Posts Tagged ‘cooking’
Waffle Recipe: Help Yourself To One Of America’s Favorite Foods
Monday, November 9th, 2009One of the reasons it will pay for you to learn about a good waffle recipe is that waffles are among the most favored foods being consumed by the average American. All you need to do is enter a supermarket and look at the frozen foods and chances are that you will see some frozen waffles sitting alongside frozen pizzas and pound cakes as well as turkey dinners.
Of course, a frozen waffle is not going to taste too good which is why you will want to find some good waffle recipes to help you create better tasting waffles. In fact, if you spend your Saturdays and Sundays in a more effective manner you can easily concoct some delightful waffles that you can serve up to the family. Nothing can quite beat a well made homemade waffle.
What’s more, besides the waffle recipe you must also have a good waffle maker of which there are a wide variety of options to choose from that you can purchase for between thirty and three hundred dollars. In addition, you must also have a recipe that will help you cook up some wonderfully delicious hot buttermilk waffles that are delightfully light and crispy. When served with some butter and some maple syrup and with whipped cream and strawberries you will really be able to give your palette a wonderful gift.
As you start using different waffle recipes you will soon come to learn that you should make an effort to separate the egg white from its yolk. This will help you to cook up waffles that are fluffy and white in color as well as very light. Adding beaten yolks separately to the batter’s wet ingredients is recommended after which you can beat the white of the egg until it becomes stiff and then you can add the whites of the egg separately to the batter.
Next, remember to use the right waffle maker and if your existing one has aged don’t hesitate in going out to buy a new one. The older models will not have the right kind of non-stick surface which will then make cooking unnecessarily difficult.
Put all this in a bowl that is heatproof and then mix cream with chocolates that have already been chopped. Add to this some boiled water and set the mix on low heat. After that you have to whip up the mixture until the mix thaws out. Next, you can remove the bowl from the heat and then remove the boiling water and also beat up the mixture till it turns soft. Allow to cool and stir the batter once in a while until the mixture returns to normal temperature.
Once you have cooked the waffle in the waffle maker and the machine signals that the cooking is over be sure to be patient and wait for a few minutes before you open the maker’s lid. In case the waffle starts to stick to the surface then by lifting the lid too soon you will end up ripping off the waffle which is not what you want.
Once you have found the right waffle recipe it is then up to you to do things in the right manner. This in turn means remembering to respect your waffle maker, separating the egg white from its yoke, and most importantly you must not mix the batter in a violent manner. Remember also that even if you do not have any buttermilk on hand you can still; with the help of an appropriate waffle recipe concoct a very decent waffle.
Pumpkin Nutrition in a Nutshell
Monday, November 9th, 2009Did you know that pumpkins are really nutritious? You may be surprised to learn that these orange harbingers of fall are plumb full of beta-carotene, just like other red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables. Pumpkins are also a great source of calcium, vitamin C, and fiber. The seeds and the oil made from them are good sources of zinc and the unsaturated fatty acids that we need to maintain our health.
For the calories you are consuming, pumpkin gives you a lot of nutrition. Even if you ate it for fiber alone, it is known to fill you up so you can naturally curb your appetite without harmful pharmaceuticals. Fiber is also good for your bowels. This squash is also full of potassium.
We all need iron to help our red blood cells oxygenate our bodies. Pumpkin will give you what you need! In addition, the zinc will help prevent osteoporosis. Did you know it can affect the hips as well as the spine? Zinc is also beneficial to your reproductive system… especially if you are trying for a baby.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are important compounds found in pumpkin that help neutralize the free radicals that can damage the lenses in your eyes. This can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts as you get older. Isn’t it amazing that this simple vegetable can protect your eyes, your bones, and your reproductive system? It is also good for your skin. How many vegetables can do all this and still taste great in both sweet and savory dishes?
When you add more of this healthy food to your diet, it does not matter if you use a canned pumpkin soup recipe or use fresh pumpkin. Both are healthy and full of nutrients your body needs to remain healthy. Pumpkin soup can be prepared so it is low in calories or you can make it rich in cream and other luxurious ingredients. It is a simple food that is elegant and rustic all at the same time.
