Recipes To Share

Archive for April, 2009

Without a doubt, cast iron makes excellent cookware.  There are all different sizes of pots and pans and skillets and dutch ovens.  Cast iron is practically indestructible with just a little care, it radiates heat evenly, and it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other cookware.  Once it’s seasoned, it also pretty much a non-stick surface.

Cast Iron Cookware – Basic Care

It doesn’t have to be hard to care for your cast iron pots and pans.  Just keep a couple of simple rules in mind.

1. Keep cast iron cookware seasoned.
2. Keeping it dry to prevent rust is essential.

Preparing New Cast Iron Cookware For Use

After purchasing a new piece of cast iron cookware, it has to be seasoned before use.  In case you’re not familiar with the term, seasoning is the process that protects the surfaces of cast iron and makes it non-stick.

Before seasoning brand new cast iron cookware, the protective substance coating most new pans needs to be removed.  Warming up the pan first makes it easier to remove the coating.  Warm, soapy water is best to use when washing the new pan. Then rinse it thoroughly. 

Once the pan is clean, dry it by putting the cookware in the oven at 400° for at least half an hour.  (An hour works even better for this.)

The Seasoning Comes Next

Once the cast iron pan is completely dry, and by now also quite hot, carefully take it out of the oven and sit it on the stove top.  Pour a couple of teaspoons of canola or some other bland flavored oil into the pan, then carefully spread the oil all over the surface of the pan with a clean dishcloth or thick wad of paper towels.

Make sure to spread the oil on the top edge, and at least this first time, also on the outside of the pan.  Even though that isn’t a cooking surface, the oil provides a protective coating to keep the cast iron from rusting.

After the cast iron is completely coated with oil, return the pan to the oven, turning it upside down.  Put a cookie sheet underneath it to catch any excess oil that might drip off.

Repeat The Seasoning Process

Take the pan out of the 400° oven after it’s been there for about an hour, then repeat the process.  What’s important at this point is getting the inside well coated to build up a non-stick surface.

What’s needed is for the oil to soak into the cast iron.  Be sure to wipe off any excess, as a build up of grease can turn rancid.

Ready For Use

At first the non-stick surface won’t be perfect, but the more it is used, the better it becomes.  An asset to any kitchen, a well-seasoned piece of cast iron cookware is great cookware!

During the life insurance process you will be required to answer some questions relating to your medical history and health. This is completely normal and is generally used to gauge the risk of insuring you If you happen to have a family history of health issues or you already have an existing medical condition you could be require to pay higher premiums as you will be seen as a greater risk to the life insurance company. Sometimes the insurance company will just write or call your doctor but in certain cases a medical check-up will be required.

The actual exam

Typically medical examinations will take place at your home rather than at a doctor’s office. The questions that you can expect to be asked will be regarding your smoking history, family health problems, and your personal physical health and it is always best to tell the truth. If you do smoke then you can expect your premiums to be more expensive then for a non smoker. This is because you are deemed to be at a greater risk of lung or throat cancer and other associated medical risks. The medical examiner will also wish to weigh you and measure your height to calculate your BMI and check your blood pressure.

Further medical tests

It is possible that in some cases the insurance company will require further tests to be carried out and in this instance they will arrange to have these done. These could include blood or urine tests to help indicate any abnormalities.

After all of the questions and tests have been completed your life insurance company can determine exactly how much your policy will cost.

It is important that you do not lie when asked questions about your medical health. If at a later point you die due to a pre existing medical condition then it is likely that your life insurance policy will become void. In this case your beneficiaries would not get any money at the time of your death.

Complications of alcoholism is defined as excessive drinking over a long period of time creating medical, psychological, and social problems for the alcoholic.  As months or years of drinking has passed, the nervous system gets used to the alcohol therefore it develops a tolerance.  Then the drinker requires more amounts of alcohol to receive the desired effect.  Despite adverse effects, the person continues to drink and will likely increase the amount and frequency.  Over use they experience withdrawal symptoms, high blood pressure, tremors, physical dependence, can happen when they are not drinking.

This becomes to be a cycle of abuse, being at risk of dependence starts.  Some complications of alcoholism are depression, low self-esteem, onset of puberty, relying on alcohol socially, emotional substitution, loneliness, and self-medicating.

There are medical complications of alcoholism they are:  alcohol damages the organ systems even blood-forming (anemia, easy bruising), cardiovascular (abnormal heartbeat, heart failure, high blood pressure, increased heart rate), gastrointestinal (diarrhea, gastritis, inflammation and/or cancer of the esophagus), enlarged risk of communicable diseases (TB), liver damage, low blood sugar, hepatitis, liver cancer, and ulcers.

