Archive for » February, 2009 «

27
Feb
Healthy Italian Cooking: Looking Beyond Pastas And Pizzas

It is not difficult understanding the tricks that can help you succeed in learning about what it takes to master healthy Italian cooking methods. The fact of the matter is that not all Italian dishes are unhealthy and there is in fact a lot more to Italian cooking than cooking boring pastas and pizzas. In fact, when it concerns healthy Italian cooking you will be pleased to learn that many of the Italian dishes contain a fair share of healthy ingredients including fresh vegetables and olive oils as well as many herbs.

A Starter Called Antipasto

These healthy ingredients play an important role in understanding that healthy Italian cooking is easier than you may have expected. You will come to learn that healthy Italian cooking starts with cooking starters such as Antipasto, which is also a meal in it. There is however no specific recipe for cooking Antipasto though this Italian dish does contain cold cuts of meat as well as cheese and salami and marinated vegetables.

Another shining example of healthy Italian cooking is the famed Italian salad that often contain low carb ingredients including olives and plenty of fresh vegetables as too green beans and onions and zucchini (fried).

Italian stews and soups are also good examples of healthy Italian cooking. In fact, these stews and soups contain good amounts of pulses and vegetables and most of these dishes also contain chickpeas as well as beans and plenty of lentils. Broccoli soup is a very good example of healthy Italian cooking and so too are basil and tomato soups.

For lunch, you should check out another example of healthy Italian cooking which is Frittata that is really an Italian style omelet which is usually accompanied with large amounts of vegetables. Tomatoes, onions and herbs as well as salami or chicken too can accompany the Frittata that is served as substitute for bread and is often considered a side dish to your salads and soups.

There are also some good examples of how Italian desserts represent healthy Italian cooking and Gelato in particular is a famed Italian dessert that is healthy and which is also able to complement a low carb diet.

When it concerns healthy cooking there are several simple tips that are worth learning about. These tips can do more than just help feed both kids as well as adults because besides filling the stomach, this kind of cooking can be taught to children at a young age so that they learn to eat healthy foods, and at the same time also become informed about the benefits of eating healthy foods.

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27
Feb
Italian Cooking Techniques

There are few basic Italian cooking techniques that need to be mastered before you will stand a chance of gaining enough expertise to dish out exciting Italian dishes. You need to master the art of sauté cooking as well as know the right way of frying ingredients in a pan and you should also know how to stir fry. With these basic skills and Italian cooking techniques mastered you will have a realistic chance of making your Italian recipes work out just right.

Cook In The Right Kind Of Vessel

Among other Italian cooking techniques that need to be understood, remember that before proceeding with preparation of Italian dishes you must first pay attention to choosing an appropriate vessel in which to cook the ingredients. Things like differentiating between using a sauce pot or sauté pan and know whether they should be heavy bottomed or made from thin metal will play an important role in end product of your cooking endeavors.

Next, you will need to go through your recipe and identify the necessary ingredients and also understand what the best means of assembling the Italian food dish that you plan on preparing is. You can also learn from available Italian cooking techniques about whether it is better to opt for the “Mise en Place” method of laying the ingredients out to make for better cooking or whether to simply use your own preferred method of laying the ingredients.

It is also necessary to understand simple Italian cooking techniques such as understands that when frying garlic and raw meat to fry them separately instead of together. If you fry the meat and garlic together chances are greater that the garlic might get burnt well before the meat is properly cooked.

The bottom line in regard to proper Italian cooking techniques is that you need to understand the right way of sautéing, and also know how to stir fry. With these basic Italian cooking techniques mastered you will then have an easier time cooking delicious Italian dishes including the famous meatballs in tomato sauce, parmesan-infused pasta soups and of course, Focaccia.

One complaint that is often heard in regard to Italian food is that Italian dishes may be truly delicious but they also contain too much of unhealthy ingredients. However, there is a lot to learn when it comes to understanding the ins and outs of healthy Italian cooking because, other than the famous pizzas and bowlfuls of pasta, Italian foods also revolve around good quality and fresh vegetables as well as olive oils and a lot of herbs as well.

Though you won’t need to read an encyclopedia on Italian cooking techniques, it is still a good idea to go online and research available information so that you can pick up useful tidbits of information to help you cook better Italian dishes.

