The Info Flipper

Cooking As A Culinary Art

Posted by admin on May 24th, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun

Culinary arts is the art of cooking. Cooking is a way to prepare food that will be eaten or served to other people.

The culinary arts is comprised of many categories - some of which are tools, methods, combination of spices and ingredients that adds flavour to the food. It normally needs the right measurements, proper selection and accurate combination of ingredients involved to reach desired result.

The diversity of the Culinary arts around the world mirrors many considerations such as:

- Economic
- Aesthetic
- Nutritional
- Religious
- Cultural

1. The Dawn Of Fire

The culinary arts, if not always, is associated with fire. The heat generated by fire is oftentimes required to be applied to be able to change the food’s texture, flavour, nutritional contents and even its appearance. Heating is important in the culinary arts because it disinfects the food and makes it softer. The food danger zone is between 4 to 60 degrees Celsius. Within these temperatures, the bacteria found in the found or even those that were transferred to the food can grow at a very alarming rate. Under ideal conditions bacteria can double their population every twenty minutes. Although at a glance, these foods may not appear harmful, when ingested they can be. Many people have the misconception that bacteria will die when we freeze our food or refrigerate them, but this actually does not rid the food of bacteria, merely it slows down their expansion.

2. Baking

Baking is probably the most famous department in the culinary arts. In the culinary arts, baking is the art of cooking food using an oven. The food is cooked through applying dry heat evenly through the oven and onto the food. It is used in producing pastry based goodies such as pies, tarts and cakes. The dry heat in the oven causes the starch to gelatinize and results to the browning or charring of the outside of the food. Some uneducated in the culinary arts might think that the charred part or the brown part is not as tasty as it sounds, but this part is actually what gives taste and flavour to the baked good, partly sealing the moisture of the food. The browning apparent in the baked good is caused by the sugar caramelizing and the chemical reaction that happens between the reduction of sugar and the amino acid (Maillard reaction). Moisture in the baked goody, on the other hand, is not really completely kept in, in time as the goody is being baked it will become drier and drier.

3. Boiling

Another category is boiling. Boiling is when there is a rapid vaporization of any liquid when the liquid is heated. In cooking, boiling is divided into many other categories. Blanching, a cooking term used to describe the submersion of food into boiling water and removing it after a certain period of time and then throwing it into cold water or letting water run over it causing the firming of food. Pressure cooking is when food is cooked inside an enclosed cooking tool that would limit the air that’s coming in or going out of that tool - this technique speeds up the pace of cooking. Stewing would probably be the most popular cooking technique in the culinary arts division. It is a method where meats are cut up into smaller pieces and along with some vegetables are simmered into a liquid. Simmering, then again is a cooking method where the liquid is barely kept away from its boiling point. Other boiling techniques are braising, codding, steaming, infusion, poaching, double steaming, steeping and vacuum flask cooking.

4. Other

To most Americans, microwaving and grilling are the most common forms of cooking. Microwaving is the easiest and simplest form of cooking; it is a technique used mostly to reheat sumptuous meals ready to be consumed. And for grilling, most Americans have a grill station in their backyard. Grilling is a roasting method that is cooking directly under a source of heat. Other roasting methods are Barbecuing, Searing and Rotisserie. A less common method is smoking meat, or even salting it.

For more great culinary art related articles and resources check out http://www.culinary-school-hq.com

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Wine Rack Storage: Simple Guides on Choosing The Right Rack for Your Wines!

Posted by admin on May 23rd, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun

When you hear the word “wine”, most probably the thing that pops-up to your mind is “celebration”. Most, if not all, are using wines as symbols of merrymaking and festivities; most celebrations, gatherings and special occasions include wine.

When a friend visits you at your place, wine will be poured; when your children got awards and honors at school, the elders drink wine to celebrate; and when you’re promoted, surely, there’s wine. There are even households that include wine in their meals. Indeed, wine has become part of some people’s lives over the years that they even make collecting wines as hobby.

