So basically for all those who’ll never admit they’ve never prep’d one, here you go short and simple:

• Using a long blade knife cut the end off
• Cut a slice (outer rind and all)
• Using a paring knife go round the slice and remove the rind
• Lay the slice on a cutting surface and with simple straight cuts remove the outer part from the core (so four cuts will leave you with a square core that you throw away).
• Cut the remaining into whatever size you want. Also, if you see some brownish areas, these are the eyes and you can remove them too at this time.
• I generally place some plastic wrap over the cut and and put the whole deal into the frig until I want another serving.

 That’s it..Simple..Now most cooks use the chop the whole thing now method..There are cookie cutters for coring out the center…Seems like a big deal about nothing if you ask me. But anyway, if I’m making a smoothie with pineapple for instance I only want to cut what I need and leave the rest in Mother Nature’s Package. Now pineapples are supposed to be chill sensitive like bananas (which get trashed if you put them into the frig)..I don’t know, never had a problem. But then again, once I cut into a pineapple the entire thing usually manages to disappear within a few days.

So in all fairness here’s a link to Rachael Ray’s site with a video on cutting pineapples the traditional way and a link to the smoothie recipe that started all of this commotion (by the way, Rachael, if you’re reading this, I’m free this Thursday). 

Enjoy!

• Rachael Ray’s Site with Pineapple Cutting Video
• Smoothie Recipe

 But that being said, it all depends upon your logistics as well. For instance, you have a problem if you’re driving an hour every day to get fresh coffee right from your favorite roaster. So let’s try to make some sense of all this:

1. All coffee you drink should be certified organic. No if’s and’s or but’s about it. Think about it, we’re griding this stuff into a powder so that the boiling water we’ll be pouring over it can extract what is in there. .. You only want to be extracting good stuff. Trust me, your body and taste buds will thank you for it.
2. Only purchase whole beans and grind only what you’ll use right before you use it.
3. Buy from a local roaster and make sure that what you buy hasn’t been sitting around.
4. Only buy enough to last you a week.. max. Hey, you buy fresh food every week.. And coffee is one of those pleasures that simply should be as good as possible. It does make a difference.

 There you have it. Simple. Enjoy your coffee and your life. .. You know it only takes a little extra effort to bring things up to the next level, I think you deserve it.

Related Posts:

• Brewing Coffee
• Proper Storage for Fresh Organic Coffee
• Coffee Mugged

 Most people think of recipes mostly with regards to complicated dishes, especially baking. I guess because baking has no forgiveness or very little of it.. Mess up and you’ll pay. But you can take this same recipe concept down to the basic level and have much less stress in your day to day cooking. 

  For instance, if I’m cooking a hamburg say.. I know from experience that the cast iron skillet should be set on 8 1/2 (yes I have to suffer with an electric range..maybe someday) and that side one will be done in three minutes. Flip and side two will be done in three minutes. Finished burger. Perfect and juicy every time. No fussing, patting it on it’s behind with the spatula etc. Just put it on, do whatever else in the kitchen (I never recommend leaving an operating stove) and take action when the timer calls. And the fact that it’s repeatable is because I make the patties about the same thickness, use the same pan and the same burner and from some trial and error have arrived at the optimal settings.

 You can do this for just about anything you make. My Father is a stickler about measuring the same way every time for his cooking. And his dishes taste awesome ..every time. He says his Mother use to be either a great or nasty cook depending on the day because she liked to socialize and wouldn’t always pay attention to measuring properly. .. So develop your own recipes, cook consistently and chillll.

 Hope you liked this post. Maybe you are thinking of sharing it with your own brother.. or sister..  or Mother. Good luck!

 And in doing this my Salmon still smelled a bit fishy for my liking the other day. Imagine if this had been sitting in the frig getting older. No thanks. .. Now Diane who likes her weekly shopping will have all sorts of stuff in her frig. And let me tell you her frig is a scary place sometimes. And one of the problems is .. Too-Much-Stuff.. . So much in fact that some things are hiding in the corners and not caught in the periodic “Clean-Out/Toss-Out”. Seeing that little Chia Pet thing as you’re looking for something is enough to make anyone take a break from eating.

 Anyway, buy fresh, use it up and keep the decks clear in the frig. Fresh tastes best.

 This morning I made a pot of vegi’s that I would eat right away and also reheat and feed on later in the day. Cooked them just to my liking and they were not mushed by the additional reheat to follow (just had the second half a few minutes ago and they were terrific). Well, in addition to watching the cooking time I fed in the harder to cook vegi’s first so they’d be in direct contact with the water and let the more yielding  wait for last and sit on the top where they would steam and have that lid right above to help bring down the temp a degree or two.

 So first in were the turnips, carrots and the last in were the onions and the potatoes (couldn’t fit the cabbage, too much of the other stuff). And after the cooking was finished I got the guys right out of there using a slotted metal spoon so they could be drained of the boiling water before being place in the stainless bowl. That way, no additional cooking took place as they were sitting and cooling.

  And I know, .. from this blog entry you might think I just invented a cure for cancer or something. .. But I guess the point is you could take two identical pots of vegi’s and just from cooking a mere 10 minutes longer on one you’d get a decidedly different and mushier outcome. .. The details, that were the magic of cooking a fantastic dish vs an alright one resides.

 Well if you like this share the joy. Tell a friend about us and send them this post. But be careful they may be the sensitive type who’ll think you’re trying to give them a hint or something about their overcooking. .. Thanks & be well.

• Dips
• Meals made with Organic Ground Meats such as turkey or beef
• Sauces
• In sandwiches
• In condiments such as organic mustard or ketchup (even if we buy these things from the store we can still dress them up. After all, they’re made to appeal to the average consumer. That’s a good starting point, now we can make then unique for us).
• Side dishes

 We have this plethora of wonderful peppers out there from super-mild to outrageously hot. Let’s use them and spice things up.

If you like this post please share with a friend.

Related Posts:

• Organic Black Pepper

1. Keeping the Olive Oil Away From Heat
2. Keeping the Olive Oil Away From Light
3. Keeping the Olive Oil Away From Air

 You also want the Olive Oil in a small enough container that is easily handled when cooking. But if you’re like me, you also want to save some money and buy it in bulk. One solution is to purchase a smaller bottle of Olive Oil, use that up and keep the bottle for refilling from your large bulk container. Then just store both in your non glass faced kitchen cabinets.

 Believe it or not, back in the day I knew a bonehead (me) who would keep a glass pour-bottle of Olive Oil on the shelf just above the stove where it had the three strikes of heat, light & air against it. Thank God times have changed.

Related Post:

• Cooking With Olive Oil

 But when pepper is pre-ground and exposed to air 24/7 it’s aromatics simply evaporate. And if this isn’t bad enough he further insures that all his pepper turns into flavorless black specks on top of his food by storing it in a glass pepper shaker. … The light allowed to shine in causes chemical changes in the peperine constituent which transforms it into a nothing as far as flavor is concerned.

 So, if you’re taking the time to cook & clean up don’t botch it at the finish line. Use fresh Peppercorns, store them in an airtight container devoid of light and grind them using a pepper mill immediately before serving.