Almond Flour Is A Nutritious Addition To The Diet.
Almond flour is a gluten-free, low-carb flour that is rich in vitamin E and magnesium. Almond flour is a healthy and suitable substitute for other flours in most recipes.
Instructions
1. Use almond flour on raw vegetables or meat before frying or baking for a crispy coating. To coat vegetables or meat in almond flour, pour the flour in a large bowl and place the food in the flour. Turn the food over to coat all sides. To make the almond flour stick better, dip the vegetables or meat in raw egg before coating it with the flour.
2. Use almond flour in place of other flours to make baked deserts, such as cakes and cookies. Most deserts turn out well when almond flour is used as the only flour in the recipe.
3. Replace 50 percent of the flour in a pasta, bread, pizza dough or other recipe where gluten flour is required with almond flour. Because almond flour is gluten-free, it will change the texture of foods that require gluten if used as the only flour. When almond flour is mixed with gluten flour, the texture of the food should be normal. Wheat flour is a common gluten flour.
4. Thicken sauces with almond flour. To thicken a sauce with almond flour, heat the sauce in a saucepan over a low heat. Gradually add small amounts of almond flour while stirring the sauce until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
Salad makes a wonderful accompaniment to a variety of meals, such as seared tuna.
Nothing beats a salad for a refreshing dinner on a hot summer night. Smaller side salads also make a wonderful addition to any type of meal throughout the year. Along with being a tasty, nutritious dish, salads are also versatile, letting cooks put their personal touch by adding different ingredients.
Lettuce
Rather than relying on lackluster iceberg lettuce, try a fancier, more flavorful variety of greens. Green and red romaine lettuce has a mild taste and a satisfying crispiness. The hearty flavor of spinach and Swiss chard make wonderful additions to salads. Arugula boasts a pungent, peppery taste that works wonderfully with other milder lettuce. A little purple radicchio or pale curly endive give salads a slightly bitter taste while adding visual appeal.
Vegetables
While lettuce may make up a substantial portion of a salad, a number of other fruits and vegetables give the dish more diverse colors and interesting flavors. Include common additions, such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, onion and bell peppers. Other ingredients, like fresh broccoli, beets, heirloom tomatoes or corn, make a salad more unique. Fruits, too, contribute juice and sweet flavors to the salad. Try slices of grapefruit, mandarin oranges, grapes or apple slices for a refreshing addition to a salad.
Cheese
Many types of cheese work well with salad, giving it more flavor and texture. Cubes or shredded cheddar or colby-jack have a sharp flavor that works well with many types of salad. Italian or Caesar salads benefit from a sprinkle or parmesan cheese. The salty taste of feta is ideal for Greek salads. Other cheeses, such as goat cheese or blue cheese, have a bold taste that adds a punch of flavor to a salad.
Final Touches
A visit to any supermarket reveals the variety of salad dressings to pick from. Whether you sprinkle on some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a poppyseed vinaigrette or a creamy ranch, salad dressing is an easy way to give your salad a burst of flavor. Other final touches give salad a satisfying crunch. Try sprinkling on some croutons, crunchy chow main noodles, toasted almonds or other nuts for some flavor and texture.
Tags: flavor texture, make wonderful, salads also, taste that, that works
Many party planners make chocolate fountains a part of their dessert or appetizer selections. Guests have a tendency to finish off all of the dipping options that come along with a chocolate fountain. Once you have set up the chocolate for the fountain, you can work on choosing and arranging the dippers.
Instructions
1. Pick the type of dippers that you want to surround the chocolate fountain. For parties, consider a mix of items, including fruits, cookies and pretzels.
2. Cut up the fruit. Keep each fruit item separate and clean the board between cutting each item.
3. Choose the tray that you are going to use to arrange the dippers. Typically, a flat round serving platter works the best. When you use this type, you can set the chocolate fountain in the middle and arrange the dipping items around it.
4. Put the fruit on one side of the tray. Place additional dippers on the opposite side. Additional dipping options include the cookies, pretzels and marshmallows that you chose.
5. Arrange each food item right next to each other. Your display should not leave space between the different dippers.
Tags: chocolate fountain, chocolate fountain, cookies pretzels, dipping options
Green zebra tomatoes resemble their common red counterparts in shape and size, but not color. As the name suggests, green zebra tomatoes' skin is yellow with green stripes when fully ripe, and the flesh is an emerald green. This can present a problem for the home gardener, as most tomatoes turn from green to red when ripe. You need to look for other clues from the green zebra. The payoff is a tangy tomato ideal for slicing into wedges for salad.
Instructions
1. Keep track of when you planted the green zebra tomato plant. Most mature within 72 to 80 days of planting.
2. Measure the fruit size as the maturity period draws closer. Ripe greenzebra tomatoes usually are about 3 inches round.
3. Squeeze the tomatoes very gently to test for resistance. Like regular tomatoes, hard green zebras are not ripe. Ripe green zebras give slightly under pressure from your fingers. Test several tomatoes to get a comparison for the degree of give.
4. Look at the tomato's color. It should be golden yellow with contrasting green stripes, rather than predominately green.
Tags: green zebra, zebra tomatoes, from green, green stripes, green zebras, Ripe green, yellow with
Long Island is known for having several lighthouses.
Long Island is recognized as the most populated island in the United States, and 17th in the world. The island is located in the southwest portion of New York and consists of the four counties of Suffolk, Nassau, Queens and Brooklyn. Being a center of tourism as it is, it is also rich in cultures from throughout the world, including Brazil. When looking for somewhere to eat in Long Island, there are many Brazilian grills and restaurants to choose.
Malagueta
Located in the Queens, New York, Malagueta is considered "highly recommended" by New York Magazine's readers. The restaurant is described as having a "refined elegance" and carries traditional Brazilian dishes such as the feijoada, which is a black bean stew with bacon, sausage, pork, garlic collard greens and white rice. Other menu items include acaraji, moqueca de camarão (a stew with coconut-milk-and-palm-oil shrimp), creamy passion-fruit mousse, and quail with mashed potatoes. The restaurant serves lunch, dinner, take-out and delivery and is closed on Mondays.
Malagueta
25-35 36th Ave.
Queens, NY 11106
718-937-4821
malaguetany.com
Green Field Churrascaria
Also located in Queens, Green Field Churrascaria means "house of barbeque" combines traditional Brazilian cooking with an all-you-can-eat buffet style. All meat dishes are carried to the table by skewers. There is also a large salad and fruit bar as well as traditional dishes like arroz tropero and rbada.
Green Field Churrascaria
108-01 Northern Blvd.
Queens, NY 11368
718-672-5202
greenfieldchurrascaria.com
Favela Grill
Favela Grill has a full bar and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The menu features traditional Brazilian cuisine like the feijoada, muqueca de peixe, empanadas (filled with codfish, chicken or potato) and bobo de camarao (shrimp sauteed in palm oil, coconut milk, fresh herbs, and a manioc puree). They also carry soups, salads, appetizers and desserts such as passion fruit mousse and coconut flan. The restaurant is open seven days a week and offers lunch, diner, outdoor dining, private dining, a smoking area, and take-out.
Favela Grill
33-18 28th Ave.
Queens, NY 11103
718-545-8250
favelagrill.com
Tags: Long Island, Favela Grill, Field Churrascaria, Green Field, Green Field Churrascaria
2 tablespoons white miso paste (soybean paste / shiro miso)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 (6-ounce each) salmon fillets
olive oil
garlic salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix 2 Tablespoons of white miso and 3 Tablespoons of mayonnaise. If your salmon fillets are big, you may increase the measurements of miso paste and mayonnaise.
3. Season with garlic salt and pepper.
4. Spread mixture on top of each fillet.
5. Pour olive oil on baking dish and a little on top of each fillet.
6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You can spread more miso paste on top of each fillet occasionally.
2. Baked Salmon with Dijon Mustard Paste
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons of Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 (6-ounce each) salmon fillets
olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard and 3 Tablespoons of mayonnaise. If your salmon fillets are big, you may increase the measurements of dijon mustard and mayonnaise.
