Monday, November 30, 2009

How To Find A Fitted Kitchen For Your Home That Wont Break Your Budget

By Matthew Kerridge

Deciding to undertake a huge renovation project can be scary. It can be even worse if it is in a key area of your home such as a kitchen. A fitted kitchen can be a wonderful and affordable way to update the look of this important room. It can also make it much more functional and comfortable to work in. Learning how to recognize a quality fitted kitchen can be the best way to ensure that this big investment looks great for a long time to come. Here are a few details that you need to look for before you purchase any kitchen.

Locating a company with a reputation for excellent work and quality products should be your first move. There are many builders who offer fitted kitchens but not all of them are worth the money. You might think that a do it yourself kit will help save you some money but remember that a huge amount of work goes into the installation of a fitted kitchen and this may mean that you are in over your head. It can be a waste of money and an embarrassment to have to go back and ask for help later on. It may be better for you to go with an installation company in the first place.

There are several elements that go into any kitchen. They are the cabinets, counters, flooring, wall coverings and appliances. You need to make sure that you are spending the majority of your money on important areas of the kitchen. Keep in mind that you don't need to replace everything at the same time if it just isn't in your budget. For example, you can replace cabinets and other items but leave your appliances until a later time.

The money you are spending should go toward cabinets and drawers that are properly built. Not looking for well made items can end up meaning your kitchen falls apart after only a few years. Going with flashy items that are in style instead of looking for a classic appearance can end up leaving you with an outdated kitchen that looks tired after a very short period of time.

If you are looking at cabinets, look for solid wood. You want to make sure that they can hold the weight of the items that are stored in them. Pots and pans can be quite heavy as can some stoneware dishes. Wood doors are also important because if you want to change the look of them, they can be sanded down and refinished. This can be a great way to breathe life back into your kitchen down the road. You want to look at the corners of drawers and make sure they are put together in a way that will not let go over time. Drawers should have gliding mechanisms that will continue to work properly even after the drawer has been pulled out repeatedly. Look for stops on the drawers. These prevent you from pulling the drawer out all the way which can allow it to fall. Look for hinges that are well made out of solid metal. You want to make sure that they will not let go, and allow the cabinet doors to sag or droop.

You should make sure that the counters are durable. If you can't afford granite or other expensive counters there are other very durable and very beautiful options. People want a kitchen with counters that will stay in good condition and will continue to look modern years from now. Neutral colors can be a good idea so that you don't find yourself with an outdated kitchen in only a few years.

A reputable builder is also important because they are often the ones measuring the kitchen and ordering the cabinets. You don't want to find out that the cabinets that were ordered are the wrong size or that the counters are not going to fit. Many people have ordered beautiful granite counters only to find out that they are too heavy and that the cabinets cannot support the weight. This ends up wasting money and time.

If you love to cook, a new kitchen can be a dream. Making sure that you pick the right fitted kitchen can make sure your investment will be protected for a long time to come.

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Lots Of Tips On Making Mashed Potatoes

By Ben Cook

There are many ways to prepare mashed potatoes and these are one of the most popular ways to prepare mashed potatoes. Normally potatoes are too hard to mash as they need to be cooked first. Usually potatoes are baked or boiled until they are soft enough to mash with a ricer, mixer, potato masher or fork. There are also instant mashed potatoes available made from dehydrated potatoes, just add hot water.

The type of potatoes that you use for mashed potatoes as certain potatoes are better than others. Typically the best types of potatoes to use are floury potatoes but if you want a different texture to your potatoes you have the option of using waxy potatoes. A lot of times other ingredients will be added to the potatoes, such as milk, butter, cream or vegetable oil to make them creamier.

You can also flavor your mashed potatoes as you can add parsley, spices, mustard, bacon bits, salt, pesto, turnips, wasabi, onions, cheese, garlic or pesto. There is also a special type of French mashed potatoes that incorporates egg yolks. You mashed the potatoes add the egg yolks and then pipe the mashed potatoes into ribbons and rosettes and bake until brown.

If you are watching your weight and counting calories then you can still enjoy a low fat, low calorie version of mashed potatoes by substituting soup stock or broth instead of cream and butter. It is also important that you don't overcook the potatoes you are going to mash as potatoes that are overcooked tend to create mashed potatoes that have the consistency of glue.

To easily incorporate any seasonings to your mashed potatoes you should first mash the potatoes and then mix in the other ingredients. This helps keep the starch molecules intake as broken starch molecules produce a gluey consistency. This is particularly of importance when using a mixer to make mashed potatoes. You also can ensure that the added ingredients are distributed evenly throughout the mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are a comfort food for many individuals and are important for many holiday meals, particularly Thanksgiving. When preparing mashed potatoes you should allow pound of raw potatoes per person. If your potatoes sometime change color you can add a very small amount of vinegar to the water. This will help the potatoes maintain their white color.

Many people consider mashed potatoes to be a type of comfort food and it is an important part of the Thanksgiving holiday. Generally when preparing mashed potatoes you should allow for pound of potatoes per person. If you want the potatoes to maintain their white color you can add a bit of vinegar to the boiling water.

You can add a little bit of oil or butter to the boiling potatoes to ensure that they potatoes do not boil over. Another tip is to add warm milk instead of cold milk in order to create fluffy potatoes. You can also create every fluffy potatoes by adding a small amount of baking soda to the milk you are going to add to the potatoes.

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Kitchen Cabinets - The Life Of The Room

By Matthew Kerridge

When it comes to remodeling or building a new home, you should always spend a lot of time working on how the kitchen is going to look. The look of your kitchen will say a lot about you and your personality. Take for instances a modern kitchen, you will most likely want to install energy efficient appliances and luxuriously looking counters. The kitchen cabinets, though, are the first thing people are going to notice.

The kitchen is usually the main focus of a home. This is because it is usually the busiest, being a place where parties and family meals are cooked and enjoyed. It is very important that the cabinets you choose reflect your family properly. This lets everyone that comes through your home know that you care a lot about it and your family as well.

When you start to look for new kitchen cabinets you will quickly realize they come in a big selection of colors, styles and materials. Most people pick these features based upon the the wood grain of the wood used to build the cabinets. The different stains that can be used to color them can be found ranging from light all the way to deep and rich colors.

Dark woods will work best with the darker stains while lighter woods can use any shade with no problems. Also, the specific type of wood that was used can tell you a lot about how well the staining will turn out. It is recommended that you always test a new stain on an obscure location before staining the entire piece. This lets you see what the finished color will look like and help you to determine if you want to change your mind about the shade choice.

Some people make the decision to install metal cabinets instead of wood. This type of cabinet is very affordable for when you would like to update a kitchen. All you have to do is paint them a new color any time you want a totally different look and feel for the room. You can also purchase metal cabinets that have already been painted if you already know what you want them to look like.

The material and the color of the cabinets is important, but the hardware that you use with them is also. Things like handles, knobs and hinges are also found in a large variety of styles to choose from. Commonly, you can find gold, brass and pewter however.

they also make molded plastic versions but these never withstand the daily use they will need to endure and usually end up breaking rather easily. Whatever you choose, just make sure it matches the cabinets before you install it. If you want unique hardware to match a unique kitchen you can also find things like that as well. The hardware should always be something you will be able to live with. If not, you are not going to be happy with those cabinets you spent all of that money on.

The overall look of the room should be used to help you pick the right kitchen cabinets. This is one of the most important rooms in your house and the decor should show that. This one room will be viewed by a lot of people that visit your home and you want to amaze them as they walk through the doorway.

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Helping You to Juice Your Way to Health

By Aaron Benjamin

When in the market for the best quality juice you can process in your kitchen and drink with your family, you ought to find the top quality juice machines first.

The possibilities you can enjoy when purchasing your new juice extractor are practically infinite. Several appliance makers have provided the appliance section with so many useful models that you'll discover it's possible that you are going to get the model that meets your requirements. For people in the market for a heavy duty juicer, you ought to consider this Waring JEX328 400 Watts Juicer.

This appliance uses a mean 850-watt motor which represents twice the juicing potential of many juicers being sold. Because of this power plant, you are sure to get more juice out of your juicing ingredients, without the excessive throwing out of valuable pulp that still has much of the nutrients in it. The Waring Pro Juice Extractor employs a centrifugal force motor system that can be made use of not only for fruits and vegetables, but even for wheat grass too. For customers whose family has varied flavor choices in juices, this juicer is definitely a must.

