Here’s The Beef

May 24th, 2008 by Administrator

As an alternative to turkey, a succulent roast beef is always a hit during the Holiday season. Cooked in a crock pot, an English cut beef is the best one for slow cooking.

English Cut Roast Beef With Vegetables
(Serves 4-6)

1-3lb.English cut roast beef
3-large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1-pkg carrots, peeled and sliced into halves and then fourths
1-pkg dried mushroom soup

1-Tlb. cooking oil
-tsp salt
-tsp pepper
-tsp meat tenderizer

Directions: In a small bowl: combine the salt, the pepper, the meat tenderizer and the dried mushroom soup mix. Rub both sides of the beef with the seasoning mixture. In a large skillet: heat the cooking oil and sear both sides of the beef. Turn the crock pot to high and add one-half cup of water. Place the seared seasoned beef into the crock pot. Cook for two hours and then add the russet potato chunks. Cook for another hour and add the sliced carrots pre-cooked in a microwave for fifteen minutes. Cook for another hour and check to see if the meat is done and
also the vegetables. Let the meat rest for fifteen minutes before slicing. Arrange the sliced roast beef and the vegetables on a platter for serving. Serve with a tossed salad and some dinner rolls.

Christmas Eve has always been celebrated with an early supper before opening the gifts or attending a late night church service. An eye-of-round roast beef has a pocket cut into it and stuffed with a French bread dressing.

Eye-Of-Round Stuffed Roast Beef

1-2-1/2-lb eye-of-round roast, (have the butcher cut a pocket into the beef)
French Bread Dressing:
1-loaf French bread, crusty style
-cup green bell pepper, chopped
-cup red bell pepper, chopped
-cup onion, chopped
3-cloves garlic, chopped
2-Tlb fresh parsley, finely chopped
1-Tlb cooking oil
1cup chicken broth
1-cup water
Seasoning mixture:
-tsp salt
-tsp pepper
-tsp cayenne pepper

Directions: In a large bowl: tear the French bread into small pieces. Heat the Cooking oil and sauté the vegetables until tender. Add the sautéed vegetables to the French bread pieces. Heat the chicken stock and the water. Add the seasoning mixture to the dried bread and sautéed vegetables. Ladle the warm chicken broth to the dressing mixture until it is well moistened. With a large spoon put the dressing mixture into the pocket of the roast and secure the roast with a string.

Season both sides of the beef with -tsp salt, -tsp pepper and -tsp meat tenderizer. Place the stuffed roast in a roasting pan and cook for at least 4 hours at three hundred and fifty degrees. Serve with steamed broccoli and lemon and wheat dinner rolls.

The perfect ending for a roast beef meal is an easy to make apple pie For the sugar restrictive a sugar-free product and a sugar-free brown sugar product is substituted. For the carb and cholesterol conscious, a light or a fat-free butter product is substituted.

Apple Pie

1-9-inch prepared pie shell, 2 per package, unbaked.
4-golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped
2-Tlbs butter, sliced
-cup sugar
-tsp cinnamon
-tlb brown sugar
1-Tlb milk, regular, fat-free or skim

Directions: In a saucepan: Combine the sliced apples, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the butter until the apples are tender. Put the apple mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie shell. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the apple mixture. Cover the top of the pie with the other pie shell. Cut slits into the top and press the edges of the pie shell with a fork to seal it. Brush the top of the pie shell with the milk and sprinkle some sugar on the milk. Bake at three hundred and fifty degrees until the pie crust is a golden brown about forty minutes.

Cooking since the age of fifteen, the author has always loved
cooking holiday meals.

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A Guide To Retail Wine Racks

May 17th, 2008 by Administrator

Any legitimate wine dealer should store all wine bottles on specially designed retail wine racks. Did you know that the majority of retail stores do not store wine correctly? When you think about your own preferred wine dealer, do they store the bottles upright on metal shelves? Sadly, this can cause the cork to dry out over time. A good wine store uses wholesale wine racks designed to keep the bottles on their sides.

Unless a store owner knows that the bottles of wine will sell quickly, it is essential to store wine bottles on their sides on specially designed retail wine racks. By remaining on their sides, the cork remains moistened ensuring the best quality of wine; also, exposure to light is minimized. A store using wholesale wine racks of this nature demonstrates their storage knowledge. Wine connoisseurs can be meticulous and most will only purchase from a wine seller who knows how to store wine properly.

