tastetrial.com

If someone suggests to you that you should take up smoking as a hobby, it may be that they’re not talking about cigarettes at all, but the process of smoking, which is used to add flavor to foods. There are different methods of smoking, but all are, of course, centered around the use of burning wood or other plant materials in order to produce smoke. If you’ve ever sat around a campfire for a while and come home with your clothes smelling like that fire, you know that using smokers to cook is an effective way to impart scents and flavors into food.

Hot Smoking

Hot smokers ensure that the smoke coming from the burned material is still hot as it passes over the meat. Just as when you steam vegetables, the heat carried in the air will cook the food, while the smoke will impart flavors. To do this, the food is either held over a fire or it is placed in a sort of enclosed area with the fire. If this sounds familiar to the process of barbecuing meat, that’s because barbecuing is a hot smoking method. This technique originated in the Caribbean and is now popular all over the world, particularly in the American South, where barbecue pork is a specialty.

Cold Smoking

When you cold smoke something, you place it in an enclosure that is kept separate from the fire. Contrary to the name of the technique, this often requires that the food is kept at room temperature. Cold smokers have some way to allow the smoke to cool down before it is blown to the food, all of the flavor of the smoke but none of the heat is imparted. However, because the food is not cooked at a high temperature at this time, this method is most often combined with salt curing, and gives us foods like smoked ham, bacon, or lox. This process is long and can take hours or even days to complete the smoking process.

For Preservation

While smoking is a cooking method, it has also been used as a method of preservation. As mentioned, when combined with salting and curing meat, using smokers results in foods that, instead of being highly perishable, can instead be kept for very long periods of time.

The curing process helps to bring salt into the meat, which creates an environment where bacteria can’t grow and spoil the food, and the smoking method helps to dry the meat, adding to the curing process, and also gives the surface of the meat additional protection from microbes.

This was such a common process that western farms often had smokehouses just for the preservation and curing of meat. However, whether you’re interested in smokers in order to preserve food or just to add some great flavor, you’re starting in on a winning hobby that will allow you to create tastier food than before.
For more information on smokers visit http://www.SimplyBarbeque.com/ or http://SimplyBarbeque.blogspot.com/

If you talk to fifty chefs you’ll get fifty different answers on packaging. Yes, it is addressed extensively in the training materials and during the seminars. Believe it or not, it is not really a big deal. You just look at the options and decide what’s best for you and your clients. It is really not a big deal at all, and you could get fifty or more different answers here. There are typically three different types of packagaing. Disposables, Rubbermaid type, and pyrex… usually people choose the ones they desire, and are charged accordingly.

Some people use vacuum seal bags… That is, other than using gladware/ziplock, rubbermaid, and pyrex. So what is my opinion about vacuum seal bags? I do take mine on occasion and people do not complain when I package things that way, especially with fish. As most chefs would tell it is up to the client when it come to the way they want their food sealed. Some like to have their food put in FoodSavers and others just like to have it put in containers or ziplock bags. It all depends on how must space you have in your ice box.

Using coolers is another way people like to keep some of the food preserved, but not many people like to use coolers because it is just too much hastle for them to carry around to all the jobs that they have to do. It is just there so if is to hot or if you have more then one stop they will always come in hand just like choosing the right kind of FoodSaver that you would like to us in your home or if the client asks for it. I only use a cooler on rare occasions. If it’s ninety degrees and I have forty minutes to drive, I’ll use one.

Otherwise all my groceries go into a Rubbermaid style box and I bring them into the house that way. I also learned that day that in order to get groceries from the grocery store to her car required coolers or thermal bags or it was all frozen before it got there. That might be a litle hard on the lettuce and eggs. It sure makes shopping for clients even more important a service to offer since there is risk involved.

The store I most commonly shop at for most things is 1 mile away from me if that. My closest client to that store is exactly seventeen miles, yet it takes me a minimum of third-five minutes to get her house. It gets very hot here in Houston area with high humidity (100* but “feels” like 120*). I don’t won’t foods at an unsafe temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, then go into the clients home, & have it siiting out some more (nor having toput in fridge until I have to drag it out again). Also, what if your vehile breaks down or you have a flat. That food is sitting there much much longer.

Yeah, it’s easier to put foods into that collapsible cooler (can find at Sams or Costco relatively inexpensive at that), but sometimes, since I have three of them… I put other things in another one, because they also have wheels. Every minute that perishables are in the temperature danger zone is a chance for foodborne illness causing bacteria to grow and multiply. As well as a chance for the quality of the food to degrade.

