Cookbook Dorks

Wine racks have become something that just about anyone wants to purchase and have within their home. They are supplied in a wide variety of styles, shapes and dimensions to fit just about anyones needs.

Adding one to a home can heighten the homes value and separate it from other homes. It can also help to keep wine fresh, undisturbed and easy to access when you need it. You dont have to be a wine lover to find the value in adding a wine rack of some sort to your home.

Selection: Opting for The Best Wine Rack For You

Since there are so many unique sorts of wine racks to choose from, it makes sense that you would need a little help knowing which is the Best one for you. Here are some of them and a little info that you need about each one.

Top Of The Line: The top of the line wine racks are those that can be custom constructed in a cellar of your home. These are fantastic choices for individuals who have room to add a room in a cool area of the residence and those that adore wine.

They can be custom built out of the wood types of your preference, fitted for the area that you have chosen and shaped in virtually any form that fits your needs. The bad news is that with any customized work you will also have to pay quite a bit more for it.

Metal Wine Racks: For a more fashionable way of displaying your wine, consider a metal wine rack. These are available in a wide range of sizes and can be used to display your wine in a beautiful way, as you would other dcor within your residence.

They are often bought to stand on the floor or they can be purchased as counter top sitters as well. The number of bottles they will hold depends greatly on the size of the wine rack you purchase. Often, they can be bought in the style you are after. The one drawback to these is that you will need to find a location, out of the way of children, to place it.

Hanging Wine Racks: To take care of that problem with room, you can add a wine rack to your wall or hang it from your ceiling. These are great choices when it comes to adding a little style to your kitchen.

Again, they come in a wide variety of sizes and styles, depending on what you like. If you choose these, you will likely get less storage than you would any other method but if you only keep a few bottles on hand, this is ideal.

Environmental Controls: If you are a wine enthusiast, you should consider investing in an environment controlling unit. If you were to build a wine racking setup in a cellar, you would be able to add to it climate control. If you are looking for a way to control the environment in your kitchen, you can do this with a wine chest.

These fit under counters like your dishwasher can or they can be stored above the counter in smaller units. They are a critical appliance for your kitchen. These are much more pricey than wine racking systems but can keep your wine at the best temperature.

Any and all wine racking systems can be bought online. You will find that custom made options as well as those that are a simple hanging racks are offered to you in the sizes and styles that you really want to have. Wine racks are an excellent choice for upgrading your home.

A toast to the perfect wine rack! Please visit our site for more information on metal wine rack products as well as other racks for storage needs.

About the Author: Hurry onto the author's website for good stuff on hanging wine racks insider hints before it's too late!

Last page about - coffee shop

Poll #935829 Weird, Stange and Unusual Recipes with a Dash of Humor
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Do You Like Starnge and Unusual Recipes spiced with a Dash of Humor?

If you answered yes above, here's the link:

http://community.livejournal.com/funnyrecipes/profile

Hi all! I wanted to share a recipe I thought you might like for Chicken Madras. It's part of a neat feature called Dinner and a Game at our website, Casual Review (original article) written by our resident chef and sweetheart, Sara Schweid, but I'm reprinting it here for everyone to enjoy. Here's the text from the second half of the feature:

To go along with the Indian-theme of this game, I’ve got a delicious meal for you this week, and yes, it’s an actual dinner this time (I’ve been sort of on a dessert kick). Chicken Madras is a flavorful dish filled with traditional Indian spices. You should be able to buy the curry powder, curry masala gravy and garam masala (a blend of ground spices) in the spices aisle of your local grocery store, or else at a specialty market. Curry comes in a variety of heat (from mild to spicy), and you can use whichever you prefer. This recipe is quick and easy and a delicious supplement for this fun and addictive game.

