The Expert Cook

We refer to 'Special Occasions' whenever something truly special happens or it is worthwhile to be remembered all our lives, or something that happened exactly as we wanted, at the right time and the right moment, that fills our heart with joy. Sometimes, some festivals are also referred to as special occasions because during festivals we enjoy ourselves and to make the day worth remembering, we, our friends and relatives gather together and cook some special dishes so that we can enjoy the day together. There are hundreds of references relating to specials occasions. A wedding day, or a brithday, and anniversary can also be termed as special occasion. These occasions come into the lives of everybody at every ages.Generally during special occasions we try to cook some special and mouthwatering dishes that could be enjoyed by the guests. We feel proud if we get compliments about our efforts.However sometimes our efforts get ruined and the entire occasion turns out to be great flop especially when some of the dishes we cook do not come up to the expectations. In that case we become sad. But we should always try to find the reasons and causes for our failure. In most of the cases it is seen that the failure was due to lack of proper planning and gathering the right materials of the preparations we have planned to cook as per the receipe. So before starting to cook for some special occasions we should chalk out a plan about the dishes to be prepared and served, obtain the right recepes for the dishes and last but not the least, take the help of someone who has some idea about cooking the dishes we have planned to serve.

Most of us never know that many of the tasty  and rich dishes as well as the side dishes that we relish at parties, receptions and restaurents were in fact prepared very quickly  and easily with little effort. Therefore this means that if you have the will and ideas, you too can make many delicious dishes during a special occasion with little time. Your efforts will in fact be appreciated by all those who were present in the function and had your dishes.

First of all we have to  learn the trick. The trick is to choose a simple meat dish and dress it up with more decadent side dishes. You will be surprised to know that the rich side dishes which were in greater number then the meat dish, was in fact very simple and easily made while the main meat dish had to be prepared with great culinary skills. While choosing your dishes, you hve to take into account the tastes of your guests as well as your family members. It should be borne in mind that children may never like the hot and spicy chicken cordon bleu or veal Marsala and may frankly inform you that they did not this or that dish which may embarrass you in front of your other guests.

The next trick for cooking for some special occasions is to prepare as much as is possible  before the event in order to save time and effort. This will enable you to enjoy the cooking as well as the function as lot of pressure will alleviated and you will find time to enjoy yourself instead of sweating it out  in the kitchen. However take care not to cook days before the event as the food may become stale and there may be remarks about your cooking as nobody likes state food.  You may however make preliminary arrangements like preparing the menu, arranging for the spices, herbs etc some days before the special occasion as this will save you lot of time and worry.

Foods that can be prepared ahead of time and reheated just prior to serving are often the best when it comes to cooking for special occasions. There are all kinds of appetizers, entrees, and desserts that will work perfectly in this particular instance. You can often find them by performing a simple Google search online or by sorting through many of your favorite cookbooks at home. The important thing is that you do not get so caught up in the idea of cooking for special occasions that you forget to actually enjoy the occasion.

If this is not the way you prefer to do things that is perfectly understandable. Some of us do thrive in high stress situations. The key for those who prefer to do all the meal preparation when cooking for special occasions at the time of cooking is planning properly and allowing plenty of time for possible hiccups in the process. Mistakes occur when people feel rushed and hurried in their culinary efforts.

Another useful tip for cooking for special occasions is never cook anything that is foreign to you or you don't really know about its process as this will take a lot of your time and you may make mistakes. When you are preparing a challenging recipe it is best if you do this during a time when you are not going through the stress of potential visitors or insuring the best possible of circumstances. In other words, it is best to challenge your culinary talents when you do not have a vested interest in success.

Actually special occasions are occasions to have a great time and fun  with your family members, relatives and friends. So you must keep this in mind. Special occasions do occur many times in our life, but we must remember that these occasions are for enjoying ourselves. We would be fools if we fret over the cooking issues and waste our time and efforts instead of enjoying ourselves. Yes, we must  cook dishes, but we should try to cook only those dishes which are simple, tasty and can be relished by everyone attending the occasion. Never be anxious about these events but try to really enjoy yourself so that in future you have wonderful recollections about  the events. 

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General

It is a general notion that any room, whether it is small or situated in any location of a house will serve the purpose of a kitchen. But this is not true. Most housewives spend a great deal of their time in the kitchen making breakfast, lunch, tea or dinner for her family members or guests. So the kitchen should usually be ideally located in the house. It should be brightest and convenient to use. A medium sized kitchen is generally preferred because two or three persons can work in it. A small kitchen restricts the movement. Therefore, when we are building a new house this important factor should be always kept in mind because it is the kitchen is just like the Health Department because our general health and well being largely depends on it. You may also call it as the 'Household Workshop,' because many things are prepared and made inside a kitchen.

