The Secrets of Spanish Cuisine - By Derek Both
July 16, 2007
By Derek Both
Spanish cuisine originated in a fascinating country that features a culturally diverse and elaborate history that has evolved over hundreds of years. With literally thousands of recipes and dishes using a variety of ingredients and spices, Spanish cuisine offers something for just about everyone’s tastes.
Spain is a rather mountainous region, with several ranges running throughout the country in different directions. These mountains once acted as barriers that inhibited transportation and communication from one area to the next. For this reason, the Spanish people had to be creative with the ingredients they had on hand, making most Spanish cuisine simple, uncomplicated and yet utterly delicious. This is also why Spanish cooking differs so much from one portion of the country to another.
Most Spanish cuisine is actually still prepared today just as it was a few hundred years ago, using the same ingredients and cooking methods. Throughout the years, influences from American and European foods became popular, with a Spanish flair, of course, creating an ever wider variety of tasty dishes. Today in the northern region of the country, meats and foods high in animal fats are a popular part of the diet, while in the southern portion there is more of a Mediterranean influence to the local cooking styles and cuisine.
The components of Spanish cuisine varies widely even today from geographical region to region, however, there are two main ingredients that remain a constant throughout the country; garlic and olive oil. Most Spanish recipes call for the use of olive oil or sometimes lard, but extra virgin olive oil is usually highly recommended.
Spain happens to be one of the world’s leading producers of olive oil as olives can be seen growing all over the southern portion of the land. The country is also known all around the world as being famous for its wine and many food festivals and fiestas. It is here that the tasty wine Sangria was first developed as an alternative to the simple grape wine.
Garlic and saffron are perhaps the most commonly used of the herbs and spices, but oregano, thyme and rosemary are also used frequently. Fish and seafood are also a big part of the meals prepared here as the country is surrounded by water on three sides. Local markets and restaurants offer everything from halibut to shrimp or even octopus.
To prepare most Spanish cuisine, you will need several large pots and deep frying pans along with numerous spatulas, tongs and serving spoons. Many recipes call for all of the meats to be cooked together as stews are one of the most prevalent types of dishes of Spanish cuisine. Deep serving dishes with lids will also be needed for Spanish soups. And many chefs will also use a coffee grinder to mix and grind the various spices and herbs that are used.
Stews are such an important part of Spanish cuisine that there are several words used to describe it. Cocido, pote, olla, guiso, estofado or escudella are all terms for stew. La escudella i carn d’olla, which is made from rice, noodles, vegetables and potatoes, and Pilota, a combination of beef, eggs, white beans and bread are other common choices among the local Spanish people.
Butifarra is a type of regional sausage that can be found in some areas along with a specially prepared pie called Empanada Gallega made from vegetables and either meats or fish. Chopped pork, roasted lamb, blood pudding and red beans, known as Ibeas are other common dishes eaten in Spain. And a pork sausage made with paprika called chorizo is a huge favorite among the Spanish people.
Spanish cuisine is also famous for its many sweet and decadent desserts as well. Tarta Compostelana made from almonds is a most popular choice as well as a host of other treats made with almonds such as cookies, cakes and pastries. In addition to wine, Spain is also one of the top producers of nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, and, of course, almonds.
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5 Simple Steps To A Perfect Fennel Roasted Chicken - By Jonathan T. Teng
July 15, 2007
By Jonathan T. Teng
Fennel seeds are grown in many places. A highly expensive fennel pollens or fennel seeds which have an aromatic flavor to it have relatively long cooking times and can be classed as a slightly complicated dish.
By nature, fennel is an herb which form a bulb-like structure. Primarily used in Mediterranean to add flavor to fish dishes, they are also grown in much of the Asian sub-continent. The dialects in places where it is grown has given it variety of names.
Compared to wild fennel seeds, cultivated fennel is used in culinary purposes.
The cultivated fennel seeds are used for a variety of purposes. It is best to have it cooked with chicken for tenderness.
In this article I’m going to show you how to cook a chicken dish and add fennel to it.
The result is going to be awesome. And the smell? Superb! Simply put, the combination of taste, aroma and looks of the dish will be… wow!
