A whisk is one of the most versatile utensils found in the kitchen. Most whisks are made of stainless steel, bamboo or plastic composite. You can use your whisk in various ways to improve your favorite recipes.
Instructions
1. Choose a whisk to avoid lumps when mixing liquids and solids. A good example of this would be mixing flour into meat drippings for gravy.
2. Aerate egg whites with a whisk. Egg whites can froth up to eight times their natural consistency.
3. Mix dry ingredients, such as flour, baking soda and salt together. It is easier when a whisk is utilized.
4. Stir frothing matcha. Frothing matcha, a tea brewed from fine green powder, is made easier using a tea whisk made of bamboo. Bamboo whisks can be made from a one piece of bamboo, that is carefully divided into 80 segments.
5. Monitor the temperature of ingredients with a temperature whisk. This is especially important when making custard-based foods, meringues or delicate sauces.
6. Use a beverage whisk to mix or blend drinks better than using a swizzle stick.
7. Stir thicker batters with a ball whisk. This whisk does not have looped wires, making it easier to remove the thicker batter. The weighted balls on the end of the whisk thoroughly mixes all textures of ingredients.
8. Create a light mixture, such as a meringue or mousse, using a whisk with a ball. This whisk consists of a ceramic ball in a sphere-shaped whisk that is enclosed in a bigger balloon whisk.
Tags: This whisk, using whisk, whisk This, whisks made, with ball
From the first time I tasted this until now this is the absolute best cheesecake in the whole world!
To get the recipe was a struggle and something this good is meant to be shared. People that don't even like cheesecake like this one. Absolutely amazing texture that melts in your mouth. Something any cheesecake lover must try once!
Instructions
1. Take the softened cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, 4 eggs, 1 tsp. of vanilla and beat with a hand mixer for exactly 8 minutes..
2. Pour the mixture into a greased casserole pan and bake for 45 minutes., in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.
3. While your cake is baking in the oven. In a separate bowl mix the 1/2 pint of sour cream and 1 tsp. of vanilla and 3 tbspns., of sugar.
4. When the cake is done, take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. During this time the top of the cake will drop, that is suppose to happen~ don't worry.
After the 10 minutes have elapsed and the top of the cake has dropped, pour the mixture of sour cream, sugar and vanilla on top into the "dropped" part of the cake.
5. Now put the cake back into the over and bake for 10-12 minutes. (The top will get slightly golden when ready).
6. Take the cake out and allow to cool and set. Best when chilled.
Although it's not your typical entrée, venison, or deer meat, is gaining popularity because of its exotic, full-bodied taste. In addition to being low in fat, venison provides an excellent source of more than 80 nutrients. If you plan to consume venison obtained from hunting, the next step is to clean and process the venison to prepare the meat for cooking. Although butchers can process the meat for you, processing your own venison is a grueling but satisfying procedure that lets you control how the venison is cut and saves you time and money.
Instructions
1. Find a clean, spacious, unheated and well-ventilated area in which to process the carcass.
2. Hang the field-dressed and cleaned deer carcass by its head on a meat hook or any hook that can support the weight, or a tree. Remove the skin from the carcass with the knife. Start at the neck and move down the body to the knee joints. Saw off everything below the knee joint.
3. Wash the carcass with a garden hose in a drainable area to remove any hair, dirt, blood or damaged tissue.
4. Remove the shoulder by lifting one of the front legs away from the chest and remove the meat on the side of the ribs. Saw the connective tissue between the leg and the rib cage. Cut the shoulder away from the withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades. Cut the front leg into three parts---the shoulder roast, arm roast and shank. Separate the shoulder roast from the leg by cutting through the shoulder joint. Separate the arm roast (the top part of the leg) from the shank by cutting through the elbow joint. Trim the cuts from the fat and de-bone and de-tissue the shank.
5. Remove the loin by making an incision in front of one of the hind legs, cutting to the backbone. Cut along the backbone to the base of the neck. Cut directly over the point where the ribs curve to merge with the backbone. Remove the loin by cutting it loose from the rib cage by raising the loin and cutting down the cage. Trim the connective tissue from the loin and cut into chunks.
6. Cut the flank, the area between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the pelvis, away from the body by slicing it away from the backbone and the ribcage.
7. Saw off the neck at the backbone just in front of the shoulder. Neck meat is excellent for stews.
8. Remove the side of ribs from the backbone with a saw, cutting from the bottom of the ribcage to the neck. Separate ribs as desired.
9. Cut off the tenderloins, which are located on either side of the backbone in front of the pelvis, by removing it from the backbone with a knife.
10. Saw the backbone off just in front of the hind legs. The backbone is best used in making soup stocks.
11. Separate the two hind legs by sawing through the middle of the backbone. Cut each leg into a sirloin roast, a sirloin tip, a round and the shank. Remove the sirloin roast from the leg with a knife by cutting through the ball and socket joint. Create the sirloin tip by cutting the leg just below the knee cap. Separate the round from the shank by cutting the tendon and connective tissues. De-bone the round. Separate muscles in the meat by cutting the connective tissues.
12. Put meat cuts into freezer bags. Remove the air from the bags and tightly seal them. Label the cut of meat with a permanent marker. Store the meat in a freezer.
Tags: away from, cutting through, from backbone, hind legs, with knife
Bouillon is used in chicken dishes and serves as a base for soup. Even great gravies can be made with a bouillon base and it can enhance almost any recipe. Bouillon is also great as a substitute for "Mother's chicken soup" when you don't have the time to start from scratch.
Instructions
1. Purchase bouillon from the supermarket. Find it in the soup aisle. There are generally two kinds: beef and chicken.
2. Start making the bouillon according to the directions on the package. Boil water, then drop the cube in the water until it dissolves.
3. Drink bouillon to help cure a sore throat or a cold. It also warms you up on a cold day. Add rice or noodles to make it heartier.
4. Prepare soup by adding ingredients to the bouillon. Chicken or beef, vegetables and potatoes make a tasty soup. Be creative using spices instead of salt.
5. Use bouillon as a base for beef or chicken gravy. Just thicken it with cornstarch or flour until you get the desired consistency.
Alfredo sauce is one of the simplest pasta sauces, and also one of the richest. In its purest form it contains only heavy cream, butter and parmesan cheese. In normal circumstances it is made when needed and served immediately with fresh fettuccine. Alfredo sauce is seldom made ahead, precisely because it is difficult to reheat. It can certainly be done, but it requires patience and careful heating.
Instructions
1. Pour 1/4 cup of whole milk into a saucepan, for up to 1 1/2 cups of cold Alfredo sauce. Heat the milk over a moderate burner until it has come to a low simmer.
2. Add 1 tbsp. of Alfredo sauce to the pot, and immediately whisk to disperse it throughout the hot milk. As soon as the sauce returns to a simmer, add another spoonful of sauce and whisk it.
3. Continue spooning sauce into the pot, whisking each spoonful immediately into the heated sauce. Never let the sauce come to a boil, and always add the next spoonful as soon as the sauce begins to bubble. Remove the pot from the heat, if necessary, to keep the temperature low.
4. Whisk steadily until all of the cold Alfredo sauce has been incorporated into the pot. If at any time the sauce appears to be separating into thick and thin liquids, remove the pot from the heat immediately and whisk in two tablespoons of very cold heavy cream. This should return the sauce to its correct appearance and consistency. If not, repeat the process again.
5. Serve the sauce over freshly-cooked fettuccine or other pasta, as soon as it has been heated.
Tags: Alfredo sauce, cold Alfredo, cold Alfredo sauce, from heat, heavy cream
Combine the flavors of cherry and chocolate for a different-tasting cookie. Substitute cherry chips for some of the chocolate chips. Cherry chips may be hard to find. Search specialty baking stores or local markets. Use milk or dark-chocolate chips. The chips melt into the cookie and combine. Mix the chips evenly to disperse both flavors.