By adding pumpkin to your diet, you not only add all these fabulous nutrients that your body needs to stay well and thrive, you are making the choice to add a good food to your diet that is mostly overlooked in this country. Instead of regulating pumpkins to the celebration of Halloween and the occasional pie during the holidays, pumpkin should be allowed to take its place in the culinary world and shine.
The versatile pumpkin needs to be celebrated. It is one of the few foods that are equally good in both sweet or savory dishes. Add pumpkin to your menu several times a month using various recipes. Try it as a bread, as a soup or as a roasted vegetable. Do not relegate pumpkins to being a novelty-serving dish. Eat some!
Once you have added more pumpkin to your diet, you will wonder what you did without this delicious vegetable. You will notice that you begin to feel and look better because you are providing your body with important nutrients that it needs. Pumpkin provides you with stronger bones, helps maintain your figure and keeps your insides working properly. Not bad for a holiday decoration.
How Did We End Up With The First Banana Bread Recipe?
Monday, November 9th, 2009Anyone who loves a good banana bread recipe will appreciate all of the evolution that brought it to us. Creating foods has been part of every culture since the Neanderthal. Of course, the more we know about a single food’s history the more we are likely to create a palette that coincides with the food’s original flavor as well as with today’s modern adjustments.
There is no actual record indicating that in such and such a year at such and such location the first banana bread recipe was designed, developed, and baked. Rather, we have to look at the evolution of the various ingredients that would eventually turn into what we now call the banana bread recipe.
One of the elements that makes a banana bread stand apart is the fact that it is known as a quick bread. Quick bread is made from all the same basic ingredients that most breads are made from with the exception of the omission of yeast. The beginning of all bread started off as quick bread. Nearly 12, 000 years ago the first bread and bread products were developed. Unlike the light and fluffy versions of today, the original breads were tough, chewy, and somewhat bland.
Quick bread was the only bread available when tits introduction came about around 12, 000 years ago. This bread was flat, hard and chewy, and lacked any great flavor. But it was filling and cheap and easy to make. Simply grinding up some wheat flour and adding some water to the mixture turned into “bread” when added to hot rocks and ash coverings for the cooking part.
Banana bread recipe attempts were most likely made during this time. In order to create a more pleasant taste there were numerous additions to the bread making process, including fruit and spices. A little mashed up banana in the original bread recipe could definitely help create some flavors that would make the bread much more palatable.
It was, however, the Egyptians that were able to transform the flavor and the feel of bread. In 4, 000 BC the discovery of fermentation of bread dough was astounding. This would lead to a softer and fluffier bread product that would appeal to a wider range of tastes. Fermenting the dough before cooking it allowed gas to escape, leaving behind air pockets to soften the overall texture.
A Greek philosopher was heralded as producing the original book on botany, and in this book you can find a thorough explanation and a drawn picture of the banana plant. This means that Greece had bananas and they were already starting to experiment with the different ways they could approach the creation of bread.
In 1796 North America saw it first cook book, and it also saw its first introduction to leavening with Pearlash. It wouldn’t be until 1875 that baking powder would come to American markets. The 18th century banana bread recipe was made in the United States and very closely resembles the banana bread recipe that sits in your own cook book.
How To Learn Cake Decorating And Be The Envy Of Your Friends
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Would it not be wonderful if you could make beautiful cakes like the ones in the bakery window? You may think thats impossible, but really its not. You can learn cake decorating in just a short while. All it takes is some study and practice combined with a bit of creativity and flair!
With a trip to the bookstore or library, you can gather all you need to get started. Just pick up a few good books on how to learn cake decorating, and peruse them to familiarize yourself with the various techniques and terminology. Thats the first step. Once you feel you are familiar with the concepts, you will feel more confident to work on some of the recipes and instructions the books give on creating lovely cakes.
One place you might look to learn cake decorating is the internet. Lots of websites have very clear instructions and information to help you create wonderful cakes. Having so much information in one place makes it easy to learn cake decorating. Many of the designs that you can find online are very easy to follow.