There are a few different options when selecting retail wine racks. You can choose from island stands, corner stands, and circular stands. Each style can be pleasing to the customer’s eye. When considering the style, it is essential to create a nice flow within the retail space. You do not want customers banging into each other or the retail wine racks. Broken bottles can mean a loss of expensive merchandise.

Island stands are rectangular and contain a sloped top that covers vertical rows of bottle storage on each side of the rack. The sloped top typically holds eight or ten wine bottles. Underneath the top display model, the vertical rows hold eight to twelve additional bottles of wine or champagne. Storage space is ample, and the island stands design keeps the majority of the wine out of direct light. Island stands keep the retail floor looking organized and appealing. For under $600, these wholesale wine racks are a smart choice.

Corner retail wine racks tuck neatly into tight spaces. A small number of spaces line the front of the corner stand allowing for four display bottles per level to be shown. On each side of the display area, vertical rows allow for corresponding bottles of wine to be stored on their sides. The stand keeps the bottles from direct lighting and proper wine storage conditions are easily met.

Circular stands typically offer three levels of circular storage space. They can be bulky and take up plenty of floor space. Nonetheless, they also supply the wine buyer with excellent accessibility. Each circle contains a raised rim that keeps the bottles from sliding off. Wine bottles tilt slightly and remain open to the direct light. Therefore, wines on circular retail wine racks should be wines that sell quickly.

View the best retail wine racks and wholesale wine racks we’ve found at: http://www.wine-racks-selection-guide.com

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Gourmet Foods For Every Occasion

April 28th, 2008 by Administrator

Enjoying fine food is definitely one of the pleasures of life. There is so much fast food and bland tasting dishes today because of the lack of time to really prepare food right, that when you do get to enjoy gourmet fine food, it’s a special treat.

So what makes any food or drink qualify to be called “gourmet”?

Well, in general it means that a particular food or drink is considered above average in quality, and will appeal even to those who have the most discriminating tastes. It also usually means that a lot of time and effort has gone into it’s preparation too.

What comes to mind when you think of gourmet foods? Here is a list of many fine foods and beverages that can be found in the gourmet food category:

1. Coffees - Gourmet coffees include many exotic coffee blends from around the world and flavored coffees. Frequently you can get a nice mixture of various gourmet coffees that allow you to sample them before buying more of each kind.

2. Teas - There are several specialty teas from all over the world that qualify to be called gourmet tea.They can be either green, black, oolong or herbal teas. Again, you can often get sampler packs of these exotic teas to try them out first.

3. Chocolates - Whether milk, dark or white chocolate,gourmet chocolate assortments often come with fruit, nuts, and cream centers that are just incredibly delicious.

4. Caviar - If you really want to taste the good life, enjoy any of the various kinds of caviar, from the American Golden to the Russian Dark variety. Of course this is one type of gourmet food that can get really pricey fast, but there is a caviar for pretty much any budget if you look carefully enough.

5. Seafood - There are lots of seafoods that have been specially prepared as gourmet foods including smoked herring, oysters, shrimp and lobster rolls and bisques. There’s lots more in this category too and again you can often get samplers for taste testing in advance.

6. Fish - Some of the favorite gourmet fish foods are salmon, tuna, and halibut.

7. Meats - This is one of the largest gourmet categories and lately has become very popular. Entries in this field include ribs, roasts, steaks, and even some dried and cured meats.

8. Poultry - There are any number of gourmet foods prepared with chicken, but duck and turkey is also top favorites for special dishes.

So where can you use gourmet foods? Almost any special occasion is a good time to include gourmet foods, drinks, or desserts on the menu. Everything from intimate dinners for two to large social gatherings are all acceptable places to include the delicious taste of gourmet foods to help make that occasion truly special and unforgettable.

Thankfully, the internet makes shopping for gourmet foods quick and easy. There is a large selection available in all of the categories listed above, and when ordered, modern shipping techniques allow you to receive gourmet foods through the mail in short order and in fresh condition. So why not sample a few gourmet foods today and start enjoying some of the finer pleasures of life?

About the Author

Duane Smith - All About Gourmet Foods is a site that provides free information and resources for gourmet foods like chocolate, fish and seafood, caviar, gourmet meat and more.

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The Maligned Potato: Respect At Last?

April 20th, 2008 by Administrator

Ah, the poor, maligned potato! Beaten up by dieters (especially the low-carb variety), nutritionists and other experts as being “ok in moderation”, the potato may at long last be gaining some respect in the scientific community.

