• Before we get down to vitamin loss through cooking, it is important to realize that food items also lose vitamins through exposure to air, water, light and heat. It is because of this reason that nutritionists advise eating fresh produce as much as possible, since they fresh foods get exposed to the elements for the least amount of time. If you cannot go out and buy fresh produce everyday, make sure that you store your fruits, vegetables and meat at the right temperatures in the fridge and freezer. Wrap and pack everything so that exposure to light and air is the least. This will ensure that your food items are still left with vitamins to lose when you pop them into the pan.

• Fruits, vegetables and meat lose the maximum vitamins when they are cooked at high temperatures for long periods of time. Therefore, one of the best ways of reducing vitamin loss during cooking is to use the microwave. Since foods get cooked quickly in the microwave, they end up retaining most of the nutrition. Try to avoid adding water to the food as much as possible since this aids vitamin loss. Research has shown that broccoli and cabbage cooked in the microwave lose only one third the amount of vitamin C that is lost when they are boiled. It has also been proven that a minimal vitamin loss takes place when food is reheated in the microwave.

• Another method of cooking where vitamin loss is the minimum is steaming. Steamed food also gets cooked quickly, does not involve loss of vitamins to water drainage and is generally not overcooked, especially when compared to boiled food. As a result, it has been found that vegetables lose less than 50% of the nutrition when they are steamed as compared to when they are boiled.

• If a recipe leaves you with no option but to boil a vegetable, then make sure that you put it in the water only when the water starts boiling instead of putting it on the stove with cold water. Use the minimum possible amount of water and cut the vegetables into large pieces or boil them whole to keep exposure to a minimum. Also, do not over boil and let the veggies stay on the stove for as little a time as you can, of course ensuring that they are done for the recipe.

• Baking, roasting and deep frying food at high temperatures leads to the maximum amount of vitamin loss during cooking. So make sure that you avoid over cooking food in the oven. Try to cut out deep frying from daily cooking as much as possible and save these techniques for special occasions and parties.

Advantages Of Organic Cooking

• The main and major advantage of organic cooking is that it is healthy cooking. Since foods are labeled organic only when they have not been treated with pesticides, preservatives, drugs, chemicals, antibiotics or hormonal modifications, you end up eating food that is as natural as nature meant it to be when you go organic. It has been proven that eating organic food decreases chances of getting afflicted with most immune system and lifestyle related ailments, and this is a major reason why you should consider switching to healthy organic cooking.

• When you go organic, you not only avoid elements that are disease causing and harmful, you also end up eating food that is richer in nutrients and antioxidants. It has been proven that organic foods often have a level of antioxidants that is 50% higher than that of conventionally grown foods. This extra dose of antioxidants ensures that you stay healthy, beautiful and fighting fit with organic cooking.

Disadvantages Of Organic Cooking

• Most people who switch all of a sudden to hundred per cent organic cooking often complain that the food is not tasty enough. This is mainly because we are so used to eating hormone pumped foods that the taste difference when you switch to healthy and wholesome organic food is considerable. However, this is just a matter of getting used to. Instead of switching to organic food all of a sudden, you should start introducing it into your cooking and diet little by little so that the difference in taste is not drastic. Also keep in mind that organic food is not “less tasty”, it only tastes “different” from the chemical pumped food that we are used to eating!

• Organic food is costlier and not very easily available. At times, you might not always find organic substitutes for a number of foods. And when you find them, you might notice that they are exorbitantly priced. Another thing that discourages many people from switching to organic cooking is that many businesses have started selling non-organic food as organic in order to make money. Make sure that you buy organic food that has been approved by the USDA to avoid getting cheated. As for the cost of organic food, you might want to check out fresh produce or farmers’ markets for getting cheap and fresh organic fruits and vegetables.

