Top 10 Recipes

RECIPES

1. Lasagna Rolls
2. Italian Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups
3. Mamma's Mac and Cheese
4. Garlic-Lime Chicken with Olives
5. Poached Peaches with Cardamom Yogurt
6. Jerky Turkey Burgers with Papaya Salsa
7. Country Fried Steak with Biscuits and Gravy
8. The Ultimate Roast Chicken
9. Savannah Cheesecake Cookies
10. Quick Pulled Pork Chica-dillas

From The Food Network Website

random facts about food

During the Alaskan Klondike gold rush, (1897-1898) potatoes were practically worth their weight in gold. Potatoes were so valued for their vitamin C content that miners traded gold for potatoes.

In 1995, KFC sold 11 pieces of chicken for every man, woman and child in the US.

Astronaut John Glenn ate the first meal in space when he ate pureed applesauce squeezed from a tube aboard Friendship 7 in 1962.

Fortune cookies were invented in 1916 by George Jung, a Los Angeles noodle maker.

In 1990, Bill Carson, of Arrington, Tennessee, grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds.

In a true Chinese meal, the last course is soup because it allows the roast duck entree to "swim" toward digestion.

In the United States, a pound of potato chips costs two hundred times more than a pound of potatoes.

Refried beans aren't really what they seem. Although their name seems like a reasonable translation of Spanish frijoles refritos, the fact is that these beans aren't fried twice. In Spanish, refritos literally means "well-fried," not "re-fried."

Rice is the staple food of more than one-half of the world's population.

Saffron, made from the dried stamens of cultivated crocus flowers, is the most expensive cooking spice.

Since Hindus don't eat beef, the MacDonald's in New Delhi makes its burgers with mutton.

The colour of a chilli is no indication of its spiciness, but size usually is - the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is.

The difference between apple juice and apple cider is that the juice is pasteurized and the cider is not.

The dye used to stamp the grade on meat is edible. It's made from grape skins.

The largest living organism ever found is a honey mushroom, Armillaria ostoyae. It covers 3.4 square miles of land in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, and it's still growing.

The world's deadliest mushroom is the Amanita phalloides, the death cap. The five different poisons contained by the mushroom cause diarrhea and vomiting within 6 to 12 hours of ingestion. This is followed by damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system - and, in the majority of cases, coma and death.

When honey is swallowed, it enters the blood stream within a period of 20 minutes.

When Swiss cheese ferments, a bacterial action generates gas. As the gas is liberated, it bubbles through the cheese leaving holes. Cheese-makers call them "eyes."

Source: http://www.funfacts.com.au/interesting-food-facts/

~Funny Things Peopole Have Seen & Said~

Signs:

"Open seven days a week. Closed Sundays." -- On the bottom of a pizza parlor's take-out menu.
"Parking for drive-through customers only." -- A sign at a McDonald's in California.

"We are Handicapped - Friendly. For example, if you are blind, we will read the menu for you." -- A notice in a restaurant.

"Eat Here - Get Gas" -- A sign at a gas station.

"Hot drinks to take out or sit in." -- A sign on a cafe.

"You can't beat our meat!" -- A sign on a restaurant, now closed.

"Our Infamous Steaks" -- A sign at a restaurant in Raleigh, NC.

"Now Hiring / Sausage Biscuits / $1" -- A sign at a McDonald's.

"NOW HIRING / TWO FRENCH DIPS / FOR TWO DOLLARS." -- A sign at an Arby's in North Bend, Washington.

"Please consume all food on premises." -- A sign at a Souplantation restaurant.

Quotes:

"Is there chicken in your vegetarian gumbo?" -- Asked of a waitress.

"Just the chicken." -- The response a waitress gave when asked if there were any dairy products in a soup.

"You want fries with that?" -- Asked when a customer ordered an apple turnover.

"Is there any meat in the veggie rolls?"

"How many pieces are in the eight piece chicken deal?"

"That's not an animal. It's a mammal." -- Cafeteria worker serving shrimp at a public high school.

This was taken from http://www.rinkworks.com/said/restaurants.shtml.

Defintion of Food

Food - is any substance, usually composed primarily of carbohydrates, fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be derived from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although many human cultures sought food items through hunting and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of a local nature included but playing a minor role.
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food#Food_sources)

Popular Dessert Recipes

( information from the food network website)

Chocolate Chip Pie

Pie:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2-sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts, optional
Whipped cream: 2 pints (4-cups) heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) pie plates; set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix until fully combined. Fold in the 3 cups chocolate chips and, if desired, the walnuts. Divide the dough between the prepared pie plates and smooth the tops with a spatula.

Bake about 30 minutes or until pies are golden and slightly firm to the touch but still soft. If the pies begin to darken too much before they are baked through, cover with foil and continue baking. Let pies cool completely on a wire rack.
While the pies cool, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form (tips curl). Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use. Spread the whipped cream over the pies and serve.


