Health Life | We truly care about our health !

Some people are taught to cook from an early age while others are lucky if they learned to boil water in a home-ec class. The good news is that no matter what your current skill level is, it is never too late to improve your cooking skills.

The easiest way to improve your skills is to sign up for cooking class. Here a teacher in a restaurant shirt can teach you the tips and tricks to make any meal a success. These continuing education classes cater to a wide variety of skill levels and interests. Given time and a willingness to learn, you can go from learning to cook an egg to making a five course meal in a short time frame. These classes are often associated with a local learning institution such as a vocational school or college, and the prices can be quite varied. Remember that the money you spend learning to make tasty and healthy food at home will be more than made up for with the money you save by eating out less often.

If you do not have time to take a series of classes, you might consider a specialty class. Here a chef in a restaurant uniform might teach you one technique or dish. These usually are done in a restaurant setting. This is great if you are only interested in making the perfect omelet or making a particular dish. This kind of class is a great option if you are travelling. You can learn to cook the local signature dish in an afternoon and then remember the fun of your vacation every time you make it at home. If you are found of a particular dish at a local restaurant, you might consider asking the chef for a one-on-one lesson. You might not be able to recreate his specialty, but he could offer you some pointers to use in your own kitchen. If you are interested in decorating cakes and not making them, many craft stores offer classes in that particular skill.

Money is tight for many of us so another great option is to make your own cooking class. Who needs chefs in uniform jackets when you have friends and family to work with? Family recipes are often not written down or are altered from their written versions. If your grandmother makes the world’s best sugar cookies, she would probably love to have a group over to share her secrets with. Friends from other cultures can teach you ethnic dishes that you had no idea even existed. You and your friends can have an afternoon of fun and fellowship and come home with delicious things to share with your family.

Uniform jackets are a breeze to find at iD by Landau. If you need a restaurant shirt or full restaurant uniform, you will be sure to find exactly what you desire.

Author: Alice Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Captions contest

Preparing delicious and healthy food has never been this pleasurable and gratifying with the aid of Rachel Ray cookware products, the great kitchen buddy. In my past articles, I have shared to you the secrets in preparing the very tasty Filipino Embutido and other great dishes. Today, I will be unraveling the mystery behind mouthwatering roasts that will surely make your family go craving for.

Using Rachel Ray cookware sets, I will teach you the secret ingredients of the two great roasts. So have your Rachel Ray cookware sets prepared before you begin following the procedure presented below.
Provided below are the important ingredients needed to make the Savory Rolled Rib Roast:

Italian Style Rump Roast

- 2tbsp cooking oil 30ml
- 4to 5-lb rump roast of beef 1.8 to 2.2-kg
- 1tsp salt 5ml
- 1/2cup chopped carrots 125ml
- 1 1/2cup chopped celery 375ml
- 1/2cup chopped onion 125ml
- 1cup dry red table wine 250ml
- 10-oz can consommé 284-ml can
- 5 1/2-oz can tomato paste 156-ml can
- 6 anchovy fillets, finely copped 6
- Small piece bay leaf small piece
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 cloves
- 2tbsp butter 30ml
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced hot cook spaghetti 225ml

Heat oil in large Rachael Ray pan. Add roast and brown slowly and well on all sides. Sprinkle with salt. Drop carrots, celery and onion into hot fat and cook and stir until they are lightly browned. Add wine, consommé, tomato paste, anchovies, bay leaf and garlic. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 3 hours.

Heat butter in heavy skillet. Add mushrooms and cook gently 3 minutes, stirring. Add to roast and sauce and continue cooking gently, covered, about 30 minutes more or until roast is very tender. Lift roast out unto hot platter and keep warm.

Cook sauce over moderate heat, uncovered, until it thickens like a spaghetti sauce. Slice meat and put on serving plates.
Add spaghetti to each plate and spoon sauce over all.

Sweet and Sour Pot Roast

- 2tbsp cooking oil 30ml
- 4-lb chuck roast 1.8-kg
- 1cup chopped onion 250ml
- 1tsp salt 5ml
- 1/4 tsp pepper 1ml
- 1/2tsp dried leaf thyme 2ml
- 1/2cup beef bouillon 125ml
- 1/3cup cider vinegar 80ml
- 1/3cup liquid honey 80ml
- 1tbsp cornstarch 15ml
- 1/4cup water 60ml

Heat oil in large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add meat and brown well on all sides. Lift out meat and add onion to fat in pan. Cook 3 minutes, stirring. Return meat to pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Add bouillon and vinegar, cover and simmer about 2 hour or until beginning to get tender. Add honey and continue simmering, turning the roast occasionally, until tender, about 1 hour more.

