February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
I not only inherited my ways with food from the women in my past. My father was an accomplished chef. He was head chef on the salt water for a few years, but preferred to sail the great lakes. When his boat would come to port for supplies I was invited by the Captain to spend a day on the boat with my father. The time I spent on that boat were extremely interesting to me. I watched as my father ordered enough food to feed 200+ men 3-times a day for a period of a month or more. He made his own menu and had it posted on the mess hall board. Working on an ore boat was not the easiest job in the world, but the crew ate like royalty.
I spent my time on the boat watching my father cook. Every surface in that galley was stainless steel. He kept it spotless as was his chef uniform. He was, no doubt, the master of that domain.
The one thing that impressed me was the huge stockpot kept simmering on the eight burner stove. My father would toss scraps from the preparation of food into it. Things such as celery tops, carrot tops, onion skins, potato skins and either beef trimmings or chicken parts. Nothing was wasted. The stock pot was simmered all day. At the end of each day he would strain the liquid and refrigerate it. The stock was used the next day for making soup, gravy, or to flavor the many dishes he would create. He would start a fresh pot each morning.
Stock is available in most supermarkets, but I prefer to make my own. I do not keep a pot all day on my stove. Instead, if I want chicken stock I will put chicken wings, onion including the skin, celery, carrots, tops and all, and whole garlic with just the top cut off on a baking sheet. I place it in the oven and roast everything until it has a brown color. Then I put everything in my stockpot, cover with water and let it simmer for about 2-hours. I strain the liquid and it is ready to use for whatever dish I want. Sometimes I will freeze the stock or put it jars and in the pressure cooker for 75-minutes @ 10-pounds. It keeps well either way.
I am reminded of my father whenever I go to my website http://www.pothaven.com The little chef character is wearing my father’s outfit.
Author: Bonita Anderson
Keywords: stockpot, ore boat, cook, chef, kitchen, galley, oven, stove, vegetables, meat, great lakes
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
safety tips,
re,
Chen,
F,
fresh,
Uncategorized,
carrot,
TIPS,
eat,
brown,
pot,
c,
jars,
kitchen,
stockpot,
cl,
oven,
carrots,
tip,
things,
menu,
potato,
salt,
burn,
made,
r,
safety,
dishes,
stove,
history,
Coo,
freeze,
supplies,
flavor,
garlic,
roast,
baking sheet,
vegetables,
chicken,
galley,
ore boat,
chicke,
n,
safe,
jar,
beef,
onion,
tea,
stock,
ho
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
With the holiday seasons rapidly approaching, people everywhere are already starting to stress out over what to make for the holiday dinner. What to make, who doesnt eat what, what should the table setting look like, what wines to serve with the meals. Well I am here to tell you that most of that stress really isnt warranted. The truth about the whole cooking for the holidays shouldnt really be about the actual cooking!! Thats right. The holidays are really about FAMILY. So dont worry about most of the other things, and focus on the fun of having the family getting together will make the whole cooking experience that much easier.
With all the places to get recipes these days, (www.cookingforeveryone.com) (www.foodtv.com) etc, the hardest part of planning is what recipes to follow. Making the holiday meals have never been easier. So fire up that computer and start surfing the web for some really good recipes.
Most of the web sites will put together a whole meal plan for you to follow. Turkey, stuffing, cornbread, vegetables, dressings, salads, deserts, and yes wines. So dont be afraid to explore. Mix and match from other sites also.
So just remember that the cooking for the holidays is easier than you think. Just relax and pick up a few recipes or family favorites and go for it. The holidays are a great time for the whole family to come together to celebrate a holiday or two.
Just remember that the next time your house is picked to host the next holiday meal, just go with the flow. There is a lot of help out there when it comes to cooking. Dont be afraid to host.
Author: Rich Reese
Keywords: Cooking,holidays cooking, wines
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
TIPS,
vegetable,
F,
safety,
bread,
wine,
family,
salad,
recipe,
hard,
re,
recipes,
mix,
history,
cornbread,
Coo,
dinner,
turkey,
stuff,
c,
desert,
stress,
dressing,
help,
holidays,
COOKING,
eat,
meals,
meal,
food,
time,
things,
n,
vegetables,
tip,
House,
lid,
safe,
r,
corn,
planning,
you,
Uncategorized,
fun,
brea,
fire,
rv,
le,
safety tips,
wines
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
I am a firm believer in organic food. Anything that is made or preserved without chemicals tastes much better than something that contains ingredients that a person can not pronounce. If I can not pronounce it I will not eat it.
