Microwave Cooking

Microwaves have become an essential part of everybody's life. Microwave cooking is a safe and convenient method of food preparation. A successful microwave cooking depends on understanding the limitations and benefits of this method of cooking.

Preservation of nutrients:

Microwave is the most efficient way of cooking while retaining minerals and other water soluble vitamins like thiamin and vitamin C present inside the foods from leaching out into the water.

Less oil, less water:

Cooking using a microwave requires very less oil and water. Microwaves are small electromagnetic radiations that are colorless, odorless and tasteless. These waves cause the water or fat molecules to vibrate at a higher frequency resulting in generation of heat. This heat is used for the purpose of cooking. A microwave oven operates on this basic principle.

Shorter cooking time:

Microwaves travel at a speed of light and are high frequency radiations that can penetrate through any surface including glass, paper, wood, bone-china and plastic. As a result, these waves can effectively generate heat within a short period of time. Hence, microwave cooking is really shorter than conventional cooking.

Preservation of flavor and color in food:

Another advantage of microwave cooking is that it is the best way to preserve and enhance the natural flavors and colors in food. This is because the entire energy dissipated by microwaves is used to cook the food rather than wasting on heating up containers. Microwave cooking is ideal for defrosting food items such as meat, poultry and vegetables. This also makes microwave cooking more energy efficient.

Food cooked inside a microwave oven does not present any sort of radiation risk. This is because; microwaves cease to exist as soon as the power is turned off. Since these radiations are non-ionizing, they are not even capable of changing the basic structure of any molecule to a great extent.

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Home Brewing For Women - You Are a Cook, Aren't You?

An old adage says that the way to any man's heart is through his stomach. Perhaps that might also be expandable to "down his throat." It is we ladies who buy the groceries and most likely keep our husbands' stock of refrigerated beer in good supply. We probably also know better than our husbands how much it costs to keep that stock ready for the weekend, the big game or the weekly poker get-together. Of course, we'll not limit this discussion just to the married folks. Ladies, there's never anything wrong with being able to impress a guy or your friends with a surprising new talent. So, here's a thought to ponder - why not make your own home brewed beer? There is definitely an upside to making such a decision.

You Save Money

Beer prices in the US have risen 3% since May 2008, and there's no prediction of falling prices any time soon. That is higher than the inflation rate for the overall economy, and if you drink your beer away from home, you might find the price rising as much as 3.8% during the same period.

It appears farmers have decided to scrap their barley fields to devote a larger percentage of acreage to corn (as in Ethanol production) and soybeans (as in nutritional production.) Saving gas and eating healthy are causing a rise in beer prices. Of course, there are even more costs than just the barley when it comes to getting the beer into the consumer's hands -- aluminum, energy, paper, freight and labor. All of which are . . .? Right, rising.

Are you aware American adults age 21 and up averaged more than 30 gallons of beer during 2006, roughly 1 can a day? We also drink more beer on the Fourth of July than on any other da00000917y during the year, according to the Beer Institute. That holiday is just around the corner, and your pocket book is sure to feel the pinch.

How would you like to have 6 gallons of your own special brew on hand for an average of $30.00 a batch. There is an upfront outlay of funds (less than $100 plus shipping) which will provide you all the equipment you need and get you well underway to your first basic batch. After that, it's up to your own creative culinary skills as you try various kits (average $30 plus shipping) until you find your favorites and/or develop your own secret recipe enhancers.

It's Legal

After all the prohibitions against alcohol creation and consumption, you might be asking yourself if all this is legal. Absolutely! President Jimmy Carter signed into law the legalization of home brewing by American citizens in 1979. Federal law says you can brew up to 100 gallons a year in your home.

It's Cooking, Ladies

Are we gals not denizens of the kitchen? Home brewing is nothing more than following easy recipes which come with home brewing kits. From then on, it's just your creativity as you choose from ales, lagers, porters, bocks, stouts, etc. - many of which can be customized to your own very special taste. There's even one with a really disgusting name - Goat Scrotum Ale - which can be brewed to taste like bittersweet dark chocolate. How wonderful is that? Almost worth the name!

Companies which create the basic starter kits are primarily brewers themselves who have gone out of their way to make it as easy as possible for the home brewer. All equipment and ingredients are included in the basic starter kit (including bottles), and the whole process has been simplified into 4 basic steps. Once you get those basics down, the chef in you will take over as you experiment with other types of brews. You'll be able to select your own unique flavor enhancing ingredients to tweak those basic recipes and make them your own. You might even need to develop your own label.

Ratchet Up Your Mystique

If you love beer, this is a chance to add to your own kitchen mystique. How cool would it be to serve ice cold bottles of a rich tasting liquid which draw oohs and aahs? How are you g000011EFoing to answer when everyone clamors for the source? Will you smile demurely? Will you offer to get them some at a very special price? Will you admit it's your own recipe? Either way, that old feminine mystique has just raised a few notches. Your parties will never be quite the same.

