Many recipes call for a pre-baked pastry pie shell. If you don't want to make your own crust from scratch, a frozen pie crust is a great option. Frozen pastry pie crusts are available in the freezer section of most grocery stores. They usually come two to a package in disposable foil pans. Here are some tips for baking the perfect frozen pie crust.
Instructions
1. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven.
2. Preheat the oven according to package directions, usually 400 degrees F.
3. Remove the pie crust from the freezer and thaw on the counter for about 15 minutes.
4. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust dough with a fork. This helps prevent bubbles from forming in the crust as it bakes.
5. Place the pie crust directly on the oven rack in the center of the oven.
6. Bake the pie crust according to package directions (about 10 minutes) or until the crust is golden brown.
7. Cool the pie crust completely before filling.
Tags: about minutes, , according package directions, center oven, crust from, frozen crust
Use a photo of a cluster of hydrangeas as a guide while you are creating your edible versions.
Flowers made from gum paste, fondant or sugar have long been used as edible decoration for wedding cakes. Those surprisingly realistic embellishments might seem as if they take hours to make and years of skill to perfect, but that's not always the case. One of the easier flowers to create from icing is the hydrangea. The technique only takes a few minutes to learn, and can produce an impressive piece of edible flora.
Instructions
1. Place the contents of the gum paste or fondant container on a nonstick work surface and knead in the gel paste coloring of your choice, a few drops at a time, until you achieve an even, pastel-hued mass of gum paste. Consider traditional colors of gel paste, like blue, red or violet, to make normal hydrangeas or experiment with more vibrant colors to make hydrangeas one would never see in nature.
2. Roll the tinted gum paste out to a thickness of two millimeters. Cut out hydrangea flower shapes with the cutters, as many as you can get out of the sheet of gum paste.
3. Dust the silicone flower mold with cornstarch. Lightly press the into one gum paste cutout to add details to the flower. Carefully remove the flower. Repeat with the remaining flowers, dusting the cornstarch each time before pressing. Place the flowers back on the cutting board to dry.
4. Take a small paint brush and dust off any cornstarch that remains after the flowers have dried, then brush luster dust on each flower, starting from the center and moving outward.
5. Place a dot of royal icing in the center of and attach an edible pearl to each. If desired, you could add nonpareils instead of edible pearls. You could also further decorate the flowers with the royal icing.
6. Set the flowers on a baking sheet and allow them to dry for several hours, or up to one day.
Tags: each flower, flower mold, mold with, mold with cornstarch, , royal icing
The Chinese Buddhism Diet consists of avoiding all meat products, or eating a . Vegetarianism is consistent with Buddhist principles, which teach that one should do no harm, including killing animals in order to eat them. Although the is based on moral, ideological principles, it also offers health the benefits that come with avoiding meat consumption, such as lower cholesterol levels and--for some--improved energy levels.
HIstory of the Chinese
Buddhism became widespread in India with the conversion of the emperor Ashoka, who reigned from 268 to 223 B.C, and it spread to China during the first century AD. The Buddhist principle of "ahimsa," or doing no harm, was a natural fit with the ancient Chinese tradition of vegetarianism, which can be traced back to the prophet king Fu Xi. During the Fifth century A.D. the emperor Liang of Wu tried to require all Chinese vegetarian monks to follow a vegetarian diet. His evangelism sparked controversy, but even today many Chinese monks and laypeople continue to practice a vegetarian diet.
Chinese Vegetarian Foods
By the time Buddhism made its way to China, the country already had already embraced tofu as a staple that could be gracefully substituted for meat. Many Chinese dishes use meat and tofu, but tofu contains enough protein to stand on its own in vegetarian dishes. The Chinese never incorporated dairy products, such as milk and cheese, into their diets on a large scale, so Chinese Buddhist foods tend to be vegan as well as vegetarian. There is also a strong Chinese vegetarian tradition of preparing meat-like products from soy and wheat gluten.
Buddha's Delight
One of the most popular Chinese Buddhist dishes is called "Buddha's Delight." It is traditionally served on the Chinese New Year, but it is also available throughout the year, and you can find it on the menu at most Chinese restaurants. It consists of mixed vegetables and tofu stir fried with soy sauce. Different chefs have their own versions of the dish, which typically contains 18 ingredients.
The hardening process is crucial to the creation of proper fudge texture.
Fudge is one of the most complicated candies to make well. It is a crystalline candy, meaning that unlike caramels and lollipops, its smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture depends on the presence of sugar micro-crystals. These micro-crystals, undesirable in other types of candy, are created in the hardening process, as you rapidly agitate the cooled fudge syrup. Properly hardening your fudge takes a strong arm and some patience. You must carefully follow the instructions in order to create fudge with the correct texture and mouth-feel.
Instructions
1. Cool the cooked fudge to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Measure the temperature with the kitchen thermometer that you should have clipped to the saucepan earlier in the cooking process. Do not disturb the fudge while it is cooling.
2. Stir the fudge vigorously and continuously with a wooden spoon, until it becomes very thick and acquires a matte appearance. This takes about 15 or 20 minutes of non-stop stirring.
3. Pour the fudge into a buttered, foil-lined pan. Press it into the pan with your hands and let it cool at room temperature for several hours.
Cheesecake can be baked in a 13 by 9 pan to serve a crowd.
For a large party or gathering, a standard round 9-inch cheesecake may not produce enough servings for everyone. Instead, opt for a cheesecake baked in a 13 by 9-inch pan, which will produce almost double the number of servings.
Choosing a Recipe
The best to prepare in a 13 by 9-inch pan is one that is formulated to make a large cheesecake. Try to use a recipe that calls for three or four packages of cream cheese, as this will help keep the larger cheesecake the proper thickness. Reduce the recipe's total cooking time by five or 10 minutes, to prevent over-baking or burned edges.
Lining the Pan
Most round cheesecakes are baked in springform pans which have removable sides. It can be tricky to remove a 13 by 9-inch cheesecake intact from the baking pan. The easiest way the remove the baked cheesecake from the pan for presentation and slicing is to line the pan with . Place a large piece of aluminum foil over an inverted 13 by 9-inch pan and gently mold the corners to the pan. Remove the foil, turn the pan over and insert the molded aluminum foil inside the pan. Once the crust and cheesecake batter have been added to the pan, create handles by folding up any of the excess foil.
Presentation and Serving
The foil handles will make lifting the cooked and cooled cheesecake out of the pan an easy task. Simply peel away the aluminum foil from the base of the cheesecake before placing the entire cake on a serving plate. The cheesecake can also be cut into small squares and then plated and served, if desired.
If you are health conscious or concerned about the environment, you may want to avoid soy products that contain GMOs. GMO stands for genetically modified organisms, and refers to any food or living creature that has had its natural genetic structure altered by scientists. While studies have shown that GMO foods are safe, some people are concerned that GMO foods are unnatural and might have ill effects on human health or the environment. If you are looking to avoid GMO-soy, there are a few things to keep an eye out for.
Instructions
1. Review the entire package and look for a reads "Non-GMO".
2. Look at the package for a label that reads "USDA Organic". In addition to confirming the organic status of the soy, this labeling also indicates that the product contains no GMOs.
