Cooking And Food

Create your own food truck business with this guide!

2013-01-03T20:39:00.000+08:00

Stop your Internet searching and get the TRUTH about starting a food truck business from an actual food truck owner and operator.
The Food Truck Truth is your introduction to the world of owning and operating a food truck and is written by a real and active food truck operator. Inside, you will learn everything including planning your concept, building your truck, obtaining your permits, optimizing operations and branding your truck. For more information you can visit here ok.

Finding The Best Gout Cook Book

2012-12-28T22:21:00.004+08:00

Gout has been around for centuries, dating back to medieval times where kings and queens encountered this condition. In the past, gout causes were associated with those who had lavish lifestyles and consumed high amounts of fat and alcohol in their diets. With fast food chains on almost every corner and the average American consuming an estimated 3,600 calories per day, it is no surprise that gout is still prevalent today.
Fortunately scientists and researchers have been creating formulas to prevent and control gout symptoms. One way to treat these symptoms is by utilizing a gout cook book. This is probably the easiest and most convenient way to treat gout at home. For effective treatment, the first thing you need to do is to determine what to look for.
A good gout cook book:

Contains complete meal categories i.e.: starters, soups, main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), side dishes, sauces / dressings, salads, desserts and beverages. It doesn't have to be boring. Healthy cook books that do not contain a good variety of meal categories can be repetitive after awhile and you may tend to pause your health plan. Complete cook books can also make it easier for you to plan social meal gatherings where you can prepare delectable appetizers and desserts.
Offers meal plans that contain low purine, low protein and low acid ingredients. Uric acid crystals that form in your joints are one of the main gout causes. Get to know and look for ingredients that aim to lower or eliminate uric acid in the body. Low purine ingredients include most fruits, concentrated cherry or berry fruit juices, green vegetables, tomatoes, low-fat dairy products, milk, cheese, butter, chocolate, yeast-free breads, coffee and herbal tea. Low protein foods are vegetable proteins, pinto beans, kidney beans, black eye peas, soy milk, potatoes, wheat bread, rice and corn. For non-acidic, highly alkaline foods, choose a cook book for gout utilizing lots of onions, garlic, radish, turnip, chives, celery, leeks and spinach.
Contains plenty of ingredients known to combat gout. For example, a good cook book for gout will illustrate the frequent use of garlic and ginger for cooked foods, berries, cherries and grapes for desserts and apple cider vinegar for salad dressings.

Examples of meals that you will find are Stuffed Jalapenos, Sweet Potato Pies, Risotto, Lasagna and Vegetarian Pastas.
Tips:

Find a cook book with a culinary cuisine that caters to your taste (Italian, Oriental, etc.)
Make sure it has additional information on foods that can reduce conditions related to gout such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Once you have found your gout cook book, try to be creative. Meal plans usually can be modified and you can mix different ingredients to make your own concoctions. One example is by creating your own fruit and vegetable juices. Learn more about beneficial foods from your nutritionist or dietician.

Simple Roast Turkey With Rich Turkey Gravy

2012-12-28T11:13:00.001+08:00

yield: Serves 12 (with leftovers)

active time: 30 min

total time: 3 3/4 hr

This is the ultimate turkey lover's turkey—no bells and whistles, just a succulent bird with crispy skin and plenty of delicious gravy.

Ingredients

1 (16-lb) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, any feathers and quills removed with tweezers or needlenose pliers, and neck and giblets removed and reserved for another use if desired
1 tablespoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups water
7 to 8 cups turkey stock
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Special equipment: 2 small metal skewers; kitchen string; a 17- by 14-inch flameproof roasting pan with a flat rack; an instant-read thermometer; a 2-qt glass measuring cup

Preparation

Make turkey:
Put oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Sprinkle turkey cavities and skin with salt and pepper. Fold neck skin under body and secure with metal skewers, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.

Put turkey on rack in roasting pan. Add 1 cup water to pan and roast without basting, rotating pan halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both thighs; do not touch bones) registers 170°F, 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.

Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F).

Make gravy while turkey stands:
Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into measuring cup (do not clean roasting pan), then skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measure, discarding fat.)

Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining cup water and deglaze roasting pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Pour through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to bring total to 8 cups (if stock is congealed, heat to liquefy).

Melt butter in a 4-quart heavy pot and stir in flour. Cook roux over moderate heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper, then stir in cider vinegar (to taste).

Enjoy..