Put meat on hot serving platter and keep hot. Bring liquid left in pan to a full boil. Add cornstarch to water and stir to blend well. Stir into boiling liquid gradually. Cook until thickened and clear, stirring. Turn heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Serve over slices of roast.

Enjoy great cooking with your kitchen buddy Rachael Ray Cookware. Try other great recipes, with the Rachael Ray cookbook

Author: Joseph Celbert
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Electric pressure cooker generations

Alaskan fisheries are just about the most productive in the world, and we Americans-as well as many many people abroad, in many countries-simply can suppress our appetite for tasty Alaskan seafood delicacies.  Knowing that the regulation of the Alaskan fishing industry is very efficient and scientific, people have the peace of mind to know that they are acquiring healthy food from a sustainable source.  Among the most delicious of the treats to be had from the frigid, rich waters off Alaska’s coast would have to be king crab: the largest crab species out there, with one of the firmest meats and most robust tastes.  Cooking king crab should therefore be something everybody gets to try at least once, and hopefully all the time.

King crab is sold throughout most of the country, frozen and containing nothing more than the legs.  These legs are always precooked, so it is not necessary to give them a long time in boiling water or in any hot preparation since the wonderful texture-one of the principal appeals of king crab-will be lost.  Cooking king crab, therefore, is a simple affair, as you really only have to bring it up to a warm temperature; therefore, if adding it to preparations that have relatively long cooking times, it is wise to wait until near the end to include it.  If you leave the legs whole, with shell on and all, keep them in boiling water for roughly 10 minutes and remove.  If you wait for them to thaw and remove the shell, cut the meat into chunks, you can add it to stir-fries or other dishes, like oven bakes, etc., though keep the temperature low if you will be exposing it to heat for a long time; just the last 2 or 3 minutes of a stir fry would be enough.

One of the most classic ways to serve crab legs is simply boiling as described above, and serving with a dish of melted butter, lemon slices, a little salt, and a nut cracker to break the shell: it’s a simple dish, and its entertaining.  Whatever you choose to do when cooking king crab, just remember to preserve its spectacular texture and let its great taste shine through.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has accurate, up to date information on the fish species off the coast of the most northern state.

Author: Allie Moxley
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Retirement plan

Pizza is a delicious dish that comes in the following form; the dough, sauce and toppings. A pizza sauce recipe is the way to go if you enjoy cooking and want to have fun making pizza at home. Making the sauce is quite simple and the recipe consists of low fat tomato sauce and various types of vegetables and fish. You’ll agree with me that this is definitely healthy food. However, butter and cream can also be used.

The sauce can be either cooked or served raw but whichever you prefer, you’ll definitely enjoy it. The cooked one, it’s stored in trays of ice that are in plastic bags. Spices such as oregano are used when making the sauce so as to improve the taste and life span. Different herbs are also used to increase the taste, some of the herbs used include basil, thyme, marjoram, mint and savory.

Generally, the taste of your sauce will depend on your imagination and creativity. Nevertheless, you can use olive oil to make it spicy and tasty at the same time. Some types of olive oil that will help make it spicy and tasty will include; Southwestern which is normally used with herbs such as Cummins, black pepper, garlic and oregano. California oil is also used with garlic, oregano, basil and chili flakes to add a delicious taste.

Garlic oil is another type of olive oil used by basically infusing olive oil with garlic. Canning pizza sauce is also a good sauce and it doesn’t need to be frozen so as to store it. In fact, you can keep it in the garage.

Peter Gitundu Creates Interesting And Thought Provoking Content on Pizza. For More Information, Read More Of His Articles Here PIZZA SAUCE If You Enjoyed This Article, Make Sure You SUBSCRIBE TO MY RSS FEED!

Author: Peter Gitundu
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Assisted living

Stop going out to dinner! Period! – O.K. if you’re family is screaming at you then take them out maybe once a month. Make it an occasion. Most of us get caught up in fast paced living and eat out more frequent then we really should. It’s just an insane waste of money. Remember that the cost of dinner for four at a nice restaurant can feed the family for a week or more.

