French Onion Soup For All

The French love their onion soup. You can get yourself a bowl of this rustic soup at almost any restaurant in France. The soup is simple, delicious, and satisfying.

Onions have been a soup ingredient since the ancient Romans conquered Europe. The French, however have elevated onion soup into a work of art. Once a cheap way to fill the bellies of the poor, onions are still very cheap and easy to grow. Legend has it that King Louis XV himself came up with onion soup. Coming home empty handed from hunting, all he could find in the royal kitchens were onions, champagne, and butter. Chopping up the onions, he sauted them in butter and added the champagne, creating the illustrious dish we all enjoy today.

If you really want the truth, it probably started in Lyon with laborers in the silk industry. They would put in long 18-hour days in the factories weaving and screening the silk. They were paid little, so what they spent on food had to last them. Onions were cheap and easy to get, so they used them a lot. The soupe a l’oignon a la lyonnaise, as it is known in France, is named for their town of Lyon.

No matter how French onion soup really came to be, we are very lucky to enjoy it now. Onion soup is served at restaurants that range from simple diners to five star eateries. Everyone has their own twist on the classic. Some have a sweeter taste, others are more tangy. If you find a place that makes it your favorite way, make sure you remember whom they are.

Of course, you can also make onion soup at home in your own kitchen. It really is not a complicated recipe at all. Choose some fresh onions from the farmer’s market or a local farm stand and you will be good to go. Blend different varieties if you wish for more flavor.

Learning how to make French onion soup is easy. Simply chop up your onions. To keep the onions’ sulfur from making you cry, put them in the refrigerator first and let them get very cold. This limits the range the sulfur compounds will travel.

Add your chopped onions to melted butter in a skillet. Over a low heat, let the onions slowly caramelize until they are soft and golden brown. They may be a little bit sticky at this point. Heat up some beef broth and add the caramelized onions. Let the soup simmer. You can add other seasonings or a little wine at this point.

When it is ready, put each serving into an ovenproof bowl. Top it with toasted French bread and some cheese. Put the bowls on a baking sheet and let the cheese broil until bubbly. If you do not have ovenproof bowls, make the cheese bread separately and place them on top of the soup after broiling. It will taste just as good, even if the cheese does not seal up the bowl.

A French onion soup recipe is a great way to feed your family on a budget. Onions are not expensive. You can use either canned beef broth or make homemade beef stock from roasted beef bones. Try it and see how simple and nourishing this soup truly is.

How To Make Fantastic Pan Fried Chicken

Southern fried chicken is a classic American dish, offering almost as many ways to cook it, as there are families who eat it. However, no matter which recipes you choose, this guide can help you cook it better. Here are a few tips that will help you steer clear from the most common issues and get a great meal.

Start With Smart Battering

It is a good idea to set up a battering or breading station, depending on how you are making your chicken. The flour coated type is the most common. Set things up going in the most comfortable direction, with seasoned flour, egg/batter, and coating mixtures in baking dishes or shallow bowls. Remember to have a place to put the chicken safely when you are done.

It is a good idea to designate one hand for wet ingredients and another for dry to avoid cross contamination of your dishes. Get started by rolling a piece of chicken in flour, then coating it in batter. The wet hand can then be used to transfer it to the coating bowl and roll it in its coating.

Once all your pieces have been coated, you will want to give them time to rest, and for coatings to stick. If you will not be frying the chicken in a half hour or less, do this part in the fridge. This is not the only way to do this - you may have your own fried chicken batter recipe. If you prefer, use that instead to produce a recipe closer to what you are used to.

Successful Pan Frying

If you have ever had bad fried chicken, you know that there is a huge difference between crisp on the outside and moist on the inside and the soggy, greasy chicken that results from frying it wrong. The factors that are most likely to cause problems are the temperature of the oil, plus the way you choose to fry. Make sure you use a high smoke point oil such as peanut, melted shortening, lard, and similar ones that will not smoke when hot.

A cast iron skillet produces the crispiest, most golden chicken, but heavy steel or other materials that can maintain and distribute heat easily are also an option. Make sure the fat is deep enough to come halfway up your chicken, and is at least three hundred and fifty degrees. Oil that is not hot enough will produce an oily and unappealing result.