There are dozens of different pickles in supermarkets today. I think I have tried every mass produced brand there is. They all look delicious in the jars. If they tasted half as good as they looked it might be okay. Some are too sour while others are nothing but salt. I have even tried those pickle mixes that say the pickles are ready to eat a few days after making. I will never use those mixes again. All I could taste when I tried making pickles with them was formaldehyde. I thought I was back in biology class dissecting frogs again.
Needless to say, I make my own pickles. I like bread and butter pickles, beet pickles, pickled peppers and dill. Pickles are usually processed in a water bath for ten minutes after packing in jars. All that is needed for a good tasting pickle are the right ingredients. Firm cucumbers are a must. I always try to get them in jars within one hour of picking. Letting the cucumbers sit for a long time will result in a soft product. Only use kosher canning salt. Iodized salt will not give a good result. Good quality water is also important.
My favorite pickle is not processed in a water bath. It is fermented much like sauerkraut. I make them in gallon jars. I prefer 2-3-inch size cucumbers for this pickle. First I scrub them with a vegetable brush, making sure they are free of dirt. Next I place them in a non-metal container and cover them with a brine made of 1-1/2 cups of salt and 4 quarts of water. Let them sit over night in the brine. In the meantime make a brine of 10-quarts water, 1-quart vinegar and 2-cups salt. Boil for 10-minutes. Let this brine stand over night.
The next morning I drain the cucumbers and rinse with clear water. I sterilize my jars. Then I add a few peeled cloves of garlic to the bottom of the jar. Next I add a whole head of dill weed, stalk and all. I start packing the cucumbers tightly, adding more dill between layers of cucumbers. When the gallon jar is filled to about 2-inches from the top I pour the cold brine over the cucumbers, making sure they are completely covered with brine. I put the sterile cover on and tighten well.
These will ferment in the jar for a week or more, depending on the temperature of the room. I let them sit on my counter. When they start fermenting they will get cloudy and look like something to be discarded. Just be patient, do not panic. When the fermentation process is done the pickles will clear up. At that time I move them to a cool place and leave them alone for at least 5-6 weeks. If you open them up too soon they will not be translucent, meaning they have not ripened long enough.
I make these pickles in August and usually open the jar for Thanksgiving day. After opening I keep them in the refrigerator. My family looks forward to that special pickle jar every year. They know that good things are worth waiting for. They will not eat store bought pickles.
Look for more food tips at http://www.pothaven.com
Author: Bonita Anderson
Keywords: pickle, cucumber, vinegar, dill, salt, garlic, kettle, jar, lid, ferment, brine
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
love,
c,
TIPS,
eat,
family,
food tips,
le,
vinegar,
peppers,
delicious,
safety tips,
cl,
know,
Organic Food,
butter,
ho,
kettle,
things,
vegetable,
produce,
r,
quality,
Coo,
safety,
pan,
temperature,
made,
ingredient,
cold,
n,
you,
oil,
salt,
rub,
dill,
water,
kosher,
process,
temp,
pickle,
pickles,
AGA,
re,
garlic,
mix,
F,
time,
mixes,
pack,
brea
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
Growing a vegetable garden has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. It was an essential part of survival for my ancestors. How well we ate during the winter months depended on how much the garden produced. Root vegetables were generally stored in the root cellar. Years ago every family had one. The vegetables that did not keep well were processed in glass jars. Tomatoes fit that category.
The year was 1976, I had spent much of the winter planning what I would plant in my garden. Some things I started from seed in the house. Tomatoes were a priority as I used them frequently. I would start more plants from seed than I was going to need as quite a few would die before it was time to put them in the garden. I usually liked to plant 2-dozen plants, so I started 50 from seed. I expected at least half would not make it to the garden so I could be assured of 24 tomato plants.
Six weeks went by and I had only lost 5 plants, but I was certain a lot more would die off. No such luck. I had 45 healthy, strong tomato plants. I managed to give some away so I only planted 36. For reasons unknown the garden did exceptionally well that year, especially the tomatoes. I canned plain tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, salsa, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and tomato juice. I even made tomato jam for myself. There was no end to those tomatoes. For many weeks I picked almost a bushel a day. I was running out of things to do with tomatoes so I decided to try tomato soup. This how I make it.
