BBQ Grilling Versus Smoking - The Great Debate

We all have heard about barbecuing, but we are unaware of the real tricks in it. Barbecuing is also a form of art. To a person who is new to this art may get confused, because cooking meat in an open fire is a really tricky method. In order to get a really good and delicious bbq dish, one must have a lot of patience.Barbecuing can be done in two methods: through grilling and smoking. Grilling is the quickest method of cooking meat over a direct source of dry heat, whereas, smoking is a slow process, where the food is kept at a particular distance from the fire. Now let us take the two separately, to know the real processing.

BBQ Grilling

Grilling is of two types: direct and indirect. But before going into the details,let me tell you that there are three varieties of grills: charcoal grill, gas grill and electric grill. Charcoal grills are relatively inexpensive when compared to the other two. Now we'll go back to the types of cooking. Direct method is a high heat method and is used for cooking relatively small pieces of food. Steaks, chops, chicken breasts,etc are some of the typical foods that can be grilled directly. In indirect method, as the name suggests, the food is kept to the side of the heat source. It is somewhat like baking a cake or such type of foods.Now we will move on to smoking.

BBQ Smoking

Smoking is the finest way to cook food,even though it takes time. If grilling is best for cooking smaller pieces, smoking is best for cooking larger pieces. Roasts, ham, ribs, brisket, etc are some of the foods that can be smoked. One must maintain a steady temperature, to come up with a deliciously smoked food. The normal,suited temperature for smoking is between 200-225 degrees. If you cook the meat until it's 165 degrees in the middle, it would make the meat more tastier,as the smoke flavour gets deep into it.For basic bbq smoking, you can use the regular grill. The only thing that one must be aware while smoking is, the selection of right type of wood.Because, each wood is different in its own way. So we have to experiment with all sorts of wood to find out which one is the best. Smokers may vary in shapes and sizes.There are smokers running in gas and charcoal.But the heat coming from any type of smoker is a cooler one,which is why it takes a lot of time to smoke.

Now to end with it, barbecuing has to undergo one more process, that's topping it with sauce.In fact it is the topmost ingredient, which one can't omit while barbecuing.Types of sauce varies according to the region. If vinegar-base sauce is typical in Southern United States, tomato-base sauce is typical in Western United States. The best time to apply sauce is during the last stage of cooking. ie, when you are sure that the meat is well cooked,because,sugar is one of the main ingredients in barbecue sauces and it tends to burn easily. So you must cook the meat before you burn the sugar.
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Basic Cookware Explained

What is All-Clad stainless steel cookware and why is it the best top-of-the-line bake ware you can buy? All-Clad cookware is made with a heavy aluminum inside which extends up the sides of the pan. It is coated with a stainless steel cooking surface and has an outside layer of magnetic stainless steel. This type of bake ware is ideal for cooking on a gas stove where the flames can burn up the sides of the pots and pans. These types of pots and pans are heavier than the less expensive kinds that you find at cheap discount stores. This cookware is extremely popular among the expert chefs, holds up well in high heat up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and it comes in a nonstick version as well.

Maybe you like to do lots of browning. If so you may want to use uncoated or non coated cookware for your favorite recipes. A top brand of uncoated pots and pans are made by Wolfgang Puck. Chances are you will never see a review that will not give Wolfgang Puck high marks for its baking performance and price value. Uncoated bakeware has an aluminum plate as the foundation or base. It does not run up the side as does the All-Clad type which is a big reason why uncoated is less expensive.

Calphalon nonstick bakeware is a hard anodized aluminum bake ware with a nonstick coating. If you are looking for a cheaper brand that will perform almost as well as the more expensive ones this may be what you are searching for. Plus it is also lighter in weight than most All-Clad varieties or brands. It may require a little more energy on your part during cleanup though since most Calphalon nonstick pots and pans are not dishwasher safe. Another positive aspect to this type of cookware is that it can be used in your oven in temperatures up to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Similar to Calphalon, Emeril (Emerilware) is a high quality cookware that compares favorably to other top-of-the-line pots and pans and is a very good value for the money. Your favorite recipe will still taste delicious. Famous TV chef Emeril Lagasse has this line made by All-Clad which is similar to their hard anodized cookware. The major difference is the designs added to the pieces. This cookware is made of hard anodized aluminum with nonstick cooking surfaces. It is not recommended for the dishwasher, but comes with a lifetime warranty. That is something you do not see everyday.

The debate about nonstick or uncoated has endured for many years, but which is actually better? Experts have always said that uncoated cookware gives better results, but nonstick has its advantages too. Fried eggs and pancakes are a couple of obvious examples of foods that are more fun to cook or bake on a nonstick surface. No more sticking to the pan during cooking or cleanup. Scraping cooked eggs off the pan is not one of the most enjoyable cooking activities. High quality nonstick skillets will contain a fully coated aluminum plate bonded with stainless steel allowing for even heat distribution. You can also find top brands that are dishwasher safe, although most manufacturers will recommend hand washing.

Starting with high quality cookware is a must if you are looking for the most enjoyable cooking experience. And before you can purchase the most ideal bakeware for your needs you have to ask yourself a few questions. How much can I afford? Will it bother me if they are not dishwasher safe? Do I want nonstick or uncoated? Would I prefer better cookware or easier cleanup? After answering these questions you will have a much better idea as to the type of cookware best suited for your personality.
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Barbequed Ribs Kansas City Style

Kansas City ribs are serious business when it comes to BBQ. True to tradition, barbeque in Kansas City is dry rub-spiced, smoked with hickory and coated with a KC style sauce. For Kansas City sauce means a thick, rich and tangy tomato based sauce with molasses and sometimes a hint of vinegar. The meat is seared, slow cooked and mop basted with sauce until the meat is tender and a nice crust has formed on the outside. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for sauce that you enjoy getting under your fingernails.

Kansas City’s first recorded barbequer was Henry Perry back in 1908. Perry become very well known for his succulent ribs and would serve them to customer who would come from miles away. Perry converted an old trolley barn into a restaurant and would serve is ribs on newspaper for 25 cents a slab. “Old Man Perry’s” restaurant was located at 19th & Highland and was later sold to George Gates and Charlie Bryant. It become known as Arthur Bryant’s and is still today regarded as one of America’s greatest rib joints. Today Kansas City boast over 90 rib restaurants.

As with any rib, first start by removing the membrane on the back of the rib. This can prove to be difficult with wet finger. Dry hands and a paper towel work well for this. The paper towel will allow you to get a better grip on the membrane. Evenly coat the ribs with the dry rub, wrap with plastic wrap and then foil. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours but overnight is best. 30 minutes before you are ready to cook the ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Continually mop the ribs with sauce until finished cooking.

Kansas City Style Dry Rub:
1 C sugar
½ C paprika
¼ C kosher salt
¼ C celery salt
3 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried mustard powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Classic Kansas City Style Sauce:
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 C ketchup
¾ C dark unsulphered molasses
½ C white wine vinegar

ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Barbeque Techniques: Two Methods to Consider

When it comes to barbequing, there are two main schools of thought for the techniques that you can use. 

The first of these techniques – and the most popular method for those who grill in their back yards – is the style where the food is cooked directly over the source of heat.  This way, the food is rapidly cooked on a hot grill suspended directly over the charcoals, the wood, or the gas burners.  Rarely is the lid ever closed. Any foods, including the most tender cuts, hamburgers, steaks, kabobs of all kinds, chicken, and even vegetables are quickly seared and cooked to perfection using this technique.  If sauces are desired, they can be added before hand, during the cooking process, or even after the food comes off the grill.  These choices will all create different and enjoyable tastes and flavors.

The second barbeque cooking technique uses heat indirectly.  This is more appropriate when you’re cooking much larger or whole cuts of meat, such as especially thick steaks, roasts, a whole hog, or a pork shoulder.  When you’re cooking using this method, the food is cooked away from the actual source of heat.  This usually requires a water pan of some kind in order to maintain the moisture level of the food.  The temperatures generally sit in around 250ºF.  During this cooking method, the lid of the barbeque remains closed most of the time, and the length of the cooking is much longer than in the first method.  When you’re using an indirect barbeque cooker, there is usually an additional fire box that allows you to combine charcoal and wooden logs for burning.  This allows the heat and the smoke to rise through the cooking chamber where the meat is, so that it is heated perfectly.  The rule of thumb of this technique is a low temperature for a long time.

