The S670 Grill By Weber - Spend More Time With Your Guests

The S670 grill by Weber is a perfect grill when entertaining friends or family where you're the chef for the evening. Multiple people mean multiple tastes and preferences and the S670 allows you to cook so that each one of your guests gets the type of food that they want.
Whether your guests prefer medium rare or well done, you can accommodate them with the six individualized burners. Each burner can be set at a different temperature setting allowing each guest to get his or her food made to order. Since this can be done simultaneously, everyone eats at the same time. It's disappointing when you want to visit with your guests over a good meal only to find most of them are done eating by the time you've finished preparing the dinner. Spending time with your guests is the whole point of having a barbeque and most of the time the chef ends up doing all of the work without enjoying too many of the benefits.
The S670 allows you to prepare the food and then dine with your guests while enjoying the outdoor atmosphere.
In addition to the multiple burners, the S670 also offers other amenities that can help you expand your style of grilling. The included rotisserie is perfect for making rotisserie chicken or other fowl and the smoker box means great tasting slow cooked ribs. The convenient side burner means side dishes can be prepared outside along with the main course. You won't have to interrupt that conversation to go in and check on the rice.
Made of stainless steel, the S670 is both durable and solid. The shiny finish makes it an attractive addition to your outdoor setting without becoming an eyesore. The good-looking appearance can easily make this grill the center piece of your outdoor living space. Easy assembly makes this grill a breeze to put together and you can use your grill almost immediately after you take it out of the box. It's also easy to clean which is a big advantage when it comes to cleaning up after the party's over.
If it's time for you to purchase a new grill, look at all the features that the S670 has to offer. It's ease of use and versatility make it a popular choice for many people who enjoy cooking out. Both attractive and affordable, this grill offers everything that you need for enjoyable outdoor cooking.

What You Need To Know Before Going To Culinary Schools

The number of cooking schools is growing, and many high school students and interested professionals want to know which of these schools offer competitive culinary education. But these people should be concerned more of the fundamental factors that would affect their lives the moment they set foot in the world of culinary arts.

You may think of culinary schools with grandeur and you may have high praises for people who finish the course, putting them in some kind of pedestal, as if they have accomplished something grand. The real thing for most of these people is far from your imagination.

Cooking schools are expensive.

That is just one thing you have to keep in mind. It is so expensive that many aspirants are discouraged at the first sight of the cost. They may opt for student loans to come by funds necessary for schooling. Many finish the course worried about how they are going to pay the debt.

There are many chefs who obtained their expertise without having to go through expensive education. In fact, some had to learn it for free working in the kitchens of restaurants or hotels. Not all can be that lucky though. Some had to start from somewhere like their very own kitchens. The lure of culinary school is the presence of nice equipment, state-of-the-art facilities, and seasoned chefs to provide instruction.

Many chefs think that all types of cooking education are essentially the same. Methods of cooking do not change wherever you take the course. Hence, expensive culinary education will not necessarily prepare you for the real thing. At the end of the day, it is your skill and passion that will make you do the job and not the name of the school or the cost of the education.

A culinary career is not just about cooking.

This is something all students in culinary schools should know and understand. Some are too excited to learn how to bake pastry or cook beef stewand they immediately think a culinary school can get them there. If you think of learning the art of cooking because you want to be the house cook, you probably should learn cooking another way, because it is impractical. But if you have money to burn, go ahead.

Some people imagine grand careers as chefs, but this is far from the reality. Only a few people land high paying jobs when they graduate. Many will have to deal with average paying jobs in restaurants or hotels if they ever find jobs. But if you have a passion for culinary arts, you should have no problem being in the tough industry. You may even enjoy it.

Culinary jobs involve working with other people. Collaboration is just one thing. If you are a chef working at restaurants, you have to take orders from the owner. Sometimes, your food will be criticized even if it looks nice and tastes good. This is what interested culinary students should understand. Do not enroll in a culinary school with the expectation that you will be a grand, rich chef in the future. Do so because it is what you want and you clearly know the possibilities.

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs. Reminiscences From Childhood Revisited As Appetizers

I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, just for time reference. There were no such things then as microwaves. No food processors to speak of, either, though we did have a blender. With that frame of mind, what did we eat? What things stood out?

In my family, Mom sometimes baked hot dogs stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. At the time, when these were baked, often the bacon was not done through and would be fatty and flabby. As a child, this was something I could not tolerate. Still, they were really good, for all that, and parts of the bacon were okay. Recently I decided to try this out, with a new perspective. I do not like getting more pans dirty than necessary, but having the bacon done through on these was more important. I decided to partially fry some center cut bacon first, and then wrap this around the hot dog.

Mom made these by cutting a slit down the length of the hot dog, and taking a slice of American cheese folded over on itself, fit it into the cut made in the hot dog. Then she took the bacon and wrapped it around the stuffed hot dog, holding the bacon in place with toothpicks. I have no recollection of oven temperatures and times. Since I first cooked the bacon to about the way it usually turned out after baking in my childhood, I wrapped the hot dogs in the drained and blotted bacon, set the oven at 375 and timed them for 10 minutes. They were perfect.

Another Idea to Ponder

While making these little memory foods, I was thinking about parties that may be for adults, but with children present, or even for a party for children. Children usually like hot dogs, cheese and bacon. Cooked this way with the bacon partly done, leaves everything done properly at the outcome, so these may also appeal to children as a finger food. Many times children are picky and do not care for some foods, but these might just work. Making these as an appetizer, I cooked the bacon partially, as before, cut the slit down the length of the hot dog and filled with cheese, and then cut the filled hot dog into 3 equal pieces, about the width of the bacon. Wrapping one piece of bacon around each hot dog piece, and skewering with a toothpick, I baked them for the same amount of time and these were also just perfect. These will please an adult, but are a possible crossover food for children.

Other Childhood Foods

When we were young, Mom had us make our sandwiches for school, sometimes in advance, and we would freeze them. Grab a frozen sandwich and pop into the lunch box and it was thawed just right by lunch time. One of the combinations we made was peanut butter and ham. This was one that Mom translated over to an appetizer for adults, by taking slices of ham and cutting the slice in half or thirds, depending on size. She put a bit of peanut butter at one end and rolled the ham around the peanut butter. The little rolls were about 3 inches wide, easy to pick up. Since we were already familiar with this combination, this was another party food we would eat.

A childhood meal that has wonderful memories was Creamed Dried Beef and Potatoes. This was often a dinner for us and we loved it. Mom made a simple roux of butter and flour, adding milk to thicken into a white sauce. She cut the dried beef thinly and added it to cook a bit, giving the beef time to flavor the sauce, and then adding in cubed cooked potatoes. Our love of dried beef translated into another delicious finger food. Similarly to the ham rolls with peanut butter, these were dried beef rolls with cream cheese.

All these things and so many more are treasured memories from childhood. Look back into your past and see what interesting new creations can come of an old standby.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

Five Best Bacon Wrapped Appetizers

Unless on a special diet, most people love bacon. Wrapping things in bacon is a logical step when looking for appetizer recipes. With the sure knowledge that bacon goes equally as well with savory as with sweet, the filler combinations can switch from chicken to dates, crackers to water chestnuts. Party appetizers should be simple, able to make or assemble ahead, and with not too much last minute oven time. Here are some very simple appetizers, all with bacon wrappings, to tempt your party guests.

Bacon Wrapped Barbecued Chicken

Use skinless boneless chicken breasts and cut into 1 inch cubes. This is easier if the chicken is only partially thawed. Use center cut bacon, and slice in half across the width. Wrap one half slice of bacon around each chicken cube, securing with a toothpick. Brush a little of your favorite barbecue sauce onto the wraps. Place them on a rack of a broiler pan to catch the drippings. Bake these at 375 for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bacon is done. At about mid baking time, turn the bites over and brush with more barbecue sauce. If needed, broil to achieve desired doneness. These can be wrapped ahead, without the barbecue sauce. Brush on the sauce once ready to bake. Or, bake ahead and reheat in a 300 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Bites

Using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pound them out thinly. If the chicken pieces are very wide, cut into strips about 3 to 4 inches wide. Place blue cheese crumbles in a line down the length of one section and roll from a long edge, enclosing the cheese. Slice the rolls into about the width of a slice of bacon. Using half slices of center cut bacon wrap one piece around each chicken roll and secure with a toothpick. Place on the rack of a broiler pan and sprinkle on some hot sauce of choice. Bake at 375 for about 25 to 30 minutes, until bacon reaches desired doneness. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and hot sauce on the side. These can also be made ahead and reheated as above. Best if not completely cold when served.

Half Poppers in Bacon

If jalapeno poppers are something your crowd enjoys, wrapping them in bacon is just that next step to greatness. Cut jalapeno peppers in half, lengthwise. Wearing gloves, remove seeds and membranes. Place a small portion of cream cheese into the jalapeno half. Cut center cut bacon in half across and wrap one half slice around each jalapeno, securing with a toothpick. Set these with the cheese upwards onto a rack of a broiler pan and bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bacon is done. Broil for a couple of minutes more, if needed. These are best served right away, but can easily be filled and wrapped a day in advance and baked when required.

