• Created on 2/28/11 by BenRias

With late winter storms postponing spring indefinitely, the allure of the common cup of cocoa is certain to wear thin. So now is the perfect time to try and make something new, like a cup of the traditional Mexican hot chocolate drink, champurrado. Champurrado is a rich and decadent hot chocolate drink, spiced with cinnamon and anise. It also distinguishes itself from its American counterparts by being thickened with masa, then whipped, into a frothy, fluffy cup of goodness. When prepared properly, champurrado is not unlike a traditional cup of cappuccino—espresso... read more

• Created on 2/22/11 by CTLurker

What is Following? Following is like subscribing to another member; you'll receive notifications of their activity in public areas.   How do I follow another member? To follow a member, visit their profile page and click the "Follow Member" link under their avatar. You will be able to "unfollow" someone in the same place.   What will I be notified about? When following another member, you'll be notified about many of the same things that appear in their activity feed: replying to threads, writing reviews, and other actions they take around the... read more

• Created on 1/11/11 by densygerrston

  Created from a Chef-Viet post     Hi Folks:   This is a derivative from the ever popular Vietnamese "Nem Cua Bể" of a Seaport City (Hai-Phong) in North Vietnam.  Typically, the Vietnamese would use rice paper skin to wrap them up in a square fashion but in the US I've tried the filo skins, which turned out just fine.   Ingredients:   - 1.5 lbs Dungeness crab meat - 1 lb ground pork - 1 small bundle bean threads (soaked and diced about 1" long) - 1 cup julianed "wood ears" (black fungus) - 2 tbsp fishsauce - 1 tsp ground pepper - 2 egg... read more

• Created on 12/28/10 by Nicko

  You will likely face weeping and gnashing of teeth by serious bread makers at the mention of the word bread machine. And most will say it takes the fun out of making bread all together. True, it probably does but it does allow the masses who are looking for a convenient way to produce a simple loaf of bread without all the chemicals and the big time commitment.     The idea of a kitchen appliance that just produces a loaf of bread started in the late 80’s and caught on very quickly with just about everyone that wanted easy bread at home. Now almost... read more

• Created on 12/19/10 by ChrisLehrer

There is already an excellent wiki entry on how to cut up a whole chicken. This describes the most popular American system. However, for some purposes the French system is preferable. The present article describes the latter system in brief, explaining only the differences from the American system.   1. Remove the wishbone.   2. Remove the outermost two sections of the wings by cutting through the joint between the upper wing and the middle.   2a. (Optional) Break the cut wing sections: Hold the larger, two-boned middle section in the strong hand, thumb... read more

• Created on 12/13/10 by ChefTalk.com

  Krups KM 8150 12-cup Programmable Coffeemaker   Donated by EverythingKitchens.com   Reviewed by: Brook Elliott   About 45 years ago came a revolution in American coffee making habits. Melitta made a big splash with its drip coffee making system.   It was a simple concept. Hot water would slowly ooze through a cone of ground coffee, steeping instead of boiling. This produced a clear, clean brew, with no muddiness or bitter oils.   Until then, most Americans made coffee in a stovetop percolator. A small minority, who’d been exposed to European... read more

• Created on 12/11/10 by ChefTalk.com

    Breville Je98xl Juice Fountain Plus Juicer   Reviewed By Peter Martin Donated by www.everythingkitchens.com     I recently had the opportunity to try out the new Juice Fountain Plus juicer from Breville.  I had been contemplating adding a juicer to my kitchen for awhile now as part of my plan to start leading a healthier lifestyle.  While the healthier lifestyle hasn’t really come to fruition-and who can blame me, with the holidays coming up-I have had a lot of fun experimenting with my new juicer.     For the benefit of those new to this... read more

• Created on 11/14/10 by ChefTalk.com

  by: Joe George   Gravy (grā'vē) n., pl. –vies  a. The juices that drip from cooking meat. b. A sauce made by thickening and seasoning these juices.  --The American Heritage Dictionary     It's as ubiquitous at a Thanksgiving feast as the turkey itself. Mashed potatoes would be nothing without it, ditto for the stuffing. Sometimes it's thin and sometimes it's thick but it's always there. I'm of course speaking of gravy.   But what is it, really? If you think about it, it's simply meat juice that has been... read more

• Created on 11/13/10 by ChefTalk.com

        by Ruben Urias   The popularity of cooking in America has inspired many home cooks to attempt techniques that are all but forgotten.  Fortunately, many of these techniques do not substantially increase prep time, yet add immensely to the finished dish, not to mention the pride of the cook.  One such technique that will improve your poultry dishes is the use of trussing.      Trussing is the simple process of tying your poultry with butchers twine prior to roasting.  The process of trussing compacts your bird to give it an appealing, uniform... read more

• Created on 11/13/10 by ChefTalk.com

  By Peter Martin   "Oh the weather outside is frightful But the fire is so delightful And since we've no place to go Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"       Sammy Cahn's lyrics are sung countless times over the holiday season, and as lover of the winter season I couldn't agree more with his words, but as delightful as that fire is nothing says comfort and warmth as much as the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven.  The aromas of ginger and clove, the heady scent of cinnamon, and the deep earthy essence of molasses seems to rejuvenate and... read more