cookingtips: October 2008

Monday, October 20, 2008

Mexican Cooking is Caliente

When you regularly watch Ugly Betty, you will notice that Betty’s father Ignacio is always in the kitchen, concocting Mexican dishes. The Mexicans are known for their love of food. There are a lot of Mexican restaurants in the United States. Clearly, their culinary tastes have reached the border.

1. Molcjate is a mortar that is used in grinding chilies for salsa. It comes in various shapes.

2. Comal is a round and flat skillet that is used in order to blister the chilies which are perfect for making tortillas.

3. Masa is made from corn kernels that are dried and grinded, then mixed with water. It’s a thick dough that is flattened to make patties for the tortillas. These are stuffed with spices, fruits and meat to make tamales.

4. Chiles are the secret ingredient in most Mexican cooking. Mexican foods are often spicy simply because of the chilies. There are 60 kinds of chile peppers. They range from mild to very hot.

5. Jalapenos are the most popular of all Mexican chilies because they are widely used. Usually, Mexican tables contain small bowls of jalapenos which are flavored with escabeche, onions and carrots.

6. Salsa is the most basic dish and is often served as an appetizer. It is accompanied with chips and eggs serving as a prelude to the main course. Salsas are made from either fresh or cooked vegetables. Ask any Mexican chef and he has his own way of making salsa. Just like our palms, no two salsas are ever the same. The basic ingredients of salsa are chilies, onions, tomatoes and cilantro.

7. Tomatillos may look like green tomatoes. They are related to one another. These are used in sauces specifically the salsa verde and the green sauces.

8. Anchiote is a red paste that is from annatto seeds, lime juice, spices and vinegar. It is used on fish, pork and chicken.

9. Ceviche is from raw fish that is marinated till it is cooked and flavored with lime juice. It is served with saltine crackers or chips.

10. Avocados are healthy fruits often used in making guacamole. These are also sliced and served as the garnish to most Mexican meals. The avocadoes must be slightly soft.

11. Cilantro
It is also called coriander. It is a herb which jazzes up the salsa. It has a green color and often enhances most Mexican dishes.

12. Carnitas is made from pork that is simmered deep in fruit juices. These are sometimes baked or fried. They are served as tacos or burritos.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

How to Cook Beef

Beef is an extremely interesting subject in the arena of food preparation. If cooking were compared to an art gallery, beef may be the medium with which art works were being done. There are just so many ways to prepare beef, but if you are still clueless as to what preparation tactic to incorporate, here are a few tips to help get you started.

1. Know thy beef. It isn’t just about following Greek philosophers in knowing thyself, but if you really want to be able to cook beef, you must know your beef: where it is from, what type is it, and if possible, what age range it belongs to. This way, you will be able to know your plan of attack for the beef, whether it’ll be Beef Jerky or classy French beef stew.

2. Learn about the cuts of your beef. Different body parts of the beef make up for different beef specialties. Make sure you know which parts you intend to use in your cooking.

3. Cooking beef requires that you soften the meat to make it edible and chewable for your guests and family. If you aren’t able to broil the beef, it would be better off grazing on the farm than dead.

4. Mind the temperature of your beef. You must be able to maintain the temperature that will keep bacteria from overpowering the meat.

5. Easily divide the beef into parts for easy storage and preparation.

6. Define whether you will go for wet or dry cooking techniques.

7. Thaw your beef before cooking. Don’t let your beef be cooked without it being thawed first. This will avoid your overdoing of the cooking on the beef.

8. When you are in doubt of its roasting capability, marinate it.

9. Keep it tender and juicy.

10. Buy beef only from trusted retailers.

11. Covering also helps when you are cooking beef. It helps thoroughly distribute the juices and preserve the needed temperature to make it tender.

12. Never trim fat before cooking. Trim it after to preserve the juicy quality.

13. When browning the beef, make sure you apply a pinch of salt. It draws off excessive moisture.

14. Choose the right equipment for the job. Make sure your pans are thick and large enough.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

How to Incorporate Greek Cooking in Your Kitchen

You don't have to have a big fat Greek wedding to learn Greek cooking. Also, you don't have to go to Greece or be from Greece to cook Greek. There are surefire ways to be able to incorporate Greek cooking in your lifestyle. Amaze your friends and family with these techniques.

