The Perfect Rice Dish

Depending on the skill level, rice can either make or break any chef, whether, home or professional.However, with a little help and the right kind of grain anyone can make a superior rice dish light and fluffy.The best part is that there's no need to use expensive rice or elaborate contraptions.Just use the right rice and a simple pot. Kim Severin explored this the other day in the Wednesday The New York Times Dining section.Many people ,even her , have problems with cooking rice.It can be too sticky and too starchy tasting ,which not only ruin it but ruin whatever dish it's accompanying.She enlisted help in this from a wide net of,social media, friends, coworkers and family.Julia Moskin ,another Dining contributor and Ms. Severin's brother recommended the fairly known knuckle method.This calls for measuring both rice and water levels against one's knuckles.This would work if everyone has the same sized fingers.There is a better method, and she found it.For one ,pick a good rice.The recommended kind is Carolina Gold.It is nuttier and more flavorful than the average white rice.You can use Basmati,an Indian rice that is more expensive but cooks up fluffier.Another good choice is Jasmine a Thai rice which is stickier and more flavorful.The next step is rinse the grains very well to remove any lingering starch.Measuring is a key also ,Two cups of water to one cup of rice.Add salt as well.Timing and patience are also crucial.You have to be patient to cook rice.Usually it takes a good fifteen minutes to cook up properly.One of the most important is a new step baking.She borrowed this from Virginia Willis,a Southern chef.Chef Willis learned this in cooking school and it makes big difference both in taste and texture.Baking time should be around seventeen minutes after fully boiling. What to do with it once its cooked? I liked the simple recipe Ms Severin included.It 's a plain rice dish with a tablespoon of butter.This is just a perfect dish on it's own but also a good side for any Cajun recipe or even a goulash when noodles might seem too heavy or chicken with gravy.There are also some other rice recipes such as the Southern classic red beans and rice.This is a hearty dish and a good showcase for the featured ingredient.It's a mix of red beans and spicy Andouille sausage ,flavored with all sorts of spices and herbs such as cayenne pepper and basil?It is an elaborate dish that takes two days to prepare but worth it.An easier one is Mexican style which requires canned tomatoes and peppers with the kick of jalapeño.You can cook it in water or for even more flavor try chicken stock.If there's any leftover plain rice then use it in the additional rice cake recipe.This is a truly tasty treat with the addition of zucchini and onion .Mint and cheddar cheese shreds are also added while two eggs are used for binding the rice to the other ingredients.The patties are then fried in butter.These would make great appetizers however they're perfect for a dinner or lunch .Serve with a blob of sour cream for extra flavor. Making rice should not be so scary?Buy the right kind.Follow the steps to create a light dish that makes not only a good side but an excellent main meal.The fear will go and in its'place, a passion for the perfect rice dish.

Your Best Veggie Burger Ever

Mention veggie burger and most people, including vegetarians and vegans, will flinch at best.The patty in question has always had a bad rep.Most have squishy middles and a decidedly green taste,that is more or less reminiscent of mushy peas.However there is a good alternative, the homemade veggie patty.Best of all it doesn't have to be over doused with ketchup or mustard to be eaten.People may even ask for seconds or without any extras. Luckily for home chefs, Melissa Clark of The New York Times Wednesday Dining section, like a good, well made burger.She gave a really good recipe in yesterday's A Good Appetite column.Her spin does have a lot of ingredients and steps but the patties are well worth it.The recipe comes from Lukas Volger's 2001 cookbook "Veggie Burgers Every Which Way"(Experiment Publishing)She also takes a very good tip from Kenji Lopez-Alt on his Serious Eats blog. Use kidney beans and roast them first..The secret is the less moisture the better.Most commercial and even homemade veggie burgers have a lot of water in them due to tofu ,, beans and veggies.These retain too much water. Roasted beans also lends to the texture.The more solid the burger the better it will grill or even fry in a pan. Ms. Clark also throws in other ingredients to simulate both a beef flavor and taste.Tempeh and ground nuts give the patties the nubby meat texture while mushrooms and cheese add a savory taste(although you can omit the last if you're a true vegan).Grated roasted beets surprisingly adds that nice pink middle .The addition of pimenton gives spicy and smoky notes.Other ingredients are mayo which imparts a nice juiciness along with more nuts in the form of tamari almonds or cashews.To hold it together Ms. Clark recommends panko bread crumbs along with brown rice.The actual process is involved.There's a lot of pre roasting and baking along with using a food processor to grind down everything.Since this is really a five, step with sub step process ,consider making it in bulk and freezing it and two, have help.One home chef may not be able to handle all the many steps on his or her own. Have a friend or family member help with some of the lesser preparations. A good veggie burger is not hard to find. it can be made in any kitchen. the result is a tasty, chewy patty that is even better than the real thing.

