Drinking Beer

Many people associate drinking beer with going out to a local bar with buddies or having one too many at a party. The fact is that you can enjoy beer in the same way you would enjoy a fine wine or expensive liquor. Granted, you can't do this with a cheap beer that you pick up at a local grocery store. Once you know properly purchase and drink beer, you'll never look at the drink the same way again.

Instructions

1. Know purchase beer. The best way you can buy a beer is “on tap” at a local bar. This is the freshest beer you can get. Otherwise, you should buy beer that comes in a bottle, preferably in a dark bottle. Sunlight causes beer to have that “skunked” smell and flavor; dark bottles help to prevent this. Finally, be willing to spend some money on beer. Just like with any liquor, you get what you pay for when buying beer. The cheaper the beer, the worse the product.

2. Pour your beer into a glass before drinking it. This allows you to fully enjoy the flavor and the aroma of the beer (if your beer smells bad, you're drinking the wrong beer). Tilt your glass diagonally towards you at a 45-degree angle and pour your beer down the side. Do this slowly so that the beer gently flows into the glass. When your glass is filled about half way, tilt the glass back in a normal upright position. Pour the rest of your beer into the center of the glass, again pour slowly to avoid too much “head.”

3. Smell your beer as you tilt the glass to your lips. This is actually the first step to tasting your beer. Getting that aroma to your sense of smell will help you better appreciate the taste of your beer while drinking it.

4. Allow the beer to touch the tip of your tongue first and then roll back into your throat. When you do this, you taste both the sweetness and bitterness of the beer. Drinking your beer in this manner ensures that you get the full taste before swallowing.

5. Always swallow beer. Unlike wine or other beverages, your throat is actually necessary for tasting beer. If you were to swish the beer around in your mouth and then spit it out, you would not experience the full flavor of the beer.

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Ideas For An Easter Brunch

Eggs are a traditional feature of Easter brunch.

Cooking and hosting Easter brunch is a thoughtful way to celebrate Easter Sunday with your family and loved ones. Like Sunday brunch menus year-round, both breakfast and lunch items with an emphasis on lighter fare are fair game for an Easter brunch. However, during this time of renewal and celebration, foods that imply the promise of spring, like eggs and asparagus, are especially appropriate.

Drinks

While the mimosa, a combination of champagne and orange juice, is a classic and elegant choice for a special occasion brunch, a more modern option would be to serve orange juice and cosmopolitan cocktails made with cranberry juice, lime juice, vodka and Triple Sec side by side, letting the guests decide which they would prefer. For strictly non-alcoholic choices, opt for sparkling apple cider or homemade mint lemonade.

Main Courses

Whether you prefer to organize Easter brunch as a buffet or a set meal, both egg dishes and ham make excellent main courses. For egg dishes, consider quiche or scrambled eggs. With a pastry crust, an egg-based filling and a French heritage, quiche is light, stylish fare that can easily be made up with different variations. Try classic bacon and Swiss cheese, or more modern options like broccoli, onion and cheese, ham and zucchini, or red bell pepper and green chile. The easiest-to-make egg dish, however, is scrambled eggs. You can make them plain or jazz them up with diced ham, mushrooms, tomatoes or cheese. As for meat, consider the traditional Easter main dish, baked ham. If the classic honey glaze on the baked ham doesn't appeal to you, then try a more unusual glaze like molasses, Jack Daniels or pineapple juice.

Side Dishes

The perfect palate-cleanser for an Easter brunch is a selection of creatively presented fruits and vegetables, such as grilled asparagus, minted green peas, green salad with pears and walnuts, or fruit salad. Sweet pastries also make a welcome addition to any brunch meal. Consider sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, croissants and turnovers. A selection of cheeses, Greek olives and soft rolls can also round out a brunch meal.

Desserts

Honey and walnuts are often associated with spring, making small baklava squares made with honey and walnuts (baklava can also be made with sugar syrup and pistachios) a perfect Easter brunch dessert. A classic choice would be to make homemade pies from seasonal fruit while daring options include honey and lavender ice cream and fresh figs with honey. Otherwise, chocolate mousse is a perennial crowd-pleaser.

Tags: Easter brunch, made with, brunch meal, more modern, orange juice, scrambled eggs

Make Homemade Creamy Hummus Dip Easy Healthy Recipe

Serve your homemade hummus dip as a party snack for guests.

The key to making creamy hummus starts by making it from scratch. Homemade hummus dip begins with dried chickpeas soaked in baking soda, which helps to soften the beans. The freshness of the chickpeas along with homemade tahini makes hummus pop with flavor. Toss some roasted red peppers into the hummus for sweetness or increase the spiciness with smoked paprika. Serve the hummus along with homemade toasted pita chips or fresh vegetables for a healthy dip.

Instructions

Make the Tahini

1. Add 1/2 cup of raw white sesame seeds to a heavy-bottom frying pan. Heat the pan on the stove top over medium-high heat. Shake the pan gently as the seeds begin to toast - they will give off a fragrant aroma as they heat up.

2. Cook the seeds until they are light brown, which should take approximately two minutes. Pour the pans in a small bowl and allow them to cool completely.

3. Pour the seeds in a food processor. Add the lid and begin to pulse while pouring in 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Blend for three to five minutes, or until they are smooth. Add more oil as needed to achieve a creamy consistency.

4. Refrigerate until you have cooked the chickpeas. Bring the tahini to room temperature before adding it to the pureed chickpeas.

Prepare the Chickpeas

5. Add 1/2 lb. of dried chickpeas to a large bowl. Cover the chickpeas with water. Stir in 1 tbsp. of baking soda and let the peas soak overnight in the refrigerator.

6. Pour the chickpeas in a colander to drain away the liquid. Run cool water over the chickpeas for 10 seconds to rinse off any baking soda.

7. Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Add seven unpeeled garlic cloves to the water. Heat the pot on high heat until the water begins to boil. Turn the heat down to medium and let the chickpeas simmer for 40 minutes, or until they are fork tender, which means you can stab them with a fork and they fall off.

8. Remove 1/2 of a cup plus 2 tbsp. of the liquid from the pot and set it aside. Remove the garlic cloves from the peas and set the cloves aside.

9. Drain the chickpeas in the colander and run under cold water for 10 seconds to rinse.

Blend into Hummus

10. Peel the seven cloves of garlic you boiled with the chickpeas.

11. Add the boiled chickpeas, reserved cooking liquid, 1/2 cup of olive oil and all of the garlic to the food processor. Puree the mixture until it is creamy and smooth.

12. Add all of the homemade tahini, 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp. of ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of ground white pepper to the food processor. Set the blender to pulse until the ingredients are combined.

13. Pour the hummus in a bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of sumac over the hummus before serving. Eat immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.

Tags: baking soda, food processor, until they, along with, along with homemade

Seal Bottles With Wax

If you have your own microbrewery, you might want to give an additional seal to your bottles with wax. It is simple to do, but it can be time-consuming if you want to seal several hundred bottles. For large numbers of bottles which need to be sealed, get additional help, since several people can dip bottles into the same pot of wax at once. As the old saying goes, "Many hands make light work," and they will when you need to seal bottles.

Instructions

1. Place the large pot of water on a stove and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Check that the bottles and corks are clean, dry and the corks are firmly in place.

2. Clip the candy thermometer to the side of the large bowl so that it does not touch the side or bottom.

3. When the water is boiling, put the bowl on top of the pot. Put the wax into the bowl.

4. Continuously stir the wax as it melts. Adjust the height of the thermometer so that the tip is inside the wax.

5. Melt the wax and bring it to a temperature of 160 to 170 degrees F. Adjust the temperature of the stove to maintain this temperature.

6. Hold a bottle from the bottom and turn it upside down to dip the cork and top into the wax. Leave the top of the bottle in the wax for a count of 15.

7. Pull the bottle straight up out of the wax. The extra wax will drip off the bottle into the rest of the melted wax. After most of the dripping has stopped, turn the bottle upright and set aside to completely cool.

