The history of olives and olive oil can be traced back to at the least biblical times. When the waters of the great flood subsided and Noah sent forth a dove it was an olive leaf she returned carrying in her mouth. It is known that as long as 6000 years ago olive oil was used as fuel in lamps. Maybe it was this olive oil that created such a beautiful Genie for Major Anthony Nelson to rescue in the popular television sitcom I Dream of Genie.
Today in modern grocery stores there are dozens of gourmet olives widely available. Gone are the days of canned black olives and green olives with pimentos as the only choices. For those of us who remember the days of opening a can of black olives and placing one on each finger then systematically biting them off here is the new olive.
Nicoises:
Is a earthy rich olive commonly used in salad. The curing of this olive in red-wine vinegar gives it a distinctive taste.
Green olives with herbs de Provence:
This vibrant citrus flavored olive is a delightful blend of herbs de Provence spices and large green olives. It is an excellent choice to use in surf dishes and with sweet spices.
Mount Athos green with Sicilian herbs: This is a second olive that utilizes herbs to dominate the pallet. Rosemary, garlic, mustard seed, and red pepper flakes give this olive a spicy appeal.
Mount Athos green stuffed with garlic: For a modern twist on the martini this olive is an excellent choice. It is stuffed with rich flavorful garlic and lends itself well to pizza as well as martinis.
Mount Athos green olives with sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes give this heavy olive an intense flavor that is sophisticated and ideal for snacking.
Sun-dried olives:
The drying of this olive gives it a rich flavor that blends wonderfully in sauces for serving over pasta. Kalamatas: A tangy black olive cured in red-wine vinegar that can be from Italy or California. The California variety is denoted with a 'c' spelling rather than a 'k'.
Alfonsos:
This robust winey tasting olive is soft and similar to the kalamata. It is a popular choice in antipasto salads. Halkididis: Very similar in flavor to the kalamatas this olive is excellent blended with cream cheese and garlic for a flavorful dip. Lucques: This meaty buttery olive contains pits but is still a wonderful choice with provolone cheese and bruchetta.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Pure Water and Fine Tea
Tea originated in China 5,000 years ago and the selection and brewing of tea has been refined to an art with health and spiritual aspects emerging as part of the process.
Experienced tea drinkers throughout the world generally follow established guidelines for infusion or brewing of tea and the infusion process is often as important as the initial selection of tea. For many tea enthusiasts, brewing tea is the most soothing and spiritual part of their day. Brewing a good tasting cup of tea releases tensions for many and has a definite comforting effect.
It is a fact that since 99% of tea is water, better water makes better tea and water is critical to the final outcome of tea preparation. Brewing tea can be complex or simple. For many tea enthusiasts the brewing process is an important part of the tea experience that culminates in the preparation of a satisfying beverage and a way of life. Fine teas are especially sensitive to the nature of water for infusion.
The best water for successful tea infusion is low in mineral content, free of contamination and additives and high in oxygen content.
Water Quality and Brewing Tea
Good tasting tea requires good tasting water. A simple test is that if the water tastes good by itself, the resulting brewed tea will also have a good flavor. Because a brewed cup of tea is mostly water, the quality of the water is often as important as the quality of the tea leaves. The water must be free of contaminants and minerals and contain enough oxygen to enhance the natural tea flavor. Moreover, there are a number of additional factors that will affect the taste of the infusion. These include water temperature, the mineral content of the water used and the continued presence of a sufficient quantity of oxygen in the water.
If one is using tap water, filtration is often required. Many tap water suppliers use chlorine to kill bacteria and chlorine in tap water combined with mineral and chemical deposits can significantly affect tea taste and the tea drinker’s overall health. The brewer will want to remove chlorine and other chemicals as well as sediment from the water. It is best to check the composition of tap water on EPA or AMWA websites. Frequently there are also local water quality analysis data available.
Chlorinated tap water for example destroys the flavor of tea. No matter how skillful the preparation or spectacular the tea, bad water will make a bad cup of tea.
Water Temperature
Most experts recommend that one never boil water for a prolonged period or re-boil a previously used supply. The more that the water boils, the more oxygen that is driven out of the water .When water is boiled, oxygen evaporates, and the crisp taste in the brew is lost..
Fresh cold water is important. In areas with poor tap water, use bottled or filtered water that is free of contaminants. Never use water from the hot water tap. If only tap water is available, run the water until it is cold and has a chance to aerate and infuse oxygen.
Poor quality tap water, containing mineral content and other contaminants, even if it is very cold, should be avoided since its chemical treatment imparts undesirable flavors and odors which interfere with the delicate aromatics of tea.
Mineral Content - Soft vs. Hard WaterWater
described as "hard" is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. These minerals accumulate in the water, adversely affect the taste and clarity of the tea and accumulate in teapots and infusers. Teas brewed with pure water containing no minerals produce a crisp flavor and a clear brew that is aesthetically agreeable.
Hard water can also affect the appearance of tea by making it dark and murky. Hard water often results in an undesirable chalky taste and can also reduce the aesthetic portion of the tea brewing process by bleaching the color of the leaves.
High mineral content bottled water has the same negative impact on tea as hard water particularly when bottled water does not include significant oxygen.
Oxygen and Water
Oxygen plays an important role in brewing because it helps to release the best flavors of tea. As a result, one must use water that is aerated (full of oxygen).It is an established fact that the presence of oxygen in water is required to maximize tea flavor. Aeration is particularly important when brewing fine teas.
Avoid re-heating water because previously boiled water will have lost much of its dissolved oxygen which is important to bring out the tea flavor Always use freshly drawn water that has not previously been boiled to maximize the oxygen content of the brew.
Water Quality, Purity and Taste for Tea Drinkers in the United States
Historically, in China, great attention was give to supplying high quality water from a reliable source. The emperors of China appointed royal springs reserved for use in tea brewing and developed special messengers that would guarantee the freshness and availability of supply. This procedure was repeated throughout history and in other tea drinking areas of the world. Supply of water was an integral part of the tea experience.
In the United States utilizing a pure water supply is also critical to proper brewing but the water supply generally comes form one of three sources: Municipal water, spring and well water and bottled water.
Municipal water is the predominant form of water supply and is controlled by standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is important to note that EPA Regulations do not eliminate the presence of harmful minerals from water but merely set upper limits on the presence of contaminants. In addition, chlorine is often added to municipal water to kill bacteria but this chlorine has a distinctly undesirable taste.
Spring and well water are a major source of water in rural areas but it is unregulated and subject to serious contamination from organic, chemical and human sources. Individual wells and springs must be tested to determine the source and level of contamination.
Bottled water is the best for brewing flavorful tea but care should be taken to determine the source of the bottled water. Bottled water from springs is subject to contamination while mineral water often contains the minerals that are most detrimental to good tasting tea. Of the various sources for bottled water only purified water is best for the brewing of good tasting tea.
Purified water means that all minerals and contaminants are filtered and removed from the water using a purification process but that is only the first step. For tea brewing purposes purified water must also be infused with oxygen to guarantee the best flavor. Only those companies that use a multi-step process of filtration, purification and oxygenation should be considered as a reliable source for the brewing of good tasting fine tea.
Experienced tea drinkers throughout the world generally follow established guidelines for infusion or brewing of tea and the infusion process is often as important as the initial selection of tea. For many tea enthusiasts, brewing tea is the most soothing and spiritual part of their day. Brewing a good tasting cup of tea releases tensions for many and has a definite comforting effect.
It is a fact that since 99% of tea is water, better water makes better tea and water is critical to the final outcome of tea preparation. Brewing tea can be complex or simple. For many tea enthusiasts the brewing process is an important part of the tea experience that culminates in the preparation of a satisfying beverage and a way of life. Fine teas are especially sensitive to the nature of water for infusion.
The best water for successful tea infusion is low in mineral content, free of contamination and additives and high in oxygen content.
Water Quality and Brewing Tea
Good tasting tea requires good tasting water. A simple test is that if the water tastes good by itself, the resulting brewed tea will also have a good flavor. Because a brewed cup of tea is mostly water, the quality of the water is often as important as the quality of the tea leaves. The water must be free of contaminants and minerals and contain enough oxygen to enhance the natural tea flavor. Moreover, there are a number of additional factors that will affect the taste of the infusion. These include water temperature, the mineral content of the water used and the continued presence of a sufficient quantity of oxygen in the water.
If one is using tap water, filtration is often required. Many tap water suppliers use chlorine to kill bacteria and chlorine in tap water combined with mineral and chemical deposits can significantly affect tea taste and the tea drinker’s overall health. The brewer will want to remove chlorine and other chemicals as well as sediment from the water. It is best to check the composition of tap water on EPA or AMWA websites. Frequently there are also local water quality analysis data available.
Chlorinated tap water for example destroys the flavor of tea. No matter how skillful the preparation or spectacular the tea, bad water will make a bad cup of tea.
Water Temperature
Most experts recommend that one never boil water for a prolonged period or re-boil a previously used supply. The more that the water boils, the more oxygen that is driven out of the water .When water is boiled, oxygen evaporates, and the crisp taste in the brew is lost..
Fresh cold water is important. In areas with poor tap water, use bottled or filtered water that is free of contaminants. Never use water from the hot water tap. If only tap water is available, run the water until it is cold and has a chance to aerate and infuse oxygen.
Poor quality tap water, containing mineral content and other contaminants, even if it is very cold, should be avoided since its chemical treatment imparts undesirable flavors and odors which interfere with the delicate aromatics of tea.
Mineral Content - Soft vs. Hard WaterWater
described as "hard" is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. These minerals accumulate in the water, adversely affect the taste and clarity of the tea and accumulate in teapots and infusers. Teas brewed with pure water containing no minerals produce a crisp flavor and a clear brew that is aesthetically agreeable.
Hard water can also affect the appearance of tea by making it dark and murky. Hard water often results in an undesirable chalky taste and can also reduce the aesthetic portion of the tea brewing process by bleaching the color of the leaves.
High mineral content bottled water has the same negative impact on tea as hard water particularly when bottled water does not include significant oxygen.
Oxygen and Water
Oxygen plays an important role in brewing because it helps to release the best flavors of tea. As a result, one must use water that is aerated (full of oxygen).It is an established fact that the presence of oxygen in water is required to maximize tea flavor. Aeration is particularly important when brewing fine teas.
Avoid re-heating water because previously boiled water will have lost much of its dissolved oxygen which is important to bring out the tea flavor Always use freshly drawn water that has not previously been boiled to maximize the oxygen content of the brew.
Water Quality, Purity and Taste for Tea Drinkers in the United States
Historically, in China, great attention was give to supplying high quality water from a reliable source. The emperors of China appointed royal springs reserved for use in tea brewing and developed special messengers that would guarantee the freshness and availability of supply. This procedure was repeated throughout history and in other tea drinking areas of the world. Supply of water was an integral part of the tea experience.
In the United States utilizing a pure water supply is also critical to proper brewing but the water supply generally comes form one of three sources: Municipal water, spring and well water and bottled water.
Municipal water is the predominant form of water supply and is controlled by standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is important to note that EPA Regulations do not eliminate the presence of harmful minerals from water but merely set upper limits on the presence of contaminants. In addition, chlorine is often added to municipal water to kill bacteria but this chlorine has a distinctly undesirable taste.
Spring and well water are a major source of water in rural areas but it is unregulated and subject to serious contamination from organic, chemical and human sources. Individual wells and springs must be tested to determine the source and level of contamination.
Bottled water is the best for brewing flavorful tea but care should be taken to determine the source of the bottled water. Bottled water from springs is subject to contamination while mineral water often contains the minerals that are most detrimental to good tasting tea. Of the various sources for bottled water only purified water is best for the brewing of good tasting tea.
Purified water means that all minerals and contaminants are filtered and removed from the water using a purification process but that is only the first step. For tea brewing purposes purified water must also be infused with oxygen to guarantee the best flavor. Only those companies that use a multi-step process of filtration, purification and oxygenation should be considered as a reliable source for the brewing of good tasting fine tea.
Savory Salmon Recipes for your next Fishing Expedition
Here are a few salmon recipes for your next fishing trip. They are simple to fix but very tasty. Of course you can use these at home on fish from the market too. But it won¡¯t taste as good as when you cook your fish fresh out of the water right next to the river.
This recipe is perfect for Sockeye (Red) Salmon.
Ingredients:
Sockeye Salmon fillets (as many as you want)
Marinade (you may use one of the recipes below or use a pre-mademarinade sauce such as Yoshida¡¯s Gourmet Sauce; you need enoughmarinade to coat fillets.)
Also Needed:
1 large (2-gallon) zip lock bag (or more, depending on how manyfillets you¡¯re cooking)Cooler with plenty of iceGood quality charcoal briquettes (do NOT use lighter fluid)Small wire grillHeavy duty aluminum foil
Lemon-Dill Marinade:
Ingredients:
(makes enough for 4 fillets)? cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of dill? teaspoon of chives
1 teaspoon of parsley
? teaspoon of lemon pepper
Make the marinade just before you leave to go fishing. If going for longer than a day, mix just prior to marinating fish. Place all ingredients in a zip lock bag, seal, and mix until evenly distributed. Store in cooler.
Honey and Basil Marinade
Ingredients (makes enough for 4 fillets)
? cup of fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of honey
? teaspoon of pepper and salt
Use the same directions used for Lemon-Dill Marinade.
3 Sauce Marinade
Ingredients (makes enough for 4 fillets)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons steak sauce (such as A-1)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon dry tarragonMix as with other marinades.
Prep and Cooking
* Place fillets in marinade in plastic bag, seal, and store in cooler for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Do not marinate too long or fillets may start to deteriorate. Always marinate in a cold container.)
* Make a small fire with charcoal.
* Once coals are hot-- ashen white-- place fillets skin side down on grill, brush or drizzle with marinade, and cover with a tent of aluminum foil. (The foil acts like a lid, allowing fish to cook on both sides at once)
* With the grill about 3 inches over the coals, cook the fillets for about 15-20 minutes. When the meat flakes, the fish is done. Overcooking will dry out the fish and compromise its flavor.
* Serve at once.
* Store any cooked, uneaten fillets in the cooler for the next day
.Each of these marinades is simple to make and will keep in an iced cooler for a few days. Never reuse marinade; once you¡¯ve put raw fish in it, only use in cooking and NOT as a dipping sauce. Leaving fish too long in a marinade can turn it mushy. To be safe, marinate fillets for 30 to 60 minutes.
Enjoy your fishing and good eating!
This recipe is perfect for Sockeye (Red) Salmon.
Ingredients:
Sockeye Salmon fillets (as many as you want)
Marinade (you may use one of the recipes below or use a pre-mademarinade sauce such as Yoshida¡¯s Gourmet Sauce; you need enoughmarinade to coat fillets.)
Also Needed:
1 large (2-gallon) zip lock bag (or more, depending on how manyfillets you¡¯re cooking)Cooler with plenty of iceGood quality charcoal briquettes (do NOT use lighter fluid)Small wire grillHeavy duty aluminum foil
Lemon-Dill Marinade:
Ingredients:
(makes enough for 4 fillets)? cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of dill? teaspoon of chives
1 teaspoon of parsley
? teaspoon of lemon pepper
Make the marinade just before you leave to go fishing. If going for longer than a day, mix just prior to marinating fish. Place all ingredients in a zip lock bag, seal, and mix until evenly distributed. Store in cooler.
Honey and Basil Marinade
Ingredients (makes enough for 4 fillets)
? cup of fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of honey
? teaspoon of pepper and salt
Use the same directions used for Lemon-Dill Marinade.
3 Sauce Marinade
Ingredients (makes enough for 4 fillets)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons steak sauce (such as A-1)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon dry tarragonMix as with other marinades.
Prep and Cooking
* Place fillets in marinade in plastic bag, seal, and store in cooler for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Do not marinate too long or fillets may start to deteriorate. Always marinate in a cold container.)
* Make a small fire with charcoal.
* Once coals are hot-- ashen white-- place fillets skin side down on grill, brush or drizzle with marinade, and cover with a tent of aluminum foil. (The foil acts like a lid, allowing fish to cook on both sides at once)
* With the grill about 3 inches over the coals, cook the fillets for about 15-20 minutes. When the meat flakes, the fish is done. Overcooking will dry out the fish and compromise its flavor.
* Serve at once.
* Store any cooked, uneaten fillets in the cooler for the next day
.Each of these marinades is simple to make and will keep in an iced cooler for a few days. Never reuse marinade; once you¡¯ve put raw fish in it, only use in cooking and NOT as a dipping sauce. Leaving fish too long in a marinade can turn it mushy. To be safe, marinate fillets for 30 to 60 minutes.
Enjoy your fishing and good eating!
4 Easy Tips on How to Make Healthy Recipes
For many people, making healthy recipes seems too difficult and time consuming...But with some advance planning and some basic knowledge of nutrition, it is easy to create a week's worth of healthy meals that you and your family will love. The key to creating delicious and healthy meals for the family is planning ...and lot's of it!
Planning ahead of time an entire week of healthy recipe meals is the best way to create dishes you can be proud of, while keeping cost and time commitment to a minimum. So below are amazing tips you can use to make healthy meals all the time.
Healthy Recipe Tip #1:
Using convenient appliances such as slow cookers and microwaves can be a huge time saver when planning and preparing meals. There are many delicious and healthy recipes that can be started in the morning and left to cook all day in a crock pot or slow cooker. These are great choices for working families.
In addition, making the meals ahead of time on the weekend and heating them in the microwave is a great way to stretch both your food and your time. There are many microwavable healthy meals you can make at home, and single serving microwave safe containers allow every member of the family to eat on their own schedule.
When planning the meals for the week, it is a good idea to create a chart listing each day's menu and each days' schedule. Here's a smart tip...plan the quickest and easiest to prepare meals for the busiest days of the week.
