A culinary question

[craigville beach]

in my neck of the woods there is a brand of pre made pie crust in the grocery that has lard as a listed ingredient

also a local brand of flour (King Arthur Brand) has an excellent web site with great recipes. Another is "America's Test Kitchen"

[whipped guy]

OMG!! You are retired now! so you can eat the french fries! Esp. the steak fries - those great big, thick ones! Yum!!!!!

If I'm gonna be eating something big, thick, and hopefully yummy too, it ain't gonna be fries! o.O

[Rudynate]

If I'm gonna be eating something big, thick, and hopefully yummy too, it ain't gonna be fries!

 

And lean and low-calorie.

[Rudynate]

Well, I have come to hate the taste of fried foods and butter as well. However, for some reason the only fried food that I indulge in is fried calamari... and especially the tentacles! Si! Calamari fritti! Il cibo degli dei! The food of the gods! There is no way that I'm giving that up!

 

Even then it is not exactly something that one has the opportunity to have on a regular basis. Perhaps it is because it is something that is usually offered only in better restaurants and also due to the fact that the calamari don't absorb much oil when fried. At any rate, when done properly there's not much that is better on this earth!

 

Incidentally we agree about canola oil!!!!

 

 

I do like fried calamari also, served in the most mundane manner - with red cocktail sauce.

[+ Funguy]

And lean and low-calorie.

 

And here, all this time I thought it was high calorie, full of protein

[Phil_musc]

Well this topic has certainly raised quite a ruckus! See what happens when an institution such as Rentboy gets shut down. We all have to move on to other topics and sublimations.

 

One thing I've learned here in this thread is that I'm not accepting any dinner invitations from some of my fellow posters.

[whipped guy]

Well this topic has certainly raised quite a ruckus! See what happens when an institution such as Rentboy gets shut down. We all have to move on to other topics and sublimations.

 

One thing I've learned here in this thread is that I'm not accepting any dinner invitations from some of my fellow posters.

Somehow I feel that I just might be one of those posters. However, you will miss out on what I usually serve for dessert. Better than finger licking good!

[+ Gar1eth]

Chicken fried in lard may be one of the wonders of the world. I tried and tried to make good fried chicken and couldn't get the hang of it. Then I saw a recipe in Woman's Day magazine that explained everything you would ever want to know about the proper technique for frying chicken. I followed the instructions and.... success! The Woman's day recipe called for one pound of lard and a stick of butter. I hardly ever cook that way anymore. Mostly, when I cook chicken, I roast a whole chicken.

 

While lard does make an excellent pie crust, I think butter makes a much tastier crust. Either butter or lard will produce an extremely flaky crust.

 

I think my mother used either corn oil or Crisco for frying chicken. The memory is vague because she pretty much gave it up after we all learned frying was bad. Occasionally I could get her to make it on a special occasion. And my Mom's French Fries were out of this world!! But Ore-Ida fries and tater tots that you bake in the oven are pretty good too.

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

I love to cook and I entertain a great deal. Right up front I need to state that I have no patience what-so-ever with the whole “organic” and “healthy cooking” craze we are currently experiencing. I’m convinced it is a great marketing tool for producers and manufacturers who want to charge more for their products. Cooking has more than its share of ridiculous fads. Twenty plus years ago we were told that even looking at an egg was deadly – today that is no longer the cry of the cooking Nazis. Twenty plus years ago we were told that even looking at butter was deadly – today that is no longer the cry of the cooking Nazis. Twenty plus years ago we were told that even looking at salt was deadly – today that is no longer the cry of the cooking Nazis, and many researchers have concluded that the harm from too little salt in the diet is worse than that of too much. The cooking Nazis are currently insisting that “organic” and gluten free foods are the only healthy way to live - bullshit.

 

I’m convinced that common sense and moderation should be the guide NOT the latest dogmatic pronouncement of some crazy nutritionist. Lard in pie crust isn’t going to kill anybody unless they plan to consume two or three pies a day. Lard in tamales isn’t going to kill anybody unless they plan to consume a dozen or more a day. Lard used to fry chicken isn’t going to kill anybody unless they plan to eat fried chicken every day. After all the hoopla regarding the evils of butter it is now believed that margarine is less even less healthy. The key here should be moderation NOT abstinence.

 

Enough for my diatribe!!!!! I fry chicken in Crisco because my mother did and I like it that way. I use lard in my tamale masa. I cook string beans with sliced bacon because it adds flavor. I add a moderate amount of salt to nearly EVERYTHING I cook because it enhances flavor. I use flour in my cooking and believe that only a very small number of people need to be concerned about the gluten content.

