Oct 31 2009

Vacuum Food Sealers – Tips And Advice On Operating One

My husband and I lean towards being very practical individuals, even in our gift giving. One year, we gave our relatives that didn’t previously own one a Vacuum Food Sealer. I’ve used one for 24 years and couldn’t do without one.

I suppose that I’ve utilized one for so long that I forgot about the “learning curve” for operating one of these great kitchen helpers. My phone line was burning up with questions from the gift recipients concerning the best way to make use of their new-fangled kitchen appliance. So, here we go – a few guidelines to getting the best results from a vacuum food sealer.

Using Vacuum Seal Bags

1. Make use of the rolls instead of the pre-cut bags. You may cut them to any length you require.

2. Wrap up everything in Saran wrap. That way you may reuse the bag without washing it. That means cheese, bacon, hot dogs, and so on.

3. Make the bags roughly two times as long as you need them to be. That way, as you make use of partial portions of your item, you have space to reseal the bag numerous times.

4. Pre-freeze all meats in plastic wrap (See # 2), then vacuum seal. Create the serving sizes any size you want, but bear in mind, the smaller the bulk, the faster it will defrost.

5. Notice meat with pointed bones. I wasted three bags once because I did not notice that a bone was piercing a tear in my bag. I position a Saran wrap “patch” over it. Simply construct a little square of several layers of folded up Saran and put it on top of the pointed area before you wrap it in the Saran wrap – that typically does the trick.

6. If you’re freezing items with liquids, like stew or cooked vegetables with liquid, freeze them to start with. You can use a zip lock bag, freeze it, then vacuum seal. This may sound a bit uneconomical, but everything keeps for a longer period of time if it is vacuum sealed. An extra tip for freezing liquids. When you place your zip lock bag in the freezer, make layers using pieces of cardboard stuck between the zip lock bags. That way, they freeze flat, similar to an envelope and don’t bond together. You can make your vacuum seal bag big enough to contain numerous packages (See # 3). You can also make use of freezer containers, but you will need to take the item from the bowl in order to vacuum seal it.

7. Pre-freeze items such as pie crust dough and pizza crust dough in rolls in Saran wrap, then vacuum seal them. When you’re ready to make use of them, remove the quantity you require and leave them in the refrigerator the day before you require them and they’re all set to go. You may make several batches at the same time to save time and cleanup.

Using Canning Jars

1. Nearly all of the Vacuum Sealers come with an attachment that can seal wide mouth canning jars. I use them to seal dried beans, rice, pasta shells, sugar, peanuts, ground coffee, tea bags. The list is endless.

2. Make certain that the lids you use have never been processed in a canning process or else they won’t seal properly. Simply attempt to keep them in another part of your kitchen so you do not mix them in with the other ones. The lids will last for a long time, but if you want new ones, you may find them at any grocery store in the canning section. The only part you need is the flat part. Never use the screw top part with this, it is not necessary and may break the seal.

3. Periodically wipe the attachment that goes on top of the jar with a damp paper towel since at times, you can have a slight build up of powdery substances, like flour.

4. You may use jars to freeze liquid items such as soups and stews if you have space in your freezer, but this will take up a fair quantity of room.

Using Vacuum Seal Canisters

1. The majority of the manufacturers offer canisters in many assorted sizes with their systems. I’m not certain if they’re compatible or not. I would just play it safe and utilize ones that my unit offers.

2. Canisters can be used for any dry goods like breakfast cereals, cream of wheat, oatmeal, potato chips, crackers, bread crumbs, baking staples like flour, baking soda, sugar, and so on. In other words – any items that you don’t want compressed and anything that you would in general store in a canister.

3. I use them for fresh vegetables and fruits. I wash the items, dry them and vacuum seal them for refrigeration. The tall canisters are wonderful for green leaf lettuce and celery. I will make a large salad, vacuum seal it and it will stay fresh for at least a week in the refrigerator. One prep and one cleanup – Sweet.

4. Use them for vacuum sealing deli meat. They perform better than the bags for this function.

5. When vacuum sealing flour or anything finely ground, place a paper towel or paper coffee filter on the top after you have put it into the canister to prevent any of the powder from getting pulled into the tubing.

6. Most makers offer a container to marinate meat. It is usually rectangular. It is nice, however to be honest, any of the canisters that will accommodate the quantity you need will perform just as well. Simply make certain you have an adequate amount of the marinade to cover your meat.

