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All right, this may not belong in retirement, but I'll bet someone will point that out.
Anyway, after reading a bunch of somewhat depressing topics here in retirement, I like to believe there are a lot of us who still like to eat, enjoy food, have favorite recipes, drinks? Even have some happiness in their lives?
It can be a fun challenge to try a new recipe and serve it to guests, your family, or even just you!
I have recently been learning how to cook. I've always worked shift work, lived alone and lived near great restaurants of all kind, and finally had to face up to learning how to cook. I use a food subscription service, "Hello Fresh," which seems to be about the level of cooking for me. They send all the ingredients and a careful recipe card, including labeled pictures of the ingredients, lest you not know what a zucchini looks like! (There are other food subscription services, but I decided this one was the right level for me).
I get ingredients for supposedly three dinners for two people, but I find there is more than that, plus, I am cooking for one, so I have about two days of food from each "dinner for two." Because of my shift work, I don't eat at any usual times, and am happy to have something good to take to work to eat. I haven't yet invited anyone to try my masterpieces (partly because I end up treating them all like landfill instead of a presentation). Also, my hangover from city life is to go out to eat and converse or go out to eat before doing something else if I do anything social. I don't eat out alone any more, must doesn't feel like the pleasure it was in the city.
My Hello Fresh meals this week are working on northern African spices, falafel and the like. I really am happy with the food subscription service.
But my favorite foods are still those cooked by someone who is not me!
brightdoglover: Thank you for writing here! I have never heard of food subscription before reading your post. What a great idea. I'm not an enthusiastic food shopper so having someone else do that and have them all delivered sounds wonderful to me. I'll have to check it out.
Spaghetti Pie has always been one of my favorites. Not many people have eaten one of these. I usually get strange looks when I mention it. But mostly I get positive comments when I serve it. The nice thing about it is that it is versatile. I can make it for carnivores with chopped meat or pork sausage. I can substitute the chopped meat/sausage with MorningStar Grillers Crumbles or similar product for vegetarians. I can remove the green pepper, or add mushrooms for people who have preferences. It is easy to bake, can be made ahead of time, can be frozen, and travels well. It also looks pretty.
Spaghetti Pie has always been one of my favorites. Not many people have eaten one of these. I usually get strange looks when I mention it. But mostly I get positive comments when I serve it. The nice thing about it is that it is versatile. I can make it for carnivores with chopped meat or pork sausage. I can substitute the chopped meat/sausage with MorningStar Grillers Crumbles or similar product for vegetarians. I can remove the green pepper, or add mushrooms for people who have preferences. It is easy to bake, can be made ahead of time, can be frozen, and travels well. It also looks pretty.
Was I supposed to post the recipe?
I would love the recipe if you don't mind sharing it. I have heard of it before but never had it. It sounds scrumptious!
brightdoglover: Thank you for writing here! I have never heard of food subscription before reading your post. What a great idea. I'm not an enthusiastic food shopper so having someone else do that and have them all delivered sounds wonderful to me. I'll have to check it out.
I've been happy with Hello Fresh for several months now. The other big ones are Plated and Blue Apron. Blue Apron sounds more like exotic recipes for people who know how to cook and want new ideas. Reviews said that their recipes took a lot longer and more work than claimed. I forget why I dismissed Plated but it was from reviews that I decided to go with Hello Fresh. Every Thursday evening, I get a box with still-frozen cold packs and styrofoam, with three bags (the bags are even coded so you know that the fish dish ingredients are in the bag with… a fish on it! Everything is locally sourced in Pennsylvania and the it's organic when possible, all clean and very fresh. I've been very happy with it as I never learned how spices and all work.
You can try it out- you don't have to sign up for a contract or anything. (And no, I don't work for them, but I've been delighted with how well it works for me. Now I've got to go make my seared steak to take to work tonight).
All right, this may not belong in retirement, but I'll bet someone will point that out.
Anyway, after reading a bunch of somewhat depressing topics here in retirement, I like to believe there are a lot of us who still like to eat, enjoy food, have favorite recipes, drinks? Even have some happiness in their lives?
It can be a fun challenge to try a new recipe and serve it to guests, your family, or even just you!
Ideas anyone?
I think it DOES belong in retirement. I have noticed such a non-interest in the happy part of life, in this section, that I even asked my chiropractor about the seniors he works on. Dummy that I am, it didn't occur to me that people who aren't active don't go to the chiro in the first place.
If you want to see active NY, you should see the "over 50" thread on the horse forum I belong to. We are ALL busy busy busy doing stuff outside. We all still have horses but there are some of us that can't ride anymore due to serious injuries.