Seek advice from a native. No other person knows their menu best than the natives. Natives are often more than happy to help you as you learn more and promote their culture by means of cooking.
Harness all available resources in the form of books, recipes online, as well as offline. If you are able to get all the resources you have and apply them in your kitchen, you are bound for Greek cooking in no time.
Acquaint yourself with ingredients that are Greek.
Use lots of fresh vegetables in your menu. This is one of the trademarks of Greek cuisine.
Lamb, fish, or chicken; take your pick. These are the three top kinds of meat that Greek natives prefer to have in their meals.
Season your food with spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, and dill.
Capitalize on freshness, no matter what ingredient you use.
Make appetizers (mezethes) to complement the main course.
Use a casserole to present your meals. Taverns are popular in Greece and they usually serve their food in one whole casserole containing all the dishes that the cooks have prepared.
Make a spinach or cheese pie. Feta ice cream is used on top of a typical Grecian spinach pie.
Never smoke the food. Familiarize yourself with techniques such as frying, simmering, sautéing, braising, boiling, baking, stewing, poaching, roasting, pickling, and grilling. Mastery of these techniques will definitely lead you to a viable cooking career in Greece.
Have a combination of olives, bread and wine.
Whip up some salad.
Wrap it up. Greeks are notorious for wrapping their food.
Learn how to use the phyllo dough. This is readily available in most supermarkets.
Go healthy. Greeks are health-conscious individuals. Fill the menu with antioxidants and other cancer-fighting elements.

Learning how to cook in Greek style is something that not only takes time but also practice and determination. And while you are studying Greek cooking, you may eventually find a fascination with other cuisines which have influenced modern Greek cooking such as French and Turkish cuisines to complete your international repertoire of recipes.

Tips on How to Cook Pasta

Pasta is a favorite all around the world. It comes in different shapes and lengths, everything that to suit the occasion or your own preferences. Cooking pasta is easy to do, but always be careful to get the best results.

Fill a pot with water. Pasta should be cooked in a lot of water. Set it to boil to cook the pasta. After the water begins boiling, add salt. It will take longer since salty water usually boils at a higher temperature. The salt that you will add will depends on your personal taste. Never forget to add salt, remember, Italians never forget this. Once the water starts to boil slowly add the pasta.

The pasta will start to soften in a few seconds. Use a long fork to push the pasta into the water. Make sure that it is fully submerged. At this time the water temperature has fallen.
Cover the pot with a lid and quickly boil the water again. It is important that the pot is covered since it boils fast. Do this to prevent the water from splashing out. Never leave the pot unattended, the splashing of water can douse out the gas and possibly start a fire.
Then continue cooking the pasta, this time uncovered. Stir with a long fork to separate each and every piece of pasta.

When it comes to how long the cooking time will be, read the manufacturers instructions, but to make sure, the best thing to do is to test a piece. The Italian expression, al dente, refers to the proper cooking of pasta or when it is soft yet still firm and not overcooked.
If you notice dots or thin white lines in the middle of the pasta, then it isn’t done yet, just test from time to time until the broken piece turns to a translucent yellow.
If the texture is translucent yellow, you can drain using a colander but make sure that it is in a secure position

Stop the cooking process by pouring cold tap water over it; remember that the pasta is continuously cooking even after it’s drained, this way it won’t be served extremely hot. But be careful not to overdo it, remember that you aren’t washing the pasta.

Gently shake the colander to drain the pasta. Lastly, you can now put the pasta in a bowl and serve. Put on the sauce, dressing or cheese, and enjoy.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tips for Amazing Thai Cooking

Thai food can give you one of the most exciting adventures in the world of cuisine. It is filled with flavors and sensations that are incomparable to other kinds of food. Surprisingly for some, Thai cooking isn’t a complicated matter as the cooking procedures in this cuisine are simple and quite easy. It also pays to know some tips and tricks that can make Thai cooking amazing.

