Originally Posted By Feral: Originally Posted By douglasmorris99: Attention Diabetics here is a bannana nut reduced sugar bread that tastes like candy! We don't do much in the way of dessert breads, but that looks quite tasty. I'll have to bring that recipe to Mrs. Feral's attention.

Thank you it does look good..and it is Great...I am not a big sweet eater, and the few things have always been more the sweet bread type thing, date bread, bannana bread and oatmeal cookies. And I like lots of Junque in em as my kids used to say..Nuts, Cranberries, Raisins, Yogurt chips etc..
anyways this is something to complement a good cup of coffee..schmear with a bit of cream cheese and its a Meal
as I am not big on sweet..period and alergic to chocolate..makes me feel bad, even the suger free stuff..lastly being diabetic..good thing I dont ahve a sweet tooth this stuff is da bomb..!

but...remember in the recipe..IT is for fructose and splenda brown suger mix...the amount of suger would be increased I think 30% more product and the same on the brown with regular DARK brn suger..


CHEF..

YES,,, I THANK YOU ALL for the help you have offered! Actually I think this is the best area where help is genuine and not childish jabs at posters


Chef, Yes it was mush my mother made. Now I gotta dig her recipe out for ice cream, it is the BEST!

you're very welcome and thank you,,when you find Moms ice cream recipe, bring it here,,

life is too short to put up with too much bullshit and I am at an age where there is little tolerance for it
early on I had one or two bull shitters in the tread, they were bitch slapped and warned,
I do this rather seriously, cooking is/was the love of my life for nearly 40 years and I think I have covered a lot of ground here in educating arfcommers  in good, clean healthy food and preparation ideas if nothing else and love the feedback there of.
I try to maintain a bit of my dry humor and have taken one or two jabs with my head held high, Hell IM A CHEF, you can insult us and we will smile




and poison you later

one of my favorite movies is Monty Walsh with Tom Selleck, in one scene, they give the most odifferious Cookie a much needed bath,
he in turn puts soap or similar,err,lubrication in the dinner that evening.... needless to say the 2 holer wasn't enough 10 min into the meal..

don't ever piss off the cook,,,

ewww you chill the cranberry sauce


I like the extra tartness of it at room temp,,like I can eat the whole can with sausage and chestnut stuffing on the side...

I have toooooo many recipes for thanksgiving but will in to throw some out if others seek particular..
like sweet potatoes or stuffings or cassoroles...
I cook DUCK for thanksgiving, turkey is for the birds

ya know if the pilgrims had shot a wild cat instead of a turkey, you know what we would be eating for thanksgiing??

Some of us eat that on Thanksgiving anyway.

what, just corn and potatoes and squash and trout?












I crack myself up at times

Seeing as Thanksgiving is just around the corner, here is some info on the true menu of thanks our orginal founder ate to celebrate the best harvest the small colony had had..

Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster

Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles

Meat: Venison, Seal

Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn

Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots

Fruit: Plums, Grapes

Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns

Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

What Was Not on the Menu

Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving meal, didn't appear on the pilgrims's first feast table:

Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.

Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common.

Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year.

Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time.

Pumpkin Pie: It's not a recipe that exists at this point, though the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.

Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it's unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying.

Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it's possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese



Did you know the Colonists were Communists..yes, the first year they all went in together and had a good year, everyone had enough to eat
the second year..some, realizing every one else was growing and adding to the larder, decided they didnt need to so they coasted and attempted to live of the labor of others.
that second winter, they all damn near died of starvation.
the next time round, they were all told to fend for themselves, eat this winter what YOU harvested, period..no community property..
and we get thanks giving.
even in 1620, communism didnt work.

you can freeze it after cooking and reheat in the microwave..not gonna gaurentee the quality..

you can Parbake it, just to the point of it fully jelling..then freese and finish in about 15-20 min at 350 if I recall correctly..

CHEF,

Yea it's the holidays. Time for my annual trip to the liquor store for some Bourbon. Can't do candy without it.

Yes, incredibly so.

I have made a roux a few times and actually manage a fairly decent shrimp etouffe from a recipe a friend gave me––he goes by Tigereye on another forum and is a good cajun cook.  He actually said it shoud be the color of peanut butter.  You should've seen me with my jar of Jif out beside the pan, looking at the peanut butter and stirring like mad.  Everybody was like, "be CAREFUL you'll BURN IT!" so it took me like an hour to get it the right color the first time.  But it TASTED great and OMG, the smell of it was enough to make me wanna move to Louisianna.  

But I had no idea how to use a roux in any other way.  IIRC it was pretty much butter and flour, but not clarified butter.  

Thanks so much for explaining how to make it, the differences, and its uses.  AND particularly the freezer part.  

As far as being bored, it's that I'm tired of the food I can cook quickly and easily that is healthy and that I actually like.  If it's good and easy I fix it all the time and then get tired of it.  So I need to expand my ability to cook good stuff faster and to have my kitchen ready to do so.  I know the secret to liking my own cooking is getting the basics of the continuous kitchen actually going.  Thus far I'm full of fail on that.

Stuff like this roux trick will be very helpful.

Thanks so much for all your time.

And sorry I didn't reply sooner to say thanks.  I, too, have been in mourning.  I don't even wanna turn on my computer cuz I have to stare at that face on any homepage available, and be reminded that America has put a socialist in its White House.

May we all live to see a Free America again.  Until then, .

Kitties

ok, so I do 300 recipes using cream of mushroom soup out of a can

and you leave us with a tease about bourbon candies??

splain your self Missy...

Texas Bourbon Balls

Homemade BBQ sauce

Cake

Get a copy of cooking light from the Grocery...it has fast, easy, healthier recipes
the biggest issue is keeping enough of the right stuff..
in trying to eat healthier..I find my self going to the Grocey sometime 3 times a week,
fresh veggies and fruits, take up alot of space in a small condo and, with only one person here as my daughter tends to eat out or get home late etc..you can only eat soo much so fast. and at times, it just ends up trashed, can only hold so much in a small freezer, or reheat it so many times etc..

so, I tend to just grill once or twice a week, chicken, steak, chops, and reheat or rework these items during the remaining days.

fajitas are common. london broil, chicken salad, chicken and dumplings, chicken stirfry, etc..to reheat the cooked meats..

CHEF

thought I might get some Turkey Info and recipes for Thanksgiving posted for the next few days...read em, use em or laugh at em,, your call
CHEF

The National Turkey Federation recommends that stuffing be prepared and stuffed into the turkey immediately before it's placed in the oven for cooking. When making stuffing ahead of time, wet and dry ingredients should be refrigerated separately and combined right before stuffing the turkey. Turkeys should be stuffed loosely, with about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey.

Use these two simple steps for determining when a stuffed roasted turkey is done cooking and safe to eat:

Insert a meat thermometer into the deepest portion of the thigh, not touching bone, and allow it to come to temperature for an accurate reading. Cook the turkey until the temperature when measured in the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. (When cooking a stuffed turkey breast, the temperature measured in the breast should be 170 degrees F.)
Move the thermometer to the center of the stuffing. Once the stuffing has reached 160 to 165 degrees F, the turkey should be removed from the oven and allowed to "rest" for 20 minutes. This makes carving easier and allows stuffing temperature to continue to rise to at least 165 degrees F.
If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, a meat thermometer should still be used to check the temperature in the stuffing.

By following these two steps, you and your family can continue the tradition of preparing a delicious stuffed turkey without sacrificing quality or safety.

Thawing and Storing Turkey

Most turkey products should be thawed before cooking. Plan ahead and properly thaw frozen whole turkeys and turkey parts.
The cooking times and quality of the finished product can vary greatly if not thawed first. Some exceptions are diced or pulled turkey, which are used in the frozen state or tempered briefly in the refrigerator before use.
Also, fully cooked roasts and rolls may be reheated from the frozen state.
In general, allow about 24 hours thawing time for every 4 to 5 pounds of whole body turkey and other large pieces of turkey.

Whole body turkey

Follow these guidelines for thawing:
Remove turkeys from shipping carton.
Leave in original plastic wrapping and place in shallow pans with racks so air can circulate and turkeys are not sitting in drippings. The original wrappings also help protect the turkey from environmental contamination during thawing.
Within 15 minutes of removal from shipping cartons, move turkeys (on racks or pans) into refrigerator at 35ºF to 40ºF. Thaw until temperature of each turkey, measured with a thermometer placed in deepest part of breast, registers 38ºF.
Safe Temperatures

The National Turkey Federation recommends that turkey is thawed when it reaches 38ºF. For your information, the FDA Food Code recommends a temperature of 41ºF.
This chart provides guidelines for thawing turkeys up to about 25 pounds. Larger turkeys, often used for carving presentation, will require more time.

Sample Refrigerator Thawing Times for
Whole Body Turkey at 35ºF to 40ºF
Weight (lbs.) Days
15                 3
20                 4
25                 5
Source: Turkey processors


Turkey parts and products

The procedures are much the same as for whole body turkeys.
Remove from shipping cartons.
Leave in original wrappings and place on racks in shallow pan. If original wrappings must be removed, cover completely with plastic wrap to help protect turkey from environmental contamination.
Within 15 minutes, move trays to refrigerator at 35ºF to 40ºF.
For large parts, such as wings, drumsticks and thighs, manipulate after a day to break apart and speed thawing.
Tubes of ground turkey can be sliced when partially thawed to speed the process.
Product is thawed when it reaches 38ºF, measured by inserting a thermometer in the thickest part of the meat.

