1:05 AM | Posted in
Buying and Storing Tomatoes
As long as they are kept at room temperature, tomatoes picked at the mature green stage will finish ripening in supermarkets and after you purchase them. Within a few days, they will soften slightly, turn red and—most important of all—develop their full flavor and aroma.

To avoid interrupting this process, place the tomatoes on a counter or in a shallow bowl at room temperature until they are ready to eat.
DON'T REFRIGERATE THEM.
When tomatoes are chilled below 55° F, the ripening comes to a halt and the flavor never develops.

To speed up the process, keep tomatoes in a brown paper bag or closed container to trap the ethylene gas that helps them ripen. Adding an ethylene-emitting apple or pear to the container can also hasten ripening. Store the tomatoes in a single layer and with the stem ends up, to avoid bruising the delicate "shoulders."

Once they are fully ripened, tomatoes can be held at room temperature or refrigerated for several days. When you’re ready to use them, bring the tomatoes back to room temperature for fullest flavor.

Tomato Techniques
To peel: Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover tomatoes; bring to a boil. Immerse tomatoes about 30 seconds; drain and cool. Remove stem ends and slip off skins.
To seed: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze each half, using your fingers to remove seeds. To reserve the juice for use in dressings, sauces or soups, seed the tomato into a strainer held over a bowl.
Tomato Shells: Cut a 1/2 inch slice off the stem end of each tomato. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp.
Roast: Preheat oven to 450° F. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Place halves, cut side down, on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes; cool. Remove skins and stem ends.
Slow-Cook: Preheat oven to 300° F. Remove stem ends; slice tomatoes. Place slices on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Cook until tomatoes soften and shrink, about 45 minutes.

Tomato Equivalents
1 small tomato = 3 to 4 ounces
1 medium tomato = 5 to 6 ounces
1 large tomato = 7 or more ounces
1 pound of tomatoes = 2 1/2 cups chopped or 1 1/2 cups pulp
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1:04 AM | Posted in
Cooking pumpkin for pies
Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scrape out all the seeds and strings (an old-fashioned ice cream scoop works great). Cut it into sections and with a paring knife, cut the skin off the flesh. Steam the flesh until tender and puree. (Do NOT immerse the pumpkin meat in water and boil - it will soak up the water and make a watery pie.)

Be sure to read our tips on choosing the best pumpkins for pie below in How to pick a pumpkin.

Using ordinary kitchen tools to carve the pumpkin
Chances are you have some kitchen tools other than the paring knife that will help you carve the Halloween pumpkin. . Your resident ice cream scoop, especially the old-fashioned metal kind, will do a terrific job of scraping out the seeds and strings. A grapefruit knife (the double-edged serrated type) is helpful for carving out large areas. After you've cut the big chunk out with the grapefruit knife, smooth out the edges with a sharp, thin blade. An apple corer makes a clean and perfect circle. A simple vegetable peeler, if inserted into the pumpkin flesh and rotated, carves the perfect nostril. Have fun and be careful!

Using a carpentry tool to carve the pumpkin
From a foodies fan in California, Land of the Cutting Edge:
"After you have scooped out your pumpkin, thin the wall down as much as is practical. Take a coping saw blade (an old worn-out one will do) and wrap about half its length in heavy tape to create a handle. Wrap it tight so the blade doesn't slip inside the tape. If your blade has a small pin through the end (for mounting in the saw), cut or break off about a half inch to eliminate the pin. Push the end of the blade through the pumpkin wall and start cutting. The blade is thin enough to turn sharp corners, allowing you to get some incredible detail. I find it helpful to sketch the design on the pumpkin first using a dry marker or ball point pen. Make sure you don't use a jeweler's saw blade. They're too thin and will just bend.

Make sure the blade teeth are pointed toward you so the blade cuts on the pull stroke (rather then the push stroke). Much better for control. Obviously, this also affects the way you wrap your tape handle. My favorite reason for coping saw blades vs. knife blades? It's almost impossible to sustain a life threatening injury while wielding a coping saw blade. Not true of knives and I have the scars to prove it. Happy carving!"


Advanced tip on carving pumpkins
For the serious carver: Hollow out the pumpkins and then let them sit around for a few days to soften them up. Stagger this process in the several days before Halloween - start with the biggest pumpkin first as it will have the thickest walls. Be careful - if you thin the walls too much, or if the gutted pumpkin gets too warm and rots, the walls may collapse. (see our tips on How to pick a pumpkin

How to pick a pumpkin
There are two types of pumpkin available commercially. Sugar pumpkins are usually the smaller, deep orange variety. Field pumpkins - also known as jack o' lanterns - are larger, a brighter shade of orange, and more suitable for carving. Although both varieties are edible, sugar pumpkins have a sweeter flesh and are better for cooking.
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1:03 AM | Posted in
How to choose a pie plate
foodies east suggests glass plates. The crusts brown better on the bottom and can be monitored more easily. Buy standard-sized plates (8", 9", or 10") if you're plateless-- deep-dish and other specialty plates can be added to the collection when you're ready to branch out. Most recipes call for standard sizes so you won't have to finagle the recipe.

foodies west prefers the good heavy ceramic plates. Kauffman's Hardware on Main Street in New Holland, PA, was always the place to find them. Glass can brown too quickly. The ceramic ones that are glazed inside and on the rim (but left unglazed outside) are the ticket. They discolor and improve with age and repeated apple filling spilling over the edge. As a kid, I got 1st prize for my crust in every New Holland Farm Show for a long time. So there!

How to use cold to create flaky pastry
Cold, cold, cold --the pastry, the marble slab (if you're lucky enough to own one), the water in the recipe. Cold fat congeals! Rumor has it some chefs even chill the flour, but be mindful that condensation can create lumps.

Should I use my Cuisinart to make a pie crust?
It's tempting to use a food processor to fling together a crust. In this foodies editor's experience, it is impossible to do so and create a pastry as flaky as one made by hand. Despite that caveat, an acceptable crust can still be made, so, if time is short, pull out the trusty Cuisinart. Chill the bowl and blade. Feather that pulse button! Inspect the texture of the dough carefully during pauses. As soon as the dough begins to form a ball, remove it from the machine.

How to use up pastry scraps
Butter scraps, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake like cookies. The chef deserves a snack!

foodies west, once again, begs to differ: "Like cookies"? No, no. They are spread with butter, cinnamon and BROWN sugar and then ROLLED into little loose tubes. They are called "Schnukerhiesen". No kidding.

On freezing pastry dough
Pie crust dough freezes better in a ball than rolled-out dough. A ball takes up little room in the freezer and it won't be broken when you shove in another half gallon of ice cream. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw at room temperature, in the plastic to prevent it from drying out, until only slightly chilled. Proceed with your pie.
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1:02 AM | Posted in
How and When to Pick and Wash Fresh Basil Leaves
If you are fanatical, water the plant a few hours before picking to perk up the leaves. Use only fresh basil from a plant that has not yet gone to seed. The leaves are at their sweetest before flowering. Pick just before preparation, bathe tenderly in cold water, and dry by gently blotting between layers of paper towel or dishtowels.

Freezing Pesto
As the best basil is seasonal, you may wish to freeze batches of pesto for a welcome return to summer in the colder months. Before preparing the pesto, have a sterilized glass jar with a lid and a roll of plastic wrap handy. The jar should hold only slightly more than the amount of pesto you are making. Prepare the pesto. Leaving a little space in the jar, pack in the pesto and cover the top with a 1/4 inch layer of olive oil. Press a piece of plastic wrap evenly over the surface of the oil allowing the wrap to hang over the sides of the jar. Screw on the lid and freeze immediately. Pesto will keep for weeks, if not months, if prepared properly. Thaw to room temperature before adding to a recipe.

Miscellaneous Pesto Notes
Pesto and pine nuts. May the two never be torn asunder. Forget what you read about substituting walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. Pignoli is the only ingredient that provides the creamy texture that binds this sauce.

Never heat pesto sauce - the basil will turn black and taste bitter.

Never use dried basil or you're in for a rude surprise.

Experiment with pesto - add it to soups, soft cheese, sandwiches, life.

When cut basil is exposed to oxygen, it eventually blackens. If you must make pesto ahead of time, cover the top of the batch with a light layer of olive oil and press a piece of plastic wrap evenly over the surface. Refrigerate. Leave the pesto out to reach room temperature before adding to a recipe.

Does your pesto taste a tad flat? Add 1/4 teaspoon of high quality balsamic vinegar to round it out.

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1:01 AM | Posted in
Tips on storing olive oil from Joy
Olive oil, like all organic oils, will turn rancid over time if not properly stored. Keep it away from heat, air and light. Don't be tempted to store it in the cupboard over the range or above the refrigerator. Most cooks like to have some handy at the stove. Keep some in a pretty opaque container with a pouring spout within reach of your hand but not of the cooking heat.

