Use The Perfect Flatware

I love entertaining people in my home. Nothing excites me more than opening my doors and allowing others to enter my small world. I love cooking for people and making a great and relaxing evening for them. I guess I love it so much because my mother was constantly inviting friends over for dinner parties during my childhood years. She would teach me little aspects of entertaining each time she threw a party. One of the biggest things she taught me, however, was the importance of using the right flatware for every occasion.

It might sound excessive to some people, but my mother had over sixty sets of flatware in our home growing up. It does sound like a lot, but not when you consider that my mother was hosting dinner parties at least twice a week for at least thirty years straight. She had to have a variety of flatware as she entertained all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons.

I would often get to go shopping for flatware with my mother before an extra-special party that was coming up. My father would give her permission to buy yet another set of flatware and we would head off to her favorite shops and see what we could find. She would always choose flatware according to the time of year and the theme of the dinner party she was throwing.

As I got older and began to throw my own dinner parties, I quickly realized how much I needed the right kinds of flatware for the parties I threw as well. I realized that it quickly gets boring to use the same flatware for a Christmas party and a summer picnic party. So my husband graciously began to learn that I needed new flatware quite often. If he wanted me to prepare meals for his business executive friends, then he had better let me throw great parties with great flatware.

You can find great flatware at a variety of places. The important thing is to have an idea of the kind of flatware you want before you shop. Think about the kind of party you are throwing and the guests you are having. See if you can’t find the perfect flatware that meets all your needs. Of course, remember too that you will probably use this flatware multiple times, so make sure you do not get anything too trendy that will quickly go out of style.

Top 15 Amazing Camping Cooking Tips

For some campers, camp cooking is one of the most exciting activities in a camping vacation. The thrill of putting up a menu of different sumptuous meals, of putting together ingredients, of smelling the sweet aroma of meat, seasonings and vegetables, and of seeing the satisfied look on your family after feasting on the dinner you prepare can really ignite your excitement.

No matter how exciting, it is important to stress that camp cooking is more complicated than regular home cooking. Aside from the fact that you can’t bring your entire kitchen with you to the camp and that if you forgot a type of ingredient, there is no convenience store you can easily buy a rosemary or thyme, it also entails a lot more effort and hard work to ensure that you have a successful camp cooking experience.

Here are some useful tips for more fun cooking time:

Tip Number 1: Write down a menu of all the dishes you intend to cook in the camping trip. It is better to opt for simple dishes that wouldn’t take your entire day preparing. From this menu, create a checklist of the ingredients, cookware and utensils you need to bring to ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Tip Number 2: Prepare ingredients at home. Measure them and put them in resealable plastic bags with labels so that you don’t spend all day cooking. Remember, there are still other activities to do.

Tip Number 3: Half-cook meat, poultry of fish at home. This will save cooking time as well as fuel for the stove. Place them in plastic containers and then freeze in the cooler. What’s also great about this is that pre-cooked meat last longer than raw meat.

Tip Number 4: Rely on dependable camping stoves. You don’t want your grand cooking endeavor be ruined by a stove that wouldn’t lit up. It is better to opt for trusted brands like Coleman for your camping stoves.

Tip Number 5: Don’t forget to bring a grate if you plan to grill. Don’t assume that the camp site will have all the amenities that you need.

Tip Number 6: Bring extra matches and keep them dry by putting in waterproof containers like film canisters. These canisters are also great as containers for salt and pepper.

Tip Number 7: Be flexible in your menu. Don’t wail or send your family to the next town to get you a green onion for your dish. Improvise or use an alternative ingredient that can be found within the perimeters of your campsite.

Tip Number 8: Bring small amounts of seasonings, condiments, and other food supplies to save packing space. Instead of bringing the huge bottle of ketchup, just bring sachets or transfer an amount enough for the whole family in a smaller container.

Tip Number 9: It is better to use block ice in your ice chest because it lasts much longer than cube or tube ice.

