Shop for food items in season. In season fruits and vegetables are going to cost less than out of season items. You pay a premium for food stuff that are out of season every single time you buy them. Stick with items that are currently in season and you’re sure to save a few dollars. The availability of the produce will also make sellers price their products competitively.

Shop local. Support local farmers. You can be assured that the produce is fresh since they don’t have to travel far. Fruits and vegetables get bruised when traveling long distances. Or, go straight to the farm gate to buy your vegetables and fruits. Farm gate prices are so much cheaper than market or grocery prices. Bring a friend along so you can share your food finds.

Grow your own herbs or spices. Using herbs and spices in your cooking can really make a difference in taste. Fresh or dried, herbs and spices add a depth of flavor to your cooking. You can grow your own herb garden using various techniques, including hyrdroponics. Or, if you have the space, create room in the backyard for herb and spice growing. Better yet, grow your own vegetables! Now you’ll never run out of your favorite greens.

If you must buy, buy your herbs and spices whole. Grind them up using a mortar and pestle whenever you need them. For more flavorful herbs and spices, use them within six months or less. After that long a period of time, the herbs and spices slowly lose their flavor. If you’re frequently cooking for a large family or if you just use a lot of your favorite, buy the larger containers for more dollar value. If not, buy the smaller containers as these will run out before the six month period, retaining maximum freshness and flavor.

Less meat will mean less expensive meals. If you must have meat though, avoid the more expensive choice or premium cuts. Tougher but no less flavorful cuts include chuck roast, flank steak and London broil. You can cook beef stews and other beef based recipes for less than the usual.

Check out your local market. Groceries tend to be more expensive than local markets. You’re more likely to get fresher fruits, vegetables, fish and meats there. Forge a relationship with a seller there and you just might get the items cheaper than the going rate. How can you beat fresher and cheaper food items?

Check out the ethnic markets and grocers in your area. Look around and you’ll find a lot of good deals that your grocery may not be able to offer you. You no longer have to go to a Korean restaurant to satisfy your kimchi craving. There are several variants available at every Korean grocery. Love Chinese food but trying to save on take out? Hit the Chinese grocery and look up recipes on the web. You save money and enhance your cooking skills.

Frugal cooking allows you to cut back without sacrificing quality. The savings you make can now be applied to other things. Or, you can have dinner at your favorite restaurant.

And don’t forget, leftovers can make great meals, too!

When you enroll at a culinary institute, you will be faced with a number of intriguing and challenging courses. For more help visit to: www.cooking-chinese-style.com.Expect to learn both the basics and the little things that will make you an expert. Several programs offer the opportunity to learn the theory behind food preparation. As you already know, cooking is an art. You will discover several new approaches to cooking that will broaden your abilities in the kitchen. Your education at a culinary institute will expose you to new styles, as well as some of the more traditional methods. Be prepared to work with others, as a successful career as a chef will be based on the help and support of those with whom you work.

Each class at a culinary institute is developed with specific skills in mind. As with all institutions, the classes will become gradually more intense and difficult as you progress. Keep your eye on the prize, though. Your goal is to become the best chef possible and your time spent at a culinary institute is the most effective way to make this happen. Fortunately, your time at school will begin with training in tasting. You will get to taste different foods, and earn class credits for it. For more help visit to: www.cajuns-recipes.com. Each food is subtle in its unique taste. You need to appreciate these unique characteristics and be able to identify them.

Once you have learned how to taste food, you will study the many different techniques used to prepare food. For example, the many different uses of knives will be one of the areas on which you focus. Methods of cooking, such as dry heat and moist heat, will be an important part of your education at a culinary institute. You may also be trained on how to master the art of baking and pastry preparation.

All of this training will lead to a greater sense of confidence in the kitchen. This confidence will eventually translate to an ability to prepare more complicated and delicious meals. Before you know it, you will be creating your own menus.

An appealing aspect of classes taught at a culinary institute is that they are usually broad and diverse in the scope of foods covered. Prepare to learn how to make dishes from all parts of the world. Food knows no boundaries. Neither does the restaurant business. Whether it is a specialized plate from India, or an enticing and exotic dish from an Asian country, you will have an eclectic culinary education.

