Benefits of Olive Oil finally Revealed

Benefits of Olive Oil finally revealed. We've known for some time that olive oil is good for you. But how is it made? Where does it come from? And what exactly is it about this oil that makes it essential for a healthy diet? Here's all you need to know ...

OLIVE OIL-PRODUCING COUNTRIES

Most Spanish oil comes from olives grown in the Andalucian countryside. Typically, the oil is sweetly fruity with low levels of bitterness. Catalonia, Extramadura and La Mancha also produce considerable quantities of delicate oil.

The Secret to a Quick and Tasty Meal

With some advance planning, smart shopping, and kitchen organization, healthy and delicious meals can become the norm rather than the exception in your home. Here are the basic ingredients that should be in every kitchen. Remember to rotate items on a regular basis, and adjust the list to suit your needs and preferences.

HERBS AND SPICES

Basil (dried) • Bay leaves (dried)
Black pepper  • Garlic (granulated)
Cinnamon (ground and sticks)
Mustard (dried) • Oregano (dried)
Parsley (dried) • Rosemary (dried)
Sage (dried) • Salt (table and kosher)
Thyme (dried) • Whole nutmeg

More Vegetables in Salads

Salads don’t have to be just tossed greens with a slice of cucumber. Shifting the emphasis toward vegetables other than lettuce improves the nutritional value of a salad. It also adds rich textures and flavors. Lots of vegetables in your salad can even “upgrade” a side dish to an entrée or appetizer.

AVOCADOS IN SALADS

Avocados add creaminess, richness, and a wealth of nutrients to a dish. Choose avocados that are ripe or nearly ripe. To check for ripeness, cradle the avocado in the palm of your hand, wrap your fingers lightly around the avocado, and press very gently. A ripe avocado will give very slightly. Use the following guidelines to keep ripe avocados from turning brown.

Right Way to Peeling, Cutting and Zesting a Fresh Fruit

FRUIT: it’s sweet, delicious, and just the thing tomake your brunch complete. Here are a few tipsand techniques for getting the most out of yourfresh produce, from peeling to cutting to zesting.

PINEAPPLE

When cutting a pineapple, the first step is to remove its thick, prickly outer skin. Start by putting the pineapple on its side on a cutting board. With a chef’s knife, slice off the pineapple top and a slice from the base. Stand the pineapple on the base and slice away the skin, following the natural curve of the sides. Make sure that the cuts are deep enough to remove the eyes, but not so deep that a great deal of edible flesh is removed. Once the pineapple is peeled, you can cut it into slices, chunks, etc.

Special Ingredients

Special Ingredients

Baking powder—A powder used in baking to lighten dough or batter

Bamboo shoots—Tender, fleshy yellow sprouts from bamboo canes. They can be bought canned, whole, or thinly sliced.

Basil—A rich, fragrant herb used fresh or dried in cooking

Bulgur—Kernels of wheat that have been steamed, dried, and crushed. A similar product called cracked wheat may be used as a substitute.

Cardamom—A spice of the ginger family, used whole or ground, that has a rich aroma and gives food a sweet, cool taste

Cooking Utensils

Cooking Utensils

Colander - A bowl with holes in the bottom and sides. It is used for draining liquid from a solid food.

Crepe pan - There are many pans available that are designed specifically for crepe-making, but almost any low-sided pan with a cooking surface 6 to 8 inches in diameter will work just as well.

Rolling pin - A wooden utensil used for rolling out pastry or dough

Sieve - A bowl-shaped utensil made of wire mesh used to drain food

Slotted spoon - A spoon with small openings in the bowl. It is usually used to pick solid food out of a liquid.

