Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a mixed
tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese. Should
have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.

On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:19:26 PM UTC-5, Julie Bove wrote:
> Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a mixed
> tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese. Should
> have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
> ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
> salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.

For us, it was chicken piccata, rice, and a tossed salad.

Cindy Hamilton

Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:19:26 PM UTC-5, Julie Bove wrote:
> > Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a mixed
> > tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese. Should
> > have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
> > ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
> > salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.
>
> For us, it was chicken piccata, rice, and a tossed salad.

This is what I put together (no cooking required) yesterday for
late lunch/early dinner. It's been a long time but an old
favorite. Only thing missing was some ground beef but this was a
nice treat even without it.

On plate were 3 separate things:
- medium heat picante sauce with an ounce or two of
grated extra sharp cheddar mixed in
- portion of canned refried beans
- nice pile of cold sour cream

In separate bowl were plenty of my favorite* tortilla chips.

Just scoop a bit of each on a chip and enjoy.

* My favorite tortilla chips are
"Tostitos Original Restaurant Style" chips
White corn chips, very light/crunchy and nicely salted.

Even Bruce would like the ingredient list:
- corn
- vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or sunflower oil)
- salt

That's a suprisingly simple and natural ingredient list
for a commercial product. :-)

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 7:38:48 AM UTC-5, Gary wrote:
> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> >
> > On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:19:26 PM UTC-5, Julie Bove wrote:
> > > Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a mixed
> > > tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese. Should
> > > have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
> > > ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
> > > salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.
> >
> > For us, it was chicken piccata, rice, and a tossed salad.
>
> This is what I put together (no cooking required) yesterday for
> late lunch/early dinner. It's been a long time but an old
> favorite. Only thing missing was some ground beef but this was a
> nice treat even without it.
>
> On plate were 3 separate things:
> - medium heat picante sauce with an ounce or two of
> grated extra sharp cheddar mixed in
> - portion of canned refried beans
> - nice pile of cold sour cream
>
> In separate bowl were plenty of my favorite* tortilla chips.
>
> Just scoop a bit of each on a chip and enjoy.
>
> * My favorite tortilla chips are
> "Tostitos Original Restaurant Style" chips
> White corn chips, very light/crunchy and nicely salted.

My favorites are "whatever is freshly fried at the Mexican
restaurant". However, I very rarely get those.

My second favorites are these:

<https://annarbortortilla.com/products/ann-arbor-tortilla-factory-original-flavor-corn-chips-8-oz-1>

I so rarely eat tortilla chips anymore, so I usually take the trouble
to get my second favorites.

In a pinch, though, your favorites are what I buy.

Cindy Hamilton

On 12/1/2017 10:19 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
> Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a
> mixed tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster
> cheese. Should have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame
> considering the other ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not
> eating it all. Mostly the salad with only a few Craisins and some
> ravioli.

* Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and dried chopped
onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots , gravy was made from
the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad to go with .

* --

* Snag

Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> I so rarely eat tortilla chips anymore, so I usually take the trouble
> to get my second favorites.
>
> In a pinch, though, your favorites are what I buy.

So rare here too, Cindy. It's been at least two years since I
made this. Because it was so long, it was a nice treat
yesterday....and again today too to use it all up while it's all
fresh.

Terry Coombs wrote:
>
> Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and dried chopped
> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots , gravy was made from
> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad to go with .

Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary wrote:
> Terry Coombs wrote:
> >
> > Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and dried chopped
> > onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots , gravy was made from
> > the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad to go with .
>
> Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?

It's pot roast.

Cindy Hamilton

On Sat, 02 Dec 2017 09:25:38 -0500, Gary > wrote:

>Terry Coombs wrote:
>>
>> Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and dried chopped
>> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots , gravy was made from
>> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad to go with .
>
>Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?

no, stew is different. This is pot roast.
Janet US

Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary wrote:
> > Terry Coombs wrote:
> > >
> > > Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and dried chopped
> > > onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots , gravy was made from
> > > the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad to go with .
> >
> > Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
>
> It's pot roast.

