A Spicy Encounter Part 4 Of 4 Tangy Hot And Amalgamating Spices

Writen by Lisa Paterson

Spices come from the buds, bark, stems, roots, berries and seeds of plants. Any part except for the leaf is termed a spice, the leaves are classified as herbs.

Spices are generally grouped into five categories based on flavor – sweet; tangy; pungent; hot and amalgamating. Today we will delve further into the tangy, hot and amalgamating spices and discover their secrets.

TANGY SPICES
Tangy spices tend to have a distinctly acidic flavor thus the tangy name. When using these spices you can reduce the amount of lemon juice or vinegar in the recipe due to their own acidic flavor.

Each of the tangy spices have a distinct flavor which is unique and combines well to produce exotic flavors.

Sumac
Sumac is made from the outer flesh of the ripe, crimson berry from a Middle Eastern plant. It is high in malic acid, which is what gives green apples their tang.

This dark purple powder is a relatively new ingredient in main stream cooking but has been used by kebab shops for flavoring onion rings for years.

Sumac works well with tomatoes and salads and is fantastic on avocado. It is also great as a meat rub.

Tamarind
Tamarind comes from the pods of trees native to east Africa and possibly south Asia. As the pulp inside the pods oxidizes it turns a black color and becomes extremely sticky. This sticky, black mass called tamarind is very high in tartaric acid and is used as a souring agent in many Indian recipes.

Recipes often ask for tamarind water. This is made by soaking a walnut sized piece of tamarind in half a cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the liquid and discard the pulp. The water can then be used to flavor soups and curries.

HOT SPICES
It is often the hot spice that causes a dish to be termed "spicy". These should be used sparingly so that the heat does not dominate the flavor of the meal.

Chili
The best known of the hot spices. It is definitely a personal taste as to how much chili to use.

Different varieties of chilies provide a different level of heat. The membrane and seeds inside are the hottest part and can burn the skin, so be careful when preparing not to rub the eyes.

Dried chili has a different flavor because of the caramelized sugars and have a more robust taste. Use in a variety of savory dishes, but start sparingly until you discover your heat tolerance.

Horseradish
The searing heat of the horseradish is created by the cutting or scraping of the root of the plant. The cutting of the root causes sinigrin (a glucoside) and myrosin (an enzyme) to combine and form a oil. This oil is what produces those head clearing, tear inducing fumes.

Horseradish is generally served in a raw state with roasted meats and ham.

Mustard
Mustard is very versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. The mustard seeds only become hot when they come in contact with liquid. The liquid activates enzymes within the seed that create the heat. Water makes mustard hottest whereas vinegar inhibits the enzyme producing a milder flavor.

When brown mustard seeds are fried, as used in some Indian recipes, the enzyme is broken down and instead the seeds impart a nutty taste without the heat.

Mustard is often served with roast meats and vegetables. Add to stews and casseroles for an extra 'bite'.

Pepper
Pepper is universally accepted and probably the only spice which is put on the table for dinners to add to their own taste.

Pepper comes from peppercorns harvested from a tropical, native southern Indian, vine. Picked green the peppercorns are dried in the sun, this causes an enzyme to turn them black and creates a volatile oil called piperine. This is what gives freshly ground black pepper its distinct flavor.

White pepper, which is hotter, is made by soaking the peppercorns in water for a few days and then rubbing off the black skin. Green and pink peppercorns are the same peppercorns that are soaked in brine instead of being dried. However, dried pink peppercorns come from a different tree native to South America.

AMALGAMATING SPICES
These perform a special role in uniting the flavors of other spices in spice blends. They are generally mild tasting and is why they combine well with most other spices.

Candle Nut
A native to northern Australia and parts of South-East Asia, the nuts look similar to macadamia nuts but slightly heart shaped. The candle nut is so called because the native Australians used to burn them and due to their high oil content they keep burning for a long time.

They have a mild toxicity that is destroyed by cooking. Used as a thickener in many Asian dishes.

Coriander Seed
The coriander leaf is a herb that has a distinct flavor that you either love or hate. While the coriander seed is mild and very agreeable to the palate.

Used in many Asian foods.

Fennel Seed
The fennel bulb is eaten as a vegetable and the seeds are dried as a spice. It is indigenous to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. While it tastes mildly of aniseed it is also sweet and complements savory dishes of Europe and Asia.

Dry roasting the fennel seeds, causes them to develop a caramel like taste.

Paprika
Paprika is a name give to a wide range of red powders made from the fruit of the paprika plant, which is a member of the chili family.

Sweet paprika is full bodied and capsicum like, with no heat or lingering bitterness. Often used to add color to dishes is blends well with other spices.

Poppy Seed
These come in two varieties – blue and white. Both come from the opium poppy, which originated in the Middle East.

Poppy seeds have a nutty flavor that is popular in baked goods. White poppy seeds are used to thicken curries while the blue seeds are great on pasta and in baked goods.

Sesame Seed
Sesame seeds come from ripe pods which shatter and send the seeds flying in all directions at the slightest touch. The white sesame seeds we are used to seeing have had the husk removed whereas black sesame seeds still have the husk intact.

White sesame seeds are used in baked goods and some Asian dishes. The black sesame seeds are predominately used in Japanese cuisine.

Turmeric
Related to the ginger plant, turmeric is a tropical plant and we harvest the rhizome to make the spice. Turmeric has an earthy flavor that combines well with cumin, coriander, cardamom and chili.

It works particularly well in curries, in Middle Eastern seafood recipes and Moroccan spice blends

Well, there you have it, a brief introduction into the world of tangy, hot and amalgamating spices. Enjoy cooking and use spices with confidence.

Lisa hopes you have enjoyed this series on Spices. Join her for more interesting 'food talk' at her websites, which feature Crock Pot Recipes; Chinese Fortune Cookies and Cupcakes.

**Webmasters - Please feel free to add this article to your site. Just remember to ensure the links remain live and static. Regards Lisa**

Cooking With Tea Gives Holiday Recipes A Healthful Boost

Writen by Terry Calamito

It's no secret that tea is good for you. It provides antioxidants [which prevent damage to cell tissues], has less caffeine than coffee, and calms the soul. What easier way to reap its benefits than by adding some to your cuisine, especially during the hectic holidays?