3. Contact the manufacturer if you doubt the non-GMO status of a soy-based product. There will always be contact information on the packaging, including at least one of the following: company address, phone number, and website.
The main event of every Thanksgiving meal is traditionally the roast turkey: plump, succulent and greedily consumed by family and guests. Of course, the turkey's preparation is strictly a behind-the-scenes task which makes for early mornings and some grumbling. Part of this task is to remove the turkey's neck. While the thought may not appeal to the more squeamish, the removal of a turkey's neck is a straightforward process.
Instructions
1. Thaw the turkey completely, using your preferred method.
2. Remove the thawed turkey from its packaging.
3. Peek into the neck and body cavities. These will be located on either side of the turkey. The neck, as well as the giblets (commonly the heart and liver), are inside the body. Reach into the cavity with your hand and extract them. Wash the turkey in cold water and prepare as desired.
4. Use the turkey's neck to make a gravy or another dish. If you have no culinary ambitions for the neck, dispose of it.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with delicious Irish treats. The color green has been used to signify St. Patrick's Day since the 17th century when St. Patrick himself used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish that were not Christian. While in Ireland the color green has historically been thought unlucky, in the United States, the color is worn on the holiday, used on decorations and added to the food and drink made for the celebration. Include this tradition in your meal with scrumptious green food made especially for the holiday.
Shamrock Milkshake
Mix 1 cup of cold milk, 2 tbsp. of pistachio- or mint-flavored instant pudding and one crushed chocolate sandwich cookie in a blender until smooth. Serve with extra cookies for dipping. Consider adding a "real" shamrock such as wood sorrel leaves or clover leaves to the top of the milkshake for decoration.
Green Drinks
Pour beer or wine into a clear glass. Add several drops of green food coloring to the liquid and stir until well mixed. Use more food coloring to make the green color as dark as you like.
Guacamole
Green guacamole is a quick and easy appetizer to serve for St. Patrick's Day. Mashed avocado, cream cheese, lime juice, tomato, onion and garlic are mixed together to create a decadent "green" dip. For extra greenness, serve the guacamole with spinach tortilla chips.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Mix 7 oz. of pesto with 1/4 cup of whipped salad dressing. Add 1/2 cup of sliced black peppers, 3 tbsp. of chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir until well mixed. Pour 2 pounds of cooked pasta into the sauce mixture and stir until the pasta is completely covered.
Lemon-Lime Cake
Make an easy lemon-lime cake by baking a regular cake mix as directed on the box. Allow the cake to cool completely. Mix together 1 cup of hot water and one package of lemon-lime gelatin. Poke several holes into the top of the cake using a toothpick. Carefully pour the lemon-lime gelatin mixture over the top of the cake, allowing the liquid to soak into the cake. Mix a second package of lemon-lime gelatin with non-dairy whipped cream substitute, and frost the cake as usual.
Tags: lemon-lime gelatin, stir until, color green, food coloring, green food, , package lemon-lime
Homemade mashed potatoes are a delicious side to most any meal. Once you learn the technique for making mashed potatoes, you can vary the recipe in many ways by adding different ingredients such as cheeses, oils and seasonings. Without the right technique, mashed potatoes can turn out gummy. The length of time that you cook the potatoes initially can affect the end product.
Prep the Potatoes
To produce fluffy and delicious mashed potatoes, use the right kind of potatoes in the first place. Yukon gold potatoes are the best choice when it comes to making mashed potatoes because of their medium starch content. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and peel each one. Use a large pot to boil the potatoes and fill it up about three-quarters of the way full of water. When the water gets to a high boil, add the potatoes to the water. The potatoes should be a uniform size so that the cook times will be similar. It's important to also add a teaspoon of vinegar to the boiling water; this works to ensure that the potatoes maintain the color that they started off.
Cook Time
Cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes. At this time, you can start testing each potato with a fork every few minutes. If you're using bigger potatoes, you will likely need about 10 more minutes. Once the fork can easily be inserted into the largest of the potatoes, it's time to drain the potatoes.
Removing Moisture From Boiled Potatoes
Make sure there is no moisture in the potato when you go to mash it or the will come out gummy. Do this by thoroughly draining the potatoes and then placing a large skillet on the stove on low. Place the potatoes in the skillet for a few minutes and allow them to further dry out.
Mashing Potatoes
When it comes time to mash the potatoes, first cut them up into 2-inch chunks. In the same pot that you boiled them (now off the burner and cooled) use a potato masher to mash them. Use milk with a higher fat content for mashing, as it will make them creamier. And most importantly, make sure the milk has been warmed beforehand. If the milk is cold, then the come out gummy.
Recipe Variations
If you want to make a variation on the traditional mashed potato recipe, consider adding some non-traditional ingredients. For bleu cheese or goat cheese mashed potatoes, add 1/2 cup of the cheese to the mashed potatoes depending on how strong you want the taste to be. If you want to make wasabi mashed potatoes, consider adding a tablespoon of wasabi paste depending on how hot you want your potatoes to be.
All of us weight watcher folks know how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off. One of the easier ways to keep within your daily point range is to eat low point foods.
Instructions
1. The first way to maximize points is to eat 0 . Below is a list of all zero (0) point vegetables:
asparagus
beets
broccoli
brussel sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
celery
cucumber
eggplant
endive
escarole
green or wax beens
greens
hearts of palm
jicama
lettuce
mixed green salad (dressing has points)
fresh mushrooms
okra
peppers
pickles (unsweetened)
pimeientos
fresh pumpkin
readishes
sauerkraut
scallions
spinach
sprouts
spaghetti, summer and zuccchini squash
tomatoes
turnips
waterchress
2. Another filling way to maximize points is to eat filling fruits. Below are filling 0 pts fruits and low :
0-pt fruits:
Bitter melon (balsam-pear), 1 cup
Carob (algarroba), 1 tsp
Maraschino Cherry, 1
Kiwifruit, 1 medium
Orange, 1 small
Passion fruit, 3
Peach, small or medium
Low point fruits:
Nectarine 1
peaches 1
pears 1
2 small plums 1
Bananna 2
Apricot 1
1/4 Avacado 2
1 Cup Blueberries 1
Small or Med Papaya 1
1 cup fresh pineapple 1
1 1/2 Cup Strawberries 1
3. Low point snacks:
yogurt
popcorn
100-calorie snack bags
rice cakes
4. The final way to fill up is to drink lots & lots of water!! Water is zero points! Diet sodas and Iced Tea are also 0 points.
Tags: , maximize points, point fruits, point vegetables
A , or Bechamel, is one of the classic French "mother sauces," which are the basic sauces that must be mastered by anyone who cooks French cuisine. It was invented by Louis de Bechamel, steward to King Louis XIV. While it might take a few tries to create a perfect Bechamel, once it is mastered, it can be modified to create an array of other sauces, such as Mornay sauce and mustard sauce, making it a recipe well worth learning. Bechamel sauce can be tossed with pasta, served with fish or meat, poured over vegetables or used as a pizza sauce.
