Cooking Recipies, your guide to a great meal

Cooking recipes 40

2008-04-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

How To Cook Rice

In the early 1970s one of the first celebrity chefs hit the TV screens of Australia and Great Britain in the form of Graham Kerr, 'The Galloping Gourmet'.

Kerr was a leader in stripping away a lot of the over-complicated cooking methods still being peddled in many cookbooks. His teaching premise was as simple as his recipes - learn a basic method first and everything else will follow.

My recipe for boiled rice is a variation on his original method, the main difference being the addition of vinegar to the boiling water. It's simple, uncomplicated and foolproof.

For 2-3 people:

The trick is to have a medium sized saucepan with a lid, plus a colander or sieve that will fit inside the rim of the pan.

Bring about 3 liters of salted water, plus one quarter cup of white vinegar, to boil in the pan. Add to this one coffee mug of long grain rice, stir it once (and once only), partially cover and cook on a medium heat for exactly 15 minutes.

Drain the rice into the colander and rinse it briefly under cold water to remove any excess starch clinging to the grains. There won't be very much, that is the purpose of the vinegar - which will not, I promise you, adversely flavor the rice.

Now put about three inches of water in the bottom of the pan and bring it to the boil. Put the colander with the rice on the pan, and the pan lid over the rice.

Reduce the heat and steam the rice for around ten minutes - or until you are ready to use it. It will be perfectly cooked, light and fluffy.

Top Tip: When steaming in this way, add a marble or small pebble to the pan. If the water begins to boil dry you'll hear about it!

One huge advantage of this method is that you can prepare your rice beforehand and simply keep it in the fridge until you need it - even overnight if necessary. Be sure to cover it though, to prevent it drying out.

You can either re-heat it using the steaming method given above or use it cold for salads. Of course you can also use it at this stage for your favorite fried rice recipe if you wish.

You can produce yellow rice by adding saffron or a teaspoon of turmeric to the water before adding the rice, or add a handful of chopped bell pepper to produce a nice decorative effect.

A mix of dried herbs will also give you an excellent savory rice. In fact, once you understand the basic method, the end result is only limited by your imagination.

Michael Sheridan - The Cool Cook - is a former head chef and an acknowledged authority and published writer on cooking matters. His website at All About Cooking, contains a wealth of information, hints, tips and recipes for busy home cooks, including video based how-to guides.

Cooking recipes 39

2008-04-25T01:52:00.000-07:00

Tips On How To Bake Bread

Did you know that there are benefits, other than having hot bread straight from the oven, deliciously smeared with butter, which makes the time and effort worth all of the work? It is part of history and is a great way to relax. It forces you to take time from your overworked schedule to knead the dough.

It can take frustration out of your life when you punch the dough down. The added benefit of a fresh, warm piece of loaf is just icing on the proverbial cake. Take some time and learn how to bake bread. It may be the perfect pastime for you!

How to videos are absolutely incredible when it comes to learning how to make bread. They usually feature free bread recipes and show you step by step how to bring the ingredients together. They will show you how to knead the dough and you can see the exact stage when the dough is ready to rise.

It is important to pay attention to the video because without guidance and actually seeing the visual representations of the dough at various stages, you may overwork or under work the dough and the loaf may turn out to look and taste completely different than you expected.

Everyone should learn how to bake bread. It really is an easy thing once you have acquired help how to knead the dough and when it is ready to be shaped. The basic loaf dough is extremely versatile.

You can find roll recipes and sweet bread recipes that are super simple to make. If you find that you just cannot seem to get the dough right or the loaf turns out badly, then there are how to videos that can show you step-by-step how to make exquisite homemade bread.

Besides the wonderful oral satisfaction, there are additional benefits to increase your incentive to learn how to bake bread. Many people find the simple instructions and hands on method to be a wonderful relaxation technique. It is a no frills way, no pills way to decrease your stress level.

There is just something calming about the monotonous kneading and shaping of the loaf that many people use to help combat a week of job stress. One note, however, before you begin: you cannot take shortcuts and rush the bread process. It does take time to let the loaf rise, so just remember that patience is a virtue!

Mike Selvon portal offers free articles on bread making. Find out more about how to bake bread, and leave a comment at the bread making flour blog.

Cooking recipes 38

2008-04-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

The Art Of Learning The Art Of Fine Cooking

When we talk about "The art of fine cooking" some people get a bit confused about what this means. They think it has to do with the fact that fine cooking will taste better then their own cooking but that not is really true. Fine cooking has a lot to do with presentation, how food looks on the plate it served on. Yes it should taste good as well but that is not the same as saying that it tastes better then a home cooked meal. The 'art' part in "The fine art of cooking" is probably because sometimes the plates look like little paintings.

Learning Fine Cooking is an art in itself

Have you ever wondered if you would be able to cook like those chefs in those highly acclaimed restaurants? Maybe someone even suggested to you that you should visit a culinary school and start taking lessons. Probably that is not what you need to do, not if it is just for some fun at home or maybe throw a dinner party and impress your friends and family. Their is nothing wrong with following a small course and trying things out by yourself until you get the hang of it. You do need some natural talent if you want to create a nice display on the plate but if you have that bit of talent then you can go a long way. Do some research by watching television programs about cooking or look what the chef at your favorite restaurant creates for you, maybe ask him or her about the ingredients, if you dare to. Or take a look on the internet if you can find any good tips and recipes but you also need pictures with those then we are talking about the art of fine cooking and that means something for the eye as well.

If your ultimate goal is to find employment in a restaurant that does fine cooking then a bit of cooking and trying out at home will not be enough. Then you should find a good culinary school and attend classes there and finish with a diploma. Have a plan for other employment in the back of your mind because getting a job in the restaurant business will not be easy. You don't want your talent and time invested in learning the art of fine cooking wasted in a stuffy kitchen at a road diner or some buffet were no one appreciates what you can create. If you can't find a job the moment you graduate from school and don't want to relocate then do something completely different so you won't get disappointed about the profession.

Amateur or professional, when you get the change to show your talent you should do it. Be it for friends and family or for guests in the restaurant you cook for people will appreciate the effort you put in creating a dish that not only makes the taste buts sparkle but also is a pleasure for the eyes. In the end that is what the art of fine cooking is about, to give the mouth and eyes an evening you will not forget.

Kenny Vanderburen is the main blogger at http://www.kitchencookings.com. The kitchen might as well be his living room, that's how much time he spends there.

Cooking recipes 37

2008-04-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

Making Your Own Salsa At Home Can Be Quite Rewarding!

Some homemade salsas have been a favorite for years and even generations. Families have been handing down their own special family recipes to successive generations and kept a long tradition of making their own salsa.

It's easy to go to the nearby corner grocery store and pick up a jar of salsa, but making your own at home can be lots of fun and quite rewarding! If you have had a productive garden and have an overstock of tomatoes and peppers, salsa is an excellent way to use them up!

Once you do this, you may find that making salsa and stocking up your pantry each year will be a regular goal of yours! You only need a basic supply to make salsa, a simple recipe and the process of making the salsa.

Typical salsa ingredients are variations of the following: tomatoes, green pepper, Jalapeno, red chili pepper, garlic salt or powder, onion, cilantro, lemon juice. Don't be afraid to experiment!

As you can see, homemade salsa is full of vitamins and antioxidants that are known to keep your body stay healthy!

Personalize to your taste - Adding more jalapenos and other peppers will make the salsa hotter. In the same way reducing the number of peppers and adding more tomatoes will create a milder salsa.

The full flavor and strength of spices deteriorate over time so make sure to use fresh spices. And always use fresh oils. Like spices, oils lose their flavor over time and some can go rancid if kept too long.

To avoid chile pepper irritation wear rubber gloves or even small plastic bags over your hands. Don't touch your face or rub your eyes while handling hot peppers.

When making and preserving your homemade salsa, you will need all the supplies that you typically need when you are preserving tomatoes. You will need canning jars, lids and bands, a hot water bath canner, a large pot to cook the salsa, strainer, jar lifter, large bowl, and the ingredients from your recipe. Thoroughly wash all the utensils you will be using and boil the jars and bands. Warm the lids but don't boil them. Leave the jars and the lids in the hot water up until the time you are ready to fill them.

Alternatively you can store them in your freezer. After making a large batch of salsa, simply divide it into small containers and place them in the freezer. You'll be able to enjoy fresh-tasting salsa year round!

Salsa Lover Tony Buel has put together a delicious collection of various tried and true salsa recipes. Nothing beats the taste of good old fashioned Homemade Salsa!

Cooking recipes 36

2008-04-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Low-Fat Cooking Techniques

You may be used to putting a knob of butter or lard into the frying pan before adding the streak bacon - this does not mean that you should. Instead of adding the saturated fat, try grilling without any added fat. Instead of streaky, try bacon and trim off any visible fat. You could even get rid of the bacon altogether. Knowing what the alternatives are is the key to enjoying your new low fat diet. You don't have to forego everything you enjoy eating. Sitting down to a family meal together can be one of the most pleasurable parts of your day.

As a rule, avoid frying, as it is the least healthy way of cooking. Stir-frying is better as long as you use very little oil. Use a good quality wok and keep the temperature high, tossing the ingredients constantly so that they do not stick Try Prawn Stir-fry as follows:-

Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes

INGREDIENTS:-

8 spring onions
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger
200g/7 oz mange tout
450 g/1 lb raw prawns, thawed if frozen, peeled and divined
4 tbsp Chinese rice wine

STEPS:-

1) Using a sharp knife, trim the spring onions and finely chop. Deseed and slice the peppers.
2) Heat the groundnut oil in a preheated wok or heavy-based frying pan. Add the spring onions, garlic and peppers and stir-fry over a medium heat for 4 minutes
3) Add the mange touts and prawns and stir fry for 4 minutes, or until the prawns have changed the color. Stir in Chinese rice wine, then transfer to four large, warmed serving plates and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:-

Calories..........................203
Protein...........................28g
Carbohydrates....................5g
Sugars..............................4g
Fat..................................8g
Saturates...........................1g

VARIATION:-

Substitute thinly sliced broccoli florets for the mange tout for an equally colorful and tasty dish. Replace the Chinese rice wine with dry sherry.

Also, let me share with you one of my personal favorites, The 'Low Fat' Coffee Ice Cream:

Preparation Time: 1 hour, plus Cook Time: 0 minutes Freezing: 6 hours

INGREDIENTS:- 25 g/1 oz plain chocolate
225g/8 oz ricotta cheese
5 tbsp low fat natural yogurt
85 g/3 oz caster sugar
175 ml/6 fl oz strong black coffee, cooled and chilled
½ tsp ground cinnamon
dash of vanilla essence
25 g/1 oz chocolate curls, to decorate

STEPS:- 1) Grate the chocolate and reserve. Place the ricotta cheese, yogurt and sugar in a blender or food processor and process until a smooth puree forms. Transfer to a large bowl and beat in the coffee, cinnamon, vanilla essence and grated chocolates.
2) Spoon the mixture into a freezer proof container and freeze for 1½ hours, or until slushy. Remove from the freezer, turn into a bowl and beat. Return to the container and freeze for 1½ hours.
3) Repeat the beating and freezing process twice more before serving in scoops, decorated with chocolate curls. Alternatively, leave in the freezer until 15 minutes before serving, and then transfer to the refrigerator to soften slightly before scooping.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:-

Calories..........................150
Protein..............................6g
Carbohydrates....................21g
Sugars..............................21g
Fat....................................6g
Saturates.............................4g

VARIATION:-

Omit the cinnamon and vanilla essence and substitute 40 g/1½ oz grated mint chocolate for the plain chocolate.

About the author: For more recipes, as well as nutrition information for all types of produce, visit http://www.100cookingtips.com. Khushwant Singh

Cooking recipes 35

2008-04-18T01:22:00.000-07:00

Yummy Dishes From The NW Frontier

Tandoori recipes:

The tandoor works on the same principle as the oven. However, it is the only kind of oven that provides complete wrap-around heat. No modern oven has that capability, making the tandoor one of the most scientific and versatile of all cooking apparatus. By controlling the draught and quality of fuel, we are able to produce temperatures up to 400 degrees C. It can be built on site from good clay and uses chopped, dry timber as fuel. Counter sunk and mud plastered, it can be ready for heating in three days. If built of clay, however, it needs six to seven days to dry. The fact remains that you do not have to go anywhere special to make a tandoor, and you can make one wherever you are.

In the NW frontier, Sind Baluchistan and Punjab, tandoori dishes are made by leaving food to cook overnight in this oven.

Pickled meat: Achaari Ghosht.