8. Repeat with the remaining bottles until all of them have been sealed with wax.

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What Makes Bread Go Stale

What Makes Bread Go Stale?

When Fresh and Store-Bought Bread Becomes Stale

Whether you buy bread from the store or enjoy making your own, all types of bread have the same tendency to go stale. White, wheat and rye bread are the most popular types of bread. Breads can be made with different ingredients or a combination of several to create tastes that are best suited for each individual. If the bread is left out or has an expired date past seven days of the day it was made, the odds increase that it could eventually become stale very quickly. When bread is considered stale it is dry, often crunchy, tasteless and hard to bite into, it isn't soft and fresh tasting at it would be if it came fresh out of the oven. It is difficult to reverse the effects of stale bread but there are alternatives if the bread is too hard to eat; the bread can be recycled into croutons, bread puddings, stuffing for poultry and toast. Recycling allows the bread to be salvaged so that it can be consumed and preserved. Bread typically forms a slightly thick crust on the outside that keeps the inside moist and fresh. If the outside crust is exposed too much to the air, it will begin to go stale and harden so that the inside of the bread cannot be cut into or would be unsatisfying to consume. Fresh bread that is sliced and then exposed to air only has a matter of around 30 to 60 minutes before the bread begins to show slight signs of being stale, such as being hard to the touch and crumbling.

How Bread Goes Stale

When bread goes stale it is caused by a chemical reaction in which the food is slowly beginning to rot or go bad. Because bread has a high amount of starch in it, it can quickly crystallize in cooler temperatures such as in a refrigerator, cool porch or basement during a process called retrogradation. The reason why retrogradation increases rapidly in locations that are constantly kept cool is because of the added amount of crystals that form when the bread is exposed to cool, moist air. The formation of crystals cause the bread to dry out faster leaving the edges hard, crunchy and difficult to bite into. Bread can go stale if left out at room temperature. Once the bread and the starch make contact with bacteria in the air, the process of the ingredients beginning to slowly decay have already begun to take place. Bread must be kept away from heat and moisture when it is out of the refrigerator. The variations in temperature will quickly cause bread to begin to go stale, and mold will soon start to form on the bread.

Storing Bread to Preserve Freshness

Proper storage is essential in making sure that bread does not go stale and is kept fresh tasting, easy to cook with and eat at all times. Keep bread in airtight containers such as a breadbox, unused stove or microwave oven. Whether store-bought or homemade, bread should always be wrapped securely in plastic or aluminum foil so that air is kept away. Finding a dark location is also beneficial to keeping your bread fresh and reduces the risk of a temperature variation due to sunlight or warm halogen lights.

Tags: begin stale, bite into, cause bread, fresh tasting, kept away, Makes Bread, Makes Bread Stale

Seal An Apple Press

Juice fresh apples in a clean, sealed cider press

The hardwood basket of a cider press requires cleansing and maintenance for best longevity. A wooden apple press needs a degree of protection whether it's used as a pure juice press or for cider making. An apple press with clean, coated wood will last longer while making quality juice and mash.

Instructions

1. Sanitize the wooden apple press basket and racks by pouring boiling water over the parts. Use iodophor as a final rinse to ensure food safety.

2. Spread a light coat of mineral oil on all the wood parts of your cider press with a clean cloth. Allow 20 minutes for the oil to soak into the wood before using the juice press. Natural oil is a good wood finish--and mineral oil is edible.

3. Seal the exterior wood and metal parts of the juice press by applying clear varnish or pure tung oil with a paint brush. Use beeswax as a substitute for the oil, or mix the wax with one of the oils before applying.

4. Seal the interior wood for protection against moisture with a food-safe finish, if desired. Apples for cider making contain acid that degrades wood over time. Some manufacturers recommend using food-grade polymer gel that is clearly labeled as a food-safe product to seal the basket.

Tags: cider press, juice press, apple press, cider making, press with, press with clean

Store Potatoes In A Root Cellar

If you have a home with a root cellar, there are many things you can store in the cool, dark storage area. Cellars allow you to store root vegetables, such as potatoes, inside for a few months' time without going bad --- leaving you with produce throughout the year. Before storing the potatoes, you must cure them and prepare them properly so they don't spoil while they're in the root cellar.

Instructions

1. Harvest potatoes from the ground once the green stems turn brown. If the temperatures are hotter than 70 degrees Fahrenheit during harvest time, keep them in the ground until it cools down to about 59 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit during harvest, advises the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

2. Place the harvested potatoes in a shady area of the yard for five to 10 days to cure. The potatoes should be stored outdoors to provide the curing process enough heat and humidity to slightly dry them out before storage, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Cover the pile of potatoes with straw and then with a burlap sack. Shade is required, because sun will damage the potatoes and make them dangerous to eat, according to the Old Fashioned Living website.

3. Brush potatoes with a dry brush to get off excess soil. A light layer of soil is okay for storage and will help them keep longer. Do not wash the potatoes with water because water causes mold to develop.

4. Place the potatoes in the root cellar, stacking if necessary, in a wooden container or bin. The cellar temperature should be a constant 40 degrees so that the potatoes don't spoil, according to the University of Missouri Extension website. Cover them with a burlap sack or straw to allow air to flow around the potatoes during storage.

5. Eat the potatoes within four to six months after storage.

Tags: potatoes with, Agriculture Organization, Agriculture Organization United, burlap sack, degrees Fahrenheit, degrees Fahrenheit during, during harvest

Save Money On Alcohol

Save Money on Alcohol

Alcoholic beverage prices are keeping pace with the recent rise in the cost of food, because booze is made from the same raw materials--grains, potatoes and grapes. Australia's recent drought is boosting the cost of local beer. U.S. vodka makers like Smirnoff are feeling the crunch as corn derived ethanol works its way into our auto fuel supply. Still by being savvy shoppers, we can save money on this vital commodity.

Instructions

1. Drink out less. The last time I ordered a pair of martinis at a bar, I slipped the tender a twenty, and got just enough back for a tip. A recent national survey of restaurant owners found that people who ordered alcohol with their meals had fallen to less than a third, the lowest level in years. If you do drink out, choose drinks that require less labor such as a glass of house wine. It will go better with your meal.

2. Choose a domestic alternative. One of my favorite drinks is cognac. A good VSOP or XO is complex yet smooth on the palatte. Unfortunately, compared to the Euro just 6 years ago, a dollar is now worth 57 cents. A bottle of French brandy that sold for $20 then now sells for about $35 today. However, there is no shortage of good American producers of wine, brandy, whiskey and beer. Choose U.S. brands for a substantial savings.

3. Look for specials. Stores frequently use alcohol as a loss leader to attract customers. Skim the ads in the paper, or go through the liquor aisle in your market. Sometimes the specials are on the 1.75 Liter bottles. Do the math.

4. Lose your brand snobbishness. Have a taste test party. Some liquors, like Grand Marnier and Jack Daniels, are distinctive and very hard to duplicate. Fine cognac benefits from aging in oak barrels. The older the brandy is, the more expensive it is, because a large percentage evaporates. The French describe it as "the angel's portion." However, other liquors like vodka are a lot simpler and gain nothing through aging. Vodka gets its smoothness through charcoal filtering. In one of the most telling taste tests of the last few years, the NY Times did a blind panel test of the world's elite vodkas, including Grey Goose, Wyborowa, Stolichnaya and Chopin. As a lark, somebody slipped in Smirnoff's. The American vodka won shot glasses down.

5. Make your own. Home wine and beer making are legal under federal law, although both activities remain illegal in Alabama. In Texas, you're only allowed to brew 200 gallons a year for personal consumption. Check into your local regulations for specifics. It's easy to use home brew kits that will let you make your own ale, beer, mead or hard cider (see Resources below). Brewing is not difficult. You'll be feeding malt hops, water and corn sugar to beer yeast that will convert the sugar in the mix to alcohol. It will take a couple of weeks.

