Eat your Veggies! Simple Cooking Methods

Vegetables add colour, taste, texture and bulk to our daily diet. There are dozens of different vegetables that can be prepared in literally hundreds of ways. So what's best?
There is no best. The thing to do is to eat your vegetables, lots of them, everyday in a wide variety of ways and stop worrying about the preparation methods. Variety is the key...
Raw
Many vegetables taste fabulous just the way they are straight out of the garden. Lettuce, tomato, celery, cabbage, onion, radish, carrot are obvious choices here. But they are just as likely to find themselves next to chopped up broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beans and zucchini on a starter platter with dips. Wash 'em, chop 'em and eat 'em. Oh, yeah, you could also make a salad!
Steamed
Steaming heats the vegetable and softens it's texture. It's gentler than boiling and allows the vegetable to maintain it's colour if not overdone. Use a stainless steel steamer that will fit into most good size sauce pans. Make sure you use a pan with a tight fitting lid. There should be enough water to just touch the bottom of the steamer. Water should be simmering the whole time the vegetables are being cooked.
Boiling
Boiling vegetables is really going out of fashion, but it's a legitimate preparation method! The big concern is loss of nutrients. All cooking methods result in the loss of some goodness from the vegetables. If boiling, try to find a way to use the water the vegetables have been boiled in (i.e. to make a gravy or sauce) to bring those nutrients back to the table. Vegetables should be barely covered with water. Bring the water to a boil (covered) then slow to a simmer until vegetables are tender.
Microwave
Very popular for vegetables as it retains colour, flavour and nutrients. Trial and error will be your guide with microwaving as there are plenty of variables involved. However, a few guidelines will help...The more food you put into the oven, the longer it will take to cook. Underestimate your cooking time rather than overestimate. Undercooked food can be cooked some more. Over-cooked food is ruined. Food straight from the fridge will take longer to cook than that at room temperature. All food continues to cook after it has been removed from the microwave oven. It is part of the cooking process and should be taken into account to prevent over-cooking.
Stir Fry
Very rapid method of quick frying vegetables, meat (optional) and sauces in one pan to make a meal. Primarily associated with Asian cooking. The key to doing this well is preparation. All items to be cooked should be chopped to a size that will allow them to cook quickly in the wok. It is also important that the wok is heated to a high, consistent temperature throughout. Vegetables maintain their colour and crispness with this sort of cooking (if not overdone).
Baking
Brilliant! Especially for those 'root' vegetables like potatoes, turnip, carrot and beetroot. Chop into similar size pieces, brush lightly with olive oil and put in a hot oven to roast. Size of the pieces will determine the cooking time but expect at least 40 minutes. Outside is chewy, inside is moist and fluffy. Dress with sour cream and chives. Yum!
Barbeque
Does anything scream summer like the word barbeque? Love a barbeque. This is primarily open flame cooking, so could apply to a campfire as well. Cooking outside just changes everything about food. You'll need foil, fire and fresh veggies. Grease your foil, chop your veggies and put the closed packages on the grill. Be adventurous, it's really hard to mess this up!

After the latest help relating to cooking recipes

When you are after top-quality advice about cooking recipes, you'll find it easier said than done separating value packed information from ill-equiped cooking recipes submissions and support so it is sensible to know how to moderate the information you are offered. Find cooking recipesYour relevant result is a click away!Here are several guidelines which we sincerely believe you should use when you're searching for information about cooking recipes. Hold in mind the advice we tender is only pertinent to internet help on cooking recipes. We can't give you any guidance or tips for researching in 'real world' situations. cooking recipes in the Free Online EncyclopediaRead about cooking recipes in the free online encyclopedia and dictionary. Over 600,000 articles on any topic and completely free access to the entire content.A good hint to follow when you are presented with help or advice about a cooking recipes web would be to determine who owns the site. This may show you who owns the site cooking recipes credibility The easiest way to reveal who owns the cooking recipes site is to look for the 'about' page. All reputable sites providing information about cooking recipes, will almost certainly provide an 'about' or 'contact' page which will record the owner's details. The details should disclose some indication about the website owner's expertise. You can then make a judgement about the vendor's insight and appreciation, to give recommendations about cooking recipes.

Converting a Stovetop Recipe to a Crockpot Recipe

Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100 degrees and its high setting is around 300 degrees.Knowing this, it is fairly easy to convert most recipes for use in your slow cooker. Some adjusments to cooking times will be a judgement call on your part, but some simple guidelines should help. Just follow a few simple rules and you're on your way.You should decrease the liquid since it does not boil away in a crockpot.Add cheeses and other milk product towards the end of your cooking since they tend to break down if they are cooked for too long.Brown any ground beef before adding to the crockpot. It will taste better and have better texture this way.Add rice and noodles at the end of your cooking as well. They will turn mushy if they are cooked too long. You can cook these separately and then combine them when it's time to serve.Add your spices at the end.If a stovetop recipe calls for 15-30 minutes, the crockpot should cook it for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hrs at a high temperature and 4 - 8 hours at its low temperature setting. If a stovetop recipe calls for 35-45 minutes, the crockpot should cook it for 3-4 hrs at a high temperature setting and 6 - 10 hours at its low temperature setting.If a stovetop recipe calls for 50 min to 3 hours, the crockpot should cook it for 4 - 6 hrs at a high temperature setting and 8 - 16 hours at its low temperature setting.Following these guidelines will allow you to be able to convert a stovetop recipe to its delicious slow cooking counterpart!

Cooking Lesson: Seasoning Cast Iron Like The Pros

In the days before we had non-stick cookware, we had the next best thing - seasoned cast iron cookware. While non-stick cookware has certainly outdone cast iron cookware in the non-stick category, cast iron pots and pans are still favored by many chefs, including the professionals because of their durability and ability to retain flavor.But, if you're not lucky enough to have a hand-me-down from Grandma, you may find yourself confused about how to become a cast iron chef. Have no fear - you can learn to season cast iron cookware with the pros and keep them in great shape for years to come.Seasoning New Cast Iron CookwareThe process is actually quite simple. When done correctly, your pans will last a long time and may even become your own hand-me -downs in the future.1. Heat your oven to 300 degrees.2. Coat the pan with lard or grease. (Be sure that you do not use vegetable oil or commercial cooking sprays. While they may seem easier, they will not only cause your cookware to be seasoned incorrectly, but they will also leave a sticky film on the outside of the cookware that is impossible to remove.)3. Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and allow it to bake for 15 minutes.4. Remove the pan and pour out any excess grease or lard. 5. Put the pan back into the oven and bake for another two hours. 6. Repeat as neededMany cast iron enthusiasts will swear upon repeating the seasoning process several times before ever using the cookware the first time. Each time you season the cookware, the seasoning bond becomes stronger. Many people will recommend that the first few times the cookware is used it should be used to cook greasy foods (bacon, fatty meats, etc.) to again strengthen the seasoning bond.Re-seasoning CookwareIf you find that you seasoned the pan improperly the first time, or if food starts to stick to the pan after a period of time in use, you may want to re-season the cookware. 1. Wash the cookware thoroughly with a steel wool pad (doing this while the pan is warm and still safe to touch is best).2. Make sure the pan is fully dry (use a towel if needed).3. Follow the seasoning steps above to re-season the pan.Cleaning Your Cast Iron CookwareTo make your cookware last the test of time, be sure to take proper care of it. Remember the creed of every enthusiast of cast iron - no soap and no steel wool. Soap and steel wool will cause a breakdown in the seasoning bond and should not be used to clean your cookware on a regular basis. If you're baffled at this moment, have no fear. Cleaning cast iron cookware is a breeze.1. You'll need to rinse your cookware while it is still hot. If food is stuck to it, then scrape the pan or pot as needed.That's it! Remember not to store food in your cast iron cookware because it may attach a metallic flavor to the food. In addition, store your pans with the lids off to prevent moisture from accumulating and rusting from occurring.Now that you know the ins and outs to cast iron cookware, you can start creating your own family heirloom - as well as some great food!

How to Carve a Turkey

To someone who is just learning to cook, this topic may seem like one of the hardest meals you will ever have to prepare. Needless to say, if you’re having a turkey there’s usually company involved which means a number of hungry people are relying on you to prepare a great meal. This can be very intimidating. Luckily we have all the information you need, in order to ensure a great meal for you, your friends and your family. In order to successfully carve a turkey, you will need to have the following pieces of equipment:• One warm serving platter• A pair of kitchen scissors• An electric knife or a large slicing knife (you may want to choose a manual knife since they provide more control than electric ones)• A small carving knife or fork for arranging and serving the meatNow that you have the equipment you need to carve the turkey, follow these steps in order to become a turkey carving expert:1. Leave the turkey to sit 20-30 minutes after roasting and before carving. This will make the meat moister and easier to cut.2. After the turkey has sat for the time indicated above, transfer the turkey onto a cutting board; this is where you will begin carving the turkey.3. Remove the Leg: To do this, hold the drumstick firmly with your fingers and gently pull the meat away from the body of the turkey. While doing this, cut through the skin between the leg and the body. Next, cut through the joint joining the leg to the backbone. Then separate the drumstick and thigh by cutting downwards through the joint, until the knife hits the cutting board. 4. Slicing the Drumstick (Leg) Meat: Once you have detached the leg from the rest of the body, you will want to slice the meat. Hold the drumstick in an upright position and turn the drumstick in a circular motion while cutting downwards. This will produce tasty slices of meat which are approximately equal size.5. Slicing the Thigh Meat: When slicing thigh meat, you want to hold it close to the plate and secure it so it does not move. For best results when cutting thigh meat, make sure your knife is parallel to the bone and cut downwards towards the plate in slow, steady motions.6. Slicing the Breast Meat: Make a deep cut into the breast of the turkey towards the body frame, as close to the wing as you can. Starting at the front of the turkey (about halfway up the breast) start cutting downwards, parallel to the cut you made to the wing. Only cut enough meat as you think necessary for the amount of people. Uncut meat will stay fresher longer.7. Serve the Turkey: place all the slices of meat in an attractive manner on a large platter and serve to your guests.* Note: Remove stuffing from the turkey either by taking it out of the hole made where the leg was removed or by making a new hole in the neck and taking it out from there.

Frugal Menu Planning--Getting Started

Getting started making a plan for a week's worth ofmeals can surely be a bit daunting at first. Itneed not be complicated--though a little bit oftime spent planning will be well worth it!A good way to start is by looking at what you alreadyhave on hand -- sort of taking a visual inventory.Next,it's helpful to list on a piece of paper, all the mealsfor the coming week. For example, list all the days, then Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, etc. On this list of meals, write down a main dish and a coupleof side dishes that you want to make, keeping in mind whatstaples are on hand in the cupboard and in thefreezer. Try to come up with as many meals as youcan with what you have on hand. Remember to write down some of the extras you think you might like to make during the coming week -- such as cookies, snacks or desserts. Always keep the ads from the local grocery storehandy and plan meals around the weekly specials,if possible. Don't just think about main dishes; ifbananas are on sale, make banana bread for snacks,or lunches, for example.While you are making your menu plan, think about whatwill be happening in the next week. Is Friday nightFootball Game Night? Plan to have a supper that isquick to fix. Is Wednesday your day off? That is theday you might want to try out a new recipe that takesa little longer to prepare. Whatever your schedule, plan your menus around it.And be flexible! If it snows on Tuesday, and you hadn'tplanned to make chili until Thursday, you can just switch themenus around.Keep your lists, so that in weeks to come, you can bereminded of some meals your family especially liked(or disliked!). After a few weeks, you will end up with a set of weekly menus that you can use over and over.With your plan in hand, you won't be tempted togo for takeout because you just can't think of anythingto make for supper. And you won't get caught withoutthat "one ingredient" you need to make tonight's supper,so no more last minute trips to the grocery store!

