Cooking Tips Articles & News
How To Organize Your Christmas Baking Without Going Crazy
There is nothing more comforting than the smell of Christmas cookies fresh out of the oven. As a little girl, I remember eagerly watching my mom, as she would carefully remove the hot cookie sheets from the oven. I couldn’t wait to help decorate with the homemade frosting, the cinnamon candies and the multi-colored sprinkles that would make each cookie design come to life. Those were different times then. Mom didn’t work outside the home and family lives weren’t as hectic as ...
What Is Nouvelle Cuisine?
The 1970's brought a great deal of upheaval and new ideas to the forefront, and the world of cuisine was no exception. In June of 1975, the British magazine Harpers & Queen coined a term to refer to a new type of food that was sweeping the world: Nouvelle Cuisine. What is nouvelle cuisine? It is, in a word, the marriage of health-conscious California to traditional France. Consider it an updated version of French cuisine- flavorful food with a light-handed, healthy approach. ...
The Greatness Of Gumbo
Perhaps nothing is better known as a staple of Cajun cuisine than gumbo, a spicy, hearty stew or soup whose name literally means “okra”. Called one of the greatest contributions of Louisiana Cajun kitchens to American cuisine, it came to that state with the first French settlers, who loved bouillabaisse, a highly seasoned French stew. Unable to find their usual ingredients to make bouillabaisse, they substituted local ingredients such as shrimp, fish, and okra. After a century mixing with ...
Grilling Vs. Barbecue
Grilling and Barbecuing, two of the most popular cooking methods in the U.S., especially in warmer weather. There are some who know the difference between grilling and barbecuing, and some who don't. Do you?
Working with Eggs
Bad eggs are rare but they do occur. Crack eggs into a separate bowl before mixing with other ingredients. If the egg is bad it will have an unmistakeable odor.
Grilling Tips – Safety Comes First at the Barbecue
You’re standing at the gas grill in the hot sun, wiping the sweat from your brow, and having your favorite cool drink. You are making one of your favorite grill recipes for the neighbors that are coming over in a few minutes for a home and garden party. You are using your brand new gas grill with all of the bells and whistles. You even went to the trouble of sending out fun invitations you found on the internet and you have just the perfect theme picked out for your party. Your new pool ...
Slimming Secrets From The Kitchen
To get the svelte figure, start in the kitchen. Slimming down is about taking in less calories, while you burn more calories through exercise.
Is Your Cookware Poisoning You?
For over 40 years scientists have known that the fumes from hot non-stick surfaces can kill pet birds such as canaries. So just how dangerous are they to you?
Chinese Cooking: Sauces And Spices
Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn't bother!
Chinese Cooking Utensils
There are quite a few traditional utensils that have been used in cooking for thousands of years in China. Some of them are still seen in most of families, some can only be seen in rural areas, or may be disappearing in the modern world. But to cook authentic Chinese food that always tastes like grandma's, some of the utensils simply cannot be replaced by what you see in American stores.
The Noble Crescent Roll How to Roll a Masterpiece
Ahhh…the noble crescent roll. In some forms it has its origins in the Middle East and in Europe. We know that during the 1600’s crescent rolls of some form were being baked in Vienna. There is one thing that we do know for certain: no matter which form you choose to bake them in today, they are sure to please the most discriminating palate! That sumptuous aroma, sneaking through the halls and lurking in every corner of the house, is enough to get my taste buds humming. Can you smell it? That ...
Chinese Cooking: Special Ingredients
I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooking ingredients (shark fins and bird's nest) in my previous article. Here I'll continue to introduce some other special ingredients that are more regularly used in our daily cooking. They are far more affordable. Not like shark fins and bird's nest, people can only dream about in China unless you have plenty of money and don't know where to spend.
Kitchenaid Stand Mixers – A Kitchen Work Horse
Kitchenaid stand mixers are very popular in today’s kitchens and it is easy to see why. These stand mixers have stood the test of time and have shown themselves to be kitchen work horses.
Digital Kitchen Timers – Never Burn Another Dish
Digital kitchen timers come in many shapes and sizes. Timers are an indispensable tool in the kitchen. If you do any cooking or baking a timer can avert kitchen catastrophes. No one wants to work hard on a recipe only to have it be under cooked or worse burned because the timing was not right.
Pyrex Mixing Bowls – A Kitchen Favorite
Pyrex mixing bowls typically come in sets of 3 with a small, medium and large bowl that sits snuggly inside each other. Pyrex has been around for almost 90 years. Over 75 percent of households in America own at least one piece of Pyrex.
Herbs and Spices the Essence of Flavor
In any number of cookbooks and recipes you will find advice on which herbs go with what. I’m not going to take that route.
Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apples
When buying apples, look for those that are firm and brightly colored. Shiny red for Macintosh, Rome and red Delicious. Clear green for Granny Smith and golden yellow for Delicious. Always avoid bruised apples. When an apple is damaged, the injured cells release polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that hastens the oxidation of phenols in the apple, producing brownish pigments that darken the fruit. It's easy to check loose apples. If you buy them packed in a plastic bag, turn the bag upside ...
Low Fat Cooking Tips
Here are some low fat cooking tips to help with your weight loss diet planning: Low-Fat Supplies - -Keep these on hand. Butter-flavored low-fat vegetable cooking sprays are out there. So is apple sauce in place of some oil in recipes. Also keep the following handy: lemons, limes, your favorite fresh herbs and spices, evaporated skim milk, cornstarch, plain non-fat yogurt, flavored vinegar, and onions. Substitute – Check recipes and ingredients and where ...
How To Eat Fresh Vegetables – Ideas for Working More Veggies Into Your Diet
Fresh, uncooked veggies are so healthy and it’s important to work them into your meal plan somewhere. The majority of American’s don’t eat enough vegetables and most vegetables consumed in the American diet are cooked potatoes in the form of french fries. American’s need more vegetables in their diet – and not in the form of crispy fries.
Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots
When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm, plump orange fruit that gives slightly when you press with your thumb. Bruised apricots should be avoided. Like apples and potatoes, apricots contain polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that combines with phenols in the apricots to produce brownish pigments that discolor the fruit.
Homemade Whipped Cream
Most grocery stores carry cans of whipping cream ready to spray onto your favorite desert. Some of these cans even come in chocolate flavor. But, instead of choosing to use canned cream how about whipping your own.
How to Choose the Right Smoke for the Right BBQ Dish
BBQ smoke is one of the easiest ways to add a nice touch of flavor to a grilled dish. You'll be amazed at how many different flavors there are! Knowing which smoke is the best match for different BBQ flavors can be a challenge though. Here's a handy guide to help.
7 Things to Consider when Buying a BBQ
BBQ as we all know is an abbreviated form of barbecue or barbeque. The BBQ has assumed so much importance today that you could call it the crown. You could ideally locate the BBQ near the main cooking area to derive maximum utility. Here are 7 things which you could consider before purchasing an ideal BBQ.
Barbeque Grilling has Reached a Whole New Dimension
Grilling on the barbecue has never been more exciting. Not only do barbecues come in a myriad of designs and options, but also with the advent of popular cooking shows, cooking books and magazines’, grilling has reached a whole new dimension. Grilling is no longer just about steaks and burgers, barbecue grilling is full of adventurous and elegant recipes and menu plans. Some of the tantalizing grilling ‘recipes have names like grilled mango blossom, grilled portobello’s with avocado ...
Grill Your Corn for Maximum Flavor
There's two basic theories on grilling corn. Some people prefer wrapping the corn in aluminum foil or its own husk, maybe with a little butter and seasonings, then cooking it on the grill until done. This is essentially roasting the corn, and while its an option it's not really grilling in my book. Corn wrapped in aluminum foil doesn't get any smoke, or char, or magic grilling vapors, or any of the other things that contribute to the unique taste of grilled food.
How to Care for Your Cast Iron Skillet (includes recipes)
Some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten were made by my grandmothers in their cast iron skillets. Tender, flaky catfish; finger-lickin’ chicken; and mouth watering cornbread were the traditional scrumptious fare. Today, we have a new generation of cooks, and they are conjuring up all sorts of new and tempting recipes to cook in cast iron skillets that have either been handed down through generations, or picked up brand-spanking-new at the local Williams-Sonoma store. But before I share ...
Roasting Meat Temperatures and Times
Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, I still see recipes that insist you should cook meat at high temperature for the first twenty minutes or so to seal it and then lower the level for the rest of the cooking time.
Swordfish, How To Buy, Store, Cook And Enjoy It.
Swordfish belongs to the group of fish that have recently become more appreciated for their contribution of omega-3 essential oils to the diet. These fats, which have to be provided by the diet, have now been shown to have a host of health giving benefits including combatting rheumatoid arthritis, heart attacks, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, psoriasis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, multilple sclerosis and even mirgraine headaches. Doctors and nutritionists ...
Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok
Non-stick woks do not require seasoning, and come with simple cleaning instructions from the manufacturers, while steel carbon and iron woks require seasoning. Cleaning a seasoned wok is a lot different than a non-stick wok, and this is what we will cover here.
Chinese Cooking Technique: Thicken
“Thicken”, or “Thickening” is a very common technique used in both Chinese restaurants and household kitchens. It is very easy to prepare, but if not used properly, can really mess up the presentation. Below is a brief description of “Thickening”. You can learn more about other Chinese cooking techniques in the Techniques section of our website.