I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat. Sounds
like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the beef
into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
end.

l not -l wrote:
>
> On 2-Dec-2017, Gary > wrote:
>
> > Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> > >
> > > On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary
> > > wrote:
> > > > Terry Coombs wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and
> > > > > dried chopped
> > > > > onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots ,
> > > > > gravy was made from
> > > > > the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad
> > > > > to go with .
> > > >
> > > > Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
> > >
> > > It's pot roast.
> >
> > I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat.
> > Sounds
> > like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the
> > beef
> > into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
> > make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
> > end.
> That's very simplistic. Like saying a steak and a hamburger
> patty are pretty much the same thing; they're both meat, just
> different shape and processing. Otherwise, the same thing.
> Similarly, you could say a fried egg is pretty much the same
> thing as a scrambled egg; they're both eggs, cooked with a
> little, or a lot of, fat.
>
> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
> will turn out different due shape and method.

No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
cooking the beef.

On Sat, 02 Dec 2017 07:40:10 -0500, Gary > wrote:

>Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>
>> On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:19:26 PM UTC-5, Julie Bove wrote:
>> > Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a mixed
>> > tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese. Should
>> > have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
>> > ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
>> > salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.
>>
>> For us, it was chicken piccata, rice, and a tossed salad.
>
>This is what I put together (no cooking required) yesterday for
>late lunch/early dinner. It's been a long time but an old
>favorite. Only thing missing was some ground beef but this was a
>nice treat even without it.
>
>On plate were 3 separate things:
> - medium heat picante sauce with an ounce or two of
> grated extra sharp cheddar mixed in
> - portion of canned refried beans
> - nice pile of cold sour cream
>
>In separate bowl were plenty of my favorite* tortilla chips.
>
>Just scoop a bit of each on a chip and enjoy.
>
>* My favorite tortilla chips are
> "Tostitos Original Restaurant Style" chips
>White corn chips, very light/crunchy and nicely salted.
>
>Even Bruce would like the ingredient list:
> - corn
> - vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or sunflower oil)
> - salt
>
>That's a suprisingly simple and natural ingredient list
>for a commercial product. :-)

Yes, that's pretty realistic.

On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 6:19:26 PM UTC-10, Julie Bove wrote:
> Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a mixed
> tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese. Should
> have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
> ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
> salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.

We went to a club Christmas party at a hotel. It was a wonderful buffet for $35 each. Beats the heck out of me how we were able to get those rates. It was the first buffet I've been to that didn't have a lot of filler material. Mostly, I stuck with seafood.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/...cxlf04QUhsp9ot

On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
> l not -l wrote:
>>
>> On 2-Dec-2017, Gary > wrote:
>>
>>> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> Terry Coombs wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and
>>>>>> dried chopped
>>>>>> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots ,
>>>>>> gravy was made from
>>>>>> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad
>>>>>> to go with .
>>>>>
>>>>> Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
>>>>
>>>> It's pot roast.
>>>
>>> I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat.
>>> Sounds
>>> like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the
>>> beef
>>> into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
>>> make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
>>> end.
>> That's very simplistic. Like saying a steak and a hamburger
>> patty are pretty much the same thing; they're both meat, just
>> different shape and processing. Otherwise, the same thing.
>> Similarly, you could say a fried egg is pretty much the same
>> thing as a scrambled egg; they're both eggs, cooked with a
>> little, or a lot of, fat.
>>
>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>
> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
> cooking the beef.
>

Pretty much, depending on your method. When we make pot roast, it is a
piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy. Others add
carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
meat.

I don't make either in a crockpot. The reason is browning the meat in a
Dutch oven makes for better flavor. As for the actual cooking, they
both get the job done.

On Sat, 02 Dec 2017 12:20:57 -0500, Gary > wrote:

>l not -l wrote:
>> snip
>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>
>No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>cooking the beef.

And there you have my opinion of crock pot cooking. Dump it and
forget it. Even the person doing the crock pot cooking isn't sure
which dish is which.

Janet US

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 6:19:26 PM UTC-10, Julie Bove wrote:
> Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a
> mixed
> tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese.
> Should
> have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
> ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
> salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.

We went to a club Christmas party at a hotel. It was a wonderful buffet for
$35 each. Beats the heck out of me how we were able to get those rates. It
was the first buffet I've been to that didn't have a lot of filler material.
Mostly, I stuck with seafood.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/...cxlf04QUhsp9ot



Tasty looking plate.

Cheri

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message ...