Sample Refrigerator Thawing Times for Turkey

Parts & Products at 35ºF to 40ºF

Product Days

Breasts 2 to 3
Thighs 2 to 3
Wings, Drumsticks 2
Roasts, Deli Meats 2
Steaks, Cutlets, Slices, Chops ½ to 1
Tenderloins 1
Ground Turkey in Tubes 2 to 3
Ground Turkey in Patties,
Sausage Links and Patties 1


Source: Turkey processors

First, awesome thread, thank you Chef.  How about a few rice dishes (sans fish please)?  I recently got a rice cooker, and haven't had much luck finding good recipes for rice.

Hi Chef, first, I'd like to thank you for doing this thread.  It is INCREDIBLE, and I'm learning a ton.  So THANK YOU.  And now my question.

My wife and I have been having a huge problem cooking brown rice.  We can't figure out what's going on, but it always ends up soggy on the outside, and literally crunchy on the inside.  White rice, basmati, and wild rice is no problem, but the brown rice is driving us nuts.  Can you please give me a good healthy recipe for for cooking the dang stuff?

Thank you.

ETA:  We don't use a rice cooker, cuz they're the devil.

Originally Posted By Det0nate: First, awesome thread, thank you Chef.  How about a few rice dishes (sans fish please)?  I recently got a rice cooker, and haven't had much luck finding good recipes for rice.

thank you hope you find it entertaining and informative..

rice cookers..

not a huge fan but these have thier niche' in the kitchen for the rice fan but I would point you into the direction of brown rices or wild rices rather than the white, "sticky" rice used by most Chinese and Mexican cooks,,the rice gets sticky because it is "broken" and basiclly the bottom of the grinder/shaker when premium rice is sifted out..truly the bottom of the barrel

STIR-FRIED RICE WITH PORK  

1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 cup celery, diagonally sliced
2 cups pork roast, diced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups cooked rice, cold
1 cup water chestnuts, canned, sliced
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or hot salt)
1 egg, slightly beaten
pinch of hot pepper flakes or cayenne, to taste
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

Sauté onions, celery, and pork in oil until vegetables are tender crisp.
Add rice and water chestnuts. Combine pepper, salt, egg and soy sauce.

Stir into rice mixture. Cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes or until heated.


Variations:

#1 Add cooked cocktail shrimp during last 5 minutes of cooking.
#2 Stir in 1 small can or 1 cup fresh bean sprouts during last 10 minutes of cooking.
#3 Add 1 1/2 cups snow peas or sugar snap peas; sauté with green onions.
#4 1/8 cup finely minced fresh ginger added and a tablespoon of lemon juice adds a fresh new twist. Serve over cooked Thai noodles.
Makes 6 servings.

Serving Size: 6


RICE PUDDING WITH LEMON SAUCE  

LEMON SAUCE:

1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, separated
Juice of 1 lemon

PUDDING:

2 eggs, separated
1 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar or to taste
1 lemon, grated rind
2 c. cooked white rice (1 c. raw white rice equals 2 c. cooked)

Mix by hand: rice, sugar, milk and grated rind of 1 lemon with slightly beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into rice mixture. Grease lightly medium casserole. Pour in pudding mix and sprinkle top with cinnamon. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. In small saucepan, combine lemon juice, sugar and egg. Bring to a boil. Take from heat and whip egg white until stiff. Fold into lemon sauce, put back on low heat to cook egg whites until thickened, being careful not to burn sauce (about 1-2 minutes). We always double the sauce recipe because it's so good. Also can be used for
bread pudding.


RICE STUFFED PEPPERS  

8 large firm bell peppers (green or red)
3 cups cooked rice
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 lb ground lean pork or beef
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 large onion, finely chopped or grated
1/2 cup cracker or bread crumbs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of Tabasco (optional)
1 pint tomato puree
4 slices bacon

Mix rice, egg, ground meat, crumbs, garlic which has been put through a garlic press or pureed, salt, pepper and cayenne.
Wash the peppers. Using a paring knife, cut out the top stem in a circle so that the pepper can be filled from the top. Scrape out the core and seeds and discard.

Fill the peppers with the meat mixture and place in a buttered casserole dish with a tiny dash of Tabasco sauce on top, if desired.

Using a kitchen scissors, cut each slice of bacon into 2 long strips, then cut each strip into half (you will have 16 bacon pieces). Drape 2 cut bacon strips over each pepper.

Pour the tomato puree around the bottom of the peppers.

Bake, covered loosely with aluminum foil for 15 minutes at 400°F. Remove the foil and reduce heat to 325°F; continue to bake until peppers are tender and browned (about 1 hour).

Serve peppers with a few spoons of tomato puree over the top and a few spoonfuls around the base.

Makes 8 peppers.


RICE SALAD  

1/2 c. wild rice, cooked
1/2 c. (20) large pecan halves
3/4 c. golden raisins, soaked in hot water and drained
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 lb. ham
1/2 c. scallions, thinly sliced

Cook wild rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, soak raisins in hot water.
Whisk together oil, vinegar and seasonings in salad bowl. Add rice and remainin ingredients.

21" CLUB RICE PUDDING  

1 quart milk
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, split
3/4 cup long grained rice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups whipped cream
raisins (optional)

In a heavy saucepan, mix together milk, cream, salt, split vanilla bean and 1/2 of the sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat.
Stir in the rice and simmer, covered, over very low heat for 1 1/2 hours until Rice becomes tender. allow to cool and remove the vanilla bean. stir in remaining sugar and the yolk of one egg.

Stir in whipped cream, reserving two tablespoons. scoop pudding into individual ovenproof serving dishes or one large soufflé dish. Stir in raisins, if desired.

Preheat broiler.

Spread a thin layer of the reserved whipping cream on top, and broil until the pudding is browned lightly. Chill several hours before serving.


and here is a great website for rice recipes from riceland rice

riceland rice


thanks for your questions hope this is helpful

CHEF

Originally Posted By RckClimber: Hi Chef, first, I'd like to thank you for doing this thread.  It is INCREDIBLE, and I'm learning a ton.  So THANK YOU.  And now my question. My wife and I have been having a huge problem cooking brown rice.  We can't figure out what's going on, but it always ends up soggy on the outside, and literally crunchy on the inside.  White rice, basmati, and wild rice is no problem, but the brown rice is driving us nuts.  Can you please give me a good healthy recipe for for cooking the dang stuff? Thank you. ETA:  We don't use a rice cooker, cuz they're the devil.

brown rice can be a bit different to cook
Many people have trouble cooking brown rice and having it turn out decently, since it can be more temperamental than white rice.  There are also many different ways to prepare it.

Here’s the most efficient way I found to cook brown rice on a stove.  It takes about 35 minutes from when you start to when you’re eating (which is pretty good for brown rice).  This method works for both short grain and long grain brown rice.  I prefer long grain.  I’ve eaten hundreds of batches of brown rice using this method over the past 10 years.

Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid.  Use the ratio of 1.5 cups water to 1 cup rice.  I normally make 3c rice with 4.5c water for a single batch.
Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered.  Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer.  If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed.  Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes.  It’s OK if you let the rice sit longer than 10 minutes (20 or 30 minutes is fine too), but don’t let it go any less.  I prefer my rice to be slightly chewy, not mushy, so I usually remove the lid after 10 minutes.
Eat and enjoy.  Be careful when you remove the lid, since a lot of steam may escape when you do.

brown rice and basil chicken salad
3 cups cooked Riceland Natural Brown Rice
1 cup cooked, cubed chicken breasts
1 cup tiny frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil

DRESSING
3-4 Tbsp. vegetable oil or olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preparation:
In bowl, combine rice, chicken, peas, onion and basil. In cup whisk oil, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until blended; toss with rice salad. Serve immediately.


Caribbean Chicken Curried Brown Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup Riceland Natural Brown Rice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 seasoned boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can (12 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Prepare rice according to package directions; set aside. (For added flavor, substitute chicken broth for water.) In large skillet, heat olive oil. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Reduce heat to simmer; add coconut milk. Cook until coconut milk is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Fold in curry powder, carrots and cilantro; heat through. Serve on bed of brown rice. Sprinkle with black pepper.

I am going to send you to the same place as the previous poster
Riceland rice has been around a LOOONNNGGGG time and know how to use the product like no one else..

riceland rice

thanks for your question...hope this helps

CHEF

Originally Posted By douglasmorris99: thanks for your questions hope this is helpful CHEF

Very much so.  The stir fry and stuffed peppers sound great.  Thanks for the link to riceland as well, I'm surprised I hadn't stumbled on it before.  That site should keep me busy for awhile :)  

Forgive me for using a rice cooker, but rice has always been my kitchen-fu Achilles heel.  I never get it right, so I needed the crutch.  Thanks again for the time you spend on this thread.

What is your opinion on Wok's?  I'm shopping around now and torn between spun (rolled) steel, and cast iron.  The steel seems more sturdy and easier to maintain, while the iron would give the benefit of imparting iron into the cooking.

