A Quick Fried Chicken

The very basic and simple fried chicken dish you can cook.

This is probably the most basic and simple fried chicken recipe I can think of, which is a good thing for various different reasons. You can add almost any number of different spices and ingredients to the seasoning recipe to alter the flavour of the meal, or you can leave it as is to be certain that the flavour of the chicken is never over-run by ingredients. Use your own discretion when seasoning this chicken.

Potatoes, grits, coleslaw, or any other basic country side dish goes well with fried chicken. In fact, the chicken itself could be a side dish if you so desire! Remember: this recipe is the very paragon of versatile! Make whatever side dish you feel like!

For beverages, grab some beer or juice. Simple, unrefined drinks will fit right in with this meal. Stick to your family favourites! Fine wines would be simply out of place!

The main advantage to cooking fried chicken is that the preparation takes the same amount of time no matter how much chicken you cook. If you are unsure of how many people will be eating with you, this meal is ideal, because you can accommodate any number of diners with minimal effort. The flavour is also very universal. No one will think the meal is unappetising unless they are a vegetarian, so you do not have to worry about other people's personal preferences!
All in all this is pretty much a perfect recipe for all kinds of occasions like gatherings, or just simple family dinner. You can serve it whenever you don't have time or want to "get away" with something simple and still get people asking for more!
Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
3 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Mix the salt, garlic, and flour together in a wide bowl.
2. Roll the chicken in the seasoning mix until it's well covered.
3. Sprinkle more seasoning on the chicken, or shake off any excess, depending on your preference for breading density. If you wet the chicken slightly before dipping, more seasoning will stick. On the same note, patting it dry with a paper towel will minimise the breading content.
4. Pour your oil into a frying pan and heat on med-high for 5 minutes.
5. Fry chicken in the hot oil until it is golden brown.
6. Remove the chicken to a plate with many paper-towels to absorb as much oil as possible before consumption.

About the Author:
John
AceCooking AceRecipes SimpleCooking SpecialRecipes AllCooking
Submitted on 2006-11-05
Article Source: http://www.articlesarea.com/

Cookware - What’s New In Cookware?

As in most other industries, the cookware industry are constantly coming out with new lines and innovations. Some of the new lines are only available in gourmet or specialty shops and are sure to be expensive.

Regalware has a new cast iron cookware with a twice-fired ceramic exterior. It’s available in Royale Blue or Brick Red. As opposed to older cast iron cookware, this new ceramic exterior will work on any cooking surface, including glass top stoves. I had to give up my old-fashioned black cast iron skillets when I bought my new stove because I didn’t realize how badly they could scratch the surface. Ceramic coating keeps its good looks for years. The interior of the cookware has a non-stick surface that makes clean up a breeze. It also has special handles that give you a secure hold on the cooking utensil and stays cool to the touch.

Chinese food continues to be popular and Clad Metalcrafters is offering two new open stock stir fry pans. The pan features a triple layer disk of stainless steel and aluminum that is permanently bonded for fast and even heat distribution. This is important especially when you are cooking beef, chicken, or pork.

Mirro has introduced a new set made of aluminum and stainless steel, which boasts of durable, easy grip plastic handles that are easily handled. The eight-piece set with a non-stick interior sells for less than $40 in many retail stores.

Another innovative product is Bradshaw International’s new line of flex form bake ware. It is more expensive than regular bake ware but more and more people are learning of the advantage of the silicone bake ware. The cost is slowly coming down as they develop a special line to be sold in grocery stores and mega discount stores. The line is called Flexform and will include:

1 9” Round Cake Pan

2 6 Cup Muffin Pan

3 12 Cup Mini Muffin Pan

4 8” x 4” Loaf Pan

5 8” Square Cake Pan

6 11x17” Baking Sheet

Wilton Baking Accessories Company has introduced a stylish serving food centerpiece that can be used for special occasions and holidays. The name of the new device is Cupcakes ‘N More and can be used to display cupcakes, petit fours, tarts and brownies. It’s attractively made with a durable non-chip, non-toxic silver color metal finish. Spiraled wires hold the food items in place.

Periodically dusting with a soft, dry cloth is the key to maintaining your brass chandelier. If it gets dirty enough to need a more intense cleaning, use a gentle dish soap and warm water to clean it. Don't forget to dry after washing. Do not use an ammonia-based cleaner because this will cause tarnishing.

If your brass chandelier is tarnished and you haven't used an ammonia-based cleaner, first determine whether or not it's solid brass. Try sticking a magnet on it; if the magnet stays on, your chandelier is made of steel-plated brass. In that case, the tarnish you are seeing is likely rust and can be removed with steel wool. After removing the rust, your next decision is whether to have it re-plated. If you don't want to have it re-plated, you can choose to paint it.

A solid brass chandelier which has tarnished is relatively easy to clean. First use a brass cleaner to get the tarnish off. Once it has been removed, follow up with clear lacquer spray paint.

When purchasing a brass chandelier, remember that it is not intended as a main light source. Chandeliers are hung for the elegance and grace they add to almost any room. Brass chandeliers come in many sizes, so they are appropriate anywhere.

There are many types of chandeliers available to add grace to your home or business. If you are in the market for one, remember the long life and easy maintenance of brass chandeliers. You'll be glad you did.

About the Author:
John Francis
Cookware sets - are you getting the best for your money?
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Puff Pastries Can Help You Cook!

