You have doubtless noticed that every time you go shopping, your bill is higher and the number of bags you leave with are fewer than just a month ago. The prices of staple items, such as sugar, bread, coffee and butter jump every week, to a new high. Last week, you might have said, “This [...]
Anyone who does a lot of cooking will tell you that chicken by itself is not the tastiest meat. Steak is more intense, pork is more distinctive, and fish is more complex. Nevertheless, chicken has an advantage over all of these meats. Chicken is by far the most versatile meat there is. Turkey doesn’t compare, [...]
Everyone is very busy these days, juggling home life and work. It’s very tempting to pop a ready meal into the microwave at the end of a long day. Cooking skills are declining but there is a way of eating healthy, nutritious meals without spending ages in the kitchen. Traditional casserole recipes can be found [...]
It’s well known that many of us in the United States are both overweight and lacking in the nutrients contained in a healthy diet. Some people gain a lot of weight by frequent stops at the fast food places, just because it’s more convenient and we don’t have any cleanup or we’re simply short on [...]
Pasta lovers are very passionate about their favorite food and prefer freshly made varieties to buying it in a supermarket. There is a wonderful taste from fresh pasta, mixed with butter and basil and topped with Parmesan or in a tomato sauce. To make fresh at home, you will need a pasta machine and there [...]
Pizza is one of America’s favorite foods. However, most people think pizza is a big caloric splurge that will surely put on a few unwanted pounds. If your choice of pizza is a big, five pound wonder loaded with sausage, pepperoni, salami and other fatty meats, it probably will cause an unpleasant tipping of the [...]
Gourmet cooks are always interested in new dishes, unfamiliar cuisines and the obscure and neglected taste treats to be found in every culture. Such is Norwegian cuisine. Some gourmets scoff at the idea of Norwegian recipes, relegating them to an uninteresting and unremarkable slot in the world of fusion cooking and trendy foods. However, don’t [...]
Many people are very aware of the food that they eat and they want to have a balanced diet with the right amount of vitamins and minerals. For a better lifestyle, healthy cooking recipes are important. Of course, it does no harm to have a treat now and then but there are some useful guidelines [...]
The French have exported their cuisine all over the world and famous French food is available in intimate bistros and Michelin Guide restaurants. There have been many well-known French chefs and schools of cooking, such as haute cuisine and nouvelle cuisine. Some establishments favour complicated dishes with rich sauces and expensive ingredients whilst others prefer [...]
When I was young, I didn’t know much about junk foods simply because my mom never gave them to us. On a rare occasion she would give my brother and I a bowl of chips to share, but for the most part, we didn’t eat many things that most would consider junk. However, there are [...]
When most people think of American food, they picture pretty basic offerings. “American as apple pie,” the phrase that has been uttered millions of times in this country, comes to mind first, but soon after is followed by hamburgers, french fries, chicken dinners, and meatloaf. All of these are quite popular American foods, even if [...]
We’re all fairly health conscious these days. At least we know we should try to cut back on sweets and fats, but we also want food that tastes good, not just healthy. Rising food costs make it even more difficult to put together a meal that is good for you and pleases your palate too. [...]
It is simple, healthy and cost-efficient to make your baby’s food at home. Homemade baby food allows you to control the ingredients. Whether fruit or vegetables, homemade baby food is easy to make, store and reheat. You can even make tasty combinations of fruits or vegetables that will increase the vitamin and nutrition content of [...]
Many people get into a complete panic when faced with a romantic dinner occasion. Perhaps it’s your love’s birthday, your anniversary or simply a romantic evening at home. Are you entertaining a new love interest? Yikes, this really gets one into a tizzy. “Oh, no! What if it turns out terrible? I’ll order out and [...]
One of the biggest past times for Americans is eating. Believe it or not, we are constantly discussing food. How to cook this, or what’s the best way to prepare that. It’s funny how consumed we are with meals. Well, it doesn’t get any more American than grilling. We love to grill out, have a [...]
My parents never really taught me how to cook, and so when I moved out, I had to figure everything out on my own. I was a pretty quick study, all things considered, but even so I was kept to pretty basic things. I lived on stir fried meals and Ramen noodles for the first [...]
I used to obsess over parties. You see, all of my friends were practically gourmet cooks, and we constantly struggled to outdo each other. We would try to have the best food, the best appetizers, the best mixed drinks – in short, the best everything. It was amazing the amount of stress I would go [...]
