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Tips for Cooking Tasty Chinese Foods at Home

admin | May 11th, 2013

Are you looking to cook some Chinese food at home soon? Chinese food may look simple, but they can be trickier than they seem. There are a lot of elements in play, and you need to know the right way to cook and stir fry the vegetables and other ingredients to make it just right. However, there is no need to panic just yet. Here are some tips that can help you make tasty Chinese food at home:

Don’t worry about the wok
Many Chinese recipes use woks, and you can see a lot of online videos and websites stress the need for a wok when preparing Chinese cuisine. While it is an important part of Chinese food preparation, you can make do with an ordinary frying pan as well.

Careful not to burn your food
Chinese cuisine is predominantly based on minimally cooked ingredients. Most ingredients that need to be cooked only have to be in high heat for a few minutes. As a result, it is common to see newbies burning or overcooking their ingredients. To avoid this, stir fry your food frequently and make sure the food does not stick to the pan/wok or get burned.

Wash the rice grains before boiling
Long rice is a staple part of Chinese cuisine, but make sure that the grains are washed before boiling them. Rinse the long grain rice in water a couple of times until the water that is drained is clear. When adding water to the rice for boiling, the general rule is to add twice the weight of grains you have added.

Prepare ahead
As mentioned before, the cooking part of Chinese food only takes a few minutes. Most of the time is spent just preparing the ingredients. Therefore, prepare everything before you take out your wok or frying pan. If done right, you can prepare Chinese food a lot faster and with fewer hassles.

Some ingredients for Chinese food can actually be prepared well beforehand and stored for whenever you are making the food. Store such ingredients in your store cupboard so you have an easier time with Chinese food.

Cook the tougher vegetables first
Chinese cuisine heavily uses fresh vegetables of varying size, thickness, and toughness, and they all have to be cooked to the perfect consistency. To do this easily, add the thick and tough vegetables like carrots, cabbage, and broccoli first because they need to be cooked for a longer time. The soft and green leafy vegetables like peas and spring onions can be added last because they cook faster. If you are confused about what vegetable should go in the pan/wok first, stir fry them separately.

Meat/fish preparation first
When preparing non-vegetarian Chinese food, start with the marinating of the meat or fish. If you are adding cornstarch to the marinade, add it last so that it binds with all the other ingredients better. If beef is being prepared, cut it across the grain so that it is tenderer. The meat should always be stir fried before the vegetables. Once the meat is done, you can set it aside and then prepare the vegetables.

Author Bio: Jennifer writes for Panasia, a Chinese food Auckland restaurant. She frequently writes interesting facts on the Chinese food and also some tips and new Chinese recipes to try at home.

Category: Other Food Stuff, Useful Cooking Tips

Why High-Quality Cookware is Worth the Price

admin | May 10th, 2013

When you’re outfitting a new kitchen, or even just replacing battered old pots and pans, costs can mount up quickly. Cookware can be purchased at almost any price point these days, and it may be tempting to go for the cheap and cheerful variety in order to save a little money in the short term. However, higher quality products may pay for themselves with their ease of use, reliability, and extended lifetimes. A great tip is to treat your cooking equipment as an investment rather than as a series of disposable items. If you’re keen to find out the difference between bargain bucket pots and their more expensive rivals, read on.

Cast-Iron Can Make All the Difference
One of the most frequently bought (and used) cookware items is the cast-iron skillet. This is especially true in professional cookery – in fact, you’d probably struggle to find a restaurant that doesn’t use iron skillets. Even though they can be more expensive than ‘non-stick’ or plain steel varieties, cast-iron pans are also preferable for home use.

The most obvious practical advantage of an all-iron skillet is the ability to transfer food from the oven to the stove without moving your meal between different implements. That’s not the only benefit, though. Iron pans are versatile because they can be used to cook almost anything, whether you’re baking or frying. They retain heat extremely well and tend to cook food evenly, without the ‘hot spots’ that might be formed on different pans. This makes them a great choice for steak, for example, as you can be sure that no part of the meat is over or undercooked. A well-seasoned iron skillet is also the original ‘non-stick’ surface, making such cookware ideal for sticky dishes such as scrambled eggs.

