Tuesday, February 28, 2012 0 comments

The Feast of 7 Fishes - Italian Christmas Eve Dinner Made Easy With A 4-Fish Seafood Risotto

Seafood risotto is usually made with the seafood cooked right into the risotto. Although this makes a wonderful dish, I find that the seafood can easily become overcooked and get lost in the risotto, or that some diners can get lots of seafood while others get cheated. I find that flavoring the risotto with a seafood broth and then topping it with sautéed seafood is an unbeatable combination.

Servings: 4-6

Italian Cooking

  • 1 pound risotto, made from Arborio rice prepared according to package directions and kept warm (see note)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • 2 dozen small clams, rinsed
  • 2 dozen small mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
  • 12 large sea scallops
  • 12 medium to large shrimp, shelled, cleaned, and de-veined
  • 1/2 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 3 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed and chopped
  • 1 cup white wine sauce (see below)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 to 6 lemon wedges, for garnish

Preparation:

  1. Prepare the risotto according to package directions. Either keep the finished risotto warm in a 200ºF. oven or cook it while you prepare the rest of this recipe.
  2. Put the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large sauté pan over high heat for about 30 seconds, or until the oil is hot but not smoking.
  3. Cook the clams, mussels, and scallops (on both sides) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the clams begin to open and the scallops begin to turn opaque.
  4. Add the shrimp and cook everything for 1 minute more, until the shrimp turn pink on one side.
  5. Turn the shrimp, add the garlic, and cook for a few seconds, until the garlic begins to turn golden.
  6. Add the tomatoes followed by the sauce and cook for a moment or two until all the juices in the pan blend together.
  7. Finish with a pat of butter or two and a splash of cream if desired.

The Sauce:

  1. Add ¼ cup olive oil to the bottom of a saucepan, followed by 3-4 tablespoons of flour and stir over medium heat.
  2. Slowly add 1 cup of white wine and continue stirring. (sauce will thicken).
  3. Now slowly add about 1cup of clam broth and ½ cup of water. Stir until all the liquid is incorporated.
  4. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until the sauce reduces to the consistency of a smooth gravy.

Serving Seafood Risotto:

Stir some of the liquid part of the sauce into the risotto, then spoon the risotto onto individual serving plates. Top each serving with the remainder of the sauce and the seafood. If desired, arrange the mussels all along the rim of the platter or plate, then add the seafood in the center. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt and pepper, and garnish each serving plate with a lemon wedge.

Note about Arborio Rice:

Arborio rice, for making risotto, is sold in 1-kilogram boxes (2.2 pounds) and comes in two packages. The cooking time is about 15 minutes, but it's best prepared slightly underdone because it will continue cooking after it's removed from the heat.

Enjoy!

The Feast of 7 Fishes - Italian Christmas Eve Dinner Made Easy With A 4-Fish Seafood Risotto

About Chef Silvia:

For Chef Silvia Bianco, a native of Calabria region in Italy, food has always been an act of love, which Silvia shares in the form of a unique blend of culinary alchemy and life-enhancing recipes in her monthly newsletter, "A Note from the Chef".

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at Silvia's blog "Cooking with Chef Silvia"

Visit her website for more recipes cooking tips and information on Chef Silvia's cooking classes

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Monday, February 27, 2012 0 comments

Substitute For Marsala Wine - Cooking Alternatives

What is Marsala wine? Can you use a substitute for Marsala wine if a formula specifically calls for this single wine?

Marsala wine is produced on Sicily by using various varieties of grapes such as the Inaolia, Catarratto and Grillo grapes among others. It also comes in three grades that are classified agreeing to color and sweetness, they are: Oro which is a light gold color, Amber, a darker sweeter blend and Rubino the true red variety. Marsala wine is a very sweet wine and often used in Italian cooking with many dishes using it in their names, such as the worlds sublime Chicken Marsala that is served at Italian restaurants colse to the world. It is also often served as an aperitf before dinner.

Cooking

If you do not use alcohol of any type or are against using wine in cooking you can omit it from safe bet recipes without to much trouble. For example, in Tiramisu you can fully omit the wine and succeed one of many nonalcoholic recipes available that are still delicious.

It is a distinct story if you are inspecting using a substitute for Marsala, for example in Chicken Marsala, then it would be best to use a very sweet wine, a port or a sherry. Though this will, at times drastically alter the flavor of the formula and it would then be best called chicken and wine instead of chicken Marsala.

All in all, there verily is no substitute for Marsala wine in some recipes. This wine is often used as a base flavor for sauces. It has a very safe bet flavor when it is reduced. It offers a flavor that is often key and the entire foundation of a dish.

It is good to note wine has been reported to have antioxidant properties and a reasonable estimate in a moderate diet has been reported as healthy. Also, for those that do not wish to share in alcoholic beverages, all the alcoholic properties and content of the wine cooks off while the cooking process and leaves only the essence of flavor behind. Marsala wine is also very easy to accumulate and is ordinarily available at most liquor purveyors. It is typically located by the ports and the sherry. It is reasonably priced and is a great increasing to any kitchen pantry and once used, sure to come to be a garage in many of your popular recipes.

Ultimately the decision is yours, substitute Marsala wine or not? Alcohol or none? turn can often be a good thing, but sometimes it is best to succeed the formula and use the list of ingredients suggest for the best results. Like the old saying goes "if it isn't broke, don't fix it."

Substitute For Marsala Wine - Cooking Alternatives

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 0 comments

Teachers' Day in Thailand

Since 1957, Thailand has been celebrating the Teachers' Day to honor educators and facilitators of learning across the country. Every year on January 16, Teachers' Day is sublime across Thailand.

In 1956, the Prime priest of Thailand, Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram, was also the Honorary Chairman of Board of Directors of the Teachers' Council. He addressed the teachers throughout the country, he said that the teachers play a dominant role in molding a student's life and therefore, students should love and respect their teachers. And he also recommend that the teachers should have a day of their own and it should be used as an chance by the students to pay respect and homage to their teachers.

Thai Cooking

It was Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram who started the belief of Teachers' Day in Thailand. He felt that the Thai people sublime many auspicious days to pay tribute to their living and dead relatives. However, there was no day set aside for teachers who were paid the same respect as parents.

After this speech, many teachers agreed with what Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram had to say. They felt that a day should be set aside when they are remembered and honored for their role in building and development wise and responsible citizens. Thus, the same year, that is 1956, the Teachers' Council unanimously agreed to set up Teachers' Day and the cabinet passed a resolution announcing January 16 as Teachers' Day. The first Teachers' Day in Thailand was sublime in 1957 and it was declared as a national holiday in Thailand. On this day students accomplish religious activities and wish happiness to their teachers for the rest of the year.

As per Buddhist traditions, teachers are as prominent as parents, if not more. Teachers' Day is used as an chance to reinforce this and show gratitude to teachers for their work and teachings.

Teachers' Day in Thailand

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Friday, February 24, 2012 0 comments

Mind Your Manners - Italian Etiquette

Meeting People

When meeting people for the first time it is appropriate to wait to be introduced. You will generally be introduced to the oldest person first followed by the women.

Italian Cooking

The exchange of business cards is a common practice when first meeting someone. Status is important in the Italian culture and it is common to list any titles and/or education degrees you hold on your business cards.

