Recipes To Share

Archive for March, 2009

If you’d like to enjoy real barbeque with traditional flavor and style, consider building a BBQ pit. When you cook your meat in a BBQ pit, there’s a greater concentration of smoke and heat. The taste is out of this world.

This method of cooking outdoors is ideal for larger cuts of meat such as a roast. If your pit is big enough, it’s possible to cook a whole pig or a section of beef. Just remember that it will take a long time to cook this much meat, anywhere up to 10 hours.

You have two basic choices in open BBQ pits, modern and traditional. The traditional BBQ pit is essentially a hole in the ground. You then lay in your wood or charcoal and light it.

You can cook your food by placing it on a skewer and holding it over the fire. You can also lay a grill over the flames to hold the meat. Another option is to wrap the food in foil and lay it in among the coals after the fire has died down.

The modern open pit is usually an above ground BBQ. Stone, brick and concrete are the most common materials used for building such a structure. There’s a firebox in which charcoal or wood can be set on fire. You’ll likely want to attach a grill to the pit. Just make sure it’s far enough away from the source of heat so your meat won’t become overcooked.

With an open pit BBQ there are two ways of cooking your food. You can choose either direct or indirect heat. Direct heat cooking means that your food is cooked directly over the flame or heat of the burning coals. In order to manage the cooking temperature, many people locate the coals at one end of the pit and the food at the other. This method cooks your food relatively quickly and is perfect for tender cuts of meat.

Indirect cooking is also known as pit cooking. Cooking with indirect heat involves using a very low temperature to cook the food. First you build up the fire until the pit has stored up a lot of heat. The objective is to store up a lot of heat in the sides of the BBQ pit.

The fire is then put out and the meat is placed onto the grill. You then need to cover up the pit. The heat that has been absorbed into the sides of the pit will do the job of cooking the meat. With this style of cooking, it takes a long time before your meal is done. But it’s ideal for tougher cuts of meat. Many people believe this is the best BBQ method for authentic flavor.

A wine gift basket can provide the ideal gift for a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion that requires a gift. They can provide elegant gifts for wine lovers and can include additional products besides wine. You could also include such treats as cheese, chocolates, fruit, nuts and wine accessories like corkscrews and bottle openers, drip stoppers, foil cutters or whatever else you decide to add to the basket. You can buy one already made or you can make your own for an extra special touch. All you need to understand is the type of wine the recipient enjoys, or you can create a special surprise basket.

Where To Buy Prepared Baskets

If you’d rather buy a wine gift basket pre-packaged, stop into your local liquor store to see if they have a selection available. Good liquor stores often sell gift baskets, especially during the holiday season. You’ll be able to choose the wine you’d like to include in the basket and then add additional products.

Shop Online

The internet is the first place to search for customizable gift baskets. You can start by ordering one or more bottles of wine of your choice, then begin adding complementary products from the wide range available. Complementary products could include smoked salmon and caviar, savory crackers or cheese crackers, soft or hard cheeses, cheese knives, nuts, exclusive mustards or honey … the sky’s the limit in what you can add to them.

The online company will then deliver the packaged gift basket to you or directly to the gift recipient. This is a very easy option if you wish to thank a member of staff or for a corporate gift.

Make Your Own Gift Baskets

Creating your own wine gift basket gives allows you to add that additional personal touch. Begin by purchasing an attractive basket. Even a simple and inexpensive basket will do because you can then decorate it with silk flowers or colored tissue paper. Buy your wine of choice or choose champagne for a special celebration, add some extra items depending on the preferences of the gift recipient. For example, you don’t need to limit your basket to wine and wine-themed gifts. You could include handicrafts for someone interested in arts and crafts, or a book about wine for a wine lover who is also interested in the history or the making of wine. Add some quality food products to accompany the wine, pack everything into your decorated basket and wrap the whole thing in clear cellophane.

When possible, deliver the gift basket personally to the recipient so you can experience their joy on they receive it. If you’re very lucky they might even share the bottle of wine with you.

You can still assemble a stunning gift basket for a non-wine drinker. For a coffee drinker you could try a coffee-themed gift basket that could include coffee mugs, freshly roasted coffee beans from different coffee-growing regions of the world, gourmet cookies, toffees and, nuts. And don’t forget the tea drinkers. They may appreciate a selection of fine teas, a teapot with a strainer and a teacup of fine china. A tea or coffee gift basket could, in fact, be packed onto a decorated tray rather that a basket. Again, wrap the entire package in clear cellophane and tie a ribbon around it.