From an article in Science Daily (”Transgenic Potato Confers Immunity: Vegetables Or Fruit Could Replace Vaccine And Needles”), we find that the potato could be used to help keep us health.

We quote from the article:

“Transgenic potatoes engineered to generate an immune response to E.coli infection have passed their first test in human beings. In the May issue of the journal Nature Medicine, Carol Tacket, MD, professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and colleagues report successful results of their first human clinical trial of the transgenic vegetablesdeveloped at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, affiliated with Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Fed to healthy human volunteers at the University of Maryland Center for Vaccine Development, potatoes genetically engineered to contain a gene from the E.coli bacteria produced antibodies in the blood and in the mucosal lining of the intestines. Volunteers who ate garden-variety potatoes in the randomized, double-blind trial showed no immune response.

“It is truly remarkable to think that you could eat a potato that has an extra protein and produce antibodies against a bacterial pathogen,” Tacket remarks, “but that is exactly what happened.” She calls transgenic plants “a new strategy for development of safe and inexpensive vaccines against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis B. Oral vaccines in edible plants offer hope of a more practical means of implementing universal vaccination programs for the developing world.”"

The article goes on to say that the testers were all volunteers who tolerated the potatoes well with no other problems.

Could this be an answer to helping rid third world countries of certain diseases and maladies?

Who know…more research will follow but the initial reports are encouraging.

Take that, Adkins.

Eileen Church, author, has a passion for health and nutrition. Her website, devoted to the potato and
potato resources is www.flakepotato.com. Please visit www.flakepotato.com for some great ideas for potatoes.

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How to Transform Your Yucky Basement Into a Beautiful Home Wine Room Using this Formula

April 9th, 2008 by Administrator

Wouldn’t you love to have a home wine room? It’s easy. Take advantage of your cool, moist basement. That is the perfect temperature for wine.

Turning your old basement into a beautiful home wine room for fun and relaxation is easy to do. Just follow the DECORganize formula.

(DECORganize is the way to want to get organized and stay that way. I created it for people that haven’t yet been able to get organized or even feel the motivation to organize.)

DECORganize works especially well for creative people who love beautiful things. First decorate and beautify, and then organize.

You decorate and beautify by replicating a picture or the idea you have in your head of how you want one area in your home to look. Perhaps you’ve seen someone with a wine cellar. What did it look, taste, feel like? How can you recreate it in your own home?

I’ll give you a few tips on how to create that look in your own home wine room.

-Keep your basement dark. Put the one in an area that is not under any light glare or heat.

-Store your wine in a quiet area away from the washer and dryer and staircase. Professional organizer Cheryl Ross says this is because vibration can cause air bubbles to form in the wine degrading its quality.

-If you lay your bottles on their side, the cork will stay wet and not break off. I hate when bits of cork float around in the wine. Check out the wine organizing products above to ensure this won’t happen.

-If you do not already have a collection of wine, start building your collection. Ask yourself how much wine you plan on collecting. Do you like to have several bottles around for occasional drinking or do you like to store cases of a favorite or vintage wine? How frequently do you take from your collection?

-Now that you’ve got some wine, you can SORT. Group your wine by category- such as reds, whites, desserts, etc. If you are still not sure what to pick, join a wine of the month club. A delicious bottle of wine delivered to your door each month, ummm.

-Create a catalog of your collection using index cards or computer software. Organize the catalog by wine type and expiration date.

-Purge whatever wine is past the expiry date. Once you have sorted and purged, decide where to house your wine. Will most of the wine stay in your wine cellar/basement while a couple of bottles go upstairs in your wine storage credenza? Does your collection warrant building a real wine cellar or only a small wine storage area in the basement?

-Collect the old furniture you have lying around the basement or attic and arrange it in a grouping. Put a beautiful cloth over the table and arrange seating around it. You can come down here after the kids go to bed and light some candles. Whoever thought basements could be so cozy?

Once you DECORganize the area in your basement you want to be your home wine room, that area is a sanctuary. It’s “holy” so to speak. No other clutter belongs there. You wouldn’t want to put clutter in there! That is how DECORganize keeps you organized. It’s because your home now is full of areas that are beautiful and you want to keep them that way.

