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    3. How do you plan out your meals for the week/meal prep?

      Ask (advice)
      These days, it's been difficult for me to figure out what to make for dinner. I scroll through recipes on TikTok and various other recipe pages that I've come across, but I can never seem to...

      These days, it's been difficult for me to figure out what to make for dinner. I scroll through recipes on TikTok and various other recipe pages that I've come across, but I can never seem to figure out what exactly I want to make. It gets to a point where I just give up and eat out somewhere... which is a convenient option but not very cost-effective especially for someone who's going on one year post-grad and trying to make more home-cooked meals.

      Do you plan your meals throughout the week? How far ahead do you plan out what you're going to make? Do you meal prep and, I guess as an extension of this topic, how does one start getting into the habit of meal prepping? Would love some help trying to get back into the rhythm of cooking.

      23 votes

    5. Bagels and shrinkflation

      Ask
      A few years ago I started shopping at Lidl and came to really like their bakery. I noticed over time that their bagels became smaller. Smaller than the bagels at Giant supermarket, and two real...

      A few years ago I started shopping at Lidl and came to really like their bakery.

      I noticed over time that their bagels became smaller.

      Smaller than the bagels at Giant supermarket, and two real bagel shops I eventually found. Currently "everything" bagels at Lidl are 79 cents each. At the real bagel shops "everything" bagels are $2 each.

      The Lidl bagels are smaller, the "everything" bagels don't have salt or nearly as much. I like them better than the bagels from one of those two "real" bagel shops.

      Thankfully, the smaller Lidl bagels have fewer calories!

      I remember a few years ago I saw several articles about bagel places scooping out some of the bread for people watching their weight.

      Duh, they should have just made them smaller.

      The Lidl bagels are still large enough to make decent sandwiches.

      22 votes

    11. Non-metal spoons for dining?

      Ask (recommendations)
      Hoping this fits, because... well, it is about eating. I swear my mouth is more sensitive to physically hot temperatures than other people's. I burn the roof of my mouth with pizza multiple times...

      Hoping this fits, because... well, it is about eating.

      I swear my mouth is more sensitive to physically hot temperatures than other people's. I burn the roof of my mouth with pizza multiple times a year while others with me can eat it just fine, and I have burnt my tongue on metal spoons just as often. Just last week my mom asked if I was going to eat my soup because I'd been sitting at the table for 5-10 minutes, and I was waiting for it to cool down because the spoon had already burnt my tongue. I even use a disposable plastic spoon for eating ramen, but obviously that's not good for the long-term.

      So we tried to look for silicone spoons to use for eating... except apparently they might not exist? I can find silicone cooking ware, baby spoons, and some really hideous spoons that have a weird shape I automatically loathe, but not a single regular-shaped spoon for eating. Cursory research suggests some other non-metal silverware sets exist made of materials besides silicone, but I have no idea where to begin.

      So, can anyone recommend some spoons that aren't metal and made for dining?

      22 votes

    21. How long do homemade olives stay safe?

      Ask (advice)
      Hey Tildes food crew! I made some olives 3 years ago and kind of a "set it and forget it" situation. And well, I forgot them for too long. It's been 3 years now and I've only found them because I...

      Hey Tildes food crew!

      I made some olives 3 years ago and kind of a "set it and forget it" situation. And well, I forgot them for too long. It's been 3 years now and I've only found them because I was looking for jars for a new batch. I opened them up and didn't hear any "hiss", they smell good, there is no sign of mold (on the 2 good ones I'm keeping, we did lose one jar to mold), and I did a small taste test and they tasted olive-y and good. They have been in a cupboard for the entire time and I'm happy to share the recipes if that is helpful. The olives in each were slit to facilitate faster edibility. They both have a 5% brine, one with red wine vinegar and the other with balsamic vinegar.

      I know we have quite a few crafty, homesteady, foody folks here and would appreciate any advice you can provide! Just making sure they are still safe to eat! Thanks!

