FoodDrink Cooking Tips

Many new to grilling can find it confusing and intimidating to try making a steak on the grill. There are many different opinions on the right and wrong way to grill, which only adds to the frustration. Learning these tips and which mistakes to avoid will help you cook the perfect cuts of beef each and every time.

1. Safety First: Many people do not consider safety when preparing meals, but it is the most important rule in outdoor cooking to follow. You will always want to make sure that you are in an open area that is away from buildings, bushes, trees, kids, and pets. Following the instructions on the grill is also very important. You will also want to follow some basic food safety guidelines, such as washing your hands, not letting foods go unrefrigerated for too long, and using clean utensils.

2. Choose Cuts Wisely: There are many different options to choose from when selecting your cuts of meat. Each different cut will have a different flavor, texture, and cooking time. One common mistake many make is to choose a low grade piece of beef that is not very well marbled and then expecting it to be tender and juicy as a prime one would be. In general, the higher priced the steak the better results you will get. However, with proper marination and preparation you can also get a juicy and tender steak. Doing your research before even visiting the grocery store or butcher shop can save you a lot of frustration.

3. Season Appropriately: Depending on which cuts of beef you have chosen to work with, you will want to make sure that you have seasoned them appropriately. Well marbled prime cuts typically need little more than some salt and pepper. However, a select cut may need to marinade for several hours in order to be tender and juicy.

4. Organize Beforehand: Many cooks do not have everything they need set up and organized before they begin to barbecue. This can not only be dangerous to leave a grill unattended, but it also puts you at risk for burning the foods you are grilling! Always make sure you have everything you need before you even light the fire.

5. Make it Hot: A perfectly grilled steak needs a very high heat. If your heat is too low or not even it can cause the cooking time to take forever or risk burning one part of the food and leaving another side raw. Always strive to get the highest temperature as possible.

6. Flip Three Times Max: Many people think that in order to look like an efficient chef at the grill you need to constantly have your flipper waving in the air and turning the food over. Unfortunately, not only is this unnecessary but it can also cause your steaks to lose flavor and cook unevenly. You only need to flip twice for rare to medium rare, a medium well may need a few extra minutes on the third side.

7. Use a Thermometer: A digital meat thermometer is an indispensable tool to have. When you have one you can tell if the food is done and know it is prepared to a safe temperature. You will never have to ask "how long do I cook this for?" again when you have a good reliable thermometer.

8. Clean Your Grill: When you are done cooking, you will want to make sure your grill is nice and clean for the next time. Always clean the grate according to the manufacturer specifications and discard hot coals if cooking on charcoal in a safe manner.

By following these 8 simple tips you will be on your way to grilling the perfect steak each and every time. With a little practice and experience, you'll be amazed at how easy it can be!

For more information on grilling visit the author's site Baby Back Grill where you can learn more tips, recipes, and some delicious marinated steak recipes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Stein

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It is my belief that those who think that cooking cannot be fun, either haven't really tried it OR haven't tried the right recipes. What is more fun to me is to make things with ingredients I really like. That's what I suggest to people who think they don't know how to cook OR that cooking isn't fun.

If you "aren't much of a cook" (not my words but likely yours) try looking through a recipe book and find a recipe that you think you could make. Start easy at first. Make the recipe as is to see what it should look and taste like. The fun comes when you start varying a recipe to suit your tastes. Please NEVER not make a recipe because you don't like one or more of the ingredients. Substitute the ingredient(s) with something you like and as best you can the colour of what you are leaving out. For example, I hate onions of any kind. So I usually substitute onions with peppers and/or celery. If the recipe calls for peppers and celery I just add more for the extra volume. If it's only one ingredient that you don't like and you don't know what to substitute in its place, leave it out.

If a recipe calls for a meat you don't eat or don't like, substitute for a meat you do eat. If you don't eat meat substitute the meat for a protein you eat. For instance, Tofu is a good substitute for meat but so is fish or nuts. If a recipe calls for ground beef and you would rather have chicken or turkey, by all means use ground chicken or turkey in the recipe. If you don't eat any meat but eat fish, substitute ground meat for a chopped fish. Like haddock, sole or red snapper.

If you don't eat meat or fish, substitute the ground meat with chopped tofu or a nut like almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts. You'll be surprised how good it is. When it comes to cooking DO YOUR OWN THING, it really is as simple as that. If you need help with this, let me know by e-mail or by phone and I would be more than happy to help that way. This is with cooking only. When it comes to baking, it's not quite so simple but doable with some ingredients.

Wayne from Cooking Is Fun And Easy

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Baker

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Religion, having a big impact on people's way of living, has greatly influenced even what people eat. Sacred laws regarding food have paved the way for the creation of dishes especially made for a certain religion. Jewish recipes are an example. A kosher dish is anything which the Jewish law allows the Jews to eat. The Jewish bible, the Torah, contains the precise rules of what should constitute kosher Jewish food.

