Pasta is a favorite all around the world. It comes in different shapes and lengths, everything that to suit the occasion or your own preferences. Cooking pasta is easy to do, but always be careful to get the best results.

Fill a pot with water. Pasta should be cooked in a lot of water. Set it to boil to cook the pasta. After the water begins boiling, add salt. It will take longer since salty water usually boils at a higher temperature. The salt that you will add will depends on your personal taste. Never forget to add salt, remember, Italians never forget this. Once the water starts to boil slowly add the pasta.

The pasta will start to soften in a few seconds. Use a long fork to push the pasta into the water. Make sure that it is fully submerged. At this time the water temperature has fallen.

Cover the pot with a lid and quickly boil the water again. It is important that the pot is covered since it boils fast. Do this to prevent the water from splashing out. Never leave the pot unattended, the splashing of water can douse out the gas and possibly start a fire.

Then continue cooking the pasta, this time uncovered. Stir with a long fork to separate each and every piece of pasta.

When it comes to how long the cooking time will be, read the manufacturers instructions, but to make sure, the best thing to do is to test a piece. The Italian expression, al dente, refers to the proper cooking of pasta or when it is soft yet still firm and not overcooked.

If you notice dots or thin white lines in the middle of the pasta, then it isn’t done yet, just test from time to time until the broken piece turns to a translucent yellow.

If the texture is translucent yellow, you can drain using a colander but make sure that it is in a secure position

Stop the cooking process by pouring cold tap water over it; remember that the pasta is continuously cooking even after it’s drained, this way it won’t be served extremely hot. But be careful not to overdo it, remember that you aren’t washing the pasta.

Gently shake the colander to drain the pasta. Lastly, you can now put the pasta in a bowl and serve. Put on the sauce, dressing or cheese, and enjoy.

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There are different factors to consider when you are choosing your commercial cooking equipment. There are certain questions you need to ask yourself before you consider anything to be ideal commercial cooking material. For one thing, it may not be exactly the same as that of home cooking equipment that you are fond of using, but the features are pretty much identical, except that commercial cooking equipment are used on a larger scale.

1. From home freezers, get used to colossal sized freezers fit for many forms of frozen food items. You can’t expect your favorite fridge to be able to handle all the various foods you need to freeze. Besides, not every type of food placed in the fridge will be consumed immediately. You will have to have room for both immediate and long-term storage.
2. Multiplicity in your stove’s features will also prove to be of big help. Commercial cooking equipment in the form of ample amounts of hubs in stoves will help you cook more food in the shortest possible time.
3. Plates are no longer enough to hold everything. Have trays that are tough and easy to maintain as you transport food from one customer to another.
4. Count the cost. You must be able to include in your budget this aspect of your business. Commercial cooking equipment isn’t cheap, but that’s fine as long as you are able to get favorable returns on your investment.
5. Recall your economics. Know and understand the nuances of depreciation and how it will affect your commercial cooking equipment, especially the ones you purchased for the longest time.
6. Fryers are also different. We aren’t talking about single chicken pieces here. We are talking loads of chicken that are at the mercy of the customer’s demand. If you are after distributing cooked food for commercial purposes, make sure that you are able to meet the demand.
7. Dryers and cabinets are just as important even if they aren’t at all that significant to home cooking operations. When you are in the food business, it pays to be quick and able to hold large amounts of ingredients.
8. Harness energy saving equipment whenever you can.
9. Train your staff to use and master the functionality of each piece of equipment. Make sure that they are able to specialize in it.

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Cooking for a party can be such a taxing ordeal. You will be preparing food for a more people with little time. But party cooking can still be easy if you know how to manage things. With a few tricks up your sleeve you can cook for your party with ease. Here are some few hints that can make your party cooking a smashing success:

1. You do not need to do all the party cooking . Parties are about having friends around, and if people who are coming to your party are indeed friends, you can ask them to lend a hand. You can ask them to bring some food items or you can ask them to help you in the kitchen. An extra hand can easily make things easier and more fun.
2. Plan your menu way ahead of the party. You have to know what to cook at least two weeks before the party. This can help you calculate how much you need so that you are sure that there will be enough for everybody. Buying enough is also important so that you won’t have to make those annoying last-minute shopping trips because you ran out of supplies.
3. Cook ahead. A lot of party foods can actually be cooked ahead of time. Check your menu for food items that can be cooked a few days before the party itself. This way, you’ll have fewer items when the big day comes. You just need to thaw or reheat the pre-cooked items and serve them at the party.
4. Pre-measure. For the items that you can’t cook ahead of time, you can just measure the ingredients ahead of time. The night before, place the ingredients in accessible containers so that on the day of the party you just need to cook them and not waste time with the preparations.

