Death cakes. Or flour tortillas.

      I recently finished Tracy McMillan's book, "The American Way of Eating", and it has given me a hankering for Mexican food. This is a good book, by the way, if you're interested in some of the food systems that exist in this country. What's really striking is how our system is based on what is essentially slave labor. Which is probably not that different from most other parts of the world.
     In the book, Ms. McMillan spends time working, living, and eating with a few different Mexican families. At one point, she is living in the central valley (of California) and goes to sell food and drinks to workers in the field with a woman she has befriended. The woman has prepared tortillas rolled tightly around some sort of filling which includes "blisteringly hot chilis." I believe that sausage and perhaps eggs are involved.
     Of course I don't have the book in front of me as a reference, since I returned it to the library, so I forget the specifics. Like the woman's name, and the name of her son, who also accompanies Ms. McMillan while they're in the fields, selling chilled cans of soda and spicy hot tortilla breakfast rolls, or little burritos, on this dusty, cool, California morning, where I'm sure the dawn is still filled with the blue from the night sky, the workers are readying themselves for another day of harsh labor, the cool dirt in the fields is saturated with pesticide residue, the faces of the crew are covered in bandanas and baseball caps- probably quite tired, somewhat hopeful, since it is morning, and the certainty of the sun will soon be upon them, beating down as it does.
   
     Although I don't seem to have an overt sensitivity to gluten, I've really tried to cut back on foods like this in my diet. I mean, white flour doesn't seem like something that would do well in the digestive tract- especially when mixed with lard, which does seem like a rather inert fat.
    Rendered fat from a dead animal? I mean, far better utilized in the process of making tortillas than sent to the landfill.

     I have attempted tortillas a few times in the past- and haven't had much success. Probably because I've resisted following the typical tortilla recipe, which is essentially white flour+shortening+baking powder, water and salt. I don't consider "shortening" to be food, and am not really that crazy about baking powder, either. So I've tried to make these with yeast, but that makes a tougher dough and the end result is much closer to naan. And I've tried vegetable oil--which did have acceptable results.
     This is a workable recipe that I compiled from a few different ones found on the internet. I had some leftover pork fat, and read that using milk can result in a softer tortilla, so decided to try it.

Flour tortillas

2 cups all-purpose white flour

1 oz butter

3 oz rendered pork fat

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk (I used whole)
-or substitute water for milk- should be fine.

  Please keep in mind that this recipe is a guideline!! Flour takes in, and gives out moisture to the surrounding environment.

 Place dry ingredients together in a bowl. Using your fingers, massage the fat and flour together. Think peaceful thoughts. If you're lucky, maybe you have a companion in the kitchen to talk to. This is good. Consider if you were alone. I mean, maybe that would be good too. Or maybe you'd begin to get depressed, consider what a failure you are in life, and turn to alcohol as a sort of solution.
   Anyway, when the fat and flour have reached a happy medium, add your liquid. Mix until a soft dough has formed- it will be a bit sticky. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes (or it could be longer, up to 2 hours probably) at room temperature.
    If you do refrigerate the dough for some reason, you need to allow it to warm up before shaping into tortillas.
 When you are ready to make tortillas, get out your pan and let it warm up. For best results, use a heavy bottomed pan. I use a cast iron skillet, an item which is easily found at the thrift store.
  Using a rolling pin or whatever cylindrical device that you have lying about--an empty wine bottle, a piece of broomstick (clean it first!) roll out your dough into desired size. This may be determined by the size of your pan.
  I ~think~ that this recipe makes about 8 6-7" tortillas.
When rolling out the dough, dust lightly with flour first. If your dough seems too resistant, let it rest. It will soften up after a minute or two. Take your time, and you will find that with patience, you can roll the dough out as thin as you'd like to.

   When your pan is hot (not smoking hot--just medium) lay down your tortilla. Using tongs or even just a fork, turn it when you feel it needs to be turned. Depending on the heat of your pan, your tortilla may begin to burn slightly- you don't want that. Just keep turning it, and when it seems to be cooked--remove it from the pan.

   Complete part of the cycle
1 piece of pork shoulder- whatever size you feel comfortable with. Salt it, especially the fatty parts, and roast at about 300˚F for 2 hours or so--maybe 2and a half-- and pour the fat out  of the pan.
  You can use this fat--lard--to make your tortillas.

