Thanksgiving is over and your refrigerator is loaded with leftovers. In addition to all that turkey, you still have mounds of mashed potatoes taking up space. The last thing you want is for them to go uneaten and turn bad. So what you need is a potato pancake recipe that will help use up those leftover potatoes.
As delicious as your mashed potatoes are, eventually event eh most avid fan of your cooking will grow weary of them. By turning them into pancakes, you give them new life and spark a brand new interest in them. People might end up looking for leftovers of them!
Before you begin, be certain you have all the necessary ingredients. We already know you have the potatoes. In addition, you will need an egg, onion, milk, flour, salt and pepper and vegetable oil. Either corn oil, canola oil or a blend is fine. Bacon drippings is also an interesting substitute that will add a different flavor.
To make four pancakes you will need two cups of potatoes. Add to the mashed potatoes one egg, 1 / 2 cup of flour, three tablespoons of diced onion (more to taste) and 1 / 4 cup of milk. Thoroughly mix together and form four equally sized patties. If the mixture is too sticky, shaping the patties on wax paper or tin foil might make things easier for you.
Liberally coat a skillet or electric frying pan with your choice of oil or the bacon drippings. Let the pan get hot but not smoking, and then fry the patties for 3 minutes on each side. Press down on the pancakes with your spatula a few times during cooking. To prevent the spatula from sticking to the pancakes, spray it with a cooking spray. Pancakes are done when they are golden brown and hot in the center and the onions are tender.
Top them off with salt and pepper to taste. You may also get creative by topping them with ketchup, butter, sour cream, gravy, hot sauce or melted cheese. You may also want to try experimenting by adding your favorites to the mixture, such as shredded cheese and crumpled bacon. These pancakes will make great side dishes to serve with chicken, beef, fish or pork. They also make nice appetizers.
This is the traditional American style potato pancake recipe. To spice things up, you can also try the German style potato hotcakes which use grated potatoes instead of mashed. These are crispier and more similar to hash browns.
Find many more recipes like this recipe for potato pancakes on Andrews pancake recipe website. If you like your pancakes made with vegetables and salty you can also try ham and cheese pancake recipe. It’s delicious and none of the recipes are hard to make!
Posted on 18 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
Lots of residents in the US know a little bit about Cinco de Mayo. Some even celebrate it each year in one way or another. There are many who do not understand its history, however. If you were to ask an average American about why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated, they will likely guess it is Mexican Independence Day. That is not right. Mexican Independence Day falls on September 16.
In the 1950s, the USA began the Good Neighbor Policy. This program encouraged citizens to make contact with the neighboring countries. The USA got its first taste of Cinco de Mayo at that time. The holiday became more prominent as Chicano advocates used it to help boost Mexican-American pride.
By the time the 1980s rolled around, the holiday had been slowly growing in notoriety. Throughout this decade’s commercialism, Cinco de Mayo had been advertised as an excellent holiday to devote to drinking alcoholic beverages from American companies. It is because of these companies that Cinco do Mayo had become mainstream in American culture, although the true meaning of it, to celebrate Mexico’s victory against the French in 1862, was diluted.
As Cinco de Mayo became more mainstream, more Americans wanted to explore better ways to celebrate. They began researching the Mexican traditions, foods, and music that would make Cinco de Mayo a holiday to anticipate every year.
Today, Cinco de Mayo is a terrific reason to treat yourself to Mexican culture. Partygoers can have fun dressing up in colorful costumes, decorate their houses with symbols of Mexico, and have a great time. Children hear about this holiday at school and share what they have learned with the family.
Some people plan big parties for the 5th of May. It is no longer a holiday just for the Mexican community. People from all ethnic groups join in the fun. Some communities have festivals and parades to help the celebration mood. In some big cities, the celebration has grown to large proportions. Los Angeles, New York and Port Huron, Michigan are sites of very large Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
For those who prefer to celebrate closer to home, it is easy to make their own preparations for the celebration. They may cook Cinco de Mayo food, put up decorations, and listen to traditional mariachi music. Private parties are almost as popular now as the public parties held in restaurants, bars, and communities around the country.