We muck stalls, mend fences, move round bales, play polo, give riding lessons, and more. It's why we still need a chiropractor and sometimes our horses do too
When I compare the Over 50 folks on this thread to those on the horse forum, the horse forum folks have it hands down for staying physically fit and mentally upbeat.
My lifelong BFF had breast cancer surgery about 8 years ago and STILL stakes her horse slogging thru knee deep mud and swims rivers. She has had a world of family issues that would have put most people on drugs to "deal with them" but she keeps telling herself to smile and finds the good in each day.
I know there are happy upbeat people on here, I'm just saying you are outnumbered by the frowners.
"Geoff's greatest hits" all tend to be winter dishes made in a Le Creuset cast iron/enamel pot. I'm all about huge flavor. My discovery for making big flavor stews & soups is a cheat from a company called "More Than Gourmet". They make all kinds of different stock reductions. It's like bullion on steroids. Since it's summer, I'll skip those.
I live in coastal New England where I have easy access to swordfish. I grill it on the Weber fairly frequently. I invented a Japanese-inspired sauce I initially made for seared tuna that is my go-to for grilled swordfish. It's equally good on grilled tuna.
4 parts rice vinegar
1 part soy sauce
chopped green onion
minced fresh ginger with the outer part peeled off
sesame oil (just a bit for flavor)
toasted sesame seeds
wasabi powder
The proportions aren't critical as long as it's mostly rice vinegar. In a half cup of sauce, I'd chop up maybe 3 green onions/scallions, a tablespoon of minced fresh ginger, and use 1/4 teaspoon of wasabi. You can use it immediately. It gets a bit better if you let the ginger meld into the liquid.
Since it's summer grilling season, I'll share an example "More Than Gourmet" cheat for a sort of Bordelaise Sauce to accompany your favorite slab of charred cow.
Finely chop a shallot. Saute in a sauce pan in butter for a few minutes until softened but not browned.
Optional: Add in sliced mushrooms and heat in the butter until they're cooked
Dump in a good drinkable red wine. Bring to barely boil and reduce the heat to keep it just below a boil. Heat for 5 minutes to get rid of the alcohol.
Add More Than Gourmet Demi Glace extract (a beef/veal stock reduction). Stir until dissolved. They say it's a 4:1 reduction but that is a bit too much. For 1/2 cup of sauce, start with a tablespoon (8:1) and taste it.
Add as much butter as your cardiologist thinks is prudent. It's French. It wants butter.
Boiling red wine usually makes it bitter. I always screw up and get the wine too hot so it's bitter. Adjust with sugar until it doesn't taste bitter.
Grind in some black pepper at the end. With salted butter, it usually doesn't need salt.
Here's a link on Amazon to More than Gourmet Demi-Glace. This keeps forever in the fridge. I've had it 2 years without killing myself. I use it in any beef stew or pot roast recipe. http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Gour...met+demi+glace
I think it DOES belong in retirement. I have noticed such a non-interest in the happy part of life, in this section, that I even asked my chiropractor about the seniors he works on. Dummy that I am, it didn't occur to me that people who aren't active don't go to the chiro in the first place.
If you want to see active NY, you should see the "over 50" thread on the horse forum I belong to. We are ALL busy busy busy doing stuff outside. We all still have horses but there are some of us that can't ride anymore due to serious injuries.
We muck stalls, mend fences, move round bales, play polo, give riding lessons, and more. It's why we still need a chiropractor and sometimes our horses do too
When I compare the Over 50 folks on this thread to those on the horse forum, the horse forum folks have it hands down for staying physically fit and mentally upbeat.
My lifelong BFF had breast cancer surgery about 8 years ago and STILL stakes her horse slogging thru knee deep mud and swims rivers. She has had a world of family issues that would have put most people on drugs to "deal with them" but she keeps telling herself to smile and finds the good in each day.
I know there are happy upbeat people on here, I'm just saying you are outnumbered by the frowners.
Wow, thank you for those kind words. I like to think I'm an upbeat person, tho like a lot of people, I have had some serious trials.
I love horses but never owned one. I have ridden a little bit but not in years and I doubt I can get my leg over the horse. But they are beautiful to look at, I love their personalities, and their senses of humor.
Would you mind telling where it is that you go to get so involved with them? I have often thought how fun it would be to work in a horse group. But wonder if my body can do the physical work required. But I can love them, walk them, feed carrots/apples to them, things like that. And could make an attempt at some of the work required.
You could volunteer at a horse rescue group if there is one within a reasonable distance. They can always use some help, with or without heavy lifting!
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