Ban Cooking Shows on TV

So for anyone who watched the episode of South Park where Stan's Dad is obsessed with the Food Channel will know what I am talking about. If you have a friend or a family member whose idea of a day off includes plopping themselves with a bag of chips in front of the TV watching the Food Channel, let me tell you it is a problem. You see watching Food Shows is a lot like watching pornography and if you think that too much pornography is bad for you then too much food based Television is also bad.
This is because of the nature of Food shows. Both sex and food are a human basic need. Watching something on the TV or on your computer that shows people making food or making love therefore is comparable. But the act of cooking and eating is not considered dirty and immoral and therefore people don't think of food shows as a problem. If people can have porn addictions then they can certainly have food show addiction. Have you ever watched a food show and thought about how good it would be to eat what the cook is making? Is that any different from watching an adult scene in a movie and getting titillated?
I don't think there is much of a difference between the two and therefore I say that the only difference is entirely man made and societal. Because we consider one act to be wrong and immoral, we should at least be consistent and get parental control filters on food and cooking shows. They make kids crave rich and lush food whereas all they will ever get in real life is their mum's plain and insipid Mac and Cheese. Food shows objectify cooks.
Real cooks don't use crème freche or shallots instead of onions. All they do after a hard day's work is pop something in the microwave, rest it on their guy as they watch reruns of Sex and the City. So why should average cooks be expected to "measure up" to the standard of food network stars? It is unfair and inhumane. I mean, the other day I found myself actually removing the skin and seeds from a tomato! Can you believe it? My girlfriend expects too much of me in the kitchen. I don't know what to do! So ban food and cooking shows on television because they are obscene. It is time to bring back old fashioned morality coupled with a hot bowl of owl vomit known as canned soup.

The Food Cooking Show Fascination

The premise is simple. Take a chef, put him or her into the kitchen and watch them prepare their signature dishes. You might think that this would be boring after a bit but the public has proven this wrong.
Food cooking shows are the "in" thing right now. We love the idea of making food and combine it with reality television and suddenly we come back week after week to see what happens next.
Fox Network has uncovered a phenomenon with the cursing antics of Chef Gordon Ramsey. We cringe at his explosive attitude yet are somehow sympathetic at his attempts to turn would-be chefs into professionals.
We might not want to put ourselves on the line of fire but we love watching other contestants wither under his furious stare and tirades. Our kitchens may not be stocked with fois gras but we still take something away from each episode.
Food Network has a reality show titled "Who Wants to Be the Next Food Network Star" where amateur and professional cooks alike are given tasks to perform that somehow weed out the would-be television chefs from the rest.
We root for our favorite contestants as the season progresses until only one contestant remains. He or she is then given a food cooking show of their very own.
What is the fascination with meal preparation shows? Perhaps it is the ease at which dishes are prepared. It might be the professional cookware and charming personality of the hosts.
Some of the most popular meal preparation show hosts is not formally educated at cooking schools. Thus they give us hope that anyone can prepare delectable dishes from the comfort of their own home.
Whatever the reason behind our fascination, these shows has become an integral part of television viewing. As great chefs from the past such as Julia Child pass on, a new generation of friendly, knowledgeable faces comes to the forefront of culinary society.
Perhaps it is the grand showmanship of Emeril LaGasse yelling out "BAM" or Rachel Ray's cute acronyms such as EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil); we are drawn to our television sets and the expanding culinary world.
As other television networks air cooking shows, especially ones where competition and cut throat antics by the participants are involved, we will continue to avidly watch food cooking shows.
Not all of the popular shows feature a swearing chef and those are the ones we turn to for the free recipes, tips and colorful abbreviations becoming standard in our daily language. Bring on the "Top Chef" or "Hell's Kitchen" because we want to see what comes next.

Vegan Cooking School

Cookery courses have been a popular way of learning new skills for a long time. However, with more and more people becoming vegetarian and vegan, there is now a new surge in vegan cooking school options for those who want to forge a career in vegan cooking - or even just learn a few extra skills!
The vegan diet excludes any food derived from an animal, including (but not limited to); fish and seafood, meat, dairy, eggs, honey and animal by-products such as gelatin. If you choose to attend a cooking school specializing in vegan cooking you will be required to learn about the special nutritional requirements of the diet.
Vegan courses are available in many different forms. Vegan cookery can be taught as an art just like any other type of cooking. This means not only learning the basics of cooking and creating nutritious meal, but it means making your dishes look and taste appetizing. More advanced courses will teach all of the skills you need to be able to begin your career as a professional chef, in an area that is only growing in demand. You can even choose to specialize in vegan ethnic cookery if you choose.
When it comes to choosing your vegan cooking school, make sure you choose an institution that gives you everything you need. World-renowned cooking schools may be harder to get into, but they will also give you the best possible start in a vegan cooking career. Take a look at the kind of classes available by looking online and comparing the course content.

