20 Nov 08 Gourmet

Do you remember the first time you had a "gourmet" delicacy? I do. I was having dinner in a restaurant of supreme quality and reputation, and I ordered the escargot. It was the most wonderful entrée I have ever had the pleasure of consuming. The food there was delicious and prepared with individuality. Therein is the chief ingredient for gourmet. The definition of gourmet is a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment, especially good food and drink. That is the discriminating difference bet...

20 Nov 08 Italian Cuisine

The island of Sardinia perhaps most quickly conjures up the idea of sardines. A small island off of the western coast of Italy, it certainly incorporates seafood in to much of its regional cuisine. However, Sardinia has such a rich and various history that it bears little resemblance to the traditional idea of Italian cooking. Like many other Italian regional cuisines, Sardinia's regional taste is often a surprise for a palette that is expecting red sauce and parmesan cheese to be the beginning ...

20 Nov 08 Special Ingredients

There are wide variety of ingredients in Chinese cooking. The ingredients that we normally see can be divided into two major kinds: vegetable and animal. Vegetable ingredients can be further divided into vegetables, beans, fresh fruits, dried fruits, seasonings, vegetable fat, etc. Animal ingredients can be further divided into meat, internal organs (not everyone likes them), poltry, aquatic product, egg product. There are also a selection of special ingredients that we don't often use in our da...

20 Nov 08 Choosing a User Friendly Cookbook

October is National Cookbook Month, making now the perfect time to add to your collection. But with more than 24,000 new cookbooks published each year, how do you choose one that doesn't just sit on the shelf gathering dust? 1. The cookbook works for you. New or busy cooks will be happy with a variety of family-friendly dishes presented in an easy-to-follow format. Look for key works in the title like basic, simple, busy, or quick. Experienced cooks might be looking for more creative recipes, ma...

20 Nov 08 Garam Masala - The Spices of India

India is known for its excellent cuisine, it's unique regions of cooking, and a pleasant dining experience. India is distinguished in the world's cuisine for it vegetarian dishes. One thing all of the regional cuisines of India have in common is it's use of spices. Garam masala is an essential ingredient in the cooking of the Punjab region of northern India. Loosely defined, "masala" is any blend of spices, and "garam" means hot. Generally, garam masala is added to the dish very shortly before...

19 Nov 08 How to Cook without Water

At simplyKitchenware.com , we are often asked about the problem of cooking without water. Nobody likes the smell of burning food, and the most obvious response to the pan drying out is simply to add more water. However, this is not always the best solution. Over hydrating your ingredients is actually the fastest way to dilute the taste - and bland food is a dish best not served at all, not to mention you run a real risk of damaging your expensive cookware! The solution? At www.simplykitchenware....

19 Nov 08 Outdoor Cooking - Heighten Your Taste Buds

Eating and cooking are two different things but co-exist with each other. Cooking is a discipline that not everyone enjoys doing. People sometimes do not want that feeling of confinement in the kitchen and cooking for customers. For some, they would rather eat and enjoy the food even though they did not prepare it. For outdoor cooking, it is the same thing. Someone loves to prepare the food while others would rather devour it as soon as it is plated and served. One great thing about cooking o...

19 Nov 08 Cooking Outdoor Utensils - Planning To Cook Outdoors

Cooking is something almost everyone encounters in his or her life but not everyone can cook. It makes the people healthy and alive because food is what the body needs. Of course when preparing and cooking the meal itself, you need a handy cooking outdoor utensil to make things easier. Just imagine doing it all manually, you will surely have hard time and it will take up too much time. There are electric appliances that do the work for you so you just dump everything in the pan when it is read...

19 Nov 08 Light Calorie Cooking

Many people these days want to control their diets so they are eating low calorie foods, but low calorie foods that still taste great. The way to get low calorie foods that taste great is through light calorie cooking. There are a few tips to consider when embarking on light calorie cooking adventures where the calories are low but the taste is high. Margarine As Opposed to Butter When following recipes when preparing a meal, there are many recipes that now list a choice between using butter as ...

19 Nov 08 Boiled Crawfish Recipes - the Secret is in the Crawfish Pot

The right crawfish pot is a great beginning to fabulous boiled crawfish recipes. All of us wanna-be 'Food Network' chefs want to emulate our favorite cooks but always slack on the needed kitchen equipment. We fake it and use whatever is near and dear, but who knows just how great that recipe could have been? Crawfish is one of the funniest looking crustaceans you'd ever want to meet. And no matter how strange looking they are, once you remove them from the crawfish pot and start eating, you c...

