Essential cooking basics include safe defrosting methods for steak and chicken, along with precision slicing techniques. Discover healthy substitutes for common ingredients like cayenne powder or beer to enhance your home-cooked meals.
A sopapilla, or cachanga, is a fried pastry served in the Southwest United States, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Traditionally, a sopapilla is made from light dough that puffs up to form a hollow pastry when fried.
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A fully-cooked turkey provides a convenient way to serve Thanksgiving dinner in less time than it would take if you cooked a raw turkey. Even though the turkey's precooked, you still need to follow careful instructions -- typically provided by the manufacturer -- to avoid the spread of foodborne illness.
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To make baked ziti for 50 people, use a baked-ziti recipe and increase it. Take the number of people you want to feed and divide it by the number of people a recipe says it feeds. This gives you the number you need to multiply your ingredients by to achieve the amount of food you require.
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So you want chicken wings for dinner, only there is one problem -- you forgot to take the wings out of the freezer last night. Use the safest quick-thaw techniques to get your wings thawed and ready to cook for your meal without sacrificing food safety.
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Sweet and succulent, lobster meat is a decadent ingredient that immediately becomes the star of any dish of which it's an element. However, before savoring the rich meat in a pasta dish, casserole or dipped in drawn butter, you must make sure it's properly cooked after removing it from the heat source.
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Frozen schnitzel makes an easy weeknight meal. You can find frozen schnitzel made with chicken, pork or veal at any grocery store. The healthiest way to cook frozen schnitzel is to bake the frozen meat in a hot oven.
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Sago pearls are made from the inner pith of the sago palm tree. The inner pith of the trunk is scraped out, pounded into fine particles and then soaked in water, which dissolves the starch from the fiber. The starchy water is strained through a sieve and dried.
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Ball tip steak is easier on your wallet and figure than other types of steak but may lack the tenderness of a better quality cut of steak. Ball tip steak is also known as sirloin tip steak but should not be confused with top sirloin steak, which is much more tender. Ball tip is cut from the top of the hip bone.
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There's no sense mincing words -- chopping poultry into ever-finer pieces for minced chicken can be challenging. If you're truly skillful with a cleaver, by all means do your own mincing by hand.
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After standing for a few days, unhomogenized milk will separate into two different layers: cream on top and skim milk on the bottom. This separation process is usually done commercially using centrifugal force.
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Filet mignon is a pricey cut of beef, so don't throw your money away with improper thawing. Cut from the mild-tasting tenderloin, filet mignon is exceptionally tender despite being rather lean. There are three ways to defrost filet mignon, depending on your preference and time constraints.
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When warming previously cooked fish, remember to reheat it low and slow to avoid overcooking and strike a good balance between temperature and moisture.
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In the sometimes bewildering worlds of canning and cooking, citric acid stands out with an undeserved reputation as a vaguely threatening product. In truth the humble natural substance contains no more acidity than lemon juice.
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Smoked sausages such as kielbasa, knockwurst and bratwurst are flavorful and quick-cooking, perfect for an easy dinner when you're short on time. Although these sausages are common grill companions, you can easily prepare them indoors when outdoor cooking isn't an option.
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Kudzu is a green, blossoming vine native to Japan and China. In 1876, farmers brought kudzu to America to feed livestock and prevent soil erosion. Kudzu took root so well in the Southeastern U.S. that the U.S. Department of Agriculture now considers it a weed.
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Spelt is a glutinous grain that was introduced to the United States in the 1890s. Nutritionally similar to oats, spelt is often used as an alternative to oats and barley in pasta, flour, high fiber cereals and baked goods.
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Cooking lamb on a Weber grill infuses the smoky and earthy flavor from charcoal into the meaty richness of the meat.
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Slicing an onion for tasty fajitas is easy enough, but it's important to slice it in a way that will give you even slices. While cutting an onion in half, then making horizontal slices is easy, it results in slices that vary greatly in size.
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If you think that acorns are just for squirrels, then it's time to think again. Native Americans have a long history of consuming acorns, and the Japanese used this nut to supplement rice during World War II, according to EatTheWeeds.com. These oak tree fruits contain healthy levels of carbohydrates, protein and fiber.
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Serve your family and friends potato dishes made with pure white potatoes that have not developed dark spots or turned a gray color during preparation. Once potatoes are peeled, they will darken if not cooked immediately. This is due to a chemical reaction between carbohydrates in the potatoes and oxygen in the air.
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