The Top 10 Quick Tips

The Top 10 Quick Tips that will save common household recipes!!!

1. Making great biscuits: biscuits are great from scratch because most recipes use only 5-6 ingredients. My personal recipe uses only baking soda, baking powder, flour, buttermilk, salt, and butter. The most important thing to remember to ensure that your biscuits come out fluffy is to make sure that you use cold butter and that you leave the butter in small chunks throughout the mixing process. A common error is to mix the butter smoothly into the mixture. If you leave the butter in chunks, as your biscuits cook, the butter will form layers in the dough and the result will be more rise and fluff. This also works for making any puff pastry from scratch. Another great idea is to take the dough and put a thin layer over the top of a bowl of soup, then to bake the whole bowl in your oven. This will give your soups a beautifully fluffy top. Of course, make sure that your bowl is oven safe before baking it.

2. Get a really good non-stick skillet: if you're tired of having food stick to the bottom of your cookware, then you really need to invest in a great non-stick skillet. The one that I have only set me back $30 and I can cook an egg on it over easy without any oil and not break the yolk . I'm very partial to Caphalon's commercial lines, but definitely check out Anolon, T-Fal, and Farberware as well. Some other very important features are whether the skillet comes with a cover, whether or not the handle gets hot when it cooks, and how long other buyers have found that the non-stick surface lasts for. Make sure that you don't confuse non-stick with hard anodized. Hard anodized is definitely not non-stick and you'll get very frustrated if you get the two mixed up. The additional bonus of a non-stick pan is that cleaning is really easy. Run your pan under water and most extraneous food will slide off easily.

3. Grilling or pan frying chicken without getting it stuck in the pan: one of the biggest problems with cooking chicken is trying to move it off the grill or pan. The key is to be patient. Use a spatula and wait for the chicken to release, because it will. Of course, if you didn't use any oil then the chicken will most likely get stuck anyway. But all proteins reach a certain temperature where they will release and it's just a matter of being patient and waiting for this.

4. It's never too late to marinate: a lot of people end up eating bland food because they think that they don't have time to marinate their food. Even if you only have less than an hour, you can make a great marinade. Just make the marinade twice as strong, and use strong flavors. Here's a few quick marinades that have worked for me - balsamic vinaigrette, soy sauce and minced garlic, or lemon juice/zest and white wine. Also try using dry rubs such as crushed red pepper and garlic powder.

5. Use kosher salt to season: kosher salt is the what every professional cook uses and there's good reason. Regular iodized salt breaks down right away when added to water. In contrast, kosher salt breaks down slower and delivers a more pronounced flavor to whatever you are cooking. If you want your steaks to taste like steak house quality, all you need is kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper.

6. Extra virgin olive oil is pasta's best friend: after cooking pasta, make sure that you mix the pasta with some extra virgin olive oil immediately. Otherwise, you'll find that the pasta will start to stick together after a short amount of time. Don't ever refrigerate plain pasta without adding olive oil. If you do, you'll end up pulling a big pasta block out of the fridge. Also, when you boil pasta, make sure you add a cup of kosher salt per gallon of water. This is what will give the pasta its flavor.

7. Making amazing french toast: the best way to make amazing french toast is to avoid using regular bread. Extraordinary french toast is made with cakes or specialty breads. Try slicing a pound cake from your local grocery store and turning it into french toast the same way you'd usually do it with bread. Another great idea is to make french toast out of banana bread.

8. Making icing for pastries. Making icing for pastries is one of the simplest secrets in the pastry world. To make icing, all you need is water and powdered sugar. Start with the powdered sugar in a bowl and add water slowly until you get the consistency that you desire. Then just use the icing to make danishes, cakes, and other pastries even more delicious.

9. Keep your kitchen knife sharp. A common misconception is that people cut themselves in the kitchen because their knives are too sharp. The reason for most kitchen cutting accidents is actually the total opposite. When you use a blunt knife, the knife will slide off whatever you're cooking and this when the knife usually cuts your hand. To keep your knife sharp, use a diamond steel and bring your knife down the steel at an 18 degree angle.

10. Cracking an egg without getting shells in the mixing bowl. This seems easy enough, but it's surprising how many experienced cooks still experience the annoyance of getting egg shells in their favorite foods. The way to avoid this is to first gently hit the egg's middle against a hard surface. Then, use two hands to do the rest. If you're right handed, hold the egg with your left hand, and use your right thumb to push the middle in and then pull the egg apart with both hands. If you are left handed, just switch the directions above.

Good luck with your culinary adventures!

How to Save Gas in the Kitchen

In my previous articles, I have discussed many ways to save fuel for your vehicle. I have mentioned steps like adopting good driving habits, maintaining your car in peak condition, planning your trips, carpooling, avoiding traffic jams, driving smaller vehicles, choosing more efficient cars, adding energy saving devices and many others.

By following some of the items listed above, you should be able to get a very good performance from the fuel you fill up into your tank and save on your vehicle fuel costs.

Today, we are going to discuss more ways of saving fuel, but this time in our kitchens. Saving cooking gas requires a different approach from saving vehicle fuel. This is because the gas stove uses external burning of fuel, unlike engines that uses internal combustion of fuel.

Gas fuel like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or natural gas (Methane) is commonly used for cooking at home because it is clean and easily available. If we are able to control the usage, we could possibly save considerable amounts of money too.

With the world's oil and gas prices at such a high level, many of us are hard-pressed to try to squeeze the maximum work out of the fuel we use. One of the best strategies to use is to avoid wastage that can lead to loss of energy.

Below are some of the ways you can save gas in the kitchen:

1. Light up your stove only when you are ready to cook and the ingredients are within reach. This requires good coordination and planning by the cook. This means that heat is not wasted during the waiting period. The flame is only used for doing useful work - heating the food.