Noodle and Pasta Soups: While a soup can always be served before a meal, you can convert the soup dish to a main course by adding noodles, vermicelli or pasta to your soup. Check out our entry “Cooking Recipes: Make A Three Course Meal In Less Than An Hour” for a Simple And Nutritious Tomato Soup Recipe. You can put in noodles boiled in salt water to the tomato soup once it is done.

Or you can prepare a nice Hot And Sour Noodle Soup in fifteen minutes. Take three cups of water, about 75 gms of instant or fast cooking noodles, finely chopped onions, beans, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, peas and corn and boil for four to five minutes. Once the veggies and noodles go soft, add salt to taste, a little pepper, a teaspoon of soy sauce, a quarter spoon of sugar, a teaspoon of red chili sauce and two to three heaped spoonfuls of tomato puree. You can also use ketchup if you do not have puree, but in a smaller quantity. Add a little cornstarch to thicken you soup, boil for a minute more and your hot and sour noodle soup is ready. The recipe is perfect for winters and is a good alternative to hot chicken soup when you are down with a cold. You can make umpteen variations by experimenting with vegetables, chicken broth and by using different types of non vegetarian foods with the veggies.

Casseroles: Casseroles are not just healthy and nutritious; they are a great way of taking care of leftovers as well. Take cooked noodles, spaghetti, pasta or rice as a base for your casserole. Add in chopped vegetables and cooked chicken, beef or sea food. To save time, use store ready peas or corn kernels and for flavor, use shallots, tomatoes and bits of ginger and garlic. Mix with some broth or your favorite soup, add in herbs or sauces that you like and feel would complement the other ingredients. Top the casserole with dried bread crumbs or sprinkle all purpose flour, cover with grated cheese and bake till the casserole bubbles. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve your family a healthy, nutritious and balanced meal. You can make a wide number of variations with casseroles depending upon what you like and what you don’t and you will very soon have your own collection of recipes for quick and tasty casseroles.

Since love and Valentine’s Day are generally accompanied by heart shapes, the color red and loads of chocolates and other sweet somethings, this is what we will concentrate upon when suggesting love recipes that you can use to impress your loved one on this special day.

Cooking Ideas For A Valentine’s Breakfast

Strawberries have long been known as an aphrodisiac, and the color that they impart to food makes them the perfect ingredient for a valentine breakfast. Cranberries are also another tasty and healthy choice for a breakfast ingredient. Make sure that you serve some cranberry juice during breakfast to add color and romance top the meal. One simple love recipe that you can try for breakfast is strawberry French Toast. Beat together two eggs, a cup of milk and a tbsp of sugar. Dip some fruit or regular bread in this mix and shallow fry in butter or vegetable shortening. Chop fresh strawberries and top the French Toast with these and some strawberry preserve or sauce to serve a tasty and lovely looking brekky. You can also make heart shapes with the strawberry sauce or pieces on top of the bread. Serve along with red roses on a breakfast tray and your lover will be floored!

If your guy or gal likes pancakes, then here’s the recipe for an easy and tasty one that you can serve on Valentine’s Day. Whisk together 2 cups of baking mix( buttermilk), 2 eggs and a cup of milk till the mixture is smooth. Drop in chopped cranberries/chocolate chips/ strawberries into the mix and pour this batter onto a greased frying pan. Turn over when the mix bubbles and cook till lightly browned. Cook some berries with a little sugar in a thick based pan to make your own topping. Serve your pancakes with berry toppings or with oodles of chocolate sauce for a sexy looking breakfast.

Cooking Ideas For A Valentine’s Dinner
 
You can make a Valentine’s Day dinner special by giving it a red color theme. Serve deep red tomato soup for an entrée. You can make a heart shape on top of the soup with a little cream. For the main course, you can serve some red hot tandoori chicken (if your partner likes Indian food) or a pasta dish with red sauce like Arrabiata if you are into Italian food. A seafood main course with oysters will not only be very “gourmet”, it might also be a sexy aphrodisiac.  While a typical Valentine’s dessert should be laden with chocolates and cream, you can try and keep it light and healthy by serving a selection of fruits topped with a little confectioner’s or brown sugar or dipped in chocolate. Remember that while you can always go for a rich dessert, a very heavy dinner might leave you both too full for any kind of action afterwards!

