10 Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips
June 25, 2009
A lot of the times we mean to get in there and finally organize the kitchen, but once things get out of control the job can seem so daunting and you just don’t know where to start. These top 10 kitchen organizing tips will help make your kitchen pleasant and welcoming.
The best way to start a big task is to start small and think of one thing at a time. If you think of everything you need to do you may just never do it!
Here are some easy kitchen organizing tips:
Mentally Prepare - Look in your kitchen and make a mental note of what belongs in there, what can be put away, what you don’t need anymore, etc.
Organize Kitchen Cabinets - Take everything out of your kitchen cabinets, clean, and place them back into different categories such as glasses, plates, baking trays and so on. If your cabinets are organized you will save a lot of time during cooking.
Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes
June 19, 2009
Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes that you enjoy at your favorite restaurant, but have no idea where to start to achieve that wonderful and delightful flavor? There are a variety of ways to create the best garlic mashed potatoes that you have ever tasted but when it comes down to which way is best is according to your own taste buds.
When you take a look at garlic you will see that there are various kinds of garlic that you can use for your mashed potatoes such as German red garlic, Spanish Roja garlic, Leningrad garlic, and Yugoslavian. You can find all of these garlic’s in a powder form or use fresh garlic. So, the first thing you need to do is decide which garlic you would like to use. Personally, I like using fresh minced garlic cloves.
Reductions: Proving Less is More
June 13, 2009
Any liquid can be reduced just by heating it - but why would you want to do that?
The answer comes back to two of our old friends, flavor and consistency (texture).
By reducing any flavored liquid you intensify its flavor and at the same time thicken it. You can continue this process until what you have left is a syrup if it contains sugar, or a sauce if it does not.
This is one of the most important tools in the kitchen, believe it or not, because a great sauce can rescue an indifferent meal.
And literally ANY liquid can be reduced.
A few uses
Wine is frequently used in cooking, both as a marinade and as an addition to sauces for meat.
There are some problems with it though, one of which is that you need a really good wine and quite a lot of it to produce a reasonable sauce for, say, six people.
On the other hand, if you use pure grape juice and reduce it to a syrup, that syrup, added to any sauce (or gravy if you prefer) will lift it into the realms of ‘gourmet’.
Grilling Vs. Barbecue
June 8, 2009
Grilling and Barbecuing, two of the most popular cooking methods in the U.S., especially in warmer weather. There are some who know the difference between grilling and barbecuing, and some who don’t. Do you?
To put it simply, Grilling is fast cooking over high heat, while barbecuing involves a slower cooking method, over a lower heat.
Grilling is generally done over a gas flame, or hot coals. Tender cuts of meat are best for this cooking method. The quick cooking and the high heat seal in the juices, creating a juicy piece of meat, but leave the meat on too long, and it will dry out, as with any dry cooking method. Barbecue sauces can be used, but since the heat is so high, it should be added right at the end of the cooking time, especially for sweeter barbecue sauces, so that the sugar in the sauce doesn’t burn. Vegetables and fruits can also be grilled, as they don’t need a long cooking time. Peaches and pineapple are particularly good for grilling, the natural sugars in the fruit carmelize over the high heat. When you grill food, you need to pay attention to it, so it doesn’t get overcooked. You need to stay by the grill the whole time.
Food Poisoning–An Overview
June 4, 2009
What is Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning results when you eat food contaminated with bacteria or other pathogens such as parasites or viruses. Your symptoms may range from upset stomach to diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps and dehydration. Most such infections go undiagnosed and unreported.
But the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year about 76 million people in the United States become ill from pathogens in food, and about 5,000 of them die.
Over 55% of such cases are caused by improper cooking and storage of foods, and 24% by poor hygiene, such as not washing your hands while preparing food. Only 3% of cases are from unsafe food sources. Keeping your hands clean while working with food is the single most important thing you can do to prevent food poisoning.
About 20 organisms can cause food poisoning. After you eat food contaminated with bacteria, they will multiply in your stomach and bowels. Some bacteria give off a toxin when they multiply. As a result, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea occur. Vomiting and diarrhea are the body’s way of eliminating the toxin, and most cases of food poisoning run their course without needing medical attention.
