Gourmet Cooking Recipe - 3 Tips To Ensure You Never Go Wrong Picking Recipes

Getting Gourmet Cooking Recipes from the Web

Going on the internet to search for gourmet recipes, will give you a large variety of irresistible and mouth-watering recipes that you can print out and try them at home for your family and friends. Many recipes on the web are protected by professionals, but there are innumerable recipes that you can print out which you will find suited to you and your family's taste. These recipes are provided by people who realize the need for outstanding and unique recipes. You can search for any particular type of food on the internet, and print it out in no time.

Making the Right Choices

Anytime you feel like cooking gourmet food at home, you would do well to follow these tips, so that your family gets the best food which tastes equally good.

1) Always get the best quality foods. Any recipe that requires a particular cut of meat, see that you get just that, even if it is more costly. Although there may be other less expensive cuts of meat, by using the one that the recipe recommends, will ensure that your efforts in cooking will be rewarded, as it will be authentic.

2) While cooking, professionals usually use convection ovens, and this is probably not what is used in homes. Therefore, if a temperature converter is used (this can be found on the web) then you can make the necessary adjustments with regard to the cooking temperature and the time taken for cooking, so that your dish can turn out perfect. When you search for a gourmet recipe, make sure that you find out the type of oven that is used, so that you can make the necessary adjustments.

3) Sometimes, many ingredients are difficult to find, and these are a must in gourmet cooking. In that case, you would do well to consult with your fishmonger or butcher, so that they can help you with useful tips. The supermarket is usually stocked with most of the ingredients that you will need while preparing a gourmet dish, but a better idea is the specialty location which will have all the ingredients required in gourmet cooking.

There are so many gourmet choices and that is what makes the dishes so popular and the taste so great. But it requires time to see that you get the right quality of meat, the ingredients, whether they are fancy vegetables, cheeses or exotic spices to make the dish tasty and outstanding. You will find that preparing a gourmet dish will be expensive, as the ingredients will have to be top notch. It will also take longer to prepare but that is what gourmet food is all about - perfection and taste. So be patient and enjoy the final result.

Once-A-Month-Cooking: How to Make Your Plan Work

As one of the oldest children in a family of nine, I know that cooking for a crowd can almost be a full-time job. Once-a-month-cooking has been a lifesaver for our family. In the beginning though, when we first heard of cooking 30 meals in one day, it sounded rather impossible. It was not until we had tried it, though, that we found it is not only possible, but it can even be quite simple and fun!

Blessings

If you are skeptical about taking on what might seem like an overwhelming task to you, let me first share some of the blessings which have resulted for our family from once-a-month-cooking.

o It has saved us many hours of trying to figure out what to have for dinner and answered the infamous question, "What's for dinner?"

o We have been more readily able to show hospitality to other families when the main dish is already made and in the freezer. (We usually plan ahead for this by doubling or tripling seven to ten of the recipes on cooking day to use as "company meals.") In like manner, it is much easier to being meals to needy families when you have casseroles in the freezer ready to be pulled out and heated at the drop of a hat. (We also plan for this by preparing many of the dishes in disposable pans.)

o It saves time (You only have to do mountains of dishes one day a month, not every day! You also don't have to start dinner at 4:30 p.m. or earlier everyday... just pull dinner out to thaw in the morning.) and money (You can usually save quite a bit by buying in bulk).

o We are brought closer together as we spend a special day as a family cooking these meals.

o This is an excellent lesson in Home Economics for your children. Mom always has the oldest girls plan the menu, grocery list, and strategy for the cooking day. She often has us do the grocery shopping, as well.

Planning

Proper planning is essential for a successful cooking day. I usually start planning at least a week in advance. First, pick which day will be your cooking day. Clear your schedule that day. You will want to focus your energies entirely on cooking.

Menu Planning: After you have chosen your cooking day, begin menu planning. Go through your cookbooks and find recipes suitable for freezing. Strive for variety. My list usually includes: one-dish dinners, meatloaf, meatballs, layered casseroles, soups, chili, hamburgers, meatless dishes, and so on. Make sure that you include a number of family favorites, in addition to any new recipes you may be trying out. You do not want to fill your freezer with meals your family won't find appetizing! When you write down your menu, make sure and write down the cookbook and page number the recipe came from. In addition, mark whether you are planning to double or triple the recipe.

Make Your Grocery List: Using your menu list, write down the quantities of ingredients needed for each recipe. I like to categorize like ingredients on five to seven different lists (meats, vegetables, cheese, pasta, spices, etc.). Take these lists and combine all like ingredients onto a final list. For example, if there are fifteen recipes calling for one pound of ground beef, you will write "15 pounds ground beef" on your final grocery list.

After you have made your final grocery list, make sure and check your cupboards to see what you might already have on hand. You probably have most of the seasonings. But be sure that if you need four teaspoons of garlic powder, you actually have that much in the jar. I have not checked thoroughly before, and it has been real headache.

I have found it most helpful to keep a separate "food preparation list" along with my grocery list which states what is to be done with the items which I need large quantities (Such as, if one the items on your list is "20 pounds of chicken breasts," note beside that item how many cups need to be cooked and diced, how many chicken breasts need to be cooked and left whole, how many need to be left frozen, etc.).

You will also want to make sure you have plenty of freezer bags and foil on hand. These will be essential on your cooking day.

Cooking Day Strategy: It is wise to develop a basic cooking day strategy of what you will do when. This does not need to be an exhaustive list, but it will save you time and effort if you have planned the basic order of what you will be cooking when. If you are going to be working together as a family on cooking, plan who is responsible for what tasks. Although everyone will need to be flexible, it will definitely save hassle to have most of the schedule worked out ahead of time.

Shopping: The day before you begin cooking, do your grocery shopping. Make sure you do not rush through this. Read your list thoroughly and check to get the best deal.

Cooking

The sooner you can start in the morning, the better. Begin by cooking the meats, grating the cheese, chopping the onions, or whatever bulk preparations your "food preparation list" says you need to do. If you have planned to make soups, you should start these early on, as they usually need to cook for longer.

Cooking the meat is one of the most time-consuming projects and you will probably find you end up browning ground beef and boiling chicken most of the day! As much as is possible, use all of the burners on your stove at the same time.

Keep soapy water in the sink at all times and take turns being on "dish duty." As soon as a dish is used, wash it. This will save you from having an enormous mess at the end of the day. You might also find it helpful to take a five-minute kitchen cleaning break every hour or so to wipe down the counters and put things away which you are no longer using.

Freezing

What do you do with the completed dishes? Here are some guidelines for freezing:

o We always designate the kitchen table as our "finished recipe" zone. We often have someone who is specifically just working on labeling things and taking them to the freezer from the kitchen table.

o Proper labeling is a key factor in making sure you know what you have in freezer. Make sure you label the containers with the recipe, the cookbook it came from, the page number, how many it serves, and any additional instructions for the dish. Also write out a list with all of the recipes you make and freeze and how many they serve on the outside of your freezer.

o Transfer soup to a big bowl and cool for about an hour. You can either place the soup in plastic freezer bags or plastic containers with lids (32 oz. cottage cheese and yogurt containers work well for this).

o Most other recipes can be transferred to plastic freezer bags. Do not fill the bags very full, as foods expand when frozen. Do not put anything which is still hot into bags. You will likely split the bag at the seams and have a gigantic mess to deal with!

o Use smaller labeled bags for cheese or anything else to be sprinkled on top once the dish is cooked. Make sure you keep these in a very accessible place in the freezer.

o If the recipe is something like lasagna which cannot be frozen in a plastic bag, freeze it in the size of pan the recipe calls for, cover with foil, and label.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to give once-a-month-cooking a try. If you are like us, you will soon wonder how you ever lived without cooking this way! You could also simplify this plan and just cook for two weeks at a time to start.

For further information, ideas, and recipes, I highly recommend you read Once-A-Month-Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg and Dinner's in the Freezer by Jill Bond.

