Did you know that cooking your food could cause serious damage to your health?
Changes take place, as food is cooked above 117 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes or longer. Damage becomes progressively worse at higher temperatures over longer periods of time.
* 30% to 50% of vitamins, minerals and amino acids are destroyed. The degree of depletion, destruction, and alteration is simply a matter of temperature, cooking method, and time.
* 100% of enzymes are damaged and the body is depleted of the energy it needs to maintain and repair tissue and organ systems, which will shorten our lives. Eating enzyme-dead food places a burden on the pancreas and other organs and overworks them, which eventually exhausts these organs and rendering them ineffective.
* After eating a cooked meal, there is a rush of white blood cells towards the digestive tract, leaving the rest of the body less protected by the immune system. The immune system “thinks” the body is being invaded by a foreign (toxic) substance when cooked food is eaten.
* Much needed natural fibers break down and the body needs 20-30 grams of fiber daily to have the ability to remove the toxins that accumulate at a rapid rate.
* There is malnutrition at the cellular level. Cooked foods are lower in nutrients and they contain wastes and toxins. For this reason the individual cells don't receive enough of the nutrients they need to combat the daily onslaught of excess free radicals that build up within the cells. Eventually many of the cells in our body become overworked and unable to handle the continuous attacks. The result is serious disease and illness. A prime example is cancer, which kills an estimated 30% of Americans.
Gee, we thought we were eating a healthy home cooked meal! Now because of all the changes that took place in the food when it was cooked, we have actually caused premature aging in our bodies. We may have even contributed to the attack of a serious illness.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
An Indispensable Cooking Tool
So, You love candy and you love chocolate. You are also open minded to trying your hand at a few different recipes, and you consider yourself ready to make a batch of chocolate candy for your family and friends. In order to recreate the chocolates you might learn about at your local speciality shop or bakery, you will need to buy some chocolate candy molds. Here are some of the ideal brands to use, in addition to the most affordable places to shop.
Getting Started
First, you will want to select the shape of the molds you wish to use. Depending on the season, you can find chocolate candy molds shaped similar to Christmas trees, ornaments, or even Thanksgiving turkeys. Easter chocolate candies are also popular, so you could create a few treats for your Easter dinner or for an Easter egg hunt.
The molds can be found on various online destinations or you can take a look at the candy molds that auction sites have to offer. You will be able to get molds as well as other candy making equipment on the sites that will save you money.
You can select from 3-D molds that will give your candy an well-rounded design, or you can select molds that are shaped much like muffin pans--the design you have chosen will form on one side of the candy.
Once you create your chocolate candy, you will need to pour the mixture into the molds and give it the chance to set. You can do this by putting the molds in the refrigerator (depending on the ingredients you used), or by leaving your candies in a cool dry place.
Final Preparation
Once your candies have taken the shape of the mold, you can wrap them in decorative paper and make them part of a holiday gift basket, or you can use them as garnish when you are serving your favorite desserts. A homemade chocolate candy makes a great accessory to a simple dessert of vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit, and goes very well with fruit sorbets as well.
There are various places online that you can go to that provide chocolate candy molds so that you can begin creating your own treats. There are sites such as Foodtv, where you will find excellent recipe ideas, as well as links to company sites that sell the chocolate candy molds you want.
Sites that have name brand molds such a Marthastewart to find excellent deals on candy molds, and to get ideas for different methods to enhance your candies and store them for further gatherings. Being an expert candy maker is easier than you think--you might even come up with a tasty batch of chocolates on your first try. Good luck!
Getting Started
First, you will want to select the shape of the molds you wish to use. Depending on the season, you can find chocolate candy molds shaped similar to Christmas trees, ornaments, or even Thanksgiving turkeys. Easter chocolate candies are also popular, so you could create a few treats for your Easter dinner or for an Easter egg hunt.
The molds can be found on various online destinations or you can take a look at the candy molds that auction sites have to offer. You will be able to get molds as well as other candy making equipment on the sites that will save you money.
You can select from 3-D molds that will give your candy an well-rounded design, or you can select molds that are shaped much like muffin pans--the design you have chosen will form on one side of the candy.
Once you create your chocolate candy, you will need to pour the mixture into the molds and give it the chance to set. You can do this by putting the molds in the refrigerator (depending on the ingredients you used), or by leaving your candies in a cool dry place.