3. Season with garlic salt and pepper.
4. Spread mixture on top of each fillet.
5. Pour olive oil on baking dish and a little on top of each fillet.
6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You can spread more dijon paste on top of each fillet occasionally.
3. Baked Teriyaki Salmon
Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce each) salmon fillets
Teriyaki Sauce And Marinade (Mr Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sauce is good)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season salmon fillets with garlic salt and pepper.
3. Marinate salmon fillets for 30 minutes. If you don't have enough time, 5 to 10 minutes will do.
4. Pour a little amount of olive oil on salmon fillets.
5. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Brush the top of each fillet with marinade occasionally.
Tags: salmon fillets, each fillet, baking dish, garlic salt, garlic salt pepper, salt pepper
Healthy, filling snacks are important for children.
Snacking is good for kids, provided that the food they snack on is nutritious. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), children should eat foods from all six main food groups each day. These groups are fruits, vegetables, meat and beans, milk and grains. Healthy, filling snacks provide necessary calories as well as nutrients they need to be healthy and grow strong. With some basic planning and good food choices, it is simple to provide wholesome snacks for children.
Hummus and Pita
Hummus is a hearty, Middle Eastern dip. Whole wheat pita bread goes perfectly with it. You can also provide sliced vegetables such as peppers, carrots, celery and cucumbers for dipping. To make a simple hummus, combine one can of drained chickpeas (retain the juice), two cloves of crushed garlic, two teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and one tablespoon of olive oil. In the blender, blend these ingredients while gradually adding the reserved chickpea liquid until the hummus has the consistency you desire. Refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to blend and it is ready to eat.
Mini Pizzas
A good, filling children's snack is a mini pizza made from an English muffin half. To make this, spread some tomato sauce on the English muffin, and then add some cut vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, tiny onion bits and sliced mushrooms. Top this with grated cheese and broil them until the cheese melts.
Homemade Muffins
Although many commercially prepared muffins are not particularly healthy, those made at home can be wholesome and healthy for kids. You can replace at least half of the oil in most muffin recipes and if you add fruit, nuts and shredded vegetables, such as carrots or zucchini, your muffins will be moist and sweet. You can also reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe and add dark chocolate chips. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that at least half the flour should be whole wheat, which also adds to the food value of the muffins.
Cheesy Fruit Kabobs
Kids seem to love kabobs and these filling snack kabobs are packed with nutrition. Stick a variety of fruits alternating with cubes of cheese onto a kabob stick. Fruits could include pineapple slices, melon chunks, watermelon, pears, grapes or apples.
Tags: vegetables such, Agriculture USDA, Department Agriculture, Department Agriculture USDA, English muffin, Healthy filling, Healthy filling snacks
A Cinco de Mayo office party is a nice excuse to unwind.
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday celebrating Mexico's victory over French forces in the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It's observed all over Mexico (and the United States) with fiestas and spicy Mexican food and drink. Cinco de Mayo is a great excuse for a fun office party and offers you and your co-workers a nice break from a hard day's work.
Food
Set up a taco bar for your Cinco de Mayo party, complete with taco shells, meats and all the fixings ready for partygoers to assemble. Nachos with chili-cheese dip, guacamole or pico de gallo make nice appetizers, and a caramel flan or cinnamon chocolate brownies can be offered as dessert. Virgin margaritas or lime punch can be served as the main beverage.
Music and Decorations
String chili pepper lights or foil danglers from the ceiling of your party room. You might also decorate with a Mexican flag, sombreros or lifesize paper cactus cutouts. However, if you don't have the money to go all out, you can simply use solid-color decorations in the colors of the Mexican flag: green, white and red.
Traditionally, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with mariachi music; but for an office party, you're probably better off buying a CD of mariachi music, available at most party stores.
Party Favors
Cinco de Mayo party favors could include maracas; small gift items with a chili pepper theme, such as chili pepper ties or jewelry; flan mix; streamer string; or personalized candy bars. These items can be bundled in small packages for each guest, or used as prizes for party games.
Games
No Cinco de Mayo party would be complete without a pinata. Fill the pinata with party favors or candy and let your partygoers take turns being blindfolded, twisted around, and turned loose to knock it open with a stick. Alternatively, you can hold a limbo, "Macarena" or Mexican hat dance contest. If your co-workers love peppers, bring out bowls full of hot peppers of varying intensities and hold a pepper-eating contest to see who gets the office title of "Hot Lips."
Tags: Cinco Mayo, chili pepper, Cinco Mayo party, Mayo party, mariachi music, Mexican flag
Breakfast in Thailand is mostly composed of curries, noodles, fried rice, fried peanuts, pickled vegetables, eel, barbecued meats, and eggs as well as rice and coconut puddings called khanom krok. These are the same dishes eaten for lunch and dinner. Nevertheless, there are a select few dishes that are typically reserved just for breakfast.
Breakfast Cereal (Nam-Tao-Hu Song-Crueng)
Although Thai breakfast cereal may take a little time to make, it may very well be up your alley. Soft, silky, and made from lightly sweetened soy milk, tapioca pearls soaked overnight, string tapioca, and sliced grass jelly, Thai breakfast cereal is said to be wholesome and filling while adding something inventive and new to your normal breakfast fare. Your local grocery store or Asian market generally carries all ingredients.
Rice Soup (Khao Tom)
Khao tom is one of the most popular breakfast dishes in Thailand. Quick, easy, and savory, it is generally made by boiling ginger, shallots, lemon grass, and vegetable or meat stock together. Once the boiling process is complete, the lemon grass is removed and the dish is seasoned with fish sauce. This serves as a base, ultimately served as either a flavored soup accompanying a number of side dishes or as flavored soup with vegetables, meat and other ingredients added to it. A thicker variation of khao tom, called johk, is also popular and is basically made by boiling rice and water into a thick substance and then diluting it with stock.
Donut (Pa Thong Go)
The Thai version of a donut is called pa thong go. These pastries are similar to American donuts in that they consist primarily of white flour and water, deep fried fried to perfection. Where the Thai donut differs, however, is that it is generally fried into an x-shape and served with soy sauce, sweet soy milk, custard cream or other dipping sauces. In the morning in Thailand you'll find pa thong go being made by street vendors at nearly every street corner. They are a popular compliment to Khao Tom.
Avocado is packed with nutrients and avocado trees make interesting and lush houseplants. A plastic bag is an effective growing medium for avocado seeds. Slow to reach maturity, often requiring 10 years or longer, your indoor avocado may never become an adult tree and bear fruit. But it will grow into an attractive plant that is easy to start.
Instructions
Prepare Avocado Seeds
1. Select four avocado seeds that are whole and unblemished. You will probably be using them after harvesting the avocado meat, so be careful when extracting the seeds not to slice or puncture them accidentally.
2. Clean seeds carefully in warm water.
3. Allow washed seeds to dry.
4. Place clean seeds in a sunny windowsill to cure for a couple of days.
5. Inspect seeds after curing and discard any that have black spots or deep creases.
Prepare your Avocado Bag
6. Select a bag that is large enough to contain the seeds with at least five inches of area above the seeds for air circulation.
7. Take a length of paper towel for each seed and saturate it with warm water.
8. Wrap each seed in a paper towel, covering it completely.
9. Place wrapped seeds in the bottom of the plastic bag, spaced evenly.
10. Avoid adding air to the plastic bag. It should not look like a balloon.
11. Seal the plastic bag.
12. Place the plastic bag in a sunny location that doesn't receive direct sunlight. In spring or summer, to keep the bag upright and out of the way you can tape it to a windowpane.
Check your Avocado Seeds as They Develop
13. Monitor the paper towels surrounding the avocado seeds to be sure that they stay moist at all times.
14. Add water to the paper towels as they become dry, but avoid adding so much that water starts to pool in the bottom of the bag.
