USDA guidelines recommend thawing meat products in the refrigerator or cold water to prevent foodborne illnesses. But when you're short on time, go ahead and cook chicken straight from the freezer.

Oats do not commonly cause bloating in most healthy adults. If you notice that you develop bloating almost every time you eat oats, you need to make an appointment with your doctor to determine the cause of the bloating.

Ten grams of sugar in your morning bowl of cereal may not sound like a lot. It’s about three teaspoonfuls that add only 40 calories to the meal and an amount that is about the average sugar content for cereals in the United States.

Frying pans or skillets are typically used to saute, pan-fry or sear foods. Certain situations may lead you to use a frying pan for other uses, such as baking. Electric and stove-top pans typically have flat bottoms and deep, flared or straight sides, a convenient shape and size for some baked dishes.

Spanish rice, sometimes called Mexican rice, is a dish made with long grain white rice, onions, green peppers and a form of tomatoes, such as tomato sauce, tomato paste or canned tomatoes. Some recipes call for garlic and celery; saffron, chili powder or cumin is often added as seasoning.

Stevia, which is derived from the leaf of a South American herb, is a recent addition to the list of artificial sweeteners in the United States. Although stevia was once only available as a dietary supplement, the U.S.

Steam trapped inside a pressure cooker builds to 15 lb. per square inch. This causes water to boil at 250 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 212 degrees in an uncovered pot. The higher temperature inside the pressure cooker allows foods to cook in one-third less time than it would take to cook foods normally.

Scrapple is a traditional German food and a favorite dish in many Pennsylvania Dutch communities, as well as areas of the south.

Pumpkin has only 41 calories per 1/2-cup serving and is jam-packed with vitamin A, containing 336 percent of the daily recommended dietary allowance for women and 269 percent for men. Pumpkin also supplies vitamin C, iron, potassium, magnesium and folic acid.

Pasta steamers are a convenient way to cook noodles, especially if you are preparing a meal for a large number of people. Although they are called steamers, the pots cook pasta in boiling water similar to any other pot.

Steel-cut oats are coarser, smaller and tougher than rolled oats, but both varieties are complete whole grains with the bran and germ intact.

Cumin -- from a plant that is indigenous to the Mediterranean -- brings the musky edge to curries and deepens the flavor of chili. Its seeds are sometimes used whole, but more commonly they are ground into powder. Whole cumin provides intense bursts of flavor when you bite into the individual seeds.