2. Use pressure cookers because they require less fuel for heating and thus reduce cooking time. There is a scientific explanation for this. Water boils at 100 degree Celsius at normal atmospheric pressures. When the cooking pot is pressurized above atmospheric, the water boils at a higher temperature. At that higher temperature, whatever meat or other ingredients inside the pot get cooked faster.

3. Avoid using too much water when cooking as it wastes fuel and it takes a longer time to evaporate. Water boils at 100 degree Celsius in a normal pot. It remains at this temperature no matter how much more you heat it further. It just evaporates, and the heat is lost through the evaporation of the steam. The temperature will not rise further in the water. The more water there is, the more the fuel required to bring it to boil.

4. Reduce the flame when boiling starts to save fuel. This relates to item 3 above. A small flame is sufficient to maintain the boiling of the water at 100 degree Celsius. A big flame will not bring the water to a higher temperature.

5. Cover cooking pots and pans with a lid to prevent heat from evaporating. This again relates to item 3 above. By covering the pot with a lid, the energy supplied to the water is prevented from being lost through evaporation of the steam. In fact, the useful energy contained in the steam is utilized and transferred to cook the food.

6. Use a small burner as it consumes 6% to 10% less gas than a big burner. To be efficient, as much of the heat from a flame must be transmitted to the pot. With a big flame below a relatively small pot, the hot gases flowing along the sides of the pot has less chance of being extracted. Only hot gases in contact with the pot have any chance of being extracted. Any hot gases not in contact with the pot are lost to the atmosphere.

7. Clean the burner if you see an orange, yellow or non-uniform flame. This means there is incomplete combustion of the fuel. Usually this is due to some obstruction in the air or gas passages in the gas stove. Incomplete combustion means that some of the fuel is not burnt but is deposited as carbon. That's a waste of the total heating capacity of the fuel.

You do not have to understand thermodynamics in order to save fuel in your cooking stove. However, many of the strategies outlined above is derived from the understanding of the properties of water and steam, principles of heat transfer like conduction, convection, radiation, combustion of fuel, venturi and gas burner design.

For the cook in the kitchen, just remember - reduce wastage and maintain efficiency.

Looking Out For The Best Microwave Oven

There are a lot of microwave ovens available for the ordinary consumer to choose from. The different models from the many brands available offer a host of features that can help make cooking for convenient, faster and simpler.

In fact, the microwave oven of today has even taken the place of most cooking appliances at home. With the advances in technology, there are new types of microwave ovens now available to even give you more convenience and time saving innovations that more and more consumers are looking for.

If you are looking for the best microwave oven in the market, you need to have a certain criteria which you could base what the best ovens should be like. You would also need to know that there are certain types of microwave ovens that are capable of doing more than any of the standard ones available. You should be able to know which models can be compared with the others in order to ensure a fair analysis.

In today's microwave oven market, there are generally two types that you can choose from. There is the microwave hood combination type of oven that that doubles as a ventilation hood for your gas range. This type of microwave oven can help in venting out or recirculating cooking fumes in your kitchen.

This type of oven is installed above a gas or electric range and can free up counter space which ca be used for other appliances. Then there is the countertop microwave oven which is the most common model today. This type of microwave ovens is what you can see in most hoes today.

In order to find the best microwave oven in the market, you must be able to know how to judge one from the other. Basically, all microwave ovens perform the same general tasks, that of cooking and defrosting. What makes one stand above the other is how well they function.

Different microwave ovens provide different features that set them apart from each other. You should judge each oven by how well the results of such features come out. Excellent microwave ovens offer precise and even cooking, browning and crisping, shorter cooking time, uniform defrosting etc. you can gauge an oven's performance through this.

But aside from its performance, a best microwave should also be able to offer excellent design properties as well as easy operation. You can also base your choices on how well a microwave oven blends in your kitchen or if it is able to handle different cooking capacities and options that you look for.

These may be the basic factors that you should be considering when you look for the best microwave oven in the market. You can add additional guidelines to help you find that oven the will work best for you.

Looking Out For The Best Microwave Oven

There are a lot of microwave ovens available for the ordinary consumer to choose from. The different models from the many brands available offer a host of features that can help make cooking for convenient, faster and simpler.

In fact, the microwave oven of today has even taken the place of most cooking appliances at home. With the advances in technology, there are new types of microwave ovens now available to even give you more convenience and time saving innovations that more and more consumers are looking for.

If you are looking for the best microwave oven in the market, you need to have a certain criteria which you could base what the best ovens should be like. You would also need to know that there are certain types of microwave ovens that are capable of doing more than any of the standard ones available. You should be able to know which models can be compared with the others in order to ensure a fair analysis.

In today's microwave oven market, there are generally two types that you can choose from. There is the microwave hood combination type of oven that that doubles as a ventilation hood for your gas range. This type of microwave oven can help in venting out or recirculating cooking fumes in your kitchen.

This type of oven is installed above a gas or electric range and can free up counter space which ca be used for other appliances. Then there is the countertop microwave oven which is the most common model today. This type of microwave ovens is what you can see in most hoes today.

In order to find the best microwave oven in the market, you must be able to know how to judge one from the other. Basically, all microwave ovens perform the same general tasks, that of cooking and defrosting. What makes one stand above the other is how well they function.

Different microwave ovens provide different features that set them apart from each other. You should judge each oven by how well the results of such features come out. Excellent microwave ovens offer precise and even cooking, browning and crisping, shorter cooking time, uniform defrosting etc. you can gauge an oven's performance through this.

But aside from its performance, a best microwave should also be able to offer excellent design properties as well as easy operation. You can also base your choices on how well a microwave oven blends in your kitchen or if it is able to handle different cooking capacities and options that you look for.