6. If you want to start fermenting your own wine, homebrewit.com is a good source of supply (see Resources below). Wine making is a similar process, but here you're fermenting grape juice. Wine making stores will supply your choice of concentrated grape juice such as Riesling, Merlot and Chardonnay.

7. Distilling your own spirits in the United States is still illegal. Why? Taxes. More than half the cost of a bottle of whiskey, gin or vodka are the taxes. The ostensible reason for this last vestige of prohibition, is that making moonshine, or home made alcohol, is a dangerous process. Still, the activity is legal in New Zealand, so if you live there visit Ehow's "Make Moonshine" for instructions.

Tags: grape juice, liquors like, Money Alcohol, Resources below, Save Money, Save Money Alcohol, that will

Pair Wine With Salty Food

Pasta with salty sausage matches well with a sweet white wine.

Wine lovers delight in pairing the perfect wine with each course of a meal. When you're serving a salty dish, whether it be an appetizer of oysters, an entree of well-seasoned ham or a side dish of potato chips, you can find a wine to pair well with it. Pairing highly acidic wines with salty food is trickier than pairing sweet wines with salty food, because salty tastes can accentuate the acidic qualities of white wines and the tannic qualities of red wines. Choosing a sweeter white wine or low-tannin red wine makes pairing wine with salty food simple.

Instructions

1. Select the salty food you will be serving. Salty foods that pair particularly well with wine include ham, sausages, chips, nuts, cheeses and oysters. Foie gras and pates also match naturally to wine.

2. Determine whether you wish to contrast the salty taste of the food with a sweet wine or use it to enhance the acidity of a wine. Occasionally you will want to bring out the acidity in a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc by pairing it with a salty food such as oysters, but typically you will want a sweet wine.

3. Select your sweet wine. A wide range of sweet wines can be paired with salty foods, including Sauternes, which pairs well with salty cheeses, oysters and foie gras. Less sweet but still dry white wines such as Riesling, Muscadet, Pouilly-Fume, Pouilly-Fuisse and Chablis pair well with any salty food. Sparkling wines, such as Champagne or Spanish Cava, pair well with mixed nuts or even potato chips. Italian Valpolicella or Spanish Tempranillo are two low-tannin red wines that pair well with salty meats, sausages or cold cuts. Beaujolais or Beaujolais Nouveau are two other red wines that can be paired with salty food, including roast turkey.

4. Taste the wine alongside the food. Explore whether or not the saltiness of the food enhances the acidity of the wine or takes the sweetness down a notch. The fun of wine pairings is striking on new combinations, and you can always try a different wine next time.

Tags: with salty, salty food, well with, pair well, pair well with

Use Tomatillos

Tomatillos are now thought to be the fruit mentioned in early Aztec writings, where scholars thought that they were reading about a tomato. Its tartness and hint of citrus can spice up any dish, even outside the realm of Mexican cuisine. It can be used in dishes from savory to sweet. Read on to learn use tomatillos.

Instructions

1. Chop the tomatillo and create various salsas. The traditional tomato salsa can be enhanced with tomatillos, or you can make a green salsa by omitting the tomatoes altogether. Add avocado. For a sweeter salsa, mix the tomatillo with tropical fruits such as mango, papaya, peppers and eggplant to make a sweet salsa that can be use with pork, chicken or fish.

2. Puree the tomatillo into green sauces that can be used as a condiment for grilled meats instead of tomatoes. It can also be added to your marinades in place of tomatoes.

3. A sweetened tomatillo can be used in marmalades and jams. The fruit is in the same family as a gooseberry, so use in sweet recipes shouldn't seem like stretch. The lemony flavor is said to be enhanced when cooking, so the sky's the limit with the tomatillo in desserts, maybe even pie. An example is the traditional mock apple pie. Add some chopped tomatillos to crackers to enliven the faux dessert.

4. Use wherever the tomato traditional takes the spotlight to add a twist to your stews, meat dishes, and soups. Tomatillos are very versatile, and the flavor is actually enhanced when heated. A hint of lemon appears to compliment most savory dishes.

Tags: enhanced when

Defrost Phyllo

Phyllo pastry is a delicate dough that must be handled with care.

Phyllo (or fillo/filo) pastry is a light, delicate wheat dough traditionally used in Greek dishes such as spanikopita, baklava and other delicacies. Phyllo is extremely versatile and can be used with many different sweet or savory fillings. Because the dough is flaky and fragile, it is important to know handle frozen phyllo properly to avoid breaking and waste. When handled correctly, phyllo can add flair to your everyday cooking and baking.

Instructions

1. Remove box or package of frozen phyllo from freezer. Keep the package sealed. Be gentle with the dough as it is fragile and breaks easily.

2. Place frozen phyllo dough into your refrigerator to thaw. The dough should be allowed to thaw for at least 5 hours prior to use, preferably overnight. Thawing frozen dough on the counter or table will cause condensation to form and make the edges of the dough soggy, which will cause the dough to tear. Other parts of the dough might not thaw properly if you leave the dough out.

3. Prepare your fillings for the phyllo. While the phyllo is thawing, get your filling ready as well as any other materials you might need such as butter and pastry brush (to brush the sheets of phyllo), utensils and trays for baking.

4. Remove the phyllo from the refrigerator, carefully unroll the sheets and let the phyllo sit for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the sheets to loosen. If you are planning to use only a portion of the dough, make sure to place the remaining dough immediately back into the refrigerator in the original packaging if possible or into another sealed container. Phyllo dries quickly, so it is important to seal in the moisture.

5. Carefully lift each sheet individually from the stack, to fill and bake according to your recipe. Be sure to work quickly as phyllo dries and becomes brittle once it has been exposed to the air. Brushing the pastry with butter is necessary to add moisture as well as repair any tears that might occur while you work. Simply brush the torn area with butter and pinch the dough back together.

Tags: frozen phyllo, phyllo from, sheets phyllo, will cause, with butter

Keep Lettuce And Salads Fresh For Weeks

Salads are simple to prepare, delicious and nutritious, and when stored properly can be munched on for days. However, when you don't store lettuce properly, it quickly wilts, turns soft and brown and is unappealing. Knowing keep lettuce and salads fresh saves you money and trips to the grocery store.

Instructions

1. Wash your lettuce thoroughly when you bring it home from the store. Pat the leaves dry as much as possible with a paper towel. Place the lettuce in a zip-seal bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

2. Store bags of lettuce apart from other fruits and vegetables, as rubbing against other produce can easily bruise the lettuce and cause it to go bad more quickly. You can even add air to the zip-seal bag if you like to create a cushion. Drain water from the lettuce storage bag as soon as you notice moisture collecting at the bottom.

3. Make sure your crisper drawer is at the correct temperature. While the drawer should be noticeably cooler than the rest of the fridge, it should not show signs of freezing. As a rule, set your refrigerator at the lowest possible setting and adjust the temperature according to how full it is.

4. Tear lettuce by hand, or cut it with a plastic knife instead of metal cutlery. Greens cut with metal begin to wilt along the cut edges far more quickly than torn or plastic-cut lettuce.

5. Keep your salads fresher longer by mixing them in plastic bowls, placing a damp paper towel gently on top of the salad and then covering the bowl with an airtight lid. For best results, store salad bases only, adding dressing, oil, lemon juice and fruits when you are ready to eat. Most cut vegetables can be stored with the salad base.

Tags: crisper drawer, more quickly, paper towel, your refrigerator

Roll Your Own Sushi

Maki rolls are probably the most popular among those new to sushi. It is fitting that budding home sushi cooks can easily make these rolls at home. Impress your friends and family at dinner parties with an exquisite array of sushi rolls. The instructions below are for simple maki rolls.