Health Concerns
There are a few health-related reasons that support a move away from most contemporary cookware. The non-stick coatings which are found on many cheaper pans have been shown to release toxic chemicals at high temperatures – ones which can be reached during the course of everyday cooking. It is therefore recommended that such pans be heated to moderate temperatures only, limiting their usefulness. Stainless steel is neutral when it comes to health, whilst a cast-iron pan could actually aid your diet by releasing small amounts of iron into the food.

Quality Assurance
Cookware is important because you use it every single day, and as such, you don’t want your pots and pans to fall apart. High-quality cookware manufacturers will typically stand by their products, offering extended or even lifetime warranties. The choice comes down to the consumer – would you rather purchase a lesser product for half the price and have to replace it in a couple of years’ time, or pay more initially and receive a guarantee that the cookware will still be with you in a few decades?

Pauline Andreas is a blogger and keen cook who enjoys writing about kitchen appliances.

Category: Useful Cooking Tips

TAGcooking tips , cookware tips

Popular Cooking Methods to Give the Dishes Form and Flavor

admin | February 17th, 2013

Indian curry dish
Braising or baking, boiling or broiling, roasting or grilling, frying or just smoking? Poaching, caramelizing or blanching? Which one would you prefer? Indian food cuisine incorporates different cooking techniques and a variety of masala mixes and curry powder concoctions to bring out the true flavour of a dish and give it the desired texture, consistency and appearance. There are age old traditions that have been in practice for decades and generations after generations, and also the advent of newer techniques that lead the modern chef through undiscovered paths of revelation. Be it in the country of its origin or abroad, it has been appreciated by one and all.

A low down on some of the popular cooking methods:

Braising: This refers to a cooking method that incorporates moist as well as dry heat. The fish, meat or vegetables are first fried and then simmered in liquid with the lid on. Examples of such dishes include bhuna gosht, braised cauliflowers and yoghurt braised chicken with cashews and raisins.

Baking: This low fat process involves cooking the food, usually in the form of a batter or dough, in an oven. It negates the requirement of oil (or incorporates the use of very little oil) and incorporates the use of prolonged dry heat that acts by convection. Examples of such dishes include spicy paneer and spring onion tartlets, baked Gujarati oondhiya and barbeque baked lentils.

Boiling: This process refers to cooking food in boiling water and allowing quick vaporization of the liquid. It can be the first or the only step of the cooking process. Boiled rice, boiled and mashed potatoes, boiled vegetables, etc. are all part of this section.

Poaching: This involves gently cooking the food in liquid (which can be milk, stock or wine) below the boiling point. Examples of such dishes include poached pears, masala tea poached chicken and poached salmon with cucumber raita.

Roasting: Used for bringing out the flavour by caramelizing the surface of the meat or vegetable, this process refers to cooking the food on a rack, an open flame or in an oven and often used for cooking big chunks/ whole pieces of meat. The roasted varieties include Indian spice roasted cauliflower, tandoori chicken, shiro, etc.

Frying: This cooking method refers to the cooking of meat, fish or vegetables in oil, fat or butter. It absorbs a considerable amount of oil/ fat and layers the food with fat and calories. Fried potato wedges, onion bhajis, khasta kachoris, etc fall in this category.

About us – An informal discussion on some of the most popular Indian food cuisine cooking methods, that are clubbed along with a variety of masala mixes and curry powders, to give the dishes form and flavor.

Category: Good Food Info, Useful Cooking Tips

TAGfood online , Indian food cuisine , kitchens of India , online food india

Tips for Cooking Tofu – The Fundamental Techniques

admin | February 9th, 2013

how to cook tofu
Being a vegetarian means you should be familiar with tofu and the many recipes that you can create with it. It seems like yesterday when tofu was considered as the protein for vegetarians and vegans. But as more new information is shared, people slowly learned that tofu is not the only animal-free protein source. These days, there are many protein foods for vegans but, of course, tofu will always be at the very top of the list.