All kitchens should have windows on two sides of the room so that  sunlight and air can have free entry inside. This will make the kitchen bright and airy. We should always remember that light and free movement of air inside all the rooms of the house is very essential for our health and general well being. The kitchen sink and other water taps should be provided with good and adequate drainage system. There should also be adequate ventilator systems for free movement of air and also all gases, odours and steam which are produced during cooking can freely go out of the kitchen.

The kitchen should be large enough with space for keeping some chairs and tables and should be provided with cupboards and sink. The cupboards are necessary to keep all the materials used for daily use as well as utensils in an arranged manner. The utensils used should also be bright and clean and kept tidily stacked, because a bright and airy kitchen goes a long way in increasing our appetites as well as health. Whereas a dirty, small and dark kitchen may increase unpleasentness in our general behaviour, not to speak about guests who may feel uncomfortable if they see a dirty kitchen. The character of a housewife or houskeeper can easily be judged by others by their kitchens.There should be ample space for tables, chairs, range, sink, and cupboards, yet the room should not be so large as to necessitate too many steps.  The kitchen flooring should be well made preferably out of good moisture proof concrete or floor tiles as these are better then wooden floor and can be cleaned easily. If wooden flooring is used, then it should be well polished so that stains and grease can be easily removed by using a soft damp cloth. If it is possible then some pictures and other fancy items and wall hangings can be used to increase the attractiveness of the kitchen. Some pots of flowers can be placed on the window ledge or upon the brackets of the windows. A windox box arranged as a jardiniere with blooming plants and vines will further increase the attractiveness of the kitchen.

Furnitures

 There should not be any cumbersome furniture inside the kitchen and if there are any furniture at all, it should be so made so that it can be cleaned easily. Plenty of cupboards should be provided so that particular items, utensils, pots and pans, crockery etc. can be put in their own particular cupboard for easy retrieval and use. If possible, cupboards should be provided with sliding doors as they open easily and  do not occupy space about. The sliding doors should be placed on casters for easy movement. Sliding doors are more convenient and superior to closets and look more attractive also. The Cupboards used for the storage of food should be well ventilated; otherwise, they furnish choice conditions for the development of mold and germs.  The cupboards may be ventilated by means of openings in the top and if possible very fine wire gauze which will easily admit air may be used in the doors.

If you want to keep some tables inside the kitchen, then small tables of suitable height on easry-rolling casters with zinc tops may be used. These tops can be easily cleaned. No drawers should be provided in the tables because it is seen that general and useless things are often stuffed inside the drawers. A suitable place may be kept aside for keeping some handy tools which are used frequently in the kitchen. Small shelves may be made above the cooking range for keeping all the materials, such as spices, tea, coffee, sugar etc which are used very frequently daily.This will help you to find things you need for cooking very easily.

The Kitchen sink

The sink is one of the most indispensible article of daily use in a kitchen. The sink must be properly constructed and the outlet for free movement of  waste water and other waste products should be properly made and care for, because a jammed outlet may cause number of problems for the housekeeper and is also a health hazard for the members of the family. The sink should be preferably constructed out of the wall for easy access to all its sides for the sake of cleaniness. All the pipes and fitures, taps etc. should be selected carefully and placed by a qualified plumber. The drainage system should always be kept clean because if proper care is not taken, the refuse may often accumulate inside the pipes and outlets and may cause  a blockage. Consequently waster water may accumulate inside the pipes which may sometimes overflow out of the sink which is a great health hazard and also a cause of great discomfort to the person who habitually uses the kitchen. Disinfectant should be regularly used. Refuse and other solid wastes should never be thrown on the sink for obvious reasons. They hould be thrown inside a Bin and kept out for disposal.It is generally seen  that some careless domestic helps and housekeepers often throw waste materials and other small table bits into the sink. They should be advised not to do so.  

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I am sure that many of your have certainly seen or heard about the comedy TV Serial 'Married with Children." This serial had dominated the television for quite some years and I think it is still shown now and then in some parts of the world, maybe dubbed in the local language. This serial was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. The story of the serial tells us about the dysfunctional family and some humourous episodes that brings laughter and joy into our lives and also some moments that can be turning points in our lives. This is also equally true in the case of taking the help of your children while cooking. It can be safely said that cooking with children can be really fun!

When you cook with your children you also the get opportunity of learning their behaviour. The children in turn view you with more freedom and in some cases some introvert chld can turn into a bundle of fun. It is a fact that children feel honoured if you take their help and they leave no stone unturned in doing a work perfectly to your satisfaction. One little word of encouragement gives them a boost and they become more lively, energetic and full of zest. A child becomes more responsbile if some responsibility is given to him. So you can let your hair down and relax if you have children helping out while cooking. If you really want to enjoy cooking with children then your attitude have to be more easy going and you have to leave the idea that you are the soverign of your kitchen and let them have the full run of it.Only then you can really enjoy cooking with children, otherwise it may turn into a nightmare.

