Friday, September 30, 2011

Easy Cheesecake - Help To Keep Your Next Easy Cheesecake From Being A Disaster

When you baked your last cheesecake... was it all cracked on the top? How about lumps, did it contain a good deal more lumps than the usual room full of camels? I have got some remedies for everyone! Baking can be a precise craft where there are a few things which can help you bake a very good easy cheesecake at home!

Pans, pans, pans

You may ask, what type of pan do you make use of to make a cheesecake? Well, generally, cheesecakes are baked in a spring form pan. The typical size spring form pan is 9 inches around. This kind of pan has a couple of parts. It has a round base piece and a circular piece with a hook-like closure which allows the round bottom piece to nestle into its bottom groove.

You may also make a rectangle-shaped cheesecake and use a 9x13 pan for baking.

Crust or not to crust

Have you ever tried a cheesecake without using a crust? It is actually very good. Someone gave me an original New Your style cheesecake recipe many years ago. It was handed down through several generations (who came over to the US from Italy). The recipe doesn't require a crust. It is possible to exclude the crust from any cheesecake recipe, in case you want. (Except of course, from a no-bake cheesecake recipe. But, here, we are discussing the baked style of dessert)

I enjoy a good quality crust. You are able to pick a basic crust including things like graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Also you can get creative and try Nilla wafers, gingersnaps, chocolate or even chocolate chip cookies (the crunchy kind) or chocolate graham crumbs in the place of the standard graham crumbs.

The Cheese

You may ask what kind of cream cheese can I use in my easy cheesecake recipe. My estimation is to use the full fat, full flavor cream cheese. I've attempted low fat cream cheese in doing my cheesecake and it really took from that creamy taste and rich flavor.

Note to self: If your recipe calls for a full fat ingredient, stick with it.

Earthquake!

Alright, why do you have a fault line down the center of your cheesecake? Several problems might cause this. First, over beating the batter may cause cracks in the dessert. Incorrect oven temperature can cause it too. But, when it comes down to it, cheesecakes are vulnerable cakes and often crack. There is also a way for helping your cake stay in one piece. You can put the pan that contains your unbaked cake, inside another pan that contains about 1 inch of water, while the cake bakes. We call this a "water bath".

Lumps, lumps and more lumps

Why is my cake so lumpy? Well, was your cheese at room temperature before you began to mix it? If it was not, that is likely the cause of your lumps. Make sure you get started preparing your cheese after it is at room temperature. And be sure you beat it enough, as to remove the lumps.

Be certain never to over mix your ingredients, though. Over mixing may cause the easy cheesecake to sink in the middle!

I am all set to eat

I know, I know, you wish to immediately indulge in your cheesecake the moment it emerges from the warm oven. NO! Don't do it! Hold yourself back. Your cheesecake may break apart when you remove it from the pan prematurely. Plus, a cheesecake always tastes much better the following day, after it has sat in the refrigerator overnight. If you do not have the time to wait that long, let it sit in the fridge at LEAST 4 hours before cutting into your easy cheesecake.

Who would like to have our own FREE recipe book full of easy cheesecake recipes? Just head over to EasyCheesecakeInfo.com to pick up your Free copy. While you are there, take a look at the recipes and videos posted on http://www.easycheesecakeinfo.com/


http://EzineArticles.com/6513059

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

How to Make An Easy Cream of Potato Soup

Why use a mix when it's easy to make fresh, tasty potato soup yourself? The salty bacon compliments the sweetness of the sauteed onions. Wrap it up all together with a little heavy cream and lots of potatoes. The trick is to mash some of the potatoes and leave some in chunks. Decrease the fat by substituting turkey bacon for regular bacon and skim milk for the cream. Because you're browning the onions in the bacon fat the soup will not be pure white but take on a beige color from the bacon and lots of flavor.

Cut three slices of low sodium bacon into one inch slices. Fry until the bacon browns. If you're on a low fat diet, drain the fat. Or use turkey bacon instead. Chop one medium onion into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop two slices of celery into 1/2 inch cubes. Sautee the veggies over medium heat until they're soft. That should take, maybe five minutes. Keep an eye on them. Onion contains sugar and they'll burn quickly at too high a heat.

