food
Making Red Wine
Making Red Wine
Among the many types of wine available, red wine is among the best. There are many types of red wine available, although most are made using the same methods. This very exhilarating type of wine is made from black grapes, drawing their color from the skins of the grapes.
During the beginning stages of making red wine, the grapes that have been picked are put into a crusher. Here, the crusher will gently break the skins of the grapes. Depending on what type of wine is being made and the tannin that’s required, the stalks will either be used or discarded at this point. Next, the grapes are put into a fermentation vat with the skins. This can be a long process, taking several weeks to complete. If a higher temperature is used, more tannin and color will be extracted from the grapes.
When making soft wines, the whole grapes are fermented using sealed vats. The carbon dioxide that becomes trapped in the sealed vats ferment the grapes under pressure, which is normally a quick process, taking only a few days. Keep in mind, the color and tannin content of the wine is based on how long the fermenting process takes. If the fermenting process takes a long time, the wine will generally hold more flavor and color.
The remaining bulk of the grapes will go through a press, being crushed to create a tannic wine. Sometimes, this tannic wine is added with a free run wine in order to add a bit more structure to the wine blend. Both the press and vat wine are then mixed and transferred to either tanks or barrels for a second fermentation. The second fermentation will take the longest, although it brings out the quality and taste from the wine.
All types of fine red wine will spend a minimum of a year in the barrels. Some types of red wine will spend a lot more time in the barrels, possibly several years. Red wine is also fine tuned with egg whites, which will suspend the yeast and other solids found in the wine downwards, before the wine is racked, filtered, and eventually bottled. Once the wine has been bottled, it is then shipped off and sold. Some wine however, will be stored for a period of time in the bottle before it is offered for sale.
The time a wine spends in the bottle is very important, although not every wine needs to spend a lot of time in the bottle. The more complex and more expensive types of red wine will benefit the most from aging in the bottle, to preserve flavor and color. The simple types of red wine however, don’t need to spend much time at all in the bottle.
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Wrangling More Restaurant Recipes
Wrangling More Restaurant Recipes
When I planned this trip to collect restaurant recipes, I planned to drive through Texas and pick up a barbecue tip or two, and continue west. However, Texas is bigger than I had expected, friendlier, and more varied. So I have detoured to San Antonio, maybe to see the Alamo, but really to experience more of the Tex-Mex culture. San Antonio, though it is less than a two-hour drive from Austin, has a much stronger Mexican influence. There is a large open-air market in town with a lot of colorful Mexican wares, and the restaurants nearby seem more authentic. The food is generally spicier than I am used to in most Tex-Mex restaurants, and the desserts are ones I have never seen before.
There are a number of Mexican candies that are sold as you leave these Mexican restaurants, some like the maple sugar candies of New England, and a number of candied fruits, such as mango. There is also live music in several of the restaurants, usually a guitar, and sometimes an accordion. One thing I would like to bring home to New Hampshire is a strolling guitar player with his lilting songs of the south.
My current addition to my restaurant recipes is another soup, which will bring back warm memories when I am again in New Hampshire facing a cold November day. Not only is this soup delicious, it also looks striking. There are really two soups: a white cheddar cheese soup, and a black bean soup. You can make just the cheese soup, but the two are better together. Thanks to the wonderful folk at Boudro’s On the Riverwalk for this idea.
Black and White Soup, serves 8 (each soup serves 4)
Cheddar cheese soup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced in matchstick-size pieces
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, matchstick-size pieces
1/2 large green bell pepper, matchstick-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
Purchased Black Bean Soup, or your favorite recipe
Purchased tomatillo salsa (if unavailable, regular salsa)
Cheese soup: Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add peppers, onion and garlic. Saut
Go To School & Learn How to Make Chocolate
Go To School & Learn How to Make Chocolate
Learning how to make chocolate is not that different from knowing how to bake cookies or cake. There are books that you can read and related material online. But if you want to learn from one of the professionals, you have to go to school and sign up for one of the short courses.