These parties are a great way to introduce yourself to new Cinco de Mayo recipes that may have piqued your curiosity. Call your family and friends over to break tortillas together. Tell them not to forget the salsa!
If you find that the margaritas are better at the Mexican cantinas or you just love eating out, go for it. Your neighborhood Mexican bistro will have a great celebration planned. Just sit back, enjoy the music, and dance to your heart’s content. There is nothing that says you have to make it a huge celebration, either. You can pick up or cook your own simple meal, drop in a DVD of your favorite Zorro movie and sit back and enjoy.
Mexican soup is versatile and you can make it in a pot or even in a crockpot if you want to come home to something warm after a long day at work. Corn and chicken soup is one Mexican favorite but there are many more including Mexican minestrone soup and Mexican tortilla soup.
Posted on 17 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
If you are a relatively new cook, you can use this article to increase not only the quality but also the taste of the dishes that you make. There are quite a few tips that would help you in enhancing the quality of your cooking. It may seem impossible, but there could be some simple tips that would go a long way in helping your dishes taste much better. It is not always necessary to joining a cookery school to become a better cook. If you just learn to add to your style, it could help you get amazing results.
The first tip to start from is to make sure that you have a good knife in your kitchen. The better the knife, the easier and convenient it would be for you to cut the meat and vegetables. You should buy a reasonable knife and then maintain the sharpness for controlling your speed and quality of cutting in the kitchen.
Knowing what the best ingredients are important to have a good meal ready. You can use many kinds of imported as well as local spices to spruce up your dishes. You have to know how to differentiate between these to produce better dishes. It is better to go in for those which make your dishes the best. Things like crumbs which are homemade are also ideal for this purpose. The reason is that these provide a better result than stuff which is packaged.
Using your hands to check the food is also quite important. If the dough is being kneaded, then you should be able to check it with the hands and see that it feels proper.
Using toothpicks, knives and forks is also highly recommended. If you want to get the best flavor and the aroma and taste in your food, learn to mix it with your own hands.
Usage of sea or table salt is also materially important here. Using salt always gives the best results as it increases the taste of food much better than table salt. You should be careful to use the right amount of salt in food, and not be guided only by what the recipes states.
When you are sauteing the vegetables make sure that you do not put too many all at once. To get the best flavor you must be able to see the pan bottom. If you put too many vegetables together than the temperature would go down and your vegetables would not get the perfect brown. Always make your pan hot before putting the vegetables for cooking.
If you are able to make good on these tips, you would be able to see how well your dishes shape up.
Learn more about cooking related topics like french cafe hot chocolate maker. Stop by Houstan Summerland’s site where you can find out all about hot chocolate maker frother.
Posted on 16 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
The vast majority of people living in Italy follows the Christian faith and has been for a very long period now. Although some of them are Coptic Christians but do not follow the religion in practice. Before centuries however religion was something that played a significant role in the governing of their lives.
This is why we see certain customs that have derived from Christianity and are so deeply implanted in the lives of the people that they have been retained till today. Amongst them is the Easter celebration which is one of the most important holidays of the year.
The Italians are very much into celebrating Easter and as is their style of celebrating holidays they celebrate it with good food. Easter is all the more celebrated with lots of good food because it follows a forty day period of lent which involves fasting for those who follow the faith.
The different variations of food prepared for the Easter is known as Italian Easter Cuisine. Among the major food items prepared for the Easter, the Italian Easter bread can be rated as the most popular one.
You can prepare the Italian Faster bread yourselves in less than an hour. If you want to give it some attractive looks then you can go with the old school Italian and Swiss style of decorating the bread with coloured eggs to give it a festive look.
Italian Easter bread does not push for the use of special substances for its preparation. Rather it would suffice to have margarine, all purpose flour, eggs, salt, sugar and active dry yeast for its preparation. Blanched almonds, a teaspoon of anise seeds and mixed candied fruit may serve as special ingredients.