In regards to first impressions, this juice extractor sincerely looks like it is a heavy weight. The casing is manufactured from brushed stainless steel and decorated with black plastic. You will find simply a lone switch on the machine even though the motor of this appliance can operate in a couple of speeds. If your storage space is slightly petite in size, this juice extractor could not be a good option. The Waring JEX328 400 Watts Juicer is enormous - standing at- inches tall, and 10 inches wide- so you need to have the extra more area on your kitchen counter.

On top of that, this machine could keep as much as six cups of liquid in its extract container while holding about 10 cups of vegetable or fruit pulp in the pulp cup. The feeding tube is similarly large and this feature is considered by many as a decided plus. Normal juicers usually include tiny feeding tubes with the result that you need to do the job of slicing up the produce into slender pieces that can fit inside the juicer's entryway. The Waring Pro Juice Extractor can be stuffed with whole tomatoes, entire carrots, and actually small whole apples.

One more great feature is the two-speed motor on the Waring Pro. Since not all natural fibers are created equal, a juicer ought to be safe to use even with softer fruits like tomatoes. Still the motor should also be tough enough to slice through tougher loads like turnips or carrots. While juicing with the Waring Pro, you are are able to employ low or high levels of speed based on the produce you want to extract.

The motor in this machine is brawny and so the Waring Pro could be the quickest in processing high quality juice. You must have the speed simply to be certain that nearly all of the nutrients in the food are still part of the beverage that you consume. The negative aspect of to this strength and speed is that it makes a bit of noise any time you make these beverages at home.

By and large, the Waring Juicer is okay to own; especially if yours is a large crowd. Just take care that you have the space and maybe that you use earplugs while you are making your favorite juice.

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A Guide To Great Italian Cheeses

By Jack Hanley

Many cheeses are originated from Italy and they are imported all over the world. Cheese making is considered to be an art and many villagers still make this their livelihood. There are several varieties and styles of cheese and many different flavors to impress any palette. The distinct flavors of Italian cheeses make them very popular around the world.

Early cheese makers did not have the luxury of refrigeration until recently. They used to store the cheeses in caves or grottos because they were the perfect temperature to age the cheese. There are only three ingredients involved in making cheese. They are salt, rennet, and milk. It is not difficult to make, but it is time consuming. There are not nearly as many cheese artisans as there used to be.

Milk from cows is the most popular choice used in cheese production. There are four types of animals milk that can be used to make cheese. The our animals include cows, buffalo, goats, and sheep. Cows milk has a high percentage of milk in the cheese. Cows milk also contains vital vitamins and nutrients and is very healthy for our bodies. Cheese is an vital part of our diets and really adds a lot of flavor to our meals.

Everyone loves Mozzarella cheese on their pizza. This cheese usually comes in blocks or is pre-shredded. Mozzarella is the most widely recognizable cheese from Italy. It is used in so many different dishes and is a staple in many kitchens. It can also be stored in a ball form in water to retain its freshness. Kids everywhere love this type of cheese and it is widely consumed by many.

Another type of cheese that is made with cows milk is Provolone. It is usually aged only slightly and has a smoky taste to it. It is very flavorful and can be aged for one year. It is a popular cheese to place on sandwiches. Many delis sell it by the slice. It is also used on hoagies and submarine sandwiches. It can add an awesome flavor to any sandwich and is especially popular on ham sandwiches.

Ricotta cheese is a unique cheese because it is made by mixing the whey of various cheeses and is recooked. Many Italian dishes include this particular type of cheese. It can also be used in sweet dishes such as cheesecake. It is a classic cheese and is good in lasagna and other Italian dishes. It has a very creamy texture and mixes easily.

Asiago cheese is another popular cheese from Italy. It is also made from cow's milk and can be aged up to one year. This type of cheese is usually shredded and served in Italian dishes or in risotto soup. It can also be used as a table cheese similar to Parmesan. It is best when it is fresh and it is a versatile cheese.

Italian cheeses are loved by millions of people and are a vital ingredient in many dishes. They are popular with young and old alike and are consumed all over the world. Cheese lovers everywhere rely on Italy for some of the finest cheeses in all the land. Cheese is a very popular ingredient in many meals such as pizza and lasagna. We definitely love our cheese and would not know what to do without it.

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The Interesting Characteristics Of Traditional Kitchens

By Matthew Kerridge

What sets traditional kitchens apart from the rest are the little details and characteristics. As we all may know, this is the most valued room of any house. It must be able to accommodate many people, preparation of meals and family conversation.

In fact, this is the actual room where families actually have conversations about themselves and the day. They each had. Given all the specific functions this room is meant to perform, there must be special planning and attention given to make it just right.

Traditional kitchens are probably the most popular of any kitchen style. For example, while many people enjoy the simplicity of modern furniture, a modern kitchen is too far gone for them. Instead, they prefer the convenience of upper cabinets that provides them with much storage that is a necessity in this room. They also like the fact that they can be as simple or as ornate as the individual, who put them together.

The basis of this kitchen is the clean lines of the cabinets. From there, the homeowners can add embellishments of their choice in as few or as many places as they like. Some homeowners will add the maximum amount of ornate design, while others will opt for the minimal amount.

So, with the clean lines being the basis of the room, there are other characteristics that set it apart from other styles. For example, in this setting, exposed hinges are often preferred. Furthermore, ornate additions on the edges of cabinets are often injected. Wood and titles are the main materials that are used in this setting, but you are not limited to that. In fact, granite tiles and countertops look marvelous. As for choice of colors, again, there is no limit, although some people tend to favor certain ones.

Furthermore, this style reflects features from the past. They can be elaborate or subtle. But generally speaking, they are decorative additions of pieces attached to the basic cabinets. Very often, the cabinet doors are made with the panels. And, the individual owner can add his or her own special touches, combining different colors and styles. There are no real rules to follow here, simply different tastes and elements of decor.

The bottom line is that there are no limits. And, you can add or remove items in your scheme to create a more modern effect or a more traditional one.

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The Easy Approach That Modern Kitchens Offer

By Matthew Kerridge

With many people looking for ways to increase the value of their homes, one way they were doing. They think they're kitchens. Perhaps then, the clean lines of modern kitchens are the best thing for you. If it is what you're after, that there are some essential materials that are required, such as steel and other metal, granite and glass.

The difference between a modern kitchen, and any other type of style or the sleek lines that come with it. There is a lack of embellishment. In other words, they are plain, straight lines involved in this setting. The colors are often subdued tones and cool or neutral. Furthermore, the interest is created by your choice of materials that are being used in the space. Such materials for example include stainless steel.

This is the right kitchen for you, if the actual space you're working with is very small. Why? Well, the simple lines and lack of ornamentation, coupled with the uncluttered surfaces are the answer. Cluttering a small place, or adding to much of ornamentation will only tire the eye.

Furthermore, these kitchens, give the appearance and the feel of a professional setting. They often have understated the details and open stock cabinetry in the form of shelves. Usually, the shelves house the cups, glassware, and plates.

If this is the look for you, then you have to consider de-cluttering and focusing on straight lines. Choose grad or marble for your countertops, and definitely incorporate steel or an other type of metal for your backsplash. You can also use Mosaic ceramic tile for your backsplash as well. All the appliances in the room must be finished in stainless steel.

Whatever you do, you must avoid clutter the room and keep it that way. So, you have to be prepared to have plenty of storage to keep everything out of sight. The only thing that you will keep on counters are the things that are essential. To get the real effect of the industrial kitchen, you should also consider hanging your utensils.

There are many ways in which you can achieve a modern style kitchen. The most important thing is that you are comfortable with the look and with the way it performs. You can also achieve this type of setting with Shaker style kitchen cupboards. This is mainly due to the fact that Shaker style is very simple, and often uses light-colored wood. Placing a dark granite countertop in this setting and reducing any clutter to a minimum will get you on your way. Furthermore, incorporating all the stainless steel appliances will result in you achieving a modern kitchen without having to go overboard. Couple that with hanging utensils and pots and pans and your plan is a success.

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Can You Make Apple Cider?

By Andy Garvin

Apple cider is a classic New England beverage that can be consumed and enjoyed on several occasions. It's typically a holiday treat served during Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Traditionally, apple cider is made from unfiltered apple juice, often served hot and flavored with spices. If you're planning to treat your holiday guests to this delicious drink, you'll want to have a good apple cider recipe on your hands.