The food industry is always thriving. You want to get involved in it because you see it as a chance to combine your passion for preparing wonderful meals with your desire to lead a rewarding career. Enrolling at a culinary institute is the first step towards making this a reality.

[url=http://www.planyourdinner.com]special recipes[/url].

When it comes to cooking vegetables, it is always best to use as little water as possible. That is because over cooking, especially when boiling, can destroy some of the important nutrients that make vegetables so important.

The best way to cook most vegetables in the microwave, preferably in a special microwave vegetable steamer. Vegetables can also be lightly cooked in a microwave safe bowl, using as little water as possible.

Vegetables can be cooked on the stove top as well, but it is important to use as little water as possible when boiling vegetables. Vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts are particularly susceptible to losing important nutrients.

Microwave ovens are also great for making other vegetables, especially baked potatoes. Baked potatoes get great in the microwave, with the skins getting nice and crispy and the flesh being very tender. Of course this means that less high fat toppings may be needed, so the microwave is a great way to make nutritious and delicious baked potatoes.

Grilling is another great way to make healthy, delicious meals. Grilling meats is a great, low fat way to prepare meats, and it is a great way to make vegetables and fruits as well. Vegetable kebobs are great on the grill, whether combined with lean cuts of meat or made into a meal of their own.

Your oven’s broiler is another great way to create low fat meals. Broiling is a great way to prepare all kinds of meats and seafood, and broiling is a low fat cooking method as well. Broiling fish is a great, fast and easy way to prepare this staple of a healthy low fat diet, while broiling steaks and chops keep fat at a minimum while keeping taste at its highest.

The handy kitchen blender is another great way to create delicious snacks using healthy fruits and vegetables. Blenders are great for making fruit smoothies, and most recipes call for little more than crushed ice, fruit juice and fresh fruit.

Some great, high nutrition, low fat, low calorie meals require no preparation at all. For instance, it is possible to make a wonderful, and easy, fruit salad with just a can of mandarin oranges, an apple, some strawberries and a banana. Simply open the can of mandarin oranges, empty it into a bowl, along with the juice it is packed in. Then add banana slices, apples slices and strawberries. For extra color and taste, add some blueberries, raspberries or raisins. The total prep time for this great creation is all of five minutes.

Fruit skewers are another creative, healthy and easy meal or snack. Simply take shish kebob skewers and stack them full of melon slices, strawberries, red grapes, white grapes and chunks of pineapple. Plain nonfat yogurt makes an excellent and low fat dip.

In addition to the above ideas, making your own homemade salsa is a great way to create a low fat alternative to sour cream and other high fat dips. Salsa can be made using healthy ingredients like tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, onions, cilantro and lime juice.

In addition, perking up a plain salad is a great way to add even more fruits and vegetables to an already healthy diet. For example, use broccoli florets, carrot slices, slices of cucumber, green peppers, red peppers, and bean sprouts to add color, zest and flavor to any salad.

Cucumbers, green peppers, broccoli and carrots are also great additions to pasta salads and potato salads. Adding extra crunch and color is a great way to add zest to any meal or snack.

Even a plain green salad of lettuce and tomatoes can be enhanced through the use of colorful fruits and vegetables. Adding vegetables like carrots, bean sprouts, and spinach leaves, and fruits like mandarin oranges, apple slices, nectarine slices, grapes, apple slices, pineapples and raisins, adds both beauty and taste to any salad.

Of course salad dressing is always an important subject for those trying to follow a healthy lifestyle. High fat dressing can sabotage even the healthiest salad, but there are many excellent, low fat and healthy choices when it comes to topping a salad. Using flavored vinegars, herbs and fruit juices are novel approaches to salad dressing, in addition to the many nonfat and low fat versions of commercial salad dressing.

