How much Easier can a Rival Crock Pot Make your Life?

As the evenings get shorter, the grill needs to be put away and replaced by the Rival crock pot. Invented by the Rival Crock-Pot company, the rival crockpot, or slow cooker, is a low-energy way of cooking food over a period of several hours. Because the temperature never reaches anywhere near boiling point, food gets cooked without losing any of its natural flavour or nutritional value. This is a cooking pot that is excellent for preparing rich stews. The length of cooking time is ideal for complex dishes that rely on binding diverse flavours. And modern rival crock pots are ultra-economical.

The concept has caught on. Slow cookers are now made by companies like Breville and Morphy Richards which are renowned for their cookware. They have become a common feature in many modern kitchens because you can set a meal to cook and then leave it to work its magic. Modern families often find it difficult to prepare nutritious meals just as everyone is coming home from work or school. For many, that's the most chaotic time of the day - and the worst possible moment to start preparing dinner.

A rival crock pot allows you to choose the best moment to prepare your meal. You can chop your vegetables and prepare your meat in the morning, place it all in the rival slow cooker and turn it on before you leave the house. The first crockpots cooked at a pre-defined, low temperature that was controlled by a thermostat. Contemporary cookware now offer a host of features that essentially allow you to expand your culinary repetoire beyond the limit of simple stews. Some feature more complicated temperature control so that food can be kept warm once its cooked automatically. Some slow cookers have a probe that checks the meat and turns the cooker off once it is cooked through. You can even program more advanced slow cookers to start at a high temperature and drop, or the other way round. But, if you add more power to your slow cooker, it will cost you more to run. A modern, simple crock pot is still the most efficient way to cook your food. However, if you decide that you do want a programmable crock pot, Rival offers a wide range of them including their most recent model, the Crock pot eLume Slow Cooker with a touch screen user interface.

Crock pots come in just a few different sizes. These are the '4-quart' and the '6-quart', which hold exactly what they say on the tin. The 6-quart option would be perfect for a big family with healthy appetites and a large kitchen. But one factor that has made rival crock pots so popular over the years is the prevalence of 'pot-luck' dinners. In this case, a 4-quart, handled crock pot would be ideal. Just carry the pot to the party and plug it in as soon as you arrive. Many rival crock pots feature a removable stoneware ceramic liner. You can serve your dish straight from the stoneware liner in style. And the weight of the crockery is enough to keep the meal warm without the need for power.

Now that there have been so many crock pots and slow cookers on the market for such a long time, there are also plenty of easy crock pot recipes to go with them. Once you have familiarized yourself with the basics, your imagination is the only limit. As well, like with many other kitchen appliances, there are a number of crock pot replacement parts available on the market to help you maintain the usefulness of your trusted crock pot if it should become damaged in some way; a dropped or otherwise damaged crock pot can be saved by finding the right crock pot parts to replace a cracked or broken lid, a cracked or broken stoneware liner, or even to replace a missing knob from the lid of your crock pot. ***

Do Not Leave Crock Pot Slow Cookers Out of the Meal Prepararation Equation

If you really want the best results from your crockpot recipes then you don't want to go too cheap on your spending. On the other side, you don't have to own a mega de luxe model. You should do your own research, because it will be of no help if I recommend you a Philippe Richard cooker or a Mirro pressure cooker. It is good to know that you will not have to invest more then $40 for something like this.

If you decide on any of these brand names- brand names like Rival, Hamilton Beach, Kitchen-Aid, Cuisinart or Proctor Silex - you won't go wrong. Don't go cheap since you will get what you pay for -you will want your slow cooker to last for quite a few years.

Be careful not to choose a lousy crock pot slow cooker that has no or next to no useful features - it won't be a good deal. Since you don't want to rush home to take care of your meal and watch over it, a automatic shut-off and warm feature would be something you really need. Slow cookers can engage a lower warming mode all by themselves. This helps when you are serving a large meal by keeping stews, soups, and other dishes ready to serve.

Once you have settled on the brand and model, now pick the size. Most popular cooker sizes are 3.5 and 4 quart models. Depending on your family needs, you will be able to choose anything from a small to a large crock cooker.

You can be very creative with the choices and the food you want to put into your slow cooker. You can't find the perfect recipe when we talk about cooking with slow cooker. The blended flavors of a few choice ingredients is what the slow cooker is good at. You can prepare all sorts of foods in your crockpot, the choices are numerous. From sauces and soups, stews and roasts, it does them all well.

Fast food is over with, and the slow cooked meals are made popular. You can make a delicious meal by tossing some ingredients in the pot just before you leave the house.

Making Your Own Gourmet Chocolates.

A while ago I decided to a be chef and make some gourmet food for a party, I actually ended up making truffles, and boy, were they a big hit with all my friends, who all made the assumption they were gourmet chocolates purchased from a trendy candy or gourmet food shop. Be warned! Creating your own gourmet chocolate can be fairly difficult, and it takes time and patience, nevertheless, on the optimistic side it gives you the opportunity to choose from recipes that may not be so simple to get in the neighborhood candy store.