These may be the basic factors that you should be considering when you look for the best microwave oven in the market. You can add additional guidelines to help you find that oven the will work best for you.

Japanese Cooking

Do you love Japanese food? The funny thing about Japanese food is that you either love it or you hate it. There is no in-between. And chances are, if you hate it, you probably haven’t really tasted Japanese food yet or haven’t given yourself a chance to sample it enough. Japanese food is hard to appreciate after only one bite. And sometimes, the idea that you are tasting raw food just won’t escape your mind that you are already predisposed to hating Japanese food even before you actually taste it.

Personally, I love Japanese food. There really is no other cuisine like it in the world in terms of its unique taste and presentation. Who would believe that something so raw could be so delicious? For those of you who have not yet discovered the pleasures of Japanese food, allow me to present the following primer.

The standard Japanese meal always involves a bowl of white rice as well as soup and side dishes such as pickles, vegetables, meat and fish. Japanese food is classified by the number of viands or “okazu” that are served with the rice, soup and side dishes. A meal with one okazu is called ichiju-issai and a prime example of this is the traditional Japanese breakfast which consists of miso soup, rice, grilled fish and one pickled vegetable.

The regular Japanese meal usually involves three okazu to go along with the soup, rice and pickles. Traditionally, each of these three okazu are cooked in a different way from the others. They can either be served raw or grilled, simmered, steamed or deep fried.

Another hallmark of Japanese food is seafood, which is the most popular and most widely consumed food in Japan. The most popular dishes include all types of fish as well as shellfish, squid and octopus. Crab is another favorite delicacy and so are whale and seaweed. Despite the fact that Japanese are not heavy meat eaters, you will hardly find any vegetarians among them either probably owing to their deep fashion for seafood. Beef and chicken are also popular among the Japanese.

Cooking Western Massachusetts Style

Some of the Chefs in Western Massachusetts like to take native ingredients and recipes and give them their own signature

fish cakes
* 1 lb. mixed fish, cut in large dice (salmon, swordfish, tuna)
* 1 small rib celery, finely diced
* 1/2 small green pepper, finely diced
* 1/2 small red pepper, finely diced
* 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
* 1/2 cup bread crumbs
* 1 tsp. mixed tarragon & chives, chopped
* 1 cup white wine & 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
* 1 egg
* 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
* 3/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/4 cup milk
* flour & oil as needed for cooking

sweet & spicy aioli sauce
* 4-5 cloves roasted garlic
* 2 oz. rice wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup Thai garlic chili sauce
* 1/2 tsp. salt, plus additional to taste
* 2 large egg yolks
* 2 oz. granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

Place the chopped fish in a small sauce pan. Cover the fish with tap water, the cup of white wine and the 1/2 cup wine vinegar. Boil gently just until the fish is opaque (just barely cooked through and juicy).

Drain and place in a bowl with the diced vegetables, eggs, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce and seasonings, mashing the mixture together like a meatloaf or meatball mixture. Add the milk to the bread crumbs to moisten and incorporate into the fish mixture. Form this mixture into 8 "patties", in a similar manor as making a hamburger patty. Chill until ready to cook.

For the sweet & spicy aioli sauce: place the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and heat over high heat, just to melt the sugar. Pull off the heat and reserve. Place the garlic cloves, eggs, salt and chili sauce in a food processor and turn on the power.

Very slowly incorporate the oil, the sauce should take on a thick mayonnaise consistency once you have added all the oil. Now with the machine still running, add the vinegar mixture, then stop the machine. You have created an emulsion, and the key to a successful emulsion is in the slow addition of the oil, so the sauce doesn't separate. If it is too thick at this point you may incorporate a little water to thin it out. Check the seasoning, it should have a good balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavors to really make your taste buds salivate.

Heat some vegetable oil, enough to cover the bottom of a large sauté pan, until it is very hot, almost smoking. Dip the fish cakes in a flour and then cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat, until nice and golden brown. Flip the fish cakes over and cook the other side until nicely golden browned also.

To serve, place the mixed baby greens on serving plates topped with a small amount of vinaigrette. Place the warm fish cakes on top, topping them off with aioli sauce. Enjoy!

Cooking May Be Hazardous To Your Health

Did you know that cooking your food could cause serious damage to your health?

Changes take place, as food is cooked above 117 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes or longer. Damage becomes progressively worse at higher temperatures over longer periods of time.

* 30% to 50% of vitamins, minerals and amino acids are destroyed. The degree of depletion, destruction, and alteration is simply a matter of temperature, cooking method, and time.

* 100% of enzymes are damaged and the body is depleted of the energy it needs to maintain and repair tissue and organ systems, which will shorten our lives. Eating enzyme-dead food places a burden on the pancreas and other organs and overworks them, which eventually exhausts these organs and rendering them ineffective.

* After eating a cooked meal, there is a rush of white blood cells towards the digestive tract, leaving the rest of the body less protected by the immune system. The immune system “thinks” the body is being invaded by a foreign (toxic) substance when cooked food is eaten.

* Much needed natural fibers break down and the body needs 20-30 grams of fiber daily to have the ability to remove the toxins that accumulate at a rapid rate.

* There is malnutrition at the cellular level. Cooked foods are lower in nutrients and they contain wastes and toxins. For this reason the individual cells don't receive enough of the nutrients they need to combat the daily onslaught of excess free radicals that build up within the cells. Eventually many of the cells in our body become overworked and unable to handle the continuous attacks. The result is serious disease and illness. A prime example is cancer, which kills an estimated 30% of Americans.

Gee, we thought we were eating a healthy home cooked meal! Now because of all the changes that took place in the food when it was cooked, we have actually caused premature aging in our bodies. We may have even contributed to the attack of a serious illness.

