Spicu

Holistic cooking- no avoiding it

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:33:35 +0000

There was a time when people believed that human resources software applications were suitable for big companies and organizations alone. The general consensus was that these software applications did not offer anything new and were simply fancy solutions that perhaps make it easier to maintain human resource related information. However, those individuals who have used the software applications have admitted that the manual and old-fashioned approach involves many errors, mistakes and complications that often brushed under the carpet.

Well, you cannot make use of a software application to cook your food. This means that you will have to carry out a manual review of your cooking habits and practices to find out whether you are committing basic mistakes when cooking. One of the most common mistakes that people commit is to cook food without measuring the ingredients properly. This is considered acceptable because of the general view that an expert will never bother about measuring the ingredients.

However, the truth is that a real expert will always measure the ingredients to achieve consistency in the dish. If the taste of dish constantly varies, then it is obvious that you are not cooking properly.

The second one mistake is to ignore the source of the ingredients. Are you purchasing organic food stuff? If yes, then it could have a huge impact on the overall finish of the dish. Are you purchasing fresh meat and vegetables? Are you storing it properly? These issues are considered irrelevant because of the general view that cooking is all about working on the gas stove. Well, putting together all the ingredients will be of no use whatsoever if you do not ensure that the ingredients are fresh and healthy at all times.

You may not be enthusiastic about the idea of making these changes to your cooking style because of lack of time. Well, there is no need to make these changes in a single day. However, you can adopt a phased approach and target multiple aspects of your cooking in a slow and steady manner. You will quickly observe that making use of fresh ingredients automatically enhances the flavor of your food and reduces the effort involved in preparation.

To presume that these tips and tricks will not improve the quality of your food is no different than presuming that fancy software applications do not offer any real benefit. The truth is that these changes can have a huge impact on the overcooking experience.

Make your food visually appetizing

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:04:16 +0000

Do you put in a lot of effort into your cooking only to be disappointed that you do not get any compliments whatsoever? Well, perhaps you are making the mistake on catering to the tongue alone. It is important to keep in mind that we eat using all our senses. The aroma of food often tells us whether it is going to taste good or not. The pungent smell of spice on oil will automatically excite a person who likes spicy food.

Perhaps you are falling short in making your food look appetizing. Just log onto the Internet and check out various tips related to plating of food. You will realize the importance of making your food look attractive as well. The funny thing is that it is not very difficult to make your food look appealing. Would you like a painting that consists of black and white colors alone? How would you react if this painting was kept adjacent to another which is a virtual riot of colors? It is obvious that your attention would be drawn to the painting where lots of colors have been used.

If your guests find it difficult to differentiate between your chicken soup and baked vegetables simply because everything looks the same, it is obvious that you will not get many compliments. Even the government differentiates between the different types of diesel pieces by adding red color and converting diesel for off-road vehicles into red diesel.
You too can adopt this approach. Diced carrots in your chicken soup will automatically convert it into a multicolor affair. On the other hand, baked vegetables would be completely white with a thick layer of cheese. These are small tricks but you will realize that it goes a long way in making your food look appetizing and worth of compliments.

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Scottish Themes

admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 09:33:05 +0000

When many people think of Scottish food and culture they imagine kilts, haggis, and deep fried mars bars. Scottish culture is deep and rich and offers a plethora of exciting new fusion food to try. Scotland today is home to inspired artisans and is a melting pot of post colonial cultures with hybrid identities. The below recipe is inspired by a variety of elements life in Scotland today, from jewellery to music.

In 2010 Ortak featured a fusion of styles to advertise their collection of ortak rings and other gold and silver jewellery. The adverts featured a blend of Scottish heritage, graphic design and a military element. The below recipe is ambitious in that you need to create a finely criss crossed graphic based top crust for the pie. It features Scottish favourites in an oat infused crust and a deep rich haggis flecked filling for a perfect fall supper. The first step is to make a typical short pastry but replace one third of the flour with porridge oats that have been blitzed in the food processor until they are a very fine meal. You will need:

200 grams of flour
110 grams of unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons of ice cold water

You are going to blind bake half of the short crust in the oven as you would usually do, then roll out the other half and place in the freezer for later. Freezing the dough will help you make a Scottish inspired lattice for the top of the pie.

For the haggis filling you will need:

450 grams of haggis
250 grams of diced bacon
2 onions
2 carrots
1 swede
some vegetable oil
salt and pepper
chicken stock

In a large frying pan begin by frying the bacon in a bit of oil, when it begins to crisp add the onions finely diced and the carrots and swede that have been finely diced saute for three minutes then add in the haggis which has been removed from its casing and cut into cubes. Cook for an additional three minutes then moisten with some stock and cook with the lid on the pan until the vegetables are tender about five more minutes. Spoon into the crust and then bring the top crust out of the freezer. Depending on your ambition you can either top with the crust and then create the lattice as a decoration or you can slice the crust into strips and weave them together before placing on top of the pie. Bake at 200 degrees for 35 minutes.