The key to making amazing gourmet chocolate:

Choosing and buying the ingredients of your gourmet chocolate is part of the fun. To start with I melted excellent quality dark chocolate over a double boiler. Secondly I rolled some small balls from marzipan and covered them with chocolate. Finally I rolled the chocolate covered marzipan in ground almonds, I also rolled chocolate covered peanut butter in more chocolate and then gave them a covering of ground peanuts.

Making chocolates opens up your creative juices, and so when making your own gourmet chocolates, you can create many different variations like, chocolate covered candied ginger, chocolate covered citrus peels; even chocolate covered chili peppers, wow.

Sharpen your sculpting talents when making gourmet chocolate:

A popular TV chef had a recipe for a honey chocolate cake, which inspired me to make a honey marzipan truffle.

• Start by getting the chocolate ingredients.
• Then melt the chocolate over the double boiler.
• Add a little honey, this will create a nice glaze.
• Now get the marzipan and with a paring knife carve some simple shapes like flowers, bunnies or hearts.
• Then dip the shaped marzipan carefully into the chocolate and let the chocolate set on the marzipan.
• Then sprinkle them with confectioner's sugar.
• The glaze will be a little sticky, so the sugar will stick.

This will make a great gift for all occasions, and is an especially good idea for gourmet chocolates, because you can make the marzipan into any shape to suit the occasion, and finish off by dusting them with the confectioner's sugar.

A Fantastic gift for someone you care about:

It's difficult to find someone who doesn't like chocolate, so as gifts they are an excellent choice to show someone you care. By making chocolate yourself, you can take your time, and make them look great for that special person in your life. Food and wine followed by some gourmet chocolates will definitely score you some brownie points.

Gourmet chocolates are as a rule created by master chocolate makers, so there's no pressure here, but be sure you don't make something that’s looks dreadful and uninteresting, as this will crush the object of making them yourself. If the chocolates you create are lumpy, uneven or mis-shaped people will not think much of them. You need to be sure the quality is fantastic when offering your friends some of your gourmet chocolate.

Selecting The Right Wine For That Special Occasion

Do you find it hard to pick out the perfect wine for a special dinner or event?  We have a checklist of particular things to look for in a good wine.  This should help you make a great choice in your next wine purchase.

1. The White Wines:  Most commonly served as the first course, these wines do not have a really strong flavor, therefore leaving the taste buds relatively unaffected for the next course.  Do not be afraid to ask the wine salesman for his advice.  They will know exactly what year and which grape is best at this time.

When toasting that special event in your life or the life of a loved one the whites are a perfect choice. The more common toasting wine for weddings and anniversaries is of course the more elegant choice of Champagne.

2. Red Wines: A good red wine is great anytime, but when considering which wine to serve with a particular meal, a red is normal chosen for the heartier meals of beef, pork or lamb.  A good Merlot, Burgundy, or Cabernet would all be perfect choices.

Oregon produces a great Pinot Noir.  This wine is a combination of plum, vanilla, and blackberry.  Because of its light and fruity flavor it could also be served after dinner.

When hosting a spicy Mexican meal the Shiraz is a perfect compliment with its peppery flavor that brings out the spiciness of your enchilada suiza or chili verde.

The perfect wine to complete an Italian meal would be a Chianti.  With its rich flavor and deep red color it blends easily with ravioli and pizza.  When you finish the wine, the beautiful raffia wrapped bottles make great candle holders and set the mood for your romantic Italian dinner.

If you are serving a tender rib roast, tenderloin steak, Chateaubriand, filet mignon, or tournedos of beef, a robust Burgundy would be just the ticket.

As you can see from the suggestions above you may wish to have both a white wine and a red wine on hand when hosting a dinner. Some guests will most likely pick the wine they prefer and stay with that choice for the entire evening. Another may choose a white for the start of the evening and finish with a red. So always be prepared.

You may enjoy making your own wine.  You could start with one of the fruit wines.  They are relatively easy to make and go great with desserts.  Wouldn't your guests be impressed.  Visit a fruit wine making website for some recipes.

Find info on wine racks visit Oak Wine Rack

How to use Pressure Cookers

Pressure cookers were created to speed up the process of making food. They work, because at higher pressures, it takes a higher temperature to boil. This means that higher heats can be reached faster, because of the build up of pressure. Pressure cooking was fairly dangerous in the past, but now there are many safety features built in. This makes pressure cooking as safe as a microwave. Pressure cooking pots are one of the most useful cooking utensils to have in your home.

There are many things that can be cooked in a pressure cooker and there are many a cooking book devoted to pressure cooking. In days gone by, pressure cookers were more common and necessary kitchen tools than they are today. This is because of the popularity of take away foods and microwave meals. In older days when it was always up to the lady of the house to make all the meals, having the speed of a pressure cooker really cut down on her time in the kitchen. Even so, there are still many great recipes out there that are designed with a pressure cooker in mind. There are recipes for vegetables, rice, other meats, canning, deserts, fish, beans and many more. Most new pressure cooker models will come will a cheap recipes book, but to really explore the whole realm of pressure cooking, there are Internet sites devoted to them, or you could buy a recipe book from the store that is specifically designed for a pressure cooker.