No matter which method you use, it’s important not to cook your meat too quickly.  If the internal temperature of your meat rises too quickly as you cook it, the water and the fat within it will be expelled before the collagen is able to melt.  This means that your cut will be dry and tough.  However, you cannot cook too slowly or you will risk a bacterial contamination.  Though there is a fine line for barbequing properly, it’s important to find that line and stick to it.

If you’re already dealing with a cut of meat that is tough, such as a brisket or a pork roast, consider cooking slowly as the collagen adds flavor to the meat.  If you buy a less tough, more expensive cut, you can cook at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. This is why ribs and steaks take such a short time to cook, while pork shoulders or beef brisket can run up to 20 hours.

As a final note, it’s important to have fun while you barbeque! Your pleasure will come through in your cooking as it will leave you motivated, and willing to try new and interesting things.

ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Barbeque and Grilling Blunders - Learn to Eliminate Outdoor Cooking Mistakes that Kill Your Cookout

Your <strong>average backyard cook</strong> is no expert in the barbeque or grilling field. He has no television shows on the Food Network. He has no grilling cookbooks out. Nor has any of those been part of his lifetime goal.<br>

No, your average outdoor cooking enthusiast makes more mistakes with bbq grilling than you could ever imagine. The meat ends up dry and tough time after time, despite marinating for hours. Or the meat is burnt or cooked too long.<br>

These mistakes are made time and time again because your average backyard cook usually does not know any different. He does not automatically know <b>How to Barbeque</b>.<br>

Here are some of the more common mistakes and <b>do's and don'ts</b> made in bbq grill cooking:<br>

<b>1)</b> If you started with frozen meat, make sure the meat is thawed completely. Trying to cook the inside of a still-frozen piece of meat is next to impossible without burning the outside.<br>

<b>2)</b> When using a charcoal grill, try to start the fire without charcoal lighter fluid. Lighter fluid taste will always get into your meat no matter how much you cook the coals down first. A <b>chimney starter</b> makes starting the fire a breeze. It also allows you to add charcoal along the way should the coals burn out along the way.<br>

<b>3)</b> Never poke the bbq meat with a fork after cooking has begun. This is one of the most common mistakes and one of the most deadly for your barbeque. When poking with a fork, the juices will run out of the meat and right into the bottom of the barbeque pit or grill. Your meat will be dry and less tender. Use a long set of <b>tongs</b> to turn the meat.<br>

<b>4)</b> Lower the heat. Except for grilled steaks, which need a quick searing, cook slowly over low to medium heat. Lower heat is much more manageable and it will make the meat tender and juicy.<br>

<b>5)</b> Quit lifting the lid to check the meat. Every time you do that it changes the temperature inside the bbq grill or pit. Air from you opening the lid acts like a sponge and dries the meat up. Opening the lid also increases your chances of flare-ups.<br>

<b>6)</b> This is more of a food safety mistake. Do not put the cooked meat back on the same plate or platter that the raw meat was on without washing it first. Mixing the cooked with the raw just begs for someone to get sick.<br>

<b>7)</b> After removing the meat from the bbq grill or pit, let it rest for at about 5-10 minutes. Cutting into or slicing the meat immediately after pulling it from the cooker will cause all the juices to flow out of the meat and onto the platter.<br>

Of course, these are not all of the mistakes made by the amateur outdoor cook, but are some of the more common. But if you will prevent doing these yourself, you will eliminate many of the things that cause barbeque failures.<br>

Your guests and family will wonder how come your grilled or barbequed food is so much better then it used to be. And, who knows?...Maybe the Food Network will come looking for you.<br>
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Barbecuing: A Quintessential American Tradition

Next to baseball, nothing says summer like the sizzling sounds, enticing aromas, and mouth-watering flavors of barbecuing. In fact, according to a recent survey commissioned by Hormel Foods and conducted by Harris Interactive®, 90 percent of respondents2 agree that barbecues make them think of summer.

Where does America barbecue? According to the survey, 89 percent prefer to hold family barbecues in their backyards, compared with 3 percent who prefer a public park or picnic area. Barbecues are a great way to bring the family together, entertain friends and family and enjoy the summer nights-right in the backyard!

A few simple tips, courtesy of Hormel Foods, can make your next grill-out even easier:

&#8226; Marinating musts: Marinating meat adds flavor and tenderization before cooking. Every marinade should contain an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar or wine; an oil, such as olive or canola; and seasonings, such as herbs and spices. For a no-mess solution, try a pre-marinated variety of Hormel® Always Tender® pork.

&#8226; Barbecue in bulk: Got leftovers? No problem. Barbecue meals freeze well, and often become more flavorful when the sauce and spices are reheated at a later date. Once you have fired up the grill, cook as much as your pit can handle since your food will maintain its flavor for future meals. Then thaw, reheat and just add sauce for a delicious leftover treat.

&#8226; Fire up a fast-cooking feast: To spend more time with guests instead of the grill, choose a pre-cooked variety of barbecue meat, like Lloyd's® barbeque fully cooked ribs, which cuts cooking time to less than five minutes. Just heat and eat!

&#8226; Deck out your deck: Minimal meal preparation time gives you a chance to focus on the details. To make your barbecue spectacular, set the mood by hanging lanterns around the yard, blending a signature summertime cocktail and presenting the meal on brightly colored plates.

Now that the days are long and school is out, it's easy to step outside and cook dinner on the grill. A relaxing backyard barbecue dinner will melt the stress of the workday away. Your family will love the meal, and you'll love the convenience.

ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Barbecue Sauce For A Perfect Barbeque

When someone mentions barbecue images comes to the mind like cooking at the backyard grill, a social gathering, cooking outdoors and cooking meat slowly over wood and smoke that adds flavor to the food.

Different cooks have different preferences and style in their cooking. Some prefer rubbing the seasoning whether wet or dry prior to cooking and some prefers to soak the meat first in special marinades that could be sops, mops and finishing. The preparation and ingredients for marinating may differ from region to region the preferred wood to be used can also differ. However, no perfect barbecue will taste as good without the perfect barbecue sauce.

Barbecue sauces can generally be categorized by what they are based on. Common examples are tomato, vinegar and mustard based sauces. To give the barbecue its distinctive taste and prevent the meat from burning easily, barbecue sauces are applied to the meat while being cooked with the exemption of tomato based barbecue sauces as tomato based sauces burns easier than the other kinds of sauces.

Barbecue sauce preparation can either be sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, hot, thick or thin. The varieties are almost endless which makes barbecues popular because anyone can make his own special preparation depending on taste and anyone can create his own way of serving the barbecue.

Recipes for barbecues can also be guarded. And good barbecue sauces can be purchased at almost any store. But the only perfect barbecue sauce is the one that you can create for yourself.
Remember whatever works for you and your family can be a great barbecue sauce. So start experimenting that is the only way to start good cooking.

The basics of Barbecue sauces…

Tomato based barbecue sauce is the most widely used. Some say that it is the most popular. Its popularity however may be due to the simplicity of preparation and besides; tomatoes are ingredients that could easily be found. The point to remember in preparing tomato-based barbecue sauces is to cook the tomatoes very well in order for the flavor to blend with the other ingredients.

Tomato based barbecue sauces are acidic. Because of this, it has the property to breakdown all the flavor of other ingredients blending them with its own. But because of its propensity to burn, limit the usage of tomato based barbecue sauce while cooking. To make it even more flavorful, prepare tomato barbecue sauces a day in advance.

Mustard based sauces are preferred in North Carolina. The mustard based barbecue sauce is great for grilling pork.

Vinegar is great meat tenderizer. It is also more acidic than tomatoes. Because of its acidic content, vinegar based sauces has a tendency to penetrate deep into the meat. To make this barbecue sauce more flavorful, experiment mixing it with chili, cider vinegar or red pepper, sugar salt and all the other ingredients that you want it to have.

Barbecue sauces today has different uses departing from its traditional purpose. It now serves as a condiment that is present on almost any table like ketchup, salsa, salt, pepper and Tabasco.