Healthy Recipe Tip #2:
Get your family involved in creating the week's meal plan by asking for their input and noting everyone's favorite foods. It is still very important to eat healthy meals, so that (of course) does not mean eating pizza every night or having ice cream for dinner. But involving your spouse and children in healthy recipe planning, you'll help to increase their interest in healthy eating right away.
It is also a good idea to get your entire family involved in the preparation of the meals. Even children too young to cook can help out by setting out the dishes, chopping vegetables, clearing the table and washing the dishes.
Healthy Recipe Tip #3:
Cooking large quantities of healthy food recipes - and freezing the leftovers - is a easy way to save time. Cooking large amounts of stews, soups, pasta, chili and casseroles can be a huge time saver. Making double and even triple batches of these staple foods, and freezing the leftovers for later use, is a great way to save both time and money.
When freezing leftovers, however, it is important to label the containers carefully, using freezer tape and a permanent marker. Try to keep the oldest foods near the top to avoid having to throw away expired items.
Stocking up on meats when they are on sale is another great way to use that valuable freezer space. Stocking up on such easily frozen foods as chicken, turkey, ground beef, steaks, roasts and chops is a great way to make your food dollar stretch as far as possible while still allowing you and your family to enjoy delicious healthy meals every day.
Healthy Recipe Tip #4:
Keeping a well stocked pantry is as important as keeping a well stocked freezer. Stocking the pantry with a good supply of staple items like canned vegetables, canned fruits, soup stocks and the like will make healthy recipe preparation much faster and easier.
Stocking the pantry can save you money as well as time. Grocery stores are always running sales, and these sales are a great time to stock up. Buying several cases of canned vegetables when they are on sale, for instance can save lots of money and provide the basic ingredients for many nutritious, easy to prepare meals.
Examples of great staples to stock up on include whole grain cereals, pastas, tomato sauce, baked beans, canned salmon, tuna and whole grain breads. It is easy to combine these staples into many great meals on a moment's notice.healthy recipeI hope you found these healthy recipe tips easy as pie!
Planning ahead of time an entire week of healthy recipe meals is the best way to create dishes you can be proud of, while keeping cost and time commitment to a minimum. So below are amazing tips you can use to make healthy meals all the time.
Healthy Recipe Tip #1:
Using convenient appliances such as slow cookers and microwaves can be a huge time saver when planning and preparing meals. There are many delicious and healthy recipes that can be started in the morning and left to cook all day in a crock pot or slow cooker. These are great choices for working families.
In addition, making the meals ahead of time on the weekend and heating them in the microwave is a great way to stretch both your food and your time. There are many microwavable healthy meals you can make at home, and single serving microwave safe containers allow every member of the family to eat on their own schedule.
When planning the meals for the week, it is a good idea to create a chart listing each day's menu and each days' schedule. Here's a smart tip...plan the quickest and easiest to prepare meals for the busiest days of the week.
Healthy Recipe Tip #2:
Get your family involved in creating the week's meal plan by asking for their input and noting everyone's favorite foods. It is still very important to eat healthy meals, so that (of course) does not mean eating pizza every night or having ice cream for dinner. But involving your spouse and children in healthy recipe planning, you'll help to increase their interest in healthy eating right away.
It is also a good idea to get your entire family involved in the preparation of the meals. Even children too young to cook can help out by setting out the dishes, chopping vegetables, clearing the table and washing the dishes.
Healthy Recipe Tip #3:
Cooking large quantities of healthy food recipes - and freezing the leftovers - is a easy way to save time. Cooking large amounts of stews, soups, pasta, chili and casseroles can be a huge time saver. Making double and even triple batches of these staple foods, and freezing the leftovers for later use, is a great way to save both time and money.
When freezing leftovers, however, it is important to label the containers carefully, using freezer tape and a permanent marker. Try to keep the oldest foods near the top to avoid having to throw away expired items.
Stocking up on meats when they are on sale is another great way to use that valuable freezer space. Stocking up on such easily frozen foods as chicken, turkey, ground beef, steaks, roasts and chops is a great way to make your food dollar stretch as far as possible while still allowing you and your family to enjoy delicious healthy meals every day.
Healthy Recipe Tip #4:
Keeping a well stocked pantry is as important as keeping a well stocked freezer. Stocking the pantry with a good supply of staple items like canned vegetables, canned fruits, soup stocks and the like will make healthy recipe preparation much faster and easier.
Stocking the pantry can save you money as well as time. Grocery stores are always running sales, and these sales are a great time to stock up. Buying several cases of canned vegetables when they are on sale, for instance can save lots of money and provide the basic ingredients for many nutritious, easy to prepare meals.
Examples of great staples to stock up on include whole grain cereals, pastas, tomato sauce, baked beans, canned salmon, tuna and whole grain breads. It is easy to combine these staples into many great meals on a moment's notice.healthy recipeI hope you found these healthy recipe tips easy as pie!
Eating Like The Spanish
EATING LIKE THE SPANISH
Bored of cooking every day the same meals, the samerecipes, and want to try something different and exotic?
You can choose any culture, any country you want and you
will find traditional food for each and every
one of them. But there is something different about the
way the Spanish cook, they just make food enjoying it and this is what matters and offers such tasty results.
First of all you have to know Spanish people like to eat a lot of eggs. But they never, or almost never, eat boiledeggs like we do (cigar makers use to eat Fried eggs on rice for lunch). The traditional egg preparation method is to scramble them and fry them, obtaining a delicious omlette with potatoes and lots of onions added in the frying pan. The Spanish tortilla, as it is called is an exceptional and nutritional way to feed your family for lunch.
Another wonderful dish is the paella. The paella means that you will pretty much throw in the frying pan everything you have in your fridge. Everything that goes with each other, of course. The base for the paella is usually obtained out of boiled chicken wings of legs and to it we will add vegetables,rice, fish, and several other seafoods.
It is important that we fry everything together in olive oil for a better taste. We can even add fruits in the pan and after everything is done, just a minute before turning off the fire, we pour in the pan an assorted natural juice or liqueur or wine, whatever we want as long as we think we will like it. And the result will be an absolutely extraordinary dish made to fit our every taste and desire. Paella is my favorite main meal dish.
Spanish deserts are often a dream, but they can be rather difficult to prepare and they usually contain lots of calories. A few of the simple onesare Natilla (Spanish Custard), Flan,Queen of Puddings,Key Lime Pie (the Real one).Spanish cooking in generally is for people that really have time to spend in the kitchen and enjoy doing it. Most Spanish dishes take a log time to complete and a regular Spanish meal can require up to 3 or even 4 dishes to serve. Often they will serve Sangria with the main meal.
If you are willing to try but don’t really have that much time on your hands then you can just go to a Spanish restaurant near you and see for a change how Spanish people eat. But if you experience weight problems you must be careful on how much you eat, Spanish food can be addictive and it contains many calories to give you lots of benefic energy.
If your choice is Paella call the Spanish restaurant in advance as this is not a one person dish. You will find that Paella is a heart and soul warming dish. Great time to take friends and family out. The Chef normally only prepares it when it is ordered. No left overs.
Bored of cooking every day the same meals, the samerecipes, and want to try something different and exotic?
You can choose any culture, any country you want and you
will find traditional food for each and every
one of them. But there is something different about the
way the Spanish cook, they just make food enjoying it and this is what matters and offers such tasty results.
First of all you have to know Spanish people like to eat a lot of eggs. But they never, or almost never, eat boiledeggs like we do (cigar makers use to eat Fried eggs on rice for lunch). The traditional egg preparation method is to scramble them and fry them, obtaining a delicious omlette with potatoes and lots of onions added in the frying pan. The Spanish tortilla, as it is called is an exceptional and nutritional way to feed your family for lunch.
Another wonderful dish is the paella. The paella means that you will pretty much throw in the frying pan everything you have in your fridge. Everything that goes with each other, of course. The base for the paella is usually obtained out of boiled chicken wings of legs and to it we will add vegetables,rice, fish, and several other seafoods.
It is important that we fry everything together in olive oil for a better taste. We can even add fruits in the pan and after everything is done, just a minute before turning off the fire, we pour in the pan an assorted natural juice or liqueur or wine, whatever we want as long as we think we will like it. And the result will be an absolutely extraordinary dish made to fit our every taste and desire. Paella is my favorite main meal dish.
Spanish deserts are often a dream, but they can be rather difficult to prepare and they usually contain lots of calories. A few of the simple onesare Natilla (Spanish Custard), Flan,Queen of Puddings,Key Lime Pie (the Real one).Spanish cooking in generally is for people that really have time to spend in the kitchen and enjoy doing it. Most Spanish dishes take a log time to complete and a regular Spanish meal can require up to 3 or even 4 dishes to serve. Often they will serve Sangria with the main meal.
If you are willing to try but don’t really have that much time on your hands then you can just go to a Spanish restaurant near you and see for a change how Spanish people eat. But if you experience weight problems you must be careful on how much you eat, Spanish food can be addictive and it contains many calories to give you lots of benefic energy.
If your choice is Paella call the Spanish restaurant in advance as this is not a one person dish. You will find that Paella is a heart and soul warming dish. Great time to take friends and family out. The Chef normally only prepares it when it is ordered. No left overs.
3 Ways To Cook The Perfect Rice
Rice may be cooked by 3 methods, each of which requires a different proportion of water. These methods are boiling, which requires 12 times as much water as rice; the Japanese method, which requires 5 times as much; and steaming, which requires 2-1/2 times as much. Whichever of these methods is used, however, it should be remembered that the rice grains, when properly cooked, must be whole and distinct. To give them this form and prevent the rice from having a pasty appearance, this cereal should not be stirred too much in cooking nor should it be cooked too long.
BOILED RICE - Boiling is about the simplest way. Properly boiled rice not only forms a valuable dish itself, but is an excellent foundation for other dishes that may be served at any meal. The water in which rice is boiled should not be wasted, as it contains much nutritive material. This water may be utilized in the preparation of soups or sauces, or it may even be used to supply the liquid required in the making of yeast bread.
BOILED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Eight)1 c. rice ; 3 tsp. Salt; 3 qt. boiling waterWash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Boil rapidly until the water begins to appear milky because of the starch coming out of the rice into the water or until a grain can be easily crushed between the fingers. Drain the cooked rice through a colander, and then pour cold water over the rice in the colander, so as to wash out the loose starch and leave each grain distinct. Reheat the rice by shaking it over the fire, and serve hot with butter, gravy, or cream or milk and sugar.
JAPANESE METHOD - Rice prepared by the Japanese method may be used in the same ways as boiled rice. However, unless some use is to be made of the liquid from boiled rice, the Japanese method has the advantage of being a more economical way of cooking this cereal.
JAPANESE METHOD (Sufficient to Serve Eight)1 c. rice ; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt; 5 c. boiling waterWash the rice, add it to the boiling salted water, and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Then cover the utensil in which the rice is cooking and place it in the oven for 15 minutes more, in order to evaporate the water more completely and make the grains soft without being mushy. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.
STEAMED RICE - To steam rice requires more time than either of the preceding cooking methods, but it causes no loss of food material. Then, too, unless the rice is stirred too much while it is steaming, it will have a better appearance than rice cooked by the other methods. As in the case of boiled rice, steamed rice may be used as the foundation for a variety of dishes and may be served in any meal.
STEAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)1 c. rice; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt 2-1/2 c. waterWash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Cook it for 5 minutes and then place it in a double boiler and allow it to cook until it is soft. Keep the cooking utensil covered and do not stir the rice. About 1 hour will be required to cook rice in this way. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.Good luck.Nora MaskuriFor more tips and recipes.
BOILED RICE - Boiling is about the simplest way. Properly boiled rice not only forms a valuable dish itself, but is an excellent foundation for other dishes that may be served at any meal. The water in which rice is boiled should not be wasted, as it contains much nutritive material. This water may be utilized in the preparation of soups or sauces, or it may even be used to supply the liquid required in the making of yeast bread.
BOILED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Eight)1 c. rice ; 3 tsp. Salt; 3 qt. boiling waterWash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Boil rapidly until the water begins to appear milky because of the starch coming out of the rice into the water or until a grain can be easily crushed between the fingers. Drain the cooked rice through a colander, and then pour cold water over the rice in the colander, so as to wash out the loose starch and leave each grain distinct. Reheat the rice by shaking it over the fire, and serve hot with butter, gravy, or cream or milk and sugar.
JAPANESE METHOD - Rice prepared by the Japanese method may be used in the same ways as boiled rice. However, unless some use is to be made of the liquid from boiled rice, the Japanese method has the advantage of being a more economical way of cooking this cereal.
JAPANESE METHOD (Sufficient to Serve Eight)1 c. rice ; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt; 5 c. boiling waterWash the rice, add it to the boiling salted water, and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Then cover the utensil in which the rice is cooking and place it in the oven for 15 minutes more, in order to evaporate the water more completely and make the grains soft without being mushy. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.
STEAMED RICE - To steam rice requires more time than either of the preceding cooking methods, but it causes no loss of food material. Then, too, unless the rice is stirred too much while it is steaming, it will have a better appearance than rice cooked by the other methods. As in the case of boiled rice, steamed rice may be used as the foundation for a variety of dishes and may be served in any meal.
STEAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)1 c. rice; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt 2-1/2 c. waterWash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Cook it for 5 minutes and then place it in a double boiler and allow it to cook until it is soft. Keep the cooking utensil covered and do not stir the rice. About 1 hour will be required to cook rice in this way. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.Good luck.Nora MaskuriFor more tips and recipes.
The 10 most popular french recipes
Despite new trends, hype and marketing, tradition has never been stronger. In France, good food still means authentic cooking by using natural products from diverse regions. This is how we celebrate human being by offering the best food to all our senses. Cooking home-made food and eating at the table make your appetite grow stronger. The challenge is to combine ingredients together to get the best taste out of them. However anyone from anywhere can explore the world of french cooking. To start with, let's find out what french people enjoy to eat.
Here are the top 10 most popular recipes in France:
Roast Chicken
Indeed roast chicken is not a notorious french recipe but cooked everywhere around the world from Asia and Africa to America. However it is the most popular french dish. Roast chicken is not stuffed inside. The secret is to baste the poultry several times during roasting with butter and cooking oil and to add an onion in the roasting pan. Roast chicken is traditionally served with potatoes and green beans.
Boeuf bourguignon
The most famous beef stew in France. Boeuf bourguignon is a traditional recipe from Burgundy. A recipe that french people use to cook at least once every winter. The beef meat is cooked in a red wine sauce, obviously a red wine from Burgundy. Bacon, onions, mushrooms and carrots add flavor to the recipe. But thyme, garlic and beef stock are essential to cook a good boeuf bourguignon.
Mussels mariniere
A typical summer recipe very popular along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast. Mussels are fresh and cooked in a white wine sauce with parsley, thyme, bay leaf and onion. It takes only 5 minutes to cook a tasteful mussels mariniere. The secret is to season carefully the meal and to discard any mussels that don't look good enough.
Sole meuniere
Although sole is an expensive fish, the taste is so elegant that it is considered as the noblest fish. Sole meuniere is a recipe from Normandy. The fish is cooked in a butter sauce with a little bit of flour and lemon juice. Sole is traditionally served with rice or green vegetables.
Pot au feu
A typical family meal coming once again from Normandy. Pot au feu is a boiled beef with pork, chicken and vegetables. It takes about 4 hours an a half to cook as the beef has to simmer slowly to extract all its flavor. Pot au feu is also called Potee Normande in France.
Sauerkraut
Quite similar to the german sauerkraut, the french sauerkraut called choucroute comes from Alsace. However the french recipe can be traced back to 6 centuries ago ! Sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage. Commonly sauerkraut includes sausages, pork knuckle and bacon. Two essential ingredients are alsatian white wine and juniper berries.
Veal stew
Called blanquette de veau in France, this is another stew recipe from Normandy. The veal meat simmers in white sauce – as blanquette from blanc stands for white in french - with mushrooms and onions. The white sauce is made of egg yolks, whipping cream and lemon juice. Veal stew is usually served with rice.
Lamb navarin
Another stew but this one is made of lamb meat. It is also called spring lamb as it comes with green vegetables available in spring. Navarin comes from navet which stands for turnips in french. Other ingredients are tomatoes, lamb stock and carrots. This stew takes less time to simmer than any other.
Cassoulet
A strange recipe that english people often confuse with their traditional breakfast! A traditional meal from south west of France. Each village has its own recipe but it always includes beans and meats. Cassoulet is a rich combination of white beans and depending on the village lamb, pork, mutton or sausage meat. Cassoulet is the cornerstone of the french paradox study describing why people from south west of France suffer less than others from infarcts.
Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse is closely linked with the city of Marseille on the Mediterranean coast. The recipe is a fish soup from local fish and seafood products including crabs, scorpion fish, monk fish and others. Provencal herbs and olive oil are essential. For a long time, the recipe was a secret jealously kept by the people from Marseille.
Here are the top 10 most popular recipes in France:
Roast Chicken
Indeed roast chicken is not a notorious french recipe but cooked everywhere around the world from Asia and Africa to America. However it is the most popular french dish. Roast chicken is not stuffed inside. The secret is to baste the poultry several times during roasting with butter and cooking oil and to add an onion in the roasting pan. Roast chicken is traditionally served with potatoes and green beans.
Boeuf bourguignon
The most famous beef stew in France. Boeuf bourguignon is a traditional recipe from Burgundy. A recipe that french people use to cook at least once every winter. The beef meat is cooked in a red wine sauce, obviously a red wine from Burgundy. Bacon, onions, mushrooms and carrots add flavor to the recipe. But thyme, garlic and beef stock are essential to cook a good boeuf bourguignon.
Mussels mariniere
A typical summer recipe very popular along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast. Mussels are fresh and cooked in a white wine sauce with parsley, thyme, bay leaf and onion. It takes only 5 minutes to cook a tasteful mussels mariniere. The secret is to season carefully the meal and to discard any mussels that don't look good enough.
