Spice up your Life with variety of food

People are creatures of habit and largely base choices on that which is familiar. Although some habits are good, cooking the same types of food over and over zaps creativity and breeds indifference in the kitchen. Food is not only necessary for survival, it is also a main source of enjoyment. Making the most of our meals increases pleasure and happiness. If your dinner hour is hum-drum bring something less predictable home from the market. One thing certain to add variety to your meals is broadening your selection of mushrooms. Mushrooms add flavor, texture and nutrition to appetizers, soups, salads and entrées. The possibilities are endless, and the results are fabulous.

Mushrooms are high in fiber and protein, and provide vitamins such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), biotin (B7), cobalamins (B12) and ascorbic acid (C), as well as minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus. Maitake, shiitake, and reishi are being researched for the possibility of use for anti-cancer, anti-viral, and/or immunity-enhancement properties.

If you are new to the world of mushrooms, you should know that mushrooms are best when used within a few days of purchase. Like other vegetables, it is best to wait until you are ready to use them before rinsing your mushrooms. Remove mushrooms plastic from their container and store in a paper bag, because if they are stored in an air-tight container the moisture trapped inside will cause early spoiling. It is not recommended to freeze fresh mushrooms, but if they are first sautéed, cooled and stored in an airtight container they may be frozen for up to a month. Care should be taken to cleaning your mushrooms, especially morels.

Shiitake, portabella and morels are great mushrooms to experiment with because they are becoming increasingly more available in local markets. Shiitakes are often dried and sold in packages. These must be re-hydrated by soaking in water about 15 minutes before using. The button of the Shiitake mushroom has a smooth and spongy texture. They are a great addition to any dish. Portabella mushrooms are sold both with the stem or just as caps. They are light tan, rounded, with black, visible gills on the underside. As they age and darken the flavor is richer. They are especially great sautéed in butter and wine, or you can grill or roast them. Portabellas not only enhance the beauty of your dinner, but also add a hearty flavor. Morels have short, thick stems with pointed caps and have a lot of texture. Morels may be tan, yellow or black in color and have a nutty flavor. The darker this mushroom, the more intense the flavor. As you gain experience using these mushrooms, you can venture out or order different varieties rather than hunt for them yourself.

Cooking mushrooms is easy and there are several ways to prepare them. Mushrooms taste great when seasoned! Use salt, pepper, garlic, or any other spice or herb that complements your meal. Sautéing is probably the most common cooking method. Place 8 ounces of mushrooms in a frying pan with a tablespoon or two of butter. Cook on medium high heat for a few minutes until soft. Don’t put too many mushrooms in a pan because the heat won’t be high enough to brown them. Equally tasty is grilling, roasting, or broiling mushrooms. Coating the mushrooms lightly with olive oil will keep them from drying out. When roasting mushrooms heat in a 450 F oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. To grill or broil, place your pan about 4 to 6 inches from the heat source and cook about 5 minutes. Oil may be added when turning them to ensure even cooking.

It does not take a lot of effort to make your meal more exciting, and adding variety with mushrooms will spice it up. Changing an everyday item for one that is extraordinary will please every pallet and make you look like a gourmet chef

Are You Gourmet

What exactly does it mean to be a gourmet? Does watching public television cooking shows on Saturday morning while folding the laundry count? How about being fascinated with Julia Child and having all of her cookbooks on your Amazon wish list? Knowing what zest, garam marsala and charcuterie mean, does this qualify you as being a gourmet? Where did the term come from and what exactly does it mean?

A gourmet is someone with a discriminating palate who is savvy when it comes to fine food and drink. The word comes from the French word groumet which defines a person in charge of the wines at a meal. While this definition is a start, most people think they have a discriminating palate, but discriminating between a Big Mac and a Whopper probably doesn't count. What exactly are gourmets discriminating about? Who decides what is and isn't gourmet? From my research, I have come up with three things that qualify a person to call themselves a gourmet. While not an exhaustive list, qualifying in each of these three categories is a good indication that you can call yourself a gourmet.