If you love tofu or simply think that you need to learn to cook or prepare it, then here are a few tips that can be of help:

Choose Quality Brands
While there are many different tofu brands in the market these days, this does not mean that you can eat every one of them. Buy only the ones that come from farmer’s markets and some of the local stores.

It is best to try three or more brands before settling for the one that you deem best. Not all tofu was made excellently so be careful.

Buy Extra Firm Tofu
Though silken tofu is used on many recipes, it is better to choose firm tofu for your sauté or baking needs. If you can lay your hands on the extra firm ones then the better. Firmness guarantees that your tofu will not fall apart once you bake or cook it.

Squeeze Out Extra Moisture
It is always advisable to squeeze out the moisture in tofu. Before you even place it in a pan, use some paper towels to wrap each one tightly. Let the tofu squares sit for a while so that all the excess water is soaked up by the towels. There are some chefs who advise that letting the tofu stand overnight is best.

Cook Only In High Heat
Keep in mind that tofu only cooks well if placed in very hot pans. The brown texture is achieved if you heat your pan correctly prior to sautéing.

You may also pan-sauté your tofu in a combination of liquids such as agave syrup, fruit juice, vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, orange juice, wine, oils, marinades, miso soup, soy sauce or water. Remember that tofu is pretty much like a sponge – it can soak in the flavorful liquids that you use to cook it with. For added taste, you may also use dried herbs and spices.

Tofu and Salt – They Go Hand in Hand
Tofu will always need to be salted – even just a pinch would do. Use coarse salt at the end of your bake or sauté. Use pepper, too.

If tofu needs salting, then it can also be marinated. With ample time in your hands, you can marinate your tofu for hours or overnight and you can enjoy a spectrum of flavors!

These are just a few of the tofu cooking tips for the vegan you. Tofu need not be plain or dry – with a little creativity, this simple food can go a long way.

About the Author: Diana is a foodie and writer for www.myfood.co.uk. She likes writing about vegetarian food, gluten-free desserts, and low-calorie cocktails

Category: Useful Cooking Tips

TAGcooking tips , cooking tofu , fundamental techniques

Best Appetizers With Your Cheese

admin | February 4th, 2013

cheese appetizers
We all use cheese in our day to day recipes. As far as it comes to using different types of cheese in assorted recipes, we all are all cheese-savvy. However we lack to appreciate the taste of having cheese as a piece of appetizer. Cheese is eaten rarely on its own. Pairing cheese with Continental recipesaccompaniments is an art of a Maitre Fromage, meaning cheese expert or cheese master.

In ancient times, cheese was accompanied with every food item like fruits, wine, side salad and more. This pattern is still followed by the Royal families and people following their traditions. I will highlight some of the best ways to eat cheese with appetizers that will leave your taste buds tempting.

Cheese and Salad: Toss a fresh summer salad with some goat cheese croutons and be ready for a distinct taste. The best way to make this salad is to throw together some romaine lettuce, garden rocket plant, green grapes, beet shreds (roasted), small shallot, Dijon mustard, purple cabbage, fresh parsley and olive oil. For the goat cheese croutons, take cheese cubes. Dip them in olive oil. Make a mix of bread crumbs and nuts and cover the cubes with this mixture. Heat it lightly and place it in a saucer. Your salad accompaniment is ready to serve.

Cheese and Stuffed Mushroom: For the stuffed mushrooms, hand pick Portobello mushrooms and cut the stem. Chop onions and tomatoes. Add soy sauce and a little vinegar to it. Mix all the ingredients well. One can add any meat you want in the mix. Now brush oil on the mushroom caps and heat it on low flame. Put the mixture on the cap with some mozzarella cheese and bake it. Your stuffed mushrooms are now ready to serve hot with gorgonzola cheese cubes as accompaniment. This combo goes well with Sauvignon or Port Wine.