15. Check the air in the bag to be sure that it smells fresh and not moldy. If you detect a stale smell, replace the paper towels, rinse the seeds and place the seeds in a new bag.
16. Checking the bag once a week should be enough. After four to six weeks you will be able to see roots emerging from the paper towels.
17.Allow the roots to grow in the humid environment of the bag for two to three weeks. During that time keep the paper towels in the bag and follow the same watering routine.
Planting Avocado Seeds
18. Pot your avocado seeds once the roots have emerged and had a couple of weeks to grow. Select a 6-inch pot for four seeds.
19. Fill the pot to within an inch of the rim with potting soil and bury the seeds, root facing downward.
20. Space seeds evenly around the pot.
21. Water the seeds and put them firmly in place.
22. Place the pot in a warm bright location near a window that faces south or west.
Tags: paper towels, avocado seeds, each seed, paper towel, sure that
The only way to fully appreciate the subtle complexities of a red wine is to serve it at a specific temperature. Red wines, unlike whites, all contain the substance tannin, which gives the wine unique layers of textures. Over time, the tannin mellows to compliment the other characteristics of the red wine. A wine too cold will lose the refined delicacies, and if served too warm red wine will taste flat and lifeless.
Misconception
The idea that red wine should be served at "room temperature" may not hold true today, since most contemporary homes and restaurants are warmer than they were centuries ago.
Fruity Reds
Simple, fruity wines such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhones and Nebbiolos should be served between 48 and 56 degrees Fahrenheit.
Classic Reds
Classic red wines include Sangioveses, Cabernets and Barberas. These wines are best served between 56 and 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
Complex Reds
Complex, full-bodied wines should generally be consumed at the warmest, but still cool, temperature compared with other reds. Pinot noirs, mature Rhones, Barolos and oak-aged Merlots should ideally be served between 61 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tip
Slowly chilling in a refrigerator or ice bucket is the safest way to chill a warm red wine while still preserving the flavors.
Tags: between degrees, between degrees Fahrenheit, degrees Fahrenheit, served between, served between degrees, should served, warm wine
Preparing a steaming bowl of creamy mashed potatoes from scratch shouldn't be a challenging task. For some people, making the ultimate comfort food of mashed potatoes falls short of how Mom used to make them. You don't need to resort to drastic measures--just follow the steps listed to a better bowl of homemade mashed potatoes.
Instructions
1. Slice and cube several of your favorite type of potatoes and place them in a pot of cold water so the water just covers the potatoes. If you use boiling water, the potatoes become difficult to mash. It's up to you if you want to peel the potatoes or not. Unpeeled potatoes contain more vitamins than peeled ones.
2. Cook the potatoes until they are tender enough to pierce with a knife. Turn the stove top burner down to simmer to keep the potatoes warm.
3. Pull out a saute pan and melt some butter in bottom of the pan. Add minced garlic and shallots and saute until they're golden brown.
4. Add a 50/50 mixture of heavy whipping cream and whole milk to the pan. Turn the burner down to simmer and let the cream reduce until the liquid becomes thick.
5. Pour the potatoes into a colander over a sink. Place the drained potatoes into a mixing bowl. Season the potatoes with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
6. Mix the potatoes with a hand or stand mixer. Pour in the liquid mixture, making sure to not add too much liquid. Season the finished mashed potatoes from scratch with butter, salt and pepper.
Tags: burner down, burner down simmer, down simmer, Make Mashed, Make Mashed Potatoes, mashed potatoes, Potatoes From Scratch
Egg drop soup is easier than you think! In this simple I will teach you make vegetarian friendly egg drop soup holiday style!
Instructions
1. Go out and buy, or get your veggie broth from the fridge.
2. Place a small pot/pan on the stove and bring your broth to a boil. I usually use just enough for me, or for two. Considering I cook for a vegetarian, and a meat eater, I end up with two pots sometimes! If you cook just enough for yourself, you will find that you get several uses out of your broth. Use about 1/3 of the box for one.
3. While the broth is heating up take 2-3 eggs, or egg alternatives, depending on how much soup you want to make, and whisk them all up. Some people choose to use the egg whites only, or take out 2 yolks and use one. This is entirely up to you. The egg whites only make for a prettier display. I often use the entire egg as it is filling, and delicious.
4. When the broth comes to a boil slowly "drop" your egg mixture inside. Mix the soup up and watch the eggs form before your eyes! Turn down the heat to about 2, it should be simmering.
5. Right after turning down the heat on the oven add white cubed cheese, or a tofu/cheese alternative, and spinach to this, let it cook for just long enough to see the spinach softening. There is no "set amount" of spinach, I put in quite a bit, about a cup and half for the veg. version. Just put it in to your taste, fresh spinach is the best. The more you put, the heartier the soup. I have never used canned Spinach in this recipe, and I do not recommend it as it tastes entirely different.
6. Spice it up! Put in about an eight of a teaspoon of nutmeg, just a teeny pinch of cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. You can play around with spices as well, as this is a particularly fun recipe to play around with. I also put a little paprika in it! Toss in salt and pepper to taste. A bit of garlic powder, and red pepper flake if you like spice is also nice! It also makes for a quite different tasting soup, that is holiday friendly, filling, and so easy!
Tags: around with, cook just, down heat, just enough, pepper taste, play around, play around with
Cooking a healthy vegetarian casserole is fast, simple and inexpensive. Casseroles are great meals to serve on cold, wet winter nights for the whole family to enjoy. A casserole can be served as a meal in itself with additional trimmings like bread and butter or homemade biscuits or to accompany homemade dumplings. Here is an easy recipe for a healthy vegetarian casserole.
Instructions
1. Select fresh, organically grown vegetables. Buy the vegetables from your local farmers market or whole food market. Choose a wide selection of different vegetables including some exotic varieties like Chinese cabbage or bok choy. Vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrate content and high in minerals and nutrient value, so casseroles can impart many health benefits.
2. Include soya protein like tofu in with the casserole. Soya tofu is easy to cook and a great source of protein. Cut up the tofu into small pieces. Clean, chop or dice up the vegetables. Remember to wash all of the ingredients before adding to the casserole pot.
3. Add a couple of spoons of pure olive oil to the casserole pot and heat. Add the chopped garlic and diced onions to the oil and stir to cook the mixture. Next, add the vegetable stock and tomato paste to the pot and allow to boil.
4. Take the clean, chopped mixed vegetables and add to the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and let the mixture cook for 5 minutes. Vegetables cook very fast, and it's best not to overcook them, otherwise you denature the vitamins and loose all of the nutrients.
5. Stir the mixture several times to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add condiments to taste, then several teaspoons of corn starch to the casserole for thickening the mixture to obtain a vegetable-based gravy.
6. Once the casserole has simmered under low heat for 30 minutes, add the chopped soya tofu to the casserole. Stir the mixture for 5 minutes and add a sprig of parsley or cilantro. The casserole is ready to serve.
Knowing what wines to pair with your meal can be a challenge and pairing the right wine with sardines is no exception. What type of sardines you plan to serve and how you plan to prepare them can effect the choice of wine, so keep this in mind when making your selection.
Grilled Sardines
Grilled Sardines tend to mix well with a Sherry Fino. Sherry is a complex fortified wine made from the Palomino Fino grape. Sherry often mixes well with salty and sublime flavors. It also complements seafood. Sherry is often served with other salty foods such as olives, nuts, ham, caviar, sushi, hard cheeses and shellfish.
Gremolata Sardines with Avocado Salad
Gremolata sardines served with Avocado salad goes great with a nice Semillon wine. Semillon wine comes from a thin-skinned white grape and usually blended with Chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. Semillon wine should be served at 50 degrees Fahrenheit and consumed within five years. This type of wine also complements other fish and seafood such as oysters, clams, scallops and salmon.
Sicilian-Style Pasta with Sardines
Sicilian-style pasta with sardines pairs with several types of wine allowing you a bit more freedom when making your selection. American Riesling complements this dish nicely. Riesling is made from a white grape and is usually a sweet wine but at times can be dry. Usually California Rieslings are dry wines. This type of wine goes with oriental dishes, seafood and chocolate.