If you still don't own a blender because you are saving up for a Waring or refuse to brown your bagels in anything other than a Dualit toaster, you are good in the first category of gourmet, knowing your equipment. Note that I don't say you need to own this equipment to be a gourmet, just know what it is and have a sincere desire to own it all someday, like when you win the lottery and can actually afford it. A few of the necessities in a gourmet kitchen include a Cuisinart food processor, Emilie Henry bakers, All-Clad pots and pans, Viking range, SubZero built in refrigerator, Kitchenaid mixer, Espressione espresso machine, Wusthof knives, and a Polder thermometer and timer. You will also need to include fine china, silver cutlery and beautiful table linens. Doing some calculations from the Williams Sonoma site (which should be one of your favorite places to shop), a fully equipped gourmet kitchen including service for 8 would come to over $25,000.00 This figure doesn't even start to cover the many food items you should have.

That brings us to our next category, food. Do you know terms such as foie gras, sevruga, gravlax, fleur de sel, truffles (not the chocolate kind) and herbes de provence? Have you ever eaten any of them? If you can answer yes to most of these, you are a definite gourmet. A good gourmet kitchen will be stocked with the finest wines, caviars, cheeses, produce, meats, breads and pastries. It will also have multitudes of herbs and spices as well as liqueurs and natural extracts. Hundreds of volumes of cookbooks are also a necessity and must include authors such as Jacques Pepin, Simone Beck, James Beard and of course, Julia.

The last area that defines a gourmet is drive. This means wanting to constantly learn more about fine foods and wines. Taking vacations to France and Italy are a start as well as visiting wineries, fish markets and farmers markets everywhere you go. Food should be an obsession, not just a past time. Magazines such as Saveur, Cuisine, Cook's Illustrated, Fine Cooking, Gourmet and Bon Appetit should dot the landscape of your home. You should also have a strong desire to take cooking classes and cooking vacations and your ultimate dream would be to one day attend "Le Cordon Bleu" cooking school in Paris. Yes, knowing French is a strong plus.

If you can say you qualify in even two of these categories, I would say you are a budding gourmet. Three would mean you are definitely a gourmet. Now that you have qualified yourself as such, don't hesitate to share it with others. Remember, however, that they may want you to actually cook something for them since they assume all gourmets can cook. This, however, was not one of the qualifying factors, so don't feel pressured if actually using your gourmet items scares you. Instead invite them to a gourmet restaurant and correct their pronunciations of items on the menu. Knowing the equipment, understanding the names and tastes of the foods and having the desire to cook someday is all you need to be a gourmet. Besides, who has time to cook when you are so busy learning to be a gourmet?

Healthy Eating tips for cooker

Being health conscious seems to be part of everyone’s lifestyle today. Here are a few helpful tips taken from the Good Cooking Central website that you can use as a guide for more tasteful and healthful eating:

• ALTERNATIVES TO COOKING WITH BUTTER:
When browning or sautéing onions, hamburger, etc., replace the butter by spraying your skillet with non-stick spray or use chicken or beef broth instead.
When baking, use reduced-calorie margarine instead of butter (but note that the texture may not always come out the same). Non-fat margarines currently on the market do not tend bake well.
Cutting butter in some of your recipes can cut a lot of the calories making it a diet-friendly option.

• CUTTING FAT WITH APPLESAUCE:
To reduce the fat content in your baking recipes, substitute applesauce for half of the amount of vegetable oil called for in the recipe. Using all applesauce produces a low-calorie, moist product.

• TO CUT CALORIES:
To cut calories when making stir-frys and stews that contain both vegetables and meat reduce the amount of meat by 1/3 and increase the amount of vegetables by 1/3.

• USE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
Eating healthy doesn’t have to taste bland or bad. Using the right equipment can make a world of difference in the healthy dishes you prepare. For example, using a simple grill pan provides you with a lot of flexibility in your meals. You can grill everything from fruits and vegetables to meats, while the fat just drips away.

