Milk Street’s Stir-Fried Cumin Tofu

Photo: Milk Street

Take a look at what I’m making for dinner tonight! Often, I have a packaged block of tofu in my refrigerator. It’s a no-fuss protein that rarely spoils, and usually I toss cubes of it into my sesame noodles to make the dish more substantial. Tofu makes quick meals in less than 30 minutes!

So how thrilling to come across another fast meal that uses totu! Cumin is a strong spice, but when used in the right amount, it’s super tasty. I love cumin on roasted carrots, among other foods. In this dish, we’ll use cumin and red pepper flakes to spice what is, on its own, flavorless tofu.

The recipe featured on a 2022 episode of Milk Street was shared with Katu here. Check out both websites. I love watching Milk Street episodes. For our convenience, I’ll also put the recipe below. If only linking, it might disappear one day, and as a reader of online content myself, I appreciate not having to click, click, click just to see a recipe:

Milk Street’s Stir-Fried Cumin Tofu

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
14-ounce container firm OR extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick planks
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly crushed OR 2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

In a pie plate or shallow bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add the tofu and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Pat the tofu dry in the pie plate. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss to coat, gently pressing to adhere.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the tofu, distributing it in an even layer, and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the tofu and cook until golden brown on the second side, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Wipe out the skillet.

In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until barely smoking. Add the onion and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is charred in spots and slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the tofu, remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Off heat, taste and season with salt and black pepper.

Debra’s Tweaks:

I’ll either tenderize broccoli florets or mixed vegetables (green beans, carrots, corn, and peas) to toss into the dish after the onions are charred. Perhaps I’d also make brown rice as a side for a complete dinner. This would also make a delicious dinner if you had a dinner guest over, by adding a glass of wine and a cheese platter while they wait for this main course to arrive on the table!

Fast food never has to be junk food!

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High Jewelry Sapphires & Diamonds

Chopard from the Red Carpet Collection

High jewelry is unaffordable to middle- and working-class consumers, but what gorgeous eye candy to behold! If you're a jewelry lover, you can’t help but think how magnificent Mother Nature, combined with the artistry of a jeweler, is! You may not be able to buy it, but you can take the style as inspiration when selecting more budget-friendly pieces. For example, I like cutting-edge design, but, as I must limit what I actually buy, I rarely buy cutting-edge and lean towards classic, timeless pieces. Also, while I appreciate ladylike jewelry, I avoid ornate and over-the-top femininity. Once you know your style, you can apply it to find jewelry that fits your budget.

Today, let’s take a look at High Jewelry Sapphire and Diamond Pieces, shall we? Peerless craftsmanship and elegance define Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection, a/k/a Haute Joaillerie.

The top👆Sapphire and Diamond Necklace, resembling a crown, features oval-shaped sapphires and round, pear, and marquise-cut diamonds set in 18-carat white gold. It is available in several carat sizes of sapphires and diamonds (e.g, there’s a 97.46-carat version with over 100 carats in diamonds). Oh, I’ll take that one! Dream big!!😝

A Chopard Red Carpet Collection ring has a 9.45 carat cushion cut sapphire framed by pear-shaped sapphires and round and pear-shaped diamonds. The collection’s drop earrings are set with 43.48 carats of pear-shaped sapphires and 2.53 carats of diamonds in white 18k gold. The drop earrings also come in emeralds.

Two sapphire-and-diamond watches from Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection are more like jeweled bracelets with timepieces at their centers. A customer has a choice between diamonds with sapphires or sapphires with diamonds. Which would you pick?

I’m tossing in two other pieces I love that are not designed by Chopard as I’m no slob!😉

A Madagascar cushion-cut sapphire ring, set in platinum, is 30.21 carats. The sapphire is flanked by 2 diamonds totaling 2.56 carats. Its price is listed as $525,000. The ring would go perfectly with the Harry Winston sapphire and diamond necklace on the right. The necklace’s 111.73-carat cushion-cut sapphire is detachable. 

