If you are baking cookies and realize that you do not have brown sugar or nutmeg, you do not have to go to the supermarket to resupply. Often these ingredients are found in spice cookie or gingerbread cookie recipes. You can make effective substitutions for these with the ingredients likely in your pantry. It is best to start with a tried and true cookie recipe, like this one for spice cookies, and use the substitutions as directed for best results. You should not notice a significant difference, but cookies made with any substitution will not be exactly the same.
Instructions
1. Combine the 3/4 cup white sugar with the molasses in a bowl and stir thoroughly.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the white sugar, white sugar mixed with molasses, and butter. Mix on medium high speed for four to five minutes until smooth, light yellow, and fluffy in texture.
3. Turn the mixer off, and add the vanilla and egg. Mix again on medium speed until the egg and vanilla have been thoroughly incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Stir to combine.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture (dry ingredients) into the creamed butter and sugar. Stir by hand, adding the flour in batches until all of it has been incorporated.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Chill the cookie dough in the freezer for twenty to thirty minutes. This will prevent excess spreading.
8. Line the cookie sheets with the parchment paper to avoid sticking and burning of the cookies.
9. After thirty minutes, drop the chilled cookie dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the parchment lined cookie sheet.
10. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Let the cookies rest on the pan for one minute after pulling them from the oven. Remove to the cooling rack to continue cooling. Store in an airtight container and consume within one week.
Tags: white sugar, cookie dough, degrees Fahrenheit, thirty minutes, with molasses
Wine is much more than a drink; it's a culture, a tradition, a lifestyle and, more and more, an industry. Wine critics are on the forefront of wine culture and industry and enjoy the benefits of this position. While learning to become a wine critic takes time and devotion, a few steps should help you along the way.
Instructions
1. Get to know your grapes. You can't become a wine critic without knowing the flavors and smells of the grape varietals used to make wine. Although this mainly entails drinking lots of wines, you should do so in a systematic way while keeping a log about all the different wines vintages that you taste.
2. Learn about the wine-making process. A huge part of being a critic is being able to analyze why a wine tastes good or bad. In order to do this, you must have a thorough understanding of every part of the wine producing process. Visit vineyards and wineries and even consider getting a job in one of these areas to improve your knowledge of the process.
3. Consider getting a degree in wine. Prominent universities such as UC-Davis and Cornell offer extensive courses in wine. These courses require a significant investment of money and time, but if you're serious about becoming a critic they will give you a boost into the field.
4. Get the pen flowing. You can't become a good wine critic if you don't know express your opinions and criticisms of the wine in written words. Many people have trouble with putting ideas onto paper, but with practice you will be able to develop your own method and style of communicating the tastes and smells of a wine to your readers.
Easily create this flavorful beef and dumpling stew
Stews always bring up wonderful memories of comforting, home-cooked meals during the winter. This easy-to-make beef and dumpling stew is rich with the flavors of slow-cooked vegetables, and it produces a moist and tender beef combined with delicious dumplings. Like most stews, the main effort is in preparing the ingredients, which takes about fifteen minutes. Simply combine all of the ingredients and let it simmer to create a savory and comforting stew that everyone can enjoy.
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, toss the stew meat with the flour until the beef is well coated.
2. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the coated beef meat and cook until all sides are evenly browned. Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside.
3. Add the onion and garlic to the same skillet and cook until they soften. Add the meat back to the pan, along with the water, salt, pepper and parsley. Cover and then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water if it is needed.
4. Stir in potatoes, celery, carrots and green pepper. Cover and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Then add the chopped mushrooms.
5. Mix together the biscuit mix, milk and melted butter in a bowl, just until they all blend and combine together. Drop the dough a tablespoon at a time into the stew. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Then cover the skillet and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the dumplings are cooked all the way through.
Hydrangeas are large flowers suitable for wedding bouquets.
Hydrangeas are large, beautiful flowers that are perfect for summer weddings. Available in a wide variety of colors, such as shades of pink, cream, blue and purple, hydrangeas are great for the bride with a tight wedding budget because, due to their size, fewer stems are needed to create full, lush bouquets. Make your hydrangea bridal bouquet close to your wedding date to prevent the flowers from wilting.
Instructions
1. Purchase, or pick from your garden, six average-sized hydrangeas or three large hydrangeas.
2. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water and place the hydrangeas inside. Allow the flowers to soak overnight.
3. Remove the hydrangeas from the bucket of water. Use florist clippers to remove the leaves from the stems of the hydrangeas, leaving the ones situated close to the blossoms.
4. Form the shape of the bridal bouquet by gathering the stems of the hydrangeas together in your hand so that the blossoms are round in appearance.
5. Secure the stems of the hydrangeas together using florist's tape. Wrap the florist's tape around the stems several times, approximately one inch below the bottom of the flowers, and then tear the tape.
6. Cover the area of the hydrangea stems wrapped in florist's tape with double-sided foam tape. Tear the double-sided foam tape, which will then stick to itself. This allows the ribbon to stick to the hydrangea stems.
7. Attach one end of a wide ribbon to the double-sided foam tape, underneath the hydrangea blossoms. Wrap the ribbon around the stems so that it sticks to the double-sided foam tape. Continue wrapping the ribbon around the hydrangea stems until you can no longer see the double-sided foam tape.
8. Cut the ribbon and fold it underneath so that the ragged edge is not visible. Pin the ribbon in place with pearl-head pins.
9. Trim the stems of the hydrangeas to your desired length using florist's clippers. Place the stems of the bouquet in water to prevent wilting.
Preparing baked potatoes for 200 people can be a stressful job --- but with the right equipment and a strict schedule, the task can be completed. The timing is based on when the potatoes will be served and how many potatoes will fit in the oven at once. Coolers heated with hot water serve as a holding tank for cooked potatoes while the rest of the batch finishes up.
Instructions
1. Gather enough coolers with tight covers to hold 200 potatoes. Place the 200 raw potatoes inside the coolers to be sure they will fit.
2. Preheat the oven to the highest setting --- at least 500 degrees F. Pour olive oil into a bowl to coat the potatoes before placing them in the oven; set aside.
3. Run the potatoes under cool water and use a small brush to scrub off any dirt. Remove sprouts or rough spots with a potato peeler. Set potatoes on clean towels and dry thoroughly.
4. Poke at least 8 holes in each potato using a fork, then roll it in the olive oil.
5. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet so they do not touch and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Fill the coolers with hot, not boiling, water and cover them tightly.
7. Remove the water from each cooler right before the potatoes are finished baking. Dry out the cooler and put in the cooked potatoes. Place the cover back on the cooler; do not remove it until more potatoes need to be loaded or you are ready to serve. Let the potatoes finish cooking in the coolers for at least 45 minutes.
8. Serve potatoes when ready.
Tags: cooked potatoes, coolers with, Place potatoes, potatoes people, potatoes Place
Use spinach as a colorful and nutritious base to your mandarin and spinach salad.
In the world of health and nutrition, spinach always beats iceberg lettuce. Spinach is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin A and iron. Even better than a spinach-based salad, is pairing a spinach-based salad with foods high in vitamin C, like mandarin oranges. Including mandarin oranges with plant-source iron, like spinach, increases your body's absorption of the mineral, helping you get the most nutrition out of your meal.
Instructions
1. Pour 1/3 cup of Italian dressing in the bottom of the bowl before adding any vegetables. A small pool of dressing at the bottom of a large salad bowl makes evenly coating the ingredients easier.