Party cooking may appear to be overwhelming but the hustle and bustle is all in your mind. If you plan well and stick to your strategy, you can manage to make party cooking not only easy, but fun as well. Try out these hints for your next party and witness how things go smoothly. And the most important of all is for you to enjoy because the party is after all for fun. This will ensure the success of your cooking and the success of your party.

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Most people forget to honor President’s Day, a day that has been set aside each year to honor those who have held the office of the President of the United States of America. In fact, very few do manage to celebrate this special day at all other than hitting the local malls in anticipation of a few great sales. If you have decided that you would like to make the most of this great day and celebrate the great nation that America is and those who have been responsible leaders of this nature you might be wondering what you should be cooking.

How about going back to the beginnings of this great nation and going for a Colonial theme with your President’s Day menu? There are many great dishes that can be traced back over the centuries. You can find many great resources online that highlight the cooking of Colonial America. You might even find a few bonus recipes if you browse websites about Williamsburg, VA or other cities that were of import during the colonial days and those years when we were a fledgling nation.

If you search carefully you can find many resources that may give you even more ideas about cooking and serving a colonial style feast fit for a President’s Day celebration. You will find many books relating to etiquette of the day and expectations along with a few that were devoted to food preparation and some books that were published much later and contained recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the next with a gold mine of recipes that were often used during colonial times.

If the idea of a colonial feast isn’t your idea of a great way to celebrate American Presidents then there are other options available. One great cooking idea for Presidents day is the good old American Barbecue. There are those among us who feel that there is never a time of year in which a barbecue can’t take place. It doesn’t matter if there has been a foot of snow overnight there are many of us who are perfectly comfortable digging out the grill and throwing a few steaks and potatoes on for the sake of an honest excuse to celebrate and what better way than to honor those men who have led our country throughout history?

Even when using the grill and barbecuing for President’s Day you are not limited to foods that are typically barbecued. If you are of the mind you should consider doing something you may not try every day on your grill. Some popular firsts for many people include food items such as a whole pork tenderloin. This goes great with grilled or broiled vegetables, rice, and bread and feels like a very American thing to eat. Of course, hamburgers are quite nice and very American too.

Of course you could go the route of honoring the President’s fitness award on President’s day by electing to go the healthy route with your cooking and eating. Great ideas would be broiled fish or chicken, chicken noodle soup (soup is good for the soul after all and it is in February), steamed veggies, and a side of long grain and wild rice. Though there are some that find President’s Day the perfect excuse to go after some comfort food. Beef stew, vegetable soup, chicken and dumplings, and good old Virginia ham with all the trimmings might make an excellent choice for those seeking comfort and warmth on this, sometimes, cold winter President’s day.

However you choose to honor all the past Presidents with your cooking be sure to take a moment out of your cooking schedule to send positive thoughts and hopes toward the current leadership whether you approve or not. This is a position that very few of us could fill and still maintain some degree of sanity. For this reason we should be grateful for those who do.

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Most people will make a New Year’s resolution each year. Most of those will also break that resolution before the year gets too far underway. In fact, most people who are going to break their resolutions do so within the first day at some point or another. There is hope however if you are planning to eat healthier throughout the New Year. The trick is to immediately begin rather than putting it off until tomorrow or until you have emptied the Christmas goodies from your pantry.

If you are among the many people around the world who resolves that this next year is going to be the year that you take positive steps to reducing your weight and improving your overall health the way to begin isn’t by loading up on carbohydrates and champagne. So out go the peas and in goes the cabbage and corned beef (in small proportions however). Begin the year by understanding portion size, the value of fresh vegetables, the idea that the meat isn’t supposed to take up most of your plate, and the notion that dessert is a rare treat not the anticipated ending of an ordinary meal.

These are outstanding beginnings. Not only do you need to rethink the way you eat for your New Year’s Day festivities but also the way you prepare the foods you love. High fat preparation methods are out. In is the idea of using seasonings that contain no or very few calories and leave little fat behind as evidence of their participation in the savory flavor of your meals. Herbs and seasonings are a healthy cooks best friend because they help eliminate visions of blandness invading every meal to come until your fitness goals are met and you’ve reached a state of maintenance in which a few more calorific luxuries are allowed.