Instructions

1. Cover the bamboo rolling mat, also known as makisu, with plastic wrap to avoid it getting sticky.

2. Place a piece of nori seaweed paper or soybean paper onto the makisu. When you do this make sure the nori piece is lying with the shiny side facing the makisu.

3. Place about1/2 cup of sushi rice on top of the nori. Leave about one inch of the nori uncovered on one of the short sides. Spread the rice evenly throughout the remaining nori so that the rice is about 1/4 inch thick and you are able to see the nori. Do not worry about packing the rice and adjust the rice measurements as necessary.

4. Add fillings. Place the slices onto the rice near the edge opposite of the uncovered nori. Here you can add seafood, vegetables or even cooked meat if you choose. Be creative.

5. Fold the makisu over slowly while tucking the nori's end to start rolling the sushi.

6. Roll away from you, applying firm pressure to make tight rolls. Lessen the pressure to straighten out the roll if needed. Keep lifting the mat as you roll.

7. Use the makisu to squeeze the sushi roll once it is finished rolling. After squeezing it, remove the roll from the makisu and place on a cutting board.

8. Moisten a sharp knife and cut the roll into half. Re-moisten the knife and cut the two halves again so that you have 6-8 pieces, depending on your cut.

Tags: about inch

Directions For Coldpack Canning Of Carrots

Directions for Cold-Pack Canning of Carrots

Cold-pack canning, also know as raw-pack canning, involves pouring boiling water over raw vegetables packed into canning jars. Cold-pack canning saves you the step of precooking the vegetables. You'll need a pressure canner to can carrots and other low-acid vegetables. Only tomatoes may be safely canned with a hot water bath. You can preserve whole baby carrots or sliced carrots with this method.

Preparation

Choose unblemished carrots with no bad spots. Wash and peel the carrots, then slice into 1/4-inch slices or into long sticks. Baby carrots may be canned whole, standing upright in the jar, but be sure to cut off the ends and scrub the peels well before canning.

Wash and sterilize your canning jars by boiling them for 10 minutes. You can also sterilize the jars by running them through a cycle of the dishwasher and using them while they're still hot.

Set a small pot of water on the burner and bring the water to a simmer, then add jar lids. Set aside enough clean, unbent jar rings for the lids.

Put 3 inches of water in your pressure canner and set it, uncovered, to simmer.

Cold-Pack Method

Place the sliced or whole carrots in the clean, hot canning jars. Don't pack the carrots too tightly. You need to leave room for the water to flow around them. Add ½ teaspoon uniodized salt (also called canning salt) to each pint jar of carrots.

Bring water to a boil. You can boil the water in any pan, but it's easiest to pour over the carrots if it's in a tea kettle. Pour the boiling water over the carrots and salt, filling the jars to within one-half inch of the top of the jar.

Use tongs to pull a hot lid from the saucepan where they've been simmering. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, dry cloth, then set the lid in place. Screw on the lid just until tight. Don't overtighten the lid.

Processing

Arrange the jars in your pressure canner, put on the lid and close the vents. Turn the heat to high and bring the canner up to the appropriate pressure. Process at pressure for 10 minutes. Consult a canning guide for the appropriate amount of pressure for your altitude.

Turn off the burner and remove the pressure cooker from the heat. Allow the pressure to drop to zero before opening the lid. Remove the jars from the canner and set on a towel on the counter to cool. Label and store in a cool, dry place.

Tags: canning jars, pressure canner, boiling water, boiling water over, Canning Carrots

Roast Spaghetti

Roasting spaghetti entrees adds flavor to the meal.

Roasting fresh spaghetti and boiled dry spaghetti dishes provides a slow-cooking method that increases the flavors of the food. Use a roaster or baking pan into which you place the spaghetti or spaghetti mixture. Roast mixed vegetables and meat to add to spaghetti for dishes, such as pasta primavera or beef stroganoff, or roast a spaghetti and meatball pie.

Instructions

Roasted Fresh Spaghetti

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line spaghetti noodles in a roaster or baking pan. Roast the pasta for 20 minutes.

2. Remove the spaghetti from the oven. Place the pasta in cold water for about one hour.

3. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. of salt. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water for one minute. Drain the spaghetti in a colander. Plate the spaghetti and top it with sauce and roasted vegetables or meat, if desired.

Spaghetti/Meatball Pie

4. Bring 6 qt. of water per 1 lb. of spaghetti to a boil. Add 1 tsp of salt. Place dry spaghetti in the pot and cook it for about eight minutes. Put the colander in your sink. Pour the spaghetti into the colander to drain the water.

5. Heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine and stir 5 cups of prepared tomato sauce with 3 cups of ricotta cheese in a mixing bowl, per 1 lb. of spaghetti.

6. Spray a roaster, baking pan or pie dish with non-stick cooking spray. Mash cooked meatballs with the edge of a fork. Line the bottom of the roaster, baking pan or pie dish with a 2-inch layer of mashed meatballs.

7. Pour the spaghetti, sauce and ricotta mixture on top of the mashed meatballs. Top the spaghetti mixture with shredded mozzarella cheese. Add Parmesan cheese. Cover the top with foil.

8. Roast the spaghetti and meatball pie on the middle rack of your oven for about 25 minutes. Remove the roasted spaghetti pie from your oven and allow it to cool for five to 10 minutes before eating. Cut the pie in slices to serve.

Tags: roaster baking, your oven, baking dish, baking dish with, boil salt, degrees Fahrenheit, dish with

Make Green Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos are a beautiful and delicious addition to your salsa repetoire.

Green tomatillos grow on a plant that is a relative of the tomato, but differs from the tomato in that the tomatillo fruit itself grows inside of a papery husk. The tomatillo also comes in a purple hue, and is a staple of Mexican cooking with a tangy, crisp flavor. A fresh homemade batch of green tomatillo salsa will add a bright note to your next cookout or taco night, and is simple and quick to whip up.

Instructions

1. Remove the husks from your tomatillos and discard. Rinse the sticky residue off the tomatillos and let dry.

2. Mince the onion and garlic and finely chop the tomatillos, then add to the bowl. If you prefer a spicier salsa, mince the jalapeño and add to the bowl with its seeds and ribs. If you prefer a less spicy version, use a serrano -- or poblano or any other milder pepper -- and de-seed and de-rib it.

3. Add the lime juice, stir, and taste your salsa. You may not even feel it needs salt, but if you do, add a tiny bit at a time because you don't want the salt to overpower the bright and fresh taste of the tomatillos. If you enjoy cilantro, finely chop it now and stir it into the bowl.

Tags: finely chop, your salsa

Cook With Hot Peppers

The addition of hot peppers to a dish not only provides a nice splash of color, they instantly add "heat" and flavor. However, working with hot peppers can be dangerous, as the oils can quickly permeate the skin. When cooking with peppers, it is important to take extra precautions in order to avoid injury.

So where do peppers get their fire? The majority of a pepper's heat is derived from capsaicin, a tasteless, odorless compound that is insoluble in water. Capsaicin is comprised of seven alkaloid or capsaicinoids and is found in the wall and veins of the pepper pod. The seeds of a pepper become spicy through their contact with the wall and veins.

Instructions

1. Place rubber gloves on your hands and rinse the peppers in cold water before assembling the peppers on the cutting board. Always wear gloves when handling peppers.

2. Slice the pepper lengthwise down the center. The amount of seeds and veins you leave in the pepper will determine how hot your dish is. To seed the pepper, hold the stem down and roll the melon baller from the tip of the pepper back towards the stem. The seeds and veins should easily separate from the pepper. Discard.

3. Cut the peppers into strips or dice them, depending on the recipe.

4. Remove rubber gloves and wash hands thoroughly with soap and hot water.

Tags: from pepper, rubber gloves, seeds veins, wall veins, with peppers

Roast Poblanos

This tasty little heart-shaped pepper can be stuffed with rice, tomatoes and ground beef.