2. Combine 3 cups of washed spinach, 1 cup of washed cherry tomatoes and 1 cup of mandarin orange segments in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1/8 cup of sliced dry-roasted almonds on top.
3. Add the remainder of the salad contents on top of the first pile. Staggering the ingredients in two groups prevents all the heavy items from clumping together.
4. Drizzle the remaining Italian salad dressing on top of the second group of almonds. Mix ingredients thoroughly using tongs or leave the salad in two large layers and allow guests to add additional dressing if they like.
Organic produce is farmed using organic and natural matter to enrich the soil and control pests. Organic meat or dairy products are raised in a similar fashion, where unnatural additives are avoided. Consumers who wish to avoid chemical pesticides or hormones often choose products that are organically grown. In order to make organic cream of broccoli soup you must begin by purchasing organic broccoli, milk, butter and other ingredients that will be going into the soup.
Instructions
1. Combine broccoli and water in a pan on the stove and bring to a boil. After it boils reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes.
2. Drain the water from the broccoli, and reserve the water.
3. Purée in a food processor half of the cooked broccoli.
4. Chop into small pieces the remaining broccoli.
5. Sautee the onion and celery in the butter, using a heavy bottomed pot. Cook until tender, about 3 or 4 minutes.
6. Stir in the flour, adding slowly, making a bubbling, smooth paste or roux. After about 3 minutes, slowly stir in the reserved water and chicken bouillon powder. Bring to a boil and continue to stir. Reduce heat and allow the soup to thicken while stirring.
7. Stir in the milk slowly, while stirring. Add the remaining ingredients, including the purred broccoli and broccoli pieces. Heat all ingredients while stirring to blend.
Tags: about minutes, while stirring, Broccoli Soup, Cream Broccoli, Cream Broccoli Soup
Pita bread is a versatile flat bread common in Middle Eastern cuisines.
A Traeger is a grill that uses wood pellets for fuel. The Traeger has a thermostat that allows you to grill food at a more precise temperature than with an ordinary wood or charcoal grill. This makes it possible to use the grill for baking as well as grilling. Pita bread is a type of flat bread common in Middle Eastern cuisines. Pita bread is traditionally cooked in a wood-fired oven. Although pita bread is now commonly baked in a conventional oven, cooking it in a Traeger can allow you to reproduce an authentic pita bread taste.
Instructions
1. Mix the yeast with the flour, salt and sugar in the mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. The mixture should form a ball. If it is too sticky, add more flour, one spoonful at a time. If too dry, add more water, one spoonful at a time.
2. Place the dough on a work surface, such as a counter top, and knead for around 10 minutes. You can also use an electric mixer on low speed and a dough hook.
3. Rub the ball of dough with oil and place it back into the bowl. Cover the mixing bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk; this will take around 90 minutes.
4. Punch the dough down and divide it into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for around 15 minutes.
5. Fill the Traeger with wood pellets. Turn the Traeger on and set the temperature to 400 degrees). If you are using a baking stone, place it on top of the grill to heat up. If you are using a baking tray, turn it upside down and place it on top of the grill. Close the lid of the Traeger.
6. Roll the dough out into circles around 1/8 inch to ¼ inch thick.
7. Open the lid of the Traeger and place as many pitas as you can fit onto the tray or baking stone. Close the lid of the Traeger and bake the pitas for three to five minutes. The breads should be lightly browned. Use tongs or a metal spatula to remove the breads and place them on a board or rack to cool.
Tags: around minutes, baking stone, bread common, bread common Middle, Close Traeger
If you want to please the kids during Passover, make them their own Passover pizza. With a matzo base and delicious toppings, this pizza appeals to adults as well as children. It's a welcome addition to Passover cooking. Though you can make a dough out of matzo meal and eggs, you can make pizza quicker using just matzo as the base. This recipe makes an individual-sized pizza.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cover the matzo with a thin layer of marinara sauce. If you apply the sauce too thickly, the pizza becomes soggy.
3. Add seasonings if you want. Garlic powder, salt and fresh herbs like basil and oregano can liven up the flavor of your pizza.
4. Layer on some cheese, but not too much. The matzo crust can't handle too much moisture.
5. Pile on the toppings to your Passover pizza. Add whatever vegetables you like on pizza. Grilled onions and peppers, tomatoes and olives are classics. Check the refrigerator for any extra veggies you might want to add.
6. Bake your Passover pizza for 5 minutes on a baking sheet--just enough time to warm the vegetables and melt the cheese. Keep the pizza in a little longer if the cheese still isn't melted.
Tags: Passover pizza, matzo base, your Passover, your Passover pizza
Tired of tortillas? Past the pita pandemonium? Do you have leftover mashed potatoes in your refrigerator and flour in your pantry? Then you have the makings for a unique Norwegian flatbread known as lefse. Unlike traditional oven-baked breads, these Scandinavian breads bake on a griddle, like pancakes or crepes. While the preparation takes time, lefse loaves freeze well for later use. This transforms your leftover mashed potatoes into a new and exotic dish you can serve with breakfast, lunch or dinner. Plan ahead when you want to bake lefse, as the dough requires overnight refrigeration before rolling and cooking.
Instructions
1. Pass the mashed potatoes through a ricer to smooth out any lumps.
2. Combine the mashed potatoes and the cream in a mixing bowl.
3. Fold in the sifted flour, stirring briefly to just combine into a stiff dough (see tip).
4. Refrigerate the dough for 8 hours or overnight.
5. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper or pastry cloth and dust liberally with flour.
6. Heat the electric griddle to 400 degrees F or place a skillet over medium-low heat to preheat and liberally coat the surface with oil.
7. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and shape into a log 2 inches wide.
8. Score the log into 2-inch-long sections. Cut off one section and move it into the center of the floured surface.
9. Oil and flour the rolling pin and roll the section into a paper-thin 7-inch-wide circle. Alternatively, place a second sheet of parchment paper over the top of the dough section to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin, and roll the dough between the two pieces of parchment.
10. Use the spatula to remove the thinly rolled dough and transfer it to the hot griddle.
11. Cook for one minute on the first side until the bottom begins to lightly brown.
12. Flip the lefse over and cook for an additional minute on the back.
13. Move the cooked lefse to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining dough.
14. Allow the lefse to cool completely before folding into thirds, stacking six loaves on top of each other with wax paper between each lefse. Wrap the lefse in aluminum foil. Place the foil-wrapped package into a freezer bag and freeze for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using frozen lefse.
Tags: mashed potatoes, floured surface, leftover mashed, leftover mashed potatoes, parchment paper, rolling roll
The three Chimay ales are the probably the most popular Trappist beers in the world. Their big alcohol content bolsters their bold and balanced flavors, making each of them a beer worth remembering. If you've ever tasted one of the brews, you'll instantly recognize their fruity, dark and complex characteristics. If you haven't had the pleasure of indulging in the Grand Reserve, Cinq Cents or Premiere ales, you're in for a treat.
Instructions
1. Look for beers with high alcohol content. While many lagers and ales weigh in between 4 to 5 percent alcohol by volume, all three Chimay brews are above 7 percent, with the strongest Blue or Grand Reserve variety boasting 9 percent.
2. Check out the beer's color. Both the red and blue varieties have a dark, turbid coloring. The white version, which is slightly drier and "hoppier" than the other two, is a bit lighter in color.
3. Make sure the hexagonal "Authentic Trappist Product" logo appears on the bottle. Chimay is one of only seven different kinds of beer produced by the Trappist monks, who have become world famous for their brewing skills.