Instructions
1. Heat the milk, onion and bay leaf in the medium pot over low heat until simmering, stirring often to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and discard the onion and bay leaf. Set the pot of milk aside.
2. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium the butter melts.
3. Add flour 1 tbsp. at a time to the saucepan, whisking until smooth after each addition. Stir constantly, cooking until the mixture turns golden but not brown.
4. Add the heated milk from step 1, a cup at a time, whisking constantly. Once all the milk is added, continue stirring and bring to a boil.
5. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
6. Lower the heat, and continue cooking and stirring until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes more.
7. the heat. Use immediately, or cool and cover with wax paper or plastic wrap directly in contact with the surface and refrigerate.
Tags: creamy white sauce, from heat, heat until, onion leaf, Remove from
Shepherd's pie is a popular comfort food, composed of meat and vegetables covered with buttery mashed potatoes. But it's possible for vegetarians to enjoy shepherd's pie while still sticking to a meatless diet. Leaving out the ground beef or lamb or substituting a vegetarian protein alternative transforms this traditionally meaty dish into a delicious vegetarian entree.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Then, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute until soft.
2. Add onion. Saute for about 5 minutes more.
3. Add tomato to onion and garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes.
4. Make the mashed potatoes In a separate pan: boil 2 pounds potatoes until soft, then mash with 2 Tbsp. butter and 1/4 cup milk.
5. Add stock and chopped vegetables to the pan with the garlic, onion and tomato. Allow the mixture to boil, then cover the pan, lower the heat and continue cooking for about 5 to 10 minutes, until vegetables have softened. Then, add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Grease baking dish with olive oil. Fill pan with cooked vegetable mixture, then spread mashed potatoes over the top.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling begins to bubble up around the edges of the baking dish.
Tags: about minutes, mashed potatoes, , baking dish,
Cardboard boxes can be used to make a variety of costumes, especially if you are seeking to create a Juicy Juice drink box. They can be found in all shapes and sizes at shipping supply companies, or you can visit your local grocery or department store to get one for free. With a small amount of paint you can dress your child up as his or her favorite flavor of Juicy Juice.
Instructions
1. Obtain a rectangular cardboard box that is to fit over your child's torso. The length should reach from the shoulders to the waist, and the width should be slightly larger than the width of the chest.
2. Cut out the bottom of the box with a sharp utility knife. Cut a hole for your child's head in the other end, and two holes for the arms positioned at shoulder height. If needed, strengthen any cut areas with packing tape.
3. Draw the main features from a Juicy Juice box onto the cardboard box. Use a pencil so that you can erase and redraw if needed.
4. Paint the costume with acrylic paints, then seal it with a gloss sealing spray such as Crystal Clear. This will give the costume a shiny, waxlike appearance similar to the juice box.
5. Make a tube of posterboard large enough to fit on your child's head like a hat. This will form the straw. Secure the tube with hot glue and paint it with spray paint.
6. Dress your child in the costume and hat. If desired, use face paint to color your child's face to match the hat.
Tags: your child, , , , Dress your, Dress your child, large enough
Recently, a major producer of mayonnaise and other foods has marketed a new variety of mayonnaise featuring olive oil. Olive oil has actually been used in some recipes for homemade mayonnaise for quite some time. is not difficult to make, and yes, you can make it with olive oil. If you want to make your own mayonnaise at home using olive oil, you'll need a recipe and some basic pointers and instructions.
Ingredients
Use two fresh or pasteurized eggs to avoid salmonella; because the eggs will not be cooked during the process of making your mayonnaise, they must be fresh or pasteurized. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place the yolks into a mixing bowl. The whites will not be used for making your mayo, so store them in an for another recipe. Chill 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil in the fridge for about an hour before you start mixing and pour it into a squeeze bottle or gravy boat for precision in pouring. Measure out 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar and 1 tsp. salt and place them in ingredient bowls.
Mixing the Mayonnaise
Mix your yolks and salt together with a whisk until the mixture is a sticky yellow paste. Add your oil very slowly to prevent separation. Only add a drop or two at a time, and keep mixing with a whisk as you do so. Keep mixing and dropping in oil until the oil has all been added. Add your vinegar to the bowl and continue whisking. Add dry mustard if desired when the vinegar has been mixed in. Mix the mustard into the mayonnaise thoroughly. Taste your mayonnaise and make any salt or mustard adjustments to fit your preferences.
Use and Storage
Use your in any way you would normally use store-bought mayonnaise. Use it mixed into tuna or potato salad, on burgers or other sandwiches, or as a salad dressing.
Store your mayonnaise in an in your refrigerator. Use the mayonnaise within three days, as it does not have any preservatives like store-bought mayonnaise does.
Tags: , airtight container, fresh pasteurized, homemade mayonnaise, Make Mayonnaise
Sherry is an acquired taste, to be sure, but once you've found the kind you like, you're likely to be hooked. The process of making sherry is long and complex, producing wines that are as sweet as the fullest bodied ports, to as dry as the Sahara. With sherry, there truly is something for everyone.
Instructions
Identify the Tastes and Aromas of Different Types of Sherry
1. Taste a Manzanilla sherry. Sherries vary from the bone dry to indulgently sweet. We're going to start on the dry end of the spectrum with the driest of the dry, Manzanilla. All sherries are made from a blend of three grapes. The most important grape in most sherries is the Palomino grape. (pronounced hee-men-ez) is used for blending in the sweeter sherries, and moscatel is used in a very minor way, also as a blending grape. Open your bottle of Manzanilla and pour a bit into your sherry glass. Swirl and smell. Scents of the ocean, shellfish and brine will appear. This is indicative of where it is from. All sherry must be made in the area of Spain called Xeres de la Frontera, but Manzanilla is even more site specific. It can only come from a seaside town within Xeres called Sanlucar de Barrameda. Sherry is fermented and aged in large open casks that allow a lot of contact with oxygen, which gives the sherries their varying degrees of sweetness. Because Sanlucar is near the sea, and is so humid, the yeasts in the sherry produce a constant foam on top of the liquid, called a "flor." This keeps the liquid out of contact with the air, producing a bone dry sherry. Taste the sherry. It will have notes of almond, green olives and even freshly shucked oyster. This is a truly unique wine. Manzanilla, because of it's delicate nature, must be drunk within 48 hours of opening it.
2. Taste an Amontillado. The next step up in dryness from Manzanilla is Fino, but their flavor profiles are very similar, so we're going to skip ahead to Amontillado. Amantillado is made from Fino that is fortified (neutral spirits are added to boost the alcohol level), so the yeast dies. There is only a flor for the short time before it is fortified, so it oxidizes more and is a bit fuller and a little sweeter than Manzanilla or Fino. Pour a bit into your glass. It is noticeably darker. Swirl and smell. The scent is one of hazelnuts and even a light cedar scent may be present. Taste it. On the palate it will be significantly heavier than the Manzanilla, giving up more roast hazelnut and a hint of honey. This is a complex sherry that opens up as it sits in the glass. One of the most prized sherries for any sherry connoisseur.