Become a Chef Of Your Favorite Restaurant

So you want to be a chef! The culinary arts are a great choice for a career. It helps if you have a previous interest in cooking. Most people that decide that they would like to explore the great field of the culinary arts already seem to have the pre-disposition for it. Of course, that is not always the case. Some chefs come into the profession later on in life. Of course, if you want to be at the top of your field, you should at least know that there are quite a few things that you should ask yourself first. What it comes down to is that not everyone can be a chef. Do I have the motivation and desire to learn to be a chef? Being aware of the amount of time and study that it takes to become a chef, you need to keep yourself motivated if you are to complete your study with the credentials that you are hoping for.

Must Haves for Any At-Home Chef

With the holidays on their way soon, many people will be beefing up kitchens to handle the increased demand for ‘fit for a king’ meals. Not being a professional Chef shouldn’t stop you from being able to cook like one. But, you’ll need the right tools to create those tantalizing dishes. Read on and find out the five tools that no kitchen cook should be without. Mixing Bowls Make sure that you have a good, quality set of mixing bowls on hand – the bigger the better! Many dishes need to be beaten, blended or mixed. You’ll be glad you didn’t skimp on the mixing bowls when you need to perform any of those tasks. Most professional chefs prefer to use stainless steel mixing bowls. However, there are many quality plastic sets available, like the ones made by OXO. But be aware that plastic bowls can become hard to clean over time, especially if used for heavy duty sauces, and may need to be replaced. Pre-Seasoned Cookware Cast iron skillets, pots and pans have long been a choice of the pros. But, cast iron cookware can be a little daunting. Seasoning, pre-seasoning, re-seasoning, cooking the seasonings in, oils to use, etc. to ensure your skillet is ready, is a hassle many cooks would rather not deal with. Now you don’t have to. You can buy cast iron cookware galore – already seasoned – so that you have no fuss and still get the same great benefits of those using simple cast iron. Lodge is a well known maker of pre-seasoned cookware and offers many different types of cast iron cookware. Be aware –soap nor dishwashers should be used for your prized possessions. Specialty Measuring Spoons If you’ve ever seen one of grandma’s old recipes refer to a pinch, smidgen or dash and have had to take a guess at the meaning (and hope you’re right) then you absolutely must grab a set of pinch, smidgen or dash measuring spoons. No more guessing or testing your interpretations on your guests (as fun as that may be). This set also makes a great conversation starter – especially at family gatherings where elder members may take you on a trip down memory lane. First out Pie Spatula What could possibly ruin the perfect homemade Dutch crumb apple pie? Having it fall apart while you try to get that first piece out of the pie dish. Well, here is a secret of the pros – use a first out pie spatula. You bake the spatula in with the pie. When the pie comes out of the oven and cools, you make the cuts and lift that first piece out in perfect appetizing condition! Kitchen Companion Guide Ever wonder how long you need to steam asparagus? Not sure how to stick a thermometer in a turkey? Never butterflied a pork chop before? For all the weird, rarely used information you may need, while preparing a feast, you can turn to a kitchen guide. Look for a kitchen guide which specializes in everything and anything you may need to know while cooking any meal in any kitchen. For a complete guide that has gotten rave reviews, check out the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion: The A to Z Guide to Everyday Cooking, Equipment and Ingredients. Many of the above items may not be featured at your local retail store, so you might want to find a local kitchen specialty store near you or do your shopping online. But, if you enjoy the art of cooking and want to be armed with the best tools possible, you now have a few more to add to your arsenal which will help you cook like the pros.

What Do I Have To Do To Become A Good Chef

Being a chef is a very physical profession. You are required to remain on your feet almost constantly. Along with that, you must also be stirring, kneading, and chopping your foods. Many times, you will have to do all of this while also having to ordering foods for hungry customers and critical customers. A kitchen is almost scorching hot year round so you should be quite prepared for that. Even in the best conditioned areas, a kitchen is often as hot as 95 degrees or higher. If that doesn't sound like enough to do, try doing it while you are also maintaining all of the rest of the kitchen staff. Choosing to be a chef for a living is a very rewarding and time consuming job. Now do you see why being able to multi-task is so important? The road to becoming a chef requires much training and hands on experience. Here's what you need to do to be a good chef. A strong desire to be a chef is a good place to start. Having a good sense of smell, and taste will be necessary also. It would very difficult to prepare a good meal if you can't decipher the differences from one spice to another; or if you do not know which spices go well together and which ones don't. Cooking is a lot different than being a chef is. If you are just cooking for yourself you have room for errors. If you are cooking for a stranger, you will want to cook your food to perfection. Of course, you will also want to present the food in an enticing manner as well. There are stages to becoming a chef. You have to start at the bottom, but becoming a chef is one of few occupations where you can get most of your training on the job. You do have to go to school and train as well, but much of the training is done in a working environment.

3 Methods For Perfectly Melted Chocolate

Melting chocolate for baking is an exacting task, if not done perfectly you can end up with a burned or grainy mess and ruin whatever you are baking. Below are 3 methods for melting chocolate, each can be successful in it’s own way and you need only pick a method that works for you and get cooking!In The OvenChocolate can be melted in the oven quite easily but you will need to be very diligent about watching it. It’s easy to get caught up in your other baking chores and not realize that you have overheated it until it is too late. To melt chocolate in the oven, heat the oven to 110 degrees. Chop the chocolate and place in a dish inside the oven. Keep the door open and check regularly. It will take about an hour to melt thoroughly.Double Boiler MethodThis tried and true method uses two pots or a special double boiler pot. The bottom pot has about an inch of water in it and the top pot is a bit smaller and rests on the bottom pot. The water should be heated to just below a simmer. Chop the chocolate and put it in the top pot. The chocolate should be stirred until melted and you must be very careful not to get any water mixed in with the chocolate as this will make it grainy.MicrowaveUsing the microwave to melt chocolate can be the fastest but also the most disastrous method as a couple of seconds of overheating can ruin the chocolate. Chop the chocolate and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% for 1 to 4 minutes - the amount of time needed will depend on the amount of chocolate you are melting so you will have to watch the chocolate the whole time. When you see that it is turning shiny and before it is fully melted, remove it from the oven and stir until it melts fully.

Preparing Lobster Tails

Lobster, once the food of poor farmers, is now considered a special treat for many. Although some people prefer the meaty claws, I think that lobster tails are the best tasting part of this delicious creature. A great meal of lobster tails might seem like a gourmet feast to your guests, but they are actually quite easy to prepare. Add a little sprig of garnish and a fancy side dish and you’re sure to impress even your mother in law.Your lobster tails might start off a fresh or frozen, being in New England, fresh lobster is easy to come by but frozen might be all you can get in some parts of the country and in the off season. If your lobster tails are frozen, you need to thaw them out (you can cook them frozen but they will not be as tender). Put them in the fridge for 10 hours or so or thaw them in the microwave on defrost – be very careful if you choose this method as you don’t want them to start cooking in the microwave. After they are thawed, remove the meat from the shell by cutting open the back of the shell – split it down the middle and open it up to reveal the meat. Lift the meat out – you can leave the fan part of the tail on for show or not. Remove the vein.Boiling Lobster TailsBoil a pot of water large enough for all the tails to float in, add 1 tsp salt for each quart of water. Drop the tails in the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute per oz thawed (so 10 0z of tails needs to cook for 10 minutes). If you are cooking a lot of tails, add a minute or two on to the total time.Cooking Lobster Tails in the OvenLobster tails can be baked or broiled in the oven. To cook thawed lobster in the oven,set the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the tails with butter and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. If broiling, place the tails 4 or 5 inches from the heat and broil for 2 – 5 minutes. When broiling keep a very close eye on them so that they don’t burn on the tops. Cooking Lobster Tails On The GrillOil the grill to keep the lobsters from sticking. Put the grill on medium heat. Brush the lobster tails with butter and place on the grill. Make sure that the tails do not burn – if there are any flames on the grill move the lobster away from it. Grill on each side for 4-5 minutes.Take care not to overcook your lobster or it will be rubbery and tasteless. Lobster is cooked when it is no longer transparent.

crockpot tips - don't forget the slow cooker!

Many of your favorite recipes can be successfully adapted to the crockpot or slow cooker if you follow a few simple rules. You'll find a basic time/temperature guide for converting recipes, some do's and don'ts for specific ingredients and a few tips for making your slow cooker dishes more flavorful. LiquidsGenerally, liquids may be decreased in slow cooking - a general rule of thumb is about half the recommended amount. Unless the dish contains rice or pasta, one cup of liquid is usually enough. Pasta and RiceWhen recipes call for cooked pasta to be added, cook it until just slightly tender before adding to the pot. Add 1/4 extra liquid per 1/4 cup uncooked rice, and use long grain converted rice for the best results. For long-cooking recipes, add cooked rice shortly before serving. BeansIt is usually best to soak beans overnight before cooking them in the crockpot. Before adding sugar or acidic ingredients, the beans should be softened first, either in the slow cooker or on the stove top. If your recipe includes tomatoes, salt, or other acidic ingredients, the beans should be tender before beginning.Herbs and Spices Ground herbs and spices tend to dissipate over long cooking times, so it's best to add them near the end of cooking. Whole herbs release flavors over time, so are a good choice for crockpot cooking. You should taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving. Milk/CheeseMilk, sour cream, and cream break down over long periods of cooking, and should be added during the last hour. Condensed cream soups are good substitutions for milk and can be cooked for extended times. "Healthy," or reduced fat cream soups can be used in any recipe as a substitute. Cheeses don't generally hold up over extended periods of cooking, so should be added near the end of cooking, or use processed cheeses and spreads. SoupsAdd water only to cover ingredients in soup, and add more after cooking if necessary for a thinner soup.For milk based soups, add 1 or 2 cups of water and during the last hour, stir in milk, evaporated milk, or cream as called for. VegetablesDense vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables should be cut no larger than 1" thick, and placed in the bottom of the pot, since they take longer to cook