Incorporating tea into your cooking is easy, and you don't have to know a lot to start experimenting. The quickest way to get started is to grab a few teabags and throw them in the water when steaming vegetables, according to Ying Chang Compestine, author of *Cooking With Green Tea* (Avery/Penguin Putnam, 2000). "Infusing vegetables this way adds a delicate flavor to the food. The ones I like to use are Celestial Seasonings Blueberry Tea, or Lemon Ginger Green Tea," she says.

"It's also very easy to use tea as a spice when stir frying," says Ying. When using tea in this way, you add the dry tea leaves to the heated oil as you would any other spice or seasoning. "I have all kinds of tea next to my spice rack. For chicken or fish I use green or white tea. It just depends on what I'm cooking," she adds.

Most people have teabags in their cupboards, but may not have full leaf teas. "Don't worry about getting loose tea or knowing about loose teas," Ying advises. "For most cooking, bag tea is much easier. Just snip the teabag open and use the tea."

"One thing I love to do is to cook rice with jasmine green tea," says Donna Fellman, Director of the Tea Education Alliance and author of *Tea Here Now* (Inner Ocean Publishing, 2005) "For a heartier, savory meal use oolong [a tea that is considered in between green and black] to make your rice. It's lovely."

To prepare rice this way, start by making the tea. Donna recommends using loose tea leaves for this recipe. Put a teaspoon or two of leaves per cup of water in a teapot or other vessel. Heat the water to almost boiling and pour over the leaves. Steep about three minutes. Remove the spent leaves and set aside to use again later. Bring the brewed tea to a boil and add the rice. Turn down to a simmer and look forward to the delicate aroma that will soon fill your kitchen.

It's important not to over brew tea whether you intend to use it in a recipe or drink it. Making tea stronger is not a result of longer steeping. "Any kind of tea is going to get bitter if you over brew it," says Lenny Martinelli, Owner and Executive Chef of the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House in Colorado. "When I cook with tea I make the brew stronger by adding more tea to it."

Consider serving chai during holiday meals, which naturally lends itself to the season with its cinnamon and clove.

The adventurous cook can experiment by combining tea leaves with other vegetables as Lenny does in his potstickers [a type of Chinese dumpling]. "I put some green tea leaves in the filling, maybe with some spinach." For a tea-inspired holiday recipe, he creates a chicken rub with spiced black tea, cumin, coriander and cinnamon. "A nice holiday roasted chicken with dried fruit sauce, de-glazing the pan with orange juice and letting the tea and spices come out." He adds, "I think sometimes people expect too much from the tea leaf when they cook with tea. You're not trying to make a full tea flavor. It's important to treat it like an ingredient. Just play with it."

What about dessert?

Teas flavored with jasmine, rose, lemon or fruit are used to make cookies, pudding, ice cream, cake, smoothies and shakes. Try Ying's quick green tea ice cream: Stir 1/2 teaspoon of matcha [Japanese powdered green tea] into 1 cup of softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze it. How easy is that?

In the end there is nothing like taking time out for yourself so that you can enjoy the holidays. "Make sure that while you're busy preparing delightful holiday food that you take time to sit and enjoy a cup of tea," says Donna. "You will get more of tea's health giving and soul nurturing properties. The tea will prepare you to cook in a mindful way and will infuse your food with that calmness, which gets passed along to your family and guests."

Ying Chang Compestine is spokesperson for Celestial Seasonings. More information about her and her books is available at www.yingc.com. Donna Fellman and Bodhidharma Tea Company can be reached at 303-402-9576. Lenny Martinelli's cooking classes and other tea events are listed at www.boulderteahouse.com.

Freelance writer and Tea Promoter Terry Calamito publishes the free weekly ezine "Start Sipping." If you're a tea lover or just want to find out about tea's health benefits and maybe slow down a little to have a cup, subscribe for free at http://www.switchtotea.com.

Rice Cookers Perfect Rice Every Time

Writen by Curtis Miller

Love fluffy cooked rice but dislike the preparation time and clean up? Then rice cookers maybe just what you need. Today's rice cooker is a thrifty time saving device for anyone's kitchen. Also eating rice weekly has many health benefits. With so many rice cookers to choose from how does one decide? Let's take a look at the many features and sizes of a rice cooker and determine which is right for you and your family.

Size - How much rice will you cook at one time? Also consider how much space you have for storing the unit. Rice cookers very in the amount of uncooked rice they hold, between 5 to 10 cups. If one's family is large or rice is used when having a dinner party then a higher capacity rice cooker will do a nice job. On the other hand cooking for one or two people makes a smaller model a wise choice.

More desirable features - Rice cookers with a glass lid is a "must have" to watch the cooking process. It is also a great idea if the lid has vent holes for steam to escape. This feature makes cleaning up the cooker less messy. Look for a rice cooker with a removable cord as this makes storage easier. Non-stick pans are a must and many models now come with a water measuring line inside the pan wall.

The top rice cookers today are what is called "fuzzy logic cookers". They are programmed to read the different kinds of rice and adjust the settings according. This would be ideal for folks who love to eat many varieties of rice. This cooker is on the high side of the price scale though.

The internet is a great place to find the perfect rice cooker for you. Browsing thru online stores is an easy way to compare different models. Most manufacturers also have great detailed pictures to help one decide. Rice cookers can have many features so be sure to check them all out.

Curtis Miller is a successful author and publisher of Kitchens 4u. Your source for quality items for your kitchen.

For Ease Of Use Nothing Beats A Barbeque Gas Grill

Writen by Andrew Bicknell

As most barbeque lovers know there is an ongoing debate over which the best type of grill to own is; a charcoal grill or a barbeque gas grill. For many people nothing beats the smoky flavor of their favorite foods cooked over hot coals. And while it can be hard to dispute the charm and additional flavor of cooking over charcoal, there are some good reasons why using a barbeque gas grill is a better choice.

There are people who like to barbeque all year round, even in the dead of winter. For those who are located more southerly this may not present as much of a problem because it remains relatively warm. But there are people farther north who think nothing of digging their grill out of the snow and firing it up on the coldest of days. This is where the gas barbeque grill comes in handy. No messing around with messy charcoal bags and waiting for the coals to get ready. With the automatic igniters on most gas grills these hardy souls can be grilling in no time.