And if you’re among those some who enjoys collecting wines, you must be in need of wine rack storage; you’ll need wine rack storage especially if your collections are getting big. If this is the case, you can get wine rack storage; there are dealers who offer wine rack storage for different needs. Whether you need wine rack storage for business, at the office for clients or simply at your personal wine bar at home; there are wine rack storage that will surely fit your preferences.

Wine rack storage mostly comes in different designs and you can use them whether in decorative purpose or utilitarian. But, all wine rack storage comes to one common ground; that is to hold wine bottles to free up space in your bars or cellars.

Some wine rack storage are designed to:

• Safely store bottles

• Or simply to display wine

A wine rack storage can:

• Add ambience to a room

• Protect wine in a cellar

In choosing your wine rack storage, determine if you’re going to need it in your cellar or in your wine counter or bar.

There are wine rack storage called cellar style wine rack storage:

• These kind of wine rack storage can be modular or stackable thus you can buy as few or many as you need

• These wine rack storage are usually made of wood; most often made of pine

• Cellar style wine rack storage are rectangular in frames and without front or back; usually stand on a wide foot

• The wine rack storage in this type have frames with vertical runners that forms small square compartments

• A small modular wine rack storage normally holds 10 bottles of wine

If you don’t have cellars and only need wine rack storage for your bar counters or tables, there are ornate wine rack storage:

• Most of these wine rack storage are available in materials like wrought iron

• These wine rack storage are mostly crafted in various designs, e.g a ribbon that is gracefully wrapping around it; this can hold a single bottle of wine.

• Most of these wine rack storage are used as purely decorative wine rack storage on counters or table for a romantic dinner.

Simple wine rack storage like wine cabinets is also available. They come in various types and sizes. These wine rack storage may come as small as 4′x7′ or as large as 7′x10′. Wine rack storage are also available in varieties of purpose, décor and personality; the latter referring to your personal choices.

Some types of wine rack storage available in the market are:

• Grid wine rack storage

• Short wine rack storage

• Diamond cube wine rack storage

• Wine tasting table wine rack storage

• Wall wine rack storage

• Tree wine rack storage

These are just among the many innovative wine rack storage designs that are available. Wine rack storage is mostly available at department stores and other specialty shops. You can also avail wine rack storage on online stores; you can browse their catalogues of various wine rack storage.

Stacy Klein is a freelance writer who enjoys wine and is an expert on all topics wine. Visit the Wine Rack website for wine reviews, glass reviews, and more!

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Fire pits safety tips

Posted by admin on May 5th, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun, Internet Security Resources, Living With Home Improvement

Winter does not even starts and people start using fire pits because they have been waiting for this moment for the whole summer.

Although fire pits are a source of warmness and cozy environment, fire pit safety has to be kept in mind to secure ourselves.

It is thought that a gas fire pit is much safer than that which consumes wood. However, it is advised to call an expert for the maintenance of the gas fire pits as leakage of gas can produce great harms to the life and property. Without thinking and regularly, an expert should be called to check the appliances if it costs a little because there is nothing precious than your life.

Fire pits safety has many regulations, among them not placing any flammable or harmful things around a burning fire pit and have ventilation in the room so the room is not filled with smoke.

Special care should be taken if there are children in the house. They should be told not to prefer sitting very close to the burning fire pit or if they want to pick up something lying near the fire pit, should tell elders of the house to help them.

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Spanish Food - How To Prepare Boquerones

Posted by admin on April 29th, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun

Whilst on your travels in Spain and pausing to take a breath from
site-seeing, you have surely experimented with “tapas” at a
welcoming bar.

If this is the case, it is more than likely that you have come
across the small, tasty filleted fish, preserved in olive oil,
sliced garlic and chopped parsley, and highly popular throughout
Spain. This delectable dish is usually known as “boquerones” but,
depending on the area, can also be called “anchoas”.

Boquerones are small, fresh anchovies. Accompanied by crisp,
fresh Spanish bread, a glass of ruby-red wine or refreshing
Asturian cider, they are a delight to eat. Moreover - as with
many traditional Spanish dishes which comprise the renowned
Mediterranean Diet - they are extremely healthy.