Bacon Cheese Hot Dog Bites

For these, I prefer to partially pre cook the bacon. Use center cut bacon slices and fry them until about half done. The hot dogs do not need long baking time to cook through, and you do not want to lose the cheese filling. Using any regular hot dogs, cut a slit down the length of the hot dog, without cutting all the way through. Using a sliced cheese such as American, Swiss or pepperjack, cut the cheese slice in half. Take each half slice and fold these in half lengthwise forming a long, thin piece. Set one of the folded halves of cheese into the opened slit in the hot dog. If the cheese does not reach the end of the hot dog, add in part of another piece of the cheese. Cut the hot dog into 3 pieces, or about the width of a slice of bacon. Wrap a slice of partially cooked bacon around each piece of hot dog and skewer with a toothpick. Bake these at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. These are best made last minute, but can be filled, wrapped and stored a day ahead.

Bacon Wrapped Dates, Water Chestnuts, Pineapple Chunks

Wrap a half slice of center cut bacon around pitted medjool dates, chunks of pineapple or water chestnuts and skewer with a toothpick. Place onto the rack of a broiler pan. Bake in a 500 degree oven, about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each bite over. Bake for another 4 to 6 minutes, or until the bacon is done. These may be wrapped a day ahead and kept until needed.

All of these appetizers are easy to make and many can be rolled in advance and kept until needed, or reheated when necessary for a short time. The aromas wafting through the house will entice guests even more.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

Five Fast Appetizers That Will Make A Successful Super Bowl Party

Super Bowl is just around the corner. We have all been overloaded with foods of every description over the recent holidays, and now must come up with more ideas. If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, here are some tips and ideas for some appetizers that can be made easily, some in advance.

Guacamole is a Versatile Dip

Basic Guacamole is mashed avocados with salt and lime juice. This must be made close to serving time or it turns dark. By adding in some other ingredients, this old standby can be a completely new taste sensation. To the basic guacamole, add sour cream, as much or little as you like. This gives a creamy texture, and prevents browning, and can be made a few hours in advance. How about adding a half cup of Gorgonzola crumbles? They are available in most places and add piquancy and flavor. Other things you might add are charred jalapenos. Char 2 or 3 jalapenos under the broiler until black all over, take out seeds and stem and puree them with the basic guacamole. Plain pickled or fresh jalapenos are also excellent. Any one of these additions can make a huge difference in flavor, or you could add them all. Serve your guacamole with tortilla chips. If you are watching waistlines along with the yard lines, serve it with some carrots, snow peas or bell pepper slices.

Brie Makes a Rich Sensation

Brie cheese can be served all on its own. Open a wedge or three and set them out with some crackers. But how about taking those wedges and paring off the rind, setting them into an oven safe casserole to cover the bottom. Sprinkle on brown sugar just to coat the top of the cheese. Add some chopped pecans or walnuts. Place the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. This dip pairs well with apple slices. These days every grocery has bags of fresh apple slices, both red and green varieties. Set these out for dipping in the brie. As they are already pretreated for browning, they can be set out up to an hour ahead. The brie should wait to go in the oven until closer to serving time, though it can be prepared in its casserole the day before, covered tightly until needed.

Medjool Dates Make a Statement

Medjool Dates are found in most places these days. They are larger and softer than the regular varieties found on grocery shelves. You may have to look for them, but they are worth the effort. Make sure to remove pits. One fantastic way to use them is to wrap them in half slices of center cut bacon, leaving the loose edge underneath. Set the oven for 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set the dates on the parchment and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Take out of the oven and turn them over with tongs so the loose edge of bacon is up. It should have cooked into place. Bake for another 6 or more minutes, until the bacon is done to your liking. These are good warm, but they are also good cool. If you like, a piece of pecan may be set inside the date before wrapping with the bacon. Another way to serve medjools is to set a piece of feta cheese inside each one. A piece of prosciutto can be wrapped around the date and feta cheese as an alternative. No cooking, so these can be made ahead.

Pepper and Onion Relish Dip. A Great Standby.

There are various brands of Pepper and Onion Relish available in specialty shops. If you are so fortunate as to find some and have not yet tried this, mix a bottle of the pepper and onion relish with a couple of 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese and serve with chips. Heavenly. This can be made way ahead. Unless there is someone in the house that cannot resist it.

Asparagus and Parmesan Make an Easy Dip.

Using equal proportions of asparagus, mayonnaise and shredded Parmesan, combine the mayo and cheese and mix in the chopped asparagus to combine. Place into an oven safe casserole and bake at 350 degrees until melted and bubbly and serve with crusty bread. All these ingredients can be mixed ahead and popped into the oven last minute. Most of all, enjoy your party.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

- Hints On Tips On How To Paint Melamine Cabinet Drawers And Doors -

Deciding that you want to change the colour of your kitchen is in no way truly an effortless concept, it takes alot of though and planning to choose upon unique variables like: What color, where shall I apply the discomfort, when? etc, What I'm going to cover in this write-up is 'how' to go about repainting a Melamine Kitchen Unit. What colour, when and how is all up to you.

Melamine Paint is an oil Based Paint which is re-inforced with Urethane. It might be applied to a multitude of various surface finishes, ranging from but not exclusive to: Fibreglass, Glass, Laminates, Plastic and Acrylics and Ceramics.
Firstly, once you buy the paints you'll wish to believe about which kind of paint you need to go for, you will find various forms of product offered within the UK, some of the a lot more widely recognized Melamine Paints are:

-Ronseal "One Coat Melamine and MDF Paint"
-Dulux "Realife Cupboard Paint"
-Cloverdale Paint "Kitchen & Bath Semi-Gloss Acrylic Latex Paint"

Preparation:

One thing that will make a big difference to the finished product is how a lot time you spend preparing the units that you'll be painting. First things first, protect your flooring, lay down dust sheets so that any dust or paint that might happen to be flying about will not ruin the floor. Make sure the area is Well Ventilated, as some of these paints will have very strong fumes. Now remove all the unit doors and place them somewhere you may paint the easily, you will would like to be able to paint them when they are lying flat in a horizontal position as this is the easiest approach to apply the paint. Now before you do anything else, remove all handles and knobs and store them safely, unless you will be replacing them. Now using the manufacturors instructions mix up some TSP or (Trisodium Phosphate) and clean down all the areas that you will be painting with it, let dry thouroughly.
As soon as dry sand the surface of the doors and drawers with 80-100 grit sandpaper and remove the dust.

Apply the Primer:

What you may require to do next is apply 1 coat of primer and allow this to thouroghly dry, make sure that you're using a high quality product like Ronseal "One Coat Melamine & MDF Paint", now scuff the surface of the primer with sandpaper thats about 240 or finer grit.

Painting the Melamine Cabinet:

Now you might be ready to paint the unit with your Melamine paint, if you use a Melamine paint you will would like to paint the doors with thin coats using long up and down brush strokes for an even finish, what you are aiming for is to have three thin coats rather than 1 or two believe coats of paint. You'll need to have to make sure that the paint is dry between coats so you could have to wait for up to 15 hours for each coat to dry. Alot of paints take around a day to fully dry but can take another few days to fully 'set', when the paint has set you are going to be ok to rehange the doors and attach handles and knobs.

There you have it, your newly fitted, repainted Melamine doors and drawers for your kitchen.

Making Naan Bread For An Exceptional Indian Meal

Naan has become highly popular in the US these days. What makes this interesting is that in India naan is traditionally made in a large clay community tandoor oven, something the common household generally does not have. This means that naan is not commonly served in the home. Other types of flat breads such as puri, roti, or parathas among others, are made easily on a hot flat iron or pan in the home. Indian restaurants serve naan breads, both in India and here in the US. Naan is mainly a northern Indian bread, also found in nearby countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Naan seem to come in many and varied styles. Some are soft, thick and completely flat, while others are thin and almost crisp with large bubbles baked in place. Whatever the recipe you find, it is generally made with flour, yeast, milk or water, ghee, yogurt and salt. Other additions such as egg are possible. The yeast dough is made and allowed to rise, then formed into teardrop shaped flat breads. In a clay tandoor, the large disc of dough is placed against the side of the clay oven, sticking there to bake. This happens very quickly, as the heat is very intense.

Making these breads at home can be accomplished in various ways. Baking them on an outdoor grill is the most similar in concept, delivering the high heat needed. They can also be made in a home oven over fairly high heat, either on baking sheets or on a pizza stone allowed to heat for at least a half hour in advance.

Naan Bread

1 packet instant rise yeast
1 pound all purpose flour, or mixed with half whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lukewarm milk
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons ghee

Combine the first three ingredients and set aside. Mix together the wet ingredients and pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Once mixture comes together, knead for 10 minutes, and then set aside to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and divide into 6 portions. Roll or pat out thinly into a large circle, then pull on one end to stretch to the traditional teardrop shape. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes on a pizza stone in a 475 degree oven, or on baking sheets. If making over a grill, set over high heat, close lid and check after 1 minute. If well browned, flip for 1 minute or more until done on both sides.