Rebekah Slatkin - EzineArticles Expert Author

Rebekah Slatkin is the founder of Club Organized and is able to organize even the most cluttered, unmotivated person! Get free access to DECORganize, the how to want to get organized and stay that way system, http://www.best-organizing-products-superstore.com/home-organizing-idea.html Includes FREE BONUSES, secret access to the members only section of the website, and discounts on upcoming products.

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London’s Restaurants

April 4th, 2008 by Administrator

The greatest London restaurants are actually thought to be some of the leading on earth. Aficionados may do anything to feed in these locations and commonly one can be forced to book a table ahead of time to ensure you get a table, or perhaps to be willing to park yourself at the bar zone for one or two beers & wines until a table becomes available. A prominent hangout to dine in is the Ping Pong restaurant - this place is a fashionable, innovative place to sup in. This impeccable & sumptuous spot serves up a range of of the greatest Dim Sum dishes you will ever taste, a great range of perfumed tea and beautiful cocktails. If you dig Dim Sum cuisine, this surely is one of the foremost venues to eat in.

Likewise, Nobu is a fresh and new restaurant. This restaurant is their initial English project & it’s done admirably. Their food is incredible and even if the courses are sometimes small, this restaurant should not be any trouble, in that you’ll no doubt buy several portions - adore the high professionalism instead of just the sheer sizes. Mainly, this place offers you super meals, has charming attendants and a good delivery.

The Electric Birdcage, on St James St. is somewhere where your creativity are able to go truly wild. At this fresh & new venue their menu is based upon modern Asian dining and has been declared as a must visit - the restaurant’s drinks are similarly sensational and it’s masterpiece cocktails ought to be sampled by aficionados. London contains a great many pricey, celebrated eateries, but for all that, it furthermore consists of oodles of cheap restaurants, many of these are London’s small, veiled jewels.

Our capital, as is well accepted, is currently an example of one of the most impressive capitals in the world - but on the other hand it can be costly. If you’re searching for first-rate, low cost dining then you are in a superb area to get it, providing that you are roughly in the right areas. This city has infinite bargain selections - pizza joints, low cost Italian restaurants and of course thousands of whole food places. The Gourmet Burger Kitchen is a remarkable burger joint influenced by multitudinous outstanding burger restaurants found around England. There’s each and every flavour of burger one can conceive of, which implies there’s something for everybody. GBK is very fairly priced, and of course their plates are similarly colossal, there is definitely no need to get any more at this place. Masala Zone’s an ambitious bunch of modern Indians. These spots are all reasonably priced and serve traditional Indian Street meals, awesome for when you have to sup, still your time out must not linger for overly long, or on the other hand pleasing for days when one is out and about with a collection of associates and you’re after for a venue with wonderful menus and the vibes to match. See the best London restaurants with Time Out Magazine.

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The Olive - History and Production

April 4th, 2008 by Administrator

The Olive tree dates back to early ancient times in both biblical and classical writings. In these early writings, the olive oil is referenced as a symbol of both goodness and purity, and the tree represents peace and happiness. In ancient times, the oil was also burnt in sacred lamps at temples during the Olympic Games, and the victor was crowned with its leaves.

Olives have been cultivated since prehistoric times in Asia Minor. Today olives are commercially produced in Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Portugal, China, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Angola, South Africa, Uruguay, Afghanistan, Australia, New Zealand, and California. The Mediterranean area produces 93% of the olive production. Currently there are some 800 million olive trees being cultivated. California is the only state where olives are grown commercially. Over 90% of the olive production is used to make olive oil.

The Olive tree is considered an evergreen tree. These trees can live to be over 2,000 years old. They grow 20-40 feet high and begin to bear fruit between 4 and 8 years old. The tree blooms with small whitish flowers and have a wonderful fragrant.

A Franciscan missionary planted the first olive tree in California in 1769 at a Franciscan mission in San Diego. The olives grown in California are called mission olives. Of all the species of olives, this olive is especially good for its oil.

Olives are not edible, green, or ripe, and must be treated with lye and/or cured in brine or dry salt before being edible. They contain about 20% oil. Olives must be processed to remove the bitter glycoside oleuropein, before they are edible, so they are usually first treated with lye and then pickled.

Greek olives are not treated with lye. They are strong tasting because they are just packed in dry salt, or pickled in brine for 6 to 12 months (where they undergo a process of lactic fermentation), and finally packed in fresh brine.

Spanish green olives are picked before they are ripe, treated with lye, and then placed in a brine and allowed to ferment.

