The Professional Chef |

If you are thinking about going out for an evening of fine dining, then you may want to put Italian cuisine on your list of possible choices. Italian food has always been a big sell when it comes to fine foods, and you will be hard pressed to not find an Italian eatery somewhere within a 15 mile radius of you if you are within a relatively large city. You will find most of the fine Italian fair in this type of restaurant, and more than likely you will be treated to what the house chef specializes in. Whether it is a fine swordfish plate or a grand penne dish with a exquisite vodka sauce, you can be sure that you will not only be full at the end of the meal you will know that you enjoyed each and every bite.

Scanning The Menu

If you were interested in having Italian cuisine for the evening, you would be best served to study the menu well. The fact is there are so many delightful recipes on the Italian menu that it is rather difficult for you to decide what it is you want. As stated above, more than likely the house chef has a specific recipe that is their trademark dish. You really should consider this dish when dining in their establishment as they have worked this dish to a practical fine art. The wait staff can help you choose a wine that will best suite what you are ordering, but the meal can only be suggested. You really need to dig deep into the Italian culture to enjoy the very best of what it has to offer, and the best way to do so is by stepping away from the norm.

Anyone Can Do A Regular Old Pasta

It is very obvious that anyone can do a regular old pasta meal at home, but when you are going to go out to dine on Italian you really should experience what the restaurant is best for. This could very well be a specific pasta dish, but more than likely it is not. It could be a fine shellfish dinner that consists of oysters or even crab, and you could actually be surprised at what you taste. If seafood is not your thing, then there are several pork, beef, or lamb dishes that can be quite succulent as well.

Regional

It may be difficult to find an Italian cuisine restaurant that caters to specific regions in Italy, rather you are more likely to find one that does many of the dishes well from each region. This will be a benefit for you, as you will have the opportunity to sample many of the dishes that put those regions on the map in the first place. Do not be shy about your curiosity of the Italian cuisine, and you will find that there will be more that you will appreciate than expected. This can be said about many dishes that you otherwise would have not even attempted to try prior.

If there’s a certain treat that can be associated with Valentine’s Day, then that would be chocolate. Almost everyone loves chocolate and in the day of the hearts, chocolate is clearly the number one giveaway treat for your loved one. So in this Valentine’s, make it a little bit more special by instead of buying a box of them chocolates, create some of these treats yourself at home.

Contrary to popular belief, a little bit of chocolate is actually good for the health. Now, before you get hysterical in buying, let me clarify that statement first. Dark chocolate is the healthy chocolate type. It’s full of good things like antioxidants that help in maintaining a well-rounded body. With that said, treating yourself with a little dark chocolate each day definitely has a beneficial effect.

Be sure to relay this information to your loved one on Valentine’s Day, that as long as you buy dark chocolate against other chocolate types, they can eat these sweets without feeling even a little bit of guilt. That’s why in making some homemade chocolate desserts as Valentine’s food, it’s a good point to use dark chocolate for you to enjoy both a healthy and sweet event.

Chocolate lava cakes are a definite win when it comes to Valentine’s desserts. If you don’t know this recipe yet, like the name implies, it’s a cake wherein when you cut into the surface, the yummy and sweet chocolate runs out of the center as a great surprise. Valentine’s food must be fun too, and to add more to that fun, try putting hearts on each one of the cakes by using powdered sugar and stencil for form.

Making homemade chocolate desserts for Valentine’s is honestly quite hard, but that’s what makes it very special. When you are trying to melt chocolate, it’s always good to remember a few points in order to make it right. Those experienced with chocolate all had their share of mistakes in preparation. For example, in your hopes of melting the chocolate faster, turning the burner on high will not really accomplish this task. Even adding water or swirling the chocolate around won’t finish the work faster. The only thing you’ll get is a bit of disappointment, more sweat from work and a very expensive mess around the kitchen, which is something you really won’t want in your romantic day.

You might think that grilling is nothing more than just placing slabs of meat and vegetables over the fire and have them cook while you chat merrily away. You couldn’t be more mistaken as grilling is actually a form of cooking whereby really delicious food can be prepared; they are not just mere charred or burnt pieces of foods. Having problem with whipping up good grilled food? Here are some grilling tips which will really come in handy.

First and foremost, add in a starter fluid to the charcoals before you start a fire to ease the lighting process. If you haven’t any starter fluid, vegetable oils are fine as well. Whereas for the preparation of the ingredients, marinate the meat to add to its flavor. Measure well though; every one and a half to two pounds of food require one to two cups of marinade. And don’t be lazy to ensure that food or meat is completely surrounded by the marinade.

