Two Easily Avoided Tzatziki Mistakes
Congratulations, you found an easy Greek tzatziki recipe that promises a table full of flavorful gyros for dinner. There is no better accompaniment to gyro meat or indeed any grilled meat product than the garlicky dill yogurt sauce made famous for its association with the gyro sandwich. Of course, if it is your first time making it, care needs to be taken. There are a few stumbling blocks along the way to a perfect sauce, but luckily they are easily avoided.
The first mistake people make when making tzatziki, especially when doing it for the first time, is neglecting to purge the cucumber of excess water. Cucumber has a very high water content, far in excess of most vegetables. When the cucumber is cut, diced, or shredded to be added to a recipe such as tzatziki, that excess water will slowly leech out of it over several hours. What this means to you is that if you neglect to purge your cucumber before adding it to the tzatziki, your smooth, creamy sauce will devolve over a few hours into a loose, watery mess.
There are two ways that you can purge your cucumber. One common method is to dice the cucumber finely, then sprinkle it with salt and allow it to drain in a colander for a few hours. The salt pulls out excess moisture, thus preventing a watery sauce. Of course, if you’re lazy or you simply don’t want to wait several hours to get your gyro on, you can opt for the squeeze.
Just take your cucumber, ideally shredded, and wrap it up in a tea towel. Hold it over the sink or a large bowl and just wring out all that excess water. This is the method I prefer because it is a hundred times faster and doesn’t add any salt to the recipe.
The second most common tzatziki mistake deals with the other primary ingredient, though the end result is very similar. The yogurt that goes into your tzatziki is as important to the final flavor and texture as the cucumber, and choosing poorly can lead to the same loose, watery mess that no one will eat. So, what type of yogurt should you use when making your sauce?
Rather than the traditional breakfast yogurt most of us are familiar with, you should instead reach for Greek yogurt, a thickened, generally organic yogurt that is far superior to standard when it comes to yogurt sauces such as tzatziki. If you can’t find Greek yogurt, however, add your yogurt to a double layer of coffee filters and allow to drain for a few hours. The results will get you close to the desired result. Of course, don’t let it drain too long or you will end up with yogurt cheese.
There you have it. Two simple guidelines that will guarantee tzatziki success nine times out of ten, so long as you use fresh ingredients and follow directions. Of course, there are countless variations to be made. You can add more dill, garlic, lemon, pepper, or any number of different herbs and spices to customize your sauce, but as long as you purge the cucumber and use a thickened, high-quality yogurt, it’s bound to taste great on your favorite chicken gyro recipe, grilled lamb, and a thousand other applications.
Learn Your Way Around The Kitchen With These Cooking Tips
Many people aspire to be culinary geniuses, but the thought of what that actually takes can be nothing less than daunting. Fortunately, you can learn to become a great cook step-by-step. This article is a perfect starting point for your journey!
It is possible to lower the fat and calorie content of mashed potatoes without impacting the taste or texture by replacing some of the potato content with cauliflower. The somewhat bland taste of cauliflower helps it to blend seamlessly with your potatoes while picking up the other ingredients. Cauliflowers look very similar to potatoes in texture and color when they are mashed. It will allow you to have a delicious side dish that is healthier and still flavorful.
Garlic is delicious; however the pungent aroma will get stuck on your hands. Rub your hands along the metal rim of your sink in order to get the odor off your hands after handling pungent food ingredients, such as garlic. The steel will clean your hands and remove the smell. You can buy stainless steel “soaps” at your local kitchen store to keep on hand.
When smoking food, it’s important to choose the right smoker grill as the lower quality can „leak“ and your food will not deliver the right tasty flavor. If you are not sure how to choose the best smoker grill or where to find smoker grills for sale, just click on the previous two links for more info. The most important quality in a smoker grill is in its construction and the material used for the outer shell of the smoker. You want to choose the one that has the least parts mounted together. A shell that is in one whole piece would be ideal. Also, the type of fuel used in your smoker is important. You would be surprised how much difference you get in the flavor when using charcoal or wood.
When making waffles and pancakes in batches for breakfast, you will want them to stay warm until it’s time to eat. A 300 degree oven is an appropriate temperature. Place the waffles or the pancakes inside the oven so that they will stay warm until you have made enough.
Even though you might want to really impress guests with a fancy dish, never try out a recipe for the first time when cooking a meal for an important event. Whether you are cooking for new in-laws, your manager or a date, you want them to be impressed with your culinary skills. Find out what kind of food they like and prepare something you are comfortable with.
Whether you plan to dazzle your family with a well-cooked meal or impress a hot date with a romantic dinner, culinary talent will enhance your life in many ways. Sharing meals is a common tradition among cultures across the globe. If you use the above tips, you will become an awesome cook and everyone will ask you to cook for the next big family event.
Essentials For Your First Kitchen
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when stocking your first kitchen: it’s hard to know what is a truly essential tool and what can wait. Of course, every cook will have a slightly different list depending on personal preference and cooking patterns, but here’s some items that are almost universally recommended. In addition to using this for your own first kitchen, these make great graduation gift ideas!
