Gaia: Cook it. Go.

If you are going to ruin an apple...

http://jdp.gaia.com — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:08:07 GMT

Since its apple picking time here in WPA I've been looking for ways to make my abundant stash of apples last longer into next year.

We have a great local orchard, no junk on or in my apples, that sells bushels cheap! (ugly wonderful little apples not shining red, no wax needed, just close your eyes and eat a real apple!)

Usually we just chomp into an apple and enjoy but since I wanted to save some appley goodness for spring when fall seems so far away I started checking into cooking my apples (also because I have some cookie recipes that are really yummy w/ applesauce).

Do you know how easy it is to make applesauce? Why would anyone EVER buy that stuff in jars at the grocery store that tastes just like so much sugar and water?

If you have a slow cooker the only effort involved is getting the apples into the cooker.

I have this weird handy thing that you just set on top of the apple and push. Out comes the core and the apple is sliced into 6 or so pieces. Now my son wasn't too keen on the apple sauce with the skins in it so I quickly peel the apples for his sauce.

I have the slow cooker on low w/ a 1/2 cup of water or so in the bottom, throw in a little of whatever seasoning strikes our fancy - some brown sugar, some with nutmeg, some with a little vanilla; squeeze in the juice from a lemon and stir. Start chunking up the apples and dumping them in. I probably used 6 lbs of apples in the first batch. I measure less and keep track of less and less as this goes on.

I cover ours and leave it all day. This was entirely by accident. I first intended to do Low for 4 hours or so but we got held up shopping and when I came home to get out the potato masher and go to town on the apples in the cooker it was already sauce, no more mashing required, just a quick stir.

It was so yummy it was danged near all we ate for a week. The next weekend I vowed we would actually SAVE some. This was the first time sans skins and it was nicer. This batch went into quart freezer bags once it was cool enough, quick frozen flat then stacked like old records on their edges in my freezer for later. I did lower the water content in this batch because the first seemed like if I had tried to freeze any it would have come out really watery later. Hopefully these will thaw nicely.

Anyway, figured its been a while since I contributed here and thought I'd share something yummy.

Hello!

http://leidelgado.gaia.com — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 05:09:39 GMT

Hi! My names Ashley. I am a fellow cook and lover of food. I was a professional chef for about 3 years working in restraunts such as Planet Hollywood and Emeril's Tchoup Chop. To my fellow line cooks out there I had to leave that industry.. Lets just say I couldn't take the heat! But I still enjoy cooking at home. I also love to bake and decorate! All around I love food. I love to cook it, decorate it, show it off and eat it!

Mouth of Babes Internet TV Series

http://helladelicious.gaia.com — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 07:43:38 GMT

Hey all, Glad to find this pod! I think you all might be interested this upcoming internet tv series....

Mouth of Babes is a cooking show in which a young pregnant woman and her two year old son demonstrate nutrient dense foods that are important for growing healthy babies.

Our episodes are generally 4-8 minutes long and are put to a soundtrack. Subtitles are used to title the ingredients and steps in cooking.

We plan to start posting these videos in June and have already filmed 9 episodes.

Please have a look at our project site Mouth of Babes for more details and view our youtube channel for examples of our show.

We are also looking for original music...

Contact me through my Gaia homepage if you are interested and thanks in advance for your help!!

Renee Hella

Re: What's in the Freezer?

http://jdp.gaia.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:44:13 GMT

Our lists are similar:

Frozen meats - seperated into "our" serving sizes - both cooked and uncooked (I love to put a whole pork loin in the slow cooker - cube some for later use in dishes, shred some for later use on sandwiches, etc. where I just have to add the "extras").

"My" tortillas - I'm picky about tortillas so I make many then freeze some.

Various chopped vegetables.

Couple kinds of soups - chicken - without the noodles; hmmm, what else is up there now - asparagus soup maybe and a cheddar-tomato soup base just waiting for the cheddar.

Frozen tomato sauces - pizza type, pasta type, juicy salsa type.

Frozen fruits - mostly berries stored in juices to be used in baking, breakfasts and smoothies and once in a while desert.

Some frozen juice cubes - I use small containers to put in and label once they are done freezing in the trays so I don't have loads of trays or freezer taste. I have lemon, raspberry and orange as those are the most used in my house.

Some premade "stromboli" (honestly I don't know what to call them - dough, sauce, meat or cheese rolls ready to be baked) for lazy nights.

