Generally, cooking for men requires more food including more meat and more dessert. This is of course assuming that the men in your life are not vegetarians or on a weight reduction diet. If there is stick-to-the-ribs food on the table, most men would do a dance of joy before sitting at the table to eat and dessert is de-rigeur when it comes to men.
The way to a man's heart truly is through his stomach and if you want to get there quickly, serve up a scrumptious dessert after filling him up with "real food", which of course could be a one-course meal that includes ribs or steak.
..Teach a Man to Fish...
If you have an angler in your midst, you might think about collecting recipes for the types of fish he brings home for the table. There are several different marinades and seasoning combinations that go great with fish. Fish can be grilled, fried or baked and if he prefers, you can even bread it and put it in the deep fryer.
Roast a Bird
Buy a whole fryer chicken and stuff it with his favorite kind of stuffing. Some excellent side choices are baby potatoes or buttery noodles, a green bean salad or steamed broccoli, and applesauce or fruit cocktail. Do not forget the rolls!
Beef Crock Pot Recipes
Crock pot recipes are the perfect recipes for men. A great pot roast with potatoes and carrots will melt in the mouth after a few hours of simmering in the crock pot. Put the vegetables on the bottom and the meat on the top. Add a cup or so of broth and season it before putting the lid on and letting it stew.
Speaking of stew - stew is almost as easy as pot roast and it too cooks up deliciously in crock pots. If you purchase pre-cut stew meat, all you have to do is chop vegetables. Carrots, potatoes, celery and onions are the typical vegetables put into beef stew. Once again, the vegetables should go in first.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Outdoor Cooking Supplies
Any person who likes to cook in the outdoors knows how important it is to have good outdoor cooking supplies. The person who has good supplies definitely finds cooking outdoors more enjoyable than the person who has inferior or no supplies to use.
Some of the supplies a person might want to have when cooking outdoors include:
• Matches or lighters - Fire is the essential element needed to cook outside. Regardless of whether a person is cooking steak, hamburgers, pork, or chicken, he needs to have a reliable source of heat. Typically it is better to have an outdoor lighter than matches simply because they tend to be more reliable in wet conditions. Having matches as a backup is never a bad idea.
• Strong spatula - A plastic spatula is fine for making grilled cheese sandwiches in the kitchen, but when it comes to serious grilling, the spatula must be durable and strong. One of the problems that arise with plastic spatulas is that they melt too easily when they are being used on a grill. A strong metal spatula will be able to withstand the heat much better.
• Knife set - When cooking thick cuts of meat, it is important to check deep inside the meat to make sure it has been cooked properly before it is served. The best way to do this is to simply cut the meat with a knife to inspect how red the meat is. It is important that the cutlery is sharp and easy to cut with. Because the knife is often used while the meat is still on the grill, it is important that the knife be able to cut through the meat quickly without needing to do too much of a sawing action.
• Charcoal - Depending on which kind of grill a person is cooking on, charcoal might be one of the more important outdoor cooking supplies. It is important to always have some extra charcoal on hand. Keep extra bags of charcoal in areas that are nearby and dry. A storage shed or a basement are two places where some people keep their charcoal. If the charcoal gets wet, it will not work very well.
• Tongs - Some pieces of meat are just easier to turn with tongs than with spatulas. This is especially true of large cuts of meat that are larger than the spatula. Tongs are best when they have rubber handles with a metal base. The rubber handles help keep the part that a person needs to touch from heating up and burning him. If the actual grips on the tongs have some kind of teeth on them, it will be easier to use them to pick up heavy cuts of meat.
All of these outdoor cooking supplies can come in handy at one time or another. While there are other supplies that may be needed from time to time, the items listed above are some of the most essential. Some grillers might want to customize the items they have, but they definitely should have some form of these items.
Some of the supplies a person might want to have when cooking outdoors include:
• Matches or lighters - Fire is the essential element needed to cook outside. Regardless of whether a person is cooking steak, hamburgers, pork, or chicken, he needs to have a reliable source of heat. Typically it is better to have an outdoor lighter than matches simply because they tend to be more reliable in wet conditions. Having matches as a backup is never a bad idea.