Ingredients:
Leg of lamb 1 kg
asafoetida (heeng) 1 gm/a pinch
Cloves 5
Cooking oil 60 ml/4 tbs
Cumin (jeera) seeds 2.5 gm/1 tsp
Garlic, shredded 10 gm/ 2 tsp
Ginger, shredded 5 gm/1 tsp Jaggery 25 gm Lemon juice 30 ml/2 tbs Mustard oil (sarson ka tel) 20 ml/4 tsp Mustard (sarson) seeds 2.5 gm/ ½ tsp Nigella (kalonji) 2.5 gm/ ½ tsp
Red chilli powder 5 gm/1 tsp
Red chillies, whole 6
Salt to taste
Turmeric (haldi) powder 2.5 gm/ ½ tsp
Yogurt 240 gm/1 cup

Method:
Clean and cut lamb into 1 inch pieces. Put to boil with 1.5 litres/5 cups of water, turmeric and salt. Reduce heat and simmer till lamb is tender. Remove pieces and reserve stock. Smoke mustard oil in a pan, reduce flame and add the other cooking oil. Add whole red chillies and sauté till chillies turn black, then discard the chillies.

Crackle mustard seeds, cloves and asafoetida in the oil. Add the lamb pieces, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, nigella, jaggery, ginger and garlic and stir. Cook till the meat pieces turn brown. Stir in stock and lemon juice and simmer for 2 minutes. Reduce flame and stir in the yogurt stirring vigorously. Cook till the fat surfaces.

Time: Preparation: 30 minutes, Cooking: 1 hour
We normally serve it with Naan or Paranthas. Garnish it with green chillies, wedges of lemon, and coriander leaves. Sliced raw onions are a must with achaari ghosht. Bhuna Kaleji

1 kilogram of Liver (Kaleji)
5 Mint Leaves (Podina)
1 tbsp. of Red Chilli Powder (Pisi Lal Mirch)
(more or less may be used depending on taste preferance)
1 tbsp. of Turmeric Powder (Pisi Haldi)
Salt (to taste)
1 tbsp. of Ginger Paste (Pisi Adrak)
1 tbsp. of Garlic Paste (Pisa Lehsan)
Water (enough to boil liver)
3 tbsp. of Cooking Oil

Combine liver, water, salt and turmeric powder and boil for 6 minutes and drain.
Chop liver into medium bite-size pieces.
Mix all of the remaining ingredients together. Add the liver pieces to ingredients and mix again. String the liver pieces onto skewers. Grill/Roast on charcoal. Or alternatively, fry in hot oil and drain on clean kitchen napkins before serving. Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot.

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to cuisines, recipes, cooking tip, do please browse for more information at our websites.
http://www.infozabout.com
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Cooking recipes 34

2008-04-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

Give Your Family a New Slant on Dinner With Mexican Cooking

When you think of Mexican food, do tacos come naturally to your mind? Well, Mexican cooking includes much more than fast food. There are many different varieties of Mexican cooking that have been influenced by other areas of the world such as Southwestern and Tex Mex and California Mexican styles.

If you are going to begin cooking Mexican foods, you should be sure that you have all of the ingredients needed to cook them. Mexican foods use special ingredients. The more common ingredients include corn, peanuts, avocados, cacao (chocolate), shrimp, tomatillos, tomatoes, potatoes and beans. Some of the more specialized ingredients are:

Cilantro

Cilantro, (also called Chinese parsley) is the name given to the leaves of the coriander plant (Coriandrum sativum). It used to be difficult to obtain but cilantro is now available in nearly every grocery store. It is best when used fresh. Usually, the leaves are torn off from the stems for guacamole or salsa.

Masa Harina

This is a dried corn grain that is cooked with lime and ground into a paste. This paste is then dehydrated into flour. Mexican tortillas are made from this flour. You do not need to make tortillas from scratch, however, because they are widely available in supermarkets. Although many cooks believe that making fresh corn and flour tortillas is a rewarding part of Mexican cooking, many people prefer store-bought tortillas because it is much easier than using a long process of pressing each tortilla individually.

Chiles

Ancho Chiles are dried Poblano Chiles and are used in chili or marinades. Another type of Chile is Guajillo Chiles. It's a bit spicier, and best used in soups or stews.

Common Mexican dishes also vary according to region and family influences. There are many Mexican dishes that can be cooked easily by a novice chef. Many of these may be familiar to you from the many Mexican restaurants that abound.

Salsa

The "salsas" (or sauces) in Mexican cooking are very common. It seems that no two salsas are made the same because each has been influenced by previous generations in a family. Pico de gallo is a cold salsa that contains chopped fresh chiles, tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

Chile Relleno

A Chile pepper is filled with pork, beef, cheese, or other fillings, which are dipped in beaten egg and fried. They are served in a thin tomato broth.

Quesadillas

A flour or corn tortilla filled with cheese (often a Mexican-style soft farmer's cheese such as Queso Fresco), beef, chicken, or pork.

Chalupa

The Chalup is a corn tortilla, fried into the shape of a bowl shape and then stuffed with shredded chicken, pork , beef or beans. It is normally topped with guacamole and salsa.

Enchiladas

Enchiladas are made with corn tortillas that are filled with meat, and cheese, and rolled (or stacked), and covered with chile sauce and cheese.

Taco

The Taco is a corn tortilla fried into a curve that holds cheese, meats, cheeses or beans covered with chopped onions, chopped lettuce and a salsa. A "soft" taco is made of flour tortillas rather than corn and was made popular by the American fast food "Mexican" restaurants.

Give Mexican cooking a try. You may find yourself cooking it more and more often as your family asks for it.

You, too, can learn how to cook at LearnHomeCooking.com There are almost 30,000 recipes for you to try!

Cooking recipes 33

2008-04-16T00:51:00.000-07:00

How To Use Gourmet Sea Salt In Your Food

Gourmet chefs have known for some time the tremendous value of salt. We're not talking about ordinary table salt or even kosher salt which both definitely have their place. No, we're talking about the wide variety of specialized sea salts previously unavailable to the general public. Perhaps it was Iron Chef or any one of the other foodie television programs now watched by millions or perhaps it was simply an evolution of grocers and manufacturers, whatever the reason, the general public now has access to gourmet sea salts previously only used by the best chefs in the world.

Pure Salt, Fusions and More

Gourmet sea salt is just that, sea salt from unique areas of the world. Like a grape made into a fine wine, each salt has its own unique flavor and texture derived from the area it comes from. For example Hawaiian Sea Salt is reddish in color due to the minerals in the clay and it has a mild taste. Contrast that with the almost colorless Bali Sea Salt harvested annually from evaporating sea water in hollowed out palm tree trunks.

Gourmet Sea Salts can take on any number of unusual flavors including the smoky flavor of Fume de Sol made by cold smoking salt crystals in vintage wine barrels. The French Sea Salts in particular are known for having a very natural and earthy taste and considered to be one of the best tasting salts in the world. Even better, many Gourmet Sea Salts are now offered in combination with the perfect pairing of herbs and flavorings like Curry, Black Truffle and even Merlot. Imagine sprinkling your favorite steak with Merlot infused Sea Salt just before placing it on the grill. Gourmet cooking doesn't get much better or easier.

Gourmet Meals in a Pinch

Each salt has its own purpose. Some, like the Organic Sea Salts from France can be used in baking, cooking and even as a kicked-up table salt. The Hawaiian Sea Salt on the other hand has a very distinct flavor that works exceptionally well with a variety of meats. You can combine it with herbs and rub your favorite meat for grilling or roasting and have a truly distinct flavor. For example, the Japanese Curry Salt is excellent on eggs, vegetables, and even tofu.

With the abundance of Gourmet Sea Salts available on the market, it is tempting to buy them all. The good news is that you can. Salt doesn't go bad. Stocking up on a variety of flavors means that you will have the tools at your fingertips, or at least in your pantry, to create a special gourmet meal in a pinch.

Find the best gourmet sea salts available at http://www.mysecretpantry.com today!

Cooking recipes 32

2008-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Teaching Kids How To Cook

Everyone inherits basic cooking skills from their parents. Each family follows peculiar eating habits. There are certain food preparations which are specific to a particular group of people. Various parts of the same country even have different diets. There are certain treasured recipes in each family which are traditionally passed to the ancestors. Parents used to spend a lot of time by teaching the basic skills of cooking to their children.

In this era of fast life, parents may be busy with their scheduled task, so that they won't get sufficient time for educating their kids with food preparations. Finally the healthy lifestyle of home made food has given way to fast food restaurants and instant food. One should be aware of the health issues caused by those diets where harmful preservatives are used extensively. Such habits should be discouraged by practicing cooking at home. Kids should be reminded about the importance of a healthy diet and about the side effects of harmful junk food. This should be practiced from the early days of childhood so that they won't get too much attracted towards the eat outs.

Cooking with the kids is an excellent way to start this reform. Initially kids should be given the chance to observe the cooking process and the preparations needed for cooking. They will be able to appreciate the freshness of the ingredients used and they will watch with curiosity and interest how those ingredients are converted to amazing food preparations. Children can be invited for a small participation in the beginning by giving a few vegetables to chop or washing them properly.

Kids would love to mix the ingredients, chop vegetables, grate cheese and measure the various spices used in cooking. Cooking tasks can be given to the kids depending upon their age group. Kids under the age group can be given fruits and vegetables for washing. This time parents can teach them the need of removing impurities and pesticides from fruits and vegetables. Kids can also be guided in cleaning the tables and counters of kitchen. Children will love to play by making different shapes in dough with biscuit cutters. They can also help you by rolling dough.

Kids of a higher age group which falls between six and ten years of age can be given another set of tasks. Parents can ask them to read recipes when you prepare the food. They can be given the training to take measurements for cooking ingredients. This age group are perfect for mixing the components needed for a recipe. They can be given a knife which is not at all sharp for spreading the ingredients. Vegetable which needs to be prepared without the need of a sharp object can be given to them like husking corns, onions etc.

Children who are older or teenagers can be given a bit complex tasks. Be sure those tasks should be done only under the supervision of a parent or an elderly one. They can be trained in using microwave, oven or stove. Parents can teach them how to use a knife for chopping vegetables with care. They can also teach their kids how to use an electric blender. Parents should make their kids aware of the security measures that need to be followed while cooking.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, stuffed animals, and dolls. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, stuffed animals, and dolls at these sites for kids toys, stuffed animals, and dolls.

Cooking recipes 31

2008-04-11T22:57:00.001-07:00

Cooking and Food Secrets Revealed - Invite A Chef To Dinner

I have not always been a chef. In fact, I was a very picky eater as a child. My interest in food and cooking began as an adult. During my first pregnancy, I started eating tomatoes. It was a breakthrough in eating for me and since then I have more than made up for the "picky years."

In 2002 after taking various cooking vacations with my husband, I decided to go to culinary school and learn the basics of food preparation from a professional chef. In class, and after performing various cooking demonstrations, my teacher pulled me aside and told me that I really should start teaching. With my family growing,I knew that working in a restaurant or hotel would not fit into our lives for a long time. So I opened up a school out of my home and began sharing my experience and passion.

I am not sure if this happens to other chefs, but one of the down sides about cooking and teaching is that friends seem hesitant to invite me for dinner. I know it is not my personality because I do have lots of friends. I even shower regularly! However, some feel intimidated by my skills and do not want their abilities to be critiqued or judged.

In fact, I love going to other peoples' homes. Like every other working mom, I get tired cooking for my family day in and day out. At times, I even feel uninspired and order Dominoes. What does get me excited is trying new foods and learning about other families' culture and traditions. I do not judge but I enjoy the opportunity to take a night off and let someone else do the work. And I am so easy to please. I eat almost anything!

For me, eating out in a restaurant is rather boring. Most reasonably priced restaurants serve similar dishes using highly processed bland ingredients. It amazes me how many people do not have the confidence in the food they prepare in their home and its worthiness of any guest, let alone me.

And making friends with a chef and cooking for him and her will be repaid. Most chefs and cooks I know are so appreciative of the invitation and the rest from their own cooking woes, they repay by cooking and cooking for those who have shared.

For a peak into Chef Dawn's professional home kitchen, visit http://www.chefdawn.com Sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE must-have kitchen gadget list including discounts from Pampered Chef, Nordic Knives and Amazon.com

Dawn
Your Personal E-Chef Live: Everything about Cooking, Food, and Family. Bring back dinner parties!

Cooking recipes 30

2008-04-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Melting Chocolate

If you haven't had it happen to you at least once, consider yourself lucky. You're standing there at the stove, melting some of those little blocks of chocolate that come in boxes. You anticipate with glee those chocolate-dipped strawberries that will be tonight's dinner finale. You look up to check the time or talk to the kids, and when you look back at the stove, your chocolate is not becoming silky smooth, but gloppy and weird. And to add insult to (culinary) injury, the more you heat and stir, the lumpier it gets.

Your chocolate has seized. The good news is that you can still use that chocolate mess in other recipes if you haven't scorched it. The bad news is that you won't be having chocolate dipped strawberries tonight. Read on to discover the seven most common ways to ruin chocolate when melting it and what you can do to avoid disaster.

