Natural Ways To Keep Food Fresh Longer

Natural Ways To Keep Food Fresh Longer,Article,General Tips,Fresh Fruits and Vegetables,Meats and Eggs**Bread and Cereal Products..

Natural Ways To Keep Food Fresh Longer
If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips
1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs
1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products
1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.

Dairy Products and Cheese
1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous
1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

By: Stephanie Larkin
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Hand Made Chocolates And Flowers

Hand Made Chocolates And Flowers; chocolates live up to the exotic appeal of your flowers...Hand made chocolates are gastronomic delights that live up to their high reputation**

Hand Made Chocolates And Flowers
If flowers symbolize passion and love, then chocolates are the very voice of this love. Whether it’s love for the sweet, luscious confection itself or love for another person, chocolates are a great gift for someone you care about or someone you’d like to get to know.

The best kind of chocolate to give along with a bouquet of flowers is the assorted type – the ones that come in a pretty box and contain a delightful assortment of truffles, bonbons, and pralines. Forrest Gump was right when he said that you never know what you’re going to get from a box of chocolates. Trying to guess whether this bonbon is stuffed with coconut ganache, caramel, or swirling mint is part of the excitement and pleasure that comes with opening a box of chocolates.

If you plan to combine chocolates with flowers, you’d better make sure that your chocolates live up to the exotic appeal of your flowers. A big no-no is combining your floral gift with a box of commercial chocolates that you can buy of the shelf in a grocery store. Yes, milk chocolates are great for everyday but as a gift, nothing can match your flowers as well as a set of hand-made chocolates.

Among all the assorted chocolates you can buy, Belgian chocolates are undoubtedly the best you can get. After all, they set the standard by which all other chocolates are measured against. Even the Swiss, who are known for their own excellent blend of cocoa and milk, imported their recipe from Belgian chocolatiers. Belgian chocolates are unlike any other because they are made of the finest ingredients and are manufactured using time-tested Old World techniques. Unlike other chocolatiers who use machines to make the mass-production of their products cheaper and more efficient, most Belgian chocolatiers make their chocolate by hand using their old-fashioned equipment. In fact, small chocolate shops and factories are often a popular tourist attraction in Belgium, and include activities like chocolate-tasting.

One of the techniques employed by Belgian chocolatiers is the use of a special kind of chocolate called a couverteur as the cold shell for pralines. The couverteur allows the pralines to be filled with a wide variety of creams and flavored nougats like hazelnut, coffee, fruit, mint, or more chocolate. A specialized heating process also allows the couverteur and its filling to retain their aroma and flavor. Many chocolate companies like Godiva and Leonidas are famous all over the world for their gourmet pralines.

Although hand made chocolates might be more expensive than the usual chocolate bar you can grab at the supermarket, anyone who has ever tied it will definitely say that a mass-produced chocolate bar has nothing in common with a genuine hand made praline. Hand made chocolates are gastronomic delights that live up to their high reputation. Give the special person in your life nothing but the best in European gourmet chocolate along with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
By: Timothy Spencer
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Getting Kids Interested In Cooking

Getting the older kids cooking,Easy recipes for kids can be no-cook meals such as fresh fruit salad and coleslaw**

Getting Kids Interested In Cooking
Getting the older kids cooking healthy snacks that are simple will help keep them occupied and train them into healthy habits. Young children always want to help out in the kitchen and letting them mix, measure and chop - with a plastic knife - will help develop their hand-eye coordination and their maths skills. Easy recipes for kids can be no-cook meals such as fresh fruit salad and coleslaw. As they get older they will be able to cope with simple meals.

When children are interested in cooking it improves their palate and teaches them healthy habits as they experiment with different recipes. Then when they leave home for uni or wherever, they won't be so reliant on junk food to survive. Taking children to a farmers market will expose them to a variety of fresh and nutritious foods; letting them grow their own will provide variety too.

When children are used to helping out in the kitchen it gives them a sense of responsibility and makes them feel more confident. Cooking together strengthens family bonds and may even lead your child into a career in cooking that can take them to many different countries. Better still, cooking together can be great fun.

By: Melanie Click
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Three Good Reasons For Spicing Up Your Cooking With A Home Cooking Magazine

Spicing Up Your Cooking With A Home Cooking Magazine,All the articles will be professionally copy edited** A home cooking magazine is easier to use a busy kitchen... The content is bundled in a one-stop solution for all your home cooking needs,

Three Good Reasons For Spicing Up Your Cooking With A Home Cooking Magazine
Dropping the phrase 'home cooking' into your chats with friends or colleagues is usually enough to create a pretty positive stir. The conversation is likely to take a nostalgic turn at once - conjuring memories of hot soups bubbling on cold winter afternoons, crusty pie pastries and homemade cakes. But unfortunately, this idyllic picture is often far removed from the modern home cooking scenario.

Limited by busy routine, late finishes at work and children to ferry to and from after-school activities, home cooking can all too easily fall by the wayside. At best your food becomes boring, and the cooking a real chore. So what can you do to embue it with a bit of excitement? How can you put the oomph back into your home cooking?