Though it may seem difficult to come up with a meal based on rules, preparing Jewish food is surprisingly easy. The Jewish rules regarding food and Jewish foods recipes are simple and very definite; hence they can be easily understood. All you have to do is pay attention on some guiding principles. First, remember that Jewish law prohibits eating certain animals. As a general rule, the Torah commands the Jews to eat only those animals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves. In view of that, the pig, the camel, the hare, and the rock badger should not be considered kosher because these animals are deficient in one of the two required qualities of the Torah. The deer, the sheep, the bison, and the cattle may be used in preparing Jewish recipes since they all chew their cud and have cloven hooves. The Torah has a lot more detailed rules regarding forbidden animals. You have to keep your mind on each rule. Also consider that even products drawn from the forbidden animals like their eggs, milk and fat, are prohibited.

Another thing to be considered in preparing Jewish recipes is the blood of the meat. The Torah commands that the blood be drawn off from the meat when making Jewish foods recipes; this is because taking in blood is forbidden by the Jewish law. The religion believes that the blood contains the soul of the animal. To follow this Jewish rule, you must remove the blood by either soaking and salting or broiling the meat.

Jewish recipes may include fruits and vegetables. These are not prohibited by the Jewish law. However, it is required that fruits and vegetables be carefully inspected to make sure that they are bug-free. The worms and bugs that may be present in fruits and vegetables are forbidden animals. That is why it is important that these animals are removed before the fruits and vegetables are eaten. Products derived from fruits and vegetables are also allowed.

On the other hand, there is a specific rule prohibiting the consumption of grape products, including wine, made by Non-Jews. The religion promotes the belief that wine and other grape products made by Non-Jews are products of idolatry. Nevertheless, whole grapes are allowed. Only the grape products are forbidden.

The Torah contains a lot more Jewish guiding principles in preparing a kosher dish. As long as these principles are followed, a dish can be considered kosher. In fact, even Non-Jews nowadays may enjoy eating Jewish recipes. Some of the famous kosher meals served in kosher restaurants today are Brown Rice with Fresh Asparagus, Vegetable Stew in a Pumpkin Shell, Balkan Cheese Stuffed Peppers, and Rolled Cabbage.

Jewish food recipes are one of the great fruits of Jewish laws. The dos and don'ts of the Jews have actually brought about special dishes that can be enjoyed by many. By simply following the rules, whether you are Jewish or not, you can easily prepare a kosher dish that will satisfy your cravings.

Whether you are a follower of the Jewish faith or whether you just want to expand your ability of cooking to new avenues; kosher-culinary-schools.com offer you information regarding this style of food.

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Baking bread doesn't have to be complicated or hard, but there are a few tips to make sure the loaf you bake will turn out just right. Sure, it's easy to go to the grocery store and buy a loaf of sliced bread. Anyone can do that, of course. Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on the back of the package? It's full of scientific words that I can't pronounce. At least I know what goes into my bread: flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Pretty basic and that's the way I like it.

The best piece of advice I have is: Practice, practice, practice. My first loaves of bread were hard and better used as baseball bats rather than baguettes. I learned my lesson and sought to improve my baking skills. I think I've learned more through trial and error than in baking class in culinary school. More than anything, kneading dough by hand connects you to your food. Even though I use a mixer to knead most of the time, some days I give the mixer a break and knead the dough by hand. Not only is it a great workout, you really learn what a good dough will feel like and appreciate it more.

Flour:
For all intensive purposes, the best flour to use is bread flour. It's high gluten and will produce good results. There are many flours out there. Once you get familiar with baking bread, you can experiment with other flours. If you want to use whole wheat to make a healthier bread, I suggest substituting half of the bread flour with whole wheat.

Yeast: It's alive!
What is yeast? I've been teaching my daughter how to bake and she's always intrigued by the yeast. Since I use SAF instant yeast, I don't really need to bloom it but it's a fun experiment for an 8 year old girl. Blooming yeast wakes it up and makes it come alive. Adding sugar to it makes it grow even faster since it's an organism that loves to eat (and eat and eat).

However, it can be kind of fickle.

Yeast likes:

* Sugar
* Warm water (not too hot or too cold -- this will kill it)

Yeast hates:

* Salt -- salt is extremely important in bread baking because it provides flavor and it helps keep the yeast in check (retards it, basically). If salt wasn't added to the dough, the yeast would over indulge and eat too much. It doesn't know when to stop. Salt steps in and calms the yeast down -- like the bouncer at a club.
* Extreme temperatures

For years I used Fleishman's yeast or Red Star. Both work well, but I switched over the SAF yeast which comes in a larger package and is used by professional bakers.

Starters:
I was a given a 15 year old starter not too long ago. Quite possibly this was the best gift I've ever been given. Ok, so I sound a little strange, but now I can bake sourdough bread once a week and eat some of the best sandwiches and toast known to man. It's all about the bread.

I'm sure you've had sourdough. Famous for its bread, San Francisco sourdough tastes different than sourdough in Chicago. Why? It feeds on natural yeast in the air and the air in Chicago is different than San Francisco. My sourdough starter has been living here in Montana for 15 years. I'm sure it has a different taste than one created in Ohio.

If you want to make your own starter, here is a basic one:

Honey Starter
1 package dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (105º-115ºF)
2 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour

Combine the ingredients in a quart jar with a tight fitting lid. Seal the jar and let the mixture ferment in warm place for 5 days, stirring daily. Store in the refrigerator. Replenish the starter with water and flour in equal portions.

Starter tips:
It's a commitment and fed. When you use a cup of starter for a recipe, you need to replenish what you took out by adding 3/4 cup water and 3/4 flour. Allow it to sit at room temperature for a day before refrigerating. Plan on baking bread about once a week or at least once every couple of weeks. Make sure you feed it about a tablespoon of flour and water each day or every other day.

