Tag: Gourmet

Different Types of Barbeque Grills

Summer is here, which means that it is time to begin grilling and preparing awesome barbeque parties. The only problem is, you have not bought your barbeque grill yet. When purchasing your first grill, you will find that you have a large array of options available to you. It may seem overwhelming at first due to the almost endless amount of possibilities and options available. The best way to decide on what type of grill is right for you is by educating yourself about them.

Cost

Barbeque grills can range from extremely cheap to very expensive depending on the type and features available on it.

If you are looking for a cheaper grill, then you should probably consider a charcoal grill. While larger charcoal grills are available, smaller grills can be purchased for as little as $10 to $15 at your local department store. Fancier, large charcoal grills can be purchased for about $60 to $75. Charcoal requires purchasing charcoal and lighter fluid each time you, so you must remember this when considering the cost.

Propane grills are slightly more expensive, starting around $100 dollars.

A smoker grill is slightly more expensive then a propane grill at about $130 each.

Natural gas grills on the higher end of cost. The mechanical part of this grill make it larger and more complex. The Natural gas grills are meant to be hooked up to your home line. Typically these types of grills start at about $300.

Multiple fuel grills are the most expensive at about $450 and up. Multiple fuel grills allow you to grill using one or a combination of fuels.

Ease of Use

The easiest grill to use is by far the natural gas grill. Natural gas grills are designed to hook directly into your homes natural gas line, eliminating the need to provide the fuel source. Natural gas grills are also one of the easiest grills to clean since you do not have to worry about cleaning out the charcoal or wood.

The next in line would be the propane grills, as they have similar features of the natural gas grills. The only issue keeping Propane grills from being equal to natural gas grills is the fact that you must provide the propane somehow. This usually means hauling and handling propane tanks.

The hardest grills to use are charcoal and smoker grills. Both types of grills require additional purchases of supplies, and then requires extra cleaning once grilling is complete.

Flavor

If you are concerned with flavor, you first choice should be a charcoal or smoker grill. Both of these grills allow you to replicate a true smoked flavor. Smokers are especially nice because you can also control the flavor by changing the type of wood or wood chips you use. This is good if you are wanting to slow cook your meat.

If you are wanting to cook something a little quicker, you may want to stick with the charcoal grill. A Charcoal grill will cook quickly if you want it too, and it will still provide a good smoked taste.

Space

Finally, the space you have available should be a consideration. When you grill is not in use, you must have a proper place to store it. Charcoal and Propane grills are ideal for smaller areas such as apartments and city homes. If you have a large amount of space available, then you may want to consider the larger options.

Barbeque Maintenance Tips

When purchasing your barbeque grill, think of it as an investment rather then just another item for your outdoor entertainment. You should expect this item to become a large part of your outdoor activities for many years to come. But like any other investments, proper maintenance and care is needed to ensure that your barbeque grill will work for you for many years to come. While some maintenance and cleaning is specific to the type of barbeque grill your own (gas, electric, charcoal or smoke barbecue grill), the majority of maintenance that should be carried on does not change from grill to grill.

Step 1- Gathering The Necessary Items

You will need some common household items on hand when it comes time to clean your barbeque grill.

Brass wire grill brush
Steel wool pads, preferably that contains soap already.
Mild dish soap
Sponge or dishcloth
Spray cooking oil
Dry baking soda
Aluminum foil

Step 2- Brushing Your Grill Off

The first thing that should always be done to your grill is a routine brushing. Using your brass wire grill brush (or other brush suitable to your type of grill) you should brush off all the surfaces. By routinely brushing your barbeque grill, you will prevent any type of buildup. If buildup from food is left to long, it can become increasingly difficult to remove.

Step 3- Spray Cooking Oil

Once you are sure that your grill is free of all buildup and debris, and that your grill is completely cooled off, you will want to spray it down with a light layer of cooking oil. Spraying it down with cooking oil will prevent your barbeque grill from rusting. It is especially important to make sure your barbeque grill is completely cold, as spraying cooking oil on a hot surface may cause the oil to heat up and ignite, which could be potentially dangerous to you and your barbeque grill.

Step 4- Use Baking Soda and Aluminum Foil on Your Grill

Baking soda is a very nice cleaning and polishing agent. Once you have removed any extra debris and buildup, lightly scrubbing your barbeque grill with baking soda will give it that extra shine, similar to the day that you brought it home from the store. This can also be used on handles and knobs to remove any extra buildup that cannot be taken off with a wire brush.