The easiest way to keep your home cooking fresh and interesting is to subscribe to a home cooking magazine. Editors are very aware of the time constraints we all face in our daily lives, and they often devote lgenerous sections of each issue to simple, healthy recipes that can be prepared in under half an hour - less than the time it takes to walk to the nearest take away, queue up, wait for the food, and finally walk home again. The editors know what will sell their magazines!
There are three good reasons to get your inspiration from a genuine, hardcopy magazine instead looking for recipes online.
1. The quality of the writing will be high. These are professional publications that employ professional writers. All the articles will be professionally copy edited, proofread and illustrated by a professional photographer. This guarantees the recipes will be easy to follow and fun to read, which is always a great motivator.

2. A home cooking magazine is easier to use in the chaos of a busy kitchen. You don't have to worry about spilling cream on your laptop, or covering your keyboard with floury fingerprints.

3. The content is bundled in a one-stop solution for all your home cooking needs - until the next month. And then it will time for the next issue.

Subscribing to a good home cooking magazine isn't expensive. And you'll probably make it back on the money you save on take out food - and even doctor's bills if you look at it long term. But the outlay, however modest, will ensure you stay motivated to cook as often as possible. After all, you wouldn't want to waste that money you save, would you?

By: Chris Ramsden
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Cooking Tips For Broiling A Chicken

Cooking Tips For Broiling A Chicken,How to Broil Chicken That Melts in Your Mouth,Broiling a Whole Chicken,Article,

Cooking Tips For Broiling A Chicken
For decades, broiled chicken has been the meat of choice for those on low-fat and low calorie diets. Unfortunately, broiled white chicken has also acquired a reputation for being bland, rubbery and dry.

That's a real shame, because chicken - especially white meat chicken - is one of the most versatile proteins available. All it takes is a bit of knowledge about how to broil (or grill) chicken so that it stays moist and flavorful and you will find that chicken tastes great even without all the sauces and gravies.

One of the most important things to keep in mind about chicken white meat is that it has little fat of its own. The fat is all in the skin. While that makes it relatively easy to cook chicken with almost no fat, it also means that chicken white meat is prone to becoming very dry when cooked without the skin. Want to avoid dried out broiled chicken breasts?
Here are some tips for broiling chicken that will be moist and delicious.
1. If fat is not a concern, broil breasts with the skin on, and turned toward the heat source. For broiling, start with the skin side down, and then flip chicken pieces halfway through. Broiling breasts with the skin on will not appreciably increase the fat content of the meat as long as you remove the skin before eating it.
2. If using skinless breasts, rub them lightly with olive oil or marinade before broiling. Experiment with flavored olive oils to find flavor combinations that you like. Or, brush breasts with Italian dressing - or spray lightly with cooking spray to give them a light coating.
3. Precook chicken breasts in chicken stock before putting them under the broiler. They will start out infused with extra moisture and flavor, and spend less time drying out under the broiler.
4. Use an herb rub to crust the chicken on the outside. You will a get browned, crusted outside and moist, tender inside.
5. Your heat source should be about 5 to 6 inches away from the top of the chicken for best broiling.
6. Flavor chicken meat with herbs, salt and spices before broiling.
7. Preheat the broiler for 9 to 10 minutes before putting the meat in. If you try to broil chicken in a broiler that is not preheated, they will dry out before they cook through.
8. Keep your eye on the chicken while it is cooking. If edges are cooking too quickly, rearrange the pieces on the pan or adjust the heat.
9. Conversely, shield the thinner edges of chicken breast with foil to prevent them burning before the rest of the chicken is cooked.
10. Flip chicken when top side is browned. Since breasts will not all cook at the same rate, keep an eye on the chicken so that you can remove breasts when they are done and prevent them from drying out.
11. Use tongs to turn chicken. Do not pierce with a fork or juices will escape, leaving chicken dry and stringy.
12. Brush top side of chicken with marinade, barbecue sauce, Italian dressing or flavored olive oil after turning. A light basting will refresh the moisture and infuse flavors into the meat.
Broiling a Whole Chicken
Generally, whole chicken is roasted, often after being stuffed with forcemeat of some kind or other. However, a whole chicken can be cooked under the broiler for a very different taste. You just need to flatten the chicken before cooking.
Follow these directions for flavorful broiled whole chicken.
1. First, butterfly the chicken
2. Remove the backbone: Using a heavy knife or kitchen shears, cut close to the backbone from neck to tail on each side of the bone, and then remove it.
3. Flatten the chicken: Spread the chicken skin side up on your table or counter, and bang the breast with your fist to break the collar bone and some of the ribs.
4. Fold the wings to either side of the shoulders.
5. Cut a slit in the skin at either side of the breast tip.
6. Insert the tips of the drumsticks through the slits in the skin.
7. Brush the chicken with olive oil and spices. Or use flavored olive oil.
8. Put chicken skin side down in broiler pan - not on a rack.
9. Broil about 5 inches from the heat for five minutes.
10. Brush the chicken with oil and spices and place back under the broiler.
11. After five minutes baste again, using the juices in the pan, and place back under broiler for five minutes more.
12. Baste chicken, and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices and turn skin side up.
13. Broil and baste skin side for fifteen minutes more, basting every five minutes to ensure meat remains moist.
14. Chicken is done when juices run clear yellow from pricked drumstick.