However, if experimenting with food is not your greatest strength, you can always find great sauces in any store. To make great barbecues, one rule to follow is not to place too much weight on the “with smoke flavor” label that many bottled tomato sauces advertise itself. Smoke flavor is what is barbecuing all about. The flavor has to come from the wood not the bottle.
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

Barbecue Party Tips For A Truly Amazing Event

Barbecue party tips can help a host put together an extraordinary event for family and friends. Eating outdoors is a favorite pastime enjoyed by everyone and planning the event can help make it more memorable and stress-free for the host. Big or small, a barbecue party requires an adequate amount of planning and preparation to ensure that everything is laid out properly.

It is advisable to plan the event around a theme in order to create a focal point for the barbecue party. This way, all aspects of the party such as the food, games and decorations can be fashioned around a central theme. Favorite themes for barbecue parties include a Hawaiian motif, nostalgic seventies get-together, or, if you are near the sea, opt for a beach bbq party!

Planning the menu is perhaps the most important part of any get-together especially for a barbecue party as most guests will be looking forward to an array of lip-smacking roasted meats dripping in bbq sauce.

Barbecue on the Beach Anyone?

Ah, what can be better than a great barbecue on the beach? The beach is definitely one of the best locations to have a barbecue. After all, the nature of grilling and barbecuing as a cooking technique is that it's fun, exciting and very rewarding. Similarly, the beach pretty much exudes the same atmosphere. There are a lot of fun and exciting activities to do at the beach. It's a place where people can be themselves in their 'bare essentials' and the relaxation factor is definitely rewarding. Putting these two wonderful concepts together, a barbecue on the beach is pretty much a recipe for a great time!

But before you pack your stuff, gear up your grill and hit the sand for one hell of a barbecue on the beach party, bear in mind that there are various safety procedures and other rules governing beach areas so it would be best to consult authorities and secure the proper permissions before you even think about organizing a beach barbecue party.

Assuming you've done that and you've already picked a nice spot, next would be preparing for your barbecue on the beach. There are various grill types that you may use for barbecuing on the beach – you have the wood or charcoal grill, gas grill or you may also use a campfire tripod. Be sure to station your grill in a stable spot, away from any flammable material and safe from people possibly bumping into it.

Bring your marinated meat, poultry or seafood in a cooler and take them out only when you're ready to start barbecuing to avoid spoilage. Further, the last seasoning you would want on your barbecue on the beach is sand right? So keep them covered!

And of course, don't forget to pack those barbecue sauces and hot sauces to spice up your barbecue dishes. If you're looking for something insanely different to give your barbecue that extra punch, visit www.InsaneChicken.com for their wide array of barbecue sauces, marinades and dry rubs. Treat yourself and your friends' taste buds to their line of extremely hot products; they would definitely go well with a good beer. Now that's what I call one unforgettable barbecue on the beach party!
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

Barbecue. The secrets of the Greek way !

I have taste grilled meats around the world. Before i will guide you to the various technologies (gas barbecues, charcoal barbecues, Mongolian, sauces, recipes ) i will tell you about the Greek way. We Greeks like good food so i will start from the meat. Whatever the technology, the recipe and the sauce, if the meat is from a producer which feeds his animals the traditional way the taste will be superb. Period.

There is no equivalent of a natural rosen meat of beef ,lamp or pork. The taste is magic ! If you come for holidays in Greece you will see in the morning or in the afternoon the old lady with the two or three cows , or goats. These animals will be served in the local taverna. For this meat i am talking about. If we talk about the islands where the goats are drinking sea water and eating the local wild weeds we are talking about a superior quality meat almost presalted.
If you ever go in CRETE taste it, you will remember my words. In case you will visit northern Greece try local Veal stake. You can locate the good food where you will see no foreigners at all.

So lets move around Athens and check the best ones. One of the best barbecue tavern in Athens area is Telis in Evripidou Str.
Telis is the  master of pork chops. This is  his specialty. If you order for a plate you will notice about four to five pieces above fried potatoes. He is all day open and very economical also. Its a kind of fast pork steak food. It is a must taste since you visit Athens. Another must taste is Thanasis kebab souvlaki in Thision. It is mixed lamp and veal chopped meat over charcoals. You may eat a plate of four of them , with grilled tomatoes, or you might taste the traditional way in a pita. Any way its very difficult to eat only one. If you like hot papers ask them.

One more must eat souvlaki in Athens is LEIBADIA in kANIGOS SQUARE. There you can have the traditional pork souvlaki with all the village bread you can eat. They produce all day long so whenever you will be there you will taste it straight from the charcoals.

All around Greece we like to barbecue on charcoals. The device we choose must be proven in producing our favorite taste. Our meat are premarinated with olive oil, salt, pepper, origanon. During grill we add a little of olive oil-salt-origanon mix in order to produce the tasty smell, which gives this delicious aromatic taste to the meat.
The fire must be strong but not so strong to provoke fires under the meat. For this purpose we have a bottle of vinegar to extinguish it in case of. We add fresh lemon just before we consume them. We don't take out the fat before we grill our meat because we like the taste of the smoked meat.

One more famous place for barbecue souvlaki is the Corinth bridge. This is the bridge which you enter Peloponnesus. Do not pass the bridge and miss the  taste of this souvlaki. Thousands of people stop every day to taste this local delicacy.
ARTICLE SOURCE: WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Baking Flexibility

Everywhere you look, there is a lot of emphasis on cutting the fat out of our daily diets, but who wants to cut out the fat if it means cutting out the flavor? When it comes to baking, there is a way to cut down on your fat intake without changing the ingredients in your favorite recipes. If you switch to nonstick silicone bakeware, you can cut down on your fat intake with minimal effort. Because the bakeware is nonstick, you never have to use butter, shortening, or grease on your pans or sheets to ensure easy food removal.

The first silicone items made exclusively for baking were small silicone mats that fit nicely on your cookie sheet and allowed you to bake cookies with out greasing the cookie sheet or worrying about the bottoms getting burned. These little mats were a huge success and stores were hard pressed to keep them in stock.

As the popularity of these mats grew, manufacturers decide to explore the idea of making more bakeware from silicone. They began making spoons, spatulas, and whisks that could withstand high heats and could be used with nonstick cookware with no fear of ruining the coating. Silicone utensils were the perfect choice for candy making or any other project that required a boiling and sticky liquid to be stirred.

Kitchen supply manufacturers also introduced silicone potholders and oven gloves. Because they can withstand heats up to 500 degrees, they are the perfect insurance that you won’t get burned when you pull a hot dish from your oven. They don’t conduct heat the way that a cloth potholder does and they are much sturdier and easy to keep clean than traditional potholders. Home canners fell in love with silicone baker’s mitts because they could actually reach into a pot of boiling water to remove a hot jar of food once it was done processing. As an added bonus these durable potholders do double duty as lid grippers making opening jars a snap.

Once silicone hit kitchens in the form of baking mats, utensils, and pot holders, kitchen experts began to see the potential of this material in everyday baking. Suddenly almost any type of bakeware that could traditionally be found in stainless steel, aluminum, glass, or stoneware was being offered in brightly colored silicone. Stores began selling muffin tins, bread loaf pans, cake pans, and pie pans. The most popular pieces tend to be the specialty designed cake pans that allow you to make cakes shaped like everything from roses to pumpkins. They even have mini cake pans that make individual, fancy shaped cakes.

The popularity of silicone bakeware skyrocketed as cooks began to see the benefits of using this material in their kitchens. Foods pop out of silicone pans with amazing ease. You never need to grease, flour, or even use cooking spray on a silicone pan and that adds up to lots of calories and fat grams saved with each meal. Because silicone is very flexible, it is easy to bend and twist it so that cakes and breads pop out easily. You never have to force baked goods out of the pan, so they retain there shape and you don’t see a lot of split and broken cakes.

Silicone is a bakers dream when it comes to making evenly cooked delicacies. The material distributes heat evenly, so you never end up with a cake that is burned around the edges and still not cooked in the middle. It also cools down quickly ensuring that you foods will not continue cooking and possibly drying out once you remove them from the oven.

Because silicone is nonstick, cleanup is a breeze. A little soap and water and any crumb left on your bakeware disappears. It is nonporous, so it never retains any odors from the foods you cook. Completely versatile it goes from oven to table to freezer and can even be thrown in the dishwasher. Once you are done cleaning it, storage is a snap. With its flexibility, you can twist it, bend it, fold it or mash it up so it can fit in the smallest of drawers or cupboards.

