Storing Your Kitchen Knives

It’s important to store your knives properly for safety reason and and to prevent damage and premature dulling of your the blades.

It’s not a good idea to store knives loosely in a kitchen drawer because it can be dangerous to unwary cooks and the blades can easily be nicked as they slide around with the other kitchen gadgets. If you want to store your knives in a drawer, there a couple of safe options. Knife sheaths or guards wrap around the knife blade and prevent the blade from coming into contact with other utensils or, worse yet, fingers. If you like this option, try to avoid the sleeve type sheath that opens only enough to slide the blade in. These can be very difficult to clean and can harbor dirt, germs and even moisture. The better option in knife guards is a knife safe. Knife safes are made of durable, food grade plastic and come in a number of different sizes to fit different size blades. The safe opens flat and then closes over your knife, completely covering the blade, with tabs and rubber pads that hold it in place, allowing safe storage and transportation. These work well because, since the hinge allows them to open completely, they are easy to wash. In fact, many are dishwasher safe.

Another drawer storage option is a drawer block. This is basically a thin wooden block with slots to keep the knives in place. Because drawer blocks can tend to be limited in both the number and types of knives it will hold, a drawer block is best for people who don’t plan on owning a large number of blades and for those who don’t have limited drawer space.

Another storage option for knives is a wall-mounted magnetic strip. This alternative has several advantages. The magnetic strips are sanitary and can hold a large number of knives and, as long as the magnet is strong enough to handle the weight, there’s no restrictions relative to the size and shape of the knives you can store there. However, this option is probably best for someone who has an area in their kitchen that is very low-traffic so as to avoid the strip being bumped accidentally. Along the same reasoning, it’s probably best not to use this storage method in a household where there are small children, rowdy pets or clumsy cooks. In addition, keep in mind that ceramic knives are not magnetic. So if you plan on owning ceramic blades, this storage option won’t work for you.

The most popular way to store knives is with a knife block and for good reason. Knife blocks are a safe and convenient way to store your knives and are great if you have more countertop space than drawer space. But, knife blocks are not without their problems. In particular, knife blocks can be tough to keep clean. Dirt and moisture can get stuck in the slots and can be difficult to get out. Even with this issue, I use a block to store my knives because I haven’t found a better alternative that works for me. But, I make sure that my knives are clean and dry when I put them into the block. (Really, no matter how you store them, knives should always be completely dry before putting them away.) And, I use canned air like they use to clean computer keyboards to remove dust from inside the knife slots.

Great Cupcake Recipes for Kids

Cupcakes are a favorite treat for children of all ages. Cupcakes can be decorated for all seasons and reasons. These are quick, simple cupcake recipe that kids can make with adult supervision.

These cupcakes could easily be made beginning with a boxed cake mix but what is the fun in that? With these recipes, you and the kids begin from scratch and make memories as well as some delicious mouth watering treats.

Lemon Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients:

*3½ oz softened butter *3½ oz softened cream cheese *2 tsp finely grated lemon rind *2/3-cup superfine sugar *2 eggs ½ cup all-purpose (plain) flour *1/3 cup self-raising flour

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325oF
2. Line a 12-cupcake pan, with cupcake papers.
3. Beat the butter, cheese, lemon rind, sugar and eggs until smooth and creamy.
4. Sift the flours together
5. Add the flour gradually to the cheese mixture and beat on a low speed, until just combined.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin tins
7. Bake for 25 minutes until firm to touch.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Yields: 12 cupcakes.

Cover with Lemon frosting… enjoy

Basic Vanilla Cup Cake Recipe

Ingredients: * 5 oz Butter - softened *5 oz superfine sugar *6 oz self-raising flour *3 eggs *1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350oF
2. Line a 12-cupcake pan, with cup cake papers
3. Crack the eggs into a cup and beat lightly with a fork
4. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl
5. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack
9. Allow to cool fully before icing

Make the Freshest Salads

When shopping for salad ingredients look for fresh, crisp greens. Pass up any with withered leaves, brown or yellow edges, or slimy spots. Salad greens are highly perishable, so buy at a market that keeps them under refrigeration. With bagged greens, check the "sell by" date for optimum freshness.

Greens that come wrapped in cellophane should be stored in the wrapper, then cleaned when you're ready to use them. Otherwise, clean before storing, discarding any bruised, discolored, or wilted leaves. Proper cleaning of greens is as follows.

Iceberg lettuce: Hit stem end on counter; twist and lift out core. Rinse core end with running cold water, then invert head and let drain.

Leaf lettuce, Romaine, Boston, Bib, Curly Endive: Cut off bottom core and wash leaves under running cold water.