If your family is anything like my family, they will be completely tired of eating meatloaf and spaghetti every other day. Kids need variety in their meals. The trouble is, sometimes the family cook runs out of ideas about the things to serve for dinner!

If this is true for you, it sounds like you need to have more variety in what you serve. If you use puff pastry, you're going to be able to serve a whole lot more choices to your family. Those of us who like to stock up may even have puff pastry already in our freezers. Puff pastry shouldn't scare you though-- it is delicious and so easy!

Baking puff pastries is easy. Get yourself an oven and a timer and get started! Puff pastries cook at 200-300 degrees centigrade. Always check your puff pastry slightly before you think it will have finished baking to avoid burning. You will do fine if you keep your eyes peeled!

It's great how puff pastries can turn a mediocre meal into a truly savory experience! I never would have guessed that lamb roast and mini pizzas could be such a flavor sensation by adding this one particular ingredient!

Perhaps you've never had the opportunity to incorporate puff pastries into your meals and are therefore not sure how they can be used to improve a meal. What dishes am I referring to? I will tell you.

For example, puff pastry makes great, simple, and delicious cookies. Get some cookie cutters together and try cutting out different shapes from the puff pastry. You can glaze these cookie pieces with a beaten together mixture of eggs and milk. Stick these cookies in your oven and once they are done, frost them or leave them crunchy and flavorful. Tada! Your last-minute guests won't go hungry now.

Cut four pieces of puff pastry out and put some peaches or strawberries in the middle. Fold the pastry up all around the fruit and crimp the edges with your fingers. Glaze the pastry with your egg wash and put an apricot with sugar on top. Finally, bake your creation for about 15 minutes. Your friends are sure to love this dessert!

There are so many ways you can cook puff pastry. Don't let your baking experience be limited by the options I have listed here-- go ahead and experiment with your own recipes! I guarantee that whether you are making mini pizzas, appetizers, or garnishes, your guests won't be disappointed!

You have seen some of the recipes from my own kitchen but now it's your turn. Get to baking and let your family get a glimpse of how creative you can be!

About the Author:
Lorna Freemont is a prolific writer who keeps up on her interests in just about anything you could think of and she loves discussing all these subjects both in print as well as in person. Search for more articles by Lorna that discuss food at Food Fun Today.
Added: 11 Sep 2006
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/36291.html

Why Do Make-Ahead Recipes Work So Well To Reduce Your Dinner Party Stress?

One of the “tricks” I find most useful for hosting stress-free dinner parties is to make some of the recipes ahead. I find that too many last minute jobs can overwhelm me, so I plan ahead to eliminate as many as possible.

The more dishes you can prepare a day or some hours before guests ring your doorbell, the more you reduce your stress. Here are some reasons:

· You avoid a last minute crisis if preparation takes longer than you thought it would.

· If you like to cook, you’ll have the leisure to enjoy what you’re doing instead of feeling frantic about a deadline

· You have time to clean up after you cook.

· If there is a disaster, say you burn something, you have plenty of time to come up with an alternate plan.

· If you have prepared the dessert ahead, you don’t need to leave the table for a long stretch just when the conversation is getting really interesting.

Put your imagination to work for you! Try to imagine your way through the last minute jobs you will have to get dinner on the table, and reduce them to a minimum you feel comfortable with. It helps to think about what all those last minute jobs are: setting out the ice water pitcher, lighting the candles, putting items in serving dishes and getting the guests to the table.

By the way, many of these are jobs that your guests can do.

What is your level of tolerance for last minute jobs?
Now ask yourself what your level of tolerance is for last minute jobs? If it is low, then you should think about finding some recipes that absolutely minimize any last minute work. This is especially true if you are an inexperienced cook.

Some of the recipes I rely on are make-ahead, and some are just items that I can bring home from the store and put out in nice serving dishes.

Some cooks even make everything ahead. If you love stews, lasagna and casseroles, then you could do that too.

But I often prefer serving a delicious roast of lamb or beef or chicken as the special item on the menu. Luckily these dishes are ones you can put in the oven and leave to themselves while you do other things.

If you can add potatoes and vegetables to the roast while it cooks you have almost all of the advantages of make-ahead. Once you pop them in the oven beside the roast you can pretty well ignore them until they are cooked.

So I tend to focus on finding appetizers, salads, side dishes and desserts that I can make ahead, or set out straight from the store, or vegetables I can cook alongside a roast. Then I can concentrate on the last minute items like slicing a roast, making gravy, and getting things on the table.

Probably the most important category for me is appetizers. I find it too stressful to be fussing at cooking something while the doorbell is ringing. If you are hosting by yourself you may find the same.

So I try to have a repertoire of make-ahead or buy-ahead appetizer recipes that work for me. Often I serve more than one, since some of my guests like to stick to very light appetizers, and others enjoy heartier ones.

You can build your repertoire of make ahead recipes for your home dinner parties. I suggest you start with appetizers. If you want to see some of my favorites, just go to my the Make-Ahead Appetizers page on my website.

Enjoy minimizing your hosting stress and watching your guests’ eyes light up at the sight of your tasty, well presented appetizers.

About the author:
Joanie Williams has been enjoying giving home dinner parties with minimum stress for over 25 years. See how you can use make-ahead appetizers to reduce your stress and enjoy your own dinner parties. http://www.thedinnerpartyplanningsite.com/make-ahead-appetizers.html
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