Cooking — What You Need To Know
November 30, 2008
From ancient times till the nineteenth century cooking was basically a survival skill. The nineteenth century marked the division of cooking into two main categories.
The two branches were defined by the French, were there is ‘normale cuisine’ which means home cooking, and ‘haute cuisine’, which is cooking conceived like an artform. The major difference between the two branches is that one form should be considered as practical cooking while the other is more like cooking with a view to demonstrating skill.
The boundary between ~normale cuisine~ and ~haute cuisine~ gets thinner and thinner over time. New professional kitchen equipment and more information about cooking allow people to perform like chefs at home.
Haute cuisine cooking gathers different techniques and ingredients together in an artform. Haute cuisine thrives to gather as many aromas and subtle variations as possible to let our taste buds discover the variations of even the most ordinarily food. Color is also an important factor in this type of cooking.
While cooking was mainly a means to survive, food cooking techniques were simple ~ roasting by the fire, or wrapping in leaves to steam. The first revolution in cooking took place twelve thousand years ago, when pottery was invented.
Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake
November 30, 2008
Cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts around today. A simple Google search on “cheesecake” returns over 1.6 million results. Isn’t that astounding? What is it about cheesecake that generates such a following? To be honest, I have no idea, but it’s been going on for a long time. The earliest known cheesecake recipe is from the 14th century, and cheesy concoctions were popular in ancient Rome. Who are we to fight a tradition with so long a history?
So I thought I’d do my part to satisfy the global hunger for cheesecake data with this Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake recipe. Enjoy it, cheesecake lovers, wherever you are.
Ingredients:
1 c Vanilla Wafer Crumbs 1/2 c Chopped Pecans 3 tb Granulated Sugar 1/4 c Margarine, Melted 16 oz Cream Cheese, Softened 1/2 c Brown Sugar, Packed 2 ea Large Eggs 6 oz Semi-sweet Chips, Melted 3 tb Almond Flavored Liqueur 2 c Sour Cream 2 tb Granulated Sugar
Method:
How to Begin Wine Collecting
November 29, 2008
How to Begin Wine Collecting
by: Dakota Caudilla
Some people collect wine for moneyand some people collect wine because they have a passion for wine. Irregardless of whether you’re collecting wine for profit or for pleasure, collecting wine requires some investment. Enjoying wine is a completely different thing from collecting wine, bear this in mind.
When it comes to collecting wine, one of the most important thing to consider is where you’re going to keep the wine. A substantial portion of your investment towards your wine collection hobby is in ensuring that there’s a suitable place to store your wine. The motive is to ensure that the wine collection will increase in value, not decrease. Believe it or not, the storage and the way the wine is kept make a world of difference.
Wine that is kept, collected and protected in suitable condition will age nicely and will turn into vintage wines. However, if your wine collection is not properly cared for, well, you’ll know. The quality of the wine collection will deteriorate and a wine expert will be able to tell that your wine has been ill-treated.
Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes - One Recipe with Many Variations
November 28, 2008
Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes - One Recipe with Many Variations
by: Karen Ciancio
There are so many Christmas cookie recipes around but often so little time to bake during the busy holiday season.
The solution? A great tasting basic cookie recipe that quickly and easily turns into such a variety of easy to make Christmas treats, friends and family will think you poured over all your favorite Christmas cookie recipes.
Let’s start with the basics.
Basic Cookie Dough Recipe
- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter (or margarine) at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture is light and fluffy. With mixer at a low speed, add the flour gradually, beating just until everything is well blended.
Place the mixture on a baking sheet using a tablespoon measure and press down with a spoon to flatten a bit. Or roll our and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350ºF for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.
Three Rules For Choosing The Right Dinner Wine
November 27, 2008
Three Rules For Choosing The Right Dinner Wine
by: Dakota Caudilla
RULE NO 1: Drink the wine that you like.
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Sometimes, however, we get so caught up in what is the right wine and what is the wrong wine that we forget the most important thing: we have taste! We have our own individual taste and love drinking the wine we love to drink. Sure, certain wines traditionally match certain foods and flavours, but ultimately you are the judge of what you like to drink, no matter what the enologists say!
RULE NO. 2: White with fish, red with meat? Not always.
Everyone knows that fish meals should be accompanied by white wine and meat dishes should be accompanied by red wine. But adhering to strict wine rules takes the fun out of choosing wines. Trust your own sense of taste. A wine should do one of two things: complement or contrast. Not all fish dishes are cooked in the same way, so why should they all be accompanied by white wine? Consider the dish, the way it is cooked, the spices and seasonings added, and then choose a wine that complements those elements or contrasts, that is if you want a more intense experience.
