My Cookery Page

I got a bit nostalgic for Kuih, so I’ve decided to show you a video I made some time ago about Kuih.

Check it out at www.KuihRecipes.com

Tips For Picking Steaks
By John A. Brooks, Jr

As a third generation butcher at B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli, I’m often asked how to pick out a perfect steak. Here’s what I tell my customers.

Don’t just pick out any steak. That is one of the worst things you can do. All steaks are not the same. Therefore, take your time when picking out a steak. There are steaks that are better for grilling and some steaks are better to slow cook. Generally, if the steak has “chuck” or “round” in the name then it is better to marinate and slow cook. If the steak has “rib” or “loin” in the name it will be a lot more tender and better for grilling. Ask your butcher which types of steaks are best for the way you want to cook your steak.

The thicker the better. Steaks that are cut too thin are easy to over cook. Over cook a steak and you could end up with a dry, tough piece of “leather”. It is easy to tell how thick steaks are at an old-fashion butcher shop. In fact, most butchers will cut thicker steaks for customers who request them. Be careful when buying steaks in packs. It can be hard to see the thickness of all the steaks.

It is important to look for steaks with the most fat marbling and streaking. Steaks with the most fat marbling are generally more flavorful and tender. The most marbled cut is the rib-eye. It is cut from the same piece of meat as the prime rib.

Don’t cut the fat off! A lot of my customers want all the fat cut off the sides of their steaks. I don’t recommend this at all! I tell my customers to leave the fat on while they cook their steaks. Fat helps keep the steak juicy and enhances the steak’s flavor. You can cut all the fat off you want once the steak is cooked.

Knowing what to look for in a steak is as important as cooking a steak. Still not sure what to look for in a steak? Ask your neighborhood butcher. They always like to help ensure you get the best steak for your special occasion.

John Brooks is a 3rd generation butcher for B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli. A neighborhood grocery store that has been family owned and operated since 1922. You can learn more about John Brooks and B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli by visiting their web-site at http://www.bbgrocerymeatdeli.com

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No doubt about it, convenience foods save you time. But - and it’s a big but - convenience foods don’t save you money. If you rely on frozen dinners, helper foods, kits and take-out you are spending too much money on food. These tips will help you lower your bills and eat healthy, flavorful meals.

1. Plan meals by the week.

2. Make a grocery list, grouping foods by category. (Meat, dairy, produce, etc.)

3. Only buy what is on your list. Don’t succumb to impulse buying or kids’ demands for products hyped on TV.

4. Shop at stores that have the most specials.

5. Use coupons for healthy foods only. Don’t buy a product just because you have a coupon.

6. Roll your cart past “helper,” “partner,” “bakes” and “kits.” These products are over-priced, over-salted, and you can’t even pronounce some of the ingredients.

7. Mix up your own rubs. They take only minutes to make and you can customize them to your tastes.

8. Buy store and less-known brands, often made by top manufacturers.

9. Buy lean hamburger. It is better for you and there is less waste.

9. Drink water instead of pricey soda pop, which is often loaded with sugar and erodes your teeth.

10. Make your own salad dressing. You’ll save a bundle!

11. Make your own granola. Lots of recipes are posted on the Internet and kids will enjoy helping you.

12. Eat boxed hot cereal, not the kind in packets.

13. Buy day-old bread and coffee cake. The bread is perfect for French toast and grilled sandwiches. Stale coffee cake makes some of the best bread pudding you will ever taste.

14. Stores put pricey foods - the foods they want to push - at eye level. Bend down and look on the bottom shelves for bargains.

15. Learn how to cut up a whole chicken.

16. Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables.

17. Buy staples in bulk.

18. Make your own pudding. You will get twice as much for your money.

19. Buy a refrigerated or prepared crust and make your favorite pizza.

20. Use meat for flavor, as in stir-fry, instead of making it the feature of the meal.

21. Maximize leftovers. Make cream sauce for a little left over spinach. Use leftover vegetables in soup.

22. Put leftovers in sturdy plastic zipper bags to prevent freezer burn and waste. Label and date the bags.

23. Turn old bread into new, delicious croutons. Cut the bread into cubes, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano and basil. Bake in a 350 degree oven until crispy.

24. Make your own baking mix and store in a tightly covered jar. (Recipes are posted on the Internet.)

25. Involve kids and grandkids. The involved kids of today will turn into smart shoppers tomorrow.

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com
http://www.healthwriter.blogspot.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Assocition for Death Education and Counseling. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the former “Rochester Magazine” in her hometown of Rochester, MN. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find another review on the American Hospice Foundation website under the “School Corner’ heading.