Sole meuniere
Although sole is an expensive fish, the taste is so elegant that it is considered as the noblest fish. Sole meuniere is a recipe from Normandy. The fish is cooked in a butter sauce with a little bit of flour and lemon juice. Sole is traditionally served with rice or green vegetables.
Pot au feu
A typical family meal coming once again from Normandy. Pot au feu is a boiled beef with pork, chicken and vegetables. It takes about 4 hours an a half to cook as the beef has to simmer slowly to extract all its flavor. Pot au feu is also called Potee Normande in France.
Sauerkraut
Quite similar to the german sauerkraut, the french sauerkraut called choucroute comes from Alsace. However the french recipe can be traced back to 6 centuries ago ! Sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage. Commonly sauerkraut includes sausages, pork knuckle and bacon. Two essential ingredients are alsatian white wine and juniper berries.
Veal stew
Called blanquette de veau in France, this is another stew recipe from Normandy. The veal meat simmers in white sauce – as blanquette from blanc stands for white in french - with mushrooms and onions. The white sauce is made of egg yolks, whipping cream and lemon juice. Veal stew is usually served with rice.
Lamb navarin
Another stew but this one is made of lamb meat. It is also called spring lamb as it comes with green vegetables available in spring. Navarin comes from navet which stands for turnips in french. Other ingredients are tomatoes, lamb stock and carrots. This stew takes less time to simmer than any other.
Cassoulet
A strange recipe that english people often confuse with their traditional breakfast! A traditional meal from south west of France. Each village has its own recipe but it always includes beans and meats. Cassoulet is a rich combination of white beans and depending on the village lamb, pork, mutton or sausage meat. Cassoulet is the cornerstone of the french paradox study describing why people from south west of France suffer less than others from infarcts.
Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse is closely linked with the city of Marseille on the Mediterranean coast. The recipe is a fish soup from local fish and seafood products including crabs, scorpion fish, monk fish and others. Provencal herbs and olive oil are essential. For a long time, the recipe was a secret jealously kept by the people from Marseille.
Herbs and Spices that contribute to your Health
What you eat will show on your face and body: it will impact on the way you carry yourself, the amount of energy you have, and your level of passion for life! You are what you eat and that’s a fact.
Basil grows anywhere
Take advantage of this herb that grows prolifically, just about anywhere. If you don’t have a garden, it will grow in a pot on your balcony. The great thing about basil is that it adds sweetness to your meal and has none of the downside effects of sugar e.g. mood swings, weight gain, addiction, and (yes) acne. In fact, Basil can be used to treat acne; just add boiling water to a bunch of leaves and flowers. Allow to cool, strain and apply directly to the skin.
Try and eat basil as raw as possible: basil grown in strong sun will have the best and most intense flavour and perfume. Basil must be handled carefully: it is preferable to tear the leaves as cutting can produce a strong aniseed flavour. Purple basil (if you can find it…) with its intense flavour and beautiful colour is wonderful in salads as well as mixed with grilled vegetables.
Medicinal qualities include helping with nausea and stomach disorders. Basil juice can be used to treat insect stings and cuts. Basil is particularly good in treating symptoms relating to nervous disorders.
Fenugreek: The Wonder Plant
Fenugreek is a plant that is native to southeast Europe and west Asia. Its seeds are often used in Middle Eastern or North African dishes. The slight bitter taste of this spice enhances the many flavours that are used in Eastern cooking.
Fenugreek is famous for its medicinal qualities. For centuries, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans have used fenugreek to treat various disorders. It can improve cholesterol levels and help stabilise blood sugar in diabetics. Fenugreek can also aid digestion. Occasionally it can cause diarrhoea, depending on the constitution of the patient, so doses need to be monitored. Decreasing your dose should alleviate this side effect. In addition to seeds and capsules, fenugreek also comes in powder and gum forms.
Ginger is a Powerful Healer
Ginger is thought to have originated in South-East Asia. Its hot, spicy and clean flavours have become popular in many cultures over the centuries. In ancient times it was a highly prized Eastern import to the Roman Empire, where it was used mostly for medicinal purposes. In medieval England, ginger was used as a condiment and was as common as pepper. It was also eaten as a ‘sweet’ in a preserved or glace form. Ginger has been used predominantly in the Middle East, Africa and South America but where it has really flourished has been in Asian cuisine. Eaten sliced, juiced, grated, ground, minced or mashed, or preserved in vinegar or sugar, ginger has become the quintessential spice.
Ginger has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for centuries to purge the body of colds and viruses and as a stimulating tonic for digestive disorders and the female reproductive system. Allowed to steep in tea, it induces sweating, which helps fevers run their course. It also tones and helps boost the immune system.
Ginger is also helpful in the treatment of period pains, digestive disorders, nausea and colds. It has been known to successfully treat travel sickness and nausea in pregnancy; used instead of traditional medication. Its revitalising qualities lift the spirits and ease depression.
A House of Garlic
It is one of the most pungent of vegetables and also the most popular. The powerful bite and odour of garlic are caused by a reaction between sulphur compounds and enzymes which are activated by the air when the bulbs are crushed or cut. Garlic is integral to nearly all stocks, soups and stews. It is credited with medicinal qualities as well as its versatility in cooking, for which it is well known. Used whole, chopped or crushed, raw, sautéed or roasted, garlic has a distinctive flavour (not for the fainthearted…) that can vary from pungent to sweet. Garlic grows underground as a bulb consisting of many cloves, each of which is encased in a papery skin. The smell of garlic only emerges once the cloves are cut, causing damage to the cell walls. The more you cut the cloves, the stronger the smell. Cooking the garlic, however, destroys the compound, rendering it milder and sweeter. When choosing a head of garlic, make sure it is firm and dry, with no discolouration.
Most of the modern research on garlic has concentrated on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. While garlic is gathering a reputation for helping to maintain a healthy heart, regular amounts of garlic seem to also help the body fight off infections.
Basil grows anywhere
Take advantage of this herb that grows prolifically, just about anywhere. If you don’t have a garden, it will grow in a pot on your balcony. The great thing about basil is that it adds sweetness to your meal and has none of the downside effects of sugar e.g. mood swings, weight gain, addiction, and (yes) acne. In fact, Basil can be used to treat acne; just add boiling water to a bunch of leaves and flowers. Allow to cool, strain and apply directly to the skin.
Try and eat basil as raw as possible: basil grown in strong sun will have the best and most intense flavour and perfume. Basil must be handled carefully: it is preferable to tear the leaves as cutting can produce a strong aniseed flavour. Purple basil (if you can find it…) with its intense flavour and beautiful colour is wonderful in salads as well as mixed with grilled vegetables.
Medicinal qualities include helping with nausea and stomach disorders. Basil juice can be used to treat insect stings and cuts. Basil is particularly good in treating symptoms relating to nervous disorders.
Fenugreek: The Wonder Plant
Fenugreek is a plant that is native to southeast Europe and west Asia. Its seeds are often used in Middle Eastern or North African dishes. The slight bitter taste of this spice enhances the many flavours that are used in Eastern cooking.
Fenugreek is famous for its medicinal qualities. For centuries, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans have used fenugreek to treat various disorders. It can improve cholesterol levels and help stabilise blood sugar in diabetics. Fenugreek can also aid digestion. Occasionally it can cause diarrhoea, depending on the constitution of the patient, so doses need to be monitored. Decreasing your dose should alleviate this side effect. In addition to seeds and capsules, fenugreek also comes in powder and gum forms.
Ginger is a Powerful Healer
Ginger is thought to have originated in South-East Asia. Its hot, spicy and clean flavours have become popular in many cultures over the centuries. In ancient times it was a highly prized Eastern import to the Roman Empire, where it was used mostly for medicinal purposes. In medieval England, ginger was used as a condiment and was as common as pepper. It was also eaten as a ‘sweet’ in a preserved or glace form. Ginger has been used predominantly in the Middle East, Africa and South America but where it has really flourished has been in Asian cuisine. Eaten sliced, juiced, grated, ground, minced or mashed, or preserved in vinegar or sugar, ginger has become the quintessential spice.
Ginger has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for centuries to purge the body of colds and viruses and as a stimulating tonic for digestive disorders and the female reproductive system. Allowed to steep in tea, it induces sweating, which helps fevers run their course. It also tones and helps boost the immune system.
Ginger is also helpful in the treatment of period pains, digestive disorders, nausea and colds. It has been known to successfully treat travel sickness and nausea in pregnancy; used instead of traditional medication. Its revitalising qualities lift the spirits and ease depression.
A House of Garlic
It is one of the most pungent of vegetables and also the most popular. The powerful bite and odour of garlic are caused by a reaction between sulphur compounds and enzymes which are activated by the air when the bulbs are crushed or cut. Garlic is integral to nearly all stocks, soups and stews. It is credited with medicinal qualities as well as its versatility in cooking, for which it is well known. Used whole, chopped or crushed, raw, sautéed or roasted, garlic has a distinctive flavour (not for the fainthearted…) that can vary from pungent to sweet. Garlic grows underground as a bulb consisting of many cloves, each of which is encased in a papery skin. The smell of garlic only emerges once the cloves are cut, causing damage to the cell walls. The more you cut the cloves, the stronger the smell. Cooking the garlic, however, destroys the compound, rendering it milder and sweeter. When choosing a head of garlic, make sure it is firm and dry, with no discolouration.
Most of the modern research on garlic has concentrated on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. While garlic is gathering a reputation for helping to maintain a healthy heart, regular amounts of garlic seem to also help the body fight off infections.
How To Cook A Tender Juicy Steak
You invest a lot of time and money into the steaks for a special occasion and when dinner time comes, they are tough. What happened? How can you cook steaks as tender as your favorite restaurant?
The first step to cooking a good steak is to choose the right grade of steak. The top quality beef is graded USDA Prime and commands top prices. USDA Prime grade meats are sold to the restaurant industry and specialty markets and are not as likely to be found at your local grocery chain. The next grade of beef is USDA Choice. USDA Choice is tender, flavorful and only slightly lower in quality than USDA Prime. The meat is well marbled with fat and will be tender and juicy when properly prepared. USDA Choice makes up about 70% of all graded beef and is readily available in your supermarket. USDA Good graded beef is an acceptable grade of beef that has only minimal marbling of fat. It is leaner, but may not be as tender as USDA Prime or Choice.
Next, look at the color and texture of the meat. A good steak should be firm to the touch, moist, and bright in color. It should be well marbled with thin streaks of white fat throughout and a thin crust of steak on the outside. In our fat conscious society, we tend to look for lean cuts of meat, but the thin streaks of white fat marbled throughout the meat are the key to a tender juicy steak.
The most tender and juicy steaks come from the sirloin, the short loin, and the rib. These steaks include the sirloin steaks, porterhouse steaks, t-bone steaks, rib steaks, delmonico steaks, and the filet mignons. Steaks containing bone will weigh more than those without, but the bone adds flavor to the steak.
Aging is a desirable process that intensifies the flavors and makes the meat more tender. Aged steaks are more expensive and usually only found in high end supermarkets and specialty markets. An aged steak is recognizable by its darker color.
Once you have purchased your steak, you can further increase the tenderness and juiciness by marinating it. Try a marinade made of ½ cup each good wine and olive oil mixed 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or herb vinegar. Add any seasonings that you like such as garlic, freshly ground pepper, onion, or herbs. Place the steak in a ziplock bag, pour in enough marinade to just cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Marinating a steak like this will add flavor and tenderness. If you routinely store steak in the freezer before cooking, try pouring the marinade over the steak before freezing. The steak will marinate when thawing and be ready to cook.
There are meat tenderizers available to sprinkle onto your steak, and they certainly do tenderize the meat; however, meat tenderizers can sometimes over tenderize the meat, changing the texture of the meat into mush. If you should choose to go this route, do it carefully.
When ready to cook, slash through the outside fat layer on the steak in a few places to prevent curling, but do not cut into the meat. The more tender steak cuts can be broiled, grilled, or pan fried. Less tender cuts should be pan fried or slow braised. Steak should never be cooked in liquid. When pan broiling, use a very heavy skillet such as an iron skillet or griddle and heat the pan before adding the meat. The heavy metal will hold the heat for proper heat distribution and not cool down when the steak is added. A hot pan will quickly sear the outside, trapping the moisture inside.
When cooking, try to turn the steak only once. Cook the meat until browned on one side and half done, then turn and finish the other side. Turning too often will stew the meat rather than searing it and produce a less juicy steak. When the steak is done, remove from the pan and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.
While the meat rests you can make a sauce with the pan drippings if desired. Use your favorite sauce, or fry mushrooms and onions in the pan. When nearly done, add a tablespoon each of butter and flour and cook until lightly browned. Add a splash of wine and loosen any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook until thick, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve over the steak. Enjoy!
The first step to cooking a good steak is to choose the right grade of steak. The top quality beef is graded USDA Prime and commands top prices. USDA Prime grade meats are sold to the restaurant industry and specialty markets and are not as likely to be found at your local grocery chain. The next grade of beef is USDA Choice. USDA Choice is tender, flavorful and only slightly lower in quality than USDA Prime. The meat is well marbled with fat and will be tender and juicy when properly prepared. USDA Choice makes up about 70% of all graded beef and is readily available in your supermarket. USDA Good graded beef is an acceptable grade of beef that has only minimal marbling of fat. It is leaner, but may not be as tender as USDA Prime or Choice.
Next, look at the color and texture of the meat. A good steak should be firm to the touch, moist, and bright in color. It should be well marbled with thin streaks of white fat throughout and a thin crust of steak on the outside. In our fat conscious society, we tend to look for lean cuts of meat, but the thin streaks of white fat marbled throughout the meat are the key to a tender juicy steak.
The most tender and juicy steaks come from the sirloin, the short loin, and the rib. These steaks include the sirloin steaks, porterhouse steaks, t-bone steaks, rib steaks, delmonico steaks, and the filet mignons. Steaks containing bone will weigh more than those without, but the bone adds flavor to the steak.
Aging is a desirable process that intensifies the flavors and makes the meat more tender. Aged steaks are more expensive and usually only found in high end supermarkets and specialty markets. An aged steak is recognizable by its darker color.
Once you have purchased your steak, you can further increase the tenderness and juiciness by marinating it. Try a marinade made of ½ cup each good wine and olive oil mixed 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or herb vinegar. Add any seasonings that you like such as garlic, freshly ground pepper, onion, or herbs. Place the steak in a ziplock bag, pour in enough marinade to just cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Marinating a steak like this will add flavor and tenderness. If you routinely store steak in the freezer before cooking, try pouring the marinade over the steak before freezing. The steak will marinate when thawing and be ready to cook.
There are meat tenderizers available to sprinkle onto your steak, and they certainly do tenderize the meat; however, meat tenderizers can sometimes over tenderize the meat, changing the texture of the meat into mush. If you should choose to go this route, do it carefully.
When ready to cook, slash through the outside fat layer on the steak in a few places to prevent curling, but do not cut into the meat. The more tender steak cuts can be broiled, grilled, or pan fried. Less tender cuts should be pan fried or slow braised. Steak should never be cooked in liquid. When pan broiling, use a very heavy skillet such as an iron skillet or griddle and heat the pan before adding the meat. The heavy metal will hold the heat for proper heat distribution and not cool down when the steak is added. A hot pan will quickly sear the outside, trapping the moisture inside.
When cooking, try to turn the steak only once. Cook the meat until browned on one side and half done, then turn and finish the other side. Turning too often will stew the meat rather than searing it and produce a less juicy steak. When the steak is done, remove from the pan and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.
While the meat rests you can make a sauce with the pan drippings if desired. Use your favorite sauce, or fry mushrooms and onions in the pan. When nearly done, add a tablespoon each of butter and flour and cook until lightly browned. Add a splash of wine and loosen any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook until thick, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve over the steak. Enjoy!
Freezable Breakfast Tacos - Easy Breakfast Idea
Looking for a quick and easy way to tackle the breakfast rush? The key to eating a nutritious breakfast is planning ahead. On busy days, it is great to have these in the freezer, ready to microwave and go.
1 dozen eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package frozen hashbrowns
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 jar salsa
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
20 flour tortillas medium size
You will need parchment paper and ziplock bags for wrapping and freezing
1. Prepare the hashbrowns according to the package directions.
2. Fry the breakfast sausage.
3. Scramble the eggs with the milk and salt and pepper.
4. Mix the hashbrowns, sausage, and eggs in a large bowl.
5. Mix the cheeses.
6. On a square of wax paper, place one tortilla.
7. Place several tablespoons of hashbrown, sausage, and egg mixture onto the tortilla in a line, slightly off center. Amount used will depend on the size of your tortilla, but do not stuff too full.
8. Add a Tablespoon of salsa thinly along the top of the egg mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of all.
9. Fold the ends gently in, then fold over one side and roll up.
10. Roll up in parchment paper, place into ziplock bag, and repeat with next tortilla.
11. Place the tortillas into the freezer.
12. When ready to eat, place tortilla into microwave on high for one minute. Add 1 minute for the second tortilla, and 30 seconds for each additional tortilla.
Now that you have tried this recipe, be creative. Perhaps stuff the tortillas with leftover mashed potatoes and roast beef. Try ham with macaroni and cheese. Use your imagination and your leftovers to create healthy breakfasts that can be ready in a minute. Enjoy!
1 dozen eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package frozen hashbrowns
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 jar salsa
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
20 flour tortillas medium size
You will need parchment paper and ziplock bags for wrapping and freezing
1. Prepare the hashbrowns according to the package directions.
2. Fry the breakfast sausage.
3. Scramble the eggs with the milk and salt and pepper.
4. Mix the hashbrowns, sausage, and eggs in a large bowl.
5. Mix the cheeses.
6. On a square of wax paper, place one tortilla.
7. Place several tablespoons of hashbrown, sausage, and egg mixture onto the tortilla in a line, slightly off center. Amount used will depend on the size of your tortilla, but do not stuff too full.
8. Add a Tablespoon of salsa thinly along the top of the egg mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of all.
