Recipes To Share

Archive for February, 2009

With Italian cooking magazines such as Italian Cooking & Living around, the mass audience can now learn the fine art of cooking up several interesting Italian dishes in a simple and uncomplicated manner. This Italian cooking magazine only debuted earlier this year and is a bi-monthly that is brought to the public by the Italian Culinary Institute that is the publisher of another interesting Italian cooking magazine called Cucina Italiana.

Celebrates Italian Culinary Traditions

Both these Italian cooking magazines share similar objectives, which of course is to celebrate as well as promote the finest culinary (Italian) traditions though each magazine delivers the final message in its own unique fashion. For those who wish to know more about the highest traditions of Italian culinary art, Cucina Italiana is the right Italian cooking magazine while readers that just want a basic introduction to Italian cooking will need to look to Italian Cooking & Living.

However, it must be mentioned that these two Italian cooking magazines lay emphasis more on authentic Italian cuisine rather than on American Italian fare. Also, the magazines are user friendly and provide readers with a hands-on approach and that too in a very friendly manner. These two Italian cooking magazines are choc-a-bloc with interesting photographs that are accompanied by guidance as well as primers to help novice readers understand how to cook up exciting Italian dishes, starting from a basic level and then progressing on to more advanced levels.

From learning how to cook pasta to concocting Florentine spinach dishes to ricotta crepes as well as learning about travel and cooking Italian dishes, these two Italian cooking magazines provide readers with the entire lowdown and the information is also presented in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.

The Italian Cooking & Living magazine in particular is sure to have a lot of interesting information regarding different kinds of Italian dishes as it provides you with the entire lowdown on regional as well as theme dishes and in addition, this Italian cooking magazine contains several interesting sections including information about upcoming events, foods, wines, olive oils as well as Italian food clubs.

You can also browse various interesting Italian recipes and there is also plenty of information given regarding travel to Italy to sample the Italian culinary delights in first person. When it concerns the right Italian cooking techniques there is much to learn. Whether it is sauté cooking or pan frying or stir frying you will need to understand these techniques before trying your hand at making the best in Italian culinary fare.

Go here and learn how to start cooking including turkey cooking time

The truth is that Indian food is an acquired taste and if you are not a fan of spicy fare then you should probably avoid Indian cooking recipes. However, if you like Mexican, Japanese or Chinese cuisine and consider yourself a fan of zesty exotic spices then you will probably love Indian dishes. If ingredients such as chili peppers, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and turmeric sound appealing to you then you should definitely consider giving Indian cooking a try.

Easy To Make

Many Indian cooking recipes are extremely easy to follow once you get the hang of them. For example, it is possible to put a delicious chicken curry together in just half an hour. You can also modify the recipes to make them more or less spicy according to your personal taste. There are even some very quick Indian microwave cooking recipes for those people who have a particularly hectic schedule. Tandoori Aloo and Paheer Tikka are just two examples of simple yet delicious dishes that you can easily cook quickly in a microwave oven. 

Health Benefits

Indian cuisine can do a great deal improve the overall health of you and your family because the dishes are usually packed full of nutritious herbs, spices and food products such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, chili peppers, garam masala, cayenne red pepper, tomatoes, onions, cumin, cardamom and fennel. Recent studies have shown that curry and other Indian cooking recipes may help to combat cancer, cardio vascular diseases and several other serious health conditions.

Save Money

Indian cooking recipes are generally quite inexpensive to make. The biggest expense is the spices, but they normally last quite a while and you do not have to replace them all that often. When you are making Indian cooking recipes you can prepare them in bulk and freeze what is not consumed so that they feed the family more than once and you save even more money. When compared to the cost of buying take away dishes or eating out in restaurants, Indian cooking recipes offer very good value for money. They are also much healthier and less fattening than junk food.

Where To Find Them

It is very easy to find Indian cooking recipes if you browse the web. Alternatively you could buy one of the many Indian cooking recipe books that are available for purchase. It is also possible to get lessons from an authentic Indian chef or visit India to learn more about the cuisine. Furthermore, if you know any Indian people you can ask them to share some of their cooking tips and secrets.