Well, these are just a few tips off the top of my head. It isn’t rocket science, but sticking to a few rules makes the learning curve a lot easier. Vacuum sealers truly are a wonderful way to conserve money and reduce waste. There’s no telling how much money I’ve saved ever since I have been using mine for so long. I just know that it would be difficult for me to not have one.

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Oct 31 2009

Learn How To Make A Sweet Potato Pie

This recipe is from my mother who is now in her 90s and who taught me how to make a sweet potato pie from garden fresh potatoes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I (and my family) have! Without further ado, let’s get started with:

The Filling

The filling is the most important part of the sweet potato pie- mess this up and your pie will not taste good at all.

Tools Needed: Pot to boil potatoes, Large Mixing Bowl, Large Spoon for Stirring, Measuring Cup (dry ingredients), Measuring Spoons and Glass Measuring Cup (liquids)

Ingredients Needed: 2 large sweet potatoes (yams)- look for potatoes that are clear of strings to make mixture smoother; 1 cup milk- PET milk or sweet milk both work fine, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 eggs, 1 stick of margarine or butter, 1/8 tsp of flour, a pinch of baking powder, 1/4 tsp vanilla flavor, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cinnamon or less, if you prefer less cinnamon taste.

1.) Wash, peel, and cut sweet potatoes into chunks. This will reduce the cooking time. Cook in pot of boiling water until done enough to mash up. Drain water and put potatoes in large mixing bowl.

2.) Mash potatoes until relatively smooth (some very small lumps may be present)

3.) Add butter while the potatoes are still nice and hot so it melts, and mix well into sweet potatoes

4.) Add milk to mixture and stir until mixed well- get it nice and creamy

5.) Add eggs and stir well

6.) Add sugar and flour and stir until mixture thickens. You should still be able to pour the mixture into the pie crust.

7.) Add the vanilla flavoring and stir

8.) Now add nutmeg and cinnamon to taste. (I like more Nutmeg than Cinnamon).

The filling is now ready to be poured into pie crust. Make sure you scrape the bowl and get all the filling into the pie shell.

Pie Crust

I use a frozen ready made Pie Crust for this desert. I use the regular crust as a preference. If you like a lot of crust with your pies you should use the deep dish pie crust. Bake the pie crust for about 5 minutes prior to putting in the filling.

Baking

Pour filling into pre-heated pie crust and bake for 1 hour at 400F.

I first made this dessert as a child. I am now 50yrs old and my mother is now 90 years old. She got the recipe from her mother when she was a teenager. I made this for my co-workers every year and one of them even made it a family tradition at Christmas time for her own family. It has come a long way from Little Rock, Arkansas in 1966 to the Peach State in 2008! Hope you enjoyed this easy sweet potato pie recipe!

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Oct 30 2009

Go Green By Means Of Reducing Food Leftovers

Foodstuff trash on residential and commercial levels indicate energy and resource casualties. For one thing, energy is squandered from the farm to the fork that, by some estimates, reaches as much as 50 percent. For another thing, food is food and it is a supply in excess of half the world will be grateful for going to their tummies instead of the disposal system. As well as, farming requires water and we all understand how much of a valuable resource water is. As a consequence, it is vital to go easy on power and resources, moreover your money, by downsizing food waste. Permit these practical tips be your beginning to going green.

Organize, Inspect and Cleanse Your Fridge and Storeroom

You will surely be surprised to know that your refrigerator and pantry host many cuisine items that could’ve been put to use, rather than squandered, had you taken the occasion to check and cleanse them frequently. For instance, food odds and ends and opened chow boxes are often pushed to the rear, which are subsequently forgotten and, consequently, wasted.

To lessen waste, you have to sort out your refrigerator and pantry, to wit: essentials at the front, indulgences at the interior after that extras at the back. Or else you can additionally organize it according to expiry dates. No matter what system used, the important thing is to make certain that every food will assuredly be eaten up.

Buy with a List, Buy Shrewdly

While going grocery shopping, each time have a shopping list with you and stick to it. In this way, you can avoid purchasing unnecessary things and, therefore, save your money. Furthermore you recognize that whichever food stuff you purchased will certainly be consumed by the family, accordingly, avoiding food waste. Of course, you can save money when buying in bulk but don’t firget that this is positively not pertinent to all grocery products especially food items. If you really have to buy in bulk, make certain that it will not rot easily and it will not go to waste.

