Gourmet Cooking

pUnlike pottery, arrow heads and metal tools, traces of ancient ice creams are not really something that archaeologists can unravel. The ice cream history is therefore elusive and not very well known. People living in climates where ice and snow formed naturally are believed to have enjoyed a form of sorbet since prehistoric time by flavouring snow with fruit, berries and honey. This was probably especially popular in warm regions with high mountains, since snow could be gathered from the high altitudes and brought down to regions where it provided much sought after relief from the heat./ppEven though ice cream itself leaves no visible mark in ancient history, items and buildings used for its creation can. Icehouses are for instance known to have existed as early as 2,000 years B.C. in Mesopotamia. Wealthy Mesopotamians had them built along the River Euphrates and used them to store food. We also know from historical sources that several Egyptian pharaohs ordered ice to be shipped to them in the hot and sunny regions in which they lived./ppOnce of the earliest known instances of true sorbet – not only ice and ice houses – are the honey and fruit flavoured snow cones that you could buy in Athenian markets during the 5th century BC. Later on, the Romans adopted a lot of Greek traditions, ice cream eating included. The Roman emperor Nero who reigned from 54 to 68 AD did for instance have ice transported to Rome from the mountains and mixed with fruit and toppings./ppIn 400 B.C. the Persians invented a cool pudding made from vermicelli and rosewater. This chilled treat tastes a bit like a blend of sorbet and rice pudding, and was often mixed with fruits and saffron. Ice was quite readily available to wealthy Persians since they owned so called yakhchals; naturally cooled refrigerators in which ice collected from the mountains could be stored for longer periods of time./ppThe Arabs play an important role in the history of ice cream since they began using sugar and syrup instead of honey. In the 10th century B.C., sweet ice cream flavoured with fruits and nuts could be purchased in all major Arab cities. The Arabs also began adding milk to the ice-cream, making it more similar to the type of diary based ice-cream that is most widespread today./ppIt has been hard to determine when the Chinese began enjoy Chinese ice cream, but the first type of Chinese ice cream is believed to have been flavoured with sugar and sold during the warm summer season. Most historians agree that the upper class enjoyed ice-creamed flavoured with fruit juices during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 B.C.) According to History of food by Toussaint-Samat the Chinese may even have created a special ice-cream creation method earlier than the Song Dynasty. This method involved pouring snow and saltpetre over containers filled with syrup. Salt will lower the freezing point of water to subzero. Diary products are still rare in Chinese food, but According to legend, the Mongols introduced the habit of drinking milk in China during the Yuan dynasty, and ultimately led to the discovery of ice cream. /pp a href=http://fooddrinkrecipes.blogetery.com/ rel=dofollow title=Food Drink RecipesFood Drink Recipes/a /p

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pI came into work today needing a pick-me-up. I’ll admit it, I was feeling a little tired. Decaf Chamomile Mint tea with honey just didn’t cut it this morning, except to soothe my throat. I’m not a morning person either, so even if I wake up feeling great and well rested, it’s guaranteed that I’ll hit snooze at least once. On mornings where I feel exhausted still I have been known to hit the snooze button for over an hour. Yikes. I feel bad for my college roommates!/ppHowever, I have a sweet job with sweet perks… literally! I can come into work and have a delicious, crisp, organic apple. And a Pink Lady Apple at that. (I’m such a sucker for packaging and Pink Lady Apples are packaged well with their beautiful blush pink streaks with yellow.) And I’ll be honest, I’m not really an apple person. I consider myself more of a citrus and banana kind of gal./ppYou know what they say, An apple a day keeps the doctor away… Maybe the old saying should go An apple a day is better than a cup of coffee today! It’s true! Although apples do not have caffeine, they do have the glucose that fuels your brain and gives you energy. Legitimate natural energy! Talk about a pick-me-up!/ppGlucose:Brain::Gasoline:Car/pp(Glucose is to brain what gasoline is to car.)/ppThis analogy brings back painful memories of the SATs! I wish I ate more apples then! Had I known of the goodness of apples sooner I would’ve saved tens of, gulp, maybe hundreds of dollars from buy coffee damn much! /pp a href=http://spanishfoodrecipes.thailandspace.com/ rel=dofollow title=Spanish Food RecipesSpanish Food Recipes/a a href=http://frozen-seafood.blogspot.com rel=dofollow title=Frozen SeafoodFrozen Seafood/a a href=http://fooddrinkrecipes.blogetery.com/ rel=dofollow title=Food Drink RecipesFood Drink Recipes/a /p

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pbHandwashing, the most important step for food safety.