What can be done to counteract all the damage done by cooking? It is virtually impossible to eat nothing but raw food. The good news is that we can live long healthy lives if we know what to do.

1. Eat lots of fresh fruit daily (certified organic when possible)

2. Eat lots of raw vegetables. Choose from romaine or leafy green lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, red sweet peppers, pea pods, etc. They are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients.

3. When cooking, steam your vegetables and serve on the crisp side.

4. Drink plenty of pure filtered water.

5. Take high quality nutritional supplements including antioxidants, colostrum, phytonutrients and glyconutrients.

In summary, with today’s high stress, fast paced society we have to be proactive about protecting our health and the health of our loved ones. Finding new tips and secrets on good health is one way of the best ways to guard against illness. For more information,

I can be reached at 715-484-2225 or email me at VitalCarbs4You@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from you.

Cooking - Helpful Hints

Here are some hints that you might find useful.

• Do not discard over-ripe bananas. Slice and sprinkle it with lemon juice. Freeze it to use later for milk shakes, puddings or banana bread. It will blacken if you refrigerate it.

• If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, puncture a lemon with a toothpick and squeeze out the amount needed. Replace the toothpick. If the lemon is cut, it won’t last as long.

• Fresh ginger will stay fresh for months in a freezer if you wrap it tightly in foil.

• To separate the leaves of a round lettuce, hit the core end sharply against the kitchen counter top. The core can be pulled out and the leaves will separate without tearing into strips.

Here is a tasty fish recipe which you can try:

4 cod fillets, skinned
Salt and pepper to taste
150ml dry white wine
½ lemon, sliced
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons lemon juice
50g capers, chopped

Place the fish in a frying pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the wine and lemon slices, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquor, and leave to cool.

Mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and reserved liquor.

Stir in the capers.

Place the fish in a serving dish and top with the caper sauce. Serve cold.

Serves 4

Vegetarian Cooking

My 5 Gourmet Ingredient, Vegetarian Cooking Done Right

Are you a vegetarian or thinking about becoming a vegetarian? Do you want to know how to become a vegetarian that can cook great meals? Learn the 5 ingredients that I use to make just about any vegetarian meal taste better.

The first ingredient that I will introduce to you is garlic. Garlic is a spectacular for cooking and can add a ton of flavor to just about anything. If you are a true vegetarian you use olive oil or something other than butter to cook with. This means that garlic will be even better for you because garlic gains a wonderful and potent flavor when you cook with olive oil.

That leads me to my second ingredient, olive oil. Olive oil is a wonderful oil for cooking and comes directly from the land. Make sure to use extra virgin olive oil because it is richer in minerals and is has a more pure taste. Even adding a dash to a salad or using olive oil to create a vinaigrette dressing can add a great flavor.

This brings me to my third ingredient, red wine vinegar, which is very popular to create the vinaigrette I just mentioned. Red wine vinegar has a very natural and great flavor. It goes well with many vegetables and actually is great when mixed into a fruit salad full of melons. If you are a vegetarian that eats fish, then you will love using red wine vinegar when cooking fish.

My fourth ingredient for vegetarian cooking is using wines. Both red wine and white wine are great for cooking. Just try cooking squash mixed with other vegetables with white wine. I prefer a good chardonnay. Make sure when you are picking a wine to cook with that you do not go too expensive because the price will not make a big enough difference for your money.

My fifth and final ingredient for vegetarian cooking is liquor. I love to cook with vodka, brandy, whiskey, and tequila. These liquors can all add a great flavor to any vegetarian dish. I love using whiskey and brandy with fruits. You can also mix in other liquors such as flavored liquors. You can experiment with all types and you will be pleasantly surprised by most of them.

Now you have 5 great ingredients to add to your vegetarian dishes. You can invent some wonderful dishes with these ingredients and become a wonderful vegetarian chef.

Southern Cooking CDs

Southern Cooking CDs - Cookbook Alternatives

Down south, southern cooking is the center of interest and plays a pivotal role in most functions and activities. Did you realize that it was several centuries ago when southern cooking came into existence? Believe it or not, Southerners treasured their cooking back then, and treasure it even more today.

Southern cooking has even traced its history. Unlike cooking activity in any other place, it is different. Even some of the most well-known personalities in history, such as Thomas Jefferson and Leonardo d'Vinci, are also involved in the history of southern cooking.

There are several manifestations of idiosyncrasy in southern cooking. According to some historians, it derives from slavery and poverty. With so many things to cling on to about southern cooking, the bottom line is always to know its essence to the Southerners. The exceptional foods that they have make them known to the world.

If you are really interested to know more about the secrets behind the recipes and the common dishes prepared by the Southerners, there is a way for you to find this information. It is only in the southern cooking CDs where their secrets will be revealed.

Southern cooking CDs is a collection of recipes and detailed instructions about Southerners dishes. One very interesting fact about the CD is that these are derived from well-known and reliable resources. It is also combined with tips from expert cooks and chefs in the South.

You can now have the New Southern Cookbook and Regional Recipe Collection CD all in one. You will definitely not regret purchasing one because these contain not only hundreds, but also even thousands of distinctive home and commercial recipes suited for any occasion in your household.

The recipes that you find here will turn your heart out. You cannot ask for more. Every detail is provided for you. You will be provided with information that you want from the simple ingredients down to the dressing and the presentation of the foods.

There is no need for you to worry if you know nothing about cooking but you have the heart for it. With the Southern Cooking CD, it is made easier and even more convenient for you.

As long as you know how to follow instructions presented in the CD, you will be able to cook like a true Southerner. You can prepare the food as if you are an expert. Nobody will believe that you are able to serve that kind of food having a such great savor and taste.

The CD is also really helpful for those people who find it difficult to search for recipes on the Internet and in cookbooks . With just a press on your CD player, you will have the chance to watch and listen to everything and follow right along.