Once naan are baked, they can be brushed with melted ghee and left as is, or sprinkled with nigella seeds or poppy seeds. The ghee can be melted with smashed garlic to infuse the flavor and then brushed over the baked breads. Coarsely ground coriander seed can also be sprinkled over. In India, breads are the utensils for eating a savory curry dish, kebab, or other. Bits of the bread are used as a scoop for the food, without the use of a fork. However these breads are eaten, it is no wonder they have become so popular. Give them a try and find out for yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

Granite Countertops Is Important For Kitchen

Your kitchen cons plays an important role in defining the design style of your home. He makes a strong visual and tactile impression. The equipment you use must be durable enough to withstand cooking grease and stains as well as interesting and current. If you plan to redo your countertop, select a style that compliments your kitchen cabinets and the overall style of your home. Here are some choices that are popular today:

Granite
Current trend toward homes modern style, clean lines and simple patterns have led to models in less busy all countertop materials. However, granite is still an area very popular for countertops. It is resistant to scratches from knives or etching by the acid cooking. Granite is a dense rock formed by minerals crystallized at extremely high temperatures. Here are several choices in granite finishes:

Polishing polished - Fine reveals the depth, color, and granite structure. It is the least porous and most reflective and granite surfaces. Each room has a clean natural movement pattern and color.

Satin Finish - To create a softened surface, the polishing process is not taken to its full potential. Rather than a surface of 3000 grain polished, he stops at a gentle 600-gloss surface of gravel. The result is less formal, satin finish. The surface absorption is more sophisticated, so it shows stains more easily than a polished surface pore closed.
Finished leather - A leather finish starts with an improved surface. Then it is swept with diamond brushes. Brushing closes the pores on the surface and back color. The result is a polished surface and sharp between. It has more of a gloss finish is softened and less porous.

Flame Finish - To create that surface, heat torch force is applied to the surface of granite. This causes some of the crystals of granite to explode and break, leaving a highly textured surface. This area is used more suited for external paving, rather than counters.
River Washed - To create the river-washed, texture, granite is initially soared, then it is swept with diamond brushed to smooth the sharpness of the surface. The result is a rustic texture with an old, uneven finish.

Tile
Used on kitchen counters for many years, tile is resistant to scratches and heat. They offer a wide range of colors and patterns that are a good fit for today's modern look. Tiles can be made from clay or carved in stone. Stone tile, and some clay tiles are fixed. This means they are cut into precise sizes, so they can be placed very close together, keeping the joints to a minimum.

Stone and clay tiles come in a variety of sizes, up to 28 x 28. Large pieces are specific sizing in a counter which has a milder sauce with less risk. The tiles are not as expensive as the slab material, and can be installed by tile setters, to lower labor costs.

Marble:
Sediments from shells and forms of plant material marble stone after millions of years under pressure then it turned into Marbles, limestone, travertine, marble and onyx. Because its main component is calcium, these stones will react to acids like vinegar and citrus. Marble can be used on kitchen counters so that there is some tolerance for stains and scratches. The finish is better honed for kitchen countertops, rather than polished. This is because the softer, less formal look wear more naturally accept.

Limestone
Limestone is an organic stone similar to marble, but not as hard. It can be sealed and used for kitchen countertops. However, there may be some marbling and color variations over time, as the calcium in the limestone is exposed to the acids used in the kitchen.
Jerusalem is a dense limestone found in Europe and the Middle East that is used for countertops. It offers a light, soft and warm creams and colors of earth tones. Since calcium is absorbed, it should be sealed regularly. Some spots and color variation is a part of its organic, rustic look.

Engineered Stones
The trend towards eco finish led to greater use composites tones. Carved stones are about 93% quartz, 7% epoxy, resin and more color. The use of crushed quartz results in less waste, so it's a greener choice. However, cutting and shaping of the material is made by the manufacturers. Thus, the cost is about the same as that of many granite or stone slabs.
Some names are familiar:

Caesarstone - evokes the look of limestone
Cambria - Search granite model
Silestone - very dense, smooth surface
Okite - added some veins of a mottled
Slate & Soapstone

Most slates are too rough for use counter, however, there are some exceptions. Pietra Cardoso is a slate gray northern Italy, which could be an alternative to granite. It was not much traffic model.

Soapstone is also an alternative to granite. Since Soapstone is impenetrable, it does not stain. It has been used for years as a work surface in chemical laboratories. The colors are mostly gray and black.

Icestone
Cestone is a product made from recycled glass tile in a cement base. It offers a stylish and refined with the shard of glass. Because it allows the use of recycled glass, it is considered a green choice. Because labor manufacturing costs are similar to natural stone slabs.

Concrete
The manufacturing good can build a beautiful, soft color, a concrete countertop. Although it is sealed, the owner should expect to mottling and discoloration over time. It is part of the organic concrete. There are many art and craft for making a concrete counter. The professional manufacturer must be able to run and finish up the meter. Although concrete is cheap, the work brings up the cost of a few slabs of stone.

Kitchen Cutting Board Cross-contamination Solutions

The family chef has worked very hard preparing that culinary masterpiece for loved ones or for guests at a dinner party and it would be a shame if some disaster waits because they forgot some of the basic do's and don'ts while preparing the feast. There is a simple checklist that a health conscientious person should be aware of while cooking a meal in the kitchen to keep loved ones and guests safe from food borne illnesses. It is not enough to control cross-contamination issues by only being conscientious about keeping meat products away from ready-to-eat products that is only the beginning. Insure that meat products are stored immediately when coming home from the grocery store and never let them sit out at room temperature for long periods of time. It is also essential to clean and disinfect any meat spills or meat splatters right away that occur when preparing meat products to be stored.

Next, the cutting board or chopping block is one of the primary sources of conveying food poisoning. Raw foods like meat, poultry or fish can easily cross-contaminate with other foods prepared on the board cutting surface or even in the same vicinity where the raw foods where prepared. Food poisoning can be a very serious problem. Campylobacter and E-coli can cause diarrhea and digestive tract problems. Salmonella can cause gastroenteritis. Staphylococcus Aureus is a particularly nasty disease that eats away the integrity of the stomach lining, and can cause Pneumonia and Endocarditis. Small traces of allergens can come into contact when preparing other foods on a cutting surface and can cause allergic reactions to those with sensitivities to certain types of foods. Though some food poisoning illnesses can be quite serious the good news is that they can also be avoided.

A clean cutting board is essential in order to ensure the health and safety of your family members and guests. Bacteria can remain on cutting boards even after having been cleaned because during food preparation bacteria can find its way into tiny crevices made by knives and other implements used while cutting and chopping. A quick wash may not remove them all. Instead disinfect your cutting boards by using one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water, covering the surface of the board with the solution, and then let stand in the disinfectant for several minutes. The disinfectant may also be used to disinfect the vicinity where the raw foods were prepared.

The dishwasher is also extremely effective at disinfecting the cutting board but over time the dishwasher may also damage the cutting board by causing it to warp. A warped cutting board may make it difficult or even dangerous to use when preparing food and using sharp knifes on an unsteady surface. Avoid cross-contamination when cutting different types of foods for the same meal by owning several Kitchen Cutting boards - one for meats, one for cheeses, and one for produce. If through washing one board warps over time you still have several on hand and will still be able to curb cross-contamination problems while waiting for your replacement cutting board to arrive.

Tempered Glass cutting boards have many wonderful designs making them a great addition to your kitchen you can even find ones that match your dcor perfectly. People may shy from glass because knives dull slightly faster. The sharp blade is still there it has simply just started to roll away from the true cutting edge and is something that a proper knife sharpener can solve. Also, tempered glass is almost indestructible, impenetrable, can be scrubbed clean, dried between uses, and keeps its hygiene qualities longer. Tempered Glass cutting boards are very resistant to heat and can double as a hot pad. The hardcore health conscious individual will appreciate that glass cutting boards are very easy to clean in the dishwasher. Cross-contamination issues are not a problem as glass cutting boards have a cut-proof surface so bacteria, stains and odors cannot be harbored as they are in other cutting boards.

Are Culinary Shows Giving People The Wrong Impression About Cooking?

For those people who are so enthusiastic about the culinary field, the first thing that comes to their minds when thinking of chefs tends to be the ones they see on TV. As you may have noticed as well, reality shows have gained so much popularity already, and many of these shows are about cooking. Needless to say, these shows have helped the culinary field a lot of attention and interest from the public. These shows also reveal a lot of positive and negative sides of cooking.

The Reality about the Culinary Industry

While it may seem unnoticeable on TV, there is no doubt that it can be really demanding to work in the food industry. This is especially true if you have just finished any form of cooking classes and you are just about to get started in your career.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, those aspiring to become a chef should be prepared to work in a hot and crowded room where there is always the danger of them getting burned, slipping on wet floors, and cutting themselves. In terms of the work hours, it is very typical for these cooking professional to work really long hours, sometimes even up to 12 hours in a day. This job is also described as fast paced and high pressure jobs as the goal of a chef is to serve high quality dishes in the soonest possible time.

There is really nothing wrong with watching those culinary TV shows, but aspiring chefs have the tendency to believe that it could be quite easy to become a star chef. They sometimes forget the fact that it takes a lot of hard work, effort, even tears to really excel in this field. In reality, chefs have to start in entry-level positions and continue to work hard to gain the experience and expertise they need. In addition, they would need to prove themselves to other chefs in the industry so they could gain the respect from others.

Is Going to a Culinary School Good for You?

If your passion for cooking has always been within you, but watching those cooking shows just made you decide to take this passion to a whole new level, then you may consider taking the necessary steps to become a chef by profession. You can start by enrolling in any cooking classes in your local area, through colleges or private organizations. By doing this, you will get to know more about the process of cooking.