Ideas for gourmet gift baskets are only limited by your imagination.

Absinthe Green Fairy posses a fairly interesting history. Developed as an elixir or tonic in the 18th century it is now one of the most controversial and famous drinks of all time.

With 45 and 75% Alcohol by volume Absinthe is an anise flavored spirit and is pretty strong. The name “Green Fairy” or in French “La Fee Verte” is primarily due to its emerald green colour. It is a distilled liquor made from herbs. The three main herbs tend to be Artemisia Absinthium , fennell and green aniseed. Henri-Louis Pernod, the first man to commercially distilled Absinthe on this planet, used other herbs such as hyssop, lemon balm, nutmeg, juniper, veronica, star anise and dittany to produce his famous original Pernod Absinthe recipe. Some manufacturers used ingredients like herb calamus and this herb along with wormwood and nutmeg were though to be psychoactive. It is the essential oil extract from the herbs which causes Absinthe to louche when iced water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon. Absinthe clouds as oils do not dissolve in water.

Arts and Absinthe Green Fairy

Absinthe is famous for inspiring many artists and writers associated with the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area of Paris. Known Absinthe drinkers include Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gough, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas and Ernest Hemingway. A lot of writers and artists claim that Absinthe gave them inspiration and gave them their genius. Painters like Glen Mc Grath and Martine even featured Absinthe in their paintings.

Absinthe’s association with the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect, was a major boost prohibition campaigners needed. Due to the growing problem of alcohol addiction in France Absinthe was made illegal and it was banned in France in 1915. Other countries also banned it but it remained legal in the the UK, Spain and Portugal.

The chemical thujone, present in wormwood, was considered for the psychedelic effects produced by drinking the Green Fairy. Thujone was thought give effects like THC in cannabis. However Absinthe contains primarily ethanol, and therefore only contains minute quantities of thujone. Research has shown that Absinthe as safe or as bad as any other strong liquor and that it is the alcohol content not the thujone that is dangerous. Articles have been written on the subject extensively. It is about twice as strong as vodka or whisky and drink it with care and in moderation, it is simply a drink which gives pleasure.

During the time of prohibition many people enjoyed buying and drinking vintage style Absinthe in Absinthe bars in the Czech Republic, served in the classic Absinthe large glasses and in surroundings decorated with vintage Absinthe posters. In the year 2008, Absinthe is once again legal in many countries subject to restrictions on the amount of thujone levels.

You can buy Absinthe online by the bottle or order Absinthe essences (visit the website AbsintheKit.com) to make your own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home. Real Absinthe and Absinthe essences contain the vital ingredient wormwood but some new Absinthes, produced for the US market, do not contain thujone.

Absinthe Green Fairy is a delicious spirit and can be used in cocktails too – mix with champagne for a truly decadent drink!

AOC French Cheese

The Loire Valley offers goat cheese lovers a paradise. This region is justly called the Garden of France, and is sprinkled with amazing Renaissance castles open to the public and an abundance of fine and cheeses. Chateau du Guerinet near Blois is a perfect base for a cheese lover’s Loire Valley holiday and for a fairytale french destination wedding.  They also have a new credit crunch buster wedding package offering incredible value. 

The history of goat’s milk cheese in France started in the Loire Valley In the 8th Century, the Saracens of Arab descent were repelled at Poitiers. When they were expelled from France they left behind their goats and the recipes for making incredible cheese from goats milk.

The quaint villages on either side of the Loire River produce goat’s cheeses of different sizes and shapes. There are six AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) cheeses: Sainte-Maure de Touraine, Selles-sur-Cher, Valencay, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Chabichou du Poitou and Crottin de Chavignol. There are currently 42 French cheeses with AOC status. An AOC label indicates quality and guarantees that a product has been made within a specified region of France following established methods of production.

Pouligny-Saint-Pierre nicknamed the Eiffel Tower or Pyramid because if its shape. The rind is of natural mould. The pate is a soft moist white and crumbly. The taste is at first sour and salty followed by sweetness. This cheese goes wonderfully with a glass of Reuilly or Sancerre.

Chabichou du Poitou has a thin rind of white, yellow or blue mould and a delicate slightly sweet flavour. Pouilly Fume and Sancerre wines go nicely with this cheese.