Here are some useful hints when cooking Thai food:

Use only the fresh ingredients you can find. What creates the difference between good and bad Thai food is the freshness of the ingredients. Dried lemon grass, for example, can hardly be compared to the real fresh thing. Your best bet, if fresh isn’t available, could probably be frozen ones as they can still hold much of the flavors of intact compared to dried versions.
Invest in quality kitchen tools. Thai cooking is done best with the right tools. The equipment need not be expensive, but you should use the appropriate tools when cooking. The most important tool you have is a wok with wooden spatulas or spoons.
Stir frying is one of the core procedures in Thai cooking and it would be hard to do without a good wok. You will also need a stone or marble mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients. Blenders don’t perform as well in Thai cooking as mortals and pestles do. It also pays to have a rice cooker since most Thai foods will need cooked rice.
Use leftover rice for fried rice. Newly cooked rice doesn’t really work well for fried rice. You can go best with refrigerated leftover rice for the right texture for your fried rice. The best ones are those that are two days old.
Preparation is the key. Before actually starting the fire, be sure that you have prepared all the ingredients ahead of time. Thai cooking is rather quick and you’ll need to have everything ready before you actually cook. You also need to give the oil time to heat up before you cook so that the food won’t absorb oil excessively. If the oil has dried up as you stir fry, just add cooking wine or water instead of additional oil.

Thai cooking is an exciting culinary adventure. It is easy and fun if you know these tips. So go ahead and try these things for size.

Get to Know Asian Cooking

When we think about Asian cooking, we envision rich, flavorful food mixed with exotic spices. In terms of size, Asian cuisine is probably the largest, consisting of many different cooking styles from different regions and countries. Even those countries have several different cooking styles depending on the locality.
Asian cuisine is made up of many types of cooking, foods and preparation styles. Some of these include:
East Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese)
Some of the cuisine that represents Asian cooking to the rest of the world comes from East Asia. Flavors vary and so do cooking styles but there are also similarities. A staple of East Asian cooking is rice and/or noodles, followed by dishes that contain fish, meat and vegetables. While rice is considered as an important part of the meal, noodles and buns may also be used as substitutes, depending on the region.
In the East Asian region, the use of chopsticks is predominant when partaking of solid food while flat bottomed spoons are used for soups. Chopsticks are also practical for the type of cooking practiced in these regions, since most of the foods are cut up and prepared in small pieces, allowing for direct eating. Interestingly, forks and knives are not used for eating because they are considered and were often used as weapons.
South and Southeast Asian cuisine (Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Filipino, Indonesian, Cambodian, Laotian, Burmese).
Subtlety and surprise are two of the characteristics of Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly because it puts emphasis not only in taste and choice of ingredients but also in presentation. If you want to know about an Asian country's history, have a taste of its food. Not only will you taste what the country produces from its own land but you’ll also encounter the people who came and from there.
The diversity is staggering although similarity also exists to unite the region. For example, Vietnamese cooking features some French flavors while Filipino cooking has dishes that are similar to those found in Spain and America. Noodles and spices are commonly used in most regions.
Middle Eastern cooking (Some Greek, Arab, Afghan, Palestinian, Egyptian, Turkish, North African, Lebanese, Moroccan).
Middle Eastern cooking is also diverse and many of the dishes are quite exotic compared to Western tastes. Greek cooking, for example, is considered partly Asian but its taste and appearance is Mediterranean. As for the other cooking styles, there are certain similarities that vary slightly as you go from one region to the next. Common ingredients such as pita, sesame seeds, honey, sumac, parsley, mint and other herbs and spices are often used.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Tips for Successful Party Cooking

Cooking for a party can be such a taxing ordeal. You will be preparing food for a more people with little time. But party cooking can still be easy if you know how to manage things. With a few tricks up your sleeve you can cook for your party with ease. Here are some few hints that can make your party cooking a smashing success:

1. You do not need to do all the party cooking Parties are about having friends around, and if people who are coming to your party are indeed friends, you can ask them to lend a hand. You can ask them to bring some food items or you can ask them to help you in the kitchen. An extra hand can easily make things easier and more fun.

2. Plan your menu way ahead of the party You have to know what to cook at least two weeks before the party. This can help you calculate how much you need so that you are sure that there will be enough for everybody. Buying enough is also important so that you won’t have to make those annoying last-minute shopping trips because you ran out of supplies.

3. Cook ahead A lot of party foods can actually be cooked ahead of time. Check your menu for food items that can be cooked a few days before the party itself. This way, you’ll have fewer items when the big day comes. You just need to thaw or reheat the pre-cooked items and serve them at the party.

4. Pre-measure For the items that you can’t cook ahead of time, you can just measure the ingredients ahead of time. The night before, place the ingredients in accessible containers so that on the day of the party you just need to cook them and not waste time with the preparations.