Lower the pieces into the oil with the skin side down to reduce splatters and work away from your body to keep spatter down. Use tongs and fry in batches to avoid overcrowding. A crowded skillet lowers the oil temperature and causes cooking problems.

Your chicken should be removed from the pan when the pieces are a rich golden color, then transferred to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. This will catch drips. An instant read thermometer will allow you to check the internal temperature to make sure the chicken is safely cooked. Then you can start the next batch.

If you think fried chicken means you need a good southern fried chicken recipe then we have the recipes for you. SouthernFriedChickenRecipe.com home of great tasting fried chicken from around the world.

Let Personal Chef Atlanta Do The Cooking

Personal chef Atlanta might be for you if you love to cook. Perhaps you enjoy cooking and have thought of it as a career but do not want to work in a restaurant or for a hotel. You might find the personal chef opportunity interesting. Let us face it even in tough economic times everyone needs to eat.

If people do not like or know how to cook they can either go to a restaurant, which gets very costly very quickly, or they can buy frozen dinners; those get old after awhile and they are not very healthy.

But today there is another option. People can use the personal chef option and have great tasting meals delivered to their homes. These are companies that take advantage of people’s need for good meals and the fact that many people cannot or choose not to cook for themselves. There are senior citizens for example who simply do not want to go grocery shopping or they would rather not cook for themselves.

These people are financially secure, they own their own homes outright and they have enough retirement provisions. They simply want someone to cook their meals for them. There are also people who have to follow a strict doctor ordered diet because of conditions like diabetes or other malady. There are families with two working parents who have no time to cook meals for their families.

A personal chef company can provide meals to these groups of people. These companies need people to prepare their meals. You can contact these companies and inquire as to the requirements of becoming of their chefs. As long as you have basic cooking skills there is a good chance you can work for them. You can work from home, cooking in your own kitchen and on your own terms.

You can work stress free whereas when you work in a restaurant or hotel you will be under a lot of deadlines and otherwise a lot of stress. As a personal chef cook you will take on as much work as you want which is easy for you to handle. Also, you can find a personal chef company that offers courses on food preparation. These are not cooking classes but a means to advancing your skills.

These cooking programs are to bring you to that company’s level of cooking expertise. They want to make sure their customers get the best meals possible. You might have a favorite meal you want to cook all the time. Perhaps if you want to focus simply on meals like lasagna you can prepare that on a regular schedule. You can be the personal chef source for lasagna.

And if you are not looking for work as a chef but this idea whets your appetite for more information contact the personal chef company. You can have meals delivered to your home and very reasonable prices. This sure beats living off frozen dinners or going to the restaurant every night.

Want to find out more about personal chef Atlanta, then visit Mike Balkovic’s site on how to choose the best chef for your needs.

Easy Tips To Cook Foods That Are Low Fat

Low fat cooking can be a great way to change your lifestyle that can greatly benefit your health. One of the first steps to low fat cooking is to restock your kitchen with low fat foods and products as with anything if it’s not there then you can’t use it. When choosing low fat foods also be aware of the calorie content as many low fat foods may also contain a large amount of sugar.

You need to go through your kitchen and determine which foods are high in fat. There are plenty of low fat alternatives to any food. Some excellent low fat food options include sugar free/fat free pudding, applesauce, popcorn, pretzels, honey, maple syrup, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, whole grain breads, seasonings, spices, herbs, stocks, soup, pasta, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, canned fish and oils.

The food products that are very high in fat should be avoided or if you do use them then very sparingly. Some products that should be replaced includes coffee creamers, corn chips, sugary cereals, pancake mixes, flavored pasta, boxed macaroni and cheese, chowders, oil packed fish, regular mayonnaise, creamed soups, canned meats, oil based dressings, shortening, oil packed tuna, rice mixes, gravy mixes, cheese sauces, potato chips, white bread and anything that contains partially hydrogenated in the food ingredient lists.

