, hate...that's the evil color emblazoned in my teenage mind...forever.

Envision a classroom full of 30 girls (in various stages of discovering deodorant) after gym class and you have a pretty good picture of torment. Despite the image of young women "properly" attired with peter-pan shirt collars, short little wool bolero vests, and a skirt with a pleat right over one's stomach, which just highlighted one's baby fat (thank you so much uniform selection committee), the stench overwhelmed the image. Add to that the disaster visited upon all those pert and teased little hair-dos held in place with lacquer spray, after an hour of sweat in the sun for gym class, and you have a bunch of sad looking little dishrags.

We won't even go near the subject of the gym romper uniform...just thinking of it makes me close my eyes, and shake my head while cringing.... Yeah, it was that bad. And they were red! What were they thinking...sticking red outfits on Nordic blondes who had ruddy cheeks even before exercise?

But (as usual) I digress...the seasons is the subject I was on. As I said, the seasons are very clear to me and the one I'm seeing today is so far quite pleasant.

On a totally different topic, in my strolls through the blogosphere (is that even a word?) I ran across a contest on babble for the top food blogs. Now I'm not a big fan of "mom" blogs since I really don't relate to all the talk of babies and toddlers. But food is food, so this caught my eye.

Found my way there via Snippets of Thyme which is a food blog (for the most part) with wonderful photography, like this post with the swans...gorgeous! Really, go check out her photos of the swans right now but then come back. Anyhow, I thought I'd share this with you since it lists 100 food blogs and who can't use a new recipe now and then?

Oh, and I found this recipe for Grilled Tuna and Cheese Sandwiches which looks delicious! Planning to make this real soon! Just need some sandwich bread. Yeah, my thoughts of a Paleo or gluten-free diet get side-tracked real easy!

Corn Post

Was just checking in on the blog Orangette this morning and she mentioned how the Pacific Northwest's corn pales to that of Ohio (she was just there). It suddenly dawned on me that in my non-cooking state, I have not had one ear of corn this summer! This is something, heretofore, unheard of.

I love corn, especially the white kind which you can actually eat raw. This is a serious breach of summer etiquette! Lol! But seriously, I'm going to have to buy an ear or two before I've missed the season all together.

Googling "fresh corn recipes" or "corn on the cob" will give you lots of links. These are just a few of them, they all received good reviews:
Crock pot Corn Risotto
Sweet Pepper and Corn Relish (third recipe down)
P.J.'s Fresh Corn Salad
Summer Corn Salad
Corn Off the Cob Salad
Summer Corn Salad with Asparagus
Grilled Corn on the Cob in Its Husk

Photo courtesy of U of W-Madison Archives-1960 (note use of corn husks,with lots of napkins, in right hand as "handle")

After more searching, my mind went numb and drifted back to my childhood in Wisconsin and the yearly State Fair. I loved the State Fairs in the Midwest back then. Fresh brats on an open grill pit and  corn on the cob in its full glory. The ears were soaked in pails of water for at least half an hour if they were lucky, depending on the crowd's demands, then the husks were skillfully pulled back and silks removed. They replaced the husks around the corn. After that they were thrown on the fire pit. The grill master always knew when they were just perfectly done. Once you ordered, your ear was removed from the grill, the husks pulled all the way back and bundled like a handle. It was then plunged into another pail, this one was piping hot farm* butter.

Photo courtesy of U of W-Madison Archives-1960 (note the enthusiasm...mmm...I'm right there chomping in)

Salt shakers and napkins were on a bench nearby. It was just this side of heaven and to this day, I don't think there's a better way to eat fresh corn. So if I can still find some ears with bright green husks (this is important, as dried up husks are useless no matter how much water they soak in), I'll be firing up the grill, filling the kitchen sink with water. Grilling will only take 10 to 15 minutes at the most, maybe less,  on a preheated grill. Since today's corn is so sweet, I'll omit the butter (or maybe not), then I'll be rippin' back the husks and revisiting that little slice of nirvana. Glorious!

* I don't care how many commercial/grocery store versions of butter you try...nothing beats that straight off the farm.

Paleo/Gluten Post

Lettuce Wraps

In my baby-step attempt to be less of a hermit, I called a friend the other day whom I hadn't seen or spoken to in months. Her husband had some health issues this summer and I hoped he was better. Turns out they've changed their eating habits. Back in November, she'd joined Weight Watchers and lost 15 pounds but it took a long time. When her husband landed in the hospital, she researched all kinds of diets  to improve one's health and stumbled on the Paleo diet. As a result, she's 35 pounds lighter, two sizes smaller and he's much improved.

The Paleo diet is one that excludes wheat products and is based on the hunter/gatherer type of eating. This quote is from Time: "Believers say that only by returning to a diet of wild game and fresh produce, eliminating grains and dairy, and exercising in short, intense bursts, can we thrive in a world of escalators and cheese fries."

When I googled Paleo diet, there were plenty of sites to check out. My friend also emailed the following links to me:
Mark's Daily Apple
The Food Lovers Primal Palate
Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Robb Wolf Blog
Primal Kitchen Blog
Everyday Paleo
Fat Head

The fact that about five weeks ago my arms broke out in some crazy rash and hives that itch like mad has me wondering. It's very similar to the psoriasis that broke out on my legs at the beginning of the divorce which I attributed to stress as it started covering my body. Currently, it's only noticeable on my lower calves thank goodness.