Campfire Cooking Recipes - Soup

Ah, the great outdoors. There is nothing better than enjoying nature at a campsite. Besides the traditional s'mores and hot dogs, there are several delicious and healthy campfire cooking recipes that can be made with a few simple ingredients and equipment.
One of the easiest things to make on a campfire is corn on the cob. The only type of cookware needed for this is tin foil. Simply wrap the corn completely in tin foil and place on hot coals. Of course, there are common precautions one must take in fire cooking as to avoid injury, so having a pair of tongs or other grabbing device will be useful. The corn should cook in just a few minutes, depending on how hot the coals are. After removing from the fire and cooling, sprinkle on some salt and pepper if desired.
There are other campfire cooking recipes that can be made by using cast iron cooking equipment, such as a Dutch oven. A flexible and easy recipe that can be made over a campfire is soup. Especially during the colder months, soup is a perfect food for camping.
There are several different soup recipes that can be made in a Dutch oven. An easy vegetable soup uses potatoes, onions, celery, and carrots. There are endless ingredients that can be added to this simple recipe in order to make it perfect for your tastes.
First fill the Dutch oven about halfway with vegetable or chicken broth. A broth can be made using bullion cubes and water. Take the chopped vegetables and put them into the soup. You may add herbs, such as parsley, to the soup, or sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. Put the Dutch oven over the fire, and let it sit for at least a half hour.
Once the soup is done, carefully remove the oven from the fire. Be sure to keep the oven, which will still be very hot, away from any flammable objects while it is cooling.
In addition to Dutch ovens, there are many other types of cookware that can come in handy when cooking on a campfire. With a frying pan or a griddle, you can whip up a breakfast better than at home or in a diner.

Choosing & Cooking Chinese Christmas RecipesWith the Chinese New Year being the most important event in the Chinese calendar, you'd imagine that Christmas got swept under the carpet. Not so, as celebrating Christmas becomes more popular throughout China. Whilst you won't find the hype and shopping madness of Western countries, in major cities you'll see lights, trees and Christmas decorations on the streets and in stores. Christmas Day is not even a bank holiday in China, although it is in Hong Kong and Macao. Whether this is just part of the Chinese interest in Western culture, or a sales ploy by the big stores, who can say? With an increasing number of Christians, it can only be expected that more people will be celebrating the festive season in China each year. With little tradition and history, cooking for a Chinese Christmas dinner means you can cook any special occasion dish you choose. However, there are a few suggestions we can make to get you started:- * Peking Duck * Cantonese Roast Duck * Kung Pao Chicken * Cookies * Five Spice Peanuts * Sesame Seed Balls * Spring Rolls Whilst many of the recipes above are traditionally eaten for the Chinese New Year, they will serve just as well for a Christmas dinner. As always with Chinese cooking, use the freshest ingredients, prepare them well ahead of time, so that all you have to do is cook!

With the Chinese New Year being the most important event in the Chinese calendar, you'd imagine that Christmas got swept under the carpet. Not so, as celebrating Christmas becomes more popular throughout China.
Whilst you won't find the hype and shopping madness of Western countries, in major cities you'll see lights, trees and Christmas decorations on the streets and in stores. Christmas Day is not even a bank holiday in China, although it is in Hong Kong and Macao. Whether this is just part of the Chinese interest in Western culture, or a sales ploy by the big stores, who can say?
With an increasing number of Christians, it can only be expected that more people will be celebrating the festive season in China each year. With little tradition and history, cooking for a Chinese Christmas dinner means you can cook any special occasion dish you choose.
However, there are a few suggestions we can make to get you started:-

• Peking Duck
• Cantonese Roast Duck
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Cookies
• Five Spice Peanuts
• Sesame Seed Balls
• Spring Rolls

Whilst many of the recipes above are traditionally eaten for the Chinese New Year, they will serve just as well for a Christmas dinner. As always with Chinese cooking, use the freshest ingredients, prepare them well ahead of time, so that all you have to do is cook!

Cooking Light Recipes - 2 Easy Quick and Healthy Recipes For Your Dinner

If you already had a full meal for lunch, you most likely don't feel like something so filling again for supper. If you want to eat healthy and balanced, then it's a great idea to choose something light for dinner, especially if your lunch had quite some calories today. And seeing that you already cooked, you definitely don't want to stand behind the stove again, so it should be an easy non-cooking recipe.
Here are 2 easy quick dinner recipes which are light and healthy. Both of them make four servings.

