Mystic Toad Press Blog

You just found that great recipe that you have been trying to find for over year. And now you’re dancing around your kitchen in glee!

That’s when you notice that it makes enough to feed a small army, but you only need to feed two.

Or perhaps, it only makes enough for two; and that’s just not going to cut it for your family of five.

You REALLY want to prepare that recipe for your family and/or friends. So what’s a cook to do?

Well, you’ll be happy to know that it’s a cinch to reduce a recipe or increase a recipe. And most of the time you only need to reduce the ingredients by half for less or double the ingredients for more.

Reducing Recipes to make half a recipe…

It’s pretty easy to reduce a recipe by half, you just use half of each ingredient. If the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, you would use only 1 tablespoon.

It can get a little tricky with ingredients like eggs though. I mean, it seems kind of hard to come up with half of 1 egg, at first. But here’s the trick…

If the reduced recipe calls for less than 1 egg, beat one whole egg. Measure out what you need with a tablespoon to divide. You can use the egg that is left in scrambled eggs, sauces, or discard (but if you’re like me, you hate to waste food).

Remember, the size of your baking pans must be reduced also. The pans should measure about half the area of those for the whole recipe. Oven temperatures won’t change. However, approximate baking time will be the same or maybe slightly less if the proportions of the pan are different.

Increasing Recipes to double a recipe…

When doubling a recipe, you do just that - double it!

You’ll use exactly twice the amount of each ingredient. And you’ll need to add an extra minute of beating for cakes.

Remember, when doubling recipes, you only add the top numbers of the fraction. For example, 2/3 cup plus 2/3 cup equals 4/3 cup. If you’re good with numbers, then you can convert this to 1 and 1/3 cup.

However, if you’re terrified of fractions like a lot of people, simply use a 1/3 measuring cup and measure out your ingredients until you have filled your 1/3 measuring cup 4 times and added to the recipe.

You will need to use twice as many pans of the same size indicated for the original recipe or a pan double in area. The batter should be the same depth in the pans so that the same baking time and temperature may be used.

Have Fun!

About the Author

Grab your copy of “The Ultimate Cookbook Collection”, featuring 20 e-Cookbooks, lifetime updates, and more. Check out all the collection has to offer at http://www.bestsoulfoodrecipes.com/ultimatecookbook.html

You may reprint this article on your site or in your ezine as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and the resource information remains intact.

“The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living” — Dione Lucas

Twelve balsam pine trees bobbed and weaved as the return voyage to Europe commenced. Christopher Columbus had been impressed with the little trees and saw this as one of many souvenirs from his second voyage to the new world. The trees took root easily in his native Europe.

Little did anyone realize the transplant of those twelve trees would result in one of the most exciting tastes in cooking today. This is but one theory as to the origins of Balsamic vinegar. Additional research indicates that an earlier form of this vinegar may have roots in the 11th century and was more than likely used for medicinal purposes in its original form.

It is further argued the balsam in ‘balsamic’ refers to balm (soothing properties) and not the balsam pine tree.

Production of Balsamic Vinegar

In the region of Modena, Italy, the dark vinegar ages in a series of wooden casks. To ensure the highest quality you must refer to the product label. Italy has protected the phrase “aceto balsamico tradizionale’. There are several less expensive products that bear the label balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinaigrette. While some are of average or above average quality there are also some that are comprised of little more than cooked caramel and common vinegar.

Nature’s Best Ingredients

Balsamic vinegar begins with the quality of white sweet grapes. The grapes are boiled into a syrup state while water content is reduced by as much as 50%. The syrup is then placed in balsam or other approved wooden casks. As the syrup ages, vinegar is added to acetify the existing product. Once a year the balsamic vinegar is transferred to a new cask. There are a variety of woods used in production of balsamic vinegar, but there are only a select few woods approved for this use.

Most companies that provide authentic Balsamic vinegar will also provide a less expensive variety that maintains high quality, but with less aging and depth of flavor.

Cooking with Italian Balsamico

While oil and vinegar do not mix, they are companions that bring uncommon taste to gourmet cooking. Balsamic vinegar has the ability to bring out substantial taste in almost any meal. The best rule of thumb for Italian balsamico is ‘less is more’. Many will use balsamic vinegar utilizing a nebulizer to spritz food or they will portion the precious liquid by the drop.

There is little wonder why this is the case when you consider that the demand for aged balsamic vinegar is extremely high. Modestly priced bottles begin at $20; however some bottles that have aged more than 25 years can cost more than a thousand dollars. A few bottles that were made in the 1700’s have been made available for over $120,000 dollars each.

The Art of Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar can be both sweet and sour to the taste, yet it is this exact combination that continues to impress and amaze the artist pallet of taste conscious consumers. Balsamic vinaigrette can make an ordinary salad into something radically special.

While balsamic vinegar has been around since the Middle Ages it has only found a worldwide following in the last thirty years. The labor intensive process of making balsamic vinegar makes a bottle of this exceptional vinegar a unique treasure for any cook and a unique taste treat for any guest.

