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Caramel is one of those wondrous treats that few people dislike.  I absolutely love caramel and I love making it at home.  The process can take a little bit of getting use to, but the ingredient list is incredibly small, so making another batch if the first one is messed up is not out of the question.  Here are a few things I have learned about making caramel:

1. People often do not let the sugar syrup darken enough to produce a really rich caramel when they make it at home.
2. You may have a tendency to want and stir the mixture, but don’t do it.  If the recipe says swirl the pan, then swirl the pan. 
3. If sugar crystals appear on the sides of the pan be sure to wipe them down with a pastry brush dipped in a little cold water.  You want to be sure the sugars don’t crystallize or you can wind up with a big old mess.
4. Cook the sugar at a really high heat. 
5. Never touch the sugar mixture.  The sugar will reach over 300°F and can burn you very easily.

Here’s a basic recipe for caramel from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.  Enjoy!

Basic Caramel

Makes 1 1/2 cups.  This recipe produces a caramel that, once cooled, is quite stiff - the ideal consistency for making bar cookies.  If you plan to pour it over cake or ice cream, simply double the amount of heavy cream.  This caramel can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to three days. (You can see from my picture, that this caramel is not cooled yet, and thus is still quite loose)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the sugar and cream of tartar with 1/2 cup water.  Cook over high heat without stirring until sugar begins to melt and turn golden at the edges.  Continue cooking, swirling the pan to cover evenly, until the sugar turns golden amber.  Carefully pour the heavy cream down the side of the pan in a slow, steady stream (it will spatter), stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until combined.  Transfer to a medium bowl, and let cool.

Okay, so this one seems almost too easy of a tip to put out there, but one I find people often don’t know about.  Here’s a photo tour on how to remove the corn kernels from the cob.

The first thing I like to do when remove corn kernels from the cob is to cut the cobs in half.  If your knife isn’t strong enough to do this then you can usually make a cut into the cob and break it in two with your hands.  The reason I cut it in half is to make it more manageable.  This way I can keep the kernels on the board and not all over my kitchen floor.

Once the corn is cut in half stand it up on the flat end.  You want to make sure the end is flat so you don’t wind up cutting yourself when you remove the kernels.

To remove the kernels, run your knife down the side of the cob starting at the top.  Cut as close as you can to the cob.  Once you have completed one side, spin the cob around, removing the kernels from each side until all the kernels are removed.  If you are making corn chowder you can save the cobs and through them into the chowder while it cooks to extract even more corn flavor.(Be sure to remove the cob when you are ready to serve)

 The first step to working with avocados is using your knife to cut around the pit.  This is the easy way to get to the pit without hurting yourself.

Once you have cut around the pit of the avocado, you can twist the two halves to separate them. 

After you split the two halves you will see the pit.  The easiest way for me to remove the pit is to hit it with my knife.  The pit will stick to the edge of the knife and you can extract it.  If you don’t feel comfortable using a sharp knife like this, then you can remove the pit using a spoon. 

There are two ways to cut the avocado.  You can cut the flesh in the skin using a paring knife.  In this technique you use a crisscross pattern to cut the flesh.  Then you use a spoon to remove the pieces.

If you don’t want to run the risk of cutting yourself you can remove all the flesh from the skin and then cut it up like you would anything else.

No matter what way you get the avocado out of it’s skin, don’t forget to sprinkle fresh citrus juice (lemon or lime) over the flesh.  This will help slow the browning of the flesh. 

Avocados are a delicious addition to any Tex-Mex meal.  If you haven’t given them a shot, maybe now is your chance. 

Roasting red peppers is not only easy, it’s fun, well if you have a gas stove.  Don’t worry if you don’t have a gas stove you can always make these peppers in the oven.  Here’s a step-by-step photo tour of roasting peppers. 

Step 1 - If you have a gas stove place the peppers directly on the burner.  Turn the pepper often and be sure you allow them to char all over, this make take a couple of turns per side.  If you don’t have a gas burner then you can use your oven.