3. Taste an Oloroso. This is a long aged sherry that experiences no flor, whatsoever. This is, again, noticeably sweeter and fuller bodied than an Amantillado, because of the amount of time it is exposed to air, and because it is fortified to an even higher alcohol level than Amontillado. Pour some into a glass. It should be a shade or two darker than Amontillado. Swirl it and smell it. It will have a hefty amount of black walnut and fig on the nose. Taste it. This is the first sherry that will start to veer into the realm of dessert wine. It is full and heavy and has notes of lighter dried fruit, maple syrup and more roasted nuts.
4. Taste a Pedro Ximenez. This sherry is the only sherry that is made with 100% Pedro Ximenez grape, thus it's moniker. This is the sweetest and most indulgent of all sherries. Pour a bit into the glass. It is a dark, dark brown that some might confuse with black. Swirl it and smell. It is incredibly dense on the nose with hints of prune, burnt sugar and date. Taste it. On the palate it is equally dark. The tastes range from black strap molasses to brown sugar to baked cherries. In Xeres, people often drizzle a bit of Pedro Ximenez over ice cream for dessert!
Tags: Pedro Ximenez, sherry that, , alcohol level, Aromas Different, Aromas Different Types
Add dry seasonings to roasted sunflower seeds to flavor them.
Sunflowers are a beautiful addition to the landscape of a house, with the bonus of edible seeds. The outer shell of the sunflower seed is black-and-white striped once they mature. Sunflowers seeds are a healthy alternative to other snacks because they are high in vitamin E, magnesium and phosphorus. The nutrients in the seeds may help to lower cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease. If you want to prepare sunflower seeds as a snack, you can roast and flavor them at home.
Instructions
1. Rinse unshelled sunflower seeds under cool water in the sink to remove any debris and dirt from the seeds.
2. Pour the seeds into a saucepan. Add 2 qts. of cool water and 1/4 cup of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. Bring the water to a boil on the stovetop. Place a lid on the saucepan and reduce the heat to simmer the seeds for two hours.
3. Remove the sunflower seeds from the saucepan by pouring them into a colander. Rinse the seeds off with cool water, and then spread them out on a layer of . Pat the sunflower seeds dry with the paper towels.
4. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Spread the sunflower seeds onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Place the seeds in the oven to roast them for 30 minutes. Stir the sunflower seeds after 15 minutes to keep them from burning.
6. Pour 2 cups of warm sunflower seeds into a plastic sealed storage bag. Add 1 tsp. of olive oil or melted butter and 2 tbsp. of your preferred seasoning. Seasonings that you can use to flavor sunflower seeds include salt, cayenne pepper, garlic and dry barbecue seasoning.
7. Seal the plastic bag and shake it to coat the seeds with the oil and seasoning. Pour the sunflower seeds on a towel to absorb excess moisture, then eat and enjoy.
Chili is featured at competitions and cook offs across the United States.
Chili is a popular dish that has deep roots in America's culinary history. Chili lovers across the United States show their love for the dish by ever so slightly altering the recipe to create what they believe is the best chili dish there is. Chili is so loved that it is a staple dish at cook offs and competitions. While the types of chili vary from recipe to recipe, the main ingredients of chili in its pure form usually don't change, making it an easily recognizable dish.
Instructions
1. Identify the basic ingredients. For chili to be chili in its most basic and purest form, according to chili purists, it should contain two staple ingredients--meat or beef of some type and red chili powder--along with spices such as cumin, garlic, and salt.
2. Identify the flavors, texture, and taste. Pure chili has a distinct flavor and taste due to the spices that it is made with. Taste the chili and note the spices and flavors such as garlic, different chiles, such as red chiles, serrano chiles, and ancho chiles, onion, cumin, and salt. The chili should have a thick consistency and texture different from typical soups and more like a stew.
3. Note the toppings and presentation of chili. Chili isn't just served in a bowl, but it's served in many different ways based on the region of the United States in which it is eaten. It can be served in a dish topped with sour cream, cheese and onions, served with crackers, or served in a bread bowl. Chili is also used as a topping for hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, or served as a sandwich inside a roll or wrap. , for example, is served over pasta.
4. Be aware of the different types and variations of chili. While pure chili contains meat and chili peppers or powder, you will come across many different varieties labeled as chili that depart from the basic ingredients held to by chili purists. Such differences are often due to the different regions in which the dish is served. Different types of chili may have added ingredients, such as beans, different types of meat, no meat at all, rice, corn, peanut butter, tofu, corn, brown sugar, grains, tomato paste, and celery. For example, Cincinnati chili contains a unique combination of ingredients that depart from basic chili, including cocoa, chocolate, and cinnamon, while San Antonio pork shoulder and pork fat.
Tags: chili contains, United States, across United, across United States, basic ingredients, , Cincinnati chili
fishing bait works as well as other baits commercially available. Fish are attracted to the tasty treat and can't help themselves when they yank the whole ball and get hooked in the process. Dough balls can be made in different flavors to appeal to many varieties of freshwater fish such as catfish, crappie, carp and crawfish. Easy to prepare, dough balls may be made ahead of time and kept in a zippered plastic bag in the refrigerator for a week or more.
Significance
Make dough from any flour. Rye works well as it has a strong aroma. Use enough water to make a stiff dough that will stay on the fish hook. Flours differ in absorbency and gluten content so experiment with whatever flours you have. Roll marble-sized balls and set them aside on a plate to await flavorings.
Types
Flavoring the dough bait involves working smelly substances into the individual dough balls to attract fish to bite. Flavorings may include clove oil, anise seeds, caraway seeds, tobacco, fish oil, oregano leaves, bits of hot dog, curry powder, cinnamon or tarragon leaves. Experiment with other strong flavors and aromas to see what works just as well to flavor the dough ball fishing bait.
Effects
Weather conditions, water temperature, spawning season and time of day will all determine how long it will take to catch fish. Knowledge of good fishing holes will also have bearing on how many fish are caught. Dough ball fishing bait may be used any time of year and with all species--catfish and pike are especially fond of smelly fishing bait and will bite on it given the opportunity. Catfish will be slow to bite in cold weather. Tie the dough ball on the hook if necessary by wrapping sewing thread around it to make sure it stays in place.
Time Frame
Dough bait will last about a week in the refrigerator, however, you may want to store the flavored balls in zippered plastic bags in the freezer to extend their shelf-life and save work. In each bag, drip a few drops of clove oil to keep the dough balls smelling attractive to fish after defrosting.
Geography
Geographic location will dictate year-round success using dough ball fishing bait. Tropical venues such as Florida are ideal for using this type of bait when fishing. Louisiana and Mississippi are other favorable locations for year-round success.
Jello shots are not new. No, they are a favorite among party goers as they are easy to make, even easier to serve and are sweet and delicious going down. Just when you thought there was no possible way to make a better, spark a match and make flaming Jello shots for a surprising serve.
Instructions
1. Mix up a batch of your favorite Jello according to the instructions on the box; however, you may want to add a touch more sugar to counter the taste of the alcohol. Replace 50 percent of the required water with a strong alcohol, such as Everclear or Sambuca. Use a candy thermometer as you heat the mixture, making sure that it does not get hotter than 135 degrees F, or you will destroy the alcohol content.
