Make A Pizza Ring

Most everyone loves pizza. This version is a twist on the classic and is easy to make. The pizza ring is yummy and an excellent choice to serve company or bring to a potluck dinner. Your kids will love it too.

Instructions

1. Remove the bread from the first can of crescent rolls and separate the sections. Place them together in a circle with the wide ends next to each other and the narrow ends pointed towards the outside of the pan, like the spokes of a wheel.

2. Open the second can of crescent rolls and separate the sections. Place the wide end of one section against the wide end of one of the sections in the wheel. The pointed end should be pointing towards the inside of the circle. They will all overlap in the middle.

3. Press your finger against the two wide ends to seal them. Repeat this all the way around.

4. Spoon spaghetti sauce onto the joined seams of each section. Spread the sauce out, but leave some room around the edges. Add whatever meat you would like and then add the mozzarella cheese. Leave room around the edges to allow the cheese to spread as it melts.

5. Take the pointed end of a section on the inner ring and fold it over the filling, out to an empty space between sections of the outer ring. Tuck it under. Go around the circle and repeat this process, until all eight pieces in the center have been brought over the filling and tucked under the outer ring.

6. Pick up the pointed ends on the outer ring and bring them over the filling as well. Tuck the ends under the inside of the ring.

7. Cook according to the directions on the crescent roll package.

Tags: outer ring, over filling, against wide, around edges, crescent rolls, crescent rolls separate

What Is The Origin Of Claret Wine

What Is the Origin of Claret Wine?

"Claret" is one of those bits of wine terminology that can confuse new wine fans. After all, there is no grape varietal called "claret." The term hails from an older time in the wine trade, and has even undergone some evolution in its meaning over time. However, its origins are firmly rooted in the famous French wine region of Bordeaux.

Identification

Claret is the anglicanization of a French name for a particular style of wine. In British English, it simply means any red wine from Bordeaux. The term now has legal force, as the European Union restricts the name as a trademark to be applied exclusively to wines from Bordeaux.

Clairet

"Claret" comes from "clairet," which meant pale. Clairet is a French type of wine that is only rarely seen in modern times. It was a rose (hence the name) but a peculiarly dark rose. The Plantagenet Kings of England (such as Richard the Lionheart) were also lords of France, and encouraged the international wine trade. The result was that many English lords, who were of French ancestry anyway, developed a taste for Bordeaux clairet. However, the meaning of the term changed over time. By the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, the English were using claret to describe Bordeaux wine that had been spiced. The term claret then reverted to simply meaning Bordeaux rose when heavily spiced wines fell partly out of fashion.

The Disappearance of Clairet

No one is really sure why clairet fell out of favor with French winemakers. However, part of the reason is that the main importer of the wine was England, and between 1688 and 1815 Great Britain and France were locked in what is sometimes called "The Second Hundred Years War." This was a period where the two countries fought a long string of individual conflicts against each other, were at war far more often than they were at peace and therefore the wine trade was either hindered or altogether blocked. English palates switched from French claret to Portuguese Madiera and Port.

Modern Claret

The modern claret is a dark, heavy, dry red Bordeaux. It is a good choice of red wine for putting in the cellar and allowing to age for at least several years.

Foreign Claret

Claret is now used to describe not only red wines from Bordeaux, but wines made elsewhere in the Bordeaux style. Strictly speaking, the use of the designation "claret" is banned under European Union regulations for any wine not from Bordeaux, but in actual practice this does not matter so long as the foreign winemaker does not try to export her "claret" to the European Union.

Tags: from Bordeaux, European Union, wine trade, Claret Wine, Origin Claret

Prepare Egg Yolk For A Caesar Salad

Serve a crisp Caesar salad before a meal.

Caesar salad is a classic recipe made with Romaine lettuce, a rich and creamy dressing and crunchy croutons. Although some Caesar salad dressing recipes call for raw egg yolks, you can use coddled egg yolks as well. Coddled eggs are briefly cooked in boiling water so that the yolk is still runny but has a thicker consistency than a raw yolk. Although coddling the egg may kill off some bacteria, the egg will still be undercooked and will carry a risk of food-borne illness.

Instructions

1. Place a fresh egg into a bowl of warm water. Briefly warming it in this manner will prevent its shell from cracking during the coddling process. Remove the room-temperature egg from the water.

2. Set the egg into a deep bowl or mug. Pour boiling water over the egg, completely immersing it. Allow the egg to rest in the boiling water for one minute.

3. Pour the hot water into the sink. Run cold tap water over the egg until it is cool enough to handle.

4. Crack the egg and pour both the white and the yolk into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining Caesar dressing ingredients and whisk the mixture until it is thick.

Tags: boiling water, Caesar salad, water into, water over

Make Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed cabbage is a popular meal in many cultures; this one is a traditional Eastern European family recipe. It’s sure to warm your insides and delight your palate. This recipe will serve six.

Instructions

1. Cut the core out of the cabbage and separate the leaves.

2. Place the leaves into a large pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook until just barely tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

3. Use tongs to carefully lift out each leaf. Drain leaves on paper towels and allow to cool.

4. Boil the 2 cups of water with the salt and season with the beef flavoring. Add the rice and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Allow mixture to cool down until it is warm.

5. Mix together the ground beef, the egg and the rice.

6. Place a large spoonful of the rice-beef mixture onto the middle of the cabbage leaf and wrap it up.

7. Put the stuffed cabbage rolls, seam side down, in a 9x13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick coating.

8. Top the cabbage rolls with a few spoonfuls of the tomato sauce.

9. Place in 350-degree F oven and bake for 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tags: cabbage rolls

Cook Rice In The Ge Rice Cooker

GE rice cookers effortlessly heat any type of rice without over or under cooking it. By automatically detecting when the rice absorbs all of the water, the GE rice cooker knows when to shut itself off. Using this appliance to cook rice only requires you to add the ingredients to the pot and turn it on. Your rice will be fluffy and ready to eat when the rice steamer completes the cooking cycle.

Instructions

1. Pour 1 plastic measuring cup of uncooked rice into the inner pot of the rice cooker for every 2 servings of cooked rice you wish to make.

2. Add 1 ½ cups of water on top of the rice for the first 1 cup of rice, and 1 cup of water for each extra cup of uncooked rice. For instance, cook 1 cup of raw rice with 1 ½ plastic cups of water. Use 2 ½ cups of water for 2 cups of raw rice. For all measurements use only the plastic measuring cup included with the rice cooker. See tip.

3. Set the inner cooking pot with the rice and water into the GE rice cooker and twist to lock on top of the heating element.

4. Cover the rice steamer with the lid and plug into an outlet.

5. Begin cooking by depressing the center button on the rice cooker.

6. Wait for the button to pop back up and the keep-warm light to come on to indicate cooking has finished. Leave the rice in the pot with the lid on for 5 to 10 minutes in the keep-warm phase. (see reference1pg 3)

7. Unplug the machine, fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Tags: rice cooker, cups water, rice with, cook rice, cups water cups, plastic measuring, rice steamer

Thin Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is commonly spread on bagels.

Cream cheese is a stiff but spreadable dairy product produced by adding a coagulant, like rennet, to milk or cream. It stands on its own as a spread for crackers or bagels, but cream cheese is also a common ingredient in icings, dips and other recipes. When cream cheese is too thick or stiff to use the way you would like, you can thin it down to a workable consistency.

Instructions

Warm it Up

1. Place a small amount of cream cheese in a microwave-safe dish. For example, if you need to thin a cup of cream cheese, start with about 1 tbsp.

2. Warm the cream cheese in the microwave until it has melted.

3. Use a fork to mix the melted cream cheese into the rest of the cream cheese. This thins it out.

4. Warm additional small amounts of cream cheese, then add them to the thick cream cheese until you reach the appropriate consistency.

Add Yogurt or Sour Cream

5. Add 1 tbsp. of yogurt or sour cream to the cream cheese. This method is best for preparations like cold dips, when you do not want to raise the temperature of your cream cheese.

6. Mix them together with a fork.

7. Continue to add additional yogurt or sour cream to the cream cheese until you achieve the desired consistency.

Tags: cream cheese, cheese This, cheese until, cream cheese This, cream cheese until, cream cream

Famous Chocolates Of The World

The cacao tree produces the cacao bean, the source of chocolate.