Do not store olive oil in the refrigerator--it solidifies at 36 degrees Fahrenheit. If you find your olive oil contains a layer of white solids, the bottle has been chilled. Leave it to reach room temperature-- the olive oil will not have suffered. Joy
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12:59 AM | Posted in
How to skin (blanch) hazelnuts
"To skin hazelnuts, spread them on a jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the skins parch and begin to flake off. Then wrap them in a towel and let them stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, working with a small amount of the nuts at a time, place them on a large, coarse towel (I use a terry cloth bath towel). Fold part of the towel over to enclose the nuts. Rub firmly against the towel, or hold that part of the towel between both hands and rub back and forth. The handling and the texture of the towel will cause most of the skins to flake off. Pick out the nuts and discard the skins. Don't worry about the few little pieces of skin that may remain."

Tips on storing nuts
"Nuts can turn rancid rather quickly--walnuts and pecans more so than almonds. Always store all nuts airtight in the freezer or refrigerator. In the refrigerator nuts last well for nine months; in the freezer at zero degrees they will last for two years. Bring them to room temperature before using, smell and taste them before using (and, if possible, when you buy them)--you will know quickly if they are rancid. If you even suspect that they might be, do not use them. They would ruin a recipe. Always store nuts in the freezer or refrigerator."
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12:58 AM | Posted in
Martini Tips

The measurement
"Be scientific. Use a jigger. If you don't know what a jigger is, use a measuring cup. 8 ounces = a cup. You figure it out. Record what works."

The vermouth
"Buy the smallest bottle of vermouth that will support your habit. Refrigerate after opening. After the bottle's been open more than a month, use it for cooking. Buy a fresh one for the bar."

The ice
"One often overlooked ingredient in the perfect martini is the ice that goes into the shaker. As we all know, ice absorbs the flavors around it. First, clean out the freezer. Give Aunt Edna's soup and everything else whose vintage is suspect the heave-ho. (Editor's Note: Jam a freshly opened box of baking soda between the frozen fish sticks.) Fill several children's ice pop molds with your favorite bottled water. Still water, not bubbly. I prefer the kind of long plastic mold that comes in a holder of six or eight. Three sets of this sized mold is enough unless you're having the House majority leader and his girlfriends over. Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the tops of the trays just in case your freezer is channeling the spirit of Aunt Edna."

"If you have a source for bagged party ice that you trust, go ahead and take your chances. I've always been wary of commercial party ice...is it tap water?...filtered water?...is it even clean water? It always tastes slightly metallic to me." (The Editor again: I recommend the Brita system for a quick tap water fix.) "Remember, you want the largest possible pieces of ice in the shaker. Do not use chipped ice. You'll pour out a martini that is about half water." (Egads!)

"This is a good time to frost some glasses. I douse them in water before I put them into the freezer. Filtered tap water works just fine for this purpose. Make sure you put them in upside down if you've used the water trick; otherwise, you'll end up with a little disk of ice in the bottom of the glass that will dislodge itself after the first sip, float to the surface of your drink, and paddle around staring at you."

"If, as a very last resort, you must use old ice, dump it all into a large bowl, fill with clean water and stir. Drain off the water and place the ice back in the freezer to 'set.' If the purity of your ice is suspect, use a few more drops of vermouth. Vow never to let it happen again."

The shake
Again, Flick Eggleston: "It's all about your own personal rhythm. I get sixteen shakes into ten seconds. That works for me. Don't shake too vigorously or too long or you'll break off shards of ice. They'll melt faster and dilute your drink. Much less than ten seconds doesn't get the mix cold enough. Experiment."
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12:57 AM | Posted in
Tips on using ice cream makers (electric or manual)

To ensure that the egg yolks and sugar of the ice cream base are completely mixed, do it by hand.
Let the base flavors develop overnight in the refrigerator. Adjust the flavor before churning.
Don't chintz on the flavorings - why risk the rest of the expensive ingredients? Choose natural, top quality flavorings and extracts.
Consider adding flavorings with alcohol toward the end of the churning process - alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than the other ingredients and may slow the process.
What NOT to do with salty waste water from the ice cream maker - don't dispose it on the grass or any living thing! (The Romans dumped their nasty old saline on Carthage in 146 B.C. decimating a perfectly good city, but the gelato sure hit the spot!)

How to scoop, serve and serve ice cream
A crust of ice crystals on leftover ice cream is sure a let-down for that midnight hankering! Follow these tips to prevent crystals from forming.

-"Temper" ice cream before you scoop - leave it at room temperature for 8-10 minutes before serving. Return ice cream to the freezer immediately after it has been served to minimize the formation of ice crystals.
Forget what your brother-in-law told you about nuking it for 10-20 seconds. Resist the temptation for immediate gratification! Ice cream is a good enough treat on its own!
-Serve ice cream in chilled bowls, preferably glass. Not only is the frosted bowl refreshing to look at, but the ice cream will retain its shape longer.
Scooping ice cream: A variation on a theme. Try this! Have a large Pyrex measuring cup or other heat proof container filled with just boiling water standing by. Dip the metal scoop into the hot water, let it heat up for a moment, and then DRY the scoop on a towel. Quickly drag the hot scoop across the ice cream creating tight rolls of the divine stuff. Do not smash the ice cream with the scoop. Think ribbons, not chunks. Repeat the process for each serving.
-To store opened ice cream, first place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and smooth it down lightly with your fingers. Then close the lid securely (use a rubber band if you have to) and return to the depths of your freezer.
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12:55 AM | Posted in
How to tell if an egg is fresh
Old wives' tales? Maybe. Lower uncooked eggs into a bowl of water. If the egg settles horizontally, the egg is fresh enough for human consumption. If it settles vertically, feed it to the dog. If it rises to the top, feed it to the hydrangeas.

How to hard cook eggs without cracking them
Cold water method or hot? Room temperature eggs or cold eggs? Cold water plunge or no cold water plunge? Here in the foodies kitchen, we tested every possible permutation-- this is how to hard cook an egg:

-Use fresh eggs, preferably organic or grain fed, as they peel more easily once cooked. They also have better texture
and flavor.
-Handle like eggs. Or nitroglycerin.
-Bring eggs to room temperature before cooking. This helps prevent cracking due to the sudden shock of temperature change and ensures a properly cooked egg. If you do use eggs right out of the refrigerator, add a minute or two to the cooking time.
-Simmer eggs. A roiling boil is too violent. Call them "hard cooked" instead of "hard boiled" and you'll remember
this hint.
-Don't crowd the pan. The eggs will knock each other and crack.
-In a saucepan, bring enough water to cover the eggs to a boil. With a slotted spoon, lower the eggs into the water. Quickly, bring the water back to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium heat and simmer exactly 10 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of cold tap water. The cold water will stop further cooking and create a gap between shell and egg for easier peeling. You may put the eggs right into a color bath now if you wish.

How to color eggs without the silly kit
In a bowl (not metal), pour in enough water and white distilled vinegar to cover the eggs. For pastel colors use one cup of water to 1 tablespoon of vinegar. (Intensify the color by reducing the amount of water used or leaving the eggs in the dye for longer periods of time.) Using basic food coloring, mix your own shade in the water and vinegar. Be sure the food coloring is completely blended so there are no "stains" on the eggs. Carefully submerge hard cooked eggs in the color bath, rotating frequently, until of desired intensity.

Egg coloring tricks
For an easy tie dyed look, wrap the egg with rubber bands before coloring.
Take a candle or other piece of wax and draw whatever you fancy on the egg-- the dye will not be absorbed by the wax.

-Mix some offbeat colors. Or use a very strong solution of dye and leave the eggs in it for a long while-- a deeply colored egg is gorgeous.
Fashion a ring to hold the egg at the end of a handle out of some seizing wire (or other stiff wire) and lower the egg very, very slowly into the bath to create a striated effect.
-Let kids decorate the eggs. Set some eggs aside that will not be eaten, collect odds and ends from house and garden, provide glue sticks, and let the little ones put Fabergé to shame.

How to peel a hard cooked egg
Cold eggs peel more easily than room temperature eggs. Gently tap the egg shell on the counter along the egg's "equator." Place the egg between hands and roll back and forth as if you were making a hot dog out of clay. You should feel the shell and membrane loosening from the egg white. Peel off the shell. If the shell is still coming off in irritating bits, peel under running water (this is the last resort).
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12:54 AM | Posted in
How to remove baked on food from your baking dishes
Scrape off loose bits of food. Put a couple of tablespoons of dishwasher detergent in the dish and add hot water. Stir the solution - a small wire whisk helps. The solution should be so heavy with detergent that it doesn't all quite dissolve. Leave it overnight. By morning, the baked on food will have lifted right off the surface of the dish. This works particularly well with glass baking dishes. Don't use this method on non-stick surfaces.

