thegoodfood

Archive for October, 2009

This article is about sausage seafood gumbo recipes. The primary ingredient, sausage, in order to be an authentic recipe will have to be Andouille sausage. This is a special Louisiana smoked sausage used in gumbos. It might be tricky to get hold of, however, I have discovered several sources on the internet. If this unique sausage is not used, most any type of smoked sausage will work out.

The following ingredient is seafood. This can contain anything and everything up to and including the kitchen sink. Most often though, shrimp, scallops, oysters and clams are the shellfish of preference. Up until nearly 40 years ago, crawfish were used primarily for bait, but they are showing up more and more in sausage seafood gumbo recipes. It was ideas that the meaty reward with the crawfish was not worth the effort involved.

The holy trinity of gumbo ie; chopped celery, onions and green peppers is a requirement to make it authentic as well. The gumbo is usually served on top of rice, however, it can be additionally served over grits or pasta.

The sauce, roux as it is referred to, may be made with lard, vegetable oil, or butter with same amounts of flour. The cook will need to continue stirring the mixture at which time it turns a chocolaty brown color, without allowing it to burn. If the roux is permitted to burn, toss it away and begin over. There are two thickening agents that are generally used in gumbo. One is okra, the other file’ powder. Do not apply both, one or the other. Again, to be authentic, one should use okra. Also, make certain the okra doesn’t get mushy.

• For cleaning smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic, just rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel is supposed to absorb the odor.

• Fresh coffee beans can also absorb nasty odors from your hands.

• If you happen to over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.

• Don’t store your bananas in a bunch or in a fruit bowl with other fruits. Separate your bananas and place each in a different location. Bananas release gases which cause fruits (including other bananas) to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer.

• To keep potatoes from budding in the bag, put an apple in with them.

• If you manage to have some leftover wine at the end of the evening, freeze it in ice cube trays for easy addition to soups and sauces in the future.

• To clean crevices and corners in vases and pitchers, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. The bubbles will do the scrubbing.

• After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love.

• When you clean your fish tank, the water you drain can also be used to water your house plants. The nitrogen and phosphorus in fish droppings make aquarium water a great fertilizer.

• When defrosting meat from the freezer, pour some vinegar over it. Not only does it tenderize the meat; it will also bring down the freezing temperature of the meat and cause it to thaw quicker.

• The substance in onions that causes your eyes to water is located in the root cluster of the onion. Cut this part out in a cone shape, with the largest part of the cone around the exterior root section.

• Taking the top layer off of a onion can also reduce the amount of eye-watering misery.

• Toothpaste is a great silver cleaner.

• When boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt to keep the shells from cracking.

• Never put citrus fruits or tomatoes in the fridge. The low temperatures degrade the aroma and flavor of these persnickety fruits.

• To clean cast iron cookwear, don’t use detergents. Just scrub them with salt and a clean, dry paper towel.

• Will milk curdle if it is allowed to boil? It turns out that this age-old piece of wisdom isn’t true, after all. Milk that has been boiled is perfectly safe to consume.

• To clean an electric kettle with calcium buildup on the heating element, boil a mixture of half white vinegar and half water, then empty.

• When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to keep them from getting stinky.

• If you are making gravy and accidentally burn it, just pour it into a clean pan and continue cooking it. Add sugar a little at a time, tasting as you go to avoid over-sugaring it. The sugar will cancel out the burned taste.

• Burned a pot of rice? Just place a piece of white bread on top of the rice for 5-10 minutes to draw out the burned flavor. Be careful not to scrape the burned pieces off of the bottom of the pan when serving the rice.

• Before you chop chili peppers, rub a little vegetable oil into your hands and your skin won’t absorb the spicy chili oil.

• If you aren’t sure how fresh your eggs are, place them in about four inches of water. Eggs that stay on the bottom are fresh. If only one end tips up, the egg is less fresh and should be used soon. If it floats, it’s past the fresh stage.