I may well take that risk for my own food and family…but it’s my job as a professional to do everything I can to minimize that risk to my clients. And coolers for persishables are essential; I don’t care how cold it is outside. If it’s cold…I’ve got the heat on in the car and it’s a big station wagon…but again, if it’s in the cooler on ice I have complete control of the temperature the food is being kept at, during transport, during unloading at the clients, etc.

Plus, I can then save room in the fridge to cool things, rather than fill it up with my perishable items. I’m sorry, but transporting perishable goods at ambient temperatures is a sure way to get local health departments in interested in regulating our industry. The goal is to be as safe or safer than a caterer or foodservice operator and safer than a private individual.

And unless you’re carrying a thermometer in your car and checking the temp of groceries, believe me, health dept. regs do not have loopholes like “A caterer can leave meats in an unrefrigerated vehicle as long as the drive is less than 15 minutes”

You have to have standards. They should be higher than absolutely necessary. And you should live by them. I know that sounds pompous and hope you’ll forgive me, but I take food safety in this industry pretty seriously. When you think about it there are always many different way to being able to keep food save from all kinds of things that can get people sick. But most of us would prefer to have a foodsaver in the car or with us at all times just to make sure that the client has his/her chose on what they would like the food tranfered in.

I also find using a cooler helps keep me organized, in addition to keeping things out of the temperature danger zone. Once I’ve gone to the grocery store, I divide the groceries into rolling coolers. One for non-perishables (wihtout ice packs), one for veggies, fruit, dairy, etc., and one for meats. It’s just my way of adding one more layer of protection from cross-contamination. I also like the rolling style coolers that I got from Costco. I have a bunch and usually take three or four, which I find saves my back.

I put everything in them, including pots and pans.Some people like to have the dispole kind of canter of bags so that it would just be a whole lot easier for them to throw away if they don’t eat the food in a preferd time. They even like the kind of contaners that they can just give to people that way they don’t need to get it back.
Victor Epand is an expert author for http://www.VacuumFoodSealer.info/. Here you can find the best selection of FoodSaver Vacuum Food Sealers and accessories on the market. Preserve and store foods at home using this proven vacuum packing method. Search through our selection of vacuum food sealers here: http://www.vacuumfoodsealer.info/category/appliances.html.

There are many cookware sets that are suitable for use by a professional chef but can be used by any person who wants to be pampered while they cook meals for the family and invited guests. Some cookware sets are designed by chefs and are branded with names that have become famous because these cooking utensils are exquisitely made.

Most of the cookware styles for professional chefs will feature a gentle curving that creates a professional image right from the start. These cookware products often feature handles that are always cool to the touch because chefs often work in a busy environment where flames from stoves are customary foes and exposure of limbs to these elements are widely expected by everyone involved in the cooking process.

The cookware styled for a professional chef must distribute heat evenly at all times. Even the finest chef can not maintain a watchful eye on a boiling pot and must rely on the quality of the cookware at time to ensure that food items will cook evenly. Overcooked food will usually stick and this is why most professional cookware choices are coated with non-stick polymers.

Most chefs perform food preparations that often require a style of cookware that does not absorb the flavors of the foods. A chef will often use one frying pan for many items in a meal and will often wipe the pan out with a towel in lieu of immersing the hot pan in water. To keep food flavors separated, professional chefs prefer to use professional styles of cookware that are made of stainless steel.

Chefs will normally select a commercial style of cookware that holds up well to the rigorous demands of cooking on a day to day basis. They must also be concerned about the type of metals that are used in the cookware because some metals cause foods to brown quicker and other metals have a tendency to burn foods. Some cookware is only suited for the preparation of sauces and gravies.

Most of the cookware selections available to chefs will be styled with long handles. These handles will be attached to cookware that is often made of anodized metals that need special care during the cleaning cycles. Some metals are not well suited to many of the chemicals that are used in commercial dishwashing machines. These chemicals can change the color of a professional chef cookware set with one wash cycle.
James Brown writes about CHEF’s bargains, Abt Electronics bargains and Instawares coupon codes

Out-of-doors Dutch oven cooking contributes to an enjoyable and pleasurable experience. Rustling up great dishes and savoring them are delightful pursuits for most individuals, particularly those who relish the thought of food. A variety of cooking styles are in vogue, which give food a uniquely superb flavor. Cooking outdoors is all the rage in the present times. For instance, barbeques are the favored dish of some individuals rather than other cooking techniques. Adopting various cooking styles can result in exceptionally delicious dishes and make family gatherings a big hit.