Yeast Checking

To find out if your yeast is good, first dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar or other sweetener in warm water with 2 cups of liquid and then add your yeast. Wait several minutes for it to dissolve and start working, developing tiny bubbles. If there are no bubbles then discard it and go through the process again. Since yeast and salt don’t get along, add it after finding out the yeast is good.

Measuring

Fluff up your flour before measuring since it always settles when stored. Now sprinkle flour into measuring cup and slide off excess with a knife blade. Taking this step will cause you to measure a true 4-ounce cup instead of getting a 5-ounce cup from being compacted.

Knead

Knead dough for about 5 minutes and let it rest to relax the dough. This helps the rest of your kneading easier.

Liquids

To add a different flavor and even make nutrition better, substitute water for juices or broth or when a recipe calls for milk try buttermilk.

Sugar and Sweeteners

It’s not necessary to have or add sugar in a recipe, but it does bring out the flavor. If you want to add sugar and need moisture try honey or molasses.

Oil

Unless you’re counting calories adding oil to bread is better because it will make your bread fresher longer.

Storing Flour

If you use your flour fairly fast, store it in a cool, dry place. If you don’t use your flour very fast then put it in a lock-type plastic bag and store it in your freezer.

Dry Ingredients

Substitute a little dried fruit, vegetables, cheese, nuts, grains, seeds or herbs and spices for some of the flour in your recipes. Just add it into the cup before you measure your flour. It will change it up and it is wonderful.

You can find many more tips and recipes at Cristie’s Cookin. Submit your favorite recipe to win a free “Gotcha Covered” Apron. Check out those spices, Bling It, Ring It and Zing It. Cristie’s novel “11.11.11″ by TJ Stokes is a thriller you won’t want to miss.

Cooking lessons for Cristie began at 8 years old with the best teacher in the world — her Mom! Later, she cooked for the restaurant the family owned, and her love of the “trade” has grown ever since. Cristie’s creative cooking has continued for over 40 years. Her creations can soon be on your kitchen table. Check out Cristie’s books at http://www.cristiescookin.co m and http://www.tjstokes.com

Have you ever wondered how a restaurant can get a dish of pasta to your table in about four minutes when you know it takes ten minutes just to cook the pasta? Does the water on their stoves boil at a higher temperature than the water on yours? Do they know a trick that you don’t? As a matter of fact, they do.

They parboil, or partially pre-cook their pasta; so when an order comes in to the kitchen, a cook can turn out a dish of perfectly ‘al dente’ pasta in a minute or two. Pre-cooking is a worthwhile technique for home cooks, because it enables them to pull together a great sit-down meal in practically no time, no matter how busy their day may have been.

It’s also a great method to use when you plan to serve pasta for a crowd. I once catered a party for fifty, where I had a “pasta bar.” With the assistance of one helper, and two propane burners, I served fifty portions of freshly cooked pasta (al dente) without holding anyone up in the buffet line.

To parboil pasta at home, bring a large pot of salted water (at least six quarts) to the boil. Add one pound of pasta and stir until the pasta wilts (in the case of spaghetti or linguine) and becomes submerged. When the water returns to a full, rolling boil, cook the pasta for exactly two minutes, then drain, shock in ice water, and drain again. Note: Strand pasta like spaghetti or linguine will be brittle, so handle them with care.

Place the pasta in a container large enough to hold it, then add enough olive oil to just coat each strand. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Parboiled pasta will keep, refrigerated, for four to six hours.

Note: Coating pasta with olive oil flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says, “Never coat pasta with olive oil. The sauce won’t adhere to the pasta.” Well, conventional wisdom aside, sauce sticks to parboiled pasta like glue. What else can I say?

When it’s time to cook dinner, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta (You’ll note that the pasta has softened over the time you’ve had it refrigerated. This is perfectly fine.), cook for one or two minutes, then drain in a colander. Be sure to taste after a minute or so. The pasta cooks quickly. Serve as you would any pasta that you had cooked for eight to ten minutes.

Again, this is a great, worthwhile technique to use at home, because you can parboil the pasta at a time of day when you’re not juggling three or four other tasks, like preparing a sauce, or a salad. And when it’s time to prepare the rest of dinner, you’ll feel more confident in the outcome, because you can focus more of your attention on the other parts of the meal.

Try this technique once, and you could be hooked. You may not be serving fifty or sixty people per night, but you’ll be cooking just like a chef in a neighborhood Italian restaurant.

About The Author

Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: “La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents,” and “Almost Italian: Recipes from America’s Little Italys.” He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks. http://www.skiplombardi.com or mailto:info@skiplombardi.com.

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Fried Rice is everyone’s favorite; it is the best way to use up leftover steamed rice. This recipe calls for Thai Jasmine rice but any steamed rice can be used to make the Thai Fried Rice. The Thai basil herb distinguishes this recipe from other ethnic fried rice recipes.

