Archive for March, 2007

Experimenting with an Argentinean Recipe

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007

Some people don’t need a recipe to cook, some people just choose to “wing it”, throwing ingredients together. Others lack confidence to make their own meals and prefer to follow a recipe book, unlike those that find it more spontaneous to just throw the fridge door open and see what they can throw together. Every day someone creates a new recipe, just by using the ingredients on hand. Sometimes if a recipe calls for an ingredient that’s not readily available, creative cooks will find an intriguing substitute.

The people that rely on recipes may just lack confidence in their cooking abilities, but that doesn’t mean that can’t be just as good of cooks as the inventive, creative chefs. Cooking is an art form, regardless of whether it is from a recipe or from the imagination of the person preparing the meal. Sometimes, it’s helpful to follow a recipe, especially in the instance of a special meal that has a characteristic flavor. For example, if you wanted to prepare an Argentinean meal, you need to follow a recipe. Otherwise, you are going to cook something — but chances are it won’t be an original Argentinean meal, with the unique Argentinean flavor.
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Dunkin Donuts Coffee Quality

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

Did you ever try Dunkin donuts coffee? I hope not, it was probably not one of those moments that you experienced true happiness. Making good coffee is not easy, and making damn good coffee is extraordinary difficult and requires some talent and taste… The American diet. When you hear those three little words, what comes to mind? For me it’s fast food for lunch, because everyone is in a big rush and convenience is all that matters.

For dinner it’s take-out from the Chinese place down the street or maybe a pizza from Domino’s. Oh, and then there’s breakfast. This consists of a jelly-filled Bizmark and an extra large cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee. Does that all sound about right to you? Wow; that’s a lot of fat! Certainly more than anyone’s daily recommended allowance. We Americans really have to do something about all the foul things we consume. It’s killing us!
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Mexican Cooking Utensils

Sunday, March 4th, 2007

If you ever eaten food in a Mexican restaurant or home, there were possibly some authentic Mexican cooking utensils. Maybe you notices pottery that was used to make the dishes. Mexicans use a variety of different cooking methods. This includes slow roasting, deep-frying, baking, and they have unique pots and pans for these methods. Mexicans like to use a lot of fresh produce in their cooking, They can use herbs and spices and you will find sharp knives and a mortar and pestle in every Mexican kitchen.

The Traditional Mexican Cooking Pots called Ollas, also known as Barros, are deep clay cooking pots. They are perfect for simmering beans, stew or soup, and clay is a great form of cookware because it distributes heat evenly and avoids burn spots. Barro means clay or mud and olla means pot. These cooking pots are durable enough to put over a direct flame all day long. You do need to warm clay before using it because it can crack. So exposing it to a high heat is not recommended. If you are going to be baking, let the pot warm up the same way as the oven. Your Mexican dishes will tend to have a subtle earthly taste when you cook in a clay pot.
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Mexican Cheese

Thursday, March 1st, 2007

If you can relate with your fellow Americans, knowledge of Mexican cheese might not be too common. Since you only have been exposed to the simple cheeses in Mexican dishes like cheddar or Monterey Jack in the occasional burrito or taco. These cheeses can be a good match for some Mexican recipes, at least in their Americanized form. However there are a lot of Mexican cheeses out there. You should definitely consider adding to your personal Mexican recipes.

Mexico has its own way of traditionally making cheese with many varieties to try. Fortunately for the cooks or chefs out there, Mexican cheese is becoming more widely available. This is the part of Mexico’s culinary tradition accessible to Americans interested in trying their hand at this exciting cuisine. Cheese also known as queso as it is said in Spanish, came to the New World along with the conquistadors. European colonists brought cows and goats that produce dairy products and thus began being produced in the country. There are now a wide variety of different Mexican cheeses that all have it’s unique flavor and character. You can find these cheeses used in many varieties of authentic Mexican recipes, that showcase them with other ingredients complementing their flavors and textures perfectly.
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