Having Problems with Bloody Chicken?

Well a Dr. O. Peter Snyder of the Hospitality Institute has addressed the problem with a testing series along with photos. His conclusion: “According to the poultry industry, today's marketed chickens are considerably younger.” “Their bones have not yet matured and are still somewhat soft and porous. As a result, there can be seepage of bone marrow through the soft bone and into the surrounding meat.”

"When a young chicken is deep chilled, frozen ice crystals form inside the bone. They expand and force the heme out of the marrow through the soft, porous bones. During the cooking process, the tissue will darken in color. Although the appearance is unappetizing, the meat is not harmed when this happens."
“The retail food industry is being forced to sell grossly overcooked chicken in order to get rid of the red blood color around the bones. The result is chicken that is dried out.”

Click the link to Read the whole article: .  Bloody Chicken

Immersion Blender

Although this blog is directed toward Tips on food, this needs to be said.

My first mistake in Kitchen gadgets was listening to all of the accolades on the “net” about how wonderful the thing is, it is in the Top 10 most useful gadgets on many a list. Well I bought one! Wrong decision big waste of money.

Summary: The immersion blender has been around for home use about 20 years. Also called a hand blender or stick blender they have a blade on the end of a shaft allowing it to blender in any container. Its primary purpose is pureeing small amounts of soups, sauces or smoothies. They have a tendency to splatter when placed in a liquid and turned on. They are also capable of chopping garlic, nuts or any small portion of vegetable.

Unfortunately, I don’t like “smooth” soup, I don’t even make soup, and sauces are better handled with a whisk. The other major “use” is whipping cream –NOT So! Use an ICI cream whipper with a N2O cartridge – it does it professionally and dispenses beautifully.

If you want a cream soup, and purred soups, go for it. Otherwise save your hard earned cash.

Just in case the thought is I got the wrong one – It’s the top rated Cuisinart! Anyone need a slightly used blender? It's going in the Yard Sale next week.     

11/12/10   SOLD IT TODAY thank god!

Red Pepper Flakes (Crushed)

On many occasions the ingredient list in a recipe call for “red pepper flakes” well darn, ya’ can’t find ‘em. There’s crushed red pepper, powdered cyan pepper etc., but no flakes! Well here’s what to do: Go to a Chinese or Asian grocery store or market and buy a bag of died red peppers. They are very inexpensive less then a dollar, and they fill the bill.

When called for, take one or more of the peppers and cut each carefully into about three pieces across the grain. Them take the pieces and shake out the seeds. Now you have the pepper - just hold it in your fingers and crush it. Voila red pepper flakes.

I know there are those who swear by the “whole” thing, but I just don’t like the texture of the seeds in an otherwise delicate dish.
When you’re done with them, seal the package and put it in the freezer for the next time. Why you might ask? Well in the really hot weather, you could be surprised with an infestation in the package. An ounce of prevention goes a long way.

Separate an Egg

Separating an egg white from the yoke is not a difficult task. It can be easily done WITHOUT any gadgets.

A few simple actions and knowing what to do are all that is needed:

First start with a glass bowl or preferably a measuring cup with a reasonably sharp edge(The rolled edge of metal bowls tend to crush the shell rather then cracking it.)

Taking the egg in your fingers and tap it at a 45 deg. angle against the inner edge of the rim. We are trying to produce a crack, not crush the shell or break it in half.

Next, take the cracked egg in both hands, using your thumbs, start to separate the shell halves. When it starts to open turn the egg upright so as to capture the yoke in the lower half of the shell. Completely separate the top half and let the white run into the bowl or cup.

Now take the top half and hold it open side up over the bowl and slowly pour the white out of the bottom half. As the yoke approaches the shell edge, quickly pour it into the lower shell so it does not touch the edge (The yoke will break if it touches the edge of the shell).

Once again repeat this process until most of the white is in the bowl below.

It sounds a lot more complex then it is. Often time’s eggs go on sale for less then $0.99 a dozen or that become out dated. Buy a dozen and just practice – you’ll be surprised at how easy it really is.

Two points to keep in mind – try to crack the shell at the middle and pry it open gently.

Don’t smack it hard against the edge – we want a crack, not a shattered shell.

Do not let any of the egg yoke fall into the bowl or cup if you plan to beat the whites. The presence of the yoke will keep the whites from whipping properly.

PS my wife adds that you can remove parts of the yoke from the bowl with the sharp edge of the shell, also any chips of shell that might fall in.

Herb and Spice Substitution Chart

Herb/Spice                                Use:

Allspice                cinnamon; dash of nutmeg; or dash of cloves

Aniseed                fennel seeds: a few drops anise extract

Basil                     oregano; thyme

Cardamom           ginger

Chervil                  tarragon; parsley

Chili powder         dash of hot pepper sauce, oregano and cumin together

Chives                  green onions; onion; or leek

Cilantro                parsley

Cinnamon             nutmeg; allspice (reduced by 1/4 the amount)

Cloves                  allspice; cinnamon; or nutmeg

Cumin                   chili powder

Ginger                  allspice; cinnamon; mace; or nutmeg

Italian seasoning    a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, and ground red pepper

Mace                    allspice; cinnamon; ginger; or nutmeg

Marjoram             basil; thyme; or savory

Mint                     basil; marjoram; or rosemary

Nutmeg                cinnamon; ginger; or mace

Oregano               thyme or basil

Parsley                 chervil or cilantro

Red pepper          dash of hot pepper sauce; black pepper

Rosemary             thyme; tarragon; or savory

Saffron                 dash turmeric

Sage                     poultry seasoning; savory; marjoram; or rosemary

Savory                  thyme; marjoram; or sage

Tarragon               chervil; dash fennel seed; or dash aniseed

Thyme                  basil; marjoram; oregano; or savory

Cleaning Stainless Steel

Cleaning Stainless Steel and Calphalon cooking utensils is generally pretty easy, but as time goes on, they can get spotted and show signs of food residue. Well the best thing to come to the kitchen found its start in the Bar. That’s right Bar Keepers Friend. A powder that’s easy to use removes the “residue” and removes dishwasher spotting with relative ease and brings your Stainless Steel back to like new. Funny it’s been around since 1882

Actually it works well on most Stainless surfaces (Not Painted)

Ginger - Selecting, Peeling, and Preparing

Ginger: It’s used a lot in Chinese recipes and is gaining prominence in other culinary arenas. Preparing ginger for use;

First: and most important, select a piece with smooth skin and a single arm. You may break of a piece that is appropriator as it is sold by weight. The part to the left of the line is perfect

Peeling: and preparing for use: With a sharp knife cut the ragged- broken end to eliminate any dried or ragged stuff. Then cut of the amount needed thur the diameter. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outside of the disk you just cut off. This should be easy if you first selected a piece with a smooth skin.

Mincing: Lay the disk on a cutting board on one of the faces. Reach for your heaviest chief’s knife or a cleaver and WHACK the disk with a resounding thump. There should be a small pile of fibers, juice and pulp; Now take your chiefs knife and work the knife with a slight rocking motion until you have it all cut.

Grating: Hold the disk by its two flat sides and just grate as usual.