California olives are treated to set the pigment, treated with lye and then packed immediately in brine and sterilized. They do not undergo the fermentation process, and the sterilization ‘cooks’ them. This lack of fermentation and the ‘cooking’ when they are sterilized produces a bland, uninteresting olive

Ten medium size black olives have 50 calories and 4 grams of fat.

For more information, visit Olive Garden

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Wine Knowledge for Getting Started when Pairing Wine and Food…

March 24th, 2008 by Administrator

As I have said before, and I am sure will say many times more, WINE IS FUN. Pairing Wine and Food is even more fun. Well at least it should be. Sometimes I listen to the wine aficionados talk, and all I can hear is them intellectualizing over the wine. They discuss the aromas, the varietals, the tannins…. This can be very disconcerting to anyone who doesn’t understand what they are saying. It can make a person afraid to ask in public what wine do you suggest, or maybe the person will not order any wine at all. That would be a shame since that person will be missing out on the fun, history and culture of wine.

Come on people, what about, gee this is really good. Believe me, knowledge is important, it gives you the background to understanding the nuances of the wine. I have a question for you, what comes first, the cart or the horse or what comes first your taste and smell senses or the educational background of wine. When you were growing up, did you care how french fries and hot dogs were produced, or did you care about how the food smelled and tasted.

You instinctively knew that if something smelled bad, well then it probably didn’t taste too good. You also knew that if something was brought out to you to eat and the color didn’t look right, well, maybe you shouldn’t eat it. THE SAME THING GOES FOR WINE. IF IT DOESN’T SMELL RIGHT, OR DOESN’T LOOK RIGHT, IT PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING GOING ON THAT YOU WON’T LIKE. But as your mother and father probably told you, try it anyway. And that’s what you should do with wine. Swirl it, smell it, taste it, then decide if you like it….As I say, make it fun….If the wine is no good, just close it up and open another bottle and the next day take the bad bottle back to your wine merchant for an exchange…

I know this all sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised at all the stories I have heard from clients and friends when we are talking about our first experiences with wine.

Well listen, go out there, pick up some fresh vegetables, fish or whatever you like; find someone to talk to (a good wine merchant or email me) and pick out a nice wine to pair with the food.

Here’s to your pairing wine and food tonight success,

Michael

Michael Kranitz is a businessman who, for many years, has enjoyed pairing wine and food for his family, friends and clients. Michael has a philosophy that pairing wine and food should be fun, not work. Michael’s goal is to help people gain knowledge and have fun at http://www.wineanddinetonight.com

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Delicacies of the USA

March 11th, 2008 by Administrator

When Americans think about delicacies, they often think of food from foreign countries. Many people don’t realize that the USA has its own delicacies as well. The truth is that every region of the world has certain foods that are associated with that region alone. This is what makes the food across the world a truly special and interesting thing to enjoy.

One of the delicacies of the USA is USDA prime grade beef. When you visit places around the world, you won’t find something as delicious and wonderful as this type of beef. With a large part of the United States being agricultural areas, it is no wonder that the USDA prime grade beef is considered a delicacy.

Another one of the USA delicacies is Maine lobster. Maine lobsters are found in the cool and often rocky waters of the shores of North America. They can grow to be quite large and are known to be some of the largest lobsters of the world.

The Maryland blue crab is also a known American delicacy. These blue tinted crabs are found in along the American shores of the Atlantic Ocean. They are cooked and eaten in their shells for the most part, although some people do eat them without the shell at all.

The Morel mushrooms are one of the most sought after USA delicacies. These mushrooms are often found at the sites that were previously damaged by forest fires. The mushrooms are used by many gourmet chefs when they are preparing French dishes and can be quite expensive because they are so rare.

Check out some sample Indian chicken recipes that are easy and low fat.

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Mail Order Ham–Choosing a Ham Online

February 28th, 2008 by Administrator

The ham is the traditional centerpiece for Easter, Christmas, holidays, and other special gatherings. Almost any meal is made special with a ham. Many options are available in choosing a mail order ham online in the quest to make the choice your ham centerpiece a success. You can not judge the value of your mail order ham online by the price per pound; you need to look beyond the price for differences in hams that are available.

Nutrition labels are a great place to start your comparisons of the ham. The nutrifacts gives information about the calories, fat, cholesterol, protein, and sodium contents of the ham. Generally, nutrifacts for ham are healthy since ham is a relatively lean cut of meat before anything is added. When comparing hams, be certain that you note the serving size that has been used to establish the nutritional statistics of the ham.