Stop frying. The frying process adds simple carbohydrates and fat to your cooking. These are two things you want to try to eliminate from your diet all together. While I am not personally an advocate of removing all carbohydrates from any diet I do believe it is a good idea to switch, whenever possible and tolerable to more complex carbohydrates that are healthier to consume. Fats should always be in moderation however, it is best to save their use for those times when it is a real treat rather than wasting them on well, dinner. Reserve the fats for fun food and rewards rather than squandering them on fuel that is meant to merely get you through the day.

Another thing you need to learn when cooking for the New Year’s Holiday and trying to keep things on a more healthy note is that bigger isn’t necessarily better. This means that by sticking to the proper portion size you may avoid over eating and filling up. You do not want to leave the table full you want to leave the table wanting a little bit more (not hungry but definitely not full). Eating the proper portions reduces the risk of overeating and feeling bloated or stuffed later on. It also helps you understand what your limits are better and where you need to make cuts in your dietary habits.

Prepare for smaller meals rather than cooking one huge meal for New Year’s Day and carry that eating ethic through the rest of the year with you in order to achieve optimal results. Food is the fuel your body needs to carry out its duties properly. The bad news is that far too many of us really enjoy food to the extent that we overindulge, which also prevents the body from working properly. You will need to work to discover what the optimal amount of food and calories is for your dietary needs but it starts by eating healthy one day and following up the next. New Year’s Day is a great day to begin a new way of eating. Are you ready?

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There is something about St. Patrick’s Day that brings out the Iris cook in all of us. At least it seems to have this effect on the women in my family. If you are not of Irish decent it may not have quite this profound effect upon you. If you are, then I’m quite certain you will understand what I mean by this. There’s something about revisiting traditions that may have been lost in the fog of coming to a new world and adopting a new way of life that is lifted on this one day of the year. As a result old favorite recipes handed down from mother to daughter over the centuries come out and grand meals are prepared.

If your mother wasn’t of Irish decent and you do not have a stockpile of wonderful Irish recipes in your inventory there are a few great websites on the Internet that offer excellent recipes that have already been converted to standard American measurements that will have Irish eyes and any eyes that think they might wish to be Irish smiling once again.

Corned beef and cabbage is a favorite. Some people add great things like potatoes and carrots to the recipe. This is a great meal because it can be put in the crock pot before the work of the day begins and with very little effort is simply waiting on you to be ready for dinner time. No real effort is necessary in creating an outstanding feast that many will think you’ve had to miss a parade or two in order to prepare. Just make sure you hide any throws you might have caught and they will never know that you were out having fun and drinking green beer along with everyone else in the neighborhood.

Lamb stew is another great dish to put on your St. Patrick’s Day table. There are also slow cooker or crock pot recipes available for this family favorite if you take the time to search them out. This is a stick to your ribs kind of meal that is very popular in cooler climates for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. This makes a great lunch or dinner for this great day and goes quite well with Irish Soda Bread.

Shepherd’s pie is another hale and hearty meal that is a wonderful addition to the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. This dish is a favorite among those who have tried it and might just become a staple recipe in your kitchen if you haven’t managed to prepare it before. There are many recipes online though I recommend going the path of least resistance and finding the simplest recipe possible.

No Irish meal is really complete without potatoes of some kind on the table. Keep this in mind no matter which meal you cook. There must be potatoes in order to complete the meal or it simply cannot be authentically Irish. This may be a slight exaggeration but you should take a moment to make sure that there are potatoes for this particular event because it’s just a very Irish thing to do.

Of course Irish coffee and green beer are quite often the drink choices for St. Patties day celebrations and they are never a bad choice, provided someone not drinking those drinks is doing the driving. If alcohol isn’t your beverage of choice it is definitely not a requirement. However, if you are feeling particularly in line with the green theme of St. Patrick’s Day you could make a green milk shake, a green smoothie, green powdered drink mix, or any other green drink that comes to mind. The drinks and even the colors aren’t really all that important in the end. It is all in good fun at this point even if it isn’t Irish in nature. There are some days when it just pays to be green despite the fact that Kermit still claims, “it ain’t easy being green.”

