The Best-Kept Secrets of Beef Revealed! Get Ready to Become the Meat Expert in Your Family!
August 23, 2008
Do you helplessly stand at the meat counter looking from package to package, not knowing what to buy? Do you end up buying chicken because you don’t know which cut of meat to buy and wouldn’t know how to fix it if you did buy it?
There are so many cuts of meat, at so many prices and so many ways of cooking that meat, it’s no wonder so many people are confused, and walk away with the same cut every time they buy meat. Bar-b-qued tri-tip again!
You don’t have to worry anymore! I’m going to explain beef to you so well, you will become the meat expert of the family. Even your in-laws will admire your culinary skills. Your reputation as the best cook in town will soar, or if you don’t have that reputation now, you will after you read this!
The first thing you need to know is:
The four grades of meat ain’t A, B, C or D.
Every single beef carcass is graded by the US Dept. of Agriculture before it’s cut up into the little pieces we usually see. It’s graded as to age of the steer, how much marbling it has, and other things only the inspector knows for sure. The grades are:
Wok this Way! (Part 2 of 5) Selecting a Wok
August 17, 2008
As mentioned in Part 1 of the series, woks come in different sizes ranging from 10 to 32 inches in diameter, but a wok that’s 11 to 14 inches in diameter should suffice for use in a household kitchen.
Woks come in 2 different bottoms, the traditional round-bottomed woks, and the "westernized" flat-bottomed woks. Both have their advantages, but there’re reasons that the traditional wok lasted thousands of years in Chinese kitchens. The flat-bottomed woks do not heat as evenly. The flattened area creates a little angle around the bottom that makes it harder to manipulate your cooking utensil. Food may get caught in this area, becoming overcooked or even burnt due to the lack of movement. This also could present a problem when you clean it afterwards. That little angle also increases the likelihood that you will accidentally scratch the wok while stir frying. The flat-bottomed woks were designed for better balance on flat American stovetops, especially the electric stove. But there is a simple solution for that. You can purchase a "wok ring" that you put on the stovetop, and sit the wok over it for balance. We will go through that in more detail in Part 5, "Wok accessories".
Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5)
August 10, 2008
Introduction
Woks have been synonymous with Chinese cooking since the emergence of Chinese cuisine. They have been used for some 3000 years in China for a variety of cooking methods, including stir frying, boiling, and steaming. A wok is a large, thin-walled, round-bottomed, metal cooking pan, and shaped like a shallow bowl with handles. The addition of a wooden rack and cover transforms the wok into a steamer. Although woks come in sizes ranging from 10 to 32 inches in diameter, a wok that’s 11 to 14 inches should suffice for use in a household kitchen.
With the increasing popularity of Chinese cuisine, there are now many "Westernized" versions of the wok. There is the addition of a metal ring, which is set on top of a gas or electric stove to hold the wok to prevent tipping. Some have a small flat bottom instead of the traditional round bottom, for the same reason. The new versions will get the job done, but the “traditonal” large round-bottomed woks are still, by far, the preferred wok of choice.
Cooking — What You Need To Know
August 4, 2008
From ancient times till the nineteenth century cooking was basically a survival skill. The nineteenth century marked the division of cooking into two main categories.
The two branches were defined by the French, were there is ‘normale cuisine’ which means home cooking, and ‘haute cuisine’, which is cooking conceived like an artform. The major difference between the two branches is that one form should be considered as practical cooking while the other is more like cooking with a view to demonstrating skill.
The boundary between ~normale cuisine~ and ~haute cuisine~ gets thinner and thinner over time. New professional kitchen equipment and more information about cooking allow people to perform like chefs at home.
Haute cuisine cooking gathers different techniques and ingredients together in an artform. Haute cuisine thrives to gather as many aromas and subtle variations as possible to let our taste buds discover the variations of even the most ordinarily food. Color is also an important factor in this type of cooking.
While cooking was mainly a means to survive, food cooking techniques were simple ~ roasting by the fire, or wrapping in leaves to steam. The first revolution in cooking took place twelve thousand years ago, when pottery was invented.
Cooking With Kids–Safely!
July 28, 2008
School’s out! And summer is a good time to introduce your child to chores in the kitchen!
To help you along, here are some things to remember when cooking, especially with kids. Plus a couple of kid-friendly recipes!
1. Keep temperature of hot water below 120 degrees F.
2. Turn handles of pots and pan toward middle of stove to avoid accidental bumps.
3. Wash hands with soap and warm water before cooking or preparing food.
4. Keep hands away from the face, hair and pets. If you touch your pet, wash your hands again before preparing food.
5. Tie your long back so it won’t get in the way!
6. Always use potholders or oven mitts when handling something hot and make sure the potholders are not wet.
7. Always pick up a knife by its handle and never try to catch a falling knife.
8. Never put a dirty knife in a sink full of water. When it is ready to be washed, put it where it can be seen.
9. Never pull or tug at an electrical cord. Remove it with your hand on the plug.
Hot Apple Pie - The American Apple Pie Legacy
July 21, 2008
While each country might have its own preferred style, “American Style” apple pie includes your basic pie with apples in it, spiced up with cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Some folks top it off with a scoop of ice cream (such as vanilla) and this is known as “Apple Pie a la mode.”
