by: Levi Reiss
If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Languedoc-Roussillon region of south central France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Viognier.
Among the eleven wine-growing regions of France Languedoc-Roussillon ranks largest in actual area and is number four in wine grape acreage. This area, which includes the Midi, was once known for producing huge quantities of questionable quality wine called vin ordinaire. Times change and partly because of Australian winemakers, this region produces an increasing number of fine wines. Unlike most other regions of France, many Languedoc-Roussillon wines, such as the one reviewed below, are identified by their grape variety on the label.
Don't think of this region as being uniform. For example, Languedoc is mostly flat, but Roussillon tends to be hilly. Furthermore, several select areas with their own unique combination of microclimate and soil (terroir) make their own AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controle) wines, which are usually more expensive. Sooner or later we'll be looking at some of these wines in our series. There are almost 50 AOC wine appellations in Languedoc-Roussillon; covering the entire range, red, white, rosé, sparkling, and sweet. This diversity comes as no surprise; the region is home to more than thirty grape varieties.
About forty years ago the Viognier grape came close to extinction. At that time it was down to a measly 35 acres in France. Times have changed and this grape is now grown in California, Italy, Australia, Chile, and Canada, with more countries on the way. The classic Viognier wines come from the Northern Rhone Valley of eastern France, but we probably won't be reviewing them because of their limited availability and high cost.
Of course the Languedoc-Roussillon region has many places to visit. Here we focus on the city of Carcassonne, population 45 thousand. Talk about location. This city lies on a hilltop on the route leading from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. And it's not far from the Spanish border. Small wonder that it dates back well over two thousand years. The Romans fortified it about 100 BC. Carcassonne has the longest standing city walls in all of Europe. Its name comes from Dame Carcas, who fed the last of the city's wheat to a pig in clear view of the French Emperor Charlemagne. He mistakenly believed that the besieged city was in no danger of starvation, and called off the siege.
The Aude River divides the fortified upper town, La Cité, from the newer lower town, La Basse Ville. The upper town is basically closed to private cars. Among the upper town sites to see are the Fortress, the Bascilica of Sainte Nazaire, Museum of Chivalry, Arms and Archery, and the Museum of the Middle Ages, focusing on military history. The lower town has a fine arts museum and, in season (April to mid-November), an Australian Animal Preserve with kangaroos and emus.
Before reviewing the Languedoc-Roussillon wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Huitres de Bouzigues (Oysters from Bouzigues). For your second course savor Bourride (Fish with Aïoli, a local mayonnaise). And as dessert indulge yourself with Creme Colane (Dessert Cream with Lemon, Vanilla, and Dill Seed).
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Domaine des Salices Viognier 2005 13% about $12
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. During the last ten years or so, the Viognier grape has been quite successful in the vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon (a.k.a., Midi). Once confined to vineyards in northern Rhône, today Viognier is thriving not just in the Midi, but throughout other warm climate regions around the world. Enjoy this fruity, low acid, aromatic wonder with lightly spiced seafood dishes, turkey breast or grilled salmon.
My first meal consisted of baked chicken leg with the skin on in a medley of spices (garlic, onion, cumin, and uncharacteristically tame Moroccan Harissa), rice, and green beans. I tasted apples, pears, and something floral tasting in this wine. I liked the acidity and the way that it cut the tasty grease of the chicken skin. The wine was a good accompaniment to fresh pineapple. I tried an off-the-wall combination by finishing my glass with jalapeno roasted almonds. The wine went dead. I don't blame the Viognier for this mismatch.
The next meal was an omelet with brown mushrooms, red onions, and American cheese (a mistake). The Viognier was moderately acidic and just a bit sweet with the taste of light fruits. Frankly, I preferred sipping the wine to this combination. There is a well-known rule when pairing a wine to dessert: make sure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert. I broke the rule with a homemade cheesecake that simply denatured the wine. On the other hand, the wine held up better with a homemade chocolate cake that wasn't as sweet.
My final meal was vegetarian. It included a somewhat spicy broccoli and mushroom (but no cheese) quiche. The wine was very refreshing and almost ethereal. The other dish was a sweet potato, olive, and rustic potato concoction held together by crushed crackers. The wine was somewhat less exciting than before but still fine. As often with vegetarian meals, I was still hungry. Always on the lookout for an unconventional pairing, I tried dried, lightly sweetened cranberries. They killed the wine. Why stop there? Candy-coated peanuts went better. They turned up the wine's acidity but the combination was good enough to go back for seconds.
