It is now time my blogging come to an end. As this class comes to a close I have learned a new form of writing and even picked up some computer skills. I will admit I probably will not blog again. It is not my style. I think I might have liked blogging more if I was more passionate about my topic. It was hard for me to remember to blog and to get into writing on my blog. I think if it was something I had a lot to say about blogging would be easier.
However, I enjoyed reading everyone else’s blogs. I liked how the blogs were different and how you never knew what people were going to write. I liked seeing how everyone interpreted what they learned and saw in their own way. Blogging allows more of your personality to shine through, especially if you have a topic you truly enjoy. I learned a lot of new information about topics I never really thought about.
I have learned a lot about my topic, one thing is I do not like to cook. I actually have come to the conclusion that I need to become rich so I can afford a cook or to eat out every night. I do not have any patience and cooking needs patience. Cooking occasionally is okay, however I hate doing it daily. I thought I would like it more but once I started I realized I am not chef material. I think the reason I have never been good at it is because I do not like it. It takes up a lot of my time, I can think of a million things I would rather do than to cook. I hope you did learn a lot from my advice and recipes. The food really does taste good; I just wish I had someone to cook it for me. I hope everyone else continues to cook and try new recipes!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Cooking Safely
Even though this week I made a vegetarian recipe I want to inform you on the cooking meat safety. It is a subject I had touched on earlier but I found more detailed information that I think it useful.
Thawing: NEVER thaw uncooked meat in room temperature. Always thaw it in the refrigerator or in cold water.
Marinating: Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Do not marinate meat on the counter. Always dispose of the marinade afterwards because it contains raw juices which may contain bacteria.
Partial Cooking or Browning: Never partially cook meat; place it in the refrigerator than cook it again later. Doing this would not kill the bacteria on the meat.
Cooking: Use a food thermometer every time you cook raw foods.
Serving: Never leave raw or cooked food out for more than two hours. On hot days hotter than 90ºF only for one hour.
Reheating: Reheat food thoroughly to 165º or until it is completely hot.
I hope this information helps you and alerts you to the proper way to handle meat and food in general. I never knew the longest time you should safely leave food out for. I hope this helps!
Schmutz, P. H. "Cooking Meat Safely." Clemson Extension. Jan. 2007. Clemson University. 04 Dec. 2007. http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic3580.htm.
Thawing: NEVER thaw uncooked meat in room temperature. Always thaw it in the refrigerator or in cold water.
Marinating: Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Do not marinate meat on the counter. Always dispose of the marinade afterwards because it contains raw juices which may contain bacteria.
Partial Cooking or Browning: Never partially cook meat; place it in the refrigerator than cook it again later. Doing this would not kill the bacteria on the meat.
Cooking: Use a food thermometer every time you cook raw foods.
Serving: Never leave raw or cooked food out for more than two hours. On hot days hotter than 90ºF only for one hour.
Reheating: Reheat food thoroughly to 165º or until it is completely hot.
I hope this information helps you and alerts you to the proper way to handle meat and food in general. I never knew the longest time you should safely leave food out for. I hope this helps!
Schmutz, P. H. "Cooking Meat Safely." Clemson Extension. Jan. 2007. Clemson University. 04 Dec. 2007. http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic3580.htm.
Veggie Delight!
This week I decided to cook a vegetarian recipe. I am not a big meat eater myself, in fact I have to take protein supplements to make up for it. I am however a huge fan of vegetables. I have tried vegetarian recipes that call for meat substitutes before and I feel that it is a hit or miss situation. It is either extremely delicious or tastes wretched. I decided to avoid that risk and make something that did not require a meat substitute.
I choose a California Grilled Veggie Sandwich recipe. This grilled zucchini, red onions, yellow squash, and red bell peppers on focaccia bread with a mayonnaise mix topped with feta cheese.
First you mix ¼ cup of mayonnaise, three minced cloves of garlic, and ones tablespoon of lemon juice, set it in the refrigerator. Next you must slice the vegetables; I have added a video of how to safely slice them. The amount I used is based on what I liked the most, it is personal preference. Next, brush the sliced vegetables with olive oil. Preheat the grill. The directions say to put the vegetables on the grill, I suggest you put it in aluminum foil, this causes the vegstables to cook faster and evenly. After you remove the vegetables from the grill it is time to assemble the sandwich. Slice the bread horizontally, than add the mayonnaise mixture to the bread. After that add your vegetables and top it with crumbled feta cheese and it is good to eat!
I thought this recipe was delicious and very filling; it is also very healthy and fast to make. I recommend this for anyone, even if you are not a big vegetable person, it is still very good. You could even add grilled slices of chicken if you wanted meat on it but the vegetarian way is definitely worth a try.
Cutting Safety Video
I choose a California Grilled Veggie Sandwich recipe. This grilled zucchini, red onions, yellow squash, and red bell peppers on focaccia bread with a mayonnaise mix topped with feta cheese.
