104 making best Recipes

rules for making sugar syrup, fudge is based on a sugar syrup , which is a solution of sugar in liquid. when making a sugar syrup, whether it is as simple as sugar and water or contains other ingredients, the rules remain the same., always stir sugar and liquid over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved., if the mixture comes to the boil before all the sugar is dissolved, a crust of sugar crystals, which is hard to get rid of, will form around the edge of the pan., once the sugar has completely dissolved , allow the mixture to come to the boil, and do not stir the mixture, unless specifically instructed to in the recipe. stirring the boiling mixture will cause it to become cloudy and crystallised, which may or may not be desirable, depending on the recipe., using a sugar thermometer, boil the mixture for the full time, as specified in the recipe. because stoves vary so much, as do interpretations of high, medium or low heat, we have given a sugar thermometer reading as an exact gauge. the sugar thermometer should be fixed to the pan before the mixture comes to the boil, as handling the boiling liquid can be very hazardous., when the mercury reaches the temperature called for in the recipe , the fudge is ready. watch the mixture carefully towards the end of the cooking time, as it will burn quickly if left cooking too long., length of time the mixture cooks , and therefore the temperature it reaches in that given time, determines how the mixture will set. sugar thermometers are the simplest, most accurate way of determining when a syrup has reached the desired stage. when the thermometer reaches 115dc (240df), the mixture is at soft-ball stage., worry too much if you don tsp have a sugar thermometer , as fudge is fairly forgiving mixture, unlike hard sweets, for which a sugar thermometer is crucial., way to check for soft-ball stage is to drop a small amount of mixture into very cold water. when rolled between your thumb and index finger, it should form a soft ball., brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush dissolves any crystals which have formed on the sides of the pan. it is a good idea to do this if the recipe says to, but don tsp allow to much water to drip into the pan, as this will slow down the cooking process and interfere with the given time., other equipment, heavy-based pans are best for making fudge. because it is a high sugar content, the mixture can catch and burn if the pan has a thin base, such as those on aluminum pans., use a long-handled wooden spoon if the mixture is to be stirred while still hot, as wood will not conduct heat., as soon as the mixture is ready, remove the pan from the heat , place it on a wooden board or heatproof trivet and allow to cool as directed. the pan will be very hot so, if it has a metal handle, use a thick cloth around the handle when moving it., beating the mixture, mixture may be beaten while still hot , or may be asked to wait until has cooled. beating thickens the mixture and causes it to lose its gloss. the recipe will indicate whether to use a wooden spoon or electric beaters - it is not a good idea to use electric beaters in a very hot mixture. there is usually a fine line between the mixture reaching the desired consistency and being too firm and dry to spread into the tin, so watch it carefully as you work., warning, take great care with every step of the procedure, as hot sugar syrup is very dangerous, and heat will transfer to any heat-conducting equipment it comes in contact with. keep children well away from the hot mixture., always use a long-handled wooden spoon for stirring., if you do get burnt , hold the afflicted area under cold water to wash off the syrup and then keep the burn immersed in cold water for about 10 minutes.

head cabbage, shredded, red onion, diced, grated carrot, stalks celery, chopped, white sugar or 1 cup splenda sugar substitute, to make low carb, white vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, dry mustard, black pepper

whole chickens, warm melted butter, vegetable oil, seasoning salt (can use less ), garlic powder (use if you are a garlic-lover or use onion powder) (optional), fresh ground black pepper (to taste), cold butter, divided, onion (cut into quarters ), celery rib, coarsley chopped (can use a large whole lemon or two in place of the , see option on recipe heading), reduced-sodium chicken broth (makes a good base for gravy and stops the drippings from burning, can use more if desired)

canola oil, onion, garlic cloves, minced ginger (important), cumin seed (or ground ) (optional), mustard seeds (black or brown , you can get these at asian or bulk food stores or don tsp use if on a gluten-free diet), sized squash (microwave it for a minute to make it easier to peel), chicken stock (use slightly less to make soup thicker!, vegans, use organic vegetable stock), salt and pepper, sweet red pepper (diced in very tiny cubes, size of kernel corn), whole kernel corn, cream (use alpro or mimicreme if you re vegan)

make sure your berries are very fresh and ripe for the best results., strawberries, cleaned, sugar, sweet liqueur , such as maraschino, all-purpose flour, egg, egg white, unsalted butter, softened, milk, brandy, powdered sugar