The first cheese was a goat's milk cheese, a Palet de Chevre from the Poitou Charentes region of central-western France. This cheese looked and tasted more like a Camembert than like a goat's milk cheese. But the wine was quite fruity and pleasant with it. My next cheese was a Swiss Gruyere with a nutty taste. As previously the wine was fruity and a bit acidic. Just before the wine and cheese tasting I went to the local supermarket. On the cheese shelf was a local Asiago, a sharp cheese originally from northern Italy. Usually I don't taste local cheeses with these wines, but because I actually preferred this local Asiago to the imported version, I thought that I'd make an exception. The combination was quite good; the wine came out fruity and lightly acidic. Slices of fresh tomato perked it up even more.
Final verdict. I liked this wine and intend to buy it again, even more so at its relatively low price. I'll let you in on a secret; this is the first Viognier wine that I liked to any extent. I plan to taste other Viognier wines in this series. I don't promise that I'll try the top-of-the-line offerings from the northern Rhone Valley; they are quite pricey.
Rabu, 13 Agustus 2008
How to Prepare and Cook the Perfect Chicken and Turkey
by: Kevin McCarthy
People want to eat healthy foods today, and a good way to accomplish that is through poultry. There are some chicken cooking tips that can help you in the kitchen and protect your family as well.
Here are a few of the best chicken cooking tips available.
• You must take care to always wash your hands, knife, and cutting board in hot soapy water after preparing raw poultry.
• You should never use the same utensils and cutting board for other ingredients without thoroughly washing them first and after use. This prevents cross contamination.
• You should always marinate poultry in the refrigerator. Never leave it out in the open.
• Do not use the poultry marinade for basting.
• If the marinade is to be used for the basis of a sauce, bring it to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
• Never put cooked poultry on the same plate that was used to transport raw poultry. Again, this prevents cross contamination.
Here are some chicken cooking tips for storing your poultry:
• Fresh poultry is a very perishable food. You should not leave it out in the open air. Instead, wrap it in plastic as soon as you get it home from the store and always store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. You should use it within two days; if this is not possible, place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. You should always freeze giblets and livers separately from the whole bird.
• Cooked poultry dishes can be frozen. However, you should not freeze poultry dishes that contain mayonnaise or hard-boiled eggs.
• Allow small poultry dishes to cool completely before wrapping and freezing them. Allow larger items to cool in the refrigerator and then wrap airtight and freeze.
• You should never freeze stuffed poultry.
Some of the most important chicken cooking tips involve proper thawing of the bird.
It is especially important that the poultry be properly thawed before cooking. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator while it is in the original wrapper. You can place it on a tray to catch any drips that may fall as it thaws. When thawing in the refrigerator is not possible because there is not enough time, there are two other alternatives. For rapid thawing, you can put the bird in watertight wrapping and then submerge in cold water. You should change the water frequently as this will help quicken the process. Smaller birds require about one to two hours.
The other alternative is to leave the bird in its wrapper and put it into a heavy paper grocery bag. Close up the bag and put it into a cool room. You will need to check it frequently, and once the bird is thawed, you must cook it immediately.
Now for the Turkey!
Turkey is a long time favorite of many families and now there are some great cooking tips tricks that anyone can learn and use to better prepare these wonderful birds.
Selecting the proper size: You should plan on about 3/4 pound per person for generous servings. You should understand that this will not leave much in leftovers. If you like to have more leftovers, plan on 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per person.
Hens or Toms: It may surprise you but the only real difference between a hen and tom is the size. Hens are classified under 16 pounds and toms are over 16 lbs. A somewhat secret cooking tips tricks is that both will be a young turkey, just a few weeks old at the time of processing. They will be equally tender and moist.
Roasting your bird: Remove the neck and giblets from the neck and body cavities. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. If you want to stuff the bird, you should loosely stuff the body and neck cavities and then fasten the leg clamp back onto the legs.
Cooking tips tricks: Place the turkey in a roasting pan with the plastic timer unobstructed. Cover with a lid, or fashion your own cover with a loose tent of foil. Remember to remove the cover for the last hour for browning.
Cooking tips tricks for Roasting Times: Roast in a preheated, 325 degree Fahrenheit oven. Roasting will take about 15 minutes per pound if the turkey is not stuffed. Stuffed turkeys require an additional 1/2 to 1 hour cooking time. However, it is always best to follow the instructions that come with the stuffing and the turkey. You oven temperature may vary as well which will require you to adjust your time, either upward or downward.