Another one of the great grilling tips which most people are not aware of is that the cut of the meat you choose will determine its tenderness and how moist it is. For example, you should go for steaks measuring up to one full inch as they are the best cut for grilling. Besides, don’t add in BBQ sauces or sweet-based sauces at the beginning of the grilling as they burn easily and are not considered for internal flavoring. You can, however, add them in when it’s nearing the end of the grilling process.

Furthermore, some people are not aware that grilling will emit carbon monoxide, an odorless but fatal gas if inhaled profusely, which is why grilling, should be done outdoors, always. Another one of the practical grilling tips is to use tongs to turn the meat, not a fork, as forks tend to puncture the meat and allowing its natural flavors and juices to escape, leaving the meat with a dry texture.

After going through all the tips stated above, I’m sure that you have quite an idea as to what to expect to do when it comes to grilling. Stick to the tips provided and you’d be in good hands.

When you think of a Jello cake recipe, there’s only one cake that is so popular that it immediately pops into your head: the classic Jello poke cake. This cake is famous for being extremely flexible in its use of gelatin flavors. When it’s sliced into, you’ll see the colorful stripes inside. Whatever flavor you use it’s sure to be a hit.

1 package white or yellow cake mix (for two layers)

1 small package flavored gelatin, any flavor

4 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup water (for the cake mix)

1 (12 oz.) container Cool Whip

1 cup water (for gelatin)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare cake, according to package directions, using eggs, oil and water. Bake cake in a 13×9-inch pan for 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for at least 15 minutes.

Poke holes across the entire surface of cake with a fork.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1 cup of boiling water. Pour the warm gelatin slowly over the surface of the cake (gelatin will soak into the cake). Place cake in the refrigerator and chill for about 4 hours.

Spread whipped topping on top of cake before serving. Refrigerate leftover cake.

=> Jello Cake Recipe: Jello Lemon Cooler Cake

This is a great cake to make for picnics and when company comes to visit. It’s got a nice sweet and tangy tartness to it that will tingle your tastebuds.

1 package lemon cake mix

1 cup hot water

2 (3oz.) packages lemon flavored gelatin

1 cup milk

1 (3.4 oz.) package lemon pudding mix

1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed

Directions

Prepare cake mix according to package directions and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. Let cake cool, then poke holes across the entire cake surface using a fork.

Dissolve the lemon gelatin in 1 cup of hot water. Pour warm gelatin over the entire cake. Place cake in the refrigerator and let it cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the milk, lemon pudding mix and the remaining package of lemon gelatin; stir until all ingredients are thoroughly dissolved. Fold in the whipped topping and spread over top of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

=> Jello Cake Recipe: Strawberry Jello Cake Recipe

This strawberry Jello cake is something special. The perfect Jello dessert recipe for warm afternoons and those special occasions when you want to make a dessert they’ll be talking about for days.

1 package white cake mix

1 (3 oz.) package strawberry gelatin

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1 (10 oz.) package frozen strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift the cake mix, flour, gelatin mix and salt together. Stir in the oil and water. Beat well. Add in the eggs, one at a time; mix well.

In a medium, bowl mash up the entire bag of strawberries. Stir half of the strawberries (5 oz.) into the cake batter. Pour cake into 2-layer cake pans and bake for 30 minutes. Let cake cool and spread strawberry icing on top.

Strawberry Icing

1 stick butter

1 box confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions

Cream the butter. Gradually add in the sugar and the remaining mashed strawberries. Mix until icing is a smooth, creamy texture.

=> Jello Cake Recipe: Jello Pudding Cake Recipe

Just like the poke cake, this Jello pudding cake is flexible when it comes to flavor. Choose the flavor that you want and enjoy a moist, rich-tasting cake that will not last for very long, because it’s so scrumptious.

1 package white or yellow cake mix

1 (12 oz.) can fruit flavored soda (any flavor)

1 small box gelatin (same flavor as soda)

1 cup warm water

1 small box vanilla pudding

1 container Cool Whip

Directions

Prepare cake according to package directions. Bake cake in a 13×9-inch pan. Let cake cool. Poke holes into cake surface with a fork. Pour flavored soda over cake.

Dissolve gelatin into 1 cup warm water. Pour gelatin over the entire cake.

Prepare pudding according to package directions. Spread pudding over top of cake.

Spread whipped topping over top of entire cake. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

The strawberries are in their full glory. I’ve made jam, we’ve eaten strawberry shortcake and strawberries and cream. How else can we enjoy these beautiful berries before their season is gone? As I rummaged through my old recipes, I found this one for Fresh Strawberry Pie. It is an old favorite that is easy and pretty.