Originally Posted By Det0nate: Originally Posted By douglasmorris99: thanks for your questions hope this is helpful CHEF Very much so.  The stir fry and stuffed peppers sound great.  Thanks for the link to riceland as well, I'm surprised I hadn't stumbled on it before.  That site should keep me busy for awhile :)   Forgive me for using a rice cooker, but rice has always been my kitchen-fu Achilles heel.  I never get it right, so I needed the crutch.  Thanks again for the time you spend on this thread. What is your opinion on Wok's?  I'm shopping around now and torn between spun (rolled) steel, and cast iron.  The steel seems more sturdy and easier to maintain, while the iron would give the benefit of imparting iron into the cooking.

I prefer the rolled steel,,lighter, easier to maintain, easier to move as I tend to flip with the wok as much as a saute, heats up and cools down quick..
I have a HUGE wok,,24" gifted to me by some Chinese bigwigs personal Chef 20 odd years ago...works better today than then,,or I became a better cook,..one of the other
I have stirfried, poached, steamed, and pan roasted in it it is an all round pan for certain

rice cooker...what ever works, I have a friend that swears by sous vid cooking,,damn frog bastard that he is..airline food if you ask me...but again what ever works for you use it..
example:

custard=eggs milk, vanillia etc...whip, beat, bake, cool

custard=jello custard mix, milk, mix,,chill...not a dimes difference in end product if the classic is made properly and both react the same to heat, cold, citrus etc so,,,tell me the difference
I didi a bake off with a classicly trained swiss pastry chef
he made several scratch cakes, cookies and pies from one side of the kitchen I made packaged and pre prepeped items on the other side
all were properly decorateed in accordance to any compitition
we had 7 individuals from different departments Judge the results
I won on 9 of the 12 items,,he was pissed off
leason learned is what ever works towards the most
harmonious outcome either in end result, cost, time savings or overall quality of product


CHEF

in the above thread of rice cookery and in several questions posed about chinese cooking I did a bit of research as Chinese cuisine isnt my forte' though I know a few dishes and if asked can whip up somthing in the asian flavor etc...
secondly, in the last few years we have seem quite a bit of asian [including middle east, India, China, Japan, Korea, Thai, etc]influance in food in restaurants so called "FUSION" cooking,
here is an interesting article that throughly lays out the understand and concept of chinese foods
Chinese Food Cultural Profile
Kathy Lin, Author
Harborview Medical Center/University of Washington

Nadine Chan, Editor
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, WA
November 2000

Nutrition and Food

"Fashion is in Europe, living is in America, but eating is in China"

The phrase is a testament to the popularity of Chinese food around the world. Food is an important part of daily life for Chinese people. Chinese not only enjoy eating but believe eating good food can bring harmony and closeness to the family and relationships.


Shopping daily for fresh food is essential for all Chinese cooking. Unlike the fast food society of the U.S., the Chinese select live seafood, fresh meats and seasonal fruits and vegetables from the local market to ensure freshness. This means swimming fish, snappy crabs, and squawking chickens. Even prepared foods such as dim sum or BBQ duck for to go orders must gleam, glisten, and steam as if just taken out of the oven.


Chinese people in general are not as concerned about nutrition as Western culture. They are more concerned with the food's texture, flavor, color, and aroma. These are the crucial points for good Chinese cooking. Chinese daily meals consist of four food groups: grains, vegetables, fruit, and meat. Because of lactose intolerance, Chinese do not consume large amounts of dairy products. Instead, Chinese substitute these with soymilk and tofu, which also contain large amounts of protein and calcium. Vegetables, fruits, and meats are usually fresh. Some exceptions include preserved vegetables such as snow cabbage or mustard greens, preserved eggs, aka "thousand year old eggs" or salted and dried fish. Other exceptions include snack items such as beef jerky, cuttlefish jerky, sweet and sour preserved plums, or dehydrated mango slices. Canned or frozen foods are seldom eaten. Western desserts such as cookies, cakes, pies, and ice cream are eaten only on special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. After dinner, families usually eat seasonal fruit as dessert. Chinese desserts such as red bean soup, sweet white lotus's seed soup, or steam papaya soup are served every so often as a special treat on a hot summer's night.

Ethnic Chinese cooking does not involve a lot of deep fried cooking. The reason most of the Chinese restaurants in America have deep-fried dishes such as sweet and sour pork, almond fried Chicken, and deep-fried shrimp is to promote business and to please western tastes. This clearly reflects why there are more overweight and high blood pressure concerns in Western culture than there are in Chinese culture.

"Yi xing bu xing"

Chinese hardly waste any section of the animal and have found ways to cook nearly every part. Chinese culture believes that "yi xing bu xing," which means by using any shape or part of the animal the same part of the human body can be replenished and strengthened. For example, shark fin soup and bird nest soup (bird's saliva) is served to replenish strength and increase appetite, crocodile meat strengthens the bronchia, dehydrated tiger testicle increases stamina for men, while monkey brains add wisdom. These foods are considered to be delicacies and tonics. Shark fin soup or bird nest soup is often served at special occasions such as at a Chinese banquet dinner. Other items are rarely prepared.

The Chinese banquet

The Chinese banquet dinner usually occurs on special occasions like holidays, weddings, graduations, birthdays, or having a special visitor in town. It's an event for family and friends to get together for fellowship and laughter. There are usually 10 guests that sit around each table. The banquet dinner involves 10 to 12 dishes including appetizers like jellyfish salad or vinegar pork shank and soups like shark fin, bird's nest, or fish lining. Main courses served at the banquet include lobster, crab, steamed fish, shrimp, abalone, sea cucumbers, quail, crocodile meat, duck, lamb, beef, chicken, and seasonal vegetable dishes and fresh fruit or sweet soup for dessert.

Regional Cuisine

There are many different cuisines in China. Each province has its own special style of cooking. There is Beijing cuisine, Hunan or Hubai cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, Szechwan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Hakka cuisine1, etc. The most well known cuisines are Szechwan and Cantonese. The Szechwan cuisine has the spiciest dishes. They use a lot of chili paste, red pepper, and hot oil in their food. The most famous Szechwan dishes are hot chili eggplant, twice-cooked pork, Szechwan beef, Ma Po Tofu, and Kung Pau Chicken. These dishes are all very spicy and delicious.

The Cantonese cuisine is the most well known cuisine in the Chinese community2. In fact, in China, they say, "Eating is in Canton." Cantonese people are known to be quite particular and have high expectations about their food. All the vegetables, poultry, and ingredients have to be fresh. The timing on the cooking is very crucial. Dishes must not be overcooked, and the texture of the food has to be just right with the freshness and tenderness still remaining. For this reason, Cantonese food is very popular. Soup is also essential in Cantonese cuisine. It consists of different ingredients and herbs and is boiled to a rich and tasty soup before it is served. There are many kinds of soup and each soup has it's own function or purpose. Cantonese women believe that "to win a man's heart, she must first learn how to cook a good pot of soup."

Yin Yang foods

As mentioned before, due to geographical and climate differences in China, each area has its own way of cooking and different eating habits. Northern China has cold and damp weather, and therefore people there eat more hot and spicy foods such as chilies, onions, and garlic. They believe these foods will increase blood circulation and help get rid of the coldness and dampness. Generally people from the south like to eat more mild and cooling foods because of the warmer climate. These foods reduce the hotness and dryness. This theory is called balancing "Yin and yang".


Chinese culture believes there is a positive energy and a negative energy in the universe. "Yin" represents negative energy and "yang" represents positive energy.3 They have to be equally balanced to create a harmonious and healthy state, otherwise, conflict and disease will be created. There are elements that belong to both "yin" and " yang," meaning some elements of yin fall within yang and some elements of yang fall within yin. This importance of balancing forces has been a part of Chinese thought for thousands of years. It has become a basic guideline for social, political, medical, and dietary usage.

Foods belonging to the yin (also known as "cold" food) are bitter melon, winter melon, Chinese green, mustard green, water crest, Napa cabbage, bean sprout, soybean, mung bean, tulip, water chestnut, cilantro, oranges, watermelon, bananas, coconut, cucumber, beer, pop, ice cream, ice chips, grass jelly, clams, and oysters. These foods cannot be eaten excessively and are thought to cause stomachaches, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness, and coldness in the body if done so.


Foods that belong to the yang (also known as "hot" food) are chili pepper, garlic, onion, curry, cabbage, eggplant, toro, pineapple, mango, cherry, peanuts, beef, turkey, shrimp, crab, French fries, fried chicken, and pizza. Excessive intake of these foods are thought to cause skin rashes, hives, pimples, nose bleeds, gas, indigestion, constipation, redness in the eyes, and sore throat. Both food groups need to be balanced evenly, not taken excessively or deficiently in order to create a harmonious and healthy state.

Because Illness is thought to be related to an unbalance that can be influenced with dietary intake. Often, a Chinese patient may ask the provider questions such as "is there any thing that I should not eat'? Typically, Western provider will only limit food for certain illness, such as sugar intake for diabetes, or salt and fat consumption for hypertension or heart problems. However, because of the conceptual framework around health and balance of the yin and yang, the patient may expect advice on how to avoid aggravating the illness. The patient is really asking" Doctor, because of my illness, should I watch out for certain foods? Which foods will throw off my balance even more?" For example, certain foods in the Chinese culture are asserted to be toxic or poisonous to individuals with weakened health. These foods include crab, shrimp, clams, fish (the kind that is scales less), beef, and eggs. Post-operative patients or patients with skin problems like dermatitis, acne or eczema is often told to avoid the above items as eating these foods are thought to worsen the problems.