Happy Cooking!

South Indian Tamil Brahmin Cooking

South Indian tamil Brahmin cooking is purely vegetarian. A typical meal consists of more than a couple of vegetables and various Indian spices. Spices play an important role in the cooking -- and it has been like this for many hundreds of years. Recent scientific studies have revealed the important role these spices play in maintaining good health example Fenugreek as digestive aid, turmeric for its healing properties etc.

A typical Brahmin cooking will not include any onions and minimum or no garlic. In recent years though these two are being used for most of the brahmin recipes. There is a huge range of recipes -- brahmins have mastered the art of vegetarian cooking.

Brahmin Sambar
Plantain podimas
Beans Paruppu Uslil
Vathakulambu
Upma Kozhakatta
Puli Ponga
Aviyal
Kootu Varities
Brahmin rasam
Poriyal varities

Some of the popular tamil brahmin sweets are:

Sundal
Puttu
Kolakattai
Payasams

One quick note -- these dishes are not exclusively for brahmins alone but are mentioned in here because they are cooked quite often by brahmins.

For breakfast, some of the popular dishes are idli, dosa, adai and upma. Lunch and dinner is usually eaten with appalam. The meal is ended with curd rice (thair sadam). This cools the body and is good for digestion as well.

Some of the popular snacks are bonda, seedai, bhaji, sevu, murukku and pakarora. Tamil Brahmin Cooking is simple, yet delicious.

The offerings made to Gods and Goddesses are referred by Brahmins as Bakshanams. Here are some of the popular offerings:

Kolkatta
Muruku
Kesari
Pongal (sweet and not sweet version).

Crock Pot Recipe For Spicy Shrimp Chowder

Cooking is truly an experiment; what foods work with what spices, how much, the variables go on and on. For many, cooking without a recipe or even altering a recipe is a scary thing. They follow recipes exactly, worried that the cooking police might come find them if they don't.

And so, I offer you my Spicy Shrimp Chowder recipe. You will notice the ingredients are in two categories - what you can alter and what you can't. (Please notice which list is longer and that even the necessary ingredients have options.) What I have offered you is a choice, a sort of "experiment with a guide". I have it listed the way I make it (although I often think my husband sneaks in more red pepper when I'm not looking) but please feel free to add or subtract, increase or decrease amounts, or whatever else you want to please your palate. For some altering hints, I've added a list below the recipe instructions. Enjoy!

Necessary ingredients

2- 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups eight vegetable or tomato juice

1 cup white wine or water

½ cup rice

Other ingredients

2 cups celery, chopped

1 green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp ground red pepper

1 pound pre-cooked, tail off shrimp

Spray 5-6 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except shrimp and rice in slow cooker, cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Stir in fish and rice. Cover and cook on high an additional 45 minutes.

Hints for alteration

- For soupier chowder, add an additional 1 cup juice and/or ½ cup wine.

- Make with any firm fish such as tuna steak, halibut, or haddock cut into 1 inch cubes.

- Increase or decrease celery, bell peppers, and onion according to your tastes.

- For a spicier chowder, increase garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and/or ground red pepper. You could also add some hot sauce if desired.

The point is to get confident and creative. Create recipes for you - ones that you will enjoy. Find this and other recipes at http://www.natalies-recipes.com.

Campfire Cooking Recipes - Chili

You can't have a collection of campfire cooking recipes without a good smokey pot of chili in the mix. Fire cooking with cast iron cooking just spells the great outdoors. What could be better depending on how hot you want that pot of chili than cooking it in a dutch oven and place on hot coals? And chili can be made so many ways that even a little celery and carrots added with some salt and pepper wouldn't turn up anyone's eyebrows if the mood struck to toss them in.

Traditionally the cast iron dutch oven is placed over the hot coals and about 1-2 Lbs of ground beef is added to brown with some chopped onion and garlic. Add about 2 Tbs of chili powder and stir to mix well. You can add some peppers of your choice depending on how hot you want to make it from mild with a sweet pepper to holy cow with some hot spicy peppers. You'll want to drain off the fat as the ground beef browns. You might want to throw in a couple pieces of bacon to give it that smokey taste and add a little Worcestershire sauce or about 1/2 Tsp of liquid smoke. Just keep letting the meat brown up nice but not burn and keep mixing in those peppers, onions and garlic.

When the meat is nicely browned and the onions, garlic and peppers are tender you can add canned kidney or chili beans to the meat mixture juice and all. If you like your chili with just a tiny taste of sweetness try adding a can of pork and beans. Continue simmering your chili over the campfire and stir to keep it from sticking. The chili will thicken as it continues to simmer over the coals or your wood fire.

Meanwhile you can take out a cast iron skillet and treat with a little oil. What goes better with a pot of campfire chili than a skillet fun of cornbread? You can actually make a box of cornbread that you bought in a store but instead of cooking it in an oven you just mix the ingredients together and pour into the cast iron skillet. Place the lid on the skillet and place it on the grate over the fire. The cornbread will cook in the covered cast iron skillet and you'll have a full flavored bread to go with your campfire chili.

Chili doesn't have to be made with ground beef either as other meats work just as well like buffalo, venison, ground pork and even chicken. Chili can also be made with no meat at all or with meat and no beans. Let's not forget either that chili can also be made with stewed tomatoes, tomatoes and diced peppers, tomato sauce or even vegetable juice if necessary. Garnishing chili with a little shredded cheese never hurts either or a spoonful of sour cream if you have it and some chopped green onions and let's not forget the corn chips for that added crunch instead of crackers.

Crockpot Cooking and Pumpkin Soup

There are lots of types of food you can make in a crockpot, including stews, casseroles and more. But what about soup recipes and pumpkin soup in particular? You might not have considered making soup in a slow cooker before but there are a few reasons why you might want to think about using this unusual cooking method for your favorite soup recipes.

Three Great Things about Crockpot Soups

First of all, crock-pot cooking is easy. Some of the many types of soups you can make in your crockpot include classic pumpkin soup, bean soup, tomato soup, broccoli soup and lots of others.

With a lot of crock-pot soup recipes you simply add the ingredients to the crock-pot, let it cook all day and then puree it in a food processor or blender. You can make extra soup and freeze what you do not want to eat immediately. If freezing your pumpkin soup omit the milk or cream in the recipe. When you thaw it, you can add that afterwards.

Secondly, a slow cooker brings out the flavors of your food like no other cooking method. Vegetables become juicier and sweeter and all the flavors you add to the soup recipe blend and combine together perfectly.

Another great reason to make soup in a crock-pot is that it is ready when you are. You can add the soup ingredients in the morning, go out all day and the soup will be ready when you get home.

Some slow cookers have programmable warming options so you can set it to cook on low or high for the right number of hours and then to keep your soup warm rather than cook it any more.

If you are using an old or simple crockpot, one of the best things about crockpot cookery is that the timing for your recipes is flexible and does not need to be exact to the minute.

If you are cooking soup and it needs to be left to cook for six hours, you will find that if you get home half an hour late the soup will not be ruined because it has been cooking over such a low heat.

Tasty Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is one of the nicest kinds of soup to make in a slow cooker. There are many different types of this delicious, hot soup that you can choose from and these include curried pumpkin soup, a simple canned pumpkin soup recipe, an old fashioned, classic pumpkin soup and lots more.

Crockpot cooking brings out the natural juiciness and sweetness of pumpkin, enhancing its naturally delicious flavor. The flavor of pumpkin goes just as well with sweet ingredients like apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, and fruit as with savory ingredients like carrot, potato, chicken broth, and broccoli. Depending on your personal taste and preferences there are lots of types of pumpkin soup recipes you can choose from.