Another option is for you to look for a restaurant where you will be allowed to observe in the kitchen during a kitchen service for instance. This will let you see the kind of work environment you may be in should you decide to pursue a career in culinary arts.

Also, take every opportunity to have a chat with any cooks or chefs so that you may ask about their own professional experiences. This way, you will get some idea of what it truly takes to succeed in this field. After doing all these and knowing what you need to know, and you still feel the same interest about being a chef, then you must go on and pursue your dreams of becoming a professional chef.

How To Make Filipino Foods Healthier

In a Filipino home, the kitchen is the heart. There is rarely a gathering that doesnt require eating and we all know you really cant say no. With obligatory and voluntary consumption of delicious ensaymada, puto, and ube rolls, my stomach is happy but my waistline is not.

Lately my husband has been asking me if I could make some of his favorite Filipino dishes healthier. My first thought was, how can you make crispy pata healthy? As a registered dietitian and professionally trained chef, Im constantly at war with myself when I cook and eat Filipino food. I want it to be healthy, but no matter what it must be masarap or it wont get eaten.

With a lifetime ahead of me full of celebrations and weekday dinners, I want my family to know and enjoy Filipino cuisine, but I dont want this to impact our long-term health. Much of the traditional Pinoy diet is comprised of meat, fried foods, heavy starches and sometimes sugars and sodium. Throw it all together with American portion sizes and youre at risk for heart disease and diabetes just by reading the recipes.

Ive risen to the challenge of finding ways to tweak traditional recipes and staple foods to shave off calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar but not skimp on flavor.

Heres a look at a few of the healthy changes weve made in our house:

Rice

The rice switch was a sticky situation. Telling any Asian they should eat brown rice will most often come with a mountain of resistance. Ill admit theres nothing quite like white, fluffy rice that slightly sticks together when you push it onto your spoon. At first its best to meet this challenge half way, mixing both brown and white rice to get half your grains whole. Its not quite the same but its not as drastic a switch as going to all brown rice.

After doing that for a while, we took the plunge to get our fiber intake up and keep our cholesterol in good standing by only eating brown rice at home except when we have arroz caldo.

Adobo

Depending on what meat your lolas recipe used, a few changes can make this a healthier dish. If making pork adobo, choose a lean cut of pork like pork loin; if its chicken make sure its skinless. No matter what the meat is make it lean. Switch the soy sauce to a low sodium version to help keep hypertension at bay. These little switches can be made in many of the stewed recipes from calderata to bulalo for a healthier profile.

Merienda

When it comes to afternoon snacks, we try to keep it light and easy, steering away from baked goods and sweets. This is an easy opportunity to increase our fruit and vegetable intake for the day and well often have just fresh produce for our merienda. Making this change keeps the calories in check and helps us increase our vitamin and fiber intake. If its a warm summer day, we might make a mango shake (see recipe).

Spice it up

With family from the Bicol region, were not afraid to spice up our dishes. Research suggests that eating hot peppers may help elevate metabolism (every little bit counts). We get our fix with a side of suka at sili with our meals.

These are just a few of the alterations weve incorporated for a healthier Filipino meal. I havent found a way to alter the crispy pata just yet, but with our other small changes and moderation were able to fit it in!

Mango Shake Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup of Sofl Mango (you can find this is the yogurt section of your local Asian retailer)
3 halves ripe fresh mango or frozen mango
1 cup skim milk
cup crushed ice
2 Tbsp whipped topping (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender. Pulse on high speed until mixture is smooth. Pour into a glass, top with whipped topping and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition breakdown per serving:

Calories: 173 calories
Fat:

Top Seven Tips To Ensure Good Hygiene Practice In The Kitchen

As any responsible restaurant owner knows, you have a legal and moral obligation to ensure good hygiene practice with your staff, as well as your food and facilities keeping up with the necessary industry standards.

There are a number of strict regulations and guidelines that need to be enforced at all times (these can be seen in full on the Food Standards Associations website); however in the meantime we can impart some quick and easy tips that will help maintain a high level of hygiene in your commercial kitchen, as well as prevent food poisoning, the advancement of disease or worse. Here are our top seven tips:

1) Clean as you go
We strongly advise cleaning as you go along when cooking, particularly during the preparation stage where food scraps can easily go astray. This simple approach will help prevent bacteria spreading and potential accidents in and around the kitchen.

2) Dont be slack with food
If food ever falls on the floor, irrespective how clean you think your floor is, or youre tempted to use the veggie chopping board to cut some meat, just remember the vast quantities of bacteria youre cross-contaminating.

3) Dont cheat with meat
Always ensure you cook meat thoroughly, and in particular, never share the surface or utensils used for raw meat or poultry with any other items unless its been sufficiently sanitised first.

4) Dont forget the big clean too!
We certainly suggest a big clean of fridges, freezes, cupboards and surfaces at least once a week. If you store large quantities of food and drink, remember that this will attract bacteria as the above locations are prime spots for breeding. Also check the dates of all stock before serving.
This may sound obvious, but meat that is a one day out of date could potentially be lethal to an unsuspecting customer.

5) Undercover
The use of a well-maintained and washable apron will help to prevent cross-contamination, particularly between your hands and food.

6) Think about others
Certainly dont have contact with food if you feel unwell, have an infection or open wound. In fact, with the first two you shouldnt be in work at all; however, at least cover up any cuts with the correct waterproof plasters. You can also easily spread infections by sharing cutlery and utensils. In addition try not to taste food in-between cooking (yes, we all like to do that at times) or from a utensil that is put back into the food that you are preparing.

7) Grasp the concept of clean hands!
Last but by no means least; ensure your hands are super clean at all times, particularly before and after handling food and using the toilet. Many employees will smoke during work hours too, so make sure you enforce the issue by introducing signs throughout the kitchen to jog their memory. A suitable flow of water, hand cleaning agents and towels should be accessible at all times.

As we mentioned at the start of the article, as a commercial food premises you must abide by a number of strict detailed regulations that. However, the majority of good hygiene practice is based around common sense and awareness. In summary, make sure your cleaning schedules and practices are well organised and maintained. Train your staff to be aware of what to look out for and ensure they have sufficient knowledge to act on their own. If you install a good culture amongst your staff and follow our important tips you will deliver high standards of hygiene for both your customers and staff.

Cutco Knives: Ideal Addition To Kitchen

Famed as fabulous cutlery set, Cutco has not only surprised its users but also boomed on pages of newspaper and magazines. In continuation with the line to know when your favorite cutlery had stolen headlines-

The Cutco Cutlery and Vector Marketing groups recently participated in the Femtor Awards. They presented many Cutco products for the various awards at the eWomenNetworks eighth Annual International Conference and Business Expo. The event continued for four days, from July 10-13 in Dallas, Texas.

Cutco Cutlerys direct sales division named as Vector Marketing Corporation donated the Cutco products for awards of eWomen Network. Cutco Cutlery is known as the largest manufacturer of kitchen cutlery items in United States. The winners of 8th Annual Business Expo & International Conference of eWomens Network were given Cutco products as award.

December 2007 Women's Health - Cutco's 4-Pc. Red Table Knife Set appeared in the gifting section of this magazine. The set was created by Cutco to support the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement.

October 11, 2007 History Channel's "Modern Marvels"- Cutco Cutlery was featured on the episode "World's Sharpest." It showed the manufacturing processes that create the sharp CUTCO blades, as well as quality testing, which ensures each knife is factory sharp.

April 20, 2007 Pinksandblues.com - Cutco's Spatula Spreader was featured on this Web site as a "Lucky Dad" pick. The writer said that the knife would "quickly become a major player in your cutlery collection."

January 1, 2007 Affluent - Cutco appeared in a feature story titled "The Perfect Knife." The article talks about choosing a knife with a comfortable handle and good balance.

December 1, 2006 Offshore Cutco Fishermans Solution won rave reviews in an article in this issue of offshore magazine.

November 2006 Domino - Cutco's Petite Chef Knife appeared in the "Test-Drive" section of the magazine. It was on of the top five knives that the magazine tested.

November 20, 2006 AM Buffalo - WKBW-TV - Buffalo, N.Y. - Cutco Senior Public Relations Coordinator Kathleen Donovan and Chef John Santora, head of Alfred State College's Culinary Arts Program, appeared on this morning talk show to talk about preparing for the holidays.

Jul 20, 2006 USA Today - Cutco Cutlery was part of an article on college students' experience working in direct sales over the summer.

Jul 01, 2006 Cooking Pleasures - Cutco's Santoku Knife was featured in this official magazine of the Cooking Club of America. The knife was tested by club members and received an overall rating of 9.5 /out of 10. The Santoku Knife now has the Cooking Club's Member Tested and Recommended Seal of Approval

Creating Recipes Using Leftovers

Cooking every day for a family inevitably means leftovers. Those of us who cook every day learn many creative uses for leftovers. This article looks at some of those ways to use leftovers and suggests principles for creating recipes for left overs, as an alternative to focusing on just getting them used up.

When we begin cooking for ourselves, we often freeze leftovers, carry them to work in an insulated bag, and use the office microwave to enjoy a favorite meal warmed over for lunch later in the week.

The longer we cook, the more likely we are to use leftovers to up the interest factor in morning omelets or salads for lunch.Leftovers can become a staple for quick and easy dinners. Leftover vegetables add nutrition and interest to a can of soup or a box salad greens. Leftover beans, grains and meat become the main ingredients in stews or casseroles.