Instructions
1. Turn the oven on to 375 degrees. Preheating the oven helps with even baking.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl with a spoon. The hand mixer may cause the flour to fly out of the bowl. Add cocoa powder and 2 cups of flour if you are baking chocolate cookies. Don't pack the flour when measuring it. Set aside. Put the butter, sugar, eggs and brown sugar in another bowl. When you measure the brown sugar, pack it into the measuring cup. Beat with a hand mixer until the mixture is creamy.
3. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Add it slowly to prevent the flour from getting everywhere. Beat with the mixer. Add both the cherry and chocolate chips. Mix until the mixture is creamy and the chips are distributed.
4. Spray a thin layer of cooking spray over the baking sheets. If you are using non-stick pans, don't spray.
5. Put tsp.-size drops of dough on the cookie sheets. Space the dough 1 to 2 inches apart. For bigger cookies, add an extra half scoop of dough and space the cookies 3 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes. The recipe makes about 24 cookies, depending on size.
6. Remove the baking sheets from the oven using oven mitts or pads. Let the cookies sit for about two minutes. Use the flipper to remove cookies from the sheets. Waiting prevents the cookies from falling apart or squishing while moving. Put the cookies on the cooling racks. Do not stack. The cookies stick together if stacked while cooling. Once cooled, stack the cookies.
7. Place the cookies in an airtight container or cover them with foil or plastic wrap to keep them fresh. When exposed to air, cookies get hard.
Tags: about minutes, baking sheets, Beat with, brown sugar, cherry chocolate
If you favor drinks filled with flavor, a combination of triple sec and vodka is right up your alley. Vodka is a distilled grain drink that has a relatively mild flavor. It's ideal for using with mixers and even juice. Triple sec is clear like vodka, but in contrast, it is a sweet, strong orange-flavored liqueur. It's made from the peel of oranges found on the island of Curacao.
Cosmopolitan
A tart drink made using triple sec and vodka, the Cosmopolitan is considered a feminine type of drink because it's pink in color and served in a cocktail glass. To make a Cosmopolitan, pour 1.5 oz. of vodka, 1 oz. lime juice, 0.75 oz. triple sec and 0.75 oz. of cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker that is filled about half-way with ice cubes. Shake it and then strain into a cocktail glass.
Blueberry Kamikaze
While standard vodka is clear and not flavored, there are other variations of vodka including raspberry, blueberry, watermelon and vanilla-flavored vodka. One such drink using raspberry vodka is called the Blueberry Kamikaze. In a cocktail shaker that is half-full of ice, combine 0.5 oz. raspberry liqueur, 0.5 oz. triple sec and 0.5 oz. raspberry vodka. Shake and strain it into a shot glass.
Blue Rain
Combine raspberry vodka and triple sec to create a Blue Rain martini. This is a colorful and classy drink. Fill up a cocktail shaker so that it's half filled with crushed ice. Add to that 2 oz. of raspberry vodka, a splash of lime juice, a splash of blue Curacao, and a splash of triple sec. Shake the ice and liquor, and strain it into a martini glass.
Flirtini
A Flirtini is tart, sweet and bubbly due to the addition of champagne to the liquor. In a cocktail shaker that is half-full of ice, add 1.25 oz. of raspberry vodka, a splash of lime juice, 1 oz. of pineapple juice, 1 oz. cranberry juice and 0.625 oz. of triple sec. Shake it all together and pour into a martini glass. Only fill the glass about two-thirds full. Pour champagne on top of the mixture until the martini glass is full.
Few foods are more readily available and convenient to the home cook than canned tuna. With canned tuna on hand, you won't have to stretch your budget for pricey fillets the next time you plan a fish dinner. Fancy white albacore tuna packed in water works best in almost any salad, casserole or sauce recipe. Read these ideas to serve canned tuna in ways you may never have thought possible.
Instructions
1. Use a fork to flake one can of tuna into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Marinate with red onions, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper and lemon zest. Stir in one can of drained chick peas, sliced black olives and freshly chopped parsley. Serve atop Boston lettuce leaves with hard boiled egg wedges as a light lunch.
2. Cook chopped onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil till tender. Add chopped tomatoes and white wine and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in one can of drained tuna and freshly chopped parsley. Serve over buttered linguine as a vegetarian meal.
3. Prepare a salad of field greens dressed with tarragon vinaigrette. Drain one can of tuna well and turn upside down in the center of the salad. Garnish with rolls of Genoa salami, peppered ham, mortadella and provolone cheese. Serve as an Italian antipasto.
4. Simmer a medium-thick white sauce and remove from heat. Stir in one can of drained tuna, chopped chives and sweet green pepper, and slices of pimento. Mix tuna sauce with buttered egg noodles in a flame-proof casserole and bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Serve as a quick weekday meal.
5. Place one can of drained tuna in a lightly oiled baking dish. Top with oregano, sliced raw red onion, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Serve over toasted, buttered country bread topped with roasted red pepper slices.
Brandy is simply a wine that has been distilled to the point at which its alcohol level has reached 40 to 60 percent of its total volume. Originally known as brandy wine, brandy has become one of the most beloved of all after-dinner spirits. By choosing the right brandy, you can easily make any social occasion more memorable.
Instructions
1. Buy a good brandy by learning more about the different types and by tasting each one to determine whether it's pleasing to your palate. Types of brandy include cognac (aged brandy that is double-distilled near the French town of Cognac), Armagnac (which is single-distilled in the Southwest of France), Brandy de Jerez (which is very similar to sherry) and grape brandy (which may be produced elsewhere in the world where grapes are grown).
2. Learn more about fruit brandies, which may be distilled using fruit other than grapes, such as plums, apples, apricots, blackberries, raspberries and many others. Some fruit brandies may produce liquor that is even higher in its alcohol content than its more conventional grape-sourced counterparts.
3. Educate yourself about the finer grades of brandy, which designate the extent to which the liquor has been aged. Brandy grades include A.C. (aged in wooden casks for at least 2 years), VS (very special and aged for at least 3 years), VSOP (very special old pale, which has been aged for at least 5 years), XO (extra old, which has been aged for at least 6 years) and vintage, which has been aged for a longer period of time, as specified on the label.
4. Choose a pomace brandy, also known as grappa or marc, which has been distilled from grape pulp, seeds and stems. While pomace brandy may be considered an acquired taste, it usually presents a fruitier experience, since it is unaged. It may provide a good alternative to more traditional brandies.
5. Pick cognac if you are trying to buy the finest type of brandy available. Cognac has long been considered the pinnacle of brandy distilling, and by choosing a VSOP or XO grade of cognac, you may experience the finest expression of a distilled grape. Armagnac brandy is another excellent choice when you're looking to buy a good brandy.
Tags: been aged, least years, which been, aged least, aged least years
Eating popcorn is often associated with watching movies.
Popcorn is created by drying pieces of a specific type of corn and heating them until they explode into fluffy, white kernels. The origins of popcorn dates back to about 2,500 B.C. when Aztec medicine men threw popcorn kernels into the fire to tell fortunes based on the direction the kernel flew. Today, popcorn is a popular snack at home and movie theaters.
Nutritional Facts
Popcorn is considered a whole grain, making it a healthy choice when you are looking for a snack. When it is air-popped, it contains only 31 calories per cup. Oil-popped popcorn contains 55 calories per cup. Popcorn is also a good source of vitamins and nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin E, protein, iron and fiber. The snack is also recommended by the American Dental Association, National Cancer Institute and American Diabetes Association as a preferred snack.
Consumption Facts
About 70 percent of the approximately 17 billion quarts of popcorn consumed in the United States each year (as of the publication date of this article) is eaten in the home. The other 30 percent is consumed in public places, such as movie theaters, stadiums and school events. The food people use a microwave for the most is popcorn. More popcorn is consumed in the fall than any other time of the year. Most popcorn comes from the Midwest, particularly Nebraska.
Interesting Facts
Popcorn kernels have a lot of power for such a small object. One kernel of corn can jump up to 3 feet high when popped. Ancient ears of popcorn were found in a cave in New Mexico around 1948. These ears were estimated to be about 4,000 years old. In addition to eating popcorn by itself, some popcorn is made into treats, such as popcorn balls, Weighing about 5,000 lbs., the largest popcorn ball was made in Iowa in 2006 and measured 8 feet tall and 28.8 feet around (as of the publication date of this article).