brFood safety for the ‘Average Joe’-Article Two/b/ppIn 2002, a Food Standards agency conducted a survey of 1,000 food workers. Of these 39%…390 of those surveyed…did not wash their hands after using the toilet. 53% didn’t wash their hands before preparing food. Broken down even further, it has been determined (based on this as well as other surveys) that half of all men and a quarter of all women make a regular practice of not washing their hands after visiting restroom facilities./ppSome of the reasons people give for not washing their hands properly or at all are 1) Lack of time/too busy (54%) 2) Forgetting/having to remember (18%) and 3) Distractions with other/competing tasks./ppHandwashing is the simplest–yet the most neglected–disease prevention practice. Germs can survive for up to three hours on hands. Thorough handwashing with hot, soapy water prevents bacteria from transferring from hands to foods. Some of the most hazardous foodborne illnesses can be passed through improper handwashing. E.coli 0157:H7, the deadly foodborne disease that killed a number of people in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s, is one that can be passed from person to person by improper or neglected handwashing./ppHands must be properly washed after tasks like using the restroom and before preparing food. It is interesting to note that Washington State’s Food Code mandates that food workers wash their hands in the restroom after using the facilities and then again inside the kitchen before preparing food. One handwashing is for show, because the food worker will re-contaminate his/her hands after touching doorknobs and such because they were handled by people who had not washed. The second handwashing is the real handwashing required for food safety./ppIt is important that hands be washed properly to prevent illness. The rinse and go method that is all too common nowadays is as ineffective for preventing foodborne bacteria as not washing at all./ppbHow To Wash Your Hands Properly /b/ppo Use soap and warm, running water./ppo Make sure to wet hands before applying the soap/ppo Apply a liberal amount of soap to hands/ppo Rub your hands vigorously for 20 seconds (two rounds of Happy Birthday)/ppo Wash all surfaces, including:/ppo backs of hands/ppo wrists/ppo between fingers/ppo tips of fingers/ppo under fingernails/ppo Rinse your hands well/ppo Dry your hands with a paper towel./ppMany people think that a nail brush is necessary for handwashing, and will keep one near the sink for that reason. The problem is that the nail brush becomes moist and stays that way. Moisture is a fertile breeding ground for bacteria. Unless your nail brush is kept in a sanitizer solution, do not keep a nail brush at the sink. It is possible to wash under the fingernails without using a nail brush./ppMicrobial or antibacterial soaps are not necessary for proper handwashing.
brFrom the New York Times:/ppStudies show that more than 70 percent of liquid hand soaps sold are now labeled antibacterial, and Americans seem increasingly willing to pay a premium for them. But the truth is that most consumers may not always be getting what they think they are. Over the years, studies have repeatedly shown that antibacterial soaps are no better than plain old soap and water./ppOne study, published in The Journal of Community Health in 2003, followed adults in 238 households in New York City for nearly a year./ppMonth after month, the researchers found no difference in the number of microbes that turned up on the hands of people who used either antibacterial soap or regular soap. At least four other large studies have had similar findings./ppIn fact, the only question now may be whether using antibacterial soaps can cause more harm than good by creating strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration convened experts to discuss, among other things, whether antibacterial products should be more tightly regulated because of the potential risks they pose./ppbTHE BOTTOM LINE/b/ppStudies show that antibacterial soap is no more effective than regular soap./ppDue to the recent popularity of waterless hand sanitizers, the misconception abounds that this solution can replace handwashing. While it is good to keep the solution on hand for situations where hands cannot be washed, such as when you are not at home and are not near handwashing facilities, it does not replace proper handwashing, nor is it approved as a substitution by any Environmental Health Agency in America. The Food and Drug Administration, in regards to regulations concerning proper procedures for food services, recommends that hand sanitizers not be used in place of soap and water but only as an adjunct./ppBarbara Almanza, an associate professor at Purdue University who teaches safe sanitation practices to workers, recommends that to properly sanitize the hands, soap and water should be used. A hand sanitizer can not and should not take the place of proper cleansing procedures with soap and water./ppThe very best defense against foodborne illness being passed from person to person or to a loved one who you are b cooking/b for is proper handwashing./p p a href=http://mexicandrink.ndesignsblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Mexican DrinkMexican Drink/a /p