4. Taste the beer for its balance. None of the Chimay ales are particularly bitter, but they all contain enough hops to prevent the maltiness from overpowering your palate.
5. Pay close attention to the beer's subtle flavors. Aside from the sweetness of malted grains and the bite of hops, the Chimay ales are traditionally known for their peppery, woody and wine-like flavors.
Tags: Chimay ales, alcohol content, Grand Reserve, three Chimay
People have been enjoying the sweet taste of doughnuts for many years. Just about any store you go in will have a box or bag of doughnuts for purchasing. However, there are times you just can't get to a store. When this happens, try making these glazed treats yourself at home in a deep fryer. It isn't hard to make them and in just a little while you can enjoy a batch of homemade doughnuts straight from your deep fryer.
Instructions
1. Open both packages of rapid rise yeast and pour them into a small bowl.
2. Add ¾ cup of warm water to the dry yeast. Set the bowl aside for about 5 minutes while the yeast dissolves.
3. Add the flour and salt into a large bowl and mix it together.
4. Add the eggs, shortening, vanilla extract, milk and white granulated sugar in a large bowl and stir with a whisk until blended.
5. Pour the activated yeast into the bowl with egg mixture.
6. Add a cup of flour and mix together with a spoon or an electric mixer. Keep adding 1 cup of flour at a time until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.
7. Put a lid on the bowl and let it rise for an hour. Sit the bowl where it's warm or the dough may not rise. You can also use aluminum foil or plastic wrap to cover the bowl.
8. Coat a rolling pin and a hard surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and roll until it's about ½ inch thick. Dip a doughnut cutter into flour and cut out as many doughnut shapes as you can.
9. Set the cut out doughnuts aside and let them rise for 30 to 40 minutes more.
10. Add the vegetable oil to your deep fryer and preheat it to 375 degrees F.
11. Place 3 or 4 doughnuts into the deep fryer. Let them cook for about 30 seconds and then carefully turn over to cook for 30 seconds more. Both sides should have a light golden color to them.
12. Take out of the deep fryer with a cooking fork or a slotted spoon and sit on paper towels to drain.
Glaze the Doughnuts
13. Pour the milk into a small sauce pan. Let it cook on medium high until it is just barely warm.
14. Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add the warmed milk. Stir it together until the glaze is smooth.
15. Dip the hot doughnuts in the glaze, completely covering each doughnut. Set them aside for about 5 minutes so that the glaze hardens.
Tags: deep fryer, about minutes, aside about, aside about minutes, Doughnuts Deep, Doughnuts Deep Fryer
Ever since Lil Jon introduced the 'Pimp Cup' to today's pop culture, it has quickly become the 'must have' item of the bar scene. While you can purchase these online, it's quite simple to make your own, more personalized, Pimp Cup.
Instructions
Make a Pimp Cup
1. Choose a goblet or other type of stemmed drinking glass that suits you. Hurricane glasses work well, and some people use margarita glasses or wine glasses, too.
2. Paint the cup with a non-toxic paint if you desire. You can also just leave it clear. You're the designer, so do whatever you want to do to make this Pimp Cup personal to you.
3. Decide on a design you want to put on your Pimp Cup. It can be a name, initials, a design, a logo, or a picture. Be creative! You may want to avoid putting design on the stem of the cup, since you will need a place to hold it. Try to keep the design fairly simple, since it will be created using rhinestones. You will also want to keep the design about a quarter to a half inch down from the lip of the cup, so you have a spot to drink from.
4. Glue rhinestones onto the glass in the pattern you chose. Take your time to line up the rhinestones. This part of the project is quite time consuming and a bit tedious, but it is well worth it for the end product. Work in a small area at a time so the glue doesn't dry too quickly. Just use a little bit of glue to hold each rhinestone to the cup--it really doesn't take a lot. Let one side dry completely before turning the cup to work on the other side, otherwise you risk smearing what you just glued to the cup.
5. Set the cup aside and let it dry overnight. If some rhinestones don't have enough glue holding them to the glass, they will fall off while drying, so you may need to make some repairs in the morning.
6. Enjoy your Pimp Cup! Use it to drink your favorite beverage, and watch as your friends envy your new cup! Only wash out the inside with a damp soapy cloth to clean it. If you submerge the cup in water, the glue will let loose and the rhinestones will fall off. Water could also harm the paint, if you used paint on the cup.
Tags: keep design, Make Pimp, rhinestones will, since will, will fall
Duck meat is considered a white meat, although it is darker than chicken and turkey.
Most ducks consumed in the United States are from the White Pekin variety. These ducks are slaughtered between the ages of six to eight weeks. The meat is tender and has a mild flavor. You can buy a whole duck or just the breasts. Duck breasts are simple to cook. Sear them first to obtain a brown, flavorful crust. You can then bake them in the oven. Serve the breasts with your favorite vegetable.
Instructions
1. Make several small cuts in each breast with a knife. You are doing this to allow any extra fat in the duck to drain out during the cooking. Alternatively, you can prick the breasts all over with a fork.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl. Stir with a spoon. Season each breast. You can use your fingers to sprinkle the salt and pepper over each breast.
4. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Test to make sure the temperature is hot by placing a drop of water in the skillet. If it evaporates and hisses immediately, the skillet is ready.
5. Place the duck breasts in the skillet. The skin side should be facing down. Sear the breasts for 10 minutes. The breasts will turn a golden-brown color.
6. Turn the duck breasts over and sear the other side for just three minutes.
7. Place the duck breasts in a baking dish with the skin facing up. Bake the breasts for 12 minutes. Test the temperature of the duck with a meat thermometer. The USDA states the minimum internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tags: each breast, breasts minutes, breasts over, degrees Fahrenheit, duck breasts, Place duck
Venison, or deer meat, is a lean meat that can be used to make jerky. When making jerky, it's important to trim away any visible fat, and venison's low fat content makes this process easier than it would be with beef or pork. Jerky sticks are a convenient snack for camping, hiking or anytime when you need a quick protein-filled snack and are too busy to sit down for a meal.
Instructions
1. Slice the venison approximately 1/4 inch thick with a sharp knife. Cut these slices into sticks about twice as large as you would like the finished snack sticks to be because the venison will shrink as it dries.
2. Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. garlic salt and 1/2 tsp. onion powder in a shallow bowl or pan.
3. Place the sliced venison in the bowl with the marinade. Refrigerate the venison in the marinade overnight.
4. Remove the venison from the marinade. Drain the venison on paper towels to remove the excess marinade.
5. Place the venison in a food dehydrator. Dry for at least three hours or up to 24 hours depending on your specific food dehydrator. The venison is finished drying when a piece cracks but does not break when it is bent.
6. Bake the venison at 275 F for 10 minutes on a baking sheet. This will kill any bacteria on the venison and prevent food-borne illnesses.
7. Store the venison snack sticks in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. The jerky will stay fresh stored at room temperature for approximately two weeks.
Perfect to enjoy on a hot summer day, with a plate of cheeses or alongside a dinner of chicken, fish or pasta, French white wine is a true staple. French whites vary widely in flavor and body, beginning at the sweet, fruity flavors of a Chablis and moving toward the full bodied, dry, floral tones of a Sauvignon Blanc or Pino Grigio. Champagne and it's group of bubbly whites are perfect as an aperitif or celebratory cocktail. Different regions of the country produce a variety of grapes, all with a distinct personality.