I'd begun to wonder if it was something in the prepared salads that was affecting me. It flared up after a few weeks of eating the salads. Now I'm curious if it could be a wheat allergy. Last night I bought a rotisserie chicken and that was my dinner with plenty left for this evening. I had little to no itching last night.

This morning I made a small sandwich and within three hours the rash went wild. I applied an ice pack to the areas affected which helped a little. As I write this, I alternate between typing and scratching. Yes, I know, I shouldn't give in, but the itching is rabid. I've tried the topical medicine that helps my legs but it does nothing for my arms. Even the new cream prescribed last week has little effect. So I'm inclined to re-think what I consume.

This will be more of an elimination method than an actual diet. I'll be starting with the prepackaged salads. The rash started shortly after I started eating them exclusively for dinner. Instead, I'll have chicken or wild-caught fish with a cooked (ideally organic) vegetable for dinner. This means I'll have to cook which is a pain, but if it stops the itching, I'll do it. Amazing what can motivate us.

Rather than eat sandwiches made with bread, I'll make lettuce wraps. Just Google lettuce wraps or paleo lettuce wraps and you find a plethora of ideas. I will wash the lettuce in a 10 to 1 solution of water to vinegar to get rid of any bacteria. (That's another whole topic in itself, but I'll save that for another day.)

Another wrap I'm going to look into is a copycat recipe for P.F.Chang's. If you haven't tried their wraps you're really missing a treat! I even found a video for them.

Anyways, I'll be posting the results. Who knows? I do know the property manager for this rental cut out all glutens over a year ago and says she feels great. Her psoriasis, arthritis and cholesterol levels have greatly improved. And she even lost some weight. Can't complain about that.

P.S. This may be easier said/written, than done....

Too Many Thoughts and a Recipe Post

Visited Cooking by the Seat of My Pants blog the other day and noticed Jerry had a recipe for ceviche with salmon! Mmmm! I've always just made it with swordfish, but salmon sounds so good and it's my favorite fish! So now I'll be watching for wild caught salmon on sale in the weekly ads.

Of course, my version will definitely not have any Anaheim chiles in it. As I've mentioned before the  capsicum family (chiles/peppers) and I do not get along. I wish we did, because so many recipes these days call for spicy heat. Chiles are even suggested for helping to stay cool on hot days and to speed up one's metabolism.

This also kind of limits me when it comes to get-togethers with friends, since a large portion of the appetizers, entrees and whatever else other people bring to share are inevitably spicy. When I say spicy I'm referring strictly to hot peppers like jalapenos, Anaheim's, habaneros, cayenne and so forth. Even plain black pepper can potentially wreak havoc in my stomach if I'm not cautious.

As a result, I tend to bring fresh finger-size veggies with a yogurt/sour cream/herb dip when invited to a get-together, just so I'll have something to eat! As I've mentioned in an earlier post, the "go-to" potluck dish is my tuna salad recipe when a main course is needed. Although for the next potluck, I may try making one of the curried cauliflower dishes I've noticed popping up lately on food blogs. Strangely, Indian spices like garam masala and curries don't phase me one bit.

I think I've also noted in a past post that when I was still married, I'd made curry with beef for dinner, served over basmati rice. While I was gobbling it up (it was so good) my then husband (who often criticized me for not being able to eat spicy foods) looked at me and asked how I could eat it. Lol! His face was beet red and drops of perspiration were rolling down his forehead. It was pretty funny since the dish had no effect on me. Sort of a little karmic justice I guess.

Anyway, I'll have to share my curry recipe with you. Well, I will, as soon as I make a final decision on a computer. I don't want to spend time downloading what I was lucky enough to back up last November, until I've made my final decision. I like this recipe because it's very versatile, you can use lamb, beef, chicken or shrimp in it.

Today though, I will share my super-easy vegetable dip with you.

Ingredients:
16 oz. (453.592 grams) sour cream (I like Knudson's) *
2-4 t. Lemon Pepper (I like Lawry's)
2-3 t. Beau Monde Seasoning from Spice Islands

2-3 t. Bon Appetit Seasoning Salt from McCormick

You can either toss all the seasonings into the sour cream container and stir together thoroughly or put the sour cream and seasonings into a bowl, mixing well. Then, either put the dip all back into the container or if you used the bowl method just cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for at least 4 hours, stirring once or twice.

I suggest starting with the smallest amounts of spice noted, mix together and chill. After about 2 hours, give it a stir and taste. Add more of each as needed. Remember it's easier to add than remove. One thing I've noticed is that if there's not enough "fresh" taste, adding a bit more Bon Appetit does the trick. I hope you enjoy this. It's always devoured when brought to any gathering.

*Note:  you can also use half sour cream and half yogurt to lighten the dip calorie-wise. Enjoy!

P.S. I knew I forgot something! This is also a fabulous dip for artichokes. The flavors all compliment each other beautifully.