Open-air cooking techniques are well liked since most people enjoy the outdoors and many of them are food buffs. Almost anything can be prepared using Dutch oven outdoor recipes. Delight in mouth-watering food such as great vegetarian food, fragrant breads, terrific roast meats, fantastic hors d’ oeuvres, and incredible desserts. Rather than firing up the barbeque, you should ignite the briquettes and show off your culinary expertise. Great outdoor Dutch oven culinary recipes include cobblers, donuts, pizzas, tortillas, and hash brown. The wonderful dishes will simply floor your family and friends. When food is cooked and dished up outside it seems to alter subtly the very mood and ambience of the meal.

Loads of benefits can be derived from cooking in the open-air, such as reducing the cooking time, convenience of cooking, healthy, and amazing tasting dishes. Dutch oven recipes include each of these benefits. To come up with splendid dishes using the outdoor Dutch oven cooking, you need to draw up the menus in advance to simplify things. Dutch oven preparations can be classified as breakfasts, soups, salads, main courses, desserts, and simple meals. Meats, vegetables, main dishes, breads and desserts can be prepared effortlessly, with enough time to
spend in entertaining your guests.

Open-air culinary recipes generally comprise of small, substantial, salads and desserts. Out-of-doors light meals usually include breakfast where bread, cheese, and eggs are served. Different preparations can be made by a judicious mix of these ingredients. It is an enjoyable activity to whisk eggs, blend a pancake mix and prepare a cherry cobbler or whip up a milkshake. In contrast, elaborate outdoor recipes are apt for lunch or supper. Vegetables are usually included in such dishes and are good for health. The variation in flavor is due to the application of varied cooking techniques. Open-air meals will be found wanting without the inclusion of desserts and salads. Right from preparing complete meals to roasting, cooking outdoors is an event that the entire family can treasure.

With the launching of technologically advanced equipment, open-air culinary recipes are the most sought after items these days. Cooking appliances used outdoors should be properly operated to ensure the dishes are simply fantastic. Ingenious recipes can be created at all times in the open-air.
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

Carrot juice has a number of health benefits. The carrot provides what is certainly the most important basic juice. The yellow color is due to carotene. Another name for this form of carotene, the transform, is pro vitamin A. Many authors write that carrots contain a lot of vitamin A. This is not actually true; what the carrot does contain is the pro vitamin. That means a substance that is converted by the body into the vitamin itself.

Carrot juice plays the most important part in an infant’s supply of vitamin A. When carrot juice is consumed jointly with milk, the utilization of carotene as vitamin A is considerably increased. A carrot and milk juice is the ideal vitamin A source for infants and can in no case lead 10 the risk of the child having too much A.

Carrots are widely used. Indeed it is estimated that in Germany carrots account for 10% of the total vegetable consumption. From the carrot juice point of view, the varieties to be employed are ideally those with the most carotene. It is fortunate that the pro vitamin is strongly colored for this means that so long as you use good colored carrots they are likely to be the best nutritionally speaking too.

As a general rule, early carrots are pale and low in carotene. Because carotene is not water soluble, but is fat soluble, there is not a very great deterioration in the vitamin content on storage.

Nursing mothers are well advised, for the sake of the quality of their milk, to take carrot juice throughout lactation. When the baby is on its way it is good sense not only to drink the juice but also to nibble a carrot when you feel hungry. For although a good sized one will provide your minimum requirement of vitamin A, 7oz (200g) of carrot contain only 50 calories, which cannot be considered to be a fattening snack.

The carrot is recorded as being used in medicine by the early Greeks and has been cherished ever since. Its juice is one of the most delicious and healthful, and alone or in combinations should be in every daily diet providing, as it does, the essential vitamin A, without the saturated fats with which this vitamin is associated in eggs and butter.
Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of natural home remedies websites which have information on home based natural cures which can be done with the help of juices like beet, carrot and other vegetables.

Restaurants have a natural challenge that just comes with the territory: cleanliness and food safety. It seems not a day goes by without another horror story in the news about contaminated food products. Restaurants get routinely shut down by the Health Department. Even if things don’t get that bad for your business, all it takes is for a delivery person to see a puddle of muck on the floor in your kitchen for a bad word-of-mouth campaign to start circulating about your establishment. The media reports cases of food poisoning on a daily basis in spite of the fact that the fast food business is flourishing.