• To banish ants from the kitchen, find out where they are coming in and cover the hole with petroleum jelly. Ants won’t trek through the jelly. If they are coming under a door, draw a line on the floor with chalk. The little bugs also won’t cross a line of chalk.

• Before making popcorn on the stove or in an air popper, soak the kernels in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, then pop as normal. The additional moisture helps the popcorn pop up quicker and fluffier with fewer “old maids.”

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A tight budget forces you to be more frugal. For example, slightly stale bread can be used in a myriad of dishes rather than being thrown out. It can be toasted and sliced up to make croutons, which can add a bit of crunch to just about every variety of soup.

Bread can also be used to make French toast – also known as eggy bread or pain perdu, which translates as “lost bread”.

This is made simply by dipping bread in beaten egg and lightly frying it. The bread can then be served plain as a savoury snack or sprinkled with sugar to make a sweet dish.

Another use for leftover bread is to make breadcrumbs. All you need to do is crumble the slices in a food processor, blitz them for a few seconds and freeze until they are needed.

Breadcrumbs can be used to make mincemeat bind more easily when making homemade burgers.

Of course, budget recipes and cooking tips extend far beyond innovative uses for leftover slices of bread.

If you have roast lamb for the traditional Sunday lunch, the unused meat can be used the next day to make a hearty stew or a spicy lamb curry.

To make curry, lightly fry an onion, along with some sliced peppers and other vegetables. Add coconut milk and your favoured mix of spices such as garam masala, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric and black pepper.

If you want to bring a little colour to the dish, add a dash of tomato puree and mix well before adding the lamb to reheat.

When it is thoroughly cooked and the sauce has reduced slightly, serve with boiled rice.

Leftover meat from a Sunday lunch can also be used to make packed lunches to take to work or school.

By filling a wrap with the meat, some mixed salad leaves and a little salsa not only do you get to enjoy a delicious snack during the day, but you can also save a lot of money.

Fruit that is approaching the “use by” date can be given a new lease of life by blending it with a little yoghurt and honey to make a healthy breakfast smoothie.

Learning to use leftovers rather than throwing them away is a great way to cook when you are on a budget. Not only can you save money, you can create some wonderful food.

While preparing for this year’s Thanksgiving fest, where I’ll be serving delicious Deep Fried turkey, I became interested in the origin of the succulent treat.

What is deep fried turkey?

“Frying whole turkeys is sort of the Southern version of making fondue. You have a lot of your friends over, you poke around in a pot of hot oil with some sticks, and then you pull out your dinner. Justin Wilson, of Cajun fame, recalls first seeing a turkey fry in Louisiana in the 1930s.”—Something Different: Deep-Fried Turkey, Beverly Bundy, St. Louis Dispatch, November 24, 1997 (Food p. 4)

What is a deep fried turkey you ask? Injected with marinade and cooked in 350 degreeF peanut or other vegetable oil,  deep-fried turkey is anything but greasy. The deep-frying process seals in the juices creating flavorful meat and tasty golden brown skin. Incredibly juicy on the interior and wonderfully crispy on the exterior, the explosion of flavor and contrasting textures has made it a favorite for barbecues, block parties, tailgating, holiday feasts and informal wedding receptions.

It seems I first heard about deep frying turkey about 15 years ago, then suddenly everyone and their brother was doing it. So what sparked this sudden phenomenon?

Roots in the Southern United States

Deep frying turkey has it’s origins in the Southern United States, namely Louisiana. I have heard there are a few restaurants in Southern Louisiana that became popular by injecting whole birds with a creole style marinade then dropping them in hot peanut oil. There had to be something bigger though to get the word out, Regional restaurants just do not have the reach to change a deep rooted tradition such as oven baked turkey.

I thought maybe it was the new accessibility of large deep fryers such as the original Kamp Kooker marketed by Home Depot, or was it a favorite of celebrity chefs such as Emeril?

Why is it called Cajun if it’s not?