How to remove cooked on cheese (and other fatty foods)
Scrape off loose bits of food with a spatula or wipe them off with a paper towel. Then, blast the cheese with blazingly hot water while scraping with a brush or spatula. Be careful! What you don't manage to remove leave to the dishwasher. Leave the brush to the dishwasher, too. It will take care of those gummy bits of cheese better than thou.

How to remove cooked on rice, pasta or other starchy food

You left the stove to catch the Local on The Weather Channel and OOPS! First of all, if the rice has scorched, remove all the nicely cooked rice to a serving dish before the scorched food imparts a nasty flavor. Then, soak the pan in cold water. Cold, not warm, not hot. By the time you finish eating, your pan should have released the cooked on food. If not, try the method above for removing blackened, baked on food.

How to remove cooked on milk
Use the cold water method above (How to remove cooked on rice...). Attention Espresso/Cappuccino Machine Owners: You may know the trick of blowing a shot of steam into a towel and wiping down the steamer with the cloth to keep it clean. This doesn't work well if the milk has caked on. Soak the steam wand in a tall glass of cold water to soften the hardened milk, then wipe with a towel to remove it.

How to guarantee a clean, lint-free window
Run out of Windex? Don't panic. Don't even put it on the shopping list! Fill up the bottle with 3 parts of water and 1 part vinegar (don't waste the balsamic - use white or cider vinegar) and start spraying. Wipe your windows clean with newspaper. You'll be amazed!
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12:53 AM | Posted in
How to melt chocolate
Please note that melting chocolate is not the same as tempering chocolate. Tempered chocolate has been subject to certain temperatures and techniques that alter its chemistry. Tempering produces the texture and sheen we expect from fine chocolate candies. To temper chocolate, consult a candy cookbook.

The enemy of melted chocolate is water. Even a hot and humid day can ruin your efforts. Be absolutely sure that hands, utensils, bowls, surfaces - everything that comes in contact with the warm liquid chocolate - are bone dry. One drop of water in warm melted chocolate will cause it to seize (bind, clump and turn grayish in color).

The second nastiest enemy of chocolate is too high heat. It's so easy to scorch! No matter what method you choose to melt chocolate, use patience. Do not take shortcuts.

Microwave Method: Place chocolate (and shortening if you're making candy coating) in a small, deep microwavable bowl. Use a 50% power setting. Nuke in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. The chocolate will keep its shape even when melted, so stirring is important. Reduce nuke time to 10 seconds if you suspect chocolate is close to being melted. Alternatively, just let it sit for a minute or two to complete the melting process.

Foolproof Double Boiler Stovetop Method: This method takes more time, but there is actually less for you do than if using the microwave method. And it sure beats the more common stovetop method which calls for simmering the water and invites water droplets to settle in your chocolate! Fill a saucepan with water up to the point that the double boiler bowl would rest its bottom in the water when put in place. Put the lid on the pan and bring the water to a full boil. Remove the lid and don't even think of using it again. Turn off the heat. Place the double boiler bowl filled with chocolate (and grease if you're making chocolate candy coating) on top of the boiled water and set the timer for 25 minutes. Go away. Come back when the buzzer goes off and carefully stir the chocolate. If it still has a way to go, turn the burner on warm or low to help it along. When the chocolate has melted, carefully remove the bowl of chocolate and wipe off the bottom of it with a dry dishtowel. You're now ready to make that chocolate treat.

How to dip candy in chocolate coating
Don't even think of making chocolate dipped candies on a hot and humid day. See notes above on melting chocolate and moisture.

To create a chocolate coating of manageable consistency for candies and other treats, add shortening, peanut or vegetable oil in a ratio of 1 tablespoon grease to 6 - 8 ounces of solid chocolate and melt them together (see tips on melting chocolate above). Food grade canning wax may also be used (To find Coconut Creme Eggs, go to our Recipes page and click on the Desserts button.) The wax method creates the best consistency for dipping and the loveliest luster, but then you are eating a small portion of wax!

Special candy coating chocolate ("couverture") is available commercially. While the chocolate available in the supermarket is both economical and easy to find, you may enjoy experimenting with "professional grade" chocolate next time around.

Do not use butter or margarine in your coating mixture. Butter, particularly American butter, contains water. (Joy's Note: If you're doubtful, wring out a stick like a washcloth and watch the water drip out. I discovered this in the process of making brioche and croissant years ago.) All margarine is not created equal - don't trust it. A Hershey cookbook says even oil can contain some moisture and to use only shortening - our tests were successful with oil, but, admittedly, oil from a freshly opened bottle.

Melted chocolate may also be brushed on a candy center with a pastry brush. Think chocolate paint! Two or three coats may be needed.

Once your candy is coated and resting on the fork, tap the fork on the side of the bowl to shake off extra chocolate. Small, tight circular motions may also help to remove excess chocolate.

How to use "Baking Pan Liner Paper, A.K.A. Baking Parchment
"This is paper that is coated on both sides with silicone, which prevents cookies from sticking. It also controls the cookies' shapes (if you butter the cookie sheets, the cookies might run out and be too thin on the edges). These are the reasons I use it. But also, I don't object to the fact that I hardly ever have to wash a cookie sheet. And if I have too many sheets of cookies, I prepare the cookies all at once on pieces of baking pan liner paper, and then just slide a cookie sheet under the paper, and it's OK if the sheet is still hot.

In many or most of these recipes [Maida's] the directions say to line the sheets with baking pan liner paper or aluminum foil. Aluminum foil usually does almost the same thing that the paper does.

The baking pan liner paper comes on a roll like wax paper and is generally available in kitchen shops and hardware stores. It also comes in very large sheets in a big box available at wholesale paper companies and wholesale baker supply stores. I bought a box about ten years ago and I recently used the last sheet and had to buy another box. Unless you have a bakery, or unless you write cookie books, a box might be more than you want. But it's such great stuff, it's worth trying to find someone (or some two or three or more) to share it with.

The large sheets are twice as large as most cookies sheets. I work with ten or twenty pieces of it. I fold them in half, and then with a large, heavy, sharp knife, cut through the fold. I then have enough for several days of baking.

If you do a lot of cookie baking, try to get the large box. You'll love it."

Cookie cutters
"Cutters should be sharp, with no rough edges. If the cutter sticks to the dough, dip it in flour each time you use it. Always start cutting at the edge of the rolled-out dough and work toward the center, cutting the cookies as close to each other as possible."

Cookie Jars
"Cookie jars should be airtight. Many of the charming and artistic colorful ones I have seen are not. Glass jars with ground glass around the rim and the cover are airtight. Some plastic or glass jars with a rubber ring around the top are also airtight. But if I have a choice, I use Rubbermaid containers--these are airtight for sure."
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12:51 AM | Posted in
Tips on storing cheese
Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the temperature of our aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic, away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little mold on the outside, just cut it off. The English say if mold won't eat your cheddar it can't taste very good.

Tips on melting cheese
Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of oils and liquid.

Tips on freezing cheese
Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. If frozen for several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become crumbly when thawed.

Tips on serving cheese
It's universal thinking - cheese is served best at room temperature.
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12:51 AM | Posted in
How to properly blend brownie ingredients
Most brownie recipes call for melting the chocolate with the fat and adding this mixture to beaten eggs and sugar. Let the chocolate mixture cool completely before adding it to the eggs and sugar as it makes for a lighter brownie.

How to tell if the brownies are cooked
Brownies are cooked when the edges look hard, the top has cracked slightly, and the surface has a glassy appearance. The center should not jiggle when you shake the pan. The toothpick method works on cakey brownies, but not fudgy ones!

About cooling and cutting brownies
As they cool, brownies shrink from the side of the pan and set. Put them out of reach of the thronging hordes and don't cut until they've reached room temperature.

Help! I'm out of baking chocolate!
Substitute 3/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened) and 1/4 cup Crisco for 4 squares (ounces) of chocolate.
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12:49 AM | Posted in
How to use gluten in bread machines
Pure gluten has the appearance of flour. Add one tablespoon of pure gluten to the flour mixture of a 1 x1/2 pound loaf of bread destined for the bread machine. The gluten feeds the yeast. You will turn out a lighter and better loaf.
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12:46 AM | Posted in
Name that beef

"Beef tenderloin steak is also called filet or filet mignon. These extremely tender, boneless steaks are cut from the whole tenderloin."

"Round tip steaks, also called 'minute,' 'breakfast,' or 'sandwich' steaks, cook very quickly; take care not to overcook or they will be dry."

"A Porterhouse steak differs from a T-Bone in that the Porterhouse tenderloin diameter is no less than 1 1/4 inches measured across the center compared to the T-Bone tenderloin, which is not less than 1/2 inch."