Like its friend the sardine, the anchovy is an oily fish, packed
full of proteins and minerals, protecting against heart disease,
and “good” for cholesterol. What’s more, in many areas of Spain -
in particular the Mediterranean coast - fresh anchovies are
extremely cheap.

On first coming to Spain, I happily enjoyed many tapas of
boquerones, completely unaware of one fact … all those little
anchovies I had eaten were not cooked! For a moment, I deeply
regretted asking my Spanish neighbor, Carmen, how to make them!

Fortunately, Carmen went into immediate action and saved the day!
She frog-marched me to the local fishmongers, bought a kilo of the
little fish, took me home and showed me “her way” of preparing
them. They were so delicious that I quickly recovered my passion
for boquerones and have been enjoying them ever since!

Methods for preparing boquerones tend to vary slightly from family
to family. However, the basic principles are always the same.
You first have to clean and fillet the fish, which is simple
enough, but rather tedious until you get the hang of it.

Next, you soak the fillets, either in white wine vinegar or a
mixture of half vinegar and half water. The vinegar will clean
and bleach the fish and also soften any remaining little bones.
Some people sprinkle the fish with salt; others (myself included)
feel that the fish is salty enough already.

The fish has to be left for a good few hours soaking in the
vinegar. Again, this tends to vary, with some Spaniards leaving
them overnight in the fridge and others just waiting a couple of
hours. Also, some families change the vinegar/water-and-vinegar
mixture once during this process, whilst others don’t bother.

Once you have thrown away the vinegar, the bleached fillets are
covered with a good quality virgin olive oil, which will preserve
them. You can add as much, or as little, sliced garlic as you
wish, plus freshly chopped parsley.

So … here is the actual recipe.

BOQUERONES

Ingrediants:

- 1 kilo fresh anchovies.

- White wine vinegar.

- Virgin olive oil.

- Garlic.

- Parsley.

- Salt (optional).

Method:

1. Top and tail anchovies.

2. Slit along underside and discard innards.

3. Open out fish.

4. Remove central bone by lifting from tail end upwards.

5. Rinse well.

6. Place a layer of anchovy fillets in a shallow dish.

7. Sprinkle with salt (optional) and pour on plenty of vinegar.

8. Repeat with another layer, changing direction.

9. Leave to soak in vinegar for a few hours or overnight.

10. Pour off vinegar.

11. Very gently rinse fillets.

12. Cover fillets in virgin olive oil.

13. Add slices of garlic and chopped parsley.

It is so pleasant to find something in life that is a delight to
the senses, affordable, healthy and does nobody any harm
(apologies to any vegetarians out there and, also, the little
anchovies …). So … do make the most of fresh anchovies
whilst you are in Spain and enjoy!

Linda Plummer is English and has lived on the Costa Blanca in
Spain for 20 years. She is webmistress of the information-
rich site: http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com with its FREE monthly newsletter, “The Magic of Spain”.

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Are Coffee Colonics The Real Thing?

Posted by admin on April 14th, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun

Coffee colonics detoxify the liver, as well as cleans the colon. Some people claim that they provide immediate relief to toxicity symptoms, such as congestion, indigestion, pain and headaches.
There are even some small studies that suggest that coffee colonics can aid in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

At the very end of the colon, before reaching the rectum, is an “S” shaped segments called the sigmoid colon. There is a special circulatory system between this portion of the colon and the liver.

This is because stool at this point in the colon contains putrefied material and needs to be handled carefully in order to avoid toxicity leaking into the bloodstream.

This system of veins enables toxins to be sent directly to the liver for detoxification, rather than them passing through the bloodstream to the rest of the body and vital organs.

During coffee colonics, the caffeine in the coffees goes straight to the liver where it becomes an extremely strong detoxifying chemical called glutathione-S-transferase. The coffee itself also stimulates the liver to make more bile.

Foods That Can Trigger Migraines

Posted by admin on April 8th, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun

According to an ever-increasing number of studies, food and food
additives are the most common trigger for migraine headaches.
Some studies put food as the culprit behind kicking off the
physiological reaction that causes migraine headaches in as much
as seventy percent of cases. Other, however, lay the blame for
good at a much lower percentage.