Final Preparation
Once your candies have taken the shape of the mold, you can wrap them in decorative paper and make them part of a holiday gift basket, or you can use them as garnish when you are serving your favorite desserts. A homemade chocolate candy makes a great accessory to a simple dessert of vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit, and goes very well with fruit sorbets as well.
There are various places online that you can go to that provide chocolate candy molds so that you can begin creating your own treats. There are sites such as Foodtv, where you will find excellent recipe ideas, as well as links to company sites that sell the chocolate candy molds you want.
Sites that have name brand molds such a Marthastewart to find excellent deals on candy molds, and to get ideas for different methods to enhance your candies and store them for further gatherings. Being an expert candy maker is easier than you think--you might even come up with a tasty batch of chocolates on your first try. Good luck!
Place the chopped fish in a small sauce pan. Cover the fish with tap water, the cup of white wine and the 1/2 cup wine vinegar. Boil gently just until the fish is opaque (just barely cooked through and juicy).
Drain and place in a bowl with the diced vegetables, eggs, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce and seasonings, mashing the mixture together like a meatloaf or meatball mixture. Add the milk to the bread crumbs to moisten and incorporate into the fish mixture. Form this mixture into 8 "patties", in a similar manor as making a hamburger patty. Chill until ready to cook.
For the sweet & spicy aioli sauce: place the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and heat over high heat, just to melt the sugar. Pull off the heat and reserve. Place the garlic cloves, eggs, salt and chili sauce in a food processor and turn on the power.
Very slowly incorporate the oil, the sauce should take on a thick mayonnaise consistency once you have added all the oil. Now with the machine still running, add the vinegar mixture, then stop the machine. You have created an emulsion, and the key to a successful emulsion is in the slow addition of the oil, so the sauce doesn't separate. If it is too thick at this point you may incorporate a little water to thin it out. Check the seasoning, it should have a good balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavors to really make your taste buds salivate.
Heat some vegetable oil, enough to cover the bottom of a large sauté pan, until it is very hot, almost smoking. Dip the fish cakes in a flour and then cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat, until nice and golden brown. Flip the fish cakes over and cook the other side until nicely golden browned also.
To serve, place the mixed baby greens on serving plates topped with a small amount of vinaigrette. Place the warm fish cakes on top, topping them off with aioli sauce. Enjoy!
Drain and place in a bowl with the diced vegetables, eggs, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce and seasonings, mashing the mixture together like a meatloaf or meatball mixture. Add the milk to the bread crumbs to moisten and incorporate into the fish mixture. Form this mixture into 8 "patties", in a similar manor as making a hamburger patty. Chill until ready to cook.
For the sweet & spicy aioli sauce: place the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and heat over high heat, just to melt the sugar. Pull off the heat and reserve. Place the garlic cloves, eggs, salt and chili sauce in a food processor and turn on the power.
Very slowly incorporate the oil, the sauce should take on a thick mayonnaise consistency once you have added all the oil. Now with the machine still running, add the vinegar mixture, then stop the machine. You have created an emulsion, and the key to a successful emulsion is in the slow addition of the oil, so the sauce doesn't separate. If it is too thick at this point you may incorporate a little water to thin it out. Check the seasoning, it should have a good balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavors to really make your taste buds salivate.
Heat some vegetable oil, enough to cover the bottom of a large sauté pan, until it is very hot, almost smoking. Dip the fish cakes in a flour and then cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat, until nice and golden brown. Flip the fish cakes over and cook the other side until nicely golden browned also.
To serve, place the mixed baby greens on serving plates topped with a small amount of vinaigrette. Place the warm fish cakes on top, topping them off with aioli sauce. Enjoy!
Cooking Western Massachusetts Style
Place the chopped fish in a small sauce pan. Cover the fish with tap water, the cup of white wine and the 1/2 cup wine vinegar. Boil gently just until the fish is opaque (just barely cooked through and juicy).
Drain and place in a bowl with the diced vegetables, eggs, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce and seasonings, mashing the mixture together like a meatloaf or meatball mixture. Add the milk to the bread crumbs to moisten and incorporate into the fish mixture. Form this mixture into 8 "patties", in a similar manor as making a hamburger patty. Chill until ready to cook.
For the sweet & spicy aioli sauce: place the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and heat over high heat, just to melt the sugar. Pull off the heat and reserve. Place the garlic cloves, eggs, salt and chili sauce in a food processor and turn on the power.
