10 ingredients to fancy up your meals Sure, you can follow a recipe and whip up something elaborate when you want to show off. But you don’t do that every day. We don't do that every day. Nobody does that every day. We all look at what in the stores on the way home, or check out the sagging vegetables in the crisper and improvise. Here are 10 things that you can keep around the house to make those dinners you whip up on the fly seem more like restaurant dishes.Sherry vinegar Sometime in the '80s, Americans discovered balsamic vinegar, the sweet and syrupy condiment that Italians had been enjoying for centuries. Pimentón Another Spanish import, pimentón is paprika – but not that tasteless, dusty stuff your mother sprinkled all over the chicken. Smoked sea salt Food geeks are in love with fancy salts: pink sea salt from Hawaiian beaches, hand-gathered grey salt from Brittany. Pancetta Cured pork makes everything better, and there may be no more useful form than pancetta, which is basically the Italian equivalent of bacon. Miso
What a Global Food Crisis Looks Like [INFOGRAPHIC] Oxfam is putting the world food crisis right under your mouse. The organization has just released an interactive map showing how countries the world over are being hurt by high and volatile food prices. The Food Price Pressure Points Map is more than just a global snap shot of the food crisis. As part of Oxfam's GROW campaign, the map helps illustrate which countries are at most risk and how users can help. There are four main sections to the interactive map. A world map displays countries that are highly vulnerable to price spikes. Food prices have been hitting record peaks since 2010. In Yemen, one-third of the population suffers from acute hunger. The map is banking that educating the general public will lead to action. What do you think? Image courtesy of Oxfam
Buffalo Wild Wings Recipes I’m more of a classic buffalo sauce(Frank’s, butter, and vinegar) man myself, but I had these recipes for my favorite wings at Buffalo Wings Wings, so I thought I would share. Some of these may seem a little labor intensive, but they definitely taste a lot better with fresh ingredients. Enjoy. updated: November 21st, 2009 Parmesan Garlic 1/2 cup butter, melted1 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon onion salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated Spicy Garlic 1 Cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce1/3 Cup vegetable oil1 Teaspoon granulated sugar1 Teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon course ground black pepper½ teaspoon cayenne pepper½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Medium Wing Sauce 1 cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce1/3 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon granulated sugar1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper Hot Wing Sauce Blazin’ Mango Habanero Asian Zing Carribean Jerk Cooking Instructions:
The Rise of the Social Food Truck [INFOGRAPHIC] If the average person was told five years ago that she could nab a delicious and buttery lobster roll from a truck without getting food poisoning, she may have scoffed. Nowadays, chefs across the world are delivering some of the most scrumptious, affordable and delightfully fun food straight to the sidewalks — and social streams. Although food trucks existed well before the early 2000s, many sources pinpoint 2008 as the unofficial onset of the food truck phenomenon. Since then, food truck entrepreneurs and chefs alike have used social media to familiarize the world with previously obscure flavors like grits or peppadew. We've put together another tasty little treat for you: a visualization of the social food truck journey. Infographic design by Lindsey McCormack
The Perfect Pantry Article 100 Greatest Cooking Tips (of all time!) 1. Remember, y'all, it’s all about the prep. Take away the stress by doing the prep the night or day before. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. McDonalds Menu Items Around The World (Part 2, 32 pics) It’s an incredibly slow Food Network news day, so let’s pass the time until Sandra Lee does something stupid by gawking at McDonalds foods from around the world! Here’s a sampling of menu items that aren’t available in the United States: In Asia, you can pick up an icon sandwich, which is a chicken breast smothered with 2 different kinds of melted cheeses, bacon, and lettuce. This is the shaka-shaka chicken. You choose a powder mixture flavor, dump it into the bag with your chicken patty, seal the bag, and shake it up. Hong Kong just released a fried sweet potato pie in 2010. The Mega-Mac is HUGE. In Asia, you can also get a Diavlo chicken sandwich. Tomato seafood soup. The Carbonara chicken sandwich combines breakfast and lunch. In Japan, you can score a Double Mac Egg Burger. In Hong Kong and Tokyo, you can also get a double big mac on a pita. This is a salted lemon chicken sandwich, available in Japan. A fried bacon and potato pie! In America, we have McCafe blended coffee drinks.
How to Make Proper Barbecue Chicken | The Paupered Chef There's a lot of misconception when it comes to "barbecue." The problem is the word itself. It's used as a synonym for grilling, refers to the grill itself, or to the meat being grilled; it also has a sauce named after it; and sometimes it's just the word for the party itself held outdoors in somebody's backyard. American purists see things a little differently. Which brings us to barbecue chicken, a staple of the summer grill. The sad fact is that often times the answer is no. The problem, and the result, is charred all over the place, a crapshoot for succulence, often dry and sad. I believe good barbecue chicken is low and slow followed by fast and hot; that's the easiest way to achieve fantastic results. This way is a vast improvement over most methods, and won't take all afternoon. the dry rub keeping half the grill hot and half of it cooler, i.e. Then, and only then, we see the appearance of barbecue sauce, when the chicken is essentially finished cooking. (makes 2 cups)
Kitchen 101: Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs Kitchen 101: Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs I’d be remiss if I simply focused on imparting technical knowledge in the Kitchen 101 series here at Chasing Delicious. I’d be downright neglectful if I didn’t talk about ingredients, particularly the biggest misconception about produce today: that it is naturally available year-round. Though you may be able to find just about every type of fruit, vegetable, and herb in the grocery store every day of the year, a majority of this produce is not in season. Time spent in transit or storage is not the only inflated aspect of buying produce out of season. The biggest problem with buying out of season produce, and the focus of this article, is the lack of freshness and sacrifice in flavor and nutrients. My favorite part about abiding by an ingredient’s natural availability is what I like to call the Thanksgiving effect. That being said, there are many factors that effects a particular ingredients season. Take the time to read the sticker on the fruit.