I started doing a little research on the internet, and although I only spent a few hours, it seems no exact year, restaurant, or person is connected to this particular style of cooking turkey. There is evidence that fried turkeys were cooked outdoors for large popular events (family reunions, charity dinners, church suppers, etc.) in the early years of the twentieth century.

Commonly thought of as a cajun tradition, I could find no direct ties to the acadien-cajun culture. In fact I found food historians generally agree that fried turkeys trace their roots to Bayou (Louisiana/Texas) creole cuisine. Recipes then migrated from Louisiana/Texas to Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia (peanut oil), and Washington D.C. before it forked northward toward Seattle and Vancouver.

The power of Martha Stewart

So here seems to be the magic bullet. I did find where Martha Stewart is given credit for taking the recipe to mainstream America in the early 90’s:

“Fried turkey has been all the rage at least for the last decade in New Orleans, and long before that it was a tradition in the bayou and throughout the South. Like many a vainglorious culinary mania before it, the national renown of fried turkeys can be traced directly to Martha Stewart, who plucked them from regional obscurity and put them in her magazine in 1996. “ —It’s Treacherous, But Oh So Tasty; Fried-Turkey Fans Take the Risk, Annie Gowen, Washington Post, November 22, 2001 (p. B1)

If this is the case, it seems Martha may have created an entire industry. A typical setup including all the turkey fryer accessories can easily run $200-$300. I would say those folks and the peanut oil folks owe Martha a big thanks.

Send me your thoughts

Leave your comments, I would love to learn more about the origins of deep fried turkey, where it came from and what made it so popular.

• Add a handful of rice flour to bhajia batter for crisper and less oily bhajias.
• Drain and keep any extra channa dal aside after cooking. Chill and then add chopped onions, chutneys, coriander, salt, chopped cucumber and tomatoes. Serve chilled as bhel with cups of steaming hot tea.
• If batter of any bhajias tends to become too thin, wet a slice or two of bread, press out all excess water, and mash it into the batter. This will help greatly in thickening the batter.
• Paneer crumbs, bread crumbs and some melted butter, tossed together form an excellent topping if you run short of cheese, for any baked dishes.
• Use tissue papers for reheating fried snacks. Eg. samosa, vada, kachori, bhajji, etc. The paper will absorb the excess oil and moisture and keep the snack crisp. Reheat on high for 1-1 1/2 minute.
• Always use the back of a perforated spoon to make the frying puris puff up. Use the non-puffed ones to make chaat, bhel, etc.
• To pep leftover farsan which is not getting over, add finely chopped onions, coriander, green chilli and salt, lemon juice, chaat masala. Toss and serve with afternoon tea as a spicy muchy.
• Always use a clean pair of kitchen scissors to trim edges of bread. Much neater and less messy edges as compared to those trimmed with a knife.
• Always keep a couple of boiled potatoes (skins intact) handy in the fridge. They are very useful when in a hurry. Either bake them, or make a quick curry, or fry them. Eat them in a sandwich, or just plain with salt and pepper. Stir fry and add spices or make a quick paratha.
• Use a pizza cutter to cut rounds into strips for fried noodles, instead of a knife. It is faster and less messy.
• For a quick chaat, fry leftover pieces of bread in ghee till crisp. Arrange the pieces in a plate. Pour curds, salt, red chilli and cumin powders, coriander leaves and green chillies on them. Top with tamarind and jaggery chutney.
• To make whiter and crisper potato wafers add some alum crystals and salt to the water in which you drop the wafers for soaking.
• To make samosas crisper add some cornflour to the maida for dough.
• Use cornflakes as a substitute for sev or papdis. It is available everywhere and give the same crunchiness to a dish, eg. bhel.
• If garlic bread is not available, crush a few cloves of garlic to a fine paste, cream it well into some butter. Spread this on slices of bread and toast it. Serve with piping hot soup.

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Cooking and Grilling Fish

Fish is a healthy alternative to the regular red meat dishes you used to having on the barbecue. Grilling it is easier than you think.

Most types of fish have a high fat content, so it can stand up to the high heat of the barbecue.