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pDo you want to give b gourmet/b food baskets to your family, friends, or even your business clients? There has never been a time when it has been so easy to find b gourmet/b food baskets in a variety of choices and in every price range. With the internet, you literally have thousands of gift choices. You may even get a little overwhelmed with all of the choices-should you get the flavored oils and pasta basket, or the breakfast basket with homemade scones? Choosing b gourmet/b food baskets just takes a little research-but the choices are definitely out there./ppWhen you are choosing b gourmet/b food baskets you need to think carefully about the recipient or recipients. Are you giving the basket to a young child who is just learning to cook? Do you want to give a basket that has all ready to eat foods, or do you want to send a basket that requires some b cooking/b? Are you giving it as a shower gift or is it in recognition for a job well done? It is very important that you research carefully so that you do not commit a social or business faux pas by giving inappropriate food baskets (such as giving meat to a vegetarian.) You can find b gourmet/b food baskets with everything from homemade cookies or hand-dipped chocolates to flavored popcorn, to cheeses, to smoked seafood. It is also fun to find baskets that include b cooking/b tools and gadgets as well as a cookbook thrown in./ppb Gourmet/b food baskets can be given as a one-time offering or they can be given on a regular basis (such as a basket of the month club.) The monthly baskets (or bi-monthly or quarterly) can seem a bit pricey overall, but when you divide it over time, it is not so costly. These types of gifts are usually more appropriate for family and friends rather than a business associate or a client./ppChoosing the company that sells the food basket is almost as important as the contents of the baskets. Your reputation may depends on the quality of the basket, so choose carefully and shop around. /pp a href=http://asianfoods.thailandspace.com/ rel=dofollow title=Asian FoodsAsian Foods/a a href=http://cookingitalianfood.istoreblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Cooking Italian FoodCooking Italian Food/a /p

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pHave you ever wondered what to do with allspice or bought lemongrass and thought what now. Wonder no more here are 19 spices and how they can be used in everyday b cooking/b./ppAllspice: soups stews, curries, cakes, fruit pies/ppCaraway: cheeses, sausage, cooked cabbage, soups, soda bread, granola/ppCinnamon: desserts, cakes, puddings, mulled wine, bread, rice, granola/ppCoriander: curries, vegetables/ppCumin: meat, vegetables, chili, relish, salad/ppCurry powder: soups, stews/ppFennel: pork, fish, vegetables, bread, pickles, bouillabaisse, potato/ppsalad, cakes, Italian sausage, spaghetti sauce/pp5 Spice Powder: roast meat, poultry, marinades/ppGinger: meat, fish, vegetables, cookies, cakes/ppLemongrass: soups, stews, fish, meat/ppMustard seed: Indian dishes/ppNutmeg: meat, vegetables, egg, cheese, sauces, cakes, fruit, pancakes/ppPaprika: goulash, poultry, fish, vegetables/ppPeppercorns: marinades, stocks, stews, broth/ppSaffron: soups, sauces, fish, rice, cakes, breads/ppStar Anise: poultry, pork, fish, beef soup/ppSumac: fish, chicken, salads, kebabs, lentils/ppTamarind: soup, curries, fish, poultry, desserts/ppTurmeric: vegetables, beans, lentils/ppWhen you look at a list like this it seems daunting to buy all these spices and stock your pantry in one day. The best way to handle this is to watch for sales. Spices like allspice and cinnamon will go on sale around the holidays. While lemon grass and spices such as saffron is during the slow time of year. /pp a href=http://mexicandrink.ndesignsblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Mexican DrinkMexican Drink/a a href=http://food-software.istoreblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Food SoftwareFood Software/a /p

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pGet ready, a b cooking/b revolution is at the kitchen door. What the cell phone did for the telecommunication industry, induction b cooking/b is now doing for the food industry. While the technology has been around for decades, in recent years it has been greatly improved upon, already taking hold in Europe and Japan. There can be no doubt that magnetic induction promises to be the most attractive b cooking/b option on the market. In this article we will discuss how induction b cooking/b works, how it differs from electric and gas stovetops, and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the new technology./ppUp until now, there have been two basic methods of b cooking/b food. Both methods follow the same basic principles. In the chemical method, a combustible material-such as wood, coal, or gas-is burned to generate heat; while the electrical method accomplishes the same thing by running a current through a coil, or more recently, a halogen-filled bulb. (A third, oven-only option for generating heat needed for b cooking/b is microwaving, which generates the heat within the food itself.) Magnetic induction is a completely different technology./ppA crash course in basic physics explains how it works. When a conductor is placed in the presence of a changing magnetic field, electricity is produced in the conductor. The result is an electromagnet. In induction b cooking/b, an electromagnet is placed under the b cooking/b surface. When turned on, an alternating current runs through the electromagnet, producing a magnetic field. A large metal object on the surface will pick up the current and generate heat. Voila! Now we’re b cooking/b!