Eating Well on a Budget

digitS' said:

There was also something about cottage-fried potatoes and gravy. Maybe that was for lunch

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That sounds like something we'd have for breakfast if we had any potatoes left over or we were short of eggs. Could be potato cakes if it was mashed potatoes. Mom practically always made gravy for breakfast, Good gravy. Went with almost everything except pancakes.

Heat up the lard and stir in flour, constantly stirring. At the right time add milk and constantly stir until it starts to thicken. Stir in salt and pepper, then serve. My oldest son still talks about Mom's gravy.

digitS' said:

Perhaps @Phaedra Geiermann , if I was to slow the poaching down some, milk would be an okay for boiling an egg and it might be especially okay on toast. It was the first time that I tried poaching an egg in the microwave .

DW is happy with a "scrambled egg" from the microwave but I don't think much of them.

A hard or soft boiled egg would be really risky 💣!

Steve

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My cousin tried that once. That was a fun trip to the ER.

Artichoke Lover said:

My cousin tried that once. That was a fun trip to the ER.

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hope they weren't permanently injured!

i didn't need to visit the ER, but i did have some burns on my hand and chest (where enough of the egg stuck). it blew up when i lifted it out of the water (i'd run some cold water over them but obviously not enough).

flowerbug said:

hope they weren't permanently injured!

i didn't need to visit the ER, but i did have some burns on my hand and chest (where enough of the egg stuck). it blew up when i lifted it out of the water (i'd run some cold water over them but obviously not enough).

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He was fine in the end but had some pretty nasty burns and a few actual cuts from pieces of shell. It would have been that bad but he was leaning over the bowl when it exploded so it got him in the face. No lasting scars from it (at least that I’ve noticed.

Crabcakes: But not just any recipes will do. In this case there can be only one. A favorite from a local restaurant called Fox Valley that we miss very much since the ladies retired. One young chef carried on however, and I found his version of them!


They are the lightest bit of fried heaven I have ever had and most recipes are not even close to the creamy goodness of creme fraiche. I don't cook with fermented creme so I have been delighted to learn I can make it at home easily.

I bought a buttermilk yeast culture from The New England Cheese Company and had success making bread with what amounted to a less sour buttermilk. They (internet) say mesophilic (room temp) culture is used to make fermented cream. but then there are many videos of folks just putting a fat tablespoon of real buttermilk into a cup of cream and letting it sit warm for a day then decanted into the fridge for a day. I suspect the buttermilk culture I still have remaining in the freezer will do nicely.

I read it is expensive to buy creme fraiche in a store but if it is this easy to make then those crab cakes are one step closer to my plate. You just cannot find them. But they had a sauce too that I have to work out. I think it was a tomatillo sauce but I have to make it to be sure. Ahh -Aoili homework!



I did not know that fermented creme will hold up to cooking. This was the secret of the secret ingredient.

Dirtmechanic said:

Crabcakes: But not just any recipes will do. In this case there can be only one. A favorite from a local restaurant called Fox Valley that we miss very much since the ladies retired. One young chef carried on however, and I found his version of them!
View attachment 51943

They are the lightest bit of fried heaven I have ever had and most recipes are not even close to the creamy goodness of creme fraiche. I don't cook with fermented creme so I have been delighted to learn I can make it at home easily.

I bought a buttermilk yeast culture from The New England Cheese Company and had success making bread with what amounted to a less sour buttermilk. They (internet) say mesophilic (room temp) culture is used to make fermented cream. but then there are many videos of folks just putting a fat tablespoon of real buttermilk into a cup of cream and letting it sit warm for a day then decanted into the fridge for a day. I suspect the buttermilk culture I still have remaining in the freezer will do nicely.

I read it is expensive to buy creme fraiche in a store but if it is this easy to make then those crab cakes are one step closer to my plate. You just cannot find them. But they had a sauce too that I have to work out. I think it was a tomatillo sauce but I have to make it to be sure. Ahh -Aoili homework!
View attachment 51945

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Those sound mouth watering! You know what else is really good and also easy to make? Crab Hash. You grate your potatoes like you would for homemade hash browns. Squeeze out the starch. Mix in some grated onion and a handsome amount of Dungeness crab meat. Make a pancake sized patty. Fry in the oil of your choice until crispy. Add salt n pepper. Top with a touch of ketchup! Oh boy they are yummy! 😋

Dahlia said:

Those sound mouth watering! You know what else is really good and also easy to make? Crab Hash. You grate your potatoes like you would for homemade hash browns. Squeeze out the starch. Mix in some grated onion and a handsome amount of Dungeness crab meat. Make a pancake sized patty. Fry in the oil of your choice until crispy. Add salt n pepper. Top with a touch of ketchup! Oh boy they are yummy! 😋

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That sounds good! I happen to live with a certified potato fiend so I think she will enjoy them!

Something my snooty mother would NEVER do, but I have done, is to save baked potatoes that weren't eaten, slice them thin, and fry up. We have a supply of bacon grease which makes them taste a lot like potato chips.
I try very hard to not throw things away that can be eaten. Since my family's vacation/my "sick in", we have little in the way of desserts kicking around, so it's easier to eat a little healthier, although I did use my new cherry pitter and pulled in a frozen bag of cherries and made an AWESOME pie yesterday.

A very cost-effective and balanced meal - eggs and veggies from the backyard; grilled chicken thigh costs 1.5 Euro.

Dirtmechanic said:

Crabcakes: But not just any recipes will do. In this case there can be only one. A favorite from a local restaurant called Fox Valley that we miss very much since the ladies retired. One young chef carried on however, and I found his version of them!
View attachment 51943

They are the lightest bit of fried heaven I have ever had and most recipes are not even close to the creamy goodness of creme fraiche. I don't cook with fermented creme so I have been delighted to learn I can make it at home easily.

I bought a buttermilk yeast culture from The New England Cheese Company and had success making bread with what amounted to a less sour buttermilk. They (internet) say mesophilic (room temp) culture is used to make fermented cream. but then there are many videos of folks just putting a fat tablespoon of real buttermilk into a cup of cream and letting it sit warm for a day then decanted into the fridge for a day. I suspect the buttermilk culture I still have remaining in the freezer will do nicely.

I read it is expensive to buy creme fraiche in a store but if it is this easy to make then those crab cakes are one step closer to my plate. You just cannot find them. But they had a sauce too that I have to work out. I think it was a tomatillo sauce but I have to make it to be sure. Ahh -Aoili homework!
View attachment 51945


I did not know that fermented creme will hold up to cooking. This was the secret of the secret ingredient.

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"Creme Fraiche"?