Any "Real Foodie" Friends out There?

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rf1170
rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello! I'm Becky, I'm (relatively) new to the site, and I'm wondering whether there are other people here who'd be interested in befriending me to offer their suggestions and wisdom! I love to cook, and I try to follow a "traditional" diet - nothing terribly strict or specific: little to no "processed food products," no new-fangled vegetable-derived oils, no elimination of macronutrients, and chock-full of organic vegetables, pastured meats, organ meats (love that liver!), raw, whole milk, and well-prepared whole grains. Is anyone else interested in this kind of nutrition too? I'd love to hear your recipe suggestions, ideas for finding unusual foods, and any other advice you can give!

For my part, I'd be happy to share my experiences with you too - for example, I'm going to be making chicken stock (bones, bones, feet, veggie scraps, and more bones!) and rendering beef tallow tomorrow. I love to cook organ meats that can sometimes be intimidating (the grilled beef heart I've made is so popular that even vegetarians have been known to eat it), and I have pictures to share if you don't believe me! At any rate, please "friend" me if you think we could help each other out. Enjoy your evening!

Replies

  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    i love to cook from scratch, but i don't have much to offer in the way of meat preparation. maybe i could be more helpful with vegetarian meals? i'm not downing meat, i just don't eat much of it. my boyfriend is a 25-year vegetarian, but i eat meat occasionally if it is prepared elsewhere.

    add me if you like :)
  • jpatrickwinstead
    jpatrickwinstead Posts: 43
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    Tell me what to do with beef liver! I've had some in my freezer for a month now.

    I'm trying to eat this way more and more. I've started getting as much as I can from farmers' markets, and I'm trying to avoid eating anything with a barcode. I just found a local source for raw milk that I'm going to check out tomorrow.

    Are you familiar with the paleo/primal diet? It might be right up your alley.
  • Nikkie_too
    Nikkie_too Posts: 495 Member
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    I love to cook too! I've picked up a few broth/stock tips over time. Here's a short list:

    - Use cooked bones. I usually toss in the remnants of a roasted chicken, but will also bake the bones from deboned split breasts for a while, then drop them in the pot.
    - Toss in a quartered yellow onion with the skin. It'll get strained out when you're done, and the skin gives the broth nice colour.
    - Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar. You won't taste it, but it helps draw the absorbable calcium from the bones, and more flavor too. Once I started using vinegar, my broths "gelled" when they were chilled in the fridge.
    - I always strain then cool the broth in the fridge. That way I can skim the hardened fat off the top much more easily than when it's liquid and floating on top. After that I'll portion and freeze it.

    I'd say those are the important bits. Other veggies add nice flavor too - leeks, celery, carrots.

    Good luck! I hope it turns out splendidly for you. :)
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I'm glad to have some encouragement. :)
  • susioryan
    susioryan Posts: 180
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    Just sent you a request- I just rendered my own lard a few days ago and ate the cracklins with my daughter, I try to eat mostly unprocessed foods and cook everyday. But and there is always a but...have my days where I fall into the processed quagmire. Anyway, would love to have you as a friend.
  • etarre
    etarre Posts: 147 Member
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    Hi-- I definitely consider myself a real foodie in that I cook for myself and my husband a lot and am trying hard to discover new foods and ways of preparing them that are healthy. Yesterday, I went out on a limb and bought some chayote squash, which I've loved in restaurants and want to learn how to prepare myself. I was a bit taken aback when the internet told me I need gloves to slice them! So any suggestions/experiences with that or any other fun seasonal veggies would be particularly welcome.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    - Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar. You won't taste it, but it helps draw the absorbable calcium from the bones, and more flavor too. Once I started using vinegar, my broths "gelled" when they were chilled in the fridge.

    have you tried this with vegetable stock? there is a lot of calcium in the greens i use to make stock... i'll try it myself, but i was wondering if anyone else has tried it already.

    thanks in advance!
  • Nikkie_too
    Nikkie_too Posts: 495 Member
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    - Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar. You won't taste it, but it helps draw the absorbable calcium from the bones, and more flavor too. Once I started using vinegar, my broths "gelled" when they were chilled in the fridge.

    have you tried this with vegetable stock? there is a lot of calcium in the greens i use to make stock... i'll try it myself, but i was wondering if anyone else has tried it already.

    thanks in advance!

    I don't know about that. I first read about it on a farmer's almanac calendar. I just googled, and several sites talk about vinegar/acid helping to release the minerals in bones. Nothing about veggies though.

    One site (ehow, I think) explained that the acid in the stomach would release the minerals, but, we don't usually swallow bones. We do swallow greens though! So maybe that works? Any scientists out there know how this works? :)
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    I don't know about that. I first read about it on a farmer's almanac calendar. I just googled, and several sites talk about vinegar/acid helping to release the minerals in bones. Nothing about veggies though.

    One site (ehow, I think) explained that the acid in the stomach would release the minerals, but, we don't usually swallow bones. We do swallow greens though! So maybe that works? Any scientists out there know how this works? :)

    well, i strain the stock, so i want to leech out as many minerals as possible, which probably happens already in the boiling. i use all my kitchen scraps (potato peels, garlic & onion skins, carrot tops, celery greens, etc) and all kinds of wilted vegetables whose nutrients are surely lower from age. anything i can do to suck more out without using salt (i add salt to the soups later) the better.

    i hate to waste, so this is the last step before composting.

    keep me posted if you run across anything - i'll look around. i like the idea of using a little vinegar, so i'll probably just try it when i'm ready to make stock again.
  • susioryan
    susioryan Posts: 180
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    May I suggest a pressure cooker? My broths are rich and amazing, gel when cooled and I can start with a raw chicken carcass. Not to mention you can make it in under 30 minutes.
  • Nikkie_too
    Nikkie_too Posts: 495 Member
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    May I suggest a pressure cooker? My broths are rich and amazing, gel when cooled and I can start with a raw chicken carcass. Not to mention you can make it in under 30 minutes.

    I've never used one... they intimidate me a bit. My mum or grandmothers never used pressure cookers growing up. How does one get started? Without blowing up her kitchen, of course... :)
  • susioryan
    susioryan Posts: 180
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    The new ones are very safe. I suggest a Fagor- they are built to last. Risotto in 7 minutes, broth in 30 minutes, I could go on and on. Pick up "Pressure Cooking for Dummies" it has great basics that you can build on.
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    I think my mom might have a pressure cooker tucked away somewhere - it might be time to dig it out! I always cook my stock for as long as I can, but I don't want to leave it on the stovetop while I'm gone. This could be the perfect solution!
  • Nikkie_too
    Nikkie_too Posts: 495 Member
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    Of *course* there's a For Dummies out there. There's one for everything! :) Thanks much - I'll look into it.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Hi! I think this describes me too.....love to have more foodie friends. I try to make as much as I can from scratch, buy local veggies (and some stuff from my own garden but I'm not that great at gardening....). We buy all our meats locally and in bulk, and are "on it" during mushroom and berry seasons.

    look forward to some good discussions!
  • tangoterry
    tangoterry Posts: 51 Member
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    Saving this so I can remember the vinegar trick when making stock. Thanks for the great tip!

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