Has it been this long since I posted here?

Since NOVEMBER?  Holy COW!  Or Holy MACKERAL... both good expressions worthy of a FOOD blog, I guess?  What prompted me to write today (other than friends emailing "When are you going to blog on food again??) was that, today, I ran across THIS information* and thought my readers must know about it because it made me so happy and will you, too, I guarantee!

FIVE CHEESES are rather HEALTHY!  HURRAH!    Swiss, Parmesan, Cottage, String, and (drum roll please).. FETA!  mmmmmmm

Do you have a favorite cheese?  I adore all of the above......and plenty whose names I don't even remember but would probably recognize if I heard them...from Paris, where I lived for four years of delicious CHEESE!

At one work related evening, Mr. Z and I hosted about 10 Americans for dinner at a good, very traditional, French Bistro near our home in Paris.......Across the table from me was Pat, who ordered COFFEE with his CHEESE course at the end of the meal.  One never orders coffee with his cheese.  Never :-)  The waiter, standing behind Pat and looking at me, said in French "CHEESE with COFFFFFEEEEE?"    I winced and squirmed, wondering how to handle this.  The French waiters are real waiters, waiters who truly care about the food and its accompaniments, not actor-wannabes like almost all of them are here in Los Angeles or people who just need a job.

SO, I went back and forth with Pat, cajoling him to have the true experience of an excellent red wine with his cheese course, and he finally gave in!   I smiled up at the waiter and said "He's changed his mind...red wine, please.."   The waiter, imperious as all get-out before, winked and smiled as much as they'll wink and smile.  And I wilted with relief.  Honestly, in Paris, if you're a food lover, you really do care about the food and you care that the French waiter knows the American knows her stuff :-)  I can't help it, it mattered to me!    By the way, coffee's usually not even served with the sweets you might order for after the cheese.  It's usually a course in and of itself, but you can have coffee with your sweet, of course (and I would). And he COULD have had coffee with his cheese.............but WHY? :-)

Regarding caring what waiters think, we had an excellent cafe near our home we used to frequent....in full view of this lovely place was a McDONALD'S!    I have to admit that, about twice a year while living in Paris, I succumbed and had to (just HAD TO) have a Big Mac or Filet of Fish (both of which taste a tiny bit different than here, by the way, as does Coke....by the way, when I edited this, I realized I'd typed Filet of Cheese, I swear!).........The waiters knew us and loved that the American (me) loved the food so much and we'd talk about how to cook certain dishes together, etc.......well, they were often serving people at the outside tables at our little lovely restaurant and I was so afraid they'd see "La Madame d' Amerique who knows her food" go into a Mc Do's (as they call it..pronounced like DOE), was a nightmare to me.  So, I'd walk casually up to the McDo's and, when nobody seemed to be looking, I'd practically hop in the door, sort of like the Pink Panther, I used to think to myself!!   Then,  upon leaving, I'd put the bag of McDo's in my purse and peer outside and hop outside and casually walk on...........turn the corner, then practically RUN home to have my delicious taste of America in my home away from home!  True story.  I swear.!!


So...........talk cheese.............and NOT just the yellow square thing on a McDo burger, okay?  Which cheeses do you absolutely LOVE?  And isn't it lovely to know, from my link above, that some of them aren't TOO unhealthy?
*the underlining capability for a link isn't working anymore.......sorry.......

z

Z's Thanksgiving

I should have followed my nephew around and had him take more pictures of FOOD, like the amazing dessert table (2 apple pies, 2 pumpin pies and chocolate/peanut butter thick brownies...and whipped cream!), but here are some shots from Z's Family Thanksgiving in Bel Air, California, at my uncle and aunt's home!  at least all the shots I could find that didn't have people in them...you know how into anonymity I am! The dinner was DEEEElicious! 

  Appetizers of hummus, a fish spread, pita bread, salamis, string and feta cheeses, etc..really good

 Savory bread pudding, corn, string beans, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and very simple stuffing that was out of this world...I may leave sausage out next time I make it  myself..this was just the bread/onion/celery/seasonings stuffing and was amazingly good.  The flowers were about 2' long and consisted of tangerine, orange and red tulips and roses and other flowers..so pretty!

 Turkey before bringing it to the table!  Just the smell of the roasting turkey tells us Thanksgiving is here, doesn't it?   There were about 35 of us and a good time, and delicious time, was had by all. My aunt and uncle are amazing hosts and I want to thank them here for such a beautiful evening.  xxxx

 Centerpieces..they were so beautiful.

I hope your Thanksgiving was great, too. 