It also offers other advantages over typical cookbooks that most people are fond of buying. The price of CDs is usually less expensive. It is almost just a fraction of the price for a cookbook. Imagine, you are learning at the same time you are able to watch how the recipes are being applied over your television.

If everything is simply a dream for you before, make it realistic now with the southern cooking CDs . For certain, your family members will be amazed with the effort that you exerted in cooking their favorite food. They will not even know that your key to that is the southern cooking CD.

Cooking is fun on home

Cooking Is Fun And Easy As Easy-Home-Cooking

A healthy life style extremely depended on the food consumed by us. True??? Whilst exercise is a must to all, a nutritious balance diet also plays a major role to our lifestyle. For those chef-to-be, please bear in mind that balance nutrition is a must-knowledge for preparing good and balanced food.

In this and future articles, Dr. Chef will address more and more about this nutrition diet in the food preparation. That’s why people acknowledge me as Dr. Chef…!!!

Basic Principles of Nutrition: It is necessary for maintaining the human body in good health because our body is continuously using the substances which make it up and these must be replaced by absorbing food. So, a number of important factors must be considered if the process of alimentation is to be carried out correctly.

Hunger and thirst are sensed automatically by a healthy person.

Appetite is the desire for food without really being hungry. It’s mainly psychological. In our psychological stress, we don’t have appetite in spite of being hungry.

Variety: We need varieties of different foods and only varied food intake can ensure balanced nutrition.

Digestion: It takes place in the gastrointestinal tract, and is the breakdown of food prior to its absorption into the body.

Metabolism is the conversion of nutrients occurring in a series of processes in different parts of the body. This activity is necessary for the building and continuous functioning of cells and tissues.

TIP OF THE DAY

SANDWICHES

Normally we keep our uneaten sandwiches in the fridge. This will make it dry and hard. So, do not waste your money by buying and wrapping your sandwiches with cling wrap, but use this…. Cover it with a clean and wet cloth because the bread will last longer and fresh. Till next article, I wish you A Gooood and Healthy Day ……….

A Beginners Guide to Chinese Cookery

Introduction

When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was really quite unappealing. Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind. Then in the 1980s a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences. There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap ‘n tasteless ones. Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.

Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.

To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, I’m going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques which you need to know so that you can produce some simple and tasty dishes. I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!

Equipment

Although there are many implements and pieces of equipment you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you really only need a good knife or two and a wok. Woks come in all shapes and sizes, they can be non-stick, flat-bottomed, they can even be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with it’s rounded bottom and one wooden handle. This is a Pau wok. These are readily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less expensive than other varieties. There is one important task though, before you will be ready to cook with such a wok and that is to season it. You will need to scrub it with a cream cleaner to remove any residues of machine oil and dry it carefully. Put the wok on the hob over a low heat. Rub the inside of the wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using kitchen towel. Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the inside with more kitchen towel. The paper will come away black. Carry on coating, heating and cleaning off until the kitchen towel comes away clean. Your wok is now ready to use. After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over a low heat. You may also apply a little oil if you wish. This should prevent the wok from rusting but if it does develop rust, just scrub and season again.

As well as the wok, you will need a wok stand, particularly if you have an electric hob. This keeps the wok stable if you are using it for braising or deep frying.

You will also need something to stir with – any spatula, slice or slotted spoon will do – metal for a metal wok and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.

Ingredients

Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that some ingredients don’t keep well if left unused. Just select something simple from your chosen cookery book and buy the things that you need for that then you can expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.

Some common store-cupboard ingredients that you will almost certainly need are dark and light soy sauce, some sort of cooking oil and sesame oil, cornflour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Equipment.

Techniques

Stir-Frying

The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. This is where your wok comes into its own as it’s shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking. The secret to successful stir-frying is to have all your ingredients ready in advance.

Meat should be cut according to the recipe but normally in thin strips. Vegetables likewise but in any event should be of similar shapes and sizes to ensure even cooking. Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal so that more surface area is exposed for quicker cooking. Measure out sauce ingredients - check the recipe - if they are all added to the dish at the same time, you can put them all in one small bowl. If cornflour is included, don’t forget to give it a good stir before adding to the other food.

Once you have everything prepared, heat your wok until it is very hot then add oil and using your chosen stirring implement ensure that the oil is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok. Before you add your ingredients. the wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking - this will prevent the food from being greasy. The exception to this is if you are flavouring your oil with garlic, chilli, spring onions, ginger or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot.

Now add your other ingredients in the order stated in the recipe and toss them over the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing rests in one place for too long and moving the food from the centre of the wok to the sides. I suggest that you wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation as the food often spits due to the high temperature it is cooked at.

Deep Frying

You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it is safely balanced on its stand. Under no circumstances leave it unattended. Deep frying in a wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan but you may find these safer and easier to use.

When deep frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food will end up very greasy. Test it by dropping in a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread. If the oil bubbles up around what you dropped in then it’s hot enough.

Make sure that food to be deep fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or drained of its marinade before cooking otherwise it will spit.

Shallow Frying

This is the same as the Western technique. Fry food on one side, then the other and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients. A normal frying pan is fine for this.

Steaming

Steaming is widely used in Chinese cookery. You can use a bamboo steamer in a wok, a heat-proof plate placed on a rack in a wok or other large pan or you can use a normal European steamer.

If using a bamboo steamer or plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer. Put your rack into the wok (if the bamboo steamer is big enough and will sit on the sides of the wok without being in the water, you don’t need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food on it. Put the lid on your steamer or wok and check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up (use water which is already hot).

Whichever method you use, make sure that the food is above the water level and isn’t getting wet.