Easy summer salads, lighter foods for a brighter summer

Easy summer salads are the way to go, now that the winter blues are fading into the distance and salad days are here. The best salads are light, bright and easy to prepare. After all who wants to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen when friends are round for lunch, the garden is in bloom and the wine is chilled and ready to pour. But before you start to cook you save a lot of energy by buying the right ingredients for a simple salad. That way you don’t need the heavy bottled sauces and dressings to make a great flavorDo you really want to take a beautiful crisp summer salad and soak it in a mixture of fat, sugar, salt and chemicals? If you start off with great food and don’t do too much to it you don’t need all these strong tastes as you still have great food. All you need is to combine it well so that the flavors work together, have a nice crunchy texture and add a little light dressing to set it all off, and let the taste buds do the rest Freshness is, as in all cooking, the way to a good salad. Don’t take what the supermarkets give you. Although it’s easier to pick up the ready packed tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers etc. To make sure you get the best, take a minute or two and pick over the vegetables, choose what is firm ripe and ready to use. The same of course applies with meat and fish. There is a reason why supermarkets prepackage, and it’s not always convenience. So choose well, cook quickly and simply and your friends won’t have finished the wine by the time you get there! Enjoy a little bit of summer now with this easy poached chicken salad.Easy poached chicken saladIngredients:4 chicken breasts (skinless)1 finely sliced red onion1 whole half onion4 good ripe tomatoes sliced thickly250 grams/4ozs salad leaves mixed4ozs raisins soaked in hot water for ten minutes1 half lemon2 fresh or dry bay leaves1-teaspoon peppercorns black1 small French, stick loaf or similar sliced into 1/2 slicesFor the dressing:1/4 cup olive oil1clove garlic crushed1/2 dessert spoon Dijon or other mild mustard2 tablespoons balsamic vinegarTo make the dressing, whisk the vinegar and mustard together with the garlic, slowly add the olive oil while whisking and season with salt and pepper to taste.Bring a pan of water to the boil with the bay leaves, 1/2 white onion, lemon and peppercorns.Carefully add the chicken and simmer gently until cooked, if you unsure it is worth investing a few dollars in a meat thermometer. The temperature should be at least 75 celcius/167 Fahrenheit, put the sliced bread on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt.Bake in a medium oven until crisp but soft in the middle. Mix the leaves together with the onions and raisins. Turn in the salad dressing and put into 4 good-sized bowls. Place slices of tomato and bread around the edge. Slice the warm chicken at an angle and put attractively on top off the salad. Sit back, enjoy and get someone else to do the washing up.

Cooking with a Crock Pot

Crock pot cooking has a glorious past! In grandma’s day the crock pot was called the slow cooker. She would load it up with roast beef and potatoes, or chicken and vegetables, and let it simmer all day long, filling the house with the delicious aroma. Crock pot cooking makes it easy to cook a meal to perfection. Tender morsels, rich sauces and broths, all combine in a meal that would have been difficult to achieve without crock pot cooking. Conventional cooking usually requires a good deal of time and energy, two things which are in short supply in this busy age. Most working people these days don’t have the time to stand around watching the stove. Crock pot cooking is the answer for old fashioned nutritious meals. Throw a few good ingredients in the pot in the morning, and come home that evening to a tasty meal just like grandma used to make!Crock pot cooking is easier than ever before. Temperature systems and timing mechanisms allow precise control. Electronic safeguards allow cooks to put their minds at rest and go on with their day, knowing that the crock pot is doing what it’s designed to do. Some models are even designed to be microwavable, which is great for reheating leftovers. Cleaning up after crock pot cooking is made easier too! Surfaces are dishwasher-safe and Teflon coated, making clean-up a breeze.

Tips to Buying Food Online

Did you know that you could buy food online? I was amazed when I discovered this fact. There are hundreds of different food websites on the internet, all of which offer great deals and promotions. So no matter what you are in the mood for, you can find it online. You can choose from steaks, lobsters, fruit, wine, chocolates, cakes, coffee, and much more.What is available? You may be surprised to find out that almost any item that you desire can be purchased online. Many sites offer discount grocery deliveries, as well as gourmet treats. If you want a cheap elegant dinner date, try ordering two live Maine lobsters! They will be shipped to your doorstep within 24 hours, complete with cooking instructions. You can make it surf and turf by adding some Omaha steaks to the menu. Top it off with a bottle of wine and imported chocolates. All purchased online, for less than you would think! The trick to buying food online is to look for the best deals and promotions.A good food delivery site will have many important features. First you want to find someone that has been around for a while. I like the selection available at couponchief.com. They only work with the best sites, and you can be sure that you are getting a good deal. Second look at their prices and selection. Most sites will offer various promotions and coupons for repeat customers. So if you get hooked on that fancy chocolate, it may be cheaper the next batch that you order. You can also find coupon codes that may give you free shipping or 15% off the next purchase. Last, make sure to factor in the shipping costs. Good sites offers free shipping anywhere in the country. Most perishable items will need to be specially packed and rush delivered.Buying food online is a great way to get a good discount. Websites have lower overhead and are able to give you the same product your local grocery store can, at a fraction of the retail price. What a great deal! And with the wide assortment and free shipping, you can’t pass up buying food online. Consider sending a shipment of wine or steaks for cheap, easy gift giving. Most people love food gifts, so you can’t go wrong.

Turn Your Love of Chocolate from a Secret Pleasure to a Fun Social Event

Chocolate isn’t a Food, but an ExperienceFew words evoke the emotional enthusiasm people feel toward chocolate. It has a treasured place in our personal collection of memories - the Easter baskets, the birthday treats, the candy displays at Christmas, the heart that told you someone loves you. It started young. During our special times, chocolate was there - an integral part of the event. One taste of chocolate (or even the thought alone) makes the mouth water and the emotional associations rush in. It brings back the multitude of fondly-remembered feel-good experiences we didn’t want to end. So a great-testing piece of chocolate inevitably makes us happy inside. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), a natural substance that’s reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love. That’s why, even at times when we’re feeling down, anything chocolate feels so comforting.Chocolate is Meant to be SharedMy favorite career was owning The Chocolate Factory in Branson, Missouri. Making chocolate inspired me; it’s so apparent that it makes a person’s soul happy. My passion led me to create 300 new chocolate products and 26 different flavored fudges (one of which won the title, "World’s Best Chocolate" in 1986). Out of that grew the Chocolate Fantasy events, which are used as non-profit fundraisers. People can’t resist the 30 to 40 different kinds of chocolate creations offered. It combines three great things - chocolate, fun, and doing good through the charity. As crowd-pleasing and impressive as those events are, these same techniques can be accomplished by a rank beginner. With equally enthusiastic reactions. Making chocolate goodies with others improves the flavor - as well as the enjoyment. Visualize your whole family gathered around in the kitchen, making gourmet chocolates together. Smell that wonderful chocolatey aroma, feel the rich texture of gourmet chocolate goodies in your fingers. Now that’s fun! And you’re all creating memories you’ll never forget, at the same time.You Can "Do this at Home"The Old Tyme Chocolate Cookbook I wrote shows how to make truly gourmet chocolate in your own home, using the tools you’ve already got. Without prior experience, anyone can create professional-quality results your friends will rave about. You’ll reveal out-of-the-ordinary chocolate expertise. All because you grasp the subtle differences of taste and texture between your gourmet concoctions, and what is sold at the store.Learn tricks that the pros know. For instance, did you know you must NEVER introduce water into the chocolate during the manufacturing stage? A few drops of water will turn a pot of chocolate into the consistency of modeling clay. Why not try a recipe that will satisfy any chocolate craving?Chocolate Toffee2 cups granulated sugar¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder1 cup dark corn syrupdash salt½ cup whipping cream½ stick (¼ cup) butter Line an 8-inch baking pan with buttered foil. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Begin cooking over medium heat, lowering heat as candy thickens. Cook to 250 degrees F. Pour into prepared pan and let cool. Break into bite-sized pieces or cut and wrap in plastic film.

The Power of the Meal

Since the beginning of time one aspect of human social experience has stood out as the ‘place to be’ for communication and family bonding: the meal. In contemporary human life the evening dinner is often the only place and time that a family all sits down together. In tribal times (of course there are still tribes today) the cooking of a slaughtered animal or cultivated vegetables brought the group together to share ideas and feelings. Think about it these days; when you want to take someone out for a romantic date, meet business colleagues, get together with old friends and acquaintances, we go out for a bite to eat. What is it about sharing some food that puts us in such a relaxed and communicable state? Could it simply be science, and the fact that if you are tense when you eat, the food doesn’t digest as well? Or, could it have some psychological basis having to do with the idea that you are sharing some life-giving sustenance with your fellow species instead of warring over it? Subconsciously do we recognize the facts that we will be able to live another day as well as sew healthy seeds for future generations?Think of all the problems in the world today. Maybe if we all got together for a feast we could work out some practical solutions, say while sipping on coconut milk, or chewing on a loaf of bread. The current (14th) Dalai Lama is quoted as having said, “I sometimes think that the act of bringing food is one of the basic roots of all relationships.” There is also the idea of food as being a medium for the transferal of emotional energy. I am currently living with a friend who is very adept in the kitchen. He uses high quality ingredients and professional techniques, but he also follows the belief that what mood you are in, the amount of effort and awareness you give the cooking process, and the love and gratitude that you feel for the ability to eat is imperative to making a good meal. I have read in a famous Hari Krishna cookbook as well as Taoist teachings how the actual emotions that the cook feels when making a meal is transmitted into the food via chi energy. Feelings and food are both forms of energy. Native Americans believe that all thoughts and emotions are ‘alive’.You may have seen the recent film, ‘What the bleep do we know?’ Read about it at whatthebleep.com. In this film world-renowned scientists discuss the idea that all thoughts and emotions are actually physically material in the sense that they are produced by chemicals and are transmitted in electrical forms. Therefore, a happy chef truly spreads happiness by enjoying the preparation of a meal.So, next time you sit down to a meal with friends or family, or cook for guests, remember the significance of this often undervalued experience. For hundreds of thousands of years our distant relatives’ whole way of social life was based around the acquisition and sharing of food. It is often the main time to communicate to the ones you hold most dearly, so please don’t take it for granted or think that just because it is necessary for survival that there aren’t any meaningful and mysterious aspects to the experience. Relating to each other is one of the most important elements in a social creature’s existence; the meal is a time and place for relationships to sprout and grow. That’s just some of the power of the meal.

