GINGER BEEF

¼ cup beef stock

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons dry sherry or Chenese wine

1 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons salad oil

1 small clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped

1 ½ pounds boneless beef cut into thin strips

3 green onions, diagonally cut into ½ inch picces

1 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Combine the stock, soy sauce, sherry and sugar : set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan : sauté garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add meat and onions to the hot pan, stirring to keep meat from sticking. When meat is almost completely browned. Pour in the stock mixture : cover and simmer about 3 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water, gradually stir into the liquid in the pan. Cook until slightly thinckened, stirring to coat meat. Serve immediately with steamed rice, a green vegetable and a fruit salad

AUSTRIAN BEEF ROLLS

Slices of local beef filet

Prepared mustard

Dill pickle

Capers

Chopped onion

Consomme or beef stock

Pound the filet slices thin, spread them with mustard, and put on each slice a strip dill pickle, 3 or 4 capers, 1 teaspoon chopped onion. Roll them up and fasten with toothpicks. Brown in butter and place in a casserole. Add a small amount of consommé ( to barely cover ) and bake in 350? oven for one hour or until tender

MEATBAAL, MUSHROOM, BROCCOLI STEW

¼ pound mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups beef broth

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup broken spaghetti

3 cups broccoli picces about

2 inches long

Saute mushrooms in butter. Add broth and bring to boil. Combine beef watter, salt and pepper. Shape into balls and drop into broth. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spaghetti, cover and cook 10 minutes. Add broccoli, cover again, and cook 10 minutes or until broccoli is just tender. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

SPICY BRISKET OR FILET OF BEEF

2 pounds beef brisket or filet

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 sliced onion

1 whole piece celery

½ cup chili sauce

1 can beer

¼ cup chopped parsley

Place beef in casserole. Season and cover with the onion, celery and chili sauce. Add ¼ cup water, and roast uncovered at 325° until brown. Pour beer over, cover and bake at the same temperature for about 3 hours, or until tender. Remove meat and strain off all the fat. Add chopped parsley. Cut in thin slices and serve with the juices. This is a dish that most men like.

ROSEMARY BEEF

1 pound local beef filet

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ cup cognac

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon rosemary

Shice the meat ½ inch thick and flatten. Mix the mustard, cognac and Worcestershire sauce and set aside. Melt the butter, add rosemary and filets. Sear 2 minutes on each side. Add the mustard sauce and cook one minute more on each side. Remove the meat and keep warm. Reduce the sauce by boiling for one minute, then pour sauce over meat.

Note : Oregano can be subsitituted for rosemary. The meat must be cooked quickly over high heat or it will become tough.

SHISH KEBAB GROUND MEAT

SHISH KEBAB GROUND MEAT RECIPE

1 pound ground meat (lamb, beef beef or half and half)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped onions

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon black paper

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Grind meat twice so that it is finely ground. Mix all ingredients well. Pick up mixture and toss back into bowl many times until mixture stays together when tossed. Wet hands with water and shape a small handful of meat around the skewer, the shape of a hot dog. Place in refrigerator for a few hours prior to broiling on charcoals. A quick meal with Arab bread and homos bi Tahini and pickles

Soup for the Cooks Soul

Most would just grab a pinch of salt and voila. They feel that this move is enough to complete the taste of the soup. But there are better ways for a chef to make the soup taste better. It doesn’t require too much sodium.

First and foremost, reflect on the ingredients of the soup. Most of the time, veggies, herbs and bones are starting base for a good soup.

If you want to reduce or increase the flavor of the soup, you have to taste it between stirring. Its up to you really. You can reduce the soup by half if you feel that there is a lot more kick to it than you expected, but be ready to double the flavor if there comes a point that its bland.

If you’re done cooking the soup but it tastes like it still needs something, reach for wine, lime juice or lemon. You can also spike it with vinegar.

If you want more flavor to the meat, make sure that you sauté it in the pot. You can add more oil or butter to the pot. You can also toss in chopped garlic and onion. Take the time to sauté all the ingredients and let them seep in with one another.

If you are cooking stew and it tastes slightly burnt, you can remedy it by pouring a bit of milk to balance the taste out. Ice cubes can also eliminate the fat portion from the soup as well as the stew. All you need are just a few into the pot and continue stirring. The fat will attach to the ice cubes. Make sure to discard them before they completely melt. Have a paper towel nearby so you can reach for it as you skim your way across the top.

Finally, when you are reheating your soup, you must always use a double boiler. In that way, the soup doesn’t lose its flavor because the hot water is responsible for securing all the ingredients.

There was this story about a traveler who asked a man and wife if he could stay in their house for the night. He said he could make the best stew they ever tasted with only a rock. Now it was a normal rock. The stew he ended up cooking for the man and the wife ended up to be tasty because the homeowners provided him with the ingredients he needed to come up with the stew.

Tips and Tricks for Rotisserie Cooking

Rotisserie cooking, or more commonly, spit roasting, is a popular method of cooking big chunks of meat using a barbeque grill.  A rotisserie often uses a motorized rod assembly where the meat is skewered, basted and cooked within an enclosed space.  The rotisserie allows the meat to cook slowly but evenly and because the unit is constantly turning, meat juices are evenly distributed throughout.  The end result is a well done, tender, juicier meat with a crispy crust.

