That is a tried and true way to make those, what I call Sid's Onion Burgers. As I got that same recipe in Saveur many years ago and it was from Sid's somewhere in Oklahoma. Family favorite and so easy. Simple but great concept. Must use cast iron though. I bet those are his favorites. I like him already. Enjoy.

I love Oklahoma Onion Burgers, make them fairly often. For a couple of months a few times a week. I started a thread in Shopping and Cooking. Link

I learned the technique from watching First we Feast, Alvin Cailan teams up with burger scholar George Motz Oklahoma Onion Burgers info at 5:07 Link



Oklahoma Onion Burgers, count me a Fan!

Yesterday's ham was repurposed to ham, cheese and hash brown waffles with the clove scented cranberry syrup on top.

I don't keep frozen hash browns at home. I will occasionally make breakfast pizza with hash browns. I boil skin-on potatoes for about ten minutes, then grate them. The skin slips off.

Mom liked it, Dad ate it and commented about the clove. He didn't hate it, he just did not like it, either.

I was thrilled to finally try cooking like a fireman using a waffle iron.

On CNN this afternoon, they talked about what has been popular at grocery stores. They said that food that has a long shelf life has been the most popular. Sales of dried beans has increased by over 400% in the past few weeks. Oat milk sales have also gone up because oat milk has a much longer shelf life than cows milk. Popcorn sales have increased substantially too. Egg sales have also increased by 41%. I wonder if the increase in the egg sales is caused by the fact that people are worried that the stores are going to run out of eggs, or they are not going to able to make it to the store to get more.

Tuna, tomato, pasta = dinner. All pantry items, classic Marcella Hazan and a long time favorite. Key is to use quality canned tuna in olive oil. #homecooking #socialdistancingcooking

Tuna pasta, count me a Fan!

Mr. CE was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in February. That, sheltering in place and our 50th birthdays means that 2020 has not gotten off to a great start. (The last "normal" day was two weeks ago today -- the day we got a second opinion from the hematologist, went to a funeral and then did a couple otherwise normal things -- grocery shopping, going out to dinner -- in an otherwise unnormal fashion.) We are stockpiling to some extent. He's not considered to be immuocompromised since he's not on chemo. Still, we're trying to avoid unnecessary trips to stores, so we have plenty of meat, frozen food and staples to get us through a month or more. (Last week or the week before he told me we had "only two weeks" of food. I pointed out that I've read a number of survival at sea memoirs that involved far less food, and he clarified that he meant two weeks if we eat three normal meals a day.)

Still, I have a running list of 5-10 dinners I want to make depending on which perishables I can get. I really wish this hit a month later when I would have planted my vegetable garden! On the bright side, I just learned a new next door neighbor has seedlings in his basement. And I'm still waiting to see what herbs reappear.

We bought a Kamado Joe grill during Abt's friends & family sale, and had it delivered a week ago. Very happy about if for countless reasons, including less cleaning in the kitchen Mr. CE is loving it -- he's done ribeye, burgers and salmon -- and pizza is next on the list.

NFriday wrote:Egg sales have also increased by 41%. I wonder if the increase in the egg sales is caused by the fact that people are worried that the stores are going to run out of eggs, or they are not going to able to make it to the store to get more.

Eggs are such a building block ingredient, it is a pain to replace when not available.

When we went into confinement last week, I had just over three dozen eggs. I have over 1.5 dozen presently. I can easily go another week without buying more eggs.

When all these 'shelter at home' declarations began, there was no certainty when or if you could acquire more food. It is looser than I expected, though there is no strong need to leave yet. We will run out of fresh fruit in a few days. I have dried fruit, canned and freeze dried fruits available.

***

Third party information: A friend's neighbor went to Senior shopping period at a Costco. There was a very long line of seniors waiting to shop.

When I do hit the stores, it will probably be at 6 am to avoid most everyone.

Regards,
Cathy2

I don't think the stores except for Walmart are open at 6:00. At Jewel they have installed plexiglass at the registers, and they have tape on the floor reminding people to stay 6 feet apart. I am not a big fan of canned fruit other than pineapple. On Monday at Jewel I bought some orange juice, bananas, apples and a pineapple. I'll try to go to Whole Foods tomorrow during their Senior hour which is 8-9.

On the 10:00 news this evening they mentioned that because of the shortage of toilet paper, people are using other things such as wipes and paper towels instead, and they are plugging up their toilet.

Both Mariano's in Bannockburn and Jewel in Highland Park open at 6 am. Jewel in Lake Forest opens at 7 am. Woodman's in Buffalo Grove is 7 am to 10 pm until Tuesday next week when it reverts back to 24 hours. Of course this is all subject to change.