The neurological complications of alcoholism are:  confusion, loss of coordination and concentration, nerve damage, psychosis, short-term memory problems, stroke, and visual difficulties.  

Some social complications of alcoholism are suffering in relationships, higher rates of divorce and separation, higher rates of domestic violence, higher rates of violence and aggressive behaviors, higher rates of legal problems, and higher rates of death.  Eighty percent of all suicides are related to alcohol abuse.  

The psychological complications that are connected to alcoholism they include:  44% of alcoholics have mental health disorders that were present before dependence; mood disorders, and major depression can occur after dependence.

The assessment of alcoholism depends on interviews, self-report questionnaires to keep track of the quantity and the number of times the person drinks.  All the questions focus on two different aspects:  consequences of drinking and perceptions of drinking behavior.  Clinics determine risk for abuse and dependence based on how much and how often a person drinks.

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So you have asked the infamous question How long does it take to cook a steak in the oven? Well let’s seen if we can help.

If you’re going to cook your steak in the oven then I would seriously suggest that you broil it. Broiled steak is the best it’s so juicy and tender. That is if you don’t over cook it. To me there really is no other way. Broiled steak is delicious.

Set and pre heat your oven to the broil setting and while you are waiting for your oven to preheat rub your steaks with olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper. Depending upon the cut of meat you have purchased if it is a less expensive cut of meat you may want to consider using a different seasoning other than salt such as an Adolph’s meat tenderizer. It tends to darken the meat some but it does give it the same flavor as salt. If you have a good cut of beef then a nice kosher salt will do just fine.

Different size steaks will require different broiling times. Depending upon whether you like your steak raw, medium or well done also plays a role in the cooking process. Whether or not you are cooking one steak or many may also make a difference when broiling your steaks in the oven. Do to the number of steaks being broiled cooking times mary vary slightly.

The following are recommended cooking times but keep in mind the different variables that may affect cooking times. If your steak is 3/4 of an inch inch thick and you want your steak medium rare then I would suggest 4-5 minutes per side and if you have a meat thermometer the meat should reach 145 degrees. For a Medium steak 6-7 minutes per side and the meat should reach a temperature of 160 degrees. To deterimine when your meat is ready it is best to use a meat thermometer. Most people don’t have a meat thermometer and tend to cut their steak open to see if it is done. Doing this can cause all of the juices to run out of your meat so it isn’t highly recommended. Taylor Digital Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer

After the steak is done let it stand for 5 minutes this lets the juices flow through your meat from the top down to the bottom making it juicy and flavorful. Serve with a baked potato and vegetables or your favorite sides. Steaks go great with just about anything depending upon what you have in your kitchen. Steaks and fries are also a good combo. Maybe a nice broccoli casserole. I hope you will be delighted!

If you’re like me and you have had the in cling at times to prepare a dish exactly like your favorite dish from your favorite restaurant. Well now you can. Top Secret Restaurant Recipes to find out how.

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Cooking may seem easy. After all, your mom does it all the time, several times in a day. But try stirring the sauce in the pan and frying the meat and you will soon find out that there is more to cooking than meets the eye.

Cooking is actually quite hard not because it is an arduous task but because it is an exact science. This means that you cannot just put any ingredients you
want in any amount. In order to arrive at the taste that you want for you dish, you need the exact amount of ingredients, from the number of veggies that you include to the number of times you load the salt. A little more than what you should be putting can be
disastrous to the taste palate. This is especially true with flavorings like salt, sugar, and other
spices.

Measuring the ingredients is always a good deal in cooking process. Without knowing how to measure the ingredients right, you cannot make a perfectly tasting dish, unless of course you have that natural gift and instinct for cooking that you can
just put anything you want and still arrive at an unusually flavorful dish.

Measuring cups are there to help any novice in cooking. And of course, there are the cookbooks, which will tell you the exact amount of each ingredient that you have to put in. Although most veteran cooks swear by on following your own instincts and making your own
measurements, for the first time cooks and the not-so-new in the field, it is first important to
follow the directions to the letter and then as you gain experience, experiment with different tastes. But whether you follow what the cook book says or you
follow your own recipes, you are still in a way measuring ingredients in an exact way.

There are a lot of measuring tools available in the market that will help you in cooking. One of the most important ones and the set that you should not cook without is the set of measuring cups and spoons. These are the staple of recipe books. Without a set of the
cups and the spoon, you will not be able to determine just how much ingredients you should put because often, cookbooks will indicate the number of cups or how many teaspoons.

