A week ago I went on vacation with my parents up to Bemidji, Minnesota.  The weather was great, the fishing was easy, and the food was delicious.  One of the dishes I tried consisted of an extremely flavorful fettuccine noodle.  It was Roasted Bell Pepper Fettuccine from Pasta Partners. Aside from including 6 large servings of Fettuccine, the package came with a 1 ounce container of oil that you can use to cook the noodles with. It worked in wonderful collaboration with some of the fish we caught and was very easy to cook.  They say that hunger is the best cook but I think that the 3 servings I ate can speak of its scrumptiousness! Partner this dish with a light white wine to put this meal over the top!

You Will Need

Ingredients

I love grilled food but to be honest I am not very good at it.  There is so much variation in a charcoal grill and with the cooler days approaching we will have less and less opportunities to grill outside. These two reasons are why I found the Delonghi Indoor Electric Grill to be a meet my needs fantastically. The electric grill surface evenly grills chicken, steak, fish, or veggies.  It size and design make cleaning it a very simple task and allow it to be a very mobile cooking device.  This easily fits in in the trunk of my car with out having to break anything down.  The cooking surface is large enough to support 6-8 ½ burgers or any collaboration of grilling delights.  If you purchase this machine before September 30^th you can save an additional 10$ on this purchase making its final price 49.95! great price for a great grill!

These soups are so easy to make. They are easier to make and better tasting then mack and cheese.

Here is what you will need:

1.      A pan with a lid

2.      Something that will get to 212 degrees that you can boil some water on

3.      6 cups of water

4.      And the soup package

The cost for these soups is 6.50 and they make 4 large servings. 6.50/4 = 1.65 a person! That is way cheaper heather and better tasting then MacDonald’s! I often don’t have the time to prepare something nor do I care to and do not like opting for fast food so these soup mixes are perfect for quick great tasting meal.

I am getting ready to take a fishing trip with some family to Minnesota. One of the caveats of my family vacations is that every member who comes is required to plan one meal. I was looking over the JL Hufford website and found a combination that looked really enticing.  I am going to partner the Shrimp Scampi Pasta Sauce with the Roasted Red Bell Pepper Fettuccine. Hopefully we will catch some fish and I will substitute perch or walleye for the shrimp. Can’t wait!

Are you looking to add some style to your utensils? Then you may want to check out the Kuhn Rikon knifes.  These knifes are quality and come in a very cool range of colors.  Impress your friends buy setting your table with blades in black, blue, orange, green, yellow, and white! Think of the themes you can perfect with this brand.  More importantly, these knifes are sharp, built to last and sold at a great price.  Although they do not hold the allure of a popular name such as Wusthof or Shun they compromise with convince.  As they are priced so low I do not feel bad when I leave them at a church function cook out or give them away.  These knifes are dishwasher safe and will not cost you an arm and a leg to purchase.  

I have been looking at the differences between a chef’s knife and a Santoku knife.  It used to be the case where I would just pull a knife from the block and use it for all my kitchen needs.  Width, purpose, or design made no difference to me. If it cut, it worked. I know that there is a science to knife design and decided to buckle down and learn some differences and how to use them to their maximum capability. I feel that I am not the only person with this dilemma.  So I found this list to help me:

1) The Size of Your Hand

As you can imagine the size of your hand is a very important factor. A cook with larger hands will find the santoku uncomfortably short and light if he is not used to using one and should consider switching if the need to replace his current knife ever arises. The reverse is also true – a chef’s knife will seem ungainly to a chef with slight hands.

2) Do You Rock? Or Do You Chop?

The curve of the blades found on traditional chef’s knives is prized because it enables the subtle rocking motion so often employed to mince ingredients. This smooth back and forth motion is quite difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with a santoku. If you like to rock the santoku might disappoint.

Conversely, the santoku excels at chopping which is the prepping technique of choice in Japanese kitchens. If you like to rock, in other words, the chef’s knife might be the one to disappoint. This is because the santoku is light, nimble and has a flat blade. While chopping vegetables, the beauty of the santoku in action makes a chef’s knife look like an elephant on ice.

3) Do You Finger Your Blade?