Cooking tips tricks for Basting: One of the most useful tools you can have is a suction basting tube. These inexpensive tools can make basting your turkey a snap and they can also help decrease the time that the oven door is open, which leads to losing oven heat. Baste your bird about every hour or so. This will help make it brown and tender.
People want to eat healthy foods today, and a good way to accomplish that is through poultry. There are some chicken cooking tips that can help you in the kitchen and protect your family as well.
Here are a few of the best chicken cooking tips available.
• You must take care to always wash your hands, knife, and cutting board in hot soapy water after preparing raw poultry.
• You should never use the same utensils and cutting board for other ingredients without thoroughly washing them first and after use. This prevents cross contamination.
• You should always marinate poultry in the refrigerator. Never leave it out in the open.
• Do not use the poultry marinade for basting.
• If the marinade is to be used for the basis of a sauce, bring it to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
• Never put cooked poultry on the same plate that was used to transport raw poultry. Again, this prevents cross contamination.
Here are some chicken cooking tips for storing your poultry:
• Fresh poultry is a very perishable food. You should not leave it out in the open air. Instead, wrap it in plastic as soon as you get it home from the store and always store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. You should use it within two days; if this is not possible, place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. You should always freeze giblets and livers separately from the whole bird.
• Cooked poultry dishes can be frozen. However, you should not freeze poultry dishes that contain mayonnaise or hard-boiled eggs.
• Allow small poultry dishes to cool completely before wrapping and freezing them. Allow larger items to cool in the refrigerator and then wrap airtight and freeze.
• You should never freeze stuffed poultry.
Some of the most important chicken cooking tips involve proper thawing of the bird.
It is especially important that the poultry be properly thawed before cooking. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator while it is in the original wrapper. You can place it on a tray to catch any drips that may fall as it thaws. When thawing in the refrigerator is not possible because there is not enough time, there are two other alternatives. For rapid thawing, you can put the bird in watertight wrapping and then submerge in cold water. You should change the water frequently as this will help quicken the process. Smaller birds require about one to two hours.
The other alternative is to leave the bird in its wrapper and put it into a heavy paper grocery bag. Close up the bag and put it into a cool room. You will need to check it frequently, and once the bird is thawed, you must cook it immediately.
Now for the Turkey!
Turkey is a long time favorite of many families and now there are some great cooking tips tricks that anyone can learn and use to better prepare these wonderful birds.
Selecting the proper size: You should plan on about 3/4 pound per person for generous servings. You should understand that this will not leave much in leftovers. If you like to have more leftovers, plan on 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per person.
Hens or Toms: It may surprise you but the only real difference between a hen and tom is the size. Hens are classified under 16 pounds and toms are over 16 lbs. A somewhat secret cooking tips tricks is that both will be a young turkey, just a few weeks old at the time of processing. They will be equally tender and moist.
Roasting your bird: Remove the neck and giblets from the neck and body cavities. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. If you want to stuff the bird, you should loosely stuff the body and neck cavities and then fasten the leg clamp back onto the legs.
Cooking tips tricks: Place the turkey in a roasting pan with the plastic timer unobstructed. Cover with a lid, or fashion your own cover with a loose tent of foil. Remember to remove the cover for the last hour for browning.
Cooking tips tricks for Roasting Times: Roast in a preheated, 325 degree Fahrenheit oven. Roasting will take about 15 minutes per pound if the turkey is not stuffed. Stuffed turkeys require an additional 1/2 to 1 hour cooking time. However, it is always best to follow the instructions that come with the stuffing and the turkey. You oven temperature may vary as well which will require you to adjust your time, either upward or downward.
Cooking tips tricks for Basting: One of the most useful tools you can have is a suction basting tube. These inexpensive tools can make basting your turkey a snap and they can also help decrease the time that the oven door is open, which leads to losing oven heat. Baste your bird about every hour or so. This will help make it brown and tender.
Different Types Of Refrigeration
by: Glenn Day
Each and every day, millions of people in the United States use a refrigerator. Many businesses depend on them as they are crucial to maintain our foods safety. When it comes down to it, refrigerators are so commonplace in our day, it is hard to imagine people would add chemicals or use ice to keep things cool. Beyond the refrigerator in a home setting, most people never even think of the extensive technology required to keep commercial and industrial food appropriately cooled at all times. Generally speaking, equipment is needed to protect and store goods, largely food, during shipping by road, rail, air and sea. Without the ability to do this, food would have no way of being moved from one area to the next without spoiling.