Our canned fruit is limited to pineapple and mandarin oranges. The oranges are mostly used for gelatin desserts. My Mom likes pineapple, so she might eat some occasionally. Every once in a while, I may buy fruit cocktail or peaches.

The dried berries was a from a small case I bought and forgot about. Now it will shine mixed into cereal or oatmeal.

Personal wipes have been clogging municipal sanitary district pipelines for years. The low water flow toilets magnify the problem because older sanitary systems were designed for more water flow.

Regards,
Cathy2

eating while walking wrote:

Ram4 wrote:I've been doing a low-carb diet since Feb 25th, so I have very little in the way of processed food. .

Same here, as a matter of fact. And I agree with you on the effects of the diet. It's a marvelous appetite suppressant when it comes to junk food and portion control.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I've never been more grateful to be a half-decent, fairly experienced home cook, meal planner and pantry stocker. Based on what I've seen in some grocery stores over the past 10 days or so, having some level of cooking knowledge can leave a person in a pretty workable position. It appears that runs on certain items have not only been irrational and panic-induced but are also based on a dependency on convenience foods.

Yep, frozen pizzas, canned soups and deli meats are cleaned out in my area. Jarred spaghetti sauces gone, but right next to them, plentiful canned tomatoes?! Don't people know how to cook marinara?

Figured we are all stuck inside anyway, might as well get to know the neighbors in my condo building, and made a pot of chili to share:

Would love to know that Chili Recipe if you can share!

Hi,

Today's breakfast of pancakes used the last of the word of the day Krusteaz Protein Pancake Mix. What was interesting was the back of the box explanation of how the protein content varied with use of water, egg and/or milk. I used a lot more milk than was called for, because we don't like very thick pancakes. This was also an opportunity to drive down the jam population in the refrigerator.

I talked to a friend who is working from home. She is running out of dishwasher soap, because her machine is now running at least twice a day. Instead of eating breakfast on the rush and lunch at work, she cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner to enjoy with her son.

Somewhere else on the internet, there was a suggestion how this time might be reflected upon in ten years: A period of time when everyone had enough sleep, because there was no need to stay up late finishing homework. They sat at the table eating all their meals together, played games and talked. In summary, it was one of the best times with his family.

We can do this (and not kill each other).

Earlier this week, JimtheBeerGuy rolled out another sandwich on his blog: Yakisoba-pan, Japan’s Spaghetti Sandwich. Instant food jealousy likely fueled that I cannot jump in the car for a visit to Mitsuwa.

Over time I began to realize I could make a reasonable facsimile with available ingredients at home. In my prep to repose at home, I bought Mary Ann hot dog buns at Costco. It appears either hot dogs are missing the freezer or I overestimated how many hot dogs are at home. It is not a bullet shaped Brioche bun like they serve at Mitsuwa, but it would have to do.

I found a recipe for Yakisoba-Pan in the Guardian from a few years ago. I was keenly excited about it because it laid out how to make Yakisoba sauce. It also used two 3-ounce packets of instant egg noodles, which seemed to allude to Ramen noodles. I had exactly two packets in the house, yes this is happening!

I had fresh ginger in the fridge, so I pickled my own ginger with two ounces I was willing to sacrifice. The leftover ginger flavored rice vinegar with sugar was later poured in a glass of ice and diluted with water. Got what I needed for yakisoba and a delightful shrub to drink.

I already had Kiwi mayonnaise, a pepper, scallions, carrot and onions. Plus everything to make the sauce.

Just before I began frying the vegetables, I scanned Jim's blog to learn, "This sandwich was, as you might imagine, not very good. ... This was about as good as I was going to be able to make this sandwich. It’s just not something I’m ever going to like very much."

Oh, I was into this too deep to stop. I am glad I did not, because my family and I really liked it. Enough to get my Dad's blessing, "You can make this again."

Making life pleasant in a weird situation.

It’s probably been 20 years since I baked a loaf of bread.

Hi- When I went to Whole Foods today during their senior hour, one of the things I wanted to get was some King Arthur bread or all purpose flour. All they had was two pound bags of organic flour for $4.99. I was going to buy it, but then decided it was too much money. I have not been able to get any bread flour at Jewel either. When I got home I went on King Arthur's Facebook page and I found that since lots of people are at home all day, and have lots of time on their hands. people have started baking again. It sounds like King Arthur can not keep up with the demand. They are hoping that their flour will be more available in a couple of weeks. Right now the website is out of a lot of their flours, and they have transferred a lot of their office people to the warehouse to help fill orders. Their warehouse got rearranged so people could remain 6 feet apart or more and still fill orders.