Start off by combining one cup of flour, yeast, sugar and salt in one adequate mixing bowl. To this you will add some milk and butter and then beat the mixture for around two minutes. Take care not to completely liquidize the mixture. It is better that you beat them on medium. After adding 2 eggs and another half cup of flour beat it on high for another two minutes. When the mixture is ready add the fruit, aniseeds and nuts in the bowl and combine it well. Add the remaining flour to the bowl and get the contents to become soft dough that can be worked upon.
Upon a lightly floured surface the dough has to be placed and the flour has to be squeezed for about six to eight minutes till it becomes smooth and elastic. After greasing a bowl keep the dough inside it. Place the bowl in a warm place after fully covering it. You will find the dough doubled after nearly an hour or so.
If you want you may add uncooked coloured eggs and after this process, allow the bread to be baked in an oven for about half an hour at 350 degrees and after that voila! Your Italian Easter bread is ready to consume.
Traditional Italian Easter bread is enjoyed by all at the dinner table during Easter celebrations. If you would like to know more about other recipes check out our page on Italian Easter cake.
Posted on 16 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
Famous restaurant recipes are made available to you, you just need to know how to find them. Which means that you can cook your favorite restaurant foods from your favorite location, your home. This helps to reduce the price down extremely, which can help you to cut down on your budget.
The best part is, you will not feel deprived due to the fact that you still get to eat your favorite foods. You can locate many of these recipes offered right on the web by joining a recipe membership site. First you need to locate one, type in the restaurant name and the name of the recipe, and soon you will be in your own kitchen cooking up these dishes.
Now, if you are looking for other recipes, you can find loads of the best restaurants offering their recipe versions. If you love a really good burger and good portion of French fries, you shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than that? There can’t be anything better than a classic, homemade American apple pie? Maybe, if you top it with a scoop of ice cream!
If you are trying to find many of these American recipe dishes the good news is that there are many database membership sites on the internet that offer these recipes. You get to pick from meats, seafood, pasta dishes, and vegetables. Even desserts are available. You can locate many recipes that are in this tradition as well.
Locating recipes also goes for spicy Mexican recipes. One of the major things to do when it comes to Mexican type of food is to find a high quality spice blend that screams Mexican! There are a lot out there that you can simply pick up, bring home and apply in your recipes to recreate a restaurant recipe or to help you in coming up with that recipe that you remember your grandmother preparing when you were still a kid. You can locate recipes to help you make these recipes as well.
Today, it is very costly to go to a restaurant for a nice meal. And if you have more in your group, the more outrageous the prices are. Regardless, for a lot of people, there is frequently a craving for that exceptional plate or that special dessert.
If you are one of the many that has this issue, not a problem anymore. There are thousands of online recipe websites where you can go to, to find the top restaurant recipes out there to entice your taste buds in your own kitchen.
To find cheesecake factory recipes, visit my website about the cheesecake factory recipes.
Posted on 15 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
We’ll all cherish the day we learned chocolate was good for us. Maybe a few naysayers still remain skeptical, but study after study is proclaiming the health benefits, both mental and physical, of chocolate. Even the Life Extension Foundation includes chocolate extract in their flagship vitamin formulas. Many folks are switching from their daily dose of coffee to a cup of hot chocolate. It’s an antidepressant, an antioxidant, its full of vitamins and minerals, it improves sex drive, AND it tastes good. Really good. So what is the best way to get the health benefits? Is it as simple as eating cases of your childhood favorite chocolates? As you might have thought, there are considerations when indulging in chocolate as a regular part of your diet. But it can be done! Let’s see how…
Like so many things in our modern world, its the processing of chocolate that makes all the difference. This isn’t just the New Age Hippy types saying this either (as one, the author feels comfortable making this statement). The scientists measuring all the chemicals in our food, telling us which bits are good and which are bad are saying it to. It’s RAW, minimally-processed chocolate that’s the miracle food. Un-roasted, un-cooked plain old powdered chocolate, better known as ‘Cacao’, is far superior in every way for your health. It’s called a ’superfood’ by many, as it’s list of super-good for you super-nutrients is extensive. Note that ‘organic’ does not mean ‘raw’. Even the premium organic hot-chocolate powders found in the high-end health food stores is still roasted and usually processed with alkali (called ‘Dutch Processing’, making it easier to dissolve in water, and destroying most of the antioxidants at the same time). This means that 99% of the chocolate products on the shelves are NOT the superfood you wished they were, but it also points the direction to how to include chocolate in your life on an exceptionally health daily basis. We’ll get to some recipes in a moment, but first a few points to help you remember why raw chocolate is where it’s at.
