Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #5

[iamshadow21]

The discussion of the "sausage sizzle" is making me so hungry! The earliest I can have something like that is tomorrow night, because tomorrow I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy. So my diet has been super boring since Thursday -- low fiber diet for 3 days and liquid diet today.

Hope it all goes well. <3

 

[neesaki]

As someone who loves to cook, I found myself experimenting with various recipes to keep myself occupied and well-fed. One dish that quickly became a favorite was the shrimp salad sandwich.

The shrimp salad sandwich is a refreshing and delicious meal that is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. It consists of cooked and chopped shrimp mixed with mayonnaise, celery, red onion, lemon juice, and various seasonings, including salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. This mixture is then placed on a toasted roll with lettuce and tomato.

What I love about the shrimp salad sandwich is that it is easy to make, and the ingredients can be adjusted to suit one's taste preferences. Additionally, it is a healthier alternative to traditional sandwiches like BLTs or grilled cheese. Shrimp is low in calories and high in protein, making it a great addition to any diet.

During the quarantine period, the shrimp salad sandwich became my go-to meal. It was simple to make, and I could easily adjust the recipe depending on what ingredients I had on hand. It also gave me something to look forward to during the day, which was important for maintaining a sense of routine and normalcy during a challenging time.

In conclusion, the shrimp salad sandwich is a delicious and healthy meal that is easy to make and adjust to personal preferences. It quickly became a favorite meal during the quarantine period, providing comfort and nourishment during a challenging time.

I‘m inspired. And fairly convinced to try this shrimp salad sandwich. I have had a shrimp “roll” , which is basically the same thing, but on a bun, similar to a lobster roll.
As far as the shrimp, Do you use the frozen raw salad shrimp, that you boil ?
I guess I ask this, because where I live we don’t have fresh seafood. Sadly.

 

[neesaki]

DBM Double post.

 

[neesaki]

Welcome to Websleuths Your shrimp salad recipe reminded me of a shrimp spread that I used to make frequently in the '70s and '80s. The recipe was on a box of Pepperidge Farm crackers that I always served with the spread that had basically the same ingredients as your shrimp salad recipe with the addition of cream cheese and scallions instead of red onion. I did not like the tiny shrimp (in a can) that were called for in the recipe and used regular cooked shrimp instead. I made the shrimp spread for holidays and for parties when asked to bring a dish.

One year during the Christmas season (early '80s), a neighbor hosted a Gingerbread House-making party for moms and daughters. I offered to bring an appetizer and made the shrimp spread to be served with a box of the Pepperidge Farm crackers. Unbeknownst to me, the hostess was allergic to shellfish and could not eat the shrimp spread that everyone enjoyed. That was the first time that I had ever encountered someone with a food allergy. I rarely made the shrimp spread after that unless it was for family gatherings (no shellfish allergies) and educated myself about food allergies for the future.

I have often wondered why food allergies seem to be so commonplace now. Where as back in the 70’s and 80’s, I hadnt heard of such allergies.
Seafood, peanuts, gluten…. It was virtually unheard of back then.

Anyone know if there is a scientific explanation for this? Does it have to do with genetically modified foods? Food additives? Something in the water? Or …… ?

 

[PayrollNerd]

I have often wondered why food allergies seem to be so commonplace now. Where as back in the 70’s and 80’s, I hadnt heard of such allergies.
Seafood, peanuts, gluten…. It was virtually unheard of back then.

Anyine know if there is a scientific explanation for this? Does it have to do with genetically modified foods? Food additives? Something in the water? Or …… ?

All our food allergies are similar with mine being the most unusual. We’ve learned it is likely an autoimmune reaction but nothing has been pinpointed. We’ve all had allergy testing & shots. We all have allergy pills and I have multiple epi pens.

My kids Dad & I both carry 1 variant of the gene that triggers Celiac Disease. Neither one of the girls has Celiac but they have to eat gluten free.

2 of us have peanut & almond allergy.
3 of us have a mold allergy so no blue cheese or mushrooms.
Scariest reactions for me: peanut butter, ginger, cantaloupe and mango.