Add one quart of low sodium chicken broth, or 4 cubes of low/no sodium chicken bouillon cubes and four cups of water. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. No, we haven't forgotten about the potatoes.

Peel three medium to large potatoes and chop into 1/2 cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup and let simmer on low heat another 10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove about a cup of the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cream. If you're on a low fat diet add 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the flour into the milk, add the mashed potatoes and then add back to the soup.

Bring up to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. The flour will continue cooking as the soup cools.
Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

Leftovers are great the next day. If you don't have quite enough soup left, add 1- 2 cups more chicken broth, 1 cup of frozen corn, and one cup of little cooked shrimp.

It's easy to vary the potato soup by adding a few different ingredients. Add clams for clam chowder. Smoked sausage goes nicely with the potatoes. Or try chopped leeks and dill and leave out the bacon. Add chicken and peas and chopped parsley.

Make up a double batch and freeze half for another night's supper.

Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books. Her hobbies include gardening and cooking healthy dinner recipes, and sharing her grilling tips. She lives with an Irish Setter and an English Springer Spaniel.


http://EzineArticles.com/6468513

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Pumpkins Aren't Just for Jack-O-Lanterns! Try These Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

As we approach Fall, my mind turns to the beautiful Southern Indiana Falls of my childhood. The leaves, especially on the maple trees were such a myriad of colors, the fields held scrarecrows and fodder shocks. Hay bales and colorful pumpkins were everywhere. But one of the best parts of Fall were the delicious desserts when we cooked up those pumpkins. Not only do you get some good pulp out of the pumpkin, the seeds are delicious, too. This first recipe combines those tasty seeds with walnuts and almonds for a tasty baked cluster. The second recipe makes a delicious layered dessert.

PUMPKIN SEED NUT CLUSTERS
1 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
1 cup plain slivered almonds
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a couple of baking sheets; set aside.

Spread the pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and almonds out on a large cookie sheet with sides or a 10 x 15-inch baking pan. Toast in oven at 325 degrees 10 to 15 minutes until golden; cool.

While seeds/nuts cool, beat the egg whites in a large mixer bowl until soft peaks form (soft peaks will curl over rather than stand stiff). Gradually add half the sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Stir together the other half of the sugar, the flour and the salt. Gently fold this mixture into the stiff egg whites. Fold in the toasted seeds and nuts mixture. Drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets by rounded teaspoonsful. Bake at 325 degrees 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheets for a couple of minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 48 clusters

PUMPKIN SPICE DESSERT
1 cup biscuit and baking mix
1/2 cup quick cook oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup stick butter
1 can (16-oz) solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 can (13-oz) evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl cut together the biscuit and baking mix, oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter until crumbly. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl beat the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together until well mixed. Pour pumpkin mixture over the baked mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the chopped nuts, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter together until crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture over the pumpkin layer. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting to serve.

Note: Great served with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/.

For her diabetic information and recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/.


http://EzineArticles.com/6508400

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Kashmiri Food Delight In Delhi

Kashmiri cuisine is known as Kashur Khyon in Kashmiri. This cuisine has the history of many hundred years. There have been many influences to this cuisine from different areas. The first major influence was from the food of the Kashmiri Pandits. The Timur who invaded Kashmir had also influenced the cuisine greatly. Mutton is the major and notable ingredient found in all Kashmiri foods. There are over 30 varieties of Mutton items. The Balti curries which came from the Baltistan region of Pakistan administered region of Kashmir are yet another popular items that are available. There are many restaurants in Delhi region that serve delicious and exotic Kashmiri food.

Chor Bizarre: This is a famous restaurant Delhi, India which mainly served North Indian and Kashmiri cuisines. In North Indian and Kashmiri cuisines is importantly noted that no two things are similar in anyways. Even the type of plates used for serving is entirely different from each other. There is a great salad bar inside this restaurant. This is a Rolls Royce car. The chaat bar is an Old Fiat and one of the tables used ere for serving is a reconstructed bed of the Maharajas. Wazwan, Kashmiri feast with 36 courses, batter fried lotus stems and Goshtaba are the highlights of this restaurant.

