Rootaki's Profile

I recently moved to Glasgow, Scotland from suburban California and I was a little concerned about not having farmer's markets all the time and Trader Joe's and a big American fridge... but I love it! There are several grocery stores within 5 minutes walk of my flat and office, plus a butcher, fishmonger, fruit stall, bakeries, and cheese shop. My shopping style has changed dramatically, as I only buy what I can carry and it keeps me from loading up on things that won't get eaten. I was also shocked to realize that I have placed a total of 6 items in the freezer since moving here 4 months ago (and two of those were ice cream). Before the freezer was twice as big and filled to the brim with things that never got eaten.

Yup, I am definitely a multiple breakfasts gal!

I also share the same affliction as @wee eats, @sew trashy & @sarah f.w.c.p. I second the 'carry food in your purse comment.' I always make sure to carry "Emergency Rations" with me at all times, especially if I plan to be out all day or traveling. (In fact, before we go somewhere my husband now asks me- "Where's your emergency food?" cause we both know I need it). It has saved me many times from reaching the point of hunger-pyscho-monster. All it takes is a couple bites and suddenly I am a sane human, but without that food I would hate you all ;)

Yay! I have three monster zukes sitting on the counter staring at me. This sounds like a delicious way to use one up, thanks!

When the house my friends rented was foreclosed on a few years ago, I got 100 lemons off their tree while helping them move! I turned that into two huge batches of both regular and crema di limoncello. They are both amazing, but the crema is definitely the favorite. I let the lemons steep in the alcohol for about 6 months before taking the next step and the time was definitely worth it. Also, especially with regular limoncello, the more time you let it rest the better it gets. After a year in the freezer it was exponentially better than it had been when I first bottled it. It's also nice to have extra bottles in the freezer b/c they make a great hostess/birthday/anniversary etc gift. Good luck on your various projects, everyone- it will definitely be worth it!

Thank you for this post, it's awesome! This is totally what my poor husband has. He can not handle the sound of chewing- especially really crunchy things like chips or crackers (when mouth is shut- not smacking gums or anything). I have to go into the den and close the door when eating chips because it just makes him crazy, poor thing. He knows it's in his head, but that doesn't matter. The feelings are real. He'll be so glad to have company!

Wow, you all seem quite inspired! It's a running joke with my husband- when he's away he always asks what I ate and then guesses: Pizza, Mac 'n cheese, or Cereal. Usually he's right. He is way more intent on "proper nutrition" than I am so when he's away it's my chance to be happily lazy and eat lots of cheese or breakfast for dinner :)

@ek76 - like ValHalla said, bolting of greens can cause bitterness

@laetitiae - the flowers without fruit are the males; you will need male flowers to provide the pollination for the female (fruit-bearing) flowers in order to get a crop from your zukes so you don't want to pluck them all. If you want to make stuffed squash blossoms, feel free to pick some, just know that it might impact your overall yields. Good luck on your first garden!

I am growing: artichoke, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, garlic, onions (about to harvest), corn, beans, herbs, winter squash, summer squash/zucchini, cucumbers, chard and lettuce. That's it for now...

Roast chicken is our standard go-to dinner party meal. You prep the bird in advance, then stick it in the oven with a thermometer and it dings when it's ready. It's always delicious, guests love it (and seem to think you went to a lot of trouble), but most importantly, you can entertain while it does all the work in the oven. Plus, it's versatile and you can pair it with any seasonal sides. Three cheers for roast chicken!

These look great!

What a flashback: the spokes-of-a-wheel method is actually how I was taught to cook scrambled eggs in 7th grade cooking class. I've done it that way ever since (not that I cooked much before then...).

Sometimes I will leave the 85%-done eggs in a mound in the center of the pan, take it off the heat, put grated cheese on top of the eggs and then cover the pan with a lid while I grab the toast and plates. That way the cheese can melt, but the eggs stay soft and lovely.

We had one of these in an old apartment in Santa Barbara! The building was built at the turn of the century and had an airshaft coming up from the basement (it had a basement!) into the kitchen. It was the perfect pantry even on the second floor and it's one of the things I miss most about that apartment.

Well, that and the avocado tree out back.

One drawback to it in an apartment setting- it sounded like the downstairs neighbors were *in* our kitchen when they had a loud discussion near the pantry :)