 

PEOPLE USE COMMON SENSE AND LEAVE FADS TO THE CRAZIES!!!!!

 

I sometimes use a bullion cube when I'm fixing green beans. Oh and I prefer canned whole beans over fresh.

 

Gman

[sincitymix]

reminds me of a cookbook that's been passed down for generations on m fathers side of the family.

"If you don't have lard on hand, you can use this wonderful new invention called Crisco to make up for it"

[jawjateck]

One of my all-time favorite treats is to enjoy a tea cake (obviously, made with lard) while drinking a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. Dang......this thread makes me hongry!

[whipped guy]

I sometimes use a bullion cube when I'm fixing green beans. Oh and I prefer canned whole beans over fresh.

 

Gman

Well for some reason I like canned green beans as well. I usually add a dash of onion to spice it up plus some basil. Yes basil, and preferably fresh! That's something that I absolutely can't live without!!! I'll leave it there for now, as next I'll be talking pesto and I don't want to hijack what is after all the lard thread!

[bobchitown]

Moderators, please move this as necessary.

 

I'm wondering how many of you have ever cooked with lard, as in frying chicken in it. Also, whether you've ever used it for pie crusts, etc.

 

I understand it makes an incredible substitute for Crisco, and I have no qualms about animal fat in my diet.

 

Input, please?

 

You've got it backwards. Crisco is a substitute for lard, not the other way around. Lard makes the best pie crust, ever.

[+ Charlie]

I had two friends who used to argue about the merits of lard vs. Crisco for fist-fucking, but I can't remember their arguments.

[Guest]

Saturated fat is not of the Devil. Some saturated fat is good for you--i.e. EV coconut & olive oils, and avocado hexane-free oil. The building block of the human brain is saturated fats. Just do not go overboard on them. Your real enemy in Life is processed sugars...not fats. Just read up and make smart food choices.

 

Coconut and palm oils, which are loaded with saturated fat, are pretty darned bad for you. Olive and avocado oils, which are low in saturated fat, are good for you:

1. Nutrition Facts
   Avocado oil
   Amount Per 1 tbsp (14 g)
    
   Calories 124
   
2. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 14 g 21%
   Saturated fat 1.6 g 8%
   Polyunsaturated fat 1.9 g
   Monounsaturated fat 10 g
   Sodium 0 mg 0%
   Total Carbohydrate 0 g 0%
   Dietary fiber 0 g 0%
   Protein 0 g 0%
   Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
   Calcium 0% Iron 0%
   Vitamin B-6 0% Vitamin B-12 0%
   Magnesium 0%
   

1. Olive oil
   
2. Olive oil is a fat obtained from the olive, a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by pressing whole olives and is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, ...Wikipedia
   
3. Nutrition Facts
   Olive oil
   Amount Per 1 tablespoon (13.5 g)
    
   Calories 119
   
4. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 14 g 21%
   Saturated fat 1.9 g 9%
   Polyunsaturated fat 1.4 g
   Monounsaturated fat 10 g
   Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
   Sodium 0 mg 0%
   Potassium 0 mg
   

1. Coconut oil
   Edible oil
   
2. Coconut oil, or copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. It has various applications as food or in cosmetics. Wikipedia
   
3. Nutrition Facts
   Oil, coconut
   Amount Per 1 tbsp (13.6 g)
    
   Calories 117
   
4. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 14 g 21%
   Saturated fat 12 g 60%
   Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g
   Monounsaturated fat 0.8 g
   

 

 

Many health organizations advise against the consumption of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated fat, including the United StatesFood and Drug Administration,[2]World Health Organization,[3] International College of Nutrition,[4] the United States Department of Health and Human Services,[5]American Dietetic Association,[6]American Heart Association,[7] British National Health Service,[8] and Dietitians of Canada.[9]

[Guest]

But now and again, a few french fries, a dollop of sour cream or a big glob of butter keep life interesting.

 

I, too, enjoy fries a few times a year. But they're just "fries," not "French fries." Fries are a Belgian, not a French dish.

 

http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/2/3/8/6/7/7/5/miamiam-42379639733.png

 

http://www.belgianfries.com/pre2001/frietbief.gif

 

http://www.logomoose.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/bf_logo_2.jpg

 

http://www.toonpool.com/user/4928/files/the_revolution_of_belgian_fries_1154615.jpg

[+ Gar1eth]

Ditto to Gaack!!!!! as in YUCK!!!!

 

Actually the only oil that I have in the house is Extra Virgin Olive Oil and you really can't fry with that at all! So problem solved!

 

This from a guy who has literally not eaten a French fry in twenty years. Yes! I know! I'm no fun! Not at all!