Another wine that goes great with this meal is Soave. Soave is an Italian white wine made from the the Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grapes. Soave is often served as a before dinner drink and pairs with simple meals like pasta, rice, and veggies.
Lastly, Verdicchio pairs well with this type of meal. It is also an Italian white wine. It also pairs well with garlic, oil, risotto, and fish.
Pan-Fried Sardines With Tomato
For this type of sardine preparation you should search for a Pinot grigio. Pinot grigio is made from a white mutation of the red pinot noir grape. This wine often pairs nicely with dishes that have a white sauce, eggplant, or spices. It also goes well with light meals and is best when served near 48 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tags: well with, made from, Semillon wine, also complements, degrees Fahrenheit
Poached eggs are cooked in water, not hard-boiled or fried in a pan. The egg whites are firm yet fluffy, and the egg yolks are soft and runny. Some popular foods that require poached eggs include Eggs Florentine and Eggs Benedict. Whether you're making a fancy breakfast or simpler fare--poached eggs are delicious by themselves on toast--poached eggs are easy and satisfying. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Turn on the stove to medium.
2. Fill the base of the egg poacher with water to the waterline (about 1/4 cup water).
3. Place a sandwich bag over your hand to keep your fingers from getting greasy, and pick up 1/2 tbsp. butter.
4. Rub one of the egg holders with the butter to grease it. Repeat this with each egg holder and additional butter.
5. Crack an egg into an egg holder. Repeat this with all the eggs.
6. Place the egg poacher on the stove, and cover it with the lid. Cook until the eggs are completely white, thick and do not wiggle, approximately five to 10 minutes.
7. Flip the egg holder upside down, and the poached eggs will simply fall right out.
Tags: poached eggs, Repeat this, Repeat this with, this with
Make a traditional Spanish Paella dish at home to enjoy a delicacy.
Paella is a Spanish rice dish that originated in Valencia. The recipe for this dish varies according to personal tastes. The dish may contain chicken, pork, fish, shellfish and a variety of vegetables. Saffron often is added to the dish to turn the rice into a golden brown hue. Paella traditionally was cooked over an open fire, but you can make the dish at home on your kitchen stove top.
Instructions
1. Place a wok on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the wok.
2. Slice five hot Italian sausage links and five mild links into 1 inch pieces. Saute the sausage pieces until they are brown on all sides.
3. Remove the sausage and place it in a bowl. Place 15 chicken tenders into the wok with the sausage grease. Saute the chicken until it browns on all sides.
4. Remove the chicken from the wok and place it in a separate bowl. Saute one chopped onion, one bell pepper cut into strips, one chopped celery stock and 2 cloves of minced garlic until they are tender.
5. Place 2 cups uncooked long-grain rice into the wok. Add 2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of saffron and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. Cook and stir the ingredients for one minute.
6. Add 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth to the wok. Add the chicken tenders. Cover the wok and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the sausage pieces. Simmer the ingredients for 15 minutes. Stir in 2 pounds of large prepared shrimp. Cook the ingredients for 5 to 10 minutes or until the shrimp cooks completely.
8. Remove the wok from the stove top. Allow it to sit for five minutes. Serve the paella hot.
If you have a package of frozen hash browns in the freezer, the best way to prepare them is in a deep fryer. By frying your potato patties, you will achieve the same golden brown color and crisp texture usually found at dinners and fast food restaurants. These hash browns can be served as a side dish with a bacon and eggs breakfast, alongside a stack of pancakes, or on their own with salt, pepper and ketchup as you would normally serve tater tots.
Instructions
1. Preheat the frying oil to 350 degrees. If your deep fryer does not have an automatic temperature gauge, you will need to use a frying thermometer to ensure that the oil is hot enough.
2. Place the hash browns into the frying basket, but do not fill the basket more than half full.
3. Lower the hash browns into the hot oil and cook for 4 1/2 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Lift the basket to remove the hash browns from the oil, and transfer them to a draining rack or paper towels to drain the excess oil. Serve hot.
Tags: hash browns, browns into, golden brown, hash browns into
Whether you're cooking fish, chicken or roast tenderloin, it's extremely important to be able to tell when meat is cooked. Food borne illnesses resulting from undercooked meat is dangerous and relying on your eyes can be deceiving when trying to tell if meat is cooked. There are a few tried and true methods that can keep you and your family safe when cooking meat.
Instructions
1. Cut your poultry or pork to tell if it's done by taking a fork and a sharp knife and slice into the thickest part of the meat. The color of the meat in the center should not have any pink coloring or it needs to cook longer.
2. Check the doneness of other meat by color. Rare meat will be reddish in color, medium rare will be pink, and meat that's well done will have no indication of pink or red color throughout.
3. Touch the meat to tell if it's done; experienced grillers use this handy trick. Press a finger onto the meat or rub a finger in a circle on the surface to test the firmness to tell if meat is cooked. If it's softer and somewhat squishy, it's on the rare side, but if it feels firm and tough it's reached well done.
4. Use a food thermometer to tell if meat is cooked thoroughly. Insert it into the thickest part of the meat toward the end of the cooking time. Poultry is done at 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; pork is safe to eat at 170 degrees; rare meat is 155 to 160 degrees; medium rare is 160 to 170 degrees; and well done meat is around 170 degrees or higher.
5. Tell if fish is cooked when the thermometer reaches a minimum temperature of 145 to 154 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tags: meat cooked, well done, degrees Fahrenheit, into thickest, into thickest part, meat color, medium rare
The gyro (pronounced "yee-ro") sandwich originated in Greece. It was sold by street vendors, who could quickly make the sandwich for passing customers. A traditional gyro sandwich contains meats and vegetables, such as tomatoes, lettuce and sweet onions, served on a form of grilled pita bread. The meats are usually marinated lamb and beef but can be veal, pork or chicken. The gyro is served with a sauce on the side. There are a number of popular sauces.
Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki yogurt is a common ingredient in the traditional gyro sauce. Peel and remove the seeds from a whole cucumber and finely chop it. Put it in a bowl and mix it with two finely, minced garlic cloves, juice from half a lemon, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep all yogurt sauces refrigerated until you need them. Some restaurants replace the yogurt with cream cheese.
Garlic and Olive Oil Sauce
In a blender, put four peeled garlic cloves, 1 cup of lemon juice, 2 tsp. of salt, 1 tbsp. of Balsamic vinegar and a pinch of cayenne powder. Blend until you have a smooth mixture, then slowly pour in 3 cups of virgin olive oil. This is a quick, modern way of making a traditional Lebanese sauce.
Ranch Dressing
Some restaurants serve a gyro sandwich with a ranch dressing. Ranch dressing can be made by mixing 2 cups of mayonnaise with a cup of buttermilk. Add 3/4 tsp. each of salt, MSG, onion salt and dried parsley. To this, blend in a 1/4 tsp. of garlic salt and 1/8 tsp. each of dill weed and white pepper.
Sour Cream Sauce
In some cities, especially in Canada, gyro sandwiches are served with sour cream sauce. In a small mixing bowl, blend together 15 oz. of sour cream, 4 oz. of mayonnaise, four finely chopped, green onions, chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp. each of onion powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce, with salt and white pepper to taste.
Tags: served with, garlic cloves, gyro sandwich, pepper taste, served with sauce, Some restaurants
Iraqi food is often liberally flavored with a blend of spices, but it is not usually overly spicy. Instead, the spices bring out the flavors of the other ingredients used in the dish. While baharat--a blend of various spices--generally, but not necessarily, includes cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and paprika--is a common addition to many foods, other recipes may call for spices not included in baharat or for only one or two of the ingredients from this blend.
Cardamom
Cardamom, which originated in southern India, is a popular spice in Iraqi food. The seed pods of this member of the ginger can be included whole in recipes, or you can purchase and use whole or ground seeds.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is made from the dried bark of a tree. Americans may be familiar with it as an addition to many sweet dessert dishes; you may, for example, sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on the top of pie crusts before baking them. In Iraqi cuisine, however, cinnamon is a common ingredient used in savory dishes.