On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
> l not -l wrote:
>>
>> On 2-Dec-2017, Gary > wrote:
>>
>>> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> Terry Coombs wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and
>>>>>> dried chopped
>>>>>> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots ,
>>>>>> gravy was made from
>>>>>> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad
>>>>>> to go with .
>>>>>
>>>>> Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
>>>>
>>>> It's pot roast.
>>>
>>> I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat.
>>> Sounds
>>> like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the
>>> beef
>>> into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
>>> make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
>>> end.
>> That's very simplistic. Like saying a steak and a hamburger
>> patty are pretty much the same thing; they're both meat, just
>> different shape and processing. Otherwise, the same thing.
>> Similarly, you could say a fried egg is pretty much the same
>> thing as a scrambled egg; they're both eggs, cooked with a
>> little, or a lot of, fat.
>>
>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>
> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
> cooking the beef.
>

Pretty much, depending on your method. When we make pot roast, it is a
piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy. Others add
carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
meat.

I don't make either in a crockpot. The reason is browning the meat in a
Dutch oven makes for better flavor. As for the actual cooking, they
both get the job done.

==

Always brown meat before I cook it in a crockpot.


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"Cheri" wrote in message news
"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 6:19:26 PM UTC-10, Julie Bove wrote:
> Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a
> mixed
> tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese.
> Should
> have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
> ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly the
> salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.

We went to a club Christmas party at a hotel. It was a wonderful buffet for
$35 each. Beats the heck out of me how we were able to get those rates. It
was the first buffet I've been to that didn't have a lot of filler material.
Mostly, I stuck with seafood.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/...cxlf04QUhsp9ot



Tasty looking plate.

Cheri

==

That does look so good!

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 2017-12-02 1:28 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:

>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>> cooking the beef.
>>
>
> Pretty much, depending on your method.Â* When we make pot roast, it is a
> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy.Â* Others add
> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
> meat.
>
> I don't make either in a crockpot.Â* The reason is browning the meat in a
> Dutch oven makes for better flavor.Â* As for the actual cooking, they
> both get the job done.

Some people claim that you can make stews in a crock pot and that you
don't need to brown the meat first. IMO that is just plain wrong. You
need that searing process to get good flavour out of a braised dish.
That is the difference between an edible stew and a really good stew.

On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 15:06:11 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 2017-12-02 1:28 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
>
>>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>>> cooking the beef.
>>>
>>
>> Pretty much, depending on your method.* When we make pot roast, it is a
>> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy.* Others add
>> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
>> meat.
>>
>> I don't make either in a crockpot.* The reason is browning the meat in a
>> Dutch oven makes for better flavor.* As for the actual cooking, they
>> both get the job done.
>
>Some people claim that you can make stews in a crock pot and that you
>don't need to brown the meat first. IMO that is just plain wrong. You
>need that searing process to get good flavour out of a braised dish.
>That is the difference between an edible stew and a really good stew.

Even browning the meat first a decent stew still can't be made in a
slow cooker... it's very important to add ingredients sequentially
according to how long they need to cook and a stew needs to be
reseasoned several times throughout its cooking. I've tried
following a crockpot recipe several times and at best it produced
Dinty Moore slop but mostly it produced inedible garbage.

I much prefer to cook stews/potroasts on the stove top as I'm into
that pot countless times throughout the process... even the so-called
200 year old Dutch oven method in the oven produces practically
inedible crap. There's no way to cook anything from scratch properly
by the hit start and walk away method... hit start and walk away
produces a **** poor example of tv dinners. A Swanson Pot Pie is a
much better stew than any stew from a crockpot. Of couse I expect the
TIADers (most of yoose) to disagree... post pics of your stews if you
dare.

On 2017-12-02 4:49 PM, wrote:
> On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 15:06:11 -0500, Dave Smith

>> Some people claim that you can make stews in a crock pot and that you
>> don't need to brown the meat first. IMO that is just plain wrong. You
>> need that searing process to get good flavour out of a braised dish.
>> That is the difference between an edible stew and a really good stew.
>
> Even browning the meat first a decent stew still can't be made in a
> slow cooker... it's very important to add ingredients sequentially
> according to how long they need to cook and a stew needs to be
> reseasoned several times throughout its cooking. I've tried
> following a crockpot recipe several times and at best it produced
> Dinty Moore slop but mostly it produced inedible garbage.