Braising

As with Western cooking, braising is used for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and/or vegetables in flavoured stock. Red-braising is the technique where food is braised in a dark liquid such as soy sauce which gives the food a red/brown colour. This type of braising sauce can be frozen and re-used.

How to Make Chocolate Candy - A Fascinating Segment of Cooking

If you like desserts, baking, and chocolate, then you might want to learn how to make chocolate candy. Don't be concerned; the process for creating the majority of candies is easier than you think, and with a some practice, and taste testing, you can come up with chocolate dessert recipes that's all your own.

Beginning With The Basics

Prior to starting to make chocolate candy, you might wish to begin baking more conventional chocolate desserts, such as chocolate cake or brownies. Chocolate candies such as fudge or toffee are the same as brownies, and you can even integrate these candies into your baked goods for a richer flavor. You can learn a lot of basic recipes for brownies and cakes on various internet sites, and once you get the used to these, you might feel more comfortable moving on to candy making.

You can also make the candies that you see in bakeries and speciality shops; all you will need is the right ingredients as well as a candy mold. With the mold, you can make candies that are in any shape you wish, and you can decorate or garnish the candies to taste.

In the majority of cases, you will have to melt down a certain amount of the chocolate of your choice, and you can add specific flavor extracts depending on the flavor you want the candy to be. You pour the chocolate mixture into the molds, and allow the candy to set. In most instances, the candy will set better, and faster, if you put it in the refrigerator.

Variations on a Theme

You can also make chocolate truffles, which can at times be intimidating for those who do not spend much time in the kitchen. Nevertheless, you can learn how to make chocolate candy by just combining melted chocolate and whipping cream, until it is at its desired consistency. Then, you can use an ice cream scoop to break up the portions of truffles, and put these in the refrigerator to set as well.

You can roll the truffles in nutmeg or cinnamon, coconut and crushed nuts, or even cayenne pepper after you remove them from the fridge. These candies make an excellent dessert at parties, or a great gift when you use decorated paper or bags for presentation.

If you still want to know how to make chocolate candy and are not sure you will be able to get it precisely right the first time, you can visit various internet sites like so that you can analyze the recipes as many times as is needed to, and view pictures of the finished product. Keep in mind that you do get to taste each batch you create, so this should be enough motivation to keep trying. Happy baking!

Cooking Tips In The Kitchen

Cooking Tips To Help You In The Kitchen

When you are cooking a meal, there are many things that can go wrong and many simple, household solutions to issues that arise that you may not know. To that end, we've written this article to discuss some simple hints that can make your time spent in the kitchen much easier.

- Did you burn food, and now the whole house smells of the terrible burning odor? Well, don't fret - there is a simple fix. Simply take a half of a cup of whole cloves and put them in a saucepan with two cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for twenty to thirty minutes. The house will now smell sweet due to this mixture.

- Flare-ups on the grill can be worrisome and dangerous. For that reason, it is important to minimize the risk of flare-ups while grilling. Any excess fat on cuts of meat that you are about to cook should be removed. Also, if you bring food to room temperature before placing it on the grill, you're more likely to cook it evenly.

- Need to check your grills temperature, but you don't have the feature on your grill? One simple test that you can perform is to hold your hand facing palms-down over the coals, roughly around where you will be cooking. You should count how long you can stand to keep your hand there as it will give you a rough estimation of the temperature. If you can only count to about two, the heat level is high, and it's best for cooking meat. If you're looking to grill vegetables, you should cook with a medium heat. If you can count to about four, the grill is the proper temperature. Be sure to keep it safe when you are performing this test.

- When baking cookies, it's tough to get them to turn out exactly round. There is an easy solution, however: after creating the dough, place it into empty concentrated juice cans and put it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake, just slice off the end of the can and push the dough through, slicing off cookies as you go. They should be perfectly round!

- Need to make your own croutons fast? There's an easy way to do it, and you probably have all the ingredients in your house! Cut slices of bread into cubes that are three quarters of an inch. Place them on a baking tray and add cooking spray and garlic powder. Broil the tray for roughly three minutes, and there you go! Try adding different spices to suit your individual fancy.

Cooking- Cooking With Kids

Kids love to be creative. Cooking is a great outlet for kids to express their creativity. It can also help provide a wonderful way to build and develop self-esteem.

One-on-one Time

With our lives so busy, cooking provides a wonderful way to spend quality one-on-one time. The memories that are created while cooking together will last a lifetime. I am sure many of you have fond memories of learning and helping your parents or grandparents cook. It may take extra patience and time to prepare the meal, but the benefits far outweigh the time it takes to clean up.

Age Appropriate

Depending on age of your child, pick age appropriate tasks. For example, if your kids are too young to measure or assemble ingredients, let them have a quick stir or let them pour something into the bowl. They will be thrilled to just be able to help.

Older kids can help with things like measuring, stirring, assembling and helping follow the recipe. Teenagers can also help by preparing, shopping and cooking the meals with minimal guidance.

Benefits

So what are some of the benefits? Some you will see immediately and others may take a life time to notice. Either way, there are many great benefits.

Not only does it teach kids a lifelong skill, but it also helps instill healthy eating habits. Kids that learn to cook and eat healthy will be more likely to continue with good eating habits into adulthood. Encouraging kids to cook and eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables in the home can also help reduce the amount of junk food they are consuming.

It also can reduce the number of times a family runs through the drive though or picks up take out, thus helping the family save money and reduce caloric intake while developing healthier eating habits.

Family Time

Another added benefit is that it provides children with structured family time. Children love stability and cooking and eating together is a chance to provide family togetherness. It also helps kids feel like they are contributing to the family. Plus when they help prepare the meal, they are more likely to feel a sense of accomplishment and actually want to eat the meal. Picky eaters will even venture out to try food they helped prepare, more so than they would if you simply put a plate of food in front of them. Now what parent does not wish that mealtimes would go a little smoother?

