http://www.theinfofile.com/ Articles at The Info File.Com en-us http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/cheesecake-hints-and-tips-part-2.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/cheesecake-hints-and-tips-part-2.html Sat, 07 Aug 2010 01:46:34 +0100
Cheesecake Ingredients and Substitutions

Contrary to what some believe, cheesecake does not have to be a difficult and daunting task. Nor should it be intimidating. Seeing the end result of a perfectly made dessert is worth the effort of following some simple guidelines.

* Read your recipe all the way through before you start. That way you will know that you have all the required ingredients at hand and you can prepare it well in advance taking into account cooking and/or chilling times.

* Gather and measure out all your ingredients before you start. Put the ingredients in order of when they will be used. That way, the actually making process will be smooth and easy without having to hunt around in the fridge or cupboard for that elusive ingredient that you discover you do not have!!

* Whenever possible, use fresh ingredients. They will give your cheesecake a lighter and fresher taste. However, if you cannot get fresh ingredients, use whatever is available. For example, the taste of fresh lemon juice is much nicer that pre packaged juice as the pre packaged one has water added.

* If you wish, you can use less expensive, generic brands such as chocolate, however, there is a difference in taste. Keep this in mind as it will affect the end result of your cheesecake. For example, making a cheesecake for a horde of teenagers probably means that you could get away with using generic brands, however, if you wish to impress guests at a dinner party, definitely go with genuine, good quality ingredients.

* It is absolutely fine to substitute some ingredients when making cheesecake. For example, if you are making a recipe with strawberries but would prefer blueberries then by all means use them. Similarly with nuts, substitute with whatever your heart desires.

* Similarly with liquid ingredients, if you wish to substitute for a different flavour go right ahead, however, ensure you are using the same amount as stated in the recipe i.e. one tablespoon of vanilla instead of one tablespoon of almond essence.

* When using cream cheese, open the foil packaging and allow it to soften prior to use. It is also a good idea to cut the cream cheese into small blocks. This makes it easier to beat.

* When beating cream cheese, make sure it is completely smooth before adding any other ingredients.

* Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature before starting to make your cheesecake including eggs. This will result in a smoother and creamier cheesecake at the end.

* When decorating your finished cheesecake, your imagination is the only limitation. You can decorate with anything. Some ideas include fresh fruit, chocolate curls, mint, whipped cream, any sweet sauce such as caramel or chocolate, candies/lollies, etc.

To see part 1 of this article, more helpful hints and tips and free cheesecake recipes go to My Cheesecake Recipes.com
]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/indian-cuisines-a-short-writeup-on-the-myths-and-truths.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/indian-cuisines-a-short-writeup-on-the-myths-and-truths.html Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:05:05 +0100

There are many myths and misconceptions about Indian food. Lets just take a quick look at some of them. This could be interesting.

All Indian food is spicy: Though Indian cooking is hot and spicier when matched against European or Western cooking, there are lots of regions in India where the food is bland, even sweet. Should you want to test something less-hot, go taste some Gujarati dishes.

Gujarati cuisine has a touch of sweetness in virtually all of its dishes. Traditional South Indian cooking (except Andhra Pradesh) is generally less-spicier than other regions in India. Kashmiri cuisine also incorporates sweet tasting dishes in its menu. So when someone tells you Indian cooking is spicy, don't entirely believe them.

The majority of Indian food is Vegetarian: Well, not entirely true. While many sections of India are strictly vegetarian, the array of non vegetarian food available in this part of the world is immense.

Contrary to prevalent belief, many Indians are meat-eaters and cook them well too. Chicken is perhaps the most popular meat in India. Cow is considered a sacred animal and is avoided by Hindus though Muslims and Christians eat beef. Sea food is also popular in coastal regions like Goa, Mangalore, Kerala, West Bengal and others.

Many first time visitors say Indian food is all masala that has a typical strong flavor and lacks variety. This really is so wrong. Indian cuisine is probably the most varied cuisine in the word.

This is actually a misconception around the world and even in India. Chicken Tikka did not originate in India. It was brought into India by the Mughals and has its origins in Persia.