However fat can also be present in other food products that you may normally think of as healthy. For these types of products there are low fat equivalents that can still be used. If you drink whole milk then you should switch to a lower fat milk. You should aim for 1% or skim milk being the best. You also should chose low fat or light diary products such as cheese and yogurt.

Other foods that should be used sparingly include butter and margarine. Margarine in particular is full of Trans fat. If you can find it there are plenty of liquid spreads that do not have any Trans fat and they can be dramatically reduced in fat.

Eggs are also tricky as eggs have a lot of important vitamins and minerals but the yolks have a lot of cholesterol. You should try to bake with egg substitutes and use egg whites when you can. Only use whole eggs when absolutely necessary.

You can still have meats but you should try to purchase lean cuts instead. Also when eating meat you need to look out for the sodium content as canned meats can be very salty. There are alternatives to your favorite hotdogs and bee burgers. Instead try turkey dogs and veggie burgers. An excellent lean cut of meat is pork tenderloin and skinless chicken is also a good choice.

Cooking Perfect Steak

Sirloin steak is a cut that comes from the lower part of beef ribs. It continues from the tenderloin (the place where the most prized steaks come from) and is a high quality cut with a lot of flavor, since these muscles still do a reasonable amount of work. Sirloin has more flavor than a number of other steaks, and is divided into several different subcategories.

Out of these types, the top sirloin is the most prized. You are unlikely to get it unless you specifically look for it, since most sirloin steak is actually bottom sirloin. Less tender and much larger, this is more common and less expensive. The bottom sirloin is connected to the part of the animal called the sirloin tip roast. This is a good roast, but is often somewhat tough, so do not try to eat it as a steak.

Tri-tip steak is a strongly flavored part of the bottom sirloin, and is very lean, causing it to overcook if not paid proper attention. Sirloin pin bone steak is one that is cut from the front part of the sirloin. There is an oval pin bone inside that gives it its name. Sirloin flat bone steaks have flat back and hipbone pieces inside, as well.

Sirloin round bone steaks contain less bone than most other sirloin steaks, and are rather less fatty. Sirloin wedge bone steaks come from the rear of the sirloin, and contain a small wedge shaped bone. All these different types of sirloin steaks should be available at your local market.

Sirloin cuts tend to be lean, not as buttery and tender as higher end steaks, but with a deep rich flavor and lower price. They work well when prepared using dry heat, meaning that pan frying, roasting, grilling, sauting, broiling and similar methods are a good choice for cooking sirloin steak. Different parts of the sirloin will require different treatment, and sirloin steak cooking methods will depend on which part of the sirloin you are going to be cooking.

Make sure you buy only sirloin that is red and clear in color - that is the color that normally purplish beef becomes when air hits it. Make sure your sirloin is cold and tightly packaged, with a firm feeling to the meet and a reasonable sell by date. Make sure it is in the coldest part of the refrigerator for storage, and keep it only a few days. Fat can be trimmed before or after cooking.

Your steak will be done to medium rare when the internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, and well done at 165 degrees. Turn steak with tongs only, since forks can cause juices to escape, and allow steak to rest five to ten minutes before serving to preserve juices.

Steak should be broiled two to four inches from the heat source, and will take eight to ten minutes, while grilled; lightly oiled steak will take six to eight minutes. Pan-broiling takes a little longer - thirteen to fifteen minutes or so.

What is in a Typical Mexican Meal?

Mexico offers a unique cuisine that is delicious and healthy. Ancestral home to the Mayan, Aztec and Zapotec civilizations, Mexico has a long history in cultivating food. Native staples included avocados, sweet potatoes, corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and a variety of squash. For meat, they hunted deer, turkey, quail, and rabbit. Chocolate is a native plant in this area, and was prepared as a beverage for the Aztec royalty.

Once the Spanish arrived, their cuisine was introduced. Bread, cheese, beef, and cream were added to the native foods. They introduced chickens, sheep and pigs, as well as wheat and sugarcane. By the time Spain gave up ruling Mexico, their influence was well blended with the native cuisine.