"Delmonico" is a fancy name for ribeye. You'll find the word Delmonico more commonly in the Northeast (the original Delmonico's Restaurant was in NYC); ribeye is the label of choice in the Southeast.

Coals hot enough?

"Approximately 30 minutes prior to grilling, prepare the charcoal fire so coals have time to reach medium temperature. At medium, the coals will be ash-covered. To check the temperature of the coals, spread the coals in a single layer. CAREFULLY hold the palm of your hand above the coals at cooking height. Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand in that position before the heat forces you to pull it away: approximately 4 seconds for medium heat. Position the cooking grid and follow recipe directions. (For gas grills, consult the owner's manual for preheating instructions.)"

How to make hamburger patties?

"Use a gentle touch when shaping ground beef patties. Overhandling will result in a firm, compact texture after cooking. Don't press or flatten with spatula during cooking."

Buying beef
"Make sure the package is cold and has no holes or tears. Excessive liquid in a package may indicate improper storage or beef that is past its optimum shelf life."

"Look for beef that is firm to the touch, not soft."

"Choose beef with a bright cherry-red color, without any grayish or brown blotches. The exception is vacuum-packaged beef, which, due to a lack of oxygen, has a darker purplish-red color. When exposed to the air, it will turn to a bright red."
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12:43 AM | Posted in
You can fix this in under 15 minutes with a little practice. This can be a one pan, one colander meal. I do suggest you serve it on a plate. Read this recipe through before beginning to cook. (What I also learned at college: "Timing is everything.")

For each serving you will need approximately:

Ingridients:

1/3 lb of pasta (shells or tubes are nice-- they catch the peas)
1/3 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons of butter
1 small egg, beaten
a small garlic clove
1/2 cup loosely packed, shredded mozzarella or jack cheese
1/8 cup grated, good quality Parmesan or Romano and some for the table
freshly grated black pepper

Procedure:

In a large pot of rapidly boiling and salted water, cook the pasta uncovered and at a good boil. While the pasta is cooking, measure out the rest of the ingredients and have them standing by. Put the colander in the sink. Approximately 4 minutes before the pasta is cooked, be sure the burner is on "high." Stir in the peas, cover the pan, and bring the contents back to a boil as quickly as possible. Once the pot reboils, remove the cover while it continues to cook.

When the pasta is al dente, toss the contents of the pot into the colander (I told you to put it in the sink!). Put the hot pot on a handy surface. Don't worry about the peas. They are still cooking in the hot pasta. While the pasta and peas drain, quickly, and I mean quickly, throw the butter, the garlic clove, and the beaten egg in the still hot but empty pot. Immediately add the steaming pasta and both cheese. Toss like a mad person! Serve with plenty of freshly grated black pepper and a little more of that grated cheese.
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12:42 AM | Posted in
Ingredients per serving:

2 fillets of sole, flounder or, in a pinch, tilapia
1/2 cup Cheez-Its, crushed
1/2 cup Sauce Mornay (recipe below)
Nutmeg

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin to prepare the Sauce Mornay. While the butter and flour (roux) for the sauce are gently cooking, grease a baking dish that will just hold the number of rolled fillets you plan to cook. Dredge the fillets in the crushed Cheez-Its, roll them up, and secure with a toothpick. Arrange the rolled fish in the baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining crushed crackers.

Finish preparing the Sauce Mornay. While the sauce is reaching a boil, put some rice on to cook.

When the Sauce Mornay is prepared, pour over the fillets as evenly as possible and dust the top with nutmeg. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the fish is cooked through. While the fish is baking, prep a side salad, put your feet up for a few minutes, and look forward to a savory feast.



Sauce Mornay

Once you've made this sauce, it will become a classic in your cooking repertoire. Makes one cup.

Ingridients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup very, very hot milk (just before boiling point)
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

To create the roux (the butter and flour mixture), melt the butter in a small, deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Do not let it brown. Add the flour, and with a wire whisk, blend the roux until smooth. Cook the roux for a few minutes, stirring constantly, to reduce the raw flour flavor. The roux may darken slightly, but again, don't let it brown. Take the pan on and off the heat if necessary. Then, while stirring, add the hot milk all at once. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently from the bottom. Simmer gently for a few minutes as it thickens. Whisk in dry mustard, Worcestershire, and cayenne. Stir in cheese until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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12:41 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

2 or 3 dried porcini mushrooms (each the size of a quarter would be nice, or bits and pieces to equal that)
boiling water to cover the mushrooms
a couple tablespoons of chicken broth or bouillon
1 tablespoon of capers, drained
the zest of half an orange
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 pound fresh chicken stir-fry meat OR 1 skinless chicken breast, pounded
the juice of half an orange
1/2 a small anchovy fillet, mashed, or 1/ 2 teaspoon anchovy paste
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Put the dried mushrooms in a Pyrex cup and just cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak while you prep the remaining ingredients.

In a small saucepan, simmer the broth, capers, and orange peel. Chop the rehydrated mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Save a couple of tablespoons of the mushroom water for a later task (make sure it's not gritty). Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes and then move on to the next task.

In a saute pan, skillet or small wok, heat the butter and the oil until very hot. Add the chicken stir fry, brown quickly for just a few minutes and remove with tongs OR add the chicken breast and cook about 5 minutes per side until browned. Remove the chicken.

Let the hot fat and chicken juices reduce for a couple of minutes. Then, over high heat, return the chicken to the pan and add the sauce. Add the orange juice. Cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced even further, turning the chicken from time to time.

Remove chicken once more. Stir anchovy paste into a couple tablespoons of the reserved mushroom water and add to pan. Let the sauce bubble for a minute or two. Return the chicken to the pan, turn it a few times, and serve with plenty of the sauce on a good sticky rice or couscous. Good ol' reliable steamed broccoli on the side would be nice. Chocolate for dessert.
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12:40 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

1/4 cup flour
Salt and finely ground black pepper
6 veal scaloppine
6 paper-thin slices of prosciutto
6 fresh sage leaves
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Chardonnay*
Additional sprig of fresh sage

Procedure:

Place flour in a shallow plate or bowl. Add a couple of shakes of salt and pepper and stir with a fork. Dredge (dip) scaloppine in flour mixture and coat both sides. Pin a slice of prosciutto and a fresh sage leaf to one side of each scaloppine with a toothpick (sage on top).

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet or frying pan. Sauté scaloppine for 2 minutes on the veal side and 1 minute on the prosciutto and sage side. Be sure scaloppine is cooked through. Transfer to a heated platter and keep warm.

Turn the heat under the pan to high. Pour wine into the pan and stir well. Reduce over high heat for 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the scaloppine and serve garnished with a sprig of sage.
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12:39 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

Serves 4 - multiply recipe as needed.

1 large sweet onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil as needed
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 portobello mushrooms, about 4 1/4 to 5 inches in diameter, stems removed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 round sandwich rolls, split
1 cup diced, roasted red bell peppers
4 ounces Fontina cheese, sliced
Arugula (optional) or other leafy green

Procedure:

Separate onion slices into rings; toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper; spread out on a baking sheet. Brush mushrooms on both sides with olive oil; season well with salt and pepper. Put on a baking sheet. Bake vegetables at 500° F until onions just begin to brown and mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise on cut sides of each roll. When vegetables are done, layer 1/4 cup roasted peppers, 1 mushroom, one fourth of the onion slices, and one fourth of the cheese slices on the bottom of each bun. Top with several leaves of arugula (optional) or other leafy green; cover with top of bun. Return to hot oven; bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings
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12:37 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

7-8 pound pumpkin (sugar pumpkin, if possible - see Tips)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup white portion of leeks, minced
1/2 cup carrots, minced
1/2 cup celery, minced
4 cups beef broth (or half beef, half vegetable broth for a milder soup)
1 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or canned, diced tomatoes)
2 tablespoons farina (Cream of Wheat will do)
one bay leaf

Garnish:

sour cream (optional)
chives, minced (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

Cut a lid from pumpkin leaving the stem on as a handle. Clean it out. Brush 2 tablespoons of the melted butter on the pumpkin's interior and the underside of the lid. Then, sprinkle interior with salt and pepper. Replace lid and place pumpkin in a large oven-to-table pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan or skillet, sauté minced leeks, carrots and celery in 2 tablespoons of the melted butter until wilted, about 10 minutes. Add broth; heat to boiling point. Add tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Beat in farina. Ladle soup into the pumpkin and float a bay leaf on top. Put the lid back on the pumpkin and bake for 45 - 60 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender, but not soft.

To serve, ladle the soup from the pumpkin, scraping out a portion of flesh with each serving. Garnish with sour cream and chives, if desired.

