Monday, March 23, 2009

Fusilli with Tomato and Rice Vinegar Sauce

I've often pondered many ways to incorporate vinegar into my dishes without introducing an over-bearing flavor;the recipe you now see listed accomplishes just that. I'm a big fan of rice vinegar, and I feel that it is a great addition to this dish. As most of you know my forte is in European cuisine strapped with a strong Italian influence. Although my European roots may be the reason I carry this style of cooking, I'm also a big fan of reaching across ethnic styles/ingredients and incorporating them into my creations. This dish isn't difficult to make and cooking its unique taste is truly rewarding. Give this dish a whirl; I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Preparation

Place the canned and sun dried tomatoes in a medium sized saucepan with garlic, olive oil, and sugar. Bring to a boil while stirring, then simmer for 30 minutes uncovered until reduced.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dent.

Add the rice vinegar to the sauce and stir to make the sauce uniform. Cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat, and season to taste.

Drain pasta and place into a bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss.

Serve immediately with the baby spinach salad and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy your fusils!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Fusilli With Tomato And Rice Vinegar Sauce

I've often pondered many ways to incorporate vinegar into my dishes without introducing an over-bearing flavor; the recipe you now see listed accomplishes just that. I'm a big fan of rice vinegar, and I feel that it is a great addition to this dish. As most of you know my forte is in European cuisine strapped with a strong Italian influence. Although my European roots may be the reason I carry this style of cooking, I'm also a big fan of reaching across ethnic cooking styles/ingredients and incorporating them into my creations. This dish isn't difficult to make and it's unique taste is truly rewarding. Give this dish a whirl, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 cans (14 ounces) chopped plum tomatoes
4 sun dried tomatoes in olive oil - thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic - minced
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
1 pound of dried fusilli
3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
salt - to taste
pepper - to taste

coarsely shaved Parmesan cheese with baby spinach salad to serve

Preparation

Place the canned and sun dried tomatoes in a medium sized saucepan with garlic, olive oil, and sugar. salt and pepper to Season with taste. Bring to a boil while stirring, then simmer for 30 minutes uncovered until reduced.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

The Best Indulgent Chocolate Dessert Ever

A friend recently told me that she has a particular love for praline in white chocolate, which is not easy to find, she says, so she’s pleased that we sell it (Princess, a heart shaped chocolate in gold foil).

Because my busy little mind is always working on new dessert recipes, I wrote this one and dedicated it to her; so Sarah, this one's for you!

It’s an easy recipe, shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes to make, and will dirty about 2 pans, 1 bowl, 1 cake tin and 3 spoons (the amount of washing up a recipe calls for is important to me because I’m lazy and don’t have a dishwasher!) The total cost of the ingredients was about £3.77, and it makes 8 smallish servings, so 47p each.

If you are making this dessert for a special occasion, you might like to garnish the top with some extra chopped roasted nuts, or chocolate curls to pretty it up. (I haven't included amounts for these in my ingredients though, as I think it looks very attractive as it is).

people refuse to acknowledge white chocolate as chocolate, and it’s certainly true that some forms of white chocolate on the market these days are very poor quality - aimed towards children, over-sweet, and with cheap vegetable fats substituted for some of the cocoa butter. Check the quality of the product you’re buying by reading the label – check the list of ingredients, and the total cocoa solids and this will help to give you a guide to the best product.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Simple Method Of Brewing Great Coffee


Nothing is better than a refreshing cup of coffee. It can be more fun with some tips and advice on making coffee. This article discusses many issues related to brewing great coffee

Only a few can disagree that a great day starts with a cup of rich coffee. A great flavored cup of hot coffee is a perfect way to begin your day. And most of the readers interested in this article like it that way only. The most important part in getting close to the perfect cup is brewing.

This part is quite crucial once you have selected and grind ed the fine gourmet coffee beans. Of course, brewing only starts after you have grind ed the coffee well.

For those who know less about it let us make it clear that the basic principal who is common to all methods of doing it is to immerse ground coffee in hot water to extract the flavor and aroma of the coffee so that the drink you get is rich in both mentioned above.

So lot many things are to be understood with absolute clarity if you are planning to brew the coffee all by yourself.

While brewing the coffee, the coffee maker also plays an important role. The most commonly used coffee maker is the one which uses drip method and so it is essential to understand how to brew the coffee using it. The least bothered about element in this process is water.

But a bit consideration to this element can drastically change the flavor of your coffee. We suggest you to use fresh filtered water. Always add fresh and cold water to your coffee maker. It is a misconception that it is better to add hot water to brew coffee.

