Foodabulous

Grilling Vegetables - Tips And Techniques

2008-02-25T10:21:00.002-06:00

If you have never grilled vegetables on your barbecue before, now is the time to start. It is easy to do and you will experience tastes only obtainable by grilling.

Here are some tips and techniques for preparing and grilling vegetables.

What vegetables are best for grilling?

Almost any vegetable can be grilled, obviously some grill better than others. Here is a list of vegetables that do especially well on the grill:

Corn on the cob, all types of peppers, Zucchini and summer squash, eggplant, asparagus, whole tomatoes, Portabello mushrooms, potatoes, artichokes, fennel, and whole onions.

How to prepare your vegetables for grilling.

For corn on the cob, peel the husks back a little over half way. Do not pull them off completely. Try to get most of the corn silk off, then pull the husks back up and tie them to the cob, then soak the whole ear in water for about an hour before setting over a hot fire on the grill.

You can also do this. When you take the cobs out of the water, untie them and brush them with a mixture of melted butter and chili pepper sauce, salt and pepper, then tie them back up and then put them on the grill. They are really good!

Zucchini should be washed thoroughly, ends trimmed off, then slice the Zucchini lengthwise in one-quarter inch thick slices. Brush with olive oil and place over a hot grill. They will not take long so keep and eye on them. Do not over-cook.

Asparagus can be rolled in olive oil, salt and pepper and placed across the grill and turned occasionally. They are great and again, do not over cook.

Eggplant should be sliced about half an inch thick, salted and placed in a strainer to drain. After about half of an hour, dry the slices with a clean paper towel and brush with olive oil and grill.

Artichokes should be halved lengthwise and placed in boiling salted water for about 15-20 minutes, then drained thoroughly. Brush the cut sides liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper and place cut side down over hot fire.

Whole bell peppers can be grilled till the skins blister and turn black. Then scrape or pull the blackened skin off, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and enjoy. You can also do this with Anaheim chiles and Chiles Poblanos, also known as Ancho or Pasilla chiles.

Russet potatoes should have their skins cleaned thoroughly and dried. Then cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until only half cooked. Let them cool and cut into triangles lengthwise and spray with olive oil, place on hot grill, turning occasionally until brown and crispy.

You will notice that we have used olive oil in all the examples above but you can use peanut oil, walnut oil, or hazelnut oil if you wish. Canola or sunflower oils are just too bland for grilling.

Also, we have been grilling our vegetables directly on the grill but you can also use foil to construct a package for your vegetables. For example, slice a bell pepper and an onion, place in the middle of a large piece of foil, enclose the vegetables after dousing with olive oil and salt and pepper. Seal the package and place on the hot grill. It should be done in about 15 minutes.

You can also prepare a whole onion this way. Skin the onion, cut a cross from the top down three-quarters of the way through the onion, pour on some olive oil and wrap with foil, salt and pepper and put on the grill. Wallah!

There you have a few examples of the wonderful world of vegetable grilling. Now here are some more tips on grilling in general.

If you are going to buy a gas grill, be sure to get one with at least 40,000 to 50,000 BTU's (British Thermal Units) as this will give you enough heat to make those attractive grill marks on your steaks, hamburgers and vegetables.

Vegetables generally are grilled over high heat, so when grilling with charcoal, build a 3-zone fire with the coals piled in a double layer on one side of the grill, then in a single layer in the center of the grill and then with no coals on the other side.

This lets you sear over the high heat of the double layer, cook over the moderate heat of the single layer, and keep your vegetables warm over the coal free zone.

You may want to invest in a vegetable tray. That is a tray with small holes that you can place onto the grill which will hold smaller vegetables like cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves or various sliced vegetables.

Another valuable accessory would be a fish basket. This eliminates the fish from sticking to the grill and flaking-up and falling through the grills.

Stock up with some bamboo skewers for small kebabs and chicken sate (Thai style chicken). To keep the skewers from burning just soak them in water for about an hour before using.

So there you are. This information should give you the confidence to begin grilling those vegetables for your next barbecue party.