When prices aren’t listed, you have to find out by walking into the jewelers’ shops. As the old saying goes, if you have to ask, you can’t afford them, which, sheesh, we already knew that, didn’t we!?!

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A Fire Blanket For Your Home

A very inexpensive safety tool to consider for your kitchen, fireplace, or grill area is a fire-retardant blanket. In the event of an accidental fire, you toss the blanket over the flame to smother it out before it spreads to the rest of your home. It’s a safety precaution you could prepare every member of your family to know how to handle in such an emergency.

The fire-retardant blanket sells for as low as $5 on online retailer Temu, and it is available at Walmart and Amazon.

Made from 100% flame-resistant fiberglass, it forms an airtight seal to quickly cut off oxygen and suffocate the flames. It has a 6 year shelf life, so there’s no need to replace it often. I have no idea what elements go bad in the blanket, but time seems to spoil many material things.

It’s a very practical, low-cost tool to keep your home a little safer.

If you wish to invest more, you could also buy a fire extinguisher. You’d have to have a place for family members to easily grab it, and they must learn how to aim and spray it. The blanket requires less mechanical know-how, but the low cost means if you wish, you likely could buy both fire extinguishing tools for your home. 

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Milk Street’s Three-Seeded Beer Pretzels

Photo: Milk Street

While still living with my parents, I used to make bagels. I got the recipe from a tiny paper recipe book I bought at a drugstore for 25-cents. After moving to Manhattan, I never had to make bagels again! Soft pretzels are kind of like the cousins of bagels as they’re made much the same way. There’s nothing better tasting than a fresh soft pretzel! For some reason, in Manhattan, a soft pretzel is much more expensive (costing $10 - $16) compared to a bagel (at $1.25 - $2.00). There are more bagel manufacturers than soft pretzel makers, so less competition may determine its price.

With simple ingredients, baking pretzels isn’t hard, but it takes time. Over the weekend, I watched Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street make Three-Seeded Beer Pretzels and then googled the recipe for guidance. If requested, I’ll remove the recipe, but it’s on the internet, and I’ll also link it to Milk Street’s website.

Ingredients for Milk Street’s dough:

4 cups (548g) bread flour (plus more as needed)

2¼ tsp instant yeast

2¼ tsp table salt
¾ cup amber ale or lager
⅔ cup water
2 tbsp salted butter, cubed and softened
1½ tbsp barley malt syrup (or molasses)

For Boiling: ⅓ cup baking soda

A pot of water

Topping Seed Mixture: 1 large egg white, beaten

2 tsp flaky salt, ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp caraway seeds

Milk Street’s Directions:

1) In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt. 

2) Add beer, ⅔ cup water, butter, and syrup. Mix on low for 2 minutes, then medium for 6–7 minutes until smooth and shiny.

3) Cold Fermentation (Optional but recommended): Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours for better flavor.

4) Shape: Divide dough into 10 pieces (approx. 95g each). Roll each into a 26- to 28-inch rope and shape into a pretzel. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets misted with oil.

5) Rise: Let shaped pretzels rise for 15–20 minutes until slightly puffy.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

6) Boil: Bring 3 quarts of water and baking soda to a simmer in a large pot. Boil pretzels for 30 seconds, then return to baking sheets.

7) Top and Bake: Brush with egg white, slash the "belly" of the pretzel with a knife, and sprinkle with the seed mix and flaky salt.

8) Bake: Bake for 14–16 minutes at 450°F until deeply browned, rotating sheets halfway through.

Debra’s Tweaks:

I only used 2 cups of bread flour to make 6 pretzels. Lacking beer, the 3 types of seeds, and barley malt syrup, I substituted sourdough starter, Everything Seasoning, Himalayan salt, and dark brown sugar. I simply stirred my dough ingredients together with a long handle of a mixing spoon, then proofed the dough in my oven for 6 hours and kneeded it until elastic. After the boiling step #6 and rolling it out, the forming the pretzels, I sprinkled the tops with Everything seasoning and salt (sans egg white). I baked my pretzels at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes without rotating the baking sheet. It worked! My pretzels were very tasty, so feel free to make the recipe your own! As far as shaping the pretzels on my 1st try, well, a couple were elephant man pretzels in appearance. Practice makes perfect.