Even More Refrigerator Dillies Post

Yes, I do have pickles on the brain. Nice, crispy, icy dills. A simple old-fashioned pickle. It's got to be the heat. Summer has been kind to us up until yesterday. Now we're in the 100's (37.7C's) and110's (43.3C's). So here are more easy cold process dill pickle recipes. Some of the recipes even claim they last as long as 6 months in the fridge (if you can resist them for that long).

From Foodie with Family there is the Homemade Claussen Knock Off recipe. Food.com has several Claussen copies like this one and this one for Claussen Clones. I also found Claussen-Like Refrigerator Pickles and Claussen Dill Pickles (Refrigerator). There are even more on this site and all the ones I've listed  had a 5 star rating.

It appears from another site, idigmygarden.com, that adding heat ruins the crunchiness of the pickles. Lots of pickle info here. At recipesecrets.net/forums you'll find even more info and copycat recipes. Frankly, if you just Google "claussen dill pickle recipe" you will be overwhelmed by the abundance and variety of copycat recipes for these delicious greenies. Some with garlic (a "must" in my opinion) and some without. As well as recipes for those who like some heat in their pickles and variations that are tamer.

I may just have to pay a visit to a nearby farmers market tomorrow morning despite the 106+F (41+C) heat. Then again, maybe I'll wait for a cool spell.

Tomorrow we'll be talkin' tomatoes.

P.S. Will I never ever remember??? Ran out to buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner and while at the store spotted Virginia ham for $2.00 off/lb. which is perfect for sandwiches. So I bought a pound (.5K). Got home, put the groceries on the porch, ran into the house to let the dog out (I'd been gone to the Dr. and store for three hours) and saw my neighbor in the house behind me was out in the backyard. I walked back there to let him know about the "block party" on Sunday and we talked. Suddenly I heard the unmistakable sound of shredding plastic followed by deadly silence. I ran for the gate which wouldn't open. When I finally got the gate open and ran to the porch, there it was, the chewed up plastic bag with no sign of ham and the evil little beastie was starting in on the hard plastic covered roast chicken. A whole pound of ham!!! Guess who'll be getting no din-din tonight. As I've said before, I was very spoiled by my dear Siberian, Frost and her good behavior plus it's a darn good thing Blue's as cute as he is!

Quick Little Post

After my dill pickle post, it seems my radar is up for easy dill pickle recipes. Today I found my way to Pie in the Sky blog and a delish dill pickle recipe which requires absolutely no hot bath. Yay! As soon as we leave the hot temperatures (100's F/38+C) I will be searching out canning pickles and dill flowers. The recipe sounds as good as the Claussen dills.

BBQ Ribs Post

Stater Bros. markets have baby back ribs on sale again this week for $2.79/lb. (1.94 E/0.5 kg). This is a pretty darn good price, depending on how meaty they are. Meanwhile, Von's has "extra meaty" baby back ribs on sale for $3.47 (2.42 E). Needless to say I'm contemplating purchasing a slab. Only problem is that it means I'll have to prepare food. After two weeks of salads and little sandwiches, I'd like something else. Maybe I'll just freeze them till I'm ready to light up the grill.

It's just too hot for anything other than cool foods, even though I'd really like a change. When I get around to cooking them, I'll be using the method that I discovered over 15 years ago. Prior the this revelation, I used to just put the ribs on the grill with barbeque sauce and cook. The results were less than perfect...usually dry with burnt BBQ crust. A few years ago, after much research I put together my own recipe for a rub. It really adds so much to the final taste outcome.

To begin, remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs. This is something I'd never done 15 years ago. Fine Cooking has an easy explanation and photos describing how to do it. There are also several video versions such as: You Tube and You Tube. I usually rise the slab and dry it, placing it on 2-3 layers of paper towels on the counter. See the links above for how to pull off the membrane or silver skin. Using a dry paper towel is key to this working easily. Then using heavy duty foil lay your slab in the center and work your rub into the bottom of the ribs, flip over and rub the top so the whole slab is evenly coated.

Then fold the long sides of the foil up and fold together kind of like this video showing how to cook fish in parchment. You're not using parchment, but the technique is the same. Ignore all the info in the video  except for how to fold the packet (unless you want to make fish). Also note that the meat should be laid on the dull side of the foil, shiny side out. This helps with the slow cooking. Finish by closing the ends. Every now and then a rib will poke through the heavy foil, in that case, I wind up wrapping it all in another piece of heavy duty foil. Place packet on jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with raised edges and pop it into a 200F (92.2C) oven for several hours. If I'm making just one slab for me, I slow cook the ribs for about 3 hours, sometimes 4.

Once the time is up, remove the tray and let sit for 5 minutes, turn the oven to 400F (204.4C). Then open the packet, lift out the ribs with care (see notes below for steps used when removing after grilling) and place on another cookie sheet with a lip (kind of like a jelly roll pan). Brush with BBQ sauce and bake in  400F oven for 5-10 minutes taking care to remove if the sauce starts to burn. Remove from oven, tent with foil for 5 minutes. Place on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut into individual ribs and serve.