Coriander Leaf: Kashmiri food and Mughlai food are mainly served here. They also serve items from the Pakistani, Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabadi cuisines. In the whole of India, this is one of the best places to have really spicy Mughlai food. We actually feel the taste of Pan India Muslim taste in the food served here. Nihari, Halim Lasooni Palak ke Kofta, Peshwari Kabab and Surkh Murg are the highlights of the place.

Kashmiri Wazwan: This is one of the best restaurants Delhi, wherein authentic, delicious and ambient regional cuisine that is even perfect to fit the Kings at Kashmiri Wazwan can be experienced. Kashmiri cuisine does not have any other similar cuisines in India. As far as the taste and variety is considered the food is really rich. A number of more than 30 Kashmiri dishes are served here at a time all which is listed in the menu. The interior décor done here is so great that it is infused with real Kashmiri accents. The service available here is also great and prompt. Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maas with Biryani are all the highlights of the restaurant.

Kashmiri Kitchen: This is one of the famous Kashmiri restaurants in South Delhi. This restaurant is located in the Malviya Nagar of New Delhi. Home delivery is also available for a minimum order of Rs 600. The restaurant is open from 10 in the morning till 10 in the evening. This is a non-veg restaurant where the food and the ambience ratings are really high. Zafrani Kokur, Tabak Maaz and different types of kababs are the general highlights. In the menu there is a separate section seen for special Kashmiri dishes for which prior order is to be given at least before 12 hours and he minimum order should be at least for Rs 1000.

To know more visit http://justeat.in/delhi

Just Eat provides home delivery services and table reservations through online. Find restaurants in South Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and ten other cities in India through Justeat, India's leading online food ordering service. To know more visit http://justeat.in/delhi


http://EzineArticles.com/6470215

Monday, September 19, 2011

How To Make Gazpacho Soup

Some like it hot some like it cold, well actually only the idiots like it hot as Gazpacho soup should be served cold, if not slightly chilled, as it is a great refresher on a cold Summers day.

It is a very simple recipe an only takes a few minutes to prepare. The basic ingredients you will need are as follows: -

1kg of Ripe Tomatoes - Peeled, deseeded and chopped into small chunks

½ A Cucumber - Peeled, deseeded and chopped

1 Green Pepper - Peeled, deseeded and chopped

4oz of fresh bread with the crusts cut off

1 small onion - Roughly chopped

1 garlic clove - Chopped or presses in a Garlic presser

1 Tablespoon of white wine vinegar

4 fluid ounces of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste as required

4-6 Ice cubes, ideally crushed

Basil sprigs as garnish

So now you have assembled all of the ingredients then let us begin making the soup!

Firstly hold back a few of the tomatoes, pepper and cucumber as a garnish for the soup.

Then place all of the bread in a blender, and blend until the bread is in crumbs. Then add the rest of the tomatoes, cucumber and pepper. Blend until smooth, then add the onion, garlic, olive oil and again blend until very smooth.

The tomatoes should give the soup enough juice to make the soup into a nice liquid, but you can also add water if the soup is too thick. Often if it is too thick then it down to adding too much bread into the mix. Trial and error is the key to getting it right! Then season with salt and pepper as required.

To serve the dish (Which really is best served very cold, and not hot as a few famous celebrities have sent it back to the kitchen to be heated for!) divided into four serving bowls, add the crushed ice cubes to soup and still them well in.

Then place in the fridge for 30 minutes or ideally an hour. Then when it comes to serving the gazpacho soup lightly garnish with the tomatoes, pepper and cucumber that you held back. Lightly scatter a few basil leaves on top and then serve with some fresh crusty bread (French baguettes are ideal).

So there you have it the ideal recipe for gazpacho soup. This recipe takes just minutes to prepare and is a great appetizer on a hot Summers day.