Serves 6-8.
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12:37 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

3 to 4 lbs. chicken
10 chicken feet, scalded and skinned, nails removed
3 to 4 qts. water
1 tablespoon salt
2 stalks celery or 1/4 cup celery root, diced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 onion

Procedure:


Select an old hen (present company excluded). Ask butcher for extra chicken feet. Singe, clean and joint the chicken; then salt and let stand several hours or over night. Cover with boiling water and let come to a boil. Cover tightly, simmer slowly 3 or more hours, add the vegetables, boil 1 hour longer, strain, remove fat and add seasoning to taste. Take out the chicken before it falls to pieces and use for salads, croquettes or with brown sauce. Serve soup hot with noodles.
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12:35 AM | Posted in
For the broth:

Ingridients

about a dozen chicken wings
4 cups water
1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
2 chopped stalks of celery (preferably with leaves)
a few sprigs of fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Combine all the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a large kettle. Bring to a boil. Skim the froth off the soup. Reduce heat and simmer one hour or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken-- when it is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and chop it into bite sized pieces. Reserve the meat and discard the skin and bones. Strain the broth carefully through rinsed cheese cloth or a fine sieve. Return the broth to the kettle, salt and pepper it to taste, and bring it back to a boil.

For the Matzoh Balls:

Ingridients:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons chicken fat from the soup or plain Crisco
1 cup matzoh meal
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup water or broth
water and salt for boiling matzoh balls

Procedure:

Combine eggs, fat, matzoh meal, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Add enough water or broth to make a stiff dough. Chill dough for at least one hour. Put a pot of salted water on to boil as you would pasta. With wet hands, shape dough into 1" balls. Drop carefully into boiling water. Lower heat and cook at a steady boil, covered, for about 30 minutes or until matzoh balls are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon. Put the chicken meat and matzoh balls in bowls or the tureen and pour the hot broth over them.
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12:34 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

6 - 8 OSO Sweet Onions (chopped), or other sweet onion
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup of cream (or half & half, milk or skim milk)
1 cup of chicken stock, beef stock or vegetable stock

Procedure:

Preheat large saucepan on medium heat. Add butter or margarine and stir onions until they are coated with butter. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour. Remove lid and you'll find that the OSO Sweet onions have released their naturally sweet "nectar." (Onions can be cooked a day in advance if desired.)

Add cream or your choice of milk and stock and simmer uncovered until the soup has obtained the thickness and texture you prefer. For richer soup, use less additional liquid.

Season with herbs or salt and pepper if desired. However, the OSO Sweet's pure flavor is the highlight of this dish.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
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12:34 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

1/2 lb. butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans (not ground)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Procedure:

Cream butter, then slowly add sugar. Cream until light, then add vanilla, flour and pecans. Roll into 1" balls. Bake on an ungreased sheet for about 12 minutes at 350°. Don't brown. Roll in sifted confectioner's sugar while still warm and when cool, pack in an airtight container for 2 - 4 weeks. Pack each layer of cookies with confectioner's sugar between layers.
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12:33 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
5 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure:

Melt butter in a 9" square pan over low heat, then remove from stovetop. In a bowl beat eggs slightly; combine sugar, flour, baking soda and nuts and stir into the beaten eggs. Stir in vanilla. Pour this mixture over the melted butter in the pan - do not stir. Bake 20 minutes at 350°. Turn out of pan onto plate and dust the bottom (now the top!) with confectioner's sugar.
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12:32 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
optional food color paste

Procedure:

Cream butter and sugar until light. Mix in almond extract and food color paste, if desired.

Mix in the flour until dough stops clinging to the sides of the bowl and forms a rough ball. Shape as desired, chill for 30 minutes and bake, at 300 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Do not brown these cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen.
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12:31 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

3 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoons citrus oil or almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 - 3 cups powdered sugar
gel or paste food coloring

Procedure:

Mix water, extracts and salt in small bowl. Whisk in enough powdered sugar to form icing thick enough to pipe.

For the most successful color, use a paste or gel color rather than a liquid food color which may make the icing too runny and doesn't provide as intense of a color. Divide icing into several cups and stir in colors as desired. Pipe onto cookies with the small tip of a pastry tube. Quickly sprinkle the wet icing with desired decorations and allow to dry thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.
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12:31 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
4 cups flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla - beat until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. At low speed, add the dry mixture to the creamed mixer and mix until incorporated.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness and cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake approximately 8 minutes or until edges of cookies are just beginning to turn a light brown. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack (or just slide the cookies, parchment and all!) and cool completely before decorating.
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12:30 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia*
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar or decorative sugar

Procedure:

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar till smooth. Add the egg and the Fiori di Sicilia, again beating till smooth.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the wet ingredients, and beat until the mixture forms a cohesive dough. Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls, and shake them in a plastic bag (or roll them in a pan) with granulated sugar or coarse sugar, until they're thoroughly coated. Place the balls, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased cookie sheets. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten the balls to about 2 inches in diameter, about 3/8-inch thick. If you want a more shiny-sugary, cracked appearance atop the cookies, flatten them out, brush them with a bit of water, then sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they're a VERY light golden brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. As they cool, they'll become crisp. If you want them to remain crisp, store them in an airtight container when they're totally cool. If you want them to get a bit chewy, leave them uncovered, or store in a bag with a slice of apple or a brown sugar softener.

Yield about 20 to 24 large (3-inch) cookies.
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12:29 AM | Posted in
Ingridients:

3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cups (12 ounce) semisweet chocolate morsels

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate in a small cup or bowl set in a pan of simmering water, stirring often until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and powdered instant coffee and mix well. Beat in the melted chocolate. Stir and toss the flour, soda, and salt together and add them to the chocolate mixture, beating until completely blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes, until they have spread slightly and the tops look dry. Remove from the oven and transfer to racks to cool.
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12:28 AM | Posted in
Ingridients

1 cup shortening (margarine or Crisco according to the original recipe, but butter is divine and they'll just turn out bit flatter)
2 cups sugar, with extra for "rolling"
2 eggs
1/2 cup mild, unsulphured molasses (I use Grandma's)
4 cups unsifted flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
A teaberry for each cookie (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and 2 cups sugar. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy. Mix in the molasses. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to shortening mixture and beat until smooth.

Roll into small, walnut-sized balls. Roll in a shallow dish of the extra granulated sugar until coated and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Put a teaberry in the center of each ball. Press slightly so it won't roll off. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 -15 minutes. (Don't overbake - they should be chewy in the center.)

Makes 7 dozen cookies.
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12:14 AM | Posted in

Ingridients

1 (9-inch) prepared Graham Cracker Pie Crust*
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 medium-size very ripe Hass avocados**
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream

Procedure

* Check out my Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe.

** If an avocado is ripe, it will yield to a gentle pressure.

Refrigerate graham cracker crust until well chilled.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, lemon juice, and unflavored gelatin; let stand 4 to 5 minutes or until softened.

In a large bowl or the food processor, combine gelatin mixture, avocados, and sweetened condensed milk. Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until the filling is firm. In a small bowl, whip heavy cream and sour cream together until stiff peaks form. Serve pie topped with prepared whipped cream mixture.

Makes 8 servings.
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12:10 AM | Posted in

Ingridients

Vegetable Oil, Olive Oil, or Butter (your choice)
4 medium freshwater catfish fillets*
1 cup cold milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 to 3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
Lemon wedges

Procedure:

* To clean a whole catfish, remove skin from the catfish, then slice the fillet across to a thickness of no more than 1/4 inch. The secret to frying catfish is using thin fillets less than 1/4-inch thick.

Rinse the fillets under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. In a pie place, lay fillets and pour milk over the top. In another pie plate, combine cornmeal, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Remove the fillets one at a time from the milk and roll in the cornmeal mixture to coat evenly; place on a large platter to dry. leaving space between them. Let dry at least 5 minutes.

Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet (I like to use my cast-iron frying pan). Add the coated catfish filets and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, sprinkling additional salt on the catfish after each turn. Cook until golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork. Drain on paper towels. After draining, place the fillets on another platter covered with paper towels; place in preheated oven to keep warm while frying the remaining fillets. The fillets will remain hot and crisp for as long as 35 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings.

Deep-Fried Catfish Recipe

Ingridients

Peanut Oil*
4 medium freshwater catfish fillets**
1 cup cold milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 to 3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper

Procedure

* Use enough peanut oil to completely cover fish while frying.

** To clean a whole catfish, remove skin from the catfish, then slice the fillet across to a thickness of no more than 1/4 inch. The secret to frying catfish is using thin fillets less than 1/4-inch thick.

In a large pot or deep fat fryer, preheat peanut oil to 357 degrees F. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Rinse the fillets under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. In a pie place, lay fillets and pour milk over the top. In another pie plate, combine cornmeal, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Remove the fillets one at a time from the milk and roll in the cornmeal mixture to coat evenly; place on a large platter to dry. leaving space between them. Let dry at least 5 minutes. Place 4 to 6 pieces of catfish at a time in the hot oil to fry (don't crows the fryer or the oil temperature will drop too much). Fry 6 to 7 minutes per side or until the catfish fillets are a light golden brown and the meat flakes easily with a fork. A simple test for properly fried catfish is to pick up a fried fillet by one end and not have it bend or wilt.

Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain. After draining, place the fillets on another platter covered with paper towels; place in preheated oven to keep warm while frying the remaining fillets. The fillets will remain hot and crisp for as long as 35 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.
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12:07 AM | Posted in

Ingridients

2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups half & half cream
4 teaspoons finely grated onion
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest (rind)
1 1/2 pounds flaked blue crab meat*
1/4 cup crab roe**
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Procedure

* If you live in parts of the country where blue crab is not available, other types of crabmeat, such as Dungeness, snow, king, or rock crab, may be substituted.

** Two crumbled hard-cooked egg yolks may be substituted for the crab roe.

In a large, heavy pot over low heat, melt butter; add flour and blend until smooth. Slowly add milk and half & half cream, stirring constantly with a whisk; cook until thickened. Add onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, white pepper, mace, cayenne pepper, and lemon zest. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, add crabmeat and crab roe or crumbled hard-cooked egg yolks; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes (if the soup appears about to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a minute or so, then return). Remove from heat and add sherry, stirring to mix. Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.

To serve, pour the soup into individual heated soup bowls, dividing the crabmeat and roe equally into each bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.
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12:05 AM | Posted in

Ingridients

1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined*

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups hot stock (shrimp, chicken, or vegetable)

1/4 cup butter

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup stone-ground grits**

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and black pepper to taste

6 bacon slices

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped green or red bell pepper

Procedure

* Add add flavor, place the shells of the shrimp in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer over low heat approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the broth, discarding shells. Add shrimp broth to hot stock.

** If using quick-cooking grits (not instant, reduce cream to 1/2 cup and reduce stock to 1 cup.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream water, and hot stock; bring to a gentle boil. Add butter salt, and pepper. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly (so that the grits do not settle to the bottom and scorch), until all are added; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (be careful not to scorch mixture), or until the grits are tender.

NOTE: Grits should have absorbed all of the liquid and become soft and should have the same consistency as oatmeal (moist, not dry). If the grits become too thick, add warm stock or water to thin. remove from heat.

Sprinkle shrimp with lemon juice, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until brown but not crisp. Remove from heat and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Coarsely chop bacon when cool. Reserve 4 tablespoons bacon grease in the frying pan. Add onion, garlic, and green or red bell pepper; saute 10 minutes or until the onion is transparent. Add shrimp mixture and bacon; saute 5 to 7 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test). Remove from heat.

To serve, spoon hot grits onto individual serving plates and top with shrimp mixture.

Makes 4 servings.
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12:03 AM | Posted in

Ingridients

Creole Tartar Sauce (see recipe below)
1 pound lump crabmeat
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 green onions including green tops, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup fine dry white bread crumbs (approximately), plus additional for topping (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons melted butter

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare Creole Tartar Sauce; refrigerate. Pick over the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Worcestershire, Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, and the beaten egg; set aside.

In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Add the celery, onion, green onions, bell pepper, and parsley; cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat and allow the vegetables to cool completely.

Stir the cooled vegetables into the mayonnaise sauce mixture. Gently fold in the crabmeat and enough breadcrumbs to hold the mixture together without being either too soupy or too dry.

Either spoon some dressing into 8 crab backs, individual ramekins, or into a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the top of the dressing lightly with breadcrumbs then drizzle with melted butter.

Place the deviled crab in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is a golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve hot with Creole Tartar Sauce on the side.

Yield: 2 pounds or approximately 8 servings.

Creole Tartar Sauce
Ingridients

1 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade or Best Foods brand)
1/4 cup Creole mustard
3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons minced green onions with tops
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/4 cup chopped dill pickle
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Procedure:

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, Creole mustard, parsley, green onions, onion, dill pickle, cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

Place in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Yield: 2 1/4 cups or 8 servings
Category:
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12:03 AM | Posted in

How to Stir Fry in Your Own Kitchen
Every week or so I get a craving for Chinese food. There’s something about those crunchy vegetables, tender meats, and incredible flavors that forces me to dig out a menu buried in a kitchen drawer and order from a local restaurant.

The Chinese have a way of manipulating food that I wanted to learn about so I dug out the wok that I inherited when I got married and started reading up and experimenting. What I learned about the ancient technique of Stir-Fry is you have to be prepared before you start. Often I talk about prepping ingredients before you start cooking, but this is a must when doing stir-fry. In fact prepping the ingredients will take longer than the actual cooking. Once you get your pan hot…..you can’t stop.

Stir-frying will also give you some practice with your cutting skills since each ingredient will be bite size (Have you ever seen a knife in a Chinese restaurant?) and have different cuts. Once prepped, I like to put the ingredients in individual bowls separated by cooking times. The technique is to quickly fry the ingredients in a large pan over high heat while constantly stirring to preserve flavor, color and texture of the food and keep the vegetables crisp. Easy enough.

Typically one uses a wok; a large deep bowl made of thin metal with gentle curved sides. The heat concentrates at the bottom of the pan and the curved sides allow you to push the ingredients to cooler areas. You can use a typical frying pan, but it won’t cook as fast thus keeping your vegetables as crisp as you would want. Other than a few specialty ingredients, you can use whatever you have on hand to make a stir-fry. It’s a great way to clean out the vegetable drawer. Because you’ll be cooking at very high heat, you want to use a high smoking point oil like peanut, safflower, corn, or canola. Some of the specialty ingredients that you should be able to find at your local supermarket are soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and chili sauce. Short or medium grained rice is best for accompanying your stir-fry.

You start by prepping the meat or chicken. Cut the meat into thin bite-size slices and marinate to protect it from overcooking. The marinade can be made with a variety of liquids depending on the flavor you are trying to obtain. Typical marinade ingredients include chicken or beef stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, corn starch, brown sugar, rice wine or dry sherry. Marinate for a least one hour, longer is better.

Prepare an aromatic mixture consisting of finely chopped herbs and spices that will add flavor and aroma to the stir-fry. Typical aromatics include garlic, scallions, red pepper flakes, shallots, and chili peppers to name a few. Next prepare your vegetables by cutting them into small pieces and separating according to their cooking times. Slower cooking vegetables like asparagus and green beans will be added before faster cooking vegetables like pea pods and tomatoes. Now you’re ready to stir-fry.
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12:01 AM | Posted in

Pan Roasting—the Chef’s Secret Cooking Technique
One of the best cooking techniques you can learn and most used by professional chefs!

If I could teach you just one chef’s technique that will help you save time in the kitchen and deliver a thick cut of meat to the table with a perfect sear and juicy medium-rare throughout, it would be pan roasting.

This is, hands down, one of the best and most efficient cooking methods around. Pan roasting takes advantage of conductive heat from the stove plus radiant and convective heat in the oven to cook thicker cuts perfectly and in short order.

You won't find this pan roasting technique in many cookbooks but is a technique taught in every culinary arts school and used by professional chefs every day.

Some chefs use this technique as part of their mise en place. They sear the meat during prep time, hold it in a low boy refrigerator and finish the cooking process to order in the oven. Even if the technique is used without any holding time, this cooking method saves time over straight oven roasting and is more practical than pan frying for thicker cuts of meat.

Here’s what you will need:

•a heavy pan that will retain heat and is oven safe (cast iron is really ideal for this)

•a lean cut of meat at cool room temperature

•canola oil

•salt and pepper

•kitchen tongs and oven mitts.

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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, F.

Preheat the pan over medium-high to high heat. Make sure the pan is good and hot. The trick is to have it hold its heat as much as possible once you put the meat in. That’s why cast iron is ideal—even though it is not as conductive as some metals, once it heats up, it stays hot for a very long time.

Once the pan is very hot, add enough canola oil (or other neutral oil with a high smoke point) to coat the bottom. Wait a minute or two for the oil to get good and hot, season your meat with salt and pepper, and place it in the pan. Make sure there is a lot of pan real estate around the meat. You don’t want to crowd the meat and risk steaming rather than searing.

How you proceed from here is up to you. I’ve seen people sear one side and then finish the whole thing in the oven. I’ve also seen chefs sear all sides of the meat and then finish in the oven. I say that, since we’re looking for an amazing crust and a moist, juicy interior, go ahead and sear all sides on the stovetop.

Once you are happy with your sear, place the meat in the oven to let it finish cooking. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat and remove it from the oven about five degrees cooler than the target temperature. Cover and let the meat rest. Carryover cooking will finish the process.

I cannot give you a specific temperature for doneness—this depends entirely upon the cut of meat you choose: fish steaks, beef tenderloin, chicken, or pork; check your recipe for doneness temperatures.