So what is the first Penny Pinching Cooking Tip? That’s it, COOK!

Cooking can be a problem when you don’t have all of the right ingredients but there are penny pinching substitutes. You can still cook like a pro and use what’s available.

What I am trying to do is show you how to save money and give different cooking tips. Looking on the web, everybody and their brother has recipes. I have put in a few recipes, but mostly cooking tips to pinch those pennies and stretch those dollars.

Some substitutions and varying ways to save money, still serving your family tasty and healthy food. How to use what is on hand in your kitchen if you don’t have the exact item.

ROAST BEEF cooking tip

Easy, use your crock pot. Place your potatoes carrots and onions in the bottom and put your roast on top. Pour a pkg of onion soup mix over and add a cup of water. Turn on low and by the time you get home from work you will have a deliciously cooked meal to serve.

o Don’t have onion soup mix, substitute!!
Crush a couple beef bouillon cubes and add some dried onion flakes, you will never know the difference.

Want a little different flavor? Instead of water, pour in a cup of bourbon or a cup of wine (any kind). The alcohol cooks out, so don’t let that be a worry.

STROGANOFF

Now that you have leftover roast beef, you can make stroganoff. Cut your beef into small cubes, heat through with a can of mushroom soup, stir in a cup of sour cream and if you want add a little bit of red wine; serve over hot buttered noodles.

o Don’t have any sour cream? Substitute!!
Do you have a cup of cottage cheese? Place I cup of cottage cheese, 5 Tbs of milk and 1 Tbs of lemon juice in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

CHICKEN AND GRAVY

Use your crock pot. Place your chicken pieces (any pieces will do, drumsticks, thighs or whole cut up) in the crock pot. Add a can of cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of celery, or creamy tomato. You could even use bar-b-que sauce. Cook on low and when you are ready to eat, serve over rice or noodles. Your family will love you.

o Don’t have creamy tomato, but have a can of regular tomato soup? Make your own, simply add a half can of milk and blend together. You could even make it spicy by adding some salsa or Tabasco.

POTATO PANCAKES

Don’t know what to do with that little bit of mashed potatoes? Make potato pancakes. Stir the potatoes with some milk and baking powder. The consistency of regular pancakes. Fry in a little bit of butter or margarine, making them about the size of dollar pancakes.

If you wish add some onion or grated cheese or both. Serve with sour cream or spread cheese. Delicious!!

GREAT GREEN BEANS

Want a change from ordinary plain green beans? Take a can of green beans and drain. Cook until heated through in a pan or in the microwave, add a little butter to coat and add garlic salt or garlic powder and sour cream or mayonnaise. Tasty!! Even my children who didn’t like vegetables loved them this way.

CHOPPED ONION

Use chopped onions all the time, but tired of chopping every time you need them?

Prepare ahead. Buy that bag of onions and chop all of them to the size you like. Spread out on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. After they are frozen, put into a zip lock bag and put back in the freezer. Ready to use anytime you need them.

I believe in the saying that a penny saved is a penny earned and if you want to learn more penny pinching tips check out Grandma’s web site at: http://www.pennypinching-grandma.com

Cal Bolton is the webmaster for Grandma who is the actual content provider of: http://www.pennypinching-grandma.com

Author: Cal Bolton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pension

Imagine that a much-anticipated “date night” is just around the corner for you and your partner. You look forward to putting the kids to bed and creating that dream dinner for your spouse or partner. But what should it be? What will make it so special that it will put stars in his or her eyes? Here are some expert tips on how to plan the meal that aims to please.

1. Tailor it to YOU and YOURS. Each circumstance is different and personal. Your likes and dislikes are not the same as the next person. Making your moment special could mean:

- Making a favorite meal that you don’t make very often.

- Cooking something together if your partner also enjoys the process. (You can still make him/her feel special by having the ingredients all set out and any chopping done ahead of time. This will make the meal go together quickly and is much more fun. Everyone loves having a Sous Chef!

- Making something you don’t particularly like to cook, but you know your partner will appreciate it if you make it.

- Choosing a favorite ingredient and including it in each course (e.g. coconut would be one of my choices. My husband and I both love it.)

2. Keep it simple. Remember that the purpose of a date night meal is romance, not hours in the kitchen. Simple, healthy foods that are presented in a pretty way are always welcome. What matters is the flavor, not how complicated it is. Use your spices and taste everything before you serve it to be sure that it’s just right.

