Food Drinks & Recipe

About Mexican Cooking Tools

2006-12-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the kind of equipment and utensils you can use to come up with that interesting meal centerpiece today.

• Cazuela (Mexican Pottery Dish)

A cazuela is a large but shallow clay dish. It is brightly colored outside and glazed inside. More often than not, it is rounded like a bowl and is about more or less seven inches deep. It usually has handles for better use over fire. This clay dish is good for simmering mole and other sauces because the clay heats evenly and thus, helps in avoiding burnt spots. The clay serves as flavoring to the meal as well.

• Olla or Barro (Mexican Pottery Pot)

An olla, which means “pot,” is a large and deep clay pot especially designed for simmering stews, soups, and beans. Barro, which literally means “mud” and generally “clay,” is ideal if you would like to cook over a direct flame the whole day. Besides imparting an earthly flavor to the dish, the clay is delicate and responsive to rapid temperature changes.

An outdoor barbecue

2006-12-23T03:08:00.000-08:00

Having an outdoor barbecue makes cooking a whole lot easier, having the right kind of barbecue makes this even simpler, since gas barbecue grills are so much easier to work with, maintained and care, not to talk about clean, this is a post that you may find helpful.

When doing barbecue party, there is one most important thing you should prepare: barbecue grill. There are basically two types of barbecue grills you can utilize: charcoal barbecue grill or gas barbecue grill. From the name itself, the former uses charcoal to power and heat the grill while the latter uses gas. The latter is typically more expensive but it is more convenient to use than the former.

Using gas barbecue grill allows you control over its temperature for easy cooking of the meat. Also it does not produce much smoke although at first flames could flare up so you need to be very careful when handling the gas barbecue grill. Cleaning a gas grill is fairly easier as compared to the charcoal grill.

Culinary Peaks

2006-12-14T03:56:00.000-08:00

Getting into a culinary arts college is no different from getting into any other types of college. You also have to go through the process that the college has set.

But first there is also the need to find out if the college and what they are offering is right for you. You probably would want to check out the place first. After that, you also need to see if the curriculum that they are offering is the one you are after.

These things are important because you will be spending some amount of money and time in that college. You would not want to be stuck with something that you will not like later on.

Now, what do you look for in the proper culinary arts college?

1. The program you prefer.

Before you decide on enrolling in a culinary arts college, you need to make up your mind regarding what program you want to get into. Do you want to cater your own restaurant? Do you want to have a managerial position related to restaurant? Or are you taking the course so that you can apply them at home?

Continue reading about Culinary Colleges

Microwave Ovens

2006-11-29T06:05:00.000-08:00

Microwave ovens have become a mandatory feature in every kitchen, it is almost unalienable that only 20 years ago this would have been considered a miracle. The modern microwave oven can offer the avid cook much more than just heating and defrosting, read this post and the link attached to it to find out more.

There are basically two purposes with which your microwave oven can be used. One is to defrost foods straight from the fridge. The other is to cook full meals. While most of us use these two almost every day in our kitchen, there are a lot more features that can be used for other ways of cooking methods.

If the primary purpose is for defrosting foods, then you are better off buying those that have the capability to super-defrost your foods. It will definitely save you more time and money doing it this way compared to using your stove and the utensils needed.

If you plan on cooking your meals in the oven, you can opt for one that does not turn food dry or rubbery. The best thing to do is to ask the salesperson about what types they offer and what would suit your need best. Since they are the experts on these things, they will be able to point you in the right direction.

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Culinary Schools - The Cordon Blue

2006-11-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

A post about Culinary Schools, and specifically about the world famous Cordon Blue, which has been the prime education source for culinary students for many years.

The good thing about being a Le Cordon Bleu chef is that you will never run out of opportunities anywhere in the world -- because this is what top restaurants and hotels seek in all chef applications and recommendations.

Though studying in a Le Cordon Bleu school is relatively expensive, it is well worth every cent. Having a Le Cordon Bleu title attached to your name is already tantamount to success and respectability.

The Coffee Gift Basket

2006-11-20T00:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a post about some ideas of coffee gifts, there is a lot of info about that in the link at the end of the post.

In making gifts, you can explore a variety of creative ways. You can choose to buy baskets with artistic designs or you may want to make your own.

