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Video Comparison: Do Restaurants' Frozen Dinners Taste The Same As Restaurants' Actual Meals?

do-frozen-dinners-equal-fresh-served-by-adamjackson1984.jpg Many well-known chain restaurants have expanded their market by offering frozen versions from their restaurant menu in the frozen foods section in supermarkets.

A few of them are:

The real question is do the restaurants'  frozen dinners sold at supermarkets measure up to what you get when you order the same meal at the actual restaurants? 

No, I'm not referring to some national chain, $3 frozen pizza trying to equal your locally owned specialty pizza shop. I'm talking apples to apples, oranges to oranges. Does the supermarket White Castle burger that you buy in the frozen foods section compare to fresh sliders that are hot off the grill and handed to you at the drive-up window?

This video shows a live taste comparison between some frozen dinners and fresh served entrees.  You may be surprised with the results. (I was!)

 

 

When you're stocking up on restaurant versions of frozen dinners, just remember to keep expiration dates in mind.  The longer you keep a product, the more likely the quality will be adversly affected.  A home chest freezer can save you money, but only when you avoid freezer burn.

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Your Meals Can Look 4-Star Quality... There's A Kitchen Gadget For That!

favorite-kitchen-gadget-the-egg-slicer-by-chatirygirl.jpg Who doesn't love a new kitchen gadget? 

You can always use a new cutesy little device that's specifically designed to address a problem you never knew you had, right?

This was the case with one of the few kitchen gadgets I hold dear to my heart: the  egg slicer. Capable of raising your lowly salad to professional standards, I'm amazed that I got by without one for so long. 

I also use my egg slicer to make perfectly symmetrical egg salad.  Slice the egg, then turn it 90 degrees and slice it again.  Like magic, you have a perfectly diced egg!

The fact is late night Infomercials, combined with sleep deprivation, can have you ordering all kinds of special purpose devices like these quick top lids that turn soda cans into soda bottles

"If you call in the next 20 minutes we'll double your order.  Call right now, you know we can't be doing this all day." Yes, we're all familiar with that often-repeated sales pitch. 

Good news: In some instances, there really is a better tool or kitchen gadget that will truly help the average person attain success in the kitchen!

This video demonstrates some other kitchen gadgets that every home chef will find essential:

 

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Top 10 Foods That Cause Foodborne Illness

Oyster-can-carry-foodborne-illness-by-avixyz.jpg You probably remember the salmonella outbreak that was caused by tomatoes, right? 

When the FDA and CDC sent out the warning, tomatoes immediately disappeared from stores and salads across the country.  BLTs went tomato-less for quite some time, just because of the risk of a foodborne illness.

Some foods are more susceptible to giving you food poisoning than others.  A lot has to do with how certain foods are handled -- both at their point of origin and at their final destination: the dinner table. 

How you clean and cook foods is just as important. 

Many of the top 10 riskiest foods will be no surprise.  They include:

  • Eggs
  • Leafy greens
  • Tomatoes
  • Sprouts

Others you may not be aware of include:

  • Tuna
  • Oysters
  • Potatoes
  • Cheese
  • Ice cream
  • Strawberries

Food poisoning can be a mild inconvenience, or it can be life-threatening.  By understanding food poisoning symptoms and treatment, you will be able to recognize if and when the situation becomes serious.

Prevention is the best cure to food poisoning.  If you know how to keep food safe, then you'll on the right path to preventing a foodborne illness from occurring in your own home.

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Become A Better Cook With These Quick Tips For Adding Flavor

Does supper always taste like just the same old stuff, no matter what you make? 

Maybe the problem isn't what you're cooking, but how you're cooking it.  Becoming a better cook isn't a hard thing to accomplish.  Often it's just a matter of learning how to add a little flavor and texture to what you're already preparing. 

Five Ways To Improve Your Cooking will get you started down the right path to flavor town.  There are lots of simple little tricks mentioned like:

  • Kosher salt will bring out the flavor.  Don't skimp.  Your pasta water should taste like sea water.
  • Water doesn't add any flavor.  Steam or braise with vegetable stock.
  • A little acid can balance out the salt.  A squirt of lemon juice, a splash of vinegar, or a little wine may be what's missing.
  • Real butter will add that creamy taste and texture.
  • Crispy-crunchy skin or toppings give you a variation in texture that most people enjoy.

Another neat trick to cooking tender, super flavorful meats is using a pressure cooker. Don't be scared off, just because you haven't used one before.  Even if it's your very first time, using a pressure cooker is easy with the help of videos. 

Of course, there is always deep frying when you're looking to add texture and flavor.  The crispy-crunchy outside goes so well with the tender, juicy meat inside.  Watch this video to see how easy it is to make the perfect fried chicken!

 

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Cooking Oils Explained - Cook Healthier With The Right Cooking Oil

Not all cooking oils are created equal.  In fact, there are some that can greatly improve your diet.

While all cooking oils contain about 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon, choosing from these oils can improve flavor and, in many ways, benefit your health:

  • Olive oil adds flavor and reduces the risk of heart disease.
  • Canola oil has the lowest level of saturated fats and is the cheapest for frying.
  • Peanut and sesame oils lower your cholesterol levels.
  • Walnut and flax seed oils have the highest concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids.