Cooking Terms

Cooking Terms

Beat—To stir rapidly in a circular motion

Boil—To heat a liquid over a high heat until bubbles form and rise rapidly to the surface

Broil—To cook directly under a heat source so that the side of the food facing the heat cooks rapidly

Chop—To cut into small pieces

Grate—To shred food into tiny pieces by rubbing it against a grater

Healthy and Low-Fat Cooking Tips

Healthy and Low-Fat Cooking Tips

Many modern cooks are concerned about preparing healthy, low-fat meals. Fortunately, there are simple ways to reduce the fat content of most dishes. Here are a few general tips for adapting the recipes in this blog. Throughout the blog, you’ll also find specific suggestions for individual recipes—and don’t worry, they’ll still taste delicious! Many recipes call for butter or oil to sauté vegetables. Using oil instead of butter lowers saturated fat right away, but you can also reduce the amount of oil you use. You can also substitute a low-fat or nonfat cooking spray for oil. Sprinkling a little salt on vegetables brings out their natural juices, so less oil is needed. It’ s also a good idea to use a small, nonstick frying pan if you decide to use less oil than the recipe calls for.

Another common substitution for butter is margarine. Before making this substitution, consider the recipe. If it is a dessert, it’s often best to use butter. Margarine may noticeably change the taste or consistency of the food. Cheese and other dairy products, such as cream, milk, and sour cream, are common sources of unwanted fat. 

The Careful Cook

The Careful Cook

Whenever you cook, there are certain safety rules you must always keep in mind. Even experienced cooks follow these rules when they are in the kitchen.

• Always wash your hands before handling food. Thoroughly wash all raw vegetables and fruits to remove dirt, chemicals, and insecticides.

• Use a cutting board when cutting up vegetables and fruits. Don’t cut them up in your hand! And be sure to cut in a direction away from you and your fingers.

• Long hair or loose clothing can easily catch fire if brought near the burners of a stove. If you have long hair, tie it back before you start cooking.

• Turn all pot handles toward the back of the stove so that you will not catch your sleeves or jewelry on them. This is especially important when younger brothers and sisters are around. They could easily knock off a pot and get burned.

Cooking Metric Conversion

Cooking Metric Conversion

Cooks in the United States measure both liquid and solid ingredients using standard containers based on the 8-ounce cup and the tablespoon. These measurements are based on volume, while the metric system of measurement is based on both weight (for solids) and volume (for liquids). To convert from U.S. fluid tablespoons, ounces, quarts, and so forth to metric liters is a straightforward conversion, using the chart below. However, since solids have different weights—one cup of rice does not weigh the same as one cup of grated cheese, for example—many cooks who use the metric sys­ tem have kitchen scales to weigh different ingredients. The chart below will give you a good starting point for basic conversions to the metric system.

MASS (weight)
1 ounce (oz.) = 28.0 grams (g)
8 ounces = 227.0 grams
1 pound (lb.) or 16 ounces = 0.45 kilograms (kg)
2.2 pounds = 1.0 kilogram

Cooking Tips Series [2]

# Lightly grease a cast-iron fiddle before making first pancakes. Then rub a raw peeled potato between batches. This will produce golden brown flapjacks that will not stick.

# To tenderize tough cuts of meat, as for stew, add a little vinegar to the water in which the meat is being boiled.

# Cheese cut in small strips or narrow slices will keep well in a covered glass jar.

# A little lemon juice added to the boiling water will make rice whiter and keep the grains from sticking.

# At or near sea level foods cook quickly, care must be taken to prevent burning.

# A can or bottle can be used as a rolling pin.

# Eggs can be removed from the shell, whole, and stored in an oil jar with lid. They won't break and can still be poured out on at a time.

# Form hamburgers, biscuits or cookies with a clean tin can, glass or cup.

# Use fingernail polish to mark foil dinners. It won't burn off in the coals.

Cooking Tips Series [1]

# Soap the bottom and side of your pots and pans before putting on the fire. This will reduce the amount of scouring you will need to do when cleaning up. Liquid soap is easier to use than bar soap.

# If cooking on a wood fire, wait for the flames to burn down. The coals are where the heat comes from. Also the flames will blacken the bottom and sides of the pot making clean up more difficult.

# When using a propane or gas stove you have a variety of heat settings, wide open is not the best way to cook.