One hot apple cider recipe calls for maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, and orange and lemon peels. The main component is apple cider itself, which can either be purchased or homemade. A cider press can help you extract the juice from the apples if you want your cider to be more authentic. However, this takes a lot of time and patience and it's more practical to just buy some.

No one will frown upon you for this, especially after they taste how good your cider is. Whichever you decide, when you have your apple cider, you mix it with maple syrup in a sauce pan, and then you wrap the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries and fruit peels in a cloth and drop it into the cider and syrup mixture. Then you simply heat the sauce pan until the cider is hot but not boiling. At this point, you take out the spice bundle and the apple cider is ready to serve.

Variations on the hot apple cider recipe can switch up the spices and flavorings used. Some examples of additional ingredients are nutmeg, brown sugar and cardamom. If you want a richer texture and flavor, you can add butter, and if you plan to make your apple cider alcoholic, you can add some rum or brandy to the mix.

If you're looking for a cold apple cider recipe, it uses similar ingredients except you may use juices, like orange and lemon juice instead of maple syrup and peels. Stir everything in a punch bowl and chill the mixture, and then you're done. Cold apple cider can also be made from a hot apple cider recipe-in this case, you chill the mixture that you've heated instead of serving it right away. Using the same recipe to make both hot and cold apple cider can satisfy everyone's temperature preferences. But regardless of whether it's hot or cold, drinking apple cider is a great way to celebrate the fall or winter season. Just make sure that there's enough to go around!

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

A Fruit Basket Makes A Perfect Present

By Steve Johnson

This Christmas cash is tight for heaps of people. The time of year is really expensive and its laborious selecting thoughtful gifts for people.

Consider choosing a fruit basket as a perfect gift. Fruit hampers are comparatively inexpensive, thoughtful and unique. They can look nice if bought through a retailer or created at home with a top quality DIY finish.

There's tons of advice on the Internet on how to make a fruit hamper. The toughest half is getting the finish right and finding a appropriate basket. Wicker baskets can be bought from car boot sales, garage sales and gift shops. Fresh fruit should be bought from a bigger supermarket where they have lots of selection. Its an excellent smart idea to get advice from a shop assistant to seek only the ripest fruit.

With fruit brings color, health and vitality. A fruit basket will be prepared in a stunning wicker basket using ribbons and shredded paper. Ingredients will be picked creatively to suit the tastes of the lucky recipients. It does not need to be just fruit, why not add some further tasty treats like chocolate and sweet items.

The important secret to buying or making a fruit basket is getting fresh ingredients which represent the season. Dates, nuts and oranges all create wonderful ingredients for the festive period. Fruit hamper retailers can have different options to shop for at the clicking of a mouse. They should be fantastically finished and organized which would be expected from a specialist.

So this year contemplate doing something original, get or create an extremely spectacular fruit basket. Wow you friends and family and produce a warm Christmas glow with you. Give that special person a pretty item but backed up with true thoughtfulness to encourage healthy eating and a brighter future.

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There Is More To Italian Cheeses Than You Think

By Luigi DeMarco

If you begin to look for Italian cheeses, you will find more than four hundred varieties. Most of the time, we only think of four cheeses as we think of Italian foods.

Many people only think of the cheeses used in Americanized Italian foods. That includes mozzarella which is used in pizza, Parmesan used to sprinkle over spaghetti, provolone used in a sandwich, and ricotta used in lasagna.

Since we have such a limited view of the Italian cheeses, what we purchase at the market is nothing near the original in flavor or texture.

It may come as a surprise to you that the mozzarella that we often eat has no resemblance to Italian mozzarella. In Italy, mozzarella is made from the milk of the water buffalo. It is a fresh cheese that should be consumed within a few days of preparation. It does not have the long shelf life of the mozzarella we use that is made from cows milk. A lightly salted slice of fresh mozzarella is said to be a great complement to freshly baked bread. A common salad is made by combining slices of mozzarella with slices of tomatoes and dressing with basil and olive oil.

Parmesan is a hard cheese that is formed into large wheels. Freshly grated Parmesan is a tasty addition to pasta and melts to combine with cream and butter very well. It in no way resembles the dry powder that is sold in cans at the supermarket.

Italian provolone is a table cheese. Provolone is made from whole cows milk and is aged for four months or longer. It is traditionally in the shape of a pear.

Ricotta is another fresh Italian cheese. This cheese dated back to the Roman times. Italian ricotta is made with whole milk and is much sweeter than the sour and watery part skim ricotta sold in tubs. Since it is easy to make ricotta at home, you can have fresh ricotta at any time. Simply bring whole milk and cream to a boil. Use a little lemon juice to cause to curdle and strain through cheese cloth. Refrigerate in a covered container. The ricotta needs to be used within 48 hours.

Italians in Italy buy their cheese at a dairy store rather than at a supermarket. Many of these stores still make their own cheeses. You can buy fresh cheeses, including ricotta and mozzarella that were made the same day.

As stated earlier, there are many other types of Italian cheeses are available in Italy. Many of these cheeses are local to one region or another. There is an Italian blue cheese that is wonderful when melted over pasta with butter and garlic.

One of the best ways to try the many cheeses of Italy is to take time to visit the country its self. While there, spend time eating at the many local dining establishments and ask about the cheeses that you are eating. The more you can learn, the more likely you will be able to find a similar cheese when you are back home.

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Is The Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter Right For You?

By Christine Pinkston

The topsy turvy tomato planter is revolutionary way to plant your vegetables but is it the right choice for you?

Lets start with the basics. The Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter is used for any vegetable that you could want to grow. They say that because it hangs upside down more of the nutrients go into the vegetables themselves, producing larger more abundant vegetable, but will it work for you?

Are you limited in how many plants you can grow due to space restraints?

This is where the topsy turvy upside down tomato planter really pulls through. If you are lacking in space to grow your garden, or you would like to plant extra plants that your garden will not hold this is definitely the way to do it.

Since it is up in the air, you can hang them almost everywhere. Be it out in the yard, on your porch, or even in a sunny window in your house. Just note, that if you are going to hang it in your home or eve on your deck that you will need a container to catch the excess water when you water your plants.

Do you have somewhere with a strong foundation to hang your planter?

Because the Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter hangs in the air you will need to have a good support system in place. At the hangers peak weight, including the dirt, water, and the plant, it can weigh upwards of seventy pounds. If you dont have the proper support it will come crashing down and possibly destroy your crop.

To make sure that it is properly supported, switch out the hooks it comes with with a heavier grade hook. One that can hold up to 80 pounds or build a wooden frame to hold your planters.

If you have a great place to hang your topsy turvy tomato planter, you can save a lot of time, space, and energy while growing yourself a plentiful crop that you might not otherwise have.

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WMF Perfect Plus Pressure Cooker: Why Your Cooking Will Never be the Same

By Michelle Robert

In a stressful and busy world, nightly meal preparation often becomes just one more struggle in a very long day. But who would not love to have the ability to quickly and easily prepare meals that are delicious - and healthy - and to do it economically? For folks who have discovered how simple it is to prepare meals with the WMF Perfect Plus Pressure Cooker, that is exactly what they are doing.

Pressure cookers? The thought likely brings about one image to mind - the noisy, whistling, rocking pots that always looked like they were about to explode any minute. But this is not your mother's pressure cooker! The WMF Perfect Plus Pressure Cooker uses the latest pressure cooker technology to enable safe - and quiet - food preparation. With an easy-to-use lock and quick release system and an easy-to-read pressure indicator, the Perfect Plus is designed for simple and safe handling.

In addition, the WMF Perfect Plus Pressure Cooker is built to last: constructed of sturdy stainless steel that is the best for heating evenly, it is a great investment that will last for years.

How is the food? Pressure cooking generally produces excellent results: delicious, juicy meats, and vegetables cooked to perfection. There are actually few things that you can't do in a pressure cooker, and with the many recipes and cookbooks available, most folks find that they use their pressure cooker a great deal.

Another benefit is that meals are generally ready in significantly less time - up to 70% less - than regular cooking. Preparing tasty meals is a great benefit itself, but faster cooking also means that less nutrients are lost during the cooking (making it healthier!) and that less energy is used as well (making it less expensive!).