Sponges:
A sponge is a type of starter that use usually not kept around, so it doesn't have the classic sour dough flavor. Sponges are left to grow overnight and used the next day in the loaf.

Weather:
What does Mother Nature have to do with baking bread? A lot, actually. If it's humid and rainy, you'll need to use more flour. If the weather is dry, then you use less flour. This a reason I don't measure the flour when baking. By feeling the dough, I can tell if enough flour has been incorporated. This goes back to the advice -- practice.

Armed with a little knowledge and a few good recipes, you can bake your own bread that will be tastier and healthier than the ones sold in stores.

Marcy Gaston is a writer living in Montana. She has been cooking her whole life both professionally and at home. She writes a cooking blog called Cooking Rut - http://cookingrut.blogspot.com

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The question comes up somewhat regularly in the shop, "Do I need to allow fresh pasta to dry before using it?" The answer is...no, you don't. The point of fresh pasta is to enjoy the subtle flavors and textures as soon as possible. However, leaving fresh pasta to dry for a few hours isn't going to ruin it either.

Often times, I will make pasta in the morning before heading out for the day. When deciding what to do with the pasta dough, I have two options:

1) cut it when I get home while waiting for the water to boil

2) cut it that morning and leave it dry on the counter until I use it.

As most of you already know, making pasta dough is quite easy. The dough comes together quickly, whether done by hand on the counter, or with quick pulses in a food processor. One then allows the dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temp to relax and develop or allow it to develop in the refrigerator for one to several hours. Remember, if you rest the dough in the frig, it needs to come to room temp before running it through the pasta machine.

If one isn't going to use the cut noodles right away, I feel it is best to hang them from some form of drying rack. They are sold in better kitchen shops and are not too expensive.

One can also let the noodles dry spread out flat on the counter or coiled in little nests. While the coiled nests look cool, be careful, unless coated in enough flour, the noodles may stick together.

Caution: never let stuffed ravioli sit on the counter overnight or all day! Most filled pasta contain meat and dairy products that won't be safe exposed to room temperatures for several hours. Always refrigerate stuffed pasta if not using straight away.

You might be wondering how you can cut said pasta. There are several choices. One can do it the old fashioned way and cut the pasta with a pastry cutter, pizza wheel or a board scraper. These tools are your preferred method for papparadelli or other wide noodles. If you want to cut thinner noodles, you may want to invest in a pasta machine.

Imperia and Atlas make counter top pasta machines. These two machines are virtually the same, so either machine will perform just as well. They come in 150mm and 180mm widths and each machine has a cutting attachment included.

Another, slightly more expensive, route to pasta rolling and cutting is the Kitchen Aid stand mixer attachment. If you have a Kitchen Aid, then you have met the requirements to use these cutters. They work just like the manual machines, they are simple powered by your KitchenAid and have a great counter clearance.

If you want to see photos of the products mentioned, find out where to buy them or see other product reviews about various culinary tools and gadgets available for the consumer on my website http://www.kitchenboy.net I am an experienced cook and baker, who works in Culinary sales.

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After cooking more than 40,000 meals and writing an award-winning cookbook, Help-I Gotta Cook! (Cookbook of the Year for 2007), you might think I had learned everything I needed to know. Wrong. If you are a serious cook (is there any other kind?) you never stop learning new techniques about how to treat various foods. That's what makes cooking a constant work in progress.

Several years ago, while writing my cookbook, I wondered why the making of a stew hadn't changed in centuries. Granted, the advent of the slow cooker added a new dimension to stew making but the emphasis was always on long, slow cooking which almost guaranteed that the meat would be tough and stringy and the vegetables mushy. One reason for this is that stews were always suggested for those cuts of meat that were tough to begin with and the hope was that long cooking would make them more tender. You might get rid of a little bit of toughness that way but you exchanged it for a piece of meat that was now stringy.

That line of thinking caused me to wonder why I couldn't have the rich taste and consistency of a wonderful stew, have vegetables that weren't cooked to death and meat that, heaven forbid, might even be tender and medium rare! And so I came up with Chef Dugan's two-stage method for braising and stewing, a culinary breakthrough if there ever was one! My method suggests that you cook the meat, poultry or fish to the degree of doneness that best compliments what you are cooking and do the same for the vegetables.

For instance, if you are making a chicken stew, cook the breasts, or other parts, in a nice broth, canned is okay, until they are done to perfection. For poultry this usually means about 15-20 minutes at a slow simmer for the breasts and for the other parts perhaps 30 minutes. Set the chicken aside and prepare your vegetable, usually carrots, celery, onions, potatoes and whatever else pleases you. Then cook the vegetables, again a a low simmer until they are done but not mushy. Taste-test them as you go along to make sure they retain just a little bit of crunch. While you are doing this your broth is becoming very tasty with first the juices from the chicken and then the vegetables. If you see the broth evaporating too much just add some more canned broth and perhaps a little white wine. Then, when you are ready to eat your stew simply combine the chicken with the vegetables, heat for a few minutes and serve.