Another important tool in the kitchen that you should invest in if you are really serious in your cooking career is the weighing scale. This is not the scale that you use to look at your own weight. Rather it is the kilo scale where you often put meat, fish and vegetables to determine how they weigh. These are sometimes also referred to in recipe books. Although not as often used as the measuring cups and spoons, weighing scales are used in professional cooking recipes and also when cooking for large number of people. Large serving foods have large ingredients and difficult to measure with the limited cups and spoons.

Cooking, as they say, is not only an art but also a science- an exact science. To make any good food,one need not to have mathematics background but having the precision and understanding the amount of item is necessary.

When you look at these single cup brewers, you have to first decide what is most important to YOU.  Are you primarily looking for a single cup machine that brews great coffee or do you want one that will turn out lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos – with coffee almost an after thought.

The Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto can be viewed more as a hot beverage system, as itl brews  specialty coffee drinks. The Keurig Platinum brews COFFEE and there is a large variety of brews and roasts available to use with this machine. Compare the features of each model and select which will best meet your needs.

Features Of The Keurig Platinum

• Brews over 200 different coffees, teas, and cocoa.
• Uses K-Cups, which contain an exact portion, perfect for one cup.
• Automatic Brewing System – Makes single cup coffee with a push of a button.
• Takes less than 60 seconds to brew.
• Auto-Off feature
• Adjustable brew temperature
• Digital Clock with programmable on/off control
• Has blue back-lit LCD Display and water reservoir.
• After initial heating time of 3 minutes, machine will brew in 60 seconds and is immediately ready to make another cup.Set your favorite cup sizes.
• Brews 4 cup sizes
• 5.25 ounces for a bold cup of coffee
• 7.25 ounces for the traditional brew strength
• 9.25 ounces for taller mugs
• 11.25 ounces for tall travel mugs (Keurig recommends that you use the taller cup options with an Extra-Bold K-Cup
• Has 60 ounce removable water reservoir.
• Makes up to 6 cups before refilling reservoir.
• Water level sensor.
• De-scale indicator for long life of machine.
• Price 169.99

Now compare the Platinum Single Cup Coffee Maker with the Krups beverage system.

Features Of The Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto

• Brews 8 beverages
• Café Lungo
• Café Lungo-mild
• Café Lungo-Decaf
• Espresso
• Cappuccino
• Cappuccino Ice
• Latte Macchiato
• Chococino – Hot chocolate
• Uses Nescafe Capsules of coffee and powdered milk for coffee and milk drinks.
• The Water is heated in a minute due to Krups Thermoblock technology.
• Custom Control Lever is manually controlled by you.
• Brews espresso with 15 bars of pressure.
• Removable Water Reservoir
• Water reservoir holds 51 ounces.
• Auto-Off Control
• Adjustable height drip tray for different sized cups or glasses
• Has stainless steel drip tray cover that is removable and dishwasher safe.
• Available in 3 colors: black, red, white
• Price $169.99

The Krups machine and the Keurig Platinum are similarly priced but their functions differ. Decide which features between the two brewers that are the most important to YOU!

As the popularity of the single cup coffee makers increases, the types of roasts and blends also increases to satisfy the ever-growing demand for variety. You can enjoy many different types of coffee without lots of expense. You don’t have to purchase 12 or 16 ounces of beans or ground coffee just to try something new.  

The Keurig brewers make coffee using K-Cups while Tassimo uses T-pods and the other brands use coffee pods. By far, the largest variety of coffee is vacuum packed in K-Cups. This, is just one of the many reasons why Keurig outsells all other brands. In addition to having the largest selection of coffee, K-Cups are also available with cocoa and quite a large number of teas. Well respected names like Celestial Seasonings, Twinings, and Bigelow have packaged many of their best selling teas in K-Cups. So you can enjoy coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and a delicious cup of cocoa at bedtime – all made with your Keurig brewer.

Celestial Seasoning teas has many old favorites like:

• Sleepytime, with its delicate and soothing chamomile
• Lemon Zinger, a tangy herbal blend with piquant lemon
• India Spice Chai, a robust black tea with the citrusy tang of bergamot and aromatic spices
• Mandarin Orange Spic, a mellow blend of tea with a delicious mandarin flavor

Timothy’s

• Orange Indulgence has a wonderful aroma with a fruity bouquet. It’s a blend of fine white tea, with a touch of ripe apricot and sweet orange.
• Timothy’s Chinese Green Tea is extremely popular and is a light bodied blend of Gunpowder Green Tea. It has a subtle fragrance and a mellow, sweet flavor.
• Timothy’s Cranberry Twist Green Tea blends the tang of fresh cranberries with green tea; combining the health benefits of cranberries with the antioxidants of the tea.