Thanksgiving side dishes

I love Thanksgiving food. (except giblets)  Because my family meets at  my Uncle and Aunt's home and they are having it catered for the second time in a row (though my Aunt's an excellent cook and gracious hostess), I won't be taking anything with me......BUT, more than the turkey, I adore the side dishes and wondered if you have special recipes for any that I can dream about :-)  I have a girlfriend who's come down with a cold so bad it's keeping her from spending her typical family Thanksgiving at her cabin in Big Bear up in the mountains, so I'm thinking we'll have to make up for her missing Thanksgiving dinner and I'll either cook or we'll find a turkey dinner somewhere next week!    Any ideas you'd like to share with us?   My blog friend, Silverlady, has provided what she calls "an infallibly good recipe for turkey."  She adds that "you might want to add it to your cooking site.  I used to put the bird in the oven, go to the barn, & ride for 3 hours.  Happy Thanksgiving  & love to all."

Here it is!: 

Roast turkey in foil (Life Picture Cook Book  - 1958)

Oven- 400' pre-heated

1 twelve-fifteen lb. bird
Butter
1/4 C. dry white wine
1/4 C. brandy
1 tsp. thyme (I'd use a bit more)
1 tsp. basil (" ")
Salt & pepper
Stuffing

Rub the outside of the bird with salt & pepper and softened butter, then stuff.  Put on large piece of HEAVY foil in a baking pan.  Pour over the wine & brandy mixed with the herbs.  Seal the foil & roast in hot oven (400') for 3 1/2 hours, more for larger bird  (3 3/4 or 4).  Fold foil back, spoon off drippings to add to gravy, & put bird back in the oven 30 minutes uncovered to brown, leaving the temp at 400 degrees.

SO...what to serve WITH your turkey?  Please chime in!  I have to admit that I'm a DRESSING fan (cooked outside the bird because it's way less fuss) but I still call it STUFFING and if anybody's got a great recipe for that, I'd love to hear it.  Turkey stuffing rates up there with Mac 'n Cheese with me, and you know that's UP there!

z

APPLE PIE......what do you think?

It's annoying enough to click on a Yahoo Homepage article and have to sit through an ad and THEN a video instead of just reading what it says they're going to tell you on their teaser headline, but this really made me curious! (and a little ticked off)

I saw there's some award winning apple pie recipe which the developer of that recipe is finally sharing so I figured I'd check to see what makes her pie special (what makes my apple pie very special is bourbon-soaked raisins in it!). 

So I clicked on the headline and there's one of the dreaded videos.......I decided it can't be that they've brought me here and aren't publishing the recipe, too, so I scrolled down and hit COMMENTS......I was slowly reading through them (everybody's ticked off at the video instead of a recipe and a deaf person or two is really outraged because there's no accomodation for the deaf) when I saw a commenter had published the recipe.  She said "Here it is, for those of you who'd like it".......I'd gone by that comment when what she'd written finally HIT me!....but, by the time I scrolled back up, it was GONE, folks.   Honestly!   And, I'd noticed that the comments were up to something like 131 and, suddenly, it said 129!

Now, it could be it wasn't THAT recipe and the editors deleted it or they just plain want you to WATCH THE VIDEO so their advertisers which show their ad first get their payback!?  What do you think?  I just checked again, and way down the line of comments someone HAS printed "A" recipe, who knows if it's the one? But, there's nothing really special about it at all.  How can using a mechanical apple peeler make your pie better??   I WILL admit that the commenter said the award winner uses EMPIRE APPLES and they are MY FAVORITES and I've only had them ONCE in London, Ontario, Canada at an apple picking place near my sister's home.........and they've stuck in my mind as THE BEST!

Well, putting that aside, what special things do you do with YOUR apple pie? (and you've just got to decorate with those leaves (it's SO easy) but you MUST include a little apple alongside the leaves like I do!)    The apples in the image are Empires, by the way!

z

SOUP! It's getting cooler outside (Hurrah!)

Do you have a soup you love and can share with us?  Just tell us the ingredients or, if you have a recipe, please include it!   I love soup and I hope we get some good ones for everyone to share.
I'm going to post a few in comments but can't get to it right now.  
Thanks for participating!

Soup, Stew, roasts, .......it's my favorite season for good food!

z

It's your LAST MEAL before EXECUTION!

Do you think it's right that Texas has stopped giving men on their last night alive a special meal they request?  I don't.  The guy in THIS article was apparently a scumbag, but not to get one more meal of food that you love?  The night before YOU DIE?

What do you think?  And, what would be YOUR last meal, if you could order any and all the things you wanted to taste before meeting your maker?

I have to think about this, but I'll let you know what I'd pick soon!
Thanks!
z

I am SO ANGRY that I HAVE to eat........................

...........FILL IN THE BLANK!   Do you have a food you just have to have when you are as steamed as a perfectly cooked artichoke?

Is it carbs or sweets or ........what?  What do you run to when you're really mad and must have ...that food?  Let us know!

thanks! z