Energy and stimulation is at the heart of the chocolate experience, but many people are sensitive to chocolate’s effects. There are however, significant differences in the alkaloid structures of raw and roasted chocolate. Raw chocolate’s stimulation comes primarily from theobromine, which has little anxiety producing effects. Studies by natural wellness professionals and user reports both note that while commercially prepared dark chocolate has a very stimulating action that caffeine sensitive individuals may find too strong, an equivalent amount of raw cacao does not. The stimulating effects are reported mild, gentle, and without a ‘crash’ that is often associated with caffeine. A reason for mothers to think about creating their own raw chocolate treats for their children, too. The jury is still out on the actual amount if caffeine in raw chocolate; some investigators have found none, some have found small amounts in the ’skin’ of the cacao beans, and others of found only small amounts in beans that have fermented somewhat (an indication of a lower-quality cacao). Either way, if you’ve refrained from chocolate because of it’s caffeine content, raw cacao may just be your answer to enjoying this treat again.
Next the question of anti-oxidants. Chocolate has been discovered to have exceptionally high quantities of important polyphenols. A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry was titled: “Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine.” It’s hard to argue with that. Here again the question of raw arises: One report notes that while roasted chocolate is made up of 5% antioxidants, raw chocolate contains twice as much at 10%. Another important note is the addition of milk to make milk chocolate. Research has shown that the addition of milk actually cancels-out the positive effects of chocolate’s antioxidants. And milk may be one of the reasons many people seem to be allergic to chocolate, as lactose intolerance is fairly common. Another chocolate myth is some individuals break out when ingesting high amounts; reports indicate that raw chocolate does not cause this response, and that it may be the refined fats and sugars present in most chocolate products producing this effect.
Finally, the question of mood-enhancing neurochemicals and precursors. Chocolate contains significant quantities of the essential amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan intake has recently been collated with neurogenesis, the development of new brain cells, and both long and short term memory. The presence of tryptophan is critical for the production of serotonin, a primary neurotransmitter associated with mood (Prozac works on the principal of enhancing the action of serotonin). Once in the body tryptophan reacts with vitamins B6 and B3 in the presence of magnesium (all present in raw chocolate) to produce serotonin. Enhanced serotonin function assists in diminishing anxiety and stress – ccording to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, serotonin is literally our “stress-defense shield.” Tryptophan is heat sensitive and is often deficient in many cooked-food diets, even when animal protein intake is high. In addition to tryptophan (but not heat sensitive) chocolate also contains PEA, the ‘love hormone’ and Anandamide the ‘bliss chemical’.
Convinced? Ready for a little raw chocolate power? First its critical to find a good source; make sure the chocolate you’re buying is raw – it’s most often labeled as ‘Cacao’, the name for the raw chocolate beans and the tree on which they grow. Cacao nibs are small pieces of pure raw chocolate that can be eaten straight, or mixed with other healthy snacks like dried fruits. But the best-loved raw chocolate preparation is the original chocolate drink: hot chocolate. Now it won’t be hot enough for long enough to convert any chemicals or to cook the chocolate, just to make it a warm comforting drink – and of course, heating the water isn’t necessary at all (though in recipes calling for Coconut oil, it helps to blend the oil into the drink). So to make a cup, use powdered raw chocolate (grinding the nibs or beans in a coffee grinder can work, though you’ll find this challenging as the natural oils in the chocolate will heat up and liquefy before the grinding is complete, leaving little crunchy bits). Put one or two tablespoons powdered chocolate, one to two teaspoons raw dark agave nectar (a low-glycemic index natural sweetner) and one to two teaspoons of Coconut oil in a blender. Add eight to twelve ounces almost-boiling water and blend for ten seconds. That’s it! You’ll find your personal favorite formula after a few preparations – more or less chocolate, oil, sweetener or water.