 

Come on WG, live a little. During the low-fat craze of the 80s - 90s, I pretty much lost my taste for very fatty food. But now and again, a few french fries, a dollop of sour cream or a big glob of butter keep life interesting.

 

I fry a couple strips of bacon before adding oil to make very tasty fried chicken. When crisp, and before the chicken goes in, I extract the bacon strips themselves for what AdamSmith refers to as an amuse bouche while mashing the potatoes.

 

Haven't made pie crust in a long time but, next time I do, it will be with half butter and half lard.

 

I grew up near the Pennsylvania Dutch country, where animal fats were all the rage. In those days, lard was much more common than Crisco, and no one keeled over. The offset was exercise, and lots of it.

 

Going back there now, where there are still several brands of potato chips made with lard and long days in the field have been replaced by long days in front of the TV, there's a lot of obesity. Back in the day, when everyone was bustling around all day, there was almost none.

 

It always amazes me when folks focus almost entirely on what they put into their bodies, and rarely on how they burn it off. http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/dogkids-wiki-of-wonder/images/3/3f/Smiley_running.gif

 

I have fried chicken a couple times a year, pie about the same, and on those rare occasions when I do, it's going to be the best-tasting fried chicken and pie I can manage, calories be damned. I'll burn them off walking to the cardiologist. http://www.boytoy.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

 

I, too, enjoy fries a few times a year. But they're just "fries," not "French fries." Fries are a Belgian, not a French dish.

 

http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/2/3/8/6/7/7/5/miamiam-42379639733.png

 

http://www.belgianfries.com/pre2001/frietbief.gif

 

http://www.logomoose.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/bf_logo_2.jpg

 

http://www.toonpool.com/user/4928/files/the_revolution_of_belgian_fries_1154615.jpg

 

Ok I'm zaftig-unfortunately very zaftig. But apparently I must have gotten an out of date or recalled gay manual. Mine never said anything about avoiding fried foods. I eat French Fries and Fried Chicken fairly frequently. Yes, I know if I didn't I'm sure all the young gay boys would be after the svelte me. But it's not going to happen. There was even a NYT article last week or so talking about how a significant number of zaftig people are constantly hungry when placed on a diet. I unfortunately am not willing to be hungry for years. Yes food is a comfort to me. But I don't have a lot of other comforts.

 

Gman

[whipped guy]

Olive Oil.. not all are created equally!

 

One very important thing must be noted about olive oil. It must be cold pressed! Extra virgin olive oil (EVO) by definition is the first cold pressing. Of course the first pressing produces a more flavorful product. The result can be either pungent or even sweet depending on the type of olives. The atmospheric conditions also effect the flavor. I always buy an EVO that comes from a specific producer in Italy. The product like fine wine varies from year to year. 2014 was an exceptional year. It is important to know your supplier because the Italians usually save the good stuff for themselves and ship the crap the USA, or worse oil that is not 100 percent olive oil. The owner of the local market where I purchase the olive oil personally knows the grower in Italy so he is assured or receiving a quality product. One simple test to check to make sure that what you are buying is indeed olive oil is to put it in the refrigerator. It it congeals it is the most likely the real thing.

 

However, there are other caveats! Not all olive oil is cold pressed. You hardly ever see the words cold pressed on any product sold in supermarkets. There is a technique where the after the various cold pressings the olives including the pits are heated and pressed. This results in a pomace oil. The heating process supposedly also produces carcinogens. Not a good thing! At times the word "pomace" is on the container. Most often it is not. EVO by definition is cold pressed. For those that prefer a less flavorful oil from a later pressing there is really no way to be absolutely sure what you are getting if the words cold pressed don't appear on the label.

 

Bottom line: read the fine print and only buy the product if it is cold pressed. When I am away from my home base I have found that Trader Joe's has a number of tasty cold pressed products. The name of one Italian supplier that sells a reputable product is Caroli. It is sold in the USA under their brand name. Their "Classic" EVO is as good as any! They also produce the product for specialty stores such as the local market that I mentioned above and as such can be sold under a variety of other names.

 

http://www.caroli.it/english/extravergine.asp

[Lookin]

I unfortunately am not willing to be hungry for years. Yes food is a comfort to me. But I don't have a lot of other comforts.

 

It always amazes me when folks focus almost entirely on what they put into their bodies, and rarely on how they burn it off.

 

Exercise.

 

Unless you're immobile for some medical reason, I'd suggest moving around more. Whatever exercise you're doing now, add a half hour a day, at least five days a week. Even a casual stroll around your neighborhood every day for thirty minutes will reset your metabolism. If your feet hurt, get some Dr. Scholl's.

