Have a Heart Healthy Thanksgiving!
October 29, 2008
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By Kim Thornton
So here are some tips from the folks at smart-heart-living.com to help you have a heart healthy Thanksgiving.
Reduce Your Stress
Hosting the 
Thanksgiving dinner, visiting with family and friends, and having house guests can lead to upsets if you have unrealistic expectations of yourself or others. Go with the flow and keep things in perspective. So what if a cup gets spilled, the dog barfs, the cousins natter, or the pie crust is burned. Sure it may not be perfect, but in the big scheme of things does it really matter?
Manage your expectations. As David Posen says in his book The Little Book of Stress Relief, “the quest for perfection is guaranteed to end in frustration and disillusionment, because nothing will measure up.”
Not every meal has to be elaborate and the house doesn’t have to be show home spotless.
And everyone can pitch in with the clean up. One woman remembers, “after a holiday feast all the grown kids in our family used to head for the kitchen and there we’d do the clean up while visiting and catching up. I have such fond memories of those times.”
Whether you are hosting guests and making the feast, or you are traveling to be with others, make sure you plan time for yourself to relax.
A Thanksgiving dinner can be heart healthy!
Turkey, the traditional mainstay of the harvest feast, is a concentrated source of protein, a good source of Vitamin B6 and niacin. And, it’s recognized as a heart healthy food by many experts including George Mateljan, author of The World’s Healthiest Foods. Turkey is also a concentrated source of sleep-promoting tryptophan, which is why a nap after Thanksgiving dinner is often so appealing.
Consider getting an organically raised turkey, and roast it in the oven or barbecue. DON’T deep fry it in fat.
Winter squashes (Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard, Turban, Kabocha, and Spaghetti squash), also standard fare on the Thanksgiving table, are a concentrated source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega 3 essential fatty acid that is very good for heart health. It’s also an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Steam your squash and add flavor with fresh rosemary, honey and nutmeg, toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or sage and thyme.
Pumpkin pie?
Pumpkins are another winter squash. It is traditional across North America to serve pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. Probably the best way of eating pumpkin is not in a pie but then again, Thanksgiving only comes around once a year! But make or buy a homemade pie with fresh (not canned) ingredients. And go lightly on the whipped cream!
See www.smart-heart-living.com for recipes for Thanksgiving dinner.
Get Some Exercise
How about a walk or cycle while the turkey roasts? What better time to get outside than in autumn when the leaves are colorful, the air is crisp, and when you return home, the house will welcome you with rich aromas!
Exercise is known to reduce stress levels, increase your energy, and improve sleep and
digestion. After a plentiful Thanksgiving dinner it will help burn off any additional calories you’ve consumed. Get the whole gang out for a 30 minute walk. Make it part of your Thanksgiving ritual.
What if it’s raining? A walk on a rainy day can be a wonderful experience. Can you remember how much you enjoyed going out in the rain with an umbrella when you were a child? Don’t let the weather stop you. Dress accordingly and you’ll be surprised at how enjoyable it can be.
Count your blessings
Strong positive emotions induce physical and emotional responses that are thought by many to have significant health benefits.
At your Thanksgiving dinner, take the opportunity to go around the table and have each person share what they are thankful for. Everyone can participate. One family says, “We’ve done this now for several years. It can become extremely emotional - but that makes it more meaningful. We’ve often had at least one person at the table choke up when they share what they are thankful for in their lives. And the little ones enjoy it too. When our granddaughters were only three they understood the concept and they talked about how grateful they were for their Mommy and Daddy and the things in their lives that were important to them. Of course there’s always lots of humor and laughter too! It’s a family tradition we hold close to our hearts.”
Whether your Thanksgiving dinner is for two or for 20, you can still count your blessings.
Have a hug, give a hug
Hugs are good for your heart. Human contact through hugs lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, which cuts the risk of heart disease. On Thanksgiving, hug your friends, your family, and your guests. Not only will it feel good, but it’s healthy for everyone!
Whether you’re living with heart disease or simply want to live a heart healthy life, http://www.Smart-Heart-Living.com provides the information and resources you need including sections on exercise, diet, risk factors, lifestyle choices, common concerns, symptoms and much, much more.
