Archive for October, 2009

Cooking Schools and Culinary Academies Can Give You Whatever Level of Education You Want

stewrt mart asked:


For me, cooking has always been fun. I started cooking in my younger day back in Nebraska. Luckily, my mother was patient enough to teach me. For my wife, she’s glad I have fun doing it. What is your vote? Do you cook for pleasure, or necessity? If you have the right equipment, a comfortable kitchen, and are willing to try different things, cooking can be fun. Having someone to clean up after you helps, too. Most ovens are self-cleaning now, so being a little sloppy pulling your cooked item out of the oven isn’t quite so critical. You just wipe up what you can, and self-clean sometime in the future.

You can take only a Dim Sum class or get a degree in Culinary Arts. You can login us at www.cheese-cake-recipes.com. There are online courses and courses by mail. The choice is yours. There is a Catering and Gourmet Cooking class which is online and through Penn Foster Career School. There are many methods of cooking. Dry-heat cooking methods without fat are broiling, roasting or baking, grilling, barbecuing, griddling, and pan-broiling. Dry-heat cooking methods with fat are sautéing, pan-frying, and deep-frying. Moist heat cooking methods are steaming, boiling, simmering, poaching, and blanching. Broiling is a method using high heat. My favorite is outdoor cooking. There is also crock-pot cooking, which is an easy way to prepare a full meal. As I said before, having the right culinary equipment makes the task of cooking a lot easier. I use the nonstick pans versus the stainless steel variety. They are easier to clean up. Other materials used for cookware is copper, aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, glass, ceramics, plastic, and enamelware. Pans lined with enamel should not be used for cooking. The enamel may chip or crack. Having a variety of sizes for cookware makes the cooking process much easier. A good set of kitchen knives is a must, also. They should be kept sharp for both safety reasons and easier to use. For further details login on to www.fair-recipes.com. Use the correct knife for the specific job being done. A paring knife wouldn’t work to well trying to cut through bone. Being educated in food safety should also be a consideration. You don’t want your family to get Vibrato parahaemolyticus Gastroenteritis from eating raw oysters. (Spelling or pronunciation is not a priority for cooking.) You don’t need to get a Selvage Food Safety Manager Certification, but a basic understanding of food safety should be learned. Some foods are more likely to become unsafe than others. Some potentially hazardous food would be milk, eggs, shellfish, fish, and baked potatoes.

www.cooking-groundbeef.com

www.book-of-cookies.com



A Few Simple Tips on Cooking With Rice

Roger Wakefield asked:


Rice is a very versatile food which can be a meal in itself, can be eaten cold as a salad, hot as a pudding or it can be served as a meal accompaniment. Use online recipes to get the most out of your packet of rice and experiment with different rices – long grain, short grain, arborio or risotto rice, pudding rice, brown rice, wild rice and basmati rice.

Here are 4 ways to use rice:-

1. Boiling rice – Rice is a great accompaniment to curry, chilli, casseroles, meat in sauces etc. and can also be used to make rice salads. You can purchase rice cookers or microwave rice steamers which are worth buying if you make a lot of rice.

To boil rice in a pan, first measure out rice and water. A mugful of rice will easily feed two people as a main course accompaniment and you will need twice as much water as rice, two mugfuls of boiling water. Either boil the water in a pan or use a kettle and then pour the water into a medium sized pan. Once the water is boiling, add the rice and a little salt. Bring back to the boil and then turn down to a simmer, place a lid on and leave to cook for about 15 minutes. Different types of rice will take different amounts of time so check the packet. If there is still liquid left after cooking, simmer for a bit longer, until it has been absorbed and serve. Some people like to place their cooked rice into a sieve and pour boiling water over it to rinse it, but this is not necessary.

2. Fried rice – Fried rice can be eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to Chinese dishes. It is a great way of using up leftover rice.

Boil the rice in the usual way and then let it cool. Beat 2 eggs together in a bowl and season. Heat some oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat and add the eggs when the oil is hot. Stir constantly until the eggs are softly scrambled. Add rice and some soy sauce or oyster sauce. Cook until the rice is hot and everything is combined.

For variety, you can fry chopped onion in the pan before adding the eggs and you can also add cooked chicken or cooked, peeled prawns when you add the rice.

3. Risotto – Making a risotto is easy but it does need your constant attention. Look for risotto rice or arborio rice in your supermarket.

Sauté chopped onion in a large, deep frying pan and then add uncooked rice with some mushrooms. Coat the rice in the hot oil and then start adding liquid such as stock or white wine or a mixture of both. Add the liquid a little (a ladle full) at a time and add more when the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Stir regularly to stop the rice sticking. Once the rice is cooked and creamy (to your taste) add a knob of butter, some grated parmesan cheese and serve.

For variety, you could also add cooked chicken, sausage or prawns, frozen peas or sweetcorn – experiment.