If you prefer the grill, this is what I do and it was worked out by trial and error. Set the grill on the lowest setting and put the foil-wrapped slab onto the upper warming shelf in the grill. My grill has 3 burners so I only turn one on to very low. If you have no warming shelf on your gas grill, then set up a cool zone by leaving for example, 2 out of 3 burners off and put your packet as far from the heat as possible. Sorry, I have no idea what to tell you for a charcoal grill. Possibly Google "slow cooking ribs on a Weber grill" or "slow cooking ribs on a charcoal grill".

After about 20 min. on low heat, I turn the grill off and set a timer for 20 minutes. Then I turn the single burner back on. I've found this works for my grill by trial and error. When the temperature gauge rises to 300F (148.8C) I turn the grill off. When it drops below 100F (37.7C) I turn the burner back on. A grill (at least mine) just doesn't have as much control as an oven. But when it's 90+F (32.2C) out, it beats having to heat up the house and I've found the process of slow cooking ribs like this is very forgiving. This process goes on for about 2 hours at which point I turn the grill off letting the ribs sit in the cooling grill for half an hour.

At this point I take the packet off the grill using a cookie sheet with sides in case some juice escapes. I turn two of the burners back on to medium-high. In the house I carefully open the packet while it sits on the cookie sheet using pot holders and tongs. The slab is left on the sheet and brought back outside to the hot grill. Using tongs I carefully lift it off the sheet and place on the grill over the two burners. At this point, using a silicone brush I apply the BBQ sauce, close the grill and set the timer for 5 minutes.

At the end of 5 minutes, I move the slab to the unlit burner and turn off all but one burner. After five more minutes, I bring the slab inside on the same cookie sheet, tent with foil for 5 minutes to rest. Next the ribs are moved to a cutting board, cut into individual ribs with a sharp knife and served. They are always juicy, the meat falls off the bone and the sauce on top is cooked just right, not burned. These really are melt-in-your-mouth delights.

Since this is really "finger" food, I usually serve with fresh corn on the cob and skip utensils altogether.

Salsa and Ceviche Post

Cruising some of my favorite blogs this morning in the lovely overcast light of the day, I ran across Jerry's blog again, Cooking By the Seat of My Pants. He posted his recipe for Pico de Gallo also known as Salsa Fresca. It immediately reminded me of my version of Salsa or Pico de Gallo which I synthesized  from my Ceviche recipe. It's extremely light and fresh tasting.

Haven't made it in ages and this post has suddenly whet my appetite. It's perfect for hot weather and can be constructed in increments so I'm not daunted by too much kitchen time. It's so good that I've eaten it with crackers or bruschetta for a main course. Sometimes accompanied by a few Lucques or Provencal olives. The Provencal olives are available in bulk at Whole Foods. Pitted and swimming in Herbs de Provence with olive oil. Little droplets of heaven.

Yesterday I came across a few articles about foods to eat in hot weather to keep one's cool. Interestingly, they advised against ice cream since it takes more energy to digest and thus heats up one's body. The articles listed meals of fruits, salads, legumes and veggies which contain a high percentage of water thus require less energy to digest. They also suggested skipping beef (lots of energy needed to process). Contrary to what one would think the articles recommended eating spicy foods. Personally, I won't be hitting the hot peppers any time soon, but you can bet the next time I go to the store I'll be picking up the ingredients for this dish. Promise I'll take pics of the final product.

So here's my simple little salsa recipe which is looking pretty good right now.

Christine's Simple Salsa
6 - 2" tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
1 onion diced finely
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (see note below*)
11.5 pz. (1 can) tomato juice
1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Optional:
1/3 c. fresh oregano leaves, chopped slightly
1 bay leaf
jalapenos to taste (I never use them)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, tossing them together. Cover and refrigerate. Will keep in the fridge for several days (if you can restrain yourself).
*Note:  try to use Valencia juice oranges vs. Navels. Juice from Navels can turn slightly bitter after a few hours.

Since I mentioned it, here's my Ceviche recipe. It's equally yummy.

Ceviche
1 lb. very fresh swordfish
2/3 c. freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
1 onion, finely diced
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 c. tomato juice
1/3 c. fresh oregano leaves, chopped finely
1 bay leaf
1/4 -1/3 c. chopped cilantro
2 t. chopped jalapeno peppers (I never add these)
1/2 c. small green olives with or without stones
Salt & Pepper

Skin the swordfish, remove bones. Dice the filet into 1/4" cubes and marinate in lime juice for 4-6 hours. Marinating in the acidic lime juice actually "cooks" the fish. Just don't leave it too long or the swordfish will turn to mush. After fish has been marinated, place in a non-reactive strainer, discarding the juices. Place fish and all remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps for 2-3 days in my experience. Serve in a large bowl or small individual ones with crackers and/or bruschetta.

Enjoy in the shade with a lemonade or glass of viognier.

Yummy Post

As promised, here's my Mom's Tuna Noodle Salad recipe. She made this for as long as I can remember so it's at least 50 years old. Whenever I make it, the taste and aroma take me back to my childhood. I made the non-macaroni version two weeks ago. It's what my mom used to make to put on sandwiches for lunch on Fridays when I went to Catholic grade school. It's also very good but doesn't stretch as far as the noodle version. There are two secrets to this recipe depending on what's available in your area.