VANILLA PUDDING

SUPER EASY VEGAN SALAD

PEACH MUFFINS

GRANDMAS FRENCH DRESSING

GRANDMAS HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

LIGHTSIDE

BACK TO COOKING SCHOOL

FOOD INFORMATION

BAR MIXES

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

ARCHIVES

GRANDMAS FRENCH ONION SOUP
3 tablespoons.(45 ml)butter
2 cups(500 ml)thin sliced onion
4 cups(1125 ml)bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
2 teaspoons.(10 ml)sugar
French bread
Parmesan cheese or other finely grated cheese
heat butter, add onions, simmer about 10 minutes or until soft
and lightly brown. Add bouillon, bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add sugar.
Pour soup into individual soup dishes. On top of each, float a slice
Of sauted French bread and sprinkle with grated cheese. Put in oven
350 F, (175 C), until cheese is melted.

YIELD: 6 servings.
TIME: 60 minutes.

VANILLA PUDDING
1 cup, 2 tbsp. .(280 ml)pudding mix
2 cups(500 ml)water
2 tablespoons(30 ml)butter or margarine
1-teaspoon(5 ml)vanilla
Combine pudding mix and water in saucepan. Bring to boil, turn
Stove down and boil gently for 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly. Remove from heat, add
margarine and vanilla. Stir. Let stand for 15 minutes, stir again and chill.

YIELD: 4 servings.

Super Easy Vegan Pasta Salad

2 cups whole wheat pasta, cooked & cooled

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cucumber, chopped

1/2 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Mix together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies, and stir well

Peach Muffins

1 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

4 teaspoons oil

2 eggs, beaten lightly

cup peeled peaches

Bake at 400 F., 15-20 minutes.

GRANDMAS FRENCH DRESSING
1 teaspoon (5 ml)sugar
2 teaspoons..(10 ml)..salt
teaspoon..(2.5 ml)…pepper
teaspoon .(2.5 ml)…paprika
1 cup(375 ml).salad oil
cup(125 ml).vinegar
1 clove of garlic (if desired)
Put sugar, salt, pepper and paprika in jar. Add oil, vinegar and
garlic. Shake well. When dressing is thoroughly blended, pour
over salad.
YIELD: approximately 2 cups (500 ml)
CALORIES: 92 per tablespoon (15 ml)
TIME: 10 minutes.

GRANDMAS HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
1 egg yolk
teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
teaspoon(2.5 ml).dry mustard
teaspoon …(1.25 ml)…paprika
dash cayenne
2 tablespoons ..(30 ml)vinegar
1 cup .(250 ml)..salad oil
Put egg yolk and seasoning in bowl and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon(15.ml) vinegar and beat well. Gradually beat in oil until cup of mixture is used. Then add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) at a time. As mixture thickens add remaining vinegar. If oil is added to quickly, mayonnaise will curdle. To fix this add 1 more egg yolk and continue.
Store mayonnaise in covered jar and refrigerate.
YIELD: approximately 1 cup (310 ml).
CALORIES: 104 per tablespoon (15 ml).
Time: 15 minutes

LIGHTSIDE

A Sure Cure

An older lady came out screaming after being told by the young Doctor she was pregnant. The head doctor of the clinic stopped her and asked her what the problem was. She tells him and he gets her to settle down in a chair, and then rushes over to the young doctor that she came from.

Whats the matter with you, telling a 80 year old lady she is pregnant he asks the young Doctor.

The Doctor kept writing the prescription he was filling out, and without looking up at his superior, asked, Does she still have the hiccups?

BACK TO COOKING SCHOOL.

TENDER CUTS of meat can be cooked by dry heat, as in broiling, pan-broiling, or roasting.
TOUGH CUTS can only be made tender by moist heat, as in pot-roasting and Stewing.

Our main object is to prevent shrinkage in so far as possible, and produce a tender, juicy, tasty product. In roasting, searing does little to help keep in juices, less shrinkage results at a lower temperature for a longer time (300 F). Searing however makes the meat look attractive and the outside layers taste better.

An uncovered pan with a rack in the bottom gives the best results in roasting. Cooking time varies with preference.
For rare meat, 16 minutes per pound.
For medium meat, 22 minutes per pound.
For well done meat, 30 minutes per pound.