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Spicy hot, bursting with flavor and very adventurous. Cajun cooking is a reflection of the unique, European style sub-culture found in New Orleans. Thanks to French and Spanish colonists who brought their culture and delicious cuisine with them, Cajun cooking is now recognized as one of the best cuisines from the United States. It has also become a favorite cuisine used for outdoors cooking.

The basics of Cajun
If Cajun for you is jambalaya and gumbo, you’re extremely limited. As mentioned earlier, Cajun cooking is very adventurous and flavorful. It is characterized by the marriage of pungent spices, appetizing colors, fluffy rice, fresh vegetables, sausages, juicy meats, seafood and game.

Unlike Creole, Cajun cooking is much simpler and very often involves cooking using only one pot. To make things more interesting, flavors from the West Indies and Africa are added to spice things up.

Outdoor cooking with Cajun
To succeed in outdoor cooking Cajun-style, preparation is key. Make sure you understand the dish you’re about to prepare before cooking it outdoors. The flavors of Cajun cuisine rests on the right blend of spices, so if you’re trying out everything for the first time, bring a recipe for reference.

Before heading out to your grill, bring what you need. This includes Cajun cookware such as cast iron pans and skillets, deep fryers and patio cookers and of course, the ingredients. Choose fresh varieties for seafood, game and meats and if available, homemade sauces and stocks are preferable to canned ones. Meats should have had sufficient time to soak in their marinade before being grilled.

Grilling and roasting are the perfect outdoor cooking methods for Cajun recipes, whether you’re preparing the main dish or cooking meat and vegetables for sandwiches. Oftentimes, steaks and fish are coated liberally with hot spices, pepper and flavorings before being blackened over the grill.

Seafood such as crab, oysters, lobster and shrimp are prepared based on a mother sauce or seasoning. This is the foundation of your dish. Cajun cooks often prepare their outdoors recipe this way, by building on an essential flavor and adding as they go along. This gives birth to the most popular Cajun dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice.

Bring out the salads and appetizers only after your main dish (the meats, game and seafood) are done. Serving soup? Bring it out with the salads or cook them outside, along with the other food.

What about the fat?
Cajun cooking is known as hearty fare, not healthy fare. If eating light is a concern, simply cut down on the fattening ingredients, substitute healthier ingredients or eat smaller portions, an impossibility considering that Cajun is too tempting to pass up.

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Need help building an outdoor cooking area? Here are tips on how to go about it:

Find a location.
The best location is an open space that is accessible to your kitchen or dining area. This will let you go in and out conveniently to prepare ingredients and serve cooked food. Choose a location where your grill is protected from too much exposure to sun, wind or rain.

An area away from trees, roofs, trellises and wooden structures is also a good location. Anything that can catch fire and burn is dangerous to be kept near your cooking area.

If you have a patio, consider using that area. A patio already has flooring in place, so there’s no need to pay for materials or labor.

Plan it.
Having a plan or design for a cooking area is important if you want it done right. It’s also friendlier on your budget since you’re less likely to make mistakes. Furthermore, construction is a lot less problematic since you’ll have the basic foundation in place before you complete the structure.

Consider the size of the cooking area you want to build and what its functions will be. Do you prefer a simple barbecue area or a bigger cooking center? An outdoor cooking area can be a simple open area with a barbecue pit or a more elaborate construction that includes a grill, cabinets, a food preparation table and even a refrigerator. Depending on your budget and creativity, your outdoor cooking area can cost from a $300 to more than $1000.

Function over form?
Design for comfort and not just style, especially if you want the cooking area to double as an entertainment center. Consider space and size of your grill, countertop, sink and storage area.

Consider your utilities.
If you want to fully enjoy your cooking area, consider whether you’ll need provisions for utilities such as water or electricity. If you like to cook at night, for example, building a provision for lighting is a no-brainer. If you will be using electric appliances, outlets are a must. If you have a sink, you’ll need provisions for water supply.

Mind the code.
Some areas require that you follow codes and obtain permits for your construction. If your construction includes plumbing or electrical work, for example, you will need to get a permit from your local municipality. Check your local government for zoning requirements to ensure that your outdoor area is built at the permitted limit from your area’s property lines.

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Beef is a highly flavorful meat and has a pleasant texture that makes it a hit both for outdoor and indoor cooking. However, not every would-be cook knows exactly what to do when faced with a big slab of beef. There are issues such as cut, method of cooking and yes, degree of doneness. After all, not every one at the dinner table likes their beef well done.

