OT: General Off Topic Thread [No Politics, Race, Religion, etc.]

[humanrefutation]

Got a skirt steak marinating, pico and guac made, and the grill fired up.

It's going to be a nice evening.

I've sous vide steaks for years but tonight I'm trying the Fallow method and adding beef tallow, rosemary, and garlic to the cooking bag. I can only imagine it's gonna turn out awesome.

That sounds awesome. I've added thyme and garlic and olive oil to the sous vide bag, and it's been delicious. Beef tallow would be an even better replacement for olive oil. Rosemary is great, too, but I've found that sometimes it can be a little strong for my tastes.

These days, I usually just add salt and pepper and then baste it in a little butter as I'm searing after. Mostly out of laziness, but I also just enjoy the taste of a great steak on its own.
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[MickeyDavis]

I had my first Jack's Pizza in years. 4/$10 (I got one from my neighbor). Paper thin, barely any cheese or toppings (it was "sausage") but it tasted good because it brought back memories of when I had to eat them because they were cheap (and the powdered Mac & "cheese")

[ReasonablySober]

I had my first Jack's Pizza in years. 4/$10 (I got one from my neighbor). Paper thin, barely any cheese or toppings (it was "sausage") but it tasted good because it brought back memories of when I had to eat them because they were cheap (and the powdered Mac & "cheese")

I still almost always keep those two around. I doctor up the Jacks with additional toppings, and I like to add hot dogs to the blue box mac and cheese. Some nights they're just nice, cheap, tasty meals when I don't feel like cooking.

[midranger]

I had my first Jack's Pizza in years. 4/$10 (I got one from my neighbor). Paper thin, barely any cheese or toppings (it was "sausage") but it tasted good because it brought back memories of when I had to eat them because they were cheap (and the powdered Mac & "cheese")

I still almost always keep those two around. I doctor up the Jacks with additional toppings, and I like to add hot dogs to the blue box mac and cheese. Some nights they're just nice, cheap, tasty meals when I don't feel like cooking.

When you have 5 kids, this is the way.

[paulpressey25]

I had my first Jack's Pizza in years. 4/$10 (I got one from my neighbor). Paper thin, barely any cheese or toppings (it was "sausage") but it tasted good because it brought back memories of when I had to eat them because they were cheap (and the powdered Mac & "cheese")

I still eat them. As RS said, toss a little extra higher end cheese on the top and it works well. In some ways prefer the simplicity and speed to the takeout pizza chains.

[Licensed to Il]

I had my first Jack's Pizza in years. 4/$10 (I got one from my neighbor). Paper thin, barely any cheese or toppings (it was "sausage") but it tasted good because it brought back memories of when I had to eat them because they were cheap (and the powdered Mac & "cheese")

I still eat them. As RS said, toss a little extra higher end cheese on the top and it works well. In some ways prefer the simplicity and speed to the takeout pizza chains.

I’m no hoarder. But I feel better than a fully supplied doomsday prepper with about 4-5 Jack’s pizzas in my garage freezer

[stellation]

I had my first Jack's Pizza in years. 4/$10 (I got one from my neighbor). Paper thin, barely any cheese or toppings (it was "sausage") but it tasted good because it brought back memories of when I had to eat them because they were cheap (and the powdered Mac & "cheese")

I still almost always keep those two around. I doctor up the Jacks with additional toppings, and I like to add hot dogs to the blue box mac and cheese. Some nights they're just nice, cheap, tasty meals when I don't feel like cooking.

When you have 5 kids, this is the way.

It’s not as much of a thing over here, but that blue box of Mac and cheese is one thing I know I shouldn’t eat but I seem to longingly eyeball in the supermarket as some kind of nostalgia for a childhood I didn’t have. Have definitely pondered “maybe it’s sooooo fake that it somehow doesn’t have that many carbs” (it’s not/it does).

[Mags FTW]

Not a hot dog guy, but I add either cut up brats or bacon to mac and cheese when I have it. We don't get the blue box though, we get the Annie's organic at Costco.

Frank's or Sriracha can be good on frozen pizza. We have a Gozney pizza oven and my in-laws got me this huge pizza seasoning grinder for it, which also adds some zing to frozen pies.

[jschligs]

Big jacks pizza fan when it’s just me. Love crushing one myself with franks and ranch.

[ReasonablySober]

The game changer I only learned about this year is adding a splash or two of milk to leftover blue box mac refreshes it about 95% of the way. For my entire life I just thought it was inedible the next day.

[Mags FTW]

Does anyone have a go-to no-salt seasoning? I am trying to lower my blood pressure and have started seasoning my own shell-on sunflower seeds and throwing them in the oven with some olive oil.

[KidA24]

Does anyone have a go-to no-salt seasoning? I am trying to lower my blood pressure and have started seasoning my own shell-on sunflower seeds and throwing them in the oven with some olive oil.

Anything from Mrs Dash is without salt, for quick and easy.

[Mags FTW]

Does anyone have a go-to no-salt seasoning? I am trying to lower my blood pressure and have started seasoning my own shell-on sunflower seeds and throwing them in the oven with some olive oil.