6 Good-For-You Cooking Oils gives more detail on the many benefits of these healthy oils.

The next time you are looking to fry a nice day's catch of panfish, break out a deep cast iron skillet.  Once properly seasoned, the even heating qualities of cast iron can't be beat when cooking with oil. 

With a little bit of canola oil in a hot frying pan, your fish will come out nice and crisp.  Finish it off in the oven, and you can eat without worry -- because  you've chosen an oil that is actually healthy for you.

This video shows just how quick and easy a healthy meal of fish can be fried up, with just a little bit of canola oil:

 

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Ways To Avoid The Excess Calories In Movie Popcorn - Without Losing The Flavor

movie-popcorn-by-naydeeyah.jpg A trip to the theater just isn't the same without a big bucket of buttery movie popcorn to munch on. 

You do know that when you order the large size, free refills are included? 

Of course if you are trying to maintain or lose weight, popcorn's dark secret is going to blow your diet right out of the water. 

That big bucket of popcorn with a few tablespoons of buttery goodness amounts to about 1,500 calories.  That's well over half of a healthy day's food intake.

Don't blame the popcorn, because quantity control and no fat flavoring are the secret to healthy popcorn. 

Here are a bunch of ways to flavor up your popcorn and still keep it healthy

If you make up a zip lock baggy of flavoring, you can add it to plain popcorn at the theater to keep it healthy.

It's handy to carry a roll of dental floss in your pocket too.  If you're going somewhere after the movie that kernel stuck between your molars is sure going to be annoying.

You could just pick a theater that includes a dental floss pick attached to the popcorn container.  That seems like a reasonable addition, considering the prices they charge for movie popcorn these days.

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Prepare Turkey The Manly Way... On The Grill Wrapped In Bacon!

Let's face it, cooking a turkey isn't rocket science.  Put the bird in a pan, place said pan in the oven, and wait a number of hours.  Generally speaking, except for seasoning, that's how the majority of people prepare turkey.

Leave it to the male ego to insist there must be a better way.  Check out these manly ways to prepare turkey.  You'll find lots of bigger, better, more flashy way to do it.  There are lots of examples from self-declared chefs who are endlessly looking to achieve a more moist meat, or a special flavor beyond what turkey was designed to be.

If added flavor is what you're looking for, try brining your turkey.  Like a marinade, it holds the moisture in the bird, while the salt brings out more of the natural flavor.

Finding new ways to prepare turkey will help make your festive occasions extra special.  This video shows the manly way to grill bacon wrapped turkey breast stuffed with chicken and onions:

 

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Experts Are Going Ballistic Over Hidden Dangers In Normally Safe Food

canned-tomatoes-by-thenestor.jpg You would think that all the food found at your supermarket would be safe food. 

With all the government regulations involved, how could it be any other way? 

The experts say this isn't the whole story.  There are at least 7 foods experts won't eat that are commonly found in most households. 

Hidden chemicals in the packaging and processing, or excessive exposure to pesticides, can leave trace amounts of dangerous material in your food. 

Many of these chemicals linger in your body building up to dangerous levels over time.

Even your cookware could be exposing you to dangerous chemicals.  One example is Teflon.  When overheated, it produces toxic fumes. 

To some degree, all this alarming information should be taken with a grain of salt because the odds of health issues from this miniscule exposure are pretty slim. 

Don't forget that excessive salt consumption leads to high blood pressure.  It's just one more thing that makes it hard to define exactly what safe food is.

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Video: How To Start Your Own Container Garden & Get Free Seeds!

There's nothing better than fresh, out of your own garden, fruits and vegetables.  Growing produce from year to year can be even more satisfying, if you harvest your own seeds for the upcoming growing season. 

The expense of those little packets of seeds can quickly add up.  If you look at gardening the way past generations have done it, then you'll want to put aside enough seeds for next year's crop. That's how you perpetuate your food supply.

You don't need 40 acres of plowed field to keep fresh vegetables on your dinner table.  Urban gardening takes up very little space, and can even be done in containers on the small balcony off your downtown apartment.

Begin with something simple.  For example, my 2 favorites are tomatoes and squash.  Both are easy to grow and can be started well in advance of the warm summer days to come.  Harvest the seeds from your crop, and forever after you will have free seeds for your garden!

This video will show you how easy it is to start your own container garden:

 

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Don't Be Left Behind: Here's The Latest Food Trends For Those In The Know

beer-and-popcorn-by-Joe-in-DC.jpg How and what we eat seems to be an ever changing part of our lives.  Food trends for 2010 are definitely leaning toward a healthier lifestyle with many people watching closely where their nourishment comes from. 

Locally grown, organic, and gluten free are just a few of the more popular catch phrases cropping up in supermarkets to meet the demand of the now health conscious consumer.

Because the population realizes the affects of obesity, switching from the empty calories of most junk food to healthier snacks just makes sense. 

Surprisingly some of the old favorites like popcorn actually have health benefits.  Even beer has health benefits you may not be aware of.  

I guess this proves the true meaning of a trend.  It's all in how a product is marketed.  If the public immediately  jumps on the bandwagon it must be the latest in food trends.

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