Shrimp and Seafood Tips (KitchenTips)

Posted 10 July, 2001 by PAF-News

Fresh:
When available, head-on fresh shrimp/seafood must be handled carefully, because the head contains digestive organs which can deteriorate quickly and taint the meat. Diseases, such as melanosis and "shrink," can also occur in fresh shrimp.

Frozen:
This is the most common form found in the markets and grocery stores. Proper freezing preserves the fresh flavor of shrimp and will not affect the texture of the meat. "Green headless" is the standard market form for frozen shrimp. These shrimp are raw and deheaded with the shell and tail intact.

Cooked:
These can occur in variety of forms. The most common method of cooking is steaming.

Raw:
These are available in several forms (all previously frozen). Peeled undeveined are called PUD. Peeled and deveined are P&D or PDI (peeled, deveined, individually frozen). Raw shrimp should be peeled and washed (removing some or all of the vein.) "Tail-on" raw are peeled shrimp with only the tails left on and the veins left in. "Tail-on, deveined" shrimp are cut along the vein (dorsal side of the shrimp) to varying degrees and marketed as "split, "butterfly" or "fantail."

Breaded:
Percentage of breading, by weight, is critical and is governed by FDA standards for product labeling. "Breaded Shrimp" must contain at least 50 percent shrimp. "Lightly Breaded Shrimp" must contain at least 65 percent shrimp. "Imitation Breaded Shrimp" will contain less than 50 percent shrimp. Most of these shrimp are headless, tail-on or tail-off, and generally deveined if larger than seventy count. Hand-breaded is labor intensive and more expensive than machine-breaded shrimp. "Mini-round," or "basket" shrimp are generally not deveined and are breaded with either head-on or head-off.

Canned:
These are usually the smallest shrimp, which are always cooked and peeled but not always deveined.

Dried: This is not a common form in North America and Europe, but is an important product in India and Asia. Dried shrimp can be found at many Asian food markets and are useful in sauces and shrimp fritters.

Home Preparation

Before cooking:
Be sure to store fresh seafood in the coldest part of your refrigerator (usually the lowest shelf at the back or in the meat keeper).
Always marinate seafood under refrigeration and discard used marinade since it will contain raw fish juices.
Always keep raw and cooked seafood separate to prevent bacterial contamination. When handling raw seafood, thoroughly wash knives, cutting surfaces, sponges and your hands with hot soapy water before handling cooked seafood.

Cooking:
Raw shrimp turn pink and firm when fully cooked. Depending on the size, it should take from 3 to 5 minutes to boil or steam 1 pound of medium size shrimp in the shell. .

Storing:
If you buy frozen shrimp from your local market, they should last about 9 months if they come frozen and are kept frozen, 5 months if they come fresh and are stored frozen, and 4 days if they come thawed and are stored in the fridge.

Source: AboutFood.com

Edible Flowers for your Cooking (FoodArticles)

Posted 9 July, 2001 by PAF-News

The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years with the first recorded mention was in 140 B.C. Many different cultures have incorporated flowers into their traditional foods. Oriental dishes make use of daylily buds, the Romans used mallow, rose and violets, Italian and Hispanic cultures gave us stuffed squash blossoms, and Asian Indians use rose petals in many recipes. Did you know Chartreuse, a classic green liqueur developed in France in the seventeeth century, boasts carnation petals as one of its secret ingredients? And, dandelions were one of the bitter herbs referred to in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Some flowers look beautiful as garnishes, but they also taste nice. Bean blossums have a sweet, beany flavor. Nasturtiums have a wonderfully peppery flavor similar to watercress and their pickled buds can be substituted for more expensive capers. Borage tastes like cucumber, and miniature pansies (Johny-Jump-Ups) have a mild wintergreen taste. Violets, roses and lavender lend a sweet flavor to salads or desserts. Bright yellow calendulas are an economic alternative to expensive saffron, though not quite as pungent. Others may have a spicy or peppermint flavour. When in doubt, taste!

Where to get them from
With the widespread use of pesticides by commercial growers, it's important to select edible flowers from a supplier who grows them specifically for consumption. Do not eat flowers obtained from a florist. Your best bet is to grow them yourself, so you know they are completely pesticide-free. Many grocery stores and gourmet markets now sell edible flowers. If you are choosing homegrown flowers to eat, be certain you know your flowers as not all flowers are edible. Some can cause serious stomach problems and some are quite poisonous. Pick homegrown flowers in the morning or late afternoon when the water content is high.

