Happy Holidays from bfeedme!
To all the cooks now toiling in the kitchem slaving to prepare a delicious Christmas dinner, we raise our wooden spoons in saulte — you are the heroes of the holidays!
Living without Cooks
by Owen Meredith
We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience,
and live without heart;
We may live without friends;
we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks.
Owen Meredith, ‘Lucile’
Buying a Wok
To wok or not to wok? Well, you won’t starve without one — and can still make a decent chop suey or chow mein in a regular pan. But any self-respecting chef or “foodie” should have a good wok on hand.
What’s so great about a wok?
Wok’s are much better at distributing heat evenly. You can also toss food without making a mess. Those watching cholesterol (and who’s not?) can also use less oil.
Choosing a wok
Now for finding a good wok. Despite the wide variety of materials — aluminum, copper, stainless steel — most Asian cooks say that the carbon steel wok is still the best.
if you’ve got an electric stove, you need to get a wok with a collar (which keeps it evenl balanced on the heat source) or a flat-bottomed wok. Otherwise, the wok’s round bottom will reflect heat back on the stove, causing damage.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Once you’ve made homemade pizza you’ll never want to eat that greasy cardboard-flavored substitute called takeout. Here’s a basic sauce recipe. Prepare your own toppings or make mini-pizzas so everyone can personalize their own dinner.
Ingredients
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste
What’s Next
In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese. Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.
Tips to Perfect Roast Turkeys
With Thanksgiving round the corner, it’s time to think about perfecting your turkey. Here are some quick tips:
Choosing the size
Allocate about 3/4 pound per person — generous servings, but with little leftovers. If you want extras for midnight snacks and sandwiches, plan on 1 to 1.5 pounds per person.
Hens or Toms?
There’s no big difference, except the size. Hens weigh less than 16 pounds, toms weigh over it.
Choose a young turkey who reached just a few weeks old, to get a moist and tender mouthful.
.
Cooking secrets
Remove the giblets and neck, then wash the turkey with cold water. If you prepared stuffing, don’t overpack the bird, and don’t forget to clamp the legs. Then, place in a roasting pan, cover with a lid or a foil tent, and set the timer. You need to cook 15 minutes per pound, and an additional half hour if you stuffed the turkey. If you want golden brown skin, remove this cover an hour before removing the turkey from the oven, and baste the bird every hour.
Spinach Lasagna
Any resolve to stay on a low-carb diet completely melts in front of a plate of lasagna. Forget glycemic index and fitting in a smaller pair of jeans. This meal (like life) is meant to be savored — with second, third or fourth helpings too. (Then fight off the guilt with the comfort that it’s low fat!)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups non-fat cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) package part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
8 ounces lasagna noodles
What’s next:
Spam Reinvented - a Casserole from a Can
Canned goods are high on convenience, but rarely offer much flavor. But with a few extra ingredients, busy moms can turn something as humble as Spam and instant mashed potatoes into a gourmet meal that everybody will love.
Ingredients
1 can (10 3/4 oz size) Condensed cream of potato soup
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons Sherry
4 cups Hot, prepared mashed potatoes
Vegetable cooking spray
1 can (12 oz size) Spam Luncheon Meat, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
What’s next
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine soup, 2 tablespoons cheese, and sherry; stir until smooth.
Spoon mashed potatoes into 1 1/2 quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle Spam on top of potatoes. Spread soup mixture over Spam. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese and paprika over soup mixture. Bake 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Chocolate Fondue
You can have your cake — and your chocolate too. A simple fondue recipe to impress guests, or cap a romantic dinner.
Ingredients
12 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Amaretto liqueur (optional)
Bite sized pieces of fruit or cake
What’s next
Combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly, cook for about two minutes, or until melted and smooth. Add the vanilla and liqueur. Serve with the fruit and cake.
Bouquet Garni
You may have heard of ’bouquet garni’ — herbs that transform a pot of chicken bones into the most delicious, yet delicate, broth. Here’s how to make one.
Ingredients
teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dry bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
5 peppercorns
You can change the proportion of herbs according to your preference
What’s next
Crush together the herbs and spices. Pace into a small bag made from several layers of cheesecloth. Tightly tie the bag shut with string.
Add the garni while simmering the ingredients for any soup. Take out before serving and discard. Makes 1 bouquet garni.
Irish Cream Coffee
You’ve got the fireplace going, and holiday cookies fresh from the oven. The only thing missing? Coffee. “Whip” up a big mug of this special Irish treat in minutes.
Creamy Irish Coffee
Ingredients
4 cups of fresh coffee
1 cup of whipping cream.
½ cup of Irish whiskey.
¼ cup of sugar.
2 tablespoons of Sugar.
2 tablespoons of Irish whiskey.
What’s next
In a saucepan, add 4 cups of strong fresh coffee, ½ cup of Irish whiskey and ¼ cup sugar. Heat up, but do not boil.
Whip 1 cup of whipping cream until it is light, then beat in 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of whiskey. Pour the coffee into coffee mugs and spoon the cream on top. Serve.
In a Pinch
You’ve found the perfect recipe … but either ran out of the herbs, or don’t feel like buying a “special mix” when you’re not sure you’ll ever use it again. Make your own… in a pinch.
Five Spice Powder
- 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Ground cloves
- 1 tsp. Fennel seed
- 1 tsp. Star anise
- 1 tsp. Szechwan peppercorns
Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Oregano
- 1 tsp. Marjoram
- 1 tsp. Thyme
- 1 tsp. Basil
- 1 tsp. Rosemary
- 1 tsp. Sage
Chili Powder
- 3 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. red or cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Partners
Latest Entries
- Peppers Are Good For You
- Bon Apetit’s Piquillo Pepper Cheese Crostini
- 5 Drinks With Prosecco
- More On Eating Green On The New Year
- Eating Green On The New Year
- Give The Gift Of Cooking
- Nigella’s Intense Chocolate Cookies
- Mozarella Crusted Chicken Breast
- 5 Healthy Foods For The Holidays
- Pretzels German-like
Blogs I Like
- Brewed Coffee
- Chocolate & Zucchini
- Celebrific
- Celebrity Chefs
- Chubby Hubby
- Cigar Blog
- Cooking Diva
- Cooking With Amy
- Desert Culinary
- FoodGoat
- Gastronomie
- Hungry Hedonist
- Japan Blog
- Seriously Good
- Tasting Menu
Resources