There are many, many recipes available online and in books about raw chocolate. Some favorite additions to the drink are Maca, cinnamon, tocopherols (a form of Vitamin E), and for the truly hard core, blue green algae and spirulina. Your own raw chocolate bars are very easy to make, really just by omitting the water and adjusting the oil and sweetener ratios to make a thick chocolate paste. Add some chopped nuts if you like, press into a casserole dish and put it in the refrigerator long enough to make it firm. Experiment; it’s chocolate! You’re supposed to have fun. And with raw chocolate, it might be the most fun you can have eating while positively benefiting your health.
The author highly recommends aromatherapy as a wellness practice. Read more about aromatherapy and ‘emotional well-being‘.
Posted on 15 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
There are innumerable kinds of foods that are present on the earth that we live in. However it makes sense to know that not al foods are exactly healthy. That is why you should be careful to only consume those items that are nutritious as well as beneficial for health. Proper food also helps you skin to glow in addition to promoting good health. This is an article focused on talking about some of the foods that are very healthy and which should be consumed on a daily basis. Eating these will help save you from some of the most dangerous diseases around.
Fruits are one of the most essential foods that we need to eat. These natural foods are best for our body, skin and digestive system. You can even go on a diet and just consume fruits. You can lose weight without much effort.
Some of the best fruits to be eaten are avocados, apricots, cranberry, tomato, figs, lemons and cantaloupe. Some of the diseases that these fruits help to protect you from include cancer, high cholesterol, fat, heart diseases, skin dehydration, anemia, water retention issues and also common flu.
Some of the best fruits are lemons, figs, apricots, avocados, rains, cantaloupe, cranberry and raspberries also. If you have these fruits you can be free from skin dehydration, bladder problems, fat reduction, heart problems, anemia and even flu.
If you look at vegetables, like fruits, these are also very nutritious food items which help your body to remain healthy as well as free from disease. Some of the best vegetables that you can consume are artichokes, onions, garlic, broccoli, spinach, arugula and also watercress. The benefits of consuming vegetables are too numerous to count. In fact, it keeps your body devoid any harmful toxins while supplying nutrition to the body.
There are also some grains, nuts and beans that you should also consume besides fruits and vegetables. Brown rice is a good source of protein, iron and magnesium, wheat gram would prevent muscular pain, lentils keeps away breast cancer and heart diseases, peanuts also fight heart problems
Another food category that is beneficial as it contains good amounts of iron and magnesium is seafood, which is also known as white meat. Your brain and nerves are protected by shellfish, fatty acids from salmon preserves your heart from disease and when you take crabs, it helps to enhance your immunity in addition to providing safety from external and internal germs.
While it may be true that eating some food items may be beneficial it does not imply that you should eat only these and not other foods, various food items have different benefits that they offer and these are some things that you should add to your diet and benefit from it.
Study more about food such as how to grow onions. Stop by Paulo Princer’s site where you can find more on how to how to make beer battered onion rings and what it can do for you.
Posted on 15 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
Individuals who love to cook will certainly receive advantages from using a digital food thermometer. This instrument will tell you if the meal you are preparing is done or still needs time to cook.
Also, you will be able to use this instrument for establishing whether the cooked food has reached a temperature safe for contamination free consumption. In addition, when food reaches the appropriate temperature it tastes better.
In fact, there are many different styles and designs of digital food thermometer. Below are some explanations of a few of the different types of digital thermometers.
Oven cord thermometers can accurately confirm the inside temperature of the oven without opening the door. The tool has a digital screen that contains a thermometer probe. The probe can be inserted in the food and the base can placed somewhere outside of the oven. In fact, you can program the thermometer to alarm when the desired temperature has been reached.
In addition, a thermistor style of thermometer is available. This design utilizes a resistor to measure temperature. To measure the temperature you should place the tip in the center of the food.
The thermocouple thermometer is another type. Among the several types of thermometers for food, the thermocouple can provide the quickest temperature reading, for only two to five seconds. The temperature result is displayed on the digital panel.