Cheese and Crackers: You can create a whole cheeseboard of various appetizers with crackers. Take your favorite shaped cheeseboard. I chose broad spatula shape. Place a knife, fork and a spoon on a side. Some cheeseboards come with inbuilt cutlery. A cheeseboard will have with diverse flavors and multi-cheese options. Choose a soft, semi hard and hard cheese to place on the board. Cut circles of cheese slices to set it on the crackers. Cut grapes into small rounds and place one portion on each cracker for the tangy and sweet taste. Place bits of walnut around the hard cheese. Position the crackers in a round shape. Cut apple into half and place it on the board near the semi hard cheese. Put a garlic cheese dip and set sausages cut into pieces. Your cheeseboard is ready. Serve with young crispy wine.

Cheese and Apple Pie: Apple pie recipes are vivid and depend on individual preferences. Bake your favorite recipe of apple pie and place a portion on a plate. Cut a piece of cheddar cheese and position it besides the pie. Put a walnut and cheese dip and your plate is prepared.

Cheese and Cake: A freshly baked fruit cake with figs and almonds is the best accompaniment with cheese and wine. Cut the cake into slices and set them one on another. Drop some honey on the top. Serve with Gouda cheese or mild Swiss cheese and garnish with frozen grapes.

Anthony Picasse attended culinary school in Paris and devotes his time cooking at their family owned restaurant. He likes trying out new recipes and shares cooking tips to those who ask. At home he usually sticks to continental recipes he can quickly whip up after a long day at work.

Category: Other Food Stuff, Useful Cooking Tips

TAGbest appetizers , cheese appetizers

5 Handy Tips to Cook Healthy Foods with Great Taste

admin | January 25th, 2013

5 Handy Tips to Cook Healthy Foods with Great Taste
Cooking finger-licking food is certainly an art and you need to keep certain important things in mind in order to come up with delicious dished each time you go to the kitchen. There are multiple dishes that have various recipes. In this article we will provide you some tips that will help you to cook healthy and nutritious food. Many of us believe that foods that healthy foods tastes pretty bad because they are mostly boiled wand without any sort of spices. However in his article we will provide certain tips that will help you to cook yummy heath foods.

Quality ingredients – this is the first thing that you need to focus on. Without proper ingredients you will never be able to produce tasty food. Especially if you are looking to cook a continental dish make sure that you have fresh cooking materials. Even the best chefs in the world make sure that the ingredients they are cooking with are of refined quality.

Proper uses of spices – Spices can be effectively used to add great taste to foods. Moreover certain spices are really good for health. A couple of months back I found that my waist line had increased by 4 inches. And I was hell-bent to shed it off and started skipping meals. Shortly after that I started feeling weak. Then my mom who is a dietician charted a diet list for me. She suggested me to take heavy breakfast. She used to bake the breads and stuff them with boiled potatoes, beans, carrots, capsicums and onions. She used to fry the stuffs with a minimal amount of oil and add a bit of garlic to that. Trust me that used to taste like heaven.

Add color to your dish – Another great way to make your dish exciting is to add colors to it. You can add things like yellow squash, tomatoes, capsicums, blueberries, beans, eggplant and others. These will help in adding colors to your food.

Trying new recipes – Trying new recipes helps you to avoid boredom. If you have been eating the same thing over and over again, you will get bored quite easily no matter how tasty it might be. So you need to try new things periodically. The easiest ways to get started with this is to buy a new fish that you haven’t tried before. You can simply fry the fish and have it as a side dish.

Add healthy oils – Use healthy oils such as coconut, olive and mustard oils. If you love the Indian cuisine then you need to use oils. Things such as chicken tikka or fish curry tastes great. However you have to make sure that you do not use much oil as that would spoil the taste of the food.

These are some of the effective things that can help you to cook better. On a concluding note I would like to say that irrespective of what you cook, make sure that you garnish it properly as that will help in making it an exciting addition on the table.

Author bio: Myke Thomas is an amazing writer and mainly known for his remarkable columns on numerous Bulk Nuts relevant issues.

Category: Other Food Stuff, Useful Cooking Tips

TAGcook healthy , cooking tips , healthy cooking

Cooking Asian Food with Vanilla

admin | January 18th, 2013

image from www.marionkay.com
I know what you’re thinking: vanilla isn’t exactly a traditional Asian food ingredient. And you’re right, there is nothing particularly Asian about vanilla. It’s certainly not in the same league as Chinese five spice, lemongrass, or ginger. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no place for vanilla in your repertoire. In fact, you can concoct some truly delicious fusion dishes with the help of this tasty little bean. Read on for some helpful vanilla product-related hints.