Most of the chocolate courses you will fine cannot be completed in a week. This is because before you get your hands dirty, you have to understand the history and the chemistry before you are taught the various techniques of making them and how to sell them.
You also have to remember that there is a science to making a quality product that people would want to have after they have tasted it for the first time.
For those who want to make their own product instead of just melting blocks, you will need to learn how to outsource beans, creating your flavor profile and then producing these in bulk.
There are also courses on quality control to make sure those who decide to go into the business are able to sustain what they have started.
Another program that is like a master’s degree in chocolate making has classes and tours to chocolate factories not only in the US but in Canada, Belgium, France and Italy.
For those who don’t have the time to give up their regular jobs, they can learn about making chocolate online.
Schools that offer this make sure the curriculum is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can start and stop anytime you want so you are able to remember everything that is taught before moving on to the next module.
After finishing the program, you can use your knowledge to start your own business or look for work within the backing, catering, confectionary or food service industry.
This isn’t bad even if you have never taken baking classes before because the learning process takes you from basic skills to more advance work. Some of these schools also offer internship programs so you can practice what you have learned under the direction of a master chocolatier.
But nothing compares to education right there inside the kitchen. You just need to make the time and if you can’t make it to classes on weekdays, see if there are those being offered on weekends.
The cost of tuition in chocolate making schools varies depending on the type of program and also if this is done in the kitchen or at home. For those who decide to learn in the kitchen, they don’t have to worry because all the materials they need will already be provided. For those at home, they have to buy these from the craft store and make do with what they have.
Learning how to make chocolate with the help of trained professionals is much better than trying to perfect how it is done through trial and error. After all, it is an exact science when it comes to mixing the ingredients and a little bit of marketing if you are planning to sell this product in the market.
Once you get the hang of things, you can try some experiments to make concoctions of your own. After all, chocolates do not always come in boxes.
Beat the Summer Heat with Crock Pot Cooking
Beat the Summer Heat with Crock Pot Cooking
When the weather outside warms up, the kitchen can be a terrible place to be. There are many things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that doesn’t require traditional stove top or oven cooking. Learn to utilize some of the lesser heat producing equipment in your kitchen, such as the crock pot, in order to truly beat the summer heat and keep your cool while preparing a nice hot meal for friends and family.
So, how does crock pot cooking really help beat the heat? Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking methods introduce.
This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, your stove and oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.
Unfortunately for most, the general consensus has been that crock pots were meant for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.
Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking
In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above when it comes to crock pot cooking there are many other benefits that are well worth mentioning. First of all, the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking takes place early in the day when you are refreshed rather than at the end of a hectic work or play day. This means that you are less likely to forget an ingredient or make other mistakes that often occur as we hurriedly prepare a dinner when we are exhausted from the activities of our day.
Second, many great crock pot recipes include the vegetables that insure we are getting the nutrients we need. So often, when preparing a meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out in favor of expedience. Crock pot cooking in many instances is a meal in one dish.
Another great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are made in one dish. This means that there will not be mountains of dishes to be either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me-both) afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Oh wait! Make that no time slaving over a hot stove. Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the lightening bugs with your little ones, or waiting for the first star.
While there will never be a one size fits all best cooking method, crock pot cooking comes very close. If you have a crock pot collecting dust somewhere in the back of your pantry it is time to get it out, dust if off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes.
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Cooking for Special Occasions
Cooking for Special Occasions
We all have those moments in our lives when we feel as if everything needs to be exactly right. It is these moments that we often refer to as special occasions. When it comes to cooking for special occasions, many of us find that we drop the ball in our anticipation and feel as though we have ruined the moment. While this is often far from the truth, it does serve to diminish the moment in many of our minds. For this reason, you need to work up a repertoire, if you will, of simple to make special occasion cooking recipes.