Party cooking may appear to be overwhelming but the hustle and bustle is all in your mind. If you plan well and stick to your strategy, you can manage to make party cooking not only easy, but fun as well. Try out these hints for your next party and witness how things go smoothly. And the most important of all is for you to enjoy because the party is after all for fun. This will ensure the success of your cooking and the success of your party.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Things You Should Know About American Cooking

American cooking is highly influenced by immigrants. In fact, a nation of immigrants has a cuisine that is as diverse and unique as each member of the population. Perhaps it is safe to say that American cooking is a mixture of the world's cuisines and it continues to evolve.

Isn't the hamburger American?

When people think of American cooking, they automatically point to the hamburger but even this yummy everyday food is suspect. Foods comparable to the hamburger were brought in by German immigrants. Similarly, much of the cuisine we describe as part of American cooking have influences from other regions and countries. Here are some examples:

Native American

The original Americans cooked some of the most famous dishes known to American cuisine, including turkey, potatoes, pumpkins, corn, beans and peppers. Most of these dishes are often included in traditional cooking and feasts.

California cooking

Characteristically healthy, California cooking depends on the region's harvest of fresh sea foods, fruits and vegetables. It also features some fusion with other types of cuisines, including Chinese and Native American. California cooking enjoys a rich mix of ethnic tastes and some of the best, most innovative avant garde cuisine.

Cajun and Creole cooking

This type of American cooking is a taste of New Orleans and is a terrific combination of French and Spanish cuisine with a little West Indian and African cooking thrown in. Gumbo, jambalaya, chili, hot pepper and other spices are often used, which makes this type of cooking sizzle.

Southern cooking

Barbeque made Southern cuisine famous but this type of American cooking is made up of so much more. Talk about deep-fried chicken and beef served with rich, heavy sauces with fresh vegetables bathed with butter and finished with sweet pies and pudding. Elvis Presley loved this type of cooking and it showed.

Another version of Southern cooking is Soul food, based on African-American cooking. It is characterized by intense, rich flavors and home-cooked meals.

Southwestern

Thanks to its proximity to Mexico, the Southwest was able to develop a wide range of dishes using local harvests and Mexican-style. Another version is Tex-Mex, which is quite popular in cowboy country and elsewhere. This type of American cooking has its own version of barbeque and dishes sprinkled with a good dose of chili. Think nachos, tacos, burritos and salsa.

So what about the taste?

Compared to other cuisines, American cooking may be characterized by foreigners as generally bland. However, we can proudly say that American cooking has none of the snobbery because it was developed mainly from good old down home cooking.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

How to Easily Read and Follow Cooking Recipes

Cooking recipes are guides that a simple housewife or an expert chef can use. These are master plans that can enhance the meals to be served. Reading and following recipes is an important tool to put delicious foods on your table; but beginners may find this hard. Here are simple tips to help you:

1. Being the first step in cooking, reading the recipe takes time. Read the recipe several times thoroughly from start to end. Familiarize yourself with the cooking terms and unknown ingredients first before cooking. You should understand the recipe to be able to cook well.

2. Cooking recipes usually start with the ingredients. Make sure that you have the correct ingredients; there are substitutes for hard to find ingredients. Gather all the ingredients and measuring and cooking utensils that you will need before starting.

3. Alongside the ingredients are the measuring utensils and the measurements, which are all important. The order of words in the cooking recipes can change the preparation of food so be cautious about it. For example, 1 cup chopped onions is different from 1 cup onions, chopped. 1 cup onion, chopped means you should measure 1 cup onion first before you’ve chopped it.

4. Go over the recipe carefully and don’t rush! You should double check all the ingredients and steps to be successful in cooking. Don’t try to alter the cooking recipes or add a little extra sugar, etc., as this may affect the taste of your meal.

5. Cooking recipes contain numerous methods in cooking. There are certain terms like simmer, browning of meat, sauté, stir, mix, fry, etc. There are guides and explanation at the back of many cooking recipes which can help. Familiarize yourself and get acquainted with them.

6. Enjoy your cooking recipes. You can at first follow them but gradually make your own. Making some changes in the recipes isn’t strictly prohibited unless you and your kids don’t like the taste.

Cooking recipes are very useful tools for beginners. It doesn’t mean that when followed, you’ll have an impeccable dish everyone will admire, but it can help develop your skill in cooking. Always keep in mind that your purpose isn’t only to follow and finish a recipe but to produce a good tasting and healthy food everyone will love!