Monthly Archives: April 2008

Should chefs or any related profession be the only one to appreciate the joy of cooking? This hardly seems the case because from the earliest periods man has since discovered the joy of cooking. The history of cooking is very rich and colorful. This activity has evolved several times and in this article, you will know how. Continue reading →

When you’re planning and hosting a party, figuring out what to serve can be a dilemma. Whether it’s an all-out dinner or not, snack foods of some kind are usually expected. Continue reading →

Coffee is a legendary beverage that has conjured up many wondrous tale and a ton of no nonsense business. This beverage has been a great liquid that has done everything from heal to quench thirsts around the globe. Billions have enjoyed this strong, sometimes bitter drink. Continue reading →

Your stove is possibly one of the most useful appliances in your home, but it can also be the most dangerous if you arent careful. Its something that most people dont think about much, but your stove can be the scene of many accidents. It pays to be cautious whenever you use your stove to avoid injuries and possible problems. Continue reading →

Cereal is the name given to those seeds used as food (wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, rice, etc.), which are produced by plants belonging to the vast order known as the grass family. They are used for food both in the unground state and in various forms of mill products. Continue reading →

Barley is stated by historians to be the oldest of all cultivated grains. It seems to have been the principal bread plant among the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans. The Jews especially held the grain in high esteem, and sacred history usually uses it interchangeably with wheat, when speaking of the fruits of the Earth. Continue reading →

All grains, with the exception of rice, and the various grain meals, require prolonged cooking with gentle and continuous heat, in order to so disintegrate their tissues and change their starch into dextrine as to render them easy of digestion. Even the so-called “steam-cooked” grains, advertised to be ready for use in five or ten minutes, require a much longer cooking to properly fit them for digestion. These so-called quickly prepared grains are simply steamed before grinding, which has the effect to destroy any low organisms contained in the grain. They are then crushed and shredded. Bicarbonate of soda and lime is added to help dissolve the albuminoids, and sometimes diastase to aid the conversion of the starch into sugar; but there is nothing in this preparatory process that so alters the chemical nature of the grain as to make it possible to cook it ready for easy digestion in five or ten minutes. An insufficiently cooked grain, although it may be palatable, is not in a condition to be readily acted upon by the digestive fluids, and is in consequence left undigested to act as a mechanical irritant. Continue reading →