9. Fold the ends gently in, then fold over one side and roll up.
10. Roll up in parchment paper, place into ziplock bag, and repeat with next tortilla.
11. Place the tortillas into the freezer.
12. When ready to eat, place tortilla into microwave on high for one minute. Add 1 minute for the second tortilla, and 30 seconds for each additional tortilla.
Now that you have tried this recipe, be creative. Perhaps stuff the tortillas with leftover mashed potatoes and roast beef. Try ham with macaroni and cheese. Use your imagination and your leftovers to create healthy breakfasts that can be ready in a minute. Enjoy!
11 Tips to Making the Best Pork Ribs
Barbequing can be a risky business. You invite your friends and family over for some home-cooked goodness -- but how do you know your barbecue is going to turn out good? What if it’s not as good as the last time you made it?
Even for seasoned Barbecue vets, getting your meat consistently good is something that can be more than a little tricky. Well I'm here to tell you that it's totally doable, and here are eleven tips that will help:
1. Purchase ribs that are evenly covered in meat. In other words, don't buy a slab that is fatty on one end and fleshy on the other. Avoid slabs that have exposed bones!
2. Allow for one pound of ribs per guest. This is a generous helping but for more impressive appetites, make it two!
3. When preparing the meat, make sure you remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs with a sharp knife. If you don't it blocks the flavor intake.
4. Always marinate your ribs in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
5. Don't even think about boiling those ribs! Above all else, boiling the meat causes it to lose all its flavor. If you just have to pre-cook your ribs before slapping them on the cooking grate, try steaming your slabs instead as this will help lock the flavor in.
6. Before placing your ribs on the grate for Barbecuing or smoking, make sure you coat the metal with a generous helping of oil.
7. Barbecuing demands constant attention! As soon as it goes on your grate, stay close by and keep an eye on it. Watch the cooking temperature and avoid going above 250 degrees Fahrenheit -- the best ribs are cooked slowly over indirect heat for about five hours.
8. Put down that fork! Always use tongs to handle your meat once it's on the grate. Why pierce the meat and let the flavor ooze out if you don't have to?
9. If you're going to baste during cooking stay away from anything with sugar in it. Your best bet is to use vinegar and/or water-based products only.
10. Only lay on the BBQ sauce in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. Any sooner than that and the heat will cause the sauce to caramelize and burn your meat.
11. Let the ribs cool for 10-15 minutes before you serve them up. This is just a courtesy -- you don't want to singe your guests' mouths with smoking hot sauce! You could lose some friends.
Now the only thing left to do is to go out and implement these tips. Happy barbecuing!!
Even for seasoned Barbecue vets, getting your meat consistently good is something that can be more than a little tricky. Well I'm here to tell you that it's totally doable, and here are eleven tips that will help:
1. Purchase ribs that are evenly covered in meat. In other words, don't buy a slab that is fatty on one end and fleshy on the other. Avoid slabs that have exposed bones!
2. Allow for one pound of ribs per guest. This is a generous helping but for more impressive appetites, make it two!
3. When preparing the meat, make sure you remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs with a sharp knife. If you don't it blocks the flavor intake.
4. Always marinate your ribs in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
5. Don't even think about boiling those ribs! Above all else, boiling the meat causes it to lose all its flavor. If you just have to pre-cook your ribs before slapping them on the cooking grate, try steaming your slabs instead as this will help lock the flavor in.
6. Before placing your ribs on the grate for Barbecuing or smoking, make sure you coat the metal with a generous helping of oil.
7. Barbecuing demands constant attention! As soon as it goes on your grate, stay close by and keep an eye on it. Watch the cooking temperature and avoid going above 250 degrees Fahrenheit -- the best ribs are cooked slowly over indirect heat for about five hours.
8. Put down that fork! Always use tongs to handle your meat once it's on the grate. Why pierce the meat and let the flavor ooze out if you don't have to?
9. If you're going to baste during cooking stay away from anything with sugar in it. Your best bet is to use vinegar and/or water-based products only.
10. Only lay on the BBQ sauce in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. Any sooner than that and the heat will cause the sauce to caramelize and burn your meat.
11. Let the ribs cool for 10-15 minutes before you serve them up. This is just a courtesy -- you don't want to singe your guests' mouths with smoking hot sauce! You could lose some friends.
Now the only thing left to do is to go out and implement these tips. Happy barbecuing!!
The taste of Mexican food
The saga of today's Mexican food began in 1519 with the arrival of Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes in the Mexican territory. After he conquered Mexico in 1521, a remarkable thing happened. The Spanish and Aztec cultures combined and the result was the birth of the newly formed Mexican food. The newfangled cooking was based on an original mixture of ingredients, some of which are still used today in traditional Mexican food - for example lemons, cheese, garlic, corn, milk, and red wine.
The national Mexican food didn’t stop evolving. In the last three centuries, the well established Mexican brand blended with South-western American food and transformed to the public’s delight. Even though this new cuisine is based on traditional Mexican food, it’s a lot spicier then its ancestor. That’s why Americans consider Mexican food as being highly seasoned. Of course, it’s not the exact case. Mexican food can taste savory, sourly or even sweet, and not just hot. Many Mexican free recipes for all types of dishes are available to stand for this statement.
The main ingredients in modern Mexican food are corn and the famous frijoles, or beans. Frijoles are the essential vegetable in the majority of Mexican kitchens as they are easy to prepare (free recipes are at hand), cheap and quite nourishing. The above mentioned free recipes include dishes like tortilla soups, which have become extremely popular over the last decade.
There is a large variety of web pages that still offer free recipes for customary Mexican food. This is why contemporary Mexican foods and beverages (e.g. tequila) have surpassed simple burritos and beer (“cerveza”) and have become more and more extravagant. Mexican food today includes different delicacies like salsas, cacti or guacamole. The main advantages of these new dishes are the numerous manners in which they can be cooked, manners that are now available to anyone thanks to the very popular free recipes.
All Mexican food appears to combine easily with the aftertastes and ingredients of other foreign cuisines. Common free recipes can help anyone prepare Mexican pizza, pancakes, tortillas, chump and salads - dishes that seem to mix up conveniently with African and Asian cooking as well as Italian cuisine. The USA melting pot might be a recent unexpected occurrence, but Mexican food is nowadays as American as lasagna, pizza, or polenta.
Incredibly, not few visitors to the southeastern border are usually astonished to realize that traditional Mexican food isn’t the same with the Mexican dishes across the American border. Mexican food served in the United States doesn’t represent the real traditional Mexican food, but an adaptation that resembles it. However, the Internet offers several hundreds of free recipes for miscellaneous dishes like mole sauce and other delicious seafood that can help you enjoy the traditional Mexican food.
Mexico is an eclectic country that has different regional cooking specialities encountered in the diverse free recipes available throughout its territory. For instance, in the region around Puebla, the most frequent Mexican food that the average tourist will find in the free recipes, will be a mixture of sweet herbs, hot spices and cocoa. In other cases, around the dominion of Veracruz, one will encounter free recipes consisting of dishes that rely on fish to a great extent such as the local tacos or tamales served with juicy olives and fresh tomatoes. In other regions such as Yucatan, traditional Mexican food is based on fruit sauces. For example, the free recipes that serve Seville oranges on a banana leaf are very appreciated by the locals.
All these Mexican food specialties are key ingredients for the world-famous Mexican cuisine. Therefore, because free recipes are at our disposal, what we should all do is start enjoying them one by one.
The national Mexican food didn’t stop evolving. In the last three centuries, the well established Mexican brand blended with South-western American food and transformed to the public’s delight. Even though this new cuisine is based on traditional Mexican food, it’s a lot spicier then its ancestor. That’s why Americans consider Mexican food as being highly seasoned. Of course, it’s not the exact case. Mexican food can taste savory, sourly or even sweet, and not just hot. Many Mexican free recipes for all types of dishes are available to stand for this statement.
The main ingredients in modern Mexican food are corn and the famous frijoles, or beans. Frijoles are the essential vegetable in the majority of Mexican kitchens as they are easy to prepare (free recipes are at hand), cheap and quite nourishing. The above mentioned free recipes include dishes like tortilla soups, which have become extremely popular over the last decade.
There is a large variety of web pages that still offer free recipes for customary Mexican food. This is why contemporary Mexican foods and beverages (e.g. tequila) have surpassed simple burritos and beer (“cerveza”) and have become more and more extravagant. Mexican food today includes different delicacies like salsas, cacti or guacamole. The main advantages of these new dishes are the numerous manners in which they can be cooked, manners that are now available to anyone thanks to the very popular free recipes.
All Mexican food appears to combine easily with the aftertastes and ingredients of other foreign cuisines. Common free recipes can help anyone prepare Mexican pizza, pancakes, tortillas, chump and salads - dishes that seem to mix up conveniently with African and Asian cooking as well as Italian cuisine. The USA melting pot might be a recent unexpected occurrence, but Mexican food is nowadays as American as lasagna, pizza, or polenta.
Incredibly, not few visitors to the southeastern border are usually astonished to realize that traditional Mexican food isn’t the same with the Mexican dishes across the American border. Mexican food served in the United States doesn’t represent the real traditional Mexican food, but an adaptation that resembles it. However, the Internet offers several hundreds of free recipes for miscellaneous dishes like mole sauce and other delicious seafood that can help you enjoy the traditional Mexican food.
Mexico is an eclectic country that has different regional cooking specialities encountered in the diverse free recipes available throughout its territory. For instance, in the region around Puebla, the most frequent Mexican food that the average tourist will find in the free recipes, will be a mixture of sweet herbs, hot spices and cocoa. In other cases, around the dominion of Veracruz, one will encounter free recipes consisting of dishes that rely on fish to a great extent such as the local tacos or tamales served with juicy olives and fresh tomatoes. In other regions such as Yucatan, traditional Mexican food is based on fruit sauces. For example, the free recipes that serve Seville oranges on a banana leaf are very appreciated by the locals.
All these Mexican food specialties are key ingredients for the world-famous Mexican cuisine. Therefore, because free recipes are at our disposal, what we should all do is start enjoying them one by one.
Burned On The Barbee
When winter’s chill is gone in most parts of this country, it’s time to get the old bar-b-que grill dusted off after a long stay in the garage or barn; where ever you have had it stored since last summer’s cook out. If you left it outside in the weather all winter, like many of us have done, you just have to sweep off the spider webs and old leaves, throw out the old charcoal from last year and you’re ready to start cooking. Well almost!
Think that is all there is to getting ready to throw a slab of meat on glowing coals? Think again! Every “master griller” knows there are 12 steps that anyone attempting the perfect cookout has to follow in order to have the results expected of a grilling superstar! You gotta have a plan! Nothing great has ever been accomplished without some kind of a plan! I like to have everything in order before I start, getting all my ducks in a row as it were. Outdoor grilling can be an awesome experience but you have to get it right the first time, because you only get one chance to become a backyard legend, known far and wide as “the master griller”
The beginnings of any wonderful weekend grill fest starts with a quick look at The Weather Channel. You have to know what the weather will be for the weekend. It’s best to consult weather experts on such an important matter a couple of days before the big event. It wouldn’t do to put in the time on strategic planning, then assembling the ingredients of a perfect cookout, only to be forced inside at the last minute by a steady rain. Us, who have survived many battles fighting the rain on Saturday afternoons, think of such things as this! The more you read this article and become familiar with the rules of the road us “master griller live by, then you too can become a “master griller”!
Next you have to decide just who will be invited and how many there will be at your cook out. This is a critical part of the planning exercise. The number of people attending dictates whether you will have steaks, pork chops or chicken! It would cost a small fortune to provide enough steaks for twenty people. Odds are there would be someone in the crowd that you didn’t really like, anyway, so why would you feed this person a sizzling, delicious and scrumptious steak? Bar-b-qued chicken is the answer. Chicken is cheap!
Hamburger meat is cheap also! Either chicken or a lot of burgers will satisfy a lot of people. There is no need to spend a lot of money on meat for someone you don’t really like. Either one of these meat ideas will satisfy a crowd without breaking the budget. Basically what it comes down to is this: Do you like the people in your party enough to buy at least twenty choice rib eye steaks or would it be better to have a lot of hamburger meat, a box chicken quarters or a few pork chops to throw on the coals. Whatever you decide, this is one of the first steps in planning for the backyard cookout.After the difficult decision of deciding on the meat that the occasion deserves, you can then decide how much to buy at the market. Not many people now-a- days have enough meat in their freezer to supply a cook out without having to go to the market.
IMPORTANT! Before you get too far along in the planning, it’s wise to decide on the appropriate time to serve beverages. Adult beverages should be left in the cooler until after the flames have died. Bar-b-cuing to us folks in the south is held in high regard, whether you’re cooking for a crowd of twenty or for just a few friends over on a Saturday evening. The festivities should never be interrupted by the sound of fire engines. I’ve heard that sound before at one of my cook outs and it’s not pretty!
You’ve selected the meat and now you have to determine how much you’re going to buy. This is not really an easy thing to do. If you buy too little, your guests will think you’re a cheap skate. If you buy too much and have a lot left over, they will think you’re throwing money away and you’re just showing off.
Remember when you’re a “master griller” the old rule of one steak or one pork chop per person goes right out the window. The food you prepare is so good that it would almost be criminal to restrict each person to just one pork chop or one piece of steak!Of course the amount of meat you buy depends on the number of people invited to your cook out. A rule of thumb I use is to multiply the number of people times one and a half if it’s chicken. If it’s pork chops or steaks, I multiply the number of people time one and a third. Sometimes there are leftovers. If such a thing actually happens, that’s great. Almost anything off the grill tastes great the next day, unless it’s smoked sea urchin, but then no one in their right mind would serve smoked sea urchin in the first place. Yeech!
Getting back to the basics of a good cookout, you have to start with perfect sauces, rubs or marinates, depending on the meat you’re going to grill.
While there are many kinds of grills to choose from, I prefer to use the old fashioned charcoal type. I get a sense of history every time I smell the smoke emanating from burning charcoal. Maybe this was how they did it back in the old west when cowboys huddled around the campfire after a hard day on the range punching cows. The cook, who had cool nicknames like “cookie” or “biscuit” would divvy out steaks, biscuits and scalding black coffee to the cowhands. Those were the good old days.
Hamburgers: I like to keep my burgers simple. I usually sprinkle a little salt, pepper and finely ground garlic on the meat about an hour before I start cooking. Although that’s exotic enough for me, some folks like to stuff them with all kinds of things such as onions, peppers and even cheese. I’m old fashioned. I think cheese should remain on the top of the burgers where they belong. Burgers can be cooked to all degrees of readiness, however, I like mine cooked well with just a hint of pink in the middle. Pepper and salt to taste. (Try using garlic salt on the burgers instead of regular salt. It adds a little character to the meat.) The rest is equally simple. If you want to get fancy, just cut little chunks or slices of whatever you want to stuff in the middle of the burger and stuff it! Just remember that whatever you choose, it has to be something that cooks in a hurry. Because it doesn’t take long to cook burgers, you want to be sure that whatever you have crammed in that burger is also cooked. If it’s not cooked well on the inside, you can get some funny looks from your guests, not to mention the threat of a law suit due to food poisoning. Cook each side 5-7 minutes over a medium high heat.
Chicken: For me, a good hot marinade on the chicken I cook on the grill is a must. Some folks however like it mild, so I always have some of both sauces ready to use after the cooking is ¾ done. You can make your own sauce or buy it at the store. The hotter marinades you usually have to make yourself. I know you can’t please everyone but your friends will continue to come over for a free meal if you don’t sear their esophagus with a fiery chicken leg hot off the grill! Give them a choice!Cooking chicken over a charcoal grill is not difficult. The fire can’t be extra hot because flames from the fat dropping onto the coals will burn your chicken to a crisp. Better to keep the fire at medium heat and add charcoal as you go along to maintain the proper temperature. When a meat thermometer is stuck between the joints of a leg quarter reads 160 degrees, it’s time to take the chicken off the grill. When the leg pulls easily away from the thigh, I say it’s done. That’s the lazy way of doing things.
Pork Chops: You can do many things with pork chops. Lemon pepper, Cajun spices or just plain salt and pepper or some of the marinades you can use to season pork chops. With red souses or great to use if you wait until the meat is almost done. If you don’t mop the sauce onto the meat at the proper time, the chops will burn charcoal black because of the sugar in those sauces.You can stuff them! You can grill them! You can smoke them! Anyway you cook a pork chop on the grill is good! Simply cook them on each side for about 6 minutes each until they are done. Larger chops should be cooked a little longer.
Steaks: It’s easy to mess up a good steak by cooking it too much. Don’t do that! A good sprinkle of garlic salt, a little pepper and you’re off to the races. Throw the steaks on the grill and cook them one side for about two minutes them flip them, sealing in the juices, making the meat more tender and delicious. Depending on how thick the steaks are, cook them five to six minutes on one side. Leave them on longer if you want them well done.
Every cookout can be an adventure, but when you become a “master griller” every day you spend outdoors with your grill or smoker is a vacation day!
Think that is all there is to getting ready to throw a slab of meat on glowing coals? Think again! Every “master griller” knows there are 12 steps that anyone attempting the perfect cookout has to follow in order to have the results expected of a grilling superstar! You gotta have a plan! Nothing great has ever been accomplished without some kind of a plan! I like to have everything in order before I start, getting all my ducks in a row as it were. Outdoor grilling can be an awesome experience but you have to get it right the first time, because you only get one chance to become a backyard legend, known far and wide as “the master griller”
The beginnings of any wonderful weekend grill fest starts with a quick look at The Weather Channel. You have to know what the weather will be for the weekend. It’s best to consult weather experts on such an important matter a couple of days before the big event. It wouldn’t do to put in the time on strategic planning, then assembling the ingredients of a perfect cookout, only to be forced inside at the last minute by a steady rain. Us, who have survived many battles fighting the rain on Saturday afternoons, think of such things as this! The more you read this article and become familiar with the rules of the road us “master griller live by, then you too can become a “master griller”!
