Blog Archives

British Cuisine

British cuisine has always suffered from bad press. The simple homespun fare and plain preparation of most traditional British foods pales when compared to French haute cuisine, and it's not uncommon for food critics to sound almost apologetic when writing about traditional British dishes as if there were something shameful in enjoying a good, thick joint of beef with an accompaniment of Yorkshire pudding. If they speak in glowing terms of anything at all, it is a nod to the clever naming ...
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'Tis the Season for the Perfect Bowl of Texas Chili

There is nothing like it on a cool Fall day, or especially on Superbowl Sunday...a steaming, hot bowl of fresh Texas chili. It warms you from your tongue all the way to your belly. Having moved to Ottawa, the coldest capital in the world, from Houston, Texas, we learned the truth in that statement our first winter! Oh and yes, we are colder on average than Moscow! But I digress... Anyone who has ever made chili believes that their recipe is the best - just ask them. Chili making is all ...
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Boiling - The Test of a Good Cook

Let's take a look at one of the most basic forms of cooking - immersing food in hot water. Yes, I know. That includes simmering as well. But I want to look at boiling, some of the different foods involved and the ways in which they are treated. Boiling is really divided into two separate methods. One is to place the food in cold water and gradually heat it to boiling point, the other is to bring the water to the boil first before adding the food. The first method might be used for potatoes, for ...
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Learn About The Best Chef-Knife

The purpose in sharing the contents found within the article would be to help you get hold of the ultimate superior quality kitchen knife at a very reasonable price. I adhere to one personal and special theory that many people don't usually think of when they're ready to buy their knives. What I believe is rather than buying that seventeen piece set that promises you would need every one, I'd prefer to buy a minimum number of quality knives which will definitely ensure 99% completion of any ...
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Cooking: -how You Can Produce Amazing Beef Steaks Every Time?

One of the most popular grilling foods is steak but it is easy to spoil when grilling outdoors. If you follow these 5 top tips, you can learn how you can produce amazing beef steaks every time!This one is a no-brainer - choose and use quality ingredients. If you buy an inferior quality cut from a cheap source, it shows. The meat will be tough and lacking in flavor no matter how you cook it. Buy a quality cut from a quality supplier. A good steak will be tender and tasty so whatever you do to it ...
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Quick Ground Beef Skillet Dinner

This recipe from the 1980s is great for an inexpensive, quick and easy meal.  This dish can be on the table in less than 30 minutes from start to finish making it a great choice for the busy cook.  Before you start the Ground Beef Skillet Dinner put the Pineapple Salad together.  It will add fruit and nuts to your meal and serves as a salad and dessert all in one! GROUND BEEF SKILLET DINNER OVER NOODLES This recipe is from a 1986 newspaper clipping.2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes1/2 cup ...
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Quick and Easy Beef Tamale Pie Meal-- It's Economical and Ready in About 30 Minutes

Of course you have time to cook!  With a menu like the one offered here, it is so easy to get a meal on the table.  You know how I feel about making family meals at home rather than feeding your family at fast food establishments, if you follow my blogs at all.  This Quick and Easy Beef Tamale Pie only takes a few minutes to prepare but it is full of flavor, meat, vegetables, and it's served over cornbread.  Add a Simple Cottage Cheese Pear Salad to go with the pie.  The coolness of the ...
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Fast Dinner Recipes

We all know that we need fast dinner recipes to get dinner on the table quick. Very seldom do any of us have time to make everything from scratch and spend hours in the kitchen. Here are some of my favorite fast dinner recipes to get dinner on the table in a jiffy! Salisbury Steak This recipe doesn't take much prep time, but it does take a bit of time to bake, so plan ahead for that. The sauce has a nice zip to it, thanks to the barbecue sauce and the stuffing mix adds a nice flavor to the ...
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Ma Po Tou Tu (Bean Curd with Chili Sauce)

Ma Po Tou Fu is Sichuan's well known characteristic dish. Tradition has it that during the Tongzhi years of Qing Dynasty, there is a small inn at the WanFu (Innumerable Blessings) bridge outside the north gate of Chengdu, Sichuan. The woman owner Chen is pretty good at cooking. She uses bean curd, tiny sliced beef, hot pepper, Chinese prickly ash, thick bean sauce and other ingredients to cook. The dish tastes hemp (a unique flavor from the Chinese prickly ash), spicy, fresh, fragrant, and it ...
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The Barbecue Pit