Domestic vs. Commercial Refrigeration
Domestic Refrigeration: This type of refrigeration is one that is familiar to most homeowners. Refrigerators and freezers that you keep in your home fall under this category. This is the type of unit that is used to keep food cold in a residential environment.
Commercial Refrigeration: This type of refrigeration holds and displays frozen and fresh food in retail stores, as well as other like establishments. In most cases, this type of refrigeration is farther advanced than refrigerators that you would find in residential homes. As you can imagine, it is crucial that many commercial establishments keep their refrigerators up to date with food safety regulations. This ranges from retail stores to restaurants and many more.
Food processing and Storage: This type of refrigeration is used to preserve process and store the food from its source to the wholesale division. If you are not in the food industry, you probably do not have much knowledge on this type of refrigeration. But even though you may not know about this, it still affects you in more ways than you can imagine. After all, you want your food to be fresh when it finally arrives at your home, right?
There is also a large variety of specialized equipment that may be required to protect and store foods when being shipped by road, rail, air, and sea. In other words, the food cannot thaw out just because it is in transit. Instead, special equipment is used to make sure that food is kept at the appropriate temperature regardless of transportation method.
All in all, there are many different types of refrigeration that help to ensure the overall quality and safety of food.
Each and every day, millions of people in the United States use a refrigerator. Many businesses depend on them as they are crucial to maintain our foods safety. When it comes down to it, refrigerators are so commonplace in our day, it is hard to imagine people would add chemicals or use ice to keep things cool. Beyond the refrigerator in a home setting, most people never even think of the extensive technology required to keep commercial and industrial food appropriately cooled at all times. Generally speaking, equipment is needed to protect and store goods, largely food, during shipping by road, rail, air and sea. Without the ability to do this, food would have no way of being moved from one area to the next without spoiling.
Domestic vs. Commercial Refrigeration
Domestic Refrigeration: This type of refrigeration is one that is familiar to most homeowners. Refrigerators and freezers that you keep in your home fall under this category. This is the type of unit that is used to keep food cold in a residential environment.
Commercial Refrigeration: This type of refrigeration holds and displays frozen and fresh food in retail stores, as well as other like establishments. In most cases, this type of refrigeration is farther advanced than refrigerators that you would find in residential homes. As you can imagine, it is crucial that many commercial establishments keep their refrigerators up to date with food safety regulations. This ranges from retail stores to restaurants and many more.
Food processing and Storage: This type of refrigeration is used to preserve process and store the food from its source to the wholesale division. If you are not in the food industry, you probably do not have much knowledge on this type of refrigeration. But even though you may not know about this, it still affects you in more ways than you can imagine. After all, you want your food to be fresh when it finally arrives at your home, right?
There is also a large variety of specialized equipment that may be required to protect and store foods when being shipped by road, rail, air, and sea. In other words, the food cannot thaw out just because it is in transit. Instead, special equipment is used to make sure that food is kept at the appropriate temperature regardless of transportation method.
All in all, there are many different types of refrigeration that help to ensure the overall quality and safety of food.
Champagne or Sparkling Wine?
by: Evelyn Whitaker
Many people don't realize it, but there is a difference between sparkling wine and real champagne. Champagne is only champagne if it comes from a certain area of France and it actually says "Champagne" on the label.
Beside the fact that Champagne is only made in France, there are other strict guidelines to how Champagne is made.
Unlike most wines, champagne goes through a secondary fermentation process which is done in the bottle. That's what causes natural carbon dioxide gas to get caught inside. This trapped co2 is what causes the bubbles.
Sparkling wines do not go through a secondary fermentation process. Sparkling wine is made from regular wine with co2 injections. This is done the same way as when they make coke or any other type of soda.
But does sparkling wine taste the same as champagne? The answer to this is that they may taste close, but the real difference can be told with a taste test. Champagne is bubblier and a bit lighter and sparkling wines will always carry a taste from the region they are from. Most people tend to prefer the real champagne.
The best way to chill champagne is not in the freezer, but rather in the refrigerator for not more than a couple of days. Better yet, 30 minutes before you are ready to drink the champagne, put it in a champagne cooler that is filled with equal parts ice and water and chill.