If you haven’t tried silicone bakeware, add a piece or two to your kitchen. You will be surprised at its quality and flexibility.
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

Aussie Chef Shares Culinary Secrets With Americans

What if a famous Australian chef came to your home and offered to make dinner?

That's the premise of a new television cooking show-but with a twist. Chef Curtis Stone is making his debut on American television, ambushing unsuspecting shoppers with an offer they simply can't refuse. Each episode in the series called "Take Home Chef," shown Fridays at 8:00 p.m. on TLC, begins with a covert Stone racing through a grocery store as he searches for the perfect culinary partner. Once he's found one he turns on the charm, offering to accompany the shopper home and prepare a gourmet meal using the items in his or her shopping cart-plus a few savory extras.

Once participants seem willing to go along with this culinary adventure, they take Stone home and work with him in their own kitchens or out at the grill to create a delicious dinner. And, as Australians are known for "throwing another one on the barbee," Chef Stone is likely to be sharing a lot of his grilling secrets from Down Under, while at the same time learning how to function in an average American kitchen.

Some of the grilling tips offered in "Take Home Chef" include:

&#8226; When cooking larger pieces of meat, like roasts, pile the coals on one side and place the food on the other. This allows for indirect cooking and reduces charring.

&#8226; Don't use charcoal lighter fluid or briquettes that have added starter fluid built into them. This will leave an unpleasant taste in the smoke.

&#8226; Rubs are one of the best things you can use to add flavor to your meat. They are combinations of spices that seal in the flavor of the meat, form a tasty crust, enhance color and pull moisture from the air while drawing juices from inside the meat, causing the meat to marinate itself as it cooks.

Chef Curtis Stone started his culinary career at The Savoy Hotel, in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia at the age of 18. The European and British chefs he knew there taught him the importance of working abroad to increase one's experience and skills. That's why, once he'd qualified as a chef, he set off for Europe to experience Italy, France and Spain before finally arriving in London.

There, he was eventually promoted to be head chef at the critically acclaimed Quo Vadis, a London institution since 1926.

So what's this new American TV show like for Chef Stone? "Cooking in someone else's home can be absolutely anything; it can be fabulous or a complete disaster," he says. "It's the fear of the unknown that makes it so exciting."
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

Are You Professional Chef Material?

© 2006, All Rights Reserved

We see them on the Food Network every day.  Rachael, Paula, Emeril and others zip around their kitchens making quick work of fabulous recipes.  In no time, they've whipped up three or four dishes that look so appetizing you can almost smell them through the TV.  As thoughts like "I can do that" ramble around in your mind, you begin dreaming about the glory of becoming a professional chef.  Can you do it?  Are you professional chef material?

Like all great things, obtaining the title of chef takes time.  Both formal training and hands-on experience need time to cultivate in order to bring your skills to the level of a professional.  That means culinary school and an apprenticeship or externship may be necessary as part of your training. 

<B>Characteristics of Great Chefs</B>

Some of the best chefs are found in Hollywood, California.  Culinary arts school instructors in this area of the country are quick to tell would-be chefs what characteristics play a vital role in their quests for professional status.  From personal observations of those in California who have attended a cooking school and reached the level of Executive Chef or Master Chef, the first two traits that stand out are hard work and creativity. 

Becoming a chef will require dedication to the time and tasks of completing culinary school, working through an externship and gaining years of experience through frontline work in restaurants.  As you build your cooking and baking skills, you'll incorporate the physical tasks of chopping, slicing, mixing and others into the creative tasks of developing recipes and plating your dishes with unique presentations.  The end result is a multisensory experience of sight, smell and taste that truly brings pleasure to those who eat what you've prepared.

What else is required?  The ability to work as part of a team.  Yes, even though Rachael and Emeril appear to be going it alone on their shows, they have an entire staff behind the scenes that assists them.  A professional chef must be able to delegate responsibilities, supervise the work of others, coordinate every step of the menu and culminate the efforts of everyone involved into wonderful dishes that are served hot, fresh and on time.

A love for food is also needed to be a great chef.  Do you wonder about how different seasonings and textures work together?  Are you always experimenting to find new combinations of spices, herbs and sauces that bring out the flavor of your dishes?  This curiosity and love of food will certainly work in your favor as you strive toward your goal.

Do you possess some or all of these characteristics?  Then who knows . . . with the proper training and experience you could one day own your own restaurant or be the next up-and-coming star!
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

Amazing Thai Recipe

Bamboo Shoots: Bamboo shoots are called for in many Thai recipes. In order to prepare a bamboo shoot for cooking you need to peel them and boil the white inner stalks for 30 minutes in water. If you are using canned bamboo shoots you will only need to boil them for 10 minutes, or if they are going into curries or soups, boiling might not be required.

Basil (fresh): There are three types of basils used in Thai cooking; sweet, holy and lemon. Sweet basil is much easier to find because it is commonly used in western cooking. Holy basil has a spicier taste and can be recognized by it’s slightly purple leaves. Lemon basil has a lemony flavor and can be detected by its distinct lemony scent. If you can only find sweet basil you can compensate for holy or lemon basil by adding finely chopped chili peppers or a bit of lemon rind.

Bergamot: Also known as kaffir lime leaves has a slightly limey flavor which goes well with all Thai dishes. Since this may be hard to find, granted lime rind can be used in its place although it is a poor substitute.

Chili paste: This can be bought in bottles or tubes in almost any supermarket. Used for adding spice and flavor to most dishes, a particularly popular version by Thai cooks is burnt mild chili paste.

Chinese mushrooms: Mushrooms are added to a lot of Thai cooking and many people chose to use the dried variety because they are cheaper and have just as much flavor and nutritional value. You will need to soak the mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes before using them and the stems are usually discarded because of their tough nature.

Coconut milk: Coconut milk can be bought in cans almost anywhere. If the recipe you are using calls for coconut cream scoop the harder white substance that has formed at the top of the can. If you need coconut milk, stir the can thoroughly before using.

Curry Paste: While some people prefer to prepare their own curry pastes, many bottled curries are available at the supermarket. Most recipes use red, green or yellow curry.

Fish sauce: Made from collecting the liquid off of fermenting salted fish, this pale, watery brown sauce is sometimes used to replace all the salt in recipes. It is very flavorful and compliments all Thai food. It is called for in many recipes but you can also use your imagination with it, as it is very versatile.

Galangal: A close relative to ginger, is used in many curries and soups. Since it is quite rare to find fresh you will probably have to purchase it dry and soak it in water for 1 hour before using.

Garlic: Thai garlic might be available in some Asian markets, however if you cannot find it, the Western variety will work just as well. Use the smaller, tighter cloves on your garlic head for Thai cooking because they are more flavorful and will not be over powered by the other herbs and spices used in your dish.

Ginger: Easy to find and used quite often in modern cooking, ginger is extremely healthy and flavorful. It must be peeled before it is grated or chopped. Fresh ginger is much better than dried, although dried may be substituted if needed.

Lemon grass: Lemon grass is one of the most commonly used items in Thai cooking. It is a long stalk that looks like a small leek. The hard outer portion should be removed and the lower, bulbous part is used. You can either add sliced pieces to your food while it is cooking and remove them before serving your dish, or you can blend them in a food processor so they can be consumed with the dish, which will give it more flavor.

Palm Sugar: Some Thai recipes call for palm sugar which is available in some Asian markets as cellophane wrapped blocks. If palm sugar is unavailable you can substitute with dark brown sugar or real maple syrup.

Rice: Thai people prefer long-grain white Jasmine rice. This is a flavorful and aromatic rice that cools and compliments spicy Thai dishes.

Rice papers: Used for making fresh Thai spring rolls, you can buy rice papers at any food store. To use soak papers (one at a time) in warmish water until they are soft and pliable, then dry off with paper towel and use immediately.

Sesame Oil: A vegetable oil that comes from pressed sesame seeds and originated in East India. This is a very flavorful oil and works very well with Thai cooking.

