Category: Cooking

How to Cook King Crab Recipe Healthy

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King crab being the king of all crabs is probably the most sought after crab known to man. Due to this, prices have gone up thus making these creatures more of a delicacy than a traditional meal. For this reason they demand respect when cooking and so should be done with care, pride and patience.

For this reason a bit of research is necessary for cooking King Crab due to the fact it is so large, any person should make the best out each individual crab by using all the meat as well as the shells and leftovers for a stock production or a bisque.
The king crab didn’t only get its reputation for its size, but also due to having its very own unique texture and taste in comparison to all the other crabs available on the market. This crab can be prepared, presented and eaten in many different ways and be great as a main, or a starter which will satisfy any appreciating stomach.

The most popular way of cooking the King Crab is by boiling, broiling as well as grilling and luckily enough, is very tasty when either hot or chilled. Traditionally, like most other crabs they are served with melted butter or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which is recommended for first time eaters. This recommendation is simply to taste the original and natural flavours of the crab before trying other experimentations. When you reach this level, there are several ways to Spice up your king crab dishes but you have to be careful not to ruin the recipe as after all, the king crab is a delicacy.

A simple but delicious recipe is the well known Alaska King Crab Royale. This simply consists of 2.5 to 3 inched chopped sections of crab legs which are brushed with a special sauce. This sauce consists of the usual butter, lemon juice, tarragon, parsley and a splash of Tabasco sauce and finally some very finely chopped and diced red onion. The most popular ways of cooking this recipe is again the traditional broiling method whilst reoccurring brushes with the sauce are carried out. Alternatively you can complete this method using a barbeque for grilling it but simultaneously giving it that smoky flavour.

Another recipe for the King Crab, which is very similar, but at the same time very different is the infamous Nuevo Latino style recipe which consists of grilling the crab meat in a lime butter sauce. Together with this butter, you mix in chilli oil and maybe even some chilli flakes, cayenne pepper (amount depending on how hot you like your food) and another half a lime (juice). Again, brush the crab occasionally using this method until cooked through. Serve this with avocado salad which works well with all crab and maybe a little cocktail or fruit juice, depending on what you fancy.

Though Alaskan King Crab is generally thought of as a rich, decadent food, it is actually low in calories and fat. One 3.5-ounce serving of king crab provides 96 calories, 19 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, 1064 milligrams of sodium and 53 milligrams of cholesterol.

Cinnamon in the Cupboard Real or Imposter

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I have a bone to pick about cinnamon. How many of you really know what spice you have in your cupboards. Are you sure it really is cinnamon.

We in the U.S. are having the wool pulled over our eyes about cinnamon. What we commonly know in the U.S. as cinnamon is actually Cassia (cinnamomum aromaticum). It is a relative of true cinnamon, but not the real thing. The rest of the world uses true cinnamon (cinnamomum verum), in their cooking or baking, yet here we are sold something completely different.

As background, I first found out how much difference there was between these two spices when I lived in Guatemala. The cinnamon there tasted very different from what I knew growing up in Ohio; making things like an apple pie or apple crisp just tasted different. They were very good, but didnt taste like what had known. I chalked it up to differences in quality of product, or maybe my baking skill was inadequate. Any typical Guatemalan foods I ate or made with cinnamon tasted just fine of course, with nothing to compare.

That was back in the 1970s, and it wasnt until much later, when once again living in the U.S., I tried making a Guatemalan dish, Platanos en Mole (Plantains in Mole Sauce), using the cassia available. The dish just tasted wrong. I couldnt understand it. I had made this dish many times in Guatemala. I had a lot more cooking and baking skill by this time. What was wrong? I started checking into spices in general, with an eye to those things I knew were different, and discovered that we in the U.S. are being marketed a completely different product.

Cassia cinnamon is a very good spice, of course. I do not for a second propose we do away with it! What would our apple pies taste like without it. It is a wonderful spice, worthy of the space in our cupboards. However, I propose that true cinnamon have an equal place.

