reddylee's Profile

Picky eating, especially coupled with a radical diet change (going from carnivore to herbivore, for example) can often be indicative of an emotional or psychological disturbance/imbalance/issue, so it might be worth checking that out first, before making huge exceptions for him. Once you rule that in or out, then hopefully this will help...

My husband and I had a friend who is a vegetarian and claimed not to like vegetables or exotic food. I made dinner for all of us one night, just like I normally would, without special care regarding his distaste for veggies. And there he was, sitting across from me, WOLFING down broccoli and green beans and zucchini. I think a lot of the time, it is the preparation that is the issue. Nobody wants to eat steamed broccoli. It tastes bland and pungently farty at the same time, let's face it. But steamed broccoli topped with truffle butter? Apparently veggie-hating vegetarians like that! :) I've tested this theory out on other meat eating veggie-haters, and it works on them. So far, steamed broccoli with truffle butter, green beans sauteed with chiles and ginger, and simple zucchini roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper work for veggie hating non-adventurous folks. I don't tell them what is in it...I just say "it's broccoli, but try it" and give no other description. (If you have a food allergy person, of course be conscious of this...) If they think it is exotic, obviously you'll never get them over that hump in their mind. But if you just make it a non-issue, and be frank and move on, it takes away the fanfare, so apprehensive eaters will feel less pressure about trying the new items. Now, I can make any number of crazy things and our picky friends will try it (and usually like it), because I've built up that trust with them. Hopefully, in time, your brother will have a similar experience. Hope this all helps and I hope you have the same success I have!! Good luck!!

I'm thinking topping it with toasted pecans, maybe some bacon or some leftover ham that's been cooked up to get a little carmelization going, and maybe a soft melting cheese or a drizzle of maple syrup and a slab of butter? A simple salad of mixed greens and a light, homemade viniagrette on the side would round it out a bit.

As always, Alton's comments have some truth and some crankypants in them. Ultimately, I think he's poking fun a bit at these trends only because it is tiring to see people get wrapped up in them, only to find them abandoning the movement for the next great thing. At the same time, there are improvements in the cooking world being made all the time, and a lot of those things make cooking/life easier or more fun. I say, whatever gets you in your own kitchen is a good thing. I think the basics are important...with education comes the power to grow. But it is fun to learn new, weird things that inspire us or pique an interest in something new. Can't hurt, I figure.

I not only enjoy these, I seek them out! :)

This is funny! We exclusively listen to vinyl in our listening room/home theater area. I wouldn't dare store my beloved vinyl anywhere near the kitchen I lovingly destroy with food and messes. I actually listen to my iPod connected to an old tabletop stereo we keep in our kitchen when I'm cooking. We store it on a small adjustable height table on wheels, so when we don't want to look at it, we put it in a closet, and when we do want it, we can easily move it anywhere. All of my music on my iPod is safely backed up on my computer/iCloud, so I have no worry about losing my music. I'd have to replace my iPod, but I luckily have an iPhone that can suffice...doesn't hold as much music at one time, but I *think* I'll be able to get by if it happens. :) For vinyl, I just can't imagine doing anything else while listening. To me, there is a lot more going on to pay attention to, and as a musician, I'd get distracted by vinyl while cooking. I can picture myself losing count of cups of flour very easily... :)

Forgot to mention: years ago, before I discovered Nigella's cheesecake, I used to make Rachael Ray's no-bake. It isn't the fanciest, and it isn't really that great for show stopping, buuuutt, it is extremely simple and very easy to adapt for other flavors. We've done key lime with both fresh key limes and bottle key lime juice in place of the strawberries in her recipe. We've also don't other fruit flavors, and all worked out fine, but the key lime was a pretty big hit.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/individual-no-bake-strawberry-cheesecakes-recipe/index.html

I have to say, I'm actually disappointed in this mash up. I have seen so much more graphic or hilarious money shots on food television. In fact, yesterday or the day before maybe, I witnessed Paula Deen take a mammoth bite out of an unsliced 8x8 brownie broken in half, and then pronounce, "Honey, that is good to my piehole." Today, I saw her slurp hot cream from a skillet through a straw and moan. And I have to agree with the mention of Guy--he's notoriously a money shot moaner. I just feel like this video could have been so much better. It left me...um...unsatisfied.

I've always thought of salting fruit as a sort of "old-timey" summertime thing, but once I started doing it, I realized my older relatives were on to something. :) Agree with everyone's ideas here. Salted pork product and melon or other sweet fruit is always a big hit here in my house.

@Tee-Bone: what an intriguing idea! I'll have to try that one! I can kinda get how the combo of flavors and textures would work--I'm looking forward to trying it!

@vbf, I completely agree! I actually love the temperature/texture of a room temperature avocado! Why warm it and yucky it up? :)

I have given up on most crock pot meals for the mushy factor as well. I agree with the meat/protein prep idea. It definitely is a useful appliance, but not the way most people expect, I think. I will say that chili works great in the crockpot and other similar stews, but in the summer, it's hard to get excited about a piping hot bowl of chili! :) I'm wondering if maybe instead of using a crock pot over night if you might not get more use out of a rice cooker? Rice cookers can be used for lots of other stuff besides just making fluffy rice. You can steam veggies and proteins in them, along with your rice or other grains. It's a great way to make just two hearty servings of a meal so you have one for your meal that night and one left over without a lot of excess waste. And it works quickly. In about 5-7 minutes of prep and about 30 minutes of cook time, your meal is ready and with very little interaction from you! When I go out of town, I make up little sets of meals for my husband and he just plunks them into our cheap GE rice cooker and lets it fly. He's not a real experienced cook, so this is easy for any stage of expertise. Maybe this will work better for you and give you less mushy and more satisfying one person meals?