MomsMenu.com offers a variety of newsletters from holidays to kid's recipes. Check them all out by clicking here or use the links below to view a sample of what we have to offer.
No Substitutions Please- Are you one of those people who frequently request substitutions when ordering meals in restaurants? You know who you are. All you "sauce-on-the-siders," ingredient changers, and "can-you-make-mine-steamed" freaks.
(Added: 6-Jul-2005 Hits: 413 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
No Whey!- Curds that are not aged or "ripened" produce what is known as a fresh cheese. Classic examples include cottage, feta, and mozzarella. If the cheese is aged, it is then classified based on its texture. There are soft cheeses such as Brie, semi-soft, e.g., Muenster and fontina, hard, e.g., cheddar and provolone, and very hard cheese known as grating, such as Parmigiano and Romano....
(Added: 27-Apr-2005 Hits: 189 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Nothing to Sneeze At- Peppercorns can be black, green, white, and whole or ground. Black peppercorns are the unripe berries which have been dried by natural or mechanical means. Enzymes in the berries darken their hue. Black pepper is the most pungent.
(Added: 27-Sep-2007 Hits: 142 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Now That's Italian - Part I- This is the first half of a two-part article on the foods of Italy. Ask the average American what comes to mind when
they think of Italian food and they're likely to report pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, and other pasta/tomato sauce based dishes. This doesn't
even begin to scrape the surface of real Italian food, let alone do it justice...
(Added: 19-Jun-2008 Hits: 0 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Now That's Italian - Part II- In the previous edition of Food For Thought we discussed the concept of Italian food and began an overview of the country's cuisine, region by region. In a nutshell, there are many different styles of Italian food varying with the area of the country in question.
(Added: 9-Jul-2008 Hits: 0 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
On the Side- When individuals contemplate what to make for their Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, there's usually more indecision regarding the side dishes. After all, the Thanksgiving turkey is perfunctory and Christmas will inevitably be yet another turkey or a roast of some kind. But there is a staggering array of potential side dishes. Here are a few ideas.
(Added: 21-Nov-2006 Hits: 124 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
On The Side IV- Welcome to the fourth edition of "On the Side," a yearly collection of side dishes destined to diversify your
Thanksgiving menu. Turkey is turkey but awesome side dishes can really make the meal rock. Here are some ideas that I hope will enhance
your festivities.
(Added: 19-Nov-2008 Hits: 0 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Onions: So Good They Bring Tears to Your Eyes- Onions are an indispensable commodity in cuisines the world over. They are highly versatile, lending themselves to a variety of preparations and cooking methods.
(Added: 4-Aug-2004 Hits: 501 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Pan-Frying- Pan-frying is a dry heat cooking method whereby food is semi-submerged in hot oil in a pan on the stove top. Unlike deep frying where the food is completely immersed in oil, in pan-frying the oil's depth is no more than half the food's height. Another important distinction is that in pan-frying the food touches the bottom of the pan. In deep frying the food is completely suspended in oil.
(Added: 12-Oct-2006 Hits: 237 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Paradise by the Stovetop Light- Meatloaf is one of the classic American comfort foods even though it's not indigenous to America. Most cultures have some form of ground meat concoction. Throughout history man has combined ground meats with seasonings, fruits, bread and grain products, vegetables, etc. The first recorded recipes for meatloaf originate in the Roman Empire.
(Added: 10-May-2006 Hits: 576 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Parsley: The Devil's Seeds- Because parsley seeds took one month or more to germinate, it was posited that the seeds traveled to the devil and back multiple times before sprouting. (It actually has to do with parsley's biochemistry and soil moisture). Finally, the male head of the household could only plant parsley on Good Friday, again due to Satan's influences. Who would have figured that the benign king of diner-plate garnishes could have such a sordid history?
(Added: 9-Nov-2006 Hits: 247 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Party Time!- Cooking for a party can be quite challenging. There is an overwhelming array of variables to consider. The juggling act is including a sufficient quantity of appetizing foods without inundating yourself with excessive labor or time demands. Here are some tips for accomplishing the task.
(Added: 9-Mar-2005 Hits: 475 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Peas In A Pod- Peas are legumes, i.e., plants with seed pods. Originating in Asia they have been part of man's diet for thousands of years. The most common pea is the garden pea, also known as the English pea. They must be removed from their pods before consumption. Snow peas and sugar snap peas however, are eaten pod and all.
(Added: 5-Apr-2005 Hits: 427 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Peel Out!- Numerous fruits and vegetables are peeled for a variety of reasons. Some must be peeled in order to be palatable, such as celery root or pineapple. Others have edible skins but are peeled either for personal taste or because of the nature of the recipe.
(Added: 14-Mar-2006 Hits: 276 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Poaching 101- Poaching is a wet-heat cooking method whereby food is submerged in liquid and gently cooked. The foods best suited for poaching are naturally tender and delicate, e.g., fish, eggs, chicken and fruits.
(Added: 15-Feb-2006 Hits: 303 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Poblanos- Poblanos are dark green chile peppers approximately 4-5 inches long and 2 1/2 -3 inches wide. Poblanos are the "bell pepper" of Mexican cuisine. Poblanos are triangular in shape and flatter than bell peppers. They are also less sweet, more savory and hotter. Their heat level can vary but usually they are in the mild to medium range. They are perfect for individuals who like a little bit of spiciness but not too much heat.
(Added: 10-Apr-2007 Hits: 462 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Popeye’s Secret Weapon- Spinach may have provided Popeye with superhuman strength, but its real life potential is far less lofty. In fact, its nutritional reputation is somewhat inflated. Spinach contains oxalic acid which inhibits the absorption of its calcium and iron. Moreover, it contains other nutrients that are not fully absorbed when it is consumed raw. This is not to say that spinach is not good for you. But, like many health and nutritional claims, the surface hype usually obscures the underlying scientific reality.
(Added: 26-Jul-2005 Hits: 414 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Potatoes I- The potato was introduced to Ireland probably in the late 16th century. Some credit Sir Walter Raleigh who planted potatoes on Irish lands bestowed to him from Queen Elizabeth I in 1589. Other sources purport that Ireland's introduction to the potato more likely arose from trade with Spain. Either way, by the 17th century the potato had become Ireland's primary food crop.
(Added: 21-Aug-2007 Hits: 471 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
Potatoes II- Potatoes are one of the few vegetables that are almost never eaten raw. It is subsequently fortuitous that they are amenable to virtually every cooking technique in the book. Granted, some approaches will provide better flavor than others, (deep frying vs. boiling), but the fact remains that for every method of applying heat to food, a potato could be the subject.
(Added: 30-Aug-2007 Hits: 296 Rating: 0 Votes: 0)
While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook -- less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc, the most important
reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving him a better chance to be a healthy grown-up. Enabling your child with the ability
to appreciate freshness and to transform ingredients into tasty foods opens their eyes to making wiser choices about what to eat...
Let's Get Cooking!