Adding hot water directly to your coffee maker not only changes the overall flavor of the coffee but can also ruin the equipment. So better add cold water only. Another factor is cleaning the equipment. Always ensure that this device is absolutely clean as the unwanted elements like water sediments and coffee oil can add to the brewing process and will change the taste of the coffee for the worst of it.

That is why it is very essential to clean he maker regularly so that nothing gets mixed up with the process.

The most important step is to measure the proper amount of coffee for your brew. The most common method is to use two level teaspoons for every six ounces of water. You can always adjust it according to your taste to make your coffee either darker or lighter.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

The Creation of a Hot Green House is Hot

The hot greenhouses nowadays seem to vary in their models and faces. It can find the large ones and small hot greenhouses in the directed communities ambient. A person can also spend more money to improve her hot greenhouse.

Generally the hot greenhouses come in the rectangular, round forms and more are attached to the house. The size of the hot greenhouse does not import while a long time it is comfortably established with the space distributed for its place.

A hot greenhouse can be free or attached to the house. Many also calls these hot greenhouses attached to the house as leaned hot greenhouses. These types of hot greenhouses are very popular with many gardeners who sponsor the gardening of hot greenhouse. A gardener can build a leaned hot greenhouse or a free hot greenhouse in his own back-yard. However, they are different in the aspect from their structure.

A free hot greenhouse is an independent structure established starting from its house. The need for having a primary source of the heating systems and the coolant circuits are very essential in this type of hot greenhouse. It can also require its own electricity to actuate the lights and the automated systems on the hot greenhouse.

The free hot greenhouses can require of a person to spend more money considering many the expenditure and high materials cost to build a free hot greenhouse. On the one hand, a leaned hot greenhouse is literally defined to be a hot greenhouse attached directly to a person’s at the house. It has the advantages of sparing of more than space to a person’s the fate and all the systems of hot greenhouse are directly provided on its house.

It can obtain instantaneous water, and the heating of the lights directly assured by electricity its house. It also has its advantage to preserve the landscape of the property because space distributed should only require one small portion of the landscape.

The conclusion of a site for a free hot greenhouse requires many considerations. The site should be built with the suitable shelter and the cover. It can also add shades for hotter climates.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Honey astonishing food

The honey bees were in Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. Honey was found in the tombs of ancient Egyptian Pharos. Men were found painted on the walls of the caves by the prehistoric man.

Honey is red covert as normal energy source which also offers a single combination of the food advantages. It is an instantaneous food of energy-building containing all the essential ores necessary for the life, all the complex group of B, amino-acids, enzymes, and other crucial factors. Honey is also practically free from bacteria and to seldom corrupt. It better is maintained with the room temperature

Honey is sweetening normal and can be employed in many receipts like replacement for sugar. It is one of the foods easiest to digest. Honey also contains hormones, and anti microbial factors and anti Bactria. It was employed to fight the depression, tiredness, insomnia, the nervous disorders, and the conservation of urine, cramps, the headaches, and hypertension. Honey also was known to embellish and alleviate the skin. It is said to him that honey can release much from disorders of skin. Honey has a laxative, a sedative, the antitoxin ones, and disinfectant effect. It can also act as anti-irritant, returning it appropriate to the products of significant care of skin and baby. Honey could soon be launched on the market like manner of fighting the effects of aging. Honey was employed during centuries to treat effects of cough and others of the infections in the higher respiratory system and is known to fight bacteria as well as to have a calming effect.

The honey bees are the only insects which make food for us. Honey is a soft and thick sweetened solution made by bees. The bees make honey starting from the nectar of the flowers. They will travel until 40.000 miles and can visit more than 2 million flowers to produce a honey pound. The honey bees are responsible approximately for 80% of all seed and vegetable, fruit harvests in the United States. Honey comes in all the types of colors and savors almost of without color to brown dark and its savor varies delectable the soft distinctive one to BOLD, according to where the honey bees bourdon. The analysis of pollen is a tool valid for the honey identification; however it should specify that this is always employed at the same time as other information before a final determination is made.

Varietals honeys like the wild wrought raspberry honey, wild wrought honey of blackberry, orange honey of flower, the honey of sweet chestnut of California, wild wrought honey of star thistle, without counting the occasional rare variety as the foam honey the pre one are certain fine honeys. The honey of comb is the most normal honey of all. Honey vary’s colors and savor, because there are so many various kinds of nectar-producing flowers. Varietals honey is seldom 100% of any type of nectar of flower but of mixture yards of bee with a prevalence of a type of fodder of flower. Honey is a reflex ion of the place of which it is harvested, even more than the wine. Honey is produced in each state, but according to the floral place of source, certain types of honey are produced only in some areas. Honey is also produced in the majority of the countries of the world. Honey is with the difference in any other ingredient in kind. They are sure and healthy food for of the same children and adults.