Many cooks (including your correspondent) like to hold their knife almost as if they are shaking a hand. They finger the top of the blade (which is thankfully also the non-lethal part). The santoku is perfect for this holding technique because its blade and handle meld into a seamless line. Fortunately, chef’s knives with a blade than is level with the handle can be found. If you, like me, like to finger the blade and decide on a chef’s knife, you simply need to search out those Western knives with the Eastern-styled handles.

4 ) Fries with That Burger? Or Salad with Those Fries?

Believe it or not, your diet lifestyle should play a significant factor in deciding between a santoku or a chef’s knife. It is probably more important than the size of your hands, your cooking history or even your cutting technique. This is because the Brinnel, Vickers, and Rocknell ratings (these are the various tests that determine the hardness of steel) are much higher the steel that santokus are constructed of. This harder blade leads to a sharper blade when compared to the softer chef’s knife. The sharper santoku is not always to the home cook’s advantage though. This is because it is more easily chipped and harder to maintain sharp than a chef’s knife (whose slightly softer blade is more forgiving when subjected to a sharpening stone). Therefore, a cook should avoid using santokus while cutting meat and should never use it to cut through bone.

The santoku was created in the culinary culture of Japan where the diet consists almost entirely of vegetables and fish. It is somewhat marginalized in the United States by the Western diet. Many people who purchase santokus (chef’s included) become disenchanted with them the moment their blade becomes chipped – which will happen if you use it cut through a lot of red meat and poultry. They were simply not designed for our caveman-like diet and our caveman treatment of food on the cutting board. American’s thrash through their ingredients while the Japanese tend to skate through it.

Yet, if you are vegetarian, there is simply no better cook’s knife option than the santoku. Its sharp blade will dance through your veggies for years and years. You will be amazed at its nimbleness – how the food you are chopping just dances off the blade, and the precision that its physical characteristics afford.

 In Summary

The traditional chef’s knife is probably your best option if you have big hands, like to rock your blade on the board, and eat (and thus prepare) a lot of meat. Most importantly, if you are only going to have one knife and your prepare meat than the chef’s knife is for you. However, if you are a vegetarian, than the santoku is probably the right knife.  The santoku outshines the chef’s knife with vegetables but is just not hardy enough to be the sole knife in a meat-eating cook’s cutlery repertoire.

Read more: http://brandonluison.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/a-chefs-knife-or-a-santoku-knife-which-is-right-for-you-756280.html#ixzz1Y1z4axup
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

As a college student living in a small dorm I do not have access to a stove. I love chocolate, especially fudge and cooking and wanted to find some way I could share a treat with some of my hall mates and friends.  I called up my grandmother and this is what she suggested:

• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 carton Rich & Creamy Chocolate Fudge Mix

Place butter in a 1 quart microwave-safe cup or bowl. Do not use soft butter. Microwave on full power until butter is melted. Add milk and fudge mix. Stir until completely moistened. Microwave on full power for 90 seconds, stirring after each 30 seconds. DO NOT BOIL.

Pour into lightly buttered serving tray or candy mold. Refrigerate 2-3 hours to firm quickly or let stand at room temperature until firm. Note: Due to variations in power outlet and heating patterns of the microwave ovens, cooking times may vary.

For a special treat, sprinkle Aspen Mulling Spices, nuts and/or chocolate chips after pouring into serving tray.

Growing up I had thought the idea of deep fried ice cream was impossible.  This mixture had me pondering its creation until I finally tasted it.  Now as I no longer really care what is in it as am sure it is not healthy. I was looking for the recipe that the Mexican restaurant down the street from my place uses and finally came across one that is very similar.  This recipe in collaboration with the DeLonghi Dual Zone Deep Fryer I purchased from JL Hufford has met my deep fried desires.  Here is what I have been using:

1.     1 pt. vanilla ice cream

2.     1/2 c. crushed corn flakes or cookie crumbs

3.     1 tsp. cinnamon

4.     2 tsp. sugar

5.     1 egg

6.     Oil for deep frying

7.     Honey

8.     Whipped cream

Scoop out 4 or 5 balls of ice cream.and place back in the freezer. Mix the crumbs, cinnamon and sugar and Roll frozen ice cream balls in half the crumb mixture and freeze again.