We make stew over two days. The meat gets braised one day and then it
goes into the fridge overnight. The next day it gets cooked again with
the potatoes and carrots added. About 5 minutes before serving we add peas.

>
> I much prefer to cook stews/potroasts on the stove top as I'm into
> that pot countless times throughout the process... even the so-called
> 200 year old Dutch oven method in the oven produces practically
> inedible crap.

Not so. I make it in a large stainless pot. It start off with it on the
stove top, but once the veggie flavourings are sauteed, the meat browned
and braising fluid are added it is covered and goes into a 300F oven for
a couple hours. It is cooled overnight and then goes back into a 300
oven with chopped potatoes and carrots.

On 12/2/2017 12:28 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
>> l not -l wrote:
>>>
>>> OnÂ* 2-Dec-2017, Gary > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> Terry Coombs wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Â*Â*Â* Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and
>>>>>>> Â* dried chopped
>>>>>>> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots ,
>>>>>>> gravy was made from
>>>>>>> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad
>>>>>>> to go with .
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
>>>>>
>>>>> It's pot roast.
>>>>
>>>> I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat.
>>>> Sounds
>>>> like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the
>>>> beef
>>>> into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
>>>> make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
>>>> end.
>>> That's very simplistic.Â* Like saying a steak and a hamburger
>>> patty are pretty much the same thing; they're both meat, just
>>> different shape andÂ* processing.Â* Otherwise, the same thing.
>>> Similarly, you could say a fried egg is pretty much the same
>>> thing as a scrambled egg; they're both eggs, cooked with a
>>> little, or a lot of, fat.
>>>
>>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>>> difference.Â* Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>>> crockpot or dutch oven.Â* The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>>
>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>> cooking the beef.
>>
>
> Pretty much, depending on your method.Â* When we make pot roast, it is
> a piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy. Others add
> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk
> of meat.
>
> I don't make either in a crockpot.Â* The reason is browning the meat in
> a Dutch oven makes for better flavor.Â* As for the actual cooking, they
> both get the job done.

Â* Well , this piece of meat was seared in a very hot cast iron skillet
prior to insertion in the slow cooker . Potatoes - larger ones quartered
, smaller halved - and carrots went in about 2 hours into the cooking
cycle . At dinner time I pulled the roast out onto a plate and sliced it
.. Taters were scooped out of the cooker onto my plate , mashed with a
fork and slathered with gravy . Carrots were just spooned out ... gotta
say Ed , what was on my plate was NOT stew .

Â* --

Â* Snag

On 12/2/2017 3:49 PM, wrote:
> On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 15:06:11 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> On 2017-12-02 1:28 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
>>>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>>>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>>>> cooking the beef.
>>>>
>>> Pretty much, depending on your method.Â* When we make pot roast, it is a
>>> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy.Â* Others add
>>> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
>>> meat.
>>>
>>> I don't make either in a crockpot.Â* The reason is browning the meat in a
>>> Dutch oven makes for better flavor.Â* As for the actual cooking, they
>>> both get the job done.
>> Some people claim that you can make stews in a crock pot and that you
>> don't need to brown the meat first. IMO that is just plain wrong. You
>> need that searing process to get good flavour out of a braised dish.
>> That is the difference between an edible stew and a really good stew.
> Even browning the meat first a decent stew still can't be made in a
> slow cooker... it's very important to add ingredients sequentially
> according to how long they need to cook and a stew needs to be
> reseasoned several times throughout its cooking. I've tried
> following a crockpot recipe several times and at best it produced
> Dinty Moore slop but mostly it produced inedible garbage.
>
> I much prefer to cook stews/potroasts on the stove top as I'm into
> that pot countless times throughout the process... even the so-called
> 200 year old Dutch oven method in the oven produces practically
> inedible crap. There's no way to cook anything from scratch properly
> by the hit start and walk away method... hit start and walk away
> produces a **** poor example of tv dinners. A Swanson Pot Pie is a
> much better stew than any stew from a crockpot. Of couse I expect the
> TIADers (most of yoose) to disagree... post pics of your stews if you
> dare.

Â* It's a poor cook that has to blame his equipment .