Go here learn how to start cooking including turkey cooking time

It is very easy and fun to prepare a seafood dish and one should remember that seasoning is the most important thing in a seafood dish.

The seasoning is the most vital element in the preparation of seafood. The main seasoning that I use when I prepare dishes like grilled shrimp is called Tony’s. Tony’s can be found at any local store such as Wal-Mart or Albertson’s. I like to season the meat before cooking, during and after.

For instance, when fixing a special meal of grilled shrimp, I put a dash of seasoning on them after thawing the shrimp. By seasoning the shrimp with spices or lemon juice while it is grilling you can add a little more zest. To get a ‘tangy’ taste out of them, try using limes instead of lemons. Once the shrimp are completed, I arrange them on a tray and put another dash of spices on them for a bolder flavor.

Some people only season them once or twice, but if you season them three times the flavor stays with the food the whole time you are preparing it and it never leaves the food before you serve it. Clam chowder is the one recipe where this rule doesn’t apply since it should just be seasoned with a dash of salt and Tony’s. In addition, clam chowder retains more of its flavor since it is a soup recipe. As long as you put the seasoning in the water or liquid of the soup or gumbo you are preparing then the flavor will stay more than if you have to remove a food from the water like you do with grilled shrimp.

Crab soup is thinner in consistency than clam chowder and should be made with smaller pieces of crab, not big chunks. Once again, seasoning is important. Put in a dash of Tony’s, salt and pepper, plus a squeeze of lemon, and your guests will ask for seconds when you serve seafood dishes.

Microwave cooking recipes are ideal for people with busy schedules who wouldn’t otherwise have the time to cook. Nevertheless, many experienced cooks are reluctant to try microwave cooking recipes because for some reason they are convinced that they will not taste as good as dishes cooked using an ordinary oven or skillet. The truth is that food that is made in a microwave oven can taste just as delicious as anything you would cook in the conventional way.

Very Convenient

The great thing about microwave cooking recipes is that you can make them in half the time you would ordinarily need. This means that everybody has the time to cook healthy nutritious meals instead of having to fill up on junk food. A microwave meal can be ready in ten minutes instead of two hours so you and your loved ones can eat well even when you have to work late.

Lots Of Variety

You can use a microwave to cook all different kinds of food including pasta, rice, poultry, meat, fish, vegetables and potatoes. In fact when you steam vegetables in a microwave they are more nutritionally beneficial because you do not boil away all of the vitamins and minerals.

You can also make all different kinds of ethnic cuisine with a microwave. You can cook Indian, Mexican and Chinese dishes. Microwave ovens are particularly good for Italian cooking, especially for recipes such as mozzarella chicken, stuffed peppers and pot roast. You also have the option of experimenting with microwave cooking recipes that you create yourself.

A Few Tips

If you are trying a microwave cooking recipe the most important thing is to make sure everything is sufficiently cooked so as to avoid ingesting any bacteria. Covering the food with a lid helps to kill any germs. If you are cooking a large piece meat, fish or poultry use a medium power and cook it for a little longer to ensure that the food is not raw in the middle. If possible, cut the meat, fish or poultry into smaller pieces so that the dish will cook evenly in a shorter space of time.

When preparing microwave cooking recipes it is also important to remember that foods continue to cook for a few minutes after you take them out of the microwave. You should therefore let the dishes you cook in your microwave stand for a short while before serving them.

Where To Find Them

Finding microwave cooking recipes is very easy. There are many microwave recipes on the internet and in magazines. You can find them on the back of some food packets too. Furthermore, your friends and relatives probably have some microwave cooking recipes, especially those that have hectic schedules. If you are serious about cooking delicious dishes in your microwave you could also purchase a cookery book on the subject.

Go here and learn how to start cooking including turkey cooking time

Next time you run out of your coffee, take a risk and try something different. Instead of grabbing that huge tube of ground coffee, the same brand you’ve been purchasing and drinking for years, or instead of grabbing that more expensive, smaller tub of “gourmet” ground coffee, break out of your coffee rut and give beans a try.