More cooking experience often leads to trying more complex recipes, and having more interesting leftovers, but finding recipes for leftovers is sometimes difficult and often humorous. For example, a quick Google search for leftover roast pork turned up a recipe for duck, a casserole recipe which used a cup of mayonnaise, and a site which required users to download a plugin.

Experienced cooks have likely created every omelet, salad, stew, or casserole you can imagine from leftovers, and can be a great resource for ideas. For example, there are some nice recipes for leftovers at holy-food.org. Now its time to create some leftovers recipes yourself.

Here are two principles for improvising recipes for leftovers:
1.Think about the eating needs and habits of your family. For example, do you have children who need school lunches every day? Do you have vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians in your family?
2.Think of the leftovers as raw ingredients for a recipe, rather than as left over.

Here is an example of creating recipes for leftovers using those principles:
Principle 1: eating needs and habits of your family. For a family with four children who need school lunch, and two of whom are vegetarian and two are not. For Thanksgiving dinner serve roast turkey and roasted mycoprotein loaf, with enough leftovers to make some interesting lunches for school the next week.
Principle 2: think of the leftovers as raw ingredients. Mycoprotein has a mild mushroom flavor, so find flavors that compliment it, and create a unique sandwich filling. As a bonus, all of the complimentary flavors are also nice with turkey. You can chop enough vegetables for four sandwiches, separate the mix into two batches before adding the turkey or mycoprotein, and build the sandwiches the same way. This is a suggested combination:

1.Turkey-Veggie Wrap OR Microprotein Veggie Wrap
a.Add ingredients until it looks right, you can vary to suit yourtastes.
b.Chopped: mycroprotein loaf, red radishes, cucumber, orange peppers
c.Freshly minced parsley
d.Shredded fresh parmesan.
e.Wrap in red lettuce leaves
f.Wrap in spinach flatbread.
g.Options:
i.Arugula in place of red lettuce.
ii.chives or thyme instead of parsley
iii.add garlic or shallots

Serbian Nut Pita From My Grandmother

Pita means pie in Serbian, and I understand that the pastry part of these pies is generally a puff pastry dough or phyllo dough. The fillings could also be meat fillings, cheese or fruit. Pie can be interpreted as anything made with a crust, usually on the bottom, and sometimes also on top of a filling. Fillings may be sweet or savory. In my mind, Nut Pita is one of the recipes always associated with Christmas. It is not a very sweet dessert, but it is quite rich. My grandmothers Nut Pita is two layers of unsweetened pastry dough, with a ground walnut, egg and sugar filling.

In Grandmas Nut Pita, the filling was made with a dozen eggs, separated. The whites were whipped separately and folded into the yolks, sugar and ground nuts. The pastry she made was with yeast, though not puff pastry type dough. It was rolled to fit a 13 x 9 inch pan, the filling went in and this was topped with another layer of the pastry. After baking, it was always sliced into diamond shapes, brushed with vanilla and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. This is her recipe.

NUT PITA

Dough:
4 cups flour
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup unsalted butter, or 2 sticks
1 cup cream or evaporated milk

Filling:

12 large eggs, separated
4 cups ground walnuts
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup whiskey
Vanilla, for brushing
Powdered sugar for dusting

Prepare the dough. Mix the yeast into warm water to soften. Mix together and blend well (by hand or machine) all ingredients for dough and then divide dough into two parts. Roll out one part and line a 13 x 9 inch pan. Do not allow time for the dough to rise.

Make the filling by beating together all egg yolks and 2 of the whites with the sugar, whiskey and nuts. In a separate bowl, beat the rest of the egg whites and fold them into the yolk mixture. Pour into the dough-lined pan.

Roll out the second part of the dough and lay it atop the filling. Slash with a knife or prick with a fork and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until done. When done, sprinkle the top with vanilla, or use a pastry brush. Slice into diamond shapes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

Double Oven Range - Most Economical Kitchen Equipment

Double ovens are usually tiny yet domineering appliance in the kitchen. It may be small but it does a great deal of wonders to home cooking. Double oven stoves can be used for cooking food in a diversity of ways which includes steaming, broiling, and roasting. The normal single unit range or oven which has a cook top above and ovens beneath is an inexpensive, space-saving tip still desired by several house owners. But it's just one of many cooking alternatives accessible at this time. Double ovens are standard kitchen tools that is now substantially utilized across the world.

Double oven stoves are incredible solutions to difficulties generated when cooking numerous dishes in an instant. When you are the type who cooks only cold pizzas, its likely that double stoves won't be indispensable. When you've got a large family, or love to try remarkable dishes obliging you to grill, boil and bake at one single occasion, a double oven stove may be the answer for your needs. There are numerous dishes which are prepared in this manner which usually comprise of cuisine for roasting and heating like meat, casseroles and baked goodies like for instance bread, cake and some desserts.

These type of ovens are available in numerous versions. A 1953 Maytag gas range is still in perfect working condition. This stove has three other burners; a center oven, lower broiler, and storage cabinets flanking the oven. Its shrewd design includes a reflector from the left portion of the storage door that enables the chef to regulate the rise of the flare without bending. Some other details include an oven timer that instantly turns the oven off after the elapsed time you set, a light for the stove top, and an electric outlet.

Another gas stove, the GE Range Model appears just like a regular single oven unit. It provides a level cook top which has four heating components with a warming spot placed at the center back of the cook facade. Along its rear, a perpendicular panel displays the regulators for the various stove components. Below the cook top exists the two ovens. The smaller one is placed exactly under the cook top with the larger one is placed beneath the smaller oven.

Each cooker has its individual control pads. Opening its door mechanically turns on the light, or you can switch on the light button to manually stimulate the oven light. Ovens come with an awesome characteristic to self-clean with the touch of several switches.

An Electrolux double oven is fantastic and classy with a whole range of cooking tasks for each ovens. This specific oven is trendy and convenient to use with digital control for various range of cooking functions.

If you want to invest in a double oven in your kitchen, opt for designs in stainless steels and other high-end finishes. The current trend in ovens is gearing towards a cook top complemented with a double oven that is definitely perfect for parties as well as other functions. These particular ovens are magnificent as it permits one to cook numerous cuisines all at once while saving you a great deal of spare time for other pursuits. Double ovens are fantastic addition to every standard home and a superb space saving equipment for your kitchen.

5 Good Uses For A Food Processor

One of the most useful kitchen appliances you can have is a food processor. Few things save you more time than these handy gizmos. All of the slicing and chopping is done within seconds, and if you have the right processor, cleanup is a snap, too. Here are some ideas to help you get started with your food processor.

1. Salads. If you want to make a nice salad with lots of juicy veggies, the food processor is the way to go. You can make a fresh salad every day, or put in a few extra minutes and put together an adequate amount to last quite a few days. The things that are tiresome to chop do fine in this appliance: carrots, celery, radishes, green and red onion, and bell peppers, as well as bigger pieces such as broccoli, cauliflower and squash. Tip: Chop plenty fresh vegetables to get you through most of the week, and then add them to the lettuce when you are ready.

2. Soups. Everybody adores a full-bodied soup, but not everyone loves to prepare it. Vegetable preparation can be a hassle. But with a processor, you don't have much cutting to do. Just cut large potatoes and squash into quarters, and the appliance will do the fine-tuning. You can even you use to puree the soup for you later. Tip: To thicken a soup, puree a few cups of the liquid and vegetables from the pot, then add them back. Potato makes a great thickener.

3. Shredding cheese. Shredding cheese is no fun. You can pay a little more for it and get it pre-shredded from the store, but the suppliers put ingredients in it to make it pour better. Save money and eat better by shredding you own block of cheese. You can mix cheeses to come up with your own blend. Tip: Freeze shredded cheese in smaller bags and remove as desired. It will stay fresh a long time in the freezer.

4. Making crumbs. Make your own homemade crumbs for frying, topping salads and topping casseroles. Bread, pork rinds and all kinds of crackers are good candidates for breading, coating and toppings. Tip: Try themed meals for fried pork chops and chicken. Italian seasoned crackers and cheesy crackers make great coatings for frying.

5. Grinding meat. It is typically cheaper to buy meat that has previously been ground, but occasionally you can get a great cut of meat such as sirloin on sale and grind it up yourself. Furthermore, you can grind meats that are not always available in markets, like ground turkey, ground chicken and ground pork.

Restaurant Kitchen Management System And Production Cost Control

Restaurant management systems grant food service management for restaurant establishments of all sizes and styles. This extremely planned software is unique and is competent to be customized to meet the unique needs of each food service establishment. Learn more about how this convincing yet inexpensive software can transform your food service business into a smooth management, money-making, society known business.

Point of sales provides far-fetched software that has been uniquely designed to meet the decision-making needs of restaurant business. This software is customizable to meet specific needs for pizzerias, delivery only, coffee shops, sub shops, multi-chain stores, and more. Your companies can know-how new levels of efficiency in employee and management hours as well as in customer service and the public awareness. The benefits of this management software are infinite. Restaurant management software has been designed by a restaurant skilled who is also a computer specialist. The result is a product that is transforming restaurants with its easy to use multi-functioning managerial skills.

The restaurant management systems to take businesses afar their existing situation and make over the business into a smooth running, efficient, customer pleasing, and community involved establishment. The assistance of this professionally designed unique software is transforming the way the restaurant business is run. Restaurant management software is built to track and manage all the activities with hotel chains and restaurants like cost and inventory.