You will be shocked and amazed at all the sinfully rich and delicious meals and side dishes that are out there, that are amazingly quick and easy to prepare. This means that you will not run the all too common disaster scenarios that you hear about and will still manage to have a wonderful meal that is enjoyed by all.
The trick is in choosing a rather simple meat dish and dressing it up with the more decadent side dishes. Incredibly rich side dishes that are simple to prepare are greater in number than meat dishes that require little culinary effort. You should also keep in mind the audience for your special occasion. Sometimes a family favorite makes the occasion seem much more special than an all out effort for chicken cordon bleu or veal Marsala. There is no point in going to an extreme effort to create a culinary masterpiece if it is going to be riddled with picky children proclaiming that they do not like this or that about your meal.
Another great idea when it comes to cooking for special occasions is to prepare as much as possible ahead of time in order to alleviate the pressure during the event and to allow you more time to enjoy the event rather than dealing with the details of meal preparation. The greatest gift you can really give yourself when cooking for special occasions is the time necessary in order to enjoy these special occasions. This is not to say that there isn’t some cooking that will need to be done.
Foods that can be prepared ahead of time and reheated just prior to serving are often the best when it comes to cooking for special occasions. There are all kinds of appetizers, entrees, and desserts that will work perfectly in this particular instance. You can often find them by performing a simple Google search online or by sorting through many of your favorite cookbooks at home. The important thing is that you do not get so caught up in the idea of cooking for special occasions that you forget to actually enjoy the occasion.
If this is not the way you prefer to do things that is perfectly understandable. Some of us do thrive in high stress situations. The key for those who prefer to do all the meal preparation when cooking for special occasions at the time of cooking is planning properly and allowing plenty of time for possible hiccups in the process. Mistakes occur when people feel rushed and hurried in their culinary efforts.
Another common mistake that is made when cooking for special occasions is cooking outside of your comfort zone. When you are preparing a challenging recipe it is best if you do this during a time when you are not going through the stress of potential visitors or insuring the best possible of circumstances. In other words, it is best to challenge your culinary talents when you do not have a vested interest in success.
Special occasions are a great time for friends and family. The hope is that you will have many special occasions throughout your life. Do not waste too much time and energy fretting over cooking for special occasions. Instead, put all of your effort into enjoying those occasions.
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Hints for Hatching and Raising Chickens out of Eggs
Hints for Hatching and Raising Chickens out of Eggs
As a poultry raiser, you have to know that from the moment they were lain, eggs must hatch after 21 days of incubation. It’s a good thing if your hen wanted to continue incubating her eggs. But if she doesn’t, there is always an alternative - an incubator.
An incubator should have a temperature of at least 98 - 99 degrees. To measure the humidity inside the incubator, use a hygrometer or a thermometer. Hygrometers can be bought in a price that’s quite practical. You can buy it in any cigar shop or even online. For the first 1-18 days, your humidity can be at least 50% and the remaining days till day 21 must have a maximum of 80%.
You should maintain adequate moisture inside the incubator. To do this, you can use paper cups or a pan containing water. To evenly apply the heat, mark the eggs with an O on one side and an X on the other side. This will determine which side needs to be heated. Do this process at least three to four times a day. If you started heating all X sides, the next time you turn it, all sides will be O. Do not skip until hatching day comes or else the eggs will get deformed from the inside. Sometimes, you get nothing.
The above-mentioned hint is done by some egg hatchers and poultry owners. But others say that to turn or not to turn, hatch rates are always a success.
Hatching Eggs from Incubators
One good thing about incubators is that, in the absence of the mother chicken, they can come in handy. Very handy. Above all, these incubators can be bought in very cheap and practical prices. An incubator is an instrument that gives newly born egg a moist and warm state similar to that of the chicken’s tummy. Options are endless depending on its features including the capacity, and others.