One of the big draw backs of a charcoal grill are they can be messy to operate and maintain. If you use your charcoal barbeque grill a lot you know that the ash build up and getting rid of those ashes is a messy hassle. Those ashes can also present a fire hazard, particularly if left on a wood deck in an ash bucket. There is also the potential fire hazard that comes with using charcoal and the lighter fluid needed to get the coals going.

There is no grill out there that can beat the ease and manageability of a barbeque gas grill. They can be used anytime of the year and the worry of lighting the charcoal and waiting for the coals to get ready is a thing of the past. And while a gas barbeque grill does need maintenance there is not the messy ash to deal with. No more scooping the ash out of the bottom of the barbeque and trying to find a place to dump them.

Probably the greatest asset of the barbeque gas grill is how quickly you can fire it up and be ready to grill. If you have propane in the tank enjoying some tasty barbeque is just the push of the igniter away. If you have natural gas service to your house you can even hook your grill up to that and never have to worry about running out of propane or charcoal again. You can convert a propane grill to natural gas with a conversion kit you can buy at any home improvement store.

Although some people will disagree there is not much difference between the food cooked on a charcoal grill and on a barbeque gas grill. It my take a little getting used to the way a gas grill barbeques your food, but the ease of use will get you cooking your favorite barbeque recipes in no time.

Andrew Bicknell is a barbeque aficionado with a website about barbequing. For more information about barbeque gas grill visit his web site Backyard Barbeque.

Easy And Delicious Menu Planning Top 10 Free Web Sites

Writen by Kathy Ferneau

Large food manufacturers maintain some of the best menu and recipe planning web sites on the internet. Loaded with ideas and information, you'll find abundant photos of the entire preparation process along with tips and suggestions to make your cooking better.

These sites promote the manufacturer's products, of course, and specialize in easy, fast cooking. Web site offerings serve up massive, free recipe databases. Easily searchable and updated regularly, harried cooks are presented with a treasure trove of resources.

www.kraftfoods.com
Freebies include:

• Sign up for a free, full-color glossy magazine sent to your home
• Recipe Box to store your own recipes
• Make your own Meal and Fitness Plan
• Logs and journals for tracking exercise and weight loss
• Food calculators for carbohydrates, calcium, body mass index

The parent company for many other brands, including Oscar Mayer, Minute Rice, and Jell-O, Kraft lists those brands here: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/About/About+Brands.htm
Each brand links to its own web site with recipes and cooking tips.

www.campbellsoup.com
From here you can go to many of Campbell's other web sites, including Pepperidge Farms and Pace. Sign up for a daily recipe e-mail, get an on-line recipe box, lots of recipes with ratings by consumers (good AND bad). Categories include Homemade in 20 minutes and Favorite Family Meals.

Try out their own diet plan,"Soup for Life," a 1,200 calorie per day plan with 30 days of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, provided in a downloadable PDF file.

www.hersheys.com
Click on the Hersheys Kitchen link. Find baking tips, recipes and recipe box, a grocery list builder, monthly recipe newsletter, games, crafts, sweepstakes. Need a quick, no-calorie chocolate fix? Check out the opening screen at their site.

www.generalmills.com
Click on recipes. General Mills includes Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and Bisquick. Find all their brands on this page: http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/our_websites/index.aspx
From there you can click to each specific brand's web site.

www.mccormick.com
The seasoning company. Click on recipes, message boards, a comprehensive spice encyclopedia, and "A Taste for Health," which includes low-sodium recipes.

www.starkist.com
The tunafish people! Lots of recipes and ways to eat tuna so you don't end up with the same old tuna sandwich. Try appetizers, wraps, salads, and pasta dishes. You can even download a Charlie the Tuna screensaver!

www.greengiant.com
Lots of recipes in categories like "Rush Hour Recipes." Download Jolly Green Giant wallpaper!

www.kelloggs.com
You know them as the breakfast cereal company, but their web site boasts a wealth of recipes, such as Busy Day Meatloaf using Kellogg's® Stuffing Mix, and Cheese and Spinach Pie made with Special K cereal.

Features include a recipe box and a recipe club, and you can print 3x5 or 4x6 recipe cards.

www.hormel.com
Hormel makes a number of food brands, listed on their web site. Sign up for the weekly newsletter, "Your Personal Chef," packed with "fresh snack and meal solutions, tips and ideas and special offers."

Neat feautures:

• Extensive recipe database
• Articles on wine and making flavored butters
• Printable Family Dinner Magic Weekly Meal & Activity Planner with icons you glue onto magnets

www.tyson.com
Get lots of information on Tyson chicken, beef, and pork products. Along with the usual recipe database, visit the Foodwise Learning Center for tips on food handling safety, buying meat, and meat cooking.

Tyson's provides "Five Days of Dinner," a weekly list of menus, each one with full-color photos, nutrition information, cooking instructions, and serving suggestions. Get it e-mailed to you or print in receipe card fashion.

With all of these great web sites, you may never need to buy another cook book again!

Looking for diet and weight loss tips? Kathy Ferneau has created an excellent resource for information on diets, healthy eating, and exercise. Click here: http://www.lose-weight-diets.com

Grilling Vegetables

Writen by Phyllis Wasserman

Take out your grill this summer and make some delicious meals. Even if you are dieting, the barbecue grill is for you. Grilling brings out the unique taste and texture of vegetables.

The intense dry heat of the grill carmelizes plant sugars. And this makes the vegetables taste very sweet.

Some vegetables, like corn, form a sweet outer shell. Onions, soften to a buttery texture. Bell peppers soak in the smoke and become almost meaty.

Grilling vegetables takes much less time than any meat.

Start with fresh good-quality produce. When vegetables age, they become dehydrated and they taste dry. Don't use any vegetables that are wrinkled or have damages to their skin.

Use lots of color when grilling. Mix peppers, such as, red, green, orange, and yellow. If you want to turn up the heat, add a hot pepper such as a serrano.

You can grill almost any vegetable. Try grilled tomatoes, artichokes or zuccini. Just sprinkle some olive oil and salt and pepper before you grill. Or you can sprinkle vinegar and some herbs on them first.

Use high heat when grilling tomatoes. Only turn them once and remove from heat. Use them as an appetizer or on sandwiches. You can make a meal of only low-calorie grilled vegetables. They can also be used tossed with more olive oil as a side dish.

Grilled tomatoes can be made into bruschetta. Use them on Italian bread slices that are toasted.