You will be a very popular party guest when everyone finds out that you have become a skilled and talented cake decorator. Beautiful cakes are in such great demand for parties and special occasions. Your friends and family will be thrilled to know about your new talent.
If you have the opportunity, you may want to consider taking a course to learn cake decorating. There is nothing better than having an instructor on hand to show you techniques one-on-one and to answer your specific questions.
When you have a firm basis of skills and knowledge, you can let your imagination soar. You can make any cake you can imagine. If a friend or family member is an avid golfer or has some other special hobby, you can create a stunning cake that showcases that interest. Imagine how touched the person will feel when he or she sees how much thought and effort you have put into honoring them.
When you have mastered your craft, you will be able to give your friends and family very special parties and occasions. Imagine making a beautiful personalized gift of a gorgeous cake for the people you care about. All it takes is a little time to learn cake decorating and with a little practice, you will soon be giving unique, delightful gifts at every special occasion.
Banana Bread Recipe: Create A Family Tradition
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Any great banana bread starts with a good basic batter. So, if you do not have one, go out and purchase a cookbook that has all the basic recipes you need. Many also have cooking tips that can be really handy, especially if you have forgotten how to fold your eggs. You are going to start with a basic banana bread recipe. But then you will make it all your own.
All banana bread recipes are going to be pretty much the same at the core. They can vary in quantities of each ingredient, but they all basically contain flour, butter, baking soda, salt, sugar (sometimes brown), eggs and bananas. I tend to like my baked goods moist, so I will pick a variation that calls for more eggs, for example.
Beyond that, you want to make sure that you use the highest quality ingredients, such as organic unrefined sugar and real butter as opposed to margarine. Having bananas at just the right level of ripeness is one of the keys to a great banana bread. This is may be the only time that you want your bananas to have a completely brown peel.
Go ahead and try out the recipe in its basic form so you know what the consistency and the flavor are supposed to be like. Now comes the fun part. You get to experiment. The key to experimentation is to think about what you would like to add, what you think would taste good in the banana bread, and then find another recipe that has that ingredient to get an idea of how to much add.
For example, I like to add chocolate chips to whatever I can. So, I look for a quick bread recipe that calls for chocolate chips. First, make sure that the recipe is meant to make the same amount of bread as your banana bread recipe. Then you can use the same amount of chips for your bread. If the recipe you find makes half as much bread as yours, simply double the amount of chips.
But maybe you want to add walnuts too. Okay, no problem. You are just going to need to reduce the amount of chips a bit in proportion to the amount of nuts you want to add. A common mistake when baking is to alter the recipe so that the amount of batter to add-ins changes. Then the consistency of the product is going to change as well. Usually, not for the better.
Maybe you are thinking you love walnuts in banana bread, but you think pecans would be good as well. Again, no problem. If your recipe calls for a cup of walnuts, use a half cup of walnuts and a half cup of pecans. Or get really daring and use a third cup each of walnuts, pecans and almonds.
After you play around with your banana bread recipe a bit, you will find a variation that your family will not let you change. Pretty soon, the recipe is referred to as Emilys banana bread. It is the birth of a new family tradition.
Banana Bread Recipe: Create A Family Tradition
Sunday, November 8th, 2009The first thing you want to do when you are ready to start baking banana bread is to look for a basic recipe. It is a good idea to purchase an introductory cookbook, if you do not already have one. Find one that has simple, no frills recipes, as well as instructions on how to simple things properly, such as folding eggs. You are going to start with a basic recipe. But then you are going to add your own flair to it and make it your unique banana bread recipe.
There is not a whole lot of difference between basic banana bread recipes. They will all pretty much call for flour, sugar (regular or brown), eggs, butter, salt, baking soda and, you guessed it, bananas. They may differ slightly in the amounts of each ingredient. I like moist baked goods, so I will choose a variation that has greater quantities of moist ingredients, for example, a recipe that calls for more eggs.