I cut up about 15-quarts of tomatoes, skin and all, a whole stalk of celery, 8 onions, a handful of parsley and a few bay leaves. I put all of those ingredients into a large enamel pot and cook it until the celery is tender. I stir it occasionally so it will not burn. When cooked I run it through a sieve or potato ricer. I then measure to see how many quarts I have. There should be 7-8-quarts. I add 3-tablespoons salt, 8-tablespoons sugar and 2-teaspoons pepper. Bring to a boil. For each quart of soup I measured, I use 2-tablespoons butter and 2-tablespoons flour for a paste. Thin it out with a little soup and add that to the pot. Bring the soup back to a boil, stirring so it does not burn. Then put it through a sieve again to remove any lumps. I pour it into my jars and process in a water bath for 15-minutes.
This soup has the store bought stuff beat by a mile. I ended up with 28-quarts that year and it did not last through the winter. It is now one of the first things I make with tomatoes.
Find more food tips at http://www.pothaven.com
Author: Bonita Anderson
Keywords: tomato, garden, salsa, soup, ketchup, jam, canning, jars, pantry, gifts, salad
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
House,
cooked,
winter,
oil,
potato,
vegetable,
tomatoes,
salsa,
butter,
plan,
TIPS,
history,
plant,
soup,
tea,
gifts,
Uncategorized,
stuff,
planning,
safety,
made,
rv,
Garden,
jam,
jars,
jar,
rice,
gift,
tip,
Coo,
onion,
know,
tender,
pepper,
F,
le,
bring,
ketchup,
salad,
onions,
ingredient,
things,
eat,
run,
ho,
pantry,
family,
health,
seed,
safety tips
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
When it comes to summer foods, most people want to look forward to it. Summer food cooking does not have to be limited to the summer months, though. Even during the fall and winter, you can get out that grill and make some great dishes that will feel good and remind you of warmer days of relaxing. Here are three ways to easily bring the memories of summer to the table.
1.Use your grill year round. It’s that simple. Your favorite ribs and your tasty steaks can be cooked on your grill during all months of the year. If you have a porch or a garage, then you can have your grill. Use caution, of course, to make sure that nothing bad happens, but there is no law that says the grill is only for cooking during the summer months. (more…)
Tags:
Coo,
hot,
olive oil,
cooked,
safe,
le,
barbecue,
summer,
ribs,
n,
fall,
peppers,
chile,
spices,
heat,
grilling,
articles,
safety,
meal,
food,
steak,
bbq,
oil,
r,
cl,
quality,
egg,
COOKING,
F,
history,
foods,
grill,
produce,
pans,
eat,
c,
spice,
ho,
winter,
onion,
summer recipes,
bring,
meals,
Uncategorized,
kitchen,
you,
safety tips,
Chen,
dishes,
re
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
It’s green. It’s leafy. It’s nutritious. Who knew it could be deadly? And spinach is not the only good food that poses risks of getting the bacteria E.coli. Prior to recent events, E.coli contamination had been found mostly in undercooked ground beef but in the past decade we have been hearing more about humans getting sick and even dying from E coli from consuming fruits and vegetables. According to the Center for Disease Control, E. Coli O157:H7 can be highly contagious with an estimated 75,000 cases and 61 deaths per year in the United States alone.
E.coli is scientifically known as Escherichia coli O157:H7. The numbers after the name specifies the type of E.coli bacterium. There are many different types of E.coli that live in healthy human and animal intestines. However, the E.coli O157:H7 strain is toxic to individuals.
E.coli O157:H7 is found in unpasteurized milk or juice, undercooked or raw meat (esp. beef), sewage-contaminated water (it can be contracted by swimming in or drinking it), and any unwashed, uncooked vegetable or fruit in which manure was used as the fertilizer (such as alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, spinach).
People infected with the bacteria will have diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps. In healthy adults that contract it, it will go away in 5 to 10 days. Antibiotic treatment may or may not be required. In young children (esp. those younger than 5 years) and the elderly, symptoms can be deadly. They get not only the diarrhea but can also get kidney failure which can lead to long-term health problems such as blindness, high blood pressure, and seizure. This kidney failure can also lead to death.