Preparation and cooking techniques:

Vegetables: Vegetables used in Thai cooking should be cut as finely as possible. The idea is that the smaller they are chopped, the less time they will need to be cook, therefore retaining as much nutrients as possible.

Stir frying: Most people have cooked a stir fry before, so will be familiar with this method of cooking. Oil should be poured into a wok and vegetables should be added over high heat while being constantly stirred. Vegetables should only be stir fried for a couple of seconds so they remain crisp and brightly colored.

Mortar and Pestles: Perfect for making sauces, curry pastes and salads, every Thai cook should own a mortar and pestle preferably made out of clay or wood.

Mincing: Since Thai cooking uses so many intensely flavorful ingredients they should all be chopped very finely so one flavor never overpowers the other. You should always use a very sharp knife for this.

Roasting and grinding spices: When adding spices and herbs to your Thai dish you should always roast them by slowly heating each spice individually in pan until they begin to crackle and turn brown. When each spice is done roasting they should be ground very finely in a food processor or mortar.
article source:wwww.newspama.com

All about Cuban cuisine

The East Caribbean island of Cuba has a rich cultural heritage from which has arisen culinary traditions that are as vibrant and varied as the variety of cultures that have contributed to the development of this distinct and delicious cuisine. In addition to the ancient influence of the native peoples of Cuba, the Spaniards brought their own culinary styles, tinged by those of the Moors who held huge parts of Spain for centuries. The slaves that were brought from Africa made significant culinary and cultural contributions, with other culinary traditions being brought to the island with the French colonists fleeing uprisings in Haiti.
   
As these various influences came together, a distinctly Cuban flavor and style evolved, which is reminiscent of country peasant styles of cooking by oral tradition and eye, rather than relying on specific measurements and the creation of dishes that tend towards the simple and hearty, and that can be left on their own to simmer. Fussy, heavy sauces are unusual and deep-frying is simply not a favored cooking method. The island nation, naturally, uses a great deal of seafood in its cuisine, which encourages the use of simple cooking techniques and spicing that is meant to enhance, not smother, natural flavors.

The most common spices used in Cuban cuisine are garlic, cumin, oregano and bay or laurel leaves. Sofrito is also popular, and used in a wide range of dishes, from those of beans to those of meats to those that are made from a base of tomato sauce. A typical sofrito is made of green pepper, onion, garlic, oregano and black pepper fried in olive oil until the pepper, onion and garlic are soft and translucent and the flavors blend to perfection.

The dense, nutritious, energy producing vegetables commonly used belie the African and native peoples’ influence on the cuisine of Cuba. Yuca, malanga, boniato, and plantano are among these, and are often simmered together with complementary vegetables and served simply, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chopped fresh onion – a satisfying, strengthening and simple dish for a hard working people.

Meats are often prepared using island flavored marinades of that use lime juice or the juice of a sour variety of the orange as a base. Then, the meats are roasted or simmered very slowly with spices, often for hours. Beans and rice are an essential part of most meals, with black beans being well known as a Cuban specialty.

Cuban cuisine is also notable for its baked goods, which include a variety of turnovers. Some are filled with spiced meats and other types feature a particularly Cuban blend of cream cheese and guava paste. Flan is among Cuba’s most beloved dessert items.

In Cuban cuisine, the subtle flavors of healthy foods are enhanced by cooking and spicing methods designed to bring out the best in each component of a dish. The culinary traditions of Cuba are a delight to the tongue, naturally, but they also offer a fascinating glimpse into a culture that has brought together many varied elements to create a cohesive whole.
Did you find this article useful?  For more useful tips and   hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to guides on cuisines, culinary styles, recipes and more  , do please browse for more information at www.noshkitchen.com

Adding Almonds May Let You Reign In Spain

For many, warmer weather means eating lighter and healthier. Here's a quick, new recipe for a Summer Delight Salad. The sliced almonds help to give it a Mediterranean accent.


Summer Delight Salad


3/4 cup Sunkist® Almond Accents® Honey Roasted sliced almonds

8 cups torn spinach or mixed greens

1 (5-oz.) pkg. yellow teardrop tomatoes

1 cup quartered fresh strawberries

1/3 cup sliced red onion

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

raspberry vinaigrette dressing


In large bowl, toss half the Sunkist® Almond Accents® Honey Roasted sliced almonds and the next 4 ingredients. Arrange onto salad plates; top with blue cheese and remaining Sunkist® Almond Accents® Honey Roasted sliced almonds. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad.

Makes 4 to 6 salads.

Preparation Time: 10 min.

Almonds are nutrient dense, vitamin rich and have long been used to add flavor and crunch to dishes from different parts of the Mediterranean. Sunkist® Almond Accents® are dry roasted with no added oil and have no cholesterol, no saturated fat, and just 1-2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. And now, using almonds in any dish may earn five lucky contestants a trip to Spain.

A Culinary Adventure

A seven-day, six-night epicurean adventure for two to Barcelona, including round-trip airfare, hotel, optional cooking lessons, food and wine tastings, excursions to wineries and local food producers and guided tours of historic sites, is the grand prize in a contest that celebrates the variety, flavor and health benefits that dishes that use almonds have to offer.

A Slice Of Spanish Flavor

Sunkist® Almond Accents® will send five grand-prize winners of its Barcelona Culinary Sweepstakes on the all-expenses-paid trip for two to Barcelona, Spain.

Two hundred first prizes, consisting of a set of hand-painted, hand-thrown dishes, will also be awarded.
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

Alfredo, and who on earth was he?

If you ask for Pasta Alfredo in a restaurant in Italy all you get from your waiter is a stare. Why is one of the most famous “Italian sauces” for pasta unknown in its country of origin? The answer is simple: because in Italy Pasta Alfredo doesn’t exist.

Yes, Italians make a dish of pasta, fettuccine dressed with nothing else than good aged parmigiano cheese and a lot of butter, but is such a simple preparation that Italians don’t even consider it a “recipe”.

Waverly Root in his famous book “The Food of Italy” (New York, 1971) wrote: “FETTUCCINE AL BURRO is associated in every tourist’s mind with Rome, possibly because the original Alfredo succeeded in making its serving a spectacle reminiscent of grand opera. It is the same ribbon shaped egg pasta tat is called tagliatelle in Bologna; but the al burro preparation is very Roman indeed in its rich simplicity. Nothing is added to the pasta except grated cheese and butter - lots of butter. The recipe calls for doppio burro, double butter, which gives it a golden color.”

Who was Alfredo then? Alfredo di Lelio, this was his full name, was an inspired cook who proposed this new exciting dish in the restaurant he opened in Rome in 1914. It was a high gourmet preparation in the Roman tradition of simplicity. Apparently he created his Fettuccine all’Alfredo when his wife lost her appetite during her pregnancy. To bring back her appetite he prepared for her a nutritious dish of egg fettuccine with parmigiano cheese and butter. That probably gave him the idea for his “triple butter” fettuccine.

He was an extravagant character who used to personally serve his paper-thin fettuccine with golden forks, apparently donated to him by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, the famous silent movie stars. In the fifties and sixties, Hollywood discovered Rome. Paparazzi photographers took photos of actors such as Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, or Sophia Loren in front of a plate of Fettuccine all’Alfredo, making his restaurant famous all around the world. The restaurant is now run buy his grandson, and the golden forks are still used to serve this dish for special occasions.

Samuel Chamberlain, journalist and food writer, met Alfredo in the late fifties and wrote in his book “Italian Bouquet – An Epicurean Tour of Italy” (New York, 1958): “Finally there is the great Alfredo, showman par excellence, who draws an endless file of amazed and hungry tourists to watch his calisthenics over a dish of hot noodles. The King of Noodles has come out of retirement, and now wields his golden fork and spoon at ALFREDO ALL’AUGUSTEO, at number 31 on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. His Maestosissime Fettuccine all’Alfredo are most majestic, without a doubt. […] You have to visit this place at least once, we suppose, just to say you have seen this elderly, melodramatic good-hearted clown in action.”

So, forget the heavy cream, the parsley, the garlic, and all the other stuff suggested in the hundreds of Alfredo recipes that circulate around. Take down from the shelf that pasta machine, prepare your fresh fettuccine (you can substitute fresh fettuccine with excellent dry egg noodles), and enjoy the simple Maestosissime Fettuccine al Triplo Burro the way Alfredo himself would do them.
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

Add Elegance To Grilling

Whether it's a small gathering of family members or an invitation extended to friends and neighbors, entertaining can take on a delightfully casual approach when it's done outdoors.