2. Fill the bottoms of a number of paper souffle cups with whipped cream while you allow the liquid Jello to cool. Once at room temperature, but before the Jello begins to harden, fill the souffle cups about halfway with the flaming Jello mixture.
3. Place your Jello shots into the refrigerator until firm. Remove the Jello shots from the fridge at least an hour before serving so that they can reach room temperature, making them easier to light.
4. Scoop the shots out of the souffle cups with a spoon, placing them whip cream side down onto a heat proof container. You can place the shots into glass shooters, onto a small plate or into a larger pint glass; however, take care after lighting the shots, as the glass will heat quickly. Additionally, it is a good idea to heat the container slightly, as quickly changing temperatures can crack or shatter the glass.
5. Use a long stick match to carefully touch a flame to the top of the Jello shot, setting it on fire. Make sure you light your flaming Jello shot just before serving, or all of the alcohol will burn off and the Jello will begin to melt. Blow out the flame and shoot down the Jello.
Tags: Jello shots, flaming Jello, Jello shot, souffle cups, before serving, cups with, room temperature
Bacon is permitted as a food choice for someone eating a low-carb diet.
If you want to lose weight, burn fat and stay full throughout the day, this diet of low-carb mini-meals may be the regimen for you. According to the Mayo Clinic, low-carb meals cause your body to theoretically burn more fat because your body is not producing insulin from eating carbohydrates, which is normally used for energy. Also, according to Dr Mehmet Oz, by eating five or six mini-meals throughout the day your body is burning fat more often since it never enters starvation mode leading to stored fat.
Cilantro Chicken and Peanuts
Chicken is a low-carb food.
This meal from the Shape magazine website is tasty, satisfying and includes several ingredients for added flavor. With only 7g of carbohydrates per serving, you can eat this mini-meal without worries. Start with 1/4 lb. of chicken breast, skinless and boneless, cut into bite-size chunks, and cook this in 1/2 tsp. of canola oil over high heat for two minutes. Add 1/2 oz. of peanuts, 1/2 tsp. of minced ginger and one clove of minced garlic. Cook until the chicken is white throughout. Add 2 tsp. of sliced green onions, a dash of toasted sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp. each of soy sauce and rice vinegar. Cook for two more minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of cilantro. This recipe can be multiplied for four servings, so you can have this delicious meal on hand to eat over a few days without having to cook so often.
Salmon Burgers
From "The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook", these salmon burgers are a low-carb meal that is quick and easy to prepare. One serving has only 3g of carbohydrates. You can cook four servings of this recipe and have a mini-meal on hand ready to heat and serve. Start by fluffing apart 1 lb. of skinned salmon, fresh or canned, with a fork in a large mixing bowl. Add one lightly beaten egg, two finely chopped scallions, 2 tbsp. of minced ginger and 1 tsp. of toasted sesame oil. Mix well and form into four equal-sized burgers. Spray a pan with cooking oil and cook the burgers at medium-high heat for three to four minutes per side or until brown. As a finishing touch, mix 2 tbsp. soy sauce with 1/2 tsp. of honey and 1 1/2 tsp. wasabi powder or paste. Pour the sauce over the burgers and cook for 15 seconds. Serve one patty per meal.
Faux Rice
Low-carb diets steer clear of pasta and rice dishes, but sometimes you crave these comforting foods. A solution is to make your own low-carb version of rice using vegetables. This mini-meal is fast to fix, requires only two main ingredients and one serving only has 1.3g of carbohydrates. Microwave 2.5 oz. of cauliflower until tender. After you drain the cauliflower well, put it in the blender or food processor with 1 tbsp. of butter. Using short bursts from the machine, process the cauliflower until it resembles rice. Add salt and pepper to taste, and you have a healthy, low-carb mini-meal.
Tags: only carbohydrates, your body, cauliflower until, four servings, minced ginger, serving only
Truffles are rare fungi considered a gourmet delicacy. Although related to mushrooms, they only grow underground. Truffles are primarily found in France, Italy, Spain and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Many truffle hunters in Europe use pigs to find these subterranean items.
Pig Advantages
Truffle hunters traditionally have utilized female pigs (sows) in their quest because they are naturally attracted to the musky aroma of truffles.
Pig Disadvantages
Pigs are less obedient than dogs and also enjoy eating the truffles. Pigs also are less mobile than dogs, a drawback because truffle hunting usually involves roaming large tracts of land.
Pig Talent
According to the Royal Philatelic Society London, French hunters of truffles have reported pigs can determine the presence of a truffle from 20 feet away.
Pig Training
Pigs must be trained not to eat the truffles, something easier to accomplish if the hunter rewards them with a bit of truffle now and then.
Fun Fact
As of 2008, truffles were selling for about $800 per pound. Hunters find that dealing with a stubborn truffle pig is well worth the effort.
You've saved your left over expensive, smoked salmon from dinner and now would like to reheat it for lunch. Nearly all fish is safe to reheat as long as it has been handled properly prior to reheating. It is best to reheat your salmon in the oven. Microwaving is not the best choice when reheating fish. Microwaving your smoked salmon can make it soggy and leave cold spots, which can harbor dangerous bacteria that can make you ill.
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish.
3. Add a small pat of butter to the top of your salmon. Fish can dry out when it is reheated, so it is best to reheat it in sauce or butter.
4. Place the salmon in the oven for four to five minutes or until the butter has melted. Check the internal temperature of the . Insert a cooking thermometer inside the salmon. It should reach a temperature of at least 145 . Stick the salmon back into the oven for two to three minutes if it has not reached the required temperature.
5. Eat the reheated salmon as soon as possible. Do not allow the fish to sit out for more than two hours before reheating or after it has been reheated. This can allow harmful bacteria to grow.
Tags: smoked salmon, best reheat, degrees Fahrenheit, Place salmon,
" Flour" is a quest item in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game "RuneScape." The flour must be obtained in order to complete the "Cook's Assistant" quest near the start of the game. The quest itself is open to both paying and non-paying members, and can be completed by players of any level.
Instructions
1. Travel northwest on the road outside of Lumbridge --- the starting city --- until you locate Fred the Farmer's Farm.
2. Continue past the farm until you locate a wheat field. Enter the field, click on one of the wheat stalks, and select the "Pick Wheat" option. Your character will obtain the "wheat" item.
3. Exit the field and travel east along the road until you come across the "Mill Lane Mill" location. The mill looks like a large windmill.
4. Enter the windmill and use the "Talk" command on the "Millie Miller" NPC located inside. Select the "Making Fine Flour" option to get information on make the item.
5. Climb to the top floor of the windmill.
6. Open your inventory, select the "Wheat" item, and drop it into the mill's hopper.
7. Click the lever nearby and select "Pull," then go back downstairs. If you have a pot in your inventory, you will automatically receive the "Extra Fine Flour" quest item.
Tags: , Extra Fine, Extra Fine Flour, Fine Flour quest,
Champagne is a sparkling wine that comes from France's Champagne Ardenne region.