Add salt during or after cooking, not before. The salt flavour does not penetrate more then 1 inch. If the meat does not reach the desired colour during roasting, increase the heat to (500 F) for a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Methods of searing is subjecting the meat to a high temperature until it is nicely browned.

By Browning in an uncovered pan in a hot oven (450 F-500F).
By Browning in hot fat in a frying pan on the surface burner.
By Adding boiling water and cooking at boiling temperature until the outside of the meat has lost its red colour.

Reasons For Cooking Meat
To develop flavour.
To soften the connective tissue when present in large quantity.
To kill any living organisms that may be present

FOOD INFORMATION.

How safe is our food supply?

Increasingly, the corporations that supply us with processed foods are unable to guarantee the safety of their ingredients. As a result, not just red meat and poultry, is now a potential carrier of pathogens, government and industry officials concede. As the drive to keep food costs down intensifies, most corporations do not even know who is supplying their ingredients, let alone if those suppliers are screening the items for microbes and other potential dangers.

Some concede that they cannot ensure the safety of items from frozen vegetables to pizzas and that they are shifting the burden of safety to the consumer. It seems the only time we know the products are unsafe, is when there is a problem, people get sick, and the product is recalled.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association has called for new safety initiatives. They include new training and more food safety audits. The grocers also want a new internet-based recall system to speed up the process of finding and removing recalled food products.

For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit: www.inspection.gc.ca

Dont just guess to tell when meat, poultry and seafood are done. Instead, use a food thermometer to make sure foods have reached at least the following internal temperatures:

Steaks: 145 degrees F (medium rare)

Ground beef: 160 degrees F

Chicken breasts: 165 degrees F

Whole poultry: 165 degrees F

Pork: 160 degrees F

Fish: 145 degrees F

Officials of Ottawa Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency remind home canners and consumers that home canning and bottling of seafood is popular in Canada, but food safety awareness should be the priority when home canning or when buying home canned products from vendors.

Improper preparation, canning or storage, especially of low-acid foods such as clams, lobster and whelks, can cause serious illness, even botulism. Bacteria that produce colourless, odourless, tasteless, invisible toxins not necessarily destroyed by cooking cause botulism.

To keep home canned food safe, the Canadian health agencies advise canners remember to:

Use a pressure canner and strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions for low-acid food canning or bottling. Recipe ingredients, amounts, or jar sizes should not be changed because these can affect times/pressures needed and could result in bacteria remains in the food.

Clean and keep sanitizing hands, all work surfaces, food, utensils, and equipment during all stages of the canning process.

Use home canned product within one year. Once the container has been opened, refrigerate leftovers immediately.

Never eat canned foods if the closure or seal has been broken, or if the container is swollen or leaking. If in doubt, throw it out.

The Memorial Day weekend is coming up. It marks the unofficial start of summer. Many will celebrate with a cook out or picnic, two things that can lead to food borne illnesses.

Food safety experts say hand washing and cooking food thoroughly can help prevent those illnesses.

Never use the same plate to carry both raw and cooked food.

And that burger-flipping spatula? Same principal applies: Don’t use the same one to drop the burgers on the grill and then retrieve them once cooked.

Most people believe that when meat turns brown, it’s done. In fact, one out of four burgers turn brown before it reaches 160 degrees. Use a cooking thermometer.

IF IT’S STEAK, MAKE SURE IT’S WELL SEARED

Cooking steak is not the same as cooking ground beef. Bacteria like to congregate on the surface and edges of steak. So be sure to sear it to kill toxins.

BAR MIXES

If you have teenagers, or in fact any adult, impress on them the risks of driving while intoxicated. Statistics demonstrate drunk drivers cause many fatal road accidents.

It should be known that like any other drug, addiction is a potential hazard. Excess of alcohol will affect organs such as the brain, heart, and liver.

BLACK VELVET

In tall glass add half chilled Guinness stout, and half chilled champagne. Stir quickly.