For more great recipes and advice on How To Grow Tomatoes for gazpacho soup, then find out more about How To Grow Vegetables today.


http://EzineArticles.com/6454493

Friday, September 16, 2011

How to Keep a Salad From Getting Unhealthy

While there are plenty of ways to make salad, you are going to find that there are some that aren't healthy. The problem is that people will often add certain foods into them and this can result in our bodies taking in more fat and calories than actually benefiting from the vitamins and nutrients in the actual foods that are good for us.

Keeping in mind that some of these foods are better for us than others, it is important that you look at the options that you have and come up with a great salad that is going to leave your entire family satisfied and well nourished at the same time.

Perhaps one of the best foods to add to your salad to keep it healthy will be tomatoes. These are packed with antioxidants and even lycopene which is great for the heart and as well as the male prostate. Keep in mind that if you are looking for a healthy choice, these tomatoes are best when the vine is still attached prior to serving.

Another good choice for your salad is of course going to be a carrot. These are jammed packed with beta carotene. Along with this, you are going to find that lettuce is essential and it contains Vitamins C and K as well as chlorophyll. When you add those together and throw in some onions that have been proven to help prevent atherosclerosis, you can be sure that your salad is going to remain good for you.

In this process, you can even choose to add other items as well. This will include things like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, squash, sugar snap peas, and the list goes on, all are good additions. What you need to keep in mind is that vegetables that have been washed and prepared properly are always going to be an excellent option. If you want to add some depth to the salad, you can get your protein from sunflower seeds, peanuts, pine nuts and even walnuts.

Now, when most people are making a salad they do great up until the point of salad dressings. Since this can actually ruin the salad that you are making, you will want to be sure that you consider the basics. A good idea is always to go with a little olive oil and even to mix in some vinegar in it. If you choose to go with more common choices, make sure that they are low in bad fats and contain little to no cholesterol at all. Along with that, you are going to want to be sure that they are not filled with a bunch of preservatives either.

Along with all this, consider that meats and cheeses tend to reduce the health factors of these salads as well. If you are looking for a health meal that is quick and easy, you can do it with natural vegetables, fruits and nuts. They will fill you and give you all the nutrition that you need. Best of all, they can be prepared in a fraction of the time that it would take to make a fully fried meal.

Rick Mongiovi shares his recipe for tomato salad recipe and more appetizer recipes for salads, fillings, cheese service and more on his site at Best-Made-Appetizers.com.


http://EzineArticles.com/6468387

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Quick, Easy, And Tasty Soups: Roasted Chicken, Cream Of Spinach, Meatball Vegetable Stew

I am a soup person year-round but I know some people prefer soups in the Fall and Winter. Even though it doesn't feel like Fall here in North Texas with our 40 straight days of triple-digit temperatures, I know many of you will soon be having cool weather. In honor of your cooler weather and what we hope we will see eventually, this article is all about soup. Whether you like it to be brothy, creamy, or thick (stew), we are sure to have a recipe here to please you.

ROASTED CHICKEN SOUP
2 cups roasted chicken, shredded or diced (Can buy chicken in deli)
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
8 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
3/4 cup curly noodles

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the onions are tender and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the broth, pepper, carrots, and celery to a boil. Stir the noodles and chicken into the broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes until the pasta is tender. Stir in the onions; soup is ready to serve.

QUICK AND EASY CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of ground nutmeg
4 1/4 cups milk
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out

In a large saucepan melt the butter; add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onion is tender. Stir in the flour, mixing well to avoid lumps. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually blend in the milk while stirring. Continue to cook, stirring, for about a minute or two until thickened. Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.

MEATBALL VEGETABLE STEW
If you love beef stew but don't really have the time to cook the beef and make the stew, try this recipe that uses meatballs.

4 cups water
2 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 large onion, cut into chunks
2 tbsp beef bouillon granules
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp browning sauce, optional

In a large Dutch oven, bring the water to a boil. Add the russet potatoes, carrots, onion, bouillon, bay leaf, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the above simmers, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, and Worcestershire sauce. Shape into 1-inch balls. Add meatballs to the Dutch oven along with the sweet potatoes and zucchini. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the peas. Combine the flour and cold water; stir into the stew along with the browning sauce, if using. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for a couple of minutes until thickened.

Yield: 6 servings.