James Zeller writes for gourmet gift related websites and blogs such as Cruets.com Here is a selection of gourmet oil and vinegar that he found, and a creative collection of kitchen gifts.

In any number of cookbooks and recipes you will find advice on which herbs go with what. I’m not going to take that route.

While there certainly are marriages that are tried and tested, such as tomatoes and basil or lamb and rosemary, the reality is that the use of herbs is every bit as much a matter of personal taste as any other aspect of cooking.

Consequently, what I want you to do is to sample as many herbs as you can and try to marry up the flavors with the foods you are familiar with. That’s not as difficult as it sounds. Just close your eyes and think about it.

You will find, after a while, that you will instinctively know which flavoring to use, when to use it and how much of it you need.
Do this with both fresh and dried herbs. Crush a little between finger and thumb and smell it. This is much more important than your sense of taste.

Something magical will happen. You will come to realize that fresh herbs are not better than dried ones, they simply impart a different flavor. There are two major exceptions to this.

One is mint, which has a strange musty flavor when dried, and the other is chives, which are so delicate that the flavor rarely survives cooking. Using dried chives is therefore pretty pointless.

One other point to watch out for is that some dried herbs can remained inedible even after thorough cooking. Rosemary is a very good example of this and needs to be filtered out of any liquids in which it has been used as a flavoring.

In any case, fresh or dried, it is better to chop up herbs such as this before using them.

Using herbs in cooking

Many herbs, such as basil and coriander (sometimes called Chinese parsley and cilantro in the USA) are terrific simply torn up in salads. Note that I said torn up and not cut; only cut herbs if you intend to cook them.

It’s important to recognize that some herbs lose flavor with extended cooking, even in their dried state. Fortunately it’s fairly easy to spot which those are.

Tough leaved herbs such as bay can be safely added at the start of cooking time and will maintain their flavor. In fact, they may need to be in the food for as long as possible in order for their flavor to fully develop.

Herbs with light and delicate leaves, however, will lose their flavor very quickly once in contact with heat. To use basil in a soup, for example, you needed to add it, not to the hot liquid as you might expect, but rather to the warm plate you intend to serve the soup in. Then pour the soup on top of it.

Alternatively, simply sprinkle it on top of the soup and leave it there. It will make an attractive decoration and impart a wonderful aroma as you take the soup to the table.

What’s that? You want to use a tureen and server the soup at the table? No problem. Sprinkle the herb in its raw state on top of the soup anyway. The effect, when you remove the lid, will be the same. Just stir it in as you serve.

The spices of life

Most people, including most professional chefs, use spices that have already been prepared.

That is to say they have been ground up, ready to use. The main exception to this is probably black pepper, which you should always grind yourself. Not difficult. You can buy a pepper grinder just about anywhere and the peppercorns are available in any supermarket.

Of course you can, if you wish, go to the trouble of buying a pestle and mortar, tracking down the raw spices and then grind them yourself.
If you do this, you will be richly rewarded with deep and penetrating flavors. You may also find that you get tired of doing it very quickly. However I would highly recommend it for a special occasion, or a wet weekend in Bargo.

Generally speaking, though, the shop bought variety are fine, providing you don’t keep them hanging around in a cupboard for too long. They will lose their flavor.

As with herbs, it’s very important that you learn the taste and smell of each individual spice and, uniquely, its pungency. This last item is one that is frequently overlooked, even by experienced cooks.

Just about everybody is aware that chili needs to be used carefully for obvious reasons. But for some reason they do not pay the same attention to turmeric,- which is quite delicate,- and, say, star anise which can strangle an incautious palate at a hundred paces.
Both give themselves away, however, if you simply take the lid off the jar and sniff them.

Mixing spice

Generally speaking, it is a rare thing to add more than a couple of spices to the same dish. The obvious exceptions to this are Asian and Indian dishes, where the carefully blended mix of flavors will be both traditional and subtle.

You have a choice with these. You either follow a recipe, or you use one of the many excellent pre-prepared pastes that are now available. I tend towards the latter choice, although I do still mix my own spices from time to time.

You should do the same. It’s fun and you learn a great deal about which spices mix well and which are best kept as an individual flavoring.

However you choose to cook with spice, treat it with respect and always add it a little at a time, tasting as you go.

Remember also, that the flavor will change with the length of cooking time. It may deepen, or it may lessen in its effect. Only experience will teach you what each individual spice does and how quickly it does it.

One excellent way to test the effect of adding spice, is to cook your rice with something like cardamom seeds. These come in little pods that needed to be cracked open and the seeds extracted.
Do this by placing them on a stable surface, place the flat of a cleaver blade over them and apply a bit of pressure. They will open easily. Use about two pods for one dish of rice.

You could also add some turmeric to the same rice dish. This will turn it yellow and also add a subtle flavor which complements the pungency of the cardamom. Call it saffron rice if you like, very few people will be able to tell the difference.

