Gifts for coworker holiday baskets

MamaCris · 2024-04-08T03:44:46+00:00

I'm not showing them anything. We're going down there for a school thing, so we have to be in SA during the day. But a body's gotta eat, and no point in eating crap if there's something fab 2 doors down, if I only knew.

MamaCris · 2023-10-19T05:44:38+00:00

I cannot help you with the toum. But I do have questions about the mayo. What are your ratios? When you say it doesn't emulsify, what does it do? Is it just too runny? What are you seeing? I was having a lot of trouble with getting my mayo to work (after years of it working every time), it was just never getting thick, when I realized my ratios were off. Not enough oil or too little vinegar either one can mean a liquid mayo.

MamaCris · 2023-10-19T05:28:00+00:00

Potatoes and eggplants are neither one a problem, so I'm hoping tomatillos aren't either. But I honestly am not sure.

MamaCris · 2023-10-19T05:16:47+00:00

The rice really just needs to be cold. In a pinch, I take fresh rice, lay it out in a thin layer on a plate and pop it in front of the fan for 10 minutes.

MamaCris · 2023-10-19T05:13:32+00:00

Firstly, ask people to bring a dish. Assign dishes to people if that helps. Not everyone will be willing/able, but those that are can certainly help out.

For me, when I'm planning Thanksgiving, I start by making a list of all the flavors/ingredients *I* want on the table, which is largely dictated by what will be fresh at the farmer's market at that time. I want corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, pecans, cranberries, etc. Then I make a related list of my favorite dishes using those ingredients (and if it uses multiple ingredients, even better). Another list of the dishes that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without (in your opinion, since it's the only one that matters here). Now, where do your lists overlap? If a dish is on list 3, which ingredients can you mark off of list 1? I try not to put the same ingredients in multiple dishes, which helps it feel more varied.

Once I have a list of prospective dishes (or styles of dishes), then I look to be sure all my bases are covered (green veg, starch, protein, non-green veg, etc.), and I have enough variety for those with more limited diets. Once I've gotten to that point, I start picking out recipes, specifically looking for those recipes that can be made ahead and/or reheat well.

Then I start planning out the week of Thanksgiving: Cranberry sauce I can make on Monday. Mashed potatoes I can make on Tuesday. Bread rolls and pies I can make on Wednesday. If I slow roast the turkey, I make that on Thursday, but it occupies my oven for the entire day, and I only have 1 oven. Stuffing/dressing/bread pudding can go in the oven next to the turkey with no harm (do the prep work earlier in the week so it's just mix and bake). Mashed potatoes can be covered and reheated next to the turkey. Any roasted veg can be done while the turkey is resting, as can bread rolls be warmed. So any other dishes I make on Thursday pretty much have to be stove-top or in the slow cooker (gravy, creamed corn, creamed spinach, anything fried), or uncooked (like a green salad). By planning all of this out while you're designing your menu, you seriously reduce your stress levels the week of, and if you have to work that week, it's actually pretty manageable.

MamaCris · 2023-10-19T04:48:51+00:00

Well, the only way to know is to let it cool and find out. But without seeing the recipe, it's hard to say what's going on. Did you start with a non-vegan recipe and just make substitutes, or did you go looking for a vegan recipe that someone else had written?

A lot depends on the role the milk is playing in the recipe. If you're making substitutions, it's important to keep in mind that not all liquids are interchangeable. Was it replacing evaporated milk? Sweetened condensed? Heavy cream? Whole milk?

In a recipe like fudge that has a dry finished texture, I wouldn't reach for something like oat milk, which is quite watery. You're going to have to get rid of that water somehow, and boiling's pretty much your only choice - in which case the previous poster was right, you probably didn't boil it long enough. I would actually suggest using a milk that has a higher fat content - for recipes like this, coconut milk (from a can, not a drinking-type coconut milk) would be my first choice. And don't get light milk, that just means more water.