It would be an exercise in futility, or at least an exercise in
filling up what precious free (headache-free) time you have to
test every single food that is related to triggering migraines.
You definitely get ahead in the showdown by becoming aware of
what foods you commonly eat that are known to trigger the
deathly, pounding pain that drives you mad.

Avoiding a suspected food trigger or group of food triggers
entirely, however, is not the answer. Doing this can adversely
affect other areas of your health, not to mention that you’re
just asking for headaches (migraine or otherwise) by skipping
meals or not eating enough.

Certain foods are almost guaranteed to be at the top of your
list when hunting down the triggers of your migraines. For
instance, foods that are rich in the amino acid tyramines (aged
cheese, red wines) should always be considered. In addition, if
you eat a lot of hot dogs and deli foods and notice you have a
lot of migraines as well, you should know that certain nitrates
used in large amounts in these kinds of food are probably the
trigger.

Chocolate is often a major suspect in the hunt for the true
killers of head peace because of its high content of
phenylethylamine, but several studies have questioned the
validity of this dichotomy. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is
probably public enemy number one when it comes to food additives
and migraines.

There simply isn’t enough space here to provide a comprehensive
list of all food and food additives suspect to play a part in
triggering migraines, but here a list of the most common:

peanuts and peanut butter

caffeine in all products, not just coffee

dairy products

yeast

some beans (which includes peanut), as well as broad, lima,
Italian, lentil, soy, peas

avocados

dried meats

sauerkraut

pickled herrings

canned soups and packet soup mixes

chicken livers

ripe banana

soy products as well as the bean itself

sodium nitrate, which is used to preserve hot dogs, bacon and
cured meats

the preservative benzoic acid and its associated compounds

MSG, common name for monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer
which is now in almost universal use in almost all processed
foods

nuts

sourdough breads

cheeses which have been aged, i.e. cheddar

red wines, beer, champagne, vermouth

chocolate

anchovies

As alluded to early, going without food or severe curtailing of
your diet is nothing but another trigger and should be avoided.
Instead, plan regular meals throughout the day. You might want
to try to a restrictive diet, in which you limit your food
intake for about a month. (Restrictive diets are not recommended
if you are pregnant, however, because by avoiding the potential
trigger, you could also be upsetting your balance of nutrition.)
If you experience no change in your migraine routine, you can
probably assume that your trigger is not food-related. On the
other hand, should you find that migraine situation improves
over the course of this restricted diet, then simply add foods
back your daily routine one at a time. If it is a certain kind
of food that you are eating turns out to be responsible, the
headache should probably trigger within twelve hours of
consumption.

Eating a certain food should trigger a headache within 12 hours.
Then you can limit those few foods to which you are sensitive.
Never restrict all your possible food triggers. For one thing,
it’s probably not going to help you narrow it down and for
another avoiding all your favorite foods is just going to make
you more stressful which may trigger the headache anyway.

Test yourself with food triggers to determine if food actually
is a trigger for you.

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Purchasing Coffee Products and the Insurance Question

Posted by admin on April 5th, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun

On how many accessions have you visited an a coffee warehouse or food and drink merchant so you could obtain a product such as a italian coffee machine or italian coffee grinder only to be asked by the salesperson “would you like insurance with your merchandise”? this is a question that most people acquiring coffee products either can’t bear or have grown used to, some folk would possibly be puzzled if the employee working in a food and drink business or coffee warehouse didn’t ask them this as they obtained their goods.

Before I launched my own modest coffee store I recall visiting a food and drink store and purchasing a office coffee blender and a large amount of coffee merchandise and extra’s, I made my way to the checkout counter to give them the money for my food and drink products and was indeed asked if I required some extra cover. Now as it turned out I turned down the assistants offer and just a few weeks later my precious coffee purchases were robbed and the memory of the assistants words have haunted me to this day.