Roast up fresh, green poblano chili peppers for sauces such as mole, soups or for a flavorful meal. A fairly mild, heart-shaped pepper, the poblano has a delicious flavor when simply roasted. Pickle roasted peppers for sandwich toppings or chop for fresh salsa, or even can them for later use. No matter how you choose to use them, you will enhance a meal with these delicious peppers.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Gather and rinse your poblano peppers in warm water. Dry them completely with a paper towel.

3. Rub each poblano pepper with olive oil. Place in a single layer, on a roasting pan and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until the skin blisters with black or dark spots.

4. Remove peppers and set aside to cool. Peel away the skin and remove the seeds using a sharp julienne or paring knife. Repeat for each pepper, then stuff or slice for your favorite recipe.

Tags: heart-shaped pepper

Make French Toast With Cream Cheese

French toast is an easy dish to prepare when you don't have a lot of time to cook, or you need to serve a filling breakfast to a lot of guests. To make French toast more nutritious, you can add bananas, blueberries or strawberries to the cream cheese mixture.

Instructions

Making Cream-Cheese-Filled French Toast

1. Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Pour the vanilla on top of it.

2. Blend the vanilla into the cream cheese with the rubber spatula.

3. Add the chopped walnuts and blend them into the cream cheese.

4. Spread an even layer of cream cheese on two slices of bread. Sit one piece of bread on top of the other to form a sandwich.

5. Repeat step 4 for the other 10 slices of bread. When you are finished you will have six sandwiches.

6. Put the eggs, milk, nutmeg and cinnamon in the other mixing bowl.

7. Whip the ingredients together with a fork until well blended.

8. Dip each sandwich into the egg-milk-spice mixture so that it's thoroughly covered. Sit the sandwich on the plate when you're finished.

9. Turn on the largest stove burner and set it on high.

10. Put 2 tbsp. of butter or margarine in the frying pan and let it melt. Tilt the pan, and let the butter slide around so that the bottom is covered.

11. Sit two sandwiches in the pan when the butter starts sizzling. Toast them for about 90 seconds, or until the bottom is golden brown.

12. Flip the sandwiches with the metal spatula, and toast the other side until golden brown.

13. Put the finished sandwiches on the serving plate and cover them.

14. Repeat steps 11, 12 and 13 for the rest of the sandwiches.

15. Serve with maple syrup on the side. Makes about four servings.

Tags: cream cheese, French toast, French Toast, golden brown, into cream, into cream cheese, mixing bowl

Simple Tomato Avocado Salad

Tomatoes are refreshing to eat during hot weather.

This simple tomato and avocado salad recipe will yield six servings. Although each serving has a fat content of nearly 32 grams, it's from the healthy, monounsaturated fat found in the avocados. This salad is also less than 400 calories. It's ideal for both when you're watching your weight and when you want to eat a cold dish during the hot weather months.

Instructions

Chop the Vegetables

1. Slice the avocados in half with a chef's knife separate the halves.

2. Carefully hit the seed with the knife until they are stuck together, then twist the knife to remove the pit from the avocado.

3. Remove avocado flesh from the skin with a spoon. Then dice the avocado into small pieces with the knife on a cutting board.

4. Rinse off four large tomatoes with water.

5. Chop the tomatoes into pieces on the cutting board with the chef's knife.

6. Peel one small red onion.

7. Dice the onion with the chef's knife.

Toss the Salad Together

8. Put the chopped vegetables into a large serving bowl.

9. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. of fresh black pepper into the bowl.

10. Toss the ingredients with a wooden spoon.

11. Pour 4 oz. of balsamic vinaigrette into the salad.

12. Toss the salad again.

13. Cover the bowl with the lid and let the bowl sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Tags: chef knife, with chef, with chef knife, cutting board, during weather, with knife

Freeze A Glass Jar Of Jelly

Jams and jellies can be easily frozen.

Freezing jelly and jam is a great way to preserve summer flavors and enjoy them all year long. Follow the simple instructions below for prime results.

Freezing Instructions

Store jam and jelly in the freezer.

Freezing jelly or jam is as simple as packaging it and finding a spot in your freezer. It's best to freeze full jars of jam, so be sure to fill the container to about 1/2 inch from the top. This will decrease the amount of air in the jars and help prevent against freezer burn.

Considerations for Glass

Glass jars should be sturdy to withstand freezing.

Since jam doesn't dramatically expand as it freezes, it's safe to use sturdy, thick-sided glass jars. Plastic containers also work well.

Thawing

Thaw frozen jam and jelly gradually.

To thaw your frozen jelly or jam, place the container in the refrigerator until it thaws. You can also put the jar in warm water (not hot) and thaw it gently in the sink.

Precautions

Be sure to fill the containers up to 1/2 inch below the top of the container and no more. Overfilling can cause the container to burst due to air expansion during freezing.

Longevity

Frozen jelly or jam should be consumed within six months to one year after freezing. After a year, flavors will start to lose their character and intensity. The consistency of thawed jam may be softer and more watery than prior to freezing. Do not refreeze after thawing.

Tags: Freezing jelly, sure fill

Roast Edamame Pods

Roasted edamame pods are a great high-protein, low-calorie snack.

Edamame pods are green soybeans encased in a soft nut-like shell. Grown in East Asian countries, this vegetable is an excellent source of protein that is used in Japanese stir-fry dishes, as well as in soups, salads and in some processed sweets. Prepared in a variety of ways, roasted edamame pods -- with the right combination of seasonings -- can make for a flavorful and low-calorie snack or appetizer. Find fresh edamame pods in the produce section during the late summer months or year-round in the ethnic-foods freezer section of most grocery stores.

Instructions

1. Place racks in the lower position of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Thaw the beans -- if they are frozen -- rinse them, and place them in a bowl large enough for mixing. For every 8- to 10-oz. package, add about 1 tsp. of olive oil and a 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt. You can use table salt as an alternative; however, kosher salt will provide a more subtle salt flavoring.

3. Stir the pods, salt and oil mixture well in order to evenly coat the beans.

4. Add additional seasonings as desired to the beans and mix well. Spices such as pepper, chili or garlic will add a zesty flavor.

5. Spread the beans in a single layer on a baking sheet or shallow pan. Insert the pan in the preheated oven. Allow the beans to roast for approximately 12 to 15 minutes.

6. Monitor the pods closely. After about six minutes, use a large spatula to turn the beans over onto the other side during roasting to prevent scorching.

7. Once roasted, remove the pods from the oven and allow them to cool before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered plastic container.

Tags: edamame pods, kosher salt, low-calorie snack

Roast Chestnuts For Dipping

Chestnuts are abundant, versatile and accomodate many flavorings.

Roasting chestnuts and dipping them in a complementary condiment adds versatility to the autumn classic. Although melted chocolate is possibly the most common accompaniment to roasted chestnuts, the flavor of chestnuts does not limit them in terms of versatility. For example, in northern Turkey, it's not uncommon to find chestnuts still warm from roasting and dipped in honey steeped with saffron. Roasting chestnuts for dipping follows the same guidelines as when roasting them for out-of-hand eating.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut an "X" incision with a paring knife one-fourth of an inch deep in the side of each chestnut.

3. Arrange the chestnuts on a sheet pan in an even layer and place them in the oven.

4. Roast the chestnuts for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the chestnuts and allow them to cool enough to handle.

6. Peel the outer shell from the chestnuts followed by the thin membrane covering the nut.

7. Allow the chestnuts to completely cool if dipping them in a hot food, such as melted chocolate, so it will adhere evenly. For other preparations, such as honey-dipped chestnuts, coat them while still warm.

Tags: dipping them, melted chocolate, Roasting chestnuts, Roasting chestnuts dipping, still warm

Make Your Own Dehydrated Meals

Dehydrating meals is a good way for preserving them.