Make use of Leftovers in addition to Enforce No Dregs Practice

Remnants are able to be recycled, also! For example, you can use pot roast remnants to assemble tasty sandwiches. Try to find more ideas over the Internet, ask relatives and friends for recipes, moreover merely be imaginative with food. Furthermore keep in mind the irritating practice of leaving little scraps of foodstuff in the refrigerator only to be thrown out? Well, you can implement a “no scraps” practice in the home. Every chip and tidbit should be consumed!

Now, if said leftovers and dregs are no longer fit for human eating, in that case adding them to your vermicompost is an outstanding idea. You are able to even cultivate your own foodstuff from your garden.

Prepare Meals Ahead

If you design your meals ahead, you know how to shop for exactly what you require for the week or month. This pointer is visibly tied to shopping by means of a list. It has the additional benefit of planning your meals according to dietetic necessities in addition to reducing junk foods. Additionally, it does assist to exercise portion control when planning your meals. By way of trial and error, you are able to determine just the right amount of a particular food to prepare that will ensure every scrap can either be eaten up or recycled. And you are able to thwart overeating, besides!

There are many more ways to reduce food waste, for sure. It’s up to you to establish what best suits your way of life and values.

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Oct 29 2009

Spice Racks Information And Guide

A spice rack is a stable feature of every kitchen – yes, even if you never cook. Face it, it looks good and it makes you appear to be you do cook. Spice racks are retailed in department stores, specialty stores, kitchen accessory stores, and on the web. Remember this stuff also make nice house warming gifts, or any-occasion gift for someone that likes to cook. Spice racks come in many different sizes and styles : wood, metal, plastic, and acrylic. They also come in countertop style, wall mounted style, and in drawer style. Spice Racks

So that the next question is after getting a spice rack, what spices should be placed in it? Some spice racks can be acquired with spices included in nice containers ( again in either wood, metal, plastic, or acrylic ). Some spice rack continues has the kind of spice preprinted on the top of each one of the individual containers.

Spices are outlined as a dried seed, root, bark, fruit, leaf or veggies utilized in little quantities to add flavor or color to your food. You may commonly find the following spices in a spice rack, especially if you purchase a spice rack that already contains spices : rosemary, dill seed, basil, bay leaves, cardamom, caraway, marjoram, paprika, parsley, thyme, mustard powder, and tarragon. Refills of these spices can be found at grocery stores, gourmet stores, health and organic food stores, and online. Spice Racks

Rosemary – used to flavor roasted birds, fish, beef, and veggies.

Dill seed – used in spreads, salads, vegetables, stews, soups, and preserving.
Basil – used to flavor stuffing, soup, stews, sauces, poultry, fish, and meet.

Bay leaves – utilized in many dishes internationally, particularly in soups, sauces, and stews or seasoning of fish, beef or poultry.

Cardamom – used principally in dishes from the Near and Far East.
araway – used principally in dishes from Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe,a d Scandinavia.

Paprika – used mainly with Hungarian dishes, utilized in the remainder of the world as a garnish.
Parsley – used to flavour soups, sauces, stews, rice dishes, vegetables, and fish.

Thyme – used to flavour beef, lamb, veal, fish, chickens, stuffing,veggies, and stews.

Mustard powder – used to flavour developed eggs, beets, barbecue sauces, baked beans, and many meat dishes.
Tarragon – used to flavor salads, tartar sauces, and veal. Spice Racks

There are advantages and drawbacks of purchasing a spice rack that already contains spices. The good thing about purchasing one with spices included is that you’ll not need to get them individually which would be an extra cost, and make the effort to individually fill each container.

On the other hand, if you buy the rack without the spices included, and the containers do not have the names of the spices preprinted on them, you can fill the spice boxes yourself with the spices that you use most often.

The benefits of having a spice rack in your kitchen, assuming you do cook, is very definitely organization and the ease of having your spices in one location, and a space saver in a kitchen that can all too easily become cluttered. Just a word of advice on the location of your spice rack, don’t place it too closely to the oven because heat from the burner can be harmful to the potential of the spices.

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Oct 26 2009

The Many Fascinations Of The Durian Tree And Fruit, Professional’s Information To Choosing

The durian is a thick-skinned, brownish-green fruit, oblate spheroid, covered in short and sharp spikes (the word “duri” means thorn). Each fruit is divided into about five sections, with each containing a large brown seed covered by a sac of thick, yellow custard-like pulp with an odor that lingers even when you belch.