Corn is a major part of Mexican meals. Cornmeal, known as masa, is made into a dough that can be formed into tortillas, empanadas, or tamales. Corn is also added to soups, stews, and other dishes. Tortillas made of flour are more common in northern Mexico. Chili peppers are also a main part of the Mexican diet. Jalapenos, poblano, and Serrano chilies are just a few of the common choices in the Mexican household.

Beans are an important part of Mexican cuisine and it provides a lot of protein. Each region has their own favorite bean. For instance, pinto beans are favored in the north, while black beans are the bean of choice on the Yucatan. Beans are used in soups, as side dishes like frijoles, and as filling.

Beans are not the only food that is regional. In the hot, dry north, beef is eaten a lot because there is plenty of room for grazing. The Pacific coast offers excellent coffee and corn stew. On the Gulf coast, tropical fruits and vegetables are served with fish and seafood. The Spanish influence is very strong in Central Mexico, as this is where they settled. On the Yucatan Peninsula, seafood, eggs, black beans and corn are common food items.

If you want to try making a typical Mexican meal at home, there are many easy recipes to try out. Authentic Mexican rice recipes can set the tone for your entire meal. Rice is frequently used in Mexico as a side dish or as filling. Once you have tried a recipe or two at home, you will see how delicious authentic Mexican food can be.

Jump right in and try something new. Maybe you will try a variety of bean you have not tasted before to add a new texture or flavor. Add some simple tortillas and salsa to any meal, or add some seafood to citrus juice and make ceviche on a summer day. Tacos and quesadillas are easy enough for the kids to try.

For something new, try a Mexican breakfast. In the summer, a simple bowl of mixed tropical fruit is an authentic choice. On a colder day, try some scrambled eggs mixed with salsa. Fill a tortilla with a fried egg, tomatoes, ham, chilies, and cheese and serve it up with some refried beans for a taste you will find exciting.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mexican Dishes

It might surprise you to know that Mexican food is considered to be the most varied in the world after Chinese food. Every region of the country has its own food style and Mexican cuisine in vast. The Mexican food eaten in the Yucatan is especially exciting, since it is a unique mixture of Mexican, Mayan, Caribbean and Lebanese influences.

Not all Mexican foods are spicy but some are and chili peppers are widely used in Mexican dishes. There are many kinds of chili peppers including jalapeo, pasilla, habanero, poblano, serrano and more. Mexicans eat a varied diet of fresh fish, meat, seafood, poultry, grains, fruit, and vegetables. Sauces, stews, and soups are common fare and Mexican cooking methods include slow roasting, deep-frying, and baking.

Mexicans like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and anything older than two days is not considered fresh. Costly pesticides and herbicides are hardly used and produce is picked when ripe or very nearly ripe. Imported food is usually shunned in favor of locally grown produce and everything is grown nearby. The exception would be Mexico City, where produce that is not likely to be sold is exported.

What is a Mexican Typical Meal?

Tortillas are eaten daily in a lot of households, making them a real staple, much like bread is to us. Tortillas are balls of corn dough, or masa, which are flatted to a disc the size of a CD. The government maintains tortilla prices at five pesos per kilo because they are so much of a Mexican staple! Traditional tortillas are made from corn and supermarkets bake them fresh all day. Tortillas are used to make tacos because authentic tacos are soft, not hard like the Taco Bell interpretation.

Tamales, tortillas, and tacos are traditionally made from corn. A lot of soups and stews include fava beans, kidney beans, and lentils. Tomatoes are used in various Mexican food recipes and especially in salsa recipes.

Fruit is enjoyed fresh or used to make desserts and sauces. Mango, papaya, pineapple, and coconut are all popular with Mexicans and nopales, prickly pear cactus paddles, are sauted and eaten like vegetables. Alternatively, they can be sweetened and used in Mexican dessert recipes.

Mexican Salsas and Popular Condiments

A lot of people favor the addition of salsa, lime, or sour cream to their food. In a traditional Mexican restaurant, you will also get small bowls of condiments. These are likely to include chopped onion, cilantro, a mild chili salsa, a hot chili salsa, salsa Mexicana and lime. Salsa Mexicana is made from chopped onion, chopped fresh tomato, cilantro and habanero chili. You might also get guacamole, which is an avocado and lime sauce. Charred green onion mixed with salsa ingles (Worcestershire sauce) and limejuice is another well-liked Mexican condiment.