Historical Facts
While popcorn dates back to the early Aztecs in Mexico, it also has its place in other parts of history. In 1493, Columbus took some of the corn back with him to Europe, spreading popcorn around the world. Charles Cretor developed a corn-popping machine in 1885 to increase the production of the snack. In the early 1900s, popcorn distribution moved to horse-drawn popcorn carts and then to motor vehicles. The decrease of sugar availability during World War II tripled the popcorn consumption of Americans.
Tags: Facts Popcorn, date this, date this article, dates back, movie theaters
In the supermarket, you will see many different varieties of rice to choose from. In the U.S., long grain white rice is the most popular choice.
Instructions
In a sieve, rinse and drain one cup of white long grain rice. Place the rice in a pan with a tight fitted lid. Add 1 tsp. of oil or butter and 1/2 tsp. of salt (optional). Add two cups of water. Bring water to a boil. Cover the pan with the lid and let it simmer until water is absorbed. After water has absorbed (15 to 20 minutes), remove from heat and let the rice sit with the lid on for five minutes. Fluff the rice gently before serving.
Tips
Soaking rice for 30 minutes will reduce the cooking time. Rinse rice several times before cooking to remove some of the starch; this helps to separate the grains. Stirring the rice during and after cooking will make it sticky. One cup of uncooked rice will give you about three cups of cooked rice. Use leftover rice in soup, stir fry or salad.
Other Popular Rice
Short and medium grain rice is softer and more sticky. Short grain is often used in desserts like rice pudding and is good for rice balls and sushi. Enriched rice has nutrients added and should not be washed. Converted rice has been pressure steamed, which results in a firm fluffy rice, a good choice for a side dish. Brown rice also comes in different grains; because it is less processed than white rice, it retains more of its nutrients and takes longer to cook. Instant rice is precooked, which is helpful if you are in a rush.
Tags: grain rice, long grain, rice with, water absorbed, white rice
Making your own oven baked fries is easy with this simple guide. Using healthy olive oil and baking instead of frying, makes this recipe for oven baked fries easy, healthy, and tasty.
Instructions
1. Begin by thoroughly washing eight large potatoes. Potatoes can be peeled or unpeeled depending on your preference. We like to use Russet potatoes, but the smaller red potatoes, or even the Yukon Gold potatoes are good. Using a large chopping knife, slice potatoes lengthwise and then slice again to make thin fry shaped wedges. You should have about twenty thin wedges from each potato.
2. Once all the potatoes are sliced into wedges, place them into a large mixing bowl. Add the 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil. You can use other cooking oils if you don't have the EVOO. Then, toss the fries with your hands to ensure they are evenly coated with oil.
3. Next, add your seasoning ingredients (salt, garlic and onion powder, and black pepper) to the potato wedges. Another option for seasoning these oven baked fries is with a pre-prepared seasoning mix such as Mrs. Dash, or a savory herb mixture used for seasoning poultry. Anyway, toss the fries again by hand to distribute the seasonings evenly.
4. Spray your large baking sheet with the non stick cooking spray. Be sure to get a good even coating of cooking spray on the baking sheet, or the fries might stick. Spread the seasoned fries evenly on the baking pan and place in your pre heated (400 degree F) oven. Set your oven timer for ten minutes.
5. After your oven fries have baked for ten minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to turn the seasoned fries over. Put the fries back in the oven and add ten more minutes to your oven timer.
6. After the final ten minutes of baking, remove the oven baked fries and allow them to cool for a few minutes before serving. You can season them more if they aren't tasty enough for you. Just use caution and don't overpower the baked fries with spices.
Neither fine wines nor ready-to-drink wines that will be used soon after purchase need specialized handling. Wines that improve with age, however, might turn in under a year if they're not properly stored. Ideal conditions for fine wine, or table wines you want to store for up to a year, are a steady temperature of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity levels above 50 percent and low light. Creating these conditions in your home is moderately expensive. An average do-it-yourselfer can build storage for wine in a weekend.
Instructions
1. Select a windowless, quiet corner of your basement that is not subject to vibrations from passing traffic or construction and is removed from any heat sources or strong odors.
2. Build two walls to convert the corner into a full room. Frame the walls with 2 x 4 lumber, add insulation and cover both sides with drywall. Prime and paint all four walls with Dry-Loc. Add a doorway to one of the walls and hang a door that can be locked to protect your wine collection.
3. Install a humidifier if the room is dry. Ideal humidity for fine wines is higher than 60 percent. Close the door and wait a few days, then check the temperature in the room. It should be around 55 degrees. Install a free-standing air conditioning unit if the room is too warm, and monitor the temperature until you're certain it will remain nearly constant.
4. Select commercially made wine racks for the room or build your own wooden cubes. Square ceramic pipes that are used in chimney building are an inexpensive alternative to buying manufactured racks or building your own and are the right size to hold one bottle of wine on its side.
5. Build cubes from pieces of wood or MDF that are 1 foot on each side and at least ¾" thick. Start by gluing the pieces of wood together to form a square. Reinforce the glued sides with 1 1/2 inch finishing nails or brads spaced 3 inches apart. The number of bottles of wine you intend to store will determine the number of cubes you will need.
6. Create a base for the cubes by building triangles of the same dimensions. One side of the triangle rests on the floor and the other four-sided cubes then rest on top of them, making a diamond pattern. Nine standard bottles of wine should fit in one cube. You will need one more triangle for the base than the number of cubes you will stack in one row on top of them. Five triangles will hold four cubes.
7. Stabilize the ceramic pipes, if you're using them instead of cubes, by determining the width of the pipes when they're laid side by side. The number of pipes is determined by how many bottles of wine you'll store. Install two floor-to-ceiling planks this distance apart so the ceramic pipe will be held firmly in place between them. Lay a row of pipes side by side along the floor between the planks, then continue stacking more pipe on top until you reach the desired height.
8. Store wine bottles on their sides in the cubes once the temperature and humidity have stabilized.
Tags: bottles wine, Build Storage Wine, ceramic pipes, cubes will, fine wines, number cubes
A good homemade vegetable stock can serve as the base for many soups.
Homemade vegetable stock can replace water in many recipes and add extra flavor to the dish. It's excellent to use when you make rice, risotto, soups, stews, chili and a variety of other dishes. You also can use stock in place of recipes calling for broth, as there is no discernible difference between the two. A large quantity of stock can be made at once and frozen in 1 cup portions for later use.
Instructions
1. Peel and wash all of the vegetables you'll be using. Quarter the onions, potato and turnips. Chop the green onions, carrots and celery into large pieces. Discard celery leaves. Halve the mushrooms and chop the white and light-green parts of the leeks.
2. Place all of the ingredients into an 8-qt. stockpot. Fill the pot with about a gallon of cold water to cover about half an inch above the ingredients. Bring the water to a rolling boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the pot after the hour is up. Run the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container to filter out any residual vegetable pieces.
4. Pour the stock into a resealable container and store in the refrigerator for three to four days. If you wish to keep the stock longer, measure out 1-cup increments and freeze in freezer bags or freezer-safe plasticware. Keep the frozen stock for up to three months.
Make a variety of cheeses in the comfort of your own home.
Cheese making can often be a labor intensive, yet rewarding, process. The simple steps of all cheese making are complicated by additions that radically alter the flavor of the cheese These additions include aging, allowing molds to form and allowing a rind to develop. Rind beer cheeses are basic cheeses that are washed in beer during the aging process, allowing edible mold to take root in the cheese, imparting powerful aromas and giving the rind a unique red or orange color.
Instructions
1. Heat a gallon of whole milk in a nonreactive pot. This brings the milk to the optimal temperature for forming curds. Frequently stir the milk to prevent it from scorching. Take the milk off the heat when it reaches 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Dissolve one tablet of rennet in a quarter cup of water. Use one tablet of rennet for up to every 5 gallons of milk used. Stir the mixture into the milk to separate the curds from the whey. Rennet can be obtained in most specialty cheese stores or can be ordered online.