Chocolate traces its origins to Central and South America where the small and finicky cacao tree evolved. Spanish conquistador, H rnan Cort s, was in Mexico in 1519 when he first tasted "chocolatl," a sacred beverage of the Aztecs. Impressed, he learned of the cacao tree and brought the secrets of chocolate to Spain where they remained closely guarded for about a century. As chocolate-making spread to France and throughout Europe, distinctive chocolate products began to emerge. Famous chocolates recognizable today owe their existence to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century. Factories facilitated mass production, and companies, such as Hershey, Cadbury and Lindt, all began operations.

Famous Chocolate Creations

Chocolate is naturally not sweet. In the New World, it was traditionally consumed as a hot drink, livened up with peppers and spices. In the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, a chocolate mol sauce is used to flavor many dishes and is famous for its complex flavors. Spain first introduced cane sugar to cacao beans, something the Aztecs could not. Chocolatiers have since created many delicacies with different compositions, ranging from chocolate bars to chocolate mousse and fudge. Differences in dark, milk and white chocolate result from the ratio of cocoa liquor to cocoa butter and other blended ingredients, such as milk or vanilla. Cocoa is the powder of ground and roasted cacao beans. Dark chocolate is considered by many to be finest and most pure form, as it contains the highest percentage (at least 70 percent) of cocoa.

Best Chocolate or Most Famous?

Chocolate is made by companies large and small. Specialty chocolatiers are sometimes known as "bean to bar" producers. They source cacao beans from the highest quality plants and control all aspects of production. This does not necessarily translate to fame except within a small circle of connoisseurs, as manufacturing capacity is often small or limited by the amount of high-quality cacao beans obtainable. In contrast, large chocolate companies buy their beans en masse from brokers and often cannot trace their history or the plantations that grew them. This is not to say however, that the large chocolatiers don't have special recipes, storied histories, and in many cases, an excellent product.

Famous American Chocolates

The Hershey Company, founded in 1894, is the largest manufacturer in America and is famous for its chocolate bars. Ghirardelli chocolate began in 1852 in San Francisco by an Italian chocolatier who learned his craft in South America. Now owned by Lindt & Sprungli AG, it was the second-oldest American manufacturer. Ghirardelli prides itself for tracking its beans from the source and rejecting those it considers unfit.

Famous European Chocolates

The Swiss are renowned for their chocolate production and consumption. Favarger and Camille Bloch are considered specialty brands. Lindt chocolate began in 1845 in Zurich and is sold around the world as a luxury product. Nestl was founded in Vevey, Switzerland in 1867 and creates many chocolate products sold around the world. Milka, begun by Philippe Suchard in the early 20thCcentury and another Swiss chocolatier, has a huge following in Germany and Austria. It is now owned by Kraft Foods (an American company) who also acquired the iconic British chocolate company Cadbury in a 2010 hostile takeover bid. Cadbury has made chocolate since the 1850s, introducing its famous Dairy Milk bar in 1905. Belgium invented the praline and today is known for its gourmet chocolates from a variety of manufacturers, including Callebaut, the second-largest chocolate producer in the world. From Italy hails Ferrero, a family company since 1946. The rest of the world is far behind America and Europe in terms of chocolate, with Japan's Royce', one of Asia's largest manufacturers not established until 1983.

Tags: cacao beans, cacao tree, around world, beans from, chocolate bars

Roast Peanuts In Shells With Spices

Toss the peanuts with melted butter or margarine instead of cooking oil.

Peanuts are roasted either in or out of their shells. Roasting peanuts in the shell causes the peanuts to have a soft texture. The shells are edible and often seasoned to make them more enjoyable. In-shell peanuts require a longer roasting time than shelled peanuts to ensure that the nuts roast properly. Once the peanuts finish roasting, you can enjoy them hot or store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them.

Instructions

1. Scrub the peanuts with a vegetable brush under cold running water. Dry the peanuts by patting them with paper towels.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Place the clean peanuts in a large bowl. Toss the peanuts with 1 tsp. cooking oil for every 1 cup of peanuts.

4. Season the peanuts with your preferred dry seasonings. Add salt, pepper, cayenne or garlic powder to the peanuts in the bowl. Toss the peanuts until they are well coated with the oil and seasonings.

5. Spread the peanuts in a single layer onto shallow baking pans.

6. Roast the peanuts for 30 to 35 minutes in the oven. Shake the pans to stir the peanuts two to three times while they roast.

7. Allow the roasted peanuts to cool for 5 to 10 minutes on paper towels. The peanuts will continue to cook while they cool. Serve the peanuts while they remain warm.

Tags: peanuts with, Toss peanuts, while they, bowl Toss, bowl Toss peanuts

What Kind Of Things Should I Put Out With A Chocolate Fountain

Chocolate fountains are an interactive dessert.

Chocolate fountains combine dessert and the centerpiece. Using the same principle of water fountains, chocolate fountains circulate melted chocolate through the machine until it cascades over the top creating an edible shower. Foods for dipping into the fountain need to be readily available on skewers for guests to hold under the fountain's chocolate flow, coating the food with chocolate. When choosing foods, avoid those that could crumble as the crumbs will clog the fountain.

Cake

Make your dessert better by serving your guests chocolate-covered cake. Set small squares of cake in shallow bowls. Place a soup spoon with each bowl for the guest to scoop chocolate from the fountain and drizzle over his cake. Cakes are too crumbly to put at the end of skewers, and even dense pound cakes risk falling off the end of the skewer into the fountain. Brownies are another variation of cake for serving with a chocolate fountain, but serve it in a bowl the same way you serve cake.

Cookies

Whole cookies do not need skewers for serving. Opt for solid, sturdy cookies such as biscotti, vanilla wafer cookies, graham crackers, chocolate sandwich cookies, fortune cookies or gingersnaps. Avoid cookies with chunks of ingredients mixed in or those with a delicate texture. Meringues, chocolate chip cookies and flaky pastry cookies are not suitable for dipping.

Fruit

Chocolate makes fruit taste better. Present washed and cut fruit at the end of bamboo or metal skewers. Strawberries, banana chunks and melon cubes are best served on skewers. Arrange apple wedges, orange slices, pear wedges and dried apricots on a serving platter next to the fountain for dipping without skewers. These fruits do not hold together well in one piece when pierced at the end of a skewer. Toss cut bananas and apples with lemon juice before putting the fruit out with the fountain to keep the fruit from browning.

Edible Skewers

Insert a large marshmallow onto the end of a rod-shaped pretzel for an edible skewer. Both the marshmallow and pretzel pair well with the chocolate in the fountain, especially dark or milk chocolates. Peanut butter-filled pretzels become a sweet and salty snack when dipped into the melted chocolate. Place a bowl of candy sprinkles with a spoon inside for serving. Guests can spoon the candy sprinkles on their plates. Instruct them to roll the chocolate-dipped marshmallow at the end of the pretzel rod in the sprinkles for added flavor and coloring.

Tags: with chocolate, candy sprinkles, chocolate fountain, Chocolate fountains, into fountain, marshmallow pretzel

What Are The Different Kinds Of Truffles

Truffles are hypogeous mushrooms -- they grow underground, in symbiotic relationship with various trees. They are considered a delicacy because of their strong and unique flavor. Truffles resemble small potatoes, and range in size, usually somewhere between the size of a marble and a golf ball. Truffles require little cooking as not to compromise the flavor. Small quantities are usually sufficient to flavor foods like cheeses, pasta, rice, veal, chicken or fish.

White Truffles

White truffles ((Tuber magnatum pico) are also known as Italian truffles. They are native to regions of northern and central Italy -- like Piedmont, Tuscany and Marches -- and southern Yugoslavia. White truffles are not pure white but yellowish in color, with a smooth exterior. While truffles are all gaseous, winter white tends to release more gas. The excess gas evaporate as you cook it. The flavor is sweet, with a hint of garlic, and it diminishes within two weeks after harvest.

French Black Truffles

The French black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is native to the Perigord region of France, but it is now grown in Australia, Spain and the United States. This variety of truffle grows under the shade of oak, chestnut elm, hazelnut and poplar trees. It grows mainly from November to March, peaking in January and February. The truffle is not pure black in appearance, but rather a grayish-brown on the outside, with white, spiderlike veins on the inside. It weighs between 2 and 3 ounces.