Create A Romantic Evening At Home

You've decided to invite someone you're dating to your home for a romantic evening and you want everything to go well. Here are a few tips to help you achieve that result. There are a number of factors you need to consider when planning your romantic evening:1. Your Physical SurroundingsIt's a good idea to make sure your house or apartment is clean and tidy. It may not be anyone's primary focus but it will make an impression on your guest, even if it's subliminal. Spend a few hours doing the cleaning yourself, hire someone to do it for you, or, at the very least, shove all that clutter into your closets or under the bed. Wipe down surfaces to get rid of dust and stains.Apart from the living and dining areas, there are two other rooms that need your attention:a. The bathroomWipe down the sink/washbasin, tub and shower stall. Put a fresh cake of soap on the sink and hang fresh towels. At the very least your guest will use the bathroom to wash his or her hands so make sure it's a pleasant experience.b. The bedroomGet rid of any extraneous clutter like clothes strewn around the room or on the floor. Change the sheets, make the bed and wipe down any surfaces. If your guest ends up spending the night, you don't want him or her racing off for a tetanus shot in the morning. To create a romantic atmosphere in your bedroom, have some scented candles on hand and an easy-to-reach sound system. You might also consider buying a quilt cover in a rich, romantic color and a set of sheets to match.2. Your Choice Of MenuWhile food can be an excellent means of seduction, it's a mistake to choose too complicated a menu unless you're an experienced cook and you don't get easily flustered.Simple dishes like spaghetti or ratatouille make a tasty and satisfying meal without spiking your anxiety levels. The point is to enjoy the evening along with your guest, not treat the event like it's a university-entrance exam.How To Avoid Psycho-Chef SyndromeOne trick is to prepare as much of the meal as possible beforehand so you're not rushing around like a pinball once your guest arrives.Have all the ingredients chopped, diced and ready for cooking. Do this the night before or earlier that day, whatever works best for you.Salad ingredients can be prepared earlier and stored in separate containers, then added to the salad bowl and dressed before serving.You can even cheat by purchasing your meal from a favorite restaurant and having it delivered (or picking it up) before your guest arrives.Definitely buy desert from your favorite bakery or supermarket, unless you're a wiz at whipping up a Pavlova or meringue. Another option is to prepare dessert the night before and reheat it if necessary when you're ready to serve it.3. Your Cooking AreaMake sure your kitchen is clean before you begin cooking. Yes, you'll no doubt make a mess once you start but you don't want yesterday's dishes in the way. Your guest may offer to help so the kitchen needs to meet minimum health standards. It's up to you whether you accept this help or not, but we recommend that you do, even if it's only a token effort like tossing the salad. Sharing cooking tasks can be a wonderfully romantic interaction as it creates a special kind of intimacy. Have you ever noticed how much more easily conversation flows when two people are doing a task, as opposed to sitting face to face? 4. Setting The TableSet the table beforehand. Use a good tablecloth, your best silverware and a nice set of plates. Use your best glasses and an attractive salt and pepper set, milk jug and sugar bowl. Show your guest that you went to some trouble to make the meal a special occasion. This is not the time for melamine dishes or chipped or mismatched crockery. You're aiming for a touch of class.Use candlesticks on the table for a romantic ambience, or place candles on other surfaces around the room. Background music is a must but make sure it's romantic and subtle. Limit blaring rock and roll or rap to the period when you're preparing dinner, but please, no high-octane music while you're eating. Set the sound at a low volume so it doesn't interfere with your conversation. And remember, if you don't play music during the meal you run the risk of filling any silences with the sound of people masticating.5. Cleaning Up LaterDon't let your guest anywhere near the kitchen after the meal is over. Hopefully you'll have better things to do with your time together.But all is not lost if they do insist on helping with the chores. Many a couple has fallen in love while doing the dishes, for two main reasons: 1. As mentioned earlier, there's the ease of conversation that takes place when you're doing a task rather than concentrating on talking.2. Doing dishes together is like playing house. It can actually feel very romantic, especially when one or both people realize, "This is what I want with this person." You won't get the same effect if you use a dishwasher, so set aside at least a couple of pots, which will you allow to suggest, "I'll wash and you dry."With a little forethought, anyone can create a romantic evening at home. The old cliché, "the way to a person's heart is through their stomach", has more than a little truth to it. Test it yourself with someone you care about. The least you'll get is a great home-cooked meal.

USE SPICES TO COOK LIKE A CONNOISSEUR ON A PAUPERS BUDGET!

Don’t have the money to make delectable dishes?Or just don’t know the secrets of flavoring with spices and herbs, and making food stretch?The former is never right no matter what your income is. If you have the money to buy enough food to at least feed your family then you have enough money to make whatever you feed them enjoyable, even if it’s a vegetable dish.Yes, with the right spices or herbs, and recipes, the children in your family will come to love vegetables. My family has several favorite veggie dishes, that our kids like so much they want seconds. And the main secret to them are the different spices we use.These dishes range from ratatouille, eggplant parmigiani, to stewed tomatoes and stuffed zucchini (for info on these or other recipes feel free to email me at sweetstuff245@hotmail.com).Just as they do with vegetables; spices, herbs, and sweeteners are the secrets to making all foods delicious.These three food miracle workers can be relatively inexpensive if you know where to look.In most health food stores (and in select supermarkets in growing numbers) there is a wondrous invention called a BULK section.I’m sure everyone knows what this is, but in case you don’t I’ll explain:It’s a section of a store that has all types of different flours, beans, cereals, spices, herbs, and much more. Each of which are in separate containers or large plastic buckets with a scoop, that allows you to buy as much or as little as you want of what ever spices or other food they carry.The store provides you with bags and twist ties, for your convenience. Spices are an excellent example of how cheap it can be to shop in bulk. Most small jars of spices or herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, etc... cost any where from two dollars a bottle to four ninety nine (which is technically five dollars a bottle). In a bulk section you can buy these same spices, getting twice as much (or more) for less than a dollar or a little over.Talk about savings! Herbs and all kinds of spices are much cheaper bought this way than paying the extravagant prices you are charged for a pre packaged bottle of the same spices.Flour and other cooking and baking necessities are also much cheaper if bought in a bulk sectionNote: buying in a bulk section does not mean you have to buy a lot of everything! You could buy only one cup of flour in a bulk section if you wanted to or one tablespoon of any spices or herbs.Ideally you should shop around at whatever different stores in your area have bulk sections, and compare prices to make sure you’re getting the cheapest price.Bring a calculator to the store and be prepared to do a little brain work to figure it out.Another money saving trick is to substitute ground turkey for ground beef in recipes. Here you might prefer the taste of beef but in terms of the money you save it will certainly taste heavenly to your budget.You can spice up bland omelets, scrambled eggs, soups, meat patties and more with the correct spices, and herbs.Here is a recipe for deliciously spicy eggs, that won’t dent your wallet:For scrambled eggs try using 1/4 teaspoon thyme and pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano, and 3 eggs. Mix the eggs, spices, and herbs together in a bowl. Heat a frying pan on medium heat until very hot, then add your oil (preferably olive oil or coconut oil) to the pan. Wait a few seconds until the oil starts to smoke, then pour the eggs from your bowl into the pan. Have a fork in your hand ready to scramble the eggs with, because they’ll start cooking instantly. Scramble the eggs for 30 seconds to a minute. Then use a spatula to scoop them out onto a plate.Do yourself a favor and follow these tips to start saving money today.

Crockpot Cooking - Advantages and Disadvantages

In my 'un-biased' opinion, the crockpot / slow cooker is one of the most convenient and easy to use appliances in my kitchen. The time savings features of the slow cooker and the delicious dinners that have resulted more than offset any minor drawbacks.Before I list my top reasons why the crockpot is the most useful appliance in any kitchen, I will list a few of the areas where it does not perform as well.- Large cuts of meat such as boneless prime rib or leg of lamb are still best when oven roasted.- Except for stews and chowders, the slow cooker does not cook fish very well.- The slow cooker collects a lot of the juices since the steam does not escape during cooking and these juices can become diluted and watery, which can affect the flavoring of the food.- If not careful, a slow cooker can overcook food -especially some of the more tender meats and poultry.These drawbacks are relatively minor compared to the positives which I will list now.- The slow cooker needs virtually no tending while it cooks, freeing you up to do other chores or recipes.- The slow cooker will tenderize less expensive, tough cuts of meat and make great stews out of them.- The slow cooker allows you to be out of the kitchen for extended periods of time -sometimes even all day.- Burning your food is rarely a problem. The slow cooker will make many dishes for you better than any other appliance -especially those that tend to stick to the bottom of a pan.In my opinion the slow cooker is one of the most under-utilized and yet superior of kitchen appliances. When used for what it does best, you will find that you are able to prepare great dishes in less time than you thoughtpossible!

Pesticides, Can we avoid them?

Why, unfortunately, just washing vegetables is not enough to ensure produce clean enough for consumptionWe all ingest lots of chemicals, one way or another. We breathe them, we drink them, and we eat them. The most troublesome are pesticides in produce. It makes me uncomfortable to think that while we are eating fruits and vegetables in reality we are also ingesting poisons that can accumulate in our bodies and make us very sick. This is food that supposes to be healthy and good for us!Even if the most toxic chemicals have already been banned for use in agriculture, pesticides in general are poisons designed to kill insects, weed, small rodents and other pests. The long time effects of these poisons on people are not completely known. Even the minimal risk with these pollutants is too much, when we think we may expose children. We should try to do every effort to minimize our intake of these adverse chemicals. Education is the key. Knowing which produce contain more pollutants can help us make the right choices, avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least polluted, or buy organic instead. In simulation of consumers eating habits has been demonstrated that changing a little bit the eating practices can lower considerably the ingestion of pesticides. The results of an investigation on pesticides in produce by the USDA Pesticide Data Program, show that fruits topped the list of the consistently most contaminated produce, with eight of the 12 most polluted foods. The dirty dozen are: Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Imported Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries, Spinach, and Strawberries. You don’t like broccoli? Too bad because they are among those least contaminated. In fact the 12 least polluted produce are: Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Corn, Kiwi, Mangos, Onions, Papaya, Pineapples, and Sweet Peas.Can washing of produce help get rid of pesticides? Not really. The fruits and vegetables tested by the USDA PDP are “prepared emulating the practices of the average consumer” before testing for pesticides. That is: “(1) apples are washed with stems and cores removed; (2) asparagus and spinach have inedible portions removed and are washed; (3) cantaloupes are cut in half and seed and rinds are removed; […] and (9) tomatoes are washed and stems removed”. Washing before consuming is highly recommended because helps decrease the pesticide residues present on the surface of the vegetables, but the majorities of pollutants are absorbed into the plant and can’t be just washed away. Some pesticides are specifically created to stick to the surface of the crops and they don’t come out by washing. Peeling can help eliminating some of the chemicals but not all, and a lot of important substances will be discarded with the skin.So, on one hand we have to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables for a healthy diet, and on the other hand we have to reduce as much a possible the intake of pesticides. What to do if you are unconvinced by the claims of the chemical companies that certain levels of pesticides are not dangerous? We have very few options to defend ourselves: (1) Wash all vegetables and fruit very well; (2) Change eating habits in order to consume more of the produce with low pollutants; (3) Consume a diet as varied as possible; (4) Buy organic foods.

Converting a Recipe for your CrockPot

Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100degrees and its high setting is around 300 degrees.Knowing this, it is fairly easy to convert most recipes foruse in your slow cooker. Some adjusments to cooking timeswill be a judgement call on your part, but some simpleguidelines should help. Just follow a few simple rulesand you're on your way.You should decrease the liquid since it does not boil awayin a crockpot.Add cheeses and other milk product towards the end of yourcooking since they tend to break down if they are cookedfor too long.Brown any ground beef before adding to the crockpot. Itwill taste better and have better texture this way.Add rice and noodles at the end of your cooking as well. They will turn mushy if they are cooked too long. You cancook these separately and then combine them when it's timeto serve.Add your spices at the end.If a stovetop recipe calls for 15-30 minutes, the crockpotshould cook it for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hrs at a high temperatureand 4 - 8 hours at its low temperature setting.If a stovetop recipe calls for 35-45 minutes, the crockpotshould cook it for 3-4 hrs at a high temperature settingand 6 - 10 hours at its low temperature setting.If a stovetop recipe calls for 50 min to 3 hours, the crockpotshould cook it for 4 - 6 hrs at a high temperature settingand 8 - 16 hours at its low temperature setting.Following these guidelines will allow you to beable to convert a stovetop recipe to its deliciousslow cooking counterpart!.