Types of rotisseries

The rotisserie is also called spit roasting because of the metal skewers that make up the device.  The spit may be made up of one, two or more bars.  There are two types of rotisseries that are commonly used, one is the unit that utilizes a single, long bar to skewer meat.  Two prongs are used to attach to both sides of the meat to secure it.

Another type of spit uses two skewers that are attached to gears located on both sides of the rotisserie.  This is also referred to as the spit rod assembly and since it secures the meat in place, there is no need to use prongs.

Both types may use a mechanical or motorized device to rotate the food.  The mechanical rotisserie utilizes a hand crank to cook the meat while the newer types use a motor that uses electricity.

Rotisserie cooking

Cooking with a rotisserie uses two methods: direct heat and indirect heat.  Direct heat cooking involves placing the meat over the source of heat, perfect for cooking smaller cuts of meat such as poultry, beef and pork.  This allows the outside portion of the meat to be cooked at almost the same time as the inside portion.

Indirect heat cooking, the more popular of the two, is the method that most of us are familiar with.  This allows meat to be cooked gradually and slowly, perfect for the larger cuts of meat, since the interior has to be cooked first before the exterior.

Tips for using your rotisserie

To successfully cook meat with your rotisserie, it is extremely important to preheat the device first before cooking.  If your rotisserie comes with a temperature gauge, allow the heat to reach the desired temperature before using.  If not, allow the rotisserie to heat for about 10 or 15 minutes, more if your unit is bigger.

Keep the lid closed.  This helps trap heat so it cooks the meat efficiently.  The best shape of meats to use for rotisserie cooking is cylindrical because all portions are cooked evenly at the same time.  Irregularly shaped meats are best cooked using a rotisserie basket.

How to Incorporate Greek Cooking in Your Kitchen

You don’t have to have a big fat Greek wedding to learn Greek cooking. Also, you don’t have to go to Greece or be from Greece to cook Greek.  There are surefire ways to be able to incorporate Greek cooking in your lifestyle.  Amaze your friends and family with these techniques

  1. Seek advice from a native. No other person knows their menu best than the natives. Natives are often more than happy to help you as you learn more and promote their culture by means of cooking
  2. Harness all available resources in the form of books, recipes online, as well as offline. If you are able to get all the resources you have and apply them in your kitchen, you are bound for Greek cooking in no time.
  3. Acquaint yourself with ingredients that are Greek
  4. Use lots of fresh vegetables in your menu. This is one of the trademarks of Greek cuisine
  5. Lamb, fish, or chicken; take your pick. These are the three top kinds of meat that Greek natives prefer to have in their meals
  6. Season your food with spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, and dill.
  7. Capitalize on freshness, no matter what ingredient you use
  8. Make appetizers (mezethes) to complement the main course
  9. Use a casserole to present your meals. Taverns are popular in Greece and they usually serve their food in one whole casserole containing all the dishes that the cooks have prepared
  10. Make a spinach or cheese pie. Feta ice cream is used on top of a typical Grecian spinach pie
  11. Never smoke the food. Familiarize yourself with techniques such as frying, simmering, sautéing, braising, boiling, baking, stewing, poaching, roasting, pickling, and grilling. Mastery of these techniques will definitely lead you to a viable cooking career in Greece
  12. Have a combination of olives, bread and wine
  13. Whip up some salad
  14. Wrap it up.  Greeks are notorious for wrapping their food
  15. Learn how to use the phyllo dough. This is readily available in most supermarkets
  16. Go healthy. Greeks are health-conscious individuals. Fill the menu with antioxidants and other cancer-fighting elements.

Learning how to cook in Greek style is something that not only takes time but also practice and determination. And while you are studying Greek cooking, you may eventually find a fascination with other cuisines which have influenced modern Greek cooking such as French and Turkish cuisines to complete your international repertoire of recipes.

Celebration in Canada

Thanksgiving is celebrated on Monday the second week in October. In the United States, the same day is celebrated as Columbus Day and is the official holiday. The origins of Thanksgiving in Canada is different from in America. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving as a sign of success thanks harvest.
Thanksgiving is a celebration for 3 days on weekends. In some provinces, even celebration of four days, from Friday until Monday. Thanksgiving Day is only celebrated with his family in the province of the English-speaking Canada, and not so celebrated resident French Canadian descent. Thanksgiving Day meal is usually not specified, could be eaten on Thursday, Friday, or Sunday if still in the Thanksgiving weekend. Thanksgiving feast for the people of Canada can take place many times. If today with relatives of the husband, the next day could be with other relatives. Although hereditary Thanksgiving is celebrated with family, Thanksgiving weekend often young couples used to walk around enjoying the scenery of autumn leaves.
In Canada, Santa did not participate in the Thanksgiving Day parade. The only Thanksgiving parade is Canada’s largest Oktoberfest parade in Kitchener-Waterloo.