Although nutrition information is very similar from one ham manufacturer to another, there are several factors that will present distinguishable differences in hams. These factors may represent differences in flavor and texture profile from one brand of ham to another. These factors are bone-in ham versus boneless, slow curing of ham versus efficient curing, water levels added to the ham, different methods of smoking the ham, cooking duration, and, of course, the ingredients included the cure or marinade of the ham.

Bone-in hams provide 2-3 servings per pound and tend to highlight the added ingredients. The natural fats of the ham help to enhance the ingredients that are added to the cure (marinade). Although you may want to trim the fat away when consuming the ham, cooking the ham with its natural fat will bring out the unique differences in many spices and sweeteners used to make the ham. Boneless hams provide 4-5 servings per pound. Boneless hams usually have all visible fats removed when preparing the ham for smoking and cooking. Boneless hams are extremely simple, however if you do not mind trimming away a little fat, you will probably enjoy the flavor profile of the bone-in ham more than the boneless ham. If carving is a concern, try a pre-sliced spiral sliced ham with the bone-in.

Another factor that presents definitive differences in hams from one brand to another is the method of curing the ham. Ham is made with a flavorful cure, a marinade of water and brine that gives the ham its typical taste and appearance. Technology advancements have helped the ham curing process (adding ingredients through moisture enhancements) to become a much more efficient process than the early days of ham processing. Equipment has helped the process of getting the ingredients into the ham quickly to get the ham to the store quicker. Although the efficiency factor helps reduce the costs of production of some hams, it is not always effective in maximizing the flavor enhancement factor. Whether using new technology or traditional methods, slowing the curing process will bring out the unique differences from the added ingredients. Getting the ingredients into the meat is only half of the process, giving them a chance to work before cooking is the second half.

Water is the medium in which ham makers use to get different ingredients into the meat. Over the years, some ham makers have improved their methods to get more and more moisture into the meat. Labels will read ham, ham with natural juices, water-added ham, and ham with X% added water. Obviously, ham and ham with natural juices will have the least amount of water diluting the natural taste of ham and its added spices. Adding more and more water will help drive down the cost of the ham, but generally does little to enhance the flavor and texture of the ham itself.

The method of smoking the ham will be yet another factor that creates differences from one brand of ham to another. The traditional method of smoking ham was to use specially selected logs of hard woods that would enhance the sweeteners and spices that the ham maker chose. Soon, processors found that their ham tasted better with hickory wood, applewood, or even dried corn cobs. One of the newest technologies is a processed natural smoke that is converted to a liquid form and is applied to the hams during the cooking process. This process has helped to shorten the processing cycle of the ham. Many specialty processors still choose to stay with the natural wood of their choice to enhance the special blend of spices that gives their ham its unique flavor properties.

Much like the lengthened curing process of the ham, many ham processors feel that slow cooking ham at a lower temperature maintains the natural meat texture and cooks the spice flavors into the ham. Again, technology has been introduced to shorten the cooking cycles and reach the safe internal temperatures quicker. Some argue that the quick process changes the ham texture too much, and doe not allow the flavors of the ham and ingredients to blend during the cooking process.

Probably the one area that each ham maker will argue that his is the best is in the ingredients he chooses for the cure or marinade of the ham. Each cure has one or two prominent ingredients that help to give unique taste and aroma properties to a ham. Maple syrup, honey, and brown sugar are three primary ingredients that specialty ham processors may choose to build their cure recipe. In addition to the base ingredient, many other spices may be added to further enhance a unique recipe preference to cure a ham.

As you can see, a good centerpiece holiday ham for your Easter, Christmas, or special celebration meal goes well beyond the price per pound or an attractive package. There are many ways to make a ham less expensive, but like any good recipe, if you short cut the cycle and ingredients it may not taste as good and bring pleasure to you and your guests that you may expect. Choose your ham wisely, and enjoy one of the best tasting meal traditions.

You must insist on quality and the distinctive, elusive, one-of-a-kind flavor in your ham that can never be mass-produced by machinery or rushed through the curing and smoking process. Whether you need a holiday ham, or are buying a ham online just because you love the flavor, the very best maple syrup brine cured, cob and applewood smoked hams, made in the New England tradition in one of the few smokehouses left that controls quality from beginning to endcome from
MeatGourmet.

http://MeatGourmet.com/

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