You can puree the vegetables and add herbs and chicken broth and make a delightful soup.

Gourmet cook and author. Visit my website: http://www.phyllisrecipes.com Soon and often!!

How To Deep Fry A Turkey

Writen by Anthony Tripodi

Do you have an extra five gallons of peanut oil sitting around the house? Why not use it to deep fry a turkey?

Deep fried turkey is moist and delicious and not at all oily. The skin sears instantly and seals in the natural turkey juices for the most juicy turkey you'll ever have. It also cooks quickly at about 3 ½ minutes a pound. That's a 12 pound turkey in under 40 minutes. You'll even have time to cook two turkeys if you want. No more waking up at dawn to put the turkey in the oven. Deep frying a turkey will also free up oven space for side dishes. If your oven space is limited, think about how much room you'll have without a turkey in there.

What do you need to deep fry a turkey:

Deep Fryer - You can buy the whole setup in a kit or you can buy everything separately. Make sure your pot is about 40-60 quarts. The burner should be large enough to hold this pot securely. Most burners will use a propane tank as a fuel source and are not included in the kits.

Candy Thermometer - Having an accurate thermometer is important to ensure that the turkey cooks properly and to avoid a fire. Candy Thermometers are long and usually have a clip so you can attach them to the side of the pot. Most Deep Fryer Kits include a candy thermometer.

Meat Thermometer - After cooking your bird for 3 1/2 minutes a pound it will be done. If you have problems keeping the oil temperature constant then you may need a meat thermometer. The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Oven mitts & safety goggles - Splattering oil is very dangerous. Oven mitts and safety goggles are a must. Fire Extinguisher - This is just a precaution but it's better safe than sorry. Make sure the fire extinguisher is made for grease fires.

How to prepare for your first deep fry:

Choose a turkey no bigger than 12 pounds. If that isn't enough to feed your guests then get two turkeys. Even if you have a pot large enough to cook a larger turkey remember that you will have to lift it over a pot of hot oil. A 12 pound turkey will cook in under 40 minutes so cooking two (24 pounds of turkey) can still be done in well under two hours and think of all the leftovers you'll have.

Remove the neck and giblets from inside the turkey. Remove any pop up timers or plastic leg bindings. The legs should be tied together with butchers string so that they don't touch the side of the pot while cooking. Do not stuff your turkey.

Defrost your turkey in the fridge for several days prior to cooking. Do not defrost a turkey outside of the fridge as this a great way to grow bacteria.

Stuffing and Gravy - When deep frying a turkey the stuffing must be made outside of the bird. Also plan for alternate ways to make gravy. You will not have access to turkey fat like you would when roasting a turkey. Frying up the giblets and neck in a pan is one solution or save some chicken fat from a previous meal a few days before Thanksgiving. And remember that a deep fried turkey needs less gravy because it doesn't dry out like oven roasted turkey, although that fact won't help your mashed potatoes.

Deep frying a turkey is dangerous and proper caution needs to be used:

The turkey fryer needs to be outside on a flat surface. Do not deep fry a turkey in a garage or a covered carport. Always keep a fire extinguisher (rated for grease fires) nearby. Large oven mitts or a fireplace gloves must be worn. Always wear eye protection and full face protection would be even better. A welding mask is probably overkill but it would be entertaining for your guests.

When lowering the turkey into the oil, turn off the flame. And do not allow those guests, especially children and pets near the turkey cooker.

Follow these safety tips and use common sense and your turkey frying experience will be safe and successful.

Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of BigTurkeyFryer.com - The Deep Fried Turkey Guide. For more information about Deep Fried Turkey including deep fryers, recipes for injector sauces and dry rubs, and more, visit http://www.bigturkeyfryer.com

Preparing Meals When You Dont Have Much Time Part 2

Writen by Jordi Shoman

You can also prepare the vegetables and salad greens that you want to include with the meals. Wash the vegetables and greens and place them in plastic bags in the crisper section of the refrigerator. This will keep them fresh for the week, even if you don't plan to use them until Friday. If you are planning to have hamburgers during the week and you like making your own, you can shape the ground beef into patties and freeze them until you are ready for them. Place a sheet or waxed paper in between the patties so you won't have difficulty getting them apart.

If there are certain dishes that your family loves and you usually make those ahead of time and freeze them, save some extra time by making a double or triple batch. This gives you the meal you want for two or three weeks in advance. If you want to have extra desserts, bake two cakes at the same time and freeze on of them.

Once you have all the ingredients for your menus ready to use, you can have an elegant dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. Once you start using this technique, you will be surprised how much you look forward to coming home and getting dinner ready. You will certainly surprise your family with the delectable choices you make with every meal you serve.

When you are using a new recipe, read through the list of ingredients to make sure you have all of them on hand. This lets you assemble all the ingredients and cooking tools that you will need. There are a few quick tips to help you speed up the preparation time, such as:

* Use scissors to snip parsley or dried fruit
* Use hot water when cooking noodles
* Use cookware that you can use in the oven and on the table
* Freeze chopped onion or used instant onion flakes
* Assign jobs to every member of the family, such as setting the table, clean up, etc.

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Tips To Help You Use Less Fat In Your Everyday Cooking

Writen by Susan Carey

Just as you don't have to give up sweetness in your foods, you don't have to give up fats altogether. It is important, however, that you limit your intake. Cutting back begins in the kitchen, and continues at the table.

Remember that eating too much fat may have a direct effect on insulin activity in your body, causing an increase in your blood glucose level.

- Select lean cuts of meat and remove skin and fatty deposits from poultry.

- Use the absolute minimum oil or fat in cooking. If possible, don't use any added fat at all.

- When you must use fat, use a brush to spread a thin layer of fat onto your pan, or use a cooking spray.

- Grill or roast meat on a rack to allow the fat to drip away.

- For soups and casseroles, drop meat into boiling water to seal it rather than browning it in fat or oil.

- Spread butter or margarine very thinly on bread and biscuits, or leave it off. Use ricotta, cottage cheese, a little avocado or a scrape of low-fat cream cheese as a spread instead.

- Use low fat dairy products in preference to the regular varieties.

- Use 'no-oil', 'low-oil' or 'low joule' (low-calorie) salad dressing instead of oily ones or mayonnaise. Better still, use lemon juice or vinegar with herbs to add zest to your salads.