Cloves
You have probably tasted cloves if you have ever had mulled cider, a common drink around the winter holidays. These small, dried flower buds of the clove tree add a rich, almost sweet aroma and flavor to many Iraqi dishes.
Coriander
Americans may be more familiar with cilantro than coriander---but both of these spices come from the same plant. In the United States, the term "cilantro" generally refers to the leaves of the plant while "coriander" refers to the dried seeds. These seeds have a dramatically different flavor than cilantro; their taste is mild and almost lemony.
Cumin
Cumin refers to either the whole seeds or powder made from the seeds of the cumin plant, and is readily available in either form. Its slightly bitter flavor serves as a contrast to some of the sweeter or milder spices used in Iraqi cuisine.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg, like cinnamon, may be more familiar to many Americans as an dessert ingredient rather than something found in savory dishes, as it is used in Iraqi cuisine. These nuts--the seeds of the nutmeg tree--are very hard and can keep for a long time. For the freshest flavor, they can be grated just before preparing the dish.
Paprika
Paprika, a fine powder that comes in various fiery shades of red, brown and orange, is made from a mix of ground hot and sweet peppers. Depending on the varieties used and their preparation, paprika can range from being very mild to extremely spicy and some varieties can offer a smoky flavor to the final dish.
Tags: Iraqi cuisine, made from, addition many, familiar with, Iraqi food, more familiar
Fermented soy beans, also known as natto, is a traditional Japanese food staple that is generally served as a topping with rice and miso soup. Consuming fermented soy beans requires an acquired taste as it has a strong musty flavor, powerful odor and a viscous consistency. The consumption of fermented soy beans is gaining popularity owing to its beneficial effects in preventing heart disease, stroke, cancer and intestinal disease. Fermented soy beans are a nutritious source of protein and can be easily prepared at home.
Instructions
1. Purchase 1 lb. of dried soy beans -- preferably small sized, as it is easier for the natto fermentation to permeate through the center of small beans.
2. Pour the soy beans into a bowl filled with water, wash and rinse. Soak the soy beans in water that is three times the bean volume. Let the soy beans soak for 12 hours or until they swell to twice their dried size.
3. Drain the water, set the soy beans in a stainless steel colander, and cover with a muslin cloth. Pour 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Place the stainless steel colander in the pressure cooker and set on high heat. Lower the heat when the pressure cooker starts hissing and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Sterilize a tablespoon with boiling water. Open the pressure cooker and peel back the cloth covering the stainless steel colander. Use the sterilized spoon to add 2 tbsp. of store-purchased natto starter to the beans and thoroughly mix. Replace the cloth cover; shut the pressure cooker lid. Leave air relief vent of the pressure cooker uncovered.
5. Put the pressure cooker in a picnic ice-chest. Place an electric heating pad over the pressure cooker, switch on, and cover with the ice-chest cover. The soy beans will be fermented in around 24 and 48 hours, based on the temperature of the heating pad.
Coleslaw, according to SeasonalChef.com, comes from the Dutch word "Koolsla" meaning cabbage salad. Coleslaw is a staple summer side dish that is served often at barbecues with other summer favorites like hot dogs and baked beans. It is also served on "North Carolina Barbecue" atop the vinegar-based pulled pork. There are a variety of dressings that can be added to your coleslaw base of shredded cabbage and carrots. To make coleslaw easier, look for a prepackaged coleslaw base at your grocery store. This will allow you to skip the chopping and add your dressing directly to the prepurchased base!
Instructions
Traditional Coleslaw Dressing
1. To make a traditional coleslaw dressing, mix together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, celery seed, and black pepper in a small mixing bowl.
2. Add your dressing to your coleslaw base of cabbage and carrots. Start by adding 1/2 cup and add more as desired. If the dressing is too thick, add a bit of water until desired consistency.
3. Add in other ingredients if desired, such as fresh chopped onions or scallions, fresh parsley, or lemon juice. Adding some of these ingredients will give the coleslaw a fresh taste.
4. Chill and serve.
Tags: coleslaw base, cabbage carrots, your coleslaw, your coleslaw base, your dressing
If you like Vietnamese food but don't know order at a Vietnamese restaurant, follow this advice on getting a fantastic meal.
Instructions
1. Depending on what you like, there's a lot of different options to choose from when ordering and eating at a Vietnamese restaurant.
2. Start off with an order of crispy spring rolls or fresh summer rolls if you don't want fried foods.
3. Wrap the spring rolls in the lettuce leaves that are brought to the table and dip them in the fish sauce that comes with the order.
4. Then, if you like noodle soup, you should definitely order a tasty bowl of Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup). It's thin slices of braised beef immersed in broth with noodles.
5. If you're into rice dishes, you can order grilled porkchops still on the bone served over sticky rice.
6. If you like grilled meats, order a plate of grilled sliced beef served over vermicelli noodles, dressed in sweet fish sauce.
7. Fish sauce is the staple of Vietnamese cuisine and it's used most often as a dipping sauce or a dressing. It makes everything more tasty, but beware not to get it on you for it stinks.
Tags: fish sauce, noodle soup, served over, spring rolls, Vietnamese restaurant
There are several different types of lettuce, including iceberg and romaine.
There are several different types of lettuce, including oak leaf, red fire and green towers, although iceberg is the most popular and accessible type of lettuce in the United States, according to the University of Illinois Extension. When stored in the correct conditions, including the ideal temperature and humidity, lettuce will last for approximately 1 week before it becomes too limp and brown to be edible.
Instructions
1. Remove the lettuce from its original packaging.
2. Wet enough pieces of paper towel to cover the entire head or all of the lettuce leaves.
3. Wrap the lettuce with the damp pieces of paper towel.
4. Place the lettuce into a zippered plastic bag. Use a larger plastic bag if you are storing multiple heads of lettuce.
5. Store the lettuce in a lettuce crisper or produce drawer. If the drawer itself has a separate temperature and humidity gauge, turn the humidity down and make the temperature slightly cooler to keep the lettuce crisp. Do not store the lettuce with any apples, bananas or pears. According to the University of Illinois Extension, these fruits produce ethylene, a ripening agent that will cause the lettuce to brown and wilt more quickly.
6. Watch the lettuce over the next 3 to 5 days. If there is any moisture found inside of the bag, open it and drain the water into the sink.
7. Throw the lettuce out once it has become limp, takes on a slimy texture or becomes covered with black spots.
Tags: different types, different types lettuce, Illinois Extension, lettuce including, lettuce with, paper towel, pieces paper
Merlot is an important grape for both blended and varietal red wines. It remains a pleasurable wine that combines sophistication with mildness, and is therefore more palatable to most than cabernet. A number of elementary mistakes can be made when drinking merlots, such as taking them straight from the bottle or serving them at the wrong temperature. Avoiding these mistakes will make it simple to bring the most out of a bottle of merlot.
Instructions
1. Choose a merlot that has been aging in the bottle for two to three years. Most of the merlots bottled in the United States have only some tannins, and therefore do not need to sit in the cellar for five to eight years to mature.
2. Bring the bottle straight up from the cellar or basement and serve it shortly thereafter. Red wine should never be chilled, it should be served at the cool room temperature of a full basement or cellar. The ideal for merlot is a temperature in the upper 50s. If it is not stored in such a place, put it in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to cool it just a little.
3. Decide how much of the wine you will drink after opening, and aerate it accordingly. Even a middling-tannin red wine like merlot needs to breathe to achieve its best tasting qualities. If you are consuming the whole bottle, pour it into a decanter and let it breathe for 15 to 20 minutes. If you are just having a glass or two, pour the wine into the glasses and let it breathe there for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Put a stopper back in the bottle immediately after pouring, should there be any wine left in the bottle. Return it to the cellar as soon as you can. Once in contact with the air, a bottle of merlot will start to spoil. But if the bottle is stopped up and returned to a cooler storage space, it will stay good for at least a few more days.