Tip Number 10: Rub the bottoms of pots and pans with dishwashing soap before cooking. This will make cleaning time afterwards easier.

Tip Number 11: Pocket knives come in handy during camp cooking. Use those that have locking features to avoid accidental folding of the blade when you cut up meat or slice a loaf of bread.
Tip Number 12: Never leave food outside your tent to prevent attracting bears or other animals.

Tip Number 13: Don’t forget to bring a heavy duty aluminum foil and a couple of ziplock bags. They don’t take up much space and have a wide variety of uses.

Tip Number 14: Cover pots and pans during cooking so the meals will get done faster and to save fuel. This will also keep unwanted insects out of your food.

Tip Number 15: Apply a little cooking oil on your camp grill so that food will not stick on it.

We know that you know your way around cooking but you’ll surely find these cooking tips helpful and amazing.

Top 10 Arts Culinary School – Tips & Info

Top 10 Arts Culinary School is all about the most excellent arts cooking school located in USA. Arts Culinary Schools (ACS) are the places, where people learn the cooking art. It is considered as the one of the mounting industry with an extensive range of employment opportunities. With large job opportunities, many people are now moving towards cooking arts as their profession. Generally, cuisine needs much knowledge and innovation that necessitates appropriate education and training. At many ACS, the programs are broken down into specific arenas, depending upon the seeker’s interest. The attractiveness of these schools is that, students can change their destinations time to time, so as to append more knowledge.

Another great benefit of these culinary schools is that, students who graduate get a greater response anywhere in the world. In each city, there are always requirements for people with good culinary arts.

Some Significant Arts Culinary Schools:

The most excellent chefs’ schools provide the finest amenities, trainer, cuisine service functions, job placement aids, diplomas and other hands-on sessions. In addition, they offer certifications which are esteemed and approved all over the world. Hence, it is necessary to choose a good reputable arts culinary school for more beneficial career prospect. Students can confirm the ratings and rankings of ACSs in the US from bureaus such as U.S News, World Report or Princeton Review. As per the survey conducted by this bureau, the top ten best ACSs in the United States are The French Culinary Institute of New York City, The Culinary Institute of America, Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute, New England Culinary Institute, Johnson & Wales University, L’Academie de Cuisine, California Culinary Academy, George Brown Chef School, Tante Marie’s Cooking School and Kendall College.

One of the world’s biggest cuisine and chef education institutions is Culinary Institute of America. These ACSs provide several programs including sommelier, garde manager, saucier, sous-chef, pastry-chef and executive chef. These programs are based entirely on the knowledge level that includes 1st level for basic innovation, 2nd level for much experienced cuisines and 3rd level for expert cooking.

Miscellaneous:

It is advisable to remember that, these top ten ACSs cost very much and necessitate dedication and hard-work from students. Graduates from these ACSs get a job prospect of working with the world’s famous hotel and restaurant groups and eventually, begin their own line of work.

The culinary industry does not stick to a 9 to 5 schedule, 5 days a week. The load time in the culinary industry is the weekend evening hours. If you should become a successful master chef, you must be available and at your best during the culinary industry’s peak hours. Serving a fine meal for dinner is one of the main goals, and this often makes life difficult for those with families or loved ones. In order to become a successful chef, you must be able to work around such obstacles and resign yourself to living outside of the weekend.

Now, That you realize you can stand the heat, and you want in to the kitchen. A formal culinary education is a must if you want to make cooking your career, and a top cooking school is just the place to start.

Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Cooking With Propane

Top 3 Reasons Why you should stop cooking with propane

by Jonathan F. Pratt

Why should you keep buying bulky and dangerous propane cylinders for your camping trips when free fuel from mother nature herself is all around you?