Most people would agree that preparing healthy, mouth-watering meals that are ready in less than 30 minutes would make for an enjoyable dinnertime. And to save time and money while doing so is even better. Whether for yourself or someone special, you can give the gift of stress-free, healthy, economical cooking this holiday season, with the WMF Perfect Plus Pressure Cooker.

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The Guide You've Been Looking For on How to Make Homemade Wine is Right Here

By Bob Lystra

Making wine is truly an art form that will change the way you view your world and the community of people in it. You and your hard work will be integrated in every bottle of wine you manufacture. Making wine from home is a fun hobby, not to mention good wines can be made for just pennies on the dollar. Many people think making wine is hard, however it is easier than you think. Wine making is an age old craft that people all over the globe still do today. Making wine from home can be done in six steps:

Step 1 - Sourcing Grapes: Wine making is simple and you can even make wine from frozen grape juice concentrate available at your grocery store. If you are more discerning, there are companies that sell juice for different grape varietals such as merlot, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir to name a few.

Step 2 - Primary Fermentation: Pour grape juice into a wine making container, adding campden tablets, cover the container with a towel and let it sit overnight. Sulfur gas is created by the campden tablets that kills bacteria and eliminates any naturally occurring yeasts. Fermentation begins after adding your yeast. Allow the juice to ferment five to seven days. Fermentation should start quickly, typically within 24 to 48 hours. The juice should start foaming as the yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.

Step 3 - Secondary Fermentation: After 5 to 7 days, siphon the wine into a secondary fermentation container, but be careful to leave sediments behind. Seal the container with an airlock in order to prevent oxidation of your wine. Let the wine ferment an additional 5 to 7 weeks until the wine is clear. Fermentation will be initially active evidenced by the constant bubbling in the airlock. Refrain from opening the container too early risking contaminating your wine. Patience is very much a virtue here.

Step 4 - Racking the Wine: Sediments, also know as lees, are created during the fermentation process and settle to the bottom of the container. The lees are primarily dead yeast cells that need to be removed before they adversely affect your wine's flavor. This sediment removal process is called racking. It is possible to over rack your wine so be careful. Over racking can slow down or even halt fermentation while unwanted oxidation and organisms can be introduced into your wine.

Step 5 - Bottling the Wine: One last racking of your wine is necessary to remove all residual sediment in your wine before its bottled. Campden tablets can be added at this point to remove any lingering yeast or bacteria from the wine. Now you're ready to bottle your wine. Most winemaker's making homemade wine will use traditional wine bottles and corks, however you do have other alternatives available.

Step 6 - Drinking Your Wine: Now comes the best part, drinking and enjoying the fruits of your hard work. You may want to maintain a wine making journal to document what you did to each batch and the resulting wine attributes to make improvements or replicate what you did in your next batch.

Making homemade wine is a fun and rewarding hobby. Making your own wine is a craft that improves with time. It just takes a bit of patience on your part and a bit of trial and error to develop the flavor and blend you like. There is absolutely nothing like the thrill of opening a bottle of your own wine knowing you crafted something that equals or is better than the quality of higher priced wines in the store.

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Everything You Wanted to Know about Mexican Food Traditions

By Ken Kudra

Food has enjoyed a long and varied history in Mexico. This diverse history is rich in influences that are now enjoyed all over in many countries. True Mexican cuisine is a fabulous blending of fresh foods that are lovingly made from scratch. It is delicious and finds new followers everywhere.

Mexican cuisine is the result of Spanish, Mayan and Aztec influences. Add in a dash of French and you have today's Mexican cuisine. Although it has a reputation for being spicy, not all Mexican dishes are hot. Some are creamy and sweet. Depending on the area of Mexico a recipe is from, the food could be based more on beans, fruit, or seafood.

Cortez arrived in Mexico from Spain in 1521. He and his group discovered many new foods in the New World that they had never tasted before such as squash, vanilla, peanuts, avocados, chocolate, tomatoes, corn, beans, and coconuts. They shared what they had brought from Europe. The beef, cheese, lamb, pork, garlic, wine, milk, vinegar, and citrus fruits were quickly assimilated into Mexican cuisine and have long since become a major part of their diet.

Every cuisine has a foundation of ingredients. In Mexico, it was squash, corn, and beans. Each region then added their specialties to this foundation. In the Yucatan Peninsula, seafood was the primary addition along with fruit-based sauces. In northern Mexico, the meat was almost always grilled over an open charcoal fire. Oaxaca is thought to be the place corn was first domesticated. Even today, there are many varieties of corn grown in this area that can be found nowhere else. Chiles are another staple in this area. They make seven different varieties of mole sauce in Oaxaca.

Veracruz and its surroundings have most recipes built on fish. Tacos, tamales and everything else is made with the abundance of fresh fish to be found in this area. Other common ingredients on the menu in this region include tomatoes, chilies, and olives. True Mexican food is nothing like what you may experience in the United States.

What we eat in the United States tends to be a fusion known as Tex-Mex food. For example, in Mexico it would be extremely rare to get both beans and rice in the same course, let alone the same meal. Here it is commonplace. In addition, salad is hardly ever made in Mexico. This is the influence from the cuisine here in the United States.

You can easily find traditional Mexican recipes in books or online, but do not expect them to be like what you eat at Mexican restaurants. Authentic Mexican cuisine is a delicious tradition you should try. Maybe you can try some of the regional recipes that use fresh ingredients like seafood or fruit. They are really amazing.

Eating Mexican food does not have to mean ground beef tacos and salsa, though that certainly is a way to enjoy it. The cuisine of Mexico is so rich and full of variety that you may be surprised at all, it has to offer. The cuisine of Mexico can be enjoyed at your own table.

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Friday, November 27, 2009

Blooming Tea: A Contemplative Beverage

By Mark Miller

When it comes to drinking tea, there is a history of appreciating it in Asia, especially Japan and China, in way that just is not done in the West. However, if you are going to try blooming tea, you really need to take your time and sip it. It is a not a tea to just gulp down with breakfast.

Blooming tea does exactly what the name implies. It blooms. It does this because it is a ball of tea with dried flowers hand sewn inside it. When you pour on hot water, the flowers expand with the liquid, and break out of the ball. The flowers then bloom into gorgeous displays reminiscent of sea anemones.

But this tea is not just beautiful to the sight, it also tastes truly extraordinary. The flavor is one which is meant to be sipped and savored slowly. You can understand why tea and meditation seem to go hand and hand when you drink this beverage. The fragrance is also something special, being indescribably delicate.

There is no agreement as to how long blooming tea has been around in China, but it has been at the very least decades, if not hundreds of years. Each spring, only the finest young tea buds and leaves are chosen to be used in the making of blooming tea balls. The tea that is used may be of either the green or white variety.

Different flowers are used for blooming tea. Some of the varieties used are jasmine, osmanthus, lilies, hibiscus and chrysanthemum. The flowers used, as with the tealeaves, are picked when young. This is because the taste and fragrance will be more delicate.

It is truly an art that goes into creating blooming tea. It starts with the selection of the best leaves and flowers. But it is the combination of those elements by an artist in sewing the blooming tea balls that leads to the object of beauty in your teacup at home.

When brewing blooming tea, you should always use a glass container, either a cup or a pot. You want to be able to see the flower unfold from the tea ball. Pour your boiling water over the tea ball and, for five minutes or so, let it steep. You can reuse the tea ball according to your taste. When you are done, you can put the blossomed ball into a glass with cold water so that it can be displayed.

Once only a drink of the elite in China, blooming tea has been gradually becoming more and more popular across the world. A quick search on the Internet will yield many sites selling this drink. Do be careful, and make sure that what you buy is truly authentic blooming tea.

This tea will definitely cost more per cup than your average tea. But blooming tea is anything but average, and you will know that as soon as you try it. For a caffeine high when you get up in the morning, this is not the tea to use. But for a delicate beverage that will instantly make you feel at peace at the same time as invoking your senses, blooming tea is well worth a try.

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The Best Italian Restaurants Bellevue Has Today Provide High Quality Food At A Good Price

By Luigi DeMarco

If you are looking for the best Italian restaurants Bellevue provides, you should look through the many options available so you can chose the perfect one for you. When you know exactly what you want from your restaurant, the process of choosing the right restaurant is much easier.

The factors you will want to consider for your restaurant, is the location, the types of food they serve, and the size of the restaurant. If you are having a party, you will want to make sure the place you choose can conveniently fit all of your party guests.

