Food to try 

How to Cook a Perfect Steak

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Many people who enjoy an excellent steak go out to eat as they are reluctant to prepare it at home. Cooking a steak at home will be less expensive, and you are sure to get exactly what you want. With a little preparation and practice, cooking a steak to perfection at home can become second nature. This article discusses pan frying the steak, but you can easily adapt the technique to the grill.

Buy a Perfect Steak

It doesn’t matter how you cook it if you don’t start with a great steak. Find a good butcher and let them help you pick out your steak. A lot of people will atomically go for the filet mignon, but you are going to get the best flavor in a strip or rib-eye. A bone-in steak will have more flavor, but until you get the hang of cooking it, a boneless steak will be easier. Make sure you get a steak well marbled with fat and preferably prime grade or better.

Prepare the Steak and Pan

You don’t want to cook the steak cold, so leave it out when you get home or take it out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes prior to cooking. The steak will cook more evenly if it is room temperature. Sprinkle both sides liberally with ground pepper and a little silt.

When you are ready to cook, place a good cast iron skillet over a high flame. Pour enough good olive oil in the pan to coat the bottom. As soon as the oil starts smoking, it’s time for the next step.

Sear All Sides of the Steak

Put the steak in the hot oil and sear it well on one side. This shouldn’t take more than about a minute. Be careful as the hot oil will tend to spatter. (This is another reason not to cook a cold steak.)As soon as it is well seared, flip it over and do the same to t Read More

Food Alternatives 

Home Canning – Getting a Tight Seal

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Food canning is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, as more people are taking an interest in being more connected to their food. Knowing how to can food is a very
resourceful skill, and it can be a lot of fun too. However, food Safety is an important issue. Getting a tight seal on your jars is essential in making sure that your canned food will be safe to eat when you unseal your jars. Below are a few tips to ensure that you get a good seal every time.

Make Sure Your Contents Reach the Proper Temperature

The vacuum seal that occurs during the canning process happens primarily because of steam. When the contents of jar are heated, the steam inside takes up all of the available room in the jar. But when the jar is removed for the heat source, and begins to cool down, the steam reverts back to water which takes up a lot less space and a vacuum is created. But if your contents do not get hot enough, there may not be enough steam to create a good seal.

Fill Contents to the Line on the Inside of the Jar

On the inside of canning jars, there is a fill line. This line isn’t just a suggestion. Filling your jars to the line creates the right about of head space in the jar for the
vacuum sealing process to be successful. You don’t want to go over the line or under the line. You want to be right at the line. Use a spoon or other utensil to push your contents down inside the jar to remove air bubbles. If you don’t, when your contents settle in the jar they could be too far below the fill line.

Make Sure Your Sealing Surfaces are Clean

As you fill up your jars, you might spill some of the contents on the rim. Even if you don’t see anything on the rims of Read More

Uncategorized 

Farm to Table on a Budget – How to Get the Best Deals at Your Local Farmers Market

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The farm to table movement is all the rage these days, but all that freshness comes with a hefty price tag. A locally-grown salad at your local restaurant might cost twice as much as the shipped variety, and the price tag on that farm-raised grass-fed steak could be even higher.

That might be discouraging but you do not have to let your limited budget get in the way of your quest for fresh local food. The freshest produce and great locally-grown meats could be as close as your local farmers market. The key is knowing how to strike the best bargain and find the best providers.

Use the Quest for Freshness to Your Advantage

The local farmers market is all about freshness, and you can use that to your advantage. Farmers from around the area strive to provide the freshest possible fruits and vegetables, picking them at the peak of freshness and rushing them to market. That means the shelf life of their local produce may be somewhat limited, and you can use that fact to strike a better bargain.

When shopping at your favorite stand, ask the farmers if they have any riper fruit on hand. From peaches bursting with flavor to bananas that are slightly past their prime, you can get some great fresh produce. Since the farmers know that this almost too-ripe fruit will not be good for much longer, they may be willing to negotiate a lower price.

Show Up at Closing Time

If you want some even better bargains, consider showing up just as the market is closing up for the day. Local producers are often reluctant to pack up their unsold produce, especially if it will be too ripe by the next market day. You can strike some great bargains this way and get some great fruits and vegetables for your family.