 

If you can't exercise for some reason, and you don't feel like changing your food intake, then at least learn to embrace zaftig and enjoy yourself just as you are.

 

The worst possible combination, in my opinion anyway, is to eat more than you burn off and still not be happy about it. Comfort and guilt do not go well together. I figure that, if I'm going to indulge myself, I'm at least going to milk all the pleasure out of it I can.

 

http://www.espacebuzz.com/uploads/actus/thumb/740_espacebuzz54de032dc1a95.jpg

[Rudynate]

. When I am away from my home base I have found that Trader Joe's has a number of tasty cold pressed products.

 

 

Trader Joe's is where I buy olive oil. A good product at a great price.

[Odinochka]

Coconut and palm oils, which are loaded with saturated fat, are pretty darned bad for you. Olive and avocado oils, which are low in saturated fat, are good for you:

1. Nutrition Facts
   Avocado oil
   Amount Per 1 tbsp (14 g)
    
   Calories 124
   
2. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 14 g 21%
   Saturated fat 1.6 g 8%
   Polyunsaturated fat 1.9 g
   Monounsaturated fat 10 g
   Sodium 0 mg 0%
   Total Carbohydrate 0 g 0%
   Dietary fiber 0 g 0%
   Protein 0 g 0%
   Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
   Calcium 0% Iron 0%
   Vitamin B-6 0% Vitamin B-12 0%
   Magnesium 0%
   

1. Olive oil
   
2. Olive oil is a fat obtained from the olive, a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by pressing whole olives and is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, ...Wikipedia
   
3. Nutrition Facts
   Olive oil
   Amount Per 1 tablespoon (13.5 g)
    
   Calories 119
   
4. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 14 g 21%
   Saturated fat 1.9 g 9%
   Polyunsaturated fat 1.4 g
   Monounsaturated fat 10 g
   Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
   Sodium 0 mg 0%
   Potassium 0 mg
   

1. Coconut oil
   Edible oil
   
2. Coconut oil, or copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. It has various applications as food or in cosmetics. Wikipedia
   
3. Nutrition Facts
   Oil, coconut
   Amount Per 1 tbsp (13.6 g)
    
   Calories 117
   
4. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 14 g 21%
   Saturated fat 12 g 60%
   Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g
   Monounsaturated fat 0.8 g
   

 

Many health organizations advise against the consumption of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated fat, including the United StatesFood and Drug Administration,[2]World Health Organization,[3] International College of Nutrition,[4] the United States Department of Health and Human Services,[5]American Dietetic Association,[6]American Heart Association,[7] British National Health Service,[8] and Dietitians of Canada.[9]

 

Were you not fucking reading? I said don't go overboard on any of them. SMALL doses of coconut oil are not bad for you. Furthermore, Polynesian countries where you see locals eating raw coconut do not have the worst health....unless they also consume Western food, in which case they DO have hideous health (i.e. Nauru). Western diets with processing and such are pretty bad for you. Another thing, sweetie--egg yolks are nothing but saturated fats, and yet medical science has shown you can consume 2 a day & ward off the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes. The science on fats is changing, and those organizations may be behind the curve.

 

Bye, Felicia...

[mike carey]

There are lots of olive groves in Australia now, and plenty of domestic producers of olive oil. Small producers market their extra virgin olive oil and supermarkets stock it. There are typically a dozen domestic olive oils in the big supermarkets, and a lot of people are prepared to pay a premium for them. Much of the oil qualifies as premium quality too. The last time I bought olive oil it was Australian, extra virgin, in a 3 litre drum and competitive with imported oil.

[whipped guy]

For those who like to buy their olive oil fresh from the field there are the Northern and Southern Hemisphere varieties where the growing season is obviously exactly the opposite. As noted by Mike the Aussie varieties from Down Under are supposedly quite tasty!

[Rudynate]

Coconut and palm oils, which are loaded with saturated fat, are pretty darned bad for you.

 

That's the mainstream view, to which, since you are an MD, it is not surprising that you ascribe. There is newer information out there about sat fats. Also, the entire lipid hypothesis of heart disease is being questioned. It is still the mainstream view. I see a highly-respected preventive cardiologist and he is firmly in the lipid hypothesis camp. But there is an ever-larger minority that doesn't believe in the lipid hypothesis.

[+ poolboy48220]

reminds me of a cookbook that's been passed down for generations on m fathers side of the family.

"If you don't have lard on hand, you can use this wonderful new invention called Crisco to make up for it"

That reminds me of watching the first episode of Julia Child's cooking show, where she made Beef Bourguignon. When she talked about the need for drying the beef before sauteing it, she said "You can use towels without worrying too much about cleaning them, now that they have these wonderful new machines for washing."