3. Explore “make ahead” options. Plan your meal and shop ahead. Many things can be purchased a day or more ahead. As well, many things can be chopped and organized well ahead. Don’t leave too much to the last minute. You want to have energy to engage with your partner. Make sure you protect your energy source so you’re not nodding off in your soup!

4. Don’t try anything too exotic. This might not be the time to try something new. Comfort food is just fine. Go with the known bet and don’t risk disappointment.

5. Make it pleasing to the eye. Pay attention to presentation! Nothing makes a person feel more special than knowing someone else has really fussed over something for them. Take that extra minute or two to carefully present what you have made. A few ways to make your presentation look special are:

-Make portion sizes equal. It looks more professional.

-Use a scoop to mound dishes like risotto or potato salad.

-Cut meats with a sharp knife so you have clean, straight edges.

-Use edible flowers as accents. (You can buy small amounts of them in many grocery stores and markets.)

-Garnish! Snips of fresh herbs make colorful, attractive garnishes. Choose an herb that coordinates with the spices/herbs in the dish. Other great garnishes are tiny bits of chopped, colorful bell pepper, egg yolk pushed through a sieve, tiny strips of carrot and tips of asparagus spears. Don’t throw out small amounts of leftover vegetables. You can always use them in this way! They add color, interest and a little extra nutrition.

-Plan your meal with an eye toward nutrition but also to color and how it will go together on the plate.

6. Serve more than one course. It’s easy to fall into a rut as a parent. Whether you work outside the home or not, life is busy, hectic and tiring. It’s tempting to grab something on the run or throw together a one dish meal. Your partner will be impressed if you come up with more than one course and it isn’t that hard. The first course could be a “store-bought” soup (with a garnish of course!). The second could be something special you made yourself and dessert could be ice cream with a special sauce or berries or something also purchased from the store.

This is the time to think about any leftovers in your refrigerator. Is there anything that could be re-worked to become a course on its own? For example, if you have leftover risotto, you can form it into balls, press a small cube of cheese in the middle, dip it in egg then flour and deep fry it for a delicious appetizer or starchy side dish. A little bit of leftover soup can be served in a tiny terrine as an appetizer. Leftover cheese and turkey can become a mini grilled Panini sandwich appetizer. Use your imagination. The list is endless!

Follow the rules above; add a smile and your special person will feel like he/she is in a restaurant created just for them!

Chef Lynn M. Miller, Author, Teacher and Host of the Flavor Secrets Television Show
http://www.flavorsecrets.com

At this site, you will find information about cooking classes in the Detroit area that cater to fun loving cooks. There are also great tools, like conversion tables and cooking temperature guides! Use the site to ask Chef Lynn cooking questions.

You will also find information about Chef Lynn’s cookbook: Flavor Secrets: Back to the Basics. The book contains loads of professional tips that show home cooks how to build flavor like professionals. Recipes are easy, tasty and beautiful. Color photographs show you the finished product.

Author: Lynn M. Miller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Coffee and Cancer

Eat healthy foods. That’s what we hear all the time not only from our doctors but from everyone we meet and even from the media. It is alarming how people are dying from heart attacks and strokes and they are getting younger by the minute. Thus, there is an emphasis to eat food that has less fat and less cholesterol.

Fish is always a good choice over meat although, even if we aim to eat it more, we cook it less. There are many reasons why this is so it maybe because we do not know how to cook it or we do not know how to buy them. Some even fear cooking them at home. The truth is it is easier to cook than beef or pork. Plus, it requires less time to cook it. So you save more by cooking it more frequently. Actually, there are many ways to cook it. What method to use depends on what fish you bought. Cooking fish is not rocket science. Anybody can do it.

But before you cook it, you have to know how to buy it. Fresh fish smells sweet. It should not smell fishy. It should also have bright eyes and firm flesh. There should not be any brown spots or any signs of discoloration. If you are not going to cook it immediately, freeze it. Cook it as soon as you thaw it.

When cooking fish, the first lesson you should know is not to overcook it. Then, find a great recipe and follow it all the step of the way because it will guide you to having delicious fish.

Cheryl Forbes writes about cooking fish at her website cooksalmon.info.

Author: Cheryl Forbes
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
iPhone iPad apps and games