 Roasting peppers in the oven takes more time (around 1 hour) and you need to be sure you cover the peppers in olive oil before you roast them.  Set your oven to 400° and roast the peppers until they are soft and collapse.

Step 2 - Once the peppers have been roasted place them into a bowl covered with plastic wrap and allow them to sweat for 15 minutes.

Step 3 - After 15 minutes take the peppers out of the bowl and peel the charred skin away from the roasted flesh.

Step 5 - Once the pepper has been peeled you can remove the top and the seeds.

Step 6 - After the seeds and top have been removed you can slice or dice the peppers and use them in your favorite recipe.

Start with cold butter diced into cubes.  Be sure not to handle the butter too much.  I often dice the butter and put it back in the fridge until I am ready to use it in a recipe.

Use a pastry blender or two forks to “cut” the butter into your flour mixture.  You want the mixture to be a course meal, you will still see some larger pieces of butter.

This is how the mixture will look before you add the wet mixture to the dry mix.

I bet steaks never gets as much attention as they do when people are thinking of having a special meal.(You know like Valentine’s Day, hint, hint)  If you are new to cooking steak here are a few quick tips to get the most out of your meal.

1. When you take the meat out of the fridge allow it to sit for a few minutes before you put it into the pan. 
2. When you do put the meat in the pan, the pan should be very hot.  The hot pan will help the meat to caramelize. 
3. Don’t keep flipping the meat as it cooks.  It you try to flip the meat before it is ready it will tear.
4. Don’t press the meat with the back of your spatula.
5. When the meat is finished allow it to rest for a few minutes before you cut it. 
6. Cut the meat on a heavy angle against the grain. 

Here are a few recipes for a nice steak dinner from Food TV and Epicurious. 

Emeril’s Skirt Steak with Chimmichuri - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33808,00.html?rsrc=search

Alton Brown’s Sirloin Steak - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_24087,00.html?rsrc=search

Epicurious - Sliced Steak with Arugula - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/233986

 When I first started baking everything was a learning process.  No one in my family bakes, well no one in my family cooks for that matter.  Each time I bake I find I learn something new.  I have learned lots of what I know from cookbooks.  One of the best baking cookbooks I own is Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.  This books is full of tips and instructions for people just starting out in the world of baking.  Here are a few of the general tips that I have found most helpful to me when baking.

1. Pre-measure ingredients when baking.  I know the little bowls drive people nuts, but having your ingredients ready to go when you have your stand mixer running is invaluable.  You will be thankful you have everything ready to go when you are. 
2. Measure flour properly - I know you are probably getting tired of hearing this one, but it is very important.  It is estimated that you can wind up with 25% more flour if you measure it improperly.(That can mean the difference between a light and airy cake and a dense one.)  Refer to my photo tour of flour measuring for more on this point. 
3. When mixing a cake always start and end with your flour mixture.  You will find the ingredients come together better and there is less chance of your mixture separating. 
4. Get your ingredients to room temperature.  This is another extremely important point.  If your recipes calls for room temperature ingredients, be sure they have been sitting out long enough to have come up to room temperature.  Your mixes will come together so much better, no lumps!
5. Be sure to prepare your pans.  By this I mean coating them and dusting them with flour or lining your sheets with parchment paper.  Nobody wants to spend all day making a really beautiful cake that sticks to the pan. 
6. Invest in cooling racks.  I don’t think I could live without my cooling racks.  Let your baked goods cool for 5 or 10 minutes in their pans and then transfer to cooling racks. 
7. Have fun!  Baking shouldn’t be a challenge, it should be a great time to play with your food.  You will definitely feel a sense of accomplishment after you bake your first really great pan of cookies!