Deep-Fried Cheesecake

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 (4-ounce) bar white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
30 Oriental spring roll wrappers Egg wash (whisk 1 egg with 1 cup milk)
1 (4-ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, chopped
Vegetable oil, as needed
Powdered sugar, as needed
8 ounces chocolate sauce, in squirt bottle
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cheesecake:
In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press firmly on bottom and 1-inch up sides of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Bake 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate.
Carefully pour batter into the prepared crust. Bake 45 minutes.
Let cool completely on wire rack. Chill 8 hours before serving to set.
Cut the cheesecake into approximately 3 by 1-inch uniform pieces.
Deep-Fried Cheesecake Rolls: Heat oil n deep-fryer to 365 degrees F.
Lightly moisten each spring roll wrapper with the egg wash. Blot off excess egg wash with paper towels. Place each piece of cheesecake in the middle of a wrapper. Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate. Fold top of wrapper down over the cheesecake, and both sides toward the middle. Roll each piece of cheesecake toward you until it is completely rolled up. Make sure the egg roll is tightly packed with its edges sealed.
Gently release "egg rolls" into the oil and cook until golden brown, roughly 2 minutes. Using tongs remove the golden-brown "egg rolls" from the oil. Place each "egg roll" in a bowl of powdered sugar and coat well. Place deep-fried rolls of cheesecake on paper towels to cool slightly before serving.
Drizzle with chocolate sauce and top with whipped cream.


S'more Brownies

Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar Pinch fine salt

Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.
For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.


Deep-dish Apple Pie

4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup sugar, plus
1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows
1 egg beaten with
1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it. Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits. Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.
Perfect Pie Crust: 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust. Yield: 2 (10-inch) crusts

The Art of Cooking

The Art of Cooking

http://www.sand.org.uk/img/screenings/RATATOUILLE_Linguini&Remy-0.jpg

Food is ART and the chef is like a painter presented with an empty canvas waiting to be filled with all the colors of the rainbow which combined will make a masterpiece. Cooking is not a simple task but an art which derives from the soul of the maker to create a meal that will put a spell over the one who dears to taste it. Cooking combines all the senses and activates all nerves to work toward the single goal of creating the perfect sweetness of a Cream Brule or perfectly crusted Lasagna. And it may be perfectly safe to say that creating an exceptional meal will require more than to create a painting. Cooking requires a sense of taste, smell, touch and every other aspect of the senses which one may imagine. But who has such extraordinary powers to control the senses? Are people born chefs or do they become such with the time and practice? A chef is like no other human being. He is extraordinary because his senses are much different then ours. A chef is born different then anybody else because he has the ability to create, combining gas particles into an enchanting smells of a meal. This artist can combine all the colors of tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce into something that will prelude the eye.
Such art as done by the chef does not leave a solid mark as a painting on the wall which will last the passage of time but creates a feeling, a taste of perfect combination of natures products into one and such taste stays for ever. When time passes the taste is gone but somewhere deep into the heart of the nervous system the body still remembers and starts to drool every time the memory of artist’s meal comes back. Such art is not for a canvas because it will do it no justice. It could not be put into a photo in a beautiful frame and it could not be made into a sculpture. Such art can be done only one time for each time something is different either the fruits are bought form a different store or grew under different circumstances. Such art can be done only one time and the one who is luck enough to taste it can keep it forever.

Food Records

FOOD EATING CONTESTS AND RECORDS

“I once heard of an individual who made a bet that he would eat twelve dozen oysters, washed down by twelve glasses of Champagne, while the cathedral clock...was striking twelve. He won his bet by placing a dozen fresh oysters in twelve wine glasses, and having swallowed the oysters, he washed down each dozen with a glass of Champagne. I should not have mentioned this disgusting feat, but to add that he felt no evil effects..., proving incontestably the digestive and sanitary properties of this mollusk."'The Oyster' (London 1863)

The record for eating live cockroaches is held by Ken Edwards of Derbyshire, England. In 2001 he ate 36 hissing Madagascar roaches in one minute. (2006)

Chris Hendrix holds the world record for eating Crawfish. He ate 331 crawfish in 12 minutes.

Richard LeFevre holds the world record for eating SPAM by eating 6 pounds in 12 minutes.

Richard LeFevre holds the world record for eating Watermelon. He ate 11 1/2 pounds in 15 minutes.

Sonya Thomas ate 36 dozen oysters in 10 minutes for the world record.

Sonya Thomas holds the World Record for cheesecake eating. She ate 11 pounds of cheesecake in 9 minutes.

Sonya Thomas won $500 and a trophy belt at the World Lobster Eating Contest in Kennebunkport, Maine (8/22/2004). She ate 9.76 pounds of lobster meat (38 lobsters) in 12 minutes.

She also holds the record for hard boiled eggs, and pork & beans (8.4 pounds in 2 minutes 47 seconds) and many others. She weighs only 105 pounds.

The world eating competition for cow brains is held by Takeru Kobayashi, 17.7 pounds in 15 minutes.

The world record for butter eating is 7 quarter pound sticks of salted butter in 5 minutes by Donald Lerman.

The world record for eating cabbage is held by Charles Hardy. He ate 6 pounds 9 ounces in 9 minutes.

The world record for eating Conch Fritters is 45 fritters in 6 minutes, held by Joe Menchetti.

The world record for eating corn on the cob is 33 1/2 ears in 12 minutes, held by Cookie Jarvis.

The world record for eating hot dogs is 53 1/2 Nathan's hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes by Takeru Kobayashi.

The world record for eating mayonnaise is held by Oleg Zhornitskiy; he ate 4 - 32 ounce bowls in 8 minutes.

(From the website http://www.foodreference.com/html/food-eating-contests-records.html)