Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #8

[BetteDavisEyes]

I meant to post yesterday that a new season of Eva Longoria: Searching for... started last night on CNN. This season, Longoria is exploring French cuisine with the first episode in Paris. There are eight episodes that air on Sunday night at 9:00 and 10:00PM. We watched the first episode and recorded the second to watch today. Eva Longoria is beautiful and bright and serves as the perfect hostess as she escorts us to dining venues in France and shares food and wine with locals. Stanley Tucci started the series with Searching for Italy that aired for two seasons. Eva Longoria has done Searching for Mexico and Searching for Spain, and this season's Searching for France started last night. I highly recommend the series for anyone who is interested in the culture and food of France. We thoroughly enjoyed last night's show as Ms. Longoria guided us through different dining experiences in Paris and look forward to watching the second episode Paris Pastry sometime today.

https://people.com/eva-longoria-tony-parker-france-cnn-travel-docuseries-exclusive-11947696

 

[IceIce9]

When I first started cooking I used canned soup in casseroles. And I made casseroles often, as they were budget-friendly. And many of the recipes from the cookbook I mentioned upthread contain canned soup.

Eventually I learned to make béchamel to use in casseroles instead of canned soups.

My mom had a pantry full of canned soups when I was growing up. One of my dad’s friends worked at a Campbell’s plant nearby, and employees could purchase soup at cost. So he would bring us soup by the case. The soup had no labels so we had to place it on the shelves in alphabetical order on the shelves that mom had labeled.

 

[Seni]

My BIL is hosting a huge party on 25th in his finca in Boyacá. We will have several family members from Europe staying with us before and afterwards. I have not met all of them before (extended husband's family). Sent a message to a young couple from Czech Republic, who will be our first guests, asking them if there is anything they do not/cannot eat.

Am quite prepared for an allergy, no meat, no shellfish etc but was blown away by the list I received. Lets say, its going to be a challenge.

Some excerpts:

She only eats red meat. No chicken, no fish

He is vegetarian but doesnt eat all veggies and she is not keen...without saying more about which they do eat.

She is "allergic to most fruit" but can eat "some tropical fruit if cooked" !!

Who cooks tropical fruit??

We thought maybe it was a joke, but its not.


After them we get 4 Irish guests, my husband says please don't ask them about their preferences. That we'll give them a glass or two of Jamesons and anything goes!

I dont know how seriously to take it all. Obviously if there are allergies, I will take those into account, but if it comes down to I dont like broccoli or peas very much, it gets a bit ridiculous.

Shame though, as would like to make some nice meals.

 

[IceIce9]

My BIL is hosting a huge party on 25th in his finca in Boyacá. We will have several family members from Europe staying with us before and afterwards. I have not met all of them before (extended husband's family). Sent a message to a young couple from Czech Republic, who will be our first guests, asking them if there is anything they do not/cannot eat.

Am quite prepared for an allergy, no meat, no shellfish etc but was blown away by the list I received. Lets say, its going to be a challenge.

Some excerpts:

She only eats red meat. No chicken, no fish

He is vegetarian but doesnt eat all veggies and she is not keen...without saying more about which they do eat.

She is "allergic to most fruit" but can eat "some tropical fruit if cooked" !!

Who cooks tropical fruit??

We thought maybe it was a joke, but its not.


After them we get 4 Irish guests, my husband says please don't ask them about their preferences. That we'll give them a glass or two of Jamesons and anything goes!

I dont know how seriously to take it all. Obviously if there are allergies, I will take those into account, but if it comes down to I dont like broccoli or peas very much, it gets a bit ridiculous.

Shame though, as would like to make some nice meals.

Maybe grilled pineapple? And ask them what their favorite vegetables are?

A few years ago I was dining with a friend at a very nice Italian restaurant. The couple at a nearby table was telling the server that they were vegetarian. He offered an entrée suggestion and they told him (not very nicely) that they were also gluten free. He made another suggestion and they said they were also dairy free. The server made another suggestion and they said they didn’t like Brussels sprouts.

He was extremely patient with them although they were quite demanding.

 

[lonetraveler]

Maybe grilled pineapple? And ask them what their favorite vegetables are?

A few years ago I was dining with a friend at a very nice Italian restaurant. The couple at a nearby table was telling the server that they were vegetarian. He offered an entrée suggestion and they told him (not very nicely) that they were also gluten free. He made another suggestion and they said they were also dairy free. The server made another suggestion and they said they didn’t like Brussels sprouts.

He was extremely patient with them although they were quite demanding.

He should have suggested that they leave, LOL

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Maybe grilled pineapple? And ask them what their favorite vegetables are?

A few years ago I was dining with a friend at a very nice Italian restaurant. The couple at a nearby table was telling the server that they were vegetarian. He offered an entrée suggestion and they told him (not very nicely) that they were also gluten free. He made another suggestion and they said they were also dairy free. The server made another suggestion and they said they didn’t like Brussels sprouts.

He was extremely patient with them although they were quite demanding.

It reminds me of an old joke I heard -- or was it a cartoon I saw? In any case, the diner at the restaurant gives the waiter a long, long list of what they cannot eat and then asks the waiter what might be on the menu that they COULD have. And the waiter says "only the napkin, sir". Or something along those lines.