Alyce Mott

Want to get started on your own new kitchen brewing adventure? Great! Here's a great Free Report that shows you exactly how to get started brewing your own beer at home. Thirteen delicious recipes are included inside.

Visit http://www.recessionhomebrew.com

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Boil Cooking

There Are Many Different Types of Grills Used to Cook Food

There are different types of grills depending on how it is operated. Some works on gas, others on fuel, while some rely on electricity. There are also those that need charcoal. Some are smoker grills. It is commonly used for barbecuing but it could grill many different foods. Grills can be for outdoor and indoor use. This is commonly used on small gatherings like picnics and outings.

Gas grills are the most popular today. This uses gas as the source of fuel. The most common gas used nowadays is propane or LP, and the natural gas or NG. This type of grill has a tube connection where the gas is led from the source to the burner. The burners are in oval or H-shape. It is quite complex yet one of the most effective to use.

There are many types of outdoor grills. Among these types are the barrel grills and the cart grills.

The barrel grills is made of sleek stainless steel. This is one type that is made in sophisticated style. It looks very modern and suits the lifestyle of many people today. This is considered as the best barbeque grill nowadays. This has the same size of a 55 gallon barrel. The barrel is sliced in lengthwise, each side having equal sizes.

The hinges divide the grill into top and bottom forms. It is very apparent from its shape that it is made specifically for outdoors. It has vents on both the top and bottom sides, used for airflow control. It also has an adjustable coal bucket used to adjust the heat output. The lid connected to the chimney is kept closed so that the vents can control the heat.

The barrel grills are great for barbequing. It is made a lot easier such that you are able to cook more barbecues at a lesser time. It can also be a stylish extra patio table because it has a flat protective lid.

It is designed to save space when being stored away. You could conveniently put all the accessories and other necessary items inside i00000730t. Another extra function is that it can be used as a fireplace right after use. You do not have to burn extra coals for the fireplace anymore.

The cart grill is another type. It has a sturdy stationary cart made of metal and heavy duty plastic. It also has a secure grasp that can hold the grills up high. You could cook without removing the grill itself.

It looks similar to an ordinary gas grills and shaped like a rectangle. It has a hinged lid and separate cooking and charcoal grids. All of these three are placed to a cart which has wheels and side tables. Some people prefer this type because it is easy to clean. The side trays can be easily removed such that transferring food from the grill to your plate without spilling. The detachable feature also makes it easy to clean. You could dry the tray separately to prevent corrosion. It is also dishwasher safe.

The cart way has many ways to adjust heat. Just move the cooking surface away from the heat, putting the charcoal pan down, venting or combining the three ways mentioned here. The ash residues are contained in a collection drawer. You could detach it to throw the ashes and place it back again. Other indirect cooking can also be done in here.

For more information on Indoor Electric Grills and Cleaning Gas Grills. Please visit our website.

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Cooking rice

Preparing Lobster Tails

Lobster, once the food of poor farmers, is now considered a special treat for many. Although some people prefer the meaty claws, I think that lobster tails are the best tasting part of this delicious creature. A great meal of lobster tails might seem like a gourmet feast to your guests, but they are actually quite easy to prepare. Add a little sprig of garnish and a fancy side dish and youre sure to impress even your mother in law.

Your lobster tails might start off a fresh or frozen, being in New England, fresh lobster is easy to come by but frozen might be all you can get in some parts of the country and in the off season. If your lobster tails are frozen, you need to thaw them out (you can cook them frozen but they will not be as tender). Put them in the fridge for 10 hours or so or thaw them in the microwave on defrost be very careful if you choose this method as you dont want them to start cooking in the microwave.

After they are thawed, remove the meat from the shell by cutting open the back of the shell split it down the middle and open it up to reveal the meat. Lift the meat out you can leave the fan part of the tail on for show or not. Remove the vein.

Boiling Lobster Tails
Boil a pot of water large enough for all the tails to float in, add 1 tsp salt for each quart of water. Drop the tails in the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute per oz thawed (so 10 0z of tails needs to cook for 10 minutes). If you are cooking a lot of tails, add a minute or two on to the total time.

Cooking Lobster Tails in the Oven
Lobster tails can be baked or broiled in the oven. To cook thawed lobster in the oven,set the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the tails with butter and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. If broiling, place the tails 4 or 5 inches from the heat and broil for 2 5 minutes. When broiling keep a very close eye on them so that they dont burn on the tops.

Cooking Lobster Tails On The Grill
Oil the grill to keep the lobsters from sticking. Put the grill on medium heat. Brush the lobster tails with butter and place on the grill. Make sure that the tails do not burn if there are any flames on the grill move the lobster away from it. Grill on each side for 4-5 minutes.
Take care not to overcook your lobster or it will be rubbery and tasteless. Lobster is cooked when it is no longer transparent.