• Strong spatula - A plastic spatula is fine for making grilled cheese sandwiches in the kitchen, but when it comes to serious grilling, the spatula must be durable and strong. One of the problems that arise with plastic spatulas is that they melt too easily when they are being used on a grill. A strong metal spatula will be able to withstand the heat much better.
• Knife set - When cooking thick cuts of meat, it is important to check deep inside the meat to make sure it has been cooked properly before it is served. The best way to do this is to simply cut the meat with a knife to inspect how red the meat is. It is important that the cutlery is sharp and easy to cut with. Because the knife is often used while the meat is still on the grill, it is important that the knife be able to cut through the meat quickly without needing to do too much of a sawing action.
• Charcoal - Depending on which kind of grill a person is cooking on, charcoal might be one of the more important outdoor cooking supplies. It is important to always have some extra charcoal on hand. Keep extra bags of charcoal in areas that are nearby and dry. A storage shed or a basement are two places where some people keep their charcoal. If the charcoal gets wet, it will not work very well.
• Tongs - Some pieces of meat are just easier to turn with tongs than with spatulas. This is especially true of large cuts of meat that are larger than the spatula. Tongs are best when they have rubber handles with a metal base. The rubber handles help keep the part that a person needs to touch from heating up and burning him. If the actual grips on the tongs have some kind of teeth on them, it will be easier to use them to pick up heavy cuts of meat.
All of these outdoor cooking supplies can come in handy at one time or another. While there are other supplies that may be needed from time to time, the items listed above are some of the most essential. Some grillers might want to customize the items they have, but they definitely should have some form of these items.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Chinese Herbs - Not Just For Cooking
Chinese herbs have been used for cooking for many years now. However, they have also been widely used as a medicine and they have been thought to cure several health problems. However, the benefits of Chinese herbs have not yet been proven and so they are often referred to as ‘alternative medicines’.
Whether they work or not, the use of Chinese herbs in both cooking and healing has passed onto Western Countries. Now millions of people around the world use them and their popularity is showing no signs of slowing down.
How Chinese Herbs Were Traditionally Used
Chinese herbs were traditionally used for cooking. The Chinese people loved to cook their cuisine with herbs as they really helped to enhance the flavor. Due to their popularity, they were studied widely and the first ever Chinese herbalist was created and known as “Shennong”. Shennong is basically a mythical persona which is said to have tasted all of the Chinese herbs and reported back to agricultural people about the benefits and poisonous abilities that the herbs have.
A manual was created known as the “Shennong BencaoJing” and it contained around three hundred and sixty five medicines in it. Out of those, two hundred and fifty two of them were made from Chinese herbs. This was the first ever manual to be created on Chinese Herbs.
Why the Chinese Have a Love Affair with Herbs
When you look at the Chinese people, you will realize that they generally tend to live long, healthy lives. They have a fantastic diet and part of this is down to the herbs which they consume also.
When you look into a lot of chemical drugs, you will see that most of them have been derived from Chinese herbs. So from this you will realize that herbs obviously do help to take away the symptoms of some conditions. The Chinese generally believe that in order to live a healthy lifestyle, you need to eat well, exercise regularly and have a good selection of herbs readily on offer.
Overall herbs are respected for their obvious health benefits that the Chinese people have experienced first hand. They may have a slightly mythical past, but their popularity now just goes to show that they obviously work in some way. So whilst they are better known for being used for cooking, you may like to try them out the next time that you have a headache or a mild health complaint.
Whether they work or not, the use of Chinese herbs in both cooking and healing has passed onto Western Countries. Now millions of people around the world use them and their popularity is showing no signs of slowing down.
How Chinese Herbs Were Traditionally Used
Chinese herbs were traditionally used for cooking. The Chinese people loved to cook their cuisine with herbs as they really helped to enhance the flavor. Due to their popularity, they were studied widely and the first ever Chinese herbalist was created and known as “Shennong”. Shennong is basically a mythical persona which is said to have tasted all of the Chinese herbs and reported back to agricultural people about the benefits and poisonous abilities that the herbs have.