When you are ready to open the bottle, make sure that it is always pointed away from yourself and anyone else. To be on the safe side, keep your thumb on top of the cork and with your other hand separate the wire from the bottle. Hold the cork and top part of the bottle firmly in your hand while holding the bottom of the bottle with your other hand. Slowly turn the bottom of the bottle. You do not want the cork to pop, but in case it does and champagne comes pouring out of the bottle do not turn the bottle upright, but rather at an angle which will stop the flow of champagne.
So how do you know what to look for when choosing your champagne? Assess the bubbles. How many are there, how big are they and how fine are the beads? A young champagne will have lots of bubbles where as an older champagne will have less bubbles. Vintage champagne is any champagne that has a date on the label. It means all the grapes were picked in that same year. Non vintage champagne is a mix of various years and a mix of different kinds of grapes.
Labels can tell you more than whether the champagne is a vintage or not. You can also tell how dry the champagne is. For example, "Brut" is the driest of champagnes with almost no residual sugars. Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry and Dry are the four different levels of dryness you can get. It can be misleading because by the time you get to "Dry" you are actually drinking champagne which is more on the sweet side.
What type of glass should you use to drink champagne from? It all depends on how many bubbles you want your champagne to have. Narrower glasses or flutes keep the bubbles in the best. If you were to pour champagne from a flute to a martini glass, you would see almost of all the bubbles disappear. But this does not mean your champagne has gone flat. Pour it back into the flute and the bubbles will come back.
Many people don't realize it, but there is a difference between sparkling wine and real champagne. Champagne is only champagne if it comes from a certain area of France and it actually says "Champagne" on the label.
Beside the fact that Champagne is only made in France, there are other strict guidelines to how Champagne is made.
Unlike most wines, champagne goes through a secondary fermentation process which is done in the bottle. That's what causes natural carbon dioxide gas to get caught inside. This trapped co2 is what causes the bubbles.
Sparkling wines do not go through a secondary fermentation process. Sparkling wine is made from regular wine with co2 injections. This is done the same way as when they make coke or any other type of soda.
But does sparkling wine taste the same as champagne? The answer to this is that they may taste close, but the real difference can be told with a taste test. Champagne is bubblier and a bit lighter and sparkling wines will always carry a taste from the region they are from. Most people tend to prefer the real champagne.
The best way to chill champagne is not in the freezer, but rather in the refrigerator for not more than a couple of days. Better yet, 30 minutes before you are ready to drink the champagne, put it in a champagne cooler that is filled with equal parts ice and water and chill.
When you are ready to open the bottle, make sure that it is always pointed away from yourself and anyone else. To be on the safe side, keep your thumb on top of the cork and with your other hand separate the wire from the bottle. Hold the cork and top part of the bottle firmly in your hand while holding the bottom of the bottle with your other hand. Slowly turn the bottom of the bottle. You do not want the cork to pop, but in case it does and champagne comes pouring out of the bottle do not turn the bottle upright, but rather at an angle which will stop the flow of champagne.
So how do you know what to look for when choosing your champagne? Assess the bubbles. How many are there, how big are they and how fine are the beads? A young champagne will have lots of bubbles where as an older champagne will have less bubbles. Vintage champagne is any champagne that has a date on the label. It means all the grapes were picked in that same year. Non vintage champagne is a mix of various years and a mix of different kinds of grapes.
Labels can tell you more than whether the champagne is a vintage or not. You can also tell how dry the champagne is. For example, "Brut" is the driest of champagnes with almost no residual sugars. Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry and Dry are the four different levels of dryness you can get. It can be misleading because by the time you get to "Dry" you are actually drinking champagne which is more on the sweet side.
What type of glass should you use to drink champagne from? It all depends on how many bubbles you want your champagne to have. Narrower glasses or flutes keep the bubbles in the best. If you were to pour champagne from a flute to a martini glass, you would see almost of all the bubbles disappear. But this does not mean your champagne has gone flat. Pour it back into the flute and the bubbles will come back.
Barbacoa – Grilled Sheep From Mexico
by: Chris McCarthy
Barbacoa – the name itself sounds as if it is time to celebrate. It is an open fire grilling process where a whole sheep is made to roast slowly so that each fleshy part acquires that flabbergasting taste of barbeque bonfire. However, the sheep can also be grilled traditionally in a pit covered with leaves. This barbeque specialty was developed in Mexico just after the Spanish conquest and it was referred to as Barbacoa de cabeza.