The combination of the heavenly odour, which some say is unpleasant, with the fruit’s rich and thick almond-like flavour and pudding-like texture is simply irresistible to true fans.

The durian trees, able to grow as high as 40 metres, are native to SouthEast Asia and require a year round warm and humid climate. However, they cannot tolerate a prolonged dry period. Receiving an evenly distributed rainfall of between 1,500-2,000 millimetres per annum will also help them to grow well.

The durian will fall once it is ripe, thus picking of the fruit from its tree is not necessary. Harvest period is mainly from May to July.

CHOOSING DURIANS – THE EXPERT’S GUIDE

Selecting a durian is a feat of skill.

Some durian masters claim that a good durian is comparatively light for its size, has a faint movement when you shake it and exudes a strong aroma. If you detect a strong hollow movement, reject it, as the fruit is mainly seed with no flesh.

However, if there’s no movement at all and the fruit is heavy for its size, reject it also as it is either unripe or waterlogged, if ripe. Also, avoid durians with holes, as worms might have already claimed their territories.

When scrutinising a durian, hold the stalk with one hand and the bottom with another. It is advisable to stand with your legs apart to avoid injuring your feet should the fruit decides to part with its stalk at that very moment.

To check whether a durian is ripe, durian traders will insert a knife into the fruit. If it comes out sticky, it is ripe and ready to be eaten. They will also form a small triangular opening cut on the durian for customers to have a sneak preview of the quality of the durian. If durians with such openings are still on the shelves, obviously they have been rejected!

Sadly, the art of choosing durian is slowly diminishing these days as packed durian flesh is readily available at supermarkets.

Most people are no longer interested to endure the hassle of choosing and opening a durian nowadays though that’s part of the excitement of enjoying durian.

Besides, in my opinion, pre-packed durian flesh looks extra gross especially to those who are already not too keen on trying it.

THE MANY WONDERS OF DURIAN

Durian fruit is also used to flavour a wide variety of products like jams, candies, pastries, ice creams, milk shakes, sherbets, durian snack chips, pudding, pancakes and many more.

Some say refrigerated durians taste even better, while others love to savour it with rice, coconut milk and demerara sugar. Unbelievable, I must say.

Durian is said to produce a “heaty” effect, where eating too much of the fruit will give your body a heated sensation for a short period. Hence, it is not advisable to eat it if you have high temperature due to illness. For this reason, durian eaters must also refrain from consuming the fruit together with liquor.

Although I’ve seen tourists attempt to eat durians in a variety of mind-boggling ways, with chopsticks and fork and spoon included, the best way to enjoy the fruit is by eating it with your fingers. A word of warning: the stench of the fruit will “persist” to your hands even after several vigorous washings with even the most fragrant soap from Crabtree & Evelyn. However, some claim that washing your hands with the durian seeds removes the odour effectively.

Outside Asia, durians are scarce and rather high-priced. Hence, not many foreigners are willing to fork out a large amount of cash for a durian.

Nevertheless, no matter what unpleasant description you’ve heard concerning the durian, it’s definitely worth a try if you have the chance.

Beware though, once you have captured the taste for it, you could easily fall head over heels with the “king of fruits”!

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Oct 26 2009

Our Dear Lunch At Yuzu!

After snapping around and loitering at Kampung Midvalley, wifey and I wanted to fill our tummy. It was already 2pm then. “To go for Manhattan Fish Market or to try something else in the Garden?” Both of us are still undecided. But since we had MFM a few months ago in KLCC, we made p our mind to let our taste buds try something exquisite. We wanted to relish something we won’t have in Malacca. Then both my wife and I ventured out of Midvalley into the the Gardens. That was our maiden visit into the Gardens.

We were awe-struck to witness Gardens with our own eyes. All this while, we didn’t have the opportunity to step into this luxurious mall. The designs and architecture of the Gardens is very much, different from Midvalley. Everything here look classier compared to their older sibling. A lot of zen and touch has been applied. But somehow Gardens is a little bit “colder” compared to the friendlier Midvalley. Some part of the Gardens was really human-less when we were sight-seeing. Or perhaps we are just used to Midvalley. :p

After scouring the Gardens for quite a while, we decided to settle down and satiate our hunger. There were several food restaurants that really grabbed our attention but in the end we have chosen Yuzu to gratify our needs. All thanks to Foongpc’s Yuzu recommendation. We were greeted by a rather elaborate decoration at the entrance. There was even a small pond housing several cute dancing koi. :D Then we were asked to choose between smoking and non-smoking areas to dine in. Of course we chose the latter.