Anything from Mrs Dash is without salt, for quick and easy.

Yeah, I have some of that and some Magic Seasoning. The problem I am having is it seems the salt-free stuff is really coarse and just falls of the seeds once I bag them. The best concoction I've made to far is chili powder, black pepper, and a pinch of garlic salt.

[KidA24]

Does anyone have a go-to no-salt seasoning? I am trying to lower my blood pressure and have started seasoning my own shell-on sunflower seeds and throwing them in the oven with some olive oil.

Anything from Mrs Dash is without salt, for quick and easy.

Yeah, I have some of that and some Magic Seasoning. The problem I am having is it seems the salt-free stuff is really coarse and just falls of the seeds once I bag them. The best concoction I've made to far is chili powder, black pepper, and a pinch of garlic salt.

Spice grinder.

Garam Masala might be a good jam.

Other thoughts: Chili and lime zest

Nutritional yeast with Italian seasoning and garlic powder


1 teaspoon of curry powder, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, ½ teaspoon of cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

[ReasonablySober]

Got a skirt steak marinating, pico and guac made, and the grill fired up.

It's going to be a nice evening.

I've sous vide steaks for years but tonight I'm trying the Fallow method and adding beef tallow, rosemary, and garlic to the cooking bag. I can only imagine it's gonna turn out awesome.

That sounds awesome. I've added thyme and garlic and olive oil to the sous vide bag, and it's been delicious. Beef tallow would be an even better replacement for olive oil. Rosemary is great, too, but I've found that sometimes it can be a little strong for my tastes.

These days, I usually just add salt and pepper and then baste it in a little butter as I'm searing after. Mostly out of laziness, but I also just enjoy the taste of a great steak on its own.
.

It had no effect. I didn't do any of the other stuff I would normally do to a steak and the garlic, rosemary, tallow did nothing.

[humanrefutation]

I've sous vide steaks for years but tonight I'm trying the Fallow method and adding beef tallow, rosemary, and garlic to the cooking bag. I can only imagine it's gonna turn out awesome.

That sounds awesome. I've added thyme and garlic and olive oil to the sous vide bag, and it's been delicious. Beef tallow would be an even better replacement for olive oil. Rosemary is great, too, but I've found that sometimes it can be a little strong for my tastes.

These days, I usually just add salt and pepper and then baste it in a little butter as I'm searing after. Mostly out of laziness, but I also just enjoy the taste of a great steak on its own.
.

It had no effect. I didn't do any of the other stuff I would normally do to a steak and the garlic, rosemary, tallow did nothing.

Oh, hmm. I know I've tasted it, albeit it's a much milder flavor than if you baste some garlic/herb infused butter/oil/tallow over the steak when you sear it.

[mattg]

Does anyone have a go-to no-salt seasoning? I am trying to lower my blood pressure and have started seasoning my own shell-on sunflower seeds and throwing them in the oven with some olive oil.

You could try Za'atar with cracked black pepper. I make a cacio e pepe with Za'atar that I think is pretty nice.

As far as the sous vide discussion, I'm not an expert but isn't the prevailing opinion that you generally shouldn't put fat in the bag with the steak? I feel like the tallow would get infused with the herbs and meat flavor rather than the other way around. With the herbs, since the fallow method has them sous vide for over an hour, IMO you should be using dried versions of the herb not the fresh version.

Alternatively, if you follow the Fallow method but instead were to sear the steak in a pan afterwards you could baste it with the tallow from the bag, which you can't do if you grill it.

[MikeIsGood]

Just finished my first Friday NYT crossword. 52:50. Been playing regularly about a year and a half and have rarely tried the Friday but I was on a bit of a roll this week, went for it, and knocked it out.

[stellation]

Just finished my first Friday NYT crossword. 52:50. Been playing regularly about a year and a half and have rarely tried the Friday but I was on a bit of a roll this week, went for it, and knocked it out.

One day back in my early twenties I had completed the Sydney Morning Herald cryptic crossword (the equivalent of the NYT) in half an hour and was over the moon. That night I headed out to the pub to meet a group of friends, thinking one of them at least would be interested and I’d be some kind of point of fascination for the evening.

I can still recall T walking in the door and immediately thinking “it’s my time to shine, he’ll be interested and everyone at the table will be impressed that T is impressed!”. It went down as follows:
Me: “T, you’ll never guess what happened today!”
T: “Wait, me first!”
Me: “Okay…”
T: “I found a dead body in the alley behind our house this morning! I thought maybe it was a junkie that had ODed, I called the Police and they seemed to think it was suspicious. I’ve been with them nearly all day, I think they thought I was involved somehow!”
Entire table: *stares intently at T, the point of fascination for the rest of the night”

[Iheartfootball]

After all the matinee movie madness discussion in the OT TV, Movies, thread I was interested in other's perspective on going to events solo.

How many of y'all go to movies solo? I've been doing it since forever, but when I tell people, they find that sad. I prefer solo, for a few reasons, but I was interested in others' experience.

I've also done a concert and a sporting event solo and enjoyed it. There's something about being yourself without censoring your actions (cheering, dancing, singing, etc.) that is so freeing.