Lee Dobbins is owner and editor of Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out about your favorite foods, including gourmet seafood and lobster

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Mexican Cooking

A Camp Kit for Your Car or Truck

An item you will find indispensable for car or truck camping is a camp kit. You can store all the basics, such as stove and lantern, in a simple tote box. You can find them at most hardware and department stores. I have found that a plastic tote with a locking cover works best. This way the tote is light and will not spill the contents if it falls over. The tote I use measures sixteen (16) inches high by twenty-four (24) inches long by seventeen (17) inches wide and has locking handles. It carries all the basics you will need, plus a couple of extras.

Basic items your camp kit should hold are:

1. Coleman stove- This can be duel fuel or propane.

2. Lantern

3. Cook Kit w/ plates and cups

4. Silverware Kit- Described later

5. Foil

6. Dish soap

7. Brillo Pads

8. Two Dishcloth's

9. Two Small Towels - These can be used to wrap the lantern during transit.

10. Salt and Pepper

11. Spices - You will want your food to taste good at camp. Maybe it's time to try something new.

12. Campfire Grill

13. Utensils for the cooking over the fire, all with long handles.

14. Duct Tape

15. Twenty-Five to Fifty feet of rope - Clothes line or parachute cord will work.

16. Mason Twine - for tying down tarps

17. Two decks of playing cards

18. Cribbage Board

19. Reflector Oven or Camp stove Oven

20. Hatchet

21. Bow saw

22. Trash bags - Use grocery bags during the day and put in a large bag at night.

23. Assorted baggies

24. Matches - The strike anywhere type

25. Toilet paper

26. Extra tent stakes

27. Fuel funnel- For stove and lantern, in a plastic bag

28. Tent repa00000643ir kit

29. Mixing bowl

As you pack these items, make a list on 3X5 cards. When you are done, tape the cards to the inside of the lid. The list is always there to check that everything is in the kit before you leave. When setting up the silverware kit, start with new utensils. You can find good deals on utensils at most department stores. You will also need a small cotton towel, a dish towel will do. The towel will be used as a pouch. Just fold one third up and sew the edges together. When you are done, fill the pouch with utensils and roll it up. After washing the silverware at camp, you can throw it in the towel and let the towel dry it.

Utensil List:

1. 8 forks

2. 8 spoons

3. 8 knives

4. 4 soup spoons

5. 4 steak knives

6. Spatula

7. large spoon

8. large spoon with holes

With your kit, you are ready to go camping anywhere at anytime. So make your list and take a day to gather supplies and set up your own camp kit, you will be glad you did.

Ron Shannon is a Reg. Maine guide from Clinton, Me. USA. He has been camping for over thirty years, using camp as a base for fishing, canoeing and hunting trips. Though he now uses a travel trailer, he has amassed his 000018B1knowledge from tents to trailers through years of trial and error. His camps have ranged from camping alone to as many as twenty people. Copyright Ron Shannon

You can find info on writing your own articles at our web site: http://shannonsenterprises.com Contact: rbsarticles@roadrunner.com

Healthy Cooking
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What is a Chimenea and How Do You Cook With One?

Chimeneas are becoming increasing popular because, aside from making an attractive garden feature, they will also function as a garden heater and a barbeque.

The original chimenea has its origins in Mexico where it has been used for hundreds of years as an outdoor bread oven, but its visually pleasing terra cotta appearance has now made it one of the "must have" items of patio furniture.

So how do they work?

Chimeneas are made from two sections. The first is a spherically shaped oven with a large open side entrance and the second is a flue or chimney. The chimney section is connected to the open top of the oven section to create what appears to be a single unit. They can be anything from 3 feet to 12 feet in height.

You use the chimenea by placing it on a special stand or cradle (which may be of fired clay or iron) and which suspends the oven above the ground. Dry wood (or BBQ coals) are then ignited in the oven chamber and the action of the flue, which sucks air through the open oven and out through the chimney, does the rest.

You cook the food by placing any meats or vegetables on an open metal grill that sits within the stove section at an appropriate height above the burning fuel000006E0. This cooking platform should be supplied with the other items of the kit and may be height adjustable.

The unusual cooking action of this kind of outdoor stove is versatile and multi fold and it allows food to be prepared in a special way that produces a unique flavour.

Firstly, the heat from the burning fuel cooks the food in a char grilling style, whilst the radiated heat from the oven's side walls ensure that the heat is evenly spread within the cooking chamber enabling "all round" cooking to take place, i.e. it is not usually necessary to turn food that is being cooked in this kind of stove.

The final cooking action of chimeneas is the smoking of the food and this is produced by the powerful action of the flue which sucks the air and smoke from the burning fuel up, through, and around the food.