A meat stew, made with my method, is organized the same way but it uses high quality meat, not the junk you see in the supermarket called stewing beef. You can use top sirloin, New York Strlps, Rib-Eyes or even Filet Mignon. I know, this is extravagant when you use these cuts but we are talking about pushing the envelope here with the world's first really gourmet stew. Once again you prepare the meat to the degree of doneness you like, keeping it mind that the meat will continue to cook a little once you add it to the broth. If you are a little concerned about this, my cookbook contains an old French recipe for poached beef tenderloin, or "a la ficelle", tenderloin on a string, which does exactly the same thing without the accompanying stew. Incidentally, veal can be used as well as beef. Don't forget to add a little of the red wine you are drinking before it's all gone and one last suggestion. With the kind of meat quality you will be dealing with, do not cut it up into bite-sized pieces. This is a knife, fork and spoon meal and the meat should be cut into at least 2" pieces so that you can control the level of doneness you desire.

If you are making a fish stew, such as Cioppino use the same method of two-stage cooking but do the fish and shellfish last. They should be added to the finished broth only minutes before serving. Once the fish and shellfish is added, take the pot off the heat and let it stand for five minutes. The fish will be done to perfection. Once again, don't forget a little white wine.

Food purists will want me to tell you that the best broths are made with roasted beef or chicken bones and, to some extent they are right. But for us common folks, with not a lot of time to prepare an evening meal, canned chicken, beef or clam broth will do just as well.

My last suggestion is to experiment a little with the vegetables. Try parsnips for instance, or green beans, or cauliflower in your stews. Instead of potatoes use white beans or, if you own my cookbook, make some spaetzle, little German dumplings to add to the stew. If you don't own my cookbook you should. As one review said, it's like having a cooking instructor in your kitchen and I thank you very much for inviting me.

You can buy the book, and learn more about cooking, by going to my webpage, http://www.ineedtocook.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ed_Dugan

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Ever notice the different procedures when baking cookies, muffins, and biscuits? Even cakes have their own particular method. Why do I cream the butter with the sugar when making cookie dough? Why shouldn't I completely mix the muffin batter until it's smooth and creamy? Why must this be so difficult!? WHY?

Ok, so I'm overreacting a bit. Just a little.

There are reasons for the madness and I'm here to explain a few things. I'll even share a few tips on how to make your cookies and cakes taste even better.

First off, baking is a process and takes patience. This is why many chefs don't like to bake. They don't have the patience to measure out the ingredients and to mix things properly. It actually matters, especially when it comes to cookies, muffins, quick breads, and cakes. I'm one of those rare chefs that loves to bake, which is probably a reason there are so many baking recipes stacked a mile high in my kitchen.

Cookie Method:
Cream the butter and sugars together. Sift the dry ingredients together. Add eggs one at at time. This process evenly distributes the ingredients. With cookies, you don't worry too much about rising or having an "airy" cookie.

Muffin Method:
Sift together the dry ingredients (including sugar). Mix together the wet ingredients. Mixing the two together until just mixed (slightly lumpy batter). Over mixing causes tunneling. What's tunneling? Glad you asked. If you over mix the batter, holes and spaces are created in the muffin. That's tunneling. A good muffin will have a slightly raised dome, nice and round, not pointed. Use this method for making pancakes and they will turn out light and fluffy.

Cake method:
This depends on the cake you are making. Angel food is different than baking a white cake. Suffice it to say, what you are achieving in baking a cake is getting air incorporated in the batter giving it a delicate texture. A basic yellow cake is mixed according to the "2 stage" method. This means the liquids are added in 2 different stages. First you cream the fat and sugar together; then add the eggs. Next you add the dry ingredients (sifted together) alternately with the milk. Depending on the cake, sometimes the eggs are added in the 2nd stage with the milk. When making an Angel food cake, egg whites are folded in at the end.

Biscuit method:
Cold butter/fat and liquid. Cut in the fat into the dry ingredients. Moisten the mixture with liquid until wet enough to form a dough. Don't over mix in order for the butter to stay as small lumps throughout the dough causing it to steam and forcing the dough to rise.

Tips:

* When baking cookies, muffins, and cakes, make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature. Recipes usually specify the butter to be softened (room temp) but rarely the eggs. Making sure the eggs are at room temperature will produce a better result. Cold eggs hitting warm butter causes the butter to congeal no matter how fast you mix it. It produces a greasy product -- not exactly what you want.
* Separate eggs when they are cold. Whip egg whites when they are at room temperature.
* Use unsalted butter only. You never know how much salt goes into the salted butter.
* Preheat the oven. Be patient. Allow it come up to temperature. And -- don't open the door all the time to check on your yummy baked goods, either. You're letting heat out! Patience.
* Remove muffins and cookies from the pans within the first 5 minutes after removing from oven. This prevents sogginess. Using racks to place the cookies or muffins (or cakes) will allow for even cooling.
* To sift or not to sift: I admit to not always sifting, but rather whisking the dry ingredients together. This is fine when it's cookies or muffins and you aren't in some competition. However, when it comes to delicate cakes, sift the flour. It will aerate the flour and help it to mix into the batter better.
* Does size matter? Yes. I'm talking about the eggs, of course. Get your head out of the gutter. Geez. Large eggs work the best in most recipes. Use the extra large, jumbo, or small for making omelets or scrambled eggs.