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com/ She also has a large collection of old fashion recipes at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/


http://EzineArticles.com/6491371

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Quick and Easy Recipes for Tasty Salads That Are Delicious! Perfect for Your Buffet Table, Too

Whether you are looking for an entree salad or a side dish salad, we have a recipe for you. Choose from the recipe for on Orange Pineapple Salad or one for a different twist on an old standby, Ham Waldorf Salad. Both are very tasty but about as different as two salads can get. Perfect for luncheons, an entree salad or a side dish, both would add a great touch to a brunch or buffet table. The Ham Salad has some great variation ideas. You could replace the ham with diced or shredded chicken for a completely different taste. Want to go a little fancy? Replace the grapes with fresh pineapple chucks and serve the salad in a hollowed out half pineapple. Wouldn't that be pretty on your buffet? The Orange Pineapple Salad is a totally different yet very refreshing salad made with dry flavored gelatin, pineapple, mandarin oranges, whipped topping, and crunchy pecans. Both are quite yummy!

HAM WALDORF SALAD
2 cups cooked lean cubed ham
2 cups chopped red Delicious apples
1 cup thin sliced celery
2/3 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Splenda granular (or sugar)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cups chopped pecans for garnish, if desired
red lettuce leaves for salad plates, if desired

Combine the ham, apples, celery, grapes, and the toasted pecans in a bowl.

In a small bowl blend together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Splenda; stir into the ham mixture. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, place lettuce leaves on 4 salad plates and top each with 1/4 of the salad mixture. Sprinkle with the pecans, if desired.

Variations:
Replace ham with chicken.
Replace the grapes with pineapple chunks and serve in a hollowed out half pineapple.

ORANGE PINEAPPLE SALAD
2 small (4-serving size)pkgs orange-pineapple gelatin
1 can (11-oz) pineapple tidbits, drained (save juice for later use or drink it)
1 can (11 3/4-oz)mandarin oranges, drained, juice discarded
1 large carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 cups large curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix the cottage cheese with the whipped topping. Stir in the gelatin powder to blend well. Gently fold in the drained pineapple,oranges, and pecans. Refrigerate until serving time.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com/
For her diabetic diabetic recipes and information visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/


http://EzineArticles.com/6498302

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Chivry Green Dressing Versus the Emerald Goddess

The Chivry group's green salad dressing is really my dad's adjustment of an old recipe from a Swiss chef friend of ours. It's really a very simple method of utilizing many of the left over scraps from the kitchen with some fresh herbs from the garden thrown in. Salad dressings need to taste good, but they also need to fit in with the overall menu to limit too many extra ingredients. Parsley stems, celery ends, onion ends are all examples of kitchen scraps incorporated in the dressing.

Not content to support the things as they are, I whipped up a similar salad dressing with some very definite alterations. I titled this offshoot of Chivry group's green dressing the somewhat humorous (in my mind anyway) title of Emerald Goddess salad dressing. Of course this recipe is merely the jumping off point because I rarely make the salad dressing the same way twice. I tend to have fun with whatever spices and herbs jump out at me.

Basil and parsley are important, but the real basis of Chivry group's green salad dressing is the onion and the garlic where the Emerald Goddess is an onion-celery twist on the recipe. I add avocado and apple cider vinegar to my dressing (and sometimes an egg if I am feeling it). Although the present recipe abstains from the using Maggi, it is probably because I didn't have a bottle in the kitchen when I was filming it.

The Chivry green dressing is not only a crowd pleaser, it is simple to make and somewhat inexpensive (the fresh herbs bump the cost up...Maggi itself is not too cheap, but a bottle lasts quite a while). The seasonality of herb driven dressings are a topic that I will shy away from right now. Let's just say that the Chivry group's green salad dressing is a late summer dressing that can be enjoyed year around if you don't mind purchasing basil and parsley in the off months.

The only real curve ball with the Chivry group's dressing is Maggi. Maggi is a Swiss wheat sauce, similar to soy sauce, that can be purchased at German markets or sometimes can be found at a local Cash & Carry. Although a worthwhile seasoning to have in the kitchen, it is not an imperative ingredient for the Chivry group's green salad dressing. Sample the dressings yourself and decide which is your favorite.