For this reason the selection of fuels to burn is particularly important because the smoke, flavours and intrinsic qualities of the fuel will add to the taste of the food.

Most people who cook with terra cotta stoves tend to burn wood rather than coal and the wood used can play an important role in the ultimate taste of the food. Woods sourced from fruit trees are the most popular and those with experience in using a chimenea will often add herbs or nuts to the fuel for extra taste infusions.

The types of food that you can cook with these versatile ovens range from every kind of meat and vegetable, to fruits, pies, breads and pastries. They also have the advant00004000age of remaining hot for a long time which makes them excellent for slow cooking, or for the secondary use of providing heat in a patio area.

You can find out more about the different kinds of chimenea that are available (including those made from cast iron) at http://www.gardenheaters.net/chimeneas.html You will also see information about fire pits and fire bowls which make ideal outdoor cooking stoves.

Always ensure that children are supervised when an outdoor stove, burner or heater is in use, or is still cooling down.

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Artisan Mixer

Your Cooking Common Questions Answered

As a hobby, cooking has exploded in popularity thanks to such networks as Food Network providing hours upon hours of cooking shows. Cooking is something found worldwide in every culture.

Careers based in the culinary arts are found in every city and town across the United States. The love of food has brought us together as something we all share in common.

What is an appropriate age to begin teaching children how to cook?

As soon as a child can learn simple commands, safety rules and understands how to grasp utensils, they can learn to cook. Experts agree that children should be no younger than nine when handling sharp utensils and should ALWAYS have adult supervision. Accidents can happen very quickly in the kitchen.

It has been proven time and time again that children learn through imitation. Buy your child a play cooking set. Let them "pretend" too cook their favorite dishes on using plastic play sets and a play stove. Before long they will develop a love that is similar to your own.

Are there certain ingredients that I should always keep on hand?

The standard staples of the kitchen vary according to what the chef cooks. The basic staples are; flour, sugar, salt, pepper, butter (or margarine), oil, eggs and milk.

The more experienced chef might keep a wider variety of spices and ingredients on hand at all times. If you are a beginner, buy what you need as you come across recipes. This will save you time and money.

What are some cooking classes I can take?

There are a wide variety of cooking classes available. Many communities offer cooking classes especially for beginners. There are also cake decorating, candy making and ethnic cooking classes available. If you do not know how to whip something together for dinner, chances are high that there is a cooking class that can teach it.

Where can I take cooking classes?

Great question! Many communities and universities that offer adult continuing education cooking 000007E8classes for the novice or amateur chef and there are also classes hosted on the internet.

If you are considering a career as a chef, there are many world renowned culinary arts academies that can teach you everything you need to know. The only problem might be lack of experience and the high cost of tuition to one of these prestigious academies.

There are alternatives to the higher priced classes and that is a culinary arts course at a local community college.

What is the best type of cookbook to buy if I'm a beginner cook?

The best type of cookbook for a beginner is one that has a front section devoted entirely too explaining different cooking terms, measurement conversions and adequate substitutions.

The recipes should be simple to prepare but not boring. A great tip when buying a beginner's cookbook is to find one that has a sturdy cover, good binding such as the type found in a three-ring binder, and pages that are not easily stained. Betty Crocker has an excellent cookbook that works well for beginners.

Mike Selvon portal offers free cooking information. Find out more tips about cooking recipes, and leave a comment at the healthy cooking blog.

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Japanese Cooking

Do you love Japanese food? The funny thing about Japanese food is that you either love it or you hate it. There is no in-between. And chances are, if you hate it, you probably havent really tasted Japanese food yet or havent given yourself a chance to sample it enough. Japanese food is hard to appreciate after only one bite. And sometimes, the idea that you are tasting raw food just wont escape your mind that you are already predisposed to hating Japanese food even before you actually taste it.

Personally, I love Japanese food. There really is no other cuisine like it in the world in terms of its unique taste and presentation. Who would believe that something so raw could be so delicious? For those of you who have not yet discovered the pleasures of Japanese food, allow me to present the following primer.

The standard Japanese meal always involves a bowl of white rice as well as soup and side dishes such as pickles, vegetables, meat and fish. Japanese food is classified by the number of viands or okazu that are served with the rice, soup and side dishes. A meal with one okazu is called ichiju-issai and a prime example of this is the traditional Japanese breakfast which consists of miso soup, rice, grilled fish and one pickled vegetable.

The regular Japanese meal usually involves three okazu to go along with the soup, rice and pickles. Traditionally, each of these three okazu are cooked in a different way from the others. They can either be served raw or grilled, simmered, steamed or deep fried.