Anabolic Cooking - The Way to Build Muscle Quickly

2012-12-27T12:49:00.001+08:00

Have you ever tried Anabolic cooking methods? In this article I will explain why this form of cooking can help you gain a better body, no matter what level of fitness you are currently at.
How many times do we make the excuse that we do not have the time to cook healthy meals? Our fast paced way of life has directed us towards ready microwaveable meals or fast food. Parents no longer spend time teaching their children to cook, possibly because they never knew themselves.
Ready meals are packed with chemicals and sugar to keep them fresh for ages. Is it any wonder there are so many cancers around today?
Whether your ultimate goal is to lose body fat or build muscle, it is quite well known that nutrition is responsible for the best results. However, the percentage of bodybuilders who can follow a nutrition plan is very small.
To get a ripped, toned, muscular physique there are two components

Exercise
Nutrition

Your muscles are unlikely to develop by themselves no matter what kind of supplements you are putting into your body or what kind of training you are undertaking. The fat won't disappear overnight either.
What you will need are the vital components of food. Not only will food make your muscles develop, but it will enable you to burn off that belly fat. It has to be nutritious food though and it has to be the right food. There is just no getting around that I'm afraid.
So if we know all this then why do we keep on buying unhealthy ready-made microwave meals or takeaway restaurant meals? What is stopping us from cooking healthy nutritious meals? Some bodybuilders may indeed follow a specific body building meal plan, but soon find both the food and bodybuilding becomes boring. Soon they start craving junk food only because they are too lazy to prepare something healthy and tasty to eat.
When it comes to bodybuilding and fitness it is safe to say that many people have some pre conceived ideas about food.

You think shopping for nutritious food is going to be really expensive.
You don't have the confidence to cook healthy meals.
You find it quicker to stick something in the microwave rather than waste time cooking.
You've convinced yourself that nutrition and food for bodybuilding is downright dull.
You don't feel you can cook a restaurant quality meal and at the same time burn fat and build muscle.

Does all this sound like you? Don't worry you are not alone with this thinking.
Don't you feel it's time to take a step back and think about how you can improve your bodybuilding diet?
Would you like to make a complete transformation in your muscle gain diet?
It's time to learn the secrets of cooking healthily and developing meals to build muscle and burn fat.
Welcome to Anabolic Cooking.
The Anabolic Cookbook contains over 200 delicious recipes to help you on your way to a healthier body. You will learn how to cook tasty healthy meals to achieve your fitness goals.
In just minutes you will be preparing muscle building healthy, nutritious meals. I bet you never realised cooking could be such fun.
The Anabolic Cooking cookbook has taken 4 years of extensive research. Each recipe had to meet the stringent criteria of building muscle, being nutritious and delicious and also promoting fat loss.
Do you really want to be feeding yourself chemical laced ready meals? Stop for a minute and think of your health. Think also of the health of your children.
The nation is getting fatter and fatter because people are eating unhealthy food which is doing them no good at all.
When you have the Anabolic Cooking cookbook at hand you will have the most valuable cook book available. Not only will you achieve your goals for yourself, you will also be setting an example to your children.
One thing to be aware of with the Anabolic Cooking cookbook is that the choices for vegetarians are somewhat limited. Also sweetener is mentioned which tends to be chemical based. Some people may not like cooking with something as unhealthy as sweetener.
Whether you are a man looking for a muscular physique or a woman looking to get toned, the Anabolic cooking methods will enable you to achieve your goals.
There is no doubt you want the best health for yourself and your family. You owe it to yourself to make that change today.
Forget about unhealthy supplements and start to make the changes for good slowly. You cannot create the body you dream of without taking care of your nutrition.
The anabolic cooking cookbook will help you to reach your physical goals, no matter what level of fitness you are currently at.
Don't you think it is time you stopped listening to all the bodybuilding and fitness nonsense and concentrated on making delicious muscle building meals?
It is time to stick to a delicious meal plan and get the body you always wished for. With the Anabolic Cooking cookbook you can finally achieve your dreams.For more information please visit here.