Why leave open doors to waste and unnecessary employee earnings when you can utilize point of sales to stop avoidable waste and alleviate excess employee wages through streamlining tasks such as menu programming, inventory import, payroll, customer approval, employee hours, ordering products, product inventory, and more. The restaurant management systems also includes free training classes and 12 months of technical support to assist the restaurant business in the establishment of new managerial skills and customized options including customer incentives. Customer incentives are an easy and extremely effective way to build a strong customer base. It also assists restaurants in creating a voice in the community through unconfirmed report advertisement.

Customer incentives are a very successful marketing tool that is cost-effective when compared to traditional advertising known as scattered marketing. Scattered marketing includes mailings, booklet advertisements, and flyers. This type of marketing is not nearly as successful as customer incentives which encourage customers to make your establishment a common part of their daily, weekly, and monthly eating habits. Software for hotel management, restaurant accounting software, restaurant management software, restaurant production management, restaurant software, restaurant operations management, restaurant inventory management, catering management, catering software, best hotel management software, online hotel management software, hotel property management systems Automated customer incentives provide quality, inexpensive advertising that has proven long-term results.

Restaurant management systems can be installed onto existing tools in the restaurant by technical maintain or it can be ordered preinstalled on high-tech computer tools complete with register printers that provide gift cards as well as receipts and even coupons. The cash register express and the Microsoft retail management system worked together to completely assist restaurant management in the detailed running of the establishment. Every aspect of the restaurant business is overseen from A-Z utilizing this powerfully effective tool. Utilize point of sales to locate any leaky areas in your business that is producing wasted profit and begin to experience your business operating as a smooth running machine with the clarification of waste.

The restaurant management systems are customizable for multiple food service company and easily add in multi-cash inventory as well as multi-store chains into one easy to use system. Find out additional about how the powerful point of sales system can benefit your business. restaurant accounting software, restaurant management software, restaurant production management, restaurant software, restaurant operations management, restaurant inventory management, catering management, catering software, best hotel management software, online hotel management software, software for hotel management, hotel property management systems, kitchen production cost control management system, restaurant bill of materials, restaurant production management, restaurant menu based bill of materials, restaurant cost control management system, web based restaurant software, restaurant inventory management, restaurant vendor management, restaurant purchase management

Enjoying Pizza In Different Ways

You can buy pizza from a sit-down restaurant, your grocer's freezer section, have it delivered or you can opt to create your own pie in the comfort of your own home. The satisfaction of either process is the convenience, the ease, the simplicity, and how you can always depend on it to meet your standards. Let's be honest, it's really difficult to not deliver when it comes to the simplicity of dough, sauce, cheese, toppings, and baking it until the cheese is bubbly hot. Yes, that's how you make a pizza, but there is so much more to it when it comes to creating your favorite flavor with your pie. There are many ways to cook and enjoy this universal favorite and those ways encompass international flavors and styles.

You can travel the world and try a savory concoction on crust just to find out how the spices and ingredients available there can impact your dining experience. Then again, you can just try out a variety of ingredients that you find in your local grocery store or farmers market. You can try zucchini, green tomatoes, or chipotle sauce. For example, if you have a Mediterranean palette, you can appreciate Italian, Greek, and even Spanish style foods. The Italian, Greek, and Spanish flavors indigenous to the area would definitely appeal to you. The use of whole herbs, hard aged cheeses with fresh vegetables and fruits, and olive oils add to the experience.

There are also Latin American-, Mexican-, and Caribbean-influenced toppings that include tasty spices, refried beans, and island fruits that make the taste so unique to the region. But, it's useful to keep in mind that you can always have pizza the way you are used to from your favorite local restaurant. You can enjoy pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, mushrooms, mozzarella, and cheddar combinations that remind you of your favorite times of devouring slices with your family, friends, or both.

There are as many pizza varieties as there are flavor palettes and the regional styles of cooking that inspire them. The different approaches to pie preparation has the greatest impact on the look and flavor that we've seen so far around the world. It will continue to be enjoyed and consumed in large numbers the world over. As long as pizza easily lends itself to the changes and whims of the person consuming it, then people will always buy it or make it to enjoy.

Healthy Eating With A Food Steamer

Are you looking for ways to provide more healthy options for you and your family? Healthy living includes choosing and cooking vegetables that will be nutritious and low in fat. Of course, you already know that you diet needs to be rich in fruits and vegetables. However, did you know that if you cook the vegetables the wrong way, you will actually be taking away their nutritious qualities? Unfortunately, many of the standard methods of cooking removes nutrients from foods, so you will need to find a method to keep the nutritious nature of the vegetables while making them flavorful and delicious for you and your family.

This is why many people choose a food steamer, and this is why you will want to consider a food steamer for your own healthy cooking. Here are some of the many benefits of the food steamer that will provide you with nutritious and tasteful foods.

Overcooking vegetables is the number one way to take away their nutritional value. When you overcook them, they lose vital nutrients, and they lose taste. No one wants a limp green bean. However, when you choose to use a food steamer, the vegetables will not be overcooked, so they will retain both nutrients and taste.

Steaming vegetables is a great way to create a low fat meal. In fact, foods that are cooked in a steamer do not require any sort of fat filled cooking medium. However, you do not have to worry about losing taste. When your vegetables are cooked, you can add olive oil or other low fat oils to add a hearty flavor without losing nutritional value.

Another great reason to choose a food steamer is that it is much easier to use. Instead of having to carefully watch a boiling pot of water to steam your foods, you can set the steamer and then work on other things while your vegetables cook. This adds a great deal of convenience in the kitchen since you will have more free time to work on other things.

When you are looking for a way to add healthy cooking for you and your family, then choosing a food steamer is a good option. This way, you can cook flavorful and tasteful vegetables that do not lose any of their health and nutritional value as they would when cooked in other methods. Your whole family will be able to enjoy the benefits of freshly steamed vegetables.

When you begin looking for your food steamer, please keep in mind one very important thing for your familys health. Be sure to avoid plastic tray food steamers and look for those that include stainless steel. Plastic can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, especially when it becomes scratched from regular use. Additionally, it is unknown what types of toxic chemicals may be released into your food from plastic containers that reach a high heat during cooking. Stainless steel is hygienic and easier to keep clean.

5 Simple Thai Dishes That Everyone Needs To Find Out About

Similar to any other kind of food, the particular taste of Thai food will change based upon what restaurant you are eating at or who is preparing the meal. Even though the particulars might be just a little different, the key of the dish stays the same. If you would like to declare that it is possible to make Thai food, you must be able to prepare a basic version of the following 5 dishes.

Stir Fried Beef/Stir Fried Chicken
Stir fry is light, but it's usually pretty hot and spicy. Stir-fry typically includes quite a bit of veggies and in addition it involves different varieties of nuts. You can decide to add rice to the stir fry too. Many people prefer standard rice, while other people have a preference for the differenet tastes of other types of rice. It's even possible to stir fry vegan foods like tofu, etc if you are trying to limit your meat usage.

Fried Rice
Thai food is quite flexible, in fact the majority of Thai dishes can be eaten with rice or without rice. Another alternative is to consume fried rice on it's own. Everything is possible, but typically the use of fried rice vs white rice depends on location. Those people who really live in Thailand will typically stick to making use of white rice, but people outside of the country will usually make use of the additional varieties.

Spring Rolls - Fried
Lots of people mix up egg rolls and spring rolls. The spring rolls are smaller and contain a vegetable mixture. Fried spring rolls are viewed as terrific appetizers because of their size. They also make good snacks.

Pad Thai
This is probably the most recognized and authentically Thai dishes around. It's a staple in Thailand and is growing in popularity in the rest of the world all the time. The main ingredient is fried noodles, but from then on, the ingredients and different versions are enormous. A number of folks will use various kinds of meats in the diverse dishes they prepare. Vegetarians have also played around with with including Tofu in the dish.

Seafood Soup
The utilization of coconut milk in the soup is one of the main reasons it stands apart from other soups. If the seafood soup consists of chicken, the title of the soup changes to Tom Kha. Coconut milk is yet again the thing that sets this soup apart from other chicken soups. The coconut milk tames and adjusts the spices which are in the soup.

The majority of dishes will taste a bit differently from kitchen to kitchen and cook to cook. The standard ingredients and particular tastes might be different, but the basics of the dishes are all the very same.

Top 10 Tips To Start Saving Money And Energy In Your Commercial Kitchen Today

Energy conservation is a hot topic these days from restaurants to cafeterias to university dining halls. A recent ENERGY STAR survey found that restaurant owners could increase profits up to 30% by simply going green in the kitchen. These top 10 savings tips will help you reduce the cost in your energy bill while maximizing profit dollars.

1.Turn It Off!

Just like leaving the lights on in your home, leaving equipment to run idly will cost you hundreds of dollars for unused energy. By turning off your inactive equipment, it saves energy and plenty of cash on your next gas, electric, or water bill. For those times when you forget to turn off equipment after closing, electrical timers can be placed on outlets to automatically flip off equipment when you arent around.

Typical equipment left on overnight or during idle kitchen hours are griddles, French tops, ranges, convection ovens, and dish machines. These can all have timers placed between their power outlets and cords to turn them off when you forget.