Some people already own a coffee grinder, or remember when their parents used to purchase beans and grind them at home.  Some stores still have a grinder right in the coffee aisle. The beans our parents purchased and ground were usually not gourmet coffee beans, it was simply cheaper to buy the beans and grind them yourself. You can find inexpensive grinders at a number of stores.  You’ll enjoy the smell of freshly ground coffee beans.Compared to pre-ground coffee, the aroma of freshly ground coffee is far superior.

Some people are who are very choosy when it comes to coffee purchase several different types of beans and combine them in certain combinations to get the coffee taste they want. Most of us probably aren’t going to take the time to do that.We are aware of coffee flavors we like and dislike.  In that case, gourmet coffee beans can be ideal because they’re already specially chosen and designed to offer up a richer, more complex taste that that bag of coffee beans you can purchase at your local A & P.

You don’t have to keep buying the same old coffee beans or ground coffee.Break the habit by purchasing gourmet coffee beans online. The market today offers different beans like Arabica, Columbian and many others. They even have beans with infused flavors.  You can find beans that will give your coffee a chocolate flavor, or hint at fruit or vanilla, or almost anything you can imagine.

When you’re looking at gourmet coffee beans, you literally hundreds of choices, and that choice can seem almost overwhelming.Visit one of these places to get more information about roasting times, flavors and hints in general.

Remember who you buy for.Gourmet coffee beans are the perfect gift for coffee lovers.If you purchase whole beans for someone without a grinder, you can always grind them yourself or take them to the market to grind. While gourmet pre-ground coffee can also be a thoughtful gift, whole beans will give the person on your gift lift the freshest coffee experience possible, and put you at the top of their list.

Wine Lovers Gifts

Puzzled about what the top gift ideas for wine lovers are? You may want to find the perfect wine-oriented gift for your favorite oenophile; but unless you’ve already spent a lot of time looking (and maybe if you have), you’re probably at a loss as how to find the perfect gift for the wine lover on your list. Of course, they’d prefer to have their own personal vineyard, but if this is beyond your means at the moment, keep reading for some other great gift ideas for the wine lover in your life.

10 Tempting Gifts for Crushed Grape (Wine) Lovers

1. Well, like I said before, you’re favorite wine lover could use their own vineyard. However, there is another option available if you can’t quite swing the whole vineyard. You can become a part owner in many wineries for a cost. This is definitely worth a look – it may not make you or the recipient rich, but it makes a great gift for any wine lover on your shopping list.

2. You cannot go wrong if you select an assortment of wine glasses as a special gift. This will be a welcome and useful gift that will probably see action immediately. Those huge, deep-bellied glasses for richer, full-bodied wines are also lovely just to see perched on a bar or table.

3. A Purple “Instant Youth” bottle bag. These are always good for a chuckle, with their slogan of “Instant Youth – just add wine”. Of course, you’ll want to put a bottle of something good inside; this will get an even bigger smile from the recipient.

4. Personalized labels. You can order a bottle of Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio with a personalized label; this can feature the design or photo of your choice.

5. One of the best wine gifts available is a wine box or basket. These are available in wood, wicker or even leather. These can be found in one bottle, two bottle or larger carrying capacities. Some of the higher end models include stoppers, corkscrews, napkins and glasses; these baskets are ideal for picnics and outdoor concerts.

6. If your wine lover enjoys games you can dazzle and delight them with a Wineopoly board game. The tokens used for the game include a wine glass, carafe, cheese, grapes and more. You can best your friends and become a grape champ as you challenge them with this game, and you really learn some cool facts about wine as you play.

7. Wine glass charms are always appreciated. These decorative items are collected by many wine lovers and you can even order custom made sets of these wine glass charms from some companies.

8. A wine club membership – this is a sure fire hit with any wine lover. This is a great way to introduce them to a favored vineyard and memberships can be customized to suit even the most discerning palates.