Barbecue Basics for all

Since the Stone Age, man has been perfecting the art of cooking using a direct flame. If you were to ask someone about the history of barbecue, you would most likely get a response similar to the statement above. However that would not be quite right as there is a fundamental difference between simply cooking with a flame and having a barbecue. If you don't add some sauce, to the direct flame method, you are grilling, not having a barbecue. To truly barbecue is to baste and slow cook meat 5 or 6 hours at a low temperature (around 200 degrees), over wood or charcoal.Today when you think of going to a barbecue, you may conjure up the idea of a hamburger or steak, so big and juicy, it melts in your mouth. Alternatively, perhaps a hot dog grilled to perfection with all the toppings. The phrase barbecue has evolved to mean either the meat served or the social event where the meat served has been specially prepared to represent a barbecue taste. Regardless of which area of the US you choose as your favorite for barbecue, the barbecue is an American Tradition, handed down from generation to generation. There's no chance the barbecue party will lose it's appeal anytime soon.While there's no question that the barbecue is an American delicacy, there are many different theories as to where its origins lie. The state of Texas, Virginia, the Carolinas, or Georgia, eacharea has it's own definition and history ofbarbecue. It may well be that each area has it's own rightful claim to the barbecue history as each uses different methods and sauces to make their own unique barbecue.And there would be no BBQ without a Texas barbecue sauce, which is thick and sweet with a rich tomato flavour. Texas sauce also uses a dry-rub mixture of seasonings which is applied to the beef and then the meat is hung over the BBQ to slow cook.The southeast barbecue sauce, is a thinner sauce, with more of a vinegary taste. Their meat of choice is likely to be pork. The method used here is to`use a pit or enclosure to concentrate the cooking heat and smoke around the meat whilst it is being prepared.Almost every family has their own unique taste and method used to get just the right barbecue. At your next barbecue, if you want to rev up the conversation between barbecue connoisseurs, just casually ask, Do you know the difference between barbecue and grilling? Or, where did the barbecue originate? Of course, it may depend upon the number of drinks you have served as to the answers you get. But the responses are sure to be varied and interesting.

Easing Coughs Naturally

Whether it be the dead of winter or the high life of summer, colds and allergies seem to pop up out of nowhere and “catch” us completely off guard. Hand-in-hand with these seasonal terrors come the dreaded cough and there are two ways you can fight cold's comrade-in-arms----- with either over the counter cough drops ----- or ones that you can make yourself.Make yourself, you ask? Why not! it's easy and many of the ingredients within these little soldiers can be found right in your own kitchen. Sugar, corn syrup and water gently brought to a robust boil till they reach what is known as the “hard crack” stage will give you the "medium." The only secret to a successful drop is to use a tasty and simple combination of herbs "steeped" in the water before adding it to the sugar-syrup. This wonderful cough relieving tea along with your "dry" ingredients" are all you need to make your own natural cough confection-ators.Some herbs that are found in many of the other natural cough drops you find on the market that you may want to try alone or in combination are; Coltsfoot, Korean Licorice Mint (easy to grow; seeds are available from Seeds of Change), thyme, slippery elm, horehound, comfrey leaf, hyssop, marsh mallow and common mullein, to name a few. Many of these herbs are perennial so you will have them for your own personal “medicine cabinet” year after year. Use the leaves only of these herbs either singly or in combination. It helps to try them out as a tea first, that way you know which herbs will taste best in your cough drops. About 2-3 tsp. of herb to 1 1/2 cups boiling water ought give you the concentration that you need; let steep till cool. Here’s a tried-and-true hard candy recipe, straight from the pages of Cooking for American Homemakers. I have used this gem for many years for lollypop making and it is first rate for making the “medium:” 1 cup sugar1/3 cup light corn syrup2/3 cup water (herbal tea)vegetable coloring (optional)Mix sugar, herbal tea and corn syrup and cook over low heat stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture boils. Continue boiling without stirring until a small amount is very brittle when dropped into cold water. Wash away crystals from side of pan with a damp cloth. Cook slowly at end so that the syrup will not discolor. Remove from the heat and add color. Either drop quickly from the tip of a spoon onto a greased surface or into prepared hard candy molds. Allow to harden and cool completely before removing. You can roll them in powdered sugar and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper for storage.For gift giving, why not add a personal touch by pressing some of the fresh herbs between waxed paper and use to decorate or wrap your gift box. Add a nice tag listing the herbs that you used for a professional look.

Barbecue Sauce Recipe

The barbecue began in the American context during the late 1800's cattle drives in the West. The cowhands usually had low quality cuts of beef that had to be preserved over long periods of time of cattle driving.The main choice for this was brisket that is tough meat. The cowboys soon learned that if they cooked the meat over a long period of time at a low temperature the meat could be made tender and tasty. During this time, the cooks also experimented with various barbecue sauces to make the beef even tastier.Personally barbecue is my favorite style of cooking meat. I love the taste of barbecue and find that it's suitable for nearly all occasions.I agree with history that the barbecue sauce is as important as the barbecue itself. A good barbecue sauce can make or break a sumptuous meal.I can still remember clearly the T-bone barbecue steak I tasted at Larry's Drive. The sauce that was served with the barbecue steak was simply awesome. Every time I recall the experience my mouth just waters.I have often asked myself how-to recreate that awesome sauce. Until I came across Debbie Beaston's barbecue sauce recipe on the Internet that could be the answer to my wish. It's called the "Top Secret BBQ Sauce Recipe".I haven't bought the "Top Secret BBQ Sauce Recipe" yet, but thinking of convincing my wife to buy it because she loves cooking.The BBQ sauce recipe ebook also includes BBQ recipes, rubs, mops and marinades. There is also great advice and ideas about what to cook with your barbecue.More information on the sauce recipe is available here: http://health-fitness.marc8.com/ebook-info.php/name/1_top_secret_bbq_sauce_recipe/toc_id/6-0-3-6

Cookware what you need and what you don’t !

Cookware is always a rather contentious subject. I have seen chefs turn up to even the simplest of cooking jobs carrying more than it would take to maintain your average oil tanker (though maybe this is not the best use for your cookware), when all that was really needed was a knife and something to sharpen it with. So what are the real ”cookware essentials”, the things that you really can’t do without? Well surprisingly you actually need only a very small amount of things to get you going. Probably considerably less than you have already. All the cookware you actually need is a good knife, a means of sharpening it, a chopping board and a couple of pans.You may prefer a bit more cookware but you can cook with just that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as partial to a kitchen full of mixers, blenders, electrical appliances and assorted useful, and otherwise, gadgets as the next person. But although good quality cheap cookware ( yes it is possible )like grinders and blenders give you a lot more scope there are plenty of things that you can cook without them, but a good knife, or three, is absolutely essential. The first and most essential piece of cookware you need is a cooks knife, thats as large as you feel comfortable with, an 8 inch knife with a blade that curves slightly to allow a rocking motion is a good start, then a smaller knife, about 4 inches, for cutting small vegetables and a carving knife. If you buy one about 10 inches long it can also double as a bread knife. Although there is no point buying extra knifes just to line the pockets of the large kitchen eequipment manufacturers. A set can actually be quite good value and give you more for a similar amount of money. But check carefully what is in the set first. If you cannot find a set with what you think will be useful to you, don’t buy it. Many sets come with extras like a case or wooden knife block but try to see past the free gifts. Its much better to have a few good knives in your drawer than a fancy polished beech wood block with fifteen designer knives, fourteen of which you never use, and one that is not the right shape for your hand and gives you blisters. I have a small, not very expensive set of French Sabatiers that are comfortable but not as posh looking as some of the more fashionable makes like the Japanese globals which I find too light which makes chopping a lot of veg for example much harder work. If you learn how to use them properly then steel or grinding stone is a good way to keep your knives sharp otherwise there are a good choice of proprietary sharpeners that keep the knife at the right angle while you pull it through the sharpener. Pans also need to be good quality, nothing over the top, no need to spend a fortune. Just make sure they are of a good solid construction. This promotes good even heat distribution and helps to prevent things burning. Stainless steel is a good option. A good wok on the other hand should be made of a thin light steel and cost very little, but always check that it has a good well-fixed wooden handle. The best place to buy this most useful of pans is (perhaps unsurprisingly) usually the local Chinese supermarket. A good chopping board is another necessity though two are better than one as this helps to prevent cross contamination if you designate one for uncooked meats/fish etc.and another for things like fruit and salads. No matter how much you think you will always be careful and wash them between uses this is the best single way to prevent contamination between foods. Mixers can be useful if you intend doing a lot of baking. But unless you make bread on a regular basis (always a good idea), then buying a simple, good quality hand held mixer rather than a heavy stand alone version could save you a couple of hundred dollars in as well as a lot of space on your worktop. A blender is always useful for soups and the occasional smoothie, and a grinder will give you a lot more options in your use of nuts etc.and will also provide a constant supply of fresh coffee for the more manic cook. A good way to combine the functions of all three is to buy a food processor. A good quality machine such as a Moulinex or Robot coupe will save space and allow you to buy a much better processor than if you bought there items separately. There is an almost unending list of kitchen equipment that you could buy (if in doubt walk into your local cookery shop and ask the owner what he thinks you need!), but make sure you get the essential good quality cookware right and it will make your cooking easier and more enjoyable.