Grilling Tips ? Safety Comes First at the Barbecue
May 30, 2009
You’re standing at the gas grill in the hot sun, wiping the sweat from your brow, and having your favorite cool drink. You are making one of your favorite grill recipes for the neighbors that are coming over in a few minutes for a home and garden party. You are using your brand new gas grill with all of the bells and whistles. You even went to the trouble of sending out fun invitations you found on the internet and you have just the perfect theme picked out for your party. Your new pool furniture has arrived and the weather is a perfect 80 degrees. Your picnic table is set up for the kids and their friends. Summer life doesn’t get much better than that. With every grill recipe, party and backyard barbecue you can still maintain safety and common sense. Your party could be a disaster without first thinking about safety for yourself and your guests. Here are a few tips that ensure safety first:
Working with Eggs
May 24, 2009
Bad eggs are rare but they do occur. Crack eggs into a separate bowl before mixing with other ingredients. If the egg is bad it will have an unmistakeable odor.
If you find an egg stuck to the carton, fill the indentation with cool water and let sit for five minutes. The water will soften the dried egg white that is holding the egg in the carton.
Many techniques are used for cracking open an egg. Their is an easy method you can use if you want to keep the eggshell out of the frypan. Using the following method will keep the egg shell from shattering when you crack the egg.
1. First, find a flat surface, you want to crack the egg on a flat surface and not on the edge of counter or frying pan.
2. Place the egg in the upper part of your palm, between your thumb and first three fingers. Leave a space between your middle and ring finger. Give a short, sharp crack to the exposed area on a flat surface.
Slimming Secrets From The Kitchen
May 20, 2009
To get the svelte figure, start in the kitchen. Slimming down is about taking in less calories, while you burn more calories through exercise.
For a food lover, the dieting part is tough. Exercise is easy, using the stairs instead of the elevator, getting off a stop or two before your actual destination and walking the rest of the way, all these add up helping you burn the calories.
Dieting, or consuming less calories requires discipline, or does it?
My mom is svelte. She eats what she likes. I was slim too, when I lived with her. Her style of cooking made all the difference.
Dieting is not about denying yourself your favourite food. Sooner or later, you’ll feel so deprived, you end up binging.
A smarter way to go about this is to take a look at how you prepare your food.
Do you deep fry your food? Do you love crispy, oily fried stuff?
That could be part of the problem.
Maybe you have been dieting by eating lots of salad, heaping your favourite salad cream on it. Salad is great but salad cream contains so much hidden fat. With all the calories in most salad creams, you might as well have a full 5 course dinner instead.
Is Your Cookware Poisoning You?
May 14, 2009
For over 40 years scientists have known that the fumes from hot non-stick surfaces can kill pet birds such as canaries. So just how dangerous are they to you?
Several studies have been conducted into health concerns surrounding Teflon, the coating invented and patented by DuPont. The results have been disturbing, if somewhat inconclusive.
While the lethal effect on birds is well documented and not in dispute, much of the other evidence tends to be anecdotal at best. And some of it is downright confusing.
For example, the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is usually cited as the villain of the piece and the root cause of the illnesses that have allegedly appeared in some users. However DuPont claims Teflon doesn’t contain this chemical, although it is used in the manufacturing process.
Whatever the truth of that may be, it’s certainly accurate to say that there have been a number of health issues emerging in the community immediately adjacent to the DuPont factory in Parkersburg, West Virginia; more about that later.
There also seems to be some disagreement among authorities as to the temperatures at which the bird-lethal fumes are given off. These are quoted as ranging from 285°F to 475° and more.
The Noble Crescent Roll - How to Roll a Masterpiece
May 9, 2009
Ahhh?the noble crescent roll. In some forms it has its origins in the Middle East and in Europe. We know that during the 1600’s crescent rolls of some form were being baked in Vienna. There is one thing that we do know for certain: no matter which form you choose to bake them in today, they are sure to please the most discriminating palate! That sumptuous aroma, sneaking through the halls and lurking in every corner of the house, is enough to get my taste buds humming. Can you smell it? That buttery, toasted aroma is calling you.
Served with an omelet in the morning or fresh fruit at lunch, crescent rolls are just plain delicious! A hot cup of herbal tea or coffee is mandatory.
Making crescent rolls can be a fun activity for the entire family, or that special young person! In the simplest of terms it’s as easy as slicing a pizza and rolling up a jellyroll. Are you ready?
First you’ll need a batch of crescent roll dough. You could probably use just about any roll type dough, but there are dough recipes designed just for the crescent.