How to cook Thai Jasmine Rice:

Take 1 cup of Thai jasmine rice and place in a medium pot. Rinse the rice with cold water and drain water at least three times to remove any debris. Add water to the sauce pan until the water levels 1 centimeter above the rice or 1 1/2 cups of water. Place a lid on the pot. Set the stove element to medium heat and place the pot on the element. After 20 minutes, turn the element off and let the rice rest for 10 more minutes.

Recipe for Thai Fried Rice:

2 cups Thai jasmine rice cooked
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
½ cup of frozen peas and carrots thawed
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 sprig of Thai basil chopped
1 sprig for green onion chopped

Instructions on making fried egg strips: In a small bowl, crack an egg and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce mix using a fork. Set the stove element to high heat and place a wok on top. Add 1 tablespoon each of oil and garlic into the wok. Add the egg and swirl the egg around the wok. Fold the fried egg in half and lip the egg again to cook the other side. Place the fried egg on to a cutting board. Once the fried egg is cooled, slice the egg finely and thinly to create long strips.

Instructions on making Thai Jasmine Fried Rice: Set the stove element to high heat and place a wok on top. Add 1 tablespoon each of oil and garlic into the wok. Add the thawed vegetables and mix for 1 minute. Add the cooked jasmine rice. Add 2 tablespoons each of oyster sauce and soy sauce. Mix to incorporate all ingredients and break any rice clumps. Once the rice is broken, add chopped Thai basil and green onions. Place the fried jasmine rice into a serving bowl and top with the fried egg strips.

The best way to learn how to make Thai Fried rice is to view the free video at www.thai-laos-food.blogspot.com.

Manivan Larprom, a Thai / Lao girl, teaches you how to cook Thai / Lao food with her home made videos at http://www.thai-laos-food.blogspot.com

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We can’t seem to get enough of chocolate especially when it’s become part of a cookie! It’s good to eat at any time of the day, for kids and adults, and just about for any season. Found this recipe by a baking expert that looks easy and delicious, am going to try it this weekend. Enjoy!
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jill_Borash]Jill Borash

The emotional trigger that a smell can stir up is one of the most powerful triggers that there is. If you live anywhere in the United States, chances are that the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking conjures up some kind of emotional memory for you. Smells are part of how we remember, part of how we define our memories, our stories, our lives.

For me, the smells of baking were part of my childhood, part of the fabric of how I define my childhood and part of the fabric of how I define my life to this day. The smell of a favorite baked treat can still bring a smile of remembrance to my face. What kitchen smells define your childhood memories? What smells do you want your children to define as their childhood memories? Here a couple of great variations on that old favorite, chocolate chip cookies. I hope you use these baking recipes to make wonderful memories with your children.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Mix together until creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture. Add in the chocolate chips and peanuts. Drop the dough by teaspoons onto baking sheets. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are soft. After removing the cookies from the oven, leave them on the baking sheets for 4 minutes before removing them.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter and regular sugar. Add in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mixture. Add the oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes for soft cookies and 12 to 13 for crispy ones.

Jill Borash loves to share her passion for baking and story telling at her website, YourBakingStory.com. If you’re looking for a tasty [http://www.yourbakingstory.com ]baking recipe or just a good story, stop by and browse awhile. Happy Baking!

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Before you can really serve up a tasty poultry dish the right way, you need a few tips for grilling chicken. The trick? Start with the fire. Your fire is the beginning of the grilling process. Without a proper fire, you can not expect great results. And don’t for a second think this does not apply to you gas grillers! It does!How Many Briquettes? As a general rule of thumb, plan on using about 30 briquettes to cook 1 pound of meat. A standard five-pound bag contains 75 to 90 briquettes. You want to make sure that you have enough briquettes to cover the grills pan in a single layer and extending out about 2″ beyond the area of the food on the grill. The first step is to place the briquettes in the grills pan to determine the quantity and then stack them up in a rough pyramid shape to light. Soak the briquettes with approximately 1/2 cup of lighter fluid, and let set for a few minutes before lighting.

After the coals have begun to burn and ash starts to form, you will need to arrange them with long handled tongs into a single layer.

Once you have mastered even heating its time to step up to the professional level. A Pro likes to have a controlled temperature variation, a hot area and a not so hot area. In grilling this is called a two level fire. If you have a dual burner gas grill just set one burner on high and the other on medium. The advantage to this is that you will have one area to sear foods and another area to cook them through.