Old-Fashioned Tomatoes

Raw vegetables are dangerous and must be thoroughly fried, steamed, and boiled into submission. So thought our ancestors. The original sin of a recalcitrant vegetable was of course lessened by heat, but the conscientious nineteenth-century cook continued to boil it long after it had sogged into a jelly-like mass, just in case some evil remained. In the nineteenth century an hour’s cooking barely sufficed for cabbage and for corn on the cob. They did not fix broccoli at all, and I can understand why. I have tried to imagine broccoli after an hour of cooking, but the mind rares back and refuses even to approach the sheer horror.Which reminds me of an event in the summer of 1956, when my classmate Patsy Sutherland and I lived with Grandpa Hess while we went to business college in Missoula, Montana. Grandpa was a crusty old widower, set in his own way of housekeeping, but he tried to be gracious. In midsummer he bought a whole crate of tomatoes. Luscious, red, ripe tomatoes. They sat in the cellarway for two days, and each time Patsy and I passed them our mouths watered. Each evening we thought he’d invite us to have a tomato or two, but he didn’t. When we arrived home on the third evening, he said, “Girls! I fixed the tomatoes today. Help yourselves!” He had stewed every last one of them. Some of those old tomato recipes are good, though. The originator of Tomatoes Maryland probably had an old-fashioned wood stove that could gently simmer something all afternoon on a back burner or in the oven. Which means this was most likely a fall or winter dish rather than a summer one, as people let the cookstove fire go out on summer afternoons.TOMATOES MARYLANDBreak into bits 2 slices of stale bread. Add to 4 cups canned or fresh tomatoes, peeled and quartered, with half an onion, chopped, and about 2/3 cup brown sugar. Salt lightly.Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer gently for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.My notes say, “It does need three hours to cook, even with the pan lid off most of the time. Perhaps some of the thin tomato juices could be poured off at the beginning, shortening the cooking time.” Tomatoes Maryland is the kind of sweet side dish American cooks like to serve with chicken or pork. I was going to say, “cooks from regions other than the Northeast.” Then I remembered applesauce with pork, cranberry sauce with turkey, mint jelly with lamb, and baked beans with salt pork. Not to mention pancakes and syrup with sausages cuddled up close. And mincemeat pie, that ultimate mixture of meat and sweet. (And, yes, real mincemeat, as opposed to a packaged mix, does contain meat.)I will add that some people of Grandpa’s generation did eat diced raw garden tomatoes for breakfast, just as one would eat strawberries, with sugar and cream. You see, it was safe to eat them raw with sugar and cream, because the tomatoes then ceased to be a vegetable and became a fruit. And actually those old-time breakfasters were right. Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes are good with sugar and cream. Let’s face it, most things are good with sugar and cream. And of course tomatoes really are a fruit.

Vegetarian Gourmet----Meatless Makeovers

Three years ago I decided to go "meatless." It wasn't a difficult decision as I wasn't a voracious carnivore to begin with, however there were a few dishes that I missed that contained meat and wondered how I was going to live without these favorites.Rather than resign myself to the notion that these dishes could never be converted over to a meatless status, I decided to pull myself up by my vegetarian bootstrings (cotton, of course), and see if I could find a way to convert these meat-ies to meatless.The first was my Grammy's recipe for American Chop Suey, actually, almost everyone's Grammy made this or some variation of it. I tried different ways but this one comes the closest:Meatless American Chop Suey1 vidalia onion chopped1-2 tbsp. butter1/2 pkg Quorn (brandname) veggie grounds frozen2 cans Campbells Tomato Soup1 tblsp. catsup (yes catsup, you can't really taste it, it just adds a rich color to the sauce)sea salt and pepper to taste1 lb of your favorite fancy pasta in its rigati form, that means with lines, or something like like gemelli or rotini Melt butter in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Add vidalia onion and gently saute until translucent. Add frozen Quorn grounds and heat till thawed. Add 2 cans soup and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add catsup salt and pepper and cook an additional 102 minutes. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain thoroughly and add sauce to pasta. Stir to incorporate completely. Serve. Serves 4-6 people as a side.This next one is an adaptation of a Greek-Middle-Eastern recipe for Dolma. I loved this dish as a youngster summering on Cape Cod. A wonderful Lebanese family "turned me on" to this dish and I have finally found a way to make it meatless and spectacular!Veggie Dolmas1 jar of Grapeleaves in brineFilling:2 cup basmati rice cooked1/2 cup currants1/2 cup of pine nuts ground1/2 cup quorn grounds thawed2 tbsp. dried mint (or 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped fine)1 tbsp. dried parsely (or 1/4 cup fresh parsely chopped fine)1 tsp dried oregano (or 1/8 cup fresh oregano chopped fine)1 tsp. sea salt2 tsp pepper1 small can tomato pasteJuice of 2 lemonsRemove the grape leaves from the jar, rinse and unfold carefully and rinse again. Lay paper towels and pat dry. Gently remove any stems that are still on the leaves. In a large bowl mix the filling ingredients together till they are well incorporated.Carefully separate a few of the leaves and line the bottom of a 1-2 gallon stock pot. To roll take a leaf, place 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of the leaf about 1/2 inch up from the bottom edge. Fold 1/2 inch up over the filling, fold each side toward the middle, then beginning at the bottom again roll the whole package up till you have a 1-2" "log.Continue with the rolling process till you use up all the filling.Line the rolled leaves up in a circular pattern in the stock pot till all are in. Pour the juice of both lemons gently over the rolled leaves. Place a dinner plate on top with a stone in the middle to keep in place. Gradually add cold water till it just covers the leaves.Bring contents to a boil then reduce and simmer for abount 1/2 hour till tender. Drain water by holding on to stone to keep plate in place and gently pour out cooking water. Leave plate on till almost cool. Remove plate and serve with plain yogurt, yummy.These can be frozen in 1-2 serving sizes for later. I like to do it this way then microwave them for a minute and a half for a quickie meal.

Edith's Cake That Thrilled the French

Twenty-three chefs who cooked for world royalty and heads of state (The Club des Chefs des Chefs) were, during their 1987 visit to the U.S., wined and dined with the best our finest chefs had to offer. What impressed them most? Lunch at an Amish farm in Pennsylvania, where they ate homegrown new potatoes, string beans with cream sauce and corn, charcoal-grilled chicken, and baked ham, washed down with homemade root beer and peppermint tea, served by the family in a barn lined with handmade quilts.They were stunned. Happily so, it seems. The chef for the president of France said, “Cooking has evolved so much. Nobody presents the true product as it is, and all of a sudden we were presented that.”But the desserts impressed them most. Especially one they couldn’t name. One they described as a light “pain d’epices” (spice cake) with a layer of chocolate filling. Gilles Brunner, chef to Prince Rainier of Monaco, was so taken with the cake, which he described as a chocolate gingerbread, that he tried to get the recipe. His request was refused. The Amish family did not want their identity revealed, which refusal greatly hampered efforts to identify the cake as well. Research by Phyllis Richman, then food editor of the Washington Post, seemed to show that the mystery dessert was Amish applesauce cake with chocolate frosting, and the Post printed a version of it contributed by Betty Groff, a cookbook author from the Pennsylvania Dutch country. Which applesauce cake turned out to be pretty much what our family had been enjoying since my father married Edith Kennedy in 1977, and which Edith’s family had been enjoying long before that. Her daughter, Lorenelle Doll, who gave me the recipe, says that it was a favorite of my father and Lorenelle’s husband Arnie. (So far as I know, Edith didn’t actually feed any to a French chef.)I like to think Edith’s version is better than Betty Groff’s, because that recipe says to “frost with vanilla or chocolate frosting if desired.” Whereas Edith’s gives a recipe for chocolate frosting MADE WITH BUTTER. And in my view the humblest frosting made with butter is better than the fanciest frosting made without. I’m not implying that Edith’s frosting is humble. It isn’t. It’s purely wonderful, as is her cake.Edith Kennedy Glidewell went to be with her Lord in March 2002, but before that she gladdened many hearts in many ways, this applesauce cake not the least of them.EDITH’S APPLESAUCE CAKECream together 1/2 cup room temperature butter or shortening and 1 cup sugar. Add 1 egg and beat together. Mix in 1-1/2 cups applesauce.Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. cloves. Add to applesauce mixture, along with 1 cup raisins and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.Lightly oil a 9" x 12" pan and dust with flour. Add the cake mixture and bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes, until the top of the cake’s center springs back when touched. Frost with chocolate frosting when cool.Chocolate Frosting: Combine in a heavy saucepan or double boiler 1 square baker’s unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1/3 cup milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute. Cool and beat until the frosting has a satin finish.

The World's Best Pickles

I knew they were the world’s best pickles the moment I tasted one. That first taste took place around 1950, and I’ve tasted a lot of pickles since, am a pickle hound in fact, but I’ve never come across anything else as good.They came to us by way of my Uncle Ronald Smith, who was an electrician in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana where I grew up. One day he was doing electrical work for a Bulgarian family, and they rewarded him with a sample pickle. He liked it so much he got the recipe and gave it to his wife Gladys, who gave it to Grandma Glidewell, who made it and gave some to me, and I thought I’d died and gone to pickle heaven.And thus, although they became an old Glidewell family recipe, they are really an old Bulgarian family recipe. The Bulgarian family, whose name I do not know, told Uncle Ronald that in Bulgaria, when the first heavy frost kills the tomato vines, they put all their end-of-garden vegetables –- including those green tomatoes -- into a barrel, fill the barrel with pickling brine, and eat the best pickles in the world all winter. It turns out, though, that the pickles’ travel from Bulgaria to the U.S. was only one leg of a more ancient journey. Because I mentioned them to an Iranian woman, and she said, “My family has always made pickles like that! Exactly like that, except we add tarragon.” Iran being the new name for the ancient kingdom of Persia, who knows how many centuries these pickles go back?There’s more: I later lost the recipe’s brine proportions. Gave some thought to its travels between Persia and Bulgaria, looked in an Armenian-American cookbook (Treasured Armenian Recipes, published in 1949 by the Armenian General Benevolent Union) and there they were, under “Mixed Pickles No. 2.” Turns out the world’s best Armenian pickles are just like the world’s best Bulgarian and Persian and American pickles, except they include dill, and sometimes green beans and coriander seed.So this is an old, old recipe belonging to the whole human family.END-OF-GARDEN PICKLESVegetables:Green tomatoes*, cut in half or quartered if largeCarrots, peeled and cut into stripsCauliflower, separated into small floretsBaby onions, peeled, or larger onions halved or quarteredGreen peppers, cut into broad lengthwise slicesGarlic, two peeled cloves per quart jarMedium-hot peppers, two small whole peppers per quart You can also add unpeeled and unwaxed small cucumbers, zucchini, or lightly cooked green beans, though we never did. The hot peppers add adventure and zest, but if you prefer to save your tears for really sad occasions, why not?Amounts and proportions depend on what vegetables you have and how many quarts you plan to make. You don’t have to have the green tomatoes, and the other things can be bought in a grocery store. But you do need a variety of vegetables, and you have to have the onions and garlic, or you won’t have the world’s best pickles. You will have the world’s so-so pickles, and that would be a shame.Armenian-Persian-Bulgarian BrineTo one quart of water add 1/4 cup pickling salt (salt that isn’t iodized), and one cup of white distilled vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil. This is enough brine to cover two quarts of mixed pickles, with a little left over.ProcessingFollow the canning instructions in a good, standard cookbook. Or, if you plan to eat them right away, pack the vegetables into clean quart jars, pour over them the hot brine, and keep the pickles covered in the refrigerator. Some of the more impressionable vegetables, like zucchini, will be ready to eat in only two or three days.