Somebody on their Facebook page posted that they ordered groceries from a grocery store, and when she picked up her order and got it home, she realized that instead of all purpose flour they had given her gluten free flour. She wanted to know if she could use it to make bread. She was told no.

Does anybody know where I can get a five pound bag of King Arthur all purpose or bread flour? Jewel, Whole Foods, Target and Valli are convenient for me. I could drive out to Mariano's too if I had to. Thanks, Nancy

Nancy,

I used King Arthur as well as Gold Medal and other brand bread flours.

I generally try not to get stuck on brands, because I know I can make any of these bread flours work. If KA is on sale, I buy it. I often find Gold Meal is at least two dollars less.

I also have some premium locally ground flours, too, like from Janie's Mill.

I have a bag of rye flour in the freezer, because I don't make rye bread enough and it is not always easy to find.

From reading other locations, people are having issues obtaining yeast. I bought a lot rather cheap last summer. If you need any, let me know. It is envelope friendly.

Regards,
Cathy2

There was no flour at Sunset in HP or Marianos in Northbrook. I found an unknown to me brand of flour and lots of yeast at Jewel on old Deerfield Rd. in HP.

I am in the cheese department at Citarella Eastside, NYC. We wear masks and gloves(of course, gloves). If you don't have a mask, and they ARE scarce, you are issued an orange bandanna which goes with the uniform of orange and black. Trust me they are very hard to breathe through. A close friend is sending me masks from an undisclosed source. We wash our hands in ridiculously hot water all of the time for twenty seconds. The store posts signage about having a line and limiting the number of people inside, that lasts for a hot minute. Then we are flooded with guests. Then, a manager notices and limits the intake again, and back and forth, so it goes. If they want employees, essential workers, they cannot seesaw like this, but the guests are entitled Upper East Siders and apparently are stupid and, or dementia-addled enough to think they won't get Covid-19. We are limiting guest interaction with touching the cheese. My partner works from home. When I get home I strip in the hallway. Anything possibly contaminated by the virus goes on tables and chairs designated for the items. I carry paperwork as an essential worker to provide to any authority. My neighborhood is a ghost town. In my department we log and bleach every surface every two hours. Today a decrepit idiot fuck hacked and coughed and touched some cheese. We ARE limiting guest interactions with the products. If they want to buy it they can take it, but no, hunting and gathering. I will gladly, show them a piece with my gloved hands, or cut them a piece. Social distancing is variable at my workplace. Today I went to a nearby former workplace to see a friend and no one was wearing masks. When I get home everything is sanitized; my phone, my glasses, my wireless headphones, any food in containers, my water bottle.
There is no avoidance in NYC, only the attempt. Trains are reduced. Empty, sometimes.
And, still people just don't get social distancing. I mean
WE can't, we are a small enclosed department. The FDNY were in the store near the end of my shift, and whenever I had to go outside and examine/fill my cases, they were generous, kind, and waved me through. Stay well.

Hi,

It is easy to be a goldfish. Grow as large as your habitat, which can be quite small to large enough to be dinner.

Today's breakfast was Ina Garten's Overnight Belgium Waffles.

I made a half recipe, which came out to two six-inch waffles each. If I had made a full batch, I am sure we would conquered all of them, too. We just don't need to be goldfish, either.

HonestMan wrote:

eating while walking wrote:

Ram4 wrote:I've been doing a low-carb diet since Feb 25th, so I have very little in the way of processed food. .

Same here, as a matter of fact. And I agree with you on the effects of the diet. It's a marvelous appetite suppressant when it comes to junk food and portion control.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I've never been more grateful to be a half-decent, fairly experienced home cook, meal planner and pantry stocker. Based on what I've seen in some grocery stores over the past 10 days or so, having some level of cooking knowledge can leave a person in a pretty workable position. It appears that runs on certain items have not only been irrational and panic-induced but are also based on a dependency on convenience foods.

Yep, frozen pizzas, canned soups and deli meats are cleaned out in my area. Jarred spaghetti sauces gone, but right next to them, plentiful canned tomatoes?! Don't people know how to cook marinara?

Figured we are all stuck inside anyway, might as well get to know the neighbors in my condo building, and made a pot of chili to share:

Would love to know that Chili Recipe if you can share!

Sure thing.

Make a chili purée: soak 6 dried anchos and 6 arbols in hot water for an hour, then purée with 4 canned Chipotles, a tbsp of tomato paste, pinch of salt.