Dutch Oven Cooking Camping Recipes - 4 Steps To Prepare Dump Cake

If you want to prepare tasty camping meals with ease on your next camping trip then Dutch oven recipes for camping is the answer to all your questions. Egg bakes, roats or stews, cobbler or other sweet desserts and various other dishes are some of the delicacies you can prepare with your dutch oven. Now you can cook and eat those dishes that were only your desires in previous camping trips.

Whether you are outdoors or on a camping trip, dutch oven would enable you to prepare the delicious dishes at your campground. This opens a new world of entertainment for you at your camping trip and makes it a success. Now you can enjoy many such dishes around your campfire and impress your fellow campers. All you need to do is to build a campfire and carry a camping oven with you to cook all these recipes.

Gone are the days when campers used to miss their fresh and warm desserts after meals. Now with dutch oven, you can easily prepare some dinner treats for your friends or family. Dump cake is one of the favorite camping recipes nowadays.

You need two ingredients and your camping oven to prepare this delicious dump cake. All you need to do is to follow these steps:

1) Put one can of fruit or peaches in your dutch oven.

2) Add one box of white cake mix on the fruit in the oven.

3) Place your dutch camping oven on hot coals. Also place some coals on the top lid of oven.

4) Bake the cake in dutch oven until it is golden brown and a crust is formed.

You need to practice the dish to ensure that you heat the dutch oven at proper temperature. Moreover, you would learn new techniques and have an idea of number of hot coals to use. Most important is to carefully monitor the progress of the baking process.

Many a times people burn the bottom of the dump cake that spoils its taste. You can alter the baking temperature by adding or removing the hot coals from dutch camping oven. If you are referring some cooking recipe book then number of hot coals to use is also mentioned in the recipe to ensure that you do not end up burning your dish.

Campers like dishes that can be altered with the type of ingredients available with them as there are no extra supplies on a camping trip. Only the available ingredients have to be used. You can add various types of meat or vegetables in dutch oven stew that makes it very easy for you to prepare it. You may also add some roast, sausage or hamburger with your vegetables. Celery, onion, potatoes, carrots, cabbages etc. are some of the vegetables that you can add up in stew with ease.

You may use canned vegetables or cut and store them with you for your camping trip. Remember, that you need to brown meat first of all and then add vegetables and some water. You may also add some seasoning of your choice. Stew may be left for stimmering whole day. So, whenever you return to the camping site, your dish would be ready to eat.

Benefits of Convection Oven Chicken Recipe

Why should you change over to convection cooking for oven chicken recipe?

Baking chicken in a gas oven or traditional radiant oven is passe. Nowadays, using convection oven for the purpose of baking is the best method for cooking oven chicken recipes. There are many different reasons for this but the most important reason is that the time it takes to make the dish reduces by around 30% as compared to a traditional oven.

The idea behind this is the use of fans in a turbo oven to regulate hot air. Ovens work by heating the air present within it and in turn heating the item placed within them. Turbo ovens by using moving air to cook chicken, do not require you to regularly open the oven and flip the chicken over. Not only that there will be, no cool and hot spots on the baked chicken thus, giving a completely cooked meal. This is advantageous when cooking for vegans because vegetables when partly cooked can taste awful. With fan ovens, you can even make great stews daily.

When preparing light meals, using a fan oven is great as it makes them quick and preserves the nutritional value as well. Any oven chicken recipe that requires a long time to cook will also require a high temperature setting. With fan ovens, you can do the same dish at low temperatures and in a shorter duration because of which the nutritional values of the dish remain intact. You also save electricity because of the above said reasons as well.

When you are cooking for a party, it is often a pain baking chicken items. Switching over to fan ovens will save you the pain in making great tasting oven chicken dishes. Try making baked chicken legs with paprika powder in a turbo oven. You will only have to bake for a meager 20 minutes at a low temperature of 120° and your dish is ready. Even if you run out of chicken legs during the party, you can stack up on marinated chicken and just put them in the oven and have it ready in 20 minutes. Thanks to turbo ovens you will not miss any part of your party and never run out of finger food as well.

Other than these advantages, in a convection oven it does not matter where you place the items to be baked, they bake uniformly well irrespective. So, you can simultaneously make two to three items in a fan oven. In every party, you will have to cook for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. This is often quite a hassle with traditional ovens. You will have to make each item one after the other. But, with a large fan oven all you have to do is put all the dishes together and set the temperature and timer. Voila! You got yourself multiple party dishes hassle free.

Making oven chicken recipe has never been this easy and quick. If you have not yet changed over to a convection oven system, then do so before your next party and call your friends and family and treat them to a memorable soul experience.

Cooking Squash in the Crockpot

Nothing says fall like a delicious winter squash. The tender orange flesh is so good when it is roasted covered with butter and brown sugar. It is hard to make on busy weeknights, however, because squash can take up to an hour to bake. Did you know that your crockpot cannot only cook you a nice roast while you are away, but it can also handle squash? It is true! You can have your delicious winter squash cooking merrily away while you are at work or running errands. Make a quick main dish to go with it and dinner is ready, complete with a great vegetable.

Remember that setting your crockpot to High generally cooks twice as fast as the Low setting. If you are going to be out all day, set it to Low so your food is not overdone. The general rule of thumb is that if a food takes 8 hours to cook on Low, it will be done in 4 hours on High. For most slow cookers, Low is approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit, while High is about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Your particular model may vary slightly. Try to resist the temptation to lift the lid. Each time you do, it adds 20 minutes to your cooking time. Crockpots can be used for many types of dishes like this. You can also use them for desserts and even for baking. There is a lot more to crockpots than meets the eye.

You can use other types of winter squash in this recipe if you do not have butternut. Acorn, Hubbard and many other varieties of winter squash all taste great in this recipe. If you really want to jazz it up a bit, put some bacon in there with the squash. Using your crockpot is also a great way to prepare squash on Thanksgiving while the oven is otherwise occupied. You can always jazz up your squash by adding some carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas so you can make a true winter vegetable medley. Make the most of your crockpot and use it for more than just stews and main dishes!

Recipe for Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

This is a simple way to get tender, delicious squash.

What You Need

• 
  1 large butternut squash


• 
  1 cup apple juice


• 
  4 Tablespoons butter, melted


• 
  1/4 cup packed brown sugar


• 
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to Make It

Cut the butternut squash into quarters lengthwise. Cut off the stem and scoop out the seeds.

Pour apple juice into your crockpot.

Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Place two quarters of the squash in the bottom of the crockpot. Drizzle half of your butter mixture over the squash.

Set the remaining two quarters of squash on top of the first two crosswise. Drizzle with the remaining butter mixture.

Cover and cook on the Low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Squash should be tender when done.

Serves 4.

Slow Cooker Chili Recipes - The Easiest Way To Spice Up Your Cooking

Slow cooker chili recipes are one of the easiest ways to enjoy the benefits of spicy fresh food cooked using a variety of spices.

Many amateur chefs or home cooks are scared by the prospect of cooking spicy food. Such cuisine is often perceived to be the domain of professionals or cooks that have grown up in regions famous for spicy foods such as Asia or south America. This could not be further from the truth.

Spices such as chili, turmeric, garam masala, all spice and cumin offer a very simple way for the inexperienced or amateur cook to liven up an otherwise bland dish. Take for example a tin of chopped tomatoes: place them in a pan with some garlic, fresh chili and some cumin and you immediately have a lively sauce that could form the base to many Indian dishes.

So assuming chili peppers and other spices offer the cook a simple way to liven up simple cooking, adding a slow cooker simplifies the process of putting dishes together such that the chef can focus more on flavour combinations and taste rather than cooking methodologies.

Using a slow cooker chili recipe simply involves choosing a nice selection of base ingredients that can be used in most dishes; chili peppers, potatoes, carrots, courgettes, onions, garlic. In addition the cook can then add other more specific ingredients such as chicken, beef, red or white wine, fish, liver etc. Once these two elements have been combined and are cooking slowly the chef has little to worry about.