Pots and Pans
While the large cookware sets are very tempting – and can be a bargain if looking at the per-piece cost – most cooks won’t actually use all the pieces enough to make the total price worth it. Instead, consider picking and choosing only those essential pots and pans you actually need.
Non-stick Fry Pan
Get a 10″-12″ size for maximum flexibility. This is an essential item for cooking eggs or a stir fry. Don’t go crazy with the price: regardless of the quality, every non-stick finish starts to lose its effectiveness within a few years, requiring replacement.
As an alternative, consider a cast iron skillet. They need careful seasoning and care, but the surface can perform as well as any non-stick finish. They can also last for decades, but are heavy.
Saucepan
You need a solid saucepan or two, each with a lid. Choose the exact size based on how big your household is, but a 3-quart and a 4-quart will give you the most flexibility.
Large Pot
You might see them sold as stock pots or dutch ovens, but a 6- to 12-quart size pot is a necessity if you plan on making big batches of pasta or chili (or boiling a lobster or two).
Knives
This is another category where it’s easy to just get a big set, but narrow your purchases to only the most essential kitchen knives when first starting out. You’ll soon figure out if you need to add to your collection.
Chef’s Knife
The workhorse of the kitchen. Focus on comfort and balance in your hand when shopping. While the full-tang models are pretty, they’re not necessary and not an exclusive indicator of quality. Company’s such as Victorinox offer models with excellent blades but lightweight, molded handles. You do want a blade that can be honed and sharpened.
Paring Knife
You’ll use this tool for tasks such as peeling vegetables and coring tomatoes. You want something that is nimble in your hand and that can also be honed and sharpened. Blade lengths of 3.25″ to 3.5″ are usually the most comfortable, but test several options.
Serrated Knife
You’ll need a serrated knife for slicing bread, tomatoes, and other crushable foods. The most useful and controllable blade length is 10″ to 12″. Serrated knives can be honed but not sharpened, so you will have to replace it more often than other styles. Shop with replacement costs in mind.
And don’t forget a cutting board! Wood or polypropylene are classic choices.
Tools and Gadgets
Anyone who has been in a kitchen supply store or any kitchenware department knows there’s a never-ending supply of kitchen gadgets out there. Start small and grow your collection as you get more experience. Here’s a core set of tools to start with:
- Tongs
Get a locking pair about 12″ long. - Spatula - type for turning pancakes
If you’re using a non-stick pan, get nylon to protect the surface. - Spatula - type for scraping bowls
Silicone is stain- and heat-resistant. - Large Spoon
Get nylon to protect non-stick surfaces. - Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups
Stainless steel is a bit more expensive than plastic but is easier to clean and will last much longer. - Mixing Bowls
Glass is heavy and can chip but is inexpensive and can go in the microwave. Stainless steel is lighter and very sturdy but can’t go in the microwave. It can go in the oven and be used to make a double-boiler in a pinch. - Baking Dish
The classic 9″x13″ size is a basic. Many people swear by Pyrex, but steel can easily double as a small roasting pan, including going to the stove top to make the gravy. - Vegetable Peeler
A paring knife can generally do the job, but a peeler might be a bit easier to handle for many people.
There’s always other items that some might consider “essential” – salad spinner, digital thermometer, etceteras – but each person should built a collection of kitchen tools that meets their own needs.
Get Hip With A Halogen Oven
Preforming My Duty
I recently made my biannual visit to see my Nan the other day. Everything went pretty much as expected in that my Nan had saved me a short list of odd jobs around the house that needed the attention of a “strapping young man”. After I have changed one of the light bulbs in the living room I diligently made my way the curtain to reattach, well I don’t know the name of the part but it makes the curtains close when you pull the string.
I then made my way to see what my Nan was doing in the kitchen, expecting to find another round of jobs waiting for me there too. However, what I saw was my Nan cooking her dinner with a halogen oven. I immediately thought that it looked extremely odd, my Nan has never owned a microwave yet here she was happily tinkering away with a halogen oven.
Another point of note about my Nan is she does not own a computer and I am pretty certain does not know that the Internet even exists which led me to blurt out, without even thinking “where did you get that?” As it turned out she had actually picked it up from Asda of all places, on the recommendation of my Auntie.
So Why a Halogen Oven?
My Nan then went on to sell me the benefits of the halogen oven and how much more convenient it was for her to cook for on her own for one using the halogen oven. I must admit I was really surprised at how quick it was able to cook. And when the food was cooked, in my Nan’s case it was a jacket potato it was crispy as what you would expect from a normal oven and much nicer than if you could cooked it in a microwave.
I was then blow away by the fact that the halogen oven has a self cleaning function, I couldn’t believe it as I hate the washing up. After a bit of searching around I found that the Andrew James Halogen Oven looked to be the best halogen oven and brought that. I am really happy with the halogen oven, the only downside that I have found is that the manual was a little lacking in cooking times, as they are so different from normal cooking times.
But this didn’t cause me too much hassle as you can watch you food cook through the glass container until you get use to it. One of the biggest benefits is the amount of time that you are able to save when cooking food. In an advert that I have seen it demonstrates cooking a whole chicken in 45 minutes which is pretty impressive.