- Learn to use fresh or dried herbs and spices to add flavor to food instead of butter or oil.

- Avoid adding oil or fat to vegetables during or after preparation. For instance, when you mash potato or other vegetables, don't add butter, margarine or cream. Use low-fat milk. Wrap your vegetables in foil with herbs, or try dry baking them in the oven in their own skins.

- If you like sour cream as a vegetable dressing, use low-fat leben or cottage cheese or low-fat natural yoghurt instead.

The author is a big fan of cooking recipes. Visit the following website for more info about health and cooking recipes. http://www.101cookingrecipes.com http://www.101vegetarianrecipes.com http://www.herbs-spices-recipes.com

How To Barbeque Easy Steps For Success

Writen by James McDonald

Even if you own the latest and greatest barbecue grill you may need some pointers on how to barbeque food. There are some things you should be aware of when you use your grill or smoker.

One good thing to do before you even begin is to rub a non stick solvent like oil on the grill to prevent the food from sticking. This will make cleanup much quicker and less stressful. Also put the meat out on the counter to bring it to room temperature before cooking it. Don't leave it out for more than an hour though as this may cause it to spoil.

Make sure you bring the grill to the optimum cooking temperature before placing the meat on the grill. This will give you the best chance at getting a nice even cooking throughout the food. For gas grills turn them on 5 minutes before beginning, and for charcoal it is recommended to heat the coals for up to 30 minutes. Also, move the meat around periodically as those pieces closer to the center will likely cook faster. Use tongs or a spatula, and always where a protective glove to keep you from burning your skin.

For even more flavor, baste the meat for an extended period before cooking it to let the flavor completely saturate it. There are many barbeque flavors to try including sweet sauce, traditional bbq sauce, and many more. One thing to consider is that if the marinade contains alot of sugar you should wait until the food is atleast half cooked before basting to avoid a drying effect on the meat.

If you are barbequing kabobs you should leave a small amount of space between meat pieces to ensure ample heat penetrates all sides and cooks it evenly. You can even alternate meat and vegetable pieces to allow flavors to pass between them, giving a better all around taste. And if you are using chicken pieces, cut them with a knife to make sure they are completely cooked all the way through before removing them from the grill.

Right after removing the meat, you can scrape the grills with a scraper to clean them. It's best to do this when they are still very hot as the excess food and other material will easily slide off. Just be careful not to burn yourself.

Experiment with different recipes to find what works and what doesn't. Over time you will find many different things that bring the best taste out in various meats. And then you will feel like a seasoned backyard barbeque expert.

James McDonald writes for homebarbequegrilling.com where you can find discount grills from a variety of manufacturers. Additionally, you can read some informative articles to help you plan your next backyard gathering.

Tips For Gas Grills And The Athletes Who Use Them

Writen by Anne Clarke

Everyone wants to be a master of his or her own gas grill. By following these few tips, you soon can be. Check out these tips on how to become the master of your own grilling domain, while cooking better food and keeping your gas grill in good shape for longer.

· Keep the lid raised when lighting your gas grill! If you keep it closed, there is a chance for the gas to accumulate, opening up the chance for an explosion. So, the first thing you need to do is to raise your lid, then turn on the gas, then turn on the gas burners, then press the auto light button (or, if there is not such button, stick a match up from the bottom, or use a long match from the top).

· When the lid is closed, your food is going to cook faster than when the lid is open. You can cook your food either with it open or closed, but realize that it is easier to grill your food perfectly when you can watch it being grilled. Also, by keeping the lid open, you can prevent your food from being cooked too fast and too hot. Do keep the lid closed when you are cooking large cuts of meet.

· Preheat your grill, for at least 5 to 10 minutes (but you certainly do not need to heat it as long as you would have to wait for a charcoal grill!)

· Let your meat rest a moment before you put it on the grill. Let the juices to come up to the surface so that you will get a juicier meat.

· Check your gas levels before you start cooking! You do not want to be left with a half-cooked steak, just because you have run out of gas. Make sure your tank is at least 1/3 full.

· Many people say that the food that comes off of a gas grill does not have the same woodsy flavor of the food that comes off of a charcoal grill – if this is something that you miss, then you should try adding some natural wood chips to your gas grill. Soak them in water, wrap them in aluminum foil, and place them under the grate or on it.

· Cleaning a gas grill is easy. Just turn your burners on high and allow them to burn the food off of the grates. Then take a wire brush to the steel grates until they are clean. If you have ceramic grates, be sure to check out the manufacturer's recommendations – you may just want to wipe them clean with a damp cloth.

· Do not throw out your old grill! It is quite possible to completely revamp your grill and have it working and looking like new again. Nearly every part on your grill can be replaced or restored. So, give your grill a new life – don't turn it in to the dump before it needs to go.

· One of the benefits of owning a gas grill rather than a charcoal grill is how easy it is to get started. Be sure to take advantage of this! Do not just use your gas grill during the summer – fire it up during the spring, fall, and even the winter.

These tips are sure to help you with your gas grilling adventures, regardless of whether you have been grilling for years, or if you are brand new to the "sport." Remember, being able to cook outside is a luxury not to be messed with. Be sure that you are doing your utmost to be the best barbequer in the neighborhood!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, cooking, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on gas grills, please visit Gas Grill Experts.

Kebabs Made Easy

Writen by Carine Nadel

When grilling kebabs, I used to have a problem with the "round" objects spinning, to take care of this I simple use two skewers side by side. Voila! Problem solved. The second skewer keeps all the chunks even and secure so turning them over is no longer an annoying issue. It also makes the grilling a lot less dangerous-no more trying to poke the pieces into the correct placement with bare fingers!

This tip works equally as well with bamboo skewers that have first been soaked for thirty minutes in water or metal skewers. It doesn't matter how close the skewers wind up being, just as long as the second is there to play as "anchor". It also allows for more stability when using heavier pieces of meat or vegetables, such as lamb, beef or veal in conjunction with potatoes or squash.

Recently I have even found that not only does tip work well to make the cooking easier, but if you soak the older, thicker herb stems, such as rosemary (strip off the leaves) you can add very nice flavoring to the meats in a very unique way.

As with everything in life, sometimes the best solutions are right in front of you the entire time.