Add instant sophistication to a casual atmosphere with these entertaining and grilling tips guaranteed to impress every guest.

Be Courteous to Your Guests

Be sure to note any food restrictions or allergies and prepare alternate options.

Prepare ahead. Cut meats and vegetables, set the table, and toss the salad before the guests arrive. This will give you more time to relax and enjoy your company.

Create an Ambiance

White dinnerware always looks appropriate and pairs nicely with casual double-duty prep and serving pieces, such as rustic wood cutting boards for an outdoor meal.

Add instant elegance to your casual get-together with flowers. Just trim a few stems from the garden and arrange them in glasses or bowls.

Offer a few different bottles of wine at the table for a great conversation starter. The best wines to serve are ones that pair well with all types of food and do not require additional aging once purchased. For example, Rioja, one of Spain's oldest and most renowned wines, includes reds, whites and rose at all price ranges, aged to be ready to drink at purchase and complement meat, fish and vegetables.

Efficiency Is Key

To speed up grilling time, partially precook chicken, red meat, potatoes, carrots and other slow-cooking food in the oven or microwave. When grilling, if you need more than one cooking temperature, mound some coals on one side to create a hot section and spread coals out on the other side for a cooler section.

Grill Smart

When grilling food on skewers, cut pieces into chunks that are too large to fall through the grate. Or for easy cleanup, consider using foil packets to grill onion rings, slices of zucchini and squash or even pineapple rings.

When basting, use two brushes -one green and one red. Use the green brush to baste raw meat. Once the meat has begun to cook, switch to the red brush to continue the process. This will help to avoid contamination.
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

A Delicious Companion To Good Health: The Olive Oil Story

The health benefits of olive oil in the Mediterranean diet has become more than a novel observation. Clinical research is substantiating healthy benefits, but the gourmet tastes and flavors are bonuses well worth mentioning too.

“The… patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don’t take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.” -- Quentin Regestein

Highly favored as a cooking oil, or for use in a variety of classic dressings, olive oil is being touted in some quarters as a delicious companion to good health. Research on the health benefits of olive oil is impressive, so is the affects of the Mediterranean diet.

Recent Findings

Olive Oil as a Cholesterol Reducer

Compared to American cuisine, especially the snack and fast foods prevalent in the US, the Mediterranean Diet has intrigued the medical world. The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published findings that indicate the introduction of olive oil into our regular diet has demonstrated a reduction in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). This is significant because once LDL cholesterol has oxidized it often results in artery rigidity and accompanying heart disease.

Olive Oil in Cancer Prevention

In a comparison study at the University Hospital Germans Trias Pujol in Barcelona there seems to be an indication that the health benefits of olive oil may also be useful in the prevention or slowing of cancer cells. In the study, lab rats were introduced to a carcinogen that resulted in cancerous tumors. The study provides evidence that a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil prevents colonic carcinogenesis reducing precancerous tissue which resulted in fewer tumors when compared to a controlled sample of rats ingesting foods containing other types of cooking oils.

Researchers at Oxford University in England have seen indications that olive oil may actually be as good for our digestive system as fresh fruit and vegetables in preventing or reducing the incidence of colon cancer. While red meat seems to be linked to the development of colon cancer, fish and olive oil seemed to reduce the incidence of colon cancer. The reasons behind this phenomena are still being considered, but it is believed that the olive oil may help regulate the bile acid in the stomach while increasing useful enzymes within the stomach that contribute to optimal colon health.

Olive Oil and Heart Health

The American Heart Association has also noted that consumption of olive oil has “clear health benefits”.

Olive Oil and Lower Blood Pressure

By substituting virgin olive oil for other fats within your diet, the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates a substantial reduction in drug dosage requirements for the management of high blood pressure. Initial findings indicate dosage reductions could be as high as 50%.

Additional Findings

By lowering the level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) there is an increase of the HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). The antioxidant effects of olive oil have also been widely reported and are effective in reducing free radicals within the body that may prove to be a causal agent in pre cancerous and cancerous growth.

Additional health benefits of olive oil may be found in a Mediterranean diet which explores the varied uses of olive oil in both food preparation as well as additional balanced meal choices. Combined, olive oil and appropriate food choice seem to enhance the overall health of those subscribing to the Mediterranean diet.

Final Word

While studies remain ongoing, it is encouraging to note that something that has long been noted for good taste may also be a link to positive health benefits and longevity of life. An adaptation of the Mediterranean diet may be a healthy, yet palatable change well worth considering.
ARTICLE SOURCE:www.noshkitchen.com

A Brief History of Pizza: The Dish that Conquered the World

Pizza, the way we know it today, is a derivation from focaccia (from the Latin word for fire), flat bread that has been prepared since antiquity in different forms and garnished with herbs, olives, fat, raisin, honey, and nuts.

The word pizza in Italian identifies any type of flat bread or pie—fried or baked. Although you’d find many types of pitas or pizzas around the Mediterranean, it is in Naples that pizza in the form we know it today first emerged, after the tomato appeared on the table in the 1700s. Naples has many records of pizza since around the year 1000; the first mentions call these flat breads laganae, and later they are referred to as picea. In those times, pizzas were dressed with garlic and olive oil, or cheese and anchovies, or small local fish. They were baked on the open fire and sometimes were closed in two, as a book, to form a calzone.

 In Naples is also where the first pizzerias opened up, with brick wood-burning oven, covered with lava stones from the Mount Vesuvius. The chefs of those times ignored pizza because was considered a poor people’s food, but the new combination with the tomato, when it entered the kitchen around the 1770s, must have raised some curiosity, even in the royal palace. Ferdinand I Bourbon, King of Naples, loved the simple food of the people and went to taste the pizzas made in the shop of Antonio Testa. He liked it so much that he wanted pizza to be included in the menu at the court. He failed after the opposition of his wife, Queen Maria Carolina. His son Ferdinand II also liked all kind of popular food and he loved pizza to the point that he hired Domenico Testa, son of the now famous Antonio, to build a pizza oven in the royal palace of Capodimonte.

Pizza became very popular, earning its place in Neapolitan folklore. Simple and economical, it turned into the food for all people, even sold on the streets, as shown in many illustrations of the time.

A famous episode extended the popularity of pizza beyond the limits of the city of Naples. It was 1889, and Margherita, queen of Italy, was visiting the city. She was told about pizza and wanted to taste it. A famous cook by the name of Don Raffaele, helped by his wife Donna Rosa, was invited to cook pizza at the royal palace. They prepared three pizzas, typical of that time: one with cheese and basil; one with garlic, oil, and tomato; and one with mozzarella, basil, and tomato. The queen, impressed by the colors of the last pizza, which resembled the national flag, preferred that one. Since then this pizza is known as Pizza Margherita, and Don Raffaele is credited with its invention, even if we know that it already existed for a long time.

At the beginning of the last century, with Italian immigrants, the first pizzerias appeared also in the United States, where pizza has become a mass phenomenon. Yet, even today the best pizza is found in Naples, where it is rigorously made with buffalo mozzarella. Superior pizzas are considered those obtained by moderate variations of the simplest and most popular: Pizza Napoletana with tomato, garlic, oil, and oregano; Pizza Margherita; Pizza Marinara with tomato, anchovies, capers, and olives; and Pizza Four Seasons, divided in four quadrants, each dressed in a different way. Pizza with hot salami, the American pepperoni pizza, is instead found in the Calabria region south of Naples, where this type of hot sausage is produced.
ARTICAL SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

A Beginners Guide to Chinese Cookery

Introduction

When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was really quite unappealing.  Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind.  Then in the 1980s a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences.  There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap ‘n tasteless ones.  Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.

Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.  

To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, I’m going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques which you need to know so that you can produce some simple and tasty dishes.  I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!