Summer Truffle

The summer truffle (Tuber Aestivum) is also known as the "truffe de la St. Jean." This truffle's season extends from May until the end of August. It is native to France, Italy and Spain, but they are now cultivated also in Sweden and New Zealand. Like their winter counterparts, they grow on oak, chestnut, elm, hazelnut and poplar trees. These truffles have a roundish, knobby shape, with dark brown skin. On the interior, the color is a yellowish gray. Towards summer's end, this color turns a darker brown. It is best to cook these, to bring out more of its earthy chocolate flavor.

Desert Truffle

The desert truffle (Terfezia boudieri) is native to the Middle East and Northern Africa. They have received the nickname "Lightning Truffles," because they grow after a desert thunderstorm that has wetted the terrain. Large specimens can reach the size of tennis balls.

Tags: they grow, also known, chestnut hazelnut, chestnut hazelnut poplar, hazelnut poplar, hazelnut poplar trees, poplar trees

Origins Of The Bean & Chili Plants

South-of-the-border cuisine often includes chili peppers and beans.

Mexican food often includes beans of some type and food made hot and spicy due to chili peppers. Both of these plants are believed to have originated in Central and South America, making them staples of the cuisines from that region.

Origin of Beans

Purdue University's website reports that the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) originated in Mesoamerica. Pre-Columbian residents of this region cultivated beans as an important protein source. Several varieties existed. Kidney beans, scarlet runner beans, tepary beans, lima beans and botil beans were grown and served as important food sources.

Origin of Chili Peppers

Christopher Columbus is said to have discovered chili peppers during his explorations in the New World. As long ago as 7500 B.C., ancient peoples of Mesoamerica cultivated about 25 different species of this plant.

Introduction and Spread

Portuguese and Spanish traders helped to spread kidney and other beans to Europe, Africa and Asia in the 1600s. Today, the many varieties of beans grow around the world with the top producers being India, China, Brazil, Indonesia and the United States. Portuguese and Spanish explorers also introduced chili peppers during the same era, where they quickly became staples of the cuisines of many cultures. Chili peppers today are as common a seasoning agent as black pepper.

Tags: chili peppers, chili peppers during, often includes, peppers during, Portuguese Spanish

Market Salad Dressing

There are many salad dressings on the market so you need to think of a unique selling point/proposition that makes yours different from the rest. It may not even have one, so you will have to use other methods. Create a marketing strategy as you would in any business to get your salad dressing selling. If your budget is small, start with the free or nearly free options and build up to paid marketing.

Instructions

1. Create a marketing strategy starting with the marketing mix, or the 4 Ps -- product/service, place, price and promotion. The product is your salad dressing, which you need to get into supermarkets and/or specialist stores. Pricing is vital; if the product is too cheap or too expensive, you will lose the majority of your customers. Promotion includes the labeling on the bottle, which can make or break a product, so it needs to be right. The salad dressing should comply with all health and safety regulations as well as attracting the customer.

2. Think about your product. A salad dressing might be organic, its bottle might be recyclable or it may contain ingredients from other parts of the world. These are good marketing points to push in your campaign. Decide how your product is different from the competition. Even if you are selling blue cheese salad dressing -- of which there are many brands available -- yours might contain blue cheese from Outer Mongolia, which would make it very different. People like exclusivity, so if your salad dressing has a special ingredient, use that as the unique selling point.

3. Calculate a budget and stick to it. There are lots of small ways you can start marketing that are free or cheap. Give free samples to a select audience. Send press releases to the right magazines, which may give you a good review. Allowing local restaurants to use your salad dressing for free may lead to customers asking where they can buy it. Standing in the street or a mall offering a sample for answering a survey is an inexpensive way to test the market.

4. Decide what media you are going to use once you have used the initial free and cheaper options. Television advertising is expensive, but it is the way to hit your target audience when used in the right slots. Press advertising can work. Direct mail is another useful tool. Send letters or place leaflets offering a discount on doorsteps. You can easily monitor the results of these efforts as you get people to buy your salad dressing.

5. Create an Internet site or have one created professionally. You can sell this product online as well as in the shops. However, an Internet site that does this is expensive to produce, so you might want to start with a basic one first. Check out your competitors' websites and see what they offer and how they present their products.

6. Monitor the results of your marketing carefully. Determine what is working and what isn't. Make changes as the results come in. There is no point in spending money on marketing if you don't check the results because you won't know where to spend you hard-earned dollars next time. If you have given out discount vouchers, you can see how many are returned. When people buy, ask them where they heard about your company, either in written format or verbally.

Tags: salad dressing, your salad, your salad dressing, about your, blue cheese

Make Bbq Beef Brisket In A Slow Cooker

Make BBQ Beef Brisket in a Slow Cooker

This is the easiest shredded BBQ beef recipe I've ever tried and it's delicious. Perfect for potlucks since it's such a crowd pleaser. I'm not a very good cook at all, but I can definitely make this. This recipe takes 8-10 hours on high setting and serves 10 (or serves 2 with lots of leftovers).

Instructions

1. Turn the slow cooker on high and spray with Pam on all sides and bottom. Trim the fat off the roast with a knife. Cut the roast into 4-5 chunks, slicing along the grain to allow more tenderness. Place beef in the slow cooker.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together McCormick's seasoning, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and ketchup. Whisk until well blended. Pour over beef and move the beef chunks around so every piece is coated with sauce.

3. Place lid over slow cooker and stir beef every 1-2 hours to make sure sauce is not drying. Sauce will become very thin while hot. After 8 hours, take a piece of beef out of the slow cooker and test for doneness. If the piece does not shred VERY easily with two forks, or if it doesn't crumble when you press down on it with a fork, it's not done. Beef should shred like butter, almost like you could shred it with your fingers.

4. When done, turn setting to "Keep Warm" take two forks and pull apart each chunk of beef, placing the shreds back into the sauce as you go. When you're done shredding, the beef should soak up all the sauce and you should have beautiful, juicy shreds of BBQ beef. Keeps warm in the slow cooker all day, and re-heats well in the microwave. Serve warm on french rolls and enjoy!

Tags: slow cooker, Beef Brisket, Beef Brisket Slow, beef slow, beef slow cooker

Plant Tomatillo

Plant Tomatillo

Tomatillo, also known as ground cherry, are related to tomatoes. Like tomatoes they are a member of the nightshade family that craves plenty of sunlight and hot weather. They can be grown in most areas of the United States if the conditions are not overly humid. Tomatillo fruits have a papery husk and green or purple skin with meaty white flesh. They are used in salsa and other Mexican recipes.

Instructions

1. Sow seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your area. Use a seed starting soil mix and place seed tray or pots in a window. that receives plenty of sun.

2. Plant seedlings outdoors after frost danger has passed in the spring. Plant each seedling 18 inches apart in rows that have three feet between them.

3. Plant in an area that receives full sun; tomatillo plants require six to eight hours of sun a day. They also like soil that retains moisture.

4. Water deeply two to three times a week and use an organic mulch around the plants to aid moisture retention.

5. Fertilize twice a month with a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes -- one that is high in phosphorous.

6. While the plants are still small, place a tomato cage over the tomatillo plants to provide support. Cages also keep the fruit off the ground, so it doesn't rot.

7. Harvest tomatillo when the husk turns brown and cracks. Tomatillo are ready for harvest approximately 65 days after planting.

Tags: Plant Tomatillo, that receives, tomatillo plants

Use Caesar Dressing

Caesar dressing is a type of emulsified salad dressing, meaning it is made of ingredients that don't naturally blend together: oil and vinegar. Eggs are added to the oil and vinegar and act as an emulsifier to bind them together. Caesar dressing also contains garlic, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and sometimes anchovies. It has a tangy flavor that can be used to simply dress salad greens, but can be overpowering if not added correctly. Additionally, the ingredients in Caesar dressing can make it a great way to flavor and moisten chicken as a marinade.

Instructions

Salad

1. Place torn up lettuce in large bowl and add approximately half of your prepared Caesar dressing. Adding half of the dressing first allows you to more easily mix it with the lettuce evenly.

2. Use salad tongs or your clean hands to gently combine the lettuce and dressing. Make sure all the lettuce leaves are lightly coated, but not overly saturated.

3. Taste a piece of Caesar dressing-covered lettuce and determine if the salad is flavored enough with the amount of dressing. If not, add the remaining dressing and toss again with tongs or clean hands.

4. Sprinkle desired amount of Parmesan cheese and croutons onto salad. Toss all ingredients a final time and serve on salad plates.

Marinade

5. Place chicken breasts into gallon size plastic storage bag. Pour in 1/2 cup of Caesar dressing.

6. Securely close storage bag. Use your hands to toss and combine chicken with dressing until all pieces are thoroughly coated.