Nowadays, everyone wants to eat healthy, but most of us do not want to have to sacrifice taste to do it. That is why seafood recipes are such an appealing option for the health-conscious gourmet. A good seafood recipe can absolutely send you, but you need to know how to prepare it. Cooking seafood is [...]
There are so many great new recipes for appetizers. It does seem that once a new recipe hits a popular magazine or cooking show, you will see it at every party or get together you go to. At times if you want to do something different for a party that you are hosting it is [...]
Any party or formal function will start well with a tray of hors d’oevres being passed round the room. These delicacies will break the ice and give guests a choice of tasty snacks or starters. Italian cuisine embraces this tradition too and Antipasto platters, as they are known, are an opportunity to present the best [...]
Let’s face it – who wants to slave away in the kitchen for hours upon hours just to produce a decent meal? No one wants to do that. In fact, most individuals who are responsible for making the family meals prefer to spend less than one hour in the kitchen. That one hour includes all [...]
Deciding what to make for dinner can be a chore every night. You don’t want to make the same thing that you have twice or three times a week. Your taste buds get bored of it and you crave something different. However, you don’t want to go out for food since it is expensive and [...]
There are many cost saving things that you can do to enjoy food items that are expensive to buy. My husband is a hunter so he likes to take many snacks with him when he goes on various hunting trips throughout the year. I have found that if I make the snacks for him they [...]
If you are a working professional, you probably know how easy it is to get stuck in the same routine with cooking. You might not even have time to cook at all – you would not be alone. There are millions of households in American today that simply eat by thawing something at the last [...]
I have been an avid Chef ever since I moved off to college. My parents never taught me how to cook when I was a kid, so I was pretty unprepared for living on my own. Once I learned, however, I took to it like a duck to water. In general – unlike most gourmet [...]
An unusual food has been appearing on more and more snack tables and dinner tables. Jalapeno stuffed olives seem to be creeping into the mainstream slowly but surely. I had my first taste of this spicy treat at a summer barbeque and I think that I may have to search for this product in my [...]
In the Northeast, where seafood is abundant, fish chowder recipes are family favorites. From the French, chaudiere, a pot, chowder is usually made with onions, potatoes, a thick milk base and often, clams. However, Americans are innovative cooks and have devised many imaginative takes on the original Northeastern fish chowder.
When the nights are cold and dreary, nothing hits the spot quite like a hearty soup. Here are a few ideas for one such meal that will win applause from your family: the ubiquitous international comfort food, mushroom soup.
Smoke houses are one of those curious family traditions. Either you grew up with one or you did not. We lived way out in the country, and my father was a farmer and a hunter, so it goes without saying that I grew up with a smokehouse right behind their house. If you’ve never known [...]
The evenings at our house seem to be booked with some activity or another several nights a week. Our children are involved in several activities in school and my husband and I are involved in church and community activities. We all enjoy the things that we do, but the evenings seem very short and I [...]
Are you remembering the most important meal of the day? Yes folks, I’m talking about breakfast. We all get up and get dressed, comb our hair, and brush our teeth, then dart out the door without a thought in the world. Now, what did we forget? Breakfast! We need breakfast in order to begin the [...]
I would love to say that I have the time to whip up amazing meals each night. There are a few problems with that thought. For one, I am not the best cook in the world, and secondly, I just don’t have a lot of time. I remember my grandmother would spend most of her [...]
Just about every household has at least one frying pan. This is a traditional cooking item that has helped many families create any number of meals throughout recent history. This accessible necessity of the culinary world has been around for quite some time. Even people who claim that they can’t boil water have delved into [...]
My husband watches the Food Network all of the time. I feed him well, so I’m not sure what he is looking for. As it turns out, he used to cook in restaurants, though he would never call himself a chef. He is always looking for new meal ideas, and he says that he learns [...]
All my experiences with and memories of bruschetta have been positive, but my first are the best and most vivid. I was dating a guy I met in a program meeting and had been with out with him just a few times. He was cool, quiet, and had specific tastes, expressed in his choice of [...]
TV presenter and author Rachael Ray has forged a successful career in helping people to cook. Her show, 30 Minute Meals, is on the cable Food Network and is very popular with viewers looking for simple meals that can be prepared quickly. Everyone wants to give their families nutritious meals but work commitments mean that [...]
Are you inviting the boss for dinner? A hot date? You may be scratching your head for a dish that’s elegant, delicious and not beyond your scope of cooking skills. Bacon wrapped scallops can be the answer. This is a simple entree anyone can prepare and make a big splash with your guests. They’ll think [...]