Dehydrated meals are pre-cooked meals that are dehydrated so that they can be stored and then be re-hydrated when you're ready to eat. Dehydrating foods preserves it, retaining nutritional value and freshness. It also decreases the size of the food, which is useful when you're going on a backpacking trip and want to carry a light load. Bringing along dehydrated food on your trip is healthier and often more economical than purchasing packaged foods that may contain preservatives, MSG, large amounts of sodium, and trans fat. All you need to make your own dehydrated meals is a food dehydrator, which costs about $40 to $50 as of 2011. There are two types of food dehydrators: vertical and horizontal.

Instructions

1. Prepare a meal you intend to dehydrate. Smaller pieces of food dehydrate faster than large chunks, so you may want to slice or dice meat, vegetables, and so on, if you're pressed for time before you need to take the meal on a trip.

2. Turn your food dehydrator on and allow it to preheat for 10 minutes.

3. Place your prepared meal in the trays of your food dehydrator. Do not allow pieces of food to touch each other; keep the food spaced out to help it dry well.

4. Rotate the trays if your food dehydrator requires the rotation of its trays during the dehydrating process. Check the manufacturer's manual instructions to see if this or any other particular action is required during the drying.

5. Wait while your food dehydrates, which can take anywhere between six to 10 hours. Check on your food about every half hour after five hours have passed, so you can remove bits that have already dried. You can tell whether food is already dried if it's dried to the touch or hard. Dried vegetables come out quite firm, and fruit comes out a little firm but not as hard as dried vegetables.

Tags: your food, food dehydrator, your food dehydrator, already dried, dehydrator allow

Care For Keg Beer

Keg beer is popular at parties and social gatherings, in restaurants and in the homes of beer enthusiasts. Keg beer takes up less storage space than bottled or canned beer and can be dispensed more quickly.

Kegs store beer under a pressurized system, allowing the beer to keep for extended periods of time. Nonpasteurized draft beer will remain fresh with proper care about 45 to 60 days, and pasteurized draft beer will keep fresh for about 90 to 120 days.

Care for keg beer is critical to keeping it fresh and specifically relates to the temperature and pressure of the keg beer.

Instructions

1. Determine how long you want to keep your beer fresh. Keg beer can remain fresh for between 12 hours and 120 days. There are different care instructions depending on long you want the beer to keep from spoiling. To keep beer fresh for 12 hours or fewer, follow steps 2 and 3. To keep beer fresh for longer than 12 hours, follow steps 3 to 8.

2. To keep keg beer fresh for 8 to 12 hours (such as you would for a party), rent a "party pump" to dispense the beer. A party pump is a hand pump that brings in outside air to dispense the beer. Liquor stores that rent beer kegs will rent a party pump with a beer keg.

3. Place the beer keg in a large tub filled with ice to keep beer fresh and cold for 8 to 12 hours. Refill ice in tub as ice melts. You will likely need about 40 to 60 pounds of ice to keep beer cold for a 4-hour party.

4. To keep keg beer fresh for longer than 12 hours, purchase a keg coupler. Keg couplers use pressurized CO2 gas to dispense the beer. A keg coupler can be purchased from beer specialty shops or from online distributors such as Micromatic.com.

5. Store the keg at the proper temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit using a kegerator (a refrigerator for a keg). Kegerators can be purchased at beer specialty stores or from online distributors such as Micromatic.com or kegerator.com.

6. Test the temperature of the beer with a liquid thermometer. The temperature should be tested within 12 hours of putting the keg in the kegerator and weekly after that. If keg beer reaches 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria begins to rapidly grow and the beer will go bad. If the temperature is higher than 38 degrees, lower the temperature in the kegerator.

7. Maintain the CO2 level as stated by the brewer when dispensing keg beer. Most brewers recommend 12 to 14 lbs. of CO2 pressure for keg beer. Maintaining pressure as given by the brewer will prevent excessive foaming when dispensing the beer. If the beer is excessively foaming, turn down the CO2 pressure by 1 to 2 lbs.

8. If storing beer between uses (not all within a 1- to 2-day period), clean the beer hose and faucet. Clean with specially manufactured beer equipment cleaning chemicals, which can be found at specialty beer stores and on websites such as Micromatic.com.

Tags: beer fresh, keep beer, keep beer fresh, beer will, dispense beer, party pump, such Micromatic

Drink Body Shots

Body shots are a great way to spice up any party. Taking a body shot with a person of the opposite sex can also be a fun way to heat things up. Here are the steps you'll need to follow to engage in this fun drinking game.

Instructions

1. Convince a friend (or attractive stranger) to take a body shot with you. Consider asking that fun party guy you've been crushing after, or perhaps just a good friend who you don't mind getting a little closer with. Let this person know that they'll need to be adventurous and make sure this person wants to drink alcohol. It's a good idea to make sure they also have a ride home.

2. Pick out your favorite alcoholic beverage. Tequila is usually the standard for body shots, but don't be afraid to experiment. Tequila, vodka and rum are party favorites and will likely be readily available. Make sure your partner also likes the liquor that you chose.

3. Don't forget to get the extras. Grab some salt and a lime to go with tequila, or perhaps sugar and a lemon to go with vodka. You may also want a chaser, such as some juice or soda to wash down the shot with.

4. Now for the setup. Decide who is taking the shot. Let's say you're taking the first shot. Now, you hold a shot glass of liquor in one hand, while your partner puts the wedge of lime (or lemon) in his/her mouth. Now, you lick a part of the partner's body and sprinkle salt (or sugar) on it.

5. Take the body shot. First, lick the salt (or sugar) off the partner's body. You now drink the shot and then take a squeeze of the citrus wedge from your partner's mouth. Don't forget to make sure your partner agrees to let you lick the body part you chose. An arm may be safer, whereas the neck or abs may be more sexy. If you really want to go the extra mile, add a kiss at the end.

Tags: your partner, body shot, shot with, body shot with, make sure, partner body, salt sugar

1960s Cereals

Several brands of cereal were introduced in the 1960s.

The 1960s was an era of change and the intermingling of cultures. Diversity and innovation was seen within the fashion industry, media and cuisine while the Vietnam War went on throughout the entire decade. Easy meal alternatives, such as cereals, were continuously launched in the 1960s and captured the minds of children and adults alike with catchy jingles and colorful mascots.

Cap'n Crunch

Cap'n Crunch cereals emerged throughout the 1960s. The Quaker Oats Company introduced the regular Cap'n Crunch in 1963, Cap'n Crunch's Berries Crunch followed in 1967 and Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch was released in 1969. The crunches are pillow-shaped biscuits made of sweetened corn and oats. According to the Quaker Oats Company's website, animator Jay Ward is responsible for the creation of the Cap'n character and other mascots such as Smedley the Elephant and the Brunch Berry Beast.

Crispy Critters

Post Cereal's Crispy Critters were initially marketed in 1963. Crispy Critters resembled animal-shaped cookies made of oats and frosted with brown sugar. They had the same crunch and consistency of a cookie. Linus the Lionhearted served as the mascot in commercials with the slogan, "the one and only cereal that comes in the shape of animals," exemplified by a stampede of animal shaped cereals toppling over him. These commercials are archived by the Duke University Libraries and can be viewed via iTunes.

Froot Loops

Froot Loops, produced by Kellogg's and sold throughout the world, premiered in 1963. Toucan Sam is the mascot of these artificially sweetened whole grain oats that represent various fruit flavors. Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide displays the original Toucan Sam featuring a longer beak with two pink stripes. Froot Loops come in circular, wheel shapes and colors of the rainbow. Froot Loops originally consisted of red loops which represented cherry, yellow for lemon-flavored and orange.

Total

Total was one of the first cereals, which launched in 1961, that was promoted as a healthy breakfast. This General Mills-branded cereal is infused with several vitamins and minerals, providing 100 percent of the Daily Value recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The whole grain wheat flakes contain folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C, D and E.

