Archive for June, 2009

« Older Entries

Cooking with Fresh Herbs: Add Savory Flair to Your Favorite Recipes with These Simple Tricks

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Fresh herbs add such savory flair to recipes, but if you don’t know the basic rules for cooking with them, it can seem overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know to start using herbs to liven up your favorite recipes.

Using Fresh Herbs

First, fresh herbs can be used in your baking, cooking and salads. They pack a lot more flavor than dried herbs. You can even grow the herbs yourself so that they are organic. You’ll also save a lot of money because store-bought fresh herbs can get rather expensive.

When you use fresh herbs in a recipe, you need to make sure to use more than you would for dried herbs. Generally speaking, one teaspoon of dried herbs equals one tablespoon of fresh herbs. With this conversion measurement, you can use fresh herbs in any of the recipes that you currently make. You’ll notice the difference in flavor right away.

If you’re creating your own recipes you should know that some herbs are traditionally paired with certain dishes. For example, tuna tastes wonderful with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Dill is also a good herb to be paired with fish. Chicken is traditionally paired with rosemary, thyme and basil. Sage is another good herb to use with chicken dishes. Beef does well with allspice, basil, bay, marjoram, oregano and thyme.

Storing Fresh Herbs

When you grow your own herbs or buy them from the store, you’ll always end up with more than you need for a recipe. In order not to waste your investment in time and/or money, you’ll need to store them properly.

Start out by washing the herbs in cool water. Carefully inspect the bunches of herbs to be sure that there aren’t any dead leaves or stems. If you’ve been storing the herbs in your refrigerator or they are store bought, make sure to inspect the bunch well for mold. Once you’re confident that dead leaves and mold are gone, you are ready to prepare them for storage.

Pat the herbs dry with a clean towel and then place the herbs in a short container filled with water. Be sure that the stems are covered in water but keep the leaves out of the water. After placing the stems in water, cover the top of the herbs with plastic wrap or a small plastic bag.

Alternatively, you can dry your own herbs, which will make them healthier and longer lasting than regular dried herbs. Pick the herbs and then use sisal twine to tie the bunch of herbs together. Make sure that your slipknots are tight because the herbs will shrink as they dry. Hang them and let them dry completely. Check frequently to see if the herbs are dry by rubbing a few leaves together. Store them in an airtight container after drying.

With these herb tips, you can use fresh herbs in your recipes for maximum flavor or make your own dried herbs that are better than store bought.

Jamie Jefferson writes for Susies-Travel-Coupons.com and Susies-Coupons.com, where you’ll find travel discounts and coupons for items you buy every day, including printable grocery coupons.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Bunn Coffee Makers - 7 Reasons to Get One

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

One of the best brand names in coffee making, Bunn continues to please either big or small crowds. Bunn can be found all over in offices, homes, hotels, coffee shops, and even on cruise ships. Bunn is a leading manufacturer of coffee makers in the world, providing services to over ninety countries around the globe.

Bunn offers lots of design made for home, undustrial and commercial use. Their exceptional quality and sturdy design makes them a favorite for both small and large businesses and makes them one of the best coffee makers for home.

The Bunn-O-Matic Corporation begain the 1950’s. It was Bunn who is credited with developin paper coffee filters and designed the new automatic drip.

The percolators of yesterday were quickly overtaken by the automatic drip models. Bunn is known for the best coffee brewing, and beverage equipment as well as superior customer service.

Today, Bunn continues to create innovative coffee machines, including espresso makers. A Bunn coffee maker maintains a water reservoir that keeps water at an optimum brewing temperature of around 200 degrees for industrial brewers, and the home version will only heat water until it reaches the coffee basket, since that is safer.

7Top Benefits of Owning a Bunn Brewer

1. The Bunn brews a perfect full pot in about three minutes, while others can takes twice as long.

2. And with most coffee makers, but not a Bunn, water drips through the coffee in the basket unevenly, while the Bunn’s spray head design allows for even grinds saturation and creates an even tasting brew.