Beat egg and dip coated balls in egg, then roll again in remaining crumbs and freeze until ready to use

When ready to serve, heat oil to 350 degrees. Place a frozen ice cream ball in fryer basket or on a perforated spoon and lower into hot oil 1 minute. Immediately remove and place on dessert compote. Drizzle with honey and top with a dab of whipped cream. Continue to fry balls one at a time. Balls will be crunchy on the outside and just beginning to melt on the inside.

1.       1 box Maggie & Mary’s Chill Chasin’ Chili

2.       1 lb. ground beef

3.       1/2 chopped onions

4.       12 oz. beer (1 can)

5.       1 can sliced mushrooms, drained

6.       1 can corn, well drained

7.       3 1/2 cups water

8.       Tabasco Sauce (optional)

v  Brown ground beef in large pot. As meat browns, add onion and mushrooms. Cook together until beef is done and onions are tender. Drain well and return meat mixture to pot.

v  Add the chili mix, the beer, and 3 1/2 cups water. Mix well. Add packet of red beans and corn. Blend well with whisk.

v  Add shot of Tabasco sauce if you like.

v  Simmer 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally.

The way it works is fairly straightforward. Your grinder actually slots into this device. You take the grinder's existing cord and tuck it into the grinder as much as you can. The remaining powercord fits into a recess in the back of the Esatto attachment. The grinder's powercord plugs into the Esatto itself. One screw tightens up everything, and after this point, you have a weight-based dosing grinder, with guaranteed accuracy better than 0.5g, and in reality, accuracy down to 0.2g or tighter (all numbers subject to final testing, which is happening in May). For all brewing methods save for espresso, 0.5 grams accurate is not only good, but I'd go so far as to call it near perfect: I would challenge anyone to tell any difference in a cup of coffee brewed with 28g vs 28.5g. It cannot be done.

For espresso, you want more accuracy, and 0.2g is not only within acceptable range, I'd say it is definitely within a target range that even the world's top espresso judges would be hard pressed to taste a difference in. In coffee cuppings, where the average measurement is 12-14 grams, accuracy is also extremely important but again, a 0.2 gram variance is within most cupper's tolerable limits.

Espresso, latte, macchiato, cappuccino—with this stainless-steel espresso machine, you can have whatever type of coffee you want, whenever you want it. Thanks to its cutting-edge technology, it can be programmed for up to six people, so each member of your household can create an individual profile, storing such preferences as coffee intensity, temperature and strength. The built-in ceramic disc grinder operates safely and quietly for a fresh grind time after time.

·         An air-tight lid with anti-UV coating keeps beans fresh until you’re ready to grind them.

·         The built-in ceramic disc grinder operates safely and quietly for a fresh grind time after time.

·         Select the coarseness of the grind you prefer with easy-to-use controls.

·         An adjustable doser allows you to regulate the amount of ground coffee so you can control the coffee’s strength.

·         An adjustable dispensing head can be raised and lowered to fit a variety of cup sizes.

·         Powerful 15-bar pump for maximum extraction of flavor.

·         Saeco’s easy-clean system allows for simple, chemical-free cleaning.

·         The large capacity 54-oz. water tank is removable.

·         The tank includes an Intenza water filter to improve your coffee’s taste and protect your machine from limescale.

·         Energy-saving Eco Mode.

·         A programmable pre-brewing cycle injects hot water into the ground coffee for optimal flavor extraction

Apple Pie

7-8 red rome or jonathan apples, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1/4 cup Aspen Mulling Spices, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter (cut up and dotted on apples), 1 T flour- a little more if the apples are juicy

Mix all ingredients together. Make a double pie crust recipe. Place  the bottom pie crust in the plate, fill with apple mixture, top with the other half of the pie crust, vent and flute the edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 mins and reduce heat to 350 degrees for 50 mins.

Mulled Wine & Other Recipes

Your imagination is the limit!

Mulled wine - Red or White
1 bottle of wine
2 cups water - optional
½ cup mulling spice blend
¼ cup of sugar, brown sugar or substitute

Mulled cider - makes 8 servings
8 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 cup of spice blend
8 one-inch cinnamon sticks for garnish, add extra each in one cup

Mulled Spiced Tea - makes 8 servings
8 cups of boiled water
4-6 black tea bags
1 teaspoon of mulling spice blend
Steep the blend in ready made tea for about five minutes, then heat again and simmer for 20 minutes; sweeten with one tablespoon of honey (optional).