Chicken Madras (Serves 2)

You’ll need:

- 3 chicken breasts cut into chunks
- 1 cup curry masala gravy
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons curry powder (or more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ cup grated ginger
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 tablespoons chopped coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Start by making a paste of the curry powder and chili powder with just enough water to get it wet and sticky.
2. Fry the onion in a pan with the oil until it's translucent.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper and fry it another 30 seconds or so.
4. Add the curry and chili powder mixture and stir until combined.
5. Add the chicken and fry until the chicken is cooked a bit on the outside.
6. Add the masala gravy and simmer until the chicken is cooked, stirring constantly.
7. When it's almost done, add the coriander and stir.
8. Serve this delicious treat with a side of basmati rice.

If you like the recipe and the writing, we have a nice backlog of Dinner and a Game features and new ones each week at the website! Check us out here.

Does anyone know of a Betty Crocker book that was released between the years 83-86 that had a recipe for German Chocolate Cake and also something with enchiladas? My dad's looking for it and that's really the best description he has..

Edit: He just added some more dishes that the book has...
Lemon Chicken
Chicken Keiv
Potato Pancakes
Onion Soup

etc etc...

Here are a few smoothie drinks that are really good. Try them out and let me know what you think.

Brandon

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SMOOTHIE
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons blackberry or raspberry jelly
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 banana, frozen and chunked
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons wheat germ
In a blender combine milk, jelly, peanut butter, banana, honey and wheat germ. Blend until smooth.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA SMOOTHIE
1/2 cups rice milk
1/2 cups silken tofu
1/3 cups creamy peanut butter
2 fresh bananas, frozen and sliced
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
6 ice cubes
Combine the rice milk, tofu and peanut butter in a blender. Add the bananas, chocolate syrup and ice cubes. Blend until smooth, about 30 to 40 seconds. Makes 2 servings.

SUGAR FREE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE
1 8 ounces carton plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cups skim milk
3 packets equal or 1 teaspoon equal measure
3 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup ice cubes
In a blender container combine yogurt, milk, and equal. With the blender running, add berries a few at a time through opening in lid. Blend until smooth, then add ice cubes one at a time through opening in lid, blending until slushy. Pour into glasses.

ORGANIC SMOOTHIE
2 cups organic calcium‐fortified orange juice
1 cup frozen organic strawberries
1/3 cups frozen organic blueberries (more or less ‐ to taste)
1 banana
Blend in your blender till smooth, then add the following optional ingredients, if desired: slightly less than 1/4 cups flax oil 2. 5 scoops of your favorite powdered protein supplement this recipe makes a lot of smoothie, enough to feed myself & my 2 sons for breakfast. It also freezes really well (for smoothie Popsicles). If you only need to feed yourself, then you can cut the ingredients in half.

MANGO TANGO SMOOTHIE
1 cup frozen mango
1 frozen banana
1 cup peach sorbet
1 can papaya nectar
Blend until smooth.

AMAZING APPLE SMOOTHIE
2 cups apple sauce
1 cup apple cider
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Vermont maple syrup
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

--
Free Recipe Books
--

Hi. My name is Brandon. I am new this community. I am a "cookbook dork" too! lol. I just wanted to say "Hi" and introduce myself.

Nice to meet you all.

Brandon

(i hope this is allowed)

Chicken and Dumplings
6 cups fat free chicken broth
1 large can of chicken breast
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup water

cut tortillas into dumpling size pieces
bring broth, chicken, and water to a boil
drop in tortilla pieces one at a time
boil until tender (about 5-6 minutes)
add soup, salt, and pepper
continue boiling for two miutes, stiring frequently

Red Pepper Fettuccine For Two
8 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced (less if you don't love garlic like i do)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (more to spice it up a bit)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper

bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
spray cooking oil in a large skillet and saute red bell peppers, garlic and chili powder over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
stir in sour cream and broth; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
remove from heat and stir in cheese.
toss hot pasta with sauce and season with plenty of salt and pepper

to swap more, join kitchenprincess.