Even if you don’t know anything about different coffee makers, a coffee drinker will be able to taste the difference between coffee brewed in a cheap coffee maker and a cup made with Bunn coffee makers.

3. The Bunn home version has a stylish design in black or white and holds about ten cups. It brews a full pot of coffee in about three minutes and has a convenient sliding lid for the water reservoir.

4. The reservoir is made of stainless steel and the internal temperature is kept at an ideal degree for the best coffee.

5. A safety sensor will turn the heat off in the reservoir and at the same time keeps the warming plate warm without scalding the coffee or the caraffe.

6. There are models of all types, including for home, work, large cup brewers, espresso and more.

7. Bunn has a model and style for everyone and they are moderately priced.

Bunn continues to be a market leader in coffee makers, with a variety of products to meet lots of needs.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Cheap Menu Covers with quality.

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

When you need to have a cover for your menu designed, you don’t want to spend a fortune to accomplish this. That is why it is always a good idea to shop around and find cheap menu covers. Now, just because it is cheap, doesn’t mean that it won’t be professional. If you take your time, you can find a good price for a great design. This article is going to tell you how to find the best deal possible for your cover.

The internet is the best place to look for finding a good deal on a cover your menu that is cheap enough that you can afford, but not so cheap that it will look unprofessional. You want to start searching online with any major search engine. This will provide you with a lot of results that you can start searching through.

Now, don’t just choose the first one that you find. Instead, you want to compare all the different sites. Look for the price that they charge for designing covers for menus and look at their designs. If you don’t like the designs they do or their price, then you can move on to another site.

It is always a smart idea to not only research the different sites that you find who will design cheap menu covers for you, but you should also contact them with any questions you have. These are the most important things to know and keep in mind when you are searching for someone that can provide you with the best design for your cover of your menu at the best possible price.

Summary: When you are looking for a good deal on the design for the cover of your menu covers, there is a good way to find that good deal. You want to use the internet to help you find and compare the different designers to help you find cheap menu covers that still looks professional. Learn more about this now.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Homebrew Ingredients For An Easy Brewing Process

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

homebrew ingredients

There are many rewards in making your own beer at home, both in terms of fun as well as finances. Brewing your own beer is cheaper then buying it and you could even sell your beer and earn some decent money, but first you can enjoy the learning process to make beers to perfection. And because there are many different types of beer with different homebrew ingredients you can do a lot of testing and tasting with your friends and family.

With the right homebrew ingredients the process is quite simple and because the complete methodology can be found, described step by step, at online websites and in offline books and manuals it has been made possible for everyone to start out with this great activity.

What Homebrew Ingredients Do You Need.

Before you start thinking about launching your own brewing business, you need to know and gather all homebrew ingredients needed. And you can do that in more then one way but lets first look at what you need.

Malt barley is one of the the main homebrew ingredients that goes into making beer, it is the same as the grapes you use when you make wine. You can’t make beer without it. 

Brewing sugar and Yeast are two other main homebrew ingredients that you can’t do without to have it ferment. The yeast uses the brewing sugar and converts it into two chemicals, carbon dioxide and of course alcohol. There are different types of brewing yeast and the one you should use depends on your recipe.

Hops are the homebrew ingredient that makes the taste of the beer a slightly bitter as beer should be and why we all love it so much. Hops are a specific vine’s flower and they are absolutely needed to brew a fine beer.

The last but certainly not least important item of the homebrew ingredients is water. Most people forget that water is in fact the main ingredient of beer and it has a great influence on the end result of the taste of your home brew. If you have bad tasting water it could completely destroy the taste of the batch.

If you are a beginner in brewing your own beer, we would advise you to start with beer kits, these kits contain all of the above mentioned homebrew ingredients and you can buy them for different types of beer like ale, lager, draught or lager. These homebrew kits are also great when you are more experienced but you can choose to buy everything separate if you like and look for a proper recipe for the right amount of homebrew ingredients.