/ppThe biggest difference between induction b cooking/b and its counterparts is where the heat is generated. Gas and electric stovetops produce heat on a burner. The heat is then transferred, more or less efficiently, to a b cooking/b vessel and its contents. In contrast, induction cook tops generate heat in the vessel itself, while the burner stays cool. Since there is no transfer of heat from burner to pan, there is virtually no wasted heat. Studies have shown that induction b cooking/b may be up to 90% energy efficient, compared to electric and gas b cooking/b, which are 47% and 40% energy efficient respectively. In addition to efficiency, induction b cooking/b is the superior choice when it comes to safety issues. Because the b cooking/b surface stays cool (i.e. room temperature) there are no more burned hands or hot pads and there is no open flame sending potentially dangerous fumes into the air. Best of all, with the heat focused in the right place, the kitchen–and the chef–stays cool and comfortable./ppBut the real luxury of induction b cooking/b-the things that sets it apart as the Porsche of cook tops-is the precision and control it gives the chef. By varying the strength of the magnetic field, the heat generated in the pot responds instantly. This means water boils in half the amount of time it takes electric and gas stoves. Low temperatures work as well as high ones-meaning you can toss out your double boiler! One experiment showed chocolate chips melting at such a low temperature they held their shape until spread with a spoon. Induction warmers are great for caterers as well, since they hold low temperatures and keep food warm better than any of the alternatives./ppUnfortunately there are a couple big disadvantages to induction stoves. For the pan to conduct energy it must be magnetic-that is, it must contain iron. Therefore, cast-iron and steel pots and pans are necessary. Test your cookware by passing a magnet across the pan. If the magnet sticks, the pan will work. Some cookware, made with layers of aluminum and copper for distribution, will still work beautifully on an induction cook top, as long as the surface of the pan is steel./ppThe second disadvantage is unavailability. For some reason, induction b cooking/b has been slower to take off in America than it has across the Atlantic. Therefore, it’s still hard to find, and models are more expensive. (Prices start well above a thousand dollars.) However, as the market increases, look for prices to steadily fall. If you can’t wait, there are several websites where you can order an induction cook top and have it delivered to your home. Installation is relatively easy./ppAfter using an induction cook top is easy to imagine the day they turn on electricity or gas stoves with the same astonishment and nostalgia as well as the wood stove in my grandmother#39;s age. /pp a href=http://spanishfoodrecipes.thailandspace.com/ rel=dofollow title=Spanish Food RecipesSpanish Food Recipes/a a href=http://easy-food-recipes.inewblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Easy Food RecipesEasy Food Recipes/a /p

pNow how in the world is your Article Submitter going to do that you ask. And is this one of those stupid, mind-numbing pitches? Yes, it will, and no, it is not./ppI have been struggling just like you since May, and in the last few weeks have concluded that I am trying to do too much on too many levels in Internet Marketing. The offers in my e-mail sound tempting, and I know a $500 per hour copywriter is cranking out the hard sell, but now, today, I have decided what specifically I am going to do./ppI am going to Blog, write articles, and concentrate on article marketing as a way to merchandise my affiliate products, and with links to my articles, grow my status with the Google ranking folks./ppHow did this come to pass? As a newbie I really wanted to learn as much as I could in the shortest period, so I read just about everything that came over my computer, and spent some time in the library too./ppAll of a sudden, I noted that the same program or the same deal was repeated, but by different sources. That was wasting my time. I thought about what I like to do and enjoy doing. Writing was near the top of the list, so that’s where I will concentrate./ppWriting meaningful, helpful, and interesting articles takes planning and time, and hopefully for the reader, expertise on the subject at hand. That’s not the hard part for me./ppFiguring where to place articles, how long they should be, how often to submit; the technical side of placing the written word was where I needed help./ppAdd to that the fact that most all e-zines have different requirements for submission and login-in procedures, so it is complicated!