5. Fill the glass to between one-half to two-thirds full, but no more. Do not pour out the last inch or two of wine into a glass, since this likely has a lot of sediment in it.
6. Hold the wine glass by the stem, so that contact with your hand does not heat the wine.
7. Swirl the wine in the glass a little so that it has more contact with the air before taking a sniff and checking the nose of the merlot. Then take a small sip and try the flavor. Merlot is known for flavors/scents of oaky carmel, plums, cherries, currants and roses.
Pressure squeezes the liquid from the pulp to make cider.
Making fresh apple cider is a traditional fall pastime when orchards are full of the last harvest of apples. While the process of making cider is simple and requires very few steps, the tools needed range from basic to large, industrial-sized machines capable of processing thousands of apples. Luckily, you can make a homemade cider press with common household supplies and process a few bushels of apples at home.
Instructions
1. Set your wooden box on a flat surface with the bottom facing up. Drill a single hole through the base of the box along one side or in a corner close to the walls of the box. The hole will drain your cider into a bucket below. Wash and rinse the box thoroughly using liquid dish soap and water.
2. Place the box right side up on a table or bench with the hole you just drilled hanging over the edge. Put your large bucket slightly under the table or bench so it is centered below the drilled hole in the box.
3. Clean and set a cutting board in the center of your wooden box. Be sure the cutting board is smaller than the inside of the box so the hole is not covered over.
4. Drape a clean, large, square cloth, such as cheese cloth, centered over the cutting board. Pour mashed or ground apples over the cloth enough to cover the surface of the cutting board 3 to 4 inches deep.
5. Fold the fabric over the top of the apple-mash pile to secure the mash in place. If the fabric seems like it will slip, then tie the corners together to hold the bundle of mashed apples in place.
6. Wrap up a second and third bundle in other sets of cloth if you have enough apples to do so, and stack the bundles of apples over the first bundle.
7. Set your second cutting board over the single bundle or stack of bundles. Push down on the top cutting board to press the juices from the mash. Double-check that the cider is draining through the hole in the box and into the bucket below.
8. Continue to press the apple mash downward under the cutting board until no more juices drain out. Drink your cider right away or pour into jars, seal and store. Discard or compost the used apples.
Tags: cutting board, apples over, bucket below, into bucket, into bucket below, stack bundles, table bench
If you are having a few friends over for lunch, a bridal shower or a family holiday meal, a fruit bouquet makes your table look like a celebration. Fruit cut and assembled to resemble flowers is festive, artistic and provides fun with a nutritious bouquet. A fruit bouquet is a collection of cut or whole fruit placed on bamboo or wooden skewer sticks for the flower stem. Arrangements require play dough, a head of lettuce or florist foam placed in a container to hold the fruit sticks.
Fruit Preparation
Gather fruits like apples, oranges, pineapples, kiwi, strawberries and bananas. Core the apples and cut them into wedges. Keep the orange rind in place and cut the oranges into wedges. Remove the outer dark skin of the pineapple. Cut the edges of the pineapple to maintain a cylinder shape. Cut the pineapple into round slices 1/2 inch thick. Remove the dark outer layer of the kiwi fruit and slice into 1/2 inch thick circles or into wedges. Wash the strawberries and remove stems and leaves. Peel the bananas and cut them into 1-inch cylinders. If you have melons, use a melon baller to make small spheres of melon.
Fruit Flowers
Using a flower shaped metal cookie cutter, cut each pineapple slice. Use the circumference of a peanut butter cup candy and cut out the center of the pineapple slice. Place the peanut butter cup in the hole. Push a wooden stick through the edge of the pineapple, candy and pineapple to form the flower. Make an exotic flower from a skewered slice of kiwi with the sliced edge showing as the flower. Slice the rind from the orange wedge halfway down the wedge. Curl the end of the cut rind into the orange pulp attached to the rind. Place a wooden stick in the other end of the orange wedge. Grapes and melon balls can enhance flowers as the centers or as part of the "greenery" stems.
Chocolate-Dipped Fruit
Place sticks through the stem end of strawberries and dip the berry in dark chocolate. Place berries side by side around the circumference of the container. Dip more strawberries in milk chocolate and add as the second layer in the container. Dip strawberries in white chocolate for the next layer. Finish the top with one red strawberry. Apple and orange wedges look exotic with the cut edges dipped in chocolate with one end of the wedge pushed on the stick. Strawberries and fruit wedges with piped white or dark chocolate in a scroll design or stripes look festive.
Other Ideas
Dip strawberries in chocolate. Let it set up and then dip the tip of the chocolate strawberry in white chocolate. Food coloring added to white chocolate provides a variety of colors for dipping fruit. After dipping the fruit in chocolate, roll the fruit in colored sprinkles, coconut or toasted coconut, crushed candy bars, peppermint candy or toffee morsels.
Tags: into wedges, white chocolate, dark chocolate, dipping fruit, fruit bouquet, inch thick, orange wedge
Butter molds date all the way back to the early 17th century and were used primarily as a decorative way to present butter pats. The mold itself carries on to this day in various forms. Many of these molds can be found in flea markets, garage sales and antique shops. Finding just the right mold for a collection is half the fun and frustration of starting one.
Instructions
1. Determine what type and period butter mold you want to collect. Many of the earliest molds are found in antiques stores and can be quite expensive.
2. Look for Victorian butter molds to start a collection. Butter molds from the Victorian era are common and can be had at a reasonable price. Ask the seller if they know of any other butter molds from other sources to build a reputable seller list.
3. Watch for reproductions. Often, reproductions make their way onto the market with no intent of fooling a buyer, yet without full disclosure, that terrific butter mold might be worth only half its cost.
4. Choose butter molds that are pleasing to the collector. Some collectors collect only animal butter molds, while others prefer molds with scenes. As long as the price is right and the quality is there, it's hard to make a bad decision.
5. Build an eclectic and comprehensive collection of various butter molds. Butter molds throughout the centuries have included glass, copper and even wooden forms. Lead was used for centuries before being removed from production.
Tags: butter molds, butter mold, molds found, molds from
Everyone likes getting something for free. This form of advertising is a win-win for both the consumer and the person marketing the goods. You see representatives in all kinds of stores, from hardware to super centers to grocery stores to electronics stores, with free samples to give away. Give away free samples to promote your next business idea.
Instructions
1. Give away free samples of your product in retail stores. Meet with the store manager to discuss your product and when you can come back for your demonstration day.
2. Promote your product by giving free samples in parking lots or on street corners. Check with local city officials to find out if you need a permit to do this. Make sure it's allowable in your city.
3. Mail free samples to potential customers. Choose a geographical area and mail to all residents there.
4. Consult magazines that target your general product-for example, beauty magazines if your product is skin cream-and contract with them to put a free sample in a future edition of their magazines.
5. Ask your local newspaper to give away free samples for you in its Sunday edition of the newspaper. Go to the office of your local newspaper and ask to speak to the person in charge of marketing. Discuss terms with that person.
6. Create a webpage and offer your free sample. Advise people visiting to fill out the form and then send them free samples of your product. You can also submit your free sample to existing sites such as Freenormous.com and give away samples to those who request them.
The scientific name for watermelon is Citrullus lanatus.
Depending on the variety, it typically takes 70 to 85 days before watermelons are ripe and ready to pick. Knowing when they are ready to be cut from the vine can be a challenge. You can't select a ripe melon simply by looking at it. However, there are several signs and characteristics that indicate when the melon is ripe. With the use of your senses and and a bit of plant knowledge, the process of selecting and harvesting ripe watermelons is a snap.
Instructions
1. Examine the curly tendrils located near the fruit's stem. These are slender stem-like structures used by climbing plants to attach themselves to a structure for support. If you notice that the tendrils are wilting, drying out and turning brown, this is an indication that the fruit is ripe and ready to harvest.