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27
Feb
Heavenly Thoughts Of Food, Glorious Food!

Yummy! The thought of food conjures up fantastic visions of scrumptious foods all laid out pretty and tactfully on a large table in front of you. Thoughts of just stuffing your mouth with bits of everything come to mind, but your eyes eventually land up being bigger than your belly.

The chefs that prepared the fine starters didn’t learn only via fine cooking online courses, maybe they started off that way, but they sure didn’t limit themselves to only a few peoples imaginations, they used their own. They tossed the fine cooking online course as soon as they got their confidence in themselves, and experimented on their own.

So, you too finally mastered some courses that taught you fine cooking online. You had the guidance of a personal chef on a screen in your kitchen, hopefully you are now the master of your domain and not only the foods you prepare.

Once you have mastered any cooking course, not only the fine cooking online course, you will be forced one way or another, to experiment, as people will be asking you for food samples so they can be the judges.

And you sweated while the person waited in sweet anticipation of your creations, hoping they will be satisfied with the outcome. And voila the final moment has arrived, and it tastes and looks great. So now you can finally wipe the sweat off your forehead as your new food critic has now relieved the stress.

Mastering The Art Of Fine Cooking

There is so much to learn about cooking in general that the fine cooking online course will never cover every thing you need to know. There are too many genres to master, but mastering your own is the main thing. Play and experiment with flavors, colors, textures and food products and you will then realize what the art of fine cooking is.

The problem with any fine cooking online course is that you are limited to the chef’s taste buds and ideas, not your own. The sky is truly the limit and if you wish to master anything, your own ideas have to come into play here, don’t limit yourself, express your feelings into your foods, add the passion you have for cooking and most certainly it will show up in the faces of those who eats it.

If you ever really wondered how to get someone’s attention, food is by all means the greatest skill that will get it. Whole hearty food gives warmth and comfort, while fine cooking gives elegance to any person eating it the way it should be. Slap together meals is exactly what it says, fast and on the run.

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27
Feb
A Guide to Cooking a Moist Turkey with an Oven Cooking Bag

Using an oven cooking bag to cook a turkey is a great alternative to roasting.  Cooking a moist turkey is a lot easier with an oven cooking bag because all the juices and moisture are trapped inside the bag.  Roasting is more difficult because it is a dry-heat method that can make the meat tough and dry.

Cooking a moist turkey with an oven cooking bag consists of putting the turkey in a large heat tempered plastic bag that is designed to withstand high oven temperatures.Most grocery stores sell these plastic bags and they come with instructions.  When cooking a moist turkey, coating the turkey in butter or olive oil can help in keeping the meat juicy.

In order to ensure that they bag doesn’t burst you have to put a tablespoon of flour in the bag prior to putting the turkey in it then you have to shake it to make sure the flour coats the bag.  You also have to cut slits in the bag prior to putting it in the oven.  Cooking a moist turkey is made simple in the moist-heat environment of an oven cooking bag.

Tips on Safely Cooking a Moist Turkey with an Oven Bag
Preheat the oven to 350F before putting your turkey in.  Make sure the pan you put the turkey on is big enough so that the bag is not hanging over the sides.  Also make sure that the bag is not touching the top or sides of the oven because otherwise it will melt.  You need to allow enough space for the bag to expand during cooking.

You can insert a meat thermometer right into the turkey.  You will know the turkey is safe once the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165F.   Read a guide on fine cooking and follow directions on cooking length based on the weight of your turkey.  You may want to baste your turkey but keep in mind that basting will not affect the moistness of your turkey.  It will affect the flavor of the turkey’s skin but the meat on the inside will not become any moister with basting.

Try not to open the oven often and peek at your turkey.  Evenly cooking a moist turkey is difficult if you open and close the often too often.  You need to keep the oven closed as much as possible in order to maintain a constant temperature in there. 
During the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking, you can take the turkey out of the oven bag to ensure that the skin browns nicely.  You can also put a glaze on the turkey at this time if you so wish.Successfully cooking a moist turkey is also easier if you hold off 20 minutes to carve it after taking it out of the oven.  This keeps the juices in the turkey rather than all over your counter.