Rice is a good way to test any number of flavorings. Personally I find it a bit boring on its own, and I frequently add something to it to jazz it up a little. Experiment. You will be pleasantly surprised at what a difference a new flavor can make.

You will also be pleasantly surprised at your growing reputation.

About the Author

Michael Sheridan is a former head chef at the Pierre Victoire restaurant in London’s West End, specializing in French cuisine. An Australian, he is a published author on cooking matters, and runs a free membership club and cooking course for busy home cooks at http://thecoolcook.com

Little pounded shrimp balls seasoned and fried till lightly brown. This dish is quite popular as a finger food and is also a good accompaniment to a variety of dished, like the famous Mohinga - A spicy noodle soup with fish sauce.

250 grams of raw shrimps,
2 stalks of spring onions,
2 portions of egg whites,
1 tea spoon of salt,
1 tea spoon of sesame oil,
Some corn flour,
Sufficient oil for frying.

First chop the shrimps, then pound to a smooth paste.

Then season the paste with salt, a little sesame oil and finely chopped spring onions and then knead well to mix.

Bind the paste with some egg whites and a little corn flour and then mash for approximately one to two minutes.

Shape the paste into walnut-sized balls with the palm of your hand and coat with corn flour.

Heat ten to twenty table spoons of oil for deep frying and put in the walnut-sized balls of the mixture which have been lightly coated with corn flour.

Deep fry the coated balls of pounded shrimps over moderate heat until lightly browned then remove and draine well on a kitchen paper.

Lastly place the deep fried balls on a shallow serving platter and provide chili or some spicy sauce for accompaniment.

Gerry O is a chef and publisher of Asian recipes. His site can be found at http://www.asianrecipesonline.com

You may have found the latest assistance in relation to shopping bags.
When you’re seeking better advice about shopping bags, you’ll find it’s complex separating value packed information from poorly sourced shopping bags submissions and support so it is wise to recognize how to judge the information you are offered.

Plasticase: Plastic Cases
Provides carrying solutions to businesses in need of packaging cases, equipment cases, and demo cases. Ideal for carrying samples, tools, and papers.

Here’s several tips which we really think you should use when you’re seeking information about shopping bags. Please understand that the advice we give is only relevant to internet information about shopping bags. We don’t really offer any assistance or guidance for researching in ‘real world’ situations.

myShopAngel.com: Promotional Bags & Cases
Specializes in promotional products, advertising specialties, corporate gifts and tradeshow giveaways. Tote bags, laptop bags, and leather bags.

A really good piece of advice you can follow when offered information or advice on a shopping bags web is to verify the ownership of the website. This may reveal the operators shopping bags integrity The easiest way to reveal who owns the shopping bags web site is to look on the ‘about’ page or the sites ‘contact’ page.

Any reputable site providing information about shopping bags, will nearly always have a ‘contact’, or an ‘about’, page which will list the people behind the site. The fine points should detail some advice about the owner’s necessary expertise. You can then decide for yourself about the vendor’s insight and appreciation, to offer assistance with shopping bags.

About the author:

hugh campbell is the webmaster for http://www.shopping-bags-1st.info

If you own a popcorn machine, you probably are aware that your machine requires popcorn machine oil. This is oil that will pop your popcorn, and sometimes the kind of oil that you use will effect the way that your popcorn will turn out. Using too much oil will cause you to have soggy popcorn, that might be less than tasty. There are also certain kinds of oil that you might want to avoid.

When you are getting ready to pour oil into your popcorn machine, you want to be sure that you use the right kind. To find out the best kind of popcorn machine oil for your machine, be sure that you read the owner’s manual that comes with the machine. Doing this will prevent you from using oil that the machine can not handle, and you will be sure that you use the best oil for popping popcorn in your specific machine.

Because there are so many oils to choose from for your popcorn machine, if your machine does not require a specific kind of oil for popping, be sure that you choose a less fattening oil. Too much of an oil that is full of fat could mean bad news for your health, as well as your popcorn. When you top your popcorn with butter that has been popped in the most fattening popcorn machine oil there is, you are looking at a heavy snack that might end up sitting on your stomach for hours, rather than a light and fluffy snack like most people are looking for when they eat popcorn.

Make sure that you use the correct amount of popcorn machine oil as well. Most machines will have a fill to line, or a certain amount of oil that they require for the best popcorn possible. Read your manual to be sure that you do not over fill for the best results. This will keep you from damaging your machine from too much oil, or causing it to over flow, which would lead to a huge mess. Never use more oil than the machine calls for, and try to use the healthiest oil that you can afford for the best results.

Jeff Casmer is an award winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and internet marketing consultant with career sales over $25,000,000. He also dabbles in some of his true loves like “popcorn”. Please visit his resource on Popcorn Machines contain the the most complete information, supplies, and training to help you choose the right popcorn machine whether its a modern or a rare antique.”