Slow cookers therefore remove the need to be concerned about timings, browning onions, searing, crisping etc and instead let the chef free to concentrate on the 3rd element to a successful slow cooker chili recipe; spices. Once the first two elements are cooking, you should taste and experiment by adding different varieties of chili, turmeric or other spices and herbs in order to perfect the blend of flavours in your dish.

Best Chili Recipes - 5 Tips For Cooking Great Chili!

Chili is a metaphysical thing in the world of cooking. There are major competitions all over the United States, and believe me they can get really cutthroat. People take their chili seriously! Chili is a creation that is highly personal to the person that has created the dish. Lots of folks can work a lifetime to perfect a chili recipe and that is no joke. Just ask anyone that has ever competed in a chili cook off. If you are a newbie to the world of chili and want to get out of "the canned stuff," then welcome! Even if you are an old hat at making chili, welcome! The tips herein will do no harm and only enhance your chili experience! Lets get some tips!

Tip 1. What if your chili is too thick? What kind of chili is it? White?, Red? Beef? Chicken? If your chili is too thick do not use water to thin it out that is what everyone in the world does. Use broth instead! Water will "kill" the hard worked for flavor of your chili creation. Broth adds the liquid that you need and unlike water it also adds flavor and depth to your chili recipe!

Tip 2. What if your chili is way to thin? You could add some tomato paste to it as one way to thicken it. Try it a little bit by little bit until you achieve the consistency that you are looking for! What if the tomato paste does not make your chili thick the way you want it to? Then the next step is to try to use something like cornstarch or corn flour commonly called masa flour! You can also try the old school use of cornmeal. I like this one myself. Cornmeal gives a good texture. Some people I know in the Southern United States say to just use good old fashioned instant mashed potatoes. Not bad! It works and adds texture as well. Then the is the no calorie way to do it by using arrow root mixed with a bit of water and then added to the chili and stirred. As you can see there are many way to make your chili thicker. The choice is yours and you should experiment.

Tip 3. Most people that I know of that make chili at home just use plain old boring everyday Jalapeno's. This is fine in most cases and they do bring the "heat!" But the fact of the matter is that there is a world of different chilies out there. Anaheim, Poblano, Serrano, Sante Fe Chilies, Ancho Chilies, The very popular these days Chipotle in Adobo sauce or Chipotle powder, Cayenne, Tabascos, Thai Chili, Habanera, and Scotch Bonnets! The list can go on and on from country to country. So why not try to use more than one type of chili pepper in your chili? Change the flavor, do not settle for the mundane! Have fun!

Tip 4. first thing is first! Cook the meat! Any meat that you are using should be cooked first. Brown the meat way before you have to add the liquids to the recipe. Browning the meat aids in locking in the flavor of the meat. You do not want your meat to get soggy with the liquids from the chili recipe. I prefer to sear cook my meat. That is turn the flame up high and putting the meat in the pan of my fave the cast iron skillet and so it sizzles quick and stir it around a bit and then turn the heat down. This is a classic searing technique that locks the flavor into the meat.

Tip 5. The better the meat the better the meal! It is a fact that the better the quality of any meat or main component for a meal the better the meal. Remember that is it quality over quantity! Just because you can get some meats cheap and get lot's of it does not mean that it is quality meat and that you will get a quality meal. If you have to use a cheaper meat that is less tender then expect to cook your chili longer to soften it up and consider using a meat tenderizer on it to aid in the softening of the cheaper cuts and cook the chili longer and you should be OK. In the long run if you can afford to get the better cuts then I always day do it!

Caja China Cooking History and Delicious Recipe Ideas

Seemingly, there is as much mystery surrounding the origins of the "caja china" as there is about how to use one for those not familiar with the roaster. Stories have been told about the roughly 150,000 Chinese laborers who came to Cuba in the 1850's, and that they brought the cooking style to the island, hence the term "caja china." Research, however, indicates no known record of the roasting box dating this far back. In fact, there appears to have been relatively little co-mingling between the Chinese and Cuban cuisines. So where then did the box originate, and where did the name "la caja china" (the Chinese box) come from?

According to food anthropologist Sidney Mintz, a more likely scenario is that the term "china" or "chino" does not represent the country in this case, but is actually a common Hispanic term that describes something as exotic, mysterious, or clever. Using this interpretation, "la caja china" would translate as "the clever box" rather than "the Chinese box." This hypothesis is strengthened by renowned Cuban chef Maricel Presilla of the restaurant Zafra in New Jersey when she states, "Cubans like to call anything that is unusual or clever Chinese. And this is true all over the Caribbean. Pretty much any culture there, whether Cuban or Puerto Rican or Dominican, they have somewhere some kind of thing like this-a Caja China." (Sifton) Variations on the box can be found in various countries, and go by a variety of names. In Peru there is the "caja china criollo," in the Cuban community the "caja asadora" (roasting box) and "asador cubana" (Cuban roaster).

In Louisiana's Cajun community it is referred to as a "Cajun microwave." The reality is that all these roaster boxes are very similar in their style of cooking, using heat from charcoal and the pressure of an enclosed roasting box to cook large amounts of food in an incredibly short amount of time. Not only is the cooking time shortened from eight or more hours for a large pig to just four, but the meat comes out incredibly tender. It is, in my opinion, the best kept secret in the American barbecue community today. You can purchase one, along with its accessories, at http://www.shoplatintouch.com. Once you own one, you'll wonder what took so long.

Camping Fish Recipes - Cooking Your Catch

Camping and fishing go together like ham and eggs. After you clean and gut your catch, try one of these simple camping fish recipes. I have a fish recipe from each category: 1) Easy, 2) Weird, 3) Artery-clogging and finally, 4) Healthy.

Easy: Tin Foil Rainbow Trout

- fresh trout, any kind

- 1 tablespoon butter

- salt and pepper

- 1 small onion, sliced

- Bacon slices (optional)

Leaving the fish whole, stuff the insides with butter, salt and pepper, and as many onions as will fit. Wrap each fish with 1-2 bacon slices if your heart desires. Place stuffed trout on buttered foil and wrap up tightly to trap the moisture. Place over white hot coals for 7-10 minutes.

Weird: Grilled Catfish in Coffee Butter

(I know you'll be skeptical, but this recipe is from the catfishinstitute.com, it is very good.)

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

- 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 pounds catfish fillets

Combine lemon juice, instant coffee, butter, onion powder and salt. Brush mixture thickly onto fillets. Grill on a SPAM-sprayed campfire grate for 10 minutes.

Turn and brush fish again with sauce. Grill 10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily.

Heart-Clogging: Beer Battered Fish

- 1 1/4 c packaged biscuit mix

- 3/4 c beer

- 1 egg

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 4 fresh fish filet

- cooking oil

Beat together biscuit mix, beer, egg and salt. Pat fish to dry. Dip in batter to coat both sides. Fry in hot oil in skillet for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Healthy: Steamed Fish with Veggies

- fish fillets

- small potatoes

- 1 medium Vidalia or any Sweet onion, sliced thin

- 2 stalks of celery, chopped

- 1 medium tomato, chopped

- salt and pepper

- 1 tsp Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning

- salad dressing (optional)

Place fish chunks on top of heavy-duty tin foil. Pile vegetables on fish and season with the salt and pepper. Place a salad dressing on fish and vegetables. Italian is best, but Ranch, Raspberry, or some other favorite will work also. Wrap tightly and cook over a campfire for 15 to 20 minutes.

Italian Cooking Recipes Widely Available Online

Italian cooking has never been easier, with many great dinner recipes found on the Internet, and most being geared towards people who work during the day and do not have hours to spend in the kitchen. Now it is entirely possible to eat authentic Italian cooking, without having to spend a ton of money at an up-scale eatery. The whole family is now able to do their part in making one of the Italian cooking recipes with the many easy recipes that can be found with a single click.