Crottin de Chavignol known as Chavignol is hard black and knobbly on the surface, and the taste is a balance of sourness, sweetness and a little salt to be enjoyed with a glass of Sancerre de Chavignol.

Valencay cheese looks like a small black pyramid. It is purported that the shape of the cheese was originally a perfect pyramid. But when Napoleon returned from a disastrous campaign in Egypt he stopped at Valencay Castle, the cheese reminded him of the Egyptian pyramids and in a furry he chopped of the top of the cheese with his sword. The Valencay goat’s cheese has a rind of natural mould, covered with salted powdered charcoal and goes nicely with a glass of Quincy, Reuilly or Sancerre.

Sainte-Maure de Touraine is a blue-grey mould covered long truncated log of goat’s cheese. The cheese is mature, balanced, round with salt, sourness and an aroma of walnut. This cheese is produced all year long and is nicely complimented by a glass of Chinon or Vouvray.

Selles-sur-Cher also has a rind of natural mould covered with powdered and salted charcoal. The pate is hard at first, then moist, heavy and clay-like as it blends and melts in the mouth. The taste is slightly sour and salty with a touch of sweetness. A glass of Sancerre or Pouilly Fume accompanies this cheese beautifully.

What better way to enjoy these cheeses than driving through the Loire Valley visiting historic chateaux, maybe a hot-air balloon ride in the morning, gourmet lunch in village bistros, meeting cheese and wine producers sampling their products and returning at night to a friendly inviting boutique chateau hotel.

Don’t just visit a french chateau – stay in one. You will be amazed.

For prospective brides you could entertain your french destination wedding guest with wine and cheese tastings on a trail meandering through the Loire Valley visiting historic chateaux.You can serve mouth watering Loire Valley goat cheeses featured in your entree and your cheese board at your wedding breakfast.   If you love goat’s cheese you will not regret it.

SodaStream is the name of carbonation makers, first invented in 1903.

When different concentrated syrups became available in the 1970s and 1980s, drink machines were marketed that could add concentrates to create carbonated drinks in popular flavors. This company then merged with Soda-Club and was relaunched as a way to make healthy drinks for kids.

The SodaStream drink maker — a small device that infuses carbon dioxide into water –converts water to a taste like soda pop. The system includes: 1) a machine; 2) a canister of carbon dioxide; and 3) reusable beverage bottles suitable for pressurizing. The bottle, when filled with water, is screwed on to the machine, and with a push of the button ejects compressed CO2 from a canister into the bottle, making sparkling water (also called seltzer). There are a number of flavors which can be used to create regular soft drinks by adding a tiny amount to the bottle of carbonated water. When the canister is out of CO2, you return it to the market and purchase a carbon dioxide (CO2) refill.

With so many kinds of concentrate, different and unique flavors of soft drinks can be made. In the years when the systems were at the height of their popularity, many well-known brands were available for SodaStream in the concentrates – such as Fanta, and Sunkist.

MilkStream, a variation of the SodaStream, and was devloped for creating milkshakes. Ice cream, milk and Crusha syrup can be combined in a glass, and utilizing an extended wand into the glass, a frothy, delicious milkshake can be concocted.

The first machines made were large, and were sold to the upper classes of London, even to the royal household. There were flavors with odd names, including the famous sarsaparilla introduced in the 1920s. The first home carbonation machine was produced in 1955.

The popularity of SodaStream was very high during the 1970s and 1980s in the UK, and currently it’s associated with nostalgia for those periods of time. The advertising jingle in 1970s was, “Get busy with the fizzy”; the slogan was so popular that it was added to the company logo. It was dropped in 1996 after 17 years.

Commercially successful, there was a perception by some that the soft drinks made by these machines were a poor imitation of their commercial counterparts. One of the noted differences was that in addition to slightly different flavors of the produced drink, the SodaStream machine bubbles are larger and shorter-lived. Today this has changed, partly because of Aromhuset flavors for carbonated water, and Sodastream now is the leader in sparkling water.

Today, SodaStream is part of Soda-Club and there are several websites where they can be purchased and all the supplies can be ordered and reordered when needed.

Are you tired of spending $8.00 – $10.00 for a cheap glass of wine when you dine out? Does the big price tag for a lousy bottle of wine at your favorite eatery drive you nuts? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions then you should be bringing your own.

