All posts in Cooking

Thai cooking survival guide by a Thai soprano-wife-mother.

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Where is the real Thai taste?

I am Thai. A Thai who grew up in a modern household; yet, I had the fortunate opportunity to witness the greatness of the Thai past. I was the last generation of my family to see the real Thai way from within my very own teakwood fence.

I remember Bangkok in a calmer way than most people now. The coolness of fresh air with the faint sweet aroma of Thai flowers – DokJumpee, DokPuth, DokMali, DokKaew, and DokPiguln- in combination with the sound of brass bells from a wooded tram on which I would ride along Rajchadahmneun Avenue, was the Bangkok that I knew. My mother was the oldest daughter in a family of five children.

Back then, she and her eldest brother were the two who were married and had their own children. We lived in one of three houses on my maternal grandparents’ large property on the west side of the Grand Chaopraya, the river so deep that it supports not only domestic traffic but is also the path for international freight ships, making it the major blood vessel of the country.

My grandparents occupied the largest house, also the first house at the front of the property, which faced a major road but sat far enough back and was disguised by many large and shady fruit trees. My eldest uncle and his family lived in the second house in the middle, and our house was set farthest back on the property. I was very happy with my never-ending activity from playing with my playmates ‘from tree-to tree,’ and waiting every afternoon for a Chinese “Olieng,” or iced coffee, iced tea and sweet snack goodies, vendor to arrive in his boat in the canal- “klong-” that marked our property line and the neighbor’s in the back.

I had many playmates, and I vaguely remember they all lived with us on our property- as to where on the property, I wasn’t sure. A few years ago, I asked my mother about them and received confirmation that those were our- or, rather, my grandparents’- hired help and their families who had been there since my maternal great-grandmother’s day. I was surprised that I could remember back that far, since my mother said that they had moved out when I was very young. She also confirmed my memory of the tram but said that it stopped running soon after I was born. I don’t know if I’m dreaming, but I have flashes of memory of this wonderful time, here and there, throughout my life.

My great-grandmother- the mother of my maternal grandmother- represented the real Thai extended family. She was a Thai-Mon. (Mon – the nation that got swallowed up by Myanmar-Burma back then. The Mons relocated to Siam since the Golden Age of Ayuthaya.) The word “Thai” means freedom, and coming to Thailand meant to open the door of opportunity among the peaceful people and under the cool shade of the Great King.

My great-grandfather was a Chinese boy who came to Bangkok with his family. He grew up to be an inventor, an author, a scholar, and a businessman who owned and operated an international trading company with his old country, China. Along with a British physician, Dr. Bradley, they started the first English language newspaper in Thailand and also invented the first Thai typeset for the typewriter. Later, my great-grandfather was granted a title from the King.

Cooking With Offset Smokers Basic Tips for the Beginner

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Cooking with offset smokers, also called barrel smokers, can be a fun and rewarding experience. Offset smokers have a separate firebox attached to the cooking chamber which allows for direct grilling in the firebox, and direct or indirect cooking in the smoking chamber. When mastered, the indirect cooking method turns out fantastic barbecue, smoked meats, poultry, and fish. The secret of the indirect cooking method lies in the ability to maintain an even cooking temperature over a long period of time. For the novice, this can be a difficult and frustrating skill to learn. This article offers some basic tips that will help you become master of your offset smoker.

When buying an offset smoker, one of your main considerations should be the thickness of the steel. Thin gauge steel does not retain heat very well. This makes it more difficult to maintain a consistent cooking temperature. Also, the temperature near the firebox can be hotter than at the other end of the cooking chamber. The thinner the steel, the more pronounced this heat difference will be, and you may have to rotate your meat fairly often. You can still cook exceptional barbecue and smoked meats with a thin gauge steel smoker, it just takes a bit more work. My choice is the Bayou Classic offset smokers. They are built to last with heavy 10-gauge steel and 1200 degree heat resistant paint.

No matter which offset smoker you choose, the key to low and slow cooking is to maintain a consistent cooking temperature. To do that, you need to get a feel for how your particular smoker cooks. It takes practice, a little experimentation, and a lot of patience. Here are a few simple tips to help you get started.

