Talk of cakes and you send many people's mouths watering. These are products that are prepared through a long process of mixing a lot of ingredients which are then baked in an oven. However, the process is not complete until the product has been decorated with some artistic designs that will turn it into an elegant piece. However, this is not just something that you do for the sake of it. You need to have some special cake decorating equipment for the best results.
To begin with, you need to have icing sugar that will come first in the process. Its purpose is to provide a smooth surface on which the rest of the decorations will take place. To spread the icing , you will require a spatula. They come in many shapes and sizes and the angled one will perform a better job that looks professional.
You might need to put some designs or figures on your cake, those that match with the occasion. For example, it could be one for a birthday, anniversary, wedding or other occasions. You will find that in the market there are many decorating equipment that will assist you in making all these patterns and you will not have to struggle a lot as you will not need to use your free hand.
For this, you will need a syringe-like equipment from which you will squeeze out the decoration contents, as you shape them into what you want. You may desire to have flower decorations and for this, you can have the ready made ones or you can just make them yourself. With the correct decorating kit, you will rarely go wrong and you will turn plain product of the bakery into something worth stealing glances at.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Gitundu
Friday, January 30, 2009
Easy Chicken Recipe Ideas - 3 Ways to Create a New Chicken Dinner
Every day we have to eat. The age old question that haunts mothers "what's for dinner" can cause panic. Don't let it. Arm yourself with ways to create easy chicken recipes for dinner. Always be prepared, and get quick easy dinners on the table.
Easy Stuffed Chicken Recipe Ideas
When you say stuffed chicken recipes a lot of people get a worried look on their face. They think it's hard or will take too long. That's just not true.
It's as easy as banging a chicken breast flat, and then adding some veggies, cheese, spices, whatever you like in the middle and rolling it up.
This is a quick and easy way to add veggies to your chicken, great for picky eaters. It is also great for weeknight dinners, as well as dinner for guests.
Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe Ideas
When you talk about grilling chicken it doesn't necessarily mean going outside and firing up the grill. There are a wide range of indoor grilling options now. The great thing about these indoor grills is they heat on both sides which cuts cooking time considerably. It also leaves the chicken nice and juicy.
You can add spices, marinades and rubs to chicken to make new flavors for grilling. All it takes is a few minutes to prepare, and then less than 10 minutes to cook on the indoor grill. That gives you just enough time to throw some veggies on for a side dish.
Easy Chicken Casserole Recipe Ideas
What could be easier than a chicken casserole. Grab some chicken, whatever you have around, some cream of soup (whatever flavor you have on hand). Add some noodles and spices and you have a unique dinner each and every time.
Depending on the ingredients you choose and the way you spice up the casserole you can create any number of unique flavors.
As you can see, using some basic strategies you can create a ton of easy chicken recipe ideas. These strategies, whether stuffing, grilling or creating a casserole can help you create new and different chicken dishes that taste great.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Lee
Easy Stuffed Chicken Recipe Ideas
When you say stuffed chicken recipes a lot of people get a worried look on their face. They think it's hard or will take too long. That's just not true.
It's as easy as banging a chicken breast flat, and then adding some veggies, cheese, spices, whatever you like in the middle and rolling it up.
This is a quick and easy way to add veggies to your chicken, great for picky eaters. It is also great for weeknight dinners, as well as dinner for guests.
Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe Ideas
When you talk about grilling chicken it doesn't necessarily mean going outside and firing up the grill. There are a wide range of indoor grilling options now. The great thing about these indoor grills is they heat on both sides which cuts cooking time considerably. It also leaves the chicken nice and juicy.
You can add spices, marinades and rubs to chicken to make new flavors for grilling. All it takes is a few minutes to prepare, and then less than 10 minutes to cook on the indoor grill. That gives you just enough time to throw some veggies on for a side dish.
Easy Chicken Casserole Recipe Ideas
What could be easier than a chicken casserole. Grab some chicken, whatever you have around, some cream of soup (whatever flavor you have on hand). Add some noodles and spices and you have a unique dinner each and every time.
Depending on the ingredients you choose and the way you spice up the casserole you can create any number of unique flavors.
As you can see, using some basic strategies you can create a ton of easy chicken recipe ideas. These strategies, whether stuffing, grilling or creating a casserole can help you create new and different chicken dishes that taste great.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Lee
3 Ways to Create Easy Chicken Recipe Ideas
When cooking chicken you have a a lot of options on how you cook it. You also have a lot of options on what you can cook it with. Chicken goes quite well with many different foods, and depending on the spices you use you can create a million different easy chicken recipes.