BTW, have you ever wondered how pretzels got their shape?

According to legend, 7th-century monks (in Italy or Southern France) created pretzels as treats, pretiola (Latin for "little rewards") for children who were learning their prayers. The shape was twisted to resemble arms crossed in prayer with 3 holes in the twist to represent the Holy Trinity. Also called bracellae ("little arms"), eventually the savory pastry spread throughout Europe, becoming brezel in German, and later on, German immigrants brought pretzels to America.

Hot out of the oven, homemade pretzels are as delicious as fresh vendor pretzels! I’d only made as many as you can eat since they lose moisture after tossing them into the freezer. The next day they were still good, but not quite as good. 🥨

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Fanyil We The People 250 Bottle

When I saw this 250 Anniversary Bourbon Bottle, I immediately thought of long-time blog reader and journalist, Barry, who has an interest in following the bourbon industry. Barry is a casual expert on all things bourbon. Some bourbon enthusiasts say, "The bottle matters almost as much as the spirit inside.”

The Fanyil We The People 250 bottle is a collectible for bourbon aficionados, patriots, and history buffs alike. It has a Liberty Bell airtight vacuum stopper to preserve the complex notes of a favorite bourbon you put inside it. The bottle is created from thick, lead-free crystal with a weighted base, and its 1776 - 2026 stamp, commemorating the nation’s birthday, could make the decanter a historic relic in future years. 

But I always say, buy a material article only because you love it, not as an investment of future value, which is never a certainty. It should be a piece you enjoy seeing on your desk, shelf, or home bar. Currently, the bottle sells for $50 as a limited-edition commemorative. Perhaps Barry will see my blog to tell us what he thinks and if he’s tempted to buy it.😁

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9 Tips To Curb Hunger

As we age, it gets tougher to maintain the slender bodies of our youth. I do the best I can, but with each decade of life, I have accumulated a few extra pounds. Our metabolism slows, making it easier to put on weight and harder to shed those pounds.

A woman I went to school with rides bicycles for miles and miles and miles to burn calories, and only eats one meal a day. I’ve known daily joggers, too, but I don’t have the time or desire for hours and hours and hours of exercise. Walking 20 blocks or riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes is what I can sustain.

I’ll accept the inevitability of a few extra pounds, and yet I won’t let myself go completely; therefore, I must eat less food. Moreover, I also don’t wish to rely on drugs to suppress my hunger. So how do I control my appetite?

Here’s what I do to maintain a healthy body weight by curbing hunger:

1) Eat enough protein in each meal -- 30 grams or higher.

2) Drink a cup of skim milk with dinner. It keeps me full longer. 

3) Mostly eat 3 meals a day. If not hungry for breakfast or lunch, I may skip one of them, but usually I do eat a modest breakfast and lunch, and a dinner containing a protein, a starch, and vegetables. Another friend of mine only eats 2 meals a day, but usually I need 3 meals, and a small snack at night.

4) When hunger strikes in between meals, I see if drinking hot coffee or tea with skim milk quells my hunger pangs. Lately, I’m also trying Haymaker's Punch in between meals.

5) If all else fails, I’ll eat 1 or 2 pieces of fruit -- an apple, orange, pear, or banana, which I consider free food on days I’m hungrier. A carrot, celery stalks, bites of leftover cooked butternut squash or green beans, 5 - 10 almonds or walnuts, or a few Saltine crackers sometimes work as after-dinner snacks.

I cut up fruit and top it with nuts.

6) I avoid processed food and eat real food. It tastes better and is more filling.

7) I limit how often I eat carbs per day and usually save them for dinner. Eating lots of carbs a day only whets my appetite, yet doesn’t stifle my hunger.