Cooking With Kids–Safely!
November 26, 2008
School’s out! And summer is a good time to introduce your child to chores in the kitchen!
To help you along, here are some things to remember when cooking, especially with kids. Plus a couple of kid-friendly recipes!
1. Keep temperature of hot water below 120 degrees F.
2. Turn handles of pots and pan toward middle of stove to avoid accidental bumps.
3. Wash hands with soap and warm water before cooking or preparing food.
4. Keep hands away from the face, hair and pets. If you touch your pet, wash your hands again before preparing food.
5. Tie your long back so it won’t get in the way!
6. Always use potholders or oven mitts when handling something hot and make sure the potholders are not wet.
7. Always pick up a knife by its handle and never try to catch a falling knife.
8. Never put a dirty knife in a sink full of water. When it is ready to be washed, put it where it can be seen.
9. Never pull or tug at an electrical cord. Remove it with your hand on the plug.
Weight Loss Recipe: Spicy Chicken Cacciatore
November 25, 2008
Just because you are watching your weight, doesn’t mean the whole family can’t enjoy your health enhancing meals! The kids will love “Spicy Chicken Cacciatore” and you will love it because it is so low in calories and fat!
Long term weight loss isn’t about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It’s a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. “Spicy Chicken Cacciatore” is one of a range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes to assist you keep your weight under control. This irresistible, no-hassle meal will help you reach your weight-loss goals - while making mealtime a real treat.
Variety is an essential element of any successful health program. If you get bored with foods, you’re much more likely to abandon your program altogether. Each main meal should be accompanied by an exciting range of colorful vegetables.
Ingredients: 2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless 1/2 teaspoon salt pepper to taste 1 red onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon capers 2 tablespoons fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes 400g (14 ounce) can chopped tomatoes 2 red bell peppers, chopped
And You Thought Coffee Was Bad For You!!
November 25, 2008
And You Thought Coffee Was Bad For You!!
by: Vince Manzello
I am sure that if you are a coffee enthusiast, you have heard this, but if not let me state it here. “Coffee is good for you!”
Recent research has shown that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. Antioxidants, are nutrients that are responsible from protecting your body’s cells from being destroyed by toxins. This destruction has been linked to an increased risk of certain medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and others.
Antioxidants are found in the good stuff that our mothers made us eat when we were little, namely fruits & veggies. Amazingly, many of us didn’t listen and took up coffee instead because more Americans get their daily dose of antioxidants from coffee than from broccoli!
The top 10 list for the the source of antioxidants in the Americandiet were listed as follows:
- Coffee
- Black Tea
- Bananas
- Dried Beans
- Corn
- Red Wine
- Beer
- Apples
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
Research also showed that there was esentially no difference between the amount of antioxidants in regular versus decaf coffees.
Grandma’s Apple Pie
November 24, 2008
Grandma’s Apple Pie
by: David Jones
One Year my parents gave my wife and I several bags of apples from a local orchard. Most of them were Golden Delicious and we were instructed not to cook with these,”..they are for eating only.”. When we arrived home my wife’s Grandmother stopped by and spotted the bags of apples. She said “Would you like me to make a pie with those?”. We instantly responded YES! The pie was incredible! So, here it is:
APPLE PIE RECIPE
5 or 6 apples
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
1/2 stick of butter or margarine (optional)
2 TBSP flour (optional)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 frozen pie crust
Peel and cut up apples into small pieces. Put apples in a bowl of water and lemon juice to keep from
turning brown and to keep fresh. In a separate bowl, mix sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon
and nutmeg. Add about half of the sugar mixture to the apples. Add softened margarine (optional).
Light Veal Recipes to Barbeque or to Broil
November 23, 2008
With everyone watching their weight and seeking out recipes that are low in fat and calories you may think that you have to give up some of your favorite dishes, but you can find many light veal recipes that you are sure to enjoy You will never be able to tell that these unique recipes are considered to be a light meal once you taste the savory dish. Low carb and barbeque can go together
This light veal recipe is for those that love salad with an Italian flavor. You will need:
2 ½ pounds of veal blade steaks cut into ¾ inch thickness, 10 ounces of your favorite Italian salad mix (or you can prepare your own using romaine and radicchio lettuce), 1 cup of diced Romano tomatoes, ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup of your favorite Italian dressing and salt to taste. For the marinade you will need: ¼ cup of your favorite Italian dressing, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and a dash of pepper.