How to use them
Select flowers that are freshly-opened, perky and free of any bug-eaten or diseased spots. Normally, the petals are the only portion to be eaten, with the notable exception of safflower and crocus (saffron) whose stigma are prized as an herb. Be sure to wash flowers thoroughly by bathing them gently in a bath of salt water. Perk them up by dropping into a bowl of ice water for 30-60 seconds, and drain on paper towels. Then carefully remove petals or other parts to be consumed. You may wish to trim off the whitish part of the petal where it connects to the stem as it can often be bitter. It's best to store flowers whole in a glass of water in the refrigerator until you need to use them. You can store petals for a day in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, but your optimum goal should be to use them within a few hours.

A few more tips
* Use flowers sparingly in your recipes, particularly if you are not accustomed to eating them. Too much of a pretty thing can lead to digestive problems.
* If you are prone to allergies, introduce flowers in small amounts so you can judge their effect. Also, some have a much more pronounced flavour than others, so you'll need to judge accordingly.
* The leaves of some flowers also have culinary uses, but be sure to check a trusted food reference source before experimenting.

General Usage
Edible flowers as a garnish make any dish look special on your table, but be sure the flavour of the flower compliments the dish. Here are a few ideas to pretty up your meals:

* Place a colorful gladiolus or hibiscus flower (remove the stamen and pistil) in a clear glass bowl and fill with your favorite dip.
* Sprinkle edible flowers in your green salads for a splash of color and taste.
* Freeze whole small flowers into ice rings or cubes for a pretty addition to punches and other beverages.
* Use in flavored oils, vinaigrettes, jellies, and marinades.
* One of the most popular uses is candied or crystalized flowers, used to decorate cakes and fine candies.
* Asthmatics or others who suffer allergic reactions to composite-type flowers (calendula, chicory, chrysanthemum, daisy, English daisy, and marigold) should be on alert for possible allergic reaction.

Source: HomeCooking

Are you into Veggies? (FoodArticles)

Posted 9 July, 2001 by PAF-News

Many claim that Vegetarians live longer and healthier lives. Vegetarian men have been known to pride themselves on being more virile (and sexier?!) than their meat-eating counterparts...

According to the Vegetarian Society, 5,000 people are turning veggie each week, so is veggie the way to go? If you aren’t sure that you want to forego bacon sandwiches or weekend fry-ups, you could always consider ‘going organic’ instead. Organic farming hasn’t been plagued with the problems faced by factory farming methods. ‘Going organic’ might mean that your bacon sarnies come a bit pricier (if your purse will stretch to it), but without the guilt. The animal on your plate will have been treated decently and had a good life.

Organic or not, if you decide to take the plunge and go veggie be aware that you might be making more than a dietary choice. You are also looking at a lifestyle choice – cutting out the meat doesn’t just mean eating the veg! Experts suggest that the reason why a vegetarian diet is healthier is that becoming a veggie forces us to think more about what we eat. Obviously, a well balanced diet is important for meat and meat-free diets. The difference is that veggies have to work harder at gaining the full range of protein they need from sources such as eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds, pulses, soya and meat substitutes such as Quorn.

Vegetarian meals can simply require more thought. So in the early days of your veggie conversion, you may find yourself yearning for the simplicity of basic meat and two veg meal! If you do turn veggie, have you thought about the practicalities of cooking for your boyfriend or husband, friends and family? Will you end up with double the work and cook two meals? One for meat eaters and one for veggies? Or will you expect everyone else to embrace your conversion to vegetarianism? What about when your parents come for Sunday lunch? As much as they might praise your Red Onion Tarte Tartin with Herb Pastry, would they really prefer a traditional roast?

Whatever your reasons for considering vegetarianism, if you decide it’s the route for you, everything else can be worked out! It’s true that the vegetarian diet has come a long way. With a little effort you could find veggie food exciting, modern, versatile and flavourful. In fact, with a little effort, you might wonder why it took you so long to change!