Honey produced in the trade is filtered and pasteurized (sometimes even diluted with syrup), thus the quantity of pollen of bee in it is probably low, consequently the belief that the cases of allergy related to the consumption of honey are rare. The various ingredients of honey helped it to become not only one soft liquid but also a natural product with the food and medicinal value high.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Important Ingredients And Supplies For Baking

Great dinners do not always require advanced planning. Sometimes, you just have to wing it with what you have on hand. If you keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with some basic supplies – and a few surprises – you will never be at a loss when you have to whip up something great for dinner with very little notice. Here is a list of baking supplies to keep on hand at all times so that you will never be caught by surprise without something to cook for dinner.

In the Pantry

At a minimum, you should have unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour and cake flour stocked in your pantry. In addition to being the base for breads and cakes, flour can be used to whip up a batch of fresh pasta, spaetzle or dumplings in no time at all. Use it to make gravies and sauces that can transform a meal from commonplace to sublime.

Cornstarch makes smooth gravies and is an ideal thickener for sauces, stews and stir fries. In addition, when you need an emergency dessert, cornstarch, milk, vanilla and sugar or sweetener make a quick, impressive “from-scratch” vanilla pudding.

Sugar substitutes are convenient to have on hand, especially if you are trying to cut down on sugar in your meals. They are ideal for use in sweet and sour sauces, desserts, drinks and other recipes that call for sugar.

Flavored oils have been popular in gourmet circles for years, and they have finally made their way to the supermarket shelves. Chili, lemon, pepper, orange and basil are just a few of the flavored oils you can tuck into your cupboard to add flavor to simple dishes. Try using them in stir fries and salad dressings, or as a base for marinade. Also consider olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil and grapeseed oil.

Flavored vinegars, including balsamic vinegar, red and white wine vinegar, herb or fruit infused vinegars and cider vinegar are all great additions to the well-stocked pantry. Pick up one or two each week when you do the grocery shopping, and you will soon have a full selection of vinegars to experiment with.

Other baking ingredients to keep in your pantry include canned unsweetened juices, unsweetened fruit spreads, raisins, dried fruits, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, cocoa powder, salt, kosher salt and sea salt, whole peppercorns (so much better freshly ground than pre-ground), cream of tartar, baking soda, vanilla and other flavored extracts as well as cooking sprays. Canned tomato paste is incredibly versatile and can be used in a huge variety of recipes from soup to dessert.

Dried beans, especially lentils, cook up quickly with brown rice and vegetables. A variety of grains like couscous, quinoa, cornmeal, rolled oats and kasha make delicious sides or alternatives to rice and potatoes.

Pasta in a variety of shapes – bow-ties, angel hair, linguine, shells and elbows may all be pasta, but they each show off the flavor of different dishes best.

Rice is another 'bland' ingredient that has a lot of character, especially if you branch out to some of the more exotic varieties. Basmati and jasmine rice are just two varieties of rice that can elevate a rice dish to new heights. Of course, plain white rice is great as a side dish, under a stir fry, tossed into a soup or simmered into a delicious dessert.

In the Refrigerator

Eggs and egg substitutes are a must to have on hand at all times. They are one of the most versatile and useful ingredients in your kitchen.

Important dairy products to stock in your refrigerator include margarine, low fat or fat free sour cream and fat free plain yogurt. Low fat, skim or 1% milk is another ingredient that is important to have on hand.

A fresh lemon and a fresh lime, orange juice, applesauce and apple juice can be used to enhance flavor or sweetness.

Carrots and bagged salads are the two packaged convenience foods that can be worth the extra cost. Whole peeled baby carrots and matchstick carrots cost a little more than buying them and cutting them yourself, but you will save time and perhaps eat more carrots. You will always have them ready to be tossed into a simmering dish to add color and flavor.

Bagged salad is another convenience that is worth paying for – but skip the ones that come with prepared dressings. When all you have to do to make a salad is pull a handful out of the bag and add embellishments, the whole family will be far more likely to eat their greens more often.

In the Freezer

Stick with frozen fruits and vegetables with no sauces or seasonings. They make quick work of stir fries, can be added by the handful to rice dishes or quickly steamed in the microwave as side dishes.

Individually frozen chicken breasts and thighs, and individually frozen, unbreaded fish fillets are great for quick, delicious dinners.

Keep these baking supplies and basic food stocks on hand at all times, and chances are you will never be trapped without something to cook for dinner. Who knows, you might expand your diet and taste palette at the same time.