Some bread dough and pizza dough.

Some juice pops left over from summer that probably need pitched.

Oh and some frozen Vans GF waffles - yum!

Re: "Dippy" kids ~ any recipes?

http://jdp.gaia.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:31:31 GMT

Mango ketchup was a HUGE hit. My nephew likes it too but my sister won't make it so I take him a little tub each week.

Having made a few "batches" now I can say ds could care less w/ or w/o garlic but the pepper must be strong for his preferences.

We haven't tried the aioli since I don't have a good source of eggs and we rarely eat them.

Thank you!

I also found another I will have to go home and search to bring in!

Re: What's in the Freezer?

http://fearless.gaia.com — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:28:23 GMT

Hey Grower, In the spirit of this post, I'll share what's in my freezer: chopped up fruit for smoothies ice cream ice cubes a spanish sauce of onions, red peppers, paprika, a dash of turmeric, reduced white wine, and saffron black beans Whenever the chips are up, I make a huge batch of Cuban black beans and freeze them. Then if the chips are down, I always have plenty of food to get me through. 10arrows

Re: "Dippy" kids ~ any recipes?

http://fearless.gaia.com — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:16:49 GMT

Ok JDP, and parents everywhere. Mango Ketchup In saucepan combine: Peeled flesh of 2 mangoes (the nut inside is shaped like a deflated football: do not use hard flesh from against the nut) Peeled flesh of half an apple 1/3 c apple cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar 1/4 c - 1 c Turbinado, to taste (depends on ripeness) dime-sized piece of fresh sage a few thyme leaves 1/8 t. garlic (optional) kosher salt/white pepper to taste 1/2 c water Bring to boil. Simmer all combined for 50-70 minutes, until very thick. Grind in food processor until smooth. Press through seive with rubber spatula. Delicious. And if that doesn't do the trick, I offer this. I put this out there with the caveat that new risks are presented with the food supply everyday. As we all have learned from reading the news, manufactured foods can harm you just as much as raw product (anything basically unprocessed). So my comfort level with any food lies mostly in knowledge, coupled with focussed care in preparation. Today I offer the ultimate dip. Done carefully, it can give a parent of a finicky child a myriad of incredible options for fooling brussels sprout and asparagus down that gullet like gas into an SUV. I give you aioli. Good recipes can be found anywhere on the net. But the trick to making an aioli "safe" is in coddling the eggs. Bring a 2 qt pan of water. Using a slotted spoon, dip one egg completely into the water for about 40 seconds. Remove and separate white/yolk ASAP. Remember that the outside of the egg will be boiling hot. Drop the yolk into the aioli base, and add fat per recipe (drizzle while mixing vigorously). Always use at least 1 tbsp of acid (lemon juice or vinegar) per yolk. A little yolk goes a long way. Use aioli immediately. Only use fresh eggs. Resist using eggs with hormones and antibiotics. Do not store for later use. Flavor this European staple to your liking. Also delicious.

Re: Eating in Brooklyn

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:12:15 GMT

I've heard the coop is amazing but alas it is a little out of the way. It is a member only coop as well and between all of my other obligations I cannot add their every 3 week work commitment to my already overburdened schedule.

I love the greenmarket downtown but that is even farther. Living on the outskirts of Brooklyn is difficult. I love having the subway (since I don't know how to drive) but it is not always the most reliable and things like downtown Brooklyn require a local train which is very slow.

There is lots of great shopping in the city it just means at least a 45 minute trip just to get there and then battling the NYC crowds upon arrival (with my 4 year old daughter in tow). I'm looking into some other neighborhoods. If I can find an apartment I can afford i might be able to live a little nearer some good shopping.

Re: Eating in Brooklyn

http://fearless.gaia.com — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:33:15 GMT

Hello Erika, Thanks for posting. I never wanted to end up a chef, but it happened to me, it can happen to anybody I suppose! Now, I don't want to sound daft, but do you go to the co-op in Park Slope? I went with a member once, and what they had was amazing. Whatever restrictions you have, they will likely understand. The Greenmarket is in Downtown Brooklyn, too. It is worth a look. Definitely go in August and September for the yellow wax beans and the heirloom tomatoes. And the ramps, too. If you ever get to the chance, go to the Japanese place by St. Mark's and pick up Okinawa purple yams (sometimes from Ecuador or Peru). They aren't local, but they are absolutely stunning in both color, taste, and nutritive value (the yams are rich purple through: the potatoes only have purple skin... buyer beware). I know this sounds strange, but I sure miss the subway! Downtown portland looks like a model train set! Take care.