The usual response from the Western provider is " No, there are no special restrictions, go ahead and eat anything you want." However, providers who are more knowledgeable about cultural believes might better respond with," Well, we can either refer you to consult our Chinese medical doctor or an acupuncturist in the clinic, or recommend that you ear foods that you are most comfortable or accustomed to".


Food groups

As mentioned earlier, Chinese are not too concerned about eating within the five food group guidelines. There is more emphasis on how to eat to balance yin and yang. High importance is placed on freshness and flavor of produce or food. A typical Chinese's meal usually consists of rice, soup and three to four side dishes. Dishes are made of seasonal vegetables, fresh seafood or bite-size portion of meat or poultry. Because


Chinese expect to have fresh fruit and vegetable in their daily meals, it is not difficult to comply with a provider's suggestion to increase intake of these items. However, it might be more of a drastic change to ask an anemic Chinese patient to add more meat to her diet to help control her anemia. Again, in Chinese food, meat portions are usually small, and often used for the purpose of flavoring the dish or soup. It might be helpful if the provider recognizes the challenge of increasing meat intake and suggests culturally appropriate ways to do so. For example, the patient could add meat to dishes that were originally purely vegetable (e.g., adding chicken to boy choy, minced pork to green beans, or beef to Chinese broccoli, aka "gai lan").

Grains and carbohydrates - Rice, Noodles, Buns

Rice and noodles are a very important part in the Chinese diet. Rice and noodles are equivalent to potato and pasta in the western diet. Handfuls of bite-sized meat and vegetables accompany the rice and noodles. Almost every meal uses rice. The different types of rice are sweet rice, long grain rice, short grain rice, jasmine rice, and brown rice. The different ways to prepare rice are steamed rice, rice soup, fried rice, and pot rice. People living in south China especially consume large amounts of rice. On the north side of China, people consume more noodles or steam buns (bread). Polished rice (white rice) contains 25% carbohydrates and small amounts of iodine, iron, magnesium, and phosphate.4 For brown rice, the bran part has not been removed from the rice. In the old days, only the poor Chinese people ate brown rice, but now studies show that brown rice actually contains more vitamin B than the polished rice. There are many processes involved before the white rice is ready for the market. Rice is treated most respectfully in China. Every grain of rice represents a hardship of labor. Parents always tell their children to finish every grain of rice in the bowl; otherwise, they will marry someone with a pimple-scarred face.

Noodles

Chinese noodles come in different sizes and shapes. They can be cooked in the soup or stir-fried, which is known as "chow mien." Noodles are usually served for breakfast, lunch, or late snacks. During birthday celebrations, noodles are served to symbolize long life. The longer the noodle, the longer the life will be for the birthday person. Accompanying meat and vegetables are chopped up into small pieces and stir-fried or steamed. A dinner meal usually has soup in the middle, surrounded by 3 to 5 main dishes of vegetables, seafood, and poultry dishes.

Buns and breads

Chinese bakeries carry pastries and sweet buns filled with delights such as red bean paste, egg custard, BBQ pork, or coconut cream. Families eat them on the run for breakfast, or to curb a midday snack attack. Hong Kong bakeries are known for their wide variety of baked and steamed buns, which may have been influenced by English high tea culture during British rule of the colony. Northern Chinese are known for their fluffy white buns, which may be served in place of rice during meals. In the US, we often see these white buns served with Peking Duck.

Foods to improve weak health

Sometimes when the Chinese feel a deficiency in their health or strength, they usually seek a traditional method first, which is to use herbs and special ingredient soups to replenish the energy level and to stay healthy. Northern Chinese call it "gin bou," and the southern Chinese call it "bo sheng." They usually go to herbalists for herb tea or to seek out advice from an elder or a wise person to learn how to cook the special soup.

The herbal tea and the special ingredient soups usually require hours of slow cooking in an ancient style clay pot, before they reach maximum benefits.5 These soups are often used for postpartum, illness, old age, and weak energy. They have special soup recipe books available to explain how to use different soups for different situations. It requires great knowledge and patience to make the appropriate soup. Often, traditional Chinese will use herbs and special soups for all illnesses before he or she seeks out an alternative treatment from Western medicine. Western medicine is often reserved for more severe health problems, as many Chinese believe that Western medicine is "too strong" for them.

OK, I've cooked rabbit exactly once before, took the meat off the bones and made Rabbit Stew for an easter party a few years ago. This weekend I picked up 1 "Cut up" rabbit(according to package; I have not defrosted it to see the status of deboning, etc.) from the frozen foods section of the local grocery store.

I want to cook this sometime this week for me and my wife; I'm thinking of searing it, then braising it with onions and garlic, and making a gravy/glaze out of the pan drippings with some honey and rosemary. Serve with a salad and baked potato.

Any recommended recipes or cooking methods for rabbit?

Originally Posted By FooBarBaz: OK, I've cooked rabbit exactly once before, took the meat off the bones and made Rabbit Stew for an easter party a few years ago. This weekend I picked up 1 "Cut up" rabbit(according to package; I have not defrosted it to see the status of deboning, etc.) from the frozen foods section of the local grocery store. I want to cook this sometime this week for me and my wife; I'm thinking of searing it, then braising it with onions and garlic, and making a gravy/glaze out of the pan drippings with some honey and rosemary. Serve with a salad and baked potato. Any recommended recipes or cooking methods for rabbit?

cooking rabbit is along the lines of cooking chicken and will take the compliments from the food cooked with it as will the noble bird....

I LOVE Le Lapin Au Vin,,,,rabbit in wine,,,,exactly as you prepare coq au vin with a bit lower temp and a bit longer cooking time hmmm hmmm

or...
AMERICAN RABBIT  

1 rabbit, disjointed
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
2 peppercorns
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. minced shallots
2 c. corn
1 (#303) can tomatoes
1 c. minced black olives
2 tsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 egg yolk

Place the rabbit, parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the rabbit is tender.
Drain rabbit and reserve 1 cup liquid. Remove rabbit from bones. Saute the garlic and shallots in small amount of fat in a skillet until tender, then add the rabbit, corn, tomatoes, olives, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Combine the cornmeal and egg yolk. Strain the reserved liquid; add to cornmeal mixture and mix well. Stir into the rabbit mixture and spoon into a greased casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until set. Yield 6 servings.
BEER BRAISED RABBIT OR CHICKEN  

2 to 4 chicken breasts, or equivalent rabbit
1 can beer
1/2 bottle chili sauce
1/4 c. flour
4 potatoes, peeled & quartered
2 stalks celery
4 carrots, peeled & quartered
1/2 c. onion, chopped or 1/4 c. dried onion flakes

Brown chicken or rabbit slightly in small amount of oil. Add other ingredients except for flour. Cook all day in crock pot or bake in covered casserole at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Thicken sauce by mixing flour in small amount of cold water, then add to sauce. Continue cooking, covered until thickened. Do not over cook vegetables. Serve sauce separately. Arrange vegetables and meat on large platter. Garnish  

or
a very classic preperation

BRAISED RABBIT  

1 sm. rabbit, cut into pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 slices prosciutto or bacon
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 c. dry wine
5 fresh tomatoes, skinned and cut into pieces

Place rabbit in frying pan with oil. Add salt, pepper and garlic, and brown slowly. When well browned, add prosciutto or bacon and parsley and continue browning a few minutes. Add wine and cook until wine has evaporated. Add tomatoes and about 1/2 cup water, lower flame and cook slowly until meat is tender (about 1 hour). Serves 4.


let us know how it comes out!\
\CHEF

there has been alot of bandying about on cast iron cookware..here is some insight

There are several reason that people rave about their cast-iron cookware. Besides being an ideal heat conductor, cast iron heats evenly and consistently, it is inexpensive and will last a lifetime (actually several lifetimes) with proper care, and it is an old-fashioned way to cook fat free. (See Cooking with Cast Iron below on the left.) When well seasoned, a cast-iron pan will be stick resistant and require no additional oil.  

The benefits of cast-iron pans are terrific: Foods glide out of it as from no pan made with Teflon; it goes from stove to oven; no special utensils are needed to cook in it; it won't warp, and cleanup is a cinch. It's time people realize the culinary wonder that a cast-iron pan can be!

Professional chefs consider cast-iron pans to be precision cooking tools, as these dependable pans enable precise control of cooking temperatures. Their heat retention qualities allow for even cooking temperature without hot spots. Cast-iron pans can be used on top of the stove or to bake in the oven. All our grandmothers had cast iron skillets and stove-top griddles. In fact, your grandmother swore by it and the pioneers depended on it.

If you don't own a cast-iron skillet, it's well worth the time and money to invest in one. You can find them for sale on the internet, at cook stores everywhere, thrift stores, flea markets, or you can scour the tag and yard sales for one that might look as if it has seen better days. If the pan is rusty or encrusted with grease, buy it anyway. Don't worry! I'll tell you how to get that new or old one into shape so you can enjoy it for a lifetime of fat free cooking. You'll be able to pass the pan on to your own children and grandchildren.

The first most common mistake of why people do not like cast iron is that they say everything sticks. If food sticks to your cast-iron pan, your pan is NOT seasoned right and you need to re-season it. Cast iron is a natural non-stick surface and if your pan is seasoned correctly it WILL NOT stick!

