Some of the last great deals in a bad economy - Freeze-Frame Radio

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Some of the last great deals in a bad economy

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

well I noted beef tenderloin fillets were OUTRAGEOUS today at the store. Usually (or it used to be....?) you could get 2 niced sized ones for $7-8. Today everything was like $12!!! BUT I noticed in the butchers case, pork tenderlion was $4.39 a pound. Thats not bad at all, and that wasn't even a sale price.

I've been looking at the meat items a lot and basing my meals for the week on the best price on these. watching the sales much, much more often now.

If things keep on going up, a lot more spaghetti looks to be made.

Or when grilling out, I like grilled asparagus. I like $1.98 a pound asparagus, not $3.99 a pound asparagus. When its that much, I go get a 99 cent can of baked beans instead and heat that over the fire for the veggie.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

I'm really picky when it comes to meat. I usually wind up paying full price because I want the leanest ground beef. The boneless chicken. etc.

I prefer fish, which has been really expensive for a couple years now.

I may just start eating cat food.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

oh I'm real picky on quality too. I guess I meant the price on stuff that I will eat. some of the stuff is like ewwww no way, not even at a good price.

rice-o-roni it is then!

I want to look into cooking more indian style type foods. with the right spices, you can make somethin like peapods on rice seem like a meal fit for a king.

garougal · Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult

When I was shopping today I noticed that ground beef was $3.68/lb unless you bought 3+ pounds. That's outrageous! I ended up getting ground chuck, which I prefer anyway, at $2.99/lb - it's regualr price. Isn't that weird?

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

That food co-op thing we are in is helping us out some. We're getting good food at about 1/2 grocery store price. I know that something similar is not available to everyone, but it's helping us here.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

garougal wrote:
When I was shopping today I noticed that ground beef was $3.68/lb unless you bought 3+ pounds. That's outrageous! I ended up getting ground chuck, which I prefer anyway, at $2.99/lb - it's regualr price. Isn't that weird?

hey I saw that the other week G-Gal. Like the good stuff was right in line with the not as good stuff! that is wierd.

ghostdancer · Ghost In The Machine

I've been checking the manager's specials on meat at Walmart. Last week I came across two family paks of assorted pork chops for $6.49 per package! There were 8 chops in each pak....some center center cuts, some pork steaks. I don't mind having the two different cuts, especially for the price. smile

And I've noticed lately that you can get whole, oven roasted cooked chickens for less than a raw whole chicken. So when I've thought about having a roasted chicken for dinner, I've been buying them already cooked.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

Boiled Finnan Haddie

2 pounds finnan haddie
butter
parsley
lemon juice

Free fish from bones if necessary. Soak in tepid water one hour, to freshen. Drain. Add fresh water, put on fire and bring to boil. Drain. Place in broiler on a well greased rack. Have broiler hot, then reduce the heat. Baste frequently. with melted butter. Cook about 30 minutes, depending upon the thickness of haddie. Turn during cooking. Serve on a hot platter with butter in which was used in basting. Add more if necessary. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Pass lemon juice.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

Meatless Loaf

1 cup rice
1 cup peanuts crushed
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients together. bake in a loaf pan for 30 minutes or until loaf is good and set.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

Swiss Loaf

2 lbs. round steak, ground
1 cup bread crumbs, moisten with milk
2 eggs
1 onion
1 mango, chopped fine
1 quart tomatoes

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into a loaf. Bake slowly in Medium hot oven for 2 hours

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

Baby Porcupines

1 pound ground round steak
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
4 tablespoons chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped green peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup raw rice
1 cup tomato soup or tomato puree
2 cups water

Mix all but last 3 ingredients. Shape into small balls and roll in the uncooked rice, Heat tomato soup and water in heavy pan with a tight fitting cover. {Dutch oven is the best} for this. Place balls in the tomato mixture cover and cook slowly 45 minutes or until meat is tender and the rice is done.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

Flapper Jacks with Meat filling

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups milk
1 egg beaten
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2cup grated cheese
shortening