Easy Chicken Pasta Recipe Ideas
Chicken and pasta just go together. You can easily create chicken and pasta dishes whether it has an Italian, American or even Thai flavor. The only thing that makes the difference is the spices you use and the type of pasta you use.
For Italian dishes you may use a tomato based sauce and linguine. For an American feel you might use spiral noodles and create a mayo based chicken salad. To create a Thai type dish you can use thin rice noodles and Asian spices.
Easy Chicken Soup Recipe Ideas
You may immediately think of chicken noodle soup when you think of chicken soup, but there are tons of ways you can create soups with chicken.
There are great chili recipes, a wide range of chicken soups as well as chicken stews. If you have a crockpot making soup of any kind is an easy way to a delicious and healthy dinner.
Easy Baked Chicken Recipe Ideas
Baked chicken may sound dry and gross to you, but when cooked well it is delicious, moist and flavorful. You can bake a whole chicken which is called roasting. Depending on the spices you use you can create a wide range of flavors for your chicken.
You can bake them in a sauce to keep them moist. You can keep this low calorie by using low calorie sauce ingredients.
You can also "bake" a chicken in your crockpot. This is great for busy people who want a home cooked meal but don't have a couple hours in the evening to wait on a roasted chicken.
As you can see chicken is a truly versatile food. It is high in protein and low in fat. You can cook it in so many ways and with so many flavors that you could actually cook chicken every night of the year and never have the same chicken twice!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Lee
Easy Chicken Pasta Recipe Ideas
Chicken and pasta just go together. You can easily create chicken and pasta dishes whether it has an Italian, American or even Thai flavor. The only thing that makes the difference is the spices you use and the type of pasta you use.
For Italian dishes you may use a tomato based sauce and linguine. For an American feel you might use spiral noodles and create a mayo based chicken salad. To create a Thai type dish you can use thin rice noodles and Asian spices.
Easy Chicken Soup Recipe Ideas
You may immediately think of chicken noodle soup when you think of chicken soup, but there are tons of ways you can create soups with chicken.
There are great chili recipes, a wide range of chicken soups as well as chicken stews. If you have a crockpot making soup of any kind is an easy way to a delicious and healthy dinner.
Easy Baked Chicken Recipe Ideas
Baked chicken may sound dry and gross to you, but when cooked well it is delicious, moist and flavorful. You can bake a whole chicken which is called roasting. Depending on the spices you use you can create a wide range of flavors for your chicken.
You can bake them in a sauce to keep them moist. You can keep this low calorie by using low calorie sauce ingredients.
You can also "bake" a chicken in your crockpot. This is great for busy people who want a home cooked meal but don't have a couple hours in the evening to wait on a roasted chicken.
As you can see chicken is a truly versatile food. It is high in protein and low in fat. You can cook it in so many ways and with so many flavors that you could actually cook chicken every night of the year and never have the same chicken twice!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Lee
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Novice's First Dinner Party Menu - There is a Solution
Eventually everyone comes to that special day in their lives. It is not the day you ask your crush to the prom, the day you say "I Do", or even the day you bring home baby for the first time. While those days are indeed life changing and very special, there is this one certain day that initially strikes terror in the heart of the first timer. I am talking about the day you throw your first real dinner party. I am talking about the one that really, really matters a great deal to you!
It starts out innocently enough. Your mom or another living family member asks you to host the Holiday dinner this year or you want to impress your girlfriend with a romantic home cooked meal. You are even excited about the event and cannot wait to get started. Then it hits you as you stare at your pantry. Your signature dish is Kraft Mac N' Cheese or Ravioli from a can and you consider boiling water a culinary feat. What are you going to make for dinner?
Well, first timer, planning a formal dinner is nothing to be feared, even for the culinary novice. All you need is a kitchen and a little creativity. A basic formal meal consists of four courses:
• Soup
• Salad
• Main
• Dessert
For a menu that is easy to prepare but suitable for a formal meal, consider:
• Broth
• Salad
• Chicken / Lentil Roast / Roasted Red Baby Potatoes / Acorn Squash/ Green Peas
• Ice Cream with Berries
So, like your special guests will soon be doing, let's start with the soup!
Broth is a great soup because you can buy it in a can or box that is easily hidden from your guests. Hey, chef's secret! Now do not ruin the illusion by serving it in mugs! Everything, even store bought broth, tastes better on fine China, or at the least, a pretty soup bowl. Ladle out the bowls in the kitchen and serve it to your guests restaurant style.