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Food to try 

6 Unusual Pizza Toppings to Try Tonight

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Pizza is a great go-to food, but it can get pretty boring. If you are tired of the same old pepperoni and sausage, why not spice things up tonight and try some unusual toppings? The great thing about pizza is that you can top it any way you want it. Whether you order from the local pizza shop or pick up a roll of dough and make your own, you can top your pizza anyway you want. Here are 6 unusual, and unusually delicious, pizza toppings to try tonight.

1. Broccoli

You have probably had broccoli on a white pizza, but this versatile vegetable is a great topping no matter what the sauce. Get creative with broccoli the next time you make pizza – pair it with your favorite meats, pile it on and enjoy the crunch. No matter how you enjoy it, broccoli is a wonderful way to top a pizza.

2. Pulled Pork

If you are a dedicated carnivore, you will love pulled pork as a pizza topping. Whether you soak the pork in barbecue sauce for a unique twist on the traditional BBQ chicken pizza or just top a traditionally sauced pie with the delicious meat, your taste buds will be watering long before the pizza comes out of the oven.

3. Eggs

You have probably had cold pizza for breakfast today, but that is not the only way to enjoy it. Breakfast pizza is a great way to start the day, and it is easy to whip one up. Just lay out the dough, fluff up some scrambled eggs and add diced tomatoes, fresh veggies and your favorite breakfast sausage. What a great way to start the day.

4. Shrimp

It might not be right for everyone, but if you love seafood, why not add it to your favorite pizza? The crunch and unique flavor of the shrimp is the perfect counterpoint to the other flavors of the pizza, and once you try it once it is sure to become a Read More

Food Alternatives 

5 Alternatives to the Traditional Christmas Dinner

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In much of the English-speaking world, Christmas has become synonymous with turkey. However, while many are reluctant to break with tradition, others also tire of having exactly the same meal every year. After all, few would say that roast turkey is a particularly special centre piece to the festivities Fortunately, there are numerous tasty alternatives, some of which are actually more traditional than the ubiquitous turkey roast. Following are a few ideas that are sure to impress your family and friends for the special occasion:

1. Venison Wellington

A classic dinner party special, venison wellington might not be cheap, but it will surely impress your companions for the big Christmas dinner. Unlike beef, venison has a very distinct and gamey flavour. You’ll need to buy a good cut, such as loin fillet, trimmed and off the bone, but it’s not as difficult or time-cosuming to prepare as you might think. As the name suggests, a venison wellington is prepared in much the same way as its beef counterpart, consisting of fillet steak coated in duxelles and puff pastry. You can also enjoy it with most of the traditional Christmas side dishes, such as Brussels sprouts, potatoes, parsnips and carrots.

2. Roast Goose

In keeping with Christmas tradition, goose is one of the most popular alternatives to turkey. Though not nearly as common as it used to be, a roast goose is no more complicated to cook than a turkey. Its distinct flavour makes it a favourite choice for Christmas dinners and, in Germany, it remains the staple for the Christmas Day meal. In many other European cultures, it’s also the traditional meal to have on St. Martin’s Day on November11. Roast goose is best served with a variety Read More

food myths 

4 Catering Myths and Misconceptions You Should Ignore When Looking for a Catering Service

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Many people who want catering services often start with some preconceived notions. These misconceptions can cause you to overpay, or choose services that aren’t adequate for your event. Here are a few of the misconceptions and myths out there you should ignore.

1. The Season Always Affects the Price

For some reason, many people believe that catering services base their prices on the season. If you think about that for just a second, you’ll realize how silly it sounds. The services offered by the caterer are the same no matter what season it is.

The food prep, serving, and set up does not change with the season. They can change with the venue, but the prices will remain more or less the same at any time of the year. The only caveats to this are dishes that have ingredients that are seasonal by nature, such as seafood, fruits, and vegetables.

2. Buffet-Style Service is Cheaper than Sit-Down Services

This is an easy assumption to make if you don’t give it any thought. People assume that if the guests can get up and fill their plates themselves, it will turn out cheaper than the guests receiving their meals at the table.

The catering service still has to serve food at a buffet, keep it hot, and keep the food compartments full. Even if it is an open buffet, there is no guarantee everyone will take sensible portions. This can occur even if there are rules in place to prevent such things.

You can still end up with one food item running out while there’s still plenty of other stuff. No, a buffet isn’t always cheaper. Don’t order catering services with this
assumption in mind. Ask the catering service about their pricing for each type of food serving ch Read More