Many people prefer a specific Italian restaurant because of the quality of food they serve. They are not concerned about the ambience of the restaurant, but the quality of the cooking being done. If this is how you are, you should certainly ignore the ambience factor for now, and choose the restaurant known for having the best food. If you are having a party, you may wish for a little more ambience. Whatever you want, you should look for a restaurant that best matches your desires.

The best way to find good quality restaurants is by viewing customer reviews. These will often tell you about the many different aspects of the restaurant. They will often mention the ambiance and the quality of the food. This can be a good way to guarantee you get a good service when you dine out for Italian food.

If you can, you should also visit the restaurant's website. Here, you will be able to see pictures of what the restaurant looks like. You will also be able to understand the atmosphere the restaurant has better. Most restaurants also list their menu with pricing online. This can be a great way to guess how much you will have to pay for a particular restaurant.

If you make sure the restaurant gets good reviews online, and you view the restaurant for yourself beforehand, you will certainly receive an excellent level of service with the restaurant you pick. Before you make your final decision though, you should make sure the restaurant serves the dish you want the most too.

Once you have found a restaurant with a lot of good reviews, and you have found a restaurant designed the way you want, take a good look at the menu. Then, you will know exactly what type of foods the restaurant serves, and you can make sure they provide your favorite Italian food.

Another important factor for choosing the best Italian restaurants Bellevue offers, is the alcohol selection served by the establishment. If you are looking for the ultimate Italian experience, you should make sure your restaurant has a good wine selection. Some wine selections are quite extensive, so be sure to check the restaurant's website, or find a review about the wine served before you dine.

If you are looking into an Italian restaurant for a group party, then you will want to make sure your restaurant can handle the amount of people in your party. It is a good idea to get a reservation at the restaurant you are going to as well. When you make a reservation at a restaurant, you will be able to talk to the operators of the business and find out how many people they can accompany at once.

By spending a small amount of time looking for the right atmosphere, prices, and location, you will increase the enjoyment you receive from your Bellevue Italian restaurants experience.

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Italian Cheeses - A Few Favorites

By Frank Zaftra

There are many different types of Italian cheeses and most are very traditional to a specific area of the country. Cheeses that have regional designations or have label with the protected designation of origin have a specific set of rules that must be followed. In order to have a label from that region it must be made in a specific way and with products from that region.

One of the most famous Italian chesses is Asiago. The texture of this cheese will differ depending on its age and very fresh Asiago is smooth and aged Asiago is crumbly. Asiago can only be made in the town of Asiago which is in the Veneto region of Italy. This cheese is frequently used in sauces, pasta, soups, salads or sliced on sandwiches and panini.

Bel Paese cheese is a semi-soft cheese that was originally created to be delicate and have a mild flavor. This cheese was first made outside of Milan but can be found in Italy and the US. This cheese is made from cow's milk and is only aged for a short time, 6 to 8 weeks. Its name is from the Stoppani book whose titles translate to Beautiful Country.

Bocconcino is a type of unripened cheese that does not have a rind. This cheese originates from Naples and at one point in time it was only made using buffalo milk. However today it is also made of cow's milk. In order to maintain its spongy texture bocconcini is packaged in water or whey. The name means small mouthful as you can eat one piece at once.

A lovely cheese that is comprised of mozzarella and cream is burrata. Burrata has a firmer outer layer that is made only of mozzarella and the center is made of a mixture of mozzarella and cream, which makes a softer center. This cheese originates from Apulia in the'20s and is considered an artisanal product. You serve burrata by slicing it pen so that the center can flow out but you need to eat the cheese within 24 hours as the flavor will quickly dissipate.

A traditional Sicilian cheese made of sheep and cow milk is caciocavallo. This cheese comes with its own EU designation of origin as the cows and sheep must be feed particular food and the cheese must be made in a specific way. The flavor of caciocavallo is very similar to provolone and the cheese is generally shaped like a tear drop.

Casciotta d'Urbino is made in central Italy and mainly consists of sheep's milk with a bit of cow's milk. This cheese is very old as it was a favorite of Pope Clement XIV and Michelangelo. This is a type of Caciotta cheese. The flavor is mild and the body is yellow or white normally with a yellow rind.

A semi hard cheese that has a lot of fat in it is Castelmagno. This high fat content is due to the fact that whole cow's milk is used to make the cheese. The cows must eat very specific foods such as fresh forage and hay from a meadow or pasture. Castelmagno is normally found in fondues and veloutees and is excellent when paired with fortified wines or honey.

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Designing A Traditional Kitchens Yourself

By Matthew Kerridge

A kitchen is usually the heart of a home; it is the place where sustenance for the whole family is prepared thrice a day, where children usually gather round to complete their homework, where friends gather to take a coffee break. Because of these and so many other reasons it is crucial you spend at least some special consideration in transforming your kitchen into the traditional kitchen with the same sensational feel it used to give in your childhood home.

The interest you take in designing your kitchen may just as well change your whole family; a barren, clinically clean and imposing kitchen is used only when necessary while a welcoming, rugged and comfortable becomes the center of activities in a home. Children completing their homework or elders just hanging around for a cup of coffee are activities that make all the difference in keeping the family in a close knit unit.

The first thing you should consider when remodeling your kitchen should be the layout. The way you move in your kitchen as well as the amount of movement you need to get to things in a kitchen will define the way you feel about the kitchen. Now the only person who can best design the most functional layout of the kitchen is you yourself.

Who but you can know your movements and behaviors in the kitchen to design the best layout conforming to you?

A traditional kitchen does not mean a complete walk-away from all the modern appliances and their advantages; in fact with just a little creativity you can incorporate any modern appliance into your traditional kitchen. Well designed appliances can very easily be concealed behind cup-board doors and configured to mold the modern technology into your traditional kitchens theme.

A traditional kitchen pays tribute to the tradition of preparing a family meal, allowing the various family traditions to be celebrated and passed on. You can design you kitchen with an island in the centre to prepare food or a large space where more than one person can work jointly, making even the preparation of the food an excuse for the family to mingle. Lighting too is an important feature of any traditional kitchen; you would want some sunlight filtering in your traditional kitchens as well as the artificial lighting. Sunlight is an important element in a traditional kitchen; it gives the kitchen with the warmth and tenderness your family so richly deserves.

Lighting is an important feature that you should consider in your design of a traditional kitchen, try to incorporate natural lighting in your kitchen, make sure that lighting is not too intense but rather backlit. Sunlight gives a traditional kitchen a new warmth and texture but the importance of artificial lighting for nighttime is also not under minable.

Lighting is of the utmost importance in a traditional kitchen, you can consider backlit sunlight inlets along with the artificial lightings. Sunlight gives the traditional kitchen the warmth as well as compliments with its overall atmosphere to give you the feeling of being a tree, serene and in luxury, in complete harmony with nature and with roots deep within its home ground.

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The Ins And Outs Of Replacement Water Filters.

By Peter Abertoning

When you're buying a water filter should you worry about the cost of replacement cartridges?

With the Ralph Nader Institute estimating up to 2100 toxic chemicals in our drinking water there's no doubt you need a good water filter, the best in fact.

But when you look for water filters you'll find that some need regular replacement of the filter cartridge. Is this an issue?

The filter medium that filters out all those impurities can become clogged with contaminants and will work less effectively over time, so you need to buy a new filter cartridge.

You can feel great when you throw out that cartridge because you've just thrown away those contaminants that you didn't want to drink.

But sadly some customers look at the cost of buying replacement cartridges and end up buying a filter that isn't the best just because of the cost of replacing the cartridges.

You need the best water filter that is available and that should be the overall consideration when buying a filter, don't buy just based on the cost of the cartridges.

But it's quite true that cost is also an issue for many too. And there is good news for those people.

The best water filters aren't in fact the most expensive water filters, even with the cost of the cartridges factored in.

Water filter comparisons show in fact that the best water filters cost around 9.6 cents per gallon to use, with other comparable filters costing up to 25 cents per gallon, all costs considered.

In fact of 10 drinking water filters tested the best water filter was the cheapest water filter to buy and use. Good news for anyone on a budget.

So if you are at the point of deciding to buy a water filter and you've found that many replacement water filters do require the purchase of replacement cartridges from time to time, you can rest easy.

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Great Recipes For Vegetarian Kids

By Mike Jackson

It is really challenging to bring up vegetarian kids. You need to constantly find substitutes for protein instead of meat. Even if you are a parent who just wants their child to eat more vegetables, then be sure to make any of these recipes for vegetarian kids.