A lot of Mexican recipes are rich in color and flavor and Mexicans love to cook with fresh produce. Some people might confuse Tex Mex type food and fast food with real Mexican fare but authentic Mexican food cannot be compared to these poor quality imitations and, once you have tasted traditional Mexican recipes, you will understand the joy of Mexican cuisine.

Using the Crockpot to Make Chicken Noodle Soup

Did you know that your humble crockpot could make a delicious pot of soup? While you are off at work or running errands, your soup will be simmering merrily, creating a delicious concoction of goodness. It does not matter if you are accomplished in the kitchen or if you only cook when absolutely necessary… you can make a wonderful chicken noodle soup in your crockpot that will be a vast improvement over canned soup.

If You Use Only the Freshest Ingredients…

If you prefer only fresh ingredients from the farmer’s market, the crockpot can still serve you well. Take the skin off your chicken before cooking. You can use whatever you have on hand… a whole chicken, parts, or boneless pieces. Place the chicken in the crockpot with enough liquid to cover it. Add a stalk of celery, a whole carrot, half an onion or whatever you want to help flavor your broth. Simmer on high for at least 3 or 4 hours.

Once your chicken is thoroughly cooked, take it out and cool it. Strain out the vegetables you have added and put them in your compost bin. Once your meat is cooled, debone it and cut the pieces into bite-size bits before replacing it in the crockpot. Chop up some fresh vegetables. Carrots, celery, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and many others make excellent choices. Add some garlic and fresh herbs.

Keeping the crockpot on high let it cook for a couple more hours. Do not open the lid until it is time to add your noodles. Taste the broth about 45 minutes before you want to serve the soup. Add salt and other seasonings as needed. Add your noodles. This can be egg noodles, linguine, fettuccine, or any other noodle you prefer. Perhaps you have made homemade noodles to add… if so, they only need to cook about 20 minutes until they are tender.

Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

If you want to make soup extremely easy, try this tried and true method. This homemade chicken noodle soup is so easy a rank amateur could make it. If you have leftover chicken in the fridge, you can use that in your soup, or you can pick up one of those rotisserie chickens at the market.

Put the chicken in the crockpot, bones, and all. Cover with a large can of chicken broth. Simmer the soup on high for three or four hours. This will add the chicken’s flavor to the commercial broth. Remove the chicken and let it cool before deboning it. Cut up the meat before putting it back in the crockpot.

Cut up whatever vegetables sound good to you. You can try fresh carrots… you do not even need to cut up the tiny baby carrots you can get at the store. Just drop them in your soup. Some frozen vegetables are suitable as well. Go relax for a couple of hours as the soup continues to cook.

About half an hour to 45 minutes before you want to eat, add your favorite noodles. You can use any kind of noodles you like, from ruffly egg noodles to ramen. Large ribbon noodles are fun. This is also a great way to use up small amounts of noodles in your cupboard. Mix and match if you need to. Break up some spaghetti, put in a handful of macaroni. It is your soup, do what you want!

Mexican Culture, Holidays, and Food

Mexican culture is very interesting and combines features from the prehispanic past and the Spanish colonial period. Mexicans are justifiably proud of their culture, history, and ethnicity.

Mexican city life is not all that different from life in Europe or in the United States, although some Mexican villages still have more traditional ways. Most Mexicans live in large cities and there are more Spanish speaking people in Mexico than in any other country. The Mexican government recognizes over sixty other languages as indigenous Mexican languages.

Mexico is the second largest catholic country in the world, after Brazil. Spanish colonists introduced Catholicism and ninety five percent of present day, Mexicans are catholic.

Mexican Holidays and Celebrations

Every village, city, and town holds a party to honor their patron saint each year on different dates and Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on September 16. The people will pray and burn candles during the religious celebrations and they will also use colorful flowers and utensils to decorate their churches. Fireworks, parades, parties, and dance competitions are all common during fiesta time and football, bullfighting and cockfighting events are also held.