3. Filter out the curds from the whey. Using a slotted spoon, scoop up the curds from the watery whey. Place the curds into bowl lined with cheesecloth. Wrap the curds in the cheesecloth and hang the package over a bowl or sink overnight. This will further separate the curds.
4. The next day, remove the cheese from the cloth and press it into the shape you desire using a cheese press. The press gives the cheese more solidity while filtering out any moisture. It also makes the cheese easier to cut after the process is complete.
5. Wipe the outside of the cheese regularly with a towel soaked in beer. Start out by wiping the cheese three times a day while turning it over. After a few weeks, bacteria will have set into the cheese and you can wipe down the cheese once a day or a few times a week, depending on how much bacteria you want on the cheese. Continue aging the cheese in this manner until you are satisfied with the taste.
Tags: curds from, curds from whey, from whey, separate curds, tablet rennet
If using for a sandwich, slice the beef as thinly as possible and flatten with a kitchen mallet.
Roast beef can be made from nearly every cut of beef. Although many preparations of roast beef, particularly those used for sandwiches, call for strip steak or the rib loin, other, typically tough cuts, such as bottom round and bottom flat, work as capable replacements when marinated and braised. The goal of marinating beef is to tenderize it with acidic liquids, such as wine and vinegar, and incorporate flavors from complementary, aromatic ingredients, such as fresh herbs, shallots and garlic.
Instructions
1. Mix together the tannic red wine, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, chervil, chives, fresh tarragon, dark brown sugar, kosher salt, cracked black peppercorns, parsley, garlic and olive oil and set aside.
2. Insert a fork 1/4-inch deep all over the surface of the roast. Pour the marinade in a baking dish and place the roast inside. Turn the roast over and cover with cling film.
3. Marinate the roast for a minimum of 12 hours but do not exceed 24 hours. Turn the roast over halfway through marinating. Rinse the marinade from the roast and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper prior to cooking.
Storing wine in your refrigerator may make the wine aficionado cringe, but sometimes this is the only option, aside from tossing the bottle. Having a dedicated wine refrigerator or a proper wine cellar is the best solution to storing all variations of wine. However, with a few adjustments you can easily store your red, white and rose wines in your full-size refrigerator temporarily.
Instructions
1. Adjust the temperature. The optimal temperature for keeping wine chilled is between 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. A full-size refrigerator's average temperature is 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Since this is your dedicated refrigerator, you do not want to raise the temperature too high. Keep the temperature between 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Adjust the humidity. Modern refrigerators allow you to adjust the level of humidity in their smaller compartments. Set the humidity to medium-high. If the air is too dry the cork will dry out quicker, allowing air into the bottle and ruining your wine. If your refrigerator does not have the capability to adjust humidity, you can still chill your wine anyway. Either way, it is best to consume or transfer the wine within a week.
3. Control vibration. Full-size refrigerators tend to vibrate a lot, even if you do not notice it. This vibration can start to loosen the cork, allowing air into the bottle and ruining the wine. Wrap the bottle of wine in a small towel to provide a shock absorber.
4. Drink the wine. Keeping the wine in a typical full-size refrigerator is not ideal and should not be used as a permanent placement for your wine. It is best to drink the wine within two weeks of being placed in the refrigerator.
Tags: degrees Fahrenheit, full-size refrigerator, your wine, allowing into, allowing into bottle, between degrees
Vegetables can be incorporated into a variety of delicious snacks, such as a slice of vegetable packed pizza.
Some kids have an aversion to eating vegetables. This aversion is intensified when the kid's peers and classmates express their views regarding vegetables. But vegetable snacks can start a child on the road to healthy eating for the rest of their life if these obstacles are overcome. It requires greater effort and extra time to guide a kid to love vegetables but the rewards are well worth it for the rest of the child's life.
Kid-Size Cut Snacks
Spread a light coating of peanut butter on small segments of celery stalk. Baby carrots are always a favorite of children, especially when dipped into hummus or a low-fat dip. Other vegetables that go well with a low-fat dip are cauliflower florets, broccoli crowns and bell pepper strips. Cherry or grape tomatoes are kid-size and appealing to kids.
Snacks on The Go
Snacks are a fact of life for kids, whether coming home from school or playing in a soccer tournament. Vegetable snacks are generally eaten as finger foods and vegetable bars fit the bill perfectly. Vegetable bars are made from lots of chopped vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, zucchini and whole pumpkin seeds, then chilled and cut into squares. The bars travel well, are easy to handle and are delicious and energizing. Chilled grape tomatoes, chilled slices of yellow squash and slices of cucumber dunked into a yogurt dip make for a crispy, crunchy snack. You can also use an electric dehydrator, to dehydrate vegetables such as sweet corn, carrots, potatoes, peas and tomatoes. Dried vegetables are very flavorful and nutritious.
Light Meal/Snack
When a child is eating a light meal to bridge the gap between meals that are widely spaced, or something to eat after a long day before bed time, vegetables are an excellent choice. A half sandwich and a glass of milk is made even better with the primary ingredients on the sandwich is spinach leaves and tomatoes with fresh sprouts. Whole grain crackers topped with a smear of low-fat cream cheese and a slice of yellow or zucchini squash are colorful and delicious as a light meal before bedtime.
If you have an electric stove, you might think that you cannot use a round bottomed wok on top of the flat burner. The truth is that you can use a wok on an electric stove coil, but there are some things you will need to do in order for your cooking to be successful. It's possible to use your wok for all of your favorite Asian dishes on your electric stove.
Instructions
1. Buy a flat bottomed wok rather than a round bottomed one. These do not require a wok ring to be used. If you already have a round bottomed wok, you can adapt it to your electric stove.
2. Look at your wok ring. These are for use with round bottomed woks. It should be a ring with a series of holes in the sides. This is best for an electric stove since it will concentrate all of the heat to the bottom of the wok.
3. Place your wok ring over the coil you intend to use for your wok with the wider portion of the ring pointing up. This will give your round bottomed wok better stability.
4. Replace the wok ring if it is too large or small to closely cover the burner or if it keeps the wok bottom too high from the heat. It should be slightly lifted from the electric coil by about 1/2 to 1 inch.
5. Let your wok preheat on your electric stove for 10 minutes before adding the food or oil for a stir fry. The wok should be letting off smoke.
6. Add cold oil according to your recipe and swirl it around to coat the inside of the pan. Once the oil is hot and sizzling, add the food and stir fry as usual.
Tags: round bottomed, electric stove, your electric, your electric stove, electric stove
Matcha ("ground tea") is a Japanese tea made from powdered green tea leaves. The leaves are grown and dried in specially designed processes, after which they are ground to create a fine powder. Matcha is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony and to flavor food. It is considered highly nutritious, containing antioxidants, amino acids, fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins.
Function
Other than being drunk as tea, matcha is used in desserts such as cakes, ice cream, cookies, puddings, candies, cheesecakes and mousse; in noodles, dumplings and savory sauces; and in drinks such as smoothies, milkshakes and lattes. It is also sometimes mixed with other teas and in alcohol.
Features
The proper kind of tea leaf for making matcha is called tencha. To make tencha, a few weeks before harvesting the tea leaf bushes are covered with mats or tarps to keep them out of direct sunlight. The bushes respond to this by growing more slowly, producing amino acids (which make the tea sweeter tasting) and darkening their leaves. Leaves are harvested and dried flat (traditionally in indirect sunlight, but commonly dried indoors).
The tencha is then de-stemmed, de-veined and ground (higher quality matcha is stone ground, lower quality is machine ground). This is matcha.
History
During the Tang Dynasty, powdered tea was made from steamed tea leaves shaped into bricks and drunk with salt. Later, in the Song Dynasty, whipped tea from powdered steam-readied dried tea leaves and hot water was popular.
The first tea ritual was invented by Chan Buddhists. The first code on the etiquette of ritualized tea drinking was written in 1103 AD by the Chan Buddhists. In 1191, powdered tea was introduced to Japan, along with Zen Buddhism. In the 1500s, Sen no Rikyu perfected the tea ceremony.