Rum Punch

Pint Puerto Rican Rum

Pint peach Brandy

Pint Lemon or Lime Juice

5 tablespoons Bitters

6 Pints Soda Water

Stir rum, brandy, juice and bitters in a bowl. When ready to serve, add block of ice and soda.

Serve 10 persons

House Standard
1 jigger Tequila
2 jiggers Tomato Juice
2 dashes Tabasco
Shake with cracked ice and strain.
Serve with slice of lemon.

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINK

LEMONADE FRUIT

2 teaspoons bar sugar

Juice of one lemon

1 ounce raspberry syrup

Stir together in a 12 ounce chimney glass. Fill glass with shaved ice. Fill glass with water. Stir. Decorate with an orange slice, lemon slice, and a cherry. Serve with straws.

Tea Punch
3 cups brewed strong black tea
1 quart orange juice
1 cup lime or lemon juice
2 cups raspberry syrup
1 cup crushed pineapple
Bar sugar to taste
2 quarts club soda

Pour all ingredients except soda over a large block of ice in a punch bowl. Stir well. Let it chill. At serving time, add chilled soda.

Canning & freezing are the one main ways to store foods for year-round enjoyment. In canning, heat destroys troublesome organisms in food, & the sealed containers prevent recontamination of the food. During freezing, the very cold temperature slows down the growth & activity of organisms & enzymes.

In freezing, quick freezing at low temperature (O degree F or below) is important. If the storage temperature increases above O degree F, the length of storage time decreases.

For canning & freezing, the quality of the food & sanitation are both important. Select quality fruits & vegetables & wash them carefully. Also, it Is important to keep your work area clean & dry.

For canned foods, label jars with contents & date, & if you’re canning several batches on the same day, include the batch number. After jars are properly sealed, remove the metal screw bands from the flat metal lids if its type of closure is used. Store canned products in a dry, icy, dark place.

Labeling is essential for both canned & frozen products. You may reckon you will remember what is in a container & when it was packed, but after a time you may forget details about seasoning & the date packed.

For frozen foods, include the amount of food as well as the contents & date of packaging on the label. For handy reference of frozen foods, keep an inventory beside the freezer indicating when the foods were added so that you can use the products within their specified storage time limits. Cross off foods as they are removed from the freezer.

Sandy is an advocate in natural health as well as healthy diet. They enjoys sharing her thoughts & experience on health tips & recipes.

Does your kitchen stress you out? No, this is not just another article about getting the clutter out of your kitchen to live a stress-free life. There are so many different ways that you can face stress in the kitchen. Lets take a look at some stressful kitchen situations and the various kitchen gadgets and accessories that can erase that kitchen stress.

Mom, I need a cake for the bake sale tomorrow!

Who hasnt been there? Its 9 p.m. youre looking forward to relaxing for the evening and your fifth grader suddenly remembers that the bake sale is tomorrow! Skip the layer cake and break out a fancy cake pan that makes it easy to turn out a showpiece beehive or heart cake, the kind of cake that will earn heaps of praise and top dollar at the bake sale.

Honey, did you take the chicken out of the freezer like I asked this morning?

Oops! It is dinner time and someone forgot to take the meat out to thaw. You can pop it in the microwave and lose half the flavor, you can try to thaw it under running water, or you can put some stress on your wallet by ordering a pizza. Or you can do none of the above if you own a Nu Wave oven, which cooks a full meal in under an hour, even if the meat is frozen. The Nu Wave combines convection, regular heat and infrared heat to cook three ways at once, even if you forgot to take the meat out for dinner.

Theres no more room in the oven for the rolls!

You know how it goes, youve got the roast on the top rack, the potatoes on the bottom rack and theres no room for the green bean casserole. Whats a busy cook to do? How about a Three Tier Oven Rack that better than doubles the room in your oven by adding three racks, and still leaving room for the roast on the side? Even better, it folds flat when youre not using it so it takes up almost no room at all in your cupboard.

What did you do with the lid to the Dutch oven, honey?

How much time do you spend rummaging through the kitchen cabinet to find the right lid for the right pot? Never lose your lid again when youve got a Lid Organizer that slides in and out of your cabinet on casters. You can store up to six pot lids in almost no space at all. It also holds storage lids so you can find them easily, eliminating yet another kitchen stress.