No Mexican party is complete without a hanging piata and these paper mache people, animals, or fictional characters contain candy and toys. The kids take it in turns to hit the piata, while wearing blindfolds, and when it breaks and the goodies fall out, the kids share them.

What Do Mexicans Eat and Drink?

Mexican food is an exotic mixture of European, Aztec, Mayan, Spanish, French and Caribbean food and more. It is tasty and well balanced, both in flavor and in nutritional content. Well known Mexican favorites include tacos, tamales, mole sauce, pozole and enchiladas. There are plenty of Mexican fast food restaurants but the offerings from these establishments bear little resemblance to traditional Mexican food recipes. You can use Mexican recipes to make your own Mexican food at home if there are no good Mexican eateries in your area.

Beans, chicken, maize, beef; potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, guavas, and peanuts are used in many Mexican dishes. Mexican drinks include cinnamon flavored hot chocolate, fruit juices, mescal, Mexican beer, and tequila. There are also several award winning Mexican wineries that produce wine and export it all over the world.

Chili and corn are both essential ingredients in a Mexican kitchen and you can get Mexican soup, stews and salads as well as the better-known dishes. Mexican desserts are very good and they combine sweet and hot elements to create flavor bursts in the mouth.

Mexican candy is also interesting and chili is sometimes used as a candy flavoring. Sugar skulls called “calaveras de azucar” are made for Day of the Day. Corn flavored candy is also popular in Mexico.

Mexican food is all about using clever combinations of herbs and spices as well as the best fresh produce. It is easy to make your own traditional Mexican recipes and find out why Mexican food is so popular all over the globe.

Mexican Holidays and Authentic Mexican Holiday Food

Mexican food is an integral part of Mexican holidays and celebrations, adding to the color and vibrancy of the occasion. One holiday that most people have heard of is Day of the Dead, which is when families gather together to remember their loved ones who have died. Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 and 2.

The traditions followed on this holiday include building altars to honor the dead and visiting their graves with gifts of the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks.

Another well-known Mexican holiday is Cinco de Mayo. This is a regional holiday all over Mexico, but especially in the area of Puebla. This holiday celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla, which was fought in 1862.

A lot of people are under the impression than Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day but that is another holiday altogether and it is on September 16. Mexicans would say that Independence Day is their most important national holiday.

Mouthwatering Mexican Holiday Foods

Certain foods are enjoyed on certain Mexican holidays but with a lot of holidays, such as Cinco de Mayo, Mexicans just prepare their favorite dishes rather than being limited to a specific meal. Mexican cookery combines Aztec, Mayan, traditional Mexical, Caribbean, French and Spanish influences amongst others and Mexicans are understandably proud of their culinary heritage.

It is common for the women to get together and make lots of food for the festivities. Tamales are associated with Mexican festivals because they are time consuming to make. This is why tamales are usually only made several times a year in big batches. You will see steamed tamales at Mexican celebrations.

Mexican wedding cakes and Mexican wedding cookies are enjoyed at Mexican holidays and not just weddings. Rosca de Reyes is the name given to the festive bread made for January 6. The bread is shaped like a wreath and decorated with lemon, cherries, candied figs, and mango. A tiny baby Jesus doll figure is baked into the bread and whoever gets the figure in their slice must prepare the food for the next Mexican holiday, which is Candlemas on February 2.

What Do Mexicans Drink?

A lot of people wrongly assume that Mexicans only drink Mexican beer and tequila. These drinks are popular but there are some equally delicious Mexican drinks which people like to treat themselves to on Mexican holidays. One great example is rompope, which is a frothy, thick drink. Rompope is a bit like eggnog and it is flavored with cinnamon, rum, and almonds.

Atole is a thick drink, which is often served on Mexican holidays with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is flavored with cinnamon, sweetened with brown sugar, and topped with fruit. Atole is a very special and luxurious drink.

Many people are sadly unaware of what authentic Mexican recipes entail, partly because of the popularity of Mexican fast food and partly because not many people outside of Mexico really grasp what this exciting cuisine is all about. You do not have to wait for a Mexican holiday to try making some delicious Mexican inspired dishes!

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