Bring your own bottle restaurants are a growing trend throughout the Nation. They are just what they sound like, restaurants where you can bring your own wine, beer or liquor. They will provide the glasses, ice and even corkscrews for you. They don’t have to spend the big bucks for liquor licenses and you don’t have to spend big money for the booze.

I live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and we have a great selection of bring your own bottle restaurants. In fact, several of the best Italian restaurants in town don’t have liquor licenses and allow you to bring your own. We also have a family diner style restaurant and a great pizza parlor where {you} can bring your own wine. If you want more information about these places, please visit The Pennsylvania Wanderer.

You may want to show your style by bringing your wine in a wooden, aluminum or leather wine carrier. Wine carriers come in several different styles and are available in sizes to fit one to six bottles. They also make it easy to bring home your leftover wine (if you have any) since the bottles fit perfectly and won’t spill in your car. Think about how cool you’ll feel when your friends see that you showed up with a gorgeous wine carrier.

Whether you have a wine carrier or not, you should think about visiting a bring your own bottle restaurant soon. You’ll get an excellent meal and not break your budget. I’m sure that once you try it, You’ll be a regular at bring your own bottle restaurants.  I know I am.

Before you start your wine cellar design there are several things that you must know about wine cellars. Some guides make it seem like it is easy to make your own cellar at home when in reality the only easy part is assembling the wall mounted wine racks. The rest of it can be very difficult to get right and you have to get quite technical before you can get it right. You may be better off cellaring your wine at a facility that allows you to store your wine and then pick it up when you want to drink it.

Proper Temperature

The proper temperature range to store wine is 50-60 degrees fahrenheit. It can be harder than you think to keep wine at this temperature constantly. Central heating is the main culprit in disrupting potential wine storage. Your heater is on during the day raising the temperature well past the ideal storage temperatures.

In the evening your wine may be subject to a temperature drop and it gets cooler. Then due to temperature change the wine will have expanded and contracted. Using your basement is the best way to get around this, which will be a great substitute for controlled climate environments.

Temperature fluctuations are not good for wine.  If you have a boiler in your basement, you should make sure that the wine cellar is well insulated with quality insulating material.

Natural Lighting Effects

Since there is a low exposure to light, your basement is the best location for your wine cellar design to protect your wine collection. Light speeds up deterioration in your wines. Because red wines normally come in dark colored bottles that reduct the light exposure this type of problem will be less likely to occur.

Champagne and lighter wines are extremely light sensitive plus they normally come in light colored bottles which amplifies the effect.  So make sure your wine cellar design will accommadate this and prevent minimal sunshine.

Heavy Appliances

Wine is sensitive to vibrations and movement. Ideally when wine is put in a cellar it should be lying horizontally with the label facing upwards. If washing machines and dryers are anywhere near your wine cellar then it could cause some problems for your wine. These factors should help you decide if cellaring at home is right for you.

Rival has a reputation for all kinds of quality kitchen appliances. One of its better small appliances is its Rival vacuum sealer, the Seal-A-Meal vacuum sealer. This is a well-made sealer that is simple to work with yet at the same time pleasantly inexpensive. This vacuum sealer can also be hung on the wall for your convenience. Here’s some reasons why this Rival vacuum sealer is a great option to have in your kitchen.

The Seal-A-Meal vacuum sealer works with ease in that the Seal-A-Meal utilizes a standard roll. 8×10 inch and 11×10 inch rolls can be used here. The rolls can be easily attached onto the sealer through a simple loading mechanism. This enables the rolls to be loaded correctly so that they can be used with ease. Quart sized bags can be used with too.

Once the roll is installed into the machine, nothing else is called for. The machine will commence to working as soon as the roll is fitted. All the user has to do is choose the heat settings, place the contents over a layer of plastic and then start the device so that the food can be completely sealed in an air tight fashion.

The sealer is made to also be cleaned quickly. The food channel is able to be taken off of the front allowing it to be cleansed, which helps the sealer to do its job effectively.

The bags are intended to be cut automatically by the sealer. The machine will cut a straight line which will allow the content to be completely held and ensuring that the bag will be tight.

The sealer can additionally be attached to the wall for ease of storage. This is preferable in that the machine will take up a significantly smaller space in a kitchen.