What To Buy: If you are a new cook, then you might want to look at readymade cookware buying sets that generally include most of the basic cookware that you will need. Generally a set comprising of a saucepan, frying pan and a couple of pots will suffice of you are planning on regular American food. However, if you like Chinese, then you should definitely buy a wok as well. If it is Italian that you like, then you might need more than one saucepan because these dishes will require you to make different sauces. So decide upon the kind of food that you are planning to cook before you buy your cookware. If you want to cook what your mom does, then think of what she has in her kitchen when buying your own cookware.

What Size To Buy: Often, enthusiastic beginners end up buying pots and pans in sets of four or five with each set comprising different sizes ranging from extra small to extra large. However, this will not only empty your pockets, it will also clutter up your kitchen with a number of useless cookware pieces. Others might buy cookware pieces that are generally too big for their cooking needs thinking that they might have to cater for guests. However, cooking for a small number of people in a pan that is too large will often end up taking the taste and pleasure out of your recipes. The key too determining size is to buy medium sized pots and pans where you can easily cook a meal for one or two and go up to at least six people. Mid size is the way to go for almost all cookware that you are buying in single pieces. Buy a set of three to four different sizes for one item that you plan to use the most, like the saucepan or the pot.

What Material To Buy: While pots and pans are available in almost all kinds of materials ranging from copper and aluminum to steel and cast iron, you will find that most have their own advantages and disadvantages. Most people buy steel cookware because it conducts heat evenly, is long lasting, strong, non reactive and economical.  If you are into quick and easy cooking, then a combination of steel and non stick pots and pans should do it for you. You can pass on copper and cast iron till you move to more advanced cooking.

Too Much Salt in Gravy: It has often happened to me that as guests pour into the kitchen to exchange pleasantries and small talk, I end up sprinkling too much salt into whatever I am cooking. The quick fix to too much salt in a gravy is to quickly slice a potato and put the slices in the over salted gravy while it simmers. Take out the slices before you serve.  If your gravy can take a couple of tomatoes, then chop some up and add to the gravy. This generally ends up making gravy tastier, zingier and there are no traces of excess salt left in the dish.

Cake Sinks In The Middle: You take out your nicely baked cake to cool on the rack and after fifteen minutes, you find that your cooked lump of dough has a big dent in the middle. Definitely un-servable to dinner guests as is! However, you can still put it to a number of good uses to make lovely dessert. If you have some canned or fresh fruits ready, pierce the cake all over the top with a knife, soak with fresh fruit juice or syrup from the can, put all the fruits on the top to make an even top and pour on whipped cream or some fruit sauce for a fruity cake desert. You can also cut up the cake and serve in separate bowls as a trifle after topping with ice cream, fruits and flavored sauces.

Lumps in the Sauce: You might follow instructions to a T when making white sauce, but it can still turn out to be lumpy. While stirring it and breaking down lumps by a spoon might solve the problem in some cases, the best things to do is to either put it in the blender and give it a whiz or to pass it through a thick sieve. Your sauce will instantly get back the smooth and creamy consistency that you wanted in the first place.

Overcooked Vegetables: Mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables often have a tendency of turning into mush, especially when you have invited guests over. The best way of using the veggies to your advantage as a main course is to mash the over done vegetables properly, add fresh bread crumbs, some corn flour and salt to taste. Fashion this mix into patties or cutlets, dip into a beaten egg, cover with bread crumbs and fry to make crisp vegetable cutlets for your main course. Just make sure you add enough bread crumbs so that the mixture becomes solid enough to hold shape.