By: Stephanie Larkin
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Cook With Olive Oil For Flavor And Health

Cook With Olive Oil For Flavor And Health,Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat which has been shown to lower'Extra Light Olive oil is not a calorie reduced food..Olive oil is a great oil to use for cooking**

Cook With Olive Oil For Flavor And Health
Olive oil is a great oil to use for cooking because of its amazing health benefits and distinctive flavor.

Olive oil has been used for centuries, but has become extremely popular recently due to studies which have proven just how healthy this oil is. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat which has been shown to lower your bad cholesterol and blood pressure, while raising the good cholesterol and helps protect against strokes.

There are a few things you should know about olive oil to make sure you cook with it properly and everything turns out as delicious as planned.

The main thing to keep in mind is that olive oil has a low smoke point. This means the oil will start to smoke at high temperatures. If you have ever over-heated olive oil in a pan, you know how it can fill your kitchen with smoke and will destroy the flavor of your food.

Here are some tips for cooking with olive oil:
Some types of olive oil are not the best choice for high heat cooking or frying because they cannot handle the high enough temperatures needed for this type of cooking; however, it is possible to saute with olive oil if you are careful and do not use high heat.

One way to compensate for the low smoke point is to combine olive oil with a high heat oil such as ghee (clarified butter) or canola oil for a healthier choice. This raises the smoke point while still allowing you to enjoy the health benefits and flavor of cooking with olive oil - extra virgin or virgin varieties.

Since olive oil has become popular lately, and is available in every grocery store, you may have noticed quite a variety to choose from. The flavor of the oil can vary depending upon where the olives were grown, so if you find you don't like the flavor of a particular brand, simply switch to another.

Each type of olive oil has its place in cooking and it's important to use the best oil for a particular dish.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil needs to be cooked with very carefully because it can easily lose its flavor with heat. Save your most expensive, high quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over cooked dishes just before serving. These oils are also great in salad dressings, marinades, or added to sauces when finished. As a healthy alternative to butter, drizzle it over slices of Italian bread or on baked or mashed potatoes. A little can also be drizzled onto cooked vegetables, fish or other meats right before serving.

Virgin Olive Oil is less expensive yet still has a great flavor and aroma, making it a better choice for cooking. Use it straight or blend it with canola or clarified butter (ghee) for high-heat cooking methods such as pan-frying, or broiling.

Olive Oil or Pure Olive Oil refers to the fact that no other types of oils are blended with the olive oil. Unlike extra virgin and virgin grades, this oil is obtained through a refining process, which eliminates most of the flavor. It can be more cost effective to use this oil for cooking rather than more expensive virgin or extra virgin varieties. The refining process also increases the smoke point, making this olive oil more suitable for high heat cooking and frying. Just don't expect this oil to have the flavor of the extra-virgin variety.

Extra Light Olive oil is not a calorie reduced food and the "light" only refers to the color of the oil. The light or mild varieties are very popular with consumers who want the health benefits of olive oil without a strong olive taste.

As you can see there is an olive oil for everyone and no reason everyone can't enjoy the wonderful flavor and health benefits of this popular oil. If you haven't tried cooking with olive oil yet, be sure to pick up a bottle on your next trip to the grocery store. Your heart will thank you and your food will taste great!

Learn more about how to cook with olive oil.
By: Joy Harrison
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Advantages Of Baked Food,Advantages of Baked Foods

Advantages Of Baked Food,. Baking refers to cooking food in sealed enclosure**Advantages of Baked Foods:baked food items are low in fat..

Advantages Of Baked Food
We all are becoming so modernize and scientific, in terms of cooking that new methods are created to cook food which not only enhances its flavor but also minimizes cooking time. Baking is one of them. Baking refers to cooking food in sealed enclosure. In past, food was baked closed under wooden or stone stove or underground but these days special purpose stoves are available for baking food and those are called ovens. Oven is advanced version of a simple stove. It has the ability to cook food by baking, grilling etc.

An Oven can be operated either by using electricity or gas. Electric and gas ovens are both used for all types of cooking but electric ovens are generally used for baking cakes and bakery items in bulk , while gas ovens are preferred to use for rest of the cooking which includes roasting, grilling etc.

Advantages of Baked Foods:
•As far as healthy food is concerned, baked food comes first in this category because baked food items are low in fat. How they are low fat? Just think about the baking environment and you can easily understand why it has low fat content. Baking is done in area which is fully covered and no heat is passed outside until you open its door. So this stored heat helps in releasing natural energy/fat from the food (like meat) and in this way very little amount of oiling is done in the start which is just for triggering the process of baking.

•Baked foods are full of tastes as it cooks more within its own oil, so its very juicy and rich in flavor if cooked with accurate time, temperature and measured ingredients, otherwise baked item will become too dry, hard and will not taste good.