Equipment

Although there are many implements and pieces of equipment you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you really only need a good knife or two and a wok.  Woks come in all shapes and sizes, they can be non-stick, flat-bottomed, they can even be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with it’s rounded bottom and one wooden handle.  This is a Pau wok. These are readily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less expensive than other varieties.  There is one important task though, before you will be ready to cook with such a wok and that is to season it.  You will need to scrub it with a cream cleaner to remove any residues of machine oil and dry it carefully. Put the wok on the hob over a low heat.  Rub the inside of the wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using kitchen towel.  Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the inside with more kitchen towel.  The paper will come away black.  Carry on coating, heating and cleaning off until the kitchen towel comes away clean.  Your wok is now ready to use.  After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over a low heat.  You may also apply a little oil if you wish.  This should prevent the wok from rusting but if it does develop rust, just scrub and season again.

As well as the wok, you will need a wok stand, particularly if you have an electric hob.  This keeps the wok stable if you are using it for braising or deep frying.

You will also need something to stir with – any spatula, slice or slotted spoon will do – metal for a metal wok and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.

Ingredients

Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that  some ingredients don’t keep well if left unused.    Just select something simple from your chosen cookery book and buy the things that you need for that then you can expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.

Some common store-cupboard ingredients that you will almost certainly need are dark and light soy sauce, some sort of cooking oil and sesame oil, cornflour and rice wine or sherry.  For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Equipment.

Techniques

Stir-Frying

The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying.  This is where your wok comes into its own as it’s shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking.   The secret to successful stir-frying is to have all your ingredients ready in advance.

Meat should be cut according to the recipe but normally in thin strips.  Vegetables likewise but in any event should be of similar shapes and sizes to ensure even cooking.  Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal so that more surface area is exposed for quicker cooking.  Measure out sauce ingredients - check the recipe - if they are all added to the dish at the same time, you can put them all in one small bowl.  If cornflour is included, don’t forget to give it a good stir before adding to the other food.

Once you have everything prepared, heat your wok until it is very hot then add oil and using your chosen stirring implement ensure that the oil is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok.  Before you add your ingredients. the wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking - this will prevent the food from being greasy. The exception to this is if you are flavouring your oil with garlic, chilli, spring onions, ginger or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot.

Now add your other ingredients in the order stated in the recipe and toss them over the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing rests in one place for too long and moving the food from the centre of the wok to the sides.  I suggest that you wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation as the food often spits due to the high temperature it is cooked at.

Deep Frying

You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it is safely balanced on its stand.  Under no circumstances leave it unattended.  Deep frying in a wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan but you may find these safer and easier to use.

When deep frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food will end up very greasy.  Test it by dropping in a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread.  If the oil bubbles up around what you dropped in then it’s hot enough. 

Make sure that food to be deep fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or drained of its marinade before cooking otherwise it will spit.

Shallow Frying

This is the same as the Western technique.  Fry food on one side, then the other and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients.  A normal frying pan is fine for this.

Steaming

Steaming is widely used in Chinese cookery.  You can use a bamboo steamer in a wok, a heat-proof plate placed on a rack in a wok or other large pan or you can use a normal European steamer.

If using a bamboo steamer or plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer.  Put your rack into the wok (if the bamboo steamer is big enough and will sit on the sides of the wok without being in the water, you don’t need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food on it.  Put the lid on your steamer or wok and check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up (use water which is already hot).

Whichever method you use, make sure that the food is above the water level and isn’t getting wet.

Braising

As with Western cooking, braising is used for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and/or vegetables in flavoured stock.  Red-braising is the technique where food is braised in a dark liquid such as soy sauce which gives the food a red/brown colour.  This type of braising sauce can be frozen and re-used.
ARTICLE  SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

8 Simple Commonsense Cooking Tips

Do you get lumps in your white sauce? When making white sauce (béchamel) or any sauce that requires slow cooking to thicken use an egg whisk and you can increase the temperature (not too much though) to speed the process up.and you wont get any limps in it.

Turn your open barbeque into a gourment oven. Want to try a new barbeque recipe that requires a hood on the barbeque which you may not have. Try using a wok lid or any domed lid. This works very well indeed. Great for roasted meats when camping out.

Never buy frozen pastry again. Do you hate making short pastry. Use a kitchen whiz instead of the usual hand method. Use slightly less liquid than may be asked for in the recipe.Just run the whiz until all the pastry forms into a ball. If it wont form into a ball you may need just a touch more liquid. The liquid depends on what recipe you use for your pastry.

Do your scones look more like rock cakes ? Make your scones in a kitchen whiz. Many people just can't make scones no matter what. Usually the problem is too much handling. Using the whiz eliminates this problem.

Also try and make your scones as though people or the family are sitting at the table waiting. In other words the less time you take means less handling. The mixture should be quite moist not dry after you add the milk.

Turn onto a well floured board and top a few times with the tips of your fingers to draw the extra four in. This should only take you about 5-8 seconds. Gently pat into shape and cut into whatever shaped scones you want - round or square -whatever.

Scones seem to come out best when cooked in what is variously described as a rising oven. In other words turn your oven on not too long before you start to mix your scones and when they are put in the oven it still has not quite reached the required temperature.

I learnt this way of making scones when I was used to crew on a yacht when I was younger and the guys would want morning tea and see if they could cajole me into making some. Hence my reference to having a waiting audience. The oven was only a small benchtop gas oven and I would turn it on to its maximum temperature and then throw the flour butter and milk together. They were most impressed and I was most surprised at the result. I was not at all sure of my expertise in scone making as my mother could never make scones - hers were the ones that came out like bullets.

I did later convert my mother into making scones in the kitchen whiz when she was around 65 and she was amazed that she finally learnt to make a scone that was edible.

I might add that scones became a regular morning tea item

Are your curries chewy? Do you have trouble working out if a casserole or curry is cooked. When the oil (fat) rises the dish is cooked. All meat dish casseroles have some fat content and when this is released the meat is cooked.

Are you missing the magic ingredient? Have you ever cooked a curry or casserole and the flavour just needs a little something and you cant quite work out exactly what is needed. Maybe it seems as though the flavours don't quite go together. It is a small intangible ingredient that is lacking. Try a very small amount of sugar and you will be surprised how it seems to blend and mellow the flavours into a more harmonious combination. The flavours will cease to fight against each other.

Whoops have you ever slipped with the salt pot when cooking? Have you ever added just a touch too much salt to a recipe. Never add sugar to correct this try a squeeze of lemon juice.

I hate washing roasting pans. Do you like to have roasted potatoes occasionally but hate washing up the pan afterwards. Here is a simple easy method and it uses less fat. Cut each potato with the skin on, in half so that you have the largest cut area. Add a little margarine and spread it on the cut side of the potato. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper if you want.

Place the buttered potatoes buttered side down on a sheet of aluminium foil wrap. Fold the foil and seal. Add to a preheated hot oven 200 degrees centigrade and cook for approx half an hour. When cooked unwrap and gently peel the foil off the potatoes and serve. Throw the foil in the garbage and voila - lovely scrisp roasted potatoes and no mess.
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

5 Ways to Make Your BBQ a Memorable Family Event

Since Americans in the South began roasting pigs publicly, Barbecues have been a staple of North American living. For many, grilling becomes a routine mealtime activity, while for the most devoted grillers, summer is ruled by massive barbecue parties. But grillers do not have to choose between boring repetition and outrageous get-togethers: every barbecue can and should be an exciting family event. Here are 5 ways to make your routine evening barbecue a more unique experience:

1) Who said you have to stick to meat? Much can be done with bread and fruits over an open flame. To make this into a fun activity with your kids, use cookie cutters to make the bread and fruit into shapes. You can decide on themes like “animals” and “letters” or ask that each shape be different from the others! Then, let your kids decide which toppings they would like to put on. Add cheese, onion and various spices to bread and cinnamon and honey to fruit.

2) Try foil-wrapped surprise meals. Place different combinations of chicken, fish and vegetables with sauces and spices in foil packets. These cook in less than 20 minutes and lead to no-mess, lip-smacking results. Children will love the surprise element and can easily switch packets. You can even ask your family for combo suggestions before the barbecue, or draw ingredient names out of a hat to create new meal ideas. 

3) A little variety goes a long way. If you tend to stick to the same old beef burgers and pork wieners, why not try grilled pizza or salmon steaks? Similarly, try to mix it up with condiments and seasoning. Sick of ketchup? Try salsa instead. Look online where you’ll find hundreds of easy recipes for barbecue rubs. These give your food that extra pizzazz and prevent the mess and drip that comes with barbecue sauces.