Secret To A Faster Metabolism Today

2012-12-27T12:45:00.001+08:00

I'm going to share with you a simple trick that will boost your metabolism significantly and help you to shed pounds of weight and you can start today that I learned from the Metabolic Cooking - Fat Loss Cookbook.
So What Is This Secret?
Well I've got two for you today but actually they aren't so secret; in fact, they're blatantly obvious. But often it's the MOST obvious things which we don't try out or that we look past.
I'll start by talking about the current way most "normal" people eat food. generally 3 meals, not counting the snacks they sneak in between the meals because they get too hungry to wait. By the time most people get to their daily meals you often hear them say "I'm starving" or "I can't wait for breakfast/lunch/dinner".
Now what is wrong with this picture?
What's wrong here is that most people are, on a subtle level, depriving their body of food and then gorging on food through out the day. You are going through miniature fasts, which make your body crave food and when your cravings come in you will go straight for all the worst foods for you to try and feed the craving. Once dinner time arrives you will likely overeat. This whole style of eating treats food more as something to stop craving than a fuel. Here's the mindset shift that we need:
*Food as fuel rather than as something to satisfy our cravings.
Food is fuel, there is no escaping this fact. We need it to function. But so often we abuse food and treat it as a drug. Not that you can't eat what you enjoy eating, but if you are eating food because you are craving it rather than your hungry and would like to enjoy some food then you have created an addiction of sorts. I can remember not eating for hours and getting so hungry that my cravings would kick in and I'd order a whole pizza for myself.
How can we combat this way of eating?
So here's the secret, breaking up your meals into 5 to 6 smaller meals throughout the day will cut down your craving significantly and give you much more energy. this is treating food as fuel. Eating a meal that is roughly the size of your fist 5 to 6 times per day will significantly speed up your metabolism, make you look and feel healthier, and diminish cravings and boost your energy.This is the scientifically proven way to speed up metabolism and it's pretty common sense if you think about it. You are not overeating and you are giving your body more fuel and more energy so it can burn fat faster. You will also start to digest food faster and this will speed up your metabolism also.
My second secret is this, never wait until you are very hungry, and especially starving, to eat a meal. when we are really hungry our cravings kick in and we make what are known as emotional eating decisions. this means we eat what we crave because we want to satisfy these cravings. Do we even feel good after eating like this? No not really, maybe you can recall a time when you rally desired a food and afterward you just felt sick thought you could never touch that food again. That is until tomorrow when the craving will return. So this is very important, if you imagine a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being starving and 1 being quite full, you should aim to eat when your at around 6. this will help you to eat the right foods and stay on course with your diet.

If you want to actually know what the foods are that will speed up your metabolism so fast you'll be shedding pounds then you Should really check out the Metabolic Cookbook. For more information please visit here.

Safe Food Preparation for the Holidays

2012-12-27T07:22:00.001+08:00

By Mellie Miller
Everyone looks forward to delicious holiday meals, featuring poultry and ham, at this time of year. Proper food handling and preparation will help ensure that everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season.
Hand washing is one of the most important things to remember when preparing foods, especially raw meat and poultry. Our kitchens contain more bacteria than our bathrooms. Washing your hands for at least twenty seconds, with warm soapy water, is recommended before doing any food preparation.
Certain things just stand to reason. Wash your hands after you've visited the restroom, after you throw something in the garbage can, or touched your face or hair. Before touching any foods, clean your countertops to prevent contamination from bacteria hiding out there.
Keep foods which will not be cooked, or which will be eaten cold, in a separate area from your raw meats and poultry. Salads, desserts, fruit and vegetable trays and bread items can be contaminated by bacteria from the raw meat. Since they won't be heated before eating, the bacteria won't be killed.
Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and wash them thoroughly after use. Sanitize cutting boards with a solution of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach to 1 quart of water.
Vegetables and fruits can bring harmful germs into our homes, so make sure to wash them before cutting or chopping. This includes onions, before peeling, and melons. As your knife cuts through the peel, it will carry any bacteria present into the edible parts. Please, don't use dish washing liquid or other household cleaners to wash them, though. They could leave a residue which is not safe for human consumption. Scrub them with water or use a cleaner designed for fresh produce.
Though many say it isn't necessary to wash items you're going to peel, as removing the peel removes the dirt and any bacteria, I prefer to do so. I don't want to take a chance if any of my guests are at risk, such as very elderly or with compromised immune systems. I don't want to risk contaminating fresh vegetables with the potato peeler. So I wash and then peel carrots and other vegetables I will serve raw. I wash potatoes after peeling, just to make sure.
If your family is like ours, you'll have several helpers in your kitchen. Make sure they follow your healthy kitchen guidelines. If you have pets, keep them out of the kitchen. I know, they want to visit, too, but their paws and fur carry unwanted bacteria. And after they've been evicted, wash your hands.
Many people feel that raw chicken and poultry should be washed before cooking, but this is not the case. Any bacteria present will be killed once it reaches the minimum cooking temperature. Washing it in the sink spreads bacteria to your sink, faucets, countertops and anything sitting on them, such as dishes, cutting boards, utensils and other foods.
Meat and poultry should always be cooked to their safe minimum cooking temperature. Your local grocery or super center will have a thermometer for checking this. Most of them are fairly inexpensive. So make sure you have one on hand. The table below will give you an idea of the safe temperatures for your holiday foods.