The author of this article, Peter Waterman, writes on his website www.HomeBeerMakers.com about his greatest hobby, making his own beer. Read his articles about beer kits and home brewing tips.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

What is fairtrade and who does it benefit?

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

For starters it is important to understand what fairtrade is: A different approach to types of conventional trade which involves the partnership of producers and consumers is what we call fairtrade.This is a great avenue in which producers can get better terms of trade and at the same time they escape the chances of been exploited by middle-men. When there is fairtrade an equtable, sustainable and well linked business partnership is created, whereby producers get a fair share of the profits just like they deserve. A great level of transparency remains when a producer is selling the product as fair trade.

Fairtrade offers an array of food products and drinks, here is a list of products that you can get from fairtrade coffee, chocolate, tea, and those are the main products you will find in North America. Many other products in fair-trade are sugar, bananas, vanilla, honey, rice olive oil and flowers.

Fairtrade will come as a benefit to both the producer and consumer. The reason for this is that when the producers who are the laborers are offered healthy and safe working conditions and a fair wage, the opportunities for business expansion become high. This means workers productivity will increase and the products will come abundant and affordable for the consumer. The fair-trade conventions allow for sustainable business existence through the importers buying directly from the cooperative and farmers.

When looking to buy fairtrade food products you need to look out for the certifying label. Purchasing fairtrade coffee, tea or chocolates with the faitrade logo on them, you are guaranteed that manufacturing, transportation and selling was done in a fair and environmentally friendly manner. There are environmental advantages that come with fairtrade. One is that in the fairtrades have prohibited some chemical products from been traded, and have rather promoted organic practices which involve use of raw materials and promote soil conservation.

Fairtrade has largely benefited the community by reducing the level of poverty, because now consumers can be able to purchase food stuff everyday from affordable markets. The producers however find the fair-trade goods advantageous because they encourage people to build upon their lives with the money they make. The standards found in these fairtrade companies in terms of prices are the ones that determine how much a producer will sell the product. If there is inflation in the market price then the buyers will have to dig deeper in their pockets to purchase food products.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

A Helpful Guide To Household Cooking

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Conscious about living healthy lives, people today are careful about the foods they consume. Eating healthy foods lies in the way they are prepared. Preparing those foods correctly has an equaled importance. Preparing foods that you love in a healthy way is a culinary art that does not require too many changes to be made in your diet. Salt is the primary cause of a number of problems that are related to blood pressure and problems with the heart.

Reduce the amount of salt you use in your daily cooking and you will rid yourself of blood pressure and heart complications. Substitute canned foods with fresh supplies, as they give you the best nutrition possible. Maximum nutrition is made available through fresh foods, as compared to canned foods which also have a high salt and oil content. A weekly supply of the required iodized salt can be obtained through Fish, if it is made a part of your diet. Fresh vegetables and meat contain lower oil levels and thus reduce chances of heart connected ailments. These pans have a Teflon coating that does not allow your food to get caught to the bottom of the pan. 

People who work from their house are normally pressed for time, so they use vessels other than non stick pans, so they don’t have to spend all their time washing dishes. A major portion of the nutritional content of vegetables lies in the skin.

Extended heat causes a lot of nutrition in foods to be lost and therefore, microwave cooking is advised as an alternative. Most nutrients in vegetables are found closer to the skin. Removing the fat from the food you have prepared will be beneficial to your health, though most people will debate that it cuts the flavor.

A sensible way of removing fat is by placing the food to be grilled or roasted on top of a rack. Try and use a rack when roasting or grilling food so that the fat is allowed to drop free and the food does not rest in oil and fat. Save your meat from charring, but sensibly. Grill or roast your food by placing it on a rack so that the fat is allowed to drip free from the food.