Kim Thornton is the co-creator and webmaster of this website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Thornton
http://EzineArticles.com/?Have-a-Heart-Healthy-Thanksgiving!&id=1560867
Cooking Tasty BBQ Food for Vegetarians
October 22, 2008
Yes, it’s true, vegetarians can enjoy barbecues too! If you are a meat-eater with some vegetarian guests coming round for a barbecue, it is very easy to rustle up some tasty vegetarian food. There are also some more challenging options for the vegetarian host or the brave carnivore!Option number one for vegetarians is to cook some shop-bought veggie burgers or sausages. If it’s a ‘bring your own meat’ barbecue this is probably what vegetarians will bring. Now, some people hate meat substitutes, but most vegetarians quite like them, and will be quite happy with a veggie sausage, particularly with some good relish and salad in a bun.
However, there are lots of other things you can cook for vegetarians which will be a little more impressive - and more than likely the meat-eaters will like them too. Halloumi cheese is always popular, and very easy to cook. This is a firm cheese that doesn’t melt when cooked, so you can slice it, or cube it and stick it on skewers, and cook over the barbecue until browned on the outside, and soft on the inside. If cooking on skewers, you could alternate cubes of halloumi with cooked new potatoes.
Grilled vegetables are another good option, as they really taste of ‘barbecue’. For something slightly unusual, try brushing thick asparagus spears with olive oil and grilling for about 5 minutes, until browned in places. You can also easily grill aubergine or sweet potato slices (1-2 cm) or courgettes (halved lengthways), having coated them in olive oil and seasoning. You can also grill whole aubergines on the barbecue, having pierced them in several places with a fork. When they are soft you can scoop out the inside and spread it on some bread, or use it to make an aubergine dip.
Wrapping vegetables in foil prevents charring, so is useful if your vegetables tend to burn on the outside but are raw inside. For an authentic barbecue taste though, it is a good idea to cook for a few minutes without foil at the end, until it looks char-grilled. This is one way of cooking corn on the cob, an essential part of any barbecue for meat-eaters and vegetarians.
Lots of other vegetables, such as mushrooms, peppers and onions, work well on a barbecue, but can be quite fiddly to work with. The classic option is to thread vegetable pieces on to skewers to make vegetable kebabs. A quicker way is to use a barbecue ‘wok’ or grill pan (try Lakeland), which you can place on top of the barbecue and keep all your vegetable pieces together. Then you can easily cook smaller vegetables without them falling through onto the barbecue, while retaining that barbecue flavour. This is also a simple way of keeping vegetarian food separate from meat.
A good accompaniment for all your guests is to brush some slices of baguette or ciabatta with olive oil and seasoning, and grill on each side until golden brown. If you wrap a whole garlic bulb in foil and barbecue until the cloves are soft, you can squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves and spread it on the bread. Garlic roasted like this becomes much milder and sweeter.
For the really ambitious, why not try making your own veggie burgers? Then you can have complete control over the ingredients and will feel very satisfied with your creativity. There are loads of recipes for different kinds of veggie burgers, but typically you could use mashed beans or lentils as a base, and add any kind of cheese, chopped onions, nuts, herbs or spices for flavouring, breadcrumbs to help make it a bit more solid, and beaten egg to help bind it. Then simply grill it! You may have to experiment to get a burger that doesn’t fall apart too easily - if you are worried, start by cooking it on foil or a baking sheet, and finish up with a few minutes directly on the barbecue.
For more consumer advice visit http://www.whatprice.co.uk Whatprice contains useful household information from cooking techniques through to how to fix the kitchen sink.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alastair_Taylor
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cooking-Tasty-BBQ-Food-for-Vegetarians&id=657586
Southern Cooking Techniques
October 17, 2008
By Ken Miller
On the subject of Southern recipes, I’m sorry to say that what is often represented as a Southern recipe, is not. For instance, when you see a recipe for Southern cornbread that includes sugar, that is NOT Southern. I lived all my life in the South and traveled the world but have never met a Southerner that puts sugar in cornbread. We call that “Yankee” cornbread. That is cake, not cornbread.