Fertility
The fertility of a hen is unlikely. It is very rare not assuring a hundred percentage accuracy. It varies from a close 56% to an 80% that can also depend on the condition, season and the bird type. Fertile eggs can be at least 75% expected to hatch.
Determining the egg’s fertility can’t be done before the incubation. This can only be detected after 3 days or so by candling. Candling can be done by holding a candle in front of an egg which is typically white-shelled. As you do this, you could see a slight silhouette of the embryo. That will be the time when you can determine if it is fertilized or not. If they don’t look anything close to “normal”, otherwise damaged or cracked, you have to rid of them because they will develop a very unpleasant odor.
If the eggs are uniformly white, the candle will be hard chance. So instead, you have to use a light bulb. Place the light bulb inside a can or a small box. Punch a small hole through the can or box wherein only a small percentage of light is reflected. You can place the egg over the hole where the light slits through.
If you have noticed the cloudiness of the egg or a mass is prominent, assume an embryo has been successfully fertilized. But if the inside of the egg is clear, the egg is unfertilized.
With these slight hints, you can diagnose the end product of an artificially incubated egg and not compromising the outcome of the chicks raised.
Cooking for Crowds Shouldnt be a Frightening Proposition
Cooking for Crowds Shouldn’t be a Frightening Proposition
Most people balk at the idea of cooking for large crowds of people. With images of huge stockpots boiling over and becoming chained to a hot stove and oven for countless hours on end, it’s no wonder that so many people avoid the idea of cooking food for large crowds with more tenacity than they avoid being last in the dinner line.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be the frightening proposition that so many make it out to be. When it comes to cooking for a large crowd, the planning phase is the most important. You absolutely must plan your meals when feeding a large group of people. This goes far beyond the notion of spaghetti or fried chicken as the meals you are planning. You need to know how many servings you will need. While obviously you never know how hungry people will be or who will eat how much when it comes to cooking for a large crowd it is a good idea to always plan for a few extra mouths in case some need a little more than you may think (you might want to double servings for teen and college aged men that will be dining).
You need to know at least a general number of servings to prepare and adjust your recipe in order to accommodate those needs. Some people find it much simpler if they can double or triple recipes rather than scaling them to specific serving sizes. If this works best for you then by all means incorporate this practice when cooking for crowds. One thing you must be aware of is that you will need to include in order to create the meal you are planning.
Having the proper ingredients and the proper amounts of ingredients is more important in bulk recipes than is often necessary in smaller recipes as there is less leeway when it comes to creating the proper consistency. You should keep this in mind when making purchases for your cooking for a large crowd event.
Some people find the best route to take when it comes to cooking for crowds is to keep everything as close to their normal cooking routine as possible. This would mean that instead of cooking one really huge pan of lasagna for a triple sized crowd, they would instead cook three normal sized pans of lasagna. This accomplishes two things really and is something you may wish to keep in mind despite the extra time spent in the kitchen.
First of all, if something goes, wrong only one third of the meal is in shambles rather than the entire dinner. Second, you have a greater possibility of finding consistency issues before the baking begins if you are using measurements and cooking containers that you are familiar with and comfortable using. It is always best to discover errors and omissions sooner rather than later when it comes to cooking as very few ingredients can be properly added after the fact.
While cooking for crowds may send some into dizzying spells with heart palpitations it helps if you take a few deep breaths, sit down, plan your menu, plan your meals, make a list of your ingredients, and cook in a manner that is comfortable for you. If you would rather get it all over with in one fell swoop, then by all means do just that. If you are more comfortable making multiple dishes of family favorites then that is probably going to be the best course of action in order to meet your large crowd cooking needs.
Most importantly you should remember when cooking for crowds is that you might have just earned yourself a well-deserved night off afterwards. Cooking for crowds is time consuming and should be approached when well rested (if that is even possible) for the best results. There is something that is actually very satisfying about knowing that you have fed a crowd and fed them well.
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What is a Yeast Infection
What is a Yeast Infection?