From start to finish, pan roasting should take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes, depending upon the thickness of the meat you are cooking. One of the great bonuses of pan roasting is taking the few minutes that the meat is resting to make a quick pan sauce with the drippings in the pan.

De glaze with the liquid/s of your choice, reduce, check for seasonings and finish the sauce with a pat of butter or maybe a splash of cream. Elegant enough for a dinner party, but attainable on a busy weeknight.
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11:57 PM | Posted in

My 5 Step Method for Preparing Professional Quality Brown Sauces

As a home cook, one of the hardest things for me to accomplish when first starting out was making a rich velvety brown sauce to serve on steak, lamb, veal, pork, or even chicken. I could put together a pretty good pan sauce using the dripping after sautéing or roasting a piece of meat but it never quite had that incredible intensity that I experience when dining out at a great restaurant.

It wasn’t until I spent some time reading about sauce making and speaking with a few chef friends that I learned it isn’t so much the “how to” but the “ingredients” that make the difference. Using my 5-step method to making a great brown sauce is easy if you have all the necessary ingredients and I will give you some great resources for find them.

What is a Sauce?

According to Food Lover’s Companion, a sauce is “a thickened, flavored liquid designed to accompany food in order to enhance and bring out its flavor.” Now that can cover a lot of territory. It goes on to say, “In the days before refrigeration, however, sauces were more often used to smother the taste of foods that had begun to go bad.” I’m sure we have all had experiences that have proven this true even in the days of refrigeration……Think back to your high school cafeteria.

But in the 19th century, the French created an intricate process for making sauces that is still being taught in cooking schools all over the world. This process involves numerous steps and if you have the time, I highly recommend James Peterson's, "Sauces" and Raymond Sokolov's "The Saucier's Apprentice". They are entirely devoted to just this subject.


Why is it so difficult to make great sauces at home?

As Chef Alton Brown says in his cookbook, I’m Just Here For The Food, “By and large, most home cooks don’t do sauce…and that’s too bad. Traditional sauces are indeed scary.”

The process just to prepare the key ingredients that go into a sauce takes a lot of time. It starts by making a stock with roasted beef and/or veal bones, reducing them for at least 12 hours, continuously skimming the pot,straining the liquid to remove the bones, reducing some more, adding a roux (a mixture of flour and butter used as a thickening agent) and you now have a nice brown sauce or sauce espagnole.

A professional chef will then reduce this brown sauce further to make a demi glace, the mother of all sauces. These guys spend a lot of time in cooking school learning how to do this and take great pride in the sauces they can make with it. These stock reductions are the foundation to hundreds of classic sauces being served in fine restaurants.

Why can’t I just use a bouillon cube?

Unless you want to ruin an expensive cut of meat by covering it with a salty, corn syrup reduction, I would stay away from bouillon cubes or any of those cheap packets of instant sauces you see in your local supermarket. Just look at the ingredients to see if what’s inside is real or simply processed. You can’t build a sound house without a strong foundation. The same is true when making sauces.

What’s a home cook to do?

Since making a great sauce at home depends of finding a good stock reduction or demi glace, I would like to offer you the following resources.

Make it yourself. A great experience but one most of us will not take on.
Make friends with the chef at your favorite upper end restaurant and see if he or she will share some of their brown gold with you. Be prepared to beg or pay through the nose to get them to part with this stuff. Not likely, but worth a try.
Hire a personal chef to make it for you. You may end up having to subscribe to years worth of dinners, which isn’t all that bad, but you will have your demi.
Buy it a high-end gourmet store. If you really search hard, you may be able to find stock reductions in the refrigerator section of some really high end stores. You won’t get much, but you don’t need a lot and it won’t be cheap.
Williams-Sonoma is now selling their own stock reductions. I have not had that much experience with them but they usually sell high quality items.

My Quick & Easy 5 Step Method Quick Look
•Sauté a shallot in butter
•Deglaze pan with wine
•Add demi glace
•Reduce
•Season with salt & pepper
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Sauté a chopped shallot or small onion in one ounce of butter (1/4 stick) for 1-2 minutes until translucent.
Deglaze with 1/2-cup red wine and reduce to an essence (approximately one tablespoon of remaining liquid). Be sure to remove the pan from the heat before deglazing.
Add 8 ounces of demi-glace.
Reduce the sauce until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.
Season with freshly ground pepper to taste.
One last item that is optional but often used by professional chefs is a pat of butter. It adds a bit more flavor and shine to the finished sauce.

Alternatives

At this point you have a delicious sauce that you can serve or use as a base and layer in more flavors by adding additional ingredients including fresh herbs and spices, fruits, chutneys, relish, or cream.

If you are adding mushrooms or other ingredients that need to cook a bit, add them to the pan right after you add the wine and let them cook while the wine is reducing.
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11:47 PM | Posted in
Whether you want to believe it or not, Brining Is Better!
I have heard for years that brining is the secret to cooking moist meats and chicken but have resisted from practicing it myself. After numerous letters from visitors about dried out pork chops, I decided to give brining a chance and All I Can Say Is, Give Brine A Chance.

You can see what I had to say about brining pork chops on my Blog under Brining Is Better. There is also a recipe from Jim Tarantino, the master of brining and author of Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glaces, for his All-Purpose Basic Brine.

I followed that Blog up with Some Brining Tips discussing what type of salt you use and how all salt is not the same. Because different salts come in different sizes and shapes, one cup of table salt does not equal one cup of kosher salt. For example, there are approximately 8 ounces per cup of Morton kosher salt but 10 ounces per cup of regular table salt. This can have a huge effect on the brining recipe you are following.


Water -- 2 quartz, 1 gallon
Damond Crystal kosher salt (4.8 oz per cup)-- 1/2 cup, 1 cup
Morton kosher salt (8 oz per cup) -- 1/3 cup, 3/4 cup
Table Salt (10 oz per cup) 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup
Sweeteners -- 1/2 cup, 1 cup
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11:45 PM | Posted in

Simple techniques to take the guess work out of grilling
For all you guys out there who are already grill masters, read no further. But for the rest of us mere mortal home cooks who would like a few tips about grilling, read on. I have to warn you: when researching the technique of grilling, I found so many differing viewpoints that I decided to provide those tips that were in general consensus or made the most sense to me.

The Right Way to Grill

From what I learned from reading and experimenting, the right way to grill is what works for you, and the only way to get really good at grilling is practice. I sometimes ask my wife when out for dinner, "How come when I grill fish it isn’t perfect like this?" The answer is I may grill a piece of fish once every two weeks and professional chefs grill a lot of fish everyday. I guarantee if you grilled as much fish as one of these pros, your fish would be perfect too.

I could do a whole article (and maybe someday I will) on the different cuts of beef which are best for grilling steak. You could write a book about how to use various rubs and marinades to enhance flavors. Also, we often use the terms grilling and barbecuing interchangeably, but they are different. Traditional barbecue is done slowly with low cooking temperatures and a lot of smoke. Grilling depends on a higher temperature to sear what you are cooking to keep the juices in. So here are some tips and ideas for grilling.

What is Grilling?


First of all grilling is a lot like broiling. Both use direct heat, but when grilling the heat source comes from below and when broiling the heat source is from above. Both methods are great when cooking tender cuts of beef, chicken, fish and vegetables. Make sure whatever you are cooking isn’t too thick or it will burn on the exterior by the time the inside is done. Although grilling is considered a healthy way of cooking because much of the fat will drip into the fire, be careful to avoid flare-ups from the fat. Not only will you potentially burn what you are cooking and give it an acrid flavor; you can create a nasty fire hazard.

When I was growing up my father (the self-appointed grill master) only used charcoal as a fuel source. (I’m not even sure they had gas barbecues back then.) He made the common mistake of not using enough charcoal at the start or replacing it when it burned down. Result, the food never seared properly so the juices were released and the meat dried out.

He also used the self-starting charcoal briquettes that gave the food a funky chemical taste. I’ve been told you can buy real lump charcoal with no additives and it makes a big difference, but I’ve never been able to find it so I opted for a gas grill. Easy to control the heat and even easier to maintain. I’ve even experimented with adding some pre-soaked chunks of Hickory wood to give an additional boost of flavor.

Clean Grill

It’s critical you start with a clean grill. There’s nothing worse than grilling a beautiful Filet Mignon and having it taste like red snapper. The time to remove all the residue with a wire brush is right after you finish cooking while the grate is still hot. If you wait until it’s time to start cooking, some of the scrapings can fall into the flames and cause a flare-up. Before you begin heating the grill, brush it or spray it with a little vegetable oil to prevent food from sticking. This is especially important if you are using a sugary basting sauce.

