What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[Luke]

[quote="fastbilly1"]Lard is fat, so cooking in it adds a different level of taste to the food.[/quote

Bill's Hot Dogs cooks all their hot dogs in Pure Lard. The place looks awful, but usually has a line a block long by 11am everyday. I couldn't eat there more than twice a month, but the hot dogs are the best I've had in the South. The "red hot" dogs aren't skimpy or grey in the middle, and the chili doesn't taste like processed cat food. Plus the waterfront is a block or two away so you can enjoy a dog or two while watching waves.

[Stark]

Wish I lived anywhere near North Carolina, but I don't. Those sound tasty!

[brunoafh]

I would disagree that frying something in animal fat is any worse for you to frying it in a combination of hydrogenated vegetable oils, in fact I'd say it's better for you.

Well... I wasn't talking about vegetable based oil vs animal based oil. I agree with you there. However what it really comes down to is the quality of the oil.

[fastbilly1]

However what it really comes down to is the quality of the oil.

I am curious to what you mean by that. If you cooked the same food cooked in a low quality lard and a high quality vegetable oil, the lard one will taste better.

I think we are talking about two different things though. There are plenty of ways to flavor food without resulting to covering it in fat. Spices for one. But something that has been cooked in animal fat will taste better than the same thing cooked in any other kind of oil. The only exception I can think of to this is popcorn. Popcorn cooked in coconut oil taste the best.

[Hobie-wan]

Smile: Taking today and tomorrow off to spend time with a friend who isn't doing too hot. His MS is super aggressive, to the point where I'm a little nervous about seeing him. He's one of my best friends, and in less than a year he's lost his vision, and the ability to walk without help.

But if you know me, which you don't, you would know that as soon as I see my buddy any bit of nervousness will be gone. I've got a bag of gifts for the guy, including a Talking Classics dvd that we'll "watch" together. And if he cooperates, I'd like to get my friend out of the house. We'll see.

Any particularly fragrant favorite foods you can make or pick up to take along? Tickle the other senses.

[brunoafh]

However what it really comes down to is the quality of the oil.

I am curious to what you mean by that.

I was mainly replying to Stark's comment on the vegetable oil vs animal fat oil part. When animals are given improper diets, it affects the meat and oil that is produced by them. If the animal has an unhealthy life, the oil it yields can have effects as detrimental to your diet's omega 3 ratio as vegetable oils can. As far as vegetable oils go, olive oil and coconut oil have been proven to be much better for your body than all other vegetable oils. As far as lard goes, that's just... excessive.

[Stark]

However what it really comes down to is the quality of the oil.

I am curious to what you mean by that. If you cooked the same food cooked in a low quality lard and a high quality vegetable oil, the lard one will taste better.

I think we are talking about two different things though. There are plenty of ways to flavor food without resulting to covering it in fat. Spices for one. But something that has been cooked in animal fat will taste better than the same thing cooked in any other kind of oil. The only exception I can think of to this is popcorn. Popcorn cooked in coconut oil taste the best.

What he means (I think) is that depending on the type/quality of oil it breaks down differently at higher frying temperatures, thus changing the nutritional value of it. Something that is pure, IMO, and not a mix or hydrogenated is the way to go.

Coconut oil is awesome for popcorn, peanut is great for certain applications as well. Coconut oil was poo-pooed around the same time as lard, because coconut oil is high in saturated fat. I just happen to believe that sort of fat is a necessary part of your diet, especially for fat-soluable vitamins.

[Stark]

However what it really comes down to is the quality of the oil.

I am curious to what you mean by that.

I was mainly replying to Stark's comment on the vegetable oil vs animal fat oil part. When animals are given improper diets, it affects the meat and oil that is produced by them. If the animal has an unhealthy life, the oil it yields can have effects as detrimental to your diet's omega 3 ratio as vegetable oils can. As far as vegetable oils go, olive oil and coconut oil have been proven to be much better for your body than all other vegetable oils. As far as lard goes, that's just... excessive.

I agree with all of this, except for lard being excessive, it's just rendered pig fat, so it is subject to the same scenarios you listed abouve with quality of diet fed to the animal, etc.

[BoringSupreez]

: Snowed today, the first snow this winter that's actually going to stick for more than 24 hours. Been a kinda pathetic winter this time.

: It's really cold, and my jacket doesn't cut it anymore. I would get a thicker coat, but I'd only need to use it like three times per year, so I put it off. Then when one of those three days arrives, I wish I hadn't.

BTW, lard rocks.

[s1mplehumar]

: Snowed today, the first snow this winter that's actually going to stick for more than 24 hours. Been a kinda pathetic winter this time.

Lucky! It's been a mild winter here in PA as well. We had about 1.5" right before Halloween, and a few dustings here and there. I long for the days of the winter of '93. Snow drifts nearing the porch roof. I love a good chill!