Besides this, you would not need to add any salt. Non vegetarians are advised to opt for white meats in place of red ones. You will also find yourself using less salt, but also getting your adequate supply of nutrients.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Why Culinary Arts Colleges?

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Have you ever had the desire to become a professional chef or jus improve your cooking abilities?  Culinary arts colleges and schools are available to teach and train you in almost every state or country.  “Culinary” means working with cooking or in kitchens.  A “culinarian” means cook or chef.  A Culinary Art College will give you the skills to cook anywhere in the world or just deliver a great meal to guests in your home.

There are a wide variety of opportunities available in the food and beverage profession.  Whether you have thought of becoming a restaurant owner or manager, a head chef or line cook, by joining a Culinary art institution you can become a “culinarian” and learn about the diverse types of cooking from all over the world. This type of college will teach you the right skills needed to suceed in a culinary career.  Having these skills would provide you with the opportunity of working in the industry of restaurants, cruise ships, hospitality, recreation, fast food franchises, retirement or nursing home kitchens.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity of becoming a professional cook, personal chef or baker. This field has become a booming profession you too could become as famous as Paula Dean or Tyler Florence and have restaurants on both coasts.

At a Culinary Arts College you could earn a associate degree or bachelor degree in your area of expertise as a manager, restaurant owner or sous chef.  You will discover how to reason like an experienced and seasoned chef.  You will be trained in trendy, popular and classic cooking while working with and learning about the basic tools of the trade in a modern kitchen.

With the increase in population and two income families more people are eating out.  Thousands of new restaurants, catering companies and hotels open every year.  These businesses have become one of the largest employers in the United States.  They have experienced continued growth for over twenty years.

You may not be interested in a getting a degree in the culinary arts.  You may just be a food lover that wants to gain more skills or knowledge in cooking great meals. Some culinary arts programs offer vacation cooking schools, cooking conferences or workshops and even cooking classes designed just for kids.

No matter why you want to attend, check over the lists of Culinary Arts Colleges on the internet for one located in your area or maybe even one in France or Italy.  Always get references from former students. Ask your friends or even the cook at a restaurant known for their great food.  Discover how they picked up their special ability.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Cooking Tips for the Busy Mom or Dad

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

When you’re a busy mom or dad, effective time management is key to keeping your life on track. It’s even more important when it comes to having time to spend with your family and to prepare them healthy, nutritious meals. Meal preparation takes time but it doesn’t have to take forever. By planning meals ahead, shopping from a well-organized and complete list and maximizing the time you are able to spend cooking, you can make the most of your limited time.

Staring down the prospect of an entire week’s worth of meals is daunting. The way to tame the beast is menu planning. Designate a 20 minute period each week to sit down and decide what meals you’d like to make for the week. Particularly for dinner, take into account any leftovers that may be usable for lunch or dinner the following day. Also keep in mind that schedules are always prone to change so what you think you’ll cook one night might be pre-empted by last-minute plans. Keep your menu flexible so that most or all of your meals can work for any night.

Limiting the number of ingredients in a recipe can limit the amount of time necessary to prepare it. A dish doesn’t have to be developed by a world-renown chef or have 20 ingredients to be good. Remember how your grandmother used to cook? Simple. Most of the delicious, comfort recipes of yesteryear never involved more than five or six ingredients. Especially when you’re cooking for kids, subtle notes and exotic ingredients will be lost on them. Simple meals with hearty, flavorful ingredients will not only keep your cooking time short, they’ll keep your family wanting more.

If the kids could eat homemade macaroni and cheese every night but you find you’re dying for a little more sophisticated fare, take a look at your schedule to see if you have more flexibility with your time on the weekends. A couple of hours spent cooking a five star dish on Sunday can have you eating gourmet for the next six days. The trick is to choose recipes that will freeze well or keep safely in the refrigerator. Double your recipes, too. You’ll spend the same amount of time cooking but yield twice as much.