• CUTTING FAT FROM A BROWNIE RECIPE
To cut fat from a brownie recipe, you may cut the butter back from 8 TBSP. to 3 TBSP. and add 5 TBSP. of fat-free sour cream to the batter to make up the difference.

• CUTTING OIL FROM A CAKE MIX RECIPE
When making up a cake from a cake mix, do not add the ½ cup of oil the recipe calls for. Instead add ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce to the batter for a moist healthier cake.

• USE EGG BEATERS
Substitute Egg Beaters for half of the eggs in mostly egg dishes (use 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters substitute per egg).

• IT’S O.K. TO USE LESS
Use less oil or butter for frying than the recipe calls for. Using about a tsp. of olive or canola oil can usually suffice. Using olive or canola oil instead of fat, butter or shortening for most recipes is a healthier choice.

• USE RUBS OR MARINADES - GRILL FOODS TO ADD FLAVOUR.
1. Rubs are dry spice blends and usually include both salt and sugar. They are rubbed directly on and into the meat before cooking. They add a mild flavour, but if you add the rub a day or so in advance the flavour of the spices will penetrate more into the meat.

2. Marinades are liquid and can be made from a variety of ingredients, but most importantly include something acidic (like lemon or lime juice, vinegar, yoghurt or fruit like papayas, pineapple or kiwis). This adds enzymes to the meat which tenderize it. Use caution in the amount of time you marinade meat to avoid the meat becoming “mushy”. A general rule is, for seafood as little as 15 minutes, 4-6 hours for thin cuts of meat and up to 12 hours for larger cuts.

3. Use a re-sealable plastic bag to marinate meats. Add the marinade and meat into the bag, seal, and shake or mush together to combine. Then let sit in the fridge for the required amount of time.

4. Never re-use marinades. If you wish to make a sauce or gravy from the marinade the meat has been in, boil the marinade for at least two minutes.

5. Brush the extra marinade onto the meat before grilling for extra flavour. Use it like a barbeque sauce, but be sure to let it cook through.
If you would like to read more cooking tips and hints, and get great recipes too, visit the Good Cooking Central website.

Art of Watermelon Carving

Fruit carving is one of the oldest traditions followed in the Oriental countries, China, Japan, Thailand and some Asian countries in particular. This artistic tradition generally centers on some festivities where the beautiful sculptures draw the attention of the people. In fact carving of fruits is an exquisite work of art. In China, watermelon carving is the most popular. Fruit carving can also be done on such fruits as carrots, papaya, pumpkins and other smaller fruits for carving individual items. But watermelon carvings appear to be highly attractive on account of its varied colors and size. The contrasting colors of melons lend a striking effect to the finished product, making them all the more appealing.

Prior to the execution of your carving skill, it is essential to make all the proper arrangements. A good carving knife with a single sharp pointed blade is a must- have in this case. Carving on a watermelon is done in a relief format; it can be just a simple cut out or carry an intricate engraving. This Chinese artistic sculpture is of ancient origin that has been passed down through the generations. In modern days, this wonderful tradition has found great recognition and popularity throughout the world. The varying tones and colors of watermelons (pink, white, green) work wonders to give a contrasting effect to the sculptures.

Watermelon sculptures can turn out to be the cynosure for any occasion or international event. This artwork can be exhibited at any cultural platform to showcase some wonderful talents. The carvings done on the watermelons are endless, ranging from teapots to flower vases, to little animals or even trophies. These amazing designs are carved out using carving tools and melon ballers. The carving tool is used to cut out intricate patterns while the melon baller scoops out larger sections. The melon baller is particularly helpful in carving out large unique shapes such as a fish, basket or fruit holder. The watermelon rind is very easy to cut into and amateurs can begin with cutting the rind to create large designs.

Watermelon carving can be a great fun with the kids too. In fact, being an excellent source of vitamins and a tasty fruit, kids can have a great time learning this art and absorbing the benefits of this fruit. This unique art sculpture should be encouraged among the children not only to propagate and keep alive the ancient tradition but also to give way to the creation of masterpieces of the future.

Suzanne Macguire