•Baked food items become more healthy and tasty when baking is done underground. For example baking a mutton leg or chicken. In this process a hole is made around the item which is to be baked and then red hot pieces of coal are placed in it and then the meal is covered for particular time. In this way all the aroma and flavor remains well absorbed and preserved. Keep in mind that any food will remain tasty unless its flavor is not removed.

Now by learning these benefits of baked food, I usually prefer to use it rather than cooking by deep frying and making oily food on stove. Although, we can’t ignore the importance of stove cooking but where ever possible it is better to bake your food.

By: Kashif M
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Cooking Grills

Cooking Grills,the electric cooking grill and as its name suggests it is powered by electricity.. fiber or metal with a coil beneath**

Cooking Grills
There are some persons who love cooking. Not only do these people love cooking, they also want to show off their cooking skills to others. Rather they are also interested in showing off their latest cooking grills to their friends and relatives to make them envious. What can be a better way to do it than by displaying the latest, state of the art cooking grill? There are many types of cooking grills available in the market and it is a question of personal preference on what type of cooking grill would you love to use. Then again, there are some people who believe in word of mouth and purchase the type of cooking grills according to the ones recommended to them by their friends.

Some people belonging to the old school prefer to use charcoal cooking grills. This has a distinct advantage over other cooking grills because the food cooked in it is extremely tasty. However one needs to be a connoisseur to be able to taste the difference between foods cooked in charcoal cooking grills and propane cooking grills. However, as said before, there are some persons who just rely on word of mouth. Then there are some persons who want to show off. Lighting an electric cooking grill is an easy task, and there is nothing to show off in that. But, preparing a charcoal cooking grill prior to lighting it is a sight. It looks nice to the eye if done in the proper manner. First one has to dump charcoal pellets on the receptacle of the cooking grill and then pour lighter fluid on top of the charcoal.

Then one applies fire to them to set them alight. Compared to this turning on a propane cooking grill is child’s play. The gas connection is already fixed to the propane cooking grill and all one has to do is to turn on the lever that permits flow of gas from the mains. Once this is done, just turn on the knob of the burner and flash the lighter on the top of the burner and the propane gas will start burning. The modern propane cooking grills have a lighter integrated in the knob itself. The moment one turns it to the on position, the gas flowing to the burner gets lighted. Apart from the above two types of cooking grills mentioned, there is one more type of cooking grill.

This is the electric cooking grill and as its name suggests it is powered by electricity. Over here there are no burners. Instead there are plates made of fiber or metal with a coil beneath it. When one turns on the power to these electric cooking grills, the coils offer resistance to the current. This heats up the coils and the heated coils in turn heat up the plate. Both the propane charged cooking grills and also the electric grills have integrated thermometers with each burner. This is an extremely helpful piece of equipment. Using this one can set different temperatures for different burners of the cooking grills. Most of these cooking grills are available in a variety of models and they are priced to suit every pocket.

By: ProWriter
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Just Beginning To Cook? - It Isn't Magic

Cooking is not magic. It is either art or science depending on what suits you best.,The first know is that cooking Get a good old fashioned cook book*** a dish looks good you are to expect to enjoy it;

Just Beginning To Cook? - It Isn't Magic.
Cooking is not magic. It is either art or science depending on what suits you best. If you are creative and/or artistic, then cookery can be an art. If you are methodical and like rules and order, then cookery is a science. Whichever, you decide it is, you can do it by following a few rules. (These rules must apply even if you are artistic - perhaps they are even more important.

How to start cooking successfully.
The first thing you should know is that cooking has a language which you must learn. (This applies to most things you try). Get a good old fashioned cook book and you will find a list of meanings in the front - what a teaspoon or tablespoon means in terms of weight, likewise fluid ounces etc. It will also sometimes tell you how to boil, simmer, braise, roast or bake. It will also have conversions from Gas to the two electricity scales. The more modern cookbooks by T.V. chefs will nor have this information. You need a basic old fashioned one!

Starting to cook.
If you have never cooked before, choose a recipe which is simple. Once you have mastered this you can start to separate eggs and make meringues etc.

Before doing anything, read the recipe through - twice. Make sure you understand it. If in doubt about what a term means, look it up. Don't guess - it will possibly be wrong - and important. Next assemble your ingredients. At this point you should measure the amounts you want and put them on plates or cups. Always weigh and measure everything, don't guess. If it turns out well, you can duplicate it. If it doesn't taste exactly how you want, make a note to increase or decrease the ingredient which makes the difference. (Usually salt or sugar, but sometimes other ingredients such as flour).

Once you have mastered the basic recipes such as scrambled eggs on toast, take the next step, try omelettes or soufflés. Much the same ingredients - just different (and more difficult) ways of coking them. Don't be fooled, nobody makes a perfect dish the first time they try it, it takes practice and although often the dish does not turn out the way it should it will usually be edible.

Once you have become proficient with some recipes, try changing them slightly, so they become your own. Change flavourings and see how you like it. Sometimes it will be good, sometimes it will not work. Again, always measure and keep a note of what you do so that you can duplicate a recipe if it works.