Source: Heinz LoveLunch

Blueberry Tips (FoodArticles)

Posted 8 July, 2001 by PAF-News

In addition to being a source of vitamin C, these juicy, sweet berries provide potassium, vitamin A, and plenty of fiber. They're also a delicious way to get a number of the phytochemicals that have been linked to health benefits, including cancer prevention. For the juiciest, most flavorful blueberries, choose berries that appear plump, unwrinkled and uniformly blue in color. Fresh berries should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator and used within five days. Wash berries only just before using to prevent quicker spoilage.

Save a bit of summer for colder months by freezing blueberries while they are at their peak of freshness. Spread out unwashed berries in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking together and place in the freezer. Pack frozen blueberries into resealable plastic containers, so can later take, wash and use only as much as you need.

Although best known for the burst of sweet flavour they bring to muffins and other baked goods, blueberries can add new life to many of your summertime meals. At breakfast, toss blueberries on top of morning cereal, into pancake batter or on top of waffles. For cooling, summer desserts, spoon fresh berries over frozen yogurt, or alternate berries with sherbert to create a colorful parfait.

A vinaigrette dressing made with blueberry vinegar is a creative way to add a fresh spark of flavour to routine summer salads. Combine 2 cups fresh blueberries, 2 cups white vinegar, cup sugar, and 1 cup water in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree in batches. Skim the foam and strain the liquid through a fine sieve, discarding the solids.

When there's no fresh fruit on hand, frozen blueberries make a convenient, nutritious addition to breakfast or snacktime smoothies. Place 1-1/4 cups low-fat milk, a teaspoon superfine sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in a blender and process 10 seconds to dissolve the sugar. With the blender on low, add a cup of frozen blueberries and 1 cup frozen low-fat vanilla yogurt. Increase the speed to high and blend until completely smooth. Serve immediately.

Olive Oil ... Good for your health (HealthyLiving)

Posted 8 July, 2001 by PAF-News

Olive oil has always been placed somewhere between food and medicine. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, recommended the juices of fresh olives as a cure for mental illness and poultices of macerated olives for ulcers. In the Middle Ages, it was used to treat gynecological complaints and in the Mediterranean country side was used as a treatment for ear aches, as a purgative, especially for children, as a treatment for stomach aches, gastritis, gastro duodenal ulcers and to soften calluses. Olive oil was thought to have a very positive effect on atrophy of the gallbladder and to inhibit hepatobiliary secretion during gallbladder emptying time.

Today, research has shown the scientific basis for many of these beliefs.

Here's what the experts say:

"New Italian research finds olive oil contains antioxidants, similar to those in tea and red wine, that combat disease processes, including LDL cholesterol's ability to clog arteries."

Jean Carper, leading authority on health and nutrition,
an award winning correspondent for CNN, author of "The Food Pharmacy" and "Food-Your Miracle Medicine" and a nationally syndicated column

"I love the whole idea of olive oil's versatility. I use it for baking, as well as salad dressings and sautÈing. Olive Oil has been around for a long time, and the more we know about it, the more we learn about its great contribution to good health."

Pat Baird, dietician and nutrition consultant,
author of "The Pyramid Cookbook: Pleasures of the Food Guide Pyramid"

"American women might actually experience as much as a fifty percent (50%) reduction in breast cancer risk if they consumed more olive oil in place of saturated fats."

Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, chairman of the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard University School of Public Health

"I like the taste of olive oil. And, because olive oil is so flavorful, a little goes a long way while cooking, which is great for people like me who watch their fat intake."

Dr. Barbara Levine, director of the Nutrition Information Center
at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

"Olive oil has a protective effect against some types of malignant tumors: prostate, breast, colon, squamous cell, and oesophageal."

Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, chairman of the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard University School of Public Health

"Olive oil has been shown to strengthen the inmune system in mice. Diets high in olive oil do not suppress lymphoblastogenesis, CD11a and CD18, and increase expression and capping of CD44 and CD25."

D. Peck, School of Medicine, University of Miami

"In vitro and in vivo (in animals), the minor polar components of extra virgin olive oil increase significantly the resistance of LDL to oxidation.

Bruno Berra, Facolta di Farmacia, Milan

"Olive oil prevents insulin resistance and ensures better control of the glucose in the blood."

A.A. Rivellese, G. Riccardi, M. Mancini
Institute of Internal Medicine and Metabolism Disease
University of Federico II, Naples

Dietary intake of olive oilyphenols may lower the risk of reactive oxygen metabolite-mediated diseases such as some gastrointestinal diseases and atherosclerosis. Olive oil hydroxytyrosol protects human erythrocytes against oxidative damage."