Factors that affect beef doneness and flavor
Other than the right amount of salt, herbs and spices, there are certain things that contribute to how well a chunk of juicy beef will turn out. First, there are certain things about beef that you will need to know to help you understand why certain cuts are better than others when it comes to using a specific method often used for outdoor cooking.

Parts
The cut of the beef is so named because of its location. Cuts such as the brisket, flank and plate are taken from the lower part of the cow’s body while cuts such as sirloin, round, short loin, chuck and rib are taken from the upper part.

The location of the cut matters because the more the muscle or flesh is used by the cow, the tougher it becomes. This explains why cuts such as the brisket and flank are more difficult to chew and will require a longer time to cook.

Cooking time and methods
Beef is excellent whether it’s rare, medium or well done. For outdoor cooking, some of the best cooking methods you can use include grilling and roasting. Grilling is normally done on an open fire while roasting may be performed in an enclosed space, such as an oven. Closing the barbecue cover to trap the heat will also work. In open fire, meat may also be wrapped in aluminum foil and roasted.

Grilling or broiling time for beef +” to 1” thick:
Medium rare: 4 to 5 minutes per side
Medium: 6 to 7 minutes per side
Well done: 8 to 10 minutes per side

Roasting beef
Allow 30 minutes for each pound of beef to cook for medium beef. Adjust the time for rare beef or well done meat is preferred.

To roast ribs, a 4 to 6-pound bone may be roasted for about 23 to 25 min. at 140 degrees for rare, 27 to 30 minutes per lb. for medium at 160 degrees and 31 to 35 minutes per lb. for well done at 170 degrees.

Try not to overcook beef because heat toughens the meat, especially those that don’t contain a lot of fat or juice. If necessary, marinate lean cuts for added flavor.

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Imagine starting out your exciting day in Paris with a true continental breakfast, consisting of a hot milky latte coffee accompanied by a croissant served with plum jam. Or perhaps imagine yourself sitting down to a foamy cappuccino as your morning coffee, while looking out over the blue Mediterranean from high on the cliffs on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

If you make your hot milky coffee in the traditional French or Italian ways you can let your imagination take you to all sorts of romantic places while you enjoy your cup of coffee prepared in the authentic style of the destination of your choice.

A latte made in the French style uses steamed milk, while the Italian style cappuccino froths the milk. The difference is subtle, but important. In both cases, an espresso machine gives you the best results. Not long ago only commercial businesses could afford an espresso machine, but today there are many affordable models available for use in the home.

For both steaming and frothing the milk, you need to start with cold milk. You can’t expect good results trying to foam milk that has already been steamed, for example. It is best to keep both the milk and pitcher chilled in your fridge.

A stainless steel pitcher works best, and for foaming milk a bell shape gives better results than a straight sided pitcher.

To steam milk, you can fill the pitcher to around two thirds with milk, but for foaming milk it should be filled to only about one third. To match your servings, choose a smaller pitcher size for use at home compared to the ones you see designed for making enough to serve several cups in a commercial coffee shop.

Before starting, run a burst of steam through the steaming wand to clear the jets, and make sure the wand is clean.

To steam the milk, bury the wand in the milk to just above the base of the pitcher, turn the steam on full, and hold the wand steady in one position. You are aiming to heat the milk to 170 degrees Fahrenheit or 76 degrees centigrade. Above 200 degrees Fahrenheit or 93 degrees centigrade the milk will scald, and the taste will alter sufficiently to ruin your coffee. An expert barista or coffee maker is able to judge the temperature by the sound of the steaming, but until you master this art you may want to use a thermometer attached to the side of your pitcher.

To foam the milk, the difference is that you place the wand just below the surface of the milk, and move it about to combine air into the milk to create a thick foam with fine and uniform sized bubbles. You are aiming for the same milk temperature as when steaming. Again, experts can judge the right temperature by the sound.

An ideal foam for a cappuccino can be assessed by waiting about 20 seconds, then taking some of the foamed milk in a dry spoon. The foam should be thick enough that it will not fall off the spoon when it is turned upside down.

To make the cup of latte coffee, add two thirds steamed milk to a one third of a cup shot of espresso. For a cappuccino, hold back the foamed milk to pour out one third steamed milk into the espresso, and then add one third foamed milk to top off the cup. Sometimes a latte is described as a flat white because it does not use the foamed milk.

A cappuccino is usually served with a sprinkling of cinnamon or chocolate to taste.

Then sit back and enjoy your coffee while you dream of distant places.

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