Cooking Classes For Personal Reasons: Many of us are often faced with situations where we wish we were better cooks. Every time guests drop in or we throw a party, we pledge to ourselves that we would take cooking classes so as to prepare a better spread the next time. If you want to impress your friends and family with your cooking skills, or if you are planning to start cooking at home, or if you simply enjoy cooking as a hobby, then taking cooking classes can prove to be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for you.

Most of these classes often run for very short periods like one to three months with just a few hours every week. You can join a class to meet new people, relax and enjoy the company of like minded people and to make new friends. These classes are not competitive at all, you can learn in an easy and casual atmosphere. It is a great way of getting out and learning something while enjoying yourself. And the best part is that you will learn how to cook a number of new recipes pro style. If you are not short of time and money, then these classes come highly recommended. In case managing any of these two things is a problem, then learn cooking tips, techniques and recipes online to save on both time and money.

Cooking Classes Or Culinary School For Professional Advancement: Some people consider joining cooking school in order to make a career as a chef. However, if you think that you are going to get a cooking program of your own or get a high paying job with a five star hotel the moment you pass out of school, then you need to think again. The first thing that you need to realize is that cooking school is not cheap. You might need to take out a loan to pay for your culinary degree. Combine this with the fact that starting salaries in the hospitality and restaurant business are not nearly high enough to make ends meet comfortably.

You will definitely need a couple of years of experience on the floor before you get a well paying job. Also consider the fact that you will most probably spend the rest of your life sweating in warm kitchens, standing all day, taking directions and criticism from others and getting very few perks( unless you are actually employed by a five star). If you feel that you know everything there is to know about cooking as a job (opportunities, pays, perks, promotions, competition, costs etc), and you still want to go ahead, then you should definitely embark on the search for a good cooking school.

Cookies and Cakes: Cakes and cookies are all time favorites when it comes to cooking to gift. These are the best things to make in your kitchen if you are a good baker. Even if you are not, you can try out a few simple recipes for dry cakes and cookies. Some much appreciated and gifted baked goodies include chocolate chip cookies, walnut cookies, coconut macaroons, oatmeal cookies and chocolate cookies. Fruit cakes like Dundee and pineapple upside downs are also a good idea. Make sure that whatever you bake will last for a few days outside the fridge and be carried around without breaking up. You can gift the cookies in glass cookie jars wrapped with ribbons or decorate your cake tins with bows and ribbons to make the gift look nice and festive.

Vinegars and Oils: Flavored oils and vinegars are getting popular as more and more people turn towards salads as meals and accompaniments. You can easily flavor wines, ciders, vinegars and oils using herbs and spices. Pack them up in interesting looking glass bottles and tie on the top with twirling ribbons to get a gift that is both classy and useful. Some combinations that you can try are cilantro, lime and jalapenos in synthetic white vinegar, lemon and tarragon in white wine vinegar and basil and garlic or garlic, oregano and onion in olive oil.

Tea and Coffee: You can also gift your friends your own personalized brew. For tea drinkers, you can create spiced tea by combining one part peppermint leaves to one part of regular tea leaves. Add some spices like cinnamon, cloves, all spice and dried orange or lemon peels in small quantities. Let this mixture stand for a week before transferring to a steel or glass jar to gift. Your friends will love this aromatic and unique brew. You can also gift people cappuccino powder created in your own kitchen. Mix two cups of drinking chocolate powder with two cups of dry dairy creamer, a cup of powdered sugar and one and a half cups of instant coffee. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder for flavor to this mix and pack in jars tied with colorful ribbons. 3 tablespoons in a cup of water will make instant cappuccino. Make sure that you tell the receivers of these gifts how to use your instant tea and coffee mixes.