Skip the standard square saltines and splurge on a package of specialty soup crackers or bread sticks to accompany it. A personal favorite of mine is McCormick's Gourmet All-Vegetable Bouillon. This MSG free product yields two cups of broth per cube and honestly tastes like you spent all day simmering vegetables to create a fragrant, rich, broth.
Thanks to the invention of the salad bag, your second course has already been made for you. Even though most salad bags contain pre-washed produce, a secondary wash is mandatory to remove processing contaminants. This is another course that is best served restaurant style. Use a cookie cutter (diamonds, hearts, circles, etc, not gingerbread people!) to cut out slices of tomato or pepper. Use these shapes to decorate your salad plates and serve with a choice of vinaigrette or creamy dressing on the side.
For the main course, a roasted chicken is easy prepare and attractive to serve. Check the labels carefully. If you are buying a "utility grade" bird, parts of it like a wing or leg may be missing. Your bird(s) need to be presentation quality. Chicken is easy to flavor and whether you want to have a light citrus or a bold smoky taste is up to you.
Explore your options at your local grocery store or in the expanded resources section of first dinner party made simple. Bottled marinades, dry spice rubs, seasoning blends, even single-use bag roasters await for your personal convenience!
No kitchen is complete without a meat thermometer and they are especially important when cooking poultry. Serve the roasted chicken on a bed of lettuce to add color. Try surrounding the chicken with your cooked carrots, asparagus or any other vegetables for accent as well as guest dining options.
Lentil roast is a hearty side dish that can double as a main dish for vegetarians and vegans.
Lentil Roast
• Mash two cans of lentils in a bowl.
• Stir in enough breadcrumbs to make the bean mixture stiff.
• Add two eggs (for vegans stir 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 6 tablespoons of cold water).
• Season to taste with savory seasonings or a pre-mixed seasoning blend.
• Pack the mixture into a greased bread pan and bake for an hour.
• Unmold onto a serving plate. If the roast falls apart or breaks as you unmold it, simply reshape it into a smooth round mound on the plate and continue with the garnishes.
• Pour a little pour mushroom gravy over it.
• Sliced mushrooms and a spring parsley on the top give this lentil roast a finishing touch.
• Serve it with additional gravy on the side.
Side dishes that go nicely with chicken and/or lentils are roasted red baby potatoes, acorn squash, and green peas. Slice the potatoes in half and toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. These can be baked in the roaster with the chicken or on a flat baking sheet. Slice the acorn squash in half with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds.
Place them on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and cover them with foil. Bake for an hour and serve hot with butter. Use frozen or fresh green peas and cook them in boiling water. Do not overcook them or they will become mushy.
If you have long, clear glasses, you have the perfect dishes to serve a quick but elegant dessert. Layer vanilla ice cream and fresh or frozen mixed berries in the glass making sure the ice cream is the last layer. Top off the ice cream with a chocolate covered strawberry and a mint leaf.
As you can see, you do not have to be an Iron Chef contender to create an impressive formal dinner party. Never let your lack of kitchen experience stand in the way of creating a memorable meal. So, what are you waiting for? Happy cooking and Bon Appetite!
The below link is connecting you to an extraordinary holiday package of "how to" resources on hosting a perfect dinner party. This generous package has been fully endorsed by two prominent chefs and a well know cookbook author.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_P_Steiner
It starts out innocently enough. Your mom or another living family member asks you to host the Holiday dinner this year or you want to impress your girlfriend with a romantic home cooked meal. You are even excited about the event and cannot wait to get started. Then it hits you as you stare at your pantry. Your signature dish is Kraft Mac N' Cheese or Ravioli from a can and you consider boiling water a culinary feat. What are you going to make for dinner?
Well, first timer, planning a formal dinner is nothing to be feared, even for the culinary novice. All you need is a kitchen and a little creativity. A basic formal meal consists of four courses:
• Soup
• Salad
• Main
• Dessert
For a menu that is easy to prepare but suitable for a formal meal, consider:
• Broth
• Salad
• Chicken / Lentil Roast / Roasted Red Baby Potatoes / Acorn Squash/ Green Peas
• Ice Cream with Berries
So, like your special guests will soon be doing, let's start with the soup!
Broth is a great soup because you can buy it in a can or box that is easily hidden from your guests. Hey, chef's secret! Now do not ruin the illusion by serving it in mugs! Everything, even store bought broth, tastes better on fine China, or at the least, a pretty soup bowl. Ladle out the bowls in the kitchen and serve it to your guests restaurant style.
