Posted by theo at 12:04 am
Nov 282007
The use of peppers has been rising, and for good reason… they taste excellent, can spice things up if you like and are healthy. Now if you make your own Salsa you really need a knowledge of peppers to keep it interesting. Well, some of the peppers most commonly available are the Bell, Cayenne, Cherry, Habanero Jalapeno and Serrano Peppers. These will vary by size, appearance, color and heat…(the fire in the pepper). Since the peppers are generally chopped, the color & heat are typically the most crucial aspects.
Posted by theo at 7:40 pm
Nov 252007
As with most food items, Organic Coffee tastes best when fresh. But there’s more involved in a coffee’s freshness than it’s age. Proper storage is essential. If not done right, a coffee’s flavor will deteriorate fairly quickly. Here’s a quick review of some of the considerations involved in keeping coffee fresh.. There are several factors that cause a coffee’s flavor to deteriorate rapidly after roasting. These are moisture, light, air and heat.
Posted by theo at 5:07 pm
Nov 242007
The green movement has taken a stand on Artificial Christmas Trees and it’s that they’re “not-good”. They use oil based raw materials and are essentially non-renewable. In contrast, the Natural Christmas Trees are made from soil, water & sunlight, and are 100% recyclable. Also, instead of a factory the real ones are of course grown on tree farms (and not the result of any deforestation activity as some erroneously believe).
Posted by theo at 11:36 pm
Nov 212007
Mashed potatoes are a beautiful thing. They taste great, are comforting and also are very easy to put together. However, like many classic dishes, this one is often poorly prepared. And as far as instant potatoes go..don’t get me started. Well, the following is Organic Garlic Mashed Potatoes done right. It uses Russet (aka Idaho or Baking) Potatoes because they have a high starch content and produce fluffier mashed potatoes. We also use Fresh and not Dried, Garlic & Parsley. And finally, we’re talking organic here..no chemical residues, no genetically modified foods and no farming practices that aren’t deemed environmentally [...click to contimue reading...]
Posted by theo at 11:19 pm
Nov 212007
A Potato Ricer is used to produce very smooth mashed potatoes. It works simply by forcing the rough cooked potatoes through small holes in the bottom plate (about the size of a grain of rice). In the process of being forced through these small openings the chunkiness in the rough cooked potatoes is broken down. This results in a very smooth and flawless texture. The other tools for producing mashed potatoes are a wire masher and a hand mixer. Using these will result in courser texture. And with mashed potatoes this makes a difference.
Posted by theo at 11:16 pm
Nov 212007
A wire strainer is used to separate solids from the base liquid. Usually, the liquid is thin enough to allow simple pouring through the strainer. However, for some thick sauces, the liquid needs a bit of a push using the back end of a wooden spoon.
Posted by theo at 3:32 pm
Nov 202007
Penne Pasta. Organic & Whole Wheat at that..Any good? Well, we bought a box of DeBoles to cook up and evaluate to find out. Our review..
Posted by theo at 3:58 pm
Nov 182007
Like anything else, there’s more than meets the eye with regards to potatoes. When you visit your organic supermarket and see Yukon Potatoes in one bin and Russet Potatoes in another are you confused as to your best selection for what you are going to cook? Well, here are some basic facts on the world of Organic Potatoes.
Posted by theo at 12:52 am
Nov 182007
Back in August, 2007 the Organic Test Kitchen created a post dealing with the popular anitmicrobial Triclosan. Now the Washington Post published their take on this chemical. Here’s the highlights
Posted by theo at 9:21 pm
Nov 172007
The Milwaukee Sentinel published an article that said among other things that choosing to eat organic food and then loading up these groceries into a gas guzzling SUV is nothing less than hypocrisy. Does the author Alysha Witwicki have a point? Well yes she does, but it is a point that has gone astray.. Now, she’s correct in that one aspect of eating organic is about protecting our environment..we don’t support the use of chemicals on our farms and subsequently on our foods & in our water. We don’t like exposing ourselves, the earth and the [...click to contimue reading...]