Spinach, watercress, arugula (and other greens with small leaves): Swish leaves around in a large bowl of cold water to remove any dirt or sand; let the debris settle in the bottom of the bowl and life out the greens carefully. Repeat until no debris collects in bowl. Break off and discard tough stems. Hydroponic greens and others sold attached to their roots keep best refrigerated, with the roots immersed in a glass of water or wrapped in damp paper towels and covered with a plastic bag.

Drying salad greens is an important aspect in keeping them tasty and fresh. Excess moisture dilutes the salad dressing if you're serving salad greens right away, and will speed deterioration if you're storing them. Place washed salad greens on a clean towel and gently pat dry. Or use a salad spinner. This is easier, quicker, and just as thorough.

To store your salad greens, wrap dry greens in a damp cloth towel or between layers of damp paper towels, and place in a plastic bag or in an airtight container in the refrigerator crisper.

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Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

Sweet Potato Fries are slices of pure sweet potato. Sweet Potato Fries are a wonderful, colorful and healthy change to regular fries. Sweet potatoes not only have more fiber, but, more nutrients than a standard white potato. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A, or beta carotene, and contain fiber, plus vitamin C, B6 and potassium. Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients, and one of the best foods you can eat.

Sweet potatoes can be boiled, steamed, mashed, baked, grilled, deep fried, served in a savory soup/broth or coconut milk, hot or cold. Baked sweet potato fries are a great treat, and mashed or baked sweet potatoes make delicious comfort food. Sweet potato fries, baked in the oven, are a wonderful alternative to the traditional French fry. The sweet potato fries were a nice twist to regular French fries. The sweet potato fries are definitely interesting and different, especially paired with the different sauces (thai chili, ginger-wasabi aioli) Sweet potato fries are easy to make, and what I have written below barely qualifies as a recipe.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Peel raw sweet potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch julienne strips. Place in plastic food bag and drizzle with olive oil. Seal bag and shake gently to cover potatoes evenly. Spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, stir gently, turning strips over. Bake 15 minutes, stir gently. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Season hot potatoes with salt, pepper and cayenne. (I spice them before baking…)

Chinese vegetable eggplant chili sauce

Eggplant Garlic Sauce Recipes selected by the collective taste buds of the masses from Group Recipes. This popular Szechuan dish is made with Chinese eggplant, which is thinner and longer than the short and thicker eggplant that is commonly available in supermarkets. Both Chinese eggplant and chili garlic sauce are available at Asian markets. This spicy side brings a large pot of boiling water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the eggplant: cut the ends off the eggplant. Cut the eggplant crosswise in half. Cut each half lengthwise into quarters.

Chili garlic sauce is a common ingredient in Chinese markets. Drain the eggplant on paper towels. Finely mince the garlic and ginger. Finely chop the green onion. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients (the dark and light soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine or dry sherry, sugar and chicken broth) and set aside. Alternate cooking method: Instead of boiling the eggplant, you can stir-fry it before combining with the pork and other ingredients. Heat the wok and add 3 tablespoons oil.

Vegetable Chinese eggplant is more slender than a regular eggplant, and it is said to be less bitter. In another small bowl, use your fingers to mix the black pepper and cornstarch into the ground pork. Heat the wok and add 1 tablespoon oil in the wok on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger and green onion. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the ground pork. Stir in the chili garlic sauce. Stir-fry until the pork turns white and is nearly cooked (about 1 minute), using a spatula to break the pork into small pieces.

History and evolution of the pizza.

Trying to trace the history of the first pizza is a surprisingly controversial subject. Some claim that this popular food is based on early unleavened breads served in the early centuries in Rome. Others trace a connection from modern pizza back to the pita breads of Greece.

It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Raffaele Esposito from Naples, Italy. Esposito's creation was designed to honor the visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, and he decorated it with the colors of the Italian flag, using white cheese, green basil, and red tomatoes (tomatoes, which had arrived from the west about 60 years earlier, were originally thought to be poisonous, but by Esposito's time they were already embraced by Italian cuisine).

As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria was opened in America in 1905. It remained popular almost exclusively among immigrants until the end of World War II, when American soldiers returned to their home soil and brought back a love of the pizza they had discovered overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an underground Italian snack.

The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those olden days explains the fact that many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza. It's where the pizza got its American start, after all. And nobody who has experienced New York style pizza can disagree. New York is famous for its pizzerias, where a true slice of pizza consists of a thin, wide crust loaded with plenty of toppings and marinara and smothered in heady Italian seasonings. A side of garlic bread and some heady pastas and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New York are not for the faint of heart.

In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago, IL took pizza in a different direction. It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in 1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York standard. He created what is known today as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan, and the crust is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. People flocked to Sewell's pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.

To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style pizza. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.