Finishing your Dish.
It has become more important to present your dish so that it pleases not just your taste buds but also your eye and sense of smell. It has been proved that people who have no sense of smell do not enjoy food as much as those who have this sense. Therefore if a dish looks good you are more inclined to expect to enjoy it and are more likely to try it. This is where creative people find it easier to produce an enticing dish than those less artistically inclined.

One last thing, cooking should be enjoyable. If you like what you are doing, it will show.

By: Diana Richardson
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Cooking With The Microwave

Cooking With The Microwave ;microwaves of varying wattage so you will need to ferret out what times ... their meal preparation needs. While microwave cooking is great for big families...

Cooking With The Microwave
When it comes to cooking there are few tools that are more versatile in the kitchen than the microwave. This device offers so many functions when it comes to cooking that most people never bother to utilize. It's sad really. In most homes, the microwave has been relegated to doing duty as a meat defroster, popcorn popper, and coffee warmer rather than using is as the fabulous device for actual food preparation that it really is capable of being. -Before you set up to change your ways, you need to understand that when it comes to microwave cooking, not all microwaves were created equal. Wattage is vitally important as is the quality of your microwave. The average el cheapo microwave that you can find in discount stores will simply not stand up to the rigors of regular full meal preparation though they are perfectly acceptable for many wonderful dishes that can be prepared as side dishes. The correct microwave however, can actually brown and bake a full sized Thanksgiving turkey.

Microwave cooking is definitely not something that is meant for those who are afraid of trying something new or those that are afraid of making mistakes along the way. This is a process that is one part science and one part figuring it out. Research helps a great deal but even many of the recipes you will find for microwave cooking are written for microwaves of varying wattage so you will need to ferret out what times and temperatures would be appropriate for your microwave. This is to a large degree going to be a process of trial and error unless you are using the recipe book that came with your microwave.

Do not despair however, most that have tried microwave cooking find it to be a much better process for their meal preparation needs. While microwave cooking is great for big families it is an outstanding way to save money when cooking for and feeding one. It is also rather simple. In other words, even college students can benefit by learning microwave cooking for one or more as it will help them limit their expenses while still eating healthy fresh made meals.

Another great thing about microwave cooking that is often overlooked is that there are far less messes to be made than when cooking part of a meal stove top, part of a meal in the oven, and part of the meal elsewhere. By and large, microwave cooking keeps any spills and splatter isolated to your microwave. Most of these can be cleaned and controlled rather easily by using a removable plate in your microwave (that can be washed in the dishwasher) and covering your food whenever possible to avoid splatters.

Microwave cooking is gaining popularity despite the fact that is hasn't caught on as well as the inventors would have liked. The proof of this is in the many products that have been created to make microwave cooking a little bit easier. From omelet makers to special trays for cooking bacon in the microwave industrious people are working to make the easy way of cooking that much easier.

If you have a microwave in your home that is used mostly for melting butter and warming pizza, then you have a microwave in your home that is being terribly under utilized. It is time you hit the search engines for recipes that will be appropriate for your microwave and get busy trying something new and different that will have your family awed and amazed. Imagine having them toss accolades for your tireless devotion and standing over a hot stove for hours when in actuality you only checked on the microwave when the proper time approached.

Microwave cooking very well may be the wave of the future. Get a head start and begin building your collection of wonderful microwave recipes right away for the best selection. The day will arrive when you can make microwave cooking the rule rather than the exception.
About the Author/Author Bio
Visit Common Food Allergies to learn about fish allergy and tomato allergy.
By Expert Author: Jack Sands

Cooking And Having Fun Goes Hand In Hand,Cooking And Having Fun Goes Hand In Hand

Cooking And Having Fun Goes Hand In Hand...people dislike cooking include the following: lack of skill, lack of confidence, boredom,*My suggestion is to make a deal with either your partner..


Cooking And Having Fun Goes Hand In Hand
Far too often we get caught up in the necessity of cooking in order to eat and forget the absolute joy that can be found through the act of cooking. Of course this isn't limited to stovetop cooking. There are many men and women around the world who find baking to be an extremely pleasurable pastime in addition to traditional stovetop cooking or even barbecuing on a grill. The main distinction occurs in how you perceive your cooking projects.
How Do Your View Cooking?
While this question is asked somewhat rhetorically, it is a question you should ask yourself and answer. Do you view cooking as a chore or duty or do you view it as a project? There is something much more exciting about embarking on a new project than getting around to a loathsome chore. If you do view cooking as a chore the more important question might be why?

Some common reasons that people dislike cooking include the following: lack of skill, lack of confidence, boredom, or you could simply dislike the inevitable clean up far more than you enjoy the process of cooking. For each of these, there are solutions if you are willing to make the effort.

A lack of skill when it comes to cooking can be easily corrected in most cases by taking a few cooking classes. Classes are offered for varying degrees of skill sets and are meant to help you develop your cooking talents while teaching you the basics of meal planning and preparation. You can increase your skills by taking more classes down the road.