Another hallmark of Japanese food is seafood, which is the most popular and most widely consumed food in Japan. The most popular dishes include all types of fish as well as shellfish, squid and octopus. Crab is another favorite delicacy and so are whale and seaweed. Despite the fact that Japanese are not heavy meat eaters, you will hardly find any vegetarians among them either probably owing to their deep fashion for seafood. Beef and chicken are also popular among the Japanese.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Cooking, Outdoors, and Recreation

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After School Cooking Classes For Children

Tired of paying so much money for after school programs that do not teach your children anything more than Sponge Bob? How about considering an after school program that teaches children how to prepare healthy meals as well as exploring different food cultures from all over the world. Dinner time with family has become a thing of the past with all of the busyness of life. Children are so involved with after school activities and parents are rushed everyday trying to squeeze everything in their busy lives, that we as a nation have forgotten this very important aspect of "family time".

Teaching children how to cook can be a great way to get your children involved in the meal preparing process. It can also help bring families closer together. After school cooking classes can be taught in individual classrooms, camps, with the boy scouts, girl scouts or any other group setting for children kindergarten age and up. Children will be able to explore not only their favorite foods, but foods from other cultures. They may even be able to experience some famous top chef's recipes from all over the country. This is a wonderful way to integrate cooking into a child's life, giving them knowledge of the kitchen, how to prepare wonderful foods and learning the different food cultures of the world.

Taking home two or three of their "finished" products is a thrilling way for a child to show off his or her new cooking talents. Children are always proud when they are able to complete a project, especially something edible for the whole family to enjoy.

After school cooking classes last for about an hour and there is only a small fee per child. This is a great way to bring excitement to children after their busy days at school. Learning how to cook is a great way for a child to explore fun, new adventures. It will definitely keep them busy learning basic food prep, kitchen equipment and shopping for food as well as taking home a cooked meal to share with the rest of the family.<0000239D/p>

Consider having an after school cooking class for your children. It will definitely be a learning experience that they will never forget, one that they will cherish and maybe one day pass down to their children.

I am just a southern girl who has a passion for writing. This is slowly becoming a reality for me in my "empty nest syndrome" years to be able to actually pursue my dreams.

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Cooking food

Cooking Adventures With Your Family

Dinner time should be the highlight of the day when families can sit down together, share their day's activities and have a nice home cooked meal. Sound like something from the 70's? With a little planning and cooperation from your family, you can prepare delicious, nutritious meals almost every night of the week.

Cooking dinner for your family every night does seem nearly impossible. Planning your meals ahead of time can save you some time. There are several different ways to plan your menus. There are several web sites on once a month cooking where you plan out your meals, prep, cook and freeze your meals all in one day. Recruiting the whole family in this process will help get things done faster as well as having more "family time". Sit down with your family and come up with several menus that you want to use, do your shopping and take set aside one day a month to do the cooking, baking and freezing.

Another great idea to get the whole family involved is to have each family member plan, cook and clean up for one dinner a week. Younger children, of course will need help but older ones will probably love to have the responsibility of handling the whole preparation. Your children will not realize that they are using their math, science and reading skills in this process. Children also love challenges, so you could have a monthly "bake off" contest or "best dish of the month" contest to keep everyone's interest. Putting entrees, sides and dessert names on paper in a hat and having each family member "draw" out their food choices can also be a fun way to not have to "delegate" who gets to do what.

Getting your family involved with menu planning and cooking meals will help the whole family to grow closer, save money by eating at home and communicating with each other on a new and exciting level.

I am just a southern girl who loves to write. It is my dream and I am trying to turn it into a reality, especially as I have the time now. I am experiencing a b00001A3Eit of "empty nest syndrome" and this has given me a new perspective on what I want to bring to my "golden years".

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Cooking pasta

Smoker Cooking is Worth the Wait!

Although barbecuing is the typical way most of us cook outdoors, cooking with a smoker is gaining in popularity. Even though the smoked heat method takes considerably longer than your basic charcoal grill, cooks say that the distinctive taste of smoker cooking is well worth the wait.

Smoker cooking is a form of cooking where the smoke from burning wood prepares your foods. Heated hard wood chips, such as mesquite, hickory and oak are placed in a smoker, which not only cook the food, but also add a unique flavor from each wood type. The typical wood smoker has a separate fire chamber, which allows the heat and smoke to pass through the food being prepared. In smoker cooking, food never comes in contact with an actual flame as it does with charcoal grilling. As such, there are no dripping oils, bursts of flames or charcoal burnt food.

Cooking with a smoker allows for a whole range of flavor opportunities. The type of hard wood chips you choose will provide the unique flavor for your smoked food. Hickory typically provides a heavy, smoky flavor to foods, and is often used when smoker cooking a turkey. Wood chips made from apple or pecan trees produce a lighter smoke flavor and will produce foods with a light, slightly sweet smoked 00003A7Dtaste, often used with a white fish fillet.