7. Place bag of chicken and dressing into refrigerator. Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

8. Use tongs to remove chicken from bag. Pan fry, grill, bake or broil chicken until it is no longer pink on the inside or has an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Tags: Caesar dressing, clean hands, Parmesan cheese, Place chicken

Store Tempeh

Tempeh (also spelled tempe) is fermented soybean cake with a rich, nutty flavor and crumbly texture. Traditionally used in Indonesian cooking, in recent years it has been embraced by vegetarians as a healthy meat substitute.

Instructions

1. Raw tempeh is perishable and must be kept cool. Unopened packages of tempeh may be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks (check the expiration date on the package). You can also freeze unopened packages of tempeh to store it for up to a year. Allow frozen tempeh to thaw before using.

2. After opening, tempeh may be kept in the refrigerator for five to seven days. Use a zip-top plastic bag or other air-tight container to keep it moist and fresh.

3. Cooked tempeh should be treated like meat, eggs or any other high-protein food, and should be kept either very warm (above 140F) or very cool (below 40F) to retard bacterial growth and ensure that the tempeh is safe to eat. If you're going to pack a tempeh dish for lunch, consider either cooling it with an ice pack or warming it up and packing it in an insulated food storage container.

Tags: kept refrigerator, packages tempeh, tempeh kept, tempeh kept refrigerator

What Is The Ideal Temperature For Wine

What Is the Ideal Temperature for Wine?

Wine connoisseurs argue that most of us are drinking our white wines too cold and our red wines too warm. The rule that white wines should be served well chilled and red wines at room temperature isn't always true. In fact, the ideal temperature for serving depends on the type of wine you will be drinking.

History

Controlling the temperature of wine is a relatively modern invention. Until the advent of refrigeration in the early 19th century, wine was most often stored in underground cellars to prevent spoilage.

Types

There are many varieties of wine based on the grapes and wine making process. More delicate in flavor, white wines are best served chilled. Most red wines have deeper, more complex flavors that could not be tasted if served cold.

Misconceptions

Serving white wine straight from the refrigerator, which maintains a temperature around 35 degrees F, is likely too cold. The ideal serving temperature for most white wine varietals is around 45 degrees F.

Considerations

Serving red wine at a warm room temperature can make it taste too alcoholic. The ideal serving temperature for popular red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is around 60 degrees F -- slightly cooler than room temperature.

Fun Fact

A few red wines defy the rule and are best served well chilled. Light and fruity, French Beaujolais is at its best around 50 degrees F.

Tags: around degrees, room temperature, white wines, best served, ideal serving, ideal serving temperature, Ideal Temperature Wine

What Is The Greek Food Style

A Greek salad includes feta cheese.

Greek food is made with fresh ingredients. Tomatoes, chicken, lamb and lemon are often used in cooking. There are different varieties of Greek food, but you can find common flavor characteristics throughout the various regions of the country.

Flavors

Olive oil is prominent in Greece.

Olive oil is used a lot in Greek cooking. The oil is made from the many olive trees in the region. Flavors such as mint, oregano, lemon, dill and garlic are common seasonings used in cooking Greek food.

Dishes

Olives are popular in Greek food.

Spanakopita, a type of spinach pie, is a popular dish in Greece. Chicken and lamb kabobs, with rice and Kalamata olives, is also a favorite meal.

Considerations

You many find culinary differences in Greek food.

If you travel to Greece, you will find that dinner often starts around 10 pm and ends around 1 am. Keep in mind that there are many varieties of Greek food; you may find culinary differences depending on the region you visit.

Tags: Greek food, culinary differences, find culinary, find culinary differences, food find, Greek food

Dehydrate Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky

Beef jerky comes in many different flavors. If you love beef jerky and you are looking for a snack that is much healthier than fries or potato chips, this is it. You can make your own beef jerky by dehydrating meat at home in a food dehydrator. You also get to make your own marinade for the beef jerky so that you can be sure it is a flavor that you enjoy.

Instructions

1. Slice your flank steak into thin strips. Set aside.

2. Finely chop your onion and garlic and put it in your mixing bowl.

3. Place Worcestershire sauce, pepper, vinegar, liquid smoke and crushed red pepper flakes in the mixing bowl. Combine all of the ingredients.

4. Place your flank steak slices in the mixing bowl and toss until evenly coated with the marinade.

5. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours. It is best if you do this overnight.

6. Take the flank steak slices out of the marinade and wipe them down with paper towels to dry them off.

7. Place the steak slices in the food dehydrator and turn it on to low intensity. Let it dehydrate over the next six hours and then remove.

8. Place the dehydrated beef jerky in to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place.

Tags: mixing bowl, flank steak, steak slices, beef jerky, beef jerky, flank steak slices

Why Are There No Zucchinis When There Are Flowers

Zucchini fruit grow from the bottoms of pollinated female zucchini flowers.

Zucchini is a common vegetable in backyard gardens. It is easy to grow, can thrive in a variety of conditions and produces pounds of vegetables throughout the summer season. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that can be grilled, stir fried or used in soups and stews. It can also be grated and added to spaghetti sauce for fiber and vitamins or to cakes for moisture and texture. Zucchini squash grow from flowers that the plant produces. A zucchini plant may be flowering but not producing fruit for a number of reasons.

Too Early in the Season

As zucchini seedlings grow into full-sized plants, they begin producing flowers. The flowers that appear during the first few weeks of flowering are usually male flowers. Male flowers must pollinate female flowers to create zucchini fruit. Female flowers will begin to appear and, once they are pollinated, fruit will grow from the base of the female flower.

No Pollination

If your plant has both male and female flowers, it may not be producing fruit because the female flowers are not being pollinated. Bees are the main pollinators in the garden, although butterflies and ants have been known to assist in pollination of zucchini plants. Rather than relying on the insects, you can use a soft paintbrush to spread pollen from one flower to another to aid in pollination.

Plant Stress

Zucchini plants are some of the toughest in the garden, but if they are put under stress, they will have a hard time producing fruit. Too much or too little water causes the plant to go into survival mode, preventing it from expending the energy to produce fruit. Keep the soil around your zucchini plant evenly watered and well drained. Extremely high temperatures also sometimes cause the plant to stop producing fruit. Cooler temperatures, particularly when the summer season is ending, can also cause fruit production to slow down.

Soil Quality

Zucchini plants need to be grown in fertile soil. Have your soil tested early in the season. Amend soil prior to planting zucchini seeds and side-dress with compost or fertilizer after the first blossoms appear. Acidity of the soil may also be a factor in production of fruit. Zucchini plants prefer soil with a neutral pH of 7.

Tags: producing fruit, grow from, female flowers, flowers that, summer season, zucchini plant, Zucchini plants

What Is The Difference Between Peanut Oil & Canola Oil

Peanut oil comes from the hulled kernels of peanuts.

Both peanut oil and canola oil provide cooks with viable fats for a range of uses including frying, stir-frying and dressing salads. The oils offer similar nutritional value.

Source

Peanut oil is derived from the kernels of cleaned peanuts. As a result, people with peanut allergies cannot consume products made with peanut oil. Canola oil is produced from canola seeds. The canola plant was bread from the rapeseed plant in the 1970s, but canola oil differs from rapeseed oil.

Flavor

Peanut oil from the U.S. offers a mild, refined flavor. Peanut oil from Asia, such as Chinese peanut oil, provides a noticeable peanut flavor. Canola oil offers a light, mild flavor, which allows cooks to use it in salad dressings and as a substitute for butter in recipes.

Smoke Point

Both peanut oil and canola oil feature high smoke points, making them ideal for deep-frying. The smoke point of oil is the temperature at which oil begins to break down, according to CanolaInfo.org. Smoke appears on the surface of the oil at this temperature.

Fat and Calorie Content

1 tbsp. of peanut oil contains 119 calories and 13.5 g of fat. Peanut oil contains 2.3 g of saturated fat, 6.2 g of monounsaturated fat and 4.3 g of polyunsaturated fat. One tbsp. of canola oil contains 124 calories and 14.0 g of fat. While the total caloric and fat contents are higher, canola oil contains only 1 g of saturated fat, with 8.9 g of monounsaturated fat and 3.9 g of polyunsaturated fat.

