Recipes, Food Tips, Healthy Eating & More

@hopeful33250-yes it is sweeter and very heavy. New Englanders love to put it on french fries.

@Erinmfs Its lunchtime here your making me hungry might have this for lunch.

@lioness. It’s not really white , it’s called white coconut balsamic vinegar. I got mine at a specialty oil shop in the mall I don’t know if the brands sold in supermarkets are as good. It’s a change from apple cider vinegar but can be used in place of it and is a little milder than the apple cider vinegar. I love it on fresh fruit and have sweetened up watermelon when necessary. A little goes a long way. Oh and what a delight on cheesecake!

There’s a restaurant I have been to that has insanely good cheesecake and they serve it with a variety of fruit vinegars. Makes your eyes roll back in your head.

I have accumulated a variety of oils and vinegars over time....some of which have to be refrigerated. One of my favorites is pricey and called truffle oil. Use it over spaghetti with butter and Italian seasonings, mushrooms, fresh spinach , onions....and top with a good (grate your own ) Parmesan .

I don’t buy pre grated or pre shredded cheese as it has stabilizers in it . Tastes better when you grate your own and eliminates one processing step. Gave my son a kitchen towel that said “Make America Grate Again”

We cooks here have acquired so much knowledge over the years that it makes you wonder sometimes where to start when teaching the younger cooks in the family. We could all write our own cookbooks. I have also thrown out many a new dish that has gotten 5 stars on the internet . We have instincts when it comes to cooking..sometimes I come across and try a new recipe that is spectacular and then....I just knew too late that the 5 star recipe I made was going to be a flop. Still learning and loving it after all these many years. Very satisfying to cook a perfect meal.

Regards from FL Mary

@Erinmfs Hi Erin, and congrats on getting a new name! Not exactly what you hoped for, but a lot better than what it was.

This recipe sounds delicious and easily customizable to accommodate things like lactose intolerance. I would also add just a tiny amount of sugar, if any, because I have mild diabetes.

@jakedduck1 I rarely pay those high prices for coffee, lattes, but I do LOVE coffee. I also love chai. By the way, chai actually means tea so if you say chai tea you are saying tea tea. I love the warm spiciness of chai. It varies depending on who makes it. Some have too much clove in them for me, but that is mainly one of the commercial companies, maybe Stash.

My son-in-law is of Indian heritage (he was born in this country) and according to him there is only one way to make chai but I am quite sure he is biased and that one way is his mother's. As with many recipes, the person making it can vary it.
JK

@jakedduck1 I grew out of putting sugar in my coffee a very long time ago, before I was diagnosed as diabetic, but I do prefer it with either half or half, or now one of the non-dairy creamers since I have become lactose intolerant. I do switch over after one or two cups to decaf but I shouldn't be drinking that much at all since I have Barrett's Esophagus. I buy dark roast since they have less acid. So far, my Barrett's is pretty benign.
My son will not drink coffee because he doesn't need anything to give him even more energy than he has. He is a health nut and I tell him the latest research shows coffee is quite healthy, but he still will not drink it.
JK

@Erinmfs We went to a winery up the street on Friday for the others to have a glass of wine before we went elsewhere for dinner. I had their own iced green tea that has hibiscus in it along with other things. (I can't drink wine due to being a post liver transplant patient). That iced tea was one of the most delicious things I have ever had. I want to go back there, just for that! I wish they would put their ingredients into bags to sell, it was that good. I could probably, if I could remember all of the ingredients, get something similar blended at the Tazo store. There is also a Panera in town so I will have to try out the plum ginger hibiscus tea there.
JK

I love chai tea, we talked about that. I enjoy trying chai tea at different locations, because each coffee house seems to make their own version of chai and it is sooooo good.

another tea that I like is that Tazo Passion tea, I have a box here that says it has tart rose hips, citrussy lemongrass and blooms of hibiscus flowers. I love the Tazo passion tea with a few strawberries or raspberries in it.

I am a Napa Valley lover, been there many times in my younger years. I became a bit of a wine lover. I am picky about my wine. I'm sorry that you cannot enjoy a glass of wine anymore ...

When I lived in the Bay Area, i would take my visitors on tours of Napa Valley and we would go wine tasting. My favorite wines are
Carnivale, a French Colombard, from a small winery called Peju Province,
The Gerwurtztraminer, from V-Satui , they have a nice picnic area at V'Sattui (St. Helena), great memories of Mom and Dad there with me
I like a good Cabernet Sauvignon, I've learned to like several now, so I won't list a brand....

I live in the midwest now, but i found a grape variety that I like at a winery called Brick ARch in West Branch. It's a red wine called Farmer's Daughter. It's a blend of Chambourcin and Chancellor grapes it says, and these grape varieties can survive the harsh winters here. I would always talk to the lady at the winery and enjoyed her explanations of their wines. Farmer's Daughter, It's a nice drinkable red wine for me anyway. I used to stop there after visitting my daughter going to college in Iowa City. She's graduated !

Thank you for conjuring up these nice memories, I should order a few bottles of wine and ship these in! I'm sorry you can't have any 🙁

@Erinmfs
Hi Erin,
Have you been on the Napa Wine Train?
I thought the food was excellent.
Do you know of some some other good restaurants?
Jake

I'm sorry to say that I have not been on the Napa Wine Train 🙁 I'll have to come back and try it

One place I went fairly recently was that I took myself back to Sausalito, and I spent a few days at the Inn Above Tide. Several wonderful resaurants in Sausalito, but my favorite was Poggio Trattoria, it has a such a wonderful atmosphere and outdoor seating. I remember a wonderful meal of pasta there (linguini with clams), and a nice glass of wine of course.

This is the dish I must have had, it was delicious.

CAPELLINI
manila clams, mullet bottarga, garlic, white wine, chili, parsley

$22

I rode my bike all around The City, across the golden gate. Visitted all of the tourist spots, rode through Golden Gate Park, went to a baseball game. I went by myself 🙂 I see why folks ask $4500 a month in rent in The City (I've been reading the articles online about that). I think I was on a frantic visit to the area as I have this damn disease and didn't know when I could come back again. But, I'll be back!

I just thought of another place I enjoyed, The Cliff House! The view is spectacular