8) I never eat sweets mindlessly anymore. Sweets are always a planned treat, like birthday cake, Christmas cookies, or Halloween candy. Sugar isn’t healthy for anybody. Especially as we age, we must limit our intake of sugar for health and weight reasons. As it turns out, the less sugar we eat, the less we crave. Outside of planned treats, I’ll only take 2 bites of a sweet.

9) Avoid lunch clubs with overweight people. Meet for coffee, walks in the park, or to discuss books. Don’t surround yourself with folks who live to eat often at pricy restaurants, but with people who eat to live and have healthier ways of socializing. Such meals are too rich and high in calories. You’d be wasting your time and money by not indulging when restaurant-hopping. Don’t put yourself in a position where it’s a mainstay activity instead of a special occasion like a family birthday or anniversary. It also helps to have a small, contained family, in lieu of 10 siblings.😛

I wish it weren’t so, but our metabolism changes, and so must what, how much, and when we eat. It’s a shame we have to put so much thought into eating, isn’t it? Unfortunately, we do!😣 

How do you control your appetite to maintain an acceptable (if not your youthful) weight?

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Are Bake N Serve Doughs Worth the Expense?

Photo: Edgar’s Bakery

I understand the convenience of buying already prepared Bake N Serve bread, biscuit, or pastry doughs. No mixing, rising, or kneading necessary. I, too, have occasionally bought canned biscuits and pizza dough. So after a purchase or two, the following is what I’ve decided ... 

Photo: Lysnoj

When I can’t make a food better or cheaper, I do buy it readymade. Pecan pies from either Fairway or Edwards are examples of what I always buy and never make. And yet IMHO, this isn’t the case with Bake N Serve bread, biscuit, or pastry doughs. A cake from a cake box is inferior to cakes made from scratch, and my above examples are often several times more costly, so I don't buy them as Bake N Serve food.

Still, we aren't martyrs. Sometimes we either aren’t motivated or don’t have the time to make bread, a cake, a pie, or pizza dough from scratch. In such instances, I go to a good bakery, pizza parlor, or Fairway in Manhattan and bring home my bread, pizza, pastry, or pie, ready to dig right in. 

Unlike when you take the time to make bread, pizza dough, or pies from scratch, I find the cost of Bake N Serve treats is nearly the same as when you simply bring them home ready to eat. Why would I pay extra to haul the treat home and still have to finish the work myself? At least if I buy it already to eat from a good bakery or Fairway, it’s of superior quality, and there’s nothing left for me to do except serve it!

If we don’t make it ourselves and aren’t saving any money, why settle ... when we can go all the way and let a professional do the work for us? 

So in my home, it’s either make it from scratch or purchase it from a great deli, bakery or pizza parlor. The times you decide to splurge and pay the piper, you can have your cake and eat it too. No effort necessary! What are your thoughts?

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Lands’ End Launch’s Its Swimsuits Already

For years now, I’ve said Land’s End is the retailer where there’s a swimsuit designed for everyBODY. I’ll link to prior years below so I don’t need to repeat myself. Their 2026 swim collection is on their website now! Here.

If you don’t wait for a promotion, you won’t get a bargain, but you will get top quality, style, and the perfect, most flattering swimsuit to fit your body type in a wide array of not just styles, but each style in different colors or patterns. No merchant offers customers the selection that Lands’ End does! The equivalent of customizing your suit. 

I’m picking styles I like that you could keep on after you leave the beach or pool to head home, because they cover as much as your normal casual summer clothing. Classic and stylish without revealing too much skin! 

Nevertheless, Lands’ End also offers an assortment of adorable coverups to pair with its swimsuits. Click to enjoy a browse. I bet you won't stop with swimwear! (THE SAVVY SHOPPER is not a sponsored blog.)

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Homemade Dale’s Marinade

This week I’m doing back to back food blogs. Two homemade marinades I’ll use this year for beef follow. One is a homemade version of Dale’s Marinade, a recipe that is floating uncredited around the internet. Another combines Homemade Dale’s Marinade Sauce with Montreal Seasoning to tenderize beef or pork. Dale’s marinade sold in stores is inexpensive to buy, however many cooks already have all the ingredients at home to simply make it. 