Measuring:

* Scoop and sweep method for flour. Scoop the flour into the measuring cup and sweep the top the back of a knife.
* Packed method for brown sugar.
* The most accurate way to measure dry ingredients is to weigh them. Professional bakers use scales. A cup of flour and a cup of sugar do not weigh 8 ounces nor do they weigh the same amount. The only two ingredients that weight the same as their volume are butter and water. 1 cup of butter weighs 8 ounces. Just so you know. Most recipes are written for the home cook.
* Always measure wet ingredients in a wet measuring cup. Dry ingredients get measured in standard measuring cups. Easier and more accurate.

With these tips, your cakes, cookies, and muffins will turn out great. Care to share some with rest of us?

Marcy Gaston is a writer living in Montana. She has been cooking and baking her whole life both professionally and for her family. She writes a cooking blog, Cooking Rut -http://cookingrut.blogspot.com

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Barbecuing methods have risen to a higher level in recent years with the revived interest in genuine wood fired cooking. In place of using the customary briquette or gas fired grill we are finding much more satisfaction cooking over wood such as cherry, alder, apple, mesquite or whatever good cooking hardwood is available near where we live. Bread has been baked in wood ovens made out of masonry, stone or steel and that is the secret to thick crunchy crust. Most bakers have known that wood fired cooking is and always has been the solution to many cooking secrets. It is no wonder that every chateau in France has a wood cooking system. The flavor, the smoke, and the heat is unrivaled and those of us who love cooking continue to search for a way that will take us back to that excellence.

For years, in the South, a tradition of luscious smoked meats from Texas beef to Carolina's pork has been a part of Americana. Could there be a way of combining the essence of smoking with qualities that would allow us to cook bread in the same system? It is indeed the wood fired pizza oven. Not only can we have the cooking process outdoors on those warm summer evenings, but we can enjoy pizza in a gourmet fashion, the way we like it, with the crust of Italy and flavor that takes us and our guests to an experience of the old country. And when we want to cook our favorite meat we can do it slowly with a thick smoke surrounding it forming itself into a savory offering for our guests as we work our way through a memorable dinner reminiscent of a night on the Loire River in the midst of France.

Outdoor pizza ovens are now available in several different forms for advocates of old world cooking. The traditional Italian wood fired pizza oven is often built into a deck or patio system as a gathering place and conversation piece around which real quality food can be enjoyed in an intimate setting. This system, because of the need for fairly sophisticated masonry work, can be expensive and many times the average food lover cannot afford such a system. The other choice is a steel, free standing wood fired pizza oven like ours which requires no special masonry work or installment and can be used right from the box.

Using old fashioned convection styled heating, one simply builds a fire in the firebox and waits for the oven to heat to temperature. All the controls of a wood stove are provided with the unit to control and encourage the fire so that it lights easily and heats to temperature safely and trouble free. When the oven has reached the correct cooking temperature it can be used to roast meat, bake pizza, bake bread, and anything imaginable. Our outdoor pizza oven has a system to channel the smoke from the favored wood to the oven to enhance the flavor. Other times, such as bread baking time, the wood smoke can be channeled out the chimney and not affect the delicate essence of the product. Not only does it make real wood cooking available to the average person but it provides a very attractive addition to your deck or patio as you entertain.

Outdoor pizza ovens bring back the enjoyment of the process of cooking with wood. Having your own personal pizza oven outside on a beautiful summer evening, in your own intimate setting, with good friends or family, will make for a memorable experience that you and your guests will long remember.

Outdoor chef, editor of GunsAmmo.ws, author many outdoor articles , Millard Hiner, has a collection of outdoor cooking articles on the new website Outdoor Pizza Ovens which is also great source for outdoor wood fired cooking information.

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Everyone loves to have their favorite foods cooked to perfection on the grill. And learning how to marinate is an important step in achieving this perfection. marinating is a cooking method - or at the very least an important prelude to many cooking methods - that needs to be understood in itself. It is much more than simply soaking your favorite meat in your favorite salad dressing before slapping it on the grill. Or at least it should be! There are some tricks to getting it right and lucky for you, they are simple and you will learn them right here!

Marinate with a Mission.

You're probably wondering if you really need to learn how to marinate for great grilling. My general mantra when it comes to cooking is that there are no unbreakable rules. So I guess, in sticking with that, you don't HAVE to do anything. But before you decide your reading for now is over, let me give you some quick reasons why you might WANT to marinate. marinating meats imparts flavor, adds moisture, and can (to a degree) tenderize meat. The first secret to great marinating is learning how to match the correct marinate with the correct cut of meat and then apply the correct cooking method. This simple formula will produce great results every time.

Proceed with Caution (but not too much!).

In learning how to marinate, one of the things to determine is what meat you plan to use. A common mistake is to overestimate the meat tenderizing results that can be achieved with marinating. Yes, marinating will provide SOME tenderizing - but only some. You still cannot take shoe leather, marinate it and cut it with a butter knife. It's not going to happen - and expecting that will only produce those disappointing results I mentioned before. Like anything else you cook, it is always best to start with good ingredients and to consider the end result you desire. In addition, muscle tissue will absorb marinate better than fat tissue so using an overly fatty piece of meat will result in very little marinating actually getting into your product.

There is a Method to the Madness (and to the marinate).