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Easy meat tenderizing tip…..

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 02:03:04 +0000

When cooking any type of meat dishes the complaint heard most often is that during the cooking process, the meat has gone dry. One tried and true way to avoid ruining a good cut of meat is to use a marinade that includes apple cider vinegar. The acid in the vinegar has a natural tenderizing quality and can make even the toughest cuts of meat juicy and tender.
While marinating alone can also provide needed flavor and tenderness simply by adding cider vinegar will make a substantial difference. A marinade that is versatile enough for beef, chicken or pork can be made by using ingredients that are readily available in most people’s kitchens. To make this marinade you will need the following:
Lite soy or lite teriyaki sauce
Apple cider vinegar
Chicken or Beef dry rub seasoning
Garlic powder
Salt
Black Pepper
Olive oil
In a bowl combine ½ cup of Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons of soy or teriyaki sauce, ½ Tablespoon Cider vinegar, 1 ½ Teaspoon dry rub seasoning, ¼ to ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Mix ingredients thoroughly (the oil should be incorporated and not floating on the top) and pour ½ of the marinade over the top the of the beef, poultry or pork, then using a pair of tongs, flip the pieces of meat over and pour remaining marinade over each cut. Allow the meat to absorb the marinade for at least 45 minutes (but overnight is better). When the marinating process is complete, cook or grill meat per its individual cooking instructions provided on the packaging. Use the marinade that has been left in the dish to pour over the meat as it cooks for a more intense flavor.
By using this simple marinade any piece of meat can quickly become a family or entertaining favorite.

Old Country meets New Country Wedding Dinner

admin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:03:12 +0000

Every culture is different in terms of how to plan a wedding dinner. In the age of austerity it is interesting to embrace some folk customs and blend them with the latest technology. You can take the idea of a ’Pig Roast'and adapt it to your own personal tastes. Basically, the ’male'relatives of the groom, spend two days preparing and cooking a main dish that can be shared by everybody. Friends and families contribute by brings a variety of side dishes. This does need to be planned however, as people may need guidance and recipe suggestions. Human resources software can be used by those in the know for efficient party planning. It helps track who will be attending, what they will be bringing and how far they are travelling. Here are a few ideas for some inter cultural approaches to the wedding dinner:

Hog roasts are done every where from Scotland to the southern United States, the technology varies as does the sauce that the hog is brushed with. In the United States it is a barbecue sauce.
In Hawaii, at a traditional Luau, a pit is dug, and a combination of logs, rocks, and banana leaves is used to cook a sucking pig.
Try a clam bake. If the idea of roasting a whole animal is simply too much, a clam bake is a great option. Have your party on a beach, dig a pit to fill with hot coals and seaweed and then cover with clams and other seafood and cover with more seaweed.

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Authentic Black Bean Burritos

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 11:33:06 +0000

It is almost impossible to get an authentic Mexican burrito in the UK for under a fiver, at that price, you might as well go to the chippie and invest your money in fur fabrics instead! The trick to getting an authentic burrito is making it yourself and scavenging the ingredients from the non-Mexican ethnic food sections of the supermarket. I have found that Mexican items are overpriced, but you can get ingredients that they use in Mexico from the Jamaican and Caribbean sections at a fraction of the cost.

In a pan sauté 2 cloves of crushed garlic, with some chopped hot pepper (optional), when the garlic is fragrant add in 1 tablespoon of whole cumin seeds, allow to toast and then tip in a can of black beans that have been drained.
As the beans warm, gently crush with the back of a wooden spoon until they form a paste, add salt and pepper and set aside.
Make seasoned rice by adding a stock cube to the water as it is cooking, when finished add in some peas and finely chopped red pepper.
Assemble the burrito using the largest wrap that you can find. Avoid the Mexican section for these as they are generally over priced and not good, an Indian chapati or an over sized nan can often be found in middle eastern shops.
For quick home made salsa use a tin of chopped tomatoes, the juice of a lime, chopped red onion, fresh coriander and chopped fresh chilli to taste.
Serve with crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt, chopped fresh coriander and fried plantains.