2. Turn the watermelon over and look at the ground spot. This is the side that lies on the ground. If the color is a pale white or a light green, it is not ready to be picked. If the color has changed to a creamy white or light yellow, the fruit is ripe.
3. Scratch the surface of the watermelon. If the scratching results in a dark line, the melon is not ready to pick. But, if the outer skin of the melon easily parts and you can see a green-to-white color under the rind, the fruit is ripe.
4. Look at the skin and the shape of the watermelon. Signs that the fruit is ripe and ready to be picked are that the ends are rounded, the skin is smooth and the exterior color looks dull.
5. Thump the watermelon with your knuckle. If you hear a dull, hollow and muffled tone, the fruit is ready to harvest. If you hear a metallic, ping sound, this is a sign that the melon should be left on the vine.
6. Look at the area where the stem goes into the watermelon. If the area around the stem has a few cracks and shows some brown color, this is an indication that it is ripe.
7. Remove the watermelon from the vine by cutting the stems with a sharp knife. Do not cut the stem close to the melon, leave about an inch-long stem. Avoid twisting or pulling the fruit from the vines because this can lead to stem decay.
Tags: fruit ripe, ripe ready, from vine, fruit ripe ready, indication that, ready harvest
Some basic knowledge can help you gauge which pumpkins might have more seeds inside.
Every year just before Halloween families go searching for that perfect pumpkin. With enough ingenuity, a creative group can come up with endless uses for a pumpkin. Besides just making a jack-o-lantern or pumpkin pie, many people now also eat the seeds or use them to grow more pumpkins. According to All About Pumpkins.com, "The average pumpkin contains about a cup of seeds," so you shouldn't fret too much over finding a pumpkin with more than normal.
Instructions
1. Look for larger pumpkins, regardless of their variety. In general, bigger pumpkins will have more space inside which means the chance for more seeds. But smaller pumpkins are often more dense.
2. Pick up the pumpkin by its sides with both hands. Feel for extra heavy pumpkins with more guts and seeds inside. Continue testing out many pumpkins for weight.
3. Slice into a few to get a feel for how many seeds a variety has. Once you've identified a certain type of pumpkin by color or size you may be better at judging the potential amount of seeds.
4. Find pumpkins with more lines on the skin. In many cases this is closely tied to the number of seeds a pumpkin contains.
5. Locate varieties such as those labeled "Giants" because they often contain more innards and seeds . Also search for pumpkins specifically bred for their seeds. Some have been engineered by humans to be seedless, so ask around at the farm or garden and avoid these man made types without seeds.
Tags: with more, have more, more seeds, pumpkin contains, pumpkins with, pumpkins with more, seeds inside
The top chip manufacturers have revenues in the billions of dollars.
An integrated circuit is also known as a computer chip, a microchip or simply a chip. The chip today is present in countless applications such as computers, automobiles and electronics. Chips are constructed of microscopic integrated circuitry fixed within semiconductor material. The chip performs various operations such as letting outside information into the circuitry, storing information in memory, and performing mathematical functions.
Intel
Intel is the world's largest manufacturer of computer chips. Intel was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company develops advanced integrated digital technology products, primarily integrated circuits, for the computing, communications and other industries. The company recorded revenues of more than $37 billion in 2009.
Jabil Circuit
Jabil Circuit, Inc. was founded in 1966 in Detroit, to produce circuit boards. The company entered into a lucrative relationship with General Motors in 1979, and its revenues first exceeded $1 billion in 1993. The company manufactures circuits for the communications industry as well as computer and automobile applications. Jabil has relationships with such customers as Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard and Quantum Corp. The company is now based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The company's revenues in 2009 exceeded $12 billion.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments, Inc. is one of the founding innovators in the computing world as well as the developer of the integrated circuit, which later came to be known as a chip. In 1981 when the company manufactured its first personal computer, it was already the number one manufacturer of computer chips. Texas Instruments is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company reported revenues of more than $12 billion in 2009.
Sanmina-SCI
The Sanmina Corp. was founded in 1980, and SCI Systems, Inc., in 1961. The companies merged in 2001, creating Sanmina-SCI. The company is located in San Jose, California, and services the communications, semiconductor, defense and aerospace, medical equipment and automotive markets. The company reported 2009 revenues of more than $9 billion.
Tags: more than, more than billion, revenues more, revenues more than, Texas Instruments, than billion
Home-brewed sake is delicious and inexpensive to make.
Japanese sake is made of only five ingredients, but the combination yields a smooth and complex flavor. Sake is the perfect accompaniment to sushi and will lend your sushi party note of authenticity that your guests will appreciate. Any type of white rice may be used as well as any type of koji, steamed rice on which a mold spore has been cultivated. Buy the other ingredients needed to brew sake at home through homebrew suppliers or your local supermarket.
Instructions
1. Pour rice into a large mixing bowl.
2. Rinse the rice under running water by stirring and swirling the rice with your hand and then pouring the water from the bowl. Repeat twice.
3. Fill the rice bowl with water until the water covers the rice. Soak the rice for five hours.
4. Place cheesecloth over the top of the mixing bowl and secure it with a rubber band. Drain all water from the bowl through the cheesecloth.
5. Remove the cheesecloth and rubber band while the bowl is still inverted so that the rice rests on the cheesecloth.
6. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth so that it forms a sack. Secure it with thread or twine and hang it to allow excess water to drain for 20 minutes. A good place to hang the sack is a kitchen or bathroom faucet or shower head.
7. Cook the rice according to package directions in a rice cooker or food steamer. A food steamer yields more authentic results. Cool the cooked rice to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Place 1 tsp. of citric acid and 1/2 gallon of water in the cooking pot and stir over low heat until the citric acid has melted.
9. Add the koji to the citric acid and stir together with the spoon. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
10. Add the cooked, cooled rice to the citric acid and koji and stir together.
11. Add 1 tsp. of yeast to the rice mixture and stir.
12. Put the lid on the pot and store it at room temperature. Stir the mixture at least once a day for two weeks.
13. Place cheesecloth over the top of the pot and secure it with a rubber band after two weeks have passed. Pour the finished sake through the cheesecloth into a clean container.
Chocolate souffle is a real treat for dessert. This recipe makes four to six individual ramekins.
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Separate the eggs carefully, making sure to get no yolk in the whites.
3. Butter the insides of six individual ramekins and coat them with sugar by adding a teaspoon or so to each one and rolling it around so it sticks to the butter.
4. Bring the milk and cream to a slow simmer.
5. Meanwhile, mix together 1/4 c. sugar with the flour, butter and cocoa powder.
6. When the milk and cream mixture simmers, whisk the chocolate and the cocoa mixture into it and stir constantly over low heat for about 2 to 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken considerably.
7. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
8. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks until frothy, about 3 to 5 minutes, and beat them into the chocolate mixture.
9. Beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt until they begin to build in volume, then slowly add the remaining 1/4 c. sugar.
10. Beat the whites to medium peaks. When you scoop some up and hold the scoop upright, the tail, or peak, should just topple over. They should still be smooth and shiny; if they're dry and grainy, you've overwhipped them.
11. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the cooled chocolate mixture until mostly combined, then add the rest and carefully fold them in.
12. When combined, spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, about 1/2 or 2/3 full, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the souffles have stopped rising.
13. Serve by opening the top with a spoon and pouring in some chocolate sauce or your favorite dessert sauce.
Tags: about minutes, Beat whites, chocolate mixture, individual ramekins, milk cream, mixture into
Brown sauce is a classic staple of restaurant-style Chinese dishes. Brown sauce is delicious over chicken, beef, peppers, broccoli, and other stir fried vegetables. Instead of ordering takeout smothered in mouth watering brown sauce, you create the flavor of Chinese food in your own kitchen with this easy recipe.
You can make it milder or spicier depending on your taste. This recipe also freezes well if you want to make a large batch of brown sauce.