Tags: Both peanut, Both peanut canola, canola contains, contains calories, from rapeseed, monounsaturated polyunsaturated, Peanut from

What Is The Difference Between Cognac & Brandy

Cognac is a type of brandy that is produced in the Cognac region of France. The name is also used to describe any very fine quality brandy. Small portions of brandy are often served as after-dinner drinks in large glasses called snifters. After enjoying the strong smell, tiny sips allow the drink to be savored for a long time.

Identification

Brandy is an alcoholic drink that is made by distilling wine or another fermented fruit juice. The word, brandy, comes from a Germanic root that means to burn or distill. Brandy contains 36-60 percent alcohol.

Types

There are three main types of brandy. Grape brandies, such as cognac, for example, begin as wine. Fruit brandies start with fermented juice from other types of fruit. For example, calvados is fermented apple brandy; kirschwasser is fermented cherry brandy, and German schnapps is a type of fruit brandy which can be made from various other fermented fruit juices. The third type of brandy is pomace brandy. This is made by fermenting and then distilling the discarded skins, seeds, and stems of grapes that have been used to make wine.

Geography

Cognac is a region in France located about 465 kilometers southwest of Paris and about 120 kilometers north of Bordeaux. The area contains some 15,000 vineyards that specialize in growing white grapes. These ripen slowly and produce an acidic wine with a fairly low alcohol content. These grapes also provide the raw ingredients for the finest kind of brandy, cognac.

Features

Cognac starts with this region's white wine. When the sugars in the white grapes ferment, alcohol results. This is the wine. Next, the wine is distilled. First it is heated in a closed copper cauldron over an open flame. The vapors from the evaporating alcohol rise to the top of the cauldron where they enter a pipe. They condense back into liquid form in the pipe and go through a second distillation process. Finally, the cognac is piped into oak barrels and then left to age for about ten years. During the aging process it loses some of its volume. At the same time some of the alcoholic content is reduced. The liquid yellows as it ages, too. After about ten years, the finished cognac is placed into glass bottles, when the aging process stops.

Expert Insight

The man who innovated the process of double distillation to make cognac is said to have been Jacques de la Croix-Maron, who lived in the Cognac region of France. His discovery has been used to make this after-dinner liqueur since the 1500s.

Tags: Cognac region, Cognac region France, region France, about kilometers, about years, aging process

What Is The Difference Between A Pressure Cooker & A Pressure Canner

What Is the Difference Between a Pressure Cooker & a Pressure Canner?

Pressure cookers are used to cook foods quickly under pressure and are not equipped for monitoring the amount of pressure inside the cooker. They also cool down rapidly. Pressure canners are used for food preservation and come with weighted gauges for maintaining pressure and heat.

Function

Both pressure cookers and pressure canners use the same concept of building pressure within the pot in order to create a high, moist heat.

Identification

Although pressure cookers and pressure canners look somewhat alike, canners are typically larger and come with racks that sit inside the canner to hold jars during the process of preserving food. Canners are also designed to maintain heat and pressure, unlike pressure cookers.

Benefits

A pressure cooker enables one to cook a roast that would normally take three hours in as little as 30 minutes. A pressure canner allows preservation of home-grown food. While a pressure cooker is a time saver when preparing meals, both are economical for their given purpose.

History

In the 1670s a French lab assistant by the name of Denis Papin invented the first pressure cooker. The principle design is what eventually led to the invention of steam engines.

Warning

Pressure cookers and pressure canners have the ability to cause serious injury if proper caution is not taken during operation.

Fun Fact

Denis Papin called his first pressure cooker invention a "steam digester."

Tags: cookers pressure, cookers pressure canners, pressure canners, pressure cooker, Between Pressure, Between Pressure Cooker

Make Orange Lemonade Slush

There's nothing more refreshing than a slushy drink on a hot summer day. Combine the refreshing taste of lemonade with the tangy taste of orange and mix them together with crushed ice.

Instructions

1. Add five large ice cubes to a blender or ice crusher. Add ? cup of orange juice and ? cup of lemonade. Reduce the amount of either juice if your blender becomes too full. You want to leave about an inch of space between the juice and the top of the blender so the drink has room to expand.

2. Change the orange juice to orange slices for a thicker drink, but do not add the ice yet. Add ? cup of lemonade. You will have to blend well to grind the pulp down. Strain the juice and then add the ice to the strained mix so you will have a smooth slush drink when you are finished.

3. Substitute the lemonade for lemon slices. Add ? cup of orange juice. Strain the juice before adding the ice and then mix well to combine.

4. Make sour, orange lemonade slush by using 1 cup of orange juice and adding 2 tbsp of pure lemon concentrate to the mix. Combine with ice and blend.

5. Blend the juice with the ice until the ice is smooth but thick. You want a slush texture not pure liquid. Crush more ice if the juice is too watery or add more orange juice if the mixture is too thick.

6. Make your slush sweeter by adding a tbsp of sugar or honey. You can also use a lemon or orange flavored soft drinks containing sugar to sweeten the slush.

7. Throw in berries, banana or pineapple if you want to mix up the taste more. Add several kinds of fruit for a fruit punch orange lemonade slush.

8. Use a slush maker to shave ice off of a block for a very thick slush drink. Scoop the slush into a bowl or cup. Pour ? cup of orange juice and ? cup of lemonade over the slush. Add more shaved ice if the orange lemonade slush seems too runny.

Tags: orange juice, lemonade slush, adding tbsp, juice lemonade, orange juice lemonade

Make A Greek Milk Pie At Home

Although milk is the main ingredient of milk pie, the pie has a solid consistency.

Galatopita (milk pie) is a tasty Greek dessert that is convenient to make. Not only does it require few ingredients, but its ingredients are common to most kitchens. Despite the abundance of milk needed to prepare the pie and the creamy consistency of its combined ingredients, the pie solidifies nicely after baking in the oven. Its texture and lack of crust are what set it apart from a similar dessert, Galaktoboureko. Galaktoboureko shares many of the same ingredients, but its texture is more liquidy, it has a phyllo dough crust, and it tends to resemble a custard more than a pie. Add some sweetness to milk pie by topping it with fruit preserves, and serve it year-round with wine or milk.

Instructions

1. Bring milk to a rolling boil in a saucepan. To prevent a skin from forming, make sure not to scald the milk.

2. Add the semolina, butter and sugar to the milk, stirring gently and continuously with a whisk until the mixture thickens.

3. Take the saucepan off the heat to let the mixture cool for a moment.

4. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl and slowly whisk them into the mixture in the saucepan. Doing this will prevent the eggs from cooking as they are exposed to the saucepan mixture.

5. Pour the mixture into a deep greased pie dish, and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour.

6. Let the pie sit in the oven for 15 minutes after the heat has been turned off.

7. Dust the pie with powdered sugar and cinnamon, and serve it as is or topped with raspberry preserves.

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Store Cream Puff Pastries

Store cream puffs in the refrigerator for a few days.

Cream puffs are a type of dessert that combines a crunchy pastry shell with a soft, sweet filling. Fill cream puffs with anything from pudding to whipped cream or even with a fruit filling. Make cream puffs ahead of time and store them either in the refrigerator or even the freezer. Or, just make the shells ahead of time and store those until you are ready to fill and serve them.

Instructions

1. Cool the cream puff shells completely at room temperature on wire racks before filling them.

2. Put filled cream puffs into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for two to three days.

3. Store filled cream puffs in an airtight container in the freezer for several weeks.

4. Cut cream puff shells like you would to fill them and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

5. Place uncut cream puff shells in the freezer, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Keep these in it for several weeks.

Tags: cream puffs, airtight container, cream puff shells, puff shells, store them, ahead time

Infuse Olive Oil For Dipping

Serve infused olive oil and bread as an appetizer.

Infused olive oil is a simple, flavorful treat that improves just about anything you add it to. While it makes a great dressing for pasta and salad, infused olive oil really shines when paired with a tasty artisan bread. Simply pour a little out onto a plate, then soak up the oil by dipping chunks of bread. The key to a successful infused olive oil is using the highest quality ingredients available to you. You can use just about any herbs you like and dried spices make an excellent addition as well.

Instructions

1. Wash all herbs thoroughly and allow to dry completely before using. Wet herbs can cause harmful bacteria to grow, so fully drying your ingredients beforehand is essential.

2. Combine the olive oil, fresh herbs and spices in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for five minutes, or until a thermometer reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Pay careful attention to time and temperature, since overheating can negatively affect the taste of the oil.

3. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool until it reaches room temperature, about two hours.