Regional discrimination in the art of cooking
In U.S, some portions of the head of the cow become the item to be grilled. In Northern Mexico, again it is the head of the cow, though goat meat or Cabrito is more preferred here. Lamb is the choice of the Central Mexicans and it is Cochinita Pibil (pit-style pork) in traditional Yucatan gastronomy dictionary.
Barbacoa and Barbeque
The word barbeque is an adoption from the word barbacoa. In both cases, meats are cooked following a proper grilling or roasting process. The flesh is allowed to roll well over the grilling equipment to allow the heat touch every part of the fleshy item. This helps to build that simmering and spicy experience which often makes you feel as if there is no end to an appetite.
South Texas Style Beef Barbacoa
Five brothers together make one palatable dish. Yes that’s the way it’s done. Garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano, chili powder and salt – all mixed well and rubbed thoroughly and evenly on all sides of the meat. Your requirement is three quarts boiling water in a water pan, which allows the beef to be exposed to smoke at least for four hours and at a temperature between 225 to 275 degrees. Once you are to change the boiling water of the pan. After this is over, keep watch that the internal temperature of the beef does not exceed 160 – 170 degrees.
The next step would be to lay the beef in a foil-baking pan, seal it well with heavy-duty aluminum cover, and carefully place it in a preheated oven at a temperature of 325 degrees. The baking should continue for one hour and forty-five minutes. After everything is done just test the meat. You will see that the flesh tends to fall apart from the bone - yes, proper broiling method can really make the meat soft.
Now, it is the time to serve. The meat is chopped and shred into small pieces and then dished up with guacamole, salsa, and hot tortillas.
The queen of the Mexican bistro
Outside Mexico City, there are several places serving palatable barbacoa de borrego (lamb barbeque) and other provincial cooking varieties in a dozen of unbounded restaurants. Arroyo, one of Mexico’s famous restaurants is noted for its supply of pit-roasted barbacoa de borrego and consomme de Borrego. Such dishes are well complimented by soup made from the drippings of the roasting lamb and sheep.
Mexican barbacoa – a Mexico magnificence that can make the heat of an occasion rise to an extent when the rest of the party dance wildly with the pulsating music. When hot barbeque accompanies the heat of an occasion, nothing else is required to make the party more enjoying.
Barbacoa – the name itself sounds as if it is time to celebrate. It is an open fire grilling process where a whole sheep is made to roast slowly so that each fleshy part acquires that flabbergasting taste of barbeque bonfire. However, the sheep can also be grilled traditionally in a pit covered with leaves. This barbeque specialty was developed in Mexico just after the Spanish conquest and it was referred to as Barbacoa de cabeza.
Regional discrimination in the art of cooking
In U.S, some portions of the head of the cow become the item to be grilled. In Northern Mexico, again it is the head of the cow, though goat meat or Cabrito is more preferred here. Lamb is the choice of the Central Mexicans and it is Cochinita Pibil (pit-style pork) in traditional Yucatan gastronomy dictionary.
Barbacoa and Barbeque
The word barbeque is an adoption from the word barbacoa. In both cases, meats are cooked following a proper grilling or roasting process. The flesh is allowed to roll well over the grilling equipment to allow the heat touch every part of the fleshy item. This helps to build that simmering and spicy experience which often makes you feel as if there is no end to an appetite.
South Texas Style Beef Barbacoa
Five brothers together make one palatable dish. Yes that’s the way it’s done. Garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano, chili powder and salt – all mixed well and rubbed thoroughly and evenly on all sides of the meat. Your requirement is three quarts boiling water in a water pan, which allows the beef to be exposed to smoke at least for four hours and at a temperature between 225 to 275 degrees. Once you are to change the boiling water of the pan. After this is over, keep watch that the internal temperature of the beef does not exceed 160 – 170 degrees.
The next step would be to lay the beef in a foil-baking pan, seal it well with heavy-duty aluminum cover, and carefully place it in a preheated oven at a temperature of 325 degrees. The baking should continue for one hour and forty-five minutes. After everything is done just test the meat. You will see that the flesh tends to fall apart from the bone - yes, proper broiling method can really make the meat soft.
Now, it is the time to serve. The meat is chopped and shred into small pieces and then dished up with guacamole, salsa, and hot tortillas.