Carine Nadel, 48, has had many recipes and tips published by major women's magazines and newspapers. She also is rejuvenating her writing career and publishes http://www.Carine-whatscooking.blogspot.com, which in her usual humorous fashion, has nothing to do with cooking!

Whats A Pan Dowdy

Writen by Dennis R Weaver

Cobblers and dowdies, crisps and crumbles, buckles and betties—what are all these desserts?

With a little help from American Desserts by Wayne Brachman, we thought we would give you the answers—since you're just dying to know.

Cobblers: Cobblers are desserts with a syrupy fruit filling topped with biscuits or cake.

Pan Dowdies: These have pie crusts on top which are broken up and dunked in the fruit filling after baking.

Crisps and Crumbles: These familiar desserts have pie-like fillings with streusel toppings, often with nuts. A crisp is a crumble and a crumble is a crisp.

Buckles: Buckles are cakes that sink, and rise, and buckle as they bake. Our Caramel Swirl Crumb Cake is really a buckle—the caramel topping buckles through the cake as it bakes.

Betties: We remember apple betties from our childhood. Betties are fruit and crumb layered desserts.

Shortcakes: These are biscuits, often rich or sweetened biscuits, that are topped with fruit and whipped cream. Our Strawberry Shortcake recipe is an authentic shortcake recipe—not a white cake recipe topped with strawberries and cream.

Grunts and Slumps: These are fruit and dumpling dishes cooked on top of the stove. Supposedly, the fruit "grunts" as it cooks and the dumplings "slump" down into the filling. (We've made these out camping but we've never heard the fruit "grunt".)

Now you know.

Read on for related dessert recipes >

Receive information like this every week including recipes, articles, tips, and techniques--for free!

© 2004 The Prepared Pantry

Foods That Freeze Well

Writen by Michele Webb

"Can I freeze it?" is a question often asked in our homes, and for good reason. Probably most of us, at some point or another, have attempted to freeze a particular food only to find out that it did not freeze well and either spoiled or became inedible. Here are some foods that are "freezer-friendly"...

• Cooked poultry in casseroles

• Most vegetables in recipes containing a sauce

• Baked meat loaf

• Cooked dried beans, cooked rice or pasta

• Vegetables freeze better than meat, seafood, or fruit.

But some, such as peas and spinach, freeze better than broccoli or cauliflower. (Cauliflower becomes watery when frozen.)

As long as your foods are properly prepared and stored prior to freezing, and you select foods that are amenable to freezing, you should have no problems. This simple tip can easily save you time and money for just a few minutes of preparation. Enjoy!

Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. The author would appreciate an email indicating you wish to post this article to a website, and the link to where it is posted. Copyright 2005, Michele Webb. All Rights Reserved.

The author owns her own website and is a member of a number of organizations for women Netpreneurs and business owners and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada USA with her two dogs. You can contact Michele at mailto:news@ebooksnstuff.com or visit her website at: http://www.ebooksnstuff.com

Cooking Helpful Hints

Writen by Chris Zaaiman

Here are some hints that you might find useful.

* Do not discard over-ripe bananas. Slice and sprinkle it with lemon juice. Freeze it to use later for milk shakes, puddings or banana bread. It will blacken if you refrigerate it.

* If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, puncture a lemon with a toothpick and squeeze out the amount needed. Replace the toothpick. If the lemon is cut, it won't last as long.

* Fresh ginger will stay fresh for months in a freezer if you wrap it tightly in foil.

* To separate the leaves of a round lettuce, hit the core end sharply against the kitchen counter top. The core can be pulled out and the leaves will separate without tearing into strips.

Here is a tasty fish recipe which you can try:

Cod in Caper Mayonnaise.

4 cod fillets, skinned
Salt and pepper to taste
150ml dry white wine
½ lemon, sliced
6 table spoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons lemon juice
50g capers, chopped

Place the fish in a frying pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the wine and lemon slices, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the fish from the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquor, and leave to cool. Mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and reserved liquor.
Stir in the capers.
Place the fish in a serving dish and top with the caper sauce. Serve cold.

And a chicken recipe;

Pineapple chicken.

4 chicken portions
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of paprika
1 x 539g can unsweetened pineapple juice
chopped parsley to garnish.

Put the chicken in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the onion, salt,pepper,rosemary,ginger and paprika and pour over the pineapple juice.
Cook in a preheated oven, 180c, Gas Mark 4, for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and browned on top. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.

Chris Zaaiman is an ardent "amateur" cook at home. For more cooking recipes and tips you can visit http://www.marketshelf.com/cooking @2006-All rights reserved. http://www.marketshelf.com/cooking

Secrets Of Great Breads

Writen by Dennis R Weaver

Often we field questions about making great bread. Great bread is a matter of using the right ingredients and the right techniques—there's no single secret that will make perfect bread. But really great bread is readily attainable. We've compiled our list of what goes into great bread.

1. The right flour.

2. An understanding of yeast.

3. A good dough conditioner.

4. A baker's thermometer.

Now this isn't everything that goes into great bread but the baker that is armed with these four tools are likely to be baking great bread.

Recently we stated that if there is a secret ingredient that bakers use it's the flour. So we put the right flour on the top of our list.

To understand how important flour is, you need to understand just a little about gluten. Gluten strands are formed from the proteins naturally occurring in wheat flour. It's what gives bread its chewy texture. If you use a flour with a higher percentage of protein, you will have more gluten. Most commercial bread bakers are going to use flours with 10 to 14% protein--bread flour.

Commercial bakers have access to dozens of different flours. If you want really good bread, buy a good quality bread flour--even if you have to make a deal with a local baker.

If you buy your flour at the grocery store be aware that all flours are not equal. For bread you want a bread flour. Name brands are likely to do a better job of holding to a specification and will provide more consistent results. You can get an idea of the protein content from the nutrition label. Divide the grams of protein by the grams in the serving size to get the approximate percentage of protein in the flour (subject to rounding error). For home baking, you want at least ten percent and preferably higher.

Yeast is a living organism. The gases expelled by the growing yeast are what leavens the bread. The skilled baker recognizes that with the dough, he or she is culturing a living organism and that the yeast must be growing in the right culture to create the gases to make light airy bread. The right culture is primarily a function of moisture, temperature, and pH or the acidity level.

This brings us to dough conditioner. Dough conditioner alters the pH of the dough (among other things) so that it enhances the growth of the yeast and it makes the dough more extensible. All else being equal, dough conditioner can make a good bread great.