Physical Greetings

When greeting someone a handshake accompanied by a "Pleased to meet you" is appropriate. When departing be sure to shake everyone's hand, a general group wave as is often done in the United States is not looked on favorably.

An "air kiss" is an appropriate greeting once you have established a relationship with someone.

Physical Space

Italians stand much closer to one another than Americans do and it is common for men to walk down the street arm and arm and also women to walk down the street arm and arm.

Eye Contact

Intense direct eye contact is common, looking away is a sign of disinterest and/or that you are behaving rude.

Good Topics of Discussion

Food, wine, soccer (the national pastime), politics (if you know what you are talking about), music, philosophy and current events.

Bad Topics of Discussion

Inquiring about private family matters, personal income, stereotypes, World War II and Vatican politics. Also the common American question "what do you do?" is considered rude and too personal.

Communication Style

Moments of silence are rare in Italy and repeated interruptions signify interest.

Whistling and winking at women is meant as a compliment and is not used in a degrading way. If a woman is interested she will acknowledge the whistlers with eye contact, if she is not she will ignore them.

Italians often gesture with their hands and one does not converse with their hands in their pockets. Italians place great importance on maintaining a "Bella Figura" (Beautiful Figure/ Image) and slouching and leaning against things is just not done.

Waiting in Line

Lines do not exist in Italy, do not be surprised if someone just walks up to the counter and is served before you, despite the fact that you were next and have been waiting in "line" for the past 20 minutes.

Walking

The evening "passeggiata" is a common occurrence in Italy. Strolling the streets, seeing who is out and catching up with friends is a nightly occurrence in Italy.

Shopping

Customer service is not as "in your face" as it is in the United States. Generally a salesclerk will ignore you until eye contact is made signaling service is required.

Public Transportation

The easiest way to catch a taxi cab is at a taxi stand.

On public transportation it is customary for the younger to give up their seats to the older and men to give up their seats to women.

Tipping

The tip is generally already included in the price at a restaurant. A standard tip for a taxi driver is 10 percent. Bellmen usually receive 1 Euro per bag.

Appropriate Dress

In general Italians dress much more formally than Americans. Italians value "quality" in their clothing and are much more likely to own 2 very nice expensive suits than 6 decent cheaper suits. Black and muted colors are common in combination with brighter colored accessories.

Italian women tend to wear more makeup than American women and also wear nylons all year round.

Meal Time

Breakfast is generally from 8 to 8:30 AM

A standard Italian breakfast is coffee (espresso is generally served after dinner) with a croissant or a couple of cookies.

Lunch is generally served from 1 to 3 PM

In the south lunch is the biggest and longest meal of the day, in the North it is often the biggest meal of the day but during the business week it does not last as long as it does on the weekend. A typical lunch includes soup, bread and olive oil, a main meal and/or soup, salad and a desert of fruit. Wine and sparkling mineral water usually accompanies the meal.

Dinner is generally served from 8 to 10 PM

If the main meal of the day was lunch, then dinner is often a light affair taken at home. If however it was not a typical dinner is quite elaborate. Formal Italian meals consist of: antipasto (such as proscuitto, bruschetta, or fruit), soup, pasta, main dish (usually meat), salad, cheese, desert, fruit and an espresso. Wine is also commonly taken with dinner.

Table Manners

The Italians do not switch their knife and fork as people do in the States. The fork remains in the left hand and the knife in the right hand.

Placing your utensils down on your plate signifies to wait staff that you are finished.

When not using your utensils your hands should be kept visible above the table.

Dishes are passed to the left.

To get a waiters attention you should make contact, waving your hand or calling out is considered to be rude.

Often times in an informal restaurant you will be seated at a table with a stranger, if this is the case conversation is not expected.

Who Pays?

In general the person who does the inviting also does the paying, although the guest is expected to protest. When a woman is seated at a table with men the men (despite a woman's protest) will always pick up the bill.

Punctuality

The further south you go the less importance is placed on being on time. For social events being a half an hour to an hour late is common. When people are late resist the American temptation to request the reason. Lateness is generally because a person was involved in obligations that involved superiors, family or old friends (and it would have been rude to cut it short).

Mind Your Manners - Italian Etiquette

Joanna Lehmann

Glamour Getaways LLC

[http://www.glamourgetaways.com]

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Tuesday, February 21, 2012 0 comments

Cooking Instructions For Prime Rib Roast

Have you been searching for cooking instructions for prime rib roast and still can't find a method that will give you the juicy and tender prime rib roast that you deserve? The reason may be that recipes only give you the basic ingredients for cooking and not the actual cooking instructions.

Let's start with cooking instructions for prime rib roast that begins long before the day you put in order your prime rib. First, you should select the prime rib that will give adequate portions for each guest that will be attending your dinner party. You may have to look for rib eye instead of prime rib, some local grocery market label prime rib as rib eye. You can ask the butcher if he would remove most of the fat from the roast that you choose. This will save you time preparation the roast. If you can not get the butcher to remove the excess fat, then you will have to trim it when you get it home. You should leave just a microscopic bit of fat on the roast for added flavor.

Cooking

The next step in your cooking instructions is to originate a seasoning rub or paste. You can use ingredients such as common salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and even honey. Slit the roast on top about ½ inch deep all over the top and sides. Rub the seasoning rub or paste on the whole roast, together with the lowest and sides, everywhere the meat is exposed. Place in a roasting pan or baking dish with a lid. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Most cooking instructions include using a meat thermometer and this is the best way to ensure that your prime rib is cooked to perfection and not overcooked. The internal climatic characteristic for rare prime beef should be 130 degrees Fahrenheit, for medium rare around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, medium around 150 degrees Fahrenheit and for well done between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

For prime rib roast that is boneless the basic cooking time is for medium is a 3 to 4 pound prime rib roast should be cooked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 23 to 30 minutes per pound, for a 4 to 6 pound prime rib roast you should cook it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 20 minutes per pound and for a 8 to 10 pound prime rib roast you should cook it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13 to 15 minutes per pound. Remember, this is only an assessment and all oven do not cook the same. You should still use a meat thermometer to ensure the desired doneness.

The last cooking instructions, and maybe the most important, is to let the roast sit for around 15 minutes before carving. The roast will still cook and the internal climatic characteristic will raise other 10 degrees but this sitting time is foremost to hold in the juices and flavor.

Cooking Instructions For Prime Rib Roast

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Monday, February 20, 2012 1 comments

How to Cook Salmon in the Oven

Alaskan salmon is a nutrient rich food filled with antioxidants and essential vitamins. It contains high concentrations of Omega 3 oils which reduce the risk of coronary diseases and contribute to a healthy lifestyle. There are many ways to prepare salmon; you can use cedar planks for grilling, giving the salmon a smoky wood flavor, you can bake and broil salmon, and you can even enjoy it raw, sashimi style.

Perhaps one of the more traditional methods of cooking salmon is using your trusty oven. Here we will present you with a few tips and suggestions on how to cook salmon in the oven. Though it may not sound as exotic as cedar plank salmon, using the oven can actually be quite versatile.

How To Cook

Baked salmon recipes abound. In fact, baked salmon is incredibly healthy and easy to prepare. One of the simpler and healthier versions of baked salmon involves seasoning the fish with a dash of salt and pepper, adding a squeeze of lemon, and wrapping the whole thing up in foil. Chefs call this method of cooking en papillote. Of course, you're just learning how to cook salmon in the oven, so you may want to keep it more simple. For variations, try adding garlic, olive oil and some freshly chopped parsley into the mix. Again, bake in foil for about 45 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Another method involves using a shallow baking pan or casserole dish with vegetables and a smattering of liquid such as white wine to keep the fish tender.