Donating Your Cooking Skills

It can't be emphasized enough that so many shelters and soup kitchens need help and even some expertise.Many home chefs out there do have a specialized area, a dish or method that they"re good at and can be brought to any shelter.It is a great way of livening up a sometimes dull diet.The people there will appreciate it and so will you. Anyone can volunteer at a soup kitchen or a women's or homeless shelter.Home chefs can find these satisfying, not only feeding the community but also their souls.If anyone has a specialty they should bring it to these places.Sometimes a sandwich like a BLT or meatball hero is a treat.If you're good at making homemade spaghetti or even sauce ,show off.Everyone loves a home cooked meal with Freshmade pasta..Comfort food is always in demand.Ask what are the favorites and make them.Hand battered fried chicken, homemade meatloaf and gravy and even hand cut plank fries can go a long way not only in satisfying hunger but also telegraphing the message You are loved.You are special."Another help is introducing more nutritional foods and info.If you have any background in diet and nutrition, share it.Introducing fruit and veggies instead of snacks and sweets is a step in the right direction.Good nutrition is the key to staying healthy and keeping dieases at bay. Shelters are always grateful for any home chef with special skills.Sometimes there are children there which can difficult both forthem and their parents.Donate time and skills.If you're good at cake decorating,then spend an afternoon frosting cupcakes.Make ice pops from pureed fruits for a healthy yet fun snack.Pizza parties are always welcome and let them make good for you pies with whole wheat crust and fresh tomato and toppings.If the shelter has some extra land(and some do) then help with creating a garden patch.Both kids and adults will love this.They not only learn about growing but also have a harvest at their fingertips.Donate some tomato and pepper plants.If there is a lot of room think about growing corn and watermelon for now and pumpkins for the fall.Have a small square for herbs such as basil and dill.Introducing these natural spices and showing how they can flavor dishes is much better off than letting them always each for salt .If there is a bumper crop,think about opening up a stand to create a fund . Showing off special skills makes any home chef happy. Get a double dose of it by showing off at your local shelter or soup kitchen. Every one will benefit.

The Heartiness of Indiana Cuisine

Mid western cooking,namely the cooking from Indiana, is one of the most heartiest and most interesting of American cuisine.This is what's called down home cooking, with plates laden with good old fashioned foods.They are hearty and served all year round ,whether they're for Christmas or a summer picnic.They reflect the different groups that settled in the area. The German population in this state was vast.There are even towns where only a 19th Century German dialect is spoken.One of the state's favorites is a pork tenderloin sandwich.This is a variation of weiner schnitzel, deep fried till crispy and then put on a roll.Another sandwich popular around the Southern city of Evansville is pulled pork or as it's locally called a soak. This is a heavenly mixture of shredded pork mixed with a sweet barbecue sauce served on a roll.The lower half of it is saturated hence the name.It is messy ,fun and beyond delicious.Soaks are always served with Coke, hence the famed dish Coke and a soak.Burgos, is another popular Southern Indiana dish.It originates from across the Ohio River, from Kentucky and is a variation of Brunswick stew.This was a pioneer dish and first had any kind of wild game added to it.Early recipes called for possum and skunk and they are used, even today. However restaurants and stands use everything from fowl to beef to pork.Some recipes call for all of these so you get a mélange of flavors.Burgoo needs to be cooked anywhere from four to six hours and should be cooked out doors.Corn bread or corn muffins usually accompany bowls of it to sop up the gravy.The drink of choice is a neat bourbon. Desserts figure hugely too in any Indiana meal.One of the most famous is the cream sugar pie, a variation of the French version.The filling is a flour based filling ,redolent with cream and butter.Maple syrup and /or brown sugar can also be added .Sometimes nutmeg or cinnamon is added instead for a different, more holiday version.Cobbler is another popular Hoosier dessert, thanks to the abundance of peach trees.This is an easy to make dessert, especially if home chefs use Bisquick.It's baked batter and sugar spoon dropped on top.Straight from the oven baked cobbler is wonderful with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. There's also the different but flavorful soda cracker fudge, a yummy mix of peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff cooked with soda crackers ,milk and butter.The result is a sweet and salty after dinner snack.Another treat is persimmon pudding .This is similar to the English plum pudding, and cooked like it, with it steaming in a hot water bath.Persimmon pudding can be served with apple sauce, creme anglais or just simple ice cream or brandy butter. Midwestern cooking is a mélange of European recipes and American creativity.Thecdishes are interesting with unique. Ingredients such as soda crackers in fudge or bourbon in burgoo.It's tasty and different , but most of all from the heart and truly filling.