Gloria Jean, a respected coffee roaster also offers several delicious teas in K-Cups:

• Gloria Jean’s Serenity Green, a blend of Chinese and Japanese green teas for an aromatic aroma and a lush flavor.
• Pomegranate Berry Fusion, a refreshing and flavorful, brimming with antioxidants and a crush of mixed berries.
• Masala Chai Black Tea, a hearty black tea, full of spices with a complex aroma of cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, and ginger.
• Passion Fruit Tea is has a wonderful aroma and is full of lush, fruity flavor blended with a delicate green tea for a delightful brew.

There are also several wonderful teas from Bigelow, both black and green varieties in K-Cups.

When it comes to that bedtime cup of cocoa, take a look at just a few of your choices:

• Green Mountain Roasters is now packaging a dark chocolate cocoa as well as a creamy milk chocolate cocoa which are already big hits.
• Timothy’s has made their long time favorite, White Hot Chocolate available in a K-Cup and it’s a best seller.
• Bellaccino and Gloria Jean also have cocoa in K-cups so the hot chocolate lover has quite a few to choose from – and they are all delicious!

There are over 200 different types of coffee, tea, and cocoa available in K-Cups, so get yourself a Keurig brewer and start sampling!

You heard it right. We have arrived to a point where we can buy not only bottled water, but bottled air, as well. To be honest, this is not only air, this is more than that. It contains the most essential element of air: oxygen (O2 oroxigén). That is why the new product, that some savvy marketers try to introduce, is called canned oxygen. I am sure you ask yourself now: But why would I pay for something that is free? The question is good, but remember: This is exactly the same question that people asked themselves, when bottled water was introduced. Bottled water is a $9billion industry now in the US alone, and growing. They say that bottled water is healthier than tap water, it tastes better, and they can take it anywhere. These are the same reasons, that make bottled oxygen better than normal air.

However, the concept of paying for oxygen is not entirely new. There are those oxygen bars (oxigén bár) which were famous in the ’90s. People would spend a 20 minute session of breathing pure oxygen, while relaxing and listening to chilling music. Usually, the oxygen would come in different flavors or scents, like mint, citrus, orange or strawberry. You had to put a special breathing tube into your nose, so you looked something like a hospital patient. But after a treatment, you felt more relaxed, healthier and energized. Oxygen bars have become a social phenomenon, at least for the more upscale and sophisticated crowd. Now, marketers want to take this idea to the next level. They want to offer oxygen to everyday people, for everyday use. The producers are quickly building up connections with distributors, who already started to offer bottled oxygen products in supermarkets, grocery stores and health clubs. Still, many people think that the idea is weird or too futuristic, but the success of bottled water started the same way, so there may be a huge potential and endless possibilities in it.

The producers claim that canned oxygen is useful against several problems. It helps to reduce stress, headaches, jetlag, altitude sickness and hangovers. It promotes healthy hair, and helps reduce the aging of the skin. It increases libido and enhances sexual performance. It creates an energizing feeling after a workout in the gym, or in the morning just after waking up. Is this a reality? Well, oxygen therapy has quite a long history already, and everybody knows that oxygen is essential for life. Besides, famous celebrities and singers like Madonna, Axl Rose and Mick Jagger have been reported to use some form of oxygen therapy. In fact, air contains only about 20% oxygen, while the bottle has pure (90%) oxygen in it. In the most polluted cities like Tokyo or Beijing, people already started to us the product. We will have to see what the future holds for canned oxygen, but until then, just keep breathing!

Memphis TN is home to great steak, soul food and fun.

Make sure you download the instant coupon before heading out to Patrick’s Steaks and Spirits

If you are looking for a great place to eat when you are visiting Memphis TN visit Patrick’s Steak and Spirits.

Visit Patrick’s and you will get to choose from many great tastes.

Patrick’s is the only steak house in Memphis where you can enjoy outdoor dining on a deck.

Patrick’s Steaks and Spirits also has a diverse menu that includes great memphis BBQ, Memphis Soul Food and Home Cooking.

Not only can you get great Steak, BBQ and Memphis Soul Food,  Patrick’s also has many of the menu items that will appeal to any appetite.Chicken & Dumplings, Turkey and Dressing, BBQ Nachos, Catfish raised on the farm just to name a few.  Check out the full menu when you visit the Memphis Dining website.