      16 votes

    24. Tips for becoming a tea person

      Ask (advice)
      Sadly, I think I need to reduce my coffee intake. I only ever had a cup a day, but I've always been in to light roasts... roasted within walking distance of my house*... super fancy shit. Anyway,...

      Sadly, I think I need to reduce my coffee intake. I only ever had a cup a day, but I've always been in to light roasts... roasted within walking distance of my house*... super fancy shit. Anyway, I'm trying to nail down some health things, so coffee has to go for a time.

      I am now a tea person. I don't really like it, but I need something like that in the morning. I've started with Lapsang Souchong. This is pretty much the only tea I've ever had. I don't have any dairy in my diet, either, which seems to be a big part of tea-life.

      Any top tips for getting into tea? I was just mocked for weighing tea... I guess that isn't as important in this scene.

      * not joking about this :)

      edit: thanks everybody! the first round of teas are:

      • Lapsang Souchong
      • Hojicha
      • Irish Breakfast
      • Margaret's Hope

      so far so good!

      52 votes

    29. What are some of your favorite stews/soups?

      Ask (recommendations)
      Now that it is finally fall weather in the Midwest, I have been back to making stews/soups. My current go-to’s are Zuppa Toscona, Pozole Rojo, and I just made some Kartoffelsuppe (German Potato...

      Now that it is finally fall weather in the Midwest, I have been back to making stews/soups.

      My current go-to’s are Zuppa Toscona, Pozole Rojo, and I just made some Kartoffelsuppe (German Potato Soup with Sausage), but I’m looking for more! Any stew-like meal that’s hearty and warm - I like to make a big batch Monday night & eat it for lunches throughout the week, so preferably ones that reheat OK.

      I love the Dapanji I’ve had from a local place with hand-pulled noodles, but that seems a bit out of my skill level or comfort-zone to try to make.

      What are some of your favorite stews (preferably with recipes)?

      Recipes

      Zuppa Toscana

      Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden’s Italian Sausage and Potato Soup) – Bupkis.org

      Source: bupkis.org

      Ingredients

      Ingredients:

      • 2 Pounds Low-starch potatoes , washed, eyes removed and sliced into 1/4 inch disks. Peeling is optional.
      • 2 Pounds Hot and/or Sweet Italian Sausage Links
      • 1 Large Bunch Kale (it looks like a lot but will cook down)
      • 1 Large Yellow Onion, diced small
      • 2 T Garlic, mashed. Approx 8 cloves (see instructions)
      • 8 Ounces Half and Half
      • 4 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Stock
      • 6 Cups Water
      • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper (to taste)
      • 3/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt (to taste)

      Instructions

      1. Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a rolling boil and add some salt – about the same amount of salt as if you were making pasta. Fill a large bowl with cold water and some ice. Put a large colander in the sink.
      2. Cut the base off the head of kale and roughly tear the leaves into 2″ pieces, discarding the hard portion of the rib, and place in the colander for later. Olive Garden leaves the rib in, but I think it’s too big and hard to put on a soup spoon.
      3. Place the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a heavy pinch of kosher salt and mash until liquid, or finely mince, then grind with the back edge of a knife. You need at least two heaping Tablespoons of mashed garlic when you’re done.
      4. Cut the raw sausage into 1/2 inch chunks with shears or a knife. Add a little oil to the bottom of a large pot. Add the sausage. Sauté on medium until fully cooked and you have developed a good deal of fond (brown stuff) on the bottom of the pot.
      5. Pour off grease as necessary and build as much fond as possible without burning or drying out the sausage.
      6. Remove the sausage and save. Pour off the excess fat, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pot.
      7. Drop all the kale into the boiling salted water. Wait a few seconds until the kale turns bright green, then immediately dump the boiling water and kale into the colander in the sink. Then dump the hot, drained kale into the bowl of ice water and swish it around. Dump the chilled kale into the colander to drain.
      8. Add the finely diced onions and sauté on medium until soft, nicely browned, and more fond develops.
      9. Add the garlic and continue stirring until just fragrant and soft (probably about a minute). Be careful to not to burn or brown the garlic. Add the ground red pepper and mix.
      10. Add a small amount of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot (scrape up all the yummy brown bits).
      11. Add the rest of the water, the chicken stock, the potatoes and sausage.
      12. Bring to a slow simmer and continue simmering until the potatoes are soft.
      13. Add the kale then turn off the heat.
      14. Immediately before serving, add the half and half, and serve with some nice home-baked Ciabatta bread.
      Quick Pozole

