Best Food And Beverage Tips: 08/08/10

Sunday, August 8, 2010

A Great Cooking Tip

A Great Cooking Tip: Getting Some New Kitchen Utensils And Even Getting A New Kitchen, Can Be Perfect For Perfecting Your Kitchen And Cooking Skills!

When you want to learn to cook like a professional chef, like a "Super-Mom," or just as your Grandmother used to cook, then it will help you immensely to have the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets, utensils, and even possibly a whole "new" kitchen!

After all, when you want to have ease of use, and quick access to a great kitchen sink, it would help if it was not an old, worn-out kitchen sink that might not have a good water flow, and plenty of room to work.

The newer kitchen sinks are much more stylish, much better quality, and more accommodating for the novice or professional chef! The newer faucet (seen by clicking here) are more effective for washing your hands, the vegetables, and the utensils!

Kitchen countertop space is also a great aid in cooking and preparing food...you always need space to chop, slice, dice, and everything else, when preparing a great meal! If you are remodeling your old, out-dated kitchen, be sure to give yourself enough room to work.

Now, you don't have to be limited by what is available at your local retailer, you can go online and shop for all your new kitchen needs, at a place such as www.MasterFaucet.com where they have such a huge variety of stylish and reasonably priced kitchen sinks, faucets, fixtures, and so forth.

You can order online from the comfort of your home, have the items delivered to your door, and install them yourself or hire a "pro" to do the work for you! Either way...you will save money!

So, get busy with those new kitchen plans, and those new recipes, because life is too short to deny yourself the simple pleasures!

Cooking for Coeliacs – Ten Top Tips

Cooking for someone with Coeliac Disease, which means they are intolerant to both wheat and gluten, can be a daunting task. As you will find from reading this article, if you are well prepared

then cooking them need not be scary, nor should it compromise your ability to cook a great tasting and healthy meal.

1. Probably the most important thing to remember is to always check the labels of any food that you are using, to make sure that the food does not contain any hidden gluten. It is vital to remember that hidden sources of gluten include preservatives, additives and stabilizers found in processed food. A great way to combat this problem is to cook only with basic ingredients that you are sure do not contain gluten, omitting products such as pre-made sauces and dressings.

2. As mentioned before, using good, fresh foods is one of the best ways to ensure that whatever meal you are cooking will be suitable for Coeliacs. So look for dishes that include – fresh meat, fresh fruit & vegetables, fresh herbs, egg and dairy products and pure oils and vinegars. Knowing this gives you a large scope to be able to cook a variety of delicious dishes, without having to worry about using any ingredients that are not safe.

3. If you have your heart set on using ingredients, such as flour, that are not suitable for Coeliacs, there are a large range of alternatives that are gluten free. Instead of using ordinary flour you could instead use any of the following – rice flour, potato flour, corn flour, cornmeal, soya flower and buckwheat flour. With these substitutes you can cook many dishes that would not normally be suitable.

4. Whilst it is gluten that gives things like bread their elasticity and cakes their spring, this does not exclude you from baking either of these items when cooking for a Coeliac. Gluten-free cakes actually work very well. You can use flour alternatives such as ground cornmeal or a mixture of rice flour and ground almonds to create light and delicious gluten-free cakes. A great tip when doing so is to use a mixture of flours along with ground almonds so the cake remains moist when baked.

5. When purchasing the ingredients for your meal, do not forget to check out the specialist sections in health stores and most big supermarkets. These sections will include a plethora of wheat and gluten free products that you can use in your meal, safe in the knowledge that they have been properly tested and are safe to be eaten by Coeliacs.

6. Remember that for some people even the tiniest trace of gluten or wheat in their food could lead them to become very ill. With this in mind make sure that your food preparation areas, including any chopping boards and knives used, have been thoroughly cleaned before use. Do this to ensure that no traces of wheat or gluten from previous meals remain on the utensils and are transferred into your otherwise safe dish.

7. If you are unsure about any products or ingredients that you plan to use in your meal, there are many great online resources for finding out if they are safe. Simply Google ‘Coeliac food directory' for more information.

8. If you are planning on serving alcohol with your meal, do remember that only certain alcoholic beverages will be suitable. Whilst wine, champagne, ciders, liqueurs and spirits are all fine to drink, alcoholic drinks such as beers, lagers, stouts and real ales are all unsuitable for Coeliacs.

9. For those of you who do not fancy cooking your own meal, taking a Coeliac disease sufferer out for a meal is also a possibility. Do remember that you will still need to be vigilant as many restaurants will not be used to accommodating such specific dietary requirements. An easy way to ensure that the restaurant you choose will be suitable for Coeliacs is by going to one of the many online restaurant directories, which will supply you with a list of many eating out options which cater to the needs of wheat and gluten intolerant customers.

10. One final thing to remember is that Coeliacs are also intolerant to wheat and gluten found in things other than food and drink. This can include certain types of medications, lipsticks and even play dough, so make sure you do not offer any of these to your guest without first checking they are safe.

With all this in mind, we hope that we have provided you with enough information to enable you to produce a meal that is both tasty and safe for your gluten intolerant friends to eat. Happy cooking!

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My Favorite Thai Food

I was thinking of providing a comprehensive of "foods found in Thailand" list but decided there are just too many and listing the foods that I love most would be far easier. So... The list below

provides a short list of my favorite Thai foods.

Fried Rice - I love Thai style pork fried rice for breakfast. This is basic fried rice with tomatoes, onions with Thai spices like lime and chili thrown in at the end.

Thai Omelet - The Thai omelet is simple but delicious dish made of eggs, chili, onions, pork and other things as desire. The chilies make it spicy and Thai. The omelet is served with white rice.