Making your own marinate is easy and ingredient options are virtually limitless. In most marinates, the essential ingredient is an acid, which acts as a slight tenderizer, but the type of acid you choose is completely open to your creativity and the type of dish you are making. Wine, lemon juice, tomato juice, balsamic vinegar, orange juice pineapple juice and margarita mix are all fairly common acids that work great in marinates. Adding oil is also an option, but keep in mind that the oil itself will not be drawn into the muscle tissue. Oil in this case is used solely for flavoring so if you use oil, choose a flavored oil. Fresh herbs and spices can also add flavor to marinates and you've got lots of choices here, too. When using herbs, remember that whole herbs release their flavor slowly so they work best for long marinates. If you are going with a quicker marinate, grind up the herbs before use to impart their flavor more quickly. Then you just make it up! Yes, you read that correctly. There is no recipe here because there are hundreds of recipes for marinates and I don't know what you like or what you're making. The key to cooking success is to learn the basic cooking methods, the techniques of achieving the end result you desire, and then let your taste, imagination and your unique situation be the guide for making up your very own marinate recipe, which might be different each and every time you marinate.

The only Reaction should be a Good One.

Always place the product you are marinating (with the marinate) in an air-tight container to keep the moisture in. Remember - one of the reasons we are going through this process is to add moisture so you don't want to lose it at the same time! How long you let the juices soak in to the meat depends on how much time you have and the cut of meat you are using. The thicker the meat, the longer you will have to marinate to impart the flavor into the protein. Remember to use an acid-resistant container such as stainless steel. Don't use copper or pewter as this can react with the acid, making those who eat the food sick. Finally, always store the container in the refrigerator for the entire duration - until you cook the meat. Remember to always discard the marinate after you have finished marinating and never re-use the marinate during the cooking process because it has had raw meat soaking in it for a length of time. In these ways, you are ensuring food safety.

So - what will you make this weekend? Relax. You know how to marinate and you've got a whole summer of delicious experimentation ahead of you!

Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, educator and host of the "Cooking Coarse" video series. For more details on Cooking by Method and how you can cook better everyday at home, visit Chef Todd's website http://www.I-hate-cooking-recipes.com where you can view over 150 free cooking videos and subscribe to the Free monthly e-zine "Burn Your Recipes."

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Have you ever wondered how our grandmothers managed to keep food on the table without going to the grocery store daily? They knew the importance of keeping these five items on hand.

[1] Flour
Flour is the beginning or end of many meals. It can be used for not only bread items but gravies, cakes, pies and a breading for our meats. There are many kinds of flour. The most common are enriched white, whole wheat, self rising or all purpose. Each have different uses and can be used in many recipes.

[2] Rice
Rice, like the before mentioned flour comes in many kinds. It's also very versatile and can be used from breakfast to dinner desert. The brown rice is better with meats, while the white rice what I call a company rice. It likes to be mixed with company such as, soups, salads and casseroles. In my house we use it in our breakfast meals, lunch soups and in our evening deserts.

[3] Pasta
What house can be without pasta? None, when I'm in charge of the grocery shopping. I love pasta of all kinds. Just when I think I have tried all there is, I find a new one. You can boil a pound of pasta and have lunch for the next five days without having the same topping twice. It turns a simple soup into something spectacular, a salad into a meal and a tomato sauce into something divine. Choose your favorites and use them often.

[4] Spices
There are other ways to season food besides salt and pepper. My favorites that I always keep on hand are:

Cayenne pepper: Even a pinch can make a difference in your meal

Chili Powder: Try it on your baked potatoes, not just your chili.

Nutmeg: This one can go into deserts, soups and meat recipes.

Cinnamon: We all love the aroma but try it on your morning biscuits or in your favorite homemade salad dressing.

Garlic Powder: Not only does it taste great in your meat meals but it's good for us.

Keeping these 7 spices on hand will keep your meals the talk of the neighborhood.

[5] Beans
Beans are a great source of protein and can stretch your food budget. Beans can be used in salads, make awesome dips, soups, stews and go great with rice.

When you have these items as staples in your home, there will always be a meal on the table.

Faylee

Faylee James is a Life Coach/Writer/Speaker from Northeast Tennessee, who has an above average interest in cooking and living life to the fullest. Her website http://www.HassiesKitchenTable.com is in honor of her mother who passed away recently. Faylee wants to share what her mother taught her about cooking and life, not only with her three daughters and son but with the world. For more recipes and thoughts, visit her website.

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When I got married I soon learned how to BBQ ribs. They are my wife's family's favourite summertime food. With all the outdoor cooking we do in the summer time around our house we are sure to go through a lot of them. If you are unsure of how to BBQ ribs let me tell you patience is the main key because to cook them properly you need to give them time, the average time could take over 2 hours to cook and many recommend marinating them for 6 hours before.

It is possible for anyone to learn how to BBQ ribs. There are lots of different ways you can prepare them. When you are learning how to do this it is best to pick your preferred style, whether it be grilling, oven baking and slow cooker. Plus pick your prefer taste.

Here are some tips to learn how to BBQ ribs 3 easy ways:

Outdoor Grilling: When grilling your your meat on your outdoor grill you do not want to place them directly over an open flame. You should place a shallow pan of water between the flame and meat. Remember to check the pan to make sure the water did not all evaporate. It should take about two hours cooking them this way.