A yeast infection is a vaginal infection that is caused by Candida albicans. Three quarters of the world’s women will have a yeast infection during their lifetime, many of them will be plagued with the problem multiple times. Yeast infections generally include a variety of symptoms; redness, dryness, burning, and itching. Women who have severe yeast infections will notice frequent urination and that they have a swollen vulva.
Candida albicans is fungus diploid asexual fungus. Although it is most commonly found infecting women’s vagina’s, it is also found in the oral cavity, men’s foreskins, folds of the skins, and in babies diapered areas, basically the fungus likes warm, moist, dark areas. It can also live in the gastrointestinal tract.
There are a variety of reasons a women can get a vaginal yeast infection. Stress can trigger an outbreak. The type of clothing you wear can also trigger fungal growth. Many women claim that they develop a yeast infection at the beginning of their menstrual cycle. A reaction to oral contraceptives (birth control) can also trigger a yeast infection.
Although not as common, men can also develop a yeast infection, the condition is frequently called Balanitis. Balanitis is frequently found in the penal head, and is most common in men that have not been circumcised.
There are a variety of over the counter-the-counter treatments that have been very successful in clearing up the yeast infection. While these treatments have been successful in the past, there is some concern that the yeast can develop an immunity to the treatment, this is especially true if you are a person who is particularly prone to yeast infections. If you feel that you yeast infection is immune to the over-the-counter treatment you are using, you can try using a new product, or go to your doctor for a prescription treatment.
Although many women opt to avoid a doctors bill by diagnosing and treating their yeast infection this is not always a good idea. It is possible to misdiagnose a yeast infection. It could in fact be a urinary tract infection, or a sign of a more serious reproductive problem. Temple University did a study in 1997 that showed that eleven percent of women who thought they had a yeast infection actually had a bacteria infection, these bacterial infections required a different type of treatment. If you use an over the counter treatment and your yeast infection does not clear up in a few days, schedule a trip to the doctors office. A yeast infection should be gone one week after you have started treatment, if it is still lingering see your doctor.
Although it doesn’t happen very frequently, it is possible for yeast infections to be sexually transferred. It would be wise to avoid sex until the yeast infection has cleared up.
Ways to avoid a yeast infection include wearing loose fitting clothing, wearing cotton underwear, wearing underwear that isn’t perfumed or died, changing out of your wet bathing suit, avoid douching, wiping from front to back, and maintaining a balanced blood sugar level.
FRUIT COCKTAILS
FRUIT COCKTAILS.
Cocktails made of a combination of fruits are often served as the first course of a meal, usually a luncheon or a dinner, to precede the soup course. In warm weather, they are an excellent substitute for heavy cocktails made of lobster or crab, and they may even be used to replace the soup course. The fruits used for this purpose should be the more acid ones, for the acids and flavors are intended to serve as an appetizer, or the same purpose for which the hot and highly seasoned soups are taken. Fruit cocktails should always be served ice cold.
Grapefruit cocktail.
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The cocktail here explained may be served in stemmed glasses or in the shells of the grapefruit. If the fruit shells are to be used, the grapefruit should be cut into two parts, half way between the blossom and the stem ends, the fruit removed, and the edges of the shell then notched. This plan of serving a cocktail should be adopted only when small grapefruits are used, for if the shells are large more fruit will have to be used than is agreeable for a cocktail.
2 grapefruits 2 oranges 1 c. diced pineapple, fresh or canned Powdered sugar
Remove the pulp from the grapefruits and oranges. However, if the grapefruit shells are to be used for serving the cocktail, the grapefruit should be cut in half and the pulp then taken out of the skin with a sharp knife. With the sections of pulp removed, cut each one into several pieces. Add the diced pineapple to the other fruits, mix together well and set on ice until thoroughly chilled. Put in cocktail glasses or grapefruit shells, pour a spoonful or two of orange juice over each serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar, garnish with a cherry, and serve ice cold.
