Ask MetaFilter

I'm trying to expand my cooking repertoire for salads and grain bowls, but I have a couple specific requirements: low salt, nothing creamy (no mayo, yogurt, or anything resembling ranch dressing), no mustard, no big chunks of cheese. What are your favorites? [more inside]
posted by msbrauer at 10:15 AM - 17 answers

Fancy-ish restaurants in Tacoma where you don't need a reservation or to wait in line -- do they exist? [more inside]
posted by serelliya at 11:40 AM - 3 answers

I got some broccoli (sauteed with garlic) from the grocery store's prepared foods section, but I like my brocco a bit mushier, so I briefly steamed it in the instant pot - which made it turn brown! (image) This is not a "should I eat it" post, just a "why'd it do that?" I've steamed a lot of raw broccoli in my time, but I don't think I've tried it on sauteed before.
posted by moonmilk at 8:01 AM - 9 answers

I'm hooked on herbal tea, brewed cold, with a little fruit juice and apple cider vinegar at night. I assume it's the sourness of apple cider vinegar that makes it more... robust? The problem: it's easy to end up drinking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a night, which falls within guidelines but probably isn't the best for a daily habit. Am I overthinking it? What can I use instead, or in addition if I cut back the proportion? I don't want anything unhealthy or caffeinated since I drink this often at night. [more inside]
posted by 2oh1 at 3:54 PM - 20 answers

Anyone know of a good shop carrying Yirgachefe dry process roasted whole bean coffee in the Seattle area right now? Thanks.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 3:04 AM - 4 answers

I bought a bag of powdered buttermilk as an experiment for making ranch dressing and it doesn't taste at all like what I expected. I hate wasting food. Help me use it all up! [more inside]
posted by whitelotus at 9:35 PM - 13 answers

I see so much encouragement to cook with sour milk rather than discarding it. If I use it to make Jell-O Stove-Top Pudding will the result be okay, or awful?
posted by Rash at 9:07 PM - 17 answers

My fresno chili plant has one fabulous chili ripe and ready to go. What should I make with it? [more inside]
posted by firemonkey at 4:59 PM - 8 answers

So, on a whim I bought a quart of locally grown dark red sour cherries. [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 12:21 PM - 28 answers

My favourite sushi place closed before the pandemic. I need a new sushi place. Tonight. I want to spend, at most $80-$100, per person, but certainly would not complain about spending less. I do not want omakase. I do not want wine. I just want great, fresh, perfect fish. Downtown or west preferred. Also happy to hear your less splurgy favourites places for more regular take-out use. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:08 AM - 7 answers

Looking to get two solid, nothing special NYC pies delivered for a picnic today. Do the delivery apps deliver in Central Park? If I want a solid pie that’s hot, great cheese and pepperoni, who would you use and what app to use? If delivery isn’t an option where would you go in the sw corner of Central Park? [more inside]
posted by sandmanwv at 5:23 AM - 6 answers

I love these chewy vegan balls made from Glucomannan. I'm trying to replicate them at home, but all I get is goop. Halp? [more inside]
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:35 AM - 6 answers

We have an abundance of eggplants coming out of the garden right now, both Italian and Asian varieties. We usually preserve these for the winter by grilling them in slices or grilling them whole and peeling, then freezing. I would like to additionally freeze a few eggplant-heavy main dishes that can expedite dinner this winter. Can you recommend some things that freeze well and are amenable to batch-cooking? [more inside]
posted by juliapangolin at 7:21 AM - 6 answers

For a long time the younger son has made a hamburger and rice dish using Kitchen Accomplice reduced sodium beef broth concentrate (sorry for the Amazon link), but it appears the manufacturer has gone out of business and it's no longer available. He's tried unconcentrated bullion/broth unsuccessfully. I believe the flavor he achieves is because the stuff is a concentrate. Are there other beef bullion concentrates out there that aren't bullion cubes? We'll be losing a major part of his cooking repertoire soon without it, as we only have half a bottle remaining.
posted by lhauser at 6:27 PM - 14 answers

My family is revolting…against aubergine. Please share any eggplant recipe you have found delicious that meets the following ultra-niche parameters. [more inside]
posted by warriorqueen at 12:22 PM - 30 answers

I love smoked almonds, but they always list "smoke flavor" in the ingredients, which I assume means that the flavor is applied, and they haven't actually spent any time in a smoker. I'm curious to try almonds that have actually been smoked. Where can I get some? [more inside]
posted by moonmilk at 9:49 AM - 10 answers

We're staying on the North Carolina coast next week (Wilmington area), and there are seafood markets everywhere. Our vacation rental has a decent kitchen and a propane grill, and we can bring specialized equipment from home if recommended. We love eating seafood, but don't prepare it at home often, and also aren't familiar with what might be especially worth seeking out in a coastal NC area. What should we buy, and how should we cook it? [more inside]
posted by Wavelet at 10:12 AM - 9 answers

I am now pre-diabetic (I was expecting this) and advised by my doctor to try and reverse it with ‘lifestyle changes.’ Looking for authoritative non-faddish advice on what that might be. [more inside]
posted by ficbot at 6:57 PM - 31 answers

I'm in North Berkeley CA for a brief spell, but I don't live here. I want to pick up a nice bottle of white wine, under 25 dollars. Nice, but neither I nor my friends are wine aficionados. Planning to go to Berkeley Bowl in any case, so would I find something there? Or should I go to a wine shop, in which case, please suggest one. Thanks!
posted by gigondas at 10:39 AM - 11 answers

I'm going to Seattle soon and have already gotten great suggestions from previous AskMes. What I still need: recommendations for coffee. I was last there years ago and Vita & Vivace were the top recs, but... I am a picky coffee snob and those do not meet my high bar. Surely there are better options now. If you're also as picky as me, what modern craft coffee do you like? Obv taste is subjective but if you already have a strong opinion about a specific newer cafe being better than the classics, I want to hear it.
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:07 PM - 17 answers