Patrizia Galletti, Facolta di Medicina e Chirurgia,
Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli, Naples

"A diet in which virgin olive oil is the only source of fat causes less peroxidation of the lipids in the subcellular membrane. Attention is drawn to the greater part played by the saponifiable fraction of the oil and to the absence of effects caused by the polyphenol fraction, as well as to the cardiac antioxidant role of coenzyme Q10."

Jose Mataix Verdu, Jesus Rodriguez Huertas,
Instituto de Nutricion y Tecnologia de Alimentos,,Universidad de Granada

"An olive-oil-rich diet is more effective than a low-fat diet in controlling and treating obesity. Moreover, it leads to longer-lasting weight loss and it is easier to keep to because it tastes good."

Frank Sacks, Harvard School of Public Health

Healthy Eating Track (HealthyLiving)

Posted 5 July, 2001 by PAF-News

To get on the healthy eating track, pay attention to what you eat, what you snack on, what the nutrition labels say, how you prepare foods and how you handle hunger.

What You Eat
It is often against our instincts to make a meal that revolves around rice and vegetables rather than meat and fried potatoes, but it is important to go beyond the first instinct to plan a healthy meal. Try to keep track of the meals you've eaten during the week, if it seems that you've been eating an inordinate amount of foods from the meat and cheese group, make extra effort to round out your next few meals with foods from the remaining groups. Meal planning is an excellent way to stay on the healthy eating track. Plan meals in advance and keep your cupboards stocked with foods that can be made into quick well-balanced meals on days when there isn't time or energy to plan.

What You Snack On
Put fruits and vegetables on your snacks list. Rather than grabbing a bag of chips while you're in the office, keep a supply of dried fruit and vegetables at your desk, this way you'll cut extra, unplanned fat and sodium from your diet.

Read the Labels
Be sure to read the nutritional labels on the foods you buy. Find out if the foods you eat daily actually have the nutrition elements that you expect, want and need. Note that the "serving size" on each label doesn't mean that is how much you should eat. Instead, it is telling you the size of food that has been used to determine how much fats, vitamins, and minerals are in a certain amount of the food under scrutiny.

How You Prepare Your Food
Use cooking methods that maintain your healthy objectives. Boil, steam, fry in a non-stick pan, roast, or bake your dishes. Instead of using oil when sautéing vegetables, use 2 tablespoons of water. Place the water and vegetables in the water and saute as if you were using oil. Your vegetables will cook without any added fat!

Remember that Hunger is the Ultimate Bad Influence
If you put off eating for too long, not only will your body not have the energy that it needs to make it through the day, but you will be more likely to forego healthy eating in favour of a quick hamburger or a fatty meal from a fast food restaurant. When you put off grocery shopping until you are really hungry, you are more likely to buy foods that you wouldn't, if you had been thinking clearly.

Using Grains in your Cooking (KitchenTips)

Posted 5 July, 2001 by PAF-News

Here's a few ideas to help fit grains into your daily diet:

For breakfast, consider cooking brown rice in 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup apple juice. Sprinkle the hot cooked rice with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Toss 1 cup cooked wild rice into a vegetable or tomato soup per four servings.

Instead of meat chili, substitute 1 cup dry bulgur wheat for the meat in a recipe for four. Saute the bulgur wheat with the onions and any other vegetables the recipe calls for. Add your liquid and let the chili cook until thickened.

Mix and match grains. Quinoa and couscous are extremely complementary flavors, as are brown and wild rice.

In a non-stick pan/skillet, saute 1/2 cup (each) mushrooms and onions in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add 2 cups low sodium, low-fat chicken broth/stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in 1 cup pearled barley. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. You'll have a hearty side dish for four that goes well with Cornish hens, chicken or turkey.

Healthy Cooking Oils (HealthyLiving)

Posted 4 July, 2001 by PAF-News

Econa Oil
In March, Japan-based Kao Corp. announced the launch of Healthy Econa Cooking Oil for Lower Cholesterol. This is the second in Kao’s series of Healthy Econa Cooking Oil products. The product slows the increase of blood triglycerides to help prevent the accumulation of body fat and also helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

If used continually, the Econa cooking oil will lower cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, according to the company website (www.kao.co.jp). The oil is the second cooking oil product to gain approval for marketing as a Food for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan. Healthy Econa Cooking Oil was originally launched in February 1999.