Great family recipes and secrets are learned and passed down the line. Many of our favorite recipes get passed down the line from past generations. If your family has a great cooking history, pass it along to your kids. In turn, they will share it with their future families.

Have fun sharing and creating memories with your kids.

History of cooking

There is, as yet, no clear evidence as to when cooking was invented. Richard Wrangham argues that cooking was invented as far back as 1.8 million to 2.3 million years ago. Other researchers believe that cooking was invented as late as 40,000 or 10,000 years ago. Evidence of fire is inconclusive as wildfires started by lightning-strikes are still common in East Africa and other wild areas, and it is difficult to determine as to when fire was used for cooking, as opposed to just for warmth or keeping predators away. While many anthropologists place the advent of cooking at around 250,000 years ago, anthropologists besides Wrangham suggest that cooking did indeed occur much earlier, evidenced by archeological findings at Zhoukoudian in China, at Chesnowanja, Swartkrans and Koobi Fora in Africa, the latter of which has been dated by the "potassium-argon method to approximately 1.6 million years ago".

Cooking methods

Food safety

If heat is used in the preparation of food, this can kill or inactivate potentially harmful organisms including bacteria and viruses. The effect will depend on temperature, cooking time, and technique used. The temperature range from 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C) is the "food danger zone." Between these temperatures bacteria can grow rapidly. Under optimal conditions, E. coli, for example, can double in number every twenty minutes. The food may not appear any different or spoiled but can be harmful to anyone who eats it. Meat, poultry, dairy products, and other prepared food must be kept outside of the "food danger zone" to remain safe to eat. Refrigeration and freezing do not kill bacteria, but only slow their growth. When cooling hot food, it shouldn't be left on the side or in a blast chiller (an appliance used to quickly cool food) for more than 90 minutes.

Cutting boards are a potential breeding ground for bacteria, and can be quite hazardous unless safety precautions are taken. Plastic cutting boards are less porous than wood and have conventionally been assumed to be far less likely to harbor bacteria. has been debated, and some research have shown wooden boards are far better. Washing and sanitizing cutting boards is highly recommended, especially after use with raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Hot water and soap followed by a rinse with an antibacterial cleaner (dilute bleach is common in a mixture of 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, as at that dilution it is considered food safe, though some professionals choose not to use this method because they believe it could taint some foods), or a trip through a dishwasher with a "sanitize" cycle, are effective methods for reducing the risk of illness due to contaminated cooking implements.

Potential harmful health effects

Researchers at the University of Toronto and another published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggest that ingesting uncooked or unpasteurized dairy products may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Mice and rats fed uncooked sucrose, casein, and beef tallow had one-third to one-fifth the incidence of microadenomas as the mice and rats fed the same ingredients cooked.^[4][5]

Several studies published since 1990 indicate that cooking muscle meat creates heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are thought to increase cancer risk in humans. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that human subjects who ate beef rare or medium-rare had less than one third the risk of stomach cancer than those who ate beef medium-well or well-done.^[6] While eating muscle meat raw may be the only way to avoid HCAs fully, the National Cancer Institute states that cooking meat below 212 °F (100 °C) creates "negligible amounts" of HCAs. Also, microwaving meat before cooking may reduce HCAs by 90%.^[7] Nitrosamines, present in processed and cooked foods, have also been noted as being carcinogenic, being linked to colon cancer.

Also, toxic compounds called PAHs, or Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, present in processed, smoked and cooked foods, are known to be carcinogenic.^[8] German research in 2003 showed significant benefits in reducing breast cancer risk when large amounts of raw vegetable matter are included in the diet. The authors attribute some of this effect to heat-labile phytonutrients

Science of cooking

The application of scientific knowledge to cooking and gastronomy has become known as molecular gastronomy. This is a subdiscipline of food science. Important contributions have been made by scientists, chefs and authors such as Herve This (chemist), Nicholas Kurti (physicist), Peter Barham (physicist), Harold McGee (author), Shirley Corriher (biochemist, author), Heston Blumenthal (chef), Ferran Adria (chef), Robert Wolke (chemist, author) and Pierre Gagnaire (chef).

Cooking

Cooking is the process of preparing food by applying heat, selecting, measuring and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure for producing safe and edible food. The process encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to alter the flavor or digestibility of food. Factors affecting the final outcome include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual doing the actual cooking.

The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural, social and religious considerations that impact upon it.

Applying heat to a food usually, though not always, chemically transforms it, thus changing its flavor, texture, consistency, appearance, and nutritional properties. Other methods of cooking that involve the boiling of liquid in a receptacle have been practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC, with the introduction of pottery.

Easy Home Cooking

Balance diet of food is the key for

keep healthy, strength and active therefore to develop of mind intelligent. As we all knew, pyramid chart of food is very important to us to having a complete and balance dietary. We are what we eat..

Preparing a dish either breakfast, lunch or dinner can turn tiredness and headache especially for a mom that having a career and very limited time to prepare the food. This make mom did a short way by serving the canned food, or a ready-made food. This scenario turned the family having a very high cholesterol and healthiness food for their families.

With the right preparation of cooking, this situation can be able avoid. How do you feel when your family or customer appreciated on what you had doing. Like your kids says “its not enough”, or “give me more”..? You will get the feel of cooking satisfaction..!

Preparing the healthy food doesn’t meant you have to provide the expensive materials. There are several items like fruits, vegetables, and other raw materials, that can easily and cheap you can find at the local market.

In this blog, I will teach you, not only to prepare a dish by giving you a recipe, but I will teach you how to prepare it in the right and easy way as easy-home-cooking.com.Also I will give the origin of the dish and not only of the cooking, but everything of the cooking involvement including beverages, spices, herbs, nutrition, even organized the kitchen cooker..!!