Mistake #1. Letting water make contact with the chocolate - A block of chocolate doesn't look like it, but it has no water in it at all. It's made of small, dry particles of cocoa and sugar and of cocoa butter. A drop of water that gets into the melting chocolate causes the particles to clump up around the water. This is seizing. You can avoid this by keeping any moisture away from the chocolate. If you melt your chocolate in a double boiler, don't use too much water in the bottom and do not let the water boil.

Mistake #2. Overheating. If the heat is too high, the chocolate will scorch before it's all melted. While this is technically not seizing, scorched chocolate forms little clumps of its own. There is nothing you can do with scorched chocolate, except maybe use it as a face mask or something. Don't eat it.

The double boiler is a life saver here (although still not totally foolproof). Again, let the water simmer, not boil. You can also melt chocolate in the oven if you have extra time. Set the oven to its lowest temperature and check the chocolate every few minutes and stir it. Keep in mind, chocolate shouldn't get hotter than about 115 degrees F. when melting. This is just warm, not hot.

The microwave oven works quite well if you set it on 50% power, check your chocolate and stir after 1 minute, then nuke and stir every 15-20 seconds until it is almost melted. Stir without heating, and let the residual heat melt the chocolate completely.

Mistake #3. Trying to melt a big chunk of chocolate - not only will you still be standing there at the stove until sometime tomorrow trying to melt it, you'll have scorched it long before the whole chunk is melted. Chop up the chocolate, please. Try to chop it into fairly uniform pieces. Think chocolate chips for dark chocolate, finer for milk or white chocolate, as they tend to burn more easily. This applies no matter what method you use.

Mistake #4. Trying to melt it directly in a pot on the stove - Much too hot, too fast. You know that the chocolate touching the bottom of the pan is going to get way over 115 degrees. Don't do it.

Mistake #5. Neglecting it - Melting chocolate needs attention; it needs love. It needs to be stirred frequently to distribute the heat evenly.

Mistake #6. Putting a lid on the melting chocolate - Okay, I've seen this recommended before, but the problem here is that any moisture caught in the pan will condense on the lid and drip down into the chocolate. And you know what happens then, right?

Mistake #7. Trying to make it melt faster - Patience is a virtue. You can't hurry the process. You're just asking for trouble. Use low heat and take your time.

Remember: use low heat, take your time, keep it dry, and stir, stir, stir. You're working with chocolate here. Breathe in that rich aroma. Marvel at the silkiness of the melted chocolate. Anticipate the delight of the final product. Hey, don't get too lost in your senses. You have to keep stirring. Good luck.

In the next article on chocolate, I'll talk about what you can do with that seized chocolate.

Barbara O'Brien is an author, cook and mother of two young chefs. She encourages adults and children to learning about cooking and nutrition together. Find great recipes, nutrition tips, and fun facts at Incredibly Good Recipes and Kids-Cook.com

Cooking recipes 29

2008-04-04T00:40:00.001-07:00

Making A Pizza - It's A Great Indoor Activity For All

Imagine a rainy or snowy day. The schools are closed and there's no motivation to go anywhere. One of the easiest ways to break the boredom is to pull the kids together and make a few pizza pies from scratch. Not only will the activity be fun, it's also a great way to learn how to make one of the most beloved foods, the infamous pizza pie. Besides, your kids will love it!

Many people think about making a pizza from scratch but few actually gather the courage to give it a try. Most are afraid of soggy crust, burnt cheese or pizza sauce that taste a bit less than authentic. This doesn't have to be the case if you decide to do a little preparation prior to baking time and if you're willing to become a bit creative.

When making a pizza at home there are several things you must consider. Making a pizza at home with store bought ingredients and a standard

conventional oven is a little different than making a pizza the way the pizza guru down at the pizza parlor goes about it.

Here's a few considerations:

Flour : What kind of flour(s) should you use? For an exciting and flavorful crust try mixing it up. Use a combination of self-rising, whole wheat and bread flour. This is something that you may not find at the local pizza parlor.

Oven Temperature: Those mighty ovens at the local pizza parlor produce much hotter temperatures than most ovens found in home kitchens.

Yeast: Should you use "active dry yeast" or "instant yeast"? Active yeast tends to perform better when dissolved in warm water with a bit of sugar, instant yeast can usually be mixed right in to your dry ingredients.

Serving Schedule: When do you plan to actually bake the pizza pie? This is an important consideration if you're trying to maximize pizza crust flavor. Typically, the longer the dough is allowed to sit in a cool place, the more flavorful it will become.

Pizza Stones: If you like crispy crust, a pizza stone is pretty much a must. For a flaky crust you may be able to get by without one. However, if you use a pizza stone make sure you read the instruction that were provided with the pizza stone very carefully.

Pizza Peels: Unless your hands are fireproof, I strongly suggest you pick up a pizza peel.

Toppings: Just about anything goes with respect to toppings. I would however suggest that you consider the amount of relative moisture that is added to your pies as you stack on the toppings. Though a percentage of the moisture from toppings can usually absorbed in the crust during baking, generally the more toppings the more moisture content. This can have an impact on the"crispiness" of the crust as well as baking time.

Consider these and other factors when creating your infamous pizza pies and everyone in the house will be smiling from ear to ear when the first slice is ready to be served. Slide a slice of goodness in your mouth. Make a pizza from scratch and everyone in the house will grin from ear to ear!

William Lockhart is Founder of HomePizzaChef. He is also a self-proclaimed homemade pizza lover. HomePizzaChef delivers pizza recipes to subscribers email inbox. The slogan on the web site reads, "They'll Get Down On Their Knees And Beg You To Make Another". Visit William at http://www.homepizzachef.com/ or at the HPC blog http://homepizzachef.com/blog/

Cooking recipes 28

2008-04-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

Dry Turkey - Salvage Your Overcooked Bird

Have you ever eaten dry turkey or chicken? Don't even answer that. I know already. The problem with roasting whole turkeys and chickens is that the various parts aren't ready to take out of the oven at the same time. By the time the dark meat of the bird is beautifully cooked, the breast is overcooked and dried out.

There are a number of ways to avoid this unfortunate culinary result. However, this article assumes that you have already overcooked your bird. Of course, you can't uncook it. What are your options? You can serve the bird, smile sweetly and let everyone choke it down. I have done this on a number of occasions, but I don't recommend it. You can make extra gravy. This is certainly helpful. However, there is another option that will improve your meal much more.

Carve the overdone turkey or chicken into slices as you would for serving. Place them in a casserole dish. In a sauce pan, combine the pan drippings with one to two cans of chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over the sliced poultry in the casserole. Cover the casserole with foil and heat in the oven for about five minutes. This will moisten the meat significantly. At this point, you can place the slices on a serving platter and pretend you roasted it perfectly in the first place.

You can try this technique on a beef roast as well. Use beef broth instead of chicken broth. The result is not as dramatic with beef as it is with turkey or chicken, but it can improve the meat.

For pork, I use chicken broth, but that is a matter of taste. Try different broths; even vegetable broth.

Barbara O'Brien is an author, cook and mother of two young chefs. She enjoys helping other people make the most of their time in the kitchen. For more information and great recipes, visit Incredibly Good Recipes and Secrets of Soup

Cooking recipes 27

2008-04-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

What To Consider When You Buy A Chef Knife

Lots of people love to cook. One of the most important skills in the kitchen is using the right knife. Knives are the main ingredient to any gourmet meal because they are obviously needed to cut and prepare foods before and after they are cooked. But any old knife will not do every job. There are many varieties of knives for a variety of uses. For example, a paring knife will not do the same job cutting or trimming a beef tenderloin.

The quality of the knife you use is also important. The key to selecting a good quality knife is to know its made. A good stainless steel knife will be forged out of one piece of metal and the handle will be attached on both sides of the tang. This is a key point to remember when buying chef knives.

Also when looking for kitchen knives for sale, you need to know the different varieties of kitchen knives and their uses. Here is a quick list:

Types and uses

• The French Knife or Chef's Knife: This is the most frequently used knife in the kitchen, for general purpose chopping, slicing, dicing and so forth. The blade is wide at the heel and tapers to a point. They are available commonly in 8", 10", and 12" lengths. I prefer the 12" length because you can have more control over the movement of the knife and still not work your hands to death as in the 8" and 10" versions.

• Paring Knife: Smaller knife with a 2 to 2 1/2" pointed blade. This knife is used for trimming and paring vegetables and fruits. I use mine for garnishing work, making roses from tomato peels, or delicate fruit carvings, and sometimes just peeling potatoes.

• The Boning Knife: This knife comes in two varieties: Stiff and flexible. The knives are usually about 6" long and used for cutting and trimming raw meats and poultry. The flexible ones are used for lighter work like filleting fish.

• The Slicer: Typically a long slender, flexible blade that is upto 14" in length. This is used for slicing or carving roasted meats such as leg of lamb, turkey, or roast of beef. It also comes in a serrated variety that is used to slice breads and cakes.

• The Steel: This is not a knife itself, but it is the most important tool you will use to care for your knives. It tunes in the sharpness of the knife and maintains the edges. They can be purchased to match the handle of your Chef's knife.

Cutting board: Again not a knife but it is the knife's second best friend. Most people today use a plastic type of cutting board. However, wooden cutting boards were seen a lot until they were determined to be less sanitary. This was because of the cutting of the knife into the wood, food particles were ingrained and not easily removed while cleaning and causing food borne illnesses.

One main thing to know when you buy a chef knife is to know the quality brand names. The ones recommended here are JA Henckels, Wusthof Trident, Shun, and Global. These brands are the best quality you can get in buying chef knives. Acouple of mid range brands that are a little easier on the pocket are Cutco, Chicago Cutlery, and Pampered Chef brand knives. All of these brands and more are found at http://buychefsknife.com. There you will also find Sharpening steels and electric knife sharpeners as well as complete sets of knives for sale.

Happy cooking and enjoy.

Dave Slaughter

Cooking recipes 26

2008-04-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

The Convenience of an Electric Griddle

People often think the only thing electric griddles are used for are pancakes and fried eggs. This is a misconception. Electric griddles are perfect for Panini, French toast, home fries, crepes, pancakes, and so much more.

Electric griddles are a versatile addition to any kitchen. The large, flat surface heats evenly, giving all the food even cooking. They are terrific for large families or when you need to cook for a group. Most electric griddles today come with a removable cooking surface for easy cleanup.

Most electric griddles equipped with a grease draining trough, giving healthier, less greasy foods. This feature is particularly helpful when cooking bacon, hamburgers, or sausages. It makes cleaning the griddle much more convenient.

The electric griddles heat up very quickly and are ready to use in minutes. Foods will not cling to the non-stick surface, so there is not scrubbing involved in clean up. Plastic spatulas are recommended for use with the griddle, since the non-stick finish could scratch.

The thermostat is one of the big advantages of an electric griddle, allowing you to adjust the temperature as the food cooks. This is also removable for easier storage and cleaning of the griddle. You never have to worry about the food burning because there is a warming control to keep the food warm for whenever you are ready to serve.

Electric griddles are reasonably priced, fitting into just about anyone's budget. The electric griddle can't be beat when it comes to convenience, able to cook pancakes, eggs, or home fries at the same time. An entire breakfast menu prepared with only one pan!

Kitchen-dinnerware.com is an informative kitchen site with the latest cooking tips and ideas

Cooking recipes 25

2008-03-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

Top 5 Dinner Party Tips To Make Your Evening a Success

There is nothing better than an enjoyable evening in with friends with a lovely meal and a glass of wine or two and as the host or hostess, it is essential to be totally organised so that you can enjoy the evening too without worrying. To help you along, here are top 5 dinner party tips to help your evening go smoothly.

1. Give people plenty of notice
Set the date at least 2 weeks in advance and let your friends know as soon as possible. This will give them time to confirm that they are free that evening and more importantly, give you plenty of time to plan.

2. Decide what you want your focus to be
If you are looking to impress with your cooking ability, then the meal is your focal point but if you just want an enjoyable evening without too much fuss then you will want to keep the meal simple and concentrate more on the atmosphere.

3. Make a list
Even if you are not normally a 'to do' list person, this is one time when a list is essential to keep you on track and to stop you worrying. Start making your list as soon as possible once the date is set and refer back to it over the next few days to add any bits and pieces you may have forgotten. Examples of items to add to your list are: Guest list, what's on the menu, shopping ingredients, seating, cutlery and glasses inventory, decorations if appropriate and what needs to be done around the house to prepare.

4. Plan your time
Plan your time so that you can complete what is on your list. It is no good getting to the day of the dinner party and realising that you still have most of the list to do. Plan in advance and organise what you can ahead of time so that you do not end up feeling frazzled on the day.