How To Make A Great Latte Or Cappuccino Coffee

2008-02-25T10:20:00.001-06:00

Imagine starting out your exciting day in Paris with a true continental breakfast, consisting of a hot milky latte coffee accompanied by a croissant served with plum jam. Or perhaps imagine yourself sitting down to a foamy cappuccino as your morning coffee, while looking out over the blue Mediterranean from high on the cliffs on Italy's Amalfi Coast.

If you make your hot milky coffee in the traditional French or Italian ways you can let your imagination take you to all sorts of romantic places while you enjoy your cup of coffee prepared in the authentic style of the destination of your choice.

A latte made in the French style uses steamed milk, while the Italian style cappuccino froths the milk. The difference is subtle, but important. In both cases, an espresso machine gives you the best results. Not long ago only commercial businesses could afford an espresso machine, but today there are many affordable models available for use in the home.

For both steaming and frothing the milk, you need to start with cold milk. You can't expect good results trying to foam milk that has already been steamed, for example. It is best to keep both the milk and pitcher chilled in your fridge.

A stainless steel pitcher works best, and for foaming milk a bell shape gives better results than a straight sided pitcher.

To steam milk, you can fill the pitcher to around two thirds with milk, but for foaming milk it should be filled to only about one third. To match your servings, choose a smaller pitcher size for use at home compared to the ones you see designed for making enough to serve several cups in a commercial coffee shop.

Before starting, run a burst of steam through the steaming wand to clear the jets, and make sure the wand is clean.

To steam the milk, bury the wand in the milk to just above the base of the pitcher, turn the steam on full, and hold the wand steady in one position. You are aiming to heat the milk to 170 degrees Fahrenheit or 76 degrees centigrade. Above 200 degrees Fahrenheit or 93 degrees centigrade the milk will scald, and the taste will alter sufficiently to ruin your coffee. An expert barista or coffee maker is able to judge the temperature by the sound of the steaming, but until you master this art you may want to use a thermometer attached to the side of your pitcher.

To foam the milk, the difference is that you place the wand just below the surface of the milk, and move it about to combine air into the milk to create a thick foam with fine and uniform sized bubbles. You are aiming for the same milk temperature as when steaming. Again, experts can judge the right temperature by the sound.

An ideal foam for a cappuccino can be assessed by waiting about 20 seconds, then taking some of the foamed milk in a dry spoon. The foam should be thick enough that it will not fall off the spoon when it is turned upside down.

To make the cup of latte coffee, add two thirds steamed milk to a one third of a cup shot of espresso. For a cappuccino, hold back the foamed milk to pour out one third steamed milk into the espresso, and then add one third foamed milk to top off the cup. Sometimes a latte is described as a flat white because it does not use the foamed milk.

A cappuccino is usually served with a sprinkling of cinnamon or chocolate to taste.

Then sit back and enjoy your coffee while you dream of distant places.

Safe Food Handling for the Holidays

2008-01-22T14:27:00.000-06:00

Did you know that the turkey you thawed on the kitchen counter, instead of in the fridge, could now contain bacteria levels high enough to harm human life, even though you can’t see, smell, or taste it?

There’s nothing better than a home cooked meal during the holidays. But, with all the special effort that goes into making one, everything will be for naught if the food has not been stored, prepared, or cooked properly.

Food experts agree that the safe handling of food should be the top ingredient in any recipe.

While they may not turn you into a gourmet chef, following these simple food-handling tips will keep your family and guests safe from unpleasant, and sometimes life-threatening, food-born illnesses.
When buying raw meat, keep juices, which may contain bacteria, from contaminating your hands or anything in your grocery cart. Plastic bags work great for this purpose.

Meat should also be picked up at the end of your grocery shopping and should not be placed in the same bag as fruits and vegetable.

If you plan on storing your meat for 2 to 3 months in the freezer, make sure you buy some freezer proof wrap. The wrap that the store uses is designed to allow air into the meat product and is, therefore, not good for freezing. This is because beef products turn from a purple color to a bright red when exposed to air, making them look fresh, but if left too long will promote bacteria growth.
Defrosting should be done in the refrigerator or in a sink full of water, changing the water about every 45 minutes. A refrigerator allows the meat to defrost in a controlled atmosphere, slowing down the growth of bacteria. Never defrost your meat on top of the counter at room temperature. This can quickly become a bacteria breeding ground. The growth rate of bacteria multiplies rapidly between 40F (4C) and 140F (60C).