Benefits
Because matcha is a green tea, it contains several antioxidants including catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which can inhibit cancer cells. Matcha also can reduce triglyceride and cholesterol levels, acts as an anti-inflammatory and is an anti-androgenic. Due to the leaves actually being ingested, more nutrition is obtained from matcha than from steeped loose-leaf green tea. Matcha also contains L-Theanine, an amino acid with relaxing properties.
Considerations
Matcha comes in grades of quality. The highest quality matcha comes from leaves picked on the top of the tea bush, where leaves are still developing.
Three main grades are ingredient grade (which comes from below the top leaf and bud set of the tea bush), usucha (which comes from bushes younger than 30 years old) and koicha (which comes from bushes at least 30 years old). Most of the high-quality matcha tea is grown in the Uji Tawara vicinity.
Matcha ground outside of Japan will sometimes be exploded instead of ground, which changes the flavor. Matcha is brewed with hot, not boiling water. Powdered teas not made using tencha are not matcha, but konacha (powder tea.)
Tags: comes from, which comes, which comes from, amino acids, Chan Buddhists, comes from bushes
Duvel is a world-class beer. It's the leading example of the Belgian Blonde style and is known by beer-lovers around the globe for its unique flavor and alcoholic strength. Like many other beers, you'll need to pour Duvel a certain way to get the most out of drinking it. Since there are few greater tragedies in the world than a wasted glass of Duvel, follow these instructions to create the perfect pour.
Instructions
1. Choose a glass for the beer. The Duvel brewery sells a unique tulip-shaped flask that shows off the beer's color and enormous head, but if you don't have one any regular glass will do.
2. Wipe the glass clean with a moist paper towel or cloth. Duvel is amazingly clear for such a strong ale, but the glass needs to be spotless for you to truly appreciate its color.
3. Hold the glass in one hand and the open Duvel in the other.
4. Pour the beer slowly into the glass. Make sure the stream of liquid hits the side of the glass and not the very bottom. This helps grow the creamy, white head.
5. Straighten the glass out as the bottle empties. Resist the urge to pour the beer too quickly at the end, as this can cause the head to rapidly expand and flow out of the glass.
6. Take a moment to admire the fine color and balanced volume of your properly-poured Duvel before taking their first sip.
New York City has a very large Latin American population, including Mexicans, Colombians and Dominicans, among others. There is also a large number of Puerto Ricans, particularly in the Bronx and Brooklyn. As a result, there is a lot of fantastic Puerto Rican cuisine in the city. Puerto Rican cuisine is based around a lot of rice and beans and meats such as pork and beef. Other Puerto Rican favorites include plantains (similar to bananas), often served fried, called tostones. Most Puerto Rican cuisine can be found in the Bronx or on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but there are Puerto Rican restaurants all over the city if you take the time to look. Here are a few ways to enjoy the best Puerto Rican dining New York City has to offer.
Instructions
1. Dine at Sofrito on East 57th Street. Located in midtown Manhattan, Sofrito gives diners an elegant and sleek atmosphere combined with genuine Puerto Rican cuisine. With amazing main courses like chicken rice and seafood stew and green plantains, you will feel like you just stepped out into the breezy island climate of Puerto Rico. Not to mention, the restaurant often has gentle live Caribbean music playing.
2. Try El Deportivo Restaurant on 9th Avenue. El Deportivo specializes in homey, traditional, unpretentious Puerto Rican cooking. Many Puerto Rican customers remark that the food tastes "just like my mother used to make." With a family-oriented atmosphere and great portions, you can't lose at El Deportivo. The pernil asado (roast pork) and ropa vieja (pulled beef) items on the menu are particularly delicious.
3. Check at La Taza de Oro on Eighth Avenue. La Taza de Oro is a simple and casual way to fill up on tasty and genuine Puerto Rican dining. Whether you want rice and beans or tostones, plantains, or pork, you can get it at La Taza de Oro. Not to mention, the service is absolutely excellent; warm and efficient. Take advantage of the low prices and warm atmosphere of La Taza de Oro.
4. Eat at Old San Juan on 9th Avenue. Old San Juan serves up traditional Puerto Rican fare with low prices and heaping portions. The alcapurrias are excellent, as are the delightfully crispy tostones. One of the highlights on the menu is the mofongo with crab meat, as the crab meat is very tasty and fresh. If you are interested in classic Puerto Rican cuisine in a cozy and mellow environment, Old San Juan is the place.
5. Stop by La Fonda Boricua on East 106th Street. This uptown Puerto Rican dining establishment serves up tantalizing stews, roasted porks, fish, salads, amongst other dishes. The pan-fried steaks available at La Fonda Boricua are some of the best available in the entire city, full of flavor and genuinely Puerto Rican. If you like a combination of great food and live music, then La Fonda Boricua is the place for you.
Tags: Puerto Rican, Puerto Rican cuisine, Rican cuisine, Fonda Boricua, Puerto Rican dining
Large, dusty-looking russet potatoes change the texture of potato salad.
Create a fluffy potato salad reminiscent of the texture of a baked potato by using russet potatoes instead of a waxy red or white potatoes. Russets are high-starch potatoes favored for mashed and baked potatoes, but not usually for potato salad. Once cooked, russets fall to pieces. Take advantage of this texture and use it for a fluffy, rather than chunky, potato salad.
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Add 2 lbs. (2 to 3 extra large potatoes) of scrubbed russet potatoes to the rapidly boiling water.
3. Cook the whole potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes or until a knife easily slides through the center of the largest potato.
4. Drain the potatoes in the colander and rinse them with cold water to chill.
5. Peel and cube the potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
6. Combine the potatoes, eggs, pickles, celery, onion and optional bell pepper in a large mixing bowl.
7. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 tbsp. of pickle juice, yellow mustard, paprika and black pepper in a small, separate bowl.
8. Whisk the dressing ingredients until smooth. Add more pickle juice if needed to thin the dressing to make it pourable.
9. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture in the larger bowl and stir to coat the vegetables.
10. Chill the potato salad for at least 2 hours to thoroughly chill and combine the flavors.
Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day meal.
Every St. Patrick's Day, cooks in restaurants and pubs all over Ireland boil up batches of corned beef and cabbage and ladle it out to hungry tourists looking for a taste of the traditional holiday meal. The Irish themselves hardly ever touch the stuff and swear they had nothing to do with the recipe. Irish immigrants who settled in the northeast may have picked up the idea from Jewish delicatessen where corned beef was popular or from New Englanders who make a similar meal called boiled dinner. Whatever its origins, corned beef and cabbage is a St. Patrick's Day tradition and a simple dish to prepare.
Instructions
1. Rinse the corned beef and place it the pot with peppercorns, salt and a couple of bay leaves. Cover everything with about 2 qt. of cold water making sure that the meat is under an inch of fluid. Bring the water to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about three hours. While the meat cooks, keep the broth clear. Stir occasionally and skim any foam the rises to the top of the water.
2. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots and onions and enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Add the wedges of cabbage and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. When cooked, the cabbage should be tender, a knife should cut easily through the vegetables and the meat should be moist and easy to break apart.
4. Melt the stick of butter and add the freshly chopped parsley.
5. Place the corned beef in the middle of the patter. Surround the meat with the vegetables and drizzle a few spoonfuls of broth over everything. Pour the melted butter and parsley over the vegetables and serve.
Tags: beef cabbage, about minutes, corned beef, corned beef, simmer about
The production of wine from grapes is not an easy or standard process. Significant education and practice goes into being a successful wine maker. There are considerations at all levels of grape farming and wine production that require skilled professionals. While the process of making wine from grapes is not easy to perfect, however, the basics of winemaking are fairly easy to understand. A proper knowledge of the processes behind winemaking is highly valuable for the full enjoyment of a particular wine. This knowledge also helps with the understanding of the differences between types of wine and aids greatly in the search for that perfect wine selection.
Instructions
1. The first step of winemaking is harvesting the grapes. The type of grape planted dictates the style of wine that will be produced, and each type of grape requires specific timing and growing conditions. Some of the more important variables that need to be considered for the timing of the harvest include the weather, the ripeness of the grapes, sugar and acidity levels, pH, color and smell. Grapes have traditionally been harvested by hand, and still are in many vinyards, but there are also modern machines that are sometimes used to complete the picking process.