The queen of the Mexican bistro
Outside Mexico City, there are several places serving palatable barbacoa de borrego (lamb barbeque) and other provincial cooking varieties in a dozen of unbounded restaurants. Arroyo, one of Mexico’s famous restaurants is noted for its supply of pit-roasted barbacoa de borrego and consomme de Borrego. Such dishes are well complimented by soup made from the drippings of the roasting lamb and sheep.
Mexican barbacoa – a Mexico magnificence that can make the heat of an occasion rise to an extent when the rest of the party dance wildly with the pulsating music. When hot barbeque accompanies the heat of an occasion, nothing else is required to make the party more enjoying.
Menu Planning When You're Short on Time
by: David P. Owen
When my wife and I were engaged, we envisioned the romantic daily routines of married life: waking up together in the morning, taking walks together and of course – making and eating great food together. Of course our house would be clean, our fridge fully stocked, and our daily menus perfectly planned.
Then reality set in.
I was finishing school and had a job on top of that, and of course she was working as well. We barely had enough time together to remember we were married, not to mention go through all the planning required to have that perfectly organized home you read about in all those magazines. We struggled to decide what to eat every night, and even though we always bought a cartload of groceries every week at the supermarket, we usually ended up throwing out much of it when it spoiled.
After two years of eating out, we eventually grew tired of all the restaurants in town and decided to try cooking again. We were visiting a friend and noticed a chart on their refrigerator: they had planned out dinner menus for two weeks of meals, and they would rotate a menu every other week. Monday was pasta, Tuesday was Chinese, etc. Below the menu they listed all the ingredients they would need for the meal and that served as their shopping list. So once a week they would go through the list, check off anything they already had, and then go shopping. We found out that they were spending about half as much on food every month as we were.
So we decided to try it. We sat down and planned dinners for three weeks. We tried to make one meal from the leftover ingredients of the night before, and we usually had enough leftovers for lunch the next day. It worked wonderfully! We saved hundreds of dollars a month, and by choosing easy recipes we saved time as well.
Not too long ago I started working for a company called DVO Enterprises. They have created a cookbook software program that makes things even easier. We can drag and drop recipes into a menu and the program automatically generates a shopping list, organized by store aisle. I can then look at the leftover ingredients from a meal and get suggested recipes for them. We even imported some of our favorite cookbooks into it, and some recipes from their site that looked good. I don’t buy software very often, but this one has paid for itself many times over. It’s called Cook’n, and is available here: http://www.dvo.com/cookbooksoftware.html
Good luck with your menu planning!
When my wife and I were engaged, we envisioned the romantic daily routines of married life: waking up together in the morning, taking walks together and of course – making and eating great food together. Of course our house would be clean, our fridge fully stocked, and our daily menus perfectly planned.
Then reality set in.
I was finishing school and had a job on top of that, and of course she was working as well. We barely had enough time together to remember we were married, not to mention go through all the planning required to have that perfectly organized home you read about in all those magazines. We struggled to decide what to eat every night, and even though we always bought a cartload of groceries every week at the supermarket, we usually ended up throwing out much of it when it spoiled.
After two years of eating out, we eventually grew tired of all the restaurants in town and decided to try cooking again. We were visiting a friend and noticed a chart on their refrigerator: they had planned out dinner menus for two weeks of meals, and they would rotate a menu every other week. Monday was pasta, Tuesday was Chinese, etc. Below the menu they listed all the ingredients they would need for the meal and that served as their shopping list. So once a week they would go through the list, check off anything they already had, and then go shopping. We found out that they were spending about half as much on food every month as we were.
So we decided to try it. We sat down and planned dinners for three weeks. We tried to make one meal from the leftover ingredients of the night before, and we usually had enough leftovers for lunch the next day. It worked wonderfully! We saved hundreds of dollars a month, and by choosing easy recipes we saved time as well.
Not too long ago I started working for a company called DVO Enterprises. They have created a cookbook software program that makes things even easier. We can drag and drop recipes into a menu and the program automatically generates a shopping list, organized by store aisle. I can then look at the leftover ingredients from a meal and get suggested recipes for them. We even imported some of our favorite cookbooks into it, and some recipes from their site that looked good. I don’t buy software very often, but this one has paid for itself many times over. It’s called Cook’n, and is available here: http://www.dvo.com/cookbooksoftware.html
Good luck with your menu planning!