Ground beef, pork, veal and lamb -- 160 F
Poultry of all kinds -- 165 F
Fresh pork and ham -- 145 F
Pre-cooked ham --140 F
Steaks, roasts and chops -- 145 F
After dinner, there is always the question of leftovers. All foods should be covered for storage. Leftovers should be refrigerated two hours after cooking, unless the temperature is over 90 F, in which case the time is reduced to 1 hour. Check to be sure your refrigerator is between 35 and 40 F to keep your foods safe.
Steaks, pork chops and lunch meats will be good for 3-5 days in your refrigerator. Poultry, fish, and ground meats for only 1-2 days. So if you won't eat your leftovers within this amount of time, pop them in the freezer instead.
Clean all countertops thoroughly after dinner, and make sure your kitchen towels are changed frequently. Wash them in hot water in your washing machine. I like to add a little chlorine bleach to kitchen towels and dish cloths to make sure they are safe for the kitchen.
Kitchen sponges have the highest bacteria count of anything in your house. Keep them clean and replace them often. I soak my sponges in the kitchen sink after I've finished cleaning in the evening. Just enough water to soak them thoroughly, with a little chlorine bleach to kill any unwanted germs.
Special meals are a wonderful way to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, or any other occasion. This holiday season, keep your family healthy and happy by practicing safe food handling.

How to Bake Fish

2012-12-27T07:16:00.002+08:00

By Tom J Bergerson

Baking fish
Baking is one of the easiest ways of preparing fish. The only equipment you need is a pan or baking dish and an oven. The fish can be placed in the dish with just oil or butter or you can add toppings depending on the end product you want. If you want a taste something similar to deep fried fish without all the fat, try dipping the fish in bread crumbs before you bake it. To make cleanup easier you can line the pan with aluminum foil but this step is not absolutely necessary.
Things you need
. Baking dish or pan
. Butter or cooking oil
. Aluminum foil (optional)
. Fish
. Flour, egg and bread crumbs, (this is only if you are doing the breaded version)
Baking fish
. Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees.
. Rinse the fish under cold water and pat it dry with a paper towel.
. Grease the bottom of the baking dish. Use oil, butter or cooking spray.
. If you are using aluminum foil, line the pan and then grease the top of the aluminum foil.
. If you have a small rack to put the fish on, use it, this will give the fish a crisp crust all around. Place the rack in the pan or baking dish and put the fish on the rack.
. If you don't have a rack place the fish directly in the pan and baste it with oil or melted butter.
. If you are using fillets with skin on, place them skin side down.
. If you are using thin fillets fold the ends under to try to get an even thickness.
. Season with salt, pepper and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice or a pat of butter.
. If you want a crumb coating on the fish you can sprinkle bread crumbs on the fish before you baste it. Sprinkle melted butter on top of the bread crumbs.
. You can also dip the fish in flour, then beaten egg and then dip in bread crumbs.
. The flour helps the egg stick to the fish.
. Cook for the required time. You shouldn't need to turn the fish over.
Cooking time
½ inch thick 4 to 6 minutes
1 inch thick 8 to 12 minutes
1 ½ inches 14 to 16 minutes
If you are cooking large whole fish or stuffed whole fish lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees instead of 425 and weigh the fish with the stuffing. Cook the fish for 1 minute for every ounce of total weight. Example; if your fish, with stuffing weighs 2 pounds, cook it for 32 minutes. Remember to check the fish. These times are approximate.