Â* --

Â* Snag

"Gary" > wrote in message ...
> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>
>> On Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:19:26 PM UTC-5, Julie Bove wrote:
>> > Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a
>> > mixed
>> > tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster cheese.
>> > Should
>> > have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering the other
>> > ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all. Mostly
>> > the
>> > salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.
>>
>> For us, it was chicken piccata, rice, and a tossed salad.
>
> This is what I put together (no cooking required) yesterday for
> late lunch/early dinner. It's been a long time but an old
> favorite. Only thing missing was some ground beef but this was a
> nice treat even without it.
>
> On plate were 3 separate things:
> - medium heat picante sauce with an ounce or two of
> grated extra sharp cheddar mixed in
> - portion of canned refried beans
> - nice pile of cold sour cream
>
> In separate bowl were plenty of my favorite* tortilla chips.
>
> Just scoop a bit of each on a chip and enjoy.
>
> * My favorite tortilla chips are
> "Tostitos Original Restaurant Style" chips
> White corn chips, very light/crunchy and nicely salted.
>
> Even Bruce would like the ingredient list:
> - corn
> - vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or sunflower oil)
> - salt
>
> That's a suprisingly simple and natural ingredient list
> for a commercial product. :-)

I am worn out. Will probably just have peanut butter and jelly for dinner.
The rest will have premade beef tips in gravy with egg noodles. I can't have
that anyway. Meant to pick up a frozen veggie but forgot to so something
from a can. Also freshly baked whole wheat French bread.

"Gary" > wrote in message ...
> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>
>> I so rarely eat tortilla chips anymore, so I usually take the trouble
>> to get my second favorites.
>>
>> In a pinch, though, your favorites are what I buy.
>
> So rare here too, Cindy. It's been at least two years since I
> made this. Because it was so long, it was a nice treat
> yesterday....and again today too to use it all up while it's all
> fresh.

I wanted chips for my snack last night but was too lazy to open them. I buy
them by the case at the business Costco. They come three bed pillow sized
bags to a case. The problem is that the bags are akin to cellophane so you
can't just put a chip clip on them. Have to take them out and rebag.

"Terry Coombs" > wrote in message
news
> On 12/1/2017 10:19 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>> Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a
>> mixed tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster
>> cheese. Should have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame considering
>> the other ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not eating it all.
>> Mostly the salad with only a few Craisins and some ravioli.
>
> Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and dried chopped
> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots , gravy was made from
> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad to go with .

Sounds good!

"Gary" > wrote in message ...
>l not -l wrote:
>>
>> On 2-Dec-2017, Gary > wrote:
>>
>> > Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>> > >
>> > > On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary
>> > > wrote:
>> > > > Terry Coombs wrote:
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and
>> > > > > dried chopped
>> > > > > onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots ,
>> > > > > gravy was made from
>> > > > > the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad
>> > > > > to go with .
>> > > >
>> > > > Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
>> > >
>> > > It's pot roast.
>> >
>> > I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat.
>> > Sounds
>> > like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the
>> > beef
>> > into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
>> > make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
>> > end.
>> That's very simplistic. Like saying a steak and a hamburger
>> patty are pretty much the same thing; they're both meat, just
>> different shape and processing. Otherwise, the same thing.
>> Similarly, you could say a fried egg is pretty much the same
>> thing as a scrambled egg; they're both eggs, cooked with a
>> little, or a lot of, fat.
>>
>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>
> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
> cooking the beef.

Pretty much.

On 12/2/2017 12:47 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
> On Sat, 02 Dec 2017 12:20:57 -0500, Gary > wrote:
>
>> l not -l wrote:
>>> snip
>>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>> cooking the beef.
> And there you have my opinion of crock pot cooking. Dump it and
> forget it. Even the person doing the crock pot cooking isn't sure
> which dish is which.
>
> Janet US

Â* That's bullshit Janet ! If you can't tell the difference between my
slow cooker (I hate that term "crock pot") pot roast with taters and
carrots and my slow cooker pork loin roast Marsala with mushrooms that's
your taste buds , not my slow cooker . FWIW , just about every slow
cooker recipe I use has the sequential addition of ingredients .