Cinnamon of either kind is the bark of the tree. The bark is peeled off and dried, curling into what are known as quills or ground into powder. This is where the similarity ends. Cassia quills are very thick curls, strong and sometimes even hard to break. It has a stronger taste, warmer and more potent. There is some very good quality cassia to be found these days, such as Korintje AA. A lovely spice to perk up anything you commonly make with cinnamon here.

For my cooking classes I always take both types of cinnamon: a high quality cassia quill and ground Korintje AA cassia, alongside true cinnamon quills and ground cinnamon. True cinnamon quills are curled and layered together in a tight roll, are very thin and easily crushed. The flavor is lighter and more delicate, with a somewhat lemony quality. I set the quills side by side and demonstrate the differences, first breaking a cassia quill, with the ensuing loud snap when it breaks. Then I show the cinnamon quill, layered together, and how very easily it breaks and crumbles. With the ground version of each side by side, I ask the class members to smell the two; first the cassia that is the most familiar, and then the cinnamon. The startled reactions when they realize exactly how big a difference exists between these two spices, is quite rewarding.

I would liken this before the U.S woke up and smelled really good Arabica coffee. Once we found out about good coffee, the tide turned. I believe this country is in the process of bringing true cinnamon into the light. It is found in most any Mexican grocery section these days. Good quality spice shops carry excellent quality cinnamon and also excellent quality cassia. If you want to make any ethnic food from anywhere else in the world, or just become familiar with a new flavor go for true cinnamon. Its worth the effort.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

Advantages of a Silicone Cooking Utensil

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In this day and age, one is not surprised to learn that silicone, which used to be a component for computers, microchips and breast implants is now a common material used for cooking utensils. A silicone cooking utensil can actually have a competitive price with cooking utensils made from metal and nylon. There are a variety of cooking utensils that utilize silicone. One common structure for a silicone cooking utensil is to have a wooden handle. This is especially true for spatulas, spoons and others.

There are also many bake ware that are made from silicone. These silicone bake ware needs a firm surface to be laid on if you wish for the cake or to maintain the square or rectangular form you put it in.

Why Use A Silicone Cooking Utensil?

Kitchenware is usually exposed to constant heat and even cold. This is one of the main reasons why a silicone cooking utensil is great for the job. Silicone can withstand heat which can be more than the average stove temperature or oven temperature. It does not lose its form when exposed to heat or cold and silicone also does not retain any smells or colors from the previous foods it has been exposed to. A silicone cooking utensil is also resilient when it comes to being cleaned or washed.

Silicone cooking utensils also have the distinct advantage of not being corrosive to ordinary pr common kitchen substances. It also does not corrode or react negatively to exposure to heat and then cold or vice versa. This means that your silicon cooking utensil will probably last longer than the other kitchen utensils you have with the right care and attention.

One advantage of using a silicone cooking utensil is its gentleness when it comes to dealing with non-stick surfaces. Silicone is softer than wood and can not scratch or damage the surface of non stick pots and pans. Bake ware made from nonstick materials are also exposed to less risk of damage and scratches when the baker uses silicone cooking utensils. Some people may not be aware of it but scratched and damaged nonstick cooking utensils need to be disposed of because exposure to the substances of the scratched surface can lead to cancer and other serious conditions.

These are just several of the advantages of using a silicone cooking utensil. The price of a silicone cooking utensils may seem high but the longevity and sturdiness of the product make sit worthwhile.

You Wont Believe This Easy, Simple Method for Cooking Sauce

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One of the most difficult things for a cook at home to make is a flavorful sauce. A great sauce will cover some of the worst cooking mistakes, enhance most of the best cooking successes and make you appear to be a home cooking genius.

Cooking a sauce means adding flavor, texture, and appearance to your home cooking dishes. A sauce or gravy is made of three simple ingredients: liquid, thickener, and flavorings. When you need easy cooking ideas for cooking sauces at home, you need only think of these three things.

Liquid for Your Sauce

If youre making a chicken dish, youll probably want to add something like chicken broth. If youre making a tropical dish, you might add a fruit juice or add soy sauce to an Asian dish. Add the liquid that makes sense for the protein that youve cooked and once youre comfortable making sauces, be open to experimenting with new and different flavor combinations. Next, you will need to be able to thicken your liquid so that it sticks to your food for some great home cooking.