Back to the subject at hand, assuming you have real Southern recipes, you can still wind up with a dish that is not truly Southern if you do not employ Southern cooking techniques. You may produce something that is good but the technique makes it more than good, it makes it special.
Cooking Method:
Southerners fry more of their dishes than any other people I know. Therefore, for the most part, Southern cooking is not low fat. However, you can lessen the fat content with the choice of cooking oil you use. If this is a concern, don’t use animal fats, lard or saturated oils. I generally use corn or safflower oil. Believe it or not, with dishes that do not require high temperatures, I use olive oil. The point here is to just be prepared to fry a lot with Southern cooking.
Cookware:
Traditional Southern cooking calls for cast iron. You should obtain an 8 and 10 inch skillet and medium pot for your cookware. Cast iron is inexpensive and can frequently be found at thrift stores for two or three dollars, if you have one near you.
The cast iron retains heat a long time and burns fingers readily. But it transfers heat like no other material. You must “cure” or “season” your cast iron before using or you will have a problem with sticking and rust. While the manufacturers instructions for curing are inadequate, they will do. Never use anything but cast iron for cornbread and never cook anything but cornbread in your “cornbread skillet”. For most recipes, you will want to heat the cast iron (like pre-heating the oven) before you add the ingredients.
Regular Milk vs. Buttermilk:
In most situations, when a recipe calls for milk, in Southern cooking, you would use buttermilk. You should always use buttermilk for your cornbread and biscuits. It provides a unique flavor that screams ”Southern”. Here’s a tip: if you do not keep buttermilk on hand (I don’t), you can make your own by adding about a spoon of white vinegar to a cup of regular milk. Stir and let sit about a minute. You will have a substitute buttermilk for cooking purposes (I do not recommend drinking….although I have never tried it).
Cooking Time:
Many Southern dishes (mostly vegetables) are cooked much longer than you would find in restaurants or homes in other parts of the country. Specifically, green beans, okra, turnip greens, mustard and collards. Vegetables cooked Southern style are NOT bright colored and crunchy (like Chinese stir fry). They are tender and flavorful. An exception to the “crunchy” observation is fried okra. Okra is cooked until nearly burned. It is coated with cornmeal and is, indeed, crunchy. On the other hand, other vegetables such as green beans are cooked around two hours until they are tender and dark green in color.
Seasoning:
This is one of the most important techniques that distinguishes Southern cooking from other styles. Spicy (hot) flavors are seldom used except for cajun cooking, which is a style of cooking all it’s own. Onion, bacon and salt are used extensively for seasoning. All greens, black eyed peas, green beans, most anything cooked by boiling in water, is seasoned with salt, a chunk of onion and a slice of bacon (or bacon drippings).
While not a technique, it is important to combine certain foods to produce a traditional Southern meal. Combinations of the following are typical. Fried chicken, fried pork chops, greens (turnip, mustard, collards), black eyed peas, fried okra, cornbread and green beans. So, for a real Southern treat, get an authenic Southern recipe, follow these techniques and watch your family ask for more.
Ken Miller is a freelance writer and owner of several websites. For real Southern recipes visit his site at www.olsouthrecipes.com where you will find free recipes for southern cornbread, fried okra, hush puppies, turnip greens and many more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Miller
http://EzineArticles.com/?Southern-Cooking-Techniques&id=590447
Becoming a Chef - The Pros and Cons
October 14, 2008
We are immersed in the cachet of Chefdom.
I noticed that there are ads for various culinary academies everywhere on television, but what nobody wants to talk about is the real Pros and Cons of working in a honest-to-goodness-professional kitchen.
Pros:
1. It’s fun! Why? Because adrenalin is pouring through your system as you work, the same way as when you play sports or perform on the stage. Adrenalin is Nature’s own high!
From the minute your shift begins you are racing to get the job done. If you begin at 7:00am for an 11:00am opening, then the preparation has to be finished before the doors open. Once the orders start coming in, the race is on to get every order out within the time allotted. All good restaurants these days have computerized systems to measure your productivity, and racing the clock is fun.