A manual was created known as the “Shennong BencaoJing” and it contained around three hundred and sixty five medicines in it. Out of those, two hundred and fifty two of them were made from Chinese herbs. This was the first ever manual to be created on Chinese Herbs.
Why the Chinese Have a Love Affair with Herbs
When you look at the Chinese people, you will realize that they generally tend to live long, healthy lives. They have a fantastic diet and part of this is down to the herbs which they consume also.
When you look into a lot of chemical drugs, you will see that most of them have been derived from Chinese herbs. So from this you will realize that herbs obviously do help to take away the symptoms of some conditions. The Chinese generally believe that in order to live a healthy lifestyle, you need to eat well, exercise regularly and have a good selection of herbs readily on offer.
Overall herbs are respected for their obvious health benefits that the Chinese people have experienced first hand. They may have a slightly mythical past, but their popularity now just goes to show that they obviously work in some way. So whilst they are better known for being used for cooking, you may like to try them out the next time that you have a headache or a mild health complaint.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Cooking Just For Fun
Is cooking more of a chore for you than a craft? Maybe it's time you changed your approach. It's a proven fact that your cooking is much better when you enjoy what you're doing, and you can bet your family can taste the difference. Just a few twists can totally revive your interest in cooking. Get back your drive by trying these few quick tricks.
Get out the grill. Everyone likes a good barbecue, and hosting a fun backyard party is a great way to get everyone together. Pretty much everything can be put on the grill-meat, veggies, even some fruits and cheese. Experiment with different marinades and sauces. Not sure what to serve? Put an assortment of foods on the table and let everyone make their own.
Decorate some cupcakes. Sometimes what you lack is just a bit of creativity. If you have a sweet tooth and some spare ingredients, whip up a quick batch of frosting and decorate some store-bought cupcakes. Go with any design you want-animals, flowers, bugs, cars, you name it. Get your kids to help out and make it a fun afternoon hobby.
Make a quick dessert. You'll be surprised at how creative people can get by making desserts on a whim.Most desserts take only a half hour or less and can be made with leftover ingredients. Next time you make dinner, take an extra 15 minutes to fix dessert and make your meal a little sweeter.
Put a twist on pasta recipes. The great thing about pasta is the range of possibilities it offers. You can make your sauces thick and creamy, sweet, spicy, smooth, chunky... you get the idea. Take an old favorite and add a little something to make it different. Sometimes just trying out a new noodle shape can get your creative juices flowing!
Invent a side dish. There's an endless possibility of food combinations just waiting to be tried. Mix together some of your favorite ingredients and you just might come up with a new favorite dish. Don't feel pressured to make a masterpiece; just keep experimenting and have fun while doing it.
Get out the grill. Everyone likes a good barbecue, and hosting a fun backyard party is a great way to get everyone together. Pretty much everything can be put on the grill-meat, veggies, even some fruits and cheese. Experiment with different marinades and sauces. Not sure what to serve? Put an assortment of foods on the table and let everyone make their own.
Decorate some cupcakes. Sometimes what you lack is just a bit of creativity. If you have a sweet tooth and some spare ingredients, whip up a quick batch of frosting and decorate some store-bought cupcakes. Go with any design you want-animals, flowers, bugs, cars, you name it. Get your kids to help out and make it a fun afternoon hobby.
Make a quick dessert. You'll be surprised at how creative people can get by making desserts on a whim.Most desserts take only a half hour or less and can be made with leftover ingredients. Next time you make dinner, take an extra 15 minutes to fix dessert and make your meal a little sweeter.
Put a twist on pasta recipes. The great thing about pasta is the range of possibilities it offers. You can make your sauces thick and creamy, sweet, spicy, smooth, chunky... you get the idea. Take an old favorite and add a little something to make it different. Sometimes just trying out a new noodle shape can get your creative juices flowing!
Invent a side dish. There's an endless possibility of food combinations just waiting to be tried. Mix together some of your favorite ingredients and you just might come up with a new favorite dish. Don't feel pressured to make a masterpiece; just keep experimenting and have fun while doing it.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)