Very slowly incorporate the oil, the sauce should take on a thick mayonnaise consistency once you have added all the oil. Now with the machine still running, add the vinegar mixture, then stop the machine. You have created an emulsion, and the key to a successful emulsion is in the slow addition of the oil, so the sauce doesn't separate. If it is too thick at this point you may incorporate a little water to thin it out. Check the seasoning, it should have a good balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavors to really make your taste buds salivate.
Heat some vegetable oil, enough to cover the bottom of a large sauté pan, until it is very hot, almost smoking. Dip the fish cakes in a flour and then cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat, until nice and golden brown. Flip the fish cakes over and cook the other side until nicely golden browned also.
To serve, place the mixed baby greens on serving plates topped with a small amount of vinaigrette. Place the warm fish cakes on top, topping them off with aioli sauce. Enjoy!
Courtesy Chef Chris Albano
Drain and place in a bowl with the diced vegetables, eggs, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce and seasonings, mashing the mixture together like a meatloaf or meatball mixture. Add the milk to the bread crumbs to moisten and incorporate into the fish mixture. Form this mixture into 8 "patties", in a similar manor as making a hamburger patty. Chill until ready to cook.
For the sweet & spicy aioli sauce: place the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and heat over high heat, just to melt the sugar. Pull off the heat and reserve. Place the garlic cloves, eggs, salt and chili sauce in a food processor and turn on the power.
Very slowly incorporate the oil, the sauce should take on a thick mayonnaise consistency once you have added all the oil. Now with the machine still running, add the vinegar mixture, then stop the machine. You have created an emulsion, and the key to a successful emulsion is in the slow addition of the oil, so the sauce doesn't separate. If it is too thick at this point you may incorporate a little water to thin it out. Check the seasoning, it should have a good balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavors to really make your taste buds salivate.
Heat some vegetable oil, enough to cover the bottom of a large sauté pan, until it is very hot, almost smoking. Dip the fish cakes in a flour and then cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat, until nice and golden brown. Flip the fish cakes over and cook the other side until nicely golden browned also.
To serve, place the mixed baby greens on serving plates topped with a small amount of vinaigrette. Place the warm fish cakes on top, topping them off with aioli sauce. Enjoy!
Courtesy Chef Chris Albano
Cooking- Cooking With Kids
Kids love to be creative. Cooking is a great outlet for kids to express their creativity. It can also help provide a wonderful way to build and develop self-esteem.
One-on-one Time
With our lives so busy, cooking provides a wonderful way to spend quality one-on-one time. The memories that are created while cooking together will last a lifetime. I am sure many of you have fond memories of learning and helping your parents or grandparents cook. It may take extra patience and time to prepare the meal, but the benefits far outweigh the time it takes to clean up.
Age Appropriate
Depending on age of your child, pick age appropriate tasks. For example, if your kids are too young to measure or assemble ingredients, let them have a quick stir or let them pour something into the bowl. They will be thrilled to just be able to help.
Older kids can help with things like measuring, stirring, assembling and helping follow the recipe. Teenagers can also help by preparing, shopping and cooking the meals with minimal guidance.
Benefits
So what are some of the benefits? Some you will see immediately and others may take a life time to notice. Either way, there are many great benefits.
Not only does it teach kids a lifelong skill, but it also helps instill healthy eating habits. Kids that learn to cook and eat healthy will be more likely to continue with good eating habits into adulthood. Encouraging kids to cook and eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables in the home can also help reduce the amount of junk food they are consuming.
It also can reduce the number of times a family runs through the drive though or picks up take out, thus helping the family save money and reduce caloric intake while developing healthier eating habits.
Family Time
Another added benefit is that it provides children with structured family time. Children love stability and cooking and eating together is a chance to provide family togetherness. It also helps kids feel like they are contributing to the family. Plus when they help prepare the meal, they are more likely to feel a sense of accomplishment and actually want to eat the meal. Picky eaters will even venture out to try food they helped prepare, more so than they would if you simply put a plate of food in front of them. Now what parent does not wish that mealtimes would go a little smoother?
Great family recipes and secrets are learned and passed down the line. Many of our favorite recipes get passed down the line from past generations. If your family has a great cooking history, pass it along to your kids. In turn, they will share it with their future families.
Have fun sharing and creating memories with your kids.