Â* --

Â* Snag

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
> "Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message ...
> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
>> l not -l wrote:
>>>
>>> On 2-Dec-2017, Gary > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> Terry Coombs wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and
>>>>>>> dried chopped
>>>>>>> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots ,
>>>>>>> gravy was made from
>>>>>>> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad
>>>>>>> to go with .
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
>>>>>
>>>>> It's pot roast.
>>>>
>>>> I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat.
>>>> Sounds
>>>> like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the
>>>> beef
>>>> into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
>>>> make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
>>>> end.
>>> That's very simplistic. Like saying a steak and a hamburger
>>> patty are pretty much the same thing; they're both meat, just
>>> different shape and processing. Otherwise, the same thing.
>>> Similarly, you could say a fried egg is pretty much the same
>>> thing as a scrambled egg; they're both eggs, cooked with a
>>> little, or a lot of, fat.
>>>
>>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>>
>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>> cooking the beef.
>>
>
> Pretty much, depending on your method. When we make pot roast, it is a
> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy. Others add
> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
> meat.
>
> I don't make either in a crockpot. The reason is browning the meat in a
> Dutch oven makes for better flavor. As for the actual cooking, they both
> get the job done.
>
> ==
>
> Always brown meat before I cook it in a crockpot.

I used to but no longer as I couldn't tell the difference. I actually rarely
use the Crockpot at all now.

On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 18:36:38 -0600, Terry Coombs >
wrote:

>On 12/2/2017 12:47 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
>> On Sat, 02 Dec 2017 12:20:57 -0500, Gary > wrote:
>>
>>> l not -l wrote:
>>>> snip
>>>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>>>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>>>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>>>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>>>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>>> cooking the beef.
>> And there you have my opinion of crock pot cooking. Dump it and
>> forget it. Even the person doing the crock pot cooking isn't sure
>> which dish is which.
>>
>> Janet US
>
> * That's bullshit Janet ! If you can't tell the difference between my
>slow cooker (I hate that term "crock pot") pot roast with taters and
>carrots and my slow cooker pork loin roast Marsala with mushrooms that's
>your taste buds , not my slow cooker . FWIW , just about every slow
>cooker recipe I use has the sequential addition of ingredients .
>

> * Snag
check out Gary's comments above. He can't tell the difference between
them except one is chopped smaller than the other.
I wasn't aware that I was supposed to make comment on your crock
potting.
Janet US

On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 18:31:09 -0600, Terry Coombs >
wrote:

>On 12/2/2017 3:49 PM, wrote:
>> On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 15:06:11 -0500, Dave Smith
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On 2017-12-02 1:28 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
>>>>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>>>>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>>>>> cooking the beef.
>>>>>
>>>> Pretty much, depending on your method.* When we make pot roast, it is a
>>>> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy.* Others add
>>>> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
>>>> meat.
>>>>
>>>> I don't make either in a crockpot.* The reason is browning the meat in a
>>>> Dutch oven makes for better flavor.* As for the actual cooking, they
>>>> both get the job done.
>>> Some people claim that you can make stews in a crock pot and that you
>>> don't need to brown the meat first. IMO that is just plain wrong. You
>>> need that searing process to get good flavour out of a braised dish.
>>> That is the difference between an edible stew and a really good stew.
>> Even browning the meat first a decent stew still can't be made in a
>> slow cooker... it's very important to add ingredients sequentially
>> according to how long they need to cook and a stew needs to be
>> reseasoned several times throughout its cooking. I've tried
>> following a crockpot recipe several times and at best it produced
>> Dinty Moore slop but mostly it produced inedible garbage.
>>
>> I much prefer to cook stews/potroasts on the stove top as I'm into
>> that pot countless times throughout the process... even the so-called
>> 200 year old Dutch oven method in the oven produces practically
>> inedible crap. There's no way to cook anything from scratch properly
>> by the hit start and walk away method... hit start and walk away
>> produces a **** poor example of tv dinners. A Swanson Pot Pie is a
>> much better stew than any stew from a crockpot. Of couse I expect the
>> TIADers (most of yoose) to disagree... post pics of your stews if you
>> dare.
>
> * It's a poor cook that has to blame his equipment .