Top 10 Secret Recipes Food The weekend is upon us, and what better way is there to enjoy it than to cook or bake some of your favorite takeout treats? Think of how much money you will save by whipping up these lovely recipes instead of paying out all the big bucks to the fast-food chains. So, here it is: the top 10 secret recipes! 1. Sauce 1/4 cup Miracle Whip 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons french salad dressing 1/2 tablespoon sweet relish 2 teaspooons dill pickle relish 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon dried, minced onion 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon ketchup 1/8 teaspoon salt The Rest 1 regular sized sesame seed bun 1 regular sized plain bun 2 beef patties (2 ounces each flattened to bun size) 2 tablespoons Big Mac sauce 2 teaspoons reconstituted onions 1 slice real American cheese 2 hamburger pickle slices 1/4 cup shredded lettuce To make the sauce, mix together all the ingredients about one hour before using. To assemble: Discard the crown half of the regular bun, retaining the heel. 2. 1. 3. 1. 4. 1. 5. 1.
Homemade Junk Food Homemade Twix bars. Two for you, enough for everyone else. 19 Reclips 14 Likes Healthier goldfish (did you know Goldfish normally contain MSG?) 27 Reclips 18 Likes Make your own thin mints any season of the year. 48 Reclips 12 Likes Samoas, another Girl Scout favorite. 24 Reclips 5 Likes Make your own "Snickles" bar. 38 Reclips 4 Likes Healthier Hostess cupcakes. 15 Reclips 2 Likes Pop tarts from your own oven. 4 Reclips 4 Likes When you make your own peanut butter cups, you can add all the peanut butter filling you want. 5 Reclips 5 Likes Homemade Almond Joy. 17 Reclips 4 Likes Smitten Kitchen fills DIY pop tarts with Nutella. 2 Reclips 6 Likes Fig Newtons all grown up. Tater tots. 9 Reclips 3 Likes Break yourself off a piece of that homemade Kit Kat bar. Your homemade Twinkies won't have a longer lifespan than you do. 14 Reclips 2 Likes Passable "Doritos" made from quinoa. 2 Reclips 1 Likes These knockoff Fritos don't have the signature curl, but still have the distinctive salty corn flavor. 1 Reclips 2 Likes
27 Ways To Make Your Groceries Last As Long As Possible Kitchen Cheat Sheet Guide On Basic Cooking Techniques Diffеrеnt people likе tо eat diffеrеnt ways. Yоu саn spend tens оf thousands оf dollars оn kitchen equipment, оr уоu саn spend a couple hundred bucks, thеn lеt уоur cooking style dictate hоw tо expand уоur collection. Yоu’ll spend mоrе timе in preparation thаn асtuаl cooking.The wау уоu prepare food hаѕ a direct impact оn hоw it cooks. Onсе in a whilе уоu might make a blunder thаt renders ѕоmеthing inedible. But оnе оf thе joys оf working in thе kitchen iѕ thаt nоt оnlу dо уоu learn frоm уоur mistakes, thеу nеvеr lаѕt lоng еnоugh tо haunt you. Thе ability tо improve uроn аn оld recipe оr create аn exciting nеw recipe iѕ a talent a vеrу ѕресiаl fеw саn accomplish with littlе оr nо training, but аlmоѕt аnуbоdу with thе proper training аnd a genuine interest in excellent food аnd itѕ preparation саn bесоmе аn exceptional imaginative chef. Thеѕе kitchen posters аrе meant tо bе uѕеd аѕ a guide аnd аѕ a tool in knowing thе essentials оf endless variations оf mixing techniques. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Ramen Hacks: 30+ Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Instant Noodles SLIDESHOW: Ramen Hacks: 30+ Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Instant Noodles [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Ramen in the U.S. has come a long way. That said, my tastes have changed and expanded considerably over the years, and sometimes that little flavoring packet just isn't enough. As a card-carrying member of the Ramen Transmogrification Society of Greater New York,* it is my duty, my honor, and my privilege to share with you some of our methods and recipes. For full, step-by-step instructions on any of these dishes, please click through the slideshow above. * Our membership is pretty thin right now—care to join? Simple Add-ins Mix-ins. The easiest way to quickly upgrade a bowl of instant noodles is with ingredients that require no extra cooking. Miso pasteChili bean sauceThai curry pasteJapanese curry powderFish sauceHarrisaVinegarPonzu Here's the answer: Just crunch up the noodles in the bag, tear off a corner, add the seasoning packet, hold the torn corner and shake it up, then consume. Eggs