5. Keep Things Simple
Keep things simple. Your friends want to enjoy the food and the company but they are not expecting you to be super human. Keep a good balance between making it a great atmosphere and being able to take time to enjoy yourself. Make sure your evening includes enough time for you to relax and enjoy time with your guests as well.

Impress your friends with secret recipes from the top restaurants with America's Most Wanted Recipes. Now get 2 volumes for the price of one, free sample recipes and 7 bonuses totally free.

Cooking recipes 24

2008-03-29T00:57:00.000-07:00

Tips on Cooking in the Dorm Room

For many students, especially freshmen in college, living in the dorm can be quite a change from what a student is normally used to. And as for meals, in many cases, you are at the mercy of the dorm cafeteria hours and whatever restaurant is open when you want it. The problem with the dorms is that there is obviously no kitchen in your dorm room in most cases and many students don't have a car at first. So what is a person to do with their sudden hunger at 2am while cramming for that political science exam in a day or writing the final draft of a report that you thought would only take a few hours to write? Many students living in the dorm have learned to cook in their dorm rooms.

There are many options in addition to simply storing dry goods such as granola bars under your bed in the dorm room. This is why it is a good idea to bring a small refrigerator the first day arriving at the dorm. In addition to the fridge, it's a good idea to have a microwave in your dorm room as well as some microwave safe dishes, utensils, dish soap, pot scrubbers, dish towels and a cookbook. With these tools in your grasp, you will have plenty more options available to satisfy your hunger pains rather than simply going for the pack of cookies or tortilla chips in the vending machine down the hall. You will have a little kitchen in your little dorm.

Now what to keep in your dorm while not taking up too much space is important as well. We recommend simply keeping your standard canned pastas and soups around along with those wonderful bean burritos, frozen dinners, nuts and yogurt. Late at night, eating pasta may not be the best thing so yogurt and nuts is always a good thing, but you never know. You may just have a massive craving for carbs or even need them on the go as you are forced to skip dinner for whatever reason. It's good to have a balance. The dry items can be placed in your wardrobe closet in that extra space beneath your clothes which can be used as a makeshift pantry.

Another great piece of equipment for the dorm is a water boiling unit. This is always great for those ramen noodle cravings as well as for making coffee and tea. Coffee makers can suffice as well just as long as you can boil the water since it will most likely be coming from the restroom faucet. You will need to boil out whatever may potentially be in the tap water such as chlorine.

Some students living in the dorm actually decide they want to be a bit more gourmet with their dorm cooking and who could blame them. These students usually have a stock of fresh lettuce greens, salad dressing, frozen vegetables in their freezer and more. They will prepare a gourmet salad on those days hey have no access to real food using all of the ingredients they have available.

Living at the dorms should limit you or any student completely as there are many ways to get around some of the small hurdles of college life. It just takes a little adapting. If you are one of the fortunate ones who arrives at college your first year with a car to drive around in then that is great. But there are just some times you will not feel like traveling all the way to the parking lot to get into your car in order to travel out to main street to find a business that is still open that has a drive thru window or even a grocery store that is open at later hours. It is always a good idea to simply keep cooking equipment and ingredients around in your dorm to make sure that you get the proper nutrition that all students need during their new college experience.

S. Michael Windsor is currently publisher and a writer for BackToSchoolNetwork.com. The BSN Online Back To School Guide is a premier college back-to-school information platform that provides individuals with a quality in-depth look at these topics as well as the associated products, services and information available today. Visit us today at http://www.BackToSchoolNetwork.com and get your free subscription our member services.

Cooking recipes 23

2008-03-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Why Spices are Important

These days certain spices have become so ubiquitous at our tables that we hardly think of them as spices at all... Black pepper is the obvious example here, but I'd include chillies in the form of sauces and pastes as well. Just think of the salt and pepper cellars on just about each and every table and the chilli-based condiments that are everywhere. Also, look at any recipe on the web and if they're for a savoury dish I guarantee you that well over 90% will have 'season with salt and pepper' somewhere in the cooking instructions.

Today black pepper is both cheap and plentiful and it's hard for us to even consider a time when pepper was an incredibly rare and expensive commodity. However, until very recently (and even during the Second World War in Europe) black pepper was both expensive and rare. It was only produced in India and found its way to Europe by strange and mysterious means.

The first recorded use of black pepper in Europe and North Africa was in the tomb of the pharaoh Rameses II who had two peppercorns stuck in this nostrils when he was mummified (and that was 4000 years ago). But the first Western peoples to use black pepper extensively were the Greeks and they introduced the love of this spice to the Romans. As a result the Romans were the first Europeans to travel to India in search of this magical substance (of course, Indian traders had been going the other way for centuries!).

In many ways black pepper is the perfect spice in that it has the 'heat' and 'pungency' that lift the flavours of a dish but brings with it no hint of bitterness. It therefore gives any and all foods an 'oomph' in terms of flavour without making them unpalatable (this is why Romans even put pepper in their desserts!).

But what actually is a spice? In terms of a modern definition, a spice is typically obtained from the dried fruiting body of a plant. Thus it can be the whole fruit (as in cubeb pepper or allspice berries or cumin) or it is the kernel or seed of the fruit (as in nutmeg and fenugreek seeds or nigella seeds). In contrast, herbs are the vegetative parts of a plant (the stems and leaves) and include lemongrass (stems), thyme (leaves), oregano (leaves). Spices are also obtained from the roots, rhizomes or tubers of plants. Thus ginger (and its relatives, galangal, zedoary etc) are spices, as is the Medieval spice, Galingale (the root of a sedge, a grass-like plant).

Humans are odd amongst animals in that we like pungency in our foods and many, many spices we do or have employed tend to have this note in their flavour. This, in turn, has led us as a species to use a whole range of spices in our cookery and many of these spices, in some way, echo the distinctive nature of black pepper.

This is why the chilli, when introduced to Europe from the Americas was called the 'chilli pepper' (to associate it with black pepper). Indeed, the vast majority of spices impart 'heat' on a dish and only very few are purely used for their flavouring properties. Chilli is widely used because it imparts pure 'heat' to a dish but it does not have the pungency of black pepper and this is why chilli, though very widely used today, still hasn't displaced black pepper as the King of Spices.

Most of our common and not so common spices have a heat and pungency that mimics black pepper in some way or other. But all of them also impart a bitterness to the foods they flavour. Good examples are cubeb pepper (common in the Middle Ages) and Sénégal Pepper (which was used as a black pepper substitute during the Second World War). They impart both heat and pungency to dishes, but if used to excess they also impart an unpleasant bitterness and this is why they never truly rivalled black pepper as food flavourings.

In our craving for adding that extra 'pep' to our foods humans have scoured all corners of the world and we have tasted and added some very strange things to our dishes (Sichuan pepper, beloved of Chinese cookery is a relative of the orange!). But nothing has rivalled the pre-eminence of black pepper in cookery. The only spice to come close is chilli.

This does mean that our love of black pepper has displaced many local spices that we used to use in the past and it also means that we are ignoring many taste sensations that could usefully be put back in our cookery. Maybe it's time to re-discover some of these lost spices from all over the globe an to re-gain some of our lost culinary heritage.

Dyfed Lloyd Evans is a cook and a lover of all things spice and spice-related. In his Celtnet Guide to Spices you will find descriptions of spices (and recipes for their use) going all the way from Acacia Seeds to Zedoary Root, with everything in between (every letter of the alphabet except 'Q' is represented). He has gathered together a catalogue of 57 57 spices and descriptions of these spices and recipes including them into an eBook: Guide to Spices and their Uses, sales of which go to helping Liberian refugees in Africa. There is also an extensive recipe list of the world's spice blend mixes which you can get from the site.

Cooking recipes 22

2008-03-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

Get Knife Know-How

Did you ever stop and think about what exactly goes into making a knife? Knives come in all different varieties, from cheap, flimsy ones that go with cheap kitchen settings, to truly beautiful knives that are collectors' items and can last a lifetime. Of course, while most people are relatively familiar with the wide variety of knifes available, few people ever consider the process of making a knife. The end product is all in the process, however - a great knife is a great knife because of everything that went into making it.

Knife Making 101 - The Basic Steps

Knife Finishing - There are a few different kinds of knife finishing out there. Jeweled metal knives are finished from the inside out, so that the jeweled metal takes on stunning new tones. For knives that look like they have been around the block a few times, look for stonewashed finished knives (the idea is similar to stonewashed jeans). Last but not least, vibed finished knives give a knife an antiqued look that is more subtle than the stonewashed finish.

Annealing (Heat Treating) - Annealing is a process which subjects the metal in the knife to the highest temperature it can handle without melting. Annealing has two general types. Hardening annealing uses very high temperatures to make the knife as hard as possible, depending on the type of metal being used in the blade. Tempering annealing involves cooling the knife after it has been heated to capture the hardness of the blade, also making it sharp.

Steel Blades- Many people flock to steel blades that claim to be stainless steel. There are two things to keep in mind about this, however. One is that most so called stainless steel actually can easily be stained and/or rusted if you don't care for it properly. You also have to take into account the fact that the very things that make steel stainless also makes it weaker. If you want knife blade that will last a long time, forget about the stainless steel and instead go for a knife blade that can be stained - and then take pristine care of it. One particularly strong kind of metal that can be used in a knife blade is so called Damascus steel, which combines two metals into the blade. Strong is not the same thing as invincible, and any knife can be broken, but Damascus steel makes for a really strong knife blade.

Peter Mason frequently publishes short articles on ideas corresponding to bench grinder reviews and bench grinders. His abstracts on bench grinder are found on http://www.insidewoodworking.com/sharpening/benchgrinder.html.

Cooking recipes 21

2008-03-25T00:12:00.000-07:00

Home Canning - A Hassle Free Method

All foods in their natural state contain microorganisms, such as molds, yeasts and bacteria as well as enzymes. Food spoils when these enzyme, mold, yeast and bacteria growth is not controlled. In this respect, a proper and safe home canning procedure is one of the most important methods to protect the food from being rotten. The canning method controls the growth of spoilage microorganisms, allowing us to keep food beyond its normal storage period.

Today, home canning is the most easiest and cheapest form of canning. It act as a safe and economical way to preserve quality fruits, vegetables and other foods produced in your home garden or orchard. The proper home canning method includes:

• Placing prepared food in round shaped home canning jars, which are then sealed with Ball brand or Kerr brand two-piece vacuum caps.

• Heating the filled jars to the designated temperature using the correct type of canner for the food being processed

• Processing the filled jars for the required time as stated by an up-to-date, tested recipe in order to destroy the spoilage microorganisms and inactive enzymes

• Cooling jars properly, allowing the lids to vent excess air from the jars to form a vacuum seal.

The above-mentioned method of home canning can keep your eating stuffs fresh for longer time period. You can enjoy your food with your family members anytime anywhere you want.

Simple Step For Canning Cheese

Simple Step For Canning Cheese

Cheeses are delicious stuffs to have anytime, anywhere and the recipes made from it are really yummy! Therefore, to preserve it is the great idea. If your cheese is soft, then it contains no preservatives and is more economical than commercial products for cooking purposes. These instructions yield a product that is similar to "Cheese Whiz", yet better tasting for a recipe of macaroni and cheese. This simple to do recipe for home canned cheese will keep for 2 years plus.

For this, you are required one canned evaporated milk, one-tablespoon vinegar, half tablespoon salt, one lb any processed cheese and half tablespoon dry mustard. Now melt milk and cheese in a double boiler, add rest of ingredients and mix well. Fill pint jars about ¾ full and seal. Place in boiling water bath for 10 minutes and then remove and refrigerate it. Consume whenever you want.

As per canning of hard cheese is concerned, it can be coated with paraffin. It can be stored by dipping them in melted paraffin. In this process melt the paraffin in an old pan. Now, dip the cheese in the melted stuff or get a paintbrush and paint the paraffin on the cheese. Let all the paraffin dry completely, and then dip again. After about four coats of paraffin, add a layer of cheese cloth for extra protection.

Continue dipping and drying until the paraffin does not form a smooth, thick and bubble free surface. Now, store cheese that have been coated in paraffin in the coolest spot you can find, as in a cellar or unheated room.

Remember! Cheeses that have been stored this way will last a very long time, almost indefinitely. If the paraffin ever gets a crack or bolster, re-coat it with melted paraffin.

http://www.canningarticles.com

Cooking recipes 20

2008-03-22T01:03:00.000-07:00

Prepare Healthy Meals in Minutes

Healthful meals don't have to take a lot of time to be tasty. In fact, the notion that a home-cooked meal is time consuming is obsolete. Being prepared with frequently used whole foods in your pantry and having a few pre-made healthy items on hand is the key to successful hassle-free nutritious mealtimes.