One of our favorite Italian cooking recipes found online is Manicotti My Way, and only takes about an hour to prepare. This dish will require a chopped onion, two minced garlic gloves, three cups of chopped cooked ham and two cups of shredded Swiss cheese. Also needed will be ¼ cup olive oil, one cup grated Parmesan cheese, six tablespoons of each butter and flour, and three cups of milk.

First, add the oil, garlic and onion, and cook for about five minutes until tender, before adding the ham and Parmesan cheese. While doing this, be sure to get the pasta shells ready. The package will generally have directions, but they usually take no longer than about 10-12 minutes to cook. Next, cook the butter until it becomes foamy looking, while stirring in the flour and milk slowly, while continuing to stir until the sauce begins to thicken.

Finally, stir half the cheese into the sauce, while the other half should be stirred into the ham mixture. Then, fill each shell with the ham mixture and cover the bottom of a large glass baking dish with the cheese sauce. Next, place the filled shells into the cheese sauce, and pour any remaining sauce over the shells to finish of this Italian cooking recipe.

Following the directions on recipe closely and exactly will result in a great dinner for the whole family that will have everyone thinking hours were spent on preparation. However, with the Italian cooking recipes found online, dinner is now made simple with these easy recipes. From Italian cooking, to Chinese, to even Indian, there is something for even the pickiest of eaters.

Venison Recipe Using Fresh Herbs - Rosemary, Bay Leaves, Oregano, Thyme

Some cooking tips and recipes on cooking venison, deer meat, using fresh herbs.

Most venison is overcooked which is a shame. If the venison was not "aged" upon harvest a good remedy to remove any "gamey" flavor is to marinate the meat for 24 - 48 hours to remove that flavor in a red wine. If you've had carpaccio with the seared outside, red inside, it is very similar to the below venison recipe which is exceptionally tasty.

• Garlic salt and ground pepper on outside, after marinating in a cheap crappy red wine for 24 hours (can't use my good drinking stuff!)

• Sear venison in very hot skillet for approximately 2 minutes per side,

• Put in baking pan, ran a rosemary stem lengthwise through meat and put rosemary leaves around it in baking pan,

• Also knowing how rare the meat was with no sign of any visible fat, all lean, so smear couple pats of butter along top edge so when goes in over will keep moist and meld flavors,

• Boil some potatoes and small carrots in bay infused water for about 10 minutes to precook them,

• Mixed the veggies in pan with venison and tossed veggies lightly with rosemary, sprinkle with dried oregano,

• Oven had been preheated to 500 so put pan with meat in oven and immediately turned temperature down to 350 and baked for 10 minutes,

• Out of oven, sit for 5-6 minutes for juices to stabilize, and slice into medallions for a perfect meal.

The venison medallions can be served on rice, alone, or on top of bulgur wheat simmered in beef stock. Serve with fresh cabbage that has been simmered in chicken stock and a good rye bread and bottle of nice Cabernet, or Pinot blend. The dried oregano is a healthy herb additive to increase the antioxidant properties of the meal. Other options for less lean venison cuts is venison burgers or ground venison and make chili, lasagna, etc. or do some roasts. Slow cooking in crock pot heals all cooking faults!

Also can do above recipe using these additions:

Take thyme, sage, add a little splash of Worcestershire Sauce and also a splash of a good balsamic vinegar to the tenderloin and place into a 500 degree oven for about 5-7 min.

Deer Tenderloin should be warm only on the inside and is best served rare with any sauce left to pour over and serve it on rice or potatoes with green beans.

Also, no need to marinate, if it is aged first, if you are the hunter and harvest the deer yourself. When possible age at least a week and can age up to 3 weeks, especially an older buck or doe. Minimum aging is one week, even young deer, and may be why venison turns out to be so good without the above marination. However that is only possible if you are the hunter and can age immediately. Deer venison can not be left unbutchered for any significant time period after felling.

How to Cook Patty Pan Squash

"Awww, how cute," is the reaction of some people upon being introduced to patty pan squash. Also called scalloped squash, they are part of the summer squash family but the smallest of the lot, measuring as little as an inch across.

Patty pans are a light green when young but shade toward white when mature. Their shape has been compared to that of a flying saucer. You can find them in the stores and farmer markets from summer into early autumn. Choose the smallest ones available if you want the best taste and texture. If you handle them carefully, you can store them in the fridge for up to 6 days.

Patty pan squash is a great source of vitamins C and A, as well as folic acid. A cupful of this squash has less than 30 calories.

You needn't make a fuss over cooking patty pan squash. Just keep it simple. To cook patty pans whole, wash them well, place in a steamer basket over some boiling water, and steam 4 to 6 minutes or until tender (test with a fork).

As an alternative to steaming, you can try roasting patty pan squash in your oven. It's almost just as easy. Get a pound's worth of patty pan, trim off the skin, and cut each squash into halves or quarters. Toss with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and a little salt. Place the patty pan pieces on a baking sheet and roast on the top rack of a pre-heated oven (420 degrees) until they are tender enough to pierce with a fork, which will be about 10 to 15 minutes.

Patty pan squash is also excellent when sauteed. Slice three or four medium-sized squash along their diameter, drop into a pan on top of the stove, add a tablespoon of butter, and sautee until the slices have browned on one side. Turn and continue sauteeing until the second side has browned. If you like, you can toss the sauteed patty pans over cooked pasta.

Outdoor Grill Cooking Recipes

Outdoor grill cooking recipes & resources make a huge difference in the amount of time you will spend near that grill cooking with family and friends. Most people that buy an outdoor grill never really learn how to use it. As a result, they unfortunately tend to stop using it.

Here are a couple outdoor grill recipes for simple sauces that will get you off on the right foot with your friends and family. These are some great recipes I started with that helped me gain some instant grill cooking momentum before I moved on to more detailed recipe methods!

Everyone who has an outdoor grill and already knows how to throw on a few different kinds of meat should definitely have that one special sauce that they can put on just about anything. Well here it is!

The Sauce For Every Meat Out There!

2 cups ketchup
3/4 cups brown sugar
6 tbsp Molasses
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon barbecue sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Mix ingredients in small pot over medium heat until boiling. Let cool and serve with all your favorite meats.

Now I'd like to share with you another sauce recipe that is guaranteed to get positive feedback and big attention.

I once attended an Argentine barbecue. It was phenomenal! This family understood that barbecue does not have to be limited to just one single hour in a day. To them a barbecue brings friends and family together for the entire day and even well into the evening! They have parties centered around the barbecue with music and decoration. Its a blast! The meat they cooked was incredible and they kept using an amazing sauce on every meat. I finally demanded to know what that sauce was and now I'll share the special sauce ingredients with you!

The Chimichurri Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
2 minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced basil, thyme or oregano, or mixture
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients and set for at least 2 hours before serving.
This sauce has an amazingly unique flavor. It is most definitely addicting! It can be spooned on companies plates for use as individuals desire. It goes great on lamb, pork, steak and even chicken. You can put it in a clear tall container if you like to displays the colors. I like to show it off a bit.

Remember! "The type of grill you bought is not near as important as the time you spend enjoying it!"

Campfire Cooking Recipes - Fish

Cooking over a fire is rewarding, fun, and probably isn't as hard as you think. If you are looking for something different than the traditional grilled chicken or steak items you might want to consider fish. Whether you buy it ahead of time or catch your own fresh for dinner while on your trip there are several ways to prepare it. Here are some good campfire cooking recipes to get you started. Remember, as with many campfire cooking recipes, cooking times may need to be adjusted depending on how hot the coals are.

FOIL FISH
Pairs perfectly with foil grilled corn on the cob.

4 fish fillets (white fish works well)
2 tablespoons butter
2 celery stalks, quartered
2 carrots, quartered
1 whole lemon, cut in half
Salt and Pepper

On two separate pieces of aluminum foil, place two each of the fish fillets in the center. Put half a tablespoon of butter on each fillet. Squeeze half of the lemon over one pair and the other half over another. Salt and pepper to taste and add half of the celery and carrots to each, then loosely wrap the foil around the fish. Place on hot coals or, depending on how hot the coals are, use a grill grate. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the fish is flaky.