Ouch! Those oven racks are hot!

It happens to the most careful chefs and cooks, while reaching for the cookie sheet a hand or forearm (or both) brushes against the edge of the oven rack. Pot holders and oven gloves only go so far in protecting you from burns. Whats the answer? Put the guard on the oven rack instead of on your hands. DuPont Nomex Rack Guards slip onto the front of most standard oven racks, protecting you from accidental burns.

I hate cleaning the oven and those drippy icky messes on the burners!

Dont we all? Stop spills from baking on by protecting your oven floor with a silicone oven liner. When it gets dirty, just pull it out, pop it in the dishwasher and voila! The result is a sparkling clean surface. Do the same thing with your stovetop by investing in a set of fiberglass burner bibs that collect up all those boil-overs and splatters, and a spoon rest to hold your spoon and pot lid without dribbling on the stove.

When I lift the bird, you slide the plate underneath it and oh, no!!

Its the most fun moment of the entire day, getting the roast or the turkey from the roasting pan to the serving platter. If the transfer juggle stresses you out, there are a few great options to erase the stress from your life. One of the best is a Silicone Roast Lifter. Just put your bird on it before you put it into the oven. When its finished roasting, grab the handles and lift. Thats all there is to it.

What stresses you out in the kitchen? Whether it is getting dinner on the table in a hurry or remembering to take the rolls out of the oven before they burn, there are ways to get rid of it. Take a few minutes to think about what makes you feel hurried and rushed, then figure out which gadget or trick will help you overcome it so that you can truly enjoy cooking again.

[url=http://www.planyourdinner.com]special recipes[/url].

Fish Dinner

4 Fish fillets or steaks, Trout or other fish fillets, Salmon Steaks or Tuna Steaks

1 large sweet Bell Pepper, any color, deseeded and cut into thin strips

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2-3 largish potatoes, sliced thinly

1/2 cup chopped onions

4 Tablespoons of butter, low fat spread or olive oil

Salt and Pepper, to taste

You may also wish to add some herbs – thyme is good.

Divide the vegetables into 4 equal portions. Take half of each portion and place onto 4 sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the fish onto the bed of vegetables, and put the butter or olive oil on top of the fish. Herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Then add the other half of each portion of the vegetables on top of the fish. Roll the top down snug, and fold the edges in tightly to form a nice solid parcel. Place directly above hot coals for 8 – 10 minutes. Then turn the parcels and wait another 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, open with care as there will be lots of lovely juices.

Chicken Dinner

Similar parcels can be made using a chicken breast , onions, barbeque sauce, green beans and perhaps some mixed herbs. If the breast is very thick try and flatten it a little to ensure that it cooks right through. This can be accompanied by rice or pasta cooked in a Dutch oven placed in the hot coals.

Turkey Burgers for 4 or 5 people

These don’t have to be made with turkey of course – chicken or pork will be just as enjoyable.

1 large mild onion

3 cups fresh ground turkey

1 tsp garlic powder or a finely chopped clove of garlic

2 teaspoons of dried parsley flakes or a little fresh cilentro

1 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Hamburger buns, barbeque sauce and salad to serve.

Method

Peel and chop onions quite small. Heat of olive oil in skillet and Add onions, a pinch of salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste. Stir onions and allow them to sweat then continue cooking until a light brown edge forms on the onions. Remove pan from stove and set aside. Add garlic powder, parsley flakes or other herbs, and salt then mix thoroughly together with ground turkey. Add the cooked onions to the ground turkey mix. Form the meat mix into 4 to 5 patties of about 1/4 pound each. Spray skillet with cooking spray and allow to re-heat, then add the burgers. Make sure they fit in the skillet without touching. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until clear juices run when pressed with a spatula. Serve in buns with salad and barbecue sauce.

Variations – you may want to add a chunk of cheese into the middle of each burger.

Pork or chicken burgers can benefit from the addition of a little chopped bacon.