Chardonnay
A staple in the realm of French whites, Chardonnay grapes grow in the same regions as the bolder grapes that make French Burgundy, primarily in eastern France. One of the most drinkable wines, Chardonnay offers a neutral flavor that goes with most food and is also good on its own. Online reviewers identify many flavors in Chardonnay, among them oak, butter and tropical fruit. Chardonnay also acts as the base for many sparkling white wines, including champagne.
Chablis
Known for its fragrant nature and dry flavor, Chablis is produced from Chardonnay grapes grown in the northern parts of France. The region has a cooler climate and results in grapes that are more acidic and less fruity than those used for Chardonnay wines. Again, connoisseurs find many flavors in Chablis, chief among them green apple and a "steely finish," according to Saveur.com. Some types of Chablis will taste better if they're aged; many do well when aged for as long as ten to 15 years.
Sauvignon Blanc
Raised in the Bordeaux region of France, the name Sauvignon Blanc is French for "wild white" because the grapes used to make it once grew wild in the region of southwest France where the wine is cultivated. This wine is described as both crisp and dry, and the grape is also used to make a number of dessert wines. Widely available and often affordable, Sauvignon Blanc is described by tasters as both acidic and fruity, and it pairs well with most types of food, including sushi. Sauvignon Blanc doesn't benefit from long periods of aging and is usually consumed while young.
Vouvray
A quintessentially French wine, Vouvray comes in both still and sparkling varieties and is created from grapes that grow in the Loire Valley. The sparkling and still varieties of the wine depend on the climate of the year, and the vineyards will make sparkling Vouvray during cooler years and still during warmer ones. Vouvray can be consumed right away or aged, depending on the desired flavor. Generally a sweeter wine, Vouvray comes in a variety of levels of sweetness: Sec is the driest, Demi-Sec is next, Moelleux is third and Doux is the sweetest variety. Younger Vouvray is more acidic in flavor, and the wine gets sweeter as it ages.
Champagne
Possibly the most famous type of French white wine, Champagne is sparkly, bubbly and often served during special events. French Champagne grapes grow in the northeast region of the country and is usually created from Chardonnay grapes. Champagne gets it bubbles from the way it's produced: the wine is fermented and bottled, and then fermented a second time within the bottle. The bottle is sealed with a special cap and then aged for a minimum of one year, sometimes longer. Once aged, the bottle goes through "remuage," which in simple terms means the bottle is chilled and the cap is removed and then quickly corked once again, trapping carbon dioxide inside. Champagne comes in three main varieties that determines the final sweetness level of the drink: Brut, Extra Brut and Brut Natural or Brut Zero, in order from sweetest to driest, with Brut being the most common variety today.
Pinot Gris
Grown in Alsace, France, Pinot Gris grapes come in a wide variety of colors: bluish purple, pink and gold wines result. A cousin of the Pinot Grigio grape, which hails from Italy, and the Pinot Noir red wines, French Pinot Gris grapes grow in a cooler climate and are harvested late, resulting in bold flavors, including those of citrus, floral notes and vanilla. Depending on the time the grapes are harvested, the wine varies from lighter flavors to bold, heavy tastes.
This marinade, my grandmother's recipe, is a common flavoring agent in Greek food. It uses three ingredients common in Greek cooking: olive oil, lemon and oregano. It can be used to marinate vegetables, meat or fish, and it can also be used as a basting sauce when cooking. This recipe makes about a cup of marinade.
Instructions
1. Peel off one or two long strips of lemon zest with a vegetable peeler. Be careful to take just the the yellow zest, leaving the bitter white pith behind.
2. Mince the lemon zest finely - you should have about a tablespoon or so. Don't worry about exact measurements.
3. Place the zest in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper.
4. Chop the oregano leaves roughly and add them to the bowl.
5. Grind or firmly mash the dry ingredients together with a sturdy wooden spoon, as if you were using a mortar and pestle. This helps free the essential oils in the lemon and oregano and blend them in with the salt and pepper.
6. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into the bowl.
7. Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly with a wire whisk.
8. Use the mixture to marinate food before cooking or as a basting sauce when grilling or roasting food.
Tags: basting sauce, basting sauce when, lemon oregano, lemon zest, salt pepper, sauce when
Arugula belongs to the mustard family of greens. The edible leaves have a pepper-like spiciness that makes them a flavorful addition to salads or for use as a cooked green. The versatile plant grows best in the cool spring or fall season, as warm summer temperatures cause it to flower and slow leaf production. The arugula plant is compact enough to grow well in pots as part of a container garden. Pots provide another benefit, as you can move the arugula to cooler areas of the garden as the weather warms, effectively extending the growing season.
Instructions
1. Fill a 1-gallon pot with pre-moistened soilless potting mixture. Fill the container to within 1½ inches of the rim.
2. Sow two to three arugula seeds on the potting mix surface. Press on the seeds lightly with your fingertips so they are in full contact with the potting mix. Sprinkle just enough moistened mix on top of the seeds to cover them.
3. Place a plastic bag over the pot to retain moisture during germination. Set the pot in a warm area.
4. Remove the bag once the seeds sprout, usually within a week. Keep the pot in an area with at least six hours of direct daily sunlight.
5. Water the arugula plants when the soil surface dries. If applicable, empty the drip tray under the pot after watering Trays aren't necessary under outdoor pots unless water staining of surrounding surfaces is an issue.
6. Fertilize the arugula with a balanced fertilizer once seedlings are 4 inches tall. Use a soluble fertilizer mixed at half the rate recommended on the package. Make the same application every two weeks thereafter.
7. Harvest arugula once the plants reach 6 to 8 inches tall and leaves are fully formed. Pluck the outer leaves from the plant, leaving the remainder to grow until they reach harvestable size.
One slice of pumpkin pie can have upwards of 300 calories and 16 grams of fat. The delectable desert helps explain why the average American gains seven pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. Using an egg substitute and fat-free sweetened condensed milk in your pumpkin pie recipe will help you keep your holiday calorie count in check without losing taste or tradition.
Instructions
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 425°.
2. Bring the pie pastry shell to room temperature. Let it sit for 15 minutes or defrost it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
3. When the pie pastry shell has reached room temperature, carefully unroll it from the package.
4. Press the pastry shell firmly against the sides of a glass pie pan. A glass pie pan is recommended to help brown the crust.
5. Set the pie pan aside and in a large mixing bowl, beat the canned pumpkin, fat-free condensed milk, egg substitute, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg until smooth.
6. Pour the mix into the pie pan.
7. Bake the pie at 425° for 15 minutes.
8. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350° and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until you're able to pull a knife clean out of the center of the pie.
9. Let the pie rest on a wire rack until it has completely cooled. Store in the refrigerator. Yields 8 servings.
10. Servings per recipe: 8. Amount per serving: calories: 193.5; total fat: 6.6 g; cholesterol: 4.2 mg.; sodium: 560.8; total carbohydrates: 21.5; dietary fiber: 0.8 g; protein: 12.0 g.
Tags: pastry shell, condensed milk, room temperature
Baking cakes from scratch is not just for your grandmother. Anyone can learn bake a cake even if they only pour oil and cracked eggs into a boxed cake mix. First, find a simple recipe that is easy to follow. Check your pantry for all the ingredients and be sure your baking powder and baking soda are less than six months old. Preheat the oven for at at the right temperature and then start mixing your cake batter.
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Grease your cake pan. One easy method is to unwrap your butter, place it on a plate and use the wrapper to grease the pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt with a flour sifter. Be sure to sift into a bowl and set aside. Do not mix the dry ingredients with a spoon after sifting. You want to keep the air in the mixture.