Obviously when preparing any dish, the ingredients need to be good. Especially, when talking about a chicken dish being prepared with fennel, the basic ingredients would of course be chicken and fennel and other “secret ingredients” that I have learned through out the years .
With good chicken available in abundance in the market, I recommend the following two options:
1) Use all the drumsticks and thighs when you are cooking the dish as these will brilliantly add flavor to fennel. Cooking time of the dish can be reduced to a good 10 minutes if you remove the drumstick from high at the joint.
2) Use the sharpest knife that you have to cut the whole portion of the chicken. If you do this, ensure that you cut the drumsticks and thighs as well so that it will be cooked in no time. I don’t like the chicken to be dried out. I highly recommend that you remove the breast early to prevent this from happening.
– Fennel Roasted Chicken –
~ 1 whole (about 3-pound) chicken, cut up, or about 3 pounds drumsticks and thighs
~ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
~ 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
~ Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
~ Lemon wedges
~ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
(1) Heat oven to 400F. Drizzle bottom of shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with about half the olive oil and cover it with a layer of the fennel.
(2) Overlap pieces if necessary but use whole pan. Drizzle remaining oil over fennel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
(3) Roast about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut up chicken if necessary and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
(4) Top fennel with the chicken parts, skin side up. Ideally, you’ll have a layer of fennel pretty much covered by a layer of chicken, but it’s fine if some of the fennel roasts uncovered.
(5) Spoon some of the oil from bottom of pan over chicken. Roast about 15 minutes, then baste chicken with pan drippings and rotate the pan. If necessary, adjust oven temperature so chicken browns but does not burn.
The chicken will be done in about 30 minutes. Serve each piece with some fennel and a little of the pan juices spooned over, garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge.
Dinner is ready! Bring everyone and enjoy.
Jonathan writes for a famous online cooking newsletter “Quick Easy Recipes Secrets”. If you need delicious recipes and up to date cooking tips just visit: http://www.easy-recipes-secrets.com
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Prepare and Cook the Perfect Chicken and Turkey - By Kevin McCarthy
July 14, 2007
By Kevin McCarthy
People want to eat healthy foods today, and a good way to accomplish that is through poultry. There are some chicken cooking tips that can help you in the kitchen and protect your family as well.
Here are a few of the best chicken cooking tips available. You must take care to always wash your hands, knife, and cutting board in hot soapy water after preparing raw poultry.
You should never use the same utensils and cutting board for other ingredients without thoroughly washing them first and after use. This prevents cross contamination.
You should always marinate poultry in the refrigerator. Never leave it out in the open.
Do not use the poultry marinade for basting.
If the marinade is to be used for the basis of a sauce, bring it to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Never put cooked poultry on the same plate that was used to transport raw poultry. Again, this prevents cross contamination.
Here are some chicken cooking tips for storing your poultry:
Fresh poultry is a very perishable food. You should not leave it out in the open air. Instead, wrap it in plastic as soon as you get it home from the store and always store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. You should use it within two days; if this is not possible, place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. You should always freeze giblets and livers separately from the whole bird.
Cooked poultry dishes can be frozen. However, you should not freeze poultry dishes that contain mayonnaise or hard-boiled eggs.
Allow small poultry dishes to cool completely before wrapping and freezing them. Allow larger items to cool in the refrigerator and then wrap airtight and freeze.
You should never freeze stuffed poultry.
Some of the most important chicken cooking tips involve proper thawing of the bird.
It is especially important that the poultry be properly thawed before cooking. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator while it is in the original wrapper. You can place it on a tray to catch any drips that may fall as it thaws. When thawing in the refrigerator is not possible because there is not enough time, there are two other alternatives. For rapid thawing, you can put the bird in watertight wrapping and then submerge in cold water. You should change the water frequently as this will help quicken the process. Smaller birds require about one to two hours.
The other alternative is to leave the bird in its wrapper and put it into a heavy paper grocery bag. Close up the bag and put it into a cool room. You will need to check it frequently, and once the bird is thawed, you must cook it immediately.
Now for the Turkey!
Turkey is a long time favorite of many families and now there are some great cooking tips tricks that anyone can learn and use to better prepare these wonderful birds.