Next you have to decide just who will be invited and how many there will be at your cook out. This is a critical part of the planning exercise. The number of people attending dictates whether you will have steaks, pork chops or chicken! It would cost a small fortune to provide enough steaks for twenty people. Odds are there would be someone in the crowd that you didn’t really like, anyway, so why would you feed this person a sizzling, delicious and scrumptious steak? Bar-b-qued chicken is the answer. Chicken is cheap!
Hamburger meat is cheap also! Either chicken or a lot of burgers will satisfy a lot of people. There is no need to spend a lot of money on meat for someone you don’t really like. Either one of these meat ideas will satisfy a crowd without breaking the budget. Basically what it comes down to is this: Do you like the people in your party enough to buy at least twenty choice rib eye steaks or would it be better to have a lot of hamburger meat, a box chicken quarters or a few pork chops to throw on the coals. Whatever you decide, this is one of the first steps in planning for the backyard cookout.After the difficult decision of deciding on the meat that the occasion deserves, you can then decide how much to buy at the market. Not many people now-a- days have enough meat in their freezer to supply a cook out without having to go to the market.
IMPORTANT! Before you get too far along in the planning, it’s wise to decide on the appropriate time to serve beverages. Adult beverages should be left in the cooler until after the flames have died. Bar-b-cuing to us folks in the south is held in high regard, whether you’re cooking for a crowd of twenty or for just a few friends over on a Saturday evening. The festivities should never be interrupted by the sound of fire engines. I’ve heard that sound before at one of my cook outs and it’s not pretty!
You’ve selected the meat and now you have to determine how much you’re going to buy. This is not really an easy thing to do. If you buy too little, your guests will think you’re a cheap skate. If you buy too much and have a lot left over, they will think you’re throwing money away and you’re just showing off.
Remember when you’re a “master griller” the old rule of one steak or one pork chop per person goes right out the window. The food you prepare is so good that it would almost be criminal to restrict each person to just one pork chop or one piece of steak!Of course the amount of meat you buy depends on the number of people invited to your cook out. A rule of thumb I use is to multiply the number of people times one and a half if it’s chicken. If it’s pork chops or steaks, I multiply the number of people time one and a third. Sometimes there are leftovers. If such a thing actually happens, that’s great. Almost anything off the grill tastes great the next day, unless it’s smoked sea urchin, but then no one in their right mind would serve smoked sea urchin in the first place. Yeech!
Getting back to the basics of a good cookout, you have to start with perfect sauces, rubs or marinates, depending on the meat you’re going to grill.
While there are many kinds of grills to choose from, I prefer to use the old fashioned charcoal type. I get a sense of history every time I smell the smoke emanating from burning charcoal. Maybe this was how they did it back in the old west when cowboys huddled around the campfire after a hard day on the range punching cows. The cook, who had cool nicknames like “cookie” or “biscuit” would divvy out steaks, biscuits and scalding black coffee to the cowhands. Those were the good old days.
Hamburgers: I like to keep my burgers simple. I usually sprinkle a little salt, pepper and finely ground garlic on the meat about an hour before I start cooking. Although that’s exotic enough for me, some folks like to stuff them with all kinds of things such as onions, peppers and even cheese. I’m old fashioned. I think cheese should remain on the top of the burgers where they belong. Burgers can be cooked to all degrees of readiness, however, I like mine cooked well with just a hint of pink in the middle. Pepper and salt to taste. (Try using garlic salt on the burgers instead of regular salt. It adds a little character to the meat.) The rest is equally simple. If you want to get fancy, just cut little chunks or slices of whatever you want to stuff in the middle of the burger and stuff it! Just remember that whatever you choose, it has to be something that cooks in a hurry. Because it doesn’t take long to cook burgers, you want to be sure that whatever you have crammed in that burger is also cooked. If it’s not cooked well on the inside, you can get some funny looks from your guests, not to mention the threat of a law suit due to food poisoning. Cook each side 5-7 minutes over a medium high heat.
Chicken: For me, a good hot marinade on the chicken I cook on the grill is a must. Some folks however like it mild, so I always have some of both sauces ready to use after the cooking is ¾ done. You can make your own sauce or buy it at the store. The hotter marinades you usually have to make yourself. I know you can’t please everyone but your friends will continue to come over for a free meal if you don’t sear their esophagus with a fiery chicken leg hot off the grill! Give them a choice!Cooking chicken over a charcoal grill is not difficult. The fire can’t be extra hot because flames from the fat dropping onto the coals will burn your chicken to a crisp. Better to keep the fire at medium heat and add charcoal as you go along to maintain the proper temperature. When a meat thermometer is stuck between the joints of a leg quarter reads 160 degrees, it’s time to take the chicken off the grill. When the leg pulls easily away from the thigh, I say it’s done. That’s the lazy way of doing things.
Pork Chops: You can do many things with pork chops. Lemon pepper, Cajun spices or just plain salt and pepper or some of the marinades you can use to season pork chops. With red souses or great to use if you wait until the meat is almost done. If you don’t mop the sauce onto the meat at the proper time, the chops will burn charcoal black because of the sugar in those sauces.You can stuff them! You can grill them! You can smoke them! Anyway you cook a pork chop on the grill is good! Simply cook them on each side for about 6 minutes each until they are done. Larger chops should be cooked a little longer.
Steaks: It’s easy to mess up a good steak by cooking it too much. Don’t do that! A good sprinkle of garlic salt, a little pepper and you’re off to the races. Throw the steaks on the grill and cook them one side for about two minutes them flip them, sealing in the juices, making the meat more tender and delicious. Depending on how thick the steaks are, cook them five to six minutes on one side. Leave them on longer if you want them well done.
Every cookout can be an adventure, but when you become a “master griller” every day you spend outdoors with your grill or smoker is a vacation day!
Adventures in Cake Decorating
I am no baker.That is I'd by no means put myself forward as a cook at all, unless you'd call making spaghetti and browning minced-meat for bolognaise sauce culinary achievements.However, there's something about special occasions that brings the frustrated pastry chef out of me and sends me galoping into the kitchen, my head jammed with intricate cake decorating ideas.
It all started when my wife was approaching her thirtieth birthday. I decided to mark her entry into her fourth decade by baking her an amazing cake.I imagined her admiring gaze as she watched me pull this monstrous cake from the hidden depths of our under-used oven.By this time I was so keen to get started that I had to force myself to calm down, sit down, and get my ideas down on paper.I began to sketch a few decorating schemes in red pen on the back of an envelope in time-honored tradition, and eventually decided on a colossal triple-layer chocolate gateau with an enormous suspension bridge spanning a river of blue icing and a little plastic model of our family car perched in safety on top.
I'd like to be able to say that my cake decorating ideas usually come out as gorgeous as I imagine them, but I’m just not so good at being economical with the truth.In this case, the lovely triple-layer chocolate supension bridge cake decorating fantasy turned out as three limp, amorphous layers, crisp at the edges and doughy in the middle, featuring a delightful San Andreas fault running through the centre, as if there had been an earthquake in the oven.It tasted alright but it looked like something that had been salvaged from its own private earthquake.
So when my son's birthday came around, I resolved to try again.On this occasion I decided to plumb for a less imposing single layer cake swearing that I would sit tight and wait for the cake to cool before even thinking about decorating it.I reckoned that by waiting I would avoid the fault lines that had swallowed up the bridge and family car in the adventure on top of my wife's cake.Instead of cooking up intricate cake decorating ideas on the back of an envelope like a power-possessed architect, I resorted to a basic design that would be difficult for even me to make a hash of.Really, it's one thing being able to come up with tons of great decorating ideas, but quite another to pull them off.
I made the body of the cake and let it cool down according to the promise I’d made to myself (and according tothe instructions on the box).It took all my will-power not to dive in brandishing my trusty icing spatula.
This time, I’d chosen to frost with chocolate fudge icing and top it off with my own sketch of a lamb in the centre, which was meant to resemble the cuddly toy my son sleeps with at night, ringed with 5 candles.I figured if I held my natural cake decorating flamboyance in check, the cake would come out okay.And it did.Until I attempted to transfer my creation from the kitchen counter to the fancy plate I'd prepared, lost my balance and dropped it.The result resembled the aftermath of an earthquake, including fires and distraught wildlife.My wife commented on the 'natural disaster theme' that ran through my cake decorating repertoire, which was funny, I guess. At least they both had a good laugh.
I rescued the candles, but the lamb was badly singed and, sadly, did not survive.
It all started when my wife was approaching her thirtieth birthday. I decided to mark her entry into her fourth decade by baking her an amazing cake.I imagined her admiring gaze as she watched me pull this monstrous cake from the hidden depths of our under-used oven.By this time I was so keen to get started that I had to force myself to calm down, sit down, and get my ideas down on paper.I began to sketch a few decorating schemes in red pen on the back of an envelope in time-honored tradition, and eventually decided on a colossal triple-layer chocolate gateau with an enormous suspension bridge spanning a river of blue icing and a little plastic model of our family car perched in safety on top.
I'd like to be able to say that my cake decorating ideas usually come out as gorgeous as I imagine them, but I’m just not so good at being economical with the truth.In this case, the lovely triple-layer chocolate supension bridge cake decorating fantasy turned out as three limp, amorphous layers, crisp at the edges and doughy in the middle, featuring a delightful San Andreas fault running through the centre, as if there had been an earthquake in the oven.It tasted alright but it looked like something that had been salvaged from its own private earthquake.
So when my son's birthday came around, I resolved to try again.On this occasion I decided to plumb for a less imposing single layer cake swearing that I would sit tight and wait for the cake to cool before even thinking about decorating it.I reckoned that by waiting I would avoid the fault lines that had swallowed up the bridge and family car in the adventure on top of my wife's cake.Instead of cooking up intricate cake decorating ideas on the back of an envelope like a power-possessed architect, I resorted to a basic design that would be difficult for even me to make a hash of.Really, it's one thing being able to come up with tons of great decorating ideas, but quite another to pull them off.
I made the body of the cake and let it cool down according to the promise I’d made to myself (and according tothe instructions on the box).It took all my will-power not to dive in brandishing my trusty icing spatula.
This time, I’d chosen to frost with chocolate fudge icing and top it off with my own sketch of a lamb in the centre, which was meant to resemble the cuddly toy my son sleeps with at night, ringed with 5 candles.I figured if I held my natural cake decorating flamboyance in check, the cake would come out okay.And it did.Until I attempted to transfer my creation from the kitchen counter to the fancy plate I'd prepared, lost my balance and dropped it.The result resembled the aftermath of an earthquake, including fires and distraught wildlife.My wife commented on the 'natural disaster theme' that ran through my cake decorating repertoire, which was funny, I guess. At least they both had a good laugh.
I rescued the candles, but the lamb was badly singed and, sadly, did not survive.
Cooking Tips
That it is really pleasant to cook if you have pleasant surrounding. That any help, even that of small fingers, is help and can be turned to good account. The light and sunshine in the kitchen not only make the work seem pleasanter, but add apprediable to the efficiency of the worker; That plenty of utensils in good condition add to the pleasure of cooking and minimize chances of failure. That you can’t make bricks without straw, nor custard without eggs, though you can make palatable dishes our of cheap materials, if they are carefully prepared and cooked. That you need patiences if you want to be a good cook. That absolute cleanliness is essential to good cooking++goo in the sense that it is wholesome and health producing as well as essential to bringing out to their fullest, the best flavor of the foods used. That with the up to date cook, it is possible for anyone with any sort of cooking ability to make practically any sort of dish ~ and to make it good the first time.have not been without a bottle of the stuff since, and although my cooking has changed over the years, becoming simpler and more streamlined, I do still reach for a dash of vermouth when I want to brighten a rich sauce, soup or gravy with its clarifying astringency.1. Abbreviations for Measuring Tsp. = teaspoon Tbsp. = tablespoon, which equals 3 teaspoons C = cup.
Cooking Tip:
Get a set of measuring spoons. The set will usually have 1/4 tsp., 1/3 tsp., 1/2 tsp., 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon.
Dry measure cups look like little saucepans and can be leveled off with a knife or other straight-edged tool. They come in sets like the measuring spoons. Liquid measuring cups have ounce marking lines so you can measure however many ounces you need.
Cooking Tip:
Some recipes require exact measurements to turn out right so learn to measure correctly.
2. Common Ingredients Make sure you know what you need.
Cooking Tips:
Baking powder and baking soda are not the same.
Ask the produce manager at the market about fruits and vegetables, the meat manager about cuts of meat.
When trying something new, buy ONE. You can always go back for more if it turns out well.
3. Common Terminology Bake:
Dry heat in the oven. Set oven control to the desired temperature while you're preparing the dish to be baked. Once the light that says it's heating turns off, the oven is at the proper temperature. Then put in the food--for best results, center it in the oven.
Boil:Heat a liquid until it bubbles. The faster the bubbles rise and the more bubbles you get, the hotter the liquid. Some recipes call for a gentle boil--barely bubbling--or a rolling boil--just short of boiling over.Watch so it doesn't boil over
Braise:
A moist cooking method using a little liquid that barely bubbles on the top of the stove or in the oven. This is a good way to tenderize cheaper cuts of meat. The pan should be heavy and shallow with a tight-fitting lid to keep the liquid from boiling away. There's a lot that can be done for flavoring in your choice of liquid and of vegetables to cook with the meat.
Broil:
Turn the oven to its highest setting. Put the food on broiler pan--a 2 piece pan that allows the grease to drain away from the food. In an electric oven on the broil setting only the upper element heats, and you can regulate how fast the food cooks by how close to the element you place it. Watch your cooking time--it's easy to overcook food in the broiler.
Brown:
Cook until the food gets light brown. Usually used for frying or baking. Ground beef should usually be browned (use a frying pan) and have the grease drained before adding it to a casserole or meat sauce.
Cooking Tip:
Get a set of measuring spoons. The set will usually have 1/4 tsp., 1/3 tsp., 1/2 tsp., 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon.
Dry measure cups look like little saucepans and can be leveled off with a knife or other straight-edged tool. They come in sets like the measuring spoons. Liquid measuring cups have ounce marking lines so you can measure however many ounces you need.
Cooking Tip:
Some recipes require exact measurements to turn out right so learn to measure correctly.
2. Common Ingredients Make sure you know what you need.
Cooking Tips:
Baking powder and baking soda are not the same.
Ask the produce manager at the market about fruits and vegetables, the meat manager about cuts of meat.
When trying something new, buy ONE. You can always go back for more if it turns out well.
3. Common Terminology Bake:
Dry heat in the oven. Set oven control to the desired temperature while you're preparing the dish to be baked. Once the light that says it's heating turns off, the oven is at the proper temperature. Then put in the food--for best results, center it in the oven.
Boil:Heat a liquid until it bubbles. The faster the bubbles rise and the more bubbles you get, the hotter the liquid. Some recipes call for a gentle boil--barely bubbling--or a rolling boil--just short of boiling over.Watch so it doesn't boil over
Braise:
A moist cooking method using a little liquid that barely bubbles on the top of the stove or in the oven. This is a good way to tenderize cheaper cuts of meat. The pan should be heavy and shallow with a tight-fitting lid to keep the liquid from boiling away. There's a lot that can be done for flavoring in your choice of liquid and of vegetables to cook with the meat.
Broil:
Turn the oven to its highest setting. Put the food on broiler pan--a 2 piece pan that allows the grease to drain away from the food. In an electric oven on the broil setting only the upper element heats, and you can regulate how fast the food cooks by how close to the element you place it. Watch your cooking time--it's easy to overcook food in the broiler.
Brown:
Cook until the food gets light brown. Usually used for frying or baking. Ground beef should usually be browned (use a frying pan) and have the grease drained before adding it to a casserole or meat sauce.
Healthy Ideas for Juices and Smoothies
Juices and vegetable drinks are probably the fastest way to replenish your stamina. They are an ideal complement to any diet. When lunch time is short and energy low, a delicious smoothie will satisfy those hunger pangs, supercharge those energy levels, without risk of putting on weight. The vitamins and nutrients from natural juices get to their target much faster than those of an ordinary meal.
Everyone has a favorite fruit or vegetable drink; here there are some more ideas to add to your repertoire. Quantities estimated for four servings.
Combine 1 cup of frozen pineapple and 1 banana, sliced, 4 Tbs sugar, 4 cups milk –the milk should cover the fruit- and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and serve in tall glasses, garnished with fresh pineapple on the rim.
For a cucumber cooler: dice a cucumber, no need to peel, mix in the blender with 2 cups plain low fat yogurt and 2 cups skim milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste, refrigerate and serve garnished with basil leaves.
Pineapple and cucumber: put 3 fresh pineapple slices, cored and diced, in the blender together with a diced cucumber and 1 cup milk. Blend.
Beetroot drink: grate 1 lb raw beetroot and 1 small onion. Blend with 1 cup yogurt, 1 Tbs chopped parsley leaves, 1 Tbs lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with fresh lemon peel, curled.
Basil and orange drink: blend the flesh from 6 oranges, no peel, no seeds, no white pith, with 2 Tbs freshly chopped basil, 2 cups very cold water, 2 Tbs sugar or 1 Tbs honey. Strain and chill before serving, check the sweetness. Garnish with basil leaves.
Try basil and lemon, prepare it the same way as orange and basil, but increase the amount of sugar or honey.
Tropical juice: juice 1 lb pineapple chunks and 1 lb diced melon, and half lemon, peeled and free of pips and with pith, add sugar.
Mint lemonade: Juice 5 lemons, peeled and free of pips and white, with a bunch of fresh spearmint. Add two glasses of cold water, 2 Tsp sugar and crushed ice.
Tangy grape juice: juice 3 lb seedless grapes with 2 lemons, peeled, pips and white pith removed. Add 4 tablespoons almond milk and 12 ice cubes crushed.