Som tum or papaya salad - som tum is a spicy salad consisting mostly of shredded fresh papaya with tomatoes, chilies, garlic, lime juice, and fish sauce. Thais love this dish SPICY, so be careful.

Hoi tod - hoi tod is a mixture of egg and mussels (or oysters) pan fried with spices, namely white pepper. This is served over a bed of fresh bean sprouts. This is often made on the street and I like mine cooked crispy.

La moo ma ma or Ground pork salad - this is browned ground pork with chilies, fish sauce, tomato sauce with chopped shallots mixed in before served. This is often served with instant noodles. This is another HOT dish so, again, be careful.

Wing bean salad - This very similar to the dish above but tends to have more of a tomato base and chopped fresh wing bean are added and lightly cooked at the end. Very tasty.

Glass noodle salad - glass noodles are made of green bean, are very thin, and absorb the flavor of the accompanying foods very nicely.

Fried grouper - this a simple deep fried sea fish dish. What makes it on my favorite is the condiment they serve with it. The English name is seafood sauce and it is made with finely chopped green chilies and garlic in fish sauce. It is very spicy and delicious.

Common Condiments

Fish sauce - fishy and salty amber colored liquid

Seafood sauce - green, smooth to lumpy, chili and garlic dip

Soy sauce - tangy and salty brown liquid

Red pepper - dried chopped red chili

Vinegar - usually served with fresh chopped chili

Sugar

The longer i live in Thailand the longer this list grows. When visiting Thailand I urge you to try as many things as possible, but remember, most western people can not eat the spice level of the Thais, not without practice.

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Thailand Cuisine

If you are looking for an internationally famous food then it is none other than Thai Food. The Thai cuisine is very famous worldwide as it constitutes amazing blend of aquatic animals, plants and

herbs. One can find all the five elementary tastes: sweet, spice, bitter, salty and sour. While tasting the popular Thai dishes you will find lime juice, garlic, chilies, lemon grass and fish sauce as common ingredients. Basically the distinctiveness of Thailand Food depends upon, by whom it is cooked and for what occasion it is cooked. One can see a little influence of Chinese cuisine on Thailand Food.

Rice is one of the principle food ingredients that is omnipresent in all kind of Thailand Food. The jasmine rice and sticky rice are the kinds of the rice taken by Thai people. The fresh herbs are used while preparing Thailand Food as it increase the quality of the aroma of the food. A single time meal consists of a hot cup of soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip accompanying fish and vegetables. Also you can add some spice salad to the meals to make it heavier. The balance of spicy taste is maintained by the cooks while serving the spicy and non spicy dishes. For desserts you can enjoy the Thai sweets and fresh fruits.

The tools utilized normally by Thai people to have their meals are spoons and forks. Thailand has maximum number of Buddhist population, so one can see the impact of Buddhism in Thailand Food.

The Thailand Food is served with roasted duck or pork topped on it. In that case one needs to have a fork obviously. If you are having a noodle soup then you can have it with the help of chopsticks too. One can see the influence of Chinese, Indian and Japanese styles in Thailand food culture.

If we take a look at Thailand food menu we will find that some of the dishes are really tempting and delicious:

Titbits: Hors d’oeuvre and snacks like rolls, puffed rice cake, satay etc.

Dips: Made from chilies, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce etc

Curries: The ingredients in Thai curries are powdered dried spices and fresh herbs.

Salad: The Thai salads are normally sour, salty and sweet which are topped by different kind of meat textures.

Desserts: No Thai dish is complete without sweet dishes. The Thai people like to take something very sweet after a spicy treat.

Soups: Soup is the main dish when accompanied with rice is preferred to be taken by Thai people. One can find the quality of herbs and spices used in the soups.

Thai people are usually fond of eating rice with their meal and therefore whenever you stay with a Thai family, then be very cautious because you might end up putting on too much weight. Tastes of Thai Food can be amended to suit individual desire. All those who have eaten exotic Thai Food will in no way fail to order them again whenever their preferred dish is available.

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Recipes for Citrus Glazed Chicken and Sausage and Pear Stuffing

Here is a quick, healthy recipe for chicken breasts that is sure to become a family favorite. You'll love it because it is quick, easy, healthy, and economical. The citrus glaze gives the chicken breasts just a little extra twist. For a different side dish, try the sausage,

pear stuffing. Made with whole-wheat bread and a pear, it is sure to become one of your favorite stuffing recipes. Add a salad and you have a quick, hearty meal for your family. Make this one of those sit-down family dinners that I always recommend.

CITRUS GLAZED CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)

3 tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tbsp Splenda or Equal Sugar-Lite

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp chives, chopped

1 tbsp fresh parsley, stemmed and chopped

1/4 cup sliced almonds, roasted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken breasts on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with 1 tbsp orange juice concentrate. Bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

Place remaining juice concentrate, lemon juice and broth in a small saucepan. Blend Splenda/Equal and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into juice mixture in saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and whisk butter into the sauce. Add chives and parsley. Pour over the chicken breasts then top with the almonds.

SAUSAGE AND PEAR STUFFING

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups whole-grain bread cubes

1 lb mild sausage

1/2 low-sodium chicken broth

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Bosc pear, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 large egg, lightly beaten or 1/4 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick vegetable oil spray.

Place bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Drain well in a colander then add to bread crumbs in bowl. Put olive oil into a skillet, heat and add celery and onion. Cook until softened. Add pear and sage, cook 2 minutes longer. Put vegetable/pear mixture into bowl with bread and sausage. Add egg and stir to combine. Add broth, parsley, salt and pepper; mix well. Spread mixture into baking dish. Bake until top is crispy and stuffing is heated through, approximately 1/2 hour.