You can also use a thermometer fork. It combines the advantages of a fork and thermometer all in one. Some types of thermometer forks can give you a temperature reading in as little as two seconds. Display lights or a digital disply will let you easily read the temperature. This will tell you if the food is finished cooking.
Each of these types of digital food thermometers will help you cook a safe and enjoyable meal.
Want to find out more about wireless cooking thermometer, then visit Donna Hudson’s site on how to choose the best digital meat thermometer for your needs.
Posted on 14 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
With the help of commercial deep fryers, you can now achieve a level of deep fried perfection that you can usually only find in restaurants. Whether you desire to eat crispy French Fries, crunchy fried chicken, perfectly fried cheese sticks or a brilliant pastry, you are now able to easily do it without having to go anywhere.
While there are many who do not prefer consuming foods that have been fried, often with time constraints, you have to choose fried foods because foods that are fried are easy to cook and can be ready in minutes. With the help of a commercial deep fryer, have more time to do other things since the food does not need to be persistently watched because you simply turn it on and set it to the desired temperature. Set a timer and complete other tasks until the food is ready.
So if you are considering purchasing your own deep fryer, then you need to know the features of commercial deep fryers to decide which model or type would benefit you the most.
The most essential thing to take into account would be how much room in your kitchen. Think of the space where you would prefer to position the fryer so that you will know how small of a fryer that you will need.
If you would rather obtain a deep fryer that you can put away when not in use, you should consider purchasing from the portable styles of deep fryers.
Just as important to consider when searching for the best deep fryer is to find one that has a temperature control or thermostat. More temperature setting options are recommended over simple temperature. When you are frying food, the ability to adjust the oil temperature is necessary in order to prepare friend foods flawlessly without causing it to burn.
When purchasing commercial fryers for deep frying, you should also think of the capacity that the frying would be able to cook. If your intention is to cook for many or you intend to use the fryer for business, then you need to choose a deep fryer that has a larger capacity for cooking.
These are are also a few other things to think about when choosing a deep fryer. You should consider your budget or the amount you can realistically spend for the fryer. Be sure to a brand that is long-lasting and made of premium materials to ensure you make a good investment.
Learn more about Ventless fryer. Stop by Molly MacEnroy’s site where you can find out all about Countertop deep fryer and what they can do for you.
Posted on 11 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.
Eating meat that has been cooked well is nice; however, cooking it per se can be a daunting task. If you are fond of cooking meat, you may have experienced a lot of problems such as burning the outside while the inside is still raw.
If you want to reach that cooking perfection and serve meat that is well done, try to using digital meat thermometers to help you. This utensil is distinctively designed to verify the meat temperature or whether you want to cook meat that is medium, medium rare, or well done.
In the market, if you are going to check out these digital meat thermometers you’ll see that each of them come in different styles, sizes, models, and features. Before you decide to purchase, you need to make sure that you know the purpose of these different thermometers so that you won’t end up buying the wrong type.
There are oven proof thermometers which are helpful for using the oven to cook meat. These thermometers are beneficial because you can keep the oven door closed and still know the temperature of the meat.
On the other hand, there are also those instant reading thermometers. However, you cannot leave this type of thermometer in the oven unlike in the oven proof thermometer. If you want to check the temperature of the meat using this tool, you need to remove the meat from the oven and place the thermometer on the thick portion of the meat, particularly in the center portion of the meat. This way, you will be able to determine the internal temperature of the meat. However, it is not as quick since you need to remove the meat out of the oven to be able to check the temperature.
According to your preferences, you will most certainly find a digital meat thermometer that will help you. By using these thermometers, you will ensure the meat you plan to serve is thoroughly cooked, safe, and tasty. These thermometers offer a convenient and easy to use method for taking temperatures of meat.
Those who are eyeing to own such type of food thermometer can readily purchase it in the market or at online stores.
Learn more about wireless cooking thermometer. Stop by Donna Hudson’s site where you can find out all about digital food thermometer and what it can do for you.
Posted on 10 March '10, under Food and Wine. No Comments.