Food

Guy Cooking Doesn't Require A Double Boiler

Melting fine chocolate, making delicate sauces require special attention and the use of a double boiler to gently melt and blend to perfection.

At the opposite end of the cooking spectrum is the Guy Grub Guy whose kitchen looks like it belongs in a handyman's garage.  If a gentle touch is required, he reaches for the 1-pound hammer instead of the 10-pound sledgehammer. 

I think most men are more comfortable outside being king of the grill wearing a "Kiss The Cook" apron.  After all, isn't that their rightful domain?

How To Use Up Leftovers & Small Quantities To Limit Food Waste

No one likes to find a mausoleum sitting at the back of the shelf in the refrigerator.  Saving leftovers hoping to make use of them before they go bad is only a good plan when you actually use them. 

There are a number of ways to extend the useful life of foods to prevent waste, the freezer being one of the most important ones.

Having a good source of recipes designed to make use of leftovers and small quantities is another way to use food up before it goes bad.

Preparing a meal with just enough so there are no leftovers is the best plan of all.

The Perfect Recipe Organizer: Google Docs... It's FREE!

Following is an update on my search for the perfect recipe organizer...

I've actually tried quite a few different recipe programs. For example, MealMaster and MasterCook were my longtime favorites, and they served me well (in a very basic sense) for many many years.  But it was time to start looking for a recipe organizer that fit my needs better.

After trying it free for 30 days, then buying the Big Oven software ($29.95) and using the full program for a short time, I realized that BigOven wasn't exactly what I was looking for either. (See the "update" at the end of that article and my comments.)

Yes, Big Oven is a fairly sophisticated program, and there's a lot that it can do. But the biggest thing that I, personally, wanted in a recipe program was the ability to access (and edit) all of my recipes from any computer at any time.

For example:

• On my laptop in the kitchen -- when I'm cooking at home
   
• On my desktop upstairs -- when I'm importing and sharing recipes
   
• On my mom's computer in a different state -- when I decide on a whim I want to cook up something special for her when I'm visiting
   
• On my computer at work (back when I used to work outside the home) -- when I simply wanted to browse all of my recipes and find an interesting one I hadn't fixed in awhile

You get the idea... I never know when or where I may want to access my recipes. So the #1 priority for me was to be able to view (and edit) my recipes on the fly, no matter where I was.

After exploring all of my options and not feeling satisfied with any of the professional recipe programs created specifically for organizing recipes, I decided to think outside the box a bit and move all of my recipes, one by one, from Big Oven into Google Docs.

While I hadn't heard of many people using Google Docs for organizing recipes before, I knew that Google Docs would serve my purpose well -- from a practical standpoint. Still, I figured it was going to be a rather "archaic" way to store and view all of my recipes. As it turns out, Google Docs is a fairly sophisticated way to organize recipes!

Continue reading: Google Docs:The Perfect Recipe Organizer!

A No-Spend Month Will Help You Save Money And Use Up Food You Already Have

Everyone's feeling the pinch of the poor economy.  Many are forced to cut back on their grocery shopping when there is still more month left at the end of the paycheck.  Finding ways to make meals with what you have in the pantry and using up leftovers will help stretch your menu when buying more isn't an option.

For some, having a no-spend month or week every now and then is a good way to save some money, while using up those food products that might otherwise become out of date.

After all, the use by date on the package is often just a guideline.

Whole Grain vs Whole Wheat - What's The Difference?

It's a fact that whole grain foods are much better for you than whole wheat foods.

Whole wheat products, generally speaking, are made from whole wheat flour that has had the outer hull taken out.  (That's where all the healthy fiber and nutrients are located.)

Whole grains reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer, so it behooves us to understand how to tell the difference between products that contain whole grains and products that are simply made from whole wheat flour.

Eating whole-grain foods in place of refined-grain foods can trim your waistline, lower your risk of heart disease and provide more fiber, antioxidants, protein, minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and selenium) and vitamins (including niacin, B6 and E.  Source

That said, with all the different multi-grain, and whole wheat products available, discovering if the product you're eating is whole grain or not can be difficult.

Continue reading: Differences Between Whole Grains & Whole Wheat

How To Detoxify Your Body Naturally With Good Food

Detoxifying the body.  Getting all those nasty chemicals and impurities that make you feel sluggish and run down cleaned out so your system can operate at full potential. 

One way is to use Kinoki detox pads on your feet, a method with very questionable results to say the least.

A better way is to eat foods that will detox your body for you. Like Apples, greens, fruits, Interestingly these foods are common in a well balanced healthy diet as it is.  What a surprise.

Spices & Herbs Are Among The Many Foods That Cure

We all know that eating a healthy diet can prevent disease and health issues.  Did you know that certain foods can also cure or help manage certain health problems as well? 

With the H1N1 flu spreading fast and furious around the globe, Tamiflu is the most recommended form of treatment to lessen flu symptoms.  One of the key ingredients in Tamiflu is Star Anise, a common spice fom Asia. 

There are many home remedies that come from different foods we eat regularly.  Hence the reason to eat a balanced and healthy diet.

To Make Tender Meat, Use A Crockpot Or A Pressure Cooker

Without a doubt, my favorite cooking device is the crockpot.  Being able to throw a few ingredients together and leaving them unattended for 6 to 8 hours only to return to a perfectly executed meal is just about the greatest thing going.

I just love serving up a super tender pot roast that falls apart with a fork. Nevermind the flavorful gravy made from the drippings left over from cooking.  With a crock pot, there is no worrying about over cooking; the longer it simmers, the more tender it becomes.  

Of course if you're pressed for time, a pressure cooker can give you about the same results in a heck of a lot less time.  Though with a pressure cooker you need to be right there while it cooks.  I like that the crockpot is more like a gourmet robot that works by itself.

Deep Fried Butter... Would You Eat It?

The Minnesota State Fair is well known for their deep fried cheese curds.  Food on a stick is the reason we Minnesotan's make the annual trek to the Twin Cities. 

Now the Texas State Fair has pulled off a one upmanship like no other.  This year they have deep fried butter!

Whipped and frozen as little round globs, the butter is dipped in batter and quickly deep fried.  Sprinkled in powdered sugar, they are said to taste like a hot roll with butter.

Personally, when it comes to fair food, the best thing to dip in melted butter is an ear of good old fashioned sweet corn on the cob.

How To Survive Flu Season, Eat A Balanced Diet With Lots Of Fruits & Vegetables

HiNi pandemic, normal flu season, flu shots, how's a person to survive all this drama?  For starters what you eat can greatly reduce your chances of catching the flu all together.  Here's 5 ways to prevent the flu, and surprise eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is on the list.  What you eat can address other maladies as well.  Certain foods act as home remedies for many other conditions too.

Loading up on vitamin C will help you ward off that evil flu bug and practicing good hygiene will help prevent the spread of the disease when it does hit.

Keep hand sanitizer with you and avoid personal contact as much as possible.  Remember to sneeze into your elbow and if you do come down with the flu stay home so others don't get it.