Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on February 3, 2012

Funniest food quote I’ve read in ages:

I was eating in a Chinese restaurant downtown. There was a dish called Mother and Child Reunion. It’s chicken and eggs. And I said, ‘I gotta use that one.’

~ Paul Simon

FOOD. GLORIOUS FOOD.

Friday once again, and a bountiful collection of fabulous food photos and frugal recipes to lose yourself in.

Also, today marks the annual bean-throwing festival in Japan, celebrating “Setsubun no hi.” It’s a yearly festivity, treated much like New Year’s Eve, that involves the throwing of beans to welcome in spring and to foster good luck. It’s celebrated in Japan on February 3, the day before the beginning of Japanese spring. Appropriate phrase to use today with Japanese-speaking people: “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (out with the devils, in with the luck). For more info, bean-throwing videos, and photos about Setsubun no hi, click here.

When they’re available, recipes and recipe links will accompany select “Fab Food Friday Fotos,” with a guarantee that at least one thrifty recipe (usually more) will always be included.

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts | Photo credit: Dave74559, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights resereved

I’ve always adored Brussels sprouts, even when I was a little kid, so I don’t really understand those who claim they despise them. Some may not have eaten one of these lovely little green globes in decades, but still say they loath them. Therfore, it does tickle me whenever I read about a new Brussels sprouts convert, such as photographer/cook Dave74559 here:

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

My friend Margaret declared that she liked Brussels sprouts. Shocked, yet intrigued, I saw that many of her friends did too. I resolved to try them myself, since my childhood experiences were “less than positive”.

I asked for recipes, and was pointed to this one: Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts. Jamie and I made this, except we added garlic.

So freaking delicious. I wouldn’t believe it except that I ate them all. I didn’t expect to like them, but I did.

Bacon Cheeseburger in France | Photo credit: ALaure, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Asian Meatballs | Photo credit: esimpraim, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

An easy, inexpensive recipe for making photographer/cook/webmaster esimpraim’s Asian meatballs, using ground turkey, ginger, garlic, and onions, and adapted from Food Chef, is posted on the fab food/recipe blog Dishing Up Delights.

Here’s a bit of info about the meatballs:

It definitely takes some time with the prepping of the meatballs, but once they are in the oven, it is “easy-peasy” to get the rest of it ready and it’s really good. I would definitely recommend serving it with a side of soy sauce and one of the best things about this is that it is even better the next day. To lighten it up just a bit, I used turkey instead of ground beef for the meatballs and keeping with the poultry theme, I used chicken stock for the noodles instead of beef stock, because I don’t usually keep beef stock on hand. I think meatballs are kind of fun to make. Definitely messy, but I love playing with the flavors.

Carrots of Many Colors, Portland Farmers' Market | Photo credit: Mason Masteka, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Deep-Fried Oreos, Maryland Renaissance Festival | Photo credit: Jenn Larson, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Pork Posole | Photo credit: scholz, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Photographer/cook scholz provided this brief description of the pork posole/pozole dish:

Home-made posole prepared for a posada celebration in Guadalajara, December 2005.

Recipe: pork, tomato, hominy, oregano; garnish lettuce sliced radishes; served with tostadas or tortillas

Some cool historical info from Wikipedia about posole:

Pozole (Nahuatl: potzolli, which means “foamy”; variant spellings: pozolé, pozolli, posole) is a ritually significant, traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew from Mexico. Pozole was mentioned in Fray Bernardino de Sahagún’s “General History of the Things of New Spain” circa 1500 CE. It is made from nixtamalized cacahuazintle corn, with meat, usually pork, chicken, turkey, pork rinds, chili peppers, and other seasonings and garnish. Vegetarian and vegan versions also exist.

After colonization by the Spaniards, the ingredients of pozole changed, but the staple corn remained. It is a typical dish in various states such as Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos, México and Distrito Federal. Pozole is often served in Mexican restaurants in the American Southwest.