Classy Chefs On PBS

Long before the Food Channel, there was PBS's line up of cooking shows.It started in the early Sixties with the famed ,great Julia Child and continues to today.They maybe quieter than the brighter, more in your face shows on other channels but their low key style speaks volumes.Watching them is like spending time ,learning from a master chef. One of the most famous is Jacques Pepin.Chef Pepin is the child of French restauranteurs.His background is distinguished,being one of French President's Charles DeGaulle's chef.He also helped revamped Howard Johnson's menu back in the Sixties.His shows have always been very quiet, yet informative.Even when he and his daughter,Claudine cohosted a cooking program together, it was never loud or sweetly cloying as some family centered cooking shows are.He shows home chefs not to have any fear with dealing with sometimes foreign or unfamiliar ingredients.The way he makes gnocchis and eggs are poetic, quietly going through the steps, acting much like a thoughtful professor.Another great master chef is Lidia Bastianich.Chef Bastianich is known for her amazing restaurants,Del Posto of New York City and Lidia's of Kansas City and Lidia's of Pittsburgh.Watching her explain the different steps along with her hints is quietly informative.There's no gimmicks, no bells and whistles.She is very good at explaining everything, from why a certain ingredient is used to what knives to employ when cutting meat.Her other show, Lidia Celebrates America is a great culinary travelogue where she explores different ethnic groups, enjoying their customs and show viewers, not only different cuisines but the different traditions and cultures that they've come from. One of the best PBS cooking show is America's Test Kitchen.This is a fun half hour,chock full of advice, hints and recipes.The host, Christopher Kimball is like your favorite professor.He is goofy at times, funny but vastly knowledgeable.He is helped by Bridget Lancaster, and Julia Colin Davison.These chefs create the different dishes while Kimball asks pertinent questions and helps out.There is also the very informative Tasting Lab segment where the audience blind taste tests different foods.This is a great way of finding out what canned and boxed foods are the best tasting. Another informative segment is the Adam Reid who handles the Equipment Corner.This is where he shows different gadgets from blenders to cookie presses and rating from best to worst. The show also centers around weekly themes, from pizzas to roast chicken to crumb cakes.While American's Test Kitchen is primarily American cuisine, PBS has some very good ethnic ones.There's Daisy Cooks with host chef Daisy Martinez who brings Spanish and Latino cuisine to viewers.Scandanavian cooking is shown in New Scandanavian Cooking, a rarity, because there has never been an interest in this ancient and varied cuisines along with shows solely featuring Thai and Jewish cooking. PBS may not have flashy food shows with personality super stars,but it does have quality cooking shows with great master chefs. Home chefs will learn as much as if they took a cooking course.There a&e Re lessons to be learned and great recipes to try.

The Loving Kitchen,The Best Cookbook Ever!