It seems fast food has become the American way and the public will go blindly forth ordering with the expectation that the food has been prepared in sanitary conditions. From bug problems to breeding bacteria, fast food restaurants especially have countless issues behind their counters. The rules are put into place and enforced by management, inspectors, the Food and Drug Administration, and so forth, are there as the minimum defense, and just the beginning. If you are the manager, awareness on your part isn’t enough; you have to be vigilant in ensuring that every employee knows and follows the rules to the letter.

One of the most common causes of food poisoning is bacteria transfer, which is due to food not being properly cooked or kept at the proper temperature. With such a demand for fast food, it is often all too easy for the employees to compromise their duties for the sake of saving time, and before they know it, they’ve served a meal that carries a nasty risk of food poisoning. The rules should be followed every time, not some of the time, as is unfortunately sometimes the case.

It is up to the management to see that the employees are properly doing their job, and, of course, effective management makes all of the difference in this endeavor. Close supervision is a necessity to help ensure that the work is being performed properly. Employees must care about their job and in return feel valued so that they will be more willing to perform their responsibilities correctly. Too often, factors like low pay, long hours, and little recognition makes employees more likely to burn out and do less than what is expected of them. Also, improper training of staff leads to improper fulfillment of job duties.

Unclean areas like counters or tables where food has been prepared can also spread bacteria and cause food poisoning. That is why it is important for employees to clean up after themselves and make sure that their work space is kept fastidiously clean. Also, food containers that haven’t been properly washed and stock that hasn’t been properly rotated are havens for bacteria.

Employees who don’t wash their hands before returning to their work station can unknowingly spread bacteria and other diseases. That is why it is of the utmost importance that employees wash their hands and also why every fast food restaurant should have at least one sink designated for hand washing only, with properly posted instructions, and including the necessary soap, paper towels. Wearing gloves when in contact with food helps as added protection, but even gloves can touch unclean surfaces just like hands can, so they need to be changed after coming into contact with unsanitary surfaces and items.

Even pests can present a challenge to cleanliness in fast food working environments, so it is important that restaurants are regularly inspected and treated for pests. No one wants an unwelcome visitor in their food, but it does happen more than we’d like to think. If an employee witnesses any pest making contact with the food, the entire amount of food in the container should be discarded.

Hair nets are a good idea for keeping stray hairs and dander out of food. Hats are more often the rule, but less effective in preventing hairs and dander from getting into the food. Wearing long hair tied back in a ponytail or braid is a must. And while we’re at it, today’s generation does need to be made aware that the extreme fashion statements are out of place in a professional kitchen. There are many work environments where dreadlocks, mohawks, and afros present no problem, but the kitchen is not one of them.

A fast food kitchen is set up to be convenient, but not always easy to clean. Every establishment should go above and beyond the norm to ensure that food is properly handled. Customers, before ordering their next meal at your restaurant, are these days taking a close look at the employees and the environment if they can. They may not be able to spot what goes on behind the scenes, but they trust their instincts for what they are able to observe.

This is one more reason why it’s better not to understaff. Ensure that your expectations of your employees are reasonable, and hold regular training programs. Even taking a few hours out of a day between meal times to conduct a food safety drill, involving the whole team, will go a long way to promoting healthy practices in your kitchen. Dropping in for a spot check every now and then will also be effective. To prevent your employees from resenting your surprise inspection, show up ready to help out for an hour or so during the shift. You will have an opportunity to set a good example, as well as boost morale by showing the staff that you can work beside them as equals.
Freelance writer for over eleven years. Restaurant Training Videos Restaurant Uniforms Nurse Uniform Scrubs

Food is an important part of the Jewish tradition so knowing what to serve on each holiday is important.

When orthodox Jews came together on Rosh Hashana, they greeted each other with the Hebrew phrase “L’Shonah Tovoh Ticosevu,” meaning “May a good New Year be in store for you.”

For us children this was a very happy Holiday. This was the time when, in addition to the regular Sabbath feast, there were plenty of sweets - honey, nuts, ginger, spice, etc., harbingers of a sweet and zestful year. We would watch big-eyed, while Mama dished out the round-cut carrots with the tzimmes, signifying a well-rounded year. This was the Holiday of desserts. Not so for the grownups. To them Rosh Hashana was the time to review their deeds during the past year, repent their sins, beg forgiveness for transgressions, and pray to God to inscribe a good New Year. To Mama it was a time to work even harder, to gather her flock together and feed them even better than before.