Oven Baked: this is a popular way to learn how to BBQ ribs when it is too cold to actually cook outside. You simply marinate them first and then bake for a couple of hours at 225 degrees. If you do not like marinating then you can use a dry rub. You may also wish to wrap them in tin foil to keep them tender and juicy.

Slow cooker: you can also use a slow cooker to prepare them as well. You will however have to cut the meat and bones into small pieces. Slow cook them at 200 degrees with your favorite sauce for several hours.

There are many different ways to learn how to BBQ ribs. You can also fry or smoke the meat as well. If you would like some recipes and to learn more about how to BBQ ribs click the link below.

Tom Bayer is an online marketer who writes consumer reviews on various online products such as How to BBQ ribs. To learn more about how to BBQ ribs please visit How to BBQ Ribs click here.

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First things first: pasta with different structures will give you different results. Smooth pasta will cook uniformly, ribbed pasta (like rigatoni) does not have that quality, but it will make the sauce stick.

Take a saucepan, fill it with water and bring it to boil. Quantity is important. Pasta needs to be free to move, so a lot of water is necessary: the general rule is 1 liter every 100g. With 500g of pasta you would need 5 liters.

Salt has to be added before adding the pasta, but after the water has started to boil, otherwise it will take longer to reach boiling point. 10 to 1 is the rule here: for every liter of water, 10g of salt. If the sauce contains ingredients with lot of salt, add a bit less.

You are probably thinking this is the part where you add oil to the water. Wrong and useless: if pasta comes out of the water all stuck together in one piece, next time use more water and buy some decent quality of pasta.

When the water has diluted the salt, add the pasta. If you are using long pasta like spaghetti, it will stick out of the pan, but there is no need to break it (broken spaghetti is not spaghetti after all). Push it down gently instead.

Pasta is at room temperature so it will make the boiling stop. This is a very delicate stage: you have to be quick in bringing back the boil, by covering the pan and turning up the heat. When the water is bubbling again, let the steam go out and turn down the heat, but keep it lively.

Stir the pasta every 2-3 minutes, keep it moving to make sure it will not stick. The cooking time in the packet usually is for pasta al dente. This means that it will be cooked in the end, but it will not melt in your mouth, you will still have to bite it.

Al dente is how pasta should be. Do not overdo, for at least three reasons: pasta will not stop cooking until it is cold, and long before you have finished eating it, it will be like chewing gum; if you cook it too much your stomach will take longer to process it; (last but not least): this is the way the do it in Italy. Once you become an al dente expert, you can taste it to know when it is time to drain it, using the packet as a general guide.

Drain the pasta completely. Keep some cooking water if you need it (it would depend on the recipe). Put it back in the sauce pan with the sauce, and stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes at low heat.

On the other hand, if you are preparing a pasta salad, or your lunchbox for the next day, you will need to stop the cooking process by pouring cold water on the colander after the pasta is drained.

I am passionate about cooking and Italian food. Cheese ans Pears, is my blog about Italian recipes: http://cheeseandpears.com And this is a link to a delicious easy pasta recipe http://cheeseandpears.com/pasta-zucchini-prawns-cherry-tomatoes

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All the fat from the cheese and chips that fast food chains gift, nestle in your body and most of it is seen deposited around the midriff. These fats live in the place of the essential nutrients that home cooking might have provided. From a theoretical point of view, everyone agrees that fast food delicacies are deadly concoctions that their bodies do not need. People do grow nostalgic now and then about home cooking recipes and smells that wafted from grandmother's kitchen, but somehow they go back to their fast food eateries, like an addict going back to his bottle. People have to be de-addicted from it, and giving them free recipes is one way of attracting people back to cooking wholesome food at home.

A balanced diet is the ultimate requirement for staying healthy, and one way - rather the only way - in which this can be managed, is by home cooking. There are plenty of home cooking recipes, and easy recipes at that, which make the dishes tasty and provide the necessary nutrition. Tasty dishes are the best way to make mealtimes a pleasure, and perfect mealtimes in which everyone join, are the best way to make family members bond together. In short, home cooked food and the dinner table can become the factor that knits the family together.

Dieticians and nutrition experts strongly recommend home cooking. While medical expertise itself endorses the need for home cooked food, simple layman's wisdom is sufficient to understand the importance of cooking at home with recipes that ensure a balanced intake of food. People of developing countries rely less on fast food chains for subsistence, and most of the households in these countries have hundreds of recipes that have been handed down through generations. These are time tested and proven, with unchallengeable nutritive values and taste. They have their own traditional spices and herbs and marinades, and each recipe is unique in its own way.

Cooking is an art, and a well laid out table is a symbol of the interest a person takes in the family's health, its gastronomic delights, and the bonding among the members of the family. Nothing will help this interest and care better than easy recipes. There are plenty of tasty and free recipes which may have a rather long preparation time and may require too much of labor. While these have their charm, they may frighten off the beginners, and make them indifferent to cooking. So start with the easier recipes, which can be whipped up quickly. While making the food simple, try to change the recipes, so that there is some variety. Somehow or other make the mealtimes attractive so that the family is attracted less and less to the junk food that goes by the name fast food.