      Salsa
Well....... There are so many salsas out there--but one that I attempted was roughly
5-7 dried chilis
1-2 cloves garlic
salt to taste
water
 lime juice, if you wish
roasted tomatillo, if you wish.

  I was attempting to recreate a salsa they serve at the mexican restaurant in my town. Okay, there are several--but the only one that I actually eat at. They have a red salsa that I think is essentially dried chilis, water, garlic, and salt.  I looked at the Rick Bayless website for a recipe, and his called for tomatillos, roasted- plus some toasted dried chilis, garlic, salt, lime juice, and a bit of sugar. This sauce was too full-bodied for my taste. Like an Oregon pinot gris--just too much residual sugar.
  Anyway, go to the mexican grocery and look at the dried chilis. Ancho are a good basic one- but I have found that guajillo are very full flavored with a bit of heat. I took the advice of Rick Bayless and toasted my chilis in my cast-iron pan.
   To do this, just heat the pan to medium-high, then lay chilis down in the pan and watch them. When chilis begin to puff, turn over with a pair of tongs.  They will change color a bit- actually becoming a brighter red.
  Next I soaked the chilis in a small bowl of water--hot water--I used close to boiling. Soak for however long it takes to fully hydrate- 20 minutes at least, more like 35.
  Take a moment to examine the soaking liquid when the peppers have reached the desired point of hydration. It is a beautiful broth, rich in flavor. You could probably use it for something else, like a part of a soup. Or you might even drink it, if you're really the kind of weirdo that does things like that.
   Anyway- then take your chilis, garlic, a bit of water (or that soaking liquid!) and a pinch of salt- and place in the blender.  But first, remove the stems from the chilis--and maybe the seeds. If you include the seeds, your salsa will have more heat and also more bitterness. These are not necessarily undesirable    qualities.

     Another Rick Bayless recipe, to round out your tortilla+roasted pork snack, so that it's a bit easier on your digestive system. Onions escabeche.

 Pickled red onions
1 red onion
~1/2 tsp kosher salt
juice of 1-2 limes
 boiling water
   Take your red onion, remove outer peel and slice thinly. Place the sliced onion in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the onion. Look at it for a moment. Swirl the bowl, and immediately dump out into a sieve. Place the onions in a bowl, sprinkle with salt. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the onions, tossing to coat. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes--or longer if you need to.

   When you've got everything ready, take a warm tortilla, some roasted pork, a spoonful or two of salsa, and some beautiful pink onions.  It should be good.

Yet another pancake

     Not the healthiest breakfast item in the world, since one shouldn't eat too many of these, particularly if eaten in the style that they should be, which is with plenty of butter and large quantities of syrup.
  A nother variation on the recipes already posted in this blog, because why not. I finally had a bit of success in recreating the flavor of a "49er flapjack" that I enjoyed at the Original house of pancakes. I think that this is created using a sourdough batter- which I have not really attempted, since I have little patience for growing, keeping, and feeding a sourdough beast in my home. But this is a reasonable facsimile. Simulacrum. Cake crumb.
     The key in this recipe is to begin it one or two days before cooking. At least a good 24 hours ahead of time.
     Yet another pancake
1/2 tsp yeast, active dry. Or one packet.1.5 cups water, warmish, like body temperature1/2 cup flour, all purpose 1 teaspoon sugar      Combine in a bowl, and whisk together. Allow to sit at room temperature for an hour or two- or if it's not too inconvenient, place bowl above a pan of hot water. Warmth will get the yeast going on it's way.
  After an hour or two of growth, at a cuddly warm temp, add to this:

one recipe Multigrain pancake batter (from a previous post)

1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Cup multigrain cereal- I use "10 grain" cereal from Bob's red mill
1 Tb flax seed meal
~1/4 cup raw nuts--sunflower seeds or almonds work well
1 Cup milk
1 large egg
1 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp of active dry yeast-- OR one package yeast
1/4 tsp of kosher salt,  or more to taste
1/3 tsp of baking soda
1 to 1 1/2 cups water- as needed.
       Then just place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before cooking-- 48 is even better.  Cook as you would the multigrain pancakes.       Then just place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before cooking-- 48 is even better.  Cook as you would the multigrain pancakes.