Not just healthy, they are tasty and fun to make too.

Vegetable curry - Chop potatoes, carrots, aubergines, courgettes and pumpkin into bite-sized pieces. Then boil them in some curry paste and coconut milk. Vegetable curry is extremely healthy and will accustomise your kids to spices. First make a mild curry, and you and more spices as they grow up.

Spinach ravioli - It is possible to buy packet spinach ravioli or make them yourself. You can make these fun to eat but discussing how many to make and involving the kids. Alternative fillings are cheese or mushrooms. Serve the ravioli with a tomato sauce and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese. The advantage is this recipe is that it uses spinach which many children will not eat.

Vegetable quesadillas - This recipe for vegetarian kids is really easy and fast to make. Fill two pieces of tortilla with cheese and red and green peppers. Then toast this under the grill or in the toaster until the cheese melts and sticks it together. A home-made salsa of finely chopped onions, tomatoes, and cilantro can be served with it. Pour some sour cream over it and you have a colourful and tasty meal that kids will love.

Grilled vegetable sandwich - Marinate some peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and onions in olive oil and balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper. Grill these on a grill pan or bake in the oven. When vegetables are soft use them as a filling between two slices of toasted whole-wheat bread or ciabata. This is a healthy and great lunch recipe. Entice you children by serving it with some home-made chips.

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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Traditional Kitchens - The Center Of Your Home

By Matthew Kerridge

The centerpiece of all homes are their kitchens. Families come together in this room to eat together, the children use it for a place to do homework and create wonderful artwork and friends gather here to sip coffee and have a nice chat.

If one room is this important for all of these aspects, doesn't it only seem logical that you should carefully consider any furniture and appliances that you place in to it. For traditional kitchens, wooden cabinets and furniture work the best as compared to things made from other alternative materials.

The lightening in your kitchen is also important. In tradition kitchens, extra lights are typically installed over the sink and other areas you perform work in. It is also good to add additional listening underneath the cabinets in order to reduce shadows. In some cases, even a reading lamp can be placed in the room for when you need to read recipes. For a small kitchen, natural lightening from a nearby window will open the room up and make it appear larger.

Another must have a traditional kitchen is a pantry. Storing shelf stable foods at room temperature is best done in cabinets or closets, making it easy to locate what you need. Additional shelving can be added to increase the amount of storage space you have. A crisper in the refrigerator that works well and a freezer are also great extensions of a pantry.

The right utensils and a place to store them is another essential when it comes to a well working kitchen. Knife blocks fit in to the traditional theme and offer a safe alternative to kitchen drawers. Pots and pans can be stored in cabinets that get good ventilation so that they don't rust, but are protected from dust. Counter top containers and hooks work well for storing kitchen utensils.

Keeping all work surfaces clean and sanitized is vital for not just a traditional kitchen, but any kitchen in fact. Without these steps the place can turn in to nothing but a health risk for you and your family. A deep sink and good water pressure are needed to clean all sizes of dishes and cookware. Make sure you never chop vegetables and meat in the same location and always use a cutting board that has been disinfected. Compost items should be kept away from all other food sources.

When it comes to counter tops, they are usually the first thing noticed in a kitchen. Durable and easy to clean counters are an absolute must in any kitchen. Choose a nonporous surface so that bacteria doesn't have as many places it can hide and grow. Some suggestions include tile, concrete, stone, laminate and resin.

After all, like we stated before, your kitchen is the centerpiece of your home. You can use gas or electric stoves, a single unit or a counter installed one. Either way, you will have what you need to keep your kitchen running efficiently.

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How To Make Welcoming Kitchens

By Matthew Kerridge

Many people will agree that the kitchen is the soul of their home. This is where everyone gravitates to. Families eat meals together and friends share a conversation and a cup of coffee in kitchens. Every home does not have a separate room for dining and some people prefer to keep the dining room for formal dinners.

Whatever the reason it seems that most people prefer to be in the kitchen. This is why it can be so important to have a warm and inviting kitchen style. If you have decided to take on a kitchen renovation project you need to be sure to keep your kitchen inviting. If your kitchen has a style that is too sterile looking most people my find this uninviting.

Not only do you want your kitchen to be warm and homey but you need it to be functional as well. You will need to consider counter space, cabinets, furniture and decorations. Make sure that you have plenty of counter space to work with when you are making a meal. Before installing cabinets try to consider the amount of things you store in them.

You can usually use the cabinet space you now have to help you determine your new cabinet space. Determining whether you have too much space, too little space, or just the right amount of space will tell you how much cabinets you need. When choosing cabinets there are many choices for you to choose from and if not prepared you may get overwhelmed.

You also need to choose a wood type and a stain before shopping for your new cabinets. When shopping for appliances there are also many choices to pick from. When buying appliances many people already know what they want. The placing of appliances is also important and beside a door is the perfect place for a refrigerator.

This lets the family get into it with out being in the way while you are preparing a meal. A kitchen that has enough space for a table is great because a kitchen table is an important addition to any home. Families spend more time together when around the kitchen table. The heart of the kitchen is the table.

There are many styles and designs of tables to choose from. Among one of the favorites is the oak dining table. This table is a little expensive but last for years and can usually be passed down to children. There are many materials used in making tables. If you do not want an oak table you can choose from metal, glass, plastic, and many many types of wood.

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Experience A Dream Dinner

By Lee Reid

A dream dinner may bring to mind a free steak for some people. Dream Dinners is also a clever food franchise that's growing fast. It involves prepared menus and locations where people go to receive instruction in cooking them. Yes, you're probably saying "why didn't I come up with that one"?

Americans are busier than ever before. Eating well at home is besoming more and more difficult . Frozen foods and pre-packaged meals are fine, but just not the same. But when the typical day involves so much, who has time to cook, much less time to plan a menu or learn how to make the items on it? This franchise lives in that space.

This is how it functions. People visit the location and then choose up to all-- items on a provided menu. Food is then purchased by serving. Then the consumers cook the meals, at the store. There are both private and public supervised cooking sessions. It's a little bit like a cooking show where the show gives the viewer the food then helps them prepare it along with the host.

It's not as costly as it sounds. The more people buy the more they save, so all-- meals are about $3.50 per serving not counting sides and other items like salads. The cost per serving with the sides is about $5. That's a great deal for the food plus the cooking instruction.

These locations are franchises people own. It has its problems. The food and menus are fine, but the franchise owners may have a problem. Dream Dinners was profiled in March of '08 by Forbes. The story made the corporation look pretty bad. Franchisees flocked to this brand new idea. But it seems the business plan wasn't strong, as many of these people found themselves unable to continue the business after a short time and a lot of investment. Forbes claims the franchisees were sold a bill of goods when it came to the claims of wild success.

Let the franchisees and the company worry about the controversy, for the diner Dream Dinners is just what the chef ordered.

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A Review of the J.A. Henckels Brand of Knives

By Moses Harun

Another cutlery manufacturer which had its beginnings in Solingen, Germany is Zwilling J.A. Henckels. Created in 1731, the company can claim a number of "firsts", including the first stainless steel blades, multi-purpose kitchen shears, forged knives with molded handles and hybrid forged knives. Henkels is also considered one of the most decorated blade makers in any country. It looks as if thanks to 278 years of experience, Henckels Four Star Knife Sets could be regarded as the sharpest knives in the block.

Product Descriptions

In keeping with the company's logo - a simplified adaptation of the astrological sign of Gemini - each of the Henckels knives continue to be designated with the word "Twin" preceeding the specific product line. There are eleven Twin series - 1731, Cermax M66, Select, Cuisine, Four Star II, Pro "S", Five Star, Four Star, Gourmet, Signature and Grip Parers - with another series made up of cleavers and dicers. All of this company's knives continue to be crafted in Germany, except the Cermax M66 knife series which is produced in Japan.

The majority of Henckels knives are formed of high-quality German high-carbon, no-stain steel blades, which are then ice-hardened to increase their cutting edge retention and resistance to rust. This should be anticipated from the enterprise which invented the Friodur ice-hardening process for forged knives. As a result, if you are thinking about investing in a Henckels knife set, you have the assurance of German quality with world-class standards.