Everyone knows that the Jewish people have suffered persecution, poverty and hardship throughout their history. We have been told that for every ill there is a compensating good. I like to think that one of the benefits of belonging to our people is that we have so many Holidays when we may foregather, eat, drink and be merry. Indeed this was and is a measure of our reverence. So let us celebrate by turning to the section headed cakes and desserts - and Esst gezuudt! Please remember that kreplach are a must on this Holiday.

Another good Jewish holiday is Succoth. All over the world, in various cultures and throughout known history, the fall of the year is a special time for celebrating and giving thanks. To the Jews, the feast of the Harvest is known as Succoth. There is another and deeper significance to this holiday, for the succah (tabernacle) is symbolic of the shelter in Jewish wanderings, the haven of refuge for a persecuted people.

Orthodox Jews observe this holiday in the following way. A succah (a wooden structure covered with vine leaves and branches) is put up outside the house. Here food is served throughout the holiday week.

I remember how excited we children would be when the succah was put up in our back yard. Because of its limited capacity, the adults naturally had priority, and we children became unexpectedly angelic at the promise of being permitted into the succah if we behaved like grownups - “Vest zein a mensh, vest du essen in succah!”

For an entire week, food was carried from the kitchen, sometimes two or three flights down, with the children gaily bringing out the edibles and the elders happily gathered around the wooden table under the leafy boughs. This is a holiday when kreplach of all kinds are served.

And how can we talk about Kosher cooking without mentioning Hanukkah? Hanukkah is the most delightful of the holidays for children. It is the Feast of Lights, the commemoration of the time when Maccabeus and a small band of followers fought the Syrian-Greek tyrant Antiochus and rededicated the temple. The story is told that when the Maccabees found enough oil to burn for a single day, miraculously it lasted eight days.

This is the holiday when potato pancakes, potato kugel and blines are served; when we distribute Hanukkah gelt (money) to children. There is a dradle (top), which the young ones spin for forfeits of nuts.
Now You Can Cook The Best Kosher Food Using These Amazing Recipes

Click here for FREE online ebook!

http://www.foodkosher.net/

Nothing says summer like a good old down home barbecue. Just the thought of one brings back fond memories of smelling burgers on the grill, chasing after lightning bugs and a great fireworks display. What would summertime be without a bag of Kingsford charcoal and some potato salad? Barbecues give everyone a reason to invite their family members and neighbors over for a day of games and activities. Some of these activities include croquet, badminton, horseshoes and maybe a not so friendly game of tag football. Whatever activities are chosen for the day, it is guaranteed that memories will be made and shared for years to come!

To make your barbecue a successful one, you should include foods that are readily available in the summertime such as fresh fruit salads. Vegetable trays are also a perfect addition when enhanced by various dips for quick munching. To keep your cold foods from spoiling (especially salads that have mayonnaise as an ingredient), it is always a good idea to keep them under cover and place their container in ice.

When planning the menu for your barbecue, be sure to have the usual fare such as hot dogs and hamburgers but also add a “not so traditional” food item into the mix. One great idea is to have chicken shish kabobs which are incredibly easy to make by cutting boneless chicken breasts into cubes and skewering them with green peppers, red peppers, whole mushrooms and fresh cut onion chunks. Grill until the juice from the chicken runs clear and there is little to no pink in the middle. Remember that the hotter the grill and faster you cook the chicken, the juicier it will be.

Another great addition to your “not so traditional” menu is grilled peaches. (This one is actually a true barbecue staple for our family.) We simply pick the peaches off of our backyard peach tree and cut them in half. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Then dunk the peaches in a mix of 1/4 cup Italian dressing and 4 tbsp of honey. Grill the peaches for approximately six minutes on each side and top with a little whipped cream.

Complete your summertime barbecue menu with a sumptuous strawberry shortcake or a customary gelatin mold filled with fresh melon. Most of all, whatever you do… relax and enjoy the lazy days of summer with your friends and family.
Della Franklin is a business owner, successful IT Systems Manager & Internet Marketer. She counts 10 years experience as a teacher as well as being a Certified Network Engineer, cook, wife & mother. See more about her at http://www.foodielooksatfood.com or http://www.dogwoodsquare.com

Can you imagine eating at the same Italian restaurant several times in a row? One of our favorite things to do after church is to eat out for lunch. For the last few weeks, we have been going to the same local Italian restaurant when we could have gone anywhere. Last week when my wife suggested it, I thought, again, we were just there, but it is always good. The chef had cast some sort of spell on us. Once again, it was incredible and we love it each time. Well, I started thinking about why someone would return to the same restaurant time after time. Of course, it was because the food was delicious, but why, I asked myself. What was it that the chef was doing that made us so look forward to his Italian cooking?