I recently read an article on the best temperatures to prepare meat at and I thought I would pass along what I found.  First of all let’s start with USDA guidelines, why are they in place?  The USDA set up it’s guidelines in order to protect consumers.  What are they protecting you from?  Oh, such lovely pathogens as E. coli and salmonella.  Safety experts suggest you follow the USDA guidelines especially when preparing meats for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone who has a weakened immune system.  Chefs and other industry professionals suggest lower temperatures when cooking for healthy adults.  Poultry is the one meat that everyone agrees on.  So let’s take a look at the USDA numbers vs. professional kitchen numbers. (Keep in mind these numbers are prior to allowing the meat to rest, the meat will carryover cook for a while and the temperature will go up by 5 to 10°.)

You can click on the image below to get a better view of the table or you can click on the pdf link below to get a printable version.

Here’s a chart to help you the next time you make a meal.  If you have adobe, you can print this PDF version of this chart for your kitchen.  If you don’t have adobe, then you can download it for free by following this link.

Trying to peel a mango with a peeler is a very dangerous task indeed.  The mango is far to sticky and slippery to try and wrangle with your normal peeler, here’s a quick and easy way to peel and slice your mangoes without fear of losing a finger.  Keep in mind this tip is also great for other fruits.

Step 1 - Cut both ends off of your mango, this will give you a steadier base to begin peeling.

Step 2 - You can see the mango will sit up nicely now for you to start peeling.

Step 3 - Using a very sharp knife, peel the skin away from the flesh by running the knife along the side of the mango.  Rotate the mango on your board and repeat this step, until all the skin is removed from the fruit.

Step 4 - Once you have removed the skin - slice the sides off the mango.  The pit in the mango is flat and runs down the middle of the fruit.  You will be able to see it, now that you have removed the top and bottom.  After you have removed all of the flesh from the mango, you can dice it any size you would like. 

You can see in this photo where the pit of the mango is, you want to remove as much flesh as possible around the pit. 

 What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of lettuce?  For me, the first thing I always think of is good old fashioned iceberg.  Iceberg the lettuce of all lettuces for the 70s and 80s is no longer the first lettuce you see in your salad. 

There are four common types of lettuce - these include romaine (Cos), crispheads, butterheads, and leaf lettuce.  Romaine is the tall, sturdy, dark green that most people associate with Caesar Salad.  The crisphead family is where you will find the classic, iceberg lettuce.  This type of lettuce is usually lighter green with a tight head, the leaves tender to be thinner and the texture is “crisp”.  This type of lettuce has a more watery taste.  The third most common type of lettuce is butterhead.  This group of lettuce includes Boston and Bibb.  This group has a softer and more tender texture.  The leaves are not as closely held together as in a crisphead.  The last common type of lettuce is leaf lettuce.  They vary in color from green to red.   The edges of the leaves can be curly or ruffled.  The texture is more crisp than the butterhead variety.  The flavor is similar to butterhead, in that it is more delicate. 

Other types of greens that are not classified as lettuce varieties are also commonly found in salads - these include arugula, radicchio, mache, and spinach.  Arugula has a “peppery” flavor and works well as an accent to other greens.  Radicchio is another vegetable that is often used as an accent in salads.  The taste is slightly bitter.  Mache is also known as lamb’s lettuce.  Mache is a delicate leaf with a mild taste.  Baby spinach is often used in salad mixes or alone. 

Okay, so there is a quick overview of some of the lettuce and greens available for you in your salad.  This list is by no means extensive and there are many other choices available.  Here are some recipe options for you for the next time you want to use some of these lettuces and greens. 

Emeril’s Wedgie Salad (with Iceberg) - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30938,00.html?rsrc=search

Giada’s Antipasto Salad (with Iceberg, Romaine and Butter lettuces) - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28006,00.html?rsrc=search

Dave’s Pan Grilled Veggie Sandwiches (with Arugula) - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30972,00.html?rsrc=search

Mario’s Baked Goat Cheese Tortellini with Radicchio - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_10583,00.html?rsrc=search