You should stop cooking with propane for your camping trips because:

#1 Propane is expensive

#2 Propane cylinders are bulky to carry

#3 Propane is potentially dangerous and explosive

Usually when you go camping, there is an abundance of free fuel you can use for cooking: including branches, twigs, and pine cones. The problem is, in order to use mother natures cooking fuel, you usually have to go through the hassle of finding kindling, then collecting an adequete amount of branches, logs, etc… Next, you would have to break them down to size and set up your pile of wood in a properly cleared space, safe to build a fire. Finally, you have to patiently light the fire and nurse it until it is going strong enough; this assumes you have the right equipment to hold a pot or pan over the fire to begin with.

There has to be a better way!

The good news is: There IS a better way.

Consider The New WoodGas Camp Stove by iENERGY.

Why use the WoodGas camp stove?

The WoodGas stove is the cleanest burning portable camp stove available. The stove is easy to light with a special starter gel and with just a handful of twigs and other forest and tree debris you can pick up from the ground in about a minute will keep you cooking for up to 30 minutes. You will be surprised at just how smokeless and clean burning the Woodgas stove is. The flame is safely contained in the stove until a load of fuel is consumed in 30 minutes or less, adding fuel is easy for longer cooking sessions.

With the WoodGas camp stove you can forget both the hassles and expense of buying expensive and dangerous propane or all the work involved in building an open pit fire for cooking. The WoodGas stove is also excellent for emergency preparedness.

Jonathan F. Pratt
President, iENERGY Inc.

The WoodGas camp stove is a safe, light, compact, clean burning and environmentally friendly alternative to using propane camp stoves.:

http://www.woodgas-stove.com

Toaster Oven – Some Things To Know About

One of the most reliable of the kitchen appliances is the toaster oven. With a toaster oven you can prepare anything from a piece of toast to a full meal.

A toaster oven works on the same principle as a standard toaster except that the heating elements are horizontal and the appliance has a glass door. Toaster ovens are considered dual purpose appliances because they can perform the functions of a toaster as well as an oven.

A toaster oven is a popular choice for many people. For busy singles that tend to eat out more than in, a toaster oven is a wonderful addition to their kitchen. It’s compact enough to fit into any size space and it can be used to cook a fast and easy dinner for one.

Many parents also give their children a toaster oven to use in their college dormitory. It’s perfect for preparing small meals and with the addition of a hot plate the parent feels confident that their child will eat healthy at least part of the time.

If you’re looking to purchase a toaster oven you can find them at almost every major retailer. The prices vary depending on the size and the features you want.

The very basic toaster oven available has several heat settings that you can use depending on what you are cooking. Even the standard model of toaster oven comes with a broiling tray. They generally also have a heat indicator light so you can judge when the oven has pre-heated to the desired temperature.

The smallest toaster oven will claim a capacity of four slices. This is referring to the fact that four regular pieces of bread will fit within the oven. The sizes graduate from there. For a family it’s wise to consider purchasing a larger toaster oven. Some of the larger toaster ovens can even accommodate a twelve inch pizza.

A recent feature that you can now find on a toaster oven is a digital control panel. For many years you could only purchase a toaster oven that had a manual control. This meant that you’d have to adjust the temperature dial repeatedly to find the exact right heat setting for your particular item.

With the advent of the digital control a toaster oven can now do many additional tasks. They don’t just bake or toast, but a toaster oven can also defrost and brown items. In addition they still make great compact broilers. It’s much more energy efficient to use a toaster oven broiler in comparison to heating the broiler of your standard oven.

The same can be said for cooking other items. If you are planning on baking something small it’s advisable to use the toaster oven. When you turn on your traditional oven you are paying to heat the entire oven compartment. In many cases this is a very large space. It’s preferable to heat the smaller toaster oven. It’s also quicker. The toaster oven will heat at a much faster pace than the traditional oven does.

A toaster oven is a convenient and economical way to cook. They also make wonderful wedding, birthday and holiday gifts.

To Become A Professional Cook: A Career Resource Guide

So you know you love to cook… But do you want to become a professional chef? If so, where should you begin? How can you make cooking your career?