4. Rice Salad – Making a rice salad is a good way of using left over boiled rice and is a great dish to serve at BBQs or to take on a picnic.

You need to either boil some rice and then let it cool, or use leftover rice. Make it the night before you need to serve it so that the rice takes on the flavours of the other ingredients.

Mix the cold, cooked rice with sweetcorn, chopped peppers, chopped chillies, olives, olive oil, crushed garlic, lime or lemon juice and then, just before serving, stir in some grated cheese. You can also do rice salads with chopped pineapple, tuna, beans and pulses, and cashew nuts. Look for rice salad recipes or make your own up.



Home Cooking Network Exciting International Recipes

masumgarg asked:


Home cooking network – a Pandora box for all the goodies. A never before array of recipes are a rare collection of specialties form all over the world. It can serve all sorts of individual needs that are vegetarian, quick & easy, traditional, etc. For more help visit to: www.atkins-diets-recipes.com.Ranging from gourmet to the simpler ones, these recipes can be broadly divided in to 4 heads. These are as follows:

Unlike the regulars such as brochette or deviled eggs, Home Cooking Network offers the individuals an opportunity to try various cuisines. Chinese, Mexican, French….. The list is amazing!

For spicy pre meal snacks check out the Mexican & Chinese appetizers.

Soups make great appetizers and attribute to quite a healthy meal. If beef & chicken recipes do not tickle your taste bud being a vegetarian, look out for the vegetable soups such as carrot soup. For playing off the league try your hand with the French onion soup.

Whether appetizers or a meal, salads are just perfect for all of us. And for the lazy ones, these are far simpler & quicker recipes to opt from. They take almost no time, don’t believe me, and try potato salad or pasta salad! For some adventure & experience go for the Mexican salad.

Do you want to be different this time? For more detail go to: www.cooking-groundbeef.com.Choosing the main course could be rather hard but with Home Cooking Network, the choices are endless.

In place of the plain steak, try some corned beef or beef casserole, or the beef stroganoff.

Recipes enlist things as simple as the grilled chicken to something special like the low crab recipes and the chicken cordon bleu.

This can be defined in many ways as per one’s own perception. Home Cooking Network consists of many recipes that can be used as main course, appetizers, desserts or just simple snacks. These recipes are representatives of different cultures like

Desserts are surely delicious end to the meals. Home Cooking Network believes in trying different recipes that are new, uncommon and easy to cook.

Greek, Mexican and Pilipino desserts form a major chunk of the list.

ii. Alongside it enlists all time favorites like pies. Among pies, Home Cooking Network contains recipes for key lime, fruit filled and pecan pies.

Among vegetarian cuisines, Home Cooking Network offers various new & exquisite recipes like:

To tickle your taste buds further, Home Cooking Network’s recipes include many other categories to serve any purpose you have on mind that is a festive treat pleasing a cherished guest or thanking a friend, or simply sharing a relishing moment with the family. These recipes might be time consuming but the time is all the worth. Its rich culinary list includes:



Organic Chinese Herbs

Ernest Tang asked:


Organic Chinese herbs can be effective to treat many different types of diseases. There are still a lot of doubters out there that Chinese herbs can effectively treat certain type of diseases but still plenty of people reply on them to treat illness in preference over the use of pharmaceutical drugs. If you still doubt the effectiveness of those organic Chinese medications to cure certain ailments, then perhaps you can look at the side-effect of many pharmaceutical drugs and the higher costs involved.

As pharmaceutical products are essentially produced from synthetic ingredients, there may be side-effect on the body. No one doubt the effective of the cure as it is scientifically and rigorously tested but whether the body can mix with the synthetic ingredients is another concern. The side-effects can range from serious to mild and some of the negative effects are due to prolong usage. The unhealthy effects of consuming such medications can cause disorders such as weakened immune system, nerve disorders, abdominal disorders as well as other type of disorders.

Organic Chinese herbs on the other hand have been around for centuries and are derived from natural sources, so there are no side-effects. Although some can be poisonous when consumed in large amount, generally most are beneficial to the body. It is a known fact that many people who take the herbs do not complain of negative effect on their body as compared to pharmaceutical drugs.

The cost of organic Chinese herbs is much less expensive than most pharmaceutical drugs. You can get it easily from the market or plant your own in the garden. Then you can get fresh herbs anytime at a much reduced cost.

Although Chinese herbs are inexpensive compared to Western medications, the luxury of getting them cheaply is no longer the case. The price of organic Chinese herbs has soared as well as the current economic crises, affordability is an issue. But if you prefer Chinese medication, then perhaps you can look at some pointers to cost saving:

Consider buying in bulk as you can get better discounts but certain herbs has shorter self life so make sure that only buy those that you need. Proper storage can prolong the herbs lifespan so remember to read all the instructions on storage. You can plant them in your garden as it is not difficult to cultivate. Certain herbs need very little care and maintenance. It could be better if you live in the rural area and have a large backyard to plant them so that if you need any organic Chinese herbs for cooking, you can just pluck them from your garden. In apartment living, you can consider growing the herbs in pots by the window as they just need adequate water and sunlight to grow healthily.