Energy Saver #1: Even if you remember to turn off some equipment, other side tools are often forgotten. For instance, after you turn off your dish machine, dont forget to turn off the booster heater.

Energy Saver #2: You cant turn the whole griddle off, but you can turn off some of the burners during slower business hours. Turn off all the griddle burners except leaving one burner on for off-peak hours. This will save you energy while still keeping kitchen services available.

2.Review Your Lighting

Areas such as walk-in coolers or your dry store room dont need to be illuminated all day long. Turning off lights as you leave typically unused areas is a great way to save money on your energy bill. Again, electrical timers can be used in these areas especially if they are commonly forgotten and left on overnight.

The kind of lighting you use makes a significant difference in your energy consumption too. Florescent lighting uses 1/4 to 1/3 less energy than normal bright lights. Replacing bulbs with higher efficient options will show a lower cost in your monthly bill.

Energy Saver #3: Higher efficiency bulbs can be used in areas that require constant lighting. Replace incandescent lights in your walk in cooler with fluorescent lights which are cooler and consume less energy.

3.Reduce Water Consumption

The US Green Building Council has developed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, a national standard for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings which in turn generates energy savings. These standards have been embraced by US schools from kindergarten to high school. T&S Faucets are designed to support these new standards by promoting efficient water usage in hand sinks, prep sinks and cleanup sinks. When replacing kitchen equipment, make sure to purchase products that contribute to these new standards to help you reduce energy costs.

Energy Saver #4: Replace older faucets with the newly developed models that conserve water without compromising performance. You can find a list of endorsed products on the official Green Restaurant Association web site.

Energy Saver #5: Using a standard dishwasher to clean dishes is sufficient for glassware and other kitchen equipment. Dont pre-wash dishes. Its often unnecessary, wasting water and energy and increasing operational costs.

4.Make Your Menu More Efficient

Are your menu items being prepped and cooked as efficiently as possible? Items that need to be thawed for daily food service can be defrosted in a commercial refrigerator overnight instead of under running water reducing energy usage and conserving water. Review your menu to see if there are common ingredients or items that can all come from one source. Minimizing the number of individual deliveries you receive weekly will add to your conservation practices and reduce your delivery expenses as well as receiving time when you can be going in and out of cold storage using additional energy to bring it back to safe temperatures.

5.Keep Equipment Properly Maintained

Keeping equipment properly maintained has valuable cost efficient benefits. Although a habit for some restaurant owners to let equipment run until a major problem arises, having equipment serviced regularly can catch operational problems. Small problems can become high cost issues through poor performance or a need for greater amounts of energy to maintain required temperatures for cooking, or cooling foods. Keeping equipment maintained also helps eliminate break downs that cause down time where you may need to use an inefficient cooking method as an alternative until your equipment is repaired or replaced.

Energy Saver #6: Delime your steamer regularly to save energy by making your boiler run as efficiently as possible and extending your equipment life.

6.Always Keep Equipment Clean

Setting up a nightly cleaning routine will help you keep equipment running properly so ranges, ovens, and refrigerators perform at their peak efficiency. Clogged burners, for instance, use more energy to heat and cook food. By unclogging burners, you keep your range using less energy to work at maximum performance.

Gaskets on kitchen ovens become cruddy and build up residue that intrudes on the seal between the rubber and the metal. Allowing outside air to enter the oven requires more energy to keep the oven temperature set. Keep ovens and their doors clean to allow them to heat more efficiently.

Energy Saver #7: Vacuuming refrigerator coils keeps the cooling machinery operating at maximum efficiency. Cleaning coils and keeping dust and materials from building up around them will keep your refrigerator running more efficiently and use less energy.

7.Close the Door

Busy kitchen staff may often forget to do the simplest of energy efficient steps. Leaving oven doors open releases vast amounts of heat. Each time you open an oven door the temperature can drop by as much as 25o F.; watch the clock and use a timer instead. Dont leave the convection oven or steamer door open too long or it will just continue to release heat, burning unnecessary energy to retain the proper cooking temperature. The walk-in cooler is another door that needs to be shut at all times or cooling becomes a continuous energy pit.

Energy Saver #8: If doors such as the walk-in cooler are consistently left open, place spring hinges on the doors and it will automatically close, eliminating the opportunity for staff to forget to shut the door.

8.Optimize Equipment Capacity

Smaller volume kitchens can use smaller capacity equipment. For instance, steaming small portions of vegetables can be done in the microwave instead of a large capacity steamer.

When choosing from the variety of product manufacturers and standard size equipment, purchase only the size that you need to maximize output while minimizing energy usage. Large production equipment isnt needed if the kitchen doesnt have a high volume of customers.

Buy equipment that is Energy Star Certified. This is a quick and easy way to identify equipment that will keep energy costs down but still provide a quality cooking experience. To review a list of more than 1,000 energy efficient food service items and about 500 pieces of Energy Star equipment, visit the official Manitowoc web site.

Energy Saver #9: When washing dishes in a dishwasher, only run the
machine when it is full. This will limit the amount of times the dishwasher is run, greatly decreasing energy costs and water consumption.

9.Invest in New Energy Saving Technology

For older kitchens, saving money means replacing old equipment. Although the cost is high in the beginning, over time you earn that money back in utility bills. Newer technologies have been created with energy savings in mind.

Go green has gone from a small-time idea to a globally accepted concept. You can find plenty of highly efficient restaurant equipment at CooksDirect.com or other online distributors. They can help you replace old equipment notorious for high energy consumption like dishwashers and ovens with newer, more efficient products.

10.It Pays to Save Money

Many cities and counties offer energy saving incentives for individuals and corporations who choose to go green. Besides saving hundreds of dollars on your utility bills, you can get money back rebates from the government. To find out more information, visit www.energystar.gov or contact your local city government for a list of rebates offered by federal and city governments.

Energy Saver #10: Be sure to check in with your local government offices to take advantage of government incentives and tax benefits for any of the steps you take in your kitchen to reduce your energy usage, such as the energy star equipment rebates. These incentives go straight to your bottom line, while the steps you take provide continuous benefits for your operation and the environment.

About Jeff Breeden and Cooks Direct:

Jeff Breeden is active in the Foodservice Industry through his work at Cooks and as a member of NAFED (National Association of Food Equipment Dealers). During the past 12 years, he has held a variety of roles including project management, priority account service, product research and marketing. In his current responsibility as Chief Merchant, he utilizes his vast experience and expertise to find innovative equipment and supply solutions to meet the ever evolving needs of restaurant and institutional foodservice operations. Cooks provides a full range of commercial kitchen solutions to correctional facilities, institutions and other large foodservice operations across North America. The company was founded over 10 years ago and is known for its innovative products, strong customer service and overall knowledge of institutional kitchen operations.

Contact:
Jeff Breeden, Chief Merchant
Cooks Direct
630-725-9830
http://www.cooksdirect.com/

Remodeling Kitchen Cabinets And Home Improvement

It is never cheap when remodeling or doing any home improvement, but giving your kitchen a needed facelift can be much simpler and less expensive. When changing or remodeling your kitchen cabinets, everything will be dependent on your finances and your personal needs. For example, if you just want a fresh look and your kitchen furniture and fixtures are in reasonable condition, you can begin your project with the simple refacing of your cupboards, countertops and cabinetry. However, if you have opted for replacing any kitchen furnishings then you have access to a wide variety of fixtures and cabinets at very good prices. Whichever way you go, you can get your kitchen looking fresh and new again, and take pleasure in your new home improvements, ones that increase your homes value. If you prefer to redesign your kitchens look from the beginning instead of simply replacing or refacing your fixtures then you also have access to a big variety of amazing designs that offer exciting additions like modern and sleek cabinets, modern countertops, stylish and modern kitchen islands and much much more.

Having access to a great variety of options in regards to kitchen fixtures and kitchen cabinetry can revamp your kitchen into the best place for relaxation and work. You can choose from light to dark woods, solid woods, glass and even metal. Whatever your choice of kitchen theme or design, you can avoid implementation problems because of the vast options that available to you. If your budget is limited, you can choose refacing, which can get you the fresh look your kitchen needs at a much lower cost, saving you much needed time. Or, if you prefer to choose a newer look and get rid of all the former fixtures, you will still be able to enjoy real value for money on kitchen fixtures, furnishings and cabinets.

When you shop online you can save lots of money when choosing kitchen fixtures and furnishings, and you will also benefit from the wide variety of choices available and the many fantastic low priced items that the Internet offers. The broad variety that is available on the Internet means that you are very likely to get the perfect design and style that you want for you kitchen, and as most manufacturers deal with most consumers like yourself directly online, you will very often be able to save lots of money because no payments are being made to any middlemen. So, if you wish to create a much more pleasing place to relax in and a much nicer place in which to work, you can have the kitchen you want at much reduced costs and get good quality and a broad selection of choices online.