Learn How To Bake Like A Pro
by: Nancy Batson
Baking can be complicated if an individual does not know what they are doing. Here are some cooking tips and guidelines to assist these individuals.
Before an individual gets started, there are a few steps that should be followed first. These cooking tips will prevent most disasters from happening. Always read through the entire recipe before beginning. This ensures that all necessary ingredients are on hand before starting. Check expiration dates on all non perishable supplies, so that running to the store happens in the middle of baking. Preheat the oven and check with an oven thermometer. Most ovens can run anywhere from twenty five degrees to cooler to twenty five degrees warmer. This ensures that the proper temperature is obtained for the recipe. Follow directions on adjusting oven racks, prepping baking sheets, and using the right baking pan. Measure ingredients accurately this means holding it up to eye level especially with liquids. To measure dry ingredients over fill then level off with flat edge of knife. Finally bake with love, if an individual is angry or rushed the recipe may not turn out right.
These next cooking tips are about ingredients. There are many different kinds of flour, and they are not all the same. Wheat flour is important for all yeast breads. Bread flour works for yeast loaves, however put it in yeast bread and it will turn into a heavy cake. Cake flour is very fine. All purpose flour can be used for most any baking. Bleached and unbleached flours can be used interchangeably. Make sure to store flour in an airtight container, in a spot that cool and dry for up to six months.
Baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable. Baking powder is a combination of baking soda and an acid. Its leavening power works when mixed with wet ingredients and then baked into the oven. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. When it mixes with an acid ingredient like buttermilk, yogurt or molasses, it makes carbon dioxide bubbles that make baked goods light and airy.
Cooking tips for handling chocolate are important. First there are different types of chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate is chocolate liquor that has at least fifty percent cocoa butter and no added sugar. Various amounts of sugar added create bittersweet, semisweet, and dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is dried milk powder, cocoa butter and added sugar. White chocolate is made with cocoa butter instead of chocolate liquor. Unsweetened cocoa is made from chocolate liquor with seventy five percent cocoa butter removed and then dried and ground into a paste. When melting chocolate it is easy to burn, so always melt it over very low heat. Individuals can choose the double boiler method, the direct heat method, or the microwave oven method.
Using these cooking tips will make almost any baked goodie turn out great.
Baking can be complicated if an individual does not know what they are doing. Here are some cooking tips and guidelines to assist these individuals.
Before an individual gets started, there are a few steps that should be followed first. These cooking tips will prevent most disasters from happening. Always read through the entire recipe before beginning. This ensures that all necessary ingredients are on hand before starting. Check expiration dates on all non perishable supplies, so that running to the store happens in the middle of baking. Preheat the oven and check with an oven thermometer. Most ovens can run anywhere from twenty five degrees to cooler to twenty five degrees warmer. This ensures that the proper temperature is obtained for the recipe. Follow directions on adjusting oven racks, prepping baking sheets, and using the right baking pan. Measure ingredients accurately this means holding it up to eye level especially with liquids. To measure dry ingredients over fill then level off with flat edge of knife. Finally bake with love, if an individual is angry or rushed the recipe may not turn out right.
These next cooking tips are about ingredients. There are many different kinds of flour, and they are not all the same. Wheat flour is important for all yeast breads. Bread flour works for yeast loaves, however put it in yeast bread and it will turn into a heavy cake. Cake flour is very fine. All purpose flour can be used for most any baking. Bleached and unbleached flours can be used interchangeably. Make sure to store flour in an airtight container, in a spot that cool and dry for up to six months.
Baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable. Baking powder is a combination of baking soda and an acid. Its leavening power works when mixed with wet ingredients and then baked into the oven. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. When it mixes with an acid ingredient like buttermilk, yogurt or molasses, it makes carbon dioxide bubbles that make baked goods light and airy.
Cooking tips for handling chocolate are important. First there are different types of chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate is chocolate liquor that has at least fifty percent cocoa butter and no added sugar. Various amounts of sugar added create bittersweet, semisweet, and dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is dried milk powder, cocoa butter and added sugar. White chocolate is made with cocoa butter instead of chocolate liquor. Unsweetened cocoa is made from chocolate liquor with seventy five percent cocoa butter removed and then dried and ground into a paste. When melting chocolate it is easy to burn, so always melt it over very low heat. Individuals can choose the double boiler method, the direct heat method, or the microwave oven method.
Using these cooking tips will make almost any baked goodie turn out great.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)