A few extra minutes planned in advance of your busy week will reap ten-fold during your most hectic days. I find that for busy families, basic ingredient bulk cooking takes the least amount of planning and trouble, because cooking extra ingredients for another meal doesn't take additional time. In addition, basic ingredient bulk cooking allows for meal planning, multi-use recipes, and spur-of-the-moment meals.

Three pre-made items will solve your dinner dilemma when your day runs wild!

Having brown rice, pre-grilled chicken, and failsafe no-think hardboiled eggs ready in your refrigerator will ease your daily routine. By preparing these foods in advance, you'll dramatically cut meal preparation time (a plus for any busy cook), while taking a step in the direction of optimal nutrition for your family! In fact, already cooked brown rice, grilled chicken and hardboiled eggs can be substituted for raw ingredients in recipes, dramatically cutting your time in the kitchen!

Brown Rice

Brown rice is a wonderful source of protein containing the eight essential amino acids needed for health. Rice is gluten-free and easily digestible; therefore, it's a good choice for infants and people with wheat allergies or digestive problems. Brown rice has five times more vitamin E, three times more magnesium, and provides two to four times as much fiber as white rice.

Brown rice is much more nutritious than white rice, although it takes about forty-five minutes to cook compared to the twenty minutes (or less) for white rice. The good news is that brown rice keeps nicely for at least five days covered in your refrigerator. Plan ahead! Cook enough brown rice at one time to incorporate into additional recipes during the week. Adding already cooked brown rice to your favorite casserole dishes cuts the cooking time to minutes.

Brown rice has a nutty flavor and a slightly crunchy texture. If you have an aversion to the al dente texture, cook the rice a few minutes longer. (You'll want to add a little more water, to keep the rice from sticking to the pot.)

Grill Chicken in Quantity

Once or twice a month grill a large package of skinless chicken breasts and freeze in individual pieces. Defrosted grilled chicken pieces can be shredded for quick addition into salads, tacos, casseroles. Grilled chicken can even substituted for raw chicken in recipes, cutting the cooking time for your favorite casserole.

First, brush skinless chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil (also brush or spay the grill with olive oil) and sprinkle with mixed herbs. Then, grill the chicken breasts about ten minutes on each side, until all pink juices have turned to white. Freeze individual pieces so that they're ready to defrost for extra-quick meals.

To speed things up even more, purchase inexpensive glass salt and pepper shakers and fill the "P" shaker with seasoning for poultry and the "S" shaker with seasoning for steak. For steak seasoning mix together 2 teaspoons salt, 4 teaspoons each garlic powder and pepper. For poultry seasoning mix together 2 teaspoons salt and 4 teaspoons each pepper and poultry seasoning or rosemary. That way you won't have to bother measuring each time you need a seasoning, but just shake the pre-measured seasoning on the meat.

Failsafe, No-Think Hardboiled Eggs

Eggs are God's perfect food as they contain nine amino acids and are one of the few foods containing the hard-to-get vitamin D. The egg protein is of such high quality, that all other proteins are measured by it. Eggs are also a good source of lysine, also found in beans, meat, fish, and dairy products. In addition, there are only five grams of fat in a large egg yolk.

Hardboiled eggs make protein-filled fast breakfasts. For those nights when a chef's salad is the quickest means to dinner, include sliced or crumbled hardboiled eggs for added nutrition. Also eggs make a great after-school snack.

Boil eggs the failsafe way: First, cover the eggs with two inches of cold water in a pan. Then, bring the water to a full boil. Place the lid on the pan and turn the heat off. Wait thirty minutes. Finally, remove the eggs, pat dry, and cool the eggs.

With already cooked brown rice, pre-grilled chicken, and hardboiled eggs on hand, you'll have your own fast-food, avoiding an expensive stop on the way home from work.

Nonna Joann Bruso is the author of "Baby Bites™: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater." "Baby Bites™" is a guide for parents of picky eaters that actually works. In only 7 days, your finicky child will be tasting new foods!

For more information on how multi-sensory learning will catapult your picky eater to loving nutritious foods go to: http://www.babybites.info and hear her new podcast: cookinwithnonna.podango.com

Cooking recipes 19

2008-03-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

Electric Cookers - Fast and Simple Cooking

With the introduction of electric cookers, your problem of cooking has been solved. You can now make tasty food in no time with the help of these appliances. No matter what you want to cook, whether it is rice or potatoes or any other vegetable, you can cook them in it. You can also use a rice cooker to do simple and effective cooking. You do not need to sit in front of the appliance and wait till it cooks. There is an automatic timer that switches off when the rice is ready.

With cooking time dramatically being reduced, you can get more time for the other household work. Also you can concentrate more on cooking top quality food. Kitchen Appliances are an essential part of your kitchen. They make life very easy in kitchen. With the help of these electronic machines, you can speed up your meal preparations.

These days, you have many choices to make about kitchen appliances. So spend your time researching about different models and find the right appliance for your needs. But you need to consider various things like what are your cooking needs and what is your budget. What you buy should meet your eating requirements. These days, you can find a multitude of latest technology cooking appliances. A tasty and delicious food is what we always look forward to. If you have a device that can cook food automatically, you no longer have to be dependent on anyone.

Working people do not like spending most of their time in kitchen. When they come back to home after a hectic schedule, they like to relax and do some fast cooking. They are always looking for convenient cooking devices which cook food automatically.

No more are cookers simple cooking utensils of the past. They have come a long way offering great functionalities and utilities. Since cooking is an important activity in every house, there is a need of latest cooking appliances so that cooking may be made easy and efficient. This useful kitchen tool is used for various beneficial reasons. Food can be cooked speedily in this device.

Since it takes less time to cook food in this special electrical device, you can utilize your time in other things. Earlier, you could find pressure cookers made up of aluminum or stainless steel. There are Rangemaster electric cookers that have really made cooking more easy and convenient. Just remember that it is always recommended to go through the user manual and safety precautions first before using your electric pressure cooker for the first time.

If you boil potatoes in a utensil, it would take around 30 min to boil them. But if you boil them in a cooker, they would be ready in 10 min time. This is because of steam that is formed in it because of the sealed lid. Hotpoint electric cookers have become popular among people these days. This easy to use appliance comes with user friendly controls and safety features. With these devices, you can literally enjoy food cooking.

While buying electrical appliances, you need to research about a variety of brands, price and features. The higher temperature of cooker helps in cooling faster. These hi-tech cookers are a one stop solution to your cooking needs. Whether it is frying, heating, roasting or boiling, these appliances can help you. They are perfect for large families and are a great time saver.

There are rice cookers that are best for preparing steamed rice. They automatically shut off after the rice cooks. So cook delicious meals while retaining important vitamins and minerals. These electronic devices are being used since ages and are the preferred choice of many who want delicious food in less time.

The various advantages of these appliances are:

They save time and cook healthy.

They are good for large families.

They make flavoured meals in less time.

They are safe to use.

When you have decided to buy an electric cooker, you need to prioritize your needs. If you have a large family, you can consider a large model which is ideal for you and your family. You can find cheap electric cookers easily in the online market.

An electric cooker can make your life easy by cooking mouth-watering meals in very less time. No matter what you want to cook, whether it is rice or potatoes or any other vegetable, you can cook them in it. You can also use a rice cooker to do simple and effective cooking. You do not need to sit in front of the appliance and wait till it cooks. There is an automatic timer that switches off when the rice is ready

Alden Jerry is an expert author. Visit to know more about electric cookers and other kitchen appliances at price comparison shop

Cooking recipes 18

2008-03-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

Canning That Tasty Lobster

During the Y2K scare I was determined to not only be really prepared but to do it in style. Now when I say really I mean really. I didn't want to just survive. I wanted to do it in a style that I was accustomed to. I went out and purchased a 30 plus foot motor home specifically for Y2K and proceeded to equip it with the finer things in life. I stocked up on bottles of red and white wine (This was really a good excuse I think), cans of crab meat and of course lots of canned shrimp and lobster. It was not until later after Y2K that I discovered exactly how easy and economical it was to can my own lobsters in place of purchasing those cans which were already done.

The procedure involved is really quit simple and I would like to present the some of the information that I learned in this article.

Initially of course you must either catch or purchase your live lobsters. Heat a large lobster pot of water containing 2 tablespoons of salt added to it for every gallon of water you use. Bring this water to a boil and quickly plunge your live lobsters into it. Proceed to cook them for approximately 20 minutes depending upon their size. You will know when they are finished by their red color.

When the cooking of your lobsters has been completed remove them and rapidly dip them into some cold water. Proceed then to remove all the meat from the lobsters and then wash it carefully. Drain the meat well when finished and dip it into a solution consisting of ½ cup of vinegar to two quarts of water.

Take the meat at this stage and drain any excess moisture from it. Next pack the meat into clean sterilized half pint jars. Complete the process by filling the jars with brine to within ½ inch of the top leaving room for expansion.

The brine should be made with 1 ½ tablespoon of salt to two quarts of water. I like to use sea salt for this. Process the jars in your pressure canner at ten pounds of pressure. Half pints should normally be processed for 70 minutes. Don't forget to properly adjust your pressure according to your altitude and the style of pressure canner you are using.

To reuse open the jars and rinse the lobster meat to remove the brine and salt. Flush it with clear water and you are ready to eat. The most difficult part of this canning procedure is making sure the lobster goes into the jars and not eating it first!

For more information relating to food visit us at http://www.food-spot.info

Cooking recipes 17

2008-03-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

Cooking Tips - Cooking For Two

Everyone loves to eat meals that smell great, taste great and that look great. Preparing food for four people, although it can seem difficult, isn't as difficult as cooking for two. Nowadays, all stores offer meats, fish, poultry and other products in quantities that are suitable for large families. It is the case of supermarkets, specialty stores and ethnic food stores as well. This increases the challenge of cooking for two.

If you are a creative chef, buying large quantities when cooking for two actually can be an opportunity for creating a variety of dishes, that combine the same ingredients but that taste differently. Arranging the plates as to be very attractive can appeal to all senses of the partner, thus enhancing the overall experience.

Trying cooking for two requires prior knowledge of your partner's likes and dislikes. You can try, for your first diner, a new dish that you were planning to cook for some time. Only if the partner has a positive reaction to it you can, afterwards, get as creative as you can!

In your desire to conquer your partner, you may want to explore unknown territories to what cuisine is concerned. The best way to do that is by browsing a cookbook. Surely, the book will present dishes that you are already familiar to, but it can surely offer some new and enticing recipes. Even the name of the dish can be tempting, contributing to the overall presentation of the meal.

In addition to the modern cookbook, there is the world wide web as a viable alternative for your cooking for two experience. It is easy to find all sorts of recipes that you can download and print. Also, special recipes for diets are available on websites such as Weight Watchers and South Beach. Certain websites are dedicated uniquely to recipes that halp prepare the same type of food dish.

Searching for information before proceeding to cooking for two can make the cooking experience a fun adventure. You need to get as creative as you can and help make cooking for two a treat for the senses. It can prove to be quite relaxing and interesting. Doing so on a regular basis will bring adventure and joy to your life.

Find more cooking tips on the #1 internet resource about cooking: http://www.infopiggy.com/become-a-chef

Cooking recipes 16

2008-03-18T00:45:00.000-07:00

The Best Italian Cooking Recipes

Italian cooking is incredibly popular, and it is definitely among the richest and most varied anywhere. The problem is finding an easy Italian recipe to make, which is especially important if you are just a beginner. There are a few really great Italian cooking recipes that are ideal to try out, even for someone who has never cooked Italian food before in their life.

Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp is a very popular Italian food and shrimp scampi is definitely one of the most widely loved Italian cooking recipes. For this recipe you will need 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, 1/3 cup butter, 4 tablespoons minced garlic, 6 green onions, ¼ cup dry white wine, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare this dish you start off by rinsing the shrimp and setting it aside. Then you want to heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic for a couple of minutes until softened and then add the shrimp, green onions, wine, and lemon juice. You want to cook the shrimp until they are pink and firm, which should take about one to two minutes on each side.

Keep in mind that the trick to this recipe is to not overcook the shrimp. You can add a lot of extra garlic but make sure not to overdo it because you do not want to overshadow the taste of the shrimp. The dish is often served over pasta but can also be served on its own with some crusty bread.

Spaghetti with Mussels

Another of the most popular Italian cooking recipes is spaghetti with mussels. Not only is this considered as being one of the most delicious Italian cooking recipes but one of the easiest to prepare as well.

For this recipe you will need 3 pounds fresh mussels, 1 bay leaf, 6 peppercorns, 2 whole cloves, ¼ cup dry white wine, 3 quarts water, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 pound spaghetti, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 cup stewed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon fresh basil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper.

To prepare, you begin by scrubbing the mussels under cold water, and removing the beards and draining. Then you want to add the mussels, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, and wine together in a large saucepan or kettle. Cover this mixture and bring to a boil, and then cook this over high heat until the mussels open. This typically takes about five minutes but times will vary depending on the cooking element.