The main ingredient in Econa Cooking Oil for Lower Cholesterol is diacylglycerol (DAG). The vegetable sterol acts to prevent cholesterol from being completely absorbed in the body after a meal, resulting in lower blood cholesterol, especially levels of LDL, the “bad” cholesterol.

One month of use by those with high cholesterol levels can benefit from an average cholesterol reduction of 7.1%, according to company information.

The cooking oil is a light tasting oil made from soy and rapeseed (canola). The oil can be used in the same applications as conventional edible oils and is well suited for deep-frying and in salad dressings. Kao has also launched a series of Healthy Econa Dressings with the healthy oils.

Soyola Oil
Derived from a new soybean variety, Soyola oil does not need hydrogenation for cooking uses. Hydrogenation produces most of the dietary trans fats now recognized as unhealthy for the heart. Most soybean oil is currently hydrogenated to increase stability and broaden its food applications (e.g., for baking and margarine).

Soyola is a result of conventional plant breeding methods. It is the first release under the Better Bean Initiative (BBI) launched in 1998 by the United Soybean Board to develop products using classical selection and breeding techniques.

The non-transgenically modified soybean, Soyola yields oil that does not need hydrogenation to improve its usefulness for cooking and extended shelf life. Soyola is the first non-GMO soybean developed for the southern U.S. with reduced linolenic acid content. This polyunsaturated fatty acid degrades easily and causes rancid flavors in soybean oil, especially after extended heating.

The oil is well suited for frying and salad oil applications. It has half the linolenic acid found in commercial varieties, according to developer Joseph W. Burton at the Agricultural Research Service’s Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research Unit in Raleigh, N.C.

Source: preparedfoods

Polenta (KitchenTips)

Posted 4 July, 2001 by PAF-News

Polenta was the staple food of the poor in northern Italy, especially those that lived out in the country. Sometimes it was eaten three times a day. So the inventive Italians made stews and sauces to put on top of the polenta. They baked the polenta, fried it, they even broiled it. Many recipes were handed down through generations of Italian families and passed on to friends and neighbours.

A few tips and tricks when making polenta:

Pour the polenta meal in a fine stream into the boiling water, stirring continuously with a whisk, so no lumps form. Then switch to a long handled wooden spoon. Continue stirring in the same direction as the polenta thickens. The longer you stir the better the polenta will be. The finished polenta should have the consistency of firm mashed potatoes. Add a little boiling water if the polenta gets too thick. The polenta is done when it peels easily off the sides of the pot.

A few words about ' Bulgarian White Cheese' otherwise known to the world as 'Feta Cheese' (FoodArticles)

Posted 2 July, 2001 by PAF-News

The most famous of the two, the Feta Cheese, is a classic and famous Greek curd cheese whose tradition dates back thousands of years and is still made by shepherds in the Greek mountains with unpasteurized milk. It was originally made with goat's or sheep's milk, but today much is often made commercially with pasteurized cow's milk (the firmer cow's milk version is made for export). Salted and cured in a brine solution (which can be either water or whey) for a week to several months (this is why it is sometimes called a 'pickled' cheese). Bulgarian White Cheese is pretty much the same. The difference as far as I can tell is that we, in Bulgaria - where I originally come from, have a lot of varieties of that type of cheese - you get the fresh cheese which has not matured, and it is wonderful toasted. Then you have different types being produced in different parts of Bulgaria, each with its individual flavour and taste. You also get cheese made from goats milk, cow or sheeps milk. And they taste so different.

Anyway, back to some feta/white cheese facts...

Feta drys out rapidly when removed from the brine.
Feta cheese is white, usually formed into square cakes, and can range from soft to semi-hard, with a tangy, salty flavor that can range from mild to sharp. It's fat content can range from 30 to 60 percent; most is around 45 percent milk fat. It is now made in many countries, but usually the pasteurized cow's milk version, on a commercial scale.

Feta is delicious crumbled over salads (the Classic Greek Salad or the famous Shopska salad), or together with sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with olive oil and fresh herbs. It is also used as a filling for puff pastry (feuilletes) and peppers.

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