Remember that by letting the children help you in your cooking, you are helping them in learning some new skills which will later help them considerably in the future. One piece of advice is that if you really want to enjoy the day then you must arrange the things needed for cooking and keep them in a nearby place where you can easily find them or else you may run out of patience running about trying to find out things.

Another great rule of thumb when it comes to cooking with children is the KISS rule. Keep it simple silly. This rule will help out more than you ever realize. First of all, most children have relatively short attention spans. While they want to learn and help mommy out, they also do not want to have enough time to get bored with the details. Use simple recipes when cooking with children and your chances for success will be much greater than with overly complicated or ingredient intense recipes.

As if this wasn't enough to absorb another very important rule when it comes to cooking with children is to clean as you go whenever possible. Trust me on this. While there is part of you who will want to put off the task of cleaning the messes that are made until later, or wait till the end and only clean once, this allows the opportunity for messes to layer and compound themselves. Constantly clean throughout the process for the best possible results. You should enlist your children in the cleaning process as well. While it may be easier to do yourself, it is far more important to teach them the basics of cleaning as you go. Remember one day they will more than likely invade your kitchen while you're not looking.

So remember, cooking with children can be an incredible way to have some fun. But you can really enjoy if you leave the reigns of your kingdom, that is the kitchen to them. Just try it once and then see what a wonderful and memorable day you will have. The little ones will certainly delight you with their frollicky ways. You will certainly cherish these memories some day in future. ....For more articles on cooking

What is Gluten? Gluten is a sticky substance that is found commonly in flour and wheat products. Gluten helps your baked food from crumbling. It also traps pockets of air which improves the texture and taste of breads,cakes or biscuits. A Gluten free diet is prescribed by Doctors to those patients suffering from Celia disease and wheat allergy. There is fairly a large percentage of the population who develop a negative reaction to Gluten. Therefore, it i imperative for this percentage of the population to have a Gluten free diet.

There are many restrictions on Gluten free cooking, so those persons recommended on Gluten free diet may find it difficult for dining out in Restaurants, which are enjoyed by normal people on non Glutenfree diet. But there are good news also. More and more Restaurants are now acknowledging this fact and have included some selected Gluten free dishes in their Menus. But for full implementation it wil take some time, just as it took the food industry to acknowledge the craze for low carb diet that the persons who are physical fitness programs are adopting.

Persons on Gluten free diet may find it frustrating and unpleasant in not having the option of dining out. There are also challenges to be faced trying to find out new and tasty foods as well as different combinations everyday, so as not to eat the same food daily. Therefore, these persons should consider as a challenge and try to make the process of preparing the meals more enjoyable and trouble free.

The food processing industry is now preparing precooked and packaged Gluten free foods especially intended for those persons recommended on Gluten free diet. Therefore, nowadays, more options are available then it was before. Gluten free cookies and cakes are now freely available in the market.

The Internet is also playing an important role in this regard and is supporting not only the adults who require special Gluten free diets, but also the parents of those children who must have Gluten free diets. Many recipes on preparing Gluten free foods are freely available in the Internet and can be easily copied or downloaded. Therefore the choice and resources for those on Gluten free diet have become wider.

If by chance you absolutely require a Gluten free diet recipe but have no idea where to search for it, you will be amazed to find a host of information as well as other issues related to Gluten free diet on on the Internet. Some Departmental Stores like Trader Joes or other wholesale Stores will definitely have Gluten free products for you cooking needs.

One piece of advice for those on Gluten free diet is that just bear in mind that Gluten free cooking need not always be a boring affair and the food prepared, is not always bland and tasteless. You can become a wonderful Gluten free cook by taking your time, going through the various recipes and practice. After a few days you will be surprised to find how tasty and good to eat, the Gluten free food is, and from then onwards you will start enjoying it......Read more. Go to Dietspan.com

The  Breakfast is the most important meal of our day. It is the first meal which we take after getting up in the morning. Therefore, eating a healthy breakfast is very important. It is just like putting some fuel in the fuel tank of a motor car before we start traveling. A healthy and wholesome filling breakfast gives us all the energy we need to start our day. We should never skip breakfast, we are likely to get tired and hungry very soon and eat more in the afternoon which is not at all helpful if you are thinking of losing some weight as you are likely to put on more weight in this way. It has been seen that people who eat breakfast regularly are more healthy and energetic and have low level of cholesterol and are less prone to disease. We should therefore never miss our breakfast even if we are very busy. Choosing a correct breakfast will fill our lives with zing and pep.....Read more. Go to Dietspan.com