Wackies

General Mills introduced Wackies in 1965. Wackies consisted of shaped oat cereal and sweet, banana flavored bits with silly names such as banana bingles, banana jangles, oat glots and oat gloops. The banana bits were similar to marshmallows in taste and texture. Television commercials showcased Wackies' mascots as cartoon characters, the Wackies Boy and the Banana Wackies Gorilla as described by Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide.

Tags: Froot Loops, Crispy Critters, Breakfast Cereal, Breakfast Cereal Character, Cereal Character, Cereal Character Guide, Character Guide

What Is Gazpacho Soup

Gazpacho soup is the perfect dish to serve on a summer's day when it's just too hot to cook and the refrigerator is overflowing with fresh vegetables from the garden or farmer's market. This cold, tomato-based soup from Spain is chock full of vitamins, refreshing, light and surprisingly easy to make.

History

Gazpacho began as a poor people's food, eaten by Spanish field workers. It was originally composed of bread, water and olive oil, which were crushed together in a wooden bowl or dornillo. Tomatoes were added to this early form of Gazpacho shortly after they were introduced to the Old World from the Americas by Columbus. Other ingredients were added and regional variations developed throughout Spain. Andalusia, a region in Southern Spain, is credited with inventing gazpacho soup as we know it today,

Ingredients

Gazpacho typically contains fresh raw tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and garlic, blended with vinegar, olive oil and ice water. Slightly stale bread moistened with water is often added as well. Some recipes may call for parsley, lemon juice, sugar or onion. It is vital that all ingredients be garden fresh and at the peak of ripeness. Pale hothouse tomatoes will not make a good gazpacho. Be sure to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for maximum flavor. (See the Resources section for specific recipes.)

Preparation

Wash and chop the vegetables. Remove the skin from tomatoes, garlic and onions. Combine the vegetables in a large bowl and add soaked stale bread, if desired. Blend the vegetables with a mortar and pestle or in small batches in a blender or food processor. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in small amounts, tasting frequently, until the desired flavor is attained. Gazpacho should be chilled for several hours before serving.

Types

There are many different types of gazpacho soup; recipes vary by locality and some families even have their own versions. White gazpacho contains peeled, crushed almonds, while green gazpacho calls for chopped herbs such as mint, parsley and basil. Other variations may have chopped eggs, ham, lettuce or fruit as ingredients.

Benefits

Gazpacho soup is full of antioxidants and vitamins. There is healthy fat from the olive oil, and this soup has no cholesterol and is generally low in calories. A bowl of gazpacho soup will go a long way toward satisfying the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Tags: gazpacho soup, stale bread, were added

Great Foods To Offer During Football Game

Throwing a football party? Serve the right foods to keep your guests happy.

Finger foods are the preferred food options for a football game viewing party. They allow the guests to eat while watching the game, without the need for a fork and knife -- or even much attention. Party foods should include both savory and sweet options to satisfy all cravings. Knowing a few food options gives you a starting point to develop your own party menu.

Dips and Salsas

Store-bought chips paired with either store-bought or homemade dips or salsa are a classic party treat. A simple option for homemade dip is onion dip. To make this dip, mix together sour cream and dried French onion soup mix. Make salsa with fresh tomatoes, onions and cilantro. For another homemade addition, make your own chips.

Pigs in Blankets

Another traditional finger food is pigs in blankets. Traditionally, you make them by wrapping hot dogs in a crescent roll. Play with the classic by wrapping different meats in different breadings. For example, use a Vienna sausage or chicken strip wrapped in puff pastry. Add cheese or other condiments to the "blankets" before wrapping them. For a sweet version, wrap a piece of candied bacon in pie dough, and top it with maple syrup or chocolate syrup.

Football Sweets

Create a cake in the shape of a football using football shaped cake pan. Or bake cupcakes and place them on a tray in a football-shape pattern, then frost them to resemble a football. A third option is to make a sheet cake and frost it with green frosting to make football field, and place football player figurines onto the cake.

Team Themed Foods

When planning a party around a certain game, consider the teams when planning your menu for a fun, themed option. Think about the regional cuisine of the area and plan snacks off of that. For example, if the Saints are planning, think about a gumbo. Or if the Bears are playing, think about a deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza. Or you can use the colors of the team to choose foods. For Greenbay, make fried green beans and a beer cheese dip.

Potluck

Menu planning for your guests gets expensive and time consuming. If you do not have the time or funds to provide a full array of foods for the guests to munch on, consider a potluck. Ask your guests to each bring their own favorite party food. This provides you with a variety of foods and ensures each guest has at least one food option he enjoys.

Tags: your guests, food options, planning your

Byob Restaurants In New York City

New York offers BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) dining options.

You should never arrive to a dinner party empty handed. When dining at a restaurant with a BYOB policy, diners have a chance to bring your own bottle of wine or alcohol to compliment your meal. Although most restaurants make the most revenue off drink sales, often times acquiring a liquor license can be expensive, therefore leading a restaurant to apply and encourage BYOB.

Taureau

Taureau is a small BYOB fondue restaurant in the East Village. The modern space is a small and narrow dining room featuring white and red walls and intimate tales for two with table top induction heaters to warm up the fondue pots. Named after the French word for bull, Taureau offers hanger steak, pork tenderloin and filet mignon to dip in the hot oil pot placed on the center of the two person table. There's also a cheese and chocolate fondue served with fresh and dried fruit. With a simple dining menu, the restaurant is clearly BYOB, so bringing in any bottle of alcohol or wine is encouraged.

Taureau

127 E Seventh St.

New York, NY 10009

212-228-2222

Angelica Kitchen

Angelica Kitchen is an organic concept restaurant in New York. The menu is comprised of organic plant based cuisines featuring vegetarian dishes like sweet potato croquettes and the "dragon bowl", a mixture of steamed veggies, rice, beans and tofu. All the food prepared at Angelica's is prepared fresh each day and features quality organically grown ingredients. The menu changes daily according to season, weather and availability of ingredients. There are a few things that aren't served at Angelica Kitchen, such as refined sugars, preservatives, dairy, eggs, animal products or booze. Although the first items aren't condoned in a restaurant where sustainable agriculture is practiced, you are still welcome to bring your own alcoholic beverage.

Angelica Kitchen

300 E 12th St.

New York, NY 10003

212-228-2909

Ivo & Lulu

Ivo & Lulu is a small storefront restaurant. This neighborhood eatery is ran by the owners who also serve as the chefs and servers. Because the restaurant is little and narrow it cultivates a dinner party vibe in an intimate dining room. The seasonal menu is completely organic and no dish exceeds $15. Try the chunky pheasant terrine casserole or the mango-glazed jerk duck leg confit. The BYOB rule applies here so bring your own bottle of choice or the owners will guide you the nearest liquor store.

Ivo & Lulu

558 Broome St.

New York, NY 1001

212-226-4399

Tags: Angelica Kitchen, bring your, bring your bottle, dining room, dinner party

What Is Potato Gratin

What Is Potato Gratin?

Potato Gratin is a comfort food brought to us from France, but found in other cultures under different names. It may not be the perfect diet food, but it does taste like home. It is a baked potato dish, usually served as an accompaniment to a meat dish.

Definition

Gratin is a French term for the crust formed by butter breadcrumbs over a baked dish. Potatoes gratinée include cheese in the gratin. The recipe is known in America as scalloped potatoes.

Ingredients

Potato Gratin varies slightly by region, however the basic preparations involves thinly sliced potatoes layered in a pan with milk or heavy cream and topped with butter, breadcrumbs and cheese.

Variations

Some potato gratin recipes include egg, which is whisked with hot milk then poured over the potatoes before baking. Others call for thinly sliced fennel, leeks or onions alongside the potatoes, and of course a wide variety of cheese can be used in potato gratin, from Gruyere to Parmesan.

Nutritional Information

Homemade potato gratin contains approximately 323 calories per serving (1 cup), of which 167 calories are from fat. That is 29 percent of your daily value of total fat and 19 percent of your daily value of cholesterol.