Cheers!

D.G. Miller created http://duckspoon.com/ as a vehicle to both capture his family's favorite recipes as well as teach folks how to cook beautiful food from scratch. Duckspoon is a user generated website created in the hopes of sharing family recipes and bringing people together.


http://EzineArticles.com/6352069

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Making Your Own Homemade Pasta

When it comes to making your own homemade pasta, having the right pasta machine is essential. Pasta makers come in all different shapes and sizes and can be manual or automatic. The manual pasta makers are the authentic, original machines. Now of days they are making electric pasta machines, which takes a little away from how authentic the hole process is.

When looking for the right machine for your home and restaurant, which one is right for you? Whether your getting one for your home, or for a restaurant, will pretty much be the biggest decision you'll have to make. If your getting one for your home, the machine will only need to be small, just big enough to make enough pasta for your family, or a small group of people.

If you own a restaurant and want a highly efficient pasta maker, then getting a bigger, faster, or maybe even an electric pasta machine would be a good idea. When dealing with a restaurant, the speed, amount made, and quality is the key to success.

There are many pasta cutters out there that work fantastic, and will get the trick done. But then there's ones that are high in quality, and will last you forever. When it comes to deciding on the right one to purchase, take quality, durability, and efficiency into consideration. I like to read reviews on the machines before I purchase one. Seeing what other buyers have to say is very helpful when making a decision on purchasing something.

If your thinking about getting into making your own homemade noodles for your pasta, then getting a pasta machine is the right idea. Go out and grab a nice, affordable, quality pasta machine for your home or restaurant, you wont regret it!

Getting a pasta maker was a great decision for my household. My grandmother just moved in and loves to cook just as much, if not more than my mother. My family is from Italy and we love a good sauce. Every Sunday we break out all the ingredients, the pasta makers, and everything we need to make our homemade pasta.

My friends come over every once in a while and say my mother has the best sauce out there! And to top it off the noodles are homemade right in my kitchen from our new pasta cutter. When it comes to a good homemade pasta, nothing beats the homemade noodles, with the homemade sauce and meatballs to go with it. Little bit of Parmesan cheese, and your ready to go!


http://EzineArticles.com/6473889

Saturday, September 3, 2011

The Essence of Traditional Pie and Mash

What is the essence of traditional pie and mash? This very British dish started life in London over 150 years ago and was the staple diet of many poor London workers during the 19th Century. The savoury pies were made with cheap cuts of meat after the Thames failed to support the eel population, these eels were the original filling for the pies as they were plentiful and cheap. But the pies were baked and sold within the city of London, so they were fresh, cheap and hot. They were also a filling meal which kept these manual workers going during a hard days work.

Out of these times evolved the pie and mash shops that so many of us Londoners are familiar with. The more successful pie street traders obtained their own premises and grew their business through the quality of their food. The shops had very simple decor and an even simpler menu. But the very essence of these shops were that they provided a quick, hot meal at a value for money price without the frills. And all this offered with a smile and a joke from the people who owned and worked in these shops. They were mainly for the working classes but who could resist such a cheap and wholesome meal?

Every shop has the same basic menu but the food is always very slightly different. This is because the pies are made fresh and cooked on the premises so each shop has their own family recipe for the pies and the liquor. The liquor was originally based on the stock left over from cooking the eels which was thickened to make a gravy sauce with added parsley. It's green colour can put some newcomers off but the taste is quite bland. A splash of vinegar is all that's needed to liven it up.

Pie and mash is still incredibly popular all over London and the UK. Many establishments have chosen to sell upmarket premium pies with lovely buttery herb mash and a price tag to match. Whilst this can still be a delicious meal, the true pie and mash eating houses stay close to the foods roots. They serve traditionally made pies, they bake fresh on the premises and they serve quickly at a great price. Pie mash and liquor was the original fast food, before burgers had even been invented. By supporting your local pie and mash shop or restaurant this traditional dish can live on for many more years.

Sean Horton is a Director of Goddard's Pies Limited who have been making pie and mash since 1890.


http://EzineArticles.com/6467536