Use the best ingredients you can, such as real butter (not margarine) and unrefined, organic sugar. Experience will teach you the proper level of ripeness for the bananas. They should be overripe, with a peel that has turned well brown.
It is a good idea to try the recipe out without any alterations first so that you are familiar with the basic flavor and the correct consistency. Then you get to have fun experimenting. Just think about what sounds good to you to add. When you have an idea, look for a recipe that includes that ingredient so you can have a guideline of how much to use.
For example, I like to add chocolate chips to whatever I can. So, I look for a quick bread recipe that calls for chocolate chips. First, make sure that the recipe is meant to make the same amount of bread as your banana bread recipe. Then you can use the same amount of chips for your bread. If the recipe you find makes half as much bread as yours, simply double the amount of chips.
You might be thinking that chocolate chips sound great, but you need to have walnuts with those chips. Sounds good to me! But you will need to put in a little less of the chips to accommodate the nuts you are adding. A mistake that many people make is to change the recipe so there is no longer the same proportion of add-ins to batter. This will alter the consistency of your bread, and often not to your liking.
Maybe you are thinking you love walnuts in banana bread, but you think pecans would be good as well. Again, no problem. If your recipe calls for a cup of walnuts, use a half cup of walnuts and a half cup of pecans. Or get really daring and use a third cup each of walnuts, pecans and almonds.
You will probably find that after a bit of experimenting, you hit on a recipe that your friends and family will not let you change. The next thing you know, they are asking for Sallys banana bread recipe. And you have created your own family tradition.
How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part Two – Cheese
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Basic Preparation Of Foods: Dairy Produce.
CHEESE.
Cheeses are manufactured from milk which has been naturally or artificially turned sour. The first method is achieved by standing the milk in a warm place and allowing natural, beneficial bacteria to turn the milk’s natural sugars into lactic acid. The latter method is effected by adding an agent, usually in to form of rennet.
Salt and colouring and frequently put in too. The whey is then allowed to drain away and the curds are pressed into moulds where they are kept until ripened or cured. Some cheeses, usually hard ones, are subjected to pressure; soft cheeses are not. Curds are ripened or cured by various means. The way it’s done, the quality of the milk, the breed of cow, sheep or other animal and its pasture, and the type of bacteria all govern the end result.
Some local environmental conditions are unique and those areas are capable of producing cheeses that are not successfully copied anywhere else: for instance Roquefort and Camembert, although factories do attempt it. Some even have a measure of success: remember that most of the world’s Cheddar cheese now derives from the United States and Canada.
The constituents of cheese are typically: 33% fat, 33% protein and 33% water with salt, colouring, sugar etc making up the rest. These percentages vary from region to region as some producers use full-cream milk, others skimmed-milk and yet others add extra cream. Some add extra sugar, most do not. All cheeses have a high calcium content and may be considered ‘concentrated milk’ and stored as such.
Many people say that cheese should not be kept in a fridge and while storing in water, as for milk, is not an option, a cool larder is ideal. Try the traditional method of hanging it up in cheesecloth in a cool, airy place. If the weather is hot, dampen the cloth with water to which a little vinegar has been added.
in Europe, cheese is frequently served with a salad or/and bread and is often presented after or instead of the dessert course. Hard cheese can be nigh-on impossible for children to digest and grating it first will make it more edible for them. After being grated the cheese can be scattered on vegetables or fish soups or sauces; combined with egg, pasta, rice and oatmeal dishes; put on baked potatoes or pastry; toasted on bread or put in sandwiches or salads.
How To Cook Cheese: A not well known fact is that a lot of people find cooked cheese indigestible. The reason lies in its molecular structure. Here is why: cooked starch can be digested by the saliva in the mouth but other foods must pass to the stomach or intestines for this process. They are, however, broken up in the mouth. Digestion of protein begins in the stomach and is completed in the small intestine, while fat is not rendered soluble until it reaches the small intestine.