Indian food is all about Curry: Curry is something that was again made popular by British-South Asian ethnic groups. While Curry abroad may refer to a thick and spicy gravy dish, India takes a different meaning altogether. In South India, Curry may refer to a vegetable side-dish that is often served with rice.

Indians eat food with their hands: Sometimes shocking to a visitor to India is the practice of eating food with hands. This is true as Indians consider eating with their hands as tastier as well as ritualistic. Also, most Indian dishes are difficult to be eaten with forks and spoons. Many Indians today use their hands as well as forks & spoons.

Not just that, in some Indian regions food is also served on banana leaf and some themed restaurants in India do offer that even now. ]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/calabash-style-seafood-whats-it-all-about.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/calabash-style-seafood-whats-it-all-about.html Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:02:25 +0100
Calabash got its name from a vegetable that is grown in the area - a gourd. Residents used to dry these gourds out to use them as drinking vessels. And, it was not until the 1930s that this small town of approximately 700 residents started to become known for its fabulous fried seafood. Today, it boasts dozens of Calabash seafood restaurants.

Calabash-style seafood is lightly breaded and fried and typically served buffet style. The seafood is always accompanied with the ever popular side dish - hushpuppies. Corn meal is used instead of flour to give the seafood a light coating. The seafood is then fried in hot oil and becomes golden brown.

Fish Camps and the Calabash-style Seafood

In the 1930s, fish camps served this Calabash-style seafood in an outdoor setting. Restaurants throughout the state of North Carolina soon began to follow suit and to cash in on this popular style of frying seafood.

George Baxevanis, owner of Fisherman's Quarters II, a busy family seafood restaurant, located in Asheville, NC, is certainly qualified to speak about Calabash-style seafood!

And, while Baxevanis' restaurant may be located in the mountains of western North Carolina, it still serves up hundreds of pounds of shrimp, flounder and other types of fresh seafood to produce its award-winning Calabash-style seafood.
In fact, Fisherman's Quarters II is Asheville's only true southern fried fish house.

Fisherman's Quarters II Fries up Its Famous Calabash-Style Seafood

Baxevanis explains that when frying seafood, the oil must be clean and hot. Next, he explains, "You have to start out with the freshest and best fish or seafood that you can buy!" George shares his award-winning recipe for fried, Calabash-style seafood.

This breading will work on almost any type of seafood that you can find at your local market.

Calabash Breading
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 egg

Method

1. Combine the flour and cornmeal and place on a plate. Place the breadcrumbs on another plate.
2. Scramble the egg with a little water (about 2 teaspoons); this makes the egg lighter.
3. Rinse your fish off and pat dry.
4. Dip your dried filets in egg, then cornmeal mix, then egg mix and lastly bread crumbs.
5. Fry each filet for about 3 minutes on each side.
6. Serve with cocktail or tartar sauce. Always offer hot sauce as well.

Here in North Carolina, Texas Pete is a popular hot sauce and made right in the Tar Heel State. Baxevanis suggests serving this Calabash-style seafood with hushpuppies, French fries, coleslaw or whatever you and your family may enjoy.
For more seafood articles and recipes check out the Fisherman's Quarters II website at:
http://fishermansquarters.info

]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/tacos-mexican-food-simple-to-make.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/tacos-mexican-food-simple-to-make.html Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:18:12 +0100
The most important step is to have your tortilla. You can choose between a corn or a flour tortilla. You can also choose to have crunchy or you can have soft tacos. To create a corn tortilla, you can buy ready-mix corn, which only requires you to add water. A tortilla press would be needed to flatten the tortilla. You then blend the dough with your hands for about 20 minutes. Then continue by taking the dough and creating balls, the size of a golf ball. The ball of dough should be placed inside the tortilla press, and closed tightly to flatten to make a circle. You would then take the flattened though and place it on the skillet for about 30-40 seconds, before flipping it over to the other side and repeating for 30-40 seconds. You then have a corn tortilla ready to make your soft taco.