Do soak your polenta

No photo yet, but use your mind's eye to envision a soft polenta with a lovely pooling mushroom broth flavored with beef bones and marrow.
     A useful tidbit suggested by David Chang in his Momofuku cookbook: soak your grits. The other day I decided to cook some polenta and considered his advice. Despite the fact that I only soaked the ground corn for ~3 hours, it did result in a very pleasing and smooth polenta.
     If you do choose to pre-soak--which is not absolutely necessary, but you really should-- you don't need to stand at the polenta pot and whisk it like some sort of martyr. In fact you'll probably find that after the initial soak, you can stir it a bit before the water gets boiling. Then just stir a few more times, and it'll be fine. Especially if you add some butter at the beginning.

Here is my recipe and method, roughly speaking. These are without strict measurements.

Polenta

1 Cup polenta (not instant)

3 cups water

1 tb unsalted butter, if desired.

pinch of salt, kosher

     For soft polenta, I generally use a 5:1 ratio of water:polenta. You can use more water, and don't hesitate to estimate if you're soaking the polenta first.

     First place the following in a cooking pot, and let sit for a few hours or even overnight. 2-3 hours is enough to do the trick.

About 45 minutes before you plan to serve it, place your pan of polenta over high heat. Add 2-3 cups more of water, and bring to a boil--either stirring or whisking when the mixture begins to simmer. Turn heat down to a low tick, and throw in a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally, every few minutes or so.
     After about 20 minutes of cooking and occasional stirring, it's OK to put a lid on the pot and turn the heat down to very low--so that it's still bubbling just a bit, very slowly.
     When ready to serve, whisk in 1-3 tablespoons butter and add maybe 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and more or less to taste.

Mushroom ragout with beef marrow bones

1 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered. Or an assortment of whatever mushrooms you'd like.
1 lb beef bones, preferably sawn to <1" thick, with a bit of meat intact, and hopefully a large diameter of marrow.
splash of brandy or bourbon or other brown alcohol--not scotch whisky, though, please.
1/2 cup red wine
1-2 carrots sliced into 1/2" discs
1 medium smallish onion, sliced
if you've some- fresh thyme
1-2 cloves of garlic, whole or chopped
kosher salt and pepper from a grinder, that you're grinding
water
olive oil and butter--a few Tablespoons of each
If you'd like a thicker sauce, add 1 Tablespoon of flour, but this is unnecessary.

1. Season your soup bones with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place under a broiler in your oven or just fry in a pan with a bit of olive oil until nicely browned. Don't allow to burn at all, slow and steady wins the race. If you'd like to, add a bit of flour at this time. Stir flour into fat that's at the bottom of the pan, adding ~1 teaspoon of oil or butter if you'd like.
2. When brownish, add a splash of whisky or brandy, if desired. After a minute or so of bubbling away, add 1/2 cup of red wine to the pan. Allow to reduce for a minute or two. Next add about 6 cups or so of water. Then add onions, carrots, a couple sprigs of thyme, and garlic. Bring to a boil and cook at a low simmer for ~90 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Take another pan, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter. Add to the pan quartered mushrooms, and sauté over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt. Allow to cook for 5-6 minutes.
4. While mushrooms are cooking, remove beef bones and thyme sprigs from broth. Discard thyme sprigs. Take broth and blend using an immersion blender, then strain back into pan or into pan containing mushrooms. Press as much as you can through strainer with the back of a large spoon.
5. Add beef bones back to mushrooms and broth, and simmer for a minute or two, until mushrooms are cooked thoroughly. Taste broth, and add a bit of salt and pepper to bring out the flavors.
     If desired, you can add a bit of butter or even heavy cream to this...but remember, pair a glass of red wine with your saturated fats. Or at least a tumbler of whisky.

And please, serve with a teaspoon or so of Gremolata

1 cup  flat leaf parsley, rinsed, dried, large stems removed
`4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zest of

   Chop the parsley, then chop a bit more with chopped garlic and lemon zest. This is a refreshing digestive, generally served with osso bucco. The bright, zesty addition contrasts with the rich, amazingly beautiful bone marrow.