Preparation – BBQ

Fish The fresher the fish is, the better it is for the barbecue. Once you have purchased your fish try grilling it within 24 hours. Fish tends to loose flavour the longer it has been frozen.

Don’t defrost fish in the microwave rather leave it over night in the refrigerator. Fish looses flavour when it is placed in the microwave.

Clean your fish before you grill it. Rinse the fish under a cold running tap and pat dry it with a paper towel.

Marinate with simple ingredients like a bit of garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to enhance the natural flavour.

Barbecue Fish

The trick with fish is to sear the outside with a high heat and then with a lower heat slow cook the inside. This locks in the juices and makes the fish easier to grill.

Grilling whole fishes or thick sized fillets too quickly will cause it dry out. You want to grill it slowly and keep it moist.

You can use foil to make the grilling process easier. The foil protects the meat from burning and prevents it from drying out. The foil allows you to cook the fish in its natural juices.

An inch thick piece of fish will be done in 8 – 10 minutes. Grilling time will depend on the heat of the grill.

www.bonfeu-bbq.com/cooking-and-grilling-fish.html

Grilling Salmon

Salmon is one of the best types of fish to do on the grill as it is so versatile. It has a high fat content which can stand up to the high heat of the grill.

The trick with salmon is keep it moist and let it cook in its own juices. Salmon and fish in general is a nice healthy alternative to the normal red meat dishes on a barbecue.

 Preparation – Salmon

The fresher the salmon is the better it is for the grill. Your salmon fillets need to be at least an inch thick as anything thinner will flake while grilling.

When seasoning salmon do not over do it use basic ingredients. Salt, ground pepper, and a bit of lemon juice. Do not over marinate salmon let it have its own flavour. Don’t leave it in marinate for too long before you grill, no longer than ten minutes.

Fish meat is really soft and the acidic ingredients in a marinate will eat away at the flesh. Especially be careful when using lime or lemon juice as this is very high in acid and will eat away at the flesh.

Grilling Salmon

Pre-heat grill to a medium heat and grease the grill grid well with olive oil. Salmon tends to stick to the grill very easily.

Avoid flare ups at all costs, an open flame will burn fish. Grilling time eight to ten minutes, keep turning the salmon regularly.

An alternative is to wrap the salmon in high duty aluminum foil which prevents the salmon from burning. Lightly grease rectangle shaped pieces of foil and place salmon in the foil bringing the ends up to enlcose it.

www.bonfeu-bbq.com/how-to-grill-salmon.html

Im 24 originally from Johannesburg South Africa but recently moved to Marbella Spain. My hobbies include tennis, gyming and barbecuing.

I have a barbecue and recipe website. I love the outdoors and spend most my free time on the beach.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/how-to-barbecue-salmon-1391255.html

• You can use dried coriander and mint leaves in coarse powder form in vegetable curry or chutney, if fresh ones are not available. To keep them fresh for longer time, wrap them in a muslin cloth and keep in a fridge.

• Put some boric powder in kitchen in corners and other places. Cockroaches will leave your house.

• Immerse coconut in water for ½ an hour to remove its hust.

• To chop dry fruits, place them in fridge for half an hour before cutting. Taking the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).

• If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.

• Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.

• Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is certainly quite old.

• Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling.

• Avoid the use of ghee. If it is necessary, substitute it with canola oil. Even for making halwa, you can partly substitute it with oil.

• To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.

• To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.

• Place a betel (paan) leaf over the leftover idli and dosa batter to prevent them from becoming sour.

• Do not beat idli batter too much, the air of which has been incorporated during fermentation will escape.

• To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

• Putting 3-4 cloves in sugar container will keep the ants at bay.

• If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.

• Avoid the use of butter. It it is essential to use, use a butter containing low saturated fat or with plant stanols (which avoid absorption of cholesterol by our body) or similar substitutes.

• Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.

• Apply mashed banana over a burn on your body for cooling effect.

• Apply a mixture of 1 pinch of chewing tobacco and 1 drop of water. Mix and apply directly and immediately to the sting; cover with bandaid to hold in place. Pain will go away in just a few short minutes.

