Saturday, September 22, 2007

The Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Learn How To Cook French Food

Welcome back - here's today's featured article:

by: Paul Costelo

Food should be the most important thing in our lives. Without it we cannot survive yet we neglect it almost every day of our lives. Are you sick of eating junk ? If the answer's yes then do something about it.

1. Take care of your family

Make no mistake if you want your family to be healthy you need to give them the best food available. The best food available is NOT hamburgers or pizza or any of the rest of the processed , pre-packaged junk we feed our kids nowadays. Are your kids badly behaved, over-weight, hyperactive ? The chances are its down to the food they eat. Stop giving them packaged junk- if you want a healthy lifestyle, a longer life and a happier family look to the food that they eat. And if you want to cook them the best food in the world cook them French food. If you know Europe, if you know cooking ,you'll know that French food really is the best in the world.

2. Its simple and varied.

You may think that French food is difficult to cook , that even if you want to it would be too difficult for you to learn. This simply isn't the case. Cooking any food is easy if you're taught by the right teacher. As with any skill in life learning is easy if you're given straightforward, simple instructions guiding you through every step of the process. It really is possible, with a little time and common sense to learn to cook French. Truffles, sauces,soups, meat dishes, desserts all are easy to learn and easy to cook. You can with a little patience, become a French cookery expert!!

3. Its quick and its natural

Don't be fooled into thinking that French cooking is complicated and that you have to spend hours and hours creating difficult recipes. This isn't true. There are plenty of French recipes which are quick. Many take under an hour including preparation and cooking time and at the end of that time you don't have a meal you have a work of art!! Best of all to cook French properly you have to use natural ingredients. Proper vegetables, delicious fruit, the best cuts of meat,herbs and spices. If you want to eat junk forget French food. If you want to improve your lifestyle and lead a better life then learn to cook like the French!!

4. It improves your life

You probably think that I'm exaggerating when I say French food will improve your life. OK- think about it. These are other reasons why you should learn how to cook like the French: It'll help you learn the language and when you visit Paris or anywhere else in France you'll know what to eat and how to communicate. You'll be a native not a tourist.

Throw a French dinner party, entertain your friends. Your new knowledge will be the envy of everyone who knows you.

France is one of the most romantic countries and cultures in the world- one of the reasons for this is their love of food. They treat food as being sexy and a joy, something to be savoured not a quick five minute snack break. This attitude is reflected in all aspects of their lives- slow down, be sexy and enjoy ! If you really want to cook to impress; friends, your boss, your family, your lover then you must cook French .

Food really is the most important thing in our lives- it can improve us or destroy us. What do you want the food that you eat to do?

Copyright 2005 Paul Costelo
About The Author

Paul Costelo is a High School Vice Principal with a wife and 2 young boys aged 6 and 3. He is not a professional cook but his family's lives changed when he learnt to cook French. His 2 sons suffered badly from food allergies from eating too much unnatural , processed food. Now their diet has improved and consists of natural, delicious food- food cooked the French way.
Paul is now proud to publish this book: 'The Art of simple French Cookery.'
http://www.a1frenchfoodrecipes.com


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Friday, September 14, 2007

Give A Swiss Fondue Party

Welcome back - here's today's delicious suggestion:

by: Micaela Ferrari

A Fondue Party is ideal for an informal evening with friends. This popular dish comes from Switzerland where villagers in the mountains had to rely on local produce, like cheese, wine and home baked bread during the long winter months. The name fondue comes from the French word "fondre", which means to melt or blend. Fondue meaning melted cheese in wine. You will need a chafing dish over a spirit stove and long fondue forks.

Place the heated fondue dish on the spirit stove in the center of your table and hand out a fork to all your guests. Everyone spears a piece of bread onto the long fork, dips it into the fondue, turns it once or twice before eating it. In no time the ice will be broken and the party in full swing with everyone trying not to drop the bread form the fork. The custom is that anyone who looses a piece of bread in the dish must supply a bottle of wine. Even the experts find it hard, especially after a few glasses of Kirsch. Fondue Parties in Switzerland are a lot of fun with its warm atmosphere.