4) Barbecues don’t have to be rushed. In fact, barbecue devotees will tell you that today’s quick broiling is an insult to the term, which should represent a process of slow cooking on low heat. You can find many slow cooker recipes online, and the wait is a great opportunity to pass some quality time with your family and friends. Entertaining backyard activities include creating an outdoor canvas to paint on or playing backyard bowling with household items. 

5) Mom said not to play with your food, but there’s always an exception! Barbecue games are great fun and tasty at the same time. In the game Glutton, each player gets a certain amount of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or any other side dish. Various kitchen utensils are put in a box and the players blindly pick a few. On the go, they begin to eat their dish with the items that they took out. The first to finish his or her food wins the prize!

Finally, don’t fret! Far too many people get lost in the details of planning the perfect barbecue party and forget to enjoy the social atmosphere and delicious food. So kick back, bask in the relaxing sun and prepare for a summer of unforgettable barbecues!
ARTICLE SOURCE :WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

4 Types of Tea: How is Each One Made

What you should always remember is that there are only four types of tea.
1) Black tea
2) Green tea
3) White tea
4) Oolong tea

All these are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, also known as the tea plant. Other herbal infusions such as chamomile tea, ginger tea or red tea made of rooibos leaves are disqualified as types of tea since the tea plant is not involved in their making. The difference between the four tea variations lies in the process of making them. In addition, each type of tea has another flavor and various health benefits.

1) Black Tea
The strong flavored burnt Sienna colored hot beverage is the most popular type of tea in the West. Either served with a squeeze of lemon or added milk and a cube of sugar, the cup of black tea is part of daily tea ceremonies that take place worldwide. Black tea is made of heavily oxidized Camellia sinensis leaves. When served plain, it contains no calories, carbohydrates, or fats. A cup of black tea contains more caffeine than any other types of tea but less than in any cup of coffee.

2) Green Tea
The lightly oxidized tea has been popular in China, Japan and Korea for centuries. Recently, rumors on its health benefits increased its popularity in the West as well. It has been proven that drinking green tea can lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, increase metabolic rates and be helpful in variety of other conditions and illnesses. The green tea is lightly oxidized, dried, but not fermented. It is usually served plain, without sugar or milk. Since some of the green tea variants taste a bit bitter, it should be brewed in lower temperature than the boiling point.

3) White Tea
White tea is rarer and more expensive than the other types of teas mentioned above. Originated in the Fujian province of china, the white tea is made of young Camellia sinensis leaves, which go through a long process of steaming or frying, inactivate fermenting and drying. Since the leaves are harvested while the buds are still covered by white hair, it is called white tea. White tea has the most delicate, sweet taste than the other types of tea. Moreover, it contains the smallest amount of caffeine and the largest amount of antioxidant that help prevent cancer.

4) Oolong Tea
The traditional Chinese tea is the common companion of Chinese foods such as dim sum and chop suey in American Chinese restaurants. The oolong tea, black dragon in Chinese, got its name after its long, dark distinguished leaves that look like wild black dragons when brewed. The unique taste of the oolong tea is achieved by a long process that includes sun drying of the Camellia sinensis leaves, light oxidization, cooling and drying processes. The result is a lighter flavor than the popular black tea and stronger than the delicate green tea.




Article Body:
Tea is one of the most popular after food drinks in the world, but still very few people are aware that there are four inherently different flavours and types of tea one can find in every supermarket. Each tea is made out of different ingredients and each tea has its advantages and disadvantages. I will explain.

What you should always remember is that there are only four types of tea.
1) Black tea
2) Green tea
3) White tea
4) Oolong tea

All these are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, also known as the tea plant. Other herbal infusions such as chamomile tea, ginger tea or red tea made of rooibos leaves are disqualified as types of tea since the tea plant is not involved in their making. The difference between the four tea variations lies in the process of making them. In addition, each type of tea has another flavor and various health benefits.

1) Black Tea
The strong flavored burnt Sienna colored hot beverage is the most popular type of tea in the West. Either served with a squeeze of lemon or added milk and a cube of sugar, the cup of black tea is part of daily tea ceremonies that take place worldwide. Black tea is made of heavily oxidized Camellia sinensis leaves. When served plain, it contains no calories, carbohydrates, or fats. A cup of black tea contains more caffeine than any other types of tea but less than in any cup of coffee.

2) Green Tea
The lightly oxidized tea has been popular in China, Japan and Korea for centuries. Recently, rumors on its health benefits increased its popularity in the West as well. It has been proven that drinking green tea can lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, increase metabolic rates and be helpful in variety of other conditions and illnesses. The green tea is lightly oxidized, dried, but not fermented. It is usually served plain, without sugar or milk. Since some of the green tea variants taste a bit bitter, it should be brewed in lower temperature than the boiling point.

3) White Tea
White tea is rarer and more expensive than the other types of teas mentioned above. Originated in the Fujian province of china, the white tea is made of young Camellia sinensis leaves, which go through a long process of steaming or frying, inactivate fermenting and drying. Since the leaves are harvested while the buds are still covered by white hair, it is called white tea. White tea has the most delicate, sweet taste than the other types of tea. Moreover, it contains the smallest amount of caffeine and the largest amount of antioxidant that help prevent cancer.

4) Oolong Tea
The traditional Chinese tea is the common companion of Chinese foods such as dim sum and chop suey in American Chinese restaurants. The oolong tea, black dragon in Chinese, got its name after its long, dark distinguished leaves that look like wild black dragons when brewed. The unique taste of the oolong tea is achieved by a long process that includes sun drying of the Camellia sinensis leaves, light oxidization, cooling and drying processes. The result is a lighter flavor than the popular black tea and stronger than the delicate green tea.
article source:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM

5 Ways to Make Your BBQ a Memorable Family Event

Since Americans in the South began roasting pigs publicly, Barbecues have been a staple of North American living. For many, grilling becomes a routine mealtime activity, while for the most devoted grillers, summer is ruled by massive barbecue parties. But grillers do not have to choose between boring repetition and outrageous get-togethers: every barbecue can and should be an exciting family event. Here are 5 ways to make your routine evening barbecue a more unique experience:

1) Who said you have to stick to meat? Much can be done with bread and fruits over an open flame. To make this into a fun activity with your kids, use cookie cutters to make the bread and fruit into shapes. You can decide on themes like “animals” and “letters” or ask that each shape be different from the others! Then, let your kids decide which toppings they would like to put on. Add cheese, onion and various spices to bread and cinnamon and honey to fruit.

2) Try foil-wrapped surprise meals. Place different combinations of chicken, fish and vegetables with sauces and spices in foil packets. These cook in less than 20 minutes and lead to no-mess, lip-smacking results. Children will love the surprise element and can easily switch packets. You can even ask your family for combo suggestions before the barbecue, or draw ingredient names out of a hat to create new meal ideas. 

3) A little variety goes a long way. If you tend to stick to the same old beef burgers and pork wieners, why not try grilled pizza or salmon steaks? Similarly, try to mix it up with condiments and seasoning. Sick of ketchup? Try salsa instead. Look online where you’ll find hundreds of easy recipes for barbecue rubs. These give your food that extra pizzazz and prevent the mess and drip that comes with barbecue sauces.

4) Barbecues don’t have to be rushed. In fact, barbecue devotees will tell you that today’s quick broiling is an insult to the term, which should represent a process of slow cooking on low heat. You can find many slow cooker recipes online, and the wait is a great opportunity to pass some quality time with your family and friends. Entertaining backyard activities include creating an outdoor canvas to paint on or playing backyard bowling with household items. 

5) Mom said not to play with your food, but there’s always an exception! Barbecue games are great fun and tasty at the same time. In the game Glutton, each player gets a certain amount of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or any other side dish. Various kitchen utensils are put in a box and the players blindly pick a few. On the go, they begin to eat their dish with the items that they took out. The first to finish his or her food wins the prize!

Finally, don’t fret! Far too many people get lost in the details of planning the perfect barbecue party and forget to enjoy the social atmosphere and delicious food. So kick back, bask in the relaxing sun and prepare for a summer of unforgettable barbecues!
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NOSHKITCHEN.COM