3. Place the butter into a mixing bowl and cream with a hand mixer at a medium-high setting. Add the sugar and continue to mix until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly between eggs.
4. Add half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Add half the milk. Mix with the hand mixer for two minutes at a medium setting. Then add the rest of the flour, milk and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
5. Pour the cake batter into the greased pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles in the batter. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
Tags: baking soda, cake batter, hand mixer, with hand, with hand mixer, your cake
If you have friends or family serving in the military overseas, you know how difficult it can be to mail baked goods to them. While you may want to offer them a slice of home, nothing is worse than receiving a box of special treats reduced to stale crumbs. Packaging cookies and other baked goods carefully ensures that they arrive whole, fresh and ready to enjoy, wherever your loved one may be stationed.
Instructions
1. Cool the cookies completely. Wrap each cookie in a small piece of plastic wrap, being careful to seal all edges.
2. Cut enough squares of bubble wrap to individually wrap each cookie. Place a plastic-wrapped cookie in the center of a square of bubble wrap. Fold the top and bottom edges of the bubble wrap over the top of the cookie. Flip the cookie over and fold the left and right edges of the bubble wrap tightly over the bottom of the cookie. Secure the bubble wrap with tape. Repeat for each cookie.
3. Stack the wrapped cookies inside the zip-top bag. Zip the bag almost shut, then use your mouth to suck out as much air as possible from the bag before zipping it closed.
4. Write the name and address of the recipient, the name and address of the sender and the contents of the package on the note card. Tape the note to the top of the bag of cookies. This note will ensure that the package can be reassembled should it open in transit.
5. Crumple up several sheets of newspaper and put them in the bottom of the box. Place the bag of cookies on top of the newspaper. Crumple up more sheets of newspaper and pack them tightly around the sides and top of the bag. Cut a rectangle of bubble wrap and place it on top of the crumpled-up paper.
6. Close the box and tape it shut with packing tape. Wrap the box like a present in the brown paper. Write the recipient's name and address and the return address on the top of the package. Wrap the package in packing tape to ensure it's closed tightly.
Tags: bubble wrap, each cookie, name address, baked goods, edges bubble, edges bubble wrap, packing tape
Sugar and cinnamon crisps are simple fried sweets made from flour tortillas with sugar and cinnamon. You can make an apple pie using cinnamon and sugar crisps as the crust base, which gives the pie a crunchy, light texture. Since a cinnamon and sugar crisp pie is made using flour tortillas instead of a pie crust, its also a convenient way to make a pie from scratch if you don't have a pie crust at hand.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt butter in the pie dish in the heated oven. This should only take about two minutes.
3. Spread the tortillas out into the pie dish overlapping them to form a complete pie crust. Add an extra four or five tortillas to the bottom layer.
4. Stir together the sugar and the cinnamon in the mixing bowl.
5. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the tortillas, covering them evenly.
6. Turn the tortillas over so that both sides are saturated with butter.
7. Sprinkle sugar and salt over the other side of the tortillas.
8. Bake the tortillas in the oven for four or five minutes or until they just begin to crisp and turn golden.
9. Remove pie dish and top layer of tortillas from the bottom of the dish.
10. Pour can of apple pie filling into the tortilla lined pie dish and cover filling with the extra tortillas from the bottom of the dish.
11. Bake entire pie in the oven for another four or five minutes or until piping hot and golden brown.
Tags: four five, sugar cinnamon, bottom dish, cinnamon sugar, five minutes
I used to go on vacation and behave one of two ways: I'd either avoid all desserts, fine food, burgers and fried foods or I'd overindulge and regret it.
People have anxiety about dieting before a vacation and about not eating too much and looking like a balloon in a bikini. But, believe it or not, keeping weight off on vacation is rather easy. In fact, once you are in the mindset, it's a no brainer.
Whether on a cruise, at an inn or in a luxury hotel, there are steps to staying thin. A few simple tips will lead you to a life of eating contentment, lack of deprivation and peace of mind about gaining weight.
Instructions
1. Limit liquor to two drinks a day. Make sure that it is clear alcohol such as rum, vodka and tequila or wine. Champagne can be OK too, although sugary. To make clear alcohol interesting, be creative. I personally drink one of my "skinny" girls cocktails like my Margarita or my teqrantula. The first is clear 100 percent agave nectar tequila with a tiny splash of cointreau and four squeezed lime wedges on the rocks. The second is the same, except replace the lime juice with the tiniest splash of cranberry and a lime wedge. Even better are flavored vodkas such as raspberry or blueberry on the rocks with some fruit. If you like it with plain soda, then you are ahead of the game.
2. Keep it simple at breakfast. It sets the pace for the day. Many hotels have buffets and free breakfast including pastries--even though you may not even be hungry. Don't eat just because you want to get your money's worth. This will cost you much more in the gym memberships and diet books. Have some fruit, your favorite coffee beverage and a few bites of egg for protein or a scooped bagel with a small amount of cheese or a small cup of whole grain cereal. It's what I do; don't get crazy.
3. Work out if you can, but don't push yourself. Working out makes you feel entitled to eat what you want. A nice walk on the beach or a yoga class will keep you relaxed enough to make sensible food choices.
4. For meals, pick your battles. If you want to "taste everything, eat nothing." Order decadent entrees or pastas in half orders or share an entree with someone else. Have half a burger and a few fries, but eat a salad first to curb your hunger. Also, try your best to keep hydrated. I hate water, so I drink club soda. It feels more special and I love the bubbles. In regard to dessert, have a few bites at one meal or have an after dinner drink with tons of ice and sip it slowly. You probably won't finish it.
5. Don't deprive, yet don't indulge. Try to learn when you're really hungry and have a healthy snack to save you from ruin later. A vacation is just another point in your life and no reason to go off with reckless abandon leaving you work to do when you get back.
6. Choose an active vacation. I'm a devout surfer and snowboarder and I love having physical activity as part of my daily routine. You get fit, you get sun and are productive. Just don't let that be any excuse for you to overindulge. These calories burned are just an added bonus.
Green olives that turn black during curing are often used as a topping for pizza
It's easier to cure olives than you might think, as they can be cured at pretty much any stage of ripeness. The only ones that aren't worth curing are very small green ones or any olives that have fallen to the ground and may be rotting. You can either brine cure olives that are already black, or lye-cure green olives to make them turn black.
Instructions
Brine Curing
1. Pick the olives from the tree. Make a deep slit in each one with a very sharp knife.
2. Make the brine using ¼ cup of canning salt to 1 qt. of water.
3. Place all the olives in the brine, ensuring they are fully immersed. Put a board with a weight over the top if necessary.
4. Cover the container and leave for a week, stirring once a day.
5. Change the brine once a week for three weeks. If you see a layer of scum forming on the top, it's harmless, but spoon it off.
6. Taste the olives after three weeks. If they taste bitter, leave for another week and keep tasting until they're ready. Black olives that are cured in this way will acquire a deep purple color like Greek Kalamata olives.
Lye Curing
7. Pick the olives.
8. Mix 2 tbsp. of flake lye with 1 qt. of water.
9. Put the olives in a container with the liquid and immerse for 12 hours. Allow some air to get into the liquid before covering.
10. Make another mixture of lye and water and change the solution. Immerse for another 12 hours. After this, pick out a few of the bigger olives to check if the lye has penetrated them; they should be soft and fleshy.