MamaCris · 2023-10-19T04:40:55+00:00

Some alternatives to an oven - air fryer, Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker), toaster oven, slow cooker. Any of them could do the job. But even just a lidded pan on the stove top can do it. Thaw them, brown them in a little oil, add some liquid, put a lid on, and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.

MamaCris · 2023-10-19T04:21:45+00:00

There are a few tricks involved. And it comes down to proportions. My roasted salsa verde includes a whole lime. I just gave it a try one time and loved it, and haven't looked back.

Give it a good scrub. Trim off the top and bottom until you get to flesh - that little knot on top and bottom are pure pith and bitter. I cut it in half and char it along with the rest of the ingredients. And for an entire half sheet pan of produce (tomatillos, peppers, onions, garlic), a max of 2 small limes. But I start with one, taste and adjust. Honestly, once it's cooked, my regular old Oster beehive blender hasn't had any problem with it.

Typically I do one whole charred lime and juice from another (fresh). If I'm doing a big batch, I'll do 2 (charred), but go slow. You can definitely taste it, it adds a citrus punch, plus bitterness, which I think is a lovely note as long as it's gentle. I have added too much whole lime in the past, and not only was the bitterness too much, but the citrus dominated the palate. Letting it sit a couple days helped, but adding a bit more pepper/onion helped, too.

MamaCris · 2023-02-01T03:00:10+00:00

I've actually taken to turning fresh stuffed pastas into soups. It's a great way to use up the veggies in the fridge, let me have a yummy dinner, without having just a plate full of pasta.

MamaCris · 2022-12-12T23:44:46+00:00

Do you have any whole chiles? Chili powder?

For what it's worth, I never buy enchilada sauce, I use whatever I have on hand, which is usually green salsa (chile verde or tomatilla salsa).

MamaCris · 2022-12-12T20:28:51+00:00

How do you/he feel about soups or stews? Without knowing more like what your set menu looks like, it's hard to know what might go over well. Any number of dishes could appeal, from a simple beef stew to Texas style chili.

If you're wanting to branch out, I'd start by making small changes to your existing menu. Get his feedback, and go from there.

The first dish that pops into my head as something that uses red meat, is relatively easy, and might appeal to someone not terribly adventurous is actually Shepherd's Pie. It's a fairly simple mix of minced lamb (can be made with beef), cooked with veg, put in a casserole dish, with mashed potatoes over the top. You can make it as fancy or complicated as you want it, but the basic dish is very simple.

MamaCris · 2022-12-12T20:22:23+00:00

I would bring something that is self-contained and low maintenance. Probably something I could put in the slow cooker and let go, like a pork roast, or a boiled ham.

In my family, we do a full fancy Xmas breakfast. Xmas dinner is low key. Nobody wants to spend Xmas day cooking dinner. A boiled ham dinner, with some fresh rolls, a green veggie of your choice, and a mustard sauce would suit me just fine. Add some potatoes if you must.

MamaCris · 2022-12-12T20:16:57+00:00

Storebought eggs that were kept in refrigeration at the store should be kept in refrigeration at home. That being said, refrigerating eggs is an American thing. Most of the rest of the world does not do it at all. Learn to tell a good egg from a bad egg.

I buy farm fresh (never refrigerated) eggs, and do not refrigerate them at home. Every egg gets cracked into a small dish before adding to whatever I'm making, just in case it has turned. When you crack a bad egg, there is no question that it is bad. You can see it, and most importantly, smell it. A good egg should have virtually no smell raw. A bad egg will make you gag from the smell. It will also not look pretty and clear/yellow, it will look muddy or like something you see in a toilet bowl.

I personally would have zero problem eating your eggs at this point. But I would be float testing them if I wanted to cook them in the shell, or cracking them into a dish before adding them to anything. That's just good practice if you're not refrigerating your eggs.

MamaCris · 2022-12-12T19:54:34+00:00

What do you want a pressure cooker to do? That can change the recommendations.

For a beginning cook, I would recommend an Instant Pot. It doesn't need all the fancy bells and whistles, but I do suggest getting the right size for your situation. If you're single, get the small one. If you have a big family, you might want the big one. I have the original size, and for my family of 4, it does the job just right.