Finally you add the garlic and cook briefly, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, broth and spaghetti, and then add the mussels to this. Stir and heat for a moment and serve hot.

These Italian cooking recipes are just examples of what authentic Italian cooking is really all about.

Echo Wang is a contributing Editor forhttp://www.aseni.com/ - Find out which cooking products, treatments & solutions will continue to be beautiful at any time. Our site is dedicated to providing information about cooking well options so you can continue to do it perfect, if want to more information, please visit cooking-tips

Cooking recipes 15

2008-03-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Benefits of Easy and Healthy Fish Recipes is in Cooking Fish

There are plenty of different ways of cooking fish and it is fun to try different methods. Depending on whether you are using a whole fish, steaks of fillets, you might like to try braising, deep or shallow frying, steaming or even cooking the fish on a wood fish board. Stuffed fish tastes delicious and adds texture. Round fish are the best for stuffing because the body cavity is larger. Most stuffing is made from breadcrumbs, which expand when they cook, so do not use too much. If you are using sea bass, a parsley and walnut pesto makes a great stuffing. If you have fillets, you can sandwich them with stuffing or roll them, then oven-bake them.

Different Ways of Fish Cooking

Poaching usually gives excellent results. To poach fish, you need to add herbs, seasoning and a thickener such as cream. You can use this as a sauce to serve with the fish. Steaming is easy and suits whole fish, steaks, or fillets. To steam fish, put it in a steamer over boiling water and make sure you use a tight-fitting lid.

Oven baking and roasting give great results and suit whole fish or fillets. You need to add oil or butter, seasoning, herbs and white wine to the fish, in an ovenproof dish. For very tender and moist flesh, you can cook the fish "en papillote", which is in sealed paper or foil. This means the fish will cook it its own steam. You can add lemon or limejuice, fresh herbs and white wine to the foil parcel before cooking, for more flavors. To braise fish, you place it on some sauted vegetables in an ovenproof dish. Pour over white wine and bouillon, put a lid on the dish, and bake it for 20 minutes or so.

Grilling is a good way of cooking small whole fish or fillets. If you are using whole fish, slash the skin on both sides a few times and brush with melted butter or olive oil. Baste the fish during cooking and turn it halfway through. You might like to wrap the fish in foil with olive oil, herbs, and lemon juice before placing it on the grill.

You do not always need to heat fish in order to cook it. Ceviche is when you soak white fish, usually snapper, in chili, herbs, and lime juice. You can also use flounder, sole, or scallops. The acidic citrus juice cooks the fish.

Wood Fish Board for Cooking

Most types of wood are suitable for cooking fish, as long as the board is pest-free and untreated. You need to soak the wood before using it. Soak the wood for at least an hour, until it is totally waterlogged. This ensures it is going to give off enough steam to cook the fish.

You can use maple, apple, cherry, alder, or oak, but cedar is the most popular. You can only use a wood fish board once and you can buy it online or at a specialty food store.

Brushing your fish with oil stops it from sticking to the board. When you cook on a wood fish board, you do not flip the fish because it cooks indirectly. Once your fish is prepared, oiled on one side and seasoned, you need to place the fish board and fish directly on the grill. You can baste the fish during cooking but do not use anything flammable. The board should be over a low fire so as not to ignite.

Using a wood fish board to cook the fish results in a wonderful flavor. The wood will smolder, making the fish deliciously smoky. In addition, since you only use the board once, it really cuts down on washing up!

I recently went to my doctor and learned I have high cholesterol and my doctor recommended a diet with more fish in it. I wasn't scared I knew the secrets to cooking fish and now I know just how easy and healthy fish recipes can be for me now I love to cook fish and do so often.
You can often find me in the kitchen cooking it is a true love of mine and I love experimenting with new and wonderful taste. I like to share these with visitors to my wife's websites on cooking. Why not try one of our recipes like Baked Dijon Salmon just one of the recipes we like sharing with our four young sons.

Cooking recipes 14

2008-03-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

How to Cook the Best Pasta the Real Italian Way

Most people think cooking pasta is really easy. Just throw some noodles in boiling water and drain it when it is soft enough, right?

Sorry to say, that is wrong. What is hopefully true is that the secrets I am going to reveal to you will make pasta one of your favourite dish to prepare and enjoy by yourself or with your dear ones.

First of all, allow me a short digression. To a serious pasta lover the name "noodles" is plain simply dreadful. Noodles is a very good name for Chinese pasta, or Japanese, or Thai, or any other nationality pasta, but not for Italian pasta. Calling Italian pasta "noodles" would be like calling American baseball or English cricket something like "Stickball". That is just sad.

Yes, pasta is easy to cook, *if* you have the right ingredients, *if* you know the right way of preparing it, and, above all, if you have the right attitude. "What is this?" - I hear some of you gasp - "I now have to be like a zen archer or a samurai warrior just to prepare a bowl of noodles?" Let's proceed in order, one secret to the next (by the way, didn't we agree never to call pasta noodles again?)

PASTA SECRET #1: ATTITUDE

Let's start with the most important aspect: attitude.

If you feel your guest swooning in delight over your steaming pasta is a good thing, you have to take cooking seriously. Cooking, and especially cooking pasta, is an act of love and self-sacrifice. It requires your personal energy, your prana, your inner and outer purity, and your uninterrupted concentration. Without these elements, cooking is not cooking anymore, but just cold, mechanical, heartless food preparation. Would you feed such food to your dog?

Before even start preparing your utensils, stand in your kitchen, facing the stove and get inwardly ready to cook. Silence around you and inside you is needed. A short meditation would be even better. Soulfulness is essential.

Feel inside you and visualise in front of your mind's eye the final pasta dish you want to prepare. Feel the aroma of the pasta, the looks, the sound the moist pasta strands do when stirred together, even before they are cradled by the sauce. Imagine the joy on the face of the friends that soon will be enjoying it.

Then, act with determination and precision but never with hurry.

Priyadarshan Bontempi is a meditation student of Sri Chinmoy. Priyadarshan comes from Italy where he learnt the art of cooking pasta and preparing coffee.

Cooking recipes 13

2008-03-13T01:06:00.000-07:00

How To Cook Salmon - Easy Recipes For Salmon You'll Love and Enjoy Cooking

If you're a salmon lover, you'll definitely want to learn more ways how to cook salmon and this article will give you more easy recipes for salmon that you can certainly add to your tasty and easy to prepare salmon recipes.

First, the Salmon Mold.

SALMON MOLD

Salmon mold is a delicious dish, very attractive and it's definitely different from common and popular recipes for salmon that you can always find.

Ingredients:

2 c. salmon
2 Tb. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tb. gelatine
1-1/2 c. boiling water

Procedures:

First get rid off all skin and bones from the salmon when it is taken from the can, and mince it thoroughly with a fork. Add the mixed vinegar, salt, and pepper. Prepare the gelatine by dissolving it in the boiling water. Add the seasoned salmon to the prepared gelatine. With cold water, wet a ring-shaped mold having an open space in the center. Pour the salmon and gelatine mixture into this mold, and allow it to stand until it solidifies. Arrange a bed of lettuce leaves on a chop plate, turn the mold out on this, and fill the center with dressing. Serve at once. Sufficient to serve six.

Second, the Salmon Patties Recipe.

SALMON PATTIES

Salmon patties are usually made from salmon by combining it with bread crumbs and using a thick white sauce to hold the ingredients together. You can either sauted them in shallow fat or fried in deep fat.

Ingredients:

2 c. finely minced salmon
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
1 c. thick white sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dry bread crumbs

Procedures:

First step is to mix the fresh bread crumbs and the white sauce with the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and shape into round patties, roll in the dry bread crumbs, and fry in deep fat or saute in shallow fat. Serve hot with or without sauce.

Third, the Salmon Loaf Recipe.

SALMON TIMBALE OR LOAF

Ingredients:

1 can salmon
1 cupful soft bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoonful salt
Pepper
1 or 2 eggs
1 tablespoonful lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cupful milk

Procedures;

Combine all the ingredients thoroughly, adding enough milk to moisten. Then pour into buttered timbale molds or into one bowl. Place on a rack in a pan, surround with hot water, and cover. Bake in the oven or cook on top of the range until the fish mixture is firm and is heated thoroughly. Turn out, and serve with White Sauce to which chopped parsley has been added. Peas in White Sauce make a pleasing addition to Salmon Timbale. Tuna fish or other cooked fish may be used instead of salmon.

For more great and easy salmon recipes, feel free to visit now our How To Cook Salmon - Home of Recipes for Salmon blog and also find other exciting ways how to cook salmon. Also check out this article recipe entitled Varities of Recipes for Salmon. Never run out of recipes for salmon again.

Cooking recipes 12

2008-03-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

How To Cook The Perfect Pork Loin

The loin of pork ranks amongst the tenderest and tastiest cuts on the animal. By far the best way to prepare it is to roast it. But, there are two classic ways to roast a loin of pork. The first of these is the British way, where you roast at high temperatures for a relatively short amount of time. This gives you perfect crackling. The second is the French method where you roast the meat slowly in wine for a long time. This does not crisp the pork skin and you get no crackling, but you do get a very moist and juicy joint of meat.

I present both these roasting techniques below.

Herbed Roast Pork with Crackling

Ingredients:
1 loin of pork, (about 2kg), with the skin scored
small sprigs rosemary
small sprigs thyme
3 or 4 garlic coves, slivered
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
1/2 small onion, chopped
freshly-ground black pepper

Method:
Always make certain that the skin of your pork loin is as dry as possible (otherwise you will never get good crackling). If the skin looks damp, dry it as best you can with kitchen paper and sprinkle with cornflour. Leave for ten minutes then dust-off the cornflour (cornstarch).

Place the meat on a chopping block and score the fat. Insert sprigs of thyme and rosemary along with the garlic into the score marks now rub as much of the salt as you can into the skin. Grind black pepper to season well. Spread the onion on the base of a roasting tin then place the meat either on top of this (or on a metal rack in the roasting tin. Place in the centre of an oven pre-heated to 240°C and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190°C and cook for a further 110 minutes.

You can, of course make a gravy from the pan juices to serve with your meat.

Roast Loin of Pork with Garlic

This is the classic French method of roasting a joint of pork. Compared with the traditional British method you end-up with juicier and more succulent meat but you do not get a crispy crackling.

Ingredients:
1 loin of pork (about 1.5kg) boned and with rind removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp freshly chopped sage
generous pinch of ground allspice
1 garlic clove, slivered
150ml dry white wine or water

Method:
Place the meat in a large bowl or dish and liberally rub the salt, pepper, sage and allspice into the joint. Leave in a cool place for several hours or overnight if possible for the flavours to infuse. When ready lay the joint flat and place garlic slivers at regular intervals along the inside of the joint. When done roll the joint up and tie securely with butchers' string.

Transfer to a roasting pan and add the wine or water. Cover with a lid or foil and place in an oven pre-heated to 150°C. Roast for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender and the juices are no longer pink when pierced with a skewer. Check the pan every now and then and if the joint becomes to dry add a little more water.

Take the joint out and place on a warm plate. Cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string at this point and carve into slices. Arrange these on a warm serving platter.

Again you can make a gravy out of the pan juices to serve with the meat if you so wish.

You now have two truly classic and time-honoured methods for roasting pork. Which you chose to base your own recipes upon will depend on personal preference. Though you're more than welcome to give both recipes a try.

Dyfed Lloyd Evans is the creator of the Celtnet Recipes website, where you can find thousands of recipes. If you would like more pork loin recipes (or just more pork recipes) then take a look at his Pork-based recipes page. Dyfed also runs the Celtnet Recipes Forum where you can find more recipes, share your own recipes or discuss any matters that are recipe-related.

Cooking recipes 11

2008-03-10T01:41:00.000-07:00

Italian Cooking Recipes - Everything You Wanted To Know

If you are looking out for some fine tasting value additions to your recipe collection, and are fond of Italian cooking, why not take the time to learn more about specialized cuisine from Italy and pick up some great new and authentic Italian cooking recipes?

You can find Italian cooking recipes in many places, beginning with the comfort of your own home, using the Internet to connect to a whole new virtual world of great and exciting cultures and cuisine contained in web sites devoted to them and world cuisine secrets! Yes, you are bound to find what you need and beyond that too - for an online search is the right platform that will guide you towards a wealth of information you can use and recipes ideas numbering so many, you won't know what to do!

Do remember to select the web sites that offer varied and interesting ones given by professional chefs, home-cooking experts as well as beginners like yourself, all of whom are bound to have a meal option that is suitable for each level of learning you go through. Some places may only offer cooking tips and the pitfalls you should avoid, others can let in you on their kitchen disaster stories so you know how "not" to do things - and still others can guide you on best-kept secrets of top chefs, and you can end up making the best Pasta-dish ever!