A Note on Pandan
You might be familiar with the pandan plant, which is sometimes called ‘the vanilla of the East’. It is true that the flavour of pandan is similar to that of vanilla, but the two are not identical. Vanilla has a more robust taste that is suitable for intensive flavouring. By contrast, pandan leaves are often used to wrap meat before cooking in order to give an almost nutty subtle edge. The following recipes are for ‘real’ vanilla, not pandan.

Using Vanilla in Sweet and Spicy Dishes
Though you could be forgiven for thinking that the use of this ingredient was limited to desserts, in fact the vanilla pod can be used to give either a subtle or strong flavour to main courses. Dishes which combine sweetness and heat are often dominated by sugary sweetness and the flavour of hot chili peppers. By substituting sugar for honey and adding a little vanilla flavouring, however, you can produce something that is every bit as tasty but which is somewhat more subtle. Try combining 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tsp hot sauce and 1 tsp vanilla extract and using the mixture to marinate chicken breasts. The resulting taste will be less unambiguously sweet, and will add a new layer of flavour. If you have opted to use vanilla pods instead of extract, it’s perfectly fine to slice the pod and scoop out the seeds with the tip of your knife. These may then be added straight to your mixture, but be warned – you only need about a third of a vanilla pod’s seeds to equal 1 tsp of extract.

Vanilla in Asian Desserts
Vanilla products can also be used in desserts, preferably in combination with other spices. One typically Asian ingredient that blends well with vanilla is ginger. Boil a 2-inch long piece of ginger with a whole pod’s worth of seeds in a sugar solution. After a few minutes, or whenever the mixture is thick enough to be served, remove the ginger and pour over sliced pears. Alternatively, you could try a traditional favourite – Vietnamese Che Kho, or mung bean pudding. Combine equal parts mung bean paste and sugar in a pan, cooking over a low heat and stirring until very thick. Add vanilla extract or seeds to taste – try 1 tsp of extract for every 500g of sugar. Top with sesame seeds and serve.

John Gilbert is a professional blogger and keen amateur cook. He is writing on behalf of a vanilla pods and product provider.

Category: Other Food Stuff, Useful Cooking Tips

TAGcooking asian , cooking asian food , cooking vanilla

Top Cooking tips for Lowering the Fat in your Diet

admin | January 2nd, 2013

tips-to-less-fat-diet
Want to reduce the fat in your diet? Need some tips to reduce the fats? Here are some tips to follow:

1. Decreasing the fat in your food doesn’t mean that you will face a life with your dislikes. Try to reduce the fat in your diet.
2. Remove the fat from your meat. Take less amount of cheese. Go for less fat dairy choices.
3. Try to remove the fat from poultry and beef, before eating remove the skin from poultry.
4. Roast, broil, and bake meat items instead of deep fry. To avoid drying, add flavor to it, tack with wine, pour few drops of lemon juice, and some flavor powder to it.
5. Try to make the dishes with spices and herbs, like tarragon, basil, cilantro and dill. Don’t take more fatty sauces and gravies.
6. If stir or pan frying, use vegetable oils in little amounts like safflower or canola oil. Try to use more olive oil.
7. Take butter in less quantity. So that it will reduce some amount of fat.
8. Reduce the usage of products like margarines which contain hydrogenated oils.
9. Try to take less quantity of milk products. Try to use skim milk or less fat versions of cottage, cheese and ricotta. Less fat pot cheese is also available. These cheeses must contain twenty six grams of fat. It you want to eat ice cream then select daily rather than wonderful premium kinds.
10. Try to take less consumption of diet that have palm kernel, palm, lard, coconut oil, butter, milk solids, and egg yolk. Remove the fat from baked items prepared from the above mentioned ingredients.
11. Instead of using bitter cream in toppings and dips make use of low fat or non-fat yogurt.
12. While making recipes try to use only egg whites and remove yolk or use no cholesterol egg items. Cut the fat in dishes of about one and a half; make use of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils in recipes.
13. Try to take shell fish as it contains less cholesterol and less saturated fat also is good for health.
14. While making coffee make use of skim-milk rather than using non-dairy creams, this will contain more saturated fats.
15. While preparing egg noodles add pasta and rice to it.
16. Try to prepare your popcorn at your home which is less calorie snack. Be careful about more fat popcorn products.
17. Macadamia and coconuts have high saturated fats so better try to avoid eating it.
18. When you purchase cereals or breads try to improve the fiber and see for the whole grain products.
19. Instead of using fatty desserts use fresh fruits.
20. Instead of using salami and bolognas, select less fat meats like pressed turkey or turkey-breast. Reduce the intake of frankfurters, bacon and sausages. While eating turkey ensure that the white meat has low fat.