First you mix ¼ cup of mayonnaise, three minced cloves of garlic, and ones tablespoon of lemon juice, set it in the refrigerator. Next you must slice the vegetables; I have added a video of how to safely slice them. The amount I used is based on what I liked the most, it is personal preference. Next, brush the sliced vegetables with olive oil. Preheat the grill. The directions say to put the vegetables on the grill, I suggest you put it in aluminum foil, this causes the vegstables to cook faster and evenly. After you remove the vegetables from the grill it is time to assemble the sandwich. Slice the bread horizontally, than add the mayonnaise mixture to the bread. After that add your vegetables and top it with crumbled feta cheese and it is good to eat!
I thought this recipe was delicious and very filling; it is also very healthy and fast to make. I recommend this for anyone, even if you are not a big vegetable person, it is still very good. You could even add grilled slices of chicken if you wanted meat on it but the vegetarian way is definitely worth a try.
Cutting Safety Video
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Cooking Tools
There is more to cooking than just the recipes. You have to understand the tools you are using also to be a successful cook.
The first is a colander. A colander allows you to separate solids from liquids, such as pasta from water. It is helpful anytime you need to boil something. Make sure it has a study base to avoid getting burned by hot water when straining things. A bigger colander is always better; it makes it easier to pour.
The next is a box grater that has four different surfaces. Each of the different surfaces grates to a different level of coarseness. You can use it to grate almost anything, from vegetables to cheese. (picture above)
Measuring cups are essential to cooking. They allow you to know how much of something you are adding. Without measuring cups it makes following recipes hard to follow. I suggest you have both a Pyrex measuring cup, the glass measuring cups, and individual measuring cups in increments of 1/8, 1/4, ½, and 1 cup.
It is good to have a good set of knives and a sharpening stone. If you use dull knives you are at as much of a risk of injury than if they are sharp, it makes it harder to cut and may cause you to struggle which can potentially result in injury.
An eight-quart stock pot is another important kitchen tool. It is helpful when making stus, soups, and etc. It makes it easier to keep what you want in the pot and reduces the mess you make.
A two-quart sauce pan. This is good for making gravies. It is also important to have another sauce pan; this is helpful when cooking vegetables or pasta.
I suggest a frying pan. They are universal; you can cook so many different things in them, from eggs to chicken. A good frying pan has a sturdy flat bottom. A deep pan can help prevent splattering from occurring.
A cookie sheet is essential. Make sure the cookie sheet you by will fit your oven. I suggest ones that specify non-stick. This allows you to skip the step of greasing the pan. It also prevents sticking and burning from occurring.
There are many other interesting tools out there for cooking, from steamers to electric frying pans. The more you cook, the more you discover the magical tools. I personally want a wok; I heard they are wonderful to cook in. Although you can cook without these other things, it makes cooking easier. If you do not have something, be creative; find a way to get what you want with what you have!
Bridges, Shelia. "A Guide to Basic Cooking Tools." HGTV. 2007. 25 Nov. 2007 http://design.hgtv.com/kitchen/article_detail.aspx?id=67.
The first is a colander. A colander allows you to separate solids from liquids, such as pasta from water. It is helpful anytime you need to boil something. Make sure it has a study base to avoid getting burned by hot water when straining things. A bigger colander is always better; it makes it easier to pour.
The next is a box grater that has four different surfaces. Each of the different surfaces grates to a different level of coarseness. You can use it to grate almost anything, from vegetables to cheese. (picture above)
Measuring cups are essential to cooking. They allow you to know how much of something you are adding. Without measuring cups it makes following recipes hard to follow. I suggest you have both a Pyrex measuring cup, the glass measuring cups, and individual measuring cups in increments of 1/8, 1/4, ½, and 1 cup.
It is good to have a good set of knives and a sharpening stone. If you use dull knives you are at as much of a risk of injury than if they are sharp, it makes it harder to cut and may cause you to struggle which can potentially result in injury.
An eight-quart stock pot is another important kitchen tool. It is helpful when making stus, soups, and etc. It makes it easier to keep what you want in the pot and reduces the mess you make.
A two-quart sauce pan. This is good for making gravies. It is also important to have another sauce pan; this is helpful when cooking vegetables or pasta.
I suggest a frying pan. They are universal; you can cook so many different things in them, from eggs to chicken. A good frying pan has a sturdy flat bottom. A deep pan can help prevent splattering from occurring.
A cookie sheet is essential. Make sure the cookie sheet you by will fit your oven. I suggest ones that specify non-stick. This allows you to skip the step of greasing the pan. It also prevents sticking and burning from occurring.
There are many other interesting tools out there for cooking, from steamers to electric frying pans. The more you cook, the more you discover the magical tools. I personally want a wok; I heard they are wonderful to cook in. Although you can cook without these other things, it makes cooking easier. If you do not have something, be creative; find a way to get what you want with what you have!
Bridges, Shelia. "A Guide to Basic Cooking Tools." HGTV. 2007. 25 Nov. 2007 http://design.hgtv.com/kitchen/article_detail.aspx?id=67.
Football Snacks
My dad’s alma mater is Boston College and my brother is about to graduate from Virginia Tech, this combination has caused my family to be huge football fans. Our Saturday’s consist of football game on top of football game and what is a football game without the snacks?
