Happy Mutants food and drink topic (Part 1)

After reading about Jack, I was inspired to share this site: https://www.budgetbytes.com

I don’t know Beth personally, I don’t comment on the site, but I check it routinely and have done so for years. Sometimes her directions will contradict some cooking best-practices I follow, but this is hardly an issue. Her recipes are solid and her spreadsheet-based approach for tabulating the cost of meals is inspiring.

This community might find lots to love there.

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There is no spoon.

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I see you have correctly positioned the green veg so that they do not touch the egg. Well played! :wink:

ETA re the spaghetti - nicely done, but one day, perhaps try sprinkling the parmesan over the spaghetti and mixing it in before adding the bolognese sauce topping. A minor variation, but it somehow does make it more ‘cheesy’ and variety is, of course, the spice of life.

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Nah, I’ve tried that… Parmesan goes on top. What is this, risotto?
I did stop covering everything in parmesan, though.

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Sorry for the short notice, but at least everyone can follow along. I already have my entry planned, creation begins this afternoon.


this is an edible book festival hosted online by a group here in Chicagoland.

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Now that’s odd - because MY version of risotto (cooked chicken and sweetcorn added to the onion and mushroom base after the rice and stock have gone in) always has the parmesan ONLY sprinkled on top!

What with this and the recent yoghurt/cheese disagreement, I’m beginning to wonder if I am the anti-you / you are the anti-me! (Only culinarily speaking, of course.) :wink:

ETA Spaghotto! Needs attempting!

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Could that be any more German? Rhetorical question: no, it could not.

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No no no. Parmesan goes into the risotto when the rice is done. (And a bit is sprinkled on top later.)
A good ratio is around 80g parmesan for 250g rice (dry).
Chicken stock or vegetable consommé + a bit of wine.

Risotto with porcini(and/or chanterelles): red wine. Maybe some beef tenderloin on top, thin slices, sharp broiled…

Springtime risotto: white wine + white asparagus. Maybe a shot of Ricard or Pernod (it’s the same company anyway) to give it a little kick. Goes well with (white) fish.

And always: what is al dente for pasta is all’onda for risotto - just the right viscosity.

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Not around these here parts, stranger.

I live at the intersection of
the Rhineland


(Sauerbraten. The real deal is horse.)

Westphalia (Ruhr Valley)
f63ab9a3df86be26c37ab49881b0faee1
(Currywurst & Pommes rot-weiß.)

and the Sauerland (no translation, no surprise there)


(Jägerschitzel.)

which makes it the vibrant metropolis it is, natch.

(Any questions about food and drink in Bavaria or Frankonia, please contact @fnordius. I’m fairly competent on Tyrol, though.)

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Ketchup? Igitt.

For the record, this was my (German) dinner: Leberkäs mit Spiegelei

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… von Vinzenzmurr? Looks tasty.

(I kinda overdosed on Leberkäs as a kid. Skischule in Ruhpolding. Leberkäse + Spiegelei + Pommes every day for two weeks.)

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Yep, I have a Vinzenzmurr right under my flat.

The wedges were self-made in an air fryer, with Cajun spices. So not entirely Bavarian, I admit.

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I was thinking Czech, but of course there’s a whole section of the Czech Republic that is Bohemian.

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I would totally buy that right now.

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So kind of like asking an actual person from China if they like “Chinese” food, eh?

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I have not managed to make a tasty mushroom gravy, yet. I have tried, though.

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Hell yeah.

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Are you sure you’re eating enough fresh (leafy) green vegetables?

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Salad days are sort of on hold right now. Which bums me out, I really like salad. (I do a mean vinaigrette.) But right now it’s one outing a week, combination of office run to shuttle files back and forth and then one stop at one retailer. And last Friday they just didn’t have anything appealing. Maybe I’ll have better luck next Friday.
But no worries, I had a check-up in January, and the bloodwork was excellent, to quote my GP.
So I should be good for a while, junk food is comfort food, and I’ll pop the occasional vitamin pill.

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Frozen vegetables are a useful substitution right now, even if you normally only eat fresh.

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