4. Place the herbs in a bottle or jar with a tight seal. Pour in the oil, close the bottle, and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Tags: infused olive, just about

What Is A Soup Bowl

Ovenproof soup bowls have an extended handle for easy handling when hot.

Soup bowls have a simple function of containing hot or cold soup. Molded or thrown on a potter's wheel, soup bowls are made from glass, plastic, stoneware, porcelain and other materials. Sold individually or in sets, modern soup bowls can match dishware or double as cooking vessels. Although they are traditionally round with an open top, contemporary restaurants and design stores feature asymmetrical and geometric soup bowls with rectangular shapes.

Ovenproof

Made from glass, ovenproof ceramic and other materials, ovenproof soup bowls or crocks are used to cook individual portions of chili, stew or onion soup. Ovenproof bowls allow you to customize the presentation or melt cheese across the top. The unique feature of these bowls is an extended side handle that allows a cook to easily pull each bowl out of the oven without the contents spilling over the sides.

Double-Handled

Double-handled soup bowls make it easy to sip broths or stir cream-based chowders. One classic design includes a shallow cup and wide mouth to allow the soup to cool evenly. Double-handled soup bowls are also used to serve baked fruit desserts and make individual pot pies. The wide mouths make these bowls easy to clean and stack. The double handles allow you to hold the bowl without burning your hands on the hot base.

Noodle Soup Bowls

Asian noodle dishes are one-pot meals that often include both protein and vegetables. Bowls for soup noodles have a wide diameter and deeper cup to contain the full dish. Contemporary Asian or fusion restaurants and home stores offer rectangular-shaped bowls, which often have a lacquer finish.

Bread Soup Bowls

Bread soup bowls are toasted loaves of bread hollowed out and filled with thick soup, stew or chili. The types of breads used, like sourdough and Italian, have a thick crust to contain the soup. Intended to be eaten with the soup, diners pull off pieces of bread from the top of the bowl as the soup level goes down. The bread remaining at the bottom becomes saturated with flavor for a savory final bite.

Tags: soup bowls, bowls have, Double-handled soup, Double-handled soup bowls, from glass, other materials, these bowls

Buy Stone Bakeware

Changing from metal bakeware to stone bakeware, or stoneware, has it's advantages. You must keep several things in mind while buying stoneware though. Here are the things to know before you buy stoneware so you can purchase quality that will last for a long time.

Instructions

1. Know where your stoneware is manufactured before you buy. Stoneware sold by Pampered Chef for example, is made in the United States and will have U.S. standards of manufacture. That means you will not have any toxic chemicals in your stoneware.

2. Read the warranty. This is especially important because stoneware can have internal flaws that are not apparent when you first buy it. It's only after it has been heated in your oven that the stoneware snaps because of some internal weakness (such as a bubble) in the mold. Look for at least a 3 year unlimited warranty when you buy stoneware.

3. Check the stoneware for chips, hairline cracks, discolorations of the clay or other flaws before you buy. Any of these could be a sign of a short life expectancy of the stoneware.

4. Start by buying one multi-purpose stoneware piece. This will get you used to the way stoneware cooks and the handling it requires. Some of the best things about stoneware are the way it browns and it's heat retaining ability, which you will quickly come to love.

Tags: will have, your stoneware

Dandelion Flower Description

Dandelion flowers mature into seedlings.

During the spring and summer months, the flowers of the dandelion weed blossom all around the country. They crop up anywhere that there is room for them to get a foothold. Despite their status as weeds, dandelion flowers provide several benefits to humans.

Description

Dandelions show off bright yellow flower heads during spring and summer. Rather than grow as one flower, dandelion flowers consist of hundreds or thousands of "ray" flowers, like many other flowers in the Asteraceae family. Collectively, the ray flowers create the illusion of one larger bloom made up of many petals.

Maturation

When a dandelion flower matures, it turns into a seed attached to white fluff that makes it easier for the wind to disperse. The white puffballs often seen during the summer represent a dandelion plant whose ray flowers have all matured.

Uses

The entire dandelion plant is used for medicinal purposes. Dandelion flowers contain antioxidants that can help with purifying the body. Additionally, chefs use the edible dandelion flowers as a garnish for dishes.

Tags: dandelion flowers, dandelion plant, spring summer

Pumpkin Spice Vs Allspice

Pumpkin pie uses a distinctive mixture of warm spices.

There are some smells that are so evocative of home and comfort that they elicit an emotional response from even the most jaded of observers. Fresh-baked bread is one of those, and so is the smell of a warm pumpkin pie. The pie incorporates a wide variety of warm spices, either purchased as a mixture or made up by the baker.

About Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is one of the quintessential American dishes. It's all but mandatory to have one on the table at Thanksgiving, even in those few households where nobody especially likes it. The bland, sweet earthiness of pumpkin in its native state is transformed by the process of roasting and pureeing it, and making it into a rich custard with brown sugar, eggs and cream or condensed milk. The final touch is a mixture of warm spices, which enhance and complement the flavors of the filling.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Most major brands of spices have their own pumpkin pie spice mixture. Individual cooks and bakers will find their own favorites, usually settling on a preferred brand after trying a few. Others use pie recipes that specify individual spices in precise quantities to create a carefully-crafted flavor profile. Those who wish to make up their own pumpkin pie spice mix can create a customized combination of spices to please their own palate. The most common spices in pumpkin pies are cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice and nutmeg or mace.

About Allspice

Allspice is the dried fruit of a small tree in the myrtle family, native to Jamaica and cultivated throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Christopher Columbus discovered this New World spice on his second voyage of discovery, bringing it back to Spain and describing it as a form of black pepper. Jamaica eventually became a British possession, and the English took up the "Jamaican pepper" with enthusiasm. They dubbed it allspice because, although it was a single berry, it tasted like a blend of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Allspice and Pumpkin Pie Spice

The name allspice, widely used in the English-speaking world, has led to a degree of confusion. Many believe erroneously that allspice is a blend of other spices, like Chinese five-spice powder or pumpkin pie spice. While this is not the case, the flavor profile of allspice closely resembles pumpkin pie spice. It can be used as a substitute for most of spices in the pumpkin pie spice mixture, or simply used on its own. While the flavor will not be exactly the same, it will be very close.

Tags: pumpkin spice, warm spices, cinnamon cloves, flavor profile, mixture warm, mixture warm spices

What Is Orange Marmalade

Marmalade is a type of preserve made of fruit, a substance called pectin, and a sweetener, similar to a jam or a jelly. Unlike jams and jellies, however, marmalades are usually made with citrus fruit, particularly oranges. They contain bits of the fruit, like a jam, but may also contain some of the peel or zest.

Marmalade's Origins

Although the origins of marmalade are unclear, it's known that King Henry VIII got a gift box of marmalade in 1524. It probably wasn't the orange preserve we know today; it was more likely a paste made of quinces and sugar, called marmeleda, that the Portuguese developed.

Modern marmalade was invented in the late 1700s in Dundee, Scotland. The Keiller family opened the first marmalade factory there in 1797. They used Seville oranges and shredded the peels. Keiller still makes their Dundee-style marmalade. There's also Oxford-style marmalade, which is thicker and darker in color.

At Breakfast and Beyond

Orange marmalade is a versatile preserve. It is commonly eaten at breakfast, as a topping for toast, biscuits, or crumpets, but it can top pancakes, waffles, and crepes as well.

It can also be used in cooking. It's been paired successfully with steak, ham, chicken, lamb, and pork. It makes moist cakes. It even makes a mean martini.

What's In It

Orange marmalade can be a pretty straightforward affair: a combination of oranges, water, and white sugar. However, some marmalade makers add lemon for some added zing, and it's possible to use a sugar substitute.

Pectin, an apple extract, is often added to help the marmalade gel, but it's not essential. In fact, the British figured out a long time ago that orange marmalade would set up just fine without any help from apples.

Where to Find It

Want to try it out before you commit to making your own? Several brands are available, including the classic Keiller's Dundee Orange Marmalade in its distinctive white jar. Golden Shred, Hero, and Bonne Mamam are imported from Europe, while Smucker's is one of the American brands. Low-sugar versions are also available, and some are kosher.

If you don't care for one, try another; they have different levels of sweetness.

Other Marmalades

While orange is most popular, any citrus fruit can make a marmalade, including grapefruits, lemons, limes, and blood oranges, or combinations thereof. For something entirely different, try Orange and Malt Whisky marmalade, by Tiptree.