2. Once a grape is picked, it must be transported to the crush location within eight hours. The next step is to put all of the grapes through a destemming machine. The stems of grapes if left on can greatly change the taste of a wine, so this process is absolutely crucial for purity of flavor.
3. The next step is fermenting. For white wine grapes, the skin of the grape is separated from the inside for fermentation. With red wine grapes, fermentation involves the entire grape. The amount of time the skins stay with the insides determines the darkness of a wine (from blush to dark red), because wine color comes from the pigment of the grape skin. During fermentation, yeast is added to the grapes in order to turn the natural sugar into alcohol. Cane or beet sugar can also be added to further increase alcohol content. This fermentation process lasts for 7-to-14 days, depending on the wine variety.
4. After fermentation comes the filtering process. Wine undergoes an elaborate filtering process before it is stored. This includes allowing sediment to settle in the wine over a period of time, and then transferring the cleared wine to another container. The time and temperature of these settling periods needs to be carefully monitored and planned, depending on the type of wine being produced.
5. The next step is the aging process. The methods of storing wine during aging vary greatly, from cool underground wine cellars to aboveground steel containers. The time required for wines to age depends on the variety of wine. Rose wines age fairly quickly, while some red wines need to age for three or more years. After the aging process is complete, the wine is filtered one final time to remove any further sediment.
6. The final step is the bottling and corking process. The type of sealing procedure used varies by preference and by individual winemakers. Traditional cork can be used, as well as screw tops. Seals are also an option and can vary from aluminum to wax, placed over the corked lip of the bottle. For a wine to live for its full shelf life, and to continue any necessary aging, it must be properly sealed.
Tags: next step, wine from, aging process, filtering process, from grapes
Fondue was all the rage at parties in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The fondue pot was suspended above a flame and used to melt a sauce, usually chocolate or some sort of cheese. Guests would dip fruit, cookies, crackers or bread into the warm sauce and eat it as an hors d'oeuvre. Fondue pots are harder to come by now, having largely vanished even from the rummage sale scene. It does not take much work to make a simple fondue kit, though.
Instructions
1. Remove the handle from the sauce pan. This will prevent it from being accidentally being knocked over while you are dipping into the fondue.
2. Empty and clean the beef stew can. Use the tin snips to cut a large hole in the bottom of the can. Leave at least a half-inch rim of metal around the bottom of the can.
3. Use the ice pick to poke holes around the side of the can. Make a multitude of small holes. You can do it in a pattern if you wish, but the holes are there to allow plenty of oxygen through to keep the tea candle lit.
4. Set the candle it its holder and put it on a large circular plate. Set the beef stew can upside down and centered over the candle. If the candle is too low to heat the pot, use stone drink coasters to elevate it.
5. Light the candle, center the sauce pot on top of the coffee can, and put the ingrediants for your sauce into the pot. When it melts, your fondue is ready for dipping.
A warm bowl of homemade chicken soup with egg noodles.
There is nothing like homemade chicken soup, whether you're sick or just need some comfort food, and it's remarkably easy to make. Give up on opening the cans of pre-made stuff and make your own. You and those you share it with will all appreciate it all the more.
Instructions
Make Homemade Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles
1. I like to cook my soups in my Dutch oven, but any large pot will do. Start by heating the oil on medium heat, then add the onion as soon as the oil is hot. Cook the onion until it is translucent, and then add the garlic and herbs. Saute the garlic and herbs for about a minute, and then add the chicken pieces and let them brown slightly, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side.
2. Add the chopped vegetables, salt, pepper and water. Bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling lightly, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. After the soup has had time to stew for about 20 minutes, take the chicken pieces out and set aside to cool. Add the chicken stock to the broth and turn up the heat to bring the contents to a boil once again.
4. When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, separate the meat from the skin and bones. Chop the chicken into small chunks or use two forks to shred the meat. Add the chicken meat back into the pot and when the contents are boiling again, add the egg noodles. Cook until the pasta is done (usually between 6 and 8 minutes, but a taste test is the best way to be sure).
5. Serve soup in large bowls and top with parsley, chives, green onion or whatever else you choose. Grated parmigiano cheese is another great topper. Serve some freshly toasted bread or crackers on the side and you've got a great light meal.
If you do not wish to roast your fresh almonds, you can shell them instead. Almonds have thin skins that shed or peel after coming into contact with hot water. Depending on your preference, you may either boil or soak the almonds to remove their shells. Either way, this process will leave you with smooth, white almonds that are free of flaky pieces of shell. Almonds prepared in this manner are ideal for baking purposes or for eating on their own.
Instructions
1. Heat a pot of water until boiling. Place the almonds in the boiling water for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Strain the almonds using the colander.
2. Soak the almonds in water for a few hours instead of boiling them. This process is ideal if you do not want to wait for the water to boil, or if you are not yet ready to peel the almonds.
3. Break off the tip of the almond at its sharp point. Use your fingernails or a kitchen knife, but cut off as little almond as possible. Your goal is to break the shell to enable peeling.
4. Squeeze the almond gently between your fingers. The shell should start to break apart in your hands. Peel the shell off the rest of the way and discard any pieces.
Crash dieting is never a long-term solution to achieve weight loss, but if you need to fit into that special party outfit or want to lose a few pounds fast, try a cottage cheese crash diet. In addition to fast weight loss, one of the most popular benefits of this diet is that you will hardly need to cook-and cleanup is a snap.
How It Works
This inexpensive diet is easy to follow and should be followed for less than two weeks. You'll eat approximately 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day. Eat five 200-calorie servings of low-fat cottage cheese throughout the day. Stay hydrated by drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day. Water also flushes your system of toxins and fat, which encourages the weight-loss process.
In addition to this diet being low in calories, you'll lose weight because this program is high in protein. Cottage cheese contains between 25 and 30 grams of protein per serving, which helps you metabolize fat and also helps you maintain your immune system during your diet. The amino acids in protein also burn fat more efficiently, allowing you to see results quickly.
If the diet gets too monotonous, add a dash of cinnamon or some artificial sweetener to your cottage cheese. A variation of the strict cottage cheese crash diet is to integrate a piece of fruit along with your three cottage cheese "meals."
How Crash Diets Can Harm Your Health
Your temporary fast weight drop could be permanently damaging your health. Cardiologist Isadore Rosenfeld, MD, a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, says that although one crash diet won't directly harm your heart, repeatedly crash dieting will increase your risk for heart attacks. Dr. Rosenfeld adds that crash diets also damage blood vessels due to rapid shrinking and growing. You could also be set up to experience shortness of breath and heart palpitations.
You also don't alter your overall lifestyle when you crash diet. A quick weight-loss program, such as the cottage cheese crash diet, only removes the pounds while you are on the diet. Eventually you'll resume your normal eating pattern and gain weight, which might be the reason you needed a crash diet.
MTV Documentary "True Life" featured a beauty contestant who followed the cottage cheese crash diet to lose weight and dropped a decent amount. The downside is that once Amber stopped her diet, she gorged on cheeseburgers and French fries and gained the weight back.
Chocolate fondue is a great dip for fruit or cake.
Chocolate fondue is a delicious dessert for a special get-together with friends or a romantic evening with your significant other. Heat chocolate and other ingredients together into a thick sauce that can be used to dip fruit, cake or anything else you want to serve. A fondue set offers a convenient way to make fondue. If you're using a Trudeau 24-piece fondue set, you have two different options for the pot you use -- make sure you use the right one for the best possible chocolate fondue.
Instructions
1. Place the pot in the rack. Insert a gelled fondue fuel into the safety burner and light it with a match.
2. Put 1 cup of water into the metal pot.
3. Place the stoneware bowl onto the pot so it rests just above the water. Allow the water to heat for 15 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup of cream to the stoneware pot. Stir it frequently as it heats.
5. Add in the chocolate and vanilla extract slowly, stirring to incorporate it into the cream. Stir in a figure eight pattern. You can also add other things like red wine or marshmallows, if desired.