Hazelnut Harvest, Cleaning of the Husks, Rutgers Research Farm, New Jersey | Photo credit: Vilseskogen, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Chili Oil Noodles - Green Tea Noodles with Sichuan Chili Oil, Garlic, & Vinegar | Photo credit: kattebelletje, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Bagels & Lox with Avocado Spread | Photo credit: Bobbi Bowers, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Beautiful composition here. Photographer/cook Bobbi Bowers provided this recipe link for the bagels and lox with avocado spread.

Afternoon Pecan Pie | Photo credit: Chad Miller, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

'Eat Your Colors' Salad | Photo credit: Colleen Proppe, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

What a glorious salad! Photographer/cook Colleen Proppe provided the recipe for this “Eat Your Colors” salad:

Organic salad made today from Farmer’s Market fruits and veggies, and backyard flowers, herbs, & tomatoes.

Dice and mix the following together:

Red:
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half

Orange:
1 large carrot
1 orange sweet pepper

Yellow:
1 mango

Green:
1 slicer cucumber, unpeeled
1/4 honey dew melon

Blue:
Handful of Common Blue Borage Flowers

Purple:
1/4 diced purple onion

Optional: Handful of salted pumpkin seeds or other nuts, mint sprig and orange nasturtium flower to decorate (and eat!). I had this today without dressing and it was delicious. However, you may want to add a dressing of your choice, or serve with vanilla yogurt or cottage cheese.

Korean Dinner & Appetizers, Jonga House, Oakland, California | Photo credit: Min Lee, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Photographer Min Lee wrote these descriptions about the tantalizing Korean appetizers:

Bottom (foreground): Tofu bibimbop in hot stone pot

Middle: They serve 14 different kinds of side dishes (ban-chan). My favorite is radish-kimchi, shown here on top-left

Top (background): Ginseng + chicken soup

Old-Fashioned Popcorn Machine | Photo credit: fristle, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Shrimp in Taiwan | Photo credit: sanderslelli, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Gluten-Free Leek & Potato Soup | Photo credit: ann@74, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

The recipe for photographer/cook ann@74′s Gluten-Free Leek & Potato Soup is also posted in Italian (zuppa di porri e cipolle borettane) on the Il Ricettario Di Anna site.

Here’s the translated English version of the recipe:

Zuppa di Porri e Cipolle Borettane (Gluten-Free Leek & Potato Soup) Recipe

In these cold days, you always want a good hot meal. The soup is one of those dishes. That of leeks and potatoes is my favorite. This time, I had to change some ‘recipe. The leeks were few and then I had to find an alternate. Digging in the drawer of the fridge, I found some beautiful Borettane onions, so I added to the soup. The end result, good. I also added the Greek yogurt to make the soup more creamy and nutmeg.

* 2 leeks
* 4 Borettane onions
* 3 medium potatoes
* 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
* 1 cup white wine
* 500ml vegetable stock
* olive oil
* salt
* nutmeg

Clean and slice the leeks. Peel the potatoes and cut it into pieces. Cut the onion into slices. In a saucepan, put two tablespoons of oil then add the leeks, potatoes and onions. Cook until the leeks are transparent.

Add the white wine. Let it evaporate in the baking dish and pour the hot vegetable broth. Cook until the potatoes are soft. If the soup is too liquid to cook up to reduce the cooking liquid.

Blend with a mixer or with an immersion blender. Put two tablespoons of yogurt and mix it all. Add salt and pepper and a pinch of grated Mocata. Serve with croutons or toast.

Vietnamese Mangosteen Fruit | Photo credit: Phuong Tran, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Thums Up, Popular Soda Drink in India | Photo credit: MikeDemers, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Wedding Cake with Ferns | Photo credit: Tristan Ferne, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Clover Leaf's Salmon Stir-Fry, Vintage Ad in Canadian Living, May 1983, click image to enlarge to read recipe | Photo credit: jbcurio, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Emmental French Cheese | Photo credit: chez loulou, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Navajo Taco | Photo credit: rightsandwrongs, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Pumpkin Risotto | Photo credit: cyberpenguin, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Photographer/cook cyberpenguin provided the recipe link for pumpkin risotto below and also wrote this about the dish:

Recipe found here. (Please note that this recipe has also been adapted for vegans; see the “Chef’s Notes” section at the end of the recipe for further details.)

