Food Shopping at 7 am

Visiting the supermarket at the crack of dawn is an effective way to do a necessary chore without seeing many people.  This morning I spotted just four shoppers in my local grocery store at 7 am.  I was quick with my purchases and out of there in 10 minutes.

Effective, yes.  Inspired, no.  Back when life was simpler, I would stroll the aisles, thinking about what I might want to make for dinner.  I would notice new products, check out sales and be reminded that I was running out of yogurt.

Now the planning must be done either the night before or in the store’s parking lot before I put on my mask. Do I want to serve Roasted Chicken, Shrimp Stir-Fry (see above), Tilapia?  Do I need eggs?  Milk?  What should I get for the rest of the week? 

There is an unexpected bonus about shopping early in the morning.  A wide variety of meats, vegetable and fruit may be on sale.  I recently picked up 3 yellow bell peppers for $1 and a large boneless chicken breast, very thinly sliced and marinated in hot sauce, also for $1.  The sell-by date was the next day.  No problem for me.  We ate the chicken for dinner and held over the Shrimp Stir-Fry, which calls for those on-sale bell peppers, for tomorrow.

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Question for Mom

Are fresh ginger and ground ginger interchangeable? – Stephanie A.

I used to think they were, but after doing some research I discovered that the answer is NO.  Ground ginger is the spice of choice for baking.  I’ve often used it in stir-fries, soups and casseroles, and it provided a good flavor. So I seldom go to the trouble of peeling and dicing fresh ginger.

I did wonder why fresh ginger didn’t seem to add much flavor, but

Why Not Use Lamb in a Stir-Fry?

I tend to get trapped making the same dishes over and over.  It’s the easy way out since I hate hearing complaints from family members when they’re presented with a dish they’ve never seen before.

Sometimes when I’m trying something new, I make it resemble a dish I know they already like.  That approach can backfire if they decide they don’t like that dish after all and ask me never to make it again.  This time though, when I made my friend Abby’s lamb stir-fry recipe, the plan worked.

Persian Cucumbers: What Are They and How Do I Use Them?

Persian cucumbers are miniature cucumbers.  They are 5 or 6 inches long, have thin, non-waxed skin and tiny seeds.  They never taste bitter like regular cucumbers sometimes do.  They do not need to be peeled before eating.

I started seeing them in ethnic markets a few years ago, and now they are readily available in many supermarkets.  If you’ve ever bought a regular cucumber, used half of it and left the other half rotting in the fridge’s vegetable bin, you’ll welcome these pint-size versions.

I like Persian cucumbers in salads or as a simple cold side dish.  Use the old fork trick of sticking the tines into the top of a cucumber and pulling down the sides to make shallow indentations.

Toss some slices into a stir-fry or a potato salad.  Make cucumber sandwiches. You can even pickle Persian cucumbers if you want.
                                   
                              For more recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"

Argentine Red Shrimp: What Are They and How Do I Cook Them?

Argentine Red Shrimp, also called crustacean shellfish, are wild caught in the Southern Atlantic and have much more flavor than the average shrimp.  They are usually sold frozen in bags, 16-to-20 per pound.  Most likely they will be raw, and their tough shells, which are red, will still be attached.

Yikes! Not Chicken Again!

Moroccan Chicken

Sometimes I go overboard when I see a sale on boneless chicken breasts.  When I’m loading a 4-pound package into my cart, all I can think about is “What a great bargain this is.”  Only when I’m starring at it in my refrigerator do I actually think about having to cook it and eat it.

I knew that freezing half of what I bought would solve the immediate problem, but experience has taught me that chicken tastes better when it’s freshly cooked. 

Ramen Noodles Not Just for College Students

If you toss out the flavor packet (too much salt), packaged ramen noodles can be the basis of a reasonable emergency meal.  I proved it last night when I was scrambling to get dinner on the table and discovered two lonely packages of ramen noodles at the back of a pantry shelf.  They were just what I needed for the leftover pork stir-fry I wanted to make.

Turning Leftovers into New Dishes

Chinese Fried Rice

I feel guilty if I throw away leftovers—unless they have a suspicious green tinge.  Luckily I don’t mind eating the same thing a few nights in a row.  I feel like I’m on kitchen vacation.

Unfortunately, Bart doesn’t share this view.  If he liked what I made originally, he will drum up some enthusiasm when he sees it on his plate on Day #2.  But there’s no way he will eagerly lap it up on Day #3.

Is Asparagus Your Enemy?

I never imagined vegetables could be considered evil until I heard a 12-year-old say, “Asparagus is my enemy.”  A food fight was brewing at my dinner table until a portion of salad took the place of the offending vegetable.

A Tale of Two Woks

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Vegetables

Last night it was a face-off between shrimp and tofu.  The shrimp won (no leftovers), but the fight  was close.  The contenders:

1 pound (21-25 per pound) raw shrimp - cost $5.77 (on sale)

12 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into small squares - cost $1.49

Stir-Fried Tofu and Vegetables

Cooking two dishes at the same time is stressful. Here are some tricks I learned:

Mom Cooking Tip 16

Making a stir-fry? It’s easier to slice meat thinly when it’s partly frozen. Just pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes before cutting.

See all my Cooking Tips!