Dice 2 yellow onions, 4 poblanos, 1 head of garlic, then fry with 1/2 lb chorizo. Add a couple shakes of cumin and a pinch of nutmeg. Brown 1 lb stew meat in another pot or under the broiler (cubed pork shoulder or chuck roast).

Add purée to the veg and chorizo pot, sauté until fragrant, then add stew meat and enough chicken stock to cover. Add 1can each of pinto and black beans. Simmer until the stew meat is tender, and season with salt and a dash of fish sauce. It’s better the next day.

Today I roasted a pork butt marinated in mojo



Tonight we're eating it with tostones, black beans and rice, and more mojo



Tomorrow: Cubanos!

Jim,

That look's great. Cannot wait to see the Cubanos!

The last pork butt I cooked weighed in at 8-pounds. I cut off two pounds to make char siu. We eat some now and freeze for future meals.

Thanks!

Regards,
Cathy2

HI,

I just saw a picture that reflects an idea I have had:

Three vans lined up semi-circle with three women sitting in the back area, keeping their distance, drinking coffee and chatting. I love it!

Regards,
Cathy2

Our situation here has been a little bit different than most. We have decided to self-quarantine for a minimum of 15 days. On my drive from Ohio to Arizona, I fell ill with a strep infection and was hospitalized for four days in Little Rock, AR. We were originally going to fly home but decided that was too risky as I am one of those people who is 60 and has "underlying conditions".

Since we were in Cincinnati before the mad rush at grocery stores (and we were driving), we were able to stock up on a number of grocery items at Jungle Jim's and ALDI. What we were not able to purchase was a lot of produce. Several friends warned us that the local grocery stores were pretty much out of stock. However, we were able to make stops in El Paso and pick up a week's worth of produce.

Right now, we have plenty of food and a neighbor who will make a grocery run for us toward the end of next week. We also have people dropping off food as they are returning back to the Midwest and a few people who will drop off"goodies."

Locally, grocery ordering at the local Walmart has been pretty good. You generally receive everything you want but not always the brand that you would like. If you order Monday, you will be called for a pick-up on Wednesday. The Kroger affiliate has many stock-outs and a four day lead time.

Personally, we are cooking two hot meals a day. This is a great time to use up some of the things that have been in my pantry for some time. Yesterday was a chick pea soup. Tomorrow will be cream of pumpkin soup now that I have milk in the house.

jlawrence01 wrote:Personally, we are cooking two hot meals a day. This is a great time to use up some of the things that have been in my pantry for some time. Yesterday was a chick pea soup. Tomorrow will be cream of pumpkin soup now that I have milk in the house.

Yes, this is a great opportunity to eat down the larder.

This morning, my sister dropped off beignets and some leftovers. I was still in bed, though I could hear the dog's jewelry rattling around. This knocked off the promised Swedish pancakes for breakfast to tomorrow.

Fresh from the freezer, I roasted a chicken, which was paired with Haitian Djon-Djon rice and cucumber salad.

After dinner, I pulled the breasts for either chicken salad or chopped salad and simmered the carcass for 1.5 quarts stock for Matzoh soup or something else.

Finished the day watching, 'Fly Away Home.' Just got to love a good goose migratory story.

Have not made Chocolate chip cookies in 20-years, tasty but a little sweet and I crowded the baking tray. Seems I'll have plenty of time to "perfect" my technique.





Chocolate chip cookies, count me a Fan!

Cathy2 wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:Personally, we are cooking two hot meals a day. This is a great time to use up some of the things that have been in my pantry for some time.

Yes, this is a great opportunity to eat down the larder.

We are also making a lot of trades - 5# rice for a gallon of milk. Need a jar of spaghetti sauce? I need some vegetables. That type of trade.

In a month, we'll be flooded with neighbors giving me food as they are heading back to the Midwest.

Cathy2 wrote:Jim,

That look's great. Cannot wait to see the Cubanos!

The Cubanos ended up waiting until today for lunch.

JimTheBeerGuy wrote:The Cubanos ended up waiting until today for lunch.

That looks so good, I'd be licking my screen if that didn't violate CDC recommendations.

I'm a fan of Sandwich Tribunal, and I think that's one of your best yet.

Giovanna

Jim,

Did you bake the bread? I have always heard it is such a fundamental part of this sandwich, which is often not replicated well.

As Giovanna said, this sandwich is bite the screen worthy!

Regards,
CAthy2

JimTheBeerGuy wrote:The Cubanos ended up waiting until today for lunch.

Yes Sir Senator!