 

[neesaki]

All our food allergies are similar with mine being the most unusual. We’ve learned it is likely an autoimmune reaction but nothing has been pinpointed. We’ve all had allergy testing & shots. We all have allergy pills and I have multiple epi pens.

My kids Dad & I both carry 1 variant of the gene that triggers Celiac Disease. Neither one of the girls has Celiac but they have to eat gluten free.

2 of us have peanut & almond allergy.
3 of us have a mold allergy so no blue cheese or mushrooms.
Scariest reactions for me: peanut butter, ginger, cantaloupe and mango.

You have to be so careful!

 

[fridaybaker]

Glad to have you join us. Your moniker suggests that you spend a lot of time in the kitchen - at least on Fridays This awesome thread was started during the pandemic to help us cope with food shortages, rising prices, etc., and I'm glad that moderators have allowed the forum to continue. This is a wonderful group of people who have shared baking/cooking tips, recipes, and supported each other when Covid was rampant. Welcome!

BetteDavisEyes,
Thank you so much, belatedly, for the awesome welcome. I’m terrible at being a good poster, but do love to read here. (And, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, am a fan of your usually insightful posts.)

I do love to cook, but in recent years have become interested in baking. I find food, and everything related, to be such a big part of life: Part of the social fabric, as well as a great regulator of daily, seasonal, and even spiritual, rhythm. The most recent example of this is the traditional St. Patrick’s Day feast that many of us do, Irish or no. Ours,specifically, was: “Shamrock Rita’s”, Oven Roasted Corned Beef & Cabbage, Colcannon, and Guinness Brownies. (And beer to accompany the meal!)

A small joy to have a traditional meal to mark not just the specific occasion, but also another year. We had a very small gathering, but the traditional menu, prepared with thoughtfulness and care, brings a bit of humanity and familiarity to a cold and increasingly unfamiliar world.

Sorry for the philosophical rant on a food thread!

 

[fridaybaker]

I have often wondered why food allergies seem to be so commonplace now. Where as back in the 70’s and 80’s, I hadnt heard of such allergies.
Seafood, peanuts, gluten…. It was virtually unheard of back then.

Anyone know if there is a scientific explanation for this? Does it have to do with genetically modified foods? Food additives? Something in the water? Or …… ?

Hmmm. I have been wondering this myself. I wonder if it has something to do with the huge mix of genes in recent years. I’ve been reading about traditional diets, and realize that, traditionally, groups of people geographically and ethnically related had pretty limited diets. In addition, certain peoples have exhibited food intolerances, such as the well known intolerance of predominantly Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and African peoples.

I’m wondering if people have, over time, become adapted to certain foods and, alternatively, “un-adapted” to other foods - a sort of “micro-evolution” within specific ethnic/geographical groups. The current mix of these groups has maybe caused some intolerances?

Here, though, are other considerations: The modern hybridization of foods, such as grains, such as wheat. Contemporary wheat, as opposed to ancient wheat, is much more “gluten-dense”, gluten being notably difficult to digest. In addition, there are GMO foods, as well as seeds developed to be “glyphosate resistant”. ( Nothing like your food being thoroughly drenched in glyphosate!”)

Anyway I, like you, am very interested in the food allergy/intolerance issue, as I’ve struggled with it all my life! Lots of confusing information, especially as the world has become so much smaller, and so much food, in all its many forms, has become increasingly available. So many choices; so many stomach problems!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Enchiladas for the week. I found the can of cheese sauce at the Dollar General. We tasted it and it’s pretty good. So I decided to use it instead of red sauce. We added corn this time. They smell good!

I made vegetarian enchiladas on Friday. I tried to replicate Enchiladas Verde that is one of my favorite dishes at Mexican Village. Flour tortillas filled with spinach, mushrooms, onions. I added 1/2 chopped avocado and tomato that were left over from California BLTs on Thursday. Topped with canned red enchilada sauce and Colby-Jack cheese. Plenty of leftovers. We had Jet's pizza on Saturday and sockeye salmon with bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles yesterday.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

The discussion of the "sausage sizzle" is making me so hungry! The earliest I can have something like that is tomorrow night, because tomorrow I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy. So my diet has been super boring since Thursday -- low fiber diet for 3 days and liquid diet today.