While a lack of confidence is a little more difficult to address having a few 'dinner parties' in which your quests can compliment your culinary talents can often solve this particular dilemma. The key in this process is to plan your menu carefully and remain well within your comfort zone. You will be amazed at the wonderfully rich and delicious meals that can be prepared with very little effort if you are willing to sift through the recipe books in order to find them.

Boredom in the kitchen is perhaps one of the easiest problems to fix there is. The solution is exceedingly simple-find a challenge. Try cooking Thai or Indian cuisine. Try more difficult recipes. Try making only meals from scratch or simply try broadening your use of spices and seasonings. There are many things you can do in order to bring some excitement back into your kitchen. You may even discover hidden talents and tastes in the process.

There will always be clean up. My suggestion is to make a deal with either your partner or your children and they can draw straws over who cleans up. Of course if this won't work in your family, you could always turn over a new leaf and clean as you go whenever possible. This makes the clean up process after dinner so much simpler to handle that it is well worth a few extra minutes during meal prep.

+Cooking for pleasure is really the only way to cook. If you have difficulties when it comes to finding the enjoyment and entertainment value of cooking, perhaps it's time you bring some fun back into your kitchen. If you're barbecuing, put on some Jimmy Buffet and dance around your kitchen. If you're cooking Italian find some nice Italian music to set the mood. Bring the fun back into your kitchen and you will find that cooking is a pleasure rather than a chore.
About the Author/Author Bio
To learn about dairy allergy and nut allergies, visit the Common Food Allergies site. By Expert Author: Jack Sands Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Southern Soul Food Cooking

Southern Soul Food Cooking ...Perhaps it's the seasonings that are often used when cooking southern food.,Pralines are a perfect for those living down around New Orleans as is bread pudding....

Southern Soul Food Cooking
I was born and raised in the heart of the Deep South. From as far back as I can remember I remember long summer afternoons spent drinking iced tea and shelling peas and butterbeans on my grandmother's porch. I have moved on from my roots and have made my way into other regions of the world. One thing, however, that has remained constant in my life is my deep and abiding love for southern cooking and cuisine.

I was probably well into my teen years before I realized that tea could be served any other way than loaded with sugar and over ice. It was about that same time that I realized some folks would eat vegetables that hadn't been soaked in batter, dredged in cornmeal, and deep fat fried. Southern cooking is not for the faint of heart though it can cause many hearts to grow faint. One thing that can be said is that you'll never find anything else like it on earth.

People in the south learned to make do with little in many instances. Some of the poorest people in America live in the southern part of the country. Of course, you will find that many of these people despite their poverty are also among the most generous. The same can be said of food. It's the one thing that seems to be in ample supply in most southern homes and very few will turn you away with an empty stomach.

Perhaps it's the seasonings that are often used when cooking southern food. From the crab boil and gumbo file of Cajun Cuisine to the secret ingredient that almost every southern kitchen contains for their fried chicken recipes (and no one on earth can fry chicken like a born and bred southern grandma). Perhaps it's the Sunday church dinners where everyone shares a little of what they have with others or the love that goes into preparing these meals that are shared with friends and family. Whatever the case may be, if you ever have the occasion to experience real southern cooking, do not pass it up. You might shave a day off your life, but a good southern fried chicken leg is really living and well worth the sacrifice if you ask me.

Of course it would be remiss to mention southern cooking without bringing up some of the more delicious desserts that seem to be perfection for the south. I mentioned banana pudding above but there are so many more. Pralines are a perfect for those living down around New Orleans as is bread pudding. A little to the east there are grandma's who have taken their lemon icebox pie recipes to the grave with them so coveted were these delicious deserts and the same holds true for pecan pies as well. We should never forget the flavorful Mississippi Mud cake though, and so many other wonderfully delicious treats that southern cooking has introduced to the world at large.

Favorite vegetables in the heart of the south as I mentioned above included peas and butterbeans, snap beans, corn, summer squash (after all, it's summer all year in the south), and okra (fried or boiled in many southern kitchens). Not all vegetables were deep fried though few were off limits. I remember eating my share of fried okra, fried squash, and yes, fried green tomatoes. Life was good back when calories weren't counted and no one really worried about clogging arteries. While I wouldn't make these a daily dish in any household, I certainly would recommend trying them out if you ever find the opportunity.

Another great thing about southern cooking is the wonderful fried seafood that seems to abound. From fried fish (almost any variety works well when it's southern fried) to fried oysters, seafood just seems to taste so much better in the south. If you are hoping to learn some of the southern cooking and cuisine you will most likely need to order your spices and have them shipped unless your grocery store has a rather extensive 'exotic' foods selection. You can sometimes find great southern seasonings on the International food aisles in grocery stores as well. If you want to really treat your family to an outstanding meal, you should really try southern cooking for the night.
About the Author/Author Bio
Information on gluten allergy can be found at Common Food Allergies.
By Expert Author: Jack Sands
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Making Cooking Easier

Making Cooking Easier...cleaning after the cooking;begin the food preparation at a medium or medium high temperature and to adjust accordingly... hot sudsy water ready to go the entire time you are cooking

Making Cooking Easier
Believe it or not, trouble free cooking is a common desire around the world. Even those among us who love cooking and eating almost equally will be the first to confess that being able to cook without the worry of creating a mess, spilling, or burning would be a blessing. Truthfully speaking there really is no such thing as trouble free cooking though there are things you can do that will take a good deal of trouble out of your cooking.