Fruit and carrot punch: juice 2 pears, 1 apple, 1 carrot, 2 cups strawberries, cleaned and peeled as required all of them. Add 2 cups very cold water, ½ cup almond milk. Serve with crushed ice.
Enjoy your drink in the certainty that this is a natural way to better health.
TIPS
Warm oranges, lemons or grapefruits before juicing, you will extract more juice.
Letting fruit stand in warmed water for 4 to 5 minutes, before using it for smoothies and milkshakes, cleanses it and makes it juicier.
The best way to take advantage of all the vitamins and nutrients is to drink the juice immediately. If you need to keep some for later, chill it for 15-20 minutes in the freezer –chill, not freeze- and keep it then in the fridge or in a pre-chilled thermos flask.
Everyone has a favorite fruit or vegetable drink; here there are some more ideas to add to your repertoire. Quantities estimated for four servings.
Combine 1 cup of frozen pineapple and 1 banana, sliced, 4 Tbs sugar, 4 cups milk –the milk should cover the fruit- and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and serve in tall glasses, garnished with fresh pineapple on the rim.
For a cucumber cooler: dice a cucumber, no need to peel, mix in the blender with 2 cups plain low fat yogurt and 2 cups skim milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste, refrigerate and serve garnished with basil leaves.
Pineapple and cucumber: put 3 fresh pineapple slices, cored and diced, in the blender together with a diced cucumber and 1 cup milk. Blend.
Beetroot drink: grate 1 lb raw beetroot and 1 small onion. Blend with 1 cup yogurt, 1 Tbs chopped parsley leaves, 1 Tbs lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with fresh lemon peel, curled.
Basil and orange drink: blend the flesh from 6 oranges, no peel, no seeds, no white pith, with 2 Tbs freshly chopped basil, 2 cups very cold water, 2 Tbs sugar or 1 Tbs honey. Strain and chill before serving, check the sweetness. Garnish with basil leaves.
Try basil and lemon, prepare it the same way as orange and basil, but increase the amount of sugar or honey.
Tropical juice: juice 1 lb pineapple chunks and 1 lb diced melon, and half lemon, peeled and free of pips and with pith, add sugar.
Mint lemonade: Juice 5 lemons, peeled and free of pips and white, with a bunch of fresh spearmint. Add two glasses of cold water, 2 Tsp sugar and crushed ice.
Tangy grape juice: juice 3 lb seedless grapes with 2 lemons, peeled, pips and white pith removed. Add 4 tablespoons almond milk and 12 ice cubes crushed.
Fruit and carrot punch: juice 2 pears, 1 apple, 1 carrot, 2 cups strawberries, cleaned and peeled as required all of them. Add 2 cups very cold water, ½ cup almond milk. Serve with crushed ice.
Enjoy your drink in the certainty that this is a natural way to better health.
TIPS
Warm oranges, lemons or grapefruits before juicing, you will extract more juice.
Letting fruit stand in warmed water for 4 to 5 minutes, before using it for smoothies and milkshakes, cleanses it and makes it juicier.
The best way to take advantage of all the vitamins and nutrients is to drink the juice immediately. If you need to keep some for later, chill it for 15-20 minutes in the freezer –chill, not freeze- and keep it then in the fridge or in a pre-chilled thermos flask.
Countertop Grilling
Grilling is a popular way to prepare food. Not only is it healthier to grill meat but grilling also imparts a certain flavor to foods not found in other methods of cooking. With countertop grilling, you have the luxury of extending your grilling sessions throughout the year. In choosing countertop grills, you are presented with many choices of grills.
The traditional grill comes with one or more cooking surface. The cooking surface sits atop heating elements and a drip pan is used to collect juices and fats while cooking. To achieve smokeless grilling, pour water into the drip pan to cool the drippings before they have a chance to create smoke.
Another type is the countertop contact grill. These grills work by applying heat directly to food via heating grids. Countertop contact grills usually have two heating surfaces that is used to clamp down the food. Think of a waffle maker and you pretty much get the idea. Contact grills work best with sandwiches and the likes and are not that effective with thick meat. Countertop contact grill heat is usually well insulated inside the grill itself, leaving your countertop unscathed.
Countertop grills are popular because they are easy to clean. The grill surface and drip pan are easily removable and can fit most dishwashers. For contact grills, you just open the grill and wipe the grilling surface when done cooking. Countertop grills are quite portable too. Any countertop surface will do when you have that urge to do some grilling. When done grilling, you just pack it up and store it away.
For the serious grillers, you might want to consider a built-in countertop grilling unit. These units offer more grilling surface and some even come with a frying surface. You can install a gas fed countertop grill for open flame cooking. Some popular countertop gas grillers also accommodate wood chips to add the wood flavor to your grilling. You will need to install a ventilation unit to suck all that smoke away. There are electric built-in countertop grillers available where heat is generated from heating elements sitting under the grill – much like the portable countertop grill.
The traditional grill comes with one or more cooking surface. The cooking surface sits atop heating elements and a drip pan is used to collect juices and fats while cooking. To achieve smokeless grilling, pour water into the drip pan to cool the drippings before they have a chance to create smoke.
Another type is the countertop contact grill. These grills work by applying heat directly to food via heating grids. Countertop contact grills usually have two heating surfaces that is used to clamp down the food. Think of a waffle maker and you pretty much get the idea. Contact grills work best with sandwiches and the likes and are not that effective with thick meat. Countertop contact grill heat is usually well insulated inside the grill itself, leaving your countertop unscathed.
Countertop grills are popular because they are easy to clean. The grill surface and drip pan are easily removable and can fit most dishwashers. For contact grills, you just open the grill and wipe the grilling surface when done cooking. Countertop grills are quite portable too. Any countertop surface will do when you have that urge to do some grilling. When done grilling, you just pack it up and store it away.
For the serious grillers, you might want to consider a built-in countertop grilling unit. These units offer more grilling surface and some even come with a frying surface. You can install a gas fed countertop grill for open flame cooking. Some popular countertop gas grillers also accommodate wood chips to add the wood flavor to your grilling. You will need to install a ventilation unit to suck all that smoke away. There are electric built-in countertop grillers available where heat is generated from heating elements sitting under the grill – much like the portable countertop grill.
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Ideas
The next day after Thanksgiving is marked by the appearance of a seemingly endless stream of turkey sandwiches. It is, in its own way, part of the American Thanksgiving tradition. But is slapping a few slabs of white and dark on wheat with a smear of Mayo the only thing to do with leftovers from the big meal? Of course not! There are endless possibilities to explore with the remains of the bird.
Tradition aside, what is turkey but fowl? That means that any dish that could contain chicken is a decent fit for turkey. Soups, salads, pastas and casseroles area all contenders. Even a turkey omelet can find its way into your post Thanksgiving turkey recipes.
South of the border flavors aren't out of bounds either. A turkey enchilada or burrito is a unique yet tasty option, as is a turkey quesadilla (use dark meat for the latter so the flavor is strong enough to hold its own with the cheese). A turkey-based chili is a delight, and a nice belly warmer on a chilly November evening.
Instead of a turkey sandwich, try a turkey-salad sandwich. This is a great option for the last few scraps of the bird since you want small pieces here anyway.
Of course, none of these options are possible if you don't have properly stored leftover in the 1st place. It's not simply a matter of having enough Tupperware and refrigerator shelf-space, either. Most folks are sick enough from overeating on Thanksgiving without the added burden of past-its-prime meat.
When poultry turns, it turns fast and hard. For safety purposes the turkey should be into the refrigerator no more than 2 hours after it came out of the oven. However, if the turkey is stored correctly it should be safe to eat for nearly a week. To be on the extra-safe side, any meat that will not be eaten in 3 days should be frozen for longer storage. Any frozen leftovers should be thawed and eaten within one month of freezing, not so much for safety's sake, but because it won't taste as good.
Tradition aside, what is turkey but fowl? That means that any dish that could contain chicken is a decent fit for turkey. Soups, salads, pastas and casseroles area all contenders. Even a turkey omelet can find its way into your post Thanksgiving turkey recipes.
South of the border flavors aren't out of bounds either. A turkey enchilada or burrito is a unique yet tasty option, as is a turkey quesadilla (use dark meat for the latter so the flavor is strong enough to hold its own with the cheese). A turkey-based chili is a delight, and a nice belly warmer on a chilly November evening.
Instead of a turkey sandwich, try a turkey-salad sandwich. This is a great option for the last few scraps of the bird since you want small pieces here anyway.
Of course, none of these options are possible if you don't have properly stored leftover in the 1st place. It's not simply a matter of having enough Tupperware and refrigerator shelf-space, either. Most folks are sick enough from overeating on Thanksgiving without the added burden of past-its-prime meat.
When poultry turns, it turns fast and hard. For safety purposes the turkey should be into the refrigerator no more than 2 hours after it came out of the oven. However, if the turkey is stored correctly it should be safe to eat for nearly a week. To be on the extra-safe side, any meat that will not be eaten in 3 days should be frozen for longer storage. Any frozen leftovers should be thawed and eaten within one month of freezing, not so much for safety's sake, but because it won't taste as good.
Heart Healthy Cooking Tips
Taking care of the old ticker requires exercise and a decent diet. There's simply no substitute for either. We'll leave the aerobic concerns to more informed minds and stick to the stuff that goes in the gut, namely the heart healthy foods everyone needs to stay fit, and the heart healthy cooking techniques that keep them that way. There's no substitute for either of those either.
Low saturated fat, low cholesterol dishes are what we're after here, and hold the butter and other added fats. The unhappy fact is that certain ingredients and preparation methods can add unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol to your food.
One can bake without fear, broil to the heart's content and microwave all day (just don't stand too close). Poaching is cool and steaming is even better. Seafood, chicken and vegetables are all good candidates for grilling. Lightly stir-frying or sautéing foods in cooking spray, small mounts of vegetable oil or reduced sodium broth are other healthy options. When roasting even skinless meats it's wise to place meats on a rack so fat can drip away.
There are lots of ways to cut out unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet that don't take the fun and flavor out of meal time. Butter is not your friend, what with its 8 grams of saturated fat and 11 grams of fat per tablespoon. Salsa is your good buddy though, with 0 grams of saturated fat and 0 cholesterol found in 1/4 of a cup. Creamy salad dressings are notoriously loaded with the bad stuff, while a reduced fat Italian sports only 2 grams of fat and tastes just as good.
There are many fine and tasty herbs, spices and condiments that can add zest to some of the more bland heart health dishes. Herbs include oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and paprika are all acceptable spices. Along with the reduced fat or nonfat salad dressing and salsa there are old standbys like mustard, catsup, horseradish, reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise, reduced fat or nonfat sour cream, reduced fat or nonfat yogurt and reduced sodium soy sauce. That's to say nothing of Parmesan cheese, fruit preserves and simple red pepper flakes, none of which will harm you heart.
And there you have it. With a little planning, a bit of knowledge and a smidge of extra effort anyone, can eat right for their heart without giving up a healthy enjoyment of food.
Low saturated fat, low cholesterol dishes are what we're after here, and hold the butter and other added fats. The unhappy fact is that certain ingredients and preparation methods can add unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol to your food.
One can bake without fear, broil to the heart's content and microwave all day (just don't stand too close). Poaching is cool and steaming is even better. Seafood, chicken and vegetables are all good candidates for grilling. Lightly stir-frying or sautéing foods in cooking spray, small mounts of vegetable oil or reduced sodium broth are other healthy options. When roasting even skinless meats it's wise to place meats on a rack so fat can drip away.
There are lots of ways to cut out unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet that don't take the fun and flavor out of meal time. Butter is not your friend, what with its 8 grams of saturated fat and 11 grams of fat per tablespoon. Salsa is your good buddy though, with 0 grams of saturated fat and 0 cholesterol found in 1/4 of a cup. Creamy salad dressings are notoriously loaded with the bad stuff, while a reduced fat Italian sports only 2 grams of fat and tastes just as good.
There are many fine and tasty herbs, spices and condiments that can add zest to some of the more bland heart health dishes. Herbs include oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and paprika are all acceptable spices. Along with the reduced fat or nonfat salad dressing and salsa there are old standbys like mustard, catsup, horseradish, reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise, reduced fat or nonfat sour cream, reduced fat or nonfat yogurt and reduced sodium soy sauce. That's to say nothing of Parmesan cheese, fruit preserves and simple red pepper flakes, none of which will harm you heart.
And there you have it. With a little planning, a bit of knowledge and a smidge of extra effort anyone, can eat right for their heart without giving up a healthy enjoyment of food.
Chile Con Carne
It's simple really. Peppers with meat in a spicy stew with tomatoes, onions, beans and other ingredients in as many variations as the mind can muster. From Baja to Cincinnati right through the heart of Texas, where it's the official state dish, chile con carne, or chili for short, is among the most famous indigenous American foods.
Some say that chili was invented in Mexico during the 1840's, possibly in Chihuahua, as a complimentary dish served at cantinas for outsiders, who wanted something spicy and cheap. Others contend it was born in Ensenada, Mexico in the 1880's as a way of stretching available meat in the kitchens of poor Tejanos. Many Texans maintain that it was the invention of Texas cowhands who ate it by the bucketful as the drove their herds across the plains. The most imaginative origin traces its roots back to pre-Columbian Aztec chefs.
What is known for a fact is that in the 1880's, colorfully-dressed Hispanic women called "Chili Queens" began to operate around Military Plaza and other high traffic public places in downtown San Antonio, Texas, where they would reheat cast iron pots of pre-cooked chili and sell it by the bowl.
Sanitation laws in the late 30's shut down the Chili Queens, but not the public appetite for this tasty Western dish. Chili parlors opened by hundreds. These small, family-run chili joints spread from Texas to the rest of the USA, and became a part of the pre-WWII American landscape. Even today hardly any American who claims to be able to cook doesn't have their very own secrete recipe for chili, whether it be hot, sweet, thick, soupy or just plain odd.
Regional variations add a certain level of enjoyment for chili lovers. Traditional Texas style chili is thick and uses few to no vegetables. New Mexico chili is famed for it's thinner consistency and the use of green rather than red chili peppers. In the chili in Cincinnati, Ohio has a sauce like quality and is used as a condiment or topping for hotdogs or spaghetti. White chili uses no tomato and relies on beans. Vegetarian chili (chile sin carne) is, of course, meatless. Health conscious chili ditches the suet and substitutes white button mushrooms for beans to lower the calories. In fact, chili is such a malleable dish that it can be hard to define. Still, most people know it when they taste it, and are all to happy to do so.
Some say that chili was invented in Mexico during the 1840's, possibly in Chihuahua, as a complimentary dish served at cantinas for outsiders, who wanted something spicy and cheap. Others contend it was born in Ensenada, Mexico in the 1880's as a way of stretching available meat in the kitchens of poor Tejanos. Many Texans maintain that it was the invention of Texas cowhands who ate it by the bucketful as the drove their herds across the plains. The most imaginative origin traces its roots back to pre-Columbian Aztec chefs.
What is known for a fact is that in the 1880's, colorfully-dressed Hispanic women called "Chili Queens" began to operate around Military Plaza and other high traffic public places in downtown San Antonio, Texas, where they would reheat cast iron pots of pre-cooked chili and sell it by the bowl.
Sanitation laws in the late 30's shut down the Chili Queens, but not the public appetite for this tasty Western dish. Chili parlors opened by hundreds. These small, family-run chili joints spread from Texas to the rest of the USA, and became a part of the pre-WWII American landscape. Even today hardly any American who claims to be able to cook doesn't have their very own secrete recipe for chili, whether it be hot, sweet, thick, soupy or just plain odd.
Regional variations add a certain level of enjoyment for chili lovers. Traditional Texas style chili is thick and uses few to no vegetables. New Mexico chili is famed for it's thinner consistency and the use of green rather than red chili peppers. In the chili in Cincinnati, Ohio has a sauce like quality and is used as a condiment or topping for hotdogs or spaghetti. White chili uses no tomato and relies on beans. Vegetarian chili (chile sin carne) is, of course, meatless. Health conscious chili ditches the suet and substitutes white button mushrooms for beans to lower the calories. In fact, chili is such a malleable dish that it can be hard to define. Still, most people know it when they taste it, and are all to happy to do so.
How to Keep Food Fresh Naturally
How can you ensure your food lasts longer and keeps fresh?There are many things you can do, such as regularly clean your refrigerator and regularly check the food in there and also that you keep in the cupboards or anywhere else. But its not just about checking them. This cannot prevent anything. All you will be doing is throwing away food items before they stink up the entire kitchen. So, what can you do to keep the food fresh?
Practical List of Tips for Ensuring Food is Cleaner and Fresher:
1) Spread some cloves on and around the marble surface of your kitchen, and also spread some cloves under the sink. Why?
The Cloves keeps ants away.
2) Place some bay leaves inside your bags of dough, rice and the rest of the packs that insects prefer.
Why?
Bay leaves keep insects and other such lice away from food products. By placing bay leaves inside the packets, we ensure that insects do not reside there. But please remember to change the bay leaves once every three months.
3) Place half a potato in the refrigerator.
Why?
If there is any kind of bad smell from food or cooked items, the half potato will absorb it. To make sure that this works, remember to exchange the potato every three days.
4) Store eggs with the pointed side down.
Why?
Storing eggs with the pointed side down keeps them fresh for a longer period.
5) Place a few cubes of sugar in the jar where you store American cheese.
Why?
When you place two or three cubes of sugar with the American cheese in an air tight jar, the sugar absorbs the moisture and prevents the cheese from getting bad.
6) Do not store tomatoes and cucumbers in the same draw.
Why?
Tomatoes give out gases that cause cucumbers to rot faster so make sure that you keep these two apart.
7) Do not store apples along with the rest of the fruits and vegetables.
Why?
Apples give out certain gases that cause fruits and vegetables to rot.
8) Place slices of apples or raw potatoes in the bread compartment or jar.
Why?
By adding a few slices of raw potatoes or apples with the bread, you ensure that the bread remains fresh for longer than usual.
9) Store radish in a vessel along with some water.