I hope your prep isn't too difficult and that your procedure goes well.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I went to a newer restaurant for dinner yesterday, with several friends. One of their specialties is different kinds of half pound burgers: angus, bison, etc. I don’t eat meat but one of my friends ordered one of their burger specials. She ordered it well done.

When she took one bite of her burger she saw the inside was very pink, definitely not cooked well done. When the server stopped by our table she showed her that the burger was very pink.

The server told her it was pink because the burger was beef mixed with pork, and the pork wasn’t cooked well done, but the beef was. The server brought the manager over who confirmed that the pork would appear pink even though the beef was well done, lol.

Did the menu indicate that a beef burger was mixed with pork? I would be upset if I ordered what I thought was a beef burger and learned that is contained pork that might not have been thoroughly cooked. Many people do not eat pork for religious or health reasons and should definitely be advised that their "beef" burger might be mixed with pork. JMO

 

[IceIce9]

Did the menu indicate that a beef burger was mixed with pork? I would be upset if I ordered what I thought was a beef burger and learned that is contained pork that might not have been thoroughly cooked. Many people do not eat pork for religious or health reasons and should definitely be advised that their "beef" burger might be mixed with pork. JMO

Exactly! The menu did not mention anything about pork being mixed with the beef. It was one of their house specialties burgers but the menu should have the included a description that included mentioning it was a 50/50 mixture of pork and beef.


And pork should be cooked thoroughly anyway, and not pink.

The manager came back up our tanker and offered to have another burger made but said it would look the same, and would be pink inside. So my friend ordered a salad instead.

We all just thought it was a strange experience.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Exactly! The menu did not mention anything about pork being mixed with the beef. It was one of their house specialties burgers but the menu should have the included a description that included mentioning it was a 50/50 mixture of pork and beef.


And pork should be cooked thoroughly anyway, and not pink.

The manager came back up our tanker and offered to have another burger made but said it would look the same, and would be pink inside. So my friend ordered a salad instead.

We all just thought it was a strange experience.

Holy Smokes! Some people are allergic to pork! I can't believe they'd be so ignorant as to do that and not tell people!!!

Years ago we went to IHOP, brand new location, kiddo goes to the rest room. I asked her if she wanted the allergy menu and she said no, I'm just going to order eggs and potatoes. Well, my intuition told me to ask for the allergy menu anyway.

I'm scanning thru it and it says the eggs have wheat?! I asked the server why the eggs have wheat??? She said "Oh we add pancake mix to make them fluffier." I nearly fell off my dang chair. Kiddo would have been sick and she was going to take an exam later that day.

I get they add it to stretch the quantity of eggs, I call BS on that making them fluffier nonsense. We certainly learned our lesson that day. Always, always ask for an allergy menu.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I made vegetarian enchiladas on Friday. I tried to replicate Enchiladas Verde that is one of my favorite dishes at Mexican Village. Flour tortillas filled with spinach, mushrooms, onions. I added 1/2 chopped avocado and tomato that were left over from California BLTs on Thursday. Topped with canned red enchilada sauce and Colby-Jack cheese. Plenty of leftovers. We had Jet's pizza on Saturday and sockeye salmon with bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles yesterday.

I am going to add spinach next time and not use the corn. The corn was too sweet for me. I used the roasted turkey breast in mine but kiddo's were meatless so basically vegetarian. Sometimes I have cooked onions and garlic on hand but I didn't this time. They are good with the cheese sauce.

 

[neesaki]

Exactly! The menu did not mention anything about pork being mixed with the beef. It was one of their house specialties burgers but the menu should have the included a description that included mentioning it was a 50/50 mixture of pork and beef.


And pork should be cooked thoroughly anyway, and not pink.

The manager came back up our tanker and offered to have another burger made but said it would look the same, and would be pink inside. So my friend ordered a salad instead.