2. It allows us to fulfill our innate need to nurture others, to show our love by feeding them.
Some of us just love to cook for others. I’m one of those people. I get such pleasure from preparing something, serving it, and watching the faces of the diners to see their appreciation. Just LOVE it!
3. There is usually work to be found in a commercial kitchen.
No matter how small the town, you can usually find work, thus, you will always have a livelihood.
Cons:
1. It’s the hardest job around.
Working in a professional kitchen is not for the weak of body or mind. The labor is intense and no matter what, you have to be able to lift and stretch, mop and clean. “CLEAN AS YOU GO” is the motto of all trained Culinarians, and that means every minute of every shift, every surface in your station.
At the end of the shift, a deep fat fryer full of hot oil has to be transported and dumped in the appropriate place, and YOU have to do it. The walls behind the fryers have to sparkle, as do the floors and counter tops.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re working the Pantry Station. All of the greens must be washed and prepared, along with all the dressings. If you’re lucky, your kitchen has a prep cook to help you. If you’re not, then it’s all up to you.
All of your garnishes have to be cut to spec, as well as all tomatoes, avocados, carrots and any other vegetables or meats that go on your salads. If you also handle desserts, then those have to be prepped as well.
And on top of everything else, productivity is measured. When the ticket comes out of the machine at your station, the clock starts ticking. When you place the order on the pass-through, you stamp the ticket. It is somebody’s job to take all the tickets and grade you on your times. The next day before your shift begins, there will be a meeting to reveal whether or not you came up to par on your speed. Whew!
2. You can cut and burn almost any part of your body.
No worries. The tips of your fingers you slice off grow back and your knees only get stronger from having to bend down to get things out of the reach-in refrigerators, and all burns heal.
3. The pay is universally LOW.
I worked at a wonderful, popular white-tablecloth restaurant in downtown Los Angeles for a year earning $8.00 an hour, but paying for parking, tools, and uniforms ate up most of my wages. I also worked at a famous boutique restaurant in Mendocino, CA for $7.50 and hour.
Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray: these are the stars in culinary spectrum, but the rest of us can never expect earnings like that, no matter how good we are at what we do. If you don’t write a cookbook or get on television, there is very little chance of your earning anything other than minimum wage, for all your skills.
Bottom line:
Being a chef is hard work, the hardest; but it was the most fun I ever had offstage. I still miss it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenda_Glayzer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Becoming-a-Chef—The-Pros-and-Cons&id=1460241
Top Culinary Arts Schools - How Do I Find The Best?
October 9, 2008
If you are thinking of attending or trying to find out who the top 
culinary arts schools are, there are logical steps you need to follow to be successful. You will need to do a little bit of research on your own. It’s possible that you have had a representative from one of the top culinary arts colleges already visit your high school. It is always wise to compare what is out there before making a decision though.
It’s a fact that most of the top culinary arts schools offer many of the same courses. The differences may lie in the faculty members that they hire and the popularity of their schools with hiring managers in the food service industry. There are also differences in the cost to attend these culinary arts colleges and price can be a major factor in your decision. Location is also another factor. If you are looking to save money and are not real particular about becoming the world’s best chef then a culinary arts college in your local area might be the best place to attend.
Here are some logical methods of finding the top culinary arts colleges. In addition, visit the link below to watch a video of a chef in action and to find many culinary arts colleges that you can evaluate as listed on the pages of the website.
The first thing you should do is go to a search engine such as google.com or yahoo.com and type in “culinary arts colleges” or “top culinary arts schools” just to see the scope of this industry. Once you pull up literally millions of results, you may be overwhelmed but remember, you are just shopping to see what is out there overall. Once you see that there are numerous colleges to choose from add some additional criteria. For example, you may want to click on several of the first sets of search results you see just to get an overall feel of what is offered in the culinary arts field. In addition, you can see where the major culinary arts colleges are located and if they have won any awards or have well recognized chefs as part of their faculties. If you want to know prices though, you will most likely have to email the school and an admissions representative will contact you. On the other hand, you may want to immediately decide on a general geographical area you are interested in. To do that you simply repeat the search “top culinary arts schools in Florida” for example, plugging in your own city or state to see what culinary arts colleges are located near you.