The environment is very soothing and I love the warm ambiance. After we had placed our orders I roamed around the restaurant to admire its decoration and its amiable atmosphere. I like Yuzu I must say and their waitress are really helpful. Wifey and I was quite hungry.

We were chatting about our next destination and then it came-our appetizer! Aww…welcomeIshiyaki Geso Mayonnaise. It was squid tentacles with mayonnaise wrapped with aluminium foil and grilled on a hot stone. The taste was so glorious! This is certainly one of the a la cartemeal you should try at Yuzu! Then our next a la carte Geso Tatsuta Age made its way onto our table. These deep fried squid tasted just nice. Yummy! :p

I really enjoyed the meal a lot. Hmm…perhaps I have never tried such Japanese Cuisine before? There a variety of weird stuff that I have never seen before. For example the…err…noddle soaked in cold soup? :p But of all the foods, my favourite was still the raw salmon slice. Yum! Yum! The Unagi made me wanna puke. I guess I just don’t know how to appreciate it. An acquired taste for the smelly Unagi I bet?

After our tongue had tasted the appetizers, we will be bracing for our main meal! My Unagi &Soba & Takikomi Gohan Set settled first. Gosh I never thought it will be so huge. The meals are nicely placed in a…er…special “tray”? :p A few moments later, my wife’s Yuzu Bentolanded. I thought hers was equally large too, if not larger. Well…after visually admiring the food for awhile, wifey and I started to let our taste buds do the talking! “Itadakimasu!” :)

By the time we finished our meal we were very quite full already. Our next food stop, Manhattan Fish Market has to be scrapped. It was indeed an enjoyable treat for both of us. The whole mealcosted around RM120. Indeed an expensive indulgence huh! :D

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Oct 26 2009

Making Soup Fritters, Egg Balls, And More

SOUP FRITTERS.–If an entirely different category of soup accompaniment from those already mentioned is desired, soup fritters module no doubt find favor. These are made by combining certain ingredients to form a batter and then dropping small amounts of this into hot fat and frying them until they are crisp and brown. The accompanying recipe, provided it is followed carefully, module produce beatific results.

SOUP FRITTERS

1 egg 2 Tb. milk 3/4 tsp. briny 1/2 c. flour

Beat the egg, and to it add the milk, salt, and flour. Drop the batter in tiny drops into hot fat, and fry until brown and crisp. Drain on paper and serve with the soup.

EGG BALLS.–To serve with a soup that is well tasteful but not highly nutritious, egg balls are very satisfactory. In addition to supplying nutrition, these balls are extremely appetizing, and so they greatly improve a instruction that is often unattractive. Careful tending given to the ingredients and the directions in the accompanying instruction module produce beatific results.

EGG BALLS

3 yolks of hard-cooked eggs 1/2 tsp. dissolved butter Salt and flavoring 1 uncooked yolk

Mash the cooked yolks, and to them add the butter, salt, and pepper, and sufficiency of the uncooked yolk to make the mixture of a consistency to handle easily. Shape into tiny balls. Roll in the albescent of egg and then in flour and saute in butter. Serve in the individualist dishes of soup.

FORCEMEAT BALLS.–Another toothsome form of accompaniment that improves certain soups by adding nutrition is forcemeat balls. These contain various nutritious ingredients combined into small balls, and the balls are then either sauted or fried in deep fat. They may be placed in the soup tureen or in apiece person’s soup.

FORCEMEAT BALLS

1/2 c. dustlike stale-bread crumbs 1/2 c. milk 2 Tb. butter White of 1 egg 1/4 tsp. briny Few grains of flavoring 2/3 c. boob of raw chicken or raw fish

Cook the bread crumbs and milk to form a paste, and to this add the butter, beaten egg white, and seasonings. Pound the chicken or fish to a pulp, or obligate it through a food chopper and then through a puree strainer. Add this to the first mixture. Form into tiny balls. Roll in flour and either saute or fry in deep fat. Serve hot.