A basket does not literally mean a woven handicraft container. You may opt to use other containers such as a pail, a box, or a pot. A bag is another good option, since it can be used again after your gift has been opened.

These ideas would definitely make your present catch the eyes of other people. Just make it as unique as possible.

What are the Contents of a Coffee Gift Basket?

If you want to save money, it is your choice to create one. There are several ways by which you can organize your gift. Just consider the preference of the one who will receive it.

The Coffee Table

2006-11-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

The coffee table has been very much the talk of the day in many places, coffee tables are becoming a collectors item, and a piece of furniture more and more people are thinking of getting, not only for coffee these tables can add charm to any room, and with coffee they will probably be perfect, read more about coffee tables in the link at the end of this post.

Do move often or do you rearrange your furniture often according to your latest feng shui arrangement? Then you would want to make your life a whole lot easier for you by buying a coffee table set that is not as heavy as the others. Some websites provide the weight specifications of their items, thus, you will need to worry about purchasing one that is very difficult to carry around.

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The Culinary History & Culinary Academy

2006-11-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

An interesting post about the history of culinary as a discipline, and the need for culinary colleges and schools, you can go to the link to learn more about it.

The history of culinary arts goes all the way back to 1800s when the very first cooking school in Boston was teaching the art of American cooking as well as preparing the students to pass on their knowledge to others in turn. The first cookbook ever written was by Fannie Merrit Farmer in 1896 who also attended the Boston cooking school and whose book is still used as reference even today.

The next step in the history of culinary arts was taken through the television where in 1946 James Beard held regular cooking classes on the art of American cooking who is also known as the grandfather of the American cuisine. The French cuisine was brought to life in the American society by Julia Child in 1960s when through the power of the radio she entered all the kitchens nation wide.

Continue reading about the Culinary Academy

About The Art Of Culinary

2006-10-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

One thing about people who love to cook is that many of us are ready to put in some of our money and time to actually get better at cooking, this next post is exactly about this, learning the art of cooking, the culinary arts that are given to many cooking students around the world, and to many others who do not plan to have a career in the cooking and culinary industry but are passionate enough about it to spend a lot of time and energy on it.

Before the rise of celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse many people learned to cook from their mothers or used cookbooks. The cookbooks, like the classic Better Homes And Gardens book, feature great recipes and information but are not like the kind of cookbook we see now that features the chef’s name prominently.

Perhaps Julia Child, who traveled overseas to learn at the prestigious Cordon Bleu culinary arts institute in Paris, was America’s original celebrity chef. She was the first to have a TV cooking show. Her books became best sellers in the 1960s and 1970s. She is most famous for having made the seemingly inscrutable world of French haute cuisine accessible for everyone in her first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

In Julia’s footsteps have followed aficionados from James Beard to Martha Stewart to Jamie Oliver, each with their own style and fans. These chefs know not just recipes, but also how to integrate healthy cuisine into a busy lifestyle and make the most difficult foods easier to prepare. They furnish a lifestyle too, endorsing everything from pots and pans to furniture. Going to a culinary arts institute is definitely hip.

Read more about Culinary Art Institute

Cooking Courses

2006-09-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

About Cooking Courses -

Improve Your Reputation With Cooking Courses

One way to make some friends is through cooking courses. Learning to cook to a high level normally results when it comes to instant friends that will hang at random just to try whatever new gourmet dish you came up with recently.

It also means never having to pay for dates, as you can always cook food that comes out to be uncommonly better than superior restaurant food with half the money. You don’t even have to dress up for dates anymore; if you put your finest gourmet outfit on as well as whip up a ordinary spaghetti as well as lobster dish when it plays a part in the kitchen, you will be an instant star with your date and win accolades the over.

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About Chocolate

2006-09-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

A post about Chocolate Seashells, very popular these days...

Besides the chocolate seashells, he got me roses, and took me out to the most romantic evening that you can imagine. First off, we went to this lovely little Italian restaurant, and sat outside on a little alley terrace with the early evening sky showing through above, and a little candle in a basket on the table.

Then we went to a walk on the beach to watch the sunset. It was one of those spectacular sunsets, all oranges and pinks and golden. It filled the entire sky with glowing. I chewed on chocolate seashells as we contemplated the waves, held eachothers hands and kissed.