Coffee Storage
November 5, 2008
Coffee Storage
by: Gary Gresham
Proper coffee storage makes a lot of difference in how your coffee tastes once you go to use it. Here are a few tips for storing coffee beans and ground coffee to keep your coffee tasting as good as possible.
For roasted whole bean coffee storage use an airtight ceramic canister that blocks light. The ceramic canister needs a rubber seal around the lid so air cannot get inside.
Fill the ceramic canister clear to the top with whole bean coffee to keep the air inside down to a minimum. Roasted whole bean coffee will last one to two weeks, when stored this way at room temperature.
Stay away from plastic or metal containers because they can alter the taste of your coffee. If you use a clear glass canister, keep the light away by storing it in a dark cupboard.
The truth about ground coffee is that it will only store for a few days. But you should at least keep air away by using an airtight ceramic canister that blocks light.
This is why grinding your own beans is well worth the effort and it’s also really simple. Trying to keep ground coffee fresh is next to impossible.
Wine Storage - Hints And Tips
November 4, 2008
Wine Storage - Hints And Tips
by: David Roberts
Few wine lovers are lucky enough to possess perfect purpose built, cavernous, subterranean cellars. Many of us have imperfect storage arrangements for our wine, but it is important to understand how to protect wine from damaging conditions so that we can make the most of the wine storage facilities available. Wine storage conditions dont need to be perfect, but the finer the wine and the longer you intend to store it for, the nearer to perfect they have to be.
There is a lot of variety in the way in which different wines will react to adverse conditions. Red wines tend to be more robust with white wines being more delicate. There is also variation between the grape varieties, with grapes like cabernet sauvignon being considerably more resilient than pinot noir. The aim in this article is to give you an overview of the factors to consider and the options available for storing your wine.
1)Temprature
A Beginners Guide to Chinese Cookery
November 2, 2008
A Beginners Guide to Chinese Cookery
by: Liz Canham
Introduction
When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was really quite unappealing. Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind. Then in the 1980s a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences. There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap ‘n tasteless ones. Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.
Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.
Brinkman Smoke N Pit Professional and Grill King Smoker Reviewed
November 1, 2008
Brinkman Smoke N Pit Professional and Grill King Smoker Reviewed
by: Judy Simpson
Brinkman grills have always been popular among grillers during the summer. We are going to take a look at two smoker grills, which are popular not only in the summer, but you can smoke meats as well during the winter.
The Brinkman Smoke N Pit grill smoker can handle up to 25 pounds of food. This will allow you to barbecue plates full of steaks, burgers, chicken, and more. It is cmpact so it is easy to bring to a picnic, tailgate party, or on a camping trip.
The Brinkman Smoke N Pit grill smoker is designed to last for years, giving you many seasons of cooking enjoyment because its constructed of heavy-gauge steel construction with hinged lid and welded body. For precision cooking this smoker uses adjustable side air vents and smokestack damper which work together to regulate heat and smoke.
Our next Brinkman smoker grill is the Brinkman Smoke N Pit Professional Horizontal Charcoal Wood Smoker N Grill. It uses an offset firebox. A charcoal fire is built inside the firebox for indirect cooking.
Chinese Food
October 30, 2008
Chinese Food
by: Marci Crane
Chinese food now holds a popular place among the entire population of the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so popular? Is Chinese food healthy? What is the history of Chinese food?
The History of Chinese Food
The history of Chinese food1 is an interesting one. Unlike many cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can include dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult to develop and may require the expertise of a chef with lots of experience. One such technique is noodle pulling (scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about this technique). Noodle pulling requires skill and lots of practice and results in a delicious noodle dish. This article will refer to noodle pulling later on, but for now, let’s go back to the history of Chinese food.
Three Light, Simple and Easy Meals from Turkey Leftovers
October 29, 2008
Three Light, Simple and Easy Meals from Turkey Leftovers
by: Constance Weygandt
If you’re like me, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, every year, is a blur. There never seems to be enough time to prepare for the holidays. Our immune systems plummet and stress rises. During this time, I try to find shortcuts to make things less stressful, for myself. Turkey leftovers are a mandatory part of this strategy. Even if the family dinner is not at my home, I buy a turkey. During the holiday season, it is very economical and a lifesaver.
Here are three light, simple and easy ways to use your turkey leftovers:
1 Turkey Quesidillas. Spray a whole wheat flour tortilla with Butter Pam. Place in frying pan and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped turkey pieces and sliced green onion. Place another tortilla on top and spray with Butter Pam. Brown on both sides until cheese is melted. You can add some chopped olives or jalapeno peppers if you desire. Serve with salsa.