Not far from Partick’s Steakhouse are many great things to do in Memphis. Visti the Memphis Botanic Gardens, The Liberty Bowl, Theatre Memphis, The Brook’s Museum, Paradiso Theatre and Dixon Galleries.

Patrick’s also has an Memorabilia wall of Elvis, a Fireman’s Memorial, Memphis Tiger’s Wall, Live Music and Trivia nights.

Patrick’s Steaks and Spirits is located at 4792 Park Avenue, Memphis TN 38117 and offers you the best steak and unique outdoor dining. The restaurant is a Memphis casual dining tradition featuring home-cookin’, fantastic steaks, barbeque and a great local bar.

Upcoming Events

One of the biggest city celebrations going on in Memphis is in May. It is series of events that promote Memphis’ heritage throughout the month of May. There are four main events are, the Beale Street Music Festival, International Week, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and the Sunset Symphony. According to Wikipedia, The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is the largest pork BBQ cooking contest in the world.

There is going to be plenty of Steaks grilling, BBQ, Soul Food and Home Cooking everywhere.May is a when you want to visit Memphis and find out what the city has to offer.

Italy is not only one of the most powerful and influential economies in the world. Italy is also a major player in music, theatre, arts, design, fashion and of course – cuisine. There are different Italian restaurants that are providing gastronomic delight to its customers. Where could one gather much information about Italian food? Where to learn about Italian food and methods of preparing them?

Italian cuisine traces its roots back to 4th century B.C. Significant changes, of course, had happened since that time. The discovery of the New World and the introduction of agricultural items such as potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper, and maize had significant impact on the central parts of the cuisine. Students learn more that cuisine and food, they also learn a lot about Learn to Speak Italian.

Many Italian cooking schools in Italy already offers bedding, cooking utensils, furniture, etc. Students who have gone abroad or to a different school to study just need bring necessary clothes and other necessities. It is important to take into consideration that the student’s stuff will gradually increase.

Most students spend an entire semester or years in culinary schools to expand their knowledge and horizon. Meanwhile, there are students who see that learning how to cook Italian would be a great way to spent time with their vacation. This is regardless if the students are great chefs or just passionate about cooking.

By participating to one of the many cooking or culinary schools in Italy can enable you to learn the secrets of authentic Italian cuisine while having fun with people who share your interests and passion. Cooking skill can start from even the most basic knowledge, there are culinary schools, informal cooking classes and even cooking academies.

Informal cooking classes can last from a day to a few weeks. Informal schools or even some culinary schools, create a fun and casual atmosphere. These experiences can be enjoyable for any level of cook, from amateur or even professionals.

These are several notable Italian school that teach cooking and culinary arts:

• Andrea Sposini is from Scuola darte culinaria Alta Societa’. She teaches students simple, understated, authentic Umbrian cuisine with exquisite extra virgin olive oils, superior wines and world famous salamis and cured meats. She had conducted series of international shows both in America and England. Meanwhile, Alta Societa’ offers intensive courses in gourmet cooking for aspiring chefs. They also conduct day classes for visitors who want to learn the basics of Italian cuisine.

• Cook Italy offers regional cooking lessons, sepcializing in regional dishes in Tuscany and Bologna. Cooking lessons are conducted in excellent locations in Bologna, Cartona, Lucca and even in Siracusa, Sicily.

• Tours and cooking vacations in Italy is what Mama Margaret and Friends are known for. Aside from cooking, they also conduct tours and visits in vineyards, country farms and kitchens of local chefs.

• Culinary Institutes are more similar to academies. This is not usually for beginners, aspiring cooks and professionals usually go here to learn about Italian cuisine for a full semester. Italian culinary institutes are for those who are interested in mastering regional and national specialties.

• Apicius- Culinary Institue of Florence offers culinary education for those who are just learning the field. They also offer a Master in Italian Cuisine course for experienced chefs.

• Designed for non-professional and professional chefs, the Higher Institute of Gastronomy and School of Regional Cooking can be found in the heart of the city. They also conduct visits to traditional cheese and balsamic vinegar making facilities.

• Fontana del Papa sets an excellent introduction to Italy. They offer cooking and wine classes and special cookery for children.

Learning and eating Italian cuisine is truly a gastronomic delight. Mangiare bene!

Please visit: http://1st-LearningItalian.com where you can get your FREE Report on “Beginner’s Guide to Learning Italian”, videos, resources, and discover more on Learn Italian Online. Good Luck!