6. Give each guest an individual fondue fork. Dip your cut fruit or cake into the melted chocolate.
Vermont Cranberry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are an heirloom variety that gets its name from the deep red or pink coloring of the bean hull. It is a bush variety of bean native to the New England states but can grow in most other regions of the U.S. as well. The plant reaches only 2 feet high at maturity and you can plant them outdoors after the threat of frost passes in the spring.
Instructions
1. Plant the beans in the spring after daytime temperatures reach an average of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Look for a location with well-drained ground soil and full sunlight exposure.
2. Loosen the soil in the site thoroughly to a 4- to 5-inch depth using a garden tiller. If a tiller is not available, you can accomplish the task with a hoe, or bow rake.
3. Spread a 5-10-10 slow-release, granular fertilizer over the loosened soil using the recommended amount on the fertilizer package. In general, apply 1 lb. of fertilizer for every 100 square feet of garden space. Mix up the soil with the tiller or hoe to combine the fertilizer granules with the soil.
4. Create a 1-inch-deep trench along the length of the planting site using the garden hoe. If you are planting multiple rows of Vermont Cranberry beans, create multiple trenches spacing them two feet apart.
5. Insert the Vermont Cranberry bean seeds into the trench, spacing each two inches apart.
6. Push soil into each of the trenches until they are filled. Pat the top of the soil lightly to firm it, but do not pack it down tightly.
7. Water the soil to a 3-inch depth using a garden hose.
Tags: Vermont Cranberry, using garden, Cranberry beans, depth using, depth using garden
A turducken is a turkey stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a duck stuffed with stuffing. It is usually offered to guests at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and sometimes Easter to add a bit of flare to the holiday meal. There are many variations on the turducken and it is even said that anyone can make their own. But, here is buy a turducken for your next get-together.
Instructions
1. Get a head count on guests. The turducken comes in different sizes. The smaller 10 pound turducken will feed 10 to 14 people. The larger turducken will feed as many as 20 people. Keep in mind that some people might be turned off by the concept and want traditional food. Count them out of the head count. Feed children 1/4 to 1/2 of an adult portion.
2. Find the best turducken seller. There are several on the market and it will depend on your tastes. The Cajun turduckens are good but may be too spicy for some guests. Buy the turducken that friends and your butcher recommends. The concept is gaining ground and there will be plenty of people in the meat business to add their opinion.
3. Buy a turducken online. The mail order turducken will come frozen and should be in a vacuum-sealed bag for added freshness. The turducken must arrive within the given time frame for freshness; return it if it arrives late.
4. Buy a turducken at your local supermarket. The local markets only sell turduckens at holiday times and they go fast. Pre-order the turducken to assure the arrival of the turducken to your dining room table. Contact your local wholesale food stores like Costco, Sam's Club, or BJ's wholesalers. Ask if they will be getting this new dish and to reserve one.
5. Be prepared to pay for your precious new holiday dish. The birds cost around $70.
Tags: stuffed with, turducken will, turducken your, guests turducken, head count, turducken will feed
Creating your own personal herb blend can add flavor to your cooking. You can grow your own herbs making the blend truly personal. You can also use fresh or dried herbs found at your local grocer. Regardless of the source of your herbs, learning to blend, mix and match your herbs is a great way to use them.
Instructions
1. Research what herbs go with what foods. When making a personal blend for chicken, you must know which herbs work best with it. You can also be willing to venture out and use your own likes and dislikes.
2. Think about food. Remember all your favorite foods and dishes. Think about the tastes you like best. Now imagine combining those flavors and think of what they might taste like. Try some of the combinations.
3. Find a great source for the herbs of your choice. The fresher the herb, the more flavor it adds to your blend and your food. Get to know your source. Consider growing your own herbs for even more personalization.
4. Experiment in small batches. Make a small batch of your herb blend and test it out. Depend on your taste buds to tell you if it's what you are looking for, or if you need to make changes.
5. Take detailed notes. It is frustrating to make that perfect personal blend only to forget exactly how you made it. Taking notes about everything will help you be able to make that blend over again. Make sure you note exact measurements.
6. Make enough of your blend to last you. One of the advantages of making personal herb blends is to have them readily on hand. Making a larger batch will ensure this.
7. If you use fresh herbs, store them in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag. They will not keep long, so be sure to make up only what you can use.
8. Dried herb blends must be stored in airtight containers. Store these containers away from heat and light. Most experts say that dried herbs lose much of their flavor after six months. Only make up what you can use in this time.
9. Practicing with classic blends first may give you a good foundation when making your own blends. There are websites with herb recipes. Find one that appeals to you and try it out. This will give you the feel for the amounts to use and the flavors you want to create.
10. Share your herb blend. This is as simple as having friends and family over for a dinner using your herb blend. You can even package it up and use it as a gift for that cook on your list. Making and sharing herb blends is great fun.
Tags: herb blend, your herbs, your herb, your herb blend, dried herbs
A Masala Dabba is a spice box used in traditional Indian cooking. It's round stainless steel container with two lids. There are seven compartments to hold spices and a small teaspoon. Follow these steps to learn use a Masala Dabba.
Instructions
1. Find a good quality Masala Dabba. Make sure it's made of quality stainless steel that won't easily dent. They can be purchased at gourmet stores or online.
2. Choose a Masala Dabba size to fit your needs. Pick a size that will allow you to use the spices before they get too old. They range from seven to twelve inches in diameter. Twelve-inch ones are too big for most households.
3. Fill your Masala Dabba with the spices you use the most while cooking. If you use a lot of spices, you may want to grow them on your own. Grinding them yourself will cut down on expense and always provide a fresh supply.
4. Purchase a second Masala Dabba if you find that one isn't enough. Fill it with the spices you don't use as much as the ones in your first Masala Dabba.
5. Select spices such as ground turmeric, garam masala, fenugreek seeds, ground cumin, mustard seeds, chili powder, ground coriander, red chili powder and black mustard seeds. Use these spices if you are new to Indian cooking and aren't familiar with the spices. They are the most common ones and are found in a Masala Dabba.
Tags: Masala Dabba, with spices, chili powder, Indian cooking, mustard seeds, stainless steel
New York City has an amazing selection of some of the finest international restaurants. Whatever you could possibly ask for, you probably can get in New York City. Peruvian cuisine is certainly no exception. Based around seafood (like ceviche, a fish and citrus sauce dish) and lots of rice and beans, Peruvian cuisine appeals to a lot of palates. Peruvian food can be found anywhere in New York City, but particularly on the Upper West Side or in midtown Manhattan. Here are a few ways to experience some of the finest Peruvian food New York City has to offer.
Instructions
1. Dine at Lima's Taste Ceviche Bar on Christopher Street. This West Village locale is an ideal way to get some tasty Peruvian cuisine in New York. Not only is the ceviche (fish in lime or lemon juice) tantalizing, but the menu offers up other favorites such as chicken, beef, and vegetarian delights. Be sure to try the Papa Rellena on the menu as well. The lovely restaurant decor combined with the artful presentation of the dishes makes Lima's a must-have and must-see for Peruvian cuisine lovers in New York.
2. Try Pio Pio on East 34th Street. This Midtown Peruvian joint offers casual Peruvian cuisine at moderate prices. The menu is satisfying and no nonsense. Customers get to satisfy all their Peruvian cravings, from Chicken Pio (marinated chicken) to fried yucca, all within the confines of a comfortable and brightly decorated Midtown atmosphere.
3. Try Pisac Restaurant on East 188th Street in the Bronx. Pisac offers the unusual but exciting combination of traditional Peruvian culinary delights, as well as pizza. The ceviche de pescado is some of the tastiest ceviche you will find anywhere, and the wonderful choritos will keep people coming back for more and more. If you are a ceviche lover, then Pisac is the place for you. The quality of the fish is great and the citrus sauce is tangy and sublime.
4. Check out Mancora on 1st Avenue. Mancora gives customers a warm, exotic Peruvian atmosphere and friendly, polite dining experience. The Paella Marinara is flavorful and filling, and the saffron rice is remarkable. The portions are also extremely generous, so prepare to leave Mancora feeling very full. Take advantage of the delicious menu and terrific portions at Mancora.