Aluminum foil can also be used to keep your grill looking nice. Gently rub the aluminum foil on your grill, and you will notice that it removes grim and buildup.

Step 5- Clean Your Racks

The racks in your grill are especially important as this is where the food touches when it is cooking. You will have to use the wire brush to remove as much buildup as possible. Once you remove as much as possible, start washing the racks with dish soap. If the racks are really dirty, you may also want to use the steel wool pads. Be sure to completely rinse off all soap and residue before cooking on these racks again.

Step 6- Preventing Problems

The majority of problems that arise from barbeque grills comes from lack of cleaning and maintenance. That means if you notice something does not seem quite right with your barbeque grill, chances are it can be fixed with just a simple cleaning. Even if you clean it, and still find that it is having problems, at least you saved yourself the potential embarrassment of taking it to a professional only to find out all it needed was to be cleaned.

Why Ice Cream Is Important

Fewer food products have had such a wide range of appeal, and such a longstanding appeal, as ice cream. The popularity of ice cream has withstood the test of time, being a greatly-loved treat from generation to generation. The enjoyment of ice cream knows no barriers of age, class, gender, or any of the other factors which often divide and separate people. Ice cream is truly a universal delight almost everyone loves it!

Ice cream itself is not specifically designated as one of the Four Basic Food Groups. While some people, albeit humorously, believe that it should be, ice cream merely takes its place amongst the Dairy Group. The result is that it can then get lost amidst the more basic dairy products, such as plain milk and plain cheese, while there is nothing at all plain about ice cream!

Humor aside, ice cream’s place in the food groups is very important, for standard ice cream and its many variations is a very healthy food. Although there are a number of factors to consider in selecting and consuming ice cream, categorizing it along with the other food products in the Dairy Group is wise, for even just the factor of its high calcium content makes ice cream a product which is beneficial to most people’s everyday diets.

Ice cream also has a “community” aspect on a number of different levels. On one of the most personal and memorable ends of the scale, ice cream is a favorite addition to a family dinner. For the many whose meals are not complete without a dessert, family members will certainly state that ice cream is at or at least near the top of their list of favorites.

On the other end of the scale are the larger, community events which include ice cream. Some, for that matter, such as the ice cream socials which are popular in parts of the United States, place the sharing of ice cream as the main focus. Sharing ice cream and interacting with friends and neighbors thus becomes synonymous.

For children and adults alike, ice cream can be a special treat. Whether ice cream is a standard part of everyday life or not, it can also be more meaningful and memorable. Ice cream can be a major part of a party, it can be a reward to yourself or your child for a job or task done well, and in the excessive heat of summer weather it can be a delightful and refreshing way to cool off. There is something that is not exactly describable in terms other than “very good” about being able to walk into your favorite ice cream shop on a hot summer day and treat yourself to a double-scoop ice cream cone.

Many people also choose ice cream as a favorite “comfort food.” Ice cream is a great way to boost one’s mood when life is at less than its best. Whether one’s preference is to dig into a half-gallon container from one’s freezer, or to go to a local ice cream shop and order something “with everything on it,” there is no comparison to the mood-elevating effects of ice cream.

Ice cream is also one of the basics for simple relaxation. After a long, hard day at work, it is a very positive thing indeed to be able to enjoy a bowl of your favorite ice cream while relaxing in your own home in front of the television set or while reading a good book.

In all of these situations and others, ice cream adds to the enjoyment of everyday situations, and makes what would otherwise be ordinary, to be even better!

Who Loves Ice Cream?

It is a safe bet to say that most Americans love ice cream! It has been a standard part of most people’s diets for many generations. But if you ask a dozen different people what they like the most, you will probably receive a dozen different answers. It seems that each person has his or her own preferences; and with ice cream, they are usually very strong preferences. Each person simply knows what he or she likes the most. Surprisingly– or not– there are a number of factors which influence this type of preference, determining why some people prefer specific ice creams over others. While a person may occasionally try something new and different, he or she will usually have one flavor and one form that he or she likes the best.

Studies have shown that the main deciding factor in this preference is set in childhood. Ice cream, a standard treat for most American children throughout the decades, is often associated with good, happy, carefree moments of childhood. Sometimes this factor includes specific events in one’s childhood, or simply the time-period itself.

Associating one’s ice cream choices in adult life to early childhood is not as odd as it may sound. Ice cream preferences may be connected to childhood experiences, such as the favored dessert at one’s family dinners, the main focus at birthday parties, or a treat given as a reward for special accomplishments. Statistics show that if you were given a vanilla ice cream cone after attaining a good report card, for example, decades later you will still have a distinct preference for vanilla ice cream.