One-on-one Time
With our lives so busy, cooking provides a wonderful way to spend quality one-on-one time. The memories that are created while cooking together will last a lifetime. I am sure many of you have fond memories of learning and helping your parents or grandparents cook. It may take extra patience and time to prepare the meal, but the benefits far outweigh the time it takes to clean up.
Age Appropriate
Depending on age of your child, pick age appropriate tasks. For example, if your kids are too young to measure or assemble ingredients, let them have a quick stir or let them pour something into the bowl. They will be thrilled to just be able to help.
Older kids can help with things like measuring, stirring, assembling and helping follow the recipe. Teenagers can also help by preparing, shopping and cooking the meals with minimal guidance.
Benefits
So what are some of the benefits? Some you will see immediately and others may take a life time to notice. Either way, there are many great benefits.
Not only does it teach kids a lifelong skill, but it also helps instill healthy eating habits. Kids that learn to cook and eat healthy will be more likely to continue with good eating habits into adulthood. Encouraging kids to cook and eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables in the home can also help reduce the amount of junk food they are consuming.
It also can reduce the number of times a family runs through the drive though or picks up take out, thus helping the family save money and reduce caloric intake while developing healthier eating habits.
Family Time
Another added benefit is that it provides children with structured family time. Children love stability and cooking and eating together is a chance to provide family togetherness. It also helps kids feel like they are contributing to the family. Plus when they help prepare the meal, they are more likely to feel a sense of accomplishment and actually want to eat the meal. Picky eaters will even venture out to try food they helped prepare, more so than they would if you simply put a plate of food in front of them. Now what parent does not wish that mealtimes would go a little smoother?
Great family recipes and secrets are learned and passed down the line. Many of our favorite recipes get passed down the line from past generations. If your family has a great cooking history, pass it along to your kids. In turn, they will share it with their future families.
Have fun sharing and creating memories with your kids.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Make Cooking
Still feel good? Well, I’ll make you healthy day today. What about your dishes today. Want to make house come different? It’s all up to you as long as it’s a healthy dish. Today we will learn….
Modern cooking - Although classical cookery must constitute the basis of all innovations, the trend today is towards safe and efficient storage, simplification of food preparation methods and service, and improved nutrition. The classical art of cooking and modern cooking are dependent upon one another. Only those innovations and classical dishes which conform to basic nutritional principles in terms of ingredients, methods of preparation, and all other culinary rules can be considered modern.
The increasing interest in nutrition and in the nutritive value of foods has greatly influenced food choices. These choices are based on foods that are rich in nutrients, low in calories, and free of synthetic additives. In an effort to reduce fat consumption, whole milk and cream are being replaced by low-fat milk and yoghurt; herbs are replacing butter as seasoning for vegetables; more fish and fresh vegetables are being consumed; and fresh fruits are substituted for desserts that are high in calories. The use of basic methods of preparation, such as blanching, poaching, steaming, and grilling, that will conserve nutrients is equally as important as providing variety. Synthesizing classical cookery with these principal that lead to the health and well-being of the individual is basic to modern cooking.
Dietary Cooking - A specific diet is based on the modifications of the nutritional components of the normal diet. Included in these changes are modifications in the number of calories; modifications in one or more of the nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals); and modifications in texture and seasoning (liquid, bland, or low residue). Although most of the normal foods are used, they must be tailored to meet the needs of the individual and be prepared so that none of the nutritional content is lost or damaged.
Modern cooking - Although classical cookery must constitute the basis of all innovations, the trend today is towards safe and efficient storage, simplification of food preparation methods and service, and improved nutrition. The classical art of cooking and modern cooking are dependent upon one another. Only those innovations and classical dishes which conform to basic nutritional principles in terms of ingredients, methods of preparation, and all other culinary rules can be considered modern.
The increasing interest in nutrition and in the nutritive value of foods has greatly influenced food choices. These choices are based on foods that are rich in nutrients, low in calories, and free of synthetic additives. In an effort to reduce fat consumption, whole milk and cream are being replaced by low-fat milk and yoghurt; herbs are replacing butter as seasoning for vegetables; more fish and fresh vegetables are being consumed; and fresh fruits are substituted for desserts that are high in calories. The use of basic methods of preparation, such as blanching, poaching, steaming, and grilling, that will conserve nutrients is equally as important as providing variety. Synthesizing classical cookery with these principal that lead to the health and well-being of the individual is basic to modern cooking.