Mix, sift dry ingredients. Add milk, egg, butter. Mix well. Melt enough shortening in skillet to cover the bottom Make 6 thin pancakes about 5 inches across. brown on both sides. Put meat filling in the center of each, and wrap into rolls. Sprinkle with cheese, put in hot oven 400 degrees F; just until cheese melts

Meat filling

3 tablespoons shortening
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk or stock
1 1/2 cups chopped veal or chicken
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon salt, .
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Blend shortening with flour and add milk. Stir to keep smooth. Add meat, and celery and cook slowly until celery is tender.Add salt and paprika.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

Braised Tongue

1 fresh beef tongue
1 carrot
1 onion
1 potato
1 turnip
2 tablespoons flour
Sprig of parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter
Stalk of celery
1 quart of stock or water in which tongue was boiled
salt and pepper

Boil tongue 2 hours, Then take out and skin the tongue Place butter in baking pan, brown, add flour, mix well, add stock then add the vegetables, which should be chopped rather fine, Then all other ingredients. Stir until it boils, Then place tongue in the pan, cover and bake 2 hours basting often. If necessary add more water. When done pour gravy around the tongue and serve.

garougal · Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult

Why oh why must you post all the grossest recipes you can find JD?

ghostdancer · Ghost In The Machine

That meatless meatloaf sounds pretty bad. doh

And I know some people love beef tongue, but no way do I want to eat it, let alone cook one. My mom and dad loved tongue and I have horrible memories of seeing those cooking.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

I believe in passing the most informative information on depression era meals that I can find, G-Gal. Our forefathers were smart! We should learn from their experience for when its our turn.

Here's a few Riggs might really like tho:

Have you ever heard of a wish sandwich?

A wish sandwich is the kind of a sandwich where you have two slices of bread and you wish you had some meat...

The other day I had a ricochet biscuit. A ricochet biscuit is the kind of a biscuit that's supposed to bounce back off the wall into your mouth. If it don't bounce back... you go hungry!

THee other day I had a cool water sandwich and a Sunday-go-to-meetin' bun...

Hee hee hee... What da ya want for nothing? ... a rubber biscuit?

garougal · Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult

In my opinion, this is the grossest recipe I've every encountered:

Gefilte fish is one of those recipes where touch and taste are essential ingredients. A basic recipe goes this way:"You put in this and add that." If you don't want to taste the raw fish, add a bit more seasoning than you normally would. What makes this recipe Galicianer (southern Polish) is the addition of sugar. For some reason the farther south in Poland, the more sugar would be added. A Lithuanian Jew would never sweeten with sugar but might add beets to the stock. I have added ground carrot and parsnip to the fish, something that is done in the Ukraine, because I like the slightly sweet taste and rougher texture. If you want a darker broth, do not peel the onions and leave them whole.

Servings: Yield: about 26 patties (P).

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Ingredients

7 to 7 1/2 pounds whole carp, whitefish, and pike, filleted and ground*
4 quarts cold water or to just cover
3 teaspoons salt or to taste
3 onions, peeled
4 medium carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
1 small parsnip, chopped (optional)
3 to 4 large eggs
Freshly ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup cold water (approximately)
1/3 cup matzah meal (approximately)

*Ask your fishmonger to grind the fish. Ask him to reserve the tails, fins, heads, and bones. Be sure he gives you the bones and trimmings. The more whitefish you add, the softer your gefilte fish will be.

Preparation

1. Place the reserved bones, skin, and fish heads in a wide, very large saucepan with a cover. Add the water and 2 teaspoons of the salt and bring to a boil. Remove the foam that accumulates.

2. Slice 1 onion in rounds and add along with 3 of the carrots. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes while the fish mixture is being prepared.

3. Place the ground fish in a bowl. In a food processor finely chop the remaining onions, the remaining carrot, and the parsnip; or mince them by hand. Add the chopped vegetables to the ground fish.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, the remaining teaspoon of salt, pepper, and the cold water, and mix thoroughly. Stir in enough matzah meal to make a light, soft mixture into oval shapes, about 3 inches long. Take the last fish head and stuff the cavity with the ground fish mixture.