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Coffee Vending Machine Or Coffee Shop

I was in town for an afternoon, and traipsing around looking to get a good cup of coffee for my troubles. It was a day off, and my quest for a new pair of jeans was failing badly. I didn’t want anything with any logos, frilly bits or ‘worn looks’ – I just wanted a pair of basic yet quality standard jeans. After feeling like a balloon in extra baggy, or uncomfortably squeezed in a pair of super skinny, I’d had enough of ‘fashion’ and decided to buy something I knew I could rely on – a good cup of coffee.

That too proved slightly or largely impractical. The usual place I went to had closed for ‘refurbishment’ despite the fact I always thought it was all right and pretty laid back and well – suppose people need something to do.

There was a trendy coffee vending place with an Italian (or Spanish, or Mexican, or Paraguan?) title; now this is fantastic right – I walk in, a massive queue and I’m not kidding you: per woman or man one pram or pushchair, then per pram or pushchair, one or two screaming babies, per scream about 110 decibels of ear splitting aural terror. I walk straight and immediately and totally out.

Phew. Head for the under cover market. Walk past a flash looking vending machine claiming to sell ‘real freshly ground coffee.’ Don’t quite believe that, so walk on by. Another coffee shop place. Go in, look around, no newspapers, no magazines. Coffee shop guy looks at me, I’m looking back, ahem, right, no eye contact, go out, no way am I paying £2.50 for a coffee then getting nothing to read.

Rather than the old, ker-plonk action of delivering a cup, a more subtle cantilever motion gracefully presents the coffee cup from the side, into which is poured first the coffee, then steaming milk. It tastes great. This coffee vending machine does do freshly ground coffee. This coffee vending machine is clever, it works and I nearly attempt to give it a tip.


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Cooking With Cast Iron

Cast iron has several advantages over other cookware. Cast iron pans have excellent heat conduction and retention, so you get even heating over the whole surface of the pan. If there are no wooden handles on your cast iron cookware, you can use it either on the stove, or in the oven. Properly seasoned and cared for, cast iron is just as non stick as any fancy non-stick pans. Cast iron is very durable. Some of you may have cast iron pans from your grandmother's kitchen that are still in excellent condition. Cast iron pans are very inexpensive compared to the fancy copper pans.
On the other side of the coin, there are some disadvantages to cast iron. Cast iron pans are very heavy. If not properly treated, cast iron pans can be prone to rust. Cast iron pans must be hand washed, they are not dishwasher safe. Cast iron pans require a bit more maintenance than regular pans (but not too much more).

If you properly care for your cast iron, it will give you many years of use. Some cast iron comes pre-seasoned, so you don't need to season it yourself. If you need to season it, simply rub it with oil, shortening, or lard, and heat for an hour in a 300 degree oven. Then remove the pan and let it cool. You can repeat this process a couple more times to strengthen the bond of the seasoning. What seasoning does is it fills in the pores in the iron with the oil, helping to prevent food from sticking and to create a protective coating.

The Italian Pantry

Traditional Italian regional cuisines were perfected in home kitchens and have been shared among family and friends over generations. Italian cuisine offers an abundance of ingredients--fresh seafood, seasonal veggies, cured meats, beautiful cheeses, savory herbs--prepared in ways from simple to elaborate.

Oregano: Used liberally in Italian cuisine (particularly pizza, spaghetti sauces and other tomato-based sauces), oregano is strongly aromatic and slightly bitter. Its pungent flavor is composed of earthy/musty, green, hay and minty notes. Mediterranean oregano gained popularity in the U.S. after American soldiers returned home from World War II.

Flat-leaf parsley: Parsley's flavor and aroma profile is green and vegetative. It is popular in egg dishes, soups, stews, stocks and with other herbs to bring out their flavor. Parsley also adds visual appeal to many dishes.

Basil: Used in tomato sauces, pestos, pizzas, cheeses, and Italian seasonings, basil is slightly bitter and musty--tea-like, with green/grassy, hay and minty notes. Early Romans made basil a symbol of love and fertility; young Italian suitors wore sprigs of it as a sign of their marital intentions.

Fennel: Used to flavor fish, sausages, baked goods and liqueurs, fennel has a sweet, licorice-like flavor similar to anise but less intense, with slight menthol and musty/green flavor notes. It is also one of the few plants where the roots, stalk, seeds, fronds and pollen are all used. Originating in the Mediterranean, fennel was carried north from Italy by monks, and today it is used in nearly every cuisine.

Rosemary: Popular in seasoning blends for meats and Mediterranean cuisines, rosemary has a distinctive pine-woody aroma and a fresh, bittersweet flavor.

Sage: Highly aromatic, with piney, woody notes, sage is ideal for flavoring pork, beef, poultry, lamb, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, rice, pasta and much more. Traditionally, sage was used for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.