Your goal?  Take this information and use it as a guide in cooking a moist turkey.  Nobody likes dry, tough turkey meat.  By following these simple tips and cooking your turkey with an oven bag, you will end up with a turkey that is golden and crispy on the outside and juicy and moist on the inside. 

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24
Feb
Best Italian Cooking Recipe

If you have ever tried Italian food before, then no doubt you are aware of just how delicious it is and how hard it would be to choose a single favorite Italian cooking recipe. Well this is how everyone feels, and so rather than just choosing one Italian cooking recipe, here are two easy Italian recipe ideas that you will definitely want to try out.

Spinach and Cheese Calzone

This is one Italian cooking recipe that you just have to try at home. This recipe is for spinach and cheese calzone and is positively delicious. To make this Italian cooking recipe you will need a few different ingredients, including 1 cup lowfat ricotta cheese, 1 garlic clove mince, 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, 1 egg white, 1 9-oz. package Green Giant frozen spinach thawed and drained, 1 10-oz. package Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust, 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves.

Now to prepare this Italian cooking recipe all you do is heat the oven to 400ºF and spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Then you combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium sized bowl, add the spinach and blend well. Unroll pizza dough and cut into 6 squares, then spoon about ¼ cup of the filling onto center of each square.

The next step is for you to fold the dough diagonally over filling to form triangles, moisten and press to seal edges with fork, place calzones on cookie sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes until crust is a deep golden brown. Heat the tomato sauce, Parmesan and oregano separately and then spoon this over the warm calzones.

Sicilian Cake

Another great Italian cooking recipe is for Sicilian cake. For it you need 2 pounds ricotta cheese drained well, ¾ cup sugar, 3 cups sugar, 3 cups heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ cup dark rum, 1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple drained well, 1 17-oz. package ladyfingers, and for the garnish you need some chopped walnuts, semisweet chocolate chips and glaceed cherries.

Now to prepare this Italian cooking recipe you want to get a large bowl and in it put the ricotta cheese and sugar, and beat with an electric beater until combined together well. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, rum and continue to beat this until the mixture is thick and smooth. Now you stir in the pineapple, and line the bottom and sides of a buttered pan with the ladyfingers.

Once you have this done you add top with some of the filling, and cover with more ladyfingers, then add the remaining filling, ladyfingers and then the last bit of filling. Sprinkle this with walnuts and chocolate chips, then you top off finally with the cherries. Now you want to cover the cake and chill it overnight, then serve the next day.

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24
Feb
Go to an Italian Cooking School

So you love Italian food and want to know how to make it authentically. Well if this is the case, then one of the best things you can do is sign up to go to an Italian cooking school. You do not need certain grades or a ton of money to attend, and here you will be taught by cooking professionals and learn all the best tips and tricks on how to cook Italian.

From pastas and breads to the most delectable desserts, you will learn everything Italian and come out looking as though you have been cooking Italian your entire life.

Tips

When it comes to learning how to follow an Italian cooking recipe you will be taught everything that you need to know at your Italian cooking school, but to help get you started there are a few Italian cooking tips that you will want to keep in mind.

One of the best rules involves pasta, and when you are cooking any pasta you should never follow the cooking instructions. This may seem a bit strange, but it is one of the best rules that you will ever be taught for Italian cooking. Instead, you should just trust your own judgment, and taste it to determine when it is cooked.

Also, when you are cooking pasta the water should always be at a full boil before you put the water in. Lots of people put their pasta in long before the water has reached a boil, and this will result in gummy, sticky tasting pasta. You want to add extra virgin olive oil as soon as the pasta has cooked and is drained, to keep pieces from sticking together.

Another tip you will learn in Italian cooking school also involves pasta, and that is that if you are combining a sauce and pasta, always add the cooked pasta into the sauce and not the other way around because this way the last part of the cooking will be done in the sauce and the pasta will better absorb all the flavors.

Another great tip that they will teach you in Italian cooking school is to always serve wine with a meal. This is one of the oldest staples of Italian cooking, and you need to make sure that you properly pair the right wine with each meal.

You will be amazed at the wealth of information that you will be taught in Italian cooking school, and you will really love it.

Go here and learn how to start cooking including turkey cooking time

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