2 Spinach and Turkey Salad. Mix together - chopped turkey, bacon flavored almonds, dried cranberries and fresh spinach. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette or honey mustard salad dressing.
Kosher Food Popular With Health Conscious Of All Faiths
October 28, 2008
Kosher Food Popular With Health Conscious Of All Faiths
by: Miklos Margaretten
Until recently, it was close to impossible for the kosher or health conscious traveler to keep his religious or healthy meals while in transit. Now developments in the kosher food industry are making this challenge much easier.
The health conscious and dieters are finding Kosher food is better for you and offers a very wide range of items and dishes, and this trend is spreading rapidly.
Keeping kosher means following dietary laws handed down through the centuries among the Jewish faithful. Kosher has its roots in the Old Testament. Kosher laws are generally more strict than U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards.
Religious inspectors also rule out sick or injured animals that would be normally be accepted in non-Kosher markets.
In our modern world where most animals are often treated roughly, keeping Kosher means eating a much healthier grade of meat.
Kosher tradition features a major group of foods known as Parve. Parve includes a huge variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains in their natural, unprocessed state. This is exactly what many people who are trying to eat a healthier, low-fat, high-fiber diet are looking for.
Delicious Desserts
October 25, 2008
Delicious Desserts
by: Ryan Fyfe
A “Dessert” is a meal course that usually comes after dinner. Most often Dessert foods are of sweet food but can also be of a strongly flavored food, such as cheese, like cheese cake. The world dessert comes from the Old French word “desservir”, which means ‘to clear the table’. Often times in the English language dessert is confused with the word desert(note only one “s”), which is a baren peice of land normally with sand as soil.
It wasn’t until after the 19th-century where the rise of the middle class, and the mechanization of the sugar industry, brought the privilege of sweets into the general public and unreserved it exclusively for the aristocracy, or as rare holiday treat. This was because sugar became cheaper and more readily available to the general public. As sugar was widely spread, so was the development and popularity of desserts.
In today’s culture http://www.dessert-1.com - dessert recipes have become a popular item for discussion, as they are a winning way to win people over at the end of any meal. This is partly because if you serve a mediocre meal, with an excellent dessert, people will remember you for the dessert and forget about the meal.
Experience The Joy Of Eating At A Restaurant
October 24, 2008
Experience The Joy Of Eating At A Restaurant
by: Sintilia Miecevole
Restaurants offering a variety of cuisines are dotted all over the United States. They provide not just lip-smacking food but a great ambience too. Most restaurants also pride hemselves on their standards of cleanliness. You can choose to sit in comfort and enjoy a leisurely meal at a host of estaurants or order a take-away meal that you can eat at your convenience elsewhere.
One great advantage of eating at a restaurant is that you get to try a range of international cuisines, ranging from the Eastern to the Mediterranean. You could enjoy the fine meat preparations offered by Arabic restaurants or choose the exotic Filipino dishes like Sisig, Lechon Kawali and Laing offered by Filipino restaurants. Not to mention the Indian restaurants serving their mouth watering dals and curries and the much loved authentic Chinese restaurants which are a favorite with many people. For an indulgent evening, you could opt for a five course meal at an Italian restaurant. The first course is the antipasti or appetizers like garlic bread followed by pastas or soups as a second course or primi. The main dish or secondi usually comprises fish or meat platters, which are served along with side dishes or controni. The last course of this extravagant meal is the dolce or the dessert.
How to Cook a Really Crispy Duck or Chicken
October 22, 2008
How to Cook a Really Crispy Duck or Chicken
by: Hans Dekker
How to Cook a real Crispy Duck
If you’re like me you love the skin on the outside of duck, if it’s crispy. The texture of the meal can totally be changed with a crispy skin.
The secret is to make sure the duck is scored across the front and salted heavily.
This helps dry up the skin and makes for a super crispy skin. You will not be the only one that enjoys this Crispy Duck Recipe, but everyone else at your dinner table.
Take the duck that you’re going to use for your main dish make slits in the breast with a knife and poke with a fork. Salt the breast heavily use your discretion and taste. You can use this method for any recipe you can think of.
Just use the cooking instructions from the recipe you are using. Place the bird breast down on the baking pan and cook like that for about ¾ of the total time that the recipe says to cook it for, making sure to drain the fat from the bird, usually by sticking it with a fork under the wings and legs.