GRILLED CEDAR SALMON
Adding the cedar plank not only gives it some extra smokey flavor.

1 cedar plank long enough to fit your salmon fillet
1 large salmon fillet, scaled but with skin on
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
Juice from ½ lemon
Salt and Pepper

Bring up a fire to medium heat and while the fire gets cooking, soak the cedar plank in water for 30 minutes. Brush the salmon with the olive oil and then gently rub in the rosemary and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place the plank on a grill grate that is almost touching the coals. Turn the plank over after 2 minutes to get both sides smoking. Place the salmon fillet skin-side down on the plank and cover loosely with a foil tent to allow the fish to steam cook for 20 minutes. Remove the salmon from the plank or serve it from the cedar. Squeeze the lemon over it just prior to serving.

SNAPPER SOUP
Break out the Dutch oven! Cast iron cooking is a staple of campfire cooking recipes.

1 pound of red snapper, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups of chicken broth
¾ cup coarsely chopped carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped celery
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon of pepper
½ teaspoon of salt
1 cup of frozen peas

Place the Dutch oven over the hot coals. Bring the chicken broth, celery and carrots, garlic and onions, paprika, salt and pepper, and peas to a boil for 5 minutes. Add the snapper and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Math and Cooking - Know Thy Fractions

So you think math does not come in handy in day-to-day living? What about in cooking that delicious Mrs. Dash Oriental Baked Chicken dish? You know that one that requires 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend, 6 (4 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2/3 cup oriental plum sauce, and 1 Tbsp. lite soy sauce. Now this recipe calls for 6 breasts of chicken. So what do you do when you have only four? Read on.

Knowing math has afforded me countless advantages in life which would be too numerous to mention here. Aside from feeling more adequate in everything I do, math gives me the edge when it comes to problem solving, strategizing, planning, and yes even cooking! In the recipe above, the problem becomes one of scaling down the ingredients to accommodate 4 chicken breasts instead of 6. In terms of fractions, this means that you have 4/6 or 2/3 of the required chicken. To adjust the recipe so that everything stays in the same ratios, we need to take 2/3 of the other ingredients. Ah, fractions those devils!

No big deal. To adjust the other ingredients we have to multiply 2/3 by the 1 Tbsp. of both the Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend and the lite soy sauce. That's easy. The adjustment produces 2/3 Tbsp. of both, or a tad less than the full Tbsp. But what to do with the 2/3 cup of oriental plum sauce? Well we need to take 2/3 of that too, otherwise we might drown our 4 chicken breasts in plum sauce and end up with plum chicken instead of Oriental Baked Chicken. Now if you remember how to multiply fractions, this is easy. Just multiply both numerator and denominator together to get 4/9 of a cup. Since 2/3 as a decimal is about 0.66 or 66% and 4/9 is 0.44 or 44%, you need a little less than half a cup. If your cup has markers in 1/16's then you need to fill to the line just below a half cup to get the required amount of plum sauce.

So you see, knowing math does have its advantages. And if you are not actually going to use this extraordinary subject to solve some problem in nuclear physics, at least you can use it to help with some more practical problems like answering the question, "What should I make for dinner tonight?" Who knows, if you master this subject enough you might end up like Emeril.

Here's to good eating!

Make Great Meals With Nutritional Cooking Recipes

With the advent of World Wide Web and an increase in its usage in recent years, more and more people are trying out new cooking recipe to woo their family and friends. Though the term "health freaks" is quite common another group called as "cooking freaks" are on a rise. People are now trying out dishes which were otherwise unknown to them. A person living in a small village can eat pasta while a big city foodie may be relishing the taste of some authentic foods from the villages. The world has today become a haven for a foodie.

Hoarding Of Recipes

Finding a good cooking recipe today has become very easy and is hoarded by wives and chefs all over the world. Depending upon a person's lifestyle and time available for cooking, one can find several dishes to suit his style and taste. For example, those looking for fast and healthy cooking with minimal fuss and use of energy will find endless number of oven recipes in various online cooking recipe sites. One can find those involving minimal fuss from experiences of people all over and also, the best ones from the kitchens of world renowned chefs. Many people hoard these recipes like a treasure because for them this is equally valuable.

Possibilities To Be Explored With Online Cooking Recipes

Everyone knows that the world today is like a global village with an abundance of different cultures and numerous traditions having their own unique identities. Each culture has its own specialist dishes which are now available easily over internet. There are endless possibilities that present themselves due to the availability of cooking recipe videos and online recipes that can be enlisted as follows:

In case of a special occasion, these recipes come in handy. These recipes help in creating fabulous cooking creations in front of friends and family.

One can create several cook groups where each guest can bring a recipe of their own. This will help in exchanging several dishes that are signature to the guests.

One can have got together parties where one can have cooking demonstrations for the benefit of those attending the parties.

With the advent of online recipes there has also been an increase in the number of cooking videos posted online. These are much more helpful rather than the written recipes.

Advantages Of Online Recipes

With an increase in the number of recipes and recipe videos available online, there is an added advantage apart from the availability of new dishes. This advantage is the increased number of nutritional dishes. Most of the people today are looking for tasty yet low calorie food so as to have a healthy diet as well as satisfy their cravings. These online recipes help in completing both these missions with equal gusto.

Thus, online recipes are helpful in both satisfying the taste cravings and providing nutrients to the body. They help in wowing family and friends alike in family get-togethers and home parties. Thus, put on your apron and start wowing your friends with your tasty creations.

Deciding Upon The Appropriate Gourmet Cooking Recipe

Before you may make the meal of your dreams, you have to have to have a connoisseur cooking recipe that you simply know will work out. Even if you've not been to a gourmet cooking school, you'll be able to still use a quality connoisseur cooking recipe to produce a extremely solid dish.

The first thing you desire to make certain of when you decide on your connoisseur cooking recipe is that you are acquainted with the substances. It would be best to uncover a connoisseur cooking recipe with ingredients you have cooked with earlier than, but additional than likely there will be some that you are unfamiliar with. In case you do come across a recipe that you are interested in making use of but it has unfamiliar components, try tasting the components earlier than you start cooking. Be sure to buy a little extra so you may have some sample and see what the flavor, texture and general feel of the substances is. This will support you to know how they will respond to your cooking techniques. By being familiar together with your elements you will likely be in a position to far better predict how they respond with the other components and your method.

The next factor you wish to make certain of when deciding on a connoisseur cooking recipe is that it does not use any methods that you're unfamiliar with or do not have the proper tools to execute. Some connoisseur tactics is often incredibly exacting in what they require from a skill and tool perspective. If a dish requires a convection oven and also you don't have one you may most definitely run into difficulties.

Some methods and tools is often replaced and faked, but you should be absolutely sure that you're comfortable with doing this ahead of attempting the recipe. For several gourmet dishes it is these tactics that separate the dish from the mundane.

Hopefully you've got an idea of what lays in front of you when preparing a gourmand meal. There are numerous options that you have, so decide on wisely to ensure that you can complete the dish. Once you may have selected a dish to prepare you then require to do as much research on the approaches and components employed. Only then will you be able to really master and prepare the dish as a skilled chef would. Take time when thinking about which gourmet cooking recipe to use, and also you will probably be able to prepare a wonderful dish for your self and your family.