11. Immerse olives in water for three days, changing the water three to four times a day. Taste an olive on the fourth day to ensure it is no longer bitter. Soak the olives in a brine solution for one week. After this time they should be ready.
Coffee oils must be fully emulsified to give you the freshest, most flavorful cup of coffee.
Oil and water do not mix -- unless there is an agent to hold them in a stable suspension. That is what an emulsifier does. Think of vinegar and oil salad dressing. You have to shake it first. With an effective emulsifier, it would keep in the shaken-up state. The flavor of coffee is created by the release of aromatic oils within the coffee bean in the roasting process, which, properly emulsified, give you a fresh, flavorful cup of coffee.
Roasting
You do not need to add any emulsifiers at all to roasted coffee beans. The fats, sugars and starches released from the bean during the roasting process are the emulsifiers. The problem is that the oils and starches that are released in roasting begin to degrade rapidly under the twin assaults of moisture and oxygen. Within a week after roasting, coffee will taste stale unless you protect the grounds. You can slow the degradation process, but you cannot stop it. The age of the beans is of little account. The degradation process begins from the time of roasting.
Vacuum Seal
Always air-cool grounds if you grind and roast them yourself. You can protect fresh coffee grounds from the assault of oxygen by storing them in vacuum-sealed packs. It is best to use several small packs and grind fresh beans every few weeks. The oils, starches, fats and sugars of the bean begin a chemical reaction after roasting that decays the flavor of the coffee. Optimum handling delays the process, but once it is complete, the coffee will simply taste stale, regardless of well emulsified it is.
Storage
Keep the vacuum-sealed bags of coffee grounds in either a cool, dry spot or a freezer to protect them from the effects of moisture. This is also why you should always air-cool fresh roasted beans rather than rinsing them. Any moisture that touches the grounds before brewing will speed up the degradation process.
Additives
If you like your coffee black, you need not worry about how well additives are emulsified. While sugar naturally dissolves into the coffee, powdered creamers have oils that, if not properly emulsified, will clump up or feather in your cup. Different dry creamers use different emulsifiers and remain fresh for different lengths of time. If a powdered creamer clumps or releases puddles of oily residue at the top of the cup, choose another brand of creamer. But an oily residue at the top of the cup after adding a powdered creamer can also be a sign that the coffee has gone stale and can no longer emulsify both the coffee oil and the additive.
Attractive appetizers provide a mouthwatering display at parties and events.
Make your appetizer platters as attractive as they are tasty. Attractively displayed food is more appealing than food that is just heaped into the center of a plate. A well-thought-out arrangement also makes it easier for your guests to select and pick up the appetizers without touching all the food on the plate. Edible garnishes further add color to the platters, which is especially important for dressing up otherwise plain foods. Group like foods together on several platters instead of trying to fit everything onto one large plate. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Determine your appetizer groupings. Pair cheese and crackers together on one plate, fruits and vegetables on another, or cheese and meat on a third.
2. Create a centerpiece for the platter. Line a small bowl with a frilly lettuce. Use lettuce leaves long enough to emerge above the bowl rim, camouflaging the bowl.
3. Fill the bowl with dip, pickles or small berries. Place the centerpiece of the platter first, setting it in the center.
4. Divide the platter into sections, radiating out from the center. Assign a different food to each section, alternating colors and textures as much as possible.
5. Arrange the foods in their assigned sections. If using sliced food, such as cheese or meat slices, fan the items out. Insert decorative toothpicks into chunked foods, such as cheese chunks or fruit chunks, before arranging them in their sections. The picks make it easier for guests to select an item while adding a decorative touch.
6. Garnish the edges of the platter with radish roses, small berries, edible flowers, lettuce, parsley or cherry tomatoes. Use a garnish that adds color to the tray. Brightly colored garnishes complement neutral-colored foods such as cheese and crackers. Deep green or pastel garnishes, such as parsley or flowers, complement the bright colors of vegetable and fruit trays.
Tags: such cheese, bowl with, centerpiece platter, cheese crackers, cheese meat, foods such, foods such cheese
Punch is a drink consisting of a variety of fruit juices, water and sometimes alcohol. It is usually kept in a decorative glass punch bowl, and served with a ladle. There are hundreds of different punch recipes. It's hard to go wrong with any punch, but sometimes certain punches may work better for you than others. It all depends on the kinds of juices you or your guests prefer. Making punch doesn't take much effort; and the result is often quite rewarding.
Instructions
1. Pour 3 quarts of cold, purified water into the punch bowl.
2. Add 36 ounces of pineapple juice to the punch bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir the water and pineapple juice together.
3. Squeeze out a 12 ounce can of frozen orange juice into the bowl. The orange juice will melt down, creating a slushy consistency to the punch.
4. Squeeze out a 12 ounce can of frozen white grape juice into the bowl. The grape juice will also melt down, creating a slushy consistency.
5. Pour in 12 ounces of sugar water into the punch bowl. To make the sugar water, place 12 ounces of water on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. When water is boiling, add 1 cup of white sugar. Take the pot off the stove and pour into the punch bowl.
6. Garnish with sliced oranges, lemons, strawberries, cherries or limes. Add 1 quart of ginger ale right before serving to guests.
Tags: into punch, into punch bowl, punch bowl, creating slushy, creating slushy consistency, down creating, down creating slushy
Japanese eggplant is a thinner version of the typical dark purple eggplant seen in U.S. supermarkets. Its color is also much lighter. While its overall culture requirements are the same as the rounder eggplant, you can't tell if Japanese eggplant is ready to harvest by looking at its size.
Timing
Start inspecting eggplant two to three months after you've transplanted the seedling into your garden. Clemson University Cooperative Extension says if you planted from seed, start checking after five to six months have passed. Japanese eggplant should have glossy skin without any hints of brown, and you should be able to leave a slight mark if you press down on the skin.
Use Quickly
Japanese eggplant is more perishable than other types, so pick it when you know you'll use it within a week. Give away extra eggplant or freeze it for future use. PickYourOwn.org says to blanch clean, peeled, sliced eggplant in water and lemon juice before placing it in the freezer.
Regular Sweeps
Check your plants once or twice a week to remove newly ready eggplant. Not only does this ensure you find them before they become overripe, but removing the ripe ones frees up nutritional resources within the plant for the remaining immature eggplant.
Cilantro is also known as Coriander. Cilantro is the leaves, and Coriander is the dried and ground seeds of the same plant.
Instructions
1. Cilantro leaves can be harvested at any time, but it is best for the plant's health to wait until it is at least 6" tall.
2. Harvest the outer leaves first, leaving the smaller inner ones time to grow and mature.
Use your scissors or garden shears to clip the leaves individually, close to the stalk. You will have leaves and tiny stems in each clipping.
3. Cilantro bolts very quickly in the heat, so keep a close eye on your plant. If you notice a stem beginning to shoot out in the center that looks like it might have buds on it, clip it away so that your plant will produce leaves longer.
You should be able to get at least 3 or 4 harvests out of each cilantro plant.
4. To harvest coriander, allow your cilantro plant to go to seed. Cut the whole plant (removing leaves for other use), tie a paper bag around the seed heads, and hang it upside down. As the plant dries, the seeds will fall into the paper bag.
You can also use these seeds to replant your cilantro!
Tags: Cilantro leaves, cilantro plant, When Cilantro, your cilantro, your plant
When you are creating Asian meals at home, you will need to know season your dishes. There are two types of homemade oriental seasoning mixes that you can make. Make a wet seasoning mix for stir fry dishes and a dry mix for seasoning other Asian dishes. Dry oriental seasoning mixes can even be used to flavor snacks such as popcorn.
