September | 2011 | Spice N Dip It Y

Monthly Archives September 2011
Organic Herbs

Posted on September 28, 2011 by admin Comment(Published for 147 days)

With the cost of conventional medicines skyrocketing many are interested in learning about herbal remedies to care for their ailments. From depression to heart disease, herbal remedies are being sought after as treatment alternatives. Often, people turn to herbs when traditional methods haven’t produced the expected results. It is important to note that before beginning an herbal regiment you should always consult with an herbal practitioner.

Acne is a common complaint. There are millions of skin care products on the market to treat it, but most remain frustrated because they don’t really work. Why don’t they work? The answer is simple, chemicals. The chemicals in face washes, acne creams and astringents interfere with the natural PH balance of your skin, thus creating more problems. Azadirachta indica, or in English, Neem, can be used to treat acne. Neem originates in the Middle East as a drought resistant Evergreen tree. It is frequently used as oil that is extracted from its seeds and flowers. The oil is typically light to dark brown with a strong odor that has been described as a combination of garlic and peanuts. It successfully treats acne because of its purifying properties. This is just one example of how an herb can be used to treat a common affliction.

Medicinal use of plants is as old as mankind itself. Instructions on how to grow, cultivate and use herbs has been passed through generations since the beginning of time, and has had a great influence on modern medicine. In fact, many traditional medications were derived originally from plants. Salicylic acid, an antecedent of aspirin, originated from White Willow bark and the Meadowseed plant.

Today, pharmacologists identify, extract and manufacture individual components within herbs to capture the active, healing properties. This is not always the best method however because within each herb are minerals, vitamins and other substances that support the herbs medicinal properties. These act as natural protection. The result is that in a synthesized form, the herb can become toxic in much smaller doses than would be possible if using the whole herb.

Herbs, like prescription medicines, have dosage recommendations and usage guidelines. There are millions of herbs, and knowing what to use is important in obtaining the desired result. While many herbs have proven their medicinal capabilities, many have also proven themselves to offer little benefit. Consulting a trusted professional to guide you is highly recommended.

This entry was posted in Organic Herbs and tagged Herbal Remedies, Organic Herbs, White Willow Bark. Bookmark the permalink.
How to Choose a Spice Rack That You’ll Love

Posted on September 9, 2011 by admin Comment(Published for 166 days)

Today you have almost as many choices of spice racks as you do of the spices they contain. Spice racks are wonderful kitchen cooking accessories and home organization gadgets. And a spice rack is a wonderful gift too for a cook. In our household, my husband is the chef. But I’m the shopper. And we own three functional and handsome spice racks that are in use every day. Before you buy your next spice rack for yourself or as a gift consider these factors about how to choose a spice rack:

1) WHERE WILL YOU PUT IT? Naturally, you want your spice rack in the kitchen so it’s handy for cooking. The only caution here is that some people advise not putting your spices too close to the stove or oven for fear that the heat will be harmful to some of the spices’ potency. So other than that spot, consider all the available spaces in your kitchen. There are probably more available spaces than you think. Here are some styles of spice racks that should give you more ideas about available kitchen space:

–No counter space? Buy spice racks that are “wall mountable”. These spice racks usually have single or multiple vertical shelves.

–Hard to reach counter space? Put a “carousel” spice rack in the corner. Think of a carousel spice rack as one that spins on a circular-shaped Lazy Susan. You can make use of that hard-to-reach corner countertop space with such a revolving spice rack.

–Like to view your spices in one glance? By a “slanted” spice rack. Or buy a “three-tier expand-a-shelf” (like a staircase or stadium seating) that fits conveniently inside a kitchen cabinet. You’ll triple that cabinet space with this type rack too.

–Got a free drawer? Some stores are now selling a “spice rack drawer liner”. It lays flat in your drawer much like the flatware drawer liner that holds your forks and spoons. You lay the spice jars or containers on their sides in slots (lay with labels upward for quick reading).

–Not utilizing the bottom of your kitchen cabinets? Buy an “under-cabinet spice rack”, also called “undercounter spice rack” or “pull-down spice rack”. Much like electric can-opener gadgets that attach to the underside of kitchen cabinets, so does this under-cabinet spice rack. It swings down for easy viewing and picking. Otherwise, keep it folded upward underneath the cabinet for its space saving attribute.

–Is the inside of your pantry door empty? Use a “door-mounted spice rack”. Just a few screws and you can hang a multi-shelf vertical spice rack here. Also, some stores are selling racks that have slots that individually adjust to the jar size. The rack adheres to the inside of the door with double-sided tape.