Advantages

The wonderful thing concerning Henckels Four Star Knife Sets is the different kinds offered to consumers from the home cooks to the restaurant chefs. In turn, a range of financial situations are served by its low-end products in the Twin Signature series to the fairly expensive knives found in the Twin Cermax M66 series. However, the quality of materials employed and the fabrication method used are consistent with every knife made in these factories.

The top-quality knives that make up the Cermax M66 Henckels product line cuts like a laser through whatever you are cutting. This set of knives can cut, slice, fillet, dice and mince better than any other knife of similar quality. In addition, the heaviness and balance of Henckels' best knives are just right; so much so that expert chefs are quickly leaning towards the Cermax M66 as opposed to, say, comparable products from Wusthoft.

Even Henckels' stamped steel knives like the Twin Signature product line are fair compromises between expense and value. Apparently, more than two centuries of making knives is likely to pay off!

Disadvantages

Especially in cases where you are buying online, be certain that you are receiving what you ordered and used your hard-earned cash for. There have been reviews about the product descriptions in a Henckels knife set that doesn't adequately describe the items shipped.

Next there is the subject of stature. Because Henckles now offers low-end knives that sometimes, emphasis on sometimes, don't satisfy the usual Henckles quality, the other top quality knives suffer from the other's failures. This is much like the case of one or two bad apples tainting the entire bunch.

As a final analysis, the decision about a Henckels Knife Set routinely boils down to two things: your food prep habits and the depths of your pockets. Usually, you will be required to sacrifice either price or quality but with Henckels knives, the decision is made easier.

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Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine: Why I am in Love With a Kitchen Appliance

By Michelle Robert

As someone who loves spending time in the kitchen, I am always looking for great products and tools, specifically anything that can help me cook better, faster, and more efficiently. If it helps in the clean-up department, that is not too bad either.

This is why I was very interested to learn about the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine. As I researched this product, I have found what a versatile machine it is, as it can help in so many cooking and baking needs. I especially love that, for many people, it has become the most useful cooking appliance in the kitchen.

Not only can it prepare dough for a variety of baking needs, but with additional attachments, it can be a shredder, slicer, or even grinder. In fact, the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine offers so many features, that it is almost like having a new toy in the kitchen. Clean -up is a breeze as well!

What I especially like about it is the ability to eliminate all those other additional appliances in the kitchen. While it comes with bowl, dough hook (for up to 12 pounds of dough!), as well as twin wire whisks, there are a number of optional accessories and attachments that allow you to do so much more!

With a powerful motor and the Bosch reputation for great quality, the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine will be around for all of your cooking and baking needs for many years, and as such is an investment that is worth making.

Whether you are a professional chef or novice cook - this is one kitchen appliance that will be a welcome addition to any kitchen. Functional, efficient, versatile, and built to last forever, the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine will be loved by anyone who loves being in their kitchen!

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Great eating at a Bellevue Italian Restaurant

By Luigi DeMarco

For a person who loves to eat and enjoy atmosphere there is no place like Italian Restaurant Bellevue. The atmosphere makes one feel that they have stepped into a classic Italian villa. The sounds of activity taking place throughout the restaurant bring an instant feeling of being among friends.

When one finds a true Italian restaurant it is never a one visit experience. The addiction to the sweet smells of fresh bread, wine, vinegar, and herbs brings the senses alive. Before even opening the door the combined aromas form a soft blanket that reminds one of a holiday kitchen.

The sour chef arrives early every day to create pounds and pounds of fresh egg pasta. This pasta is the embodiment of Northern Italian style cuisine and is used in almost every dish throughout the meal.

A sense of relaxation fills one as soon as they come in the door of the Italian Food Bellevue. A person can sit and enjoy the fresh baked bread with olive oil and wine vinegar, sip a glass of wine, and become completely absorbed in the activities around them. There is no rush to order from the menu as the staff continue to bring wine and refill the bread tray until one feels ready to order their meal.

Sitting at a table that has been dressed in the glow of a candle one begins to relax and enjoy the surroundings of the Bellevue Italian Restaurant. Each smell seems to have it's own place within the restaurant and blends into a mouthwatering aroma as each plate is delivered to it's owner.

The menu is designed in the a style that enhances each distinct style of the different regions of Italy. One can find Northern Italian cuisine which has a more delicate French influence. The foods use butter, cream, risotto, and fresh egg pasta.

All of the ingredients used in the menu selections offer fresh, organic herbs and spices. This, coupled with the style that they are cooked in makes each dish a unique and distinct pleasure to eat.

When a person begins their meal they are provided with one of many antipasto choices. These appetizers are hot and cold and are a wonderful introduction to the meal ahead.

A steaming plat of pasta with the primo course finds one rewakening to the flavors of risotto, or soup that has been hand prepared and made succulent by the talented sous chef.

But then the next steaming plate is delivered to the table. The choices of fish, veal, prawns, shrimp, etc., offer one a plate that is filled with steaming food covered with sauces that melt in the mouth. The lemon sauce that is used to enhance the flavor of the fish combined with the fresh egg pasta is a splendid testament to the region of Italy where it began.

There is nothing quite like Italian cooked vegetables. They are stunning in their simplicity. One can enjoy this contortion or choose a salad with Italian dressing that is made while one waits.

Dessert is one of several Italian favorites. Ice Cream, a bowl of exotic fruit, or something sweet to go with the wine of the evening.

The atmosphere, food, and staff of the Bellevue Italian Restaurant provide one with a lasting impression of what find Italian dining is. The warmth and kindness shown by the staff as well as their attentiveness make one excited at the prospect of returning often to enjoy this great restaurant.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

For Anyone Getting A New Kitchen The Online Kitchen Planner Is Essential

By Matthew Kerridge

If you haven't tried the online kitchen planner yet you don't know what you're missing. For any kitchen of any size you can save everything from time to money simply by using this fantastic little tool. While you can be assured that the online kitchen planner will help eliminate contractor communication errors because you will have the final images to present. It's a great way to see the end result and a fun way to predict your project's details.

Of course, the logical aspects to the online kitchen planner include saving time and money. You won't be buying the wrong color paint and you don't even have to buy the sample cans.

Your alternative is two dimensional. You end up making blue prints and potential errors in color or placement because it looked good on paper. Cleaning up a large remodeling mistake is quite expensive and can cause major delays. Therefore, a more equipped tool for the job is the ever handy online kitchen planner. This still comes through as two dimensional, but you can get potentially 3 dimensional views.

You just can't get blueprints to offer you the same detail oriented design features as you get with the planner. There are 360 views that allow you to rotate the planner so that you can see each side of the kitchen in its full detail. It's a great way to find agreements, disagreements, and compromises with your partner's vision of a new kitchen. Deciding specifically on items makes it easier to get through the project and everyone ends up on the same page.

To help avoid mistakes and errors in judgment you get all views and you can have all views in hard copy. This way you don't have to spend any time guessing what other areas of the kitchen will look like once you get the first panel completed. The confidence that you can gain from designing a great kitchen is very rewarding. Your choices can create any kind of kitchen you want with a reduced risk factor for errors in judgment.

Whether you choose to make hard copies, save the final plan on your desktop, or email the contractor with the file attached, there is no way that anyone can misunderstand your design intentions once you complete your new look.

Being able to remodel a kitchen online before you step into the potential hazards of self design easily keeps more money in your pocket and more time on your side. There is no greater communicator than a real live print of exactly what you want. This is what the online kitchen planner is really all about.

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Find A Great Apple Crisp Recipe

By Eric Cook

When the days begin to get cooler after a long hot summer, it is time to start baking again. One fun desert that is also tasty and easy to prepare is an apple crisp. Of course you will need to find an apple crisp recipe. There is a simple one included at the end of this article.

Apple crisps are one of several simple yet delicious baked deserts that use the fruits of the season and pastry toppings. If you want to try other similar deserts, look for recipes for Brown Bettys, Pandowdies, Crumbles, Cobblers or Grunts. These home-style deserts can be great comfort foods. In fact, you may find them difficult to resist. The topping on an apple crisp is a mixture the is much like that of a streusel. The topping will normally contain butter, flour sugar, oatmeal and nuts. There are also some spices to mix in which will complement the apples or other fruit that may be used.

The topping turns out to be very crispy and crumbly and is responsible for the name of the desert.