Barbeque Basics

There’s nothing more enjoyable than having friends and family gathered around amidst the wonderful smells of charcoal-grilled prawns, vegetables and selected favorites. Barbecuing is one of those time- honored rituals that go hand in hand with summertime. Whether you’re in your backyard or at you’re favorite camping site, barbecuing is a pleasure to be enjoyed by the whole family.Barbecuing has never been more exciting; with the endless designsof barbecues available and the myriad of barbecue cookbooks and cooking shows it really does take barbecuing into a whole new realm. With recipes for everything from grilled bananas to peaches and dry rubs for ribs, barbecues aren’t just for cooking steaks and burgers anymore. With all the available barbecuing options it helps to know a few of the barbecuing terms and barbecuing utensils that are used.Firstly, barbecues come in a wide variety of options; there are propane, natural gas and the standard barbecues for use with charcoal. Barbecues can come with range style one, two and four burner options along with rotisseries. There are even barbecues that have coolers built right into the bottom! Barbecuing has never been quite so convenient.When you’re using your barbecue it really helps to have the rightutensils and barbeque accessories, this will make your barbecuingexperience easier and more enjoyable. Long handled tongs, bastingbrushes and spatulas are quite helpful. Heavy -duty oven mitts can also be useful. Of course you don’t want to forget the proper wire brushes and scrubbers (crumpled foil even works well) to remove build-up, keeping your grill racks clean.Foods that are tender such as fish, vegetables and some burgers can benefit from cooking in a special grill basket (this way you aren’t loosing any of your meal into the barbecue). There are also special racks available to be used with corn, potatoes, ribs and meat.An excellent barbecue accessory is the grill wok, with this you can make you’re favorite stir fries and vegetable dishes; the wokhas small holes throughout that allow heat and smoke to penetratethe food. Another great grill accessory is the grill pizza tray used mostly for grilled pizza. Other grill accessories include; ( http://www.best-bbq-online.com/grill-accessories.htm )the grill topper used for fish and vegetables providing an even cooking surface, which prevents foods from falling through the grill rack; you can never have too many skewers in assorted lengths which can be used with a skewer rack for grilling your favorite marinated vegetables and meats; smoker boxes for gas grills filled with soaked wood chips add a wonderful smoked flavor to foods. Lastly foil packets are available or simple tin foil to wrap foods, just remember that you may be sacrificing the grill and smoke flavors when foods are wrapped tightly.After you have the utensils and proper grilling accessories needed for you’re barbeque experience you’ll want to familiarize yourself on the different types of grilling processes and terms to find the ones that work best for you and to know exactly what has to be done. To start, basting is probably the most familiar of barbecuing terms, a simple brushing with a seasoned liquid adding both flavor and moisture to your food. A brochette is just French for a kabob, or simply food cooked on a skewer. A glaze is a glossy, flavorful coating on food as it cooks as a result of regular basting.Three very popular methods of barbecuing are the direct grilling,dry smoking and indirect grilling methods. Direct grilling is probably the most popular grilling used, it is when food is placed directly over the flame. It is a fast method because of the intense heat and allows for browning on the outside of foods.This process works best for food requiring short cooking times such as burgers and steaks, you must remember to turn food over to allow cooking on both sides. The dry smoking method is achieved by placing a grill rack indirectly over the heat source with the barbecue lid down, this allows the flame to burn thus creating smoke which covers the food, giving you a smoky flavor. Lastly the indirect grilling is a slow process of cooking becauseof less heat, it is done by surrounding a drip pan with the coalsand putting the food over the pan, so the hot air circulates around the food (similar to a convection oven). It is wise to check with your barbecue owner manual for indirect grilling specific to your barbecue, roasts work well with this method.After you’ve acquired the barbecue and all the necessary cooking utensils and accessories you’re ready for the best part of barbecuing and that is the cooking of the food. Sauces, marinadesand rubs are popular cooking ideas when barbecuing. The sauce can be said to define a great barbecue. Whether you use a little or a lot is a matter of preference. A sauce often includes sugar,honey or preserves, which can cause the sauce to burn when cooking; a suggestion is to brush your sauce on in the last five to ten minutes of cooking. There are a wide variety of sauces and glazes to be made ranging from apple butter barbecue sauce to raspberry piquant sauce.Marinades are used for soaking your choice of meat, tofu or vegetables. ( http://www.best-bbq-online.com/marinades.htm ) The marinating both tenderizes and permeates the food with flavor, adding flavor and promoting crisp brown exteriors, changing an otherwise average dinner into a great one. Marinades are virtually fool proof and can be made in advance refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. The three basic ingredients in a marinade are; flavorings such as herbs, spices, sweeteners; oils which keep the food pliable and give a crispy crust; acids such as citrus juices, wines, vinegars and yogurts used to balance the sweetness. It is suggested to use the acids sparingly on fish and poultry, as they will soften the flesh when used.A virtually fat free and easy way to add flavor to food is by using a variety of bold seasonings in a rub. The food is rubbed with spices prior to grilling, the rub transforms into a crunchy brown crust that seals in the juices and enhances the flavors of the food. The spices should be generously applied coating the entire surface of the food; the food should then be covered and put in the fridge for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Simplicity is the key for making rubs, salt and sugar are two of the main ingredients and the rest are up to you.Whatever your barbecuing specialty might be barbecues can be both a fun and convenient way to make dinner. Summertime needn’t be the only time of year that you’re barbecuing, if weather allows you can barbecue all year round. The options have never been more exciting, and the variety of foods and recipes never more abundant.

The Return of the Green Fairy

No, this isn't an article about a slightly camp environmentalist who's decided to come back home! The "green fairy" of the title is a translation of la fée verte, the alternative French name for absinthe, the notorious apéritif and favorite tipple of all those famous painters and writers who lived in France at the turn of the century Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Oscar Wilde…they were all at it! Originally produced in the mid-eighteenth century, and touted as a restorative and a cure for various digestive and gastro-intestinal disorder (of which the French, it has to be said, have more than their fair share), it was the intervention of Henri-Louis Pernod, who recognised the drink’s business potential and started producing it on a commercial scale alongside his more famous apéritif, which really put absinthe on the alcoholic map. There are certainly some similarities between absinthe and Pernod. They are both aniseed flavored, they both turn cloudy when diluted with water – and they are both extremely adept at rendering you totally legless when consumed in even modest quantities. During the First World War people began to worry about the social and medical problems associated with absinthe. As well as containing relatively innocuous ingredients such as licorice, aniseed, hyssop, angelica, fennel and star anise, it also contained significant amounts of artemisia absinthia, or wormwood, which was reputed to be psychoactive in small doses, and generally to rot your brains! In 1915 the French government responded to public and medical pressure and banned production and sale of la fée verte outright (the spoilsports!) It goes without saying that the outlawing of absinthe only served to increase its notoriety, and it continued to be quite widely available on the clandestine market for years to come. Most of these black market products were of a highly dubious provenance and were, at best, a pale replica of the original drink, or, at worst, positively life-threatening. (It’s rumoured that in the late 1930s Ernest Hemingway wrote most of his masterpiece For Whom the Bell Tolls whilst under the influence of the green fairy!) The ban was lifted some years ago, although it has to be said that absinthe is still not all that easy to find. The best method of locating genuine absinthe (and of reading more about it) is via the Internet. Log on to Google, do a search for “absinthe” (without the quotes) and you’ll find nearly half a million results to occupy your time and curiosity. There is quite a ritual associated with drinking la fée verte. The traditional method is to pour a measure of absinthe into a glass, place a specially designed perforated spoon over the top of the glass, put one or two sugar cubes into the spoon and slowly pour a quantity of water over the sugar and into the glass. A more recent development is the use of absinthe in cooking. The UK-based French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli (often described as the sexiest chef in the UK – but I wouldn’t really know about that!) has created a number of dishes featuring absinthe. He uses it to flavor risotto, to infuse fish and vegetables – and even makes an absinthe ice cream, which he serves with a carpaccio of fresh pineapple. But whether you drink it, eat it or pour it all over yourself, always remember that absinthe has a very high level of alcohol. Use it in moderation - and never, never drink and drive.

Pear and Walnut Salad with Roquette and Parmesan

This is a contemporary salad which has actually been around for quite a while now and we regularly prepare it as part of our cooking holiday in France. I think it has achieved classic status. The only thing that needs any preparation to speak of is the dressing, but the pears do need to be ripe and juicy – comice are perfect for this – and the parmesan needs to be shaved from a fresh block (if you haven’t got any to hand, a good strong cheese like stilton or feta will do very nicely indeed, but completely forget about using that dirty sock-flavoured sawdust sold in pots, laughingly labelled ‘Freshly Grated Parmesan’). If you want to turn this from a starter into a main course just add some strips of dry-cured ham, smoked duck breast, or sauteed chicken livers. Serves four Ingredients: 2 ripe juicy comice pears 1 lemon 1 tblsp white wine vinegar salt 1 tsp grain mustard 6 tblsp walnut oil freshly ground black pepper handful roquette handful of fresh walnut halves, roughly crushed small block of fresh parmesan Method: Peel and core the pears, then smear with a little lemon juice to prevent them turning brown. Put the vinegar and a good pinch of salt in a screw-top jar and shake until the salt has desolved. Add the mustard and walnut oil, then shake again to emulsify – the emulsion will hold for ten minutes or so, but give it another jiggle just before you use it to dress the salad. Assemble the salad: slice the pears lengthwise into thin segments and place them rustically on four serving plates along with the roquette, then scatter over the bruised walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Using a potato peeler, shave the parmesan over the salad, then ‘dust’ with a little ground black pepper.

Spanish Food - How To Make Spicy Gazpacho Soup

Home-made soups are so good for you - all that nourishing stock and chock-a-block full of vitamins and minerals.But ... who on earth could face boiling bones for hours on end during the scorching Spanish summer weather, not to mention preparing the soup once the stock is made? I don´t think it would tickle anybody´s fancy to then have to tuck into a piping-hot soup! For this reason, the Spanish came up with their wonderful, ice-cold soup - gazpacho - beautifully colorful, packed with goodness, cheap and simple to prepare, no cooking and ... most important of all, an absolute delight to drink.Traditional gazpacho originates from romantic Andalucia - that large, exotic southerly region of Spain which is home to such extensive Arabic influence. The chilled, raw soup was originally made by pounding bread and garlic with tomatoes, cucumber and peppers but, nowadays, your electric blender renders this effortless! Olive oil endows it with a smooth, creamy consistency and vinegar adds a refreshing tang - just what you need when life gets too hot to handle!The spicy soup should be served in true Spanish style with small bowls of accompaniments - finely chopped peppers, cucumber, onion ... even hard-boiled eggs and croutons, if you feel up to it! Guests will then sprinkle what appeals to them on the soup.Traditional gazpacho is tomato-based, with most Spanish families having developed their own, unique recipes. However, nowadays, you will also find gazpacho recipes that have nothing to do with tomatoes - white, almond-based gazpachos, fruit-based gazpachos, etc.Do you suffer from insomnia? Could be that drinking gazpacho is the answer, for in Pedro Almodovar´s 1987 film "Mujeres Al Borde De Un Ataque De Nervios", various characters help themselves to the soup and promptly fall asleep!However, don´t fall asleep just yet as you haven´t read over the recipe!Ingrediants for 4 servings:- 4 ripe tomatoes - 1 onion - ½ red pepper - ½ green pepper - ½ cucumber - 3 cloves garlic - 50 g bread - 3 dessertspoons vinegar - 8 dessertspoons olive oil - Water - Salt/pepper - ¼ chilli pepper (optional) Garnishings:- 2 hard-boiled eggs - ½ finely chopped onion - ½ finely chopped red pepper - ½ finely chopped green pepper - ½ finely chopped cucumber Method:1. Break up bread and soak in water for 30 minutes.2. Skin tomatoes, remove seeds and stalks from peppers.3. Peel cucumber, onion and garlic.4. Chop onion, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and cucumber.5. Place in electric blender.6. Squeeze out excess water from bread and add to blender.7. Add oil and vinegar.8. Blend well.9. If necessary, add sufficient water for soup-like consistency.10. Pour into a bowl with ice cubes.11. Fridge for a couple of hours.12. Serve in bowls, with garnishings in separate dishes.Gazpacho is best enjoyed sitting in the shade, looking out onto an azure sea, blue sky and golden sun and sands!