Flour tortilla has similar step, but different ingredients. You need a ready-mix flour, that also needs to just add water, and a roller pin. You blend the dough the same way as you did the corn tortilla, but instead of the tortilla press you would just need the roller pin to flatten out the circle. Once you flatten out the circle to about 7 or 8 inches, you follow the same steps on the skillet as you did for the corn tortilla.

To make crunchy tacos, or hard-shell tacos, you would need to fry the corn tortilla using cooking oil. You would need to make the tortilla into a U-shape before placing it in the oil. Making it into the U-shape gives room to place the fillings, once the tortilla is ready. After your tortilla becomes a hard-shell, all that is left to do is add on your fillings.

These steps might seem a little complicated, or you might not have the required ingredients. If so, you can always purchase a pack of tortilla already made from your supermarket. The only steps you would need is to heat them up either on your microwave or skillet.

Once your tortilla is done you can move onto the fillings. This is easier, you can place any filling you can think of. Some of the popular ones are: beef, chicken, rice, and even beans. Eggs can also be put into tacos, to create the breakfast tacos. You can also include, bacon or sausage. You can top your fillings with lettuce, cheese, onion, avocado, salsa, or hot sauce if you prefer.

Some people also enjoy to spread margarine on the warm tortilla. The margarine melts onto the tortilla and you can roll up the tortilla and eat it. Another popular topping is melted cheese on your corn or flour tortilla. Many people consider this a quesadilla.

Tacos-Mexican Food that can be made into many different ways. Out of all the Mexican dishes out there, tacos is one of the most easiest and popular Mexican food. ]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/beef-noodle-soup-who-made-it-first.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/beef-noodle-soup-who-made-it-first.html Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:40:38 +0100
The Hui people, or Chinese Muslims, make beef noodle soup with halal beef and no soy sauce. Salt, chili pepper, and scallions are used to flavour the dish instead. This version is typically called clear-broth stewed beef noodle soup in Chinese. The addition of soy sauce changes the name to red-roasted beef noodle soup. In this version, the beef is sometimes first stir fried with hot sauce before simmering in the soup as stew. This is also the version approximated by most types of instant noodles labeled beef flavor.

Beef noodle soup is a popular Chinese dish, but like much in East and Southeast Asia, Chinese culinary influences have ranged far and wide such that local adaptations of many Chinese tops exist; beef pho is preferred in Vietnam, as is beef ramen in Japan. On mainland China, beef noodle soup is often served with easy cold side dishes such as braised dried tofu, seaweed, or boiled peanuts.

The beef noodle soup itself is mostly comprised of stewed beef, beef broth, noodles, and vegetables. The vegetables are typically Chinese cabbage, spinach, or some other leafy green. Some restaurants use chili pepper, while others rely on traditional Chinese star anise. Mustard greens are occasionally garnished on top. Still other variants call for Chinese sauerkraut ( literally sour [that is, pickled] vegetables ).

There are so many permutations on the dish, and the idea of the dish, that it helps to be precise when ordering. The same restaurant may serve the full dish as described above, or just soup and noodles but no beef, or soup and pieces of beef but no noodles!

To find more interesting articles such as this one visit www.blogannouncement.com. ]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/tips-for-making-perfect-angel-hair-pasta-recipes.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/tips-for-making-perfect-angel-hair-pasta-recipes.html Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:21:19 +0100
The optimum time for cooking this delicate type of pasta is about two to four minutes, which makes it useful if you need to make a pasta recipe in a hurry. But this also means you have to keep a close eye on it, so you don't end up with a soft, overcooked clumpy mess. If you buy this pasta fresh rather than in a package, the cooking time might be even less, so watch it carefully. You may think making something with this pasta will be quick and easy, but it could just as easily be quick and disastrous.

Many recipes seem to assume that everyone knows how to deal with this pasta, but it takes some work to use properly. During cooking, it needs stirring at the beginning so it won't stick, but this worry can also be helped by putting olive oil into the boiling water before putting in the pasta.

