Now for 4am viewing

I spotted a new block of Blue Cheese and remembered I had a bag of TJ's Kale I needed to cook. Dinner: Kale, blue cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I skipped the Italian sausage and pasta like mom made it. I guess I could still add some pasta to make more filling.

I overdid news coverage on the Israel attack. I hate to see this world enter into another war! When can we all just live in peace? I don't know why this news makes me so nervous. I guess because Iran is probably backing and funding and you know their purpose of this.

Like I need another YouTube channel to follow ... I found another in the middle of the night trying to go back to sleep. I watched a few of the recipes. The presenter is more like the old-time food instructor ... no fluff, just recipe. He had some good ones I pinned on Pinterest for later. Making My Wife's Favorite Caesar Salad, Pasta dish is similar to aglio e olio but made even better with briny capers and lemon garlic breadcrumbs (I love the addition of the breadcrumbs), Onion soup, and THIS treasaure which I plan on making this week ... New York Deli Cucumber Salad. Then about 3am, when I was desperate to fall asleep ... I ran across this podcast What Went Wrong With Food TV? ... which I had not really ever thought about but had just naturally turned away from the battling, rude cooking shows. 

I am in complete agreement without giving it much thought. I know I once watched Master Chefs, young and old until I discovered The Great British Bake Off and really enjoyed the gentler, more gracious cooking competition where people are actually polite to each other ... and I never turned back. David and I both hated how rude and combative all these US shows had gotten and it made me uncomfortable to watch. I hardly ever watched Master Chef, Top Chef, Nailed it, definitely NOT Hell's Kitchen. I think Gordon whats-his-name is just obnoxious. David and I were always glued to the PBS cooking shows, especially America's Test Kitchen, Julia Childs, Martha, Lidia's Family Table, Christopher Kimball's Milk Street (even take Cook's Magazine). Of course, I have to mention my beloved, Netflix's Chef's Table ... if you have never watched, it is a must. I found every episode fascinating, informative and oddly, emotional. My other mainstay used to be Saveur Magazine, would take it to the bath and read cover to cover! I loved the stories behind recipes, ingredients, the countries… would literally cry at some of the stories. The covers and photography were excellent. We also used to subscribed to Bon Appétit and Food & Wine, both good but I think Bon Appétit changed a lot in the years. My other favorite was Epicurious, it that still even in print? And of course, Gourmet (final issue, 2009) ... I still have all of my mom's old issues.

Well, I got WAY off the point of the Food Network ... but I never really watched it. I am sure it has some good recipes, maybe worth a website visit? I found one, best wines of 2023. (Who wouldn't want Wine Advent Calendar 2023?) And then there is how to build the perfect charcuterie board.

I quit watching the American battling dribble ages ago. Makes me embarrassed and feels cringe-worthy, the unnecessary nastiness. 

I usually watch instructional cooking shows because it makes me feel closer to my mom, who was the best cook I ever knew! I don’t really cook. I left that up to my husband, my son and D-I-L, all great cooks.