      Quick Pozole

      Source: bupkis-org.github.io
      Servings: 8

      Ingredients

      • 2 tsp Vegetable Oil
      • 19 ounce package Ground Turkey or Chicken 93% Fat Free
      • 1 Onion, chopped
      • 1 Jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
      • 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
      • 4 Cups Chicken Broth
      • 3x 15.5 ounce cans Hominy – rinsed and drained.
      • 1 28 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
      • 1-2 Tbsp blended Canned Chile in Adobo – found in a can in the Mexican Food section of the grocery store
      • 2 tsp Dried Oregano

      Garnishes:

      • 1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
      • 4 Radishes, cut into matchsticks
      • 3 Scallions thinly sliced on the diagonal
      • 1 Avocado, ripe
      • Red Pepper Flakes
      • 1 Lime, cut into wedges

      Instructions

      1. Take the can of Chiles in Adobo and puree in a blender, spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
      2. Heat the oil in a medium size pot until shimmering
      3. Add the Ground Turkey, Onion and Jalapeño and saute on medium until turkey is cooked and onion is soft but not browned. Add Garlic and cook until garlic is softened, but not browned.
      4. Add the Chicken Stock, Hominy, Tomatoes, 3-4 Tablespoons of mashed Chile in Adobo (to taste) and oregano, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened.
      5. Serve in bowls with the garnishes. Be sure to squeeze a lime wedge into each serving; it really wakes up the flavors and brings the dish to an entirely new level.
      6. Optional, add some Avocado slices.
      7. Serve with Chile in Adobo on the side for people who like it spicier.
      Kartoffelsupp

      Kartoffelsupp (German Potato Soup with Sausage)

      German Potato Soup with Bratwurst is an easy comforting recipe to add to your soup rotation this fall. It takes just 30 minutes to cook, and celebrates German cuisine, even if you can't get to Octoberfest.

      Source: theviewfromgreatisland.com
      Servings: 4 -6 servings
      Prep: 15min
      Cook: 30min
      Total: 45min

      Ingredients

      • 2-3 bratwurst, (or other German sausage)
      • olive oil
      • 4 cups chicken stock
      • 1/2 medium onion, (peeled and diced)
      • 2 stalks celery, (diced)
      • 2 medium carrots, (peeled and diced)
      • 4 white waxy potatoes, ((like baby reds or Yukon Gold), peeled and diced)
      • 1/4 head cabbage, (chopped)
      • 2 bay leaves
      • 1 tsp dried marjoram
      • salt and fresh cracked pepper, (to taste)
      • chopped fresh parsley, (for garnish)

      Instructions

      1. Put a drop of oil in a stock pot and brown off the sausages or brats. Let them get cook color on all sides, then add 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring up to a boil. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10-12 minutes, until the brats are cooked. Remove the brats to a plate, and strain the broth and set aside. (I like to strain the broth because there will always be little bit and bobs floating around, and it's nicer without.) When the brats have cooled a bit, slice them.
      2. Meanwhile add a tablespoon of oil to a a new soup pot and saute the onions, celery, and carrots for about 4-5 minutes, just until slightly softened but not browned, stirring often.
      3. Add the potatoes, cabbage, and all 4 cups of the stock to the pan, along with the bay leaves, salt, pepper, and marjoram.
      4. Bring up to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until veggies are almost tender. Take a taste to be sure. Add the sliced brats and simmer for another 5 minutes until everything is perfectly tender.
      5. Taste to adjust the seasonings and serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.