You can buy dough conditioner (or dough enhancer as it is sometimes called) in some grocery stores or you can get our dough conditioner. Ours is a commercial dough conditioner that we have found to be very good and that we use in all our breads.

And finally, a thermometer has been called the baker's secret weapon. We would not think of making bread without one. We use it to measure water temperature. (When we use our bread machines, we measure the water temperature to exactly 80 degrees—-not one degree off. When we make bread in our stand-type mixer or by hand, we use water between 100 degrees and 110 degrees.) We nearly always measure the temperature of the bread when it comes from the oven. And you can use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the dough to make sure that you have the right temperature for your yeast to thrive in. You can buy an insta-read thermometer at most department stores but as a convenience, we offer a baker's thermometer on our site.

If you don't have a free copy of Baking Ingredients and How They Work, we recommend that you get one. There is no obligation—-you can download it and print it for free.

Dennis Weaver is the general manager at The Prepared Pantry (http://www.preparedpantry.com) with recipes, ideas, and the best selection of mixes and ingredients. Visit the free Bakers' Library for more articles like this, free baking guides, and tested recipes.

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How To Cook A Spiny Lobster

Writen by Sarah Sandori

If you travel to the Caribbean islands or along the coast of Central America, you'll often see lobster on the menu of the restaurants. This isn't the true, or Maine type lobster you may be more familiar with, but rather a somewhat similar looking creature called the spiny lobster or rock lobster.

Have no fear. Spiny lobsters are every bit as delicious as their more northern distant relative. But there are some differences between the two that you should be aware of, especially if you're the one doing the cooking.

It's quite likely you'll encounter a spiny lobster in your local supermarket any day now, if you haven't already. Spiny lobsters are generally more abundant and less expensive than true lobsters, and acceptance among consumers is growing. In many restaurants in the U.S., when you order lobster tails, you'll be getting tails of spiny lobsters.

You should first of all know that the cousinship between spiny and true lobsters really is a distant one. They are related by virtue of both being crustaceans, but that's about it. Spiny lobsters are actually more closely related to freshwater crawfish (also spelled "crayfish"). In fact, some varieties of spiny lobsters are called see crawfish.

Spiny lobsters lack the claws, or chelae, of true lobsters. Thus, most of their meat is to be found in their tails.

You can cook a spiny lobster much as you would a true lobster, except of course that you must forget about getting any claw meat from it. If it's a good-sized specimen, though, rest assured that your spiny lobster will yield a generous portion of delicious meat from its tail alone. When cooked, that meat will be white, well textured and with a distinct hint of sweetness to it.

If you're starting with a whole lobster, you should place it in boiling, salted water, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Lobster tails can be cooked the same way, except you should reduce the cooking time to 8 to 10 minutes. Total cooking time will depend on the size of the lobster, of course. (If you're cooking a whole spiny lobster, you'll know it's done when its shell has turned a bright reddish orange.)

After cooking, take scissors and snip off the underside of the shell of the lobster tails. Lift the meat out of the top shell and put it in a bowl or on serving dishes.

Crave something fancier? Cook lobster shells as above, then salt and pepper the tail meat and brush it with melted butter. Top it with a tomato relish made from 2 cups of diced tomatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 3 fresh basil leaves, 1 minced shallot and 1 minced garlic clove. Wonderful!

Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah's article where she reveals her secret source for the most mouth-watering restaurant recipes in America: http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html

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Turkey And Sausage Gumbo

Writen by Carol A Hill

After the festivities have finished, the noise has quieted down, the last verse of Auld Lang Syne sung and the party guests hugged and wished success for the coming year, it is time for serving them a thick bowl of gumbo made with the leftover turkey saved from the Christmas day meal and some of that wonderful smoked sausage received as a gift. The roux or the gravy like base is not hard to make and the spicy cayenne pepper can be used sparingly for those guests suffering from digestion problems.

Gumbo is the African word for okra and when the French settlers came to Louisiana. They were not able to find the ingredients for their saffron fish stew or bouillabaisse. Therefore, they hunted for wild game, fished the rivers, raised poultry and pigs curing the pork for sausage. Traditionally, large pots of it were served communally beginning twelve days after Christmas and ending at the stroke of midnight on Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.

The roux:

Into a large non-stick cold skillet, add one tablespoon of light butter turning up the heat to medium-low letting it slightly brown. Remove the browned butter from the heat and add one tablespoon of flour. Return to the heat stirring the ingredients constantly until the flour is completely incorporated into the butter. The finished color should be dark like mud.

The Gumbo:
(Serves 4-bowls, or 6-cups)

4-cups turkey, precooked
1-link smoked sausage, sliced
1/2-cup onion, chopped
1/2-cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2-cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2-cup parsley, chopped
3-cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-small can stewed tomatoes, pureed
8-whole okra, fresh or frozen,(rinsed and the tops and bottoms removed)cut into slices
3-cups water
1-cup chicken broth
1/2-tsp cayenne pepper
1/2-tsp salt
1/2-tsp black pepper

Directions: Remove the cooked roux from the heat and add the chopped onion, the garlic, the peppers and the okra. Stir in the seasonings and add the water and the chicken broth. Add the turkey and the sausage. Simmer on medium-low and when the ingredients are thickened or stew like add the pureed tomatoes and the parsley. Cook for fifteen more minutes. Ladle over a mound of white rice. Serve with slices of crusty French bread.

Salad for Gumbo:

1-cucumber, peeled and sliced into halves
1-medium ripe avocado, sliced and cut into halves
3-or 4-green onions, sliced
4-sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
4-stalks celery, cut into pieces-1/2-inches wide
1/2-pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

Dressing:
2-Tlbs olive oil
1-Tlb red wine vinegar

Directions: Lightly toss the salad ingredients and the dressing until they are combined.

Cooking since the age of fifteen, the Author has always enjoyed preparing holiday meals.

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Slimming Secrets From The Kitchen

Writen by Janice Wee

To get the svelte figure, start in the kitchen. Slimming down is about taking in less calories, while you burn more calories through exercise.

For a food lover, the dieting part is tough. Exercise is easy, using the stairs instead of the elevator, getting off a stop or two before your actual destination and walking the rest of the way, all these add up helping you burn the calories.

Dieting, or consuming less calories requires discipline, or does it?