5. Eat at Panca on 7th Avenue. Not only does Panca serve us some great ceviche, but the tiraditos (seafood cuts) are out of this world. Full of rich Peruvian tastes and flavors, customers will be delighted to see the generous, Latin-style portions available at Panca. Dining at Panca is a great way to get a little taste of Lima without having to set food outside of New York City.
Tags: Peruvian cuisine, York City, ceviche fish, citrus sauce, Peruvian food
Curried eggs on toast is a cost effective main meal that is tasty, filling, and unusual. It's great to serve it right after Easter to use up all the hard boiled eggs but this dish is good any time of year. It goes well with a green salad or with fresh cooked green peas. This recipe serves 6 people.
Instructions
1. Boil one dozen eggs for 20 minutes or until they are hard boiled. Peel the eggs and rinse them in cold water to make sure that all the little pieces of egg shell are off.
2. Peel and slice the onions into long pieces that are about 1/4 inch wide.
3. Melt one stick of butter in a large saucepan. Toss in the onions and allow them to cook for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Dump in 1/4 cup white flour and stir until the flour has absorbed all of the butter. It will look pastey. Pour in 2 cups of milk. Stir constantly until the milk thickens. This is the basic recipe for a white sauce which you can adapt for many soups, sauces, and gravies. Reduce the heat and continue to monitor the pot to make sure that the sauce does not stick to the bottom.
4. Hold the egg slicer over the pot and press down over each peeled hard boiled egg so that the slices drop into the sauce. Gently stir to combine the eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of yellow curry powder. Stir gently. You want to combine the ingredients without damaging the egg slices. The mixture will turn a bright yellow. Cover and keep warm until you are ready to serve the curried eggs on toast.
5. Toast 12 slices of white bread but do not butter them. Place the dry toast on individual dinner plates and spoon a generous portion of the hot curried egg mixture over the toast. Serve piping hot with salt to taste.
Tags: hard boiled, make sure, make sure that, sure that
Cane sugar is sucrose that has been extracted from the sugarcane plant that has not been refined; it is also referred to as raw sugar. Because of the higher price and a distinct taste, cane sugar is not as popular as highly refined white sugar in American kitchens. Refined sugar, as the name implies, undergoes high levels of chemical processing before appearing at the grocers.
Harvest
Sugarcane is a sustainable plant; when it is cut above the roots, the stalks will regrow the next season and produce for many years before it is exhausted. Sugarcane thrives in hot, wet climates. In the United States, four states harvest sugarcane: Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida and Texas. It is typically harvested and processed by machines that cut down the stalks, load them into a transport vehicle and bring them to a plant to be processed.
Processing
The sugarcane is put into a machine that destroys, twists and turns the stalks to extract the cane juice. The byproduct, bagasse, is utilized to fuel the boilers in the plant or put into agricultural mulch. The juice is filtered to remove the dirt, and then the cane juice is boiled so the water evaporates and sugar crystals grow. The mixture is then spun rapidly to separate the liquid from the sugar, which is then dried. In this form you have raw cane sugar.
Refining
Refining is a process that involves cleaning and purifying the raw sugar. Sugar that is imported to other nations is usually refined after arrival. Eight United States refine sugar: Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida, Texas, California, New York, Maryland and Georgia.
The raw sugar first undergoes a process called affination. The goal of affination is to remove the liquid layer that builds up around the sugar crystals. The raw sugar is mixed with purer syrup and spun to separate the liquid from the crystals, much as it was before shipment. This removes additional impurities from the sugar. The liquid still contains many particles, which are further removed by carbonation. Small pieces of chalk are mixed in with the liquid, the particles are drawn to them and then they are removed. Then the color is removed either by being burnt off by carbon or an ionic resin. It is boiled to remove the liquid so crystals can grow, and then spun again to remove further liquid. The result is white, refined sugar. The liquid byproduct is molasses.
Health Considerations
No one will claim that sugar is good for you, but raw sugar is more healthful than refined sugar because there are no chemical additives. Raw sugar is minimally processed, making it a natural product and easier for your body to digest. All sugar is high in calories and low in nutritional value.
Benefits
Eating raw sugar supports a more sustainable industry than eating refined sugar because the crop is sustainable and the byproducts are used to run the factory. Refined sugar is mass produced and less expensive.
Cucumber maki sushi rolls are low in calories, but those calories can add up quickly if they are made as it is traditionally -- with rice. By substituting the rice with something else, you can lower the calorie content without reducing too much of the flavor. Here is make lo-cal cucumber maki sushi.
Instructions
Sushi goes green!
1. Cut your cucumbers length-wise into thin strips about a quarter of an inch thick, if not thinner.
2. Place a sheet of roasted seaweed on your cutting board and pour a few drops of rice vinegar onto it. Spread the vinegar evenly on the surface of the sheet with your fingers. Do not make it too damp but try to ensure the vinegar reaches the edges.
3. Place a small handful of alfalfa or broccoli sprouts onto the seaweed sheet and spread evenly on all parts except about an inch or two from the bottom.
4. Place three or four cucumber strips on the sprouts, across the length of the top part of your sheet.
5. Roll the top of the seaweed sheet gently, but firmly, down toward you, packing the sprouts and the cucumber strips tightly as you roll the sheet all the way down. You will probably roll it all the way around the vegetables about three times, depending on how many vegetables you have placed inside the seaweed. Secure the roll by sticking the end into the remaining inch of seaweed, which you did not cover with sprouts. The vinegar should make it easier for the sheet to stick.
6. Cut pieces evenly with your knife, making sure to make a clean cut so that the ingredients do not fall out of the seaweed sheets. You may find it impossible to keep the two edges of the roll to retain their structure. Unfortunately, this is to be expected, as the absence of rice makes it more difficult to keep the ingredients packed together. You'll just have to make more rolls!
7. Use chop sticks to dip your cucumber maki pieces in soy sauce and add a dab of wasabi, if you wish.
Tags: cucumber maki, cucumber strips, maki sushi, seaweed sheet, with your
Pimento cheese is a staple of Southern cuisine. The combination of flavors seems to burst on your tongue and it is suitable for a quick snack, or to serve as a party appetizer. The ingredients are pantry and refrigerator staples that many people have on hand. Once you discover the mixture of ingredients in pimento cheese, you can customize the recipe and add your favorite cheeses or spices.
Basic Ingredients
The three basic ingredients of pimento cheese are shredded cheese, pimentos and mayonnaise. The mayonnaise acts as the binder that holds the other ingredients together. The cheese spread is often made in a food processor, which blends the ingredients and chops the shredded cheese into a smoother consistency. Salt, pepper and other spices are added to give the mixture more flavor.
Possible Add-Ins
Different pimento cheese recipes call for varying ingredients. Many recipes use sharp cheddar cheese, which has a tart and distinctive flavor; some call for Monterey jack cheese, which has a milder flavor; and still others use a combination of the two cheeses. Cream cheese is also used in some recipes, as it makes the finished product smoother and easier to spread. Garlic and green onions also add more flavor, and chopped dill pickles are even found in some recipes.
Commercial Blends
When shopping online or at your local grocery store, you might find commercial pimento cheese spread. The ingredients in commercial spreads vary significantly from the homemade versions because the manufacturer must create large batches at one time and ship the mixture across the country. Commercial spreads typically use American cheese or imitation cheese, which is made from oil and has a blander and more mellow flavor than real cheese made with milk. The spreads also use oil for a spreadable consistency and artificial flavors and preservatives.
Serving Suggestions
Spread pimento cheese on toasted or untoasted white bread for a quick meal. If you're entertaining a large group, fill a large bowl with the cheese mixture and serve with crackers or chopped vegetables. Pimento cheese is also an interesting substitute for mayonnaise or mustard on hamburgers and hotdogs. Give chili cheese dogs a fresh look and taste by spreading pimento cheese on the bun, adding a cooked hot dog, and topping with homemade chili, chopped onions, and a small amount of shredded cheese.