Instructions
Dry Mix
1. Crush the anise and fennel seed into a fine powder. Place the powder in a small container.
2. Add ground cinnamon, Szechuan pepper and ground cloves to your small container. Mix with the anise and fennel seed powder.
3. Place a lid on the small container and store in a cool, dark place. Use within six months.
Wet Mix
4. Measure and pour cornstarch, garlic powder, instant beef bouillon granules and onion powder in to a large mixing bowl.
5. Pour wine vinegar, 6 tbsp. water and ginger root in to your mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to combine all of the ingredients until your cornstarch dissolves.
6. Add soy sauce, corn syrup and 2 1/2 cups water to the mixing bowl. Mix until all of the ingredients are completely combined.
7. Pour the wet oriental seasoning mix in to an empty salad dressing bottle. Screw the lid in place.
Carrots always seem to be a great match for so many dishes, especially beef. Glazing carrots in ginger, brown sugar and butter is a unique and tasty way to jazz up this versatile vegetable. Serves 12 as a side dish.
Instructions
1. Boil carrot sticks in very lightly salted water until almost cooked through - about five minutes.
2. Test for doneness by removing one carrot stick with a slotted spoon, dunking it in ice water and tasting; it should be mostly tender but still have some snap.
3. While carrots cook, melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat and add ginger.
4. Saute for 30 seconds.
5. Add the sugar, salt, nutmeg and water. Blend them together until sugar dissolves, and remove from heat.
6. When carrots are done, remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and add them to the saute pan.
7. Return saute pan to low heat and stir to coat carrots thoroughly with the ginger/sugar mixture.
8. If mixture is too thick, thin with a tablespoon or two of water.
9. Finish cooking carrots on low heat - about one to two minutes more - and serve immediately.
Tags: slotted spoon, with slotted, with slotted spoon
This cocktail is perfect for the Champagne lover who enjoys a little extra excitement. Whether or not your guests appreciate the slight deviation from the most decadent drink around, you'll be sure to get plenty of oohs and aahs when the drinks get poured. Show off your spontaneity, dance to Prince and watch it bubble.
Instructions
1. Decide how many people you'll ask to join in the excitement of your cocktail hour.
2. Purchase enough Champagne for your guests, along with blue and red food coloring. It's important to buy Champagne that tastes acceptable to you, since you won't be changing its flavor.
3. Open the bottle of Champagne (see Related eHows) and begin to fantasize about taking your first sip.
4. Listen to your favorite Prince song as you squeeze three blue drops and four red drops of food coloring into the open Champagne bottle.
5. Turn the bottle from side to side gently to let the food coloring disperse throughout. The liquid will slowly turn purple.
6. Pour the Champagne into glass or plastic Champagne flutes. Pass them around to guests, drink as you would any cocktail and/or use it as a fun opportunity for toasting.
This article will show you a tasty and easy way to slow cook a whole chicken using a braising technique. It will also give suggestions regarding what to serve with the chicken. It is simple and easy to adjust, after you've made it once. The recipe itself is an Alsatian inspired dish.
Instructions
1. Prep the Chicken. If you can, have the butcher quarter it for you. It doesn't cost extra, and it ensures a fresher product every single time.
2. Sear the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil in your dutch oven over medium high heat (if you don't have a dutch oven, use a large, heavy bottomed pot). Once the butter is melted and beginning to brown and froth, add two pieces of the chicken, skin side down. Let the chicken brown for four or five minutes, then turn over to the other side for the same amount of time. Set the chicken aside on a plate covered with aluminum foil, and repeat with the rest of the chicken. You may need to add a bit more butter and oil for the second go round.
3. Start the braise. Finely dice the shallot. Lower the heat of the dutch oven to medium, add another tablespoon of olive oil and toss in the shallot. Let it cook for a couple minutes, until translucent. Once the shallot is cooked, turn the heat back up to medium high and add the mushroom. Mushrooms need to cook over high heat, because of the large amount of water they give off. Stir occasionally for four or five minutes, until the mushrooms have reduced in size by half, are browning on both sides and the liquid has evaporated. At this point, pull the dutch oven off of the burner and add the cognac. Tip the pot toward you slightly so the liquid is closer to the edge and ignite the cognac with a long match.
4. Braise the Chicken. Add the Riesling to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and browned bits on the bottom of the dutch oven. In a separate small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon butter and mash together with the tines of a fork until it is a paste that is clay-like. Stir in the flour-butter mixture until it is completely melted and incorporated. Put the pieces of chicken back into the pot, cover and reduce the heat to low. The chicken will slow cook, or braise, for one and a half hours.
5. Serve. Once the chicken is finished slow cooking, remove from heat and plate, either family style or on individual plates. The sauce in the pot can be used as gravy to pour over the chicken and its accompaniments. Serve immediately with buttered noodles or schpetzle and creamed peas.
Tags: dutch oven, both sides, five minutes, four five, four five minutes
Tartaric acid added to wine adjusts the acidity level and pH levels. If the acidity is too low and the pH level too high, the wine becomes unstable and susceptible to spoilage through bacterial growth. To avoid losing an entire batch of wine to spoilage, you'll need to know add tartaric acid to wine.
Instructions
1. Buy an acid test kit. These kits are available at HomeBrewery.com (see Additional Resources) or at your local wine shop. You'll need this kit to test the total acid level of the wine so you will know how much tartaric acid you must add.
2. Know the optimum total acid levels for red and white wines. White wine's optimum total acid level is 0.7 percent to 0.9 percent and for reds it is 0.6 percent to 0.9 percent.
3. Identify the proper amount of tartaric acid to raise the total acidity levels in wine. One-quarter teaspoon (1.9 grams) of tartaric acid will raise the total acid of the wine by .05 percent per gallon.
4. Perform another acid test. The change to acidity after adding tartaric acid will be almost immediate. Retest your wine shortly after your first addition to see if the total acid levels need further adjusting.
Grits are a mainstay in the Southern cook’s kitchen. A steaming bowl of buttery grits is a quick and wholesome way for your family to start that day. On the weekend most southern menus include some type of grits casserole. This delicious sausage and cheesy grits casserole is perfect any time of day. You can enjoy it with fluffy scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and piping hot biscuits while lingering over coffee at brunch or with a green salad and sliced tomatoes for a light and tasty dinner.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the 4 cups of cold water into a large saucepan and add 2 ½ tsp. salt. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring the water to a rolling boil.
2. Slowly add 1 cup of uncooked grits to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the grits for 15 minutes or until they are thick and creamy. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with the lid and set aside.
3. In a frying pan sauté the ground turkey sausage over medium-high heat, breaking the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When the sausage is golden brown transfer it from the frying pan to a small bowl and set aside.
4. In the same frying pan as step 4, sauté the chopped onion over medium heat until translucent in color. Add the sautéed onion and chopped green chilies to the bowl containing the cooked sausage and set aside.
5. Remove the lid from the saucepan containing the cooked grits and add 1 stick of butter, 2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, 7 to 8 dashes of hot sauce and 2 beaten eggs to the grits. Stir to combine.
6. Add the sausage, chilies and onions to the grits and pour the mixture into a 13-by-9 inch baking dish. Garnish the top of the dish with the remaining 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese and ¼ cup chopped parsley.