Chinese Food Recipes - Steamed Fish Cooking Guide

Steaming is one of the favorite ways of cooking fish in china, especially when it is very fresh; and the usual way is to steam it buried under a variety of vegetables, while the inside cavity of the fish is stuffed with dried, smoked, pickled or salted ingredients; these latter ingredients seem to impart an additional dimension to the flavor. Here is one of the common cooked recipe :

Steamed Whole Fish (trout, salmon, bream, haddock, carp, mullet, pike, large herrings)

Ingredients:

6 medium Chinese dried mushrooms
2-3 rashers bacon
3-4 slices root ginger
1.5-2 kg fish (or mixture of fishes)
2-3 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 stalks leek
3-4 large onions
4 tablespoons soya sauce
pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Soak mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. Cut mushrooms and bacon into shreds. Mince ginger. Clean the fish thoroughly, rub both inside and out with salt, ginger and oil and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Stuff the fish with the chopped bacon and mushrooms. Clean the leeks thoroughly then slice both leeks and onions thinly. Mix soya sauce, pepper, vinegar, stock, sherry and sugar until well blended.

Cooking

Heat butter in a saucepan. When melted add onions and leeks and turn them in the butter over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in the mixed sauce, and stir with the vegetables for 2 minutes over medium heat.
Place a quarter of the vegetable and sauce mixture in the bottom of the large oval-shaped heatproof dish spreading it out evenly. Lay the fish on top of this 'carpet' of onion and leek. Pour the sauce form the saucepan over the length of the fish, and smother the latter with the remaining onion and leek. Place the dish in a steamer, and steam vigorously for 20-35 minutes (depending upon the size, thickness and quantity of the dish).

Serving

Serve in the same dish. (The dish should be excellent for consuming with rice or other bulk foods, supplemented by one or two other savory dishes.)

Mama's Cooking Fried Chicken

Well, hey there! You may not know me but my name is Mama and I've been cooking fried chicken since before most of ya were a twinkle in your daddies' eye. Cookin' is what I love to do and the folks around me ain't complainin'. So, if you want to learn how to cook up some of the best fried chicken that you ever put your lips around, you've come to the right place.

Here's Mama's Best Fried Chicken Recipe

1 Whole Fryer, cut-up

2 cups of buttermilk

1 egg

2 tablespoons Texas Pete Hot Sauce (this will not add heat to the chicken, only flavor, the heat will cook out)

1 cup of self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 quart size ziploc freezer bag

Peanut Oil for fying

Put the chicken in a glass baking dish with the buttermilk, turning to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

* If using an electric deep fryer, follow the manufacturers' directions.

* If using a dutch oven when cooking fried chicken, fill it about 2/3 full of peanut oil.

* If pan-frying, you'll need a cast iron skillet (recommended) with an inch of oil.

In a pie plate, mix together the egg and hot sauce, set aside.

In plastic ziplock bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning and paprika.

Place chicken in colander to drain off buttermilk. Allow to sit for about 15-20 to warm up to room temperaure.

Roll the chicken around in egg mixture starting with the dark meat first. Shake off the excess egg and drop into the ziplock bag with the flour mixture and shake ( no more than 2-3 pieces at a time) to coat well. Allow to sit on plate for a few minutes so that the flour can stick to the chicken.

Slowly drop the chicken into the oil starting with the dark meat. Don't get in too big of a hurry or you'll lower the temperature of the oil too quick and your chicken will soak up the oil and be greasy (not a good thing). If pan-frying, you will need to turn the chicken a couple of times so it will brown evenly. Cook until it's a nice golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

The times for cooking fried chicken will vary but as a general rule:

(These times are for bone in chicken. Boneless will take only about half the time depending upon the thickness.)

13-14 minutes for dark meat

10-12 minutes for white meat

Mama's not just cooking fried chicken, you'll find a whole lot more recipes and tips on my website, www.mamas-southern-cooking.com

If you would like to reprint this article, it must be reprinted in it's entirety with the link intact.

Delicious Venison Stew Recipe For Healthy and Economical Wild Game Cooking

Health considerations are one reason why there is a growing popularity of wild game. Venison contains about half the calories of beef, and has just one-eighth of the fat. Also, because of the low fat content, venison freezes well.

This flavorful venison stew recipe makes an inexpensive meal out of what can be an expensive piece of meat. It works perfectly for tougher cuts of venison, as the slow cooking tenderizes the meat nicely. This venison recipe also turns out great in the crockpot.

Ingredients:

1 pound venison stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups unsalted beef stock

1/3 cup chili sauce

1/2 cup dried apricots, diced

1 14 1/2-ounce can white or yellow hominy

1 14 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit, unless using a crockpot.

Toss the venison cubes with a light coating the oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin. Warm the oil in a frying pan over medium heat on the stove top. Brown quickly, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a crockpot, dutch oven, or a large and heavy pot.

Saute the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in the remaining oil. When they have softened, spoon the vegetables from the pan and put in the larger pot with the venison. Add the beef stock, chili sauce, and apricots. Stir to combine, and cover the pot.

Cook the venison stew over in the pot over low heat (slow simmer) for at least 6 hours, stirring occasionally, and until the venison is tender.

During the last half hour of cooking, mix the hominy and black beans into the stew. Take the stew off the heat, stir in the lime juice, and add the tablespoon of cilantro.

Serve the venison stew hot, adding more cilantro, if desired. 

Cooking With Chicken Livers

Chicken liver can be used to make all kinds of appetizers and soup recipes. The livers can also be used to make a tasty lunch or snack. Popular chicken liver recipes include chicken pate, chicken mousse, chicken wraps,all made from the livers of the chicken and also fried chicken liver with onions.

Liver is often coated in breadcrumbs or flour to give it a nice texture and some bite. Chicken liver soup is especially tasty and garlic, onions and a little white wine really bring out the flavor of the livers when you make a soup with them.

You can serve the livers whole or chopped and you can combine them with all kinds of other flavors to make tasty liver dishes. Liver is nutritious and especially high in iron. If you want to increase your iron consumption, there are plenty of liver recipes you can make. Drink some orange juice with the liver recipe to increase your body's absorption of the iron.

How to Cook Chicken Liver

The livers need to be cooked thoroughly, like chicken, to make sure any organisms or bacteria are destroyed. You should saute the livers in small batches and give them at least five minutes or cook them until an internal temperature of 160 degrees F has been maintained for a couple of minutes. You can check the bigger pieces with a food thermometer just to make sure. The livers of the chicken need to be cooked until they are no longer bloody in the middle.

Recipe for Cantonese Chicken Liver Appetizers

What you will need:

• 1 lb chicken liver


• 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder


• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce


• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil


• 6 tablespoons peanut oil


• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar


• 1 tablespoon cream sherry or brandy


• 2 cups green salad leaves


• 1 lemon, in wedges


• 1/2 cup cornstarch


• 1 beaten egg


• Salt and black pepper

How to make it:

Take the gristle and fat off the livers and rinse them under water. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and then add the chicken livers. Take the water off the heat and let it stand for a couple of minutes. Drain the livers and pat them dry.

Combine the sherry or brandy with the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, five spice powder, salt, pepper, and two tablespoons of the peanut oil in a bowl and marinate the livers in this mixture for half an hour. Drain and discard the marinade. Add the egg to the livers. Spread the cornstarch over a plate. Add the remaining peanut oil to a wok.

Dip a chicken liver in the cornstarch, and then add it to the pan. Repeat with the remaining chicken livers. You might have to cook them in batches. After two minutes, turn the livers over and cook the other side.

Drain them on paper towels. Arrange the salad leaves on a serving plate, then add the livers and serve with the lemon wedges and some toothpicks so people can pick them up.

Cooking Tips - The Best Marinade Recipe For Grilled Shrimps

In one of my articles, I have shared to you the recipes on how to make an exquisitely delicious marinated grilled shrimps. This article is a comprehensible cooking guide to preparing marinade for grilled shrimps. This is quite easy to do. But first, set your Rachael Ray cookware products on your table along with the necessary ingredients.

Below are the easy to follow steps on how to make the best and mouthwatering marinade for your grilled shrimps. See to it that all the ingredients mentioned in this recipe must not be substituted by any other ingredients; otherwise, the taste will be totally different.