Review the websites. If you see a school or several culinary arts schools that you like, copy and paste the college phone numbers into Word or an email and begin to call these schools. You should ask for the admissions departments. You may receive a high pressure sales pitch, so listen carefully. All of these culinary arts colleges are in competition with one another. Definitely keep track of who you talk to by making notes next to your list. Compare everything, ie. the cost, the location, the reputation, placement assistance, etc.
You can also go online and do a bit more research to find out the cost by typing in “cost of culinary arts college” or “how much does a culinary arts college program cost” or something similar. You will come up with some interesting results. Just keep in mind that costs vary across the board depending on the program that you choose, the location and the reputation of the school.
Be prepared though. It is most likely going to be expensive to attend a top culinary arts school, but if that is your love and your professional desire, it will be well worth it in the end. Please find the links to more information on culinary arts jobs and the best culinary arts colleges in the next paragraph. Watch the video of a chef in action!
Margaret Dunn has over 10 years recruiting experience in the proprietary / career college field and 20+ years in executive recruiting She has recruited leading candidates for some of the top culinary arts colleges and proprietary schools across the country.
You can find more interesting information on culinary arts on her website also at http://jobsearchtop10.com/Default.aspx?PageID=culinaryjobs
for more information on the top culinary arts colleges and http://www.culinaryartscollegesite.com for more detailed information on finding the best culinary arts colleges. In addition, another resource for information on the top cooking schools you will want to visit http://www.culinaryartscollegesite.com/Culinary_Arts_Pg3.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Margaret_Dunn
http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Culinary-Arts-Schools—How-Do-I-Find-The-Best?&id=1056127
Culinary Arts Salaries
October 8, 2008
By Thomas Morva
In the early days of man as a cave dweller, fire was discovered and ever since, cooked food has been popular. Over a period of time, culinary skills developed into a body of knowledge such that today, it is both a science and an intricate art. Culinary arts, as it is otherwise known, involves cooking different types of food, either for consumption by the person making it or for service to other people. The food industry is one of the fastest growing ones in the U.S. and employs the most number of people, next to government service. It is an ever-changing industry that is challenging and demanding. Career opportunities in this field are available in restaurants, hotels, on board ships and at resorts. This competitive industry offers various choices to pursue if one is passionate about food.
Chef, caterer, pastry chef and restaurant cook are some of the most familiar options, amongst the many jobs available for someone who specializes in the culinary arts. There are also management positions such as executive chef, food and beverage manager, sales director and housekeeper.
The salaries of chefs and cooks vary greatly according to the region and type of establishment. Wages are usually the highest in elegant restaurants and hotels, in major metropolitan areas, where many chefs are employed to head the food production of each type of cuisine. Culinary arts professionals who decide to work outside of big cities could earn between $8-$14 an hour. On the other hand, a line cook in San Francisco can earn $10 to $22 per hour. A chef in a fine dining restaurant or hotel can earn in excess of $100,000 per year.
According to the U.S. department of Labor and Statistics, 2002, Chefs and Head Cooks had an hourly salary ranging from of $7.66 to $25.86, restaurant cooks from $6.58 to $13.21, institution and cafeteria workers from $6.10 to $13.34 and fast-food cooks from $5.68 to $9.13.
Culinary art is a field highly in demand because it is considered as highly fulfilling in terms of job satisfaction and professionals in the field are well rewarded. Typically, as in any other industry, the salary levels increased with educational qualifications, experience and career advancement.
Culinary Arts provides detailed information on Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts Schools, Culinary Arts Colleges, Culinary Arts Education and more. Culinary Arts is affiliated with Online Culinary Schools.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva
http://EzineArticles.com/?Culinary-Arts-Salaries&id=429094
Finding the Right Culinary School for You
October 5, 2008
Have you ever thought about the possibility of going to 
culinary school to become a professional chef or start a new career in hospitality management? Maybe you want to go to school just to be a better cook at home? The good news is there are a lot of great schools and colleges in every state to help you accomplish your goals.