Homemade Dale’s Marinade

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sugar or golden syrup
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the Vitamix container. Blend on medium for 30 seconds until fully combined. (I didn’t use a blender. Easy to whisk the mixture with a fork.)
Use immediately as a marinade or sauce, or store in the fridge for 1-2 months.

The 2nd Marinade Sauce uses Montreal Seasoning so here’s a recipe for that --

Homemade Montreal Seasoning

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coarse black pepper

2 tablespoons paprika or smoked paprika

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

2 tablespoons dried dill

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

Combine all dry ingredients and store in an airtight contrainer.

Now let’s combine the two. (It's what I used to make a 2-pound London Broil steak. Btw: Top Round London Broil steak, one of my favorites, is a cheaper cut of beef. Why? Because it’s lean with no fat (or marbling like more tender cuts). But with braising, the meat becomes so tender and tasty, and I love how I never have to trim fat or grisle off the steak.) --

 Dale’s Marinade with Montreal Seasoning

Ingedients:

1/4 cup Dale’s Marinade

1/4 cup of Worcestershire Sauce

2 tablespoons of vinegar

1/2 cup of olive or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Montreal seasoning

Directions:

Marinade your meat for 24 hours to tenderize, and you’ll be able to cut it with a fork.

It looks like I’ll start marinading this year. How about you?

Candidly, beef with pototoes and vegetables is a favorite meal. Still, my family eats less meat and more vegetarian meals than once upon a time, and yet it’s hard for us to totally cut beef, chicken and pork out of our diets. We consider the environment, aging, and the health recommendations of doctors, then make sensible adjustments in efforts to live balanced, healthy and responsible lives. If you can’t eliminate, cutting back is beneficial. Enjoy!

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2 Mediterranean Diet Recipes From Facebook

Photos and recipes by Emily Smith here and below

When I happened upon these two recipes on Facebook, they made my mouth water! I’m sharing them for several reasons: I plan to make them. My blog is my recipe keeper! They’re quick and easy to prepare with simple ingredients, and most of all they’re healthy and filling. I also appreciate that the FB page I’m pulling them from is transparent, not making it difficult to find the recipes. I dislike having to provide my email or click off the page to get recipes. This page seems to just want to share recipes, so check it out for healthy meal ideas!

🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕

Says page administrator Emily Smith: "Craving pizza but sticking to keto? Try these cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas for a deliciously guilt-free treat!”

Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Quesadilla (Made it. Like✅)

*What you need*

- 2 large low‑carb tortillas (or regular flour tortillas)

- ½ cup shredded mozzarella (or a blend of mozzarella & cheddar)

- 10‑12 pepperoni slices

- 2 Tbsp pizza sauce (sugar‑free) – optional

- A pinch of Italian seasoning – optional

*How to make it*

1. Heat a non‑stick skillet over medium heat.

2. Lay one tortilla flat, spread the sauce (if using), then sprinkle the cheese, pepperoni, and a dash of Italian seasoning.

3. Top with the second tortilla.

4. Cook 2‑3 min per side, pressing gently, until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden‑brown.

5. Slice into wedges and serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Enjoy that melty, pizza‑and‑quesadilla mash‑up in under 10 minutes! Let me know if you want a low‑carb twist.

Recipe #2 --

3 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Pizza

*What you need*

-1 cup of cottage cheese (full fat, small curd)

- 1 large egg

- ½ cup shredded mozzarella (or your favorite cheese)

*How to make it*

1. Pre‑heat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. Mix cottage cheese and egg until smooth. Spread into a thin circle (about 8‑inch).

3. Top with mozzarella (and any other low-carb toppings you love).

4. Bake 15‑18 min, until the crust is golden and cheese melts.

''Enjoy a protein-packed, low-carb pizza! Let me know if you want topping ideas.’’

🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕

For questions or topping ideas, go to Emily Smith's FB page, which is linked. I topped the Pepperoni Pizza Quesadilla with chopped onions, green peppers, mushrooms and red pepper flakes. Oooh, how delish!

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