–Lots of kitchen counter space or open shelf space? Get a “free-standing spice rack”. You can buy a countertop spice rack that spins or one planted firmly on a solid base. Some of these come in tapering shapes so that they’re narrower at the base but flare out at the top.

Also consider….

2) HOW MANY SPICES DO YOU USE? If you use a lot of different spices, would you like one large single-level or multi-tiered shelf spice rack that holds all of them? Or like me, would you like a few different spice racks clustered in one area of the kitchen? If you only keep a few spice jars, then perhaps a spice rack that holds six to eight spice containers is sufficient (especially if your space is limited to a small area of the kitchen). And if it’s a gift for someone else, visualize the available space they have in their kitchen. You don’t want to give someone a gorgeous spice rack that they have to stuff in a closet for lack of a place to put it.

3) CAN YOU CONVENIENTLY ACCESS THE SPICES? For instance, if you hang a vertical double-shelf spice rack on a wall underneath a kitchen cabinet, you need enough room between the spice containers on the top shelf and the underside of the kitchen cabinet to be able to easily remove and replace the spice containers. You don’t want to keep scraping your knuckles against the wood on the underside of the cabinet. Wherever you plan to put the spice rack, it’s probably a good idea to measure the intended space for it and then compare that to the dimensions of the product listed on its sales box before you purchase it.

4) ARE YOU BUYING A SPICE RACK WITH OR WITHOUT SPICES? Some spice racks come complete with full containers of spices and others come without jars or containers of spices. Some spice racks don’t even use typical container or jars; instead you fill them and then turn a dial for the measured spice amount to filter through a dispenser, which is removable from the spice rack.

Remember that you’re trying to save space when buying home organization gadgets. So if you buy a spice rack complete with new spices, you’ll just have to store the new or existing set of spice jars in the pantry until the spice jars in use need a refill.

And if you buy a spice rack with containers, make sure they’re what you want. Some are glass jars; others aren’t. Some have corks as lids; others have screw tops. Some come with snap on sifters or shaker ports. Also check to see if the jars come pre-labeled or with an extra set of blank labels.

5) WHAT MATERIAL COMPRISES THE SPICE RACK? You can find spice racks or spice shelving in many types of material: wood, acrylic, metal/stainless steel/wire, plastic or chrome. What matches the style of or colors of your kitchen? Or if the spice rack isn’t going to be clearly on view, maybe you’re just interested in a durable material or one that wipes clean easily.

6) DO YOU LOVE. IT? Spice racks are very durable products. You’ll be seeing your spice rack choice in your kitchen for a long time.

This entry was posted in Spice Rack and tagged Caution, Kitchen Cabinets, Spices. Bookmark the permalink.
Marinades in Chinese Cooking Recipes – A Quick Marinade

Posted on September 5, 2011 by admin Comment(Published for 170 days)

Marinades

Marinades are usually liquids you use on meats and vegetables before the cooking process. Many times this is done some time in advance up to a few days before the meal. Other times it is prepared just half an hour before you prepare one of your Chinese cooking recipes.

Flavoring Marinades

There are a few types of marinades you can use that do one of a few things. The flavoring marinade is to add flavor to the meat. In many Chinese cooking recipes this can be soy sauce, teriyaki sauce or other sauce such as fish, oyster or Hunan. Placing the meat in the liquid for anywhere from half an hour to overnight will flavor the meat. You can then add the meat and liquid all at once or take out the meat and just add it.

Quick Thick Marinade

One of my Chinese cooking recipes calls for a marinade that creates its own type of breading on the meat. It is one of the Chinese cooking recipes I use quite a bit. It coats the meat with a thick sauce that when cooked in a pan with a little oil creates a tasty skin on the meat.

Chinese Cooking Recipes Quick Marinade

It is suggested that this be done overnight or about 8 hours before you use it. It will still come out good if done only 30 minutes before cooking.

Ingredients

- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce

- 2tablespoons of corn starch

Mix the ingredients together well and place the chicken in a zip top bag with it coating the chicken. It works best with cubed chicken rather than whole chicken breasts.

Cooking

Once you are ready to cook, heat a pan on medium high heat with a tablespoon or two of oil and pull the meat out of the marinade and place in the pan. Be careful as oil will splash a little burning you if it gets on you. Stir often until the chicken is cook all the way through.

Other Dishes

This entry was posted in Marinades and tagged Chinese Cooking Recipes, High Heat, Thick Sauce. Bookmark the permalink.

Organic Herbs

How to Choose a Spice Rack That You’ll Love

Marinades in Chinese Cooking Recipes – A Quick Marinade