Cheese possesses a high fat and protein mixture, but when melted, the fat frequently covers the protein and prevents the digestive juices reaching it in the stomach. This results in, its digestion is delayed until the fat has been absorbed in the intestines. Cheese can be made more digestible in the following way:
1] Combining it with some starchy food, because the starch will absorb the fat, not allowing it to cover the protein.
2] Using seasoning: Cayenne Pepper or mustard will irritate the intestinal lining, causing the release of extra digestive juices.
3] Cooking quickly at high temperature. This prevents the protein from becoming tough and stringy and therefore, harder to digest. Add cheese late to sauces.
4] Adding alkali: so, large pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda per 75g (3 ozs) will help neutralize the fatty acids and make the proteins more easily digestible.
Things You Should Know For A Good Ribeye Steak Marinade
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Lots of people believe that a tough piece of meat will be made tender by a good marinade, so they buy cheaper grades than they should. Unfortunately, that is not really the case. Good meat has to start out as good meat, and while many marinades taste great, they do not tenderize all that much. Let us look at three major categories of marinade and see how they work.
The major types of marinade are acid, enzyme, and dairy. Overly acidic marinades can actually toughen meat, while overly strong enzymatic marinades can overdo the tenderizing and result in mush. Dairy has been put forth as a tenderizer, but it does not work for every kind of cooking.
One family of marinades relies on vinegar, wine, citrus and similar acids to denature proteins. This will unwind the proteins in the steak you are cooking. Once they run into other unwound proteins, they will bind back together. This happens when we heat proteins, as well. Water molecules start out trapped in this new mesh of proteins, creating a really tender steak. However, if the marinade is highly acidic, the bonds will tighten and the liquid will be squeezed out, actually toughening the tissues. That is bad news.
Because of this, a marinade that is mildly acidic is usually a better choice than one that is extremely sour. A good marinade should be there mostly for flavor, and will tenderize best if relatively week. Stronger marinades are good for tightly grained meats, but those meats are not usually put on the grill.
Enzyme marinades actually have the ability to break down animal tissue, including muscle fiber and connective tissue. Many fruits contain enzymes that can break down protein, but papaya and pineapple are probably the most common. Overuse them, and they will create a mushy, unappealing piece of meat. The same thing happens if you use them too long. This kind of activity is present in commercial meat tenderizers, too.
The last category of ingredients you can use in a steak tips marinade is dairy products. Usually mildly acidic and including yogurt and buttermilk, this is the kind of marinade you will find in a lot of Indian foods, as well as in southern fried chicken recipes.
Steaks can be interesting in this kind of marinade, but you may need to take a look at how you are cooking them, since this is not the most common type of marinade used for them. Try curry flavors along with your marinade for a good result.
A marinade does not have to be complicated if you know what it is likely to do. Knowing your ingredients will help you routinely end up with a great product. Take a while to look at all the different options out there when it comes to marinades, and you will get the one that will work best for your steak, no matter what kind you choose.
How To Ensure That You Get The Most Out Of Your Waffle Recipe
Saturday, November 7th, 2009With the help of the right waffle recipe anyone can succeed in creating a crisp and sufficiently browned waffle that is also moist and light as well as airy and also fluffy. What’s more, you will only get desirable results if you thoroughly read the recipe as well as whatever instructions are included in the manual accompanying your waffle maker.
Of course, a frozen waffle is not going to taste too good which is why you will want to find some good waffle recipes to help you create better tasting waffles. In fact, if you spend your Saturdays and Sundays in a more effective manner you can easily concoct some delightful waffles that you can serve up to the family. Nothing can quite beat a well made homemade waffle.
What’s more, besides the waffle recipe you must also have a good waffle maker of which there are a wide variety of options to choose from that you can purchase for between thirty and three hundred dollars. In addition, you must also have a recipe that will help you cook up some wonderfully delicious hot buttermilk waffles that are delightfully light and crispy. When served with some butter and some maple syrup and with whipped cream and strawberries you will really be able to give your palette a wonderful gift.