• Slit karelas at the middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for ½ hour and then cook.

• To keep celery fresh for a long time, wrap it in aluminium foil and place in the refrigerator.

• Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pour boiling water in it, keep 5 minutes and then clean.

• Keeping a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the same container will store chili powder for long time.

• Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don’t use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may go with the vegetables.

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Cooking is an art. I love to cook. http://www.planyourdinner.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/kitchen-tips-and-cooking-tips-1395610.html

Barbecue Shrimp

Shrimp is great to do on the grill there are so many different flavours and recipes you can use. Grilling your shrimp makes it a healthy alternative to the normal frying of shrimp.

Barbecue shrimp can be served as a main course or as a delicious appetizer. You can serve them on skewers or plain, the choice is yours.

There are over 300 different shrimp species in the world. The flavour and texture of the shrimp differs depending on the waters they live in and their feeding habits.

Buying your Shrimp

Buy shrimp of larger sizes as small shrimp become hard to grill on a barbecue. Ideally shrimp should be cooked 24 hours after it has been purchased.

You can freeze your shrimp which will retain its quality over several weeks. Fresh shrimp should only smell of salt water, any other smell tends to mean it is past its prime. Never buy frozen shrimp that has had their shells removed, shells protect the meat and add flavour to it.

Barbecuing Shrimp

De-vein your shrimp before you grill as doing it after can be difficult. Let your shrimp thaw out in the refrigerator and not in the microwave.

This vein is the digestive tract of the shrimp which is edible but I prefer the shrimp without it. To de-vein simply slit the back of the shrimp with a small sharp knife, and pull the black vein out.

Shrimp needs to be cooked quickly to keep the natural flavour, never over cook shrimp. It normally takes about 3 – 4 minutes soon as they pink they are ready.

The smaller the shrimp the faster it will cook. Once you know how to BBQ shrimp you will be having more and more.

www.bonfeu-bbq.com/how-to-grill-salmon.html

Im 24 originally from Johannesburg South Africa but recently moved to Marbella Spain. My hobbies include tennis, gyming and barbecuing.

I have a barbecue and recipe website. I love the outdoors and spend most my free time on the beach.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/how-to-grill-shrimp-1391286.html

Grilling VegetableTips

Most vegetables are suitable for the grill and turn out great when done right. Vegetables with a high water content are not suitable for grilling. Vegetables like cucumber, lettuce and most leafy greens will not work on the grill.

Rather go with asparagus, potatoes, onions and peppers. These vegetables work well with the high heat of the grill. Follow these techniques and tips to get perfectly grilled vegetables.

Preparing – Vegetables

Wash all vegetables under a cold running tap and pat dry them with a paper towel.

Some vegetables can be grilled whole or sliced up into smaller pieces. Potatoes for instance can be peeled to make it more tasteful to eat.

Season the vegetables some of your favourite spices to add flavour. Use simple ingredients like salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. To add a layer of protection you coat the vegetables with olive oil.

Barbecue Vegetables

Make sure your grill grid is well greased to prevent any sticking. Pre-heat the grill to a medium to high heat.

Most vegetables can be grilled without any aluminum foil like potatoes and eggplant. Vegetables like potatoes and peppers can stand up to the high heat.

Sometimes use aluminum foil when preparing your vegetables to keep them moist and prevent them from burning.

Unfortunately using foil prevents the veggies from getting that great smoky taste. A small amount of smoke is great for vegetables.

Vegetables can burn pretty quickly, so keep a close eye on them when you grilling, no one likes burnt vegetables. Any black colouring will is not the best thing for your vegetables.

www.bonfeu-bbq.com/grilling-vegetables-tips.html

Im 24 originally from Johannesburg South Africa but recently moved to Marbella Spain. My hobbies include tennis, gyming and barbecuing.

I have a barbecue and recipe website. I love the outdoors and spend most my free time on the beach.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/barbecue-vegetables-1391349.html