Everyone should have at least one really good cookbook in their library.This should have a mix of comfort foods, fun dishes and culinary classics.If you don't have such a cookbook, there is one that has all of these components.TheLoving Kitchen (Nelson Books Publishers) is a great must have or must give. Leeann Rice has crafted this perfect cookbook.Every kind of dish is mentioned, Every meal is covered.What I like and that is so striking about it, is the the book is very homey.It's like a favorite relative or a best friend giving you both advice and recipes.Ms Rice's personality comes out strong ,a rarity in any cookbook.The end of the book is dedicated to creating memorable and fun family dinners along with ideas about reaching out to both neighbors and community, Ms. Rice a food blooger includes recipes that could easily be used in a church pot luck dinner or at a sophisticated summer party.This is a great book due to it's variety.Another plus is that she spells everything put.There may be many steps in a recipes but they are clearly written out so there will be no errors.Also there's no need torun down to some specialty food mar let to pick up an unusual spice or odd vegetable.Everything is readily available from the nearest grocery.To be honest you can have a whole day's worth of recipes from this cookbook.Start off with her eggs in a cradle, simple poached eggs cooked in dinner rolls, have one of her salads or soups for lunch and end the meal with either a casserole or meat dish ,followed by one of her many given desserts. Again the variety of The Loving Kitchen is just astounding.The breakfast dishes alone come in two categories and reflect her life in Nashville, TN?There is the must try sugared bacon that would go well with any egg dish along with the baked oatmeal.which is a kind of breakfast casserole.She laso has Sweidsh pancakes as well as the buttermilk kind too.Since she is a transplanted Southerner., Ms. Rice does have some good old fashioned casserole recipes.There is a chicken and rice one, great to make when there's dinner guests along with a hot chicken salad one.The Fiesta Noodle Bake is sure to be a family favorite.It is rich with simple spices like chile,cinnamon and red pepper.There are also very chic recipes too.Ms.Rice has penned down some excellent seafood ones such as pan seared scallops with orange butter sauce and lemon herb crusted fish filets.There are recipes on whole wheat pasta as well as on lasagna pinwheels.What is also unusual about this book is the special attention give to sides.To be honest, they could easily star as the main dish in a meal.She gives us the elegant green bean bundles, that are tied together with bacon and roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta.Serve these with Ms Rice's roasted chicken for a truly simple yet classy dinner for guests.Sandwiches are not forgotten either and she includes a great guide to making different types of panini.Finish with any of her desserts such as her Nickerdoodles, her take on the classic cookie, nake after her son,Nick or her oh so sweet strawberry cupcakes.There are also yummy crisps and cobblers too along with a dark chocolate strawberry shortcake and frozen margarita pie. TheLovingKitchen is the must buy must have book.It is a great cookbook, chock full

Easy Summer Birthday Cakes

Summer birthdays are always fun.There's barbecues, sangria, and of course cake.The only problem with the last is baking is not fun even in air conditioning.The best idea while keeping it homemade is easy to make no bake cakes.These are fun and just as yummy as the baked and iced kind. One of the easiest and tastiest are the Jello No Bakes.These consist of a quick crust or base, a mousse like center and creamy toppings.There are easy cheesecakes ,including a home style and cheryl one.You can customize them by adding either melted or solid chocolate chips along with adding slivered or ground almonds to the crust.There's also a fun peanut butter cup cake and and Oreo flavored one too.These are wonderful ends to any party and take fifteen minutes at best to just whip up and assemble.These can also be made into cupcakes by making the dessert in muffin tins. Jello itself has a slew of no bake cake recipes that would make the perfect birthday cake.Try layering different varieties of Jello to create an airy but flavorful confection.Cream cheese plays a big part in creating a no bake treat.You can blend it with Cool Whip and other flavors such as chocolate or citrus to create an airy and light slice.Start with either a simple Graham cracker or ground cookie crust as the first layer, then add the cream cheese and cream mix.Decorate with fruit slices or chocolate curls depending on what you ,'ve made. Refrigerator cakes are another fun summer birthday treat.One of the most easiest and the most elegant is the chocolate wafer log.This is a no brainer to create.Just take those famed chocolate wafer cookies and layer them on their side, using the topping as "mortar"to glue together.You can use chocolate Cool Whip for pure decadence .You can even add a side of bananas or cut strawberries to cut the intense flavor.Another icebox cake is the classic Nilla wafers with a custardy cream.The original recipe calls for raw eggs but if you're having qualms about this omit them and just used whipped topping mixed with pineapple and any kind of nut meats.A variation of this is a dessert loaf made with condensed milk and the addition of raisins .Icebox cakes can also be made with crushed graham crackers.Layer the crackers and then heap on layers of CoolWhip and fresh fruit such as sliced peaches.For a quick spin on the classic Brown Derby cake, alternately layer chocolate Graham crackers, whipped topping and slices of bananas and strawberries.Reserved some crackers to be crushed and sprinkled on top of the cake.You can also do a home made ice cream cake this way too.Layer the crackers with softened ice cream for a really special treat. Summer birthdays need a summer cake.Whip up a cool airy creation ,perfect for a balmy nice.It's not only a greatbway to end a special birthday meal but also to celebrate a summer baby.