Skillet  or Frying Pan:  Choose the size most comfortable for you. I recommend the 10-inch one, as it's the best tradeoff of size and weight. Personally, I own 10- and 12-inch models because on occasion, I'm called on to feed large groups of people.

Griddle: Want to make the greatest pancakes you've ever eaten? Want your French toast to have that crispy edge so prized at breakfast time? You need to get a cast-iron griddle pan and get it good and hot on the stovetop. They work fine on electric or gas ranges, or over a campfire if you're so inclined.

Dutch Oven: Before anyone ever thought of a crock pot, there was the cast-iron Dutch oven. Dutch ovens have been used for hundreds of years. Nothing will hold a good, even temperature better than the heavy metal of this monster pot, and it can go from stovetop to oven without missing a beat.


Using and Caring For Your Cast-Iron Skillet



Preheat your pan before preparing your meal. Water droplets should sizzle, then roll and hop around the pan, when dropped onto the heated surface. If the water disappears immediately after being dropped, the pan is too hot. If water only rests and bubbles in the pan, it is not quite hot enough. NOTE: Do not pour large amounts of cold liquid into your hot skillet. This can cause the cast iron to break. Never forget your potholders! Cast iron pan handles get HOT when cooking!

There is a trick to maintaining cast iron cookware and that trick is known as "seasoning" or "curing."  Your food will never stick to the bottom of the skillet or pot and the iron will not rust if it is properly seasoned. Plus the cast-iron cookware cleans up easily as well. Seasoning or curing cast iron means filling the pores and voids in the metal with grease of some sort, which subsequently gets cooked in. This provides a smooth, nonstick surface on both the inside and outside of the piece.

NOTE:  All new (not old pots) cast-iron pots and skillets have a protective coating on them, which must be removed. American companies use a special food-safe wax; imports are covered with a water-soluble shellac. In either case, scrub the item with a stainless steel scouring pads (steel wool), using soap and the hottest tap water you can stand.

If the pan was not seasoned properly or a portion of the seasoning wore off and food sticks to the surface or there is rust, then it should be properly cleaned and re-seasoned. Seasoning a cast iron pan is a natural way of creating non-stick cookware. And, like you cook and clean the modern non-stick cookware with special care to avoid scratching the surface, your cast iron cookware wants some special attention too.

Every time, after I use my cast iron skillet, I do the following:

Let the pan cool. Wash it with dishwashing soap and water. Never soak or let soapy water sit in the pan for any length of time. Rinse thoroughly, then dry with paper towels.

A lot of people disagree with using dishwashing soap and water to wash cast-iron pans. A chef told me that if a health inspector ever found a pan that had not been washed with soap and water in his kitchen, he would be in trouble. Plus the grease that is left behind will eventually become rancid. You do not want rancid oil in your foods and body.

NEVER put cast-iron cookware in the dishwasher.


Place the cleaned cast iron pan on the heated burner of your stove for a minute or two to make sure that it is bone dry. While the pan is still hot and on the stove burner, lightly oil inside of pan (I mean a light coat) with a neutral cooking oil.

Neutral Oils - Use vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, etc.), shortening (like Crisco shortening) or lard for seasoning your cast iron pans.  I recently experimented and found out that food-grade coconut oil/butter also works great.


Leave pan on the hot burner of stove for a few minutes. Remove from hot burner and wipe excess oil off the pan with a paper towel.


Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Be sure that you place a couple paper towels inside to make sure that any moisture that forms will be absorbed by the paper towel. Never put the utensil in the dishwasher or store it away without drying it thoroughly.

If your food gets a metallic taste, or turns "black", it means one of two things are wrong. Either your pot has not been sufficiently seasoned, or you are leaving the food in the pot after it has been cooked. Never store food in the cast iron pan as the acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and take on a metallic flavor.

If your old or new cast iron pans gets light rust spots, scour the rusty areas with steel wool, until all traces of rust are gone. Wash, dry, and repeat seasoning process.

If too much oil or shortening is applied to a pan in the seasoning process, it will pool and gum up when the pan is heated. In this case, the goo can be scraped off and some more grease rubbed over the spot, or the pan can be re-scrubbed and reseasoned. Heating the pan upside-down may help prevent gumming but protect your oven by using a foiled-lined baking sheet or aluminum foil to catch the grease. Seasoning at higher temperatures, approaching the smoking point, of the oil used will result in darker seasoned coatings in less time that aren't sticky or gummy.

You can cook almost any food in cast iron.

Acidic items like tomato sauces will be darker from iron leaching out, but many people with iron deficiencies do this for extra iron in their diet.

Never store acidic products in cast iron. In fact, never ever use your cast iron pots for storing any foods.

It is not recommended that you use your cast iron as a pot for boiling water. Some people say that the hot water will remove small bits of oil from the surface which will then be found floating around. Water breaks down the seasoning and can cause your cast iron to rust.  



How To Season A NEW Cast-Iron Pan:



All new cast-iron pots and skillets have a protective coating on them, which must be removed. American companies use a special food-safe wax; imports are covered with a water-soluble shellac. In either case, scrub the item with a scouring pad, using soap and the hottest tap water you can stand.

The surfaces of a new cast-iron pan are porous and have microscopic jagged peaks. When you purchase new cast iron cookware, they are gunmetal gray (silver) in color, but after using them, they start turning darker until they are very black. This is normal and should be expected. The dark patina takes awhile to achieve!

Avoid buying cast iron pans or skillets with wooden handles; these are useless for oven cooking and most camp cooking.

If the utensil comes with a cast iron lid, like a Dutch oven, make sure the lid fits properly on the pot before purchasing it. Also cure the lid's inside the same as the pot. Otherwise, use a glass lid or whatever you have.

How To Season:

You season a cast iron pan by rubbing it with a relatively thin coat of neutral oil (I stress a light coat of oil).

NOTE: Use vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, etc.), shortening (like Crisco shortening) or lard for seasoning your cast iron pans.  I recently experimented and found out that food-grade coconut oil/butter also works great.

Place the cast iron pan, upside down, in the oven, with a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom to catch any drips. Heat the pan for 30 to 60 minutes in a 300 to 500 degree oven. Once done, let the pan cool to room temperature. Repeating this process several times is recommended as it will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond.  

The oil fills the cavities and becomes entrenched in them, as well as rounding off the peaks. By seasoning a new pan, the cooking surface develops a nonstick quality because the formerly jagged and pitted surface becomes smooth. Also, because the pores are permeated with oil, water cannot seep in and create rust that would give food an off-flavor.

Your ironware will be slightly discolored at this stage, but a couple of frying jobs will help complete the cure, and turn the iron into the rich, black color that is the sign of a well-seasoned, well-used skillet or pot.

Never put cold liquid into a very hot cast iron pan or oven. They will crack on the spot!

Be careful when cooking with your cast-iron pots on an electric range, because the burners create hot spots that can warp cast iron or even cause it to crack. Be sure to preheat the iron very slowly when using an electric range and keep the settings to medium or even medium-low.

Important:
Unless you use your cast-iron pans daily, they should be washed briefly with a little soapy water and then rinsed and thoroughly dried in order to rid them of excess surface oil. If you do not do this, the surplus oil will become rancid within a couple of days.

Remember - Every time you cook in your cast-iron pan, you are actually seasoning it again by filling in the microscopic pores and valleys that are part of the cast-iron surface. The more you cook, the smoother the surface becomes!

Thank you for your post on iron.  It's almost as bad a BRD, I've collected tons of it.  It's so cheap, and gives amazing results.  Also, thanks for the rice recipe, I haven't tried it yet, but plan to soon, and will give a report.

Originally Posted By RckClimber: Thank you for your post on iron.  It's almost as bad a BRD, I've collected tons of it.  It's so cheap, and gives amazing results.  Also, thanks for the rice recipe, I haven't tried it yet, but plan to soon, and will give a report.

your very welcome...thanks.
CHEF

Originally Posted By Roadhawk: Good info on the cast iron.  Thanks Chef!

THANK you,,,,glad you got something out of it..


CHEF

the question comes up often on oils and what they are, do why etc..
I use two oils esclusivly
for big cooking, frying chicken, fish, fries, etc,,deep fat frying I perfer corn oil
for every day eating, light sauteing, dressings, dips, etc..I really like olive oil,,preferably extra virgin..

Extra-virgin olive oil is produced according to stricter guidelines than virgin, pure, or other olive oils, using the best that the fruit has to offer. It has deeper flavor, a more lingering aroma, and a more distinct olive character than other olive oils--therefore, you need to use less in any given recipe, because it delivers more flavor per tablespoon. The olives are picked when ripe, sent to the mill within a day of picking (so the fruit does not begin to deteriorate), and crushed mechanically by giant stone wheels. The resulting mash is spread onto thin mats which are stacked in a stainless steel press (in the old days, and in some traditional mills, presses were made of wood). As pressure is applied, oil and water seep out; since no heat is used, this oil is called "first cold pressed." After pressing, water and oil are separated, and the oil may or may not be filtered to remove small bits of fruit or pit (some prefer unfiltered olive oil, maintaining that the unfiltered fruit particles lend the oil extra flavor; others say that unfiltered olive oil has a shorter shelf life than filtered olive oil). The oil is then bottled and sold as "extra-virgin olive oil."