A Stop Over in Hong Kong

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 09:03:05 +0000

One of the great pleasures of cooking is taking a trip around the globe without leaving your kitchen. Personally, I love to relive great travel moments through inspired meals, whether its real estate lebanon or the stop over in Hong Kong that inspired the dish below. This Asian omelette is the perfect solution if you need to get a stylish meal ready really quickly. All over Asia omelettes are eaten on a bed of rice. There is a common type of omelettes that is cooked flat in quite a bit of oil, so it is shallow/deep fried rather than sautéed as you would eat a traditional French dish. Per person you will need:

2 eggs beaten
4 prawns
1 slice of ham
1 tablespoon of peas
a small handful of bean sprouts
a splash of high quality soy sauce
vegetable oil
dark roasted sesame oil
sweet chilli sauce to taste
1 teaspoon chinese cooking wine
grated carrot
chopped spring onion
small knob of grated ginger

Gently stir fry the bean sprouts in the sesame oil with the carrots, spring onion, ginger and peas. Set aside to cool. Whisk together the eggs with the soy sauce, wine, and sweet chilli sauce. Stir in the vegetables. In a wok heat one half inch of oil until it is hot but not smoking. Quickly tip in the egg and vegetable mixture and cover. When it is set gently submerge in the oil so that both sides cook to a golden brown. Remove from the oil, quickly drain and serve over a bed of rice with a selection of chilli sauces.

Vegetarian meals….not just for vegetarians anymore…..

admin — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:03:13 +0000

Trying to take in your daily serving of fruits and vegetables is not an easy task especially with the hectic lifestyles everyone seems to have. Increasingly more difficult is having a family of picky eaters. While looking for some new, healthy meals to make for my family I was surprised to come across some vegetarian recipes that held some promise. My family is primarily meat and potato people, so the idea of serving a vegetarian meal was scary. However, after doing a little research I was pleased to find a vegetarian pasta dish that I was sure my family would love. Not only did this dish have the recommended serving of vegetables, but it also had servings of dairy and protein. Now, I am not ready to concede that my family will jump on the vegetarian wagon, but I was pleased that everyone tried the new cuisine and actually liked it. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not that there is anything wrong with vegetarian meals, but for my finicky crew trying something new is always a big deal. Since this was such a good experience I am sure that I will be looking for more of these types of recipes not necessarily as a main dish, but from what I have found many vegetarian dishes would be great as a complimentary side dish. Having the accessibility to vegetarian recipes has allowed me to make foods for my family that are not only tasty, but are definitely good for them.

Dosa Madness

admin — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:03:18 +0000

One of the greatest things about living in a city with a large and diverse Indian population is the beautiful exterior signs and the availability of one of the greatest and cheapest South Indian fast foods: the masala dosa. This is a very crispy rice and lentil flour pancake, stuffed with a lightly spiced potato filling and serving with a ’sambar’which is a thin red sauce with bits of vegetables in it. While it is relatively easy to find instant dosa mix at an Asian shop or order it online, it is nearly impossible to make a proper dosa without the traditional pan. Making something thin and crispy is simply too difficult for amateurs. I have developed this recipe to give you all the tastes of the dosa without a lot of the hassle. You will need:
One package of instant dosa mix.
Two potatoes cut into cubes.
one onion a small handful of freshly toasted cumin seeds.
vegetable oil.
idli dosa chutney powder.
sambar mix.
Cook your potatoes in boiling water until tender but not mushy. Drain and allow to cool. Fry the onion in a pan with a clove of garlic, the potatoes, and the toasted cumin, allow to cool. Mix the batter, but don’t put in the entire amount of water, allow it to be a bit thicker. Add in the potato mixture and a small pinch of salt and white pepper. In a large frying pan heat some oil and then drop the batter by tablespoons into the hot oil. Gently spread the batter out to make small pancakes and fry until golden and crisp. Serve with chutney and sambar.

Long Life Noodles

admin — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:42:27 +0000

Celebrating Chinese New Year is fun for the family. There are some simple traditions that you can try out that will remind the whole family that it is the year of the rabbit. One of my favourite traditions is eating noodles. They are long and are symbolic of having a long life. It is very important, though, not to bite the noodle as that symbolically will shorten your life.

Long Life Noodles with Stir fried Carrots

1 package long life noodles, these are very very thin, long wheat noodles available in a regular Chinese supermarket. They cook very quickly, so make sure that you follow the package directions
4 carrots, you can either use your superior knife skills and create perfect thin sticks, or a shredder, it is important that they are in small pieces as they need to cook quickly
1 small knob of ginger grated
2 cloves of garlic smashed
dark sesame oil
chinese five spice
soy sauce
3 eggs scrambled
2 spring onions diced

In a large wok heat a good dash of sesame oil, add the garlic, stir fry for a minute and then add the ginger, stir fry for another minute and then add the spring onions, and then the carrots, stir fry for two minutes and then push the carrots to the high sides of the wok add another dash of oil and then tip in the eggs (mix in a dash of chinese five spice and soy sauce with the eggs), allow to bubble for a minute or two then toss in a splash of soy sauce and from the edges of the cooking eggs begin to mix in the carrots. Cook until eggs are scrambled together with the carrots, toss in with the long life noodles, season with additional soy sauce.

More fun than a weekend of ladies fashion.