     Best served into one of those bowl-like plates, or plate-like bowls, polenta, broth, marrow bone, and a spoonful of gremolata on top or on the side.
     Make sure you've got a utensil suitable for removing the marrow from the bones. Have a glass of cotes du rhone handy, and serve to your non-vegetarian companion.

Multigrain Pancakes

Multigrain Pancakes

Although my paternal grandmother wasn't the friendliest of grandmothers, she was an excellent cook. I don't remember her ever making anything that wasn't delicious. But, now chuckling at this, she never allowed me to touch anything-- her favorite word was No. Not her fault- she was from a generation taught to keep children at arms's length, eschewing the idea of kind words of encouragement or physical love and affection.

But I digress. She made excellent pancakes, with a grainy and spongey texture that was quite lovely. Here is a recipe that I've developed that attempts to replicate that rather flat, grainy cake that really soaks up syrup and butter.

*Note: this recipe calls for ground cereal and ground nuts. A coffee grinder works for this, or a food processor can work. Or a vitamix blender. Or if you can find pre-ground grains and nuts.

Recipe:

1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Cup multigrain cereal- I use "10 grain" cereal from Bob's red mill
1 Tb flax seed meal
~1/4 cup raw nuts--sunflower seeds or almonds work well
1 Cup milk
1 large egg
1 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp of active dry yeast-- OR one package yeast
1/4 tsp of kosher salt,  or more to taste
1/3 tsp of baking soda
1 to 1 1/2 cups water- as needed.
Oil or butter for cooking
butter and syrup for serving and eating

1. First, you need to grind your multigrain cereal and nuts. I use my coffee grinder for this- grinding the cereal and nuts in small batches. It's probably not the best idea, and I've gone through about 5 coffee grinders in ~10 years.


2. Combine 1/2 cup water and yeast in a medium-sized bowl. Allow to sit for a few minutes.

3. Add ground cereal, flax seeds, ground nuts, milk, egg, sugar, salt, 1/2 cup more water, and whisk to combine. Allow to sit for 30-60 minutes, preferably in a warm place. I generally place the bowl over a simmering pot of water for a couple of minutes, whisking. But take care not to heat the batter too much--you just want to take the chill off, getting it to about body temperature.

4. If batter seems too thick, add a bit of water to thin it down. Whisk in your baking soda.

5. Too cook, heat your pan to medium high heat. Add a bit of butter, oil, or a combination of the two to the pan. Pour in the batter, cook until bubbly, then flip.  About a 3-4" cake works best.

--You can keep a warm plate in the oven at about 180˚ and place pancakes in the oven for holding.

Then serve with lots of butter and syrup! Also, butter and little sprinkle of maple sugar is tasty.

Strictly Lingonberry

 Some may argue that one's psychic abilities are hindered by the ingestion of dairy products. Undoubtedly, gluten has the same affect on one's ability to predict future events. How are you to know that due to a series of bad decisions you wake up in the morning to find yourself with one less toe?
  Even a pessimist needs to plan ahead. Some mornings call for pancakes. The night before this morning happens, throw together a pancake batter.

For these pancakes- or really really thin pancakes or crepes- allowing the batter to sit overnight results in a lacy, delicately textured cake.

Lingonberry pancakes, or crepes

~1 cup all-purpose flour (Bob's red mill or King Arthur are good)

1 cup milk, whole or other 

1 egg

1/2 cup water

~1/2 tsp dry yeast (or one package- that's 1/4 or 1/8 teaspoon, but should work fine, as it's more for flavor than actual leavening)

1/4 teaspoon salt, preferably kosher or at least in the style of kosher.

1 Tablespoon sugar

To make this slightly "healthier", you could add a bit of whole grain flour, such as wheat. Adding a tablespoon of flax seed meal makes me feel slightly better about myself.

Also:

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Several more tablespoons for cooking and serving

Also oil for cooking- Or just butter.

Lingonberry jam.

Method:

1. Place water, room temperature, in a bowl. Add yeast, allow to sit for a couple of minutes.

2. Add milk, egg, flour, salt, sugar, flax seed meal (if desired) and whisk together.

3. At this point, allow batter to rest in refrigerator overnight. If you desperately need to make pancakes now, I would suggest allowing batter to rest for at least one hour. It will make OK pancakes. Otherwise, you could leave the batter in the refrigerator for probably up to 3 days.