Salmon wrapped in filo pastry and seasoned with a spoonful of thick, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper makes a great appetizer. Additionally, you could experiment with salmon pies or salmon patty recipes.

Incorporating baked salmon into your diet is a great way to get healthy. Remember, eating fish often will discourage the development of chronic diseases and improve mental functioning. Now you've got the basics of how to cook salmon in the oven down. Fire it up and get cooking!

How to Cook Salmon in the Oven

There are plenty of different ways to prepare Alaskan seafood. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has great recipes to help you create the perfect dish.

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Saturday, February 18, 2012 0 comments

Maltese Recipes

Malta is a Mediterranean island that lies between Italy and North Africa. The country is home to a Mediterranean cuisine which is influenced by the cuisine of Italy as well as that of other countries.

Some of the most popular Maltese recipes include:

Chinese Cooking

* Minestra - A vegetable soup that is usually eaten during the Winter months, and is frequently eaten with crusty Maltese bread ("hobza").

* Soppa ta' l-armla - A thinner version of minestra, but with the addition of small balls of sheep-milk cheese ("gbejniet") and raw eggs. The name of the dish means "widows's soup", and derives from that fact that it was traditionally donated to poor widows living in Maltese communities.

* Kusksu - Another Maltese soup. Kusku is made from chicken stock, and contains pasta beads, broad beans, onions and tomatoes.

* Brodu - A beef or chicken broth, also containing some vegetables, usually served with pasta.

* Qargha Baghli - Marrows stuffed with ground beef and parsley. They can be baked or put into soup.

* Aljotta - This is a Maltese fish and tomato soup, flavored with garlic and herbs, which is frequently served with rice.

* Bragjoli - A mixture of breadcrumbs, bacon, eggs and cheese, wrapped in a thin slice of beef.

* Fenkata - Rabbit casserole.

* Laham taz-ziemel - Stallion (horse) meat with white wine sauce.

* Kapunata - Similar to ratatouille, and eaten hot or cold, kapunata can even be used as a pizza topping.

* Bigilla - A bean dip made from mashed broad beans. It is seasoned, and may be flavored with chilli.

* Ravjul - Similar to ravioli. The pasta may be filled with ricotta and parsley or spinach, or with ground meat. It is usually served with a tomato sauce and topped with cheese.

* Mqarrun il-Forn - Bolognese sauce and egg served over macaroni, and topped with a layer of grated cheese or bescamella (white sauce). Bacon and/or peas may be added in some versions of the recipe.

* Timpana - Baked macaroni ("mqarrun il-forn"), with added ground beef and hard-boiled eggs, encased in a pastry crust.

* Ross il-Forn - A baked rice dish, similar to Mqarrun il-Forn, but with curry added.

* Lampuka - White fish, pan-fried, oven-baked with tomato and white wine, or made into pies.

* Zalzett tal-Malti - Maltese pork sausages. There are several varieties, some of which are eaten fresh, others of which are dried.

Malta is also home to a variety of interesting desserts, including several interesting pastries such as imqaret (a date-filled pastry), and pastizzi (pastry with ricotta), a variety of biscuits including figolla (almond biscuits, often made into interesting shapes), and Pudina ta' l-Hobz, which is a type of bread pudding.

Maltese Recipes

Discover more about Maltese recipes at http://www.recipesmaniac.com/cook_maltese.php - visit this site for more information, photographs and cook books.

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Friday, February 17, 2012 0 comments

Cooking - Liver

All liver is a great source of iron and B vitamins and should be a regular part of a salutary diet and if cooked correctly liver can be delicious. Although liver does have bad press and many population will not even consider trying it. Sometimes it calls for the cook to be somewhat inventive to get population to try liver. There are many recipes to choose from and it is worth the experimentation.

The best liver is the liver from young animals as it is mildest and tenderest. Calf's liver is delicate and yummy but fairly expensive. Real calf's liver is paler in color than the redder more mature baby beef liver. For a mild flavored liver choose the palest that you can find. The darker the color the stronger the flavor.

Cooking

Take care when choosing liver as sometimes baby beef liver is labeled calf's liver in the supermarket or grocery store. To ensure purchasing true calf's liver buy from a butchers or a reputable gastronome supermarket.

Baby beef liver is stronger in flavor than calf's liver but is very good and preferable to actual beef liver. Liver from beef is dark red and the color corresponds to the impel of flavor. Beef liver is facilely ready but many believe it is too strong for straightforward preparations.

Some cooks after buying beef liver soak it in milk or a flavorful spicy marinade such as a white wine marinade before cooking to soften the intense flavor. After marinating throw the liquid away and pat the liver dry before cooking.

A lovely tender well-flavored liver is lamb liver but this is generally quite difficult to find.

Also hard to find is pigs liver, which is strong in, taste but highly tender. Again for pig's liver it can be soaked or marinated like the beef liver.

When choosing liver it should be impeccably fresh with no slimy or dry patches and should have a clear scent.

Should you find yourself making ready a whole liver first wipe it with a damp cloth, then with a sharp knife remove any exposed veins, ducts or connective tissue. With your fingers peel away the thin outer membrane without tearing into the liver itself. You then just slice on the diagonal to the desired thickness your recipe calls for.

Of course presliced liver can be purchased and is actually more generally ready than whole livers. If the butcher has not done so remove the outer membrane on the slices.

Before cooking make 1/8th inch cuts at 1-inch intervals nearby the exterior of the liver slice. The imagine for this is because liver has a tendency to shrink and curl when it is cooked and these cuts will help to forestall that from happening.

The liver is now ready for cooking. Liver should be cooked until it is pink but firm in the center. If liver is overcooked or cooked on excessively high heat it will toughen.

Liver is a lot richer in flavor than many other types of meat so a 4-ounce serving should be ample as a main course for most appetites.

Cooking - Liver

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Thursday, February 16, 2012 0 comments

Caribbean Food - A Little History

The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

Chinese Cooking

The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Then the Caribbean became a crossroads for the world . . .

Once the Europeans brought Africans slaves into the region, the slaves diet consisted mostly of food the slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had to be inventive, and they blended their traditional African foods with staples found on the islands. The Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, ackee, pudding and souse, mangos, and the list goes on.

Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of original early African dishes, and includes cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn meal.

African men were hunters in their homeland, and often away from home for long periods of time. They would cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition was refined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique is known today as "jerk" cooking , and the secret involves a slow meat cooking process. Jamaica is famous for jerk chicken and pork, and you'll find jerk all over the island.

After slavery was abolished, the Europeans went to India and China for labor, and more cooking styles were introduced. Much of the Indian cooking culture remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.p>

The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple in home cooked island meals. The Chinese also introduced mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors introduced the popular codfish.

Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that the fruit trees and fruits so familiar to the islands were introduced by the early Spanish explorers. The fruit trees and fruits brought from Spain include orange, lime, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts.

Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the movie "Mutiny on the Bounty", but do not know that particular ship carried breadfruit, which was loaded on board from the islands of Tahiti and Timor. In the movie the crew took over the ship, forced the captain into a small boat to fend on his own, and they threw the breadfruit, which they considered "strange fruit" overboard. Another ship was more successful in bringing breadfruit from Polynesia to Jamaica and the St Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple diet in the current day Caribbean

America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili pepper to the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America actually introduced these foods the rest of the world via the Caribbean.

So it's no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative with the flavors of Africa, India, and China, along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its own special flavor and cooking technique.

Caribbean Food - A Little History

About this Author

Linda Thompkins is a Caribbean travel consultant and owner of Travel 2 the Caribbean online agency. Linda and her husband reside in Indianapolis, Indiana and have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean.

Travel 2 the Caribbean has been in business for seven years and offers secure online booking, and travel agent booking.

[http://www.travel2thecaribbean.com]

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

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Monday, February 13, 2012 0 comments

How To Cook The Best Steak In The World

Every person likes their steak cooked a different way, so throughout this article I will make sure that I cover each possible different way so that you will always get the best result for yourself or whoever you cook for.

There are several different cuts of beef that will make a great steak, and there are also many grades of beef to consider, depending on what the cow was fed on the farm, so your first step is to choose which one you would prefer. The choices include rump, scotch fillet, porterhouse, eye fillet and T-bone as the main premium cuts generally eaten. The beef's grading will come down largely to marbling and maturity of the meat. There is a debate as to which is better out of grain-fed and grass-fed cattle, and really the answer is grass-fed beef is healthier for you as it is the most natural form of the cattle, while grain-fed beef will have a lot more marbling and flavour, so I will leave that choice up to you which way you want to go. As for maturity, I recommend finding a butcher that will hang your meat for quite a long time in their meat locker before carving it, I have found that 27 days is ideal. This will help tenderize the meat by having it stretched out and relaxing the muscles, to give you the best possible final result.

How To Cook

The rump and porterhouse are firmer cuts, and the rump in particular can be a bit tougher and chewier than the rest, and you will find a strip of fat at the top of each of these steaks, which will help flavour and tenderize the steak during the cooking process. Both these cuts I would recommend eating rare to medium-rare (I will discuss steak doneness a little later).
Meanwhile the scotch fillet will come very nicely marbled with fat throughout, and can usually be distinguished by a C-shaped piece of fat close to one side. Due to the marbling it will be very tender and full of flavour (however if you're on a diet it may be one to avoid for now), and I recommend eating it medium-rare to medium.

The eye fillet is the most tender cut of beef, and will normally be free of fat, although this also means you may need to do something extra to add some flavour to it, the most popular way being to wrap bacon around it during cooking, so the fatty flavours of the bacon are absorbed by the steak. This is my personal favourite steak, and is best eaten medium-rare to medium.
Lastly we come to the T-bone, which has both the eye fillet and porterhouse on either side of the bone, and will get its flavour from the strip of fat on the outside of the porterhouse. I recommend eating the T-bone rare to medium-rare, though it can be tricky to cook evenly due to the bone in the middle.

Once you've decided which cut of steak you will be eating, you need to work out how big a piece of meat you want. A normal-sized steak is generally around 300g for a good-sized meal, however it could range anywhere from 150g up to 1kg and even more! The size of your steak will become important later when you want to cook it to a particular doneness. For example, two different rump steaks could quite easily weigh the same amount, yet be completely different shapes, sometimes they can be wide and flat, and sometimes short and thick, depending on what part of the rump the steak was cut from. Choosing the size of your steak and the shape go hand-in-hand, it's best to have a thicker steak for a rare or medium-rare steak, and when you want a medium-well or above thinner is better. This is so it doesn't take a long time for you to cook, and you can still have a juicy steak without burning the outside.

Now let's just get away from the steak for a minute and think about what you're actually going to cook it on. Ideally you should have a chargrill, one that sits on an angle, and has enough space underneath the flame to have a tray that you can put a small piece of wood on. What I personally prefer is mesquite wood, which comes from the USA, and the best thing to do is to soak it in water for a couple of hours before cooking. This will help the wood give off its smoky flavour rather than just burn away, and it will also last longer, usually for at least a couple of hours.

I mentioned earlier that if possible your grill should be built on an angle, sloping up towards the back. As you know, heat rises, so naturally you should find the hottest part of your grill at the back, and get slightly cooler closer to the front. Most grills and hotplates in general will have certain "hotspots" that you will need to find for each one to work out the bests places to position your food when cooking. Once you've used a particular grill a couple of times you should find it quite easy to figure out your favourite spots to cook on. The combination of knowing where your "hotspots" are and using an angled grill will make it easier to find the best position to cook your steak. If you don't have a chargrill to use and you have a flatgrill or a hotplate instead, I would recommend not cooking your steak entirely through on the hotplate, particularly for medium or above, seal it on both sides then place your steak on a tray and finish it off in an oven. Otherwise all you will do is burn the outside and lose all the moisture and juiciness from your meat.

The other element to consider is how you would like your steak cooked. In general, a well-done steak should be placed at the back, a medium steak in the middle of the grill, and a rare steak at the front. Obviously, this leaves medium-rare between the front and middle, and the medium-well between the middle and the back. In some situations you will need to adjust this slightly depending on the size and shape of your steak, a big, thick rump may need to be pushed a bit further up the grill to cook properly, while a thin and flat porterhouse might be best kept a little closer to the front to avoid overcooking. Your steak positioning will come down largely to personal preference and a bit of practice and experience with your grill.
Now that you should have worked out where on the grill you will place your steak, you're almost ready to start cooking! What you need to consider now is how you will season your steak. You may not want any seasoning, that's fine, go right ahead and start cooking. If you wish to use salt and pepper, I would suggest waiting until one side of your steak has been sealed before sprinkling any on, as salt has the tendency to leech out some of the moisture from your meat. My preferred method of seasoning is to get a really good steak seasoning spice and generously cover both sides before placing your steak on the grill. When you do place your steak on the grill, if you are going to have a rump or a porterhouse, make sure you place the strip of fat at the top, so as it cooks the fat will melt and drip through the steak, adding extra flavour to your meat.

The process of actually cooking your steak is quite simple, but there are a few key things you need to know to get the best result. Firstly, the advantage of using the chargrill means you can have nice cross-markings on your steak when it's finished, which looks fantastic for presentation. To achieve this, your steak will need to be turned three times, the first time straight over itself, then on the second turn spin it around 90 degrees so the lines from the grill will cross over each other and make little brown squares all over the steak, and then the third and final turn will be straight over itself again. When you're finished the steak should have cross-markings on both sides, and you can choose whichever side looks best to serve facing up.

What you should find if you have got the grill positioning right for your preferred doneness, 3-4 minutes in between each turn should have your steak turn out just the way you like it! (If you are cooking your steak bleu, you only need to cook it for 3 minutes on each side in total, just enough to seal each side basically).

This is just a guide to work by only, as each grill will produce slightly different results, but definitely the most important stage of cooking your steak is knowing when it is at the exact doneness you would like. This can sometimes be a little tricky, but there are a couple of methods for testing your steak without needing to cut into it. The best method to use when you're just starting to learn would be what I call the "thumb test". Hold your left hand out open and relaxed, and press the flesh of your left thumb with your right index finger. It should feel quite soft, and this is how a rare steak should feel when you press it with your finger.
Now lightly touch your left thumb to your left index finger, and press the flesh of your thumb with your right index finger. This is how a medium-rare steak should feel when it's ready. Next, lightly touch your left thumb to your left middle finger, and pressing the flesh of your left thumb will feel like a medium steak when it's ready.

