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Pastas
Stir Frying
Stir frying came to be for economic reasons; the shortage of fuel. Food that is cut into small pieces and cooked over extremely high heat takes less cooking time and less energy.
There are four important parts to stir-frying:
*Small pieces of food in very little oil
*Extremely high intense heat
*Constant movement and stirring with utensils
*A very short cooking time
The sound of sizzling you hear when stir-frying tells you that the heat is very intense.
With practice and concentration you can master the art of stir-fry, set up a steady rhythm, so every few seconds, the food is moved around the wok by the spatula.
Be certain that you push the spatula through the center of the wok, turning all food to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Stir-frying is possible in a Dutch oven or skillet, but it is quite a bit easier in a wok.
How to stir-fry:
*Place the wok over intense heat for 10 to 30 seconds
*Add oil in a circular motion with a tablespoon, beginning at the top and working around, this coats the entire wok, both sides and bottom.
*Never lift the wok from the heat for any reason until the cooking is completed
*If necessary, use the spatula to distribute the oil around the sides.
*Add any one ingredient all at once, no more than 3 inches from the inside, this minimizes splattering
*Begin stir-frying immediately adding the ingredients as they are listed in the recipe
After the food has been removed, wash the wok immediately with hot water and a vegetable brush, do not use soap.
Dry over a high flame and season with a teaspoon of oil for the first few months of use to prevent rust and protect the surface.
Use the highest flame possible for cooking unless the recipe says to turn it down.
When stir-frying vegetables be careful not to scorch them, if this begins, turn the heat down immediately.
If stock (broth) is called for, bring it to a boil in a separate pan, and add it to the sides of the wok, all liquids should be added in the manner.
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Pastas
The History of the Fry Pan
The ancient Mesopotamians used copper frying pans; they were also available in Greek and Roman kitchens.
To the Greeks they were know as Teganon and the Romans called them patella, patella is used in its modern form in Spanish and is translated as paella and in Italian as padella.
Regardless of the name, they are all frying pans! Frying pans were originally deep like modern sauce pans, in North America they are also referred to as skillets.
In England and America fry pans with legs were commonly called spiders, and were used for open hearth cooking.
Little change was made in the fry pan for many years, they had broad shallow bodies and long handles to keep the cooks hand from being burned by the fire.
The first use of the word fry pan was in 1382 when it was used in the translation of the Vulgate Bible by John Wycliffe, other than that, the term fry pan is infrequently used prior to the 1950s.
Frying pans were typically made of cast iron, and even though cast iron is still in use, mostly for outdoor cooking, most pans today are made of aluminum or stainless steel.
Often frying pans are coated with Teflon for a non-stick surface; this does not apply to cast iron, which develops a non stick surface when it is seasoned.
The largest fry pan in the world was created by Mumford Sheet Metal Works in 1950 for the Delmarva Chicken Festival; they fried over one hundred tons of chicken in it before it was retired in 1998.
It measures 10 feet in diameter, which is 4 inches bigger than the previous 9.6 ft Washington fry pan built in 1941 for the Washington Clam Festival.
Considered a luxury because of the high cost of electricity at the time, frying pans were one of the first items to be electrified.
In 1898 Britain an element fitted below the pan, with the socket at the end of a wooden handle. They never gained popularity even when electricity became a normal part of everyday life. |
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Outdoor Grills
Barbecues have thrilled the American public for years, who doesnt love to taste of food cooked over an open grill?
Choosing a grill is an important part of this process, and there are as many types of grills as there are people cooking out of doors. There are small ones that fold up and can sit anywhere, costing only a few dollars.
There are the old standbys that were round with legs, and eventually they got used so much that the bottom burned out! Then there are the big fancy ones, costing hundreds of dollars, with propane, or charcoal.
Then there are the back yard barbecue enthusiasts who have one built of brick, block or fieldstone the choice is yours. There are grills with hoods, windshields, warming ovens and rotisseries.
These items bring all the advantages of cooking in your kitchen into your backyard. It is important that the grill you purchase meet all of your needs, choose it in the same way you would choose a stove for the kitchen!
Do you want a grill that you can take with you to a friends house; or just one to leave at home? If you are newlyweds just getting started, you may want a small grill just for two, possibly a hibachi, unless you have lots of barbecues or plan to start your family early.
In which case you may choose one of the larger models, for cooking a large amount of food at one time. Another consideration is propane or charcoal briquettes, some people dont like the taste of foods barbecued over propane (it looses that smoked taste).
However, you can buy chips to bring that taste out in your foods. Charcoal briquettes have a definite advantage when it comes to taste, and like I said earlier, who doesnt love the taste of food cooked over an open grill?
I once cooked on a grill so old the bottom was covered with a piece of metal and tin foil, dont try to convince the owner of that grill to buy a new one, his is “just getting broke in good”!
Choose wisely and enjoy your outdoor grill for many years to come!
Related Topics: Microwave Cooking,
Reducing Ingredients-or Pared Down Cooking, Stir Frying
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