18 Nov 08 Converting a Recipe for your Crockpot

Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100 degrees and its high setting is around 300 degrees. Knowing this, it is fairly easy to convert most recipes for use in your slow cooker. Some adjusments to cooking times will be a judgement call on your part, but some simple guidelines should help. Just follow a few simple rules and you're on your way. You should decrease the liquid since it does not boil away in a crockpot. Add cheeses and other milk product towards the end of your cook...

18 Nov 08 Cooking instructions for prime rib roast

Have you been searching for cooking instructions for prime rib roast and still can't find a recipe that will give you the juicy and tender prime rib roast that you deserve? The reason may be that recipes only give you the basic ingredients for cooking and not the cooking instructions for prime rib roast. Let's start with cooking instructions for prime rib roast that begins long before the day you prepare your prime rib. First, you should choose the prime rib that will give adequate portions for...

18 Nov 08 How to Cook a Really Crispy Duck or Chicken

b>How to Cook a real Crispy Duck If you're like me you love the skin on the outside of duck, if it's crispy. The texture of the meal can totally be changed with a crispy skin. The secret is to make sure the duck is scored across the front and salted heavily. This helps dry up the skin and makes for a super crispy skin. You will not be the only one that enjoys this Crispy Duck Recipe, but everyone else at your dinner table. Take the duck that you're going to use for your main dish make slits...

18 Nov 08 Vegetarian Cuisine

Rabbit food. That's what my dad calls vegetarian cooking and cuisine. Salads and vegetables ' can't be anything more to it, can there? Oh, but there is. Vegetarian cooking is at least as varied as 'regular' cooking ' and in some cases, far more imaginative. Nearly thirty years ago, Diet for a Small Planet, and the follow-up cookbook, Recipes for a Small Planet hit the bookstore shelves with a resounding thud that still echoes. While many of the theories of protein complementarily that Frances Mo...

18 Nov 08 Common abbreviations and terminology used in cooking

My mother has a story of her first cookbook. She and my dad lived in student housing with a baby and very little money. She received a gift of a gourmet cookbook. She opened it for the first time and felt intimidated, she had to go to the grocer and ask him to explain what all the abbreviations and new words meant. Years later she now keeps this cookbook as a gentle reminder of her humble beginnings. Well, it is still intimidating at times especially for new cooks. Here is some common abbreviat...

17 Nov 08 3 Non-Traditional Ways to Prepare Your Holiday Turkey

Deep-Fryed Turkey 3 gallons peanut oil for frying, or as needed 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed 1/4 cup Creole seasoning 1 white onion In a large stockpot or turkey fryer, heat oil to 400 degrees F. Be sure to leave room for the turkey, or the oil will spill over. ***** Side Note ***** How to determine the amount of oil you need: The easiest way I've found to determine the amount of oil you need is to place the turkey into the fryer and fill with water until the turkey is j...

17 Nov 08 Tantalizing Turkey

You too can make a spectacular turkey dinner! TT has what you need to help you at every step. You even get carving directions with graphics, guidance about the best way to thaw, stuff and roast your turkey, recipes and more. See what's inside: Get answers to your most pressing turkey questions about how leftover turkey can be stored properly and what do you need to do to a turkey just before roasting it. Pick up invaluable Turkey Tips about Thermometer Placement and even how do you will know w...

17 Nov 08 The Secret to Cooking for a Crowd

Having a large family growing up, I learned to cook in a big way. With 5 brothers and 3 sisters plus Mom and Dad, I started out cooking for eleven people by the time I was twelve. Mom needed help and taught her daughters to cook at an early age. I'll never forget the first time I fried chicken all by myself. My brothers ridiculed my over-done chicken mercilessly. I'll never forget the first meal I cooked away from home. My sister and I moved out together, just the two of us, and, after settling...

17 Nov 08 Turkey Gravy Secrets Revealed

Turkey Gravy Secrets Revealed To make the best tasting turkey gravy you need three things; well-seasoned fat, flour, and a good rich broth. For each cup of finished gravy you will need one tablespoon of fat, one tablespoon of flour and 1 cup of broth. Start by making up some rich turkey broth. You can use the turkey neck, heart, gizzard or other parts usually found packed inside the turkey cavity. Add some minced onion, diced celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt in enough water to cover, simmer until v...

17 Nov 08 What to do Three Days before Thanksgiving

You have only three days left; it is coming down to the wire. You will begin to prepare for cooking and clean your home for your upcoming Thanksgiving celebration. These are busy days but by sticking with your Thanksgiving planning calendar you will breeze through these stressful days and have a wonderful Thanksgiving to show for it. Three days before Thanksgiving: Defrost your frozen turkey. Take out a cookie sheet and place the frozen turkey on the cookie sheet. This will catch any of the ju...