No one has ever blamed PIAZZA cookware... show us your stew if you
DARE!

wrote:
> On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 15:06:11 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> On 2017-12-02 1:28 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
>>
>>>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>>>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>>>> cooking the beef.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Pretty much, depending on your method. When we make pot roast, it is a
>>> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy. Others add
>>> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
>>> meat.
>>>
>>> I don't make either in a crockpot. The reason is browning the meat in a
>>> Dutch oven makes for better flavor. As for the actual cooking, they
>>> both get the job done.
>>
>> Some people claim that you can make stews in a crock pot and that you
>> don't need to brown the meat first. IMO that is just plain wrong. You
>> need that searing process to get good flavour out of a braised dish.
>> That is the difference between an edible stew and a really good stew.
>
> Even browning the meat first a decent stew still can't be made in a
> slow cooker... it's very important to add ingredients sequentially
> according to how long they need to cook and a stew needs to be
> reseasoned several times throughout its cooking. I've tried
> following a crockpot recipe several times and at best it produced
> Dinty Moore slop but mostly it produced inedible garbage.
>
> I much prefer to cook stews/potroasts on the stove top as I'm into
> that pot countless times throughout the process... even the so-called
> 200 year old Dutch oven method in the oven produces practically
> inedible crap. There's no way to cook anything from scratch properly
> by the hit start and walk away method... hit start and walk away
> produces a **** poor example of tv dinners. A Swanson Pot Pie is a
> much better stew than any stew from a crockpot. Of couse I expect the
> TIADers (most of yoose) to disagree... post pics of your stews if you
> dare.
>
Do yoose stir yoose stew with a big lung guyland saw-seege?

Julie Bove wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Some kind of little smoked sausages from PCC, butternut ravioli and a
> mixed tossed salad with Craisins, black olives, pecans and Muenster
> cheese. Should have used a sharper cheese. Seems a bit lame
> considering the other ingredients. Also garlic toast. And no, I'm not
> eating it all. Mostly the salad with only a few Craisins and some
> ravioli.

Carrot soup, fresh bread still warm from the oven, mushroom and bell
pepper multi-color medly with purple onions.

--

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 6:12:45 AM UTC-10, Gary wrote:
>
> I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat. Sounds
> like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the beef
> into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
> make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
> end.

My pot roast looks like stew because I'll cut up the roast into chunks after it's done. I add potatoes and carrots while the roast gets cut up. The sauce gets thickened and the meat is added back to the pot. The family will call it stew. The dish is a family favorite. It doesn't matter to me what they want to call it.

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 8:28:35 AM UTC-10, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> Pretty much, depending on your method. When we make pot roast, it is a
> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy. Others add
> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
> meat.
>
> I don't make either in a crockpot. The reason is browning the meat in a
> Dutch oven makes for better flavor. As for the actual cooking, they
> both get the job done.

These days browning the meat before braising is optional - for me. No doubt that it makes for a great smell in the house while browning but it doesn't make much difference in the final dish. My stuff is going to be delish no matter what I do.

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:05:43 AM UTC-10, Cheri wrote:
>
>
> Tasty looking plate.
>
> Cheri

Especially if you like raw fish. They had some bread pudding with custard sauce. I just gotta learn to make English style custard. It's great stuff.

Yesterday we had a most awesome thing happen. We heard something that I haven't heard since I was a young man. Hopefully, your town will start doing this too. It makes us feel so special to be the first state in the union to have this honor. Aloha!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_XQ5ITv7p0&

"Julie Bove" wrote in message news

"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
> "Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message ...
> On 12/2/2017 12:20 PM, Gary wrote:
>> l not -l wrote:
>>>
>>> On 2-Dec-2017, Gary > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9:24:14 AM UTC-5, Gary
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> Terry Coombs wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ours was a chuck roast (seasoned with S&P , garlic and
>>>>>>> dried chopped
>>>>>>> onions) in the slow cooker with taters and carrots ,
>>>>>>> gravy was made from
>>>>>>> the drippings . The wife made us a smallish green salad
>>>>>>> to go with .
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sounds delish! Kind of a beef stew thing?
>>>>>
>>>>> It's pot roast.
>>>>
>>>> I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat.
>>>> Sounds
>>>> like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the
>>>> beef
>>>> into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
>>>> make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
>>>> end.
>>> That's very simplistic. Like saying a steak and a hamburger
>>> patty are pretty much the same thing; they're both meat, just
>>> different shape and processing. Otherwise, the same thing.
>>> Similarly, you could say a fried egg is pretty much the same
>>> thing as a scrambled egg; they're both eggs, cooked with a
>>> little, or a lot of, fat.
>>>
>>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>>
>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>> cooking the beef.
>>
>
> Pretty much, depending on your method. When we make pot roast, it is a
> piece of meat cooked in some liquid that becomes gravy. Others add
> carrots and potatoes and that, IMO, is a stew with just one big chunk of
> meat.
>
> I don't make either in a crockpot. The reason is browning the meat in a
> Dutch oven makes for better flavor. As for the actual cooking, they both
> get the job done.
>
> ==
>
> Always brown meat before I cook it in a crockpot.