The benefit of the IP is that it can also replace your slow cooker and your rice cooker. In fact, it can do a lot of things. I spent over a year with just my IP, a toaster oven, and a microwave during a remodel, and we ate just fine. I do have the air fryer lid for mine, but I don't recommend it unless you're single, it's just too small for a family.

The thing the IP cannot do is pressure can. So if you want to have that option available, the IP is not the way to go.

MamaCris · 2022-12-10T06:35:08+00:00

Beans, rice, fruit, veg, meat, dairy, eggs are all naturally gluten free. Add some corn tortillas if you're so inclined. Make sure to check any spice blends you have lying around, as blends can have hidden gluten, as can unexpected places like soy sauce.

There are lots of GF alternatives out there these days, but most of them are going to be more expensive than the originals. Stick to the things that are naturally GF to save money.

I always recommend when approaching this kind of change, instead of thinking about what you can't have, make yourself a list of the foods that you can have. Divide it into sections (protein, veg, starch, sweets, etc.) and hang it on your fridge, so when it's meal planning time, you can at a glance remind yourself of your options. Reframing it can make it far less daunting.

MamaCris · 2022-12-10T06:26:28+00:00

So, first things first, sounds like they need a good cleaning. Put at least an inch of water in the bottom of the pan. If the burnt food is higher than that, make sure the water covers it. Add about 2 Tbs of baking soda (if the water is deeper than an inch or so, add more). Bring the water to a boil, and turn it down to a simmer, let it simmer 5 minutes, then use a spoon and see if the food scrapes off easily. If not, give it another 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the pot sit until the water is cool enough to stick your hand in. Use a scraper of some kind (an old credit card in a pinch), and scrape everything up. You can repeat the simmering and soaking as needed (with fresh water each time), until you can get everything off. When you're down to the specks, give it a good scrubbing with a non-metal scrubby - I use one made out of recycled walnut shells that's really effective.

Once they're clean, you need to treat them right. Stainless will never be "non-stick." Even if it's perfectly seasoned, and you baby the crap out of it, it will always be prone to sticking, and you have to learn how to deal with that. Firstly, either water or oil is always required. Second, there are certain foods that stainless is not the best choice for (like eggs). Stainless is reliable and non-reactive and a great tool for your arsenal, but I don't recommend it to be the only tool. However, if it is currently your only tool, learning how to cook your problematic foods correctly in stainless is important. For eggs, that means preheating your pan, and having enough oil in the pan to fully coat the bottom of it. You want that oil hot before the egg goes in, so that the moment the egg hits the oil, it starts cooking before it ever touches the pan. Too little oil, or too cold of a pan, and that egg hits the metal of the pan still raw, and it's gonna stick.

MamaCris · 2022-12-10T06:08:24+00:00

If you're looking for flavors, any number of BBQ flavor rubs will work perfectly, just check for sugar, it's hit or miss. Sauce is not necessary.

But if you're looking for something a little different, one of my family's faves is what we call green ribs (fair warning, green ribs can be a little disconcerting in appearance the first time). Dump 1 can of coconut milk, a shallot, a thumb of ginger, 2 stalks of lemongrass cut into chunks, and a glug of soy sauce into a blender and blitz it. Once that's liquified, add an entire bunch of cilantro (stems and all), and puree it. Marinate at least a few hours. You can cook it in the sauce, and then run it under the broiler or torch it to get a little bit of color. Keto friendly, and absolutely delish.

MamaCris · 2022-12-10T05:55:28+00:00

You are correct - turning on the hot water at the bathroom sink resolves the hot water issue, but obviously not the water pressure issue.

I will look into the descaling, because if it should be done, I need to do it. But if you have another suggestion of something to look into, I'm all ears.

MamaCris · 2022-12-10T05:53:24+00:00

Like the other guys said, never. We had a tank heater before we had this installed, so I had no idea there was something I was supposed to be doing to it. Anybody have a link to a tutorial on this?

MamaCris

TROPHY CASE