Champagne is a popular alcoholic beverage usually associated with celebrations and toasts. Champagne originated in 17th century France, when a monk named Dom Perignon experimented with harvesting grapes later and a second fermentation to create the bubbly wine. Most champagne connoisseurs advocate that for champagne to be regarded as authentic, it must come from the French region of Champagne Ardenne and be made from grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. While the price of champagne can range from extremely expensive to affordable, the best champagnes are largely determined by your own personal preference.
Dom Perignon
Considered the world's first champagne, Moet & Chandon's Dom Perignon has a rich legacy spanning across several centuries. A vintage champagne, Dom Perignon has been imbibed by France's King Louis XIV as well as featured at a host of royal celebrations, including the Shah of Iran's wedding in 1959 and Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding ceremony in 1981. Dom Perignon is produced only during years of strong harvest to ensure that each bottle maintains the high standards of quality and taste first cultivated by Dom Perignon himself. The best years for Dom Perignon are considered 1975, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995 and 1996. Bottles are typically priced between $85 and $150, depending on the vintage year.
Cristal
Louis Roederer's Cristal is one of the world's most expensive champagnes. The cuvee was specially created in 1876 for Russia's Tsar Alexander II and his Imperial Court. Cristal was reportedly packaged in clear crystal bottles so that the tsar could tell if someone was trying to poison his drink. Certain vintage bottles can command thousands of dollars and have since become a favorite for musicians and rappers. The best years for Cristal are considered 1975, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995 and 1996.
Bottles are typically priced from $150 to $300, depending on the year.
Types of Champagne
Ultra brut, extra brut or brut sauvage no added sugar. Brut wines are quite dry and have a very low sugar content, usually less than 1.5 percent. These champagnes are the most popular sellers and go well with a variety of foods, such as strong and mild cheeses, appetizers, seafood, Asian cuisine and poultry. Extra dry wines are slightly sweet and contain up to 2 percent sugar. These wines are medium dry and are ideal to drink as an apertif. Dry or sec wines contain 4 . Dry wines are best paired with mild and strong cheeses and appetizers. Demi-sec wines contain about 8 percent sugar. Because they are very sweet, these wines go well with fruit and desserts. The sweetest of the champagnes, doux champagne contains up to 10 percent sugar.
Vintage vs. Non-Vintage
Vintage champagnes are pricier, as all the grapes are harvested during a single year, whereas non-vintage wines are made of grape blends from several different years. The wine market is dominated mostly by non-vintage blends. Vintage wines are also produced only during years in which the grapes had a very strong growing season. These champagnes are also aged longer than non-vintage champagnes. Moreover, premium vintage champagne, also called prestige cuv e, is made from select grapes from the best vineyards for the year. Oftentimes, these champagnes use only the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir variety.
You can grow Mandarin oranges in pots just like other types of citrus. Move the pots outdoors in full sun for the growing season and bring indoors before freezing weather arrives. Winter them in a sunny window and provide a little humidity. Your Mandarin orange will produce fruit in late winter.
Instructions
1. Plant your Mandarin orange. First put a layer of rocks or gravel in the bottom of the pot to help water drain away from the roots. Add enough potting soil so that when you put the Mandarin orange into the pot, the surface of the transplant is about 2 inches below the edge of its new pot.
2. Water thoroughly, until it drains out of the bottom of the pot.
3. Feed your Mandarin orange weekly with a water-soluble fertilizer applied at half the strength recommended by the manufacturer.
4. Move the plant outdoors during the frost-free weather of your growing season. Put in full sun and check daily to see if it needs watering.
5. Move your indoors when freezing weather arrives. Put in a sunny, south-facing window in a cool room. Citrus do best indoors growing at temperatures in the mid- to upper 60s. Provide extra humidity by using a humidifier near the tree. Or group plants near it to increase the humidity.
6. Prune in late winter. Cut back the main branches by about a third every other year to maintain it at a size suitable for growing in a pot.
Themed cakes and confections are great for birthdays and other celebrations. So a movie-themed cake is an ideal way to show a film buff how much you care. Of course, sprinkling real popcorn over a cake will just lead to it becoming stale and unpleasant looking. And if the popcorn is salted, it would create a bizarre mix of sweet and savory flavors. Instead, faux popcorn can be simply and cheaply made out of icing and marzipan, keeping longer and tasting much better.
Instructions
1. Remove the marzipan from the packet, and roll it into a flat sheet about 1/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut small irregular shapes out of the marzipan. Each shape should fit into a 1-inch diameter circle. Cut a slit from the edge of each shape into the center.
2. Roll the marzipan shape into an irregular ball, being careful not to squash it. Fold up each marzipan ball, shaping it with your fingers until it roughly resembles a piece of popped popcorn. Dust a tray with icing sugar, place the marzipan popcorn shapes on the tray and set it aside.
3. Crack an egg carefully, and pour the egg white into a bowl. Gradually add 1.5 cups of powdered icing sugar, while beating the mixture into a fluffy paste. Continue to beat and add icing sugar until the mixture is a uniform consistency. The mixture is ready when you can create little points in the surface by removing the spoon.
4. Gently warm a tea towel in the oven, and use it to cover the bowl for a few minutes. Dilute the mixture so it is two parts icing to one part water. Mix again, this time adding two drops of yellow food coloring. Continue mixing and adding drops of until the icing is yellow throughout.
5. Spoon out some of the icing, and drizzle it over the marzipan shapes. Use the handle end of a teaspoon to smooth the icing coating on the marzipan, ensuring it does not obscure the shape of the popcorn. Continue spooning the icing onto the popcorn until each shape is adequately covered.
6. Leave the shapes on the tray to dry. Once dry, use a small paintbrush to paint brown food coloring onto the popcorn pieces, making sure to apply more in the various nooks and crannies. This give the impression of a toffee glaze.
Tags: food coloring, icing sugar, adding drops, brown food, brown food coloring
Burritos are one of the most delicious and versatile foods you can find and yet very few people ever make one for themselves. Instead they normally go to a restaurant or a drive-thru. But the following steps will tell you what ingredients you need and use them to make a chicken burrito in the comfort of your own home, whenever you want.
Instructions
1. Cook rice per package directions.
2. Take a skinless and beat both sides with a meat tenderizer for approximately 5 minutes total, depending on the size of the breast.
3. Slice the chicken breast horizontally, then vertically, so that you’ve cut it up into small, square-shaped pieces.
4. Season the chicken with garlic powder, chili powder and cumin. Sprinkle the lime juice, then set the chicken aside.
5. Heat a skillet on medium and add desired amount of olive oil.
6. Dice and onion on a clean cutting board.
7. Add refried or pinto beans into a pot, cover, and cook on medium. Wait 5 minutes.
8. Place chicken into the skillet. Once it starts to brown, add the and onions.
9. Stir the contents of the skillet, adding additional seasoning and if desired.
10. Lay out a tortilla and layer the contents in the middle of the tortilla. Add cheese and fold the sides of the tortilla over one another.
Applesauce is the perfect snack for when you need a boost of nutrients and something sweet and delicious. It is also great when used in a number of different recipes because it adds a special taste that enhances an average dish.