Chinese food is not only like by most people, it is extremely fast and easy to cook once you get the hang of the various sauces. If you have an hour or even less to prepare a home cooked meal, then why not try a menu of tomato soup, chili garlic noodles and stir fry vegetables? You are wondering whether we can do all this in just 45 minutes? You bet we can! Just follow the instructions below:

Tomato Soup: Put a pressure cooker on the burner and pour in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. While the oil gets hot, chop a medium sized onion, then pop into the oil to fry till tender and translucent. While the onions are getting fried, you chop two medium sized tomatoes. Drop these in the cooker; add a cup and half of water, salt to taste and a pinch of black pepper. Cover and cook for five minutes. Put the whole thing in the blender and churn for a few seconds when done. Pour into soup bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve with soup sticks. Serves 2. Note: Be careful when you put the hot soup mix into the blender. Splashes can cause serious burns.

Chili Garlic Noodles: Put a pack of quick cooking noodles in a pan of boiling water. While the noodles boil, chop some pods of garlic into small pieces and break a few dry red chilies into pieces (decide on the quantity of chilies based upon how hot you want your noodles to be). Heat oil in a wok, drop in garlic and red chilies, add a tablespoon of vinegar, one and a half tbsp of tomato ketchup and salt to taste to the wok. Once the oil starts coming to the top of the ketchup mix, put in cooked, washed and drained noodles and mix it all up. Garnish with more chopped garlic and your chili garlic wonder is ready to serve 2.

Vegetable Stir Fry: To make your vegetables in record time, I assume that you will have chopped and ready to cook carrots, capsicum, broccoli, corn and peas in your freezer. Take a wok or a frying pan, put in a tbsp of vegetable oil and add the chopped veggies. Fry for two minutes, then add salt and fry for a couple of more minutes on low heat. Once the vegetables are tender enough for your taste, add one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a dash of white vinegar and some pepper. Serve as a side dish with your noodles and you will definitely have people asking for second helpings. What’s more is that you have cooked a three course Chinese meal for two in record time!

(Note: If you are cooking for more people, just add to the recipes, without varying the given proportions. Time taken will more or less be the same.)

• All gourmet cooking recipes require the best quality ingredients. So if you have been one of those people who thought that herbs grew in little plastic packets and jars and that vegetables come from freezers, then you will need some practice fast. If you are seriously into gourmet cooking, then start visiting the fresh produce areas of the supermarket to source your herbs and vegetables fresh. You will be able to get the best quality ingredients from farmers’ or fresh produce markets. Even if you cannot frequent such markets regularly, go there initially to at least find out how fresh, fresh is.

• You must have seen on television shows how the cooks always dice vegetables into equal cubes and julienne them as if they have used a tape measure to measure every cut and julienned vegetable piece. Alas, if you do not have practice, you might not be able to cut vegetables into such equal portions even if you use a tape measure. However, to start with, watch the cooks on TV when they chop. You will notice that to dice veggies into equal cubes, the chef will first cut out a 1cm thick strip of the vegetable, then slice lengthwise to get veg strips that are 1cm wide and 1 cm thick. Then he will chop these strips into equal parts that measure 1 cm on all sides. Definitely not tough but it will take time and practice to get such perfect results.

• Seafood is a crucial ingredient of many gourmet cooking recipes. But you might find yourself at a loss when a recipe calls for boneless prawns and salmons. After all, most regular supermarkets will not be stocking this, and no fresh produce mart will give these for sure. So you will have to learn to use tweezers or needle nosed pliers to pull the bones out of salmon fillets. In order to shell prawn, you will have to hold it tightly by the body and twist the head off. This will let you remove the whole shell easily.

• In order to be a proper gourmet cook, you will need to equip your kitchen with gourmet cooking tools and accessories. You will regularly keep coming across gourmet cooking recipes that call for basting roast meat with butter or fruits with egg whites. So you will need to equip yourself with brushes for this purpose. Similarly, you will need to stock up on a number of cookware pieces ranging from specialized spoons and knives to pans and cookers. Remember that having the right tools and cookware is crucial to the success of your gourmet cooking recipes.