The art of this is a fun and easy way to learn about using new and varied food items and natural herbs reliance you may have never used before for lack of knowledge and thus, begin on an interesting new gastronomical journey to tickle your taste buds, heighten your senses and change the moods for everyone around.

Once you have mastered the art of Italian cooking recipes and can prepare delicious, new and unique meals by yourself, you can invite guests and loved ones to sample your fare and are bound to revel in the praise and success that comes your way, having adapted these to their tastes! The possibilities of your learning new ones and then passing them on to other novices is also open and perhaps, you can tap into hidden passions to become a professional chef in Italian cooking yourself.

Not only easy, but convenient to make and full of natural, fresh ingredients favored by the Italians, these can be adjusted according to the skill level of the learner and the budget they can afford; some can contain expensive ingredients but others have substitutes handy for those on a limited budget.

The comfort level of eating Italian cooking recipes based meals is high and people learn these by tuning in to demos, buying recorded cookery show info, enrolling for a specialty cuisine course or even taking the advice of established home-cooks. Watching and learning from cooking tutorials contained in DVDs are not only convenient but practical too as you can stop and resume your cooking class at your leisure, so learn better

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report "Master Chef Secrets" and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available.

Cooking recipes 10

2008-03-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

Campfire Cooking (Some Yummy Recipes)

It's almost picnic and camping time across most of North America. For that next trip into the woods or at the park, consider these treats-especially for the kids.

S'mores

This is every kid's favorite (including big kids). Simply put a marshmallow on a stick, roast it, and while it's still hot, slap it against a piece of chocolate bar and sandwich it between two graham crackers.

Banana Boats

Cut a banana lengthwise. Stud it with miniature marshmallows and chocolate chips. Wrap it in aluminum foil and set it on some coals to melt the chocolate and marshmallows. Eat it while it is still warm.

Cheesy Hot Dogs

Split the hot dogs lengthwise and roast on the grill. Turn them over, cover the split side with cheddar cheese, and grill skin side down.

Minute Pizzas

Split English muffins. Spread pizza sauce on them. Sprinkle them with mozzarella cheese, and place pepperoni slices on top. Place them on the grill to cook. Cover them with a can or pan to catch the heat and direct it onto the tops of the pizzas. You can also bake these in a Dutch oven.

Makeshift Pizza

To make Makeshift Pizza, you will need a frying pan as large as the pizzas you will make. Bake the pizza crusts the night before or purchase round pizza-crust bread from the store. Pack them in the frying pan to protect them from breaking. Bring along a can of tomato paste for each pizza and a mixture of Italian spices. Bring your favorite shredded cheeses-mostly mozzarella-and whatever pizza toppings you prefer. (You can find sliced pepperoni that does not have to be refrigerated in most grocery stores.)

When you are ready for lunch, build a small fire. A few one-inch diameter dead pine branches make the perfect fuel. Let the coals burn down.

As the fire is burning down, spread the tomato paste on the crust in the pan, sprinkle with Italian seasonings, and prepare the pizza with the toppings. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Scrape the coals away and nestle the pan down into the warm bed. If there is too much heat, the crust will burn. Place a hot stick or two on top of the foil. Let the hot bed warm the pizza through and until the cheese is melted. You may have to recharge the bed with reserved hot coals. When the cheese has melted and is bubbly, the pizza is ready.

Makeshift Pizza only works the first day out unless you have some way to keep the perishables cold. (A good snow bank will do.) And the ingredients are a little heavy to be packing far.

Dennis Weaver is the author of "How to Bake", a free 250-page e-book. Which is free at The Prepared Pantry.

Cooking recipes 09

2008-03-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Cooking Recipes

Are you interested in cooking? Do you love to make fun, new dishes for your family and friends? Do you love the praise and accolades you receive from them? Would you like to have more options to “wow” them with? Why not find some more great cooking recipes!

You can find cooking recipes in a limitless number of places. Some of the most common places you can find them are the internet, the bookstore, the grocery store, and many health food stores. But you can find cooking recipes in special gift shops and in some unexpected places as well. If you want to find cooking recipes right this very moment, you can do so with just a simple internet search! You will find more recipes than you may ever know what to do with! What a wonderful treat and gift for the avid cooking lover!

Cooking recipes are great to collect because you never know when you might want to whip up a special dish for a special occasion. You might even want to throw a party that is centered on exchanging cooking recipes! You could have each invitee bring one of their favorite dishes along with the recipe, or you could come up with some other unique ideas! Make finding cooking recipes fun, interesting and new. Make it a weekly or monthly get together that everyone plans for. Start your own club, the creative possibilities are endless!

Or if you like to have your recipes in a neat, already bound book, cookbooks are great purchases. Many already come with colorful pictures giving you an idea even before you attempt a meal as to what it should look like when it is done. Sometimes when you find a recipe without a picture, you are not entirely sure if it looks like it should when it’s completed. Picture cookbooks will be of a great assistance in this respect.

Or maybe throughout the years you have created enough cooking recipes on your own and want to create a cookbook your own! What a wonderful endeavor. Or maybe you have a favorite chef that you follow religiously and you would like to purchase all his or her cookbooks so that you can have their great recipes on hand. You can fill your walls with great cooking recipes and your meals with new, savory dishes every meal!

Maybe you feel a little intimidated by cooking on your own. You have never cooked before or maybe very little. Cooking televisions shows, classes, DVDs, etc. are available for people just like you! You can learn to cook from the comfort of your home or with a room full of people wanting to learn just like you!

Greg Watson, a cooking addict.
Get more info about Cooking at http://www.goodcookingrecipe.com

Cooking recipes 09

2008-03-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

Cooking Recipe -- Campers Fresh And Tasty Venison Goulash Recipe

Sometime ago I wanted to take my family on another camping trip which everyone in my family seems to enjoy. I wanted to make this one a little different because I know people get bored with the same limited food choices. So I decided to come up with a more exciting camping recipe than usual.

If you feel like trying something different when camping and you have a camp fire going here is a great dish for you. This Venison Goulash recipe will get your taste buds going.

The day is drawing to a close and you have lit a camp fire. You are going to prepare a dish in a Dutch Oven or an earthenware pot and place onto the embers of your camp fire. This dish is highly nutritious, full of vitamins, iron and minerals. It is also very rich and tasty.

The meat ingredient for this dish is Venison. Venison has a strong meaty flavor which other meats you buy in the shops do not have. It is so much higher in vitamins, protein and iron, much more so than other meats. Another excellent benefit is there is no fat or very little of it.

INGREDIENTS - serves 4

11/2 lb (700 grams) of venison cut into cubes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 medium onions thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of paprika
salt and pepper
1 large red pepper thinly sliced with pith and seeds removed
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 a bottle of red wine
4 large carrots chopped
1 pint of water

METHOD

Put the olive oil in a large pan and warm it up. Add the rich textured venison and sprinkle on the salt and pepper for seasoning. Also add the paprika for that little extra taste.

Brown the meat to seal in the goodness and taste. Add the onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are soft. Add the red wine and simmer for 10 minutes. This will give the meat extra richness and flavor.

Transfer all the contents into a Dutch Oven or an earthenware pot. Add the carrots and a pint of water. Put the oven or pot onto the embers of your camp fire and surround the pot with the embers.

Do not cover the pot so you can examine the contents from time to time. Cook for approximately 1.5 hours until the venison is tender. Use a fork to test the meat.

This dish is traditionally served with wide noodles but you may prefer mash potatoes or rice. I hope this recipe has wetted your appetite. It really is a delicious, good, wholesome meal full of vitamins, iron and minerals.

Do you know where you will find more exciting cooking recipes and healthy eating information, free? Answer: Easy and healthy recipes at http://www.CookingRecipe-DietEating.com

Cooking recipes 07

2008-03-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

Campfire Cooking Recipes - 4 Great Camping Dishes Using Traditional Campfire Cooking Recipes

There is nothing like the fresh air and exercise that you get on a hiking or camping trip, to work up a really big appetite. But you don't want to spend ages preparing and cooking complicated meals, which turns it into a chore.

The whole experience should be fun, so if you can plan out a few simple camping dishes, it can make it a lot more enjoyable. Well with some traditional campfire cooking recipes, this can be a lot easier than you think.

Try out a couple or even all of the easy recipes below and see how much more exciting and interesting you can make your camping meals.

BREAKFAST

Oat and nut pancakes.

Ingredients.
1 & 1/2 half cups of oats,
1 cup of flour,
2 tablespoons of brown sugar,
Pinch of salt, to taste,
3 teaspoons of baking powder,
½ a cup of mixed chopped nuts,
1 & ½ cups of milk,
2 eggs,
2 tablespoons of butter,

Mix together all the dry ingredients (oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, nuts,) and put to one side, while you whisk together the milk, eggs, and butter. Pour this onto the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Lightly grease a griddle or frying pan and pre heat on the fire. Pour about half a cup of the pancake mix into the pan and cook until bubbly and edges look dry, turn pancake over and cook until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup or similar.

LUNCH

Simple Spam snack.

Ingredients.
1 onion,
3 or 4 potatoes, (depending on size),
1 tin of Spam,
1 tablespoon of butter,
Salt & pepper to taste.

Peel and chop the onion and potatoes into roughly ¾ inch pieces, and cook in skillet or frying pan until tender. Chop spam into similar size cubes as onion and potatoes and add to skillet or pan add salt and pepper and continue cooking until all ingredients are, crispy and spam is well heated through. Allow to cool slightly and serve with some crusty bread and butter.

MAIN MEAL

Foil cooked Meatloaf.

Ingredients.
2 pounds of ground beef,
1 egg,
½ a cup of bread crumbs,
½ a can of tomato soup,
Salt & pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredients together in a suitable container or bowl until it all binds together and can be moulded into a loaf shape of your choice. Place into a large piece of tin foil and wrap well, leaving an air pocket at the top for steam. Cook on small grill on top of fire embers for approximately ¾ of an hour, turning as necessary. Serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice. Will serve 4 people.

SWEET

Baked Banana.

For a quick tasty desert, simply split a banana lengthwise leaving the skin on. Insert brown sugar and butter into split. Wrap in tin foil and bake in embers of fire until sugar and butter melt into the banana.

Mike Legg is a seasoned backpacker and camping enthusiast with many years experience of camping dishes. For more information on this or any other tips on camping go to http://www.buytryreview.com/category/camping

Cooking recipes 06

2008-03-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

Cooking Recipe - A Great Recipe For Traditional Italian Baked Lasagne With Meat Sauce

This Lasagne recipe comes from a traditionally made lasagne from Bologna Italy. It has been handed down through the generations and it is still a common dish in that area.

A friend of mine who travels to Italy quite often has tasted many Lasagne recipes and he says this recipe is his favorite. We will prepare this meal in two parts. Firstly we'll prepare the bolognese meat sauce and then the Lasagne.

Bolognese Meat Sauce

Ingredients
1oz butter
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1oz of unsmoked bacon, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely sliced
1 celery stick, finely sliced
4 medium sized mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
12oz of lean minced beef
1/4 pint of red wine
4 fl oz of fresh milk
14 oz of canned plum tomatoes, chopped with juice
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
salt and ground black pepper for seasoning

Method

Heat a heavy saucepan with the butter and oil in it. Add the onion and gently cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the bacon and cook until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the carrot, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables become soft.

Add the minced beef, stirring into the vegetables until the meat loses its red color. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the wine, raise the heat slightly and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens. Add the milk and cook until it evaporates.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the herbs. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 11/2-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Once you have done this you can start to prepare the lasagne.

Baked Lasagne

Method
(serves six)

Ingredients
14oz of dried lasagne
4oz of grated Parmesan cheese
11/2oz or 3 tablespoons of butter
salt and ground black pepper

For the bechamel sauce
11/4 pints of milk
1 bay leaf
4oz of butter
3oz of flour

Method

1- Butter a large, shallow baking dish. Pre-heat the oven to 200degC/400degF/Gas mark 6.

2- Make the bechamel sauce. First heat the milk with the bay leaf in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan.

3- Add the flour to the butter and mix in well with a whisk. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Strain the hot milk into the flour and butter and mix with the whisk. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes adding salt and pepper for seasoning.

4- Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add salt and half the sheets of lasagne. Cook for 4 minutes.

5- Cover a large work surface with a clean cloth. Take out the lasagne from the pan and drop into a bowl of cold water for about 30 seconds. Remove one by one and lay them out flat on the cloth carefully avoiding any overlapping. Repeat the process for the rest of the sheets.

6- To put together the lasagne have all the ingredients to hand. Firstly spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Put a layer of pasta over the meat sauce. Cover with a thin layer of meat sauce, then one of bechamel. Sprinkle with a little parmesan.