Lots of other delicious variations exist now, e.g. Fondue Bourgignonne made with Fillet Steak accompanied with Mustard, Tatar, Bearnaise, Tomato or Curry sauce and so on.

Swiss Cheese Fondue:
Ideally a rustic wine and small glasses of Kirsch and a crispy salad are served with this. Suitable for Vegetarians.

350g ( 12oz ) Emmenthal Cheese, grated
350g ( 12oz ) Gruyère Cheese, grated
45cl ( 3/4 pint ) dry white wine
3 tablespoons of Kirsch
3-4 flat teaspoons of corn starch
grated nutmeg to taste
1 clove of garlic
pepper to taste
crusty firm bread, like French bread, cut into bite size pieces

rub the fondue pan with garlic
pour in the wine and heat very gently over the cooker
when hot add a small amount of cheese at a time, stirring continually
bring it gently to bubbling point
add the kirsch mixed with the corn starch
let it simmer for another 3 minutes, stirring continually
now place it on your fondue stand with a lit flame and serve

Tip: corn starch is a white type thickening flour and not the yellow maize variety

About The Author

Micaela Ferrari loves cooking and baking and has her own website where you can find a lot more mouthwatering recipes.
http://www.myhouseandgarden.com
mica@myhouseandgarden.com


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Friday, September 7, 2007

The Chefs Mindset

Welcome back - here's today's featured article:

by: David McCarthy
Have you ever wondered what the difference between a great chef and an ordinary chef is? How can one produce food recipes that are remembered and another produce food that is quickly forgotten? Disregarding all the jokes about never trusting a skinny chef I can only say that the 80/20 rule applies in this profession the same as in other professions. It is a fact of life that 20% of lawyers, doctors, accountants, financial planners etc. are outstanding; the other 80% are mediocre to awful. The same applies to all trades and professions. So the challenge vis-à-vis chefs is to find what differentiates the 20% from the 80%.
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The first thing you will notice about the top 20% is creativity; they create meals and set the standard for others to follow. The most obvious sign of creativity is in the way that a meal is served. Can you look at the meal before you start eating and think: This meal appears to be unique? This must be obvious before you taste it; the meal truly needs to stir something (other than hunger) within you. Top chefs are like interior decorators in their presentation; mixing colors, shapes and textures to be sure that they are eye-catching.

Next we come to the recipe itself. Top chefs rarely present a recipe as it is presented in a recipe book; instead they add their own signature to it. This signature is better known as flair and varies from adding a simple extra ingredient to a number of ingredients. It could also be a variation of some ingredient quantities. For instance there is a recipe on our website for chocolate truffles flavored with cayenne pepper. Now that looks stupid on paper because it is one of those things that you must taste to believe. The result is a truffle that leaves a taste for at least half an hour after you eat it. This is just one example of a chef that thinks outside of the square. There are many more that are not quite so radical.

Another thing I like to test when I eat out is the taste of simple boiled vegetables; you don’t need me to tell you that they can be bland. So, what if you boil all non-root vegetables in chicken, beef or vegetable stock rather than plain water. Also boil them together for the same time. You finish up with extra flavored vegetables and different textures because some vegetables require longer cooking time than others. Does it spoil the vegetables? Only you can be the judge, just remember that vegetables shouldn’t be cooked for too long or you boil the goodness out of them.
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Why not start collecting your own top chef’s tips when you eat out. If there is something on your plate that excites you ask the waiter to ask the chef how he achieved that taste. Chefs are like artists and are usually happy to discuss their techniques with people who show a genuine interest.

This article is copyright © David McCarthy 2006. Feel free to reproduce it in the printed or electronic media without alterations or additions.

About The Author

David McCarthy writes many articles on food, healthy eating and weight-watching subjects. His website is http://www.recipesmania.com/chocolatetruffles.html where you will find the unique truffle recipe mentioned in this article.

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Editor's note: Speaking of truffles, next time Paul Curran reveals a marvelous recipe for Christmas Truffles. Until then, good eating.

Jim Nettleton