[This photo was snapped before I added the walnuts. The next photo in the "original recipes (from cooking with corey)" photo series/set shows the dish with the walnuts.]

Honey Roasted Carrots, Mint, Toasted Walnuts, & Prunes, The Meatball Shop, NYC | Photo credit: wEnDaLicious, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

'Cheeky Cheek' Buns, BreadTalk, Mid Valley Megamall, Malaysia | Photo credit: epik buzz, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Almost too adorable to eat… almost.

Heston's Oxtail Suet Pudding | Photo credit: hawkesfordt, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Photographer/cook hawkesfordt provided the recipe link from Britain’s Channel 4 “How to Cook Like Heston” website for Chef Heston Blumenthal’s Oxtail Suet Pudding (also called Oxtail and Kidney Pudding).

Delicious Appetizers Made with Ham, Pumpkin, Prunes, & Goat Cheese | Photo credit: Djuliet, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Coffee Time: Coffee with Chocolate Shavings & Ginger Snaps | Photo credit: Andy One, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Baked Marmalade Chicken | Photo credit: suanie, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Innovative, easy baked chicken dish using marmalade — the recipe and more food prep photos are posted on photographer/cook suanie’s blog, As Suanie Sees It.

She wrote this amusing back story about the chicken recipe:

Somehow my boss ended up with a jar of marmalade. It’s homemade, it’s good quality, it’s chunky and it has been sitting in the office fridge for about 3 months. As it expires end of this month, I decided to take it back and make something out of it. He didn’t even notice.

(But of course I told him lah… )

Googled for recipes using marmalade, found a BBC one that I’m not linking because I’m lazy to look it up again. Basically almost followed it to the tee. Made it twice (because the first time I followed it to the tee and it was blah).

Artichokes in the Garden | Photo credit: Beedle Um Bum, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Dark and White Chocolate Cheesecake | Photo credit: Eric Fung, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Egg Face Bento, 'Oh, the Light!' | Photo credit: oendr, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Warm Spinach Mushroom Salad | Photo credit: rexipe, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Easy, healthy, thrifty — a satisfying warm salad with Shiitake mushrooms and spinach. Photographer/cook rexipe provided the recipe:

Warm Spinach Mushroom Salad Recipe

Summary
This is a delicious salad made with Spinach and lovely warm mushrooms lightly tossed in a wok with some spring onions and a wholegrain mustard and balsamic dressing.

Ingredients

Salad
* 500 g spinach
* 5 Shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
* 3 large sliced tomatoes
* 2 spring onions
* 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Dressing
* 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
* 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic

Method
Put a wok or a pan over heat.

Slice the spring onions and put them in a wok with a bit of olive oil.

Wait until the spring onions start sizzling.

Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for about 5 mins.

Put the spinach in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms mixture.

Prepare the dressing by adding the mustard, balsamic vinegar, and garlic into a small bowl and mix well.

Lightly toss the salad and add the dressing. Season with some pepper.

Enjoy
Faz
Rexipe.com, London – See this and other free recipes on www.rexipe.com

Black-eyed Peas, Squash Casserole, Collards, & Lima Beans | Photo credit: sylvar, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Oysters Rockerfeller, Oyster Cooking Class @ Central Market, Texas | Photo credit: Barron Fujimoto, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Gazpacho | Photo credit: gwarcita, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Brief description on this refreshing, vitamin-rich gazpacho from photographer/cook gwarcita:

Another tasty Moosewood recipe that’s SO easy. I actually modified this one oh-so slightly, after looking at 2 or 3 gazpacho recipes in other places as well.