Barbecue pit The barbecue pit has been around since 1920,s and it was used to cook barbecue beef ribs. BBQ ribs had a far more delicious than ribs cooked in the kitchen. Barbecue pits were very popular in 1950's. Just about everyone had one in their back yard. Back then groups of friends and family got together more often. Today with our busy lives we just don't seem to find the time for the backyard barbecue pit. Too bad! Finding plans to build your own back yard BBQ can be a bit of ...
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Emu, THE Natural AlternativeTM for the

A hot new food for the outdoor cooking season Fifty years ago you might see the backyard grill in action three times in a year: Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. Dad would wrestle it out of the garage, knock off the dust and hand Mom the rack to clean, usually at her insistence since the blackened grime 'added flavor' and 'the fire would burn off any germs.' She would carry it at arms length into the house where she would scrub it. Dad would get the charcoal just right and flip ...
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Grilling vs. Barbecue

Grilling and Barbecuing, two of the most popular cooking methods in the U.S., especially in warmer weather. There are some who know the difference between grilling and barbecuing, and some who don't. Do you? To put it simply, Grilling is fast cooking over high heat, while barbecuing involves a slower cooking method, over a lower heat. Grilling is generally done over a gas flame, or hot coals. Tender cuts of meat are best for this cooking method. The quick cooking and the high heat seal in the ...
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Japanese Cuisine

Tempura, sukiyaki, sashimi, sushi ' even the words used to describe the most basic of Japanese dishes are exotic and beautiful. Japanese cuisine is easily one of the healthiest in the world, with its concentration on fresh fish, seafood, rice and vegetables. The pungent sauces and delicate flavors of fresh foods complement each other beautifully, and the methods of presentation turn even simple meals into beautiful events. The Japanese have easily a dozen different names for rice, depending on ...
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Ground Beef Spaghetti Casserole That's Diabetic Friendly

Whether you are a beginning cook or an experienced one, this is a recipe you will be proud to serve.  It is simple, easy and delicious.  This dish is easy to assemble and only needs a half hour to bake.  In this one dish you have grains, vegetables, meat, and dairy products.  Add a tossed salad or steamed fresh broccoli, some crusty bread, and you have an easy, healthy meal for your family to enjoy.  If you follow my blogs, you know I am big on family meal time.  I believe we need to ...
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Hearty Vegetable Beef Soups

Vegetable-Beef soups are great ways to combine many of your daily nutrients into one pot.  They are hearty and filling but even better they are easy and economical.  Here are two very different vegetable-beef soups for you to select from.  You might even want to try them both!  What would a Southern Vegetable Beef Soup be without okra?  There's an ingredient you don't find in your everyday vegetable soup!  Caraway Beef Vegetable Soup has more of an old-world style.  Surprise your family ...
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Mackerel Dinner Pet Food

Heat 1 tsp. corn oil in a skillet and fry 1 small mackerel until it flakes apart easily. Remove and cool. Pour 1/2 cup hot water into the pan and scrape the brown bits into it. Remove the bones from the fish and mix with the juice. For dogs, serve in pieces with kibble; for cats, grind with the pan juices As a pet owner, no doubt you want to give your dog or cat the best care possible. And caring for your pet means feeding him the best diet you can. Animals, because they are color blind, ...
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Quick and Easy Tex-mex Beef Casserole Meal With Corn and Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae Pie

If you a busy cook, on a budget, wanting to feed your family good healthy meals, here is a meal plan for you.  If you are a parent with little ones who want to help out, this Tex-Mex Beef Casserole is a good recipe for your family.  While you are browning the beef, the little ones can be putting the chips in the bottom of the pan.  They can "start" and "finsh" the casserole by also adding the shredded cheese to the top.  And remember, kids love to eat what they make.  Kids also love mini ...
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Your Choice: Ground Beef Tortilla Soup or Chicken Tortilla Soup

If you follow my blogs, you know that I love soup.  Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall, I just don't think you can beat a good cup or bowl of soup.  But I don't eat chicken (something about growing up in the country surrounded by them-ugh!) and most of the tortilla soup recipes are made with chicken.  So today I am going to share with you my Ground Beef Tortilla Soup recipe.  But for you chicken eaters, and yes, I know you are many, here is one for you too; Chicken Tortilla Soup. GROUND BEEF ...
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Chicken Soap Pet Food

Combine 1 chicken liver, 1 giblet, 1 chicken heart, 1 chicken neck, 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley. Cover and simmer until the giblet is tender. Chop all the meat for dogs removing bones and mix with kibble; for cats, you may want to grind the meat in the blender. As a pet owner, no doubt you want to give your dog or cat the best care possible. And caring for your pet means feeding him the best diet you can. Animals, because they are color blind, choose their foods ...
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30 Minute Dinner, Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup and Cheesy Corn Muffins. Heavenly Peach Ambrosia for Dessert