Summer cocktail.
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As strawberries and pineapples can be obtained fresh at the same time during the summer, they are often used together in a cocktail. When sweetened slightly with powdered sugar and allowed to become ice cold, these fruits make a delicious combination.
2 c. diced fresh pineapple 2 c. sliced strawberries Powdered sugar
Prepare a fresh pineapple, and cut each slice into small pieces or dice. Wash and hull the strawberries and slice them into small slices. Mix the two fruits and sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Place in cocktail glasses and allow to stand on ice a short time before serving.
Fruit cocktail.
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A fruit cocktail proper is made by combining a number of different kinds of fruit, such as bananas, pineapple, oranges, and maraschino cherries. Such a cocktail is served in a stemmed glass set on a small plate. Nothing more delicious than this can be prepared for the first course of a dinner or a luncheon that is to be served daintily. Its advantage is that it can be made at almost any season of the year with these particular fruits.
2 bananas 1 c. canned pineapple 2 oranges 1 doz. maraschino cherries Lemon juice Powdered sugar
Peel the bananas and dice them. Dice the pineapple. Remove the pulp from the oranges in the manner, and cut each section into several pieces. Mix these three fruits. Cut the cherries in half and add to the mixture. Set on ice until thoroughly chilled. To serve, put into cocktail glasses and add to each glass 1 tablespoonful of maraschino juice from the cherries and 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
A Brief Look at the Past of Making Chocolate
A Brief Look at the Past of Making Chocolate
Everything has its origin. Did you know that even the process of making chocolate has a history? This may be your favorite thing to do now on your pastime. Or you may be even addicted to the taste of such treat. But this piece will not add up to that craving as it tries to give you a better view as to how it all started.
The Theobroma Cacao or the food from the Gods is what you all know as the cocoa tree. Its origin can be traced on America’s rainforests, specifically in Central America. But historians are still debating about certain facts about this tree.
Xocolat, Anyone?
There are arguments that the Mayans first grew such tree in 300 AD. And the Aztecs had their turn in cultivating such in 1100 AD. The chocolate that you all know now used to be called Xocolat. This was a special beverage that was made out of chilies, anise seed, vanilla, cornmeal and some more spices. Only royalties get to be treated with such delight at the time. It was served using golden cups that were to be used only once.
Save the Chocolates
The cocoa tree is sensitive to its surroundings. It will most likely grow in the shades of the canopy of the rainforest. For this reason, chocolate lovers must unite in the goal of saving the environment, especially in saving the rainforests where the cacaos will most likely survive.
This tree is unique in the sense that its fruits grow on its branches and trunk. The reason for this is because of midges. These are the tiny insects that cause the pollination process during nighttime.
Did you know that the cacao tree can have approximately 10,000 blossoms but only about 10 to 50 of those will mature into fruits or the pod? This is because like an intelligent human being, the tree of cacao can regulate its blossoms to the amount that it can handle and grow.
The cacao tree self regulates in this process to be able to sustain its good health. It knows what it can contain and handle. It knows just how many is enough and too much. The tree does this to preserve its internal systems and to prevent its branches from breaking or falling apart.
The cocoa beans come from the fruit or the pod from the intelligent tree. Harvesters wait for the pod to ripen. They will handpick the trees and crack up the pods until they see white pulpy elements that surround the seeds. The pulps are then trashed while the seeds are kept because those are your cocoa beans, the source of your chocolate treats.
These seeds are actually bitter during such time. For this reason, these will go through the fermentation process for about three to seven days. This method will cause the seeds to go through some chemical as well as physical changes. The result of this will then be used for the royalties’ treat, the Xocolat.
The beans need to go through several procedures after which before it can be used for the traditional making chocolate purposes. Now that you know where it came from, you’ll never look at your favorite chocolate the same way ever again. Or probably not. Whatever it has been through, chocolates will remain a favorite among children and child at heart.