When I lived in the Midwest, I used to add Henri's Tas-tee salad dressing to it and cut the mayo in half or sometimes eliminate it. This added a more complex taste than just straight mayo. The thing I liked about using Henri's is that it's made with celery seed and onions so if you're making this for someone who dislikes onions, this solved the problem...just enough onion taste so you could delete the diced onion.

Once I moved to the West coast however, I couldn't locate Henri's anywhere and so, I would take celery seed and grind it up with a mortar and pestle to add to the salad. Pretty good until, totally by accident, I stumbled upon celery salt. It's a perfect substitute for Henri's. I've been using this for about 15 years now. It's what I attribute the pot luck popularity of this dish to; ust the right amount of flavor without being overpowering. It rises above being just another mayonnaise based noodle salad.

These curved little babies hold a great deal of hidden water, so I've learned that after cooking, draining and rinsing in cold water, the best thing is to line a large container or bowl with two or three layers of paper towels, dump the drained noodles in and place in the fridge for a few hours. I never cover them (unless I'm leaving them for more than 3 hours) since I want the extra moisture to evaporate. If you don't do this, in a day or so, the salad is rather watered down, if that makes any sense. Then, I transfer them to another large bowl without paper towels and begin assembly. In the interim, while macaroni is draining, I dice the celery and onions, drain the peas and tuna. Time-wise it works just fine and all comes together quite conveniently. If you use the whole pound of macaroni, this serves 12 to 15 people depending on the level of gluttony. Lol!

Ingredients:
1 lb. box of small elbow macaroni (you can use the whole box or just three quarters of it depending on how far you want to extend the quantity of salad)

1-12 oz. can drained and flaked Chicken of the Sea tuna in oil (I prefer the oil, despite the extra calories because it seems to blend in better than the tuna packed in water)

1/2 to 1 c. of Best Foods mayonnaise depending on quantity of noodles used and taste (on the Eastern half of the U.S. it's called Hellman's...who knows why?)

1-15 oz. can drained Le Seuer Very Young Small Early Peas

4 -6 stalks diced celery (depends on how your preferences, it's about 3/4 to 1 1/4 c. 

1 small or 1/2 large, diced red onion (again, depend on your taste-buds)

1/2 to 1 1/2 t. celery salt (my favorite is Lawry's which I can't find anymore...start small, mix in, let sit, mix again, taste and then adjust)

Directions:  Bring water to a boil in a 5-6 qt. pot (mine came with a colander that fits inside the pot which is perfect for this task). Add macaroni and bring to a boil again. I suggest stirring several times or you wind up with a large noodle patty. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer or light boil and set timer for 10 minutes. When time's up, fish a noodle out, cool and test for doneness. You want a firm not mushy noodle. Drain in colander and run under cold water or set colander into bowl of cold running water. Once cool enough to touch, let sit as noted in the third paragraph above.

Dice up the onion and celery. Drain the tuna and peas. When noodles are drained, put into large bowl, adding celery, onions, tuna, mayo and celery salt. Mix thoroughly. Gently fold in peas as the last ingredient. Taste. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours for flavors to blend and celery salt to bloom. Stir and adjust to taste. Enjoy!

P.S. I would have taken a photo of my finished product, but since I'm still pretty sick, I haven't been to the store and have no lettuce or tomatoes. Something this dish really needs if you want a decent pic of it. Maybe next time.

On Hold Post

It's been a while since I posted anything for one simple reason, I'm still sick and hacking my lungs up. Yes, as I've said before, it's an exciting life we lead here at Grey House Journal. Lol! Since I'm spending most of my time in bed, hoping to get better poor Blue is really feeling put out and you can see it in his little worried eyes and knit brow.

He's sticking to me like glue. If I get up, he's right there at my heels. Not sure if he thinks he's herding me or what. If I sit to watch some TV between rounds of coughing, he's plastered between my feet and the chair I'm sitting in.

I'd take a photo of his sad little face but it's not even dawn yet (couldn't sleep because of the coughing) as I write this so I'd probably blind the wee boy if I try it. Earlier in the day, I made an attempt but his ears went flat down, not a great look for Corgis. Plus, you'd see I haven't vacuumed in a bit and he's been shedding profusely! I may post my tuna and macaroni salad tomorrow. I just made it tonight since I was tired of opening the fridge and finding nothing that to eat. Really need to make a small grocery run. It's a great recipe that's my "go to recipe" for pot lucks. My mom used to make it, so it's comfort food and memories when I enjoy it.

Relatively inexpensive to make, I keep my eyes open for tuna, elbow macaroni, mayo, Le Seuer peas and celery salt sales. Every now and then I find tuna and the peas for over a dollar less than regular. Yay! Then buy several of each. This habit has been a life saver currently because there's no need to spend money, well except for the celery and onions which don't last as long as the canned things. Vons currently has a pound of dry macaroni for $0. 99. That makes a lot of noodles!

Well, I'm drifting off now, so it's time to hopefully fall asleep while the medicine has begun to work.
Bye for now, stay well.