Skip the standard square saltines and splurge on a package of specialty soup crackers or bread sticks to accompany it. A personal favorite of mine is McCormick's Gourmet All-Vegetable Bouillon. This MSG free product yields two cups of broth per cube and honestly tastes like you spent all day simmering vegetables to create a fragrant, rich, broth.
Thanks to the invention of the salad bag, your second course has already been made for you. Even though most salad bags contain pre-washed produce, a secondary wash is mandatory to remove processing contaminants. This is another course that is best served restaurant style. Use a cookie cutter (diamonds, hearts, circles, etc, not gingerbread people!) to cut out slices of tomato or pepper. Use these shapes to decorate your salad plates and serve with a choice of vinaigrette or creamy dressing on the side.
For the main course, a roasted chicken is easy prepare and attractive to serve. Check the labels carefully. If you are buying a "utility grade" bird, parts of it like a wing or leg may be missing. Your bird(s) need to be presentation quality. Chicken is easy to flavor and whether you want to have a light citrus or a bold smoky taste is up to you.
Explore your options at your local grocery store or in the expanded resources section of first dinner party made simple. Bottled marinades, dry spice rubs, seasoning blends, even single-use bag roasters await for your personal convenience!
No kitchen is complete without a meat thermometer and they are especially important when cooking poultry. Serve the roasted chicken on a bed of lettuce to add color. Try surrounding the chicken with your cooked carrots, asparagus or any other vegetables for accent as well as guest dining options.
Lentil roast is a hearty side dish that can double as a main dish for vegetarians and vegans.
Lentil Roast
• Mash two cans of lentils in a bowl.
• Stir in enough breadcrumbs to make the bean mixture stiff.
• Add two eggs (for vegans stir 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 6 tablespoons of cold water).
• Season to taste with savory seasonings or a pre-mixed seasoning blend.
• Pack the mixture into a greased bread pan and bake for an hour.
• Unmold onto a serving plate. If the roast falls apart or breaks as you unmold it, simply reshape it into a smooth round mound on the plate and continue with the garnishes.
• Pour a little pour mushroom gravy over it.
• Sliced mushrooms and a spring parsley on the top give this lentil roast a finishing touch.
• Serve it with additional gravy on the side.
Side dishes that go nicely with chicken and/or lentils are roasted red baby potatoes, acorn squash, and green peas. Slice the potatoes in half and toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. These can be baked in the roaster with the chicken or on a flat baking sheet. Slice the acorn squash in half with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds.
Place them on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and cover them with foil. Bake for an hour and serve hot with butter. Use frozen or fresh green peas and cook them in boiling water. Do not overcook them or they will become mushy.
If you have long, clear glasses, you have the perfect dishes to serve a quick but elegant dessert. Layer vanilla ice cream and fresh or frozen mixed berries in the glass making sure the ice cream is the last layer. Top off the ice cream with a chocolate covered strawberry and a mint leaf.
As you can see, you do not have to be an Iron Chef contender to create an impressive formal dinner party. Never let your lack of kitchen experience stand in the way of creating a memorable meal. So, what are you waiting for? Happy cooking and Bon Appetite!
The below link is connecting you to an extraordinary holiday package of "how to" resources on hosting a perfect dinner party. This generous package has been fully endorsed by two prominent chefs and a well know cookbook author.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_P_Steiner
Cooking With What's Left
Kamikaze cooking is exactly what it sounds like - taking what you have, and making a meal out of it. Some of our "kamikaze" meals have become favorites in our house! If you're creative in the kitchen, it's time to shine. If you're not - it's time to shine. :). You can do it! "Cooking What's Left" is actually a term coined by Lori Winders, author of "The Cooking What's Left" Crockpot "Yeast Free" Cookbook". Lori was having reactions to the yeast in her diet. When she finally did see a doctor, he gave her a list of all of the things she could not eat. Upon arriving back home to cook dinner and looking at her restricted list, "Cooking What's Left" was born.
1. This isn't about a massive diet change, though it was for Lori. It's about making the most of small changes.
2. Be adventurous! Try food combinations that you've never had before! You may find a new favorite like I occasionally do.
3. Pay attention. Pay attention to what you eat and how your body reacts to it. Whenever I eat something that my stomach does not like, believe me - I pay for it. Figure out what the culprit was and eliminate it! If its something you love, there is a strong chance there's a replacement ingredient for it. Outsmart your stomach!