Choose ripe, unblemished berries for this pie. Make the glaze first so that it has time to cool as you prepare the cream cheese and strawberries. You want to cool the glaze enough so that the berries do not cook, but do not chill it or the Jello will set and will not pour. Plan to serve this beautiful pie the same day it is made to enjoy the beautiful berries at their freshest.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 baked 9 inch pie shell

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, sliced

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light Karo syrup

1 cup water

3 tablespoons strawberry Jello mix

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Make the glaze for the berries by combining the sugar, Karo syrup, salt, and cornstarch and water. Stir and cook over medium heat until thick.When thick, remove from the heat and add the Jello mix. Stir well and set aside to cool.Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, spread carefully over the bottom of the baked pie shell.Arrange the sliced strawberries over the cream cheese mixture.Pour the cooled (but not cold) glaze over the strawberries. This recipe can be made with other berries as well. Try blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. You would choose the appropriate flavor of Jello, of course. Serve the pie as it is, or garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

Chicken is one of my favorite meats to cook. It is low in fat, high in protein, and if
cooked correctly, it will definitely be a crowd pleaser. There are many different
recipes for grilling and smoking chicken, and I have included my two favorite
recipes below. I am known as The Smoker King, and I am the author and
Webmaster of “Outdoor Cooking: Barbeque, Sauces, Mops, Rubs,” so you can bet
that my favorite way to cook chicken is outdoors, on a grill or smoker.

The first recipe is one that I use when I cook chicken fajitas. The marinade gives a
tequila-lime twist to the chicken, which is great for Mexican-type dishes. The
second recipe is my take on the famous beer can chicken recipe. Through my
experience, I have found that placing the chicken on a beer can throne while it is
smoking produces a juicy, tender bird. Smoking chicken is one of my favorite ways
to cook chicken, and after you have tried this recipe, I believe that you will really like
smoking chicken too.

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

4-Chicken Breasts 2-Cups of Margarita Mix (I prefer Mr. and Mrs. T’s) 1/2-Cup Vinegar 1/2 Cup Olive Oil 1-Tbsp Onion Powder 1-Tbsp Garlic Powder 1-Tbsp Cajun Seasoning Lemon Pepper

Option for a kicked up version: Add one shot of Tequila

Recipe:

1. Trim chicken breasts to remove fat 2. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound the each chicken breast until they
are about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. 3. Mix all ingredients into a bowl just big enough to hold the chicken breasts while
they are completely covered in the marinade. 4. Add chicken breasts, and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour. The longer they stay in
the marinade, the more Tequila lime taste they will have. 5. Season both sides of the chicken with Lemon Pepper before grilling. 6. Grill over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes per side. Times may vary
depending on heat, just make sure that the meat is white throughout the breast,
and the juices run clear.

This is a great recipe for chicken fajitas.

Here is my recipe for Cajun smoked, beer-can chicken.

Injection Ingredients:

1. A 3 or 4 pound chicken 2. 1/2 cup melted butter (room temperature) 3. 2 tablespoons of Tony Chachere’s seasoning (more for a spicier chicken) 4. 1-teaspoon garlic powder 5. 1/2 cup vinegar

Rub Ingredients:

1. Olive oil 2. Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

Mop Ingredients:

1. Apple Cider 2. A Spray Bottle

Other:

1. A beer of your choice (1/2 full) 2. 3 cloves of garlic 3. About 3 tablespoons of chopped garlic

Directions:

1. Whisk all injection ingredients together. 2. Using a kitchen syringe, inject the liquid into various spots on the chicken. Try to
be even as possible, injecting about 1/2 of the mixture into the breasts, and the
other 1/2 throughout the rest of the chicken. 3. Rub the chicken down with olive oil, and apply an even layer of Tony’s to the bird. 4. Drink half of the beer, widen the opening at the top of the can, then put the garlic
and onion in the can. 5. Place the bird on the can. It should sit up by itself. 6. Preheat your smoker to about 250 F degrees. I use hickory for chicken, charcoal
works well too. 7. Put the chicken on the smoker and spray the chicken with the apple cider about
every 30 minutes. 8. Smoke the chicken for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest
meat reaches 180 F Degrees.

I hope you enjoy both recipes as much as I do. You can find many more at my
website listed below.

Kids do love eating sweets and often, they will buy candies out on the store spending couple of quarters for sweets. For moms who have kids, you can teach your kids making candy and for sure it can create a bonding for you too. There are recipes for candy kids can make which are available. The process is simple and the end result is tastier and healthier too.