Tuscan Lemon Pasta

Ah, another cool grey day in LA, I love it! Yes I'm up ridiculously early thanks to my raging allergies and never-ending nose blowing. So I'm publishing a second post for the day. Blue must have gotten fed up with having to hold his head up so high to keep Mr. Raccoon from dragging on the floor when carrying him around, because this morning I found about 4 inches of his tail amputated! (The raccoon's, not Mr. Blue's!) So I'll be doing a little sewing later today to close up what's left of the tail.

Today will be an errand day. Funny, I used to love going shopping, but when money's tight it somehow takes all the pleasure out of it. Step in the store and you know it's going to be an impulse/resistance challenge. "No, you don't 'need' that" and so on. My shopping lists start out just the way they used to, but then get whittled down by half based on true needs.

Cortona, Italy

Since I just visited Corey Amaro's blog, Tongue in Cheek, and found her recipe for Lemon and Walnut pasta, I may be making that tonight with a little chicken tossed in. She's currently in Italy with three of her cousins from the US. They're in the Cinque Terre area of Italy. I'm so envious, I loved that region of Italy! Oh heck, I loved all of Tuscany. And yes, "Under the Tuscan Sun" is one of my favorite movies! No it's not a cinematic masterpiece, but it's so amazing and remarkable to watch knowing I walked the streets seen in the film!

Cortona, Italy

But back to the Lemon Pasta...I recently traded a huge bag of avocados for an equally big bag of Meyer Lemons. My friend has so many that she can't find enough people to give them away to. Sort of like me and the avocado tree, so it was a very good trade. Since I still have some lemons in the fridge fruit bin, I'll be using those in the dish. Unlike the average lemons found in the grocery, which are usually Eureka's, Meyer lemons have a thin skin, are super juicy and have a touch of sweetness. The are the quintessential "old-fashioned lemonade" lemon. Their flavor is unmatched and once established, they are ridiculously prolific.

Depending on how my life goes once the divorce is final, if ever, I may "reward" myself with a dwarf Meyer lemon to grow in one of the big pots on the patio. It would be such a wonderful treat! Plus, it would be sort of symbolic of a new life. Reminds me of the old saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in tonight's case, Lemon Pasta!

Just had a second thought. This is what happens when I get up so early, my mind wanders everywhere with no particular focus! I recently found a food blog I really like, A Feast for the Eyes by Debby. She had a delicious looking recipe for Asparagus, Pea and Saffron Risotto (with or without Shrimp) which is also very tempting. She found the recipe at The Quinces and the Pea blog but added a few twists of her own. I haven't made risotto in eons. I still remember the first night of a trip to Italy, we got into Lake Como late. Fortunately there was still a restaurant open. I ordered risotto with truffle oil and oh my heavens, I was hooked!

In the past, I've just picked up a bag of risotto rice (Arborio I think) at Trader Joe's, but Debby uses De Cecco's Carnaroli which, if I can find it, will decide tonight's dinner choice. Actually, the price of asparagus will also be a deciding factor, considering I have lemons and spaghetti on hand for the Lemon Pasta. Whatever I make, I may even publish a third post today if I can get a decent photo.

P.S. In the time it took me to write this, I have used half a box of facial tissues just from blowing my nose. Unbelievable! So guess what just got added to the grocery list.

The Best Meatloaf Ever

Back in the mid’80’s when UCLA had a great curriculum of extension courses in cooking, a friend took several of them over the years. This recipe is from a little old lady (her words, not mine) that she said reminded her of Julia Child. This recipe looks like a lot of work, but it's so worth it. The cepes and ham really add a great deal of flavor so don't leave them out. And puhleeeze don't use plain old white mushrooms. Cepes have such a wonderful depth of taste that white buttons can't ever hope to aspire to.

Pate de Boeuf a la Ma Cousine

1 1/2 oz. dried cepes (also called porcini)

1 c. warm water

3 T. hot milk 

2 slices white bread trimmed and cubed

1 1/2 lb. very lean ground beef

2 egg yolks, whisked

1 1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c. finely chopped ham

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large shallots, minced fine

3 T. tomato paste

1/2 c. Madeira wine

1. Soak cepes (pronounced “sapes” with a hard "a") in warm water for half an hour.  Drain, saving liquid.  Pour liquid into a sieve lined with double thickness of paper toweling, set aside.  Chop mushrooms, set aside.

2. My version:  If you're impatient, like me at times, I don't bother with most of #2. No hot milk, no cubed bread, I just toss it all together and mix with my hands. I use 1/2-3/4 c. bread crumbs and cold milk. I substitute finely chopped onion for scallions and use the whole egg vs. just yolks.


The actual recipe:  Mash bread cubes in milk until they have absorbed it all .  Place beef in a large bowl and fork bread through it until mixture is well homogenized. Place the oil and butter in a skillet to heat.  Add garlic, shallots and half the chopped cepes.  Cook until shallots are soft, cool and add to the meat mixture, along with egg yolks , salt, pepper, Parmesan and ham.  Using your hands, blend the mixture lightly but thoroughly. 