Jiong Chong Yu Tou Bao (Fried Fish Head), Yan Shui Chai Xin Restaurant, Changping, China | Photo credit: madhatrk, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Country Kitchen Raspberry Jelly Jar Stack | Photo credit: paurian, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Baked Chicken Meatballs, with Gluten-Free Zucchini Pasta & Homemade Tomato Sauce | Photo credit: Elana's Pantry, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Another inexpensive main dish winner from Elana’s Pantry — photographer/cook/webmistress Elana has provided the recipe link and wrote this:

I serve these meatballs over (gluten free) homemade Zucchini Noodles, with the Tomato Sauce recipe from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, though you can serve them over anything you like!

Dandelion Greens Bruschetta | Photo credit: Island Vittles, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Photographer/cook Island Vittles provided the tasty, cheap-to-make recipe link for dandelion greens bruschetta — it’s posted on the Island Vittles food blog — and also wrote this:

Seriously tasty, and somewhat addicting. You may find yourself planting a row of dandelions — on purpose.

Vintage Betty Crocker Cake Mix Ad, October 1968, family Circle | Photo credit: alsis35, Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Photographer alsis35 wrote this about this marvelous, retro-fashion, vintage cake mix ad from 1968 — it’s sooo sixties:

Yeah, for me the phrases “Cake Mix” and “High Fashion” have always been synonymous. Now I know why.

From the October issue of Family Circle magazine.

Food photos selected and posted are credited and have Creative Commons-licensed content with some rights reserved for noncommercial purposes, unless otherwise noted.

************************

Past three months of Fab Food Friday Fotos posts:

Red Onion Soup with Jarlsberg & Port, Sourdough Raisin Bread, Banana Coconut Pudding, Roasted Cauliflower & Olives, Ground Turkey & Pasta Skillet, Chocolate-Orange Cake Balls, Geese Bento, Cilantro Lemon Rice, Brown Butter Pear Tarts, & Thrifty Recipes

Easy Leftover Turkey Dishes, Bacon Tart, Cinnamon Sake Horchata, Osmanthus Cookies, Orange Wine Roast, Bean & Tuna Salad, Tofu Stroganoff, Thrifty Recipes, & More

Mixed Berry Earl Grey Cake, Chinese Tea Eggs, Angry Birds Cupcakes, Chunky Monkey Bread, Roast Lamb with Rosemary & Juniper, Asparagus Soup, Hummus, Cabbage Cheddar Pie, & More Frugal Recipes

Categories: Business & Economy, Food, Drink, Frugal Kitchen Tricks, Social and Political Climate
Tags: appetizers, Asian, avocado, bacon, bad economy, bagels, beans, bento, bento box, Black Eyed Peas, Brussels sprouts, burger, carrots, casserole, casserole recipe, celebration, cheap, cheap cooking, cheap dishes, cheap meal, cheap recipe, cheap soup, cheese, chicken, coffee, cooking, cooking tips, dandelion greens, dessert, dessert recipe, dessert recipes, diy, drink, easy recipe, economic crisis, economic hardship, economy, egg, Fab Food Friday Fotos, farmers market, festival, food, food ad, food budget, food costs, food photos, French, frugal, frugal cooking, frugal meal, frugal recipe, frugal recipes, frugal tips, frugality, fruit, gluten, gluten-free, goat cheese, ham, herbs, homemade, homemade soup, India, Italian, Japan, Japanese bento, Japanese bento box, jelly, Korean, leeks, lox, mangosteen, meal, meatballs, Mexico, noodles, onions, oxtail, oysters, pasta, popcorn, pork, posole, potatoes, pudding, pumpkin, raspberry, recipe, recipes, salad, salmon, save money, saving money, Setsubun no hi, shrimp, simple recipe, soda, soup, spring, squash, stew, suet, tacos, thrift, thrifty, thrifty meal, thrifty meals, tofu, tomato, turkey, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian, vegetarian recipe, vintage, vintage ad, vintage food ad