The Seal-A-Meal vacuum sealer is affordable, as well. Most vacuum sealers can be priced at more than $150. The Seal-A-Meal vacuum sealer, on the other hand, is extraordinary. The Seal-A-Meal is priced at approximately $100 American/$120 Canadian. Some stores will even offer it for under a hundred dollars when on sale. Furthermore, replacement rolls usually cost approximately ten dollars.

Some extra accessories are available for the sealer also. An air hose for removing the air from the bags is offered as an accessory. Additional accessories include vessels to contain other items in, or possibly to use for storing extra amounts of sealer bags.

The Seal-A-Meal vacuum sealer is a useful appliance that should absolutely be considered. This sealer is unmatched in keeping foods fresh and is easy to use and maintain. It is also affordable unlike other sealers. It is your best buy for a vacuum sealer.

The Barossa is primarily known for its red wine, in particular Shiraz (Syrah). Large proportions of Barossa Shiraz is used in Penfolds Grange (Australia’s most famous wine). Henschke Hill of Grace, another high profile Australian wine, also uses Barossa Shiraz in its production.

The Barossa is situated about an hours drive north of Adelaide. The Barossa is made up of two different regions – the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.

The Barossa Valley is generally less than 400 metres above sea-level and stretches from Williamstown in the south to Kapunda and Truro in the north. The red-brown soils are more fertile than those of the Eden Valley but rainfall here can be up to 50% less.  The temperatures in the Barossa are usually 2ºC warmer than the surrounding regions.

The Eden Valley region starts from the north at Truro and goes all the way south, down to Mount Pleasant. On average the land ranges from about 400 to 600 metres above sea level with a majority of the wine growing land located in the higher sections of land. Soils are rocky and acidic and winter rainfall is plentiful, averaging 255mm more per annum than the Barossa Valley. Temperatures are cooler therefore the growing season is longer.

When this is all added together, you end up with a great concoction for grape growing!

There are about 550 growers in the Barossa, some of them sixth-generation Barossans.  When combined, the total growing area is over 8,000 hectares which yields around 55,000 tonnes of grapes each season.
The Barossa has remained phylloxera free since growing first started here. This has allowed most of the wineries in the area to keep their original root stocks and has some of the worlds oldest vines.

Even though the Barossa represents about 5% of Australia’s national crush, the fruit produced is premium quality. The history of the Barossa and its disproportionate presence in the super-premium categories make it Australia’s most influential and internationally recognized wine region.

No wonder Barossa Shiraz is revered around the world.

Follow the link for more information on Barossa Valley Shiraz .

Children love a delicious dirt cake recipe.  This is a cake that looks like dirt or mud.  Ingredients include pudding and crushed Oreos.  There are many sources for good recipes online.

dirt cake recipe

The Disney family website has an excellent dirt cake recipe.  Disney says the cake will make people talk.  People of all ages enjoy it.  It’s baked in a flower pot.  It begins with some pudding and Oreos.  The cake involves layers of the pudding and whipped topping alternating with layers of cookies.  It’s the cookies that give it the dirt look.

A dirt cake recipe isn’t healthy eating.  An overall healthy diet leaves room for such desserts.  There can be up to 1000 calories per serving.  It’s also loaded with fat and carbohydrates.  Don’t eat a lot.  Good things kids don’t diet.

Find a dirt cake recipe with a quick Google search.  Over 236,000 pages are returned.  One such involves a popular brand name cookie.  Kids enjoy it during the summer.  It’s made within a pale and shovel set.  It involves Oreo cookie crumbs, with layers of cream cheese and pudding, topped again with more Oreo cookie crumbs.  Then top it off with gummy worms.  To the delight of the children it looks like a pale full of dirt.

dirt cake recipe

Some kids don’t need a dirt cake recipe.  They like to eat the real dirt from the ground.  Many kids do this sometimes.  Kids who constantly eat dirt have an eating disorder.  They consume things that don’t have any nutition in them.  This disorder is usually associated with some type of mental retardation.  Or the child may not be getting enough iron.  Children eat the dirt to get iron.

Eating dirt can lead to a number of problems.  This includes ingesting a parasite and becoming infected.  This is especially possible if animals have defecated in the soil.  A child could also be poisoned.  Parents who have children who eat dirt should talk to a pediatrician.  It is often addressed with behavior modification.  Giving children a little treat if they go without eating dirt for a period  can help.

recipe for dirt cake

Try a dirt cake recipe at your next party.

http://dirtcrazy.com/