Procedure for Making Grilled Shrimp Marinade:
Ingredients: (You can buy these ingredients at your favorite super market or any other stores)
One-fourth teaspoon pepper
One-fourth cup olive oil
One-half teaspoon dried basil (1 teaspoon if fresh)
One-half teaspoon dried rosemary
One-fourth cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced dry onion

First and foremost, you need to put the one pound raw shelled shrimp in a plastic bag or any container with firm cover, and then you add up marinade. After this you need to refrigerate it within two to four hours. After the period of marinating, you need to carefully drain the marinade. Afterward, you have to slowly thread the large or extra-large shrimps onto pre-soaked skewers or metal sticks. Then, you grill the skewers over hot coals for about six to ten minutes. Time and again, you need to brush the shrimps using the reserved marinade liquid.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
One-half teaspoon Cajun spice (optional)
1 pound large fresh shrimps, peeled, deveined (leave on tails)
Thin lemon slices
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup olive oil
One-half teaspoon chopped basil

At the outset, you have to completely mix marinade in a large bowl, then add up the large or extra-large shrimps, cover the bowl tightly, and refrigerate it for at about 3 hours. Occasionally turn it. Next to that you need to put the grill on a high heat using coals. Put the large shrimps and the lemon slices on bamboo or wooden skewers. Also you need to alternate the shrimps and the lemon slices when you skew them. Continue grilling until the shrimps become opaque. Occasionally baste the shrimps using the extra marinade. Grill each side of the shrimp approximately within three minutes.

However, if you really want a quick and easy-to-use shrimp marinade, you can buy a bottle of seafood marinade. There are pre-made seafood marinade such as the Lawry's Tequila Lime and the Caribbean Jerk. You can purchase them at your favorite local grocery store. Always remember to marinade the fresh shrimps for approximately an hour before grilling.

Louisiana's Praline Cooking Recipe

In the state of Southern Region of the United States of America called Louisiana there is a famous dessert where pecan is the main ingredient. This is called Praline. It is a candy made from pecan nuts and sugar syrup. Even before, a lot of people tasted this very delicious nut and the foods cooked with it. It includes burritos, pies and cereal.

We can really say that pecans are very useful in many ways. The most obvious delicious dessert created with pecans is praline candy. In fact, this is a good gift for your loved ones. Though, people get conscious when talking about desserts there is nothing wrong with taking some of it occasionally. Just like eating some praline during weekends, birthdays or holidays is not really bad. That is why it is good to get the ingredients of Louisiana Praline recipe and try it out right away.

However, there are things that you should bear in mind before making this delicious sweet candy. Follow these and you will surely get the perfect praline candy flavor.

• To taste it creamier, better and cook faster, you can cook butter with sugar and milk.

• For recipe without butter just cook it for approximately 210 degrees. It is important to make sure that you are cooking it on the right temperature.

• Don't let it go beyond the soft ball stage. If you do let it reach the hard ball or "thread" stage, it won't crystallize and be soft.

• Prepare all ingredients ahead. Get pecans and vanilla ready.

• Make sure to have plenty of waxed paper laid out. The spoon should be ready too.

• Spoon the pralines out on the waxed paper that has been put on a cookie sheet or large cutting board because the heat from the candy melts the waxed paper and you then have to clean wax off the kitchen counter.

• Lastly, make sure to protect your table or counter for it might ruin it.

Ingredients
1- 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup + 2 T. Half and Half cream
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients except the pecans and vanilla in a heavy saucepan. Make sure mixture becomes thick.

2) Stir until it comes to a boil, and then turn heat down to a low boil. Stir occasionally; spoon mixture up on sides of pan to melt any sugar that hasn't melted.

3) Cook until the mixture reaches 239 degrees with a candy thermometer. If you don't have a candy thermometer, bring it to the soft ball stage.

4) Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and the pecans. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken and becomes creamy and cloudy. Place a spoonful of pralines onto waxed paper to harden.

5) Usually, by the time the mixture turns cloudy, signaling that it is time to drop onto the waxed paper, it starts hardening too fast to drop correctly. You should then stir in about 1 - 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin the mixture. Do not add too much - just enough to make the spoonfuls drop and settle in a "puddle". You don't want them to look like chunks of rocks.

6) If cooked to the correct temperature, it won't take a minute to harden by stirring. If you don't cook them long enough, they remain "sticky" and never become firm. They should be firm, yet creamy. If you don't eat them all the first day then wrap them individually and store them in an airtight container.

This is one and only Praline's recipe from Louisiana that would make kids and adults love you once you shared these with them. It has been started since 17th century and passed down from generations to generations but still remain tasty and in demand. This is such an all time favorite dessert.

Microwave Cooking For Kids

Kids can use the microwave at a younger age then cooking in the oven if taught accordingly. Begin by teaching proper use of the microwave and handling objects taken out of the microwave.

Then try simple recipes such as:

1. Steamed broccoli and cheese-add a small amount of water less than ¼ cup with broccoli florets. Place a microwavable plate or plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and cook for 4-5 minutes until broccoli is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan or other cheese desired and stir.



2. Warming up food is a good start that kids can learn the basics of the microwave.



3. Pop popcorn whether using microwavable popcorn or by placing a ¼ cup of popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag with 1 Tablespoon oil. Staple shut and pop for several minutes until kernels stop popping. Season with different flavors like cheese or taco.



4. Try various recipes for fondues or hot dips such as pizza dip or artichoke dip.



5. Simple fudge recipes that call for melting chocolate and stirring ingredients together are great for the microwave.



6. Baked apples are another simple and great treat.



7. Meatballs can be cooked in the microwave and then added to a jar of spaghetti sauce to warm up.



8. Breaded chicken patties can be cooked in the microwave and then add a slice of ham and slice of cheese for a quick chicken cordon bleu meal.


Always teach your children kitchen safety and the importance of using supervision at all times. And kids will love the freedom of using the microwave and being able to help put quick and easy meals on the table for the family.

Roast Turkey Cooking: A Caja China Holiday Recipe

Thinking about trying something different this Thanksgiving? Perhaps for Christmas or New Year's Eve? Well you've come to the right place. We're going to go step-by-step, and teach you how to roast the most delicious turkey you have ever had using a Caja China Roasting Box. Having prepared this turkey in our household, I can tell you it is a huge hit every time! Most everyone in our family call the box "La Caja Asadora" which translates from Spanish as "The Roasting Box." Another popular term for similar boxes, "la caja china" translates as "the Chinese box." While these pig roasters have many names, the rules for cooking tend to be the same whether you're in California, South Florida, or Louisiana (where they call it a Cajun Microwave.) Now, on to the reason you clicked on this article in the first place. I present to you, Caja China Style Roast Turkey!

Recipe:

1. Place the turkey on top of the rack, breast down if cooking whole, or skin down if cooking split. Attach top rack using the 4 S-Hooks.

2. Place turkey inside the Caja China roaster, skin or breast down, (attach probe from wired thermometer or insert meat thermometer here should you have one).

3. Cover your La Caja China style Roasting Box with the ash pan and charcoal grid.

4. Add 15 lbs. of charcoal and light up.

5. Once lit (20-25 minutes) spread the charcoal evenly over the charcoal grid of your Caja China box.

6. Cooking time starts now.

7. After one hour, open the box by removing the complete set of ash pan and grid together and place it on top of the long handles.

8. Now flip the turkey(s) over, skin or breast side up.

9. After one hour (2nd hour) add 10 lbs. of charcoal.

10. After one hour (3rd hour) add 10 lbs. of charcoal.

11. Do not add any more charcoal; continue cooking the turkey until you reach the desired temperature reading on the thermometer of 175 f. Should you not have a thermometer, check the turkey after approximately 30 minutes. Cook until desired tenderness.

12. Carve and enjoy with those you love most!

(Added that last one myself.)

For information and pricing on Caja China roasters and accessories visit http://www.shoplatintouch.com.

Have a wonderful holiday season, and happy roasting!