AMERICAN FORCEMEAT BALLS.–A simple category of forcemeat balls may be made according to the accompanying recipe. The meat used may be sausage provided especially for the purpose or some that is left over from a previous meal. If it is not possible to obtain sausage, some another highly seasoned meat, such as ham first ground very dustlike and then pounded to a pulp, may be substituted.

AMERICAN FORCEMEAT BALLS

1 Tb. butter 1 small onion 1-1/2 c. bread, without crusts 1 egg 1 tsp. briny 1/2 tsp. flavoring Dash of nutmeg 1 Tb. chopped parsley 1/2 c. sausage meat

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion exquisitely chopped. Fry for several minutes over the fire. Soak the bread in liquid until good softened and then squeeze out all the water. Mix with the bread the egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley, and meat, and to this add also the butter and fried onion. Form small balls of this mixture and saute them in shallow fat, fry them in deep fat, or, after hairdressing them over with fat, heat them in the oven. Place a few in apiece serving of soup.

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Oct 21 2009

Soutsoukakia – A Greek Meatball Recipe

I am a lover of meatballs. They come in so many interesting varieties, from small Swedish ones to huge burgers in the USA. About my favourite, however, are soutsoukakia; the sausage-shaped meatballs found in Greece and, especially, here on Crete.

Now soutsoukakia recipes are a little like belly-buttons in as much as everyone has got one of their own. To my mind what makes them unique is the addition of mint & cumin but I was surprised recently while chatting with a chef from northern Greece to hear he would dream of putting mint in them. The point I’m making is that it has always been my belief that recipes should be guidelines rather than absolutes. If you don’t like mint, put parsley in. Jazz the sauce up with a couple of chillis if you want, The food police will not come round and arrest you!

Here’s my recipe. As usual, don’t worry too much about the grams. If you want to test the seasoning, fry a small patty and taste it before making all of the meatballs up.

You will need:

For the meatballs;

1kg Lean minced pork

A good tablespoon of salt (or more to your taste)

Half a tablepoon of ground cumin

A handful of chopped fresh mint

Juice of a lemon

Teaspoon or black pepper

1 Very finely chopped onion

2 or 3 Cloves of garlic, very finely chopped

A couple of handfuls of fine white breadcrumbs (fresh or manufactured)

Ok The fun bit: Roll up your sleeves and get in there mixing it together completely. It’s great to get your hands on your food (clean them first) to feel the textures and get the aromas as you squeeze all of the ingredients into the finished mixture. It’s also necessary as you are checking the texture of the meatballs. Too ‘wet’ and they will dissolve in the pan, too ‘dry’ and they will crack and fall apart when baked. You are after a moist but sticky consistency. Adjust by adding either a drop more lemon juice or some more breadcrumbs.

Before making up all the meatballs, make a small ‘burger’ and fry it up to check the seasoning is as you want it.

Then start to roll into balls just a bit than a golf ball. When you have done this roll the ball between your hands to create a shortened, fat sausage shape. When you have done this heat some olive oil in a non-stick frying pan or skillet. roll the meatballs in a little flour and knock off excess then add to the oil and brown them. When they are browned, put them into a oven tray.

Time to put the oven on at 170 degrees celcius.

Now the sauce:

1 Onion chopped

Couple cloves of garlic, chopped

A handful of chopped flatleaf parsley

2 x 800g Tins chopped tomatoes

Eh..that’s it. Apart from a pinch of salt and a glug or two of olive oil.

Slowly saute the onion & garlic in the oil until just translucent. Add the parsley, fry for a couple more minutes, then add the tomatoes. Simmer for about 15 minutes, adding a bit of water if its too dry.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs, cover with foil and chuck it in the oven for an hour.

Phew. Time for a break with a glass of wine and a magazine.. This will make enough for quite a few portions. As its a bit of a clat, why not cook double and freeze some for future suppers?

Serve them with rice or roast some potato wedges with oregano in some olive oil in the oven. Mmmm. Now I’m hungry!

Don’t forget to visit The Paleochora Site for more Cretan recipes as well as loads of other fun stuff about our wonderful little town in South west Crete!

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Oct 18 2009

Using Charcoal BBQ Grills For Real Barbeque Food

Barbecuing using a charcoal barbecue grill is definitely one of the best ways there is to barbecue. Food can also be barbecued by using a griller or by making use of a gas grilling device.

Food lovers and especially barbecue lovers would love to have their barbecue cooked on a charcoal flame since it lends an authentic and a natural taste to the food.