This career guide provides a quick and easy reference depicting what most professional chefs say about their culinary arts training and their career. Where should you begin? Where should you study to undergo extensive culinary arts training? How do you become an apprentice in a well-known cooking program? Are there shortcuts? What do well known professional chefs say about their path to success? What do chefs make and what is the career outlook for culinary professionals? (We will continue to update this section to provide additional information.)

Overview
Most professional chefs started their careers by spending four years at an accredited culinary art school. The best culinary schools are those that include the Le Cordon Bleu as an important part of their training. (This website provides information from the very best culinary schools. To find a map of cooking schools near you, click here.)

Following culinary school, most career chefs spend at least five years working under head chefs at different restaurants. Typically, they start out as support staff in the kitchen, performing a special task (such as preparing vegetables). Since most young chefs want to be sous-chefs under the top brass at the best restaurants, (particularly in large cities), they often work at several restaurants, acquiring experience under different mentors. Then, they decide to specialize in an area of their primary interests. Professional chefs that are able to withstand the high stress and pressure of the job will find themselves at the helm of a kitchen as head chef. On average, this could take as long as 10 years. To be a head chef means he or she will direct an entire kitchen staff or even start a restaurant.

About Being a Chef
Many chefs view themselves as artists, blending ordinary ingredients to create masterpieces. They are very serious about their careers and many feel drawn to their profession. Most feel it is their calling in life. The apprenticeship is for most chefs rigorous and challenging. And the career isn’t that different. Most work about 50 hours a week, including nights and weekends.
Professional Chefs Enjoy:

• High Prestige
• Creativity
• Constantly being surrounded by food

Professional Chefs Endure:

• Specialized Training
• Long hours
• High stress level
• Potential for career burnout

Characteristics of A Professional Chef:

• Organized
• Opportunistic
• Creative

Where to Start:

Professional Chefs need to get a Certification from a professional cooking school.

Tips On Cooking, Baking With Heart Healthy Spreads

You may already know that heart-healthy margarine spreads are great for topping foods to give them a tasty, buttery flavor. But did you know that they are good for cooking and baking, too?

To check if a spread is heart-healthy, look for a cholesterol-free soft tub spread that is made from 50 percent to 60 percent vegetable oils, has 2 grams or less of saturated fat and contains no trans fat per serving.

Dana Jacobi, author of the “12 Best Foods Cookbook,” offers these tips for cooking and baking with margarine spreads:

* To measure soft tub spread correctly, make sure to level the cup or spoon.

* When sautéing, use medium heat to maintain the flavor and to avoid burning the spread.

* For baking, chill the spread in the freezer before measuring it if the recipe calls for creaming it with sugar.

* When melting a spread for baking, remember that it melts quickly. In the microwave, 3 tablespoons of tub spread melts in 15 seconds, versus 30 seconds for butter.

Now that you know which spreads to choose and how to cook with them, try it for yourself. The following recipe uses a heart-healthy spread and produces perfect results.

DANA JACOBI’S OATMEAL-RAISIN COOKIES

(Makes 36 cookies)

1/3 cup chilled Promise Buttery Spread

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon mild molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream Promise Buttery Spread with sugar until it is pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Mix in egg, molasses, vanilla and salt. Using a rubber spatula, stir in flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon until almost blended. Add raisins and almonds, mixing gently until ingredients are combined.

Drop the dough 1 tablespoon at a time onto the baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart.

Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Cool for 1 minute on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. – NU

Tips For Spicing Up Seafood

The allure of exotic spices launched Columbus on his journey of discovery. Today, home chefs can explore new taste sensations by using spices and other flavorful ingredients to add a new world of flavor to fresh fish and seafood.