Oils that do not meet the criteria for "extra-virgin" after pressing are sent to a refinery where defects in color, taste and aroma are removed by industrial processing. When olive oil is refined with the aid of chemicals, it becomes colorless and tasteless and loses its distinct character; this inferior oil can then be blended with some virgin olive oil (which provides color and flavor) and then sold as "pure" olive oil. "Light" and "mild" olive oils are also made this way, using chemical processes and solvents, but less "virgin" oil is added to rectify flavor and color.

The 1% Factor
Extra-virgin olive oil is required by law to have no more than 1% percent acidity (or, in more technical terms, less than 1% free oleic acid), which makes it more digestible and healthier than virgin olive oil (2% or less acidity) and pure olive oil (higher than 2% acidity).

Acidity in olive oil is directly correlated to production methods: when olives are picked mechanically or bruised before they are pressed, or when the olive oil oxidizes, acidity levels increase. Therefore, lower acidity is an indication of better quality. Oils that are judged deficient after the pressing are sent to a refinery where defects in color, taste and aroma are removed by industrial processing.

Calories & Flavor
All olive oil--whether extra-virgin, virgin, or pure--has the same number of calories: 120 per tablespoon. Steer clear of olive oil labeled "light," which have the same calories but a much blander, nondescript flavor and higher acidity than extra-virgin olive oil.

Light olive oil has so little flavor that you are forced to use more in order to make your dish taste even vaguely like olive oil. If you are looking for a mild olive flavor in your oil, try buying extra-virgin olive oil from Liguria--made from Taggiasca olives that are picked very late, it is milder in flavor than most other Italian extra-virgin olive oils.

Nutrition & Health Facts
One tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and no cholesterol. A whopping 77% of the fat in olive oil is monounsaturated; 9% is polyunsaturated fat; 14% is vegetable-derived saturated fat. Virgin olive oil also contains antioxidants (beta-carotene and Vitamin E) and phenolic compounds (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol).

By comparison, 1 tablespoon of butter contains 12 grams of fat, of which 8 grams (66%) are saturated fat; in addition, a serving of butter contains 33 mgs of cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol have been linked to increased levels of low density lipoproteins, or LDLs (the "bad cholesterol"). Margarine contains approximately 10 grams of fat per tablespoon, but in order to solidify the vegetable oils used to make margarine, the oils have to be hydrogenized, thereby creating potentially hazardous trans fatty acids: trans fatty acids increase LDLs and lower high density lipoproteins, or HDLs (the "good cholesterol").

Scientists agree that extra-virgin olive oil is the healthiest fat around. Studies have shown that olive oil consumption is linked to lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and arteriosclerosis, as well as an increase in the functioning of the immune system.
A Brief History... 10,000 Years
The olive tree has grown wild in the Mediterranean basin for millions of years and was the first plant to be actively cultivated in the Mediterranean.

Called "Liquid Gold" by Homer, considered sacred by the Cretans, and offered to the winners of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, olive oil has a long and venerable pedigree. Fossilized remains of the ancestor of the olive tree have been discovered in Livorno, Tuscany, dating to 20 million years ago. Archaeologists and historians postulate that olive tress were first cultivated in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean as long as 10,000 years ago and that olive cultivation later moved westwards, reaching southern Italy around the eighth century B.C.

The Code of Hammurabi, written in Mesopotamia between 1792 and 1750 B.C., prohibited the pruning of olive trees more than two feet per year--the penalty for excessive pruning was death. In Israel too olive trees were a pinnacle of the economy; King Solomon and King David both promoted olive cultivation, and King David ensured that guards watched over olive groves and warehouses. (In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the olive tree also marks the beginning of history: remember the dove bringing back an olive branch to Noah after the Great Flood?)

Greece was the most heavily cultivated area in the Mediterranean until 1,500 B.C. and the Greeks built special vessels and amphorae in order to transport olive oil from Greece to its numerous trading posts around the Mediterranean. The Romans divided their vast empire according to olive oil markets, and the peoples they conquered were forced to pay taxes in olive oil to their new rulers. The ancient Romans subdivided olive oil in five categories according to the quality of the olives used: oleum ex albis ulivis was from green olives; viride was from olives which were beginning to blacken; maturum was from ripe olives; caducum was from olives fallen on the ground; and cibarium was from rotten olives, meant to be consumed by slaves.

Used to light lamps in temples, to anoint the dead before burial, to prepare medicinal elixirs believed to confer strength and youth, and infused with wild grasses, herbs, and flowers to provide both cosmetics and medicine, olive oil has been far more than mere food across the Mediterranean for the last 10,000 years. Over the millennia, it has continued to play a pivotal role in the culture, economy, and cuisine of the entire Mediterranean basin--and although today olive oil is prized mostly for its culinary virtues, it remains one of the Western World's most mythical, powerful, and alluring ingredients. Consider what Lawrence Durrell wrote in Prospero's Cell: "The entire Mediterranean seems to rise out of the sour, pungent taste of black olives between the teeth. A taste older than meat or wine, a taste as old as cold water. Only the sea itself seems as ancient a part of the region as the olive and its oil, that like no other products of nature, have shaped civilizations from remotest antiquity to the present."

Selecting Olive OilOlive oil, like wine, is a product of nature whose character varies greatly depending on where and how it is made, not to mention what varietals are used.

Experiment with different olive oils to determine which best suit different preparations: a mild olive oil is ideal for delicate dishes, a fruity-spicy one for boldly flavored ones. I have four or five olive oils in my pantry at all times, which I pair with food much as I do wine.

A good extra-virgin olive oil is ideal for sauteeing, frying, drizzling raw over salads, and even baking olive oil-based desserts like Tuscany's famed Flatbread with Grapes.

Be sure to buy only extra-virgin olive oil (avoid virgin, pure, or light olive oil--see above) and, for best results, store your olive oil properly (see below).

Storing Olive Oil As for most foods, heat and light are olive oil's natural enemies, causing the oil to deteriorate faster than it would otherwise and to oxidize, eventually becoming rancid. To slow down the inevitable deterioration process, store olive oil away from light and heat; a pantry far from the stove is ideal. You can store olive oil in the refrigerator if you don't plan on using it within a year of purchase (something I've never done, since I go through a few bottles a month!); the oil will turn cloudy and firm up in the refrigerator, but will return to its normal, clear liquid state when it is brought back to room temperature.

Olive oil oxidizes over time and will become rancid if stored for too long; the average shelf-life of olive oil is 18 months from the date of bottling, as long as it is properly stored. Experts say you can tell if olive oil is rancid when it tastes like pumpkin (I find rancidity fairly easy to detect: the oil tastes bitter and aggressive on the palate and is no longer fruity in flavor). Some bottles of olive oil have a production date stamped on the label, but most do not, so you are better off buying your olive oil at a store that has a good turnover if you want to be sure the oil you buy was recently bottled.

As olive oil ages, it loses its pronounced fruitiness and becomes more delicate in flavor. In the first few months after pressing, olive oil is pungent, fruity, and deep, and its color is dark, tending to green. Within 4 or 5 months, its flavor becomes a touch milder, its color less intense. After a year, the fruitiness gives way to a mellow olive flavor and the color changes to a golden hue. After 18 months, much of the olives' lingering aroma has dissipated and the color of the oil is far brighter, almost yellow. In Italy, the annual olive harvest remains cause for celebration, and people gather to pay homage to the olive tree's prolific fruit at country festivals and outdoor fairs. The ultimate treat (and the manner in which farmers still judge the quality of the year's harvest) is a thick slice of wood-grilled bread drizzled with just-pressed extra-virgin olive oil.

Cooking with Olive OilA common misconception is that extra-virgin olive oil is only meant to be used raw, not for cooking. I couldn't disagree more: I use extra-virgin olive oil for EVERYTHING in my kitchen--from appetizer through dessert, from drizzling raw over a platter of grilled vegetables to sauteeing and deep-frying... I even bake desserts with extra-virgin olive oil.

If you like the flavor of extra-virgin olive oil, there is no reason to relegate it to the "raw use" category only: try extra-virgin olive oil in your pan sauces, rub it on meat before grilling, add it to marinades, deep-fry your crab cakes in it... While it is true that the organoleptic characteristics of extra-virgin olive oil are more pronounced when the oil is savored raw (that is, its distinct qualities, such as an artichoke or almond blossom aroma, are subdued when the oil is subjected to heat), extra-virgin olive oil nevertheless brings more fruity olive flavor to the plate than any other oil.

The inimitable flavor of extra-virgin olive oil more than justifies the difference in price compared with other bland oils--not to mention the fact that extra-virgin olive oil, being an entirely natural product obtained by mechanical pressing of olives, is far more healthful than chemically or industrially extracted vegetable oils.

i'm no 30 year veteran chef, but i know my way around the kitchen.  to cook duck you need 4 things besides heat:

- Bacon strips
- yellow mustard
- mayonnaise
- worchestershire sauce

method:

cut duck breasts into bite size pieces

wrap w/ bacon

grill on med-low heat until bacon is cooked through and duck is about med-well

mix mostly mayo (3 parts), a little mustard (1 part), and a few squirts of Lee & Perin (spelling?) to use as a dipping sauce.




this works great for dove & venison tenderloin also.   i hate mayonnaise, but the sauce goes good with it.  trust me.  hell, they're delicious without any sauce.