Re: I'm thinking of a new direction

http://fearless.gaia.com — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:15:33 GMT

Wow time flies, no? My daughter is almost 2! She is at the stage where more and more adult foods are attractive to her. Prep time is a real issue because, well, if you have kids, you know time stuck in the kitchen is eyes off of a curious, fast miniature version of yourself. I like using local stuff, too. Every other Saturday I take my daughter to the farmers market to see what interests her. Its an incredible experience to watch her react to things. Imagine my pride when she tasted artisinal goat cheese and said "Mmmmm!" Child of a chef indeed! Farmers markets are a great way to keep money going directly to farmers, and to get product that is no farther than the next county over (well, mostly). Get to know the farmers, and you may end up getting something that isn't on the reader board! I jumped on the local squash a month ago. I have soup until January! I have a really great sautee pan that I use for quickfire stuff like quesadillas, baby green beans, and seared apples. I also keep one pan just for eggs: it is polished stainless. I use a nice pat of butter on medium heat and scramble (don't mess with them much and they turn out nice and fluffy). The workhorse is a 2 quart chef pan (half sauce pan, half sautee) with a nice thick bottom. I use it for pasta, making bases, and reheating frozen soups. My main utensils are wooden spoons, one trusty fish spatula, a heavy-handled whisk, a 3 inch pairing knife, and an 8 inch chef knife (both stainless, and very very sharp). Thick-bottomed stainless pots and pans are the way to go. Resist using aluminum pans, because aluminum contributes to alzheimers. I use wooden spoons because it is being discovered that wood resists much bacteria naturally, unlike plastic, which tends to hide bacteria in the nicks and scratches that occur to their surfaces. I also clean all surfaces by rubbing them with a half a lemon before using soap. The intense acidity breaks up proteins that tend to slime up everything. So whatever your dietary restrictions, start with good gear.

Re: Recipes for Shakes

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:29:57 GMT

I like putting raw eggs in my shakes but it only seems to work well with something creamy and strongyly flavored. This usually means (for me) nutmilk (usually brazil nuts as I'm allergic to casein), maybe some banana with carob or cocoa, cinnamon, a little raw honey and maybe some berries. I'm really enjoying the folowing smoothie a lot. Freshly made orange juice, 1 banana, freshly sliced aloe vera, nectarines, a little ground flax or chia seeds, hemp oil and a little vanilla extract. I can get away adding egg yolk to this but not the white. Yummy!

Eating in Brooklyn

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:18:32 GMT

Hi there, I'm new to this group. I'm the daughter of a chef and while I promised never to work in the kitchen professionally I love to cook at home. I'm celiac and have a host of food allergies but I've just seen it as a cooking challenge. I love cooking with whole foods, preferrably local but with my allergy restraints I do make regular use of some embarassingly un-local fare. That being said I'm trying to move more towards local without making food the only thing I think about all day long. Excited to see others cooking experiences and to share my own.

Re: I'm thinking of a new direction

http://jdp.gaia.com — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:11:38 GMT

So happy you are "back"!

("back" because I'm in and out with various degrees of frequency as well lol)

I like your ideas. Been facing some health issues recently. Been tightening the budget belt trying to save for some special things. Sounds like your ideas could help immensely!

I have decided to make my Saturday morning project to work on a fresh food start. My son won't be happy with this turn in tastes but I am determined not to let him sidetrack me.

I will be researching things like what is natural and abundant to my location (corn seems to be lol), ways to buy whatever those things are in quantity, ways to condense my "kitchenness" (storage, utensils and appliances needed, shorten prep time), ways to store much ahead (without buying too many commercial bulk cans of whatever lol) and most of all ways to make our food matter again - to be tasteFULL, interesting and less of a chore.

The local farmers market has already started and I haven't been once.

Please let me know if you start the urban gardening pod. I've not moved beyond herbs on the back deck.

Happy to "see" you again!

I'm thinking of a new direction

http://fearless.gaia.com — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:07:18 GMT

Hi!
Everyone!

The long absent admin returns...