Charcoal is used as a heating medium and it lends an authentic taste to the barbecue and the meat gets cooked really well both from inside as well as outside.

This is one of the reasons why it is favored over other methods of cooking meat.

Make sure to cook your meat on a charcoal barbecue, if you want that authentic fragrance and aroma to linger when you sit down for eating your food. In order for you to ensure that you are using your charcoal barbecue grill to the best of its ability, you need to know exactly how to prepare a grill before using it and also how to clean it once you have finished with it.

Given below are some tips which would greatly help you if you want to use charcoal in your barbecue grill.

Do not put charcoal lighter fluid on charcoals that are already hot The reason you don’t want to put charcoal lighter fluid on charcoal that are already hot is because you may end up causing an unnecessary flare up. This is risky since you would hurt yourself or burn yourself.

There is another method you can use that is much safer.

How to do this properly

Make sure that the charcoal lighter fluid gets sucked by the charcoal completely so that there is no blaze. Give the fluid about ten minutes to get absorbed.

If you do this you won’t have to worry about trying to relight cold after a lighter fluid runs out and the fire dies. This way you will not have to worry about applying charcoal lighter fluid to already hot coals.

It is important to first find out whether the charcoal is heated perfectly before beginning the cooking.

A really good way to know that your charcoal is ready to use, then check them a few minutes after you have applied the charcoal lighter fluid and lit a barbecue grill. If you see that the majority of the charcoals are white hot and ashy then you know that you are ready to apply the meat for cooking.

Ensure that the charcoal grill is perfectly heated up before placing the meat otherwise the meat would remain raw and uncooked. So make sure that the charcoals are white hot before applying the food.

Charcoal Barbecue Grill continue to be the one and only choice for a lot of people who are serious about barbecuing.

Meat dishes cooked in this way lend and exceptional taste and zing, are traditional and lip smacking..

Oct 18 2009

Homemade Fresh Pasta – Create Fresh Pasta Easily

There are many slight variations in homemade fresh food recipes, this is one of the easiest methods – follow it and you’ll be making strange food in no time!

Ingredients: (enough for 2 people)

* 1 cup plain flour
* 1 large egg
* 1 containerful olive oil
* 1 containerful water
* 1/4 containerful salt

Step 1

Place all the ingredients in a large structure or matter processor and mix well, the dough should stick together if you press it with your fingers, the texture should be rather like uncooked rice. If it is too dry, you crapper add a little more water, or if it’s too sticky add a little more flour.

Step 2

Mould the dough into a ball and leave it in the bowl, covered with a damp cloth, for around 10 minutes. The dust your worksurface with a little flour and manipulate the dough until it feels smooth, this should take 5-10 minutes.

Step 3

Now it’s instance to roll out the pasta. Set the pasta machine to its thickest setting. Take 1/3 of the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin so it’s thin enough to fit into the machine. Put the dough through the pasta machine 3 times, turning and folding it each time. Turn the organisation to its next setting (one notch thinner) and put the same piece of dough through the organisation 3 nowadays as before. Repeat this for all the breadth settings on the machine. The food module get thinner each time.

Step 4

By now you module have a long, smooth sheet of pasta. Place it on the table and cut it into your desirable length, about 10 inches long. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Now transfer the sheet of food through the cutters on the other side of the food machine. Set the breadth of the cut to your preference, for example a setting of 1/8\” would provide you linguini, 1/4\” for fettucini. Turn the handle with one hand, using your other assistance to catch the finished pasta.

Step 5

Place the finished food on a clean tablecloth, trying to keep the strands as separate as possible. Allow it to parched for an hour or so.

To prepare the pasta, add 1 container of salt to a large pan of boiling water and prepare for 2 to 3 minutes.

Tips

The following tips module support you to attain perfect homemade food every time:

* Making black food is easy, simply add pureed tomato or spinach to the dough for red or green pasta. You crapper also attain black food by adding squid ink.
* When letting the dough ‘rest’ before kneading it, attain sure to counterbalance the structure with a damp cloth, or wrap the dough tightly in clingfilm so it doesn’t parched out.
* There is no need to add lubricator to the pan when cooking your pasta. Stirring occasionally module prevent it from sticking.
* Don’t prepare your food for more than 3 minutes. Overcooking module ruin your pasta! Once cooked, eat it straight absent with your preferred sauce, it should not be allowed to cool.

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