/ppI found a competitive product to the Article Submitter early in November and eagerly ordered it. It offered automatic and manual submission, and a whole host of options. Videos were provided with a 40 page textbook of instructions. I spent hours daily after I downloaded the text and watching the videos trying to make the system work for me. Pleas of help via e-mail got no response. The inability of me mastering the system was giving me stress. I sent the darn thing back!!/ppI was hugely frustrated, but the experience told me that an automatic program is one you MUST have to be more efficient on the submission end. So now I knew what I was looking for./ppI had had a very good experience with Brad Callen and purchased his KeyWord Elite 2.0 program back in May and it has exceeded all my needs. I found out his company also sold article submission software./ppI am happy to report that I can indeed make the program work. Instructions are clear and there is a video available, but you have to ask support for it. I did not like that as, I found out about it after writing support 2X about the slow log-in procedure./ppBut before you log-in, get yourself a separate and distinct e-mail address for your article contacts. In that way you will be able to keep that portion of your business easily identifiable./ppDo plan however, to spend a great deal of time with placing log-in information in each website you choose. It’s a labor intense task, but one you will only do once./ppI liked the task buttons, and especially the ability to pull up one site at a time to evaluate it and determine what the editorial thrust was to be. If the site relates to bursitis and joint pain, you don’t want to submit a FOREX proposal!/ppThere is space for comments on each site listing, as well, and Callen updates the sites frequently. Basically submit your article, choose the site or sites where you wish to have your article published and click a button. Done! A notation next to the site as to the date the submission is made./ppI certainly have less stress now that the log-ins are done, and I like what I wrote here so much, that I am submitting it./ppOh, yes, the answer to the question about Article Submitter and basketball: I expect to increase my efficiency, can I say: over 100%, and without so many times from this team, I will be able to watch TV in the comfortable chair in the great age, while the dust is presented by the assignment. /pp Albert H. Eastman /pp a href=http://germanfoodrecipes.ndesignsblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=German Food RecipesGerman Food Recipes/a a href=http://mexicandrink.ndesignsblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Mexican DrinkMexican Drink/a /p

pEvery keen cook or budding b gourmet/b knows that the right combination of herbs can make or break a meal. Most herbs are at their best when they’re ultra-fresh. Growing your own can give you a year-round supply of the tastiest herbs at a fraction of the cost of buying them at the grocery store, but how do you keep your herb plants at peak performance?/ppFor many perennial herbs, the key to getting the best flavour lies in choosing the right variety. Once you’ve done that then it’s a case of planting it in the best possible position, and scheduling in regular maintenance. b Gourmet/b herb gardening is not for the lazy – treat your plants well and you’ll reap the benefits in improved harvests and flavour./ppbThyme/b/ppThyme is one of the key perennial herbs to plant in a b gourmet/b herb garden. Fresh leaves are great used in all meat and cheese dishes, and can even be added to salads. Choose a variety with grey leaves – they have the best flavor – and give it a sunny, well-drained spot with lime-rich soil. Thymes are low growing and make a great edging for paths and borders. Keep your thyme on the dry side – don’t feed or water it once it has established, if it’s planted in the soil./ppCut thyme plants back just before they flower to encourage a new flush of fragrant leaves; you can dry the trimmings for use through the winter. Aim to replace your plants every few years – they can be divided in spring to rejuvenate them. Although you’ll get the best flavour from thyme planted in the ground, it can also be grown in pots./ppbChives/b/ppChives bring to life egg and cheese dishes, and can also be snipped into salads. You can grow your chives from seed or divide mature plants in spring. Chive plants love rich, moist soil in a sunny position. Their big purple flowers are a magnet for bees – but letting your plants flower will shorten your harvest season, so have more than one plant and cut some back before they flower, and some afterwards, for a continuous supply of fresh leaves./ppYoung chive plants grow larger, more succulent leaves, so take the time to divide your plants every 2 or 3 years in spring. Regular trims are