How to Fix Mulling Spice Recipe - The Drink

Basic, common procedure to prepare a mulled wine is mainly uncomplicated: combine 1/4 cup of the blend with two cups of wine (red or white!), apple cider or juice, cranberry juice, or other beverages to your liking. When the recipe does not specify sugar, it is facile to add it to beverage after, according to individual tastes, or swap it with brown sugar, honey, molasses, sweetener etc; yet, a good , yummy mulled wine should be sweet. Heat and simmer on stove for at least twenty minutes until the spices infuse the liquid but - important! - don't let the wine boil. Occasionally gently stir the mix, then serve warm to moderately hot.
Do not get daunted if you don't like it straight off - experiment, test and re-test! Try several diverse combinations, alter quantities, ingredients and/or additions, until you are sure your mulled wine is darn good.
To prevent sediments in the cup, you might want to filter the drink through the strainer. Moreover, you can wrap spice mixture in the bag, made of four inch square of muslin with gathered corners, securely tied.

Make an exquisite mulled beverage with:
Cider: apple or cherry
Juice: apple, apricot, cranberry, orange, pear, pineapple, pomegranate or mixed as you like
Tea: black
Wine: red or white

Extra specials: brandy, rum, other spirits at your liking.

Did you recently purchase an espresso machine? Are you not starting to notice that you missed several key items in your purchase like descaling solution and cleaner? The Espresso Machine Starter Kit has everything that you will need to maintain your espresso machine.  You will receive Urnex Dezcal, Urnex Cafiza, a 58mm blank portafilter basket, a group head brush and two shot glasses. If you ever need to buy more of the Cafiza or the Dezcal, we do sell them individually. The Dezcal is available in a box of 4, 7oz bag or a 1 liter liquid solution. The Cafiza is available in a 20 oz bottle, 32 individual cleaning tabs or 200 cleaning tabs.

I personally hate absoluately hate chopping onions. They are messy, make your hands smell and as always make you cry. Typically while I am crying when I am cutting the onions, I wipe my eye and usually it accidently hits one that has touched an onion and then my eye starts to burn. Needless to say,  I would only chop onions once a year. After they were chopped, I would freeze them so I would never have to deal with the mess until I run out. I found the Kuhn Rikon Vegetable Chopper and decided to try it. I knew of friends that have had vegetable choppers, but they didn’t seem to like theirs. It is very durable and makes chopping onions easy. All I have to do is to remove the skin cut it in quarters and then chop it up with the chopper. Now, what use to take me hours, only take me minutes with my Kuhn Rikon Vegetable Chopper.

I happen to be one of those weird people that only eat fresh spinach and only if it is used for salad. I recently picked up one of the Perfect Pears Balsamic Vinegar. I always like the Perfect Pear recipes so, I decided to give their spinach salad recipe a whirl. This recipe was just like all of the other Perfect Pear recipes that I have tried. They are always delicious! You start with heating six slices of pancetta that you have chopped over medium high heat for about two to three minutes. Once he pancetta has cooked to your liking, then you will transfer them to a paper towel to drain off the excess grease. You will then add two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan along with a small shallot that you finely chopped. You will sauté those together for two minutes. After your two minutes is up, you will add in two teaspoons of sugar. You will sauté that mixture together for one minute. You are probably wondering when do you add the balsamic vinegar, you are finally going to add two tablespoons of it in now making sure that you scrape up the pan drippings. Now add one bunch of flat-leaf spinach to the dressing and let it wilt and coat it evenly in the vinaigrette you just created. You will finally take the salad off of the heat and put it into a serving bowl and top it off with the pancetta.  I paired my salad with a steak dinner and a baked potato. It was the perfect dinner.

If you have Labor Day plans and are in search of some ideas for what to make, we have some options for you. The Pasta Partners pasta salad mixes are such to be a hit with some bold flavors like southwestern and oriental. Think that there will be too many salads? Then you can take barbeque meatballs made from Pasta Partners meatball mix. They pack a bold spicy flavor paired with homemade barbeque sauce makes them irresistible.  You can also take a simple homemade cheeseball from one of the variety of Maggie and Marys cheeseball packs. With any of these options, you are sure to make your Labor Day weekend plans a hit.