Most of the tips here will be beneficial to novice or beginners in the culinary arts however, there are some great refresher tips for those who are more experienced when it comes to cooking as well. Hopefully you will learn some things through the next few paragraphs or at least remember some things you had forgotten.

First of all, cleaning as you go will take a lot of the trouble out of what comes after the cooking. When asked the least favorite thing about cooking a wide margin of women proclaim without a second of hesitation that the clean up by far is the worst thing about cooking. To make things easier, clean as you go. Keep a sink of hot sudsy water ready to go the entire time you are cooking and wipe up any spills that occur immediately to avoid sticky messes that are much more difficult to clean afterwards. You should also note that if you transfer your food to serving dishes and immediately wash your pots and pans they will be much easier to clean than if the food is allowed to sit in them while your family dines.

My best friend is constantly burning her dinners. The reason? She believes in high or low when it comes to cooking and there is nothing in between. Very few meals should be cooked on high truth be told. You are much better off to begin the food preparation at a medium or medium high temperature and to adjust accordingly.

Make sure your oven is preheated. The temperature of the oven does indeed make a difference in the cooking process. While there are those that believe preheating is a simple waste of electricity it is what is required in order to achieve the optimal results when cooking. Most modern electric ovens will signal when the proper temperature has been achieved.

Select recipes that fall within your comfort zone in order to avoid making mistakes or becoming too stressed about the cooking process. Once you've decided on your recipe read it through a couple of times in order to be certain that you not only understand all the steps involved but also have all the necessary ingredients before beginning.

Wash your hands thoroughly and wash your hands often. Remember the sink of sudsy water I mentioned above? You'll want to use it quite frequently in order to wash any surface, cutting board, plate, or utensil that has come into contact with raw meat in order to avoid cross contamination. The same holds true for your hands.

While to some degree these tips may seem a bit simplistic, when it comes to trouble free cooking there really is no such thing. The more you do to make the cooking process seem as effortless as possible the more trouble free your cooking will really be.
About the Author/Author Bio
To read about dairy allergy and nut allergies, visit Common Food Allergies.
By Expert Author: Jack Sands
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Step By Step On Soup Making

Step By Step On Soup Making , soaked in cold water. Clear soups must be perfectly transparent, and thickened soups about the consistence of cream. ,For the seasoning of soups, bay-leaves, tomato, tarragon, chervil...

Step By Step On Soup Making
Lean, juicy beef, mutton, and veal, form the basis of all good soups; therefore it is advisable to procure those pieces which afford the richest succulence, and such as are fresh-killed. Stale meat renders them bad, and fat is not so well adapted for making them. The principal art in composing good rich soup, is so to proportion the several ingredients that the flavour of one shall not predominate over another, and that all the articles of which it is composed, shall form an agreeable whole. To accomplish this, care must be taken that the roots and herbs are perfectly well cleaned, and that the water is proportioned to the quantity of meat and other ingredients.

Generally a quart of water may be allowed to a pound of meat for soups, and half the quantity for gravies. In making soups or gravies, gentle stewing or simmering is incomparably the best. It may be remarked, however, that a really good soup can never be made but in a well-closed vessel, although, perhaps, greater wholesomeness is obtained by an occasional exposure to the air.

Soups will, in general, take from three to six hours doing, and are much better prepared the day before they are wanted. When the soup is cold, the fat may be much more easily and completely removed; and when it is poured off, care must be taken not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the vessel, which are so fine that they will escape through a sieve.

A tamis is the best strainer, and if the soup is strained while it is hot, let the tamis or cloth be previously soaked in cold water. Clear soups must be perfectly transparent, and thickened soups about the consistence of cream. To thicken and give body to soups and gravies, potato-mucilage, arrow-root, bread-raspings, isinglass, flour and butter, barley, rice, or oatmeal, in a little water rubbed well together, are used.

A piece of boiled beef pounded to a pulp, with a bit of butter and flour, and rubbed through a sieve, and gradually incorporated with the soup, will be found an excellent addition. When the soup appears to be too thin or too weak , the cover of the boiler should be taken off, and the contents allowed to boil till some of the watery parts have evaporated; or some of the thickening materials, above mentioned, should be added. When soups and gravies are kept from day to day in hot weather, they should be warmed up every day, and put into fresh scalded pans or tureens, and placed in a cool cellar. In temperate weather, every other day may be sufficient.