Patience and allowing oodles of time to prepare a meal is the key to successful cooking with a smoker. Foods cooked with heated smoke take considerably longer to cook than foods slapped on the barbecue. Depending in the size of the food you are preparing, and the temperature you are cooking, smoker cooking takes hours longer than typical grilling. A four pound piece of meat that will cook in 45 minutes on a barbecue will most likely take at least two hours in a smoker. A four pound chicken will need about four hours in the smoker before it is done. The best way to tell if meat is thoroughly cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Chicken that is thoroughly cooked has a temperature of 165 degrees.

There are endless possibilities when smoker cooking food. Any type of meat, poultry or seafood can be prepared for cooking by a smoker. Experimentation will allow you to find the perfect wood chip for each of your favorite meat types. Rubbing spices on your meat prior to smoker cooking, as well as adding sauces while meat is being prepared adds even more flavor to your food.

Steaming vegetables is also ideal for cooking with a smoker. The cooking with smoke process seals in not just the taste, but the nutrients as well. Smoker cooking is the simple way and tasty way to add more veggies to your diet. Many of your favorite recipes can also be prepared via cooking with smoke. Chili is a smoker cooking favorite for many cooks. Your smoker will most likely come with a cookbook filled with new recipes to try.

So when you have the time and are yearning for food with that unique smoky flavor, consider smoker cooking for your next meal.

You can never know too much about traditional barbecue basics so it is essential to constantly educate yourself on the latest, greatest things about barbecue. Smoker cooking is another way of providing great barbecue. To get more free information sign up for the free 7 part email series on barbecuing at http://www.allaboutbbqsmokers.com/Reg1.html

Cooking lessons
Cooking rice

Italian Cooking - Quick And Easy Cooking Tips

"Cooking is an art form that takes years to master" -ever heard those words spoken before? It was probably a chef who didn't want you to know the secrets they hide from us all, the secrets to making delicious Italian styled meals quickly and easily and having them taste delicious. Today we at The Cooks Hangout bring you 3 quick and easy Italian meal addition to make your Italian meals all the more delicious while not wasting your time or money.

1. Oven Roasted Garlic

If there's any ingredient that is both cheap quick and easy yet adds enormous amounts of flavor to your food, its garlic, and roasting it in the oven makes it irresistibly tasty. Preparing Oven Roasted Garlic is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Slice off the top of the garlic.

2. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the garlic, wrap it loosely in aluminum foil, and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes.

3. Remove the pulp from the garlic by squeezing it once it cools. You can spread oven-roasted garlic on bread or blend it in a food processor and add it to fish, steak, hamburgers, soups, or even throw it in a risotto.

The oven-roasted garlic can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

2. Bechamel Sauce

A Delicious sauce to use in cooking lasagnas and the like. Bechamel sauce is an incredible addition to many pastas yet it seemingly overlooked by many.

Ingredients:

- 2T Unsalted Butter

- 3T Flour

- 1 1/2 Cups Milk

- 1/8t Nutmeg

- Salt and White Pepper (Freshly Grounded)

Instructions:

- Heat the milk in a saucepan to a warm temperature.

- Melt the butter in the saucepan until bubbling.

- Add the flour slowly while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

- Return to medium heat and add 1/4 of a cup of milk at a time, when the milk gets absorbed add a little more until all the milk is used.

- Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring the sauce at a slow bubble until it has the consistency of heavy cream.

3. Memphis Rub

This zesty rub will bring out the best in ribs and other meats.

- 1/4 cup paprika

- 1 Tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

- 1 Tablespoon white sugar

- 2 Tablespoons Salt

- 2 Te00000ED5aspoons monosodium glutamate.

- 1 teaspoon celery salt

- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

- 1 teaspoon dry mustard

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

Simply mix the ingredients together in a small container and use on your meat to add the delicious flavor of Memphis to your food.

http://thecookshangout.com - Theres a reason 99% of chef's say they "can't live without it", now with a FREE 31 day cooking course for a limited time only.

Thanks for Reading and happy cooking,

-- Maria Glensworth

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Cooking Tips - The ABCs Of Prime Rib Roast Cooking!

If you have spent the bucks to buy the Prime Rib you will definitely want to make the best Prime Rib Roast and will like to hone your skills to get the best out of your ingredients and time. The praise and comments will also be worth the trouble if you manage to get a good meal together. We have compiled a list of simple tips that could be used to cook a good prime rib roast.

Prime rib is one of the best cut meats we can buy and is mostly served during some festival season such as season and New Year. Many eating establishments prefer to use prime rib for their meals as this is the best quality of meat, so naturally it will cost a bit more than the normal meat, and so one mistake and a whole lot of time and money is wasted.