How did Apple Pie become a cultural icon in the United States?
Marketing! That’s right, we wanted it and we made it so via heavy marketing. A popular advertising jingle goes something like, “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet…” It wasn’t until the last 30-40 years that apple pie became the icon that it is.
Where did “As American as apple pie” come from?
Good question as apple pie did not originate in the United States. It’s usually associated with motherhood and how it’s wholesome. Can you just see Ward Clever’s Mom in 1950’s outfit baking a nice warm apple pie for the Beaver and his friends?
What’s the best way to make apple pie?
To Fry Or Not To Fry?
July 15, 2008
Here’s a little known factoid - did you know that KFC changed its image by retiring the slogan Kentucky FRIED Chicken. Instead, they became known as serving up Kitchen Fresh Chicken. Long are the days of Wesson Oil commercials that proudly encouraged yummy fried chicken for dinner. When was the last time you saw a splatter screen? How about a Fry Daddy? It must be a pretty big sin to eat fried foods these days. Or is it?
Look at the menu at Long John Silvers; nothing but fried foods. Look at any menu for that matter, deep fried beer battered shrimp, fried clams, french fries, fried potatoes, fried eggs. Outback restaurant has the Blooming Onion, that puppy is soaked in oil. Fried Fried Fried.
So perhaps no one is trying to say that fried foods are good for you, but nations sure are indulging in the grease laden foods, especially Americans. Perhaps this isn’t a good time to bring up the Obesity statistics. But here’s the kicker, “It tastes so good!” Granted, some fried foods are just too greasy, but a majority of them just taste delicious. That’s why loads of indulgers treat themselves to a so many artery-closing delicacies!
Barbequing, a Fun and Convenient Way to Make Dinner
July 8, 2008
“There’s nothing more enjoyable than having friends and family gathered around amidst the wonderful smells of charcoal-grilled prawns, vegetables and selected favorites. Barbecuing is one of those time- honored rituals that go hand in hand with summertime. Whether you’re in your backyard or at you’re favorite camping site, barbecuing is a pleasure to be enjoyed by the whole family.”
Barbecuing has never been more exciting; with the endless designs of barbecues available and the myriad of barbecue cookbooks and cooking shows it really does take barbecuing into a whole new realm. With recipes for everything from grilled bananas to peaches and dry rubs for ribs, barbecues aren’t just for cooking steaks and burgers anymore. With all the available barbecuing options it helps to know a few of the barbecuing terms and barbecuing utensils that are used.
Firstly, barbecues come in a wide variety of options; there are propane, natural gas and the standard barbecues for use with charcoal. Barbecues can come with range style one, two and four burner options along with rotisseries. There are even barbecues that have coolers built right into the bottom! Barbecuing has never been quite so convenient.
Accessories
Barbecue for You
July 1, 2008
In may just be in human nature to barbecue. Well, we have been doing it as far back as time can denote. In the Stone Age, man hunted for food and cooked it over an open flame. And while we still cook over flame today, there are actually two different types. True barbecue requires a sauce. If not, you are just grilling. While both are good, barbecue involves slowly cooking the meat with low temperature for hours.
When you think about going to a barbecue, you probably think of yummy, juicy food such as hamburgers and steak or even a good hot dog with all the fixins’. The term barbecue does not only refer to the food but also to the event itself. The act of gathering together with friends and family to enjoy good food, drinks and a great time has been an honored tradition for generations. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you are from, the barbecue is a popular get-together.
What is a Serving Size?
June 24, 2008
Have you ever wondered how much a serving really is. Well, pull out your box of Raisin Bran, grab the milk a bowl and a spoon. Now fill up your bowl with cereal pour on the milk and get ready. This is around four servings. On average a single serving of raisin bran is ½ cup cereal and ½ cup milk. If this was all anyone ever ate for breakfast refrigerators world wide would be open for raiding by 9 am.
Fruits and vegetables are no different. The U.S. government has stated we should consume 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies a day. To think about eating 9 apples a day or chomp down half a dozen carrots is overwhelming. Take a look at what constitutes a serving.
FRUITS
? 1 medium piece of fruit, this is not the fruit size you get from Harry and David, this is about the size of a closed fist.
? ½ cup chopped fruit, measure this out it really is not that much fruit.
? ½ grapefruit
? ¼ small cantaloupe