Once meat has been thawed it must be either cooked immediately or placed in the refrigerator and then cooked within 24 hours. Never refreeze meat. Most meats and poultries only have a safe fridge life of 2 days, whether stored after thawing or purchased fresh.

When handling raw meat, wash your hands before and after. Also, wash counters or plates you plan to reuse in the preparation process if they have had raw meat on them, as they will also contain harmful levels of bacteria.

As humans, we also carry harmful organisms on our skin which, when spread to food, produce a toxin that normal cooking cannot destroy. Therefore, it is essential to wash our hands thoroughly with soap and water prior to handling food, as well as cover open cuts.

While beefsteak can be cooked to varying degrees of redness, turkey must be completely cooked. At the innermost part of the thigh, the temperature must reach 180F (82C) for a stuffed turkey and 170F (77C) unstuffed. Stuffing in the cavity should read 165F (74C). Cooking times vary with the weight of the bird.

It is important not to keep the thermometer inside the oven with the bird as it could be affected by the oven’s hot air and provide a false reading.

Plan your cooking ahead of time. Do not partially cook the bird, refrigerate, and then complete the cooking process, as this will produce dangerously high levels of bacteria.

Cooked food must be refrigerated within 2 hours, which means that you need to plan your meal so that it can be eaten shortly after being cooked.

Refrigerated leftovers should be eaten within a couple of days, which includes turkey gravy, fish, and eggs. Meat casseroles and pies, rice, potatoes, and cooked noodles will last 2 to 3 days, while cooked meat, chicken, turkey, turkey stuffing, and many soups may last up to 4 days before bacteria levels reach critical points.

Using safe food-handling practices allows for healthy eating. The rest is a matter of taste.

Hosting a Dinner Party? Hire a Personal Chef!

2008-01-22T14:25:00.000-06:00

Think only the rich and famous have the privilege of having a personal chef wait on their every craving or gourmet pleasure? Think again.

Personal chefs are now helping couples and families to present fabulous home cooked dinners to their guests. And it's not as expensive as you think!

Why hire a personal chef?

A personal chef will bring the food, create a nutritious and balanced meal, figure out the servings needed (so you don't need to deal with leftovers) and most of all give you the freedom to focus on other aspects of entertaining while still providing the best food for your guests.

Are you hosting a business lunch? An intimate wedding reception? Or even an intimate dinner for two that just HAS to be the best? A personal chef can handle any order. You can usually choose from a selection of courses they provide or arrange for a customized menu.

How much does it cost?

Prices will vary but you can expect a weeks worth of meals (containers, food and cooking included) to be about $350 for a family of 4 (20 meals of entrees and side dishes) or $175 for a couple (10 meals of entrees and side dishes).

Some services will prepare all the meals at once while others will deliver or prepare the meal in your home throughout the week.

How do I find a personal chef?

Finding a chef is easy by using the USPCA (United States Personal Chef Association - www.uspca.com) or the CPCA (Canadian Personal Chef Alliance - www.cpcalliance.com). Here you will find information on personal chefs as well as a directory of members in your area.
Will they do meals just for my family?

Personal chefs are more than just a catering service. For busy professionals who are looking for quality meals and more time with their family, a personal chef will prepare several entrees and side dishes, store them and clean the kitchen. For the rest of the week all you have to do is take them out of the fridge or freezer and reheat to enjoy gourmet meals all week. For families who turn to fast foods and restaurants the cost may actually be less than what they are currently paying.

Some personal chefs also can be booked for private or group cooking lessons. Invite a group of your friends to learn the art of creating delectable pasties or sumptuous seafood from an expert!
While not everyone needs the daily services of a personal chef you may wish to treat yourself to the luxury of a fabulous dinner at home - no cooking, cleaning or experience necessary!