Everything You Need To Know About Non-stick Cookware

What is the best kind of cookware? This question is asked worldwide and when it comes to the topic of non-stick cookware, people have both good and bad impressions. But what do we really know about those slippery coatings on our frying pans and pots? Is it safe to use or should we steer clear? I'm going to explain some of the simple chemistry employed in non-stick coating manufacture and by the articles end I hope to dispel any lingering fears you may have.
Since 1949 the basic component in the majority of nonstick applications is Teflon, a name most of us are familiar with in its numerous uses. The current formulations are several generations advanced beyond those used on products you may have owned or seen in the past and boast features marking them as clearly superior! It's at the basic chemistry level that most products are alike as they all require a special bonding agent to allow them to be attached to that pot or pan you're thinking of putting in your kitchen. My research has shown most findings of possible toxicity indicate this bonding agent (PFOA which translates as perfluorooctanoic acid) as the culprit. However, digging deeper I discovered that this toxic chemical actually vaporizes due to the high temperatures achieved during the bonding process and is no longer present in a finished product!
How safe is that finished grill pan when it's subjected to high heat on my stove? Although manufacturers recommend a maximum safe use temperature of 500 F, the coatings require a temperature in excess of 650 F to begin decomposition. Left for several minutes unattended and dry on a high heat you could possibly reach or even exceed such extremes of temperature, but in regular use and with modest care, even that grill pan will never hit 500! I discovered claims of toxicity from the coatings themselves, but again these tests raised the temperatures to over 700 F.

Also I must add that these tests were conducted more than eight years ago and not using the newest generation of coatings. However, due to a persistent concern, one of the major manufacturers did conduct a similar test more recently and were able to detect toxic elements only after grinding the surface components of the test pot! Too extreme for your kitchen! I wouldn't worry! Today's non-stick pans have much tougher surfaces than previous generations, although I'd still recommend using plastic or wooden utensils to preserve those qualities for many years.

Provided a modicum of care, the latest generation of these slippery coatings will last many years if not for the users lifetime! However, some things we normally do are not good practice when using non-stick cookware. Since they are already designed to be used with very little or even no oil or fat, application of even the smallest amount of a typical cooking spray is bad. Don't use spray coatings! The aerosol delivery components of most cooking sprays can rapidly break down and leave a residue on that normally slick surface that is difficult to remove with normal cleaning methods. Such residue continues to build up until your fry pan has lost its stick-free qualities. If this has happened to you it is not time to dispose of that pan! Place a couple of tablespoons of baking soda into the pan with enough hot water to make a thin paste. Gently heat the pan on the stove, but do not boil the water off. Once it's nice and hot, turn off the heat and lightly scrub with a soft brush or a plastic scrubbing pad safe for nonstick surfaces. You'll see the hot slurry begin to turn brown as it neutralizes and dissolves the buildup. Rinse and wash like normal, then rub a small amount of a good high temperature oil (I like using grape seed oil) into the cooking surface and wipe clean with a paper towel. Your pan will be as good as new!

So my personal preference shall not change! Nonstick pans will always have a prominent place in my kitchen. Not only are they easy to clean, but they make cooking with reduced fat content possible. Just be sure to never walk away with the stove on. If you need to pay attention elsewhere, it takes two seconds to turn off the heat. Remember, that pot you save may contain your dinner!

3 Quick And Easy Meal Suggestions

Having a large family means that you usually seem to be short of time. Preparation for the evening meal usually appears to take so long. Bearing in mind how busy we all are, I have below a selection of quick and simple recipes.

1) Chicken Tortillas

Acquire chicken that's already ready for stir frying or satay from your local chicken supplier such as Leonards, saving a lot of time. Whilst there buy a packet of tortillas, a lettuce, tomato and cheese if you have none at home.

Preparation consists of heating up a pan and putting in the chicken. Although the chicken is cooking, rapidly chop up the lettuce and tomato and heat the tortillas in the microwave for thirty seconds. Set out the dinner table with the lettuce etc. Now the chicken will probably be prepared. Location it in a bowl and serve it on the table by the side of the compliments. Enable the family to create up their own tortillas - helping out younger children under 5. I do it this way - lay a tortillas on the plate and put a line of hot chicken down. Next I add the cheese to ensure that it is going to melt. And lastly the lettuce and tomato. Fold up the bottom of the tortillas and then roll up - eat and enjoy. Cleaning up afterwards is minimal as you've got only utilized 1 frying pan along with a few plates.

2) Haystacks

Comparable concept, but as opposed to tortillas and chicken you'll be making use of beans, nachos and sour cream. As soon as once more you need the salad ingredients of lettuce and tomato, and cheese ( preferably half morzarella).

Buy a can of your favorite Mexican chili beans. Heat in a pot.

Get a huge pizza dish and lay them a bed of nachos chips. Next sprinkle on the cheese, should you use mozzarella then it is going to melt better under the grill. Place under a grill. When cheese is melted (and prior to the nachos burn) eliminate. You serve out the nachos and cheese, put on the hot beans, and then tomato, lettuce, and/or sour cream as the individual likes. (you are able to skip the lettuce if you want). Tastes great.

Clean up - serving plates, one pot and one pizza dish.

3) Baked Bean Buns

This recipe is even simpler still. Cut a Hamburger bun in half. Cook a can of baked beans in a pot on the stove. When hot spoon beans onto the bun, put cheese on top - location under griller. EatClean up - one pot, serving plates. Tip, line the grill tray with foil to save the cleaning up of melted cheese from the grill pan.

These meals are simple to create and taste fantastic. In case you are searching for a low calorie option, use low fat cheese.

How To Make Rock Candies At Home

"This is chocolate!" gasped Hansel as he broke a lump of plaster from the wall.

"And this is icing!" exclaimed Gretel, putting another piece of wall in her mouth.

Starving but delighted, the children began to eat pieces of candy broken off the cottage.

"Isn't this delicious?" said Gretel, with her mouth full. She had never tasted anything so nice.

Who could forget the amazing children's story that made even the adults reading it hungry for candies? Who could fail to recall the tale about the two siblings who ate a house made of candies and sweets?

There aren't many people who can say no to candies, not even the President himself, they say. Try putting a plate of candies on a table, and in just a few seconds, the candies disappear just like magic. At every occasion, candies seem to be the focus of attention. They are put at the center of the table, and every now and then someone comes and refills the bowl. When my mom recently hosted a party for my little sister, she had everything prepared - from the should-be-served-first candies to the giveaways. The guests' faces were saying "Wow tell me where you bought this?", while my Mom was smiling at their amazement. People hosting parties or any events, search for new candies to make their guests feel like "Oh this is something new", or "I'm going make something like this one too". To have super-satisfied guests, my mom usually prepares homemade candies like fudge cookies, maple walnuts and, of course, rock candies.

According to an American Candy Survey "What is Your Favorite Type of Candy", rock candies ranked top. They may be made at home for pleasure, or just used as a simple science project.

Making rock candies at home can be a messy and complicated process, but don't be put off, it will be fun, and if you follow carefully you will achieve a worthwhile result!

The first secret in achieving a mouthwatering candy is to use all the correct ingredients and equipment. We'll need a wide-mouthed jar, a pencil, a length of string, measuring cups, boiling water (enough to fill half of the jar), white table sugar (twice as much sugar as the water), and a paper plate and food coloring (optional). The brighter the candy, the more kids will like it. The second secret in achieving a delicious candy is the procedure, so follow the steps and don't miss one! Now, let the magic begin!

There are twelve steps to how to make rock candies at home. These are:-

i) Boil the water. (Keep the hot water away from your kids).

ii) Tie a piece of string around the middle of the pencil making sure it's long enough so that when the pencil is placed over the top of the jar, the string will come up just short of the bottom.

iii) Sprinkle a little sugar on the paper plate. Have your kid wet the string and roll it over the sugar to coat it. Set it aside.

iv) Carefully fill the jar full of boiling water.

v) Kids love colored rock candies, so now you can add the coloring to the water. vi) Add 2 cups of sugar for every cup of water that you have in the jar.

vii) Stir until the sugar dissolves. There should be a thin layer of un-dissolved sugar at the bottom of the jar. If there is none, add more sugar until there is.

viii) Place the pencil over the jar and lower the dangling loop of the string into the water.

ix) Place the jar anywhere where it can sit for a while undisturbed. Do not refrigerate it.

x) You should notice small crystals growing on the string after two or three days. Let it sit for three to four more days and the crystals will grow.

xi) When the crystals have already stopped growing or are large enough to eat, pull it out of the water and let it dry (you can use paper towels).

xii) Enjoy your delicious and mouthwatering rock candy.

As you can see, it takes several days to grow crystals and about a week before you can eat them. This is the main reason why some teachers make this a simple science project. So now, you've successfully completed a science project and made a delicious snack at the same time.

Homemade rock candies are the all-time favorite of kids everywhere. You can personalize the taste, the color and you can make a constant supply for your children! Homemade rock candies also offer numerous benefits, and are widely used and enjoyed around the world. In Asian Countries, it is used in their tea cultue. In China, it is used to sweeten Chrysanthemum tea, as well as Cantonese desserts, soups and the liquor Baijiu. In India, homemade rock candies are mixed with aniseed to make mouth fresheners. They are a common ingredient in Tamil Cuisine, particularly in Sri Lanka. In the Friesland province of the Netherlands, bits of rock candy are baked in the luxury white bread Fryske Skerble. During the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration, children make rock candies in the shape of human skulls and decorate them with icing and jewels. These "calaveras de azcar" (sugar skulls) are usually eaten after the festivities.

Rock candies made at home are delicious and clean. The process may be involved, messy and challenging, but in the end, the result is worth the wait and sweat. Kids love homemade rock candies because of the crystals, the coloring, the taste and simply because they made them!