*Season your smoker. Its really a simple process, just like seasoning a cast iron skillet only on a larger scale. First, coat the inside of your smoking chamber with cooking oil. Any type will do, so dont use anything expensive. Next, build a fire in the firebox and add wood chips for smoke. Maintain the temperature at 250 to 275 degrees F and let it go for two or three hours adding chips for smoke when needed. Its that simple. The oil and smoke will create a barrier on the inside of you smoker and protect it from rust. This is also an important step for the simple fact that it gives you a dry run on your new smoker.

*Use coals for your fire not wood. Charcoal burns at a consistent pace, and is much easier to control than wood. Once youve mastered the charcoal fire, go ahead and experiment with wood if youd like. But until then, do yourself a favor, cook with charcoal and add wood chips for smoke.

*Pre heat the cooking chamber to the desired cooking temperature.

*Keep the lid closed. You cannot maintain an even cooking temperature if you keep opening the lid. If you are cooking a lot of meat and are using all the grill space, you may need to open it occasionally to rotate the meat away from the firebox. Otherwise, keep the lid closed.

*When adding coals, use a charcoal chimney to pre start them prior to adding them to the fire. Adding unlit coals will cool your fire and you dont want that.

*Dont soak your wood chips. Wet wood chips can cool your fire. Again, you want your fire to burn as consistently as possible.
Clean the ashes in the firebox and the grease from the cooking chamber. You should get in the habit of doing this after every use. Just scrape out the ashes and grease. You dont want them building up in your barrel smoker, they can trap water and cause rust.

Well, thanks for reading and I hope these tips help. Go grab a beer, or a glass of wine and fire up that offset smoker. But don’t drink too much, you have to pay close attention to that fire.

Healthy Cooking and Cookbook Publishing

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We at Fundcraft Publishing are so thrilled to be celebrating over 100-years of successful cookbook publishing and cookbook fundraising! We are so thankful to all of our customers that have returned to us time and time again over the years. Thank you and we hope to continue to be of service to you!

As one of the nations leading cookbook fundraising publishers, we are pleased to remain offering what we always have, and adding more as we branch into 2010 and 2011!

We are excited to see the results of our Hometown Recipe Contest. Someone will be the lucky winner of $1,000! We do love to hear from our customers and we would like to know if you have any questions and/or comments for us.

Sometimes we simply like to check in with our customers and gain their helpful feedback! As we always welcome new customers and continue to remain faithful to our tried and true, and we value all of our customer feedback. Our customers are what keeps us in business and we want to continue to provide you what you want and need, as one of the nations leading cookbook publishers!

***A million plus FREE database of recipes? Yes, that is exactly what youll find on Cookbooks.com. You will find over a million cookbook recipes!

Youll never be at a loss again and asking, “Whats for dinner?” Cookbooks.com has the answer! From desserts to five-star meals to quick and easythe list goes on.

From Chef inspired creations to recipes that even the I-cant-cook-person can whip up in minutes, Cookbooks.com is sure to be everyones addiction!

So, what are you having for dinner?

From soup to salad to fruit to desserts, main courses Cookbooks.com has it all. Download recipes to your cell phone! You are about to have the easiest shopping list so conveniently held in your hand with the ingredients for your next meal neatly laid out for you just like mom did it.

Busy tonight? How about the Quick and Easy section of Cookbooks.com.
Here is a sample to get your taste buds ready. Remember Quick and Easy!

QUICK AND EASY CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
4 c. chicken broth
11 oz. chicken, cooked and cubed
4 1/2 Tbsp. self-rising flour
6 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 c. skim milk
poultry seasoning, if desired
thyme, if desired
parsley, if desired
Rub flour on both sides of tortillas, using all of flour. Cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Bring broth and seasonings to a rolling boil. Drop tortillas in broth. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken and milk until heated. Let stand off heat for 5 to 10 minutes, covered.
Optional: Can add vegetables: carrots, peas, etc.
Visit Cookbooks.com today and find out how your life can be made easier! Want to cook light? Look for the cooking light section. No matter how light you cook, you wont be light on happiness after you discover this cooking website! Its an entire world of recipes, recipes, recipes!
As always, we thank you for your interest, satisfaction and continued patronage.

Questions? E mail us! Comments? E mail us! We would love to hear from you.

Happy Eating, Cooking and Fundraising from the Fundcraft Publishing team!

One family, 100-years strong we are proud to be of continued service to you!

You cook better with Alan Ferrari. Today talk about Spaghetti.