This past Saturday I made my famous nachos. First you need to preheat the oven to 350ºF. I take Tostitos Bite Size chips and layer them on the bottom of a glass casserole dish. I than put a layer of medium salsa on top of the chips, you can use any kind of salsa depending on how hot your preference is. After the salsa comes my favorite part, the cheese. I grate a layer of Monterey Jack cheese on top of everything, than I go back over with a layer of Monterey Jack and Jalapeño cheese. I love cheese so I make it extra thick. Than you place the dish in the oven and allow it to cook for fifteen minutes. Once you take it out be sure to allow it to cool off, and enjoy!
It is the perfect dish for any football weekend especially for the Super Bowl!
This past Saturday I made my famous nachos. First you need to preheat the oven to 350ºF. I take Tostitos Bite Size chips and layer them on the bottom of a glass casserole dish. I than put a layer of medium salsa on top of the chips, you can use any kind of salsa depending on how hot your preference is. After the salsa comes my favorite part, the cheese. I grate a layer of Monterey Jack cheese on top of everything, than I go back over with a layer of Monterey Jack and Jalapeño cheese. I love cheese so I make it extra thick. Than you place the dish in the oven and allow it to cook for fifteen minutes. Once you take it out be sure to allow it to cool off, and enjoy!
It is the perfect dish for any football weekend especially for the Super Bowl!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Mediterranean Diet
I had recently heard something about a “Mediterranean Diet” and how the people living in the countries have a higher life expectancy due to a better diet. After I did some research I found that there was some truth to this.
There is no exact “Mediterranean Diet” because there are many countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, all differing in what they eat but they do have some healthy similarities according to the American Heart Association:
• high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
• olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source
• dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten
• eggs are consumed zero to four times a week
• wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts
The Mediterranean-style diets follow closely to our dietary recommendations. “More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.” (American Heart Association) This means that the risk of heart attack or heart disease is lower resulting in a lower mortality rate.
"Mediterranean Diet." American Heart. 2007. American Heart Association. 12 Nov. 2007. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644.
There is no exact “Mediterranean Diet” because there are many countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, all differing in what they eat but they do have some healthy similarities according to the American Heart Association:
• high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
• olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source
• dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten
• eggs are consumed zero to four times a week
• wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts
The Mediterranean-style diets follow closely to our dietary recommendations. “More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.” (American Heart Association) This means that the risk of heart attack or heart disease is lower resulting in a lower mortality rate.
"Mediterranean Diet." American Heart. 2007. American Heart Association. 12 Nov. 2007. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644.
Healthy and Easy
This week I decided to go to friends for a recipe. My best friend’s mom had introduced me to an easy to cook meal that is healthy too. I decided to try it on my own. The dish is cabbage and ground beef casserole, but I decided to no make it a casserole and just add rolls as a side.
The first thing you need is an electric frying pan, my new favorite invention. The frying pan is really easy to use and even easier to clean, my least favorite part of cooking. You turn the frying pan on to 300º F and allow it to heat up. You than slice up the head of cabbage into skinny strands about a half-inch wide and seven inches long. You put the cabbage in a bowl and add olive oil, ground pepper, and salt, to your desired taste. That was hard for me to do, being an analytical thinker I like things to be precise but I have come to learn cooking is far from precise. You than mix it all together and place it in the pan and allow it cook. While that is cooking you cut up a red onion into tiny pieces and add it to the pan too. Once the cabbage is soft you take it out and put it in a bowl. You than put ground beef into the skillet to let it cook, I use 93% lean beef but you can also use lean ground turkey which also happens to work with the South Beach Diet. After the meat is brown you put the cabbage and onions back in the pan and allow everything to cook together for about five minutes. It is then ready to eat!
The first time I cooked the beef first, but I learned cabbage takes a lot longer to cook and results in the meat being over cooked and dry. However, if you cook the cabbage first it turns out wonderfully. I was proud of myself this week because I figured it out on my own after only seeing someone cook it once. The recipe is quick, easy, and delicious!
The first thing you need is an electric frying pan, my new favorite invention. The frying pan is really easy to use and even easier to clean, my least favorite part of cooking. You turn the frying pan on to 300º F and allow it to heat up. You than slice up the head of cabbage into skinny strands about a half-inch wide and seven inches long. You put the cabbage in a bowl and add olive oil, ground pepper, and salt, to your desired taste. That was hard for me to do, being an analytical thinker I like things to be precise but I have come to learn cooking is far from precise. You than mix it all together and place it in the pan and allow it cook. While that is cooking you cut up a red onion into tiny pieces and add it to the pan too. Once the cabbage is soft you take it out and put it in a bowl. You than put ground beef into the skillet to let it cook, I use 93% lean beef but you can also use lean ground turkey which also happens to work with the South Beach Diet. After the meat is brown you put the cabbage and onions back in the pan and allow everything to cook together for about five minutes. It is then ready to eat!
The first time I cooked the beef first, but I learned cabbage takes a lot longer to cook and results in the meat being over cooked and dry. However, if you cook the cabbage first it turns out wonderfully. I was proud of myself this week because I figured it out on my own after only seeing someone cook it once. The recipe is quick, easy, and delicious!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)