In ice cream preferences, there are a number of other factors which influence preference. Some are so common that the clerks who work in ice cream shops can often make very accurate guesses as to what a customer will want before he or she orders, simply based on these factors. Young children, for example, are those who are most likely to request the most creative types of ice cream. Youngsters are naturally drawn to such tasty oddities as gummy bears, and it presents a double treat for them when such things are added into or mixed into their ice cream.

On the other hand, high schoolers have a distinct preference for milkshakes. Teenagers loved milkshakes fifty years ago, and teenagers today love them just as much. Whether it is the still-popular oldfashioned form of a malted, or the ever-increasing flavor and style varieties of Dairy Queen Blizzards, teens love these products which are sold in large cups, portable and delicious.

Not surprisingly, it is the trendy young adults who usually prefer the trendy ice creams. Being drawn to the unusual names which ice cream manufacturers give these products, and the unusual compositions of these ice creams which may or may not live up to their names, young adults go for what is new, modern, and different.

Although each person is individual, of course, studies have shown generalizations in the ice cream preferences of people by group. Women have been shown to be more in-tune with the weight aspect of the foods they consume, and make up the majority of those who most often choose the low-fat and light styles of ice cream. Women are also shown to be more cautious in their food choices, preferring standard, basic, and what is most familiar.

On the other hand, it is usually the men who are most inclined to “throw caution to the wind” in their choices of desserts and treats, choosing their ice cream mostly on the basis of taste and enjoyment. But whether male or female, the older people are the more likely they are inclined toward butter pecan and pistachio.

Where To Find Your Ice Cream

Whether you have current preferences or are seeking new ice cream products to try, there are many places where you can find ice cream. Some of these places focus mainly on the basics, while others cater to specific tastes.

If your preferences tend toward the basic, you can find a wide range of ice cream products in your local grocery store. While the ice creams you will find there can be considered uncomplicated, that does not mean you will not have an extensive variety from which to choose. In most larger grocery chains you can find a huge selection of ice cream in various sized containers, including not only a large variety of flavors but also offering a variety of fat content, sugar content, and calcium-fortified styles. Most of these stores carry the most basic brands from their own stores to the nationally-popular brands. You can also find ice cream novelties, ranging from ice cream bars to ice cream sandwiches to small ice cream cups which come with their own spoons.

Ice cream specialty shops are another possibility. In some locations these are in the form of old-fashioned family-owned ice cream parlors, and some locations still have similar shops as part of their drugstores and department stores. More widespread in the United States these days are the ice cream chain stores. Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins 31-Flavors, and Carvel are three of the most popular. Offering a nice selection of flavors in ice cream cones, these chain stores also sell ice cream novelties, ice cream pies, and custom-made ice cream cakes decorated for special occasions. Dairy Queen’s specialty is soft-serve; Baskin-Robbins sells the standard hard-scoop style of ice cream. If you love ice cream, and you love good ice cream, every trip to one of these ice cream shops will leave you satisfied and happy.

When you think of Starbucks, you might naturally think of coffee. But Starbucks also sells its own brand of ice cream. Starbucks Seventh Heaven ice cream now comes in five regular flavors– Java Chip, Mud Pie, Coffee Almond Fudge, Caramel Cappuchino Swirl, and, of course, Classic Coffee ice cream; as well as the no sugar added Coffee Fudge Brownie and Low Fat Latte. The next time you visit your local Starbucks for a cup of coffee, try one of their new Starbucks ice cream flavors.

If you have a distinct preference in which ice cream you want but cannot find it in your local grocery store or hometown ice cream shops, some of the most well-known ice cream manufacturers will assist you in ordering your ice cream directly from their companies. You can have your ice cream favorites delivered directly to your home! One of the most popular ice cream companies, Ben and Jerry’s, will ship an order of six pints of your favorite Ben and Jerry’s ice creams, currently priced at $54.95, which includes the cost of shipping.

Moxley’s Ice Cream, of Baltimore, Maryland, is another company which will supply your ice cream by mail order. Moxley’s, which only has its stores on the East Coast, is available to ice cream fans regardless of location by way of mail order. You can choose any of their thirteen basic flavors, and they will ship the pints of ice cream to you. Pierre’s Ice Cream, based in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Ice Cream of America company, which is located in Hickory, North Carolina, also offer mail ordering and delivery of their ice cream products.