Of the various pasta and noodle dishes, those made with angel hair pasta are among the most limited in what works best. For example, this is not the type of pasta that you can use a heavy sauce, a sausage mixture or even a thick and creamy Alfredo sauce. The pasta would simply be overwhelmed; it works best with a very light sauce. Sometimes all it needs is to be tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

When you're looking at recipes for angel hair pasta, pay close attention to the instructions, but also keep these extra cooking tips in mind. Some larger types of pasta may be interchangeable and may handle almost anything you can throw at them, but angel hair pasta is best suited only for certain types of dishes and sauces, and requires rather careful handling. You need to take special care when using it to create your pasta meals. ]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/a-brief-introduction-to-indian-food.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/a-brief-introduction-to-indian-food.html Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:47:23 +0100
The popular meat of choice in Indian non vegetarian recipes is chicken and it is combined with many ingredients to provide different flavors and aromas. Chicken is greatly favored in Indian recipes and chicken dishes form the crust of the popular non vegetarian Indian dishes. The traditional Indian biryani, an Indian fried rice mixed with various herbs and spices like tomatoes and ginger, are sometimes served with roasted chicken on top. It's a basic Indian rice meal usually spiced up and made more flavorful with chicken

Chicken forms a major part of several non-veg Indian Recipes. Butter chicken, chicken curry, chicken drumsticks, chicken danuba and chicken Afghani are some of the popular ones.

Fish is also common in Indian cuisine. From the basic fried fish to the more exotic Patrani Fish and yogurt fish dishes, enjoy the distinct fish flavors in exotic spices and herbs.

Egg is popular too and the standard egg dishes are served with a typical Indian touch by adding herbs and spices using a generous sprinkling of chilli, ginger and sliced tomato

Much like in every other culture, Indian recipes include an abundant choice of sweets and pastries for dessert. Its collection of cake recipes include familiar ones like apple, carrot, honey, peach and marble cakes. There are also several chocolate cake variations in Indian recipes. Obviously, the selection won't be complete without a uniquely oriental offering. Not entirely Indian but oriental in itself is the pineapple upside down cake and also the tasty coconut cake, both made with real pineapple chunks and coco meat.

Indian snacks are a genuine treat and the range is immense. They are found everywhere in India, right from trendy restaurants to fast food joints and is a preferred street food too. There are wheat buns stuffed with deep fried mashed potatoes and green pea, crispy friend onion rings, samosa, dahi puri, pani puri bhel puri and much much more. Indian snacks and street food is loaded to the brim and one must try them.

There are numerous other Indian recipes you can try and experiment with. Especially if you want to try a lot more than the common boiled or fried rice, the Indian collection of rice recipes can give you excellent cooking ideas. Additionally , there are collections of regional recipes or place-specific dishes. The Punjabi Food collection, as an example,, will be a stimulating mix to explore. Indian recipes have a powerful ethnic and oriental flavor and one can experiment with them to experience a complete range of tastes. But mind you they aren't subtle in nature and packs quite a punch - try the varied rice recipes of India and don't miss out on the varied biryanis on offer. Punjabi recipes would be a great place to start with.

Fasten that apron on, put on the cap and start experimenting with Indian recipes. It's versatile, it's nourishing, it's zesty and interesting. All you actually need to do is to possess an adventurous character and an open palate to take advantage of the exotic aromas and taste of this unique Eastern cuisine. ]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/chocolate-recipes-made-healthy.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/chocolate-recipes-made-healthy.html Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:05:23 +0100
Not many people know that chocolate is made by coco beans which make it rich in natural ingredients and so benefit the health. Flavonoid is the main source that provides the benefits to the human health. Basically they are the antioxidants that help in preventing the body against various diseases. They generate nitric acid which is very important for maintaining the equilibrium state of the body. Do you know that dark chocolate is eight times richer in antioxidant content than strawberries?