My mom is svelte. She eats what she likes. I was slim too, when I lived with her. Her style of cooking made all the difference.

Dieting is not about denying yourself your favourite food. Sooner or later, you'll feel so deprived, you end up binging.

A smarter way to go about this is to take a look at how you prepare your food.

Do you deep fry your food? Do you love crispy, oily fried stuff?

That could be part of the problem.

Maybe you have been dieting by eating lots of salad, heaping your favourite salad cream on it. Salad is great but salad cream contains so much hidden fat. With all the calories in most salad creams, you might as well have a full 5 course dinner instead.

Do you binge on ice cream? Sweet, delectable desserts that are oh so creamy?

Let's start with crispy foods. If you absolutely love dining on crispy meat, try roasting the meat instead. The oil in the meat itself is enough to cook the food with. No need for additional oil.

My mom had a turbo broiler. That was excellent for for cooking chicken wings. Our toaster was used to give food that crispy effect you can't get from microwave ovens. Now there are ovens that do both. A great way to make food crispy without resorting to deep frying it.

Grilled food is yummy. Again, by grilling, the meats cook in their own juices. No need for additional oils that characterize deep frying. We use an oven with grill functions to grill chicken wings, roast meat, the works. Again, no frying needed. Use an oven to do that.

If you must have a crispy snack, the latest snacks in the supermarket feature freeze dried slices of fruit and vegetables which are just like potato crisps. Or go for unbuttered pop corn, freshly popped in the kitchen. Make your own using a popcorn machine but skip the butter. Use salt or herbs to season it instead. Or if you must, sprinkle honey or cocoa powder on it before eating.

On to the issue of salads. Salads are good, if you pay attention to the dressing you put on it. Avoid mayonnaise. Try a herbal vinegar instead. Or if you can't stomach a salad without the cream, try steaming your vegetables instead. Steamed corn tastes great. Sprinkle a little salt on it and avoid the butter. Actually, steamers are vital in the kitchen of anyone who wants to lose weight. A steamer makes preparing a healthy, slimming, tasty meal so easy.

A svelte 60 year old told me how she stayed so slim and healthy. She has steamed fish and rice for most meals. Fish contains less fat than meat. Chicken meat itself is ok, but the chicken skin is laden with fat. Regular meals based on steamed fish are an excellent way to slim down. All you have to do is to season the fish with soya sauce, a slice of ginger, sesame oil and steam it. Eaten with steamed vegetables and steam rice, you have a tasty, healthy, low fat meal.

If you absolutely love ice cream, switch to low fat frozen yogurt instead. You can buy that at the supermarket or make your own using a yogurt maker. The great thing about making your own yogurt is you decide exactly what goes into it. You could use low fat milk, and all your favourite fresh fruit, then freeze the yogurt when it is done, for a creamy, fruity treat. You could add cocoa powder and honey to it. Just use your imagination for a really yummy, healthy treat.

Please note that when you switch to healthy, lower calorie foods, avoid increasing the amount you eat, no matter how yummy the food. 10 helpings of a 100 calorie snack is 1000 calories, so watch how much you eat.

Invest in these equipment to revamp your kitchen for a slimmer you.

The writer is the webmaster of Kitchen which helps you find your kitchen essentials online, easily.

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Take A Mop To Your Meats

Writen by Joe Johnson

Mops, sometimes referred to as sops or bastes, are liquids that are applied to meats during the slow cooking process of traditional barbecue, to keep the meats moist and add additional flavor. Many traditionalists and competitive barbecue teams swear by their mops almost as much as they do their dry rubs. They get their unusual name from the tool that resembles a small kitchen mop used to apply the flavor baste.

Ingredients used to create mops will vary widely from region to region, meat to meat, and individual to individual, but a few ingredients remain common between them. In order to protect the moisture level of your meat, mops will usually contain some sort of oil to replace some of the fat that is lost during the cooking process. This normally comes in the form of oil or melted butter, both of which are perfect for maintaining moisture as well as adding great flavor. Further adding to the flavor, most cooks will add some of the complementary ingredients, such as the dry rub used to coat the meat, to their mop along with other flavors such as Worcestershire, citrus juices, bacon or brisket drippings, stock, and beer or liquor.

Often cooks will use the marinade they used with the meat as a mop, which is a perfectly good idea, as most marinades contain the basic ingredients required in a mop such as citrus juice, oil, spices, etc. However, it is extremely important to remember that you had raw meat soaking in there, which could translate into contamination of your cooked foods with harmful bacteria. Never use a marinade as a mop without thoroughly boiling the liquid prior to it ever coming into contact with your meat or food.

Speaking of bacteria, it is also really important to keep your mop at a temperature above 140F by leaving it simmering on your grill, smoker, or stovetop. This prevents any continuous transfer of bacteria back and forth from the mop to the meat as it cooks. Plus, keeping the mop warm helps to keep your meat warm rather than quick cool it, and prevents any coagulation of the oils or fats used in the liquid.

The tools used to apply mops will vary as well. Purists will tend to stick with the traditional miniature mop, whereas others will use brushes or spray bottles. The effectiveness of the spray bottle will vary depending upon the size of ingredients in your wet mop. If the pieces are too large, they may get stuck in your spray nozzle. When using a traditional mop or brush, dab the meat, don't wipe it or paint it like a wall. Wiping or painting the meat will only serve to remove your rub and the flavorful bark that forms during cooking.

When to mop is a question you will hear regularly, and the answer varies as much as the mops themselves. The key to remember is that you shouldn't lift the lid or open the door to your smoker or grill any more than is absolutely necessary. Every time the pit lid or door is opened precious heat and moisture is lost, which increases the cooking time and the odds for a less-moist end product. To avoid this, it is recommended that you don't mop more frequently than about once per half hour, preferably once each hour. This will of course depend upon the meat you are preparing, but this is a good, average time to start with as a guide. Foods that are lean, such as chicken or fish, will require more frequent mopping than those meats with more fat, such as a brisket. Also, some smokers don't require mopping as they create and maintain a consistently moist environment, so read your owner's manual for recommendations from the manufacturer regarding the use of mops.

Joe Johnson is a proud Texan and founding partner and chief pit-master with Caroline's Rub, where he is in charge of product promotion and development for their line of gourmet dry rubs, smoked salt, and Texas chili seasoning.

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