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Andalucian cuisine - a guide
Undoubtedly one of Spain's most culinary rich regions, Andalusia is an area famed for its cuisine and its culture of food. Much like the rest of Spain, food is an important part of social life; here the meal is about a lot more than simply eating....
Asparagus Crepes
Crepes are a wonderfully versatile food that can be enjoyed for
breakfast, dinner and even appetizer. Here is an asparagus
crepes recipe that can be served as either an appetizer or
coupled with soup for a light lunch.
Asparagus Crepes
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Choosing mail order gourmet meat cuts
Buying meat is one of the finest delicacies left in gourmet
food. There are so many cuts, tastes, and styles of preparation,
filets, and seasoning to delight and tingle all senses. Saving
money on gourmet meat can be easy, just follow the few...
Cooking Aprons: An Overview -
We all take notice of the chefs in our favorite restaurant, at one point or another. We recognize them by their signature hats and chef aprons. Chefs have used cooking aprons for a countless number of years. Not only is it the attire-of-choice at...
Cooking Roast Prime Rib on the Grill
Love the taste of prime rib? Love the taste of barbecue? You can combine them together for cooking roast prime rib on the grill. It takes a bit longer than hamburgers, but cooking roast prime rib on the grill gives you a fabulous roast that everyone...
Fondue 101 - How To Make Cheese Fondue
The word fondue comes from the French word fondre and it means to melt or to blend. They should have named it after the French word for outstandingly delicious but even that would be limiting. There are so many varieties and types of fondues out...
Grilling Hamburgers and Sittin' on an Old Ice Cream Freezer
Copyright 2005 - Great-Salsa.com
Hamburgers, one of my earliest backyard grilling memories. Our
Family would get together, usually on the weekends, and have a
hamburger and ice cream supper as we say here in Texas. I can
fondly remember...
Is your "Italian" olive oil really Italian?
There is a small scandal on the Italian olive oil scene these days.
Through a quirk in the way Europe's olive oil labeling laws are written, the "Product of" label signifies the location of the bottler -- not the source of the olives themselves....
Use H-O-L-L-Y to Beat Christmas Cooking Stress
What does holly, that untidy traditional greenery you just have to festoon your house with every year, have to do with not tearing your hair out before it's even Thanksgiving? Plenty. You can use H-O-L-L-Y to help you get organized.
1. H:...
Varieties of Gourmet Olives
The history of olives and olive oil can be traced back to at the
least biblical times. When the waters of the great flood
subsided and Noah sent forth a dove it was an olive leaf she
returned carrying in her mouth. It is known that as long as...
Vegetarian Cuisine
Rabbit food. That's what my dad calls vegetarian cooking and cuisine. Salads and vegetables - can't be anything more to it, can there? Oh, but there is. Vegetarian cooking is at least as varied as 'regular' cooking - and in some cases, far more...
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Using Safe Food Handling Practices
Did you know that the turkey you thawed on the kitchen counter,
instead of in the fridge, could now contain bacteria levels high
enough to harm human life, even though you can't see, smell, or
taste it?
There's nothing better than a home cooked meal during the
holidays. But, with all the special effort that goes into making
one, everything will be for naught if the food has not been
stored, prepared, or cooked properly.
Food experts agree that the safe handling of food should be the
top ingredient in any recipe.
While they may not turn you into a gourmet chef, following these
simple food-handling tips will keep your family and guests safe
from unpleasant, and sometimes life-threatening, food-born
illnesses.
When buying raw meat, keep juices, which may contain bacteria,
from contaminating your hands or anything in your grocery cart.
Plastic bags work great for this purpose.
Meat should also be picked up at the end of your grocery
shopping and should not be placed in the same bag as fruits and
vegetable.
If you plan on storing your meat for 2 to 3 months in the
freezer, make sure you buy some freezer proof wrap. The wrap
that the store uses is designed to allow air into the meat
product and is, therefore, not good for freezing. This is
because beef products turn from a purple color to a bright red
when exposed to air, making them look fresh, but if left too
long will promote bacteria growth.
Defrosting should be done in the refrigerator or in a sink full
of water, changing the water about every 45 minutes. A
refrigerator allows the meat to defrost in a controlled
atmosphere, slowing down the growth of bacteria. Never defrost
your meat on top of the counter at room temperature. This can
quickly become a bacteria breeding ground. The growth rate of
bacteria multiplies rapidly between 40F (4C) and 140F (60C).
Once meat has been thawed it must be either cooked immediately
or placed in the refrigerator and then cooked within 24 hours.
Never refreeze meat. Most meats and poultries only have
a safe
fridge life of 2 days, whether stored after thawing or purchased
fresh.
When handling raw meat, wash your hands before and after. Also,
wash counters or plates you plan to reuse in the preparation
process if they have had raw meat on them, as they will also
contain harmful levels of bacteria.
As humans, we also carry harmful organisms on our skin which,
when spread to food, produce a toxin that normal cooking cannot
destroy. Therefore, it is essential to wash our hands thoroughly
with soap and water prior to handling food, as well as cover
open cuts.
While beefsteak can be cooked to varying degrees of redness,
turkey must be completely cooked. At the innermost part of the
thigh, the temperature must reach 180F (82C) for a stuffed
turkey and 170F (77C) unstuffed. Stuffing in the cavity should
read 165F (74C). Cooking times vary with the weight of the bird.
It is important not to keep the thermometer inside the oven with
the bird as it could be affected by the oven's hot air and
provide a false reading.
Plan your cooking ahead of time. Do not partially cook the bird,
refrigerate, and then complete the cooking process, as this will
produce dangerously high levels of bacteria.
Cooked food must be refrigerated within 2 hours, which means
that you need to plan your meal so that it can be eaten shortly
after being cooked.
Refrigerated leftovers should be eaten within a couple of days,
which includes turkey gravy, fish, and eggs. Meat casseroles and
pies, rice, potatoes, and cooked noodles will last 2 to 3 days,
while cooked meat, chicken, turkey, turkey stuffing, and many
soups may last up to 4 days before bacteria levels reach
critical points.
Using safe food-handling practices allows for healthy eating.
The rest is a matter of taste.
About the author:
For free cooking recipes please visit www.dailyrecipes.net
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