One of the more simple recipes for candy kids can make that you can teach your young ones would be the Easiest Fudge in the World. This is one recipe which is so simple that you spend more time in preparation that the actual cooking. All you need would be a twelve ounce semisweet chocolate chips and a fourteen ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, double-check that you are using sweetened condensed milk since common mistake by other mothers would be using an evaporated milk instead. To begin, get a microwave safe bowl where you need to place your chocolate chips and milk. Heat it inside the microwave oven for about two to three minutes on medium power. After two minutes, stir it and continue stirring at one minute intervals in between microwave heating. Do this until chocolate chips are already melted and when the mixture achieves smoothness. Pour the mixture into a greased pan of about 8 inches in size to let it cool down. This recipe makes about two pounds of candy that your kids will enjoy!

Another one from the list of recipes for candy kids can make would be the Nut Goody Bars. This recipe is just fantastic it is so rich so make sure that you would be able to cut then into small square pieces. Ingredients you need would include a twelve ounce of semisweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips of the same size, a couple of peanut butter cups, two cups of peanuts, a cup of butter, a twelve ounce evaporated milk in can, a quarter cup of light cream, 3 ounces of vanilla pudding mix, and two pounds of powdered sugar. Get a jelly roll pan sized 15×10, butter it and set aside for later use. Melt you chocolate and butterscotch chips in a large saucepan until it becomes smooth by stirring frequently. Add your peanut butter when you remove the pan fro the heat and continue to stir until mixture is melted. Half of this mixture will be spread into the prepared pan and place inside a refrigerator while the other half of the chocolate mixture will be mixed with peanuts in a saucepan. Grab another pan to combine butter milk and pudding mix in medium heat. After heating, add the sugar and vanilla and cool for fifteen minutes. Get the pudding mixture and spread it over the solid chocolate mixture in the jelly roll pan. Cool for 30 minutes then add the reserved mixture to cover. In about to hours, it will be ready for cutting and served after storing in refrigerator.

These are just a couple of examples of recipes for candy kids can make. Im sure a lot of moms there are willing to share their own home made recipes that kids would surely love.

While throwing your child a birthday party is high on any parents list, most people don’t want to spend a fortune for the celebration. Depending on the time of year and your budget, there are some great options for the location of the party (other than your home). If you do decide to throw a party outside your home, be sure to include your child in the location decision. If the child is young, you may want to bring them to the location prior to the party so that they can get comfortable and excited about the upcoming event. Most kids look forwarding to opening their presents at the end of their party. So whatever option you choose, make sure you set aside a special place where all the party goers can place the birthday gifts.

1. Town Park Shelter. Many local communities offer rental shelters at the parks where they have picnic tables, grills and play equipment for the kids. The older children can go play while the adults hang out. The food doesn’t have to be gourmet, instead keep it simple and easy like barbecuing hot dogs or burgers or a couple baked lasagnas with salad. Follow up with a fun birthday cake from your local warehouse club, grocery store or your own kitchen.

2. Fast Food Restaurant. Both McDonald’s and Hardees offer kids parties that include a party hostess, food and cake at reasonable prices. The other great thing about these restaurants is that many have Playlands or plastic ball pits so that the kids can be entertained while the adults chit-chat and relax a bit.

3. Children’s or Science Museum. If you have a larger budget, a local science or children’s museum can be a great place to hold a birthday party. Some places have party hostesses and provide some supplies, so just check what they provide in your city. You may only need to bring a birthday cake and presents.

4. Movie Theater. Many towns have inexpensive or dollar show theaters that will rent out the entire theater or give you big group discount as well as discounts on snacks and soda. Some theaters will let you bring in some of your own snacks and a cake so just check and see what can be done at your local theater by speaking with the manager.

5. Neighborhood Club House. If you live in a planned community, chances are that you have a club house in your neighborhood or apartment complex. Often these rooms are either free or can be rented for a nominal fee by residents. The club house would likely give you more room than your home, but it would still be close enough that you could set up the birthday party relatively easily.

6. Local Fire Department. Often times, local fire departments have rooms that they will allow local residents utilize for free or for a nominal fee. Some fire departments will even give the children of a private birthday party a tour of the department and let them try on some of the firefighters’ gear and get their photos taken. These pictures make great keepsake gifts for all the children.

A couple of days ago, my business partner came to me with a question, “Why do I keep hearing that working from home or Network Marketing businesses actually grow and thrive during rough economic times?” I answered, “Perhaps it comes down to trust. As the economy begins a downturn, trust in the established ways that include “Big Business” could decline, and people turn to their neighbor for help in obtaining things they need. Their neighbor, maybe in a Network Marketing/MLM company, may recommend a product or service they are enjoying, and a sale is made. On the big scale of consumer spending, that is barely a blip on the radar. However, do that thousands of times…every month, and you have a business.” While that is my opinion, here are some facts.