I used to but no longer as I couldn't tell the difference. I actually rarely
use the Crockpot at all now.

==

We are on the farm. Shot some rabbits yesterday and they are in the slow
cooker. Easy peasy.

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"dsi1" wrote in message
...

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 6:12:45 AM UTC-10, Gary wrote:
>
> I make a beef stew in the crockpot after searing the meat. Sounds
> like pretty much the same thing except for maybe cutting the beef
> into chunks first and searing all sides (which I do). I don't
> make a gravy from dripping, I add in some thickener towards the
> end.

My pot roast looks like stew because I'll cut up the roast into chunks after
it's done. I add potatoes and carrots while the roast gets cut up. The sauce
gets thickened and the meat is added back to the pot. The family will call
it stew. The dish is a family favorite. It doesn't matter to me what they
want to call it.

==

Do you cook those veg in the crock pot? I always need to precook them
before I add them .. although thinking about it, I always cook on 'low'. Do
you cook on 'high'


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 12/2/2017 6:51 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
> On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 18:36:38 -0600, Terry Coombs >
> wrote:
>
>> On 12/2/2017 12:47 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
>>> On Sat, 02 Dec 2017 12:20:57 -0500, Gary > wrote:
>>>
>>>> l not -l wrote:
>>>>> snip
>>>>> The mere fact that the roast is cooked as a solid piece, rather
>>>>> than hacked into smaller bits, will make a significant
>>>>> difference. Pot roast is a roast in a pot, whether the pot is a
>>>>> crockpot or dutch oven. The hacked up bits of meat in a stew
>>>>> will turn out different due shape and method.
>>>> No argument but sounds like the only difference between a pot
>>>> roast and beef stew is whether you use the knife before or after
>>>> cooking the beef.
>>> And there you have my opinion of crock pot cooking. Dump it and
>>> forget it. Even the person doing the crock pot cooking isn't sure
>>> which dish is which.
>>>
>>> Janet US
>> Â* That's bullshit Janet ! If you can't tell the difference between my
>> slow cooker (I hate that term "crock pot") pot roast with taters and
>> carrots and my slow cooker pork loin roast Marsala with mushrooms that's
>> your taste buds , not my slow cooker . FWIW , just about every slow
>> cooker recipe I use has the sequential addition of ingredients .
>>
>> Â* Snag
> check out Gary's comments above. He can't tell the difference between
> them except one is chopped smaller than the other.
> I wasn't aware that I was supposed to make comment on your crock
> potting.
> Janet US


"Even the person doing the crock pot cooking isn't sure
which dish is which."
Those were your words , not Gary's - and you did agree with his opinion .
--
Snag

dsi1 wrote:
> These days browning the meat before braising is optional - for me. No doubt that it makes for a great smell in the house while browning but it doesn't make much difference in the final dish.

Both you and Julie have said that. I do disagree. Many years ago
I felt the same and always put in raw meat...until I tried
searing and browning meat first. It does make a nice difference,
imo. Maybe you'd have to try one of each side by side.

Anyway, I do brown beef before putting it in a slow cooker. And
whatever comes out of a slow cooker is not mush and garbage food
like some here like to say. It's very tasty stuff.

Basically, the only time I use mine is to make a beef stew but
that's rare even though I do love it. I used to like "Dinty Moore
Beef Stew" until I made my own with seared beef chunks.

That's the rare use. My main use is for making chicken
stock/broth (using both meat and bones). It's perfect for that.
Put in the chicken and vegetables and slow cook on low for 24
hours. 24 hours is much better than less hours...it's gets all
the good flavors into the liquid.