Instructions
1. In a sauce pan, dissolve 1 tbsp cornstarch in 1 cup cold broth. For vegetarians, vegetable broth can be substituted.
2. Next, add 1 tbsp soy sauce. Heat the sauce on medium low.
3. Use a garlic press to crush one medium sized clove of garlic. If you don't have a press, then mince the garlic very finely, or use 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Stir the garlic into the brown sauce.
4. Add 1/8 tsp red pepper for a spicy sauce. For a milder sauce, you can add just a dash, or omit it altogether. Next, add 1/4 tsp ground ginger. Stir sauce to prevent it from burning on the bottom of the pan.
5. When the sauce has become thicker, add the honey or sugar, and some black pepper to taste. For a variation, you can also use molasses.
6. When it has thickened to your liking, pour it over stir fried vegetables and pieces of chicken or beef. Enjoy!
Tags: brown sauce, Brown sauce, chicken beef, fried vegetables, stir fried, stir fried vegetables
Vegetable platters make a healthy addition to a dinner party, an easy option for a potluck and a portable choice for a picnic. Vegetable platters serve as versatile snack food or a buffet side dish that are ideal for events and parties feeding large groups. You can opt for a fresh vegetable platter or a roasted vegetable platter, but both types of platters are even better accompanied by a selection of dips and sauces.
Instructions
Fresh Vegetable Platter
1. Choose a large plate or serving tray as the base for your platter.
2. Choose a variety of fresh vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, zucchini, radish, cucumber, broccoli and snow peas. Opt for bite-size veggie versions when you can, like cherry tomatoes and baby carrots.
3. Choose varied types of dip for your platter. Consider ranch salad dressing, hummus, sour cream mixed with chopped fresh dill, garlic mayonnaise, Mexican salsa and guacamole.
4. Thoroughly wash all the vegetables with cold water. Remove the top sections from the zucchini, bell pepper, radish and cucumber. Remove the leaves and stems of the cauliflower and broccoli. Chop the vegetables into uniform sticks or slices.
5. Place the vegetables on the plate or serving tray, grouping the same vegetables together for easy self-serving.
6. Pour the dips into shallow cups. Place them on the plate or tray with the vegetables. Serve.
Roasted Vegetable Platter
7. Choose a large plate or serving tray as the base for your platter. Choose a variety of vegetables ideal for roasting, such as bell pepper, eggplant, mushroom, squash, potato, onion, turnip and carrot. Choose different types of dip for your platter. Choose from garlic mayonnaise, hummus, cheese fondue and Mediterranean olive dip. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
8. Thoroughly wash all the vegetables with cold water. Remove the top sections from the bell pepper, eggplant, squash, turnip and carrot. Remove the outside skins of the onion as well. Dice into uniform large pieces.
9. Place the vegetables on baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, brush the vegetables with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle salt to taste. Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast at 450 degrees until the vegetables do not provide resistance when pierced with a fork. Remove them from the baking sheets with a spatula and put them onto plate or other surface to cool.
10. Transfer the vegetables onto the plate or serving tray.
11. Pour the dips into shallow cups. Place them on the plate or tray with the vegetables. Serve.
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Slow cookers usually have a glass lid so that you can check progress without lifting it.
Slow cooking is a method that became popular during the 1970s. It uses an electric appliance to cook meals at moderate temperatures over a long period. This means that you can prepare a meal in the morning and allow it to cook all day so that it is ready to be eaten in the evening.
How It Works
Slow cookers are designed to cook foods slowly, at temperatures between 77C/170F and 138C/280F. Depending on the recipe the food can cook for four to 12 hours. Slow cookers usually consist of a ceramic or porcelain bowl inside a metal housing containing the heating element, with a glass lid. In general, slow cooking requires food to cook in some form of liquid, such as stock or juice, although some foods that give off a lot of liquid themselves may not need more. More advanced models have a timer feature and several heat settings. However, you can good results with a basic model as the premise is so basic.
What to Cook
Slow cooking is ideal for meat, especially cheaper cuts of red meats such as beef or lamb, which can be rather tough when cooked by other methods. Poultry of any kind, but especially cuts on the bone, also work well.
You can also cook most other foods in a slow cooker. Some vegetables, such as root vegetables, are particularly suitable as they are very hard and can be slow-cooked without turning to mush. Some types of vegetables that are quicker-cooking or leafy ones--spinach and cabbage, for example--can be added later in the heating process to retain their flavour. Vegetable soups are ideal for slow-cooking, especially when you are planning to liquidise the soup and it doesn’t matter if the vegetables fall apart.
Pulses can be cooked well in a slow cooker, but the dried varieties must be soaked and softened first.
Most people tend to stick to savoury foods for slow cooking, but you will also find delicious fruit recipes, too. Poached and stewed fruit such as pears, apples and rhubarb are ideal, and you can also make fruit compotes, crumbles and cobblers in a slow cooker.
Most slow cooker recipes are types of stew or casserole, but you can also pot-roast joints of meat, and create well known recipes such as chilli con carne, curries and lasagne in a slow cooker.
Most slow cookers come with a small recipe book, but you will also find many excellent slow cooker recipes online.
What to Avoid
Pasta and rice do not generally work well in a slow cooker, as pasta may become soft and soggy, and rice does not absorb the fluid or cook properly. However, risotto can work well, and precooked sheets of lasagne. Generally it’s better to cook rice or pasta separately and add it at the end of the cooking or serve with your slow-cooked meal.
Seafood should usually be added near the end of cooking time as it can become rubbery with long cooking. Fish will generally disintegrate in a slow cooker, so avoid unless you are making a soup.
Do not use frozen meat or seafood in your slow cooker as it will take too long to come to cooking temperature and will also stop the other ingredients cooking properly. Defrost meat before slow cooking it. You can, however, add quick-cooking frozen vegetables such as peas and sweetcorn towards the end of the cooking process.
Tips
In most cases its best to brown meat before putting in it the slow cooker; this improves the flavour and keeps pieces of meat together. Rolling meat in seasoned flour before browning it will improve the flavour further and also help to thicken your sauce.
Although you generally need some liquid, you may need less than you think, because there is no evaporation. The steam and juices stay in the pot. The liquid need not cover the solids. If you fill your slow cooker up with stock you will end up with a lot of very watery sauce for your stew. Adding a thickening ingredient such as potato, tomato puree or chopped tinned tomatoes will help.
Slower-cooking ingredients such as root vegetables should be placed at the bottom of the pot, with quicker cooking ones on top.
Generally, liquids and many other ingredients, such as tinned tomatoes, should be heated before being placed in the slow cooker, otherwise they will take too long to reach cooking temperatures.
Avoid lifting the lid to check on the progress of the meal, as this lets heat and steam escape and it may take a long time for the slow cooker to get back to the right heat again. Lift the lid briefly when adding extra ingredients.
If you want to adapt a recipe for a slow cooker, you may need to make some changes, primarily reducing the amount of liquid by about half and possibly increasing the amounts of herbs and spices or adding them late in the cooking process so they don’t lose their flavour.
Benefits
Slow cooking has many benefits. It can be convenient for someone who is at work all day. You can leave your dinner cooking while you are out. Slow-cooked food also allows you to be flexible about when you eat. Because the food will not overcook easily, you can serve it whenever you like.
Slow cooking produces delicious tender meat, and it is economical as it means you can buy cheaper cuts of meat. It is also quite a healthy way to cook (depending on the ingredients) since little or no oil is used and there are usually lots of vegetables in the recipes.
Because most slow cooker recipes are one-pot meals, this leaves you with less cleaning up to do. Slow cookers also don’t make your kitchen hot and sweaty, although they will fill your house with delicious cooking smells.
Hazards
The lower temperatures of a slow cooker will still kill food poisoning bacteria. But the slow cooker may take some time to get to this temperature, so be careful to keep meat and other perishables in the fridge until the last minute to avoid bacteria multiplying while the cooker is heating up. If possible, set your cooker to its high temperature first and then reduce it. If your cooker has an auto setting it will do this for you.
Do not preheat your slow cooker empty as this can damage it and will also cause your food to stick and burn when you add it.
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