The above tips will help you to control the fat content in your diet.

About the Guest Author: My name is Evita. I am a tech writer from UK. I am into Finance. At present I am focusing on ppi claims. Catch me @financeport

Category: Useful Cooking Tips

TAGcooking tips , fat in diet , lowering fat

5 Items to Ban from Your Kitchen for Healthy Cooking

admin | December 26th, 2012

kitchen-items-that-need-to-be-banned
Healthy cooking is essential to maintain a healthy body. But, due to changes in lifestyle, many are attracted to restaurant food. These foods not only are a cause for different diseases but also increase your daily expenses. So, prepare your own food at home and stay healthy all the time. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables and cook tasty dishes. You need to focus on different nutritious items while preparing a healthy diet. You need to limit certain foods, carbohydrates and sugars to stay healthy. Make sure that you avoid or limit these components for preparing a healthy food.

1. Butter: If you want to get rid of excess weight and cholesterol, eliminate butter from your foods. Butter is a rich source of unsaturated fat which increases your body weight. This, not only results in obesity but affects your health conditions.
• It increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• 3 tablespoons of butter per day will drastically increase your cholesterol level.
• It is the main reason for obesity, atherosclerosis and blood pressure.

2. White carbohydrates: One of the important carbohydrates that should be avoided from your diet is white carbohydrate. It is made by using white flour, white bread, pasta etc. This adversely affects your health status.
• Results in weight gain.
• These carbs can increase the insulin production which may result in diabetes.
• Excess intake of white carbohydrates results in sleepiness, drowsiness and depression.

3. Sugar: Limit sugar as much as possible. Substitute it with honey while drinking juices and other fluids. Excess intake of sugar develops in deadly disease called diabetes.
• It affects your immune system functionality.
• It increases blood pressure.
• It degrades your dental health.

4. Salt: One of the major food items that should be avoided from diet is salt. It develops several chronic diseases like arterial disease stroke etc. Excess intake of sodium levels increases your weight.
• Avoid eating processed foods which contain high sodium.
• Excess salt results in dehydration.
• Develops heart diseases.

5. Mayonnaise: This is made from unhealthy fats and contains low nutrition levels. Mayonnaise found in grocery stores badly affects your health condition. When you are preparing salads, try to use homemade mayonnaise which benefits your health.
• It is made from soya bean oil, corn oil which is the rich source of omega-6 fatty acids. This fatty acid affects your health which develops heart diseases, type-2 diabetes, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Eliminate low-fat mayonnaise from your diet.
• Artificial mayonnaise contains preservatives, additives, monosodium glutamate. If stored for longer days these chemical substances develops harmful bacteria.

Limit to these substitutes and stay healthy. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, fat substances like monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats etc. in your diet. The cost of nutritious food is very high these days. If you don’t have sufficient money to buy these healthy food stuffs consider taking cash loans UK that offer instant cash and stay healthy.

Author Bio: This is Gracie a Guest blogger from UK. I have written many guest posts on different categories like Home-improvement, Beauty, Health, Technology , Business and finance. At present i am doing research on same day loans. You can find more about me @financeport

Category: Other Food Stuff, Useful Cooking Tips

TAGcooking ingredients , healthy cooking

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