potatoes (for serving), potatoes (extra boiled and mashed if needed (boxed work too), bacon bits (not simulated), garlic, butter (more or less depending on your taste), milk, shredded cheese , of your choice, chives (to garnish ) or 8 tbsp green onions (to garnish)

bread , prefer rosemary garlic loaf, garlic clove, lemon juice, salt and pepper, mayonnaise, shredded cheese prefer mexican four cheese blend

here are the basics of making an excellent cheese fondue , the proper way (or at least the lindysez way)., use good cheese , i use half emmental swiss and gruyere, grate them up and toss them with some salt and a good amount of pepper. let them sit out at room temp so they melt better . cut your bread (good french bread, but not sourdough) into bite sized pieces making sure to have crust on each piece. let those sit out for a while too so they aren tsp too soft., cheese that you use , you are going to use 1 3/4 cups of a dry white wine, such as a fume blanc, a california sauv blanc (don tsp use a new zealand 1 as most are too grassy) or a pouilly-fume. when you are ready to make the fondue, rub the pot with a clove of garlic (we like garlic, so we leave the clove in, but you don tsp need to); then place over a medium heat and add the wine. when the wine comes to a simmer, start slowly adding the cheese, sprinkling in a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt (my dad said you always have to stir in the same direction, in a figure 8 motion, it works. if you stir in a circle you will end up with a big glop of cheese in the middle of a pot of wine, the figure 8 is key); keep adding until you have a nice thick sauce, then add a splash of kirsch and a pinch of nutmeg. put over a burner to keep it bubbling, and stir often when you dip your bread., a lb of cheese is enough for 4 people; or more if you are serving other things. and the amounts are guesstimates. i almost always grate too much cheese, so only add as much as you need to get the right consistency ; when you dip a piece of bread into the fondue, you want a nice coating of cheese and for the bread to absorb the wine. that s what it s all about, cheese, wine and bread. so use the best you can of each ingredient. and any left over cheese makes for a mighty good ham and cheese omelet.

flour, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla, egg , plus enough milk to make 1/3 cup, cream cheese, softened, vanilla, powdered sugar, water, sugar, orange juice, cornstarch, your choice mixed fruit

flour or 2 cups pancake, egg, sugar, vanilla, water or milk, to make soupy but not to thin, cinnamon (optional) or 1/4 cup pecans (optional)

cool whip, frozen pink lemonade concentrate, condensed milk, reconstituted lemon juice, graham cracker crust (you can make this on your own , i just buy the ones already made at the store such as keebler.)

boneless pork loin chops (3/4 oz thick and 6 oz each), canola oil, onions, sliced, green pepper , cut into strips, yellow sweet pepper , cut into strips, condensed tomato soup, undiluted, water, creole seasoning (tony chachere s is the best or see note at bottom of recipe if you don tsp have any on hand), pepper, salt, hot cooked rice , for serving

deep dish pie shells , refridgerated, unbaked, egg yolk, hot sausage, green onion, chopped, eggs, milk, nutmeg (fresh is best ), swiss cheese, grated, sharp cheddar cheese, grated, parmesan cheese, grated, paprika

best quality whole chocolate milk (this is important for good flavor! i use trader s point organic grassfed or make my own with droste coacoa powder and a bit of brown sugar to taste - just no high fructose corn syrup overly sweetened stuff please!), brown sugar - or white granulated if that is what you have. (once the mixture is frozen, it won tsp taste as sweet as it did unfrozen. trader s point is not too sweet, so i make it a bit sweeter for freezing and i like the flavor of best.), cream cheese, half tsp optional flavor extract or oil (like orange or raspberry or almond or coconut or...), egg, mexican crema , or sour cream, or ceme fraiche

flour (regular white ), wheat flour, oats, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, egg, milk (plus 2 tbsp.), butter, vanilla yogurt

makes 4 sandwiches, red bell pepper, cut in half, stem and seeds removed, sweet onion, about 1/2-inch thick, olive oil, extra-large eggs, salt and pepper to taste, sliced provolone or asiago cheese, fresh basil , arugula or baby spinach leaves (optional, but good), good sandwich bread, mayonnaise or best salad dressing(optional)

active dry yeast (1 packet), warm water, sugar, potatoes, peeled (idaho s or russets work best), onion, eggs, vegetable oil (make sure it is fresh), salt, black pepper (or more to taste, fresh-ground is best ), flour (all-purpose), oil (make sure it is fresh)