This blog is not only for housewives to cook for the family. It is strongly recommended and extremely suitable for the student to get additional reference sources for the culinary course. Even to the Master Chef…!!

Even the dishes brings to you in the origin recipe, I will give you create it in the modern way. The recipe will content from the French to Chinese, Indian, Mongolians, Russian, nor Italian, even from the exotic of aborigine.

Have you heard the words of “the art of cooking”? What does it mean? It means that one knows a great deal about the practical aspects of cookery and cooking techniques.It presupposes a full and precise knowledge of food; a well developed sense of taste and smell; a sensitivity for colour, texture, and shape or form; and ability to coordinate all the major elements into complete harmony.

According to John Ruskin, a nineteenth century English writer and art critic, the art of cooking includes a grandmother’s thrift, a knowledge of modern chemistry, a frenchman’s sense of artistry,and an Arab’s hospitality. In summary, the art of cooking means providing high quality food and service to the complete satisfaction of guest.

Sounds complicated..? Yes…Never mind..Till next topic, let me turn it easy as easy-home-cooking..!!!

Healthy Cooking

Healthy cooking or healthy eating doesn't mean denial. Changes that we implement towards a healthier lifestyle will impact our health, the way we feel and perhaps extend our life.

Cooking is a personal experience and we can implement different methods for the same meal. For example, if we want to make mashed potatoes, we could boil the potatoes, or we could steam them, we could peel the skin, buy instant mixes, etc. The choices we make will modify and transform the quality and the nutritional value of the food you put on your table. So here are a few tips that you can easily implement in your kitchen.

Healthy Cooking

For a healthier lifestyle, you may want change what you cook as well as how you cook. Depending on the method you choose, you may be depleting the nutrients out of your food. You could be preparing a meal with the right nutritious ingredients but after you are done cooking, you may end up with a dish that has no nutritional value.

When heat is applied, many vitamins and minerals are burnt away. The higher the temperature and the longer you cook it, the fewer nutrients you will have in your meal. It is important then not to overcook your meals, try to cook your meals in the shortest time possible and with the minimum amount of water possible. However, dry cooking methods such as roasting and baking are perhaps the worst method, as they require a longer cooking time. Microwaving, frying, boiling and sautéing are some of the methods that you need to consider before you cook. Steaming and stir-frying are better choices, as they will allow the natural nutrition to remain in your food.

It is also important to consider the oxidation that occurs in vegetables once they are cut, as oxidation will neutralize the vitamins. For this reason, try not to cut or chop your vegetables way ahead of time.

Seasonings

You may also want to think about the seasonings that you add to your foods when cooking.

Consider adding unrefined sea salt to your meals instead of the commonly available commercial table salt, which is a highly refined product containing 99.5% sodium chloride with almost no trace minerals left. Unrefined sea salt taste wonderful and depending on the method of processing, it contains 0.5 to 3% trace minerals in addition to sodium chloride and small quantities of other elements found naturally in the ocean. You also need to remember that too much salt can cause hypertension, excessive fluid retention and other complications. You could also add a lot of spices and herbs instead if you need to add more taste to your meals. Try adding fresh lemon juice or lime juice to add a little extra taste.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). It is used to enhance flavor and some people are extremely sensitive to it. It is believed to cause headaches, muscle tightening.

Baking powders that contain aluminum.

Cooking utensils

Quality cookware and utensils that do not interact with food are also important to consider. Natural materials such as earthenware, ceramic, glass and metals such as stainless steel, cast-iron or enamel coated steel are recommended. Avoid aluminum, plastic, Teflon and other synthetic materials. Nonstick cookware such as Teflon will emit toxic fumes when heated to a high temperature. Inhaling these toxic fumes can lead to respiratory disease, weakening of the immune system, cancer, depression, asthma and other health problems.

More Things to Consider

Choose quality vegetable oils. Avoid hydrogenated oils and fats, refined margarines and oils, animal oils and fats and shortenings. Hydrogenated oils are manufactured oils. Studies have found that they attack the arteries with a risk of heart disease, the kidneys, liver, spleen, intestine and gallbladder.

Avoid Aspartame. MSG and Aspartame are both considered excitotoxins. Studies have found that Aspartame is the cause for many medical problems, such as headaches, hyperactivity in children, seizure disorders and memory loss. Both Aspartame and MSG and other similar substances cause harm to the brain and nervous system.

Try using less white flour and introduce more fiber by adding bran and soy flour and wheat germ to your bread recipes.

Avoid white processed sugar. The living vitality is not there. Organically grown unprocessed living sugar can be found at health food stores.

Avoid artificial sweeteners, they are manufactured chemicals. Use raw organic honey, fresh organic fruit juices or organic raw evaporated sugarcane juice.

Balance your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables versus frozen or canned. Choose 100% organic fresh produce that is free from chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Have a salad every day. Make your own salad dressing. Here is the one I make for my daily salads. In the food processor chop garlic, ginger, onion, jalapeño pepper and parsley. Add fresh squeezed lime juice (from 4 or 5 limes) or lemon juice, extra virgin oil, and unrefined sea salt, that's it, and it is delicious. You could also add honey for a little extra flavor. As far as the amount for each ingredient, I would say, 5 cloves of garlic, a 1/2" piece of ginger, 1/2 onion, 1 jalapeño pepper, a handful of parsley and 4-5 limes. Add oil and salt to taste. Yields about a pint.

Storing foods depletes their vitamin and mineral content. So remember not to keep leftovers in the fridge for more than a couple of days. Instead, try freezing your leftovers right away, as soon as your food has cooled.

And last but not least, cook with a light heart and avoid meals prepared by people who are sick, angry or they have an unhappy attitude when cooking.