The original design of a pressure cooker was very inventive. The first appearance of one was in 1679. These baking tools were actually called steam digesters, but they worked basically the same. These older models were used more for canning than they are today. Pressure cookers are made of steel or aluminum, and sometimes will have a copper bottom. When the food is placed inside, a small bit of water is added as well to conduct the heat. A sealed lid covers the pot. When the heat rises, so does the pressure, which makes the food cook faster. The lids have a steam valve to keep the pressure from becoming so high that the pot explodes. Today's cookers have more safety features, so this is not likely to happen much any more. However, older versions would get clogged all the time, and explode on a regular basis if not watched constantly.

Pressure cookers are really a great tool to add to any kitchen. It is easy to see their functionality among kitchen tools. If you have the room, a pressure cooker can be a great addition to your cooking collection. It is pretty amazing how fast it can actually cooks foods.

What Is Tex-Mex Cuisine

Tex-Mex Food Video

Different states in America offer different types of Mexican food. One type is Tex-Mex food. It is found in the state of Texas and consists of Mexican-American dishes. The dishes made in the Tex-Mex style are similar to regular Mexican foods such as burritos, but the difference is the type of chile pepper they use. In Tex-Mex food, green chile pepper is used. The peppers are grown throughout the state. It is becoming popular in other states also. Green chile pepper can be used in just about any type of dish including amburgers.

Another difference that separates Tex-Mex dishes is the way the foods are prepared. The use of spices and sauces are different from Mexico. Also the dishes usually have more meat and fewer beans. The dishes are influenced by the southern state of Chihuahua, which is also known for their dishes having more meat.

More than 60% of the population of Texas has ancestors that were from Mexico. It is no surprise as to why that state has become popular for its Tex-Mex
dishes. Tex-Mex is most popular in the South Central part of the state, which includes the cities of Austin and San Antonio. Tex-Mex dishes commonly use the ingredients of garlic, sour cream, cilantro, beans, avocado, and chorizo, which is a spicy Mexican sausage that originated from Spain. Chiles are also important in Tex-Mex dishes.

Some Mexican dishes that have a different taste in Tex-Mex include chorizo. It is a sausage that is spicy, being seasoned with red chile and garlic. It is a food that can be served at breakfast. The Tex-Mex chorizo is said to taste different by its spice blend. Tortillas in Tex-Mex cuisine are also different. The tortillas are usually more thick and less chewy then tortillas found in other places. Posole is a stew that Tex-Mex has put their twist into. Tex-Mex
style has many green chiles added to it, which makes it a lot different than the traditional dish.

Salsa picante is a thin sauce with pureed red peppers, onions, and tomatoes with added spices. The spices are similar to others that you would find in typical Tex-Mex dishes. The chili sauce added is also similar to both Tex-Mex style and Louisiana hot sauce. Picante sauce is very common and is an added condiment to add an extra punch of heat to any dish.

One dish that is shouts Texas, is chili. It is a combination of meat and spices, with no beans added. Sauce is the main ingredient of the chili. Chili started by the Chili Queens of San Antonio. They made the chili to sell at stands for cowboys who came to the town.

If you are ever visiting Texas, it is worth trying the unique foods of the region. You will be able to taste Mexican classics with a Texas twist. Many dishes are available, but don't be surprised when the dish
arrives and the food doesn't taste the same. That is part of the experience you will have when you eat Tex-Mex

More information on Mexican food can be found here Homemade Corn Tortillas

Famous Restaurant Recipe - Chicken Ala King Recipe

Good food need not be expensive. It is really a good thing that the Internet has been introduced. This information highway can certainly provide a lot of information. There are many famous restaurant recipes available online. I recommend the CopyKat Cookbook as it contains a list of the most famous restaurant recipes contain in a single ebook that is easy to download and print.

Now, people can cook their favorite foods with the guidance of recipes found online. All that one has to do is to find a famous restaurant recipe and off he goes to the kitchen. Take Chicken ala King for example. Simply follow the instructions below.

Ingredients:
Three tablespoons of unbleached flour
1 and ½ cups of milk
1 and ½ teaspoon of instant chicken bouillon
2 cups of cubed chicken, cooked
2 cup of pea, frozen
1 jar of pimiento
And 1/8 teaspoon of pepper

Preparation:

Combine the flour with 1/2 of the cup of milk. Cover the container and mix it well by shaking, there has to be no lumps.

Pour it in a saucepan with the remaining milk bad add the chicken bouillon. And water and bring to a boil. Stir the mixture constantly until you get a thick sauce. Lower the heat and then add the remaining ingredients to the sauce. Continue stirring so the sauce will not stick to the pan. Serve hot.

See how easy it is to cook a famous restaurant recipe? Other than that, you can actually control calorie intake and the amount of seasoning you use because you can´t really decide what to add and what not to add in a restaurant.

This means that you can decide what food to cook and balance your family´s intake of nutrients. You can cook an easy and healthy famous restaurant recipe at home.

If you are looking for more famous restaurant recipes, check out Copykat Cookbook. Learn famous restaurant recipes such as the outback restaurant recipes and more.