Antioxidants
Applesauce contains many phytonutrients that act as antioxidants, such as catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid. These fight and protect your DNA and cells from oxidative damage.
Fiber
It is known that many Americans do not get enough fiber in their diet. Applesauce, though, is a great source of fiber, offering almost 4 g per serving.
Anti-Inflammatory
Applesauce is full of many helpful flavonoids as well. Some of these help reduce inflammation in the blood vessels and joints, which helps relieve pain from arthritis and also promotes healthy blood flow.
Lung Cancer
The antioxidants in applesauce helps to prevent many forms of cancer that can be caused by the free radicals they fight. In particular, women have been known to fight lung cancer better with applesauce in .
Liver
The flavonoids found in applesauce help to protect liver cells and regulate overproduction of these cells' fats.
Fondue can be more than just an appetizer. Next time you have guests over, try serving a fondue dinner. It can turn a regular dinner with friends into an enjoyable and interactive gourmet experience. With the exception of the salad course, it is possible to serve a full dinner, appetizers to dessert, using fondue pots.
Instructions
1. Begin the experience with a cheese fondue course. There are several delicious recipes calling for various cheeses accompanied by different wines and spices. Find the one that you enjoy the best. Serve the cheese with large chunks of bread, raw vegetables and tangy apples.
2. Bring out some light salads for the second course. Again, the type of salad will be a matter of taste. A good universal choice is a salad with a base of soft, fresh field greens, tossed in a light oil-based dressing.
3. Decide if you want the main course to be cooked in a base of broth or oil. If choosing oil, it is best to choose a clean oil that heats fast, such as peanut oil. Just remember to inform guests that peanut oil will be used in case anyone has food allergies.
4. Heat up the oil or broth for the meat course. You can use one type of meat or a combination. Marinated beef medallions, fish, shellfish and pork tenderloin are all excellent choices. Provide guests with light batters for each corresponding meat or fish. Various dipping sauces for the cooked meat is also a good idea.
5. Offer a classic chocolate fondue for dessert. Serve the chocolate with fresh fruit, chunks of sponge cake and marshmallows for dipping.
6. Finish off the evening with fresh-brewed coffee or after-dinner cocktails.
Dehydrated cheese is a nutritious pantry item that stores long-term. As long as the dehydrated cheese is kept dry, it will stay good. Cheese loses very little nutritional value during the low heat dehydration process. The nutritious dehydrated cheese is a healthy addition to dehydrated camp meals. It can also be ground into a fine powder to make your own chemical free cheese seasoning.
Instructions
Hard Cheese
1. Cut cheese into small pieces. The exact size of the pieces does not matter. They can be as wide or long as you choose. The smaller the pieces, the faster and evener they will dry. The thickness of the slices are important. The cheese slices should be no more than 1/4 inch thick. Thicker slices take too long to dry.
2. Lay the cheese pieces directly on the rack in the food dehydrator. Leave space around each piece of cheese, so that they are not touching each other.
3. Turn the dehydrator on. If the dehydrator has a temperature setting control, choose the lowest setting.
4. Flip the cheese pieces over every three hours. If the food dehydrator does not have a fan, rearrange the trays every few hours. This provides more air flow for more even drying of the cheese pieces. To rearrange the trays, move the top tray to the bottom tray spot and move the other trays one spot up from where they previously were.
5. Remove the cheese pieces from the dehydrator when the cheese is fully dry. Dry cheese appears even-toned in color and is a shade or two darker than fresh cheese. Store the dry cheese in an airtight package.
Soft Cheese
6. Cover the food dehydrator trays with plastic wrap. You will have to cut a hole in the center of the plastic wrap to allow air flow through the center of the food dehydrator.
7. Spread a thin layer of soft cheese over the plastic wrap covered tray. The layer should be no thicker than a 1/4 inch.
8. Turn the dehydrator on. If the dehydrator has a temperature setting control, choose the lowest setting.
9. Rearrange the trays every three hours if the food dehydrator does not have a fan. To rearrange the trays, move the top tray to the bottom tray spot and move the other trays one spot up from where they previously were. If the food dehydrator is equipped with a fan, it is not necessary to rearrange the trays.
10. Check the cheese every three hours. The cheese is done dehydrating when it is dry to the touch. Remove the cheese from the dehydrator and store in an airtight package.
Tags: food dehydrator, cheese pieces, , every three hours, plastic wrap, rearrange trays, three hours
Using greater amounts of the other ingredients in your chili can offset the sweetness.
Many chili recipes call for the addition of white or brown sugar to give the dish a slightly sweet taste. However, if you overdo it with the sugar in your chili, your creation can taste too sweet. Chili should have a spicy zip to it rather than a prominent sugary sweetness. If your chili tastes too sweet, you don't have throw out the batch. You can remedy the problem with one or more simple fixes.
Instructions
1. Increase the ingredients (other than sugar) in your chili according to their proportions. For instance, if your recipe calls for one can of tomatoes, add another can. Increase all of the ingredients as well so the recipe remains balanced.
2. Add 1 tsp. of white vinegar per quart of chili. Stir and taste the chili to see if the sweetness has faded. Gradually add more vinegar, if necessary.
3. Add 1/2 tsp. dry mustard per quart of chili. Stir it in and taste the chili to see if you need to add more gradually.
4. Pour 1 tsp. of lemon juice per quart of chili. Stir and sample to see if the sweetness is gone. Add more if necessary.
Tags: your chili, chili Stir, quart chili, quart chili Stir, chili Stir taste
You may have seen the name before, maybe on a package of potato chips or raisins: Sodium metabisulfite. But what you might not know is that this common food preservative, with a mouthful of a name, has a number of other uses.
What is ?
Sodium metabisulfite is an inorganic compound composed of sodium, sulfur and oxygen. Its chemical formula is Na2S2O5 . It typically comes in a white, or yellowish-white crystalline powder. It easily dissolves in water, which leaves that familiar sulfur (rotten egg) smell.
Sodium Metabisulfite in Food
Sodium Metabisulfite is commonly used as a for dried foods, like potato chips, raisins and apples, as well as fruit concentrate juices. As a food product, the safe daily intake of sodium metabisulfite has been determined to be about .7 grams per kilogram of body weight. However, those with allergies to sulfites -- often exhibited by rashes, hives and wheezing - might try to steer clear of this preservative altogether.
Sodium Metabisulfite as a Cleaner
Sodium metabisulfite is also present in wines and beers, as it is used as both a sterilizer and an antioxidant in the process of brewing beer or fermenting wine. If you or someone you know claims to have an allergy to red wine, it's probably because of the presence of sodium metabisulfite.
The chemical is also used in the process of purifying water, cleaning water pipes and reverse osmosis membranes in desalinization equipment as it is an antibacterial.
Sodium Metabisulfite in Other Uses
Sodium metabisulfite's acidic and preservative properties also make it an effective substitute for sodium bisulfite, a chemical which is used in traditional darkroom photography. Also, sodium metabisulfite is used as a bleaching agent in pulp and textile manufacture, as well as a reducing agent in pharmaceuticals. It is also a known preservative in cosmetics.