3. Lightly oil a four to five cup rectangular terrine , preferably with a lid (I use a bread/loaf pan and aluminum foil to cover).  Pat the meat out to a roll the same length as the terrine, forming it firmly to eliminate any holes.  Place meat roll in terrine, tucking it in snugly.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

5. In a sauce pan, add tomato paste (I use the kind in the tube which I keep in the fridge) to mushroom liquid, along with remaining mushrooms, and wine. Heat to almost boiling, reduce by a third and pour over the pate, cover and bake half an hour. (I often will make a second batch to use when I reheat leftovers.)

6. Remove cover (foil), reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake half and hour longer.  Let rest in pan about 15 minutes. Insert a clean knife to test for done-ness. It should come out clean.

7. The pate may be served hot, at room temperature or chilled and it's delicious warmed up. 


On occasion I still make the old-fashioned kind of meat loaf from my 1968 Betty Crocker cookbook with Quaker oats, which is great for sandwiches the next day (just add catsup) but as a dinner, the sauce and ingredients in the Pate Boeuf just put this version over the top. Enjoy!


As I was writing this, I had to look something up and you know how that goes. On the web, one thing leads to another and suddenly it's an hour later! I found what looks like a really yummy meatloaf recipe over on A Feast for the Eyes. Debby's also found another innovative way to cook the loaf without the loaf pan plus the glaze that goes over it makes it a definite  candidate for the next time I make meatloaf. (Not too much of a run-on sentence there huh?) If the weather holds and doesn't get hot, that'll be sooner than later.


I have to get all my stove/oven/indoor/comfort food cooking done before summer hits. Summer in So Cal is when most sane people opt for grilling rather than heating the house up with one's oven and sending the AC's electric bill through the roof. Anyhow, check out her blog, there are some amazing and delicious recipes there with great photos! 

Yet Another "Second Post"

Well that didn't last long...May Gray that is. Yesterday was blindingly sunny and in the high 80's (27's C) much to my dismay. Today looks like it's going to be pretty much the same. Checked the weather forecast though and it's supposed to cool back down. Whew! We don't need summer to start in mid-May.

Let's see, what's going on today other than the world ending? Well, I'm trying two recipes, one from the Lick the Bowl Good blog and the other from About.com Southern recipes (since I can never be satisfied with just one recipe the way it is). Though I do recall this penchant getting me in some trouble in the past, as in "the end result" wasn't all that great. But all I'm doing is adding a little catsup from the second set of ingredients to the first.

Excuse me a moment while I laugh hysterically (but quietly). While sitting here typing this, my little Corgi is sleeping under my chair and suddenly snoring quite loudly! I'd take a photo but the camera's in the kitchen, dang! It's really surprising how loudly he's snoring! Ok, the photo isn't from today, but isn't the little bun just adorable?

Back to what I was doing. In my hunt for a recipe, I found a lot of them with "condensed cream of..." soups. While convenient, somehow, I'm just not in the mood for adding those. Just seems to me that stroganoff has to have sour cream, not soup. Now I do have a hamburger stroganoff recipe from way back, like the 70's, but darned if I can find it. So on with the experiment. I sometimes wonder why I keep on cooking since there's only me. It has to be connected to the whole being part of a couple thing for so many years and before that, growing up with a mom who made three meals a day forever.

I'm sure there are fans out there of Hamburger Helper, but after my last visit to that land (having been away for decades) you'll recall that it didn't turn out so well. In fact, it was ghastly. Well, I'd best get going or dinner will once again be at 9 p.m.!

Thoughts and Coleslaw Post

Looking back, I noticed the number of "views" of my blog has been shrinking. I know my posting has been a tad on the negative side lately. While I'm sorry for that, I have to remind myself that this blog is really for me. It's a place to record what goes on in the life I'm currently navigating alone. Sometimes I just don't feel really all that positive. Yet in the long run, I want to look back and see where I was and how far, if at all, I've come. Without this type of reference, I really can't hope to get anywhere mentally or physically.

So, I've decided for every less than glowing post, I'll try to add a positive one. Sort of a version of a gratitude journal. If one never stops and thinks of what they're grateful for, all one will eventually be surrounded with is "what went wrongs". So to that end, I'm going to throw in a few of my favorite recipes, maybe add some new photos and try to get my act together by going through some of the treasures sitting dormant in the recesses of this rental.

It's amazing how many things I've "just had to have" over the years and now that my life has taken the turn it has, I look at them, still loving them because they are so wonderful, but wondering is this or that still of use to me? Most often the answer is no. If I had a bigger living space, money and so on, the story might be different, but I'm "here" now and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Getting back to trying to feel grateful, I want to share a recipe with you that I just love. It's easy, reasonably inexpensive for the amount of food you get and perfect for upcoming barbecues. It was developed by a person I used to know, derived from two different recipes (I've tried to find these recipes over the years but to no avail). The first was the Original Pantry Restaurant Coleslaw (from a well known and loved eatery in LA) and the second was one from Carolina in an old issue of Bon Appetit (circa 1980's-'90's). What makes it so delicious is the barbeque sauce, something not usually found in most coleslaws.