Now my advice to you is that if you are buying a product like a 1 cup coffee maker or bases coffee table then I should think that paying about 10% of the cost price for a little insurance cover would certainly seem a reasonable thing to do. if though you are only purchasing coffee linked products for a modest price then I would suggest that insurance protection should ignored, its plainly bigger priced coffee products or accessories that you a person should maybe get insured from robbery or loss.

Are you thinking of buying a Green Mountain Coffee product or maybe a coffee product that you feel is an item that might perhaps be difficult to replace? If that is the case then of certainly some form of insurance when getting this variety of coffee item is a thing that might obviously come in useful, it could be possible that in the future you may perhaps need to replace with an identical product.

At the end of the day the reality is that if the coffee you are obtaining is likely to be at risk from loss, theft or damage then if you can afford it then a reasonable insurance cover may very well be smart and well worth it.

Valerie Shapero the coffee writer contributes for the high profile coffee website Fuzzy Coffee. An outstanding source for facts about beverages and drinks. visit: http://fuzzycoffee.com

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Make School Lunches Fun and Nutritious

Posted by admin on April 3rd, 2008 — Posted in Eating Fun

(ARA) - As the beginning of the school year nears, parents once again face the challenge of preparing healthy lunches and snacks that their kids will actually eat. After all, you can send your child to school with a well-balanced lunch a home-ec teacher would be proud of, but if he trades his carrot sticks for a cupcake, all your efforts go down the drain.

What parents need are ways to make healthy food fun for kids to eat. And since September is not only back-to-school month, but also “5 a Day” month (in honor of the FDA recommendation that everyone eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day), what better time to incorporate these foods into your family’s diet.

Every parent knows that some foods are more popular with kids than others. For example, most kids like bananas, but may not be so sure about papaya. While you want your child to try new tastes, their lunch box probably isn’t the place for that. Keeping kids’ taste buds in mind, here are some tips from the Produce Marketing Association for fun, healthy ways to help your kids get their 5 a Day.

For the lunch box:

* Instead of PB&J for lunch, how about PB&B — peanut butter and banana. This delicious combination is sure to be a hit with kids.

* Peanut butter can also be used to stuff celery, or try celery stuffed with low fat cheese.

* Apples are easy to pack and eat — simply toss one in the lunch box. Alternatively, pack a container of applesauce.

* Capture your kids’ imagination (and their appetites) with unique and interesting fruits. For example, star fruit, with its astral shape, is fascinating to kids.

* Kids might turn up their noses at raw carrot sticks served on their own, but a little ranch-flavored dip can make all the difference. The dip is available in easy-to-pack single serving containers. Encourage your child to try dipping other vegetables such as celery, broccoli and cauliflower for variety.

Any of the ideas above can also work as a healthy after school snack, but you have a lot of other options as well. Kids love smoothies, especially when they get to pick the ingredients. All you need is some yogurt, your favorite fruit, some ice and a blender for a tasty snack that packs a nutritional punch.

Here’s another recipe the kids will go for: Fruiteroni Pizza. They’ll get a kick out of the unconventional ingredients. It’s so easy, the kids can practically put it together themselves.

Fruiteroni Pizza

1 12-inch pre-baked thin pizza crust or 12-inch regular pizza crust

1/2 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or jack cheese

1 large (or 2 small) fresh California peaches, thinly sliced

2 ounces sliced pepperoni

diced green peppers (options)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread pizza base with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with fruit slices and pepperoni, then sprinkle with green pepper. Bake on cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and crust is browned. Cut into wedges.

And remember, it’s not just kids who need their 5 a Day. Mom and Dad should be setting a good example by eating their fruits and vegetables. A survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association found that parents have more potential to influence their children’s eating habits than anyone else. These findings underscore the importance of a parent’s involvement in helping their children make good dietary choices, because children’s eating behaviors are influenced by family-related factors such as the number of meals eaten together.

To help consumers make the most of fruits and vegetables, the Produce Marketing Association Web site offers tips on how to buy and store fruits and vegetables, as well as tempting recipes and serving ideas. For more information, visit www.aboutproduce.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Courtesy of ARA Content

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