As you start using different waffle recipes you will soon come to learn that you should make an effort to separate the egg white from its yolk. This will help you to cook up waffles that are fluffy and white in color as well as very light. Adding beaten yolks separately to the batter’s wet ingredients is recommended after which you can beat the white of the egg until it becomes stiff and then you can add the whites of the egg separately to the batter.
Next, remember to use the right waffle maker and if your existing one has aged don’t hesitate in going out to buy a new one. The older models will not have the right kind of non-stick surface which will then make cooking unnecessarily difficult.
Put all this in a bowl that is heatproof and then mix cream with chocolates that have already been chopped. Add to this some boiled water and set the mix on low heat. After that you have to whip up the mixture until the mix thaws out. Next, you can remove the bowl from the heat and then remove the boiling water and also beat up the mixture till it turns soft. Allow to cool and stir the batter once in a while until the mixture returns to normal temperature.
When it comes time to look for a good waffle recipe do not forget to check out those recipes that involve using cinnamon raisins and cinnamon maple butter. In fact, you will also want to find out more about how to make the delightfully tasting banana nut waffles which are accompanied with some tasty banana butter. Then, there are also the pumpkin pie waffles that make for excellent fare.
One way to know when the waffle has been made properly is to look for the steam as it exits the unit. As soon as you notice that the steam has stopped coming out it will be safe to lift up the waffle maker’s lid. A good waffle recipe can help you create outstanding waffles; among the better recipes that will help you create wonderful waffles, be sure to check out these: Best Waffles Ever, Whole Wheat Waffles, Pumpkin Waffles, Gingerbread Waffles and also Corn Flake Waffles.
Expresso Coffee Is A Unique Experience
Saturday, November 7th, 2009Expresso coffee has been around for a long time but the term that we refer to it by today is relatively new. Expresso coffee is named after espresso the term that originated in Italy to describe individually brewed coffee. Espresso in Italian means brewed for you. There is some popular confusion on what exactly Expresso coffee is.
It is commonly thought that Expresso coffee is based on a type of coffee bean. While there are particular beans that tend to be used in making Expresso coffee it is not the bean that makes Expresso different. In fact any coffee bean could be used to make a cup of Expresso coffee.
The blend of the beans is also something that is often credited with being what is different with Expresso coffee. Blends just like beans may be made with Expresso coffee in mind but this does not mean that a cup of coffee made with these blends is Expresso coffee.
The roast is also disassociated as being the difference with Expresso coffee. In fact there is no one single roast that is correct for Expresso coffee. Roast is a personal choice and there are different roasts that tend to be popular in different parts of the world. The traditional roast in Italy is a medium roast while California’s tend to prefer a bold roast.
Generally coffee is about what is in the coffee such as the bean and the blend but this is not the case for Expresso coffee. Expresso coffee is actually all about the way it is brewed. Remember this does not mean that there are not certain blends or beans that are designed for Expresso coffee but rather that the brewing method is the true difference between Expresso coffee and other types of coffee. Expresso coffee is actually not a cup of coffee at all at least not in the traditional sense. Expresso coffee is actually a small shot of coffee that has been brewed from extra fine ground beans and prepared under lots of pressure.
Simply placing the grounds into the machine and pressing the button does not make a cup of Expresso coffee a good Expresso. A good cup of Expresso is more of an art like producing a fine wine. In order to do this properly it the grounds must be ground fresh and then placed in a metal device that resembles a filter and then packing those grounds down with a flat metal surface. Packing the grounds just right is important. The right packing will provide a nice silky like surface to the top of the Expresso coffee. This surface is known as the crema. Good crema is vital to an outstanding cup of Expresso coffee.
Brewing the coffee is not the only thing that makes Expresso coffee unique. The way it is properly drank is also a unique experience. Expresso should be held up to the nose and smelled by taking a large whiff of the aroma of the Expresso coffee. Then the coffee should be drunk in several swallows. Then the cup should be placed back on the serving saucer with vigor.
Some people may look at a drinker funny if they add sugar to expresso coffee but actually this practice is accepted in Italy. However to truly savor the expresso coffee it should be drank straight. This will allow you to truly enjoy the experience the way it is intended.