Touching your left thumb to your left ring finger will make the flesh of your left thumb feel like a medium-well steak, and touching the left thumb to your left little finger will make the flesh of your thumb feel like a well-done steak. Try this out as a guide to get you started, and as with all things, practice and experience will help you hone your ability and instincts to know just when your steak is cooked to perfection! And just as importantly, make sure you get feedback from every person that you cook a steak for, this will make your progress go much faster. As they say, "feedback is the breakfast of champions!"

Another method to use, which can be a little bit sneaky, is if you can see into the middle of the steak at the edges to see what colour the middle looks like. This works really well for a scotch fillet, as you can gently pull away part of the meat right where the C-shaped piece of fat is without damaging your steak, and see if the inside is red, pink or grey.

Now I will explain to you each doneness, so you can work out how you would like to cook it and so you know what to look for when it is finished.
I will start with bleu, which is basically just sealed, is still very red in the middle, quite mushy to the touch, and will feel a little cool inside, only slightly warmed.

Rare is red in the middle from edge to edge, a little mushy, and will just feel warm inside. Medium-rare is red in the middle and pink at the edges, and will feel warm inside. Medium is pink in the middle from edge to edge, feels tender to the touch, and will be warm to hot inside. Medium-well still has a quarter in the middle that is pink, and will be grey at the edges, feels quite firm and is hot inside. If you plan to cook your steak medium-well or above, I would suggest you could speed up the cooking time by using a steak weight to place on top of your steak. It should be shiny silver and kept clean, and what will happen is the heat coming up from the flames below will be reflected down on to the top of the steak so it cooks on both sides. Make sure if you use a steak weight that you only place it on your steak after sealing one side so there is no chance of cross-contamination.

Well-done steaks are grey throughout, no pink at all, quite firm, although can still be juicy, and is very hot inside. Very well-done steaks are grey throughout with no pink at all, very firm, very hot, and no juices whatsoever. You can also get your steak cooked Pittsburgh, which basically means charring the outside so it is burnt while the inside doesn't need to be completely cooked. For example, if you want to have your steak Pittsburgh-Rare, you could char the outside, and the inside would be red in the middle from edge to edge. To do this you will need some oil or butter, I personally use lemon butter just for the flavouring, and drizzle some over the steak until it drips onto the flames underneath. Your goal here is to build the flames up so they are licking at the steak and will cook the outside much faster than the inside.

CAUTION! Be very mindful of how much butter you use, make sure you have fire safety equipment, and if necessary that you have adult supervision. Do not do this if you do not feel comfortable working with large flames, it can be very dangerous if something nearby catches fire, so please be very careful if this is how you would like to have your steak cooked.
Everybody has different preferences when it comes to their beef, but I would urge you to try each different way so you can work out for yourself what's best for you. Many people fear the sight of blood coming out of their steak, if you can work up the courage to try something new for yourself, who know, you might find you really like it! I personally eat my steaks medium-rare, and would like to take this opportunity to mention that once your steak starts getting to medium-well and above, you really lose a lot of the nutritional benefits of eating beef, so I would recommend not cooking your steak any more than medium, but obviously that is a choice that is entirely up to you.

Now all that's left to do is to serve up your perfectly cooked steak, there are many choices of sides and sauces, far too many to list here. I always love it with a creamy mashed potato and seasonal steamed vegetables, and my favourite sauce is mushroom sauce. If you have the time the best sauce is made using beef bones, cooked off with a little tomato paste, then make a stock by boiling the bones in water with some celery, carrots, onion, leeks, bay leaves and peppercorns. Simmer it for a couple of hours until it reduces about three-quarters, and then remove the bones and vegetables. Add some red wine and port, and reduce it down to about half of where it is now, until it starts to thicken with a nice consistency. From here you can add some sliced mushrooms, or peppercorns if you prefer, and even add a little cream if you like as well. This is very time consuming to make the jus (rich beef gravy), but if you can do it you will find it well worthwhile. One other little tip I have for you is to brush a small amount of lemon butter over your steak before saucing it, this will keep your steak very juicy and tender.

I hope you enjoy cooking and eating many steaks in the future, and make sure you go out and impress your friends with your newfound cooking skills!

How To Cook The Best Steak In The World

Mick Reade is a chef from Australia who has been cooking in commercial kitchens across the country for over 10 years, and has been helping teach others how easy it can be to cook great tasting and healthy meals, for more information please visit http://www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

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Sunday, February 12, 2012 0 comments

Traditional Food in Colombia - Know Some Facts

Colombia has a privileged location in South America, with part of its coast to the cool Pacific Ocean and part in the Caribbean with its warmer waters. Part of the country has mountains, other part has valleys. Therefore they can grow all kinds of fruits, vegetables and have all kinds of seafood. 

Through its history, Colombia has received influence of the Peruvian and Brazilian cuisine's tradition, but also from the Japanese and Arabic way of cooking. To this add their own cultural heritage, as the Amerindians also raised different species of animals, with which they could make delicious dishes. And to this variety we also must add the Spanish tradition.

Chinese Cooking

We could say that the Colombian cuisine uses different meats, fishes, plenty of vegetables and lots and lots of exotic and delicious fruits.   Also their delicacies depend on the regions, as food is different in the mountain regions than what is on the coastal regions. Its food is always, anyway, very tasty, with natural flavors, and not too spicy. Colombians also love soups, which are practically a must in each dinner or lunch. But the most important fact is that they love their food done with fresh ingredients, and fresh fruits.

In Colombia people have usually three meals a day. First one, breakfast, before to going to work. The most important meal is lunch. It is a meal consisting of three courses, soup, main dish and a drink, and dessert or fruit. Dinner is very light, taken around 9:30 PM. 

What is more fascinating about Colombia is that all changes according to the region where one is. If in the jungle, or in the coast, or in the valley, people have their own way of dressing, have their different food preferences, their favorite drinks. And this is what makes it such a rich country and so very interesting.

But in all these regions there are some things in common too. They take it very seriously what their food is, the recipes they use and the different techniques are they same as centuries ago, giving them a sense of nationalism, reinforcing the feeling of being all from the same country. Their typical meals are full of tradition and history and they won't change that.

If we were to name some of the traditional dishes or food of Colombia, we could choose the arepa, the sancocho, the fritanga. Also lots of chicken, beef, fish corn, onions tomatoes, potatoes, rice and several different legumes.

To all this we should add a wonderful cup of coffee, the best in the world!

Traditional Food in Colombia - Know Some Facts

The food of South America is full of interesting flavors and recipes, learn more about them visiting http://www.foodofsouthamerica.com

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Saturday, February 11, 2012 0 comments

Cooking Roast Beef - How to Cook Beef to Perfection

So many people worry needlessly about how to cook roast beef, but cooking beef is not difficult and the concerns are groundless. More important is the quality of the joint of beef to be roasted. Ideally the beef wants to have been well hung and be nicely marbled with fat. This is where the flavor comes from and beef which is too lean will lack the depth of flavor, and meat that has not been hung for at least fourteen days will be tough to eat.