      Notes

      Variations:
      Stir in some sour cream, off the heat, to the finished soup.
      Season with caraway seeds.
      Add a leek, trimmed, diced, and well rinsed.
      Add peeled and diced celeriac or turnip.
      Puree the finished soup to a creamy consistency before adding the sausage.
      Brighten the flavor with a small touch of apple cider vinegar.
      *recipe adapted from Ren Behan

      39 votes

    39. Looking for low-cost ways to replace industrially processed foods

      Ask (advice)
      A prototypical example of what I am looking for would be fruit juice. Where I am at the only options for something that isn't orange or apple are overpriced lemonades with about thirty to fifty...

      A prototypical example of what I am looking for would be fruit juice. Where I am at the only options for something that isn't orange or apple are overpriced lemonades with about thirty to fifty percent fruit content and truly expensive 100% ones.

      Usually I simply buy the expensive ones and add 1-2 parts water ending up with better tasting juice at same or less cost.

      Another step would be squeezing fresh fruit yourself but that adds time, space, complexity and money costs.

      What things can be done in a typical kitchen without buying additional single purpose appliances? Sufficiently multipurpose ones or small tools are fine. Basically I want to reduce the number of steps in which the food is industrially processed.

      23 votes

    48. Who's tried durian?

      Ask (survey)
      Inspired by the beetroot question: Who has tried durian, and what are your thoughts on it? Known to some as the king of fruits and to others as something incredibly smelly. I've become a big...

      Inspired by the beetroot question: Who has tried durian, and what are your thoughts on it?

      Known to some as the king of fruits and to others as something incredibly smelly.

      I've become a big durian fan, but try not to eat too much of it during the season here, since it is calorie dense and very "heaty" if you follow traditional Chinese medicine.

      26 votes

    50. Who/what are your go-to sources for authentic recipes of regional cuisines?

      Ask
      Years ago I had a decently-curated set of bookmarks of sites where I'd found recipes for specific cuisines and I figured I could trust the source... by which I mean that if I'm looking up a Cajun...

      Years ago I had a decently-curated set of bookmarks of sites where I'd found recipes for specific cuisines and I figured I could trust the source... by which I mean that if I'm looking up a Cajun recipe like a shrimp étouffée, I'm not going to just take the word of a random housewife in Wisconsin (no matter how good the SEO is on her blog... sorry Ashley) or even a home cook you can recognize is a huge foodie by the number of trips they've taken to Louisiana. I don't necessarily doubt their skill, but you undoubtedly get a better starting point for must-have ingredients, important techniques, and trustworthy brands from people who've grown up as a part of the culture the food comes from.

      In any case, I lost that collection during the pandemic after dealing with one computer issue or another, and a few that I had committed to memory seem to have gone down. I'm trying to rebuild it now - any recommendations?

      Here's some of what I have saved:

      Chinese - Chef Wang
      Guyanese - Alica at Alica's Pepperpot
      Italian(-American) - Not Another Cooking Show
      Jamaican - Feed and Teach
      Japanese - Nami at Just One Cookbook
      Korean - Maangchi the OG, or Seonkyoung Longest
      Thai - I used to check ThaiTable but it looks like it's not around anymore?! At least it's archived pretty well
      Trinidadian - Cooking With Ria and Foodie Nation

      So, any suggestions? Feel free to recommend any specific cookbooks as well. I'm still looking for some resources for the huge cuisines like Mexican, Indian, Chinese... I remember I also found a great YouTube channel years ago with a Vietnamese auntie that may have had an actual cooking show in Vietnam, and I think it even had English subtitles, but now I can't find it for the life of me.

      31 votes