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Food Thread: Saturated Fat..The Antichrist, Or Just Tasty?

Yeah, I am not a trained food photographer, and I usually think about taking a photo only after I have begun eating, so the photo looks even worse than had I actually planned it. Nobody wants to look at food that I have pawed!

But that dish of Shrimp and Cannellini Beans looked damned good, so I took a flyer, and I was correct! It's in my semi-regular rotation, but I have been furiously reevaluating my entire world of shrimp cookery, so this was a radical departure from the norm.

As I have mentioned in the past...no more high heat for shrimp. Gentle heat for just the bare minimum works far better. These were cooked in butter on low heat for a few minutes, just until they got a bit of color. And when I boil shrimp I have discovered that putting them in simmering (salted) water, then simply turning off the heat and letting them poach for about 90 seconds is enough to cook them but leave them tender. No more rubber bands!

Give it a try; I'll bet you will be converted.

Oh, those beans? lightly brown some garlic in olive oil, them add the beans, some white wine, and whatever herbs you like. I am partial to thyme and oregano. And of course salt and pepper, but you knew that! Then cook them gently for a very long time, until the beans are almost broken down and have only a bit of structure. They become creamy and delicious!

What? A repeat? Well...yes, but it is a delicious dish, and I am constantly fiddling with it, so I figured I could plague you with my cooking compulsion.

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New dietary guidelines coming in December likely to spark a saturated fat debate

If available by Christmas, many a holiday dinner table will likely feature a debate about saturated fat. That’s because it’s all but sure that the new dietary guidelines will break from the past when less saturated fat intake was recommended in favor of what RFK Jr. calls a “common sense” approach, stressing the need to consume “saturated fats, dairy, good meat, and fresh meat and vegetables.”

The reason this might be the subject of Christmas dinner debates is that, for the past 45 years, the dietary guidelines issued every five years have recommended that Americans eat less saturated fat because it is known to contribute to heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular disease.

Or maybe it isn't known, and there has been a comprehensive effort to bullsh*t the American people for reasons that I can only guess at, but might be nothing other than graft and grift and the revolving door of government regulation --> private industry.

And stupidity and crap science. Never underestimate their effect on our health policy!

Here are Dildo's health guidelines with respect to diet. Eat a wide variety of foods that you cook yourself, trying not to use processed foods whenever possible. Maybe decrease carbohydrates, because there is some solid research that suggests they aren't great for us in large quantities. And exercise regularly, but more important, just be active.

But mostly enjoy yourself! Eat and drink what tastes good. Like Bourbon.

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[Hat Tip: Weasel]

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I was excited to find this bottle last week, especially since I found it in an unexpected place...Wegmans! Who knew they had much of a selection!

I have read about this bourbon, but while it isn't a unicorn, I had never seen it anywhere, even in bourbon bars in this neck of the woods. And it wasn't even obscenely priced, which made it all the more pleasing.

Right up until I tasted it, and discovered that it is mostly hype. Is it good? Yes, it is a quality bourbon That I think is well worth $30-$35/bottle. But it was more than that -- almost double -- and for that price I want more complexity, an interesting aroma, and a lingering finish.

Coincidentally, Doof also found a bottle of it, but I will let him describe his experience:

Solid bourbon but nothing uniquely noteworthy. Good flavor, nice finish, but similar to many others. A bit overpriced in my opinion.

Yup!
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Jalapeño au Gratin is the excellent potato dish that was served on Friday night at the world famous Texas Moron Meet-up. Pete Bog and his lovely wife suggested it, prepped it, cooked it and, hopefully, ate some! I saw CowHorse Queen juggling some of the pans, so she was in the mix.

It was so good that I made it for Thanksgiving instead of mashed potatoes. I got a ration of sh*t from one of the brats for breaking tradition, but she also ate a ton of them, so...

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Great name for a dish! crunchy brown butter baked carrots is just...you know...carrots, but it does sound like fun.

On the other hand, I am becoming increasingly short-tempered with recipe writers who won't write confidently, and whimp out with bullshit, wishy-washy, weeny, weak-kneed crap like this:

3 tablespoons minced parsley, or a mix of herbs you like with carrots such as chives and dill, divided

It's your recipe! Write with authority! Or just chat about the food in long form. That's fine.
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[Hat Tip: TRex]

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A friend graciously gave me some genuine grown-in-the-USA garlic, and I am going to taste one clove and plant the rest, because my pathetic failure last year is an anomaly...right?

Send all of your extra antelope to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Rumor has it that the Bourbon Bubble is bursting. I have seen no evidence of decreasing prices, but maybe the bursting started somewhere else! I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty or fifty years, but it is worth it!