Sample Recipe

Slice 2 lbs. potatoes thinly. Butter a baking dish and layer the potatoes, adding salt and pepper to each layer. Add nutmeg and garlic to the top layer, then pour on 1 1/2 cups whipping cream and 1/4 cup milk. Top with dots of butter and cheese of your choice. Bake at 400 F for 45 minutes.

Tags: your daily value, butter breadcrumbs, daily value, percent your, percent your daily

Peel An Avocado

Avocados are more satisfying when they are sliced nicely.

If you need to peel an avocado for some guacamole or a Cobb salad, you can do so with the tools you already have in your kitchen, and without making a big mess. Avocados may be fattening, but the kind of fat -- monounsaturated -- is actually healthy for you as it can lower cholesterol.

Instructions

1. Choose a ripe avocado. The first clue is the color -- most avocados in the grocery store are the Hass variety, and those will be very dark green (almost black) and wrinkly when ripe. The best test, however, is to squeeze the avocado. It should "give" a little to the pressure of your hand. If it squishes rather than gives, it's overripe, and if it doesn't give at all, it's not ripe enough. If you need to ripen avocados, just place them in a paper bag and leave the bag on the kitchen counter for a couple of days. If you really need it to ripen fast, it's been said that placing an apple into the bag with the avocado will help.

2. Slice the avocado in half with a paring knife and separate the halves. Carefully slice the avocado lengthwise, all the way around. You'll know when you've sliced through, because the pit will stop the blade of your knife. Then hold each half of the avocado in the palm of each hand and very gently twist them in opposite directions. The fruit is soft and smooth and will separate easily.

3. Remove the pit. There are a couple of ways to do this without making a mess of the fruit it is lodged in. The safer way is to use a soup spoon to gently pry the pit away from the fruit. Another way is to use leverage by way of the knife. Tap the avocado pit with the blade of the knife. It doesn't take much force for the knife to firmly lodge in the pit (in fact, if you use too much force, you're likely to splatter yourself with avocado pulp). Twist the knife handle slightly and lift. The pit should come away clean, stuck to the blade of the knife.

4. Separate the avocado fruit from the skin. This can easily be accomplished with the soup spoon. Simply wedge the spoon between the fruit and the skin at the top of the avocado, and pry the fruit away, sliding the spoon along as you go. If you need sliced or diced avocado instead of mashed, try using a butter knife instead of a soup spoon. Slice the fruit with the butter knife while it is still attached to the skin, then use the same implement to pry the slices away from the skin.

Tags: soup spoon, avocado fruit, away from, blade knife, butter knife, from skin

Train To Be A Sushi Chef

Sushi is a delicacy best known for subtle flavors that come from using a variety of traditional Japanese ingredients. In Japan, chefs require long years of apprenticeship before allowing students to prepare sushi independently. In the West, however, you can take a course and learn the basics of the art, after which time you can practice your skills at any place willing to hire you. The popularity of sushi makes it a good choice for those looking to build a career in the culinary field.

Instructions

1. Read books and browse the internet to find out more about sushi history and its role in Japanese cuisine. Study about the traditional Japanese ingredients and methods used to prepare sushi delicacies. Seafood like fish, clams, crab and sea urchins are widely used in sushi preparation. Plant products like roots of the lotus, ginger, mushrooms and sesame figure prominently in sushi recipes. Read about the ways in which ingredients are combined to make different sushi products. You can also shop for sushi knives, rolling mats and chopsticks.

2. Practice making sushi at home using sushi recipes. Preparing sushi involves cutting, dicing and rolling. Build speed and perfect sushi knife cuts by practicing regularly. Making sushi dishes requires managing ingredient proportions. Start by measuring quantities as mentioned in recipes. Ask your family and friends to taste your creations. Experiment with different ingredient combinations to get an idea of which ingredients contribute particular flavors.

3. Enroll in a sushi training class. Supermarkets that sell sushi sometimes offer such classes. Ask supermarket and other restaurant sushi chefs for sushi training recommendations. Alternatively, search websites of schools like the Sushi Chef Institute and Sushi Academy. Enrolling in such training programs can help you better understand both theory and practice. When enrolled in a course, ask your trainer for guidance on handling snags that arise during your experiments at home.

4. Work at a sushi restaurant. Find a job at restaurants that serve sushi. Observe and learn from the techniques used by the master chef. Pick up tips that can help you make sushi taste as authentic as the traditional Japanese fare.

Tags: traditional Japanese, Japanese ingredients, prepare sushi, Sushi Chef, sushi recipes, sushi training, traditional Japanese ingredients

Make Turkey Jerky

Make Turkey Jerky

Jerky has long been a favorite snack of those who love savory munchies. Though jerky is traditionally made using beef, turkey jerky is gaining in popularity. Here is a quick and easy recipe to make your own turkey jerky at home.

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together. In your marinade dish mix all your ingredients together except the turkey slices. Stir well.

2. Lay strips of turkey in the marinade dish. Place strips of turkey in the marinade dish, making sure all the pieces of turkey are covered by the marinade.

3. Marinade the turkey. Place the marinade dish in the refrigerator for eight to twenty-four hours.

4. Remove the turkey slices from the marinade and blot with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

5. Dehydrate your turkey slices. If you are using a food dehydrator place the strips of turkey in a single layer in the food dehydrator. Turn the dehydrator on and allow the turkey jerky to dehydrate until the turkey jerky is crisp.

Making Turkey Jerky In Your Oven

6. Pre-heat the oven. If you are using the oven method to make turkey jerky pre-heat your oven to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Place strips of turkey on a metal rack and place in the oven when the oven reaches temperature.

7. Dehydrate your turkey in the oven for six to eight hours.

Tags: marinade dish, strips turkey, turkey slices, your turkey, Dehydrate your, Dehydrate your turkey

How Does Teflon Stick To Pans

Slippery Business

Not surprisingly, Teflon is actually the slipperiest substance on the face of the Earth, as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records. There is very little that can stick to this substance, making Teflon pans extremely popular in the modern kitchen. In fact, Teflon is so slippery that it will not chemically bond to any other substance. How, then, do they do it?

Invention

Teflon was invented by DuPont scientist Dr. Roy Plunkett in 1938. At the time, he was trying to create a coolant gas superior to the ones available in the market. While experimenting with different types of gas, he accidentally left a combination of gases in a sealed container overnight. When he arrived the next morning, the gases had vaporized. In their place was a slippery and waxy solid. The substance held up to corrosive chemicals that would normally eat through anything. DuPont refused to sell this product until 10 years later. During that time, someone named Marc Gregorie learned of it, and following the advice of his wife, he applied the substance to her pots and pans. He then marketed his product, renaming it Tefel, and made millions of dollars.

Mechanics

While Teflon will not bond to anything, it can be forced mechanically into crevices and indentations. Using this knowledge, manufacturers sandblast and prime the item they want the Teflon to stick to. This roughens the surface, creating "stickability." The Teflon is then embedded onto the primed item.

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Springform Pan Work

What is a Springform Pan?

A springform pan is typically a circular pan. The base of the pan and the rim can detach from one another. The defining feature of a springform pan is the clamp located on the rim of the pan. This clamp allows the rim of the pan to expand and release from the base.

Clamp

The rim of the pan can be removed or attached when the clamp located on the rim is opened or closed. This action allows the rim of the pan to expand and the base to become separate. When closed, the clamp securely attaches the rim of the pan to the base. When open, the clamp allows for the base of the pan to release.

Rim

The rim of the pan creates a seal around the base of the pan when the clamp is secure. The rim of the pan must be secure before filling the pan and during baking. When the clamp is open, the rim of the pan can be removed without disturbing the baked item.

Base

The base of the pan can be removed completely from the rim. This allows for delicate baked goods, such as cheese cake, to be removed from the pan easily without damaging the cake. Baked items can also be removed from the base of the pan easily with the aid of a spatula.

Tags: allows expand, clamp allows, clamp located, from base, removed from