5. Remove from the saucepan the onions, skins, head, and bones and return the stock to a simmer. Gently place the fish patties in the simmering fish stock. Cover loosely and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste the liquid while the fish is cooking and add seasoning to taste. Shake the pot periodically so the fish patties won't stick. When gefilte fish is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

6. Using a slotted spoon carefully remove the gefilte fish and arrange on a platter. Strain some of the stock over the fish, saving the rest in a bowl.

7. Slice the cooked carrots into rounds cut on a diagonal about 1/4 inch thick. Place a carrot round on top of each gefilte fish patty. Put the fish head in the center and decorate the eyes with carrots. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with a sprig of parsley and horseradish.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Hey! Don't be stealin' stuff from my beloved Blues Brothers!

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

I was on a subway in Chicago once ridin along and this rabbi guy was on the platform totally engrossed in hand feeding himself from a jar, Gefetie Fish. That image is seared into my brain forever. Each time I happen to pass the jars at a store, I simply must stop and stare at them. you know that fish starts off white, but the longer it sits on the shelf, it starts to turn grey. then brown. Oh and the deluxe version includes sliced carrots "for your enjoyment".

ghostdancer · Ghost In The Machine

garougal wrote:

In my opinion, this is the grossest recipe I've every encountered:
Gefilte fish is one of those recipes where touch and taste are essential ingredients. A basic recipe goes this way:"You put in this and add that." If you don't want to taste the raw fish, add a bit more seasoning than you normally would. What makes this recipe Galicianer (southern Polish) is the addition of sugar. For some reason the farther south in Poland, the more sugar would be added. A Lithuanian Jew would never sweeten with sugar but might add beets to the stock. I have added ground carrot and parsnip to the fish, something that is done in the Ukraine, because I like the slightly sweet taste and rougher texture. If you want a darker broth, do not peel the onions and leave them whole.

My great aunt was Finnish, and she used to make this. They lived up in Newberry in the upper peninsula so we didn't visit them often, usually only saw them on our way up to Lake Superior to go camping. I remember seeing fish heads, fish eyes, tails floating around in some kind of liquid in a pot on the stove. Thank god we never stayed for dinner!!! bleh

garougal · Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult

Jeremy Riggs wrote:

Hey! Don't be stealin' stuff from my beloved Blues Brothers!

garougal · Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult

After years of working in a Jewish retirement campus, I learned waaaaay too much about gefilte fish. It's disgusting. I know it was a solution for impoverished times but....ew! The worst is the stuff in jars...it is preserved in a clear jelly-like sauce that intensifies the fishy smell. bleh

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

they got a website where you can buy t-shirts!

MzHartz · Permanent Vacation

I really have a hard time saving money on groceries. But one way we try to save money on groceries is by wasting less. Particularly on meat. I'll buy the big packs of chicken breast, and then we cut them in half and separate them into baggies to freeze. For the hamburger, we make them into patties before we freeze them. Then whenever we make anything with hamburger in it, we just defrost a patty, it can still be crumbled.

confuzzed · Permanent State of Confusion

Unless meats are on sale at the regular grocery store, I find that I make out the best shopping at Costco. I doo the same thing Mz does, big big and then freeze the correct amounts in ziploc bags.

I do not enjoy that fresh veggies and fruits cost so much. But , what are you going to do?

Depending on what kind of staples (flour, sugar, spices ect) I need, the store brand works just as well as name brand. After all, sugar is sugar.

JD The Jazz Doctor · Grand Poobah

you can find a 1 lb turkey sausage or keilbasa for $2.50 or so still. Get a bag of 99 cent egg noodles and a 59 cent can of kraut.

make sausage over buttered egg noodles, kraut as yer side. 4 servings for like $4.09

confuzzed · Permanent State of Confusion

So, how are everyone's vegetable growing? I can't wait for my peppers, cucumbers and strawberries. The mint plant was already blooming when I bought and planted it. Now it is doing well and I am using it. If I liked tomoatoes I would grow them too.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

I LOVE tomatoes and I'm giving serious thought to buying one of those TOPSY-TURVEYS they advertise on TV to grow some tomatoes on my back patio.

confuzzed · Permanent State of Confusion

And with the weather down there, your growing season is longer. Then you can have as many grilled cheese and tomato sammiches you want.