Beef Cooking Time

How To Cook

The first thing to do is mix together some plain flour with a teaspoon of mustard powder and some black pepper. Rub this liberally over the whole joint. Do not add salt as this will attempt to draw moisture out of the joint. Now place the joint on a roasting rack and into a very hot oven (475 degrees F / 245 degrees C) for twenty minutes. This high temperature will seal the meat and stop too much of the meat juices leaking during the cooking process.

After 20 minutes turn the oven temperature down to 375F (190C) and roast the meat for a further fifteen minutes for each pound weight. This will result in a joint which is rare and quite bloody and utterly delicious. If on the other hand you and your family prefer roast beef which is less bloody and is medium rare, cook the roast beef for a further 15 minutes at the same temperature. For clarification this is NOT an extra 15 minutes per pound, but a one-off extra fifteen minutes in the oven! If you like your roast beef well done then cook the meat for an extra 30 minutes instead.

How ever you like your meat, one thing is common to all types of cooking - and that is that the roasted beef must be left to rest before it is carved. Ideally it should be left to rest for half an hour, and the best way to do this is to remove it from the oven, place it on a warm plate with a piece of foil over the top of it and then pile teal towels or newspaper on top of the foil. This will act as insulation and stop the meat from going cold. As the meat rests it becomes firmer for carving and some of the juices will run from it. These should be added to the gravy before serving.

In this 30-minute period you can finish off the vegetables and the gravy and then bring everything to the table at the same time. If you follow these instructions to the letter you will have roast beef which is perfect every time you cook it. When eaten with horseradish sauce and Yorkshire pudding it is simply delicious.

In Summary - How To Cook Roast Beef

Just remember that when you set out to cook roast beef, the most important thing to know is how much the joint weighs. The next thing is to decide whether you want your roast to be rare, medium rare, or well done. Once you have that information, it is a straightforward matter of following the rules for the beef cooking time.

Take your beef cook it well and your family or dinner party guests will love you for ever.

Cooking Roast Beef - How to Cook Beef to Perfection

All you ever wanted to know about cooking roast beef [http://www.cooking-free-recipe.com/ebook.html] or anything else can be found here

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Friday, February 10, 2012 0 comments

How to Cook Barbeque Ribs

Nothing says barbeque quite like a rack of ribs covered in finger licking good barbeque sauce. If prepared correctly there is nothing better than bbq ribs. But for many people barbequing ribs can be difficult because they need to be slow cooked to bring out the flavor and taste. Slow cooking ribs on a grill is an art form that can be hard to duplicate if you don't have the patience or know how to do it right. But never fear there are ways to take the guess work out of how to cook barbeque ribs.

First off let's look at the different types of ribs you can barbeque.

How To Cook

o Pork Baby Back Ribs - Probably the most well known and easiest to cook. They are tender and can be cooked quickly on the grill.

o Pork Spare Ribs - These are bigger than baby back ribs and take quite a bit longer to cook.

o Beef Ribs - The largest of all ribs they take a considerable amount of time to cook, particularly if you want them to be tender as they are tougher than pork ribs. It is best to braise them before grilling

o Beef Short Ribs - Also need to be slow cooked to bring out the tenderness. Much like beef ribs.

The problem most people have when it comes to barbequing ribs is either overcooking them, which leads to dry and tough ribs, or not cooking them long enough which can be a potential health hazard. One would guess that that is why most of the time they get overcooked.

There are ways around this problem. You can pre-cook your ribs either by boiling, steaming or slow cooking them in the oven before you put them on the grill. Make sure you pre-season your ribs before using these methods as this will help bring out the flavor in your ribs. Many people boil or steam their ribs with beer which not only adds flavor but also tenderizes the meat making it fall off the bone. You can pre-cook your ribs from anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on which method you are using.

Once they have been pre-cooked just throw them on the grill for 5-10 minutes a side and brush on your favorite barbeque sauce. Before you know it you will have perfectly grilled ribs that are ready to eat.

How to Cook Barbeque Ribs

Andrew Bicknell is a barbeque afficianado with a website about barbequing. For more tips and trick about how to cook barbeque ribs visit his web site Backyard Barbeque.

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012 0 comments

How To Throw The Best Italian Dinner Party Ever

You walk into an Italian Restaurant - the whole experience is just wonderful - the smells, the atmosphere and hopefully when your order is delivered - the food. The background noise is all a part of the experience - it's often at a higher frequency than most restaurants but it's all part of the fun.

Why not take this same experience back to your own home and create a more intimate and less busy Italian dinner party? A dinner where people can enjoy a more leisurely dining experience within the comfort of your own home. A night where you can share your favorite Italian recipes with people who are important to you - or maybe even try out some new recipes?

Italian Cooking

Italian food never seems to lose its popularity. There's often a feeling of comfort and contentment attached to Italian food and the flavors are simply sensational. So, just how do you host a great Italian dinner party then?

1. Planning - In your planning, consider who you will invite and check the foods that they don't like or can't tolerate and set the date and time well in advance.

2. Invitations - Will you just invite your friends by sending them an email or can you do something a bit more creative with your invitation? You could attach a note to something very Italian. I saw a suggestion of sending the invitation attached to a small packet of biscotti or you could incorporate the colors of the Italian flag as the background (three vertical columns - green on the left, white in the middle and red on the left) on your invite.

3. Atmosphere - Do you want red and white checkered table cloths with chianti bottles as candle holders with wax dripping down the sides - just to give it that really authentic look? Or a plain white, red or green table cloth?

Try to get hold of some background Italian music like some opera for example. Some of Italy's best singers generally have included Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Mina and Claudio Villa.

4. Food - since Italians are renowned for taking great pleasure in their food, wine and the company of their friends dinners can often go on for hours. Italians see meals as a time to spend with family and friends instead of to gain immediate sustenance.

The number of courses served can range from three to six courses (called portate) or sometimes more courses!

You'll no doubt have some lovely smells permeating into the house before your guests arrive - you could also slowly bake some garlic bread in the oven so the smell is wafting through the house as your guests arrive. This will really let your guests know they've come to the right place!

You could start with antipasto which literally means "before the meal". This is also the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal.

Rather than hors devours offered on trays that guests enjoy before they are seated at the dinner table, antipasto is served at the table and signifies the beginning of your Italian meal together. An antipasto plate is usually placed at the center of the table. The antipasto dish doesn't even getting numbered as one of the courses.. it's just a given.

Diners are given small plates on which to place their choices. Traditional choices can include cured meats (prosciuito, mortadella, smoked ham and salami), marinated vegetables, olives, peperoni (marinated small peppers - not the meat called peperoni) along with an assortment of cheeses (like provolone, bocconicini and mozzarella).

The first course primo piatto (also referred to as simply primo) or minestra may consist of soup (minestroni perhaps?), pasta, gnocci, risotto or polenta - this should only be a small portion like a cup or so. This is a dish rich in carbohydrates.

The second or main course is called secondo piatto or piatto di mezzo which usually consists or fish or meat. Traditionally veal, pork and chicken are the most commonly used meat, at least in the North.
The side dish is called contorno and may consist of a salad or cooked vegetables. A traditional menu features salad along with the main course.

The first dessert which consists of cheese and fruit is called Formaggio and frutta - the cheese and fruit is usually served together.

Then it's onto Dolce - dessert such as cakes or cookies.

You should also serve coffee/espresso known as Caffè.