As the name suggests the meat comes from the rib section of the stock and the word 'prime' goes on to describe the quality of the meat, however, the butcher will give his own monetary meaning to the cut. Whatever, the name suggests, this part of the meat stock is rich with connective tissue and nutrients and so is the best meat to cook.

It must be borne in mind that the best and effective way of cooking prime rib roast is dry heat cooking. This technique advices one to cook the meat over a fire without covering the pot, no lid should be placed over the meat while it is cooking neither is any liquid added to the meal. Immersing the meat in some liquid will mean that you are cooking the meat in moist heat, a technique used to cook tougher meat.

Some Roasting Tips

The best way to cook prime rib roast is to slowly roast it in an oven set to 200 or 230 degrees. The time it will take to prepare at this temperature is about 25 minutes per pound of meat. This is a good way to cook if you have big vertical ovens.

Most people like to use medium heat of about 325 degrees to lower the cooking time to about 15 minutes per pound of meat.

Another popular way of cooking prime rib roast is to cook it for 15 minutes at high temperature of 450 degrees and then cook it for 20 minutes at 325 degrees. This method is referred to as "searing" by most recipe books.

If you have a meat thermometer it is advisable that you learn to use it, as it will prove a very useful tool in cooking prime rib roast dishes. It is best to remove the meat from the oven when it is about five degrees below the required temperature. This way the meat will keep cooking while it is out of the oven.

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report "Master Chef Secrets" and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

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Poverty Cooking

For the past several months, we have been on a really tight grocery budget and so I had to really be inventive to spread it as far as it would go. These are some recipes that worked out really well for us and we ended up eating rather well! Some of the veggies came from our garden, so they were free!

Spanish Rice

Rice

1 can crushed tomatoes

Mexican seasoning

1/2 - 1 lb. ground beef or turkey

Diced onion

Diced bell pepper

Beans (rinsed & drained)

Make the rice according to package directions for the amount you need, cook in chicken broth if you can afford. Brown the meat and drain. Add the cooked rice, onion, bell pepper and beans to the meat and stir-fry until everything is heated through.

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French Bread Spaghetti Bake

1 loaf French bread (get at day old bread store or clearance at Wal-Mart)

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Grated mozzarella cheese

Tear bread into bite size pieces. In a skillet, heat some oil and butter. Toast the bread until golden on all sides. Place bread into the bottom of a casserole dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over the bread. Heat in a 350 oven until heated through. Top with mozzarella and return to oven until cheese is melted.

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Ground Meat Gravy and Mashed Potatoes

1/2 - 1 lb. ground beef or turkey

Brown gravy mix (use as many as you need to spread)

Mashed potatoes (as much as you need)

Brown the meat and drain. Mix the gravy mix according to package directions. Add to the meat and heat through. Pour gravy over servings of mashed potatoes.

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Chicken and Rice

1/2 - 1 lb. chicken drumsticks, boiled, deboned & shredded

Rice

Chicken broth

In a saucepan, add the dry rice, chicken and salt & pepper. Add enough water to the chicken broth to cook the rice according to package directions. Let cook until rice is done. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Budget Goulash

1 lb. macaroni

1/2 - 1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1 can green beans, drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Brown the meat and drain off grease. Mix together the macaroni, meat, green beans and mushroom soup. Heat through.

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Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

Potatoes

Onion

Smoked sausage

Cut the potatoes and onions into thin slices. Put in a large skillet with just enough water to barely cover. Season with salt and pepper. Cut sausage into small chunks and add to the potatoes. This will make it's own gravy.

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Leftovers Soup

We have a big plastic tub in the freezer (from ice cream). Every time there00001EDE's left over veggies (with left over juice), meat, or gravy we put it in there and freeze. When it's full, I put it into my soup pot and add water, tomato juice and things like onions or potatoes and maybe some noodles or rice. I know this sounds kind of gross, but it has always turned out REALLY good! I'll make cornbread, biscuits or bread to go with it. Makes a pretty good meal on cold winter days. I've also done it in my crock-pot.

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Hobo Hash

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

2-3 diced tomatoes

1 diced onion

1 diced bell pepper

Cook the potatoes, onion and pepper in a little oil until potato is done. Add the meat and brown. Drain. Season to taste. This can spread pretty far by adding more potatoes.

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Ground Meat Stir Fry

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

2 bell peppers, diced

1 onion diced

3-4 ribs of celery diced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Brown the meat until almost done, drain. Add the vegetables and stir-fry 2-3 minutes before adding the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to stir fry until vegetable are crisp-tender and meat if done. I've also done this with shredded cabbage and thinly sliced carrots.

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Nanny's Tomato and Bacon Macaroni

2 lb. hot cooked Macaroni

1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 lb. bacon

Vinegar

Cook the bacon crisp and break into small pieces. In a large bowl mix together all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of vinegar to taste.