Why?
You should store radish in a vessel along with water because water will keep the radish fresh and crisp for a long time. For the same reason, if the radishes have shriveled, place them in a jar of cold water. Water will restore the radish to its previous splendor.
Conclusion:Here, I have presented only a few of the more practical actions you should follow to ensure that the food you and your family consume remains fresh and tasty.
Practical List of Tips for Ensuring Food is Cleaner and Fresher:
1) Spread some cloves on and around the marble surface of your kitchen, and also spread some cloves under the sink. Why?
The Cloves keeps ants away.
2) Place some bay leaves inside your bags of dough, rice and the rest of the packs that insects prefer.
Why?
Bay leaves keep insects and other such lice away from food products. By placing bay leaves inside the packets, we ensure that insects do not reside there. But please remember to change the bay leaves once every three months.
3) Place half a potato in the refrigerator.
Why?
If there is any kind of bad smell from food or cooked items, the half potato will absorb it. To make sure that this works, remember to exchange the potato every three days.
4) Store eggs with the pointed side down.
Why?
Storing eggs with the pointed side down keeps them fresh for a longer period.
5) Place a few cubes of sugar in the jar where you store American cheese.
Why?
When you place two or three cubes of sugar with the American cheese in an air tight jar, the sugar absorbs the moisture and prevents the cheese from getting bad.
6) Do not store tomatoes and cucumbers in the same draw.
Why?
Tomatoes give out gases that cause cucumbers to rot faster so make sure that you keep these two apart.
7) Do not store apples along with the rest of the fruits and vegetables.
Why?
Apples give out certain gases that cause fruits and vegetables to rot.
8) Place slices of apples or raw potatoes in the bread compartment or jar.
Why?
By adding a few slices of raw potatoes or apples with the bread, you ensure that the bread remains fresh for longer than usual.
9) Store radish in a vessel along with some water.
Why?
You should store radish in a vessel along with water because water will keep the radish fresh and crisp for a long time. For the same reason, if the radishes have shriveled, place them in a jar of cold water. Water will restore the radish to its previous splendor.
Conclusion:Here, I have presented only a few of the more practical actions you should follow to ensure that the food you and your family consume remains fresh and tasty.
How to Cook an Egg
How to Cook an Egg" was requested by one of my e-newsletter subscribers. Having been in the restaurant business for over 20 years, I was not surprised by the request. I have actually met chefs who could not properly cook an egg, let alone cook an over easy egg.
This request started me thinking about my egg cooking experiences.
High school home economics class was my only real experience before I was married and I guess that didn't sink in.
The only thing I remember about eggs in that class was making Egg ala Goldenrod (which I still love) and beating an egg and then measuring it in tablespoons for the purpose of making a recipe that required half an egg. I never, ever came across another recipe requiring half an egg.
And I never learned how to cook an egg.
So basically as a new (young) bride I had to start from scratch. I married a very finicky egg eater and after being scolded for imperfect over easy eggs, I began throwing eggs away if they weren't "just right."
I must have ended up throwing away dozens of eggs while perfecting my egg cooking skills. I thought I must be a slow learner. I just had to learn how to cook an egg! Had he known, my thrifty, finicky husband would have lectured me about wasting food. But as the words of the song "Margaritaville" say, I thought it was "his own darn fault." I never did reveal my secret.
Practice does make perfect, as it is said, and eventually I learned how to cook an egg.
After the death of my first husband (no, not my cooking), I married another wonderful man. I was pleased that I could cook perfect over easy eggs for him. Being the thoughtful man he is, he didn't mention for some time that he really preferred his eggs over hard.
Oh, the cruelties of life! I don't mind saying that it was very hard for me to break those yolks!
This request started me thinking about my egg cooking experiences.
High school home economics class was my only real experience before I was married and I guess that didn't sink in.
The only thing I remember about eggs in that class was making Egg ala Goldenrod (which I still love) and beating an egg and then measuring it in tablespoons for the purpose of making a recipe that required half an egg. I never, ever came across another recipe requiring half an egg.
And I never learned how to cook an egg.
So basically as a new (young) bride I had to start from scratch. I married a very finicky egg eater and after being scolded for imperfect over easy eggs, I began throwing eggs away if they weren't "just right."
I must have ended up throwing away dozens of eggs while perfecting my egg cooking skills. I thought I must be a slow learner. I just had to learn how to cook an egg! Had he known, my thrifty, finicky husband would have lectured me about wasting food. But as the words of the song "Margaritaville" say, I thought it was "his own darn fault." I never did reveal my secret.
Practice does make perfect, as it is said, and eventually I learned how to cook an egg.
After the death of my first husband (no, not my cooking), I married another wonderful man. I was pleased that I could cook perfect over easy eggs for him. Being the thoughtful man he is, he didn't mention for some time that he really preferred his eggs over hard.
Oh, the cruelties of life! I don't mind saying that it was very hard for me to break those yolks!
Barbecue an American Tradition
Barbecue is as American as apple pie. It's aroma evokes memories of baseball games, swimming and family vacations. Mouths water when the grill is fired up. Preparing meat for the barbecue is just as important as the cooking itself. Marinating infuses flavor into the meat, ensuring a delicious family meal that will not be easily forgotten.
Marinating is the process of steeping meat in a mixture of an acid (i.e. vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) and spices (i.e. salt, pepper, and herbs.) The acid tenderizes the meat causing it to hold more liquid, making it juicier and more flavorful. Care must be taken when making the marinade, as too much acid will toughen the meat. When marinating poultry, poke holes in the meat with a fork, or use a needle injector. Removing the skin allows the marinade to fully penetrate the meat. (Leaving the skin on compromises the flavor.) Poultry can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days in a marinade. (Meat should always be covered in the refrigerator.) The time for marinating depends on the size of the pieces as well as the kind of meat. Chicken breast takes longer than steak because it is firmer. To reduce the amount of time needed for marinating cut the meat into smaller pieces. You can also pound chicken flat to cut time.
There are a variety of containers appropriate for marinating. Metal, plastic, and glass bowls all work. My favorite containers, however, are plastic bags. When a bag is used a smaller amount of marinade is needed because the air can be squeezed out. The meat is covered completely which allows for the flavors to be infused more quickly and evenly. Plus, the bag can be tossed when the job is done, making clean-up fast and easy.
There are a few safety tips to remember when marinating poultry, meat and seafood. Raw meat and fish contain juices which may harbor harmful bacteria. To avoid contamination never reuse a marinade. Do not reuse containers without carefully washing them with dish soap. Don’t marinate meat past the grocer’s "use-by" date. And finally, always marinate in the refrigerator--never at room temperature.
Italian Chicken Marinade Place 2 lbs. sliced chicken in a plastic bag. Add 8 oz. Italian dressing, the juice of 1 fresh lemon, a few turns of fresh pepper, and a little salt. Marinate a few hours in the refrigerator. Remove from the bag and place on a heated grill. During the last few minutes of grill time, lay thin slices of lemon over the chicken. Serve the grilled chicken with a small amount of the unused Italian dressing.
Marinating is the process of steeping meat in a mixture of an acid (i.e. vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) and spices (i.e. salt, pepper, and herbs.) The acid tenderizes the meat causing it to hold more liquid, making it juicier and more flavorful. Care must be taken when making the marinade, as too much acid will toughen the meat. When marinating poultry, poke holes in the meat with a fork, or use a needle injector. Removing the skin allows the marinade to fully penetrate the meat. (Leaving the skin on compromises the flavor.) Poultry can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days in a marinade. (Meat should always be covered in the refrigerator.) The time for marinating depends on the size of the pieces as well as the kind of meat. Chicken breast takes longer than steak because it is firmer. To reduce the amount of time needed for marinating cut the meat into smaller pieces. You can also pound chicken flat to cut time.
There are a variety of containers appropriate for marinating. Metal, plastic, and glass bowls all work. My favorite containers, however, are plastic bags. When a bag is used a smaller amount of marinade is needed because the air can be squeezed out. The meat is covered completely which allows for the flavors to be infused more quickly and evenly. Plus, the bag can be tossed when the job is done, making clean-up fast and easy.
There are a few safety tips to remember when marinating poultry, meat and seafood. Raw meat and fish contain juices which may harbor harmful bacteria. To avoid contamination never reuse a marinade. Do not reuse containers without carefully washing them with dish soap. Don’t marinate meat past the grocer’s "use-by" date. And finally, always marinate in the refrigerator--never at room temperature.
Italian Chicken Marinade Place 2 lbs. sliced chicken in a plastic bag. Add 8 oz. Italian dressing, the juice of 1 fresh lemon, a few turns of fresh pepper, and a little salt. Marinate a few hours in the refrigerator. Remove from the bag and place on a heated grill. During the last few minutes of grill time, lay thin slices of lemon over the chicken. Serve the grilled chicken with a small amount of the unused Italian dressing.
Barbecue an American Tradition
Barbecue is as American as apple pie. It's aroma evokes memories of baseball games, swimming and family vacations. Mouths water when the grill is fired up. Preparing meat for the barbecue is just as important as the cooking itself. Marinating infuses flavor into the meat, ensuring a delicious family meal that will not be easily forgotten.
Marinating is the process of steeping meat in a mixture of an acid (i.e. vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) and spices (i.e. salt, pepper, and herbs.) The acid tenderizes the meat causing it to hold more liquid, making it juicier and more flavorful. Care must be taken when making the marinade, as too much acid will toughen the meat. When marinating poultry, poke holes in the meat with a fork, or use a needle injector. Removing the skin allows the marinade to fully penetrate the meat. (Leaving the skin on compromises the flavor.) Poultry can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days in a marinade. (Meat should always be covered in the refrigerator.) The time for marinating depends on the size of the pieces as well as the kind of meat. Chicken breast takes longer than steak because it is firmer. To reduce the amount of time needed for marinating cut the meat into smaller pieces. You can also pound chicken flat to cut time.
There are a variety of containers appropriate for marinating. Metal, plastic, and glass bowls all work. My favorite containers, however, are plastic bags. When a bag is used a smaller amount of marinade is needed because the air can be squeezed out. The meat is covered completely which allows for the flavors to be infused more quickly and evenly. Plus, the bag can be tossed when the job is done, making clean-up fast and easy.
There are a few safety tips to remember when marinating poultry, meat and seafood. Raw meat and fish contain juices which may harbor harmful bacteria. To avoid contamination never reuse a marinade. Do not reuse containers without carefully washing them with dish soap. Don’t marinate meat past the grocer’s "use-by" date. And finally, always marinate in the refrigerator--never at room temperature.
Italian Chicken Marinade Place 2 lbs. sliced chicken in a plastic bag. Add 8 oz. Italian dressing, the juice of 1 fresh lemon, a few turns of fresh pepper, and a little salt. Marinate a few hours in the refrigerator. Remove from the bag and place on a heated grill. During the last few minutes of grill time, lay thin slices of lemon over the chicken. Serve the grilled chicken with a small amount of the unused Italian dressing.
Marinating is the process of steeping meat in a mixture of an acid (i.e. vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) and spices (i.e. salt, pepper, and herbs.) The acid tenderizes the meat causing it to hold more liquid, making it juicier and more flavorful. Care must be taken when making the marinade, as too much acid will toughen the meat. When marinating poultry, poke holes in the meat with a fork, or use a needle injector. Removing the skin allows the marinade to fully penetrate the meat. (Leaving the skin on compromises the flavor.) Poultry can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days in a marinade. (Meat should always be covered in the refrigerator.) The time for marinating depends on the size of the pieces as well as the kind of meat. Chicken breast takes longer than steak because it is firmer. To reduce the amount of time needed for marinating cut the meat into smaller pieces. You can also pound chicken flat to cut time.
There are a variety of containers appropriate for marinating. Metal, plastic, and glass bowls all work. My favorite containers, however, are plastic bags. When a bag is used a smaller amount of marinade is needed because the air can be squeezed out. The meat is covered completely which allows for the flavors to be infused more quickly and evenly. Plus, the bag can be tossed when the job is done, making clean-up fast and easy.
There are a few safety tips to remember when marinating poultry, meat and seafood. Raw meat and fish contain juices which may harbor harmful bacteria. To avoid contamination never reuse a marinade. Do not reuse containers without carefully washing them with dish soap. Don’t marinate meat past the grocer’s "use-by" date. And finally, always marinate in the refrigerator--never at room temperature.
Italian Chicken Marinade Place 2 lbs. sliced chicken in a plastic bag. Add 8 oz. Italian dressing, the juice of 1 fresh lemon, a few turns of fresh pepper, and a little salt. Marinate a few hours in the refrigerator. Remove from the bag and place on a heated grill. During the last few minutes of grill time, lay thin slices of lemon over the chicken. Serve the grilled chicken with a small amount of the unused Italian dressing.
Variety is the Spice of Life
People are creatures of habit and largely base choices on that which is familiar. Although some habits are good, cooking the same types of food over and over zaps creativity and breeds indifference in the kitchen. Food is not only necessary for survival, it is also a main source of enjoyment. Making the most of our meals increases pleasure and happiness. If your dinner hour is hum-drum bring something less predictable home from the market. One thing certain to add variety to your meals is broadening your selection of mushrooms. Mushrooms add flavor, texture and nutrition to appetizers, soups, salads and entrées. The possibilities are endless, and the results are fabulous.
Mushrooms are high in fiber and protein, and provide vitamins such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), biotin (B7), cobalamins (B12) and ascorbic acid (C), as well as minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus. Maitake, shiitake, and reishi are being researched for the possibility of use for anti-cancer, anti-viral, and/or immunity-enhancement properties.
If you are new to the world of mushrooms, you should know that mushrooms are best when used within a few days of purchase. Like other vegetables, it is best to wait until you are ready to use them before rinsing your mushrooms. Remove mushrooms plastic from their container and store in a paper bag, because if they are stored in an air-tight container the moisture trapped inside will cause early spoiling. It is not recommended to freeze fresh mushrooms, but if they are first sautéed, cooled and stored in an airtight container they may be frozen for up to a month. Care should be taken to cleaning your mushrooms, especially morels.
Shiitake, portabella and morels are great mushrooms to experiment with because they are becoming increasingly more available in local markets. Shiitakes are often dried and sold in packages. These must be re-hydrated by soaking in water about 15 minutes before using. The button of the Shiitake mushroom has a smooth and spongy texture. They are a great addition to any dish. Portabella mushrooms are sold both with the stem or just as caps. They are light tan, rounded, with black, visible gills on the underside. As they age and darken the flavor is richer. They are especially great sautéed in butter and wine, or you can grill or roast them. Portabellas not only enhance the beauty of your dinner, but also add a hearty flavor. Morels have short, thick stems with pointed caps and have a lot of texture. Morels may be tan, yellow or black in color and have a nutty flavor. The darker this mushroom, the more intense the flavor. As you gain experience using these mushrooms, you can venture out or order different varieties rather than hunt for them yourself.
Cooking mushrooms is easy and there are several ways to prepare them. Mushrooms taste great when seasoned! Use salt, pepper, garlic, or any other spice or herb that complements your meal. Sautéing is probably the most common cooking method. Place 8 ounces of mushrooms in a frying pan with a tablespoon or two of butter. Cook on medium high heat for a few minutes until soft. Don’t put too many mushrooms in a pan because the heat won’t be high enough to brown them. Equally tasty is grilling, roasting, or broiling mushrooms. Coating the mushrooms lightly with olive oil will keep them from drying out. When roasting mushrooms heat in a 450 F oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. To grill or broil, place your pan about 4 to 6 inches from the heat source and cook about 5 minutes. Oil may be added when turning them to ensure even cooking.
It does not take a lot of effort to make your meal more exciting, and adding variety with mushrooms will spice it up. Changing an everyday item for one that is extraordinary will please every pallet and make you look like a gourmet chef!
Mushrooms are high in fiber and protein, and provide vitamins such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), biotin (B7), cobalamins (B12) and ascorbic acid (C), as well as minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus. Maitake, shiitake, and reishi are being researched for the possibility of use for anti-cancer, anti-viral, and/or immunity-enhancement properties.
If you are new to the world of mushrooms, you should know that mushrooms are best when used within a few days of purchase. Like other vegetables, it is best to wait until you are ready to use them before rinsing your mushrooms. Remove mushrooms plastic from their container and store in a paper bag, because if they are stored in an air-tight container the moisture trapped inside will cause early spoiling. It is not recommended to freeze fresh mushrooms, but if they are first sautéed, cooled and stored in an airtight container they may be frozen for up to a month. Care should be taken to cleaning your mushrooms, especially morels.
Shiitake, portabella and morels are great mushrooms to experiment with because they are becoming increasingly more available in local markets. Shiitakes are often dried and sold in packages. These must be re-hydrated by soaking in water about 15 minutes before using. The button of the Shiitake mushroom has a smooth and spongy texture. They are a great addition to any dish. Portabella mushrooms are sold both with the stem or just as caps. They are light tan, rounded, with black, visible gills on the underside. As they age and darken the flavor is richer. They are especially great sautéed in butter and wine, or you can grill or roast them. Portabellas not only enhance the beauty of your dinner, but also add a hearty flavor. Morels have short, thick stems with pointed caps and have a lot of texture. Morels may be tan, yellow or black in color and have a nutty flavor. The darker this mushroom, the more intense the flavor. As you gain experience using these mushrooms, you can venture out or order different varieties rather than hunt for them yourself.
Cooking mushrooms is easy and there are several ways to prepare them. Mushrooms taste great when seasoned! Use salt, pepper, garlic, or any other spice or herb that complements your meal. Sautéing is probably the most common cooking method. Place 8 ounces of mushrooms in a frying pan with a tablespoon or two of butter. Cook on medium high heat for a few minutes until soft. Don’t put too many mushrooms in a pan because the heat won’t be high enough to brown them. Equally tasty is grilling, roasting, or broiling mushrooms. Coating the mushrooms lightly with olive oil will keep them from drying out. When roasting mushrooms heat in a 450 F oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. To grill or broil, place your pan about 4 to 6 inches from the heat source and cook about 5 minutes. Oil may be added when turning them to ensure even cooking.
