Monty Python Skit Introduced Me to the World of Cheese

Raclette

When I was growing up, cheese was not a laughing matter, although maybe it should have been.  My family ate only one kind: Velveeta.  We kept a large block of it in the fridge, and it suited our every need.  It melted well for grilled cheese sandwiches, and it also worked as a snack.

When I left home, I moved onto slices of processed cheese, neatly separated by paper or plastic.  Then at my first New York cocktail party, I spotted something white and furry looking, which turned out to be a French cheese called Brie.  It was the beginning of my adult relationship to this new food group.

Question for Mom

Clockwise from left: 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 1 stick butter sitting in 1/2 cup measure, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/4 cup measure

What measurements are the most useful to know? --Deirdre G.

These four measurements will get you up and running in the kitchen:

3 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon

4 tablespoons equals 1/4 cup

1 cup equals 8 ounces of liquid or 16 tablespoons of a dry ingredient like flour

1 stick butter equals 1/2 cup

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Is It Possible to Make Dinner for $1?

That used to be my goal when I got my first job and was just feeding myself.  Obviously that was quite a while ago, and it was a goal I could usually meet.  My dinner was not a lavish three-course meal, but it did include a main dish and at least one side dish. 

Most of my kitchen experiments were bland because I grew up with bland: meatloaf, hamburgers, boiled chicken and brisket   However, I did try to make Egg Foo Yung, the oddest dish I’d ever eaten before I left home.  It was exotic and strange yet somehow familiar.  My date had ordered it at a restaurant and gave me a bite.  I recognized an egg taste, but only later did I discover what it actually was--a Chinese omelet filled with bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, sliced cabbage, scallions and water chestnuts.  Maybe there was some kind of meat in it.  I don’t remember.

Mom Money-Saving Tip 51

Heavy-duty soups can become a full meal.  Add cooked lentils, beans or chickpeas--all inexpensive sources of protein.  Garlic bread would make a good side.

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Mom Cooking Tip 55

With summer approaching and berries coming into season, here’s a quick and healthy dessert: a mixture of strawberries and blackberries.  What could be easier?

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Nopales: What Are They and How Do I Cook Them?

Nopales are cactus leaves, called paddles (calling to mind ping pong paddles without handles).  They are various shades of green and have bumps and thorns, which must be removed.  I often see nopales in Latino grocery stores in Southern California, where I live.  Curious about their taste, I decided to buy some at the bargain price of 3 pounds for 99 cents. 

The first person I consulted about how to cook nopales was the young woman at the checkout.  She told me that her mother boiled them to get all the ‘liquid’ out. 

Mom Cooking Tip 54

Some sausages are sold fully cooked, but others contain raw meat. To make sure these are fully cooked, boil them in water for 10 minutes before browning them in a frying pan or on a grill.

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