Tags: citrus fruit, Orange marmalade, What Orange

Substitutes For Pimento Wood

Pimento wood chips provide the unique smoke flavor found in authentic Jamaican jerk chicken.

Pimento wood comes from the allspice tree, which is prominent throughout Jamaica but found only in limited supply elsewhere. Jamaican cooks cut the wood into chips and spread dampened pieces over the charcoal in a grill. The chips are an important ingredient in Jamaican jerk chick, providing a unique smoke flavor with no exact substitute. Because the wood supply is so limited, it is difficult to find pimento wood chips outside the Caribbean and home cooks often substitute with other chips.

Necessity of Substitution

Pimento wood is in short supply in North America. Most of the world's allspice trees grow in Jamaica, though a few other Caribbean countries have modest plots. According to researchers at the University of the West Indies, attempts to cultivate allspice trees on other continents failed due to low productivity. As a result, most home cooks in North America must contend with substitutions. Though cooks can purchase imported pimento wood once in a while for a high price, most choose to substitute with other woods for convenience and fruguality.

Affordable Fruit Wood Chips

Woods from fruit trees provide the best substitutions for pimento wood, infusing the meat with a bit of the smoky, sharp flavor of pimento wood. Apple wood chips are the most affordable, popular and readily available, though you may experiment with any fruit wood chips to see which you prefer. Pear wood chips and peach wood chips also yield good results, yielding a more subtle flavor with less pungency.

Pecan Wood Chips

Pecan wood chips are more expensive than other fruit tree wood chips since, like pimento wood, they constitute a limited, regional good. Pecan trees grow mainly in the southern region of the United States, making them about twice as expensive as other fruit wood chips. They provide a passable substitute, though, with a bit of the nutty flavor that cheaper fruit wood chips lack. You can mix wood chips from different fruit trees if you like the pecan chip flavor but want to make it last.

Strongly Flavored Wood Chips

Do not use strongly flavored wood chips like hickory, oak or mesquite unless you love their flavor and do not care whether or not your jerk chicken retains any authentic flavor. These wood chips dramatically distort the flavors of Jamaican jerk chicken and overtake other seasonings. Avoid mixing even a few of these with milder chips. If you have only these wood chips available, do not use any. Your dish will taste better with pure charcoal smoking than with any of these added.

Tags: wood chips, wood chips, fruit wood, fruit wood chips, Jamaican jerk, jerk chicken, allspice trees

Chewing Gum

Chewing gum is traditionally made from chicle, which is a natural gum found in a tropical evergreen tree that grows only in Central America. Many recent chewing gums have been made of synthetic rubber instead, because it is cheaper to produce and easy to manufacture. There are many companies distributing chewing gum, and there are many different types of gum, offering unique flavors and even benefits such as teeth whitening. However, some say that there is a risk involved when using some chewing gums.

Benefits

For most of the time that chewing gum has been manufactured, it was solely done so as a confectioner and offered no health benefits whatsoever. The chewing gum of the modern age is different, because certain brands do offer things to make chewing gum worthwhile. This mainly has to do with the teeth, as many chewing gum manufacturers are selling chewing gum that whitens and strengthens teeth. Even dentists are signing off on certain gums, saying that chewing the gum once a day will help get teeth a few shades whiter. One example of this is Trident whitening gum.

Type

There are many different brands of gum, all of them claiming to offer something new. Most brands, though, offer gum that comes in traditional flavors: peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon and spearmint. Other brands offer new flavors, such as fruity ones like orange, or even sangria. Within these brands there are a few different types of chewing gum as well. There is regular chewing gum, low-calorie gum, teeth-whitening gum and bubblegum. Bubblegum is more viscous than other chewing gums and therefore it is easier to blow bubbles with it.

Risk Factors

There are a couple possible risks associated with chewing gum. The oldest risk was often thought of as an urban legend by some, but it is entirely true. Because of the makeup of gum, if it is swallowed it will not easily be dissolved by the digestive system. In fact, chewing gum can remain in the stomach lining for years before it is broken down for digestion, which can cause problems with the lining. Another health risk involves chewing gum that is manufactured with vinyl acetate, which is used in certain gum bases. It is known that this has somewhat of a hand in the promotion of cancer.

Significance

More people are using gum for oral hygiene instead of just candy. When it is difficult to brush your teeth, for example, many people turn to certain chewing gums. It is not as prevalent anywhere, though, as it is in the military. Ever since World War I, the U.S. military has been giving troops gum to help relieve stress. Now they are making gum that promotes oral hygiene and some that is even packed with caffeine to keep soldiers alert in the field. The Canadian and New Zealand military are two other forces that supply chewing gum to their troops for oral hygiene purposes.

Features

The gum component chicle is essentially a form of rubber that softens and hardens when exposed to different temperatures. While some gums are still made this way, most are made out of a synthetic rubber with similar properties. This rubber is mixed with sugar and flavorings in order to sweeten the gum. Some chewing gums have a coating outside that is made of hardened sugar as well.

Tags: chewing gums, oral hygiene, brands offer, chewing gums have, chewing that, different types

Replace Vanilla Extract

Vanilla sugar - made from vanilla beans - can replace vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract can add extra richness of flavor to many baked goods. Unfortunately, there is no single ingredient that can successfully replace vanilla extract in all its uses. The best substitution for this common ingredient depends on the recipe in which you want to replace the vanilla extract. In some recipes, such as vanilla cookies, the vanilla flavor is absolutely vital, and you should replace vanilla extract with another vanilla product. In other recipes, such as pancakes or banana bread, you can replace vanilla extract with non-vanilla-flavored ingredients.

Instructions

1. Determine the exact amount of vanilla extract in the recipe you wish to make. This amount is important regardless of which substitute you use, as it will help you determine how much of the substitute to add to your recipe.

2. If your recipe calls for 3/4 tsp. of vanilla extract, replace the extract with vanilla sugar if the vanilla flavor is vitally important to the recipe. Use 1 tbsp. vanilla sugar for each 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract in the original recipe. So you would use 3 tbsp. vanilla sugar to replace the 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract in the recipe. Reduce the amount of granulated sugar in the recipe accordingly, if possible, as vanilla extract adds only flavor rather than sweetness. In this example, you would reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by 3 tbsp. Add the vanilla sugar to the other sugar in the recipe (or to the dry ingredients) rather than mixing it with the wet ingredients.

3. Substitute another flavorful liquid for vanilla extract if you do not have vanilla sugar or if the vanilla flavor is not vital to the recipe. Some options include maple syrup, triple sec, almond extract and rum. Select the option that you think would taste best with the recipe you are making. If you do not think almond flavor would work well with the recipe, try rum or framboise instead. Use an equal amount of the flavoring of your choice as the vanilla extract in the original recipe. Add this ingredient to the recipe in the same way as you would have added the vanilla.

4. Continue making the recipe as normal. You do not need to make any substitutions or changes to the recipe other than those already mentioned.

Tags: vanilla extract, replace vanilla extract, replace vanilla, vanilla sugar, extract with

Make Vegetarian Biscuits And Gravy

For many beginning and aspiring vegetarians, one of the most daunting aspects of a meat-free diet is the thought of giving up favorite comfort foods from childhood. However, nowadays there are many meatless substitutes that can be used to create classic recipes such as old-fashioned biscuits and sausage gravy.

The following gravy recipe takes minimal time and ingredients, having you and your breakfast guests eating in under 30 minutes.

Instructions

Making Vegetarian Sausage Gravy

1. Inside a large, deep skillet, melt approximately 2 tbsp of butter or enough to form a shallow pool in the bottom of the pan.

2. Cut approximately one-inch thick section from the vegan sausage tube [recommended brand: Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage], more if you like your gravy "meaty."

3. Place "sausage" into butter and separate into smaller sections while browning over medium/high to high heat, adding more butter as needed to keep the pan moist.

4. Once the "sausage" has browned, making sure pan is still moist with butter, add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and stir it in to create a paste.

5. Once flour, butter and "sausage" have been combined into a moist pastelike consistency, stir in approximately 3/4 cup milk and allow to simmer before reducing heat to low.

6. Gravy will continue to thicken over heat; add milk as necessary to acquire the desired consistency.

7. Once the desired thickness has been reached, cover the entire surface of gravy with pepper, stir in, and serve over your choice brand of biscuits.