Finally, Digestivo or "digestives" which are liquors/liqueurs like grappa, amaro or limoncello - sometimes referred to as "coffee killer" or ammazzacaffe.

All these dishes sound great and I imagine when people see the number of courses it may seem a bit daunting but you only need serve as many courses as you choose. I have discovered a great website hosting 3000 free recipes from around the world. Under Italian, I noticed they offered 217 recipes so I'm sure you can find all you need there.

How To Throw The Best Italian Dinner Party Ever

I've got a link to the webiste in my blog (no connection to me but a great resource). It's under the category recipes. http://www.dinnerpartyideas.blogspot.com/

Good luck with your Italian dinner party - Ciao!

I love good food and good wine and I love to socialize. Dinner parties give me the opportunity to indulge both my passions. I love dinner parties so much that I host a blog which provides ideas for your next dinner party.
They provide such a great way to catch up with the important people in your life.

People love to be invited to dinner parties because they can enjoy an excellent event of great food and company and all it costs usually is a bottle of wine - and maybe a taxi fare home. But it's not about the money - it's just great to be spoiled by your hosts.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 0 comments

How To Cook Shrimp

When you want to cook shrimp but have never done it before you will need to know how to cook shrimp. There are many ways that you can use when cooking shrimp. The way that you choose will depend on the way that you like to do it. You can find out very easily how to cook shrimp when you look on the internet or buy a cookbook about shrimp. However, here is how to cook shrimp to help you get started.

One thing before you learn how to cook shrimp is that you want to buy shrimp that is frozen with their shells still on if you can. You don't have to but the shells will help to protect the meat of the shrimp and add more flavor to it. You can either cook the shrimp with their shells off or leave the shells on and then remove them after you have cooked them.

How To Cook

I am going to tell you how to cook a pound of shrimp so if you want to cook less or more than a pound you will have to find out how. It will be pretty much the same for all batches of shrimp, you will just have to use more or less of everything to cook it.

For a pound of shrimp you will want to bring two quarts of water to a boil. You will then want to salt the water lightly. If you prefer you can add lemon juice to the water, this is optional though so do it however you prefer.

Once the water is at a boil you will want to shut off the heat that is under the water. You then add the shrimp to the water all at once. Once in the water you want to let them steep for about 3 to 5 minutes. Shrimp are better when you cook them gently.

You will want to check to see if the shrimp is done by cutting one in half. If the flesh is opaque throughout then the shrimp is done. When they are done you will want to get them out of the water immediately. If you cooked them with the shell on then you will want to now take the shell off.
Here are a few other ways that you can use when cooking shrimp. You can quickly boil or poach them, which is the most common method, put them in a skillet with butter or oil, in a fryer, on a barbecue grill, a steamer, or in a hot oven.

When you learn how to cook shrimp you may want to learn about how to do it a couple of different ways until you find the way that you like the best. Shrimp is good no matter what way you do it if you don't overcook it. Learn what you can before you start cooking shrimp so you don't ruin the shrimp since it is expensive to buy.

How To Cook Shrimp

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Sunday, February 5, 2012 0 comments

Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes Books Online

Delicious food is always makes your mouth watering and why not? Different types of food are always liked but how to find different recipes. Here is the solution brings by Homeshop18 - an online shopping portal that gives you best of food recipe books online. Sanjeev Kaoor the well Known Chef in India has launched books for all type of cuisines. Homeshop18 is the platform where you can get Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes. Go on the Book section and select the choice of your. I have below mentioned some recipe book features.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cooking - This set contains the following books:
1. Sanjeev Kapoor's Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook
2. Sanjeev Kapoor's Soups, Salads & Sandwiches Cookbook
3. Sanjeev Kapoor's No Oil Vegetarian Cookbook
4. Sanjeev Kapoor's Vegetarian Breakfast Cookbook

Chinese Cooking

Contents of Each Book:
o Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook: A range of nourishing soups, salads, vegetable dishes, accompaniments and lip-smacking desserts
o Soups, Salads & Sandwiches: This exotic collection makes a healthy substitute for the daily dal-rice routine
o No Oil Vegetarian cook book: A delicious array of dishes all cooked without a drop of visible oil - a must in today's fast-paced world
o Vegetarian Breakfast: A delightful collection of vegetarian breakfast recipes to give you that perfect start to a busy day

Chinese cooking Set - This set contains the following books:
1. Sanjeev Kapoor's Best Of Chinese Cooking Cookbook
2. Sanjeev Kapoor's Salads Cookbook
3. Sanjeev Kapoor's Thai Cooking Cookbook
4. Sanjeev Kapoor's Non Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World Cookbook
Contents of Each Book:
o Best Of Chinese Cooking: A treasure house of delicious Chinese recipes to be cooked and enjoyed with family and friends
o Salads: An irresistible collection of crunchy and delicious salads from around the world
o Thai Cooking: Explore one of the most celebrated cuisines and savour its flavourful and easy to make dishes
o Non Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World: These delicious non-vegetarian recipes have been collected from all around the world.

Many other Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes books includes Indian cooking, cakes and bakes, entertainment cooking and many more.

Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes Books Online

For more information on Childern Books and Management Books please visit at homeshop18.com

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Saturday, February 4, 2012 0 comments

Thailand trip - 10 arresting Facts About Thailand

It's in fact the mesmeric land of Thais that attracts more visitants than any other country in the Southeast Asia. Thailand is the country known for beguiling scenic beauty, astonishing beaches, impressing culture, commendable hospitality, fantastic temples, ruins & souvenirs of fantastic aged kingdoms, gastronomic riches, and lovely, smiling, and welcoming people.

Thailand in fact the destination that appeals you, bewitches you, captivates you, enthralls you....! It's the place that makes you visit it again and again. It's the vacation destination that you dream of. Surely, you can find oodles of entertaining things in Thailand, but here are the 10 most entertaining facts about Thailand.

Thai Cooking

It is often nicknamed as the "Land Of Smiles," because of the perceived gentleness of its people. The country is in fact populated by smiling, inviting, and receiving people. Thais are in fact gentle, polite, soft spoken, friendly, and hospitable human beings.

Siam was the old name of Thailand. It was the legal name of the country until 1949, when it was changed to Thailand by legal proclamation. 'Thai' in the Thai language means 'freedom'. So, Thailand means "land of freedom" or "land of the free".

The Mon ruled over what is now known as Thailand. The area was also held by Khmer. The Mon Empire was a great Buddhist empire, and the empire had trading relations with Indians for centuries.

Thailand retains much of its original culture, because it is the only Southeast Asian nation that has never been colonized. Thai culture is kin to the Cambodian culture & religion, which was adopted by Thais in the 13th century, after the fall of the Khmer Kingdom.

King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, established Bangkok as the capital in 1782. Bhumibol Adulyadej, the current King of Thailand, is also a Chakri Dynasty ruler. He is also known as Rama Ix. He is the longest serving monarch in the Thai history.

95% of the Thai people are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition. 4.6% of the people are Muslims. Malays are in general concentrated on the southern tip of Thailand. 0.75% of the people are Christians, in general Catholics. Sikhs & Hindus are tiny, but influential. The nation also has a small Jewish community.

Thailand is also known as the "Land of white Elephant." White elephants were extremely esteemed and valued by the Thai Rulers. Elephants are still extremely revered in Thailand. They are determined as the emblem of peace and prosperity.