7. Bake the sausage and cheesy grits for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Alfredo sauce is one of the most well known and widely eaten pasta sauces in the world. It is most often served with Fettucini noodles, as they absorb the sauce the best while still being stable enough for other components, such as mushrooms, shrimp, chicken or other proteins. Parsley is an ingredient that is easy to add color and a little extra flavor to this creamy white sauce.
Instructions
1. Start with the basic ingredients for Alfredo sauce. This includes salted butter, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Once the sauce has thickened, there is a large variety of spices and seasonings you can add. Parsley is one of the most popular.
2. Take time to select fresh, good quality parsley from the store, garden or your local farmer's market. There are 2 main types of parsley: flat-leaf parsley and Italian, or curly, parsley. Italian parsley has a stronger flavor, but flat-leaf parsley is easier to chop and eat.
3. Chop the parsley, by first removing it from the stem. This is easily done by holding the bunch lightly by the leaves down on the cutting board. Run your knife lightly down the leaves, pulling them off the stems in a quick motion. Discard the stems and chop the parsley leaves to the size you desire.
4. Add the parsley to the sauce after the sauce has thickened and you remove it from the heat. Parsley is best enjoyed in a dish or sauce fresh. If you add it too soon, it could wilt and lose its taste. Toss the sauce with pasta noodles and your other favorite ingredients for a great meal.
In a strata, layers of savory ingredients are baked with cubes of bread soaked in beaten egg. Stratas are great brunch choices because they can be made in advance and are very forgiving: As long as you have eggs and bread, you can toss in whatever else you like. This recipe serves 6-8.
Instructions
1. Heat a saute pan over medium heat.
2. Add the butter; when it is half melted, add the bell peppers and onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Season generously with pepper during cooking but lightly with salt because the ham is salty enough.
3. Add the ham and the herbs and stir together. Cook another minute and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, cut the bread in 1-inch cubes and layer the bottom of a buttered or nonstick 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
5. Whisk together the eggs, cream, and a pinch or so of salt and pepper in a bowl until well blended.
6. Drizzle about a third of it over the first layer of bread.
7. Arrange the cooked vegetables and ham over the bread, top with half the cheese, then arrange a second layer of bread on top. Drizzle the remaining egg mixture over the top, then cover and refrigerate two hours or overnight.
8. When ready to cook, heat the oven to 350? and cook the strata uncovered or loosely covered with foil for one hour. It will rise slightly and turn golden on top.
9. At the end of cooking time, arrange the remaining cheese on top, heat the broiler, and melt the cheese under the broiler until it bubbles and turns brown in spots.
Hummus is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine that can spice up your everyday food routine.
A traditional Middle Eastern spread made from pureed chickpeas, hummus is known for its flavor and health benefits. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, the fiber, protein and folic acid in hummus are thought to lower cholesterol and prevent cancer. Flavored hummus -- usually lemon, garlic, sesame, roasted pepper and pine nut -- can be found in most grocery stores. Add some hummus to your everyday foods, enjoy the taste and reap the health benefits.
Dips
Dips for chips and veggies are undeniably delicious, but the calories can creep up on you. To slash the fat in your homemade dips, substitute hummus for more traditional fare. Green, yellow and red peppers pair well with plain hummus, while plain veggies, such as cucumbers and carrots, are nicely complemented by flavored hummus. Use plain hummus as a chip dip; the rich flavor and high fiber content will fill you up faster than the more fattening alternatives.
Condiments
When it comes to topping your sandwich, there are tons of options. Unfortunately, condiments like mayonnaise and tartar sauce are packed with saturated fats and unwanted calories. Spreading hummus on your sandwich can up the flavor factor without adding hundreds of calories to your meal. To spice things up, opt for flavored hummus varieties such as roasted red pepper and chipotle.
Fillings and Sauces
Hummus can be a tasty low-fat, high-protein option for pasta dishes that require a filling. Because most hummus varieties contain garlic, the flavors blend nicely with Italian cuisine. Substituting plain hummus for half the cheese in a ravioli recipe, for example, can double the protein content and cut fat in half. Another option: Mix hummus into Alfredo sauce for a creamy, lower-calorie version of a traditional Alfredo.
Breakfast
Hummus is a flavorful, albeit unexpected, addition to any healthy breakfast spread. Spread plain hummus on a toasted bagel or bread for a protein-filled meal. Add smoked salmon and capers to a hummus-covered bagel for a waistline-friendly version of bagels with lox. For extra protein, mix 1/4 cup sliced almonds with 1/2 cup plain hummus and spread on whole wheat toast. Top with sliced cucumber for extra health benefits.
Real lobsters don't resemble the cute caricatures that wave a friendly claw at us from a seafood house's oversize bib. On the contrary, as biologist Douglas Conklin of the University of California's Bodega Marine Laboratory told Time magazine, "They are mean, rotten, aggressive creatures." Their aggressiveness is one of the main reasons that inland lobster farming has not taken off as a profitable or even practical venture. Once they reach a certain size, the cannibalistic lobsters will turn on each other without provocation, ready for their next meal. Keeping them together in any quantity ends up as a lobster vs. lobster slugfest, winner eat all.
Significance
Some wild lobster populations have "crashed" and need to be built up again to ensure there is a sufficient population to meet the large demand, according to The Lobster Conservancy. Lobstermen have overharvested them, especially in the waters along northern Europe and the British Isles. In response, another type of lobster farming seeks to replenish the population by raising them for a short time after birth in hatcheries. Females are harvested from the wild, and the larvae they bear are kept in a tank. The tank's circulating water keeps the larvae going in circles, preventing them from eating each other. By the age of about a month, they have grown too large to prevent cannibalism and are released back into the wild.
Expert Insight
According to The Lobster Conservancy, for more than 100 years lobstermen and scientists have wanted to find a way to make inland lobster farming viable. Under prime aquaculture conditions, a lobster could be raised to maturity in 2 years, rather than in the 6 to 10 years needed to mature in the ocean. Because lobster farmers would need enough space and water to prevent the crustaceans from eating each other, and enough food to raise them--all of which becomes expensive--the dream of farming lobsters in an inland location will have to remain a dream a while longer.
History
It's hard to believe now, but there was a time when today's prized lobster was not a highly valued item. Instead, it was looked upon almost like our fast food simply because there were so many of them, especially off the coast of New England in the 1600s and 1700s. There were so many lobsters, in fact, that they were fed to prisoners as an inexpensive and easy meal. Lobsters also inspired artists, warriors and medicine men. Turks in the early 17th century adopted the fierce visage and protective shell of the lobster when they adapted their helmets to resemble the scaled tail. Romans inserted the lobster's likeness in mosaics. Healers used parts of the lobster in medications to treat urinary tract problems, kidney stones, epilepsy and some types of inflammation. Native Americans used lobsters to fertilize their plants.
Geography
With regard to lobsters that are destined for the dinner table, there are two main types. The clawed lobster, both the American and European varieties, lives in cold water. Their habitats are off the coast of Maine and farther north along Canada. Their European cousins live along Norway and farther south to the Azores. A second type, the spiny lobster, lives in warm water. Its habitat ranges from the waters off California and Florida to New Zealand, the Bahamas and South Africa, among other areas. The lobsters that live in colder waters mature more slowly than those in warm water, and some aficionados claim they are more appealing to their taste buds.
Types
There are more than 140 species of lobsters around the world, including the American lobster, the Atlantic deep-sea lobster, the Japanese lobster and the Norway lobster. Clawed varieties include the French lobster and the Canadian lobster. Spiny varieties, which lack the big claw seen in the clawed variety, include rock lobsters and the Brazilian spiny lobster.
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