Duck hunters around here taught me to remove the breast from the duck and marinate it overnight in Italian salad dressing.  Grill with a couple of strips of bacon draped over the top to keep it from drying out.

Cover a cut-up carcass or two with water in a large pot and add onions, celery, pepper, etc.  Simmer for a couple of hours.  When the meat easily pulls off the bones, you have meat and broth for a pretty good gumbo.

Chef,

wife picked up a pork loin roast. about 2 lbs

good marinade and cooking instructions would be appreciated.  

-Tim

hey Tim
did a few pork recipes for Feral a page back or two, fresh hams and pork chops, check them out as well
thanks for your question

roast marinated pork loin
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast

DIRECTIONS
In a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the first 10 ingredients; add pork and turn to coat. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight, turning meat occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over indirect heat, turning occasionally, for 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F-170 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.


Asian roast pork loin
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup packed light brown sugar
3 green onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian chile paste
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 (2 pound) fat-trimmed pork tenderloin

DIRECTIONS
Pour into a medium bowl the soy sauce, sesame oil, and Worcestershire sauce. Then whisk in brown sugar, green onions, garlic, chile paste, and pepper. Place the tenderloin in a shallow dish. Pour sauce over tenderloin, turning the meat a few times to coat. Cover dish, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Transfer pork with marinade into an aluminum foil-lined baking pan.
Roast in a preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes. Remove, and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

Pork Francaice
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds pork tenderloin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cubes chicken bouillon, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the pork tenderloin in a deep baking dish. Mix together the garlic, onion, parsley, mustard, wine, yogurt, olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, thyme, bouillon, and lemon juice in a bowl; pour over the pork. Cover the entire dish with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Remove the tenderloin from the dish and cover with aluminum foil on a cutting board. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Reserve the sauce from the dish and serve on the side.


Hope that helps

Hey Douglass,

Would you happen to know a really, really awesome spinach and artichoke dip recipe? For some reason I love that stuff and would like to try making it myself so I don't buy store-bought or restaurant made stuff with tons of preservatives and other impurities.

+1

GREENM4GUY asked for some education on cooking oils,,

here we go

Cooking oils, what do I know about cooking oils, well, what I do know is that, when it comes to questions about cooking oils there is a plethora of information and opinioins .

At first glance it seems pretty short and cut and dry. There’s margarine and butter. And then there’s the oil you put in your frying pan, usually called vegetable oil. BUT, NO.
If that was the case. Life would be simpler and Sarah Palin would be President

And what about olive oils? Oh, right, butter, margarine, vegetable oil and for some “Italian” flavoring olive oil?
What about the oil dressing on your salad? What about flavored oils for, say, Asian food? What kind of oil burns at low temperatures? What oil is good for deep frying, like french fries or catfish? And what about the dozen or so different cooking oils? How do they differ? What do they taste like? Why are there something like four kinds of olive oil and which is best for what?
What’s the difference between refined and unrefined oils? Why does the saying “hot pan, cold oil, food won’t stick” work? When doesn’t it seem work? What about the health issues regarding saturated fats?  Unsaturated fats?  What is trans fat?  Which oils have which? Is margarine or spreads actually worse than oils?  Can some oils or fat lower your chance for heart disease? What do I need to know about oils and “smoke point”? What about flash and fire points? …

DAMN; there is a lot to know about oil. . Without cooking oil, there’s no oil, no butter, nothing but animal fat and raw meat. Everything would stick to everything and we would eating foods, meat, veggies, anything either raw, on a stick over a fire or boiled. There would be no cakes, no pies and only flat bread. So, keep in mind, oil is a not an enemy, it’s a necessary thing we use daily and is found in most if not all of our foods each day.

Health, Oils and Cooking Fats

It’s impossible to talk about cooking oils without talking first about fats. The entire “fat thing” is very important to health, because it’s important, we’ll touch on it and I will add an article written by an M.D..

Basiclly, there are four kinds of fats, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fat.
Everything you learned about fats from your high school teacher fuggetaboutit!  Most of it was not true or not fully understood. There is proof  within an eight-year study where eating a low-fat diet did not prevent heart disease, breast cancer nor colon cancer. It didn’t even do much for weight loss. It turns out some fats increase chance of diseases and some fats actually lower the risk of disease and the key is to substitute good fats for bad fats.

Remember these basics: LDL is often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol. HDL is often called the “good” cholesterol.
Saturated fats and trans fats are bad. Trans fat raises LDL. Saturated fats are worse, raising both the LDL and the HDL. Unsaturated fats, both polyunsatureated and monounsaturated are good fats. These lower LDL and raise HDL. The direction you want to go.

Under “good” then comes the following oils:
olive, canola, peanut, corn, soybean, and safflower among others.

Under bad comes most margarines, vegetable shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, and even butter. Also, with one exception, cooking oils do not contain trans fat, where as shortening and stick margarine made of 70% soybean oil have the highest trans fat. Hows that for spinning your world view?.

Butter has the highest saturated fats of anything out there with the exception of coconut oil with palm oil comeing in a close third. Meanwhile cooking oils and various other combination margarine-type spreads all come as having the lowest amounts of saturated fats,though some of these spreads still do contain trans-fat where as the oils do not,
Cooking oils are overall the best way to go V butter or margarine or “Crisco” type fats

We all know all oil is 100% fat.
Despite the various differences in oils, one thing is a constant. All cooking oils contain 120 calories per tablespoon. Also, fatty acids are required for good health in some measure.
If we had zero fat in our diet, we would not be able to metabolize fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K in our bodies. In cold climates, greater amounts of dietary fat is required for greater survival. And constipation is a major bitch especially in a SHTF situation where stress is already jamming your body up. So DO NOT THINK you can cut all oil/fats from your diet and remain healthy, period.

Refined and Unrefined Oils

In researching parts of this topic I found some places will go into long explanations of the differences between refined and unrefined oils, detailing what types of heat or cold-presses or whatever went into these. Does the average cook need to know three pages on this? No. So, simply, this is all that matters:

Unrefined oils have a low smoke point, below 320°F. Anything that low you can’t use for deep-frying and you also have to be careful you don’t make your frying pan too hot. These are used for light saute’s, low-heat baking, salad dressings and sauces primarily. They tend to be made to impart flavor, such as dark sesame oil which is used heavily in Chinese, Indian and other Asian cooking.

The refined cooking oils are the all-around ones we think about most when it comes to cooking: olive oil, canola oil (rapeseed oil), peanut oil, vegetable oil and the rest. Good for low to (depending) deep-frying and which usually impart no, little or slight added tastes to a dish.

Oil Flavors, Cooking Uses, Smoke Points

Oils listed below tend to have a smoke point of 450°F unless other wise stated

Olive Oil. Starting out with this one since it’s the one that has all those different sub-types.
Extra virgin olive oil has the lightest taste and the lowest smoke point at around 406°F.
Virgin is slightly more robust.
Extra Virgin has a higher smoke point.
The lightest flavored oils work best in salad dressings and good for cooking with a slight taste.
The “heavier” ones are often too strong for simply putting on foods that are not cooked or even those that have been cooked; they are best used in the cooking and only if you want a robust carry-over flavor.
I generally use only a single type of olive oil for everything, extra virgin, and that keeps it simple.

Safflower Oil. Clear and nearly flavorless. Often used in salads as it doesn’t solidify when chilled. Good for all cooking. All purpose.

Sunflower Oil. Light flavor. High in polyunsaturated fat. All purpose.

Canola Oil. Similar to safflower. Mild flavor. 400°F smoke point. Often the least expensive and also the lowest saturated fat at 6%.

Peanut Oil. Very subtle flavor and scent, can impart a nutty, roasted flavor. Doesn’t absorb nor transfer flavors. Excellent all around oil. Contains 18% saturated fat, the highest among oils (though low compared to margarines, butter, lard and vegetable shortening.) A cook might need to consider if anyone eating the food has a peanut allergy is a singular drawback to an other-wise excellent oil.

Corn Oil. Nearly tasteless. All purpose. High in polysaturated fat it’s often used for salad oils, mayonnaise and put in margarines.

Soybean Oil. Very mild. All purpose. Almost 80% of anything labeled vegetable oil as an ingredient in a commercially manufactured product contains this oil.

Vegetable Oil. A blend of different refined oils that is designed to have a mild flavor and a high-smoke point. That said, it’s no higher than any of the other oils.

Now CHEF what do I use for  long term storage and daily use of these oils?
The oils you keep in the cupboard depend on what you like to eat, how you cook, healthy eating choices and how much you want to spend. Oils add richness and flavor to food, aid browning and are used in frying.  But all oils are not created equal.

IN A NUT SHELL
•Any tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat.

•Nearly all cooking oils contain no cholesterol.

•Oils vary in the monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fat they contain, making some more desirable for healthier eating.

•Oils vary in how they are processed.  Two terms are seen:
                  o             Cold pressed:  A method of extracting oils that involves only mechanical means.  
                                   It’s a bit misleading as the olives or oil seeds processed are not, in fact, cold when processed.
                  o              Refined: Oil that has undergone a heat or chemical process to extract the oil and make it neutral in color,
                                 flavor and aroma.