(crossposted)

Hello all. I just wanted to let my fellow cookbook dorks know that I have created a new "food community" called super_supper. Stop by and take a look. It's been very interesting so far. :)

The second straight Caribbean-themed post by me! You're gonna read this and be like, "WTF, that's not gonna work" -- but it did. I even surprised myself, just slapping together things that were gonna go bad while I'm on vacation.

( Caribbean Braised Pork Chops. )

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01453.html

About a month ago, I bought a six-pack of malta, a Caribbean soft drink, because I'd seen it a lot in Florida and wanted to try it. Here's some free advice: Don't. It is not suitable for human consumption on its own, much like buttermilk. But much like buttermilk, it can be used to make some pretty good baked items, as I discovered with this cornbread recipe.

( Caribbean Cornbread. )

1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonassie
1/2 TB sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup Goat Cheese (Cheddar can be substituted)
1/4 TB Garlic Powder
2 TBs butter
1 cup beer (Budwieser or similar)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Do not over mix. Drop biscuits on sheet pan at least 2" apart or fill lined/greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 10-15 mins, or tops are lightly golden. Cool 5-10 mins. Serve.

Yeilds 8-10 biscuits

I've made this before, and it's always stringy, bitter, leathery, and overall not-good. But yesterday I finally figured it out and made the best I've ever done.

( Eggplant Parmesan. )

This may come as a shock to other, more knowledgeable people, but I just found out that you can grill dough. As in flatbread/pizza-type dough. I am just floored by this. How cool! I can have homemade pizza even when it is too hot to heat the kitchen this summer!

For those of you who might be interested in posting your recipes or in recipe contests, there's a recipe contest going on here

Foie Gras Banned In Chicago

I'm glad I don't live in Chicago right now...

Mix together 2 cups of Bisquick biscuit mix with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup apple butter, 1 Tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp kosher salt. Bake in a greased casserole dish or pie pan at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done. Cut 2 ripe plantains length wise and into 1" pieces, soak in a bowl of 1 cup passion fruit juice and 1 1/2 cups milk. In a medium frying pan begin warming 1/4 cup apple butter, once heated add plantains with all juice and milk to the pan. Bring liquid to a low simmer and place a lid on the pan. Cook the plantains until there is no more liquid in the pan. Serve with biscuit bread, black berries, and honey.

Hi All;

Just finished these foodwriting titles and I highly recommend all of them.

'The Big Oyster' by Mark Kurlansky: a history of how the once great oyster beds of NY shaped the city & the culture of this area. Great read, great recipes. I also recommend 2 of his other books: 'Salt, a Natural History' and 'Cod' *yes, it is about the fish!*

'1000 Days in Venice' and the sequel '1000 Days in Tuscany' by Marlena de Blasi: both books are part travelogue, part foodwriting and very well done. Wonderful recipes.

'Candy Freak' by Steve Almond *ironic, I know*: One man's journey into the strange yet engrossing world of mass produced candy. The author concentrates on smaller companies and why their owners got into candy making in the first place. Funny, touching and a great trip down junk food's memory lane *I read about candy I haven't seen since I was about 10 years old*.

Enjoy;
A.K.

Join Sensual Cooking Diva, Shani Castri, as she explores the romantic history and potency of some of the finest aphrodisiacs found in New York City and around the world. Shani consults with the experts on her journey to help awaken your appetite for seduction. From caviar to vanilla, pomegranate to garlic, join Shani every two weeks, when as she guides you towards creating an evening—or morning—of passion and food that you and your partner are not soon to forget.

Click here to subscribe via iTunes
Visit www.appetiteforseduction.com
Visit the Appetite for Seduction Livejournal Community

I enjoy playing around with cultural cuisines, trying to figure out the basics and how stuff evolves from there. The other day, I decided to make a chicken curry, and collated several recipes (plus my own memory of Japanese-style curry rice, which I love) into this one. I'm proud to say it came out pretty good.

( Chicken Curry. )