also in order. Chives can be dried for winter use, but a better option is to grow some in pots – they respond well to being forced indoors during the colder months./ppbMarjoram and oregano/b/ppMarjoram and oregano are essential herbs for Italian food aficionados. Different varieties have different hardiness levels. The hardy marjoram can be divided in spring, but the tastiest oregano varieties are much more tender and best grown as annuals, from seed./ppThese Mediterranean herbs love open positions, lime-rich and well-drained soil and plenty of sun. They grow well in pots, and in fact the most tender oreganos are best grown in pots so that they can be moved under cover when necessary – but they must always be kept in the best light available. For the best flavor, don’t over feed or water these plants – they’re used to tough conditions./ppbMints/b/ppThere’s a huge range of mint varieties available, each with a unique flavor. They’re all invasive and best kept strictly under control or grown in containers. Don’t plant mint in among your other herbs – its rampant roots will quickly force them out. Mints prefer different conditions to most other herbs anyway – they love moist soil and are shade tolerant./ppAlthough mint flowers are great for wildlife, flowering changes the flavor of the leaves. For a b gourmet/b experience, cut the plants back before they flower. And don’t plant different varieties too close together – their flavors will mingle. For the tastiest leaves, don’t be too generous with either water or feed. Mint leaves are best used fresh, but this is another herb that responds well to being potted up and brought inside over winter./ppbRosemary/b/ppRosemary adds a touch of heaven to meat dishes, particularly roast lamb, and barbecues. Although there are several varieties to choose from the flavour is the same and so, for once, you can choose your plant for its aesthetic qualities! A well-grown plant in a warm position will keep you in fresh leaves year-round./ppWell-drained soil is essential; lime-rich soil is preferable. If your rosemary bush is growing in the soil then there is no need to water or feed it once it has established. Pot-grown plants will need occasional feeding and watering, but be sparing. The only other maintenance required is a light trim after flowering. For a real b gourmet/b treat, try adding a few young leaves and flowers to salads./ppThere are many more herbs worthy of a place in a b gourmet/b herb garden. Whichever ones you choose, remember to pick a variety regarded for its flavor, give it the best spot possible and regular care. Then simply sit back and savor your harvest!/p p a href=http://mexicanfooddishes.ndesignsblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Mexican Food DishesMexican Food Dishes/a /p

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pb Gourmet/b foods are the best quality foods and they are wonderful to try. b Gourmet/b foods however have a b gourmet/b price tag and not many people can afford to dine on fine food all the time./ppSince b gourmet/b ingredients are a lot more economical than eating out at top restaurants, what about making some delicious b gourmet/b recipes at home? You can make seafood dishes, meat dishes, and even b gourmet/b pizza recipes by dressing up classic favorites and making them extra special./ppstrongSome of the Most Expensive b Gourmet/b Foods/strong/ppSaffron is a delicate flavored spice, which is harvested from the saffron crocus flower. It takes between fifty thousand and seventy five thousand flowers to make one pound of dry saffron, which is why it has a price tag of between five hundred dollars and five thousand dollars per pound. You only need a tiny bit of saffron to flavor a recipe though./ppBeluga caviar is a well known b gourmet/b food and this caviar comes from a fish, which is more than a hundred years old. This type of fish has been around for about a hundred and twenty million years, making this caviar a product of a dinosaur era survivor. If you want to sample beluga caviar for yourself, expect to pay more than two thousand dollars per pound./ppYou might not consider potatoes to be a b gourmet/b food but La Bonnotte is an almost extinct French variety, grown on the Noirmoutier island. Only one hundred tons of La Bonnotte potatoes are grown each year and the potato fields need to be fertilized by a special type of local seaweed. These potatoes cost about three hundred dollars per pound./ppstrongHow to Transform a Plain Food into a b Gourmet/b Dish/strong/ppIf the above foods are out of your price bracket, rest assured that it is possible to transform the plainest food into a delicacy by altering some of the ingredients, using the best ingredients you can get, and taking care with the b cooking/b and presentation. Think of chicken nuggets, for example. These humble little fried pieces of chicken can be transformed into a b gourmet/b dish./ppTo make a tasty horseradish dip, which perhaps suits b gourmet/b chicken nuggets better than ketchup, combine a cup of sour cream with a couple of tablespoons of prepared white horseradish and season it to taste. Serve this dip chilled, with the chicken nuggets. The following recipe makes enough for four people as an entree or eight people as an appetizer./ppstrongb Gourmet/b Chicken Nuggets Recipe/strong/ppYou will need:
br
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
brHow to make it:/ppPreheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a pair of baking sheets with foil. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme in a Ziploc bag and shake well. /pp Chicken in oil, then roll in crumb mixture into a Ziploc bag. Cook chicken in foil-covered baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve with salsa. /pp a href=http://cookbook-recipe.istoreblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Cookbook RecipeCookbook Recipe/a /p

pYou invest a lot of time and money into the steaks for a special occasion and when dinner time comes, they are tough. What happened? How can you cook steaks as tender as your favorite restaurant?/ppThe first step to b cooking/b a good steak is to choose the right grade of steak. The top quality beef is graded USDA Prime and commands top prices. USDA Prime grade meats are sold to the restaurant industry and specialty markets and are not as likely to be found at your local grocery chain. The next grade of beef is USDA Choice. USDA Choice is tender, flavorful and only slightly lower in quality than USDA Prime. The meat is well marbled with fat and will be tender and juicy when properly prepared. USDA Choice makes up about 70% of all graded beef and is readily available in your supermarket. USDA Good graded beef is an acceptable grade of beef that has only minimal marbling of fat. It is leaner, but may not be as tender as USDA Prime or Choice./ppNext, look at the color and texture of the meat. A good steak should be firm to the touch, moist, and bright in color. It should be well marbled with thin streaks of white fat throughout and a thin crust of steak on the outside. In our fat conscious society, we tend to look for lean cuts of meat, but the thin streaks of white fat marbled throughout the meat are the key to a tender juicy steak./ppThe most tender and juicy steaks come from the sirloin, the short loin, and the rib. These steaks include the sirloin steaks, porterhouse steaks, t-bone steaks, rib steaks, delmonico steaks, and the filet mignons. Steaks containing bone will weigh more than those without, but the bone adds flavor to the steak./ppAging is a desirable process that intensifies the flavors and makes the meat more tender. Aged steaks are more expensive and usually only found in high end supermarkets and specialty markets. An aged steak is recognizable by its darker color./ppOnce you have purchased your steak, you can further increase the tenderness and juiciness by marinating it. Try a marinade made of ½ cup each good wine and olive oil mixed 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or herb vinegar. Add any seasonings that you like such as garlic, freshly ground pepper, onion, or herbs. Place the steak in a ziplock bag, pour in enough marinade to just cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Marinating a steak like this will add flavor and tenderness. If you routinely store steak in the freezer before b cooking/b, try pouring the marinade over the steak before freezing. The steak will marinate when thawing and be ready to cook./ppThere are meat tenderizers available to sprinkle onto your steak, and they certainly do tenderize the meat; however, meat tenderizers can sometimes over tenderize the meat, changing the texture of the meat into mush. If you should choose to go this route, do it carefully./ppWhen ready to cook, slash through the outside fat layer on the steak in a few places to prevent curling, but do not cut into the meat. The more tender steak cuts can be broiled, grilled, or pan fried. Less tender cuts should be pan fried or slow braised. Steak should never be cooked in liquid. When pan broiling, use a very heavy skillet such as an iron skillet or griddle and heat the pan before adding the meat. The heavy metal will hold the heat for proper heat distribution and not cool down when the steak is added. A hot pan will quickly sear the outside, trapping the moisture inside./ppWhen b cooking/b, try to turn the steak only once. Cook the meat until browned on one side and half done, then turn and finish the other side. Turning too often will stew the meat rather than searing it and produce a less juicy steak. When the steak is done, remove from the pan and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving./ppWhile the meat rests you can make a sauce with the pan drippings if desired. Use your favorite sauce, or fry mushrooms and onion in skillet. When almost done, add one tablespoon each of butter and flour and cook until lightly Broun. Add a splash of wine and loosen all the parts that can be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until thickened, taste and adjust seasoning and serve over steak. Enjoy! /pp a href=http://mexicandrink.ndesignsblog.com/ rel=dofollow title=Mexican DrinkMexican Drink/a a href=http://spanishfoodrecipes.thailandspace.com/ rel=dofollow title=Spanish Food RecipesSpanish Food Recipes/a /p