•Refining oils improves their shelf life and smoke point.
              o                Shelf life: All oils benefit from storage in a cool, dark place.  Some oils—like peanut, walnut and olive—should be
                                     refrigerated if not used in a month or so.  It’s OK that they become cloudy.
               o                Smoke point: All oils have a temperature where when heated, they smoke and what’s cooking no longer tastes good!
                                    High heat cooking—like cooking in a wok—is best done with oils like peanut, safflower and sesame.

•Just like wine, olive oils and gourmet cooking oils come from many places, are grown different ways, in many flavors and at many prices.  Until you find favorites, start with the smallest bottles you can and look for ways to use what you buy quickly.

Every Kitchen and Casual or Professional Cook Needs

•All-purpose vegetable oil like corn or a vegetable and oilseed blend. Use for general cooking, to pan fry or deep fry.

•Sesame and peanut oil if you like Asian food.

•Pure olive oil for general cooking and extra virgin—called EVOO by celebrity chefs—for drizzling on fresh vegetables or dipping crusty bread. It's essential for Mediterranean cooking.

•One or more gourmet oils that can bump up a recipe’s flavor with little added fat and fewer ingredients such as walnut oil,  grape oil, hazelnut oil etc.


Guide to Choosing Healthy Oils
By Dr. Ben Kim on November 10, 2008
•Healthy Eating Resources
Updated on November 10, 2008.
If you're not sure how to choose healthy oils for cooking, it's important that you understand the essential differences between saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Once you understand the basic characteristics of these fatty acids, you'll know which commonly available oils are good for your health, and which ones you should avoid whenever possible.

Here's a look at the basic differences between the three types of fatty acids that are found in all commonly available oils:
Saturated fatty acids pack together tightly, making oils that contain a large percentage of them extremely stable when exposed to heat and light. Oils that have a high percentage of saturated fatty acids are your best choice for cooking.
Monounsaturated fatty acids do not pack together as tightly as saturated fatty acids do. They are relatively stable when exposed to heat, so oils that contain a high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids are a fair choice for cooking.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids do not pack together very well. They are unstable when extracted out of whole foods, so oils that have a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids tend to produce significant amounts of free radicals when exposed to heat. These oils should never be used for cooking.

So in evaluating plant oils for cooking, it should be clear that oils that contain a high percentage of saturated fatty acids are more stable than those that contain a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids. When exposed to heat and light during processing, storage, and use, oils that contain a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids tend to contain more free radicals than oils that contain mainly saturated and/or monounsaturated fatty acids.
To put this information to use, here's a look at the fatty acid composition of fourteen oils that are commonly available at regular grocery and health food stores:

Coconut Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
91.9 6.2 1.9
Coconut oil is by far the healthiest cooking oil. For information on the premium coconut oil that I use and recommend, please feel free to view: The Health Benefits of Premium Virgin Coconut Oil.

Palm Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
51.6 38.7 9.7
Of all commonly available plant oils, palm oil is second only to coconut oil in its ability to remain stable when exposed to heat. If you did not use palm oil when you were growing up, you might find its taste and odor to be objectionable.

Olive Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
13.8 75.9 10.3
Its high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids makes olive oil relatively stable when exposed to heat. For cooking, it is the next best choice after coconut and palm oil. If you have difficulty maintaining your ideal weight, use olive oil sparingly, as its monounsaturated fatty acids are quite long in structure, which makes them more prone to being stored as fat than short or medium chain fatty acids. Believe it or not, butter is less likely to cause weight gain than olive oil because it contains a high percentage of short and medium chain fatty acids.

Avocado Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
12.1 73.8 14.1
Like olive oil, it has a high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids, which makes avocado oil relatively stable when exposed to heat. Avocado oil is best used for skin moisturizing purposes. Coconut oil is also an excellent skin moisturizer, and is less expensive per ounce than avocado oil.

Peanut Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
18.0 48.0 34.0
Because it has slightly more monounsaturated fatty acids than polyunsaturated fatty acids, peanut oil is relatively stable when exposed to heat. If you use peanut oil, I recommend that you limit use to just a few times per month.

Sesame Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
14.9 41.5 43.6
Sesame oil has almost equal percentages of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It shouldn't be used for cooking on a regular basis, and should be used raw only on occasion.

Canola Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
7.4 61.6 31.0
Although it contains a high percentage of relatively stable monounsaturated fatty acids, canola oil goes rancid quite easily, and relative to olive oil, forms high concentrations of trans fatty acids. Canola oil consumption has also been linked to vitamin E deficiency and heart disease, especially when a person is not getting enough saturated fatty acids in his or her diet. I recommend staying away from canola oil whenever possible.

Corn, Sunflower, Safflower, and Cottonseed Oils:
 % Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
Corn 13.6 29.0 57.4
Sunflower 10.8 20.4 68.7
Safflower 6.5 15.1 78.4
Cottonseed 27.1 18.6 54.3
I recommend staying away from these oils completely. All of them contain large percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They also have high concentrations of omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause a variety of health problems as described in my look at healthy vs. unhealthy fats and oils.

Hemp and Flaxseed Oil:
 % Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
Hemp 10.0 12.5 77.5
Flaxseed 9.8 21.1 69.1
I don't recommend cooking with these oils because of their high concentrations of unstable polyunsaturated fatty acids. If their manufacturers have minimized exposure to heat and light with their processing and bottling techniques, a small amount of these oils in their raw forms can be a part of a healthy diet. But it's healthier to eat their seeds freshly ground.

Grape seed Oil:
% Saturated % Monounsaturated % Polyunsaturated
10.0 16.8 73.2
Grape seed oil should also be avoided when cooking. As with most other vegetable oils, it contains a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids which produce significant amounts of free radicals when exposed to heat.

Please Note: I calculated all of the fatty acid percentages listed above using the nutrient profiles for each oil as listed under the USDA nutrient database.
Based on the information above, I generally recommend using mainly coconut oil and/or olive oil for cooking.


HOPE THAT COVERS IT

CHEF

what a bunch of girly men we have here Arty CHOKE and SPINacccchh DIP,,you'll be knitting and mending socks next

YEA GODS




ok try these...


of course you may buy the artichokes, fresh spinach and do all this from scratch, but I am NOT going to type all that out
or do it the restaurant way and cheat.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 (16 ounce) containers sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
garlic salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix cream cheese and sour cream into the spinach mixture. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE
INGREDIENTS
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a blender or food processor, place artichoke hearts, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese and garlic . Pulse until chopped, but not ground. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, heavy cream, sour cream and mozzarella cheese. Stir in artichoke mixture. Spoon into prepared baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

t-lee you may notice my alfredo sauce ingrediants in the second dip
and with both recipes, a few ounces of a nice dry white wine added will set up the tastes nicely.
CHEF

ok, not being a nut about such things but I just realized I am 16 posts away from

5000









so

suggestions??

So what's your opinion on  shudder chocolate bacon?

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=832966

chef,

your 5000th post should be a dinner pic. something EPIC!

Actually, you are 15 posts away.  

Chef,

After hunting last week with a friend I have numerous breasts of pheasant. I will  brine, wrap in bacon and smoke on the Weber.

What types of cheese would you suggest serving along side the smoked bird?

If it helps I was wanting to serve either a Zin or a Pino with this appetizer course

thanks for your question...
The pheasant sound great, I would immediate recommend an Extra Sharp Vermont style cheddar.
The sharp, tanginess of the cheddar should mingle nicely with the smoky taste of the pheasant, or a aged Stilton would complement it nicely as well
A Pino would be fine, sharp enough to cleanse the palate from either of the taste differences, leaving a nice clean finish..

How about smoking some cheese along with the birds?

You can smoke just about any cheese you like. a block of Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese, which is readily available at grocery stores or Aged Gouda. I've heard that folks get good results with Swiss, Colby, Provolone, Mozzarella, Havarti, Jarlsburg, and Stilton.
Which ever you decide, make sure to choose high-quality cheese. Cheap, processed cheeses are not going to give you a harmonious outcome.
Best results are achieved by smoking large chunks of cheese  The intense smoke flavor on the outside of the cheese will be balanced by the large amount of creamy "inside" cheese that has no smoke flavor.
Mild smoke woods are best for smoked cheese. Apple, cherry, alder, or a combination of these will work well. Mesquite or hickory may prove to strong.

When cold-smoking cheese or any other food you want to generate smoke without generating a lot of heat. The goal is to keep the temperature below about 90°F. Once your fire is started and your smoke wood in place, Open all the cooker vents fully. Put the cheese on the top grate and monitor the cooker temperature carefully. Keep the temperature below 90°F to avoid melting the cheese. Smoke for 30-120 minutes, depending on the desired level of smoke flavor and how long you can maintain a sub-90°F temperature.
If the cheese begins to sweat during the smoking process, blot with a paper towel and make sure the cooker is running below 90°F.
A stone ground mustard would be a good condiment for your cocktail offerings as well with a side of sliced granny smith apples.

Originally Posted By seabass: Chef Morris, I made the cornbread muffins with the yogurt the other night and they came out perfect.    Thanks!!!!

great! glad  it worked out for you....more than happy to help out..

Chef,

Glad the health care is keeping you on the green side of the grass, and thanks one more time for all of your insights.  I think I'm going to try applesauce in my waffles tomorrow!