Though Lori had to cut a lot of the yeast - containing foods from her diet, I haven't found that at all. I like to try different flavor combinations, but I don't eat a lot of exotic or hard to find food. You can find the food I eat at regular grocery stores, not specialty shops.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C_Casey
1. This isn't about a massive diet change, though it was for Lori. It's about making the most of small changes.
2. Be adventurous! Try food combinations that you've never had before! You may find a new favorite like I occasionally do.
3. Pay attention. Pay attention to what you eat and how your body reacts to it. Whenever I eat something that my stomach does not like, believe me - I pay for it. Figure out what the culprit was and eliminate it! If its something you love, there is a strong chance there's a replacement ingredient for it. Outsmart your stomach!
Though Lori had to cut a lot of the yeast - containing foods from her diet, I haven't found that at all. I like to try different flavor combinations, but I don't eat a lot of exotic or hard to find food. You can find the food I eat at regular grocery stores, not specialty shops.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C_Casey
Few Things Change With Sicilian Cooking
When it comes to Italian lifestyles few things have been left as is through the ages like fine Sicilian cooking. While the entire country has gone through its share of adjustments and changes over the centuries, the Island of the sun seems to expel history and flavor like it is going out of style. The recipes that you found hundreds of years ago are still in practice today. This is because this island basically has no reason to change its ways, because nothing is actually wrong in the first place. A fantastic and exciting culture with wonderful people, mixed with some of the most intricate cuisine on the planet and you have an experience that should not be passed up.
Let's Break Bread
It is interesting to note that Sicily is basically the only part of Italy that did not have influence from the Romans in regards to their cuisine. Sicilian cooking is today, what it was in 260 BC and you will find very little to state that the Romans had anything to do with culinary change on this tiny southern island. When the Romans did introduce to the Sicilians however, was bread. It was actually the Greek Pita that the Sicilians where accustomed too, when the Romans first made their way over to the island. With the amount of time that the Romans actually spent over in Sicily, nothing really had a chance to develop with Rome's footprint. They brought Maccu, which is a puree made from mashed Fava beans and the introduction of the long loaf bread. Other then that, this little island was basically left alone by the Roman Empire short of use for grain growing and vacation spots that is.
Steeped In Tradition
One thing you will quickly learn about Sicilian cooking is that most of the recipes that you enjoy are actually traditional recipes. These dishes are the same dishes that were served hundreds of years ago, and they are just as popular today as they were back then. There may be a few adjustments to some of these dishes, but for the most part they are just like they were when the recipe was first thought out. Great sauces are found in Sicily, and you will find them with great vegetables and herbs. These fine sauces will adorn some of the most delightful pastas dishes that one could ever imagine, and you will quickly learn that you can overfeed yourself if you are not careful. This is because the food is just so divine; it is hard to know when you should actually stop.
Separate Yet Very Similar
While the rest of the world due to its remote location a little less recognizes Sicilian food, it does not make the food any less tasty. The fact is Sicilian food is very similar to the food from the rest of Italy; it is only the location that makes the food appear as different as it is.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Fiori
Let's Break Bread
It is interesting to note that Sicily is basically the only part of Italy that did not have influence from the Romans in regards to their cuisine. Sicilian cooking is today, what it was in 260 BC and you will find very little to state that the Romans had anything to do with culinary change on this tiny southern island. When the Romans did introduce to the Sicilians however, was bread. It was actually the Greek Pita that the Sicilians where accustomed too, when the Romans first made their way over to the island. With the amount of time that the Romans actually spent over in Sicily, nothing really had a chance to develop with Rome's footprint. They brought Maccu, which is a puree made from mashed Fava beans and the introduction of the long loaf bread. Other then that, this little island was basically left alone by the Roman Empire short of use for grain growing and vacation spots that is.
Steeped In Tradition
One thing you will quickly learn about Sicilian cooking is that most of the recipes that you enjoy are actually traditional recipes. These dishes are the same dishes that were served hundreds of years ago, and they are just as popular today as they were back then. There may be a few adjustments to some of these dishes, but for the most part they are just like they were when the recipe was first thought out. Great sauces are found in Sicily, and you will find them with great vegetables and herbs. These fine sauces will adorn some of the most delightful pastas dishes that one could ever imagine, and you will quickly learn that you can overfeed yourself if you are not careful. This is because the food is just so divine; it is hard to know when you should actually stop.
Separate Yet Very Similar
While the rest of the world due to its remote location a little less recognizes Sicilian food, it does not make the food any less tasty. The fact is Sicilian food is very similar to the food from the rest of Italy; it is only the location that makes the food appear as different as it is.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Fiori
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)