Preventing the spread of E.coli involves being diligent in cooking and cleaning. All meat (esp. beef) must be cooked thoroughly. Meat that is done has an internal temperature of 160 degrees in its thickest part. The reason why E.coli is found in beef is because cows-even healthy ones-can carry the bacteria in their intestines. When they are slaughtered and ground, E.coli can contaminate processing equipment and meat. Remember that contaminated E.coli meat looks and smells perfectly normal.
Fruits and vegetables need to be washed with soap and water. Although with some contaminated foods (like spinach), only completely cooking it will kill the bacteria. Be aware of how you handle your food at the grocery store. Raw meat sometimes leaks blood so keep unpackaged items like your fruits and vegetables in the plastic bags provided at the store. It’s also a good idea to bag them up before they take their trip down the checkout belt. Don’t forget this belt held a lot of other people’s leaky meat, too!
Don’t put cooked meat on unwashed surfaces or plates that held raw meat. After handling or containing the raw meat, it’s important to wash hands, utensils, surfaces, plates, and containers with hot soapy water.
If you or a child have diarrhea, wash your hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Cleaning the bathroom and toilet with a disinfectant after the infected person has used it is a good idea, too.
Only drink chlorinated, disinfected water. Don’t ingest swimming pool or lake water. If you or a child has diarrhea stop the chance of spreading it by not swimming at the pool or lake or sharing baths.
Only drink pasteurized milk and juices. The pasteurization process heats the liquids enough to kill the E.coli. There have been cases where raw milk caused E.coli infections. This comes about because cows can have E.coli on their udders and transfer it to the milking equipment and into the milk.
The FDA is following and enforcing measurements to keep food safe for the public. They don’t like to see companies using manure on raw consumables. Hopefully, this will bring about change in farming practices in the USA before another E coli story hits the news.
Although the government has guidelines for the safe farming and processing of foods, it is up to the consumer to be smart in food preparation, hygiene, and environmental awareness. Be sure to consume only pasteurized milk and juices, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables, especially those that grow on the ground, do not consume undercooked meat and practice safe cooking habits.
Tina Seay is the author and webmaster of http://www.LearnSomethingToday.com an excellent resource site with health articles, recipes, organizing tips and so much more. She strives to help others live a better quality of life.
Author: Tina Seay
Keywords: E.coli, E coli symptom, ecoli spinach, ecoli breakout, ecoli bacterium, ecoli outbreak, ecoli
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
clean,
know,
safe,
iron,
juice,
cleaning,
le,
fruit,
hot,
guide,
deli,
take,
c,
children,
temp,
disease,
process,
forget,
brea,
recipes,
oil,
COOKING,
hygiene,
ho,
Uncategorized,
how,
you,
spinach,
tip,
E coli symptom,
food preparation,
grocery,
e. coli,
why,
plates,
lettuce,
cook,
EPA,
drink,
organizing,
safety tips,
nutritious,
pack,
TIPS,
re,
Preparation,
Healthy,
food prep,
history,
vegetable
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
No one will argue that kids have some strong opinions, and it often seems especially so with food. Prepare a culinary masterpiece and your child may scoff that it doesnt hold a candle to macaroni and cheese. Kids can easily be your harshest culinary critics. They dread mealtimes that are more of an obligation than a time for fun, and rely on certain comfort foods which are familiar to them. Simply put, vegetables are the enemy, and kids are not going to eat that broccoli just because it’s good for them. Recipe4Living would like to offer some suggestions for easing your kids into more diverse eating habits and making meals simpler, more nutritious, and most importantly, more fun.
Things to Keep in Mind when Planning Meals for Kids
* Patience, patience, patience. Learning to eat a variety of foods is a skill that children learn with time, and sometimes its a slow process. Many children won’t accept everything you cook right away, and need time to adjust to new flavors and textures. Don’t worry, kids will eventually eat their veggies.
* As fellow editor Maxine suggests, make a family tradition out of the no thank you helping. Even if your kids are unsure about a new dish, make it standard dinner practice for them to at least try a tiny spoonful. This encourages kids to expand their tastes without forcing them to eat a full serving.
* Regularity is absolutely key in encouraging kids to eat what is served at each meal. Always offer three regular meals and around three planned snacks during the day. Since kids grow quickly, they generally need to eat more often. At meals and snacks, offer a variety of foods in differing colors and textures to get your child more used to different kinds of foods. It may take many exposures to a food before kids even try it, let alone decide that they like it, so don’t be discouraged.