The chemical, in concentrated form, has also been used in landscape gardening as a tree stump remover, as it disintegrates the lignins -- chemicals in plant cell walls -- in the tree stumps, making them easier to remove.
Toxicity of Sodium Metabisulfite
While the allowable ingestion of sodium metabisulfite as a food preservative reduces it to sulfate in the liver, allowing for harmless elimination, excess exposure to the chemical has been known to damage the human immune system. It has also been linked to cancer and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Lesser concerns include neurotoxicity.
Those with asthma and other allergies may also be sensitive to sodium metabisulfite.
Cognac is technically a brandy or a spirit distilled from wine or other fermented juice. Cognac, however, is made exclusively in the Cognac region of France, and to connoisseurs, has a distinct flavor. Personal taste governs the selection of a good cognac. Follow these steps to pick a good cognac.
Instructions
1. Pick several cognacs for tasting. All should be tasted, one at a time, in a tulip or balloon glass. Fill the glass one-fifth full. Warm the glass with the palms of the hand right before tasting to enhance the cognac flavor.
2. Hold the glass to the light to evaluate its color. Good cognac should have a clear, rich amber color.
3. Bring the nose to the glass and inhale the initial aroma. Then swirl the glass to release the full bouquet and smell again. Each present a different combination of floral, nut, fruit and spice scents.
4. Taste the cognac and roll it around the mouth to activate all the taste receptors: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Swallow the cognac. A good leave a lingering, pleasant impression.
Unlike afternoon tea, which historically was a social gathering for women of the elite classes, high tea is served in the evening, around 6 p.m., and can easily replace dinner. It once served as the last meal of the day for working men, but now anyone can hold a high tea for friends and relax with flowing conversation. Keep the group small (no more than seven people, including yourself), and you can create an intimate, memorable evening that will entice your guests to repeat the affair. Here are suggestions on hold a high tea.
Instructions
1. Brew two different kinds of tea. Try the loose-leaf variety, and keep it warm in teapots covered by tea cozies. Consider one traditional black tea (Earl Grey is good) and one non-traditional variety (such as African Red Roobis, or perhaps a delicate white tea).
2. Serve dishes of meat, fish or eggs. Traditional dishes include meat pies and Welsh rarebit, but a simple plate laid with cold cuts, another one with lox and a vegetable frittata will do this in this day and age. Or consider making a simple salad with hard-boiled eggs.
3. Lay out on a wooden board (or a large plate or platter) three different kind of cheeses, as well as a sliced loaf of bread and butter. Choose non-stinky cheese so the odors won't compete with the other aromas in the room. Go for a familiar cheese (such as fresh mozzarella), an exotic cheese (such a sheep's milk) and a spreadable cheese. Each cheese should have its own small knife.
4. Get creative with dessert, which should also be laid out at the same time. Don't feel that you have to serve scones with clotted cream. Try little cakes, pastries or even a variety of cookies. Feel free to have fruit on hand as well.
Browning the potatoes under a broiler is quicker than using the oven.
Professional kitchens are all about speed without sacrificing food quality. Several techniques used in professional kitchens to expedite the cooking process are easily applied to home cooking and comfort foods, such as . Preheating the cream and cooking at a high temperature reduces the overall prep time of scalloped potatoes by approximately 30 minutes. Cream's fat content helps prevent it from separating, so you can bake the scalloped potatoes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to cut about 20 minutes from the cooking time. Heating the cream prior to adding it to the potatoes cuts an additional 10 minutes from the cooking time.
Instructions
1. Peel and cut 2 lbs. of Russet potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Immediately after slicing, place each potato in a food-storage container with 2 cups of water to prevent browning. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pour 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream in saucepan and place over medium heat. Add 1 sprig of fresh thyme, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, 2 tsp. of kosher salt, 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 tsp. of ground nutmeg to the cream and stir.
3. Coat the interior of a casserole unsalted butter. Layer the potato slices in the dish, allowing them to overlap each other by 1/4 inch.
4. Remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs from the hot cream and pour it over the potatoes. Press the potatoes as needed to submerge them. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place the potatoes in the oven.
5. Bake the potatoes until cooked through, approximately 40 minutes. Place the potatoes on the highest oven rack and turn on the broiler. Broil the potatoes until browned, approximately three minutes.
Tags: scalloped potatoes, approximately minutes, cooking time, degrees Fahrenheit, dish with, from cooking, from cooking time
Tuna Egg Salad is a great quick-fix meal that will keep your energy levels high throughout a busy workday or prior to an afternoon of working out. Tuna fish is a nutrient-dense food that provides high quality protein and is rich in a variety of important minerals including selenium, magnesium, potassium; the B vitamins niacin, B1, and B6; and perhaps most important, the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (which our bodies cannot produce on their own). Here is my recipe for a delicious tuna egg salad prepared with heart-healthy egg whites.
Instructions
1. Place the eggs in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Eggs are one of the most nutritious, inexpensive foods there are. They are filled with vitamins and minerals, in particular Vitamin B, which is responsible for so many functions in our bodies. Eggs are also highly beneficial because they're so low in calories with only 78 kcals per medium egg.
2. Once at a boil, turn off heat and leave the eggs until cooled.
3. Discard the egg yellows, chop the whites and combine with the 2 tbsp. of tuna.
4. Mix in 1 tbsp. nayonnaise (soy mayonnaise) or low-fat mayo and add black pepper, salt, 1 tsp. Dijon and curry powder (optional).
Make your egg roll skins before you make the fillings.
Egg roll wrappers, also known as egg roll skins, are the thin pieces of dough you wrap around mixtures of meats and vegetables for egg rolls. According to "The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook" by Gloria Bley Miller, egg rolls originated in Canton, China, and people often serve them as hors d'oeuvres or with dinner. Although egg roll wrappers are available in grocery stores in the refrigerated food sections, you can make your own wrappers from scratch.
Instructions
1. Combine 1½ cups of flour and ½ tsp. of salt in a large bowl.
2. Crack open two eggs over a small bowl and gently blend the eggs using a mixer.
3. Pour the egg mix into the salt and flour bowl.
4. Beat the salt, flour and eggs together with a mixer and gradually pour in 1½ cups of water as you blend.
5. Beat the blended salt, flour, eggs and water a second time after the dough becomes thin and smooth.
6. Grease a 6-inch to 7-inch skillet with a folded paper towel wet with peanut oil and place the skillet over low heat.
7. Pour 2 tbsp. of the dough into the skillet. Tilt the pan with your hand so the dough thinly covers the entire surface of the skillet.
8. Pick up the dough using a spatula when you see it begin to shrink away from the skillet's edges and place the cooked dough on a tray. Do not let the dough brown in the skillet.
9. Wet a towel with water and place it over the cooked dough to prevent it from drying out.
10. Re-oil your skillet with peanut oil and repeat the process to cook the rest of your dough. You can make about 12 egg roll wrappers.
11. Cool the egg roll wrappers on the tray before wrapping them with fillings and frying them as egg rolls.
Tags: roll wrappers, salt flour, cooked dough, flour eggs, roll skins, salt flour eggs,