7- Repeat the layers in the same order finishing with pasta layer coated with bechamel. Make up approximately six layers. Finally sprinkle the last layer with parmesan.

8- Bake the lasagne in the oven for 20 minutes or until it starts browning on top. Take out of the oven, leave for 5 minutes and then serve.

A great accompaniment with this meal would be a fresh green salad with a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar spread over it. Delicious. And for those with a large appetite why not try some freshly prepared garlic bread.

Enjoy your fresh and tasty "Traditional Italian Baked Lasagne" with meat sauce.

Want more quick, traditional and healthy recipes? Look at this great free resource, right here: Exciting And Delicious Recipes at http://www.CookingRecipe-DietEating.com/HealthyEating.php

Cooking recipes 05

2008-03-02T21:56:00.002-08:00

Don't Be Afraid of Cooking An Easter Ham

Ham is the main dish that people all over the world cook and eat for the Easter Holidays and for other large family gatherings. Cooking Easter ham is a tradition in many families. The custom of cooking ham at Easter seems to go back as far as William the Conqueror. You can use a whole, bone-in ham, score it and stick in a few cloves, maybe put on a paste of some brown sugar and mustard, then seal it all in bread dough and bake it. But there are many recipes you can use for cooking your Easter ham.

Cooking Easter ham is a simple main course to prepare and cook, but cooking ham seems to be something that a lot of people fear as they are afraid they will ruin it. The high price of a nice sized ham is probably the reason for the entire fuss over cooking ham, family gatherings are sometimes stressful and when you have the chance of ruining dinner it ads to the tension. There are many reasons to start cooking ham according to the directions, but cooking your Easter ham from a nice recipe is most of the time a better choice because that can ad more flavor.

Create your own experience

If you don't have a lot of experience in cooking ham, you may want to practice a little before the big Easter meal. There are many different recipes on the Internet and in cooking books waiting for you to try. When you start well in advance You can buy some very small hams for little money each so that you can experiment with different recipes to see which one you like the best and which one is the easiest for you to make. This way you will end up serving your guests the best cooked Easter ham they have ever had.

Family recipes for cooking Easter ham

Traditional recipes can also be found very close by, and your own family is usually a good source for them, so speak to your family members to see what there favorite recipes are for cooking Easter ham. Maybe there is a recipe that has been passed down and used in the family for generations and you may want to try your luck at that.

Cooking Easter ham does not need to be stressful and to help relax you a little; there are certain things that are traditionally added in a lot of families when cooking Easter ham.

- Use beer to baste the ham in. Adding beer gives it a very moist taste but don't worry, you will not taste the beer nor end up drunk from it.

- Spread and smother brown sugar on the top and the sides of the ham. This will add just the right amount of sweetness when cooking ham.

- Put pineapple slices on top. When finishing up, you could try placing a few pineapple slices on top of the ham and hold them down with tiny little toothpicks. This also helps with flavor and a lot of people tend to like eating the ham-flavored pineapple.

- And last but not least use Cola to baste the ham in. Adding Cola is a sort of combination between beer and brown sugar, it gives a very moist sweet taste to your wonderful cooked Easter ham

So you see there is no reason to be afraid to start cooking a ham for Easter. Just give it a try and as stated above do a few test runs with smaller hams, this way you can master the fine art of cooking an Easter ham.

Kenny Vanderburen is the main blogger at www.kitchencookings.com. The kitchen might as well be his living room, that's how much time he spends there.

Cooking recipes 05

2008-03-02T21:56:00.001-08:00

3 Easy Baked Bean Recipes

The following baked bean recipes may all have very different ingredients, but they have one main thing in common - they are all cooked in the crockpot! These recipes can either be used as side dishes, or part of a main meal. Be sure to see more crockpot recipes at our website below.

CROCKPOT BAKED BEANS I
1 pound dried small white beans -- rinsed
4 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 onion -- chopped
1/4 pound salt pork -- cut into 1" cubes
1 tablespoon dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
In slow-cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW 13 to 14 hours, stirring occasionally, if possible.

CROCKPOT BAKED BEANS II
1 lb ground beef
3/4 lb bacon fried and diced
1 onion lg chopped and browned
1 lge can pork and beans
1 16 oz kidney beans canned
1 16 oz buttered lima beans canned
1 cup catsup
3 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup liquid smoke
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
Put all ingredients. in crock pot cook 4-6 hrs on low.

CROCKPOT BAKED BEANS III
2 cans canellini beans
2 cans black beans
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can chick peas
2 diced onions
2 tablespoons mustard (from the fridge - the wet kind)
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup

Rinse and drain beans and set aside. On bottom of crockpot place diced onions, then dump on beans (don't mix just dump 'em all on). Then drizzle on all other ingredients. Mustard stays lumpy - it's ok. If you wish to add bacon - pre cook 1 lb. crumble and put over top of entire mixture. DON'T STIR. It will look dry for awhile. Crock Pot on High for 6-8 hours stirring once about 3/4 of the way through. Serve.

Enjoy!

About the Author: Kara Kelso is the mother of two, and owner of several websites online. For more crockpot recipes, see our ebook at: http://www.idea-queen.com/ebooks/crockpot-cooking-recipes.html

Cooking recipes 04

2008-03-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

Add Some French Cooking Recipes To Your Collection!

French cooking recipes have long been the favorites of any aspiring gourmet cook who wants to learn the art of proper cuisine preparation and presentation from the master chefs besides being an interesting challenge for the hobbyist who may not have any background in French cooking, as it is fun and varied to learn. This is part of partly the reason why a look into the cultural aspects of French cooking styles and schools is a great way to boost your daily menu and with much less trouble you'd take to learn exotic recipes!

However, before you unleash your enthusiasm to learn French cooking, here are some guidelines you could follow through when deciding how to get started on choosing the right stuff and creating cookery ideas for everyone.

Adding recipes in to your cookbook is simple, with our tips: take a look at these French cooking recipes to change from the regular grub fare served everyday and bring in some zing, French-style!

- Always begin with one cuisine style or idea as trying to change a full menu all at once with fancy French cooking recipes may well jigger up your chances of getting it right. French cooking recipes typically call for buying seasonal, fresh foodstuffs after studying family tastes, which can be prepared innovatively to give a distinct taste - but without tiring out the cook!

- Ingredients are all-important in French cooking recipes turning out perfectly attuned to the individual's taste and even something simple like substituting fresh herbs with dried ones can make a difference to the ultimate results, so try to stick as close to the guidelines of fresh ingredients as mentioned, even for sauces and other side-dishes.

Even the high-quality ingredients used for French cooking recipes are more easily available in bigger, better-stocked malls and hyper-markets, so specialty cuisine is not hard to put-together at home either. The change has come about with a greater demand for continental cooking.

- Do ensure you take enough time to learn varied methods of cooking with a French style as these techniques are what make a good Chef; at times, there are options for enrolling in a home-study program or even signing up for a neighborhood French cooking class, so study these choices if open to you.

In the above manner, by learning the basics of easier French cooking recipes that can be researched online or in cookbooks in printable format, you can build up your stock of great tasting, seasonal fare for the feasting and for standard meal-times both, thus adding quality to the lifestyle and health of everyone around. So, go ahead and try your hand at this specialized cookery style - and you're bound to achieve success with time and dedication.

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.cooking-guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report "Master Chef Secrets" and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.cooking-guru.com

Cooking recipes 03

2008-03-02T21:52:00.002-08:00

Easy Mexican Recipes - Tater Taco Casserole

Tired of boring old tater tots? Here's a unique way to use those bland tater tots.

2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 (1.25 oz.) pkg. taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 (11 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted
1 (32 oz.) pkg. tater tots

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is brown; drain. Stir in the taco seasoning and water. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add in the corn and soup; mix well.

Spread beef mixture inside of prepared baking dish. Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the top of beef mixture. Bake, uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are crisp and golden brown.

Green Chili and Cheese Casserole

Whip up this tasty Mexican recipe using just four simple ingredients.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
1 (4oz.) can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 tablespoon dry fajita seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Make a deep cut into the side of each chicken breast half to form a pocket.

Stuff 1/4 cup of cheese and about 1 tablespoon of the chilies onto each chicken half. Close and secure with a toothpick so that the cheese does not escape during cooking. Place the stuffed chicken into the baking dish.

Season the meat with the fajita seasoning. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and chilies over the top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the chicken juices run clear and the cheese is lightly browned.

Green Chili Grilled Cheese Sandwich

If you love grilled cheese sandwiches, try this spiced up version.

4 slices bread
4 slices Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Directions

Top two slices of bread with two slices of cheese. Sprinkle green chilies on top. Place the remaining bread slices on top. Butter the outside of the sandwiches.

In a large skillet, cook the sandwiches over medium heat. Cook on both sides until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Cha...cha...cha...it's chili time!
http://www.best-chili-recipes.com

Cooking recipes 02

2008-03-02T21:52:00.001-08:00

Crockpot Cooking Recipes - The Fun Way Of Cookin

Modern times are busy times and therefore people have been looking with good reason, towards finding ways to simplify tasks, including making mealtimes easier to deal with and enjoyable for all in the family. For this reason, more time and energy-efficiency is called for so that the quality of life is enhanced by spending these valuable resources into pleasurable activities instead of focusing only on chores.

This is also the reason why many people have been looking for a way-out of the tediousness of home cooking and are comforted by the thought of frozen foodstuffs, readily available to save the busy home-maker time, energy and money as well besides loads of variety in menu-planning - in a jiffy!

Just the thought of keeping a stock of frozen items, checking to see which ones are still fit to be used, planning 3 square meals and more such efforts can be boring for some people, so crock-pot cooking recipes are being given preference over more traditional and time-consuming methods of preparing meals. We bring you some inside scoop on this popular method of fast-cooking that is wholesome too:

Apart from being easy to put-together, crock-pot cooking recipes only call for getting all the main ingredients ready, following easy directions and setting a timer to cook for a certain period - leaving you free to attend to other things. At times, people even use this method to set a timer to cook the meal, which is often ready by the time they arrive home - to a fresh, flavorful aroma of a home-cooked meal, no less! These simple can be applied to many different dishes, such as a meat dish, a soup, stew or even a sweet dish. Not only is cooking simplified with the crock-pot, but even cleaning up is convenient.

In fact, many a time, there is no specific time of the day that calls for a crock-pot cooking recipe - it's determined by your mood. The internet is a great resource for searching an array of them with a wonderful plethora of fast to cook, good to eat crock-pot ideas that are ideal for regular meal preparations.

Not only are the meals made by this method healthful and light, but the immense variety in crock-pot recipes makes them an easy bet for everyday meal planning and entertaining sudden guests, who are sure to want to learn your secrets for whipping up a quick-time wholesome meal, without getting frazzled! Some people prefer to keep their crock-pot recipes a secret while others don't mind sharing them with friends; whatever your choice, you can be sure this is a healthy alternative to spending time slaving over a stove, preparing meals the traditional way

Those willing to share their recipe ideas are more likely to find their fund of recipes getting filled up with ideas from friends and family, adding to the joys of healthy cooking and entertaining.

Cooking Recipes 01

2008-03-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

Finding Sumptuous Cooking Recipes

A lot of people find that the majority of their cooking recipes come from family members such as their grandmother or mother. But for some people, this just is not the case or they would like to build their own collection.

When building your collection of cooking recipes, it is always best to have the biggest variety available so that there is always something in your collection for every occasion. And as every cook can tell you, there is no such thing as having too many as there is nothing better then wowing your guests with a meal that they will never forget.

A lot of times, people will take old family recipes and give it a little twist so that it represents something of the past and something of the future. But for some people, they could never imagine taking the cooking recipes that were passed down to them and ripping them apart. Keeping them intact is a wonderful way of remembering a loved one who has passed and to keep their memory alive and there is certainly nothing wrong with that at all.

Where to Find Great Recipes

If you are looking to add to your collection of cooking recipes, searching the Internet is the best way to go because people from all over the world can contribute giving you the widest selection of things to pick from. Also, these are sometimes rated by those who have tried it and that can give you a determination of whether or not you should even waste your time. And keep in mind, that the Internet is not the only way to go about finding new cooking recipes, as there are other ways to find that perfect addition for your collection.

There are a lot of magazines that are hitting the shelves that are solely focused on cooking in general and give its readers a lot of recipes with every issue. These can be found in almost any store and you can even subscribe to them so that you can have new cooking recipes delivered to your mailbox every single month. This is an excellent way to make sure that you have something new and exciting to prepare for your family each and every single month. And if you do not like a particular recipe that you tried, simply toss it out and try again with the next issue.

Echo Wang is a contributing Editor for cooking-tips Find out which cooking products, treatments & solutions will continue to be beautiful at any time. Our site is dedicated to providing information about cooking well options so you can continue to do it perfect, if want to more information, please visit Sumptuous Cooking

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2008-03-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

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