Various herbs and vegetables are required for the purpose of making soups and gravies. Of these the principal are, Scotch barley, pearl barley, wheat flour, oatmeal, bread-raspings, pease, beans, rice, vermicelli, macaroni, isinglass, potato-mucilage, mushroom or mushroom ketchup, champignons, parsnips, carrots, beetroot, turnips, garlic, shalots and onions. Sliced onions, fried with butter and flour till they are browned, and then rubbed through a sieve, are excellent to heighten the colour and flavour of brown soups and sauces, and form the basis of many of the fine relishes furnished by the cook. The older and drier the onion, the stronger will be its flavour. Leeks, cucumber, or burnet vinegar; celery or celery-seed pounded. The latter, though equally strong, does not impart the delicate sweetness of the fresh vegetable; and when used as a substitute, its flavour should be corrected by the addition of a bit of sugar. Cress-seed, parsley, common thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme, knotted marjoram, sage, mint, winter savoury, and basil. As fresh green basil is seldom to be procured, and its fine flavour is soon lost, the best way of preserving the extract is by pouring wine on the fresh leaves.

For the seasoning of soups, bay-leaves, tomato, tarragon, chervil, burnet, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, mace, black and white pepper, essence of anchovy, lemon-peel, and juice, and Seville orange-juice, are all taken. The latter imparts a finer flavour than the lemon, and the acid is much milder. These materials, with wine, mushroom ketchup, Harvey's sauce, tomato sauce, combined in various proportions, are, with other ingredients, manipulated into an almost endless variety of excellent soups and gravies. Soups, which are intended to constitute the principal part of a meal, certainly ought not to be flavoured like sauces, which are only designed to give a relish to some particular dish.
About the Author/Author Bio
Want to find out about yeast allergy and corn allergy? Get tips from Common Food Allergies.
By Expert Author: Jack Sands
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Learn About Different Ways To Cook Rice

The best method of cooking rice is by steaming it. If boiled in much water, Steamed rice.,Boiled rice (japanese method).,Rice with fig sauce.,Orange rice.,Browned rice.,,

Learn About Different Ways To Cook Rice
Rice needs to be thoroughly washed. A good way to do this is to put it into a colander, in a deep pan of water. Rub the rice well with the hands, lifting the colander in and out the water, and changing the water until it is clear; then drain. In this way the grit is deposited in the water, and the rice left thoroughly clean.

The best method of cooking rice is by steaming it. If boiled in much water, it loses a portion of its already small percentage of nitrogenous elements. It requires much less time for cooking than any of the other grains. Like all the dried grains and seeds, rice swells in cooking to several times its original bulk. When cooked, each grain of rice should be separate and distinct, yet perfectly tender.
Steamed rice.
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Soak a cup of rice in one and a fourth cups of water for an hour, then add a cup of milk, turn into a dish suitable for serving it from at table, and place in a steam-cooker or a covered steamer over a kettle of boiling water, and steam for an hour. It should be stirred with a fork occasionally, for the first ten or fifteen minutes.
Boiled rice (japanese method).
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Thoroughly cleanse the rice by washing in several waters, and soak it overnight. In the morning, drain it, and put to cook in an equal quantity of boiling water, that is, a pint of water for a pint of rice. For cooking, a stewpan with tightly fitting cover should be used. Heat the water to boiling, then add the rice, and after stirring, put on the cover, which is not again to be removed during the boiling. At first, as the water boils, steam will puff out freely from under the cover, but when the water has nearly evaporated, which will be in eight to ten minutes, according to the age and quality of the rice, only a faint suggestion of steam will be observed, and the stewpan must then be removed from over the fire to some place on the range, where it will not burn, to swell and dry for fifteen or twenty minutes.

Rice to be boiled in the ordinary manner requires two quarts of boiling water to one cupful of rice. It should be boiled rapidly until tender, then drained at once, and set in a moderate oven to become dry. Picking and lifting lightly occasionally with a fork will make it more flaky and dry. Care must be taken, however, not to mash the rice grains.
Rice with fig sauce.
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Steam a cupful of best rice as directed above, and when done, serve with a fig sauce. Dish a spoonful of the fig sauce with each saucer of rice, and serve with plenty of cream. Rice served in this way requires no sugar for dressing, and is a most wholesome breakfast dish.
Orange rice.
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Wash and steam the rice. Prepare some oranges by separating into sections and cutting each section in halves, removing the seeds and all the white portion. Sprinkle the oranges lightly with sugar, and let them stand while the rice is cooking. Serve a portion of the orange on each saucerful of rice.
Rice with raisins.
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Carefully wash a cupful of rice, soak it, and cook as directed for Steamed Rice. After the rice has began to swell, but before it has softened, stir into it lightly, using a fork for the purpose, a cupful of raisins. Serve with cream.
Rice with peaches.
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Steam the rice and when done, serve with cream and a nicely ripened peach pared and sliced on each individual dish.
Browned rice.
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Spread a cupful of rice on a shallow baking tin, and put into a moderately hot oven to brown. It will need to be stirred frequently to prevent burning and to secure a uniformity of color. Each rice kernel, when sufficiently browned, should be of a yellowish brown, about the color of ripened wheat. Steam the same as directed for ordinary rice, using only two cups of water for each cup of browned rice, and omitting the preliminary soaking. When properly cooked, each kernel will be separated, dry, and mealy. Rice prepared in this manner is undoubtedly more digestible than when cooked without browning.
About the Author/Author Bio
Information on gluten allergy can be found at Common Food Allergies.
By Expert Author: Jack Sands
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/