Diet

I have decided to try eating very few carbs for the next week or three, to see what happens. In the past I have been skeptical of the low-carb (or no-carb) diets, mostly because I feel it should be possible to eat a “balanced” diet, in moderation, and be well, live happy. I have a feeling that the low-carb craze is a direct result of the “low fat” craze that has been omnipresent in this country & culture for some decades. We have become so used to “low fat” items and have traded carbs for fats. Now, the pendulum swings the other way and “low carb” is the craze, but neither of these appeals to my inner sense of symmetry. ...

I made some pot stickers using Alton’s recipe as a, well, general guideline :) They turned out pretty OK. I made a few substitutions, because I didn’t have scallions or bell pepper on hand. I replaced scallions with minced onion, left out bell pepper completely, and instead of mustard I added 1/2 tsp of McDonalds Barbeque sauce. The filling turned out a little on the sweet-ish side but tasted great. ...

Note to self: It helps to plug the crock pot in. Pot roast will be ready about 6 if you do, and at 2 am if you don’t. So far I have made one pot roast and one soup in the crock pot. I am happy. Also, I made Lemon Curd last night and served it to my sweety on some pound cake. I am quite smug.

Based on Alton Brown’s Broiled Butterflied Chicken recipe though I have made a couple, ah, modifications… This version of the recipe is not for the faint of heart (nor for competent cooks, apparently :) 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 lemon, zested Extra virgin olive oil Onions, carrots and celery cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces 3 to 4-pound broiler/fryer chicken 1 cup red wine 8 ounces chicken stock 2 to 3 sprigs thyme Some anonymous herb Canola oil Position the oven rack 8 inches from the flame/coil and Turn broiler to high.

Last night I made steaks. Normally I put them in the broiler on a broiler pan for 6 min each side. This time I decided to get them seared in a skillet, 30 sec each side, then thrown the skillet with steaks under the broiler. Safety note: the handle of the skillet will still be rocket-hot 1 min later. DO NOT attempt to just grab the thing when you go to deglaze the skillet. You will end up with a nice burn on your palm at the base of your thumb. Keep the hot pad draped over the handle to remind yourself not to grab it directly. ...

Tonight we had: Filet, salt, pepper, garlic, and 13 min under the broiler Greek salad, courtesy of Safeway, with a bit of crumbled goat cheese added Asparagus, just a little butter and salt Yum! (Oh, and finding out that I won’t lose my severance after all, that was good too. Three months’ pay is always tasty.)

As posted in but I wanted to save it in my own journal just for fun. Inspired by the “difference between stock and broth”…. Meanwhile, on another soundstage (now would be a good time to put down your beverage): … MARSHA: “So Alton, what’s the difference between broth and stock, anyway?” ALTON: “You know, I would love to be able to tell you, but as I have said before, I’m not a food scientist. But, she is.” [points at SHIRLEY] ...

Hmm, it’s been a while since I made pickles. This time I made 4 jars (1L each). 2 are cucumber and onions, and 2 are carrots, onions, yellow bell pepper. All have fresh dill, and fresh garlic. Brine solution contains: water, cider vinegar, champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, raspberry vinegar, sugar, salt, yellow mustard seed, pickling spice, dill seed, dill weed (dried), powdered ginger, onion flakes.

15. 2 jars cucumber, plus 2 jars carrot+cauliflower, all 4 with onion, bell pepper, garlic Slice produce and cram into jars. About when they are half-full is when you want to slip the fresh dill into the sides with a butter knife or something. This time I sliced the onion across the midsection (so each slice has like 10 concentric rings) but left the slices in slice form rather than popping out the individual rings. These take up less space when crammed in the jar and you can cram in more food. ...

Installed air conditioner (temporary installation, involves cardboard and packing tape. Made dinner. Did the rest of the dishes. Updated to-do list. Failed to do curtains, mainly because it’s phucking hot and the AC got bumped up in priority. Oh and M and I got this new diet/exercise plan, called something like the Six Week Total Body Makeover. It allows you to customize exercise and diet to your particular body style. For me it’s a minor variation on “Eat a reasonable balance, watch portion sizes, and do something aerobic to burn fat” since I didn’t really want to shape my body or bulk up, though there are some shaping exercises I might do. For M there are more exercises and a diet that’s about the same with slightly smaller portions. Anyway, it should be interesting.