4. When ready to cook, look at the batter. Don't be alarmed by the presence of a clear liquid that may have separated. Just whisk it in. Consider the thickness of the batter. It should not be thick like traditional pancakes, but more like melted ice cream. Add an ounce or two of milk at this point to thin it down, if necessary.

To make things easier, place the batter into a container with a spout. Then you can just pour it into your hot pan.

5. Have ready your pan. A 9"-10" flat-bottomed sauté pan or griddle should work well. Cast iron is a good bet, or stainless if you're lucky enough to have it. Let the pan warm up over medium-high heat.

6. Melt ~1 Tablespoon of butter and whisk it into the batter.

7. Heat a bit (1/4 teaspoon) of butter or oil in the pan, swirl to coat. Wipe out excess oil with a paper towel, if there is a puddle. ( I use butter, generally, to cook these. The flavor is better, but care must be taken to keep the pan at just the right temperature so that the butter may brown a bit but not burn. )

8. Pour some batter into the pan, just enough to coat the bottom entirely. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute batter.

The ideal lacy edge. Usually accomplished after the first pancake.

9. When edges just begin to brown, use a spatula to loosen and flip pancake over, using spatula for support.

The pancake is very thin, and probably impossible to "flip" with an action of the pan--unless a ridiculous quantity of butter is involved.

10. Cook for about a minute or so longer, then lift out onto plate. Garnish with lingonberry jam and more butter, if desired.

10. Spread jam and butter evenly over surface of pancake, then roll up.

Pancakes are best eaten immediately, of course, but they can be kept around and eaten later if you've maybe eaten too many of them already.

Notes on the method:

Crepe preparation can be difficult. It is a challenge to find the correct consistency of batter that will create a crepe that has good flavor and a light texture without falling apart. Keep in mind that the first crepe/pancake of the day is usually a disaster. I often need to make adjustments on the heat level, batter consistency, amount of butter used, etc.

Notes on the recipe:

Flour can differ, like the weather, and you may need to add more or less depending.

  Look for active dry yeast in the bulk section of your supermarket or local co-op. This is a really inexpensive way to purchase yeast, and it should last either on the shelf or in the refrigerator for several months.

The addition of salt is important for flavor, and I would suggest tasting the first pancake and adding more salt and/or sugar to the batter if desired.

And vanilla extract or orange liquor isn't a bad addition.

Although lingonberry jam is really nice with this style of pancake, I would also suggest apricot jam with sliced banana. Also, lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Ice cream would not be objectionable, maybe with ganache or a chocolate spread of some kind. And other beautiful fresh fruits.

This cherry jam is particularly delicious with these pancakes, along with butter.

Savory Crepes

Or if you want to get crazy, you can eliminate the sugar (or lower it to 1/2 teaspoon) and add some chopped chives, parsley, fresh thyme or even dill to the batter. Excellent fillings include:  salmon, sauteed spinach or asparagus, and seasoned chèvre or cream cheese. And capers.  Swiss chard and chèvre is a surprisingly good combination.

Popcorn. (mashed potato)

If one is to place individuals in different categories, one category should be choice of popcorn. Method of preparation. I'm partial to butter, salt, and brewer's yeast. I usually just stick with the first two, since the yeast just falls off and collects at the bottom of the bowl. But sometimes I come back to it. B vitamins. Should keep it around in case a vegan comes by, seeking gravy. Good with a glass of tequila while re-reading one of William Gibson's novels. Something about the shape of the internet, or trying to predict the future as it was seen through his eyes in the 1980s.

Old Bay seasoning isn't a bad way to go, either. Accompanied by a glass of red wine and a roaring fire. Or simply a freezing cold house and decent company. Or company that you're stuck with for the weekend at someone's summer house in michigan, but it's December.

A pig-farming man brought some popcorn by my aunt's house once. He placed the entire cob in the microwave. She was 42 at the time, and hadn't seen this man for 27 years. or 30. But she'd spoken of him, if the alcohol was flowing. Into her mouth. He was the love of her life, a Nebraska boy whom she'd spent a few days with, traveling through the west, during her childhood.