We all just thought it was a strange experience.

I thought that was old and was thinking the same thing. Pork should never be undercooked.

 

[anneg]

I hope your prep isn't too difficult and that your procedure goes well.

Thank you! The doctor found 3 polyps and removed them. He said the due to my age (78), it might be OK for me to stop having colonoscopies. I hope my primary care doctor agrees! First we'll see what the pathology report says.

When I got home, I had a bowl of cereal and a cup of decaf. I think we'll have eggs, bacon, and toast for dinner--that sounds good to me!

 

[RusselSprout]

Has anyone ever cooked with dried Mexican chilis before? My brother brought me back 4 different types from Mexico, and lots of them!! Im not sure what to do with them! I found this article which is useful, it seems like a need to make a chilli paste with them?

How To Cook With Dried Mexican Chillies

Cooking with dried Mexican chillies requires a specific technique. While a fresh bird’s eye chilli can be finely chopped and chucked in a pan, a wrinkled ancho or a leathery guajillo should be cooked the traditional Mexican way. The process takes a little longer, but you’ll reap the rewards –...

www.souschef.co.uk

 

[Tbone144]

Holy Smokes! Some people are allergic to pork! I can't believe they'd be so ignorant as to do that and not tell people!!!

Years ago we went to IHOP, brand new location, kiddo goes to the rest room. I asked her if she wanted the allergy menu and she said no, I'm just going to order eggs and potatoes. Well, my intuition told me to ask for the allergy menu anyway.

I'm scanning thru it and it says the eggs have wheat?! I asked the server why the eggs have wheat??? She said "Oh we add pancake mix to make them fluffier." I nearly fell off my dang chair. Kiddo would have been sick and she was going to take an exam later that day.

I get they add it to stretch the quantity of eggs, I call BS on that making them fluffier nonsense. We certainly learned our lesson that day. Always, always ask for an allergy menu.

Things like this are why I rarely eat out. I did know about the ihop thing. I try to look at the gluten free menu on the chains, just easier that way.

Has anyone ever cooked with dried Mexican chilis before? My brother brought me back 4 different types from Mexico, and lots of them!! Im not sure what to do with them! I found this article which is useful, it seems like a need to make a chilli paste with them?

How To Cook With Dried Mexican Chillies

Cooking with dried Mexican chillies requires a specific technique. While a fresh bird’s eye chilli can be finely chopped and chucked in a pan, a wrinkled ancho or a leathery guajillo should be cooked the traditional Mexican way. The process takes a little longer, but you’ll reap the rewards –...

www.souschef.co.uk

I’ve roasted/toasted them before making them into things to make my own chili powder. I’ll heat them in dry skillet until fragrant and then either soak them in water before blending or use them dry in food processor. I keep mine in the freezer out of habit. Houston was a bit humid to store them freely IMO.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Has anyone ever cooked with dried Mexican chilis before? My brother brought me back 4 different types from Mexico, and lots of them!! Im not sure what to do with them! I found this article which is useful, it seems like a need to make a chilli paste with them?

How To Cook With Dried Mexican Chillies

Cooking with dried Mexican chillies requires a specific technique. While a fresh bird’s eye chilli can be finely chopped and chucked in a pan, a wrinkled ancho or a leathery guajillo should be cooked the traditional Mexican way. The process takes a little longer, but you’ll reap the rewards –...

www.souschef.co.uk

When I was researching pozole recipes a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that some of them called for dried chiles. I have no experience cooking with dried peppers and didn't use those recipes.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Food Allergies: What You Need to Know

Food Facts on food allergies, labeling of foods that contain major food allergens, symptoms of an allergic reaction, and reporting a problem with labeling.

www.fda.gov

Millions of Americans have food allergies and may experience adverse reactions to products that have food allergens. Most reactions cause mild symptoms, but some are severe and may even be life-threatening.

Although new treatments are being developed, there is no cure for food allergies. Medical diagnosis to find out which foods cause an individual to have an allergic reaction and strictly avoiding those foods are important ways to prevent serious adverse health effects...