It's a long story involving pancakes, getting hit with a stack of papers from the process server, fighting to have parenting time, dealing with the teethingbarfs, moving, and insurance coverage. And then I decided to start school full time. Whew! Pass the kool-aid it's hot.

So this group is going to be about cooking. Well, it was a good idea. Really, I meant for people to talk about how to learn how to cook again.

It might be a little different than that, and might warrant a couple pod merges before the project is "done."

I want to change a couple things, and direct to some new topics
1. How to sustain regular food intake for you and your loved ones, despite radically increasing prices at stores
2. How to manage the task of cooking so that it's less expensive than quickserve restaurants
3. How to plan for regular increases in prices of food and water, as they are now increasingly regulated commodities that change daily (based on cyclical trends)
4. How to avoid chemicals that are de facto standards of the food supply in the US

Thanks to all the new members for taking an interest, even when I couldn't respond (litigation is expensive, people; send me a private email and I'll share a little).

And to all the zaadzsters that have wanted to merge or just talk, I'll get back to you soon. I want to read everything I've missed before I respond.

TenArrows

Re: A future for Cook it. Go.

http://fearless.gaia.com — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 09:39:05 GMT

Dear Kelly,

Thank you for your support so many months ago. It's carried me a long way. And I'm proud to say...

I'm back.

Thank you all you damn zaadzsters out there that stuck with it.

I've started a new thread, hopefully explaining myself, and hopefully starting a new dialogue in the group. Financial constraints are about to hit us all this summer, especially with the price of food. This pod could not be more topical about how to manage this reality. Let's get to it. Do it yourself, and feed everyone cheap.

I hope that this pod will expand into a section on gardening, growing things outside of the mansanto bubble, and good ol fashioned agrarian common sense. Horse poop, fertile seeds, and good sun, I tell ya! I may start a new pod on urban food production, but for now, this pod is about how to maximize resources to feed loved ones, and that 's it. When you go to the store, or the market, or the fruiteria or whatever, buy what you need to get what you need. That's what this pod is about.

Holy cow it's good to be back.

TenArrows

Help with making yogurt

http://tar-21.gaia.com — Sat, 26 May 2007 20:21:45 GMT

I've decided I want to try to make yogurt at home. The REST of my class made it in biology for a lab, but I wasn't there. :( Anyways, I found out my mom has a yogurt maker, but I have no idea where the instructions are, and It's been a while since she's used it. Are the yogurt makers usually only incubators, or do they do all the work? Do you have to heat/cool the milk/ yogurt to exact temperatures? I was planning on making it from pre-made yogurt.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Help: veggies on BBQ?

http://tar-21.gaia.com — Fri, 11 May 2007 18:53:44 GMT

Summer is nearly here, and I'm looking for some good recipes for cooking vegetables on the barbeque. I do eat meat, but I'm testing the effects in my body of eating less meat.

Thanks :)
Tiffany

Recipes for Shakes

http://tar-21.gaia.com — Fri, 11 May 2007 18:51:12 GMT

I'm looking for some good recipes for shakes. I love using the blender and it is, by far, my favourite small appliance! I've been looking for recipes for

breakfast-type shakes
high protein shakes
and hot-day shakes.

I like the idea of adding raw eggs for protein, but when I tried it once I could smell the raw egg, and so it took away from the yumminess of the shake.

So yeah, I was looking for some good recipes.

Thanks:)

introducing myself

http://crazybirdstudio.gaia.com — Fri, 11 May 2007 02:00:01 GMT

Hi, my name is Kate, I used to love to cook, but 1 marriage and 2 children later, after 20 years of enforced cooking, I don't like it to much anymore.
So I'm wanting to rediscover that part of me that was a good cook and liked it.
Time is always a problem. Seems that I want everything fast.
I eat meat about once a week. I'm working on stopping even that much. I eat eggs and milk and cheese, but once again about once a week. I've dabbled in the raw food thing, and it's good, although the transition is hard on the body.

"Dippy" kids ~ any recipes?

http://jdp.gaia.com — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:17:12 GMT

My son is obsessed with dipping. He loves all sauces. I have a huge basket in my kitchen of "saved" sauces from to go bags - soy, duck, bbq, honey mustard.

He is also a picky eater.

So I am thinking this summer I'd like to try and get him to eat more fruits and veggies (esp since we have wonderful farms, farmers markets, etc).

Do you have any recipes for fruit or veggie dips that are healthy? (I cringe when I look at labels of prepped dips in the stores)