* Treat children like any other member of the family. Ask for help in planning weekly meals, and better yet, let kids choose at least one meal a week. Ask for their opinion on what to make with chicken, offering several choices. Ask what they think other family members might enjoy. As many toddlers make more than evident, children like to voice their opinions. Pass the food around the table and let your child serve him or herself.
* Involve your picky-eater in the cooking. For example, your child can help stir and add ingredients to mixtures. Give him or her an apron or chef’s hat, especially one that is personally decorated with a name or handprint. Kids will feel proud to know that they have helped and will be more excited to eat what they were included in preparing.
* Bring a positive attitude to the table and to the food. Tell your child how much you enjoy the food, without pushing him or her to eat. Bring up conversational topics that will engage your child, focusing on him or her, rather than the plate and its status.
* Remember, you are not a short order cook. If your child refuses to eat what you have cooked, that is their choice. Do not prepare alternative meals or have open access to items like peanut butter, because your child needs to learn to eat what you serve.
* Since many children will often eat bread even when refusing the rest of the meal, serve plenty of bread and a starchy side, and don’t worry if that is all they eat. They will get around to the rest of the meal eventually.
Sneaking Nutrition into Your Kids’ Meals
* With vegetables, you want to make them available and eat them yourself, but don’t push too hard if your child doesn’t immediately want to eat them too. They will with time. Until then, many deep-yellow fruits, such as peaches and cantaloupe, provide similar nutrients, such as in amounts of Vitamin A, as vegetables.
* Sneaking vegetables into meals can be easier than it sounds. You can always pair a vegetable with something that you know your child already likes, or modify a vegetable slightly to encourage your child to eat it. For example, top a baked potato with homemade, mild salsa. Try adding vegetables to your kid’s favorite dishes to encourage them to eat healthier. Later, if you serve vegetables on their own, you can point out that your child already enjoyed them. Add some peas to macaroni and cheese, put small broccoli pieces on top of pizza, or stuff pita pockets with different vegetables. Here are some other ways to sneak vegetables in daily meals:
- Shred vegetables such as zucchini and carrots and add them to tomato sauces served over pasta. Try this veggie-rich but kid-friendly recipe for Spaghetti Lasagna.
- Carrots, zucchini, squash, and sweet potatoes are great in many different muffin and quick bread recipes.
- Add chopped vegetables to rice or mashed potatoes. Try this recipe for Confetti Rice.
- Sneak leftover vegetables into your child’s favorite soups.
- Include plenty of vegetables in hamburger, meat loaf, and chili recipes.
- Wrap up vegetables in a grain such as pita or bread, which is ever-popular with kids. Make a healthy burrito by spreading mashed beans on a tortilla, topping with shredded cheese, and heating in the microwave.
- If all else fails, try melting cheese over vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower before serving.
Snack Time
* Nutritious snacks can be creative and fun, and thus more appealing to kids. Here are some imaginative things to try with food that your kids will really enjoy:
- Use cookie cutters to shape a piece of bread or a meal into shapes like hearts, stars, or Christmas trees in the holiday season.
- Use carrot sticks to make the masts for mashed potato boats, or add red and yellow pepper sails.
- Put a little peanut butter on a celery stick and top it with raisins to create Ants on a Log.
- Make radish roses together. Make thin slices about 1/2 inch down the radish but not all the way through, following its contour. Repeat until you have almost the entire radish sliced. Place a couple radishes in ice water for a several hours to watch them bloom. Share the fun with your amateur gardener in enjoying edible flowers.
- Try something really crazy and have your child paint bread for a sandwich or healthy snack. Fill several paper cups with milk and a few drops of food coloring, present your artist with a paintbrush, and let them create a masterpiece. Afterwards, simply toast the bread to firm it up and make edible artwork.
* The best snacks for kids are simple; they should not take longer to make than to eat, and they should never, ever be eaten with anything but fingers. Your kids will agree that a knife and fork are completely unnecessary. Finger foods just taste better.
Recipe4Living.com features more than 10,000 user submitted recipes, ideas and recipes from Wolfgang Puck, reference guides, healthy living advice, tips for kids, and much more. All of the recipes mentioned in this article can be found at www.recipe4living.com.