It does not take a lot of effort to make your meal more exciting, and adding variety with mushrooms will spice it up. Changing an everyday item for one that is extraordinary will please every pallet and make you look like a gourmet chef!
Charcoal Or Gas Grilling
Summertime just isn't the same without a backyard barbeque. If you are considering buying a grill you might be wondering which type to get. You can get a gas grill, a charcoal grill or a smoker. There are many things to consider when you try to make your decision. Keep reading and learn the advantages of each.The most common grill nowadays is the gas grill. Powered by propane gas this type of grill has many advantages. The biggest benefit is the convenience factor. Gas grills are ready to go almost instantly and cook food fast. This type of grill makes it convenient to cook on almost all of the time. The disadvantage to a gas grill is that it adds no flavor to your food. You do not get any of the flavor of a charcoal or wood burning grill.
The next type of grill is a charcoal grill. The great thing about this type is that you get more flavor in your food from the wood or charcoal. It is also more traditional and may bring back family memories from your past. The downside to the charcoal grill is that it takes longer. You have to preheat the coals or wood before using it.
The last type of grill and my favorite is the smoker. Smokers have all of the same benefits of a charcoal grill but they can also be used to smoke meats. There is nothing better than a brisket that has been in a smoker for 6 hours. Smokers have all of the same negatives as a charcoal grill however so they do require more time.
Whichever type you decide I am sure you will be happy. Just be careful and shop around for the best deal. Prices can vary greatly from store to store. Pick a grill that is reasonably priced but not cheap. Like everything else, you get what you pay for.
The next type of grill is a charcoal grill. The great thing about this type is that you get more flavor in your food from the wood or charcoal. It is also more traditional and may bring back family memories from your past. The downside to the charcoal grill is that it takes longer. You have to preheat the coals or wood before using it.
The last type of grill and my favorite is the smoker. Smokers have all of the same benefits of a charcoal grill but they can also be used to smoke meats. There is nothing better than a brisket that has been in a smoker for 6 hours. Smokers have all of the same negatives as a charcoal grill however so they do require more time.
Whichever type you decide I am sure you will be happy. Just be careful and shop around for the best deal. Prices can vary greatly from store to store. Pick a grill that is reasonably priced but not cheap. Like everything else, you get what you pay for.
The Secret to Cooking: A Full Refrigerator
Can you relate to this? You start out with the best intentions. You intend to cook. You even search the web and pick out recipes or make a list. But then something comes up. You get distracted. You stay at work late or go out with your friends. By the time you get home it is eight thirty and you have nothing in your kitchen to cook and no desire to go back out to buy groceries.
The secret to cooking is having a full refrigerator and cupboard. If it is eight o’clock at night and you walk into your kitchen to find an empty refrigerator, the chances are pretty low that you are going to cook a meal. Entropy takes over—and dinner ends up a series of snacks, cobbled together from the last of the crackers you find in the cupboard and the last bit of hummus in the refrigerator.
To keep your kitchen full, you must have a consistent weekly food shopping plan. Isn’t it funny how we can plan our work weeks, our vacations, our family obligations, but somehow, we completely avoid planning in time to shop and cook?
Here are the basics to making a food shopping plan that makes cooking accessible —even on weeknights.
1. Create a handwritten or typed grocery list. Make a list of all the staples that you like to have in your kitchen. Also add the ingredients of your favorite recipes. You can use this list every week and keep adding to it as you learn about new foods or recipes.
2. Keep the list handy and up to date. Post the list on your refrigerator. Check off what you run out of as the week progresses. That way you won't forget those vital ingredients.
3. Plan. Pick the same time each week to make your weekly plan. Sunday morning is a great time for this. During this time, determine which nights you'll be cooking and what ingredients you'll need. Then update your shopping list for the week.
4. Shop. Grab the list on your way out the door and do your shopping between your other errands. It is easiest to pick the same shopping day each week to create a habit. Your shopping time should be reduced immensely now that you have a list and a plan.
5. Use Fresh Direct or another shopping service if you are out of town during your shopping day. If you know you are going to be out of town for the weekend or just incredibly swamped, use Fresh Direct. Your shopping list gets saved online and you can order from anywhere.
6. Always have the ingredients for a few Non-Perishable Meals on hand. For those times when you just don’t have any fresh greens and veggies in your refrigerator, make sure you have some healthy non-perishable items on hand such as canned tuna and salmon, cans of beans and healthy soups.
The secret to cooking is having a full refrigerator and cupboard. If it is eight o’clock at night and you walk into your kitchen to find an empty refrigerator, the chances are pretty low that you are going to cook a meal. Entropy takes over—and dinner ends up a series of snacks, cobbled together from the last of the crackers you find in the cupboard and the last bit of hummus in the refrigerator.
To keep your kitchen full, you must have a consistent weekly food shopping plan. Isn’t it funny how we can plan our work weeks, our vacations, our family obligations, but somehow, we completely avoid planning in time to shop and cook?
Here are the basics to making a food shopping plan that makes cooking accessible —even on weeknights.
1. Create a handwritten or typed grocery list. Make a list of all the staples that you like to have in your kitchen. Also add the ingredients of your favorite recipes. You can use this list every week and keep adding to it as you learn about new foods or recipes.
2. Keep the list handy and up to date. Post the list on your refrigerator. Check off what you run out of as the week progresses. That way you won't forget those vital ingredients.
3. Plan. Pick the same time each week to make your weekly plan. Sunday morning is a great time for this. During this time, determine which nights you'll be cooking and what ingredients you'll need. Then update your shopping list for the week.
4. Shop. Grab the list on your way out the door and do your shopping between your other errands. It is easiest to pick the same shopping day each week to create a habit. Your shopping time should be reduced immensely now that you have a list and a plan.
5. Use Fresh Direct or another shopping service if you are out of town during your shopping day. If you know you are going to be out of town for the weekend or just incredibly swamped, use Fresh Direct. Your shopping list gets saved online and you can order from anywhere.
6. Always have the ingredients for a few Non-Perishable Meals on hand. For those times when you just don’t have any fresh greens and veggies in your refrigerator, make sure you have some healthy non-perishable items on hand such as canned tuna and salmon, cans of beans and healthy soups.
Whether you have a career in food preparation, entertain privately, or just cook for your family, food handling has some science to it that you should
Many aspects have been covered in this article so that you can gain from an wide research. Knowing that you need to better realise this matter I recommend that you take 5 minutes to read what we have to say. You’re going on a dieting and you’ve decided that this is the last one that you’ll ever take. There’s no other ground for this than you’ve already heard so much about the Atkins Diet, that you have total trust in your ability to lose weight and also to keep it off. With the help of the Atkins diet plan you can tailor make your dieting to suit your body and your needs.When you start on your diet you’ll get an Atkins diet plan that will get you started on the first phase of your dieting journey. This will be stage one, the induction phase, of four phases which you will in time, go through. So what you’re really getting with the Atkins diet plan is a great way for you to control the path you take your diet on, and whether you’re actually going to follow this path.Although you need not follow Atkins diet plan religiously if you want results you’ll follow it religiously. So stay away from the carbs and eat your way through high fat, high protein meals. Well, you won’t need tostay away from carbs entirely, you’ll just need to make yours a low carb dieting alternatively of the high carb dieting you’ve been followers so thoughtlessly for most of your life.However, by chase the Atkins diet plan and all but slip carbs from your diet, you abbreviate the chances of your diet failed and pretty much loss to the dogs. After all, this time you’ve decided that this is your last dieting and that you’re sledding to make it work, so it’s very no use tantalizing fortune and veering, even if slightly, off course from your Atkins diet plan.Remember that the whole plan was made to suit you, and to help you make your dieting restrictions easier to bear. With that in mind, also remember that within the Atkins diet plan you can also eat a few carbs, but you will have a almost straight-out snack counter of proteins and fats useable to you. So you don’t need to be afraid that your diet’s going away to be you the pleasures of eating well.With the Atkins diet plan you’ll find out that you caneat well without feel the going away of your carbs too much. Andeven though you might think that cookery and preparation meals will be a chore if you have to stay within the restrictions of the Atkins diet plan you’ll be agreeably to find that it just isn’t so.There are many great foods and repast plans uncommitted if you go through your Atkins diet plan. And if you can just make it through the kernel racking period of reading material your Atkins diet plan you’ll find that you really can make it through this diet, with scarce any forfeiture on your part. Now that’s what I call the dieting to end all diets! And isn’t that what you invited in the first piazzaThank you for fetching the time to read my clause it is greatly appreciated. Try searching through my other articles. I trust this clause provided you with the data you were look for. I have many other articles online that may be of interest to you. Michael Malega presents several Atkins Diet Plan articles for your information. You can visit Michael's web site at: http://www.low-carb-diet-recipes-plan.com/index.php
A Comprehensive List of Food Safety Tips
Whether you have a career in food preparation, entertain privately, or just cook for your family, food handling has some science to it that you should know. What with hearing a story in the news every other day about yet another Salmonella or E. Coli outbreak, we could all stand to hear a refresher course in the sanitary preparing of food.
Handling food
Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling food. Always use clean kitchen utensils for handling foods. Keep raw and cooked food apart at all times. Apply this especially to raw meat, fish, and poultry. Keep these away from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods. Wash and dry hands, utensils, cutting boards, knives, and flat surfaces thoroughly after preparing raw meat, fish, poultry and other raw foods and before contact with other food. Ideally you should use separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods. Never put cooked food onto a plate which has previously held these raw foods until it has been washed. Do not use the same utensil to stir or serve a cooked meal that was used to prepare the raw ingredients.
Vegetables of the root family such as potatoes, leeks and carrots often have traces of soil on them which can contain harmful bacteria, so wash them thoroughly before use. As a rule you should wash other fruit and vegetables too, especially if they are going to be eaten raw. Avoid preparing food for yourself or others if you are sick.
Defrosting
When cooking packaged frozen foods always follow instructions provided for defrosting or cooking directly from frozen. If cooking from frozen allow sufficient time for food to be thoroughly cooked and check it before serving; an extra minute in the fryer won't hurt it. When defrosting foods make sure they are fully defrosted before cooking; being sure to allow food enough time to thaw. Never re-freeze food once it has started to thaw.
Thaw food by placing it on the bottom shelf of the fridge in a container to catch any juices, or in a bin or rack over a sink. These juices will often be contaminated so wash dishes and hands thoroughly after use. Only thaw food in a microwave oven if it is to be cooked immediately. To thaw very large meat items like turkeys, leg of lamb, etc. more quickly, let them defrost outside of the fridge. Put them in a cool place and make sure they are completely thawed before cooking.
Cooking
and heatingFollow recipes and label instructions on cooking times and temperatures.Remember to preheat the oven properly - the instructions for preheating take into account that the cooking time should be at the full temperature. Cook all foods until they are piping hot. Remember that sausages, burgers, pork and poultry are cooked all the way through and they should not be rare or pink in the middle. As a test, pierce it with a knife; any juices that run out of the meat should be clear, not bloody. Lamb and beef (except when minced or rolled) can be eaten rare, but you should make sure the outer surface is thoroughly cooked to kill any germs on the surface of the meat.
Elderly or sick people, babies, young children and pregnant women should only eat eggs cooked until both yolk and white are solid and should never eat raw or partially cooked seafood. Don't cook foods too far in advance. Once cooked, foods should be kept covered and piping hot (above 145F) until it's time to serve them.
Keep prepared cold foods in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.When using a microwave, stir foods and drinks and allow them to stand for a couple of minutes to avoid hot or cold spots. Check that food is hot throughout before serving. Foods that are not thoroughly cooked should be re-heated for another few minutes, but when it comes to microwaves food should not be reheated more than twice.
Cooling
Never put hot food directly into the fridge or freezer, let it cool sufficiently first. Cooling should be completed within one or two hours after cooking. To speed cooling you can divide foods into smaller portions, place in a wide dish and stand this in a shallow tray of cold water.
Extra care for babies
Because babies' immune systems are less developed than those of an adult, they are at a greater risk of illness. To take extra care for young babies, wash bottles and utensils in hot soapy water and sterilize them using a sterilizing solution or a steam sterilizer. When adding water to baby foods, milks and other drinks always use bottled water and never water straight from the sink tap. Cook foods thoroughly until piping hot and cool them rapidly until they are comfortable to eat.
Extra care with barbecues and grillsCooking food outdoors, particularly for large groups, can increase the risk of food poisoning. It's harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and to keep everything clean. But with a little extra care barbecues and outdoor grills can be used safely.
Light the barbecue well in advance, making sure that you use enough charcoal and wait until it is glowing red with a powdery gray surface before starting to cook. Keep meats, salads and other perishable food in the fridge, or in an ice-packed portable cooler box, until just before you are ready to cook them. Serve salads at the last minute. Ideally use separate cooler boxes for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. Cooler boxes can only keep food cool for a limited period so cook sooner rather than later. Better still,if possible, fully pre-cook all poultry and sausages in an indoor kitchen and then take them straight to the barbecue to add the final barbecue flavor.
During cooking, turn food often. If it starts to burn on the outside raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal. You reduce charcoal's heat by dampening the coals slightly or partially closing the air vents. As always, cook poultry, burgers, pork and sausages throughout with no pink bits in the middle. Keep raw and cooked foods apart at all times.
Don't handle cooked foods with utensils that have touched raw meats and don't put cooked or ready-to-eat foods such as salad and bread on plates that have held raw meats.
Handling food
Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling food. Always use clean kitchen utensils for handling foods. Keep raw and cooked food apart at all times. Apply this especially to raw meat, fish, and poultry. Keep these away from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods. Wash and dry hands, utensils, cutting boards, knives, and flat surfaces thoroughly after preparing raw meat, fish, poultry and other raw foods and before contact with other food. Ideally you should use separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods. Never put cooked food onto a plate which has previously held these raw foods until it has been washed. Do not use the same utensil to stir or serve a cooked meal that was used to prepare the raw ingredients.
Vegetables of the root family such as potatoes, leeks and carrots often have traces of soil on them which can contain harmful bacteria, so wash them thoroughly before use. As a rule you should wash other fruit and vegetables too, especially if they are going to be eaten raw. Avoid preparing food for yourself or others if you are sick.
Defrosting
When cooking packaged frozen foods always follow instructions provided for defrosting or cooking directly from frozen. If cooking from frozen allow sufficient time for food to be thoroughly cooked and check it before serving; an extra minute in the fryer won't hurt it. When defrosting foods make sure they are fully defrosted before cooking; being sure to allow food enough time to thaw. Never re-freeze food once it has started to thaw.
Thaw food by placing it on the bottom shelf of the fridge in a container to catch any juices, or in a bin or rack over a sink. These juices will often be contaminated so wash dishes and hands thoroughly after use. Only thaw food in a microwave oven if it is to be cooked immediately. To thaw very large meat items like turkeys, leg of lamb, etc. more quickly, let them defrost outside of the fridge. Put them in a cool place and make sure they are completely thawed before cooking.
Cooking
and heatingFollow recipes and label instructions on cooking times and temperatures.Remember to preheat the oven properly - the instructions for preheating take into account that the cooking time should be at the full temperature. Cook all foods until they are piping hot. Remember that sausages, burgers, pork and poultry are cooked all the way through and they should not be rare or pink in the middle. As a test, pierce it with a knife; any juices that run out of the meat should be clear, not bloody. Lamb and beef (except when minced or rolled) can be eaten rare, but you should make sure the outer surface is thoroughly cooked to kill any germs on the surface of the meat.
Elderly or sick people, babies, young children and pregnant women should only eat eggs cooked until both yolk and white are solid and should never eat raw or partially cooked seafood. Don't cook foods too far in advance. Once cooked, foods should be kept covered and piping hot (above 145F) until it's time to serve them.
Keep prepared cold foods in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.When using a microwave, stir foods and drinks and allow them to stand for a couple of minutes to avoid hot or cold spots. Check that food is hot throughout before serving. Foods that are not thoroughly cooked should be re-heated for another few minutes, but when it comes to microwaves food should not be reheated more than twice.
Cooling
Never put hot food directly into the fridge or freezer, let it cool sufficiently first. Cooling should be completed within one or two hours after cooking. To speed cooling you can divide foods into smaller portions, place in a wide dish and stand this in a shallow tray of cold water.
Extra care for babies
Because babies' immune systems are less developed than those of an adult, they are at a greater risk of illness. To take extra care for young babies, wash bottles and utensils in hot soapy water and sterilize them using a sterilizing solution or a steam sterilizer. When adding water to baby foods, milks and other drinks always use bottled water and never water straight from the sink tap. Cook foods thoroughly until piping hot and cool them rapidly until they are comfortable to eat.
Extra care with barbecues and grillsCooking food outdoors, particularly for large groups, can increase the risk of food poisoning. It's harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and to keep everything clean. But with a little extra care barbecues and outdoor grills can be used safely.
Light the barbecue well in advance, making sure that you use enough charcoal and wait until it is glowing red with a powdery gray surface before starting to cook. Keep meats, salads and other perishable food in the fridge, or in an ice-packed portable cooler box, until just before you are ready to cook them. Serve salads at the last minute. Ideally use separate cooler boxes for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. Cooler boxes can only keep food cool for a limited period so cook sooner rather than later. Better still,if possible, fully pre-cook all poultry and sausages in an indoor kitchen and then take them straight to the barbecue to add the final barbecue flavor.
During cooking, turn food often. If it starts to burn on the outside raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal. You reduce charcoal's heat by dampening the coals slightly or partially closing the air vents. As always, cook poultry, burgers, pork and sausages throughout with no pink bits in the middle. Keep raw and cooked foods apart at all times.
Don't handle cooked foods with utensils that have touched raw meats and don't put cooked or ready-to-eat foods such as salad and bread on plates that have held raw meats.
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