Based upon the number of cooking schools opening each year, there must be a lot of folks interested in getting into the culinary world. I recently read an article in our local newspaper about the growth in local culinary schools, and the numbers surprised me. It appears that supermarkets, gourmet stores, local restaurants, colleges, ex-chefs, and just about anyone else who has the room and expertise is putting on an apron and opening a school.
Many of these schools are there for absolute beginners who just want to learn how to boil water and get around in the kitchen without hurting themselves. These classes tend to be more fun where you watch a professional chef prepare a meal and then you get to share it with the rest of the class. It’s a good way to meet some interesting people, learn a few culinary tricks, and taste some delicious food.
And then there are schools for home cooks who have some experience but want to build upon their skills and learn some new techniques. These schools tend to have classrooms with individual stations where the students learn by doing. Often these classes will specialize in one particular technique or cooking style.
But what about the individuals who wants to make cooking their career and go back to school for a degree in culinary education? They may want to learn about hospitality management to master the skills needed to run a resort, restaurant, or theme park. Or they may want to become professional chefs and cook in some of the best restaurants in the country.
Lucky for them, there are now more than 500 vocational, college, and university programs scattered around the country with more schools opening each year that offer first-rate educational degrees in this field. The bigger question is: how do you choose the best culinary school for you?
Here are a few steps to help you narrow down the field and simplify your decision:
Step 1 - Figure out what you want to do after you graduate.
Do you want to start a catering company, make pastries and fancy desserts, or how about manage a restaurant? Once you have an idea of what it is that you would like to specialize in, you can limit your search to only those schools that offer the necessary classes.
If you have no idea what you would like to do in the culinary field, be sure to go to a school that offers a number of choices in every field of the industry- sort of like taking a liberal arts’ approach.
Step 2 - Determine what’s most important to you in a school. Some topics you may want to think about before choosing a school are:
Location
Entry requirements
Length of program and class schedule
Costs and financial aid
Class size and student-to-faculty ratio
Classroom facilities
Class schedules
The school’s faculty and reputation
Degrees and accreditations
Externship opportunities
Location and housing
Schools contacts, job placement, and/or internships
Step 3 - Create a list of schools to contact for more information.
You can start with your local yellow pages but if you don’t find a school close enough, or one that strikes your fancy, try doing a search on the Internet. Just type in “cooking schools in [your state]”, or “culinary schools [your state]”, and you will find hundreds of leads to schools worldwide. Type in culinary schools with a city and it will narrow down the field even more.
There is also a listing of top schools listed by state at The Reluctant Gourmet web site. Go to http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/cooking_schools.htm and click on the state of your choice and pick a city of interest.
Once you find a few schools that look promising, read a little about them to see what they have to offer. Most sites will provide a short form that you can fill out for more information. Once you fill out the form and send it back to the school, someone will call you within a day or two to answer your questions, provide you with additional information, and offer to send you some brochures and an application.
Be sure to have a list of questions you want answered when you speak with a school’s representative. You might also ask for a list of current students and graduates to contact for their assessment of the school.
This is also a good time to ask about scholarships and what the school has to offer. If financing is going to be an issue, it’s better to find out alternatives now rather than wait until you have been accepted. Remember, the school representatives are there to help and most, I’ve found, don’t push too hard–although it is their job to sell you on the school.
Step 4 - Narrow down the field.
Once you look over what the schools have to offer and have spoken with the representatives, start eliminating those that just don’t fit in with your needs. Maybe a school is too far, too costly, or just doesn’t offer the courses you are interested in taking.
Step 5 - Visit the schools that fit best.
In my opinion, this is one of the most important steps you can do to make sure that you are going to be happy at any cooking school. You want to see the actual classrooms you will be attending, see some of the teachers and students in action, and get a feel for the surroundings to make sure you will fit in.