Spanish Food - How To Make The Perfect Paella

Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, thebest-known is going to be the prodigious paella ... that tasty,adaptable, gregarious dish famed throughout Spain and the World.And, what an impressive choice of recipes exist for a pleasurablepaella: seafood, chicken, rabbit ... or a mixture of all three! Perhaps you are non-meat eating ... well, just opt for one of the several vegetarian paella recipes. Bit of a health fanatic? Then substitute white rice for whole-grain rice or wild rice. Got a large family and not much money to feed them on? Use plenty of rice and imagination along with a tasty stock, plus whatever you can find in the cupboard! I have certainly enjoyed many paellas where there have been more bones/shells than meat/seafood! And, very tasty they have been too, the richness of the company more than compensating for any paucity in the ingrediants.So ... how do you go about making the perfect paella? First of all, you need to choose your rice. The short-grained rice from Valencia - where most Spanish rice originates - is fine for making paellas. However, the "bomba" rice grown in the neighboring region of Murcia, is the "king" of paella rice: again, short-grained, it has the ability to absorb the stock whilst remaining firm.Another "must" is to use saffron ("azafrán") to create the gentle, yellow color for which this delectable dish is renowned. Yes, it is possible to buy cheaper, artificial colorings but ... go for the traditional - it will bestow a wonderful aroma and unique flavor.Many Spaniards swear a perfect paella can only be achieved when using a tasty, home-made stock. Whatever you decide, allow at least double the amount of liquid to rice. If, during cooking, the dish becomes a little dry, just add a dash more water or stock.Another tip I have been told, on more than one occasion, is to gently fry the rice for a few minutes before adding the stock, ensuring that it is well-coated in oil. I think all Spaniards would agree that, once cooked, it is best to leave your paella to stand for a good five minutes before serving.Perhaps the most important ingrediant for making that perfect paella, is to use lashings and lashings of love whilst preparing it - for surely, that is something we can all afford - and to enjoy to the full the marvellous company of those who will share it with you.I shall now have to choose a paella recipe to offer you as an example! I think I will opt for a seafood paella, typical of the region of Valencia, where I live. The ingrediants are for a hearty four servings. If you are not a hefty eater, or on a diet, then reduce the amount of rice/stock slightly.Paella Valenciana - Paella From ValenciaIngrediants:- 4 cups rice. - 8 cups fish stock. - 8 king-sized prawns/langoustines. - 8 mussels. - 200 gr shrimps. - 200 gr peas (fresh or frozen). - 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped. - 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced. - 3 strands saffron, crumbled. - Olive oil for frying. Method:1. Sauté garlic in a paella-type pan.2. Add tomatoes, peas, shrimps and saffron.3. Cook for a few minutes.4. Add rice and stock.5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.6. Decorate with prawns and mussels.7. Cover paella with a lid.8. Poach the seafood for a few minutes.9. Decorate paella with lemon quarters.10. Enjoy!

Everything You Want to Know About the Different Salmon Species

Did you know that there are five species of Pacific salmon and one species of Atlantic salmon? Further, did you know that all 5 species of Pacific salmon run wild in Alaska? We’re proud of our wild salmon here in Alaska, and rightly so. On the one hand the wild salmon are great sport fish and we Alaskans love to spend gorgeous summer weekends challenging them. On the other hand our commercial fisheries are healthy and self-sustaining. They are able to catch enough wild salmon to satisfy most of the world wide demand for fresh wild fillets in the restaurants and packaged wild salmon on grocery store shelves. King Salmon The Chinook salmon is nicknamed king salmon in Alaska. It is the official Alaska state fish. Description Of all the Pacific salmon the king is the largest. A 97-pound king was caught by a sport fisherman in 1986 on the Kenai River. In 1949 a 126 pound king was caught commercially near Petersburg, Alaska. Typically king salmon weigh 30 pounds and above. The king is lightly and irregularly spotted on their blue-green back. They also have a black pigment along their gum line. Spawning kings in fresh water range in color from red to copper to almost black. Life Cycle All species of Pacific salmon hatch in fresh water, spend part of their life cycle in the ocean, then return to fresh water to spawn. The king salmon generally live 5 to 7 years, though they can mature by their second to third year. As a result the kings in a spawning run can vary greatly in size. A mature 3-year old may only weigh 4 pounds while a mature 7-year old may exceed 50 pounds. The young king salmon feed on plankton and insects during their fresh water period. During their second year they migrate to the ocean where they grow rapidly. Some kings make immense spawning migrations. For example, many of the Yukon River kings will migrate over 2,000 miles during a 60 day period to reach the streams and headwaters in Yukon Territory, Canada. Taste The king salmon has a rich flavor, firm flesh, and a pleasing red color. Kings caught at the mouth of the Yukon River have a huge store of oil in their flesh for their long upriver migration. The result is an extra-rich flavor, much prized among those who love salmon. Sockeye Salmon The Sockeye salmon is also called the red salmon due to the bright red color of its flesh, and it is the second most abundant salmon species in Alaska. Description Sockeye salmon are the slimmest and most streamlined of the 5 species of Pacific salmon. They differ from kings, silvers, and pink salmon by the lack of large black spots, and they differ from chum salmon by having more gill rakers on the first gill. Sockeye are generally a greenish-blue color with silver sides and a white or silver belly. During the spawning season the Sockeye males develop a humped back and a hooked jaw. Both male and female Sockeye turn brilliant to dark red as they head upriver to their spawning grounds. Life Cycle After hatching during the winter and spending a few months in the river gravels, the juvenile Sockeye spend 1 to 3 years in freshwater before migrating to the ocean. The Sockeye spend 1 to 4 years in the ocean, ranging thousands of miles while feeding and then returning to the same freshwater system where they were born. They reach an average size of 4 to 8 pounds, sometimes reaching in excess of 15 pounds. Bristol Bay, in southwestern Alaska, annually harvests the largest number of Sockeye salmon in the world. About 10 million to 30 million Sockeye are caught during a short season that lasts only a few weeks. Taste The Sockeye salmon has an exquisitely rich flavor due to the high concentration of oils. It is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. The rich red flesh color is maintained throughout cooking which results in a beautiful presentation. Some people consider the Sockeye to be the most flavorful of all the salmon species. Silver Salmon Coho salmon are known as silver salmon in Alaska and are an excellent game fish. Description Coho salmon have bright silver sides and have small black spots on their back. Spawning salmon of both sexes develop red to maroon colored sides. The males develop a hooked snout with large teeth. Life History Juvenile silvers live in ponds and lakes formed by rivers and streams. They generally spend one to three years in the streams and may spend as many as 5 winters in lakes before migrating to the ocean. Silvers stay in the ocean, where they grow quickly, for about 18 months before returning to their home streams. They weigh from 8 to 12 pounds, but can range up to 31 pounds. Their length ranges from 25 to 35 inches. Taste The flesh color of silver salmon is orange-red and is retained during cooking. The texture is firm and the fat content is high. The taste is a pleasing full salmon flavor, slightly milder than that of the Sockeye. The size of a fillet is larger than that of the Sockeye, and it is a prized fish for cooking. Pink Salmon Pink salmon are also known as the humpback in Alaska. Prior to spawning the pink salmon develops a pronounced hump on its back. Description The color of the pink salmon is generally a bright steely blue on top and silver on the sides. It has many large black spots on its back and over the entire tail fin. It has small scales and its flesh is pink, befitting its name. The spawning pink salmon develops an olive green to black color on its back with a light-colored to white belly. It develops a very pronounced hump and hooked jaws. Life Cycle The young pink salmon hatch during the winter and spend a few months in the river gravels. During the spring they migrate downstream to the ocean. They feed along the beaches before moving out further into the ocean. Like all salmon, the pinks grow rapidly in the ocean but they are the smallest of the Pacific salmon species. The pinks reach a size of about 3 to 5 pounds and about 20 to 24 inches in length. The pink salmon spends only two years in the ocean. This two year pattern causes distinct odd-year and even-year cycles which are unrelated to each other. When the pinks return to freshwater, they are the most abundant of the Pacific salmon species. They do not migrate far upriver, but generally spawn within a few miles of the mouth of the river. As with the other Pacific species both male and female pinks will die within a couple of weeks of spawning. Taste The pink salmon has a delicate, mild flavor and a light flesh color. About 80% of harvested pinks are canned and are the most common salmon species found on grocery store shelves. Chum Salmon Sometimes called “dog salmon” in Alaska, the chum salmon is a traditional source of dried fish for winter use. Description Chum salmon have a metallic greenish-blue back surface with fine black spots. They resemble sockeye and silver salmon so closely that one needs to examine their gills and fins closely to make a positive identification. When nearing fresh water the chum salmon develops noticeable vertical bars of green and purple, which gives them another nickname, calico salmon. The spawning chum develop the typical hooked jaws like other Pacific salmon and large teeth, which partially accounts for their other nickname, dog salmon. Life Cycle As with pink salmon, the young chum do not spend much time in fresh water before migrating out into the ocean. They feed near the mouths of their streams for a period before forming schools and moving further out into the ocean. The chums spend 3 to 5 years in salt water, growing rapidly after entering the ocean. They generally range in size from 7 to 18 pounds, sometimes reaching 30 pounds in weight. When the chums return to fresh water they often spawn in the same areas as the pinks, not migrating far up river. One major exception to this pattern is the chum salmon population of the Yukon River. Some of these chums migrate 2000 miles upriver to spawn in Yukon Territory of Canada. These chums have a very high fat content in preparation for their long migration. Taste Chum salmon have a mild, delicate flavor with a medium red flesh color. However, Yukon River chums, with their higher fat content, have a rich, full flavor similar to Kings and Sockeye. Atlantic Salmon Atlantic salmon are not native to the Pacific coast but are raised in large numbers in pens. They run wild on the Atlantic coast only. The Atlantic salmon found in markets are farm-raised, generally originating in salmon farms off Chile or British Columbia, Canada. Description Atlantic salmon in the wild have silvery sides and belly with greenish-blue coloration on its back. Spawning Atlantic salmon develop blackish fins and purplish coloration and reddish spots. Surviving adults are dark in color. Life Cycle In the wild young salmon spend one to three years in fresh water before migrating to the ocean. In the ocean the Atlantic salmon ranges for thousands of miles. They generally return to freshwater by the age of five. Unlike the five Pacific species of salmon, the Atlantic salmon does not die after spawning. The surviving adults repeat the migration and spawning cycle.