Dietary Cooking - A specific diet is based on the modifications of the nutritional components of the normal diet. Included in these changes are modifications in the number of calories; modifications in one or more of the nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals); and modifications in texture and seasoning (liquid, bland, or low residue). Although most of the normal foods are used, they must be tailored to meet the needs of the individual and be prepared so that none of the nutritional content is lost or damaged.
The Secrets To Successful Cooking
Cooking is the process of using heat to prepare foods for consumption. Many common cooking methods involve the use of oil. Frying is cooking in hot oil, sautéing is cooking in a small amount of oil, stir-frying is a Chinese technique of frying quickly in small amounts of oil in a wok, deep frying is completely submerging the food in large amounts of fat, etc.
As people have become more health conscious, preparing foods in oil has become less desirable. With the advent of nonstick cookware, sautéing can be done at lower heats using vegetable broth and fruit juices instead of oil. Stewing refers to cooking slowly in a small amount of liquid in a closed container. Slow stewing tenderizes tough cuts of meat and allows flavors to mingle.
Another slow-cooking method is braising, in which meat is first browned, then cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan. Poaching is cooking food in liquid below the boiling point, while steaming is cooking food that has been placed above boiling water. Roasting means baking in hot dry air, generally in an oven. Baking refers to cooking in an oven and differs from roasting mainly in its reference to the type of food cooked-for example, one bakes a cake, but roasts a chicken. Another form called broiling means to cook by direct exposure to heat, while barbecue refers to cooking marinated food by grilling.
Dining with others is one of the most common and frequent social activities. It can involve a family dinner, a meal with friends, or form part of a ceremony or celebration, such as a wedding or holiday. More and more people study cooking in schools, watch how-to programs on television, and read specialty magazines and cookbooks. In fact, cookbooks as a group outsell any other kind of book except for religious works.
Cooking is the act of preparing food for consumption. It encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor and digestibility of food. It generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools and the skill of the person cooking.
The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it. Cooking frequently, though not always, involves applying heat in order to chemically transform a food, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, or nutritional properties. There is archaeological evidence of cooked foodstuffs (both animal and vegetable) in human settlements dating from the earliest known use of fire.
While cooking if heating is used, this can disinfect and soften the food depending on temperature, cooking time, and technique used. 4 to 60°C (41 to 140°F) is the "danger zone" in which many food spoilage bacteria thrive, and which must be avoided for safe handling of meat, poultry and dairy products. Refrigeration and freezing do not kill bacteria, but slow their growth.
As people have become more health conscious, preparing foods in oil has become less desirable. With the advent of nonstick cookware, sautéing can be done at lower heats using vegetable broth and fruit juices instead of oil. Stewing refers to cooking slowly in a small amount of liquid in a closed container. Slow stewing tenderizes tough cuts of meat and allows flavors to mingle.
Another slow-cooking method is braising, in which meat is first browned, then cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan. Poaching is cooking food in liquid below the boiling point, while steaming is cooking food that has been placed above boiling water. Roasting means baking in hot dry air, generally in an oven. Baking refers to cooking in an oven and differs from roasting mainly in its reference to the type of food cooked-for example, one bakes a cake, but roasts a chicken. Another form called broiling means to cook by direct exposure to heat, while barbecue refers to cooking marinated food by grilling.
Dining with others is one of the most common and frequent social activities. It can involve a family dinner, a meal with friends, or form part of a ceremony or celebration, such as a wedding or holiday. More and more people study cooking in schools, watch how-to programs on television, and read specialty magazines and cookbooks. In fact, cookbooks as a group outsell any other kind of book except for religious works.
Cooking is the act of preparing food for consumption. It encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor and digestibility of food. It generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools and the skill of the person cooking.
The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it. Cooking frequently, though not always, involves applying heat in order to chemically transform a food, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, or nutritional properties. There is archaeological evidence of cooked foodstuffs (both animal and vegetable) in human settlements dating from the earliest known use of fire.
While cooking if heating is used, this can disinfect and soften the food depending on temperature, cooking time, and technique used. 4 to 60°C (41 to 140°F) is the "danger zone" in which many food spoilage bacteria thrive, and which must be avoided for safe handling of meat, poultry and dairy products. Refrigeration and freezing do not kill bacteria, but slow their growth.
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