Ingredients:

1 large head of cabbage, finely shredded

3/4 c. mayonnaise

3 T. sugar (may be adjusted to taste)

6 T. cider vinegar

6 T. bottled barbeque sauce (Masterpiece, KC, etc.)

1/3 c. oil (olive, corn or canola)

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4 t. dry mustard 

1/4 t. celery salt

Dash of black pepper

1 t. lemon juice (fresh if possible)

1/2 c. half and half

Blend together all ingredients in bowl and pour over shredded cabbage. Chill for at least one hour. Serve.

I've found this can serve 8-10 people as a side dish as long as no one wants "seconds" which is rare. For a little color, add carrot shavings. Other thoughts:  if the head of cabbage I have is less than 6" in diameter, I cut back a little on the sugar, cider vinegar and barbeque sauce. I'll let it sit, covered in the fridge and then taste for flavor after an hour, altering accordingly.

I've found when I make this, it's hard to resist making a meal of it with a little chicken on the side. Enjoy!

I Forgot to Mention...

Yesterday, I referred to "cube steaks". It dawned on me that some readers may have no clue what they are. I looked it up on Wikipedia and found this definition. Personally, the buddy burner camping disaster is and was my only experience with this "cut" of beef. I can see no use for it; it's ridiculously chewy and reasonably tasteless. I found this link which pretty much sums up my opinion of this meat form as follows "Cube steak is simply round steak that’s been pulverized a bit to make it more tender. There’s no doubt that this economical cut of beef can help save money on groceries, but the challenge is how to cook it so that’s not only edible–but tasty too."
The article included recipes if anyone is interested. Frankly, if I want beef, I'll save up some money and buy fillet mignons at Costco rather than buy a cheap cut like this. Yes, I am a beef snob. Heck, I'd rather eat chicken or eggs if I want a cheap, tasty meal rather than throw money away on chewy tasteless beef. Anyhow, just adding my two cents here for the record.

Gray, Gray, Go Away

The title of today's post comes from the rhyme, "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day". Today is another gloomy day. I'm really getting sick of the white, gray skies and rain. The weather forcasters are toying with us, saying that by Thursday, it'll be in the 80's F (26-27 C)! Today it's in the 50's F (10C). Not that I want summer to start already, just some nice spring weather and SUN!!

Asparagus are once again in the markets and so I bought a handful of tender thin little stems. I'm going to make them the way I did the other day. I followed this asparagus recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. So simple, you wash them, break off the woody ends (which there's not a lot of since these are so young), dry them on tea towels and then I can toss them in a baggie with a marinade of EVOO, lots of sliced garlic and let them sit in the fridge overnight.

To cook, I put the contents of the package in a glass baking dish in a 400-450 F (204-232C) oven for 15-20 minutes. They came out so good that I know I won't be able to resist making them this way again.

The Main Event

Did you ever have a craving for something but by the time you got it all together and cooked, you were tired of it? That's what happened with the lasagna today. I think I mentioned that I haven't made lasagna in about 4 years. I couldn't figure out why. Well, after the main event which took 4 hours to cut, cook and assemble, it was pretty clear why I hadn't made it in so long...it takes FORever!

Now I can see why the recipe used so many pots and pans. If you don't, it really drags the process out. So my abbreviated version may have used far fewer pans, but it took twice as long to cook all the elements in the recipe.

First I sauteed the onion and garlic in a sauce pan with EVOO. When onions were translucent, I set the pan aside.

Then I browned the ground beef. I have to say that the store where I purchased my 93% lean ground beef has a different picture of what that means than I do. I drained off five very large ladles of watery fat after browning. Then spooned it into a sauce pan with the onions and garlic.

I wiped the pan out with a paper towel and added spices and Prego Spaghetti sauce to heat. I haven't used Prego for quite a while and they must have changed their formula, because it was overly sweet.

Once warmed, it was added to the onions and ground beef in the saucepan. In the interim, I had cooked the lasagna noodles till al dente and rinsed in water. I then lay them on a tea towel to thoroughly drain.

Once warmed, the noodles, meat sauce, ricotta mixture and grated mozzerella where layered repeatedly and finished off with a light layer of parmesan. The dish then went into the pre-heated oven.

I decided not to rewrite the recipe here since I wasn't totally happy with the end result. You can find the recipe here if you're interested. What would I do differently the next time I make lasagna? First, I'd make the tomato sauce from scratch, skipping the Prego. The taste that you come away with was not tomato sauce but something very sugar-y, not tomato-y. I'd add more spices, not sure which ones but more, so you could taste them over the excessively sweet tomato sauce. I'd hunt down my original recipe in the 1960's Betty Crocker cookbook and use that. But above all that, I'd probably opt to try a frozen version. All assembled, just pop it in the oven! So much easier! Then, even if you don't care for one of the frozen entries, you won't have waste 4+ hours and the ingredients.

It was kind of like that with French Onion Soup from scratch. I made this many times over the years and loved it. Each time was labor intensive but the result so very good, it was worth it. That is till I tried Trader Joe's frozen version. For a very small price by comparison you get an identical soup with virtually no work!! Holy onion peel! It is utterly amazing!! The taste equals if not surpases my many hour long homemade version with ease.