By blogger on

Dear Friend,

Today many people say that pasta is the enemy of light and high fiber diet. IT IS WRONG !
Remove the pasta from your diet is wrong. Pasta is an ally of your line, intestinal function and good humor.

Yes, it’s true, pasta is a kind of natural antidepressant and then “stimulates” good humor.

It’s important not to exaggerate, a portion of 2 1/2 oz per person is good.
The pasta is rich of B vitamins and iron. It’s also low in sodium and doesn’t contain cholesterol.
The traditional Mediterranean diet confers more health benefits than current dietary patterns common in western countries.
Currently there are many diets that can be found on the internet but the Mediterranean diet is considered by most doctors in the world as the best to use.
Many false diet gurus tell you to eliminate carbohydrates and not to eat the pasta, the real secret is to eat well and in the right quantity, the pasta is the best food you can have. Do not trust people which insult the pasta, in my opinion they are stupid.
The real problem is too much sauce in the spaghetti. Too much sauce creates weight gain. If you want to eat well and healthy using the right amount of pasta and the right amount of sauce. Believe me it’s the truth.

Too much food and less sports are the main causes of obesity in most industrialized countries. Another causes is the trend to sleep less and those who spend more hours awake more often also tend to open the refrigerator and snacking outside meals. Another causes is stress, another is
that many pollutants in the environment have the ability to alter the hormonal balance and therefore the metabolism of the human body.
On cold weather the body consumes energy to produce heat, but also it’s very hot in the summer you burn calories to activate the mechanisms that govern the physiological regulation of body temperature. Radiators and air conditioners urge us to stay home with the consequence of burning less calories and be tempted to go for drinks, juices, ice cream, etc..

No one says that the guilty is the pasta. Believe me.
According to me you think it’s true what I say before.
Eat well and be happy, This is the true philosophy.

Buy the cookbook, it’s original and teaches you many things.
Guaranteed.

Sincerely,
Alan Ferrari

Bestsellers In Fine Wine And Cooking

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Lisa Lillien writes Hungry Girl 300 Under 300: 300 Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Dishes Under 300 Calories, intended to keep you healthy but also savoring some tasty dishes. Including some recipes for all the major meals, as well as some great tips for starters and sides, you can find a recipe that will be suitable to your taste buds fast. You can find some recipes like PB and J Oatmeal, Creamy Crab Cakes Benedict, Classic Cheese steak Salad, Dreamy Butternut Chicken Foil Pack, Burger-ific Mushroom Melt, some Big Apple Butternut Squash Soup, as well as some bacon wrapped hot dogs that will have your mouth watering in no time. Stay fit and healthy with these recipes, as they are not only easy on the taste buds but also easy on the diet, too, as they are all under 300 calories.

Gabrielle Hamilton write Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef. This story of a chef tells the story of a budding chef who always dreamed of cooking but worked at a catering company without any flavor, was often starving, cooked at a summer camp, and was often fed by strangers, till she learned the importance of fear and hunger and the importance of sharing food with others. A chef and owner now of her own restaurant, as well as a trained writer, this story tells of the rise of a chef from harsh circumstances and her unique perspective on the importance of sharing food and recipes to others.

Neal Barnard writes 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart, a book written by a doctor meant to help with lifestyle choices, and helps teach about the benefits of a vegan diet, and the ways in which fatty animal based products can be replaced with things like vegetables and legumes and other things that can sustain a person and give them a properly balanced diet, as well. Also, the author insists upon strategies for quick results and allows you to have quick weight loss without depriving yourself.

The Editors at America’s Test Kitchen present Slow Cooker Revolution, a book that contains 200 recipes, that allow you to throw things into the slow cooker and then intensify the flavor of it by adding different ingredients, such as various spices and garlic. The book even hones in on details, such as microwaving various spices to really get the most out of the flavor and gives little tips that really improve a meal by enhancing the flavors of the dish and making things even richer and better than ever.

Gary Taubes writes Why We Get Fat and What to Do About it, a book about staying fit and questioning the reasons and factors that have led to American obesity. He also examines how various diets have failed to reduce this high level and proposes some solutions that are meant to help people lose weight, stay fit, try to lower their cholesterol and do so in a way that will keep people healthy and fit for a long time. That way, you can stay fit and stay healthy with a great book of tips.