I came to some interesting conclusions that you can use in your kitchen and home to create that same love for your cooking. The food was fresh and the homegrown herbs were wonderful but it had to do with more than just the food. The restaurant presented a great atmosphere that was personal, relaxed and fun. Have you seen those Olive Garden commercials with the big families? You know, “when you’re here you’re family”. It was that kind of thing. The chef comes out and talks to you, they put on your favorite music and everyone is friendly and easy going. Italian cooking can be a great way to enjoy food and family.

Set the atmosphere in your kitchen and make the experience enjoyable for your family as you enjoy the cooking. Fix a couple of simple appetizers to enjoy casually around the table as dinner nears completion. Get the family involved in the kitchen or setting the table. Put on some music, sing and enjoy. Now, when it comes to Italian cooking you have to think fresh. Get the freshest ingredients, pastas, vegetables and herbs you can find or better yet make and grow some of your own.

Here are some useful tips and special techniques for Italian cooking. In many ways the basics of cooking pasta is one of the most important cooking techniques that makes Italian cooking great. Make sure that if you are following an Italian recipe that you follow the directions carefully. Always make sure you are cooking the pasta in enough water. You should plan to use about four quarts of water for eight ounces of pasta. Cover the pot and bring water to full boil before adding pasta. Leave the pot uncovered while you are cooking, and use a pasta fork to stir the pasta. You can start testing the pasta for doneness a few minutes before the recommended time to see how it is coming along. You should also be looking for only a speck of white left in the center of the pasta. You need to drain the pasta but do not rinse it. Then return your pasta to a warm pot or skillet with sauce in it. At this point, you can add salt to the water to add flavor to the pasta but if you will be paired your pasta with sauce it is not necessary.

Traditionally, in Italian cooking of meats you would usually use the stovetop. You want to brown meat in olive oil or butter with wine. Don’t forget you should loosen scrapings from pan and as alcohol evaporates, lower the heat on the pan and simmer meat until tender.

Here is a nice way that you can make your favorite meal a favorite for your family and friends too. Usually, Italian cooking comes in several courses. Present your family with each course and it will create a memorable and enjoyable experience. The first course is usually a soup, pasta, or risotto. The second course is a meat, like chicken or fish, with a vegetable and followed by a salad. The dessert course is usually a fruit, but you can really make it something special by offering a sweet treat.
Craig Chambers is a cooking enthusiast who enjoys the fun and flavors of Italian cooking and has extensive free information and recipes on his website www.cookingyourbest.com

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

A cupboard or shelf of your kitchen will display a sad look when a well-stocked pantry runs out of ingredients during the time of emergency. Sometimes while making something substitute of the original ingredient becomes absolutely indispensable and cannot be overlooked. Hence here are some handy tips and ready to use substitutes which can become very useful for you at times and help you to come out safe from an otherwise compromising situation with an unexpected guest sitting in your living room.

1. An unexpected shortage of self rising flour can be managed by adding 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to each cup of all purpose flour.

2. Bread crumbs replacing cracker crumbs and cracker crumbs replacing bread crumbs: 3/4 cup of cracker crumb is equivalent to one cup of bread crumb and one cup of dry bread crumb can be used as a substitute for 3/4 cup of cracker crumb.

3. One tablespoon of corn starch can be easily replaced by two tablespoon of all purpose flour.

4. When you need to add a dash of lime but really don’t have even a single slice of lemon in the kitchen, adding the same amount of vinegar will do the magic of bringing the tangy flavor to the dish.

5. You can use one cup of plain yogurt or use 3/4 cup of sour milk in place of sour cream.

6. If you need baking powder for your recipe and you see all dark due to its unavailability, you have a very good and handy alternative for it. Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 5/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Another alternative is to use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/2 cup.

7. Recipes that need butter and you are running short of it replace it with the equal amount of vegetable oil.

8. Buttermilk can be easily replaced with the same amount of plain yogurt or by adding one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon to one cup of regular milk.

9. You can win the same appraisal for your chocolate dishes even if you had no chocolates at all. Just mix 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter in place of one ounce of unsweetened chocolate. In case you need sweetened chocolate just add a tablespoon of sugar to the mix.

These handy cooking tips and ready to use substitutes would not just make your life easy in kitchen but at the same time uphold your reputation as a great chef amongst your family and friend.
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com