Please do visit our site for hundreds of Free and easy Recipes for Home Cooking - http://veggievixen.com Veg Recipes, Vegan Recipes, appetizers, salads, soups, main course dishes, chili recipes, desserts, Cookie Recipes, Chocolate recipes and an extensive cooking guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Punjabi

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Ever wondered how Thai stir fries and noodle dishes taste so fresh and appetizing? The secret behind it is the manner in which they are cooked. Typically, Thais cook their food at flaming temperatures and just for a few minutes. This method helps retain the natural flavors and nutrients of the ingredients, especially vegetables that retain their crunchiness.

The secret to cooking delicious Thai food lies in preparing ingredients before starting the actual cooking process, because cooking in a wok is 'fast and furious.'

Preparing to Cook Thai Food

The best way to start preparing for cooking Thai is to complete the grinding first. So, if your recipe requires some paste, get that done and ready first. You can use a food processor or a traditional pestle and mortar to do the grinding and retain the taste and authenticity. Else, use a coffee grinder for dry grinding.

Once you've got the grinding done, ready the vegetables. Cut your vegetables in to desired shapes and sizes and place them in separate dishes on your kitchen counter based on how they are to be used in your recipe. Chop any meat (if the recipe demands it) or meat substitute such as tofu, if needed once the vegetables have been chopped.

Cooking Thai Food

In order to cook Thai food at home, you don't need any special cookware.

* Wok: the most important cooking tool. If you don't have a wok, you can even use a deep frying pan. Buy a wok made of high-quality SS (stainless steel). You can also buy a wok with non-stick coating.
* Spatulas: also known as wooden spoons or shovels, they are used to stir-fry the various ingredients. Use soft wooden spoons if your wok has a non-stick surface. Spatulas made of hard material can damage your wok's coating.
* Oil: peanut or coconut oil is the preferred choices for most Thai chefs. Both oils give a good flavor to Thai food dishes whether stir-fried or deep-fried. Other oils that can be used include canola, sunflower, and corn etc.
* Heat: heat should be kept on medium-high or high for best tasting Thai food.

Finally, arrange your dish on a serving platter or simply eat it from the wok. Thai food tastes best that way!

For more information on how and where to get a traditional pestle and mortar or Asian kitchenware visit our Thai Food website.

Parul Tyagi is an Internet Marketing Consultant, as well as an experienced and accomplished copy and content writer. She owns her own Internet Marketing consultancy - RedJuice Factor and can be contacted at redjuicefactor@gmail.com.

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When we talk about the best barbecue recipes there are around, we would most likely remember the one classically made with tomato sauce like how dad used to grill on the backyard every Thanksgiving. However, if that is the only type you know then you are missing a lot. Aside from the classic American barbecue of which is primarily made with tomato sauce, there are a lot of recipes now that could give you just the same pleasures of eating dad's classic barbecue.

Nowadays, you can make barbecue sauces out of any pleasant ingredient you could just imagine, some of those being apples, strawberries, raspberries, vinegar, honey and even mustard. Although some of these seemingly new and interesting barbecue sauces could already be available at your local gourmet store, nothing beats the pleasure of making it yourself. Recipes of these barbecue sauces are available widely all over the internet and on cookbooks. So the next time you barbecue, give it a try and make your own barbecue sauces.

There are practically no limits involved when making your barbecue, whatever fits your taste as well as the tastes of all people who have tried your recipe could be some of the best barbecue recipes there are. The better thing about these is that you can try different barbecue sauces for different types of meats, vegetables and other items of which you place on the grill. Considering all that was mentioned earlier, there is nothing that could beat having a meal that is cooked right off the grill.

Discover how you can get free barbecue recipes and tips to make your barbecuing more enjoying and make you neighbors beg you to tell them your secrets! Go here now --> Best Barbecue Recipes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Casey_Gentles

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Every kitchen's speed & ease is dependent on its knives. A knife is indeed one of the basic and the most essential cutlery of the kitchen. Rachel Ray is a name known in every American kitchen. This known cook, author & media personality specializes in fast to cook, easy & healthy recipes. Through her magazine, talk show & books, she has introduced several interesting cooking terms like E.V.O.O that means the extra virgin Olive oil and sammies that mean sandwiches. Likewise, she has also introduced many cooking utensils. The indispensable and perhaps the most used part of the Rachel Ray cookware is the knife set.

To name some of these, here goes the list:

· Bread Knife
· Paring Knife
· Santoku Knife
· Utility Knife
· Carving Knife
· Western Style Knives
· Japanese Style Knives

These are usually made with high quality stainless steel & wood. Here are some of the advantages of these knives as reported by the users on the internet:

· These are very light in weight.
· These are very easy to wash.
· These can be stored properly.
· These require very less or no maintenance.

Rachel Ray's recipes are not exactly dependent on them. That is, it is not that you can not prepare those recipes with out these knives. But, in case you use these, the cooking becomes faster & more precise. Especially they look just like those professional cook's works. Another thing we must understand that Rachel Ray's 30 minutes recipes stick up to that time limit only when you have all the ingredients ready on hand along with the right gadgets as well. And these knives are included in those essential gadgets.

Rachel & Oprah is getting slimmer and healthier, Now its your turn to get the Dynamic Duo!

To know more Click Here --> Rachel Ray Acai Diet

Get additional information or to request for Free Samples

Click here ---> http://www.RachelRayDiets.com/Free_Trial

FREE offers are for a limited time only, so get yours today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Knight

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