One of the good things about apple crisps is that they are the perfect desert for when the apples begin to get ripe on the trees. Fresh apples make the best apple crisps. One of the best choices is the Granny Smith apple that has a green skin and is very tart. Ice cream makes a wonderful topping for a warm apple crisp. If you want your desert to have extra flavor and color, try adding berries such as raspberries or cranberries to the apple crisp. For the English version, blackberries are a favorite addition.

It is important that you choose old fashioned rolled oats rather than the quick cooking oatmeal. The old fashioned rolled oats are thicker and hold up better during the baking process. This gives a better texture to your finished apple crisp. It also provides a nuttier flavor to the finished product.

Oats are a whole grain cereal that are very good for you. They can help to lower your cholesterol and are a great source of fiber. Add the fiber of the oats to the fiber of the apples and you have a desert that is both good for you and tastes great.

For a quick apple crisp, you will need four medium sized Granny Smith apples. Peel and core the apples. Slice them thinly. Place the apples in a-x9 baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with the apple crisp topping.

For the topping you will want to mix three quarters cup of brown sugar with one half cup each of flour and old fashioned oats. Add one third cup of margarine along with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Mix the topping until combined and crumble over the top of the apples.

The apple crisp should bake for half an hour in a 375 degree oven that has been preheated or until the apples are tender.

Serve the apple crisp warm out of the oven topped with ice cream. Leftovers (if there are any) can be warned for about a minute and topped with ice cream.

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What Italian Restaurants Bellevue Have To Offer

By Luigi DeMarco

No matter where you end up in Bellevue, you can bet you will find some of the best Italian Restaurants Bellevue has. The Italian cuisine is some fine food and you will always have varied choices on the menus. Italian food isn't just about tomato sauces, marinara, and pasta.

Italian food has many different kinds of foods that you can try. Some Italian foods are really popular like pizza, spaghetti, and lasagna. Ravioli is another popular Italian food. If you want to enjoy a real Italian dinner, you need to try some of the Italian restaurants Bellevue has and you will walk away full and satisfied.

One of the Italian restaurants Bellevue has is Maggiono's Little Italy. This is one place where you will be able to enjoy some Italian dishes that you may have never heard of or you may try their version of some of the more popular dishes. How does mussels served Tuscan or Diavolo style sound? How about Beef Braciole with some Italian vegetables and asiago cheese? These are only a few of the delicious plates and appetizers you can get at Maggiono's little Italy.

Adiamo's is another awesome Italian restaurant in Bellevue and here you will also be able to enjoy some the best Italian dishes in the world. You could try Piccatta or Parmigiana dishes served with chicken and veal. You will have a great menu to choose from at this restaurant. The satisfied feeling you will leave with will stick with you for hours after you have eaten dinner at Adiamo's

Of course, you have to have an authentic Italian pizzeria to be able to enjoy pizza like it was meant to be enjoyed. With an authentic Italian touch, Pagliacci Pizza is one of the best Italian Restaurants Bellevue has. You could choose from many toppings like salami, Italian sausage, fontina, gruyere or prosciutto. Get a pizza in true Italian style and you won't believe how much you will be able to eat.

Of all Italian restaurant Bellevue has is Angelo's and it has been in operation since'57. Some of the greatest Italian dishes are served here and you will have a tremendous as well. Whether you would prefer steaks or you would like to have a pasta dish served with a salad, you will be able to get the best of those here. One of Angelo's specialties since'57 is Wine Steak and once you try it, you will always want cone back for more.

There are many Italian restaurants to choose from in Bellevue Washington and most of them serve really great food. You won't have to worry about the lack of Italian cuisine that is for sure. If you would like to try some of the best food in the world, you need to visit Bellevue Washington.

People come far and wide to visit some of the Italian restaurants Bellevue has, and do so on a regular basis. This is just one sign that some of the greatest Italian food is right in Bellevue. You need to find a favorite o two for some of the best Italian dishes you will find anywhere.

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The Contemporary Kitchen - Ultra Modern In Design And Highly Practical

By Matthew Kerridge

So many people are opting for a contemporary kitchen these days. This is due to our architects becoming more daring with their designs and producing ultra modern homes at an alarming rate. Another reason why this type of design is popular with us, is when we redo our traditional kitchens we tend to want a totally different look by going modern. The opposite is also true, you might have a modern kitchen, but you are yearning for a country look or traditional look, so the first opportunity we get to change our kitchens it is usually drastic. Well who said drastic isn't nice!

Lets have a look at some of the designs in a modern kitchen today:

Less is more. That's the new slogan. The less clutter you have in the kitchen the more space you have. Yes and it's space they want to create. We all know that a plain old stitched together kitchen is uninviting. We have our dishwasher sticking out like a sore thumb and our fridge takes up an entire one wall. On top of this, your work space is virtually non existent. They say this is why we are not productive in the kitchen and see it only as a dreary place to throw together a quick meal. Hence the minimalistic kitchen was born!

The furniture and storage units which compliments this type of kitchen, is also designed with smooth surfaces in wood or in stainless steel. No external handles will protrude and the doors will be accessed with push and release mechanisms.

You cannot have too many colors in this kitchen, but if you do want some color, place a transparent glass vase somewhere that will catch the eye immediately. Here even your flowers should have a minimalist look. Choose long stemmed ones and only concentrate on one color at a time.

A smooth and sleek kitchen also has to have ultra modern lighting. You could accentuate the entire room by installing lighting in different shades of pastels. Here your lighting would be recessed and no wall lamps or structures can protrude. Take care to have a bright light on the surfaces used most for food preparation.

Flooring is important. It is very acceptable nowadays to have a plain concrete floor treated with a strong and durable varnish and accentuated with a sparsely used one-dimensional pattern. Should your kitchen be small, break through a wall and let your kitchen breath. Take this same look into the next room and you will be surprise at the new found space you have in your kitchen.

A contemporary kitchen design has the busy executive in mind. It provides a room with low maintenance and high practicalities. It has that minimalist look which helps when you need to think about your next business proposal and not be distracted by superfluous objects that are really only dust magnets.

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The Elements Of A Contemporary Kitchen

By Matthew Kerridge

Have you ever wanted a contemporary kitchen in your home? It is a fairly easy task to decorate your kitchen with a contemporary theme. When you have completed the work you will understand the beauty of a simple contemporary kitchen. The basics of the contemporary look would be wooden cabinets, beige or tan wall colors with a bold accent color.

As you walk into your own kitchen you will see cabinets and countertops. Let us concentrate on the kitchen cabinetry. For a contemporary themed most people will choose wooden cabinets with clear doors. This type of door has hinges that are attached to the inside of the cabinets, so they do not show. If you want to put the molding across the tops of the cabinets make it a plain looking molding.

As strange as this may be, placing metal finishes next to wood finishes makes for a beautiful look. You may choose tile, concrete or laminate for your counter tops. You may use those same choices for your flooring as well. It will all become a nice cohesive look. Do not forget to buy the lighting and have it installed. Again choose metal or glass finishes for the lighting fixtures.

Let us talk about the color of your kitchen. Keep it light and airy. Contemporary theme calls for subdued wall and floor colors. You can add texture to the walls using special painting treatments. You can take classes to learn this technique at the local lumber store. Even though the colors are light, you can still make them beautiful Paint is just the background for the art and other things that will be hung on the wall.

If you have an island in the middle of your kitchen, you can find some gorgeous metal bar stools. Islands allow you to have more counter top space in the kitchen. A rectangle shaped counter top is very contemporary because it has clean lines, and is a geometric shape. Try to keep your island from being a catch all, it is better to be organized to keep that clean look, especially in the kitchen area.

Let us talk about the paint. I have found through experience that using flat paint on kitchen walls is not such a great idea. Flat paint can not be cleaned well. I highly suggest using the high gloss paint because you are able to wipe stains off the wall and leaving the paint looking perfect. It does have a shine to it but that really should not make a difference. High gloss paint was meant to be cleaned, and flat paint is not cleanable.

The very last thing you will want to do is add all of those special things to your contemporary kitchen. For an accent color, choose something very bold. Use one or two accent colors like yellow and blue. Bring color in with fresh flowers and vases. Throw in a couple of brightly colored sculpture pieces. It is nice to have something like a tray that is not only beautiful but has a function as well.

I will wrap this up by telling you to go forward and make your contemporary kitchen dream come true. You will be glad you did it. You can get ideas from all kinds of sources. Walk into the department stores that specialize in contemporary kitchens. Check on the internet for cabinetry websites.

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