“There’s nothing like the fresh flavors of herbs and spices for cutting unhealthy calories without sacrificing taste,” said Red Lobster Executive Chef Michael LaDuke, who offers the following simple tips for enhancing the natural flavor of fresh fish and seafood:

World of Flavors: An easy recipe that turns fresh fish into an exotic dish is topping tilapia with a mixture of soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, fresh ginger, garlic and cilantro. To produce a richer flavor, make the soy sauce mixture at least 24 hours in advance and refrigerate the sauce overnight. Serve the sauce at room temperature or slightly warmed. With its sweet, mild taste and firm, flaky texture, tilapia will soak up the flavors and take on a deliciously Asian flair.

If you prefer a delicately flavorful fish such as halibut, complement its medium-to-firm texture with bold spice blends such as curry or chili.

Healthy Oils: The key to making flavorful oils for a simply elegant and heart-healthy meal is to add herbs and spices, such as basil, garlic, salt and pepper, to olive oil over a low heat on the stove, similar to making tea. This allows you to adjust the intensity of the flavor. After heating the olive oil, strain the mixture and remove the herbs and spices. For a special touch, place the olive oil on your table surrounded by sprigs of the fresh herbs and spices.

Be adventurous! Add a variety of flavorful herbs and spices to your oil mixture, such as exotic peppers, chives, dill, lemongrass or mint. If you serve olive oil over salmon, you’ll also enjoy the heart-health benefits of essential omega-3 fatty acids found in this delicious fish.

Cooking With Wine: Wine is not only good for drinking, it’s also great for cooking. Pour white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, over a firm white fish like mahi-mahi and season it with chili powder to intensify the flavor. Mahi-mahi is light enough to bring out the crisp citrus taste of this popular wine. But remember, your sauce will be only as good as the wine you choose, so always cook with a wine you enjoy drinking.

Adding Some Zest: Add the tangy flavor of citrus by generously squeezing lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit juices over your favorite fish or seafood and garnishing with freshly grated zest. When using fruit zests as a garnish, it is best to slightly poach them beforehand in sugar water, as raw zests can taste bitter.

For quick, tasty meals, make a citrus butter ahead of time by combining melted butter and citrus juices, cooling the mixture and storing it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Citrus juices mixed with melted butter also make great dipping sauces for succulent lobster and shrimp.

Studies show eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon, at least twice a week is good for the heart. Using an array of herbs and spices offers endless opportunities to bring out the best in all varieties of fresh fish and seafood.

Red Lobster serves guests fresh fish entrees with bold flavors, savory seafood dishes that include shrimp, crab and scallops, as well as the company’s signature, live Maine lobster.

Tips For Making Homemade Bread

There is nothing like homemade bread. Whether banana, pumpkin, white or whole wheat, the smell of a fresh, hot loaf can’t be beat.

There are many reasons why you would want to make your own bread. If you have good pumpkin bread recipes or banana bread recipes, you can make a nice dessert or have a quick snack for the kids on hand at all times.
Baking your own white or wheat bread can help you save money on your grocery bill. Eating whole wheat bread will keep you healthier and may even help you lose weight.

You may want to consider supplying your family with homemade wheat bread all the time. The health benefits are many, especially if you are going to use fresh ground wheat. Eating a slice of bread made with fresh ground wheat is like taking a shot of vitamins.

What Is Wheat And Why Would You Want To Use It?

Wheat is the world’s most important grain crop and ranks first among the grains for its nutritional value. When used in its entirety, wheat is an excellent source of fiber and many critical B-vitamins.WheatB-vitamins. Wheat germ is one of the richest sources of vitamin E if used when freshly milled, before oxidation takes place.

The richest source of Vitamin E is found in the germ of the wheat kernel. Milled wheat loses its Vitamin E very quickly due to oxidization. This is the reason why the bread we buy really has nothing of value for us. It has been stripped of the vitamins provided in the wheat. Within about 72 hours of milling, 90% of over 30 nutrients are gone.

