spicygyoza's Profile

"I hate games and those that make me play them"

Yikes... you must be a pleasure to spend time with.

Apples to Apples, Cards against Humanity (I have cried from laughing so hard playing this game), Smart Ass, and Left Right Center are great and easy to play- even for people who hate games.

Lighten up, you only live once!

Oh yes, keep your mouth shut. Even if it's dry and tasteless, smile and be a gracious guest.

As far as food contamination concerns go: out of sight, out of mind. Even professional kitchens do things you would rather not see. Besides, the rare organism here and there merely exercises the ol' immune system.

Sorry, the models in Japan have all of those beat.

My Panasonic microwave will bake, broil, toast, steam, defrost, reheat, and microwave. There's even a function that will reheat fried food using steam in combination with the broiler that makes the crust crispy and the insides luscious and moist.

Though in order to bring it back to the states I'll have to get a 1000w step-up transformer considering they only use 100v @ 50Hz in Eastern Japan (60Hz in Southern Japan) and 120v @ 60Hz in the US.

This is one of my favorites, though I make the following adjustments: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-sausage-rice-soup-10000000522349/

I use chicken breast, fresh onion, quick-cook brown rice (or cooked regular brown rice, just add it near the end of cooking or individually in the bowl when serving), and add a little extra fennel if the italian sausage I get is lacking.

This soup is easy to make, tastes delicious, and is popular!

-----

Also, this soup is a hit at my Halloween pumpkin carving parties! I make two large pots of it and there is never any left!

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/food/article/Cook-It-Chipotle-Pork-Posole-1271873.php

I add more thyme, a dash or two of cumin to taste, fresh chopped parsley, and hot New Mexico Chili Powder. When serving, I provide lime wedges and rough chopped cilantro for people to garnish with as they choose.

"Left, Right, Center" with a group of people playing with dollar bills is always fun. It's totally up to chance, the drama is fun, and somebody leaves with a wad of dollars. The pot gets especially big if nobody wins and the only way to access it is to play another game!

I was hoping someone would post a recipe for savory Pork and Apple Pie. I had it once when I was about 7 years old at a friends house and I have never forgotten it! I have looked online for recipes, but nothing seemed quite right. Anyone care to point me in the right direction?

Get yourself a soda-stream and make seltzer whenever you want :) It doesn't take much to flavor it, and you don't even have to use the syrup they sell. Just make some carbonated water, throw in some citrus juice, and voila! Refreshments.

Ok... there's two collapsible strainers here. Why not included a collapsible salad spinner? I never wanted to buy one of them until I found a collapsible one. Now I love it, and I eat salad more often!!

http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-CSS-1-Collapsible-5-Quart/dp/B002CGS3NG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337377189&sr=8-1

Seriously, I even bought one for my sister!

My roast chicken recipe:

Preheat oven to 450F

Make a dry rub with whatever looks good in the cabinet, and perhaps take a walk around the neighborhood with scissors looking for fresh rosemary.

Rub bird inside and out with spices.

Put bird in oven on a roasting pan with a some water in it, roast at 450F for 30 mins, then drop the temp to 400F until the breast meat reaches 170F.

Eat.

Ta-daaa!

IMHO, cooking is meant to be experimental, not a set of rigid rules to follow and if not obeyed the food is 'wrong'.

Enjoy your time in the kitchen... it's not meant to be so stressful :)

Want to make meat even cheaper? Invest in a vacuum bag machine.

When you go shopping, buy the "family size" bundles of chicken, pork, beef, or whatever. You can easily vacuum pack the individual servings, even after seasoning if you want, and save them for later.

Soon, that $14.99/lb ribeye you've been eyeing becomes $9.99/lb in the family pack, and you've shaved quite a bit of money off in the long run.

Besides, $9 for a ribeye is nothing compared to the $25-$35 you would get charged eating out in town. So when you want to treat yourself to a delicious meal, splurge.

Just not every night... unless you're doing fairly well these days.