Selecting the proper size: You should plan on about 3/4 pound per person for generous servings. You should understand that this will not leave much in leftovers. If you like to have more leftovers, plan on 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per person.
Hens or Toms: It may surprise you but the only real difference between a hen and tom is the size. Hens are classified under 16 pounds and toms are over 16 lbs. A somewhat secret cooking tips tricks is that both will be a young turkey, just a few weeks old at the time of processing. They will be equally tender and moist.
Roasting your bird: Remove the neck and giblets from the neck and body cavities. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. If you want to stuff the bird, you should loosely stuff the body and neck cavities and then fasten the leg clamp back onto the legs.
Cooking tips tricks: Place the turkey in a roasting pan with the plastic timer unobstructed. Cover with a lid, or fashion your own cover with a loose tent of foil. Remember to remove the cover for the last hour for browning.
Cooking tips tricks for Roasting Times: Roast in a preheated, 325 degree Fahrenheit oven. Roasting will take about 15 minutes per pound if the turkey is not stuffed. Stuffed turkeys require an additional 1/2 to 1 hour cooking time. However, it is always best to follow the instructions that come with the stuffing and the turkey. You oven temperature may vary as well which will require you to adjust your time, either upward or downward.
Cooking tips tricks for Basting: One of the most usefultools you can have is a suction basting tube. These inexpensive tools can make basting your turkey a snap and they can also help decrease the time that the oven door is open, which leads to losing oven heat. Baste your bird about every hour or so. This will help make it brown and tender.
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Learning The Art of French Cooking - By Craig Chambers
July 13, 2007
By Craig Chambers
My passion for French cooking began the year I spent in France learning about this famous art. I knew French meals were delicious but also came to realize that the production of a meal was just as important as learning how to cook it.
While there I threw myself into the history and art of French cuisine, going to cooking school as well as learning from the locals and was able to bring back a wealth of information to include in my everyday cooking. Learning the history of how this cuisine is prepared and served on a daily basis gave me a better appreciation of the art of French cooking and helped me add true authenticity to my meals. It is important to understand what a strong influence French cooking techniques have had on the western world. The mastery of its styles and methods has become the center of culinary arts and has become what is taught as the basis of all other forms of cooking in cooking schools around the world.
Learning and mastering these styles and methods is what makes it the best in the world and what makes French cuisine truly authentic. One of the most famous techniques adopted from French cooking and one that we are all familiar with, is sauteing. Sauteing refers to food cooked in oil or butter over moderately high heat and being constantly stirred or moved. Classic French cooking has evolved over time and has been influenced over the years by surrounding European countries as well as new products like herbs, spices and items such as Cocoa brought back from distant lands by explorers.
Like all cuisines, French food depends and changes along with the seasons. Salads and fruit are very popular during the summer months because of their freshness and also because they are able to be bought very cheaply. The fall and winter months make up the hunting season in France and a variety of meat dishes, often ornately made in celebration of the successful hunt, are served.
French menus also include a selection of delicious cheeses ranging from fresh, hard, rich or creamy. It is important to learn how to serve a truly authentic French meal. A typical day in France starts out with a light breakfast of hot drinks such as milk, coffee or chocolate, served with the famous buttered baguettes or French sticks and sometimes croissants served with jam.
These delectable breads are usually bought fresh in the morning from the local bakeries called boulangeries. Later on in the day, lunch is served in three courses beginning with a mixed salad, a main course of meat and vegetables, and a variety of cheeses served with a green salad. Dinner is usually a simple meal of soup and a light main course. Maybe one of the best known parts of French cuisine is the dessert.
I am convinced that a meal would not be complete without it and always include a dessert or two in my meal plans as an after dinner treat. The eclairs and profiteroles, made of a puffed pastry filled with coffee or chocolate custard, are some of the most popular and my favorites. They are also easy to make and something that everyone loves. The elegant style of French cooking can bring new flavor to your meals and new life to your kitchen.
Mastering the art of French cuisine is easy to accomplish with a little bit of creativity and a love for great food. Try something new for dinner tonight and your family or friends are sure to fall in love with French cooking!
Craig Chambers is a cooking enthusiast who enjoys French cooking and offers an extensive free cooking guide, recipes and resources on his website http://www.cookingyourbest.com
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