• Mixed salad with whole grain rolls
• Noodle and mushroom soup

Light dinner recipe #1: Mixed salad with whole grain rollsIngredients

• 1 medium lettuce
• 2 red and 2 yellow peppers, sliced
• 250 g fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 200 g feta cheese, cut into small cubes

Dressing:

• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 4 whole grain rolls

Wash the salad, tear it into pieces and drain it. Then mix it with the other ingredients. For the dressing, simply mix all ingredients well, pour over the salad and mix thoroughly. Serve with the rolls. This recipe won't take you more than half an hour, and it doesn't require any cooking.
Light dinner recipe #2: Hawaiian Toast
Ingredients

• 8 slices of brown toast
• low-fat margarine
• 8 slices lean ham
• 1 large can pineapple rings or peach halves (should contain 8 rings or halves)
• 8 slices low-fat cheese
• yellow curry powder

Preheat the oven on maximum temperature. Spread the margarine on the toast and place it on a baking tray covered with baking paper. First put a slice of ham on each toast, then a pineapple ring and a slice of cheese. Grill the toast for approximately 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and slightly browned. Sprinkle a bit of curry on and serve. Done within half an hour, too.
Now, enjoy your light dinner and come up with more ideas yourself. You can put anything into your salad, be it vegetables that can be eaten raw or fruit, or both. Just choose foods that go quick to prepare. You can also adapt the toast. Maybe you prefer the grilled chicken stripes that you got in your fridge from yesterday's lunch with tomato to ham and fruit. Many light soups are also very quick and easy to make if you use canned veggies and leftover rice or soup noodles.

Budget Cooking Ideas For People Who Love Food

Saving money is certainly a newsworthy topic these days. Everyone's looking for places to trim their budget - welcome to the age of budget cooking! For some, it is a desire for simpler life; others have had to make changes due to economic hardship. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that frugal cooking is a top culinary trend right now. So - how can a dedicated "foodie" make the most of this seeming dark ages of cooking? Actually - it's very easy to enjoy food and saving money when you learn how to cook. I'm not talking about recipes; I'm talking about learning the basic cooking methods that really teach you to cook. Once you learn some simple techniques, budget cooking is natural, fun and delicious!
Buy in Bulk
If you know how to prepare meat (chicken, beef, pork) quickly and efficiently, it makes sense to buy your favorite meats in larger quantities when they are on sale. Trim and prepare the meat, portioning it into serving sizes. Label and date each package and put each portion into the freezer. Now, when you are ready to prepare dinner some night, just take out a portion and prepare it using your favorite cooking method with your favorite ingredients. This budget cooking tip actually saves time AND money!
Celebrate at Home
Going out to a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion is always a treat, but it does have its drawbacks. For starters - if you want to enjoy a bottle of wine, expect to pay somewhere around 2 1/2 times as much as you would buying the same bottle at a store (and that's before tip!) But... when you know how to apply basic cooking methods to great ingredients - you can create very high caliber meals right at home. And you can do this quickly, easily... and cheaply! This can also justify using the highest quality ingredients you can find and afford. You'll still be saving money by toasting your occasion... at home.
Take the Whole Tenderloin - not just the filet
One of the nicest steaks you can prepare - especially on the outdoor BBQ grill - is the filet mignon. But even at the grocery store, this premium cut of beef comes at a premium price. So - I've got some great news for you! One of my favorite "chef secrets" is that breaking down an entire filet is actually much easier than most people think. I love purchasing an entire tenderloin (at a much better price than just the filet) and learning how to prepare it yourself. This is still one of my best money saving tips!
The not so Obvious
It might seem obvious, but the best way to save money on your food bill is to eat less, right? Well, the actual truth of the matter is that most of what is cooked is not eaten and goes to waste. A great way to save money is actually to make less - not necessarily eat less. Portioning is a secret of basic cooking method and a great way to save money. This is because most home cooks over-produce food rather than run the risk of running out of food, which everyone hates to do. However, if you portion correctly on the preparation side, you will save money and have another added bonus: proper portioning also ensures you will not have to even worry about leftovers. So you've solved another common budget cooking dilemma - what to do with leftovers? There won't be any!
Once you've mastered a few basic cooking methods and simple techniques for preparing great food, you'll find it to be a very simple and rewarding way to incorporate budget cooking into your frugal lifestyle.