Food Storage - Ways To Store Food Properly

2012-12-27T07:13:00.002+08:00

By Jenny McCrary

When you have quite a bit of food, you will want to make sure that you are able to store it properly. Typically this will involve putting the food in your cabinet, freezer, or refrigerator. However, even this may not help you preserve your food for a long period of time, unless you know about some of the various methods you can use to help extend this storage life.
The first thing you can do to store your food products is to get the foods in the original packaging if it is sealed. When the packages are sealed, and you are opening them to transfer to a new storage container, you will be entering in new air and other bacteria which you may want to have have inside the container. So the sealed containers you have available will be the ones you want to use.
The second thing you can use for storing your foods in is the different storage bags you can buy from the store. These bags are like your Ziploc style and can work out great in storing your foods in, but you need to realize if you are using these you can easily break the seals of these. So you should use caution with these bags as they can be harder than what you think to get the work done and these sealed up.
The third thing to look for in the storage of your foods is the FoodSaver or vacuum sealers. These will help you store your food for a longer period of time because they are going to help remove all the air from the packages that you have created. The air is what is going to make the food go bad, but this will be removed. Something else you will be like to have with the FoodSaver products is they are going to create a heat seal, which will help you in getting to keep the food fresh as well and guarantee the seal will not be easily broken.
Getting to have the best time around and know your food will be good for a longer period of time can be a great thing. This is when you should realize you can use the FoodSaver products or other methods to store your food. Once you know about these methods, it will be easy for you to store your foods and know they will last you for a long period of time.

What Causes Bacterial Food Poisoning?

2012-12-27T07:11:00.005+08:00

By Paul S Grantham

To the naked eye bacteria are undetectable. But despite their inconspicuous nature, there are actually millions of bacteria around us all the time. While most of these aren't harmful at all (in fact, they are often very beneficial for our bodies and the environment), a few types can be extremely dangerous if ingested. Sometimes this happens by eating food that has been contaminated by the more harmful types, which is when illness can occur. This is what we commonly refer to as food poisoning.
Types of bacteria
Helpful bacteria:
These are part of our everyday lives. Not only are they beneficial to our bodies, for example in aiding digestion, but we also utilise bacteria to grow crops, produce products such as yoghurt and cheese and in making some carbonated drinks.
Spoilage bacteria:
These microorganisms are the ones responsible for making food decay or become mouldy. Because they're pretty much everywhere, they are likely to be found in any fridge. Luckily, apart from making food look and taste unpalatable, they don't cause much harm.
Pathogenic bacteria:
These organisms can be extremely harmful by causing food-borne illness and disease. In the most severe cases, ingesting pathogenic bacteria even leads to death.
When can contamination occur?
The presence of pathogenic bacteria in foods is something that manufacturers certainly want to avoid. It is for this reason that there are many processes that have to be undertaken before food is ready to sell to the customer. Contamination can occur at any stage between the growing, harvesting or slaughtering, all the way until the food is finally cooked and served.
However, most commonly, contamination occurs when raw food comes into contact with other food products that are carrying harmful bacteria. Some foods such as meat, dairy products and cooked rice or pasta are more high risk than others when it comes to the likelihood of harbouring dangerous bacteria. Consequently, it is extremely important to wash your hands in between touching a high-risk food and a raw food in order to minimise the chance of cross-contamination
Liquid or juices coming from raw foods can also be an ideal medium for bacterial transport, so care must be taken to avoid them coming into contact with other food.
There are a number of ways contamination can occur. Firstly, bacteria from the natural environment can get onto raw foods. Secondly, at any stage of the food handling procedure, pathogenic bacteria may be transferred from food that is raw to a high-risk food. Thirdly, cross-contamination arises when microorganisms on hands and utensils come into contact with a high-risk product.
Vehicles of contamination
Bacteria are incredibly small and don't travel large distances without the assistance of someone or something. Anything that moves bacteria from one location to another is called a 'vehicle of contamination', so this includes people, animals, equipment and utensils. For example, pathogenic bacteria could be moved from a contaminated source such as raw meat, to another position in which the conditions are such that bacteria easily multiply and spread.
Can bacterial contamination be prevented?
There are a number of methods that should be adopted in kitchens, particularly commercial ones, to reduce the risk of causing food poisoning from bacterial contamination.
Colour coded implements can be used, for example chopping boards and knives, so that a utensil is only assigned to one type of produce. Red is used for handling raw, red meats and green is used for chopping vegetables. This visual reminder makes it easier to navigate around the kitchen equipment in a way that minimises the spread of harmful microorganisms.
It is important to remember that:
Raw and high risk foods should be kept separate from each other at all times.
Because contamination can occur at any stage of food handling and processing, the significance of keeping foods separate also extends to storage, transportation, preparation, display and point of sale.
Any surface must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected if it comes into contact with raw food.