9. Cookbooks that specialize in recipes involving wine are also welcome gifts. You can create a gift basket with a cookbook, a bottle of wine, and a few other small additions. Toss in a wine lover’s apron, potholders, corkscrew and some assorted pastas and cheese to create a unique and lovely presentation that is sure to please.

10. Novelty T-shirts featuring wine-related slogans will always be appreciated by wine lovers; how about:

• Get a Tan with your Tannins…pick your own grapes
• The Wine is Divine but it crushed the poor grapes
• Nectar of the gods…Produced by our soles
• Us Old Vines Have The Best Wines
• Wine is fruit….and they recommend 4 servings of fruit daily

So you’re planning to cook a romantic meal for your date this Valentine’s day. What could be more perfect? Just the two of you, good food, lots of wine, candles and romantic songs playing quietly in the background. You’re really looking forward to it. But there’s just one problem – you haven’t got a clue what to cook or how to go about it. And with the big day creeping ever closer and closer, you’re beginning to wonder if maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Fear not, here are a few pointers to help make your evening as flawless as you dreamed it would be.

Preparation: You could take a leaf from the boy scouts book here. If you want the whole evening to go without a hitch you need to be prepared. Don’t leave everything to the last minute, take enough time to think about what will make the night special for you and your date. If you want to go all out with a romantic setting, you’ll need candles, flowers and posh dishes and wine glasses. Get everything ready and set out before you start cooking so you don’t have to worry about it.

Food: Firstly and most importantly, know your limits and don’t stretch yourself too far. It’s better to cook one delicious main course than to stretch yourself too far and end up with a three course meal that you’ll struggle to eat and enjoy. As for what to cook it’s important to know your date’s taste, even on a first date. If you serve up a seafood banquet only to discover they’re allergic to fish, well let’s say that’s going to be painfully embarrassing at best and you probably won’t see them again any time soon! Once you know what they like – and what they don’t – you can choose a dish to impress them. There’s no need to go overboard, a simple but tasty main course followed by posh ice cream or a chocolate fondue and strawberries to share would be fine – and don’t forget chocolate is said to have aphrodisiacal qualities!

Wine: Selecting the right wine to go with your chosen food can be a bit confusing if you don’t know much about fine wines, but there are a few simple tips that should help. To find a wine that will compliment your meal, the easiest way is to match the colours – red for red meat, white for fish and so on. If you’re having a light meal opt for a light wine, if it’s spicy choose sweet. When it comes to enjoying a glass of wine with your meal it’s almost as much about presentation as the wine itself. If you’re serving white wine or rose make sure it’s chilled in advance, and always serve it in your best wine glasses – good quality crystal glasses make all the difference, and they make it feel special too. Remember your date probably doesn’t know any more about quality wines than you do, if they’ve brought a bottle they’ve probably been worrying over it as much as you have!

Do you like to make sure you have the best possible gourmet coffee beans? Most of us coffee lovers want the very best gourmet coffee bean in our Java, but we also don’t want to spend an entire month trying to find it. Below is some information on finding gourmet coffee beans.

Looking to find that perfect Gourmet Coffee Bean

Well first off if you are new to the coffee culture you best bet for starting out is to find a place where the salespeople know what they are talking about and are knowledgeable about the products. You should also take note at whether they take enough time to explain and educate you on different types of gourmet coffee beans that they sell. Do you want to find places such as this? Discover corner coffee shops around your area, or look at a place where you really enjoy the coffee. These coffee shops and stores usually sell the gourmet coffee beans that they use in making their coffee. Quite often flyer’s, newspapers and magazines have coffee product reviews. Usually product reviews are very telling and reliable sources of information about the products they cover. Be diligent, do some research, don’t just run out after reading a review and buy some coffee because one person said they liked it. Take a look at 3 or more reviews about each coffee product you want to look at, you are looking for similar opinions by the writers about each product. You want to get a wide variety of views on these products so you can choose the best coffee for you.

Product reviews are not the end all to be all. But it’s always a good idea to hear what other people are saying about different types of coffee, Reviews will narrow down your search but don’t rely on reviews and opinions alone when buying coffee. The best way to find which gourmet coffee bean you want is to smell them and taste the coffee before you buy it. It’s quite common for shops to allow their customers to try their coffee before buying it, so make sure you check these places out when shopping for gourmet coffee beans.