Its Healthy As Well
The halogen oven is also a healthy way to cook food, I have never added any fat to any of the foods or meals that I have cooked with my halogen oven, and when I cook meat I always use the rack as this lifts the food off of the base of the glass cooking bowl and makes it very easy to dispose of the drained off fat without consuming it.
How to Make French Press Coffee
Aside from the drip coffee maker and the ever notorious Keurig, the third most popular means of brewing coffee is the french press. It uses what is called ‘full immersion brewing’ to get the most thorough extraction and the greatest presentation of flavor available from any brewing method. It’s much more popular in Europe and South America but in the last ten or twelve years has gained significant popularity in the United States. When I’m teaching people how to make coffee in new brew methods, the french press is one of the first choices that I recommend.
How to Brew Coffee with a French Press
- First and foremost you need to heat water on the stove, using a kettle. The french press doesn’t have any means of heating water itself so the boiling water needs to be done independently. Any kettle will do – but I prefer kettles without flowers (flowers are boring). Heat the water until it is approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit or not quite boiling. I usually just wait until steam is billowing out of the kettle but before there is any screeching sound from the kettle.
- Grind coffee for the french press. For this you will want a grinder with ceramic conical burrs, I personally use a manual conical burr grinder called the Hario Skerton. These are relatively inexpensive, very durable, and do a much more consistent job grinding coffee beans than a blade grinder will. When you are grinding for french press you want to grind the coffee very course so that when the wire mesh is pressed down none of the coffee grounds float back up. We don’t want any coffee grounds in our coffee.
- Once the coffee is ground, dump it into the bottom of the french press. Pour the hot water over the coffee and allow it to sit for anywhere from three to six minutes (depending on how strong you want it). Once the time is finished, plunge the wire mesh down, thus trapping all of the coffee grounds underneath. Now you have a fresh pot of ‘full immersion’ french press coffee.
- You should be aware before hand that because the lid is covering the french press during the brew it does not cool down hardly at all – this has a habit of tricking people who are new. After you have plunged the wire mesh and the coffee is ready it is important to remember that the coffee will still be extremely hot. Don’t make the mistake of pouring a cup and drinking it right away.
You may be surprised the first time you drink french press coffee because of how different the flavor is from other methods of brewing coffee. French press coffee has a certain earthy mouth feel, not unlike a deep red wine. It rarely has any tendencies towards bitter flavor notes though because it isn’t slow dripped but rather ‘immersed’ and there isn’t any paper filter to secrete chemicals into the coffee. It is one of the most profoundly drinkable types of coffee and offers a wide range of nuances for the palate. Try it with different roasts and coffee bean origins and you’ll be able to discover all of the varying flavors coffee can offer.
Where are all these bed bugs coming from?
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‘Where are all the bed bugs coming from?’ is the pest control equivalent to ‘Why me?’ The truth is, the question is as simple to answer as it is complicated to explain. Bed bugs come from everywhere, and by any means possible, but they don’t really seem to originate from anywhere specifically. This bug is causing a global epidemic, but this hasn’t stirred major concern, because they don’t transmit disease… yet. Once the issue evolves to that stage, then watch out!
How did they get in my home? We (my girlfriend and I) are unfortunate enough to share an apartment building, and specifically a floor of that building, with somebody who brought them home with them. There is no blame to be placed here, no fault to find with the occupant, as this can literally happen to anybody. The bed bug can hitch a ride with anybody, and can travel by any number of routes and means.
Airlines – Think of an airplane as a flying test tube. For hours at a time, travelers are trapped in this tube with other passengers, and there is no place to go and no place to hide. Ever wonder why you tend to ‘come down with something’ after a flight? That’s right, the re-circulated air probably delivered some bad germs your way. By the same token, any bed bugs that are currently hitching a ride with any of the passengers may find their way onto your clothing, personage, or even your luggage.
Other modes of transport – Think of any form of mass transit, and you have yourself a recipe for bed bug disaster; buses, car pooling, cruise ships, shuttles, taxi-cabs, subways, etc. The list goes on and on. In fact, if you share any mode of transportation with anybody else, than you may be sharing their bed bugs as well.
Public places – If you go to church, visit the library, spend any time in the hospital, pick up your kids from school, attend classes at the local college or university, attend a sporting event, or eat in a restaurant (not to mention countless other social situations), then you run the risk of bringing this pest back to your home.
So what are we to do? Stop going out? Stop being social? Well, that’s just silly! Actually, there isn’t much you can do to avoid the possibility of a breach, so just live your life, but keep cognizant of the risks. If you wake up with weird or unexplained bites, welts, redness, then you should take note and do a little investigating. Identifying the problem early makes handling an infestation infinitely easier.
The author of this article is dedicating his later years to teaching others about ways of getting rid of bed bugs. Like I said, I had them, I got rid of them, and now I will help educate others about the risks and dangers associated with this bug… anything I can do to help. I own and operate a website dealing with this issue, as well as dealing with other pests too… Like this article about how to get rid of sugar ants in house and home forever. Good luck, and happy hunting…!