Recipe for Caramel chocolate cheesecake with strawberries

Fresh strawberries: 15 pieces for topping For The base: 2 cups of vanilla wafer and 6 tsp Melted margarine:

For cake: Bag of caramel- 14 ounce Milk evaporated- 5 ounce Chopped and toasted pecans- 1 cup Softened cheese cream-8 ounce Sugar- 1 and half tsp Vanilla extract or essence- 1 tsp Eggs-2 Less sweetened chocolate- half cup

Process of baking-  Mix all the crumbs and the margarine and take a 9inch pan and spread the mixture at the bottom. Bake for ten minutes on 350 degree F.  For the chocolate cake, melt the caramel with the milk in a 1 quarter saucepan. Keep stirring on a medium heat until it softens. Put this mixture and the pecans over the top of the baked crust.  Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in automated mixer until it blends out smoothly.  Mix in the eggs one after the other.  Add the blended chocolate over the top of pecans. Bake this mixture at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Make sure to take out the cake very gently only after it cools downs a little.  Decorate the chocolate cheese cake with fresh strawberries and pecans. ]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/living-a-healthy-life-and-vegetarian-cooking.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/living-a-healthy-life-and-vegetarian-cooking.html Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:06:27 +0100
Opinions are still divided regarding which edible plants provide the best nutritional values for anyone who chooses a vegetarian diet. There are some who have no choice, unable to eat meat products due to allergies and illnesses. They are obliged to choose their food carefully, and with this in mind.

Others will opt for a lifestyle which includes a meat-free menu for other reasons which all have their own merits. These may include religious principles, and other ethical or philosophical judgements and opinions. There is a growing number who would argue that it is morally indefensible to raise farm stock for the express purpose of killing them in order to eat the meat thus provided. Taken to the logical extreme, some of this group would refer to themselves as Vegan rather than Vegetarian.

Belief in the tenet that all life is sacred is central to certain religions, the best example being Buddhism. It is therefore no surprise to discover that Vegetarianism is a natural part of their day-to-day life pattern.

Some vegetables are ready to eat as soon as they ripen and are harvested, needing no more than careful washing and peeling. These are commonly referred to as "salad vegetables".

Vegetables with a more solid consistency, such as potatoes and other root vegetables, cannot be enjoyed in a raw state and must therefore be cooked. Stewed, steamed and baked recipes are the most popular: a purist might not wish to fry or roast vegetables as there is a possibility that the oil used for this method of cooking could potentially come at least in part from animal sources.

With this in mind, it can be stated with confidence that the chapter which helps the cook to select the best from a wide range of special sauces to pour over the meal is arguably the most significant section of any Vegetarian Cooking handbook. ]]> http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/top-tricks-for-steak-grilling.html http://www.theinfofile.com/food/recipes/top-tricks-for-steak-grilling.html Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:22:19 +0100
Selecting the right cut of meat is one of the most significant things if you want to grill steak in the best manner. There are a handful of cuts which are far better for grilling as compared with others. Amidst several other cuts of meat, it's grill strip steaks that work the best. They include the right combination of fat and meat and have the most delectable flavor. However, if you like meat cuts which are high on fat, then make sure that you run on the treadmill for a substantial time the next day to ward off the additional calories.

Another thing which you must keep in mind to make the greatest grilled steak is to season your steak early. Typically, folks add salt to the steak just before they're about to grill it. However, this doesn't give the salt sufficient time to dissolve in the steak. Moreover, the entire salt gets transferred to the grill, leaving your steak tasteless. So, it is essential that you season your steaks at least fifteen minutes before you put them in the grill. Instead of using regular salt, you could try using sea salt or special Hawaiian salts. However, make sure that you do not add too much of salt, else you will have to deal with high blood pressure.

Watch out for touching the steak again and again. This could mar the flavor of steak to a brilliant extent. It isn't exceptional to see chefs touching steak on regular intervals to see whether it's prepared perfectly or not. However, instead of touching it, merely check the thickness of steak and you could get a fair idea about its cooking time.

Get rid of gas grills. Though these grills offer ease of usage, they may not provide the delicious taste which you might be looking for in your steak. In fact cooking steaks in gas grill could add a gas flavor to the meat. If you want steaks to have the fantastic flavor, it makes sense to grill the same using hardwood charcoal. Adding wood chips is also a great thought, if planning to smoke your meat. Though this will make meat more palatable, it could be a time consuming process too.

Use the above mentioned tricks to grills your steak to perfection and also create something that's lowcal without compromising on flavor. ]]>