Thickener for Your Sauce

A sauce needs to be thick enough to cling to food and not wind up as a puddle on the bottom of the plate. The easiest way to thicken a liquid is with a cornstarch slurry. This is the same method that most of our grandmothers used to make gravy from the pan drippings of the holiday turkey. When you dissolve cornstarch in a cold liquid, then add it to a hot liquid (your sauce), it will gelatinize, and thicken the sauce.

While slurry is the easiest way to cooking sauce success, roux is the most widely used and most flavorful because of the fat needed to separate starch molecules. If youve ever noticed lumps in your gravy, its because groups of starch molecules have stuck together and only thickened on the outside of the group. Butter, oil, or solid fats in a roux help to “line up” the starch molecules for the introduction of hot liquid and their opportunity to individually absorb the liquid and swell, this thickening the sauce.

Flavoring for Your Sauce

The liquid that you used to create your sauce may give you enough of a flavor profile that you dont need to add any additional flavors. However, if there isnt enough flavor, add some! You could add garlic, onions, ginger or any number of different ingredients while you are cooking your sauce to help to liven up your home cooking.

No matter what the liquid, thickening agent or flavor profile you choose, you can find that cooking sauce is a skill youll enjoy and will lead to more easy cooking ideas without recipes. Before you know it, everyone will be begging you to have them over to your house for some great home cooking.

Thai cooking survival guide by a Thai soprano-wife-mother.

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Where is the real Thai taste?

I am Thai. A Thai who grew up in a modern household; yet, I had the fortunate opportunity to witness the greatness of the Thai past. I was the last generation of my family to see the real Thai way from within my very own teakwood fence.

I remember Bangkok in a calmer way than most people now. The coolness of fresh air with the faint sweet aroma of Thai flowers – DokJumpee, DokPuth, DokMali, DokKaew, and DokPiguln- in combination with the sound of brass bells from a wooded tram on which I would ride along Rajchadahmneun Avenue, was the Bangkok that I knew. My mother was the oldest daughter in a family of five children.

Back then, she and her eldest brother were the two who were married and had their own children. We lived in one of three houses on my maternal grandparents’ large property on the west side of the Grand Chaopraya, the river so deep that it supports not only domestic traffic but is also the path for international freight ships, making it the major blood vessel of the country.

My grandparents occupied the largest house, also the first house at the front of the property, which faced a major road but sat far enough back and was disguised by many large and shady fruit trees. My eldest uncle and his family lived in the second house in the middle, and our house was set farthest back on the property. I was very happy with my never-ending activity from playing with my playmates ‘from tree-to tree,’ and waiting every afternoon for a Chinese “Olieng,” or iced coffee, iced tea and sweet snack goodies, vendor to arrive in his boat in the canal- “klong-” that marked our property line and the neighbor’s in the back.

I had many playmates, and I vaguely remember they all lived with us on our property- as to where on the property, I wasn’t sure. A few years ago, I asked my mother about them and received confirmation that those were our- or, rather, my grandparents’- hired help and their families who had been there since my maternal great-grandmother’s day. I was surprised that I could remember back that far, since my mother said that they had moved out when I was very young. She also confirmed my memory of the tram but said that it stopped running soon after I was born. I don’t know if I’m dreaming, but I have flashes of memory of this wonderful time, here and there, throughout my life.

My great-grandmother- the mother of my maternal grandmother- represented the real Thai extended family. She was a Thai-Mon. (Mon – the nation that got swallowed up by Myanmar-Burma back then. The Mons relocated to Siam since the Golden Age of Ayuthaya.) The word “Thai” means freedom, and coming to Thailand meant to open the door of opportunity among the peaceful people and under the cool shade of the Great King.

My great-grandfather was a Chinese boy who came to Bangkok with his family. He grew up to be an inventor, an author, a scholar, and a businessman who owned and operated an international trading company with his old country, China. Along with a British physician, Dr. Bradley, they started the first English language newspaper in Thailand and also invented the first Thai typeset for the typewriter. Later, my great-grandfather was granted a title from the King.