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Make A Wine Rack To Hold 60 Bottles

A large-capacity wine rack will allow you to store a wide variety of wines, which makes it easier to select a suitable bottle for any occasion, build up a sizable collection of your favorite vintages and let your wines age to perfection. A large wine storage rack also lets you buy wine by the case in order to take advantage of bulk discounts and quickly stock up on preferred varieties. While purchasing a high-quality wine rack can be pricey, with a little effort you can make a customized wine rack with space for 60 bottles--five cases.

Instructions

1. Cut shelf rails. Your 60-bottle wine rack will consist of six shelves, each able to hold 10 bottles. For each shelf, create two rails by cutting pieces of 1 x 4 lumber to a length of 44 inches, giving you 12 shelf rails in all.

2. Cut dividers. Each shelf will consist of two parallel rails with a series of 12-inch dividers laid perpendicularly across them to create individual cradles for the wine bottles. For each shelf, create 11 dividers by cutting pieces of 1 x 2 lumber to a length of 12 inches, giving you 66 dividers in all.

3. Assemble shelves. On a flat surface, lay out two shelf rails in parallel with 4 inches in between. Start an inch from one edge, place a divider across the rails perpendicularly and then place the remaining dividers every 2 inches. The last divider should rest an inch from the far edge. Use a square to check your angles, and then connect the dividers to the rails using brads or finish nails. Repeat to create five more shelves.

4. Cut corner posts and shelf supports. Your shelves will be held up by four vertical corner posts and a series of horizontal shelf supports. Create posts by cutting four pieces of 1 x 4 lumber to a length of 43 inches. Create supports by cutting 14 pieces of 1 x 2 lumber to a length of 12 inches, giving you two supports per shelf and two for the top.

5. Build sides. On a flat surface, lay out two corner posts in parallel with four inches in between. Start six inches from one edge, which will be the bottom of your wine rack, place a shelf support across the posts perpendicularly and then place the remaining supports every six inches. The last divider should rest an inch from the top. Use a square to check your angles, and then connect the supports and posts with wood screws. Repeat to create the other side of the wine rack.

6. Connect shelves to sides. Working from the bottom up, place each shelf onto the corresponding supports on the two sides, use a level and square to check your placement and then use finish nails or brads to connect everything.

7. Place top. Cut a piece of 1 x 12 lumber to a length of 43 inches, place it on the top set of supports and use finish nails or brads to anchor it. Your wine rack is now ready to use and enjoy.

Tags: wine rack, length inches, lumber length, lumber length inches, pieces lumber

Make Turkey And Dressing

Turkey is not just great on Thanksgiving. You can make it year round and it's leftovers usually last a few days. That makes it an economical dish which is important with the rising cost of living. Here is a great way to make turkey and dressing for any occasion:

Instructions

Prepare Your Turkey

1. Defrost your turkey. The best way is to let your turkey sit in the refrigerator for 2 days. Then remove the giblets and the turkey's neck. Give your turkey a rinse and place it in your roasting pan.

2. Make the dressing. Break your 3 loaves of bread up in to tiny cubes or tiny pieces. Place the bread pieces in a bowl and add all the spices listed above. You will want to do it to your taste. You should add more of the garlic and onion powders than the rest of the spices.

3. Pour the butter onto the dressing mixture and carefully blend all the ingredients together. Now you are ready to stuff your turkey with your homemade dressing.

4. Put your dressing inside the turkey. Once the turkey is full you will want to tie up the turkey's hole to keep all the dressing inside during cooking.

5. Give the outside of your turkey a coating of vegetable oil and then sprinkle some salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder on top. You don't have to put a lot of the spices on top, just a few dashes.

6. Cook your turkey at 325 degrees. The amount of time your turkey needs to cook depends on it's size. A 10-18 pound turkey can take 4 to 4 1/2 hours to cook while a 24-29 pound turkey would take about 6 hours to cook. There are always labels on the wrapping of your turkey. Be sure to read them before you throw them away. Cover your turkey with a roasting pan lid or with aluminum foil and place in the oven.

7. Test the temperature. Make sure when using your thermometer that the internal temperature of the turkey's breast is 165 degrees. If it is or higher, then your turkey is fully cooked and ready for serving.

Tags: your turkey, your turkey with, dressing inside, hours cook, pound turkey, turkey with

Keep Cheese Cubes From Sticking Together

Keep cheese cubes ready to eat by storing them properly.

Cutting cheese into little cubes creates morsels just the right size for snacking or to use in salads and soups. However, when cubes are stored in the refrigerator, they can start to stick together and turn back into a big block. This makes the effort spent cutting the cubes seem pointless. Moisture and oils seeping from and forming on the cheese during refrigeration typically cause cheese cube amalgamation. Keep cheese cubes unbound by taking steps to reduce any adhesive-like properties from developing.

Instructions

1. Place a block of soft cheese in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to firm it up and prevent it from sticking to the knife when cutting.

2. Dry any water from the work area and cutting board. Cut the cheese into cubes, using only a dry knife or cheese cutter.

3. Spread the cheese cubes onto paper towels and pat them with another paper towel to absorb moisture from the outer surfaces of the cubes.

4. Keep the cubes on a paper towel and place them on an elevated drying rack for a few minutes to allow the outer surfaces to dry a bit more.

5. Line the bottom of a dry storage container with a piece of wax paper.

6. Place a loose layer of cubes at the bottom of the storage container, on top of the wax paper. Ensure that the cubes are not packed tightly together to allow airflow between them.

7. Cut a piece of wax paper and line the top of the first layer of cubes. Place another loose layer of cubes on top of that paper. Continue stacking layers of cheese between sheets of paper until the storage container is full. Do not push down on or pack the layers of cheese.

8. Place a piece of wax paper over the storage container opening and secure it around the rim with a rubber band. Avoid airtight lids or plastic wrap, as they deprive the cheese of air and cause it to sweat. Place a piece of masking tape on the container and write the appropriate expiration date for the type of cheese.

9. Give the container a gentle shake to redistribute the cheese cubes each time it is removed from the fridge.

Tags: cheese cubes, storage container, layer cubes, piece paper, bottom storage, bottom storage container, cheese into

Can Tomatoes

Canning tomatoes is a great way to preserve the abundance of tomatoes that come from your garden. If you love tomatoes you can also buy them in bulk from your produce store. Canning tomatoes is fairly simple and will provide you with the fresh taste of vine ripe tomatoes all winter long. Read on to learn can tomatoes.

Instructions

1. Wash tomatoes thoroughly under running water. Be sure to get all the sand or dirt off if they have come from your own garden.

2. Blanch tomatoes in hot water. Fill your stock pot with water and bring it just to boiling and drop tomatoes in a few at a time.

3. Hold blanched tomatoes under cool running water. The peeling should flake right off. Use your sharp knife to remove the core.

4. Place peeled tomatoes in a stock pot and simmer until the tomatoes are tender but not mushy.

5. Ladle hot tomatoes with liquid into hot sterilized jars. Leave about 1/2 inch of space and add one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of sugar to the top of the jar.

6. Wipe off the rim of the hot, tomato filled jar with a clean cloth and place a hot, sterilized lid on the jar.

7. Secure a hot, sterilized ring to the top of the jar and tighten down. As the tomatoes and jars cool the jars will seal. Check for proper sealing by pushing down on the top of the lid. There should be no clicking sound if the jars have sealed properly.

Tags: from your, Canning tomatoes, come from, come from your, from your garden, running water

Make Homemade Cereal Bars

Cereal is an ingredient for a tasty bar.

Cereal bars can provide nutrition and a mini-meal when you haven't time for a traditional breakfast. They can also act as a good pick-me-up snack during the day when your energy starts to flag. However, many times the commercial bars available tend to taste relatively bland or are loaded with sugars and salt. When you make your own homemade cereal bars, you can control the amount of sweetness and salt and put together a tastier version.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a square pan with a long piece of parchment paper. The ends of the paper should extend over the pan once the mixture is set inside it.

2. Mix the cereals, cranberries, seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.

3. Place the almond or peanut butter, brown rice syrup, honey, brown sugar and vanilla in a small saucepan. Gently heat to melt the ingredients, stirring all the while.

4. Pour the melted mixture over the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Spread the mixture into the square pan. Press it down with the back of the spoon. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and press the mixture down flat with the back of the spoon. Allow the mixture to cool.

7. Grip the ends of the parchment paper and lift the mixture from the pan. Set it on a cutting board. Cut it into bars or squares with a knife.

Tags: back spoon, parchment paper, with back, with back spoon