I once made the mistake of taking a new job on Wall Street with a competitor without ever seeing the offices I’d be working in. Sure the money was better and I thought I would make faster advancement, but when I arrived for my first day of work, I couldn’t believe the conditions they wanted me to work in. The office space was old, dirty, and outdated compared to where I was working. I was horrified and only lasted about four months!
So, make sure that the school in which you are thinking of investing your time and money is as good, if not better, than the brochure they send to you.
Step 6 - Apply to your top picks.
After you make your visits, narrow down the field to your top choices and prepare the applications you were sent. Be sure to be neat and complete, and provide the schools with everything they ask you for. If you have any questions about the application, pick up the phone right away and get answers. You don’t want to be sending in incomplete forms.
Step 7 - Choose your school.
Once notified by the schools of your acceptance, you can decide which school works best for you. Because you did your homework and followed the steps above, this final choice should be easy.
Be sure to inform the school of your choice that you will be attending, and find out what steps are required to get you enrolled and what you will need to start school.
Although this article was written for those of you interested in going to culinary school, you can follow these same procedures when choosing any continuing education degree. If you think about it, it’s just like getting everything prepped and ready to go (mise en place) before starting to prepare a meal.
Copyright © 2005 G. Stephen Jones, The Reluctant Gourmet
G. Stephen Jones created the Reluctant Gourmet back in 1997 as a hobby to assist other novice cooks who may find the art of cooking a little daunting. As an ex-Wall Street broker and Stay-at-Home Dad, he tries to explore cooking from a different perspective.
Visit http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/ for more tips, techniques, recipes and a great listing of culinary schools
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=G._Stephen_Jones
http://EzineArticles.com/?Finding-the-Right-Culinary-School-for-You&id=76564
A Totally Healthy Chicken Recipe
October 2, 2008
Sometimes the best chicken recipe is not only totally healthy, but it is also fast, easy to make and will have your family coming back for a second helping !
The following chicken recipe is for those people who are health conscientious and watching how much fat they take into their routine diet.
If using frozen chicken breasts: this chicken recipe is best when a frozen skinned chicken breast has been thawed slowly in cold water or even in the refrigerator. The meat seems to stay more firm and keeps in its moisture much better than if you defrost the chicken in a microwave or even at room temperature. Fresh chicken breasts can also be used.
Now onto the rest of the chicken recipe.
- Choose as many chicken breasts as you wish to serve.
- Slice a fresh lemon in half. Rub the lemon all over the breasts. (note: one lemon will be sufficient for about 4 medium-sized breasts)
- Wrap the breasts in tin foil and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake in a moderate oven until done – depending upon the size of your breasts – it should not be more than 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove from oven, and put the chicken breasts into a baking dish or platter that you would like to serve them on.
Making the sauce for this chicken recipe is fast, easy and flavorful. All you will need is a couple of medium-sized onions, four or five tomatoes, some cilantro and/or oregano, three our four garlic cloves, olive oil, mushrooms if you like, and black olives – also optional.
Just dice it all up, add the oregano or cilantro and garlic to your specific tastes and you are done.
Cover the chicken breasts with your freshly made sauce and serve with a freshly steamed vegetable of your choice.
That is all there is to this chicken recipe if you want completely healthy and no fat or carbs to speak of.
If you would like to add a few carbs, then prepare some angel hair pasta and place the baked chicken breasts and sauce over the angel hair and sprinkle with a bit of parmesan cheese.
As a note, you can alter this chicken recipe in a multitude of ways. The main thing to keep in mind when you do alter it is to focus on keeping the chicken recipe fat free and completely healthy.
Try to avoid making sauces out of dairy products. If you should choose to make a sauce that has dairy products as a part of its ingredients, then to minimize your fat intake, try to avoid butter and sour cream, or minimally go with a light sour cream.
The idea behind this chicken recipe is to help you eat a delicious dinner while still eating healthy.
As a note, there are some excellent chicken soup and fried chicken recipes on the web as well, so if this one doesn’t hit your taste buds tonight, then consider a good chicken soup or fried chicken meal for your family.
Chicken on a Bun provides useful information on
chicken recipe,
fried chicken and
chicken soup.