Don’t let the fact that a coffee shop or speciality shop is not located in your area, there are shops online that have gourmet coffee beans.There are a numerous amounts of online gourmet coffee shops. You don’t have the luxury of smelling and tasting the coffee before a purchase so it’s wise to read the product descriptions thoroughly. Make sure to look into where the coffee came from, and remember certain parts of the world produce better coffee than others.

While making your own alcoholic beverage from juices may not be considered rocket science, there is more to home wine making than squeezing grapes and bottling the juice until it turns into alcohol. Many grapes have different acid content and the amount of acid in the squeezing will determine how sugar will need to be added to make the finished product palatable. For those intent on doing their own wine making, they will also need some specific equipment designed just for the purpose.  

Fortunately, it does not take a lot of space in the home for wine making, depending of course on how big an operation you plan to have. Additionally, federal law limits the amount of spirits allowed to be produced by an individual for their personal consumption. In many instances, home wine making will produce about four, maybe five gallons per year, with the barrels used for the red wine to ferment taking up the lion’s share of the space.

It is important to remember that each wine recipe tends to differ, especially between fruit wines and flower or grain wines. You will need to find out the specific directions from the particular recipe that you use, in order to ensure your wine turns out as best as possible. There are many different types of wine that you can make, and you can even make your own labels which you can use to show that you made the wine and also to keep track of the different flavors of wine you have created. You may also want to note the dates that you made each bottle of wine, as aged wine always tastes better and so you can drink the older bottles first.

With red wine, once the grapes are crushed and the needed sugar and yeast are added, the peels remain in the juice throughout the fermentation processed. They are removed when the juice is strained to be put into the bottles. For making white wine, the peels are removed before the fermentation process begins, and the wine is usually not fermented in wood barrels. When making rose wines, the peels are removed about half-way through the process and then allowed to ferment before being transferred to bottles.

The art of wine making is an ancient one, with proof showing it has been around for thousands of years. Many families have been involved in wine making on a personal level for many generations while some other are just realizing the fun and excitement they can experience by making their own beverage.

grape growing

Throughout the centuries, there has been a seemingly natural connection between food and wine. Many culinary experts claim that some foods are simply better when paired with the right wine. Typically, the pairings do not follow a hard, strict rule, with most people preferring to rely on their individual tastes. In the case of dessert wines, however, they can be appreciated alone, but they are best when paired with fruit or bakery sweets. Of course, knowing how to recognize such a wine is the first step to truly appreciating it.

Although many vintners will disagree, the creation of a fine vintage does not necessarily begin in the vineyard. Granted, there are a few varieties that are known for being especially sweet, but many of them require additional flavorings to stave off blandness. The sweetness of grapes can even be enhanced by harvesting them later or by exposing them to more sunlight, both of which can be difficult to control. As a result, many dessert wines are not a result of the grape growing process, but of the amount of sugar added before or after fermentation. In Germany, for example, sugar is increased by adding grape juice after fermentation, which has the side effect of lowering the alcohol content. Other techniques for increasing sweetness include using grapes that have a specific type of mold on them, freezing out some of the water, or drying the grapes before fermentation.

Despite being a combination of grape variety, alcohol content, color and flavor, the classification of wines and spirits varies greatly according to local laws. For example, dessert wines in the U.S. have more than 14% alcohol and include those that have been fortified with alcohol, while the same category in the UK includes any non-fortified sweet wine served with a meal. The only point of agreement on the category seems to be the sweetness, with these wines having the highest sugar content.

Wine selection and food pairings can be something of a controversial process. Some experts claim that certain combinations should always be served together, while others insist that selection and pairing should be based on the individual palate. Both sides seem to agree, however, that dessert wines should be served after the meal, whether alone or with an actual dessert. They also agree, in this case, that selection and pairing with a dessert involves actually tasting the wine to figure out what suits your individual tastes.