If you are like most people today, it often feels like you meet yourself coming and going.  We live in a busy world yet we want to serve our families delicious, hearty meals and on a budget, no less.  It really is possible to do so without much fuss.  The following menu gets your meal on the table quickly, won't break your food budget, and it is filling and very tasty.  Try Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup in 30 Minutes served with Cheesy Corn Muffins.  Finish off your meal with a light ...
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Beef and Macaroni Casserole W/feta Cheese

For an easy meal try this recipe for a Beef and Macaroni Casserole that is just a little different.  With the coriander, tumeric, lemon juice, and Feta cheese this casserole will bring a refreshingly different twist to the usual ground beef macaroni casseroles.  Add the Orange Almond Salad and you have an easy but delicious meal requiring little preparation time. BEEF AND MACARONI CASSEROLE WITH FETA CHEESE 12 oz pkg whole grain elbow macaroni 1 tbsp olive oil 1 med onion, peeled, ...
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Roast Meat - Times and Temperatures

Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, I still see recipes that insist you should cook meat at high temperature for the first twenty minutes or so to seal it and then lower the level for the rest of the cooking time. This has become the fashionable way and I'm not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with a lack of time in an age when both partners tend to work for a living. What I am certain about is that this is not the best way to treat a prime roast. Nor does it 'seal' it. Let's put ...
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Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes

Sometimes getting dinner on the table seems like a daunting task, but with a little preplanning, it can be quick and easy and even save you money. These quick and easy dinner recipes make getting dinner on the table faster than ordering take-out! This first recipe is great for the Mexican food lover. The soup and sour cream combine with the taco sauce and chilies to create a creamy but flavor filled sauce. The chips add a simple but nice contrast. You can control the spiciness of this dish by ...
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Economical Meal Using Vintage Recipes; Beef and Rice Dish, Saucy Carrots and Sugar Cream Pie

If you are looking for an economical meal to feed your family that is also quick, easy, and sure to please, give these recipes a try.  The main part of the meal is a great dish made with inexpensive ground beef and rice.  Onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, etc combine with the beef and rice for a tasty treat .  Add saucy carrots for added flavor and color.  Finish off your meal with a very simple but good old-fashion sugar cream pie.   This recipe calls for nutmeg to be sprinkled over the ...
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Barbeque Grilling has Reached a Whole New Dimension

i>Grilling on the barbecue has never been more exciting. Not only do barbecues come in a myriad of designs and options, but also with the advent of popular cooking shows, cooking books and magazines', grilling has reached a whole new dimension. Grilling is no longer just about steaks and burgers, barbecue grilling is full of adventurous and elegant recipes and menu plans. Some of the tantalizing grilling 'recipes have names like grilled mango blossom, grilled portobello's with avocado salsa and ...
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Cooking instructions for prime rib roast

Have you been searching for cooking instructions for prime rib roast and still can't find a recipe that will give you the juicy and tender prime rib roast that you deserve? The reason may be that recipes only give you the basic ingredients for cooking and not the cooking instructions for prime rib roast. Let's start with cooking instructions for prime rib roast that begins long before the day you prepare your prime rib. First, you should choose the prime rib that will give adequate ...
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Three Tips for Making the Best Picnic Hamburgers

Family picnics and other special occasions are always fun to have but can get pretty taxing when you're the one preparing for them.  For instance, you need to make sure that there is plenty of food that your relatives and friends can munch on while you slave away over the grill. Take the simple grilled hamburger for example.  Usually you just grill the beef patty, slide it into a bun, add some pickles, onion, catsup and mustard and then eat it.  But if you are going to serve hamburgers at ...
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Chicken Stew and Corned Beef Slow Cooker Recipes

There are a lot of recipes you can make with your slow cooker or Crockpot. This can range to meats, seafood and vegetables. There are various Corned Beef and Chicken Stew recipes you can serve to your family. Slow cookers are time efficient appliances and very easy to use. You do not need to check on your cooking from time to time. You can cook the food for hours and it still tastes great. Here are chicken and corned beef recipes you can make using your slow cooker or crock pot. Chicken ...
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Basic Slow Cooker Tips and Delectable Roast Beef Recipes

There are things to consider when using a slow cooker or crock pot. There are also various roast beef recipes you can make with your slow cooker. Slow cookers or crock pots are countertop electrical cooking appliances that maintain a low temperature for several hours. This enables cooking stew or pot roast without the need to check on it from time to time. Amateur cooks will find it very easy to handle and maintain. All you need to do is to fill it up, and then turn it on. After several hours, ...
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