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Tuna Pie with Gravy

1 can tuna

1 egg

1 tuna can of milk

Parsley

2 pie crusts (one for the top and bottom)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix together first 4 ingredients and cook in a saucepan for just a few minutes, stirring all the time. Place 1/2 the pie crust into the bottom of a pie plate. Pour in tuna filling and top with remaining piecrust. Cut slits into top piecrust. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the soup into a saucepan and add 1/3 can of milk or water. Heat, but don't allow to boil. Cut pie into wedges and serve with gravy poured over top.

~ Susan Godfrey is a Christian wife, mom and homemaker. She is also the owner of Homekeeper's Heart, http://www.freewebtown.com/homekeepersheart, a Titus 2 Ministry to encourage Christian women to be the wives, mothers and homemakers that God wants them to be! She has her own blog at http://www.susangodfrey.blogspot.com and also is the owner of the Homesteader's Heart Blog at http://www.homesteadersheart.blogspot.com where she shares homesteading, gardening and country living articles.

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Mama's Cooking Fried Chicken

Well, hey there! You may not know me but my name is Mama and I've been cooking fried chicken since before most of ya were a twinkle in your daddies' eye. Cookin' is what I love to do and the folks around me ain't complainin'. So, if you want to learn how to cook up some of the best fried chicken that you ever put your lips around, you've come to the right place.

Here's Mama's Best Fried Chicken Recipe

1 Whole Fryer, cut-up

2 cups of buttermilk

1 egg

2 tablespoons Texas Pete Hot Sauce (this will not add heat to the chicken, only flavor, the heat will cook out)

1 cup of self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 quart size ziploc freezer bag

Peanut Oil for fying

Put the chicken in a glass baking dish with the buttermilk, turning to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

* If using an electric deep fryer, follow the manufacturers' directions.

* If using a dutch oven when cooking fried chicken, fill it about 2/3 full of peanut oil.

* If pan-frying, you'll need a cast iron skillet (recommended) with an inch of oil.

In a pie plate, mix together the egg and hot sauce, set aside.

In plastic ziplock bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning and paprika.

Place chicken in colander to drain off buttermilk. Allow to sit for about 15-20 to warm up to room temperaure.

Roll the chicken around in egg mixture starting with the dark meat first. Shake off the excess egg and drop into the ziplock bag with the flour mixture and shake ( no more than 2-3 pieces at a time) to coat well. Allow to sit on plate for a few minutes so that the flour can stick to the chicken.

Slowly drop the chicken into the oil starting with the dark meat. Don't get in too big of a hurry or you'll lower the temperature of the oil too quick and your chicken will soak up the oil and be greasy (not a good thing). If pan-frying, you will need to turn the chicken a couple of times so it will brown evenly. Cook until it's a nice golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

The times for cooking fried chicken will vary but as a general rule:

(These times are for bone in chicken. Boneless will take only about half the time depending upon the thickness.)

13-14 minutes for dark meat

10-12 minutes for white meat

Mama's not just cooking fried chicken, you'll find a whole lot more recipes and tips on my website, www.mamas-southern-cooking.com

If you would like to reprint this article, it must be reprinted in it's entirety with the link intact.

Come visit me at http://www.mamas-southern-cooking.com

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Japanese Cooking

Do you love Japanese food? The funny thing about Japanese food is that you either love it or you hate it. There is no in-between. And chances are, if you hate it, you probably havent really tasted Japanese food yet or havent given yourself a chance to sample it enough. Japanese food is hard to appreciate after only one bite. And sometimes, the idea that you are tasting raw food just wont escape your mind that you are already predisposed to hating Japanese food even before you actually taste it.

Personally, I love Japanese food. There really is no other cuisine like it in the world in terms of its unique taste and presentation. Who would believe that something so raw could be so delicious? For those of you who have not yet discovered the pleasures of Japanese food, allow me to present the following primer.

The standard Japanese meal always involves a bowl of white rice as well as soup and side dishes such as pickles, vegetables, meat and fish. Japanese food is classified by the number of viands or okazu that are served with the rice, soup and side dishes. A meal with one okazu is called ichiju-issai and a prime example of this is the traditional Japanese breakfast which consists of miso soup, rice, grilled fish and one pickled vegetable.

The regular Japanese meal usually involves three okazu to go along with the soup, rice and pickles. Traditionally, each of these three okazu are cooked in a different way from the others. They can either be served raw or grilled, simmered, steamed or deep fried.

Another hallmark of Japanese food is seafood, which is the most popular and most widely consumed food in Japan. The most popular dishes include all types of fish as well as shellfish, squid and octopus. Crab is another favorite delicacy and so are whale and seaweed. Despite the fact that Japanese are not heavy meat eaters, you will hardly find any vegetarians among them either probably owing to their deep fashion for seafood. Beef and chicken are also popular among the Japanese.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Cooking, Outdoors, and Recreation

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