Author: Caley Walsh
Keywords: kid-friendly,recipes,meals,cooking,kids
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
safety tips,
r,
planning,
bake,
kid-friendly,
tomato sauce,
eating,
family,
cl,
lasagna,
peas,
history,
brea,
ho,
sauce,
meals,
Healthy,
Paring,
TIPS,
time,
Sauces,
ingredients,
how,
kids,
chili,
tomato,
cauliflo,
meat,
Uncategorized,
ideas,
holiday,
oats,
heating,
dinner,
stuff,
heat,
Home,
health,
pot,
cheese,
nutrition,
rose,
toast,
snacks,
bread,
pit,
chef,
fruits,
advice,
carrot
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
Part of my pantry is used for dry staples. Rice is one that I always keep on hand, and I mean real rice not that instant stuff. I doubt if that has any nutritive value. Wild rice and brown rice have a place on my shelf also. there are a lot of dishes to make with rice. The wild rice I use for hot dishes, soup, or as a side dish to compliment wild game. It takes a bit longer to cook, but well worth the effort.
One of my grandfather’s favorite foods was rice pudding, made with white rice. I recall my grandmother making it quite often. Sometimes she would spice it up and other times leave it plain to top off with some kind of berry sauce. Of course she made it in the wood stove oven. I had not made it for quite awhile until someone brought me something they called rice pudding. Naturally thinking about how my grandmother made it, I complimented that person for being so thoughtful. That was before I tasted it.
I held my tongue and did not say a word. It turned out that person bought something at the grocery store labeled rice pudding. To my way of thinking it was nothing but pudding from a box with instant rice in it. It was horrible! The words instant, fast, quick and ready in 1-minute do not fit my vocabulary when it comes to food. So I proceeded the very next day to show what rice pudding is.
I put 1-quart of whole milk in a 2-quart baking dish. I added 1/2-cup of white rice and 1/2-cup of sugar and a dash of salt. Then I turned my oven to 300-degrees, put my baking dish in a pan and added 1-inch of water to the bottom of the pan. I let the rice cook for 1-hour, stirring every 15-minutes. Then I let it bake for another hour and a half undisturbed. Making rice pudding this way creates a smooth textured dish, not the lumpy, almost chewy stuff from the store. I made this for my children as one of the first solid foods they ate.
I invited my friend over for dessert that day. When I said it was rice pudding and not pudding with rice not a word more was spoken, except to ask for the recipe and a second helping.
You can find casserole dishes at www.pothaven.com.
Author: Bonita Anderson
Keywords: rice, box, pudding, milk sugar, bake, water, pan, texture, flavor
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
dishes,
oven,
dessert,
hot,
cook,
foods,
pudding,
sugar,
sauce,
box,
water,
safety tips,
did,
recipe,
Uncategorized,
child,
you,
label,
children,
food,
how,
texture,
time,
bakin,
bake,
c,
milk,
safe,
fast,
rice pudding,
dry,
r,
flavor,
kid,
baking,
tip,
re,
stove,
casserole,
milk sugar,
spice,
salt,
help,
stuff,
made,
quick,
ho,
le,
soup,
pot
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
The holidays are fast approaching. Want to visit the nostalgic side of yourself? Try the old and famous recipe of roasting chestnuts. You hear about roasting chestnuts in all the old songs and from memories shared with elder members of the family. They are a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering. But how do you do it?
Here’s a simple guide to roasting chestnuts that you can do yourself and have fun at the same time.
Where do you buy chestnuts? Your grocery store will probably have two kinds of them: Castagne, which are the more common type of chestnuts, and Marroni which are the meatier, larger chestnuts. At times, Marroni are as much as an inch or more across in size. Castagne is fine for boiling but for roasting you will need the Marroni chestnut.
Screen the chestnuts by looking over them carefully and choosing just those that are firm and whose skins are a shiny, rich brown color. Obviously, If they smell moldy, or have a blotchy look, or pin holes - toss those out!
First thing to do in learning how to roast chestnuts, make a small cut in the round side of each chestnut. This keeps them from exploding. If you don’t do this, you will have a big mess to clean up!
A little history: In the country, some people still use a terracotta baking dish (sometimes looks like a colander) to roast the chestnuts over the coals. Today, it’s easy enough to buy a chestnut roasting pan to use over your stove. It looks like an iron skillet or pan with a bunch of holes punched into the bottom of it.
Next, put your carefully chosen chestnuts into the pan and sprinkle them with water. Cover the chestnuts and put the pan over a medium heat.
Then, shake your pan frequently while roasting until you see that the skins have blackened and have pulled back from the chestnut meat (you’ll notice this where you made the cut previously). Roasting them should take about 5 to 10 minutes. If the chestnuts appear too charred, then that means you didn’t shake the pan enough.