 



Easy Recipes For Delicious Salads

Dave Text asked:


Salads are nutritional and can be the great source of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and lot more. They are considered as light meal and much more than an appetizer. Their preparation mostly involves vegetables (leafy vegetables) and sometimes fruits. The dressing forms the crux of it, which differentiates the taste of different salads. Occasionally it is prepared with meat, fish cheese or nuts, which makes it a high calorie-content. Basically these delicacies are healthy with low calories, most commonly found on every dining table in US

The most commonly consumed green salad consists of variety of vegetables like lettuce, spinach or arugula. This is not all, as the recipes can also be seen with tomato, cucumber, peppers, mushrooms, onions, spring onions, and red onions, carrot and reddish. We come across people who love to try different things in their daily diet they make different combinations in the same dish to give it different taste and flavor. For this reason we find green salads complimented with pasta, olives, cooked potatoes, croutons, beans, rice meat, cheese and fish. That is why salad is not just any mixture of leafy vegetables but needs proper garnishing and serving with of course the right mix of ingredients.

There are wide array of sumptuous chicken and summer salad recipes with tantalizing taste and mouth-watering aroma.

Lets look at one of the recipe called Chinese chicken salad recipe which easy to prepare and tasty to eat. The almonds and noodles in the salad add a crunchy taste to it and the dressing makes it spicy and sweet. Take a quick look at the ingredients needed.

Chinese chicken salad

Ingredients:

Coleslaw

1 packet of chicken noodles

1/2-cup of chopped green onions

Few sliced almonds to add crunch

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Dressing essentials:

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of olive oil

Wine vinegar or same quantity of rice preferably 1/2 cup rice

2 tsp. of soy sauce

Seasoning from the ramen

Method

To start with the Chinese chicken salad, you need to bake/grill and cube the 4 chicken breasts properly. Once this is done you have to combine all ingredients together. When the ingredients are mixed properly put the dressing on it immediately before serving.

During summer the intake of regular diet is less but the salads with nice dressings and variety of toppings can actually work as appetizers. The summer salad recipe involves fresh vegetables. Just go through the recipe to find out more about it.

Mid- summer Italian bread salad

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic

1 (1 pound) loaf or Italian bread preferably

1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes

1 cup of peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber

1 cup of chopped red onion

1 clove crushed garlic

2 cups of chopped fresh basil

1/8 cup of chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

If the bread is too fresh toast it till it becomes dry and crunchy.

Preparations

First of all rub the peeled clove of garlic from inside of wooden salad bowl. After that chop the bread into small size pieces. Mix bread, tomato, tomato, cucumber red onions, garlic, basil and thyme in the prepared bowl. Finally add oil and vinegar for lightly coating. Toss and serve the Mid- summer Italian bread salad



Holiday Cooking Recipes – Fruit Medley

Hendrika Van Aardt asked:


We are always looking for holiday cooking recipes that are fast, easy and tasty. Usually deciding what to cook as the meat dish for a holiday is easy, but then we need fast and easy accompaniments that will complement the taste of the meat. Here is one that is really quick and easy to make and it will go with any meat. It is luxurious and tasty yet easy to make. You only have to take care with the dressing, but if you follow the instruction carefully there should not be a problem.

Fruit Medley

Ingredients:



1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, reserve juice

1/3 C sugar

1 T cornstarch

1 T lemon juice

1/8 t salt

2 eggs

1 ripe banana, sliced

1 C seedless green grapes, halved

1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 (10 oz.) jar red maraschino cherries, drained

1 C miniature marshmallows



Method:



Place the reserved pineapple juice into a small saucepan.

Whisk in the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt until smooth.

Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a steady boil.

Stirring continuously, cook the mixture 3 minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Place the eggs in a separate bowl and beat slightly with a fork.

Pour 2 T of the hot dressing mixture and stir quickly to combine; you do this to prevent the egg from curdling.

Pour the egg mixture into the remaining dressing mixture.

Place the pan back on the stove over low heat and bring to a gentle boil.

Stirring continuously cook the mixture for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and allow the dressing to cool to room temperature.

In a salad bowl fold together the pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes, oranges, cherries and marshmallows.

Drizzle the cooled dressing into the fruit and toss to combine.



Serving Size: 8

This refreshing fruit medley is easy to make and a hit at many dinners. Serve it over torn lettuce and sprinkle a few chopped pecans over the top for an added treat. If your budget does not stretch far enough for the pecans, sweet basil or parsley will work as well, not too much though, you do not want to kill the delicate taste!

There is one more thing you need to keep in mind with this holiday cooking recipe, do all the preparations in advance except the bananas as they will go brown. Now it will take only a few minutes to slice the bananas and combine all the ingredients. This holiday cooking recipe will complement any meal.