Families usually enjoy better health once they start baking bread with fresh ground wheat including significant improvements in sinus conditions, runny noses and colds. There have also been reports of reduced cholesterol counts, warts disappearing, acne clearing and a host of other wonderful benefits. Of course there are the obvious benefits of adding more fiber to your diet, but remember to drink a lot of water when you increase fiber.

Tips For Cooking The Best Fajitas

Fajita is generally beef, chicken, pork or shrimp grilled and served on a flour tortilla with condiments. The chicken is worked with onions and bell peppers. Fajita is served to the table sizzling loudly on a metal platter with tortilla and condiments on the side. Making your lips watery?

Texans would love to take credit for giving the world fajitas but the honor goes to south of the border, Vagueros, who learnt the art of cutting tough beef into skirt steak. Fajitas are basically Tex Mex dishes. Nowadays Fajita is almost anything cooked and wrapped in a flour tortilla. Only true fajitas are skirt steak.

The preparation of Fajitas starts with marinating the beef using limejuice to tenderize at least for 24 hours. Well, there are no set rules for marinating; you can use your creative sense for that, but don’t forget to use limejuice. To marinade beef or chicken, you can use the Ass Kickin Soakin’ and Grilling Sauce. This would bring a true Mexican flavor.

Fajitas are real fun to eat, and here are the ways to cook the best Fajitas, namely:

Grilling an exciting fajita

Traditional method for cooking fajita is over coal for approximately 6 minutes on both sides for skirt steaks around one pound. After the meat gets cooked, you should let it rest for a few minutes and cut it across the grain diagonally in to finger length strips.

Oven broiling fajitas

Broil the meat 4 inches below the flame for about 6 minutes on both sides. Then you can let it rest for a few minutes and slice it diagonally in to finger length strips.

Pan frying fajitas

Drain the meat and cut it across the grain in finger length strips and fry over high heat for not more than 1.5 minutes turning frequently. Roll them in flour tortilla. Choose thick tortillas available in any supermarket. Warm them up by sealing in foil packages, 6-8 at a time. On a frying pan, add few tablespoon of olive oil, cut one large onion and separate into rings and cut bell peppers into strips. Add them to the frying pan and stir fry. Serve with stir fried onions and bell peppers.

Some specialized fajita preparations are Pico-de-gallo, guacamole, Fajita on a stick, Fah-HEE-Tah, Beef Fajita Marinade and many more. Here are a few, which I find interesting, but you can always add your magic touch to them:

Pico-de-gallo

This fiery and flavorable salsa is like any other salsa but the ingredients are finely chopped. If rightly made it is hot. Since people make it to their liking they can control the heat.

Guacamole

Cool and buttery smoothness of guacamole adds the finishing touch on a fajita. Experiment your ideas on it and get it right. My suggestion is to select the right Avocado of Haas variety with brownish-black skin with a pebbly texture.

Fah-HEE-Tah

Traditional skirt steak has to be marinated for long 24 hours in limejuice, red capsicum and garlic. Cooked meat is cut into strips and them wrapped in a warm tortilla and garnished with salsa or guacamole.

Fajita On A Stick

Soak 8-9 bamboo skewers for 10 minutes. Trim fat from steak and cut crosswise into ½ ” thickness. Thread equal amount of beef weaving back and forth onto skewer. Combine dressing and lime juice. Brush on beef peppers and onions. Place vegetables on grid for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and add beef to the centre. Add salt. When ready, serve beef and vegetables in tortilla with salsa.

Beef Fajita Marinade

Combine limejuice, tequila, crushed dried oregano leaves, cloves of garlic, minced fresh cilantro, ground cumin, ground black pepper. Mix well and pour marinade over meat, refrigerate overnight or even 24 hours in zip top bag. It makes enough marinade for 1 ½ pound flank steak.

Fajitas are terrific for informal dinner party. It is inherently festive or goes hand-in-hand with margaritas or Mexican beer and Tex Mex treat. Good Luck! Taste your own Fajitas, don’t go for the restaurant version of Fajitas.

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