When you go grocery shopping, include all necessary ingredients on your list and shop for the week’s meals all at once. Stick to your list. Not only will it keep you on target but it will help you stick to your grocery budget, too. Keep your weekly menu with you as you shop in case you think of an additional ingredient or there’s an item you forgot to include on your list.

Cooking great meals for your family doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Just like any other aspect of your busy life, good meals that are enjoyable but that can be prepared quickly and efficiently simply require effective time management, planning and smart, creative solutions.

Author: Pablo Maiorino

FreeCookingVideos.com

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Relax at a Lake Geneva Lodge

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

In only 90 minutes you can be transported from the fast pace of urban Chicago, or an hour from bustling Milwaukee, to a quiet little town on a lake with the feeling that you just stepped through a time warp of 100 years ago. Lake Geneva in Wisconsin has retained the relaxed attitude that brought city dwellers to the area to stay in a Lake Geneva lodge from the turn of the 20th century until today.

After the Civil War, Chicago was becoming an industrial mecca, and many wealthy industrialists and their families traveled by train or horse and buggy to enjoy their summer homes (mansions really) on the shores of beautiful Geneva Lake. The sleepy little mill town was beginning to prosper too, taking advantage of the abundant hydro-electric power and realized its potential as a tourist destination. To stay in a Lake Geneva lodge was so enjoyable that businessmen would pack their families off for the summer and commute the 90 minutes daily by train.

Some of the summer home mansions became Lake Geneva lodges and would cater to the well-to-do from the cities, with excellent services, sumptuous meals, comfortable rooms and suites, and genteel entertainment for the entire family. The first summer mansion at Lake Geneva, The Oaks, was built by Dr. Maxwell, a wealthy Chicago surgeon just before the Civil War. It later became a lodge that was used by prominent persons, including Ronald Reagan and his wife-to-be, Nancy Davis. The sleepy little mill town was beginning to prosper too, taking advantage of the abundant hydro-electric power and realized its potential as a tourist destination.

Today you can stay at a wonderful selection of Lake Geneva lodges, bed and breakfasts, and inns that retain the warm, relaxed hospitality that always has made the City of Lake Geneva and Fontana desirable vacation locations for families or for special, romantic getaways for couples and honeymooners

 

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

How to Make Great Sushi

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Sushi is one of the most delicious foods you can eat anywhere. Most of the time it is enjoyed in fine Japanese restaurants.

But sometimes a person wants to make sushi at home. I should know.  I own a Sushi Restaurant Murrieta and get asked all the time by my customers. They want to always know what the secret to great tasting fish is so you can make it at home?

I always joke and tell them they can’t and they need to always come to my Sushi Restaurant. But seriously, if great sushi making tips are what you are after, listen up.

First of all have fun.  Remember, you are not trying to make this for a Sushi restaurant Temecula full of people. You more than likely are making it for relatives or friends.

Remember you can have great tasting food without it looking great.  So relax and remember there will be a learning curve.

For the rice, it is a must that it is sticky. So if you do not want rice all over the place, wash your hands often.

Another great tip is to try and not make the biggest sushi in the world.Yes all the ingredients taste wonderful.  But when you try and put too much ingredients into one roll it will be a disaster. You are going to have non rolling rolls. You are going to have all the ingredients spilling all over the place because it is overstuffed.

Just don’t do it.

Fourth tip, be gentle.  Resist the temptation to use too much force.  When you are making the Sushi all it takes is a gentle rolling. If you apply to much force and pressure with your hands and fingers the roll will turn out funny or an odd shape.

Final piece of advice is regarding knives. Obviously when you make sushi, it requires small bits of fish. Well to stop the fish from tearing, make sure the knife is moistened. This helps you cut into it with the knife evenly. You will have nice pieces of fish that you are able to put into the sushi.

There you have it.  Follow these few steps and you will be making great sushi like at my Sushi Restaurant Lake Elsinore.

Making Sushi doesn’t have to be hard. It can be enjoyable, fun, and of course delicious.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

« Older Entries