Grilled Chicken With Roasted Garlic Sauce

Yield: 6 Servings

6 boneless chicken breasts

-(about 1,1/2 pounds)

1/2 c lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1 T red wine vinegar

1 t rosemary

1/4 c olive oil

1 salt and pepper To Taste

1 jar (28 ounces) Rag=FA Hearty

-Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

2 tb chopped fresh basil

2 tb chopped fresh parsley

Grilled crusty bread

Fresh herbs for garnish

-(optional)

Place chicken in a bowl with lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

In a medium saucepan, heat sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Add fresh basil and parsley to the sauce just before serving. Meanwhile, preheat grill or broiler.

Grill chicken about 3-5 minutes per side or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Server grilled chicken with roasted garlic sauce of grilled crusty bread.

Garnish with fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Jonny Andrews loves the grill and wants to be sure you do as well. Make sure you visit his blog today and get incredible Free Tips For Grilling Chicken. Give it a try today!

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Here is an article I found interesting. Read on … Nora M

Why Fruit Is Essential For Your Body
By Juan Mendoza

One thing that everyone has to do in order to survive is eat food and drink water. Along with air, food and water are the two other key elements that we need in order to allow our bodies to function. There is plenty of choices when it comes to food. However, it is well recommended that you eat a very nutritional balanced mean so that you can let your body work to full capacity. One essential area you should always keep track of is fruits.

Fruits are some of the best items we can eat because they contain so many good vitamins and minerals that our bodies thrive on. In all reality, fruits are pretty delicious, yet many people avoid them for one reason or another. The following will go over the nutritional facts of different popular fruit that we all have tried at least once unless your allergic to fruit or something like that.

The first fruit that will be discussed is the almighty apple. The famous quote goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This is a scientifically proven fact but it is definitely a good idea to eat an apple a day just for the good natural nutritional ingredients that are associated with an apple. An apple contains about forty nine calories and consists of about eighty four percent water. It also has 2.3 grams of fiber, 0.4 grams of protein, 11.8 grams of sugar, 2 grams of vitamin A, 15 milligrams of vitamin C, 0.02 milligrams of vitamin B1, 0.01 milligrams of vitamin B2, 0.05 milligrams of vitamin B6, and 0.05 milligrams of vitamin E. All these thing are essential in order for our bodies to work properly. Apples may not seem like a super essential staple of someone´s diet but if eaten on a consistent basis, they can really make your body feel good.

Another popular fruit we all chew on from time to time is a banana. Bananas are really good to eat for several reasons. They are good for your skin and for your internal body as well. A banana contains about eighty eight calories and consists of about seventy six percent water. In addition, bananas also contain 2.7 grams of fiber, 1.2 grams of protein, 20.4 grams of sugar, and also has a small amount of other essential vitamins such as vitamins A, B, C, and E.

Those two fruits are the most popular fruits that people eat on a more regular basis then other fruits. However, all fruit is good for you in one way or another. One fruit can be better for you in one area of your health, while the other fruit is good for you in another area. All fruit is made up with a high level of water and almost all of them contain essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. Eat as much fruit as possible as well as the other vital things on the periodic food chart in order to be healthy and feel super good.

Written by Juan Mendoza. Learn more about buying and using an Apple Peeler and find out how peelers can add a new dimension to your recipes.

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I hope you liked the above article.  Do you have sugar cravings? Would you like to know how to get rid of sugar cravings? Well, there is a guide that will teach you how. Click here to find out more.

After 4 years of research and cooking and testing, a Chinese Master Chef has produced the ultimate Chinese Cookbook, based on the principles of Yin and Yang. Certain foods have yin properties, while others have yang properties - Cooling or warm, fat or non-fat, high-calorie or low- calorie, and etc.

To maintain health and vitality, the Chinese believe that eating the Yin and Yang way can protect us from developing major health problems like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure.

Almost no foodstuff is purely yin or yang - it’s more that one characteristic tends to dominate. It also reinforces that it is not so much the individual ingredients, as the the balance and contrast between ingredients in each dish, that is important. Interestingly, cooking methods also have more of a yin or yang property, as the list below demonstrates.

Cooking Methods:

Yin Qualities Yang Qualities
Boiling Deep-frying
Poaching Roasting
Steaming Stir-frying

Types of Foods:

Yin Foods Yang Foods
Bean Sprouts Bamboo
Cabbage Beef
Carrots Chicken
Crab Eggs
Cucumber Ginger
Duck Glutinous Rice
Tofu Mushrooms
Watercress Sesame Oil
Water Wine

There are more than 500 recipes in this book, all designed to be quick and easy, no fancy ingredients or equipments to be used here. The good Chef has simplified the whole process specially to cater to busy folks as yourself and shares the secret cooking tips used by professional Chinese chefs including Cooking temperatures, cooking with oil, marinades, sugar and other coatings, sauces, gravies, stocks and flavoring sauces. The ebook also features 173 colourful pictures!

Click below to find out more:

http://dowager.geyi138.hop.clickbank.net/