The information for this report was gleaned entirely from the internet. I did not talk with distributors or companies, and stayed away from the man on the street. I used statistics relating to Multi-Level Marketing or Network Marketing and their relationship to economic times.

According to information gleaned from Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia; we’ve had seven recessions (or seven opportunities to improve our health) in the last fifty-five years, as follows; 1953, 1957, 1973, 1980 & 81, 1990 & 91, 2001-2003, and 2008.

The oldest network marketing company on record is marine-vegetable supplement company Wachter’s , which started in 1937 in the recession at the end of the Great Depression. It is still around today, and looks like it’s doing fine.

1945 – Nutralite takes off.

1953 – Shaklee and Neolife prosper.

1958 – Two Nutralite distributors spin off and form Amway.

1960’s – With unemployment high in the early 1960’s, network marketing continued to flourish with advent of Mary Kay in 1963, and Avon, Tupperware, and Fuller Brush all achieving momentum.

With over 2 million workers back to work in the second half of the decade, the late ’60’s saw a softening in the industry with no new companies of any significance coming on.

In the early 1970s Melaleuca is one of the major introductions, and Amway takes off along with a score of others.

1980’s – In the first half of the decade, the unemployment rate reached its highest level in 40 years at 9.7%. Herbalife, Prepaid Legal, Pampered Chef (now owned by Warren Buffet) started up or achieved massive momentum. Melaleuca successfully reorganizes. However the industry softens again as the number of people out of work declined by half at the latter part of the decade.

1990’s – Nikken from Japan, Alpine Air Products, Once again, the trend occurs. In the early 1990’s (1990-1994) huge momentum in the industry. According to Network Marketing Lifestyles, May 2000 “there was more wealth created in by way of MLM and Network Marketing from 1990 to 1994 than any other time in history.”.

From 1996 -1999, there seemed to be a network marketing recession. If we look at the employment rate, the early 1990’s saw high unemployment. In the later years of the 1990’s it hit a 30 year low of 4.2%.

early 2000’s – XanGo starts up, Tahitian Noni skyrockets to a billion dollar company. EcoQuest hits critical mass, Xocai, Infinity 2, and fuel additives become popular, just to name a few,

These successful companies, and many others like them produce high quality, and some may say non-essential products or services. In this example, with the exception of Alpine Air or Ecoquest, Pampered Chef and Tupperware, all produce and bring to market consumable items or services. Meaning that you must purchase them again and again on a regular basis. This seems to buck the traditionally held idea that the only businesses that may be guaranteed to do well in a recession or depression are those related to food, alcohol and entertainment.

After discovering the many companies that burgeoned in tough economic conditions using the Multi-level Marketing or Network marketing business model, it would seem that despite the tight credit and low cash flow associated with a recession, businesses with good products and services actually flourish at these times using this business model.

Everyone enjoys a good meal and many groups that work to offer a variety of cruises to Alaska will offer all sorts of options for dining. These Alaskan cruise dining options include fine dining options and bars with all sorts of fine drinks. Room service is even offered on many of these ships.

Each ship has its own luxury restaurant. These restaurants are ones that offer a variety of fine foods ranging from steaks to salads and specialty beverages. Many of these restaurants are ones that will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner services. Smart casual attire is recommended for guests at luxury restaurants for breakfast or lunch. For dinner formal attire is required for entry.

Many different smaller cafes can be found on many of these ships. Dining at one of these places is one of the top cruises activities in that many different groups will offer a variety of foods ranging from teas to pastries and even wines. Cafes like these can be found inside of interior areas of the ship and in some cases along the deck or pool on the exterior.

For those who want a more relaxed option for dining it should be noted that all sorts of different ships will offer more casual grills. Many different casual grills are available on ships. These can be found near pools or other entertainment areas of the ship. Foods that are offered include pizza, burgers with fries and a variety of beers and wines. People can enjoy a great meal with friends at the bar at one of these grills too.

Champagne bars can be found in many places. These bars, which require formal or smart casual attire, are places that offer fine quality champagne with different types of caviar. Many different champagne options from all over the world can be found in these bars.

Of course there are all sorts of room service options available on a cruise ship. This is one of the most notable cruise activities in that room service offers a variety of different foods from the many different restaurants on a ship available in the comfort of one’s room. Many ships will offer menus for room service within one’s room and the passenger can easily contact a phone number on the phone for service. In many cases a passenger will need to contact an area attendant for menus for the day as daily room service options can change.