Hot Grill

It’s also vital that your grill is hot well before you start. Many of us, especially with gas grills, wait until right before we start cooking before we crank up the heat. Mistake. Preheat that grill 15 to 30 minutes before you intend to start cooking. Have all your cooking tools ready and standing by. This not only includes apron and utensils, but seasonings and basting sauces as well. And be sure to have a spray water bottle on hand in case of flare-ups.

Know thy Grill

Every grill is different and will have different hot and cool spots. It’s important you learn where they are and use them to your advantage.

Prepping ingredients
If you’re grilling up a steak you may want to cut off any excess fat and season with a little salt before you start. However with chicken, you may want to pre-cook it in the microwave or oven to cut down on cooking time and give you more control of browning. With fish filets, I like to place them in a zip lock bag with a little olive oil and herbs but you can also prepare a glaze to coat them just before grilling. Remember to bring items to room temperature before grilling.

Marinade
Marinades are great for adding flavor to what you are grilling. Check your cookbooks for which marinades work best for your ingredients. The longer you marinate the better. It’s best to marinate overnight in the refrigerator and if you are going to use it for basting, make sure you boil it first to kill any bacteria that may be present. Also be sure to pat dry the meat, chicken, or fish before grilling so the marinade doesn’t cause flare-ups. Barbecue sauce is used to baste what you are grilling and although commercial barbecue sauces are a big business, the essential ingredients are: tomatoes, vinegar, onion, mustard, and brown sugar. So experiment and create your own special sauce.

How Long Do You Cook It?

I guess the most frequent questions I’m asked are "how long do you cook it for?" and "how can you tell when it’s done?" Although every cookbook you pick up has guidelines for each ingredient, it once again comes back to experience and touch. I would suggest you follow your favorite cookbook guides to grilling but start touching the foods at different intervals to get a feel for firmness and texture.

For example, as a general rule, I like to cook a 1 1/2-inch New York Strip steak for a total of ten minutes. I start by grilling for 2 1/2 minutes, then turning it 90 degrees and cooking for another 2 1/2 minutes, flip the steak over to it’s other side and repeat the process thus giving the steak the classic grill marks. At the same time I test the steak with my finger to feel for various degrees of firmness. Medium cooked feels like touching your cheek. If you really want to get specific, you can use an instant thermometer.

For steak, 115 – 120 degrees is rare, 125-130 degrees is medium rare and 135 – 140 degrees is medium. Don't forget, the meat will continue to cook once you remove it from the grill to rest, so you may want to remove it before hitting your target temperature so you don't overcook it.

Grilling Tools

Everyone seems to have their own favorite grilling techniques, tools, marinades, family recipes ....often secret. And if you like gadgets, you'll love grilling since there are a plethora of great tools to enhance your grilling experience. Check out my Grilling Tools for a few examples.

This only touches the surface of what there is to learn about grilling as a cooking method. The best advice I can give any home cook is practice as much as you can. It’s a great way to cook without a lot of mess, especially in the summer when it’s too hot to cook inside.
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11:42 PM | Posted in

The Art of Braising - a simple cooking technique with huge outcomes!
What Is Braising?
Braising is a cooking technique in which the main ingredient is seared, or browned in fat, and then simmered in liquid on low heat in a covered pot. The best equipment to use would be a crock pot, pressure cooker or Dutch oven. LeCrueset makes a range of enameled pots and pans that are good for either the stove or the oven. They work well too.

Whether you choose to use the oven or the top of the stove, you will be pleased with the results. Braising is often used as a way to cook less expensive, tough cuts of meat. The end result is tender and flavorful. Other than great taste and economy, there are other reasons to cook this way.

After searing the meat, the remainder of the cooking time (until sauce/gravy preparation) does not require much attention. Once the heat is reduced, you can go about cooking other things, do some chores or take a break. This is also a plus when entertaining: you have more time for your guests.

Yet another plus of cooking with this method is that the meat tastes great and you also get delicious broth, sauce or gravy. It’s one pot cooking at it’s finest. There isn’t much to cleaning up and anything leftover can be reheated or frozen and reheated for later.

This method of cooking is great for tough cuts of meat but also works well with chicken, fish and/or vegetables. You can braise in a crock pot, pressure cooker, large saute pan or the most often used cooking vessel for braises, a Dutch oven.

Some popular dishes you may have heard of that use a braising technique are osso buco, pot roast, braised veal & lamb shanks and braised cabbage. You can braise just about any meat, fish or vegetable you want and be as creative as you like with seasoning, but there are some ingredients that are better for braising and some you want to cook using other techniques like grilling or roasting.

9 Simple Steps to Great Braised Meat
There are 9 basic steps to braising meat:

(1) Season the main ingredient with salt and pepper.

(2) Heat a few tablespoons of oil and/or butter in a heavy pan or Dutch oven.

(3) Saute meat or vegetables in the pan on medium-high heat until the meat browns.

(4) Deglace the pan by pouring broth, stock, wine or juice and scrape any pieces of meat that are stuck to the pan and stir.

(5) Add cooking liquid (water, stock, wine, juice or some combination) to the half-way point of the main ingredient.

(6) Cover and place the meat on the middle of a rack in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

(7) Cook until completely tender. This can range from 1 hour to 6 hours, depending on what you are cooking.

(8) Remove the pan from the oven and strain the meat and vegetables out of the liquid.

(9) Remove the excess fat floating in the liquid, and then reduce the sauce to desired thickness by cooking it down over low heat until it thickens. Or, make gravy by adding a mix of equal parts fat and flour (a roux).

The Science of Braising?
If you’re curious about how cooking in this fashion makes tough, leathery meat tender, it’s done by cooking the meat slow, moist and covered over low heat for a lengthy time. This process breaks down the tough connective tissue in meat to collagen. Through time, the moisture and heat build and the collagen dissolves into gelatin. Heat also contracts and coils the muscle fibers.

Over time, these fibers expel moisture and the meat becomes dry. Given even more time, these fibers relax and absorb the melted fat and melted gelatin. As for the vegetables, braising breaks down the cellulose in them and stretches the starches. The long and short of this is that everything becomes very tender.

Without getting to specific, the meat that we eat is muscle and made up of muscle fibers and connective tissue. The muscle fibers are the long thin strands we can actually see and think of as meat. The connective tissue is the thin, translucent film that you sometimes ask the butcher to remove and helps hold the bundles of muscle fiber together. Connective tissue is made up of mostly collagen, a very strong protein that breaks down if enough heat is applied to it.

So braising meat is about breaking down tough connective tissue and changing it into collagen by applying moist heat for a period of time depending on what you are cooking. With more time and heat, the collagen breaks down and dissolves into gelatin. It takes a temperature of about 140 degrees F. to break down the collagen into gelatin.

What happening to the muscle fiber while this connective tissue is breaking down (collagen is melting)? The fibers start to contract, coil and expel moisture. In effect, the heat is drying out the meat like squeezing a sponge. As the process continues and the meat breaks down, you end up with very tender but very dry meat.

The good news is at some point, the muscle fibers have had enough and they begin to relax. When this happens, they begin to absorb back some of the moisture which just happens to be the melted fat and gelatin giving the meat a wonderful texture and flavor. And don't forget you have all this wonderful liquid made up of melted fat, gelatin and whatever cooking liquid you started with.

And this is why braised meat tastes so incredible when cooked properly.

What Ingredients Are Best For Braising?

Meat

When it comes to meats, you want to stick with the tougher, less tender cuts that come from an animals more exercised muscles. These cuts tend to have more connective tissue that breaks down making the meat tender and flavorful. A lean cut from the loin area is a waste to braise. The meat is already tender and has little fat or connective tissue.

Some good cuts of meat for braising include:

Top Blade Roast

Chuck Eye Roast

Seven Bone Roast

Ribs

Brisket

Shanks

Short Ribs



Chicken

The best cuts of chicken, in my opinion, are the legs and thighs although lots of people like to raise a whole chicken. You also want to be sure to use chicken on the bone with skin so you get all the fat and connective tissue. There's really no reason to braise boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You are better off sauteing or grill them.

Fish

Although you can braise just about any fish you like, I think large, firm fish are the way to go. Shark, swordfish are worthy of a braise but tender filets like tilapia or even cod will just fall apart on you. If you do braise a more tender cut like flounder, be sure to shorten the braising time.

Fruits & Vegetables

Again you want to stay with the hardier varieties. Squash, sweet potatoes, leeks, parsnips, carrots, beets, cabbage and onions are great braised alone or along with meat and chicken. In the fall and winter, I like to braise meat with firm pears and apples but in the summer, I might braise chicken with pineapple.

Braised Vegetables - the science is the same expect the moist heat breaks down the vegetable's cellulose and expands its starches. The fibers soften giving the vegetables an incredible texture and flavor depending on the cooking liquid you are using.

When braising meats with vegetables, you may want to keep in mind that the vegetables will cook much quicker than the meat. You might want to wait until the last hour or two of cooking to add them so that they aren’t over cooked.
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