You’ll know when they are roasted to perfection by the fact that you can easily open the shell and find beautiful golden colored chestnut meat inside. It’s sweet to the taste and a little crumbly in texture. Delicious!
Another way to roast your chestnuts is to place them, with the cut sides up, on a baking sheet or cookie sheet. Roast them in a hot oven (about 400 degrees F) until the chestnuts appear tender. This will take about 20 minutes. To test to see if they have been roasted enough, stick a fork through the cut in shell and test for tenderness.
Finally, wrap the hot chestnuts in an old towel (no matter which way you chose to roast them) and squeeze them hard. Squeezing the chestnuts will break and crush the skins which will make peeling them much easier to do. Let the crushed chestnuts rest inside the towel for about 5 mintues before unwrapping them.
Open up the towel and feast and enjoy!
Sara Gray is an avid lover of appetizers and has created a great website called Easy Appetizer Recipes where you can find delicious ideas for all kinds of hot and cold appetizers, raclette grilling, tapas small plates, snacks, chips and dip ideas, and appetizer soups.
Author: Sara Gray
Keywords: chestnuts, roasting chestnuts, thanksgiving, christmas, recipe, cooking tips
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
r,
appetizers,
texture,
TIPS,
snacks,
pan,
F,
eat,
oil,
take,
simple,
cast,
tip,
christmas,
meat,
deli,
cookie sheet,
fun,
cookie,
easy appetizer recipes,
cook,
tender,
cold,
le,
soup,
roasting,
re,
iron,
easy,
safe,
c,
ideas,
n,
cooking ti,
fast,
family,
how,
cl,
safety,
Coo,
cooking tip,
hot,
heat,
ho,
feast,
grilling,
recipes,
thanksgiving,
baking,
Uncategorized
Related posts
By admin
February 23rd, 2009 at 08:56pm
Under Uncategorized
When you live in northern Minnesota, fall is the time of year when all the work put into growing a vegetable garden is reflected in the rainbow of colors on your pantry shelves. Red tomato products, varying shades of green pickles, orange carrots, yellow wax beans, burgundy beets and more depending on what was grown in the garden. I prefer canning over freezing. There is no freezer burn to worry about and all the flavor and nutrition is captured in the jars.
I will forever be amazed at the fact that one little seed can produce an enormous amount of food. Seeds are not that expensive and the money saved by planting a garden can have a positive impact on the grocery bill in winter. When I look at my pantry in the fall I am secure knowing I could feed my family for six months without worry, no matter what.
Thanksgiving is usually the time for pumpkin pie, but I prefer the flavor of squash over pumpkin. Buttercup or hubbard squash make the best pies. After they are picked from the garden, I cut them in half and place them on a baking sheet. I bake them cut side down and remove the seeds after they are done, I find it easier that way. Next I scrap the flesh from the peel and mash it. Then I process it in jars for winter use.
To make a squash pie all I have to to do is open a pint jar of my squash, add one can of sweetened condensed milk, two eggs, one tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and a dash of salt. I beat it all together and pour into a pie shell. Bake for about one hour at 350 degrees or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Let it cool and serve with ice cream or whipped cream. It is the perfect ending to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. My family calls that satisfaction. Guaranteed.
Find pots and pans to cook with at www.pothaven.com
Everything I write about is from my life experiences. I have lived in the woods of northern Minnesota for 40+years. I raised 2 children here, along with 2 of my brothers. It is a good life and I would not change a thing about it. I know I could survive without all the modern conveniences of today if I had to.
Author: Bonita Anderson
Keywords: plant, garden, vegetables, bake, pie, squash, pumpkin, pantry, jars, oven, stove
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips
Tags:
safety tips,
vegetables,
baking sheet,
TIPS,
freezer burn,
tip,
c,
pot,
Garden,
know,
Uncategorized,
oven,
ho,
freezer,
bake,
pantry,
save,
r,
beans,
cl,
amount,
wood,
nutmeg,
dinner,
food,
baking,
carrot,
pan,
Canning,
le,
grocery,
sav,
cinnamon,
eat,
jar,
children,
jars,
cook,
history,
ice cream,
plant,
bakin,
pots and pans,
flavor,
carrots,
safe,
perfect,
tomato,
pickle,
traditional
Related posts
By admin
Previous Posts