In a high school, world history class, we were visited by an archaeologist. She told us of her work in Egypt, digging up bones and things. She said nights could get boring out there, at the dig. She felt a need to keep things interesting for her group. "One night, we'll have a bottle of vodka. One night, we'll have popcorn." Puzzling why she chose to share this detail with a bunch of 15 year olds. It would be a nother couple of years before I couldn't get through a boring night without popcorn and vodka.

Sandwich conversation: Ribeye with Broccolini

Ribeye and Broccolini

makes 2 sandwiches

You will need:

1 ribeye steak, 6-8oz, depending on how much meat you desire

2 rolls, or sliced bread ciabatta or similar

1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly

1/3 pound broccolini florets- or broccoli raab

2 or more garlic cloves, chopped

1-3 oz cheese, sliced, mozzarella or provolone

1 lemon

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

mayonnaise

sambal

olive oil

Method:

1. Season your ribeye with salt and pepper. As per David Chang's philosophy: "like you would a New York sidewalk in the wintertime." If you are thinking ahead, salt your steak the night before.

2. Heat up a pan on the stovetop. If your steak has a thick fat streak, sear that off first. Try to balance the steak on its side in the pan and turn the heat down to medium and just let the fat crisp up while you're gathering the other ingredients. Then sear the steak on each side for a minute or two. You want to get a nice color on the meat, but take care not to turn it up too high or you can risk burning up your beautiful meat juices. The idea is to cook the meat quickly but not too much.

You don't want to overcook the meat--if it turns out to be too rare for your taste, you can always throw it back in the pan or under the broiler after slicing it later.

After you have good color and crisp fatty edges, take the meat out and let it rest on a plate for 10-15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, have a pot of salted water boiling. Take your broccolini and cut 1/2-1 inch off of the stems if they seem too woody. If broccolini is thick, take a small paring knife and cut in half, lengthwise.

Drop the broccolini in boiling water and let cook for 3-5 minutes, or until bright green. Take a stem out and bite it to see if it's tender enough. When done, remove broccolini and place in a bowl.

4.Take the pan that was used to cook the steak, and return to medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil, garlic, and half of your sliced onion. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Take your sliced roll or bread slices and lay on top of the garlic and onion. Cut side down. Press bread gently down onto pan, using pan lid or plate. Allow to toast over medium heat for ~5 minutes or until you've achieved a good color on the bread.

5. Place other half of onion slices in a small bowl. Squeeze juice from one half of lemon onto onion slices.

6. After bread is nicely toasted, remove from pan. Take a spatula to scrape up garlic and onions that may have adhered to the pan, and distribute on the bread.

7. Place the steak on a cutting board and cut into thin slices. Lay meat on top of the bread, and top with broccolini. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Top with sliced cheese, if desired. Place open sandwiches under broiler or in toaster oven until cheese melts. Remove from broiler, place on plate.

At this time, garnish sandwich with mayonnaise, sambal, and onions soaked in lemon juice. Serve with a lemon wedge. Try not to get angry if someone insists on using ketchup as a condiment.

Notes on this recipe:

Forgive me for being vague about quantities of salt, cheese, etc. I recommend adding a bit of salt and pepper along the way for good flavor throughout the sandwich, and kosher salt is always easy to use because you can just grab it with your fingertips.

This is mainly a concept combining a nice bit of meat, toasted bread, a green vegetable- all seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and a bit of sambal and some melted cheese.

This sandwich was inspired by one I made over the summer. I was taking care of a relative who was undergoing a medical procedure. At the time, he was on a low sodium, low potassium diet. The guidelines for a low potassium diet are somewhat confounding, because everything contains some potassium.

A typical conversation regarding dinner.

"I want a meatball sandwich"

-You can't eat marinara sauce.

"Subway has a steak sandwich"

-No, you should not eat at Subway.

"I keep losing weight. soon I am going to weigh ten pounds."

-You can eat a steak sandwich, just not a sandwich with marinara sauce on it.

"I need a list of foods I can eat."

-Well, you can't eat marinara sauce, subway sandwiches, bananas, papaya, tostones,

beans, potato chips, french fries. But there are plenty of foods you can eat.

"what kind of beans can I eat. I've always been told beans are good for you."

-You can eat a small amount of beans, and as much rice as you want.

"No exotic, wild rice or whatever you call it."