Archive for the ‘Food & Beverage’ Category

Easy Great Tasting Healthy Meals For Your Family Are Just A Crock Pot Away

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

They might look the same as they always have, but crock pots have really changed.

There is nothing to compare with the satisfaction and comfort of a home cooked meal. How can you provide a full meal for your hungry family every day? It's really hard to do.

With the changing schedules a modern household has to endure, it hard to shop for food let alone make meals everyday, especially dinners. The old reliable crock pot or slow cooker has saved many a night with an easy meal. Though they have been around for decades, they have undergone updates and still save you money and time.

Today's health findings have shown that food should be cooked faster than it used to be in older crock pots. You don't want to have food cooking for 6 to 8 hours at low temperatures anymore. Vegetables and meats keep their flavor better if cooked faster at a higher temperature.

Most crock pots come with programmable timers making sure that the roasts, stews or BBQ's they are preparing are kept at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. These timers can be set to allow for different cooking times depending on the food being cooked. This really adds to their convenience.

There are many new models on the market and you can still find your mother's old reliable Rival crock pot, too. Programmable crock pots are available in different cooking capacities from mini crock pots to full fledged roasters, big enough for turkeys and very large roasts.

Here are some ways of using a crock pot to save time and money:

- Crock pots save energy using less electricity than ovens and no gas at all unlike ranges.

- They shed no heat so your kitchen does not heat up during hot days.

- You save valuable time and energy not having to cook before dinner.

- You save money because cheaper meat cuts are tenderized by the slow cooking.

- Flavors are enhanced because food cooks slowly in its own juices.

- Water is saved because steam is generated during crock pot cooking.

- Prep work is reduced by cutting vegetables, adding liquid meat and spices, turning on the unit and walking away.

- After cooking for hours, your food will still be moist and flavorful.

- After the meal is finished, there is only one pot to clean.

- You can feed a big family or a large party with one crock pot.

Programmable crock pots are the easy alternative to making simple meals for the entire family everyday or your next dinner party. It's flexibility allows you to make easy work of dinners and lunches with lots of time left over for other things. Saving money and time is what makes these versatile cookers still popular after years in the kitchen. You can make anything you want.

Go for it. The crock pot has come a long way.

When you searchall over the Net for the latest and greatest in a programmable crock pot or a slow cooker , be sure to understandwhat to look for before buying. You will be able to feed your family wonderful and save money at the same time. There are many places you can find what you are searching for but be sure to read reviews and check out the best of the best at my website: http://www.programmablecrockpot.org

If You Love Spaghetti Carbonara Then You Will Enjoy This !

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Spaghetti, Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish based upon eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale, and black pepper. The dish was established in the middle of the 20th century.

The dishes vary, nevertheless all agree that cheese (Parmesan, pecorino, or a mixture), egg yolks (or whole eggs), cured fatty pork, and black pepper are fundamental. The pork is fried in fat (olive oil or lard); a mixture of eggs, cheese, and butter or olive oil is combined with the hot pasta, cooking the eggs; the pork is then added to the pasta. Guanciale is the most traditional meat, but pancetta is usually used. In the US, it is typcially made with American bacon.

Cream is not commonplace in Italian recipes, but is used in the United States, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia and Russia (especially in Moscow). Other Anglo/Franco variations on carbonara would include peas, broccoli or other vegetables added for colour Another American version includes mushrooms. A lot of these preparations have more sauce than the Italian versions.

In all versions of the recipe, the eggs are added to the sauce raw, and cook (coagulate) with the heat of the pasta itself.

Try this spicey version !

This spicy interpretation of spaghetti carbonara is made with common ingredients including bacon, garlic, black pepper, red pepper, parmesan cheese, olive oil, cream, and eggs.

Serves 8

Ingredients for Spicy Spaghetti Carbonara:

1 pound bacon (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)

2 pounds spaghetti or other pasta

2 pasteurized eggs (equivalent of 2 eggs, pasteurized)

1/8 pound grated parmesan cheese

16 ounces whipping cream (1 pint)

3 tbsp butter or olive oil (or mixture of two)

2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 clove Garlic (minced)

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (or more to taste)

1 tbsp Black Pepper (or more to taste)

Instructions

Bring a big pot of water to a boil whilst cooking the bacon.

Cook the bacon until it starts to become crisp and the vast majority of fat has cooked out. Drain the fat. Add the butter or olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. Keep cooking for 3 to 5 more minutes.

Add the pasta to the water and cook as instructed. At the same time, add the cream and vinegar to the bacon, stir and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens (it should be the right consistency at about the same time that the pasta is done). While the sauce is thickening (and the pasta cooking) thoroughly blend the eggs with the red pepper and grated cheese.

When the pasta is done, drain, and place in a serving bowl. Add the egg and cheese mixture and toss. While tossing, add the bacon and cream sauce. It is lovely. Hope you enjoy !

If you seriously enjoy Spaghetti Carbonara visit http://spaghetticarbonara.net/ At this website there are lots more recipes.

Just How Come Texas Style Barbecue Is So Exceptional

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

In fact, each time I put a juicy slice of Texas style barbecue into my mouth, the juicy and flavorful piece of meat convinces me that the Texans where the only ones to perfect the barbecue art. Nonetheless, it isn't just all the taste factor, all the Texas barbecue appreciate equal acceptance as health food.

Like everybody else, should you are wondering what exactly makes the Texas barbecues so special, I will tell you that it is almost everything. If you go to make a list, the whole lot will feature in it - right from seasoning to cooking and smoking to presentation. Above all, you'll demand patience! If you falter right now there, you'll spoil the barbecue.

Texas type barbecue is not cooked within the standard grilling procedure. The secret to grilling melting soft and succulent Texan barbecues, is to prepare them slowly over low temperature and indirect heat. The lower all the temperature (say, among 200 to 250 degree F) from the pit or grill, the lesser will be the moisture-loss and so all the piece of meat will not get dry. In fact, it's this prolonged process of cooking (around 6 to 7 hours) which renders even unusual and more hard cuts like a brisket, shoulder or ribs utterly tasty.

Contributing to this lusciousness, this deliciousness from the Texan style barbecues is the frequent use of mop sauce. Following the meat has been smoke treated, say for all the initial Two to 3 hours, it is basted having a mop sauce containing bacon, beef broth, lemon, pepper, onions, etc. and turned every 30 minutes for another 3 to 4 hours.

Smoke from all the hardwoods like mesquite, pecan, hickory and fruit woods give the Texan barbecues a typical sweet flavor. Used with charcoal, they increase all the food value of Texan barbecues. The much talked-about reddish colored smoke-ring that forms around the internal edge of the meat as a result of a chemical reaction between smoke and air (nitrogen) is an additional specialty of Texan style barbecues; it is generally considered that the bigger the ring, all the greater is its penetrating power and consequently stronger favorable effects on health.

This speaks for the taste and wellness advantages from the Texan type barbecue, but exactly what about its looks! Nicely, you can easily give an appetizing look to your Texas type barbecue by slicing each piece across the grain from the meat. Now, whenever you offer all the Texas barbecues, your guests will be eager to enjoy the well-cooked aroma from the steaming barbecues cuts and will gather around the dining table to bite into the savory, succulent Texas BBQ.

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