Thais do not like person touching them on head. They believe that soul, which is determined extremely sacred, resides in head. So, don't ever touch a Thai on the head, not even a Thai child.

Thailand is the 49th country area wise, with its total land area of 514,000 km² (198,000 sq mi). It is comparable to the size of France, and it is somewhat larger than the California State of the United States.

Thailand has 5 Unesco World patrimony Sites, which contain Ban Chiang Archaeological Site near Udon Thani, Dong Phayayen - Khao Yai Forest Complex, Historic City of Ayutthaya & connected Historic Towns, Historic Town of Sukhothai & connected Historic Towns - including Kampang Phet and Si Satchanalai, and Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Thailand trip - 10 arresting Facts About Thailand

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Friday, February 3, 2012 0 comments

Singapore Famous Food Recipes

Singapore is a melting pot bubbling over with tourists, inhabitants and expatriates from all parts of the world, and these people naturally have diverse eating habits. Through the ages, the Chinese, Malay, Indians and the foreigners (westerners) have cast their influence on Singapore's food recipes and there is no doubt that Singapore is a food lovers' paradise.

Singaporeans love to eat out and there is a feast of multicultural cuisine waiting for them in restaurants and especially in hawker centers and food courts. Here is a list of the major types of foods you can feast on in Singapore:

Chinese Cooking

1. Malaysian Food: Malaysian food, also known as Malay food, is a popular in Singapore simply because Malaysia is Singapore's neighbor and there are a whole lot of Malaysians living there; Spicy Malaysian gravies are laced with belachan, which is made from baby shrimps and the Malaysian desserts are usually based on coconut milk, palm sugar and freshly grated coconut. Then, of course, there are the rice and noodles too, which any Malaysian cannot live without. All these go to make an exotic eating experience. Some Malaysian food you must try out in Singapore: Laksa (coconut-based gravies) and Satay (grilled and skewered meat).

2. Chinese Food: The Chinese have been in Singapore since the last seven centuries and their influence on Singapore's food recipes is authoritative. Chinese food can be subtle and neutral (Cantonese), or it can be fiery (Szechuan). Rice is a staple food in any Chinese dish and you can try out the following dishes to get a flavor of the Chinese influence: Shark fin soup, spring rolls (Cantonese - subtle taste); Fried Hokkien Mee (vermicelli, noodles, chili gravy, garlic, prawns, pork and everything else); and, Teochew food such as steamed fish and braised duck.

3. Indian Food: South Indians (mostly Tamilians) migrated to Singapore in the 1940s and their influence on Singaporean cuisine is undeniable. In fact there is an area in Singapore (around Serangoon Road), which is know as Little India. You must try out the south Indian Dosas, Idlis, Vadas that are served with spicy gravy and chutneys as well as the north Indian Tandoori Chicken (chicken smothered with a spicy paste and cooked in a clay oven).

4. Nyonya Food: Nyonyas are half-Malay, half-Chinese people who cook very hot and spicy food loaded with ginger and turmeric. Their recipes are creative and the cooking methods are elaborate. Some of the famous Nyonya dishes you must savor are: Enche kabin (small chicken pieces marinated in soy and oyster sauce) and Chicken Kapitan (chicken curry made using tamarind juice, candlenut, fresh turmeric root and belachan (shrimp paste)).

These apart, Singapore also offers western cuisine comprising of American, British, and Italian dishes. There are fast food centers, food courts, hawker centers, restaurants and you-name-it. As we said earlier, Singapore's food recipes cater to all kinds of food lovers. Bon Appetit.

Singapore Famous Food Recipes

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 0 comments

How to Cook Cornish Hens

My family loves it when I cook Cornish hens for them. Because of their diminutive size compared to other chickens, the kids think they’re cute. We all find the taste to be a grade above most other kinds of chicken, too.

What most people in the United States know as a Cornish hen is really a cross-breed of poultry created from Cornish chickens and White Rock chickens. Technically, then, it should be called a Rock Cornish hen (or, to draw the name out even further, a Rock Cornish game hen).

How To Cook

The Rock Cornish hens found in your supermarket usually will be of a size to provide about 1 serving of meat per person. Obviously, this makes it a cinch to determine how many to buy. Serving four? Purchase four hens. Cooking for a church picnic of a hundred folks? You’ll need a hundred of these little birds (plus a few to cover the people who will insist on seconds). And so on.

Rock Cornish hens are best when oven-roasted. Roasting time varies, depending on the size and number of birds. A minimum time is 20 minutes, but most will require between 25 and 35 minutes and some will need 40 or 45 minutes. A good sign the hen is done is when you can stick a sharp knife or fork tine into it and the juices from it run clear.

You can roast Rock Cornish hens as they come straight from the butcher or supermarket, but it’s better to rub them with herbs and spices first. Try thyme or rosemary along with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Some cooks like to baste their hens with melted butter—this will help to brown it and will also add extra flavor. As the hen cooks, juices will collect in the oven pan. From time to time, just scoop up these juices and pour them over the bird to keep it from drying it.

How to Cook Cornish Hens

Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah's article where she reveals her source for the most mouth-watering secret restaurant recipes in America: http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012 0 comments

Italian Herbs

Anyone that has cooked in a kitchen that even somewhat resembles an Italian kitchen can easily tell you just how important the Italian herbs section of the kitchen really is. This area that seems to be well away from everything else is either a small ledge garden, or a section of the kitchen where it is cool and convenient to store these herbs. These herbs along with spices are what make a good dish great, and without these ingredients you can bet that your recipe will simply fall flat. Knowing how to keep fresh herbs is actually key to a successful kitchen, and if you know what you are doing you can have herbs to last quite a few recipes with one shopping trip.

Cost Versus Replacement

Italian Cooking

One of the first things you will notice about Italian herbs is just how expensive they really are. You can actually spend a great deal of your shopping budget on herbs, if you are not paying attention to what you are doing. While the dried herbs will do the job if need be, you can be sure that no right minded Italian is going to want to resort to that measure. Fresh is where it is at, and you need to be able to keep the herbs you do buy for a while before they go bad and cannot be used anymore. Keeping the herbs fresh is very important, if you want to keep cost down while shopping for your foods at the market.

How To Store Fresh Herbs

When you are planning to store fresh Italian herbs, you are going to want to follow a few basic rules. These rules will help you keep the herb stash that you have longer5, than if you elect to just leave it laying around to dry out. If you are going to do this, it may just make sense to buy the dried herbs to begin with. First you will want to wash the herbs in cold water, and in doing so you will also want to remove any stems that appear limp or dead. It is also a good idea to snip the ends of the herbs, and this will help in the packing process. You will want to place the herbs in a container of water, but you will want to be sure that you do not completely submerge the herbs in the water you have in the container. After the herbs are in the container, it is time to cover the herbs with some form of plastic like a bag or wrap keeping it loose. When in the fridge, you will want to periodically check the water the herbs are in, if it appears murky you will want to change this water for fresh water. This will allow you to extend the life of your herbs by at least a week in this manner.

All But Basil

It is important to note that all Italian herbs can be stored this way except basil. This herb should be left out of not only water and plastic, but also refrigeration as well. This is one of the exceptions to the rule that the crisp fresh herbs are best.

Italian Herbs

Anna Fiori writes food related articles for the Italian Traditional Food website at www.italiantraditionalfood.com

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